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Ruins Of New Babylon

Then I saw the Anti-Arceus and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the commanding rider on the metal ship and his army. But the Anti-Arceus was captured, and with him the false prophet who had deluded the world with signs and magicks. With these signs he had deceived those who had received the invitation of the Dark Lord to join his kingdom. The Anti-Arceus was thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, which is the Abyss. He will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

-The Hisuian Coda

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First was the problem of where Henry might find his friends, or if they were in any state to talk to him. The wounded from the battle and the judgments were being brought aboard the remaining warships to be tended, but most were already dead. About one-fourth of the original number of the Vengeance Fleet's personnel remained with breath in their lungs...and now Dialga and Palkia were saying that they had to defeat Cypress and Emrett alone.

It was too much. Henry, Casey, and Magnolia had stayed in the assembly by the sea, searching the crowd for anyone they recognized. "We'd better separate and come back here," Magnolia suggested. "Since all communication lines are down except for the hard-lined ones in the frigates, if anyone finds someone, they can come back and wait for the others."

Henry went west, searching for the faces of the familiar. What a sight! Everyone was either rejoicing, or mourning. And yet all wanted to talk. Mostly about the ultimate defeat of Eternatus, but about the earthquake and the hailstones as well. The slaying of the enemy with the flesh-dissolving plague. The seas turning back from blood to water. The upcoming attack on the Eclipse stronghold.

Others mentioned the weather: hot, clear, refreshing, as if they were breathing new air in the presence of the gods. A woman pointed out how a line of shrubs unburnt by the rain of fire and lightning looked very full and healthy. "They did not look that way a few hours ago," she said. "It's as if a Meganium breathed on them."

The remaining Association warships were breaching the hulls of the floating prison pods and rescuing hundreds of thousands of people. The ships had no way of carrying that many prisoners of war, and there was a non-zero risk of accidentally destroying a pod by igniting the explosives that had been placed on it. This victory was nowhere as clean and simple as Bronze had predicted it.

Everywhere, people hailed the Pokedex Holders as heroes, although some of them had done very little during the battle. Sun had attracted a cloud of admirers, and was now trying to wave them off. Small shrines were being made in the wreckage to the fallen and wounded Pokedex Holders. Sapphire, with her right hand missing, was trying to organize another attack on the bunker, but no one had the energy to fight. The second Rorian Jihad had died out, for better or worse.

In the sea, the portal to the Abyss did not seal again. It continued to spew blue fire like a monstrous acetylene torch. The smell of the sulfur had diminished, but in certain places and at certain times, one could hear chains being rattled, screams, moans, and the gurgling murmur of Eternatus as he fought against the seal that had been put upon him.

Finally, Henry got a Delibird dispatch from Casey. The Pokemon were being used to transfer messages between the survivors, since most of the communication networks were broken. He took the crumpled paper message from its claws, and opened it.

Well! Casey wrote. Seems strange that none of our technology is working, if you can believe it. I found one of these Delibirds, and I hope it reaches you. Anyhoo, the ruins of the United Church a tick northeast of the docks are mostly intact. That's where everybody is. I couldn't find Hop, but we're all there; the Gym Leaders and other former challengers. Come as quickly as you can!

The names of the landmarks had all been changed during Cypress's short reign, but United Church had remained hidden from the loyalist purges. Outside the barely-standing building, scorched by the horsemen's sulfur, blasted by hailstones, and devastated by the earthquake, Henry found his circle of friends. All but Hop.

Besides Casey and Magnolia, Bede was there with Marnie and Peonia, and her father, Peony. Leon and Raihan were also there. When Henry saw Bea speaking with two Bibliographers, he knew that Jake was likely close by, or the other Galarian Gym Leaders were. And then they came.

"Hail, Henry Sword, Eternatus's Bane!" Jake said with a laugh. "He who drives Logarian daggers into the hides of beasts like a hero of old! And since we are in the presence of such ancient men of legend, I do not say this lightly. We do owe you a great debt."

"I just delivered the finishing strike," Henry said. "The others would have defeated Eternatus just the same. I hardly did anything. It was Casey who weakened the Dark Lord during the Battle of the Plaza, not me. Thank her."

"And we will," Ego-Rei said. "All those that fought here must be given thanks. For if but one had turned their heads away and fled back to the hills in fear, our victory here would be the lesser. Those that perished will be counted among the blessed evermore. But this is a bloody day, and I cannot say with wisdom that many more will wish to continue the wholesale slaughter under the earth."

"We'll go and bring Cypress and Emrett's heads back, ourselves," Jake said. "I owe both of them a lot of pain. My old grudges and wounds against them have not yet died. If only they had stayed dead!"

"I don't think they could have ever stayed dead," Magnolia said. "Once you confirmed that they were the Anti-Arceus and the False Prophet, fate had to run its course. One of the heads of the Anti-Arceus seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the Anti-Arceus."

Henry was brought further up to speed on what had been decided in regard to where everyone would sleep, or find food and water. "We've secured a somewhat intact hotel for people to sleep in," Raihan said. "Not enough for every single person, but everything helps."

"I'm surprised that any buildings are still livable," Bede grumbled.

"Well, Bede," Peony said. "People are eager to accommodate each other. A little over three million people are going to be rattling around this part of the world. Think about how many people lived in the city before they were taken to the prison pods! There are thousands of deserted houses in the suburbs that have at least one intact wall and roof, out of millions of completely destroyed homes."

"People all over are returning to the ships, or inviting others to share a safe place with them," Bea said. "Melony and Kabu have agreed to take in women and married soldiers, while Opal should have plenty of room for single men."

"The fight still isn't over," Casey said. "Why don't we all just band together again and get the final battle over with?"

Jake looked in the direction of the plaza, as if expecting a swarm of horrors to burst out of the ground. "We are too tired. But knowing the Eclipse Lords, they have another last-ditch scheme that they're going to try to attempt. Ever is their strength greater than it seems."

...

"Attention!" Zacian and Zamazenta cried, loud enough for most of the city to hear. "Attention, my friends! The Dark Lord is defeated! It is safe to come out now!"

"What do they mean?" Peonia said. "Everyone already knows that Eternatus is gone."

Suddenly, small boreholes began to appear in the ground. Carving their way through debris came Excadrill and Dugtrio, which were followed by smaller Pokemon of all kinds. Covered in dust and dirt, Pokemon began to spill out of the gaps into the streets. They dragged their wounded and unconscious along with the healthy, flocking in one colorful line toward the Two Princes.

"Incredible!" Marnie said. "Were they hiding from us?"

"Almost certainly," Magnolia replied with a sly grin. "Those sneaky Pokemon! I assume once the New Eclipse Order took control of the city, they banded together to hide underground! It looks like the earthquake took its toll, but they fared better down there than they would have if they had stayed above ground, with the hail and other judgments."

"Pokemon are truly miraculous creatures," Leon said. "You can never tell what they will do."

The great company of Pokemon began to tend to the wounded and create makeshift homes for the surviving soldiers. Communities of the sick and injured were springing up everywhere, taking in any who needed rest and shelter. Association medics flocked to the new Houses of Healing to do what the Pokemon could not.

"Are you seeing this?" Henry said, studying the landscape and the people and Pokemon as the company walked through the relieved crowds. All the Pokemon were docile. Dragons, ghosts, and predatory wild Pokemon of all types roamed in harmony. Crates of berries and food collected by the Pokemon were being passed out in the open air. Mudsdale delivered fresh fruits and vegetables from scavenged storehouses.

"Oi! Leon!" Hop cried, sitting atop a pile of oranges that had been wheeled into the ruins. "Welcome to the victory feast!"

"Hop?" Leon said, looking up toward his younger brother. "Where in the seven hells have you been? I thought you were injured, or worse!"

"Actually, I was on the L.S. Victory the entire battle," Hop said, enjoying the spoils of war. "I even was allowed to man a turret! Come on, everyone! Eat this fruit from the very hand of Arceus!"

The company ate their fill, eating and drinking and laughing. Soon, massive piles laden with produce had sprouted up over the city, picked from miraculously grown plants by the sea. Oranges and grapefruits ripened before people's eyes, falling off branches once they became too large and heavy for the fruit trees to bear. Soon, plants were growing not just in the orchards, but in the very rubble of New Babylon.

Hours passed in relative bliss and healing. A guard of soldiers was placed around the doors of the Eclipse stronghold, although it was mostly ignored through the night and the morning. No sign of Emrett or Cypress's activities was noticed.

At noon the next day, most people had slept and eaten. At the docks, a spacious table was constructed by the Pokedex Holder's Pokemon, large enough to seat thousands of people. Moon, Diamond, and a team of cooks prepared bowls of sliced fruit and steaming vegetables taken from the stockpiles.

Bronze took a seat at the end of the table, with his administrative staff arrayed to his left and right. Trainers and warriors settled themselves everywhere, the seating arrangements seeming to take care of themselves. The food prepared at the table was the first truly homemade meal that Henry and Casey had eaten since leaving Freezington, and it was a feast at that.

While Henry could smell the delicious meal in heaping serving bowls inches from his makeshift plate, his hunger could wait. There was clearly a final loose end that needed to be dealt with. Two, in fact.

Bronze rose a silver chalice that he had brought from the L.S. Victory and banged a dagger against it. Everyone hushed at Bronze stood, ready to give his ultimatum.

...

"My friends, before we begin discussing other matters, have you noticed that the food is still as fresh and steaming, as if we had not left it out here for several minutes? There are also no flies, and the fruit is still crisp and fresh. I believe that this is clear evidence that the providence of Arceus is upon our welfare. The judgments are over, the sun now comes out pure and bright, and the Dark Lord is gone."

"Indeed," Palkia said. "A touch of Beulah has come down in this time after the Last Battle. But it will not always be this way. Although the Ten Century Kingdom is being born, do not expect Arceus to coddle you with such prosperity."

"I suppose there were many in the Vengeance Fleet today that had little idea of what was going on or why such terrible disasters struck the Earth," Bronze continued. "They probably could have figured out who was who and what was what, and in the end they saw the Host of Heaven come and give us the victory. But they might not have known that all this was prophesized two thousand years ago, by Cyllene of Hisui in the final series of texts in the Hisuian Coda. The answers are in the Good Book, and if you are interested, you may plumb the riches therein and see what you might learn."

"But I fear that our task is not yet completed here. While there are many things that I would like to announce at a more opportune time, including the fate of the Pokemon Association and the Rorian Confederation, the most pressing issue is the fact that the Anti-Arceus and the False Prophet still live. Hidden away in their underground fortress are the two greatest threats to us that remain on Earth."

"Hear, hear!" Platinum cried. "What will we do with them?"

"As much as I wish to kill them myself, they must be taken alive and thrown into the Abyss. I have no doubt that they are making a plan of escape this very moment, and will flee to rebuild their forces in some other universe, or outer space. The longer we wait the greater the likelihood is that they will escape to continue their evil. We must throw the Anti-Arceus in the lake of fire!"

A cheer went around, but Dialga raised one of his hands to quiet the assembled. "The death of the wicked brings me no joy. But know that after the defeat of the last evil forces in the world, Arceus will continue His work of making the world ready for the next Typhoon Struggle."

"So, this isn't the last one?" Ruby said. "When will the next 'last battle' take place?"

"In one thousand years," Latias said. "This fight was only between Arceus and a surrogate of the Evil Djinn's power. The true Dark Lord will return with Eternatus at the very end of days. There have been many Typhoon Struggles in the past, and this one is the next in their long line."

"The War of Wrath, the Unification Wars, the War Against The Eclipse Alliance, the Rorian Jihad, and the War for Earth come to mind when speaking of Typhoon Struggles," Latios said. "You saw the river of blood that ran through the city. I now tell you that in the last Typhoon Struggle, the battle between the Hosts of Heaven and the hordes of the Enemy will create a great sea of blood that will run as high as a horse's bridle for miles and miles around."

"We may speak of that later," Bronze said. "Now we need a plan to finish this battle. I will be leading the strike myself, along with any who want to join, whether they be young or old, Man or Pokemon, mortal or god. First, who will fight?"

Jake and the Swordmasters around him raised their blades. "Although only a hundred of us remain, there is no reason for us not to see this fight to the end."

Following the Rorian's lead, about a thousand others volunteered. Along with their supporting units, the entire elite force tasked to destroy the Eclipse bunker numbered ten thousand strong.

Soon a strategy was made. Watcheyes were sent over the land for miles, in case Cypress and Emrett attempted to escape through an underground tunnel. Fast-flyers would intercept and engage them once spotted, hopefully capturing the Eclipse Lords. Although Bronze wanted them brought alive into the Abyss, he also made it clear that if it became impractical, Emrett, Cypress, and their administrators would be swiftly killed.

Holes would be drilled at two strategic points, and then filled with acid to quickly breach the inner stronghold of the bunker. The largest contingent would lay siege to the blast doors, taking floor after floor, unroofing pits and freeing captives. However it would be done, the final bastion of New World Order power would be conquered.

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Neo Eclipse Alliance Base Prime

Unlike other men, I cannot say that I did what I did for my country. I cannot say that I did it for some greater value, like a dictatorial state. Some might suggest that I believed that the ignorant masses were too weak and stupid to rule themselves, so I merely decided to take that responsibility. No, I did what I did for none of those reasons. My consciousness stretches back over a hundred years. I am the utter culmination of humanity's evolutionary urge to achieve a strong form. And now I am like a rat trapped in a cage, waiting for the executioner's axe to end my endless misfortune.

-the "Mbelekoric Journal" of Jonathan Rowell Cypress, an excerpt from the final entry

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"Go to your defensive positions, and do whatever you might to escape. And remember, if all comes to naught, we are standing on top of a nuclear bomb."

Two thousand men and machines. That was all the fighting force that remained with the Eclipse Alliance. Gathered around a council table in the deepest part of the bunker were Ghetsis, Avery, the two Eclipse Lords, Scarlet, Colress, and two recently created clones of Giovanni and Lysandre. The ego-memories had resisted the T-Probe valiantly, but in the end, Cypress had his way.

"There is no secret that the Dark Lord has fallen," Cypress said, now sweating nervously. His shoulders were sagging. His former bluster and composure seemed to have gone down into the Abyss along with Eternatus. "There is no hope of fighting off the enemy. Although we have not been attacked for over a day, our inevitable defeat is only a matter of time."

"Therefore," Emrett said. "We release all of you from our service. You are free to do as you like and die in the way that best suits you."

No one accepted. None of them had any choice. If they went to Tercano, they would be executed. If they stayed, they would die. The only hope was in escape.

"Of course, that does not mean we are utterly defeated forever," Cypress went on to say. "The escape tunnel is very close to completion. With the aid of our Pokemon, a two-mile-long path underground is being constructed as we speak. In the case of an attack, we will be forced to evacuate."

"That brings us to the next phase of the plan," Emrett said, pointing to various tactical objectives on a holo-res map of the bunker. "We have a lot of shock-and-awe experimental technology with us. The mechanical mites, the leech-things, the walker-bots, and the others. Not enough to defeat the entire enemy force, but we will have more than enough time to complete the tunnel and flee."

"Once the tunnel is completed, we'll detonate the atomic bombs to cover our retreat," Cypress said. "From there, we will retreat to outer space, until we can contact our extrauniversal allies again. But this is only what we will attempt to do. Go, now, if you will not fight for us."

Once again, no one left. Cypress was testing them, prodding at their despair.

"I appreciate your full support and understanding," Cypress said. "Never fear. Eternatus allowed himself to be defeated to prove a point. It's obvious that those that died for him will be resurrected once the thousand years are over. Whether we live or die makes no difference in the end, although I would most certainly prefer to live and kill Bronze Tercano."

"Defeated to prove a point?" Ghetsis scoffed. "Against who? A god that supposedly doesn't exist?"

"We never said that Arceus never existed," Emrett said. "Do you not remember the words that Cypress spoke a few days before the Battle of the Demon's Tomb, fifty-two years ago? It has been a central tenet of the Eclipse Alliance that we are in active rebellion against a very real entity, not a phantom devised in the imaginations of the gods. Of course, convincing the masses that Arceus does not exist can be immensely beneficial, and worked to bring about the corruption and fall of Ancient Logaria. Do not speak of us denying what is obvious again."

"I think I will escape," Lysandre said. "I do not have memories of my death. I do not have memories of the procedure that you used to make me lose my recollection. I am not angry. How could one be angry for something they never remember having? Still, I wish to regain these memories in the future. Count me among your loyal."

"Our scanners have been detecting large amounts of Akiva radiation," Colress said. "A powerful thaumaturgical entity is at work in manipulating reality. I suppose that's why our cameras show the enemy forces picking fruit and vegetables from what were once blackened stumps of trees."

"Arceus is at work?" Cypress snarled. "He always is at work, damn it! Always intruding, every minute of every hour of every day! No. I am part of God. Eternatus is God. Emrett is the word of God. We will one day overcome Arceus. We have tried over and over again and one day the final victory will come."

The Eclipse Lord turned to Avery. "The time has come for you to receive the procedure. The medical ward has been repaired enough. I await to see what robotic body you choose."

Avery bowed and left to undergo his metamorphosis into a mechanical lifeform. "The concept of severing all ties with Nature through placing the brain in a canister has a long history," Emrett said. "It was first attempted and experimented with in the few centuries leading up to the War of Wrath. In those days it was done by magical means, but scientific advancement has allowed the process to exist in a perfected form since the time leading up to the partial escape of the Mbelekoro from the prison bottle seventy-two years ago to now. What a beautiful thing, the union of man and machine."

"The Rorians would say otherwise," Colress said.

"Of course they would!" Cypress fumed. "They resist progress because they know that every piece of technology they make opens windows to more technology. Some of those new inventions are weapons that they are too scrupulous to use. We are not bidden to such moral weaknesses, thankfully. As the Dark Lord once said, technology is a chimera, a double-edged sword that strikes as keenly as the word of Arceus."

"Remember, my flock," Emrett said, "that it should never be about right and wrong. You should always enforce and stick to jargon when you are trying to win over populations. Do you want to know why so many people, hundreds of thousands, flocked to the New Eclipse Order's new civilization? Because I told them what they wanted to hear! Always, always keep the mind off the antithesis between true and false."

"Congratulations, Emrett," Ghetsis said with a sneer. "You won enough followers to give the Locusts of Darkrai something to torment."

"Well, each soul won from Arceus's mercy and put into the Dark Lord's hands is a victory for us," Emrett said, confident in his superiority. "Because of me, hundreds of thousands now dwell in the House Below of the Mbelekoro! No one man has ever led so many astray but me. This is my purpose and joy! The Dark Lord may no longer shoot his thunder, but the voice of that thunder speaks through me. I am a god of Men."

"There is no god," Colress said.

"I am god," Cypress argued.

"We are god," Emrett added.

"There is a god," Giovanni mused, "but it isn't any of you. Despite your tampering with my memories, I know that you are insane, every last one of you. I am going to leave as a messenger. Hopefully I can buy you some time."

Giovanni turned and left for the upper levels. Cypress was left with his old friend and partner-in-evil, a scientific amoralist, and many other clones, waiting for the end to come.