The sun was beginning to rise on Lacunosa Town as Nemona and Gretel were overlooking the town from the bridge, waiting for Y/N to talk to the locals. Gretel leaned forward, arms over the bridge, keeping her peace, giving Nemona glances every once in a while. Eventually, enough time passed for her to speak up.
"What do you think of Y/N Nemona?"
"Y/N? What do you mean? Hmm, well, to put it in simple turns, he's my best friend and rival. I wouldn't have left the comfort of Paldea without his words of kindness; it was that little push I needed. He means the world to me. Why do you ask?"
Gretel kept glaring at Nemona with a side glance. "But do you like him? As in like like?"
"H-Huh? Like? Well, I mean... Ugh, wow, this came out of nowhere." She giggled. "I'd like it if we battled now and then. We're rivals for life."
"No," she hissed, moving back and now giving Nemona her full attention. You don't get it. Y/N said he was my rival. We've battled and gotten stronger together. It was meant to be. We were told to be. Know your place and stay away from him. OR ELSE."
I began climbing the stairs, letting out a loud yawn. I waved the two girls down. "Hey, sorry it took so long. The locals were less willing to tell me much about the Giant chasm. I didn't keep you all waiting too long, did I?"
Nemona had a look of terror; she licked her lips, staring at Gretel trying to speak. "N-No..."
Gretel ran over, holding onto my arm, giggling. "We were just having girls talk about nails, which we liked, hair, you know, girl stuff."
"Riiight... Girl stuff," I whisper, confused. "Well, the good news is that I've got the information I needed regarding the Giant Chasm; it should only take an hour or so to reach. "
" If this MissingNo is waking up, we should waste no time. Come on, let's go!"
"You make a good point," I grumble, nodding along. "That alright with you, Nemona?"
"H-Huh? Oh yeah, that's cool."
I turned, seeing Zorua running from the other side of the bridge. I didn't remember her running off. I kneeled, picking her up. "There you are, girl! We're just heading out."
Zorua began giggling and barking at me. "Umm... Y/N?"
Nemona pointed behind me as I saw Mimi staring at me blankly, heartbroken. "Two Mimi? Wait, what?" I looked back, seeing the Mimi I was holding turn into the other Y/N's Zorua, who kept cackling away. I dropped her taken back as she spun around, still laughing. "What the!? Mimi? What, how, I don't think I've ever seen you out of your Poke Ball before..."
"You didn't tell me you had another Zorua Y/N? You named it Mimi, too?" Nemona questioned, confused.
I shook my head at this, arms crossed. "Sorry, I thought I mentioned it. Do you know that other me Zinnia and I came into contact with in Alola? This was his partner Pokemon. Before Giovanni snatched him up, he left Mimi in my care. She has refused to leave her Pokeball ever since."
"Why would she come out for all of a sudden?" Gretel questioned, staring at the Pokemon with a careful glare.
The other Zorua giggled again, jumping in the air and turning in Zinnia. We were all caught off guard as she ran down the stairs out of town. "You've got to be kidding me! Don't let her get away!"
Jumping down the stairs, I began running after Zorua, now a perfect copy of Zinnia. Mimi jumped on my head, barking, using me as a jumping-off point to get further ahead. Turning the corner, I managed to catch up, tackling the copy of Zinnia to the ground. Holding her down, she transformed back into Zorua, giving up, still laughing. "You've had your games. It's time to get back in the ball."
Zorua didn't hesitate to jump back in. I sat down, sighing. "What the hell was that all about? Hideaway in there for five months and then decide to play hide-and-seek? What gives?" I heard rustling from the trees. I sat up, waving my Pokeball. It's all good; I've got her."
The sound got louder, and as no response came, I raised my eyebrow. About to get up, I froze when a Pokemon appeared from the trees, staring right at me. It had such a powerful aura, one of nobility and Justice. It didn't take me long to recognise it from the many hours I spent studying all the Pokemon.
It was the Legendary Pokemon Cobalion. As an enemy of Kyurem, it made sense why it was keeping patrol in this area, but the thought threw me off. It continued to stare at Zorua and me before I heard it speak in my mind.
"No. You are not the one."
"Y/N! Did you find the Zorua?" Nemona shouted.
I looked towards the voice shouting. "Not so fast! Careful!"
Nemona ran out, coming face to face with Cobalion, who was just as shocked. "Whoa! What sort of Pokemon is this!?"
"No sudden movements; it's one of the swords of Justice; it won't harm you if you aren't of evil mind. Still, be careful." I ordered, watching Nemona walk around Cobalion, who was watching her with an adapt stare. "Easy does it."
Again, I heard Cobalion's voice echo in my mind, staring at Nemona. "No. She is not the one."
Was it looking for someone in particular? I slowly stood up, a Pokeball at ready in case anything got messy. Eventually, Cobalion lost interest in us and prepared to move on. However, Gretel's voice caught its attention, pivoting its focus.
"Are you out there? Where are you, Y/N?"
Cobalion's entire attitude changed as he took a stance. I heard its voice again, making me cringe. "She is the one. The one to destroy Unova."
Cobalion ran towards Gretel, making my heart skip a beat as I gave chase. "It's after Gretel!"
"What?! How do you know? I thought you said Cobalion only seeks Justice against evil!"
"I know what I said; I heard it!" I shout, jumping between the bushes and seeing Gretel in the distance being ambushed by the legendary beast. Feeling completely forced, I toss my Pokeball, shouting, "Darkrai, stop it!"
Darkrai materialised before me, its shadowy form swirling with ominous energy. With a determined nod, Darkrai understood the urgency of the situation.
"Cobalion, cease your attack!" I commanded, hoping to reason with the legendary Pokémon. But Cobalion was too enraged to listen, its eyes fixed solely on Gretel.
Darkrai lunged forward, attempting to slow down Cobalion with its hypnotic abilities. Dark voids emerged around Cobalion, trying to trap it and lull it into a deep slumber. However, Cobalion's legendary strength and willpower proved formidable, and it shook off Darkrai's attempts to pacify it.
Making it to Gretel, I slid in front of her, ready to battle. "Get out of here! I'll hold it off for as long as possible!"
"Y/N... I'm sorry." She whispered. I nodded, throwing her my bag.
"It will be alright, I trust you. Go!"
As Gretel scrambled to safety, I knew I had to act fast. With a heavy heart, I decided to subdue Cobalion to protect my friend and prevent further harm. Darkrai and I launched into battle, dodging Cobalion's powerful strikes and countering with strategic manoeuvres of our own.
The woods echoed with the sounds of our clash, leaves rustling and branches snapping under the force of our attacks. Cobalion fought valiantly; its determination was matched only by our resolve.
But as the battle wore on, Cobalion began to show signs of fatigue. Darkrai seized the opportunity, unleashing a powerful Dark Pulse that sent Cobalion stumbling backwards, weakened but not defeated.
With a deep breath, I reached for a Poké Ball, steeling myself for the final push. With a swift throw, the Poké Ball sailed through the air, striking Cobalion and engulfing it in a beam of light. The Poké Ball wobbled once, twice, three times, before finally emitting a satisfying click.
I fell to my knees, my heart roaring in the wind. That was close—too close. I looked to Darkrai, nodding. "Thank you for understanding." I returned them as I walked up to Cobalion's Pokeball. Picking it up, I sighed. "What is up with legendary Pokemon? I catch it being such a hassle to control. I Guess Darkrai is mythical? What's the difference?"
"I should make sure Gretel and Nemona are both alright... What were the chances something like this would happen? And why now?" I kept rambling to myself, unsure how to feel. One thing couldn't leave my mind. "Why was it after Gretel?"
I let Zorua jump up on my shoulder as we began marching through the wilderness. When we reached the cave entrance of the Giant Chasm, the two girls were already waiting for me. "Y/N! Are you alright?"
"It's no problem we couldn't handle." I show them the Pokeball. Cobalion won't be hurting anyone else."
"I don't get why it got so worked up," I whispered, annoyed. "Are you alright, though, Gretel?"
She slowly nodded back, grasping her hands together. "I am thanks to you. I know you'll never let anything happen to me as long as I'm with you."
"I'm glad to hear it." I nod, approaching the entrance. The ground was already beginning to tremble, giving me bad vibes. "I'm not sure about this anymore; maybe we should turn back and wait for someone like Alder to meet with us?"
Gretel didn't listen. Putting my bag on, she ran into the cave, making Nemona and me chase after her. "Don't run off, Gretel; we have no idea what's hiding down here." The ground began to shake again, and the cave rumbled. I was thrown to the ground as the cave began to burst.
Gretel pushed Nemona out. The cave collapsed, and the entrance was sealed. I fell back, dazed as rocks fell everywhere. Closing my eyes, I began coughing. I looked up, finding Gretel shielding me. I winced, looking up. "Gretel. Are you alright?"
Gretel looked down at me, smiling. "I saved you. I saved you my Y/N. Do I get a reward?"
Still dizzy, I looked around, calling out. "Nemona? Are you there?"
"I-I'm here! I don't know if I'll be able to get to you, though. The entrance is completely blocked off."
I bit my lip, frustrated. "I would suggest breaking through without Pokemon, but it might just make everything worse. Can you find another way around?"
"I'm not sure."
"Ok... Head on back. Gretel and I will keep going ahead. We'll try to find another way out."
"A-Are you sure?"
"No... But what choice do we have?"
Nemona paused, knowing it wasn't a winning battle. "Be careful out there. I want you to promise me that if anything happens, you're getting out of there."
"I'll be fine, Nemona; this is nothing. I'll see you later. That's a promise." I hear Nemona leave as I take a breather. "I'm ok, Gretel; you don't have to shield me anymore."
Gretel didn't listen, falling on me and holding me tight; it sounded like she was crying. "I thought I lost you; if anything happened to you, I don't know what I would have done."
"Hey, I'm ok, see, you saved me. We saved each other. You don't have to worry about me." I smile as Gretel helps me up. I look around the cave. Zorua is just as anxious. "Where do we go now?"
Gretel pointed to a crooked staircase heading down into an opening. "Down there. That's where it all ended."
I followed Gretel down as we came out into a giant chasm, the one described by the locals. It was frozen over, with many dead trees having collapsed. Gretel looked on, clenching her fist. "So... this is where my Father stole Kyurem? I'm walking in his footsteps even now."
"To think something like this was hiding in the woods all along. I think I see an entranceway back there."
Gretel took my hand, nodding. "Let's walk there together. Me and You."
Climbing over the ridged ice and broken trees, we got closer to the source of the ice. The temperature was dropping. The cave was right ahead of us, and my anxiety was over the roof. MissingNo, it could be hiding in there. Waiting.
"Ready?"
"Let's do it." We both step in as I look around; an empty cave is all that meets us. No crystal tree, no giant fossil. No MissingNo. "Another dud... Damn it. It had to be here. Where else?
Gretel let go of my hand, walking ahead as I searched every part of the cave. It was only then that I saw Gretel approaching, a cane stabbed into the ground. I walked over to it, finding the Plasma logo printed on the top. Gretel took it out of the ground, amazed. "It's still here. After all this time, it hasn't moved. The last semblance of that man—that wicked man I call Father. Team Plasma were defeated here once more because they didn't have power. They were weak. And Ghetsis paid the ultimate price."
"Gretel... Listen."
"No, I'd like you to listen for once," She insisted, snapping the cane in half and throwing it aside. "I was destined to be the Queen of Team Plasma. That was my role, my truth, my ideal. But it was taken from me. I wasn't strong enough to take it."
"Gretel, listen to me. What Ghetsis did was wrong. He brainwashed you into his cause. But you're free now. You don't have to be petty like him."
Gretel looked at me with a smile. "You're right; we can be powerful together. I have power, and with you by my side, we could rule Unova, not the world." Dropping my bag, Gretel held up the God Stone, making my eyes widen. "I have what he could never. Ultimate power."
"What are you doing?" I whisper, concerned. "Gretel, this isn't you. Please, put it down."
"I intend to become the new Queen of Team Plasma. I rise from the ashes and take what's mine. With that, my Father will return from the shadows, and then... And then." She began giggling, an insane smile creeping over. "I'll kill him. I'll make him beg for his life and show him what a mistake it was to abandon me for that freak without a human heart!"
"Are you even hearing yourself?! This is madness!"
"Madness? No, no, no. You can say whatever you want; my mind has never been clearer." She hissed. Her whole persona changed as she smiled, holding her hand out. "I love you Y/N. I love you more than anything. Become my King, and let us rule together; we will crush all evil, bury Rainbow Rocket and save the world from MissingNo. Join me."
I stepped back, shaking my head. Zorua stood by my side as I whispered. "No... This is wrong, and you know it."
Gretel's eyes widened as she lowered her hand to the God Stone down by her side. "N-No? No? NO!? I'm perfect! I'm the absolute ruler who will change the world! We are destined to be together, Y/N. I love you. I love you, I love you!"
I remained silent, confirming my answer. Gretel began tugging at her hair, losing it. "Shut your mouth! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You dare tell me no!? After everything we've been through, I thought you'd understand. I thought you loved me. You hate me because I'm weak; you hate me because I'm not strong like you—like NEMONA! I can be strong, too. I can be the strongest trainer in the world."
Holding the God Stone up, I felt a chill consume the area. The ground continued to shake as a dark aura was sucked into the stone. It began to break as Gretel held it up, laughing. "I alone have the ambition to carry my dream forward, and for that, the Original Dragon has chosen me!"
I covered my face as the shockwave blew me back. Sliding against the floor, I watched something emerge from the stone. It towered over Gretel, smoke pouring out. I began breathing heavily, staring; it was impossible.
In front of me was a golden three-headed dragon with crimson-red eyes. Its body was pure of light and had a golden shine. I could see the flames rising inside the gold, heating up. The dragon swung its razor-sharp tail around, slamming it to the ground. She did it. Gretel awoke the Original Dragon.
"This is what my purpose was, the reason I was born. Behold the Original Dragon of truth and ideal! Lost to time, now returned to where it belongs! With me! Its name was forgotten by all, not remembered, and hidden in plain sight. The Dragon of Ambition Unova!"
To be continued...