Well, here we go. I'm honestly surprised by the response from my last chapter's outcome, I thought I was gonna get a lot of flack for it. Thanks for not witch hunting me for doing that. Anyway, here's what happens next. WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENCE. *POKEMON AND STEVEN UNIVERSE ARE NOT OWNED BY ME*
The streets of Lumiose City lay completely barren as Ash and the Gems all marched through it.
"This place has seen better days huh?" Amethyst joked nudging Jessie playfully.
"Amethyst, be sensitive." Pearl scolded her, motioning her eyes to Clemont and Bonnie's direction. "This is someone's actual home."
"It's alright." Clemont muttered, the pain in his voice evident. Bonnie took her brother's hand in need of support.
"Look at this place." Connie whispered while on Lion's back with Steven right behind her as they walked side by side with Ash. "All of this destruction."
"How much further?" Steven asked him.
"Prism Tower lies in the center of the city." Ash answered "If we keep to the shadows then we'll reach there-"
He was interrupted by a spear being thrown down from above and stabbing the ground causing both James and Peridot to jump into the air and into Jessie's arms from fright. A loud thud came from behind them as a Blaziken landed from the rooftop.
"We're being ambushed!" Cynthia exclaimed pulling a pokeball out and the others all drew their respective weapons and pokeballs. Ash drew his sword and Pikachu charged his cheeks as Steven drew his shield.
"Stand your ground!" he screamed ready to attack.
"Wait!" a familiar, male voice called down from the roofs. Everyone looked up to see a large Togekiss float down towards them. Four familiar faces were riding on its back.
"Lars!" Steven happily exclaimed running towards him and giving the pink skinned teen a hug. "How did you guys get here?"
"We were on our way back from Homeworld when our ship was caught in some portal." Dawn explained as she, May and the final person dismounted Togekiss. Ash recognized him as Alain.
May brushed past Ash and pulled her spear from the ground "we found this guy after we landed and we've been keeping tabs on the Quartz soldiers and Team Rocket agents in the city."
"May!" Max exclaimed pushing past everyone in the group and rushing towards his missing sister.
"Oh my Acreus." she called out dropping her weapon and running towards him, grabbing her brother and squeezing him as hard as she could. "I thought I'd never see your annoying face ever again."
"I thought you were dead!" he cried out.
Ash walked toward Lars and Alain standing with Dawn and Togekiss. "Where are the others?"
"Mairin and the other off colors are up on the rooftops." Alain explained.
"We've been keeping tabs on Prism Tower." Lars told the others "Figured that was where their headquarters were since it the most heavily guarded. Thought we could break in and use their warp pad to get home."
"The guards have withdrawn." Dawn explained "we were getting ready to storm the tower when we ran into you guys."
"The guards are all gone?" Steven asked.
"Then they're expecting us." Ash spoke up. "We're heading straight for a trap."
"Uh, Alain, Lars." Alain's young companion Mairin leaned down from the rooftop above them. "Somethings happening you guys should see."
Ash and Steven hopped on the back of Togekiss with Lars and Alain and joined the other off colors. In the distance, a large, dark cloud as dark as the night was formed around the tower, thick enough that nobody could see through it.
"What is that?" Lars asked.
Ash had seen this type of cloud before, and a deep feeling of dread hit him. "Yveltal." he whispered, "the pokemon of death and destruction."
The group climbed down and rejoined the others. As soon as they arrived, Garnet suddenly dropped to the ground on her hands and knees sobbing from all three of her eyes.
"Garnet?" Steven asked worried, rushing to her side.
"Garnet?" Pearl asked leaning down to her level. "Garnet what's wrong? What do you see?"
But Garnet gave no response. All she could do was tremble and cry at the horror she was seeing in real time from the inside of Prism Tower.
Bismuth threw her fist down onto the shrapnel creating a loud, metallic bang, creating a few sparks that flew around the room. She looked upwards towards Paul, simply leaning on Clemont's bookshelf starring noncomtemptly. "You wanna give them a hand?" she asked him annoyed, pointing towards Brock and Misty helping Lapis, who was now resting on Clemont's bed as Brock continued to help her recover.
Paul simply ignored her.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked even more angry. "You're just going to sit around while the rest of us work to get out of here?"
"Give it a rest Bismuth." Brock said getting up and going to her side of the room "Lapis is still not responded at all. We can't afford to just turn on one another." he turned around to Paul "I know you don't care. But she just lost her child. You can at least try to give a damn."
Paul simply scoffed and looked over towards the bed. Misty held Lapis's hand trembling, her eyes still red and puffy. Lapis just sat there, not even responding to Misty, she was too broken to even cry. She simply stared out with a thousand yard stare without emotion.
Brock turned back to Bismuth "I have no idea how this will affect her in the long run. She was already broken mentally after what Jasper did to her, now I'm not sure."
Bismuth sighed while continuing to work. "I don't know her all that well, but from what you and Ash told me about her, she's strong. She'll pull through, no matter what. That's what being a Crystal Gem is all about. Never giving in. Can you hand me that?" she asked him pointing to the toolbox left behind.
Brock complied and reached for the toolbox on the table. Bismuth reached inside and pulled out a long object. A somber feeling came over them when they realized it was the same crowbar the Marauder used on Lapis. Lapis still wasn't reacting to anything as Misty buried her head into her shoulder sadly. Bismuth tossed the tool away and retrieved the wrench. After a few seconds, she stepped backwards. "It's done."
Brock, Misty and Paul all looked to see a long device with a pointed edge attached. Brock knew exactly what it was from what Steven told him about.
"Oh no. We are not using the breaking point."
"It's not Brock." she explained showing it off "It's the Breaking Point 2.0. I've had a long time to think about what Steven said to me last time we met. And he's right. This bad boy is exactly like my old work. Poofs the form, and won't harm the actual gem." she knelt down to Lapis's height "Now let's get you back to Ash." quickly turning around, she kicked the door down and stepped into the long hallway.
"Come and get some!" Bismuth exclaimed at the four guards stationed in the hallway.
The Team Rocket agents each summoned their pokemon. Bismuth was faced with a Machoke, Nidoking, Ariados and Toxicroak.
Taking their bubbled pokeballs from the ceiling and Misty and Paul both summoned Politoed and Ursaring.
"Politoed, use water gun!"
"Ursaring, hammer arm!"
Politoed projected a steady stream of water into Nidoking and the Machoke. While Ursaring smashed his fist into Ariadose and then turned his attention to Toxicroak. Bismuth then unexpectedly charged into the four Team Rocket grunts.
"What are you doing?" one of them asked terrified. "Pokemon trainers can't attack each others!"
"I'm not a pokemon trainer, Homeworld scum!" she exclaimed aiming the breaking point.
Brock, carrying Lapis on his shoulders realized what Bismuth was unknowingly doing. "Bismuth wait!"
But she had already fired the pointed tip into the horrified grunt's chest. As if it were a knife going through butter, the weapon went directly into the grunt, leaving behind a hole in his chest. The blade retracted and went into the grunt standing next to him, as well as the grunt directly behind him both at once. The retracted blade flew then into the fourth's neck, causing him to drop while grasping his heavily bleeding neck.
Bismuth looked down at the four bodies confused and shocked. "They're, they're not gems?" seeing the gruesome sight she inadvertently caused, she tossed the Breaking Point 2.0 aside before looking back at the others. "I, I didn't know."
Misty took her in a supportive hug "it's not your fault."she whispered into her ear. Bismuth broke away, a single shame filled tear falling from her eye, and knelt down at the only grunt that was still breathing, taking the young man's hand.
"I'm sorry." she told him and he took his last breath. He looked up at her, almost with an understanding. After the light left his eyes and stopped breathing, Bismuth mournfully lowered his eyelids out of respect.
Misty put her hand on her shoulder in support "Come on, we have to leave."
"Wait, where's Paul?" Brock asked looking around the hallway. The purple haired trainer had been standing next to them a second ago, but now he was gone.
Bismuth looked down. "Where's the Breaking Point?"
While Paul did sympathize with Lapis, he knew he couldn't waste his time with the others, not when there was a bigger prize in Yveltal at hand. With the weapon strapped tightly around his arm, he marched down the hallways keeping his eyes open for more guards. As he marched onward, he recognized the room he was in now as the gym battlefield.
The spotlights illuminated the battlefield and he saw three figures standing across him.
"Well, well, well. Looks like Jasper's prisoners escaped." Aquamarine mocked him with her high pitched voice. "Attila, Hun, please dispose of this one while I inform Giovanni and Jasper." she then exclaimed sprouting her wings and flying away.
The Team Rocket goons both approached him, drawing their pokeballs.
"Skarmory, punish him!" Attila declared.
"Steelix. Teach him a lesson." Hun announced summoning the enormous pokemon.
Paul looked up at the two pokemon before tossing the breaking point aside and summoning two pokemon. "Electivire, Aggron, stand by for battle!" he exclaimed summoning two of his most ferocious pokemon.
"Steelix, sandstorm!"
"Skarmory, sky attack on Aggron!"
Steelix blew the entire ground of the battlefield into a dustorm of epic proportions, clouding the vision of everyone. Skarmory on the other hand, charged at the steel type.
"Aggron, iron defense! Electivire, brick break on Steelix!"
Aggron drew a protective shield around himself, rendering the sky bound pokemon's attack useless. Electivire directed a full attack into the massive pokemon, smashing their fists into its body, knocking it downward, and creating an earth rattling thud.
"Aggron, flash cannon! Electivire, use thunder!"
Following their ruthless master's commands, the two targeted both attacks on Skarmory, resulting in an explosion and to the Team Rocket agent's shock, the needless cruelty of the mass attack resulted in the pokemon's death. Knowing that Yveltal would only appear at a scene of great suffering and death, and that they earned what was coming, Paul picked back up the Breaking Point 2.0 and fired a single shot into Steelix's head.
"What are you doing!" Attila screamed in confusion as Paul fired into his torso, causing him to collapse. Hun turned and tried to run, but Paul managed to impale the Breaking Point's tip into their back. Paul simply returned the pokemon to their pokeballs and left the two to die of their wounds.
Little did Paul know, was that his attack was being monitored by Giovanni in the uppermost level of the tower by security, as well as the other's escape attempt with Jasper, the Marauder, Hunter J and two projections of Yellow and Blue Diamond. The Diamond's both looked down at Giovanni with confusion.
"They escape from their cells and are slaughtering your best troops, yet you are smiling?" Blue Diamond asked confused.
"Blue Diamond, on my planet, there is a saying. "One must break a few eggs to make an omelette." I don't expect either of you to understand, but Yveltal requires sacrifice. And what is transpiring below me, is better than anything I imagined when I brought in Lapis. Begin your ships, Yveltal will be in our grasp in a few mere hours."
Both Diamonds looked at him slightly disturbed, but Yellow put on a stern face and took command of the situation. "They'd better by the time we arrive." the screens both turned to black and Giovanni turned to the three standing behind him.
"Jasper, things are going to get a bit too dangerous for you personally, and you are going to be required elsewhere. Return to the city until further notice."
Jasper saluted him "Yes my Diamond." she said as she went to the makeshift warppad and teleported away.
He then turned to Hunter J "Get into position. Your target will be here shortly."
J nodded and left the room.
He then turned to the Marauder. "Go floor to floor and kill anyone you see. Speed up the process."
He smiled evilly "With pleasure." he said turning around and leaving the room. As he marched down the hall, he saw Aquamarine fly up the stair case towards Giovanni's office.
"Move aside, I demand counsel with Pink Diamond." she said as she began to push past him. But he raised his arm, blocking her path and closing the door smiling.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked wickedly.
Realizing what he was doing, Aquamarine reached for her wand as quick as she could. But the Marauder's size caught her mid grab and snatched her suspension wand.
"Oh no you don't" he taunted her, snapping her wand in his bare hands. He then reached for his dark balls on his vest. "Chow time Sableye." he exclaimed with glee was his gem hungry pokemon emerged, slobbering at his feet at the sight of Aquamarine's gem. He then released his grip on his former comrade and she dropped to the floor. Sableye pounced on top of her before she could react and began to claw at her face. Her scream echoed through the hall before it was silenced with a loud, imminent crunch as the ravage pokemon savored its meal.
Bismuth forced the door open into the next floor to the staircase, realizing what was blocking the door in the first place. The others all looked down in horror at the sight of countless bodies of Team Rocket grunts and pokemon littering the staircase. Each one with a signature puncture to the chest. They all knew exactly who was responsible for the massacre.
"He's gone mad." Bismuth whispered.
"No," Brock interjected "he's after Yveltal. He's playing right into their trap. They wanted us to escape."
Out of nowhere, Sableye dropped down from the upper floor directly onto Bismuth's back, scratching and clawing at her chest to get to her gem, its jaws glistening blue from its most recent meal.
Just as Misty took her turn carrying Lapis so Brock could try and help Bismuth, a Scizor dropped downwards as well, slamming its claws into Brock's chest and sending him flying into the wall.
"Brock!" Bismuth yelled out throwing Sableye off her and coming to his aid. She shifted her hand into a battering ram and bashed her fist into Scissor.
"Well, well, well." The Marauder mocked them as he marched down the staircase, now holding another crowbar in his hand, Sableye crawled to his leg and snarled at them with Scissor zooming back to his trainer's side after being pushed away by Bismuth. "Look who just couldn't stay down no matter how many times I beat them." he creepily brought the instrument to his mouth and licked the tip of the crow bar.
Misty looked to Lapis, she had finally responded and was staring at him in distress and was breathing heavily.
"Aw don't be so scared sweetheart." he told her taking another step towards them, resulting in them taking a step backwards to keep him away from Lapis. "You'll get to be with junior after I finish the job."
"Over my dead body!" Brock called out. "Swampert! Water gun!"
"Quick attack Scisor!"
The slower Swampert blasted its water attack at Scisor's direction, but the pokemon swiftly avoided the attack and it struck the wall instead, covering the floor in liquid. Scisor slashed at the larger pokemon.
"Use Protect!"
Swampert protected themselves with a protective field.
"I don't have time to play kid!" The Marauder shouted "Scisor, use-" but he stopped, quite literally, in his tracks looking down. A small stream of the water covering the floor had grabbed him by the ankle.
Everyone looked at Lapis, who held her head down but her hand up. She gestured towards him and he flew over towards her, stopping mere feet away from her. Lapis stood on her own feet and stepped away from Misty. She created a second stream that creeped up the Marauder's legs and removed his mask to reveal his face, staring at her nervously. She twisted her finger in the air, and a single bead of sweat flew from his forehead and hovered over her.
"Did you know that the human body is seventy percent water?" she solomley asked him as she played with the sweat she took off him.
Before he could respond, Lapis twisted her hands in a loop. A sickening crunch filled the room as the Marauder's limbs followed. He screamed in agony as she twisted his body again in the reverse position.
"You killed my child. You killed my friends. Now you'll pay!" she screamed with the most furious look Brock and Misty had ever seen from her as she again twisted him before straightening him out. The Marauder began to gurgle and is face began to turn white. Lapis pulled her hand back, and too the others shock and horror, a stream of red exited his mouth collecting in a large bubble above them. The ooze continued to fly out in a sickening stream, causing his body to become thinner and paler until only a few drops were flooding out, leaving behind the empty husk that was once the Iron Masked Marauder. Which fell to the floor without anything for Lapis to keep it in the air.
Lapis fell to her knees sobbing uncontrollably. Misty and Brock both rushed to her side and held her by the shoulders.
"It's okay." Misty whispered to her as she sobbed into her chest. "He can't hurt you anymore. He's not going to hurt anyone anymore. We're gonna get you out of here and back to Ash. Ssshh, sshhh, it's okay. You're okay."
Bismuth looked down to the Marauder's pokemon which both looked shocked. "What are we gonna do about them?"
Brock looked up and removed the dark balls from The Marauder's Corpse. "Pokemon are not inherently evil. Usually if a trainer dies their pokemon are released in the wild. But these guys have been through Arceus knows what at his hands. They won't last a week in the wild. But with the right trainer." he said offering Bismuth the belt. She hesitantly took it and returned the two pokemon.
"Come on. Let's go home."
Paul forced open the door to the rooftop. The entire exterior was surrounded by the dark cloud that Ash and the Crystal Gems were seeing below the tower. But the inside of the cloud was something completely different. The entire area was storming and had winds that could topple trees. He approached the edge and saw Hunter J standing staring up at the storm.
She turned around confused "What are you doing here?"
Paul just ignored her and aimed the Breaking Point 2.0 at her. Unlike the other team rocket grunts he massacred to lure Yveltal out, J was able to leap out of the way.
"Salamence, dragon pulse!" she exclaimed, bringing out her most powerful pokemon. Paul instead summoned Electrivire.
"Use protect!" he ordered. "Now, thunder!"
Paul's most ruthless pokemon charged its attack and landed a direct hit into Salamance, knocking them right out of the sky and striking the roof. Paul put the Breaking Point into Salamance's head, adding another corpse to Yveltal.
"Salamence!" J screamed in grief. She balled her fist and charged "I'll kill you!" She charged him, careful to avoid the Breaking Point as she fired her arm cannon into his direction. Paul's agility and training allowed him to equally avoid the attacks. Before he was finally able to land the Breaking Point's tip into her chest. As she bleed out in Paul's arms, he reached into her coat and pulled out the masterball intended for Yveltal.
Dropping her body, he approached the two red eyes that began to appear in the cloud that looked down at him. He drew the masterball, and arched his arm back to throw it, but his arm was instead grabbed from behind. Turning around, he saw that Jasper had grabbed him by the arm.
"Oh no you don't," she said snapping his arm, causing him to drop the masterball. "I assume Lapis left after you got out?" she asked already knowing the answer. She raised her own fist and smashed it into Paul's face, causing him to fly across the roof. She approached him on the floor and stomped her foot into Paul's face, snapping his neck.
With the final death, Yveltal emerged, from the darkness, screeching at Jasper for the evil that had transpired, she threw the masterball and illuminated the pokemon of death, shaking three times after absorbing them. And clicking. Picking up the masterball, she turned around and went back inside, ready to present the pokemon to Giovanni.
"Hurry!" Ash shouted at the group as they ran across the final city block to reach Prism Tower "We don't have much time!" he and Steven had broken from the group and reached the front gate to the tower just as the cloud vanished, illuminating the area once again with the twilight that seeped down.
The front door was open, and Ash stopped in his tracks as he saw Brock stepping out of the door. Bismuth following behind him. Then as the final two exited, Lapis looked up, and at the first sight of him, she broke from Misty's support and rushed to him. Ash also ran to her and met her in the tightest grip he could, refusing to let her go as she sobbed in his arms. One look at her state, he instantly knew what happened, and shed a tear for their lost child.
"I'll never let them hurt you again." he whispered as the others all rejoined each other.
"Bismuth?" Pearl asked surprised.
Garnet turned towards Gary "Where she was needed." she whispered what Gary had said the day he sent her bubbled gem to Lapis's location.
Cynthia rushed to her pupil and joined in the tight hug Ash held her in, tearing up as well.
"Where did Yveltal go?" Alain asked breaking the silence as everyone looked up to the empty sky, knowing that although they reunited with their missing friends, their most difficult battle was already taking place.