Chapter 417: Temporal Pokémon
~Third POV~
[Hisui Region, Coronet Highlands – Temple of Sinnoh]
After defeating Palkia, the group soon regained its bearings. Irida quickly realized that Akari caught Palkia as her eyes widened, and she finally snapped out of her shock, "Wait… did… did you seriously just catch the deity of space?!"
Akari smiled as she did a peace sign, recalling her Arcanine, "All thanks to the Lake Trio and that Red Chain."
That was when realization set in as she yelped, "Wait, where's the Red Chain!"
That made everyone turn to look for it. The shattered fragments of the Red Chain that had scattered across the temple floor were gone.
As they were looking, Akari gazed at Azure and Mewtwo. She blinked in confusion, asking curiously, "Hey Azure—what's your mysterious Pokémon doing?"
Azure wasn't paying attention to her as he recalled his Arcanine. His gaze was locked on Mewtwo. The psychic-type was levitating shards of the Red Chain, a Poké Ball, and Origin Ore, seemingly in the middle of a mysterious process.
Adaman shouted, seeing the pieces of the Red Chain, "Wait, what's the Red Chain doing with you?! What are you up to?!"
He'd only now realized Azure had quietly collected all the Red Chain fragments. Azure replied bluntly as his eyes were fixed on the swirling vortex above, "Crafting a Poke Ball. Besides… We're not done yet."
Irida asked in disbelief, her voice trembling, gesturing towards Akari, "Not done? Palkia is caught! The rift should close!"
Azure corrected, reaching for his belt as he stated, "One deity is caught. But history remembers two."
He didn't explain further. Instead, he grabbed four Ultra Balls and tossed them into the air. At the same time, his shadow elongated, and two dark shapes rose from the stone as he declared, "Come out. We have a God of Time to humble."
*POP*
*WOOOSH*
The temple floor cracked under the weight. Regirock, Registeel, and Regice stood like ancient monoliths, their braille eyes flashing.
Hovering above them was the alien form of Deoxys, its core glowing ominously. From the shadows, the pitch-black nightmare of Darkrai rose, blue eyes burning, while the small, smoky figure of Marshadow stepped forward, its eyes burning like coals...
*THUWMP*
The pressure emitted by this gathering was suffocating. It wasn't just one legend; it was a pantheon of monsters.
Kamado whispered, stepping back, his hand gripping his chest, "By the Almighty... What are you, boy?"
Azure ignored the question. He stated, "Power up. Now."
The command was absolute.
*RMBL*
*SHIIII*
The Regi Trio began to glow, ancient runes circling them. Curse. Their speed dropped, but their Attack and Defense skyrocketed.
Deoxys crossed its arms. Cosmic Power and Calm Mind. Its defenses and special power surged. Darkrai flared its aura. Nasty Plot and Swords Dance, maximizing its offensive potential.
Marshadow watched Palkia's Ultra Ball, then looked at the others. Psych Up. It copied the highest stat changes in the vicinity, its aura flaring to match the Titans.
Azure walked over to Akari, shoving a handful of Full Restores into her hands as he stated, "Heal your team. Heal Palkia. Do it now."
Akari looked at the items, then at the sky as she asked, "Azure? You think... the other one is coming?"
Azure's voice was hard as he bluntly stated, "I don't think. I know. The deity you just caught isn't the only one Sinnoh reveres. Dialga is coming, and it's going to be angry. Prepare every Pokémon. Full power."
Akari didn't argue. She trusted the look in his eyes—the look of a Champion who had seen the end of the world before. She quickly sprayed the potions on her team: Lucario, Alpha Garchomp, Hisuian Braviary, Hisuian Arcanine, Hisuian Zoroark, Hisuian Samurott, and finally, the newly caught Palkia.
*POP*
As Palkia materialized from the Ultra Ball, fully healed, it roared in distress. A telepathic shockwave hit everyone, 'My counterpart comes! He is lost to the madness! Prepare yourselves!'
*SHIII*
Palkia began to glow, gathering energy, desperate to restore its full power before the clash. Irida, Adaman, and Kamado, shaking off their fear, released their own partners—Leafeon, Glaceon, Snorlax—desperate to help.
But time waits for no one. The rift above screamed. A sound like a bell tolling the end of the world shattered the air, "GROOOOOOOOOH!"
*RIP*
From the crimson tear, a massive shape descended. It slammed onto the temple floor, cracking the ancient stone foundations.
*THUD*
Dialga. The Lord of Time.
But something was wrong. Its blue armor was darkened to a bruised navy. The diamond on its chest glowed a sickly, frenzied orange.
Red lightning crackled along its spine. Azure's eyes narrowed. He grinned, a sharp, feral expression, muttered, "Primal Dialga colors... It's corrupted by the timeline instability. But it hasn't transformed yet. It's still in its base form. We strike now!"
Dialga opened its mouth, time warping around its jaws as it prepared to roar, "GRAO!!! (YOU PUNY MORTALS –)"
Azure's voice cut through Dialga's roar, "Regis! BLOCK!"
*THUMP*
The three elemental golems slammed their arms into the ground. A hexagonal energy barrier erupted, sealing the area and preventing the shockwaves from destroying the mountain.
Then, Azure barked a series of orders as his Pokémon complied, "Deoxys! Psycho Boost! Marshadow! Close Combat! Darkrai! Dark Void!"
*ZOOOOM*
Azure's team moved with the synchronization of a well-oiled machine. Dialga didn't even get the chance to scream.
Deoxys shifted to Speed Forme, instantly appearing above Dialga's head. It shifted back to Attack Forme mid-air and fired a multicolored beam of psychic energy. With Deoxys's stats boosted, the hit was catastrophic…
*BOOOM*
Unleashing the Psycho Boost at full power, it exploded upon contact against Dialga's forehead. Dialga's head snapped back.
*Zoooom*
In that split second of vulnerability, Marshadow emerged from Dialga's own shadow. Having stolen the stat buffs, Marshadow unleashed a flurry of blows. Close Combat. Its fists became a blur, striking Dialga's eyes, throat, and chest diamond.
*Bam-bam-bam*
*Bam-BAM-BAM*
Dialga staggered, confused, and in pain. Before it could recover, a wave of darkness washed over it.
*WOOOSH*
Darkrai's Dark Void engulfed the Dragon, forcing its eyelids to droop. The Lord of Time stumbled, fighting the urge to sleep, its focus shattered.
Akari cheered, "It's working! We have it on the ropes!"
Dialga's eyes snapped open. The orange glow intensified. It wasn't sleeping. It was furious as it roared, "GRAOOOO!"
*BOOOOOM*
ROAR OF TIME.
It didn't charge the attack. It simply released it. A beam of blue indigo energy, twisting like a double helix, erupted from its mouth.
Azure yelled, "Incoming!"
The beam was too wide, too fast…
*KRA-BOOOOOM*
Irida, Adaman, and Kamado watched helplessly as their Pokémon were vaporized instantly, returned to their balls before they even knew they were hit. Akari's team—save for Palkia—was blown away, skidding across the temple floor, unconscious.
But Azure's team was ready. Deoxys Teleported instantly. Marshadow sank into the shadows. The Regi Trio, fortified by Curse and Block, stood shoulder-to-shoulder. They took the Roar of Time head-on.
Their stone bodies cracked, metal dented, and ice chipped, but they held the line. Darkrai didn't dodge. It cast Protect, forming a green barrier not around itself, but around the corner where Mewtwo was floating.
Azure commanded telepathically, 'Keep working! Finish the Origin Ball!'
*RMBL*
Dialga roared again, its power rising. It prepared a second blast, intending to wipe out the survivors.
Sensing the impending danger, Akari screamed, "Palkia! Now!"
Palkia, the only one left standing on her side, lunged. It slashed the air…
*SHINNG*
Spatial Rend.
*BOOOOOM*
The attack struck Dialga dead center in the chest. It was a critical hit… But it was also a mistake.
The pain pushed Dialga over the edge. The orange crystal on its chest shattered, and a blinding light consumed the temple.
Azure shielded his eyes, "Get back!"
*FLASH*
The light died down. Standing in the center was no longer the quadrupedal dragon. It was a terrifying, centaur-like deity with a massive crystal vortex spinning on its back with cold indifferent eyes.
Dialga. Origin Forme.
*CRACK*
The sheer pressure cracked the Regi Trio's Block barrier like glass. Adaman and Irida fell to their knees, overwhelmed by the raw, unadulterated divinity radiating from the creature standing before them.
Dialga raised its head. It didn't roar. It simply... stopped.
*FREEZE*
The color drained from the world. The wind stopped blowing. The dust suspended in the air froze. The sound of battle vanished.
Time Freeze.
Akari was frozen mid-shout. Palkia was frozen mid-lunge.
The Clan Leaders were statues of terror. Even Azure's legendary Pokémon were locked in place, unable to twitch a muscle.
Dialga looked around its silent kingdom. It opened its mouth, pointing toward the frozen humans as it charged its attack… Draco Meteor.
*RMBL*
*RMBL*
*RMBL*
*RMBL*
Orbs of draconic energy gathered, burning like falling stars. There was no one to stop it. They were trapped in a single second of time, destined to be obliterated without ever seeing it coming…
*PEW*
Dialga fired. The meteors descended…
*Wiggle*
But on Azure's belt, a single Premier Ball began to vibrate. It didn't glow white. It glowed with seven colors. A rainbow light that existed outside the laws of physics, outside the laws of linear time.
*POP*
*FLASH*
"SCREEEE!"
The Premier Ball burst open. A magnificent bird, wreathed in gold and red feathers, trailing a rainbow behind it, materialized in the grey, frozen world.
Ho-Oh. The Guardian of the Skies.
*Fwp*
The Rainbow Hero's bond transcended time. Ho-Oh spread its massive wings, the Pressure ability pulsing with life force. It looked at the frozen meteors and screeched, "SCREEEE!! (You shall not harm the Rainbow Hero!!!)"
*SSSSS*
Ho-Oh flapped its wings, sending ghostly blue-white fireballs spiraling toward the Lord of Time and the incoming. Ho-Oh unleashed Will-O-Wisp…
*BOOOOM*
The fireballs created from Ho-Oh's Will-O-Wisp, imbued with its Sacred Fire, ignored the time stop. They struck Dialga's throat and the incoming barrage of meteors of Draco Meteor denoating them before they harmed anyone.
*Sssss*
In the process, Dialga's eyes widened in disbelief as it was hit during its Time Freeze. Not only that, but felt the burn of Ho-Oh's fire, not leaving as its eyes widened in pain. Dialga recoiled, the sudden pain of the burn breaking its concentration.
*CRACK-BOOM*
Time snapped back into motion violently. The sound returned in a deafening rush. The Draco Meteors, losing their guidance and power source, exploded harmlessly in the distant skies as Ho-Oh stood ready.
Adaman gasped, falling forward as time resumed, "What?!"
Irida pointed up, "Look!"
Everyone looked up to see the Rainbow Pokémon hovering protectively over Azure, its divine light pushing back the darkness of the rift. Dialga shrieked, the burn damage chipping away at its stamina, looking up at the bird in shock.
Azure adjusted his cap, standing in the shadow of the Phoenix. Azure smirked as he stated boldly, "Sorry, Dialga. But my time isn't up yet."
*Tmp*
As the Rainbow Pokémon circled above, casting a radiant glow over the darkened temple, Azure felt a sudden, cold weight press into his palm. He looked down as he thought, 'Just about time.'
There, telekinetically placed into his hand, was a Poké Ball unlike any other. It was crafted not from metal and technology, but from the crystallized fragments of the Red Chain. It pulsed with a deep, ancient crimson light, throbbing in sync with the heartbeat of the universe.
The Origin Ball.
A cold, telepathic voice resonated in Azure's mind, 'It is done.'
*Wooosh*
From the swirling dust, Mewtwo floated forward. It didn't drift passively; it dominated the space it occupied. Having spent the battle mediating and absorbing the raw energy of the distorted space-time, combined with Marshadow's Psych Up earlier, Mewtwo was now fully primed. Its stats were maxed out.
*THUMP*
The sheer Pressure emanating from the Genetic Pokémon was suffocating. It was different from Palkia's crushing weight or Dialga's terrifying aura. This was the pressure of being designed to be the ultimate weapon.
Even Adaman, Kamado, and Irida instinctively took a step back, their instincts screaming that the creature floating before them was an apex predator. Mewtwo locked eyes with the corrupted God of Time.
Mewtwo projected, 'My turn.'
Azure pointed to the fallen Spatial Dragon as he commanded, "Ho-Oh! Heal Palkia! Get it back in the fight!"
*Sssss*
The Rainbow Pokémon shrieked. It shook its majestic wings, and a glitter of shimmering ash—Sacred Ash—rained down upon Akari and her Palkia. The miraculous dust touched the bruised and battered dragon, and instantly, Palkia's wounds knit together.
Its vitality returned in a rush of white light, its strength fully restored. While the healer worked, the destroyer attacked.
Mewtwo raised a single three-fingered hand as it projected coldly, 'Prepare yourself, God of Time. Aura Sphere: Barrage.'
*SHIIII*
It wasn't just one sphere. Dozens of blue, homing energy orbs materialized around Mewtwo in a perfect halo…
*WOOOSH*
With a flick of its wrist, it launched them. They streaked through the air like a fighter jet squadron, slamming into Dialga's Origin Forme from every angle.
*BOOM-BOOM*
*BOOM-BOOM*
*BOOM-BOOM*
Dialga roared in annoyance, the unmissable fighting-type moves hammering against its steel hide. It tried to thrash, to swing its massive neck, but shadows and aliens were already upon it.
*Wooosh*
Marshadow, moving with the borrowed speed of a god, darted in and out of Dialga's blind spots, delivering lightning-fast jabs. Deoxys hovered at range, its core glowing as it prepared its heavy artillery. Darkrai weaved through the smoke, a nightmare incarnate as it danced around Dialga.
Dialga, overwhelmed by the swarm, decided to end the game. The crystal on its chest glowed blindingly bright...
The gears of the universe began to grind to a halt.
*FREEZE*
Time Freeze.
The color began to drain from the world again.
The wind slowed.
The sound faded.
But this time, Azure was prepared. Azure shouted, "Not this time!"
*FLASH*
Above them, Ho-Oh flared its wings. It wasn't just fire; it was the Rainbow Light, the power of a promise that transcended time itself. The prism of rainbow light washed over the entire battlefield.
When the grey wave of the Time Freeze hit the Rainbow Light, it shattered.
*CRACK*
Dialga's eyes widened in genuine shock. Its absolute authority over the temporal flow had been vetoed by the Guardian of the Skies.
Azure commanded mentally, 'Now!'
*SHIII*
Mewtwo cupped its hands together. Marshadow leaped onto Mewtwo's shoulder, mimicking the motion as they unleashed Condensed Aura Sphere.
A sphere of fighting energy formed between them, but instead of growing larger, they compressed it. It shrank down to the size of a marble, glowing with the density of a collapsing star…
*PEW*
They fired.
The beam pierced through the air with a high-pitched whine. It struck Dialga directly in the center of its chest crystal.
*CRACK*
The impact was kinetic and brutal. The massive, centaur-like Origin Forme was lifted off its feet and shoved backward, its hooves gouging deep trenches into the temple floor. It gasped, the wind knocked out of it.
But Azure didn't allow it the chance to breathe, "Deoxys! Psycho Boost! Darkrai! Thunder Wave!"
*PEW*
Deoxys, utilizing its Attack Forme, unleashed a multicolored beam of pure psychic destruction aimed at Dialga. It slammed into the staggering Dialga, shattering its special defenses.
*BOOOM*
Simultaneously, Darkrai gathered static electricity in its claws. It didn't aim for damage; it aimed for the nervous system. The Thunder Wave arched out, a jagged yellow bolt that wrapped around Dialga's distorted limbs.
*ZZZ-ZAK*
Dialga's muscles locked up. The paralysis took hold instantly. The God of Time, usually faster than perception itself, twitched and shuddered, its speed cut in half. It tried to summon a Roar of Time, but its body betrayed it, sparking with yellow static.
It was paralyzed. It was burned. Its defenses were crumbled. It was backed against the edge of the spear pillar.
Azure stepped forward, the red Origin Ball glowing in his hand. The chaotic wind whipped his coat around him, but his eyes were calm.
Azure whispered, "Checkmate."
The victory felt assured. The Origin Ball was ready, and the God of Time was paralyzed, burned, and beaten against the invisible walls of the arena.
But time is not a straight line to its master. Dialga, panting heavily, suddenly threw its head back. The crystal on its chest didn't glow with the orange of rage, but with the serene, terrifying blue of the time stream…
Rewind.
*SCREEEE*
A high-pitched sound, like a tape reel spinning backward, pierced everyone's ears. The visual was disorienting. The scorch marks from Ho-Oh's fire unburned themselves, the skin returning to pristine blue metal. The static electricity of Darkrai's Thunder Wave flowed out of Dialga's muscles and vanished into the ether. The bruises from Marshadow's fists smoothed over.
In the blink of an eye, Dialga stood tall, roaring with the vigor of a fresh battle. It had reverted to its own personal timeline to its peak condition.
Adaman gasped, his knees shaking as he uttered in disbelief, "It... it undid it all. How can you beat something that can just refuse to be hurt?"
Azure didn't panic. He frowned, his eyes meeting Mewtwo's. The Genetic Pokémon hovered silently, its expression grim. They communicated in a split second without words, 'If it can reverse time, we must hit it with something so absolute that there is no 'after' to rewind from…'
Azure stated coldly, "No more holding back."
He raised his hand. Telekinetically, a glowing, rectangular slab shot out from his bag. It radiated a power that made the very air vibrate—a power that felt like the beginning of the universe.
The [Mind Plate]. A fragment of Arceus itself.
Palkia recoiled, sensing the essence of its creator. Dialga's eyes narrowed, fixating on the holy artifact.
*Wooosh*
Azure tossed it. Mewtwo caught the Plate, holding it tightly telepathically around its neck. Simultaneously, Darkrai drifted closer to Azure, clutching a Mega Stone that had materialized from the shadows—a [Darkranite].
Azure pressed the Key Stone on his Mega Glove as he shouted, "Shatter the mind. Eclipses the soul. Double Mega Evolution!"
The battlefield exploded with light.
*FLASH*
Mewtwo roared, the [Mind Plate] fusing with its Mega Stone. Its body shrank, becoming sleeker, smaller, but infinitely more potent. A halo of psychic energy formed behind its head…
Mega Mewtwo Y. Its mental capacity was now beyond comprehension, boosted further by the Plate of the Creator.
But it was the second transformation that froze the blood in Akari's veins. Darkrai screamed—a sound like tearing metal and whispering ghosts. The shadows erupted, swallowing the Pitch-Black Pokémon.
*WOOOSH*
When the darkness receded, Mega Darkrai hovered in the air.
It was a nightmare given form. Its body had doubled in length, the upper torso swelling into a massive, spherical shape, while its arms had dissolved into long, gyrating tentacles that lashed at the air. Six wispy, spectral tatters swirled around it—five from its back, one from its chest—creating a vortex of shadow.
From beneath its tattered skirt, two long, swirling legs emerged, giving it a ghostly, floating stature. Its white plume had sharpened, growing pointier and cascading down to obscure its left eye. But the right eye... the right eye burned with a horrific, hot pink hue…
*Wooosh*
Then, it moved.
Mega Darkrai retracted its head into the growth around its neck. The growth, now black and terrifying, shifted. Eight triangular shapes—three small on the sides, one large on the opposite—opened up, revealing thin, white, vein-like lines. The center of the neck growth glowed with a magenta light, forming a white pupil and a blue iris. Hovering horizontally, with its head hidden, Mega Darkrai no longer looked like a Pokémon. It looked like a vile, demonic eye wreathed in spikes, staring directly at Dialga.
Irida whispered, unable to look away from the eldritch horror, "What... is that?"
Azure answered calmly, "The true face of fear."
The battle renewed with apocalyptic intensity. Palkia, fully restored and inspired by the display of power, roared and took its place beside the Mega Evolutions. The Spatial God was done cowering.
Azure commanded, "Ho-Oh! The Regis!"
The Rainbow Pokémon shrieked, bathing the three golems in restorative fire. Their cracks healed instantly. Regirock, Registeel, and Regice slammed their limbs into the ground once more as Azure commanded, "Block Barrier now!"
*SHINNG*
A reinforced barrier, stronger than before, rose around Dialga, Palkia, Mega Mewtwo Y, and Mega Darkrai, sealing them in a cage match of divinity. Marshadow and Deoxys didn't join the offense.
They blurred backward, standing in front of Azure, Akari, and the Clan Leaders. Deoxys shifted to Defense Forme, generating a massive forcefield, while Marshadow sank into their collective shadows, ready to intercept any stray attacks.
Inside the barrier, the air screamed.
Dialga, facing the combined might of a Mega-Evolved God of Nightmares, a Creator-empowered Psychic clone, and its own counterpart, roared in defiance. But for the first time since emerging from the rift... the Lord of Time looked afraid.
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!