So, while I was on break, the new DLC dropped for Scarlet and Violet.
Which is great, but I am now discovering the joys of trying to write a massive world-spanning story for a series that is continuously updating and adding in more and more new Pokemon and Legendaries.
It might be too early to think about this, but Generation 10 is going to be absolute hell on my continuity.
Pain.
Endless, unceasing pain.
It was all Necrozma knew. All Necrozma had known for countless centuries. It was as if there was a gaping wound in his body, a wound that would never heal. Light helped, but it was like putting a bandage over a torn-off limb. And it was always so torturously temporary.
Necrozma had waited for months as more allies gathered. Army after army of Pokemon from all across the different realities, each one selected for their hate just as much as their strength. Many of the Pokemon had been hurt throughout their lives, wanting nothing more than to project that pain onto others. The rest wanted power. Necrozma would have preferred no power-seekers - such beings were unreliable allies - but in the coming war, more bodies were necessary.
And footsoldiers were not the only beings Necrozma had to serve him. There were the Ultra Beasts, of course: nine in number, all with the power to rival gods. The Aberration, his strongest ally, if not necessarily his most trusted. And many eldritch creatures that not even Necrozma entirely understood, creatures that the Aberration had brought together through promises of power, of future aid in their respective endeavors. Primal Dialga. The Bittercold. Dark Matter and the Void Shadows who served him. Dark Rust.
All together, this was the force that would invade the reality where his missing portion resided, and finally, make Necrozma whole again. Necrozma had waited for long enough.
Even through the pain, a smile came to Necrozma's face as he surveyed his army. No force could possibly stand against this, he thought. This pain, the legacy of the monsters who tore me to pieces for their own selfish gain…
It all ends today.
The fields of Melemele Island were as beautiful as ever, covered in lush green grasses that waved in the morning breeze. Far away, the sound of waves crashing onto rocks could be heard; this far away, it was a gentle accompaniment to the rush of wind. The sounds of wild Pokemon filled the air as Bug-types moved through the grass and Flying-types flew overhead. No clouds disturbed the sky today; it was sunlight and blue sky as far as the eye could see.
A small section of the air suddenly split open, and a flash of Psychic energy heralded the return of Marcus Grayson to the shores of Alola.
He wasted no time in glancing over to the Alakazam beside him. "Thanks," he said.
"You'll excuse me if I don't stay," said Alakazam.
"I wouldn't expect it," Marcus replied with a nod. The Alakazam disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, leaving Marcus standing alone in the sun-washed field.
Marcus looked around for a few moments, then reached down and grasped one of the Luxury Balls hanging from his waist; with a tap of his finger, he released Kriesh from the confines of the sphere. "Kriesh, scout around. If what Calem said is true, we should be on Melemele Island, and Kukui's place shouldn't be far, so see if you can't find it."
With a bow of her head, Kriesh turned and leaped into the air, spreading her wings as she rose into the sky. What a beautiful day, she thought. To think that soon this place will be engulfed in warfare…part of me hopes Medicham is wrong about this.
But I doubt it. Kriesh didn't know where Medicham had gotten the information, but she had a hunch. From the timing, Medicham must have gotten it during the night…which means she probably got the information from him.
And Darkrai doesn't strike me as the type of being to be wrong about something like this.
Kriesh soared higher. She could see Melemele laid out below her, miles of grassy fields interspersed with small buildings, cliff faces, and trees. To the south, the fields sloped down into a larger town; to the southeast, a tall volcano rose high above the surrounding land, itself surrounded with many rocky shoals. To the east and west, the wooded meadows ended in sheer cliffs, coming down into more urban areas to the west and rock-riddled ocean to the east. To the north, Kriesh could see the land sloping up, passing more small cliff faces before cresting upon a high plateau, upon which stood a house she recognized, surrounded by forest on all sides.
That's Kukui's house. Kriesh peered closer at it. Behind there…that's where we met Pangoro. She could see many figures around the house, both humans and Pokemon.
That's where we have to go.
"You don't look like you're from around here."
The voice came from above Kriesh; glancing upwards, Kriesh locked eyes with a large-winged Swellow, its eyes peering keenly at her.
"Neither do you," said Kriesh.
The edges of Swellow's beak curved upwards. "I am the Swellow of Hoenn Gym Leader Winona," he said, "here on business related to the upcoming invasion of Alola. And you are?"
"Kriesh," Kriesh responded, "of the team of…Gym Leader Marcus of Kalos." It felt strange to say, but she knew the title would get Swellow's attention. "Here for the same reason."
Swellow cocked his head. "I don't know a Gym Leader Marcus," he said. "Which is funny, because I happen to know quite a few Gym Leaders. So maybe you can tell me who you really are, and-"
"Or maybe you should keep up with the times, Swellow."
Kriesh's eyes narrowed as she glanced over towards the small pink-colored Pokemon that had floated up next to her and Swellow. The last time she'd seen this Pokemon, it had been in the thick of the battle that had ended Marcus's run in the Kalos Pokemon League Tournament.
"Marcus is the newest Gym Leader of Kalos," said Emma's Aromatisse, bobbing up and down in the air. "Got the position a few days ago. And Kriesh here is in fact part of his team, so I think you owe her an apology."
Swellow, who was about five times the size of Aromatisse, ducked his head and looked incredibly embarrassed. "Sorry," he murmured.
"No problem," Kriesh said, mostly for the sake of not starting a fight.
"I'll handle this," said Aromatisse. "Could you go inform the others of our newest arrival?"
With a nod, Swellow turned and dove back towards the plateau. As soon as he was out of earshot, Aromatisse turned towards Kriesh. "What are you doing here?" she asked angrily.
"It's a long story," Kriesh responded.
"Don't give me that," Aromatisse hissed. "Look, I know you're not weak, but do you understand what you're getting into here? This isn't the place for 'doing the right thing'! There's a reason that even the weakest Trainers that came here are Gym Leaders that have been around for at least a decade!"
"We're not here to 'do the right thing'!" Kriesh retorted. "We're here because they're targeting Medicham!"
Aromatisse paused. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," said Kriesh, "and Marcus reasoned that Alola, where everyone was already prepared to fight Necrozma's forces, would be the safest place for her!"
Aromatisse sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, I can see the logic behind that," she said. "All right, where is Marcus?"
"Down there," Kriesh said, punctuating the statement with a gesture of her beak.
"All right," said Aromatisse, "I'll escort you in, so we can avoid any more awkward conversations."
With a nod of acceptance, Kriesh finally turned and dove back down towards Marcus. Aromatisse flew after her; Kriesh recalled that she'd also displayed flight capabilities when the two of them had fought in the Kalos Pokemon League Tournament; while Aromatisse couldn't actually fly, she utilized clever manipulation of the gases around her to approximate the effect.
Marcus saw Kriesh and Aromatisse coming, and was waiting patiently as Kriesh landed beside him. Aromatisse remained in the air; with one of her fins she pointed up towards the top of the plateau. Taking the gesture for what it was, Marcus proceeded, recalling Kriesh into her Luxury Ball as he began to stride up the winding pathway that led to the plateau.
The walk was fairly long, and throughout it all Kriesh was consumed with a sudden bout of nervousness. Both Swellow and Aromatisse had reacted with surprising negativity to Marcus's arrival; were they outliers, or would the rest think the same thing?
Now is really not the time to be thinking about that. Marcus needs to be here; it doesn't matter what they think.
By the time Marcus crested the final rise and the plateau came within sight, it was evident that everyone knew of his arrival. The activity Kriesh had glimpsed upon first noticing the plateau had mostly stopped, and Kriesh could see several Trainers and Pokemon eyeing Marcus as he looked around the area. A few she recognized: Burnet, who Kriesh recalled had taken Marcus to see Pangoro; Emma, whose Aromatisse was even now returning to the side of, standing in a field opposite a dark-skinned Trainer dressed in black and dark blue with hints of orange; Grimsley, leaning against the wall of Kukui's house with his usual cocky smile. There was also a woman dressed in white and sky blue that had Swellow perched on her shoulder, a white-clad man with shockingly light green hair that came down to his shoulders, and another woman, dark-skinned with long dark hair and mainly black clothing, who had circling around her a strange almost-spherical Pokemon Kriesh had never seen before.
Marcus clearly had no idea what to say as all of the Trainers stared at him. Thankfully, Grimsley swiftly broke the silence, detaching himself from the wall with a quiet sigh. "Now, what are we all doing standing around like a bunch of Maractus with stage fright? I'll handle this, so y'all can go back to what you were doing."
The other Trainers did so, clearly trusting Grimsley to handle the situation, though a few shot glanced at him as if they hadn't expected him to be so upfront. Kriesh did spot the green-haired Trainer looking closely at Marcus; the intensity in his gaze was startling, and all at once Kriesh saw his eyes swivel slowly over to lock with hers.
It was only for a moment, but somehow, Kriesh knew that whoever that man was had just looked directly at her, even though the walls of a Luxury Ball stood between the two.
"Marcus, not to say that it ain't good to see you again," said Grimsley, "but what exactly are you doing here?"
Marcus quickly explained the situation. Grimsley's eyes narrowed. "All right," he said, "let's take you to see Kukui. He's just inside."
Swiftly, the former Dark-type Elite Four member led Marcus across the plateau, pushing the door of Kukui's house open without even knocking. Looking inside, Kriesh very quickly spotted Lillie and Gladion, both of whom had clearly been sitting quietly in the corner; they both looked up, their eyes widening at the sight of Marcus. In the center of the large room was a table with a map of Alola on it, and standing around it were three Trainers, two female and one male. Kriesh recognized the male as Professor Kukui, but the females - one tall and blonde, one shorter and red-haired - were strangers to her.
"Kukui, we've got a new arrival," said Grimsley.
"Good!" Kukui said brightly. "And…huh. I think I remember you. You're Marcus, right?"
Marcus nodded. Grimsley held up a hand. "It ain't all good news. From what he's been saying, we may have to deal with another complication."
Kriesh understood Grimsley's wording, but the tone of his voice rankled in her mind, as did the frowns of the various people in the room. "All right," said Kukui, "I'd appreciate an elaboration."
Marcus once again explained the situation, informing the gathered Trainers of what Medicham had told him. By now, Kriesh had heard the story enough that she tuned it out, instead focusing on the two women. The blonde's reaction was far more subdued than the redhead's, though Kriesh could tell she was no less troubled by Marcus's tale.
Once Marcus was finished, the room was filled with silence. Eventually, Kukui broke it. "Soon, your Medicham said?" he asked. "Did she elaborate?"
"No," said Marcus. "Just 'soon'. I know it's not very concrete, but even if I don't know what Medicham's source is, I don't think she'd be lying about something like this."
"Generally, Psychics are fairly good at telling the truth," said the redheaded woman. "Oh, by the way, I should introduce myself. Misty Waterflower, Kanto Gym Leader."
"Marcus Grayson, Kalos Gym Leader," Marcus responded.
"Oh, you're a Gym Leader too?" Misty asked.
"You must be Valerie's replacement." The blonde woman stepped to Misty's side. "Emma told us she'd heard Valerie had picked one."
"Champion Cynthia." There was a distinct awe in Marcus's tone.
Cynthia smiled. "Former Champion, but yes. Now, if we are to believe Marcus's words, and I have no reason not to, I think it would be prudent to inform our Legendary allies."
"Yeah, good point," said Kukui. "Grimsley, why don't you tell N to deal with that? And Marcus, you can stay here for now. Lillie and Gladion can show you around."
At that, Lillie and Gladion arose, Gladion more slowly than Lillie. The blonde-haired girl stepped quickly over to the entrance to a staircase, beckoning for Marcus to come. Marcus did so, following Lillie and Gladion down the stairs as behind him the adults in the room resumed their discussion.
"So you're a Gym Leader now?" Lillie asked.
Marcus nodded; Lillie's smile widened. "Congratulations!" she said. "I'm sure it wasn't easy."
Marcus grimaced. "You have no idea…"
Lillie giggled. "So," she said as the group reached the bottom of the staircase, "you'll be staying down here. Gladion sleeps in the adjacent room; you can sleep with him, or on the couch - don't worry, it folds out into a bed, so it's nowhere near as cramped as it looks."
As Lillie spoke, Kriesh glanced around the room, quickly spotting such things as a punching bag hanging over a dark and light blue checkered mat, a desk with a chair in front of it and several turned-off computers suspended from the wall above it, and a rack of cooking utensils hanging from another wall surrounded by several cupboards and a sink. This didn't seem like a sleeping area; she guessed it was normally a work room for Professor Kukui.
"So what have you been up to, Lillie?" Marcus asked.
Gladion made to answer for her, but Lillie cut him off. "I've been taking the Island Challenge, at least up until last week," she said. "I beat the Akala Trial, and then I decided to train up my team. Oh, you haven't met the team yet!"
Quickly, she released two Pokemon that Kriesh recognized and two she didn't. Snowy, her Alolan Vulpix, and the creature known as Nebby appeared on the floor alongside a Comfey and a Cutiefly.
"Rosy, Buzzy, this is Marcus," Lillie introduced.
Marcus chuckled as the three small Pokemon rushed him, scampering around his legs and issuing greetings. Kriesh noticed that Nebby remained where he'd been released, looking morose and watching the trio with jealousy in his eyes.
"I see you're going for a type specialty," Marcus observed.
"Well, it just happened that way," said Lillie. "I caught Rosy first; she came up to Snowy and I in a field and-"
"Lillie," said Gladion, "Marcus does need to get settled in."
Lillie looked embarrassed. "Sorry," she murmured.
"It's all right," said Marcus. "I think I'll take the couch."
Kriesh could have sworn she heard Gladion sigh with relief as Lillie smiled and nodded. "All right, I'll go get it set up. Everyone, back in your Pokeballs." She recalled her team, Nebby last of all, and stepped over to the couch.
Gladion swiftly leaned up to Marcus. "You aren't lying about this?"
"No," said Marcus.
Gladion sighed again. "It's strange," he admitted. "I spent my entire life thinking I had to protect her. But she's grown a lot since…well, you know."
"Yeah," said Marcus. "I see that."
"If you're right about this," said Gladion, "if Necrozma really is going to show up any day now, then it's my duty as her brother to protect her. But I guess it makes me feel at least a little better to know she can protect herself."
Marcus nodded; a few seconds passed before he spoke again. "So how have things been around Alola?"
"It's changed, that's for sure," said Gladion, clearly just as glad to change the subject. "Kukui got his League up and running; he's got Molayne, Olivia, Kahili, and Acerola as his Elite Four, and the whole thing with Necrozma finally got him to take charge as Champion. And Team Skull-"
"Team Reskull," Marcus corrected at the same time as Gladion corrected himself. Both shared a glance; Gladion smirked. "Yeah, I don't get the name either, but they've been working to establish a bit of a better reputation. They've cleaned up Po Town - people are actually living there now, and I've even heard a few rumors that with Olivia now on the Elite Four, Guzma's been approached to become Akala's new Kahuna."
"Really?" Marcus asked.
"Yeah," said Gladion. "Can't see him going for it, though. He'd never abandon the rest of the team."
"I met a few of them with Ilima during my Gym Exam," said Marcus.
"I heard something about Ilima heading to Kalos," Gladion murmured. "I guess it's been a busy couple months for the younger Trainers. Elio and Hau, last I heard, finished their Island Challenge and went off to go do something with Z-Moves. And your friends from Kalos…Tierno and the rest? Last I heard, they're still going around Alola, doing their things."
"And Silvally?" Marcus asked.
Gladion actually smiled. "Kukui's been working on him," he said. "He hasn't found a way to completely eliminate the pain - it's hardwired into Silvally's body." His fists clenched as he said that. "But he's gotten it to a point where the Leftovers pretty much counteract it. He has to keep the Leftovers on him at all times, but it's definitely better than it was."
"That's good," said Marcus. "I can't say I've heard of many Trainers who have a Legendary-level Pokemon under their command."
"Then you haven't met N, have you?" Gladion asked. Marcus shook his head. "Male, green hair. He's from Unova, and he has Zekrom on his team."
Green hair? Kriesh frowned. Was that the Trainer who was watching me through the sides of my Luxury Ball?
"Like, the Zekrom?" Marcus asked.
"Do you know any other Zekroms?" Gladion retorted. "Oh, and there's also-"
"Couch is ready!" Lillie chirped. Kriesh glanced over to see that indeed, Lillie had folded the couch out onto a bed that looked large enough for Marcus to comfortably sleep on.
"Sheets and blankets are in the closet over there." Lillie pointed. "I hope you can come up to join the rest of us. There are some really interesting people here!"
"I'm heading up, too," said Gladion. "See you around, Marcus."
The two Alolans swiftly headed back upstairs, leaving Marcus alone. Slowly, with a clear sluggishness to his movements, Marcus stepped over to the closet Lillie had pointed out, opened it up, and began withdrawing sheets and blankets from the shelves within.
"You are certain of this?"
"Yes, Bringer," said Keeper-Of-Memories. "I would not be reporting it if I wasn't."
Bringer-Of-Visions' eyes narrowed. "What could he be thinking? Is he trying to get himself killed?"
"I do not know, Bringer," said Keeper-Of-Memories.
Bringer-Of-Visions sighed. "Keep a close eye on him, Keeper," she said. "If he stays up on the plateau, you're the closest Herald to him."
"Yes, Bringer," said Keeper-Of-Memories.
"I must inform the other Heralds of this," Bringer-Of-Visions stated. "May the Master guide you, Keeper."
"And you," Keeper-Of-Memories responded as Oblivion faded away.
Quickly, Keeper-Of-Memories glanced about. Grimsley and N were still stepping through the forest together, moving purposefully towards their destination; he hadn't missed anything during his brief report to Bringer-Of-Visions.
He'd been more nervous than he cared to admit ever since he'd spied Marcus. It was not becoming of an operative of his stature to be nervous. But if Marcus's report was accurate, Alola was about to be engulfed in the world's biggest battle since the War of Legends. And Marcus would be right in the center of it. Even a single stray shot from a Legendary-level attack might obliterate the years of work the Heralds had spent on Marcus.
So I must protect him. It is my duty as a Herald to ensure he remains safe.
"Here we are," said N from beside Grimsley. Keeper-Of-Memories found himself staring at the green-haired man; as he stood next to Grimsley, one could be forgiven for not knowing N was the stronger of the two Trainers, a human Psychic of impressive magnitude with regards to telepathy if not telekinesis, and one of the very few Trainers in the entire world who could truly call themselves the owner of a Legendary.
Though N would never use that term, and if he did, Zekrom would likely terminate their partnership right then and there. The Lord of Ideals was historically quite fond of Trainers who pursued their dreams, but not when those dreams drove them to arrogance.
As if on cue, N withdrew a finely-decorated Luxury Ball from the pouch affixed to his hip and released Zekrom from it. The towering form of the Lord of Ideals rose above the two Trainers, staring at the clearing that lay before all of them.
And more specifically, at the occupants.
Tapu Koko. Zeraora. Magearna. Melmetal. And, crouched at the back of the clearing, blending so well into the shadows Keeper-Of-Memories barely realized it was there, Marshadow. Keeper-Of-Memories knew that Marshadow was no longer completely persona non grata among the other Alolan Legendaries - Zacian and Zamazenta had seen to it that the story of his heroics against Necrozma and the Ultra Beast had been spread - but it would take a lot longer before he was fully accepted by them. The scars of the past had festered for a thousand years; they would not heal easily.
Zekrom spoke in a low rumble. "We have received word that the time of Necrozma's arrival is approaching."
"Word from what?" Zeraora growled, rising to his feet.
"The source is a Trainer's Pokemon," said Zekrom. "A Medicham, under the command of a Trainer called Marcus."
Marshadow visibly shifted at the name, clearly recognizing it. Magearna cocked her head. "That is interesting," she said, her voice gentle with a robotic edge to it.
"Interesting how?" Zekrom asked.
"I heard a rumor from Lele," said Magearna, "who heard a rumor from Cresselia that Darkrai had picked up an apprentice of sorts."
Koko turned to look at Magearna with narrowed eyes. "An apprentice? I thought his gang of Absols were handling affairs on this plane of existence."
Gang of Absols? Keeper-Of-Memories felt a flash of indignation at the Tapu's casual dismissal of the Heralds.
"Yes," said Magearna, "and from what I've heard, that apprentice happens to be a Medicham."
"Could it be the same one?" Melmetal rumbled.
"Possibly," Zekrom growled. "We must not disregard the possibility. And if that is indeed the case, I do not doubt Darkrai's word. You know his capabilities."
"Yeah," growled Zeraora. "How about we get the gang together, then?"
"I will notify the Dogs of War and the other Tapus," said Koko.
"I will contact Volcanion," said Magearna. "He and I work well together; I am sure he would be glad to help."
Zekrom turned to N and nodded, at which point N recalled Zekrom into the Luxury Ball. "The message has been received and will be passed on," the green-haired Trainer said to Grimsley. "Let us return to the others."
Grimsley, who unlike N had clearly not understood any of the Legendaries' words, turned to follow his fellow Unovan, looking a little nonplussed. Keeper-Of-Memories watched from his Ultra Ball as behind them, the Legendaries began to move in different directions, embarking upon their preparations for the upcoming war.
Marshadow tried to calm his nerves and ignore the pounding of his heart. You beat the Ultra Beasts last time, he told himself. You can do this.
But he knew Necrozma would be ready for him this time. There was no way the interdimensional conqueror would allow Marshadow to rampage so freely through his forces again. Marshadow knew the experience of going up against enemies who knew what he was capable of. He'd experienced as much when he'd faced Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza during the War of Legends.
But he'd done that with the full strength of the entirety of Alola coursing through his veins, something that he certainly would not receive in this battle. And furthermore, he'd lost that fight, though that had been as much a function of power overload as it had been of his adversaries' strength.
It wasn't just the upcoming battle that made Marshadow nervous. It was that he would, for the first time in a thousand years, be fighting alongside others. Others who, a few months ago, had seen him as a monster just as bad as Necrozma.
And Marshadow knew all too well that those perceptions of him would likely never truly go away.
This is why I hid for so long. Marshadow pushed the thought away. But I made the choice to come out of hiding. And if I went back, I'd do it again, for Nebby if nothing else.
"There we go."
Marshadow flinched at the sudden female voice inside his head.
"Koko has informed me of the situation." This time Marshadow recognized the voice of Tapu Lele, protector of Akala Island. "The other Tapus and I are heading to Melemele with all possible speed. But in the meantime, I have activated a Psychic link between all of us for greater ease of communication."
"Sounds good." Marshadow flinched again, this time at the new voice that had come through the link. Zeraora. Many Legendaries distrusted or outright disliked Marshadow, but in that regard very few matched Zeraora. He was one of the most prideful Legendaries in the world, and when Marshadow had ambushed him, stolen his power, and left his withered, barely alive body on an Alolan beachside, he'd earned the Electric-type Legendary's lifelong enmity.
"I presume the Dogs of War will recieve access to the link upon their arrival?" said Magearna.
"Already done." Zacian's voice sounded in Marshadow's mind. "Zamazenta and I are heading to Alola as fast as we can. We should be there within half an hour."
"And we've ensured the other regions have been notified," said Zamazenta. "Just in case."
"Lele," said Tapu Bulu, "you mentioned you were going to find Cresselia and ask her about this supposed apprentice of Darkrai?"
"I did," said Lele. "The Lady of the Moon is nowhere to be found. Her mind is Psychically shielded from even my view."
"Which means she's most likely with Darkrai," Zamazenta growled. "All right, assuming Darkrai is responsible for this…I hope to Arceus he's right. The entire world's on edge; we don't need a false alarm to make things even worse."
"Speaking of which," said Tapu Fini, "do we have any more reinforcements inbound?"
"Volcanion has agreed to help," Magearna responded.
"And…" Zacian hesitated before finishing her sentence. "Giratina will be sending Enamorus and some troops as well."
What? Shock momentarily immobilized Marshadow. Judging by the five solid seconds of silence that reigned across the telepathic link, he wasn't the only one to be shocked.
At last, Zeraora broke the silence. "See, this is what happens when you let Marshadow 'help'."
Marshadow was unprepared for the sheer level of venom Zeraora communicated through the telepathic link. Fury overrode his mind. "I have nothing to do with this!" Marshadow cried telepathically.
"And who let him into the mind-link?" Zeraora asked. "Giratina knowing all of our battle strategies? That is the last thing we need! I'd bet you anything both he and Marshadow are just going to turn on us and side with Necrozma the instant he shows up!"
"Zeraora," Zacian snarled, "Giratina promised to help in the presence of Reshiram. I will not discount the possibility that he has ulterior motives - in fact, I am certain of it - but he does not wish Necrozma to destroy our world, and furthermore, I can confirm Marshadow has nothing to do with this! So maybe put aside your grudge until all this is over, okay?"
"Fine," Zeraora growled. "But if he does turn on us-"
"If he does," Zamazenta snarled, "then you're welcome to fulfill your every revenge fantasy, but until then we fight together."
Marshadow felt sick as the other Legendaries fell to talking about further battle plans. Giratina is sending aid? Zacian's right - there's no way he doesn't have some kind of ulterior motive.
And if he succeeds in whatever that is, I know I'm going to get blamed. Marshadow once again tried and failed to calm his nerves. I know it'll get easier once I get into the fight…
…but at this point, I'm not sure if I'll even be able to last until then.
Medicham would freely admit she was feeling slightly overwhelmed as Marcus ascended the stairs leading up from Kukui's basement. It felt like every Trainer here was far stronger and more experienced than Marcus, and even if Medicham had known nothing about Necrozma's invasion, so many strong Trainers gathered in one place made it instantly clear that something extraordinary was underway.
Case in point; Marcus exited the stairway, and instantly Professor Kukui, Misty, Cynthia, and Grimsley came into view, the latter evidently having returned from the assignment Kukui had sent him on. All four shot Marcus a glance before returning to their strategy meeting, though Misty's was accompanied by a kind smile and Grimsley's a smirk.
Marcus returned the glance with a nod before continuing to the door. As he shoved it open, he nearly ran into someone standing on the other side.
"I'm sorry, I…" Marcus ceased to speak as both he and Medicham became aware of just how tall the man he'd narrowly missed was. The man might have been twice Marcus's height, with shockingly white hair, ripped clothes, and a grim expression on his weathered face as he looked down at Marcus. With a jolt, Medicham realized she recognized this man; the last time she'd seen him had been in the middle of Geosenge, stepping out of a Team Flare prison cell.
AZ. The one who Seeker-Of-Endings had called the Immortal King.
"I remember you," AZ rumbled. "You are Marcus, correct?"
"Um, yes," said Marcus. "Who…are you again?"
"I am called AZ," said the Immortal King. "We met in Geosenge, as I recall."
"Right," said Marcus. "I didn't expect to see you again after that."
"Very few do," said AZ. "I did not expect to come here. But when I heard of Necrozma, I knew I could not stand by and watch from afar. So why are you here, Marcus?"
"I'm here to protect my Medicham," said Marcus.
"Ah," AZ murmured. "I understand. I had a Pokemon like that once. One I wanted to protect more than anything."
The grim tone of AZ's voice clearly disturbed Marcus. "What happened?" he asked.
"I went too far," said AZ. "She doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. Part of why I am doing things like this is in the hopes she may see that I have changed."
"Well, I hope things work out," Marcus said awkwardly.
"I hope so, too." AZ sighed. "I see a little bit of myself in you, Marcus. Do yourself a favor. Do not make the same mistakes I did. Time. Space. Life. Death. No matter how strong they are, mortals are not made to tinker with such things. Do not forget that."
A memory passed through Medicham's mind. A memory of sinking slowly into the depths of Distortion, watching as her body faded from view above her. She felt a chill strike at her heart.
"Good luck, Marcus," said AZ, and with that the Immortal King stepped past Marcus and disappeared around the side of Kukui's house, leaving Marcus standing in front of the door a bit unsteadily.
"Medicham?" Marcus murmured.
"What?"
"Remind me to ask someone about him once all this is over," said Marcus. "That's twice we've met him now…if we meet him a third time, I'd like to know more about him."
"Sure," said Medicham, staring back at the corner the Immortal King had disappeared around.
Kriesh took in the fresh Alolan air as she stretched her wings. She wanted so badly to just be able to enjoy the feeling of the sun on her body and the wind ruffling her feathers. She could tell others across the plateau felt the same way. But she knew that at any moment the peace and serenity could be shattered, and she knew that everyone else on the plateau knew too. And so the mood was grim and business-like.
Everywhere Kriesh looked she could see echoes of this mood. Emma was still sparring the dark-skinned male Trainer, whom Kriesh had heard was named Raihan, but now that Kriesh looked closer the battlers were taking great pains not to cause each other any actual injury. Winona, Kriesh now realized, had her Flying-types scouring the skies, watching for any sign of Necrozma's arrival. And while Lillie and Gladion were outside, they were near the side of Kukui's house, and were being closely watched by a woman Kriesh recognized as former Kahuna and current Elite Four member Olivia.
The tension in the air was so thick Kriesh felt she could have stabbed it with her beak.
At this point, it had been a couple hours since Marcus's arrival in Alola, and the news that he'd brought had spread to everyone there. Kriesh felt a small hint of guilt at the sight of so many grim faces, but shook it off. This is necessary to protect both Nebby and Medicham.
"Hey…Kriesh, was it?"
Kriesh turned to glance over at Swellow. "Yeah," she said.
"I just wanted to say…sorry for earlier," said Swellow.
"It's alright," said Kriesh.
"So, I heard your Trainer was a Gym Leader, too," Swellow continued. "Is he Flying-type?"
"No, Dark-type," said Kriesh. "I'm not part of the Gym Leader team."
Swellow grunted. "I've heard some things about generalists becoming Gym Leaders. I was wondering how he'd have a Medicham and Fearow on the same Gym Leader team."
"Yeah, the whole Gym Leader thing only came up after his first tournament," said Kriesh.
Swellow nodded understandingly. "So," he said, "I was thinking that maybe, if you have the time, we could-"
A thunderous thwoom noise exploded through the air, stopping all conversation in an instant.
Swellow and Kriesh instantly looked upwards, along with everyone on the plateau. Kriesh's eyes widened as she, and many others around her, beheld the gaping hole that had suddenly opened in the blue sky, a hole that contained a great monstrosity that Kriesh recognized instantly.
Necrozma.
Medicham said it would happen soon…but I didn't think it would be this soon.
"Hear me, creatures of this world." Necrozma's voice boomed out from the hole so loudly that Kriesh suspected the entire island would be able to hear. "My desire is not to make war. I merely wish that my missing portion, the creature you know as Nebby, is returned to me. Offer it, and I will stay my hand. Otherwise…" Necrozma's eyes swept across the entirety of Melemele island. "…death will come to all those who resist."
Kriesh glanced around. Olivia was shepherding Lillie and Gladion into Kukui's house, while Kukui himself, along with Misty, Cynthia, and Grimsley, were stepping around them and out onto the plateau. All around Kriesh, Pokemon were being released onto the grass, readying themselves for battle. And from the forest, several large forms were moving, many of which Kriesh didn't recognize, but she knew the instant she saw them that they were Legendaries.
The yellow, black, and orange form of Tapu Koko was leading the Legendaries. Alongside him stepped a large group of others - Kriesh recognized Zacian and Zamazenta, the Dogs of War, from the last time Necrozma had come, and she definitely recognized Marshadow, but the other four were strangers to her. One was lithe and crackling with Lightning, one was short and fairly stocky with Life shining in two massive eyes, one was four-legged with what looked like a gigantic red-and-blue ring protruding from its back, and one was massive, nearly as large as the Dogs of War, and appeared to be made of constantly shifting liquid metal. Nearby, N, the green-haired Trainer, released a large black Pokemon onto the plateau, which quickly took up a position by his side, exchanging a glance with the lithe Lightning-wielding Legendary as he did so.
Koko rose into the air, the Guardian of Melemele glaring up at Necrozma. "You have come for nothing!" Koko bellowed. "The one you refer to as your 'missing portion' is a living being, just like yourself! And all life is precious! So we will not allow you to take this being's life!"
"A living being?" Necrozma snorted derisively. "That thing is part of me! Its role in this universe is to be part of me! It seems, Guardian, that you misunderstand the situation. The creature you call 'Nebby' is mine, and if you will not give it to me, then you face war!"
"Then war it is." Tapu Koko's entire body blazed with pure, unrestrained Lightning. "Electric Surge: Guardian's Smite!"
The effect was as if a bolt of lightning had come from below instead of above; in a flash so quick Kriesh couldn't even detect it, the bolt shot up from Koko's body. "Prism Armor," Necrozma rumbled just as the bolt hit its mark; before Kriesh's eyes, a shimmering polygonal barrier of light intercepted the bolt of Lightning inches away from Necrozma's body. The attack dissipated harmlessly, leaving Necrozma untouched.
Kriesh knew from experience that was nowhere near the Tapu's full power. But it was still disconcerting to see an attack from a Legendary deflected so casually.
"As you wish," Necrozma thundered, and the air erupted in a cacophony of sonic booms.
Kriesh glanced around wildly as the sky split open in many different places. Out of these new holes surged the Ultra Beasts, instantly recognizable. Kriesh spotted one of them dropping down almost directly towards the plateau - Stakataka, she remembered, the tower-esque Rock/Steel-type Ultra Beast. Kriesh braced herself, knowing that even the mere impact of Stakataka's falling body was likely to cause chaos. She knew she would not fight Stakataka - there were plenty of others far more qualified to bring down the Ultra Beast - but she did not want to be hit by a stray attack.
Stakataka plummeted, but there was something strange about the Ultra Beast's trajectory. As Stakataka came closer and closer, Kriesh realized it wasn't aiming for the plateau. Her eyes widened as Stakataka fell past the edge of the plateau and out of view.
"The town!" Burnet's cry communicated what all the gathered Trainers had realized.
"Look!" Misty cried, pointing towards the other Ultra Beasts. Kriesh's attention had been locked on Stakataka; now, she realized that none of the other Ultra Beasts were even aiming for Melemele. Rather, each of the other islands - Akala, Ula'ula, and Poni - had two Ultra Beasts falling towards their surfaces, while Kriesh could see the last Ultra Beast - Blacephalon - falling towards the faraway speck of Aether Paradise.
Wait a minute…Kriesh scanned the falling Ultra Beasts rapidly. Where's Nihilego?
"They're attacking the other islands!" Emma cried.
"It's a distraction," said Grimsley. "They're trying to draw as many of us as possible away from Melemele."
"And they're going to succeed," Tapu Koko growled from behind. "We cannot let them run roughshod over Alola. Dogs, Zekrom, Marshadow! Hold down the fort here - the rest of us Alolan legendaries can handle the Ultra Beasts!"
"Right!" the black Legendary snarled from where he was still standing by N's side. That must be Zekrom, Kriesh realized. But even as the gathered Legendaries began to move, more booms heralded the opening of even more portals. This time, Kriesh could see portals opening all around the plateau. With battle cries, a massive horde of Pokemon burst out of the portals. There was no organization, no pattern, simply a bloodthirsty mob, united in the clear singular purpose to overrun and slaughter everyone on the plateau in service of Necrozma.
"There are more on the other islands!" Olivia cried.
"Then we must send Trainers to the aid of those islands!" Kukui called. "The Kahunas won't be able to handle them alone! Each Legendary, take a Trainer with you to help hold off the horde!"
Kriesh paid no more heed to the conversation. She had already spotted a ferocious-looking Aerodactyl headed straight for Marcus. Twisting, she dove in the opposite direction as Swellow. "Sniper: Beam Impact!" she cried, unleashing a Hyper Beam that the Aerodactyl was not prepared for. The Rock/Flying-type staggered in midair as the attack hit; its natural resistance kept it up, but the blast brought Kriesh all the time she needed to close the distance.
"Steel Impact!" Kriesh snarled, slamming a Steel energy-clad wing into the Aerodactyl's forehead. As the Aerodactyl dropped, she twisted, scanning for more threats. Other fliers were already fighting in the skies: a Togekiss, a Braviary, an Archeops, all tearing through threats with ease.
And then something slammed into Kriesh's chest, and Kriesh realized that the Aerodactyl wasn't finished.
Pain exploded across Kriesh's torso as the Aerodactyl buried its Rock energy-clad head into her stomach. "Flurry Impact!" Kriesh coughed out; the Aerodactyl's victorious snarl was cut off abruptly as the barrage of rays struck it head-on. "Steel Impact!" Kriesh called as she whirled; once more her Steel energy-enhanced wing drove into the Aerodactyl's face, and this time it was enough to send the Aerodactyl plummeting, its unconscious body tumbling down into the midst of its surging allies.
These Pokemon are tougher than I expected. Kriesh sagged in midair, catching her breath. I'm already taking damage, and the battle's barely begun.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kriesh could see Trainers and Legendaries teleporting or flying away, rushing to the aid of the other islands and the town below. Among the Trainers was Emma, teleporting alongside Tapu Lele; Kriesh barely had time to catch sight of them before they disappeared in a flash of Mind. Any further pondering over the state of the wider battle was abandoned as yet another sonic boom heralded the arrival of yet another threat.
But this was not another Ultra Beast, nor another surge of random Pokemon. Instead, as Kriesh looked up, she could see Necrozma still hanging in the air, watching the battle from high above. The entire battle seemed to pause as two figures emerged from a portal beside Necrozma. One looked like a gigantic snowflake, the other a bizarre small bright red creature akin to a Zubat in shape and size. Neither one had any distinguishing features, but Kriesh could feel malice and power radiating from both of them as they slowly descended down towards the plateau.
"Bittercold. Dark Rust." Necrozma's voice boomed outwards once more. "Leave no survivors."
The Bittercold? Medicham felt shock flow through her at the name, and now recognized the description. Could this be the same creature from Lucario's story? I thought Virizion killed it!
As the Bittercold and the other creature - Dark Rust - descended, from the gateway behind them rushed a horde of creatures. They looked like tiny versions of Pokemon, but all were enshrouded in a purple-black aura. "Go, my Dark Legion!" Dark Rust cried. "Tear them apart!"
The battle had descended upon the plateau so swiftly that not all of the Pokemon were fully engaged; as such, many swiftly whirled to meet this new threat. Medicham saw Kriesh flying upwards, firing a Hyper Beam from her beak at one of the new adversaries. But even as others rose to join her, firing their own attacks, the Bittercold let out a low rumbling moan, a moan that surged over the plateau like a crashing wave. Every Pokemon on the plateau seemed to still for a few moments as the wave struck them. Medicham braced herself as the wave slammed into her; no pain came, but rather a crushing feeling of negativity, overwhelming all other emotions in Medicham's mind.
There's too many of them. Why are we bothering to fight if we know we're going to lose?
"I think not."
The sharp female voice tore through the fog of negativity, and Medicham opened her eyes in time to see Zacian step forward, Zamazenta at her side, both glaring up at the descending Bittercold. "Do not worry," Zacian growled. "We will handle this."
At that, Zacian and Zamazenta crouched and leaped upwards side by side, seeming to almost fly as they hurled themselves upwards at the Bittercold. The Bittercold rose to meet them, spinning in midair and unleashing a rush of roaring wind as it came on.
"You will all be Rusted!" Dark Rust leaped to its ally's aid, and then a burst of Distortion exploded in the creature's face, staggering it as Marshadow appeared right in front of it. Dark Rust cried out in pain as it stumbled backwards, Distortion crackling around it.
"Huh, someone's weak to Ghost." Marshadow grinned. "This'll be fun."
As the three Legendaries lunged for their two opponents, Medicham heard a sharp cry from the side and turned to see Liepard. Like the rest of Marcus's team, she was in the thick of the fighting, and as such it took a moment before Medicham was able to spot her. She was battling against a Pinsir, Volbeat, and Armaldo, all of whom were working together to keep Liepard off-balance and overwhelm her.
As Medicham watched, Liepard struck the Pinsir with a swift Sucker Punch, sending it stumbling away and giving her a moment of breathing room. Scanning the immediate area, Liepard's eyes caught sight of a massive Garchomp nearby - likely Cynthia's - unleashing a brutally powerful Earthquake into a whole mass of the enemy horde. His command over the technique was impressive; far from the typical shockwave of Ground energy, instead the whole earth seemed to erupt from his attack, shards of dirt and stone mixed with Ground energy flying upwards and sending at least half a dozen enemy Pokemon flying away.
"Farceur: Imitateur!" There was a noticeable strain to Liepard's words as she used Copycat, the sheer power she was duplicating threatening to overwhelm her stamina, but she managed to get it through. An exact copy of Garchomp's powerful Earthquake surged out from Liepard's front paws. All three of her Bug-type assailants recoiled, howling in pain, not even their type resistance enough to withstand the Champion-level attack.
Liepard had just enough time to smirk before something tiny slammed into her.
By now, Dark Rust's Dark Legion had reached the ground, and one of them had instantly gone for Liepard. The Dark-type yowled in agony as the strange creature, its dark aura rippling wildly around it, practically burrowed into her side. To Medicham's horror, purple-black energy began to spread from where the creature was burrowed, slowly washing over Liepard's hide as she thrashed in pain.
Glancing around wildly, Medicham saw Drapion being thrown onto his back by an Earthquake from a menacing Rhyperior, saw Kriesh spiraling downwards as she tried to throw off the two Dark Legion members trying to latch onto her, saw Cloyster, Trevenant, Houndoom, Pangoro, even Kamado struggling against two or three or even four foes at once.
We're being overwhelmed. The unwelcome realization washed over Medicham. They weren't lying…we aren't ready for this kind of battle.
"Zekrom." Medicham jolted as she heard a voice from nearby. She turned to see N standing nearby, seemingly detached from the battle around him, as beside him stood Zekrom's towering black form, bright blue Lightning crackling around his body and his two tiny red eyes glowing upon his head.
"Do it." And with those words, Zekrom crouched, clenching his fists and baring his teeth as the Lightning coursing across his body surged forth from a hundred places.
"Teravolt: Derecho!"
All around Zekrom's form, a massive surge of wind picked up, roiling in a tornado-like formation that crackled with Lightning. Several members of Necrozma's army and even a couple of the Dark Legion were picked up by the wind as they tried to rush Zekrom, borne flailing into the air, unable to resist the force of the swirling wind. The wind rose up a hundred feet into the sky, spiraling further and further, larger and larger, forming a great funnel around Zekrom that Medicham could feel buffeting her even inside her Luxury Ball.
The sky took a deep breath, and then lit up with Lightning.
Howls came from everywhere upon the plateau as pinpoint-accuracy bolts burst outwards from the tornado and slammed into Necrozma's forces, leaving their adversaries completely untouched. Nearly a hundred enemy Pokemon fell, their bodies scorched by the force of the Lightning; Liepard collapsed as the Dark Legion member that had been attached to her was thrown off, body crackling. Medicham had never seen such an impressive use of Lightning; she found herself staring at Zekrom as he rose, the funnel of wind dissipating around him, his great head scanning the area.
The entire battle had paused for a moment with Zekrom's attack; now, it resumed. The hundred or so smoking bodies of Necrozma's horde that had fallen were now trampled over by others, and it appeared that the Dark Legion were made of tougher stuff, for they were now all rising into the air, collectively glaring at Zekrom. "I will deal with them!" Zekrom roared. "Focus on the horde!"
The Trained Pokemon seemed happy to oblige, throwing themselves back into the battle once more. As Zekrom launched himself into the air, body surging with Lightning once more and what looked to be a massive stormcloud gathering over his head, N stepped up to Marcus. "I know you want to fight," the green-haired man said. "But right now, you and your Pokemon would be better off remaining inside. They will breach there eventually; your Pokemon will likely have more success dealing with individual breaches than this horde."
Marcus nodded. "All right." Swiftly, he raised his Luxury Balls and ran his fingers across them, recalling his team from their respective fights. Then he turned and ran towards the house; behind him, N released a titanic Klinklang who at once whirred, spun, and sent a wave of Electric energy into a group of enemies who had tried rushing Marcus from behind.
As Marcus rushed through the door, Lillie and Gladion jumped up, while Silvally rose into a defensive position in front of them. They all relaxed after a moment. "What're you doing in here?" Gladion asked.
"N told me to stay in here in case any of them came in," Marcus told Gladion.
"We can handle ourselves," said Gladion.
"Gladion, please," said Lillie. To Marcus she said, "We'll take all the help we can get."
As Marcus took up a position next to Lillie and Gladion, while outside the battle continued to rage, Medicham heard a sound in her mind. A sound that she instantly recognized as a Perish Song. But this was no Herald's voice; she recognized Darkrai's voice instantly, and knew this Perish Song was his call to arms.
It's time.
Medicham closed her eyes, surrendered to the Perish Song, and allowed herself to be drawn into Oblivion.
"-we have just received reports that battles are breaking out across all four islands of Alola. Witnesses are describing 'portals' opening and releasing armies of Pokemon all over Alola, and pitched battles are taking place in Heahea City, Po Town, and atop Melemele Plateau. The Tapus and other Alolan Legendaries have been spotted facing off against creatures that have been identified as Ultra Beasts."
The broadcast suddenly flashed with a 'Mute' icon. "It's time." Giovanni's voice disturbed the roomful of interested watchers. Betrayer-Of-Kin turned her head to see him standing at the back of the room, Sierra and her Alakazam at his side. All other people in the room turned towards him expectantly as the six participants in the upcoming mission stood and began to walk over.
Betrayer-Of-Kin turned back towards the muted but still playing broadcast as Giovanni stepped back; he seemed satisfied that Sierra could handle things from here. Betrayer-Of-Kin knew this meant she would have to drastically alter her timetable. In all likelihood, the majority of the Heralds would be distracted fending off the invasion; this would be a prime opportunity to find and destroy Marcus.
By now, the broadcaster had clearly passed the news on to a different broadcaster, who was apparently (likely via some kind of Flying-type) catching an overhead view of the battle that the subtitles helpfully informed Betrayer-Of-Kin was on Melemele Plateau. Betrayer-Of-Kin was about to turn away when her eyes caught sight of something that at once drew her full attention.
She blinked. There was no mistaking Marcus's visage.
What in Arceus's name is he doing there? Surely Bringer-Of-Visions wouldn't want to risk him in such a battle!
Betrayer-Of-Kin shook her head. She did not need to waste time wondering what Bringer-Of-Visions was planning. She now knew exactly where Marcus was.
And she would not allow this opportunity to go to waste.
Swiftly, Betrayer-Of-Kin bounded over to Giovanni. Giovanni saw her coming and stepped backwards into a corner of the room, nonverbally inviting Betrayer-Of-Kin to join him.
Betrayer-Of-Kin looked up at Giovanni. "Apologies for the suddenness," she whispered, "but I have suddenly found myself in urgent need of a trip to Alola."
Understanding lit up Giovanni's eyes; clearly he knew at least something about what had prompted this. "Sierra!" he called. "If you wouldn't mind, Betrayer-Of-Kin wishes to accompany you."
Sierra nodded, smiling thinly as Betrayer-Of-Kin strolled over to the rest of the Alolan-bound Team Rocket members. Betrayer-Of-Kin took one last glance over at the broadcast as she stepped to Sierra's side; the broadcast had cut away once again, and was now showing a battle taking place between Tapu Bulu and a towering colossus of an Ultra Beast that seemed to be half gigantic toothy mouth.
Not this time, Marcus. You can't get lucky forever…
You might be noticing that there are a lot of characters involved in this. Not all of them will be heavily featured. Unlike Geosenge and Aether, where pretty much everyone involved got screen time, here will be a different story. There will be a fairly sizable amount of viewpoints, but this is a full-scale war, and as much as I'd love to, I can't have every participant get time in the spotlight.
If I tried that, these chapters would all have triple-digit wordcounts, and I'd have to spend so much time writing them all my friends would think I'm dead. I'd prefer to avoid that if at all possible, so sorry in advance if your personal favorite character winds up with less screentime than you'd like.
