PMD: Warped Skies Arc 2 - Shadows Rising

by Team Ion

Time was saved but the world is far from safe. Some pokemon of the lost time have returned but someone is missing. There is more going on within the shadows than pokemon realise as no one, not even Scout, truly knows what is going on. Who is friend and who is foe? And why does Darkrai have such a nice voice? SI-OC/Isekai

21. Filled of Ages

With several days of practising with Keira under his belt, Sean had walked into Aegis Cave with hope in his eyes and a fire in his heart.

Aegis Cave would crush that. It would take his eyes out with a spoon. It would replace his heart with a stone inscribed with an Unown H. It would take everything because it took and took and only took.

Alakazam had warped them to the North East of the continent. Aegis Cave was not entirely unknown to the world at large, but nothing could penetrate its initial door. No amount of attacks, no Ghost-type could phase through. It was an impervious blockade, with only ancient scribblings on the outside that few could understand.

Team Celestial plus Vigoroth, Team Sunrise, and Guildmaster Wigglytuff all zapped into the rocky cliffs surrounding the dungeon and began to look around.

Even Wigglytuff and Sean had difficulty making any sense out of what was inscribed on the walls before them and the two grovyle of this group were more fixated on each other. All of that was secondary to when Team Charm made themselves known.

"Strength!" a deep voice announced.

"Knowledge!" a more delicate voice added.

"Beauty!" A final voice, somewhere between the two of them.

Unable to help himself, Wigglytuff piped up as well. "POWER!"

"Here come the treasure hunters!" The three voices cried. "Here comes Team Charm!"

And then they descended from an alcove. Lopunny, Gardevoir, and Medicharm falling fast as hail and landed light as feathers. They took an epic pose together to bedazzle their adoring onlookers.

"Rhythm!" Lopunny shouted as they landed. "Get over here, you big balloon."

Rhythm almost flew forwards as he collided with Lopunny almost at a Double-Edge speed.

"VELVET!" Rhythm cried. They were caught by Medicharm and Gardevoir together to stop them from slamming into the rock. Velvet lopunny was prepared and embraced him with her arms and ears.

He was babbling so fast no one could understand him, but she kept her arms around him and let him mumble into her chest.

Her fur was getting a bit gross by the time Gardevoir and Medicham pushed them a step back. "Oh?" Medicham scoffed. "She's the ONLY one you're that happy to see?"

She got her wish, and Wigglytuff floated rapidly into her next.

Gardevoir also got some Wigglytuff-hug.

Team Charm were graced with the attention of six pokemon with relative composure.

"EEEE-"

Make that five.

Saniya and Vigoroth vibrated in place.

"That's so cool!" Saniya said.

"Cool? THAT'S AWESOME!"

"I love your poses!"

"Can you teach me how to land like that?"

"Where did you come from?"

"Where did you go?"

"IS ONE OF YOU, JOE!?"

"Easy there," Striker said, rubbing Saniya's shoulders as he pulled her back. "You're getting overexcited."

Saniya vibrated like a shaken can of soda in his arms.

Team Charm responded well to the attention, doing similar gestures as if telling them to 'Stop it, but don't really'.

Braixen, standing where Wigglytuff had been with her brother, brightens up. "Oh! It's finally nice to put some faces to names! I've heard a bit about you!"

Being used to adoring fans, a more measured response caught their interest. "Oh?" Lopunny said, extracting herself to look them over. "Let's see… braixen, very distinctive grovyle." Her eyes flicked to Striker as well. "Two of them, even. I would hazard a guess you are Team Celestial?"

"You know of us?" Braixen asked, shocked.

Lopunny giggled. "Wigglytuff tells us about all his apprentices, he's so very proud of you all."

"I am!" Rhythm beamed, still basically floating around them. "We try to catch up over the network every few months. It's not the same as being around you girls in person though, EEE! Aegis Cave with Team Charm, this is so exciting!"

"Did you bring the key?" Medicham asked seriously.

"Um, let's see."

Guardian looked up and raised a finger but no one was looking at him.

She looked increasingly disgruntled as he began pulling a great amount of food out of his travel bag and nothing else.

"Hmm." He tilted it over and more came out, no key no. "Nope!"

"RHYTHM!" Medicham yelled. "How are we going to get in now? You said you found it!"

"I know! I gave it to Dusknoir, he's very good at remembering to keep things safe. Did you bring it?"

Guardian was holding the key out. "Yes."

Medicham sagged in relief as Lopunny and Gardevoir giggled. "That's our Wigglytuff alright. Thank you, Dusknoir." Lopunny took the key, examined it a moment before handing it to Gardevoir who did the same. She went on to greet Team Sunrise.

It changed hands to Medicham next who sighed, grasping it with her eyes closed before she opened them and turned to Rhythm. "You've held onto it for, like, forever," she said, rolling her eyes. "You do it."

"Aww…" Wigglytuff sniffled.

"Do NOT hug me," she warned. He did not listen. "Get off me, let me go!" Eventually, he acquiesced to that demand and floated over to the door.

Team Sunrise stood together, going over what they knew of this place. Scout had, after all, told them that Aegis Cave was a life-extinguishing experience that no good thing ever could come from.

He also told them it was boring, but they were more focused on the battles ahead. Rhythm also knew, but no one could be certain he remembered anything besides when he last ate.

"We all ready?" Wigglytuff asked.

"Before we go in," Sean piped up. "We had a thought."

"Oh?" Lopunny said coyly. "Thoughts are good to have."

Sean glanced to Striker who was still glowering at the other grovyle. He had no idea Striker was so, well, defensive of his status. The fact that the other grovyle didn't seem very interested only was stirring Striker up more, and it reminded Sean that for as mature as Striker could be, he wasn't really that much older than Scout.

"Well, there's three teams here! And there's some sort of… treasure in Aegis Cave." He chose not to say they knew, but all four of them smiled in a way that was challenging Team Charm and Team Celestial.

"I think I know where you are going with this," Lopunny said assuredly. "Heh, you really haven't thought this through though."

"Oh ho ho?" Guardian asked. "We are Team Sunrise, we have saved the very world you continue to explore, defeating even the god of time, Dialga."

"Perhaps you're quite strong," Gardevoir said softly. "But you are not treasure hunters like we are. This dungeon is our area of expertise."

Braixen politely cleared her throat. "We are here too," she said with a smile, Grovyle and Vigoroth flanking her. "And, well, quite frankly this seems a little unfair."

Lopunny and Sean frowned, concluding at the same time that Celestial was one mon short.

"Us three vs the eight of you, you're going to need a headstart if you wish to keep up."

Lopunny's ears twitched as Saniya cackled. "HAH! I like her."

"Oh my goodness, this is going to be fun," Lopunny said. "The completed Team Charm, with your very Guildmaster on our side. If you two rival teams think you can challenge us, well, I look forward to it."

Riolu, Lopunny, and Braixen.

Sean, Velvet, and Twila all raised a paw for what was supposed to be a cool three-person handshake and wound up being an awkward set of fist-bumps.

Vigoroth clapped his own hands together. "Are we DOING THIS or what?" he said, jogging in place. "We're ready we're ready we're ready! Are YOU READY?"

Grovyle, a sharp-toothed grin beginning to pull at his jaw nodded.

Striker nodded back and they shared a daring look between them.

Rhythm jittered and Medicham had to hold him in place as Saniya zoomed around them.

"Don't overestimate yourselves," Guardian said softly as Rhythm was loosed to unlock the door. "You might be surprised."

The key spun before flattening out, the Unown K symbol becoming part of the wall. The door trembled, glittering with lapis lazuli crystals and flashing several lights.

Up above the ancient door, where nature had taken its hold, lights began to flicker on. Three down, then five across in a cross pattern. Then three down on two sides with three across in the middle, taking a similar shape to an Unown H. Then six in a circle with one in the middle of it. A set of lights akin to a Y with another dot between the prongs flickered into life and then out. Lastly, was four in a diamond shape and then three down, the last three going sequentially.

Once the last light had flickered on and off the door creaked open.

"What a show!" Gardevoir beamed.

"It was fantabulous!" Saniya agreed.

"Sensational," Gardevoir added.

"Stupendous," Saniya continued.

"Amazing."

"Glorious."

"Incandescent!"

"Luminous!"

"Magnificent!"

"Wonderful!"

"Abso-Lopunny?" Gardevoir asked, noticing Lopunny had begun waving her hand in front of her face.

"Are you still with us, dear?" Lopunny asked, giggling.

Gardevoir blushed. "Oh, dear, I got carried away." She turned to Saniya, who was similarly being reminded of her existence by her teammates. "You may possess eloquence, Celebi, but I possess grace. I'll see you at the finish line, assuming you so much as reach it."

And with that, she hiked her skirt up and dashed in. Lopunny quickly hopped, Medicham sprinted, and Wigglytuff somehow rolled. All keeping up.

"We cannot lose now," Saniya said, giving a fist bump to the sky. "I have rattled her! I will rattle their bones! ONWARDS!"

And Team Sunrise rushed forth themselves.

Team Celestial, doing as they said and giving them a headstart, all slowly stretched. "How badly is this going to go?" Vigoroth asked.

"For them?" Grovyle asked.

"Yup."

"I dunno," Braixen replied, finishing popping her neck. "But we talked a big game so we better back it up. It's been too long, Sol." She smiled at Vigoroth. "Ready to rumble."

The boys were more than ready.

Following on the heels of the other teams, they emerged into a wide-open room. It was massive, with an unseen ceiling with not a hint of that red sky peeking through. In the middle was a large pillar but no other decorations.

Scattered around the room were the other eight pokemon, four groups of two examining a different part of the room. As they stepped in, Grovyle glanced back. "There's no exit," he said sharply.

Braixen and Vigoroth spun around and there was simply a wall where they had come from. "Oh dear," Braixen said. "I guess we need to get through this."

"Yo, guys!" Saniya called, waving. "This room is wacky, there's four entrances here and they're all got that funny unown text. This one here just has three letters."

Saniya floated with Guardian who was staring at the ICE engraving, eye flicking from it to the dungeon entrance before them.

"This isn't going to be warping the dungeon is it?" Braixen asked as there were eleven pokemon inside here at once.

"It doesn't appear to be an actual dungeon yet," Guardian said, still facing his entrance.

"Looks like a puzzle is in front of us!" Lopunny called from where she and Wigglytuff were looking at their own door. "Four entrances, but three teams. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

As Guardian turned he caught the look on Grovyle's face. Very different to Striker's easy confidence, this grovyle had an almost smile on his face.

The assorted pokemon all glanced around at each other.

Vigoroth was the one who broke the silence. "DIBS!" He grabbed Grovyle and Braixen and dashed through the dungeon entrance Guardian and Saniya were in front of and vanished.

"We can't let them win!" Saniya shrieked, grabbing Guardian. "I am going to bowl you into Striker and Sean so we can be on with this!" she declared and then did exactly what she said, tossing them through ROCK.

Team Charm flew together and raced through STEEL.

---

Team Sunrise tumbled into hell.

The walls were covered in writing, and a lot of that writing was able and willing to come off the walls and attack them.

"Why. Are. There nothing BUT UNOWN!?" Striker of all pokémon screamed after being bombarded by a score of unown. Curiously enough, they were solely made of the F and U forms.

"I think there's a zubat over there." Guardian pointed before blasting the poor cretin.

"You think you're so clever," Saniya growled. "With your GHOST POWERS and immunities to things."

Guardian had been hit by an awful lot of Hidden Power attacks that wound up being Normal or Fighting attacks. It left him in a positive mood compared to the others.

The unown didn't speak, they just floated about attacking at with impunity. The dungeon felt like it was going on circles, beating up the wall décor and being beaten up by it.

"We need the rocks that match the writing," Sean groaned as he was bedazzled by a Fairy-type hit. "Rock. Rock. ROCK!"

"I'll rock Striker if you don't stop talking about ROCKS!" Saniya yelled. "Then Guardian will!"

"What?"

"YOU HEARD ME!"

When the first unown dissolved into a rock with its form inscribed on it, the path ahead was clear.

But unown appeared at random, poking and prodding at them with Hidden Power. Only some of them turned into the stones, and it took forever to locate the right letter. They stumbled out suddenly, back into the big room, and with not enough stones to advance.

So, they were back into it.

Sean was getting ready to tear his fur out, or better yet Saniya and Striker's leaves for their endless bitching. But he didn't, because he had enjoyed a great few nights of sleep lately with no surges of anger or irritation.

This was purely just the madness brought about by a dungeon who solely existed to hurt you.

"Is that it?" Saniya asked, weakly when an O appeared in the air before hitting the ground with a clatter. Team Sunrise stared at it in anticipation, almost expecting it to disappear. Sean then ran over to it, snatching it up before the stone could even consider ruining their lives.

"I've got it!" he yelled, stashing it with the R, C, and K stones.

"Let's get out of this nightmare land!" Saniya said, and they hightailed it. The loop wasn't long, just frustrating.

The pillar in the middle of the room had said, "If you seek passage, close your eyes, then submit your proof." Which Sean assumed was the instructions. He pulled the stones out, holding them awkwardly as they were fairly large. He stretched his paws out in front of the rock room and closed his eyes.

"Everyone do it too," he instructed, and they followed. Saniya kept an eye peeked open, but nothing was happening, so she squeezed it shut.

Lights began to flicker, seen only in flashes of red through their eyelids. Sean gasped as he felt the stones move in his paws before suddenly they were empty, the light grew blinding, and a buzzing sound put them all on edge.

Then it stopped. Opening their eyes presented the spoils of their trauma—a staircase. One that headed down.

"Stairs," Saniya mused, looking down the inky passageway. "Well… I vote Sean goes first!"

"Seconded," Striker said.

"Thirded," Guardian chuckled.

"Hey!" Sean said, faux-offended. "What do you think you're-" Saniya pushed him, and he dropped into the passageway. "FUCK!"

"LANGUAGE!"

He landed easily, on his feet, a few steps in. She poked her tongue out. "Looks safe enough." She glided down, and Striker and Guardian came up the rear and the four descended.

It was dark and yet, even as they walked, their sight changed little. Only a few feet in front could be seen, but even as they walked further into the darkness that didn't change.

The light soon returned, and they entered a chamber of teal stone, the very same as the walls the unown had peeled themselves from. Unlike before, however, there was no writing on the walls, alive or not.

It was only a titan.

"Desig-ig-ignation: F-F-F-Foes." The being, the regirock, rattled in place as they came to a sudden stop. "Di-di-di-di-directive."

"Phew," Saniya breathed, hearing die repeated a lot was concerning at first.

"I-If you seek to go-go-go further, show th-th-that you-you-you have." It gave a sudden horrific noise, like a dial-up phone hearing the sounds of someone using the internet. "Power."

Regice raised its arms. Its speech may have been glitching, but it was still a very dangerous foe. Team Sunrise took positions as the battlefield under their feet began to rumble.

---

Team Ion and Team Gazer had begun the emergency return to Treasure Town. Seasoned explorers that they were, several fast-travel dungeons were being plotted out to be utilised to return as fast as possible.

And Arashi knew more of the land than either team did, providing an even more comprehensive idea of the area.

"Why don't the maps have this information?" Beheeyem wondered out loud. "This knowledge you have should be in the hands of so many more!"

"Oi, you can't go spreading my tips around," Arashi countered. "How else are you going to get a cut above the rest?" She knew her audience too well, as that shut Beheeyem into a thoughtful silence.

Something was bubbling behind her eyes, however, something only her brother could see building. Rai knew that, a year ago, he would have said nothing, hoping that he was just mistaking it, hoping that something else would happen.

Raigeki had grown a lot, however, and so a night between shortcuts, he asked her to help him collect berries.

"We need as much as we can carry," Rai said. "Orans, sitrus, leppa, lum. Anything, we're gonna need supplies for disasters."

He was energetic, a little manic in a sense, rushing about, zapping fruits off trees and collecting them in a big basket. Arashi watched him in curiosity, the shy little pipsqueak she'd left behind wasn't exactly gone, but it had melded into the stronger pokemon who zapped Dialga itself in its eyes and walked through collapsing time.

She doubted she could have done half of what he'd pulled off.

"Raigeki," she said calmly, two hours into disaster mode fruit ninja.

Rai looked up to her, to his older sister. "Yeah?"

She patted the ground next to him. "Come, sit down, you're gonna run your legs out from under you."

"I gotta-"

"You can take a break," Arashi countered.

Rai screwed his face up. "No."

She raised an eye. "No?"

Rai shook his head. "I know what you're going to say. I don't want to have this conversation. I need you."

Her face… softened. Rai hadn't seen that expression in years even before she left. "Rai. You saved the world, you took on your heroes, and your villains. You walked through a place no one else has been to and stopped the god of time from breaking entirely. You really don't need me."

Rai blinked slowly, eyes casting down until they were at her paws. "I only wanted to make you proud of me," he said.

She shook her head. "Kiddo, I've been proud of you for years. Don't lessen yourself because of me."

"Why are you going?" Rai asked. "Again? Is it just because we're going back to town? Or are you afraid of what might be happening?"

His words were cuttingly gentle, like he understood and accepted if that was the reason. So, she decided she had to be honest. "I'm going back to Blackstone," she admitted. "I'm going to the Clefable Guild."

Rai blinked, of all things he wasn't expecting to hear that. "Huh?"

She shrugged a little, tilting her head to do it. "I don't think I can really do anything in Treasure Town. I'm not gonna make much of a difference in power when you've got heavyweights like Wigglytuff and Spinda down there."

"Spinda?" Rai asked, very confused.

"You've clearly never battled him before," Arashi said dryly. "Either way, I've got a bit of a rapport if you want me talking fancy with Clefable's group. If there really is something bad happening again that's gonna threaten our whole way of life, then you're gonna need more help than I can give you. Clefable and Wigglytuff don't get along, but me? I can do something that way."

She leaned over and licked his forehead. "I'm sorry I can't go with you to town but I'm not running away this time, I promise."

Rai still looked sad but he swallowed it and nodded. "Okay. Just… take some of these berries, okay? I worry."

She would have laughed at him being worried about her if it didn't touch a part of her heart long buried. "Heh… alright, Raigeki. Just a few."

They sat together, tails across each other.

"You know, I was thinking about what you said. About Manectric," Ara said. Rai looked up at her. "I am glad Manectric is dead," she said. His face turned complicated.

"I am glad," Ara continued. "Glad that you didn't do it."

Rai's ears twitched. "You are?" he said softly. That was what he had told her. That he hadn't been strong enough to avenge their family and that Dusknoir had to step in to do it for him.

Ara nodded. "You're not a killer," she said. "Even to something that wretched. I'm glad it's dead, and if you HAD killed it, I would be proud of you. But I'm still happy you didn't. That's all I wanted to say. I'm proud of you."

She nuzzled him and he nuzzled back. The two orphan children of that terrible night.

And so, Arashi parted with them, turning back to return to Blackstone Village.

With her tips still guiding their feet, Team Ion and Team Gazer kept on crashing through dungeons until-

They came running into town.

Well after Wigglytuff, Team Charm, and Team Sunrise had already left.

The seven of them sprinted up the stairs or floated in two pokémon's cases until they reached the grate.

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!" Diglett cried from below. Scout, who was the one being read, was panting for breath too hard to tell him to just let them in.

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?" Loudred boomed back.

Diglett was quiet for a moment, building up anticipation. "The footprint is Meowth!" He raised his voice. "THE FOOTPRINT IS MEOWTH!"

The gate quickly opened, and they dashed into the guild, almost sliding down the slope and getting dizzy as they spun around quite quickly.

Rai tumbled and fell into Mane, and the two collided with Scout, sending the three falling in a fluffy ball of claws and limbs.

Team Gazer came down with a bit more grace.

"Not that I don't mind this…." Mane grinned from where he was pinned under Rai and Scout. "But… get off!"

"We have a problem!" Scout yelled at the same time as Rai pulled the three of them apart. "A very big problem! Wigglytuff, Armaldo!"

Loudred and Diglett paused as they were coming over, and their shouting attracted the attention of Chimecho and Croagunk. The last pokémon to make himself known was Armaldo, hurrying out of Wigglytuff's Chambers.

"You're back!" he snapped. "We know there's a problem."

"You know about the distortion?" Scout gasped, and Armaldo paused.

"I… for fucks sake, more? Come on, get in here." Team Ion dashed in after him as Armaldo retrieved a Mute Orb.

Team Gazer was too slow to join and wasn't sure if forcing the doors open was right. So, they loitered awkwardly as Loudred blinked at them.

"Uh… hello?" Loudred said.

"Greetings," Beheeyem said.

Chimecho, who decided this was more important than listening to Scizor complain, greeted them with a smile. "It is nice to see you three again."

As the newcomers chatted with the apprentices, Team Ion spoke with Armaldo.

"Okay, stop, stop! Slow down!" Armaldo demanded, as they were all talking at once and he couldn't make rhyme or reason.

"We were at Luminous Springs," Scout began.

"The voice told us that," Rai said.

"Rai, stop let him talk!" Mane chastised, and they turned into an amalgam of voices again.

"Okay. Get out," Armaldo snapped, silencing the three of them.

"What?"

"You two." Armaldo pointed at Rai and Mane. "Unless this is something that can only be explained by the three of you, I know I need to talk to one." He stomped to the door and cracked it open. "Out before this interferes with the orb."

Rai and Mane dashed out, ears folded back and tails down a bit and Armaldo closed the door with a groan.

"Okay. Meowth. What is going on?"

And so, Scout explained.

Once he had gotten through the preamble, he got to the point. "The voice at the springs," Scout explained, "said that not only was Rai also unable to evolve thanks to this distortion but that it's multiplicative. It's not one-two-three. It's one-two-four-eight-sixteen, and we have at least seven pokémon that are like this."

"Sixty-four," Armaldo muttered, doing the math quickly. "Maybe even higher, if Darkrai and Soothe also create distortion."

"I guess it's an explanation as to why he'd revive me," Scout mumbled, looking down in shame. Even if Darkrai forced his hand at the end, but damn did that make all the more sense now. "I'm sure the story implied he could warp space due to the distortion if it's this bad…."

"Perhaps," Armaldo said, stepping back. "We also have found something troubling. Team Sunrise returned to the Hidden Land recently and met with Dialga. Dialga who had no recollection of speaking to Riolu, Shinx, or Litleo… or you."

"What?" Scout squeaked. "But… I did!"

"Right." Armaldo nodded.

"And I could speak to Darkrai too," Scout said, lips getting numb. "Darkrai… who can make illusions… but not in real life! Only in dreams, they weren't asleep. I remained aware even when everyone was asleep!"

"Darkrai who with the existence of at least six pokémon causing distortion," Armaldo pointed out. "Yes, we couldn't fathom how he could have pretended to be Dialga either, but if this is true. This… distortion has become so much more powerful, warping space and illusions doesn't seem so far-fetched."

Scout weakly nodded. "I've," he said, voice shaking. "Really messed things up again, haven't I?"

Armaldo huffed a breath. "If you weren't here, you could not have warned us that Darkrai was a threat now, could you?" That was something at least, and Scout took that to heart and nodded.

"Alright… alright… where's Wigglytuff?"

Armaldo closed his eyes and cursed. "He and Team Sunrise aren't here," he said, remembering. "Dammit. They JUST left yesterday, they've gone to Aegis Cave."

"Oh no," Scout groaned. "That could take them ages! The Regi's are in there!"

"They know," Armaldo rumbled, sighing. "Assuming Junior hasn't intentionally forgotten. At least they were teleported there and will be teleported back. Still, of course, you'd miss our request to come home early and arrive right as someone else leaves."

Armaldo paced, shaking the guild with his steps. "Fine, fine, fine! Meowth of Team Ion," he said, spinning back on him. "Your team has passed the graduation exam, but without the Guildmaster here, I cannot complete the final paperwork to make it legal. You'll stay here until they're back. Congratulations."

Scout nodded numbly.

"Secondly… I don't know, go rest, meet with Chimecho and have you all checked out. Do something, I need to… no, I need to speak with Chimecho. Go to your team and do something, please."

Armaldo hurried, as best as he could, to the door, threw it open and stomped out calling for Chimecho.

Scout crept out after him, shaking his head. Somehow it was even worse than he thought but letting Armaldo know made him feel a bit better. The powerful Bug-type had some sort of plan of action at least.

He thought about his own plans, what little of them he had managed to keep intact.

"How'd it go?" Rai asked, seeing Scout exit after Armaldo.

"About as well as I thought it would," Scout said, rubbing his face. He felt really tired. "Apparently, the Dialga we met wasn't actually Dialga. It was almost definitely Darkrai."

That caused both of them to blanch.

"What I don't know," Scout muttered. "You came to… him to ask him to revive me. Darkrai was able to do it, why would he pretend to be Dialga to NOT do that. That doesn't make sense. We would have accepted Dialga's help without hesitation, but instead, he tried to make me think that no one would revive me."

"Even though if he had offered," Rai continued. "We would have accepted. So… did he want you revived or not?"

"Maybe he didn't have the power yet?" Mane suggested. "And once he did, he wanted you to think he was your only choice?"

That sounded it could be right and Scout nodded uncertainly. "That could make sense."

But he couldn't be sure. Darkrai was far too enigmatic to even try to work out.

"Well?" Mane asked. "What are we going to do now?"

"Well, Wigglytuff isn't actually here. He and Team Sunrise went to Aegis Cave."

Rai and Mane cursed.

"But by a teleporter," Scout added. "So, hopefully, they won't be long. Armaldo told me to just… do whatever for the moment, he's speaking to Chimecho so we can't go to her. I don't know what else to do."

"It's been ages since we've seen the town," Rai suggested, placing a smile on his face that was only a little shaky. "I'd never been away from it for so long before."

Mane didn't share that nostalgic feeling but he nodded anyway.

"Oh! I've got an idea, but it's uhh…." Rai… blushed? "Well, I'll need to get it ready. You two… hang out, I'll be back!" And then he just raced off.

"Well then," Mane said, flashing Scout a winning smile. "It's just the two of us." He wiggled his eyebrows and leaned in, Scout batted him away, gently, with his paw.

"Stop that," he said, Mane tried again and was smushed away until Scout grabbed his face with both paws.

"Well, thish ish purrfect," Mane said with Scout holding his face, he gave a wink for good measure.

Scout rolled his eyes but did give Mane a peck on the nose. The funniest thing was, Mane talked a very big game, but it was easier to fluster him than it was to fluster Scout.

He immediately went red, and his mohawk sparked with flames, and he squeaked, flinching back.

There wasn't a crowd on the inside of the guild, but someone still did snort in amusement at such things.

Lucario had arrived.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in?" she said, stepping over to them.

"That's clever," Mane said, rubbing his nose. "How long did it take you to think that up?"

"Longer than you last," Lucario said, giving a deadly wink. "Anyway, Imma borrow that one." She picked Scout up and stashed him under the crook of her arm. "Later."

"H-Hey!" Scout said, disagreeing with this.

Mane blinked after them, stunned for just a moment, before also calling foul. "Don't take him! I was gonna take him! Oi, Lucario!" He began to run after them, but then Dugtrio appeared.

"Ah! Litleo," Dugtrio said. "We have been requested by Lucario to distract you!"

"What?" he said before the words registered. "What?"

"Mission successful," Dugtrio said, knowing Lucario had departed.

Mane growled. "Alright, fine. YOU can entertain me then." Dugtrio recoiled. "Not like that." He rolled his eyes.

"Uh… we're not sure about this."

"Rai's gone, Scout's gone, you're the only one I have left." He trotted up and laid on one of Dugtrio's heads. "How am I supposed to survive now?"

"Compared to the sand of the beach, your life is nothing to us."

Dugtrio tried to flee, but Mane clamped on. He would not escape until one of the others returned.

All while Team Gazer muddled around, they saw Armaldo stomping back and decided to go to him.

---

"Hey, Lucario!" Scout complained all the way until she reached Beach Cave. "Let me go! I'll scream and bite and scratch!"

"I'm glad you don't bite," she said cheerfully. So he bit her, she didn't react.

"Where did you even come from?" Scout asked, spitting out lucario fur.

"I've been here for ages now," Lucario replied. "Armaldo didn't mention me?"

"We had more important things to talk about."

She snorted. "You're a mouthy little thing, we never even talked! That was rude of you, by the way."

"I was an apparition that couldn't interact with anything besides-"

"Darkrai, yeah, I know. Now."

She set him down on the moist ground and he glowered up at the ancient warrior for a moment. He didn't appreciate being pulled away by a relative stranger, especially one as powerful as she was. She could do anything and who could stop her?

"I like the attitude," she said. "To cut the crap short, I swung around to beat up your furry friend and ran into my old student, and I hear I have you to thank for that."

"Ah," Scout said, rubbing his back. He got to his feet and looked up at Lucario. "This is going to be interesting, isn't it?"

"Quite probably," she said, primly. "Now. I've lived a long time, seen a lot of things, done a lot of things. I've never quite heard of someone like you… so, you're going to explain to me everything you know."

"Everything?" Scout said, almost whining. He'd explained this so many times.

"Yeah, I can free up five minutes."

"Okay. Didn't Armaldo and Wigglytuff already tell you? Or was it Team Sunrise? You clearly know so…"

"I want to hear it from the kitten's mouth." She shook her head. "It was the first two, for the record. But that's second-hand stuff, no matter how informative. I need to hear it from you."

Scout nibbled on his lip but nodded. He knew it was not healthy for his future to refuse and she had taken him to the dungeon so she clearly knew it needed to be discrete. "Alright. Um… where do you want me to start?"

"Start with what you are," she instructed, and so Scout once again explained everything.

He explained his knowledge of playing a set of games called Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers as well as other media branded as Pokémon. He talked about waking up, in the wrong place at that, and thinking he was dreaming before thinking he knew what he was doing.

He revealed the fact that Scout existed before he knew this and that his memories of being Scout were all pretty much back. He could recall being raised by Guardian and being so blown away by how cool Sean was. He could even remember what Sean used to look like. The only issue was the same as the rest of Team Sunrise, remembering something that didn't exist anymore left things a little difficult at times.

He still held onto a memory of a sableye, the one he'd named… Danny. The name still could be called upon.

He discussed how things had gone wrong immediately without him really knowing why and the mistakes he had made.

Once he was done, she had questions to ask. "Interesting. Well, I need to know a few more specific things."

Scout nodded, expecting that.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Other than a mention of The Legendary Lucario in the first set of games, Rescue Team, absolutely nothing. All I knew was that you were a very famous rescuer. And that based on the statue a team could get once they reached the highest rank, probably not alive anymore."

She nodded, humming under her breath. "Alright. You mentioned you know of other media as well. Tell me a bit more about that."

Scout explained the anime that he knew pretty damn well, the other games that Lucario seemed amused to hear. The manga that he didn't know nearly as much about.

"I remember hearing you mention seeing a darkrai hold off Dialga and Palkia at once," Scout said of his own volition. Lucario nodded. "Alamos Town?"

She nodded again. "So, you do know of me?" she said, almost grinning.

"No?" Scout said, and she blinked. "As far as I remember, there was no lucario at Alamos Town. At least… not doing anything plot-relevant."

Lucario stared at him for a minute. "Hm. You said the protagonist of this anime is Ash, and you don't know me?" She sounded almost offended.

"Uh… no? Uh... are you Cameron's Lucario? Or does Ash get one eventually?"

Lucario narrowed her eyes. "I have never been so insulted in my life." If they weren't in a dungeon right now she'd toss him into the ocean. "You don't know Felix?" She stressed that name.

"No?"

"Hm." She frowned and considered everything he had told her for a moment. Just a moment, she determined what to go for next quite quickly.

"Based on what you've said, though…"

"I don't know this world so clearly," Scout concluded, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "I already know that, Lucario. It's like… I don't know, I got the outline of the place, but the reality is different. Deeper."

She nodded, agreeing with that. "My best friend, Felix, and I knew Ash, never exactly travelled with his little group, but we knew him quite well. If your anime didn't show that, and your knowledge of THIS world is lacking as well, keep in mind that you don't know everything."

Scout accepted that. He had come to a similar idea himself, with how many things were different here than what the game had shown. "So, I guess you know Team Rocket too? The TRio, or…?"

To his surprise, Lucario barked with laughter. "Damn, I never thought I'd hear about those fuckers again. Hahaha, I actually kinda miss them." She shook her head. "Yeah, Felix is friends with them because he is a complete bleeding heart and they looked so damn pathetic. And, well, they really aren't all that bad. Super dramatic, but decent enough people when not tunnel visioned into Giovanni worship."

Scout grinned, he couldn't really believe what he was hearing but tried to compose himself. "They were my favourite characters, s-so that's kinda… crazy to hear that they... yeah."

Lucario shook her head in amusement. "Them? Weirdo. Well, as much fun as digressing on that stuff is, we're losing track. Back to business. Shadow Pokémon, what do you know?"

Scout positively grimaced, what a fun change of topic. "I know that they are a bit different to what I was expecting," he admitted. "Pokémon with artificially closed hearts that gained access to Shadow Moves and could be purified by… something was about all I knew. Not this… horrifying, plague-like, abomination that it is here."

"It is the same everywhere," Lucario said. "I've heard a comment that your Pokémon was for kids. Heh, that'd explain why a lot was left out even ignoring complications of what and how your world could be presenting mine as if it was a work of fiction."

She shrugged. "Although some worlds may deal with the Shadow Pokémon problem better, it's still awful everywhere. There's a connection between it and humans, I'm certain of it. In my world, Shadow Pokémon are impossibly rare. Here, however, they seem to be crawling out of the woodwork. Sure was when I first came here, at least."

She set her jaw. "This is the biggest issue we need to talk about. Do you know ANYTHING about Shadow Pokémon here?"

Scout, unfortunately, shook his head. "It wasn't a thing in these games," he sighed, and Lucario's jaw tightened. "Of all the swerves, that was the worst one for me because I had no idea what they really were like. It's like an outside-context problem, I just don't know."

Lucario stared at him, eyes boring into him, seeking any deceit or hesitance. There was nothing. "Well, not what I hoping for, I admit, but cannot be helped."

"What do you want to know?" Scout asked.

"Everything," she answered. "Arceus barely told me anything," she said, brazenly speaking of Arceus Itself. "All I know is just… personal experience." She looked very uncomfortable for a brief moment. "What it is? Why it is. How to stop it. Shadow Pokémon can be purified, but they are so damn dangerous, and there's no real… fix in this world."

She suddenly looked very old. "It's why I was brought here, the other-other reason at least, and I've had to end them because it was the only way. Give this world civilisation… and clean it up of what was infecting it. I wish I could do it another way, but it's simply too dangerous to even try. Not without a foolproof plan, and there is none!"

She trailed off. "Oh boy, I'm trauma dumping on you. I guess you have that kind of face. Soz."

Scout tried to brush that off. "Darkrai…."

"Is probably one, yes," she said, nodding. "And he revived you. What does that make you?"

Scout was silent.

Lucario continued. "There's been no situation like this that I know of. Not only a legendary pokémon as a Shadow Pokémon but one that revived someone from oblivion…"

"There was one, other," Scout said. "At least. A Shadow Lugia, that I knew of. In some other game, though. I don't know anything more, except that it could be purified with a considerable amount of difficulty."

Lucario looked him over again. "Hm. Still…"

"Still," Scout said, shifting uncomfortably. "What if I am?"

Lucario raised her head. "Well, that's a difficult question. Any other Shadow Pokemon in your position would have gone on a rampage by now because they have to. You can't fight it… no matter how strong you are." Her eyes went distant again, old, and an unfathomable depth of pain.

She then blinked and it was gone. "You don't seem like one. But that's not something I can trust implicitly. Let's just say… let's hope you aren't."

It felt like a threat unspoken and Scout swallowed nervously. "I don't… feel any different," Scout muttered.

She smiled at him, but there was no amusement or kindness to it. "But you will accept that you'd say that either way?"

Scout nodded.

"Well. If it means anything to you, I don't believe you are one… at the moment. But if Darkrai could do something to you, and as a Shadow Pokémon, he likely would. I don't know if he could. Just… be careful, Scout."

"If I start… can you just tell me if there's anything I can do or watch out for?"

Lucario considered the request but nodded. "Since you're in a unique situation, it's hard to be sure, but if you feel things like constant irritability no matter what you or anyone else does. Start having intrusive thoughts about harm, yourself and others. Start feeling like no one and nothing matters. If you just stop feeling like yourself, talk to someone. It might be nothing, we all have our mood changes, but it pays to be careful. I don't expect you to talk to me, I did threaten to kill you after all, but if you want and I'm available you can."

She smiled mirthlessly. "But if there is any chance to stop it or just to avoid hurting anyone, I hope you will."

Scout nodded. "I promise I'll tell someone if that starts happening."

"Good." She considered their surroundings for a moment. "Well… let's be off. That's what I wanted to talk to you about." There was audible disappointment in her voice, even if it was somewhat concealed.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be any more help," he said, she waved his apologies off.

"Don't worry, it's nothing really important. I already know what I'm doing after all." She nodded, her eyes set. "One thing I've known throughout my life, especially in that… 'anime' of yours, is that there will always be someone to stop the monster. Things aren't terrible, Scout. There are beings who seek to change it, but just remember that they are the ones who are trying and failing to change things."

He hadn't really thought of that. But she did have a point. Pokémon were judgemental and flighty at times, but they still sought to help others with little wanted in return. Totodile, Indeedee, Duskull and Xatu. The world was good, and Darkrai was trying to change that, not reveal that.

Scout did feel a little wary of Lucario. She was so powerful, and she had basically threatened to kill him. That wasn't grounds for a comfortable relationship, but he also sort of respected it. He never wanted to hurt anyone. And she continued to be very casual, which was just strange to adjust to.

"Lucario?" he asked as they neared the end of Beach Cave.

"Yeah?"

"If I do become a danger to everyone. You'll stop me?"

Lucario eyed him for a moment. "If I'm still around to do so, yes."

There was nothing he had feared more than to hurt them.

"And what about now? I don't know if you heard, but... everyone who went to the future in some way is causing distortion. It's multiplicative, not additive, and there's at least seven of us causing it."

Lucario considered him for a moment. "I'm not the type to just kill my problems, kitten. Even if it would do anything, there are better options because there are other options. That initial distortion has probably already been taken advantage of. No, trying to stop that now is pointless so don't start thinking like that."

He nodded, satisfied with that. And they returned to the Wigglytuff Guild.

---

"Repeat that… please," Armaldo said, voice straining to the point of breaking. This day was getting too much.

Chimecho floated before him with concern etched deeply into her face. "Natu of Evertrail Town contacted me just a few minutes ago," she repeated, as he asked. "She says that Team Go-Getters entered the new dungeon, Vastswallow Hill, three days ago and haven't been seen since. No one in that town is strong enough to reach the end, and there have been numerous injuries with attempts."

"Team Go-Getters is missing?" Armaldo asked, closing his eyes and holding his head. Damn, he had a headache.

"Yes," Chimecho answered. "Natu is requesting help, as Treasure Town is the closest established guild to Evertrail Town, she hopes that there is someone strong enough here to find them."

Armaldo gave a long-suffering sigh. "Chimecho, I need to think, leave me." She nodded and floated out, letting Armaldo dwell on his own.

Wigglytuff and Team Sunrise were out of the area, he couldn't count on them. Which hurt, because he knew that Team Sunrise were the best fit for a task like this.

Team Go-Getters was missing? That rang many alarm bells in his head. Now of all times? Now when Darkrai was certainly a threat? Now, the most famous Rescue Team went missing? He couldn't trust that occurrence to chance.

Even IF it was, the risk it wasn't was incredibly high.

Even if it was just chance, whatever had taken them out would take almost anyone here out. He couldn't send Loudred or Corphish, they were strong yes but not on that level.

And if it was something caused by Darkrai, whoever he sent could go straight into a trap.

Team Ion were back, however. With Team Sunrise gone, they were probably the next best option.

But the idea of sending anyone into what could be a trap was painfully distasteful. And yet, Armaldo knew, someone had to go. They couldn't ignore Team Go-Getters vanishing.

He would have gone himself, but Rhythm wasn't here. He cursed himself for contacting Team Charm, then cursed himself for cursing that. Rhythm needed this, but why now? Why did this have to happen now?

It was in the middle of this cavalcade of rapidly shifting thoughts that he was intruded on.

"Excuse me, good sir," Beheeyem said as Team Gazer entered Rhythm's Chambers without permission. "Pardon us for interrupting, but we couldn't help but overhear your predicament."

"We eavesdropped!" Electrike barked happily as Armaldo stopped his pacing to glare holes into the three for intruding without consent.

"I would strongly suggest you three-step out," Armaldo growled. "Now."

"Proposition: We present a proposal," Metang announced. "Team Go-Getters can be found by us, Team Gazer!"

They did a pose, and Armaldo was reminded of Team Charm for a horrible second.

"No," he said.

They deflated.

"Do not take our charmingly handsome exteriors for anything less than rugged strength," Beheeyem said, composing himself as Metang held Electrike back frm trying to bite Armaldo. "We are more than a match for Team Ion before Metang evolved, with our current strength we likely have surpassed them."

They had eavesdropped well if they'd heard him muttering about Team Ion and Team Sunrise.

He narrowed his eyes, they were making a good point, however. "You three are not part of this guild," he pointed out. Not a good or a bad thing, just a point.

"We are our own team," Beheeyem explained. "Treasure Hunter Extraordinaires! But we dip our metaphorical feet into everything, including rescues. We can find Team Go-Getters!"

Metang and Electrike gave shouts of agreement.

Armaldo considered them for a long moment. "Alright," he said, this was good. This was potentially solving several problems. But he was still loathed to send anyone into a possible trap without preparation. "You understand this is undoubtedly very dangerous? If they were taken down by the dungeon, that is dangerous enough, but they may have been attacked. This could be a trap."

"We can handle it," Beheeyem insisted.

Armaldo raised his head. "We'll see. I'm going to send someone to aid you." He stepped past them and retrieved Chimecho. "Go get Sunflora before she leaves town," he said. "Quickly."

She nodded and floated off out the window Lucario liked to take, and Armaldo turned back to Team Gazer. "Follow me. You'll have your pick of items from the guild to prepare yourselves. Team Go-Getters needs to be found, but I am not risking Sunflora anymore than I have to."

"And us?" Electrike asked.

"A risk you have volunteered to take," Armaldo replied and showed them the storeroom. "Take what you need and return to the chambers. Sunflora should be there by then."

Beheeyem opened the door, and he and Electrike went in, Metang remaining back due to their size. Armaldo returned to the chambers to wait and think.

He hated that all he could do was think.

---

Regirock fell back and onto its back, beeping pitifully before falling silent. Behind it, a wall dissolved into nothingness, revealing a pillar behind it that lit up with glowing energy. The light grew bright and then blinding until it faded.

"What…?" Sean murmured, looking around him to find them deposited back in the main room. The pillar in the middle had lit up on three different sides as two other groups rubbed their faces in confusion.

"Did you fight a regi too?" Saniya called.

"Is that what was was?" Lopunny groaned. "Eww, steel shaving. Bastard coated bastard that was!"

"My hands hurt," Medicham complained.

Sean agreed, his wrists and palms were stinging something fierce.

Guardian soon cleared his non-existent throat. "I thought there were four of the golem legends, three of the elements and one grand leader? But anyone could enter that fourth path, could they not?"

Gardevoir floated to the glowing middle pillar. "It is glowing on three sides, not four. Perhaps the defeat of the leader is merely part of the test and the treasure is unlocked this way?"

"Or…" Vigoroth said, brushing a lot of ice off himself and Grovyle, it had already melted off Braixen. "There's… A FOURTH DIBS!" And he flung the three of them at the fourth door. The one that said DRAGON.

Using the stones they had already collected, it was simple to get the last one, another N.

"Take that!" Vigoroth said as they exited, himself and Grovyle were breathing heavily but smiling. "We're gonna win! Two bosses for us! Put those rocks in, Braixen!"

"Should we, I dunno, stop them or…?" Sean asked.

"No, no," Lopunny said. "I want to see this play out."

Team Celestial all did a cool hand motion, Grovyle failing to do it until he saw Braixen and Vigoroth doing it, and dipped backwards into the regi's room.

"So, what do you think it's gonna be?" Vigoroth asked.

"Well, based on the previous one, probably some sort of golem," Braixen said teasingly.

"We should make snowcones!" Vigoroth said loudly. "We'd make a fortune! People would love that, right, Luno?"

Luno, the grovyle, didn't react much. "Do you need the money?"

"Nahhh, but it'd be cooool," Vigoroth chuckled.

Braixen groaned. "Sooool. That was a pun. Luno, hit him."

"Why?"

"Puns are evil!"

"Sol isn't evil."

Sol threw his arms over Luno's shoulders. "He loves me and is on my side."

Braixen, Twila, might have gone to respond but she caught the expression on her brother's face and it faded into a flicker of confusion. "Let's just get our heads on straight, do you need any heals before we get too far into this?"

"Nope!"

"No."

"So, both of you is a yes then. You're both bleeding!" She threatened them with her wand until Sol dragged them both down to devour some berries.

"The letters don't give much," Luno stated, examining a few leaching seeds he manifested, absorbing energy crackling around his hands.

"You can drain from me if you need," Sol said, he had vitality in abundance.

Luno looked to be considering that, but then Twila cut in. "You can fight each other later, we've got a challenge to win. And I think we're here."

As they entered chamber a robotic voice called out. "Observation: It is a day."

Team Celestial found their eyes falling on a violently pink sphere with lights flickering in a Y shape with a dot between them. As if a jewel being horded by a great dragon, 'arms' akin to a dragons skull clamping down upon it rotated slightly from its upper body. The legs were little stilts.

Regidrago. As there was no boom of technology in this world, Regigigas never created Regieleki, but Regidrago still was formed before the death of man.

"What the heckin-fuck is that?" Sol asked.

"It's absolutely pulsing with energy," Twila muttered.

Luno's eys narrowed onto it, scouring it with his eyes for any weaknesses. "Which approach, Twila?"

The braixen nibbled her lip.

Regidrago raised its 'arms'. "Defiant Statement: There is nothing you can do to meeee. You are but the jam on my sandwich!"

"Number 2, okay?" Luno positively snarled in delight. Let it come to them.

Regidrago gave a booming whistling sound of energy charging and then it rocket-boosted over the gap between them. Team Celestial split apart immediately, Braixen flicking her wand as Grovyle split into three selves.

Two distracted the regi as Vigoroth charged behind and dove beneath the rocketing golem. The double teamed apparitions broke as Regidrago crushed them, releasing the leach seeds Grovyle had formed them around.

They fell onto the dragon and immediately evaporated as it surged with energy. It leapt up, its draconic skull clamping down around it to form a leering skull of blazing hot pink energy. The jaws opened in a beastial roar that send a shockwave of energy down upon the room, shooting wildly as if holding onto an erupting firehose.

Everywhere the energy fell, exploded, showering the entire room in stone splinters and leaving the three sprawling in sudden disorientation.

Regidrago stopped erupting all over the place and fell down. "Declaration: Boo ya."

And then a fireball flew through the smoke and hit it in its… face?

"Distress: Fire! Fire! Stop! Drop! And Roll!"

It tried to do so, but its skull arms stopped it, nor did the fire actually burn much.

The strange regi's response, however, gave the other two an opening. Vigoroth came roaring through the smoke, he'd taken a bit of the splash and exploded a little bit but he was still raring to fight.

Vigoroth had learned the elemental punches some time ago, but they never quite felt right. No, he began to channel them through his claws instead and in memory of regice and its snow cones, Sol came down on Regidrago with an icy slash.

Luno was seconds in front, vines laden with hooked thorns burst out of the rubbled ground and snared the legs of the regi, sucking its overwhelming energy. They burned as soon as they connected, but not immediately and more continued to sprout as Sol raked his claws along the dots of the orb.

Snatching a plate of rock from the earth, Luno tossed it after him to blindsight the regi as his sister carried after with a telekinetic shockwave that sent it rolling.

"Got enough time?" Luno asked.

Twila nodded. "Just keep it in place."

"Will do!" Sol yelled beating his hands on the earth as he circled it. The regi was beeping, clearly having unexpected such resistance.

"Statement: You eggs will get scrambled you clucking cluckers."

It unleashed a pulse of draconic energy that smashed into all three of them. And a shining barrier appeared between them and the energy attack, cutting its intensity down.

"Irritation: Your screens will be scrubbed of the dirt you have rubbed upon them!"

"Keep," Twila groaned, waving her wand as she tried to psychic it back. "Going."

The two boys shared a look and circled the golem, taking pot shots and enduring its shockwaves. Slowly, Luno's draining attacks were lasting longer, being burned away slowly as the golem's explosive power was being siphoned away by its own attacks.

Regidrago would not go easily and it tore free of the thorny vines and leapt into the air again. "Fuck You: You smell of elderberries and sexual frustration! FIRE THE LASER!"

It unleasehd its Dragon Energy once more, but, this time the attack was almost pitiful compared to the explosive firehose it was before. Less energy was expelled, the screens blocked a portion of it, and Regidrago fell down.

"Disappointment: Beep boop bep bop."

They needed no command, all three aimed their strongest attacks at the golem. Twila's fiery sight bathed the beast in psychic flames as the boys came in via a pincer movement, striking both sides of the skull and briefly separating them from the main body.

"Statement: Regidrago is going to sleep now. Goodnight."

The lights flashed a few more times and then it just fell over.

"So, that's what it's called," Sol said before the light consumed them once more.

Vigoroth and Braixen rubbed their faces as the light faded, Grovyle somehow staring straight at Striker even though he couldn't see.

"We did it!" Vigoroth said. "We beat TWO of them! We totally kicked their asses and won the challenge!"

"The challenge was the get the treasure first," Lopunny cut in with sugary sweetness. "And one of the best traits for a treasure hunter is… knowing when to let others do the work for you. Let's go, ladies!" She hit her paw into the top of the pillar as it began to sink down, pushing it faster and revealing a staircase below it.

"Last one there's a greedy kecleon!" Sean yelled, racing after Team Charm stylishly flipping down, and Rhythm just falling in.

"We should have expected that," Braixen sighed, vision still not at a hundred percent. "What are we waiting for? On it, boys!"

The path down was surprisingly long and even more surprisingly no one tripped and tumbled down the stairs.

Eventually, however, all staircases come to an end.

The final chamber of Aegis Cave was massive.

"Ooh… wow," Sean said as they stepped in. It was a massive coliseum, stretching out many meters and creating a dome-like roof.

There were crumbling statues, long since reduced to rubble, dotted around the room—doors that had collapsed, walls that had collapsed as well.

This was once more than just one room, but an extensive collection of them. And writing. There was writing on the walls—thousands upon thousands of lines. Gardevoir looked ill at ease, glancing around sharply and holding close to Medicham and Wigglytuff.

Team Charm had actually slowed down upon entering and, feeling the energy of the space, Sunrise slowed as well. Team Celestial weren't far, and as Grovyle stiffened, Braixen began biting her lip, and even Vigoroth slowed down to look around, they definitely felt it too.

There were thousands of those unown letters on the walls, countless thousands. And statues of pokemon lining every wall. This was a room, the walls did not reach the roof, a roof that was also covered in unown scripture, but a massive one.

A finger on a statue twitched.

"Get ready," Striker growled as the statues of pokemon came to life.

Hitmonlee and bronzong made their kicks and rain calling known to Team Sunrise's joy and happiness.

They were bruised from many kicks to the body and drenched in water. So many unown had attacked them. An entire line of them had spelled ou before Guardian dispelled them. They were in the process of spelling more words, something starting with D, but he didn't want to see it.

Unown also peeled from the walls in a veritable storm of language. Where the unown up above had just been annoying, these ones were more ordered.

They grouped in random bunches of letters, combining attacks. Most of them formed nonsense, some, however.

A set of unown forming FIRESTORM somehow unleashed an inferno upon them. Doused barely by the rain the bronzong were forming all over the place.

Another raised the word EDGE and separated Team Charm from each other by a sudden gulf of the floor they walked over.

More formed ANNIHILATE and Team Celestial had to leap to ground as they just deleted a portion of the walls around them.

Guardian, being a Ghost-type, was the best counter to them, blasting the groups apart before they could form as the danger of their words became very clear indeed.

"You are our crutch. Our saviour. Our Guardian," Saniya said, blasting leaves at everything around her. "Keep making these nasty things go away. Whoever said words can't hurt, you never came to this pit of despair."

"Sticks and stones will break my bones," Sean said, voice dull and lifeless. "But words will break my spirit."

"Yeah, Lucario really did almost break our bones, didn't she?" Striker asked, feeling the phantom pain of those Bone Rush's.

"That wasn't what I meant," Sean said, but nodded. "But you're right."

"How long is this dungeon?" Saniya whined. "We've been in here for almost a whole day. Or a week. Or a month. Have we ever not been in this place? Is everything else just a dream and we're trapped in an endless corridor of letters and high-pitched 'unoooooown' screeches?"

"It's been about four to five hours," Striker said flatly.

"Oh, what would you know? I'm the Timekeeper!"

"You're the time traveller," Striker said. "Who can't do that anymore."

"Oh, what climbed itself down your throat to whine today because you sound awfully punchable?"

"Must have been you."

"Children," Guardian said, raising his hands. "Please."

"We're just having fun," Saniya giggled. Striker also allowed a smile and Guardian lowered his arms. "LET ME AT HIM!" she screeched and tackled Striker before Guardian could block her. "HE KEEPS LOOKING AT SOMEONE THAT ISN'T MEEE!"

Before he went to force them apart, Sean caught his arm. "They are just having fun," he pointed out, and Guardian noticed they were both smiling and laughing.

"Ah."

Saniya giggled and fluttered off Striker, helping him to his feet. "You owe me 37 Poké now!" she said, blindingly pleased with herself and stretched her hand out.

"Pardon?" Guardian demanded. He never lost any bet to Saniya ever.

"I bet you eighteen days ago that I could trick you into thinking I was mad at Striker. And I did."

"Eighteen…?" Guardian blinked, he vaguely remembered this. "You… well, very well then."

"I'm rich!" Saniya crowed, raising the money to the sky. "RICH!"

"Ahem." Striker cleared his throat.

"Don't be difficult Strikey-wikey," Saniya said, flashing him a charming grin. "Only one of us can be rich in this group."

"You owe me half."

"I OWE YOU NOTHING!" Saniya flew off, and Team Sunrise pursued. She played cat and mouse with them as they floated in and out of the two other teams in this massive storied chamber.

As they got further, the hordes increased, until suddenly starting to clear.

"Of thank Dialga's tacky piercing. Have you SEEN that chest diamond?" Saniya scoffed. "Please let this be the end."

"There you are!" A voice from behind them took their attention, and Team Charm came hopping, running, floating, and rolling towards them.

"Good grief you are quick," Gardevoir said, panting and lowering to her feet. She couldn't run like the others, she had to float to keep up, but that was draining as well.

"I used my mastery in deception to get us ahead," Saniya explained, immensely smug and pleased with herself and her actions in life.

Team Celestial were just behind them, tagging Team Charm. "Hoo boy," Braixen panted. "Guildmaster, where did you bring us?"

"Wow you guys," Wigglytuff beamed, with everyone struggling to catch their breath except for Grovyle which Striker seemed to be taking offence at. "You've learned a lot at the guild!"

"Sure have," Sean said kindly, cutting off all other three members of his team from saying something else. "Thank you for that."

"Okay, look," Medicham said. "We're all tired of this place."

"I'm not!" Wigglytuff, Saniya, and Vigoroth said in unison.

"All of us who are sane," Medicham corrected, "are sick of this place. We've all taken out a titan. Maybe we should just agree to split the treasure…? Let's just go together."

"I think NOT!" Saniya declared. "I've tasted the ambrosia of wealth, and I must have more, more, MORE!"

She presented her 37 Poké as if it was all the money in the world. To Saniya, it literally was all the money in her world.

Braixen and Grovyle shared a bit of silent communication via their eyes.

They must be weakening. Said Twila's eyes.

Or it's another deception. Said Luno's.

Hey guys, what are we thinking about? Sol's happy eyes added. Is it lunch? I could eat.

We can eat. Luno agreed.

Not now! Twila frowned. They'll get ahead of us.

Okay. You distract them, I'll kite forwards.

The other Grovyle will notice.

Distract him.

Team Charm were in commiseration. "Yes… I agree," Gardevoir said, gently. "Think of how fun it might be to face the final challenge together?"

"Hmm."

Lopunny giggled. "Come on, team. We don't need their help."

That made Saniya gasp. "Oh, I'll show you! We can take out anything with all of us. ANYTHING!"

"What do you think is beyond this?" Braixen asked curiously. "There's four of those golem thingies, is there another?"

"A BIGGER one!" Saniya beamed. "We totally know what it is too, it's a massive monster who made them. He can crush anything and might have broken the continents apart!"

Twila began to sweat. "Oh… fiddlesticks."

Luno was already out. "LUNO! COME BACK!" She raced after him.

The other two teams blinked in unison.

"She just distracted us," Sean said, impressed. "That means. Uh oh."

Everyone burst into action, running after them with Vigoroth clearing the front as a massive echoing rumble began to shake the air itself.

Past the wall was the largest pillar anyone had ever seen. Pure white and covered in unown sigils, far more than anything but the walls. Team Sunrise hadn't carried all the stones to spell out Regigigas yet, with the one run through not being nearly enough.

And yet perhaps they didn't need them. For the past, the pillar stood a huge throne. And upon the throne, was Regigigas. And in front of Regigigas, frozen up, was Luno. Twila immediately ran to him with Sol and they pulled him away from the titan.

"I can't read this," Saniya said, once they spotted the writing on the pillar.

"I know a little," Lopunny said. "But same, this doesn't make a lick of sense to me."

They stepped aside for Sean and Wigglytuff, and they came up to the stone.

Sean read it in silence, Wigglytuff humming under his breath while the others watched Regigigas for movement.

"This doesn't… make sense," Sean said, closing his eyes.

"He's right," Wigglytuff agreed, nodding. "Kokumin no saigo no tangan. Keikoku o kiku? I don't understand this."

"Neither do I." Sean shook his head. "It's written in Unown Language, but…" his eyes flicked over it some more. "Part of it down here kinda looks like stuff I know." He pointed near the bottom. "Cine wærword… warning?"

"I don't like that you're getting a warning from this," Striker said, coming up behind them. He also looked over it, but like the others, he couldn't make any real sense.

They stepped back.

"So, where's the treasure then?" Medicham said, looking around. "We've got a big stone and a bigger legendary that hasn't moved. Lots of writing around."

"D O ... N O T."

Everyone flinched as the massive sound crashed over them.

"What was that?" Medicham yelled.

"D O ... N O T." The words came again, and everyone looked to the likely suspect.

Regigigas' fingers were moving. Its holes on its body, its eyes perhaps, were flickering on and off. It wasn't the bright flashes from the beginning of the dungeon, however. These flickerings were weak, dim, and lasted only a short time.

"Woah," Medicham said as Lopunny dashed forth, taking the forefront position.

"Have at thee, ancient legend!" she called loudly, voice echoing far through the room. "I had best warn you of something." She smirked before flashing a confident look behind her. "We are Team Charm accompanied by Team Sunrise. We have soundly defeated your titans to stake claim to whatever ancient treasure awaits us."

Saniya took offence at being merely accompanying Lopunny but didn't say anything.

"D O ... N O T," Regigigas said again.

"Do not what?" Lopunny returned. "Do not fight? We agree. You shouldn't fight. I must warn you, he." She pointed right at Wigglytuff without so much as glancing back. "He may be Wiggly-Tough. But I assure you he can get very Wiggly-Rough with our foes."

Gardevoir and Medicham immediately groaned and sagged to the ground as Wigglytuff giggled.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot she used to say that," Medicham sighed, holding her head in horror.

"Memories best left locked away in the backs of our heads," Gardevoir agreed, covering her face.

Saniya decided she did like Lopunny and giggled.

"D O ... N O T." Regigigas was trying to get up but seemed unable to move much.

"Uh… are you going to say anything else?" Lopunny asked. "Like… where the treasure is?"

"D A R K," Regigigas said, finally something else. " ... ... I S."

"Yes?"

"D O ... N O T." Regigigas continued to verbally squirm.

"Ookay," Lopunny said, backing off. She turned back to the others and shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"It seems to be moving more and more," Sean pointed out. Regigigas couldn't stand, couldn't even raise its arms, but it was moving. The lights were still flashing and flickering, but the flickering was less common now. It seemed to be gaining strength.

"I would just like to point out," Saniya said, raising a hand. "The titans were small fry. I don't like to draw on the greater Celebi memory, because it's just awful and I feel like I'm drowning. But Regigigas is a LOT more powerful, it takes a bit to get going but if it does want to fight us we probably don't."

She eyed its twitching hands. "Those hands could crush us into a paste if it gets a hold of us. This isn't a pokémon we want to fight if we can help it."

"D O ... N O T," Regigigas said again, its legs were beginning to move now. "D O ... N O T," it continued, faster and more urgently.

"Is there any treasure here or not?" Lopunny said, turning back. "Gardevoir, can you sense anything?"

She shook her head. "It's all blocked out by Regigigas. All I can sense is it. It was small at first, but even before that, I couldn't feel much. This place is… haunted, I think."

"Ghost's?" Saniya shrieked. Guardian gave her a Look.

"No. Metaphorically, but perhaps no less dangerous."

Lopunny reached them. "What do you think then?"

Gardevoir looked troubled. "I think we should go," she answered. "Whatever these walls say, I don't like it. And Regigigas is rousing, it's clearly agitated, and Celebi is correct. We do not want to fight it."

Lopunny nodded. "Dammit. Alright."

"No fight?" Wigglytuff said, a little disappointed.

"Not against this one, big buy," Medicham said. He sighed and nodded.

"D O ... N O T! ... D O ... N O T! ... D O ... N O T!" Regigigas was repeating, it was beginning to pull itself up off the throne.

Wigglytuff hesitated. "I'm not sure. What if it wants to say something more?"

"D O ... N O T."

He stepped forth, even as Lopunny grabbed his arm. "Regigigas, is there something you want to say?"

"D O ... N O T... D-D O ... N O T."

Despite having been pulled back by his sister, Luno approached the thing again, staring up at the creator golem with an expression. "Perhaps it needs to be kickstarted?" he suggested.

Regigigas' eyelights all flashed red as, despite it not moving, no one doubted that it was looking down upon Luno. He tensed, taking a step back into a combat stance.

Regigigas then raised its hands, light began to burn around its fingers. It was attacking!

Eleven pokemon all saw the creator golem begin to attack and all responded as skilled explorers were taught to do.

Braixen and Gardevoir flew forwards, Braixen raising her wand and Gardevoir her hands. Twin barriers of light flashed off them right as Regigigas unleashed its Hidden Power.

Instantly, all they knew was pain.

Leaving the attacks of the lesser golems looking like clumsy children playing in the dirt, Regigigas' attack buckled Gardevoir and sent Braixen and Grovyle flying back.

The shockwave continued past them, Guardian had just barely managed to grab Sean and spin around to tank the attack on himself as Striker was similarly blitzed by the blast. Saniya managed to fly above it as Lopunny and Wigglytuff also leapt high, Medicham tried to join them but she had reacted a moment too slow and was sent farther than anyone else.

Vigoroth, as the last to note, was buckled by the shockwave but wasn't sent off his feet, clawing the earth to brace himself just barely.

Regigigas' first attack instantly decimated the tight core of the eleven pokemon, but it was slow to start continuing, struggling to rise from its throne as Lopunny and Wigglytuff landed.

From the back, Luno had caught his sister's arm and sent a vine into the earth to anchor them, ducking underneath Medicham sailing over them. Striker also managed to catch himself with his claws, scraping sharply into the ground and stopping not far ahead of the siblings.

He coughed, groaning a moment as his whole body rattled before beginning to shake it off. The Psychics had managed to throw up that dual Light Screen just in time to blunt the worst of Regigigas' attack, ensuring everyone was merely winded and not outright knocked out.

"Alrighty then," Lopunny said as she landed. "Rhythm?"

"On it!" He grabbed Gardevoir and tossed her behind him to safety.

Lopunny ducked back, racing with shocking speed to where Guardian was bracing a hand on the earth, Sean panicking a moment.

"You okay?" she asked sharply, offering a paw. He took it with his bigger hand and was hoisted up.

"Guards?" Sean asked, afraid for him. And, perhaps, the angry creator golem behind him.

"I'm fine," he choked out, straightening up to turn around. Fires began to dance around him in a ring and he raised his hand up, guiding the wisps to enflame Regigigas as Wigglytuff sucked in a great breath.

Nodding, she bounced off to help the others as the Guildmaster and The Great Dusknoir struck at once. Flames encircled Regigigas as the mighty YOOM-TAH of Wigglytuff shook the entirety of Aegis Cave.

The return shockwave of the Guildmaster tore the bindings of limestone and decay that anchored Regigigas to its throne and freed it. It raised both arms, standing up from the imprisoning statue with a roar.

"Uh oh," Rhythm giggled nervously. "Normally that does more damage."

Small flames flickered over Regigigas but it seemed hardly affected, stomping forth with slow, but far-reaching, strides. It was a massive beast, it appeared to move slow but that was deceptive. Its size made its movements far swifter than they appeared.

Wigglytuff jumped out of the way of a descending hand and took another breath in as Regigigas raised its other hand, a concentrated ball of annihilating energy building in its palm. The second YOOM-TAH met the Hyper Beam and the coronal of energy formed a void sphere where everything including the air itself was destroyed by the clashing forces.

Rhythm couldn't maintain his flight and attack at once, falling with gravity and losing the beam struggle, but Regigigas failed to capitalise on it, the attack going wide and blasting the walls behind them.

Lopunny, having retrieved Medicham rejoined with Gardevoir.

"What do we do?" Medicham asked. "We're not outpowering this thing, I don't think even Rhythm can!"

Considering Rhythm was dodging rather than wrestling it back implied he too didn't think he could overpower Regigigas.

Regigigas continued to advance, everyone backing up as Rhythm danced around it, slowing its advance but not stopping it.

"How about we hit its legs?" Vigoroth yelled as he scrambled over to them. "It's gotta have SOME weak point, right?"

"It's a deity pokemon," Saniya said. "Our weaknesses are not so easily exploited."

"But you do have them, right?"

"It's a Normal-type," Saniya said, biting her lip. "But it's so tough I don't think any punch or kick is going to do much."

"Not on its own," Lopunny agreed. "But all of us, together?"

"We don't all know fighting attacks!"

"EE-" Rhythm yelped, being clipped by a backhand and sent flying in the roof, bouncing off it, hitting the ground, and bouncing off that too. He bounced frantically as Regigigas tried to swipe him out of the air.

"NO TIME!" Lopunny yelped, racing forth to help him. With no plan and no idea, Saniya could only join in on her favourite plan of attack.

She zoomed into Regigigas' 'face' and began circling it rapidly with Magical Leaves, too small and too fast to be snatched. Energy began to build around its hands again and she flew so fast she became like a pink ring orbiting Regigigas.

Then, she teleported herself.

With Regigigas in her zone.

A deafening crack split the air as they reappeared about three meters away from where they were, but with such an impact of force, even Regigigas was thrown off its feet and sent in a crashing sprawl.

Saniya knocked herself unconscious for the effort, slamming into a wall with a sickening snap and dropping limp.

Sean raced over to her as the rest of them swiftly went over any ideas.

"Maybe we should just run?" Gardevoir suggested as Regigigas began to stand back up. "We're not defeating this thing."

"What if it FOLLOWS?" Striker retorted, heightened by Saniya going down. "This thing can't be left to rampage across the continent."

"You beat Dialga!" Medicham said. "Surely Regigigas is small fry compared to THAT?"

"We did not defeat Dialga," Guardian growled. "We merely injured it enough to slow it down."

"Woooah, dizzy," Rhythm groaned. "Don't argue please, I know what to doooooooo."

Lopunny caught him again as he nearly fell over. "What's your idea?" she asked urgently.

Rhythm pointed to Braixen. "Do your mirror strategy," he said, voice collecting itself. "We'll all amplify our attacks and snap Regigigas out of whatever's going on."

Braixen winced as eyes turned to her. "Uhhhh, okay, it might be able to withstand that."

"Regigigas is up!" Luno and Striker said in unison.

Vigoroth beat his chest. "I'll slow him down, my attacks won't work with Mirror Hall."

He pounded off, leaving Medicham to groan. "Aww, mon, me too. WAIT UP!" She raced after him. She did a cartwheel as he generated lightning into his claws, leaping up to land a kick on Regigigas' upper body as Sol struck a leg with enough force to cut into Regigigas' stony flesh.

He was kicked so hard that he smashed through a wall. Medicham was just able to avoid being grabbed and crushed into pulp with a psychic impulse from Gardevoir, wincing.

"Boost me!" Rhythm said swiftly and Lopunny nodded, bracing down low as Rhythm gave a short jump. She caught his foot, pumped her own High Jump Kick into her legs and sprang him forth like a pink bullet.

When Guildmaster Wigglytuff's punch connected, the sound echoed so hard it popped everyone's ears at once, a visible ripple along Regigigas' body as it was knocked back several steps with a thundering groan escaping it.

Medicham wasted no time, running back with all her speed.

All this time gave Braixen her opening. She held her wand in one hand, transferring it to the other, and then meeting back into the middle, grasping it with both hands.

She was like living fire as energy crested off her in waves like air distorting over an open flame. She trembled in place slightly as she put more and more and more into it until a veritable field of flashing lights began to surround them.

Suddenly, everyone was Twila.

The real one staggered. "I can't," she said breathlessly.

The image confused Regigigas a moment, pausing as one of their number seemed to mass duplicate with shiny reflective surfaces all around. So many layers of Reflect and Light Screen.

Two was useless, their effect did not double up no matter how many you tried to form.

Three was a waste of power.

Four still wasn't achieving anything.

This many, however? Energy almost crystalised over everyone, forming a reflective hall of braixen.

The one that was Gardevoir could sense the energies finer than anyone else and she unleashed a soft Psybeam in curiosity.

The mirrors did not affect the damage any more than a basic one did, but they were so reflective that an energy attack like that drank a part of the crystalised energy and ricocheted harder, bouncing more and more until it struck.

And when it hit….

Not unlike Rhythm's punch, the sound boomed out like a collapsing rockfield and knocked Regigigas back a step.

"Everyone!" Gardevoir said, delighted. "Aim an attack all at once! I don't think these will last long if Regigigas hits!"

Gardevoir unleashed another Psybeam.

Striker an Energy Ball.

Sean duplicated the Energy Ball.

Luno a Giga Drain.

The four moves encircled the Mirror Hall until they were blazing coronas of light.

Regigigas roared, unleashing a Hyper Beam into the mirrors. The four moves met it head on and clashed in a vortex of energy.

The clashing energies swam together in a building bubble of chaos, scatterings of energy flashing like falling stars and as they fell parts of the battlefield exploded.

Everyone but Rhythm was blown back from the eye of the vortex and even he was struggling, inhaling a ballooning breath.

"YOOOOOM!" he called out. Guardian, Lopunny, and Luno shielded members of the group.

"TAAAAAH!"

Like a droplet of rain bursting on the ground, Rhythm's attack pierced the Hyper Beam's centre and flew forth. The beam split into a glaring blaze of light that would outshine staring into the sun before sound broke.

Like a hurricane being unleashed in a small room, the sound simply lost all meaning as everything shook, dust and wall fragments flying in a tornado of force. Every screen manifested into place by Twila shattered in unison as the sheer power of Rhythm smashed everything in and around its path.

And then it was over.

Regigigas had been thrown back, crashing through its throne and through the opposing wall, revealing a rough and rocky landscape. It lay flat on its back, lights flashing slowly, the redness having faded to pink and then completely.

"We've won," Luno said, in the flattest, most bored tone he could possibly use.

Striker, hearing that, muttered, "Don't sound so excited."

"We've won," Luno repeated, slightly louder. Striker was not impressed with the sass.

Rhythm gasped for breath, falling to a knee as Lopunny managed to get to his side, helping him up. "I think that's it," she said, her knees trembling. "I don't think there's much of anything here."

They gathered their downed and approached the downed titan, blinking out at the light of the dusk sky.

"D O…." Regigigas was stirring and everyone looked up and back at it in shock, remembering Guardian's words about merely injuring Dialga. Regigigas' fingers began to curl and it began to lean up.

"Oh, we need to go," Gardevoir said, looking for an exit on this rocky path. "Is everyone accounted for?"

Striker had Saniya, Luno helped Twila stand but she pushed him to go and support Sol who was actively unconscious.

"D O ... N O T!" Regigigas called after them. It tried to rise, staggered, and the land shook as it fell. It was not discouraged, attempting to stand yet again.

It spurred them on faster, and the titan saw them disappear into the winds of the wilds.

"D O ... N O T," it repeated, still trying to get up. "D O ... N O T." It was beginning to sag. Its strength was returning, but also leaving. "D O … N O T … G O."

They were already gone. Regigigas slowly staggered a step in their direction before turning to Aegis Cave. The wall had been downed and it set to task in fixing it. Its secrets had to remain secrets.

For now.

Ah, Aegis Cave.

So, I did a few more different things with this compared to the previous version which was a little more accurate to the actual dungeon. Namely, I had three teams instead of two, and we have new regi's.

Regidrago I think is perfectly fine to exist here, but Regieleki not so much, so only four regi's plus Gigas exist here.

We also didn't have an actual fight with Gigas in the original, I think my reasoning was that the eight of them wouldn't likely be able to win, but I changed my mind here. I wonder what made it attack though….