Pinwheel Forest, Unova
85%
That number kept swirling around in young Genesect's mind. In wake of the chilling Autumn winds, she had found little option for shelter but to find a hollow tree and curl herself up into a ball. Though, she could only fit half of her body inside. Another gust caused her shivering to greaten, only intensified by the constant, stinging pangs of hunger that ravaged every inch of her body.
She hadn't eaten since...since her family had been taken from her. The coming Winter had likely made food scarce. Other Pokemon had likely begun hoarding it all in preparation for that. That left her with very little hope.
"You will be able to carry on our memory."
Every time the number 85 flashed across her vision, echoes of that sentence from her kin rang in her mind. She wanted to scream, but she was too hungry. She wanted to cry, but her mechanical body had no tears to let loose. But the damnable thing wouldn't shut up about food. She wanted to sleep to get it all to go away, if only for a moment, but her hunger prevented even that.
"With this data, you would be able to succeed where we failed."
Genesect dug her claws into the tree bark and the dirt beneath her, using it to push out of the tree hole. "F-food…" She muttered weakly, looking around at the surrounding trees with hazy vision. "I...need food…"
She gasped in pain as another hunger pang wracked her body. It made no sense how numbness could hurt. Wasn't it supposed to prevent that?
"Nngh…!" Gritting her steel teeth, she placed her arm to her chest and continued walking forward as best as she could. If she fell here, she doubted that she would have the strength to get up again. Why did she have to be so weak? Why did someone as weak as her deserve to live?! If she could barely stand, what hope did she have of living to carry on the memory of her kin?
"No...you're already strong."
Genesect tripped on a small rock, sending her onto a trembling knee. If it collapsed, she was done for. She forced her head up to look ahead, but her swirling vision made it nigh impossible to even see what was right in front of her eyes. With sharp, rasping breaths between almost every word, she said, "Already strong… That's not true."
In spite of her body's protests, the youngest Genesect forced herself onto both feet, continuing to take in heavy breaths of air that seemed to offer no reprieve to her fatigue no matter how much air she breathed. "I'm not strong," She whimpered, stumbling forward. "I was always...the weakest." Her vision flickered for a brief moment, followed by a sudden feeling of light-headedness. The young one would have met her end then and there had she not managed to catch herself on a nearby tree.
85%
That number still haunted her to no end, flashing in her mind every single damnable second. It may as well have been zero percent in her hands. That was the chance she'd survive even another day, let alone living to avenge her family. "It should have been one of them!" She sobbed weakly, her glass eyes as dry as a desert. "I can't help us live on!" She tried to scream this, but she was too tired for it to sound any louder than a pathetic squeal of a dying species.
Her head hung low. "Why...why was it me?!" She demanded to the empty air. "Why couldn't any of them...be the one to keep us alive?!" In her frustration, she prepared to drive her claw into the tree. "Why am I...so weak?!" She struck the tree, causing it to shake and splinter, but was unable to pierce her metal skin, which weakly shook with rage, hunger and fatigue.
Then, something dropped at her feet, and her cold, metal heart skipped a beat when she saw it. An apple as large as her head, looking as ripe as could be. She was stunned stiff from the sight, too awed to even eat it immediately. Silently, she looked up to the tree, and what she found nearly caused her to fall unconscious then and there.
The entire tree was lined with apples of a similar size. It must have been the last batch before winter struck. At first, it seemed fake to her, like she had already begun dying and was now delirious. But when she turned back down to the one at her feet, removing her claw from the tree to instead stab into the apple, it became clear that this was all too real.
"No way," She said, still in disbelief over what was right in front of her face. Shaking her head, she said, "No way...I'm not this lucky…" Another pang of hunger made her wince, snapping her out of her trance. And when she looked back to her claw, the apple was still there with it. A shrill gasp escaped her mouth. She brought the apple closer and prepared to devour it, but was stopped by a sudden sound to her left.
A cry of fear rang out from her when she was met with the sight of a group of Beartic. Their eyes were crazed with rage upon looking at the apple on her claw. The closest one to her began sprinting, frosting at the mouth. It shot an Ice Beam at her feet, freezing them in place. She tried to loosen them, but they were firmly stuck to the ground. And when she looked back up at the approaching Pokemon, she let out a whimper, seeing that it was only inches from her now.
Its large arm slammed into her forcefully, shattering the ice and sending her sprawling across the ground. The apple was loosed from her claw, landing cleanly into the hands of the offending Pokemon, who turned around and cheered to its brethren as it held its trophy high. Pangs of pain from hunger began ravaging the young one's body again, furious at the lost meal and hope. They only seemed to intensify when she heard an array of roars and cheers rise up from the group of Beartic.
85%
That accursed number rang in her mind again, reminding her of the duty her family expected of her even in death.
85%
Again and again, it taunted her. It dared her to try and live on, knowing full well she was too weak to live up to the greater lives her family had lived.
85%
She wanted to scream at her own mind to shut up. To shut everything out. The pain of her stomach, the chill of the approaching winter, the cheerful roars of the Beartic as they celebrated taking what she found, and that horrible, unending nightmare of a number. She was weak. Too weak to do what the red one had asked of her. Living on without them? Carrying their memory? If she could not even find the strength to eat a simple apple, there was no way she had the strength to avenge them.
Her mind began to numb, but that only led to the feeling of hunger that tore at every inch of her body growing stronger. Or perhaps it was that ever-growing hunger that was causing her mind to numb, blotting out almost anything else. It needed to be sated, but she knew she was too weak to do it. It screamed to her, wracking her body, but she knew trying to take the food back would kill her. She would die pathetically, here in the dirt, carrying the only memory of her kind into the grave with her.
8-5-%
"This is my last gift to you, young one. Use this data and become strong. No...you're already strong. Stronger than any of us were. With this data, you will be able to succeed where we failed. You will be able to carry on our memory. Live by any means you must."
Spurred on by the cheers of its brethren, the Beartic held the apple over its mouth and prepared to bite into it. Then, something hard struck the back of its skull, and it only tasted cold, wet dirt. Genesect's foot stomped down onto the first Beartic's head, standing over its body. On her claw was the apple that had been stolen from it. While the other Beartic let out shocked cries for their kin beneath Genesect's foot, the artificial Pokemon brought its rightful trophy up to her mouth and took a hefty chunk out of it, letting its juices fall down onto the body of the Pokemon below.
Genesect felt utterly rejuvenated, throwing her head back and reveling in the taste. It was the best thing she had ever tasted in her life.
The other Beartic let out a series of enraged roars at Genesect. For the first time in her life, she did not feel the weight of such a thing, even as it shook her very body. Instead, she felt heat welling up within her, rising from her very core and burning into her throat until she opened her mouth, unleashing an ear-piercing bellow of her own into the sky that shook the leaves of the forest itself.
Genesect scraped her foot underneath the Beartic she was on, then kicked it into the horde. They watched with gaping jaws as their friend crashed into another, then turned savage glares upon their new target. One of those glares soon turned to shock when, upon turning back to Genesect, found her right beneath its chin. Genesect threw a powerful Metal Claw straight into its chest, eliciting a pained yelp from the bear Pokemon before it was thrown into the nearby trees.
Wasting no time, Genesect raced on to the next one. It attempted to swat her with its giant arm, but to her, it moved about as fast as a Shuckle. She ducked underneath, sweeping its feet out from underneath and delivering a devastating kick to its abdomen that sent it skyward. Kneeling down, Genesect leapt into the air after it just in time to avoid an Ice Beam. Once she had reached her stricken target, her arm reared back and her claw shined a shimmering silver in the moon's light.
The Beartic on the ground yelped as their kin was slammed into the ground, and when it bounced back up, Genesect fell after it and drove its foot into its stomach with its cannon alit. Before the other Beartic even knew what hit them, Genesect spun in place with a Techno Blast and blew them all onto their backs. In wake of the nearest trees falling around them after being sliced in two, a few Beartic managed to stand back on their feet.
Genesect's eyes flitted back and forth, examining her remaining enemies. Weaknesses showed themselves to her analysis in the form of the wounds she had just inflicted. Her body blurred from Extreme Speed, then took off toward her enemies at speeds a bullet would envy. The Beartic gasped in shock as one of their own was struck by something invisible to their eyes. One stepped back, then gave a gargled cry as it joined the first.
In a panic, those that remained standing set off a Blizzard attack in every direction. The freezing winds soon took effect, and one of the Beartic yelped in shock as it was met with a statue of ice creeping toward it before stopping in its tracks. An icy claw stretched toward it, inches away from its chest. It backed away, at first with fright. But that fright soon disappeared, and in its place, a toothy grin. It brought its massive arm back, readying a devastating Hammer Arm.
Just before it smashed the arm into Genesect, it stopped when it heard a sizzling noise beneath it. It looked down, only to be met with a Blaze Kick that struck the underside of its chin with all the force of a freight train and sent it flying into the air. She turned toward the others, her eyes gleaming in anticipation. Anticipation of a hunt. The remaining two Beartic backed away from her in fear instinctively. Gone, was the meek, helpless young Pokemon, and in its place, a savage, hungry demon.
Genesect shot off, shattering the frozen ground beneath her feet and disappearing into the wind, taking one of the Beartic with her before the other one could even see it go. The only indication that it had even happened was a sickening crack in the air, followed by a powerful gust of wind that nearly blew the last Beartic off of its feet. It had to bring up its arms to shield itself from the wind, making it incapable of seeing its attacker.
But when the wind fell silent, so too did the forest. The last Beartic frantically scanned the forest for any sign of its attacker, but found only the unconscious bodies of its kin. It was only then that the fact it was now completely alone hit it. It fell back in fear as the body of the Beartic that disappeared flew through the air and fell among its brethren. Looking back to where it came from, the last Beartic heard the sound of footsteps crunching down on the cold grass.
Scrambling to its feet, it shot an Ice Beam into the forest. There was the sound of a small gust of wind, and then Genesect showed itself. In terror, it launched another Ice Beam her way, but this one was wild, firing off in every direction and freezed the trees solid in an attempt just to hit her. But Genesect was far faster. She appeared like a shadow, darting out of the Beartic's view every time she was in its sights. She nimbly dodged the Ice Beam whenever it came close, steadily coming closer until her Metal Claw was right at its neck.
Beartic fell to its knees, choking for air when the Metal Claw struck its throat and giving Genesect the perfect window to whirl around and deliver one final kick to its head that felled it for good among the others. With the last of them dispatched, she drove her foot deep into the ground and kicked up. The ground underneath the group of Beartic practically exploded, sending them all skyward and far away from Genesect and her food.
Victory was hers, and so too were the apples. Wasting no time, she used X-Scissor on the tree and sent it tumbling down. Dozens upon dozens of bright, juicy red apples tumbled at her feet. She wasted no time indulging. In seconds, she devoured them one after another, gorging herself on what felt like her first proper meal in ages. A beep in her mind alerted her to a nearby presence. Her head shot up toward it, and she snarled threateningly at whatever threat to her meal may have been left.
A small group of drooling, hungry Cubchoo, who had hidden in some nearby bushes, shrieked in fear when their eyes met with the empty, demonic, glass red ones of Genesect's. In her fury, she let loose a warning screech that quickly made them scatter away. She glanced around at her surroundings to make sure there were no more interferences with her hard-earned meal. Nothing set off her detection systems, so she returned to it eagerly.
Soon, her hunger faded, and with it, her starved fighting instinct. Higher thought returned to Genesect only when there was one apple left. She had stabbed into it and brought it closer to her face, only stopping when she saw her own reflection in its shine. The memory of what she had done to achieve this meal hit her all at once.
Those Beartic were just as hungry as she was, as were the Cubchoo. The Red One had told her that Ice-Types never came this far south unless they needed to. As far as she knew, their only homes were either Twist Mountain or the Giant Chasm. Had something happened to them? She looked up, entertaining the thought of chasing after the Cubchoo and giving them the last apple, but something alerted her detection systems.
She jumped to her feet with a start, the apple still attached to her claw. This time, there was only one creature, and it came from a different direction than where the Cubchoo had run off to. She looked to the apple and suddenly found herself sickened by it. Who or whatever was nearby could have it. Her mind was made up. She took off into the forest after the signal. Maybe it was a Patrat or Sewaddle or something along those lines.
The last thing she expected to find was a human.
Her eyes went wide at the sight, and she quickly slowed herself down to prevent herself from being seen by them. Her heart had begun beating quickly, pounding in her metal chest as visions of the ones who stole the lives of her kin away and gave them their new bodies flashed across her sight. Following them, the armored men who took away their second lives.
85%
She shook her head to try ridding herself of the visions and, hastily, dared a glance at the human again. Unknowingly, she had drawn the emerald-colored blades of X-Scissor over her claws. The reticles of her vision locked onto them, but what exactly she found surprised her.
The human was very young. It would probably only have reached her thigh in height. Tears dotted their face, and they cried into the dark of the forest. "M-mommy!" They shouted weakly. "Where are you?!" Devolving into sobs, they continued hobbling through the dark of the forest.
Genesect looked around with her detectors, but there was no other thing near them. She looked down and saw the blade drawn from her claw. When she glanced back to the child, the visions began to afflict her again.
85%
Genesect dove out from the bushes, startling the child. They looked up at her with horror, falling onto their backside and letting out a fearful scream. To them, Genesect was just about the most frightening thing they had ever seen. A purple, metal bug with eyes that gleamed red like fire and a giant gun sticking out of its back. She raised the claw with X-Scissor drawn, and the child felt their soul nearly leave their body from fright.
A loud, sharp gust of wind cleaved through the night. But when the child next opened their eyes, they felt no pain. The chill of the winter air was still there, so they were still alive. What's more, there was now a large apple in their lap. They looked up at Genesect, icy tears stinging their face, and found that she was pointing somewhere. When they followed it, they found the city skyline in the distance, as well as dozens of fallen trees.
"Go," She ordered simply.
When the child looked back to her, she was gone, a small gust of wind and the apple in their lap being the only proof she was ever there.
Genesect darted away into the forest, not daring to look back at the human child any longer. She needed to leave, but did not know where to go. The only thing she knew was that she could not stay here. There was work to be done.
85%
A man in a labcoat grimaced as he scribbled notes down on his board as sirens blared around them. The energy signatures he was receiving were the largest the site had ever seen and were only continuing to rise by the second. Eventually, they became so large that the computer could no longer measure them. A loud whistling caught his attention. It had come from the black cocoon, which had numerous tubes sticking out of it. The tubes soon fell from the cocoon as a black wave of energy burst from it.
The scientist sprinted from his chair and out of the room, shouting, "Get the doctor in here! I think it's waking up!"
Darkness fully overcame the cocoon, drenching it in black. That darkness soon became a burning red light that nearly blinded all who looked upon it. One final wave shot out with enough force to bend the metal walls that contained the cocoon, dispersing the light as well. From the cocoon, Yveltal fell, slamming down onto a large platform below. Bindings appeared from it, clasping down on Yveltal's limbs to hold it in place. Massive silver chains erupted from the walls and floors to pin him firmly in place, eliciting a panicked shriek from him.
He writhed against the bindings, managing to pull a few out of their sockets and fling them against the walls, but ultimately found his stamina quickly leaving him and fell back onto the platform. More bindings appeared to replace the broken ones. His head was not bound, so he tried to look around to see where exactly he was. All around him was metal and glass. In that glass, he saw figures quickly moving from place to place, but his vision was too hazy to properly make them out.
"Y-you there!" He sputtered weakly. "Any of you! Where...am I…?!"
The sound of something whirring caught his attention. An automated door opened, with several figures entering the room. They put their backs to the walls, facing him from seemingly every direction. "Who are...y-you?!" He demanded. "Tell me! Where am I?! What happened?!" But they did not respond. They did not make any sound at all. He couldn't even hear if they were breathing.
Then at last, a voice answered him. "My, my, it really is true! The Avatar of Death, Yveltal, right before my very eyes!"
As the source of the voice made its way toward him, Yveltal's vision finally cleared up enough for him to see his capteurs. And when he saw what it was, his eyes shot wide with shock. "A...human…!" The pupils of his eyes thinned into slits, burning with rage and confusion now that he knew who held him. "Release me!" He ordered. "Now!"
The human raised their arms inoffensively. They were an old-looking man with balding, silver hair. "My apologies, great Yveltal, but I cannot yet do that. You have been asleep for quite a long time and your power is unstable." He motioned around them to the thick, metal walls that had been bent backwards from Yveltal's power. "I am sorry, truly I am, but we can't risk releasing you. The world is a dangerous place right now, and if anything happened to you while you were still unstable, well…"
He chuckled. "It wouldn't be pretty for anyone if the legends about what happens if you die are true."
Yveltal looked up to him, scrunching up his face with distrust. "...What is your name, human?" He asked.
The scientist gave him a wide smile. "My name is Doctor Benedict Mengele, but one as Legendary as you may simply call me Ben if you like. Or anything you so choose."
Still unsure of what to make of the doctor, Yveltal asked, "How did I come here? Why is my energy so unstable that I must be bound in this humiliating way?"
Ben looked to a wooden clipboard, flipping through its numerous pages. "I can answer that first question," He told Yveltal, "But that second one will require help from you to answer." When Yveltal was silent, he continued. "Our...reconnaissance team found your collapsed body in a forest in Johto. You were quite injured. Had we not acted quickly, both you and countless others would have certainly died."
Yveltal then asked him, "How did that happen, and where exactly is this place?"
Chuckling, the old man turned toward one of the guardsmen, a man in a black suit and sunglasses, and said, "A chair if you would. I believe that I am going to be here for a while." The man nodded silently and exited the room. Turning back to Yveltal, the doctor responded, "Like I said before, that may require your aid to answer. What was the last thing you remember?"
The Wing of Death growled, closing his eyes to try and answer that himself. "I recall...being near other Legends. We were...fighting something, and Arceus-" His eyes shot open and he let out an ear-piercing scream as he shook against the bindings. Ben was thrown to the ground. The black-suited men surrounding furnished their weapons, but the old man held up his arm to stop them.
"Hold your fire!" He ordered, pushing himself off the ground. "Yveltal, what is wrong?! Please, if there is anything we can do, tell us!"
A worn-out Yveltal fell back down, heaving for air. "L-Lord Arceus!" He stammered in a panicked frenzy. "I need to return to Lord Arceus! He is fighting a great evil that threatens this world! If we do not stop it, then-" A sharp pain from his wing cut him off, forcing him to clench his teeth to avoid voicing his pain.
The doctor looked back to his notes in confusion, but upon finding something among the papers, his wrinkled brow smoothed over. "...This great evil," He said, "Was its name Necrozma?"
Yveltal gasped in shock at the name. "Y-yes it is," He confirmed, "But...how do you know it?! Do you know what became of Arceus and the Legends?!"
Ben let out a long, weighty breath. The black-suited man returned, placing the chair behind the doctor, which he slunk into. "While the last recent sighting of Arceus leads us to believe he is alive and well, news about Necrozma is both good...and bad."
"Tell me!" Yveltal ordered. "I need to know! Is that monster dead or not?!"
"...Necrozma has been dead for five months."
Yveltal suddenly felt sick. A ringing appeared in his ears. "Wh-what did you say?!" He shouted. "I've been here...for five months?!"
The doctor raised his hands. "Please, Yveltal, settle down. If your stress becomes too high, your power may run wild!"
Facing the man with wild eyes, Yveltal asked with frantic panic, "What happened while I slept? What happened to the Legends? I must know everything! I need to know!"
"And I will tell you," Said the doctor, "But you must first calm yourself, please! We must start with one question at a time."
Yveltal attempted once more to free himself from the chains, only to pathetically flop back onto the platform just as soon as he had tried. "...Fine," He conceded. "But I must know everything. You will tell me everything that transpired since the moment you found me, else I will break free from this prison the moment I am able and find out what I wish to know myself."
Ben merely nodded along as the Avatar of Death spoke, eager to appease him. "Please do not think of this as a prison," He said. "We only wish to keep you here until your power is stable again, and we will make sure to accommodate your every need. Now, start with any question you like."
Grumbling out a sigh, Yveltal opened his mouth to do just that. He cut himself short when one of the black-suited men suddenly grabbed the doctor and pulled him back, whispering something into his ear that Yveltal couldn't hear.
"Really?" Asked the doctor. "Already?" When the suited man nodded, the old man groaned in annoyance. "My, my, he is impatient. Fine. Fine!" Pulling away, Ben returned to Yveltal's side. "I really must apologize, but my employer wishes for me to ask a few questions of you now." He chuckled. "A bit of a turn-around, I suppose, but we will have to work with it."
Yveltal let out a fearsome growl. "You cannot change the deal!" He roared. "You told me you would answer my questions!"
Ben raised his arms inoffensively, chuckling nervously as Yveltal writhed in his chains. "And I will! Just...later. I truly cannot apologize enough; they are my superior's orders. I cannot exactly defy them."
"I must return to Arceus's side!" Roared Yveltal. "If you will not tell me what I wish to know, then-"
"Yes, yes, I know," Ben told him as one of the guards handed him a notepad. "If you are cooperative, we may have enough time to answer your questions. But I am not authorized to ignore my orders. The sooner you answer my questions, the sooner I can answer yours."
Again, Yveltal growled and lowered his head. "Fine," He spat with burning venom. "Ask your questions, but know that I am under no authority to answer."
Ben nodded along. "Very well." Looking to his notes, he asked, "What exactly is your relationship with death? Does your existence cause it?"
Yveltal paused for a moment, not breaking eye contact with the doctor, then replied, "Death would exist without me, should something be completely destroyed."
The doctor asked, "Could you elaborate?"
"...No."
Nodding, the doctor continued. "What is your relationship with Xerneas and Zygarde? Does the former create life?"
"That is difficult to explain," He answered thoughtfully, "But you seem to already know our relationship as well as I do if you asked about them specifically."
Ben scribbled something down, then asked, "What of the second question? About Xerneas?"
A low growl emanated from Yveltal as he thought on the matter. "You referred to me as the Avatar of Death. My power lifts spirits from their failing bodies. I do not know the machinations of Xerneas's power, nor does she for mine."
"And if you were to guess?" Prodded Ben.
Yveltal thought for a brief moment, then answered, "There is a...certain area in the world that generates Aura, from which both matter and life originate from. I believe Xerneas guides this energy, or it reacts to her somehow. I deplete it when it is no longer necessary."
He then asked, "What is the process for death? At what point does a body become so old or broken that a spirit is lifted from it, and do you do this manually?"
"...At one point, I had to will it," Yveltal told him, "But I have grown to the point that my existence causes it. As for the first question, that is not determined by me. Certain bodies have certain limits. Once those limits are pushed too far, a life is extinguished and a soul is released."
"And after that?"
"...I cannot say," Yveltal said truthfully. "Some strong souls can linger, but all disappear in time. To where, I do not know."
Seemingly content with the information he had gotten thus far, the doctor nodded in approval and smiled at Yveltal. "You are being rather cooperative."
Yveltal scowled. "Would you rather I wasn't?"
"No, not at all," The doctor answered hastily, "It is just unexpected."
"On with the next question," Yveltal ordered. "I merely want to be able to ask mine as soon as possible."
The doctor nodded and continued. "Just the same." He hummed as he glossed over the notes on his board. "...Okay," He said, "This next question is not about you specifically. What is the Tree of Life, and do any Legendary Pokemon like yourself reside within it?"
Yveltal appeared surprised by the question. "You know…?!" Regaining his composure, he shook his head and said, "The Tree of Life is what I spoke of earlier when you asked me about Xerneas's power. All I know is that it generates life without limit. I have not been near it in aeons, so I know nothing of its contents. But...how do you know of its existence?"
The doctor shrugged. "I'm sure it's in our database somewhere. Keep that question for later. In the meantime…" He looked back to the list, his forehead wrinkling. "Hm. This question may be upsetting."
"I do not care," Spoke Yveltal. "I would rather be done with your questions as soon as possible. Ask it, and let us be done with this."
Ben blew air out of his mouth and shook his head. "If you say so. Do you...regret being created by Arceus, if you were created by him, as the Avatar of Death?"
Yveltal scoffed at him. "What benefit does that question give you or your 'superior?' Move onto the next question."
"I warned you," Ben told him, earning a scowl from Yveltal. He flipped his notepad and then asked, "Is it…" Then he stopped, furrowing his brow in confusion. "Hm."
An irate Yveltal said, "Out with it! If the question is unsavory, I will not answer, but do not waste my time!"
The doctor gave him a small, silent nod, not taking his eyes off of the paper. "...Is it possible for Arceus to die, and if that were to happen, would you be the one to lift away his soul?"
That question, to the doctor's surprise, elicited something between a scoff and a laugh from Yveltal. "If Necrozma is truly dead, the prospect of Arceus's death is not even worth thinking about. He could never die."
He was given an odd, almost-judging look by the doctor. Yveltal barked, "What?"
"Nothing," The doctor replied with haste, returning to his notes. "This one was marked as important by my employer, so I don't have the authority to skip it if you decide not to answer."
Yveltal replied, "If he deems it so important, you ought to have him come in person and ask."
Ignoring that, Ben asked him, "What do you know of the entity that called itself Aura?"
To that, Yveltal looked at him oddly. "There exists such a thing? This is the first time I've heard of it. If not Arceus himself, I have no recollection of any being with the same name as our life force."
"Could it be…" The doctor looked up at him. His expression was different than before. It did not change, but his eyes carried something new within them as they met with Yveltal's. "That your power could act as a measure to destroy Aura?"
Yveltal did not like the new feeling that the man before him was giving off. Not one bit. He narrowed his eyes at the doctor in an attempt to intimidate him, but the man was stalwart. He did not flinch nor blink from Yveltal's deathly gaze, and he himself soon found the old, fragile, pathetic human's eyes to be something that unnerved him to continue looking into them. But he could not place his finger on why. There was no way any human could resist intimidation from his stare...so why did this one…?
Looking away unconsciously, Yveltal answered, "If you are referring to that being, then I do not know what answer you expect of me. I have told you that I know nothing of it. But your asking of that question gives me the impression you or your employer intend to use my power to that end."
The doctor at last looked away, chuckling and brushing off Yveltal's accusation. "Of course not! Ours is a facility dedicated only to nursing Pokemon back to health. We only ask out of scientific curiosity, and to make sure such power does not fall into the wrong hands."
"I do not believe you," Growled Yveltal, backing away from the man as much as the binding chains would allow. "If this facility is what you speak of, why have I not seen a single Pokemon?! Why are your defenses so extreme?!" He leered at the doctor, attempting to size him up. He found nothing. He could surmise no direct intent from looking into the man's eyes, but the darkness within them was clear. "I am done with your questions! Release me at once, or I will break free as soon as I am able!"
Ben stood up, his smile unwavering. "Oh calm down now, Yveltal," He urged gently, making a hand motion that was intended to be calming. "Come now. We only have a few questions left for today. Then we can move onto yours!"
Yveltal grabbed onto the chains nearest to his hands, pulling at them with as much force as he could muster. But as soon as they broke, new ones shot out from the floor and replaced them. The guards, becoming antsy, raised their weapons. "Release me now!" He ordered again. "And do not be foolish enough to try and attack me! If you do, I will destroy every inch of this place, and you all along with it!"
When he looked back to the doctor, his smile had become wider. He sensed imminent danger. Something horrible was coming from this man. A darkness he had never seen in a human before. "Settle down," He said. "Like I told you, we only have a few more-"
"DAMN YOUR QUESTIONS!" Roared Yveltal. He glared at the man with such ferocity that any human should have fallen unconscious from the pressure. And yet...he felt far more pressure from this horror of a human than he could bear. He felt...fear. "LET ME FREE NOW! I WILL ANSWER NOTHING MORE!"
Ben stood still for a moment. He did not move, nor speak, nor even breathe. But that twisted smile did not leave his face. He turned around to look at the black-suited man behind him. The man staggered back, shuddered, and quickly nodded to him without a word. This only served to confirm Yveltal's fears of this man.
When he turned back to Yveltal, his crooked smile had reached ear to ear. "...Are you sure that is wise?"
Yveltal let out a deafening roar that forced the guards in the room to their knees, clutching at their ears in pain. But not the doctor. He simply stood there with that wide, shining smile. Even as a trail of red fell from his ears, he did not so much as even flinch. Yveltal tore at his bindings with more ferocity than ever before, flailing wildly and ignoring the protests of his fatigued body. He got as far as standing up on his hind feet before more chains arrived from every direction and pulled him back down to the platform, panting in exhaustion.
The doctor snapped his fingers, causing the nearest guard to run out of the room and hastily return with a napkin. Once it was in Ben's hand, the black-suited man raced back to his post, eager to distance himself from the old, crooked man. "...I must thank you, Yveltal, the Avatar of Death and Wing of Oblivion." He snapped his fingers again and pointed to the door at the room's exit, which the surrounding guards hastily made their way through. Slowly, Ben himself turned away and followed the rest.
As the door shut tightly behind him, the doctor made his way over to a control panel. He pulled a small microphone toward him, leaned over and said, "I thank you because you have given me proper cause to do what I love to do best." Upon pressing a button on the panel, Yveltal let out a scream of agony as electricity raced all across his chains and even the platform he laid on.
It disappeared as soon as it came, but for Yveltal, it felt longer than he could bear. He fell flat on his face, panting with twitching lungs for burning, smoke-filled air. "You monster!" He roared. When the Hall learns of this, they will show you agony far greater than anything you could inflict on me!"
"The Hall?" Ben repeated with interest. "Now that is something my superior will want to know about. Pray tell, what is this 'Hall' exactly?" Though Yveltal no longer had the strength to look at him, he could practically feel the deranged man's smile piercing his mind. "Is it a hallway? A hall of Pokemon? Or perhaps…a gathering hall for Legendary Pokemon such as yourself?"
An idea suddenly struck Yveltal. "You can...find out for yourself you know… Release me, and I can take you there!" If this fool fell for it, he could open a gate and have the entire Hall of Origins descend upon this entire damnable place at once. Then he would be free!
"...Is that so?" Inquired Ben. "Yes, that sounds like an offer He cannot refuse. And I admit, my interest is piqued." Yveltal smirked. It was all going to plan. And yet, just as a wave of hope coursed throughout Yveltal's body, it was dashed by another wave of lightning. "Do you take me for a fool?" Asked Ben. He let out a mad laugh that Yveltal could hear ring throughout his mind even over the screech of lightning that wracked his body.
At last, the electricity disappeared, allowing Yveltal some semblance of recourse. He opened his eyes to find a barrier surrounding the edges of the room.
"One-thousand nine-hundred and thirty-eight."
Though Yveltal did not have the strength to look at him, he coughed roughly and dared to ask, "...What…?"
"The number of lives I have taken," Responded the twisted doctor cheerfully, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Directly, at least." He laughed and shrugged, adding, "I can't really count the indirect number my orders, inventions or subordinates have taken. It becomes hard to keep track of what could be millions, you know?"
Between choked gasps, Yveltal asked, "Why...would you tell me that…?"
Cheerily, Ben answered, "Because we're the same, you and I! Oh, but there is no way that I could match up to your record."
In spite of his pain, Yveltal managed a furious growl. "Do not compare me to you!" He bellowed. "I do not take pleasure in it!"
"But you don't regret it," The doctor shot back. "You said so yourself."
Turning away, Ben made his way over to a table behind him and fiddled around with whatever was on it. By the sound, Yveltal recognized it as metal. "You know," He said, "I believe our meeting was fated. The Pokemon of Death, meeting with the Man of Death. It's quite poetic."
To Yveltal's horror, the doctor began walking towards the door, and the barrier that surrounded him disappeared. "...What…?" He asked.
When he entered, the doctor flourished what he had taken from the table: a large, thick, rusted scalpel that was half the size of his arm. "This," He said, "Is what I use for Pokemon. After enough time of cutting open Steel Types, it was inevitable that it got a bit rusty." He grinned down at Yveltal, moving the scalpel toward Yveltal's face. "To answer your question, my...exploits have awarded me another name. My compatriots…"
He looked over to the other scientists and guards. Despite being on the opposite side of a steel wall and plexiglass, their skin collectively became pale in his gaze. "...Came up with a secondary name for me. One that I much prefer over something as boring as Benedict." He looked back to Yveltal, placing a chilling hand on his face and hovering the rusty scalpel over his eye. "...They call me Dr. Death."
Author's Note
Pokextinction Fact of the Day: Dr. Death was inspired by Josef Mengele, the Nazi-German Angel of Death who performed horrific experiments on Aushwitz's prisoners. The intent of his character was to be as despicable and terrifying as possible, so we needed an inspiration that mirrored it. Another fact was that, in this story, Dr. Charon worked underneath him.
Creator: In time, the birds will cease to sing. In time, his victims will have no hope to cling. In time, all that once was loved will be erased. In time, the sky's light will never again shine upon their face. In time, the bright of day will become only a memory. In time, all will die in his grasp. Memento mori.
Hydra: This was quite a dark chapter wouldn't you say? Well it seems we finally know what happened to Yveltal and might I say it seems he is faced with a fate worse than death.
We have a whole lotta reviews from the last chapter, so thanks for that everyone! This may be the most reviewed chapter yet!
Amourshipper35: "I wonder what Ash's idea is and I hope they can stop Team Rocket for good."
Creator: I'll give you a hint: Nevermind you have to wait and see lol.
Hydra: lolz gottem. In all seriousness thanks for the review!
DarkPugLord23: "Ooh, Legendary Pokemon Civil War is going down! It also looks like most of Team Rocket has been captured and sent away (all except for a certain trio who I really hope get a redemption arc). I'll say this, after what Giratina told Lil' Palkia, I'm considering taking back my comment about Arceus being best dad. Though he does seem to be improving, I'll give him that."
Creator: Nah Arceus is still best dad...nowadays. It's just that Giratina isn't exactly wrong all the time. Arceus was a borderline dictator back in the day, and Giratina only sees him as that. As for the trio...I'm not sure about redemption, but we do have plans for them.
Hydra: I really love Giratina's character, to be honest he's definitely up there in the top 5 for me as one of our most well thought out one's in the entire story. You hate how he's acting, but at the same time you can't really blame him considering all the crap Arceus put him through over the years.
Memefarius: (Chapter 2) "Gary got burned. Yet shouldn't Gary be chill at this point in canon?"
Creator:Thanks for the review! You're the first person from the Discord who's done it I think. About Gary, he still is mostly chill by this point. His competitive streak hasn't left him, and neither has his teasing, but it's not malicious anymore.
Hydra: Oh you guys met on discord? Neat! Well I do hope your enjoying the story so far and I look forward to hearing from you again!
Guest1: "Perhaps this could be out of place regarding the story, but, where is Doom Slayer when you need him? Because if he was here prior to the invasion of Necrozma, the legendary pokemons, the normal pokemons and the local mankind shouldn't even needs to fights Necrozma, as Doom slayer would deal with this "Demon" and its Ultra beasts by his own, for threatening mankind, and doesn't matter how powerful is Necrozma, as Doom slayer is the Bane of the demons, as this warrior was in fact fighting the spawns of the very Hell during a millennia, showing that he is a ruthless and lethal warrior that is capable to vanquishes many threats and monsters without much difficulty, and this was when he was still Doom guy, before to be found by the Night sentinels and get his praetor suit and be upgraded by the divine machine by the Seraphim, turning him officially in Doom Slayer, making him even more lethal and powerful than ever.
Adding that doesn't matter if Necrozma could hides from Arceus and the legendary pokemons, as Doom slayer, with the support of VEGA and possibly Hayden, is capable to detects any anomaly in the worlds, meaning that Necrozma and its acolytes could nevers hides from the Slayer and they would became his preys if even tries to visits this planet. And also doesn't matter if Necrozma was supposedly immortal, as Doom Slayer is an expert killing seemingly immortal beings, like the Hell priests that their souls were bound to some amulets to prevents their deaths, or the Icon of Sin and the titans demons, that only can be killed by the Crucible, meaning that Doom Slayer could simply finds a weakness in the so called immortality of Necrozma, like the Crucible, and Doom Slayer would Rips and Tears Necrozma, Until its done, to put an end to this threat to the pokemon world for good, sparing a lot lives from perishes in this war in the process, and spoiling the plans of Christopher Lee to discredit and difames the pokemon.
I knows that this commentary was out of place, but after read the story, for some reason, this fanfic reminds me to the fanfiction story "Alola Doom slayer", that is a crossover of Pokemon x Doom, as in both stories the legendary pokemons have a reunion and an audience to discuss about some threats to their world; in the case of this story Necrozma and in the case of the other Doom Slayer himself, as some legendaries apparently knows the legends and codex about the Slayer and his feats in the Hell, making them afraid that the apparition of the Slayer in the pokemon world could implies some threats to them. Though I guess that the legendary pokemons of this story would wish so much that Doom Slayer was here to Rips and Tears Necrozma and prevents many tragedies that occurred in this story.
Well, I recommend you read "Alola Doom Slayer", this story is really good in my opinion. Well, I wish you good luck with this story :)
Creator: This is a good candidate for the largest review we've ever gotten. Unfortunately, Doom Slayer cannot help us here. Vega wouldn't read Necrozma as a demon because there's no Argent Energy. He would be a hell of an opponent for Necrozma though since he's immortal. I don't know if the Divinity Machine's power can withstand Necrozma's void powers though since it attacks someone's existence rather than their life. I do think he could entertain Necrozma long enough for a certain someone to show up and finish the job for him though. Also, the Alola Doom Slayer story sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing! I didn't even know people made Doom/Pokemon stories. I guess everything exists on the internet.
Let's just say Doom Slayer is too busy with the Dark Lord to come help fight Necrozma.
Hydra: I'll just let the Creator handle this one. I'm more of a Master Chief fan instead of a Doom Slayer one lol.
Anonymous: (Chapter 3) "If Necrozma regained full form...and was still mad…"
(Chapter 5): "Can the humans talk with Lugia about why he did this?"
(Chapter 6): "I hope you don't get summer school, but I'm a bit late (I'm British-Asian)."
(Chapter 7): "Once Necrozma's done with The Man, can he die?"
(Chapter 8): "If you ask me...wait...Christopher Lee is Necrozma's ally! The Man who killed Looker."
(Chapter 9): "The international police are meddling in a race far more powerful than them!"
(Chapter 12): "Emperor of the Ultra Beasts sound cool!"
(Chapter 13): "Can Necrozma's victims be resurrected?"
(Chapter 15): "Is the whiteness the good side of Necrozma resisting?"
Creator: Since there are so many reviews, we decided to tackle them all at once. I'm glad you're reviewing almost every chapter though! Seems like you're right on the cusp of the war judging by where you left off. A lot of these are answered in later chapters, some of which you have read by now, but I'll try to give responses for the questions that aren't answered yet.
Thank god I've never gotten Summer School. I would have gone insane.
Not sure what you meant for the Chapter 7 one. Who's the one dying here? The Man is only human so technically he could die at any moment. They don't really have a life force connection. Just aligned interests.
An interesting theory about The Man's true identity, but we cannot divulge on that yet. ...He does seem like the most likely suspect, doesn't he?
I think you'll like what happens to the police in Chapter 19 once you get there.
Nobody can be resurrected once they die in this fic. They can be replaced, though.
Another interesting theory. I never thought of that before, regarding Necrozma's crystal coloration. The being that gave birth to the Ultra Beasts died when creating the crystals, but maybe his soul was still in them? I like that theory so it's canon now.
Hydra: Oh yes it seems that you're a chapter away from where the destruction truly commences in this story lol. I wish you luck in reading the 75000 word titan my friend because after that it gets even better from there.
Creator: Next time, we'll be seeing Ash again and returning to New Goldenrod City. Ash and Mr. Star discuss an idea to stop the cycle once and for all. But Mr. Star has another idea for Ash. And it involves the Legends. Meanwhile, Arceus is listening to Mewtwo's message. What could happen there? Could Ash ally with the Legends directly?!
Hydra: Well it looks like it's that time again so I guess we'll end it off here for now. Thank you so much to all the new and returning reviewers. As I've stated many times in the past it truly helps to inspire us, seeing all your reviews and theories on what might happen next. In this chapter we finally got to see Yveltal and oh boy is he a bad situation. I'm also curious to hear your guy's thoughts on Dr. Benedict. Even though you only saw him for a short while I'm very confident he'll become the most hated character after this even more so then Christopher Lee. Anyways thanks for reviewing and we'll see you all on the next one peace out!