It didn't take long for Cole and Addison to find the others. Despite her insistence that she didn't need medical attention, Captain Geeta was brought to the Infirmary and tended to by the others. With an already overflowing infirmary, the amount of people inside made the air congested with everything from the pain and illness in the air to the utter dread of realizing what Julia was up against. Rika, still unable to move much after her injuries, remained on bedrest. Professor Sandra tended to some of the sleeping injured men who served the Queen while Hassel was silently moving about the room. Cole and Addison sat in the few empty chairs, knowing all too well that Julia might not be strong enough to combat this highly capable enemy of theirs.
Aside from her frustration and shame at being overpowered, all the Captain seemed to worry about was removing any leftover duct tape that had once covered most of her body and made her Natalya's captive. But once Addison saw fit to tell her the Queen had gone off to fight this intruder on her own, she seemed utterly mortified.
"SHE WENT OFF ALONE?!" she shrieked in despair.
"You know our Queen better than most" Sandra insisted. "She would rather fight by herself if it means no one else has to be hurt."
"But this is a whole other level of danger" Addison worried. "Natalya is crazy."
"I wish we could go and help her" Hassel admitted, himself pacing by Rika's bed as she rested. "But our duty is to do as our Queen commands."
Cole kept his head low. "I'm sure Julia has her reasons...but don't you think the people of Arcana would benefit from her being alive instead of dying for them?"
"Piper is not ready to be Queen" Geeta said as she anxiously plucked more tape from her outfit. "She's too young. Too inexperienced."
"Why do you think Julia isn't capable?" Sandra asked. "We have to believe in our Queen. She's our best chance."
"Because the children are right" the Captain grumbled, peeling more tape off of her legs. "This isn't just some Paradox Pokémon she's up against. It's the other Koraidon. The one our fathers almost died trying to seal that creature up. And if that mad woman has control of it, there might not be a force capable of stopping her." Once the last bit of tape had been stripped clean of her, she rose to her feet. "I'm not just going to stand here helplessly. We have to go after her!"
Addison nodded. "Agreed."
"Let's not jump to conclusions" Sandra countered. "Julia is the most powerful Pokémon Trainer in Paldea. She'll be insulted if we intervene."
"I'd rather her be insulted than-" Cole interjected.
"Out of the question" Hassel declared. "Our orders are to remain here. And we will not disobey those orders!" He turned and walked his way towards the exit of the Infirmary. "I'll place this Palace on lockdown before I fail to follow my Queen's orders!" He would have made it to the door and kept them inside had Addison not rose and stood in defiance of his command.
"If we don't do something soon, sir, she'll die!" she pleaded.
Hassel froze in place, his fists shaking in utter dread, likely unwilling to accept that Addison was indeed correct. The elder master of Dragons had seemingly served the Royal Family of Paldea all of his life. He'd also more than likely seen good leaders come and go. But this wasn't just some ordinary leader. Julia was the granddaughter of the region's last King, the daughter of the son the region had placed so much hope in before his death. If something happened to the Queen he'd likely seen grow up...
Captain Geeta stared down Hassel. "We don't have a choice, Hassel."
Hassel would not dare look them in the eyes, only nodding with his back to them. "Forgive me, Prince Edward. Very well. If we are to get to their battleground, we'd better hurry."
Sandra also seemed reluctant to doubt Julia, but knew they had no other choice. "Let me gather my Pokémon." She hurried from the room, brushing past Hassel before exiting. Hassel took a moment before following her out.
Geeta turned to both Cole and Addison. "I understand you two are trying to get back home. Well, we can't get you back home with this mad woman running about. I hate to put children in danger, but-"
"Count us in!" Addison declared for both of them, though Cole didn't seem to object. "We want to help!"
She nodded. "Very well. I'll have some of the guards provide Cyclizars for you to ride with us." She followed the others out and left Cole and Addison behind.
"If we stop her here" Cole cautioned her as he finally spoke up, "she's only going to come at us harder back home."
Addison smiled back at him. "And when we get back home, we'll be ready for her. We'll have all our friends and everyone set to stop her. She won't have anywhere to run. Not even Fateen will be safe. Trust me, Cole. If we can help stop Natalya here, she'll see how strong we are." She patted his shoulder playfully. "We've got this, Cole."
He nodded. "I hope you're right, Addy."
"I tend to be, every now and then" she winked. "Now let's go meet up with the others." She rushed out the door after Geeta and the others, with Cole tailing a bit further back behind.
{}
The skies began to darken over the mountain pass leading up towards what had once been the Pokémon League. Shadows were growing greater, the few wild Pokémon running around were scurrying away from the scene, as if sensing the colossal battle that was about to take place. The setting sun in the distance was turning the skies into an intense explosion of reds, oranges, pinks and violets, the reds dominating over all as if they too knew the carnage that Natalya was intent on allowing to unfold.
Everything was going exactly as she'd planned. She'd found the Scarlet Dimension's mighty Dragon Pokémon and claimed it for her own. She'd lured Cole and Addison to a dimension they were most certainly not safe in and once the Queen was dealt with, they'd be next and there would be no special tricks to save them this time. And once those two were gone, she'd take Cole's Tera Crystal piece for herself and use it alongside Paige's to spread all of the chaos her heart desired with no one left to challenge her. She'd seen to that and would continue to do so. The last piece of her puzzle had just spawned behind her: an Obsidian Tera Crystal, likely the one that matched the first she'd used to travel to this realm in the first place. She'd return to the Violet Dimension without Addison or Cole tailing her and a new powerful Pokémon to help enact her plans. With the death of Queen Julia would come the ultimate completion of one of her most personal goals.
She had no ill will towards this specific Julia Pines. After all, she was a young monarch intent on protecting her people and her region from the very monsters Natalya herself was fighting to gain control of. She respected her in all things that mattered. But Natalya had an ax to grind against the Violet Dimension's equivalent. The Julia Pines from her own realm was a different sort of being. Someone, who alongside her treacherous oaf of a husband, had unintentionally set off the chain of events that ruined an innocent girl's life. She would not allow fate to salvage the King and Queen of Arcana yet again, when they'd already cheated it multiple times. But since they were both well out of her grasp at this moment, she had to settle on the Queen of Paldea in the Scarlet Dimension instead.
She simply waited for her enemy to arrive, arms folded and foot tapping on the cold ground with Koraidon howling menacingly nearby. She glanced backwards at the prehistoric Dragon Pokémon and smirked. "How could Julia lock such a perfect specimen away? How could they not realize you were meant for so much more, Koraidon? You were meant to reign over all the lands, spreading fear and doubt wherever you pleased. They shackled you. They imprisoned you. But I've set you free. And all I ask of you in return is to destroy the people who thought it best to seal you off from your desires."
Koraidon growled, seemingly in approval, before turning it's head and lowering into an attack position as Julia and her own Koraidon finally rode up to confront them. Natalya's arms fell to her side as she gave the Queen her fullest attention. Julia didn't seem eager to banter with her and tapped at her side, with Koraidon following like a loyal beast, a notion which she was revolted by. "You do know that you're wasting the potential of that wonderful creature by treating it like a pet?!"
"Love and devotion can go a long way" Julia retorted, "though I doubt you've any sense of either."
"I have your alternate dimension self to thank for that" she sneered.
Julia stood in defiance of her, her Koraidon reluctant but determined to fight and protect her. "You can't see that all of this chaos you've unleashed is senseless?!"
Natalya laughed at this. "Me? I didn't do any of this. Sure, I may be able to influence the minds of the Paradox Pokémon here with my Tera Crystal, but I'm not responsible for unleashing them here. Blame Sada if you're going to blame anyone. She and Turo were the obsessive ones who wanted to open doors better left shut. Do you know what it's cost them both?!"
The Queen frowned at this. "A lot. More than even you may know. And I'm sure the two regret what they've done."
"Oh how wrong you are, Julia. They're still just as obsessed with time travel as ever. This time, for something other than curiosity. But the two have cold feet when it comes to actually turning on the Machine. It takes someone with courage to control a Time Machine, courage those two don't have. And it's because of that lack of courage that they'll never get what they want." She looked to the Koraidon by her side, who seemed eager to strike now, but she held him back. "No, I don't think I need you yet, Koraidon."
"That Pokémon is beyond your ability to control!"
"If you can control that impotent beast by your side, I have more than enough inner strength to control this one. But I need him for something back in my own Dimension. Don't you worry though, Queenie. I do have some other friends for you to play with. Friends I'm sure you've met before." She reached for the Crystal in her jacket and let it shine with an ominous glow. Three more prehistoric creatures lunged from the mountain pass and surrounded Julia on all sides. One, a blue and white scaled creature with a vibrant mane that reminded one of the aurora borealis, landed on the ground in front of Natalya, hissing at Julia with malicious intent. A second, a long-necked yellow creature with black striples and a mane that resembled a storm cloud, landed to Julia's side, cutting her off from a daring escape down the side of the mountain. The third, a vicious creature with a thick mane, a star-shaped head piece and a roar that seemed to heat the very earth around them, landed to cut off Julia's retreat down the mountain.
Julia and Koraidon were quickly encircled as the beasts trapped her with nowhere to run. Koraidon growled and glowed with his own unique power, but the other Pokémon either didn't notice or care that their prey was powering up. They simply snarled and hissed at the two, their eyes glowing the same color as Natalya's crystal.
Wearing a look of absolute menace, Natalya waved the crystal to ensure she had the attention of all four Paradox Pokémon in front of her. "Alright kiddies. Let's get ready to rumble!" She then sent all three forward at once, with intent to kill.
{}
The raging storm clouds above Mesagoza all but confirmed to those rushing to the Queen's defense that the battle was already in progress. Blasts of fire, winds that whipped at them with the chilling power of a blizzard and the thunder echoing all around them also seemed to signal that this was not a battle that the Queen was winning at the moment.
Hassel, on the back of his Salamence, flew up to do some reconnaissance to see what they were up against, while Cole, Addison, Geeta and Professor Sandra were atop Cyclizars waiting for any news on the battle. Cole could see Geeta was doing all in her power to not rush up to her cousin's rescue immediately, but her strength was waning fast. Addison and Sandra seemed simply eager for any bit of news that might indicate that Julia was winning or at the very least still alive. But as more time passed, the two were seemingly growing more pale.
Cole remained in both camps, wanting to help out someone who had saved him any way he could, but also petrified that he was out of his league against Natalya. She'd seemingly beaten him in all camps. Turo and Sada were critically injured when he last saw them thanks to her. She had Paige as a captive and Professor Sexton had gone missing trying to stop her. Now all he and Addison could do was pray and hope that Julia did not lose in her fight to prevent more of this wicked woman's chaos. If even Julia didn't have the strength to stop her, what hope did he have?
Hassel floated back down with a dark look on his face. "Her Grace is holding them off, but she needs our support. It's a 4 on 1 battle up there. That vile woman has the Paradox Beasts with her somehow."
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Addison pleaded. "Julia needs us."
"The Paradox Beasts?!" Geeta asked, horrified.
Cole knew from Sada's own words how terrifying they were. Three creatures of immense power, said to be ancestors of the Legendary Beasts that called the Johto Region their home. Despite outer differences, the most critical difference was that these prehistoric monstrosities also possessed the capabilities of Dragon Pokémon, their skins as tough as a Dragonite or Garchomps. If Julia was up against all three of them and a Koraidon, what chance did she have?
Sandra looked to Hassel and Geeta with fear and doubt in her voice. "You two should go and protect the Queen, we'll remain behind as your backup."
Addison shook her head defiantly, her Cyclizar seemingly echoing her tone by trying to rev itself forward. "I'm not going to let anything happen to Julia!"
"It's not safe, Addison. These creatures are not friendly. They will try to harm you, even kill you!"
"That's exactly what they're doing to Julia!"
Cole glanced from Sandra to Addison, as if wondering which of them would win out in the end. Hassel and Geeta seemed initially curious about this as well before rushing forward to fight for Julia. It wasn't until after they'd vanished out of sight that both turned to him for his own input. Cole was caught off guard by this and let his Cyclizar backpedal for him.
"What do you think we should do?" Addison inquired curiously. "If you think we should hold back, I'll agree to it."
"It's too dangerous, Cole" Sandra insisted.
"It's only more dangerous if we fail to back them up properly."
"You kids need to be kept safe above all else. If anything happened to you two, the Queen would-"
Cole shook his head. "The Queen would be here to protect her people if we're up there helping her. That's what matters to Paldea more than us. We're going back to our own world soon. You guys would have to pick up the pieces of your world without her." He turned his Cyclizar towards the pathway that led to the ruined Pokémon League. "We have to help her."
"Cole?!" Sandra cried.
"Come on, Professor" Addison called. "We can't waste another second." She revved her Cyclizar alongside Cole's and the two rushed up the pathway, leaving a bewildered Professor Sandra temporarily behind. The duo raced up the dark path, until the sounds of a vicious battle echoed around the corner. The two leaped off their Cyclizars, who quickly spun around and retreated in a frenzy behind them. The two made their way forward on foot, only for a stray ball of fire to nearly hit them. Addison grabbed Cole and threw him out of the way as the blast struck the ground nearby.
Cole reached onto his belt for Jory's Poké Ball. "I guess we're in this battle."
Addison nodded as he reached for Galatea's. "Let's stick together to avoid this."
The two raced forward into the fray, with Pokémon moving like lightning and blows being rained down all around them. Hassel was currently engaging with the one that looked like Suicune, his Salamence drawing its attention by peppering it with Dragon Pulse attacks while the Wandering Wake struck back with Ice Beams, which had initially likely been meant to kill Julia. Geeta had gone on the war path against Natalya personally, who was forced to send her Koraidon out to fight her, this leaving Julia's fight down to a 2 vs 1. Julia herself was clearly wounded, a long streak of blood sliding off of her arm as she struggled to avoid the attacking Paradox Beasts. Her Koraidon seemed to be able to push back the two that resembled Entei and Raikou but in turn would take blows when the monsters would aim for his trainer. He had stamina, but not enough to keep this battle up forever.
Addison immediately called out Galatea and the two rushed to Julia's defense, with her trusted Gardevoir using a Moonblast to knock the Raging Bolt backwards, allowing her to take Julia's weak form out of the way momentarily. The Koraidon seemed relieved at the reinforcement and reengaged with the Gouging Fire, the two Dragons exchanging savage blows.
Cole called out Jory, but felt himself freeze as the pressure of the situation bore down on him. While Galatea and Koraidon drew the attention of the Raging Bolt, Gouging Fire turned his attention towards Cole and Jory. His legs crouched and he growled menacingly at him, his eyes filled with ill intent. His trusted Pawmot, without hesitation, stepped in front of Cole to protect him, but even he showed fear at the sight of a monster that Sada had warned had the power to melt almost all forms of rock and earth.
"Jory" Cole called to his friend. "Be ready for anything!"
Gouging Fire lunged forward, giving out a savage roar as it did. Cole was about to send Jory to counter, but was surprised by a Kangaskhan storming forward out of nowhere. Even the Gouging Fire was perplexed by this until the powerful Normal Type slammed it backwards with a single Dizzy Punch before standing firmly between Cole and Jory and the menacing Pokémon. The boy was further surprised when he found someone grabbing him and pulling him backwards. The Professor placed him firmly behind her.
"Stay here!" Sandra ordered, her voice strangely demanding for someone who had once been so gentle. Cole tried to argue, but her hand pushed him backwards.
"But-"
"Cole! I'm not-" she began, but her attention was drawn to the battle. The Gouging Fire responded with a wickedly strong Raging Fury, a Fire Type equivalent to Outrage. The Kangaskhan took the blow, dishing back its own damage with a ruthless Body Slam that knocked it to the ground. Her Pokémon leaped on top of it to force it into submission, giving Sandra the time to give her attention to Cole. "You are meant for more than to die for us, Cole! I know you are." She looked beyond the initial battles in front of her at the Obsidian Crystal that Natalya seemed to be guarding. "Once you have a chance, take Addison with you and go. We'll take things from here."
"I can't just leave-"
Sandra looked to him, a deep sense of worry on her face. "I already lost one son, Cole. Don't ask me to potentially lose another."
"But I'm not-"
The Gouging Fire roared back to life, throwing the Kangaskhan off it and glaring at Jory, Sandra and Cole. Cole was about to send Jory forward to help the Kangaskhan, until he heard Natalya's voice over the horde. "Leave the Pokémon, my beast! Kill the boy!"
Gouging Fire pounced forward and swatted aside Jory before he could even muster an attack. The Pawmot crashed hard into the rock wall but was seemingly able to stand up and fight more. Cole cried out for him and made to run after him. The Prehistoric Entei took the opportunity to charge at him. Cole sprinted as hard as he could, but the Pokémon caught him and rammed him to the ground beside his Pokémon. Before he could instigate his attack, Sandra leaped into the way of the monstrous prehistoric Pokémon. Gouging Fire slammed itself into Sandra instead of Cole, throttling her into the ground.
"NO!" Cole screamed.
Jory leaped up and punched Gouging Fire back with a powerful Close Combat combo, which in turn allowed the Kangaskhan to recover and slam into her target again. The two managed to hold back the Paradox Beast, even perhaps turning the tide in their battle.
Cole rushed to Sandra's side, turning her over. Her face was scratched up, but what horrified him the most was the bruising done to her midsection from Gouging Fire's attack. He tried desperately to think of something, anything that could help her. He thought of the Cyclizars nearby and tried the whistles that Paige had taught him. FWEET FOOT FWEEEEET! But they didn't come. Cole tried to look for something to help her in her bag, but Sandra looked sadly to him and stopped.
"No" she whispered feebly. "It's too late."
Cole felt himself shaking violently. "Why...why did you do that?!"
"You...you're meant for more...so much more...Cole." Her skin was becoming pale, her eyes beginning to dull. "You...you'll do right...where we did...did wrong..."
"But Professor!" He reached for her hand and held it. "You had so much to do yourself."
She sadly shook her head. "I...I...I did...what...I had to..."
"No" Cole begged. "No, you can't mean that!"
"I...I protected...I protected my...my son."
Cole found tears falling out of his eyes. "But I'm not your son."
She wore a weak but endearing smile. "Maybe not by...by blood...but you're the...the son I...I chose." She grasped his hand tenderly. "There's...there's a...an orb...in my bag. Take it. My gift...to you." Her free hand went up to Cole's face as she gave him her last words. "Please, Cole. Take...take care of those...those you love...my son." Professor Sandra then fell back onto the cold ground, her hand slipping down to her side as she became lifeless.
Cole's shaking suddenly stopped as he released her hand. She'd died to save his life. He rested his head on her lifeless body, praying for a heartbeat. But none came. He took a deep breath and bent over to kiss her cheek. "If I ever did have a mom...I want her to be just like you, Professor." He then did as she instructed and reached into her bag for the specific orb she'd mentioned. She found one spherical object and eyed it witch curiosity. Didn't Nemona have one of these? Isn't it a...
It was in fact a Tera Orb, the one thing in the world that could truly unlock a Pokémon's true capabilities with Terastalization. And Professor Sandra had bequeathed it to him in her dying breath. He held the orb in his hands, his eyes once more gazing upon the woman who would have adopted him if she'd had the capacity. The woman who'd lost so much in Turo's mad dash for knowledge. The woman who saw so much inside of him.
His sorrow and grief over her death soon found a different emotion kindling inside of him. Rage. He rose to his feet and glared in Natalya's direction. How dare she hurt the people he cared for? Was this some kind of sick game to her?! His hand held the Tera Orb so tightly, he thought he could feel it cracking. Cole looked to the fracas in front of him, with Gouging Fire hardly being contained by Jory and Sandra's Kangaskhan. Cole whistled for Jory and the Kangaskhan to come to him. Both did so quickly, with the Kangaskhan kicking Gouging Fire back several feet before arriving. The maternal Pokémon cried out at Sandra's current state.
"Take her someplace safe" Cole begged to the Kangaskhan. "Maybe Terrence can help her." He knew better than to hope for that, but the Kangaskhan didn't need to. The Pokémon scooped Sandra's lifeless body in her arms and bounded down the pathway.
Natalya's laugh prompted Cole to return his full attention towards her. "I guess one's down. Who's next for the meat grinder?"
The others looked around and tried to wonder who had been hurt, until Julia, still bleeding from the wound that Addison was trying to wrap up, let out a desperate cry. "Professor Sandra!"
"NO!" Hassel added dramatically.
Natalya cackled wickedly. "Don't you losers get it?! That's what you're all going to face soon enough."
Cole finally lost it. "No."
"Excuse me, Cole? Speak up when an elder is talking!"
"I said 'no'." He stepped forward as Gouging Fire slowly recovered from the blows it had taken. Jory joined his trainer's side. "How dare you! HOW DARE YOU MOCK US FOR LOSING SOMEONE?!" He found anger ripping at him from the inside, becoming something of a temporary balm for the grief encompassing his heart. "You killed someone who only ever cared to help others! WHAT GOOD HAVE YOU EVER DONE?!"
"The best thing I could do is get rid of the wretched little parasite that's standing in front of me!" his enemy snarled. "And then all of your little friends can join you." She snorted as her Pokémon recovered for another round of bouts with the drained defenders of Paldea. "Do you honestly think that this little tantrum of yours is going to change anything, Cole?! You're still the same worthless, weak little urchin from back home! The unloved orphan! The waste of life mass! The child Turo and Sada should have thrown out to the beasts of Area Zero!"
Cole stared Natalya down angrily as Jory began to charge electrical power. "You made one mistake, Natalya! You killed someone important to me!"
"No one is important to you and you are important to no one" she fired back but seemed at least curious as to what Cole had planned.
"You killed my mother!" This prompted everyone to gasp in shock, including Addison, who was the most caught off guard given how Cole had said his parents abandoned him. "She may not have been my mom by blood, but she cared for me all the same. Just like my friends do." He looked to Addison who gave him a smile despite seeing the pain he was in. He then glared at Natalya. "Who do you have in your camp, Natalya?! A few goons who do your bidding? They don't love you. And I don't think anyone ever will!"
Natalya scowled. "As if anyone ever loved a worthless orphan like you!"
"I told you, you idiot! I had a mother! And her name was PROFESSOR SANDRA!" He then launched the Tera Orb at Jory. The Orb cast an immensely bright light over his Pokémon, which shined with the power of a heavenly glow. After a bolt of lightning struck down near him, Jory the Pawmot's entire body now shined with the immense power of Tera Crystals. Atop it's head now sat a crown with a thunderbolt embedded into it.
Natalya's confidence suddenly fell from her. "WHAT?! WHEN DID YOU GET A TERA ORB, RUNT?!"
"Looks like you've underestimated someone, Natalya!" Addison smirked.
"Make it two" Julia said calmly, reaching into her own pocket and handing Addison her own Tera Orb. "I'm not strong enough, Addison. Please go help Cole!"
Addison and Galatea hurried over to Cole's side and mimicked his movements, allowing Galatea to harness her own hidden Tera Power. Instead of Jory's Thunderbolt crown. Galatea wore a crown with a bright pink ribbon inside, signaling the immense Fairy power she now held inside of her.
Seeing the tide turning, Natalya whistled for her wicked Koraidon to join the fray. Seeing the momentary lapse in judgment, Geeta and Hassel made their moves, their Salamence and Dragapults knocking aside Raging Bolt and Wandering Wake respectively, leaving Natalya with only two Pokémon protecting her. Upon realizing this, Natalya cursed at them. "You bastards!"
Hassel and Geeta then took the opportunity to use Ultra Balls to capture the two. While Hassel eyed the Poké Ball containing Wandering Wake curiously, Geeta took the moment to fire an angry look at Natalya. "For all your bluster, looks like you've underestimated your opponents. And it cost you."
"Take the hint and get lost" Julia fired back, leaning heavily on her own weakened Koraidon.
"But don't go too far" Addison mockingly gloated. "We'll be hunting you down back home before long."
Natalya glared at the two. "Mark my words, runts! You'll regret standing up to me!" She recalled Koraidon and raced for the Obsidian Tera Crystal. Once she placed her hand on it, she vanished into the darkness. Gouging Fire attacked the duo, but with both Galatea and Jory now fully Terastalized, it was heavily outclassed. It was only able to withstand two more attacks from both Pokémon, a Moonblast from Galatea and a Thunderbolt from Jory, that knocked it to the ground, beaten and exhausted.
But Cole still felt all of the rage inside of him. Professor Sandra was dead and he was intent on avenging her. "KEEP GOING!"
"Huh?" Addison asked.
"Cole, you won?!" Geeta insisted.
"Stop, son" Hassel begged.
"Cole. please!" Julia shrieked.
"THUNDERBOLT!" Cole roared.
Jory responded and slammed more bolts of lightning into the fatigued Pokémon. Then another. And another. Gouging Fire was howling in intense pain despite not having the stamina to fight back.
"KEEP GOING!" he demanded again.
"Cole! That's enough!" Cole fired an angry look at whomever had said that but found Addison staring at him. She wasn't angry or disappointed. She simply held his arm firmly and stared longingly at him. "Please. It's over. Let it go." It was at those words that Cole finally broke down. Jory and Galatea's Tera Power began to wear off and both came over to check on Cole as the dam inside of him finally burst and tears poured out of his eyes. Addison took him into her arms and held him gently. "It's okay, Cole. I'm here."
"Why?!" Cole cried into her arms. "Why did she have to die?!"
"She may not be" Julia tried to assure him. "We have the best medical equipment in the land here. Professor Sandra might make it."
Hassel and Geeta looked to the Queen, but then accepted her words and nodded, with Hassel taking the lead. "We'll be here to look after Professor Sandra, Cole. And it's thanks to you two that we still have a chance against these menacing Pokémon. We are indebted to you."
Geeta looked to the two. "But there is more for you to worry about. She's now on the loose in your own dimension."
Julia nodded as she slowly made her way to their sides. "That's right. Take the Obsidian Crystal and follow her back. And keep those Tera Orbs. We've got more to spare. You may need them to fight her." She admired the two as Cole and Addison hugged out their feelings, until letting go of one another and recalling their Pokémon. Once they had her attention, she took the two into an embrace of her own. "Thank you both for all you've done for us. But you have to go. We'll hold the fort down here." She then let them go and ushered them forwards.
Cole walked off on his own, fearing that despite their words of encouragement, Professor Sandra's fate was already sealed. He stood over by the Crystal and awaited Addison, slipping the Tera Orb into his pocket alongside the notes his maternal figure had given to him before everything went wrong.
"You won't forget us, right?" Addison asked.
Hassel shook his head. "Perish the thought."
"How could we forget dimension jumpers like you" Geeta joked.
Julia smiled. "Never. You are a part of us. Now and forever."
Addison smiled and waved, slipping the Tera Orb into her bag and coming to Cole's side. "Are you gonna be okay?"
Cole thought for a moment and nodded. "I know now that there was someone out there who cared about me. And she showed it."
"I think you underestimate the amount of people who care about you" she responded gently, reaching for his hand. "Come on, let's get back to our world."
Cole clasped her hand in his and both touched the Obsidian Crystal together. Both closed their eyes and felt themselves being transported back from whence they came. He knew people cared about him. And above all else, he knew he cared about others. And he wasn't keen on losing them anytime soon. So long as he had Addison by his side, he knew his strength would keep growing.
{}
Once the two had vanished into the Crystal, Julia recalled Koraidon and nearly fell to the ground, with Geeta and Hassel catching her and helping her stand. She smiled at the two who had always been loyal to her. "Thank you. Both of you." Koraidon came over to her side and licked some of the blood off her arm, prompting her to pet her beloved Pokémon. "You too, friend."
Hassel nodded. "But of course, Your Grace. We both love and live to serve you."
Geeta's face seemed unreadable. "You...you lied to the kids."
"What do you mean, Captain?" Hassel inquired.
"We saw what happened to Professor Sandra" the Captain recalled sadly. "There's no medical equipment we have that could save her."
Julia sighed. "I know. But they don't need to know that. They have so much more to worry about than her health. That menace Natalya will be running amok in the Violet Dimension before long. And she seems more wily than she let on. Let them feel Sandra is safe. But we will mourn her properly in the meantime." She winced as she felt more pain in her arm. "Let's get back to the Palace. The threat to the region is gone...for now."
Hassel nodded. "As you wish, Your Grace. I imagine Rika will want an update as soon as possible. And Princess Piper will need to be told she doesn't have to come to take over just yet." He then mounted his Salamence and flew back towards the Palace.
Julia took out a Poké Ball of her own and captured Gouging Fire, sealing it within. "And with that, those are three less Pokémon for us to worry about." She slowly made her way up towards Koraidon to mount her for travel.
Geeta took a moment to climb atop her own Cyclizar, then looked to her older cousin. "Julia. I did some digging around for you."
"About what?"
"This Michael Kingston you're married to in this other dimension. There is a Scarlet Dimension equivalent to him." She gave her cousin a cheeky smile. "Should I send an invitation to Paldea for him?"
Julia blushed brightly. "Oh stop it. I can't settle down now."
Geeta shrugged. "I could claim him, then. He is quite attractive."
The Queen giggled at this. "Fine. I'll contact him myself."
"Very well. But only if I get to be Madrina."
"Deal." With that, both Pokémon mounts took their trainers back towards Mesagoza and their homes, peace having finally found the Scarlet Dimension for once.