Here, Have a Cookie a Pokemon Fanfiction

His roar was a beacon, a catalyst of death and anger in the gripping chill of days gone by. The Behemoth stood without peer as he gazed down at the weakness splayed out before him, his mouth pulled up in a sneer as he surveyed the wreckage of the once thriving hamlet, before focusing on a single standing tribesman. Red stained the pure white ground of this hallowed place just as it marred the once unblemished skin of the monster’s victims.

Their number had dwindled down to a handful in the conflict, only leaving a scant few defenders to run interference so that the majority could survive and flee. Though it felt like an eternity to them, their efforts had probably bought only a few moments at most.

The Survivor met The Behemoth’s gaze head-on, his shaking frame a contrast to the steady gaze he maintained as he lifted his head up in defiance. “Was there a reason for this? I know you enjoy terrorizing the village people every now and again, but this feels excessive and you usually don’t venture this far down into the basin.”

The Behemoth inched forward slowly, a snarl playing out across his features. “For good reason. You cowards are the only ones that enjoy this nightmare, and the cold that permeates this place is inching forth, invading that which it should hold no dominion over.”

The Survivor leaned back. “You think my people responsible?”

He ducked his head down and quickly began pushing himself underground as his opponent loomed closer. The Behemoth slammed his metal claw down into the frozen wastes, his claw aglow with a faint silver aura as it cleaved through the land The Survivor had been standing on in two.

“Why else would the world be freezing? The key remains hidden, beyond the bindings of this sacred place. Were the sword to be freed willingly by a hand seeking it, the doors to perdition would have been thrown open to welcome its newest challenger.” He slammed his tail into the ground and the entire chamber shook. “The only answer remaining is that the seal is being weakened through other means. I have no desire to live in a world where that thing roams free.”

The Survivor lifted his head above ground, his neck craning to stare up at the monstrous presence before him. “Our people have lived a peaceful existence here for decades. We sought shelter here in times long past because we disdained conflict. Why would we throw that away?”

“It matters little.” The Behemoth slammed his tail into the ground, and the earth stood at attention before falling to pieces. “Your games end now.” Cracks formed underneath the impact, before opening wide as ice began to shatter under the overwhelming force of a calamity made manifest. White rocks tumbled down, stalactites pierced through the ground…

The Survivor, locked in place by the cataclysmic shift, looked on as his end drew near.

His fate was not to die that way.

A hero cloaked in green appeared over him, before grabbing him and disappearing in a single fluid motion. The Knight was the first of his vanguard to arrive, gliding through the battlefield and snagging many a wounded warrior as The Behemoth roared, his prey denied to him by a being far too quick.

“Ugh, for the love of, of course the fairy-brained crone calls him a knight, because why wouldn’t she.” The Brat sighed, before directing a pulse of ire at her. “Can we hurry this up, please? We’re kind of in a hurry. We don’t have time to sit through seven different shades of fairy tale while you wind us up for the relevant info.”

No respect for her fellow vassal, nor the story she was so painstakingly crafting for her. She seemed to be The Queen’s most trusted, but she struggled to understand why. She hardly acted the part.

“Emilie!” Her Majesty shouted.

A low squawk met her ears, and a grin pulled at her lips as she casually reached down and placed her hand on the earth beneath her. The old Mawile knew she shouldn’t use her powers for something so trivial, but the mental images that were running through her head beckoned her to look. The world played across her mind's eye, before settling on the scene before her.

She couldn’t help but chuckle as she witnessed her majesty hold the small child up by the back of her neck, a glare marring her features as she gazed down at the petulant face and crossed arms of a girl caught sticking her hand in the cookie jar.

The Brat, yes, that was a fantastic title for this tiny little Ralts.

A deep sigh left her majesty's lips as she turned towards her with downturned lips and tensed shoulders. “For as rude as she said it, she did have a point. Can we get the cliff notes version?”

The Queen’s Champion stepped up closer behind me and nodded.

Mawile chuckled dryly. Ah, to be young and in a hurry again. Though she supposed she could understand, the whole thing needed to be said, or they wouldn’t get the information they needed. She wouldn’t be able to say it. “A good story can’t be rushed, for it would ruin the message, and tie my lips to what info you need. There are players at work. Things you should know. I can only tell you what the cave showed me, exactly as I witnessed it. It’s up to you to infer meaning from my musings.” A smile tugged at her lips as The Queen took in a sharp breath of air. “You’ve already gleaned something from my ‘meandering’, haven’t you, child?”

Her majesty swallowed before focusing up at her. “You’re saying it’s my fault?”

The old Mawile let out a full belly laugh, her voice throaty and dry. Honestly, what a ridiculous notion. “I’m not saying anything, dear. I’m telling a story.”

The Queen’s Champion gave a light cough, pulling the attention of the room his way. “I’m struggling to understand how a seventeen-year-old girl can wake up an ancient Ice Type Pokemon.”

Her Majesty hesitantly turned to give her chosen warrior a terrified glance, before nodding down at her shadow and backing away from the intense stare of the avian behind him. “I’m pretty sure the sword the big scary Aggron mentioned was Lucas.”

Said sword popped out of her shadow, before turning and giving The Seer a worried look. “Guess we found that calamity you were talking about when we first met.”

The chosen blade was haunted?

The Absol winced before nodding. “He probably couldn’t stand your humor.”

The ghost shivered. “Talk about a chilly reception. Deity took one look at me being out and about and dropped the island into a deep freeze.”

The Sailor sighed before lightly whacking his ride on the back of the head. “Quit engaging with the idiot, swabbie. I want to hear the next part of the story, preferably before the entire island freezes over.”

None of them seemed terribly bothered, and the ghost seemed fine.

The Seer growled before biting open air as The Sailor leaned back. “He started it, why are you only yelling at me!”

“He likes me more.” “He’s a lost cause.” The statements came at the same time, and Mawile felt a chuckle leave her lips as the ghost slipped back down into Her Majesties’ shadow.

This collective was a fun group, she was going to hate watching them leave.

The Champion stared after the blade before giving The Queen a once over. He stayed quiet for a moment before nodding. “The weather change started after your incident, so that checks out, but don’t blame yourself for getting attacked. Especially considering what you had to deal with.”

The Queen’s shoulders relaxed. “Thanks for not freaking out, we didn’t know anything about this, it just.”

The Queen’s Champion chuckled, before glancing towards her. “Nah, none of this is your fault, I’m just worried about the topside, is all.”

Topside? Why would-

Oh.

“The storm shall only begin in earnest if The Ancient leaves the chamber, having conquered the one who took up the challenge.” The old crone sighed, before leaning back. “For if the leader is lacking, the people themselves must be tested.”

The Queen leaned back, her eyes wide. “I’m not a leader of anything! I’m a seventeen year old girl on a journey!”

She shook her head, before grinning. “You may not view yourself as such, but that is what you are being judged as. And although you’re far from what I was expecting, I do not believe you to be lacking.”

Her Majesty opened her mouth, before closing it and looking away. “Just… get on with the story.”

She supposed borrowing the cave's sight was warranted for this meeting. The Queen was quite the expressive person.

A smile pulled at both sets of lips, and she lifted her hand up from the ground and clapped. “With pleasure.”

The Behemoth shifted his head from side to side, his eyes tracing across the ice dripping down from the ceiling like a set of angry, jagged teeth. “This has nothing to do with you, wretch. Those cowards would see this whole island frozen over.”

The Knight pressed himself up against a column of stone and moved slowly around to stay out of sight, before probing out with his mind to give the beast a silent command. ‘Stay your sword, beast. Your unjust attack upon these people is without cause, and you now pick a fight with a knight of the realm.’

A deep bellowing laugh filled the chamber. “First time I’ve ever fought a knight that hides like an insect. You sure that title’s legitimate?”

A slight twinge played behind The Knight’s forehead as a grin spread across his lips. They were ready. “I’ll thank you for not besmirching my noble ladies’ honor, and thank you for not standing down.”

The Behemoth threw out his arm and a hail of boulders were cast out toward the pillar, their tips jagged and deadly as they tore into the support, bringing both it and a large bit of the ceiling down.

The Knight appeared behind the grinning beast with three steadfast warriors at his side. Long spikes trailed down their backs as The Chieftains brought their claws to bear. “Know that I will take great joy in seeing you get slammed into the cold stone floor.”

A blinding white light filled the chamber as they jumped, their claws sparkling as they brought them down, slashing into the metal armor of The Beheomth’s chest. Three small lines traced the wake of their strikes as a single drop of blood oozed through the largest gash in the creature’s plating.

The Behemoth roared, the ground shaking beneath him as he flung his glowing silver arm into the open air, grasping at the empty space his enemies occupied before opening his mouth wide. A glowing yellow ball quickly grew in size, before vaporizing the space between himself and his enemies in a fraction of a second.

The smell of burnt air and charred flesh permeated the space as the beam of light slammed one of The Chieftains into the wall, his scream of pain deafened by the crashing of footfalls. A steel horn gored the wall as the fallen warrior disappeared in a flash of light.

The Behemoth growled as he pulled his horn out of the wall, only to gasp as something slammed into his side hard.

A cascade exploded forward as she descended into the fray, her frame glowing with power and prestige as she charged through what had once seemed like an immovable force. A resounding crack made itself known as the lines in his armor buckled and frayed as she moved upwards, slamming her fist into his jaw before bouncing backwards with a malevolent grin. The Princess cracked her blue tail into the ground and slammed her fist into her palm. “Annoying. Do me a favor and stand down, would you? I’m sure you’re quite the impressive beast, but I’m obviously better than you.”

“Do me a favor and never call Gwen “The Princess” to her face. Last thing we need is to inflate her ego more than it already is,” The Brat said.

The Queen shushed her. “Really sorry about that, I taught her to talk a while ago but teaching her to shut up has been a work in progress.”

This Old One merely nodded, a smile on her face as she glanced down, her bones aching in the cold. Oh, to be young again.

“She is a bit haughty, but her heart’s in the right place. It certainly helps that her might backs up most of her claims.” She leaned forward and pressed against her knees as she thought about her fellow sister. “To challenge The Behemoth in strength… honestly, I was amazed. I’ve seen quite a few things in my lifetime, but to see someone so young do something like that…”

“Yeah, Gwen’s terrifying. Still way too overconfident,” Her Majesty said. “I have a feeling it’s going to get her in trouble, too.”

Mawile kept her mouth shut as she winced.

“Thought so,” The Brat said.

The old one rubbed the skin between her eyes. “...Let’s just get back to it.”

The small pool of water that surrounded the crater quickly disappeared as the sound of scraping earth and cracking rocks filled the chamber.

The Princess sighed before quickly hopping away, using her tail as a spring. She hopped again as soon as she landed. “Always have to do things the hard-”

Her complaint fell on deaf ears as another flash of light appeared in midair. A single, small, orange beast hurtled toward the ground as his escort once again disappeared. A loud war cry sounded through the air as the creature slammed his maw down into the cold rock floor.

In that instance, the chamber came to life.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground as entire sections of the chamber split apart and sunk down. Walls bulged before exploding in a hail of rubble as the jaw of the chamber slammed shut. A hail of jagged icicles and stalactites pierced the ground as the Pokemon aboveground deftly avoided the chaos.

A cascade of water flew up into the air as The Princess glared down at the new arrival. “Are you completely insane?”

The Child grinned before backing up slightly, his mandibles chittering as he moved away. “Mom’s orders. I honestly think she’d be overjoyed if this place got buried. Besides, Gawain got the little guys out of trouble, and you’re all more than equipped to deal with a few-”

The ground shook once more, before erupting underneath them in a hail of steel, ice, and pulverized stone. The Behemoth roared as he emerged and slammed his fist into the small orange defender before slamming him down into the destroyed chamber. A red and yellow beam began to glow at the tip of his chipped horn before firing down into the ground.

A red light pulled the unconscious child from the blast zone fractions of a second before the beam slammed into the ground, detonating on contact and sending a shockwave through the war torn chamber.

“Oh, thank fuck, that was close.” The Witness sank down to the ground, bringing her arms up and bracing herself against the sifting shards of stone and ice, her scarlet coat shielding her from the worst of it as she fell down lower, taking refuge behind her stalwart orange protector as the chaos died down.

The Knight pulled himself up beside her and winced. ‘Should I-’

“Bring Wayne, Skarm, and Wally. I know it’s out of order but I didn’t think he’d be this put together after we dropped half a cave on him.” The Witness nodded toward the disappearing knight before glancing across the dusty cave, spying the faint silhouette of a monster four times her size. “Leshy-”

Before she could even state the order, a cloud of fumes washed across the field as multiple vines reached out and wrapped around The Behemoth’s arms. A beautiful pink blossom, pristine and flourishing in the chaos, launched upwards as the vines retracted, its picturesque visage a stark contrast to the demonic expression marring the face of the beast attached to the flower.

The Vengeful slammed bud first into The Behemoth, and on contact, a rainbow of powders erupted from his bud and coated the lumbering steel type, freezing him in place as the pungent aroma hit his nose. Vines began to bloom from a single point on The Behemoth’s chest as the grass type pulled back, his face still contorted in rage as he fired volley after volley of razor sharp leaves into the beast’s shattered armor, stripping away pieces of steel and carving into the exposed flesh beneath.

“Damn it, Leshy, that was not part of the plan at all!” The Witness screeched.

The Vengeful turned and glared. “He hurt Samie.”

The Witness opened her mouth, before pausing as a pair of red, bloodshot eyes snapped open. “GET AWAY, NOW!”

A guttural roar filled the cave as bloody arms surged forward, and fingers wrapped around vines. The Behemoth took hold of the offending appendages before sluggishly starting to spin, pulling the grass type up from the floor and yanking his anchoring vines from the ground in one powerful motion. He slammed the grass type into the ground behind him, cracking the stone on impact as he glared at the offending interloper.

“We really need to work on Leshy’s anger issues,” The Brat interrupted, again.

Four different members of her highness’ contingency shushed her, and a smile played across the old woman’s lips. The smile vanished as she felt the small vibrations playing through the ground.

The Queen was shaking, was it, no this chamber wasn’t that cold yet, so…

Ah.

Maybe she could, no… She couldn’t spoil anything. Not while keeping the story intact. She needed it to be contained, delivered in a single set. She wasn’t sure if she could say what needed to be said if she didn’t. “May I continue on?”

“You won’t answer any questions, will you?” The Queen asked.

Astute girl. Wise too. “I’m afraid I can’t.”

“Then hurry the hell up.”

A torrent of water slammed into him before he could capitalize on the opportunity to strike, and a seizing pain gripped him from the side as a glob of blood escaped his mouth.

“If you bleed on me, I’m kicking your ass twice as hard.” A frown pinched her lips as she glared down at the ground. “Ugh, I’ve been spending too much time with the baker-”

An arm reached out and grabbed her by the forehead before slamming her skull against the concrete. A shuddering gasp left her lips as The Behemoth lifted her up into the air for another slam, only to shove his fist into the pulverized earth as another red line pulled her away from the action.

Strong winds pushed through the cave, locking the creature in place as he turned his head and glared, his body sluggish as he pulled himself up from the ground.

The Witness glanced up at the floating malevolent glare, smiling at the small Pokémon before turning her gaze over to a messy head of green hair supported by metal and wires.

The Tactician sighed down at his poke ball, before glancing back toward the battlefield. “Keep up the pressure, Nimue. I think he’s too tired to fight back against the winds.”

The Chieftains that remained moved to stand between the humans and their target as The Mask kept up her assault.

“Things can’t ever go to plan, can they?” The Witness asked, “Where’s Wayne?”

The Tactician groaned, his voice distorted by the machinery as he glared out toward the opening at the base of the room. “He’s having Skarmory and Nuzleaf help the Sandshrew deal with the Lairon that tagged along with this guy. Diplomatic discussions broke down when one of the assholes decided Jasmine’s new Aron wasn’t worth talking to, and attacked.”

The Witness winced. “Are they alright?”

“Jasmine’s having her Clefairy play cleric to pokemon as they get hurt with Wish, but they’re all fairly tied up.” The Tactician let out a raspy breath before pulling up his last poke ball. “Haven’t felt like this since the Mightyena. Really wasn’t expecting to get pulled into a turf war of all things when I came down here.”

The Knight appeared on his left, a single poke ball in hand. ‘Jasmine said to use this should things get truly dire. She isn’t sure what she’ll do, but she’s hoping self preservation instincts will trump… whatever else drives it.’

The Witness winced before reaching out and grabbing the ball. “Great. Our backup is a homicidal ghost who’s just as likely to turn on us as it is to help. Better than nothing I guess.”

The Tactician nodded before turning back to his soldier. “Gawain, I want you to start firing Psybeams. Keep your distance and snipe the damn thing, I don’t want you getting grabbed.”

The Knight nodded and brought his hands together in front of him, but a loud grinding broke his focus as he glanced up.

The Behemoth stood, battered, bruised, and bloodied, but firm as the powerful winds blew past him. Exposed skin poked out from underneath shattered armor as the dilapidated, broken pieces of steel exoskeleton fell from his body.

The Witness leaned back, her eyes wide. “How the hell is that thing still conscious?”

One of The Chieftains snarled as the other brought up his claws and crouched down. “Age, experience, determination, spite, honestly take your pick. You don’t rise to the top of the local food chain by being weak.”

The Protector puffed herself up and stood directly between her trainer and The Behemoth, her eyes wide as she lifted her arms up. “Look alive, because he’s doing something.”

A large, glowing boulder slowly started to form as The Behemoth opened his mouth, his body still braced against the prevailing wind. Rock shards and shattered stone slowly rose up to join the glowing mass, and the sound of rock grinding against rock made itself known over the roaring tempest.

The Chieftains moved as one, quickly moving to either side of The Mask, their arms glowing silver. In an instant, the concentrated ball of earth launched through the air, the wind barely slowing it down in the slightest. The Mask ducked down, stopping her assault in time with her defenders moving forward to meet the assault head on. The orb exploded on contact, sending shrapnel and ice through the room once again.

The Witness shouted, once again bringing her arms up. A wall of fire lit up in front of her and The Tactician.

The Protector nodded to her green and white compatriot before looking behind her. “You two alright?”

The Tactician ignored the question as he ran forward, hands in front of his mask. “Nimue!”

A light mewl made itself known in the chaos, and in that instant, the hulking form in the mists pounced, rushing towards his target at a lumbering pace.

The Tactician groaned, before sighing. “You know what, screw it, it’s got to be enough at this point. Gawain, do it now.”

The Knight brought his hands up and grinned. He disappeared with a condensed poke ball in his hand and released the contents right next to The Mask, before grabbing the bug type and disappearing with a smile as The Behemoth lurched forward, his crashing footfalls causing tremors through the chamber. He lifted his arms above his head, a malevolent grin on his face.

That grin quickly dissolved into a wide eyed, slack jawed, gibbering mess as the dust fully cleared and he looked down upon what it was he was attacking.

“Pine.” That single word was the only warning he received before a blinding white light filled his vision.

“Yeah! Get him Ogier. Oh my god it’s so much better when it’s not happening to you.” A light gust of cold air brushed up against her skin as The Queen shouted out her glee.

“Lea!” The Brat hissed. A light thwack sounded through the chamber.

Hmm… maybe the brat was too nice. The Deranged. Yes, that worked better. This child really needed to learn some manners. She was the last person that should be complaining about interruptions. “Yes, that part was a favorite of mine as well. The Sentinel was brave well beyond his stature. To wait until The Behemoth was right on top of him…” She shivered. “I don’t know that I would have the strength of will to do so.”

The Brat chuckled. “Yeah, that Aggron made the mistake of trying to hurt Nimue.”

“So many explosions…” The Queen’s voice sounded distant.

The old Mawile coughed uncomfortably before smiling as the chamber quieted down. “Honestly, the boy surprised me too. Quite the adept bit of tactics honestly. Hold onto that boy when you get out of here, he’s quite the intelligent one.”

“Yeah, that kid impressed me when we fought. I’m happy to see he’s able to keep his head in real life struggles just as well as when he’s in the gym,” The Queen’s Champion said.

A cold chill moved through the cave, and the old crone felt her bones rebel at the harsh temperature. She sighed before raising up her arms.

A loud shriek filled the air in time with the grinding of stones. The chamber instantly warmed up slightly as she breathed out a sigh and basked in the warmth radiating off of one of The Queen’s entourage.

“You’ll have to forgive me, the cold was proving to be a bit much for these old bones. Don’t worry, I have every intention of letting you leave, hell, I might even make your trip a bit shorter for the scare.” She chuckled lightly, delighting in the chance to earn a favor from the young girl.

“I suppose that would be suitable repayment for locking us in here with you for the duration of this tale,” The Deranged countered.

Another faint smacking sound could be heard as a private conversation was held beyond her gaze. She sighed as she leaned forward, her vacant eyes boring into the location she had last heard speaking. “Quite shrewd, little one?”

The faint sound of swallowing bile graced her ears. Ah, at times, she truly did revel in losing her sight. Vision truly was a limiting factor in truly beholding the world.

“I’ve had to be.” The Brat nodded once.

She sighed. The Deranged probably was too harsh. Oh well.

“Shall I continue, then?” A smile pulled at her lips at the sudden freeze in movement.

“You mean that… wasn’t the end?” The Queen’s Champion asked, his voice shaky.

She grinned, shook her head, then opened her mouth to continue.

The first thing The Witness observed was the sound as she pushed both of her hands up against her ears. It was so much louder than what she had been forced to endure in Petalburg Woods. She counted her blessings that she never caused this particular Pineco to blow up as she pulled her hands away to shield herself from the oncoming shockwave. The entire room had been muted as she was thrown back by the force, her head pounding as her starter got behind her and braced her so she didn’t get thrown into the wall.

She looked over and shouted toward her best friend, her words muffled and dissonant to her own ears as a constant ringing played out constantly in the chaos. The Tactician turned and nodded as The Knight propped him up against the chaos, a large purple barrier keeping the worst of the madness at bay.

The Witness thanked every deity above for petty childhood rivalries before slowly pulling herself up to take stock of the damage. The entire area around the unconscious incendiary had been burnt completely, and any and all stone or ice in the immediate area had been vaporized or blown away.

The Chieftains slowly pulled themselves up, their heads poking just above the ground as they looked out from their burrowed hiding places with lightly charred spines. Both of them turned their gazes to the wall.

The Witness followed their gazes, before letting her jaw go slack.

The Behemoth had been thrown clear across the room, and his body had slammed so hard into the chamber’s wall that he had been entombed into it, his body the centerpiece to a very specific indentation. Blood dripped from between exposed plates of metal, what little armor remained was charred and obliterated, and limbs were bent in ways that did not make anatomical sense. The only thing that betrayed that this thing was still somehow alive was the uneven heaving of the creature’s chest that resembled breathing and a rough, haggard, gargled rasping that was slowly getting louder as the ringing slowly died down.

“-It’s over.”

The Witness whipped her head around to look at her friend. “What?”

The Tactician threw his hands up and covered his ears, before glaring back at her.

“Sorry.” The word still sounded quiet to her own ears, but she supposed it was louder than she thought.

“I said I think it’s over.” The Tactician smiled as he pulled up a poke ball and aimed it at his fallen comrade. “Only took five of our pokemon, but I think we won. I was wrong, by the way, this was worse than the damn Mightyena.”

The Witness nodded before brushing off her coat and looking out across the destroyed battlefield. “I feel like I wasn’t much help with that.”

“You think I knew what I was doing?” The Tactician asked. “We ping-ponged ideas off of each other on the way here and adapted when things hit the fan. Samie dropped most of a cave on him, and Leshy probably dropped enough paralytics to freeze a freight train in place, we just…”

“Yeah.” The Witness looked away from the wall towards her friends, a smile on her face.

A loud explosion sounded from beyond the chamber, and all eyes whipped around to the door.

“Gawain!” The Witness shouted.

The Knight teleported just above them, ready to grab them and take them to the other battlefield.

A single, charred, cracked claw backhanded him out of the air as the chamber violently started to shake. The Witness turned back and gaped as she gazed upon the impossible. Metal cracked and flayed, bones snapped, blood leaked down from his jaw, but despite everything, the hulking beast that once had the wherewithal to be called The Behemoth freed himself from his would-be tomb.

He collapsed to the ground, his breathing haggard and uneven before forcing himself to rise. His body buckled and undulated wildly as he rose up to full height and stared back down at the Witness with blank, hate-filled eyes.

A guttural, broken roar filled the chamber as The Witness stared up, completely frozen at the creature that loomed over her. Odd, considering she didn’t see the beast’s mouth move. She watched, completely petrified, as the monster before her charged at her, her body unwilling to listen to her mind as it screamed at her to move.

A wave of heat hit her back, and she felt her legs give out as something pulled her back from the coming onslaught. Broken from her trance, she looked back to see the worried gaze of The Protector watching on as a new beast descended onto the battlefield.

His wings were blood red and wide, curved as a new crescent moon in the evening sky, with jagged blue talons extending out from their apex. Bright yellow lines glinted as it descended, its face pulled into a violent snarl as the beast landed on its hindlegs between its prey and The Tactician, its tail slamming down into the earth with enough force to crater the pulverized battlefield..

The Witness let loose a breath, before noticing a small girl, no taller than herself, hop down from the creature’s long, black plumage. A long brown cape hid most of her frame, but she could make out short black hair atop her head, and a long, snake-like stone wrapped around her bare leg.

She raised up her arm, The Witness blinked, and The Untamed had slammed what was left of The Behemoth into the ground and held him down, seemingly unbothered by the writhing beast held beneath his heel. He opened his mouth wide, and a single, black ball of pure malice formed. Its mere existence was enough to send a pulse of energy through the chamber and force those who weren’t prepared to their knees.

“Put it out of its misery.” The words were cold, detached, and empty.

And in another blink of the eye, it was over. There was no loud explosion, no shockwave of force or any other sign of something happening. Just a single lunge forward as the attack extended down into a beam, ripping through the beast’s flesh as though it wasn’t even there, and pushing deep down into the chamber below.

The Witness stared on in horror as she took in the vaporized hole where her adversary once stood, her nose burning from the smell of ionized air and melted stone. She stiffened as the being that commanded this god amongst mortals turned and looked her directly in the eye, the girl’s face a mirror image of her own as she glanced over at The Tactician.

“I’m happy I was able to get here before anything too bad happened, you two okay?” she asked.

The Witness swallowed down a bit of bile before nodding, not trusting herself to speak.

She felt a warm hand rub against her back and turned to see The Protector smiling down at her.

“Busken.” Right. Her translator was unconscious.

“Thanks, Suzy.” She slowly pushed herself up to her feet before taking a few deep, steadying breaths as their new arrival walked over to The Tactician and helped pull him to his feet.

“You’re going to give your family a heart attack one of these days, you know that right?” They knew each other.

“Zinnia?” His voice was distant and in awe. “I-What are you doing here?”

The Lorekeeper smiled at him before giggling, her face losing most of its worry lines. “Your uncle was worried.” She glanced back toward the still smoking hole in the ground. “Looks like he was right to.”

He nodded, his words stuck in his throat.

“Now, I don’t know how many of your ‘mons are fighting fit, but I have a feeling it’s a really low number. Let’s get you and your friends out of-”

Her words died on her lips as a new sound filled the chamber. A million and one footsteps made themselves known as everyone that had been fighting in the chamber before them filtered into the room, a towering presence leading the charge.

Before The Witness could even think of giving a greeting, a bright blue light washed over them, its presence physical, and bitterly cold as a low creak met their ears. Five sets of eyes instantly traced to the source, and watched as the large, frozen over doors creaked open, an unending and unwavering wave of cold pushing out from the abyss as the roar of the ancients made itself known.

She paused to take a breath, and delighted that she was able to render her audience speechless. “Poké for your thoughts?”

“What on earth would you even do with it?” The Brat chimed.

Arceus above, how did a child of that bloodline turn out like this?

“Could you tell me exactly what kind of Pokémon this Lorekeeper rode in on?” The Queen’s Champion asked. “I’m… really having trouble placing it.”

She shook her head. “The cave gives me whispers and images, but nothing concrete. It’s odd, usually the cave has an understanding of what goes on within, but this creature has never graced its halls.” She smiled at the sound of claws scraping against the ground. “Sorry I can’t be of more help.”

“It’s alright, I… think I’ve seen it before.” The Queen swallowed down a bit of bile, her presence moving through the cave as she moved closer to her chosen warrior. “I recognized the description as something that I saw in Petalburg Woods. It kind of looks like a Salamence, but it’s… different.”

The Queen’s Champion sighed. “Probably some kind of genetic mutation. Wouldn’t be the first time, though that thing sounds horrifying.”

A cold chill filled the air, and the ancient frowned as she pushed out to the cave. No, she still had the place sealed.

“You mentioned a blue wave passing through the chamber before the doors were opened?” Ah, the other ghost wanted to speak.

“Yes, it was the beacon to let the ancient know that his challenge had finally been taken, and with it, the seal upon the door was broken.” She sighed. “His response has been a bit heavy handed, though, I will admit.” She sighed as another silence permeated the chamber before kneeling down and placing her hands upon the cold, stone floor. A world of color exploded before her as the world played out across her mind’s eye.

The Queen slowly stepped closer to the floating ball of shadows, her steps loud in the otherwise quiet chamber. “It’s not your fault, you know that, right?”

The specter chuckled. “How is it not? That light’s the same light that filled the tomb. It happened around the same time.”

The short, white-furred prophet hopped forward, landing just in front of The Queen and forcing her rider to take to the skies. “You heard the big scary Aggron, the seal was getting weaker. This was going to happen at some point regardless. Besides, you weren’t yourself.”

“Maybe, but I certainly sped up the process.” The specter sunk down into the shadows.

He quickly rose back up as The Queen’s Blade forcefully evicted him, a dark vortex swirling around his soul as he floated closer.

“Lucas-”

The blade silenced his queen with a look, before turning back to glare at the offending shade. “Nothing we tell you is going to change your mind, so let me just get straight to the point.. Regardless of what you did, or what you might have caused, you’re with us now, helping to fix it. So quit with the pity party, square up, and march, soldier.”

“What exactly are you guys-” The towering furnace stopped as a wave of psychic power pulsed through the clearing, He turned toward her majesty with a newfound look of respect before turning toward the shade, a smile on his face. “Look, I’ve seen half a dozen new ghosts form in my life and they’re all crazy as hell on formation. Trust me, the things you did before getting a handle on your headspace were tame, believe me.”

The shadow beneath the champion’s feet warped and bulged out, its movements indignant.

“I didn’t name you once, the fact that you’re getting uppity just says more about you than it does me.” A cocky grin spread across the royal furnace’s features before he turned. “Always nice to meet a Channeler. You folks do a great service, and you seem to know what you’re doing more than most.”

Her majesty snapped her gaze toward the fire type.

The champion let loose a laugh. “Alright, Lele, I can see why you wanted her to tag along now. Most ghost specialists have the ability to calm vengeful spirits. The League’s taken to calling them Channelers. This is the first time I’ve ever seen one at work, though. I might make a few recommendations once we get out of here to have them train with psychic types from now on. It seems to help the process quite a bit, and you’re a hell of a lot more put together than most of them.”

Her majesty just stared. “I… okay.”

The old one couldn’t help but let out a loud laugh as she took in the completely lost expression on The Queen’s face, her mirth breaking her connection to the cave and robbing her of her sight once more. She could feel the stares tracing her up and down as she leaned back. “Ah, forgive me, my child. Don’t mind me, I just found the discord humorous.”

A low growl sounded out through the chamber as The Brat disappeared, her form lost to her as she reformed directly in front of her. “Enough with the games. We listened to your story, and although it was informative, I still don’t understand why you couldn’t just answer Lea’s question like a normal pokemon so we can hurry up and help them. So open up the damn door and fucking send us on our-”

Enough.

The Brat’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth as the ancient one brought her presence to bear, forcing the small child to her knees as she rose up to full height. “Normally, Pokémon treat me with a little more respect.”

She could feel the defiant stare aimed her way, and sighed. Was she losing her touch? She supposed it wouldn’t do for a princess to have anything less than a will of steel, but why did it have to come attached to someone so tiresome? “I haven’t released you for one simple reason, child. It’s the same reason I have told you this tale. For as binding of a covenant I may have forged, a single rider was left.” A wide, toothy grin pulled at both mouths as mirth once again bubbled up. “My story remains unfinished.”

A biting chill gripped her to her core as she floated atop her loyal compatriot’s back, her skin paler than the frozen buildings that rested beneath her, frozen in time and space as the storm whipped itself into a frenzy. Snow and hail pelted her from all sides as she locked her gaze upon seven glowing dots, all fixed on her as she inched closer.

She cursed herself for only bringing a single pokemon on this trip. Of all the arrogant, stupid, ham-fisted…

The air burned her lungs as attempted to breathe and dispel the intrusive thoughts. She was staring down winter incarnate, and she couldn’t afford to lose.

“I know this is hell for you, but we don’t have a choice here. That thing… it needs to die.” Her fists clenched so hard that her nails drew blood.

A roar reached her ears, and she smiled a hollow smile.

A low rumbling filled the chamber, and The Lorekeeper clutched onto her companion’s feathers as he rapidly flew backwards, narrowly moving out of the way of a giant ice skewer rising up from the ground.

The Ancient hadn’t even moved.

They flew up higher, and The Lorekeeper winced as the glacier bloomed, new spikes jutting out from the frozen construct in every direction, their jagged edges the foundation of a mockery of life as branches reached out towards the two of them.

“Dive!” The order was screamed as the wind pulled at her skin. She wasn’t even aware that she could get cold. The prevailing winds of the mountain were nothing compared to this frozen hell she now found herself gliding through.

Her companion blasted every oncoming branch of ice that got too close, and she pulled herself closer to the black feathers that covered his back as he sailed through the air, his wings gliding through the inhospitable conditions as though they were a stiff morning breeze coming over the ocean. He ducked down below the lowest branches and brought himself low, close to the iced over roads of a kingdom long since forgotten.

The ice came to life beneath them and reached out, narrowly dodging the dragon as it once again picked up height. Its mouth opened wide as it once again opened its mouth. A black and white orb once again formed in front of him as they loomed closer to the towering ice golem.

He still hadn’t so much as moved.an inch. The air grew colder as they got closer.

She wasn’t the only arrogant one, it would seem. “Make it regret underestimating us. Nightmare’s End.”

The orb extended out into a beam and the wave of malice slammed, full force, into the monolith before her. She grinned and threw her hand up into the air as the beast was forced backward, an odd mechanical sound filling the air as it slammed into the white castle walls behind them.

That joy slowly died as she realized the attack wasn’t going any further.

The black beam slowly faded out into the aether, and The Lorekeeper gaped as she took stock of the damage. A long, black gash ran crisscross across the beast’s chest, just below the glowing yellow eyes.

Their strongest attack, reserved for the most dangerous of enemies, and it barely left a scratch.

Her companion quickly gained altitude and banked away from the statue as more icy hands reached up from the depths, eager to grab them and pull them down into the cold, angry abyss.

“Hit and run tactics, and don’t let up, we can hurt it, so all we have to do is-”

Seven yellow eyes glowed red as the monolith moved of its own accord for the first time since they entered, and the entire world went white.