"I'll take Kabutops and Aerodactyl," I said. The Kabutops was staring directly at me, as if suspecting something. Its gaze was intent and gleaning.
"How do you know it's a Kabutops?" Trinity frowned.
I shrugged. "Looks like it."
"You don't look worried at all," Brock noted.
"It's a dangerous situation, but nothing new," I said.
He nodded. "Okay. I got Aggron."
"Then I'll fight Omastar," Trinity agreed.
Now that everyone had their targets, we spread out, staring at the Pokemon that faced us.
A voice—Giratina's voice—boomed in my head. "One is near. I can feel it."
I didn't have time to ponder what it meant, because Kabutops took a fighting stance, putting one scythe behind it and the other one in front of it. Aerodactyl's wings tensed, as if it were anxious to take flight.
"Vee," Eevee nuzzled my face, trying to get my attention.
"They're both weak to Electric-types," I said, rubbing her head. "But they probably know about your Buzzy Buzz. Who's to say they weren't watching us? They were probably the ones who sent that army to attack us. I'd rather save you and use you if you're needed."
Eevee nodded, understanding. Her attention went back to the two Pokemon, watching intently.
"Right, let's do this," I cleared my head, pulling out my Rotom Phone. I opened the PC and switched out Golurk with Elekid. Yes, Golurk was a powerhouse, but it might destroy this cathedral and bury us all alive. Also, it would most likely disrupt the two other battles occurring.
Sure, I could use Gengar and, say, Kirlia, as they are some of my strongest. But Elekid needs this. I need to use all my Pokemon if they were to get stronger. Besides, I can tell this won't be an easy battle either way.
"Come on out," I said, throwing two Poke Balls.
Elekid and Hattrem came out in a flash of blue-white light. Kabutops and Aerodactyl suddenly gave us skeptical looks, which made sense, as they knew I had stronger Pokemon.
Trinity released Machoke, while Brock sent out his own Aerodactyl.
The battle had begun.
"Hattrem, Dazzling Gleam!"
Hattrem experimentally released a wave of sparkling pink and purple energy at the Kabutops and Aerodactyl.
"Kabu," Kabutops said dismissively, sinking one scythe into the ground. A streak of jagged, glowing rocks erupted from the ground and wrapped around them, protecting them. The Dazzling Gleam bashed into it, shattering it into splinters. Kabutops' eyes glinted and the fragments of rock froze in midair, before launching themselves at Hattrem and Elekid.
"Hattrem, Protect!"
"Hattre," Hattrem grunted, secreting a translucent barrier around her and Elekid. The rock fragments hit the barrier with ringing thuds, being completely blocked.
Aerodactyl flew upward and roared. Rocks that shone with purple lights formed around it, shooting at my Pokemon. The Ancient Power battered the barrier repeatedly until it broke, continuing their paths as they struck Hattrem directly.
"Trem," she groaned in pain, but endured. Her eyes widened as Aerodactyl swooped downward, its wings glinting metallically.
"Shit, it has Steel Wing," I cursed. "Elekid, get in front of Hattrem and use Thunder Shock, quick!"
Elekid jumped over Hattrem and landed in front of her just as Aerodactyl nearly reached them. He shot out tendrils of electricity, which all struck Aerodactyl, as it was too fast to dodge it.
"Aero!" Aerodactyl bellowed, staggering from the super-effective attack, flapping its wings frantically to right itself.
"Thunder Punch!" I said.
Elekid pounced at Aerodactyl, his fists coated with lightning. He punched Aerodactyl once, before striking it again, bashing it away.
Suddenly, it began to rain.
It took me a moment to find out what that meant.
"Elekid, watch out!"
Kabutops blurred toward Elekid, engulfed in a rushing torrent of water. The water surrounded its scythes, swirling around them until they became high-pressure water blades. It swung them both downward at Elekid. Good thing I warned him beforehand, because he was able to leap out of the way just in time.
Unrelenting, Kabutops cleaved at Elekid again, forcing him to dodge again. It unleashed a flurry of slashes, each one narrowly missing Elekid, who found himself unable to fight back for fear of being cut by the sharp blades.
After Elekid circumvented a particularly deft slash, Kabutops surprised him with a sudden upward arc.
"Thunder Punch!"
With explosive swiftness, Kabutops' water scythe was met by Elekid's electrified fist, creating a struggle. Both Pokemon fought to overpower each other, but it was uneven. Quickly, Kabutops found ground, beginning to push Elekid backward.
"Ele..." Elekid gritted his teeth, but he was unable to find the strength to win the power struggle.
"Elekid, use your other fist," I ordered.
Kabutops, even with its obvious Swift Swim, could not react to Elekid's preemptive punch, which knocked it away.
"Thunder Shock!"
Elekid smote Kabutops with a quick blast of electricity, making it groan with discomfort and pain.
As Elekid was occupied, Aerodactyl swooped in and summoned a hail of rocks, throwing them all at him.
"Hattrem, deflect them with Brutal Swing."
Hattrem's braids conjured tendrils of malicious blue and red energy, tensing as she waited for the rocks to come. When they reached her, she began to smack them away, splintering them with her brute strength.
"Psybeam!"
Without preamble, Hattrem launched a quick Psybeam that reached Aerodactyl in an instant, striking it and causing an explosion.
A shadow flickered over Elekid, its tenebrous mass becoming more and more coalesced as its source got closer to the ground.
My eyes widened. "Shit. Dodge it!"
Elekid danced away, barely dodging the skyward kick from Kabutops, which formed a crater when it struck the ground.
"It used Low Kick from the air? Interesting..."
A gyrating rush of water surrounded Kabutops, and it began to blur as it covered the distance between them in an instant.
"Damn, it's fast," I grimaced. "Jump up."
Elekid leapt upward, narrowly avoiding Kabutops' water slash, which made a whooshing sound as it sailed through empty air.
With its other scythe, Kabutops struck the ground. My blood turned to ice when I realized what that meant.
A glowing pillar of jagged stone sprouted from the ground, extending until it struck Elekid while he was airborne. He winced as he was flung away, crashing into the ground. He rolled to try to get back on his feet, but Kabutops didn't let up, trying to strike him again with Low Kick.
Elekid pushed himself off the ground just in time to dodge another Low Kick. But I noticed he was slower than before. The Stone Edge had done more damage than he had let on. It was super-effective, and this Kabutops was monstrously powerful. Who knew if Elekid would be able to withstand another attack,
Kabutops charged at him with another Liquidation, but this time I was ready.
"Use a Low Kick of your own."
Elekid ducked under a slash and swept Kabutops off its feet.
"Thunder Punch!"
As Kabutops fell to the ground, Elekid punched it in its sternum with Thunder Punch, making it grunt it pain. It lashed out with one of its scythes, slashing him and pushing him away. Elekid groaned in misery, but he remained standing.
Meanwhile, Hattrem was exchanging attacks with Aerodactyl. It gracefully evaded each Psybeam she shot, its membranous wings fluttering almost silently. In return, it shot barrages of Rock Slides, which she batted to the side with Brutal Swing. I hadn't had time to give her orders, so she'd been forced to fend for herself. She was getting hit more than she was landing her own.
I realized just how inexperienced I was with 2v2 battles. I've been so used to 1v1's, horde battles, and bombardments. Even when I used multiple Pokemon, it was to fight against one opponent or do as much damage as possible to multiple Pokemon.
Hattrem and Elekid have been fighting individual battles instead of working together. I was supposed to have them do so.
In my head multiple plans spun, etching their secrets into my mind until it rearranged them to the most plausible one.
First, I had to get my Pokemon together.
"Hattrem, shoot a Psybeam at the ceiling! Elekid, Thunder Punch!"
"Trem!" Hattrem launched a Psybeam at Aerodactyl, who predictably swerved to avoid it. It continued its course, hitting the domed roof of the cathedral, which was littered with stalactites. Twp of them fell. One struck an unsuspecting Aerodactyl, clipping its wing and interrupting its flight path. The other one almost hit Kabutops, but its deft speed allowed it to jump backward just in time for it to embed itself where it stood just a moment ago. But in doing so, Kabutops lost visual contact with Elekid.
"Hattrem, Mystical Fire! Elekid, you know what to do!"
Aerodactyl's flying became clumsy, which allowed Hattrem to strike it with wisps of magical flames. It roared in agony, beginning to plummet as the burns settled in.
"Brutal Swing!"
Just as Elekid jumped from behind the stalactite when Kabutops stumbled backward, Hattrem met Aerodactyl when it fell to the ground, bashing it with her Brutal Swing, flinging it toward a rock, where it crashed into it. Elekid charged Kabutops, nailing it with a flurry of Thunder Punches, causing it to wince as the super-effective attacks struck its rocky armor.
Kabutops growled in anger and surrounded itself with another Liquidation. It parried a punch and then slashed Elekid across his small chest.
"Ele!" Elekid groaned, his eyes defiant. He was sent sliding backward, but he did not lose his footing.
It was only then that I realized he was enjoying this—enjoying facing a seemingly impossible challenge. Elekid knew he could not beat Kabutops, but that was not stopping him. He would fight to his very last breath if it meant getting stronger.
"Elekid, Thunder Punch!"
Elekid's eyes flared a writhing mass of electricity coated his fists, crackling more potently than before. He blurred toward Kabutops and struck it in the stomach with booming force, knocking it away brutally.
"Ele... KID!" Elekid yelled in challenge, the electricity around his fists strengthening until it spread around his body, sending sparks all around him.
Between the cracks in the electricity, I spotted a flash of blue...
The lightning cocoon was split apart, revealing...
Electabuzz raised his face, narrowing his eyes, a sign that he was focusing on Kabutops and only it.
I couldn't help but grin. "I told you we'd grow stronger."
Electabuzz smirked, fire in his eyes.
Kabutops watched Electabuzz, evidently more cautious than before. It definitely noticed that Electabuzz had grown exponentially more powerful. I figured that if Electabuzz—when he was an Elekid—could hold off Kabutops despite being undoubtably unmatched, he was close to evolving.
Aerodactyl had freed itself from the rock it smashed in, roaring as it used its talons to propel itself toward Hattrem, its wings extending.
"Psybeam!"
Hattrem shot a quick Psybeam at the approaching Aerodactyl, who in turn opened its maw and released a massive silver blast. The Hyper Beam collided with the Psybeam, being slowed down, albeit slightly. The Hyper Beam slowly swallowed the Psybeam, losing strength in the process. But nonetheless, it got closer and closer to Hattrem, who did not have the means to continue her Psybeam.
"Hattrem, stop the Psybeam and use Protect!"
Hattrem's Psybeam vanished as she cancelled the move. She immediately put up a barrier, shielding herself from what remained of the Hyper Beam. The Hyper Beam rumbled against the Protect, but it held up.
Kabutops launched at Electabuzz with another Liquidation, its water scythes flashing wickedly. Electabuzz barely blinked as, with unnatural speed, he caught both swings with his hands.
"Thunder Shock!"
Electabuzz's body flickered with wild cables of electricity, streaming around him erratically. Kabutops' eyes widened as it was hit point-blank with the lightning, grunting in agony.
Wait, this wasn't a mere Thunder Shock. Electabuzz learned Thunderbolt.
When his Thunderbolt ended, Electabuzz swung Kabutops around and threw it. Kabutops slid to a stop, eyes knitted in irritation.
Damn, even while being hit with a super-effective attack point-blank, it was still standing. This battle was going to be tougher than I expected.
Electabuzz and Hattrem were now at each other's backs, which was just what I needed.
"Electabuzz, Thunderbolt! Hattrem, Mystical Fire!"
Electabuzz shot a stream of lightning at Kabutops, while Hattrem sent a sheet of flames at Aerodactyl. Kabutops slammed a scythe to the ground, sending a Stone Edge at Electabuzz, blocking the Thunderbolt. Aerodactyl manipulated a cluster of rocks with Rock Slider and hurled them at Hattrem, putting out the Mystical Fire.
"Quick, leap to the side, you two!"
Electabuzz and Hattrem jumped away from the middle of the two attacks, allowing them to hit each other.
The jagged rocks from the Stone Edge were shattered to fragments as the pieces of rocks from the Rock Slide crashed into them, scattering them everywhere.
"Hattrem, Protect!"
Hattrem created another Protect, protecting her and Electabuzz. The fragments bounced off the barrier harmlessly, but they battered Kabutops and Aerodactyl. Kabutops struggled to keep its balance as it was relentlessly assaulted by the pieces of rock. Aerodactyl was slashed repeatedly, falling back to the ground, unable to keep flight.
That was our chance.
"Electabuzz, Thunderbolt! Hattrem, Psybeam!"
Electabuzz turned toward Aerodactyl, releasing multiple powerful bolts of electricity, hitting Aerodactyl with impunity. Aerodactyl bellowed in agony and tried to stand up, but the lightning kept shocking it, until it fell back to the ground lifelessly.
Hattrem unleashed another Psybeam, striking the staggering Kabutops in the chest, knocking it away.
I grabbed a Poke Ball and threw it at Aerodactyl. "One down!"
Aerodactyl was sucked into the Poke Ball, landing on the ground. It shook three times and then clicked.
Kabutops looked at Hattrem and Electabuzz with burning hatred.
"With Aerodactyl down, we can focus on Kabutops now," I said. "It's weakened."
Despite this, I could tell it would be a difficult battle. Electabuzz and Hattrem were panting from exhaustion.
"Electabuzz, Thunder Punch!"
Electabuzz ran toward Kabutops, coating his fists with electricity that was even more potent than before. Kabutops waited until Electabuzz reached it, before sinking its scythes into the ground, beginning to dig at impossible speed. It burrowed its way into the ground, avoiding Electabuzz's Thunder Punch.
"It has Dig," I muttered. "Hattrem, feel for it."
Hattrem closed her eyes and began to transmit psychic waves into the ground, sensing for movement below.
What I've discovered is that Psychic-types can feel the presences of living things around them. When fighting against moves like Dig, it could be the difference between victory and defeat.
Hattrem suddenly opened her eyes and cried out, "Hat!"
Electabuzz jumped to the side just as Kabutops burst out of the ground. Its eyes widened in surprise.
"Thunderbolt!"
Electabuzz shot Kabutops with Thunderbolt, hitting it point-blank. It winced and struck the ground, unleashing another Stone Edge.
"Dodge it."
Electabuzz sidestepped out of the Stone Edge's path, but he got grazed in the process, making him grimace in pain.
Instead of ending, the Stone Edge swerved to the side, making its way toward Hattrem, who's eyes widened from surprise.
"Quick, Protect!" I yelled out frantically.
But Hattrem was too slow when putting up her barrier, as surprised as she was. The Stone Edge pierced into her, flinging her ten feet away, where she slumped to the ground, unconscious.
I sighed and returned Hattrem. "Thanks, Hattrem. Rest now."
Hattrem played a super big role in that battle. Without her skills, we would have been worn down by Kabutops and Aerodactyl. Because of her, we were able to get rid of the aerial support, which separated my two Pokemon away from each other in hopes of picking them off one by one.
Kabutops had strong defense and offense. Electabuzz wouldn't be able to fight it alone.
Honestly, Electabuzz and Hattrem did way better than I thought. I didn't want to use my stronger Pokemon instantly, but they performed well. Kabutops alone was either as strong as Steelix or stronger.
"Right. Come out," I said, throwing a Poke Ball into the air.
"Gen, Gen, Gen," Gengar snickered as he floated down, grinning at Kabutops. Electabuzz fell back, standing next to Gengar.
The two looked at each other, nodding in acknowledgment. This had to end quickly. Kabutops' stamina would make it nearly impossible to fight it in a battle of attrition.
"Kabu!" Kabutops launched itself at the two with Liquidation.
"Shadow Punch, Gengar! Electabuzz, Thunder Punch!"
Gengar and Electabuzz met Kabutops, clashing with its slashes with their punches. Thunder and shadows met water, creating an explosion after every attack.
Gengar struck Kabutops in the face, but was slashed in retaliation, being knocked backward. Electabuzz punched Kabutops three times before being cut from the shoulder to the hip, batted away.
Kabutops rushed at Electabuzz and cleaved both water blades downward.
"Sucker Punch, Gengar!"
Gengar blurred between Electabuzz and Kabutops, punching the latter in the chest.
"Shadow Ball!"
Gengar hit Kabutops with an orb of purplish ghostly energy, flinging it away.
"Thunderbolt, Electabuzz!"
"Buzz!" Electabuzz smote Kabutops with a bolt of lightning, pushing it backward.
Rain Dance had long since ended, and so Kabutops tried to use it again, but just before it flung the orb of water, Gengar appeared from the shadows.
"Hypnosis!"
Gengar waved its hand back and forth, a swirling psychic wave being fired from his eyes. They hit Kabutops and it froze, collapsing as it fell asleep.
"Thunder Punch and Shadow Punch!"
Immediately after Kabutops fell asleep, Electabuzz and Gengar began to whale at Kabutops with flurries of punch, each blow sinking it deeper into the ground with their overwhelming force.
But after the tenth punch, Kabutops suddenly woke up and knocked them both away with a quick Stone Edge.
Electabuzz and Gengar cried out in pain, but still managed to land on their feet, gritting their teeth stubbornly.
"Geng!"
"Electa!"
"Tops!" Kabutops screeched, accepting their challenge.
I understood what that meant.
This would be settled with one last attack.
"Electabuzz, Thunderbolt! Gengar, Dark Pulse!"
Electabuzz yelled boomingly, unleashing a hailstorm of lightning bolts, writhing erratically as they were shot at Kabutops. Gengar grinned wildly as malicious energy pulsed through the ground, destroying everything in its path.
Kabutops struck the ground with both scythes. This time, two Stone Edges erupted from the ground, combining until it created one massive one.
The two attacks collided, rocky fragments flew everywhere. At first, nothing moved, the force from both sides seemingly equal.
Then the Stone Edge came closer to my Pokemon...
For the first time in this entire battle, Kabutops grinned.
But with sudden, manic power, the Thunderbolt and the Dark Pulse teared through the Stone Edge, hitting the wide-eyed Kabutops.
A pillar of red and black lightning towered from where the attack struck, the flash blinding me for a few moments.
The pillar died out and revealed Kabutops...
It was knocked out.
"It was a fine battle," I said respectfully. "Now join my team!" I threw a Poke Ball at Kabutops.
It didn't even shake before it clicked.
***
With Brock
"Iron Tail, Aerodactyl," Brock ordered with a grin.
Aerodactyl effortlessly dodged Aggron's Metal Claw and bashed it with his Iron Tail, making it skid backward. Aggron roared in pain, shaking as exhaustion finally began to seep into its bones.
"It's tough," Brock said, "but not tough enough."
Aggron charged at Aerodactyl, headbutting him with an Iron Head.
"Fly up."
Aerodactyl calmly hovered above Aggron, completely avoiding its attack, must to its frustration.
"Crunch."
Aerodactyl propelled itself with his wings, swooping toward Aggron, who could not react as he bit Aggron on the head. Aerodactyl began to carry the flailing Aggron into the air, preforming a somersault, before plummeting to the ground once more. Aerodactyl slammed Aggron into the ground, where it lay on its back, trying to get back up.
"Finish it, Aerodactyl," Brock said. "Stone Edge."
Aerodactyl sank his talons into the ground, roaring. Sharp crystal-like rocks protruded from the ground, stabbing through Aggron, who struggled for a moment, before finally laying still, unconscious.
"It has potential," Brock said with approval. "I can definitely train it to be strong."
He threw a Poke Ball at Aggron, catching it with ease. Brock picked up the Poke Ball and smiled at it. Then he walked over to Aerodactyl, who was roaring victoriously, and patted him on the head.
"You've gotten a lot stronger since I caught you back at the museum," Brock said.
"Aroo!" Aerodactyl growled happily.
Brock looked over to Vali fighting Kabutops and Aerodactyl. Aerodactyl was down, but Kabutops manage to knock out Hattrem.
He knew that he, Vali, and Trinity could all manage to take down both. Hell, Brock would have been able to done with only one Pokemon.
Since Ash became the World Monarch, Brock had grown so powerful he could be considered Elite-Four-level. Misty was about his match, as well.
Brock then spectated Trinity's battle with Omastar. She was using Feebas, who was nimble enough to match Omastar's speed.
***
Trinity's POV
"Feebas, Dragon Pulse!" I said.
Feebas opened her mouth and blasted Omastar with a purple beam that took the shape of a dragon. Omastar slid across the ground, avoiding the Dragon Pulse with ease.
I had to recall Machoke because Omastar was too fast for him to keep up with. He had managed to weaken it down. Now Feebas was able to keep up with it.
"Ice Beam, Feebas."
"Fee!" Feebas shot a beam of frigid energy.
Omastar swayed to the right, weaving around the attack.
"Whip it around," I ordered.
Feebas whipped the Ice Beam to the side, clipping Omastar's tendrils, freezing it to the ground.
Frantic, Omastar released a Hydro Pump that ravaged through the ground wildly.
"Surf!"
Feebas summoned a mass of water and rode on it, trying to disperse the Hydro Pump. But she wasn't strong enough to, so she was struck by the Hydro Pump.
Instead of struggling against it, Feebas rode out the torrent of water.
When the Hydro Pump began to end, small seams began to appear as the water pressure waned, tendrils of water disengaging from each other. It hid her from Omastar, who watched the Hydro Pump, most likely thinking that Feebas wouldn't be able to last.
I grinned. "Ice Beam."
An Ice Beam blasted through the holes in the almost-ending Hydro Pump, catching Omastar by surprise. As it struck, frost began to accumulate all over Omastar until it completely froze it.
"End it!" I exclaimed. "Dragon Pulse!"
Feebas warbled and shot one last Dragon Pulse, nailing the frozen Omastar, causing a purple explosion.
Omastar unfroze and fell to the ground.
I threw a Poke Ball.
Three times it shook. Then it clicked.
***
Back to Vali
I allowed myself to breathe a weary sigh.
"Arceus, that was a hard battle."
Brock and Trinity both finished their battle and came over to me.
"Omastar was tricky to fight," Trinity admitted, looking as tired as I felt.
"That was a fun battle," Brock, on the other hand, was grinning.
"Did you even have any difficulty?" I asked dryly.
"Not at all," he said, his grin widening.
"Figures," I grumbled.
I wish every battle didn't have to be so difficult. It's like everywhere I go, the Pokemon there are purposely stronger than before. Like something knew I was coming and adjusted their strength accordingly.
"Right," I said, clearing my head. "Let's see what they were guarding."
"Guarding?" Trinity frowned. That's right, they wouldn't know. They couldn't feel that strange hum of power permeating through the air like I did. They didn't see the tendrils of shadows that led me to the back of the cathedral, behind where the guardians were.
"So you're saying there's something else here?" Brock wondered.
"Yeah," I nodded gravely.
"How can you tell?" Trinity asked.
"I can just... sense it."
"The shadows?" she gasped.
"Mhm."
"What shadows?" Brock asked.
"I'll tell you later," I promised. "Right now, just follow me."
"Oh, now I'm curious," Brock said, agreeing.
I didn't head toward the back immediately. I went up to Brock's Aerodactyl, who was staring at Trinity and I with an appraising gleam in his eyes.
"You're the same Aerodactyl, huh?" I smiled. "It's been a while."
"Aero," Aerodactyl growled affirmatively.
"You've grown strong," I gently extended my hand. Aerodactyl seemed surprised and skeptical. But then after a moment of consideration, he leaned his head forward and allowed me to caress him.
Trinity walked toward us and extended her hand in the same manner. Aerodactyl considered her for a moment, but he shook his head and took a wary step backward. Trinity's hand hung there, her gaze narrowing with hurt. She brought her hand back to her and stared at the back of her hand.
I knew what she was thinking about.
"It's been a while since a Pokemon has had that reaction," I said softly.
"I'd almost forgotten," Trinity replied solemnly.
"What? What happened?" Brock asked, sensing the mood.
"Nothing to worry about," Trinity sighed, shaking her head. "Let's just go."
Brock hesitated, before nodding. "Okay, sure. Lead the way, Vali."
I walked toward the back of the room. It was solid, with seemingly no seams that betrayed any door. But strings of shadow pointed straight toward it.
Eevee sniffed the wall cautiously.
"Smell anything, Eevee?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Evori."
I shrugged and knocked on the wall and then pushed against it. To my surprise, the door began to split in two, both halves sliding away from each other until it revealed a doorway. Stairs jutted down from it.
Without another word, I climbed down the stairs. Trinity and Brock wordlessly followed me down.
Torches trailed the rim of the stairway, burning with the same ghastly flame as before. Ghost-type Pokemon resided here before, it seemed. Actually, all types of Pokemon used to live here. But now all that remained were Ground- and Rock-type Pokemon. It was kind of sad, really.
Once we reached the final step, the tunnel widened until we emerged into a wider, domed room. Strange symbols and pictures were scrawled across the walls.
In the middle of the room stood a pedestal. A rectangular plate the color of dirt floated above it. Shadows spiraled around it wildly, as if marking the plate.
I instinctively knew what it was. I walked toward the Plate, reaching my hand toward it.
"Val, what are you doing?" Trinity gasped.
I grabbed the Plate, feeling it hum with divine, inexorable power. It was like a waterfall, wild and strange and beautiful.
But as soon as I touched it, I felt a burning sensation that pulsed through my body. I screamed in agony, my ears ringing violently. A white flash filled my entire vision, tearing across my entire mind like a white-hot knife. Nothing else existed but pain. Nothing else inhabited my world.
The Plate fought against me, rejecting me. Shadows lashed out, rejecting it too.
My body wasn't compatible with the Plate. The holy power inside of it tried to destroy me and my entire being.
But I fought against it, pushing myself off my knees, forcing my will upon the Plate, etching my very essence across it. The shadows warped around the Plate, penumbral strings encasing it. I gripped it harder, gritting my teeth as a slash of black rippled in the white light that filled my vision.
The Plate gave way, flooding information into my mind.
***
Long ago, there were five ruling nations in Sinnoh. Yes, this civilization originated in Sinnoh.
Why Sinnoh? Well, it is the center of the universe, the first region to ever be created by Arceus. The blood of the ancients flowed through the ground. Arceus' first touch upon this world was in Sinnoh.
One kingdom was more daring and ambitious than the others. The King used its guardian to invade the other kingdoms, hoping to create an immortal empire that lasted beyond the end of times.
The King and his twin sister ruled side by side, wielding dark forces better left unknown. The other rulers fought against him despite being overpowered by the kingdom's sheer might. It was a bloody, tumultuous era, filled with terror and violence that scarred generations as a whole.
The allied kingdoms despaired for a period of time, wondering if it was wise to have fought this battle in the first place. But it was too late.
A kingdom sat in the center of Sinnoh, where rocky mountains dominated the landscape. But that meant that it was in the middle of the conflict, the closest to the front lines. They suffered more casualties than the other nations combined.
But one man disobeyed its King and led a good portion of his people away from the conflict to a place where they could be kept safe. The Earth protected them, because the man stole the Plate in the kingdom's treasury, which granted him powers over it.
Together with his Kabutops and Shiny Aerodactyl, the man led his people to safety, wanting to hide away from the war.
As they left the battlefront, they glimpsed their guardian fighting its brethren. Above it floated a glowing Plate that was a lighter shade of brown than the Plate I was holding.
***
The visions ended and I found myself back at the room with the pedestal. I sank to my knees, my muscles cramped and burning. I calmed myself by breathing deeply, unfurling my hand.
The Plate was still there, laying dormant. It did not accept me. Maybe it never would.
"Val!" Trinity placed a shaky hand on my shoulder. "What happened?!"
Brock studied me worriedly. "You're not hurt?"
I shook my head, not trusting myself to talk.
"What did you see?" Trinity asked, concerned.
I got up and held my hand out, acting on instinct. The shadows leaped toward the Plate eagerly, devouring it until it disappeared. I knew that if I willed it, I could recall it from the pocket of shadow I hit it in. For now, it was better that I didn't make contact with it.
Brock's eyes were wide, as if recognizing the Plate. "No, that can't be..."
I raised one eyebrow. "You've seen one before?"
Brock nodded. "What's one doing here?"
Trinity studied us. "What is it?"
I sighed. "We'll talk about it on the walk here."
I knew what the Plate was.
I had finally collected one of the fragments that Giratina had tasked me to find.
End of the Grampa Canyon Arc (Mini Arc)
----------------------------------------------------------------
That's the end of the chapter and arc.
Vali has collected the first Plate... seventeen more to go. It took him almost fifty chapters to find one, but it won't take him as long to find other ones.
I was originally going to have Vali, Trinity, and Brock only fight one Pokemon each, but I realized that I'd forgotten Aerodactyl, which is a must in a fossil-related storyline.
The Sinnoh Creation War will be explored more in later arcs. This is very important because it will reveal some things about the origins of paramount characters.
I got Peter Griffin in Fortnite and I'm now trying to unlock all the Family Guy stuff now. After that I'll probably just end up never touching Fortnite ever again lmao.
And as always, if you have any suggestions as to which Pokemon, characters, or location you'd like to see next, make sure to comment them below. I'd love to see what you all think.
Anyways, that's it.