Took me long enough, but here's the next update! I think it came out rather well, although it's not quite as lengthy as some of my other updates.

Expect an update soon, either for Secrets Revealed or *insert new story title here* if I get to that first.

As always, thank you for your support! I really appreciate the feedback I get.

Oh yeah, and I updated the cover photo for this story as well. I happened to get the idea to draw it just a couple of days ago. Hope you like it :D

Thank you for your review, collectingdays. I really value your input!

And thank you, HunnyBunnyKagome :D you're a great friend and I'm glad that you enjoy this story.

Enjoy!

Gravity's control in the Distortion World faded in and out constantly as the group progressed. Achak, who felt right at home (strangely enough), led the way. He seemed to be able to predict where and when the pull of gravity would come in and out of effect and, because of this, he was able to nonchalantly traverse the valley-ridden landscape. Alizarin was, for the most part, able to keep up without stumbling. Luke, however, held close to Valerie in order to keep each other from falling.

Because of the lack of consistency of time, none of the trainers could keep track of how long they had been on their quest inside the separate dimension. As Achak had explained upon Alizarin's request: time could be moving faster, slower, or, at times, not at all. This answer had left the others feeling bewildered and frustrated. "You see," he continued, "Dialga and Palkia, who, of course, govern time and space, were very powerful upon their creation. Arceus saw this and created a dimension for Giratina as a counterweight of sorts. Since then, the powers have been balanced." The others—especially Alizarin, who had prior knowledge of such legends—listened intently. Achak's mouth formed a wry smile. "Today, this balance will shift. It may be a crime against nature to do so, but we cannot stop Regigigas without the power of something as great as Giratina."

"But," Valerie broke in, "can't the two trainers from Unova stop him? The legendary pokemon that they had with them seem really strong."

Achak shook his head. "Sadly, it will not be enough. Regigigas has a unique trait that makes it an incredible threat: the longer it fights, the stronger it becomes."

Alizarin's eyes shot open. "N-No way…"

"I'm afraid," Achak continued, "that our allies on the other side will not be able to hold the beast back for very long. We may very well be too late, considering that time could flow at any rate it pleases while we are here."

"Then we need to hurry!" Luke shouted. He began to run ahead of the group, adjusting to the shifts in gravity as he continued. "We're wasting too much time!" His sister began to give chase, albeit more steadily, and called for Luke to wait for her.

Yet before Achak could warn the pair to stay close, a shriek from seemingly nowhere caught his attention. He stopped dead in his tracks, as did Alizarin. They remained silent.

Valerie and Luke, who had distanced themselves from the others by quite a few yards, stood still. The former held onto her younger brother. "W-W-What was that?" she muttered.

A flash of black followed by another shriek, this time louder and resembling the sound of twisting metal. Achak, uncharacteristically, held his breath in excitement. "It's here," he exhaled at last.

Another blood-curdling screech echoed in the distance. Alizarin looked around anxiously; the roar sounded louder than the others. Giratina had found them.

A harsh gust of wind caught Luke and Valerie off guard. Alizarin caught up to them, aiming to protect the two siblings from the immediate threat. He unlatched a pair of red-and-white capsules from his belt and opened them manually in his hands. "Flygon! Help us out!" Upon Alizarin's command, a bright flash of white, which contrasted drastically with the dim-lit atmosphere, took the shape of a large, dragonfly-esque desert dragon with polygonal wings. The dragon-type floated in the air, beating its bright, red wings steadily.

Accompanying the gust of wind was a murky shadow, long and disfigured. It disappeared from sight almost instantly, cloaking itself behind a suspended stalactite, and then rose from behind the edge of the floating platform. Alizarin, Luke, and Valerie stared in silent awe. The serpentine beast spread its six worm-like "wings" in an offensive stance. The underside of its body was striped in black and red, and the sides of its abdomen and the edges of its tail were adorned in spikes. A golden crest that enveloped the demon's face closed at a point that covered Giratina's mouth.

Red eyes mirrored each other as the monster stared deep into Alizarin's mind. The trainer stood still, paralyzed. He managed to clench his fists. S-So this is Giratina, he thought. It's just as horrendous as the myths described. It's definitely gonna be a challenge to fend it off—

His thought was halted midsentence; Giratina began to rear its head back, positioning its six tentacle-like wings in an intimidatory manner. Alizarin's eyelids shot wide open. There's no time for that! "Flygon, let's go!" Without a moment's hesitation, the dragon-type swooped around its trainer and allowed him to jump onto its back with ease. A sudden blast of dust and small chunks of debris clouded Alizarin's vision momentarily: he and his Flygon had narrowly dodged the incoming attack. The pair soared through the air as they expertly evaded each incoming tentacle, for Giratina had soon begun to propel its appendages separately so that its attacks were increasingly more difficult to avoid.

This strategy began to work, however, as Alizarin's Flygon gradually exhibited signs of fatigue. The trainer looked below: Luke had remained on the ground below, where he and his Gallade were prepared to take on any possible attack sent his and Valerie's way. Yet where was Achak?

Alizarin turned to witness a shadowy tentacle fire itself straight for him; its single, red claw ready to tear into him. Before it could reach him, it was met with a violet sphere of spiritual energy and was blown back in a small explosion. It curled up, shriveled and seemingly defeated, but quickly regained its original shape due to its shadow-like, gaseous properties. The tentacle seemed as though it repaired itself out of nothing!

Achak floated near Alizarin, dangling by the ribbon-like arms of his Drifblim. He flashed the boy a joyful grin as if their lives were not currently in danger. "Having fun, my dear boy?"

"Fun? I was nearly impaled!" he blurted in response. The older gentleman laughed heartily. Alizarin pinched the bridge of his nose, and took a deep breath. Once he felt that he was calm again, he continued. "Do you have a plan to end this quickly?"

Achak nodded. "Indeed, I do." He held out his hands which, Alizarin was surprised he had not seen before, held a great gem of a polygonal shape. It seemed to radiate energy, giving off a golden, almost empty, glow.

The mere sight of it caused Giratina to shriek uncontrollably. Alizarin whipped his head around, and cringed. "Achak! What is that?"

The man's grin spread even wider. "This," he paused as he witnessed Giratina's reaction, "is the secret to unlocking Giratina's true power, and also to controlling said power: the Griseous Orb."

Alizarin rested motionless on the back of his Flygon, shifting his gaze from the mysterious gem back to the writhing serpentine dragon ahead of them. He gulped. "How does it work? Are you going to capture Giratina?"

Achak shook his head. "I have no need to use a Poke Ball to capture this creature. I intend to connect my soul to Giratina, using the Griseous Orb as a medium."

Before Alizarin could question his methods, Achak was carried by Drifblim over to Giratina. With every meter he drew closer, Giratina would shriek louder, yet it was unable to flee. The caped gentleman smiled, as if he understood the serpent's pain.

"Giratina," he began as he steadily raised the gem between his and Giratina's chests, "I can see what kind of creature you are; why you act as you do. You were betrayed. You were locked away, like a child sealed away in his room for misbehavior. It was unjust, what Arceus did to you." As he continued, Giratina's expression seemed to harden. Not from anger toward Achak, however. Rather, it seemed to agree with him. It was as if Achak truly felt the way Giratina did.

Alizarin watched from afar, amazed by what he had just seen. Did Achak really manage to calm Giratina down? Luke and Valerie stood dumbfounded from below. The two were out of earshot, rendering them unable to hear most of what was being said. However, the three of them gasped at what happened next: the Griseous Orb that Achak held in his hands began to break away from his grasp and float on its own. It moved toward Giratina and, as if its body was not there at all, submerged itself within the dragon's chest.

Giratina's demeanor seemed to become rather calm. Its tentacle-like wings danced subtly around its body as it released slow and heavy breaths. Achak beamed approvingly. As if not needing a command to do so, the Drifblim carried its trainer over the shadowy beast and set him down on its back gently. The Blimp Pokemon was cloaked in a flash of red light, signifying its return to its capsule.

Alizarin, Luke, and Valerie remained breathless. Did… did that just happen? Luke asked himself. He couldn't believe it. Achak had achieved what he wanted to accomplish: he had connected spiritually with the legendary Giratina.

What will happen next, now that Giratina has been encountered? That's all for now. Hope to see you next time!