Following Machamp's battle cry, all the Pokémon charged into the fight, helping Treecko and Ryan carve their way through the first ranks of the infected Pokémon horde.
A sea of emotionless, black eyes watched them, closing in as the closest infected fought as ferociously as they could.
The momentum of the group of rescue teams stalled as the infected masses created a dense crowd, their sheer numbers starting to overwhelm the rescue teams.
"Now, Ryan," Machamp said, fighting the Pokémon off, "then we can really begin to fight."
"You ready?" Ryan said to Treecko at the same time Treecko said the same to him. They shared a tense smile in the carnage, hugged each other and Ryan sprang off the ground.
A rogue Lickitung shot its tongue to catch them and bring them back down, but Machamp grabbed hold of the tongue before it got to them, allowing them to properly take flight.
Ryan looked down at the mass of Pokémon encircling and crowding the best rescue team Pokémon he knew of. Treecko had gone on about a good number of them at length when talking about rescue teams.
What had seemed like a powerful group, now looked worryingly small in comparison to the masses of infected. But Ryan couldn't think of that now. If they couldn't finish the mission, there would be no rescue teams. No Pokémon left to rescue.
They soared over the continuing numbers of Pokémon, hoping that none of the infected could fly too. Treecko pointed out a feature in the land, a short distance behind the last lines of the infected Pokémon.
As they approached, they could see what it was. Both Ryan and Treecko could see just from looking at it that, if Regigigas was anywhere, it would be there.
A huge chasm in the ground. It stretched out, like a wound on the skin of the planet. Ryan swooped down so that they could get close and they could both feel the heat as they came in close. The chasm reached deep down into the ground, too far to see the bottom. The dry ground splintered out in all directions from this point.
It was searingly hot, just barely cool enough for Ryan and Treecko to walk.
"So, this is it?" Ryan said.
"I can almost feel the evil deep inside it," Treecko muttered.
"I know how you feel," Ryan replied, "be prepared for anything. I don't want to lose you to whatever this thing is."
"You'll never lose me Ryan," Treecko said, flexing his fingers, "I have a strong grip."
"Funny."
"You're meant to say I won't lose you either," Treecko replied.
"That goes without saying. We're in it till the end."
"Darn right, partner," Treecko said, "The Woodland Wanderers, about to trek into the flames under the ocean."
"You missing those woods now?" Ryan asked.
"Not when there's Pokémon to save elsewhere too," Treecko answered, "come on, we're stalling, aren't we?"
"Yeah. I'm scared, you know?" Ryan said.
"That's okay, so am I."
The journey into the depths was immensely painful. Treecko and Ryan had been expecting heavy resistance from more Pokémon as they descended down each level, the heat only getting worse the further down they went.
It seemed that any Pokémon that were close by, had been sent to the surface to fight off the rescue teams, leaving their path clear, if extremely painful due to the heat. It reached the point where Treecko accidentally leaned against the wall to catch his breath and set fire to his hand. Ryan was quick on the reaction and put it out with the remainder of the water in his flask.
The temperature then began to cool again. Not so much that it wasn't extremely hot, but they descended until they found themselves surrounded by steam.
"The water," Treecko whispered and Ryan nodded, not sure if Treecko could see him properly or not.
They could hear the reverberating sound of something huge snoring ahead, as well as what sounded like slurping, or drinking loudly.
Treecko and Ryan continued along the corridor they were walking along, unsure exactly how deep under the ocean floor they were, until they found two massive stone doors, torn open. At this threshold, the steam transitioned into black smoke, both gases mixing and swirling until there was only darkness.
"Are you able to...?" Treecko asked and Ryan nodded again. Like he had done with the rift and Pangoro, Ryan started to breathe in, deeper and deeper, pulling in the smoke and starting to glow. As he did, he and Treecko moved past the broken stone doors and into the room beyond, Ryan getting brighter with each step, each inhalation.
"Of course, it's you," a booming voice shook the ground. Impossibly deep. Impossibly loud.
As Ryan finished up draining the room of its black smoke, they saw the Pokémon that remained, previously hidden behind the smoke.
The closest Pokémon, the one speaking, towered above them both. All three Pokémon in the room were much larger than either Treecko or Ryan, but they were more than used to it at this point.
The closest stood still as it spoke down to them. It was white with black runes over it, gold bands embellishing its arms and torso, green foliage near its feet and top and six eyes. Two red, two blue and two white. No, those weren't eyes but huge gemstones. Instead, its eyes were arranged on its central golden band. Ryan figured this out only as they began to glow red, swirling with the blackness that he had expected to see.
The other two Pokémon hung back. One was nearly twice as large as this one, with a huge mouth that was busy drinking up the last of the water. The other looked, to Ryan, like a jellyfish. A mixture of greys, white and blue frills. It didn't appear to have a face at all, so Ryan wasn't certain it could speak. However, the one with now glowing red eyes could.
"I am Regigigas," it bellowed, "leave or face my wrath."
"We were sent to find you," Ryan said, "we aren't leaving until our business is through."
"So be it," Regigigas said, striding towards them. Its fist glowed and it swung.
Ryan and Treecko dove to the side, avoiding the strike and began to retaliate.
"I built this world, how dare you deem yourselves worthy enough to tell me not to destroy it," Regigigas roared as Ryan and Treecko sped around it, attacking it with everything they had. "There is little you bugs can do. In the end, all will fall."
Neither Treecko nor Ryan could land a blow tough enough to effect Regigigas until Ryan realized something.
"Treecko, find cover," he said, shaking himself to loosen up. He began to glow even more brightly than he already did and, as Treecko dove behind some loose rubble, Ryan let loose an almighty beam of energy at Regigigas.
The godlike being keeled over from the blast, knocked out cold.
"That was fortunate," Treecko said, "I didn't think it would go down so easily."
"It's having its energy drained," Ryan said, "if it was at full health, we wouldn't have stepped foot in the room. Considering that one's black eyes too, I think it's safe to say this one is the reason all this has happened." Ryan turned and stared at the jellyfish looking Pokémon.
The Pokémon with the large mouth stopped drinking and spoke in a scratchy voice like a trash compactor.
"You speak in the presence of Nihilego, God of the New Domain," it said for the jellyfish.
"I have a theory," Ryan said. The jellyfish hung back and Ryan took that as a sign to continue. "I don't think you're a god of anything. I think you're a parasite. A parasite that likes power over anything else. Isn't that right, Sam?"
Nihilego, the jellyfish, stopped moving in the air, even the slight swaying stopped as it tensed at the name.
"You dare…"
"Yes, we do," Treecko said, "and it's time we dealt with you too."
The jellyfish pulled back as the huge beast of a Pokémon tried to waddle over and attack in its stead, but Ryan and Treecko were already upon Nihilego, firing off a flurry of leaves and energy blasts, whipping with vines and finally, they teamed up to create a storm of leaves swirling and cutting across the jellyfish so ferociously that even in its overpowered state due to draining Regigigas, it could not stay conscious and fell to the floor, releasing the large mouthed Pokémon from its control.
Ryan watched it consider attacking them, shaking off the control, and then left without a word. Sometimes that was all the thanks needed. Treecko kept an eye on Nihilego as Ryan went to revive Regigigas. He pulled out a golden seed from his bag and held it against the huge Pokémon, unsure where its mouth was. The seed glowed and dissolved into Regigigas' skin and it slowly rose up into a sitting position.
It looked around and recalled what had happened. Its eyes flared red once more and Ryan jumped back, bracing for another encounter, but Regigigas stood, allowing itself to calm.
"It is not often I am woken forcefully from slumber," it said, "especially not to enact the will of another."
"Another Pokémon asked us to find you. One from the Distortion world?" Ryan called up to it.
"Giratina. Why is it you have been sent?"
"He just said to find you. There have been disasters and missing Pokémon all over the place, can you help?" Ryan asked.
"For the disasters? Yes. The missing Pokémon were the doing of that creature back there. Your kin, human. I will return the seas to their rightful places and I will right the wrongs this being has forced me to commit. You and your allies will have safe passage to shore."
"Thank you!" Ryan said.
"I think it prudent to hurry, however, your role is not yet complete, little one."
"What do you mean by that?" Ryan asked, as Treecko called out in shock.
The Nihilego had disappeared. In its place, a swirling mass of shadows. The edges of the room appeared to shimmer and warp between solid and shadow.
"Return home and it will all be right," Regigigas said, sending the two small Pokémon on their way as the ground began to shake.
The uphill journey through the deep heated caves was just as bad going up as it was going down. They were hot, tired and thirsty by the time they reached the surface. Just in time to see huge tidal waves rushing towards them from all sides.
The oceans were returning. The oceans were returning too quickly. Ryan grabbed Treecko by the tail with his mouth and flew up, hoping to avoid the waves crashing in on them, but they never hit.
Flying between the huge walls of water, held back some unseen force, Ryan and Treecko returned to their allies, who were busy tending to the newly awakened crowd of Pokémon.
Cheers rung out as they were spotted and welcomed back as heroes.