This chapter starts off with lots of group meetings and talks, but we're gonna jump into our next world!
Chapter 26: Adventure in the World of Pocket Monsters!
Etheria
Bright Moon Castle fell to ruins beneath Vaati's ships. Meta Knight overpowered the heroine She-Ra herself, his Aixalag sword surpassing the speed of her very own light sword. Katniss and Bow met in a long-ranged duel of archery, but the Mockingjay's arrows struck more true. And any further castle guards, along with Princess Glimmer herself, were left grounded by Vaati's hurricane.
The wind mage extended a hand toward Queen Angella. The pink-haired woman gagged as the breath flowed out of her lungs. Her pristine eyes swelled red and her soft light-purple skin grew pale. The best she could do was look to her daughter, who rose her head in helplessness. In her last ounce of breath, Angella uttered, "Take care… of each other…"
The queen fell dead before her thrown. "MOOOOOM!"
Vaati cast his narrow red eye at the injured princess. "If I see you on that throne, you will share her fate. Tell your fellow princesses to vacate theirs, or they will, too. And understand this: I serve neither the KND or any of your armies. Now more than ever… is when the leaders of the universe must perish. In time… I will kill the KND's leaders as well."
Vaati was gone in a gust of wind, Meta Knight and Katniss flying with him.
GKND
"This was the statement Red Eyed Vaati left, according to the princess. And following his ultimatum, the allied Princesses of Power fled their kingdoms in the hopes his pirates would not invade. Earlier last year, Etheria's Boiling Isles had faced a similar situation when the Boogey Pirates claimed it as a territory and killed Emperor Belos. Now Etheria is all but a lawless world. But worry not! King Mickey has generously sent reinforcements to ensure the safety of the civilians!"
"Dad!" Wendy cupped hands over her mouth. "How could you?!"
"He never gives up, does he?" Maria shook her head. "He just better not go after Dogmom! Or Queen Peach… I guess."
"The weird part is I can't tell if he's secretly trying to help or if he really means it." Cheren said.
"I hope it's the latter." Nebula replied, chewing on her favorite semla. "I don't want any of the council members to die. Now we'll never convince Etheria's KND to come back to us."
"Well, it's one less thing to worry about on our schedule, if anything. I'm more worried about the other worlds." Cheren reviewed the Flora icon, and the Bowser flag flying over it. "I can't believe Croacus suddenly croaked it. And his fricking sister sided with Bowser!"
"On top of Zathura's leaders coming down with major sickness…" Nebula turned to the Bowser flag above said world. "With Count Bleck as the only active one. Eventually, any other allied worlds will be targeted."
"At least Mobius is stable. We really need the numbers." Earth was already suffering regular attacks from Bowser's armies, having to send their operatives to fend them off. Cheren was thankful to have GUN and even the Towa Academy students' support. Planet Hyrule was still standing strong under Mandy's rule, which gave that world's KND freedom to support other worlds. Cheren could only hope his aunt would take their side at the end of this war. "On the bright side, the Galactic Army's in shambles after Mechanos and Mobius. And they'll probably spread out to protect their allies from Vaati. Maybe we should focus on one of Bowser's allies next."
"The score is a little uneven, huh? Which should we pick?"
"Let's see…" Cheren surveyed the worlds in question… then, his eyes fell to a certain one. A world that reminded him of simpler times… when he and Panini would compete in the most heated battles. "Ooo! I just got a great idea!"
Magical Meeting Room
"I suppose that wraps up news for today." Big Bird said. "Quite another hefty feast! And just wait'll they hear that two admirals were felled by the KND, on top of General Ironwood, his Ace Operatives, AND President Schnee! I'll start off tomorrow morning with a BIG BANG!"
"You sound awfully excited that our side is sustaining heavy losses-hoho!" Mickey shouted.
"W-Well, I mean, it will incite fear in the KND's power… and more people will turn to you for protection! Though I suppose Chancellor Yorkshire won't be changing her mind… You know, King Mickey, they've actually spoken with my agencies on the planet and are making a ridiculous claim that you ordered Schnee's assassination! Ha ha ha!"
"What a ridiculous notion! Clearly, Ironwood lost control of his rationality and killed Schnee of his own volition!"
"Erm…but, Your Majesty… the testimony states that Schnee was taken into Mobian custody… and I never even mentioned Ironwood having-"
"BAH! Their lies are even getting to ME as well! Just hold off on publishing anything about Schnee! There was too much controversy surrounding him, anyway!"
"Oh, dear Mickey." Gruntilda sighed. "Isn't war tricky? But we can't deny our situation's grown quite sticky."
"Fortunately, Gruntilda, I've still quite a few tricks up my sleeve." Mickey flicked his Keyblade into existence. "Sometimes, you just gotta learn to make your own heroes. In the meantime, we need to fill in the gaps of our Corporate Presidents as well. I have a few candidates in mind. And also… what's the status of that special project you were telling me about?"
"With the new gems I have picked up, all will be unveiled soon. I tell you what! For now, I must go, not to be mean. I must adjourn to the next scene!"
Koopa Kore
The melody of a piano resounded throughout the Koopa King's keep. Bowser himself was performing against a starlit backdrop, his eyes closed to contain his emotions. Photos of Peach were propped atop his giant instrument.
"Peach… you're so cool… And when I win this war, we're gonna rule… Peach… understand… I'm gonna LOVE YA 'til the very end! No Kids Next Door… or mouse king fool… No amount of weaklings can keep me AWAY from YOOOOU! Queen Peach, at the end of the line… I WILL MAKE YOU MINE! Ohhhhhh, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches Peaches Peaches! Peaches, Peaches, Peaches Peaches Peaches, hey… S'gonna be all riiiiight!
"Peaches, Peaches ("Bowser.") Peaches Peaches Peaches! ("Bowser?") Peaches, Peaches, Peaches Peaches Peach- ("BOWSER!")"
"WHAT?" Bowser turned his head with a start. Lord Gnaa floated at his eye level.
"Uh…the gang's here." Giovanni, Shigaraki, and Gruntilda were behind him.
"Should we return later?" the Team Rocket boss asked.
"Rakakakakak." Grunty giggled.
"Ahem! No, it's fine." Bowser pressed a switch as the piano wall flipped and returned the throne. "This is a reminder of what we're really fighting for! After the sacrifices of Kroctus, Majora, and Eggman…sniff… it'll all be worth it once Peach is my bride!"
"And when we're not kneeling to our enemies." Giovanni reminded. "Fortunately, things are going favorably for us. I've hit the surplus of Mega and Gigantamax Pokémon. And I think we're owed some revenge on Mira and Mobius."
"A pity I could not leave with the Chaos Emeralds." Grunty said. "But the Sol are good enough for what I have to assemble. Dearest Wuya and my loyal mages will soon find the palace sealed across the ages!"
"The Spirit KND have also been compromised." Gnaa smiled. "I've asked our Daemonis allies to begin planting Pleroma Seeds around Mickey's kingdoms. That should give them a few more problems. Tomura, what's the situation on Superbia?"
"We've shattered prisons all over the globe. Hundreds of heroes have thrown in the cape. We've yet to get our hands on Midoriya…"
"Well, you better soon!" Bowser cried. "That brat was involved in Kroctus' death! He deserves justice! Gwar har har haaaaah!" A waterfall of steaming tears flowed.
"Hnn…" Shigaraki sighed through his teeth. "By the way, do you know about this Phantom Troupe that made the news? They sound rather fascinating. Though Dr. Clown isn't very fond of them for what they did. I still wonder if they'd like to join us."
"Be careful what you place your bets on." Gnaa advised. "They could be another outlier player in this war like Vaati. For now, it's better to stay focused on our current objectives. That said… I think I'll like to visit the Avatar Realms soon."
"Paying your other half a visit?" Giovanni asked.
"I had a spiritual vision yesterday. The Realms appear to be on a collision course with another planet. I'm not sure what's causing this phenomenon, but it's bound to cause immense panic. I may be able to use that to my advantage."
GKND
With the promise of a warm, refreshing dinner after another day of combat, most of their top operatives had gathered, including Sugar. Most of Sector $ remained on Mobius to help with recovery, so only Carol and Raleigh were present. Diwata Uno, however, felt rather lonely without her team.
"Thank you for coming, everyone." Cheren began with a serious tone. "You all fought hard today, and I know you're pretty tired… but I have an important question that I need to ask now. …How many of you here…" and his expression brightened, "have always dreamed of being a Pokémon Trainer?!" He threw his hand up in an instant.
"… …" His operatives returned the question with dumbfounded stares. "ME ME ME, I HAVE, I HAVE!" except Panini.
"I dabble in it once in a while…" Nagisa replied.
"I love researching them from time to time!" Goombella chirped. "A lot of them look pretty cool!"
"I already am one." Raleigh said. "Where're you going with this, Cheren?"
"I've decided to take us on a journey to Planet Poké." He directed their attention to the planet on the Galactic Map, splayed on the cafeteria's ceiling. It had an "R" flag on it. "Shortly after the war picked up, it was taken over by Team Rocket, and the KND are scattered trying to fight back. Since this planet has no membership in either the Kid or regular Galactic Council, information is a little sparse and they haven't officially called for help. Anyone is welcome to volunteer on this mission… but there are certain operatives I'd really like to accompany us: the Firstborn Guardians."
The operatives in question perked up, glancing at each other. "I know you guys… are still upset about what happened." Anthony, Dillon, Emily, Arianna, and Nebula bowed their heads. "But Planet Poké is one of the most important worlds to the Firstborn. The Pokémon were very close to the gods. And likewise, Pokémon Trainers viewed the gods with high reverence. We're not even sure of their thoughts on the war, or on… our current predicaments. Regardless, we need to save them from Team Rocket and Bowser's rule. And I think us Firstborn Guardians have to take part in that."
"…Alright." Anthony rose on his seat with resolve in his gaze. "Let's go to Poké!"
"So, that's why you called us up." Sugar said, sharing a smile with Meloetta. "I think Poké could use some cheering up, huh?"
"You bet! Especially since I kind of faked my death! Seeing me alive and well should put some smiles on their faces! Er…" Meloetta glanced at the other Guardians with guilt.
"Y'know, what about that incident on Mira?" Dillon asked. "Where Sector Q saw JBBBDD? Maybe we can find some answers on Poké."
"You have a point." Nebula replied. "Yeah. This might be a good idea."
"I know I'M up for going to Poké!" Vweeb announced. "I've seen pictures of it! They got some SUPER cute girls there! Uh, by which I mean, strong-willed and inspiring." He smiled slyly.
Arianna's head throbbed. "NEBULA! I would like to transfer to Earth Sector W! Effective immediately!"
"Approved." Nebula replied with a disbelieved, yet understanding sigh.
"HA HA!" Anthony laughed. "In your face, Vweeb! Your strongest operative's with us now!"
"Hey, if she'd rather hang out with a smelly freak like you, that's her problem."
"Hey, what about the Newborn Guardians?" Romeo changed the subject.
"Well… it might not be a good idea to bring all of you." Cheren figured. "And we need some people to stay behind in case Earth gets attacked."
"Given Team Rocket's expertise in Firstborn-catching," Index inferred, "the Newborn should probably stay back for now. But after this whole thing blows over, maybe then will be a good time to visit."
"We'll just settle with having seen Azoth for now." Nagisa shrugged.
"Well, I think I wanna go to Poké, anyway." Romeo smiled. "It's a pretty competitive world, right? Victini would love it."
"Totally!" Diwata agreed. "Besides, I wanna go, and I need friends to go with!"
"Haha, true that…" Wendy replied, sympathetic for her new teammate.
"Then it's decided." Nebula clapped. "Tomorrow, all volunteers will be heading to Poké! For now, we could all do with some Z's."
"Not with how much semla you ate." Cheren chuckled.
"And who filled up on that golden cherry pie an hour ago?"
"Hey, I'll be golden after a nice glass of milk. …Actually…" Cheren walked away, "there's someone else I wanted to ask, too."
Chariton House
The Supreme Leader felt a little hesitant going up to Sunni's house. She was one of the operatives who left the KND after the Pirate War, and even then she was still forced into a couple crises afterward. Regardless, Cheren did his best to respect her wishes, but even so…
He knocked on the door. After a moment of waiting, Sunni herself answered. The 18-year-old was wearing a short white top and gray shorts, befitting for a lazy evening. Her brown hair was done in a ponytail. She briefly looked confused at who was at the door before her eyes fell down. "Oh. Hey, Cheren." It was hard to believe Cheren was still that short.
"Hey, Sun. I know it's late, but…" He briefed her on the meeting.
"Hmmm…" Sunni could only respond with a thoughtful stare.
"I'm not gonna pressure you into going or anything. I…I guess I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"…I don't know." Sunni stepped outside and sat on her doorstep. "I feel like I don't know what to do, anymore. I didn't think I was meant for the KND, anymore… but then I kept being thrown back in. And I feel like I have to now. I mean, the whole universe is being threatened again, isn't it?"
"You don't need to."
"…I'm sure I don't… but I…I should." Sunni rose her head. "What am I even doing with my life, anyway…"
"There's nothing wrong with wanting to live in peace. That's why I want my operatives to choose honestly."
"Yeah, but…but the happiest I ever felt was four years ago… when I could just let my mind run free. I stopped worrying about pleasing Mom, about that Apocalypse business… and just be free. But then Darcy died… and then Mew… and I just couldn't free my mind from all that."
"I know the feeling. I know I'm not close with everyone, but… it hurts when any one of my operatives… my friends die. And I need to put on this confident and positive face for everyone else. But that's… also why I wanted to take us to Poké. Deep down, it's an important place to many of us… because in some way or another, we hear about the games or the Pokémon and think they look fun." Sunni let out a faint giggle. "So, I wanna hope we'll have a fun time there…"
"…Alright." Sunni rose to full height. "I'll go."
"You sure?"
"I mean, Poké's important to me, too. Darcy trained there. She brought me to visit it during the Voyage. Mom freakin' loved the games. And, I…I think I'm tired of feeling sorry for myself. It's like… I used to be too obsessed with proving myself… now I'm the exact opposite. I just wanna remember… that good feeling again."
"Okay." Cheren embraced her legs in a hug. "Thanks, Sunni."
Sunni smiled and ruffled his hair. "When are you gonna hit that growth spurt?"
"When are you gonna stop growin'?"
"When your brain gets as big as mine, your body just has to adjust."
Poké KND H.Q.; five days ago
Orbiting the skies of the world, Pokékid Stadium was the hub of young trainers everywhere.
"Tepig, use Head Smash!" Hilda ordered her favorite Pokémon.
"Diggersby, counter it with Wild Charge!" Clemont ordered.
Both Pokémon met head-on with an incredible impact. "Keep pushing, Tepig!" Hilda's best friend, Bianca cheered.
"Go, Big Brother!" Bonnie cheered.
Both Pokémon wound up on their bellies, dazed by the effort. However, they struggled to push their selves back up, determined to secure the match. Within a minute, Tepig was fully on his feet… while Diggersby collapsed back on his belly. "Diggersby is unable to battle!" announced Max, a 7-year boy in a green shirt and glasses. "Tepig is the winner!"
"Yaaaaaaay!" Hilda picked her Tepig up and tossed him up and down. Clemont, though saddened by his loss, went to pat Diggersby in congratulations.
The trainers adjourned into a prep room with their fellow operatives. "Awesome job, Hilda!" Bianca praised. She wore a green hat over her short blonde hair, an orange coat over a white dress, and green shorts that matched her purse. Her shoes were orange with black ribbons, and she wore red glasses over her green eyes.
"It's just not fair." Clemont sighed. The Lumiose Gym Leader wore a blue mechanic's jumpsuit, had blonde hair and blue eyes. "Ground-types are supposed to be strong against Fire."
"Weaknesses don't matter to a regional champion." Bonnie inferred. Clemont's 9-year-old sister had the same hair and eyes, wore a brown T-shirt with a white frilly skirt, dark shorts underneath, and pink shoes. She carried a Dedenne in her yellow purse. "Oh, Hilda, will you please marry my brother?"
"BONNIE!"
"Hehehe..." Hilda White chuckled awkwardly. "I'll hold off on that." Hilda had brown hair in a puffy ponytail, under a white hat with a pink Pokéball design. She wore a black vest over a ripped white T-shirt, short blue jeans, and black boots with red laces.
"Our next match is beginning soon! Stow-on-Side Gym Leader, Allister, vs. Hulbury Gym Leader, Nessa!"
Nessa was a thin, dark-skinned girl with long, dark-blue hair, wearing only a short top, shorts, and sandals with small inner-tubes on the heels. Allister, by contrast, was a short, pale-skinned, but dark-clothed boy with white boots and a ghoulish mask. Allister called out his Cursola against Nessa's Milotic. Though the Ghost-type coral was very small compared to the Water-type serpent, Cursola put up an excellent match.
"Look at how Milotic responds to Nessa's movements!" Bonnie cheered. "So majestic! You think she'll marry my brother?"
"Clemont wouldn't have a shot with a model if he tried." Max remarked. "I'm more impressed with Allister. Dude's gotten good."
"I just wish he'd take that mask off. So spooky…"
"C-Cursola… use Astonish…" Allister mumbled quietly.
"CUUUUUURRRRRR…!" Cursola bellowed a terrifying scream.
"WHOA!" Everyone screamed when the stadium suddenly shook.
"Yikes! I never thought Cursola could shout that loud!" Bianca exclaimed.
Alarms began blaring. "RED ALERT! The stadium is under attack! Team Rocket ships are surrounding us on all sides! They're all using Mega and Gigantamax Pokémon!"
"Team Rocket?!" Clemont gasped.
"You don't think this has anything to do with that war, do you?!" Hilda asked.
"I think it does…" Bianca said. "Hilda, we better get outside and help."
"Right! HUH?!" The stadium's dome shattered. (Play "Team Rocket Motto" from Pokémon!)
"Prepare for trouble, the tournament is over."
"Make it double, for we hold the lucky clover."
"An evil as old as two universes."
"Sent here to deliver new curses."
A Meowth balloon with attached rockets descended into the stadium. A certain red-haired woman and blue-haired man rode it. "To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite the peoples of every nation."
"To denounce the evils of mice and kids!"
"To extend our reach across all bids."
"JESSIE!"
"James."
"Team Rocket: blasting off to claim the Throne!"
"Surrender now or we'll burn you to the bone."
"Meeeeeowth! Our light has shone!" Meowth perched on the rim of the balloon basket.
"Woooooobbuffet!"
"Chiiiiiime…"
"How did you already get past the barrier?!" Hilda shouted.
"It was quite simple, actually." Jessie smirked. "The power of our new Elite Agents was simply too much for your shields to withstand."
"Yes, in fact, I believe they're owed a proper introduction." James followed.
Ropes hung from the edges of the shattered dome. Four agents slid down them, setting foot on the arena floor. They all wore dark helmets with the red "R" and covered eyes. One was a muscular man with ripped white pants; there was a dark-dressed woman with a red ponytail; an older lady in a purple dress and cane; and a man with a black cape.
"Elite… Agents?" Bianca felt intimidated by their presence.
"Bianca… don't they look familiar?"
"It can't be…"
"Bonnie, I'm gonna go find my sister!" Max ran off.
"O-Okay. Clemont," Bonnie clung to his arm in fear, "should we get out of here?"
The Elite Agents each withdrew a single Dark Pokéball. They popped open as masses of darkness flew out and formed into Pokémon: a Mega Steelix, Mega Gyarados, Gigantamax Gengar, and a Mega Slowbro loomed over the operatives.
"WHAT?!" Clemont fell back in horror. "How did they fit a Gigantamax inside a Pokéball?! And…And how is it already Gigantamax?!"
"They could already make permanent Mega Pokémon…" Hilda remembered. "Don't tell me they have a similar drug for that, too?!"
"Oh, look." James teased. "The children seem to be a little overwhelmed."
"Nothing wrong with a captivated audience." Jessie said. "Let's start the show."
"ATTENTION ALL TRAINERS!" a male's voice yelled through the intercoms. The operatives recognized it as Brock. "Evacuate the stadium immediately! Save yourselves at all costs!"
"Gengar! Use Shadow Ball!" the elderly agent ordered.
The colossal Ghost-type mustered a ball of darkness in its gaping mouth. Hilda could only stare stricken with horror… The other Mega Pokémon were completely overpowering the trainers and destroying the stadium… Hilda had never seen such overwhelming power- "GET DOWN!"
A boy grabbed Hilda and shoved her into the ground, their friends following the example. The enormous Shadow Ball blew directly over them, destroying a massive chunk of the base. "Ch…Cheren…" Hilda glanced at the boy with trembling eyes.
Cheren had black hair, a white shirt with two red ties, and blue skinny jeans. "You heard what he said! Let's move!" They stood and bolted over the scrap and rubble.
"Bonnie, watch your step—let me carry you!" Clemont extended some mechanical arms from his pack to lift her. "Chespin, help us clear out some of this rubble!"
"You, too, Liepard!" Cheren summoned.
"Go, Escavalier!" Bianca called.
…
Giovanni watched the monitor with pleasure. The stadium plunged into the earth… and though he saw numerous ships escaping, it made little difference. "Heh heh heh!" laughed Butch the green-haired agent. "Destroyin' this Kids Next Door was way too easy!"
"If our new Elites are this powerful, we'll have the others conquered in no time." Cassidy said.
"This is only the beginning." Giovanni said. "We need to subjugate all the governments on this world… and increase our numbers. Not to mention we must also seize the Legendary Pokémon. Once we do…" His eyes glowed blue and a tail seemed to protrude from him, "we'll be the most powerful unit in Bowser's empire."
Present; Poké's atmosphere (May 27)
Cheren once again brought his Reign Supreme pirate ship, white with red royal banners and a figurehead of himself wearing a crown. He shared it with Nebula, Panini, Sunni, and Sugar. Cheren surveyed their small fleet of accompanying ships: Sectors V, W, L, and MG. Emily Garley was teamed up with her fellow Earth Children. Haruka was absent from her team as she was still helping on Mobius, but luckily, they had two other ops to fill her place.
"It feels nice being in Sector V again!" Carol sang, putting arms around Dillon and Mason. "Didn't you boys miss me?"
"We literally work with you every other week." Mason said. "And we just did on Mobius."
"I'm just glad we have two extra geniuses." Haylee said, patting Raleigh's head. "And we finally have an excuse to swing by Raleigh's kingdom!"
"Hehe!" The prince blushed. "I just hope they're okay down there."
"Ah'm sure they're peachy!" Sheila said spritely. "So, Raleigh, what're the coolest places to explore?! If Oi beat up every single Pokémon, do I become King of the Pokémon?!"
"That's completely wrong!"
"I have assigned areas for each of us." Nebula announced. "Sector V will head to Kalos." Raleigh smiled; his kingdom was in that region! "Sector W will cover Sinnoh. Sector L, you'll be in Alola since it's an oceanic region. MG will visit Paldea. And my group will go to Galar. Minimize Team Rocket's occupation, gather intel, and try to meet up with any local operatives."
"Kids Next Door, gotta catch 'em all!" Cheren cheered.
"KIDS NEXT DOOR, GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL!"
The ships flew to their assigned regions. "Say!" Vweeb chirped from atop Nebula's captain's hat. "Shouldn't we try to catch our own Pokémon while we're here? Get properly immersed in the culture?"
"Pokémon Training is an art in and of itself. Too late for us to try and master." Nebula reasoned. And I doubt it's the first thing on your mind, Vweeb.
"Ah, speak for yourself." Panini said. "Ay know exactly who I'm catchin' first!"
"The six of us should also divide in half to cover more ground." Nebula suggested. "Sugar, I know a good place we can start. As for you three…"
Cheren, Panini, and Sunni landed in the outskirts of Hammerlocke. Built within ancient, medieval castle walls, it was defined by a tower with a silver crown-like top. Banners of Team Rocket's logo were hanging from the walls and tower. Sunni narrowed her eyes at the familiar logo. She never did get to settle the score with them.
"Hah, smells like tea and biscuits." Cheren sighed. "I never did embrace my British roots."
"Then we'd better give these Team Rocket twats a roight socking, eh?" Panini joked.
"You two haven't changed a bit." Sunni giggled. (Play "Wild Pokémon Battle" from Sword & Shield!)
Invasion 6: Poké
Mission: Send Team Rocket blasting off for good!
Act 1: Hammerlocke
Three Rocket Agents were guarding the town gate. They released a Galarian Meowth, Rapidash, and a Mr. Rime. Sunni used Creative License to summon three of Foster's Imaginary unicorns and had them charge at the Rapidash. Mr. Rime conjured ice panels to completely block them, and the Rapidash would leap overhead and slash the unicorns with Psycho Cuts. Sunni yanked the Rapidash away with her bending, but the cyan and pink horse turned its attacks on her. Sunni imagined her own hair flowing as majestically, creating a curtain of psychic hair and wrapping the Pokémon in it. She proceeded to extend the horns of her unicorns as they returned for revenge.
Panini burned through Mr. Rime's walls, but the clown Pokémon cast a Freeze-Dry over the firebender to cool her temperature. Panini simply ate some of her favorite Spicy Soup to rejuvenate her chi. "'ey, magician, ever see a gal pull a rabbit out of her sleeve?!" She shot a round of flaming bunnies from her palms to K.O. the Rime and its trainer. As for the Meowth, its trainer Dynamaxed the fluffy feline. Despite being dozens of feet taller, Cheren scoffed and slashed Skyward Strikes, sawing off mounds of fur. His sword and shield countered its gigantic claws, his Haki withstanding their steel strength. With most of its fur sawed off, Cheren struck its body with swordwaves until the Pokémon was down.
The town's gate was a dragon mouth, but it was sealed. All Panini had to do was shoot fire into its eyes, reddening them as the maw opened. The rustic town was paved with stone roads, but was under siege from Dragon Pokémon. A Mega Garchomp was tearing through a restaurant with its bladed arms, terrifying the people taking cover inside. Sunni summoned a Priest Mantis, the Imaginary insect equal to the Garchomp's size. Using the power of prayer, clouds formed above the Garchomp and struck it with lightning. The ops could then climb its fallen body onto the restaurant's roof, and from there climb a rope onto a castle rampart.
Two Rocket Agents sent a Kommo-o and a Dragapult, both Mega Evolved. The Dragapult used Phantom Force to vanish. Neither Cheren's Observation nor Sunni's Aura Sense could trace it, but at the very moment it reappeared to strike, the two quickly raised their shields in defense. The Kommo-o used Clanging Scales to make an ear-splitting noise, weakening the ops' defense as its ally sent them falling off the rampart. The Dragapult pursued them. Cheren, seeing its twin Dreepy sticking out of its triangular horns, got an idea: he shot both hardened Hookshots at the Dreepy and played tug-o-war against the entire beast. When he felt their force was strong enough, Cheren let himself be slingshot into the Pokémon, landing a fierce blow with his blade.
They climbed back onto the wall to engage the Kommo-o. Sunni summoned Ghost Dude to skate around the scaled Dragon-type, performing aerial tricks and striking Kommo-o in the jaw. Cheren and Sunni used their swords to chip off its scales, so that Panini could burn the skin underneath, defeating the Pokémon.
A flock of Altaria were fleeing across town; since they were level with the wall, the operatives used their cloudy bodies as platforms. They jumped their way to a slightly larger cloud—it was a Mega Altaria, and it angrily shook them off onto the street. The Altaria spread a dense mist over its foes before flying down and pecking at them furiously. Cheren and Sunni could sense its position and "peck" the cloud bird back with their swords, doing so enough until Altaria was KO'ed.
They heard an explosion followed by a Pokémon's cry, throwing their attention upward. There was conflict taking place inside the crown at the top. "Well, if I were a level boss, that's where I'd be." Cheren said.
The trio raced into the tower's gate, bypassing a ruined lobby chamber and reaching a gymnasium-like room with a red and blue floor. Just about every major town on this world had a battle gym where trainers could earn badges for the Pokémon League. There was a dark-skinned man with red hair and a dark and yellow hoodie gasping for breath above two unconscious agents and their Mega Pokémon. He returned a Duraludon to his Pokéball. "Huh?" He saw the strangers enter. "Well, you don't got R's on your shirts. You guys trainers?"
"We're, uh…KND operatives. From off-world." Cheren answered.
"Really? Haha, they must've really got desperate. Well, I'm the Gym Leader of this town. Name's Raihan."
"Are there other operatives here?"
"Team Unova got here a short while ago. They're battling on the roof. Team Rocket brought one of their hostages up there."
"We'll go support them!" The trio raced past the gym and traveled up a stairway.
"Be careful! Team Rocket hijacked our weather machines!"
"Ugh. I was wondering whether the weather would be a problem today."
The following floor was extremely gusty. They would have to ride the wind to far-away platforms, or else they would plummet back into the stadium. Cheren's Pirate Sail helped with the task: they rode a straightforward gust to the first platform, then had to be carried left, dodging around spiked barriers. They reached the second platform before riding an upward draft. Spike blockades threatened them, with a rotating gap on each of them. The trio timed the best moment to line up and fly through the gaps, reaching the third platform. Afterwards, they needed to cross a narrow bridge, in which hazardous debris blew from the left and right depending on the wind's direction. The ops used their shields to block them from whichever direction.
The bridge led to the stairway to the third floor. The trio began freezing from the frigid weather… but it suddenly warmed up. And in a few seconds, it was freezing again. They would have to platform a stairway of small fountains that would freeze. "This isn't the gimmick I expected from a medieval town." Cheren commented. Following the fountain footholds, they would have to swim into a water pipe, which would freeze with the declining weather. There were exit hatches and safe footholds along the way up the pipe, in which the group could exit out whenever the water threatened to freeze. (Panini's firebending kept them warm in the meantime.)
After making it up the pipe, the ops had to Wall Jump two waterfalls after they had frozen. However, the falls merely led into the ceiling, but there were other waterfalls lined up after them, situated at different heights as they poured into slides. For each pair of waterfalls, the ops had to Wall Jump their frozen states to get above the waterslides, so by the time the weather warmed up, they could go through one of the falls, and the weather would freeze in time for them to Wall Jump the next pair. This pattern repeated a few times before they finally reached the top of the room. (Play "Mustard Battle" from Sword & Shield!)
They were free to go to the top of the tower and rest their bodies from the chaotic weather. One last flight of stairs led them to the crown. "WHOA!" They were just in time to witness a colossal bear-like Pokémon, with white fur and red streaks, struck a Dynamax Tepig with a fierce strike of its claws. The impact quaked the entire town.
"TEPIG!" Hilda ran to her Pokémon's aid as he shrunk down to normal size.
"Your third Pokémon has fallen." said the Elite Agent, a dark-skinned man with a sleeveless white coat and puffy orange pants. "My Urshifu is the most powerful of ALL!"
"URSHIFUUUUUUUU!" The beast's bellow echoed for miles.
"There's no way to beat that thing!" Bianca exclaimed.
"Dammit!" her dark-haired male teammate shouted. "MARSHAL! JUST SNAP OUT OF IT!"
"Enough!" yelled the agent, Marshal. "Urshifu! CRUSH THEM!"
"UUUUUUURRRRRR!" The titan raised its foot and threw it down. The three trainers braced for a horrible end. Hilda's life flashed before her eyes… an ordinary girl who set off on a Pokémon Journey, no different from her peers around her. She won eight badges and made the League, and with hard work and effort, she actually made the championship. A goal any trainer could only dream of achieving, and she actually made it. And now… this was where her journey ended.
"HAAAAH!" The foot was suddenly stopped by a small boy raising a sword and shield, coated with Haki. Sunni pressed against it with her psychicbending, their combined force toppling the 95-foot Pokémon on its back.
"What…" Team Unova stared dumbstruck at the Earthlings.
"Everyone okay?" Cheren asked.
"You!" The dark-haired trainer gasped in recognition. "It can't be…"
"DAMMIT! GET UP, URSHIFU! SMASH THEM!"
The giant bellowed and rose to its feet. It threw its fist down with a Rock Smash attack, but Sunni intercepted it with a psychic bubble of equal size. The squishy mass slowed and nulled Urshifu's force, during which time Panini sprung up with her bunny dexterity and landed on its arm. She hopped all the way up the arm and burned its eyes with fiery force. She was flung off as it flinched from the impact, but its pain would only worsen as Cheren struck it in the heel.
Urshifu swiftly recovered and threw a Wicked Blow, sending a blast of Dark Chi from its fist. Cheren fired a Light Arrow to pierce the darkness, but though it struck the Pokémon, its heart didn't seem to pacify. Urshifu quickly followed with a Brick Break, a chop attack powerful enough to slice this tower and part of Hammerlocke. Thankfully, the ops didn't sense anyone caught along the impact point, and they themselves dodged the attack as well. Sunni made psychic trampolines to spring Cheren up to its head and deal a Skyward Strike. Urshifu geared up for a Dynamic Punch, so the Hero of Time channeled massive Haki into his sword. The impacts generated a thunderous shockwave, but after 10 seconds, they cancelled out.
But Urshifu was quick to follow-up with an Iron Head, sending Cheren flying away from the tower. He used his sail to stabilize himself in the air and glide back. Sunni used Creative License to summon Chompjaws, a Chain Chomp-like Imaginary with spike ball tentacles. She created large Psy-Hands to grab it by the tentacles and swing its iron head into Urshifu's. The giant began to furiously swipe its claws against Chompjaws, sending the Friend out of Sunni's grasp, while she went on to counter it with her lightsaber. Panini, meanwhile, jumped her way to Cheren with Hop Rockets. She grabbed onto her leader and helped him return faster, diving sword-first toward the giant with rocket force. The Master Sword impaled Urshifu's head.
The Legendary Fighter survived the blow, but the pain still caused it to faint. Sunni used her bending to guide its fall toward its trainer. "AAAAHH! Urshifu, RETURN!" The titan dramatically vanished into his Dark Pokéball. "This ain't over, you punks!" He jumped off the tower. (End song.)
"Huff…huff…" Bianca caught her breath in relief. "That… was incredible!"
"Yeah…" Hilda gasped, holding her injured Tepig. "You saved our lives…"
"Professor Sonia!" The dark-haired boy hurried over to an orange-haired woman tied to a post. Her hair was in a ponytail, she had green eyes, wore cyan and black boots, light-blue pants, and a short trench coat. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Thanks." Sonia rose to full height. She turned to their saviors. "You kids came here in the nick of time. But I… take it you're not from around here?"
"Hehe, is it that obvious?" Cheren blushed.
"You're the Firstborn Guardians!" the dark-haired exclaimed. "From Earth! Cheren Uno and Sunni Chariton!"
"Yeah… that's us, alright."
The trainers picked up sadness in their irises. "…Well, we oughta introduce ourselves before calling out other people!" Bianca clapped. "I'm Bianca!"
"Hilda." The champion smiled. "This here's Tepig." ("Tepig!")
"Professor Sonia."
"Heya, Prof!" Panini chirped. …She couldn't help but wonder if they might've been related. Sonia almost looked like her mum.
"And I'm Cheren." the dark-haired boy said.
". . . . ." Silence overtook the operatives. "…Wait. Get outta here. You serious?"
"AAAAAAYYYYY!" Panini screamed. "I can't believe it! We actually met another CHEREN!"
"Lots of people in the universe share the same name!" Sunni tugged her hair. "But we've never known another Cheren! And just look at them! They're SO similar!"
"Are you kidding, he looks nothing like me!" Cheren Uno shouted.
"Indeed." Other Cheren straightened his ties. "Our physical characteristics are clearly different."
"Nonono, I can totally see it!" Bianca exclaimed. "It's almost, like, you're half-brothers!"
"We've only ever seen images of you." Hilda laughed. "But I… can kinda see it."
"That's why Cheren's always been sort of jealous of you." Bianca swayed on her heels in a teasing manner. "Another kid with his name became Azelf's Guardian!"
"That is completely inaccurate!" Otheren argued. "I merely find it insulting that kids with no Pokémon Training experience were allowed to command beings as revered as the Firstborn."
"Can you dolts argue about this later?" Sonia asked. "The city's still in danger!"
"Not for long." Cheren assured.
The operatives KO'ed any agents still active in Hammerlocke in no time flat! The local Nurse Joy began to treat Team Unova's Pokémon. "So, is it true all Nurse Joys are from a cloning facility?" Cheren asked.
"Of course." Cheren Two replied matter-of-factly. "This Nurse Joy is Serial Number 761."
"So… are there more of your operatives here?" Hilda asked.
"Yeah. They're covering other parts of the planet." Sunni answered. "We still need an overview of the situation. Can you tell us?"
Hilda was silent for a moment. It hurt to recount the memory. "…They destroyed our headquarters five days ago. It was so sudden and overwhelming that…that we…" Her legs quivered.
"Before we knew it, Team Rocket was invading every region's capital." Bianca continued. "Every team spread out to fight them, but… it only felt like our numbers were shrinking. And Team Rocket's were growing."
"Even before all this," New Cheren followed, "Team Rocket developed drugs that kept their Pokémon in permanent Mega Evolution."
"Yeah, we know about that." Cheren recalled having to deal with plenty of them back in New Galaxia.
"But now they have a means of using permanent Dynamax. And that's not the worst of it. They…They've brainwashed the Elite Trainers from all regions."
"What?!"
"That man in the helmet just now." Hilda began. "That was Marshal… from our country. We think those are mind-control helmets. And we can barely get close enough to attack them."
"So, Team Rocket's pullin' the same trick Eggman and K. Rool did?" Panini asked. "Don't these clods have any original ideas?!"
"They're even capturing Legendary Pokémon." Otheren resumed. "Like the one we just fought."
"Yeah… that's a heck of a bad combination." Cheren summarized simply.
"By the way… is it true?" Sonia asked. "The Firstborn. Are they… really gone?"
"…A few have survived." The trainers lit with hope. "They're even here on this planet. But… neither of ours."
"Even… Mew?" Bianca spoke. Sunni bowed in remorse.
"That's why we're here now." Cheren affirmed.
"Then we'll support you however we can." Sonia said. "In fact… how about I give you your first Pokémon?" She took out a Pokéball. "I caught this little guy the other day. You might like him." She popped it open.
A chipper bipedal white rabbit with red-tipped ears and toes appeared. "Scorbunny!" It kicked its left foot spritely.
"EEEEEEK!" Panini squeezed the bunny in a hug and nuzzled its cheek. "THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED! My own Scorbunny! Oh, you're as cute as I hoped you'd be!"
"Scorbunnyyyyyy!" The rodent blushed.
"Our goal has been accomplished." Cheren sighed.
"By the way, Cheren." Sonia said. "Um, the Earth Cheren."
"We'll just call the other one Cheren Black." Sunni said.
"Because of my hair?!"
"Just listen! Since Team Rocket is targeting Legendaries, I want you all to check on Zacian and Zamazenta."
"Who are they?"
"They're the Guardian Spirits who protect Galar. They're the Crowned Sword and the Crowned Shield… and they were devout servants of Goddess Azelf."
The operatives gasped. "…Yeah. Maybe I'd like to meet 'em." Cheren said.
Mobius
"W…What're those things?!" Weiss asked in terror.
Green Hill's skies had grown dark again as titans loomed in the distance. A Gigantamax Cinderace (fully evolved Scorbunny), Rillaboom, Inteleon, Mega Greninja, Incineroar, and dozens more.
"Can't we get a freakin' break?!" Sonia Hedgehog shouted.
"Good thing I didn't check out." Maddy did some warmup stretches. "Let's get to work."
"No matter how many they send," Tangle declared, "we'll NEVER let them have our planet!"
"COME AND GET SOME, you overgrown turtles!" Rak roared.
Mira
On Temperantia, Electra was in an electrifying battle with a Mega Raichu and Magnezone. On Tantal, Zeke was dazed by a Dynamax Hypno, but Pandoria zapped him back to his senses. On Mor Ardain, Mòrag and Brighid battled a Mega Charizard and Dragonite.
At Alcamoth, Shulk, Rex, Jak, and their Aegises prepared for the approach of Yveltal the Destruction Pokémon and Zygarde the Order Pokémon. "Uh, Jak, I've been thinkin'." Daxter began fearfully. "Do we really need Alcamoth anymore? It's gettin' way too expensive to keep maintaining. And the teleporter pads are startin' to cause body-splicing problems. Maybe it's time to evacuate and let it demolish."
"The only one doing the demolishing is us, Daxter."
Shulk gasped, seeing a vision: Yveltal was going to unleash a beam of red chi and sap the energy from them. "QUICK! DODGE!" He cast Monado Speed over his allies, after which they spread apart swiftly to avoid the Oblivion Wing. However, Zygarde cast its own beams of green energy at the Aegises, imprinting "Z" shapes where they stood. This was its Core Enforcer attack.
"What?! It dispelled the effect!" Shulk exclaimed. Yveltal followed by unleashing a Dark Pulse, injuring the Drivers with pure ill intent.
"That red one has similar chi to Malos." Pyra said. "And that green one is able to negate our abilities! It also feels strongly in tune with the land."
"Looks like we have some tough ones." Rex said. "Doesn't matter! We'll show them a thing or three!"
The thing is, if I had started the Gameverse sometime after we got these new Legendaries, there would've been a few more gods up on Spear Pillar. But at least they still get to exist as powerful guardian spirits! At long last, we're exploring Pokémon World, which involves lots of researching on my part and deciding, "Which Pokémon will make good stage hazards here and how can the Nextgenners counter them in unique ways?" Not to mention lots of neat characters I want my kids to meet, so here's hoping it'll be a fun time!