Author's note: Yes, I know, I'm late. Sorry! :C
Today, on the day this chapter was posted, (June 29th) is my birthday! :D
I hope you enjoy this chapter! 3
Chapter 29: It was obvious from the start
"So, what happened?" Marie said finally after an hour or two had finally passed. She and Lucian were standing beside Beatrice, who was leaning against a wall and breathing slowly. After waiting a while for the young girl's anxiety attack to pass, the blonde figured now was a good time more than ever to ask. Beatrice sighed deeply.
"You really don't have to tell us if it's discomforting," Lucian said. "It's simple: Quinton betrayed us."
"I want to know." Marie said. "What exactly happened?"
"...Okay.." Beatrice said, slowly nodding. "Okay. I'll tell you.."
-Flashback-
"What is it that you want to do, when you grow up, Beatrice?" Quinton asked. The afternoon sun had just risen, and Quinton and Beatrice were having a walk in the forest near Veilstone city. Beatrice had on the outfit she had from the beginning: the long blue dress laced with jewels and fabrics.
She had finally earned the right to wear it.
"For so long, my goal was just to fight you…" Beatrice said. "I didn't care about becoming champion… I just wanted to have the chance to battle you."
"I see," Quinton said, nodding slowly.
"So now that I've fought you... I have no idea what I want to do next," Beatrice continued. She shook her head in disbelief. "It's kind of funny, actually."
"Why not become the Champion?" Quinton asked.
"Hm.." Beatrice crossed her arms. "Not a terrible idea."
"Of course it isn't a terrible Idea," Quinton cracked a smile. "I never have terrible ideas."
Beatrice grinned. "Yeah, except that time you tried to dominate the entire world," The daughter and father laughed together. Beatrice sighed to herself as she and him stopped laughing. A brief silence lingered between them.
"But…" Beatrice said, "I may consider it. Becoming Champion sounds fitting for me. A continuation of your lega-"
"No." Quinton said. "My Legacy is over. It'd be the start of yours." Beatrice widened her eyes. She slowly nodded.
"... I understand." She said. "The start of mine…."
"All you have to do is win a tournament to have a chance at fighting the Champion," Quinton said. "Just use what I taught you, and you'll be fine."
"Hm… That'd mean I'd have to face Lucia," Beatrice said. Quinton's eyes shifted over to his daughter.
"You've mentioned that name before. Who is she?"
"She's a friend of mine," Beatrice explained. "She's the daughter of the current Champion."
"Then crush her." Quinton said.
"Are you saying that because you have a lingering grudge on Lucian?" Beatrice said
"I'm not answering that question," Quinton said. "Promise me that you will utterly defeat her."
"That pretty much confirmed it," Beatrice said with a giggle. She sighed and nodded. "I promise, teacher, that I will defeat Lucia. Though I'm sure that she's gotten stronger too through this last week. There's no doubt in my mind that she will be my toughest opponent yet."
"But you will still crush her, yes?" Quinton asked.
"You know, Teacher, if you're trying to hide your hate for Lucian-"
"It's not Just Lucian- it's for her mother as well. I have a grudge on both." Quinton said.
"The truth finally comes out." Beatrice said with a smile.
"It's because you would have asked otherwise."
"Not true." Beatrice said.
"Hmph," Quinton walked on ahead. "Answer my question. You will crush her, yes?"
"Yes, of course," She said.
"Good."
The two went silent again. The sound of wind blowing against the leaves on the trees and grass sounded very nice. Going on a walk with her biological father was very nice.
Receiving the news that her long-time personal hero was actually related to her by blood was probably one of the best things to ever happen to her.
Nothing could ruin this moment.
Nothi-
"ROAR OF TIME!"
An ultraviolet pulse exploded from behind Quinton and Beatrice. The sound of a ticking clock slowing down to a halt blared. In the moment it passed- Time around the daughter and father completely went into two family members were like statues amidst frozen time.
"It worked…" Aldrich grinned maliciously as he along with his two last henchmen approached the daughter and father from behind. Zennon and Aiden both had their Invoker armor on, but- something was extremely different about the color and power that emanated from them.
The power that emanated from Aiden was the power of Primal Groudon- who they had captured with a Master ball, and harnessed its power to transfer it all to his invoker.
It was as though he had linked his invoker to Groudon itself; but groudon was no where to be found- becuase his entire body was fused with the invoker itself. As a result, Aiden's invoker armor was now a crimson red, and hoops of gold were decorated around his armor, just like Groudon's golden stripes on its body once it activated its primal instincts.
As for Zennon, who had a malicious grin, he had the power of Primal Kyogre in his invoker. In contrast to Aiden, his armor was glowing a bright sapphire color. Hoops of gold decorated his armor.
And as for Aldrich… his hair, which was a normal white, had changed into a metallic blue. A side effect after he captured Dialga and then used technology to fuse it into his body instead of his invoker.
The three of them walked ahead of the father and daughter who were still frozen in time and turned around to face them.
"The power of the move, 'Roar of Time' is powerful enough to disrupt the flow of time... I doubted the stories... but now that I've seen it for myself... it's rather interesting to have a power like this... All the more reason why the King and only the King should have this power."
Aldrich's grin widened. "Time will now begin to move again.." He muttered.
And that was exactly what happened. Time began to move again- and Beatrice and even Quinton gasped in sheer shock.
"WHAT!?" Beatrice cried, being so startled that she fell on her bottom. "They- They appeared out of- out of nowhere! In a blink of an eye..!"
Quinton glared. "...You have Dialga's power, don't you.." He said.
Aldrich placed his left hand on his right shoulder and bowed. "It is nice to finally find you, Quinton."
"How did you find me..?" Quinton asked.
"After capturing an omnipotent being like Arceus and forcing it to tell us your location, it was simple."
"You captured Arceus!?" Beatrice cried.
"That, and more." Aldrich said. "Join us. Father and Daughter, working together to show their perfection and dominance… to the world... it's a beautiful thing that can become reality. A world like that is exquisite. Come to us, come to rule this world. You are the king, Quinton. I have merely become a godlike being capable of freezing time to pass down this power back to you."
"No!" Beatrice cried. "There's no way we're joining you!" The young girl turned to Quinton.
His head was lowered enough that a shadow was cast over his eyes. Beatrice shuddered.
"T-Tea-Teacher?" Beatrice asked. Quinton stepped toward the three men. "What are you doing?!"
"Wasn't it obvious from the start?" Quinton asked.
"WHAT!?" Beatrice cried. "WHA- WHAT-!? WHY!?"
Quinton didn't say a word.
"TEACHER-!" Beatrice roared. "FATH-FATHER! STOP! PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU!"
"You don't have to part, Miss Beatrice," Aldrich said, extending an arm toward the girl. "You too, can become-"
"Leave her out of this," Quinton said. "Do not ask her to join us again. I command it."
"Yes, My lord." Aldrich said, pulling his hand away.
"Wh-Why are you doing this!? Father-!"
Quinton sighed. He pulled his sunglasses from his pocket and put it on his face.
"Use Roar of time. Now." Quinton said.
"As you wish," Aldrich said. Beatrice rose to her feet.
"NO! FATHER! DON'T-"
"ROAR OF TIME!"
An ultraviolet light blasted from Aldrich's body, and the sound of a ticking clock slowing down blared. The only person who was stopped in time was Beatrice.
"Let's go." Quinton said, walking ahead quickly. The other three followed their new leader without a word.
Quinton made sure to not let any of them walk past him. If they could only see his back, then they couldn't see the tears Quinton was shedding for doing what he had just done.
-Present day-
"So that's the gist of it, huh?" Rebecca asked. Rebecca was inside her house, sitting on the couch in the living room. The front door was right behind the couch. She was on the phone with her husband, Lucian, who had just explained the entire situation with Quinton, and what had just transpired. Not a single light was on in the house. The curtains were shut, and the window blinders were up. Only a bit of sunlight was leaking into the room.
"I understand everything but one thing," Rebecca continued. "You do realize that Lucia isn't going to listen to you, right? She's your daughter."
"I know.." Lucian's voice was loud and clear. "Which means…"
"It's time," Rebecca said.
"..Yeah. And if she beats you.."
"...Then that means she's ready."
The door opened behind her. Rebecca didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.
"Mom.." Lucia's voice reached her ears. Whenever she heard her daughter say, 'Mom,', her parental instinct would activate. She had to protect her, and she was willing to do whatever it took.
"She's here now," Rebecca said, still on the phone with Lucian. "I'll talk to you later. Goodbye." Rebecca turned off the phone. She didn't turn her head just yet. "That was your father," Rebecca continued. "He was checking on you. What brings you here?"
"Cut the crap, Mom." Lucia said.
Rebecca sighed. "You don't have to do this." She said.
"I'm doing this so you know you don't have to worry about me anymore. I'm strong enough to handle-"
"Do you want me to send you to the hospital? Because if that's what I have to do to protect you, then that's what I'll do,"
Silence.
"...Lucia, Listen to me. Your father, Marie and I.. the three of us can settle things while you sit back, safe and sound. Doesn't that sound nice?"
"It'd be nicer to do something about it." Lucia sounded resolute. Rebecca didn't like that. The Mother sighed and finally stood up from the couch.
"...Fine. Better it me, than some criminals intent on doing worse." Rebecca slowly turned around and saw that her daughter wasn't alone. Standing right beside her was a white-haired girl with a magician-tuxedo and top hat. She was visibly shaking.
"Do you two really have to fight...?" The young girl asked. "I mean-"
"Anastasia," Lucia said, "I already told you, my family's just like that. Words just aren't going to work here. There's no avoiding this."
"No-" Anastasia cried. "No- no! There has to be another wa-"
"You should listen to your friend," Rebecca said.
"Yeah- Right!?" Anastasia cried. "You two shouldn't fight at all! This is all way too-"
"Anastasia, right?" Rebecca asked. "When I said, 'You should listen to your friend', I was talking to you, not Lucia."
Anastasia's eyes widened in sheer shock.
Rebecca walked around the couch, then went face to face with Lucia. Lucia glared up at her mother with intense eyes, and her mother glared back.
"Come outside." Rebecca said. Anastasia and Lucia stood aside as Rebecca walked past and went out the door. Once she and the other girls were outside the house, Rebecca drew in a deep breath.
"Palkia, I need you." The parent said. "Come."
It was then when dark storm clouds covered the sky. The sun's light slowly faded to obscurity as the earth began to quake and tremble, as though it feared what was coming. The storm clouds above began to coil, spinning like a vortex and shining light from below as though it were a welcome mat for a deity. Lightning bolts struck the ground around the three with so much force that shards of earth leapt into the air upon impact.
Anastasia looked like she was panicking, but Lucia still looked absolutely resolute.
Rebecca never took her eyes off of Lucia.
Intense winds blew against the three humans that looked up at the vortex, which opened like a portal. Out of that Portal descended the mighty Palkia.
"It- It's Palkia..!" Anastasia cried. "It's really Palkia!"
The Legendary spatial Pokémon descended to the ground slowly. It looked down at Rebecca, waiting for orders.
"I knew this day would come." Rebecca said.
"We both knew this day would come," Lucia said.
"No. Not that. I knew deep down that something catastrophic like this would happen during your adventure. Once it did, you'd come racing right back, knowing full well that I could bring you to that place you needed to be. Palkia… That Pokémon is a real blessing… If not for him, you'd be on your way to Sinnoh on foot, or by flight by yourself. There'd be nothing I could do about it. But...because of Palkia's abilities, You know that coming to me would be faster. So now…"
"You can test me." Lucia said.
"Yes." Rebecca said.
"Why is this even happening…" Anastasia looked like she was worrying herself to pieces. Lucia turned to Anastasia. "Why is she being so mean to you, saying things like she'll send you to the hospital- and...!"
"Back when I was growing up, Mom called me her, 'little gift'." Lucia said, not once looking away from her mother's determined gaze. "She told me that I was like a jewel to her. She wants to protect me more than anything else." Rebecca nodded in agreement. "But knowing full well that I was my father's daughter, she knew it wasn't a matter of if, only when I'd go off into danger. That's why she's being tough on me. To see if I'm ready to face what I'm about to face."
"...You're both insane…" Anastasia said. Rebecca turned her head to the young girl.
"No need to worry." Rebecca said. "We do this because we love each other,"
Anastasia sighed loudly. "Doesn't make you any less insane.." She said.
"Still..." Rebecca said. We're in the middle of Littleroot town. Let's move somewhere a little bit… more spacious. Palkia." Rebecca snapped her fingers, and a pink portal appeared below the four of them. They began sinking into the ground like they were standing on quicksand.
"Wh-What's going on!? Where are we going!?" Anastasia cried.
Lucia didn't say a word. She just kept glaring at her mother.
And her mother glared right back.
"This was the battle I was waiting for," The daughter and mother said at the same time.