Chapter Seventeen: Judgement Day

That day had started just as any other. Better, even; Aaron had rested well the night before and had woken up a few minutes before his alarm. He helped Darian carry a suitcase and a few bags to his car as his roommate had decided on going home for the time being. If classes were going to be virtual, he had reasoned, there was no reason to stay here. Had it not been for the fact that Aaron had four pokémon, he might have also considered a similar course of action.

He leaned against the porch railing, sipping at his coffee while looking towards the distant skyscrapers. Towards the end of the street was an armored unit with a few troops casually standing around it along with a vested arcanine. The television inside quietly flickered from scene to scene, showing some sort of militarized border in a region he wasn't familiar with. Though it was chilly outside, it was a bit warmer than usual at this point of the year.

And yet no amount of peaceful scenery or decent weather could possibly take his mind off of the dilemma within these walls. Aaron couldn't have imagined a development like this. Not in a million years. Nora was the sweetest pokémon he could have asked for, but that's all she was – nothing more than that. He just didn't feel attraction towards pokémon in the slightest. The idea of becoming intimate with one was even gross to him. Not that there was anything wrong with it; Nathan and Adira were a testament to that. But it definitely wasn't for everyone, and Aaron fell into that category.

Despite that, though, he felt bad for Nora. Maybe this wasn't his fault, but that didn't mean he held no sympathy for her situation. He clenched his fist; Sophia was to blame for this, allowing for her to leave Johto – a place where she very well could have found an actual partner – for a promise of a loving family. A broken promise at that. It was her fault that the typhlosion, deprived of all affection, had latched onto the first person that had shown her any. Again, he regret giving her Pierce, though he knew the krookodile was safe and very competent in battle. He had walked into Sophia's life and in a single day had claimed more of her attention than Nora had received in a year. He couldn't imagine what she must have felt the day that Sophia mentioned the upcoming trade.

Aaron tried to clear his head of those thoughts. Any more and Marcus might join him outside, worried on his trainer's behalf. He was about to go back inside when his phone rang. Almost lethargically, he looked at the screen and saw that his mother was calling. He took another sip and answered it. "Hello?"

"Good morning," she said. "I thought I'd just check up on you. We haven't heard from you since last week."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Things have been… a bit weird lately. I've had a lot going on." If that wasn't the truth, he didn't know what was.

"I imagine," she replied. "I was going to work the other day, just minding my own business, and I got stuck in traffic. There were soldiers everywhere. Apparently some nutjob was planning on bombing Castelia's gym…"

"Yeah, that'll do it," Aaron murmured. "What're you up to now? It sounds like you're getting ready for work."

"Mhm. About to head out the door as we speak." He heard what sounded like her keys jingling along with his father's voice in the background. Aaron closed the door behind him, ready to refill his mug, when he noticed Aster was up, peppier than usual. He silently mouthed 'good morning' to the grass-type, receiving a happy nod in return. "How are your grades?" she asked.

"Good – classes this semester aren't too tough. And things are a lot easier now that everything's virtual. Nothing to stop me from using my phone during an exam."

"Aaron!"

"Kidding, Mom." Well… mostly. "But yeah, classes are going well."

"I'm glad to hear it. So when are you coming to visit?" It wasn't unlike her at all to try and barter for a weekend or two between breaks. If he didn't have to work, then Aaron would have gone there much more often.

"Well, definitely during Spring Break. I'll see if I can take off a few days before then, though." He paused, seeing Nora awkwardly shuffle by and into the kitchen. "Do you have any specific days in mind? I can't do any of the upcoming weekends…" Aaron waited for her response.

It never came.

He looked down at his phone, and after a few seconds, it beeped several times, signifying the call had failed. He went through his contacts to call her again when he noticed that there was no service at all.

"Dammit," Marcus said from the living room. Aaron glanced over and noticed that the television was blank as well.

"That's weird," Aaron murmured. The wifi was also correlated with the cable, and hopefully it would be back up shortly. He had classes to virtually attend.

"What's wrong?" Aster asked.

"Cable and wifi are down. And the cell service, too."

"Aren't those completely different things, though?" Marcus asked him.

"Yeah, which is why it's kinda strange that they both—"

The windows shook as the lights went out. A thunderous clap followed, as if the universe itself had collapsed in on their apartment, deafening the trainer as he looked to his pokémon. Through ringing ears the rapid taps of rifle fire could be heard. His mouth opened but no sound came out. Rushing to the door, he flung it open, finding himself in that eerie moment between normalcy and insanity. A doubt as to what he was seeing right in front of him.

A pair of aerial vehicles seemed to levitate high above the ground, pointing some sort of weapon at the troops from earlier. They fell to their hands and knees, unable to get up and covering their ears as a pulsating wave encapsulated them. Sparks flew from their own vehicle. Aaron looked to Marcus who was equally dumbfounded, then back at the scene. Several individuals in armored suits rappelled from the aircraft, approaching the soldiers and snatching them up as if they had no weight at all.

Their suits were primarily white and dark blue with impenetrable-looking armor. They swiftly captured the Unovan soldiers, securing them and their weapons, and made their way back to the rappels. One turned – a female by the narrower build – and though she had a visor, Aaron felt as if the armored person was staring through his soul. In the middle of her chest was a purple omega. In the distance, countless similar aircraft roamed the skies of Unova.

Alexander's feet landed on Galarian soil. They were southwest of Wedgehurst – a place where the grass seemed endless, brown and dead from the passing winter. They had long since confirmed their target's whereabouts. Even had they not done so, the number of soldiers stationed here was more than enough to suggest something of interest was within this lab.

Or rather, beneath it.

Bullets contacted titanium, lead exploding from within copper jackets in each direction. He looked at one of the soldiers – a young male. He could see it in his face, almost reading his life story: no money for college and no skillset, he had enlisted in the military. But he hadn't signed up for this.

Alexander pointed his PDR at him and pulled the trigger. He screamed out in pain, dropping his rifle alongside his comrades. A few remained behind cover, within the confines of the lab. "Proctera – you and your crew flush them out. There are no heavy armaments in there."

"Yes sir!" she said over the comms, then directed her words to her squad. "Let's go!"

They kicked the doors down and flooded the lab. He helped dispatch of the few remaining enemies, watching as they were secured and taken aboard several of the multitude of aircraft overhead. Lunala descended to Alex's side, ready for the next phase of the operation.

They all were.

It didn't take long for the building to be cleared. The professor was some combination of furious and terrified as he was led forth by two troops. Alexander noticed the pokéballs at his side, and then the other surprise: his brother was also present.

"Which one of you is in charge?" Hop yelled.

"That would be me," Alex spoke up, not missing a beat. Hop's eyes widened at seeing the legendary with him. "I'm sure you can guess what – or should I say, who – I want."

"There's no way I'm letting you unleash that… thing… onto Galar again!" Alex was tempted to laugh.

"Let's say I wanted to. How would you stop me? You and the former champion?" Leon clenched his fist. The Cosmos chairman offered a snappy reply of his own.

"Us and our pokémon."

"There is a fine line between bravery and foolishness. Are you sure you know which side you are on?"

"I don't care," Leon said, grabbing one of his pokéballs. Several of Alex's troops were quick to point their rifles at them, halting the chairman in his tracks.

"No, no – let them. But we'll speed this along. Only your strongest two." The two brothers paused, but they didn't need long to think the matter over. Two pokémon were released onto the field. The former champion's charizard roared out his challenge, narrowing his eyes towards Lunala. He had stood against powerful creatures before. Thirty years later, he was ready to do so again.

The other was Zamazenta.

Alexander motioned for one of the suited individuals to approach him. His was different than the others, not combative in design, but instead resembled the ones used by the Recon Squad during their time in Alola. He, too, had several pokéballs at his side. "I believe you have more of a right to this one, should you want it."

"I do," he stated flatly. With purpose. And then, without any hesitation, he released two pokémon of his own. The determined looks fell from their opponents.

"Sister?!" Zamazenta cried out. He stepped forward, looking at the female canine with horror. "What is the meaning of this?!" Zacian closed her eyes. Alex knew that this had to be painful for her, but their side had been chosen. Firmly.

"I am sorry that it must be this way."

"No! Please, don't – we swore to protect Galar!"

"I am protecting Galar, brother." She lowered her head, ready to take up her sword. "I am protecting it from itself."

"No… Victor – why?" Hop felt the betrayal just as much as the legendary who aligned with him. "Why are you doing this?" Knowing that there was no question about his identity anymore, Victor removed the helmet. Despite being in his mid-forties, his hair was as dark as the day he had first set out alongside his rival and friend.

"Because we are sick and tired of all this crap. Of the world being the way it is when humanity has long had the means to fix everything."

"But—"

"I'm sorry, but we are taking Eternatus with us. I just want you to know that this isn't personal. You're still my friend." Hop looked to the side, swallowing nervously. Victor had beaten both him and Leon each and every time he had battled them. As he looked at that Cinderace – the one he had ventured out with so many years ago – he saw the same look of determination he had seen back then. Hop shook his head.

"No… I'm not." Alexander noticed the frown that appeared on the other trainer's face. He felt for Victor. But he had new friends now.

"…Alright then." Alex reached out, gently placing his hand onto Victor's shoulder.

"I'll leave you to deal with this. I'm going inside." Shattered glass from the oversized windows littered the ground, small fragments still attached to their aluminum frames. He looked at the two opposing trainers for a second longer. "All things considered, though… I'm glad you get to experience dynamaxing one last time. Because after today… there won't be any more." He left the three trainers alone, knowing that Victor was more than their match, and returned to the task at hand.

Inside, various computer screens in the corner of the room flickered occasionally. He hardly even needed the map on his display, having studied it beforehand, and found the elevator had already been pried open. He latched onto the cable and rappelled down. The others had already been hard at work here. Galarian soldiers were quickly moved to the other side of the room. He grabbed one of the several balls at his side, having prepared for this.

A heatran was released. She nodded, knowing the task at hand, and breathed a jet-like flame onto the vault door's hinges. Despite the coolant systems in his suit, Alexander and the others had to step back from the immense heat. Soon the steel began glowing red, and as it softened, the immense weight caused the door to sag, snapping off and sending a few red drops of molten steel flying. "Thank you," Alex said as he returned the heatran.

He stepped inside as the thunderous sounds of battle echoed from overhead. Machinery was plastered on the walls, all of it connected to a single slim platform in the center. A cylindrical device was sealed within. There you are, he thought. Alex smashed the locking mechanism and pulled out the capsule which had a handle on the top and bottom.

When he retraced his steps, Alex was not at all surprised to see Victor's pokémon still standing. Zacian set her sword down, approaching her brother's side. She said something he couldn't make out, but from her expression she was clearly apologetic that things had to be this way. Once she saw Alex with the device in hand, she got into position.

"Please," Leon said, returning his downed charizard. "You have to reconsider! You have no idea what destruction that monster is capable of."

"That is where you are wrong. I know exactly what Eternatus is capable of, and for that reason we have decided to deal with matters here and now." With that, he twisted the handles in opposing directions, revealing an ultra ball within, and hurled it into the sky. No sooner had he done so, Eternatus broke out, shattering the sphere into countless pieces.

The great creature looked around, breathing freely for the first time in over thirty years. Eternatus' gaze fell on Zacian and it released an ear-splitting cry as it changed its form, having had plenty of time to store up energy for such an occasion. The earth began to tremble as the skies darkened. 'It would seem as though the diplomacy option has failed,' Lunala stated.

The aircraft above steadied themselves in place as the creature drew energy in, preparing to destroy everything in its path when Alexander gave the call. "Everyone get back. Plan B."

And that was all it took. Hundreds upon hundreds of beams shot down, releasing their inhabitants onto the rolling field. Legendaries from every corner of the earth surrounded the colossal creature. Birds from Kanto and Johto stood alongside swords of justice while legendary beasts poised, ready for attack.

It was difficult to determine what happened next. Eternatus shifted its focus from Zacian to the multitude of equally powerful foes. When Rayquaza similarly changed his form, Eternatus decided that attacking him first was a good idea. A tremendous beam formed and collided with Rayquaza.

They all decided to retaliate. The earth trembled as Groudon shook its foundations, launching pillars of stone towards the aggressor. Lightning and fire rained down from above, from what source, it was impossible to tell. Alexander could only watch as the legendaries he had come to know – and the many who he had yet to know – released a holy and terrible onslaught towards the creature. He stood in the midst of what seemed like the apocalypse. The earth and sky merged; brimstone and fire rained from on high. But he felt no fear.

Rayquaza regained his composure and split through the air, colliding with the dark serpentine creature. Some form of purple mass flung off of Eternatus as it cried out in agony. The storm around began to dissipate as Lunala fought to lessen his influence over space-time. As Alex watched attacks of every type and strength meet their mark, terrifying cries died down into pained whimpers. Eternatus reverted to his normal form and fell from the sky. A loud thud sounded as he crashed into the ground, now cracked and desolate as a result of Groudon. The legendaries halted their attacks as the dust rose. In the midst of it, a bright white light pulsed weakly – the very core of Eternatus' being.

'Lunala, can you establish contact with this thing?'

'I will attempt to,' was her reply. The bat-like legendary floated close to their fallen foe, devoid of the aggression she had previously shown. No sounds passed between the two of them, nor could he hear her thoughts. Her eyes closed. Somehow, she seemed upset.

'What is the matter?' Rayquaza asked.

'I fear there has been a great misunderstanding. One that has occurred for millennia…'

'What would that be?'

'This creature is a juvenile of his species.'

'…Great.' Alex sighed. This wasn't at all what he had expected to hear. 'Why did he attack Galar then? And why did he first strike out against us?' Lunala relayed the message to the weakened creature, who responded with a low series of noises that Alex couldn't describe.

'He was attempting to draw energy from the planet so that he could travel back home. I would imagine this is what your kind refers to as the 'Darkest Day.' He only learned that it was inhabited when Zacian and Zamazenta attacked and defeated him. As for now, he felt threatened when surrounded by all of us.' Alex nodded; he could understand that, but he couldn't take the risk that Eternatus would be rational. Not when that creature was capable of killing him and everyone around in the blink of an eye.

'I see,' Alex said. There were two different ways this could have turned out. One was to get Eternatus to fight alongside Omega. The other was to remove him from the planet entirely. It looked as though the latter was the way to go. 'Are you able to determine where his home is?'

'Give me a moment. I need to focus.' The nebula patterned essence throughout her wings glowed as she did so. A moment passed where no one spoke. The great creatures around them stood ready but silent. In that time, Alex snuck a glance towards Leon and Hop, seeing that the shock of what all they had witnessed had not yet departed. Finally, she nodded. 'His group is located near a cluster of black holes towards the center of our galaxy. It should not take me long at all to traverse the distance.'

'Very well,' Alex said. Though he needed her for the rest of the invasion process, Solgaleo was currently taking care of that on his own, and removing Eternatus as a potential threat – if he ever even was one – more than made up for a few hours of her absence. 'Unless you like the idea of carrying him, though, I would suggest taking him in a ball.' He pulled an unoccupied one from his side and immediately Eternatus recoiled, seeming to find a second surge, however pitiful, of energy. Alexander quickly lowered the device. After spending thirty years within one, he imagined he might have the same response. 'Unless he can fly on his own, I don't see another option.'

She assured Eternatus that once he came out of it this time, he would never see another pokéball again. That seemed to lessen his fears. Alex walked up to the skeletal creature as he attempted to regain his bearings. "Looks like you'll finally get what you wanted all this time…" Eternatus looked at him intently as he raised the ball, flinching slightly at its sight. But Alex gently raised his other hand, placing it on the creature's spiny head. Eternatus relaxed, then disappeared within the ball a few seconds later. There was no struggle.

Alex handed it to Lunala who carefully gripped it with her claws. She smiled, then creating a portal, flew through it with a speed that made her little more than a blur.

That was the last time anyone on Earth saw Eternatus.

Aaron panicked, hiding in the bathroom with his pokémon. The world shook around them as one explosion after another echoed across the land. How the house had not collapsed was beyond him, and for the first time in however long he could remember, he prayed. Everyone held each other fearfully as Unova was bombarded.

But eventually the noises died down. The world fell silent as it had before, and after about ten minutes of waiting, Aaron looked at his four pokémon. The storm had seemingly passed, but did they dare to look at its destruction? He slowly rose from the ground, deciding that a quick peak out the window wouldn't hurt, and gradually looked between the lowered blinds.

Everything was as it was before. "W-what?" he asked aloud. "This doesn't make any sense…" He rushed towards the front of the house, stepping outside and rushing towards the street. Many others were outside in similar states of confusion. The aircraft were hovering throughout the skies, but there were far fewer of them. Smoke rose from the direction of Undella Town. "No… Nathan…"

The four pokémon joined him. "What's going on?!" Krista asked. "Who are these people? What do they—"

"Krista, shut up for a second. How should I know?" Aaron replied. "I was hiding with you guys." His eyes fell to the destroyed armored unit which lay motionless on the side of the street. The turret on top had been bent out of shape and left completely inoperable.

"…That wasn't very nice," the audino said with a huff.

"Look, I'm sorry, but right now I'm a bit more concerned about whatever the fuck this is."

He didn't have to wait long for something to happen. One of the ships drifted closer to the apartment complex. Aaron finally got a good look at it. It resembled personnel carriers that he had seen in several movies, only significantly more advanced. Like something that he would expect to see in a sci-fi video game. The side door slid open, revealing a suited individual behind a turret of some sort. He froze in his tracks.

"EVERYONE REMAIN CALM. RETURN TO YOUR HOMES IMMEDIATELY. THOSE WHO DO NOT COMPLY WILL BE DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY."

That was all they needed to hear. Aaron and the others rushed back inside, slamming the door shut and locking it.

There was nothing like the dread of waiting. Aaron had loathed needles when he was little, anxiously fearing every second leading up to a doctor's visit. Of course, the needles were often tiny and didn't hurt in the slightest, but even when they did sting, it was nothing compared to the wait.

That was what the next day felt like. Every so often loud noises could be heard, and at one occasion, the armored people treaded through these very streets. Not too far away, he heard them kick a door in and take someone out. It turned out to be the people living directly across from him.

But then the strangest thing happened. Despite the ongoing invasion, the power came back on. It took a moment for things to dawn on him, and within minutes, the television flickered back to life. Cell service had similarly been restored. The realization wasn't able to settle in as static overtook the screen, and the phone rang from some unknown source. A video call. Aaron looked at the phone fearfully but answered it anyways. One of the combatants that he had seen earlier appeared on the screen, but this one looked different. Slightly larger than the others, his shoulder pads were black and white, a wing of the alternate color within each. That wasn't what formed a pit in his stomach, though. It was the fact that the legendaries of Unova were right behind him. The same thing appeared on the television.

"I am sure you are all confused as to what is going on. I would be, too, were I in your position. Surely we must be intimidating to most of you."

"Yeah, no shit!" Krista snapped at the screen.

"Shh!" Aster shushed her.

"Though I have long prepared for this day, I will make sure to keep this short. People think evilness is the opposite of good. They are wrong; it is simply the lack of it. And knowing that, people have been evil for a very long time. I want you to think back to a time without conflict. A time without war, or tribalism, or discrimination. You will never find such a time, either during or before human domination of the planet. When we were not ravaging it, pokémon were.

"We have been judged and have been deemed unworthy of our mantle. We have failed as inheritors of the earth. Our governments have been run by parasites elected by fools, influenced by the stupidity known as social media or skewed news outlets. Crooked corporations have run unchecked for decades while billions around the world lack food, clean water, or sanitation. Almost every person on Earth looks out only for their own interests or desires. But we have been all-too-willing to pass the blame onto others. Should you want to find the people responsible for the state of the world, you should not cast your blame towards your leaders and politicians. You need only look in a mirror. No single raindrop believes itself responsible for the storm.

"The root of all sin is individualism. Pride. You have each drunk from that cup. Some with their untamed sexualities, others with wrath, greed, or envy. Every single one of us is to blame for the state of the world. Not one person is innocent from coast to coast. We ruined this world with our autonomy, but now it can be fixed. All you need to do is humble yourselves. All you need to do is kneel."

"Arceus…" Aaron gasped. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be.

"As I speak these very words, your militaries are being rooted out. Base by base, we have removed your governments' methods of fighting back, and soon, we will remove those governments themselves and replace them with our own. With people who will uphold the moral law for the good of all.

"But the very legendaries you have profaned for years now have offered you a way out. I am sure most of you, despite the horrid state of the world, from its famine and oppression and widespread hatred and tribalism, would actually prefer things this way. That says a lot about you; those who would rather have that unnecessary autonomy in exchange for the suffering of others. In accordance with the will of the legendaries, though, we have allowed for you to fight back. A way without bloodshed. But you will not hide behind your governments, your militaries, or your undeserved votes. If you wish to oppose us, then you will need to do so yourselves.

"I thought the matter over for a considerable time before reaching my verdict. But then my friend Reshiram gave me a suggestion. Pokémon battles have often decided the fate of various regions, particularly those with little to no firearms, and have settled disputes between many ideological factions. It is in this manner that this conflict should be settled. Within each region, trainers tend to be representative of that region's demographics with minimal biases. And just so it is understood that we are giving you a fair chance, only those who have completed their region's gym circuit in full and thus have the right to challenge their champion will be granted this ability.

"But nothing in life comes without a risk. If you wish to fight and retain your independence, then you must be willing to risk your own. Defeat the admins overseeing an operation and we will vacate that site for the time being. But should you lose, your own freedom will be forfeit and we will take you and your teams into captivity. Consider the risks and whether or not it is worth it to you. Those who place their own concerns above all else – which will likely be over ninety percent of you – will not take up this opportunity, even though they will hate all that we stand for. But to those of you who value the autonomy of others above your own… you will find yourselves against us on the field of battle. Be warned: we have prepared for this for a long time, and our own teams are very formidable threats."

"A year from now, we will survey the lands. The regions in which the majority of the population is not willing to submit will be given a final stand. From within all of those regions across the world, the three trainers who have accumulated the most experience in fighting us will be chosen to fight our three strongest. The side who wins those matches will determine the fate of the non-submitting regions.

"Until then, prepare for that day. I am sure that a certain amount of chaos will spread across the world upon hearing this message. The stock market has already crashed into nothingness. I would encourage you all to not act like selfish, frightened animals, but I have very little confidence that you all will listen. Looting and rioting will likely spread from coast to coast. Some of you may even try to kill one another. Rest assured we will be working tirelessly to establish order, from now until the creation of the new world. When that day comes, no person will go hungry, no illness will be left untreated, and all will be given security. No wars will be waged and no violence will claim you. Widespread suffering will be a thing of the past."

Aaron wanted to wake up from this nightmare. This couldn't be real. The leader of this group stood in front of more legendaries than he could count – legendaries that people had looked up to. Or at least, at one time. Now the very creatures revered had stretched their hand against humanity, and even most pokémon, for that matter.

"This world has remained torn for as long as sentient beings have populated it. We have always been divided. And in truth, I expect this very message to divide you further. I want one thing to be clear above all else: I am not merely at war with your laughable governments. I am at war with the mortal condition itself – twisted towards evil and selfishness. I am at war with every man, woman and child, human and pokémon alike. Our sword will bring division to all. Parents will fight their children, brother against brother and friend against friend. Even husband against wife. But it has to be this way.

"We have caused suffering, directly and indirectly, for every reason imaginable. But we can aspire for something greater than the way things are now. We can leave the selfish, wretched mindsets behind and unite under a new way of living. We can be above these petty clashes between left and right, rich and poor, race and gender and status. Those of you who wish to align with something greater than this broken world, we welcome you with open arms. But if you wish for the world to continue to its inevitable destruction – if you have deluded yourself into thinking this miserable, broken thing is somehow good – then we will see you soon enough." He brought his right hand, curled into a fist, over the symbol in the center of his chest. "We are Omega… and we will end this world as you know it, and from its ashes build the new one."

The screen flickered off, leaving a terrified group looking in disbelief.

A/N: Special thanks to FuryWrites for beta reading this chapter.