They'd trudged through Mount Coronet for hours now, their air silent. Their steps had crunched through snow, clacked past stone, but words and directions had never pierced their scene. Drew had not bothered to associate with either of them, choosing only to keep his hands in his pockets and his eyes on whatever ground lay a few feet ahead. Ian and Ariana had exchanged grim looks more than once.

As they neared the peak, the number of Galactics increased. In the last stretch of cave leading out and up into the Spear Pillar, there were grunts at every turn who eyed the trio and passed them through with nods and curt gestures.

Drew stared at each of them, expression stoic, a second each. A sentiment dry and sarcastic rose in his chest and lifted his spirits, even if only slightly. How ironic that Cyrus would set it up the way he had the first time, when it'd failed.

For all the hugs and her talk about loving him (but not as more than a friend), May knew this new distance between her and Brendan was something she was uncomfortable bridging, at least for now.

After the others finally caught up, they'd trekked on in the final stretch of Mount Coronet. The tunnels were umber and quiet, and the group avoided small talk, partly from anxiety and partly to listen for Team Galactic. The task of keeping their path lighted was left to Pikachu and Beheeyem.

Even without those expectations, May remained on the opposite side of the group from Brendan and avoided eye contact whenever possible. Brendan, she presumed, was doing the same.

When she should have been thinking about Cyrus and strategies and what to expect when they finally reached the top, her head was instead filled with thoughts of Brendan, of the past month, of all the years before this December. How maybe he could've been the one all along, how those late-night conversations and study sessions might have meant something, how he really was a very deserving guy, how they were still young and her hormones were still fluctuating and maybe after a young lifetime of him chasing but before long, she would've harbored something for him.

So how frustrating was it that falling for Drew had been so easy?

She jumped when she heard, "Halt!"

For all his demeanor and silent treatment to the world, Drew knew this new distance between him and Spear Pillar was something he didn't want to cross, at least for now.

There was light just up ahead, soft and almost mellow. What time was it? How long had they spent traversing through Mount Coronet? Perhaps quite a bit.

They passed the final grunt stationed inside the cave. Drew could already see the marble ruins and more figures up ahead, beyond the cave exit.

His palms were sweating, but he couldn't air his hands now. His saliva was uncomfortably building up, but Ian and Ariana might notice him swallowing and take it as a sign of nervousness. His chest throbbed. He thought he might regress to shallow breaths.

He stepped out into brisk daylight and faltered.

"You've got to be kidding me," said Dawn. She gritted her teeth. "Right down to the grunts guarding the last couple of feet."

"Maybe Cyrus likes predictability," said Gary, smirking slightly as he reached for a PokeBall.

"Well, I predict that none of you are taking a single step past—ruaragghghghehh!"

"Leaf and I will clean them up back here," said Gary, eyes on the couple of grunts writhing from Electivire's paralysis.

Leaf nodded. "We'll make sure they're taken care of and won't bother us later. Crippling Galactic's numbers starting now might benefit us later on."

Gary's gaze shifted to May, then to the rest. "Well? Go. We'll catch up later."

"I don't know," said Ash, glancing around. "We weren't planning to split up like this."

"It's a one-track shot to the end," said Touko. "We've got us, they've got each other, we're losing time."

Leaf nodded. "Go."

May exchanged looks with Dawn and June, the two closest to her. Touko and Brendan had already turned and were pressing onward, so they had no choice but to toss one more glance back at Gary and Leaf before hurrying after the others.

It was Spear Pillar like in the pictures, only there were Galactic goons hanging around and there was a swirling rimmed portal of what seemed to be wraiths up farther ahead. Cyrus stood between the whirling mist and the cave threshold, his hands behind him, his back towards Drew.

Drew crossed the cobblestone flooring loud enough for Cyrus to hear him but not so much as to draw attention. Ian and Ariana flanked him a few yards back.

"I'm here," said Drew, eyes narrowed. Cyrus turned slowly around. When his eyes finally fell on Drew, his mouth slowly spread into a mild smirk.

"Drew," he said, "how good to see you."

"Where is he?" demanded Drew.

"You never were one for small talk." Cyrus sighed. "Always to the point. Lacking of theatrics, despite your becoming a coordinator."

"Where. Is. He?" said Drew again, voice lowering with every word.

"Careful with your tone," said Cyrus, though judging by his shit-eating grin and lilt, he wasn't menaced at all. He flourished his arm, gesturing behind him to the swirling darkness. "It is not difficult to ascertain, Drew."

They were close. So close. May could taste the open, brisk air of the Spear Pillar. Her legs were burning from the inclined sprinting, but the sensation only furthered the adrenaline. Ash and Touko had fallen behind to hold off more grunts, but given that no Galactics were on their tail, May could only assume they were doing well.

"It's getting lighter in here," said Dawn, huffing. For now, it was only the four of them left—Dawn, Brendan, May, and June. "We're almost there."

"Turn up here," said Brendan. "It looks like the last one."

Please be the last one. At this rate, May didn't think her lungs would be capable of sustaining any action come the Spear Pillar.

They rounded the bend, making the sharp turn, and were temporarily blinded by light. They pressed on while their eyes adjusted, and May was able to see that the exit to the Spear Pillar was ahead.

That and more Galactics.

"INTRUDERS!"

Drew felt sick, his stomach cold and plummeting, his spine shivering from chills. His palms suddenly felt twice as clammy, and by the tingle on his cheeks, he must have paled several shades. Frozen, wide-eyed, slack-jawed.

Yet, more than anything, Drew was angry.

"Let him go," he said slowly, something manic entering his eye. He clenched his teeth, moving to rush ahead, but Cyrus stopped him by holding up his arm against Drew's torso. His limb dug into Drew's gut, and it hurt, and Drew wanted to throw up a little, but he struggled in the wrong way and kept pushing forward because he couldn't think straight. He grunted in frustration and barely registered the Galactic grunts closing in on them, surrounding and serving as Cyrus's backup. "Let. Him. Go!"

For there was N in worse shape than Drew had ever seen him, his broken, unconscious, pinned like a martyr and sinking into the darkness. Most striking were the black, smoke-like imprints etching into his skin, growing from the back where the portal touched him and slowly spreading across his front like watercolors bleeding on coarse paper.

With a solid shove from Cyrus, Drew fell back, crumpling on the ground. He landed solidly on his shoulder and back where pain blossomed, causing him to grit his teeth and writhe in silence.

"Don't forget, Drew. I hold the cards right now," said Cyrus, looking down at the boy who was clambering onto his feet.

"You said…" Drew whispered, clutching his shoulder as he staggered up, ignoring the protest from his knee and shins. "I'm here. You can let him go."

Cyrus laughed loudly. Drew flinched and moved his hand to his hip.

"Stupid boy. You believed I could ever need you in lieu of a substitute for N? That anybody would need you instead of the child of Pokemon, the chosen one?"

"You…" Drew coughed, his throat dry. His chest resonated in pain, but then he charged forward again, right in the direction that he was knocked off from.

As expected, Cyrus pulled back as Drew approached and sent the latter flying again when they were level.

But something unexpected happened then—when Drew crashed to the ground, smoke erupted. Suddenly, there was coughing everywhere. Drew couldn't see anything, but he could hear Cyrus hacking as well. He smirked, thanked Sinnoh contests for smoke seals, squinted his eyes, and slipped past to the portal.

By the time a few of the Galactics had regained themselves enough to send out their Golbats and Murkrows to defog the area, they found themselves staring at a line of five Pokemon poised and separating Drew and the portal from everyone else.

He heard Galactics send out more Pokemon and begin ordering attacks, but his Pokemon knew to fire up Ice Beams and Psybeams and Petal Dances and whatever else super effective that would keep the Galactics away.

Drew heard the shrieks of Crobats and pained mewls of Glameows. He smiled slightly, knowing that he had nothing to worry about in regards to his team and the tempered bond and trust between them.

But those warm thoughts dissipated when he approached the portal, approached N, and looked up into the face whose pale, abnormally sharp cheekbones, nose, and green hair resembled his own.

May watched Glaceon and Torchic collapse to the ground and struggle to keep one eye open as the opposing Honchkrow soared overhead, its trainer leering from the other side. A lump rose in her throat. She'd failed all three of her Pokemon to one Honchkrow, the others weren't faring much better, but this couldn't be the end.

Was this the end?

"Well, don't cry, girlie," taunted the grunt. "Otherwise I'll feel bad for pulverizing you and sending you back to Twinleaf Town or wherever the hell you're from."

Twinleaf Town. Lucas's Sinnohian hometown, if she wasn't mistaken. Where Dawn had started her journey after falling into the Pokemon world.

But she wasn't Lucas or Dawn. And even if she'd started in Petalburg City, Hoenn wasn't her home either.

"My home," she mumbled, eyes downcast in a desperate attempt to stop the brimming tears, "is Riverwater, California."

"What'd you say? Caulifloura?" She scoffed. "Well, I don't really care. You do understand that, don't you? Well, whatever. Honchkrow, finish them."

The Big Boss Pokemon cawed, narrowing its eyes.

"Drill Peck!"

May's eyes widened. Her mind raced, clocking in a few fast analyses. The Honchkrow was fast—too fast. It would reach her Pokemon before she could fumble out their PokeBalls, and in the state they were in, it could even be fatal.

So she was a failure of a coordinator, a failure of a trainer, a friend, and a lover—but maybe it wasn't too late to be a good person.

She kicked off the ground, sprinting to cover the few yards between her and Glaceon and Torchic before dropping and burying them safely beneath her, shielding them, her heart pounding. She could at least save her Pokemon, couldn't she, still do something right. There was a beat, and May squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the sharp end.

"Carracosta, Ice Beam!"

Cold air pressed into her skin and down her spine, but there was no pain, no impact. There was a ringing, a squawk, and a thud as something fell to the ground.

Slowly, May looked up to see her opponent's face contorted in indignation and a human-sized armored turtle standing between them. Her mouth slacked.

"Don't you go doing unnecessary things now, May," said a voice—Touko, whose shoes entered May's peripheral. May glanced up to see Touko smiling down at her, posture confident but eyes heavily relieved. She extended a hand, which May took and pulled herself up with.

The Galactic girl on the other side stamped her foot and growled. "Not fair!"

"Beheeyem, Thunder Wave," said Touko, glaring at the grunt. May blinked. She didn't thinks she'd seen Beheeyem nor saw Touko release it just now.

Her questions were answered when Beheeyem materialized behind the Galactic grunt and thrust out a stubby stone arm, sending jolts through the girl's body and paralyzing her. The grunt twitched, dropped to her knees, and eventually fell to the ground, her face frozen in shock.

"It'll wear off in a few hours. It's how we've taken care of all of them. There's no other choice," said Touko to May's horrified expression. May nodded, her brow furrowed and her heart uncomfortable, but they had to keep moving. Looking around, it was clear that Gary, Leaf, and Ash had also caught up and were helping to manage the last of the grunts with Brendan, June, and Dawn.

"Thank you," whispered May, bending down to return her exhausted Pokemon. Torchic looked at her with tear-rimmed eyes; Glaceon weakly nuzzled her knee. Her words were meant for her Pokemon and Touko.

"The Spear Pillar is up ahead," said Touko. May nodded. In a flash of red, her Pokemon were gone.

"There are probably more of them there," said May, eyes narrowed. An open path from separated them and the exit. "Let's go."

He'd seen him, of course, in magazines and TV and newspapers. It took Drew a while before he realized that Natural's public name was N and that Harmonia Gropius had been added to his licenses. His name wasn't so loud at first, when Team Plasma were still a small, quiet organization meant for the good of Pokemon with an occasional article dedicated to them.

Then when Ghetsis's plan began to turn, and Team Plasma became more and more of a threat, everyone in the world had heard of his name at least once. He'd been in Johto at the time, so the whole affair didn't consume the local news outlets as much as they did Unova's. Nonetheless, Drew followed the entire story, all the while half-annoyed at how his brother could have turned down this path and half-relieved that he was alright.

They hadn't talked or seen each other in years, not since the day when he lost track of N in the woods. He pieced together eventually that Ghetsis had found him somehow, realized N's gift for Pokemon, and took him away, unaware of Drew's existence.

Drew used to be jealous of N's talent. In this world where Pokemon were a fundamental aspect of their lives, those with the ability to understand their words completely were lauded as rarer and more incredible than those with natural-born psychic powers. So Drew, as normal and uninspiring as could be, compared himself to N, even when they were young. N, the one who their parents had favored before they died. N, the one who all the Pokemon in the forest had flocked to. N, the one who had been whisked away to another life while Drew had been left behind scrounging for scraps until he befriended a Roselia and had the mind to make a living off of contests.

But when he looked up at N now, bruised, gaunt, deathly white, and with dark energy seeping through him, he was reminded that every bad thing that had happened to N was because of his talent. If he'd been a normal boy, a normal man, they maybe he and Drew could have led normal lives.

"N," he said, shaking his shoulders, but it barely had an effect because the portal had such a tight hold on its victim. "N."

No response.

Drew clenched his teeth. Entire parts of N were being engulfed now. He was running out of time, come on, someone up there please have mercy on the man who had never known the word before.

Drew tried to pull N's hand, his leg, his chest, but to no avail. He pushed and grunted and pulled but nothing was happening, and N was steadily falling away, and—did Drew's fingers just slip into the portal and numb?

He stared. It was dumb, it was reckless, it was all of these things Drew had never been before—but he had also never been this desperate, so he pushed his arm further into the portal, lost feeling of more of his limb, and watched an inch of N be ejected.

One person. The portal just needed one sacrifice, and it looked it would accept willing participants more easily than it would unconscious ones.

Drew looked back at his Pokemon, his teammates, family, saviors who were still fighting and winning. No matter what happened to him, they'd be just fine. He looked back to N and took a deep breath.

His resolve solidified.

When May ran in, the first things she saw were the fallen purple Pokemon of Team Galactics. Golbats in heaps on the floor, Puruglies collapsed into each other—and beyond them, valiant and determined, were Drew's Pokemon, sending off Razor Winds and Flamethrowers like nobody's business. Galactics screamed in frustration and demanded attacks that never landed.

It was a scene, and it meant everything to May. They were fighting Team Galactic. Drew was fighting Team Galactic.

But it was too early to be relieved or satisfied—for starters, where was Drew?

"N!" shouted Touko, her eyes frantic, her body frozen. May blinked and scanned the field. She didn't see green hair anywh—

"Drew!"

The wind carried a voice to his ears, a word his mind picked out and cherished, because he'd always liked the way she said his name. By the time her call had crossed the Spear Pillar and traveled past the chaos between them, it had already lost its intensity, but it rang in his mind. He was startled, but he wasn't surprised.

He looked back, and miraculously, for a split second, there was a straight view between them, unobscured by swerving Pokemon and flying attacks. Their eyes met.

He saw her pain. He saw her relief. He saw her care, her shock, her worry, her forgiveness, and decided it was more than he deserved.

He smiled slightly back and stepped a leg into the portal.

She saw his pain. She saw his relief. She saw his care, his shock, the tiny quirk of his lip that said sorry.

She saw blackened, broken N being pushed out by the portal with every inch Drew was further enveloped by it. She didn't know what was going on, but how could it be any good?

She was going to scream his name again, going to run to him, but then she was falling, and she yelped, and all of her joints hurt as she slammed onto the floor. There was a pressure wrapped around her ankles, a pressure all too familiar. She heard similar sounds in a similar order from Touko and a pained roar from Carracosta.

She felt tears pooling. This again. Vine Whipped, tripped, trapped. She didn't need to lift her head to know that Ian and Ariana were walking towards them.

"May!" she heard someone yell from behind her, their voice undulating slightly with their steps. "Touko!"

"No!" she said, trying her best to push herself up and look back. There was everyone else, running towards them, almost out of the cave. "No, stay back—!"

Vines snared around their limbs before they even registered May's words.

Drew watched as May and the others fell into the trap set for them, one by one. Them and every Pokemon outside of its PokeBall, caught by well-trained vines snapping faster than the speed of sound.

Drew clenched his teeth. It wasn't going to end now, was it? Everything was falling to pieces, him trying to play hero and them failing to foil Cyrus's plan by winging it, as if they had all thought just the opposition would be enough, like what happened last time with Lucas.

The portal had almost submerged his entire body and had almost released N. N was almost out, almost freed, and—

Drew's eyes widened. Wait. What? Why were there Galactic Pokemon surging in, reaching to catch N, wait, no, he didn't do this for them to—how did they—they bypassed his Pokemon…?

Touko winced, struggling to find the willpower to shift her attention away from her exploding shins and look up. She almost wished she hadn't, because then she wouldn't have felt her stomach dropping in dread at the sight of N unconscious and being manhandled by Galactic Pokemon.

Even from a distance, she could see how white and frail he was. If Drew's actions were for nothing, if N, already toeing the line between them and death, fell into Team Galactic's hands again—

"Beheeyem," she whispered, tears blurring her view. She blinked them away, and hoped her Pokemon was listening. "Help him."

A beat. Then a small, fuchsia, dome-shaped explosion engulfing N and knocking away the other Pokemon and Galactics with grubby claws and hands on him. Beheeyem appeared, nodded at Touko from across the field, and disappeared in a quick flash of light along with N.

Beheyeem was teleporting N to the Eterna City Pokemon center, and maybe it was a mistake, Touko knew. Beheeyem couldn't return to the Spear Pillar on its own. They had no emergency getaway now, but N was safe.

Part of his burden lifted. N was okay. He could trust Touko and her Beheeyem. N would be alright. What happened now was out of Drew's control, but brother to brother, he'd done everything he could've for N. Whatever it was, he'd at least foiled part of Cyrus's plan.

"Help May and the others," he whispered, knowing his Pokemon could hear him.

For the first time, confused, Roserade turned to look at him. Something about his tone must have alerted her. Then the others glanced back as well, equivalent expressions of horror on their faces.

"Rvoo—" crooned Roserade, frantic and about to run to him.

"No," he said firmly, glaring at her. She stopped, uncertain. "Help May and the others." His expression softened, and he glanced from his first Pokemon to the rest. "I'll be fine."

"Mraah…" whined Flygon, but he didn't move towards Drew.

Smiling softly, Drew closed his eyes, searing the image of all his Pokemon into his mind. He heard Absol roaring and releasing a Water Pulse, to which a Murkrow squawked. One by one, the rest of his Pokemon resumed fighting, their battle cries filling his ears.

Meanwhile, he couldn't feel the rest of his body at all. It was a strange feeling, like the rest of him didn't exist. He knew when the portal reached his ear because sounds became muffled—and then he heard nothing.

Solidad and Harley were tracing the garden paths behind the Pokemon Center, walking because they were too anxious to sit still and slowly because they still weren't recovered.

Suddenly, a tan stone Pokemon with black markings and multicolored lights materialized before them with a flash of light. Harley shrieked in surprise, but regained himself quickly enough.

"Hey, isn't this that twerp's Pokemon?" he said, rubbing his chin and eyeing it.

"Touko's," answered Solidad, mystified. She bent down so she was level with it. "Are they in trouble?"

The Pokemon beeped and clicked. Solidad and Harley exchanged looks before Beheeyem floated backwards, and a light appeared between them.

A ragged man with long, tea green hair, shut eyes, unnaturally pale skin, and hollow cheeks appeared. He groaned faintly when he was set onto the ground.

"I'll get Nurse Joy," said Harley, serious for once in his life as he rushed back to the Center. Solidad nodded and pulled the man's head into her lap. She glanced at the Pokemon, who, surprisingly, hovered protectively and worriedly near the man. Solidad wondered what its and Touko's relationship to him was.

More importantly, Solidad wondered what this entailed. Was the man saved from Team Galactic? Was Touko trying to send them a message?

Solidad looked up at the looming peaks of Mount Coronet in the distance, closed her eyes, and prayed that Drew and the others were alright.

May watched in horror as the last of Drew disappeared. The portal shrank behind him, the golden rim spinning and growing smaller in circumference until the entire thing disappeared altogether.

It was like everything stopped.

Was that it? Was Drew...gone for good? What was that—that...that, what, portal? What did it mean if Drew had been sucked in instead of N…?

Suddenly, it struck May. Everything did stop.

Her friends had paused struggling for expressions reflective of her own. Cyrus's back was towards them, himself facing where Drew had just been. The Galactics had stopped yelling commands, and—

—and Drew's Pokemon were imprisoned inside translucent, violet domes?

Roserade and Absol fired off a Petal Dance and Razor Wind, respectively, but their surrounding barriers seemed to absorb the attacks. They blinked, and a few mouths fell open.

It was silent.

Cyrus began snickering. The sound kept growing, louder and louder, until he was straight-up guffawing and he had to bend over.

A chill ran down May's spine. Her heart dropped into her gut. If Cyrus was laughing, chortling like he'd never seen anything funnier, then...what was that supposed to mean?

It was dark. Drew stumbled, but he couldn't feel his legs doing so. He wasn't sure if he was dead, but it felt too easy for eternal damnation.

He figured if he kept walking, then maybe he'd get somewhere. However, there was nothing to see except his own numb body and nothing to hear except his steps.

Drew stopped. Somehow, he got the feeling that he'd already passed this spot. He hadn't been walking in circles, had he? No, he'd definitely been walking straight, but…

To the left of his periphery, he noticed something. A yellow light? He turned and squinted. There was something familiar about it, wasn't it, something about the shade—

"Uxie?"

The Pokemon lifted its head, uncurling itself from the fetal position it'd been in. It seemed to gaze at Drew through its shut eyes and let out a long, melodic wail.

That was when Drew noticed that Uxie's light seemed to be refracted and abnormally perfectly circular. His eyes trailed its surroundings, then his own, and he realized—they were trapped inside bubbles, prisons held in some kind of black limbo for no discernable reason.

A little further away was a pink light—Mesprit?—and behind him, a blue—Azelf. Further away was something pale yellow and pink—Cresselia—and maybe Shaymin, and there were Altarias and Togekisses and Tentacruels and even more arrays of Pokemon.

Drew's anger stirred. Was this Cyrus's work? Imprisoning Pokemon across Sinnoh, throwing off the natural balance. It wasn't something Drew'd put past him.

It isn't, is it?

Drew started.

"Perfect," shouted Cyrus. "Perfect!" He whirled around to face them, cold glee in his eyes. He walked towards them, smirking. "You children are all oh, so easy to manipulate."

"What are you talking about? Drew ruined your plan, didn't he?" said Ash, always the brave one. "He saved N!"

"Easy to manipulate and mentally inept," chortled Cyrus. "Won't you consider it? The fact that I was able to lure Drew here and play him to turn against you."

"You blackmailed him with N," said Touko, eyes narrowed.

"Very good, Miss White," said Cyrus, stopping before them. "And he would have done anything to save his long-lost brother, wouldn't he, especially after I told him that I'd fooled him and wasn't letting N go? So he would anger, push past me, willingly take N's place for a portal that welcomes volunteers much more than those forced."

"You tricked him," blurted Touko, "but why? Drew had nothing to do with any of—"

"There is much you don't know about your friend," said Cyrus, gloating, "that hardly remains my business to reveal."

"Who are you?" said Drew, backing away. Red slits were opening up in front of him like eyes unlidding.

I am certain you have have heard my name before.

"Don't be so cocky," muttered Drew, but as he swept its vague outline and hazy coloration, he wondered, "Giratina?"

Yes.

"Where is this?"

Deceit and evil.

Drew stared. "Uh...huh."

Dissuade your uncertainties, young one. It was not I who caused this.

Drew glanced around. Alternate dimensions and portals unfortunately did seem right up Giratina's alley.

I do understand your doubt.

Drew paused. You can hear my thoughts.

It appears you have quite a...flexible aura. You never realized?

Uh...no… Drew blinked. That was always N.

Yes, it was, said Giratina. He deflated slightly, as if in a sigh. Perhaps you never took note because it is much more subdued than your brother's. You have never understood Roserade word-for-word, but you've understood every meaning, no?

It's common for good trainers to be in sync with their Pokemon.

So it is. You and Natural are very impressive with Pokemon. Your accomplishments are not coincidences born merely from your dedication. You have your parents to thank.

My parents. Drew stared. My parents abandoned us when I was four.

Abandoned for your own good. They meant to protect you.

From who?

From Cyrus. From Ghetsis. From all of the malicious intentions who would inevitably seek to use you for your... They hoped your natural talents would die out, that you two would watch each other, that you could one day lead normal lives.

And look where we are now.

Giratina shook its head. There are other pressing matters. It stepped out of the shadows towards Drew until it was mere feet away. Its eyes stared into Drew's, and the latter saw a visual of him lifting his hand to touch Giratina's chest.

Slowly, Drew complied. He closed his eyes.

Many seconds later, he reopened them. Expressionlessly, he nodded.

I'll believe in you.

"The Red Chain," said Cyrus, sneering at the proposition and the memory. "It was an instrument of fragility. Such faulted links no longer bear any place in my plans. This time, I've a much more reliable method that won't be so liable to...outside interferences."

"And I suppose we're expected to just let you run wild with this new toy," said Touko sarcastically. May figured more years of fighting bad guys had given Touko the tongue and confidence to talk back in potentially life-threatening situations.

"The Pokemon Protection Agency wouldn't be pleased to hear you refer to a Pokemon as a toy, Ms. White," said Cyrus, smirking.

"So it's a Pokemon."

"My, how did you come across that deduction?"

"It's not Giratina, is it?" said Brendan, brow furrowed and cheek wincing from the Vine Whip.

"Giratina? How cliche," chuckled Cyrus as a small purple Pokemon with horns and golden rings floated out from behind Cyrus, as if it had been there all along. Its grin and mischievous eyes unsettled May.

"I've never seen a Pokemon like that before," May heard Ash murmur. Well, if Ash didn't know of it, then it was a safe bet that none of them did. So—what was it?

"What it is, my ignorant young friends," said Cyrus, smirking, "is Hoopa."

"I'm sure it ties perfectly into your goals," said Touko, scoffing. "What did you do to it?"

"What did I do to it? I'm offended. As if I need to force every Pokemon into alignment with me. No, Ms. White, if you'll consider—a Pokemon with the same aspirations as mine!"

"Ridiculous!" she shouted. "What Pokemon would want to help destroy the world?"

"The Pokemon who can move into others at will, and simply doesn't mind the loss of one or two," said Cyrus, almost gloating. He was getting close to it now, May thought. The glimmer in his eyes showed that he was coming to his master plan soon. "Hoopa! Release Giratina!"

The little Pokemon's smile grew wider, and it nodded. With a motion of its arms, a gold-rimmed portal similar to the one before appeared again, only now it spun faster.

A chill ran down May's spine as the eyes appeared—always the eyes, the red slits that grew bigger as Giratina grew conscious. Then, little by little, as the air around the portal grew more violent, the outline of the rest of Giratina's body became visible.

Finally, with a beat of Giratina's wings, the portal dispelled, leaving Giratina naked in all its Origin Forme glory. However, something was off—belatedly May realized that its eyes were a darker shade of red, almost black, and a light green glow surrounded its body.

It roared, and when it bowed forward from the exertion, May saw that behind the Renegade Pokemon was Drew, face-down and flat on the ground but stirring and alive. Relief coursed through her, but she couldn't tell his condition.

"Hoopa has the power to make portals for anything going anywhere," May heard June mumble.

Suddenly, it made sense to May. Hoopa had captured all of the legendary Pokemon, the ones who kept the natural order, in other dimensions and sent and kept them there via portals. That was why entire routes of Pokemon had disappeared, why bodies of water must have been tumultuous because of Cresselia's capture.

It was why the lake beings couldn't stop Cyrus. Not this time.

"Hoopa." Cyrus sneered. "Make Giratina destroy every dimension."

Hoopa once again raised its arms, and suddenly a translucent dome appeared around Giratina. Giratina narrowed its eyes, roared, and stomped. It fired a beam from its mouth, but the barriers seemed to absorb the attack. Wild, it tried again and again, but to no avail.

"What did you do, Cyrus?" whispered Touko, eyes fixated on the rampaging Pokemon. "Where is that energy going?"

"I'm glad you caught on. That energy," said Cyrus, pausing for dramatic effect, "is being transported to other universes. Ones that will quickly be overwhelmed with foreign energy they cannot translate into their own. Giratina's energy will either annihilate everything it touches or disrupt the natural orders like dominoes."

It could hit home, realized May, horrified.

"Stop!" shouted Brendan. "Let Giratina go—you'll destroy all the...every…"

Cyrus smiled as Brendan caught on and had unadulterated terror fall across his face. "Exactly my point." He turned back to Giratina and spread his arms wide, though Giratina took no notice. "Embrace your fate! You spent years trapping me in your forsaken Distortion World—now destroy that, along with all the others!"

Yet as he finished, a dark bolt flashed from above and squarely struck Cyrus and Hoopa in the chest. Everything seemed to freeze—the shock on Cyrus's face, the wince on Hoopa's, the fear mid-attack in Giratina's—but then a portal opened up beneath Hoopa and the Pokemon fainted and disappeared. Cyrus fell to his knees first, then forward so his entire body was flat against the ground.

He didn't move.

May stared. Cyrus still didn't stir. She exchanged horrified looks with Ash as silence fell across Spear Pillar.

Was Cyrus so easily dead?

He is, rang through May's mind. Judging by the expressions on everybody else's face, they'd heard it, too. Suddenly, a bright light appeared above them, and it lowered with every passing second. When it reached ground level, the light dissipated to reveal—

"Arceus," whispered May.

The white quadruped gazed coolly at them, briefly making eye contact with each one. May was still having difficulty processing this, the fact that they—random high schoolers!—were in the midst of the proud Creator that stood with its chest out and chin lofty.

This had to be it. The end of their problems. The answer to every question. The pinnacle of the past month, the moment that every step, fateful meeting, and reckless decision had led to.

Arceus looked to Giratina. Its eyes narrowed, and Giratina glared in retaliation. As I thought…

May jumped. It happened so quickly, so unexpectedly that it caused her body to twitch and pushed her heart into overdrive. But she supposed the most powerful Pokemon was capable of pretty powerful Hyper Voices.

Still—it grated. Even though the attack was aimed at Giratina, who was in the opposite direction, May still felt as if her ears were going to bleed. Every word pierced the air and pricked her skin. Giratina was contorted in pain, striking a twinge of sympathy in May.

Your existence has been problematic since the beginning.

In consistent fashion, a beam of energy traveled at almost the speed of light from Arceus's mouth to Giratina's chest. May would've missed it if she blinked, and would've only seen Giratina crumpling before she could even gape.

You've committed unforgivable deeds during the past lunar cycle. I've held off until now…

Dark bolts, the same as the ones used on Cyrus and Hoopa. Giratina absorbed the full impact. It paused, then collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, kicking up dust and ethereal moans.

But it's time I erase the fruit of my mistakes.

Without moving a muscle from staring coldly at the fallen Renegade Pokemon, light began to gather around Arceus. The building energy radiated warmth and majesty, but somehow felt like cold needles against May's cheeks as well.

May didn't need a degree in Sinnohian mythology to recognize Judgment.

In her peripheral, she saw Drew clambering to get up and realized where he was surging and what he was doing before she accepted it.

"Drew!"

The light was blinding, but it was a straight shot from his position to Giratina. He wouldn't lose his way, now. The light was enveloping everything, but he could finally see clearly.

Pokemon were hardy, but Giratina wasn't going to survive this last Judgment. Not after the barrage it'd already taken. If it didn't, then May and the others would lose their last chance at a way home. He'd wronged them enough; this was a test, a last chance. Judgment.

He stopped in front of Giratina and spread his arms wide. He could feel it now, feel the air heating up as the attack neared.

He wasn't going to regret this. Hopefully this would spark enough confusion and emotion to help them realize the truth, that Giratina was the undeserving victim, that a Pokemon he considered worth his life merited another chance. Giratina had shown him the facts; he was going to back up the truth.

What would've been nice was a chance for apologies. Apologizing to Solidad and Harley, for leaving them in the dark this whole time. To May and Touko, who he regretted forcing so much faith on; to Brendan, who truly became a friend. To his Pokemon, for abandoning them now when they were so close to the Grandiose Festival and their dreams, abandoning them period when they'd never done so to him. To N, for not being a better brother; to his parents, who he never reached out to but hoped would understand if they ever discovered his fate.

A last burst of white light. Screaming. Searing pain. Somewhere, rebirth and a different ending.

Then, nothing.

May knew what she was seeing, but it couldn't be real, right, people didn't just run into the attacks of all-powerful deities everyday. Yeah, she was a normal girl from a normal high school, and Drew was a guy who liked order and scarlet petals, and any moment now, she'd be shaken awake to easy smirks and bright green eyes and scolds of how they had to get moving, May, or they'd never get to Snowpoint in time for the contest.

Contests and battling and pixels seemed comically unimportant now, when Drew's screams and explosions of energy filled her ears. Her eyes watered, but be it from staring into the intense light or from her emotions realizing what was going on before her brain, she didn't know, and she didn't care.

Arceus backtracked a half step, small but noticeable. May noticed stiff surprise seize the Pokemon, but her attention was elsewhere.

Please, please, Drew, thought May, closing her eyes as she pressed her lips into a thin line. It was a good way to erase the blurring tears and momentarily pretend this wasn't happening. Please be okay somehow. I'll do anything. Just...please…

Light and smoke still hung in the air, but silence pervaded the Spear Pillar. As the dust and light dissolved, Drew was revealed sprawled on the ground, his hair messy and skin unnaturally dark. Seconds passed. Breaths were held.

Drew never moved.

-*-x-*-

happy new year's guys! :))))

This is actually totally not acceptable, this 4 month stint I went on (though it's funny that I actually have the last two chapters of FDS done at the moment, just not...the one between those and this one). Pretty big writer's block for this (but not the block that's like omg whatt do i wriiite, it was just wow do i want to sit down and sacrifice my soul to satan in exchange for the willpower to write this), and all the other stuff goin on didn't help lol

Confused with this chapter? Ask and I'll clear it up for you! 8) I wouldn't blame you. I know the chapter's important but kinda crap. More stuff gets cleared up next chapter, but I don't think I did a very good job with this one either way, so feel free to bounce questions (and raeg/possible feels?) off me so I can do a better job of editing later. (If you're confused about Hoopa, Serebii has plenty on that)

If you're reading this, then ty so very much for being with me all the way until now. It's been a long couple of years and/or even longer 170k+ words, and it's almost over. Don't rejoice too much hahaha

Happy holidays,

Aph