The proud, colossal city of Lumiose in the Kalos Region was quiet. Darkness covered the skies and the land. Billowing dust had consumed its greenery and taken it up into the endless cloud above. Its many lively buildings were dark. Its noisy streets went silent. Not a voice was heard. No sound came from the city but the howling winds high above.
Nimbasa City in Unova was much the same. Dusty winds rocked the cars of its unmoving ferris wheel. In Saffron City of the Kanto Region, clouds of black dust raced through the city's streets to snuff out all life within. Hoenn's lively Mauville City, ordinarily brimming with light and life, went dark. The world was smothered, its life snuffed out.
In Johto, north of New Goldenrod City, the black cloud crept over the corpse of Ecruteak City. The black cloud of death snuffed out all life within. Its plants withered to join the dust of the cloud, and its citizens, human and Pokemon, were left huddled together for life and warmth, immortalized as petrified statues in the cold darkness. Its proud Gym Leader, Morty, stood frozen in time by the city's bell.
These howling winds, robbing the world of its life and color, now stretched their coils south. The world found itself drowned beneath the cloud of death. Its ends had no limit, except for one final bastion. New Goldenrod City, the final bastion of the world's life, found itself encircled by the coming death that had swallowed the world.
Reverse World
Amidst the violet, twisted maze that was the world reverse to Arceus and Mew's contemporary world, Giratina lodged his own assault upon the barrier. Though the terrain was twisted and turned, separated upon islands floating in the void and the city's barriers were rent apart in space, the many bubbles remained as durable in this dimension as normal.
Giratina's tendrils stabbed and tore at them, and no matter how many beams and blasts he launched upon the many shields of the city, not a scratch was to be had upon any of them to allow him inside.
Scowling, Giratina tilted his body into a rift, exiting into the world above by Dialga's side. "It is no use," He relayed to his brother. "The barrier seems to be immune to even space and time distortions."
Dialga glanced aside at the many holes that allowed the smaller Legends inside. "And yet it could not account for simple digging. Why do we not simply upturn the ground?"
A low grumble of a hum was loosed between Giratina's golden mandibles. "We do not know if the barrier will accommodate for that by projecting further down. If we are not careful, we could isolate all inside and prevent their escape, should the situation worsen."
Dialga rumbled thoughtfully. Tilting his head aside, Giratina grimaced. "Dialga, I…" His version of a sigh came almost like a bellow from deep inside the void of his being. "…Wanted to express my gratitude for what you did when Arceus…"
"…There is time for that later. Let us focus on the mission at hand."
Of that, Giratina agreed, eager to clear the weight of the conversation he had in mind. "Agreed." With that, he eagerly readied his tendrils and let loose a harrowing bellow as he attempted to spear the barrier with his tendrils once more. In response, blistering bolts of Necrozma's dread energy was sent crackling into the sky.
The echoes of Giratina's howl pierced the barrier even when his attacks did not. Beneath the scourge of his shriek, blood ran cold across the city's expanse. Many who were in panic froze with sudden inexpressible dread, becoming pale as the horrid noise shook their forms to their core, man and Pokemon alike.
Giratina's shriek scratched even the heavens above, raging across the air dead and alive. Even did its echoes reach the Hall of Origin, causing Xerneas to tremble awake from her stupor. Beside her, the young Groudon and Palkia, grasping vines in their hand, shivered.
Beside them, limply splayed over one of the hall's tall, ivory pedestals, Yveltal twitched by the tip of his crooked, obsidian finger. The dread shriek, upon reaching the herald of death, set his eyes open. Rising, Yveltal instinctively reached to grasp the vines wrapped around himself. The energy coursing from him to Mew stopped before reverting their course.
Xerneas's eyes shot wide. "No!' Quickly, she severed her connection from the vines before the decay could spread to Mew. Yveltal's claws rent apart the myriad still attached to them until they withered to nothing. Then, he turned to the wall behind his pedestal and tore open a rift, howling as he leapt into it.
An ivory rift appeared not too far above Giratina, who was again repelled by the barrier and forced to pull back. He winced as residue from the barrier crackled along his tendrils. Quickly, he noticed that he still heard howling even though he had gone silent, and turning up his head, his eyes shot wide upon seeing none other than Yveltal falling from the air.
With his wings spread wide, Yveltal readied himself to plunge into the barrier as if it were a buffet. The moment he crashed into it, its energy coursed through his veins in an attempt to repel him. Yet this only succeeded in spurring him on. The power of decreation, meeting the avatar of death once more, surged into his body as if they were already one.
Upon seeing this, Giratina immediately darted to knock Yveltal free from the barrier before its power could erase him. He stopped when he witnessed no such thing occur. "How is this possible?" Wondered the renegade aloud. The moment when Giratina had lost control of this same power, he instantly felt, from his very core, the despair of impending doom as his very essence had begun to waste away. Yet Yveltal took that loosened, wild energy within himself as if he were Necrozma himself.
The hum from the barrier began to falter. Giratina's gaze snapped back to it and beheld as it began to shrink and flicker. Many of the Legends outside of the barrier sought to utilize this opportunity to breach it, yet only succeeded in meeting its reappearing edge and were repelled. But an idea struck Giratina.
Slinking back into a rift of shadow, Giratina surveyed how the barrier appeared within the Reverse World. The myriad of twisted bubbles protecting divided fragments of New Goldenrod City were blinking in and out of existence. Yet the moments of their departure were just as infrequent and short lived there as upon the surface. However, if he could manage to slip between those moments, between time and space, then…
His eyes narrowed. Turning to the nearest bubble, he slipped again into the world above. Just as swiftly, he returned below. Back and forth, edging nearer and nearer to the barrier, he shifted between worlds with increasing haste until the shield lay just before him. Time slowed with each traversal until it had crawled to a near halt. Space seemed to stretch out before his sight like a nigh endless tunnel. But then, with his piercing gaze ever honed upon the shield, he pounced as it flickered before him.
Emerging beneath a gray sky, he gazed out at the stretch of towers now before him. A long sigh escaped him. "It worked…"
His relief was cut short by the reminder of Yveltal, courtesy of the roar blaring into his hearing. Turning up to him, he found death's harbinger still clinging to the barrier even as it steadily slid inward as its power was drained. "Stop!" Roared Giratina. "Before you are devoured by that which you devour!"
Yveltal's bellowing stopped. A gloss seemed to fade from his eye, returning jagged clarity to it with a slow blink. The slit of his eye turned to see Giratina on the barrier's other end. His beak curved upward in amusement. "This power…" Yveltal's voice came as a hiss. Arching his back, Yveltal curved his claws deeper into the barrier to hasten the rate of his draining. "...Is one I have become well accustomed to in my absence. It is a pleasure to see you once more as well, Giratina."
Unsure of how to respond, Giratina merely shook his head and turned back around. Before him lay the city, exposed. His immediate thought was to destroy the numerous projectors atop the city's many towers. Then his gaze fell upon the base of Star Tower at the city's center. It was as he trailed up the tower's length that an idea struck him.
His golden mandibles opened. Listless streams flowed between them to usher an ebony orb that he aimed at the base of the tower. Within it was the man responsible for the mess of the world, and the one who had deceived him so. For that, Giratina only had his own foolishness to blame. However, that was not to say that forgiveness on the matter was so readily available.
Light began to drain from an already-darkened sky as Giratina's shadowy wrath became more manifest. All came to a halt when the orb before him became complete. With one blow, he would knock Star Tower from its edifice and topple it along with the man inside. Yet, just as he arched his back to prepare to fire, a black blur raced toward him.
Its haste was so great that Giratina initially did not even realize something had raced past him at all. That was until he was bombarded by what the blur had left in its wake and the dreadful attack meant to end the war detonated in the face of its creator. Similarly, a series of gleaming orbs shot through the interior of the barrier and pelted Yveltal. Twin shrieks of shock and fury shook the city, and the barrier ceased its movement.
Yveltal fell from a plume of smoke, though he quickly recovered. In rage, he screamed at whatever had dared to separate him from his meal. Swiftly, his wounds, insignificant as they were, were sown shut by the energy coursing within his body. Yet no matter where Yveltal directed his ire, he saw no culprit.
The black blur raced around the barrier's edge, taking great care to brush the point of no return as it encircled the city. With a target firmly locked upon the smoke cloud it had created within the barrier, the Artificial Intelligence of Auto droned, "Shots fired and confirmed on Legendary-Class Beasts Giratina and Yveltal. Damage levels unconfirmed."
Several turrets atop the skyscrapers turned with loud whirring. The loud, singular clangs as they locked onto their new target rang out across New Goldenrod. As one, they began to rapidly fire upon Giratina in quick succession. For minutes on end, there was a city-wide bombardment that sent quakes across it. The chaos below subsided only so the city's residents could cover their ears to keep themselves from becoming deafened beneath the relentless onslaught against the renegade.
Nothing could be seen within the smoke that enshrouded Giratina. That black pillar only continued to expand until a shadowy tendril shot out from it, pointing its jagged, crimson claw directly at Auto's Raiden jet. A shadowy rift appeared in front of it. At its speed, it helplessly shot into the Reverse World and could not turn in time to prevent the rift from closing behind it.
A savage bellow overpowered even the sound of the turrets. More tendrils followed the first, stretching out to tear into space. Rifts appeared behind many of the turrets, and the tendrils shot out to spear them on the edge of their gleaming red claws before returning as swiftly as they came.
Once his appendages had returned, the smoke blackened further into shadow, and from that mass came Giratina. That shadow once more swirled before him as he prepared to blow Star Tower from its hinges now that the annoyance had been rid of. In the space between him and the building, the air appeared to condense before his eyes. Then, there was a rapid expansion and a flash of pink.
A pink arc of condensed energy tore out from the warped space. Upon seeing it, Giratina's eyes shot wide. "That attack…!" It crashed straight into Giratina's face just as he turned from it, eliciting an eruptive bellow from him. Searing pain shot across his body as the attack struck. Its residual energy crackled across his body, lighting the sky like a storm. There came a hiss of fatigue. "...Spatial Rend…?"
With a tendril, Giratina swept the smoke away from him. A grisly scar nearly split his left mandible cleanly in two. He watched the black jet race off once more, noting the fading pink glow from the cannon on its underside that retracted to allow it to speed away. Remorse swiftly took over his ire. Though a bellow of unending wrath for the injury threatened to spew forth from the depths of his core, all that came was a sigh.
"So…" In pain, he winced. "...This is what Palkia suffered for."
It was his fault; he knew it. Had he never chased Palkia away, how would things have ended? Terribly had he misjudged the threat of these humans. For all his life, when Giratina pictured what the word "terror" meant, he could only see the dark face of Arceus just before he had sealed him away. Mew was not far behind. But when he had seen Palkia, laying motionless upon that table, his feelings on the matter became muddied.
Shaking his head, he prepared himself for when the jet would come round once more. With its power to jump through space, it did not seem to matter where Giratina would strike. None of his efforts would reach Star Tower unless he was rid of this pest first. This was his mess. His sin. He alone must atone for it and erase the stain that had been left.
Ash, Serena, and those with them ran through the city's streets. Everything was in chaos the closer to New Goldenrod they went. Where they had first seen only a panicked uproar, in the open plaza they now found themselves in, there was a fearsome battle. Attacks from Pokemon and bullets from men rang through the air, as did screams from the stricken. It was almost as if they had never left the Tree of Beginning.
A squad of four Nova Corporation soldiers waited in pairs on opposite ends of two alleyways for Ash to arrive. The one closest to a corner signaled silent orders with two fingers. Their intentions were not unnoticed by Ash's Aura, and he summoned an Aura Sphere at his side. "Wait!" He told the others, raising a hand to stop them.
Upon hearing his voice, the soldiers nodded to one another before making their move. Rolling out from the alleyways, they pointed their weapons upon Ash's group. "Freeze!" One of them ordered.
From the left alleyway, a Hydro Pump shot the soldiers into the right. A Blastoise with a cracked shell stomped out, followed swiftly by a familiar face. Ash's eyes lit with disbelief. Before him was the ever-smug face of his first rival, although once he spotted Ash, their expressions became mirrored.
"Gary?!"
"Ash, it's you!"
Ash blinked away the arising wetness of his eyes, struggling to keep his composure. Hiding his face beneath his cap, he muttered, "I thought you…"
Gary and Serena turned their heads upon hearing another set of voices. Rushing at them amidst the chaos were familiar trainers, their Pokemon enduring a path forward in a protective ring. It was only when they reached Ash's group that the Pokemon at their front parted, causing Serena to gasp.
Alain, May, Misty and Brock gazed back at Ash's group with as much surprise as they did. "Ash!" Exclaimed Brock, his group rushing to Ash's side. "You're alright!"
After letting out a long sigh, Misty's relief turned to anger. "Where have you been, Ash?!" She shouted. "The whole city's been in chaos since yesterday, and you've…" She trailed off when she caught the vacant expression on Ash's face beneath the shadow of his cap's brim.
Misty winced, coughed to clear her throat, and then apologized. "Sorry. You guys look like…" She eyed Serena, then the Legends tailing behind them. "…You've been dealing with your own stuff, huh?"
Serena only gave a short nod, glancing down. She then eyed Star Tower. Its every window was sealed with black metal. Shuddering, she found flashes of screams and gunfire as men in black pulled her from the falling crowd within Star Tower ringing in her head and had to shake them away.
Ash's head turned to her slightly, but he said nothing.
To distract herself, Serena forced up a smile. "Well, it'll all be over soon, right?" She chirped. Scanning over their friends, Serena blinked when she noticed a missing face. "Say, where's Dawn? She was doing a lot better when I last saw her."
"She ended up going to the ceremony," Answered May as she pointed at Star Tower. Serena's smile vanished. Ash's Auric flames wavered. Shrugging, May said, "She wanted me to come with, but I had an important call with the Pokemon Activities Committee. We were just talking about Pokemon Contests being brought back when all this…"
Then May's gaze settled upon Ash and Serena. The former turned away, not making a sound. The latter found the color of her face draining. Serena covered her hand with her mouth.
"No, no," She whimpered. "No, no, no…!"
A chill collectively ran up the spines of the others. "What…?" Began Alain. He cleared the lump in his throat. "…What happened in there?" No one dared to answer.
Ash broke the silence suddenly. "Let's not waste time with this. We need to get there now."
Serena swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded. Beside her, Ash's shoulders slumped. "Dawn isn't weak," He whispered. "Have…faith in her." It took a sharp exhale for Serena to suppress her feelings. Wiping away the arising wetness from her eyes, she steeled herself, and nodded.
First, Ash turned to the Legends behind him. Then, to his human friends ahead. Along the edges of the towering buildings, the clanking of metal joints as invisible, heavy, spider-like limbs slowly edged closer. "Cut us a path," Ordered Ash. "There isn't time to explain."
Gary's mouth lay agape hearing Ash speak this way. Often, Gary had teased or even belittled his old rival from the days of their early youth, and so his angry expression was something familiar to him. The expression Ash wore now was cold and stony. Sullen. It looked as if someone else was wearing his old friend's face. He had never seen Ash this way.
Sighing, Gary nodded. "I don't know what's going on, but I guess now isn't a great time to ask questions. You give the orders, pal." He smirked at his old rival and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Just don't be too cold, okay? We're here for you if you-"
Something crawling along one of the buildings above, masked partially in a blurred distortion of light, suddenly took aim at the group. Ash's Aura flickered, and he instinctively shot his arm back toward the offender, unwittingly casting off Gary's hand. Responding to the will of the ivory flame, Ash's Pokemon reacted as he did and launched a barrage of attacks up into the buildings.
An array of cries from ally and enemy alike on the streets of New Goldenrod arose as explosions rang out from overhead. Glass from window panes burst from their holdings. With it, burnt scrap metal rained down from the sides of the buildings. From the smoke, several more of the climbing machines unmasked themselves, appearing from the smoke one after another.
"Start with them!" Shouted Ash to the others. "Serena, with me! The rest of you, make sure we can-!"
He cut himself off when, ahead, he saw dozens–or rather hundreds–more of the strange robots uncloak themselves from along the sides of the skyscrapers between them and Star Tower. "No! An ambush?! We don't have time for this!"
Each of the miniature climbing tanks primed their cannons upon Ash, who grimaced and summoned his Aura for a barrier. Something large dropped from the sky in front of him; something far larger than any of the mechanical climbers.
It struck the ground with thunderous force that threatened to knock him and his friends behind him off of their feet. They and their Pokemon cried out, shielding themselves from the wind and debris.
A dark shadow loomed over Ash's head as a new machine rose higher and towered over the group. Its booming arrival nearly brought the entire battle nearby to a halt.
Ash scowled up at it, his Aura burning with indignation against yet another obstacle in his path. The Aura from his barrier swirled back into his hand to create a searing Aura Sphere. But then, as the smoke began to fade, the robot's form was revealed to those who beheld it.
A myriad of reactions came from Ash's friends. Alain cautiously kept his team near. Gary was much the same. For May, she blinked repeatedly, unsure if she was seeing right. Misty's face contorted in a mixture of disgust and utter appallment. Brock gasped upon recognizing the stark, undeniable design of the robot.
"No way!" Exclaimed Brock.
Serena's gaze quickly locked onto the bright red 'R' engraved upon the chest of an utterly titanic robot manufactured in the vague, bulky likeness of a Meowth. Its head was about the only part that truly looked like the Pokemon it was meant to mimic, except that its cheeks were sucked in and chin pronounced in outward pride. A wide grin was etched with sharp teeth upon its visage.
The massive machine's abdomen had been manufactured to give the appearance of bulging muscle definition, and the arms as well. However, its hands were thick, blocky, curled slabs of raw metal by comparison. Its legs mirrored the architecture of its arms, but where paws were meant to be for feet, instead were large square boots.
Aghast, Serena found her face wrinkling. "Is that…?"
There came three synchronized laughs from the hulking machine to confirm her fears. The glass of the robot's eye sockets became translucent, revealing two familiar figures with operating control sticks in their hands. The coin on the Meowth-like robot's forehead followed suit, and within sat the machine's very own likeness within.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
Exasperated, Misty buried her face in her hand. "Didn't we get rid of these guys…?"
"There's a time to create and a time to destroy!" Trumpeted Jessie, causing the robot to kick its leg into the air and bend backward as she did within the cockpit.
"We're here to avenge the unemployed!" Resounded James in response. He gallantly bowed, hoisting one arm high at his side. This, too, was mimicked by the robot.
"To denounce the evils of truth and-"
Six colorful blurs raced past the robotic Meowth. Explosions rang out from behind it, followed by the sound of metallic crashing. That robot whipped around with enough speed to create wind as Ash, bathed white in flame, raced after them.
Across the buildings in his path, Ash's team ravaged the myriad of machines in his path, though it was not long before they found themselves under retaliation by the crawling machinations.
Meowth's voice boomed in indignation from the machine made in his likeness. "Hey, twerp! How dare you ignore our intro?!"
"Don't you know this could be the last time you get to hear it?!" Whined James. "This is a very special moment!"
Ash snarled, not bothering to turn to face them. His arms shot wildly across the air as he used his Aura to direct his team against the onslaught of machines crawling across the skyscrapers.
Snarling, he retorted, "Thanks for the save, but none of us have time for that! If we don't get to that tower in time, it's over for us!"
An irate Jessie grumbled, "Why do you think we're here, you ungrateful-?!"
James wisely cut her off by raising one of the robot's hands over her. "What she means to say is that…"
Tapping a bright red button in his control booth, Meowth caused the many plates of his mechanical lookalike to open and reveal all manner of weapons. "…We came to bail you twerps out in the first place!"
The robot's other arm proceeded to pry off the one covering Jessie. With an annoyed snarl, she grasped the controls before her. "And to take out our frustration! The loss we suffered at HQ was humiliating enough, but we won't take that sitting down!"
Missiles raced out from all across the Meowth robot's body. With perfect precision, each struck one of the crawling machines. A thunderous cascade signaled a rain of glass and metal, followed swiftly by the triumphant laughter of Jessie.
"What a marvelous sight!" She bellowed with haught. "Compared to us, those Nova Branch traitors are only good for building scrap metal!"
Ash's friends gaped in awe as they beheld the rain of flame and melted metal. "Maybe you guys are useful for something after all," Murmured Serena. Something occurred to her that caused her to turn inquisitively to the barrier far behind them, then back to Team Rocket. "Wait, how did you guys get inside the barrier?"
Jessie gave an indignant huff, drawing up the robot's arm to its chest. "Hah! We'll have you twerps know that we crafted an ingenious plan that let us easily intrude on this party! Er, James, if you would."
"M-me?!" He guffawed. "Why would-?!" Glancing down at the many expectant looks from below, James could veritably feel the pressure of expectation bearing down upon him. "Er, well, it was quite elementary really. For you see…Meowth will explain the details!"
Meowth barked, "Huh?! Why are you shufflin' this onto my plate, you…!" Thoroughly unimpressed looks began to amass from the many growing onlookers. Ally and enemy alike seemed to pause their warfare in utter bewilderment. Even the crawling machines that remained ceased their onslaught to study their new foe. Ash, for his part, buried his diminishing patience beneath the shadow of his cap's brim.
Meowth chuckled nervously. "...What I meant to say was that…" He suddenly perked up as an idea struck him. "...Our plan was foolproof! For you see, after you twerps made the boss go into hiding, we weren't just gonna take the loss lying down! Gathering up all our firepower, we constructed this here robot, blasted our way through the barrier, and sallied forth to stick it to Mr. Star and yoink everybody's Pokemon at the celebration. There, the rebirth of Team Rocket would burn as brightly as Moltres risen from the ashes!"
As Meowth finished what he considered to be a grand explanation, hoisting the robot's arm up high triumphantly, the lack of any ensuing sound aside from the more distant sounds of battle caused his bravado to waver. With one peeking eye, he dared a glance down at his captive audience. There, he found many gazing back at the barrier, where Rayquaza and Lugia furiously attacked from the outside to no avail, before they simultaneously turned toward them with equally judgemental disbelief.
Team Rocket's robot fell slightly forward, its arms dangling in defeat. "We were broke!" Wailed Jessie in confession. "We came here to put in job applications to the Star Foundation!"
"We were already here when the barrier went up…" Added James pitifully. "And the robot was made before Team Rocket was defeated. We were blasted off too quickly for us to use it!"
Meowth grumbled, "And so, we brought it here as collateral, hoping they'd let us off the hook as long as we could make more robots for 'em."
With a sigh, Misty shrugged. "Begging the enemy for a job after losing? How pathetic can you get?"
Suddenly, the robot's posture snapped into place, hovering over Misty with its hands on its hips. "What did you expect us to do?!" Boomed the echoing voice of Jessie. "We weren't exactly eager to side with those Nova Branch traitors!"
"We still have some self respect!" Piped James.
An irate Meowth added, "Besides them, the Star Foundation basically had every job on the planet in the palms of their hands. There weren't many options, y'know!"
Enough was enough. Too much time had been wasted on this farce. Unable to stand it any longer, a growl steadily rose up from the core of Ash's being over the course of Team Rocket's shenanigans until it was blaring between his greet teeth. At last, it broke forth as he shouted, "There was never a Star Foundation or a Nova Branch!"
His outburst caused all eyes to fall on him. Expressions of shock and confusion, more than had already been on account of Team Rocket, spread amongst all who heard his echoing voice. Sharply, Ash inhaled, keeping his head down and fists balled. "There was never a Mr. Star either. All of it was fake from the beginning; a plan by the Nova Corporation to manipulate the entire world from the day Necrozma was defeated–or even before that–into…killing itself so they could further their own ends."
Upon the faces of Ash's friends, his enemies, and all others who heard him–they, for varying reasons, had their jaws fall slack. An eavesdropping Black Suit, his signature suit ravaged and torn along with his shades, silently swore with all vehemence he could muster in his fatigue as he hastily attempted to put together the pieces of a sniper rifle from his briefcase. He aimed at Ash and fired without hesitation in an attempt to silence him, but an ivory barrier of Aura intercepted and caught it. As it fell harmlessly, spinning to a stop, Ash's eyes glowered with a pale glow up at its source.
The Black Suit recoiled and rolled back from the edge just as Zeraora brought his hands together and launched a Thunderbolt where the man had been standing. Snarling, he crouched down and prepared to give chase until Ash stopped him. Instead, Ash pointed at the robots ahead, which had now begun to move again.
"Clear me a path!" Roared Ash. "Our real enemy is in Star Tower! If we don't stop him, the entire world as we know it is finished!"
Again the crowd dissolved into chaos as many, either to obey the Chosen One before them or simply to escape the ensuing stampede, quickly dissolved every which way. Tempted as Ash was to call for Latias and simply fly over it, a single glance above showed him another turret only barely obscured between two tall buildings. All he could do was move forward on foot, but as he tried, the panicked people practically trampled each other in his way in their attempts to get out of it.
Each step Ash took forward was met with someone rushing in front of him, cutting him off in their disorganized scrambling. He hissed, sucking in air to keep his temper down. Ahead was Star Tower, bathed in ever darkening clouds. Not far from the city, he could feel disaster bearing down, drawing ever closer. All he could think of was what would happen if he did not reach the top of the tower and stop Nova in time.
His breath became ragged, and his vision, laser focused on the tower, blurred beneath the sweltering heat given off by his Auric flames. Bearing his teeth, he pressed onward.
His Pokemon, Serena, and the three Legends followed after him. He was keenly aware of their presence. So much so that when something bumped into him, his first instinct was for his Aura to spike out toward Charizard to issue an order.
But what order? To do what to whom? His hazy vision eventually concentrated upon his own finger, pointed toward something. Someone. A child, their expression mortified as they stared up at the shadowed face of a figure bathed in white fire. A figure pointing directly at them.
Quickly, Ash retracted his finger and scoffed at himself. What was he about to do? Was he seriously about to order Charizard to…?
A hand approaching his shoulder from behind made him instinctively slink away and whip around the moment his Aura made contact with it. Staring back at him was Brock's shocked face. The expression Ash wore made Brock wince. Slowly, he inched forward. "Hey, Ash," He started, "What's going on with you? If there's something going on…" Brock stopped himself, studying Ash's demeanor. "...I think I get it. Let me take over from here."
Rallying their other friends, Brock and the others began to use their Pokemon to direct and defend the people. Soldiers in the shadows, regaining their composure, took aim at Ash and at others only to be quickly disarmed or blocked by their Pokemon. "This way!" Shouted Brock, swinging his arms to quickly get as many out of the way as possible.
Overhead, the crawling machinations drew closer and took a wide aim, only to be swiftly dealt with by Team Rocket. "Not a chance!" Roared Jessie defiantly. "And what are you doing standing around gawking, twerp?! Didn't you say we didn't have much time?! Get moving!"
Needing no further prodding, Ash nodded and made for the widening path forward alongside Serena and the Legends. "Hey, Ash?" Came a voice from behind. He stopped. It was Brock's voice again, and Ash sensed his other friends with him. Not having the heart to face them, he turned his head only slightly.
Brock grinned. The others mirrored him, save for Alain. "Don't forget that we're your friends. We'll always be here for you."
Ash glanced down slightly, nodded, and left. Hopping onto his shoulder, Pikachu did what Ash did not have the courage to do and looked back at their friends mournfully. His ears drooped, and he whimpered. Ash grimaced, bringing the brim of his cap down.
The top of Star Tower was bathed in gray, ash-covered clouds. When Ash and those with him approached the central square where the tower was centered, it was flooded with people. A massive mob of citizens raged against men and women in Star Foundation apparel. The Foundation officers grit their teeth, hiding behind large riot shields in an attempt to hold back the mob. Eagerly, they awaited further orders to change the situation that would never come. Not from their employers at least.
Instead, they came in the form of a boy bathed in ivory flame. Marching through the square, he allowed his Aura to swell around him as he approached the crowd. "Ash…" Wondered Serena, following hesitantly behind. "What are you planning on doing…?" Those following after wondered the same thing, though none dared to risk furthering Ash's ire at this point.
When Ash neared the crowd, he stopped, planted his hand upon the ground, and sent out a wave of Aura through it that stretched across the square. Suddenly, the atmosphere became weighted–so much so that their mouths were shut and voices became silent beneath the pressure of Ash's manifested will bearing down on them.
The square became quiet. Ash rose. "Move," He ordered, and at once, the people parted.
A Black Suit from the shadows of a nearby building's alleyway gave a signal through his earpiece, and suddenly from every corner around the central square, a group of them descended upon Ash. Sensing this, Ash stopped. Greninja acted first in defense, and as his other Pokemon sensed the danger from Ash's Aura, they followed suit and surrounded Ash and Serena.
The crowd distanced themselves from Ash with frightened murmurs upon seeing the Black Suits encircle his group. "Ash Ketchum!" One shouted. "For your own good and for the good of humanity, surrender now! Return your Pokemon and stop your Aura! We are authorized to open fire if you do not comply!"
Ash's response, using Greninja as a conduit, was to shift the flow of his Aura upon them instead. The Black Suits nearly crumbled as the flames surrounded them. Most of them found their knees nearly meeting the ground in an instant, only scantily keeping their resistance.
Snarling, the Black Suits attempted to raise their weapons again only for a second pulse to bring them back down. "Get out of our way," Ordered Ash. "We don't have time for you." Looking them up and down, he noticed how disheveled they appeared and scoffed. "Look at you. You're better off laying low and staying out of the way."
A young looking man among the Black Suits forced himself to stand, hissing between his teeth in exertion as he mustered all of his willpower against the force bearing down on him. "You're telling us…to give up…" Slowly, he raised his firearm. "...When our dream is so close?!"
Ash scowled and impressed his own Aura upon them even more and forced them all to their knees. "Enough!"
Their wills crushed beneath the overpowering force of Aura, the men in black succumbed and dropped their weapons. Fear arose upon the face of an old, grisled man among them. "W-wait, please! Our orders were…" He sputtered, scarcely being able to form words. "...T-to neutralize you by any means necessary. If w-we do not fulfill our orders…!" Then, he fell to his hands. His eyes went wild, and sweat fell from his head almost like rain. In panic, he reached for his weapon like it was his lifeline.
Seeing this, Ash focused the pressure solely upon him, and the old Black Suit stopped. His will, utterly suppressed by Ash's own, refused to take up his arms.
"N-no!" He wailed in terror. "Please stop! I beg of you!"
Serena sensed that something was terribly wrong. A pit dropped in her stomach, and she went pale. "Ash, wait!" She pleaded. But Ash did not hear her. He saw only the man and the weapon he was reaching for.
Deep within his head, a neural implant registered the disobedience and acted accordingly. The old man wailed as an electric current erupted across the length of his skull. Everyone recoiled, but none so more than Ash who could feel, in excruciating detail, the flames of life being snuffed out of the man even as his body continued to spasm. When the body fell, there was silence.
With jaws slack, the Black Suits looked to their boss, then to Ash. "You…you killed him!" Ash had no response, even as all eyes fell from the body to him. The Black Suit's shock turned to fury, and he took up arms. "He was pleading for his life and you killed him!"
Zeraora zipped between Ash and the Black Suit. Crushing the gun in his hand, he snarled, "How many times have you heard the same thing?" Then, a shock of a different sort sent him to the ground.
The crowd murmured amongst themselves in deep unease. Shouts of shock and confusion arose from among them, some blurting that their chosen hero killed someone, and amidst the chaos, it quickly grew into a widespread slander of him, and the Pokemon with him, committing murder. With how many there were, and how many could not see for themselves, the senseless rumor spread like a fire.
Many also came to Ash's defense, proclaiming with all confidence that Ash would never do something like that, and that it was only because of his efforts that any of them were still alive. These two dissensions dissolved into friction, and debate. The sky was darkening by the moment. The citywide war raged on all around the central square. The fear in people's hearts spurred them to senselessness. And so, the first punch was thrown.
In mere moments, the crowd descended into chaos. They fought one another tooth and nail–some against another, some returning to beating upon the shields of the Star Foundation staff–for reasons that slimmed in number by the second.
Wayward punches struck marks that were not meant, and received retaliation in turn. With the air thinning, their loved ones sealed within the tower, things only became worse. The people blindly bludgeoned one another for reasons they no longer understood.
Serena and the three Legends stood appalled. Ash's eyes stared far off somewhere. The sound of chaos around him blended together and dulled. All he could do was stare down at the body, bereft of its flames of life. By his hand. All around him, the flames of life were flickering. All around him, there was only darkness, save for the man laying at his feet.
The flames of life withered beneath the winds of death. They had been for some time now. Too long, but now all the more. In that moment where Ash had taken the man's life, his own Auric senses brought him to the edge of oblivion with him and peered in. All he could do was mutter, "I didn't…I didn't mean to…"
Serena stepped into his view and grabbed his hands. She screamed something at him that he couldn't hear. Her voice sounded like it was behind glass or beneath water. She shook him hard, and just barely, he heard her scream, "Ash!"
Starting with a sharp gasp, Ash pulled away from her into a world of sounds and screams again. "I-I didn't mean to-!" Raved the boy, his gaze returning the corpse like a magnet. "I didn't-!"
Gripping his wrists more tightly this time, Serena made sure to stand in the way of his sight. "I know, I know," She cooed. Slowly, she stepped right, turning Ash toward the tower. "But we need you. We don't have much time."
"...Time." Focus returned to Ash's eyes slowly as he beheld the crimson glow atop the tower through the clouds. "Right. We're almost out of time."
Once more, he pulled his hands from Serena's and looked up to the tower, leaving the body firmly behind. "Latias," He grumbled. Though she currently fended off the crowd with a barrier, Latias immediately perked up at his call. His expression made her tremble. "Float us over. The staff will give us enough time to break through."
"You don't want to stop them?"
"Just move."
Latias flinched, but did as ordered. Their group was encased in a dim, crimson glow and hoisted just over the horde, but below what Latias hoped would alert the targeting systems atop the many buildings. When they landed just in front of the building's black panels, Ash studied them for a moment.
He said to Serena, "Stand back." Then, blazing white, he motioned for the others to form up. Each of his Pokemon and the trio of Legends charged energy, with Ash following suit with an Aura Sphere. "Now!"
All of them unleashed their attacks simultaneously upon the black panel. It groaned and bent beneath the pressure but did not immediately break; a testament to the enemy's tenacity. Ash scowled. Between the technology Nova used at the Tree of Beginning and this, it became evident to Ash what Nova had used the remains of Necrozma's ship for. That monster seemed ever intent to benefit off the world's suffering. It infuriated him, and in his anger, he roared and pressed forth with his Aura.
With a final push, the panel buckled and was torn from its hinges. It sailed into the dark interior of the tower, unleashing a foul stench that made all who beheld it recoil. Keldeo, shielding his nose with his hoof, cried, "Gah! What the heck is that?!"
It was too dark to see, and Ash sensed no life within. That stench did not bode well. Putting it out of his mind, he silently stepped forward to enter the tower. He stopped in place, and those behind him did the same. Slowly, his neck craned around to look upon Serena. His breath caught in his throat.
"...Ash?" Serena asked hesitantly. She glanced around to see if she was mistaken about where he was looking. "What's wrong?"
Ash turned fully from the tower's new entrance. First, he addressed Keldeo. "You." He nodded over to the people. "See if you can keep the peace. Take out any Nova Corp guy you see."
"Wha-?" Started Keldeo. "Wait, we're not going together?"
Without answering, Ash looked next to Zeraora. "You." Glaring up at one of the projectors of the barrier, he ordered, "Take out those things making the barrier. If we get that down, the other Legends will be able to finish this in no time."
Zeraora's face twisted, as if insulted. "Excuse me? Look at yourself! You're falling apart! Anyone can see that. There's no way we're not going to-"
Ash turned away from him to Latias. "And you," He spoke, making her stiffen. Lastly, Ash looked to Serena. "Listen carefully to what I'm about to say. Serena, you've stuck with me through so much. I really doubt you'd stay away even if I told you to."
Sighing with relief, Serena smirked at Ash. "It's about time you wisened up. I'm glad you're still in there. I was beginning to think…well…"
She drifted off silently. Ash stared at her, and her smile faded. He took in a shaky breath, and then suddenly spat, "Latias, take her as far away as possible."
Shock ran throughout the group, even among Ash's Pokemon. "What?!" Serena screamed in complete and utter disbelief.
"Ash," Started Latias, "I know you're hurting even more than the rest of us, and you're only worried for us, but this is too much!"
Keldeo barked, "Going into the tower alone is crazy! I know what it's like to be alone at your worst, and I won't let you go through that too. Not even if you want to."
With a scoff, Zeraora marched toward Ash. "Well said." His claws dug into Ash's shirt as he hoisted the boy into the air, eliciting cries of shock from the others. "What do you think you're pulling? You gave me your Aura. Even if I don't have it anymore, I can still tell most of what's going on in that skull of yours." His eyes narrowed up into the shadow that hid Ash's. "I never thought I would trust humans again, and now you won't trust me? Do you think I'll stand for that?!"
White flame burst from Ash's body explosively. Zeraora let him go, suddenly falling to his knees beneath the cascade of will now crushing his own. The two other Legends also crumpled. Even Ash's Pokemon were made stiff. Pikachu, too, though he desired nothing more than to desperately protest against his best friend, felt powerless to move his body. He couldn't reach Ash anymore.
The only one unaffected was Serena. She stared Ash down defiantly even as his Aura raged around him an ivory inferno. Without fear, she plunged her hand into the fire. Her eyes went wide, then narrowed deeply. A scowl tore down her face, and then, she stomped toward him.
"Ash Ketchum…!" A crimson glow enveloped her, preventing her from going any further. But she was not about to let even that stop the depths of the words she had for Ash. "You think you're the only one who's hurting?!" She screamed even as she was dragged into the air. Beside her, Latias winced, refusing to face her or Ash.
Serena clenched her teeth so tightly they nearly cracked, but that was the least of her cares. At the top of her lungs, Serena bellowed, "I lost a lot too, you know! I've been with you every step of the way! You think you're the only one who can't stand to lose anymore?!" Burning tears of frustration dotted her eyes despite her attempts to blink them away. Hoarsely, she screamed out in despair and defiance. "What am I supposed to do if you die because you were alone?! Didn't you ever think about that, you selfish-?!"
Her anger grew to the point she could no longer translate it into words. All she could do was yell hoarsely as she was dragged away. Ash turned away from her slowly, toward the darkness of the tower. With her screams ringing in his ears, he motioned for his Pokemon to follow him. He did not dare to look at Keldeo or Zeraora. With only the bare necessities, he and his team plunged into the darkness.
The room was nearly pitch black. It was only illuminated by the many dim, holographic screens Nova peered into from his room. Among the screens, he watched as Ash entered Star Tower. One other screen showed the last train preparing to depart from New Goldenrod City. On another, Zeraora raced up a building like a reverse bolt of lightning and struck one of the barrier projectors. A fourth screen showed scientists running back and forth across a room frantically as they attempted to decode and register the DNA held within the hair of Mew.
Anxiously, Nova tapped his finger to his lap. Behind him, a small, potted tree sat upon his desk. Everything was proceeding as planned and the dominoes were in place to fall properly, and yet the roadblocks were continuing to multiply. Unable to stand it any longer, he shot to his feet and marched out of his office. He left behind another screen; one showing a black, wiry beast dangled from chords that sapped electricity from it.
"Prepare the cells," Ordered Nova into a transceiver on his suit. "I am on my way."
There was only crackling static at first before a stuttering voice replied, "B-but sir! The Zygarde Cells are still unstable! We have only just been able to reunify them without them combining! If they're unleashed now, we would only have mere minutes of control over them!"
"How. Many?"
The scientist winced at Nova's hiss. He unsteadily replied, "P-perhaps five minutes stably, but only if-"
"How long, even if unstable?"
The scientist grimaced and looked up at a large chamber of glass before him. Within, green orbs bounced back and forth in an angry swarm. Each one tried to connect with another, only for a black shock to prevent them from reuniting properly each time. Within the center, a dark crystal hovered. Without end, it prevented the guardian of balance from taking form. Each cell screamed in fury, maddened.
"...Ten minutes at best, if we push things to their limit.
"That's fine. We only need a distraction."
Author's Note
The Creator- Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Say, how long has it been? …I see. Well, here's hoping that doesn't happen again. A lot's been happening, but I don't have much of an excuse for this long of a pause. We've generally been working on the chapter, but I think I just had no clue how to properly operate some of the scenes while juggling characters, so only a handful of words were being written whenever I did write. Y'all deserve better.
Hydra- Apologies for the long wait. As The Creator said a lot has been going on which has made it hard to find the time to work on this chapter, but rest assured this story will be completed. To give you a little update about myself, I am about to graduate from university! When we originally started writing this fanfic I was a senior in high school. It's hard to believe how long its been.
G- Good chapter, so we saw the beginning of the operation "Goldenrod Assault", well, it was interesting to see our heroes disturbing the Hornet nest, and start their retaliation against the Nova corporation for their recent destruction in the Tree of Beginning.
Well, as one important aspect that leaves me notably concerned, is the current state of Ash, because as Serena, Latias, Keldeo and Zeraora noted, Ash isn't himself, he is acting like if he was a very different person. Well, being honest, even if his change of personality is result of some PTSD and/or thrist for revenge, i cannot help in think in the possibility that Ash is walking to the path of the "Dark side of the Aura", as to consider his status as Chosen one, Ash could be still victim of the "Chosen one's Curse", just like Anakin Skywalker, Gabriel Belmont, Liu Kang, Artoria Pendragon or Harry Potter, making me fear that our Ash end becoming a new monster; "Darth Cinder".
As other point, after saw the situation with Diance, this also makes me wonder if the hostile reaction of the people in this chapter, could be the tip of the iceberg, as we can't still see how many people are believing the propaganda yet, making that can exist the possibility that Nova ends being only the beginning of some possible greater threat...
Also, regarding to your point The Creator, well, i just hope that Ash doesn't ends falling to Dark side, as the last thing that the Pokemon world needs, is that their Chosen one end becoming a destroyer. Also, good comparison, i never though that Nova was also like Sephiroth, but analyzing it, they both have some similarities, adding the fact that in the case of Sephiroth, he become like the successor of Jenova, the Calamity of the Sky, the monster that purged the entire civilization of the Cetras, similar to the current plans of Nova, who wish to purges the entire population of pokemon from this world. Without count the fact that the signature attack of Sephiroth includes Nova; Supernova XD
Regarding to your question Hydra, about Genesect, to be honest, this is an interesting matter, in the sense that during this story, we saw several afflicted and traumatized characters that had to deals with revenge wishes, like Lugia, Keldeo, Latias or Reshiram. And as we already saw, despite to their seemingly lost cause, they showed be capable to still behaves logically and showcases some degree of moral code, making us think that it doesn't matter the revenge wishes, as any character can get a redemption chance.
Nevertheless, in the case of Genesect, i think that she could be an exception to this fact, because one important difference between her and the characters that i mentioned, its the fact that unlike Lugia, Keldeo, Latias and Reshiram, in the case of Genesect, she crossed a line that the others never did; attacked innocent bystanders in cold blood. As during the previous raid in Goldenrod city, Genesect was completely indifferent to the collateral damage and the innocent people that were in the way of her attacks, leaving clear that Genesect sank even more in this hatred and grudges than the others, making me think that Genesect couldn't redeems herself. Meaning that in her case, our heroes could considers a drastic option; eliminates her, as Genesect could become a notable danger for everybody, as her hatred and revenge wishes knows no bounds nor limits, making her a great threat, especially with her high capability of adaptation and upgrading, that could implies the possibility that Genesect ends becoming a similar monster like Necrozma. So, i think that Genesect could ends being stopped for any means, by our heroes.
To finishes, i wonder if during this raid, it could occurs other casualties for the Legendary pokemon side, as i dreads in think in that some of our favorites Legendaries be killed; particulary Lugia and Reshiram. I hope that at least they won't perishes in this conflict.
Keep the good job.
(During the final battle, just before that Nova will dies)
Nova: "I will never be a memory."
The Creator- Ash really…isn't quite himself right now you might say. Something inside of him just snapped. Could it be that something was lost in the Tree of Beginning…or was perhaps something added that was never meant to be?
If Ash keeps losing more, he might lose himself last of all. What would become of him, and of the world, if he fell? That is if there would be a world left after all is said and done.
Now, on top of it all, the people are losing their minds from fear. You can sadly see in real life, whenever there's a large scale protest, a mob will tear itself and uninvolved people apart. All the more so when the world is ending, the air is thinning, the sky is darkening, your home is embroiled in war, your loved ones are trapped somewhere and you can't get to them. The first punch led to thousands, but why? Even they don't know.
Just as Aura can be used for creation and life, it can also be used for destruction. Aura Sphere is proof enough of that. But just the same, the destructive energy of Necrozma can be used for technological advancement and even the support of life depending on how it is used. We'll get to see those ideals clash soon.
Thank you for your amazing reviews, and I'm sorry we kept you waiting.
Hydra- I see your point about Genesect. Especially with crossing the line and attacking bystanders in her thirst for revenge. Could you imagine seeing an evil version of Genesect where she looks like a demon with black skin and red eyes that peer into her opponents soul. She might be too far gone, but then again she did spare heavy when she saw his daughter… so maybe just maybe there could be an inkling of that little innocent girl she once was.
As for your final point talking about legendaries potentially dying. They are definitely on their last legs. They already used almost everything in their power at the tree fight, so at this point they're fighting through grit, determination, and a thirst for vengeance, but will it be enough? Also, they still have many obstacles to deal with like the Raiden, the laser projector, and now a bunch of wild Zygrade cells.
It's good to respond to you again G, it's been a long time.
SilverWolf1130- The Pokémon world… is getting worse…
The final battle takes place in New Goldenrod City… the area where the final battle against Necrozma happened. Very fitting.
And the civilians are going through absolute hell. I get the feeling they're gonna get caught in the crossfire between the Nova Corps and the Legendaries.
And some are against the Legendaries while others still cling onto hope that they're not evil…
Imagine if the civilians got so maddened with all the chaos they'll just try to attack the Legendaries (particularly the ones that can't fly) themselves as a mob using nothing but their fists and any nearby weapons they could get their hands on… after all, the world knows they can be brought down…
Ash… is getting worse…
It's crazy how the Nova Corps still has so much left after how much they lost during the siege of the Tree. They really are the richest force on earth…
And Tapu Bulu is the first to go down… and he won't be the last…
The Creator- There isn't much left to save. What can be done about the dying world without a Tree of Life to support it? Even if Nova is stopped…who can save the world?
It ended up that the civilians turned on each other before the Legends. But the war is still burning. How much worse can things get before the end? Goldenrod City has known more death and chaos in this world than perhaps anywhere else now. And it just keeps getting worse.
But perhaps a new font of life is not out of reach entirely? Thanks for sticking with us.
Hydra- Nova was so particular with his plans that he made sure to have a contingency for almost any situation that could happen with the legends which is why he still has a lot of resources to hold off his enemies even still. I still love his quote back in chapter 65, "We had monopolized the world."
Dude can you imagine a scene where one of the legends just gets dogpiled by a mob who just keep beating it over and over. The legend is shown trying to hold back because it knows if it attacks it might accidentally kill someone, but it gets angrier and angrier before it eventually snaps. Lets hope that never happens to Zeraora because he has a temper.
I hope you've been good SilverWolf, it's nice to talk with you again!
The Creator- Where did Ryder end up leaving to? What is the train that left New Goldenrod, and where can it go to? Either way, the efforts of Nova will not go unimpeded. A brutal clash of metal against metal is in store for you readers next time on Pokextinction.
Hydra- That's all for this one folks! This next chapter is going to be really emotional to write as it's bringing an end to one of the longest running side stories in our fic. It will be the ultimate battle about two people who can never let go.