Pokémon League

Good, you’re almost there.

- And what do I do when I get there?

The eggheads have come up with something. We found that Oak’s time machine works by folding space/time and… something to do with wormholes. Very technical stuff, even I barely understand half of it.

- Yeah… but how does that help me?

I’m getting to that. So essentially the machine works by bringing two points in space/time together in the same moment and then sort of nudges you across.

- More like “shoves you across”, do you have any idea how many times those machines have thrown me against a brick wall?

Heh, it is a tad unrefined isn’t it. Anyway, we also discovered that if the machine is left on for too long it starts to hold a moment in time in an ever expanding bubble. Now that’s not so bad when there are no coordinates programmed in. The time bubble generated will be identical to the native timeline, so it’s like nothing wrong is happening.

- So…

The problem occurs when we introduce an artefact.

- A what?

An artefact is what we call something not from the native timeline, something misplaced in time. It can be an object, a person, or even a pokémon.

- Uh-huh…

If the time machine is generating a bubble while in contact with an artefact, the bubble will contain parts of the time from which the artefact came. This is where things get messy, very messy.

- You’re telling me!

There’s just one more wrinkle, although this “two timelines in one place” thing is messed up enough, it’s still just that; two timelines and no more. The issue we’re having where you are right now is there are many different timelines mashed together in a swirling vortex. We have no idea how the machine is doing this, even our tests with multiple artefacts never brought in more than one additional timeline.

- Right… so what do I do?

The only solution we have is to just switch the machine off. The bubble should collapse but…

- What?

We still not sure if there even is a native timeline where you are, all we can identify are other times brought in by that machine.

- So if I switch it off…

The countless timelines being dragged in will be saved but we don’t know what will happen to you. Essentially all of existence around you could just vanish in an instant.

- Oh crap.

We’ll do our best here to save you, I’m somewhat confident we can drag you out of there before you cease to exist.

- And then I can go home, right?

That’s what we agreed on. Now get in there and beat the champion!

I trudge through the long intimidating hallway and pass through the ridiculously tall door into the champion’s arena.

Ah Caldar!

- Steven?!

You were expecting someone else?

- Er, well… nevermind.

I suppose you’re eager to get this battle started!

- Yeah.

Go Skarmory!

- Go Maggie!

- Flamethrower!

Toxic!

Maggie cooks skarmory with intense flames, skarmory barely holds on but responds by regurgitating toxic sludge at Maggie’s face.

- Thunderbolt!

Steven sprays a full restore on skarmory before Maggie fires a lightning bolt at it. Poison begins to be a problem for Maggie as it begins to hurt her from within.

- Flamethrower!

Spikes!

Maggie incinerates skarmory with a focused stream of fire but the lingering poison continues to make her suffer.

Go Aggron!

- Maggie return! Go Rickert!

Stone edge!

Rickert is immediately struck by a large sharp rock as he leaves his pokéball.

- Power up punch!

Earthquake!

Warming up, Rickert gives a quick jab to aggron’s gut, Rickert’s shell bell chimes and heals him a little. Aggron triggers an earthquake, a small upheaval knocks Rickert against the arena wall.

- Power up punch!

Earthquake!

Still building up strength Rickert makes a little more effort in punching aggron, who responds by knocking him down with another upheaval.

- Power up punch!

Earthquake!

Rickert smashes aggron in the face, knocking it out cold.

Go Claydol!

- Waterfall!

Reflect!

Claydol generates a near invisible barrier around itself, Rickert smashes a glob of water into claydol’s eye.

- Waterfall!

Steven sprays a full restore on claydol. Rickert slams into claydol at high speed, splashing a mass of water at it. Rickert’s shell bell heals him a little.

- Waterfall!

Extrasensory!

Claydol’s eyes glow and Rickert begins to float in the air shortly before being thrown about the arena like a rag-doll. Rickert leaps above claydol and crashes down fist first onto it’s head.

Go Cradily!

- Rickert return! Go Amber!

Giga drain!

Amber is taken off guard, taking critical damage as cradily drains energy from her.

- Earthquake!

Giga drain!

Amber triggers a short earthquake, causing an upheaval to burst from the ground under cradily. Cradily heals it’s wounds by draining energy from Amber.

- Amber return! Go Maggie!

Giga drain!

Cradily drains a little energy from Maggie as he leaves her pokéball and Maggie looks like she’s still sick from poison.

- Flamethrower!

Ancientpower!

Maggie covers cradily in flames, cradily summons rocks from underground to smash into Maggie and bury her in rubble.

- MAGGIE!!

- Go Bester!

- Ice punch!

Confuse ray!

With a chilling fist, Bester uppercuts cradily, almost uprooting it. Cradily shoots a multicoloured ray at Bester’s face.

- Power up punch!

Giga drain!

Conserving srength, Bester bops cradily in the head. Cradily flops to the ground, knocked out.

Go Armaldo!

- Ice punch!

X-Scissor!

Bester strikes armaldo in the gut with his frozen fist, armaldo counters with it’s razor sharp claws.

- Ice punch!

X-Scissor!

With another cold punch to the face, Bester freezes armaldo solid.

- Power up punch!

X-Scissor!

Building further strength, Bester punches armaldo again, shattering it into thousands of pieces.

Go Metagross!

- Thunder punch!

No holding back! Giga impact!

Steven grasps onto his mega pin, the four stars in the keystone glow brightly and metagross mega evolves. Bester channels all the electricity he can into his fist and leans into a massive punch to metagross’ face. Metagross backs up and proceeds to launch itself at Bester, moving faster than I can see and launching Bester out of the arena. A large Bester-shaped hole in the arena wall is all that remains of him.

- NOO! BESTER!!

- Go Luchenko!

- Earthquake!

Metagross, still recovering from it’s last attack is unable to move. Luchenko takes the opportunity to leap onto metagross and stomp on it’s head, driving it into the ground and triggering an earthquake. The ground beneath them opens up and swallows metagross.

Congratulations! You battled admirably. Follow me to the Hall of Fame.

I say nothing and follow Steven through the secure door and into the Hall of Fame. We approach the machine at the end of the hall, six pokéball sized slots are on top of it, waiting.

- Hey, Steven?

Hm?

- Could I maybe have a moment alone with my team?

Oh, sure. I’ll be just outside.

I wait for him to leave before I step up to the machine. A faint hum can be heard from it. I look over the control panel, there are various buttons and switches but I eventually find the switch labelled on/off. I take a deep breath and switch it off. The humming stops, replaced with silence.

Hah! You did it!

- Zinnia! You’re… here?

I don’t know what you just did but the result was nothing short of a miracle!

- But all I did was–

Not only is this strange timeline self sustaining now, you also managed to separate the individual timelines that were brought in and return them to normal! That’s how I managed to get here now.

- Oh…

Did you find the artefact?

I look over the console again and notice a small red computer chip resting on top of it.

- I don’t know, maybe this thing?

Zinnia takes out a silver orb and waves it over the chip.

Interesting. I just did a quick scan of it and the readout here tells me it belongs to many timelines. So that explains some things, but how could an object like that become so engrained in the events of other timelines it somehow belongs to them all? Unless…

The chip almost reminds me of something, it looks very familiar. On a hunch I start rummaging through my bag.

Caldar… what are you doing? Caldar, I just scanned you. The readouts here say that you are from multiple timelines too, the same ones as that chip.

I take out Blue’s pokédex from my bag and put the chip into a matching slot on the side, it fits perfectly.

Waugh! Every damn time! So where did we land this time?

- …

What the heck?

What? Why’re you looking at me like that? Was I off for long? What did I miss?

- What’s the last thing you remember?

Oak wanted to check me over before we left Kalos, then it all went dark.

Wait, so that means Oak was here?

- But… he was crushed. Smashed to pieces.

Oak?

- No, I mean…

Oak must’ve copied it’s core and brought it here for some reason.

- I’m just glad you’re back!

Uh… it’s good to be back? Seriously, what’s going on?

- I fixed your problem, Zinnia. Time for you to hold up your end of the bargain.

Ah… well about that… there have been some other complications. We need to stay a while longer. There are things we both need to do.

- But you promised!

I’m sorry but the fate of everyone in this timeline hangs in the balance! I need your help!

- I don’t want to hear it! Are you sending me home or not?

Right now? No. But I have a good reason if you just listen–

- I don’t care anymore! I’ll find my own way home!

I take the silver ball from my bag and shove it into Zinnia’s hands before storming out of the hall.

You sure showed her! Whatever it was about…

Ah, you’re done.

- Yeah.

I forgot to give you this when we were in Sootopolis. It’s the Eon Flute, you can use it to call Latias if you ever need her help.

- Thanks.

So what’s next for you?

- I’m going to go to my aunt’s place and see if she can help me get home.

You don’t know where your home is?

- It’s complicated.

Pacifidlog Town

I stop off at the pokémon center and discover Zinnia had left another two pokémon in the PC for me.

I continue onwards, trying to think of what I’d even say to my aunt. I don’t know what year it is, she might not recognise me or she might not even be there.

Route 103

Caldar! I was hoping to find you here. Congrats on becoming champion!

- Yeah, thanks.

Oh and lookit! I finally got a keystone!

May shows me her bracelet, a multicoloured keystone is set into it. Five little stars are inside the stone.

Can we have a battle? For old times sake?

- Uh…

Aw come on, let’s go!

Go Swellow!

- Go Luchenko!

- Stone edge!

Steel wing!

Swellow swipes at Luchenko with hardened wings before Luchenko knocks swellow out with a sharp rock.

Go Wailord!

- Earthquake!

Surf!

Luchenko triggers an earthquake, the nearby hillside slides down onto the path and buries wailord.

Go Breloom!

- Earthquake!

Rock tomb!

Luchenko stomps the ground, triggering another earthquake. An upheaval blasts breloom from below. Breloom throws a bunch of rocks at Luchenko, surrounding her with boulders in the process.

- Earthquake!

Seed bomb!

Breloom launches a large seed at Luchenko, it explodes in her face and leaves nothing behind.

Oh snap!

- Luchenko! No!

- Go Amber!

- Dragon rush!

Seed bomb!

Amber charges at full speed into breloom, crushing it against a tree.

Go Raichu!

- Earthquake!

Quick attack!

Raichu darts at Amber, bouncing off her scales. Amber triggers an earthquake causing an upheaval to launch raichu into the nearby lake.

Go Blaziken!

- Earthquake!

Let’s show ‘em what we’ve got! Shadow claw!

May raises her arm, the keystone on her wrist lights up and blaziken evolves.

Damn that’s a big fire chicken!

Amber triggers one more earthquake, the ground opens up beneath blaziken and slams shut, trapping it neck deep in the earth.

Oh well, that’s why you’re the champion I guess!

Meanwhile in Mossdeep Space Center:

Professor Cozmo! Come quick!

What is it?

Look! The telescope!

Hm?

It’s coming right for us!

May Arceus have mercy on our souls…