Delta 2
The flight to Dewford took only about an hour, and they landed by Granite Cave. The cavern hadn't changed much since they met Steven there so long ago, but they still went into the opening eagerly, ready to go get the shard and, hopefully, go back home to let the professional astrophysicists handle the issue. May even let out Erza so the steel-type could see her old home. The Aggron even saw a few Aron who ran in fear at the sight of one of the strongest Aron from three years ago. Some of the younger ones didn't show the same respect as their older friends, but the sight of an Aggron here was more than enough to make them steer clear of the trainers with her.
"So, May, what was it that you wanted to tell me earlier?" Brendan asked.
May smiled. "Well, I guess this is as good of a place as any," she said as they got to the painting cavern. "So, it turns out that–" she was interrupted by a loud whirring like a Whismur. "A Whismur…here?" While May was angry at being interrupted again, a Whismur nearby was too weird for Granite Cave to not investigate it.
They went into the painting cavern, where they saw a woman, whose outfit made her unmistakable, and she had a Whismur by her side. "So, it seems that it's actually true. This painting is showing Primal Reversion, and the other shows Mega Evolution. Seems our great ancestors were here too…the ancestors who knew that a tragedy from the sky would come again someday," Zinnia said with a sigh, seeming to roll something in her right hand. "But they never taught us how to protect the things closer to home." That was when the Whismur turned toward Brendan, May, and Gwen, whirring softly to get Zinnia's attention. "Huh? What is it, Aster?" She turned to see the trio and glowered. May glared right back as she remembered the attempted theft of her Keystone.
"Hello, Zinnia," Brendan said, sounding like he was being polite to avoid looking like a jerk. He also noticed that Whismur had the same name as Zinnia's daughter, but he figured that the Pokémon, like Gwen, had come with the name. He also noticed that the object in Zinnia's hand was the Meteorite Shard that they were looking for.
"Well…seems that we meet a lot…Champion," she said, sounding bitter in a way. "Did you come to look at this old painting, or did you come…for this?" She held up the Meteorite Shard almost tauntingly.
"We're here for the Meteorite Shard, actually. So, if you don't mind, we need to take that with us," May said, her tone very short to the point of being almost rude.
Zinnia scowled. "And I might have a problem with you taking it depending on your reasons. Let me guess, Devon sent you three here, like Growlithes. Do you even know for what these Shards are meant? They're for the legendary dragon of Hoenn."
"You mean Rayquaza?" Brendan asks.
Zinnia rolled her eyes. "Of course, you'd know that…Mr. Chosen One. But, I am the rightful heir to Rayquaza's might," she said before going to her belt and taking off a Pokéball, her eyes getting a manic look. "Especially since I don't taint myself with such despicable Fairy types."
Brendan, Gwen, and May all narrowed their eyes angrily at the last comment.
"Now, battle me!" she said as she threw out her first Pokéball, sending out a massive Tyrantrum, whose teeth alone looked massive and thick enough to rip through steel.
Gwen stepped forward. I don't like how this girl acts. Let's put her in her place, she said.
Agreed, Brendan said. But, let's give her an out before crushing her.
Zinnia almost growled, as if Brendan was taking too long for her tastes. "Are you going to stall until the meteor hits, or will you battle me now?"
"You do remember that you're challenging a Champion, right?" Brendan said. "And I won't be holding back after that insult you just threw at Gwen. So, I'll give you a chance to hand over that Meteorite Shard and leave with your dignity in-tact."
Zinnia began laughing maniacally as he said that. "Oh really? Little old you are going to take it from me?" she cackled as her pupils seemed to shrink menacingly.
Zinnia's grin got more crazed as her arms began to hang creepily like she had crawled straight out of a zombie movie. Her Tyrantrum walked forward. "Go on, Rex!" she said. The massive Pokémon, however had a look of trepidation, sensing the power Gwen radiated. He really didn't want to battle when he knew he was out matched.
Sorry that your trainer is going crazy, Gwen said.
Tyrantrum's eyes asked for a show of mercy, but Gwen just sighed, wanting to be sympathetic and kind, but she had no time to do that, with a planet-killing meteor coming closer. Every second would count, so she needed to win the battle fast. Rex ran forward with an Iron Head charged. She teleported to the side and let him crash into a stalagmite, crushing it to dust like it was a saltine cracker. Gwen actually had respect for this Tyrantrum's power, but she wasn't going to let that get in the way of her actions. She threw a Moonblast at the Tyrantrum, sending it flying into a heap nearby. Gwen then smiled at her own power. When she and Brendan first beat Wallace, she would've struggled a great deal, even with her type advantage, against such an opponent. Now, after three years with access to the best multivitamin supplements, training facilities, move tutors, and even the best training opponents in the world, she had gotten to an entirely new level of power. Now, she felt like she could understand how the Pokémon of the legendary trainer, Red, felt with their own power.
The Tyrantrum was already out cold, and Zinnia was glaring at Brendan angrily before recalling the resurrected Pokémon. "Go Tari!" The crazed woman's next Pokémon was a beautiful Altaria, but unlike the blue color that was typical of her species, this one was a golden-yellow.
"Zinnia, you can't win this. Please, just stop trying. I don't want to keep hurting your Pokémon," Brendan said.
"Oh, the Champion is showing his cowardice! I won't lose to a prick like you!" Zinnia said in a crazed tone.
Behind Brendan, May silently admitted that she was no longer a match for her fiancé in terms of power. Granted, she was certain she could win in a contest of precision and timing. Her four total Grand Festival wins had proven that much. She just hoped their child would be a perfect combination between the two of them...almost like Wallace had done in his mastery of both coordinating and training Pokémon.
"Tari, use Brave Bird!" Zinnia called. The golden Altaria flew fast at Gwen, only to get hit with another Moonblast. The shot sent Tari crashing hard into the ground, where she gave a soft cry before passing out. Brendan and Gwen both felt bad for Zinnia's Pokémon. They were being thrown out like they were expendable tools…like they were just a means to an end.
Zinnia just recalled Tari, and then pulled out a Luxury Ball. "Come out, Lyra!" she said, sending out a massive Salamence. "Gwen almost lost to Drake's Salamence, Albion. I'll be the one who puts her in her place."
"That was three years ago," Brendan reminded her. "And Drake was a member of the Elite Four. There's a huge difference."
Zinnia ignored the comment. "Steel Wing!" Lyra leapt into the air, her wings gleaming like polished metal, as she flew forward at Gwen.
"Gwen…you know what to do," Brendan said.
Of course, she said as she gathered an orb of ice energy, sending out a swirling tunnel for an Icy Wind attack, which she had learned from one of the move tutors Brendan had hired. Lyra roared in protest as she powered through the Icy Wind. She slowed down significantly, though, giving Gwen time to roll out of the way of the Steel Wing. She then used a Thunderbolt to painfully ground Lyra. The Salamence grunted as she passed out, and Zinnia gritted her teeth as she recalled Lyra.
"Fine, a deal is a deal," she said, looking like she was coming down from her crazed frenzy as she tossed the Meteorite Shard to Brendan. "But…it seemed like you didn't go all-out…so thank you…I guess." As Brendan caught the Meteorite Shard, the stone began to glow, reminiscent of what Gwen's Gardevoirite did when Brendan put it on her the first time, but it wasn't nearly as bright. "Tch. Keep a tight grip on that thing," Zinnia said with almost a growl. She and Whismur then walked to the exit. She then stopped and looked Brendan deeply in the eye.
"The actions you're taking now…are they truly based on the ideals you hold, or are they based on actual truths? And, if they are truths, how much of that truth do you think you really know?" Brendan didn't get a chance to respond as Zinnia picked up her Whismur gently. "Come on Aster, let's go." She then walked directly out of the cave.
May sighed. "She's not mentally stable," she said once the Dragon trainer was out of earshot.
"I know what you mean," Brendan said as they walked out of the cave together. As soon as they got outside and onto the beach, Brendan kissed May softly. "You know, you didn't get to finish what you wanted to tell me earlier."
May smiled as they passed the place where they had gone to a beach party over three years ago. "You mean about what I was told by the doctor?" she said with a smile. "Well…" her smile turned to frustration as Brendan's phone rang, cutting her off again. Arceus damn it! Why do things keep cutting me off? This is important.
Brendan saw Steven's name on the Call ID, answering it. "Hello?"
"Brendan, do you three have the Meteorite Shard?"
"We just got it. Should we come to Mossdeep?" Brendan said.
"Yes, please get here as soon as possible. We may need more help with what we're planning than expected," Steven said.
"Alright, we'll have to fly there, since we're on the other side of the region."
"Just get here soon," Steven said as he hung up.
Brendan kissed May's cheek. "We need to go. I'm sorry that you keep getting cut off," he said as Avery and Drake both popped out of their Pokéballs, scooping their trainers up, and flying into the air. With a touch to their Key Stones, Brendan and May started the Mega Evolutions of their Eon Pokémon. They both turned into almost the same form, both looking violet with greyish-white down on their necks and some of their backs.
For those who didn't spend time around Eon Pokémon in their mega forms, they would look like the exact same Pokémon. But, Brendan and May had eventually noticed that there was a difference in their eye colors, and slightly in the texture of their downy feathers. Avery had golden irises and softer down, while Drake had more scarlet irises and a slightly coarser down. The difference was subtle, and, until their trainers realized that difference, Avery had played many pranks on May by impersonating Drake while she and her brother were both Mega Evolved.
One such prank happened about a year after Brendan became Champion, during an official contest performance with May and Brendan. The stage was an Invitational Tag-Team Contest that Wallace had started in Sootopolis, titled the Sootopolis Cup, bringing trainers from around the world to compete. The contest had the trainer pairs join the performance with their Pokémon, be it as a prop, or as dancers if they wanted. The two had rehearsed a performance with both Eon Pokémon dancing in the sky while firing elegant attacks together to make fireworks or designs in explosions, while their trainers danced with the Pokémon's movements. For the finale, May and Brendan did a stunt where their Pokémon would pick up their respective trainers, letting them stand on their noses as they flew straight up, balancing while holding hands in victory before tossing them up lightly and catching them on their backs. Avery had, after Drake agreed to the switch, taken her brother's position under May. As they were flying down to the avid applause, May was petting Avery, thanking who she thought was Drake before she noticed the difference in the eyes and feathers. She and Brendan just laughed with their Pokémon as they landed to a perfect score. They had then gone on to win the contest together, enjoying every single second of the performance battles.
May just smiled as she remembered that moment, trying to keep her mind off of the massive rock that was about to destroy the planet. Brendan's focus was on the horizon as they flew northeast to Mossdeep, but May could see that he was concerned about what they were facing. May then thought for a moment about how, based on when she was due, she was going to be at the 39-week mark in her pregnancy for the next Grand Festival, assuming she hadn't already given birth. Will I need to skip the Grand Festival this year? Hell, will I even be able to stand for that long for it? May asked herself, making sure Gwen wasn't listening in on her thoughts. She loved the Gardevoir as much as Brendan did, but Gwen also didn't have a filter with information like a pregnancy. She got too emotional, and that always tipped off Brendan about some changes. Plus, May wanted to tell Brendan without him figuring it out too soon. Now, it was a matter of whether she could actually get a chance to say it without being interrupted every time.
For Brendan and Gwen, however, the flight was filled with contemplations over Zinnia's words earlier. It bugs me…I'm the Champion of the region, but she was absolutely right. I was basically Devon Corporation's Growlithe. We don't even know why they need this Meteorite Shard, Brendan said.
Well, it's supposed to help save the world from the asteroid coming for us, Gwen said.
But what even is the plan for that? They've told us nothing, Brendan said. I really don't like that they're being so secretive. And what was all that about using the energy from the Ultimate Weapon three thousand years ago? There's no way that much energy with so much power can be safe.
Gwen was silent for a while as Mossdeep came into view. I don't know…I honestly don't, Gwen said, sounding like she was catching onto what Brendan was thinking. They touched down and both Brendan and May thanked Drake and Avery for working so hard, recalling their Pokémon. They walked to the Space Center, easily entering the tourist area on the ground floor. It was really interestingly designed, with a few picture cut-outs for people to pretend they were astronauts for a picture, and a few moonwalking set ups. Brendan knew that, under different circumstances, the three of them would let their inner children out and they would've gone for the experiences. Unfortunately, an apocalypse was looming, and they needed to stop it in three days or less.
The security guard recognized them, and ushered them through to the top floor, where they saw multiple computers with maps of space showing the trajectory of the asteroid, and a flashing mark on its location. It seemed to be moving slowly on the screen, but Brendan saw the scale. Each inch was equal to a thousand kilometers, it was moving almost an inch per minute, and it was about 3.6 million kilometers from Earth.
"So, you three made it," Steven said, smiling at them kindly. "You have the Shard with you?"
Brendan handed the rock to Steven, who then led them to the window overlooking a rocket on the launch pad. "I think you three should know the plan for the meteor," he said. "We're going to use this rocket to send up a powerful invention that we are calling Link Cable. It's going to teleport the space rock safely away from Earth using a mechanism much like those that Silph put into their warp panels."
"That makes sense," Brendan said, not wanting to hear anything too technical. "Do we have any idea where it will end up?"
"That's not our problem," Dr. Cozmo said as he approached from behind them. May furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean by that?" May asked.
"I mean that, wherever it goes, so long as it's not threatening our planet, it doesn't matter," Cozmo replied.
"And what about the off-chance that it just teleports the rock closer to Earth?" May asked.
"Then the Link Cable would have failed…and Earth is doomed," Steven said. "I see what you're saying about it being risky, but we don't have any other options for our survival."
May wanted to reply again, but the engineers and astrophysicists called to Steven and Dr. Cozmo. "Sorry, but we need to attend to this," Steven said. "Feel free to take a seat over at the table there." He gestured to a small table and desk in a corner before going to the electronic blueprints on the computer, starting to discuss the ideal positioning of the Link Cable on the rocket itself, and when they would activate the device.
May sat on the table itself, swinging her legs freely with a slight smile as she sat with Brendan, simply holding his hand for a while. Gwen sat beside them with a smile, enjoying the emotions they exuded washing over her, getting her a temporary relief from the fear and angst that was almost constant from everybody. She could tell that everybody in the room, no matter how brave of a face they wore, was terrified about this meteor.
"So, Brendan, about what I was trying to say earlier in Dewford," May started. Brendan had just looked at her when a loud commotion came from the stairs. EVERY TIME!
"So, this is the command center of the famed Mossdeep Space Center? How…underwhelming," Zinnia said callously. She had a security guard behind her, trying to insist that she leave at once. That guard was silenced with a menacing look from Zinnia.
Brendan, Gwen, May, and even Steven all walked over to Zinnia. "Alright, who are you? You're clearly not an overly-excited tourist who wandered where she shouldn't be."
Zinnia didn't even acknowledge Steven, glaring daggers at Brendan. "Why are we always running into each other like this? Maybe it's just that fate hates me," she said.
Steven, not one for being ignored, stepped forward. "I asked you who you are, and why you're here!" he said in an angry tone.
Zinnia rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up, Mr. Former Champion. You're too spoiled to understand what I'm here for."
Gwen couldn't help but quietly giggle at Steven's reaction of angered disbelief. But her reaction changed as Zinnia went to the screen showing the schematics of the rockets. "So, it's true…" Zinnia said angrily. "You are using the same abominable technology humanity created during the Great War." She then started to laugh like someone finding irony in tragedy. "It never ceases to amaze me how history repeats itself. You're no better than that fool who built that awful weapon…no, strike that, you may very well be worse."
May then noticed a glint of genuine sadness, mixed with what she could only describe as a drive for protecting something precious, in Zinnia's eyes. It made her get a sense that Zinnia, while her means weren't the best, she was trying to achieve the same end of protecting Earth.
Steven, however, didn't see the same thing as May. "What would you have us do? Should we sit on our thumbs with the meteoroid approaching?" he asked, his anger mixing with his overall fear.
Zinnia scoffed. "For the heir of the Devon Corporation, and a former Champion of Hoenn, you really aren't that intuitive as you should be. It actually makes me wonder if the current Champion, or even the top coordinator, will be better able to comprehend the faults with your plan…or maybe an alternative."
May was the first one to talk. "I think I get it. Since there's no definitive answer as to where the Link Cable will send the meteor, it could very easily be sent straight to some planet with life, and it could kill off another planet in exchange for our own lives," she said.
Zinnia started to look pleasantly surprised, but she then turned to Brendan. "And, what are your thoughts, Champion?"
"Given what May just said, maybe it would be better to find a way to either divert the meteor's path, putting Earth out of the way when it passes. Or, if we're too late for that, then we shatter it and reduce the overall damage, even if it becomes more widespread over the planet," Brendan said.
Zinnia then took on an even more pleasant expression. "And to think that you two came up with that plan in less than an hour. These eggheads who call themselves scientists have been preparing for this for years preemptively."
Steven, who was gritting his teeth, seemed to lose his patience, which wasn't something anybody in the group saw often. "Then, instead of being a massive bitch about it, why don't you tell us your plan, or at least give reasons for your criticism?" he shouted. "In case you haven't noticed, we're trying to prevent Armageddon."
"No, I don't think I will just yet," Zinnia said in a mocking tone as she picked up Aster gently, kissing the Pokémon like a person would to a pet or child. "Come on Aster, we have work to continue."
As she said that, she simply passed Steven, who seemed ready to boil over, and she nodded in seeming respect to Brendan, May, and Gwen. She walked down the stairs and out of the building. Less than two minutes later, she and Lyra could be seen flying outside the south window, flying toward Pacifidlog.
"That woman has no idea what she's talking about," Steven said, sounding angry.
"It's not important," Dr. Cozmo said. "What does matter, however, is that this Meteorite Shard you brought isn't quite as much material as we need to make the Link Cable work."
"Do you have another source confirmed?" Steven asked.
"Yes, it's in Meteor Falls, and it's likely the highest purity we've ever found," Cozmo said. "Mr. Stone, Mr. Maple, and soon-to-be Mrs. Maple would you three please go to Meteor Falls for us?"
Steven answered for the others. "Sounds like a plan," he said. "Brendan, May, Gwen, come on, I'll fly you all to Meteor Falls in Devon's helicopter."
Brendan, May, and Gwen followed, not really ones to turn down a free helicopter ride, joined Steven. "Just please don't do any tricks," she said, trying to make it sound like she was just uncomfortable with it, rather than it having to do with her secret pregnancy.
Steven chuckled. "Well, it's not really the type of helicopter for tricks," he said as they got to the roof, and they saw an incredibly sleek black and silver helicopter on the landing pad. "It's more for efficiently fast travel. If it makes you more comfortable, I can have the pilot keep it at a lower cruising altitude."
"That would be great," May said happily. Brendan just kissed her on the forehead as they got inside the vehicle. Gwen sat across from them with Steven next to her while Brendan and May sat beside each other. Once they were all situated, the pilot powered up the helicopter and took off, flying west-southwest at a relatively fast speed. "Hey, Brendan, I'm going to take a nap while we fly. Today is getting exhausting," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. "Just let me borrow your shoulder."
"It's all yours, May," he said as he held her hand softly. Within a minute, she was sound asleep. "Wow, she wasn't kidding," Brendan said softly. "I've never seen her fall asleep that fast."
"Yeah, I think that what's been happening today would do that to anybody," Steven said, while Brendan noticed that Steven's watch was showing eight at night. "Besides, I can tell that, even with your smiles and happiness, both you and May are worried about the meteor."
"Yeah, you're right about that…but I also have a sense of peace. It feels like I would be able to accept my fate if we can't stop it," Brendan said.
"That's a wise way to see it," Steven said. He paused for a moment before his next question. "Do you have any regrets?"
Brendan sighed. "They aren't really regrets…I mean, I'm about to marry the love of my life," he said, feeling May almost push her head closer to his neck as if she were trying to emphasize who he meant. "I guess my only regret would be that May and I didn't get to have a real life together. We haven't started a family of our own yet, for one, and we haven't really even begun our lives together. Sure, we're living together, and we're close to being married…but that's just the problem. We'd only have gotten close to being married."
Steven nodded. "I suppose that our regrets are almost the same, but yours is closer to being fulfilled. My regret is that I never made the time to find that kind of relationship. I suppose I could have tried to ask Cynthia out on a date while I was champion, but I never took that chance. Now, six years after the I gave up the title, I'm still regretting not taking the chance," he said.
Brendan looked at Steven with an eyebrow raised in interest. "Cynthia? You mean the Sinnoh League Champion who uses a Garchomp that gives her opponents nightmares? You want to date her?"
Steven laughed slightly at the description. "Yes, that same Cynthia. She was always a great trainer, and we were friends growing up, since we both went to the same boarding school in Kanto for a while, but nothing every came of it, due to distance outside of school. I just regret not taking that leap of faith with her back then."
"I know what you mean," Brendan said as he looked out the window, letting that conversation end. They had more important matters to discuss. "How long before we arrive?"
"It'll probably take us three hours at least, since we need to go around Mt. Chimney," Steven said. "It just depends on the tailwinds."
Brendan nodded, his mind going right back to the seemingly omnipresent woman with a Whismur and her accusations at the Space Center. "What do you think about what Zinnia was saying?" he asked. "I know she didn't have a shred of manners about it, but I thought she had some valid points."
"She's insane," Steven said curtly. "At the same time…I can kind of see where she's coming from. In all honesty, I would go for the diverting the meteor plan if I could help it. The problem is that the only reason we're in this situation is because the meteor's original course suddenly changed and went toward Earth…almost like it's intelligent."
Intelligent? Like Pokémon and humans? Gwen asked.
"We aren't sure how true it is, but it is one hypothesis to explain what happened. Quite honestly, we're not sure what caused it," he said. "Regardless of the cause, we don't have the time, machinery, or the distance needed to adequately change the trajectory."
"So, we either shatter the meteor, or we send it elsewhere," Brendan said.
"Yeah, those are the only choices we currently have," Steven said.
No, Steven, I think that Zinnia, even with her methods being horrible, has another method in-mind, Brendan thought, not wanting to cause any strife at the moment, since May was still sleeping. Likely one that doesn't require the use of such dangerous energy, or have the chance of destroying another planet.
The rest of the flight was uneventful, with May only stirring on occasion. When they landed in one of the large craters, she woke up, looking a little delirious for a moment. With a yawn, though, all of the exhaustion seemed to vanish. "Hey, are we at Meteor Falls?" she asked as she lightly rubbed her eyes. Steven was already out of the helicopter to stretch and get ready for the hike into the cavern.
"Yeah, we're here," Brendan said with a kiss to her cheek. "You slept right through that flight."
She just shrugged. "It's not my fault that your shoulder is the second most comfortable pillow in history."
"Oh? And what pillow is more comfortable?" Brendan asked.
"Your chest, of course," May said. "I just couldn't use that with how our seats were situated."
Oh, Arceus, I'm gonna go throw up, Gwen teased as she got out of the helicopter too. May and Brendan both laughed lightly before following her out. As they got to ridge that overlooked the northern area of Route 14, May's hand went to the meteorite pendant hanging on her neck.
"Hey, Brendan, do you remember our date here?" she asked, wanting to revel in more happy thoughts and memories for a while.
Brendan chuckled. "Yeah, I remember it…and I had the bruise from Team Magma for about two weeks after the fact," he said as he wrapped an arm around her waist. May blushed softly, silently moving Brendan's hand over her womb. She knew Steven would probably call to them soon, so she didn't start trying to tell Brendan that his hand was over their new child, since she was getting tired of interruptions. She just sighed happily in his arms.
"I love you," she said softly. "And I can't wait for us to be parents together."
Brendan smiled, not catching the hint that she just dropped, just hugging her a little more tightly. "I love you too, and I can't wait for that day either," he said happily.
"Hey, are you two ready to go?" Steven called to them after a few moments.
"Yeah, we'll be right there," Brendan said as they looked at the sky. As he looked at the stars with May and Gwen, he saw a gleam in the sky beside the moon, and it was larger and brighter than the other stars in the sky. "That's the meteor, isn't it?"
May nodded, and Brendan noticed a shiver go through her body. "It's already that big in the sky…we really should get moving, or that thing is going to hit."
Knowing she was right, Brendan let go of May and walked up to join Steven as they walked into the cavern. As they entered the surprisingly bright, Brendan thought he saw an elderly woman in a white kimono standing beside the waterfall. When he blinked, however, she was gone.
"Hey, did anybody see that woman up there," Brendan asked.
"Let me guess," Steven said. "An elderly woman in a kimono, right?"
"Yeah, did you see her too?" Brendan asked.
"No, but I know who she is. That's Theresa, the current matriarch of an ancient tribe called the Draconids," he said. "She actually tends to live in this cave for months at a time to be with her dragon Pokémon. She's almost at a hundred years old, but she seems to have the vitality of when she was fifty. She was the one who gave Albion's egg to Drake so many years ago, since her own Salamence was Albion's mother."
May looked impressed. "Wow, that's really amazing," she said. "Should we go talk to her?"
You know, if I know how things like this usually go, I think we should. I'm pretty sure she's going to have the Meteorite Shard, Gwen said, almost sassily as she put her hands onto Brendan and May's shoulders. Steven, touch my hand too. Steven did as Gwen said just as they teleported up to the top of the waterfall, going to a small patch of land beside the lake, which seemed to be a small spring of ground water. Brendan wasn't sure how it supplied enough water for such a huge waterfall, but he didn't have time to wonder about the physics of the cave's water supply.
They all got into the next cavern, where they saw Theresa in the distance, having just effortlessly climbed up a series of small step-like ledges that seemed to form stairs. She looked back at them, smiling slyly as she knew that they were following her. "Hope you all can climb," she said almost playfully. "But if you have trouble, you can take the long way," she said.
I have a better idea, Gwen said as she teleported them all to Theresa's side. As soon as they were all next to the elderly woman, she just laughed happily as she walked to a tent with multiple objects that looked almost like talismans, and one of them looked a lot like Rayquaza.
"Hello to you, heir of the Devon Corporation, Hoenn Champion, Hoenn's Top Coordinator, and the world's most famous Gardevoir. I was expecting that you'd all make your way here. My granddaughter has certainly spoken about you a great deal."
"Your granddaughter?" Steven asked.
"Her name is Zinnia," Theresa said with a slight laugh. "From what she's told me, you've all got a serious issue on your hands. A meteor capable of destroying the life on this planet is certainly not anything to trifle with," she said as she picked up a small roll of cloth, tossing it to Steven. "I'm sure that you're looking for this meteorite shard to help make it possible to deal with that massive rock."
Steven, looking to be in shocked disbelief, unwrapped the cloth and saw the black and silver stone, showing it was a highly pure Meteorite Shard. "Th-thank you for this!" he said.
"Now, don't get my intentions wrong, young man. I have heard your plan to use Infinity Energy to stop this meteor. I do not support that choice…but that Meteorite Shard is essential for another reason. For you all to understand that reason, I should tell you the history of my people, and the source of Mega Evolution." Brendan, May, and Gwen all nodded to show that they understood as they found rocks to use for seats. Steven, however, remained silent and standing, but she continued, clearly addressing the trio more than him.
"Despite what the Kalosians will tell you in their fairy tales about how they are the first to achieve Mega Evolution, using a Lucario, of all Pokémon, the truth is that Mega Evolution is something that humans were first taught by the Lord of the Draconids: Rayquaza," she said. Brendan leaned forward with interest. "But, you see, Rayquaza is unique among all Pokémon in the fact that he doesn't require a trainer or even a Mega Stone to trigger the Mega Evolution the way that, for example, Gwen requires. Rayquaza has another method, where he simply needs a Meteorite with a high-enough purity so he can channel and focus his energy while using an attack only he can learn: Dragon Ascent."
"I think I was on his back when he used an attack I've never seen before, or since, when he helped us to calm Kyogre and Groudon, so we could battle and catch them," Brendan said.
"Yes, that was likely Dragon Ascent. The issue is, however, that Rayquaza's last meteorite was used up with that effort," she said. "And you, being the trainer chosen by Rayquaza outside of the Draconids, were actually doing something that can be performed by either Rayquaza's Chosen, or the Lorekeeper of the Draconids. That is directly asking Lord Rayquaza for help in a time of great need."
"The Lorekeeper?" Steven asked.
"That is the title given to the one who, by birthright, is gifted with the power, knowledge, and right to call Lord Rayquaza forth. Currently, the Lorekeeper is Zinnia," Theresa said. "And, in her own way, Zinnia has been trying to avert this disaster for years. But, I would advise you all to not be afraid of what will happen. If we fail to stop this meteor, then it will simply be the third time we have been struck this planet. And each meteor nearly succeeded in wiping out life, but there were always survivors," she said, seeming to get sidetracked before shaking her head lightly. "But, I don't want to see suffering of that magnitude either."
"Wait, back up," Brendan said. "You just said that Zinnia has been working for years to stop the meteor. How, and when was she doing that?"
"She was a member of Team Aqua. She was working to give Rayquaza a reason to come to our level of the atmosphere. She would even, on occasion give Archie and Maxie hints in the right direction. But, when the time came," Theresa sighed. "The previously unknown Chosen Trainer beat her to Lord Rayquaza."
May looked a bit angered. "So, Zinnia was one of the reasons we almost died that night in Sootopolis," she said, her tone showing that she was not happy.
"It's like she didn't consider those she was risking, or even those she could have been sacrificing in the process," Steven said. Brendan saw it, but he decided not to point out the irony of Steven saying that when he supported the Link Cable plan, which could very easily do the exact same thing. Despite that, he was still condemning her actions.
"She had other reasons too," Theresa said. "Brendan, when you met Zinnia at the Pokémon League tournament registration, do you remember the request she made?"
"Yeah, she asked if she could take a picture with us so she could show it to her daughter, Aster," he said.
Theresa, nodded, but her face was showing that she was about to cry. "Zinnia didn't tell you something when she took that picture. Aster had been born with a rare form of leukemia, and we couldn't afford the medical bills. After all, being a Lorekeeper does nothing for finances. She took a job with Team Aqua because she knew they would be able to pay her enough to afford the procedures. But, almost immediately after you took that picture with Zinnia, and after three long years of her fighting every single second, Aster just...stopped breathing." Brendan saw that Theresa was actually crying now, and when he looked at May, he saw her crying too, and he could already sense that Gwen was fighting to hold her own tears back. "The doctors did everything they could…but…they couldn't bring her back. Zinnia, understandably, changed for the worse."
Steven seemed to have a stoic look on his face, but he didn't say anything yet.
Theresa looked the silver-haired man in the eyes. "Now, Mr. Stone, do you think you can understand her motives now? Can you honestly say you wouldn't go to the same lengths as Zinnia did to save her child?" As she said that, her eyes subtly turned to May, whose hand had subconsciously gone to her womb while Theresa spoke about Aster's death. Theresa was giving May a knowing look, one that showed a great deal of experience with pregnancies. Theresa then continued. "History always repeats itself, especially in the form of conflicts and struggles. And, with every struggle, a certain amount of sacrifice is needed. Yet, even with such struggle, humans and Pokémon have always unified to stop such struggles and maintain peace for as long as is physically possible. THAT is how we've protected our world."
She then looked directly at Steven. "I don't know all the details of your plan for dealing with that meteor, but can you honestly claim that you won't be sacrificing anything to protect Earth? Unlike Zinnia, I can see in your eyes that you will not follow your convictions until the very end, especially if doing so would mean the sacrificial knife would be aimed at your own heart. Her convictions now are what are leading her to steal Keystones now because she is trying desperately to protect what little she has left in this world."
"I think I understand…" Steven said. Brendan and Theresa both looked hopeful that Steven had realized that the Link Cable was not the right method. "We need to stop Zinnia before she does more harm to people for her selfish ambitions. I know that my intuition has never been wrong in situations like thi–"
"You cannot be serious!" Brendan said as he stood up. "You're going to stand there and say that you're plan to throw the meteor into Arceus-knows-where space is any better?"
Everybody looked surprised at Brendan's sudden outburst. "I'm sorry, have I offended you in some way?" Steven asked.
"No, you haven't, but your plan is one that wishes away a problem, and then just blindly hopes that we aren't just throwing our problem onto another planet. At least with what I think Zinnia is planning, we're not putting any other worlds at risk, and we're making sure that, if we do survive, we actually deserve our survival."
"So, you'd rather leave our fate to chance than be certain of our survival?" Steven asked.
"Yes, I would if it means that we aren't taking the chance of killing others to save ourselves," Brendan said, his anger at the situation starting to rise.
"If that's the case, and you aren't willing to sacrifice some of your moral philosophy to ensure the survival of our entire planet, then you aren't fit to be champion," Steven said. Brendan's eyes went wide, and everybody went quiet as they realized what Steven had just done.
Under Hoenn League rules, if any former Champion has a reasonable belief that the current Champion isn't able to fulfill all the responsibilities that his, or her, title entails, they can issue a challenge for the title. Under normal circumstances, it was supposed to be a full six-on-six battle, but that parameter could be changed if both participants agreed. If the challenger won, they would become Champion again without battling the Elite Four. This battle had to be either recorded on video, or it could be viewed in-person by two or more people. Steven knew this rule all too well, having been the one who first drafted it, and Wallace had been the one to finalize it.
"If you're willing to risk committing a planetary genocide for the sake of our planet's survival, then perhaps you were never fit for the title either," Brendan said, his hand going to his Pokéball belt.
"Then we both understand what's about to happen…let's take this outside. And, given the fact that we're on a time limit, I think a three-on-three attrition battle will serve our purposes for this battle," Steven said.
Brendan nodded. "As much as I've been looking forward to battling you, especially under better circumstances, I agree to your terms," he said, remembering how many times Steven had helped him and May along their journey, as well as how badly the former Champion had beaten him and Gwen when they battled on Route 120. It was now time for Brendan to show Steven that he was the rightful champion of Hoenn.
Gwen quickly teleported all of them out of Meteor Falls and put them into the largest crater in the mountain, with May and Theresa on the ridge of the crater. Brendan took his first Pokéball off his belt, while Steven got out the Pokéball of his first choice. Their battle had begun.
…And this chapter has ended. Now that I have a good cliffhanger, which I know will annoy a couple of you, I think I have a good stopping point for this chapter. But, when you're traveling abroad in London, you tend to not focus on writing so much.
Anyway, please leave a constructive review, because it's always appreciated.
Until next time ~ jmoul18.
