Chapter 199 Final Step

After the meeting with the Champions and the League is over, Ash, Serena, and Lillie are now at the Night Club as they are going to do the final mission of the Legendary hunt.

Aster: Well, you did it, boss. You finally ran 'em dry. Turns out, no new Anomalies have been created for a while. Seems like they stopped even before you encountered that Giratina. The ones that already existed were hidden, and now the ones that were hidden are gone. End of the road. Maybe some of us can finally get some shuteye around here for once.

Ash: That sounds great. I'm glad that was dealt with.

After that, Heather rush into the night club as she has some news from Noel.

Heather: There you are. You're kinda hard to find sometimes, you know? Can't you just wait in one spot like the rest of us?

Ash: Sorry we made you think like that.

Heather: That's a joke. Waiting around is way too boring. So anyway, I was supposed to tell you that Noel is looking for you. He's up in his treehouse thing or whatever. I appreciate the, like, creative vision or whatever, but also looking at that place makes me want to throw up juuuuust a little bit. Better than him being all mopey though, that's for sure... Anyway, treehouse. Message delivered, bye!

After Heather leaves, Ash, Serena, and Lillie rush to the Rhodochrine Tree, and they find Noel there.

Noel: I know how we can get to Lin. Well, it's more like I can put you at her, I think.

Ash: That's great. How?

Noel: There are two things I need though. One: I need you to remove the meteor. The big one, that is. There's too much of her on it. It's blocking my vision. Giratina can do it for you.

Serena: So the meteor was in Citae Prisma, where we found Necrozma...

Noel: Two: I need someone who has seen where she is. That person is Fern.

Lillie: Wait, are you serious? You need Fern?

Noel: Sorry. Fern is the only other person besides Anna who's been to where she is. He was there before and lost. When I say "before," I don't mean, for example, an hour ago. I mean, for example, a clock ago. I'm starting to see what Anna meant. What she saw, and how hard it is to talk about so it makes sense. I see that he turned to stone. We have to fix that too. Bring Giratina to the Meteor, and bring Fern here. Those were in the New World entrances at Beryl Cave, and Tanzan Depths, then I can put you at Lin.

Ash, Serena, and Lillie first head to Citae Prisma, and they find the Meteor still there. Then they have Giratina remove the Meteor, but just as they have done it, they see Lin's portal.

Lin: Okay, what are you doing. Hold on, let's think about this. I'm opening the way for the others to get to me... Why? Is this about what I said before- Absolute power must be absolutely answered? I mean- I was just kind of saying stuff to fill the edgy villain role. No one seriously expects to be able to take a little girl seriously, right? It was just a character, and like I'm not saying I'm NOT corrupt with power, but, c'mon.

Ash: We have to take you seriously, so stop with the annoying whines.

Lin: No, that is the problem, isn't it? Even doing this gets boring all the time! I'm basically still just playing with dolls in my room with the door locked. Eventually, I have to open the door and interact with people? But people are smelly and they do things like talk about politics!

Serena: You don't need to worry about those people, they are already dealt with.

Lin: Still, I guess I can't keep myself entertained forever. So, why not invite an entire army of people who probably mostly want me dead right on my doorstep! It'll be fun! I'll make sure to have enough refreshments for everyone, okay? So bring the whole squad! 100% Labradorra tier raid, let's go! I'm looking forward to the party! Definitely!

Ash: (Thinks) No, I'm not going to let others be like Ame. I have to deal with her alone this time.

After dealing with the meteor, they quickly get to Neoteric Island and find Florinia still watching after the petrified Fern.

Florinia: You return. Perhaps that is only kind. I have been here, studying his... geological composition... as best as I can without risking damage to him. I hoped that this appearance might only be something of a shell; that perhaps he was still alive and well inside. Perhaps with the right chemical concoction, we could produce a draught to revive him. But no. I can think of no scientific answer to solve this. Perhaps I'm simply ignorant, lacking in the proper knowledge, education, skills... Perhaps if I had studied harder, I would be able to produce a proper solution... Or perhaps I am simply telling myself that because I still wish to believe that this could have been avoided. It's strange. By all logical accounts and reasonings, Fern was neither beneficial nor pleasant to be around for much of his time. Nonetheless... I can't help but acknowledge a deep sorrow when thinking that he may never leave this spot.

Ash: Rini...

Florinia: He wasn't always quite so obnoxious. We had a big celebration for my 15th birthday, and everyone brought presents. Everyone except Fern, that is. He forgot. Mother spent weeks planning the entire party, and he managed to forget. My father got me one final doll for the occasion; to celebrate graduation into womanhood, they said. It was the very last thing to open, kept in a glass case and covered under a sheet in the back of the other gift. When we finally reached it, we pulled off the cover for the reveal... And found that the doll had been completely defaced. Two hooligans of my grade had invited themselves to the occasion, snuck around, drew all over it in magic marker, and cut up her dress. They were outed by their failure to contain their own laughter and fled on the spot. Father was furious. He nearly sent everyone home then and there. It's fine, I insisted. It's not as if I was still going to be playing with dolls anyway. And so, the party soldiered onwards into the evening. I didn't even realize Fern had left until he brought our waltz to a screeching halt by slamming the door open. He just stood there in the entry, covered in mud, panting, and holding two pairs of tennis shoes, spinning in the air. "I finally got your present!" he boasted. His grin could have stretched coast to coast. "What girl would want two pairs of dirty, oversized shoes?" Father scolded. They were twice the size of my feet. But of course, he stole them from the other boys. They must have had five years on him each, but that didn't stop him from tracking them both down and stealing their stupid, smelly shoes. I don't remember a single other thing I got that year. I wonder, did I even smile at him then? If I had, would he still be here now?

Just then, Lin appears and Ash and the others realize that she is listening to the story as well.

Lin: Okay, okay, we get it already. Geez, for someone who was supposed to be a robot, you sure leak a lot. I'm surprised you haven't cried a whole river by now, I mean look- (Pours water onto Florinia, much to their surprise) -tschrk- can we get a clean up on isle 12?

Florinia: I... beg your pardon?

Lin: Yeah, keep begging. I said we get it. Sure, he was a jerk, but he was YOUR jerk, am I right?

Florinia: I... guess?

Lin: Tch. You're not gonna be winning any academy awards with that kind of performance. Look, lady, you've got me in a bind here, okay? I've been trying this whole 'be a good person' thing that the kids keep talking about, right? But like, I'm almost regretting setting you up with those latis.

Florinia: You did... what?

Lin: Don't worry about it. The point is, you said it yourself- there's no scientific solution to someone turning to stone. It would take an act of god to turn them back. But where are we just gonna find a god laying around here- ohhhhhhwaitaminute. That's ME! So clearly the thing I SHOULD do is just turn him back. And as we all know, I always do the things I should, 100% of the time without fail or strings attached. But also, noel wants to use fern to root me out.

Florinia: He wants Fern for... what?

Lin: Like I said, don't worry about it; timeline biz I guess. Nobody who sees those things bothers to tell us anything. Just let me monologue here. It's what people do in these parts, ya heard it? Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, he sacrificed himself to save me, right? Well, "me". So now it's my turn to do the same. Even if it means you all can bang down my door with pitchforks and torches, well... at least it'll be one hell of a party! Stand back. He's gonna have the juice on him.

Much to their surprise, Fern is poured some sort of water and then he goes back to normal, but then they also find the Umbral Energy surrounding him.

Fern: Oh, you'rE sAfE. ThAnK goD. WhaT iS anyOnE gonnA dO iF wE losE OuR champIoN agaiN?

Florinia: Fern, you're really okay...?

Fern: ...HeY, yoU looK likE you'vE beeN cryInG again. What'S thE matteR? If someOnE waS beinG mean tO yoU, youR brotheR wilL takE carE oF iT. I havEn'T alwayS beeN therE foR yoU likE I shoUlD, buT I meaN iT. No onE mesSeS witH ouR famIlY, yoU goT iT?

Florinia: You say that after you already all but disavowed even having a sister.

Fern: Hey, I meaN iT. I'm soRrY foR everythInG beforE. I shoulD'vE stucK bY youR sidE, NiA.

Florinia: How long has it been since you called me that?

Fern: NoT siNcE wE werE kidS, riGhT? I goT... embarrasSeD bY thingS likE thaT. You neVeR seemeD tO carE iN thE firsT placE, anD theN oN toP oF thaT, yoU sHeD alL youR feeliNgS. I onlY starTeD callInG yoU 'FloBoT' tO pusH myselF awaY. So iT woulD hurT lesS wheN I remembeReD whaT yoU weren'T capaBlE oF... LovE, affectIoN, whateVeR yoU wanT tO calL iT. I waS scaReD, But that'S nO excUsE foR mY behavioR. AnD I geT thaT I onlY ostraciZeD yoU furtHeR. It'S thE lasT thinG I wanTeD. I waS stuPiD. ToTaL dumbAsS. I'm sO soRrY, NiA. I don'T expEcT yoU tO forgIvE mE, buT i'M gonnA dO mY besT tO bE herE foR yoU froM herE oN ouT.

Florinia: I know better than to hope so. It's this aura making you say those things.

Fern: ...WelL, maYbE. I guesS wE don'T knoW. (Turns to Ash) Ash, let'S finD ouT. I'vE puT yoU throUgH thE rinGeR toO, anD I'lL saY iT noW- I waS jealOuS oF yoU evErY steP oF thE waY. YoU geT iT? I wanTeD youR skilL, youR lucK, youR friendshIpS... I wanTeD peoplE to talK tO mE aS easIlY aS theY talK tO yoU. I wanTeD theM tO smIlE. To bE someOnE yoU coulD'vE depenDeD oN, anD tO savE thiS regIoN togetHeR prouDlY- And I waS toO FUCKiNg weaK. I'm soRrY. NoW brEaK mE ouT, anD let'S seE it. Let'S seE iF I'm maN enoUgH to livE uP tO mY owN goddAmN patheTiC feeliNgS! givE mE aS gOoD aS yoU goT!

Then Ash nods as he has to battle Fern to save him. He goes for Entei while Ash goes for Garchomp. Entei goes for Extreme Speed to deal a lot of damage, but Ash has Garchomp go for Earthquake, eventually defeating Entei in the end. The second Pokemon is Diancie, and it defeats Garchomp with Moonblast, so Ash goes for Solgaleo to battle. Solgaleo goes for Sunsteel Strike, but Diancie goes for Psychic to block the attack, but when Solgaleo goes for Focus Blast, it defeats the Pokemon in the end.

The third Pokemon is Kartana, and it defeats Solgaleo with Scared Sword, so Ash goes for the next Pokemon: Charizard. Ash Mega Evolve Charizard into Y form and send out the drought, using Flamethrower to knock the Grass and Steel Type Pokemon out. The fourth Pokemon is Serperior, and it tries to raise its special attack by using Leaf Storm, but in the end, it is still defeated by Charizard's Air Slash and Flamethrower.

The fifth Pokemon is Roserade, and it uses Nature Power to make it Judgment and defeat Charizard, so Ash goes for Giratina next, using Shadow Force, Roserade is no match and it is defeated. And the final Pokemon is Mega Mawile, and it keeps using Sucker Punch on Giratina to deal a lot of damage, but Giratina manages to get through this and uses Shadow Force to knock it out.

Fern: NoW let'S finD ouT jusT hoW mucH oF a biTcH I really am.

Then the Umbral aura disappears, and Fern is now back to normal.

Fern: Tch, this is all embarrassing. You get that I seriously wanna go crawl in a hole and die right now, yeah?!

Florinia: So it was just the aura. Right. I said I knew better, and yet I'm still disappointed.

Fern: Fuck that! (Rushes towards Florinia) Who cares about "knowing better"? They're your feelings, right? I'm just glad you have any. I'm selfish enough to enjoy your disappointment. Not because I want you to hurt, but because I'm happy some part of you still cares. I don't like that I said all that before, but I wasn't bullshitting. I wanna look out for you, Nia. (Turns to Ash) You too, Ash. I may not have been good for much, but I'm proud that I could take the fall for you. You know what? I can smile at myself for that! And I can admit that I'm jealous and scared and don't want to be left behind, and the things I did because of that were fucked up, and I'm gonna do better from now on. (Sees Florinia turn away) ...Nia, what's up?

Florinia: ...T-too much to process.

Fern: Take your time. I'm here for it.

Florinia: Confused. Sad. Relieved. Angry. Happy. Scared.

Fern: ...Yeah, me too. All of that. Maybe for now, that's okay?

Florinia: That's okay?

Fern: Yeah. We got time, right? We'll figure it out.

Florinia: ...Very well. I would like that. But it seems like Ash has some business with you first. Something about Noel chasing that girl down?

Fern: What, someone actually needs me for once? You didn't tell me it was my birthday!

Florinia: ...Please.

Fern: Okay, okay- too soon? ...Too soon. What do you say we hike back to the Nightclub, and then I'll go wherever I'm needed from there?

Ash: Sure, we'll do that.

Fern: Right on. We march.

Florinia: Fern.

Fern: What's up, Nia?

Florinia: It is good to have you back.

Fern: Come on, I can't have been gone for that long.

Florinia: You have been gone for a very long time. So have I. It is good to have you back.

Fern: ...Heh. It's good to be back.

Then they all head back to the Night Club before rushing towards the Rhodochrine Tree, as the final battle awaits.


And here is a new chapter, as you can see, the next chapter will be the final chapter of the main story, but don't worry, that doesn't mean the story is done yet. There will be a lot of epilogues after the main story and I'll write them as bonus chapters. I hope you like this chapter.