A few hours ago.
Aggron was searching the city for any sign of the Darkrai cult. Unlike with the previous towns, he was having a hard time just navigating the city. Thousands of meters of ground to cover. Hundreds of people to interview, some of which were confused as to who they were talking about. Others went on long tangents about their fucking cousin Darryl only to say, "I didn't see them." To say it was getting frustrating would be an understatement. Eventually, his mind would go and wander back to that day eight years ago.
That day where the sky turned as crimson as the blood of his parents would be forever ingrained in his mind. As it did for many people. The Crimson Sky event as it was called affected
almost every nation on the pacific. From Dristovian Siberia up north, to the Andes mountains in Santiagaria. Nihonera was hit hardest, with the epicenter of the event being just 30 kilometers from the Nihoneran coast.
That day scared Aggron more than he cared to admit. Every night, he would think back to that noise. That horrible sound coming from that beam in the distance. It was difficult to describe. It was this overwhelming droning that consumed all other sound but was followed quietly by what sounded like screaming, like if a nightmare could speak.
It made him feel insignificant. That whole day made him feel tiny. A child standing against an army. He hated it. That day was a permanent reminder of what weakness was and how he had failed. Should he forget it, he would simply fall back into that weakness and everyone he cared about would perish. He couldn't let himself forget what happened.
"At ease, soldier," said a calm voice. Aggron looked over to see Blastoise approaching him. Immediately, he stood up straight,
"Blastoise! It's an honor to meet you," he said.
"No need for the formalities," insisted Blastoise, "Are you alright?" Aggron was caught off guard by the hero. What business did he have worrying about a stranger? He had answered his own question. Blastoise was the pinnacle of what it means to be a Senshi. Every aspiring Senshi looked up to him as an example. From his first heroic act during the battle against Mewtwo, Blastoise had proven time and time again as a selfless hero. Of course he would help someone in trouble, but Aggron wasn't in any danger.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked. Blastoise gestured to a nearby bench and told him to sit down. Aggron sat down next to Blastoise and asked that question again. Blastoise looked out into the distance before telling him,
"You don't have to tell me anything. I'm not a psychologist. It's not my job to pry into your life. But I recognize that look in your eyes."
"What look?" questioned Aggron.
"You lived. Whatever happened to you, you survived."
Aggron was confused. What was this man talking about? What did his own survival have to do with any of this? Sensing his confusion, Blastoise elaborated,
"Whatever happened to you, you lived. That isn't a crime. Don't convince yourself it is." Those words hit Aggron like a ton of bricks. Admittedly, he couldn't quite articulate why. It just touched him.
"I…Thank you, but why? Why me?" asked Aggron.
"You were back then, and you are even stronger now. I may be an old man, but I can still remember one thing. When you see a fellow soldier in help, you don't leave them behind," said Blastoise before standing up and leaving.
"You lived. That isn't a crime. Don't convince yourself it is." Those words were stuck in Aggron's head. He could only sit there and ponder their meaning. He lived, but at what cost. His parents were taken from him all because of his own weakness. He stood up and continued his search, but those words, whether he knew it or not, wormed their way into his head.
A few hours later, Aggron arrived at the group's location, clearing on the outskirts of town. He saw Sceptile training Ampharos as Gardevoir, Gengar, Roserade and Garchomp watched. The sun was beginning to set as the sky became a golden orange. Sceptile noticed and stopped the battle to talk to the steel type,
"Any update on the cult." Aggron shook his head. Sceptile scowled, "Damnit, we can't afford to fall behind. Whatever they are planning is going to be big,"
"They aren't here," said an older voice. Everyone looked over to see Blastoise walking over towards them. He pointed towards the ocean, "I did some digging and a boat went missing. If their target is Hydroton, then they should be close,"
A shockwave shot through the city, followed by a loud bang. Everyone turned to the source and saw an orange and red glow on the horizon. Roserade eyes widened,
"That's Groudon's volcano!" she panicked. Ampharos was also freaking out but Sceptile was quick to take charge.
"Listen to me! There is a chance that this is just an eruption!" he argued. As if to disprove the grass type, a ferocious roar erupted from the volcano. This only worsened Ampharos' panic. Desperately, he turned to Roserade for comfort,
"Kyogre's gonna come, right? He's gonna stop Groudon, right?" he shuddered. Roserade shook her head in terror,
"They are supposed to fight every million years, Kyogre's not gonna reawaken!"
"Of fucking course he is!" Gengar yelled in frustration. This only caused Ampharos to fall over in pure terror.
"We can't fight him!" he screamed, fighting a panic attack. It seemed the rest of the group was about to fall into that same sense of terror. However, Sceptile took a moment to think before declaring his plan.
"Alright, the cult has to be behind this! Ampharos, Blastoise, you're with me. We are evacuating the populace! Roserade, find Gliscor and find anything that could help us! The rest of you, go to the volcano and stall! He ordered, quickly. The slightest hint of panic in his voice. Gardevoir flew back down,
"What about Infernape?"
"Grab him and his girlfriend, they are going with you! Let's go!" Gardevoir nodded and flew to find Infernape and Lopunny.
She flew as fast as she could above the street as she turned on her WristOn to call Infernape. He appeared on the screen, he was running with Lopunny close behind,
"Where are you, Gardevoir?" He asked urgently.
"Just tell me where you are, I'll take you to the group!" Gardevoir interjected.
"We're approaching the central plaza. What the hell is happening?"
"Groudon has been awakened. We need to hurry!" Gardevoir explained as she flew towards the city center. They met and Gardevoir grabbed the two and flew back towards the volcano, bracing for what could be the final battle.