Pokextinction

by THE CREATOR and Hydra

The world is on the verge of collapse when a man who despises Pokemon with a burning passion and the ruthless rampaging Necrozma threaten world destruction. With tensions rising between every single Legendary Pokemon, even Arceus and Mew won't be able to stop the coming fire... And when all hope is lost, the world will turn to Ash.

35. Chapter 35: Benevolent Lies

Hall of Origins

Alone, Arceus sat upon his throne and watched what he could of the world with his meager power. It was steadily returning to him, his strength. And yet, it was not enough. He watched New Goldenrod City's inhabitants hustling about, dragging supplies from place to place as buildings were hastily created to fill the void Necrozma left. Unbeknownst to the humans and ordinary Pokemon, a few Legends, masked in some way or another, aided them from time to time.

An invisible Hoopa pushed the back of a builder who had stretched too hard atop a balcony, surely preventing a tragedy. Azelf helped steady a man who was carrying far too many boxes for his own good before he could fall, then took off before the man could even notice. Shaymin, who wasn't quite as shy as the others, gleefully flew past the gardens near the base of Star Tower, making the flowers bloom beautifully and earning a handful of grateful cheers from its audience.

The lonesome Alpha Pokemon smiled. Many Legends had retained their shyness toward humans and other Pokemon, but it was a grand start. His dream was slowly but surely coming to fruition; a world where the Legends no longer needed to hide. One where all creatures of the world he and Mew created could live hand in hand. He just hoped that Mew would eventually come around and start trying to make that dream a reality as well.

"Curse my weakness," Lamented Arceus wearily. "Had I the strength, I would be leading by example by now, but…" He cringed at his frailty, cursing himself for his foolishness during Necrozma's reign of terror for a time nigh innumerable. "...Forget it all," Spoke the weary creator, forcing himself to stand on his aching legs. "I can stand this no longer. Perhaps what my old bones need is some movement to hasten my recovery."

His body stiffened and trembled as he rose to his tallest height and stretched for the first time since he'd last played with Palkia. Letting out a long-winded sigh, he shook off his drowsiness and surmised the options available to him. He could go to New Goldenrod City, as it was the most populated area in both people and Legends, but that could cause a disturbance in their work. A visit to the hometown of his chosen one would mean little considering he wasn't there.

"...Ah, but there's that…"

Arceus recalled the town of New Bark, which had been destroyed by himself and Necrozma in their second battle. He hadn't the strength to repair it all on his own, but perhaps… "Xerneas!" He called, his booming voice echoing through the ivory Hall. Soon after, a portal appeared behind the platform belonging to the Life Pokemon, and the brilliantly blue deer stepped into the Hall.

She looked to her master and father, then gave a small, courteous bow before speaking. "Good day to you, Lord Arceus," She said. Arceus realized he'd never been paying attention before, but this daughter of his had a voice as beautiful as her form. "Is there something you need of me?"

Arceus nodded. "That there is." Glancing forward, he summoned a visage of New Bark Town. Just as he thought, it was still in utter ruin. Massive craters and flung boulders littered the area, mountains appeared to have been cleaved in two and massive chunks of the earth appeared to have been flipped over. Let alone the disaster that befell Route 29. The only redeeming quality of the ravaged landscape was that it no longer appeared blackened by fire.

And yet, humans and Pokemon still worked tirelessly to rebuild their home. Arceus smiled at this. "In one of my duels with Necrozma," He started, "What remained of this town was caught in the crossfire, reducing it to the sorry state you see now." Dispelling the vision, he turned back toward Xerneas and said, "I mean to undo some of the damage."

Concerned, Xerneas asked, "In your current state?"

It was no secret to the Legends that Arceus was a shell of his former self, and though some of that was for the better, there was no denying that he was in no state to do much of anything besides give orders. With how widespread Team Rocket's influence was, an appearance from Arceus would send waves amidst their ranks. Or, if they were already hiding near New Bark Town, they could easily use Arceus's weakened state to stage a capture attempt once he was done healing the land.

Evidently, Xerneas's worries were painted upon her expression, and Arceus asked, "Worried about this old fool, are you?" He gave a small laugh and said, "Well, I thank you for that, but regardless of the danger to myself, I owe these people their home back. But, I know my own limits, so I am requesting your aid in this endeavor."

Xerneas's face soured as she recalled the state of the town. "While I am honored, Lord Arceus, by your faith in me, I am not entirely certain my power will be enough to undo that level of damage."

"There is no need for that," Said Arceus, "For we'll only be carving out a spot of land for them to rebuild, and perhaps clearing a path to the nearest town for their ease. I don't plan on crippling myself to the point of immobility again, but merely lending a hand."

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Xerneas finally bowed and conceded. "I suppose there is no talking you out of this. Very well then. I will offer my all, should the need arise."

Arceus chuckled. "Your help will be invaluable. And I apologize for pulling you away from your other duties." He nodded up, summoning a gleaming, golden gate before him. "Now then, let us be off."

---

The people of New Bark Town worked busily to clear the landscape. Boulders littered the ravaged ground like hail after a storm. A bulky former trainer and their Machoke grunted as they pushed one through the dirt until finally coming upon a cliff and tipping it over. The large stone bounced down the steep hill before shattering on top of the other boulders that had met the same fate.

With their work complete, the two backed away from the cliff and fell onto their backs in exhaustion. "Phew!" Exclaimed the man as he turned his head toward his partner. "That makes about a dozen today, doesn't it?" The Machoke in question let out a long sigh and nodded.

Pushing itself back onto its feet, the Machoke offered its hand to its trainer, who accepted and was pulled up. As the two turned back toward the others, a frown crawled down their faces upon seeing all the work they still had left to do.

"There's gotta be hundreds of these darn things," Lamented the man, "Maybe thousands. And that's just for the town itself." The two turned to look at Route 29, which was exponentially worse than what happened to the town. As far as the eye could see, the land looked like it had been churned by a giant blender. Not a single slab of land didn't jut up in some way like knives, and the trees that hadn't been torn to shreds now littered the ocean floor nearby.

The duo let out fatigued groans, suddenly feeling the weakness in their legs return. "How in Aura's name are we going to fix that?! What, are we going to have to take boat rides to Violet City and back from now on?"

"We may have to, unfortunate as that is."

The muscled man and his Machoke turned at the sound of the voice, finding none other than Professor Elm. After the recovery effort of New Bark Town went underway, he had took it upon himself to lead it.

Elm said, "It's difficult to imagine that such a travesty could be undone, let alone in our lifetimes." He sighed. "Until we find another path, a boat is about our only way out of New Bark." The Professor then turned away from the sight and back toward where the town itself once was. "For now," He said, "We should focus on what we can do. The town won't get any better by worrying about the route after all."

The other man stretched his tired arms, preparing them to be used again in spite of their protests. "Guess that's true," He said. "We should worry about putting roofs over these folks' heads before anything else."

"Precisely," Said the Professor. He handed two red boxes to the man and his Machoke. When they were opened, the duo found some packed sandwiches and water. "There's your lunch, by the way. Your help has been irreplaceable, so be sure to keep your strength up."

Though certainly thankful, the man looked at Professor Elm oddly. "How come you're delivering it? Is that Euden kid slacking off?"

Professor Elm was quick to shake his head. "No, I told him to go into the northern area that opened up to see if he could discover any cave openings. If we're lucky, we may be able to scope out a path to Blackthorn City to make up for Route 29."

The man let out a gruff scoff. "I guess that'd be one good thing to come out of this. Shame it's gotta be accompanied by everything that damn demon brought with him."

Neither of them spoke for a while after that. They merely looked on ahead at the mountains that were either cleaved apart or burned black. Eventually, Machoke decided to sate his appetite and began snacking on his rations. Its partner followed suit soon after, while Elm merely watched on as the other townsfolk took care of their boulder problem in different ways.

"...Say," The muscle-bound man said suddenly, "You ever think it'll recover?"

Elm nodded hastily. "Certainly," He said with a smile. "All of you have been working so hard to get rid of the rocks." He pulled out a notepad, scrolling through them frantically. "At the rate you're all working, we should have room to rebuild in only a few months."

"Not that," He said. "Well, not just that." Snarfing down the rest of his meal, the man clapped a hand on the Professor's shoulder and looked up to the sky above Route 29. "I'm talking this whole area. Heck, the world too. Necrozma, Team Rocket, their Nova Branch. When's it all gonna end, y'know?"

It was an apt question, one the Professor knew everyone was asking themselves. Even he found himself wondering about it on occasions when he had the free time to let his mind wander. "...It's hard to say, honestly. Mr. Star and the chosen one have been working to put a stop to Team Rocket, but it's difficult to say when the end will finally come."

Wistfully, he followed the gaze of the burly man up toward the cyan skies above. "Whether it will come from Team Rocket's defeat or them simply stealing everything until there's nothing left to and collapsing, I can't picture them lasting for more than a few years."

He then tore his gaze from the sky to face the gnarled landscape Necrozma left in his wake. "But...it's difficult to imagine something like this going away. Time heals all wounds, they say…"

Unbeknownst to them, a golden rift appeared from behind them just over the cliff's edge. From it, one leg of white and gold, and another of deep blue stepped out onto the grass. The latter's touch caused the grass's color to brighten.

"...And yet, picturing such desolation merely disappearing may take centuries, if not millennia, to undo." Elm sighed, then perked up. "But things like that are beyond us. We should get back to work soon so we can at least see our town restored."

A mischievous smirk upon his face, Arceus approached them and asked, "But why settle just for that? Wouldn't you rather see the land returned to its former glory?"

The two men and Machoke staggered backwards, and Elm fell onto his backside. "L-lord Arceus!" Screamed Elm in surprise.

"Simply Arceus will do," Spoke the Alpha, gently shaking his head. "I carry not my title or status here. I am here as a friend."

Utterly dumbstruck, Elm and the other man looked to one another in disbelief before looking back to Arceus. Xerneas stifled a chuckle and said to Arceus, "They seem to revere you, but don't know how to show it."

The large man swallowed the lump in his throat, scrounging up the confidence to speak once more. "S-so, uh, Arceus? If I may ask, what are you doing here?" His eyes shot wide when he realized the rudeness of his question, quickly bowing. "N-not that your, er, presence is unwelcome!"

Arceus let out a small chuckle at that. "You need not worry about offending me. I come here as an equal, and to aid you in the recovery of your town."

At that, Elm jumped to his feet. "You've come to...help us?! What have we done to deserve it? Surely you must be far too busy to restore our little town."

"And yet, here I stand," Retorted Arceus, nodding up at the landscape beyond the two. By now, some of the others had spotted Arceus and Xerneas and were either running toward them or stunned stiff. It earned an earnest smile from him. "I am never too busy for the people and Pokemon of this world, and to tell you the truth, it is not what you did that I am here today. It is what I did."

Xerneas walked past them, leaving flower buds with every step. "Let us wait on that for now. We should commence with the restoration effort with haste."

Arceus nodded to her. "Right you are, Xerneas." Turning back to the Professor, he said, "We will have time for questions later, but for now, do you not agree that the land takes priority?" He raised his head to address the others, causing some of those running toward him to come to a stop and await his next action, out of either concern or curiosity. "My, er…" Arceus fumbled over the word 'children' before stopping himself. Mentally, he mulled over using the words 'subjects' and 'people,' but eventually settled on something completely different.

"My friends," Spoke Arceus, "I come here on this day to aid you. Not as a so-called 'god' or a Legendary Pokemon. I come here as an equal, to both help in the restoration of your home, and to right a wrong." First eyeing the stones littered about their former town, Arceus said, "Let us start with these pesky things." He knelt over, deeply focusing on summoning his power forth. The action caused an ache in his head and chest, but he pressed on.

'Oh come now, don't fail me now, plates!'

His efforts soon bore fruit when his golden ring suddenly shifted color, becoming a deep purple not dissimilar to the coloration of amethyst. Arceus let out a sigh of relief and let his stance lax. "There we go," He said, looking back at his ring. "I was beginning to worry that I couldn't use my plates anymore. Let's see what I can do with the Mind one."

Setting his sights upon the stones that blocked New Bark Town's restoration sight, Arceus's eyes began to glow the color of his ring. In response, all the boulders the townsfolk had slaved away at getting rid of for so long were miraculously jettisoned into the air where they proceeded to converge upon one another and were crushed into oblivion. Even the powder they were reduced to upon impact with one another imploded upon itself, resulting in their disappearance.

Nodding in content at his work, Arceus said, "There we go. That takes care of our little rubble problem, now doesn't it?"

"S-such incredible power!" Marveled the muscle-bound man.

An equally-stunned Professor Elm gave a small nod, staring up at the sky where the stones dissipated. "The boulders, they just...vanished all at once!" Lowering his gaze to Arceus, he sputtered, "Y-you've saved us months of work in mere moments! Er, how could we-"

"Think not of repayment," Said Arceus, shaking his head, "For I am owed nothing." He then set his sights upon the ravaged Route 29, leering at it eagerly. "This will be interesting. I wonder if I've regained enough power to restore it fully?"

When the townsfolk followed Arceus's gaze and landed upon the route, their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Y-you mean you're going to fix Route 29?!" Cried the professor in utter disbelief. "Not that I doubt your abilities, your- er, Arceus, but-" He blinked, cutting himself off suddenly. "Oh, what am I saying?! Please, if you think you could fix it, that would be an incredible help!"

Arceus smirked. "Then it shall be done, my friend. My old, aching body will just have to bear it."

Stepping forward, Xerneas asked, "And what would you have me do?"

At first, Arceus did not answer his daughter. He instead surveyed the fractured landscape. Somehow, as he scanned the entire route, he found that it looked even worse than what he thought at a first glance. Parts of the route closest to the sea had come undone entirely and sunk beneath the waves. Spires of raw material that had piled up into the ocean poked out, looking like fingers as they penetrated the surface. There had to be thousands of tons of land sunken beneath it.

Necrozma appeared to have been facing away from the town when he did...whatever he had done, resulting in the land seemingly curling in on itself toward the next city over. It was lucky, perhaps nothing short of a miracle, that Violet City remained untouched by the calamity. As for the route itself, massive mounds of spiked earth and stone seemed to have been pushed, almost like a ball or a wave, on top of itself over and over. Like the route itself had become a wave.

How Keldeo survived being at the forefront of that ordeal, Arceus would never understand. But he was eternally thankful for it, to whatever forces beyond himself, and perhaps even his creator, that may be out there. It would certainly be an ordeal and a half to undo it, but with Xerneas at his side, it may be possible.

"Oh!" Realizing that he'd left Xerneas and the others hanging while he contemplated the disaster before them, Arceus swiftly turned to address her. "My apologies, Xerneas. I was...lost in thought, you see. About the route. For the moment, please just try to keep me supplied with energy while I work on undoing this mess."

Xerneas nodded. "Very well," She said, "But do take care not to overexert yourself. It won't do anyone good if you cannot move again."

That earned a chuckle from Arceus. "I suppose I really am getting old if I am being lectured by my own daughter."

To the onlooking townsfolk, the sight of Arceus laughing during a chat with another Legendary Pokemon felt surreal. If any of them hadn't been slack-jawed before, they were now.

"Anyways," Started the Alpha, rolling his neck, "Are you ready, Xerneas?"

She nodded, closing her eyes to prepare for the energy transfer. "Yes, milord," She said. From the avatar of life's cycle's body, a sublime azure light began emanating. It trailed toward Arceus, flowing from Xerneas's feet like a gleaming river through the grass and leaving wondrous flowers in its path. The flowers gleamed with light so brightly that they appeared to be almost clear.

Arceus let out a breathy sigh when touched by it, feeling his aches melt away. For the first time in months, he felt powerful again. Like he could move freely without his damned body yelling at him at every possible opportunity. He took in one of the clearest breaths he had in what felt like ages, then went to work.

A series of gasps and shocked cries erupted from the townsfolk as chunks of jagged stone began rising from the ocean. Arceus's Psychic power shot across the route like a wave until it met the large pile that Necrozma's wave created, lifting it into the air as well.

Shards of stone and soil spiraled into the sky from as far forward as the eye could see, soon blotting out the sky itself like a flock of Murkrow. A wall of literal black, ascending from the land and sea. It sounded as forceful as a thunderclap that did not cease; like the broken land was roaring like Arceus had awoken it from slumber.

Eventually, it all congregated into a massive sphere that hovered over the route ahead. Its sheer size caused some of those who stared up at it to fall on their backsides when their legs grew weak.

Once the last stone had found its place, a silence fell over the area. No one spoke for a time. They merely looked up at the massive sphere above them, awed by its presence. It was Arceus himself who was the first to break the silence.

Opening his eyes, Arceus turned back toward the townsfolk and said, "Should it please you, I wish to recreate the area in a manner that is accurate to how it was before. However, there is a problem."

Managing to pull his gaze back down, Elm shakily asked, "A-and what would that be, A-Arceus?"

Arceus gave a sheepish chuckle. "Another good reason for us Legends to start walking the world more casually and frequently," He said to himself. Then, addressing the others, he said, "I am unfamiliar with this landscape as you know it. I, of course, journeyed to Johto on numerous occasions, but never in recent times."

That was not entirely true. After all, he briefly appeared to combat Necrozma, but he didn't exactly have the opportunity to appreciate the environment while it had been set ablaze. Not to mention that telling them about that right now might cause unwanted confusion. But they would receive the truth in time.

His eye was caught by an elderly woman who stepped forth to answer his question. She was small and had more wrinkles than Arceus thought possible for a human. Her eyes were barely even visible between them. In spite of all that, she smiled up at him brightly.

"If you need a frame of reference, you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone more suited for the job than me," She said with a confidence Arceus couldn't help but find endearing. With the snap of her finger, she said, "I've been living in Violet City past Route 29 for my entire life, and I've taken frequent trips here to New Bark. I've got the route memorized by heart."

Returning the smile, Arceus replied, "That will be a grand help, but…" He looked over to Xerneas, who was still supplying energy to her father, and toward the orb in the sky. "...In the interest of saving time and energy, I would ask something of you that may violate your privacy."

The old woman gave an odd, jittery laugh at that. "Don't get an old girl excited. Even if you're older." The townsfolk immediately went slack-jawed at her. She shook her head to get the joke out of her system before looking back up to Arceus and regaining her composure. "Ah, but pardon me. Please, do go on."

"...Yes." Clearing his throat, Arceus explained, "I would ask to use my Mind Plate to read into your memories of the route. That way, no step-by-step explanation would be needed."

She hummed to herself in thought, tilting her head up to look at the floating orb. "...Well," She started, "We don't want that coming down on our heads, so you don't leave me much bargaining room."

Arceus was quick to bow his head. "My apologies," He said. "It was not my intention."

She merely brushed him off. "Oh, I'm just teasing you! Come on, then, my mind's got no secrets I care about at my age."

"Very well, then," Spoke Arceus with a flat nod. Being honest with himself, the old lady was a bit off-putting, but he knew he didn't have any high ground to speak on about that. Staring down at her with eyes flickering magenta, he said, "I will extract the information now." When her response was merely a nonchalant nod, Arceus proceeded. His eyes shone brightly, forcing all but the old lady, himself and Xerneas to look away.

When that light faded, Arceus found himself in a brightly-colored void, filled only with images and other visions from the elder woman's perspective. For the sake of her privacy, he turned away from them and tuned his focus toward his true goal. It was very close, which he surmised was due to the woman's remembrance of it.

A wave of nostalgia flowed over Arceus upon finding the memory of Route 29, but he did not know exactly where it came from. To him, it seemed like it poured from two different sources. One from himself, and one alien, though it was not hard for him to figure out the opposing source after determining that the other source was alien. It came from the woman. Evidently, coming in contact with the memory had made it much clearer in her mind.

A natural, serene emerald green as far as the eye could see, only perturbed by the differing browns of dirt and tree bark. The forests were so large that the nearby ocean south to the route, which was now in clear view and closer than ever with the ground's upheaval, were once thoroughly hidden. If Arceus didn't know better, he would have never assumed that the sea was so close. He could see it all so clearly, thanks to her.

The other sense of nostalgia was his own. A scape such as this void, where memories are stored. He hadn't seen anyone's memories but his own in ages. For all the pride his past self held, the current Arceus could at least take pride knowing he had stopped himself from violating others' thoughts long ago, even when his rage was blinding. At least he had some sense of wisdom back then. To invade even the deepest parts of one's minds and take every secret from them...it would be no better than Necrozma.

He realized that he let his mind wander yet again and cursed himself for it. "...I think I'm beginning to make a bad habit about that," Arceus said aloud. "Let's not keep them waiting any longer, lest this old fool's body collapse."

---

The townsfolk were alerted by what sounded like a thunderclap. They craned their heads up to look, but upon finding the true source of the noise, their blood ran cold. The stone sphere above them appeared to be falling apart. At first, a series of panicked screams arose from them. Some even turned to run, believing that something had gone horribly awry.

"Do not be afraid," Spoke Xerneas, halting their panic. Calmly, she looked away from them up toward the collapsing orb. The flow of energy from her to Arceus, unfaltering. "The debris is not falling," She said, "But rather, being pulled down." When she turned back to the others, she smiled at them knowingly. "I'd wager we're about to see your route return."

The first piece of stone to meet the ground suddenly stopped before doing so, gently meeting it as it halted. Like a soft rainfall, other chunks began meeting the ground en masse. The townsfolk watched with ever-lowering jaws as, like pieces to a puzzle, a landfall pieced their route back together.

Some fell into the ocean, gradually rebuilding the land that was scattered beneath it. It was surreal—utterly breathtaking even—for the townsfolk to see the landscape fall into place like a stack of dominoes.

Arceus made sure to keep each and every piece closely held together, evidenced by the pink glow holding them even when they touched down. "I must thank you again," He said to the elderly lady. "Your aid was certainly irreplaceable. If not for you, this route may never have been the same."

The elder gave him a high-pitched, dismissible laugh and shook her head. "Oh, it was nothing, dearie. But the young folk really ought to stop relying on us old folk."

Turning toward them, a smile rose up Arceus's face. It was weary, but being with his people, the old god still felt happy. "I don't mind it," He said. "It...feels nice to have someone rely on me."

He cleared his throat and spoke to them, snapping them out of their trance. "Now then! If you would, please follow me." He faced the route ahead where the landfall had already begun proceeding ahead. "I think it would be nice if we all had a walk, wouldn't you?"

---

Arceus led the others as they strolled through the route. The path ahead grew with each step forward. Behind him, he could hear the townsfolk eagerly chatting with one another now that their shock had been replaced with excitement for the future.

"You certainly look content," Commented Xerneas playfully. She looked up at her father, allowing herself to break her normal stoic image for the sake of a small smirk.

"How could I not be?" Responded Arceus, returning her smirk with a genuine smile. He looked back at the humans and Pokemon trailing behind them and said, "At long last, I am fulfilling the original dream Mew and I set out to do long ago. It is a shame that she cannot yet see it."

Xerneas's smirk faltered at that. "Yes, you're right, I just hope one day she will be as content as you are now, but regardless the others sure seem to appreciate your work so far don't you think?" Xerneas glanced back towards the group of awed humans with her smile returning.

Arceus followed her gaze. "It's just nice to finally be setting things right again. After so many mistakes I can finally make up for some of my wrongs."

The pair couldn't help but to chuckle as they watched some of the townspeople becoming excited about the grass and small flower buds Xerneas left in her wake. One little girl, who couldn't have been older than four, made her way ahead of the group of humans and jogged to the legend duo.

"H-hi!" She greeted. The smile on her tiny face stretched from ear to ear. It nearly melted Arceus's old heart on the spot. In her small hands, she held some flowers that were half her own size and offered them up to the two. "Theeese are for...you!"

Xerneas turned her head up to the path of flowers behind them and saw that, a ways behind the main group, some of them had been uprooted. "Did you now?" She asked with a small laugh. "That's quite kind of you, little one, but I think the flowers like you more."

Surprised, the girl looked at the flowers with wide eyes. "They do?!"

As Arceus and Xerneas chuckled at the young girl, another woman noticed her and quickly ran over, taking her into her arms. "I'm so sorry about her!"

Quick to dissuade her, Arceus said, "It is of no consequence. In fact, I enjoyed her presence."

Surprised by this, the woman asked, "R-Really? It's not any trouble?"

"None whatsoever," He replied.

The young girl soon wormed her way out of her mother's grasp to return to the side of the Legends. "You're...nice!" She said enthusiastically. "A-and very cool!" Every word the young girl said just made Arceus's heart melt even more. Especially the way she seemed to trip over each one. Her excitement simply outpaced them.

"She hasn't been able to go to any school yet," Explained the mother. "Ever since...everything that's happened, hardly any have been able to stay open. Here in Johto, the only ones left are in New Goldenrod City and Olivine City."

Sighing, the mother looked down at her energetic little daughter. "I've tried to teach her myself, but...it's been hard. We…we lost her father in the war, so I've been raising her alone. I like to think I've been doing my best, but…"

She sniffed, stifling back the crying that threatened to reveal itself in her voice and wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry," She said, "My problems probably seem like nothing to you."

"Not at all," Arceus assured her. "I don't believe suffering can be compared in measurable quantities. My problems are no greater or lesser than yours."

The mother was taken aback by Arceus's humility. She envisioned him to be stern and no-nonsense; a terrifying lord with absolute power. "I, er- That's…"

Her daughter wandered closer to Xerneas, utterly infatuated by the trail of life left in her wake. Her eyes were practically gleaming as she watched the new flower buds spring up from the ground.

"Whoooa!" She exclaimed. "H-how do you do that?!"

Xerneas looked to the sky that wasn't blotted out by the sphere, humming in thought. "That is quite difficult to explain, young one." She looked down to find the girl looking at her oddly, confused by the Legend's words. "It is hard to say," She told her, earning an immediate albeit silent 'o' from the girl.

"Perhaps," Said a wondering Arceus, "That is a story I may tell everyone one day." His face soured suddenly. "...Once this Team Rocket business is done with."

The girl's mother evidently felt the same, as the name of that organization caused her to scowl. "Those people...they're despicable! It's thanks to them that my husband can't rest in peace!"

Arceus nodded. "I assure you that their transgressions...no, their betrayal will not go unpunished in due time. But…" His face softened. "That will come another day. For now, we must forsake vengeance for those lost in favor of those who still draw breath."

Xerneas felt something tug on the fur of her leg. She looked down, finding the little girl. "Up?" She asked kindly.

"No, dear," Her mother quickly said, pulling her away from Xerneas. "They're busy right now. We shouldn't get in their way."

"It's still not a problem," Said Arceus, "But...how do you feel, Xerneas?"

The Legend of Life in question looked to the girl almost uncomfortably. It was one thing to converse with humans. She had grown comfortable with that much during her time spent in New Goldenrod. Intimacy was another subject altogether. Though she knew better, letting humans close felt uncomfortable after so many long years of fearing them. And yet, the look in the young one's eyes was something that was just impossible to say no to.

Arceus said, "I understand if you are uncomfortable with it. This is still a relatively new development. It would be selfish of me to force this on you, so I would be glad to do it in your stead."

"...No," Answered Xerneas, surprising Arceus. "I think the little one and I will get along fine." Addressing the mother, she added, "As long as it is fine with you, of course."

Chuckling at this, Arceus turned away from them so they might have their conversation. He noticed they were drawing close to the coast. A right turn would take the humans straight to Violet City, and he was happy to see that Route 30 hadn't sustained much damage.

It wasn't long after when he reached the coast. According to the old lady's memories, he was now standing on top of what remained of Cherrygrove City. "What a sorry shame," He lamented aloud. By the time the land wave hit them, its size would have been unimaginable to them. He could at least take solace knowing it was swift for them. Not many who died by Necrozma's hand could say the same.

Then, the last stone fell into place along Route 30's beginning. Most of it still had to be held together by him or it would fall apart, but he would soon remedy that detail. When he turned back toward the others, he heard a series of cheers break out among them.

"It's almost unbelievable!" Exclaimed Professor Elm. He shuffled his glasses as he observed the new landscape, almost not believing what he saw. "To think that we would be able to see this again in our lifetimes… Lord Arceus, how can we-"

Arceus, shaking his head, quickly cut him off. "Please, enough with the honorifics. I come here not as lord, god or Legend. I come here as a friend." His eyes glinted almost mischievously. "And besides, my job is not yet completed. I still have two last steps."

He suddenly reared up onto his hind legs, eliciting a series of gasps from the townsfolk, and cried, "EARTH PLATE: OPEN!" Upon his order, his abdominal ring shifted from purple to brown. He stomped into the ground, sending a pulse through it that erased the cracks as it went.

As the others watched on in awe, Arceus rose back up, preparing the final step. "Now, for the plant life that was lost. I shall grant new life in its place! MEADOW PLATE: O-" A sudden ripple of pain ravaged his body and he fell to his knees. To his shame, he let out a gasp of pain that was poorly stifled despite his best efforts.

"Milord!" Cried Xerneas, rushing to his aid. "Are you alright?!"

Upon hearing Xerneas, the townsfolk turned away from the wave and, upon seeing the agonized Arceus, gasped and ran to his aid.

The old god let out a raspy cough that made his body heave to clear his throat. "N-no need to worry," He tried to assure her, but the heavy, desperate breaths he was forced to take in afterwards betrayed him. "I'll-" He coughed yet again. "I'll be fine! I just...hmm...I merely exerted myself a bit too hard."

Xerneas bowed her head in shame. "M-my apologies, milord. Perhaps the power transfer was inadequate."

"It is no fault of yours," Arceus told her, "But that of my old, withering body." He shook his head to clear it of its fogginess, then attempted to stand up. "Perhaps I...merely hadn't prepared myse-" His legs gave out yet again, causing him to grunt in pain slightly.

The tired lord groaned, both in exhaustion and annoyance, and said, "Forgive me, please. My body hasn't been obeying me as it should ever since my battle against Necrozma. I should be able to finish my work after...a moment's respite."

Some of the townsfolk looked to one another, unsure of what to do or say. A few merely plopped to the ground near Arceus to wait and chat amongst themselves. But one was not content with that. The muscly man looked down at his hands, unsure of what to do. He wanted something, yet did not know what. And how could he dare to want anything after Arceus's display of generosity? Then it hit him. It was not an outer want, but an inner one. He wanted something from himself. Something he could do.

"Hey!" He called out to everyone present, gaining their attention. Arceus and Xerneas eyed him curiously. "What the heck are you all just sitting around for?!" He demanded angrily. "Hasn't Arceus done enough for us already?! Instead of lazing around waiting for him to do the work we should be, why don't you all get up and get to work like we've already been doing?!"

The townsfolk looked to one another unsure of what to do until professor Elm quickly stood up. "He's right! Arceus and Xerneas are doing all the work by themselves! Why don't we show our appreciation by lending them a hand?" Quickly, in response to this, all the townsfolk stood back up and roared in agreement, pumping their fists skyward.

Arceus, pleasantly surprised by this new development, cleared his throat and said, "Th-thank you my friends. I will assist you in a moment. I just need to regain my breath is all." He tried to stand up, but again slumped back down.

Xerneas eyed him with concern. "Lord Arceus, please,you need to rest. I won't let you push yourself too hard."

The muscled man, noticing Arceus's attempt to help smiled up at him. "Take all the time you need Arceus! We've got this for now." Waving back at them, he quickly made his way forward toward the rest of the group and started to clear a big tree away with his Machoke.

Arceus and Xerneas sat back while the humans went on ahead and began clearing a path. Arceus quickly shaked his head "I can't believe how foolish I was. I destroy their homes, rule like a tyrant, doom their entire species to stagnation and in response they help me and show me kindness. If I could go back in time I would completely change everything."

Xerneas simply stared at him. "That is in the past, Lord Arceus, you've learned from your mistakes and are attempting to change. Don't dwell on the past, but instead be proud of yourself in the present. Humans and Pokemon are so much closer because of the sacrifices we've all made."

Staring out at the working townspeople wistfully, Arceus mulled over that thought. Perhaps his daughter was not wrong. It was a morbid thought that had come to him from time to time, but he refused to acknowledge it. True, it was, that a sense of strong camaraderie had fallen upon the humans and Pokemon that still had a will to look toward the future. Wondrous friendship and companionship that seemed unbreakable.

But...he had yet to see such things anywhere other than New Goldenrod City until today. The rest of the world was either consumed in despair or working to spread it. Could such a thing as this unbreakable bond truly be worth the sacrifices he imposed upon everything? It seemed impossible to believe. Even if Team Rocket was disposed of and, eventually, this bond could be shared by all living things...would it be worth over half the world dying?

"...I will...think on your words, Xerneas," Said Arceus, "But I am sorry to say I cannot yet believe that it will be worth the consequences of my mistakes."

Xerneas knelt down, allowing the mother of the young girl on her back to reclaim her daughter. "As the avatar of life you created, a part of me believes as you do. And yet…" She smiled down at the mother and her daughter as they hurried towards the others to join in their work. "Something tells me that the life that will eventually come...will never know strife as they did. Eventually, life that will know nothing but peace will far outnumber the life that had to suffer. And that thought excites me enough to look to the future with my head held high."

With that, she began walking toward the townsfolk. "I will aid the humans with their work," She said to him. "Try to relax, milord. If you keep overextending yourself, you won't be able to help anyone."

Arceus did not respond, allowing Xerneas to go on by herself.

"...The future, hmm? Is it worth the toil of the past?"

---

The final step of the recovery effort went smoothly. The elderly woman aided in directing the efforts of the people while they planted seeds created by Xerneas. Once the soil had been placed, Xerneas would gently tap her foot upon its surface to imbue the seed below with life, exponentially hastening its growth until it surfaced and grew to its full size within seconds.

Those who became hungry needed not return to the town for food because Xerneas generously decided to grow bushes and trees filled with fruits for a quick nighttime picnic. The townsfolk who consumed them were awed by the delectable taste and sudden invigoration they felt, rushing back to help the others plant. This swift rate of recovery soon bore fruit beyond Xerneas's creations.

Professor Elm suddenly leapt up, alerted by the sound of something chirping. But wild Pokemon had abandoned this route ever since Necrozma's arrival. And yet, when he looked up to the branches of a nearby tree grown from Xerneas, three Pidgey sat upon its limbs. "No way…!" The professor whispered. "I can't believe it… Has Xerneas's energy drawn them back?"

"An astute theory," Commended the Legend of Life as she approached. When her sight landed upon the group of Pidgey, she quietly hummed in delight. "My energy does have that effect, but to say it was solely my doing would be incorrect." She turned away from them to look down at Elm. "You and the others are also a contributing factor. Though I can imbue things with life, I cannot choose what life spawns from my touch. You, however, can carry and plant seeds with much greater flexibility than I could."

The professor scratched the back of his head, nervously laughing at her praise. "R-really? Gosh, I'm flattered, but compared to what you've done for us-"

Cutting him off Xerneas said, "It is best to quell thoughts of unimportance, though staying humble is an admirable trait." She nodded up at the rest of the route's length. By now, the group had gotten close to New Bark Town again and a wide variety of new Pokemon had showed up in flocks. Rattata and Sentret occasionally poked their heads out of bushes and trees. Butterfree and Beedrill began flying amongst the various flowers and trees to find spaces for new nests. The route was beautiful again once more.

"None of this," Started Xerneas, "Would have been possible without our united efforts. Each living thing has traits that can make up for one another's weaknesses. By uniting our strengths, all living things can raise each other to heights unknown." She turned around, gazing back at where Arceus rested at the Route's end. "I suspect that is what Lord Arceus has been attempting to accomplish ever since Necrozma's defeat."

Elm followed her gaze, mulling over that thought. "Uniting our strengths… After everything the world's been through, I think we could use that."

Xerneas nodded. "That we could, professor. Now, shall we continue?"

---

By now, Xerneas and the others had gone on to repair the town itself to the best of their abilities. However, someone among them, a man with a bit of bloat on his belly and wearing ragged, dirty clothes and a pair of sunglasses, had been running about and asking odd questions.

"I'm just saying," Started the odd man, "Isn't it weird how all the Pokemon are now returning after we did all the hard work of cleaning up the place?"

He was talking to someone else who was busy digging up rocks with their shovel. Unnerved by the man, they simply responded, "Not really. It's not that weird they'd return now that they have their homes back."

The odd man pivoted around them, placing a hand upon their shoulder. "But what about before that?" He asked. "Why did they not come to help us before? We're breaking our backs for their sake and they don't lift a finger to help."

His questionee furrowed their brow at that. The man had a point. Why hadn't they come earlier? "...I dunno," They admitted. "Maybe being here was just tough for them? I know it's been for me."

Snapping his fingers, the odd man excitedly retorted, "But you still stayed! It's been hard, but you've still been helping with the recovery effort just like everyone else! I've just been wondering where they've been until now."

He let the worker go, turning toward the masses. "Isn't it odd?!" He cried out loudly, gaining their attention. "That the wild Pokemon haven't shown back up until now?!" He turned from person to person with every other word he spoke, moving exaggeratedly and holding his arms up to keep their sight on him. "How come they haven't shown up again until their homes were already rebuilt for them, I wonder? Why is it that they never decided to try and rebuild it themselves?"

Xerneas eyed this character with suspicion. Approaching him, she asked, "Is there a problem? I may not be as knowledgeable as Lord Arceus, but I still have quite the wealth of knowledge." She glanced over at the working townsfolk, then back to him. "In the interest of not disrupting them, I may be able to answer your questions."

The odd man appeared elated to see Xerneas. "Ah, Xerneas! You're right. I shouldn't have been so rude to the others while they worked, but still, the question gnaws at my mind. I wanted to ask: Why now are all the Pokemon returning after we've done all the work when it would've been more helpful had they arrived earlier?"

"It could have been for a number of reasons," Replied Xerneas, nodding to the person he'd been talking to. "Like they said, it may have been too difficult or traumatic for them to return. Not all are as strong-willed as the people and Pokemon here."

Still, he appeared unconvinced. "Be that as it may…" He pointed toward Route 29. Amidst the night's bright moonlight, some Beedrill could be seen flying about, carrying Kakukna with them. "Why aren't they helping now that they're here? They have their homes again after we built it for them. Why aren't they repaying the favor? Surely a Rattata could dig some holes for seeds much easier than we could, and the Beedrill could fly to Violet City for supplies."

"Perhaps they are settling down," Offered Xerneas. "It is their first night returning, after all. Once they're done tending to their own homes, I'm sure I could convince them to aid with yours."

The odd man's face curled down into a deep frown hearing that. "Their homes?" He demanded. "We have given them their homes from nothing but dirt! You-" He pointed up at her accusingly. "-Should know that better than anyone, as the one who grew them! We gave them back their homes, yet they can't even lift a finger for ours?!"

Xerneas noted the way the townsfolk looked at them. It seemed like they were all thinking the same thing. "I am sure they did not intend to cause you undue grief," She said in an attempt to appease his ire. "Would it please you if I requested their aid?"

"Would it matter?" He countered. "They seemed quite content not helping us even while we were still in the midst of re-planting their homes! Besides, we did so out of the goodness of our hearts. If it took coercing from you to get them to help, it wouldn't mean anything."

Raising a brow inquisitively, Xerneas said, "It sounds as if you would rather focus on a problem than solve it." When the odd man's face flared red at that, she sighed and said, "It's been a long day and it's quite dark out. Perhaps what we all need is a good night's rest-"

The odd man suddenly interrupted her, practically exploding with rage. "To hell with that!" He raved. "Actually, I've had quite a few questions sitting at the back of my mind that have been eating away at me ever since I started working on this town, and now that I actually have someone that can answer them, I'm going to lay them all out." He extended his arms out toward the other townsfolk. "Frankly, I think we're all due for some answers!"

"Please," Said Xerneas, "I will be happy to try and answer your questions to the best of my ability, but you must calm yourself-"

Unfortunately for her, the odd man had no intention of ceasing his mad ravings. "Calm?! How can I be calm?! Every second of every day for months, I've been breaking my back and digging my fingers into dirt trying to repair this town, wondering why our reward for risking our lives to stave off Necrozma was a hollow life of nothing but toil?!"

Again, he motioned to the others with such force and aggression that Xerneas was concerned he might break something in his arm. "These people," He raged, "Lost almost everything in that war! I lost everything in that war! I used to have a wife, dammit! And two kids, all grown up enough to be strong Pokemon Trainers!"

His body began trembling, and he bit down on his lip hard enough to cause it to bleed to stop himself from crying in front of everyone. Xerneas looked down at him with pity, but he turned away from her and buried his head in one of his arms. "Th-they're gone, Aura damn it!" He screamed. "They're all gone!" His shoulders heaved heavily as he fought back his tears. "I've...spent months...giving my all to build a future they would be proud of…! But those wild Pokemon don't care at all! They saw an opportunity and took it without even a thanks!"

With his free hand, he pointed at Xerneas accusingly. "So when I ask you these questions, don't you dare tell me to calm down!" Patiently, Xerneas nodded and allowed the man a moment of respite while he regained his breath and composure. Eventually, he cleared his throat and asked, "Why was it, on the day Necrozma arrived, that Arceus didn't arrive immediately?! Do you know how many lives he could have saved?!"

"He-"

"And what about the Orange Islands?! If he has the power to restore Route 29, why hasn't he tried to restore them?! Doesn't he know how many people lost their homes?!"

"Milord perfectly kno-"

He interjected again, "What have the other Legends been doing?! Not that I'm not thankful for your help, but has anyone even heard of the others since the battle?! Are we just...not worth it to them?! Are we that far beneath them in their eyes?!"

Xerneas appeared unnerved by his questions, especially when some of the townspeople began whispering amongst themselves and looking at her differently. Some even looked at her with...distrust. This was not going well.

"Maybe you're the same!" He hissed, jabbing a finger toward her. "Maybe we really are worthless in your eyes!" His eyes were becoming more crazed by the second, looking back and forth between Xerneas and the townsfolk rapidly. "Maybe you just came here so you could get us to build more homes for the Pokemon and then leave once we've outlived our usefulness!"

"Please," Begged Xerneas, desperate to get even a single word in, "That's nowhere near what-"

The odd man suddenly grasped at his head. "No, forget it!" He raved, shaking his head. "Forget all of that crap! What I want to know...what I really want to know…!" He raised his head, allowing Xerneas to see the maddened tears that had begun to flow freely. "You...you're the Pokemon of life, aren't you?" The anger suddenly disappeared from his wet face. He reached out toward Xerneas and took a step toward her. "You can revive the dead...r-right? You can bring them back, right?!"

Xerneas, now immensely uncomfortable, began backing away from him. But he was persistent. "Why?" He asked, his voice now so hollow from screaming that it came out as something resembling a pitiful squeak. "Why haven't you…? Why haven't you brought them back? My beloved...my kids…" He slowly raised a trembling hand to point at the other people, who watched on with emotions they couldn't put into words. "What about them? Their families? Their loved ones?! Why have you brought back Pokemon and not us?!"

The Legend of Life retorted, "I...I never did such a-"

But her poor attempt at self-defense fell upon deaf ears. "LIES!" Roared the man. "You're...you're lying! How can you be called the Pokemon of Life and not be able to?! How do you explain the plants, then?! Not all of them were reborn from seeds! Some grow from your feet wherever you step! How do you explain how those were brought back?!"

"I think I can answer your question."

The odd man whipped around at the sudden voice, and when he saw whom it belonged to, his eyes went wide. A hobbling Arceus was slowly making his way toward them. A few people gasped with shock, not even realizing that he'd been near. Xerneas, too, appeared surprised, but that was swiftly replaced with relief. At least now she wouldn't be alone to fend off these questions.

"However," Said Arceus, shooting a knowing glance straight into the odd man's eyes, "I would have thought you would come up with better material than that by now. To think you'd still be asking the same questions after all these months, Christopher Lee." Xerneas's eyes went wide, looking down at the man with horror. The townspeople whispered amongst themselves, confused. "That's quite the disguise," Admitted Arceus as he looked Lee up and down, "But you really should have gotten a disguise for your voice as well. I'll have you know that my memory is quite clear, and your voice is not one I'd forget easily."

Professor Elm perked up at the name Arceus called the man. "Did you say Christopher Lee?" He asked Arceus with wide eyes. "Christopher Lee...as in…" Turning to the man in question, his skin suddenly became pale. "Th-the leader of Team Rocket's Nova Branch?! Mr. Star told all the region's professors about him!"

This sent the townsfolk into an uproar. Some looked to the man in utter terror, while many others cracked their knuckles, itching to put him in the ground where he stood. "Wh-what?!" Stammered the man as he wildly looked back and forth at the surrounding people. "What are you talking about?! Are you...seriously accusing me of being that monster?! And why are you all suddenly so trusting of him?! They still haven't answered why they fixed the route only for Pokemon!"

"It wasn't," Asserted Arceus. "Restoring Route 29 had numerous purposes behind it. Admittedly, one of them was for the Pokemon, but it was not just for them. With the route intact, you now had a safe way to access resources from Violet City, and it was also to give rest to the lost souls of Cherrygrove City."

The odd man gripped at his clothing in rage. "That...that still doesn't explain why you accused me of being that monster! I lost everything in the war! Why would I cause more suffering after all that I've lost?! My wife...my children...how could I go on knowing I desecrated their legacy like that?! How dare you accuse me like that?!"

Arceus scoffed, then turned to Xerneas. "A power transfer, if you would." Xerneas nodded, sending a pulse of energy toward her father. When the light encased him, he let out a satisfied groan as the aches of his body melted away. He then turned back to the odd man with a knowing smirk. "I don't come without evidence. I'll have you know that I can project images from my own memory."

"Wh-what?!" He cried.

A spark alit from Arceus's eyes, creating a series of large looking glasses in front of everyone present and earning gasps from them in the process. A few nearly fell over in shock, but a golden glow caught them and gently raised them back to their feet. In the vision Arceus showed them, there was an array of small, scattered islands amidst a vast ocean. Some people in boats were there as well, and among them, a portly man with a goatee, sunglasses...and a badge with an exploding star upon his chest. The calling card of the Nova Branch and the second most infamous insignia in the world right now after Team Rocket's crimson R.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU DAMNED MONSTER!" He roared. The crowd gasped upon hearing his voice. By now, they were well-acquainted with the odd man's screaming voice. "HOW DARE YOU CALL ME YOUR CHILD?! I WOULD SOONER DIE THAN BE THE CHILD OF A BEAST LIKE YOU!"

When the vision disappeared, everyone's eyes went squarely upon the odd man, and if looks could kill, he'd have been little more than a fine red mist by now. "W-wait!" He protested. "Th-that's not me, I swear!" Pointing at Arceus with a trembling hand, he said, "H-he's just changing that man's voice to sound like mine! Come on," He pleaded, "Doesn't that seem like something he could do?! What if he's been feigning weakness all this time so we'd do the rest of the work for him?"

"And what," Asked Arceus, giving the man a piercing stare with his chilling, scarlet eyes, "Would I gain from that? If I wanted you to do the work for me, why would I bother helping you at all? Or singling you out, for that matter?" He turned to the others and asked, "By the way, do any of you even recognize this man? Was he an inhabitant of New Bark Town, or even lended his aid to you all before today?"

The townspeople looked to one another, whispering amongst themselves. Arceus stifled a smirk when he saw a collection of shaking heads from them. Professor Elm pulled out a small clipboard and scrolled through the myriad of papers, looking intently at each one before asking the man, "Say, what is your name anyways, sir?"

"Th-that's easy!" He said with conviction. "It's, uh, Adam! Adam White!"

Elm's eyebrow raised. "Adam White…?" He looked back down at his board for a moment before throwing it down. "No you're not! I know Adam White personally! He's the guy that supplied us with food from Violet City with his boat!"

The muscly man narrowed his eyes at the crowd. "Speaking of which, where is the guy?" He asked as he looked for the man in question. "Now that I think about it, he didn't give us this week's delivery. It was scheduled for today. I thought that the stuff with Route 29 maybe scared him, but…"

Arceus, his eyes now burning red, turned back to the odd man. "You… You killed that man, didn't you?"

The odd man stumbled backwards, clutching at his chest and heaving for air as he looked at every face surrounding him, glaring at him with scorn. "N-no!" He protested. "Th-this is all a lie!" Pointing at Elm with a weak, shaky finger, he shouted, "He's in on it! He's just trying to deceive you so...so…!"

Then, he suddenly became silent, standing still with his head hung low.

"...Ah, forget it."

He pressed a button on his watch and an array of surprised gasps arose from the crowd as the odd man's form blurred. A wall of pixels obscured him, slowly rising higher and replacing the jittery old man with something entirely different. Rugged boots turned into fancy-looking black shoes. Jeans that were covered in dirt and ripped at the knees became black and silky. His bloated t-shirt was replaced with a fine-looking brown coat that touched his ankles.

His sweat-coated, wrinkled face changed to a smoother one with a sickening smirk. Where a scraggy beard once was, was now replaced with a clean-shaven brown goatee. The only things that remained the same were his balding head and the sunglasses he adorned despite the night. "Pardon me," Said Christopher Lee, "But I didn't have the time to adequately prepare a proper disguise. Once I heard that Arceus himself decided to grace the world with his presence, I just had to get here as quickly as possible."

Arceus glowered at him, unable to mask his hatred for the man responsible for plunging the world into ruin. "You're surrounded only by those who despise you. Give me one good reason why I should not strike you down where you stand!"

To the Alpha's chagrin, Christopher Lee's smirk only grew at that. "Well, therein lies the fact that the real Mr. White is not yet dead, but should I come to any harm, I cannot guarantee that fact to remain as fact. And besides…" He swiftly raised his arms, raising his coat so that everyone could see its interior. "I've brought no weapons. I'm just here to talk."

"I find that hard to believe," Arceus remarked. "You, the most hated man alive after whomever leads Team Rocket, approaching me with no form of protection whatsoever?"

Eyeing Arceus up and down, a still-grinning Lee retorted, "Much like how the God of all Pokemon arrived onto lands where his enemy could be, and was, hiding at literally any point while he was clearly not in top shape after his battle with Necrozma."

Arceus tried to reply, but was swiftly cut off by Christopher Lee, who raised his hands unoffensively and added, "But please, let us try to be civilized about this."

"There is no room for civility here, Christopher Lee," Hissed Arceus. "You have exploited both Pokemon and humanity for far too long, Was there civilized talk while your Grunts emptied entire forests of their Pokemon or collapsed the livelihoods of your fellow human?! I think not!" Looking to their surroundings, he shouted, "These people can attest to that much. There is no room to be civil!"

Boisterously, Christopher Lee threw up his arms at this and faced the crowd. "My point exactly! Ladies and gentlemen, I come on this day to warn you. Pokemon, Legendary or otherwise, are the enemy of mankind!"

Arceus retorted, "I think that moniker suits you more than I. It is your organization that oppresses them and desecrates the sacrifices, human and Pokemon, of the battle against Necrozma!"

"Do be silent until spoken to from this point on, if you would," Christopher Lee told him. "I am here to speak my case against your kind, beast. Your chiming in would interrupt that, as well as Mr. White's breathing patterns."

In turn, Arceus asked, "What would be protecting you from me if you ended that man's life?"

Christopher Lee chuckled. "You, of course. As it stands, you are in no position to expend more energy than necessary. Besides, if you really plan on spewing your lies of uniting the world, you wouldn't allow an innocent man to be killed."

A silent glare from Arceus gave Christopher Lee the only answer he needed. "Excellent," He said, turning back toward the crowd. "Now then, if I may speak my case, let me ask you all: What is a Pokemon? You may call them your companions, or even friends. But know this. They are not. Humanity has lived in a gilded cage, trapped by Pokemon for ages!"

"As if!" Cried someone among Lee's audience. A young-looking woman with a Liepard at her side. "My Liepard has been with me ever since I could walk!"

Lee pointed her way. "Precisely! If I may be so bold, would it not be inaccurate to say that you've spent most, if not all, of your life in the company of that Pokemon? Did you never question that?" Sending a fleeting glance back at the collapsed Arceus behind him, he said, "I'd wager that's all part of his plan. To keep Pokemon and humans together so humanity has no way of defending itself."

Another person suddenly cried out, "You're a lunatic!"

"Am I?" Lee asked, his gaze snapping toward the source of the voice. "Or are you all simply blind? I will help you to see. Ask yourself this: if your Pokemon were to suddenly lunge at you and attack, what would you do? A better question is, what could you do." He jabbed his index finger toward the woman's Liepard. "On our own, almost any Pokemon could overpower a human with little effort, leaving us helpless to their will! They could kill us in an instant if they decided to turn on us, but it is not a matter of if. It is of when, and that time has already fallen upon us!"

Reaching into his coat, Christopher Lee pulled out some kind of glass panel decorated by symbols. Upon pressing one of them, a holographic video large enough for the entire crowd to see projected itself into the air above them all, and what was shown shocked everyone present, including Arceus. A horde of Pokemon stormed into a small village, attacking everything in sight. They chased people through the flames, descending upon them with a relentless, merciless fury.

"This," He said with a fake shaking whisper that disgusted Arceus, "Is...was the great Village of Dragons. During these hard times after the war against Necrozma, they were paragons of generosity and gave supplies to all in need! Yet, those savage beasts attacked and destroyed their village without a second thought."

Arceus didn't buy it for a second. There was no way that a horde of Pokemon that were all so vastly different would converge upon a human settlement for no reason, and if what Lee said about the village was true, the people living there would have been more than eager to share. There never would have been a conflict. Either the information was falsified, or he now knew what Team Rocket was doing with the Pokemon they stole.

Yet, he could not voice this, and his helplessness sickened him.

He began pacing forth as his rant intensified. "So let me ask you again: Are you sure that you can trust your Pokemon? Times like these are desperate." Spreading his arms wide, he asked, "What do you think would happen if you were to wander into a forest looking for food? What if you found it, but weren't the only one that did?" His finger raced to point out at the Liepard. "If you and that beast were starving and you found one morsel of food, do you think it would share it? No! It would turn on its master and take it for itself!"

Its trainer protested. "I don't believe you! Why should I believe anything the leader of the Nova Branch says?!"

"Because," Swiftly started Christopher Lee without so much as missing a beat, "As I said, it is not a matter of if they will turn on you, but of when, and that when is now!" The plump man aggressively jabbed a finger skyward at the vision of the burning village. "While the domesticated ones may take longer, for the wild ones, it is happening now! Try to deny it as you will, but what I say now is an attempt to save you all!"

Christopher Lee's movements became rapid, his face twisting with what Arceus could only describe as desperation, but he would be shocked if the monster of a man before him was capable of genuine care for another. "There is a reason we do what we do!" He cried. "A wild Pokemon would attack you for that morsel just the same if not faster! The Nova Branch is dedicated to stopping this before it can happen! That is why we take them!" Aggressively, he pointed his fingers out to the crowd. "To save you!" And again, up to the hologram. "From this!"

Finally, the rotund man felt the repercussions from such energetic movements and screaming, taking a moment to compose himself and allow his lungs to properly do their job once more. "...I have seen this for generations," He said, just loud enough to be heard without inflicting further damage to his throat. "My family line has spent generations attempting to reveal this truth to the world. The truth that Pokemon are nothing more than betrayers who would toy with us at best and seek our extermination at worst. That worst has finally arrived."

Putting a hand to his forehead to caress his temples, he shielded a wry grin that crept up his face as he turned to address Arceus. "This generational hunt for knowledge, I'll have you know, was started by a man you are quite familiar with, Arceus."

Figuring he could get away with it without risking the hostage's life, Arceus humored him. "Is that right? Who might that be?"

"An old king," Said Lee, his grinning face becoming even more abhorrent to look at, "One who ruled over a land of limitless bounty and peace, where humans knew little strife or struggle. That was, until you arrived to take it from them."

There was only one name Arceus could think of that belonged to a king he knew, but it could obviously not have been the case. "Get on with the point," He told Lee.

Christopher Lee chuckled. "Very well. The one I refer to, my ancestor who first saw the lies of Pokemon starting with you, was none other than the King of Michina town, King Marcus!"

Arceus and Xerneas's hearts suddenly sank. The former of the two felt a sudden boiling of his core, a horrid sensation he hadn't felt since his duel with Necrozma. "Wh-what?!" Stammered Arceus. "How is that possible?!"

Shaking his head, his smirk still firmly planted upon his face, Christopher Lee snickered to himself. It eventually rose into a laughter he could not contain, throwing his head back as he did so. "Oh, how I longed for the day I could see that look on your face. If only my ancestors could see me now, or what I'm about to do."

He turned back to the audience, raising his arms wide and announcing, "Arceus is no ally to mankind, and is far from a god! He is nothing more than a beast who would betray us at every turn, just as he did to my ancestor, King Marcus, long ago!"

"That's not-" Arceus tried to protest, but he cut himself short, unwilling to deal with the consequences of speaking. He could only pray that the people were still on his side from his silence, else he would have to watch as the events of the Orange Islands played out again right before his eyes.

Lee sent him a knowing, warning glance before turning back to the people. "My ancestor, King Marcus, once ruled over a land of bounty. Arceus envied him due to his success and tried to strike him down. Arceus, the beast, was ruthless, and the people had to flee for their lives!"

Arceus was unsurprised, yet still angered, by Lee's lies. He turned his gaze down to the grass. But his story… Though it was far from the truth of the Marcus incident...he came scarily close to retelling the tale of Arceus's greatest mistake.

"However," Continued Lee, "King Marcus could not be killed that easily. He survived Arceus's onslaught and passed on the knowledge of the true nature of Pokemon through generations, a fact lost to most of humanity, until it landed upon me. Pokemon are the enemy of mankind, and will stop at nothing at destroying us! It falls upon me to stop it!"

Xerneas scoffed. "How foolish," She remarked. "You lie as often as you breathe."

Christopher Lee turned toward her, a dangerous glint in his eye. "I'll have you know that Mr. White's fate is not solely in Arceus's hands." Flinching at that, Xerneas silently cursed and backed down. Smirking at her, Lee nodded and shifted back around. "Now then," He said, "Shall I go on?"

The townsfolk looked back to one another, unsure of what to say or do. It was clear Arceus and Xerneas were powerless in this situation, and they were faced with quite possibly the most dangerous man alive. Yet his words wrung their way into their minds. He was loud, boisterous and impossible to block out. When a handful of people gave unsure glances to their Pokemon, Arceus feared for the worst.

"Nah," Someone said finally. It was the muscly man, whose arm hung around the shoulders of his partner Machoke. "You don't have to say another word, because I don't believe a single one of 'em."

Arceus's expression brightened at that, whereas Lee's face wrinkled, and he frowned deeply. "Excuse me?"

Boldly, the man stepped toward Lee, staring him down. "You heard me," He said. "I think you're full of crap. Like hell I'd ever trust a guy who's holding another man hostage. Not to mention…" Sending a glance to Arceus, he said, "I admit that I'm not the brightest guy around, but even I can tell that there's a lot of stuff you don't want Arceus saying. Why else would you keep him quiet?" He marched right up to Christopher Lee, sneering right into his eyes. "You're the leader of the Nova Branch. You're about the least trustworthy guy alive."

"I am trying to save you," Growled Lee in response, returning the bulky man's glare. "Arceus would only fill your heads with lies, just as he's been doing!"

Yet, the muscly man stood unflinching. "Really? 'Cuz I think that's what you're doing, pal. Why don't you let White go and give Lord Arceus the chance to speak?"

He shot Arceus a grin, which was eagerly returned. Arceus would make sure to remember this man. Bowing to him, he gratefully said, "I must truly thank you for your faith in me." Turning toward Christopher Lee, he asked, "So, will you allow me to provide my side for the story?"

Arceus withheld the urge to allow his smirk to increase in size when he saw Lee's fists tremble with rage. "...Fine," He spat. "If you wish to allow this beast to poison your minds, so be it." He raised a trembling arm to pull back the cuff of his coat and spoke into it. "Blindfold Adam White and release him. Make sure he doesn't see your face." Addressing Arceus, he cried, "Go on, then! Say what you will, but know there are those out there who can see through your lies!"

"My lies?" Asked the Alpha. "That's quite ironic since everyone currently present seems to see right through yours. But in case there are any doubts, allow me to provide the true story of Michina Town."

When Arceus called upon his visions for the townsfolk once more, they were greeted with the sight of a vast, emerald landscape filled with life. But a massive shadow soon turned it dark. "A meteor," Arceus said, "Was once on a collision course with Michina Town. I tried to stop it, but I was overconfident and nearly had my life come to an end for it. I stopped the meteor, but the explosion clouded the sky and ravaged the land. I thought myself doomed, until a human named Damos saved me."

The townsfolk were shown visions of a collapsed Arceus, and a man rushing to his aid with one of the Legend's plates in hand. "After my life was saved, I repaid Damos with a precious gift: The Jewel of Life." He nodded to Xerneas, who returned it as well as another boost in power. With it, Arceus was able to call forth his plates and amaze both the townsfolk and even Lee himself. Five of the plates converged, creating a gleaming orb that teemed with energy inside of it. Arceus was only to hold it for a moment before it split into the plates once again and returned to him.

Continuing, Arceus told them, "The Jewel of Life housed the power to give life to the land around Michina Town, but this put my life on the line, and I told Damos that I would need it returned in time. It was merely there to alleviate the winter's worst to give Michina Town another chance at life. But, when I did return…" He looked to Christopher Lee as the townspeople were shown King Marcus's betrayal. "Marcus took advantage of my weakness without the plates."

Lee jabbed a finger toward him. "Only so his kingdom could survive!" He rebutted. "Without that jewel, they would have all perished!"

"They would have survived," Arceus responded calmly, knowing that Lee was slipping. "I had no choice but to eventually take the jewel back. If you speak the truth of your heritage, how else are you standing before us today?"

Glowering at Arceus, Lee fell silent, knowing he had no answer to that.

Someone among the crowd raised their hand eagerly, asking, "What happened after that?"

Looking to them, Arceus answered, "Well, I clearly survived," With a small laugh, earning a few others, "But this was only thanks to another group of humans. Dialga sent Ash, whom you know as my chosen one, back in time to save me from what would be certain death by returning the Jewel of Life to me." He nodded to Lee. "When the Jewel's effects were gone, it was indeed humans that repaired the landscape now that it was not quite as barren. Marcus was likely among them, if you are any indication."

Of course, Lee was unconvinced. "What a load of… Do you think I'm an imbecile?! Do you honestly believe I cannot spot falsified imagery?!"

Arceus gave a small laugh. "Oh?" He nodded up to the hologram still above their heads. "And what of that? With all this technology your organization has under its power, is it so unbelievable to think that you don't possess the same power you accuse me of using?"

Christopher Lee growled in irritation, and that irritation increased when one of the townspeople spoke up. "He's got a point. It's practically just your word against his."

Frantically, he pulled back the hologram projector and began pushing buttons. "Fine then," He hissed, "If you think that this is all the evidence I have against your kind, you are badly mistaken!" The hologram now showed a beach crowded by people, but Arceus and Xerneas were especially shocked to see Lugia and a badly-injured Elemental Bird Trio behind him. The old god felt his heart sink when he saw the bleeding wound in Zapdos's wing, but that shock soon turned into a fiery rage.

"Five months ago, a group of survivors of the Orange Islands went to the Elemental Islands to make homes for themselves there," Explained Lee. "However…" A wicked grin shot across his face when Lugia suddenly blew them all back with his wind. "They encountered resistance. This footage was taken from someone who managed to escape, but not all were so lucky." Lugia's eyes glowed blue, causing all the survivors to collapse. Once unconscious, the Beast of the Seas picked them up in his Psychic grip, surrounded them in a barrier, then plunged them into the ocean.

A few of the onlookers appeared sickened by what they saw, earning a grin from Lee. "What a horrific tragedy," Lamented Lee as he turned the hologram off. "It was a miracle this brave photographer was able to escape with their life." His finger hovered over another button on the panel. "But that video was not all they managed to catch. Before attacking the survivors, Lugia said something quite interesting."

"Do you honestly believe I care in the slightest about what humans think of me?"

Arceus frowned. That was definitely Lugia's voice. Of course, he didn't believe Lee. The Lugia he knew would have blown wind at them as a warning like what was shown, but using Hypnosis on them and trapping them? Absolutely not. Not to mention, there was something he could use there.

"So," Said Lee to the crowd, "Is this enough to convince you? The Legends, who spearhead the Pokemon menace, are ruthless monsters who would do anything in their power to subvert mankind. It only makes sense that their lesser, common counterparts would be the same."

From behind, Arceus spoke up. "I don't believe you."

Christopher Lee scoffed, not even bothering to turn and face him. "Believe me? You, who heads all Pokemon, are the cause of it-"

"About Lugia," Interjected Arceus. "I don't believe you for a second. Lugia is a stalwart paragon among the Legends who guarded the Orange Islands for ages! He only failed in his duty because of Necrozma, a being so powerful it took the intervention of my… of Aura to stop him!" The old god was beginning that terrible heat of his rage once more, though it was only embers compared to what it once was. Still, it was powerful enough to get him to rise to his feet.

Lee whipped around to try and tear down Arceus's argument, but was silenced when Arceus continued, looking down upon him with a red-hot glare. "Furthermore," He growled, pulling up his memories of his journey to the ruined Orange Islands once again, "I recall you saying something regarding Necrozma when I went to the islands." His eyes flashed, causing the visions he showed the others to change back to the scene of Arceus looking down upon Christopher Lee on the island ruins.

"Lugia didn't cause this! You heard Lord Arceus! It was Necrozma who did all this!"

"A likely story! A clever little ruse to get us to praise him while he STABS US IN THE BACK!"

"You denied the existence of Necrozma," Hissed Arceus angrily. "Now look where we are. You've been doing nothing but capitalizing on it ever since his rampage was finally stopped. Even now, you are continuing to do so."

Christopher Lee's face had gradually become more and more red as he listened to Arceus. He twitched, biting down on his lip to prevent himself from screaming, but could no longer withhold it. "YOU LIE!" He roared, reversing the video of Lugia until the silver beast was gone. Instead, stopping when it showed Moltres hovering over a man in a black, fancy-looking suit. "What I do is expose your kind! If none of you believe me, at least believe this!"

The screeching of Moltres caught the attention of everyone, especially Arceus. In all his years, he had never heard the sheer level of anger from Moltres he was hearing now. It was more of a scream than its usual screeching. And when he looked up to see the cause of it, his stomach sank. The townsfolk cried out in shock, disgust and horror when Moltres crushed the man beneath its wing, allowing its flames to slowly burn the suited man alive.

Someone made a guttural noise as if they were going to lose the meal Xerneas grew for them. Others turned away, shielding the eyes of those closest to them. Arceus did not have that luxury. His eyes were glued to the screen, unable to look away from the sight of his own child acting so brutally.

"This isn't…" He whispered under his breath.

Lee laughed. "Real? Please. Since I took my first step here, I have not uttered a single lie. You cannot deny it." Pointing upward, he said, "This monster took pleasure in that action! Its flames were powerful to kill my- that man in an instant, but it weakened them only so they could feel-"

Arceus turned toward him suddenly and asked, "What did you say?"

He faltered for a moment, but was quick on the uptake. "Are your ears as feeble as your body? I said that this man was-"

"No, you said your man, Lee." Arceus looked to the sky and halted the vision, then forcibly began turning it backwards. A panicked Lee tried unsuccessfully to stop him by mashing buttons on his panel. This went on until it was stopped suddenly on a frame of the suited man in the midst of evading a blow from Moltres. His Nova Branch patch was clear to see on his chest. "I knew it!" Cried the Alpha. "That was your man! It was you who went to that island, instigated that battle and injured Zapdos!"

Lee shot back with, "So you admit that this piece of evidence is not falsified! That means you cannot deny what Moltres did! It, you, and every other Pokemon are monsters!"

Still, Arceus was not yet finished. "I believe in my Legends, Lee. There would be no reason to falsify data on your own men, but for your agenda regarding war on Pokemon, there would be every reason to do the same against Moltres. You went to that island. You instigated that fight. That much, you have proven by revealing this to me."

"Y-you!" Seethed Lee. "How are my pieces of evidence against your demons any less real than those visions you conjure?! By this logic, it is only our words against one another!"

Arceus replied, "You have a point. Words are indeed meaningless, and it is actions that matter." He then turned to the townsfolk and asked, "So, whose actions are the deciding factor?"

Lee froze up at that.

Most people, still shaken by the gruesome imagery that haunted their minds, shifted awkwardly, afraid to respond. Merely looking at Christopher Lee reminded them of Moltres's brutality. Even if it was fake like Arceus said, the image still wouldn't leave them be. Eventually, the muscled man stepped forward again, causing a scowl to tear down Lee's face.

He said, "Well, I think it's pretty obvious, don't you all? If we can't trust anything they showed us, then we just gotta trust what they've done for us. Frankly? I don't even see a competition." Turning toward them, he shouted, "Arceus gave us back Route 29 and cleared away the stuff stopping us from rebuilding our home!" Sending a look of utter disgust to Lee, he added, "Meanwhile, this freak has done nothing but make everyone's lives harder. The choice is obvious! This man is a monster!"

Seeing that his plan was taking a turn for the worst, Lee made a desperate cry to them in an attempt to shift them to his side. "N-no! Don't you see that you're just being used?!" But they did not listen. The muscle-bound man's rally had spurred them into action and many of the townsfolk began marching toward him.

Arceus chuckled. "I think they've made their choice, Lee."

Lee growled, then shouted, "If you don't believe my words, then I will show you! I will prove to the world that all Pokemon are ruthless monsters! Watch as their leader, Lord Arceus, strikes me down!"

To that, Arceus merely shook his head. "There is no need. The humans whose lives you've desecrated will be who-"

"We have Yveltal."

Arceus froze up. It felt like he had just been struck by another of Necrozma's blows. "Wh-what did you say?!"

An equally-shocked Xerneas cried in distress, "What have you done to Yveltal?! If you have harmed him, then I will…!"

She was quick to cut herself off when she realized what she had almost said aloud. Lee's grin crawled wide across his face. He opened his arms to her, daring her, welcoming her to attack. "Oh, by all means!" He said, revelling in the helpless look upon Xerneas's face. "Go on! If I am the menace and not you, there should be no issue with scouring me from the face of the Earth!"

He then turned to Arceus. "Go on! Strike me down with your godly might, O-mighty Arceus!" Arceus wanted to, and Lee knew it. Even Arceus failed to hold back the look of sheer hatred on his face. "Come on, then!" Urged Lee. "My organization will fall apart without me! The dead will be avenged! And…" He stared right into Arceus's fiery eyes with a twisted, sadistic ecstasy as he prepared to put the final nail in his own coffin. "Yveltal's screams will finally e-"

Lee's head suddenly distorted with a blue, pixelated light for a brief moment as something passed through it. A bent can fell to the grass at his feet before rolling to a stop. The enraged crowd stopped dead in their tracks when they saw what had happened, pulling back the various ammunition they planned on pelting him with. Lee looked down at the can with discontent, letting out a weighty sigh before kicking it away into a patch of flowers.

"Hmph. Well, I suppose the secret's out." Turning to the crowd, Lee announced, "Well, I concede defeat. Pokemon have already taken you." Those whose gaze met his felt a sudden chill when Lee's expression darkened. "I tried to warn you all. I really did. ...You will regret siding with them." With those harrowing words, he raised his hand into the air. Arceus attempted to stop whatever it was that he was doing, but Lee snapped and suddenly disappeared without a trace.

The townsfolk staggered backwards, looking about for any trace of where he might have gone. When Arceus narrowed his eyes above the spot where Lee disappeared, he found one such trace. A tiny, mechanical floating disc. Lee had never been here. This machine had been projecting a vision of him. He had been a hologram the entire time.

"Damn you, Lee," Seethed Arceus. "I should have known you would have never shown yourself to me in person."

His eyes gleamed gold as he attempted to catch the drone, but the moment his power made contact with it, it detonated. Not a single trace was left. Arceus bowed his head, silently seething over it. Though he had won over the town, he did not feel like he had achieved any victory. Lee escaped with nothing more than a wounded pride and successfully left no trace of any evidence they could have used against him. Except for…

A sudden realization dawned on Arceus. "We need to leave!" He cried, startling the townsfolk. "Now!"

Professor Elm, among many others, appeared confused by this. "Leave? But Christopher Lee is gone, and we're just starting to rebuild our homes. Why would we need to leave?"

Arceus looked to the myriad of forests surrounding them with distrust. There could be anything among them, and in his weakened state, he'd never know until it was too late. "I have my doubts that Lee would take such a loss sitting down. We are all in grave danger here. He would stop at nothing to erase anyone that opposed him, putting you all at risk." When he saw the panic growing on people's expressions, he quickly said, "I will take you all somewhere safe in the meantime. Somewhere…"

The old god put his aging mind to work, weighing every possible option until the clearest one presented itself. New Goldenrod City. He trusted Ash's word completely, and so to did Ash for Mr. Star. If there existed a safe haven for these people, it would lie under his protection. "Somewhere that Lee could not touch."

---

New Goldenrod City, Star Tower.

Mr. Star let out a groggy yawn as he finished the last of his paperwork. The damn stuff had been keeping him occupied all day, but at last, the nightmare met its end. "Welp!" He said as he rose out of his chair and stretched his old back. "I think I oughta call it a night."

Slowly, the old man made his way out of his office and into the glass hallway that led to the elevator. He paused for a moment, resting his arms on the bars as he decided to take a moment to look down upon his city. The view never got old. The lights of the buildings that lit up like stars, the howling winds raging against his tower, the clouds that occasionally passed not too far beneath his feet, Arceus and a bunch of floating people, and who could forget that skyline?

"...Wait a minute…"

Mr. Star staggered backwards and nearly fell onto his old back in shock. "L-lord Arceus?!"

Arceus shook his head. "Just Arceus will do. Would it be alright if you and I had a bit of a chat on that helipad over there?"

It took a moment for Mr. Star to find words. But when the realization of what was happening dawned on him, he shot down into a bow. "I...er...o-of course, Lord- I mean Arceus!"

The townsfolk had never been so glad to have their feet touch ground again, even if it was on a helipad three-thousand feet high. "My apologies could not be enough," Said a bowing Arceus sorrowfully. "I had thought to aid you all, but I did not consider Lee taking advantage of my presence. Because of my short-sightedness, I placed you all in grave danger and had no choice but to take you from your homes."

His eyes went wide when the muscled man returned the bow with one of his own. "Don't be. You helped us more in one day than we would have accomplished in our lifetimes." He shot a kind grin Arceus's way. "So don't beat yourself up over it. This just means we gotta wait a little while."

"I...appreciate your sentiment," Arceus told him, "Truly, I do. But…" He craned his head toward the others. Older folks were busy keeping the younger ones among them away from the edges while Elm and Mr. Star talked. Many of them were sitting and gazing off at nothing, likely still trying to process the day's events. "...Do they feel the same?"

The muscled man sighed, standing up to lean on the shoulders of his Machoke. "Dunno," He said honestly. "It might be hard on 'em, but they'll just have to live with it. We all will." Chuckling, he added, "Plus, living in the big city can't be all bad." When he looked up to gauge Arceus's reaction, the ivory Legend was still clearly guilt-ridden. It was practically painted on his face. "...Alright," He said, gaining Arceus's attention, "You know what you can do for us? Take down Lee as soon as possible. Then we can all head back home."

Arceus gave a small, almost pitiful laugh. "I suppose you're right. Then...I'll do just that. For everyone, both dead and living."

"Lord Arceus!" Called Mr. Star, waving toward him. "The citizen registration has been taken care of. These people will find a home in my city before the night ends."

That, at least, earned a tired smile from Arceus. "I am glad to hear it. You have my utmost thanks, and my apologies for inconveniencing you."

"Not at all, milord," Mr. Star told him. "I'm sure you of all people are working harder than anyone to stop Team Rocket. After hearing what these people have gone through, I could not possibly overlook them." The old man's face somehow wrinkled even more. "To think that Christopher Lee of all people would appear just to cause grief for people just trying to rebuild their town. It is utterly sickening. I'm glad that you brought this to my attention."

Arceus nodded to him. "Of course. Ash has told me you are an ally to be trusted, and I can see that he was wise to believe so."

Mr. Star blushed a little at that, a wide grin appearing on his face. "You think so, eh? To think I would be complemented by Lord Arceus of all people. I'm afraid I don't quite know what to say."

The old man's virtuous nature appeared as clear as day to Arceus, making a small smile grow on his face. This man had been doing more for the world than even himself ever since Necrozma's fall. A sudden feeling of excitement enveloped Arceus. Two oldsters trying to save their world and guide its inhabitants. Perhaps this Mr. Star could be a kindred spirit. He wanted nothing more than to chat away with him, but that would have to wait. He and everyone else were both far too tired for that.

"I believe it's time we all got some rest," Said Arceus. "I'm sure we all need it. Thank you again for your support." Mr. Star nodded to him, eager to help in any way he could. Returning it, he turned away from the others and summoned forth a golden gate in the air near the helipad, then took off into the air and disappeared inside it.

When Arceus returned to his ivory throne, his wobbling legs collapsed at last. He was tired beyond belief, both mentally and physically. Yet his mind still raced over the day's events. What was most concerning to him was the new information he had gotten about Yveltal. The first news about him he had heard in months and it was that he had been captured by his worst living enemy. Xerneas was in an absolute state over the news.

He twitched as something appeared in his mind suddenly. A Psychic message transmitted from...Mewtwo.

---

Author's Note

Pokextinction Fact of the Day: The Nova Branch's organizational structure is a bit different to Team Rocket's.

Starting from the bottom, there are the ordinary Grunts like those guys who attacked Ash before Riley showed up. They're not that different from Rocket Grunts except that they carry weapons.

Above them are the Black-Suited Men we saw that tried to attack the Orange Islands. Here's a cool fact about them. There are way more of them than just those ones. These guys do dirty work from the shadows, either taking out targets without being seen or pressuring them into submission. And yes, they all have the same technology used at the islands. One of them, particularly the one who injured Zapdos and fought Moltres, will be quite important later.

One step up in rank are the scientists. Some are dedicated to serving the Nova Branch while others like Charon act as middle-men, going back and forth between Team Rocket and the branch for business and experiments.

Then there's Ryder's squadron, not including Ryder himself. Heavy, a massive man whose technology allows him to wield the strength of hundreds of men. He wields a minigun and, more dangerously, his fists. Sniper, a small person that uses their small size to hide easily. He can hit anything that he can see and more. Auto, a field mechanic and one of the most brilliant mechanics in the Nova Branch. Used to be a technological scientist, but wanted to use his talents on the battlefield and underwent experimentation to fight alongside Ryder and his men. He is the one who repairs and modifies the suits Ryder's squadron uses. Launcher, explosives expert and master of erasing evidence. Every inch of his suit has a way to produce some sort of explosion as small or big as what's needed for the mission. Easily the most dangerous after Ryder himself. Was close friends with Pyro before their death.

At the very top of the organization are the leaders. Men like Ryder, Christopher Lee and Giovanni himself.

Creator- Welcome back, everyone. Apologies for the long wait. College has been screwing us left and right, but we're here now. On top of that, we were busy making a detailed timeline of events for the rest of Arc 2 and going ahead with a bit of Chapter 36 before releasing this one. Hopefully that means we'll be releasing it sooner than this one.

I bet you were all expecting Ash weren't you? Well so were we, but this chapter was necessary and there would have been no better place to put it. Well, Ash will be coming next chapter, so don't worry about that.

Hydra- Hot diggity dog were tensions running high in this one. Arceus finally decides to try helping humans again then surprise surprise guess who shows up and tries to rule the masses. The only thing is he wasn't successful this time in getting everyone on his side and we get to see how he handles being backed up into a corner. Anyways today we have the most reviews for a single chapter that we've gotten and I'm more than ready to answer them!

Amourshipper35- Wow looks like the legends are coming to help

Creator- The Legends have been lending their aid for a while now, though not directly. But soon...

Hydra- definitely for Keldeo but the same cannot be said for Arceus. From what's been seen so far the seeds of something very dangerous are being down with them forming alliances.

DarkPugLord23- Oh boy, looks like we got a Legendary Pokemon Civil War in the making! I wonder who else Giratina will add to his side? Also, now that the bad guys have control of Mewtwo, things aren't looking too good for everyone. Can't wait to see what misadventures Ash & Co get up to next chapter!

Creator- That's quite the theory you have there, haha. I wonder if anything will come of it?

Hydra- Sorry this wasn't an Ash chapter but this was the only place in the timeline that we would've been able to do this one so we put it in instead of outright ignoring it and I think you can see after reading the entire chapter why it needed to happen.

Leafy- marshadow talking along with ryder is so creepy, the fact he possessed mewtwo is insane o.o he went toe to toe with necrozma yet lil shadow dude was able to beat him, that creeeeeeepy. LEAFY LOVES IT w. The fight was epic but that barrier thing ryder had seemed to make it feel more drawn out than needed (leafy doesnt wanna sound mean) and like the barrier was the only focus for the fight, while earlier fights with ryder were more about his inhuman strength reflexes and almost was like he was greedy for a good fight while as this one he was in lacked a little of the previous emotions leafy felt he had (if that makes sense) sorry if that seemed harsh but it was still a good scene to portray the humans strength even against legends. Hope for more soon and hope this review was helpful for anything (sorry again if it sounds harsh, love you bye owo)

Creator- The barrier was just to give Ryder a fighting chance. Otherwise, Mewtwo could have ended the fight in an instant. It was also just a test drive for the technology, so Ryder won't be using it in the future. As for Marshadow, it is an ambush hunter. If you don't know it's there, it can end a fight in an instant. And Ryder's emotions were only ever shown when talking to either The Man or...Zero. Why exactly that is, is a secret. For now. And don't feel bad about criticizing our work. Any good author will look at someone's criticisms and take them to heart to make their work better. If something seems wrong in our story, tell us so we can better ourselves or explain why they were implemented.

Hydra- My friend do not worry, when you throw out suggestions we think of it as positive criticism and the fact that your pointing it out entirely makes me appreciate the review even more because it helps us to work on the issue further so please by all means if you see something that can be improved let us know we would rather hear it instead of continuing to make the mistake :)

394730- Amazing story so far

Creator- Thank you. Hope you enjoy what's to come.

Hydra- Thank bro I'm flattered, have you been reading this story for long or are you a new reader?

British-Vulture- This time on! Whatever this is.

Mewtwo gets Invasion of the Body Snatchers'd by Marshadow, Ryder is redefining the RULES OF NATURE, Giratina has become the Hades of this Story, and Keldeo is in desperate need of a hug.

Oh yeah, turns out, in actual Mythology, Hades was one of the nicest of the Greek Gods, and, seeing as Giratina seems to be the only one who can and will do something (Mew's a bitch and Arceus is now in Mr House) , I made the comparison.

Next time o- wait, I don't know what next time will be! Greg! First, you screw up the camera, now you're trying to make my predict the future? You're fired!

In all seriousness, I enjoyed this chapter a lot. I hope all goes well for the next one.

Oh, who am I kidding, you two are gonna have a blast making it, and something else is gonna go completely wrong. It's probably 2020 in this fic as well.

Creator- I love your video game references. I truly do. Because I'm thinking of them as I write and it is awesome to see someone accurately guess them. Giratina as Hades makes a lot of sense actually. Misunderstood, scary and lord of the "underworld." Hope your endeavors to find a new cameraman go well. And tell Greg to eat shit. Thanks again for your awesome reviews.

Hydra- Your prediction was certainly correct. This chapter was a blast to make. Though it certainly took longer than we expected I think the overall chapter came out great in the end!

Chaos Bringer- I love the story. Now I will list my theories.

There will be a second Zero likely weaker though. The reason why I assume so is because doctor Namba has already started his experiments.

Palkia will get captured or at the very least there will be an arc dedicated to rescuing it.

Mew will die or Arceus will. I honestly see no realistic way around it.

Marshadow is gonna do some double agent backstabbing without question.

Finally Giratina is going to do something stupid that will get him in trouble like probably either freak out when he learns about Palkia or somehow get captured. I am banking on the first. For some reason I can not help but think that Giratina is gonna be that guy when he learns about Palkia.

Also do the nova branch of team rocket have a plan because they want to kill all pokemon or something like that and if they kill any of the creation trio they will die. Arceus no longer has the power to recreate them.

Creator- THEORIES! This review is like Christmas morning. And most of them are...heh. Well, let's just say you're a good guesser. I cannot wait for further reviews from you. Stuff like this gets us hyped to write.

Hydra- To be frank I absolutely LOVED this review! When people start making theories on your story in my opinion it's one of the highest forms of flatterment. Now obviously for the sake of not spoiling what happens I can't outright confirm or deny a theory, but I will say at least one of them is almost dead on, but the question is which one? Hehe I'll let you try to figure that out. And to address your final question they do have a plan, but it'll be based more on what they believe would happen to the world once they're all gone.

Creator- Ok, NOW we're returning to Ash. Christopher Lee is so evil that he had to steal the spotlight for a sec. We've already got a bit of the chapter written out, about one or two thousand words, so maybe it'll come sooner. We'll just have to see how badly school screws us over. Later.

Hydra- Well that wraps this one up. To all the people that reviewed thanks so much it was really heartwarming to see so many reviews for one chapter. I hope you all consider reviewing again in the future because it's so fun to address them! Anyways we'll see you on the next one where Ash and Serena are in the midst of fighting Cassidy and Broccoli or was it biff?