Chapter 41 – The Distortion World: Part I
He had waited. Watched. Knowing that he was waiting for the being who would not be coming. These mortal men, the species he had watched for so long, had finally found the links he had left behind in that plane. But their control wasn't precise. The beasts of creation would not be bent so easily. It was time to act.
He watched the young woman fight. A shining example of what humanity was capable of. He had seen the whispers of it when she had first battled the other man. He had watched her grow. He had protected her in the cavern which was his warning about his links to this world.
Anger was a storm, lashed to his will. It was not the controlling force, but the tool. He had left those safegards in place as a last line of defence. This act flew in the face of what his brother had thought possible. The Red Chain grew and glowed with is blood red promise of destruction. The summoning was upon him, and the convergence would destroy the world. Three spirits, one of blue, yellow and purple appeared before him. Their sadness and pain were eased in his presence. They could sense his purpose, however.
Not all are like this! They cried in unison.
They tortured you to death and you defend them? He asked confused. If the man summoning the gods wanted death and destruction than he would be happy to oblige.
There is good too. You have seen it. Together, the three forced upon him the memories of two faces, shining bright in battle. They reminded him of various others through history, those who fought to maintain balance. Pits of red studied the spirits.
He will not be spared. I told my brother of the chances. He did not listen. My actions are his consequence. The three acquiesced, and so he rose. He did not fail to notice their decision either.
Jill watched in horror as the shape of her nightmares began to appear. She was frozen as the ancient being forced himself upon the world. Those ink black arms coalescing together to form claw tipped wings. Jill knew this was the real fight. Cyrus had no ideas what he had brought forth, but Dialga and Palkia weren't the true masters here anymore.
An explosion knocked everyone to the ground. Screams of pain from the two summoned gods sounded as they were banished back to their respective relms. Jill looked up at the towering figure, those blood red eyes boring down on her, this time in reality, not in her dreams.
"No!" The shout came from Cyrus. Jill shakily stood back up seeing Cyrus glaring at the shadowed mass. "I have the power of Dialga and Palkia! I will remake this world! I will not tolerate your interf…" He was cut short by the nightmarish creature screaming out and bringing down his black wings. Cyrus yelled out and Jill ran forward. She wasn't fast enough though, the wings creating a column of air knocking the young woman down again. The blackness enclosed around Cyrus, dragging him back into a new portal. Pools of red remained staring at Jill. The young trainer steeled herself, grabbing her most trusted friend.
No. The command froze Jill before she could release Caladan. I see you mortal. You do not understand. The pressure inside Jill's head was near unbearable, but an instant later it was gone. So too was the monster.
"So, the myths were true." Jill turned to look at her cousin who was standing beside the younger trainer.
"What do you mean?" Jill asked. Cynthia remained staring at the still open portal.
"In the beginning, Palkia and Dialga gained control of space and time. But there was a third Pokemon too. Something possibly even more ancient. The old stories never mention it because it was associated with death and destruction."
"What are you talking about?"
"Giratina" the champion said. She turned to look at Jill. "Giratina, brother to Arceus. He cannot properly reside within our world because he is antimatter." Both trainers looked at the residing portal.
"It's getting larger," Cynthia noted. Jill took longer to notice it, but it was slowly widening. The pillars around the chamber seemed to be melting or warping as the energies from the other world collided with this one. "Cyrus may have accomplished his goal, but not in the manner of his choosing."
"I don't get it Cynthia."
"When the big bang happened, it was a collision of both matter and antimatter. I know there are scientists out there close to recreating the conditions. As a result though, both properities had a champion Pokemon. Arcues for matter, and Giratina for antimatter. But by summoning forth both Palkia and Dialga, Giratina must have decided to act. The ancient plate my grandmother studied spoke of another world, an opposite to this one. I think that's what we're seeing here."
"Then what do we do?" Jill asked. Cynthia frowned, but had no answer. She was spared the need when three lights shot out of the portal. One blue, one yellow, one purple created a triangle and floated down to Jill and Cynthia. As they slowed and took back a shape, Jill recognized the three lake guardians. As one they pushed out the feeling of following.
"They want us to follow" Jill said. Cynthia nodded.
"Are you ready?" The champion asked. Jill stared down the increasing hole, to a world completely unrecognizable. Finally, she nodded. The lake guardians were first through the portal, followed by Cynthia, then Jill. Mars, Jupiter, Palmer and Lucian made to follow, but something stopped them. Pillars around them began groaning, causing Palmer and Lucain to look worriedly at one another.
The darkness was absolute. Jill slowly came back to herself, feeling as though she was detached from her body. Groaning, she opened her eyes and pushed herself up from her stomach. Frowning, she brushed herself off, noticing the ground she was on was rather spongy. And gloomy, like she was in twilight. Looking around, Jill found herself on a platform. Other lands were floating around her, rocky cliffs reaching down. Weird looking trees and other plants covered other areas, nothing connected to anything else. The young woman also found herself alone. Where Cynthia had gone, Jill had no idea. Sighing, Jill wandered to the edge of the platform she was on and looked down. Below stared the abyss, an endless spinning black hole. And yet it wasn't devouring. Looking up, Jill couldn't see a sun or any source of light.
"This isn't normal" a voice said behind Jill. The young woman spun around and sagged with relief as she saw Icarium looking around. Another burst of light brought forth Epona. The fire type also took some time to apparise her surroundings. Jill felt down at her hip, realized that none of her other Pokeballs were attached any longer. Heart racing, she went rushing around her platform, not seeing any of the red and white spheres.
"No, no, no, no…" Jill kept repeating until Epona stood in her way.
"We'll find them. You've made us very powerful, so fear not." Jill was still scared for her family, but she nodded.
"Any idea's where we need to go?" Icarium asked. Jill shook her head. She honestly had no idea. "Alright… then where are we?"
"This is Giratina's world."
"What is Giratina?" Epona asked. A frown crossed Jill's face.
"Cynthia said it was antimatter. When the universe came into being, two beings became the champion Pokemon of matter and antimatter. Giratina was the antimatter champion with Arceus being the champion of matter. But when Cyrus used the Red Chain to summon Dialga and Palkia, Giratina appeared instead, and dragged him here."
"So, we just have to find everyone else, and Cyrus, and then fight off this Giratina thing?" Icarium looked ready to do just that.
"Let's start with finding the others and Cynthia."
Caladan took in his surroundings, fearing for Jill. Somehow, he had become separated from his trainer in this weird world. Everything here felt wrong. The light was without a source, the ground hard in some places, soft in others. And before them, an obstacle Caladan couldn't pass.
"Do you think its safe?" Chase wondered aloud, staring at the water before them.
"I can't tell. I can't feel the earth like usual here." Chase looked at the massive grass type.
"I guess even if it's safe, you're too heavy to swim." Caladan rolled his eyes at the linx and turned around.
"We need to find Jill" he said in his gravely voice.
"We will. Blue's never let us down before, she won't now. But where do we even go?" Chase was looking around as he followed Caladan. Before the grass type could answer however, a massive shadow appeared out of nowhere, its screech piercing everything. It flew down past Caladan and Chase and out of sight. Both Pokemon stared at one another.
"I'm gonna guess we follow the big ass monster?" Caladan had to chuckle at that. Figures Jill would find the most dangerous place to get separated in.
The shriek set Urim on edge. Sphyrna wasn't a huge fan of it either, but she had no idea where the source of the sound was. The small avian was sticking close to the dragon while they explored their thickly wooded area. All the smells were wrong though. Sphyrna couldn't place them, but they certainly weren't forest smells. The pair suddenly found themselves at the edge of the platform they had been thrown onto.
"Where are we?" Urim asked quietly. Sphyrna could only shake her head, as she was just as lost as Urim was. Something caught the dragon's eye on a platform below them.
"Something's moving down there." Urim spotted it too but couldn't make it out through the shadows.
"Should I fly over?" he asked nervously.
"I think we should stay together to be safe." The flying type nodded. Together the two made their way around the tiny island in the sky to see if they could make their way over.
Cynthia inspected her surroundings, while making sure all of her Pokemon were still with her, inside her travelling coat. This dimension was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Various thoughts and emotions flitted through her mind, before she calmed herself to take stock of the situation. Somehow, during the fall, Cynthia and Jill had been separated. The champion looked up at where she thought the portal they had entered through should be. Nothing was there, save for the weird floating islands that made up this dimension.
Sighing, the champion began walking towards the edge of her platform. The ground was rock solid here, but no sound was made as her boots carried her to the abyss. Looking down was much the same as up. Shifting shadows made things hard to discern, while the twilight lent everything a golden hue or midnight blue colour. Ahead of the blonde was another platform, this one's 'floor' at a ninety-degree angle to the champion. Frowning, Cynthia took a couple of steps back, then ran and jumped at the other platform. Something shifted before she landed and the change in gravity caused the champion to stumble and fall to her knees. A small grunt escaped the woman as she picked herself up. A shriek went out, mobilizing the champion into finding her cousin.
Cynthia moved on, stepping on a depressed area in the stone. As soon as she did, the entire platform began moving. The champion froze as she slowly descended into the awaiting abyss. After a time, the platform came to a stop. Cynthia looked around before moving on. This entire world was unnerving. Cynthia couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't supposed to be here. To calm herself, she brought out Vervada. The dragon took stock of her surroundings, growling at the next shriek from the legendary beast.
"I know, shriek of the damned…" Cynthia said to both herself and her dragon. The ground type rumbled her agreement. Together they pressed on, both in search of Giratina, and her cousin.
"It feels like we're not supposed to be here" Icarium noted after a time of silence. Jill had discovered that certain spots on the islands created new ones or moved the entire platform. Together with Icarium and Epona, she was making her way, well, somewhere.
"Could it be that we are trespassing on its territory?" Epona asked. Jill also had the ill feeling that she didn't belong but had no idea how to deal with it.
"I don't think so. But this place wasn't built for us. The energies here, they seem to be reversed from our world, or maybe distorted?"
"Can you sense any of the others?" Jill wondered.
"No." Jill wasn't too surprised. Still, it would have been helpful. The trio fell into silence once more as they moved along. Bridges appeared and disappeared. Platforms had weird gravity. Some places were solid, while others almost gave way. Both of her Pokemon were struggling to walk, the same as Jill but they both refused to return to their Pokeballs. As they both said, they weren't about to let her deal with this stuff alone. Finally, a wrong step and Jill tumbled down. Tears sprang forth as she got back to her knees. Icarium and Epona were right there.
"I can't stand this!" the young woman burst out, crying. She was angry, scared and feeling helpless. "I should have never got us involved with all this!" Icarium wasn't sure what to say, but Epona did.
"If not you, then who?" Jill sniffed as the equine's words broke through.
"Cynthia is here somewhere."
"Cynthia did not stop them at the Windworks. You have been invoved with this since the beginning. You are the one we look to for what is right. You are the one who will see us through this."
"I'm not so sure."
"Then allow us to be your will." Jill looked up at Epona's deep brown eyes. The young woman brushed away her tears and stood.
"You shouldn't have to be" Jill whispered, hugging her friend. The horse bent her head around to give Jill a hug in return.
"We all came to be with you because we believed in you Jill. That will never change."
Caladan and Chase watched the shadow decend. There was no noise, just a cascading darkness. Finally, the mass came to a stop, and two glowing red orbs pierced their gaze at the two smaller Pokemon. Chase was bristling, his fur beginning to crack with electricity.
You are both bonded to the mortal. The ancient voice reverberated around both Pokemon's skulls. The power it commanded shocked both of them. Still they said nothing. You should not have followed.
"No shit…" Chase muttered.
Why? Chase looked to Caladan who was regarding the abyss.
"Because Jill knew it was the right thing to do. We trust her." Normally Caladan's voice had a weight to it. But around this god-like creature, he sounded small.
You deem her worthy?
"You don't know her like we do." Caladan was somewhat confused as to why this thing was wondering about Jill.
The spirits seek to stop me. My safeguards. And now you have followed. Do not interfere. Even if she is worthy, the balance must be kept. With that, the staring abyss vanished, and with it, an immense weight off both Caladan and Chase.
"What the hell was that all about?" Chase wondered as he looked over the edge.
"I think that's the thing Jill came to stop. She said Cyrus was trying to destroy the world? What if that's the thing that can do that?" Caladan said.
"Then I think we may have bitten off more than we can chew. We really need to find blue." No sooner were the words out of Chase's mouth, then a bight blue light appeared before the two. Chase snarled and lept back and Caladan widened his stance again. The light took shape quickly, showing itself as one of the lake guardians.
"You're one of the lake guardians aren't you?" Caladan asked. The spirit nodded. The grass type looked over to the electric. "I think the guardians are the spirits that thing was referring to."
"So… do we just follow it or something?" At that, Azelf nodded and beckoned the two to follow. Glancing at one another again, they followed.
Icarium stopped and looked around. He could feel another presence close by. Jill watched her friend quietly, waiting for whatever it was that he felt. Suddenly, a pink sphere popped up over the cliff edge. It edged forward, becoming the shape of Mesprit. Jill let out a sigh of relief.
"It's okay Icarium." The fighting type lowered out of his ready stance. Mesprit regared the small group, before waving them forward. Slowly the trio moved on. The spirit led them from platform to platform. Moving down slowly, through lakes where they didn't get wet, to forests that moved and shifted around like a maze. Finally, Jill realized there was nothing else below her. She stopped, causing the spirit to stop as well.
"We still haven't found the others" Epona noted. Jill nodded still staring at the spirit. Before them stood a wide platform with three craters in it, creating a pyramid shape. They were entering from one corner she realized. Walking forward past Mesprit, Jill looked down the crater to see a glowing yellow stone.
"Jill!" A shout from above caused the young woman to look up. She knew that voice. Relief and happiness flooded through the young trainer upon seeing Urim. And behind the flying type was Sphyrna. Tears rolling down her face, Jill ran forward to embrace her two Pokemon.
"How did you manage to get down here?" She asked. It was Sphyrna who answered.
"That yellow spirit showed us the way." Jill looked past the dragon to see Uxie floating by the second crater. A glowing pink stone was in it's pit. Frowning, Jill wandered to the remaining crater. Looking down, a regular boulder sat in the bottom. As her team gathered around though, the boulder began to glow blue. Jill looked up as it got bright enough, seeing Caladan. More tears fell from the young woman as she ran over to her starter, falling on him in an embrace. Caladan made a deep rumbling in his chest with his eye's closed.
"Oh sure I get it, I'm just chopped liver" Chase said. Jill laughed as the lynx stepped forward and received his hug as well.
"Bout time you realized that" Sphyrna threw back. Chase flashed a grin.
"That's a lot of smack for someone who didn't face down the big baddie wandering around!"
"What?" Jill said sharply.
"Something found us here." Caladan explained. "Great big black thing, asking us about if you were worthy."
"It didn't attack you?" Urim asked.
"No" Chase replied. "It realized who it was dealing with!"
"That must have been Giratina" Jill said thoughtfully. Before anyone could go on however, Azelf moved towards Jill. It pointed to a spot in the middle of the triangle. Jill understood and walked over. A stone bearing some markings was there. Kneeling down, Jill saw three tiny lights of blue, yellow and pink. Pressing the middle of the stone, three columns of light burst forth from the craters. A rumbling sound shook the platform, and a bridge could be seen condensing ahead of the group. Jill looked at her friends, all of whom nodded and stepped in behind their trainer.
Cynthia snapped her head around to her left as a column of light shot up. Vervada growled and looked ready for a fight, but nothing was forthcoming. Running forwards, Cynthia looked down. She had a hard time making anything out, but what she could see seemed only three levels below the champion. Carefully, she took off. Whatever this forest was that she was navigating seemed to have a mind of its own. Vervada's attacks were useless against the plants, and so Cynthia pressed forward.
It took longer than she would have liked, but finally, the champion made it to the lowest level. Ahead of her was a bridge, and a tampled trail. It would seem her cousin beat Cynthia down. A small smile played across Cynthia's lips as she realized that Arthur had been right about this fight. It seemed that it wasn't Cynthia's at all, but rather Jill's. Still, she doubted Giratina or Cyrus would be easy opponents. Walking forward, Cynthia came across a curious scene. Cyrus was staring off the edge of the cliff, while Jill and her team looked ready to attack.
"Tell me… what do you both know of genes?" the question caught Jill off guard.
"The building blocks of life." Cynthia answered after only a second. Jill whirled around, completely unaware that her cousin had found her. Cynthia simply waved a flat hand by her hip to refrain the younger woman from saying anything.
"The building blocks of life… exactly. All that information contained within a double helix. Two strands of DNA. But what happens when they are broken? Do you know?" Jill looked to Cynthia, unsure as to where this was leading.
"It's possible for it to repair. The codes insterted back to create the chain. It's part of how our cells replicate." The champion was frowning as she answered the Galactic boss.
"Precisely. Do you, champion, understand wehre I am going with this?" Cyrus finally turned to look at the two women.
"You think this world is our opposite." It was Jill's turn to frown. This isn't anything like how she would have pictured an opposite to the planet she knew.
"This bizarre world" Cyrus spread out his hands. "Time doesn't flow here. Space isn't stable. This world is our opposite, the reverse to the one I want to change. Just like DNA. One without the other is unstable, non-functional."
"Why do you need to destroy our world though? Why not simply leave, isolate yourself?"
"You don't understand. My aim is to rid the world of spirit. It is the thing that corrupts and has led us to this point here. That shadowed beast, it must have created this world. But it interfered with my plans. If I get rid of it, I will be able to prevent either world from reverting back."
"You want to kill Giratina?" Jill burst our incredulously.
"By freeing ourselves of spirit, our world can be made complete. This is my justice!"
"No." Jill said, balling her hands into fists. "I won't let you."
"And I will broker no further interference!" Cyrus grabbed his Pokeball. Cynthia made to grab hers, but Jill stepped in front.
"I need to do this. I let him get away before, I'm not going to let him destroy everything I love." Cynthia looked at her cousin, seeing the same determination and will that was coursing through the champion. She nodded, allowing Jill to do what needed to be done.
"You're going to let her fight your battles champion?" Cyrus asked in what should have been a taunting voice, but his emotionless tone lost it.
"I'm not letting anyone fight my battles. This fight is hers alone."
Cyrus released his Houndoom. Coal red eyes bored into Jill as growled at her. Jill smiled at Urim before signalling her own dragon forward. Sphyrna growled in return to the dark type. Cyrus narrowed his eyes before beginning.
"Will-o-wisp." Spectral blue flames grew within the dog's jaws before spewing out towards Sphyrna.
"Use dig to escape!" Jill yelled out. The ghostly fire washed over where the dragon had been just moments before. Cyrus frowned as was about to command another strategy when Sphyrna burst from under the stone, slamming the fire type. Houndoom cried out as it was sent sprawling. Jill could hear the wind knocked out of it as it hit the ground, but it still managed to stand after a moment. It closed the gap at speed, attempting to bowl into the dragon and get its fangs around Sphyrna's neck. Sphyrna anticipated the leap however, swinging her tail around causing the fire type to miss its crunch attack.
"Use dragon claw!" Jill calle out. At this close range, Sphyrna couldn't miss, her claws gouging into the softer tissue of the Houndoom. Cyrus stared down at his unconcious hound, before ignoring it and sending out his next Pokemon. The unfeeling action caught Jill off guard as the nasty Weavile grinned maliciously.
"You unfeeling bastard…" Jill said quietly. Cyrus tilted his head slightly.
"I am simply fixing the sorry state our world is in. Casualties were always going to be a part of that."
"So, you just leave your Pokemon there?" Jill yelled at him.
"I care not for your love or spirit. Weavile…" Jill was quicker than the ice type, recalling her dragon type to spare her. Ice was a fatal weakness to dragons such as Sphyrna. Instead, Jill looked to Epona. The fire types mane shone brighter than usual, standing in stark contrast to the deepening hues of twilight surrounding the three trainers. Cyrus commanded attacks in quick succession, aimed at the horse's legs. Epona aimed her diamond hard hooves at the quick dark type. One solid connection could shatter bones, but Weavile was faster drawing blood with multiple strikes to Epona's legs and flanks.
"Don't try to stomp on it! Use flame wheel!" Jill knew the nature of that particular attack would prevent Weavile from getting in close. Although Cyrus seemed to have different ideas.
"Use night slash again on its legs." The command again was given without feeling, and Jill couldn't understand why the Pokemon hastened to follow it. Gritting her teeth, she gestured Epona forward to meet the attack head on. Weavile was thrown back, size and weight giving Epona the advantage she needed. The tiny ice type struggled to get up, burns spread across its body. Jill's heart ached at the sight, but to let in was to let Cyrus win.
The CEO was frowning as he watched his Pokemon attempt to stand in vain before finally collapsing. Still he felt nothing as he looked once more at the young woman thwarting him. He should have broken and beaten her by now. His tactic to leave his injured and bleedling Pokemon should have brought the young woman to her knees. The champion would still be a challenge, but he was sure that the rage from the shadow beast would come to help him by scouring these pestulant beings aside. Until then however, Cyrus summoned his great sea beast.
Gyrados roared as it materialized. The rampage Pokemon was ill-tempered at the best of times. This battle would not be easy. Jill recalled Epona, thinking through her options. Crasher had also used a Gyrados, but its ability meant that Chase would be weakened because he relied on physical attacks.
"Urim, are you okay to fight this thing?" Jill asked her small avian. Urim grinned, thinking back to the last time he had fought this type of Pokemon.
"I won my first gym battle against one of them. I can do it again!" Jill smiled as Urim glided forward. Cyrus wasted no time, and this battle wasn't a gym battle. His Gyrados was bigger than the one Crasher used, and a hell of a lot faster. Jill was shocked. But what made her blood run cold was the attack. Urim barely got out of the way of the ice fang attack directed at it. Urim began ducking and weaving about, but the strange gravity was keeping both Pokemon within a certain area.
"Urim fight back with shockwave!" Jill called out. The avain was trying, but the attacks didn't seem to be working.
"That Gyrados is too strong for a Togetic" Cynthia said through clenched teeth. It was hard to watch her cousin fight this battle alone against a madman. The champion desperately wanted to step in, but this was Jill's fight. Jill knew Cynthia was right. Quickly, Jill dug into her bag, pulling out the brilliant white stone she had found down in the mines.
"Urim!" Urim fell back to his trainer panting. "Urim, let Chase…"
"No. I can do this." His bright blue eyes met Jill's and she nodded.
"Then you'll need some help." She held up her hand, showing Urim the stone he could use to evolve. Urim studied it for what seemed like an eternity before reaching out and grabbing it. He turned back to face Cyrus who was commanding yet another attack. Jaws gaping wide open, the Gyrados lunged in. What the CEO couldn't see coming was the flash of light as Urim finally evolved into a Togekiss. And he couldn't miss this attack.