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Aftermath

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Summer has officially started for me as of last night! I am also officially a senior in high school and I am looking forward to next year! Here is chapter 24. There are 19 more days until I leave…yikes!




Chapter 24
Future



Scarlet stepped forward, trying to get a better look at Quamachi. The angel was just as tall as Cyrus, which obviously had to be unnerving for the light-type. She smiled a knowing, but slightly cruel, smile and turned to look at Giratina.

“So, you want to know what would happen if you were to accomplish your goals,” she said quietly. She turned her head back, and Scarlet could see a sort of triumph glowing in her eyes. “Then let us begin.”

The clapping together of her hands echoed through Scarlet’s mind like the ringing of a bell. Giratina’s eyes shifted downward, then it lifted its head in a huge roar. Waves of energy escaped from its flesh and rocked the atmosphere around them. Scarlet braced herself for the impact, closing her eyes as waves of energy swept over her and threatened to lift her off of her feet.

The waves subsided, leaving behind an eerie silence. Scarlet opened her eyes. Nothing had seemed to change. Kris looked around her, and turned to Cyrus. “What just happened?” She asked breathlessly, shifting from one foot to another nervously. He looked over at Quamachi, asking her silently to explain.

“The first wave is the destruction of life. Look around you. There are no trees…on this mountain or anywhere else. All Aquapolians, humans, animals, and Pokémon are gone.” Quamachi gestured to the lower slopes of the mountain, where pine trees had once flourished. They were dead, mere skeletons in the wind.

Giratina’s eyes glowed again and another roar shook the mountain to its foundations. Waves of energy crashed through the air, lifting Scarlet’s hair above her head. The sky above disappeared, surrounding the earth with pure black space and spots of bright light. The sun remained, its light stronger than ever.

Kris gasped and her hands flew up to shield her eyes. At first, Scarlet thought that she was affected by the rays of the sun coming from above, but neither she nor Cyrus seemed to be affected by the light. Kris trembled and Cyrus put his hand on her arm, trying to calm her down. “Are you okay…”

“Oh…I forgot that she is afraid of surrounding images…” Quamachi muttered. “Not to worry…Giratina will take care of that.”

Scarlet was able to prepare for the third wave. This one, though, packed a bit more punch behind it than the one before had. Before her eyes, the sun started to grow closer and closer, filling up the space around them. Even this scene unnerved Cyrus. He clutched Kris’ arm even tighter, trembling a bit along with his niece, who still had her hands over her eyes. In a blinding flash of light, Scarlet felt the earth disappear from under her feet.

Scarlet forced herself to open her eyes, trying to force back the feelings of anxiety and doom stirring up in the back of her mind. She could feel something solid underneath her feet and looked down. There was nothing visible under her feet. Empty space spread out beneath her. Around her, stars blinked out, the sun fading into oblivion. The only light came from an orb of psychic energy that rested in Quamachi’s palm. Silence reigned in the still air, the only remaining element from the past universe.

By now, Kris had nearly suffered a complete breakdown. Her head was buried in Cyrus’ shoulder, sobs racking her body. Cyrus held one arm around her shoulder, his eyes trained on Quamachi. He was nearly as unnerved as Kris was. Scarlet backed up, feeling her shoulder bump into something solid. She looked up to meet Giratina’s eyes. They had been cold before, but now…they seemed warm. People sometimes took Pokémon’s feelings too lightly. Maybe even legendaries had deeper feelings than Scarlet had thought before.

Suddenly, Scarlet heard Kris gasp loudly. She spun around to see Kris sink to her knees, clutching her arms tight around her body. Her eyes were wide and were dimming quickly. She shook violently with pain, lying on her side on a mat of black. Cyrus knelt down beside her, laying a hand on her shoulder and whipping his head around to Quamachi. Before he could ask anything, she sighed.

“Unfortunately, when you destroyed the universe, you also destroyed heaven and hell as well. Angels cannot exist without heaven. I can only stand before you now because I am a guide for this vision.” She smirked. “Can’t you see that your new world would destroy the only one you care for?”

Scarlet watched as the light in Kris’ pendant start to flicker, slowly growing dim in time with the shine in her eyes. As the pendant disappeared completely, Scarlet flew backward, both visions fading as reality set in.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

A burst of energy exploded as it crashed into the wall just above Scarlet’s head. Her eyes flew open, her mind confused as to where she was in the real world. Her arms flailed, trying desperately to get her head above the water that was still in her vision. Her right hand paused in mid-air as she realized she was lying on her back in the chamber instead of in the pool. She turned her head toward the bought going on on the other side of the chamber.

Explosions of dark energy ringed the surface of the diamond colored barrier surrounding Volkner. Kirio’s advances were starting to chip through his defenses, leaving deep grooves in the barrier. Scarlet wondered briefly if Volkner had pulled her out of the pool before the battle got serious, and pushed herself to her feet.

She had two options: She could either try to calm Kirio down or help Volkner overtake him. Scarlet knew nothing about calming a Shadowficated Aquapolian, so she went for the second option. Kirio was too strong to go against with her electric attacks. She would have to fight with the power of dimension on her side.

Closing her eyes, Scarlet felt energy bend and sway in the air around her. She focused on one point, and her eyes flew open, the air around her bursting forward with a blow of powerful energy that coursed through the air, slamming into Kirio’s back. He cried out in shock and pain, twisting around to see who had attacked him. Another blast hit him in the side and sent him spiraling across the floor.

Scarlet could feel another blast coming, but she tried to hold it back. No, that’s enough! She could see Kirio lying on the floor, unable to get up and nearly unconscious. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the energy back. I could kill him if I unleash another blast!
Suddenly, she felt the energy subside and the air around her grow still. The chamber was quiet, but inside Scarlet’s mind, a great clamor arose. She could feel herself changing, growing…stronger.

Once again, she could see those familiar red eyes…the eyes belonging to Giratina.

But this time, she could feel another, calming presence…

---
The fight is growing closer…

What was that?



The Dimensional Warrior has woken…

And discovered her true form…
---

Scarlet’s body tingled from head to toe, refusing to move as she underwent her transformation. Scarlet could no longer see the chamber, just Giratina’s blood red eyes. They started to glow, engulfing her in a dark red light.

The chamber swam back into Scarlet’s vision. Volkner was frozen, Kirio lying at his feet. The electric-type stared ahead, his mouth open in shock and wonder. Scarlet had the urge to ask him why he was looking at her that way. Was her transformation horrific or just surprising?

She stepped over to the pool of water and knelt beside it, pressing her palms against the cool surface of the marble. Her reflection looked quite different from what she was used to. She was dressed in a strapless black and purple dress which covered her kneeling legs and feet completely. Large black wings spread out behind her, brushing the floor gently. Her light purple hair had grown, reaching all the way down her back. The gold lines on her skin stood out even more against the dark material of her dress.

The change that caught Scarlet’s attention most was her eyes. They had morphed from light brown to gold. They looked…deeper, more powerful. Sort of like Giratina’s eyes, but these matched Scarlet perfectly.

She looked up at Volkner, who was still standing beside Kirio’s unconscious body. “What is this?” She asked, lifting up one of her hands to motion toward her wings. They felt strange and foreign to her, and she knew it would take some time to adjust to the feel of the feathers gliding down her back.

Volkner’s shocked expression faded, replaced seconds later by one of contemplation. “Maybe this form allows you to use stronger attacks without damaging your body.” What he said made sense to Scarlet. She felt as if she would be torn apart when she used her powers of dimension to knock Kirio out. Now, she could still feel her powers stir, but they were controlled. She closed her eyes, focusing on her Aquapolian form, and felt herself shift back. She hoped that she would be able to shift at will in the future, but she had no time to practice at the moment.

“Volkner, will you look after him for me? I’m going to go find the Opal Orb,” Scarlet asked, motioning to Kirio, who was still slumped on the floor. She doubted that he would be getting up soon. If he did, though, she hoped that she had hit him hard enough to knock him out of his Shadowficated state.

“We’ll be right here and waiting for you to get back,” Volkner replied, taking a Poke Ball from his belt and releasing his Luxray, who sat beside his owner and obediently shifted his gaze to watch over the silent form of Kirio. Scarlet couldn’t help but remember the violent pack of Luxray that had attacked Mars, Gardenia, and her in Jhoto.

She knelt down to meet the Luxray’s eyes, trying to reassure herself that not all of his kind was dark. He smiled warmly, and she returned his smile, getting to her feet and turning back to the wall that Tess had materialized from. Scarlet couldn’t see a handle or a switch. Maybe…the power of dimension would let her slip through like a ghost.

She took a deep breath and thrust her hand through the marble wall. She stepped through into another passageway which led down into the inner chamber of the Temple of Dimension.

The Opal Orb gleamed in its position on the marble surface of the altar. Scarlet couldn’t believe that she was able to enter the room once again with the image of blood still fresh in her mind. She tensely walked toward the altar and touched the orb, relaxing as she felt its power flow into her body.

But now that they had obtained all six orbs, what were they to do?
 
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harryheart

Well-Known Member
Review of Chapter 3

Well it's taken me a while but I've got around to reviewing Chapter 3. The story line here I felt has slowed down a little from the past Chapter which is really great as I can get into it more. I feel that the Characters have also grown in this small space of time so I congtulate you on that improvement.

I really can't see much wrong at all so I'm going to leave my review here and hopefully read Chapter 4 before the weekend.​
 
It was as if the three legendaries residing in their souls communicated silently with each other, leading their bodies on a wild and fast paced mission to acquire the orbs they held so dear.

Fast-paced and dearly?


trying to force back the feelings of anxiousness and doom stirring up in the back of her mind.

Anxiety, maybe?


But all in all, damn, this is a really good fic. I really can't wait for the rest, especially the whole orbs vs. demons battle (should there be one, but I'm pretty sure there would :p ).

I need to remind you, though, that you may have improved in balancing out your writing, but maybe just a little more on the present side. Kay? ;)

Good job. =D
 

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
harryheart: I'm glad you are enjoying the first few chapters! XD Take as much time as you like reading the rest. Thank you for your review.

Dramatic Melody: Hmm...those adjectives and adverbs sure do get away from me...Grammar taken into account. Next chapter, I will revise all grammar mistakes from 22 on. Thank you! :D And yes, there will be a battle between the powers and demons (which is pretty obvious) and it will be here before you know it! Oh, and as far as the visions go...*checks mind* There should be only three left. Actually, two because one is split up into two parts, so as far as the quality of the present versus past, that issue should fade a bit in the next few chapters, though I am trying to push some more quality into my present events. I've kind of noticed, though, that I have been focusing a lot on past events...>_> Hmm...


Just started writing chapter 25 today. May be up by the end of this week...at the latest, it will be up by next Monday. Trying to not rush, but at the same time squeeze in a few more chapters before June 14. :)
 

Zadros

Incorrigible slacker
Hey, sorry I haven't reviewed until now. Not much to say I guess, but they could be longer. I was a little confused by Kris' fear, whatever it was. Otherwise I really liked the last two chapters. Certainly some interesting plot points in there =) Good luck with the next one.
 

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
I like to keep my chapters at about around 12 written pages a piece, simply because I just feel shorter chapters keep my attention span better than larger chapters. XD

Kris' fear is actually one I have. Imagine if you were in a completely dark room, then someone turned on a 3D projector and you were surrounded by stars or crazy patterns. I would freak out. It's why I can't ever go into space or even into a planetarium. Kind of a form of claustrophobia I guess.

Thank you for reviewing! :)

Edit: Sorry for the lateness...um...I'm pushing back my deadline for Chapter 25 to about...the end of this week...Thank you for your patience...

2nd Edit: Make that the beginning of next week...Sorry folks. >_<
 
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chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
I only have 8 more days until I leave for my hiatus. Hopefully, I’ll get another chapter up by then…but it took longer than I expected to get this chapter finished. Up until my hiatus, I am changing my avatar each day to symbolize each of the six powers and their holders from Aftermath. If you didn’t notice, yesterday, I had Damian as my avatar and today, I have Palkia as my avatar. Tomorrow, expect Gardenia up there. Here is chapter 25.



Chapter 25
Friends


Mars shrank away from the Houndoom’s hot breath. It smelled like raw flesh, as if it had feasted on a poor, unsuspecting Numel in the caves of the mountain. She knew that if she didn’t she didn’t stop it, she would be its next meal. She raised her hand once more in an attempt to push it off.

Suddenly, a pink flash filled the chamber, and the Houndoom’s weight was pushed off of Mars’ chest. She rolled to her feet and scrambled back, reading to face the fire-type once again. But this time, it had met its match. Glancing at the two Aquapolians who now stood in the tunnel, it whimpered, turned tail, and ran.

Mars spun around to look at Damian, who stood just a few yards away from her, clutching the Pearl Orb. “You!” She shouted. “Where did you go?!” Before he could explain, she stepped forward and grabbed his collar, shaking him.

“That Houndoom could have killed me by the time you made your way back here!” She yelled, pushing him away from her. Damian backed into the rock wall of the chamber and pressed up against it, his eyes wide with surprise and a little bit of fear. Good, Mars thought, maybe I’ll scare some sense into him.

“This isn’t just another of your little Pokemon journeys!” She spat. “This is a matter of life and death! We’re facing up against demons. Demons! They want to kills us, Damian! Don’t you understand?!” By that time, Mars was shrieking at him and trembling all over. She realized that she had to calm down or she would do something that she would regret. For some reason, her temper made her smile inwardly as she remembered how she used to get onto her brother about his temper.

Yes, Maxie’s temper had been legendary. The burn scars on Kris’ face were the physical proof of his anger. She had received them years ago when Team Magma was still a strong syndicate and Maxie was determined to gain control of Groudon. Kris got into his way one too many times and received a permanent burn mark across the left side of her face. Mars knew that for years, Maxie felt horrible about the injury he had caused his young student. Mars didn’t find out about it until Kris told her; to the naked eye, there were no signs of the marks because Kris had kept them covered with make-up.

Mars backed away from Damian, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. She was more shaken by her experience than angry at Damian, really. He had, after all, saved her life. She glanced toward the passageway that led out of the chamber and sighed. They needed to get back soon. She couldn’t stand to be on the mountain any longer.

This time, though, she didn’t care if they were seen. They were levitating down.

---
A beep sounded from far away, bringing Kirio’s mind back into focus. Without opening his eyes, he knew that he was in a Pokemon Center bed, hooked up to various machines. He groaned, not wanting to open his eyes to the blinding light he knew was coming form the hospital lamp over his head.

Pokemon Centers didn’t only serve Pokemon: Aquapolians were taken there, too. They were pretty much hospitals for everyone and everything living in Aquapolis. Serious injuries and surgeries were handled in the hospitals that dotted the large cities of the country. Kirio wondered slightly if he were in a hospital instead of a Center and opened his eyes to check his surroundings.

He was most definantly in a Pokemon Center, as he could tell by the Blissey walking through the halls visible through several pains of glass in front of him. The Blissey, though, didn’t catch his eye as did the young woman in front of him.

She reached out to take his hand and smiled, her Aquapolian crystal eyes shining in the bright hospital lights. Her touch was light, and he shuddered, but smiled. What was she doing there? His eyes filled with tears as he realized she was wearing the white dress that she was buried in. He had let her down and surrendered to the Shadow…

“Kris…” he whispered, unable to speak louder due to the intense fatigue he felt. “I’m sorry…” She gave him a sad smile and wrapped both of her hands around his.

“Don’t be,” she said. “It will be alright.” She slowly faded away, despite his protests for her to stay.

The door swung open to reveal Scarlet, who had a worried look on her face. “Are you okay?” She asked.

“Yes,” Kirio muttered, shifting around in the bed. “I’m fine.”

Scarlet stepped forward. “I’m sorry, it’s just that these powers are so new to me…and this new form…”

“What new form?”

Scarlet closed her eyes and was immediately cloaked in a bright light. Kirio watched, astonished, as wings unfurled down her back and her hair grew longer. When the light faded, she opened her eyes to reveal a pair of golden eyes that matched the lines embedded in her skin. Kirio was too stunned to reply. She cocked her head sideways, looking at him with an expectant expression on her face as if she expected him to know what was behind her transformation.

Kirio had only seen one transformation like Scarlet’s: Kris’ transformation into her angel form. He could only guess that it allowed Scarlet to use more powerful skills. He shrugged, focusing on the lines that crossed her arms. “Just looks like a more powerful form to me. Have you asked the Professor about it yet?”

Scarlet shook her head, simultaneously transforming back into her true Aquapolian form. “I wanted to ask you first…” She trailed off. Kirio expected that the real reason she hadn’t told Rowan yet was that she was scared about her new form and what it meant.

“We should get the group together and see if we can figure this out together, along with our next step.” Kirio groaned. His ribcage was still sore from Scarlet’s blast. They would have to wait until the next day before they held a meeting. “Tomorrow, we should get together in the training field out back to see if we can all transform.”

Scarlet agreed and left the room; Kirio suspected that she was going to find Volkner and talk things over with him. He looked up at the IV bag that was connected to his arm by a needle. He hoped that the medication hadn’t caused his hallucination of Kris. Maybe Nurse Joy had given him the wrong medicine for his type. There were small nuances in the chemical makeup of each type of Aquapolian that required different medication for each type.

Kirio started drifting off to sleep, his mind still on the fact that he needed medication for dark types.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

Scarlet had gone to bed that night exhausted and nervous. She kicked against the covers on her bed, her eyes flying wide open when her food met thin air. Her ears filled with the sound of a stadium crowd, cheering on two trainers locked in battle. Scarlet pushed herself to her feet, finding herself on the sidelines of a large indoor stadium. On one side of the field stood Kris, her eyes locked on her Umbreon in concentration. On the other side stood a girl with curly blonde hair and black eyes. She smirked as her Arcanine advanced across the field.

“Arcanine! Flame Wheel!” She shouted. The fire-type sprang forward, releasing a spiral of flames that flew toward Umbreon. She dodged but winced as the attack burn the tip of her tail.

“Umbreon! Dark Pulse!” Kris shouted. Umbreon flew forward, her dark attack slamming into Arcanine with such speed, he nearly knocked over his trainer as he spun across the field.

“Arcanine, Flame Wheel into Swift, now!” Kris’ opponent shouted. A stream of stars and a spiral of fire slammed into Umbreon, knocking her into the opposite wall. She slid to the floor, and Scarlet noticed that she had received deep burns in her fur. Bad enough to force Kris to withdraw her and forfeit the match before Umbreon got seriously hurt.

Kris took out her Poke Ball, a bit reluctant to forfeit the match, even though she knew she had to. “Umbreon…” but before she could call out for her Pokemon to return, Umbreon rose to her feet and stepped back onto the battlefield. She growled at her opponent and released a Dark Pulse at Arcanine.

“Arcanine! Flame Wheel!” The girl shouted again. Both attacks collided with their targets, but only Arcanine went down. Umbreon’s breath came out in short bursts, her burnt legs struggling to hold herself upright. She waited until Kris was declared the winner before she collapsed on the field, her breathing hard and ragged. Kris’ opponent smirked and recalled her Arcanine, looking triumphant despite the fact that she had lost the battle. Scarlet’s hands clinched into fists and she shook, wishing she was able to attack the girl. As Kris ran forward, her opponent spun around and stalked off of the battlefield, not even stopping to see if Umbreon would be okay.

“Umbreon!” Kris called out as she carefully scooped her injured Pokemon off of the ground. Scarlet could see tears sparkle in her eyes as she quickly walked out of the stadium, taking care not to injure her Umbreon even more. Scarlet cast another angry look at Kris’ opponent’s direction, then followed Kris to the nearby Pokemon Center. As she looked back, she realized that she was right in guessing that the battle had taken place in a stadium, but she didn’t recognize it. She heard the sounds of waves crashing to her right and wondered if they were in the Orange Archipelago.

Scarlet soon found herself sitting on a bench opposite Kris in a long hall that led to the Pokemon emergency room. Kris’ hands were clinched together and her head was lowered, hiding her expression from Scarlet’s eyes. She could imagine that the young trainer was scared and concerned about Umbreon.

She turned to see Cyrus walking down the hall toward where Kris sat. He stood a few feet away, hesitating before he asked quietly, “How is she?” Kris lifted her head to meet his eyes, her gaze sparkling with crystal tears. Her voice was small and came out in a faint whisper when she answered him.

“I…I don’t know…Nurse Joy isn’t finished examining her yet…” She trailed off as Cyrus sat beside her, his eyes trained on her. He was observing her; Scarlet could tell. He wasn’t used to emotions, so it was awkward for him to try and comfort her, to say the right thing, even though he really wanted to. Scarlet knew this must have been a defining moment not only in Kris and Cyrus’ relationship, but a step toward his opening up to the world

Footsteps echoed from the other end of the hall, and a voice called out, “Kris!” Kris slowly looked up as Kirio reached the row of benches, an angry expression on his face. He clinched and unclinched his hands, squeezing them so hard, his knuckles turned white.

“I can’t believe she did this to you,” he spat, his black eyes shining with rage at the girl’s transgression. “I know she did it on purpose…and on Grayson’s orders.”

“Grayson’s…orders?” Kris asked, not comprehending his statement.

“Grayson told her to slow you down…at all costs.”
 
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chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Okay, so here's the deal. I have access to a computer at the summer program I'm attending, so there will be a new chapter up every Saturday, so make sure to check back here next week! :) Here’s chapter 26.




Chapter 26:
Umbreon




“What?” Kris gasped, straightening up in her seat a bit. “And she just decides to nearly kill my Pokemon? Who does that?”

“Well, she’s going to pay for what she did, believe me,” Kirio said. “For her little stunt, Marina’s coordinator license may be suspended or revoked entirely.”

Kris sighed and lowered her gaze to the floor as Kirio lowered his voice. “Don’t worry, Kris. Umbreon will be fine.”

“Does Grayson know you’re here?” Cyrus asked.

“No, but Marina does. I think I need to move on to the next island.” He glanced back at Kris, who was still looking at the floor, before he turned and left the hall. A few seconds later, the emergency room doors swung open and Nurse joy appeared. Kris sprang to her feet.

“How is Umbreon?”

Joy sighed. “Her burn wounds are pretty bad. There’s a chance…that she might not make it.”

Kris took in a sharp breath of air. “May I see her?”

Joy shook her head. “She needs to rest right now, but you can check on her in the morning.” With that, she turned and walked back into the emergency room, shutting the door behind her. Kris stared at the door before she lowered her head once again. A few moments of silence passed before she spoke again.

“You know, I saved Umbreon at the start of the first Shadow Conspiracy. She and an Espeon were going to become Shadow Pokemon, but I helped them escape. She’s been my most powerful and closest Pokemon companion, and we’ve been through so much…I can’t even stand to think about losing her…”

Cyrus laid a hand on Kris’ shoulder, and she turned to meet his gaze. “You should get some sleep,” he said. “You can see Umbreon in the morning.” He put his arm around her shoulders and guided her down he hall. Scarlet watched them for a few seconds before she blacked out.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

Scarlet woke with a start, pushing back the covers on her bed. She turned to look at Ampharos, who was curled up on a blanket on the floor. She knelt down beside him and brushed her hand against his soft, yellow fur, burying her face in his back and letting out a sob.

“What would I do if I lost you?” She whispered. Kris’ visions had pulled and pushed her emotions every which way, but none had affected her the way the last one had. Scarlet clutched Ampharos closer and he let out a squeak. If the last vision hadn’t shown her where Kris was, it had at least taught her that she should never take her Pokemon for granted, especially Ampharos. He had fought beside her for years, and she knew she would not be able to sand life if he was ever killed in battle.

After drying her tears and slipping on her tank top, skirt, and boots, Scarlet led Ampharos out to the training field out back. It was small compared to the rest of the Elite Four training facility, which consisted of pools, gyms, and rock walls. Their group was slowly making it onto the battlefield. Scarlet could tell that Gardenia and Volkner had already taken advantage of the training facilities; both had broken into a sweat and had just recalled their Turtwig and Luxray when Scarlet appeared on the field.

When everyone had gathered in the field, Rowan started the meeting. “Now, Volkner and Kirio have informed me that Scarlet has happened upon a transformation which allows her to use stronger powers. Why don’t you demonstrate so the others can take your lead?” He asked Scarlet.

Scarlet wasn’t even sure if the others could transform, but she closed her eyes and focused her mind on the image of Giratina’s eyes. She could feel the change sweep over her, almost instant in its approach. Maybe each time she transformed, her change would come faster and faster, which could prove useful in a fight. Her companions watched as the change set in; even Rowan was astonished by Scarlet’s metamorphesis. She opened her eyes again to see everyone but Kirio and Volkner staring at her.

“It’s…it’s…” Gardenia stammered, trying to find the right words to describe Scarlet’s new form. “…beautiful…”

Beautiful wasn’t a word that Scarlet had thought fit her new form, but as she looked down at the dress and the lines curving around her skin, she had to admit the effect was pretty.

The others studied her transformation, but only Rowan stepped closer to examine up close her wings and newly colored eyes. After a few awkward moments of studying her gaze, he stepped back and declared, “This must be your legendary form.”

“Legendary form?” Scarlet echoed, absentmindly studying the rings of color around her wrist.

“Yes. Since none of you have legendary blood, you can’t transform into your respective power. But, you must have been given this form to enable you to use your powers to the full potential…Of course, this is only my hypothesis. We can’t entirely be sure about exactly what this form is.”

Scarlet knew that his hypothesis was most likely correct. Rowan was the leading legendary researcher in Aquapolis. If anyone knew what this strange and new form was, it would be him.

“So…” Rowan turned to the other members of their small group, who were still astonished and incredibly interested in Scarlet’s legendary form. “Who’s next?”

They hesitated, then Volkner stepped forward awkwardly, casting a furtive glance at Scarlet. “I’ll go next,” he volunteered, shrugging his shoulders back and closing his eyes. “Now, what do I do?” He muttered.

“Focus on Dialga’s eyes and don’t break your concentration.” Scarlet wondered what would happen if he did. Maybe he would become stuck in between transformations.

Volkner focused on an image of Dialga’s eyes in his mind. They shifted and changed until a bright flash of blue light filled his vision. He could feel himself changing, but he didn’t dare break his concentration on Dialga’s form.

Scarlet watched as the blue light that covered Volkner’s form disappeared and revealed his transformation. He stood a bit taller than before, and was clothed in light blue robes that reminded Scarlet of a picture she had seen once in a book on Ancient Greek and Aquapolian culture. He wore blue boots that disappeared under the robes, ringed with images of dark blue lightning. The blue lines on his skin shone like diamonds embedded in his flesh, blending with the blue robes perfectly.

Volkner looked down at is form with amazement. His mouth hung open as he scanned the swirling lines that covered his arms like exotic tattoos. He DID feel more powerful, and had the urge to bolt away and run…run free as Dialga had once done.

Scarlet instructed the others, and one by one, they shifted into a more powerful form of themselves. Damian’s form was similar to Volkner’s except that his robes were pink, a fact that made Gardenia and Mars snicker. Saturn’s and Mars’ forms looked alike as well. They wore what looked to be suits of samurai armor and boots. Mars’ was red and Saturn’s was dark blue. Gardenia’s form, however, was similar to Scarlet’s. Her dress was white, as were her wings. Ridges of purple lined the backs of the wings, echoing Lugia’s form. Kirio’s form was unique. He wore a set of robes that came up to his neck, but revealed a plain black shirt, pants, and boots underneath. A red jewel held the robes together.

Scarlet gazed at her companions, hope fluttering in her chest for what seemed like the first time in weeks. Surely their legendary powers would be able to stand up to the demons’. She smiled. With a group of determined Aquapolians by her side, she would be able to face up against anything. Still, Kris’ imprisonment prickled in the back of her mind. She had gone over every aspect of her visions, but she still couldn’t figure out why the angel was stuck.

“Scarlet?” Rowan’s voice brought her mind back into the present. “We need to discuss our next step.” While Scarlet wasn’t looking, everyone had shifted back into their Aquapolian forms.

“We should return the orbs to the Cave of Origin,” Kirio said. “They’ll be secure there as will our powers. If we keep them with us all the time, we risk losing them or worse.”

“Should we leave tomorrow?” Scarlet asked. She wanted to get the orbs to the temple as soon as possible. She would feel better if they were safe and secure. The others agreed and hesitantly broke the meeting up. Gardenia walked straight toward Scarlet.

“Mind if we take a walk in the city together?” Scarlet agreed. She needed someone to talk to. Someone to take her mind away from her swimming thoughts. They walked past the Hall of Fame and into the city, enjoying the beautiful autumn day.

“Have you talked to Damian yet?” Gardenia asked as they turned a corner and passed by a coordinator shop. A pretty purple dress caught Scarlet’s eye for a fraction of a second before she answered.

“No…I haven’t. I don’t know why. It’s just…He’s acting so different these days…I don’t know what’s up with him.”

“You mean he hasn’t always been a jerk?”

Scarlet shook her head. “He used to be so kind, but over the past half year or so, he’s changed dramatically. Still, I feel so…guilty for leaving him without and explanation…”

“But you love Volkner.” Gardenia said firmly. Scarlet turned away and blushed. She had guessed correctly, but it wasn’t that hard to see. Scarlet suspected that she looked a bit lovestruck every tome she was around Volkner.

“I do, but I don’t want to make the same mistake twice,” she said, turning to meet Gardenia’s eyes. “I left Volkner without an explanation years ago, and I’m not going to do the same thing to Damian.”

“Then talk to both of them!” Gardenia said, giving Scarlet a reassuring smile. “It may be difficult talking to Damian, but it must be done…soon,” Gardenia added quietly. Scarlet nodded. Their face off with the demons was surely close by. Some of them may not survive. It was best to clear up her business before they faced a chance of death.

“Thanks, Gardenia!” Scarlet suddenly wished that she had become friends with Gardenia sooner. She was a strong and determined trainer, one she would have wanted to travel with. “I’m going to talk with them…now!”

With that, she sped off toward the Hall of Fame, leaving Gardenia with her thoughts about the gym she had left behind.
 
~Review of Chapter 24~

Sorry that I wasn’t able to get to this for a while. I’ve been busy and probably forever will be. I apologize if my review seems harsh in places; I don’t have the time to make it sound nice.

First, notice that this review is shorter than my others. I sure found few grammar errors or typos. That is certainly an excellent improvement. Hopefully, the other two/three chapters are like that too. That means no "epic review" from me, but perhaps that's a good thing (also because I'm a newbie at this =]).

I have no complaints for your writing here really. However, I agree with Dramatic Melody that you are paying a disproportionate amount of time on the visions to reality.

I enjoyed some of the “unnecessary” stuff you put into this chapter. It’s stuff like Kris freaking out in nothingness, or Scarlet having to fight back the impulse to fire another blast which really make human characters…human.

She stepped over to the pool of water and knelt beside it, pressing her palms against the cool surface of the marble. Her reflection looked quite different from what she was used to. She was dressed in a strapless black and purple dress which covered her kneeling legs and feet completely. Large black wings spread out behind her, brushing the floor gently. Her light purple hair had grown, reaching all the way down her back. The gold lines on her skin stood out even more against the dark material of her dress.
Very cool idea here, chosen_one. Nice descriptions too.

Even this scene unnerved Cyrus.
Confusing. Change to “This scene unnerved even Cyrus.”

“Unfortunately, when you destroyed the universe, you also destroyed heaven and hell as well. Angels cannot exist without heaven. I can only stand before you now because I am a guide for this vision.” She smirked. “Can’t you see that your new world would destroy the only one you care for?”
Interesting thought there, but it depends on whether heaven and hell are in this universe or outside of it. Regardless, very interesting.

Scarlet watched as the light in Kris’ pendant start to flicker
Started.

Scarlet wondered briefly if Volkner had pulled her out of the pool before the battle got serious, and pushed herself to her feet.
No comma, or use “then” instead of “and” for clarity.


Overall, great chapter!
 
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chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Salavoir55: Thank you so much for reviewing!  Here’s another chapter for you to get caught up on.


And the second week of my summer program begins. I’m hoping that my writing will improve over the course of the next five weeks. It seems to be a slow reviewing period, but I’ve been through this before, so I’m just going to continue pressing on. Here’s chapter 27.



Chapter 27:
Conversation



Volkner stood in the lobby of the Hall of Fame, unsure of what to do with himself. The time for facing the demons was coming; he knew it was, he could feel it. He tried distracting himself by observing the trainers, coordinators, and diplomats who walked to and from the meeting halls spread out through the building. He knew some of the Elite Four personally, stopping to talk to Aaron, a boy his age who held a position in the Sinnoh Elite Four. He had short green hair and piercing green eyes which hid a quiet disposition beneath the surface. He was a bug-type trainer who again and again established the fact that the bug type was indeed NOT the weakest type of Pokemon.

“What are you doing here in Ever Grande?” Aaron asked, shifting from one foot to the other. He obviously was eager to get back to training. Volkner resolved to not keep Aaron too occupied. “Is there a gym leader conference this week?”

Volkner shook his head. “No, I’m here…on some business.” At the last second, Volkner decided that he would not tell Aaron about his current situation.

Aaron’s laugh seemed to light and carefree to Volkner. Of course, the bug-type didn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Well, take it easy, man. The war is over, so it’s back to being the best gym leader in Sinnoh for you!” He gave Volkner a reassuring smile and left, stepping outside and following the walkway back to the training pavilion. Out of the corner of his eye, Volkner spotted Scarlet entering the lobby and following in Aaron’s direction. She looked nervous and worried, fiddling with her pendant in the anxious way Volkner knew she was accustomed to when she was unnerved. He wondered if she was getting cold feet at the last second.

------------

Scarlet followed a young trainer out to the training pavilion, wondering if he was her age and really an Elite Four member. The green haired trainer swerved to the right, entering the gym complex. Scarlet followed after him, hoping that Damian would be in the gym, training his Alakazam. Suddenly, the green haired trainer turned around and scowled at her.

“I’m sorry, miss, but I don’t believe you are authorized to be here,” he said in a tight, polite tone, his green eyes flashing. Scarlet became tongue tied, suddenly realizing that he WAS an Elite Four member and that she would be in big trouble fast if she didn’t come up with something to say.

A hand came down on her shoulder and she nearly jumped, thinking another Elite Four member was behind her. Then she heard Gardenia’s voice. “Don’t worry Aaron, Scarlet’s with me.” Scarlet watched as Aaron’s challenging look disappeared and one of curiosity replaced it. Gardenia started the introductions. “Scarlet, this is Aaron, the bug-type Elite Four of Sinnoh. Aaron, this is Scarlet. She’s quite a trainer and has a powerful Ampharos.”

Both trainers nodded acknowledgement to each other. “So, are you from Sinnoh?” Aaron asked, looking Scarlet over from head to toe.

“Yes, I’m from Veilstone.” As soon as Scarlet said it, Aaron’s face fell. A look of pity spread across his features, a look Scarlet despised. Before he could say he was sorry about her circumstances, she brushed past him, entering the gym and searching for any sign of Damian.

A burst of psychic energy flew through the air, side-stepping Scarlet and slamming into the wall behind her. The gym’s walls looked to be specially reinforced, strong enough to withstand nearly any Pokemon or Aquapolian attack. They had to be with the skill level and the power of the trainers who used the facility. Damian stepped forward, his Alakazam appearing by his side. Damian held a scowl on his face as if he already knew why Scarlet was there. Scarlet wiped her hand on her pants, already nervous about their talk.

“Why are you leaving?” Damian asked firmly, taking away Scarlet’s role as the conversation starter. He frowned. “Why are you going back to Volkner?” A few years before, sadness would have crept into his eyes at the thought. Now, hatred filled his features. Scarlet grew more anxious, but decided to barrel ahead with her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, Damian…but, you’ve changed…You’re not the same person I met years ago. You’re cruel, complaining…and Volkner is kind and nice. You KNOW what our relationship is, and it will probably never change.” Scarlet wanted to run, get out of the gym…and get away from the storm clouds brewing in his eyes.

“**** you,” he said simply, turning away from her and recalling his Alakazam. Before he could say or do anything more, Scarlet stepped out, tears stinging her eyes as she silently walked back to the Hall of Fame. She got as far as the practice field before she started to feel dizzy. Blackness came over her, and she collapsed to the ground.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

Cold linoleum pressed up against Scarlet’s cheek, jarring her awake. She knew she was in yet another vision without even opening her eyes. She was used to the weird half in reality, half not feeling that accompanied her trip into Kris’ memories.

She was in a Pokemon Center, the same one she had stood in in the last vision. Some members of the Legendary Team that she recognized were spread out across the lobby. Kris walked in a few seconds later, her hair disheveled and a hopeless expression on her face. She looked as if she had given up on the world, and Scarlet instantly felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. To lose so much…and at such a young age…was terrible,

“Kris?” Scarlet heard Nurse Joy call from the other side of the room. She stood in front of the double doors of the emergency room, an ominous sign indeed. Kris slowly walked over, a look of quiet apprehension on her face. “I’m sorry, but your Umbreon didn’t make it.”

Kris froze, watching as Nurse Joy turned and walked back into the emergency room. A few seconds later, she slumped to the floor, shaking. Scarlet then realized how quiet it was in the Center, all attention centering on Kris. She started to shake harder, letting out soundless sobs in her grief. May and another girl with bright orange hair helped Kris to her feet and guided her into a hallway, taking her back to her room and away from the spectators in the lobby. Scarlet followed them, turning corner after corner until the light started to shift, the natural light from the windows fading into darkness. Before Scarlet could get to Kris’ room, hours passed and night fell. She slipped into Kris’ room, finding it empty.

Footsteps sounded behind her and she turned to see Kris padding down the hall toward the main lobby. A few trainers milled about, some staring at Kris as she walked by. When no one was looking, she disappeared, blending into the scenery around her. Scarlet stopped and blinked, wondering how she was going to follow Kris if she couldn’t even see her. Scarlet’s eyes focused on the point where Kris had once been and she spotted the outline of the young trainer as she entered, unchallenged, into the Center kitchen.

Kris walked slowly, her hands trailing across the granite tabletops of the kitchen until she came to the wooden block that held the assorted kitchen knives used to prepare the food. She ran her hand along the handle of one of them and carefully pulled it out of its slot. Scarlet’s heart started to thump wildly, and she grew nervous, though she knew Kris couldn’t hurt her. The knife became invisible as well, and Kris padded back out of the kitchen with it.

Scarlet silently followed Kris as she retraced her steps back to her room. This particular Pokemon Center had adopted a Japanese theme when it designed its rooms for the trainers. Kris slid open her door, shut it behind her, and walked straight through her room and out the other door that led to a small garden which lined a cliff overlooking the sea.

Kris became visible again, clutching the knife to her side as she walked out to the cliff. She gazed out to sea, a blank expression in her eyes, as if she didn’t…couldn’t…she her surroundings. She stood there for a few seconds, the sea breeze blowing her hair around her face and giving her a golden halo.

“Kristal?”

She turned around, smoothly hiding the knife behind her back. Cyrus stood only a few yards away from her, a small spark of concern flashing in his eyes. “Do you feel better?”

Kris gripped the handle of the knife tighter, and her blank expression turned to one of sadness. She lowered her head, allowing her hair to slide forward and cover her face. “No…” she whispered. “Umbreon is dead…Everything’s so…wrong now.” She looked back up, the blank expression spread across her face once again. “There’s nothing else left on this earth for me.” She smiled weakly, bringing the knife out from behind her back.

Scarlet suddenly realized that Kris planned on committing suicide. A cold shiver ran down her back as she watched the steel-like determination in Kris’ eyes.

Cyrus didn’t flinch when he saw the knife in Kris’ hand. He took a step forward, looked her square in the eyes, and said firmly, “Put the knife down, Kristal.”

Her hands had begun to tremble, but instead of putting it down, she lifted the blade higher, raising it toward Cyrus as if to warn him against trying to stop her. He deliberately took a step forward, and she took a step back, coming closer to the cliff.

“If you come any closer, I’ll step off of the cliff.” Kris’ trembling voice echoed against the sounds of the ocean crashing against the sides of the cliff far below. Despite Kris’ warning, Cyrus stepped closer.

“You know that if you fall off of the cliff, you won’t die,” he said firmly, his eyes shifting from her face to the knife.

“Fine,” Kris spat through clinched teeth, gripping the knife in both hands and bringing it level to her chest. “I KNOW this will kill me, right?!!” She screamed. Cyrus flinched, the memory of the Temple of Dimension obviously crossing through his mind.

But Cyrus was past words. If Kris couldn’t be persuaded to put the knife down, he would have to physically take it from her. Before Kris could do or say anything else, he teleported forward and grabbed her wrist, twisting it in an attempt to make her let go. Kris didn’t grimace at the pain that must have shot through her arm. She twisted away from him, trying to wrench herself from his grasp. She continued to struggle and kick as Cyrus held on fast, unfazed by her attempts to break free. Finally, she stopped fighting and let the knife slip from her hand. It landed and stuck in the earth beside her feet, no longer a threat to her. She ducked her head as Cyrus released his trip on her arm. She refused to look him in the eye for a few seconds. Suddenly, she spoke.

“I don’t know how long I can stand to be here,” she whispered. “I’ve lost…everything, but…” She opened her eyes, crystal tears sparkling on the edges of her vision. She finally looked him in the eye as she whispered, “What if I loose you, too?”

Her statement…no, question…hit Scarlet hard. In fact, it hit her so hard that an image, a reality, settled in her mind. What if she lost Ampharos? Or Volkner? She had already lost her parents, just like Kris had. But, unlike Kris, she hadn’t found a…father figure. She smiled. Who would have ever though of Cyrus as a father figure?

But as she watched Cyrus hold Kris tight as she sobbed, Scarlet knew then exactly why Cyrus wanted to free Kris. He had loved her as if she had been his daughter.

For the first time in weeks, Scarlet cried.
 

Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
Hi! Said I would come check this out, and so I did. It took me a bit to get past the beginning (nothing bad, just that I emphathize very well and it's horrendous to get through very dark sections), but this is a nice story. Original plot idea, as dealing with one threat when everyone thinks the true threat is gone is a good touch. There's some great characters in this too; Gardenia adds a nice lightening to a heavy story and several of them have layers (which is always great).

There is the problem of the past overshadowing the present at times. And typos that could be fixed with a careful reading before posting. Like this: 'as if she didn’t…couldn’t…she her surroundings.'

At least you noticed the lack of Pokemon in the middle. That really bugged me. Scarlet has six Pokemon, but we've only seen her Ampharos. I would have liked to see more of the others, like the Golduck, Cherrim, or Finneon. As it is, there seems to be absolutely no point in Rowan returning them to her at the beginning. And nothing more was made of Turtwig not being evolved. Since Scarlet said that it would evolve someday soon, it's a bit disappointing that nothing's come of that yet.

This story could almost go without the normal Pokemon, but thankfully, you partly fixed the issue with these last two chapters, with Kris' Umbreon dying and Scarlet worrying about Amp. And it helped when Giratina showed warmth in that one vision (I really loved that moment). So with only a few more chapters to go, I hope they get to show up and do something. Because when the world's in danger, what you really need by your side is a Cherrim! Hehe.

But great work overall. I liked a lot of this, made for a nice evening read.
 
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chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Ysavvryl: Welcome, and thank you! Unfortunately, Scarlet's Pokemon won't be showing up...until the next fic. :) Glad you liked it.

Three more chapters, guys. You've been on a roller coaster, right? The next three chapters are going to be at downhill speed. :)

And it’s the start of the third week of my summer program. Things are going great down here, though it is deathly hot sometimes. Looking ahead as far as chapters go, I don’t believe this will exceed 35 chapters. The final battle is about to begin and it will wind down quickly. So, I project an ending point of around the last part of August, a full year after the start of Aftermath. Here’s chapter 28.



Chapter 28
Love



Scarlet ran her hands along the smooth surface of the sheets on her bed, the cotton nearest her head damp with her tears. She could feel a warm, strong hand on her shoulder, and she relaxed, giving in to the warm pleasure of the soft comforter and sheets.

“Scarlet?” Volkner’s voice broke through her thoughts, keeping her from drifting off into an inviting sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, relief flooding through her at the sight of his piercing blue gaze. She wondered faintly if Volkner had found her outside of the gym complex or if someone else had.

Damian’s gaze of hatred flashed in her mind, driving her to more tears. Volkner waited until she had calmed her sobbing before he asked, “You let Damian go, didn’t you?”

Though she had always known Volkner as an observant young man, she was struck with surprise at his detection and accuracy. He knew how at odds she had been over her relationship with Damian. She nodded a confirmation to his question.

He looked up and fixed his gaze on a point outside of the window, “I guess the only thing to do now is to throw ourselves into this fight with all that we’ve got.” He lowered his gaze to meet hers. “So that we won’t have any regrets, no matter what the outcome is.”

She smiled and threw her arms around his neck. “Thanks, Volkner. I needed someone to say that.”

A few minutes later, the small group congregated in the lobby of the Hall of Fame, each ready to face their fate. Kirio approached Scarlet as everyone milled about, talking nervously. “Did you have another vision?” He asked, his eyes slightly dull with grief. Scarlet wondered what was wrong. Maybe he had not slept well…or couldn’t sleep. The closer they came to their face-off with the demons, the more nervous they became. Gardenia stood on the other side of the room, looking as if she might cry from nervousness.
“Yes, I did,” Scarlet answered. “One of Umbreon’s death.” Kirio blinked and lowered his head, smiling sadly.

“Luckily, Nurse Joy made a mistake. Umbreon didn’t die. We found that out later.”

A few minutes later, Scarlet found herself on the road to the Cave of Origin, lagging behind most of the group with Volkner. They didn’t talk, just held hands the entire way. Each step brought more anxiety to Scarlet’s mind. Was she strong enough to face the demons? Would they kill her before she could put up a fight? She gripped Volkner’s hand tighter and their eyes met. Quiet understanding came between them and they turned their eyes back to the road.

Everyone was quiet. Even Rowan was nervous, which unnerved the rest even more. He clutched an open book in both hands, the pages fluttering in the wind, but his eyes on the road ahead. The book shook in his hands. Of course he’s nervous, Scarlet thought, he’s the only one in our group who doesn’t have legendary powers. Rowan had told Max to stay behind at the Hall of Fame for the boy’s safety and had bravely decided that he would accompany the seven powers to the Cave of Origin.

It took them half an hour to reach the archway of the temple. Everyone was completely rattled by the time they entered into the marble passageway, and no one had said a word since the group left the Hall of Fame.

From he beginning, Scarlet had not thought of herself as the leader of the group, though she knew the power she had inherited was the strongest and she was the one Kris had chosen to receive her visions. Scarlet had let Rowan and Kirio take the job of leader throughout the ordeal. But now, she felt as if she should give a speech about their face-off to the group to calm them down. She decided against it; she was too anxious to do any public speaking.

The air was cool inside of the Hall of Origin as if the temple held an ancient air conditioner in its walls. The seven encircled the altar that held the six grooved semicircular indentions, casting anxious looks at each other as they took out the orbs and placed them simultaneously on the altar. The lights in the orbs dimmed, and Scarlet held her breath.

Shadows started to spread out across the grooves in the altar’s surface, reaching the ground and fanning out around the table’s base. They backed up, warily watching the shadows spread even further across the floor. Kirio’s eyes widened in recognition and he groaned. “They’ve been Shadowficated.”

Scarlet felt tears come to her eyes. After everything that they worked for, after everything they had done, they had lost the orbs to the demons. But, how had they been Shadowficated? “Who did this?” She asked aloud, her hands gripping the altar with both fear and anger. She gazed around at the table until her eyes met Damian’s, and realization crept into her mind as Damian’s mouth twisted up into a smirk. “Damian…”

Damian slowly backed away from the altar, positioning himself in the middle of the three statues of Quamachi. As realization dawned on each member of the group, a heavy silence fell down over the chamber. No one spoke until Scarlet walked forward.

“Damian…why?” The past half year’s events flashed in her mind. Damian must have made this decision a while ago. Either that or he had been Shadowficated without their knowing. It made so much sense.

“You are all fools!” He spat, crossing his arms over his chest. “For weeks, the evidence was right in front of you and you refused to see it. Don’t you see that the only way to save yourself is to follow what the demons tell us to do? I made a pact and am no longer in danger of being destroyed.”

Scarlet lunged for him, but Volkner held her back. “Let me handle him,” he whispered. Letting her go, he transformed into his legendary form, as did Damian. They stared each other down. Before Scarlet could see the fight start, darkness fell over her eyes once again.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

Scarlet stood in a field of snow, flakes flying around her in the wind. A few yards away from her stood Kris and Kirio, their arms wrapped around each other. Kris broke away and took an Aquapolian crystal colored Poke Ball from her belt. She looked up at Kirio, then turned to a small stone archway. They knelt down and buried the Poke Ball in the snow. Kris turned and smiled at Kirio.

“Maybe our children will train him one day.”

The statement pounded in Scarlet’s ears. Finally, she knew why Kris had been trapped.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

Colors spun into Scarlet’s vision and she moaned, feeling hands grasp her wrists and drag her away from the blinding lights flashing around the room. A blast of pink energy slammed into the floor beside Scarlet, narrowly missing her stomach. She forced her eyes open, revealing Saturn and Kirio as the Aquapolians who had dragged her away from the battle going on between the powers of time and space. Kris’ statement pounded in her head. She couldn’t think of anything else. The urge to find Kris tore at her and she jumped up, knocking Saturn aside. He protested loudly as she moved for the opening of the passageway that led out of the hall.

“Scarlet! Where are you going?!” Kirio’s voice faded behind her as she flew down the corridors of the temple, envisioning the small archway buried in the snow. She wondered briefly is she could teleport to Sinnoh from the Cave of Origin.

Her stomach lurched forward and she felt cold, icy flecks of snow bite against the skin of her cheek. Snow blinded her vision, whipping up into a furious snowstorm. She tried to push through the snow, holding her arms up in front of her face in an attempt to stop snow from getting in her eyes.

Her foot snagged on what felt like a rock face, and she tumbled over into the snow. She let her hand trail across the rock, revealing it to be in the shape of an arch. Her pulse quickened and she plunged her hand into the snow, pushing the drifts away and digging deeper and deeper. For a split second, she wondered if it wasn’t there. But then, she felt the cold, smooth surface underneath her fingertips, and her heart leapt for joy as she pulled the Aquapolian crystal Poke Ball out of the snow. She was so moved by this final revelation, tears started to slide down her cheeks.

“Finally…” she whispered. “Finally, she can be free.”

------------

The battle in the Hall of Origin was getting intense as Volkner and Damian continued to attack each other with waves and slices of psychic energy. Neither wanted to back down, and hatred had kindled a fire in their hearts. Though they fought hard, the battle was going nowhere.

Volkner backed up, deflecting yet another of Damian’s blasts. He needed to speed up the battle. The word time started to echo in his head, growing louder and louder. Finally, a pulse of energy flooded the room, throwing everyone back.

“Volkner, be careful! You don’t know what could happen if you use the power of time incorrectly!” Mars yelled.

------------

The trip back to the cave of Origin was a fast one. Scarlet was eager to return the Poke Ball to the Hall of Origin. She knew it was the key to Kris’ entrapment and that it must be returned. She rounded yet another corner and came to a halt, frozen by who she saw.

Cyrus stood a few feet away from her, but this was no vision. It was really him. Scarlet stood still, frozen by surprise. He simply nodded to the Poke Ball in her hand. “Is that it?” She nodded. “Then you need to get to the Hall of Origin.”

Scarlet started to run again, but another question flashed in her mind. She stopped and turned back to Cyrus. “How did you die?”
He hesitated for a few minutes before he answered. “Kirio killed me.” Surprise flashed across Scarlet’s face, but before she could start to doubt Kirio’s loyalty to their cause, Cyrus added, “The Shadow forced him to do it.”

The scene at the Temple of Dimension played itself over again in Scarlet’s head. Kirio had not been himself when he became Shadowficated. He transformed from a silent and strong trainer into a cruel and heartless demon. It was possible that he would have been cruel enough to kill in cold blood.

“What are you doing here?” Scarlet asked. She itched to get back to the Hall of Origin, but now that she was finally face to face with Cyrus, she needed answers.

“There must have been a disturbance in time here in the temple. I died here, which must be why the disturbance brought me…temporarily…back.” He met her gaze. “You need to go on ahead to the Hall.” He smiled. “Kris is waiting for you.”

Excitement surged up inside Scarlet’s chest as she ran ahead.

Things would be settled, and with the Chosen One by her side, Scarlet could see a bright light shining in the future.
 
Okay, the last part of Chapter 28 was confusing. How did Scarlet go from the Hall of Origin to Snowpoint Temple (and I'm not even sure if it was Snowpoint Temple >_>) in such short notice? Did she teleport or something? If she did, it wasn't clear enough.

The last bit with Cyrus was cool, though, but I also didn't know where they were. =P

That was a main sort-of problem in your recent chapters - the transition wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. The travel time they made from the Hall of Fame to the Cave of Origin was immensely short, whereas I remember that those two places are quite far away.

If they can teleport, disregard everything I have said.


There were some mistakes with spelling (to should be too, reading should be readying, etc), but overall I really like where this is going. That last vision, though the shortest, was one of my favorites [so far].

I do think you should put more description on the transformations. You describe the physical aspect quite well, but I feel the emotional/psychological aspect of it should also be expounded when necessary.

The revelation confused me, though. What's so important about that Pokeball? XD

Maybe I'll find out in the next chapter. =P

Which you should be writing right now! Great story, and I can't wait for the big battle.
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
Okay, the last part of Chapter 28 was confusing. How did Scarlet go from the Hall of Origin to Snowpoint Temple (and I'm not even sure if it was Snowpoint Temple >_>) in such short notice? Did she teleport or something? If she did, it wasn't clear enough.

The last bit with Cyrus was cool, though, but I also didn't know where they were. =P

That was a main sort-of problem in your recent chapters - the transition wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. The travel time they made from the Hall of Fame to the Cave of Origin was immensely short, whereas I remember that those two places are quite far away.

If they can teleport, disregard everything I have said.

I think she used her dimensional powers to travel through the Distortion World to the snowy place where that Pokeball was. The worlds overlap and she can control that, so it would explain a lot. Also, the Cave of Origin is not that far from the Hall of Fame, or was it the sinnoh one? If it was, disregard the last part.

A quick question, though. What happened to Ash? He is just in the visions and then he even disappears from them. Did he die? It's not in your wrap-up of The Final Battle, chosen_one.
 
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chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
DM: yeah...they teleported...XD And you will find out about the Poke Ball...soon.

Eon Master: If you remember the wrap up of the Last Battle...wow...well, Ash didn't die. He's just not around. He will be around in the next part of the series, but not that much. For the first few stories, he won't be around at all. And, yes, she did use her dimensional powers to travel. As far as the Cave of Origin, the Hall of Fame is situated in ever Grande, which is smack dab in the middle of the other five regions. The Cave of Origin is just north of it. Thank you! :)



Hello everyone! Well, this has to be the longest chapter I have ever written. It came out to 12 pages in length on Microsoft Word! It has a ton of action, but the action goes by fast. I am now predicting a finish date of mid to late July. Yay! So, expect about 3 to 4 more chapters Before Aftermath ends. Here’s chapter 29.




Chapter 29
Demons

The air in the Hall of Origin was thick with legendary energy. Both Damian and Volkner were tired out from dodging and releasing attacks. They stood on opposite sides of the altar, panting and glaring at each other. Damian made another move to lunge at Volkner, but he stopped short and turned around to look at the area that surrounded the three statues.

Shadows swirled around and around, twirling up into the air to form two figures. The darkness dissolved and Ojinan and Tess stepped forward. Damian stood at attention, and Volkner shrank back.

At the same time, Scarlet slipped into the chamber, coming up beside Kirio. Cyrus came in behind her, as did, of all people, Maxie. Mars’ eyes widened when she saw her brother, but she didn’t say a word.

“We have quite a group here,” Ojinan murmured, his eyes flicking across the room at each Aquapolian. They rested on Scarlet, and he gave her a cruel smile. “Including the Dimensional Warrior.”

Scarlet stepped forward, her hands trembling as she met the cold, black eyes of her adversary. His eyes seemed to flicker with amusement at the terrified expression on her face. “Why do you keep calling me the Dimensional Warrior?”

Ojinan’s smile grew larger as he motioned with his arm at the ruins covering the surfaces of the chamber’s walls. “You are referred to as the Dimensional Warrior in the legends. The Dimensional Warrior is to inherit the powers of Giratina and fight for the Chosen One’s freedom. Of course, the legends do not point out who wins that battle in the end.”

“But now that we have control over the six orbs, the odds are in our favor,” purred Tess, combing her hands through her thick red hair and smiling darkly at Kirio. Kirio glared back at the demon who had Shadowficated him in the Temple of Dimension. His hands tightened into fists, his mind urging him on to lunge for the demon, though he knew better to start the fight at that point.

Damian’s face was filled with both fear and pride. He had served his demonic masters well and betrayed those who fought for good. He could only feel pride in the fact that he Shadowficated the orbs under the seven’s noses and had fooled even Rowan into trusting him. Still, when dealing with the demons of the underworld, uncertainty reigns in the mortal’s heart as to whether or not the demons will keep up with their end of the bargain.

“Yes, and we have the vessel of the power of space to thank for that,” Ojinan commented, casting a glance at Damian. The trainer smiled warily. “He was a good servant to us.”

In the next few seconds, events passed by so quickly, no one had time to react to the situation before chaos ensued. Ojinan lifted one of his hands and snapped, the sound reverberating off of the marble walls. Instantly, the statue of Quamachi that represented the body started to move. It lifted its bow and arrow and marble flew through the air. Damian sank to the floor, clutching at his chest, where the arrow had pierced his heart. Panic flooded his eyes as he felt the life drain out of him and onto the floor. As soon as the life left his eyes and his Aquapolian pendant dissolved into the air, the Pearl Orb shattered, leaving fragments of pink Aquapolian crystal spread across the chamber floor.

“The power of space’s vessel has been destroyed and the power has been set into chaos! Palkia is no more. Now, to destroy the other legendary vessels!” Ojinan cried out. Shadows filled the hall and materialized into demons. Scarlet noted that every single one was young and beautiful in a cruel and heartless way. Their appearances were deceptive, leading mortals to believe that their souls were as beautiful as their looks.

The demons encircled the group, but were too late to stop Scarlet. One indention was carved into the very middle of the altar where the remaining five orbs sat. Scarlet dove forward and jammed the Aquapolian crystal Poke Ball into the indention and immediately disappeared. Ojinan watched as his demons chose their opponents, one for each of the remaining Aquapolians. No matter that the Dimensional Warrior was about to reveal the Chosen One’s whereabouts. If they could destroy the other four powers, he would take care of the power of dimension easily.

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The air shifted around me. Was there actually air in this small dimension? I had always thought of it as a vacuum. Of course, I could survive in a vacuum, so it did not matter to me whether or not I could breathe in the place where I was chained. I screech startled me. It was Palkia’s voice. Tears sprang to my eyes. I was not able to fight in the battle that was obviously raging between the…five powers. One had already been destroyed. I prayed for the poor Aquapolian whose life had been ended cruelly. It was not his fault that he had been forced into the demon’s service in the first place. He had had such a pure soul before Ojinan chose him to Shadowficate.
But now that he was gone, the world’s forces were unbalanced as the power of space spun into chaos.

I shifted my position again, trying to shake off the ache in my wrists from the chains that kept me bound to the black floor of the dimension. It was completely black, actually. I could not tell whether I had my eyes closed or not.
I felt the air shift again, but this time, a felt a warm presence in the dimension, my prison. A form started to materialize in front of me, colors and shapes swirling around until I came face to face with a girl who was the same age as I had been a mere few weeks before. I felt a rush of joy surge over my heart and relief flooded my mind.

Finally, the Dimensional Warrior had come for me.

She looked younger than I had remembered. Maybe it was the situation that she was in. She was probably as scared as I had been when facing my own demons. I noticed her long purple hair and dark clothing. She was my opposite in looks, but as I looked into her dark brown eyes, I saw the soul of a warrior stirring in her body. She may have been scared, but she was one to never back down when faced with her end. I smiled and she smiled back at me, mirroring my relief. It was so good to finally see her after all of the painful visions I gave her.

“You must be Kris…” She murmured, looking over my white dress and long golden blonde hair. Her eyes lingered over the chains that she would be releasing me from in a few moments.

“And you must be Scarlet. You’ve finally…come.” I cursed myself for the tears rushing so easily to my eyes. I thought that mortal emotions would come harder after my earthly body died. Alas, though, I had always been an emotional angel. Before she released me, I needed to remind her of one last thing. “We have met before. Do you remember?”

Her eyes widened. “No, I don’t believe so.” I smiled and transferred us into one last vision.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

The sound of a huge crowd pounded in my ears and I opened my eyes. The Indigo Plateau stadium was enormous, packed with hundreds…no, thousands…of spectators. Scarlet and I stood only a few feet away from two young trainers sitting side by side in the participants’ box. One had long golden blonde hair and huge Aquapolian crystal blue eyes. She was dressed in a light blue and black tank top, a red mini skirt, and long black boots. The other had long purple hair and equally large brown eyes. She was decked out in a long black shirt, pants, and boots. Unlike the girl beside her, the purple haired trainer fidgeted in her seat. She was obviously nervous about the upcoming tournament.

“Is this your first conference?” The golden haired girl asked. The other nodded, too nervous to speak. “It’s mine, too.” She smiled, not looking nervous at all, though I knew full well that she had been scared to death that day. “My name’s Kris. I’m from Pallet Town here in Kanto.”

“I’m Scarlet. My hometown is Veilstone City in Sinnoh.”

“Wow…I’ve never been to Sinnoh before. I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”

Scarlet nodded. “It is, but my journey through Kanto was very pleasant.”

“Are you okay?” Kris asked, nodding to Scarlet’s shaking hands.

“Yeah, I’m fine…”

“Just remember…your Pokemon brought you to this point. If you do your best, they will reward you with their best.”

Scarlet smiled. “Thank you. Thank you very much…”

The vision faded out of our sight. As we came back to reality, we heard the announcer open up the Indigo Conference preliminaries.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

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The battle in the Hall of Origin was getting more fierce by the second. Everyone fought, even Rowan, against the demonic host. The five remaining powers in the chamber transformed to fight and legendary attacks flew through the air. Volkner backed up from the demon who repeatedly tried to beat Volkner down with a range of dark and ghost attacks. Volkner backed up into another person, turning to see Kirio glaring at the demon across the way from both of them. Volkner steeled himself again and tried once more to use the power of time to beat down the attackers.

Space warped around him and he thudded to the ground, darkness surrounding him and Kirio. He looked around and realized with a sinking heart that they were in a completely different dimension. He had brought the demon he was fighting along for the ride as well as Maxie, who had been fighting nearby when Volkner tried his attack.

“Great going,” Kirio muttered. Volkner shot him an angry look.

“Did you even practice with your powers before you came into the temple?” Maxie asked. Volkner groaned. He didn’t need someone else railing on him for not knowing how to control the power of time. The demon stepped forward, and Volkner smirked. He was outnumbered. Then, four more demons materialized in the dimension and Volkner’s heart sank.

Without turning to look at Maxie, he asked, “ So, you taught Kris how to use the six powers, right? Any tips for me?”

Maxie shook his head and crossed his arms. “I wasn’t the one who taught her how to use the power of time.”

Volkner cursed. Maxie was right; Volkner suddenly wished he had brought Cyrus with them into the dimension. He was the obvious choice of mentor for Kris to learn the powers of time, space, and dimension from. There were now five demons for the three Aquapolians to fight. Luckily, one of the Aquapolians was already dead, so he couldn’t be killed again… Volkner clinched his fists and faced the demon he had been fighting when he sent out the pulse of time energy. They would just have to fight the demons with everything they had.

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Scarlet and I stood in inky darkness once again, the sounds of the conflict inside the Hall of Origin pounding in our ears. I was starting to get nervous and I itched to fight. Scarlet sensed this and turned to me, her eyes set wit determination. Finally, she would speak the words…the truth…that would free me.

“I know why you are trapped. After all of the visions you have sent me, you finally gave me the reason why you are being punished.” Scarlet cocked her head to the side. “It’s a strange reason, but I’m sure there is an explanation behind it. You are trapped because you are pregnant with Kirio’s child.”

A tingling sensation filled my arms and the chains that bound me to my prison fell away. I gave Scarlet a determined smile. “Let’s go fight some demons.”

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The Hall of Fame was silent. Both the powers and the demons were exhausted from the ferocious battle that was still going on. Even Cyrus was tired, though he was beyond being critically injured. Gardenia was slumped on the floor, her wings sweeping out on either side of her and her opponent gripping his sides with pain from a serious wound she had inflicted on him.

Suddenly, a loud sound burst forth from the altar on which sat the five orbs and the Aquapolian Poke Ball. The statues of Quamachi started to shimmer as if they were made of light. Scarlet silently stepped out of one, walking to the side as the statue she stepped out of started to change shape. Scarlet’s legendary form replaced the embodiment of the Chosen One’s mind. Scarlet gazed at it for a few seconds before the embodiment of the Chosen One’s soul started to shine brighter.

Instead of Kris appearing out of the statue, a familiar, small, and cuddly pink creature appeared out of it, squeaking “Mew!” as she flew toward Scarlet. Scarlet laughed and hugged the little legendary who had led her to the start of her quest to find Kris. Mew squealed with delight despite the ominous circumstances surrounding the gathering in the Hall of Origin.

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For the first time in weeks, I found myself in the Hall of Origin, gazing around at the many statues and ruins and breathing in the deep air of the chamber, strangely and disturbingly absent of legendary energy. I looked around, picking out the Aquapolians who stood in the chamber. There was Gardenia, the Eterna City gym leader, whom I had battle only a few months prior. There were Saturn and Mars, both former commanders of Team Galactic. Professor Rowan was there as well, the man who had given me my Sinnoh starter and who had stuck beside the Legendary Team during the last part of the Great War. And, of course, there was Cyrus. I smiled sadly, knowing that both he and I had met our fates at the end of the war.

But people were missing. Where were Kirio, the power of time, and Maxie? I knew that Kirio had been forced into taking Darkrai’s powers and that Maxie had to be present as well. I frowned in frustration. I didn’t have time to find them. I had to come up with a solution for the chaotic presence of the power of space.

Every demon in the chamber, upon seeing me, shrank back in horror. Even Tess, whom I knew from previous encounters before my appearance on Earth, was frightened. She probably expected me to never be able to challenge her again. She glanced around at the other demons and back at Ojinan, who stood behind me. I turned to meet his eyes and he smiled, signaling his demons to leave the chamber. They faded, leaving him alone with the rest of the Aquapolians.

“Ah…Chosen One, we meet again after a…terribly long time. It’s been thousands of years, hasn’t it?” He asked, giving me a cruel smile. “You are free, but you are too late. One power has already been released. I will soon destroy the other five vessels and shadows will overtake this realm.”

I knew I was overconfident, but I had always been in the face of adversity. I smiled right back him and declared, “You underestimate my decisions. The Dimensional Warrior will stop you and your demonic host.”

Ojinan had the gall to laugh in my face. “She has no training whatsoever. And she is…no angel as you are, Quamachi.” He gave me a mock bow. I clinched my teeth, anger boiling up inside of me. Still, I felt so…alive dealing with demons once again. I turned and grabbed Scarlet, taking her over to the side.

“Scarlet.” I looked her squarely in the eye. “You must face Ojinan by yourself. Giratina will guide you. I chose you for a reason. I believe that you will face him and be victorious.” Scarlet trembled for only a second before sound resolution filled her gaze. She nodded, silent as she stepped forward to face Ojinan.
“I’m ready to face you now,” she said, looking him firmly in the eyes. I smiled. She was finally ready to face her fate. I had no doubt that she would be able to defeat Ojinan. It was all up to her. Still, I had a mission of my own to complete. What was I going to do about the power of space? I needed to find a new vessel soon before more damage could be done to the Earth.

Ojinan stepped forward until he and Scarlet stood only a few feet apart. “Very well, then. Why don’t we carry this to another dimension?” The air around them started to shift and change, bending and swirling as they disappeared from the Hall of Origin. They would fight in an alternate dimension away from the rest of the powers. I turned back to the Aquapolians left in the chamber. I had some work to do.

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Volkner slammed into Kirio, causing both young Aquapolians to slide across the cold, hard surface of the dimension they were in. They had already defeated two of the demons, leaving them at equal numbers to fight. The demon Volkner was fighting threw him into Kirio, the dark-type glaring at him as they struggled to their feet. It wasn’t his fault that the demon had decided to toss him around the dimension. He looked over to where Maxie was fighting another demon. Fire flew everywhere, and the demon already had several burn marks running down his face. Volkner wished that he had as much control over the power of time as Maxie did over his actual fire powers.

Volkner’s demon took this opportunity to slam his fist into Volkner’s face, sending him flying back. Kirio swung around and knocked both his own opponent and Volkner’s back with a Dark Pulse. Volkner sprang forward and slammed into his adversary, hitting him again and again with a mixture of electric and psychic attacks. Still, the demon did not back down. Rage flew through Volkner’s mind and Dialga’s roar filled his ears. He grasped the demon, energy flowing into and through the demon’s body. He screamed as time started to age his body against his will and against the laws of immortality. His body started to decompose, finally settling as dust on the floor of the dimension.

The battle between Kirio, Maxie, and their respective demons ceased, and the demons, terror flickering in their eyes, disappeared. Kirio sighed in relief and sunk to the ground, weak from a gash that a demon had made in his side. Volkner turned around and looked questioningly at Maxie.

“Now that you know how to use the power of time, why don’t we get out of this dimension?”

------------

The dimension that Scarlet found herself in was completely different from the one Kris had been imprisoned within. For one thing, it was bright as day inside the space that encircled Scarlet and Ojinan. For another, this dimension actually contained a large colloseum in which Scarlet and Ojinan stood. It was obviously an ancient Aquapolian stadium, it’s columns carved with swirls of marble and images of the legendaries. The seats were completely empty, and a harsh silence reigned over the bleachers. There was no wind, no movement of air. It felt as if time and space stood still in anticipation of the upcoming conflict. She turned to look at Ojinan. She knew nothing of the rules of the ancient Aquapolian duels that had taken place in Aquapolis millennia before. Surely, their fight would take place inside these rules. Unless the rules didn’t apply to angels or demons, in which case, Scarlet would have to pray that Giratina was strong enough to protect her.

Ojinan gazed around at the stadium. “A perfect place to hold a duel, don’t you agree?” He paced back and forth across his side of the battle field, his inky black boots kicking up small clouds of dust from the bare ground. Nothing alive lived within the dimension, not even plants. “And in this conflict, you must understand that we will be fighting to the…well, until one of us is destroyed, since I do not have to worry about death.” He smiled his cruel smile once again, but instead of terror, disgust welled up in Scarlet. She would put Ojinan in her place, and wondered a second at her sudden confidence towards the upcoming battle.

“Now, let’s see what powers Giratina will grant to you.”

------------

I stepped closer to the Aquapolians who remained in the Hall of Origin. Saturn was sitting on the floor, panting hard as he clutched his right arm. From the way it hung by his side, I knew it was broken. I knelt down beside him and he looked up at me, relief flooding his eyes as the bones in his arm healed at my touch. After I had healed Gardenia of a few gashes across her side and Mars of a…quite ironic…burn wound on her face, I turned to Rowan and Cyrus. “The power of space is in chaos. Palkia has been destroyed.” I ducked my head. I had known Palkia as well as the other five powers for quite some time. Things would be different now that he no longer existed. “Another vessel must be chosen, but this new vessel must be permanent.” I looked up to run my gaze over the other Aquapolians in the room. They were quiet and attentive, their gazes trained on me, though I could sense fear in several of them.

“The new vessel must be either an angel or an Aquapolian who has legendary blood running through their veins. Alas, I can not take this job. I have things I must deal with after this conflict is over. Any suggestions at all? Should I choose and Aquapolian or an angel?” It was strange to be asking Aquapolians for their opinion in this matter. Normally, it would be up to the angels in the Angel Council and the other five powers to come up with suggestions for the next vessel.

As I waited for an answer, I let my eyes train on Cyrus for a few minutes. I tried to communicate my gratitude to him without any words. He had helped me so much during my imprisonment. He had helped me so much during my life on Earth. Then, in that moment, he did the most surprising thing I had ever known a person to do. He closed his eyes for a few moments, then opened them again, his gaze trained on mine. “I’ll do it.”

Everyone turned to look at him, shocked expressions crossing over everyone’s faces, even Rowan’s. I froze, unable to speak for a few minutes. Then, I forced a few words to come out of my mouth. “Are you sure?” He nodded without any hesitation, his eyes still fixed on mine. I bit the inside of my mouth, trying desperately not to cry. He was giving up an eternity of rest for an eternity of responsibility. He had come such a long way since we first met months before.

I sighed. There was no more time to be lost. We needed to get the ceremony out of the way. I needed to make him into a legendary before the power of space wrecked any more havoc upon the Earth.

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Scarlet dodged to the side, slipping through the air easily as a blast of dark energy flew by her, traveling at an incredible speed. A look of surprise cross Ojinan’s face for a fraction of a second before his next attack slammed into Scarlet, sending her flying into the dust on the other side of the stadium. The attack had not damaged her much, just knocked the wind out of her. She jumped to her feet, getting ready for her own attack. The air shifted in the telltale way that signaled a dimensional blast. Ojianan countered with a barrier that withstood the blast for a few minutes before it cracked, narrowly grazing his shoulder as he teleported out of the way.

“Pretty impressive, Dimensional Warrior,” Ojinan commented as he reappeared a few feet away from a column that depicted a carving of Celebi on its marble surface. “I did not expect your powers to be this strong after only a few weeks of holding Giratina’s power. No wonder the Chosen One chose you to follow her visions.” He walked backward, another shadowy blast flying forward and slamming into the invisible barrier that surrounded Scarlet. Purple light filled her vision as she pushed the blast back, focusing on her next attack. She raced forward, wondering if she could get close enough for a physical attack.

As she flew forward to lash out at Ojinan, he grabbed her wrist, sending pulses of dark energy through her body. She cried out in pain, her nerves screaming at the burning sensation that filled her flesh. He dropped her and she teleported back, vowing never to use a physical attack against him for the remainder of the fight.

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It didn’t take long for Volkner to figure out how to travel back to the right dimension. Before I could refresh my memory by reading the ruins on the chamber’s walls, Volkner, Kirio, and Maxie reentered the Hall of Origin. I redirected my gaze away from Kirio. I needed to concentrate, and the expression on Kirio’s face was too longing for me to resist. I scanned the ruins, running my fingers across the indentions in the cool marble surface of the walls. Finally, I found the passage I needed. It detailed in full the ceremony that only a few angels could perform to enable a vessel to hold one of the six powers permanently. I nodded, quickly, memorizing the passage and turning to Cyrus.

“Come and stand in the middle of the statues.” I motioned to the three statues, two which depicted my body and soul and one that depicted Scarlet’s legendary form. Cyrus stepped up into the middle of the circle formed by the three statues and I took my place at the altar where the five orbs and the Aquapolian Poke Ball sat. I looked at the Poke Ball for a few seconds, nostalgia attacking my mind, before I looked back up at the cross carved into the ceiling of the chamber. I suddenly remembered I needed something to complete the ceremony.

I edged toward the statue, the representation of my soul, and glanced at Cyrus nervously. What I was about to do would cause us both to relive a part of our lives that neither of us wanted to remember. I wrapped my hand around the hilt of the statues sword and pulled it from its grip. It shifted, shortening into a small knife. I felt Cyrus tense beside me, and his eyes follow my movements as I walked back to the altar. No one in the chamber said a word, which was good. I needed silence for the ceremony to work.

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The battle between Scarlet and Ojinan was going no where. They attacked each other and deflected each burst of energy. The only positive of their stalemate was that Scarlet was giving Ojinan a hard time. He had to use a good deal of energy to deflect her attacks, which unnerved him a bit. He had thought that the battle would be quick. He was wrong. After a half and hour of battling, he decided it was time for him to bring forth the mind tricks.

Scarlet lunged for the demon once again, bouncing off of a shield and landing harmlessly on her feet. Suddenly, her vision started to shift and cries filled her ears. She recognized her parents’ voices and the voices of her dead Pokemon companions. Lucas’ voice joined them, a combined wail of the dead shocking her to the core. She fell to her knees, tears flowing down her cheeks. She started to scream as well, trying to overpower the voices in her head.

Ojinan laughed as his victim struggled with her memories. Scarlet tried to force them out, but they kept on coming…

Remember….Remember what you are fighting for…and whom you are fighting for.

The strange voice echoed in her head and Giratina’s eyes filled her vision. It was Giratina speaking to her, it had to be him….She imagined Ampharos, Kris…Volkner... The cries in her head ceased.

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I gazed down at the surface of the altar, checking my reflection in the Aquapolian Poke Ball. My reflection hadn’t changed in the weeks I had been imprisoned in another dimension. I looked back up at Cyrus, who stood facing away from the statue of my soul and toward me. I nodded and started the ceremony.

“Palkia, the legendary who held the power of the space for sixteen millennia is gone. But now, I, Quamachi, must promote a new vessel. I will create a new vessel through one of the legendary StarClan members, Cyrus Reeves. He will be the power of space for millennia to come.” After I finished my speech, I extended my left arm and lifted the knife in my right. Cyrus cringed, averting his eyes from the scene.

I felt no pain when I drew the knife across my left wrist and pressed my bloody hand against the indention where the Pearl Orb had once rested. Immediately, the ruins in the chamber started to glow with a pearly pink light. The eyes in the three statues glowed the same color as the room exploded with light energy.

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Scarlet pushed herself to her feet and lifted her head, meeting Ojinan’s eyes. The voices he had placed in her head had not only weighed her down emotionally, but physically, too. She searched her mind for strategies, going through all she knew about dimensions and demons. Ojinan followed her nervous movements with his eyes. “I will let you make the next move, Dimensional Warrior, but please, do not try my patience.”

To stall for time, Scarlet sent a small blast of energy Ojinan’s way, the attack shattering in mid-air. Was there some super attack she could use to destroy him? Could she trick him into surrendering? Could she turn his powers against him? She looked around at her surroundings, simultaneously teleporting out of the way of a powerful Dark Pulse. Could she shift the dimension in some way?

The solution hit her hard, literally causing her to gasp. It was perfect. But…how was she to pull it off? First things first, though. She wanted to teach Ojinan a little lesson before she destroyed him.

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The pink light faded after a few minutes as did the trickle of blood from my wrist. It took a few seconds more for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting of the Hall of Origin. As my vision came back into focus, I looked up at Cyrus, whose appearance was unchanged by the ceremony. His arms were crossed over in front of his face in attempt to shield his eyes from the light. The slowly brought them down and opened them. They had changed color from blue-grey to a soft pearl color. I smiled sadly.

Things would be different from then on.
 

shadow_wolf

Well-Known Member
Hi.

Have to admit i really like this fic, its different from a lot of the fics ive read.

Loved this chapter but this is the first time im gonna commit to leaving a comment behind. Thought this chapter really kinda sped up the pace of the story as the battles finally started coming through. Would be nice to see if Scarlet's plan actually works and mainly how she plans to do it.

Sorry this is rather a rubbish review!
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
I acctually did not remember the wrap-up of The Final Battle, so I went back and re-read it XD
 
Only have one comment.

He grasped the demon, energy flowing into and through the demon’s body. He screamed as time started to age his body against his will and against the laws of immortality. His body started to decompose, finally settling as dust on the floor of the dimension.

Win. XD


Overall really good chapter, though there were some paragraphs that weren't separated properly by a line break. But damn, this is getting really awesome.

Good job. =)
 

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Eon Master, and Dramatic Melody...get ready...

For this is the last chapter.

So, it has finally arrived. Chapter 30, the final chapter of Aftermath. I’ll do all of the announcements after this chapter, so sit back and enjoy the last chapter !




Chapter 30:
Electricity




Scarlet backed further away from Ojinan, putting distance between herself and the demon. She knew she needed to dispatch of him quickly, but she wanted to beat him down first; make him feel real pain. She closed her eyes, focusing on a point in the dimension between her and Ojinan. The demon smiled. “It is time to end this, but first…” His eyes shone for a brief second and Scarlet gasped, but not in pain. Volkner’s voice resounded in her head, but his words were incoherent. He was crying out in pain, and Scarlet had no doubt that he was in pain in his position in the Hall of Origin. She clinched her teeth in anger. Ojinan was causing him the pain. Fine then, Ojinan would feel more pain than Scarlet had planned to inflict on him before.

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I heard Volkner cry out behind me, breaking through the thoughts bouncing around in my head. Turning around, I instantly knew there was nothing we could do to stop the attack. It was coming from outside of the Hall, maybe even outside of the dimension. “Stay back!” I snapped at Gardenia, who had stepped forward to see if he was okay. “The attack could travel through him to you.” I clinched my fists together and silently prayed that Scarlet was close to defeating Ojinan.

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Scarlet’s dimensional beam hit its target, slamming Ojinan into the side of the stadium with an immense force of energy. He slumped to the ground, down, but not out. Scarlet trembled with anger, spurned on by the insistent voice in her head. She could hear Volkner speak to her. “Concentrate on the battle, Scarlet, not on me.”

The space around her started to bend and sway and Ojinan jumped to his feet, believing it to be another dimensional beam. It would be far worse. Scarlet smirked, a far crueler expression on her face than Ojinan could ever express. “Good-bye, demon.” Then, she simply disappeared. Ojinan could not believe that she would run from the battle in such a cowardly fashion. He started to teleport out of the dimension as well, then froze. He couldn’t move. Realization dawned on him and fear ran cold through his veins.

The dimension started to crumble slowly, then within a few seconds, it imploded on itself, self destructing and destroying the demon entirely.

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Volkner cried out a few more times before he finally slumped to the floor, panting, but with relief as the pain faded. I sighed, hoping that Scarlet had ended the fight with Ojinan. To my relief, a few seconds later, she appeared out of the statue of the Dimensional Warrior and bolted toward Volkner.

“Are you okay?” She asked as she knelt beside him, rubbing her hand on his back. He coughed several times and looked up to meet her eyes, which were close to spilling tears.

“Yes, thanks to you,” he smiled, struggling to his feet. I nodded, smiling as I watched the Pearl Orb appear once again on the altar in front of me, and the different Aquapolian vessels in the room shift back into their true forms. Ojinan had been destroyed, and the six powers were at rest. Maxie had disappeared once space and time had been restored, which made me sad. I really wanted to have a chance to speak to him before I went back to my eternal job. Cyrus remained, allowed to go wherever he wished due to his new immortal position.

I stepped forward, weaving around Volkner and Scarlet, who held each other in a tight embrace, and stopped in front of Kirio. Emotion pulsed through my mind, and before I could control myself, I reached up, kissed him, and threw my arms around his neck, sobbing softly. “I missed you so much.” He wrapped his arms around me and sighed.

“I was so afraid I lost you. Now, you’re back.” Neither of us spoke of the fact that I could not stay on the Earth with him forever. I needed to get back to heaven and start on my eternal job as an angel on the Angel Council.

“I..I need to talk to you.” I whispered, anxiousness causing me to tremble for a bit. I pulled away from him and walked back to the altar, scooping up the Aquapolian Poke Ball and smiling at Mew, who levitated in front of the three statues. “Thank you so much, my legendary friend.” Mew giggled and did a somersault in mid-air, rushing past the gathered Aquapolians and disappearing into a passageway leading away from the Hall of Origin. She had always been my favorite and closest legendary, which was why I chose her to help me and guide Scarlet to start her journey.

And a journey it was. I hoped that my memories had taught Scarlet a valuable lesson. Not many people were able to learn in such a way during their lifetime, or so early in their lifetime. I learned it too late; unfortunately, I was only able to apply it during my immortal life, when I was estranged from the mortals whom I was closest to.

I clutched Kirio’s arm and dragged him into a passageway so that we could walk and converse at the same time. The Cave of Origin was unblemished, looking exactly as it had sixteen millennia prior when it was built. Kirio cast an anxious glance in my direction, worry flickering only a little bit in his eyes. I laughed nervously. “Don’t worry, it isn’t bad news at all.” He relaxed a bit, but I could still feel how tightly his nerves were wound. He was still trying to shift his mind from battle mode to peaceful mode. I stopped, wanting to start the conversation out with his full attention. I looked away from his eyes, trying to breathe easily. Then, I looked him in the eye and plunged ahead with what I had to say.

“Kirio,” I took his hand and wrapped it in my own. “When I died, I was pregnant. Of course, you were…are…the father.” I paused for that statement to sink in. His face was frozen with shock, so I continued on. “The child will be allowed to live. Soon enough, she will walk this Earth after me.”

The pronoun grasped his attention. “She?” He continued to look at me with the same frozen expression. “You know…”

“Yes, I do. I want you to take care of her, Kirio.” As soon as I said it, I realized how much I was asking of him. He would have to give up his training career…his dream…to take care of a child. His was the second favor I had asked for that day. I held my breath in anticipation of his answer.

Slowly, his muscles relaxed. As always, I could see his mind working through all of the scenarios that were possible in this situation. Finally, I got my answer. “I have to admit, Kris…this is hard.” He averted his eyes for a second from my gaze. “But…I would be honored to take care of her.” A slow smile crept up on both of our faces and I laughed.

“Thank you, thank you so much.” Once again, my tough angel exterior crumbled and I cursed myself for showing such trivial mortal emotions. The years I spent as a mortal had left some definant impressions on me.

“So…I guess the next step is to give her a name?” Kirio asked. I hadn’t thought of that. I fell silent for a second, roaming through my mind for a name that held meaning…or at least would hold meaning in the future. I found one, and smiled.

“Katharine. I love that name…” As soon as I said it, Kirio smiled.

“You stole my choice!” He said in mock anger. We laughed, then fell silent once again. We knew that I could not stay much longer, and that just made it harder for us to part. Kirio frowned. “How long are you allowed to stay?”

I shook my head. No one had given me a definant time. I had not communicated with any of the Angel Council members since before I arrived on Earth sixteen years prior. Besides, we had some news to break to everyone in the Hall of Origin. Well, everyone except Scarlet, of course. Kirio knew what we had to do and grimaced, grasping my hand and squeezing it hard. “He’s going to kill me…” He groaned.

“True, but we have to tell him sometime,” I said. We turned around and walked back, facing up to the fact that things were about to get a little more complicated. As soon as we entered the Hall of Origin, I called everyone to attention. They fell silent and I felt my nerves kick up again. Why was it that I could face the strongest demons in hell, yet not make a small speech in front of less than ten Aquapolians? “Well…Kirio and I have something to tell you…” I clutched Kirio’s arm tighter. “I’m…pregnant.”

No gasps. No shouts. No angry expressions. Nothing. Just shock. Gardenia’s mouth dropped, but not sound came out. Scarlet smiled slightly, amused at the response to my declaration. Saturn blinked hard a few hundred times, unable to believe what I had just said. Volkner, Mars, and Rowan were just shocked into silence. As for Cyrus, he said nothing. No expression, no emotion…nothing, which made me a bit angry. After all the time I spent fixing his emotions, he still failed to act surprised at the fact that his sixteen year old niece was pregnant.

Finally, Scarlet clapped a few times and smiled wider. “Congratulations! Boy or girl?” I laughed, thankful for her save. Thankful to her for so much.

“Girl. We’ve named her Katharine, right?” I nudged Kirio, who nodded silently. I could tell he was blushing and watching Cyrus warily. Yes, he definantly had something to worry about. I decided to lengthen the discussion. “I’m sure you’re curious about what’s inside the Poke Ball.” I threw the Aquapolian Poke Ball into the air and released a tiny little scrap of brown and white fur. A squeak eminated from the infant Eevee. “He will be Katharine’s.” I announced. Finally, I got some smiles, and an “Awh…” from Gardenia.

Thankfully, the awkward scene ended and we collectively decided to return to Ever Grande. I had someone I needed to pick up at the Hall of Fame. Someone I wanted to bring with me back to heaven. Of course, the Hall of Fame hadn’t changed in the few weeks I had been dead and imprisoned. It was still the magnificent structure I remembered it to be. I walked on ahead of the small group with Scarlet, glancing back to see Cyrus and Kirio trailing behind, Kirio’s face no longer streaked with worry. I smiled. Cyrus was protective, but obviously, nothing could be done to prevent the situation from happening. He would just have to learn how to cope with it and not kill Kirio in the process.

Scarlet followed me into the trophy room, gazing around at the pictures of all of the famous trainers of our age. I approached the shelf on which my eleven trophies and sets of badges sat and sighed. If only I could have stayed long enough to go after my twelfth title.

“Kris, I have a question.” I turned to face Scarlet, knowing that she probably had many questions for me to answer. “If the reason why you were imprisoned was that you were pregnant, why did you show me all of the other visions? They were…disconnected from the fact.”

I smiled. “Scarlet, you lost your parents a few weeks ago, didn’t you?” She nodded and I continued. “You’ve lost your parents and your home. I know what that feels like. And, when I realized that I would have to garner your help through visions, I decided that I would teach you a lesson it took me far too long to learn. You MUST learn to appreciate your loved ones and the life you live. If you don’t, you could find yourself slipping away when the time comes to say good-bye to each of them. I made that mistake with Cyrus and Kirio. I lost Cyrus when he died and Kirio when I died. Now, I will probably never get to see Kirio again…” I willed myself not to cry. “…and I don’t want you to go through that same pain. Why? Because you will become a legend, Scarlet. You are the Dimensional Warrior who will fight against the Demon Council for the rest of eternity by my side. You must be strong. This lesson will make you strong.”

With that, I turned away and lifted a Poke Ball from my trophy shelf, releasing my dearest Pokemon friend. She shook her black coat out and looked up at me with her strong red eyes. “Umbreon, I’ve come to get you…to take you with me.”

“Kris!” She shouted, springing into my arms and rubbing her face against my cheek. I would be lonely no longer in the immortal realm now that Umbreon was beside me once more.

I heard my name echo through the room again and I froze. A young man stepped into the chamber, one I had fought against for so long. His golden blonde hair and Aquapolian crystal eyes were the exact same shade as mine. He stood tall, dressed in a black suit and robe. His eyes softened when he saw me and I gasped.

“Grayson!” In one swift motion, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him, so glad to be beside him once more and so happy that he was there and not in the underworld. I could feel Scarlet’s startled gaze settle on Grayson and I turned to introduce them. “Grayson, this is Scarlet, the Dimensional Warrior. Scarlet, this is Grayson, the…former…Shadow and my twin brother.” Scarlet’s eyes widened as Grayson nodded at her in silent acknowledgement. My heart fell as I realized why he was there.

“I have to go now, don’t I?” I whispered. He nodded once again and my heart sank further. I wasn’t even able to spend another day with Kirio…or speak to Scarlet about the future. I pushed away from Grayson and led him, Scarlet, and Umbreon back down to the room where we had originally held the Legendary Team meetings.

I laughed when I opened the door. Max was asleep at his computer desk, as he always had done when I was on Earth. He startled awake when I came in and nearly screamed when he saw me. His terrified expression turned to one of laughter when he realized I wasn’t there to haunt him, which was ridiculous. If it was anyone I would haunt, it would be Cynthia. The rest of the group was gathered in the room, and I motioned in the direction of the small beach I had used as a training ground behind the Hall of Fame. “It is time for some of us to leave….Why don’t we go and talk outside?”

Kirio’s face fell and I took his hand, leading him out of the building by my side. “Katharine will be strong…I know she will be….” I tried to smile. ”Kirio, I promise that we will meet again…soon.” He nodded.

We formed a small circle on the beach, silent, but calm. Volkner had his arm wrapped around Scarlet’s shoulder, desperate not to let go of her. Cyrus and Grayson stood on either side of me, silent, strong, and respectful as I started to speak.

“I want to thank all of you for helping destroy the demons’ plans. Peace has returned to Earth for the first time in millennia. This peace will continue for many more months to come. Scarlet, you will find your name written in the Cave of Origin amongst the legends. You will be called upon to fight the Demon Council in the future. To the rest of you, I wish you good luck. Pursue your dreams, for you no longer have to be afraid of the demons.” I smiled sadly at Kirio. “We…have to return now to wrap some things up in heaven. Katharine will arrive soon on the Earth. Please welcome her and watch over her.” I walked up to Kirio and kissed his cheek. “Please take care of her…please,” I whispered as I backed up to join Cyrus and Grayson once again. I met Scarlet’s eyes, and nodded. “Good-bye and thank you Dimensional Warrior. May you enjoy a long and prosporous life.” With that, I turned away and Cyrus, Grayson, and I started to walk down the beach.

I wrapped each arm around Grayson’s and Cyrus’ arms and a calm sense of belonging flooded over me as we faded into our journey to the heavenly dimension.

------------

Scarlet and Volkner sat silently on the cliff overlooking the Sinnoh ocean, Volkner’s arms still wrapped around Scarlet. She smiled, enjoying the peace and quiet of the waves rolling against the cliff face. All was right with the world. Volkner was with her once again and would never let her go. Kris was free…and Katharine was on the way. And she belonged…to a legend no less. Somehow, though, she couldn’t imagine peace on Earth.

As long as a child of the Chosen One walked in the earthly realm, there would never truly be peace.



THE END





And so ends the second arc in the Chronicles of the Chosen One. You were just introduced to the story of the Dimensional Warrior, the second of the three warriors of heaven. The next arc will surround the story of the Daughter of Shadow and Light, the third of the three warriors.

So, yes, there is going to be a sequel to Aftermath. It should be up sometime before August…hopefully. It will be called Shadow and Light and will contain a huge time leap. It will also be my first ever journeyfic, so wish me luck!

The end of Aftermath is here. Please read and review the final chapter and I will see you in the future!
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
Wow is all I have to say. You really did a good job with the ending and tied up some loose ends. Still, there are a few things that I have questions about, but I'll save that for the next series.

Oh yeah, one last thing:
The space around her started to bend and sway and Ojinan jumped to his feet, believing it to be another dimensional beam. It would be far worse. Scarlet smirked, a far crueler expression on her face than Ojinan could ever express. “Good-bye, demon.” Then, she simply disappeared. Ojinan could not believe that she would run from the battle in such a cowardly fashion. He started to teleport out of the dimension as well, then froze. He couldn’t move. Realization dawned on him and fear ran cold through his veins.

The dimension started to crumble slowly, then within a few seconds, it imploded on itself, self destructing and destroying the demon entirely.

Epic Win X)
 
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