?

"Things are bad here."

"What's the situation?"

"It's Kyogre, Myro summoned her."

"Kyogre? It looks like I'll have to interfere with this one, then."

"But sir-"

"Not now, Kalim. Keep me updated."

"Whatever you say, Aphot, but I'll have you know that I'm not cut out for this sort of thing. I am a shopkeeper after all."

"But a shopkeeper with a certain set of skills."

"Right."

STEEL CITY POWER PLANT, EVENING

"Vis ze flood of ze streets, ve can finally jump start ze pover plant," Dr. Hardware says to Mr. Money.

The persian nods as they walk up to a strange tangle of cables and wires connected to various power nodes throughout the power plant. Mr. Money looks at the mess with confusion. He looks behind him at his teammates, then to Nepheren. All of the them shake their heads, having no more knowledge about technology then him.

Nepheren turns to look at Metal Claw, "shouldn't you know at least something about technology?"

"METAL CLAW ONLY MAKES ONE MACHINE."

Rodium nods knowingly, "yeah, he has this machine that he's been working on, but he won't tell us what it is, or what it does."

"METAL CLAW DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IT DOES."

"So why are you making it, then?" the salazzle asks.

"IT IS A DEFAULT BLUEPRINT THAT CAME WITH THIS BODY."

"Default? I thought-"

"Never mind all zat," Dr. Hardware interrupts. "Me and Softvare vill help you vis vhat you need to do."

"Precisely," Dr. Software agrees.

"Now, here is vhat ve need to do…"

?

A taillow cowers in fear as a regal voice seems to shatter the air around him.

"What reason could you have to cross from the domain of the ground, into the domain of the sky?"

"A r-report."

"Report? From where?"

"Ferion, your general, sent me from Archiea. He wanted me to tell you that-"

"Yes, I am aware of the situation. I apologize if I frightened you."

"N-no, it's fine."

"Are you sure? I could always give you a present to cheer you up."

"I-it's fine, really."

"I have an idea, go tell Ferion that I am on my way. When you do, tell him that I said you could be incorporated into our army as his second in command."

"My lord, you don't have to-"

"I insist!"

"O-Okay."

The taillow flies off, leaving the flying type to his thoughts.

"Both of them in one week can't be a coincidence. I'll investigate."

STEEL CITY WALL (SOUTH END), EVENING

"It's such a disappointment," Sepullen says, as he watches Kyogre destroy the Lightningrod Palace.

"What is?" Rook asks.

"Despite the three of them being so difficult, I was actually looking forward to training Branna and Venomitus."

"What about Frost?"

"If it were up to me, she would have been gone long ago. However, the other two wouldn't have trusted me if I had gotten rid of her."

"'Wouldn't have'? You say that like they're dead."

"Rook, did you not see it just now? The tower, witch I know for sure they were in, just took a direct blast from Kyogre. There's no way they survived."

"Actually, when I was speaking to Zapdos, I picked up a trace of communication that ran on the same frequency as Kalims."

The claydols eyes glow an ominous orange, "so Aphot has been spying on them, has he? It is a good thing he lost his memories of me, otherwise we might not be able to get him on our side."

"How would we find him now? We've been searching for him for years."

"I have a feeling we'll meet him very soon."

"Yes, yes you will," an irritated sounding voice comes from behind him.

STEEL CITY STREETS (CENTER), EVENING

It can't move, my body, it can't. I lay on the ground with several broken bones and tears in my skin. Just now, what happened, what did? Above me, I hear the wails of Kyogre echo throughout the city. Beside me, I hear someone in a muttering rant.

"It's going to take more then a collapsing building to keep me down. That stupid fish has got another thing coming to her if she thinks that she can just destroy the building I'm in just for fun. I'm going to teach- Is that you Venomitus?"

Being paralyzed, naturally, I didn't respond. Know that voice, I do, I know it. I feel relief internally, as Frost moves into view.

"You really did it this time, didn't you? Well, I guess I'll have to carry you," she says as she fans the black smoke coming off my body out of her face. She lifts me onto her back, then flies around the remains of Lightningrod Palace.

"Now, where are the rest of them? Hopefully they didn't get injured as much as you did, especially not Branna," I hear her say under her breath in a worried undertone. From beneath us, an explosion of smoke erupts outward, covering Frost and me in ash. Frost is surprised to see Djinn and Zapdos emerge from the Smokescreen without a single scratch on them.

"How did you heal so quickly, Lord Zapdos?" she asks.

"Please, just Zapdos. Anyway, Djinn here healed me completely in less then a second." Djinn nods and smiles faintly to us. Frost waves quickly, then flies over the rubble hastily with a worried look on her face.

Flying up beside her, Zapdos asks, "what are you looking for?"

"Branna. She has to be around here somewhere," she says as she picks up pieces of metal and stone and tosses them behind her. After a moment, she perks her head up. She lifts me up off her back, then throws me toward Djinn. The cyndaquil clumsily catches me in his arms.

Frost says to him, "heal him fast so he can help me dig, we have to find Branna."

Setting me down, Djinn levitates several large herbs out of his bag and sets them on my skin. He then takes one of my legs and examines it closely.

"Your leg is not completely broken, but it has fractures in multiple places. I am going to use a method to regenerate the minerals in your bones so that they can repair themselves. However, doing this will cause you immense pain, so be ready."

The fur on his back begins to smolder and generate ashes. The ashes forcefully jab into my leg and coat themselves around my bones. The sensation makes me panic for a moment, until I realize that it only slightly tingles.

As he heals me, Zapdos flies upwards, "I'm going to have to go fight Kyogre. If I beat her in time, I'll come back and help you find your friend."

Frost momentarily looks up at him, before nodding and continuing to search through the rubble. Where is she? I have to find her.

?

Where... am I? I fell, I remember that. Am I dead?

No, you're not dead.

Who are you?

You will be dead soon, but I can save you. WE can save you.

I will... be dead?

Yes, but you won't if you just become one of us. Come join the fun.

But my friends... I can't go with you, they're like family to me.

There they go, always wanting to go on living with their families. We thought that way once. Do you know what that got us? DO YOU!

No, what did it get you?

BAD MEMORIES! All of them rejected us. We have seen your memories, and found a rhyme your mother would tell you when you were young.

My mother was a loon.

Your mother knew what really lies behind one's mind. Do you remember the rhyme she would tell you?

Vaguely.

Mind is numb, thinking about sticks. Toppling houses over for kicks. Known by all across the lands, to beware the one who speaks in hands.

Get me out of here, you're crazy and so was she.

Oh well, that's a shame. We- no- I will keep you alive this once. Until next time, lorem ipsum docet.

Just get me out of here.

Sure thing, but remember, I'll be watching over you and watching your mind decay. One day, you will undergo a rebirth and I'll be right here. One lesson that you must hold onto, is that pain teaches. Don't ever forget that, Branna, or I will kill you like I do anyone who forgets their bad memories.

STEEL CITY STREETS (CENTER), EVENING

Wake up! You have to wake up. We're not done here Branna, we still have a battle to fight!

Light floods into Branna's eyes, as Frost shakes her awake. She notices a visible sign of relief on the froslass's face as she slithers out from beneath a stone block. Branna starts to choke suddenly when she finds Frost's arms wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Thank goodness," was all she said for several minutes. After watching both of them, I notice Djinn's expression change as though he was debating whether or not to say something. Finally, he walks over to the two pokemon and taps on Branna to get her attention.

"Miss Branna?"

The Serperior separates from Frost and looks down at him, "Oh Djinn, what is it?"

"Well, with how big that stone block behind you is, you shouldn't have been able to survive the impact."

An uncomfortable look forms across her face as she thinks this over. She then looks back at the massive granite block behind her. Too big, it is, for her to, survive the impact, she did.

After a moment, Branna shakes her head, "I don't know, but there are more important things to be doing. If Venomitus is right, and that is Kyogre, then we should be up there fighting her."

Frost looks at Branna in wonder for a moment, then nods her head. She then turns around and looks at the sky. As she does, I catch a glimpse of a mischievous smile behind the torn half of her mask. I realize why this is as a gust of wind blows by.

Continuing to look at the sky, she says, "hold Kyogre off until nightfall, I have a plan."

I walk up to her and lightly grab her arm. She looks down at me and nods, "are you ready?"

"Indeed, I'm ready -TO SHED SOME BLOOD."

"Glad to hear it," she says as she takes me by the arm. With a forceful jerk, she swings me around, then launches me toward the top of a large skyscraper. As I fly through the air, I think, happens to me a lot, it does. I am suddenly knocked out of my thoughts as I impact the top edge of the building. My head hurts, it does. Lifting myself up, I look around.

"Now, where is -the Alpha?"

Frost flies up next to me carrying Branna and Djinn in her arms. She sets them down, then faces me, "now here's the plan. Venomitus, you're going to stay here and help me prepare for what I have in store. Branna, you're a grass-type, so naturally you'd be able to counter Kyogre's water-type moves. That means you'll be helping Zapdos fight her. Djinn, Branna has strong attacks, but little resistance, so I want you to be her support."

She turns to the serperior and says, "as my leader, I trust that you and Djinn will be able to come up with a strategy on your own."

She looks up at the sky and smirks, as another gust of wind blows by, "that's all for now. Every second gets us closer to nightfall, until then we have to hold out. It's getting colder by the minute."

STEEL CITY ROOFTOPS, EVENING

Branna and Djinn observe the battle unfolding in front of them from a distance. The serperior recoils as a lightning bolt nearly hits the building she's standing on.

"What is the plan?" Djinn asks.

"Well, before we can do anything else, we need to get Kyogre out of the perimeter of the city."

The cyndaquil nods his head, "Zapdos can help us with that."

"But how do we get to him? Neither of us can fly," Branna wonders aloud.

"No, we cannot," Djinn says, "but I can levitate."

Branna looks at him in wonder as he floats weightlessly off the ground.

"I can't lift you, but I can get his attention."

She nods, "I'll wait here for you, then."

The cyndaquil flies toward Zapdos, leaving Branna on the roof top. Now what to do after I get Kyogre out of the city? Abruptly, Branna's body goes numb and she falls to the ground. What is this? Why can't I feel anything?

Oh, it's me again, a voice says in a cheerful tone in Branna's mind, I couldn't help but notice you're still doing the right thing. You're supposed to be letting your bad memories take you over and all that. Not doing that would make our previous conversation meaningless. So if you don't mind, could you betray you teammates already?

You again? I told you before, my teammates are my family. Even if I were to go mad, you're being awfully impatient about it.

Fine, but just know this; as I've already demonstrated, I can restrict your body functions at any time, so think before doing something I wouldn't like.

What are you?

Me? Oh I'm no one. Just fragments of the past that haven't let go of the future. For the sake of simplicity, if we must have a name then Lorem will do.

Lorem?

Yes, Lorem. Now, if you don't mind, I'm leaving for now. Djinn and the Thunderbird are approaching.

Of course I don't mind you leaving. In fact I'd prefer it if you stayed gone, but I doubt that'll happen.

Lorem doesn't respond to her, but Branna imagines he would have called her rude and moved on. She lifts her head just as Djinn and Zapdos land on the building.

"We don't have a lot of time, Branna, so what did you want to tell me?" Zapdos asks hastily.

"Frost says she's preparing for something that'll give us an edge, so Djinn and I are stalling for time. However, we can't do anything until we move Kyogre out of the city."

The lightning bird shakes his head, "I've already been stalling for time. Two of my subordinates are trying to get the power plant back online. Once they do, we'll be able to defeat Kyogre relatively easy."

"You're sure?" Branna asks uneasily.

"There's no need to question me, Branna. All you need to do is trust me. Though I do expect this plan of Frost's to be a reliable one. She seemed very concerned while looking for you earlier, so I don't doubt that she's a reliable teammate."

This strikes a chord with Branna. She really cares that much? Her thoughts are interrupted when a jet of water impacts the building they're standing on. Zapdos quickly rushes forward and grabs Branna, as the building collapses from underneath them. A loud, high pitched wail sounds from above them. As if in response to an unsaid threat, Zapdos shrieks back in a furious tone.

Branna's jaw drops in awe, as Kyogre flies above them. She then notices, through the reflections of light in the sea basin pokemon's body, that the sun is almost below the horizon. Hold Kyogre off until nightfall, she remembers Frost saying. She turns her attention back to Kyogre when Zapdos begins Charging up energy.

"This attack is going to hit you," the lightning bird warns Branna, "but you being grass-type should lessen the damage."

She grits her teeth as Zapdos Discharges all of his stored electrical energy outwards. Despite her resistance, the sheer power of the attack is enough to make her nearly faint. At first she doesn't hear him say anything, but she feels the presence of Lorem start to weigh on her heavily.

What do you want? she asks him, too exhausted to try and make him go away.

Are you really giving up after that one attack? I mean we wouldn't mind it if you did, but come on. That's kinda pathetic.

Leave me alone unless you're going to help.

Don't flatter me. Besides, we both know you don't really want our help.

So did you just come here to condescend me?

Yes, I did.

Anything else?

No, not really.

Good.

"Focus, Branna," Zapdos tells her. "If I'm going to carry you, then you ought to make yourself worth the weight."

She shakes her head, "sorry, I was just feeling backlash from that shock."

"Oh, well I'd still appreciate the help."

"Alright, I can do-" Branna stops talking mid sentence as a small shard of ice cuts her on the mouth."

"You all better get out of this rain, because things are about to get messy," a voice says from behind them.

The three pokemon turn to see Frost floating in the air with me holding my arms around her neck. Zapdos looks at the froslass, exasperated.

"What are you talking about? A little rain never hurt anyone." Frost immediately looks at Djinn, who is to the point of nearly falling out of the sky.

Sighing, the lightning bird says, "he's a fire-type, so of course he's going to get a little worn out." He closes his eyes in annoyance, as several ice shards cut across his face.

"What the…? This isn't the rain from Kyogre's Drizzle."

Frost nods, "you're right, now that the sun's gone down, it's cold enough to use ice-type attacks."

"Then that means this is-" A large hailstone impacts the back of his head with enough force to knock him slightly off balance. For a moment, he loses his grip on Branna before regaining it a second later. Soon after, more hailstones start to fall from the sky. This causes Zapdos to dart in the direction of the ground, presumably to look for cover. Struggling to keep up, Djinn follows after him.

The Froslass says to me, "you're pretty durable, so I know you can resist the Hail." She looks up at Kyogre, who helplessly flails while wailing in pain at the impact of several large hailstones. "Looks like it's time for round two."

I know this chapter was a little shorter than my other ones, but there's a good reason for that. The reason is that the next chapter will be more awesome than this one, so other then that, I have nothing to say.