Author: Vincent Rodger | Banner: Landon Soto

The Crimson Mirelands, The Hisui Region

The skies darkened as a storm quickly eclipsed the bright sunny sky, the rays of the sun being blocked out by puffy dark clouds that echoed with thunder and lightning.

All within the area stared in awe and horror at the sudden storm they had found themselves in, several Pokemon scattering in order to find shelter from the heavy rain. The fire types sought for the nearest caves in order to survive the unnatural weather event, meanwhile others just enjoyed the mysterious event, sitting still and absorbing the water into their forms. The grass and water type Pokemon were in heaven, smiles forming amongst the younger members of several species while the adults simply rested within the element.

It was what came next that seemed to be a much larger concern.

Suddenly, ripples made their way across the storm’s form, a gigantic dome of dark blue energy manifesting in the middle of the environment, the top of the dome a tear between the fabric of space-time. While this occurrence had been happening rapidly throughout the last few months, what would arrive through the wormhole was unlike anything this world had ever seen. A hideous roar echoed from the tear as a gigantic limb forced its way through the rupture. The Pokemon that had been summoned by the Time Space Distortion all attempted to flee from the dome. But they only managed to slam their forms into the shimmering walls, failing to make a dent.

Its gigantic, pitch black body slammed into the ground with a loud thud before quickly returning to its feet, all four limbs holding the creature upright as it surveyed the area the best it could. The new sounds and “energy” of the land it had found itself in made the ravenous beast curious. While the creature was blind, his eclipsed form stepped forward as a long armored tail swung back and forth. Purple mist emitted from his draconic form as an unholy roar unknown to this world echoed throughout the land, alerting all in the area to his arrival.

The creature looked side to side, seeing a few other entities within the closed off dome alongside him. They were much smaller than himself, creatures about the size of an alpha Jagras or Girros all staring with fear or fury in their eyes. Indigo flames rolled across a standing animal’s form, a Typhlosion defiantly standing before the abomination. His fire shot forth from his maw, directly at the dark beast’s face.

The invader screeched as his head was bathed in elemental fury for a moment, but it mattered little in the grand scheme of things. The creature leapt forward, aiming to stomp on the much smaller Pokemon with ease, but something struck him from the side. Shifting his attention, he saw an Umbreon unleashing Swift upon him, the stars striking across his body only bringing anger forward. The otherworldly entity swung furiously back at where he had seen the fire type Pokemon, only to be met with smoke as the bipedal purple mammal hid within the thick fog.

The monster continued to violently swing all around him, lashing out with fury to whatever would meet his claws, eventually landing a strike and sending his challenger flying into the dome’s wall. The Typhlosion screeched in pain as blood flew, the gash across his torso a deep one as he slammed into the wall and dropped to the ground. The beast charged forward at the downed fire type, seeing its flames as the biggest threat to him at the moment with the element that hurt him the most. The Umbreon once again interfered with a Quick Attack, slamming into his side and making him stumble for a moment before his tail struck the dark type evolution.

This attack made the Pokemon roll across the ground before managing to catch herself, forcing herself to stand even as health dropped at a rapid rate. The entity that stood before them was unlike anything she had seen, and while they had managed to stun the creature, fear crept into her mind. The purple mist that began to fill the dome didn’t help matters, the mysterious element that oozed from the creature seemingly a poison. Her heart began to beat ever so slightly slower, rage building up as something began to change.

The entity swung downward at the downed Typhlosion, only for the Pokemon to roll out of the way quickly, the strike breaking the earth beneath them and sending chunks of dirt into the air as he regained footing. Flames surrounded his entire body before suddenly he charged forward, the Flame Wheel thrusting the fully evolved starter straight at what threatened him. This earned a cry of anguish as the attack pushed the abomination backwards with a loud thud, the burning slam managing to create a massive migraine for the invader.

The fire type took a moment to breathe, energy building up quickly as his body glowed white. Double Edge would harm him in the process, but it would do far more damage to his enemy.

Only for a hellish development to appear as the Umbreon leapt onto his back, sharp fangs sinking into his shoulder, his eyes widening as pain flared through his upper body. A blood-curdling cry left his maw as he threw the Eeveelution off, turning to see something completely rabid, a monster of the Pokemon’s former self. Purple mist emerged from her maw like smog building from a fire, her natural crimson eyes glowing with radiant madness as the golden rings across her body became a dark indigo.

The Typhlosion gave a glance back to the recovering invader, seeing the same purple mist emerge in vast quantities from his body and filling the dome with the infectious gas. It would seem that the creature was a far bigger threat than the fire type could have imagined. A true monster brought through the same anomaly he had been, it would bring ruin to this world if he could not even put it into a corner. The fire type’s thoughts were cut off as the Umbreon charged once again, rage echoing from the animal’s maw as it reached out with violent intent, aiming to rip the Hisuian starter’s throat out with one swift motion.

Only for a looming shadow to make his presence known once again, their forms consumed as the invader stood over the pair of Pokemon. Time seemed to slow down for the starter as death approached at multiple angles. He was completely helpless to stop his own demise as the large limb slammed into them both, the creature’s foot smashing them both into nothing but mush with a single swift strike. The creature howled as the rage still pursued his mind, his form slamming into the dome’s walls in a desperate attempt to escape.

Claws scratched at the energy dome, his head slamming into the prison with enough force to make his ears ring and yet he continued to ferociously make his escape until like glass, it shattered from the weight.

The distortion disappeared as the creature rolled across the ground for a moment before returning to his feet, standing tall in a new world. The scent was different than his home, the very land around him having a strange energy that he could not make out but the area was alien to the monster. The storm above them pulsated with dark clouds once more as lightning echoed across the massive island. A roar like form hell was unleashed from the creature’s maw as armored wings opened up, pointing towards the sky as the invader declared dominance to the area.

Death had come for Hisui, and his name was Gore Magala.

***

Cobalt Coastlands

A warm breeze passed through the air, the sun’s rays beating down across the land granting the warmth of summer.

Various Pokemon went along with their daily routines, traveling across their home looking for nearby food or simply resting within the sun’s rays. Croagunks sat within ponds, the amphibious Pokemon simply closing their eyes and taking in the moment of tranquility. Within the deep caves of the region, others fought for survival by consuming the other. A never ending cycle of violence that would end with the victor reaping the spoils, leaving behind only bones and a puddle of blood in the battle’s wake.

The skies themselves were covered by Staraptors, the avians watching from above waiting to see if food were possible to grab from within the waters below. Their eyes widened slightly as they suddenly felt a change in the air, turning to see a massive form moving through the water as if it was nothing. A single Gyarados swimmed through the dark waves, their eyes burning red with fury as a sign of their “Alpha” status within the pecking order of nature. Most would simply stay away from it due to its reputation…

But then the red glow disappeared for a moment as something gargantuan brushed it aside, the water serpent being thrown off course by the sudden emergence of this new entity.

Where was he? The massive anomaly thought to himself as he pressed onward, his form pushing the water away with every step as he marched forward. One moment, he had been migrating along with his fellow experimental subjects, the garden moving as one away from the lab and the nearby city. Then, he had found himself here after being pulled into a vortex he couldn’t understand.

Normally, his species would not be very good at the act of swimming, but the land wasn’t that far from where he had arrived, his genetic aberration allowing him to cover long distances much easier than most of his kind. The fully evolved grass starter Pokemon finally made landfall, the very earth shaking as he stepped onto the shore, various Pokemon running in all directions as they stared with curiosity and fear at the abnormality amongst them. Water rushed off of his form, the gigantic tree that sat gently upon the creature’s back seemingly creating rain as gallons of water pelted the ground below. A trio of gargantuan pillars of stone emerged alongside the other side of the creature’s back, plant life covering them like moss.

Four massive brown colored limbs carried the beast forward, his legs resembling a mix between tree trunks and elephant feet, their toes composed of stone. The creature appeared chelonian in frame, a massive carapace covering his back which was detailed in stone across the rim, the front being a hexagon with the same material. Twin spikes pointed outward from the sides of his head, red glowing eyes observed the surrounding environment, a snapping turtle-like jaw had a pitch black “beak” covering the face.

While it was true that Torterra had been discovered in their region of the world, this entity was unique amongst his species… and this time period.

Far away, hidden upon the high hills above the beach, a pair of scouts watched in astonishment as the massive specimen marched through the land. No doubt looking for a new place to rest after such a long journey.

The two members of the nearby village quickly took notes in writing as they continued to stare at the entity. While it was pretty normal in terms of appearance, besides the sheer size of the creature, everything had to be documented that they knew was off. No doubt their superiors would want to know about this new discovery as soon as possible, alongside the village’s professor and the hero of their village.

If anyone was qualified to deal with this irregularity, it would be their champion from a distant time, Rei.

***

Jubilife Village

A loud snore resounded right next to the resting trainer. The chosen champion lay down in his bed, attempting to take a short nap, but was kept up by his slumbering companion. He stared up at the ceiling before turning over to see the much larger fire type starter curled up in the bed, his eyes shut as a bubble formed from the Pokemon’s nostrils.

The first Pokemon that Rei had captured within this journey to the distant past, his partner Typhlosion, was taking all of his rest away from him. It was pointless to even attempt to sleep, he was a busy person within the village after all, always investigating strange occurrences in and around the homeland. The moment he would finally fall asleep, he would just be woken up anyway.

The young trainer simply smiled as he gently patted his Typhlosion’s resting head before rising out of bed, walking over to his wardrobe and grabbing the clothing he would need to leave his home. Pajamas weren’t exactly a fitting uniform for battle, so he entered the main room of his home and changed into his standard outfit. Yawning a bit as he placed his belt on, the six Pokeballs that lined the material contained all but one of the team that he had used to face the mighty Sinnoh in their true forms. And without a doubt, the team that he would use to face the mighty creator that had sent him here for the task to save this world. That time was growing closer, the idea of facing Arceus sending a shiver down the young man’s spine.

Rei reached to his belt, wrapping his hand around the Pokeball that would house Typhlosion as he opened the door. He saw his partner Pokemon waking up from his little nap, standing tall and staring right at him with a slight smile. The starter made a small noise as the droopy look of the fire type matched his tired state. “Glad you got some rest buddy, but it’s time to get to work. Hopefully it won’t be too long.” A red light emerged from the capsule as it opened, hitting the Pokemon dead center in his chest before he was pulled into it. The object closed shut before the young man placed it upon his belt once more.

“Don’t worry, after this, we can all just watch the sunset and eat to our hearts’ content.”

The day’s light was bright as he stepped outside his home, closing the door behind him before walking forward towards the Survey Corps’ main building of operations. Missions were plastered across the professor’s wall whenever members would come in, ranging from simply gathering more data to add to the Pokedex or encountering an unknown phenomena being reported. At the very least, it would give Rei something to do for the village as well as keep himself occupied for the day.

All seemed well within the village of Hisui, the people going about their daily tasks as their Pokemon companions joined them. The fresh breeze of the ocean passed on the wind, the sunny sky illuminating the land from high above. While he had missed his home dearly, this place was a wonderful time to be stranded in. At the very least, he was grateful for the friends he had met during his time here, as well as not being sent into a horrible time in history such as the Great Pokemon War.

As he opened the door, it revealed a massive base of operations. The inside was made with the finest material gathered in the area since the village’s conception, still looking clean and well taken care of over the years. Straight ahead was the Professor’s study, an office covered from floor to desk in books. While a gigantic shelf sat against the wall within the study, covering the entire side of the room in fact, the professor’s thoughts would be scattered as he researched throughout his day. A white board sat in the center of the room, equations and notes covering it on his research since Rei’s arrival.

In the corner of the room, there was a gigantic tank of water where a singular Oshawott swam. The water type Pokemon smiled as it waved at Rei, happy to see the champion from beyond Hisui once again. The trainer waved back before turning his attention towards the other side of the room, spotting Professor Laventon mending to his gigantic bonsai tree. A Rowlett slept peacefully as it sat on the tree branch just above his head, the scientist attempting to tend to his work without waking his friend up.

“Oh hi Rei, I didn’t see you come in,” he stated as he turned towards his friend, placing the scissors down onto the wooden frame of the plant’s pot. “What brings you in today?”

“Are there any new jobs that need to be done? I have been tracking Pokemon a lot lately with research for the Pokedex, so I figured see if I can get a change of pace.”

The Professor swayed his head from side to side, giving the boy a no as an answer. “There hasn’t been anything besides research for your mission from Arceus himself. After the vast number of Legendaries you caught, it seems that everything’s sorted.”

On one hand, Rei was disappointed that he didn’t have anything new to attend to, but on the other he supposed it just meant that their job was being done well. With no new threats to speak of and the problems of the village only being day to day, things were starting to finally feel comfortable. The many months he had been here in the past had felt like danger at every corner, his life on the line to solve a mystery hundreds of years before he was even born. But he had helped out countless people along the way and with their aid, and his team of Pokemon, he had managed to really make friends here. A life.

The young man smiled before returning to reality, his train of thought ending. “Well in that case, would you need help with anything Professor?”

“Oh I think I’ll be alr-”

They both turned in unison to see two figures behind them as a door opened. The Commander and Captain of the Survey Corps, the highest ranking members, stood with worried looks on their faces. The Commander held onto his belt across his kimono, black and gold matching from his uniform and puffy winter jacket on top. The image of a Golduck was painted across the lower half of his outfit.

Commander Kamado would only join the conversation if things grew dire or were extremely alarming, what had happened that required them all in one room?

The Captain’s arms sat behind her back as her stoic face stared at them both, her blue hair almost matching the color of her uniform. While her face looked stern due to her job and role within the village, her appearance was deceiving, as she was a kind woman. Though that didn’t mean one should test her either, every mission that required her presence was one of utmost importance.

Captain Cyllene quickly grabbed the doors to the Professor’s lab before closing them shut behind her, looking back as she held a report in her hands. “Gentlemen, we have a unique situation,” she stated as she placed the report onto the nearest table for discussion, waving for the two of them to see what the mission was.

Rei’s eyes widened as he read the description of the Pokemon, an anomaly unlike anything but the great Sinnoh themselves or the last of the noble Pokemon he had faced. The gigantic Avalugg was dangerous enough to deal with due to its sheer size and needing to rely upon the balms to calm the creature down, but this had the potential to be even more of a threat to the village. While he had the type advantage with his closest partner, this animals’ sheer size would truly put his team to the test.

“Another anomaly from the time distortions?” the professor asked. “The sheer size stated here is much larger than the Avalugg you faced, if that creature was to go on a rampage, I fear what would become of our village.”

“We will be aiding you on this mission Rei,” Commander Kamado stated with a stern tone as he crossed his arms, looking down at the description of the anomaly. “At the very least, we can aid you by keeping other wild Pokemon away from your target. This mission must have success if we are to avoid a catastrophe.”

“Agreed Commander,” the captain spoke. “We will need as many hands as we can spare, the village’s defense is our top priority of course, but we must find a way to capture or relocate the Torterra.”

“Where was it last seen?” Rei asked as he prepared himself to begin his journey.

“It emerged from the Cobalt Coastlands, but it seems to be moving further inland towards the Crimson Mirelands. While it is a good assumption that this creature appeared forth from a Time Distortion, it could just be a ‘mutant’ who swam here from a far away region.” Captain Cyllene said as she put her hand beneath her lip, pondering on the exact cause of this abnormality.

“We should leave at once then,” Rei stated as he began walking towards the door. “Who knows what could happen the more we sit here, I have everything I would need on me.” The champion pressed the massive twin wooden doors open, to reveal a worried look upon his friend’s face. She was just about to burst into the room, when he had made the first move, pushing her back a little in the process.

Her eyes looked horrified, she was short of breath as she considered what to say. “Akari, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“You all need to come outside now. I can’t even… they were ripped to shreds, what Pokemon could have done this?”

Rei’s eyes widened as he gently pushed her aside before running, his fellow members of the Survey Corps following him to see a ghastly sight. Carriages of wounded members of the Survey Corps were being carried in by the stronger Pokemon within the village, a Machamp leading the others to a medical bay. Parents quickly took the children inside as they covered their eyes, protecting them from the horror that members of their community had perished on a mission outside of the village. Blood covered the blankets that obscured the deceased, while wrappings held the wounded survivors together as best as they could.

The champion looked in absolute horror as he made his way towards one of the survivors, walking alongside the makeshift carriage to not halt the process. “What happened?”

“There was…” the injured man struggled for breath, every word feeling like fire within his lungs as he attempted to recall the event. His wounds pulsed with purple veins surrounding them, little bits of similarly colored smog emitting from his mouth with every word. “Something out there. Unlike anything I have ever seen… it was not a Pokemon. It couldn’t have been…”

“What?”

“It was as black as an eclipse, a beast of unimaginable might. It did something to the wildlife… corrupted them. Turned our friends against us even as they were defenseless, it must be stopped!” The man reached out with his free arm, gripping Rei’s scarf a little too tight as they locked eyes for a moment, intensity rising in his tone as he continued to speak. “The Nobel and Alpha Pokemon of the Crimson Mirelands stepped in but… I couldn’t see what was happening as I was dragged away.”

The cart rolled up to the medical bay, one by one survivors were carried into the small building by the leading Machamp. “You have to kill it… that thing cannot be tamed. It was a monster!” Rei stepped back as the four armed fighting type Pokemon reached down and gently lifted the man into the air, slowly walking into the hut.

The young champion of Hisui was shocked by the wounded man’s words, wondering what exactly he meant by ‘It was no Pokemon.’ In his time, they had recently discovered Ultra Beasts in the Galar Region before he was thrown back into the past. Could one of these mysterious new life forms have emerged through one of the Time Distortions? It wasn’t an impossibility as they already emerged through wormholes across the region.

That was until his phone rumbled, earning his attention. The young man reached into his pocket and revealed the smartphone to the open world as he looked upon the screen, a gift from the creator itself. His eyes squinted in confusion as he read the message.

“It is not of this realm.”

The young trainer took a minute to walk away from the scene, walking back to the steps in front of the Survey Corps’ homebase as the others talked with the residents of their home only a few feet away. “Is this anomaly an Ultra Beast?”

A few moments passed before his question was answered.

“No, this is something I have never seen. An entirely new life form outside of my design.”

’What?’ he thought to himself, taken aback by Arceus’ response to his question. The deity continued to send messages.

“I have recently sent an anomaly back in time to aid you against this foul beast, the invader will be matched in size with a giant the size of a continent. Altered by mankind with their science, as I sensed a rip between time and space from that invader, it was the best course of action to send aid.”

“So the Torterra was sent into the past by you? Guess that helps us down here to deal with the mess.”

“Once you manage to subdue the beast, you must capture the mutated Torterra. Then… you will be ready to face me.”

’I can return home?’ Rei thought to himself as his eyes widened. While he had made a new life here in Hisui, he had felt incredibly homesick during his adventure. Various conflicting feelings emerged within his mind, he had made friends that he could never forget upon his journey and helped this village grow into a stronger community with each passing trial. Would he really be able to return to his original time after staying here for so long?

Whatever the case was, he would need to at least fulfill this duty placed upon him by the Survey Corps and the creator Arceus. That was his role as champion of this region.

“I will leave at once.” He typed before placing the device into his pocket, beginning to march towards the entrance gate of the village. Without a word, his companions followed closely behind him to aid in this mission.

In whatever way that they could, they would help Rei see this mission to the end.

***

Some time later, The Crimson Mirelands

The skies above were covered in a thick storm, grey and purple clouds conveying a sense of dread as thunder roared across their form. Hard rain continued to pelt the ground below as they walked forward, the group of Survey Corps members looking at the environment around them.

Their small camp was at the edge of the territory, a few guards standing at attention near the campfire that despite the storm was still lit ablaze. The Commander quickly turned his attention towards the guards, his tone of voice being stern as he spoke. “Report.”

“So far nothing has approached the area, though we have been hearing odd roars throughout the night,” One of them spoke up, a slight sense of fear rising in his voice. “Its almost as if something has distorted the Pokemon themselves.”

“We’ve been really lucky that nothing has approached us,” the other added. “It sounds like a warzone out there.”

The roars of combat echoed through the night, the very balance of this ecosystem had felt entirely thrown out of the natural order. Rei’s eyes squinted a bit as he looked onward to the environment ahead, attempting to spot anything more out of the ordinary, but the constant wind wasn’t helping matters. His scarf flowed with the gust, his hat only being kept in place with a hand, and his feet dragged a bit as his body was pushed back.

The winds weren’t the strongest, but they would certainly make their efforts harder. “If this is a new Pokemon that is doing this kind of damage to Hisui, then it is possible you are dealing with an undiscovered Legendary Pokemon. Tread carefully from here on out,” the professor stated, opening up his notebook as he stepped forward. He would do his part in this ordeal and record whatever they could find, this new phenomenon must be studied in order to properly deal with the situation. Especially if this was some sort of epidemic within the wildlife, as implied with what the injured man said.

“Has anyone heard from the clan heads of Diamond and Pearl?” asked the captain, her stern voice resonating with the two Survey members as she looked into the storm. A hint of fear emerged from her voice as to what was coming next, however it was unnoticed due to her calm demeanor.

“Last we saw them, they were looking for the anomaly themselves.”

“Why didn’t you say something sooner!?” yelled Akari, the young apprentice fearing the worst for their comrades’ safety. “We should get a move on before whatever is hurting the land takes them!”

“I’m going to have to ask a favor,” Rei stated as he turned around, the young champion of the creator earning their attention quickly. “I have to go do this alone, just like every other mission in the end.”

“This is different than before,” the professor stated as a look of worry etched itself upon his face. “This is unprecedented, when the time distortions first arrived, nothing such as this ‘virus’ had emerged. You’ll need all the help you can get.”

“But you all will be helping, by making sure not a single thing gets into the village. If there was a rampage at home, think of all the damage it would do to our community,” There was a moment of silence as the young man’s words reached them, a bright smile filled with hope reassuring them as he reached into his pocket to retrieve a flute. “Trust me. After all that I have faced, have faith in me.”

There wasn’t a single thing that they could do at this moment to argue against what he said. While they were concerned, he was more than capable of doing the job. After all, he had managed to tame the great pair of Sinnoh as well as defeat them all in a Pokemon battle. A smile of pride was visible upon the Commander’s face as the wind continued to blow, his arms crossed as his robe flowed within the element. The champion hadn’t been here for long, but in his time within their community, he had committed incredible feats.

He was right.

Rei placed the flute to his mouth, quickly playing notes to summon an ally that he had gained during his various trials. The Pokemon came as quickly as it was called, white feathers covering the entity’s back, head, and tail. A dull grey being laid underneath the beautiful feathers, golden feet that ended with obsidian black talons held onto a piece of wood for the young master to grasp. The avian’s face had a beak which matched the feet in colorization, as indigo and blue flames covered the front of the animal’s face.

The Hisuian Braviary had come to the champion’s aid, quickly lifting him into the sky and taking off into the distance.

The group watched from below as their companion took off, charging head first into a situation they knew nothing about.

“Get back safe… I still have to beat you in a Pokemon battle,” Akari whispered as worry consumed her mind for a moment. Whatever came next, he would face alone, as he always had.

***

He traversed the large forest as rain began to fall upon his gigantic form, fog rolling into the environment as the clouds above puffed. It was quite the grey day, the storm masking the bright sunny landscape he had found himself in when he arrived here. The continental Pokemon took massive steps forward, crushing trees underneath his might as he marched.

The question continued to roll through his mind as to why he had arrived here, wherever here even was. The last he remembered, he was with his tribe of fellow experimental Torterra. The facility housed a “garden” that made up most of the forest within the mountain range, awakening when a disturbance echoed throughout the valley. He had left the others, all beginning migration away from the human-made lab when suddenly everything became so beautiful.

He floated amongst a vast empty space, the distance being almost nothing but bright colorful hues of blue and purple covering stars in every direction. It seemed endless, his vision filled with a truly unique sight as he continued to drift within the colorful void.

That was until he saw a massive white light, its shape undeterminable as it engulfed his vision but it had a form none the less. It towered over him, the goliath’s form somehow blocking the space in front of his sensitive orbs as he looked in awe, curiosity, and horror as to what was to occur next. The vision quickly faded away, his eyes snapping open to the sea that he had arrived in. Aquatic life forms passed by, paying no mind to the mutated turtle.

It didn’t take all that long to travel inland due to his massive size, attempting to find any sort of peaceful refuge from the strange storm above. Its colors cast a sense of dread through the land as rain fell and lightning rolled through the clouds. There was a moment that he thought that something would emerge from the sky above, only to be met with horror as he looked down upon the earth below.

It was chaos incarnate, the Pokemon which surrounded the area were in a frenzy. Ripping into flesh and spreading the madness like a plague, ichor covered claw and maw as the rampage continued.

Their eyes were crimson with fury while a dark purple mist surrounded their forms, fleeing Pokemon not showing these symptoms were horrified as the various species spread the madness. Even amongst their own clans, those that they had trusted turned against them. There was no reason left within the horde, only a rage unlike anything that the anomaly had seen across his long life. Though it was possible that whatever the humans had done to him was like how these animals before him acted, some sort of mad science or… something far worse.

A trio of Toxicroak ambushed a family of Turtwig that was being led by a fellow Torterra, closing in on the young as they began to assail the elder of the tribe. The giant’s eyes widened as tragedy replayed within his mind, remembering the family that he had been separated from at the start of this endeavor. The experiment unleashed a powerful roar, not only alerting all to his presence but managing to push back the assault on his kind.

The family returned to fleeing after the parent Torterra used Vine Whip to smack the amphibians back, the young quickly jumping upon the elder’s back as they fled.

With the distraction, many innocent bystanders fled for their lives as all rage filled eyes stared at the goliath before them… and were only met with hate. Within the horde, several maws glowed as they charged beams to attack the living forest. A Hyper Beam rushed forward from an Alpha Snorlax’s maw, slamming into the large foot of the Torterra before them. Lightning danced across the sky as various Thunderbolts from infected Luxuary and Luxio’s slammed into his form from above. The elemental fury made him cringe as a minuscule pain managed to surge through his form.

He could feel several Uruarang and Hippowdon’s slashing and biting his feet, attempting to break through and weaken him. The frost from the Ice Fangs being sent into his flesh did hurt, but it was all more an annoying tick than anything else.

The earth even shook as many of the horde used Earthquake, attempting to throw the giant off of his balance or crack the very earth open with the attempt.

Their efforts turned out to be in vain as the Torterra simply unleashed a Roar, pushing them all back as he turned his head towards the ground at the various spots the rampage was approaching him. They all flew into the air before crashing down with loud thuds, many likely not surviving, but that did not halt the mutant defending himself. Forest trees broke into shattered splinters within an instant, the very earth beneath his feet was carved into as the sound pushed everything back. He quickly ceased his action, wishing to allow those uninfected to escape unharmed.

A silence hung over the area as seconds turned into minutes. He waited to see if any would rise up and attack him again, or if they’d been broken of their madness.

Instead, the source of the chaos made himself known. Torterra’s gaze turned towards the sound of something approaching at incredible speeds from his side. He was met with the ghastly sight of a draconic armor as dark as an abyss surrounded by purple mist.

The creature roared with fury as he carved through the landscape, earth flying in all directions as a trail of destruction followed in his wake. The massive turtle quickly went to defend himself, vines bursting from the Pokemon’s side before they launched forward and smacked the monster’s skull with a loud crack. This only managed to slow the nightmare down, the attack making the monster even more bloodthirsty. The Demi Elder managed to slam into the mutant’s form and throw him back before attempting to slam his clawed hand into the top of his new prey’s skull. Only for the grass type to use Crunch, sharp jaws clamping down upon the Black Eclipse Wyvern’s limb, earning a scream of rage as pain rushed through the hand.

Unexpectedly, the wings perched upon the creature’s back rose above their heads to reveal another set of claws attached to a hand. The Torterra didn’t have time to dodge, earning a deep wound across his armored skull as the talons slashed downward. The mutant instantly let go of his attacker’s limb, signaling the wyvern to strike once again, only for a Hyper Voice to exit their prey’s maw and send them backward a bit.

The two stood still for a moment as they stared at each other, while the anomaly not of this world could not see his adversary, he knew all the same that this was another goliath. Within his time in this strange world, he hadn’t yet met anything on par with his size or power. No Elder Dragons to speak of, no predatory giants of the forests lurking to hunt him, only smaller creatures were caught within their wretched maw or stomped under their might.

The Gore Magala hissed as it swayed side to side, the wings returning to his back to form what appeared to be a flowing cape. The Torterra slammed both front limbs into the ground below and unleashed a challenge towards his attacker, he had declared war and it would not be as simple as his foe would hope to accomplish victory here. Whatever this thing was, it was unlike any Pokemon he had seen… if it even was a Pokemon.

Dragon of the eclipse, a Demi Elder from another world inhabited by monsters en masse, an invader of untold horror that managed to make it to this world now stood before him spreading hate across the population like a virus. Perhaps this is why that entity had pulled him here, something beyond the reasonable managing to arrive here that they could not simply whisk away. A call for help beyond time.

Whatever the case, the fully evolved starter would see to it that this abomination was either sent back to where he came from or slain.

The otherworldly invader continued to inspect his prey as he waited for the challenger to make a move, the various scales scattered across the environment giving him a better picture at what he was dealing with. The image wasn’t the most clear, almost like a flickering indigo fire was hiding the Pokemon’s true form, but whatever he was against dwarfed him in size. It didn’t matter in the end, as he would savor the taste of the goliath’s flesh regardless, but it would make hunting this one harder than the others he had claimed in this world.

Gore Magala spread his massive wings into the air as he stood, puffing out his chest as he slammed his feet into the earth, unleashing a hellish roar of oblivion towards Torterra.

In a choir of roars, Gore charged directly at his prey, maw wide open to sink fangs into flesh.

The giant amongst goliaths stood his ground, towering over the invasive species before sending out a Leaf Storm. The elemental attack quickly engulfed the menace before him, cutting across the challenger’s armor. But, the Demi Elder did not yield, charging straight through to the massive landmass. He leapt into the air, landing on the ground with a violent crash against the earth as he swiped at the Pokemon with his talons. The wings revealed themselves once more, sparks flying as they continued the assault. The grass type groaned with annoyance as twin wooden hammers materialized from thin air, Wood Hammer slamming into the aggressor’s skull and sending him flying.

The dragon rolled across the earth, rock and soil flying into the air even as he managed to halt his movement with his wing’s talons sinking into the ground. Gore Magala shook his head as rage built up quite easily, unleashing a hellish roar before taking to the sky. Massive wings flapped as he charged, purple mist surrounded the ebony maw before unleashing a stream of Frenzy directly at Torterra’s head, bathing him with the virus.

The attack blinded the defending Pokemon, not knowing where his attacker had gone, he sent out Stealth Rock throughout the environment. Moments before the demon emerged from the purple mist, talons slashing across his skull to spill blood as his cranium bounced off the ground. While Gore attempted to slam his head back into the earth beneath them once more, a blood curdling cry echoed through the battlefield as minerals cut across his armor, piercing flesh. Torterra quickly retaliated.

Energy built up around his skull before he unleashed a Zen Headbutt, once again sending the challenger flying. The eclipse screeched as it slammed into the rocks nearby, the hillside shaking for a second as the collision occurred. The Pokemon had the size advantage, while the invader was powerful enough to be uncontested until this point, it was clear that he was out of luck. The tortoise took in a deep breath as he used Sunny Day, clearing the storm above with no effort. While fog still surrounded the environment, the skies above were bright and clear. The sun beat down on the entire area, illuminating the battlefield below.

But that is when he noticed the thousands of scales which surrounded them and the shards of earth scattered across the ground. His eyes widened when he realized that, just as he had laid a trap for the enemy, it would seem that Gore Magala had done the same. Torterra turned towards the now dive-bombing entity, the wyvern slamming into the ground beneath them. While shards of Stealth Rock sliced through flesh, it was worth it for the result.

BOOM!

The scales detonated, engulfing the pair in indigo light. Screams from the grass type echoed across the valley, the mist surrounding them in a moment’s notice. Gore chuckled to himself as more scales fell from his form as the battle raged on, both a great tool to sense his surroundings and a weapon. A devilish plan formed as saliva dripped from his draconic maw. Thick smoke from the detonation did not hide the enemy’s form, so with his prey in sight, the eclipse jumped forward.

Only to strike nothing, the smoke parting to show a log in the place of the target. Confusion ran through his mind for a moment before the much larger form of the terrapin suddenly crashed into his body, sending him flying as Substitute took effect. The living landmass had disappeared for a moment before reappearing just as suddenly, and now Gore was carving through the very battlefield as he was sent through the ground. Trees snapped in an instant, stone shattered and joined the chunks of dirt flying in all directions before the invader finally came to a halt, flying off of a nearby cliff and crashing into the water below.

Pain rushed through the invader’s entire body as he squirmed on the ground, the water being dyed with blood and Frenzy alike. He screamed in agony as he attempted to stand up, splashing in the river as anger boiled.

This creature was unlike anything he had ever hunted before. But much like the others he had devoured in this world, this tortoise would fall to his might!

Miles away, the terrapin took another deep breath in as he used Rest. Sleeping for just a moment, bubbles emerged from his nostrils as his eyes were shut. The various wounds across his body began to rapidly heal, reversing the damage done by the violent wyvern… all except the Frenzy.

This would require a trainer to use an Antidote or some other medicine to reverse the effects, but that was unknown to this unprepared world. As he slept, he struggled. Groans rolled from his sharp beak as he shook in his sleep, the purple mist rolling from the Pokemon’s maw as the virus began to take hold. The foliage across his body began to glow bright purple instead of the life-filled emerald green, cracks across his scales having a slight purple glow.

Eyes snapped open as rage was all consuming, the goliath unleashing a hellish roar as his eyes glowed crimson. The mist surrounded him to the point that it appeared to be clouds drifting around the massive tree on the Pokemon’s shell. Torterra marched forward towards where he saw the trail of destruction, taking a gamble as he approached the site and unleashing a Leech Seed into the air. Seeing an opportunity to gain the upper hand once again, he fired over the horizon.

From below the cliffside, the invader rose to his feet before taking to the skies once more, only for something unexpected to occur. A ball of soil crashed into him, breaking apart into numerous seeds, some of which found their way into his wounds. Gore screeched once again as he slammed into the ground back-first, twin horns erupting from his skull as coal was added to the furnace of his heart. Purple mist surrounded him once more as his body glowed like molten rocks of indigo fire. He looked towards the cliffside, waiting for the rumbling to get closer to at least gain a sense of how far away he was.

With every step, the ground violently shook. Torterra’s gigantic form painted a shadow over the land, casting it over the Black Eclipse Wyvern. He “stared” as he unleashed a roar back to his prey, earning a crimson glare as the Torterra met the gaze. For a moment, his form shined as if it was metal, an Iron Defense being put up before he leapt down to the land below.

BOOM!

The ground cracked open as his mass slammed into the earth, the landing causing an Earthquake from simply taking action towards the invader. Purple smoke now was frothing from the Pokémon’s maw, rage echoing in his roar as he charged directly at Gore Magala. The Frenzied Torterra was filled with a hatred that he had never felt in his long life, and it was expressed by a ball of light emerging before his sharp beak. The golden light then quickly became a Hyper Beam that raced towards the enemy, carving through the land as it approached the demon.

Quickly acting, the wyvern accepted the challenge. Dodging the blast and running alongside it as a large explosion erupted behind him, the battlefield shook once again. But, it did not hinder the beast as he continued on his warpath.

Taking flight mid-run with a leap of faith, the beam continued to carve into the earth below as crimson eyes looked above to see the descending monster. A barrier suddenly surrounded the Torterra as the demon slashed downward, sending the talon back to tear across Gore’s form and spike himself back to the ground. The Pokemon had used Reflect just in the nick of time, sending the attack back at his foe with ease.

He was simply outclassed, dealing with a beast that would give pure Elder Dragons issues. What Gore Magala faced was not just a force of nature, but its wrath in its purest form. The rage from the Frenzy Virus simply added to the strength of his warpath, which the Demi Elder was unaware of.

The battle was as if a mountain was falling upon him.

***

It was horrific.

The champion of this region looked down at the chaos as he began to descend, his eyes widening as he quickly approached the ground. The rampage was something that if left unchecked would bring ruin towards their humble village. Rei’s mind dwelled on the fear of the people who had given him shelter and food being slaughtered. It was a nightmare he would not allow to pass.

Rei prepared for the landing before letting go of the bar that the Hisui Braviary provided to carry him forward, softly placing his feet on the ground before the noble Pokemon took to the skies once more. The avian put their faith in the champion that he would succeed in halting this affliction, also fearing for their own safety as they ascended.

The champion thought about calling another of the nobles to guide him further on foot, but he didn’t even want to risk it. Each step he took was filled with anxiety that something might ambush him, even as he had seen no real indication for such an attack. Though the possibility of being spotted due to his movement was high, running was a sure way to get to the situation faster without risking another Pokemon’s life.

The trainer pressed onwards, cutting through the grass as the earth around him shook. The violent earthquake almost knocked him off his feet, but he still pressed onward, even as rocks began to fall towards him. Rei simply paid them no mind. As long as a large boulder didn’t come crashing down, he had little to worry about, but even then there was always his team to aid him.

The sky above suddenly changed weather patterns, the dark abyss hanging above the valley now resembling that of a bright beautiful day.

Only for the beautiful visual to be cut through as a loud roar echoed through the valley of destruction, shaking the very ground with the intensity of the frequency. Rei continued to climb towards the top of the hillside, looking down in horror and awe to see a battle far away below him. The Torterra was indeed gigantic, even dwarfing the… what was that?

He continued to observe, looking at the much smaller creature which challenged the mutated Frenzied specimen before him. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. What the injured Survey Corps members had said was true.

That thing was no Pokemon.

Surrounding it was the same dark purple mist which now engulfed the maddened chelonian, the living landmass looking as if it was driven insane by the effects of the challenger. Just as the others had been infected on his way here, the ravenous spread of hatred and violence engulfed the valley. It was definitely the cause of the outbreak, and he would do his part to vanquish the otherworldly invader. The young man reached into his pocket for the balm he had used to calm down the various champions of the great Sinnoh in his journey here.

He quickly placed it back into his pocket before he carefully began to descend towards the ground below. It would take a moment to arrive at the conflict due to the distance, but he would manage. Between the environment and the infection spreading amongst the population, he would need to be at his best to aid the Torterra and perhaps even save him from this plague of madness.

***

Roars of hatred echoed through the battlefield as the very earth was carved through, Torterra simply running down the opposing entity. The blind wyvern attempted to get out of the way, only to have his wing clamped down upon by the beak which earned a horrific scream from the Demi Elder, liquid iron rushing through the terrapin’s maw as he continued forward on a rampage. Trees were sent flying as he raised his head into the air before repeatedly slamming the challenger into the earth, rock breaking and armor shattering as pain rushed through Gore Magala like lava.

Every nerve felt as if it was on fire, prompting the invader to try any way to gain freedom. Raising his free wing into the air before attempting to slash at the Pokemon’s eyes, he hoped to be lucky with a strike to a vital organ as he was thrown around. His strength was weakening by the second, each slam into the earth below causing vital damage to his body. If nothing changed, soon he would succumb to his wounds. It didn’t help matters that he felt his strength literally leaving his body as the Leech Seed began to take effect, green energy rising from the cracks in his hide and sinking into the armored back into Torterra’s body.

The frenzied mutant ceased, before swinging his head in a throwing motion, tossing the target into the air with a screech. He began to descend over the hillside before a loud boom echoed as the dragon slammed into the earth below. Dirt kicked up as Gore coughed, blood spilling onto the ground as golden scales peeked through the various wounds across his armor. It was not all bad, however, as a unique signature pinged on his radar. Looking towards the signal with a wicked smile, he rushed towards it.

What had brought him here, or at least something like it, was incredibly close. All he would have to do is hide within the bubble to heal once more, or at least gain an upper hand to ambush his prey. As he moved, the armor across his skull peeled away to reveal a singular eye to the vast world, a wicked smile emerging upon the reptile’s maw as he bolted.

The earth shook once more as Torterra was in hot pursuit, roaring with hatred as he spotted his fleeing foe running towards the strange dome before them. Energy once again climbed up as a ball of light emerged before his beak, Gore looking back to see the encroaching danger. He leapt for his salvation, the booming sound of Hyper Beam being discharged filling the land as it raced forth. It blazed into Gore Magala’s frame, prompting a scream of agony.

To both parties’ shock, however, the scream suddenly ceased as Gore was pushed into the time-space ripple. Torterra let loose a banshee scream, barreling forward into the dome in the hopes of finishing his foe off before something dire occurred.

While his entire body couldn’t fit into the Time Distortion, his head was the only thing quite needed to finish the job. Or so he had thought, before a large clawed wing wrapped its talons around his head and threw him backward. The mutant Pokémon carved through the earth as he skidded into a nearby river. His otherworldly challenger emerged once more, the Torterra not faltering even as his appearance had changed.

What were moments in the outside world had been the proper amount of time for the larval Demi Elder to fully evolve. Golden scales covered the creature’s body, twin eyes looked directly at the opposing Pokemon with a vile hatred as a chuckle exited his fanged maw. Twin horns pointed upwards towards the heavens as now fully healed wings stretched out before taking towards the sky, simply hovering above the massive life form.

Shagaru Magala had arrived, and he would make sure this battle would end with crimson running in the water as he roared to the sky above to declare the destruction of this very region. For a moment, they each stood still, a dare to see who would make the first move, only for that answer to be made as an Aura Sphere slammed into Shagaru’s side, earning a groan of annoyance as he turned his attention towards the source.

The otherworldly invader spotted the champion of this region standing alongside Lucario, the two staring directly at the monster before them. “Again!” Rei stated as he and his Pokemon leapt from their spot, his partner unleashing another Aura Sphere directly at the beast, but this time missing its mark. The distraction was all that the Torterra needed to close the distance, the grass type surrounded with energy as he charged forward with a Headlong Rush. His full weight slammed into the golden dragon at incredible speeds and once again sent him flying.

Quickly, Rei reached into his pocket, wrapping his hand around another Pokeball before throwing it into the air and releasing another of his companions to aid him. The Glalie was revealed to the open world, hovering just above his trainer and ally in Lucario as they descended. Landing safely upon the ground with a mild thud, the three turned back to witness the battle continue, the champion reaching into his pockets to grab ahold of the balm. “Lucario, Glalie, assault the invader with everything you’ve got, but don’t get caught by that strange smog. I’ll go around and attempt to calm down the virus from that anomaly Torterra.” The two Pokemon let out chirps before nodding, having full trust in their trainer before charging directly into the heat of the battle.

Rei quickly made his move, attempting to quickly catch up to the battle while not getting squished. Even if it served as a distraction, he would do what he could in order to gain victory here. The Champion quickly began to run up a nearby hill, chasing after the battle as his trusted partners began to flank the massive organisms in their duel. As he ran, it was as if a natural disaster had taken physical form and its rage was unyielding in the face of an infection within its ecosystem.

He would have to hope that the balms would help in any manner against what afflicted the moving mountain. For as much as he had accomplished within his short time here, a part of the young man feared that even with the invader slain… that this world would see a travesty that was never meant to be.

Rei looked towards the horizon as he ran towards the ongoing battle, taking the path of a nearby hill in order to gain any sort of vantage point.

Shagaru roared with fury as he made his way back to his feet, looking upon the wretched Torterra that was charging directly at him. He opened his wings with a boom as the winds picked up in an instant from his roar alone. The Elder Dragon charged at the living mountain, this time avoiding the jaws of the animal as he perched onto the terrapin’s shell. Jaws opened wide before sinking fangs into flesh, the taloned wings digging into the shell to hold it in place as he began to remove meat from his target. Torterra screamed in agony as vines emerged from his sides, wrapping around the now reborn Bright Eclipse.

They attempted to remove the monster, only to be met with more violence as talons slashed across his shell and flesh with ease, roars of hatred echoing into the infected valley as the vines wrapped themselves around the massive wings. Another pair of vines emerged, slashing downward like whips upon the armored heavenly dragon. Loud, thunderous cracks echoed with each attack, ichor flying as and dying the plant life crimson. Shagaru screamed in agony as the action continued, being forced to change tactics as he relinquished his grip before being tossed into the forest.

Trees snapped like toothpicks from the beast’s form rolling across the earthen floor before coming to a halt, snarling as he returned to his feet. Blood flowed from the various wounds across his body. Shagaru Magala groaned as he spat out a few fangs, growling so loud that the creature’s jaws shook. The left wing extended to its full length, the talons quickly becoming shrouded by a purple fog, Frenzy Virus looking like a ball of mist as the monster charged forward.

Torterra surprisingly stood still, closing his eyes as the rage continued to consume every thought. The mutation attempted to keep control of his inner rage, breathing the virus out as he took in deep breaths. The botanical monster waited for the entity to reach him, allowing the beast to make the first move, feeling every movement on the ground below.

Dirt kicked up with each step, earth being thrown into the air as the monster snarled with hate. He leapt forward, jaws opened as they proclaimed the death of the living mountain while descending towards his skull.

Toterra’s eyes snapped wide open, his body flashing with life as red veins revealed themselves across the Pokemon’s form. While he wasn’t quite free from the virus devouring him from the inside out, he would need to push only for a little longer to overcome the invasion to his immune system. A wooden hammer appeared before the Shagaru, aiming to slam him into the earth with a mighty swing that would hopefully knock the fight out of them. The fully evolved starter’s eyes widened with shock as the right wing’s talons reached out.

Golden digits grasped the Wood Hammer, swinging the cudgel into the skull of its summoner. Shagaru immediately drove the charged ball of Frenzy Virus directly into the recoiling face of his foe. A scream of agony was heard within the smog, making the Elder Dragon smile before opening his jaws wide. Before he could continue his onslaught, multiple strikes landed upon his skull, halting the stream of infectious blight that was about to be unleashed.

The invader screeched as he rolled across the ground for a moment, only to see Lucario charging forth, leaping high above him before unleashing another Aura Sphere directly at the beast. Purple smog erupted from the Shagaru’s maw, the beam colliding with the Aura Sphere in a lock for power. The stream overwhelmed the orb, but struck nobody. Ice began to cover the back limbs of the invader, alerting him to Glalie’s presence rather quickly. His tail swung backward in an attempt to force the frosty creature back, only to miss and the captured Pokemon to continue the elemental assault.

Eyes darted downward as they observed Lucario charge directly at him, he swiftly attempted to swing at the pest with his free wings, only for the Pokemon to unleash another Close Combat. Skin peeled away as the ice was broken from the colossus being pushed backwards, an Aura Sphere slamming into his chest and fully sending him over. However, both Pokémon were forced back by an explosion of Frenzy, sent flying by the immense force.

Smoke covered his vision but Rei could see that the invader was being pushed back, as he made sure to stand far enough away to not be caught in the crossfire. Wrapping his hands around another set of Pokeballs and throwing them into the air before two more partners emerged from the set, revealing Typhlosion and Crobat to the battle. “Aid Glalie and Lucario in fighting that thing,” He stated before repeating the process to bring one more Pokemon into the fray, his Luxary standing next to the champion of Hiusi. “We’ll take care of the infected Torterra.”

The fire starter and bat nodded before running off to join their companions in defeating the invader, flames surrounding the Typhlosion’s form before becoming a Flame Wheel which charged directly at the demon’s form. Shagaru couldn’t even recover before the elemental fury slammed into him, earning a scream of agony from the invader as he was once again pushed back. The fire’s embrace was followed by a series of Air Cutters to follow, the Crobat slicing into the invader from high above, circling while continuing the process.

Shagaru roared with fury as he finally stood back up, the shockwave from the sheer volume freezing the group of gathered Pokemon for a moment before the monster acted, charging at the group which surrounded him.

Rei looked back for a moment, worried that his trusted team would be less fortunate than himself, but he needed to act fast before anything else. The champion reached into his pocket, wrapping his hand around the needed balms which were required to calm the beast down before throwing them at the dazed Torterra. He turned towards the trainer, eyes filled with crimson hate as he struggled to breathe. The virus was consuming him from within and quickly killing him due to the high exposure to the unknown element. The Pokemon’s heartbeat echoed within his mind as he simply held back the urge to attack the trainer and his Pokemon, using every bit of mental strength to not enter a rampage.

The champion continued to just slam the balms into Torterra’s form, hoping for the best that this living disaster wouldn’t turn towards his team with a violent eye. He could tell the mutant was in so much pain that he had been using it as fuel for the battle before, fighting until either he died or the enemy did. Torterra’s restraint was better than the various alphas and champions he had been tested against to free the power of Arceus scattered across the region, a true showing of this mutation’s resolve.

Torterra once again closed his eyes as he felt the balm’s medicine taking effect, red veins began to surround the various limbs across his body, a sudden rush of adrenaline reaching his heart and mind as the rage calmed down. A growl left his beak as the Frenzy Virus began to slowly disappear, strength skyrocketing as he opened his eyes once more.

He had reached the Apex.

The grass type Pokémon looked down and nodded towards the group, thanking them for their aid as he stepped forward. Firmly planting his feet into the earth beneath, energy slowly gathered from the sky and into him…

“Luxray,” Rei stated before the electric feline turned towards their partner, the champion quickly getting on top of them before pointing towards a nearby hill. “We have to get the high ground, I have an idea.”

The electric feline barked before quickly zooming across the battlefield, passing by the mutant Torterra as they ran up the landmass.

Shagaru roared with fury as he kept attempting to gain a hold of the various attacking Pokemon with no results. The team constantly played on the defensive, either managing to help their fellow team members evade or covering them with projectiles. However, the sheer amount of lost scales across the ground gave the demon a wicked idea.

The foul creature chuckled to himself as he watched Typholosion gather flames within his maw. The elemental attack raced straight towards the demon, only for the scales all around to ignite and cause another explosion of Frenzy which sent the Pokemon flying.

He charged forward, aiming to slay them where they stood… only for a bright light to catch his gaze. The Elder Dragon turned his gaze completely away from the recovering team to see the Torterra standing still, staring at the invader with violent intent. Shagaru looked above his strongest foe, or at least the best he could with the bright sun blinding him with its glare. Through the shine, he spotted a vast amount of energy flowing into the Pokemon’s massive tree upon his armored shell.

Whatever was occurring needed to cease.

Shagaru screamed as he opened his wings to show a full display towards the Torterra, completely ignoring the retreating Pokemon as the champion motioned for them to fall back.

Once again, a dark purple flowed from Shagaru Magala’s wretched maw like flames as he charged at the standing still Torterra. Leaping into the air, eyes staring only at the prize before him as the Frenzy shot forth to baptize the Pokemon in the element…

The earth below suddenly cracked open as the defending mutant used Earthquake, slamming his foot into the ground and creating a massive gateway into the abyss. While the Shagaru did not halt in his efforts to simply kill the beast before him, he had failed to remember the other pests.

“Use Thunderbolt!” Rei commanded his Luxray, the trainer standing upon a hilltop commanding his comrades against this unnatural threat. The streak of energy was unleashed with a mighty roar from the electric type, a golden bolt shooting from a field of electrical might around the black and blue feline. It struck true upon Shagaru. A scream of pain emerged from the beast’s jaws as he was thrown to the earth with a tear in his wing, the long battle taking its toll on him even as he had reached his apex state.

The Elder Dragon slammed into the earth besides the massive trench, coughing up blood as he attempted to get up, only for massive rocks to crash against his body. An Aura Sphere from Rei’s Lucario blazed into the rock formation above them, forcing Rei and Luxary to step back in order to not fall towards the earth below or be crushed. The attack was followed by a baptism of fire and ice, Typhlosion and Glalie unleashing their respective beams onto the downed monster’s form.

Crobat quickly began to charge towards his master and Luxary, seeing the chance of them falling occurring from the end of this conflict. Rei quickly threw out one last Pokeball, revealing his last Pokemon in the form of a Rhypherior. “Use Rockslide!”

From out of thin air, massive boulders descended towards the target below. They slammed into his body with a loud crunch, bones snapping and blood splattering across the stones. The Shagaru could only look in horror as he was pinned, the Torterra only shifting his body slightly so he could properly eradicate the infection.

Torterra’s beak opened as a ball of golden light emerged in front of it, standing still for a moment as the hum of the charge was heard by all. Without hesitation, he opened fire. A Solar Beam launched forward and without even a scream of fear or agony being heard, Shagaru Magala’s form was engulfed in the blast, which carved through the hillside completely. The beam fired past the horizon before it disappeared into nothing, smoke now surrounded the area as earth crumbled away.

Rei screamed as he quickly reached for Pokeballs, preparing to return Luxray and Rhyperior to safety, but the Pokemon was quick enough to save them both. The Electric Feline jumped from rock to rock as they descended towards the ground. Massive boulders shattered on impact, but they had managed to catch their master in time, Rei landing on their back before they managed to get to solid ground.

The champion, with quick precision, managed to return Rhyperior into his Pokeball, letting out a sigh of pure relief as they descended towards safety.

Lucario quickly ran over towards the pair, the humanoid canine placing his paw upon his master’s shoulder as the trio all shared a moment of relief. It was over, now all that remained to do was capture the mutant or allow him to leave freely. The team quickly surrounded each other, with Typhlosion and Crobat giving their trainer a massive hug to show they were glad he was okay. Crobat let out a whimper for a moment, believing that they had failed Akari as they descended towards the earth below, only for their worries to disappear as Akari patted them on the head and smiled.

“Good job you guys,” Rei congratulated as he grabbed each of his companion’s pocket devices, returning them to their resting place. “Now… what to do with you.”

The Torterra began to turn around, his eye glancing at Rei before starting to walk away from the battlefield. He was grateful that he could regain his sanity thanks to the young trainer, but he had had enough of humanity for a lifetime after the experiments done in the labs. No, now alone in this world without a tribe or a way home, he would simply find a place to rest and heal his wounds.

Rei couldn’t help but collapse onto his knees as he breathed heavily, watching Torterra walk into the horizon with a sense of peace reaching his mind. While there was much work to be done, between preparing the village for a possible rampage by the infected Pokemon and completing his Pokedex in the mission given to him by Arceus, he would need a long rest before he got back to work.

A smile emerged on the champion’s face as he forced himself back to his feet before reaching into his pocket for his flute, playing the notes to summon one of the various champions of Hisui across the two tribes. He called upon a large grey stag which stood over him at a moment’s notice, seemingly appearing out of thin air to aid the young trainer.

Rei patted the Huisui Wyrdeer before climbing onto their back, the Pokemon taking off the moment that he had found himself comfortable upon their back. He looked at the Torterra knowing that just like many other Pokemon, he would have to one day catch him to return home or protect the village. But, the colossus deserved to rest just as much as he did. If it wasn’t for the mutant, then this entire region would have fallen into madness.

Soon he would report his findings to his superiors and help prepare for what was to come next. But at the very least, Rei had faith that if something like this were to occur again, he would have an ally in the anomaly.

Winner: Torterra