Moonlight Eclipsed

Based off of Pokemon Ultra Moon

(Authors note at the end, also please know that this is a 2 shot and there will be one more chapter to come!)

The snow fell quietly upon the mountain side as the full moon blazed blindingly above, unobstructed by the marine layer. The crunching of the snow was loud under her feet as Moon moved ever closer to the pokemon league building. Her light island attire didn't fit the chilly whether but she reasoned she only had a short trek to the summit anyway. The large crystalline structure look so perfect there, as if it had always been. Perhaps that was only because Moon had not seen the mountains peak before the building was created. She knew many locals of alola who weren't happy with the change, especially at such a sacred spot, but sometimes sacrifices needed to be made for progress.

This wasn't the first time Moon had been called upon the alolan summit to perform her roll as champion. Every time a new challenger declared their intent she was to fight her way through the elite four ahead of the challenger and take her place upon the throne. There, she would wait to see if the challenger would even make it through the gauntlet of battles that awaited them.

The first time a challenger didn't appear, Moon questioned what the purpose was of her presence if she wasn't necessary, and the reply was simply that the others too wished to face her for her title. How many times had she fought the leaders of alola by now? At first she had taken great pride in defeating them, but after so many times it was glaringly obvious that despite their fervor to win and the time training, they could not match her. There was really no one in alola that could…

Moon took a deep shuddering breath before the massive double doors guarded by various ace trainers and her numerous fans who cooed and cheered from the sides of the building.

Despite the grandeur and the praise that was heaped upon her, the young teen felt despair. Here she was, a region champion not wanting to do battle. Her passion for it was almost extinguished and not for the first time he wondered why she hadn't quit.

Then like always, that icy laugh came back to her mind and chilled her more than the snowy mountain air ever could. With all the dignity of her title, the blonde lifted her head and entered to face her challenges anew.

M0000000NN0000000M

The moon reflected off of the crystal roof above the champions chamber, bathing the room in a rainbow of colors. Moon saw none of the splendor that had once captured her awe as she stiffly moved towards the large throne in the back of the large arena.

Once again she was victorious over the elite of the islands but she felt no joy in it. Just a gnawing stress as she dropped onto the throne and tried to hold back an errant sob. Her eyes were misted and she was thankful no one was around. She felt trapped. Coming to alola was meant to free her, and everyone expected her to be happy with the outcome, yet she wasn't. She was under the burden of a terrible realization that no young person ought to be aware of.

Her faithful team, the ones she had raised since the beginning with care and diligence, were glued to her side at all times because of it. They weren't able to live, just as she wasn't under the pressure.

There was a time when they were free, before the surprisingly often summons of the league demanded her presence. It was actually around her 5th challenger, and one that had actually made it to the champions suite that Moon thought about passing on the torch to her friend Hau, letting him win just once. Her massive head start over him in terms of their mindset in training had left a gap he just wasn't able to fill. That wouldn't mean she would go easy on him of course, just use a different team. One she had been happily training and lovingly breeding. Yet while those pokemon were well trained, they were still young and inexperienced so it would be believable for her to loose and she could focus on maybe exploring new regions or discovering new pokemon. The world was open for her!

But that all changed with that cursed broadcast on the tv…

She had just finished settling a dispute between her mothers meowth and a neighbors' when the emergency station took over the television. The aether paradise had been invaded by a force no one had suspected or prepared for.

Team Rainbow Rocket.

Moon had dealt with team skull punks, juveniles with no direction and wanting to find a place to belong, and Aether foundation employee's who were merely attempting to help stop a catastrophe. Having come off those victories and taming the lightbringer itself, she never in her life thought she would face a team so vile.

On the surface their grunts were a joke, but the sheer numbers and devotion of the people in the organization were nothing short of staggering. They were an army, and while they had their own minds, they were all collectively enthralled by the man holding the reigns. No matter who she fought, they all had the same thing to say about him. Team skull had done the same thing with Guzma, but their devotion was akin to brotherly affection. The rockets on the other hand… were almost religious in their statements. He was an all powerful deity to most of them and they easily shrugged off defeat, content in the knowledge of her inevitable demise at their bosses hands.

Moon was fine, brushing off their words as the grunts' easy surrender allowed her onward. Yet as she found the leaders of other teams from other worlds… the weight of what she was fighting finally hit her, as did the question of why she was fighting alone.

She had been called in as the champion of alola to defend the region, and she was apparently to do battle alone. Some surprise help had come in the form of Guzma but after having faced a stony expressioned man named Cyrus, Moon started to realize how out classed the regions elite was. Here she was, combating godly legends, pokemon that had created existence itself and men insane enough to attempt to control them for their own ends.

She was the only one fighting because she was the only one who stood a chance.

This however, didn't stop her from wishing Hau was there to lend support. She would even had taken Gladion if he had still been in the region. Either one of them would have helped her immensely, not only for their combat skills but for their moral support as well. Facing psychopaths would have been much easier with Hau's easy smile and optimism or Gladion's silent strength and cool demeanor. Yet she was alone, not even her fellow league members had bothered to come out to even aid in culling the rocket menace.

The stress of the situation finally began to eat her alive when she fought Lysander. The man who had a fiery mane and an oddly gentle expression was, by his own admission, responsible for the utter annihilation of his own world. People and pokemon alike, expunged to fit his warped concept of beauty. She wasn't fighting simply for fun, or for a challenge or even for some inconveniences of her own world anymore. It was life and death, and Moon didn't think she had the strength to handle it.

She had won that battle in the end, the embodiment's of life and death letting out haunting cries as she took them down and watched as her foe seemed undeterred from his ambitions. She hadn't been able to leave that room fast enough after pressing the final button to access the last part of the castle.

Her fingers had ghosted over her pokeballs as Lillie worked to heal her pokemon. They were so young, her new team she had been raising. Some of them she'd even known since they were but an egg… and they were fighting monsters. Despite her fear, Moon felt undeniably proud of them, and her own ability. For a short time she thought that just maybe, she had the strength to do it alone.

Such thoughts were only spurred on by the next foe. A man somehow more insane than the last ones, and a sore loser to boot. Never once had an enemy refused to accept a loss of a pokemon battle. They were the deciding factors of the world, yet this man… Ghetsis, was more than willing to stare her pokemon in the jaws and threaten her friend.

Moon honestly didn't know what the outcome would have been had Colress not shown up.

Soon after, the strange scientist explained how the situation came to be, and how one man's warped desires had brought forth the most vile villains in the universe and was powerful enough to bend reality. Moon hadn't understood the scientific side, but knew that her final opponent was the worst out of all of them. Somehow the person responsible for this whole mess was worse than then men who saw themselves as gods and willfully committed genocide. Perhaps it was because Moon couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of such evil that her confidence didn't waver. After all she had fought that day, there was a type of assurance in her power. Despite her misgivings and her team, they had been able to go toe to toe with the worst the cosmos had to offer. It hadn't mattered to Moon who her final opponent was at this point, she had found a type of confidence gained from seeing an end, from being at the last challenge. One more battle and everything could go back to normal.

Moon blinked out of her thoughts for a moment as she felt a tear fall down her face. She didn't want to admit that she cried so easily but remembering her own niavitey and what was to come hurt in a way she couldn't describe. The blonde crushed her eyes closed as the memories of that final engagement flooded her already troubled mind, a few tears dripped down her cheeks as she tried to stop the onslaught, yet failed.

She hadn't been ready, she had been so foolish...

Moon raced ahead of Lillie, making certain the coast was clear of any other hidden opponents hoping to take the defenseless girl hostage. Her team was rattling in their pokeballs and ready for action as the massive platform opened to reveal an unconscious Lusimine and another man.

Moon stopped to face him as Lillie ran to her mother, nearly hysterical. The boss turned, mild curiosity on his face but the blonde felt her heart skip a beat when she looked into his sharp black eyes. They were nothing like she had seen. Even Cyrus, for his wanting to kill the human spirit, could never hope to achieve the soulless look within those depths. her mind suddenly remembered what Colress had said about the one behind this whole mess and silently, Moon found herself starting to believe the claims of the man's evil might actually be possible.

The boss showed no signs of annoyance or even anger as they studied one another. The only thing she could make out was curiosity... and amusement. As if a small and unworthy pokemon had just come up to the man and started yapping for his attention, which he indulged only by his own whim.

It immediately made her feel small. For the first time since she had really began her island challenge, she actually felt like the child she was. It wasn't a feeling she liked. Being seen as an equal by adults just for her prowess alone had spoiled her in a way, and made her believe she was far older than she was. This caused a part of her, a rash part of her, to want to rise to fight him. To show him what she was made of. Her honor demanded it!

Then he had proceeded to decimate her team and her spirit over the course of a few minutes in their battle...

The young champion's team had fought valiantly, taking out all his ground specialized pokemon one by one and with surprising ease, yet he never seemed bothered. After his pokemon fell he merely sent out another with a casual toss and a light chuckle that had begun to grate on her nerves. It was a sound that made her feel small, just like that look he continued to give her. That indulgent, patient and condescending smirk that made her blood boil. She was not some child that he could just brush aside like she was nothing! She was the champion of alola and the one chosen to fight him for the freedom of their world!

Moon hadn't even realized how rash she had gotten, how over confident she had become over the course of their battle. It's what nearly cost her the match.

When the boss finally showed his trump card, his legend like all the other leaders had, she wasn't prepared. The pokemon, if one was to actually consider it a pokemon, was one of nightmares and just as terrifyingly powerful. Within moments it had blown away her team with one attack apiece leaving her with only 3 pokemon out of a full team. Moon was stunned for the longest time, unable to comprehend the quickly shifting tide in the battle. It took her longer than she would ever want to admit to think of a plan, but the creature was an obvious psychic type and as with all psychic's, they had rather common weakness's. Moon figured she had just the thing to exploit such a weakness. A quick footed and trusted partner she kept with her since the beginning. It was the only pokemon she had kept on her from her original team.

The dusk lycanroc was truly a sight to behold in the glowing red of control room. It's emerald eyes flashing a deep ruby and back as it barred it's fangs at the offending creature before it.

Moon had no doubt that her beast was experienced enough to get off a solid crunch on the monstrosity that was her foe. It was then, at the sight of one of her original pokemon that the bosses expression finally changed. It morphed from the amused smugness he had donned during the first part of the match to a sharper, gleefully malicious smile. It honestly made her flinch at the sight and an unease began to grow in the pit of her stomach.

How long the expression lasted she couldn't tell because his pokemon was suddenly engulfed in light. After a moment, the energy had burst forwards and his pokemon stood in the center of the room, changed by the light. It had to be the mythic mega evolution that she'd heard talked about every now and then on her journey. The grey creature was floating lazily above the ground as if it couldn't be bothered to touch it. Where it's long purple tail once swished was now nothing as the long appendage had moved to it's head and seemed to wave in an almost hypnotic fashion.

Her companion didn't even have a chance to move after she had given off a shaky command, so much was the blinding speed of her opponents pokemon.

The lycanroc crumpled to the ground in a heap, shards of rock littered the ground at Moon's feet as she blinked, trying to process what had just happened. Her pokemon was unconscious before her in the sorriest state she had ever seen and she could only stare as her arm mechanically came up and returned the pokemon to its ball. Her foe's mega pokemon still had it's arm up and it's hand was smoking slightly from the powerful aura sphere it had just unleashed.

Looking back up at the new monstrosity, Moon knew she had to fight it with her own legendary beast. She hadn't had it on her initial team, but soon after becoming champion she had begun raising a new set of pokemon. The blonde had taken to having the lightbringer on her person as it seemed to calm it down and it rounded out her team. With an almost detached state of mind she called forth her fused necrozma. The lunala, formerly known as Nebby, over taken by the dark armor that was necrozma let out a roar of pain, fury and joy. The two fused beings eager to battle as she touched the bracer on her wrist and offered up her own power to help release the blinding one from its bodily prision.

Moon remembered the hardship of facing the beast atop the high tower where it had perched. The fearsome dragon of light would be able to decimate this creature with ease surely. Even if it meant sacrificing her own energy to unleash it's ultimate move. The light the burned the sky...

The light had barely died down, and the cry of freedom still in its chest from the transformation when a beam of the purest crystal shot through the beasts heart. The light her pokemon emitted made the ice beam look like a rainbow spear as it impaled the glorious dragon pokemon. The light that had engulfed the whole room was now sizzling out, the detached limbs fading from brilliant gold to dark obsidian as they fell one by one gracelessly to the ground.

There were no words to describe the cry that tore from her throat at the sight. It was incomprehensible. The scattered appendages didn't even twitch as Moon silently willed the dragon back into existence. Not even her own energy was enough to awaken the powerful legend. In the purest of shock she looked back towards her opponent completely lost. She hadn't even anticipated an ice beam, and certainly not one powerful enough to overwhelm her legendary with a single shot. Without thinking she recalled her poor pokemon. With abject horror, Moon realized that she had no pokemon left to face the creature. Not one that stood a chance anyway. The only one that had come close had just been destroyed easily and Moon couldn't help scolding herself. She shouldn't have made her pokemon go into burst mode! The change in the typing may have just cost her the match. She didn't have time to revive it.

With a heavy heart and disbelief, Moon sent out her final pokemon for the slaughter.

Her dhelmise rumbled, causing the chains it harbored to rattle menacingly. Moon didn't even manage to call out a half thought out command when another ice beam met the the ghost pokemon before could make a move. The match should have been over... and yet somehow a miracle happened. Dhelmise held on from the sure KO. Ice crusted the rusty anchor and Moon felt a cold touch of affection in the back of her mind that she recognized as coming from her pokemon. Ghosts always communicated in strange ways, oddly enough they were very empathetic creatures, preferring to speak through the mind and emotions. In that simple mental touch she could feel the pokemon's pain, but also the desire to impress, the need for her survival and a burning confidence in her that she was currently lacking in herself.

Moon didn't realize she was crying until that moment.

The ghostly pokemon rose again like a wall to take the next hit as she desperately searched her bag for a max revive and quickly used it on her legend. When she looked back up, her pokemon was fully encased in ice. It hurt to see the pokemon she had raised so carefully in such a state. It had held on just for her and it's reward was nothing but more pain from a battle it could never win. With a shaky gulp, Moon recalled the poor creature to it's ball as she once again sent out her fused necrozma. She could feel its hatred pouring off of it in waves. Despite the hostility in it's movements, its exhaustion from the sudden transformation and reversion was obviously weighing on it.

Moon called out her attack as her foe called out his. A shadow ball hit her beast but it was not enough to make it fall this time as it burst into the air and struck the monstrous pokemon with lunala's signature moon ghiest beam. The brillant blast of light swallowed up the arena and nearly knocked the young champion off of her feet from the sheer force of it. When the wind and light finally died down the girl fully expected the monster to be nothing but smoldering ash. Never had necrozma unleashed such a furious attack before save for the one time she had used it's Z move. Yet it was not to be as the pokemon was still standing, it's hand raised as if it had meant to deflect the oncoming blast.

For a moment, the creature still stood and Moon couldn't breath at the sight of it. Then finally the mega evolution started to dissolve and the monster fell forward until it hit the ground unconscious.

There was no sound for the longest time until necrozma let out a roar of triumph followed by a hysterical laugh from Moon. Time finally resumed and the girl simply couldn't help the relieved laughter and the tears. Aggressively she whipped away the mist from her eyes but it wouldn't stop. She had been so scared and so certain of defeat when she had pulled victory out of seemingly no where. The jumps and twists in that battle had frazzled her nerves beyond measure, but somehow she managed to pull herself together. Her legend growled as the victor walked forward to meet her opponent on the still smoking arena floor.

His gaze was now calculating, but she couldn't be bothered by it for the moment after such an upset victory. Let him think what he wanted, she had bested him and Colress would send him back to his own world. All alone did she defend the region she currently called home and the relief was flooding her in a maddening tide.

Then he looked at her with a softly apologetic smile and said the words that shattered her to pieces.

"I can see it really would be foolish of me to use my full power against a child."

Moon's jaw slowly dropped as she absorbed what he had just said. Her mind replayed the battle and she came to a horrifying realization that…

He had been playing with her.

From the moment the fight began he had been toying with her. Testing her abilities, playing a game as he exploited her emotions for the most destruction possible. He had been playing with her… and she only won by sheer luck. She had a super rare max revive, and her pokemon had managed to hold on from a certain knock out attack. If it weren't for any of those things she would have failed. Not only the battle but all of alola! She was the strongest in the region, no one would have been able to stand up to him…

And he didn't even know she was the champion. None of them did, they thought she was a random kid… they didn't know she was the best they had.

Her body had gone numb even as the world around her began to shutter. Moon looked up at him and he gave a shrug, as if this whole endeavor was just another day.

"Perhaps we'll meet again."

His voice startled Moon out of her musings and she watched as the boss turned his back to her. The girl honestly didn't know what compelled her, perhaps that rash part of her taking control once more at the dismissive gesture and her wounded pride over the truth of her victory, but whatever it was something caused her to find her voice and she ended up speaking words she had never meant to say.

"When we do I'll be sure to use my full power next time."

The look he returned her statement with was one that made her wish she could take those words back with ever fiber of her being. That sharp eagerness she had briefly seen before he had unleashed his monsters mega evolution was now returned stronger than ever and it gave her a true glimpse of the madness within the man. In that moment she had unwittingly made him a promise, and for once he didn't see her as a child. For that brief moment he had seen her as an equal... and she hadn't regretted anything more in her life.

Then he was gone and everything was as if it had never happened...

Moon had been haunted by that promise ever since.

She kept her original team glued to her belt as she needed the most powerful with her to ever hope to combat him should they ever cross paths again.

It was ludicrous to think it would happen, after all they were worlds apart... but some things haunted her, things that no one seemed to notice. Such as how the boss had just disappeared of his own volition. How he seemed un-bothered by the events that took place and how he had been able to manipulate the portals between dimensions in the first place. Colress hadn't even seemed bothered when she had brought up these things to him, merely waving off her concerns with a gesture of his hand and assurance that he had everything under control.

All these fears and worries were currently placed on the 13 year old as she struggled under its weight. Stepping down as champion wasn't an option as long as that man was out there. Raising a new team wasn't an option when a disaster could strike again at any moment. She was stuck in a loop and until someone was strong enough to yank the title of strongest from her grasp she would never be free...

Her mind finally snapped out of her thoughts and memories as she heard the doors whoosh open.

The tears had dried up, but she was stiff from sitting and staring into space for so long. Her fingers had curled tightly into fists and loosening them was a challenge as she regained her composure. Reality came crashing back to her quickly but she was used to it by now. It wasn't the first time she had been lost to the past for a while. The mask she put on now was perfected through the years. She couldn't be seen as weak to anyone, those events with team rocket were long ago now and she was expected to be over it and made stronger.

Yet Moon remembered it like it was only yesterday, and the scars those events left were just as fresh as back then.

Regulating her breathing, Moon looked forward, head held high to meet either her challenger or the professor to tell her of the challengers defeat. Either way a battle was coming as the professor liked to fight her himself as "compensation" for the challenger being less than worthy.

"Well," She finally called out, schooling her voice into a calm tone as she stood and fingered the first pokeball on her belt. "If your ready to battle then let's go!"

The young champions blood ran cold when the answering sound was a low chuckle followed by a voice she had only just been remembering moments before.

"You seemed to be lost in thought, so I figured I would allow you a moment." The deliberate steps sounded across the large arena as her challenger walked up the stairs and she was once again met with the hardest opponent she had ever faced. His coal eyes were alight with that same casual amusement, but there also seemed to be a note of excitement burning with their depths. It was that expectation that she saw in his eyes that caused Moon more fear than ever before. "I believe you wanted a rematch at full power didn't you, Champion?"

"Giovanni..." Moon breathed as she tried to keep her hands from shaking. The day she had been both dreading and waiting for was finally here.

The day she fought the boss of team rocket once again.

(To be Continued...)

(A/N: Hey everyone! I just finished the team rainbow rocket art of pokemon ultra moon and that was an experience! I have so many ideas for protagonists ending up in team rocket it's not even funny, but the battle in game was epic so I felt the need to write down the experience as a fic and to explore the possible outcome of the situation. After all, Giovanni got away! The next and last chapter will be the champion battle between the two so yes, the fight will be taking up the bulk of it. What will happen? You'll just have to wait and see, lol.)