N’s Castle

I lose sight of Enn as I run up the ramp to what looks like the main section of his castle. Inside there only seems to be one way to do, the plasm grunts here just seem to stay out of my way or run for it when they see me.

Turning a corner I enter a chamber where six oddly dressed men stand in my way.

- I… I… thank you!

Not really knowing what else to say I run up a set of stairs, at the top I notice the hallways are looking a little fancier. A plasm grunt steps out of a room and bars my path.

I turn to face her and prepare for a battle.

- Help? How?

- It’s on the to-do list I assure you.

- By Arceus… but wait, why’re you telling me this?

- But you stole it!

- Giving it back?

- Right… I’m going to battle Enn now.

- OK! Wait, what?!

The grunt disappears down a stairwell and I continue upwards. I eventually arrive in a cavernous hall, a bridge leading to a platform in a massive pool of water. Looking over the edge it’s so deep I can’t see the bottom.

I reach the platform to see another bridge leading to a throne on the other side. Enn seated on the throne sees me, stands up and saunters over to the platform where I stand.

- Oh boy…

Before I can react I feel my backpack being slowly lifted, it drops back to my shoulders when the Light Orb slips loose.

Reshiram stands before me, staring at me.

Two dragons, once the same being. Destined to battle eachother? I make my choice.

- No!

- I refuse to make these two pokémon fight eachother! Reshiram! I release you!

Reshiram nods, takes flight and leaves via the hole Zekrom had smashed in the wall.

- Go Hans! We need to let Reshiram escape!

- Earthquake!

Zekrom surrounds itself with a barrier of light while Hans stabs his claws into the floor and triggers an earthquake. The bridge behind me begins to crack and a large section of the roof caves in and lands on Zekrom, knocking it out and sending it staggering off the edge of the platform. Zekrom tumbles down into the darkness below. A cry from Reshiram can be heard from outside in the distance.

- I’m sorry…

- Earthquake!

Klinklang begins to focus some energy while Hans triggers another quake, the bridge behind me collapses into the darkness below. The edge of the platform under klinklang crumbles away, klinklang reveals itself to actually be a zoroark as it tries to cling to the edge while it launches the energy ball at Hans before joining Zekrom below.

- Hans come back! Go Lennier!

Carracosta launches itself at high speed into Lennier as he leaves his pokéball, quickly Lennier deflects most of the weight thrown at him.

- Leaf blade!

Lennier’s arm blades glow green as he slashes at carracosta. Carracosta summons a deluge of water to come crashing onto Lennier while barely holding on.

- Leaf blade!

Lennier nudges carracosta on the head, making it topple over onto it’s back.

- Enn, stop this! Ghetsis has been lying to you! We both want what’s best for pokémon, we’re on the same side!

- Lennier come back! Go Scrappy!

Scrappy bares the brunt of the white-hot energy beam launched by klinklang.

- Hi jump kick!

While klinklang is recharging from such a great expenditure of energy, Scrappy slams foot first into it and sends it flying off of the platform and making a loud clang as it crashes on the bridge section behind Enn.

- Brick break!

Vanilluxe blasts Scrappy with freezing air and chunks of ice while Scrappy leaps forwards and slams vanilluxe in the face with her palm.

- Scrappy come back! Go Bushi!

Archeops makes a full on relentless attack with teeth and claws on Bushi as he leaves his pokéball.

- Waterfall!

Archeops stomps on the floor and makes several sharp stones jut out of the ground and dig into Bushi’s feet. Bushi summons a torrent of water that crashes down onto archeops and washes it off the platform, carrying it into the darkness below.

Ghetsis slaps Enn across the face.

- Hey!

Behind me on the other side of the broken bridge, Alder throws to me some full restores. I quickly use them on my pokémon.

- Thanks!

- Go Hans!

- Swords dance!

Hans sharpens his claws and makes a few ritualistic movements while cofagrigus launches a dark orb at him, it glances off Hans’ armour barely making a scratch.

- Earthquake!

Hans digs his claws into the ground to trigger an earthquake, the bridge to Enn’s throne collapses and more of the roof falls in and lands onto cofagrigus, completely burying it.

- Rock slide!

Hydreigon spits a massive ball of fire at Hans, barely missing him as he summons boulders to crash down onto hydreigon from above.

- Rock slide!

Hydreigon quickly focuses a ball of energy and launches it at Hans, knocking him clear off the platform and slamming him into the chamber wall before tumbling down to the pit below.

- NOOO!

- Go Bushi!!

- Retaliate!

Hydreigon fills the platform with dragonfire while an enraged Bushi leaps at hydreigon unleashing a slew of attacks, scratching, kicking and biting.

- Blizzard!

Ghetsis sprays a full restore onto hydreigon while Bushi breathes a gale of freezing air and ice at it.

- Bushi, come back! Go Scrappy!

Scrappy leaves her pokéball to meet a platform covered in dragonfire.

- Hi jump kick!

Scrappy leaps up, narrowly avoiding the incoming energy blast and comes down hard foot first on hydreigon’s middle head, sending it slamming onto the platform edge before it crumbles away. Hydreigon slips off the edge and tumbles into the pit below.

- Hi jump kick!

Scrappy launches herself forwards, swiftly kicking bouffalant clear off the platform.

- Brick break!

Scrappy is poised to attack as electross kicks her off the platform with a backflip.

- Scrappy nooo!!

- Go Blaze!

- Yawn!

Blaze yawns loudly at electross who slams into Blaze, arcing electricity around and hurting itself a little.

- Blaze, come back! Go Lennier!

Electross charges into Lennier, arcing more electricity around and hurting itself again before falling asleep.

- Swords dance!

Lennier makes a series of complicated moves until his blades begin to glow slightly while electross snoozes.

- Psycho cut

Electross remains asleep but suddenly slumps to the floor after Lennier makes a cutting motion in the air. The shell bell around Lennier’s neck chimes, healing him slightly.

- Leaf blade!

Before seismitoad can act, Lennier slashes at it with his blades glowing green. Seismitoad passes out from the pain and Lennier’s shell bell chimes again.

- Leaf blade!

Blades clash, Lennier’s glowing green, bisharp’s emitting a black aura. Lennier’s shell bell chimes quietly.

- Lennier come back, go Gamey!

Gamey is barely clipped by bisharp’s cross cutting attack as she leaves her pokéball.

- Featherdance!

Gamey makes a series of complicated movements that somehow makes bisharp’s movements a little sluggish. Bisharp stomps the floor, making a rock burst forth from under Gamey and strikes her.

- Roost!

Gamey curls up and heals her wounds while bisharp strikes her with another stone.

- Featherdance!

Gamey makes busts some more moves that somehow make bisharps movements more difficult. Bisharp hits Gamey with another sharp rock.

- Gamey come back! Go Blaze!

Bisharp slashes at Blaze with it’s blades, but it barely gives him a haircut.

- Will-o-wisp!

Blaze sears bisharp with flaming whisps. Bisharp tries to stab Blaze with one of it’s many knifey apendages to little effect.

- Flame burst!

Blaze spits a fireball at bisharp, exploding on contact it knocks bisharp over.

Ghetsis rushes towards me and throws a punch, I quickly dodge and throw a punch in return. Ghetsis grabs hold of me and tries to throw me off the platform, we tussle and I eventually fling him over the edge.

I suddenly feel a massive tug on my shoulders and I’m pulled off the platform. I quickly grab the edge. Looking down I see Ghetsis hanging from my backpack. One of the straps snaps leaving the other to dig into the side of my neck painfully.

- Enn!

- Please!

- … help!

Looking up I see Enn standing above me holding a knife.

- What’re you doing?!

Enn kneels down brings the knife to my neck.

- No! NO!!

I shut my eyes and hold my breath. The weight on my shoulder vanishes, I open my eyes and look down to find Ghetsis falling into the pit while clasping my backpack, the contents spilling out.

Enn drops the knife and grabs my wrists, helping me back onto the platform.

- Thank you.

- He was just using you.

- Yeah?

I hear Zekrom call from the pit below, it soon flies back to the platform and Enn climbs on it’s back.

- Oh, you meant now?

Enn and Zekrom fly through the hole in the roof and quickly leave my sight. Alder, who was watching from the other side of the crumbled bridge waves at me.

- I think I want to go home. Gamey! Take me back to the Pokémon League!

Hall of Fame

I notice some of the walls are cracked recently, I figure it’s from Enn’s castle when it emerged.

- Yes, I want to go home now.

- I’m going now.

I head into the chamber with the time machine inside. I brush of some dust and lift a piece of stone masonry off the panel before I put my pokémon on the machine. I know the Doc will take care of them.

I activate the sequence and shut my eyes as I’m engulfed in white light.

Meanwhile…

Under the platform in N’s throne room, Ghetsis lay on an outcropping with junk from Caldar’s backpack strewn around.

Ghetsis reaches around in the dark for something to lean on and comes across a book of some sort.

Ghetsis opens it to a random page, at the top of the page is the heading “#646”.