Chapter 73: A requiem for an Angel
Geeta Rojo coughed loudly while lying on the ground, looking up at Nemona and Geeta. Her wheezes sounded louder and fiercer by the second, and her upper body raised with each cough becoming more violent than the last.
Geeta furrowed her brow in confusion. "When I attacked you," Geeta continued, "I made sure to avoid your vital areas because you didn't have an invoker... Is there something wrong with your body?"
Despite Geeta Rojo's lungs fighting valiantly for each breath, she managed to laugh. "I attacked you with the intent to kill, and you're worried about me? I don't know whether to die from laughter or throw up. Who knows? At this rate, I might do both."
"Stop with the jokes," Geeta said.
"Heh… fine. Well, to tell you the truth…I don't have much time left. The Paradox Drive wasn't made to be installed in a human body. I'm surprised I can even talk at this point," A laugh mixed with a cough escaped Geeta Rojo's lips.
Nemona's jaw dropped. "What!?" She cried. Geeta Rojo turned her head to the young trainer, smiling.
"That's right," Geeta Rojo said, "My body's been deteriorating ever since I asked the professors to merge my body with the Paradox Drive… As you know, the source of its power is the combined force of the Paradox Pokémon of the past, Koraidon, and of the future, Miraidon."
"Wait-..." Geeta chimed.
"Shut up and listen." Geeta Rojo said. "I don't have time for too many questions. All you need to understand…is that each timeline has two Koraidon and Miraidon each from their respective Violet and Scarlet timelines. Long and short of it…the personality of each set of Pokémon were very different. One of them was mean', the other…was 'nice.' The 'mean' ones were the Pokémon responsible for taking the lives of the Professors of their respective timelines."
Geeta frowned.
"The 'Mean' legendary Pokémon in each of their respective timeline… used an attack that was meant for the 'nice' Pokémon. The 'Mean' Pokémon were very Territorial, and the 'nice' ones were afraid and meek. The professors were killed. And no one knew for the longest time…"
Geeta Rojo's smile widened. "Pop quiz," she said. "I said earlier that the power of the Paradox Drive comes from Miraidon and Koraidon. How do you think we stored their energy?"
"...Wait-..." Geeta's eyes widened. "You- You didn't…"
"That's right. The professors sacrificed them. They turned Koraidon and Miraidon's bodies into pure energy and stored it into the Paradox Drive. Now…another question. Which Miraidon and Koraidon did we sacrifice? Go on. You've the context clues to figure it out."
Geeta bent a finger to her lower lip and closed her eyes. Those words boggled her mind.
'You've the context clues to figure it out'.
What clues were laid out? Which set of Pokémon did those Professors sacrifice? She had to re-think it over.
Each Timeline had two sets of legendary Pokémon. The Scarlet timeline had 2 Koraidon, and Violet, the 2 Miraidon.
Each timeline had one 'Nice' Koraidon and Miraidon, and one 'mean' Koraidon and Miraidon. While that made things clearer, that didn't answer the question as to which ones the Professors had chosen to sacrifice.
Perhaps thinking about how invokers worked could help her figure this out, Geeta thought.
Given that the Paradox drive seems to have similar functions to an invoker, perhaps it worked similarly. The invoker takes the power of a Pokémon and stores it into the trainer's armor, making the trainer able to wield Pokémon's power. But sometimes, A Pokémon's personality can take control of the trainer's armor, making them either take action on their own… or in extreme cases, alter their trainer's personality.
Geeta remembered that time when That girl from Team Star, Eri, used Taros long ago. Taros' anger had overridden Eri's control over her body, and even her mind. She became completely berserk.
If a Pokémon's personality could override a trainer's personality…then...
Geeta gasped, seeing a replay in her mind of what Geeta Rojo said when she was a victim of Miraidon and Koraidon's attempt to override control over their Master.
'THIS IS MY TERRITORY-'
Geeta gasped, interrupting the flashback in her mind.
There could only be one answer- of course!
"You sacrificed the 'Mean' Koraidon and Miraidon...!" Geeta said. "They're the only Pokémon who would vehemently defend their Territory, which was a word you said when they were trying to take control over your body."
"Correct," Geeta Rojo said. "The Pokémon the Paradise Protection Protocol sacrificed were the 'mean' Koraidon and Miraidon. Maybe it was its way of getting revenge. I think it's pretty poetic."
"I appreciate the fun fact, but that's not what I'm here for." Geeta said. "I want to know what the third video the professors had was about. Tell me where it is."
"Here's Good news… and bad news." Geeta Rojo replied. "Bad news is…that video's been lost for years now. Good news is… all of what that video was supposed to show you…I remember. I can just tell you everything."
Geeta furrowed her brow. Nemona balled her fists.
"Go on and listen as well as you can. Because I'm only going to say this once." Geeta Rojo said.
"I'll kill you…!" Aeon roared, his face flashing with rage. Geeta from the Scarlet dimension had just stood and watched as Aeon lost control over his body and killed Kai. The android aimed his arm cannon at her and began to charge it. "You don't deserve that nickname Nemona gave you! La Angel Rojo, huh?! You know what you are!? You're a MONSTER! I'll send you to the place no angel should go… STRAIGHT TO-"
A static shock caused Aeon to fall onto the ground. Behind Aeon, was Sada, holding a remote control with a single red button on it, aimed at the now shut down android.
Geeta fell to her hands and knees. She watched her tears fall on the floor.
"What have I done..?" Geeta moaned.
"Your role is over, Geeta." Turo and Sada spoke at the same time. Both robot Professors turned their backs, then collapsed on the ground like puppets who got their strings cut. Geeta was alone with the unconscious kids and their Pokémon.
The earth began to tremble.
"Paradise Protection Protocol: Successful. Now eradicating evidence of crime. All organic life forms will be erased."
Geeta gasped. She looked at all of the defeated Pokémon and their trainers lying about. Instinctively, the champion-ranked trainer pulled out all six of her Poke balls, holding three in each hand, and tossed them.
As the balls fell to the ground, a golden chain and lock appeared around the balls, preventing them from opening. Geeta's heart sank.
"Eliminating all organic life in…2…minutes." The cold robotic tone of the alarm sent shivers down Geeta's spine. She looked back and forth, forced to weigh her options.
The pile of Pokémon had varying weights to them- she didn't know if she could even carry some of them. Geeta then eyed the trainers around her- Penny, Arven and Nemona.
"Eliminating… all… organic…life… in 1 minute."
Geeta only had time to save one person. She gritted her teeth and started to move.
Geeta collapsed after running out of the automatic doors that lead to the time machine, holding a singular trainer in her arms.
It was Nemona. Geeta fell to her knees, and Nemona's body fell to the ground with her.
"Now… eliminating… all organic life… in 3….2…1."
The sound of explosions rang out from behind the automatic doors, and Geeta winced.
"All.. organic life…has been…eradicated."
The doors to the time machine opened, and Geeta stood up, not even daring to turn her back. The smell of smoke invaded her nostrils, forcing her to feel the weight of her sins that crawled down her spine.
For a moment, she felt like the ghost hands of the ones she had betrayed had reached for her from behind, attempting to grab her and pull her into the void behind her. Two of the hands reached over to Geeta, one grabbing her by the head, and the other by the chin. They attempted to make her turn.
For a moment, Geeta wanted to turn her head- maybe the Paradise Protection Protocol had malfunctioned somehow- maybe they were still alive?
Geeta gritted her teeth once again, allowing the ghastly hands to slowly turn her head around…
And what she saw were the collapsed bodies of Aeon, Professor Sada, and Professor Turo.
No one else was left.
That was when Geeta lost all feeling in her body. Geeta collapsed. All she could feel was the stinging pain of guilt that felt like a stab to her gut. For a while, she remained on her knees, staring at the room devoid of any organic life...
...
Geeta carried Nemona in her arms as she came outside, looking on at the entirety of Naranja Academy ahead of her while standing on the edge of a cliff.
Naranja Academy was burning to the ground.
The Future Pokémon and the Past Pokémon had begun overwhelming everything and everyone in Paldea. The haunting screams of Pokémon and Trainers alike came to Geeta's ears, and all she could do was stare with a hopeless and lifeless look in her eyes.
She held Nemona in her arms while watching the flames dance around the school campus from afar.
Geeta put Nemona down on the ground gently and went closer to the cliff in front of her. The flames that had erupted around the entirety of Mesogoza city became more and more violent.
Geeta fell to her knees. Then, she let out an anguished scream at the very top of her lungs.
The weight of her guilt threatened to crush her right then and there. She couldn't move, let alone stand up again. More tears fell from her eyes, so much so that her cheeks began to burn. As she choked on her sobs… she realized that she wanted to go back.
She wanted to undo her mistakes, even if it cost her life.
"Geeta," The cold and calculated tone behind Turo's voice made Geeta raise her head and widen her eyes. She turned her head, seeing Turo and Sada standing side by side.
"Do you want a second chance? Do you want to go to the past, and make things right?" Sada said.
"Then follow us," Turo said. "Together, we may undo this horrible future."
Geeta looked at them as though they were angels that had come down from the heavens, offering a hand to save her from her despair. She stood up before turning to face them both.
"What about Nemona?" Geeta asked.
"Leave her." Sada said. "As of right now, bringing her along will only cause strife."
Geeta turned her head to Nemona. She knew that Sada was right.
"Do know… that in order to fix the future," Turo said, "you may have to sacrifice your own life."
"I'll do it." Geeta said, clenching her fists. "I'll do anything you say."
Geeta Rojo smiled sadly as she stared at the sky, ignoring the gazes of her alternate timeline self and Nemona.
Nemona had tears running down her cheeks.
"Why..!?" Nemona cried. "Why did you save me, of all people?! Why!? Why not Arven… or Penny!? Did they not deserve to live!?"
Geeta Rojo said nothing.
Geeta was at a loss for words as Nemona kept drilling Geeta Rojo, crying out the words, 'why', again and again in a hurt tone. Soon, Nemona began sobbing, cupping her hands and putting them on her face. Her loud sobs became mutters as she cried silently.
"¿Por qué..?" Nemona muttered. "Why..?...¿Por qué..?"
Suddenly, Geeta Rojo's entire body, save for her head, began to shine with white light. Her body began slowly disintegrating. Tiny, glass-like shards flew out from the evil woman's shining body, like pieces of a puzzle slowly being taken apart.
"Well… look at that…" Geeta Rojo said, smirking. "I don't have much time left. Go on and ask more questions while I'm still here."
The truth was every bit as horrible as Geeta imagined it would be, but there was one more thing she had to know.
"Why do you act the way you do?" Geeta asked. "The story you told gives you no reason to be so ruthless and sadistic."
"It was all for the plan," Geeta Rojo said. "I had to pretend to be the villain that you needed."
"...That I needed?"
"You don't get it? You suppressed your 'darkness', and in doing so, you couldn't reach your full potential. On their third attempt to create a 'perfect' timeline for the kids, the professors learned something. To access the third level of Flow, a user has to go through three prerequisites."
"1#," Geeta said, "The user must believe in themselves. 2#. They must stop believing in a lie they made to themselves. 3#...they-..."
Geeta widened her eyes in realization.
"Go on," Geeta Rojo said.
"...You have to stop suppressing your true self."
"That's right." Geeta Rojo said. "You're prideful, even spiteful because you're afraid that deep down, if you stop being the powerful trainer you are, that people will stop loving and appreciating you. Every loss you have is an insult to everything you've worked for. But that isn't the way a champion should act. So, you suppressed that part of yourself. You get it now? You would have never achieved the third level of Flow without me."
Geeta closed her eyes.
"How does it feel, knowing that deep down, we're the same? Maybe I'm going too into character here, but I can't help but laugh," Geeta Rojo began to chuckle a bit, but stopped short as she coughed again.
"I'm…turning my insecurity into strength." Geeta said. "Instead of turning away from my anger, I'm going to look toward it, and use it as motivation. That's how I'm...turning my 'darkness' into a weapon I can use to better myself."
"And now you understand." Geeta Rojo said. "Getting you to Achieve your third and final form of Flow was crucial to the plan. It's all so you can show Kai the potential that he's yet to reach. So, he can fight against Aeon in the final battle. In order for the future to be perfect…He must win by himself."
"I see…" Geeta said. I… have another question," Geeta said. "How many times did Turo and Sada reset the timeline?"
"I don't know," Geeta Rojo said.
"Do you really think that now's the time to lie?" Geeta said.
"I'm serious. I don't know."
"Why would you not know? You had to have been with them from the very beginning."
Geeta Rojo shook her head, and Geeta furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Do you know how close the Professors have gotten to achieving their goal of the 'perfect timeline' only to fail at the last moment, and restart?" Geeta Rojo said. "My death is a necessity for the plan to get so far. But I only have one life to give."
Geeta's eyes widened in horror.
"Oh…Oh god." She said. "Oh my god. You-...That story you told me wasn't yours. It- it was…"
"The story of the very first Geeta that committed those sins long ago, when the Professors had their first attempt. She had died a long time ago," Geeta Rojo said.
"Then… Then who are you..!?" Geeta took a step back in horror.
Geeta Rojo smiled. "Sometimes in life, you're your best teacher. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. You're me, and I'm you."
Geeta gasped.
"You're…! You're from the Violet timeline..! You-you're not an alternate version of me- you're me from the future- my future...!"
"That's correct." Geeta Rojo said.
"Then- then what about Nemona…" Geeta pointed at the young girl beside her. " The one right here with us!?"
"She's been untouched since the beginning. Every time we failed, we simply erased her memory of our destined fight."
"What!?" Nemona shouted.
"No… NO..!" Geeta put her hand on her face. "NO...! If you're- if you're from the future...! That means we failed, right?! and if we failed, The professors reset the violet timeline! But if you're still here with your memories intact, that must mean you hid in the scarlet dimension when the reset happened! You let another Geeta take your place...and you took the place of the Geeta in the Scarlet dimension..!"
"All just to have another chance at attaining the perfect timeline for the kids."
Geeta trembled as she stared at Geeta Rojo. It all made sense.
So much sense that it was beginning to cause her to feel dread.
"...What-...caused…the plan to fail...?" Geeta asked.
"What happened was that Kai couldn't handle Aeon by himself. If it weren't for Nemona and I saving him, Kai would have died. Aeon decided that Kai ultimately wouldn't be powerful enough to defeat Aeon on his own, if he were to go berserk again. He had no idea when the Paradise Protection Protocol would activate, since it was still online and only temporarily deactivated. Even if the Professors meant no harm, the threat of the Paradise Protection Protocol proved to give Aeon too much anxiety. What if a stray Pokémon found its way into the time machine room, and it activated? Or rather, what if a false alarm happened? To ease his anxiety, Aeon decided to disappear forever. At least that's what the Professors told me. That end was unacceptable. So, the Professors had to try again. Of course, I had already pledged that if things went wrong…"
"You would exit the Violet timeline before it got reset..." Geeta concluded. "And then do the exact same things…that the very first Geeta from the Scarlet Timeline did. All so you could replicate the awakening that you had already gone through- what I had just gone through..."
"All for the sake of the plan. For the kids. For Aeon." Geeta Rojo continued.
Geeta Rojo looked up, watching the glass-like shards of herself fly into the sky and disintegrate like snowflakes that flew too close to the sun. "At first, I thought I wouldn't be able to relate to the first Geeta. I thought that I wouldn't be able to feel a fraction of the despair that she felt, long ago. But…seeing my timeline reset…allowed me to feel her pain."
"If everything you said was true… That means that you're the Geeta from the professors' latest attempt to create a 'perfect timeline'." Geeta said.
"We were so close. So…very close. But we saw Kai struggle. He wasn't ready."
Geeta frowned. "I understand everything now." Geeta said. "I know what I have to do. In order to protect everyone in my timeline… I'll do what has to be done. I'll prepare Kai. The day he challenges me in the Pokémon league will be the day I use every bit of my strength, as though my life depends on it."
"Those were the exact same words that I said before," Geeta Rojo said. "Your strength isn't enough. And if your strength isn't enough, Kai's isn't enough. There's one last piece to this puzzle… and the professors speculate that the only one who can figure this out…Is Penny herself. She is the key. She is the only person who is able to truly help Kai and Aeon...for the final fight."
"I see…" Geeta said.
"That's good for your timeline..." Nemona chimed, "but what about this one!? What about mine?!" Both Geetas turned their heads to the young trainer. "What happens to me!? How am I supposed to live now!? The only thing that kept me going was trying to find you and kill you..! Now what am I supposed to do!?"
"Your memory's going to be reset once again, just in case the plan fails," Geeta Rojo said. "I'm sorry."
"Saying you're sorry isn't enough...! I want my friends back…! I want my life back...!" Nemona shouted.
Geeta lowered her head, and a shadow loomed over her eyes. She suddenly moved with immense speed- it was as though she teleported.
"Why?!" Nemona shouted. "Why should I have to suffer when-"
Geeta re-appeared behind Nemona, then used her hand to chop the distraught girl on the neck. The strike was powerful enough to knock Nemona out. Geeta then caught the young trainer by her shirt before her unconscious body fell to the ground.
"There you go." Geeta Rojo said. "That's the cold and calculated decision making that you have to do. For the sake of the perfect timeline."
Geeta said nothing, and Geeta Rojo cackled.
"...When the professors finally succeed to give the perfect timeline for Aeon…" Geeta Rojo continued, "they plan to finally reset the scarlet timeline. All they have to do is just keep Aeon in the Violet timeline and keep the Scarlet timeline untouched. The Scarlet timeline will have the ending they were supposed to have originally."
Geeta Rojo frowned as a single tear fell from her eye. "The only thing that I wished…was that Nemona herself would be the one to finish me. At least she'd find closure."
Geeta shook her head.
"That wouldn't have eased the pain Nemona would feel. Besides, that death would be a meaningless one."
"You're right. This death…my death...has meaning. I think…that's what the first Geeta thought too." Geeta Rojo coughed again, but it was a weak one. It was as though her life was like a dwindling flame, hanging onto life by a thread. "I'm...going to ask something of you. It's...a selfish request. Could you... hold my hand?"
Geeta wordlessly crouched to Geeta Rojo's side and grabbed her hand. It felt cold.
"I'll be honest. I'm scared. I don't want to die. I don't know where I'll end up if I do..." Geeta Rojo said. Geeta frowned, wishing that her alternate self hadn't said those words- it became much harder to emotionally distance herself from the situation. "I don't know if...what I'm doing is the right thing. I wonder...if this will be the last time the earth on this horrible timeline will be scarred...? Will we fail again, and will you take my place in dying to pass on knowledge?"
Geeta said nothing as Geeta Rojo's grip became tighter with every cough. As soon as she stopped coughing, Geeta Rojo's grip became much weaker than before, and could have slipped away if Geeta hadn't tightened her grip.
"...I know you can't say anything to assure me that things will be alright," Geeta Rojo continued. "There's no way to predict the future. The only thing I can do is leave the rest to you. If you ever hesitate…just remember…in the end, you're me…"
"And I'm you," Geeta said.
Geeta Rojo closed her eyes as the bright white light reached her head. Her body began to fade away much faster, like a pile of leaves being blown away by a gust of wind. Eventually, every part of her body began to fade, and the last thing to fade away was Geeta Rojo's hand, the one that Geeta held onto. That hand exploded like a firework, leaving behind dust-like particles that flew into the sky.
There was a single machine left behind looked like a car engine. It was the Paradox drive, and seeing it made Geeta feel a chill run down her spine. She stood up.
A walkie talkie began to activate in Geeta's pocket, and she brought it to her ear as she approached the sword Geeta Rojo had left behind.
"Have you defeated her?" Sada's voice came from the walkie talkie. Geeta crouched and grabbed Geeta Rojo's blade. The beam blade had been disarmed. She held the sword upright.
"Yes," Geeta said.
"Do you understand what we have to do if we fail?" Turo said.
Geeta Rojo's sword erupted with power, causing the beaming blade containing Miraidon and Koraidon's power to erect itself from the hilt. "Yes," Geeta said. "I'll follow that other Me's footsteps and guide the next Geeta."
"Good," Turo and Sada spoke at the same time. "Take Nemona and The Paradox Drive with you to the time machine."
Geeta turned off the walkie talkie and looked at the wasteland around her. She clenched her fists. Fear of becoming like Geeta Rojo, sacrificing her life for the sake of the timeline grabbed her by the throat with its icy grip. But she would fight that fear with every bit of strength she had.
An arid wind blew across the area, causing her hair to flow gently as she asked herself a question.
How many Geetas lost their lives?
Will the Geeta that had just died before her eyes be the last?
For a moment, she could feel the dying wishes of the versions of herself that has likely died here countless times. She clenched the blade Geeta Rojo left behind. She silently swore that Geeta Rojo would be the last person to die in this timeline.
Author's note:
Fun fact! This Chapter was inspired by the lyrics of 'I'm Here' from Sonic Frontiers. If you listen to it, you'll understand what I mean.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter!