Pokemon The Revolution

by LandofGaming

After years of evolution and drifts and new ages, the Pokemon world has advanced to a modern state where politics and ideals flourished and many Pokemon began searching and striving for the idea of a perfect world. However, due to the corrupted government, a single Pokemon stands up to fight for his freedom...and ends up starting more than even he had anticipated.

16. On the Horizon

Chapter Sixteen: On the Horizon

"Lovely weather, is it not?" Scarlet asked as she nodded politely at each of the gaping Revolutionists. "I have not seen the sun in such a long time. What a beautiful day." She looked pointedly at Ralph. "Oh, dear. You seem quite surprised. Why, exactly? Am I not supposed to be here?" A hint of sarcasm could be traced in her voice, and her eyes glittered coldly like the arctic sea.

"N-No, it's just that―" Ralph spluttered as he attempted to hurl out all the questions he'd been storing up. "Where were you―how did you―why did you―what were you―" He gaped at her, unable to speak.

"I've been looking for my sisters, of course. I'm afraid I missed my dear sister Quetzal by a few hours, it seems. Silly me." Scarlet wrinkled her nose delicately. "But no matter. I believe you have a package for me?"

Ralph was still much too surprised and shocked to do anything, like moving. His eyes looked like they were about to pop free from his face and his jaws were literally unhinged at an impossible angle.

"Dear me. Still surprised?" Scarlet tipped her snow-white head to one side. "Perhaps this will help." From her robes, she retrieved a small, brown package and took out a small, light yellow-brown pastry using her claws. "Here, have some."

"Me too!" Jason complained. Scarlet smiled and gave him the package. "What's this?" the Riolu asked as he shoved one down his throat. "Oh hey! It's yummy!"

Ralph took a bite of his. Strawberry cream burst out, filling his mouth with flavors. Eating it seemed to have a soothing effect on Ralph, as he somewhat managed to calm down.

"They're special strawberry Poke Puffs," Scarlet said in her strange, distanced tone. "I learned how to make them from my mother. Quite the treat, isn't it?"

Ralph swallowed the bite he'd taken out of the pastry, and looked up at her. "Where have you been?" he demanded. "You just disappeared during the Nuvema Revolution, leaving only a letter… and now you're right… you're…"

"Standing in front of you?" Scarlet finished gallantly. "If that's what's bothering you, then I am sorry. I myself did not think I would see you so soon, either. I left during the Revolution because I did not wish to be caught up on this side of the war. My other reasons, I shall keep to myself." Her arctic blue eyes gleamed. "I only came here because I sensed my sister Quetzal's presence, and, of course, for that very nice package you have in your paws. If you would please, may I have it back?" Extending a snow-white paw, she waited for Ralph to respond.

Ralph gave it to her shakily. "How did you know Quetzal was here?" he asked suspiciously. "And what are your other reasons for leaving? Did you not want to help us?"

Scarlet frowned slightly as she took the package and pocketed within a fold of her robe. "I too, having been… somewhat tracking my brothers and sisters, who have unfortunately scattered worldwide or have gone to the Spirit World… meaning that they've passed on. I've been tracking Sister Quetzal in particular, mostly for my package. See, when we last parted, I sensed that it would be dangerous for my… friends… and I to keep hold of our special items. I also sensed that Quetzal would be the most suitable for keeping it safe, as she is very loyal to our cause. Now I see that it is time for me to take back what was once mine, since it will now be of great use. That is the reason why I came here. As for my other reasons… well, life must retain some of its mysteries, does it not?" she inquired, smiling thinly. "And if you'll excuse me… I shall be leaving now."

"Hold on a second," Ralph said hotly. "You think you can just appear out of nowhere, take the package without any explanation at all, and then just disappear like that?"

Scarlet cocked her head to one side. "Technically speaking, yes." She did not seem a bit bothered by Ralph's slightly angry and mystified tone.

"You haven't explained anything! Why did you leave? What have you been doing? When did you get here?" Ralph exploded. "And most of all―why are you leaving us again?"

Scarlet sighed, with a hint of annoyance. "I am telling you, Ralph, dear, that there are some things I cannot tell you at the moment. Knowledge is a dangerous object to acquire, especially at such a delicate time like the Revolution. I left the day you decided to start this Revolution, for I had foreseen it coming, and I also see that I am needed in this war… though my purpose is and will be unclear to you. And what have I been doing? Thinking, of course, and searching for my lost brothers and sisters―though not for the same reasons as Quetzal. My sister thinks that she can piece out the future using all of the oracle's clairvoyance powers. The truth? There is no clear, bloodless future. Only doom, pain, sorrows, and much suffering before there is light. It must be night before it's day, after all. As for getting here, I did it with magic. Magic is very popular as of this moment, and I specialize in pendant-making, as do many others. A long-distance teleportation pendant is not that hard to make. And for leaving you… I play no part here, not now, not this place. My part is somewhere far away from you, although our threads of life will be crossing each other soon again. That is my explanation."

Ralph couldn't believe his ears―or his eyes, for that matter. Scarlet, the oracle, the Absol of Fate, was right in front of him. Quetzal had told him Scarlet's Absol abilities could predict the enemy's movements. He couldn't let this chance just teleport away like that!
"Please, Scarlet!" he blurted out. "You have to join the Revolutionists!"

Scarlet looked at him, with a light of despise in her eyes. "My dear Ralph, I do not have to do anything. I am a freelance oracle. I do things my way, according to fate. I am not owned by anything or anybody, understand? And most of all, I will not use my Absol talent for the evils of others, only for myself. You want me to use my abilities to predict the Shadow Force's movements, did you not? That's what everybody has ever thought of when they look at our kind. Ralph, dear friend, I wish not to break our friendship―but no. I am not helpful, and will not be helpful to you cause. Also, I do not help others unless fate wishes so. And as of now―fate wills it to be the opposite." Her voice was distorted and sinister, and a dark shadow hid behind her bleak, arctic-like eyes.

"You were helpful in the past," Charlez said hopelessly. "What happened to you?"

Scarlet glared at her sharply. "Dear Charlie, I have my reasons, as do you. I was not being helpful in the past. I was simply doing my duty as an oracle. Playing my part, I should say. I have never been helpful in any way―it's only your own opinion."

"But Scarlet," Lumiere spoke up. "It's strange and rather suspicious… the things you say and do, I mean. How did you know Quetzal was here? I'm pretty sure you can't track her aura or anything…"

Scarlet held up a paw, her meaning clear. Stop. "I will stay for a while, but only to observe. I am not joining the Revolutionists, and I am not answering your questions. I will help with what I can, by the will of fate, but no more than that. Clear?"

"Thank you," Ralph said, relieved. At least Scarlet was going to help them, though she'd accused herself of being unhelpful.

Scarlet nodded, not looking the least bit pleased about the negotiation. "And dear Charlie, may I talk to you for a moment? Privately, please."

"Alpha component in Oran Berries…" Vindictus muttered. "Combined with the beta component in Pecha berries… dry. Sweet. Sweet… sweet… sugar… potion..."

May steepled her hands together. "I guess… we should probably go check on the medical units." She said, with a concerned and puzzled glance at Vindictus, who was off rattling lists of ingredients.

"Agreed,." Lumiere said. "Vindictus, are you coming?"

"Dilution… equation… red… hmmm," Vindictus mumbled under his breath.

"I guess that's a no?" May frowned.

"I'm coming," the Noctowl responded, and the three medics left the group.

---

Scarlet pulled Charlez into a secluded area behind some bushes.

"What is it?" the Kricketune asked nervously.

Scarlet sat down promptly. "Your time is short, Charlez. Our time is, too, for I must leave soon. Maybe it's time you tell our Ralphie dear about… the truth."

Charlez froze. "Never!" she protested. "Please, you do it."

Scarlet glared at her. "Oh? So I must play the villain once more? Do you not remember Ralph and my fight not so long ago? When he called me a creature of doom because I confessed that I knew his parents were going to die and didn't warn him until after?"

"That wasn't my fault," Charlez said weakly.

"It was," Scarlet said simply. "I did warn you the day before the accident, did I not? Of course I did, because I knew it might make a difference and maybe prevent this war, the cause of which, is―"

"No," Charlez said, her voice quavering. "Please, Scarlet… no. I can't tell him. He needs friends and family he can trust right now. He's so fragile, and he was depressed not so many days ago. I can't tell him. I don't want to hurt him anymore."

Scarlet's calm tone suddenly changed into a frightful snarl. "There were seven Pokemon that could've prevented this Revolution. If even one of them weren't a chicken-hearted fool, none of this would've happened! You're so worried about ruining your relationships with the ones you love that you forsake the fate of the world. All we needed was one Pokemon to stop this madness!" Her voice modulated into a silent hiss. "You could've done something, Charlie! Or said something! But no―you loved that Pokemon so much that you did not restrain his wild, dangerous thoughts. And now you will pay dearly for your mistake. Your new family―Ralph, Jason… everyone.They will uncover your dark secret―"

"Stop it." Charlez's voice was trembling, and she was on the verge of tears. "I never wanted this battle! You don't know what it's like to have empathy! I help other Pokemon find their true selves. I show them how to trust others. I show them how to be strong. I love all of my friends and the children placed under my care like my own blood. You―you've never loved anyone in your life!"

"So I should be so worried?!" Scarlet asked wickedly, her voice dangerously soft. "No, Charlie. I did not cause this. You might not have either, but you led to its uprising. You contributed by giving that Pokemon your love and care. You… spoiled him. Made him think he was always right. I see why you abandoned him in the end..."

"I didn't abandon him!" Charlez's voice broke. "I left because he no longer needed me!"

"You think so?" Scarlet hissed. "Don't lie to me, insect! You left because you were terrified of what he had turned into―the result of your so-called 'love' and 'care'! You created a monster with your love! And that's not even the end of it! You abandoned him, causing him to choose the wrong crossway! Then he finally learned how terrified you were of him, and hated you for that. And that hatred… caused this!" The Absol's fangs were bared into sharp white crystals.

"S-Stop it… I won't… let anything hurt Ralph, even if it's the truth…" Charlez sobbed quietly. She knew she was wrong. But it was too much… just too much pressure on a single Pokemon. She couldn't do it. She couldn't turn this war around anymore.

It was out of her control.

"At least I tried." Scarlet muttered, exasperated. "Things will get much too complicated from now on. Today is your last chance to set everything straight with him." She flicked her scythe-like tail meaningfully.

Charlez inhaled sharply, startled. Her tears dried instantly. "Do you mean, that in the upcoming battle…"

Scarlet's face froze into an elegant snarl. "Last chance has nothing to do with your death, fool!" she snapped, then regained her composure. "But remember; by tomorrow, it will be too late to tell him the truth, because it will shatter your relationship with him permanently, and turn aside this war." She got up. "Remember, ancient one. By tomorrow." Then she was gone, and strode away through the pavilion.

Charlez stared at the ground. She knew in her heart she should tell her dear child everything―the reasons, the cause and effects… the true purpose of this war… everything.

But she couldn't.

She didn't want to break him.

She didn't want to hurt anyone anymore.

---

In the Northern Kingdom…

"DIE!" Marcus roared as he blasted the main engine of the control room. It exploded, spewing oil and metal scrap everywhere.

"That seems to be the last one here," Melodia said, poking her head out from her improvised explosion-shielding table that failed to block her gargantuan shape. Her body was now splattered with oil splotches. "Perhaps we can take a look around and see what the Shadow Force has found." She blew water over herself, washing away the sticky black oil.

The two strolled through the newly destroyed outpost. Ever since the pair had witnessed the lake bombing, they'd been destroying outposts all over the Northern Kingdom, trying to find more information about the Shadowia Bomb. It had proven quite fruitless so far, but perhaps this outpost would reward them with a document or two.

"Hey, what'd you find?" Marcus asked as they regrouped. Melodia was carrying a crate of letters and official-looking documents.

"I have no idea what's in here, but let's read through them and summarize and share." Melodia took out a letter using her tail and started skimming it. "Nope, nope, nope…" she murmured.

Marcus scanned several letters. Most of them were prices and checks for supplies and weaponry, and letters concerning the revolutions. He glanced over at Melodia. She was reading a sealed, unsent letter that probably never made it to the mailbox. Squinting, Marcus caught the words To General Plasma on the back.

"What's that?" he asked, walking over.

"Nothing!" Melodia flicked her tail briefly, shredding the paper. "Did you find something?"

Marcus was suspicious. "What was the letter about?" he asked.

"Oh, look at this!" Melodia exclaimed, completely ignoring him. "Something's amiss!" She grabbed the entire crate and started yanking out documents by the dozens. "A crate!" she announced. "Such a―"

"You're not making sense with your rhyming," Marcus grumbled. "What was in the letter?"

"Hey…" Melodia pulled out a blueprint. "This looks a bit clichè." Upon opening the folded paper, a pint of blood drained from her face. "Okay, this is probably not good…" she said. "So if you would…" she handed the blueprint over to Marcus.

The Leafeon peeked suspiciously at it, then noted the title.

The Shadowia Bomb

"Mother of the moon!" Marcus yelped.

Mother of my blood. What in tarnation is it? Read it, you fool! Psycho Eevee snapped.

Marcus scanned the letter. Horror started to overtake him as he slowly understood the true, dark power of the Shadowia Bomb.

The Shadowia Bomb did not just destroy an object. It sends it straight into the Spirit World or the Reversal World, depending on the power level, ranging from one to ten, of the Shadowia Bomb. It was unstoppable by all mere Pokemon moves, and creates rifts in time and space as it annihilated objects. Filled with Dark Stardust (which sounds very much like an inferior gem powder, but in truth can pack thousands to millions of magical Dark Taint), along with several other items, it opens a rift in space and time and sends everything within exploding distance straight to the underworld, and any living creature within the explosion would be blast into oblivion. Any living creature within a twenty mile radius from the blast zone would be trapped in a living nightmare for eternity.

"Holy Kyogre," Melodia commented. "That's… that exactly what the world would not prefer."

"We need to tell Ralph," Marcus decided. "Um… do you have a phone or a communication pendant or something?"

Melodia shook her head. "I have a pendant, but Ralph would need an identical one in order for it to work. That's unfortunately one of its bad perks."

"That makes no sense," Marcus muttered, swishing his tail from side to side. His stomach suddenly grumbled. "But I… am… starving."

"I think there's food in the hideout. Why don't we go and find out?" Melodia suggested. "Or… actually… I think those are crates of food right over there. And we'd better hurry, for footsteps I hear."

Marcus strained his ears. He could hear shouting and pounding footsteps outside. It was probably not a good idea to destroy an enemy base and loiter around in it for like, ten minutes after it sent out a distress signal (which all outposts had). He grabbed the unlabelled (hopefully food-filled) crates, summoned his wings, and soared through a broken window. "Get the crate with the documents!" he yelled at Melodia as he went.

A Shadow Force unit gawked at him as he flew overhead, his glowing white wings shimmering as bright as the sun. The Tranquil commander of the troop looked like her eyes were about to pop out.

"See ya toots!" Marcus flirted. The Tranquil fainted dead away.

"Let's goooooo!" Melodia yelled as she sped past Marcus with her satchel and the crate of documents tightly held by her tail. "Merry Christmas to all and ho, ho, ho!" she shouted as the flew over the horizon.

Astonished, Marcus checked his mental calendar. Now it was his turn to have his face turn pale. Today was December, 25th, Delibird Day, which meant it had been over four months since he left the Revolutionists. For the first time in his life, he realized just exactly how fast time flew. Homesickness gripped his heart. He missed the Revolutionists badly. He missed Mark's companionship, Charnette's creepy yet somehow enchanting knowledge of dark magic, and Ralph's commanding aura. He wanted to fly straight back home.

The two landed at the entrance of the cave they'd spent several days before in. Marcus yawned, feeling tired, even though he'd been charged to the nose with energy mere moments ago. "Why am I so tired?" he wondered aloud.

Melodia didn't answer, as she was busy unpacking things from the food crate, but Psycho Eevee did.

Because you're channeling my magic through your body. Don't think a mere normal-blooded Pokemon like you can fly unlimited like I once did,Psycho Eevee sneered. Seriously. And you call yourself a dream blood?

Shut up, Marcus grumbled.

"Marcus, could you get my cookbook from my pack?" Melodia called. "I'm going to make us some delicious snacks!"

"Sure." Marcus went over to her bag, which had been dumped in a corner of the cave, and nudged open the flap. It was jammed with all sorts of random trinkets they'd collected from destroyed Outposts. He yanked some random copper wires out of the way, and pulled out the cookbook, (yes, the cookbook had been stolen from an annihilated outpost as well) which was entangled in the chains of several pendants.

Marcus usually didn't pay much attention to other Pokemon's stuff, but as he untangled the book, he noticed that one of Melodia's pendants was missing. And it wasn't just any random pendant Marcus never paid attention to―it was one of the two pendants Marcus had paid some attention to―the pendant with the crescent mark. "Hey, Melodia!" he called as he waddled over with the cookbook wrapped in a vine. "One of your pendants are missing―the one with the crescent mark."

"Which color was it?" Melodia asked as she turned around to accept the cookbook, accidentally knocking the crate of food into the fireplace. "Wait―no! Bad fire pit!"she yelped and blew water over the mess. "Okay, that did not help it…"

Marcus checked her pendants again. "The silver one," he decided. "You had a green one and a silver one, right? The green one's still here, but the silver one's gone."

"Ah, the silver one, I see." Melodia pulled out a cooking pot and filled it with water. "I lent it to a friend of me."

"A friend of mine," Marcus automatically corrected. "When? I was by your side literally 24/7."

Melodia smiled mildly, but did not reply.

"I've also been thinking," Marcus continued, narrowing his eyes. "How come you know so much about me? And those crescent marks on your pendants, I've seen that mark―or something similar to it―before. Also, you seem very familiar with this area of the Northern Kingdom―you know where all of the Outposts are. Could you please drop the rhyming and tell me everything? Your past, your purpose… see… I need to know those things in order to trust you." As Melodia remained silent, he became desperate. "Don't you want me to trust you?" he cried.

Melodia sighed and stirred whatever she was cooking in her pot. "Remember the snow-filled valley we flew by not long ago? Many years ago, that was my home," she murmured, her words slurred in a way so that ago and home seemed to rhyme. "As a newly evolved Pokemon from the sea, I came to a certain divination service to seek what I could be." She paused, thoughtfully, with just a tiniest smidge of sorrow. "I fell in love with that sleepless city, with the shows so bright and the lights so pretty. There, I finally became who I wanted to be. But fate wanted it to be a tragic path―a mistake with horrible aftermaths. It didn't want me to follow my heart's way, and my home was among the first bases to be destroyed." Her gaze darkened. "I followed the path fate meant for me, but I was nevermore happy. This life I live now, I make the best of it. But it's not the life that I want, I'd admit. There's war on the horizon, fires burning everywhere. Not only in the hearts of Pokemon, but here and there. My purpose is to stop the upcoming destruction, if it's not too late―to stop the terrible things known only by fate." She let out a small sigh, and Marcus's heart ached for her.

He could see clearly how she was looking on the bright side of life, struggling to force all the negativity surrounding her down by not remembering. She was another victim dragged unwillingly into this war, poor snake. Marcus decided not to press her anymore. As she'd said, life had to retain some of its mysteries. And Marcus respected Melodia enough to believe in her words, and finally, for once, trust her. Not because her sob story was especially touching, but because he could imagine the terrors she'd gone through, and knew how painfully they cut into her heart.

"So,"―Marcus walked over and settled down near the flames―"what are you cooking?"

Melodia grinned as she held up a bowl of steaming stew with delicious smells wafting around it. "Give it a try. Please comply." Her smile was as normal as ever, but for once Marcus could see how high her EQ was, and the positivity and light she was attempting to spread.

Marcus accepted the stew. "Gotcha," he said, beaming. The berry soup was delicious, with a hint of Chople Berry and several other mouthwatering spices. Swallowing a mouthful, he brought up a question on his mind. "Melodia," he said, as he chewed a boiled berry. "I've been thinking―we've destroyed most of the outposts here, and it probably won't be long until those Shadow Force scums find this cave. Also, I already got the Sword of Dreams. I'm thinking it's time I head back to the others."

"Good idea," Melodia responded, sipping her stew daintily. "We don't want your friends to go into hysteria."

Marcus looked hopefully at her. "So I should head back now, right?" Seeing as Melodia nodded empathically, he felt happy knowing that he was doing the right thing. "Let's set off for Nuvema tomorrow!" he cheered, nearly upsetting his bowl.

Melodia smiled and nodded.

---

In the Desert Resort, at the oasis…

"So their position is still a mystery, I see," Nova told Rob, sighing a bit. "Shame. I was so looking forward to tearing those hooligans into shreds of meat and skin!" she snarled fiercely.

Rob nodded, still feeling nauseous. He'd woken up feeling like someone had flipped his organs upside down and kicked him halfway across the universe, straight into a cactus. The other members of Group R (excluding Demo, including Mina and Shock) hadn't fared as well as he did. They'd crashed into a rock sticking up from the middle of the oasis and were luckily not dead, but still unconscious.

"Rogues," Nova snorted, kicking a can of army rations. "I wonder what we should do now, then… Should we attack the rogues and finish them once and for all, or go help the soldiers at Striaton?" she wondered.

Rob paused, contemplating the idea. It would be a good thing to settle those mysterious, yet frighteningly powerful rogues. That would ensure that the SF army would no longer be ambushed. But what would happen if they failed to get to Striaton on time? There was no telling when the rebels were going to attack. "Let's ask Lord Darkrai," he suggested.

Nova's eyes lit up. "Great idea!" she proclaimed, and flew into a nearby tent. "There's a PC in here. Come on in!"

Rob entered the tent. It was very spacious, with plenty of elbow space. An officious and complicated-looking computer was set up in a corner, with several batteries and whatnots linked to it. Nova went straight over to the computer, turned it on, and clicked on the Psÿche application on the desktop. The application loaded so slowly, Rob's knocked-out friends were able to wake up and fully recover before the video conference finished loading. By that time, Nova was cursing Arceus, Dialga, and the creator of the global link and computer.

"Darn this thing!" Nova stormed around the tent. "What is up with this modern technology?!"

Annie came in, rubbing her eyes and followed by Jazz and Demo. "You didn't connect the cable." She yawned, stretching her arms. "You need to connect the cable to the PC so you can access the internet."

"What―oh. Silly me." Nova connected the cable. The screen flashed, bringing them to the application's home page. Nova clicked on the contact named "Lord Darkrai", and started the video conference.

"Whatcha doing, anywho?" Jazz asked. "I heard you got shot into a cactus. I'm surprised you didn't get out of that in pieces."

"I was lucky," Rob admitted. "The cactus was an old and rotting one. Its prickles didn't hurt that much. The medics fixed me up right away."

"We got slammed into a rock, Jazz," Annie grumbled. "And you got out of that in one piece. What makes you think Rob would be shredded after dive-bombing into a cactus if we survived that rock?"

"Dunno," Jazz replied, licking a paw. "But I'm hungry. Who wants to raid the food storage?"

"There's a picnic table set out next to the oasis," Nova said helpfully. "We're going to call Lord Darkrai. Would you please leave the tent? And not raid the food storage?"

"Oh, wonderful." Jazz turned abruptly and left. Annie snorted and followed her, along with Demo at her side.

Rob watch the video chat appear, and braced himself for the upcoming meeting with one of the most powerful Pokemon in the universe.

"Hey, 'sup?!" A cheery voice called. "Hey, you're the new general! Welcome aboard!"

Rob's jaw dropped. On the screen was a birdy face, with metal-studded wings and sharp, intelligent eyes. The Staraptor on the screen grinned at him and Nova, nodding as if she was very pleased with herself in some absurd way. "May I help you? Lord Darkrai's talking to Hallows right now." she said pleasantly.

"Um… yeah…" Nova stared at the Staraptor. "Who… who are you?" she asked.

The Staraptor let out a merry laugh. "Oh, I don't blame you for not knowing me. I spent most of my time out at the Hoenn front, after all. I'm General Stary, one of the first generals in the Shadow Force. Pleased to meet you!"

"I'm General Hyper Nova," Nova introduced. "And this is Lieutenant Robert Shaw."

"Hyper Nova? Strange name. Oh, and Kona's husband?" Stary wondered. "Ah, nice to meet you. Kona was a good general. Always optimistic and self-sacrificing. I'm glad her husband's the same. How's your daughter?"

Rob blinked twice. "Did you… know Kona?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course! We were out in the Hoenn Frontier together!" Stary went on cheerfully. "A good soldier with a brave heart. Right after her father!"

"Ah…" Rob didn't know what to say. Surprise ran through him as he realized that he was looking at one of his long-lost wife's friends. Thankfully, Nova saved him.

"We've got a situation here." Nova quickly told General Stary about what was happening. "What should we do? I'm sure we could successfully destroy the rogues… but… well, I'm not sure what the rebels are planning. Should we go help the soldiers at Striaton first or attack the rogues?"

"Hmm." Stary look mildly tormented. "I think that the rogues and the rebels may be in this together," she said slowly. "Which means they're planning something. You said the rogues took out half of your forces, right? Well, that probably means the rebels are going to attack soon. It's a good strategy, I'd have to admit."

"No, I don't think the rogues are in with the rebels," Rob spoke up suddenly. The other two generals looked at him strangely. "I mean… well… it's hard to explain. But I've met and talked to the rogues before. They seem to do things their own way. Besides, they mentioned a leader that they followed… a leader the name of which they apparently didn't want to tell me. If they were with the rebels, they would've called their leader Ralph,like all the others do. But they didn't. Therefore, I don't think they're in with the rebels."

"Perhaps aiding them just a tiny bit?" Nova suggested. "But that's not the point. What do we do?"

Stary tapped her claws on her beak thoughtfully. "To be honest, Nova, I don't think your forces can take on the rogues as of this moment. Half of your army is gone, and the enemy's playing around with their special abilities. Also, you don't know their location. You're going to waste a lot of time trying to find and fight them, and there's very little chance that you'll succeed. No, don't go after the rogues. Defend Striaton first," She decided.

Nova nodded. "Thank you, general," she said gratefully. "I'll report back when I get to Striaton."

"You should stop at Castelia to check on everything there first," Stary warned. "Make sure the citizens there aren't even thinking of helping those rebels. We have enough problems at claw here."

"Roger that," Nova saluted, and the screen flickered black. "Whew." She turned to Rob with an exhausted look on her face. "Guess we're ditching the rogues, then," she said in a disappointed voice. "Oh well. That might be the best for now. But we'll be back," she promised, a hint of a snarl in her voice. "And next time, I'm not losing to those failures!"

"Right." Rob traced a claw in the sandy ground. "Should I get the cohorts together?"

"Yes. We'll march to Castelia immediately," Nova decided. "Get them together, and pack everything up. We leave as soon as possible."

"This time, we can't lose to those mangy rebels!" Annie declared as she marched on beside Rob. Or, more like Demo marched and Annie and Jazz sat above his head. "I won't allow it!"

"Last time, during the Nuvema Rebellion, they shot you out of a fighter jet," Jazz reminded her. "And sent you to prison."

"Can you stop being Miss Sunshine?" Annie complained.

"What? I'm being optimistic here?"

"Can you just shut up?!"

"But it's true we can't let this Rebellion spread any further," Nova said in a worried voice as she flew overhead. "If it gets past Striaton, then it'll head for Nacrene, then Castellia, then Nimbasa. Nimbasa Town and City are already rebelling… and… we certainly don't need those two forces getting caught up together. If we do, Southern Unova is done for."

"Let's evaluate our Nuvema battle," Annie suggested. "And the Accumula one. What did we do wrong?"

"For one, in the Nuvema battle, they stole our vehicles and plowed down Blobby's army with it like a lawn mower," Jazz said. "For the Accumula Rebellion, they had cannons. And the gun."

"That gun and those cannons are a problem," Rob said. "But the Shadow Force's weapons are all in the Northern Kingdom, and I'm not sure Darkrai would want to take down the Northern Kingdom defenses for us."

"He won't," Nova muttered.

"I could re-invent the gun and make the cannons," Annie volunteered. "See, I used pictures taken from the rebellions to piece together how to make them. I just need to figure out the mechanisms inside, and I'm sure I could make them both."

"You've been working on that?" Rob asked, surprised. "I never knew that."

Annie rolled her eyes. "Rob, I'm not completely helpless, you know. I do have some strategic skills embedded in my brain. Jazz and I have been working on the blueprint for both of those ever since I escaped from that disgusting prison. It's quite complicated, but I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out."

"One thing I'd want to add to the gun is to figure out what it can shoot," Jazz commented. "I mean, the rebels used berries.Okay, poisoned berries and high-speed berries aren't going to knock down an enemy if you're just gonna shower them with tropical fruit. I was wondering if we could shoot rocks or something like that at them."

"Jazz," Annie said. "You're a genius."

"What? I'm smart? Please, who'd ever say that?" Jazz snorted. "I've just got sense,and a whole lot more than you do."

"I take that back," Annie grumbled.

Nova flew along silently. Rob could sense her troubling thoughts. "Are you okay, general?" he asked.

"What―ah, yes. I'm fine," Nova said. "Just thinking… about the new generals, I mean."

Rob frowned. "Are there new generals? Darkrai seemed to have been mass-recruiting them nowdays."

Nova nodded. "Not a good idea. I think Ranark, Doomsday, Stary and I can take on the Unovian Rebellion… but he insisted on recruiting more and more. I'm worried about how this is going to turn out. Darkrai seems certain that the rebellions won't stop here."

"It won't, if the rebels here get to the Nimbasa rebels," Gran pointed out. "So yeah, we're screwed if we lose this battle."

"So what about the new generals?" Rob asked.

Nova sighed. "One of them's that famous hip-hop star―Otri. The other one is a Luxray named Plasma."

"Hold on―that lousy singer?" Annie facepalmed herself. "What is the Lord doing? That mangy singer can't fight for his life!"

"Maybe he thinks that Otri can get supporters for the Shadow Force?" Jazz suggested. "That's actually pretty smart."

"And Plasma―who is this guy?" Annie demanded.

"I've read his documents," Nova said. "It seems that he's a pretty good fighter who rarely talks and mindlessly follows orders. I hope I never meet him. He sounds scary."

Rob nodded, troubled. What are you planning, Darkrai? he wondered. We got this. You don't have the need to recruit more generals… because we're going to end the rebellions here once and for all, right?

"Um… you're talking serious stuff. Should I be poking my head in here?" Rob turned to see Shock hovering behind them warily.

"Sure, join in," Rob invited.

"So I've been thinking seriously," Shock said matter-of-factly as he hovered beside Rob. "And I thought, 'Hey, I like these guys. I like this group…'"

"You want to join Group R as Rob's bodyguards, don't you?" Annie asked.

"Rawhr?" Demo asked.

Gran studied Shock. "I'm okay with it. We need more guys in this group," he decided. "I'm all in. What about you guys?"

"It'd be good to have a test subject when we make the gun and cannons. Sign me up," Jazz laughed odiously.

Annie shrugged. "I guess I'm okay with that. Demo?"

"Rawr." Demo bobbed his head up and down, almost sending Jazz and Annie into the dirt.

Rob grinned. It was nice to see his teammates in such an opened, happy mood after such a dreadful mission. "I'm all in. Welcome to Group R, Shock!" He bumped Shock in a friendly way. "Prepare for lots of work!"

"Yessir!" Shock saluted. "I'm all ready!"

Jazz snorted. "You'd better be."

---

In the Accumula Town Hall, Meeting Room…

"Guys, we have a little problem," Rachiel announced as the original Revolutionists gathered together, along with the mayors of Striaton and Accumula. "It's about the uniforms."

"What? Is it not good enough?" May asked. "I made different ones based on different measurements… Were they too tight?"

"Nah, those are fine," Rachiel snorted. "But the problem is, some Pokemon can't physically fit the uniforms."

"What?" May cried. "How is that possible?!"

"Look at Lumiere, for example. You think you can get a uniform on him?" Xeno demanded. "We also have some Ghost types in our rank who are like, 95% gas and can't wear the uniform. What do we do about that?"

"Hold on… we have ghost types in our rank?" Ralph asked, surprised. "I thought they'd be supporting Darkrai…"

"Excuse me, Ralph," Lumiere said crossly. "But not all of the Ghost types are using the new bill to their advantage," the Ghost and Fire type notified sourly.

"Sorry, Lumiere. It's just… surprising to me," Ralph admitted. "What if they're spies?"

"Charna did a soul and mind scan on all of them," Amethyst said. "They're on our side."

"Well… if you're so sure about that..." Ralph frowned. "Back to the uniform topic. What do we do about that?"

"We could make a symbol and magically tattoo them onto the soldiers," Charnette suggested. "The tattoos are removable, of course."

"But that would be a lot hassle, would it not?" The twelve Pokemon turned to see Scarlet standing in a corner of the room, walking towards them. "You'd have to tattoo and un-tattoo them at the drop of a hat. Why not just use badges like they used to do during the Mystery Dungeon Era?"

"That's a great idea!" Ralph exclaimed. "Thanks, Scarlet!"

Scarlet gave him a thin smile and sat down in one of the spare seats.

"For that, we need a symbol," May realized. "But we really don't have any specific symbol for the Revolution…"

"I'll think of something," Ralph said. "Anything else to report?"

"Right…" Lumiere coughed. "We're a bit low on supplies. It's true that Nuvema and Accumula both have really good plant and berry farms and such… but they're not going to last us very long. Medical supplies are extremely low as well."

"Oh…" Ralph looked around. "Any suggestions?"

"Well,"―Charnette bared her fangs―"why not just raid those pathetic Shadow Force Outposts and take their stuff?"

"Aye, I'm in!" Amethyst agreed. "We get their stuff in return for tryna kill us!"

"Problem solved, then," Ralph said. "Next?"

Airavata raised a paw. The others looked at him.

"Yes, Mayor Vata?" Ralph asked.

Airavata stood. "I'm sorry to say, but Accumula's much too small to house the army anymore. There's just not enough food or space to go around."

"That's right," Lumiere agreed. "Raiding outposts might solve the food shortage problem, but I don't see what we can do about the space problem."

"We could use the Shadow Force Outposts for ourselves," Xeno suggested, but Rachiel shook her head.

"I don't think we can do that," she said. "For one, the SF is likely to conduct survelliance around their Outposts. Secondly, we're not as organized as the Shadow Force. From what I learned, they're actually a bunch of units and groups of four to ten that bunch together when called and form a Regiment. They can move freely about from post to post. We, being a bigger body, cannot as easily do so. Also, we don't know what's in those outposts. Better stay away."

"But Charnette and Amethyst might know about the Outposts, right?" May asked.

Charnette shrugged. "I never paid much attention. Being a sorceress, I worked solo or double with Ame here for generals and such. I've never actually scanned an outpost. Even if I did, I'm sure the SF have magical protections against magic scans. I'm with Rachiel―we raid the Outposts, but we don't use them."

"Then what do we do about the space problem?" Lumiere asked.

Rachiel tapped a claw thoughtfully on the table. "Striaton City is a lot bigger than Accumula and Nuvema, is it not?" she inquired. "I say we retake Striaton. That way, we'll put less pressure on the Accumula and Nuvema citizens."

"Yes! I'm in!" Akhelios declared. "And I'm ready to smash my fist into those mangy losers' face!"

"Akhelios, please be dignified. Mayors do not participate in battles," Vata sniffed in a gentlemonly manner.

"Why not? Mack fought!"

"Did he? That little pipsqueak can fight?"

"Are you dissing Mayor Mack no―"

"Guys, stop it," Jason interrupted, shaking his head. "Sheesh. I used to think that mayors were cool and like, a lot more serious. But now―I change my mind."

"You what?" Akhelios and Vata asked together.

"I'd love to join your perfectly wonderful argument," Scarlet said lightly. "But I'm afraid I have bad news if you want to retake Striaton City. Do you perhaps remember General Hyper Nova?"

"The scally subwoffer?" Jason asked.

"The insane bat girl?" Xeno snorted.

"The glowing-eyes-blow-everything-upper?" May wondered.

"Yes, her," Scarlet confirmed. "I believe she and her army are on their way here at the moment. They should be arriving in Castelia soon. And after… well, since Nacrene City is remaining neutral, the Shadow Force should sidestep it and head straight to Striaton. All in all―it would be, I believe, a four to six hour march from Castelia to Striaton. But I do think that the army will stop in Castelia to… ah… check out things, which would take another hour or so. Which means you have around, at worst, a mere five hours before it becomes nearly impossible to retake your beloved Striaton City."

"Then we must attack now!" Akehlios declared. "I will not let my city be overrun by those mutts!"

"It already has been." Vata pointed out.

"Can you be quiet for a darn second?"

"I'm just―"

"Stop it," Mark snapped. "Then, Ralph, we must attack the soldiers at Striaton now before they become too strong for our army. If we can defeat them before Nova's army joins them, I think we can win."

"This is a problem," Scarlet noted. "A flaw, and an upper hand. You just suddenly decide to go and fight. You don't do anything by schedule. This makes haste, and haste makes waste. If I were you, I would meticulously plan everything out, as in when to attack and how long to train and such months beforehand."

Victor frowned. "So you're saying we shouldn't attack?"

"It's not the best strategy," Scarlet told her. "Unfortunately, for now, it is your one and only way to retrieve Striaton. I'm just saying that if you survive retaking Straiton, you should all be more orderly from then on. Just a tiny bit of advice there."

"She's right," Ralph decided. "After we retake Striaton, we should be more organized. No more mistakes from then on."

"So we are retaking Striaton?" Xeno asked. "Right now?"

Ralph thought about it. "Gather your army," he decided. "We'll give ourselves one hour to get organized, then head out. First Regiment will get to Striaton first, and the Second Regiment will be on standby as backup. The Third Regiment will remain here, just in case Accumula or Nuvema get attacked, and the Fourth Regiment…" He looked at Charnette, who was glaring at him. "... Yes?"

"Mystical Twist Regiment," the Liepard corrected. "We'll raid the Outposts and defeat the backup there first. Then we'll head back and help you. Any objections?" Her dark aura crackled around her.

Ralph shook his head. "That's the plan, then," he confirmed. "Let's go."

---

In the Northern Kingdom Palace…

"Hello, my faithful spy." Xiawa jumped as a dark shadow fell over him. "Do you have some time, perhaps?" The Weavile stared, surprised, as Her Highness seemingly materialized out of the darkness.

"O-Of course!" Xiawa was acutely aware of the two space and time orbs that were in a satchel over his shoulder. He hoped Her Highness didn't notice his sudden change of fashion. Xiawa, being a spy, normally never wore satchels.

"I have another mission for you," Matilda declared. "I want to end this war once and for all. If you would please, would you pop over to the rebels and plant this bug on them?" She opened her paw. In the palm of the huge paw was a small listening device.

For Xiawa, this would've been an easy mission had Darkrai not trusted him with the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs. He didn't want to risk losing them, and he knew that if he hid the orbs in the Northern Palace, Her Highness and other Pokemon would likely be able to find it. He didn't know what to do, except lie.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty." Xiawa did his best to bow a polite and sorry bow. "I'm afraid I am not feeling well today. I may jack up the mission if I go in this state of mind and body."

"I see." Xiawa couldn't tell if the Nidoqueen Empress was happy or suspicious. "Well, I shall ask some other Pokemon then. I hope you feel better soon."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Xiawa bowed deeply, and stayed in that position until he was sure the queen was gone.

Once she was, he stood back up and inhaled a sharp, heavy breath. Drat that queen! he thought. Trying to give me a mission at this time? Are you kidding me? He patted his satchel, making sure the two orbs were there, and decided to send a video chat to his counterpart, who was holding the Spooky Plate.

Heading to his own, private room, he turned on his private computer and typed in the password. Waiting for the screen to load, he opened the satchel and sneaked a peek at the precious orbs. They were dazzling bright, even in the darkness of his room, and filled with a strange essence that seemed to reach for him from eons and dimensions far away…

"Hello, Xiawa." The Weavile jumped, but relaxed when he saw that it was Hallows, from the video chat that'd popped up, who'd spoke. "Anything wrong?"

"Yes," Xiawa replied quietly, with a bit of anger in his voice. "I believe the queen may have missions in store for me, and I cannot turn all of them down without her suspecting something is wrong. I've been trying to find evidence of her being a tyrant against the Northern Kingdom, but there is none, so she remains a problem. As of now, I do not think I can protect the two orbs anymore. I would like to return them to Lord Darkrai now, so he can find others to do my job."

"I'll come over later to pick them up, then," Hallows said. "It's no biggie. I'm sure Darkrai will understand. Your most important mission, after all, is to prove the queen a tyrant. Where should I meet you?"

Xiawa did a quick calculation. "The queen always goes out on her daily walks in three hours. Why don't you come over then?"

"I might be a bit late. It's hard for me to travel fast and unseen now, so I'll have to be a lot more careful than usual," the Spiritomb replied. "But never fear. I'll be there. Stay safe and keep the orbs out of harm's way until I come."

"Agreed," Xiawa said, and clicked on the screen to end the call. The deal was sealed. He would no longer be a protector of the orbs.

Letting out a disappointed sigh, Xiawa cradled the satchel in his arms. He would like to protect the orbs. They marked him as a Pokemon that Darkrai trusted and had faith in. Failing such an important task made him feel very much like a loser, and he disliked the feeling of being failure.

Letting out another sigh, he turned around to come face-to-face with startling lamplike eyes and flickering blue rings.

"Miss me?" Lunis asked softly.

"Lunis!" Xiawa jumped backwards into his computer, smashing it. Bits of plastic and computer components went flying. "What are you doing here?" he snarled, readying his claws. "Do you want to die? Here? In the heart of the Shadow Force?" His silver claws gleamed threateningly.

"I'm here to save you, you ungrateful deserter," Lunis snapped. "And don't think the little Northern Kingdom guards are going to come running to help you. This entire part of the palace is void of Pokemon except you and me." His blue rings flared in color, glowing eerily in the dark.

"Why would it be…" Xiawa froze. "The queen." He felt a sense of dread run up his back. "She ordered this, didn't she?"

"She's a smart lady, I believe." Lunis stepped closer, and Xiawa leaned back, unable to attack for fear that he might lead to the discovery of the two orbs. "But I'm here to give you one last chance. One more way out of this…" The shiny Umbreon's eyes were suddenly filled with sorrow. "Once more chance to turn back… old friend."

The Weavile recoiled immediately. "I'm not your friend!" he hissed shakily. "S-Stay away from me!"

Lunis faced him. "If you're not my friend and rival since childhood, why aren't you attacking me?" he snarled forcefully. "Because I know you! And you know me! You're the same Pokemon before and after the accident. Don't think that you're not! You haven't changed a bit! You always hold your claws at your sides when you don't want to fight. You never wear satchels unless you're carrying items of importance. Your eyes are wide and not narrowed―you're scared, aren't you? You're hiding something!" The Umbreon took a deep breath to calm himself. "I don't want to fight my best friend either, Xiawa. I almost killed you in the Nuvema Chapel, and I had nightmares about that days after. I thought you'd died.But then I looked at myself and reflected on my attacks and I realized that I didn't kill you, because there's an unconscious part of me that still remembers you as that cheerful inventor before the accident. You could've defeated me in the Nuvema Chapel―but you didn't. You only defended, not attacked." His voice grew softer. "We're still friends, Xiawa. Listen to me―I can help both of us. You don't have to―"

Xiawa trembled from both fear and anger. "Y-You should be dead!" he declared. "I killed you around three years ago!"

"You tried to, two and a half years ago," Lunis correctly quietly. "It was the same situation as it was in the Nuvema Chapel. I was defending, and you were attacking. You know that the bomb wouldn't have killed me, didn't you? You knew I had the magic shield you made for me on me, which protected me from the blast. See? From those two incidents, I think it's safe to say that… we're both still friends, Xiawa. And that's why you need to listen to me. I'm not here because I want the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs…I'm here for you.You don't know what's in the future for you. If you don't come with me now, you'll die."

"I don't have to listen to you," Xiawa challenged. "And what makes you think I am the same Pokemon I was two and a half years ago?"

Lunis's eyes flickered with sorrow as he noted the Weavile's position. Xiawa was ready to attack him. "Because we've been friends for forever, Xixi," he said softly. "And because I know and care for you."

Xiawa lashed out, but Lunis hopped away nimbly, landing on the mattress that served as Xiawa's bed.

"See?" Lunis shouted. "You're fast, Xiawa―even faster than me. You would've killed me right there, but you slowed your jump. You don't want to hurt me, and I don't either!" His voice cracked. "I don't want to fight my best friend anymore! Stop this!"

"Yeah, tell your pesky girlfriend to stop her little revolution and maybe I will!" Xiawa lunged for him, but Lunis spun and jumped over him again.

"She's not my girlfriend, but she was your friend as well!" Lunis spat. "You betrayed both and all of us, deserted the group. You're not done playing dirty backstabbing tatics either―you're planning to betray Her Highness now, aren't you? Is that all you ever want to do or know to do?"

"You have no right to criticize me," Xiawa growled. "Leave me alone."

Lunis glanced at him, a gleam of desperation in his eyes. "I can't," he said sullenly. "I have orders too, Xiawa. During our last two encounters, we were barely able to talk. That's why I didn't want to kill you―because I believe that you were doing things for the greater good. But now… if you don't listen to me and come with me… I'm going to have to kill you. And I can't fail."

"We were friends, Lunis. And you said that you didn't want to kill me," Xiawa snapped. "Contradicting yourself, much?"

Lunis's eyes hardened. "Just because you're my friend, Xiawa, doesn't mean I'll forgive your injustice." He dropped his eyes. "I have orders to kill you and take the orbs. But, if I can make you repent, none of that has to happen. Xiawa… please… just say yes. If you don't…" He trailed off. "She has ordered this. You must understand how much you mean to both of us. Don't do this. Fighting a war is hard enough without losing friends."

Xiawa closed his eyes. Desperation and sorrow charged through him. He'd abandoned so much for this. He knew he should listen to Lunis, his former best friend, but he had another purpose―an act of revenge―that was stronger than being loyal to his friends. Opening his eyes, he tossed the satchel aside. He saw all the warmth in Lunis's eyes disappear. The Umbreon understood.

Xiawa wasn't going to hold back any more.

And neither would Lunis.

Xiawa slashed out quickly, catching Lunis under the jaw and hurling him back. The Umbreon retaliated faster than the Weavile had anticipated, and slammed into him with the force of a rocket, sending him crashing to the ground. Xiawa struggled away and snarled. "I'll have my revenge!" he yelled. "Not even your friendly words will stop me from accomplishing that!"

"You were one of us," Lunis retorted, without a trace of sympathy or sadness on his stony face. "And not even just one of us. You were one of the original ones. How could you betray us?" he hissed angrily. "Just because of that failed mission, the one where Shurei…"

"Don't you dare speak her name!" Xiawa screamed and hurled himself at Lunis. The two went sprawling into the broken computer. Lunis was covered in scratches but they weren't bleeding, as one of the pendants around his neck quickly regenerated the lost skin cells. Lunis shook himself and attacked Xiawa with a Payback, sending Xiawa into a wall. The Weavile let out a howl of rage and blasted a beam into Lunis's face. Lunis ducked out of the way and paced rapidly around Xiawa.

Xiawa caught the rhythm and slammed into the Umbreon, sinking his sharp fangs into Lunis' throat. Lunis screamed with pain as Xiawa just barely missed the windpipe, his fangs tearing the thin skin of the Umbreon's scruff. The Umbreon kicked him in stomach and crawled away, neck bleeding, leaving Xiawa coughing momentarily.

Blood dripped from Lunis's throat, and his pendant was failing to repair his wounds fast enough to save the loss of blood. Xiawa was covered in mere scratches, but each of them were deep and stun painfully with a cold chill, like points of poisoned icicles.

The Weavile eyed Lunis. Regret and desperation suddenly filled him. What am I doing? he thought, panicked. He remembered the good times he had, in that group with Lunis and the Nightmare Maiden. He remembered raiding outposts and supply trucks, foiling the Shadow Force's plans. He remembered the happy times he'd shared with others despite the depression of the revolution and their home being destroyed.

Lunis slowed to a stop, seeing Xiawa's horror-strucked face. Desperately, he drew his last card. "Xiawa," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "Please… we can do this together. We can fix this―"

"No." Xiawa closed his eyes briefly, then opened them defiantly and snarled. "Not anymore. I'm not going back. If you're really my friend, tell me why I'm doing this! You won't be able to! You won't!"

Lunis glared at him, feeling hopeless. "We could've ended this revolution quickly and stopped the deaths." Despite his harsh tone, Lunis spoke softly. "But you―you wanted your revenge. Against your own friends. You know who you really wanted revenge against? Yourself!" Suddenly, Lunis was a ball of fury. "You couldn't stop your sister from dying. You couldn't stop the Shadow Force from invading our home. You've seen so many deaths you'd become cold to the meaning of life and friendship. When your sister died, you thought you'd failed everything. But you know what? You didn't fail. You only failed when you decided to bow down to your revenge!" he spat out, disgusted by the cold and unmoved look in Xiawa's eyes. "And now… now that revenge will be the exact thing that takes your own life. Repent now, friend. It doesn't have to be the end." Lunis pleaded one last time, forcing himself to hope one, final time, although he knew the choice his friend would make, the path that he would take.

"I'm taking revenge for Shurei," Xiawa said quietly. "Your little mission took her life. And I'm going to kill you all for her death."

"You were the one that ran away when she needed you most," Lunis snarled back. "You were the one who abandoned her and left her to die! Shurei chose to save the rest of us, who were unconscious. You could've helped! Not only that, you could've prevented her death! You should have seen a better way! But no―you ran,like the cowardly, brainless fool you are!"

"If you hadn't got caught in that trap with the others, she would've never died!" Xiawa hissed. "It's your fault! And I will destroy all of you and that pathetic group you work for!"

"Is it really worth it?" Lunis asked frigidly. "Deserting your friends? Working among Pokemon whom you despise? Showing Darkrai how to create the Shadowia Bomb? Is the annihilation of the world worth your revenge? Do you think this is what Shurei would want?"

"Yes," Xiawa replied coldly, without a moment's thought. "This is what she would want, and that is what I will fulfill."

"You're a fool if you don't listen to your heart," Lunis retorted. "This is really the final chance I'm giving you, Xiawa. And you know you can't defeat me―because guess what?" He flew into Xiawa with insane speed and smashed into the surprised Weavile who dodged too late. "You know why I'm winning? It's because I have a bigger purpose―I want to end this war. You have no purpose. You're doing this for yourself!" Lunis shouted.

Xiawa struggled. Blood dripped down from his forhead, turning into fiery tears of blood in his eyes. He fought back, but his limbs felt heavy. He pushed himself off the wall and attacked with all his might, but Lunis jumped nimbly and crashed into him mid-air, straight into the ceiling.

"Repent, Xiawa!" Lunis ordered as he stood over the battered Weavile, who struggled to get onto his paws. "You can still turn the tide!" He sounded a lot like a priest, what with his eyes shining and the word "repent"repeating again and again in his mouth. But he wanted to emphasized the word. He wanted Xiawa to turn back into his old self.

"I…" Xiawa focused his mind on that burning spark of hatred that'd driven him along for two and a half years after his sister's death. It burned brighter than ever, swamping his mind in a tornado of fear and pain and dark, hideous anger. "I won't!" he declared and sank his fangs into Lunis's shoulder. The Umbreon screeched painfully and lashed out, smacking Xiawa in the face with his foreclaws. The two sprang away from each other again, eyeing the other reluctantly. Lunis closed his eyes briefly. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to kill Xiawa. It was a stalemate… What should I do? Arceus above! What am I supposed to do here? he thought, panicked and unsure of himself.

Lunis… Lunis… A soft, fey voice murmured through the Umbreon's mind.

W-What? How can you use telepathy―Lunis thought with disbelief. Suddenly, he was filled with fear. What… what… He forced himself to finish the question as he stared at Xiawa. What are your orders?

There was a moment of silence. Xiawa frowned as he saw Lunis's eyes swell up with tears and felt his own heart break. But he knew that he'd come too far and too close to give up on what he'd come for. He wasn't going to stop now.

He was going to have to kill Lunis.

Lunis stared at his old friend, his eyes filled with tears as the leader made her order. He won't repent, Lunis… I'm sorry, Lunis…

It's time to end this.

Lunis braced himself, pushing away his own feelings for the duty. He looked into Xiawa's eyes and knew that the Weavile was doing the same. This was the final battle, the final end to their chapters of friendships. A sorrowful, heartbreaking "The End" with no epilogue, nor sequel. It was the final moment in one of the most heartbreaking stories submerged with trust and betrayal. Warmth and pain. Happiness and sorrows. Love and hate. Friendship and rivalry.

Xiawa attacked first, nearly skewering Lunis right through with his claw had the Umbreon not used Detect to dodge. Beams and orbs of energy clashed powerfully against each other, breaking the walls and destroying the room as the two fought with all their strength. Dark Pulses whisked by and magical flashes brightened the room with harsh light. The table that once held the computer was overturned as Lunis crashed into it. However, before Xiawa could deliver the finishing blow, Lunis sprang up from the wreckage and spun around with an Iron Tail and hit Xiawa full in the face. A heavy gasp from the Weavile indicated that he'd been winded, and pain shot down his body from his skull. Lunis charged him, fangs bared, but Xiawa turned it aside with a swipe of his own that connected with Lunis's shoulder, dislocating it neatly. The Weavile struggled to catch his breath as he watched his opponent stagger away.

Lunis's body was wrecked with pain as he coughed violently and tried to maintain his balance on three feet. The regenerating pendant's magic was working too slow to help him recover the out-of-place bone, and he knew he wouldn't last long if he was handicapped like that. The only comfort he had was that Xiawa had to be out of breath as well. Taking the chance, he played pathetic and limped awkwardly towards Xiawa with his shoulders and limbs sagging. The Umbreon had a sinking feeling in his heart, because he knew Xiawa well enough to know that his friend's mind was too messed up to anticipate the trick.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. But it had to be done.

Xiawa had to die.

Xiawa's eyes hardened as he saw Lunis limping dejectedly towards him, his body contorted with pain and hunched over. A smirk flittered silently across his face as he readied his sharpened claws. This is the end for you, fool! he thought. I will have my revenge! Bunching his leg muscles, he made a mad dash for Lunis, his claws aimed precisely at the Umbreon's throat…

Faster than light, Lunis retaliated. Ducking under Xiawa's deadly sharp claws, he twisted under Xiawa's outstretched paws and crashed into the Weavile's throat, burying his fangs deep into the soft part of the neck. Xiawa let out a desperate, gurgling sound as he struggled to get away from Lunis's sharp fangs, but it was already too late. The sharp silver incisors had already pierced his windpipe. With a heart-stopping crunch,Lunis snapped his neck.

The Weavile's eyes were filled with broken dreams and lost golden times as he slid back down to the floor, his limbs useless and starting to stiffen up. His face was blank, with no signs of emotions or regret or pain as his soul flittered off to the Spirit World. Lunis bowed his head, his paws trembling with what he'd just done.

Lunis… Lunis… the voice of his leader told him, filled with anguish of what had just happened. It had to be done… Lunis… I'm sorry… The voice faded away as the Umbreon severed the telepathic connection.

Lunis raised his head defiantly and the sorrowful expression on his face hardened into an emotionless mask. He stepped lightly over his dead friend's body and picked up the satchel containing the two orbs. They were safe and had been unaffected by the fight. Lunis took them out of the satchel and placed it in a small, magical sack he'd prepared earlier. They shrank as they slipped in, and he grasped the sack with his teeth, his paws touching his pendant of teleportation.

As he got ready to leave, he turned and gazed despondently at the newly dead Pokemon that had been his friend from childhood. He felt like saying something formal, but he couldn't. All he could feel from Xiawa was betrayal and hate and sadness of what he'd chosen. All he could feel himself was pity, and anger that his friend had not seen a better way. Anger at himself,because he couldn't change Xiawa's mind.

Lunis sighed, his voice breaking. This was life. But he couldn't bare to leave without saying one last thing.

"War is on the horizon, Xiawa," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "Why did you do this?"

Blue light wrapped around the assassin, and in a flash, he was gone, leaving only a broken Pokemon with shattered dreams lying awkwardly on the floor, which was quickly staining with his own pool of blood.

---

In Accumula Town…

The faces of the Revolutionists were grim and filled with determination as they talked quietly among themselves. The First and Second Regiments had gathered on the road, ready to march to Striaton on foot and by armored vans. Ralph, Rachiel, and Xeno were talking silently among themselves at the head of the massive body of Pokemon, doing one final check on their numbers and strength.

"... and if Nova's army comes sooner than expected, we'd need Jason along," Rachiel finished. "We need him, as a messenger, to get help from the Third or Fourth Regiment."

"Will do!" Jason suddenly popped up with a poffin in his mouth. "So I just stay around you two and run around, yeah?" He swallowed the poffin and pulled out another one.

"That's pretty much it," Rachiel told him.

Xeno eyed him strangely. "Could you… lose the poffins?"

"Sure." Jason swallowed the poffin and pulled out a waffle. "Better?"

Xeno threw her paws up. "How do you have so much food?" she demanded.

Rachiel ignored the two as she turned to Ralph. "Also, Ralph. I've talked to Charnette and Mark. We're considering renaming the Regiments like Charnette and Amethyst did for the Fourth. That way, we can have different branches of the same Regiment and thus be a lot more organized."

"We'll figure that out later," Ralph replied. "We should get going now. Is the Four― is the Mystical Twist Regiment ready to raid?"

"Sure we are." Charnette materialized behind him. "And ready to kill, as well."

"We're ginna tie them up like a bushel of hay and kill the li'l plonker!" Amethyst added, walking out from behind the Liepard.

"We'll leave after you." Charnette informed Ralph. "I'm going to make a portal to the nearest outpost―the Striaton-Nacrene Outpost―and burn it into the ground. It'll be fun!" She added, her maniacal emerald eyes glittering as she giggled and cackled.

"Erm…" Ralph edged away from her dark black aura. "Okay… I think we might want to leave now," he said quickly as Charnette gnashed her teeth at him in a hopefully playful way.

"Agreed," Rachiel said solidly. "You can go first with the First Regiment. I'll follow up behind with the Second."

"Got it." Ralph nodded. Charnette snorted and disappeared in a puff of smoke with Amethyst. Rachiel spun and raced back towards her own Regiment. Ralph faced his soldiers, every one of them staring bravely back at him with determination flashing in his eyes. He cleared his throat, and ordered, "Let's march!"

The army shouted back sounds of defiance and determination, and moved forward, flanked on either side by single lines of armored vans. Ralph tried to keep a steady pace, while Charlez fluttered overhead. He glanced worriedly at her. She'd seem distracted and sullen ever since her talk with Scarlet. He wondered if she was okay, for her being so distanced made him feel uncomfortable. Beckoning to her, he lowered his voice as the Kricetune landed next to him. "Is everything okay? What did Scarlet tell you?"

Charlez gave him a despairing glance. "She… warned me of some things in the upcoming battle," the elderly Kricketune said carefully, avoiding eye contact. "I'm still thinking about it." She stared at the ground as she marched falteringly. "I hope everything goes well in the next battle," she murmured quietly, half to herself. Her wings looked like dried, skeletal leaves as she fluttered them a bit.

Ralph frowned. "Did Scarlet mention anything bad happening?" he asked worriedly.

"No…" replied Charlez, with a sigh. "Nothing at all." Her insectoid wings drooped as she walked, and her eyes and dark shadows under them.

"Ralph!" The Lucario spun around at the shout to see Jebodiah and Billy running towards him. The First Regiment murmured uneasily, and Rachiel's curses could be heard all the way from the back.

"Who's stopping the march?!" the Houndoom yelled. "You there! Curly Ears and Curly Tail!" She started cursing the Raichu and Treecko with several different names.

The Raichu panted a bit as he stopped in front of Ralph. "I'm so sorry we came late!" he exclaimed. "But Lumiere held on to us for longer than we expected."

"It was my faul," said Billy. "I was trying to talk to Vindictus, and he started sprouting poetry and ingredients for… what was it? A potion of swiftness of something like that."

"That's fine, but don't ever be late again," Ralph responded sternly. "This is a war, and the enemy's not going to wait for you."

"Sorry, sorry," Jebodiah said hastily, bowing. "Also, Ralph… there's something you should know."

"What?" Ralph asked.

The Raichu stared him straight in the eye. "It's Scarlet," he said grimly, his eyes glittering darkly. "She's gone."

"What?"

---

Around the same time, in Castelia City…

"I can't believe you got me out of math class just like that!" Rob smiled happily as he glanced down at his daughter, Lily Shaw, who was scampering along the bustling streets of Castelia City alongside him. "That was awesome!And a life-saver, really," she added drily. "I didn't do my homework."

"High five, kid!" Jazz, who was stroding beside Lily, clapped paws with her. "I never did my homework in my school years!"

Annie blinked. "But… you graduated from Sinnoh University…"

"Who said you needed to do homework to be smart?"

"I did my homework!"

"And are you smart right now?"

"HEY!"

Group R (including Shock) was walking down one of the many busy streets in the City of Grandeur, loaded with fried berries and other delicious items. Lily padded alongside the group, beaming and skipping every other step.

"This is the best Christmas ever!" Lily squealed.

All six members of Group R blinked.

"Oh… yeah," Jazz commented warily. "It's Christmas." She turned immediately to Annie. "Tell me you got me a present."

Annie looked mortified. "I can't believe I forgot such an important holiday!" she cried. "I've never forgotten Christmastime before! Drat this war business!"

"Okay, so you didn't get me a present," Jazz concluded. "Mind giving me your Pecha Smoothie, then?"

"What―oh, here you go." Annie grouchily handed over the plastic cup. "It's too sweet, anyways."

"Dad, did you seriously forget that it was Christmas?" Lily asked, wide-eyed.

Rob felt his cheeks flushed with shame. Before the war, he would've taken Kona and Lily out on a big dinner, and to the movie theater later. There would be a Christmas tree in their house, loaded with presents and other delightful trinkets. The fancy red-and-white Christmas stockings would be pinned to the top of the fireplace, and as soon as Lily fell asleep, Kona and he would sneak over and fill her little stocking with mouthwatering candies.

But now, Kona was gone. The war had made him forget about this relaxation as well. Only Lily, with her bright, pure spirit, had remembered.

"I honestly didn't think I would," Rob admitted truthfully. "But I did."

"Aw, Dad!" Lily complained, whisking her fluffy little tail from side to side. Then her annoyed features shifted into a grin. "Anyhow, the best present you can give me is being here!" She pressed her muzzle briefly against his thick fur. "And I got a present for all of you, too!" she declared happily. "I didn't forget!"

"Hear that, Annie girl?" Jazz echoed. "She didn't forget!" The Linoone laughed as she accepted a package from Lily. "Aw, thanks, fluff ball."

"'Fluff ball'?"Lily demanded, her eyes wide. Rob chuckled and licked her quickly on top of her small head.

Jazz snorted as she examined her package with a satisfied eye. "Well, it's much better than Annie's nickname―'Metal Trap Hair'!"

"Will you just shut up?" Annie snapped, her cheeks flushing. "Oh… thanks!" She patted Lily as the Poochyena gave her a parcel wrapped in sparkly silver.

"Rawhr?" Demo wondered aloud as Lily placed a package in his paw. "Rawr!" he said happily.

"What about me?" Gran asked.

Lily laughed. "Silly! I wouldn't forget you!" she said cheerfully as she plopped the package down in front of the Shiftry.

"Indeed," said Jazz, putting on a plastic wise-Pokemon face. "After you set her dollhouse on fire last Christmas," she said in a very solemn voice. The others broke out laughing.

"That's right―you still owe me a dollhouse," Lily exclaimed. "I almost forgot!" She glared at Gran. "And you'd better return it soon or I'm ripping your limbs off and shoving it three feet down your ugly throat!"

"Careful, kid!" Jazz snickered. "He's not even three feet tall!"

"I am!" Gran snapped, turning red. "Okay, I'll give it back… soon…" he muttered to Rob. "You got one violent daughter over there, Robby."

Rob laughed and nuzzled Lily behind the ears. She yapped ticklishly and snapped playfully at him. "Stop that!"

"And you, Mister Magnezone." Lily turned to Shock. "I would've gotten you a better present if I knew you joined Group R. Someone didn't tell me," she added with an acute glare at Rob. He twitched his ears playfully and smiled awkwardly. "But I bought something off a street vendor that I think you'd like." She proudly passed a box wrapped in gold paper to Shock.

"I got a present!" Shock declared. "This is good!"

"And you, daddy." Lily turned to face Rob as the group walked near a water fountain. She gave him a dark blue package with a purple ribbon. "I made it myself," she confessed shyly. "I know you probably won't like it, but I put my all in it!"

"Why did you make it if you knew he wasn't going to like it?" Jazz asked. Lily and Annie simultaneously smacked her over the head. "Ow!"

"I knew he was going to like the item but while I was making the gift… it got kinda wonky," Lily explained as Jazz ruefully rubbed her head.

"You didn't have to hit me that hard," Jazz mumbled.

"Why don't we sit down over there?" Gran gestured near the water fountain. Several picnic tables had been set around it. One or two were filled with couples and groups of Pokemon, but the place was mostly deserted. "And we can have a Christmas-y lunch… dinner sort of thing," he added, glancing at the sky. "How long did General Nova give us again?"

Rob glanced worriedly at a big clock that had been centered on a building. "She said an hour and a half, I believe. We only have twenty or so minutes left." He felt sorrow and dread settle like wet cement on his heart. He wanted to spend more time with Lily―and, if possible, the rest of the time he had left in his life. He didn't want to go off leading armies and fighting rebels with his precious daughter so agonizingly close to the action.

He swallowed a lump in his throat. He reminded himself that he was doing this for the Golden Age and Kona. Everlasting peace and revenge.

After this is over, I'll leave the army and spend the rest of my life with Lily,he decided.

"Uh… Rob?" Jazz waved a paw in front of his face. "Earth to Robby―this is Jazz. Come in, Rob."

Rob shook his head. "Sorry… just got a little… lost in time," he croaked. The others gave him a sympathetic glance. Annie patted him on the shoulder.

Group R piled thier food and drinks on the picnic table and started tearing the pretty gift wrappers apart. Rob took the sparkly paper off his box in more carefully than the others, meticulously peeling off the translucent tape and neatly folding the paper into squares. Then he opened the small box that had been enclosed in the package.

Jazz got a Quick Claw pendant, which she seemed pretty happy about. ("I can flee faster now!" Annie received a high-tech tablet that some researcher had made and given to Lily and her classmates. Gran got a scarf that Lily had carefully knitted with green and silver yarn. Demo received a friendship bracelet made from dark blue and azure strings. Shock got a small statue-like item made from a Metal Coat and several Electric Gems.

As for Rob, he received a vigilantly sewn leather band with a single, sparkling Dark Gem hanging from it. On closer inspection, he noticed the letters "R + K = L". An"S" wascarved delicately into the shimmering surface of the mineral.

"For our family," Lily said quietly, coming to his side. Rob licked her on top of her little head and growled gratefully.

"How did you get this?" Annie exclaimed, tapping on her tablet like a mad hippie. "This is centuries beyond today's technology! I've never seen something like this before! How in the world―"

"A Kalosian researcher named Snowflake taught us about inventing and stuff," Lily explained. "She was really pretty! She had the tablet as a prize―one of those get-it-before-anyone-else-in-the-entire-freaking-world things. And I won it! I answered all twenty of her questions correctly!" she added proudly.

"Good job!" Rob ruffled her fluffy fur. "I always knew you were smart."

"I just took note of everything she said," Lily said modestly, but there was a gleam of pride in her narrow eyes. "That's all there is to it, really."

"And you gave it to Annie?" Jazz asked. "Why not me?"

Lily laughed. "I think Annie's the only engineer and inventor here. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't know how to use it even if it possessed your brain and turned you into a geek, Jazz."

"Hey!"

"Nice knitting skills!" Gran commented happily as he wrapped the scarf around his head. "Much better than Jazz's!"

"The scarf she made turned out looking like a half-strangled snake," Annie added helpfully, chittering with laugher.

Jazz groaned and covered her eyes.

"I like statues!" Shock proclaimed excitedly. "Pretty jewels!"

"And I like this pendant," Rob said warmly. "Thank you, Lily."

"Aw, shucks." Lily wagged her tail happily. "Just a little heartwarming gift before you guys leave again." There was a tiny bit of sadness in her voice, but it was gone faster than it had appeared, so Rob wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly. "Let's eat!"

Promise me you'll come home safe, Papa. Lily's last words rang in Rob's head as he sat down around the meeting table in the Castelia Town Hall. Or I'm really going to beat the life out of you!

I'll come home. I definitely will,Rob promised silently.

Nova looked tired and weary. Even the three stars on the general's cape she was wearing look dull and rusty. Her bleary eyes seemed to define exhaustion as she looked at Rob. He flicked his ears such that they seemed to say "go on", and she began to speak.

"I'll end this meeting quickly because we must head to Striaton," Nova promised, then went on. "Our aerial scouts―well, the ones that returned safely..."―she winced a bit as she said that―"report that about two regiments' worth of rebels are heading towards Striaton City, probably trying to retake it."

"We won't let them," Rob growled, feeling all the hair on his back rise in aggravation. Those rebels had no right to bring anymore destruction on the poor remains of the once-bustling city. "We'll shed the last drop of blood to defend it!" he proclaimed solemnly.

Nova nodded. "So will I… if I don't go berserk," she added with less enthusiasm. "Also, you know how the taxes in the still-loyal cities and towns are rising?" When Rob nodded, she continued on, a bit of anger in her voice. "It appears that some selfish higher-uppers in Castelia City are starting to stir against the Shadow Force, threatening to rebel if we don't lower the taxes."

Rob was shocked and angry. "Why would they say that?" he snapped. "It's their fee for us protecting them! Do they want to be overrun by those mangy rebels?" He'd never been so infuriated in his live. Citizens were suppose to pay taxes to maintain the military that protected them! They should thank the soldiers who risk their life to defend others! How dare those citizens be so selfish and greedy for money?

Nova sighed. "Apparently, there's been some rumors of the Shadow Force being corrupted…" She tossed her head. "But we shan't talk about that right now. I believe Lord Darkrai will cut back on the taxes. Castelia City is a big city that's been loyal us for quite a long time, after all, and I'm sure Lord Darkrai will do anything in order to satisfy those citizens and make their lives better." She stood, flapping her wings as if testing them for battle. "On that note…" A storm cloud crossed her narrowed eyes. "Let's go."

It was time to battle.

---

In Striaton City…

"Those are some serious walls." Jason gaped at the towering stone walls in the distance. "How are we suppose to blast through all of that? Should we move the Second Regiment to the front? They're the ones with the Garchomp Cannons right now."

Charlez narrowed her eyes and shook her head. The Revolutionists were perched on a forested hill near Striaton City, gazing down at the newly-walled area with wide eyes. Rachiel, Xeno, Ralph, Charlez, and Jason were in a huddle in the head of the group, quietly discussing strategies.

The Kricketune lieutenant crossed her arms thoughtfully. "How do you think they built it that fast?" she asked at last. "It's only been a month since they burned it down…"

"Which meant they were quite hasty with it, weren't they?" Xeno pointed out. "And you know what they say…"

Rachiel grinned, showing gleaming fangs. "Haste makes waste," she growled. "I'll bet we can punch through those walls with the front line and first regiments. Remember―we don't want to use up the Garchomp Cannon's ammunition. There's a limited amount of it. If we use the First Regiment's front line to bust down those walls, we can reserve the cannons for later."

Ralph nodded. "Stay here on the hill with the Second Regiment," he told Jason, then turned to Rachiel. "That's the plan, then. Don't come in unless we look like we're being pushed back. If luck's on our side, we should be able to wipe them out quickly."

"But don't rely on luck," Rachiel warned as she and Xeno headed back to their regiment. "She's a tricky one."

"I won't," Ralph responded, and faced his troops. "Front line!" he barked. The soldiers shuffled forward, some with nervous looks on their faces as they gazed down at their first battle. "We're charging them! Stop about three meters away from the walls on my mark and use your best attacks to bash it down! Got it?"

"YESSIR!" the reply came back as a single voice, filled with determination.

Ralph nodded grimly and glanced at Charlez. "You ready?" he asked.

Charlez nodded, fires of battle burning in her old eyes. "I've been waiting," she replied.

"Good luck." Jason hugged Ralph for a quick moment, then dashed off into the forest.

Ralph stared at the city below. He could see squads of soldiers wandering about. They had no idea what was about to hit them and drill them straight into hell.

"Let's do this!" he growled, and charged.

The First Regiment raced down the hill in an orderly fashion, some already in position to charge a powerful beam of destruction. They had about a half-mile to run, so Ralph kept a steady pace as they quickly marched towards the Shadow Force. Alarms began blaring as scouts spotted them from above, and he could sense the panicked auras of the Shadow Force soldiers racing about, and the commanders screaming orders. Stopping precisely three meters away from the walls, he glanced back at the First Regiment. Some had fear in their eyes, and others shuddered. He had to keep them together.

"Those other than the front line, get your defensive shields ready," Ralph warned. "And never look away from the battle!" With that he launched a charged Aura Sphere at the wall, shrieking the one order that broke the silence. "ATTACK!"

Chaos erupted across the area as the front line blasted the wall in front of them. Like Rachiel had predicted, it crumbled like a sand castle hit by a powerful tsunami, flinging debris everywhere. Ralph smacked a flying shard back with a Bone Rush and charged forward with Charlez fluttering above. He ran straight into battle immediately, careful not to lose the regiment behind. They were using a tactic that Rachiel had taught them―the outside lines rotating to the inside lines and the inside lines to the outside lines so they could recharge on their energy. Charlez was shouting the orders as to when to switch, and Ralph stayed at the head of the group, steamrolling straight through anyone who dared to stand in his way.

"We're outnumbering them three to one!" Billy shouted behind the leader as he fired a Bullet Seed at a Frillish, sending her back with a shriek. "We can do this!"

"Bring it on!" Jebodiah challenged a Houndoom, then electrocuted him with a Thunderbolt. "Ha!"

Ralph dodged as a Volt Switch from a Manectric that went flying overhead and used Mach Punch on a Swellow that was trying to attack from above but had flown too low. He smacked the bird in the stomach and tossed him aside for the others to finish off. The regiment marched forward steadily, mowing down line after line of Shadow Force solders.

"Careful―don't overdo yourself!" Charlez yelled as she used Bug Buzz, knocking down several enemies. Then she dodged an Aerial Ace from a Staravia. "Watch your energy levels!"

Ralph was so full of energy, he barely took notice of her advice. He used Flash Cannon, blasting a crater in the enemy ranks, and fired a Focus Blast into the face of a Tranquil, whose badge marked her as a commander. She went down without a struggle. A Loudred opened his mouth to use Hyper Voice, but Charlez fired a Hyper Beam down his throat and took him out of the fight. Ralph shouted harshly with elation and charged forward, smacking enemies out of the way with Bone Rush. A Scyther cut him with X-Scissor, but Ralph barely noticed the pain and took him down with a Low Sweep. A Fennekin behind him toasted the bug and walked straight over him. The enemy was not as organized as the Revolutionists were, despite their sudden revelation to attack, and they were less in numbers. Ralph could tell that they were on the verge of panic and fleeing. He just needed to give them one last push.

"Stand back and use ranged attacks!" Ralph ordered. The front line, which had recently switched, heeded his order and began firing beams and bolts and pulses of energy into the mob of soldiers ahead. Pokemon went flying. Commanders shrieked orders, but those were short-lived as the soldiers panicked and trampled each other in their haste to get out of the way. Ralph kept using Flash Cannon one after another. An enemy went down with each shot. Charlez casted a Silver Wind and knocked down even more. A Thunder raced down from the sky, and Ralph dodged the attack, changing its direction with a Bone Rush and sending it straight back into the Shadow Force Ranks. A Seviper screamed horribly and crashed to the ground.

The Shadow Force struggled forward sluggishly, trying to deflect and protect themselves from the Revolutionists' long-range attacks that were being fired over a no-man's-land. Several soldiers stumbled under the waves of attacks, while others simply hit the ground.

"Ralph!" Charlez called, swooping down. Her body was laced with cuts, but she looked quite fine. "Let's bring some Water Types to the front and knock them out with Surf!"

"Alright!" Ralph yelled at the regiment. "Those who know Surf―get the to front line and beat them down!"

As the Pokemon rushed to change lines, the Shadow Force took advantage of the brief moment to organize themselves. They began firing attacks at the Revolutionists. Ralph spun the long, glowing bone in his paws and destroyed many of the attacks on spinning impact. A Dark Pulse raced past him and chipped a piece from the long bone, and the spectral bone flickered into disappearance. Ralph immediately reacted with a Mach Punch as an Energy Ball flew at him, knocking it back.

As the Pokemon who knew Surf shifted to the front line, Charlez darted down and carried Ralph up and out of the way.

"Watch it!" the Lucario yelped as the Shadow Force's aerial force charged at him. "That's a Hurricane!" Charlez dodged, barely. Ralph looked down in dismay to see the western rank of the First Regiment scatter under the attack. He looked up again, and regretted his decision immediately, as a fluttering Swanna blasted an Air Cutter at him. Charlez ducked again.

"Maybe it's better if we land!" she yelped, and ducked down. Ralph agreed immediately and entirely. Being a Fighting type, he did not like the air.

As they landed, a huge wall of water crashed down on the Shadow Force army. Some of its soldiers used Protect and defended tiny patches of soldiers against the humongous wave caused by multiple Pokemon, but still some were washed away by the torrent.

"Keep doing!" Ralph yelled as he paused briefly to check his surroundings. He could see the blurry shape of the Second Regiment standing atop the hills, surveying them. The Shadow Force didn't seem to have any reinforcements. Ralph smiled with glee.

You're done for!

---

A bit farther away, on Route 3…

"What a pretty little barrier," Charnette purred as she surveyed the flickering magic barrier in front of her. It surrounded the dark Shadow Force Outpost before the Fourth Regiment―or, as they were now called―the Mystical Twist Regiment 1. She turned to face the purple-clothed figures that were her own soldiers behind her. "What do we want to do with this lovely defensive magic here?" she asked, scanning her warrior's minds and hearts to see if they were in agreement.

"Burn it!" one suggested. Another slapped the mage who'd just talked and yelled (quitely, to not give away their position), "Melt it down!"

"Curse it!" another growled.

"Drown it in water!" another snarled.

Charnette laughed and turned to Amethyst, who stood beside her, scarf fluttering in the wind. "What do you think?"

Amethyst grinned. "Let's blast the joint!"

Charnette's eyes flashed green, and the magical barrier hummed, agitated. The Liepard witch searched every crack and crevice of weakness in the magical barrier. When she found it, she cackled darkly. A green flash snapped through the magical barrier, and it dispersed with a moaning sound that sounded like a gong of death.

"Now,"―Amethyst took charge―"get n' there n' snap the dossers!" she commanded.

The mages roared forward with Charnette and Amethyst in the lead. Several different spells melted down down the wall and door in their way. Several dozen curses overwhelmed the guards behind the door, sending them crashing down.

Charnette paused briefly. A flick of her tail separated the Mystical Twist into two different bodies. She nodded at Amethyst. "You lead that way, she said shortly, and bounded into the Outpost, arrays and shelves of dark magic at her paws. She flung them into the crowded bodies before her eagerly, taking down the unsuspecting and unprotected Pokemon. Some spells were harsh, flaring a dark, burning symbol against one's skin. Others were subtle, simply overwhelming one with drowziness.

The Mystical Twist regiment, with their superiorty in magic, routed the Outpost to the last corners in a matter of moments. Then Charnette gave them orders to bring all the supplies in the Outpost to the front.

"Hey, Charna." Amethyst bounded by with a blue crate. "Mm, I've found somethin' interestin'."

"A silly little file. Why would this be interesting?" Charnette tipped her head gracefully to one side.

"No no no, lookie here." Amethyst pulled out several files. "Look at this!"

Charnette's emerald eyes widened as she noted her own picture on the document, with her background and information. Her slender green eyes narrowed with hate as she noted a sentence in the document that made her entire body flare with anger.

… mistreated and accused of being a witch, her blood family drove her out…

"They got mine too." Amethyst held up another document, with the Braixen's pictures on it. "And look―Vindictus."

"What?" Charnette frowned and scanned Vindicus's document. At the end, simple red words read:

... a skilled potioneer. Condition: Incredibly unstable and insane. Assumed dead.

"We have struck a gold mine of information," Charnette murmured as she ran a careful eye over the documents. Nova's was there, along with several other very familiar Pokemon, including Quetzal and Scarlet. "How deadly." She flicked her tail dismissively, then paused and casted a protection spell around it. "We'll examine it all later. For now…" A harsh growl rose in her throat. "This is no fun!" she complained. "Ol' lady Yvetal! Those soldiers were so pathetic! They went down with one hit! I want more fun!" She stomped around angrily. Amethyst nodded in agreement, her own heart filled with hunger for more fun.

Amethyst shook herself, then sighed regretfully. "It's lookin' like there too much things to teleport," she observed. "We're gonna have'ta march back with that." She eyed the makeshift wagons that the regiment soldiers had created that were being filled with weapons and goods.

"March back? Oh, dear," Charnette murmured. Suddenly, a Solosis bobbled over, looking harried.

"What's wrong, darling?" Charnette crooned, snapping her fangs.

"We've scouted a Shadow Force army, presumably the SF reinforcement for the soldiers in Striaton City." The green blob looked at the general and lieutenant. "What are your orders, misses?"

Charnette's mouth curved into a dark grin.

"We," she pronounced in a prim, excited voice filled with malice, "are going to have some fun."

---

At around the same time, near Nacrene City…

"We have to hurry!" Nova shouted as she darted impatiently to-and-fro above her regiment. "The rebels have launched an attack on Striaton City! We must join the reinforcements at the Route 3 Outpost then head to the city!"

"You mean… what's left of the city," Jazz commented drily. Annie hushed her irately.

Rob ran forward. "Nova, if we keep fast-pacing them, we may not have enough strength to face the rebels!" he yowled.

Nova spun around, her yellow eyes wide. "I know,but we must get there before all is lost! Hurry up!" she ordered.

Just then, a Talonflame darted out of the air and intercepted Nova, panting heavily. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek, and his beak was scarlet. "G-General Nova!" he panted. "Those of us at Striaton City have been pushed back! We'll be forced to retreat any minute now!"

"I'd get there, but my soldiers are weary," Nova replied anxiously.

"Why don't we send all the flying types first?" Annie suggested. "They can get there faster by air."

Nova's eyes brightened up. "Great idea! Those who can fly!" she yelled as she wheeled around to face her soldiers. "Take as many soldiers as you can and fly towards Striaton! You, there!" she added with a precise glance at the Talonflame. "Lead them!"

"W-What?" the bird stammered. "I'm just a messenger, surely I cannot…"

Nova flapped her wings impatiently. "I must stay with the main body of my troops," she muttered, then her eyes lit up. "How about you give Annie here a ride? She's a tactician, and light enough for you to carry."

Annie blinked. "Shouldn't Rob go?" she suggested, but Nova shook her head.

"I need Lieutenant Shaw here with me. We must stay organized to some degree," she said vaguely. "Hurry!"

Annie nodded reluctantly with a shrug. "It's not a good strategy," she mumbled. "But it'll do for speed." She let the Talonflame pick her up.

"Careful you don't drop her," Jazz warned. "She'll hit the ground and destroy everything within a fifty-mile-radius like a metal bowling ball."

"Hey!"

Jazz snicked as Annie was flown off. Rob gave her a sideways look. "We might all be about to die and yet you keep your sense of humor?" he wandered.

Jazz rolled her eyes. "Obviously. Life is much too short to stay completely serious and grim. If I'm gonna die, I wanna have a good laugh about it in the Spirit World."

"Thanks a lot," Gran grumbled. "So we should all die with goofy grins on our faces?"

"Precisely!"

"Rawhr…" Demo had a forlorn look on his face as he gazed at the rapidly disappearing Annie. "Ra…"

Rob nudged him. "Don't worry," he assured Demo. "She'll be just fine."

"Except she got shot out of the sky the last time she flew and almost died," Jazz added. Demo looked horrified. Gran slapped Jazz.

Shock blinked. "Guys… is it good or bad that the Route 3 Outpost is burning?"

"What?" Rob whipped around in shock. Sure enough, in the distance, plumes of fire rose up from the position of the outpost. Nova let out a screech of fury and zipped off through the air. The entire army, or what was left of it, scrambled to keep up with her pace. Robert ran as fast as he could, his sore paws aching all the way.

The Outpost had been utterly distroyed. Fires from hot embers and strange, seemingly flammable liquid reached for the sky, exhaling plumes of exhausting gray clouds. The littered bodies of the slain soldiers stretched out across the carnage―some bodies still intact, some barely recognizable. Burnt bones and tattered badges from various commanders were torn and scattered across the wreckage of the Outpost. Rob felt sick to the stomach. So many corpses. So many staring, sightless eyes and taut, useless muscles. Stiffened and blackened limbs were spread around the area, some wedged under burning beams.

"That…" Gran choked out, "is heartless."

"We need to put out this fire!" Nova shouted. "Maybe we can find some survivors!"

Rob ran to kick dirt over the flames, but a cold presence stopped him.

"Survivors, you say?" A Liepard materialized on a burning beam, delicately stepping away from the flames. "'Fraid not, dearies. I was quite thorough with my toys," she purred, flicking her long, purple tail.

Nova froze. "Charnette!" Her eyes narrowed. "You traitor!"

Charnette snorted. "You delusional fools," she retorted, "blaming everything on my darling Revolutionists. Perhaps I should enlighten you." Charnette's ears twitched, her emerald eyes gleaming darkly. "Who do you think bombed Striaton City?" she asked softly.

Rob bristled with anger. "Stop stalling!" he snarled. "It was the Revolutionists! I don't know what you're plotting, but if you're going to do something―just do it!" he shouted.

"That's probably not smart to say," Shock buzzed anxiously.

Charnette sighed. "Shame, really." She narrowed her eyes. "Still being played by the Shadow Force, hmm? Do you seriously believe in all they say and do? What makes you think Darkrai doesn't want war? What makes you think he's not toying with you?"

"Silence!" Nova blasted a Solarbeam at the Liepard, but she jumped out of the way and landed gracefully with a flip.

"Nova, love, please don't do that," Charnette chided. "I'm giving you all a chance here! Don't toss it away like the Shadow Force is going to do with you once you've proven yourself worthless lumps of flesh." She laughed humorlessly, as if she couldn't care less. "Who's wrong and who's right in this world, little batgirl? And you, lovely little hyena―you're so innocent. Blindly believing every single word that Darkrai says? You're so gullible."

"Enough with the tricks," Nova snarled. "What do you want?" she demanded angrily.

Charnette shrugged. "Fun, maybe," she mused, and fixed her green eyes on Rob. "I'll start with this one."

Immediately, a hot spike seemed to have drilled itself through Rob's cranium. He struggled, trying to fight it, but the magic was too strong. It broke through his mental barrier and started shifting through his memories. He started to shake as too many memories flew past each other. His worst fears flittered in front of him. A picture of Kona lying dead in her casket floated across his eyes. More memories he'd forgotten about raced past his vision. He felt dizzy. It was too much… too…

"Stop it!" There was a blast and a snarl. Rob crumpled weakly to the ground as Charnette jumped out of the way of Nova's Hyper Beam. "What are you doing to him?!" the Noivern shouted, aiming another blast.

Charnette giggled strangely and dodged the attack. "Just seeing why some of you act this way, believing in everything. Well, I believe I'm done here." She perched atop an ashy mound of carnage and stretched leisurely. "Since I can't seem to make any of you change your minds, I'll help you put out the fire!" She de-materialized and reappeared some feet away. "You're not the only ones who have friends," she purred as a line of purple-clothed figures appeared behind her. A tall figure quickly walked over to Charnette, pushing off her hood as she did. It was Amethyst.

Rob growled, "Traitors!" and flung himself at them. But to his surprise, he crashed against an invisible wall and fell backwards. "What?"

"Are those the rogues?" Jazz asked disbelievingly.

Charnette hissed. "How rude. Nope, we're Revolutionists! We are the Mystical Twist! And as for now." A smirk flew across her face. "Like I said, we're going to help you put out the fire. Conjuria Hyagia!" she intoned fiercely.

The magical barrier became visible and appeared around Rob. The army was completely trapped inside a smooth glass-like dome. Even Nova, who was flying, was trapped inside. She blasted the magic walls, but the barrier held and she cursed angrily.

Water started flowing in from some unknown origin. Magical laser beams criss-crossed the dome, and Pokemon wailed as they were struck. The army's numbers were drastically decreasing.

"Nova!" Rob spluttered as he inhaled a mouthful of water. "Call Darkrai for backup!" He knew that Nova had gotten a badge in Casetlia that allowed direct communication with the Dark Lord. He hoped that it would work. It was their only way.

"I am!" Nova shouted. "He…" Her eyes looked startled. "He's telling me to get out of this myself!" she cried fearfully.

Rob felt as if his world was crashing down around him. Charnette was right. Darkrai had been playing with them, and now that they were useless, he was tossing them away. Fear ran through him. Was Charnette toying with his thoughts, or were those his own?

A beam struck him in the shoulder and sent a painful flare through his body. Water enclosed over him, and he fell into darkness.

---

In Anville Town…

Darkrai was pacing in his throne room, curiously studying the battlefield in Striaton on a magical screen on the wall. Stary was nearby, sharpening the metal tips on her wings.

"What did Nova call you about?" the Staraptor asked. She had been Darkrai's childhood friend―twenty or so years ago―and had joined the Shadow Force two years after Darkrai first founded it. This was why she had told Ranark and Doomsday the Shadow Force had first come into power five, not seven years ago. It was accurate, as the Shadow Force had finally gotten large enough to be called an organization then.

"Help, I think. That silly bat's trapped inside a magical water bubble and can't get out," Darkrai said listlessly, eyeing the battlefield.

Stary stopped sharpening her wings. "Then you must help her!" she gasped. "She's a general, after all. We can't let her die! Remember why we recruited her?!"

"For her Berzerk Gene, yes," Darkrai said dreamily. "That's all, really."

"Darkrai!" Stary snarled. Darkrai was startled by the harshness in her voice. "Don't do this to her! The three of us were abandoned when we most needed help. You must know how it feels!" she snapped, then regained her composure as she studied Darkrai's shocked expression. He had not expected her to react so violently. "Please, Darkrai…" she said softly. "I joined your group five years ago. Plasma joined recently. All three of us are together again, despite being separated a long time ago. You and I both know the pain of being tossed aside uselessly. Help Nova, please…."

Darkrai sighed. "Very well," he said reluctantly, and clapped his smoky hands. A Hoothoot darted into the room, bowing. "Tell the Castelia Police Force and General Otri to head to Striaton immediately. Have them stop by Route 3 to help Nova first. And tell them to hurry."

The Hoothoot bowed and fluttered off.

Stary bowed as well. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Darkrai studied her with a pained look. "You don't have to treat me like I'm some great lord," he said.

Stary grinned. "Just teasing you," she said happily, and took flight. Darkrai watched her soar gracefully across the throne room, and land next to him. "When is Plasma joining us?" she asked. "Soon, I hope?"

Darkrai nodded. "He's off in Sinnoh, testing out the Shadowia Bomb. I think he should be back soon."

Stary nodded. "I'll go check on the other generals," she said shortly, and took flight.

Darkrai sighed as he watched Stary fly off, her feathers gleaming and sparkling. He studied the battle in Striaton and heaved another sigh, one filled with pain and regret.

---

Not long after…

"I can't believe that dolt Otri got to go instead of us!" Ranark growled as he paced around Stary, who'd just arrived. "What is this insanity Darkrai is in?! First, he recruits that good-for-nothing Doomsday, who's never actually been put to use except for the training job. Then there's that Otri, who he fired and re-recruited. Then there's that Hyper Nova, who wasn't even a soldier at first, and rose instantly to general in a matter of seconds. And then there's that new general―Plasma! Darkrai's acting like this war is going to drag on forever―why's he recruiting so many generals?!" the Greninja complained.

Stary shrugged. "He has his reasons, but I share your concern. It does seem that our lord believes that the rebellions will not end here." She folded her wings carefully. "Where is Doomsday, then?"

Ranark thought about it. "I think she's training her soldiers. Let's go check it out."

A few minutes later, the two stood in front of a window that showed the huge training room. Doomsday was standing at one end, disdainfully looking at the soldiers below who were struggling through the obstacles.

"Doomsday's soldiers are tough, and barely have any weaknesses after her intense training," Ranark explained to Stary. "She gets rid of any soldiers who can't prove themselves. Like that," he added, pointing. Stary watched in fascination as Doomsday stormed into a group of soldiers, seized a Sableye, and flung him out of the training center. "She also trains with some tougher squads herself. Look over there."

A squad of soldiers had marched up front-and-center in the middle of the room. Each of them were muscular and tough-looking, with power and confidence in every stride. The other soldiers quickly backed up and formed a loose ring against the wall. Doomsday said something, and the squad attacked.

Stary marveled at Doomsday's speed. She was everywhere at once, slashing down with her claws and ripping skin from flesh. She charged into a soldier, then suddenly spun and kicked another one in the face. The general seemed different from the playful side Stary had been accustomed to. This was the real Doomsday―the cold, dark general who heeded no excuses for weakness.

The skirmish was over quickly. All the soldiers from the squad laid groaning on the ground. Stary whistled with approval.

Doomsday caught sight of them and teleported using her cloak. She landed gracefully next to them. "What's up?" she asked in a more serious tone than normal, as if her battle-mood had not yet worn off. "Is there something you'd like from me?"

"We were just spectating," Ranark told her. "Nice battle style. Of course, I have better ones."

"Fancy a match?" Doomsday threatened. Ranark looked all but ready to take her on, but a nasal voice echoed shrilly.

"I'll take the day of doom on, yo!" the voice yelled. All three generals turned to see Otri marching towards them.

Stary frowned. "I thought you were being sent to Striaton," she said quietly. "Why are you here?"

Otri sniffed. "Oh, they're getting the teleportation units ready. Should be done soon. But now, lil' girly." He faced Doomsday. "Let's have us a battle, homey!"

Doomsday snarled. "As you wish." She flung herself at him with amazing speed, sending the Krookodile down the hall with grace and style. Otri counterattacked with Iron Tail, but Doomsday vaulted over him and landed squarely on his stomach. The Krookodile yelled in pain as her sharp claws dug into his tough skin, and struggled helplessly.

Stary and Ranark broke into peals of laughter. The rage on Otri's face was hilarious―he'd never expected that he'd be beaten so easily.

"Merciless," Stary said approvingly, bowing respectfully to Doomsday. "Completely merciless."

---

At the same time…

"My lord," a whispery voice hissed behind Darkrai, snapping the dark Pokemon out of his thoughts. "I have bad news."

Darkrai turned to see Hallows facing him, a grim expression on his wispy face. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's Xiawa," Hallows said darkly. "He's dead."

"What?"

"I went over to the Northern Palace a while earlier. It's in complete turmoil. The queen is furious―she wants to know who the murderer is. There was blood everywhere." Hallows took a shallow breath, as if still remembering the scene. "His throat was torn, and the area around him destroyed. It looked like he put up a good fight, but was defeated in the end. There was―"

"Enough about the scene. Where are the orbs?" Darkrai demanded.

Hallows faced him levelly. "They're gone."

Darkrai felt everything slip out of his hands. His plans had been ruined. Anger flowed through him. "Who do you think sent this assassin?" he asked, almost snarling.

Hallows hung his head. "I do not know."

Darkrai closed his eyes and used his nightmarish powers to search the void of knowledge. He easily saw, with his mind's eye, the chaos at the Northern Palace. Matilda had tears streaming down her face and was shouting angrily at a group of guards. Darkrai zoomed in on Xiawa's corpse. The Weavile had been badly slashed and was lying on his back. He focused on the scent of death and tried to summon the memories of Xiawa's past.

A cold feeling slammed against his mind, and he struggled to block it before realizing that it wasn't attacking him―merely defending. The force was so strong, he was unable to break through its defensive shields and get to Xiawa's memories.

Darkrai opened his narrowed eyes. Hallows looked at him expectantly.

"Well?" the Spiritomb asked. "Did you get it?"

"No," Darkrai said quietly.

Hallow's face dampened in shock. "Pardon me?" he asked the dark lord nervously.

Darkrai's eyes narrowed as he prodded the barrier shielding Xiawa's memories. "A legendary power that opposes mine?" he wondered thoughtfully. Shock raced through him. "What is this… is it… lunar magic?!" His eyes grew wide. Lunar Magic?!

Hallows gasped. "Is it Cressalia?" he asked in a scared, hushed tone.

"Not my counterpart, that sparkly idiot. Another force… another legendary force." Darkrai's eyes widened with fear. "They're all waking up." This was it. The aftermath of a legendary Pokemon trying to seize the power over normal mortals. Darkrai had not expected it to occur so soon.

Hallows sucked in a sharp breath. "But who? Who would dare to challenge your power, lord?"

Darkrai's nefarious eyes glared darkly across the throne room, which seemed to have gotten much, much colder all of a sudden. "I don't know."

---

Route 3…

The bright sun gleamed darkly down on the bubbling gray carnage of the ruined Outpost as they floated in an airtight water orb, aimlessly flowing past the writhing bodies of the Shadow Force soldiers. Charnette watched the scene with great interest, with a careful watch on her magical power. She knew she needed to conserve most of her magic for the fighting later, so she was only using a mere shred of it. Even so, that mere shred was enough to keep the spell going on for quite a while.

Charnette let a tendril of her magic run through the shivering orb and carefully sensed the life energy of her prey. They were weak and flickering. She nodded in satisfaction as several flickered out completely. The water-types in there were a bit of a nuisance, using their power over water to help maintain the others, but Charnette knew they weren't going to last. A dark chuckle lept forth from her throat. None of them were going to last.

"Chaaarrrneeettteee!" A shout rang through the air, and the Liepard flicked her ears, surprised. Jason was running towards her, his face gray with bad news. "We need the Fourth Regiment right now!" He panted as he slowed to a stop in front of Charnette and Amethyst. "The First and Second Regiment's having a tough time against a new general who just arrived―a Krookodile! You won't believe how insanely big the dude's army is! We need your help!"

"An ol' croc playing war game?" Amethyst snorted. "Surely Ralphie and Rachie can handa dis!"

"Well, they sure can't," Jason said drily. "Because we're being pushed ba―" Suddenly his eyes widened as he caught the sight of the SF soldiers swirling around like pieces of rubbish in the Mystical Twist's sphere of water. "Are you killing them?" he gasped.

Charnette rolled her eyes. "It's a lovely airtight globe of water," she said sarcastically. "Of course I'm killing them. What do you think I'm doing? Baking them cookies?"

Jason looked horrified. "But we don't kill," he pointed out, shaky. "Remember? We're fighters of justice! Not murderers!"

Charnette frowned. "Is there a difference?"

"Stop it, please!" Jason begged. "Besides, we need you back at the battlefield A.S.A.P., and you need to drop off all that stuff you raided first. You don't have time!"

Charnette sighed. "Time is an illusion, darling. Don't think that much about it." She cackled darkly.

"Charnette!" Jason pleaded again, and Amethyst barked, "Charna!"

"Fine, fine. This is sapping too much of my energy anyways," Charnette grumbled with a discontent sigh. "Exitus!" she pronounced. The water globe shuddered, then collapsed, drenching the Mystical Twist Regiment in a wave of water. "Oh, wonderful," she muttered, then fixed a hungry gaze on Jason. "Run along now, little one. I'll be right over."

Jason gave her a fearful look as she giggled and raced away as fast as he could.

Amethyst shook her head and waggled a paw at Charna. "Scarin' kiddies since you were born." she muttered. Charna laughed.

"Onward to Accumula to drop off the supplies, mages!" Charnette ordered, and they were off.

---

On the battlefield…

"Watch out!" Ralph shouted as a barrage of Hyper Beams zoomed by overhead. He winced as several of his cohorts were hit and barely dodged one himself as the powerful beam slammed into the ground, forming a blistering crater.

The Revolutionists had been winning until General Otri, the new Krookodile general, apparently, had materialized with his massive armies. The Second Regiment had joined the battle then, but General Otri had brought along a powerful and gargantuan aerial force with him, and had broken up the Revolutionists' every formation. Prone bodies laid scattered about, and the Shadow Force was now neatly organized into one, massive, indestructible force.

Rachiel appeared next to Ralph in her Mega Form, her fangs bared and glowing as she fired a Flamethrower, knocking out a Vileplume that had been fighting Jebodiah. "We need to do something about the aerial force! They have an unfair advantage, being above us like that!" she shouted, then immediately spun and ripped her barbed tail across a Golduck's face. Ralph lashed out with a Metal Claw and sent the duck into the ground.

"Got that solved!" Xeno called, bounding across the battlefield. "I sent Jason for the Striaton Air Force. They're not done training yet, but it's better than nothing!"

"We just got that unit set up five days ago!" Rachiel yelled. "Have you no sense?"

Xeno shrugged. "Jason's also going to get some of the Nuvema and Accumula Air Force to come. Also, Lumiere and all of the medical unit are here. They're―" she added, and was then distracted by a Scolipede that jumped her from behind. "Whoa―ahhhhhh!"

"Gods above!" Rachiel cursed and ran to help as Xeno toppled over, hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Ralph fought for what seemed like hours (though it was mere minutes) before the aerial forces appeared. He waded through seas of infinite enemies, knocking them aside with Bone Rush and what was left of his energy. His vision was blurred with black and white and his head felt like it was in the clouds, fuzzy and unclear. He saw May and Lumiere and the medics occasionally appearing and healing the wounded soldiers, or carrying the prone, fallen soldiers out of the battleground. The dirt below him, which contained ashes and broken pieces of rock from the destroyed Striaton City, was stained and mixed together with the lifeblood of the ones who gave their lives for the greater good. May was by Ralph for a moment, healing him with her powers, then disappearing as Lumiere called for her help. Time dragged on, and the scenery blurred in front of the Lucario's eyes.

EIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEIIIIIIIII!

A noise like a siren sliced through the air. Ralph looked up, expecting enemies, but was met with the welcome sight of Penny, Drake, and the general for the Striaton Air Force―a Swanna named Lilac. They were only a small force, numbering around a mere hundred of them, but they attacked with vehemence that overwhelmed the Shadow Force's aerial forces easily. Drake launched power beams one after another, and bird Pokemon dropped to the ground. Lilac sent several more flying with a disasterous Hurricane (although she was careful to keep an eye on the soldiers on the ground and didn't hurt any Revolutionists), while Penny flew faster than a fighter jet, ripping through the enemy's ranks like a shuriken and soaring high into the sky at top speed before they could regroup and attack.

With the air now ruled by the Revolutionists, Ralph attacked again with renewed vigor. He ordered his Revolutionists to fight in groups so they'd have a better chance to survive, then teamed up with Charlez, Xeno, and Rachiel. Together, the three of them stormed through the ranks of the Shadow Force, tossing the limp Pokemon aside.

"Ralph!" The Lucario turned around, smacking a Carnivine in the head and leaving him for Rachiel to finish off. Jason was fighting his way through a tight knot of Banettes, flanked by a gasping Billy and a tired-looking Jebodiah. "Over here!"

Ralph ran back towards his brother, steaming straight through the Banettes. "Are you okay?" he asked Billy. The Treecko nodded and wiped a bead of sweat off his brow. Then Ralph turned to Jason. "What's up?"

"Those measly Shadow punks blew up half my waffles, that's what's up," Jason grumbled. "Charnette and Amethyst are almost at Accumula. They should be joining soon. Mark and Victor are eager to join the fighting, but I told them to wait 'till further orders. We're not being attacked anywhere else. Seems like Darkrai turned a blind eye on Nuvema and Accumula―or something else. Hey, do you happen to have a waffle on you?"

"I do." Charlez appeared and gave Jason the tasty treat. Jason danced off with the snack in his paws, then promptly hit the ground with a indigant "Hey!" as a Rock Blast flew overhead.

Xeno shook her head. "What's up with people have random waffles around them 24/7?" she wondered aloud. Rachiel snapped her jaws impatiently and jumped back into battle.

"We're fighting it out evenly so fa," Lumiere appeared and reported. "May and the others are going back to Accumula to get the medical supplies Charnette brought in. If we keep this going, we should be able to defeat the Shadow Force."

"I'll go check for their reinforcements," Jason offered, then darted away.

Ralph heaved a deep breath, set his gaze back on the battlefield, and charged.

Suddenly, the ground shook. Sand ripped through the air, expelling a hot blast of air. Bodies were tossed into the air and soldiers fell as the wild, untamed wind screeched through the air with an unheavenly tinge of hip-hop music. Ralph fell to the ground, unable to keep his balance, his amber eyes wide with horror as another pulse rushed through the ground. The earth rumbled with a tortured groan, and then exploded.

BOOOOOOOM!

---

Some time later on Route 3...

"Rob! Rob!"a panicked voice screamed at the edge of the lieutenant's mind. "Answer me!"

Rob opened his eyes, his chest feeling taut and pressured. Nova was standing over him, her yellow eyes wide with horror, then relief as he groaned. Gran, Demo, Jazz, and Shock stood off to one side, all looking relieved.

"Mother of Darkrai!" Jazz said. "I thought you'd fluttered off already. Next time you take an extended trip into the dream world, please do give us a note in advance. It's not fun just watching a half-dead dog lying on the ground, you know?"

Rob grunted and staggered to his paws. "W-What's happened?" He coughed violently, water dripping out of his jaws.

Nova's anxious look was replaced by an expression filled with pain and sorrow. "I lost most of my army," she said sadly. "All honorable warriors as well. They simply drowned."

"On the bright side," Gran pointed out. "Darkrai sent the Castelian Police Force to help us. All of the police force."

Rob blinked, surprised. "But didn't he tell us to get out of his ourselves?" he asked slowly.

Nova shrugged her large wings. "Perhaps the listening device was bugged, so he lied," she suggested. "Or something like that. Anyways, are you strong enough to travel? General Otri's on the battlefield. We should go join him as soon as possible."

"Rawhr!" Demo said, as Rob took a staggering step. "Ra!"

"He wants you to ride him instead," Gran translated. "He says you need to conserve your strength for the battle."

Rob wondered how Gran got all that out of a simple "rawhr"and "ra",but he gratefully took up the offer. Soon enough, he was perched on top of Demo's head as Nova's army plus the Castelian Police Force roared down the road.

"I hope Annie's okay," Gran said anxiously. "I really hope she didn't get shot out of the air… again."

"Rawww!" Demo snapped, almost throwing Rob into the dirt. Gran laughed and shoved him playfully, but the Exploud did not look pleased.

Nova looked troubled. "I believe in Otri, since he's a general and all… but I know he used to be a hip-hop star. I hope he knows this is an important battle and doesn't stage a concert instead."

"The music of failure," Jazz mused. "Pretty tasty."

"You're not making sense," Gran complained.

"Who says I had to?"

Gran sighed, shaking his head, and rolled his eyes.

"Keep rolling your eyes," Jazz suggested. "Maybe you'll find a brain back there."

"Jazz!" Rob snapped, half howling with laughter and half trying to keep his composure. "Enough of the critics! Can you stop talking for once?"

"Lalalalala." Jazz yawned. "Laaaa―"

Rob sighed. "Why do I hear talking?" he asked, exasperated.

"I don't know. Maybe because you have ears?"

"Jazz!"

"Jazz!" Jazz mimicked. "Dude, battle's on the horizon. It'd do you well to learn how to lighten up before it. Sheesh, you guys are so serious all the time."

"Is that bad?" Shock asked.

Jazz rolled her eyes.

"Keep rolling your eyes," Gran said drily, copying Jazz's quote. "Maybe you'll find a brain back there."

"Oh, but I don't see a brain," Jazz retorted. "I see an universe."

"Yooooooo!" someone yelled from the back lines. The entire regiment burst into cheers.

"You have a universe in your brain?" Shock asked, looking confused. "Is that bad?"

Jazz patted him on the head and hopped onto it, hitching a ride. "Keep on levelling up, kid. Once you get a brain, you can finally start looking for a universe."

"Mistress of insults," Gran muttered.

Jazz stuck her nose way into the air with a smirk scross her face, but didn't say anything.

"What took you so long!" Rob ducked out of the way of a Flash Cannon as Annie yelled at him. "Forty minutes! It took you forty minutes to get here!"

"We were trapped in a water bubble for that long?" Jazz asked, hitting a Treecko over the head.

"Do you have any sense of time?" Gran snorted, using Leaf Blade on a Raichu. "The march took like, thirty minutes or so? We were only trapped in the water thingy for a few minutes."

"And we survived?" Jazz marveled. "We're awesome!"

"Do you mind?" Annie grumbled, snapping at the fleeing heels of the Treecko. "This is a life-and-death battle here!"

"What? Am I suppose to kill my sense of humor right here?"

"Jazz!"

Rob growled, flattening his ears as his teammates bickered amongst themselves. "Focus on the battle!" he snapped, giving them a harsh glare. Annie muttered something, but quieted down.

They fought for what seemed like hours, each side unwilling to give up land. Rob gnashed his feet and his fangs tore through skin again and again until the taste of blood made his head reel and his stomach twist. Bolts and beams and jagged forks of energy swirled through the battlefield, and misdirected attacks and prone bodies fell from the aerial battle raging overhead. Nova appeared briefly, shouting blatant urging before darting back into the thick mob. Dust and grit ripped through the army. Out of the corner of his eyes, Rob spotted General Otri fighting against a squad of rebels. Swirls of sand and splinters of light raged around them as attacks crashed against each other.

When they began winning with a single roar, the Shadow Force soldiers raged forward with Otri at the lead. The Krookodile general was chasing after the Lucario rebel, which made Rob growl with satisfication. This was the end of the rebels. He rushed forward, stampeding over several rebels in his haste to get to the Lucario. Annie and Jazz were right behind him, with Demo, Shock, and Gran bringing up the rear. Nothing that stood in their way could withstand their rage and power. Every enemy Pokemon fell before Rob's slashing claws and snapping jaws. He was dimly aware of Nova flying overhead, blasting enemies out of the way, and the soldiers behind him racing forward, eager to end the battle.

"We can do this!" Rob shouted as he saw his prey scattering before him. "Let's finish them!"

"Yes!" Annie yelled and Ice Beam-ed everything in her way with Jazz at her heels. They broke through a group of rebels and chased after the pathetic Pokemon as they fled, shrieking with fear.

Then the air suddenly turned frigid, and an emerald flash shook the ground, causing Rob to topple over. He struggled to his paws, trying not to give ground to the rumbling earth below, and gasped as a beautiful creature materialized in front of him, her green eyes glowing eerily and her gold-spotted purple coat laced with a dark aura.

"Oh, dear," Charnette purred. "This won't do." Her eyes narrowed and her fangs snapped. A line of purple-clothed figures appeared behind her, slashing and blasting their way through the Shadow Force. Rob stared, wide-eyed, as a line of dark mages cut Nova's army off from Otri's army. "Believe me, it'll be much more fun if we play fair." She laughed, then yelled, "Attack!"

---

Some time later…

Ralph had never thought that beating a hip-hop star into pulp would be so hard. He'd always thought that singers and rap artists used their vocal chords, not muscles. He didn't even know if they could fight.

However, Otri had proven himself worthy of the title of a general. His personal vial of sand swirled around him, the granules biting fiercely into Ralph's skin as he struggled to maintain his bearings. Rachiel and Xeno were behind him, defending his back, while Charlez was attacking the SF air forces attempting to take down Ralph.

The Revolutionist's uniform Ralph had proudly put on earlier was now torn to shreds, scraps of tough fabric hanging off his loose frame. Scratches flared on his muzzle, his arms, and his wiry body. With a harsh, dry breath, he forced his tired muscles to move and slammed into Otri.

Otri used his momentum creatively. Instead of dodging Ralph's slow attack, instead, he jerked to the right in mid-air and did an impossible change of direction, swinging around Ralph. Ralph didn't even have time to react―the general was so agile. Otri curled up into a ball and angled his body towards the ground, changing the direction of his fall, putting the weight of his jump into a powerful throw.

Ralph was pulled off his feet violently and was thrown across the battlefield. He skidded and tumbled along the ground, uncontrolled. He heard Charlez scream and Xeno shout "No!" as Otri stalked towards him. They ran to help, but a Sandstorm threw them back. Ralph shuddered. A groan escaped his lips as the pain from the attack started setting in.

Otri's face had a smirk set in it, and he tipped his sunglasses to Ralph.

"Nice fight, homie," he chided. "But I always win in the end."

"Say that to my face, Pink-Belly!" A shout arced through the air as Rachiel burst through the Sandstorm with Amethyst and Charnette at her side. "I swear by Arceus I will smash that pathetic snub-nose face of yours and put your silly sunglasses through your head!" the Houndoom snarled. Charnette snorted and flicked her tail, suddenly disappearing.

Otri stared around, surprised and shock. "What?" he screeched. "This isn't supposed happen! They didn't tell me about backup!" His voice grew into a shrill squeal. "This is not according to protocol!"

"Screw your protocol!" Charnette snickered, suddenly appearing and slamming into Otri. "Save your neck first!"

"I'm ginna bash that ol' croc's face in like a fryin pan," Amethyst declared, and bounded forward. Along with Charnette, the two forced Otri back, lashing out with insane speed and perfect combos of attacks.

Rachiel helped Ralph up. "Careful," she cautioned. A shriek sounded across the field, and both generals winced.

Ralph's head felt cloudy, and his throat was dry and parched. "W-What's happened?" he gasped.

"The second part of Otri's army just arrived, after Charnette just settled things with Nova's army," Rachiel informed grimly. "We're being pushed back. If it keeps on going, we're going to have to retreat."

"Eat this!" Amethyst shouted as she shoved a fire-stick into Otri's stomach. "Let's see how pretty you stomach be after me sear that pretty pink skin!"

"Let's see if you still like singing after I stick a toad down your throat," Charnette added.

Ralph glanced at them briefly, and tried to rush back into battle, but Rachiel stopped him.

"Don't," she warned. "You'll be overpowered. Even with Charnette on our side, it's not likely we'll wi―"

"Who says?" Ralph and Rachiel spun around as a new regiment burst into view. Leading it was a grinning Blaziken and an annoyed-looking Snivy. "We're here!"

"Against orders?" Rachiel frowned. "Seriously?"

"Who made you the leader?" Mark retorted. "Let's finish this!"

Ralph gazed hopelessly at the raging battlefield. The turf was dark with blood and littered with fallen bodies, some which still contained the life essence of its host. Lightning flickered overhead like miniature storms as the two groups of air forces fought against each other. Pokemon shouted and screamed as they attacked and endured attacks, and the air was splintered with the dying groans of the ones in their final moments.

Ralph's dark eyes hardened.

"Let's," he agreed.

---

Credits:

alpha2275: LoG Representative on Fanfiction and Fanfiction Manager

Esther Hung: Chief Writer, Chief Editor, and Character Creator

Anisa Krieg: Chief Artist