The Contender's Ascent

by Insane Dominator

Third installment to "The Fairy Contender". Months passed since Nic and Erza finally united, but now things get really interesting. New challenges face Nic as Pokemon begin to rise, more complex foes challenge him and his powers, and something darker than darkness itself seeks Nic. With friends new and old joining forces, Nic and two worlds unite in ways unimaginable. OCxErza

82. Team Rainbow Rocket

A chill ran down everyone's spines. Not just from the cold, but from the sensation of something foreboding heading their way. All eyes were fixated with anticipation at the entrance to the fortress's double doors, revealing a silhouette that made its way into the open.

Natsu balled his fists with anticipation as his trained nose caught the foul whiff of bloodlust, a sensation he was never fond of. Whatever was coming down had an overwhelming zealous for it.

Burning green eyes pierced into everyone's vision as the figure finally walked out towards the open. The figure was as tall as Laxus, with equally imposing muscle mass. However, unlike the others who had rags and light clothing, the imposing figure sported a full set of dark armor with black edging on the chest plate and pauldrons. A shield was strapped to the left arm with a design eerily similar to a Great Ball, though steel nuts decorated the corners. A thick cape made of mountain Vulcan fur flowed behind him, similar to an actual cape.

Though, what struck everyone was how unlike the yellow and orange skin colors the Gremlin all had, this one's was a deep red. His green eyes were devoid of any shred of mercy.

"Is that their leader?" Wendy questioned, having her guard up. Even from this distance and the blizzard, the smell of blood hit her Dragon Slayer nostrils.

"He looks more equipped than the others. He must be prepared." Carla figured.

"About time. Was starting to get annoyed with these guys." Gray smirked.

"Hmph…as if that wasn't obvious enough." Duncan scoffed at their sentiments.

Vanessa remained studious as something caught her by surprise. It wasn't just the appearance of this apparent leader of these invasive creatures, but the fact that she didn't sense him coming. 'I couldn't sense his aura…it's like these things are completely oblivious to my magic.' She furrowed her brow as she tried to focus harder, only for her radar to end up blank. 'I'm sensing everything else but them…'

As Erza was scanning her opponent, she too found herself perplexed by something about this creature. More accurately, the broad blade that was in his right hand. Something about it was off from its looks alone.

The blade in question had a dark red jewel as the pommel, with indigo sash marks overlapping down the grip. The cross guard was golden and hooked on the ends, with a dark red jewel on the rain guard that eerily resembled Aegislash. Most of the broad blade itself was black, with golden accents and a symmetrical pattern on the bottom-half. On either side closer to the rain guard was stainless steel with red runes etched into the forged metal.

'That sword…' Thought of Jango and Sabboth came to mind. She brought her swords up in caution.

"Alright…" Natsu rammed his fist into his flame, causing bursts of flames. "Now that he's here, we can start kicking ass! Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy flew behind Natsu and sped skywards.

"I'll help, too!" Wendy spread her arms and legs, summoning magic around her. "Ile Arms!"

Everyone else, the Pokémon included, felt strength embodying them. Magical aura enveloped all of them, increasing their offenses.

"Nice going, Wendy!" Lucy grinned.

The Gremlin Lord noticed the magical enchantment happening, but his focus was the ascending human and Exceed. With a swipe of his arm and a loud cry, he commanded the available Gremlin to fire their arrows skyward to shoot them down.

"Cloyster, Icicle Crash!" Erza commanded.

"Grovyle, Fury Cutter!" Lucy yelled out.

Cloyster hummed low before exhaling skywards. The harsh breath quickly crystalized the air, forming into several thick, sharp icicles above the fired arrows. The arrows stood no chance as they shattered against the icicles that rained down, causing the ones alert to scramble away.

Grovyle took a swift leap, landing on an icicle and jumping onto another one, using his glowing, light green leaves to bisect any arrows that made it past the brigade.

"Nice, guys! Now for the counter-offensive!" Natsu and Happy were able to reach a suitable elevation for the latter to drop his companion. Natsu's feet erupted in flames, sending him blitzing downwards with intense pressure and heat surging around him.

"Time to put this joker on ice." Not wanting to be left out, Gray brought his hands together, conjuring a spell. "Ready, Natsu?!"

"You've read my mind!"

The two closed in fast, but the Gremlin Lord stood readily, as if he was expecting this. He brandished his gilded blade in a defensive stance in anticipation for their attacks.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"

"Ice-Make: Ice Impact!"

Swirling lashes of bright flames and an ornate hammer of ice shot down onto the target with intense force. The weight and force of the two attacks created an intense explosion that caused the supercooled air to explode with heat, making a sonic boom that blew away the lower-tier Gremlin and floor the larger ones. The shockwave reached the others, but Joey was sensible enough to create a wide barrier to guard them from the exhaust and flying Gremlin. By the time the attack settled, much of the area was covered in mist, leaving it hard to tell what happened.

"Talk about bringing down the hammer!" Joey chimed.

Dereece groaned. "Is Stunfisk rubbing off on you, Captain Joey?"

Duncan held his Elfen Forja tight, keeping a hardened stance for any surprises that could come their way.

"Did that do it?" Wendy wondered thoughtfully.

"If that didn't, then consider this your unlucky day." Salazzle quipped.

"Everyone on guard! The mist is clearing!" Erza shouted.

The party watched the mist fade, expecting at least a crater and demolished remnants of the castle from the explosion…but that didn't happen. Instead, shock painted their faces as the Gremlin Lord stood unfazed by the attack, the blade in his grip giving off a bright red glow that shimmered like crystals.

Natsu's eyes widened. "No way." He gawked. "Even with Wendy's enchantments powering us up? That's what we get?"

The Gremlin Lord lowered his blade, his green eyes brimming with unyielding resentment in them.

"That didn't do anything!" Happy yelled.

"Does magic not affect it, too?!" Carla questioned.

Natsu furrowed his brow at something peculiar. He noticed the glowing sword and felt a swell of power building from it that his enhanced senses caught onto. "That sword…it took our attacks. Guess that's his trick."

"If that's the case, the best thing we can do is get that away from him." Sophie figured.

Grovyle eyerolled. "Well at least someone's using common sense around here."

"I know, right?" Salazzle scoffed. "Humans, what a headache they can be…"

The Gremlin Lord bent his knees, tensing his well-toned muscles underneath his armor. With a strong spur, he ran towards them with a feral war cry.

"He's coming!" Erza shouted.

"Slow him down and pin him down!" Joey urged.

"Magmortar, Clear Smog!" Duncan commanded.

Magmortar scoffed as he aimed his arm cannons at the oncoming threat. He expelled a plume of pure white smog that exhausted towards the Gremlin Lord, who broke to a stop and brought his cape around to shield his nostrils from the plume engulfing him.

"Yanmega, it's your turn! Signal Beam!" Dereece shouted.

"Got it!" A glint in her red lenses, Yanmega was positioned well above the white smoke, her superb vision seeing the target in one spot. Energy manifested at her mouth that exhausted into a white beam with pixilated energy mixed in.

The Gremlin Lord noticed a glint in the white smoke. Noticing the attack incoming, he swiped his left arm and brandished his shield, blocking the attack that resulted in an explosion.

He backpedaled out of the smoke, but behind him a silhouette moved swiftly with a glowing arm. He pivoted at the last second, using his shield to block Grovyle's Leaf Blade.

With their stalemate, from the smoke, Duncan emerged with his Elfen Forja, the fire lacrima activated. "Gear One: Fire!" He leaped into the air and brought it overhead, ready to bring it down onto his foe.

The Gremlin Lord looked back to see another foe coming down, but he was prepared. He brought his glowing blade up, using it to block Duncan's assault.

"His arms are occupied, nice work." Sophie chimed.

"We're not done!" Joey shouted. "Gyarados!"

"Say the word! I'll mow him down!" The Atrocious Pokémon let out a belligerent roar as his purple eyes were fixed on the Gremlin Lord.

Joey swiped his arm. "Waterfall!"

Gyarados's body expelled water from underneath, creating a rush that headed towards the Gremlin Lord. Gyarados rode the water slide at full speed and rushed for him head-on.

"Now…" Joey crossed his fingers, aiming for Gyarados. "Barrier-Make: Dragon Ram!"

As Gyarados shot forward like a torpedo, a barrier in the shape of a dragon's head enveloped his body for fortification. With his target weighed down, Gyarados roared mightily as he bored after him.

Seeing the threat and realizing his situation, the Gremlin Lord sneered. Suddenly, the sword he was wielding glowed brighter while the fire on Duncan's Elfen Forja went out completely, startling him. He was knocked back, as was Grovyle. With both arms, he raised the shimmering blade and brought it down with a mighty cleave towards Gyarados.

CRACK!

BOOOOOOOOM!

The sound of glass shattering was quickly followed by snow erupting. Gyarados screeched out as he careened backwards from the wake of the attack, much to everyone's shock.

"Gyarados?!" Joey gasped. He watched as Gyarados thudded close by, landing on his side with a low grunt. He blinked, still processing everything. 'What just happened. It came so quick, but…it looked like my barrier shattered…?'

The Gremlin Lord stood tall and turned towards the others once again. Holding his blade with two hands, red, glimmering energy made the blade look almost twice as long. He brought it up towards the sky and roared, swinging it down with force that sent a slash shockwave across the snow towards everyone.

"Requip!" Erza requipped, adorning her Morning Star Armor. She brought her two blades together as crackling energy brightened to a medium-sized hemisphere. "Photon Slicer!"

She unleashed an energy blast that aimed for the slice wave. The two forced collided…only for Erza's to immediately dissipate upon contact without a trace. The swordswoman looked stunned as the slash wake continued their way.

"Ice-Make: Rampart!" Gray hastily created a thick wall of ice that shot up between them and the oncoming blade wake. But it didn't take long before the wall was cut in half and continued towards them. "You're kidding!"

"It's coming fast!" Klefki shrieked.

Erza knew she had to act fast. She brought her arm forward with a command. "Cloyster, Protect!"

In a last-ditch effort, Cloyster expelled water and shot himself to Erza's front. Standing between the attack and his Trainer, he closed his shell as a turquoise forcefield appeared.

The slash wave met the forcefield, creating a bright flash that caused everyone to cover up. The wake from the attack was so powerful that it nearly blew them off their feet. When the wake died down, what was left was a deep trench that carved into the snow and bedrock of the mountain that spread between the Gremlin's blade and Cloyster's forcefield.

"Such strength…" Vanessa grimaced, her relaxed disposition replaced with seriousness.

"What do we do now?" Goodra asked, her head down watching carefully.

The youngest Pularis managed to get to her feet and studied her opponent. 'He's countering everything we throw at him. What's more…' She noticed the dense shine on the blade. 'It looks like that blade has gotten stronger when it was hit. Does it work like Bide?'

Sophie swiped her arm forward. "Salazzle, Poison Gas!"

Salazzle grunted, dissatisfied. "How's about we try some actual ammunition instead?" She opened her mouth as her tail flared up. Generating a fireball, she fired Flame Burst at the Gremlin Lord.

Sophie gasped. "Salazzle!"

The brute saw the fireball shooting his way and brought his sword across. With a clean swipe, the fireball was spliced down the middle and remained unfazed. The two orbs imploded, sending embers everywhere. Though it only made him look more intimidating as he raced for them once again.

"He's closing in!" Dereece warned.

"Amaura, quick! Icy Wind!" Wendy shouted.

Amaura hummed and opened her mouth, taking a deep breath. With a harsh exhale, she expelled a dense breeze with icy blue crystals that the Gremlin Lord charged straight into. Stopping in his tracks, he brought his shield up to block the wake of the wind, though a blue aura reduced his speed.

"Nice, Wendy! Tyrunt, Bite!" Natsu commanded.

"Bergmite, Bite too!" Gray followed.

Tyrunt and Bergmite growled as they charged in, aiming low at the Gremlin's legs. Tyrunt opened his jaws wide as the fangs glowed. He and Bergmite's glowing fangs bit into the leg armor, causing pain and anchoring him down.

'Now!' Vanessa reached her arm forward to initiate a command. "Goodra, Dragon Pulse!"

"Cloyster, Hydro Pump!" Erza shouted.

Goodra spread her legs and careened her head back. Multicolored energy amassed in her mouth and lurched forward, sending a dense beam with a dragon's head roaring towards the Gremlin Lord. Cloyster followed suit by taking a deep breath and expelling an enormous, pressurized volume of water.

With his focus on the two Pokémon anchoring down his legs, coupled by Icy Wind slowing him down, the Gremlin Lord only had his shield to guard against the two attacks as they smashed into him. An explosion of multicolored energy and a wall of water enveloped the area, shaking the mountain. Tyrunt and Bergmite skidded away as the Gremlin Lord went flying backwards, smashing into the snow with a tremendous thud.

The sword he held before went twirling through the air, impaling the ground with its tip. However, while the length receded to its base, it still glowed.

"Alright, we got him!" Natsu cheered.

Dereece exhaled. "That could've been a lot worse…"

Duncan scoffed. "Could've jinxed it sooner."

Erza walked towards the sword, looking down at the hilt. 'Right, this is his weapon. He'll be easier to finish if we use this-!'

The moment she seized the grip, her entire hand got heavy, followed by a dense spell putting pressure on her. Her eyes shrank as her entire body stung from the inside. She instinctively reeled her hand back, grunting as a wave of fatigue washed over her.

"Erza!?" Gray shouted.

"Erza!" Vanessa used her aura and extended it to grab Erza before she fell over. She pulled her away from the blade and closer. "Are you okay?"

"I…I think so…" She strained to talk, but her skin was slightly pale, something that didn't go unnoticed by her peers.

"What happened just now? It looked like you were in pain." Lucy worried.

"I'm not sure…" She looked down at her hand, recalling the sharp, leeching pain that went through her. "But it felt like that thing was trying to suck the life out of me."

"You mean…the sword?" Wendy inquired.

Everyone turned to look at the blade in question. They saw the blade's faint glow get even brighter. Or rather, more condensed. The sheen of the blade looked to be heavy.

The Gremlin Lord grunted as he reached for the blade's grip, pulling it out from the ground. He waned to the side, reeling from the pain that he was in that almost crippled him.

"Crap, he's still going?!" Gray exasperated.

Joey crossed his fingers, reaching out towards their opponent. "Barrier-Make: Crash!" He manifested a barrier, sending it sliding uphill, paving through snow like an unstoppable force.

The Gremlin spread his feet apart, brandishing his glowing blade readily. When the barrier was within range, he brought it down with a sharp swipe. To everyone – especially Joey's – shock, they all witnessed the impenetrable barrier shatter like glass. The blade's glow intensified even more from that.

Joey was speechless, his breath leaving his lungs as his eyes shrank with pure shock.

"Captain Joey…your barrier…it just…" Dereece trailed off, equally as dumbfounded.

Duncan's lips parted, disbelief mounting upon him. He knew that Joey's barriers were indestructible. Not impossible to get by, but nothing could break them. To see that logic literally severed before him took him by sheer surprise.

The Gremlin Lord ushered a loud war cry, not waiting for them to recover before unleashing another long swipe. Another slash wave went blasting in their direction, tearing apart the ground.

"Not this time!" Gyarados rose up, bringing his tail around as water spiraled around it. "Aqua Tail!"

"Thunder Punch!" Magmortar brought his right arm around, dense electricity surging in the hand.

The tsunami tail and electrified punch met the slash wave. Both Pokémon held their own to keep the dense force at bay, but it didn't last long. Slowly, they were losing ground and momentum, the wake slowly pushing their appendages back. It didn't take long before they were blown back, careening with pained cries.

"LOOK OUT!" Joey and Duncan weren't able to move out of the way in time before their Pokémon were blown back into them. Being struck by Gyarados and Magmortar felt like a wall that caused the four to tumble downwards.

"AAAAAAHHHH~!" All fours were blown away, their cries fading the further away they got.

"DUNCAN! CAPTAIN JOEY!" Dereece cried out.

Yanmega looked back, alarmed. "Look out!"

Everyone turned and saw the mature Gremlin raise his blade once more, this time lengthening to proportions far beyond the blade's guard itself was supposed to hold up. Erza and the others were flabbergasted as they saw a dark red saber shine over their heads.

As they all gawked in horror, Salazzle couldn't help but get one notion off her mind. "Huh…guess this is our unlucky day."

With a loud roar, the Gremlin Lord brought down, vanishing everything to bright red.

---

Nic, Staraptor, and Shiin stood speechless, not knowing if what they saw was a dream. If so, it was a very crude dream.

It was one thing that they barely evaded the clash of Legendary Pokémon that were at the command of some guy that was targeting Nic, that much was comprehensible. But the fact that the figure that pulled them out of that turmoil looked like Nic was something else entirely.

In all this, Junior pointed a puffy hand at him. "(Mama! Look! Two Nics!)"

"(Yes…I see it, too.)" Staraptor's gaze was focus and cautious. Something about this Nic felt way off compared to hers.

"Free?" Butterfree tilted his head, confused.

Despite the seemingly calmer front than the rest of his peers, Nic was far from calm. His mind was practically a solid blank for what felt like hours, when in reality it was just seconds. That spiky black hair and blue eyes that had a sea of discern were no different from his own. However, there was much about him that he was able to distinguish.

For one thing, this Nic was slightly taller, and even though his camo cloak covered his body, it was clear from dirt the dirt stains and tattered edges that it had seen better days. Looking at this Nic more closely, he had some stubble growing around his face that made him look more mature. Though if one looked even closer, they could see some circles under his eyes, indicating a lack of sleep.

'Is this…me?' Nic's mind slowed down enough to question what was going on at last.

'Impossible…this man is…' Shiin looked dumbfounded for a lack of better word, and nobody could blame him.

AU-Nic looked at the startled figures, his fixation heavily on Nic. The two met eyes, a silent mutuality between the two breaching. Nic could tell AU-Nic was studying him, which made his own leer dampen.

"Alright, talk now!" Shiin demanded. "To whom am I speaking to?

AU-Nic loudly scowled. "Is this how you say 'thank you' from wherever you came from?"

"I wouldn't speak so impertinently if I were in your position. I have more than enough justification to keep you within that seal."

AU-Nic raised his head, scoffing. "Sure, we can play twenty questions all you want…but the drones will catch on."

"Drones?"

"You won't be safe out here much longer. They track infrared and visuals. They're probably watching us right now. You sure you want to face more Legendary Pokémon?"

Shiin's eyes dilated at the notion. It was already bad enough that he had to bare the aspect of two Legendary Pokémon that were capable of exerting flames and lightning storms that could put even the most prominent mages to shame, but to have anymore with such foreboding force would be unthinkable.

He wanted to believe that he was lying, that he was bluffing so as to get him to lower his guard…but the seal thinned slightly, indicating he was telling the truth.

In his predicament, Nic stepped forward. "Let down the seal."

Shiin turned to him, offended. "Excuse me?"

"I get where you're coming from…I have questions as well." His glare fixed on AU-Nic. "But we were found almost immediately by Zekrom and Reshiram. If we're really being tracked by drones, then it won't be long before they come at us again. Besides, he'll fill us in…won't you?" His demeaning tone and folded arms were a clear indication of his skepticism.

AU-Nic sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Fine, sure. But you better make your decision fast, otherwise we're all gonna be screwed in a couple of minutes."

Nic glanced at Shiin. "That valid enough for you?"

Shiin narrowed his eyes, his conviction unwavering. "But still, who's to say that he is trustworthy at all? For all we know, he could escape or perhaps attack us if we let our guards down."

AU-Nic sneered. He didn't blame him for thinking like that, but that did nothing to remedy the situation.

"Then if he does, we'll be ready." At Nic's behest, Staraptor's intimidating eyes locked onto AU-Nic. "We don't have much time. Let him go…for now."

Shiin's eyes dilated uncontrollably, not from the gravity of their predicament, but from the lack of control he had of the situation. He hated this. He shouldn't be told around like this, especially by some otherworldly human who has his own trust issues; his track record of his conflicts with higher authority figures sure didn't help. But the circumstances were well out of his reaches, another aspect he scorned. If he was frank, he didn't trust them, not this Nic, nor the one inside the seal. He didn't want to take their words on it, but the prospects of encountering more powerful beings that defy magic laws when it was just him didn't put him in the best spot. If anything, it felt like he was being held hostage.

Against his better judgement, he closed his eyes and dispelled the magic seal around AU-Nic.

"Make no mistake. I'm keeping my eye on you." Shiin bitterly scowled, giving Nic a side glance. "All of you."

Nic hummed low, acknowledging his claims before looking back at AU-Nic. "So, where to?"

AU-Nic scoffed, turning his back to them. "Follow me. And keep up." He warned. "Oh yeah, and if your friend there has any magic to keep him off the ground, use it. It'll help avoid potential traps. There's some around here." Without hesitation, he leaped for the nearest branch and pulled himself up to jump through the trees.

'So this Nic is also agile in trees.' Shiin silently observed.

"(Nic…are you certain that we can trust this one?)" Staraptor questioned. "(I know we've met and worked with other versions of yourselves before…but something's off with this one.)"

Nic frowned. "I know, but for the time being, it's all we have to work with. I'm certain we'll get our answers…but he's right that we're sitting Psyduck. So for now…let's just see where this goes." He took off into the trees, with Staraptor beside him and Junior holding onto the latter.

"Free!" Butterfree fluttered off, turning to look back at Shiin. "Free! Free!"

"I know, don't rush me!" Though he didn't understand him, the magic Captain could tell he was being ushered along. A sky-blue magic seal appeared beneath him as he chanted. "Swift winds, enchant this body with your light breeze. Be thy weightless guide to the denizens below…Air Walk!"

The magic seal condensed into two small seals beneath the soles of his feet. He ascended a meter off the ground and floated after the others.

Up in the trees, AU-Nic was leaping with the grace of a Grovyle, with Nic following his lead, and though Staraptor could fly, she was well-trained in the art of tree maneuverability. Junior was latching on, enjoying the ride while staying low.

Butterfree and Shiin were the only ones tailing behind. Even though they were free to move through the air, they were drastically outpaced by the others. Still, they were under the cover of thick trees, which helped keep them out of the drones' sight.

It didn't take long before AU-Nic stopped at a tree and jumped to the lower branches. "Here." He hopped to the ground, taking a look around to see if anyone was following him. When he saw the coast was clear, he ushered the others down from above, reconvening on the grass at the base of the tree.

"So now what?" Shiin asked impatiently.

"Ssh!" AU-Nic hushed him. Taking one more look around for caution, he saw no one else. He turned around and shifted the bushes at the base of the tree. What Nic and the others saw was the tree's bottom…and how there was a tunnel beneath the narrow fit.

'A secret passage?' Nic wondered. 'And he used ferns to keep it concealed around the tree's base.'

AU-Nic crawled under the tree's roots pushing the tree a few feet off the ground, just enough room for him to move around. He removed the grated made up of sticks and vines and used his hand to motion everyone else in. Though they showed reluctance, Nic went first, crawling into the hole.

'I can't believe that a Captain is being forced to dirty his robes like this…' Shiin was going to make sure this didn't go into the report. He was next to follow, with Staraptor, Junior, and Butterfree last.

With them all in, AU-Nic placed the ferns back into place to look like a natural underbrush around the tree's base. He used a tan tarp and covered the grate and slid beneath, making it look like nothing was there as they went under.

Nic led the way. To his surprise, it was very spacious underground. Thick layers of dirt made up solid walls that were lined with bright moss for lighting. The 10-foot-stretch of craftsmanship led to what looked like a stone door with various grooves and ridges.

"Another security level?" Shiin inquired.

"I got it." AU-Nic made way to the front. He reached for one ridge that looked like a handle and turned it. He then placed his hand on the opposite side of the stone wall on a lower area and turned the rock-like handle clockwise.

Click.

A loud click was heard as Nic and everyone witnessed the stone door slowly shifting apart, allowing entry.

"That's your lock system?" Nic inquired.

"If I had automatic locks, it'd alert metal detectors." AU-Nic shrugged. "Anyways, it's not spacious, but it should suffice for the time being."

Thet all filed into the open space and looked around. To their amazement, it looked like a natural room, only with the ceiling being boarded by wooden beams that ran across. The room was moderately accommodating, having enough space to rival a living room. Just enough for them to move around. There was a toilet in the corner that sat right next to a stand-in shower. There was a small fridge next to a desk, which had numerous trinkets and contraptions that neither Nic nor Shiin recognized. There was no bed, but a chair made out of woven material had leaves for makeshift cushions. Luminescent lights lined the top of the walls to shed light on the abode.

A good word to describe this place would be…off the grid.

"A secret base underground?" Shiin looked around the humble abode, his discerning eye less than pleased by the lack of aesthetics.

"It's a technique I picked up from the Hoenn region. Secret bases there were made by another method, but I made it work my way." AU-Nic explained. "Anyways, we'll catch our breath here for a while. There isn't much to eat, but help yourselves."

Curious, Nic went over to the mini-fridge and opened the door. There wasn't much like his counterpart said, Aside from bottles of water, there were frozen meals and half-eaten pastries. The vegetables all were in small bags and looked to be starting to expire. "Suppose groceries are scarce around here."

"If by scarce, you mean 'I have to scrounge for my life', then yeah." AU-Nic retorted, moving towards his desk. He undid his cloak, revealing his dirtied gray tank top and tattered blue jeans. They've seen better days. "It's fine, Kecleon's unmatched in maneuvering unseen."

"I see…" Nic trailed off, closing the fridge. Good thing he ate before he left home.

Shiin sat his back against the wall, his glare fixed on AU-Nic's back. "Now that we've finally found cover, I believe that you owe us answers."

AU-Nic groaned. "Geez, alright already." He turned to look at Shiin. "What do you wanna know first?"

"Truth's Eye!" Shiin's right iris suddenly made a light blue magic seal. A familiar one appeared in AU-Nic's left eye. "This is to make sure you're not leading us on. I'll know if you do."

AU-Nic scoffed low, but remained impassive. "So, your powers specialize in trapping and intelligence gathering I take it?"

"That's besides the point. First of all, who are you really?"

"Right…I'm called a lot of things – worse by those guys that you saw – but you can call me Nic. Nic Pularis."

Everyone's eyes dilated. The seal remained blue. A truth. 'Then it's true.'

"I can say the same for you too." His focus turned onto Nic. "You look and sound like me, but you're clearly different. Look a lot like me a few years back."

Nic furrowed his brow. "And another version of you doesn't surprise you?"

"I have more important things to worry about…like if you're just some damn clone experiment to become a bio-weapon."

The prospect sat atop Nic's head, like a piece of driftwood over water. He could clearly sense the malicious venom in the implication, but AU-Nic also sounded like he wasn't all for it. But the idea out loud didn't seem so farfetched in a realistic scenario…at least in Nic's point of view.

Shiin, however, took the meaning more deeply than his peer. 'Cloning for bio-weapons…they can commit such taboo?'

Nic stepped forward. "By the way, back there you mentioned 'wherever you came from'. How'd you know we weren't from around here?"

"Well, for starters, you using damn Pokémon powers is one thing." AU-Nic answered crudely. "And do I have to bring up how that guy besides you uses spells or whatever that was."

Shiin folded his arms, taking offense to his observations. "That's Shiin Verdade of the Magic Government."

"I'll let you know when I give a shit. And thirdly, it looked like you clearly didn't know who you were up against back there, so that's to say you're not with them."

"And who is 'them', exactly?" Nic questioned.

AU-Nic paused for a moment, lifting his head with a forlorn dread. "Team Rainbow Rocket."

Everyone blinked, equally confused.

"Rainbow…Rocket?" Nic parroted. He didn't sound impressed.

"I know, a shitty name right? But that's besides the point." He shrugged. "They're the reason why the world's like this."

Shiin glared at him, his magic still detecting no lie. "I've never heard of this 'Team Rainbow Rocket'. Exactly what do they do?"

AU-Nic scornfully huffed. "Wow, you must not be from this planet then if you haven't heard of them." He had no idea how right he was. "But I'll give you the abridged version. They're a terrorist organization that seeks domination by using Pokémon for profits and potential to take over the world."

Nic nor Shiin didn't have anything to say to that. After the experiences that Nic went through on Earthland, that felt like the norm that people would try to do. But he felt like this ran deeper than what his counterpart led on.

AU-Nic continued. "They're composed of high-level grunts that went through special training, and they have all the resources needed to get at almost everything they could ever want…but that's not the terrifying part about them. Their biggest ovation are its bosses."

"Bosses, you say?" Shiin parroted.

"They're the leaders of some of the most notorious syndicates that accomplished their own agendas. Their leaders from Team Magma, Maxie and Archie. Cyrus of Team Galactic. Ghetsis of Team Plasma, you've met him by the way. And the one person that I can never forgive…Lysandre."

Everyone's eyes shrank as the tension in the air suddenly spiked.

"Lysandre…?" Nic's shock was evident in his tone. Memories of his battles against Lysandre on both Pokémon Earth and Earthland resurfaced. The latter cases especially were what led to him having to endure some of the most difficult battles for his life.

Picking up on the atmosphere, Junior turned towards Staraptor. "(Mama, what's a Lie Sandle?)"

"(It's Lysandre, sweetie.)" She corrected. "(He was an enemy that we defeated a long time ago. He was a man who once tried to wipe out many people for the sake of the world.)"

Junior shuddered. "(You mean like that brain guy that hurt you?)"

"(…yeah, something like that.)" There was a stark contrast between Lysandre and Neuro, but for Junior's sake she chose not to elaborate.

"That man activated the Ultimate Weapon. I was there…but I couldn't do anything." AU-Nic's fists clutched in anger. "That day, history was erased…as was everything else."

He could still see it all clearly from this day. Unable to quell Xerneas and Yveltal. Lysandre using their powers to fuel the Ultimate Weapon. Rays of red beaming into the sky shaking the world.

And after the dust was cleared, civilization was nonexistent. What once was Lumiose City was nothing more than a massive crater with debris of tall buildings. The Pokémon League was crumbled to pieces like a falling castle.

But the most painful thing that destroyed Nic that day…was when he tried to head to Vaniville Town to make sure his sister was sound. What he came home to was not a house or small town, but a field of debris strewn across miles of dirt.

Nic's eyes reflected the shock of the revelation his counterpart foretold. It sounded like an actual nightmare to someone like him. Not only failing to thwart an evil organization is one thing, but losing your family was a level far lower than he could've stomached.

"I lost my sister to him…I lost my whole reason to get stronger…" AU-Nic's voice grew more rasped with the bitter tone drenching his voice. "So many lost their lives because I wasn't strong enough. And I found out he was roped into this Team Rainbow Rocket with these other sociopaths. The world is in shambles because of them. I need to put an end to all this…no matter the cost."

The thick tensity in the air simmered down as the weight of the revelation sat on everyone's shoulders. As it sank in, it was clear from how he phrased it that he was deadest on this vendetta.

And the worst of it all – to Shiin – was the fact that his magic never spotted a single lie. It was all true.

'An 'Ultimate Weapon', Legendary Pokémon…now an organization that has planned world subjugation.' Shiin discerned all the details with a furrowed brow. 'There's even more to these Pokémon and their threat level than I had anticipated if these humans are capable of manipulating them. Just what are these monsters capable of creating destruction?'

"Free…?" Butterfree hummed low, confused.

Staraptor turned towards Nic. "(Nic, are you alright?)"

"…yeah, Staraptor. I'm fine." Nic whispered lowly to not alert his peers. He maintained a calm disposition. "But…I think I'm starting to get an understanding of what's going on."

"(What might that be?)"

"We defeated Lysandre back where we came from. We stopped him using the Ultimate Weapon. Perhaps she's trying to show us what could've happened if we didn't succeed. But why? That's the part I'm trying to figure out."

"(You think this has to do with why that fortuneteller sent us here? This being part of a test of sorts?)"

"Hard to say. But I'm certain of one thing…" He thought about Ghetsis and Lysandre, and all the recent opponents he had to endure. "Whether it's real or not, we can't allow this to stand. This version of me is right about one thing…this has to be put to an end."

Even if it wasn't a test, even with all the changes in his life, Nic was constant in one thing: Justice. He knew it would be wrong to turn away a pained soul like this. He could see from the circles underneath his counterpart that he hadn't gotten much sleep, likely from the all the stress and the years of having to endure onslaughts of these organizations on his back.

He knew what had to be done. He spoke to AU-Nic. "Listen…" He got his attention. "I'm not sure it'll fix everything, but if we help you stop this Rainbow Rocket ploy, will you help us?"

Shiin turned towards him in shock. "Are you insane?! Don't rope me into whatever scheme you have!"

Nic glanced sternly at him. "Not like you have any ideas? Besides, from what you told me, you're just supposed to shadow me. That means you follow my lead."

Shiin visibly flinched. Damn technicalities.

AU-Nic gave them a sharp leer. "You know what you're getting into, right?"

"I have an idea of where you're coming from. Can't say that I'd want to live in a world like this too."

A silence fell between the two sides as the sentiment lingered. As if the weight of the world was voluntarily being pushed onto Nic's shoulders, he took it with a straight face. It wasn't his first time taking a huge responsibility. From the steadfast look he gave his counterpart, he looked like he knew the risks and took them before.

After a brief gaze down, AU-Nic sighed. "Fine…but if you're with me, you're under my instructions. I know what's going on, so I'll let you in on what I have in mind."

They all nodded in affirmation. Seemed like they agreed.

"Alright. We'll head out in a few. Right now, I need a minute to think…" He reached into his pockets, pulling out something that Nic was all too familiar with.

His eyes widened as he recollected the device. 'That's…!'

AU-Nic unraveled the chord connecting his earbuds to his phone, the black casing ever so familiar. "Battery can barely last half an hour anymore…" They heard AU-Nic grumble before he walked to an outlet, connecting his phone to the charger and sat against the wall. Even from their distance, they could hear the heavy metal as his head lobbed up and down.

Nic stared at his counterpart, seeing him recuperating with a furrowed brow. 'Did I always have that habit?' It's been so long that he's had earbuds in his ears, but even he could tell what song was playing. At this point, it had to be an old song. 'Surprised he's not deaf like Joey at that volume…'

"(It's like looking at the past you, isn't it?)" Staraptor chimed, nestled into the floor.

"Yeah…it is." Nic mumbled lowly. Ironic as it was, it was like nothing had changed for this version of him. Aside from being older, having aged naturally, his habits were largely the same as before he came to Earthland, aside from a few tweaks here and there. The fact that he still held onto the last memento from his grandparents despite its aged battery was something that made him recall his own past.

Being forced to live cruelly for years under abusive parents, his grandparents giving him a phone to use if needed. Its uses, however, were for storing music that helped filter his adrenaline, especially in training. He knew what it was, an escape. A coping mechanism.

But since he finally moved past that matter after the Impure Underworld incident, he didn't need it anymore. He had others to console him, namely his wife.

Thinking back now, he wondered what his wife and sister were up to. He didn't dwell on the forlorn sentiment for very long though, because he knew to get to them, he'd have to solve his own problems.

Or his other self's problems? Both?

He sighed lowly, seeing his other version deep in thought. 'This Rainbow Rocket, sounds like they're resourceful as well…' With what AU-Nic's words in mind, all they could do was wait and see what the plan would be.

---

In a remote area, many miles away from where the main party was formulating their strategy, it was another story altogether where a large castle-like compound was.

It was an imposing stature of its own. While not as massive and as lavish as the Alvarez Empire's castle, it was still a sight to behind. With a thick, black exterior with a red, mechanical glow between the bricks to make it seem more intimidating, the compound was a few stories high with the front having a massive R on the front in a rainbow font. Some would call it a work of art, and by some, that would be all of the associates that wore black with gray gloves. Even their hats had rainbow-colored Rs on the front. How colorful.

Their color scheme choices aside, it didn't change the fact that this was the organization that had managed to dominate the entire scope of the world. All corners, be it big or small, fell under the domain of Rainbow Rocket. With drones buzzing through the skies, scanning for any Pokémon that would be of value to them and their goal, not that they haven't accomplished that already.

The interior of the compound was just like the outside itself: Black with a red glow. Networks of glowing red framed walls and lined the flooring, leading to various parts of the compound. There were numerous areas dedicated for specific purposes. However, there was a catch. While the castle had such space, it had a lack of doors, meaning to get to one specific room, they would have to take warp tiles.

The methodical transport, as questionable as it was, provided innovation for specific tiles to get to certain rooms.

Amongst the warp tiles, a white circular wrap tile pulsing with transparent energy rings lit up. Slowly warping into place was Ghetsis, who stepped off the tile and onto the red runway that led up to his peers.

One of these peers was a man with red hair slicked back. He had a red and black coat on with a large 'M' printed on the front outlined in red, yet filled with black. This was Maxie.

The person across from him was an equally middle-aged man with a bright blue bandana on top with a fishhook with two ends going down, making an "A". His attire was less flashy, being mainly sleek black. His facial features were simple with dark brown facial hair and narrow eyes. This was Archie.

Another man beside him had short blue hair spiked up, with piercing blue eyes to match his serious demeanor. He wore a gray vest over a black long-sleeve shirt with a yellow "G" over the left pectoral. This was Cyrus.

The last one was someone from long ago whom Nic fought. A man with orange hair with a stylish black coat and pants. This was none other than Lysandre.

The four imposing men stood and watched Ghetsis with indifference. Though if one looked closely, there was a tint of judgement in their eyes, particularly from Maxie and Archie. "Seems like someone had quite the nasty run-in." Archie mused. "Heard you had a hard time out there."

"I see you're in no better mood yourself." Maxie countered, shifting his glare at Archie. "Especially after the last time he almost had you."

Archie returned the glare. "Please, I'm just in a mood cuz I have to stomach the same roof as you."

"And I you."

Cyrus sneered, his piercing glare being his only response.

"In any case, we heard about what happened. Seems as though my young friend is at it again." Lysandre crossed his arms with a thoughtful expression. "And it seems that he had another trick up those sleeves of his."

Ghetsis finally made it to his tile, his scowl indicating the fowl mood he was in. It was bad enough that he had to tolerate these haughty bosses and their banter, but to hear it because of his failings was another. He was ready to sick his fully healed Legendaries onto all of them, but he remembered the last time he attempted his insurrection. He learned well from the imposing silhouette on the screen in front of them.

"Ghetsis." Giovanni's voice rang through the monitor crystal clear. "Thank you for coming back to us." His tone was dry and neutral; a sign that he clearly lacked the will to care about his well-being. "Now then, why don't you tell us more about what you saw? What's this about Nic Pularis and gaining 'special powers'?"

The others looked up, visibly intrigued by this news. They all turned to Ghetsis, who narrowed his one visible eye as he recounted what happened.

"It seems…that we have more Rattata scurrying around than we had figured."

---

After a short while passed, AU-Nic took a deep breath, pulling the earbuds out of his ears. He looked at Nic and Shiin, who were patiently waiting for him. "Alright, you both ready?"

"Yeah." Nic answered. He was ready from the start, but he'd rather not say that.

"Alright. But first, you need to tell me what you can do. What do you have on hand? Or rather, what's your skillset?"

"Fine by me."

Though Nic agreed to the plot, Shiin was a different story. Even with the circumstances weighing on him, he knew it was a bad idea to share all his skills and tricks to the enemy. Or rather, enemies-in-waiting? It was complicated, that much was obvious, but for the sake of his security, he had to make some kind of compromise since he was already this deep.

'If I tell them all my secrets, there's no telling the repercussions that'll transpire.' He frowned disdainfully. 'I'll only tell them what Nic has seen of me so far.'

For the next few minutes, Nic and Shiin began assessing their skillsets to AU-Nic. Nic was blunt and punctual when explaining about his powers so as not to overload his counterpart's brain. Though the frequent looks of scrutiny he got was a given.

For Shiin, he only covered what was necessary, such as the very basis of his magic. He discussed about his Ring Magic, Air Magic, as well as his Transformation Magic.

After assessing everything, AU-Nic gave a mild hum. "I see…alright then. That should work for us."

"You're taking all this rather well." Nic admitted.

AU-Nic scoffed. "Believe me, I'm still reeling how you're able to use these powers from the start. But considering it's not part of Team Rainbow Rocket's ploy, it's not my priority."

"How do you find it this easy to trust someone? For all we know, you could very well be a member yourself. You're already leading us to them." Shiin elaborated.

AU-Nic shifted his gaze towards Shiin…and the white-haired mage immediately felt a chill run down his spine when he saw the ferocity and offense in those damned blue eyes.

"You shithead, I wouldn't be out here if I was with them, would I?" He spatted in a matter-of-fact tone straight to his face. "Besides, whatever reason you're here, it probably relates to Team Rainbow Rocket's agenda. As far as I'm concerned, that's more than enough reason to pull whatever assets we have and make use of them to stop them once and for all."

The sentiment hit like a ton of bricks, leaving a thick layer of tension in the air. The caucus of renegades felt it sink under their skins like a sponge. Shiin didn't need to use his Truth Magic to know he was telling the truth.

"Free…" Butterfree muttered to Staraptor.

"(Yes…but he's right. Our differences aside, it seems we have a common enemy.)"

As they were talking, Junior, who was briefly dozing off, snapped back to reality when he noticed something shiny and luminescent in AU-Nic's desk. Awing, he hopped closer to see what piqued his interests.

On the table was a black cube that was the size of a Poké Ball, though it was primarily black, with various sides with a flat top. However, bright green lines all lined up the edging, leading to the face of the cube, which were numerous bright green hexagons that glowed in shaded patterns in orbit around the clear white hexagonal center.

As he reached for the cube, but AU-Nic opened an eye and caught the act. "Don't touch that!"

"(Ah!)" Junior yelped, hopping back behind Staraptor fearfully.

Nic turned his gaze onto the black and green cube, his interests peaked. "What's that supposed to be?"

AU-Nic turned and reached for the cube, holding it close. "This thing? It's something Sina and Dexio left behind…they were my allies." There was a hint of solemn dismay in his tone. "They were doing research on Zygarde Cells."

Shiin's eyes narrowed. "Zygarde?"

To Nic, this rung a bell. He recalled how he once had to battle Zygarde when he was under the influence of antimatter, and when he played a major part in defeating Acnologia alongside Mega Rayquaza. 'Zygarde…'

"Apparently, the Legendary Pokémon looks after more than just Kalos. It has individual cells spread all across the world. All of these cells act like its eyes and ears, sort of speak. At least, that's what Sina and Dexio figured out anyway." AU-Nic explained. "They started collecting them before Team Rainbow Rocket or Lysandre could harness them and use them for their own devices."

"How does it work?" Nic questioned.

AU-Nic shrugged. "That's something I wish I knew. I never got the answer. They just told me to 'hold onto it at all cost'…that was the last thing they said to me before Reshiram's flames ended them before my eyes. I just know that I have to keep it safe, for whatever reason otherwise."

Nic paused and turned towards the cube. He could sense something from inside that called out to him. It was echoing throughout his insides, making him briefly uncomfortable. He didn't know why, but he felt like it was…talking to him?

"I believe that we have digressed enough." Shiin spoke up, bringing the matter back to ground zero. "What exactly is your plan?"

Getting back on track, AU-Nic sat the cube on the table and turned towards his new allies. "Alright, here's what we'll do…"

---

In the thick of the vacant forest, it was left mostly undisturbed. With all the wild Pokémon either hiding, been captured, or otherwise nonexistent, that left ample room for anything to get around. That included those not indigenous to nature.

Two Rainbow Rocket grunts trudged through the forest, both wearing the same uniform as required by the organization's dress code. However, one of the grunts carried a medium-sized charcoal black briefcase in their hand.

Their destination wasn't too far, according to the coordinates they set earlier. They moved to where the thicket cleared out, allowing a full view of a waterfall that ran into a riverbank. The rushing water provided a sense of tranquility in this otherwise apocalyptic dimension.

Both grunts made it to the riverbank's edge, remaining patient as they awaited their rendezvous.

"How long did they say?" Grunt 1 muttered.

"Last they said, it would be fifteen. That should've been awhile ago." Grunt 2 answered.

As if on cue, the sound of choppers in the distance drew closer. They looked up to the air and saw a pitch-black helicopter with a rainbow 'R' on the side fly into view. They watched it descend slowly, the winds generated making the water ripple and leaves buffer on their branches. The aircraft's skis slowly affirmed on the ground, and the rotary slowed down so the chopper wouldn't take off.

The door opened, revealing another Rainbow Rocket grunt, gesturing them inside hurriedly. Grunt 1 looked at Grunt 2, but he was stalwart on his venture inside. Grunt 1 followed, carrying the briefcase with him onboard.

Once all parties were fastened, the door slid shut, and the pilot got the signal to ascend back into the air.

The helicopter traveled high over the forest land. An upscale view showed the stretch of land that was either lush with forestation, or wasteland that seemed to be lacking in life. The desolate crater where Nic fought Zekrom and Reshiram was amongst those desolate spots.

"Gotta say, took a big gamble with this one." The co-pilot grunt scoffed. "You two have any idea how big of a hassle it is that we had to pick you up?"

"Yeah, we would've left ya out for dead if we didn't get that signal. Must've been rough out there." The pilot grunt added.

A short silence fell before Grunt 2 finally spoke. "…you have no idea." Hollow and terse in tone, mimicking one of trauma.

Grunt 1 didn't say anything, his focus on the landscape that laid beneath them as they went along.

The helicopter continued its flight path beyond the terrain, passing along a body of water that seemed to be inaccessible. It headed towards a plot of land that sat by itself, with the Rainbow Rocket fortress in the dead center of it all.

The edge of the fortress had a small landing platform, where it was also in the shape of an R. The helicopter slowly turned and descended until the skis made an easy touchdown on the dead center of the letter. Just then, the entire platform shuddered for a moment. The circular circumference of the platform slowly descended into the ground, which revealed a sub-level that the platform was connected to.

The sub-level was lit up with overhead lights, with the tiling being black with red glowing lining. Dozens of other helicopters were lined up and in sleek condition. In terms of personnel, it looked like only one grunt was present to greet them.

The grunt watched his brethren exit the aircraft, the briefcase in hand. "What's that?"

"Something we've found while we were out lost." Grunt 2 explained. "We believe that it's finances, but we're not sure. Didn't have the tools to crack this thing open."

The grunt greeting them cocked a brow. "Heh…well count your lucky stars. Guess the bosses will be happy you both just paid our gas money budget for the next six months if that's the case." He snickered at the unintended pun. "Anyways, check in and follow up with the admins as soon as you can."

The two grunts began walking, one grunt leading the way, with the other carrying the briefcase. They walked towards the security doors, which were accompanied by a padlock system.

Grunt 2 held up the security tag that was on a lanyard around his neck. Once the light flashed rainbow, the door automatically opened, allowing them entry inside.

Once passed the doors, the two grunts got a look at the interior. It was primarily a long hallway, with a warp tile at the center. There were other grunts, but they paid no heed. They were too busy talking about miscellaneous matters, much like the Pokémon they recently captured, contesting their financial stability, and their ranks. Simple things.

The two went up to the warp tile, making sure not to make small talk nor break their composure. Once they reached the tile, Grunt 2 went first, then Grunt 1 followed.

---

A Holo Caster was on the floor of the bunker, the screen projecting a holographic topography map Of the land surrounding them. When AU-Nic brought his index finger and thumb together, that expanded the layout, covering more of the surface area.

Although it was a useful tool that was modernized from Kalos, Shiin, ever studious, made more mental notes. 'I see, so these devices work similarly to Thought Projections and Archive Magic.'

"Listen, cuz I'm not going to explain this twice." AU-Nic started his explanation on a blunt note. He pointed at an area with a red dot pinging. "This is where we are right now. The organization's HQ is 64 kilometers northeast from here." He used an index finger to move the landscape farther out towards northeast, where a red holographic flag was pinned. "There's no means to get there by foot since it's over water. And as I told you, their drones can easily spot and pick up infrared. So. if you're thinking of flying there, you'll be intercepted faster than you can get there."

"Any means going underwater to reach them?" Nic questioned, only to be met with a shaking head.

"Afraid not. They have all-around radar and sonar. Trust me, I've tried. Archie and his Kyogre nearly drowned me that way."

Shiin furrowed his brow. "Interesting…then how do you intend to impede such a defense?"

"With these." AU-Nic held up a black top with gray gloves, as well as a matching set of black pants to boot. On his table, there was also an ID card, as well as a set of contact lenses. "I got these from a grunt I managed to blindside a while ago. All grunts, regardless of ranks, are always tracked."

"How's that?" Nic's answer came in the form of AU-Nic holding up an earpiece. There was a component missing in it.

"With this. I took the battery out of it. Once I put it back in, they can hear and track everything we say. I'll disguise myself as a grunt and then contact their base to pick me up. They'll likely send a helicopter to pick me up. Of course, it's not likely either, but they'll probably have an extra layer of physical security. That's where you come in."

Nic furrowed his brows, giving his counterpart an incredulous stare.

"You can use any Pokémon move, right? I need you to use Transform. Turn yourself into this guy." He pulled out his phone, opening the photos app and showed Nic a picture of a grunt that looked startled. "Crappy picture, but I took it before I put him out of his misery."

'So that's where he got these from.' The realization aside, Nic had to admit, it wasn't a half-baked plan. It was fairly solid, and it sounded like his counterpart was covering the holes in the plot. 'Sounds like he understands how his enemies work to make a plan like this.'

'All their grunts lack a few brain cells…but that doesn't mean you can't be too careful." He turned towards Shiin. "Now, you said you can transform as well, right?"

"Let me guess, am I to take the façade of one of these grunts as well?" Shiin answered skeptically.

"Not quite. Rather, I want you to transform into a briefcase."

Everyone that wasn't AU-Nic blinked in unison. Did they hear that right?

Shiin, baffled, looked offended. "E-excuse me…?"

"What did I say? I'm not repeating myself."

Shiin audibly growled, his expression no less miffed. "You expect me to turn into an inanimate object!?"

"You can't?"

He snorted. "Please, don't insult my competence. I never said I couldn't. I merely question the benefits of using my Transformation Magic for such an application."

AU-Nic nonchalantly shrugged. "Well, how else should we carry our supplies?"

Once again, Shiin bit his bottom lip, realizing the fault in this scenario. 'I didn't tell him that I could Requip the supplies…damn these otherworlders!'

"Once we're onboard, we'll hijack the helicopter. We'll knock the grunts out and fly our way to the base and head to the locker room. That's one of the few places with no surveillance. Remember, don't break character. It's better that we blend rather than stand out."

"I don't suppose you thought of a backup plan, did you?" Nic inquired.

"I always do." AU-Nic turned towards Nic's Staraptor, Junior, and Butterfree. "I'll leave a device behind. If something happens, we'll let you know. That cloud can use Teleport, you said?"

"(Yup! Sure can!)" Junior chimed.

Once again, Shiin looked flustered. "For the record, that Pokémon is not mine." He pointed at Butterfree to emphasize the point.

"Free!" Butterfree hummed, tilting his head.

"In any case, they can all teleport to our location freely. We'll use that as a quick escape if things get dicey."

Nobody said anything against the choreography of such a plan. In hindsight, it would have been better than just storming the whole place head-on like what his guildmates would've attempted, or at the very least Natsu. And to a degree, it seemed like a solid, clean entry. Making use of their own abilities for the benefit of the whole group was sound thinking, and it exercised what could be described as unorthodox methods that not even Nic would have thought. Shiin transforming into a briefcase? If he were a grunt, he wouldn't suspect that. But as much as he wanted to give credit, there was no time for that. It was time to get to the bottom of this and exercise the action needed to ensure this organization's ruin once and for all.

To do so, they would do it from the inside out.

---

The two grunts made their way to the locker room, making sure they weren't being followed the whole time. Once inside, they've found the lockers were also black, almost as much as the walls.

'Well these guys sure know how to pick a color scheme.' Nic sourly mused. But the overload of black aside, they were where they needed to be.

With the coast finally clear, one grunt pulled out the earpiece in his ear, disconnecting the battery to avoid being tracked. They made way to a bench, where they sat the briefcase down and clicked it open. The contents were taken out and placed beside it until it was empty.

Poof!

In a puff of smoke, Shiin finally exhausted his transformation and let out a mild sigh of annoyance. "I swear, if you ever make me do something like that again…"

"Relax." Grunt 1 glowed, morphing into Nic, via Transform. "You can complain as much as you want, but it worked out in the end." He turned towards the last grunt. "So now the next step."

Grunt 2, a.k,a AU-Nic, nodded. "Right." He and Nic pulled out a Poké Ball each, both lobbing them skywards.

"Go!"

In an energy beam, their choices stood before them. They were none other than Kecleon. However, while they looked almost completely identical, it was clear AU-Nic's had seen some rough battles with the scar that ran across her forehead, with some smaller ones spread across her body.

"(My curtain call…)" Nic's Kecleon started.

"(Hello to my special audience…)" AU-Kecleon chimed.

"(Hm?)" Both Kecleon stopped and turned towards each other. They stared blankly, noticing the other. They even blinked in unison, and if that wasn't enough, they mirrored their head tilting. Truly one and the same.

"Take these." AU-Nic reached for some of the devices they stashed and handed them to both Kecleon. "Careful with them. They're rather sensitive, no more than grenades. But these explosives spread out will bring this base to its knees."

"How'd you even make them anyways?" Nic inquired.

"I've fought a couple Electrode. Let's say I picked up their little destructive tricks. Speaking of which, avoid the Electrode here of you can. We don't need unexpected charges endangering us."

Nic raised a brow. "Any reason why they just have those rolling around?"

AU-Nic huffed. "I wish I knew as well. It's one of the many unconventional things I learned about this damned place. At any rate, as for you…" He referred to Shiin as he pulled out a small bag. Handing it to the white-haired man with ease, the latter was caught completely off guard when he almost fumbled from the weight of the bag. It was like lifting a sack of dumbbells!

"Plant those around the landing compound. In case they make an evacuation to the platform, we need to make sure they don't escape." AU-Nic instructed. "Not at single one. Make sure you transform into a grunt this time to blend if needed."

"And us?" Nic questioned.

AU-Nic turned towards him. "We'll need a diversion. Keep the grunts and the bosses occupied long enough for Kecleon to set the charges and me to find the warp tile to take me to Giovanni…I'll deal with him personally."

Before wrapping up, he reached for a set of three Escape Rope, Smoke Balls, Sitrus Berries, and Lum Berries. He handed one of each to everyone. "Take these just in case. They'll help if you're in tight spots. Once everyone's done with their assignments, use the Escape Rope and I'll detonate the bombs."

No one put up an argument, not even Nic. He watched as AU-Nic was hiding the contents in the utility belt that came with his disguise. Being resourceful, managing to think of such a plan, and to do so with so few people against such an organization that he must've spent ages cracking down on. It left him more curious than concerned over his well-being.

"…must've taken awhile to scrounge up this stuff." He figured aloud.

AU-Nic straightened his back, staying turned away as he was assessing his items. "It wasn't easy. Made a lot of faults along the way…but I found a trick to it all."

Nic furrowed his brow, his curiosity rising. "What might that be?"

AU-Nic glanced back at him. "Tell me this: What's in my pocket?"

Nic blinked, visibly taken aback.

"You never show your best hand first, that's a given…but even your best isn't infallible. No matter how good your move is, it's pointless if anyone knows what you play with. I learned that than just what you know, you can do so much more with outsourcing. No matter how small, an asset is still an asset. You'll win bigger games with more cards than just your own. And right now…I'm working with the hands others left around for me to use."

"Seems more like scavenging if you ask me." Shiin rebuffed.

"That's one way of looking at it…but even scavengers can get by with what little they get from others than just themselves. How to use resources and how to use them."

Nic remained quiet, keeping the advice in mind. 'Outsourcing…' He let that longer in his mind for a moment. Looking back at it, did he ever had a need to do that? He and his guild did just fine on several occasions, save for instances like the wars they've fought, but the majority was relying on himself and his Pokémon to get the job done. And almost always it went soundly.

However, his retrospection was interrupted when AU-Nic turned back at them. "We've wasted enough time. Everyone, fan out. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner this planet can get back some of its stability." Without argument, the group acquiesced to the urgent demands and proceeded to their marks.

---

The group divided, Nic – disguised as a transformed grunt still – made sure to look as inconspicuous as possible. Despite the effort he was putting in doing so, it seemed mundane since most of the grunts seemed nonchalant, if not stupor in conversations or fights with each other about even less mundane matters.

'My other self said these guys are pretty simple, so getting them to flock to an area shouldn't be a hassle.' He frowned. 'The matter is keeping them contained in one spot. It'd be a hassle if there were stragglers…'

He stepped onto a warp tile, which gradually made him fade away from the floor he was on.

When he found footing again, he found that he was on the receiving tile in a new room. He looked around, noticing that he was in another corner with a corridor on his left and right. With his disguise, he was passing through with ease. Not a single grunt looked suspicious of him since he was blended in so well.

'They really can't tell, huh? But it's difficult to navigate and get to where I wanna be. In that case…' Making sure no one was looking, he checked his surroundings for any sign of surveillance. When he seemed to be clear, he transformed into his Mind Form, getting out of his Transform.

With a single Teleport, he warped out of the chamber. In an instant, he was standing in front of the immense base's front.

'Sometimes the best decoy is the frontlines.' As he figured, he noticed the grunts in the surroundings immediately turning to him.

"Hey! Where'd you come from!?"

"Freeze immediately! Drop everything and come quietly!" A grunt held up a Nest Ball.

Turning slowly to face them, the grunts immediately flinched upon contact with Nic's deep blue eyes. As they were in shock, Nic pulled out two Poké Balls. "Some welcoming you all have…allow me to return the gesture."

…

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The sound of an alarm was going off throughout the base. The red tiling flashed every second with the alarm.

"Warning: Unauthorized breach detected! Unauthorized breach detected!"

The grunts in the observation chamber scrambled for any feed they were getting. "Adjusting drone A-1!" One grunt in charge of said drone shifted a few controls. With a few clicks, the imagery on the front of the base resolved to a clear image. "It's Nic Pularis! He's here!"

The huge screen on the front projected what was shown. All grunts looked up and saw a Greninja unleashing a torrent of scalding hot water in an arch across the ground, creating a hot water fissure explosion that unleashed a shockwave that swallowed the grunts and their Pokémon.

A Haunter fired a Shadow Ball, but her attack meant nothing to Nic's Arbok, whose Ice Fang snapped the sphere like a balloon. Unfazed, he lunged and passed the Haunter, Primeape, and two Golbat, gashing ice slashing their sides as they immediately fell.

"C-crap-!" The grunts that were startled by the display of power were taken aback when they felt a breeze above. "Huh?"

They only got a glimpse before Nic flapped his Sky Form's wings, his glowing wings raining down Air Cutter directly on the unfortunate grunts below. They all cried in fear and pain as they were mercilessly hammered by the descending blades onto their frail bodies.

"All personnel! Repeat! All personnel head out at once!" A higher grunt shouted. Immediately, others followed the order and rushed to stop the threat outside.

…

In a security room, two grunts were laying on the floor, the screens and controls were untouched, and yet the room's entrance, which was a corridor opening, was bartered up with shelves and furniture that blocked it off from the observation chamber where the rest of the grunts were rushing from their seats to the action.

AU-Kecleon stood on the floor, observing her handiwork before turning to the screen. In one of the many frames, she noticed something. It was faded, but a red zigzag was blended into the black and red layout. In the corner of a shelf, a sticky tongue jabbed it, latching onto a small spherical device that flashed red silently.

With all the chaos starting to tear open, the warp tiles were bound to send the idiotic Rainbow Rocket grunts all over the place. With her handiwork done, she leaped onto the observation panel and then to the air vent above.

Though she didn't forget her parting gift. A red flicking bomb was stuck to the underside of the control panel.

…

The alarm didn't go unheard of by Shiin, who took a moment to look up at the ceiling of the base level's platform zone. 'Did they find out about us already?' He worried for a moment, but his training kept him rational. 'No, that can't be the case. That must be the decoy Nic Pularis must be implementing to buy us time. That would make sense.'

He looked back towards the entrance to the corridor. He heard a lot of people vacating to the warp tile that would take them closer to the top floor, likely to confront Nic. A suicide mission on their end.

'Those fools have no idea what they're running into.' Though he knew they weren't focused on him, he knew it would be a hassle if the other implication happened. He heard footsteps and immediately got off to the side. He watched as the Rainbow Rocket grunt that greeted them before drew closer.

"What's going on?!" he exclaimed.

Shiin, retaining his disguise, tried to get into character by keeping an informal demeanor. "It looks like the base is under attack. Sounds like trouble."

"No duh! I gotta take this. You just take over for me. Been cramped in this place all day." With that notion, the grunt took off, leaving Shiin to watch him leave for the battle.

Once he was out of sight, Shiin focused on the doorway. 'The poor fool.' He requipped his staff, aiming it at the bottom of the double doors. He started to murmur something as the end of the staff glowed. Runes began making a line that made an Enchantment.

"'No Rainbow Rocket member or Pokémon is permitted to enter beyond this point'." Satisfied with the extra security layer, he turned towards the compound.

Taking a brief look around, he saw the numerous helicopters and aircraft materials present. Otherworldly devices surrounding him, all with various contraptions that he nor others of his world have yet to understand.

'If this realm doesn't rely on magic, how are they able to craft such mechanisms? Such engineering…' He was curious of course, but he knew his priorities. 'That can be for later. I must proceed with the mission.'

He proceeded wit his part of the plan. He started going around corners and around important aspects of the compound, laying out the charges AU-Nic gave him. He sat many on the landing platform itself, each one clicking to signal it being set with red flashes. Once all of them were placed, he looked around for any openings.

'That should cover it all. Now then…' He took out his camera and proceeded to take pictures of them. The helicopters, the layout, the bombs, all of it. He needed to document all of it for his report and research.

Once he had enough evidence, he turned his attention towards the enchantment. He needed more. Though he was aware the grunts vacated, he knew he needed to be careful. Requipping his camouflage cloak, he draped it around himself and hurried out.

…

With the alarm blaring and the rest of the grunts rushing out to stop the intruder, AU-Nic was ushering the enemy towards the front. "Out here! We need everybody! Get out what you got and stop this guy at all costs!" None of the grunts went against him. Sending them to the Pyroar's den.

The explosions and the shaking ground made it clear that whatever Nic was doing, he was doing well. With that kind of power backing him up, that will surely keep all the personnel occupied and off his back.

'Alright, now for my turn…' He proceeded down to the main lobby, where his destination was held. He moved with the speed and grace of a Rapidash, but the vindictive drive of an Arbok. Ironic that there was one outside right now mowing through numbers. Even more ironic he had one of his own. Guess fate had ways of making a point.

He hurried down the lobby's massive expanse, reaching the back that had a massive portrait of Giovanni on the wall, accompanied by smaller frames of the other bosses paneled evenly around him in a 5-star point. It would be an empowering visage if it wasn't so evil in his eyes.

'Of course the world revolves around him.' AU-Nic groaned. As much as he'd love to question the interior designing of the place, it'd be a waste when it was going to be destroyed. He pulled out a keycard from a lanyard hanging around his neck. 'Took me forever to get one of these…finally, now to put it to good use.'

He moved closer towards the wall, where thick black curtains with rainbow Rs on them were pulled apart. A barrier amassed in front of a small white platform. He placed the keycard on a padlock, which made brightly. The barrier went down to allow entry. Once he stepped on, he began fading with a dead serious expression.

'Rainbow Rocket…you end today!' He warped out of sight.

Once he reappeared, he stepped off the warp tile into a new chamber. This one taking him to where he knew where he needed to be.

The chamber itself was surprisingly spacious, with a clear view of the outside world from open windows. An enormous rainbow R painted the black tiling below. All around were enormous podiums with large stone statues of Giovanni, his posture full of one word: Glory.

"GIOVANNI!" AU-Nic's voice echoed through the room like a raging Exploud. He looked around, but no sign of his target.

"I was hoping to meet the new Nic in person…but I suppose you'll do just fine."

AU-Nic sharply turned towards the voice. He watched as he witnessed his target emerge from hiding. There, standing in all his arrogance and glory, was a man with very light skin, looking to be in his mi-years, if not older. He wore a clean black suit, with a rainbow R stitched to the left pocket. But what was most crude about this man above his rather plain features…was the callous gleam in his dark eyes.

This was Giovanni. In the flesh.

"I'm genuinely impressed. To think you'd come this far after all these years." Giovanni goaded. It was clear how despite the genuine comment, it was waterlogged in taunts. "And how many of you did it take for this moment to come?"

"Cut the crap. You know why I'm here." AU-Nic lashed out a Poké Ball. The ball popped open, revealing his Greninja that flipped through the air and landed in a pose, his red eyes beaming at Giovanni with a threatening croak.

Giovanni sneered. "I see that you've come prepared…but so have I."

With a snap of his fingers, the warp tile AU-Nic took to get here abruptly stopped glowing.

"If you're truly intending on getting in my organization's way, then it's best to put up my defense line."

Both Nic and Greninja counterparts gasped. Behind them, a pink spherical energy mass morphed into place. The mass split open, revealing Palkia, Dialga, and Cyrus. Despite the shock, nobody waited as several more spatial spheres emerged around him. The four remaining spheres unleashed Maxie with his Groudon, Archie with Kyogre, Ghetsis with Reshiram and Zekrom, and finally Lysandre with Xerneas and Yveltal.

'No! But I thought they'd take the bait…' Dumbstruck, AU-Nic turned towards Giovanni, who pulled out a Master Ball.

"Now then…" Giovanni held the capsule in his open palm. It flung open, releasing energy that amassed into something that floated off the ground. Its tail swung around like a whip that made his opponents' heart rates spike on sight. "Let's show him just how short-minded he is."

The Pokémon's purple eyes widened, flashing with psychic energy.

---

"Hurry! Attack now!"

Numerous grunts called out for attacks. Their Pokémon rushed with a combination of long-range attacks and physical ones from all sides. Nic, Greninja, and Arbok all remained undeterred.

In his Sky Form still, Nic flapped his wings, creating a sonic boom that exploded into a massive Hurricane that surrounded them. The enormous wall stopped all the attacks cold, as well as swallowed up the ones that closed in for their attack.

All the grunts looked stupefied. They all couldn't believe what they were seeing. "O-oh man…"

Nic shifted again, adding his Splash Form. The base of the enormous cyclone had brown water swirling with it. The Muddy Water erupted and mixed with the high-pressure winds to make a murky, shredding gale.

Nic spread his arms and wings, expanding the radius of the combo move. All the grunts and Pokémon were engulfed in the wake of the attack. Those who tried to escape it by fleeing found themselves outpaced and swallowed up in the sky torrent. Nearly hundreds of grunts and Pokémon were swept up in an instant. The enormous volume spiraled up into the dark skies above, which swirled with the typhoon.

After what felt like a while, Nic finally let up. He turned away, his eyes shut with a hardened acceptance.

"…sorry." He muttered.

The sounds of bodies dropping onto the damp ground was like rain. Aside from the sturdier Pokémon, the human grunts were misfortunate. Those who didn't end up drowning in the torrential cyclone had to suffer a dizzying plummet back to the ground. Splats and thuds went off like a symphony for nearly half a minute around them. The three remained unfazed by it all…no matter how much it left a bad taste in their mouths.

Nic opened his eyes, looking towards the front of the building, which received only minor exterior damage. "Was that most of them?"

"(Looked about it. The last few just flocked in for that final attack.)" Greninja pointed out.

Arbok hissed loudly, looking at the numerous corpses around him. "(And it doesssn't look like any of them will be getting back up…what a wassste of life.)"

Nic had nothing to say to that. He was used to the annihilation of enemy forces by now. The Rivolta, Tartaros, Alvarez, even against enemies in Glacidia and Astral; it was the price of war that he knew had to be paid.

His actions would've been rebuked if he was still younger, but with age comes hard lessons in life.

'These guys…' Nic glanced over his shoulder, scanning the bodies. 'None of them were the bosses. If they did, they would have brought out their Legendary Pokémon by now. Are the bosses just waiting for the fodder to clear and strike while we're exhausted?' He furrowed his brow. 'No…something about this just isn't right. There's a glitch here…'

BOOM!

Their eyes widened when they saw the top of the massive complex suddenly erupt. Debris mixed with smoke and energy flourished everywhere like a volcano eruption. The entire island shuddered violently from the force emitted, though Nic, Greninja, and Arbok stood sturdy.

"(That came from inside!)" Greninja spatted.

"(Did thossse bombsss start going off?)" Arbok questioned.

"(Not sure. But our acquaintances aren't out yet…)"

Nic's eyes narrowed. 'Don't tell me…' Something felt off about this. Very off. He could feel a tremendous swell of energy nearby, energy that he was familiar with. It didn't take long for him to realize the situation. He clutched his fists tight. 'Shit!'

Picking up on the agenda, Greninja and Arbok turned towards their Trainer. "(Nic!)"

"Right! Arbok, return!" Nic recalled Arbok back to his Poké Ball, leaving himself and Greninja. "Greninja, let's move. Now!"

"(Right!)" He flipped into the air, Nic somersaulting underneath to catch him on his back. The ninja frog held on as his Trainer flapped his wings, exerting a Tailwind that spurred them towards the scene.

---

AU-Nic used an arm to wipe dirt off the corner of his mouth, which only made it dirtier. His Greninja and Charizard were panting heavily, both under the pressure of facing numerous Legendary opponents. But the fire in their eyes burned with a fury that wasn't going to be snuffed out easily.

The atmosphere was a downpour on top of that. Archie's Kyogre was floating close by. Being the last to enter battle, his Drizzle Ability activated. It quickly dampened the surroundings, leaving AU-Nic to press into the puddle beneath him.

'We need to push through…now!' He knew he had to act fast. Fast and furious. That was his only alternative now. "Greninja, Water Pledge! Charizard, Fire Pledge!"

Both Pokémon grunted in unison. Together they leaped into the air, flipping and raising their fists overhead. They brought them down together, punching the tiling with enough force to crack it. Pillars of fire and water columns traveled across the ground towards Groudon, quickly converging onto the titanic beast.

The moment both pillar wakes collided with him, Groudon was enveloped in a massive eruption of steam that flourished into the atmosphere. The pillar swallowed him whole, his roar indicating serious damage mixed from the combo attacks.

The eruption caused the nearby Legendary Pokémon to back away, not wanting to get caught up in the mix.

Overhead, despite the rain coming down, a rainbow appeared over AU-Nic and his Pokémon.

'Alright, now that's setup, our moves' secondary effects will likely to happen more.'

Cyrus remained unmoved, lacking emotion despite the energy in his arm swipe. "Dialga, Palkia! Thunderbolt!"

The entities of time and space let out loud cries as their bodies supercharged massive levels of electricity. They careened their necks forward, projecting intense voltage down towards the ground. The lightning bolts shattered the ground as they trailed towards their targets.

AU-Greninja was reflexive enough to jump into the air, avoiding the attack. AU-Charizard followed, flapping his wings at the last second. AU-Nic jumped onto his Charizard's back and took off, diving past the Thunderbolt straight for Dialga.

"Now, Low Sweep!"

"(Hope you get a kick out of this!)" Charizard spun around, bringing his right heel around. With a sturdy press, he kicked Dialga in the neck, sending an airwave through the other side. The Temporal Pokémon's face painted with pain as the Fighting-type move left him reeling.

As he cringed from the blow, a blue aura enveloped him, reducing his Speed stat.

"(We've got plenty more where that came from.)" AU-Charizard grunted.

"That looked like it hurt." Archie snidely commented. "Kyogre, bring down that guy and his Charizard! Thunder!"

Kyogre let out a vicious cry, bellowing through the rain. The Sea Basin Pokémon's body crackled in electricity, similar to Dialga and Palkia, only his was denser and had more voltage.

AU-Nic looked shocked. "Thunder…and in the rain…?" He looked up, realizing what was about to happen. "Shit!"

Kyogre let loose a beaming pillar of lightning that darted straight into the thunderclouds above. The clouds thundered with lightning static surging through them, channeling ions into a massive bolt that came crashing down towards AU-Nic and Charizard.

With little time, he had to act fast. "Charizard, return!" He recalled Charizard, leaving him in freefall. As he fell, he threw another Pokémon Ball skywards. "Garchomp, go!"

From his capsule, AU-Garchomp emerged with a growling grunt. He braced himself and stood beneath the impending Thunder, striking him head on. The air fried around him as he took the attack, but being a Ground-type, that meant nothing.

As AU-Nic fell, AU-Greninja lashed his tongue out, grabbing his Trainer's wrist and pulled him closer. They both landed soundly with little repercussions.

Lysandre's eyes narrowed. "Persistent as always…" He brought his arm in an arc. "Yveltal, Oblivion Wing! Xerneas, Moonblast!"

Yveltal flew into the air, his shrilled cry echoing throughout the vicinity. He created a transparent violet sphere in front of his body that crackled with blue electricity. Meanwhile, Xerneas raised his head, a light beaming down from seemingly out of nowhere charging a bright pink sphere between its horns.

"Greninja, Shadow Sneak! Garchomp, Iron Head!"

AU-Greninja pressed a webbed hand to the ground, sending a blackened shadow racing across the ground. At the same time, AU-Garchomp, unfazed by the dispersing lightning he was hit with, had the star on his head turn metallic and shot like a jet towards Xerneas.

The Shadow Sneak struck first, striking Xerneas's underside. The attack caused him to buffer, making his head crane away. The Moonblast fired, but the aim was so off that it barreled past the bulleting AU-Garchomp. Instead, the Fairy-type move struck Zekrom, making him exert a roar of pain as he was pushed back.

"(Open wide!)" AU-Garchomp shot head-first into Xerneas's forehead. The Steel-type move met its mark squarely, making a pulse wave followed by a sonic boom. Xerneas's entire body shuddered madly as he was forced onto his hindlegs and was pushed back, his bladed legs slicing into the tiling.

Yveltal unleashed his attack, releasing a violet beam that bore straight at AU-Greninja. The ninja frog looked up and saw the imposing attack drawing near. With his reflexes, he and Nic veered in opposite directions, avoiding the laser that left a trench in the base flooring.

AU-Nic rolled to a knee and panted heavily. He heard something move behind him and saw Reshiram and a severely irritated Zekrom towering over him.

"Reshiram! Zekrom! Destroy this fool where he stands!" Ghetsis commanded.

Both Legendaries let out vehement roars as they brought their claws down, coated in thick, powerful Dragon Claw. AU-Nic didn't have the time to dodge, so he had to act fast.

"Greninja, Dark Pulse!"

AU-Greninja caught himself and shot off the ground on one foot. Straightening in midair, he brought his hands together to create dark rings of energy with purple aura. Once the energy was condensed enough, he unleashed the jumbled rings in a beam that blazed through the air with magnified power thanks to Yveltal's Dark Aura.

Reshiram and Zekrom's claws collided with the Dark Pulse, the power magnified ti where it was able to hold off both their blows. It gave AU-Nic time to move away a safe distance, or as close to safe when he was surrounded on all sides.

AU-Greninja let up, with AU-Garchomp covering their blind spots. They looked all around, still seeing their enemies raring to go.

'Damnit, they just keeping coming!' AU-Nic sneered at his luck. He looked towards his Pokémon. Even though AU-Garchomp was still good to go, AU-Greninja was worse for wear. 'We can't last much longer, not if they attack nonstop like this.'

Giovanni stepped forward. "I admire your resilience, Mr. Pularis. It's a shame that it'll be wasted like this…"

AU-Nic grunted, glaring angrily. He and his Pokémon shot him and Mewtwo glares, but the latter was undeterred.

"Mewtwo…show them your power!"

Mewtwo's purple eyes shined brightly. His purple tail swayed left and right before he shot into the air, flipping to slam his tail into the ground. A tremor occurred before dense, glowing blue stone pillars jutted out of the ground, piercing a straight path towards the three.

They all glared ahead, AU-Nic clenching his teeth.

Suddenly from above, medium-sized Water Shuriken shot through the rain, cutting the stones like they were dough. Time slowed down for a moment for everyone to show their shock as the Stone Edge was leveled like it was nothing. Even Giovanni, the self-proclaimed 'Strongest Trainer' looked perplexed.

"Water Shuriken…?" AU-Nic muttered.

AU-Nic looked up. "(Look, up there!)"

From the sky, dense stones dropped like rain all around onto the Legendary Pokémon. The Rock Slide surprised everyone, hammering them, especially those like Yveltal and Reshiram who don't do well against Rock-type attacks.

"Who's doing this?!" Archie demanded, keeping back to avoid the crushing boulders.

Giovanni frowned heavily at the inconvenience, but that feeling slowly turned to amusement as he smirked. He looked towards the sky expectantly. "So…that's him."

AU-Nic and his Pokémon barely caught the two glints coming down. They landed in front of them on their knees and stood back up, facing Giovanni and Mewtwo with deep, serious scowls. "You guys are here…"

"Why else would we be here? We said we'd help you take down Rainbow Rocket, didn't we?" Nic responded matter-of-factly. "But I guess even the best plans aren't foolproof."

AU-Nic lowered his head, scowling lowly.

Nic turned his attention back on the man with a Mewtwo, he and Greninja retaining their calm disposition. 'I see…so he even has Mewtwo. How did he get ahold of one of the Dark Legendaries?' He didn't dawdle on that for long. He knew it was time for action. "So, I take it that you're Giovanni?"

"Indeed, that is me." Giovanni chimed. "And I assume that you're the person Ghetsis spoke of. The one who could use the powers of Pokémon? I must say, this is quite the interesting development before us."

Nic and Greninja didn't offer a retort. The rain from Kyogre's Drizzle kept falling, but even soaked they looked calm and imposing. Something that Giovanni disliked.

"I truly appreciate individuals with power. And unlike our acquaintance behind you, you are no exception." He reached his arm out. "How would you like to join my organization?"

"Thanks, but I'm afraid that I'll have to pass." Nic didn't show any hesitation in his tone.

"Is that so? Well then, it seems that we'll have to be more…convincing now, won't be?" Giovanni snapped his fingers again.

Nic expected for Mewtwo to react, but instead, four medium-sized, spherical pods flew from various directions. They all looked alike to one another, being primarily black with rainbow accents on them. They flew over towards the five intruders, their caution extremely high.

'More drones?' Nic thought. He had a bad feeling about this.

The drones' bottom halves suddenly clicked and detached. The bottoms turned into satellites with red conductors on their ends. The tips all glowed as static crackled. They all fired a multicolored ray intersecting above everyone, creating a bright flash. As they were all blindsided for the moment, the bright intersection expelled a spherical energy veil that enveloped the five.

"A forcefield?" Nic frowned heavily. He wasn't amused. He glowed, transforming into his Mind Form to Teleport everyone out.

…or so he thought. But nothing happened.

'Wait…what?' He blinked in confusion. He saw he was still in his Mind Form, but his move didn't work. It left him shocked. He looked up towards the drones. "Magic Room!"

He waited for the outlining of the attack to manifest, which would null the effects of the drones…but again, nothing.

Greninja's eyes widened. "(What the hell is going on…?)"

"My moves…?" Nic was wide-eyed, shock painting his face.

Giovanni saw their shock, deciding to entice them. "Afraid your little trick won't work. We of Team Rainbow Rocket have the finest technology the world has to offer us. You nor Pokémon contained within that barrier are unable to use moves. It's very effective for any…troublesome Pokémon."

Nic's eyes shrank further. Was he serious? They actually had equipment built to counter him and his powers? At this point, he would've nullified the equipment and tarnished it, but now that his powers were blocked…

"We'll have plenty to discuss later on. But for now…" Giovanni reached into his pockets. This time, he pulled out a smaller spherical structure, though it seemed smoother than a Poké Ball. He casually lobbed it across the ground, bouncing and rolled its way through the barrier.

Everyone's eyes shrank, their spines shriveling with what's to happen. 'Shit!'

AU-Nic reached into his pocket, seemingly reaching for something with haste.

The last thing Nic and Greninja saw was each other before a green smoke swallowed them.

---

Here's a new chapter, hope you all enjoyed the twists on this one!