Chapter 49: Rumbling Earth
Summary:
After a couple days, Zeryph's team finishes up with a bit of rest. As they return to the outside, they have their first meeting with Camilla's group. Then, later on, a faceoff with Groudon.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
[Unknown location]
The sound of flapping wings disrupted the quiet, early morning. Their owner settled onto the snow-covered mountain. Her black wings slowly folded up to her back. A small smile formed on her face. The Staraptor took a slow breath, catching the scent of food on the air.
"I'm home!" She called out. She was one of the ones who had chosen to take on an anthro form, who wasn't part of the bloodline. She'd done so, only so that she could match up with her mate. She felt two strong arms wrap around her, an embrace she happily returned.
She understood why her dear mate was a loner. Why he rarely saw his cousins, outside the times they all held a reunion. The Ketchum family was in some cases, called a clan. Only because it had grown so large over many years. And all of those born from the bloodline were known to be exceptionally strong.
"Welcome home, Ezena." Her mate said, after the pair shared a kiss. Ezena's beak had been awkward to deal with at first, but they'd learned how to handle it. The Staraptor moved to lay her head on her mate's shoulder for a moment. She gently nipped at his blade-horn, causing him to shudder softly. Her claws gently scratched at his back, under his uniquely colored fur. A trait he'd gotten from his mother, who in turn, got it from her father.
"I've got some big news, Al." Ezena pulled away, smiling. Al was short for her mate's name, Alveik. Most preferred to just call him Al, though.
"What is it? An egg? 'Cause I know you've wanted that for a while." His question caused Ezena to blush.
"I wish, but no. Anyway, your grandparents are here." Ezena got a shocked gasp from the Absol, who then shook his head before smiling. Although he was a loner, Pokemon appreciated having his reports. Thanks to his ability to sense things well in advance. Though nobody would come up the mountain outside of family, Ezene didn't mind flying his reports around to drop off, either.
His skin was still the natural color, rather than being the red of a shiny. It was his fur that was different. Black, fading to grey as it neared the ends of his legs. With his mane featuring a similar gradient, itself. His own bright green eyes showing the mark of his family. He chose to live alone only because even now, some still misunderstand how an Absol's senses work.
Ezene certainly wasn't one of them. In fact, she'd insisted on staying here so he wouldn't be lonely. Which ultimately progressed into what it is now. Given Alveik's choice to take the Anthro form, he would stand out in a crowd. And as mentioned before, Ezene took the same choice just so her body could match up with his.
"We can talk more in a bit, I've just finished supper." Alveik chose to change the subject. He got a soft smile from Ezene. One thing was for sure, about the family. Those who learned to cook because of Lexie, were amazing at it.
[Two days later]
[Zeryph]
My team and I had taken a bit of time off, after the incident with Gengar's team. It still bothers me even now, though not quite as much as it did before. I had asked about going to the past as planned, but Dialga shot the idea down. Only because we were still on a mission, and traveling back now could jeopardize the whole thing. But he did still agree to taking me to see Gurkinn, as soon as we were back.
Regardless, even with the time off, I was training even more than previously. With my goal being to learn to control my new power. The last thing I need is to flip out and kill someone…again. When the sun rose, and I began to wake up from a much better night's sleep, something met my nose. A strong, somewhat sweet scent. I knew what it was right away, thanks also to the weight that settled on top of me.
"Morning Lexie." I said softly.
"Hey, big boy." She leaned down in order to share a kiss.
"Heat?" I asked, earning a nod. "How long?"
"Just started. Yeah, I know, my heat's in what would be, back home, winter time. Still…that's just when it happens to fall. I can control myself for now but…ya know, being a rabbit…eheh." That explains why she seems worried. I don't blame her, either. It was hard enough for Kaorah to control herself in heat. But, Lexie, being a rabbit? I'd be surprised if I don't get jumped.
"Want me to get you some of the medicine for it?" I asked her.
"Yes, please. I…really don't wanna lose control and then…you or someone in town gets jumped, especially you. It's fine for now, but…being near you is gonna take a lot of self control." Lexie moved her hips, sighing softly as she did. "Believe me…even though it only just started, it's taking everything for me to not ride you until we're exhausted…right here, right now. If you were still human, it wouldn't be nearly as bad."
"Yeah, but…I'm not. So…unfortunate timing, really." I got a nod in agreement. "If it really gets bad, maybe Melanie can help, at the very least."
"I hope so." Lexie reached out for my hand, taking what I held out for her. A small, pink cube. "So…this little thing is it, huh? How long does it last?"
"Should last long enough that you won't have any trouble today. But…given how active we both are, you might burn it off sooner." I rubbed Lexie's hips softly with my hands. She let out a soft hum, before popping the little cube into her mouth and letting it dissolve as she was supposed to. She winced, indicating that it definitely didn't taste great.
"Ugh…taste could be better." She confirmed. "Well, since it's raining, I guess we skip to breakfast, right?"
"Well we have two and a half hours. How about we just cuddle on the couch and watch a movie? Episode five, maybe?" I asked, earning a grin. Lexie shifted off of me then pulled me up, herself. As we started downstairs, I noticed that Alex was up. He tilted his head upwards, then a blush began to form on his face.
"Uh…good morning. Um…Lexie, maybe you should stay in, today." He said, softly. "I can smell it on you."
"Is the scent bothering you, big boy?" Lexie only made Alex's blush grow even deeper. She giggled. "I'm just messing with ya. Zer's the only one who gets to go that far. Besides…it's the heat. I took something for it, so it should be mostly settled. Enough that it won't be a risk for us."
"C'mon, don't tease him." I started setting up for the movie. Alex was confused by it, only because he'd never seen human tech like what we had.
"Oh, would you rather I tease you instead, hmm? I wonder how long you would be able to control yourself. 'Sides, from what I've heard…that knot feels real good." Lexie wrapped her arms around my waist. I caught Alex's blush turning even deeper out of the corner of my right eye. I gave Lexie a very soft poke on the forehead.
"Settle down, girl. Or would you rather not have cuddles for the movie?" I heard Lexie gasp in an over-exaggerated manner.
"You? Deny cuddles? How could you?" Lexie then broke into giggles. "Alright, fine, I'll settle down. Be glad it's me and not Melanie though. Knowing her, she'd be a looot more handsy than I am."
"All three of you now, huh?" I asked her.
"Oooh yeah, hehe. Mmm…it's super fun, but tiring…especially with that magic she's figured out." Lexie pulled away. "Seriously, ask her about it. Best night you'll ever have, I promise you."
We got comfortable once we were all set up, and I put the movie on. My arms wrapped gently around Lexie's waist. She leaned back against me, shifting so that her ears wouldn't obscure my vision. I made sure that the volume wouldn't be too loud, as to not wake up the others. It meant we could still hear the rain outside, but we didn't mind it at all. None of us would have any idea at all, what was going to happen today.
[Forest, site of the battle]
"Must it rain so much?" Camilla's siblings sighed. They knew she wasn't a fan of the rain, sure, but hearing her complain about it was really starting to get on their nerves.
"Must you always complain about it?" Sera shot back. "Seriously, any time we're out in the rain, with you."
"You're not much better when it's snow or hail." Camilla replied. Their brother let out a grunt. Although it was much better to say the three were cousins, their bond was much stronger than that. It's why they'd started calling each other brother and sister. In truth, all of Zeryph's descendants had strong bonds in some way. Apart from one, for the most part, but it was known between them that he in particular, took after Zeryph the most. In that he was a loner, that is. Still, they knew the Absol was very welcoming towards any family that went to visit him.
Nobody had seen him in a while, either, because of this. But they knew where he lived at least. A quiet place, well away from where explorers would go. Even those who preferred the wilds over any villages would stay away from there.
"Got me there. Still, village is just ahead, and…what happened here?" Sera slowed to a stop, adjusting her hood so it wouldn't fall. "Looks like…there was a battle, a destructive one, too. Were we too late?" She heard a grunt from her brother, before softly walking over to what he was looking at. A crater, filling with water, but the scarring matched.
"Grandpa…this battle was because of him, just as it was supposed to be. It's safe to assume that Gengar and his team didn't survive." Camilla spoke up. "Fortunately…this doesn't look like it was his full-power form. This was just an uncontrolled Mega Evolution."
"Wait, so…if we come into contact, won't that kinda…screw us over?" Sera asked her.
"No, not in this case. Traveling to the future may not have the same effects as traveling to the past. If my understanding is correct, we will be safe to make contact without any risks. Grandfather always said that Dialga would appear if their actions could cause a paradox or something, in order to warn them. As to avoid the possibility of a paradox even happening. I am reasonably sure that also means us, as well. Still, Dialga hasn't appeared to warn us or anything like that." Camilla began to move ahead. "C'mon, we're almost there."
"So…what do we do while we wait? Just…hang out in the building they're supposed to work out of?" Sera didn't get a response, so she just sighed and moved to catch up. They found the building, quickly taking shelter inside. Camilla was happy to be out of the rain. It was, fortunately, nothing like what Kyogre could generate. They'd seen one of her storms in the past, and it was…not pretty. Rayquaza had put a stop to it, though.
As they got settled in, they decided to use some cots inside to rest for a bit. They weren't comfortable by any means, not that sleeping bags were much better. Still, at least it was better than hay, or nothing at all for that matter. Sleeping on those fancy mattresses had spoiled them.
And as the hours passed, the sudden storm finally let up. It's the second thunderstorm within just a few days. Still, they'd take storms over earthquakes, any day of the week. Their brother had taken up watch for the girls while they were resting. He'd seen the Alakazam and the pair with them as they were heading into the village. He shrugged off the strange looks the trio sent his way.
He let out a soft grunt, and nodded in greeting. And as the weather began to clear, a familiar portal began to open just across from the building. Radrys thumped the floor with his tail in order to alert the girls, before quickly moving out to the portal, eager to meet the ones preparing to come through.
[Zeryph]
As I stepped outside, being bear hugged by a happy Garchomp was not what I was expecting. I let out a laugh and recovered enough to return it, at least. His one functional eye was a major surprise though. A bright green color that I've definitely seen somewhere before.
"Radrys, what is…it?" A voice drew my attention, then I felt someone slam into me. Soft arms wrapped around me in a hug, much like the Garchomp. This time, a species we haven't seen before. A Meowscarada, from Paldea most likely. "Grandpa! It's been such a long time." Her words were a major shock.
"Grandpa…? Zeryph, what the hell is going on?" Kaorah's voice met my ears as she emerged from the portal. She let out a grunt when the other Garchomp, Radrys, I guess, gave her a similar hug to what I got.
"We'll explain everything." A Ninetales spoke up as she emerged from our office building. "Please, sit down, let us talk for a while." Her tails were each adorned with battle items for multiple types. Each one matched to a type that a Ninetales had access to. Did she happen to have Libero, somehow? If so, then…how did she manage to get it?
"I get the feeling we shouldn't be meeting them so soon. Yet, Dialga hasn't appeared so…I don't know what's going on." Kaorah said as she finally managed to separate herself from Radrys, but not before giving him a nuzzle. The rest of the team had begun to emerge from the portal by now. Lexie chose to stay in, going off what Alex suggested, given how her heat was going to be a problem if she didn't.
The Ninetales introduced herself and her siblings properly. Saying that her name was Camilla, while introducing her cousins as though they were her brother and sister. Radrys and Sera, respectively. She explained that it was the strength of their bond. That's the reason why they call each other brother and sister. I totally understand, since Ash and I likely would, as well. Sera also told us why Radrys didn't speak, a vow of silence he'd taken a few years ago. After a battle which cost him his left eye.
His decision to take on so many opponents at once in defense of others was enough to earn him Kaorah's respect on its own. And Sera's a mystery to us. Camilla said something about how she can't reveal who Sera's descended from, only saying that we hadn't met her yet. She seemed to know what point of our journey we were in, just by how Alex was our newest recruit. So she knows her family history, that's for sure.
"So…how did you find out I was here?" I asked them as I sat down inside. As much as they wanted to stay and talk, my team decided to get back onto running missions. Evan and Kalina didn't go for any, since Lexie was currently out of action to be safe. They were only going to pick some up for now. I get the feeling that today, Groudon's going to make himself known.
"We saw Evan, actually." Sera answered. "Well, I did. If not for our family's history, and his part in it, I wouldn't have managed to. Especially since he's one of the fastest."
"Personally, I would've thought it would be me and Zeryph going up to fly that would've been the reason." Latias spoke up. "Evan must've gotten pretty close to wherever you three had been staying."
"Mt. Freeze, actually. A few days of travel for us, a few hours for you guys. We're…not as fast as the rest of you." Camilla said, waving her tails.
"Guys! There's about to be a-" Solais was interrupted, by a thunderous boom as the ground shook, unlike any earthquake before it. I stumbled, Radrys was quick to catch one of my arms so I wouldn't fall. The ground rumbled as though an Atlas Titan had just used its seismic slam a. It lasted for several seconds before finally fading away.
"What the hell was that?" Kaorah growled.
"Groudon, it has to be. That was not natural." Solais spoke up again. "I think we're in trouble. First the thunderstorms…and now Groudon's awake. I don't think it's related to…y'know, from a few days ago."
"Either way, we need to calm him down. Fortunately, for us, he doesn't have the Red Orb. If he did, we'd be in serious trouble." I spoke up. "Gear up, this takes priority. We're all going, team. Groudon is not like Zapdos."
"If not for how serious a situation this is, I'd be freaking out about getting to see all of you in action." Sera began to help us go through our gear without having to be asked.
"They're not even in their prime, yet." Camilla said. "I'll say this much, since I can safely tell you about it. Grandfather, you in your prime…you're absolutely terrifying. And I'm not sure I want to see what that looks like again, any time soon. The world's not ready for strength like that."
"Do you know exactly when at least?" I asked her.
"The most I can safely say, is that it's around the end of Sinnoh or start of Kalos that you're at full strength. You'll have done all the Mystery Dungeon stuff by then, though." Camilla sorted her own stuff, showing that she had a great deal of notes in a large set of books. I'd wonder how she carries it all, but my guess is that Radrys handles it.
"How much of our history do you know?" Mewtwo asked.
"All of it. Start to end, first life included in his case." Camilla pointed a tail at me. "It's part of my choice of career after all. The classes being passed on is a big help, of course."
"So what you're saying is that you've seen our entire timeline?" I asked her.
"Mm-hmm. Start to…departure, I suppose. Still a mystery, that. Procedure requires that I clear your memories before you go back to the past, even though I don't want to. So that our timelines aren't jeopardized. You'll remember the battles and everything you see here, but you won't remember meeting us. Same can be said for if you meet any of our cousins. Another thing I can tell you for sure, you're a great father." Camilla smiled warmly, the idea of such a thing caused my face to heat up. My blush growing stronger when I caught the looks from Kaorah and Melanie. "Now, go deal with Groudon. We'll be staying here, as we can't go on any missions with you."
With our gear together, we headed out. We dropped our weights so we could move at full speed. Giratina had moved to Standby status, prepared to jump in at a moment's notice. Groudon's far stronger than anyone we've actually fought before. I really hope it doesn't turn into a battle, but it very well might.
As soon as we were clear away from the town, I sent a wave of power forward in order to tear open a rift, one which took us straight to our destination. During our time off, I've been practicing, with a little advice from Palkia on the side. We no longer have to go through the distortion world for rift travel now.
One thing's for sure, tracking our movements is going to get a lot harder for folks back home. Especially once I figure out how to jam electronic signatures. Speaking of practice, my shadow control has gotten much better. But I'm still unable to trigger my Mega Evolution. Since my first one was tied to my emotions, much like Mewtwo's was for a long time.
Empowerment seeds don't taste the best, but they work, and it's much easier to control. However, it suffers from being weaker than normal. Just like it does with the girls. The twins and Mewtwo are still the only ones who have full power available, without either stone. But our mega forms might not stack up against Primal Reversion if Groudon gets worked up enough. As stated before, he does not have the Red Orb.
What surprised us is the fact that Team ACT had arrived just before we did. Originally, it would've been several days between them leaving, and our arrival here. But, knowing us and how we operate, it was bound to happen that we'd arrive early.
"Zeryph? What are you and your team doing here?" Charizard asked, drawing his team's attention to us.
"Same thing you guys are. Had Solais not picked up on that quake that Groudon sent out, we wouldn't have set out so early." I began to pass out some Empowerment Seeds, and several flashes filled the clearing as we all powered up. Except for Kalina, of course, as she can't control hers. Then Mewtwo had to go and outdo us, showing off as always, by powering up in a huge burst of energy that cracked the ground. "Go, back to the village, protect them. We'll deal with Groudon." I said. "Fighting Legends is a…specialty of ours."
"Zeryph…good luck." Alakazam said. He and his team then began to head home, while we headed into the Magma Cavern. I don't believe it's the travel time that took them several days, but the battle itself. Just getting down to Groudon, in the first place. The team who came to rescue them didn't do well, either, if I remember right. We would've done Uproar Forest as well, but had Groudon not awakened now, we would've gone to do that first. My squad would've gone, not…all of us at once.
With us all at full power, plus having Kaorah here, getting through the cave would be easier than normal. Because of Groudon disturbing the cavern, every Pokemon we ran into was much more aggressive than normal. Unlike the Thunder Mountain and the dungeons before it, they were much tougher, too. On our way down, I began to suffer another problem. Being a Steel Type brought with it a weakness to fire, and I was beginning to feel the heat.
And the further down we went, the hotter it got. On top of actually fighting stuff, it was almost like stepping into hell, at least for me. We didn't have endurance perks for the heat either, which wasn't helping. And after just five floors, I sank to my knees, panting loudly, my vision starting to grow hazy. I got back up, and kept pushing forwards. Even as the feeling of a headache began to set in, soon followed by feeling nauseaus.
"Zeryph? Are you OK?" Latias squeaked.
"What's happening to him?" I heard Alex, as I began to fall to the ground. I felt Mewtwo catch me before I fell, then Melanie's hands were placed against the sides of my head.
"Heatstroke, bad." Melanie's hands pressed against my forehead. Her hands lit up with gold light. "We need to get him out of this cave. I fear that the lower floors may be far too hot for him." She shifted to the side, and Kalina placed a talon on my forehead, before shifting into the Ice Type. Though it wasn't the most pleasant for her, either, she wasn't a Steel Type. So she didn't have to feel like the inside of her body was trying to cook itself.
Melanie pulled a canteen from one of the bags and began to slowly help me drink it. While she and Kalina worked to soothe the effects of the high heat on my body. "Mewtwo, take the others, go on ahead. We'll catch up once he's stable enough to safely teleport home." Melanie told him. Mewtwo nodded, then he and the others continued onwards.
"Am I…ever glad, our team…has a healer." I said quietly. "Thanks, Mel." I was able to start using my own restoration magic to help them, once I was able to better focus on using magic.
"No problem. Now…you need to get out of here. I know you're gonna be worried about us, but it's not safe for you to go any further. Go on, we'll see you at home." Melanie shared a quick kiss with me, before standing up. "We'll see you in a few hours, hon." She and Kalina started to move to catch up with the others. I don't feel right, just leaving them like this. But, our healer has spoken, so…I don't really have a choice.
"You're not actually going to leave, right?" Giratina's voice rumbled. "Sorry about…a few days ago, by the way. I was out of line."
"Don't worry about it. As for leaving…no, we are not." I began to feel for the shadows, before raising them and wrapping them around myself like a cloak. Almost all at once, the heat faded to nearly noticeable. Giratina had to help me with it, as my control still isn't that great.
"That's the spirit, now…get going. I'll take care of the cloak for you, for now." Giratina helped me to stand, then I formed a staff with Bone Rush, using it to support myself as I began to move. I still felt weak from the effects of the heat, but it wasn't as bad with the shadows to shield myself.
My slower pace meant that I would take a while to catch up with the others. But it didn't matter right now. The trail of destruction between them and myself showed the pace they were moving at. Another reminder of just how strong we are. The few left standing, made no move to attack. Sensing the presence of Giratina was a major warning to them.
At the 20th floor, we found a Kanghaskhan statue. A rest area that marked when we went from the normal Cavern, to the Cavern Pit. I had begun to feel the heat again, even with the cloak, although not as bad as before. I stumbled, feeling the ground rumble with quite a bit of force. Lava splashing out of the nearby pools and burning the ground where it landed.
"That's not good." Giratina's voice rumbled. "Push past the weakness and pick up the pace, boy. Your team might be in trouble." Giratina's right. I dispelled the Bone Rush, channeling Aura into my legs to strengthen them. Pushing myself to pick up the pace just as he'd said.
[BGM Suggestion]
[Zame- Drought (Remastered)]
That's not good. That tune means only one thing. The temperature began to rise rapidly as Desolate Land began to set in. And I was so sure that Groudon didn't have his Orb.
"We're in trouble." Giratina grumbled.
"No shit. Might actually need you here for this one. And your siblings too, for that matter." I growled. I pushed myself even further, the sounds of combat began to reach my ears. And it wasn't long before I found my team, locked in battle with a red and black behemoth of a Pokemon. Golden light shined from lines that ran the length of his body.
The room felt like it was on fire, and members of my team had begun to drop simply from it being too hot to continue. Mewtwo was in Phase Two by now. The boost from his Shadow Transformation was working, but it wouldn't last long.
"Zee! What are you doing here?!" Melanie called out.
"Like I'm just gonna leave you all to fight Groudon. In case you haven't noticed, our situation is incredibly screwed right now." I called back. Unfortunately for us, Groudon didn't seem interested in talking right now. Mewtwo's transformation soon ran out, and he dropped to his knees, too weak to continue onwards.
I felt comfort in the shadows as their power began to grow, Giratina's eyes settling onto Groudon as the Continent Pokemon let out a deafening roar. His own eyes locking onto Giratina as the Renegade to rise from the shadows. The scorching temperatures would have no effect on Giratina, no matter how hot they got.
"GROUDON! STAND DOWN!" Giratina bellowed, bringing his full power to bear as he drew on the energy of the Griseous Core, his Origin Forme bringing the shadows of the cave to life. Groudon roared, launching Precipice Blades in all directions.
"Back off!" I called out. We scattered, giving Giratina the space to fight Groudon on his own. Kalina was one of the only ones not down and out, since her type-shifting meant that the heat wasn't an issue for her. Kaorah was in a similar position, though she was starting to visibly sweat. Still, she could keep going. Cerise had to be teleported to safety, with Melanie using her powers for a heat shield.
But it was draining her, so when I took over, using the shadows, I got a grateful smile in return. Groudon and Giratina had entered an extremely tense standoff. If they actually start fighting, things will get destructive. Two flashes filled the cave as Dialga and Palkia appeared, their forms were massive, having changed shape to match that of Arceus…somewhat. The sight of the Creation Trio at full power is legitimately one of the scariest things I have ever seen. But even now, it seems like they're limiting themselves. I guess, in order to avoid the risk of burying us all.
Their sisters appeared just above, the Red Chain shining brightly as they prepared to use it on Groudon. I understand the reason for such force. Primal Reversion is not something to mess around with.
"The world above, it burns under the light of the sun." Azelf said quietly. "Desolate Land is already affecting the surface, even as we speak. Rayquaza has not responded at this time."
"We must make this quick, sister." Uxie spoke up. "Chain him! Brothers, prepare yourselves." The sisters then teleported, Groudon roared as the Red Chain hooked itself into his armored scales. He struggled against the sisters, but at full power without Team Galactic's meddling, they were more than strong enough to hold him.
"Brothers! Together!" Dialga called out. I sensed their power as it flowed.
Roar of Time
Spatial Rend
Shadow Force
All three attacks hitting, all at once. Groudon let out a thunderous roar of pain, before responding with a wild use of Precipice Blades, thrown off and weakened by the sisters. The cavern shaking as dust fell from above.
"Again!" Dialga called, and the brothers launched a second round of attacks. "Zeryph, do what you can to help us."
"Kalina, Kaorah, put him off balance if you can." I called to the girls. "Latios, Latias, join your attacks with the brothers." As the brothers launched their next wave, Kalina and Kaorah both slammed into Groudon with what force they could manage as the sisters pulled really hard. The twins joining in with Mist Ball and Luster Purge. Suicune wasn't able to help, since Desolate Land rendered her attacks useless.
"Sisters! Mystical Power!" Uxie called out. They joined their attacks with their brothers, and the Twins. This was finally enough to get Groudon to stumble. And, thrown off balance, he wasn't able to stop himself from being ensnared by Giratina's shadows. Then the sisters all used Hypnosis on him at the same time, putting all their power into the same move. This finally got through, sending Groudon into a deep slumber. His form reverting as he gave in.
The temperature rapidly dropped, back down to safe levels. Safe enough that I could even let the cloak drop. Without Groudon messing with the temperature, it felt more like a hot summer day than…what I'd said before.
"Hoo…it's over." Melanie let out a sigh of relief. We all sank to the floor one by one.
"That was far too close." Dialga's voice rumbled. He and Palkia returned to their normal forms. "I can't remember the last time I had to use my Origin Forme. The same can be said for Palkia. Still, for now…the world is safe. Sisters, let Groudon settle down, then we'll wake him back up."
The sisters let their powers wash over us all, reinvigorating us all and healing any damage done by the fight with Groudon, much better than what Melanie is capable of. It wasn't much longer until Groudon woke up, and he was much calmer now. As he stood up, he bowed his head deeply.
"My apologies. I am…quite unsure what came over me. I wasn't in control of myself." Groudon's voice was deep, with its own sort of rumbling sound. But his aggression was gone, at least for now.
"Seems like that's been happening a lot, lately." I spoke up. "Groudon, it's nice to meet you."
"You as well, Chosen One. I assure you, the earthquakes lately, are not my doing." He revealed. "The one that brought you to me, that one was. However, the rest…before it, the ones that awakened me, they were not."
"We know." Solais spoke up. "My senses tell me as much."
"But they should stop, now that I'm awake. If you feel any more, then something else is going on." Groudon said to us. "Still, thanks, for calming my rage. I'm glad it was you and not Rayquaza. But, without Kyogre also being awake, he didn't have any reason to get involved."
"That is true, I suppose." Uxie spoke up. "Had we all not shown up, he would've…for sure."
"I am aware. There was a time several years ago, in which Kyogre had awakened. But I'm sure Rayquaza took care of that." Groudon huffed. "Nevermind that. I promise you, I will not lose control again."
"At least we got here not long after you woke up. If you had been active for several days, I dunno if we would have been able to stop you." I said.
"Indeed. Now, how about a quick way out of here?" Groudon thumped the ground, and it rumbled as a tunnel opened, one which went straight to the surface. "It will close behind you. I would like to go along, but I would rather stay here. Come back and see me, some time. Chosen, I eagerly await a proper challenge from you."
"You're not the first to say so. But, you have my word. A battle, in the future, where you're in a clear state of mind." I bowed respectfully. "C'mon team, let's get out of here and get some rest." I went over to Mewtwo and helped him up. Even with the boost from the sisters, he was still exhausted because of the drawback from Phase Two.
Honestly, had the siblings not jumped in to help us, I think Kalina would've had to use her Mega form. I'm reasonably sure she actually could've beat Groudon if she did, well…in his base form. I think Primal Reversion is far above what she can handle, for now anyway.
Our trip back to the village was slower than it was on our way out. We received a warm welcome as we returned, especially for myself. Going to stop Groudon was proof that I was still worthy of trust from the locals, I suppose. The…grandkids…still weirded out by that, were very happy to hear of our success. Even if Camilla already knew that we would pull it off.
I decided to let her and her sisters see the base portal for themselves. All three of them smiling warmly as they got to see it for the first time in, what was years for them. Lexie welcomed us all home with a freshly cooked meal, as well as a tight hug in my case.
"You guys and gals look rough. Hard day?" She asked us.
"You have no idea." We separated. "And a bit strange, too. First, from the beginning- we met some of our grandkids." I told her.
"Hold on…what?" Lexie's eyes shifted, and she glanced at our new group of three, currently talking with my parents. Mom and dad seemed really happy to know that the family would continue onwards, and so strongly, too. Even if their descendants weren't human.
"And then, we had to go fight Groudon." I said.
"Aww…damn this heat. If not for this, I wouldn't have missed it." Lexie sighed. "Oh well, must've been a hell of a fight." I think with how high the temperature was, in that cave...Lexie's Mega form would've been super-boosted by it. And likely also would've made it worse at the same time.
"Yeah, it was." I held out a hand, pressing it against her forehead before sharing my perspective with her. Feeling her emotions shift as we descended through the cavern, and her worry when I collapsed from heatstroke. Honestly, it's a wonder Cerise didn't collapse before I did, but she is a Ghost, soo…
Then there was her excitement as she got to see the battle, including watching Dialga and his siblings face off against Groudon. And smiling as we finally managed to beat Groudon. Much like Zapdos though, it wasn't him at his best. Something which we'll see later, if we don't see it in the past, first.
The grandkids picked up on Lexie being in heat, very quickly, too. I guess from Radrys giving them the indication that she was. From the look Camilla sent towards me, I get the feeling that I'm supposed to do something about this. Perhaps my thought that Kaorah would be the first might not be accurate, after all. But I guess we'll have to find out on our own. Obviously, Camilla's not going to say anything.
Still, I know that I'm not ready for the girls to spawn, for sure. But it makes me wonder if we wait until I'm ready, or if it just kinda…happens. From what Camilla said about how I'd be as a parent, well…I get the feeling that either way, it ends up going very well for us.
The siblings enjoyed supper, Sera even mentioning that she couldn't remember the last time the trio got to experience Lexie's cooking. Or Alveik's, for that matter. Camilla elaborated, saying that the Absol had learned from Lexie. Following supper, all of us who were there for the battle with Groudon had set up a queue to clean up by showering. And, following those, we settled in for the night.
Lexie's heat medicine was still in effect, so it was subdued enough to not be a problem. But it's gonna get her in the morning when she wakes up. I'd expect that she and I might not be running again, tomorrow morning. There's also the question as to how eggs are gonna work. I'm gonna guess that it'll be more…organic, if it does work. I think the thing still applies, where two Pokemon just have to really love each other for one to appear…spontaneously. Doesn't make a bit of sense, but for some species, it's better than very unrealistic…eheh. One pairing I can think of off the top of my head is Skitty and Wailord.
Regardless…I guess we'll find out when one of the girls gets stuck with an egg. I'm just holding out hope that Kaorah's the first, when we're ready anyway. Lexie caught my focus, snapping me out of my thoughts as she snuggled up to my side. I was already dozing off, as the Lake Trio's invigoration had begun to wear off. All at once the fatigue hit me, and it wasn't long before I was out like a light.
Notes:
Hope the fight with Groudon was done well enough. Yeah, I figured that Primal Groudon would be a good enough reason for an all-hands-on-deck scenario. Not including Arceus of course, but still. Having the Lake and Creation trios jump in to help out made sense, in this case. Plus, it sets up a teaser for Dialga and Palkia with their full power, at least I think so. I think that Primal Reversion would be a good reason for them to use their Origin Formes. Even then, they were still holding back for the most part. As to avoid the possibility of burying everyone under the cavern.
In the future though, we'll definitely be seeing them at full power, for sure. There's a lot of cases where I'd think that their full power would make sense. But listing them all here would take some time.
