Author's note: Before this starts, I should say that this chapter is…dark. Eh, then again, you've read this far, so you should expect that by now. But uh... be prepared, yeah?

Chapter 65: The other timeline

Professor Sada and Turo stood together, both closed their eyes and crossed their arms as they stood in the basement laboratory belonging to Uva Academy all by themselves.

The automatic doors to the basement laboratory opened, and through them came Geeta. Her heart weighed heavily on her chest as she stepped toward the two professors. A bead of sweat fell past her brow.

"Welcome," Both Sada and Turo said.

"It's hard to say, 'Nice to see you, Turo'... but- I know that isn't really you." Geeta said.

"You're here for one reason, and one reason alone." Turo said. "And that is-"

"Why did your plans change midway?" Geeta asked quickly.

Turo and Sada didn't move or react in the slightest.

"First," Geeta continued, "you tell Rika and I that we're going to meet at your laboratory. Then, suddenly, you say that Rika has to go, and that I'm the only one who has to come here. You threw around the word 'must' a lot. 'Must,' like we're following a script. If I'm getting onto something in regard to a 'script', this script seems pretty loose."

"You're sharp," Turo said. "You are correct. The way that we are planning this does seem like we are…how do you say it…? 'Winging'... it?"

"However," Sada continued, "You must understand. Butterfly effects are…a fickle thing, Imagine playing chess, and every move you make causes the entire board to change. Every position of each piece becomes randomized. It becomes very difficult to play."

"However," Turo said, "With every movement, there is a pattern. Imagine that I move one piece upwards, and the entire board changes. If I pull that piece back to the place before I moved it, everything is reverted to how it was before. That in itself proves that there is a pattern."

"So, if we follow a script to a letter, taking note of how the entire board changes with each methodical movement… we are sure to reach 'checkmate'."

Geeta raised one eyebrow.

"In layman's terms," Sada said, "You are correct about us having a 'script.'"

"That makes your indecision even more suspicious," Geeta said. "If we're following a script, why go back and forth?"

"We had to, Turo said. "We made sure to 'slip up, and go back and forth' so we can introduce you to what our plan truly is. A script. One that must be followed to the letter. One that ends with the final battle between Kai and #0183020201. Aeon."

"What it sounds like is that you're trying to backtrack after making a mistake."

"Yes," Turo said. "We 'made a mistake'. Causing you to become more suspicious. Causing you to ask us about a 'script.' And causing us to come into this conversation that we're having right now."

"Couldn't you just mention a 'script' to us like normal people?"

"Please recall what we have told you earlier about the chessboard metaphor," Turo said. "Every move we make is intentional."

"There's also a chance that you're winging it. Pretending to know what you're doing, so that I trust you. Rika brought up a point earlier, saying that you both could trick me."

"Everything that we are doing is happening for our goal," Sada said. "You must feel as though we are untrustworthy because of our lies," Sada said. "But that too, is necessary to our goal."

"If what you're saying is true...That would make me a puppet. Someone that bends to your will."

"We are all puppets bending to the will of our plan," Turo said. "It may not seem like it, but we are in the same boat. What must happen next, is that you lend your aid."

Geeta narrowed her eyes in suspicion, crossed her arms and took in a deep breath.

"I'll make that decision later. Before that, there's one thing I want to say," Geeta said. "You said that you wanted to give the children the 'good ending' that they deserved. And clearly, it's the one where the kids had already won over you: the timeline where...the boy Aeon never existed..." Geeta clenched her fists and lowered her head. A shadow covered her eyes, looming over them and obscuring them from view. "By that logic... isn't it Best to just- let Aeon never exist to begin with?"

"That isn't an option. Instead of telling you why…" Turo and Sada said, "why don't we show you? The reason why we chose not to pick such a simple option."

Just then, the TV monitor behind them turned on. TV static appeared on the monitor for a few moments…before a video began to play.

Video 2 of 3: The Scarlet Timeline 'Correction'

"We'll be fine!" Kai cried.

Aeon sighed. Of course, Kai wouldn't listen to his warnings. He expected that, but the fact that Arven, Penny and Nemona all are ignoring him as well… was giving him a new level of frustration. The only one standing in front of Aeon was Kai, and the rest of the group were sitting on Koraidon's back.

"Fine. Just know…that you might find something…bad. Really, really bad. Something you might wish you'd never seen."

"If it's true that I have a second version of my parent…" Arven said, "Then I need to know more."

"I wanna go cause' there may be strong Pokémon there!" Nemona cried.

"I'm just here to repay a favor, really," Penny said, glossing over her phone and sighing a bit before putting it in her pocket. "So, if they go, I go too."

Aeon sighed all over again. "If I can't stop you… Kai- listen."

"Yeah?"

Aeon clenched his fists. Throughout their entire adventure, Aeon had been hiding away his feelings for Kai, out of fear of what could happen with his masters. But since he was going into this crater… there was a chance… that he'd never see him again.

Slowly, Aeon removed his winter coat, much to Kai's surprise. Then, he gave it to him.

"I want you to take this," Aeon said.

"But-... it's yours." Kai said.

"Yeah, but…" Aeon looked away. "I want you to-...if-...if you want me to have it back…" The android boy was fighting back tears, and it could be heard in his voice. "You have to come back safe, and give it back to me..!"

Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise. Then, he smiled. "Okay," He said. "I promise that I'll come back safe and give this jacket back to you."

Kai reached for Aeon's jacket and took it. Neither of their hands moved from the jacket as they stared into each other's eyes. Aeon smiled sadly, with his tears glistening his eyes under the sun's rays. A gust of wind blew past them, causing their hair to sway along with it.

Kai pulled Aeon's jacket away, and then turned to the others.

"Okay, guys!" Kai said. "Ready to go!?"

Aeon lowered his gaze once again. Was he going to just let Kai go like that- this could be the last time he ever would see him, and even now, he didn't have the guts to say how he felt?

He gritted his teeth.

"Wait!" Aeon cried. Kai turned his head, raised his eyebrows, and before he could say, 'What'? Aeon rushed over him, and his lips locked with Kai's.

It was their very first kiss.

Kai was taken aback. His entire face became red. Aeon could feel Kai's body jolt with surprise. Aeon pulled away, blushing a bit himself. He couldn't even look him in the eye because of how embarrassed he was.

"That-.. That was for…extra… good luck."

Kai grinned widely. "Heh- Now I'm feeling even more energized. I'll come back safe for sure! You'll see! Then we can talk more about what you just did!" Kai winked before racing over to Koraidon. Aeon watched his jacket flying in the wind like a flag in Kai's grasp as he wrapped the winter coat around his waist and tied the sleeves together. "Let's go, Koraidon!" Kai cried.

Koraidon bellowed a roar before leaping into the crater.

"Wait-" Penny cried. "You said Koraidon could glide- why isn't he GLIIDIIIIIIIIIIiiiinng…."

"WEEEEEeeeeeee…." Nemona cried.

"OH MY GOOOOoooooooooood…." Arven shouted.

Aeon smiled. But then, suddenly, his entire body began to course with static electricity. He cried out in agony, and his eyes widened in terror before he fell onto his back.

In an instant, everything went dark. It felt like his eyes were closed, but he couldn't open them. He could still feel vibrations on his body, particularly on his knuckles, like he was punching somebody.

What was going on?

Slowly, Aeon tried harder and harder to open his eyes. It was like being in sleep paralysis. Panic set in, as though he felt someone, or something was coming to get him. Soon, he heard the muffled sound of voices.

".Ae…..n…"

"Sto….p…"

"Plea…..as…"

The voices would come and go, echoing in his mind like an alarm. Aeon would start to panic, trying hard to fight his paralysis. Soon, he could feel his body respond to his commands to move, but weakly. It took every ounce of his strength to make his hand move an inch. It took every ounce of his willpower to attempt to raise his eyelids, but to no avail.

He felt like he was drowning, like something was trying to pull him back into the void that was unconsciousness. That was when he went into full blown panic mode. His instinct, his will to live was driving him to keep pushing, and every twitch of his body was a ray of hope, a sign that soon, his struggle would be over, and that soon, he would be able to drag himself out of whatever he was going through.

And then-

Aeon's eyes shot open. He gasped for air as though he had surfaced from the ocean. His eyes, which were too blurry to see through, began to unblur. Slowly.

And reveal the horrible, horrible truth.

In front of him was Kai, beaten and bruised, and clearly still breathing. His invoker armor was off.

And he realized something even more horrible. Aeon's arm, which had turned into an arm cannon…had activated and was aimed directly at the boy he had feelings for.

Immediately, Aeon attempted to move his arm away, but it wouldn't budge.

Aeon tried to scream. His mouth wouldn't move.

Aeon began trying as hard as he could to move any part of his body, but none of them would listen to him. The only part of his body he could move were his eyes, so he used them, darting his eyes about.

On one side of the wall, Aeon could see Arven and Penny's unconscious bodies lying on the ground. On the other, Nemona, and every single Pokémon they had captured thus far.

All of them were defeated. Aeon looked toward Kai, and quickly began tearing up as he fought with every bit of his might to at least move his lips so he could scream at Kai to get out of the way.

His lips began to purse and tremble, a sign that he was getting close to being able to move. But it felt as though glue had trapped his mouth shut. Eventually, Aeon moved his mouth as though he tore it open.

"Kai-" Aeon shouted. "Kai- can you hear me!? Kai-! You have to get out of the way! Kai! Please!"

Kai didn't respond.

"Kai- KAI! Please- Kai-" The ringing sound of energy charging at the barrel of Aeon's arm cannon shot waves of terror across his entire body. "Kai! Kai- you have to move! Get out of the way! Please- I can't move my hand! I can't-"

This was a nightmare. This had to be a nightmare.

"Please- Please!" Aeon shouted. Kai wasn't going to get up. Someone had to be around- someone, anyone had to be around.

Aeon's eyes searched frantically, and the first person he laid his eyes on… Was Geeta.

The Relief Aeon felt gave a much-needed massage across his entire body. "Geeta- Geeta, listen- you- you have to help me! You have a Pokémon with a sword- use it to cut my arm off or something!"

Geeta frowned and closed her eyes.

"Wh- Why aren't you listening to me?!" Aeon cried. "Why!? WHY!? KAI'S GOING TO DIE! HE'S GOING TO DIE IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING!"

Geeta didn't move. She only clenched her fists and closed her eyes shut.

"You can't be serious- you can't be serious! Why won't you MOVE!? JUST MOVE- HELP KAI, PLEASE!"

Aeon could feel it- his arm cannon was finished charging. His power sensors told him that the power within his arm cannon was enough to obliterate a Titan Pokémon.

"Finish it." Sada and Turo both spoke at the same time.

"NO-" Aeon shouted. "NO-! PLEASE! PLEAAAAASE! PLEAAAAAAAAAAA-"

The laser fired.

It swallowed Kai whole and blew a hole through the entire laboratory. The sound of rubble crashing onto the ground, along with the sound of glass breaking rang and echoed across the entire room.

That was when Aeon regained feeling in his body. He fell to his knees once reality had mercilessly shoved itself through his gut. What was left behind…from where Kai previously was… was only dust.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Aeon screamed at the very top of his lungs as the pain of reality's knife had truly set in. His hands slammed onto the ground, as his tears puddled in front of his eyes.

That was when he heard the sound of someone else sobbing. Aeon raised his head and looked.

It was Geeta who was crying. The fury that rose within the boy caused him to stand up.

"How DARE you!?" Aeon shouted. "YOU LET THIS HAPPEN! Why are you crying?! You let Kai die- You let me KILL him! Why didn't you just cut off my arm!? I-...I never got the chance to-.. I never got the chance to tell him that I loved him..!"

Geeta gritted her teeth, holding back her sobs.

"I'll kill you…!" Aeon roared, his face flashing with rage. He aimed his arm cannon and began to charge it. "You don't deserve that nickname Nemona gave you- La Angel Rojo- You know what you are!? You're a MONSTER! I'll send you to the place no angel should go… STRAIGHT TO-"

A static shock caused Aeon to fall onto the ground. Behind Aeon, was Sada, holding a remote control with a single red button on it, aimed at the now shut down android.

The word 'shock' couldn't have begun to describe what the Geeta from the Violet timeline felt when she watched what her alternate self had done. No words could describe the terror she felt. The disappointment she felt. What had happened, what she had just watched…it was too much. Geeta fell onto her rear.

"Aeon never deserved this." Turo said, not once looking at the monitor. He closed his eyes and winced, as though he were in pain.

"Aeon deserved to have a life, one that he should live with no regrets," Sada said, said. looking down with sorrow in her eyes.

"Above everything else, Aeon deserves to live." Both Turo and Sada spoke at the same time.

"What he also deserves..." Turo said. "Is..."

"-AN APOLOGY!" Aeon shouted. "I deserve an APOLOGY!"

"For WHAT?!" Kai roared.

Nemona and Arven watched the two boys continue to have a fight.

"Now I really wish I had popcorn," Arven said.

"Uh… I think you should probably step in…" Nemona said.

"Five more minutes," Arven said.

"Why would I APOLOGIZE for getting a hug from my friend?!" Kai roared.

"I'm not talking about that! I want an apology from Arceus, because he made me fall in love with YOU of all people!"

"Oh, so it's BAD that you're in love with me?! Why don't you just STOP IT then!?"

"Oh, like it's THAT easy!"

"Reaaaallly think you should step in," Nemona said.

"Sh, sh, we're almost at the good part," Arven said.

"What do you think was going to happen!?" Kai cried. "That I was going to just suddenly make out with her?! Oh, Nemona, my secret love, let's make out while my not-boyfriend Aeon is watching! MWA MWA MWA MWA MWA- Don't you wish I were kissing you instead, Aeon!? MWA-MWA-MWA-"

"I don't want to hear that from the person who's angry that I showed Nemona that I'm a robot! You expect me to say, Look at me, Nemona, I'm a robot, I'm going to carry you into the sunset, and we'll have sweet battles together!"

"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

Arven chuckled. "I love it," He said.

"Arven," Nemona said, "maaaybe…it's time to step in and-"

"See," Arven said, puffing his chest and putting his hands on his hips, "you don't know these two as much as I do,"

"You might be right about Aeon, but Kai's been my best friend for years now, and-"

"No, I'm talking Kai and Aeon's relationship. Trust me when I say, 'Give it a minute."

"Why are you like this!?" Kai cried.

"Why are YOU like this!?" Aeon shouted.

"Okay, give it several minutes." Arven said.

"Ooohh boy..." Nemona said, putting a hand on her face.

"Jeez..!" Kai cried. "You're such a jerk! I swear!"

"Well, I'm just returning fire after you decided to say something so childish! I'm-"

That was when Aeon realized that Kai was tearing up.

All of the android's anger immediately exited his body and was replaced with worry. Immediately, Aeon rushed closer to the boy.

"What's- what's wrong?" Aeon asked.

"You don't have to say it like that!" Kai sniffled a bit. "I don't think it's very funny…"

"I'm not actually going to run off with Nemona! You know that!... augh…" Aeon groaned and stepped back, a wave of guilt washed over him. He sighed and opened his arms. "C'mere…" Aeon said, motioning with his hands for Kai to come over.

Kai went over to Aeon and let the android hug him.

"Why would you think that I'd do that?" Aeon said.

"I don't know…" Kai said. "I thought Nemona'd get all excited, and then she'd want to do things with you, and then you'd both leave me in the dust…"

"You know what's funny..? I kinda thought that Nemona'd take you away."

"I wouldn't take either of you away!" Nemona shouted. "I-"

Arven elbowed her side again.

"Ow!" Nemona shouted.

"You want to know something?" Aeon said. "Ever since that time when you got angry at me...I got really afraid of losing you."

Kai raised his arms and wrapped them around his boyfriend. "I'm afraid of losing you, too."

"Looks like we're both idiots..." Aeon said. "Can we decide to trust each other a little more?"

"I promise to try." Kai said, sniffling. "I'm sorry for saying mean things."

"I'm sorry, too. C'mon. Give me a kiss, and let's make up." Aeon said. The two boys kissed each other on the lips before hugging once again.

"Huh," Nemona said. "You were right."

"Told ya," Arven said, crossing his arms and grinning.

"Oh- right!" Aeon pulled away from Kai. "Your Pawmo- you have to bring him to a Pokecenter. He's seriously hurt, remember?"

Kai paused, staring blankly at Aeon for a second before blinking, then gasping. "OH!" He cried.

"Wait- what?!" Nemona shouted. "Your Pawmo's hurt?! We need to hurr-"

"Relax," Arven said. "When you put your Pokémon in their Pokeball, they go into stasis. Any injury or sickness or anything they might have goes into stasis along with it. In other words, Pawmo's fine so long as we don't let him out of the Pokeball. Let's just relax and find a pokecenter before we rush and get ourselves hurt."

"Oh right!" Nemona shouted. "Good point!"

Arven turned away and closed his eyes. There was no way he couldn't have known that. Without that knowledge, Arven would have been worried sick about his Mabostiff.

"Let's find a Pokecenter." Aeon said.

"Yeah," Kai said. Both boys shared a nod.

It was time to move.

Author's note:

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. that was 'DAAAAAAAAAARK.' I was wincing while I was writing that whole bad ending up. But all of it's necessary... for the plan...

Heh. Meta joke.

That being said, you should read this part of the note if this story isn't complete. If it is, go on and continue with whatever it is you plan to do!

If not, please note that my Finals are coming in soon, and so I may be late with the next chapter. I usually find time in my week, but this time I'm not so sure. We'll see. Anyway- have a good one!