Young Writers Society

Bloodmoon eagerly bit into the meat. Genesect had been kind enough to bring his requested food back to him nice and cooked. It was probably due to the use of that flamethrower he had.

“Scans indicate vitality in organic Bloodmoon has risen 30% by consumption of only 20% of the Bidoof’s body mass.” Genesect said.

“That what this thing is called? Well make a note buddy, cause I’m gonna be ordering Bidoof a lot more often.” Bloodmoon said happily, taking another bite out of the meat.

“Note made.” Genesect beeped.

Bloodmoon and Genesect had been camped out in front the temple for about a day now, with Genesect bringing food to him every few. This Bidoof had been the most tasty of all the meats Genesect had brought back so far. Soon, he’d be ready to take on the temple and get the plate.

“So, anything else I can do besides make illusions?” Bloodmoon asked.

“You currently know three moves on top of your ability. Night Daze, Foul Play, and Night Slash.”

“Wait, moves? Like dance moves, or some super cool, elemental, attack things?”

“The latter description best suits the specified attacks.” Genesect responded.

“That is awesome! How do I Night Daze?” He asked, jumping up, dropping the Bidoof meat on the ground.

“Searching for “How do I Night Daze”.” Genesect said. He began making a weird static noise, his head rotating around. Then he made a weird conformational beep.

“Result found. Quoting a passage from an old text “The Nature of the dark” by Nosfen the Houndoom.”

Bloodmoon listened, eager to hear what had to be said.

“Energy based Dark attacks requires one to use their emotions. Whether they are good or bad is irrelevant. Any emotion holds destructive capability, allowing you to damage both an opponent’s psych and body. Unlike the lesser psychic type attacks, dark type attacks require little concentration. You simply must envision your opponent suffering from your chosen attack, and it will manifest itself by drawing on the memories stored in your mind. There is no need to focus on the memories.”
Genesect quit quoting the text.

“Wow. Devastating, anime-styled attacks with no concentration whatsoever? Boy did I luck out.” He chuckled. He looked for a suitable target. His eyes fixed on one of the statues near the entrance. That would work.

“Stand back buddy. Wouldn’t want you to get hurt. You’re my primary source of food after all.”

Genesect backed up several steps, simply following the order and not really concerned about getting hit.

“Ok. I’m envisioning a gruesome end to this statue…” Bloodmoon said to himself. He imagined it fragmented and broken, lying in a pile of rubble. Suddenly, Bloodmoon felt a weird sensation inside himself. Without warning, a wave of dark energy flew out at the statue. As it hit, the energy ripped the statue apart at where it hit, causing it to topple over and shatter. Bloodmoon stared at what he’d done, openmouthed.

“Ok. I held myself back before, but I think I speak for both of us when I say that was totally bada…”

Bloodmoon stopped talking at the sound of a loud moaning. Louder than usual.

“Detecting dark energy signatures. Animated corpses are approaching.” Genesect warned, his cannon powering up.

“But they can’t get this close to the temple right?” Bloodmoon asked.

“Uncertain. Unknown force repelling the animated corpses was likely weakened if not completely deactivated by the destruction of the statue.”

No sooner had Genesect finished talking, Bloodmoon saw dark figures approaching through the mist.

“Well crap.”
“Guess we’ll be going into the temple now after all. Come on Gen.” Bloodmoon said, making a break for the temple. As Genesect turned to follow, he suddenly shuddered and collapsed forward.

“Er-er-error. H-hardware malfunction. Hostile program g-gaining cont-control faster-er than anticipated.” Genesect said, his voice glitchy. Bloodmoon ran back to help him.

“Come on, get up. I’m not letting those guys have whatever meat you’ve got left in you. I’ve already got dibs on it.” He grunted, trying to pull Genesect with him. Genesect slowly turned his head to look at him.

“Leave this platform. It desires destruction.” Genesect said.

“Don’t be getting all emo on me. Remember, I’m the dark one here.”

Suddenly, Genesect shuddered again, regaining some mobility. He folded into flight mode, zooming for the temple entrance. Bloodmoon followed behind, not having run in his new body yet. As they entered, Bloodmoon turned. The undead were moving towards the entrance, nothing holding them back. Bloodmoon looked to the entryway, an idea forming. He thought of that entry collapsing, being torn apart. Bloodmoon felt the energy gathering again, stronger this time. With a shout, he launched night daze at the entrance. The stone didn’t stand a chance. The dark energy tore it apart, causing for a loss of support on the stone above. The entire entrance collapsed downward in a pile of rubble, completely sealing the entryway. Bloodmoon coughed as he inhaled some of the dust, keeping his eyes closed to keep it out of them. When he opened his eyes, he saw his plan had worked.

“Well, at least we’re safe.” Bloodmoon coughed. Genesect unfolded from flight mode.

“You saved this platform, though it desired destruction. Why?” Genesect asked.

“Hey, I’m not about to let the one friend I’ve got here get eaten. I’m pretty sure there’s an entire religion devoted to not letting friends get eaten. Who would I be to disobey a religion like that?” Bloodmoon said.

“There is no known religion with such doctrines in my databanks.” Genesect replied.

“It was sarcasm. Seriously, program yourself to understand it.”

Bloodmoon looked past Genesect, a long stairway leading downward into darkness.

“Well, with any luck this is just a Goth themed all you can eat buffet. Come on Gen, let’s go find this magical plate. Hopefully they don't make you get a new one when you eat all the food off it. I have a feeling just getting one is gonna be tough enough.”

“Come on Arthur! You got this!”

“Give em the Hammer Arm!”

Deep inside Mt. Providence, in one of the training rooms, a Chestnaught fought against several opponents. A Braixan and Frogadier cheered him on from the sidelines. His opponents were a Pawniard, Glameow, and a Skorupi.

“Take him from the sides.” The Pawniard said to his teammates. They did as they were told, trying to flank him. But the Pawniard didn’t expect his opponent to charge straight ahead at him, delivering a hammer arm.

“I called that!” The Frogadier shouted.

“Stop shouting. You’ll wreck his concentration.” The Braixen complained.

“Well excuse me Felicity. I’m just cheering my friend on.” The Frogadier said.

“Well cheer more my volume Alek. It’s less distracting and more uplifting.” Felicity said.

The Frogadier named Alek just shrugged, getting back to cheering.

Arthur stood in the center of the three.

“Oh no. I’m surrounded. What ever shall I do?” Arthur chuckled.

“Get him now!” The Skorupi shouted. Arthur’s three opponents leapt at him. The Pawniard using metal claw, the Glameow slash, and the Skorupi poison sting. But before the hits landed, the Chestnaught rolled into a ball, spikes shooting out of him as he used Spike Shield. Each of them landed their hits, but took damage as a result. The Pawniard fainted, having taken too much damage, leaving the Glameow and Skorupi left.

“I surrender!” The Skorupi shouted, leaving just the Glameow.

“You want to surrender too?” Arthur asked.

“Yes.” The Glameow said, running out of the room as well. Arthur sighed, exiting the arena.

“Arthur, that was awesome! You’ve really powered up since evolving.” Alek said.

“I definitely feel stronger, that’s for sure. Too bad that makes all the other
apprentices jealous. That was the second group to challenge me this week.” Arthur said.

“Well, it sounds like you could use a nice celebration.” Felicity said, giving him a hug around the neck.

“Ew, gross.” Alek said.

“Don’t worry Alek. You won’t find getting hugs from girls so appalling once you evolve.” Arthur chuckled.
“So, what did you have in mind?” .

“Some of my famous mountain top snow cones.” Alek said, bouncing in excitement.

“Sounds good to me." Arthur laughed at his friend's enthusiasm.
"Let’s go.”



Felicity and Arthur sat outside on a ledge high up on Mt. Providence.

“The view seems especially beautiful today doesn’t it?” Felicity asked Arthur.

“Yep. Feels like ages since we joined the New Order. I bet you’re pretty close to evolving too.” Arthur said.

“I hope so. I can’t wait to look beautiful.” Felicity said.

“You already are.” Arthur said absentmindedly, then blushed as he realized what he said.

“I mean, you’re pretty. You’ll be prettier once you evolve. Not that I care or anything. We’re just friends after all.”

“Better stop before you dig yourself any deeper.” Felicity laughed.

“Got them!” Alek shouted. He leapt down from above, landing back with the group.

“What was my time?” Alek asked, a bucket of snow clutched in his hand.

“I counted 7 minutes and 33 seconds.” Felicity said.

“Darn. Last time was 27 seconds.” Alek said. He picked up wooden cups that Arthur had carved and scooped snow that he’d gotten from the top of the mountain out of the bucket into them.

“Hard to believe there’s actually snow up there, with the rest of this place always being so hot.” Arthur said.

“Well, the air is colder the further you get from the planet’s surface.” Felicity said.

“And so concludes another science lesson from Professor Felicity.” Arthur joked, causing Felicity to playfully slug him in the shoulder.

“They’re almost done. Hand me the berries.” Alek said. Arthur passed him a small burlap sack, the bottom stained from countless types of berries being held in it before. Alek reached inside, pulling out a handful of berries and squeezing them over the snow, causing the juice to seep into the ice.

“Hey.” Felicity said, stopping Alek from licking his hand.
“Finish the rest of them first before you lick your hand.”

“Yes Mom.” Alek said sarcastically, reaching into the bag and oulling out more berries. Soon, all three snow cones were made. The trio of friends sat on the cliff, overlooking the barren land.

“I still can’t believe you’re a full-fledged warrior now.” Felicity said.

“I know, me neither. I’m going to be fighting out there alongside the Legendries. It’s all a bit much to take in.” Arthur said.

“Do you think you’ll get to kill anyone?” Alek asked.

“Heh… maybe.” Arthur said. Though truth be told, he really hoped he wouldn’t have to kill anyone anytime soon. Still, the New Order had enemies that needed to be taken care of.

“I may be transferred somewhere else though.” Arthur said.

“Yes… we know.” Felicity sighed.

“Then we’ll just have to make the most of our time left together. And once we evolve and become Warriors, we’ll be able to join you. Nothing’s keeping us apart.” Alek said enthusiastically.

“Then let us toast our cones of snow, to a bright future.” Arthur said, raising his snow cone like a glass.

“To a bright future!” Alek and Felicity cheered, toasting.
The group finished off their snow cones quickly, and soon returned to inside the mountain.

“I don’t understand,” Riley said, breaking the stunned silence, “where is the Plate?”

Flurry was the next to snap back to reality. “Well, it must have been here at some point…” she stated, approaching the petrified Pokémon. “She how her whole body was trying to cover her right hand? It’s as if she was protecting the Plate even after being defeated.”

“But I thought they are supposed to give it willingly once they lost,” Riley continued, still confused.

Flurry shook her head. “Except when it’s–”

“The New Order.”

Both Flurry and Riley started and turned towards Gabriel. He looked utterly crestfallen. His sagging shoulders, his drooping ears and tail, everything about him indicated severe disappointment.

Earlier, Gabriel had mentioned to Flurry how he hadn’t “connected the dots yet,” but she suddenly connected them herself. “That’s how they’re controlling him,” she breathed, aghast. “They’re using the Pixel Plate.”

“But how?” Riley asked, seemingly making a habit out of being tactless in the worst of situations.

“How should I know?” she exclaimed exasperatedly. “Maybe it’s because both Xerneas and Arceus are deer-like and creators of life? But that’s not important right now. Gabriel, are you okay?”

Said Riolu muttered something like a confirmation. “I’ll just be… over there, somewhere in the forest.” He disappeared into the foliage without another word.

Gabriel wandered through the trees, searching for a place where he could feel empty in solitude. He eventually came upon a fallen tree and decided it would do. He plopped down on it and just sat there. The minutes passed, but he did not even stir.

If there really were such a thing as fate, then surely it would be controlled by the Creator of the universe, wouldn’t it? Yet that Creator had forsaken his world and decided to oppress it instead. Did that mean every attempt to overthrow him would eventually be in vain? It would certainly explain how Gabriel had managed to raise his hopes despite the circumstances, simply to have them dashed to pieces with even more ferocity. Hope was indeed a virtue, but false hope was a cruelty. Perhaps the only solution left was to–

“You look sad.”

If he had the energy, Gabriel might have started, but he didn’t so he simply looked backwards and regarded the voice with empty eyes – it had come from a light green bulb-like Pokémon. She had a crescent-shaped white face with eyes like coffee seeds, though she lacked a mouth and nose. Three viridian, oblong leaves topped her head, with six similar but far shorter leaves forming a collar of sorts. Gabriel recognised the species type as a Petilil.

He shrugged and faced forwards once more. She must have thought it an invitation, for she sat down beside him. “My name’s Fleur.”

“Gabriel.”

She reached up to her head, plucked off one of the leaves and proffered it. “Would you like a leaf, Gabriel? It’ll make you feel better.”

“I doubt it, but thanks anyway.”

She continued to hold it out expectantly though, so he gave in, popping it into his mouth. The leaf was extraordinarily bitter, but he didn’t want to hurt the Petilil’s feelings by spitting it out in front of her, so he swallowed. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but his eyes suddenly grew watery. All of the sadness and disappointment he had suppressed his entire life welled up inside him, and finally finding an outlet, it manifested in the form of tears. Gabriel began to sob, and he did not stop until he felt like he had no water left in his body.

Once he was done, he was surprised to find he felt better. Purer. He turned to the Petilil – no, Fleur – who had sat through everything, and embraced her, overwhelmed by gratitude. “Thank you!” he whispered.

“You’re welcome,” she said once he let go, her eyes smiling.

“What is someone as kind as you doing in a place as dangerous as this?” Gabriel’s voice was still a little shaky.

“It wasn’t always this way. When my friend and I first came here, the grove was vibrant and beautiful. Everyone was so friendly. Then something must have happened, because they started disappearing and being replaced by mean, scary Pokémon, like those walking trees and the yellow plants with the big mouths. I was afraid of them, but Daisy, being a Whimsicott, was always so cheerful and positive and wanted to befriend them. So one day, we went into the more dangerous area of the forest, looking for the new Pokémon. We found one, a big, purple bug with long claws and a very large tail. Daisy tried to talk to it, but it grabbed her with its claws and raised its tail. She told me to run, so I did. I’ve avoided everyone ever since.”

“I’m sorry,” Gabriel said sincerely. “Really, I am.”

“You’re nice,” Fleur said, smiling with her eyes once more. “I knew it the moment I saw you, which is why I didn’t try to hide. You remind me of the pink lady in the centre of the grove.”

“You knew the Guardian?” Gabriel asked, surprised.

“Mm-hmm. Daisy and I had come down here to explore, not for the Plate. Once she realised that, she let us stay.”

“I don’t mean to be insensitive, but the Mega Gardevoir is dead. Did you by any chance see who defeated her?”

“There were four of them. The leader was a large, steely, blue deer, but he had two bladed Pokémon with him. Oh, and there was a purple ghost with him.”

Cobalion – the leader of the Swords of Justice – had converted to the New Order? How the mighty had fallen. “What did the bladed Pokémon look like?”

“They walked upright, like you and me, but their bodies consisted entirely of blades. They seemed cold and pitiless, so I hid while they passed.”

Hmm, definitely two Bisharpe. “And the ghost?”

“Well, she seemed detached from the group. She spoke once or twice, but it sounded more like chanting. Oh, and she wore a hat.”

A Mismagius. It’s a good thing Fleur had hidden, since such a party could – and would – easily have killed her. “How did all four of them manage to come down here? I thought a Mystery Dungeon allowed only four Pokémon to enter.”

“I’ve been here for so long, the Grove considers me a resident.”

“That does explain a lot. But why did you never leave?”

“The Grove considers me a resident,” she repeated.

Gabriel looked thoughtful. “Would you like to leave?”

Fleur’s expression saddened. “I would, since it’s no longer pleasant here, but I can’t.”

“You can, if you come with me. I only came here with two other friends, and I assume if only four can come in, only four can leave, so it’s perfect. What do you say?”

Her face lit up like the sky on New Year’s Eve (not that Gabriel could remember what that meant). “Really? You’d take me with you?”

“Of course. Come on, I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

She slipped her hand into Gabriel’s and followed him as he retraced his steps back to the clearing, where Flurry and Riley sat cross-legged and spoke in serious tones. When the former saw him approach though, she immediately sprang up, concerned.

“Gabriel, you’re back!” she called delightedly, but when she saw Fleur hiding behind him, she enquired, “Oh? Who’s that?”

“Flurry, Riley, this is Fleur.” She shyly glanced past him. “Fleur, these are my friends.” Gabriel approached Flurry and Riley so that Fleur would follow.

Riley gave Flurry a bemused look, but nevertheless stepped forward and extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fleur.”

She hesitantly took it, shaking his hand ever so slightly. “Gabriel, why’s his fur smooth, while yours is soft?”

Gabriel chuckled. “Honestly, I have no idea.”

“Are you sure you aren’t brothers?”

“The way these two behave, you would think so,” Flurry commented, also extending her hand.

Fleur took it, even more hesitantly than with Riley, but she immediately withdrew it. “You’re cold!”

“I’m sorry!” Flurry apologised quickly, “I had completely forgotten that Grass types are weak to Ice types.”

“No, you’re probably cold because your ability is Ice Body; any non-Ice type who touches you risks being frozen.”

“Oh.” Flurry looked dejected.

Gabriel could see Riley was alarmed as well. “Shall we get going?” he asked, trying to change the subject. “Hopefully, we can get back before Cassandra realises we’re gone. Besides, had the Plate still been here, we would have been teleported back to the temple. Seeing as it isn’t, we’ll have to make our way back on our own.”

The other two agreed and set off. Gabriel could see they were wondering why he had brought Fleur along, but as soon as they realised she had memorised the entirety of the Enchanted Grove, they concluded he must have asked her to be their guide. And a useful guide she was indeed: Fleur knew how the shifting gravity behaved at different places, so they spent most of their time leaping through the forest, all the while avoiding any hostile Pokémon. Much sooner than they could have done on their own, they reached the path which led back up to the tunnel.

As they reached the top, all four of them turned to take one last glance at the Enchanted Grove. For all the dangers that hid within it, it truly was beautiful. As one, they turned back towards the tunnel and entered the gloom. After ascending the staircase and stepping onto the temple floor, the statue of Xerneas floated back down to conceal the entrance.

“Now that we’ve concluded this useless adventure, we can finally go back to Frostpoint.” She was ready to leave, but Gabriel halted her, saying he too wanted a souvenir from the temple. “Are all Riolus as sentimental as you two?” she asked, rolling her eyes in frustration. “Sheesh. Go, get yourself a trinket so we can leave.”

Gabriel strolled past the columns and trees, trying his best not to gawk again, when something blue glinted against one of the columns. He went to pick up, but found it was simply a dusty piece of glass. He rubbed the dust off, but he almost jumped out of his skin when it glowed and started hovering on its own. An unknown voice began speaking.

“This area once served as a sanctuary for Fairy types. It has long since been forgotten and is now home to violent Pokémon. The Mystery Dungeon is located under the statue of Xerneas in the centre of the Enchanted Grove and will only be revealed to the one who can play the song “Giver of Life.” Once you gain access to the Mystery Dungeon, you must navigate a forest with varying gravity types before facing the Guardian and obtaining the Pixel Plate.”

The shard hovered back into Gabriel’s hands. Stunned, he turned to his three companions, who had come closer while the shard had spoken.

“If only we’d have found that thing before we had entered the Mystery Dungeon,” Flurry remarked, taking the shard from Gabriel and dropping it into her bag.

“Who would have thought the Enchanted Grove lead to the Enchanted Forest though?” Gabriel mused while climbing the same staircase as earlier, which had magically appeared after the shard had finished.

“At least we won’t have to visit it ever again,” Riley added with relief.

“True, but it must have been magnificent while Xerneas resided there.”

“Speaking of which, what are we going to do about him now?”

“I don’t know,” Gabriel admitted despondently. “We can’t attack Mt. Providence, and they aren’t simply going to give him back…”

“Why don’t you offer them something in return?” Fleur piped up behind him.

Gabriel was about to retort when an idea struck him, but his words were lost in his throat as the icy wind of the north struck him as well.

“Sweet cold!” Flurry exclaimed, doing a little dance.

“You’re getting snow all over me,” Riley complained.

Worried that the cold would affect Fleur even more, he picked her up. He could easily keep up with the other two, as she was quite light.

“Guys! Fleur gave me an idea of how we can get Xerneas back.”

“How?” Flurry called, skipping through the snow. Despite the cold, Gabriel had to try really hard not to laugh.

“We bargain with the New Order. After they’ve killed him, the Fairy Plate will no longer be of use to them, so if we offer them another Plate, maybe they’ll agree.”

“You want to find another Mystery Dungeon?” Flurry asked, outraged. “After the trouble the last one caused us?”

“I don’t see another choice.”

“Say we agree,” Riley enquired, “which Plate would you suggest we give them?”

“Dark?”

Riley shook his head. “We can’t make them more powerful than they already are.”

“How about the Steel Plate, then?” Flurry shot him such a fierce look, Gabriel quickly retracted the suggestion. After thinking for a moment, he proposed, “What about the Poison Plate? There aren’t any Poison Legendaries, so it wouldn’t strengthen them or weaken us in any way.”

“Of course, and there is no way it will give them the power to unleash a plague upon every last member of the Resistance!” Flurry responded.

“As bad as that sounds, it’s the best option we have,” Riley reluctantly admitted. “Every other Plate will disadvantage us even more.”

“Fine. And how exactly do you two plan to find this Plate? Like you said, there isn’t a patron of Poison, so you can’t research the Legendary like you did with Xerneas.”

“That’s true, which is why we’ll have to ask Cassandra to help.”

Zulu and the others looked at the destroyed statue.

“The New Order is here.” Zulu heard someone say, but he wasn’t paying attention. Ever since Darkrai, he’d grown pretty relaxed. Sure there was the ambush that resulted in Frost’s death, but that had been by simple soldiers. Zulu had almost forgotten the fact that there were still legendries to fight.

“Cresselia, can you figure out who did this?” Lugia asked, looking at the shattered remains. Absol wandered around the chamber, nose to the ground, sniffing for any clues.

“Yes. Give me a moment.” She said, closing her eyes. She lit up in a purple aura again as she used her power.

“It was Heatran. An Iron Head attack was used to smash this statue.” Cresselia said, opening her eyes.

Zulu tried to recall anything he knew about Heatran. All he remembered about him was his typing. Steel and Fire.

“How do they know a plate’s here? Finding one at Kyogre’s temple was just dumb luck.” Moltres said.

“It’s not unlikely the mortals who hid the plates left clues in texts as to their locations. Many wise Pokémon were entrusted with the care of them. That Blastoise was once an acolyte to Kyogre during his more peaceful days, when he wasn’t consumed with fighting Groudon.” Cresselia explained.

Absol trotted over, laying something on the ground in front of them. It was another Shard.

“I couldn’t activate it. Only a human or certain Legendries can use these.” Absol said.

“Go on Ren. You can have this one.” Lugia said, disappointing Zulu a little. Ren picked the Shard up from the ground, causing it to glow with a bright light and beginning Palkia’s message.

“This temple was built to honor the Legendries of Fire that gave warmth to those during harsh winters. The mystery dungeon here is home to many fire types. Once through the dungeon, you will arrive at the inner sanctum of the palace. To gain access to the Guardian chamber, a being with mastery over fire must redirect the flames that block the path to the chamber. Defeat the Guardian to obtain the Fire Plate. May the Light be with you.”

Once the voice stopped and the shard returned to normal, Zulu couldn’t help but glance at Cresselia, who was trying to appear as if hearing Palkia’s voice hadn’t affected her.

“See. She’s heartbroken. She needs someone to love her.”

“Using some kind of love magic isn’t going to help her. It would be like me giving her drugs to keep her happy.”

“You have the best shot with her.”

“I have about as much a shot as Zapdos.”

“Did you ever consider she might have feelings for you?”

“…shut up.” Zulu thought, finishing his mental argument.

“I hate how the people who built these places are so puzzle eccentric.” Moltres complained.

“Without Frost, you’ll be one member short. One of us should go with you.” Lugia said.

Zulu’s first thought was Lugia, since he knew some Water Attacks, but then his thoughts drifted to Cresselia. Then his thoughts drifted to mentally shouting at himself for letting his thoughts drift to Cresselia.

“This temple was built for Groudon, so none of us would be too big to fit in the corridors.” Cresselia said.
“Lugia, you are the most suited of us to go with them.”

“I was thinking the same thing. I’ll get them past all the enemies in the dungeon so they’re not too tired to face the Guardian.”

Zulu was both glad and disappointed Cresselia wasn’t coming. But the disappointed side of him won out.

“But wouldn’t it be a little dangerous to go with just one Legendary? I mean, Heatran is also in there. What if Lugia’s too tired to fight him.”

“Her.” Moltres corrected.

“What?”

“Heatran is female, as hard as it is to believe. She definitely doesn’t act like a lady.” Lugia explained.

“Though I see your point Zulu. Absol, you have adventured in Mystery Dungeons since your days of being on an exploration team. Any suggestions?” Cresselia asked.

Absol looked thoughtful.
“If I recall, a group of four can enter a mystery dungeon. If a second group were to follow, they’d find themselves in a completely different layout than the first group. We wouldn’t be able to help if you got into trouble, which might happen with just you and Moltres alone. However, if I went with your group Cresselia, then the teams would be even.” Absol finished.

“Sounds fair to me.” Lugia said.

“Actually, I was wondering if maybe I could go with Cresselia’s group.” Zulu asked.

“What are you doing stupid!”

“Oh be quiet. I’m doing you a favor.”

“I don’t know. Spreading our humans’ thin like this doesn’t seem like a good idea. I say we just stick with a group of four. But to conserve energy, I’ll take the Water Plate with me.” Lugia said.

“Drat. Foiled again. Oh well, at least we always have attract.”

“Have you been listening to me? She’s. A. Pokémon.”

“I would’ve thought someone 17 years old would thank me for trying to set them up with a girl.”

“Finally you’ve done something right. So I’m 17. Darn. I hoped I would be older.”

“So you can score easier with your love?”

“I don’t love her!” Zulu shouted, soon realizing he’d said that out loud. The group stared at him.

“Here! I don’t love here. It’s really hot.” Zulu said.

“You do look a little flushed Zulu.” Cresselia said.

“It’s nothing too bad. I’m a Dragon, remember. No heat is too much for me.”

“Well, then looks like we decided on the plan we were originally going with.” Ren said, giving Zulu a weird look for trying to make the plan more complicated. Cresselia levitated the Water Plate to Lugia, who stuck it on his chest. It held there as if there was glue on it.

“Don’t rely on it too much. I’ve heard tales that the plate will seek to appoint a new guardian at all costs. I don’t think you’d enjoy being forced to stay in the Palace of Tides for all eternity.” Cresselia warned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Ren, Absol, Zeke, let’s go.” Lugia said, heading towards the double doors at the back of the chamber that led to the Mystery Dungeon. Zulu flapped over to Cresselia so he could ask her a question.

“Cresselia? How old is Absol?”

“He’s quite old actually. He was rewarded with long life for his service in saving the world many centuries ago. His partners however chose not to accept the reward. They died a long time ago. One of them was actually a human turned Pokémon as well.”

“Zulu! Come along!” Absol shouted from the doors, Lugia and Ren already having disappeared through them.

“Ok. Goodbye. We’ll be back with that plate.” Zulu promised, flapping after the group. Once they were gone, Moltres approached Cresselia.

“That little Noibat sure is an odd thing isn’t he?” Moltres commented.

“Yes. I think something may be troubling him. I’ll have to talk with him at some point.” Cresselia said. The two began to look around the chamber. Suddenly, Cresselia froze. Sensing something Moltres turned to her.

“Cresselia? You alright?” Moltres asked. Cresselia turned to her, a smile on her face.

“I just received a message from Celebi. Frost is alive.” She said, a tear of happiness rolling down her cheek.

Day A1 7:00

The heat was invigorating. --- strode into the dungeon, ready to fight yet only seeing fainted enemies on all sides. The others followed, looking more tired than anything. Together, they stalked the trail of dead Macargo and smashed Graveler deeper into the dungeon. --- found himself paying more attention to Zulu, there was definitely something going on with him and the Blaziken did not wish to see the Noibat distraught. His thoughts were interrupted by Lugia,

"This place has been corrupted. We must move quickly for I fear a much larger power is working against us." He said, and --- noted a flash of fear dart across the legendries' face.

No one replied. --- kept moving. There was nothing to say, nothing to do but push forwards. Yet even then, a plan was forming. Absol was the first to voice it.

"My friends, we cannot hope to win this battle. If I can sense the opposition from here, which I can, then these are no minor enemies. Heatran is sure to be here and judging by the other power source, a much stronger NO leader is with him. I will be no use in this fight and we have no direct water types in our team. Speed is our answer." He said.

"Hey, I can slip in there and grab the plate if they haven't taken it yet." Zulu said, his eyes shining, ready to be of use.

--- and Absol nodded together, this would be a good idea.

"We'll distract them, buy you time, but at best we'll be able to stall for a few minutes. Heatran is nothing to sneeze at." Lugia added.

They entered the last level of the dungeon.

"I can support Zulu. If they notice us Absol and I can pool our energy to knock him back at least once. Zulu always has Dragon Pulse up his sleeve to." --- said. At this, the Noibat looked uneasy but nodded all the same.

Finally, the trail of carnage ended and the group found themselves standing in front of a massive arch.

"This was were all the fire legendries gathered to discuss our actions. This is where we held council to address the Dusknoir case." he announced, his eyes focused on a point in the distance, a point in the past.

Absol paused then looked towards Lugia and said in a gentle voice.

"C'mon, those times are gone now. We must focus on what is to come."

Lugia nodded slowly, still dazed, and floated forwards.

With that, the entered the Guardian's chamber. As expected, a jet of fire sealed the entrance. --- stepped forwards and locked his gaze with the roiling blaze. It was just like controlling the lava accept now, the fire was moving against him. The Blaziken concentrated, slowly extending his hands towards the flame. It fought him in an effort to stay on course and ---'s hand began to tremble.

Gritting his teeth, --- poured more energy into his efforts, forcing the flame back inch by inch. He remembered Lugias teachings, a whisper from the past that remained in his subconscious,

"It's is not about how to do it more than it is about what you want it to do."

Closing his eyes, the Blaziken felt the blaze he strove against and abandoned his efforts in strength, instead, he used his will. The flame roared backwards into it's pipe and reappeared, left across the gap.

Just like that, the flame stopped and the doors opened. Together, the team advanced inwards.

A massive shadow towered over the group as they entered. Groudon hadn't bothered hiding, it wouldn't have made a difference either way, his power radiated throughout the hall, heating the air to an insane temperature. The others stumbled as they entered and Absol was practically flattened.

"So, the resistance has come." The giant boomed. Beside him, a fiery lizard scrabbled out from behind a post.

"I guess hiding wouldn't have been any use anyway." It muttered.

Lugia surged forwards, a blue glow surrounding him.

Heatran! You treacherous little rat. How could you defile this place with your presence!" He shouted.

Heatran smirked.

"Ahh Lugia, you must know enough about me to know that I always choose the winning side, and by my guess, the New Order seems to be doing that exactly." She chuckled, raising the plate in her tail. At this, Lugia scowled.

"It seems you are to late." Groudon said, a hint of amusement in his voice, "As Heatran said, we shall be the victors."

Suddenly, the god's features darkened and with a roar he announced, "Its is no longer a time of peace you naïve little creatures. The gods have been kept down, muddling about in the filth that is the people's needs. Now we rise and rule as we were destined to!" He thundered.

With that, the two charged.

Twinkiel - Frozen Frenzy

Day A4, 8:00 PM

Kyurem used Glaciate!
Frost used Lightscreen!
Twinkiel used Cotton Guard!
With his both Frost's shield and his own protection, Twinkiel was fortunately barely affected by the attack. As for Frost, his type advantage allowed him to withstand the cold with little trouble. Celebi, however, had no other possibility but to deflect part of the foe's move with her Psychic.
Frost used Fire Blast!
The counterattack was almost instant, and Kyurem's icy assault was cut short.
"Celebi, what's your moveset?" asked Twinkiel.
"Magical Leaf, Psychic, Ancient Power and Future Sight. And I already know yours."
"You have Future... Oh that's AMAZING."
"You fools!" thundered Kyurem. "Have you forgotten that I am a dragon? I can resist fire attacks and counter with just as much power!"

"N°646: Kyurem. Type: Ice/Dragon. No Evolution. Alternate Form(s): White Kyurem and Black Kyurem. This legendary ice Pokemon waits for a hero to fill in the missing parts of its body with Truth or Ideal. It generates a powerful, freezing energy inside itself, but its body became frozen when the energy leaked out."

"A dragon you say?" replied Twinkiel with a cackle. "My eyes must deceive me. Because all I see is an frustrated hollow trying to fill itself with something. So, which do you prefer, Truth or Ideal?"
An enraged glare locked itself in Twinkiel's eye, making the Mareep slightly more uneasy.
"Watch your mouth, midget! Don't toy around with a past you can never hope to comprehend!"
" 'Kay!" replied Twinkiel with faked joy. "I'll try to be more careful, but then again, so should you."
Celebi used Ancient Power!
The dragon frowned before being blasted by Celebi's rocks to the frozen wall behind him.
Celebi's Attack, Special Attack, Defense, Special Defense and Speed have risen by 1!
The time traveler smiled with satisfaction.
"Hey, Twink? More rocks, please."
"On it!"
Twinkiel used Power Gem!
The gem shaped projectiles added to the dragon's suffering, who was temporarily immobilized under a pile of rocks and pebbles.
"Frost!" Twinkiel called, running towards his comrade. The Victini seemed slightly tired, but had not been truly damaged.
"So, I know I don't really show it," continued the Mareep in a more serious tone, "but I'm actually super scared. That guy's comin' for me next. But I have a plan, and I need you to be our vanguard for it to work. You'll have to fight alone in the front for a while."
Frost frowned.
"Then I need you to back me up. And be careful. This is a powerful Legendary you've provoked. Don't fail."
Twinkiel stared at his friend, a smile slowly growing on his face.
"Are we bossing each other around?"
"Yes, we are."
A nervous laughter struck the two Pokemons.
"Hey, guys!" interrupted Celebi, her eyes enlightened by a white aura. "I think break time's over. Let's get ready for Round 2."
Celebi used Future Sight!
Kyurem used Hyper Voice!
With a fearsome roar, Kyurem obliterated the pile of icy rocks before him, and the sonic wave would've hit Frost and Twinkiel, had they not wisely moved aside beforehand. Unfortunately, they took different directions, and were now separated. It did not escape the dragon's eye.
Kyurem used Glaciate!
"Twinkiel, watch out!" screamed Frost, still protected by his Lightscreen.
Twinkiel used Cotton Guard!
Celebi flew next to the Mareep as his fleece's size doubled and, together, they resisted to Kyurem's new assault. But even with his fortunate protection, Twinkiel could not entirely protect himself from the intensely low temperatures that had suddenly appeared.
Twinkiel's Speed dropped by one! Celebi's speed dropped by one! It's Super Effective! Frost's speed dropped by one! It's not very effective...
Without a word, Kyurem once again focused his attention on Twinkiel, a quiet fury was dancing in his cold eye.
Kyurem used Outrage!
A purple aura surrounding him, Kyurem commenced his mad charge, aiming for the horrified Mareep's body.

"Attack: Outrage. Type: Dragon. Power: 140. Precision: 90. Physical hit. The user hits 2 to 3 times before being confused. "

"Okay, NOPE!"
Twinkiel used Thunderwave!
The electric move struck the frozen dragon directly, drastically slowing down his offense.
"I won't let you hurt my friends!" Frost screamed in the distance.
Frost used Fire Blast!
The star-shaped fire projectile was perfectly aimed, but Kyurem chose to face the attack. His Outrage allowed him to deflect the move, startling Frost in the process.
Celebi chose this moment to fly out of her partner's wool.
"Strike now!"
Remembering the Future Sight, the Mareep obediently obliged and quickly charged his electricity.
Twinkiel used Discharge!
Kyurem used Outrage!
Despite Kyurem's move, some bolts of electricity still managed to hit him, awaking his paralysis.
"Celebi!" shouted Frost and Twinkiel in a unified voice. "NOW!"
The latter gathered her aura and a white ball of pure energy appeared above Kyrem.
The Future Sight hit enemy Kyurem!
The energy ball turned into a lightning bolt and, like a heavenly light, struck the frozen dragon from above. With a painful growl, he put one of his knees on the ground.
"Curse you... Curse you ALL!" he shouted. "I am not defeated yet! And even if I was, my Hyper Voice already alerted the soldiers around us! You shall be cornered even if you try to escape!"
Celebi approached the dragon, fearless. "You're tired," she commented, carefully keeping her distances nonetheless. "And you're buying time until you can unleash a last attack at us while we talk. Nice try, but it looks like your brain's just as frozen as the rest of your stinkin' carcass. Give up, Kyurem. We came here to get some info about the New Order's whereabouts. Give them to us."
"Or what?"
A sudden electric shock struck the dragon's body, and his other knee fell on the ground. Twinkiel calmly joined the time traveler's position.
"See, Celebi here had the kindness to mentally warn us about how stubborn you could be sometimes", explained Twinkiel with dreadful glee, a sadistic smile on the face. "So, maybe, just maybe, we could eventually get the info we want out of you. Y'know, by force. Just a question though: would you prefer melting to death - all thanks to the Victini over there -, or painfully lose the control of your body via electric shocks? If so, may I please start with the legs?"
"Wow, you're goin' too far here, Twinky!" warned Celebi in the Mareep's mind. "Easy with the threats!"
"I'm supposed to be convincing, remember? And sorry, but he kinda tried to kill us all!"
A slight, brief but still visible gleam of primal fear flashed in Kyurem's eye. The ice dragon could not fail. Hoopa would not allow it. Nor would any Legendary of the New Order.
Assembling the last yet powerful remnants of his mythical might, Kyurem prepared himself.
"You?" he finally replied. "Threatening the Eternal Dragon? You don't amuse me anymore, knave. OUT OF MY SIGHT!"
Kyurem used Glaciate! It's a Critical Hit!
Twinkiel used Cotton Guard!
Frost used Lightscreen!
Celebi, expecting such an action, flew out of the powerful attack's range. Twinkiel, however, took the full impact of Kyurem's assault head on.
"Twinkiel!" screamed Frost, rushing to his friend's rescue.
"Frost, don't!"
But Celebi's voice came to the Victini's ears too late. The ice dragon rapidly turned to the astonished Frost.
"Distracted, are we?"
Kyurem used Outrage!
With a triumphant laugh, the Dragon ran towards his little foe, who was doomed to watch his demise.
Twinkiel used Discharge!
A spark of electricity came in front of Frost and collided with the enemy, once again awaking his paralysis. Kyurem fell on his knees, while Twinkiel's electricity disappeared. The Mareep had used his fading strength to protect a now horrified Frost.
"T...Twinkiel... Why did you...?"
"...Heh...Heheheh... All according to plan... I told you I'd start with the legs... You... Empty demon..."
It felt like all of Twinkiel's senses had been hit by a huge truck - whatever that was. His balance was completely lost. But he had done everything he could. Celebi was still safe, and so was Frost. But Kyurem was still paralyzed, so everything should be fine for them.
Gengar's Wish was granted!
An insane cackle resounded in the air. The Gengar that had made itself invisible to observe the battle was suddenly laughing out loud as Kyurem's power rapidly grew due to the wish he had used to help him.
"Now this, right here, is what I call utter obliteration! That's exactly what I came here to witness. Welp, looks like my job's done. I'm outta here."
"Plasmya!" shouted Kyurem, a good portion of his strength back. "You dirty witch, Why didn't you use this sooner?!" shouted the Kyurem,
The Gengar gazed at the one she had helped.
" 'Cause you can't treat a lady with respect, nitwit! That and I'm not directly working for you. Have fun battling with your paralysis, Empty Demon!"
Plasmya glanced at Twinkiel, smirking.
"Nice one, by the way."
With that, she vanished, her cackle still haunting the battleground.
Kyurem sighed, genuinely annoyed, before turning back to the Twinkiel.
"Looks like your sacrifice was in vain, midget! Would you like to amuse my ears with another clever comment of yours?"
The Mareep, mad with pain, was losing his senses. Yet the Gengar's appearance had brought a surge of past emotions that hit his entire being.
"Love Gengar. Hate Gengar. Hello, Gengar."
Fuzzy images were dancing before Twinkiel's eyes. Hatred and excitement were making his heart pound like a drum. This was a vision from his past life, he was sure of it.
"Of all the Pokemons that had to destroy my hopes and threaten the lives of my friends," declared the Mareep, his Inner Echo speaking for him, "it had to be a Gengar. Again. Not again. Love Gengar. Hate Gengar. I... I will survive!"
Electricity rushed back to Twinkiel's fleece. He looked to a surprised Kyurem, rage in his eye. The latter prepared another attack, but an unplanned event forced him to cancel his move.
A bright light, that everyone instinctively recognized, was circling around the Mareep. Fueled by Twinkiel's will to survive, the light became brighter and surrounded his body completely.
Twinkiel was evolving.

It felt like... Like an unknown energy that urged him to grow up. Like an bug accelerating its transformation into a butterfly, to finally claim its well-deserved freedom. His features were changed, yet he could still find them familiar. He could finally adopt a bipedal gait, like he always wanted. He felt his electric power grow. The experience was marvelous, out of time. Twinkiel was happy. He wished for this to go on forever. But to his displeasure, Twinkiel felt the warm light disappear, and he was once again exposed to the cold, to the fight, to the reality.
"I have people to protect," he remembered.

When Twinkiel emerged from his cocoon of joy and light, he was a Flaafy sparkling with power.
"Hey, Kyurem!" were his first words, his forefinger pointed at the shocked dragon with determination. "Midget's back, and his name is Captain Twinkiel Thunderfleece! Be sure to remember it! It's Twinkle Time!"
"Hah. New catchphrase!"
Overcome by exhaustion, Twinkiel collapsed on the freezing ground, a dreamy smile on his face.

Groudon theme (I guess. Also, how does video?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsz497IqoH0

Bonus - Never forget the words of Twinkiel Thunderfleece

The Venomoth focused once again. She tried her best to ignore her fatigue, and the spear-shaped burn mark on her left wing that still hurt her.
How did it go through her Wonder Skin, of that she had no idea.
A good chunk of Sitrus Berry was lying on the ground, right where the Mareep had dropped it upon gazing on the hated Victini.
Belzya used Psychic!
Slowly but surely, the chunk of berry floated towards her, surrounded by a blue light. Belzya opened her mouth and swallowed it, relieved. A couple of seconds later, she felt her strength come back to her. She grabbed her black sludge and covered her body with it, thus activating its effect in case of battle.
Belzya used Psychic!
The Venomoth broke free from her cage and rushed to her friend's rescue as fast as her shiny blue wings allowed her. As she had expected, Gotias was standing in the middle of the Viper's Den's battleground. She felt utterly crushed upon watching her friend so diminished. he seemed... Humiliated. he wasn't paying attention to anything around him anymore, him who used to be so proud in any circumstances.
The Seviper in front of him was bragging about how weak he was, which angered her to the utmost. She shivered when he mentioned killing him slowly using poison, and decided to act right away when a bunch of snakes arrived with bottles with colored liquids inside of them.
Belzya used Tailwind!
A powerful gush of wind by her side, the Shiny Venomoth flew all the way to the center.
Belzya used Psychic!
The Seviper and a bunch of his snake mates were pushed across the room, destroying several jars full of berries behind them. Upon recognizing Sitrus Berries and Lum Berries in the bunch, a new idea struck Belzya's mind.
"Belzya...?"
Gotias had only whispered her name, but she turned her gaze nonetheless.
"Don't worry," she softly replied to the Machoke sitting below her. "I'll get you out of here."
The snake Pokemons around her snapped out of their trance.
Enemies Ekans and Arbok use Poison Sting!
Belzya used Quiver Dance! Special Attack, Special Defense and Speed raised by one!
Her Quiver Danse combined with the Tailwind still by her side, the Venomoth graciously avoided every attack thrown at her and swiftly reached the Berries. She took two of them with her legs and went back to her friend's side. He was astonished by her performance, but ate the Berries without a word when she showed them to him. A devious smirk appeared on his face when he felt the paralysis melt away from his body and his strength fully coming back to him.
"Is the Tailwind still in effect?" he asked, raising up from the ground.
"Not for much longer. Want to make a run for it?"
"Let's do a combo first."
The Machoke punched the ground, his eyes glowing.
Gotias used Stone Edge!
Several rocks began floating in mid-air.
Belzya used Psychic!
The rocks now in the Venomoth's control, they spread across the room, hitting everything in their path, creating a wave of chaos in the Viper's Den.
"That sure felt good," commented a satisfied Gotias. "C'mon Belzya, let's go!"
The Tailwind by their side, the two companions made their escape, one running, one flying.

******

"This race's winner is... Belzya!"
The Venomoth gleefully chuckled as she landed on a tree near the abandoned base of that the New Order had placed in the forest.
A few seconds later, a barely tired Machoke appeared, glaring at his friend.
"You kiddin' me?" he protested. "You used Quiver Dance before we left! how d'you expect me to catch up to THAT?!"
"Fair point, Mr.Grumpy." "Well, this is the base I told you about. Squad Leader Crobat's dead, so I guess you can claim the title now."
"You really didn't like him."
"Nobody did. He was a powerful and all, but yeah. Not really the kind of guy you wanna stay with..."
She glanced at her partner.
"...Unlike another muscular idiot I know."
"Cut the teasing, Belzya. We've got some plotting to do."
" 'Twas a compliment..." she muttered in her mandibles.
"First off, sorry to disappoint, but I'm not claiming any title any time soon. I've been considered dead by the New Order since my capture, haven't I?"
Belzya nodded, uneasy. She couldn't tell him she had been desperately trying to find him the whole time. It would be too embarrassing.
"Well I'm not going back to them. I'm quittin'."
"Wait, WHAT?!"
"I'm not finished! We both know how they function. If I come back there to make a report, they won't care about what I have to say. I didn't find anything interesting. Zapdos will just scold me and send me somewhere else, if he doesn't kill me just for the fun of it."
"but you discovered a new Human!" she objected. "And I saw him go with the Victini! And there was Celebi, too! We could warn everyone and you'll be rewarded!"
"I know... But I can't. I ain't doin' that. I don't want Zapdos or anyone else to know about the little twerp. I'll handle him myself."
"...Little twerp...?"
Gotias nodded, gazing at Belzya. She realized he had all the time to think during his time in the Viper's Den.
"Y'know, I was never interested in the New Order's actions anyway", he declared. "I was there just to find some opponents to crush. To get stronger. But now... I must get stronger. This is a personal affair. I have to fight this Thunderfleece again."
"Wait, Thunderfleece? You mean... That Mareep defeated you? I can't believe it!"
So he was telling the truth when talking to Celebi. He had actually defeated Gotias. How was that even possible?
"I know, I thought that too. I gotta keep training somewhere... Somehow."
The Venemoth sighed, exasperated.
"You know, Gotias... I can't help but think that this is a meaningless rivalry affair. You should drop it and try to go back to the New Order."
"Joining them was just an excuse for me to get some fame. I already told you: I want to become the world's greatest fighter. Capable of holding his own against even Legendaries."
"But how do you expect to accomplish a dream by becoming a rogue?"
For the first time, Belzya witnessed a new type of smile appearing on the Machoke's face.
"Who said I was a rogue?" he replied slowly. "I'm dead, remember? Nobody knows about me, and pretty much nobody cares."
"I do, you blinded idiot."
"Which means I can do whatever I want as long as I don't go in the New order's way. Which is something I'm not crazy enough to do."
"Ah. Good to see you still have some common s..."
"We'll go to the Cutthroat pass instead."
Belzya stared at her friend, agape.
"Why do I care about this guy?"
"Which means we'll pass by Radiance beforehand. I have some people to talk to anyways. So! You comin'?"
"This is crazy. You're completely out of your mind."
"You're right. And you don't have to follow me in this, y'know. I put you in enough trouble as it is."
"Belzya jumped out of her perch. She was now floating only centimeters away from her comrade's face, a mischievous gleam in the eye.
"Don't you dare say that again. You're nothing without the graceful backup that I am. C'mon, bulky idiot. Let's follow the mad path of that dream of yours."
The smile Gotias gave her was worth anything she'd ever known.
"Then let's overpower our opponents. With both strength and wit!"
Despite her brand new motivation, Belzya felt like those words didn't completely belong to her friend's mouth. He most certainly had changed.

Twinkiel collapsed, overcome by exhaustion. Kyurem roared, charging a dragon pulse.

"I'll get Twinkiel" shouted Celebi, leaving Frost to face Kyurem alone. Kyurem roared again and released the dragon pulse. Frost dodged out of the way, then charged at Kyurem, his body wreathed in fire. Kyurem used dragon pulse again, this time it collided with Frost, not damaging him, he was protected by his overheat, but sending them both skidding back. Kyurem laughed.

"You've grown stronger since we've last met, but you cannot triumph over justice, over the New Order."

Frost shook his head, "This isn't justice, ruling the lesser isn't justice, gods don't rebel against their worshippers for the sake of more power. No, what you are doing is cruel and you will pay for it."

"Big words coming from an outsider, a human, what gives you the right to say what we should do, what gives you the right to intervene?" Kyurem roared and a wave of ice spikes flew at Frost. Frost used fire blast. A rolling wave of fire blasted through the ice shards and directly into Kyurem. A blast echoed throughout the mountain. Kyurem didn't wait for the smoke to clear, a ball of dragon force formed around him and he flew at Frost. Frost didn't have time to react, he was knocked back and smashed into the side of the mountain. He slowly got to his feet, he was sure he'd broke something, but at this point it didn't matter, he had to either finish the battle or die trying to escape, by now every single guard in the mountain had probably been alerted, many guards had already showed up, forming a ring around the fight seen. Suddenly he heard Celebi shout.

" Frost, we have to go, Lugia and the rest of the group are in trouble!" Kyurem turned, registering the information, then laughed.

"Where are they, Palace of Flames? Hah, their dead." Frost turned to look at him.

"Lugia's with them, whatever's there doesn't stand a chance." He said confidently.

"Not even Groudon?" At this, Frosts heart sank. His eyes widened. Kyurem was right, they were done for. Nevertheless, Frost had to escape, he couldn't die here.

"Celebi, grab Twink, we're going."

"Going, you aren't going anywhere." Kyurem launched at Frost. Frost sent another wave of fire, blasting Kyurem back, then, not waiting for him to recover, He covered himself in fire and flew at the staggering Kyurem. The mountain shuddered, then the front section, where Frost and Kyurem were battling, caved.

Day A1

Lugia let loose with a superpowered Hydro pump. He was already stronger than a normal water type, but with his attack boosted by the Water Plate, the blast hitting Groudon. Ren, Absol, and Zulu quickly spread out in the chamber. Heatran hadn’t joined the fight yet for some reason. Zulu remembered his job. Get the Plate, and don’t die doing it. He saw a stone Mega Charizard lying in the corner of the room, looking as if it had tried to form itself around the plate as it turned to stone

“Groudon. The Plate isn’t working. It’s resisting me!” Heatran called out.

“Fix it yourself!” Groudon shouted back, breathing flames at Lugia. So long as Lugia stayed in the air, his ground attacks wouldn’t have any effect. Heatran shouted in frustration, flames exploding outward in a Lava Plume. Zulu flapped above it, the flames barely grazing his feet. The rest of it was headed towards Ren and Absol. But before it hit, Ren took control of it and redirected the flames back at Heatran. Being part steel, the flames did slightly more damage than it would have done to just a normal fire type.
Meanwhile, Lugia was pretty evenly matched against Groudon. But that was the problem. Even with the Water Plate, Lugia was just barely matching Groudon’s fire attacks.

“Give me the plate, and I’ll let you and your friends go.” Groudon said, firing another flamethrower.

“No! You don’t deserve them! The fact Heatran can’t use it is proof of that!”

“Very well. If I can’t destroy you, then I’ll simply destroy your spirit.”

The entire chamber started shaking as Groudon growled.

“What are you doing! I’m still here!” Heatran shouted.

“Say farewell to your friends. Fissure!” Groudon shouted, letting loose an amazing roar. The chamber shook as cracks formed in the ground. The floor began to completely split apart, revealing crevices that disappeared into darkness. The stone Charizard toppled into one, shattering as it bounced off the crevice walls as it fell. Ren and Absol gripped the ground, trying to avoid falling in. Heatran quickly latched onto the chamber wall, climbing up it.

“Ironic. It was that very move that formed this crevice ages ago, back when my form was a thousand fold greater than what I’ve been reduced to.” Groudon said.

Lugia fired another Hydro Pump at Groudon, almost drowning him as it was shot down his mouth.

“You talk too much.” He said, resuming his battle. Heatran looked down at Absol and Ren. They were too distracted with the crevices in the floor. They didn’t know she was up here. She began to build up her flames, preparing for an even more massive Lava Plume. All of a sudden, an ear piercing shriek hit her full force.

“Gaah!” She yelled, trying to shield herself from the shriek. It was too much though, and she found herself feeling incredibly dizzy. With her mind completely jumbled, Heatran let go of the wall. She landed on her back on an intact piece of the floor, causing it to crack further. The Flame launched from Heatran’s grip, sailing through the air.

“The Plate!” Absol shouted. Zulu dove through the air, claws outstretched. He reached for the plate, and missed.

“No!” Zulu shouted in dismay. He’d had it. He’d felt his claws touch it. But the proof he’d missed was plain to see as it fell towards one of the crevices. But just before passing beyond the brink of no return, Ren slid across the ground towards the crevice, catching it in his hand.

“Thank Mew.” Absol sighed in relief.

“I need help here!” Lugia shouted. Despite all the water attacks Groudon had taken, he hardly seems to be weakened.

“Zulu! Use Dragon Pulse! If your ability activates as well, we can beat him here!” Absol shouted.

“Ok!” Zulu called back, but he knew that it wouldn’t work. He just couldn’t feel the energy he’d felt last time. So instead, he fired his powered up Air Cutters at Groudon. But as they hit his back, Groudon didn’t even flinch.

“He said Dragon Pulse!” Ren shouted up at him.

“We have the plate now! Let’s just teleport out!” Zulu said, flapping down towards Ren and Absol.

“He’s already weakened. If we ever face him again, we won’t be so lucky as we are now. Just use Dragon Pulse.” Absol said.

“I can’t!” Zulu admitted.

“What? What do you mean you can’t?”

“It stopped working. I don’t know why.” Zulu sobbed.

“Grr… WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ANYONE!” Absol shouted in fury.

“Shout at him later, we need to leave now.” Ren said, gripping the plate.
“Lugia! Come on. We’re escaping.”

Lugia heard the call, and fired one last Hydro cannon at Groudon’s eyes to blind him before flying towards the group. He landed, getting near the group.

“Do it now.” Lugia said.

Ren willed the plate to teleport them out of the dungeon, leaving an unconscious Heatran and a very wet Groudon alone. By the time the two made it out of the Palace of Flames, the Resistance Legendries were long gone.

"This is all your fault." Heatran grumbled.

Bloodmoon stepped off the last step, letting out an impressed whistle.

“Fancy.” He said. A long hall stretched out in front of him, statues of a weird looking creature on both sides.

“What is that thing supposed to be? If life taught me anything, it’s that the guys who live in places like this tend to build lots of statues of themselves.” Bloodmoon said.

“This Platform holds no data on that creature. It bears some resemblance to the God of Darkness, Darkrai, but these statues do not depict him. Likely they are impressionistic statues of Darkrai.” Genesect said.

“Thanks for the art analysis. Now tell me you have some info on this place.” Bloodmoon said.

“Searching.” Genesect said, his head spinning again. Bloodmoon took the time to look around the hall. The statues had a massive maw, but no eyes to be seen. They also had intimidating looking arms and legs. Bloodmoon really hoped that this thing didn’t actually exist. Or that he’d have to fight it.

“This Platform has no data on this temple save for its name.” Genesect said.

“Well, what’s it called?”

“This temple is known as the Crypt of Imperfection. Constructed by the Darkraian priest Nosfen hundreds of years ago.”

“The same guy who wrote that book? Guess writing didn’t have much appeal to him, so he decided to build a dark temple surrounded by Zombies. Sounds like a nice guy.”
Something caught Bloodmoon’s eye. A shard of blue glass, lying near the base of one of the statues.

“Now how’d this get here?” Bloodmoon said absentmindedly to himself, walking over to it.

“I would recommend abstaining from contact with any objects while here organic Bloodmoon.” Genesect said. Bloodmoon ignored him, reaching down to pick up the item. As he picked it up, it glowed a bright blue, causing Bloodmoon to squint. He hadn’t seen any light like this since arriving in this world.

“This area was constructed as a temple to Darkrai centuries ago.” An old sounding voice spoke. Bloodmoon jumped a bit at the voice, but soon realized it was coming from the shard.

“Not many Legendries even know of its existence, but Darkrai abandoned it long ago during his quest to plunge the world into an endless nightmare.”

“Great. This world is just full of evil psychos.” Bloodmoon thought.

“You must pass through the mystery dungeon to gain access to the lower chamber, where you must confront Darkrai’s Mirror. If you can defeat it, you’ll be allowed access to the Guardian’s chamber. Defeat the Guardian to obtain the Dark Plate. May the light be with you.”

The shard’s glow died down.

“Sweet. I’ve got myself a Google crystal. Find me directions to the nearest buffet.” Bloodmoon spoke to it, shaking it.
“Guess it was too much to hope for. Here Gen. You can hold on to this.”

Bloodmoon tossed the shard to Genesect, who caught it in his stubby claw.

“This item is resenating with data in theis Platform’s memory banks.” Genesect said, studying the shard.

“You’ve seen one of those before?” Bloodmoon asked. Genesect looked at it, a memory coming back.

“… Genesect? Is that you? I was beginning to fear you had turned as well. Wait, what is… is that a Pokémon? Genesect, snap out of it! That thing is controlling…”

Genesect stored the shard in one of his storage compartments.

“This Platform suggests we continue on.” Genesect stated.

“If you insist. Can I count on you for help, or is that program still messing around?”

“This Platform detects no hostile activity from the Hostile Program. It appears as if it’s no longer in this Platform’s system…”

“That’s great! Guess you showed him whose boss. Charge up that cannon buddy. We’re taking this dungeon SWAT style.”


Genesect and Bloodmoon plowed through the enemies of the mystery dungeon. Most of them were these weird imp things with gems for eyes, but all Genesect had to do was blast them with his cannon and they’d be toast. Literally in the instances he used his Flame Drive.

“Too bad these things don’t have much meat on them. You’re cooking em just the way I like.” Bloodmoon said.

“This Platform’s sonic echolocation is detecting the exit to the dungeon ahead.” Genesect informed.

“Wow, the time just flew by. Guess that’s what happens when you’re having fun.”

The duo walked down the hall, finding a plain looking staircase that led into darkness.

“Proceed through the exit Organic Bloodmoon.” Genesect said.

“Ok. But, got any information on that mirror I’m supposed to fight?” Bloodmoon asked.

“This Platform does not hold any information on “Darkrai’s Mirror”.” Genesect said.

“Figures. Well, we’re not learning anything about it just standing here.”

Bloodmoon stepped down the stairs. He heard a rush of wind behind him as the dungeon dematerialized, shifting itself for whoever would come next. A hallway stretched out in front of him, with a small circular chamber at the end.

“What’s with all the halls? I know they’re dramatic, but they’re just so inconvenient.” Bloodmoon complained. All of a sudden, Genesect grabbed Bloodmoon from behind.
“Hey! What are you doing?”

“This Platform is reducing energy usage of Organic Bloodmoon.” Genesect said. He shifted halfway into flight mode and carried Bloodmoon down the hall, dropping him off at the circular chamber.

“Thanks buddy.” He said, patting Genesect on the head. In the center of the room, a large mirror rested on a low pedestal.

“Ok, so I’m just supposed to break some glass? Or will this thing come alive and try to kill me?”

“Probability of the latter scenario occurring: 13%. Probability Organic Bloodmoon is supposed to look into the mirror: 87%”

“Great. It’ll probably pull a Potter on me and show me what I most desire and I just need to think of this plate and it’ll appear in my pocket. But then again, I don’t have pockets…”

It just occurred to Bloodmoon that he had no clothes. At least he had plenty of fur. Bloodmoon walked over to the front of the mirror, looking into it.

“Wow. So that’s what I really look like?” Bloodmoon wondered, looking himself over.
“Very cool. If the ladies of this world have got any taste for good looks, I’m all set.”

Bloodmoon was so busy looking at himself, he didn’t notice the area behind his figure darkening in the mirror. Bloodmoon leaned in close, opening his mouth. Lethal looking fangs lined his mouth.

"Why Bloodmoon, what sharp teeth you have. They're very, dare I say it, bada..."

Without warning, his mirror image reached through the glass, grabbed the real Bloodmoon by the throat, and pulled him into the mirror. Hearing the sudden movement, Genesect looked away from the runes he’d been recording.

“Organic Bloodmoon?” Genesect called.
“Respond.”
But there was no one there. Genesect was all alone.

Flurry | Return to Frostpoint | Day A1, 7:00 am

"We'll have to ask Cassandra for help."

Flurry rolled her eyes and glared straight at Gabriel. "Sure, like Cassandra will help. Or did you forget that we're supposed to be under house arrest?" She glared at Fleur next, for no good reason other than the fact that Fleur's name tickled at her mind. Flurry couldn't quite grasp why, but it bothered her in the most tantalizing way. There was some vital piece of information that she was so close to having, yet it was so far away at the same time.

As the reminder of their grounding sunk in, Flurry felt the temperature drop. Not that she minded, but when foreboding feelings were involved, the cold just wasn't as fun.

"Whatever. Let's just get on and face the music." Shrugging, or at least trying to, she spun around and headed for Frostpoint.

The trek to town was silent, yet speedy, which Flurry appreciated. She liked looking at the way the late dawn showered color onto the snow, and how the sparse trees' branches were so weighed down with snow that they were less trees and just, giant, abamasnow-shaped mounds.

As per Gabriel's advise, they took the long way around town, heading in barely a block away from the snow fort. But even with the low lighting, there were still enough pokemon on the streets that disguises were necessary. Careful not to touch, Flurry helped the others, Fleur included, pile snow on themselves.

Honestly, Fleur's disguise was easiest. She looked almost like a baby snowver, and she probably sounded like one too. Neither of the boys could pull off a good sneasel look.

As they strolled on the street, Flurry made sure to walk so that she'd cover up any indiscrepancies from the pokemon her friends were trying to imitate. The glares from the one guard at the fort entrance made her stomach churn, but they weren't called out.

No one seemed to notice them waltzing through the halls of the fort, but when Flurry went to return the bag (after letting the boys take their souveniers, of course), Shaymin was already awake.

"Oh," said the hedgehog, perching on the edge of her bed. Flurry jumped.

"So you did go out. What'd you bring back? Anything for me?"

Placing the bag on the small table between their beds, Flurry shook her head. "Uhh... no."

Shaymin wrinkled her nose and crawled back to the center of her bed. "Well, next time you leave, you might want to bring me a bribe."

Leave it to Shaymin to be so chill about everything. Chuckling and saying that she definitely would bring something next time, Flurry scurried out and joined the others in Riley's room. Once everyone was comfortably seated in a circle (or square...) the discussion continued.

Gabriel spoke first. Always the mon with the plan, of course.

"We already established that we'll be looking for the poison plate, so now we just need to find out where it is, and how to get there. I proposed that Cassandra can help us, but as Flurry already pointed out, it's not as much matter of whether or not she can, but rather if she will."

"Um, sorry," Fleur interrupted, "but who is this Cassandra?"

"She's the leader here," Riley said. He looked a little sheepish, and his gaze had wandered to the flute on his nightstand. "We sort of got into trouble with her earlier..."

Fleur laughed, a sweet, whistle-y sound, which Flurry found incredibly adorable. If only the little thing wasn't so shy, and Flurry didn't freeze everyone, they could be friends.

"So that's why Flurry said you were under house arrest?"

Though both riolus turned purple in embarrassment, they nodded.

"Anyways," Gabriel began, "I hypothesize that it will be possible to use a convoluted approach to obtain information from Cassandra without her knowledge. It may take some time, but eventually, it should garner results."

"So we're going to trick her?" Riley asked.

Gabriel looked almost red. "Yes. Of course."

"You could have just said we'd trick her."

Though Gabriel's eyes flashed, he swallowed his pride and continued on.

"Once we have tricked Cassandra out of this information, we can begin preparations for the journey. I have no idea how long it may take, but we'll also need to evade Resistance operations in the event that they try to send us back here."

Flurry raised her knobby hand. "I think Shaymin would be willing to help us out some, though she'll want something in return."

Everyone nodded in response. It couldn't be that hard to find a bribe. As the conversation stilled, Flurry wondered if she should bring up the dilemma of Fleur's presence here. She opened her mouth to speak, but a whoosh of air from behind stopped her.

Gabriel and Riley's jaws dropped, and even Flurry could sense the fear radiating off them. She and Fleur whipped around to see who the intruder was, and Fleur leaned over a bit to whisper, "Is that Cassandra?"

Flurry nodded, her eyes trained on the jynx. Under a glare as harsh as that, she felt she might melt. No pun intended.

"I knew y'all were up to something. Now come. All of you. We need to have another chat."

Why did teleportation always have to result in disorientation or unconsciousness? Sure, it saved many days' travel, but seriously? You'd think people would figure something out to make it less unpleasant...

At least the environment was nice. She was surrounded by firs and alpine oaks - or whatever the trees were called - with a stream trickling nearby. There were no animals though, but that was no surprise; suddenly appearing (in a large, glowing bubble, probably) in what would otherwise have been a tranquil mountain environment tended to chase the wildlife away.

"My, my... I did not think there were still undiscovered humans. The Emperor will be very pleased indeed."

All except hostile Legendaries, it seemed.

She rose and turned towards the source of the voice. "Actually, he's gonna be pretty displeased, 'cause there's no way I'm coming with you."

The hostile Legendary - Entei, specifically - laughed mirthlessly. "What makes you think a mere Gothorita can stand up to a God?" He spat her species name like it was a piece of grass.

She looked down, and indeed, she was black, had no digits in her arms and legs, had no phalanges on her hands or feet, and apparently "wore" ribbons on her "dress," even though everything was part of her body.

"At least I have a sense for fashion. You, on the other hand, are just a grumpy, domineering, primped up pussycat!"

Entei bristled with fury, searing the ground beneath his feet. "How dare you insult the Lord of Fire!"

"You're right," the Gothorita said, enjoying upsetting the Legendary, "a lion is royal and powerful, while you're just... actually, you don't even look like a cat. More like a scruffy old dog." Just like a volcano, Entei seemed ready to explode, making the Gothorita wonder if she had gone just a little too far. However, a figure behind him caught her attention. "He, in contrast, is clearly a yellow tiger."

Entei glared at her, but turned anyway. "Ah, Raikou. I shouldn't be surprised that human scum prefers your kind - you seem to have a tendency to attract all sorts of lowlifes."

"Coming from you, that's ironic." Raikou descended the hill on which he stood so he could be face-to-face with his brother. "Then again, you always have struck me as the tyrannical sort."

"If you think yourself so superior," Entei responded haughtily, "then why does our brother follow me, and not you?"

"Suicune is too soft-hearted to stand up to you," Raikou replied, scowling.

"Soft-hearted?" Entei exclaimed, roaring with laughter. "He is weak. He only serves the New Order because of his cowardice. Somedays, I wish he was a member of the Resistance, so I could end his-"

Entei abruptly stopped speaking and dropped to the ground. Behind him, the Gothorita stood with a large rock in her hands. "Bam! The Gothorita used Rock Smash. It's super effective!"

"Why didn't you use Psychic?" Raikou asked, stepping closer to his unconscious brother and inspecting his injury.

"I don't know it yet," the Gothorita replied, tossing the rock away. "Besides, I have a brother just like him, and heaven knows, I've felt like bashing his head in many times. Is he dead?"

"It would take more than just a hit to the head to deliver the world of him," Raikou chuckled. "But your help is nevertheless appreciated. What's your name?"

"My real name's Jade," the Gothorita answered, "but my friends call me Jewels."

"Mine is Raikou. It's a pleasure to meet you." He extended his paw and Jewels happily shook it. "Tell me, do you remember anything other than your name and your annoying brother?"

"I remember everything from my past," Jewels replied with a shrug, "and most of that disaster with Palkia and Genesect too."

Raikou's eyes widened. "How?" was all he managed to say.

"When me and the other humans were brought over, I arrived first. Only Palkia and the four other leaders of the Resistance were present. Nobody else was supposed to be there, so when Genesect arrived, I said to myself "Jewels, there's something suspicious about that dude..." so I hightailed it outta there.

"Palkia was glad to see Genesect, saying something about thinking he had flipped, so he didn't realise he had flipped. My back was turned on the rest, so I didn't see what happened after that. Last thing I remember before being engulfed by light was Palkia yelling "Gather the Plates!" Then I woke up here."

"Amazing..." Raikou muttered, deep in thought. "You didn't get amnesia like the rest because you had already been brought over... Although, how Genesect managed to include you in... well, whatever he did, is a mystery." He mumbled something else, but Jewels didn't catch it.

"Say, how many of the others have been found?" she asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Hmm?" he blinked and looked up. "Oh, sorry. Umm, I think seven, including you."

"That's not good..." Jewels muttered, frowning.

"There are more?" he asked, astonished.

"Only Lugia, Xerneas, Landorus and Cresselia are supposed to know this, but there are nine of us."

"They kept it a secret for exactly this reason," Raikou said gravely. "If anyone were to discover the New Order has captured a human... well, let's hope it never comes to that. Come on, we have to get you to safety."

"So, you're my Guardian, huh?" Jewels asked, climbing onto Raikou's back at his request. "Cool. Hey, where are we?"

"The Sacred Forest, to the northwest of the Sazandora Desert."

"Did you decide to look here for yourself?" Jewels asked, clinging to Raikou. He had set off at an incredible speed.

"After you and the eight others disappeared with Genesect, our leaders wanted everyone to start the search immediately, but most of the Legendaries were unsatisfied with the area they had been assigned to search, so we drew lots. Perhaps, had they not complained, the remaining humans might have been found already."

"Where has everyone searched?" Jewels was concerned for the others' safety, but she had asked the question so she could learn more about the world of the Pokémon. After all, it's not like she'd seen a map of it before.

"Jirachi stayed here, at his shrine (which doubles as our headquarters) in the Forest, since he was, and still is, a passive supporter of the Resistance, just like Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie, though no-one knows where they are. There are still Legendaries who support neither the Resistance nor the New Order, but they have gone into hiding and refuse to speak to anyone."

"Who are they?" Jewels didn't want to interrupt Raikou, but if she didn't ask, the opportunity would be lost.

"Deoxys, Keldeo, Volcanion, the Sea Guardians, and, ironically enough, Zekrom and Reshiram."

"I see. Please, continue."

"Lugia, fortunately, drew Central and Western Terraria, which means he had to cover the Valley of the Ancients and Radiance, the New Order's capital. Latios drew Northern Terraria, which stretches from the Foothills to the Alluvial Farmlands, while his twin sister, Latias, drew Eastern Terraria, which stretches from the Scrub Highlands to Frontier Town.

"The Greatwood Jungle, to Terraria's southwest, is, as you can deduce, rather large, so Celebi was to search its north, while Mew was to search its south. The Marsh of Light, which is just as large, but to Terraria's south, was split into East and West, with Articuno and Cresselia searching those regions, respectively. To the southeast of Terraria lies the Great Crevice and Earthquake Beach, which was assigned to Diancie and Meloetta.

"To Terraria's east lies Mt. Providence, which Mewtwo had to search, thank goodness, and to its north lies the Land of the Dead, assigned to Xerneas. Moltres drew the lot for the Northern Plains, while Landorus and Shaymin drew the lots for the Northern and Southern Sazandora Desert."

"And you, of course, drew the Sacred Forest," Jewels finished.

"Exactly."

"And where is everyone now?"

"Cresselia was the first to find someone, so she was the first at the rendezvous point east of Frontier Town. There was trouble in the Northern Plains though, as the New Order had learned everyone was scattered, so she and Lugia went to assist Moltres. There were two more humans in the north, meaning they could search for the Plates all the sooner. They collected them and headed south of the Greatwood Jungle, to the Palace of Tides in Cobalt Bay, where they did find a Plate. Thence, they travelled to the Palace of Flames, in the Great Crevice. Once they're done there, they will head to the jungle to find the Palace of Fauna and Flora and the next Plate."

"Why'd they travel so haphazardly?"

"The Palace of Fauna and Flora may have been closer, but it is in the territory of the Knife's Edge, a neutral faction. It would be safer and faster to get the Flame Plate first."

"What about the others?"

"As you know, three other humans have been found, but that's as much as I know. If we were unsuccessful in finding a human, we must report in at Frostpoint Village and from there head for the Land of the Dead to join the search for Xerneas, who has disappeared."

It was a lot to take in. Feeling overwhelmed, Jewels tried to make sense of all the new information, but in the end, she was more confused than ever. "Where are we going?" she asked, deciding to shift her attention to more urgent matters.

"While the leaders of the Resistance and the Psychic Legendaries can communicate telepathically, the rest of us cannot, so we have to report in somewhere. I'd have gone to the Shrine, but Landorus had instructed me to meet with him instead. He's waiting for us where the moutains meet the desert."

"What's he want?"

"You'll see when we get there."

Day A1 8:45 p.m

For a full five minutes, all anyone could see was red. Then, --- released his hold on the Flame Plate and the team appeared at the border of The Marsh of Light, or at least that's what --- thought it was due to the soggy terrain and the brilliant gleam of the light reflecting off little droplets of moisture that clung to the verdant canopy.

Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion washed over the Blaziken and he stumbled, grabbing a branch for support. Such a powerful artifact as the plate was not meant to be handled by mortals. Steadying himself under the concerned gaze of Lugia, he turned to find that on their way out, --- had managed to snag Moltres and Cresselia through the haze of fire that the Plate induced.

"Sooooo....whats the plan?" Asked Zulu.

Cresselia was first to speak,

"I have a plan, but first I must tell you all that Frost still lives! He has joined with one other human, whom? I cannot say but we know he is safe." She beamed.

--- took a moment to register the legendries' words then gave a whoop of joy. Frost was alive, and safe no less! The wily Victini must have escaped his captors before they got to Mt. Providence."

Zulu looped around and around, laughing and even Absol allowed himself a relieved smile. Cresselia finally motioned for silence then explained their next step.

"I know you are relieved that your friend has survived but we must continue forwards. Our next step is to retrieve the Meadow Plate from the Palace of Flora and Fauna. The trip will take many days so we must make haste." She said.

The cheer in the air lessened, no one was looking forwards to a long walk, especially with the danger of the wild creatures that inhabited Terraria's vast expanse. Nevertheless, the group continued onwards. Occasionally, a hostile Ratacate or Carnivine would attack only to be blasted away by either Moltres or Absol, seeing that they had the advantage here.

Finally, the team stopped and made camp under an overhang of rock, preferring to have their backs to a wall rather than out in the open. Lugia took first watch and --- dozed off, dreaming of a disembodied voice that sounded strangely familiar. In his sleep, he spoke one word.

"Mom?"

Twinkiel - Blasting off again!

Day A4, 11:00 AM

He swiftly reached for his opponent and unleashed a four-hit combo with his sword, ending his assault with an upward slash. The monster cried in agony and fell hardly on the ground before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke. The second one turned back, screeched and pulled out a machete. It then rapidly approached and performed a jump kick. In perfect timing, the Kid rolled behind his opponent and performed another mighty upward slash. The monster screamed and fell overboard, much to the Kid's satisfaction. He could've used his shield to deflect the blow, but nothing was funnier here than a screaming enemy pirate monster falling to its death. That and the auction.
Speaking of which...
The Kid pulled away his sword and approached the mast. There it was. The treasure chest's content was finally his.

Twinkiel woke up hastily. He wasn't sure if this was a dream or a memory, but it felt... Familiar. The Flaaffy sat up and remembered bit after bit what had happened up until his last stand against Kyurem and his evolution.
Then it hit him.
"I...I'm a Flaaffy!" he exclaimed, overjoyed.
"Twinkiel!"
A blue Victini literally flew to his side, a concerned expression painted on its face.
"Yes, you've evolved," confirmed Frost. "But are you alright? You've been sleeping for quite some time."
"Oh hi Frost! Yeah, I'm fine! I had a pretty cool dream, too! But hey, why is my bed movin' like-"
The sudden sound of flapping wings interrupted him, and he realized that his "bed" had a blue skin, huge, majestic red wings and a reptilian shape.

"N°373: Salamence. Type: Dragon/Flying. Final Evolution. With his new wings, he finally accomplishes his life-long dream and spends hours happily flying while spitting powerful flames."

"I'm on a Salamence?! Alright! Hey, dude! What's your name? Did you evolve recently?"
The Salamence stopped humming and turned his head to the passenger on his back.
"Name's Fleedjio," he replied with a smile. "Yes, I evolved recently, little guy. You have no idea how much I'm enjoyin' this flight! And it's all thanks to my friend over here!"
Celebi was flying next to him. She waved at Twinkiel, smiling.
"Hey there, Twink! Glad to see you're awake. Long story short, I befriended our big guy here a long time ago, when he was still a very choleric Bagon, to say the least. I helped him evolve, and since then we're good friends. Am I right, Jiojio?"
"Just Jio will do, y'know..."
"Anyways, "she continued, "you missed A LOT. While you were asleep, we had to fight Kyurem by ourselves and escape. But that's not even the best part! See, we expected to find some tough guards all around us. But they were already getting their butts kicked!"
"Really?" said Twinkiel. "We have another ally? Who is it?"
"That...would be me."
Twinkiel turned to his left and found himself staring in the eyes of a smiling Clefable. Ariala.
"Oh my god" screamed Celebi, utterly excited. "You should've seen it! She held her own against fighting types, ice types and ghost types alike by herself! Then we swooped in and destroyed the rest, since Jiojio was already on his way by the time we stopped fighting Kyurem. Oh also, I was waiting for you to be awake to announce this, but we've got an update! Cresselia and her group have found another of the Plates we're supposed to look for! And they're heading for the Greatwood Forest, so we're goin' back there as fast as we can. And believe me, I know some Dragonites who would be jealous of Jiojio's speed!"
"Hey!" protested the latter. "Thanks for the praise and all, but I can't fly around the world in sixteen hours. I'm just faster than them in shorter distances."
"D'aaaaww, don't be so modest!" she teasingly continued, fondling the Salamence's head. "When you become a Dragon, you must deal with your awesomeness!"
They began a childish argument, much to Twinkiel's amusement.
"How can she be so carefree?" Frost murmured, staring at the laughing Legendary.
"Maybe... maybe she's seen so many disasters that she doesn't mind anymore?" suggested Ariala.
"My Dear Grovyle..."
Twinkiel gasped, instantly remembering bits of distant memories around this quote. Could it be? Was she the same Celebi that was with Grovyle? His thoughts suddenly shifted to something else. Something very important that the Flaaffy had completely overlooked.
"Um, Ariala?" he began softly. "I need to ask you-"
"JIOJIO, DODGE!"
Celebi's sudden scream and Freedjio's swift motion interrupted the conversation. A fierce Thunder had fallen on the ground below.
"Stand still, you idiots! I'm trying to destroy you!"
Everyone looked behind Fleedjio. A humanoid blue genie-like Pokémon was staring down at them, seemingly annoyed. His blue, muscular torso was decorated with various purple spots, all the way up to his arms. One of his hands was smoothing his spiky white mustache, and the other one was hidden on the trailed cloud he was floating with, inside of which came out a thick and long cable-like tail pulsing with electricity.

"N°642: Thundurus. Type: Electric/Flying. No Evolution. Alternate Form(s): Therian Form. Wherever this flying Legendary goes, it leaves a landscape destroyed by the gigantic thunderstorms he unleashes from the tip of its tail. "

The genie gazed at Twinkiel.
"Ah, the new idiotic ex-human Kyurem mentioned. Pathetic, as they all are."
"Ah, the new idiotic so-called "god" enslaved by the New Order," was Twinkiel swift reply. "Delirious, as they all are."
Thundurus' smirk disappeared before it was even completely drawn on his face.
"You little twerp... Kyurem also warned me about that big mouth of yours. Pay respect to your legitimate superiors, worm!"
"Says the fool who doesn't even aim properly. Seriously, you guys need to get better at verbal jousts. And you need to stop falling for the same tricks over and over again."
The genie raised an eyebrow.
"What trick are you-"
Celebi used Ancient Power!
Thundurus barely dodged the surprise attack Celebi had prepared for him.
"Ha! Pathetic, as I said. No such tricks can..."
Twinkiel used Power Gem! It's Super Effective!
Thundurus' face was assaulted with tons of gem-shaped projectiles.
Twinkiel looked at Frost, and the latter nodded before flying to the enemy's encounter. Ariala also began to prepare her own attack.
Frost used Fire Blast!
Ariala used Moon Blast!
The two moves directly struck Thundurus, who screamed painfully and struggled to keep up with Fleedjio's pace.
"See what I mean?" continued Twinkiel in the same fatigued tone. "The battle with Kyurem pretty much began like that."
Celebi used Future Sight!
"And the trap is set," Celebi said to herself. "See, Twink, I'm startin' to feel like you're right. If it always begins like that, it's not gonna be fun anymore."
"I know, right?"
Thundurus came back at full speed, rage in his eyes.
Thundurus used Thunder!
The move completely missed Fleedjio's left wing.
"Ariala, cover me with whatever Special move you have preferably your Moon Blast," ordered Twinkiel, now fully focused. "This guy's flying speed is gonna be a pain to deal with!"
"You've fought him before?"
"Let's just say that I got lots of knowledge concerning wandering Legendaries."
"Latios was MUCH harder to track down. Thundurus capture time: about 15 minutes. Not even an hour, wasn't fun at all. Using him, however..."
Fighting against the blurry memories coming back to him, Twinkiel did his best to aim and shoot Power Gems whenever he could. Fleedjio could only dodge the Thunders and rare Focus Blasts Thudurus was sending, but the latter could barely aim while both trying to avoid his opponents and dashing to catch up with the Dragon, not to mention Twinkiel's near perfect aim - another gift from his past life, of that he was sure -, which forced him to keep his distance. Finally understanding his tight situation, Thundurus decided to change tactics.
Thundurus used Rain Dance!
A ball of water flew to the sky, and a thick rain began to fall assaulted the fighters.
"OH SNAP!" shouted Twinkiel and Celebi in equal fear.
"Oh snap indeed!" added Thundurus as he raised his tail to the sky. But he was already out of time.
The Future Sight hit enemy Thundurus!
Celebi's attack hit Thundurus, but the electric genie resumed his assault, determined to keep going despite his stamina rapidly dropping.
Thundurus used Thunder!
Twinkiel used Cotton Guard!
By extending the size of his fleece, the Flaafy had managed to protect Fleedjio's side, much to Thundurus' annoyance.
"Looks like I have to get a closer look at your demise, pathetic chatter-box."
"Not so fast!"
Frost used Psyshock!
Thundurus used Thunder!
Thanks to the rain, Thundurus had a perfect precision for all of his electric attack. Frost's attack was completely outmatched, and the Thunder that hit him was powerful.
"Frost!"
The Victini had lost too much concentration: he couldn't fly properly. Celebi flew to his rescue and grabbed him.
Ariala used Moon Blast!
The genie easily dodged the attack and placed himself right above Fleedjio, following the dragon's every move.
"Well, well, let's see how you handle this then!"
The Legendary laughed triumphantly as his tail began to charge up electricity.
"Arialia. Send me flying up to this guy, please. Then prepare a Moon Blast. Aim for his cloud."
"What? You're not going to-"
"Just do it! I know what I'm doin'!"
"Actually I really don't. I'm totally nuts, but I have no choice."
Twinkiel used Cotton Guard!
Ariala used Meteor Mash! It's not very effective...
Powered by a yellow aura, the Clefable's punch sent the Flaaffy flying to a very surprised Thundurus.
"What the...?! Let go of my cloud, you insolent twerp!"
"Ariala!" Twinkiel screamed. "Now!"
Ariala used Moon Blast!
The attack hit the cloud, thus confusing the genie. His balance was off.
"If you do this," he rapidly said," we will both fall, and you won't have the strength to survive the fall!"
"Son... I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."
A sadistic grin appeared on Twinkiel's face, thus convincing the Legendary of his electric adversary's utter madness.
"Dude," replied Twinkiel, his fear slightly diminished by his Inner Echo's funny intervention, "I'm Captain Twinkiel Thunderfleece. "Now shut your second-rate mouth and taste the thunderbolts you like using so much!"
Twinkiel used Discharge! It's a Critical Hit!
With a terrifying scream, Thundurus fell towards the Greatwood Jungle.
"See you at the temple!"
That was Twinkiel's last shout towards his allies as he followed his enemy in the fall.
Twinkiel used Cotton Guard!

******

Twinkiel opened his eyes in a barren grass field, his head hurting and his electricity still circling around him. He had used his Cotton guard to protect himself, and then Discharge to destroy the eventual branchs he he could've hit below him, but he wasn't so sure that falling directly on the ground had been such a good idea.
Oh well.
He inhaled and exhaled calmly, enjoying how the rain refreshed his face with its surging water drops.
"Still alive," he whispered to himself. "heheh... Perfect landing" he added, a sly smile on his face.
His smile immediately faded.
All around him, a group of Ekans, Arboks and other Pokémons that he identified as Zangooses were staring at him with big eyes. He stared back, just as agape.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me..."
Twinkiel had landed in the middle of an all-out war. And he had just interrupted it.