Cold...
Distant roars and flashes of light received him as his consciousness returned. When his eyes opened, he observed the cold ground before his face. Water ran along his arms and pooled under him, drenching his black trench coat and his pink beard. He tried to look around him, but a nearby explosion disoriented him even more.
"Audino!"
A flash of blue light sprang in front of him, snapping him back to reality.
"Lily!"
He stood up, trying his best not to slip on the mud as he assessed the situation. An Audino, Lily, used Protect In front of him, deflecting an oncoming Flamethrower. Her necklace displaying her Audinite glinted as she turned towards him, eyes narrowed in concentration. Daniel nodded towards her as his fists clenched.
"Moonblast!"
"Audi!"
A sphere of pastel pink energy formed in front of Lily as the Protect dissipated. When it was the size of a basketball, the Audino shot it in front of her. A vulpine cry sounded in front, as a Zoroark fell unconscious to the ground because of the damage. Daniel watched it for a couple of seconds before relaxing somewhat.
"R2, Status."
[UNDERSTOOD]
A robotic voice rang inside his left ear before a screen appeared in front of him. "Must have busted the right one." He thought as he read the information while scratching his beard.
Daniel Joy
Pokémon (8/8)
Audino "Lily." (Tired)
Lapras "Gamera." (Healthy)
Dragapult "Casper." (Unconscious)
Braviary (H) "Rodan." (Healthy)
Volcarona "Mothra." (Unconscious)
Liligant (H) "Elizabeth." (Unconscious)
Rotom (Glasses) "R2." (Healthy)
Porygon3 "Donald." (Healthy)
Energy Levels:
Mega Energy: 72/100
Z Energy: 46/100
Tera Energy: 1/2
Dynamax Energy: 2/2
"I need to recharge…" He muttered as he flicked his hand several times. The screen flashed before displaying several names, preceded by photos.
Dad
Mom
Zachary Willows
Aidan McGowen
Troy Yates
Gracie Hensley
Rachel Charles
Dale Fletcher
Fraser Morris
()
"Call Dad."
[CONNECTION UNAVAILABLE.]
The alert flashed in front of him.
"Fuck…they have jammers." He dismissed it and tapped Troy's name. A ringing sound echoed while Daniel looked around him.
The Forest they entered just 30 minutes ago to answer the code black lay in ruins. Discarded trees and craters littered the surrounding floor. Flashes of light and distant explosions illuminated the night, enabling him to perceive several Pokémon lying on the ground. If he squinted, he could also see several people. He hoped they were not bodies.
"Daniel! Thank Arceus! The sound drew his focus to the screen, revealing a dark-skinned woman dressed as him: a black trench coat, beret, and orange-tinted glasses. "I lost you for a second!"
"Troy!" Daniel said, relief inundating him. "Takes more to take me out."
"I can see that." Troy's face contorted into a grimace. "Anarchy has the orbs. I…" Her lips trembled. "We couldn't stop him." Daniel's veins filled with ice as his heart began to beat rapidly in his chest. That would mean…
"What about Aidan?!" He screamed, briefly startling Lily. The Pokémon had returned without him knowing, but that was not on his mind at that moment. "What-"
"He and the elites were fighting…they…"
"All of them?" He asked, his tone barely above a whisper.
"…Yeah…" Troy matched his voice, tears streaming down her eyes. "And I don't think I can stop him, my team…"
"I'll take care of this." Daniel bit his lip, looking towards the distant clouds. As lightning flashed, he could barely make a figure floating in the sky. "I'll... I'll be back."
"Take care, Daniel." Troy clenched her eyes. "Godspeed." She whispered before the connection cut off.
The darkness returned once more to the clearing. Daniel stood there for a moment, processing what happened. Lily took his right hand, a small smile on her face. He let out a shaky breath and pet her, slowly feeling the tension eek away.
"Ready, Lily?"
"Au!"
"Rodan!" Daniel screamed, punching forward with his right fist.
A Pokeball shot out of his sleeve, enlarged and opened. A red light signaled the entrance of an enormous Braviary. A crest of purple flames imitating eyes flamed on his forehead. White and gray replacing the usually colorful plumage. The bird looked around for a couple of moments and settled his eyes on Daniel.
[Master] A masculine voice rang inside his ears, its tone even [I am ready].
"R2, saddle."
His glasses briefly flashed in orange before a cube rolled from his sleeve to his open palm. He threw it in an arc towards the Braviary before it opened like a Pokeball, emanating a green light. A saddle appeared on Rodan's back and Daniel carefully boarded the bird followed by Lily. "You know what to do."
[I must advice you, master, that the plan is significatively risky.] Rodan shook his head before flapping his wings, accelerating them towards the sky. [But I understand what must be done.]
"Sorry for putting you in danger." He sighed before nodding. "Tailwind!"
Rodan screeched, controlling the winds around them. The rain suddenly stopped pelting them as an updraft made them go even faster. The dark clouds approached menacingly, discharging lightning and illuminating the horizon. Being so close put them in danger of electrocution, doubly so for the flying type.
Looking at the ground, he could barely see the silhouettes of his comrades. They were fighting in several places agaisnt the forces of Team Anarchy. They were people wearing streetwear, covering their faces, some even carried red berets. The battle seemed to have reached a stalemate, as pokemons fainted on both sides and neither wanted to overplay their hand. Gazing upwards, he could make out the cause of all of this mess floating behind the clouds.
"Hurricane!"
Rodan's eyes flashed in eerily purple light as the roaring storm around them was seized. Its fury directed at the figure floating in the middle of it. A defog or even a hurricane would have been standard procedure, but with the champion gone… the kid gloves had to come off. A roar thundered in front of them before a blue light flashed, protecting its occupants.
As the clouds parted, Daniel's eyes finally landed on Joey Barlow, the madman commonly known as "Anarchy." Barely 18 years old, loving family, and a promising future as a trainer ahead of him. One night 3 years ago he seemingly went insane, spouting things about other worlds, death, and "the shackles of government." The League tried its best to stifle his advances, but thanks to his charisma he managed to gather a following of likeminded individuals.
The young man floated in front of him, surrounded by the hexagonal shields of Protect. His clothes imitated those of a veteran ace trainer, only differing on the details: red beret instead of black, and the letter A proudly displayed on the back. Red light pulsed from inside Joey's clothes, radiating from his chest to his arms. Finally, a deep blue piece of ore, a pastel pink orb, and a mustard yellow crystal lazily orbited around him.
"Joey Barlow." Daniel stated, looking directly at his piercing blue eyes. "You're under arrest."
"I don't think I am, officer." The man shook his head with a smile. "You lack the power to stop me. To stop my vision." He slowly raised his hands, the orbs spinning faster around him. "You can't take away my Freedom."
As he enunciated his last word, the red light intensified, almost blinding him. The rain immediately stopped, and the moon and stars finally appeared in the sky. Rodan squawked as the wind turned against him, rocking him from side to side. Daniel's clothes rustled as his balance almost faltered, only able to remain seated thanks to Lily's grip and Rodan's telekinesis.
"R2! Mask!" He managed to scream.
His glasses transformed into an orange mask with a Rotom's smirk over his mouth. The sounds muffled and his vision cleared. Joey's hand flashed, cycling between cyan, yellow and pink as the winds got stronger. Daniel could start making outlines of what used to be legends: Dialga and Palkia. Like a mirage, their images swam around them, basking them in light.
[ALERT!]
[LEGENDARY ENERGY DETECTED!]
[ENERGY IDENTIFIED: DIALGA, LORD OF TIME.]
[ENERGY IDENTIFIED: PALKIA, LORD OF SPACE.]
An alert appeared in front of Daniel as his Porygon3 and Rotom analyzed the energy. It was kind of unnecessary for him, since he could recognize their figures anywhere.
"Finally…Home…" Joey said, barely like a whisper. His expression that of immense relief and joy.
"R2! Overclock!" Daniel screamed, preparing himself for the worst.
[OVERCLOCKING]
R2's mechanical voice intoned as his blood grew hotter. But Daniel's attention was squarely on Lily.
Lily's Audinite and a bracer under Daniel's trench coat began to glow. The light of mega evolution took over the Audino as her form grew slightly. Her skin turned white, her ears grew, and part of her fur took a fluffier appearance. Then, Daniel crossed his arms in front, moved to form a heart with his palms, and finished with a feminine pose. Pink light radiated from inside him as his aura flooded towards Lily, almost blacking him out in the process.
"Twinkle impact!" Daniel screamed.
"Audinooooo!"
Lily shot towards Joey, pink stars trailing behind her. Just before making contact, all the Z energy concentrated on her outstretched arm. A deafening explosion and a flash of light briefly overpowered Daniel's senses as the attack landed.
[I am here, master!] Rodan's voice echoed as Daniel felt his psychic energy preventing him from falling to his death. Daniel sent feelings of gratitude through their link and his eyes widened as his eyes returned to the fight. Lily was suspended in the air, fist clashing with a smooth pink barrier. Joey smirking just behind it. He clapped his hands, and the Audino shoot back towards them.
Rodan barely managed to catch the flying Audino as the mega evolution faded. Daniel's heart almost stopped when she didn't immediately move, but the gentle rise of her chest and swirls in her eyes relaxed him. "Just unconscious." He thought to himself with relief before he returned Lily to her Pokeball, then sucked back into his bracer.
"Well. Let's get this show on the road, then." Joey's finger snapped as a marble of nothingness appeared right behind him. The darkness slowly expanded as the silhouettes of the legendary Pokémon grew clearer and clearer. Blue, pink and yellow lightning flashed around it before collapsing inwards and transforming into a portal.
Daniel's breath grew heavy as exhaustion began to overpower him. His last option was using Gigantamax, but Gamera was not his best attacker. "It has to be enough." Another overclock would surely kill him, especially with a giant Pokémon involved. But seeing Joey's ecstatic expression as he floated towards the portal made him falter. "Fuck…" He retracted his arm, steeling his resolve and preparing for the worst. "Guess this is it."
Rodan's feelings came through their link. Feelings of comradery, friendship, pain, loneliness.
"Game…ra…" his words died in his throat as the moon was covered in inky darkness.
The stars disappeared and the wind stilled. The world seemed to pause for a moment as a pair of red eyes began to stare from the void. A pair or wings, or what he imagined them to be, soared behind Joey. Panic flowed through the link as Rodan tried to find a way out, flapping his wings in place.
"No…No! Noooo!" Joey cried in pain as his skin began to crack in places like porcelain. His expression filled with terror and pain. "My home! No! Stop!"
[ALERT!]
[LEGENDARY ENERGY DETECTED!]
[ENERGY IDENTIFIED: GIRATINA, LORD OF DISTORTION]
Energy built up on what Daniel assumed was the beast's mouth. A deep purple sphere shot towards Joey before he could react, hitting him directly in the chest. A crack echoed as the red light evaporated. Before the man could fall, however, purple energy seized him in the air. The adamant crystal, lustrous globe, and griseous core disappeared as if they never existed. Dialga and Palkia's outline blurred again before disappearing.
"HEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee."
Joey's screams slowly muffled as the inky form of Giratina covered him completely. The force of nature took a small glance at Daniel and Rodan before it vanished into the void beyond, just like it arrived.
"That's…too much adrenaline…" Daniel whispered, looking at the portal that was still opened.
It showed a different, but similar world beyond. He could see vehicles, people going to work, sounds he associated with big cities like Castelia or Opelucid. Yet, as far as he could tell, there were no Pokémon around. No Pidoves roosting on roofs, no Ratattas, Muks or Garbodors crawling on the sewers, no Snorlax halting traffic. Everything was…deeply wrong.
"R2, patch me with central." The screen flashed orange before his father's image appeared.
Instead of pastel pink hair like Daniel had, his was completely white. His eyes green like emeralds, and a large scar crossing his left cheek. He wore an orange Alolan shirt, which was caked in blood in several places.
"Daniel! Are you ok?!" Daniel grimaced as his dad's voice came a bit too loud on his only headphone.
"I'm alright, dad." He nodded. "Giratina took care of the situation.
"Those are certainly words…" The old man muttered before shaking his head. "We'll need a full report eventually. Godzilla and me dealt with the situation back here in orbit. We'll send the rangers and the paramedics to your location in a bit, try to gather the rest of the veterans."
"Underst-"
And without rhyme or reason, the world suddenly went white.