Anistar City

Caldar! We’re all in huge trouble!

- What’s wrong now?

It’s Lysandre! He’s going to destroy the world!

Great, not again…

- Who’s Lysandre?

The founder and owner of Lysandre Labs?

- Doesn’t ring a bell.

Descended from the ancient royalty?

- Nope.

Well the pokémon league champion, Diantha, told me Lysandre is the boss of Team Flare and he has an ancient superweapon hidden somewhere and he’s about to use it to kill everyone!

- Then why isn’t the champion doing something?

She is, but she needs our help finding the superweapon!

It’d really put a crimp in your plan to go home if everything were blown up.

- Fine! I’ll bust down some doors at the flair HQ in Lumiose.

I’ll find the others and head off to Route 10, a lot of Flare goons and scientists have been spotted around there and in Geosenge Town too.

Lysandre Labs

It didn’t take me very long to bust down the café door, beat up the flair goons disguised as waiting staff, rip a bookcase from the wall to reveal a secret door and then take the elevator to the basement.

You again!

- Well if it isn’t… good old… you?

It’s that stalker guy you beat up in Unova!

- Wasn’t he bald?

He’s wearing a ridiculous wig.

- Oh right… er… Agent… fifteen?

13! Agent 13! You humiliated me in Unova! You keep showing up and ruining my day! So much for taking the place of someone high profile, at least he has some decent pokémon!

- I keep showing up? But this is only the second time-

Go Mienfoo!

- Go Gwyn!

- Psyshock!

Acrobatics!

Gwyn’s eyes glow, mienfoo collapses while clutching it’s head.

Go Gyarados!

- Gwyn return! Go Zuul!

Aqua tail!

Gyarados swipes at Zuul with it’s tail as she leaves her pokéball.

- Thunderbolt!

Aqua tail!

Zuul shoots a lightning bolt from her finger at gyarados, electrocuting it until it flops to the floor.

Go Murkrow!

- Thunderbolt!

Foul play!

Zuul fires another lightning bolt, shooting murkrow out of the air.

Go Pyroar!

- Zuul return! Go Gwyn!

Fire blast!

Gwyn shrugs off an exploding fireball to the face.

- Psyshock!

Dark pulse!

Gwyn’s eyes glow and pyroar winces in pain before letting out a wave of darkness that strikes Gwyn.

- Gwyn return! Go Velen!

Dark pulse!

Velen lets the wave of darkness wash past him.

- Aura sphere!

Fire blast!

Velen throws an orb of light at pyroar, exploding on impact and leaving it unconscious on the floor.

This isn’t over! Incidentally I wouldn’t snoop around here if I were you… Look! What’s that?

- Huh?

No, don’t!

When I turn back he’s nowhere to be seen.

Every frikkin’ time!

I decide to snoop around since nobody is standing in my way anymore. Nothing here seems to look like an ancient superweapon. Come to think of it what would an ancient superweapon even look like? Would it be a pokémon?

I find several rooms that appear to be where the goons sleep. A couple of server rooms, filled wall to wall with computer-y stuff. On my way back to the elevator I find Sina and Dexio sneaking around.

This should be plenty of evidence to incriminate Lysandre!

Brilliant! We should bring in the authorities and get him arrested!

- Is Lysandre the one who’s about to blow up the planet?

Oh! Yes, and we really should get moving!

See you later Caldar! Er, I mean trainer!

They both run back to the elevator and take it back up to the ground floor. After a short wait I get in the elevator too and immediately notice a button for a sub basement labelled “Super secret prison adjacent lab.”, thinking nothing of it I press it and after short elevator ride down I step out.

Wanting to put off meeting some sort of mad scientist in the lab I decide to check the prison first. I’m mildly surprised to find the old guy I met in the badlands behind bars.

I knew someone would come, but I never expected it’d be you.

- I didn’t really expect to find someone like you here.

Heheh. Well that tickles me a little. Neither of us expecting to be here and yet here I am… and here I am again.

Talk sense, old man!

Oh my, that voice!

- What are you talking about?

I’m just going to say it and before I do, please don’t think I’m crazy. I’m you.

- My what?

I am you! I’m from the future.

- But I’ve been to the future…

No, I’m from your future. Look, here.

Oh, no…

He reaches into his jacket and takes out a piece of folded cloth. Carefully unfolding it revealing a pokédex. Many of the inner workings and circuitry is exposed, a few wires crudely threaded around it and bits taped together. What little of the plastic casing remains has been worn down and even smooth around edges where pieces had snapped off, the colour has faded to a pinkish shade. The buttons are all missing and the contacts underneath have been worn down a bit, the screen is all but completely shattered and the camera lens is missing.

He picks a loose wire and ties it to the terminal of a battery. A spark pops from the circuitry and a small light slowly flickers to life. Nothing else happens.

His voice hasn’t worked for nearly 30 years, I think I made it worse when I tried to fix it…

Switch it off.

- 30 years?

I’ve actually been here for over 200 years, waiting.

Please switch it off.

- But how?

The Doc, he brought me to Kalos. You should know this part, I started travelling with Serena and the others. But when she got that mega ring, Serena got so arrogant and annoying I decided to carry on alone.

- But that’s not what-

I know, there are differences this time around. Anyway, while I was rushing around Kalos the others were doing their own thing. I was about halfway through the elite four when Lysandre broadcast to the world that he was about to destroy us all.

- But he didn’t… he isn’t-

Yes, differences I know. I decided to leave it to little miss mega ring and finish my journey in Kalos. I had just defeated Diantha when we got news of a huge explosion at Geosenge Town. Some ancient legendary pokémon of death and destruction had been released.

- That’s not good…

They called it Yveltal. It rampaged across Kalos, leaving no survivors. It killed Serena, Shauna, Tierno and Trevor while they were doing the right thing. It cut a swathe of death right to the pokémon league. The Doc decided to send me back so I can stop it but something went wrong. The building was hit right when I was surrounded by that light.

- But… how… why should I believe you?

Yveltal: A deity of death and destruction and it’s coming right for us!

- Huh?

That was the last entry he made before we went back. How did you-

I downloaded it, my… his… it’s wi-fi still works. Now please switch it off!

But why?

I’m… he’s dead! The pokédex archive is mostly still there but whatever makes me who I am is gone.

Oh…

A tear rolls down his cheek as he disconnects the battery, he carefully wraps it back up in the cloth and just holds it in his hand for a moment.

- So uh… that 200 years thing?

I was mostly alone for the first 130 or so, no way to charge him up…

He means how are you still alive?

I don’t know why, but at first I didn’t age. I didn’t realise until Dex pointed it out. Then over the last few months I started to get old really fast. Whatever kept me alive all this time is wearing off, I suspect I don’t have very long now.

- Oh crap…

It was nice chatting with me but we’ve got an apocalypse to stop. I learned the superweapon that woke up Yveltal is activated somewhere in this facility. You can stop it here! Just don’t get captured like I did…

- Right!

I’ll find my own way out, go and stop all of it happening again! And it was nice talking with you again old friend…

Yeah…

I rush down the hall and enter the lab. A giant screen with a big button either side of it are on the far wall and some weirdo standing in front of it.

Ah! We’ve got a customer! Come, come!

- Uh… hi…

Destroying the world, such a big decision! Help me out?

He points to the two buttons, underneath them each has a post-it note. One has “Weapon primer” written on it, the other has “Shutdown” written on it.

Only one button can be pressed, but which one?

I walk over to the shutdown button and press it.

Ohoho! Boop!

I look over to him to see that he’s pressing the other button at the same time.

Ehehehe! Both! Both buttons needed to prime the weapon! Hahaha! Lookie! The screen!

Woohoo! We’re all doomed! Not long now!

I recognised Geosenge Town on the screen and immediately take the elevator to the ground floor, run to the pokémon center and have Solaire fly me there.

Geosenge Town

None of these buildings could have very secure foundations if they were thrown about like they were made of cardboard. I immediately notice a service entrance to some sort of facility, it’s crudely disguised as a rock formation.

A flair goon blocks my path.

Pay no attention to the giant crystal flower thing or those rocks that aren’t disguising the entrance to our secret HQ!

- What now?

You’re going nowhere!

As I ready myself to break this guy’s face I notice the ground has started shaking a little.

- Do you feel that?

Feel what?

- You might want to-

Roahhh!

Rhyhorn smashes through the rock formation, sending boulders flying. I narrowly dodge one of them and as I look up I see the flair grunt’s head pop under rhyhorn’s foot while it continues to stampede. I leap out of it’s way. It seems to roar with rage and evolves in mid stride.

Rhaaarh!

Still unable to brake it’s momentum, rhydon keeps stampeding southwards.

- Thanks, rhyhorn… I mean rhydon.

Team Flare Secret HQ

I bust down another door to reveal a large room that reminds me of mission control in pretty much every space move I’ve seen.

Where’s Bob, he’s supposed to be guarding the door.

Y-you should see this!

They both look at a monitor which has a feed from outside displayed on it. What remains of the flair goon I met before can clearly be seen.

All the goons and scientists in the room suddenly back away from me. One of the goons has curled up in a ball and is sobbing in the corner.

You again? How do you keep tracking me down?

- Lysandre, mister fifteen or whoever you are. I won’t let you destroy the world!

Destroy the world? Ha! A machine that can harness this much infinity energy can do so much more!

- What?

With the modifications I’ve made I can use it to travel through time wherever I want! And just where the agency orders me.

- Why?

Because if a brat like you can hop around time all he wants then I can at least make a paradise for myself! And I’ll start by erasing you from as many timelines as I can!

Perfect, another crazy guy who in some way wants to make his ideal world at the expense of everyone else.

Go Mienshao!

- Oh you want to try again? Fine, go Beatrice!

All the goons and scientists in the room pile out the exit, except for the one still whimpering in the corner.

- Psychic!

Acrobatics!

Beatrice uses her telekinesis to slam meinshao’s head into the ceiling until it passes out.

Go Pyroar!

- Psychic!

Fire blast!

Beatrice tries the same but is interrupted halfway through by pyroar’s exploding fireball.

- Beatrice return! Go Siegmeyer!

Fire blast!

Siegmeyer takes the blast full in the chest.

- Bulldoze!

Fire blast!

Siegmeyer takes another blast to the chest as he stomps across the room and crushes pyroar against the wall.

Go Gyarados!

- Siegmeyer return! Go Zuul!

Earthquake!

The ground shakes violently but Zuul is unaffected, gently levitating above it.

- Thunderbolt!

Aqua tail!

Zuul quickfires a lightning bolt from her finger, elecrocuting gyarados until it passes out.

Go Honchkrow!

- Thunderbolt!

Night slash!

Zuul quickfires another lightning bolt, shooting honchkrow out of the air.

Gah! I still have time, if I can just. Hey what’s that over there?

- Hm?

When I look back he’s not there.

You moron!

I find a set of stairs, a sign above them reads “Doomsday Device” with an arrow pointing downstairs. About halfway down I encounter a flair admin, I quickly punch him in the face, his sunglasses shatter and he collapses to the floor.

Another admin tries to rush me, with a sidestep and a shove I guide him head first into the wall. Yet another admin grabs me by the shoulders, as I turn to face him I notice Serena kick him between the legs from behind and he curls up into a ball and whimpers on the floor.

I thought it would be you causing trouble for the Flares. Need a hand?

- Why not. What happened on route 10?

Horrible things! They’re tying pokémon to the stones and draining their energy!

We decided to split up when we saw the weapon open. Trevor, Tierno, Sina and Dexio are still on route 10 trying to free the pokémon.

We run down the rest of the stairs and come up to a vault-like door with “Doomsday Device” printed on it in big bold letters.

Yveltal is just on the other side, we’ve got to get in!

- Wait, how do you know it’s Yveltal?

We saw it on the monitors upstairs it’s a giant egg right now but my pokédex recognised it. They’re draining it’s energy, we’ve got to stop it before it’s all gone!

- Because it’s cruel to steal a pokémon’s life force.

That too but the pokédex says Yveltal goes on a rampage and drains the lives of everything around to restore itself whenever it nears the end of it’s life!

- Oh crap!

While you two were chatting I just unlocked the door!

- Oh, how did you do that?

I kept hitting the control panel until it broke!

Let’s go!

The door opens, Serena and Shauna run inside and immediately run back out with several flair admins chasing them. As she runs past, Serena winks to me.

I step into a chamber with the machine in the middle, on top there is a giant egg thing. At the base of the machine is a smaller, cruder device in front of it. It’s hooked up to the big machine by a few cables. Set in the smaller device is a familiar looking silver orb. I approach the device.

Do you hear that?

Well… crap.

Yveltal looms over me threateningly, radiating and aura that seems to be removing the light from the chamber.

- Help me out here Zuul!

Zuul pops out of her pokéball, seeming to recognise the threat she starts firing lightning bolts at Yveltal who responds by firing rays of darkness. Zuul deftly avoids being hit. The room grows darker to the point where I can’t see.

I recognise the sound of Zuul’s shadow ball attack only in stereo, followed by several imploding noises and a distorted cry from Yveltal. The light returns to the room and Yveltal is nowhere to be seen. Zuul hovers triumphant over where Yveltal once stood.

- I guess Zuul has a greater command of the dark…

You. You… A thousand times you! Just get out of my way!

- How about no.

Fine, there must be enough spare infinity energy in here for me to use this!

He waves his hand in front of him, a ring on his finger has a keystone set in it.

Once more with feeling. Go Mienshao!

- Go Gwyn!

- Psyshock!

Acrobatics!

Mienshao shows off it’s speed and slaps Gwyn several times before it collapses on the floor clutching it’s head.

Go Pyroar!

- Psyshock!

Dark pulse!

Before Gwyn can move he’s overcome by a wave of darkness launched by pyroar.

- Noooo! Gwyn!

I clutch my chest, it’s feeling a little tight.

Had enough already?

- Go Siegmeyer!

- Bulldoze!

Fire blast!

Pyroar’s fireball sails over Siegmeyer’s head as he stomps forwards and slams pyroar into a wall.

- Bulldoze!

Fire blast!

Before pyroar can fire another fireball it’s crushed against the wall by Siegmeyer.

Go Honchkrow!

- Poison jab!

Night slash!

Siegmeyer envenoms his fist and punches honchkrow in the gut before honchkrow vanishes into the shadows and quickly reappears behind Siegmeyer, clawing at him with it’s talons.

- Poison jab!

Night slash!

Siegmeyer punches honchkrow in the beak. It recoils and flops to the floor, twitching.

Go Gyarados!

Mega evolve!

Agent 13 clenches his fist above his head, the keystone on his ring glows, energy from all around flows into gyarados and it mega evolves.

Oh crap!

- Poison jab!

Aqua tail!

Siegmeyer punches gyarados with an envenomed fist, struggles to push gyarados back further before being flung through the air from a swipe of gyarados’ tail. Siegmeyer slams head first into a wall and crumples to the floor.

- Nononono! Siegmeyer!

Hahaha!

- It hurts!

What?!

- My chest… it hasn’t done this since…

I immediately remember what Serena said to me about bonds and empathy.

- Go Zuul!

Zuul looks to me and before I realise it I feel my arm rising above my head. The keystone on my wrist starts to glow and I feel energy from me flowing towards Zuul.

- ZUUL!

Aqua tail!

Zuul fires a massive lightning bolt at gyarados, electrocuting it until it smashes Zuul with it’s tail. I feel the impact as soon as she was hit.

Aqua tail!

Zuul fires another lightning bolt from her forehead at gyarados, frying it until it reverts back to it’s previous form and flops to the floor.

- ZUUUUL!!

Auaargh!

Zuul returns to her pokéball, I feel a little strange and a bit drained but otherwise fine.

- Give up already, you won’t ever win.

Oh I’ll show you!

He shoves me aside and runs to the improvised device in front of the machine.

There should be enough energy for one jump.

He presses a few buttons and a loud humming noise builds up above us. Looking at the device, Agent 13 notices something wrong. The silver ball is missing.

No… No! Where’s the beacon? I can’t jump without my time beacon! You!

Looking for this?

The other me steps out from behind the machine, holding up a silver ball in his hand.

You! I’ll kill you!

Agent 13 charges at the other me and they grapple and struggle. Agent 13 trying to grab the silver ball while the other me pins him against the machine. The loud noise above is still getting louder.

Run!

I make for the exit and run up the stairs, about halfway up I see Serena and Shauna coming the other way.

What’s happening?

Is it over?

- We’re running!

Gotta go fast!

We all run for the exit, clamber over the rubble that was the secret entrance and dash across the grassy fields to the north. Out of breath I turn back and see…

Geosenge Town

We gather around the crater and peer inside.

I doubt anyone could have survived that.

Was anyone inside?

- Just Agen… er I mean Lysandre and me.

You mean before we ran outside, right?

- Yeah…

Guys! You’re alive!

We thought it was all over when the weapon actually fired!

It’s all over?

- Yeah.

And we saved all the pokémon too!

With some help of a rampaging Rhydon!

It smashed through those stones like they were nothing!

And splattered those flare goons all over!

It must’ve been an inspiring Rhydon.

It got all the other Rhydons pumped up and sent them on a rampage!

Team Flare didn’t stand a chance.

And all those stones have been flattened now.

Elsewhere…

Agent 12 reporting in.

The silver ball in her hand shimmers and a tiny shadowy figure appears above it.

Agent 13 went rogue and had to be neutralised. He’s now presumed dead. Events for the timeline have come to pass with an 85% margin of error so far.

The shadowy figure speaks silently.

Yes sir, but I still have concerns. My instruments have picked up more incursions and they’re still pointing to a huge event, and soon!