A Distraction
“You received these from your leader?” Luna asked. “You are quite certain of its veracity?”
“I helped them to steal this data myself,” Celestia told her sister. “There’s no reason to doubt its providence.”
Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Team Rocket, and all of Ash’s gang were gathered around a small holoprojector. Displayed on it was a simple, dry set of three dimensional blueprints that sent shivers down every sensible spine. The underground headquarters was a full order of magnitude larger than the night princess had been expecting, with room and provisions for hundreds of people. And the membership list streaming by showed a roster of several hundred current and active humans, plus two to three times that number of Pokémon. Luna had assumed that she had Team Flare outnumbered. In reality, though she hadn’t an exact count of her own forces, she would be fortunate to have rough numerical parity.
A dug-in enemy with an extensive underground fortification and no need to come outside any time soon. Pokémon in numbers to match hers. An unknown number of Dark Balls left to be used. And also… Luna’s eyes fixed on the budlike structure embedded deep into the heart of the base. A supposed superweapon and the mad will to use it on everything and everyone. At the moment, another millennium spent on the moon sounded comparatively easy.
“It’s so big,” the girl called Serena said. “How could he have hidden this? Wouldn’t someone have noticed all the digging and building?”
“I don’t think you realize just how wealthy Lysandre is,” Clemont replied. “His family comes from old nobility in the first place, so he inherited a lot. Lysandre Labs is a massive commercial success, rated amongst the top five highest valued companies in Kalos for years running. Even after all his charitable giving, he could probably have bought out all of Geosenge Town and moved his own people in without anyone being the wiser.”
“Why would someone so successful want to destroy the world?” Twilight wondered. “It doesn’t make any sense. Maybe…” she rubbed her chin. “Maybe he’s lonely because he doesn’t have any real friends?”
“That is an incredibly poor excuse for wanting to wipe out all life,” Luna replied. “And yes, I am aware of irony of that statement.”
“I think we ought to focus on stopping him now, and dissect his motives at a later date,” Celestia said.
“Sounds good ta me,” Meowth said.
“I’m in,” Pikachu nodded.
“Even if we’re outnumbered, there’s no way we can let him destroy the world!” Ash declared.
“Way to restate the obvious, twerp,” Jessie said.
“We may not be outnumbered fer long,” Meowth cut in. “Da boss said he’s on his way here right now. And I’m sure he’s bringin’ lots a Rocket reinforcements!”
“Your liege lord is coming here?” Luna asked. “Well, I suppose I am pleased someone else is taking this crisis seriously.”
“I can’t say I’d be pleased to have a crime lord fighting beside me in most circumstances,” Celestia admitted, “but I would prefer that to global annihilation. So long as he keeps his intentions on the up and up, as it were.”
When Meowth translated that one, there was a brief flash of unease across the trio’s faces. But far more obvious was the naked anger on Ash’s face, mirrored by the sparks on Pikachu’s cheeks.
“Your boss is coming here?” he growled in a surprisingly low tone, fists clenched.
“Ash, who’s their boss?” Serena asked.
“Do you two know each other?” Bonnie added.
“Their boss is called Giovanni, and he’s a really bad man,” Ash said through clenched teeth. “He nearly killed a Pokemon called Mewtwo trying to force it to obey him. Back in Unova, he threatened to crush Pikachu and I just to make Meloetta do what he said. Then he tried to use Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus to take over the whole region!” He made a fist. “You can’t trust him, not at all!”
There was an uncomfortable silence amidst the trees for just a few seconds. Not even Team Rocket spoke up to defend their boss. Whatever might have come next will never be known, because at that exact moment a Spearow forced its way through the forest canopy.
“Lady Luna!” it panted heavily as it landed on a branch. “A lot of humans from the big stone nest! We’re under attack!”
“What?!” the dark alicorn looked up and immediately unfurled her wings. “Where?”
“All around their place…” Spearow managed. “Pokémon in the air and on the ground. They’re attacking everywhere.”
“How many are there?” the alicorn flew right up next to the bird. “Do we have any idea?”
“No, I came here as soon as the battle started,” Spearow shook its head. “We were all flying away real fast.”
“If they mean to break their encirclement, perhaps they do not possess the final key to their weapon after all,” Luna considered. “And they require access to the outside world to get it. If so, we must counterattack before they are able to break the cordon. Prepare-”
The princess words died in her throat, as through the trees she briefly caught sight of a flare of rainbow energy. Bright as a giant sparkling diamond but short-lived, it died down after just a moment in her gaze. But seeing how far away it was…
“Luna?” Celestia’s voice cut into her thoughts. “What’s wrong?”
“There was a great blaze of some kind,” Luna shook her head and frowned. “Some manner of rainbow colored light. Near where some of ours are. I like it not.”
“An attack of some kind?” Twilight wondered. “Psybeam, maybe?”
“What’s she saying, Meowth?” Jessie asked.
“She’s sayin’ dat dere’s a big Team Flare attack near their base an’ also some kinda rainbow energy blaze comin’ from dat way,” Meowth pointed vaguely in the direction Luna was looking.
“If Team Flare’s trying to break out, we’ve gotta go and stop ‘em,” Ash looked at Pikacu, who nodded.
“I find that I concur,” Luna said, “but that energy might well have been an attack in its own right. If they mean to break out in multiple locations, we must stop them everywhere.”
“I’ll go,” Celestia volunteered. “If it’s something, I can get there quickly and put an end to it. If not, then I can return just as quickly.”
“I will gather those I can and make for their headquarters without delay,” Luna nodded at her sister.
“We’re with you!” Pikachu said, pointing at the dark alicorn.
“And we’ll go with Celestia,” James said, once Meowth had interpreted. “The Robo Mega Meowth 9000 packs plenty of punch and flies like a Braviary! Together we’re more than enough to handle anything that might be happening over there, and if it’s nothing we can be back over here in a hurry.”
“That would leave everyone else free to counterattack at their base,” Twilight said. “But are we sure we want to split up again?”
“Risks must be taken during wartime,” Luna said. “I find this plan agreeable.”
“Then let’s waste no time,” her sister said.
In truth, finding the enemy wasn’t a challenge at all. Even if Luna hadn’t already known right where to go, it would have been easy. Simply follow the sounds of explosions and crashing wood. The only difficult part was not getting too far ahead, allowing those incapable of flight to keep up with her. After a only a short while they were getting close, and she flew higher into the air to get a good look at what was going on.
From on high, she could see dozens of humans and Pokémon gathered near the forest’s edge. There were explosions, thuds, and the sound of metal carving through wood as one by one the trees were brought down. The forest was systemically being destroyed where it was closest to Team Flare’s base. Luna’s eyes narrowed when she saw limp Pokémon piled up in the midst of the humans – no doubt the scouts she’d left to observe their headquarters. She guessed that they hadn’t caught them to better serve as bait, and the princess immediately vowed silently to rescue them if at all possible.
Strategizing was, if anything, even simpler.
A few minutes later, a Swalot was busy spraying down yet another tree with its acidic gunk, calmly watching the purple sludge hiss as it ate easily through the trunk. Just as the old maple teetered and crashed to the ground, a lance of dark energy erupted from the forest and took it right in the chest. The Poison Bag Pokemon went flying, struck a fallen tree, then slumped down into the dirt. It tried feebly to raise its head, then winced and collapsed into a heap.
Other Pokemon were already bounding past the unconscious Swalot, falling on their Flare counterparts with all the primal savagery of nature itself. No words were exchanged, no warnings or posturing preceded the fight. Dark energy, fire, electricity, poison, waters, fangs, talons, and claws did all the talking they needed to do. But the humans of Team Flare were reacting quickly, calling out fresh reinforcements and barking out orders.
A pink-haired woman in a revealing black shirt and red pants grasped a charm around her neck, and a Houndoom at her side was enveloped in rainbow energy. A Scrafty leapt for Luna, chopping for her throat, but she pulled back nimbly and allowed it to overswing. It stumbled for half a second, and in that time she’d hit it in the face with a glowing forehoof. Scrafty went sailing away overhead, and Luna didn’t give it a second thought. A Houndoom, form changed and enlarged, was already bounding across the fallen trees towards her. The dark princess took a deep breath, bared her teeth, and rushed to meet it. All around her, battle was joined.
Faster, please. Celestia mentally urged the mecha. Faster.
The white princess stood atop Robo Mega Meowth’s head as its jet engines tore through the sky faster than even she could have hope to fly. The ground far below simply whizzed by and her long mane whipped about in the breeze, yet for her it still seemed inadequate. It was rational to investigate, she knew, and this was the fastest way of doing so whilst being prepared to fight. All the same, there was a faint uneasiness in her gut that wouldn’t go away.
It didn’t take long at all for the towering robot to reach the spot that her sister had pointed out, and even less to spot what was amiss. Trees lay sprawled across the ground, uprooted and stripped of leaves and foliage by what appeared to have been a cone-shaped attack. Even where the forest hadn’t been toppled it had been stripped bare, tall trees left as leafless as the coldest months of winter.
Celestia hopped of the machine’s head while it was landing, soaring gracefully to the earth while the mecha landed with a massive thud behind her. Up close, the devastation was even more evident – there wasn’t a single shred of anything left in the ground for dozens of yards. The forest soil itself had been stripped of its top lair and sat curiously, unnaturally exposed. But when the alicorn looked a little more closely, she realized that every single piece of debris had been thrown in a textbook perfect cone with no variation from the toppled trees to the tilled soil. Whatever had done this had done without having to move from one spot – quite likely had done it in one shot.
“Ya see anything down dere?” Meowth’s voice came from the speakers on the mech.
“Give me a moment,” Celestia told him. “I need to check something.”
Flapping her wings just enough that her hooves didn’t touch the ground, the alicorn flew over the soft, churned soil with a careful eye on it. It didn’t long for her to spot what she was looking for. With the ground so recently ripped up it was soft and extremely sensitive to pressure such as from, say, a human foot. Or several pairs of feet.
“I would say that twenty or more people recently passed this way,” she shouted up at the mech. “But they aren’t heading away from Team Flare’s base. They look to be running as hard as they can straight towards it.”
Celestia flew further, flowing the prints just to make sure that there weren’t any deviations or doubling back. But she saw nothing of the sort, and from the way their footwear dug into the ground she guessed that they had been outright sprinting this way. She followed the footprints all the way to the edge of the cone of destruction and beyond to make absolutely certain, but even though they were much fainter in the undisturbed dirt path they definitely continued straight on without any tricks. Her gnawing unease redoubled – whatever had done this looked to be heading straight for Luna and Twilight.
It was when she was doing one last hasty sweep around the edge of the destruction that she spotted something small and green buried in the midst of the debris. Rushing over to it and using Psychic to remove some of the wood and dirt covering it, Celestia found a small Pokémon she recognized as a Gulpin. This one was direly wounded, covered in energy burns and painful-looking bruises, but there was ragged, shallow breathing.
“Open your doors!” she called out to Team Rocket, a soft golden glow hoisting Gulpin into the air as gently as possible. “This Pokémon needs medical attention at once! We must make haste to search for other survivors!”
“How could you do this?” Clemont yelled over the sounds of battle. “You’re one of the Elite Four! Luxray, use Wild Charge!”
“My mom watches your newscast every day!” Serena added. “You’re so nice on tv, how could you want to destroy the world? Braixen, use Flamethrower!”
“Well, you know what they say, children,” Malva half-smiled at them. “Don’t believe everything you see in the news. Talonflame, Flare Blitz. Chandelure, use Shadow Ball!”
The fur on Clemont’s blue and black Pokémon stood on end as it was enveloped in a field of yellow electricity. It snarled and bounded forwards, rushing to meet the grey and red bird descending from the sky in a fiery aura. Meanwhile, Serena’s bipedal foxlike companion twirled its stick wand once, then unleashed a gout of orange-yellow fire at Malva’s floating chandelier. For its part a pulsating orb of dark purple energies took shape right between Chandelure’s yellow eyes, then launched itself at the incoming flames.
Ghostly energy met blazing fire in the middle, and for a moment the two attacks were deadlocked. Simultaneously Luxray and Talonflame were all but on top of one another, auras ready to clash – when Talonflame suddenly beat its wings several times, rising swiftly above the earth. Clemont’s Pokémon passed harmlessly below Malva’s, landing gracefully on a fallen tree. But the avian was very swift and well-trained, turning on a dime in midair and plunging back down.
“Luxray, look out!” Clemont shouted.
Luxray did look behind it – just in time to catch a glimpse of Talonflame as it struck. The bird slammed into the feline with all the force and flare of a meteor impact, sending Luxray sprawling. Meanwhile, Shadow Ball finally forced its way through the cone of flames, heading straight for Serena’s Pokemon.
“Braixen, use the tree as cover!” Serena commanded.
“Talonflame, Quick Attack,” Malva countered.
Braixen obediently leapt off the fallen tree it had stood atop, allowing the dark energy ball to pass over its head. But before had even had time to blink, a red and grey blur crashed into its side, leaving a silvery trail behind it.
“Now Chandelure, one more Shadow Ball!”
“Quick, duck and run!”
While Braixen staggered several steps back, eyes squeezed shut against the sudden pain. The ghostly chandelier had formed another dark orb as fast as thought and launched it with the speed of a bullet. Talonflame climbed rapidly into the air, silver trail fading behind it. Serena’s Pokémon shook its head and hurried to dodge, but it only managed a few feet before Shadow Ball hit the fallen tree beside it instead. The sheer force of the explosion threw Braixen from its feet, sharp chunks of wood battering its body. It hit its head hard on another tree and slumped over.
“Braixen!” Serena was already rushing over to her Pokemon’s side. “Are you alright?”
“Luxray, speak to me please!” Clemont was on one knee beside his, shaking it gently.
“Well that was easy,” Malva put a hand on her hip. “And they let you be a Gym Leader?”
Dark rings of energy met blistering red and orange flames in midair, igniting a brief but blinding white explosion. The intense flash quickly faded away, revealing a Mega Houndoom snarling up at a flying dark alicorn. The expression was amply returned, and the princess rapidly conjured a Moonblast down on the black canine. Malva’s Pokémon dodged nimbly, leaping behind a fallen tree for cover as Luna’s attack obliterated another one, shattered fragments of wood lodging themselves in the plant rather than its body.
“You are annoyingly persistent, aren’t you?” the Elite Four member frowned. “Well, no sense in fighting fair. Chandelure, use Flame Burst on the alien. Talonflame, use Brave Bird. Houndoom, Flamethrower.”
Houndoom was the first to react, leaping eagerly back up and spewing a jet of withering flames from its fanged maw. This time Luna dodged away from the cone, it’s blistering heat distorting the air all around it instead. But almost the moment she had done so Talonflame slammed into her from behind, body encased in a blue aura and moving so fast it was almost a blur. Luna was flung forward by the sheer force of the impact, just in time to be caught directly by a ball of blue fire. The instant it struck it exploded out in all directions, consuming her body in hungry flames and smoke.
“Nice shot,” she complimented it.
But the very next instant a Dark Pulse ripped out from the black smoke, raking along the ground in a crude slash that nonetheless caught Chandelure across one its arms. Explosions followed quickly, one of them consuming the ghostly Pokémon. The newcaster threw up an arm to protect her face as yet more debris rained down.
“You wanna be difficult? Fine! Talonflame, another Brave Bird!”
Before her avian Pokémon could get started, though, it was struck by lightning from below. It plummeted from the sky, smoke trailing behind it. Malva’s head whipped around, looking genuinely put out for the first time. The expression quickly became one of shock, and then she did a textbook perfect backflip. The Elite Four member landed smoothly while flames consumed the spot she’d just stood in.
“Don’t count us out so soon!” Serena yelled over the racket of combat.
“We’re not done here yet!” Clemont stood beside her.
“Luxray!”
“Braixen!”
“Don’t you annoying kids know when to quit?” Malva put a hand on her hip, Chandelure and Talonflame by her side. Houndoom raced over to its mistress as well, crouching protectively and snapping at Braixen.
“Not a chance!”
“Not on your life!”
“I don’t have time for this. Aliana, Bryony, deal with these kids!” her eyes had drifted upwards, to where the smoke had cleared and Luna was enveloped in soothing silvery light.
“We’re a little busy right now, Lady Malva,” one of the Flare Scientists shouted her reply. “Bisharp, use Metal Claw!”
“Druddigon, Night Slash!” the other ordered.
A sharp-looking red, black, and silver metallic Pokémon charged with glowing blades extended at the end of its arms, while a heavier-looking blue dragon followed up with dark energy running down its claws. Both massively outweighed the tiny electric rodent they were barreling towards.
“Alright, now use Psychic!” a young boy’s voice called.
And both of Team Flare’s Pokemon looked equally surprised when rough half a fallen tree was enveloped in a purple glow and swung itself at them like an enormous club. Both went flying backwards like baseballs in a home run, crashing into a heap at their trainers’ feet. Said heap was immediately electrified by the little Pikachu.
“You’re losing to a child and a fairy tale princess?!” Malva’s tone was outraged, even when her subordinates’ Pokémon did get back up. “What’s wrong with you?”
“The same thing that’s going to be wrong with you!” Clemont pointed. “Luxray, Thunderbolt!”
“Braixen, use Flamethrower!”
Serena’s and Clemont’s Pokémon unleashed a cone of flames and a bolt of lightning, while high above the dark alicorn whipped her head around and fired another beam of purple-black energy rings. Malva barked an order, and Houndoom and Chandelure breathed their own red and blue fires back at the incoming attack. All five attacks met in a wild collision, forming a white sphere bright as a second sun as they struggled against one another. The Elite Four member flinched and looked away, shielding her eyes against the blaze.
“Oh,” Malva’s eyes widened as they turned south. “You’ve got to kidding me!”
The five attacks finally set off an earth-shaking explosion that forced both sides back, but truthfully she barely noticed. Because it was that same moment that a giant mechanical Meowth swooped over the treetops on foot-mounted jets, moving far faster than it should have been able to. The fighting lulled momentarily as both sides couldn’t help but stare. The mechanical marvel came to a surprisingly smooth halt between Team Flare and their base, then dropped to the ground with teeth-rattling boom.
“Don’t panic!” Malva shouted to her wavering underlings, even while the massive machine stomped towards them. “It’s big but they won’t swing at their own side!” She pointed to the piled up and unconscious spies Luna had left scattered around their base. “Take cover near downed enemy Pokémon! Have your Pokémon engage the enemy at close range! Don’t give them any room to attack and that thing is just an oversized paperweight!”
“You coward!” Serena shouted over thunderous footsteps. “Using Pokémon as shields?! How can you do something like that?”
“Like this,” Malva picked up an unconscious Spearow in one hand, brandishing it like talisman. “You want to hit me, you’re going to have to hit this little one too.”
“That’s despicable!” Clemont clenched his fist. “How can you do something like that and still think you’re the good guys?”
“When the future of life itself is at stake, anything goes,” Malva shrugged. “Now do you wanna talk, or do you wanna fight?"
The battle quickly resumed across the toppled forest, Pokémon charging forward to clash in dazzling yet vicious displays. Malva’s Mega Houndom rushed for Serena and Clemont with fangs alight, only to be slammed into from on high by Luna. Alicorn and hound rolled across the ground in a frantic wrestling match, stabbing with horn or snapping with sharp teeth. Talonflame and Chandelure exchanged blows with Luxray and Braixen. Meanwhile Pikachu dodged around Bisharp’s blows while Twilight tangled with Druddigon.
Everywhere throughout the battlefield Team Flare’s members scrambled for cover as the mecha came near, hiding next to unconscious enemies or in fallen trees. Malva herself didn’t flinch even when she fell in the robot’s shadow, merely turning to face it with Spearow clutched tightly to her chest right where they couldn’t miss it. A clawed paw raised at her, but she didn’t move at all. After a few seconds, the paw lowered and claws retracted, and the newcaster gave a faint smile.
Once the metal claws retreated into the machine, it fired several red and white balls from the holes in its paws instead. They burst open in silver light, forming five Pokemon at its feet. Malva recognized Seviper, Yanmega, Carnivine, Pumpkaboo, and Inkay in varying battle poses. Except Carnivine, which looked eagerly to its side, then behind it, then hung its head a little. Another figure emerged from inside the machine, a white alicorn that landed gracefully at the head of the other five Pokémon.
“Alright, fine,” Malva tossed another Poke Ball. “Pyroar, let’s go!”
A well-built and sleek feline Pokémon emerged from the ball, crouching excitedly at the sight of so many enemies. Unlike her leader’s, Malva’s Pyroar was female and sported a long streak of red-yellow fur from her head that lay across her back.
“Now, use – huh?” Malva suddenly stopped mid-order, leaving her Pyroar confused as she tapped an earpiece that she was wearing. “Yes?” The Elite Four member grinned. “I understand sir.”
Without orders, Pyroar simply pounced for Celestia as any hunt cat would. The white alicorn’s eyes lit up and the feline was frozen in place mid-leap, surrounded by a golden glow. Team Rocket’s other Pokémon took that as their cue, with Seviper striking Pyroar with a glowing purple knifelike tail, Carnivine lashing her with whip-like vines, Yanmega conjuring a boulder midair and firing that, Pumpkaboo launching a ghostly purple orb, and Inkay firing off a multicolored beam of psychic energy. All of these attacks struck home roughly at the same time as Celestia released her grip, and Pyroar went soaring. She landed in an unconscious heap at her mistress’ feet, but Malva didn’t seem worried. Quite the opposite.
“Alright, change of plans!” she called out while Pyroar disappeared back inside her ball. “Houndoom, Chandelure, use Smog! Talonflame, spread it with Tailwind!”
Houndoom at last broke its contest with Luna, while Chandelure fell back towards its mistress. Both immediately belched truly prodigious quantities of noxious, choking fumes into the air towards their enemies. Overhead, Talonflame spread its wings wide and air currents picked up the revolting clouds, transforming them into a wave of putrid gas that swept rapidly out over the battlefield. Those Flare grunts who could added their own Pokémon’s Smog to the mix, covering a broad area in toxic gas. Malva gave a mocking salute as the clouds engulfed her as well.
“Next time, princess.”
“Get them… out!” Luna managed as she retched and coughed amidst the noxious fumes. “Get… get…” she coughed violently. “Get everyone out! Fall back!”
In truth, there was little need for her to give a command. No one, save perhaps a few Poison-types, enjoyed breathing toxic gas. People and Pokémon were fleeing blindly for the cloud’s edge, many tripping and falling as they did. The princess beat her wings several times, eventually rising above the black-green clouds.
The situation was hazy, the towering mechanical Meowth the only real landmark, but as best Luna could tell from on high her allies were stumbling out of the gas towards the forest, while the enemy was fleeing as best it could towards its base. The mecha was waving its massive arms through the air, trying as best it could to fan away some of the choking smog.
The dark princess spotted an injured Poliwhirl stumble near the cloud’s edge, and raced to help it back to its feet. It propped itself up on her extended wing, took a few deep breaths, gave her a nod, then retreated back towards the forest. Luna breathed a quick sigh of relief, then took flight again. By now the smog was beginning to clear in some places, enough for her to see injured and unconscious Pokemon left lying on the ground everywhere. The enemy had apparently abandoned any thought of taking hostages in its haste to flee.
Things had gone, on reflection, reasonably well. The foe had quit the field and abandoned its efforts to cut back the forest with many of its Pokemon unconscious or injured themselves. They had completely failed to break the encirclement. And Luna knew from personal experience that they had the cure for any poison that had gotten into her own allies’ systems.
So why did it feel like she was missing something?
“When I was a young man,” Lysandre began, his face broadcast through Team Flare’s headquarters, “I went on a journey through Kalos with my Pokémon. I saw many beautiful wonders that took my breath away, and I met many different people. Many people I saw were in great need, an ugly blemish on the world around them. I had grown up in great wealth, wanting for nothing, and so I pitied those poor souls.”
All throughout the underground base, men and woman had stopped what they were doing. Those that could were crowded into the central chamber, where their leader was standing on an elevated platform with the great crystal bud behind him. Others pressed their faces to the observation chamber’s window. But most of Team Flare was crowded around viewscreens dotted throughout the facility, whispering quietly amongst themselves. Many had just accompanied their master in returning stealthily via a side entrance in Geosenge Town. Other still stank from the noxious fumes of battle.
“When I returned from my journey, I had realized that as long as suffering and want existed, the beautiful world I saw would be forever marred. And so I threw myself wholly into my work, into Lysandre Labs and the many technological breakthroughs we made. My company was a massive success, and I had inherited vast wealth. I dreamed of creating a world where no one wanted for anything, and I was so young and naïve that I thought I could do it.” Lysandre’s eyes were downcast, just for a moment. “I reached out to help people, those that were in need and suffering. I brought food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless, healing to the sick, and comfort to those suffering alone and in silence. For many years I poured out my heart to the people of this land, and Kalos rejoiced.”
Lysandre paused, taking a deep breath while his followers continued to mutter to one another. Some had heard this story before, but for others it was all new.
“But that didn’t last long,” he continued. “They all began to take my help for granted and expected it, like they had some sort of right. People were content to do nothing, certain that I would come to solve their problems. And they lied to me. Shameless people would invent all sorts of tragedies and dire circumstances in hopes of receiving my help, and then laugh at my gullibility behind my back. I once spent a fortune funding a rare treatment for a poor man’s ill daughter, only to later learn that she had never existed at all. As the years went by the people only became louder and louder with their demands. And my help had actually brought about this arrogance!”
Team Flare’s leader clenched one fist at his side so hard that the hand trembled.
“I sat down one evening and simply looked through all my records, and do you know what I found?” Lysandre paused a moment. “That though I had spent many years of my life in charitable work and given away more wealth than a thousand men are apt to see in their lifetimes, I was receiving more demands for aid than ever before! And then I looked out at the world around me, and found it still marred by the same disgusting ugliness as before! Nothing that I had done had changed anything!” He pounded his fist on the platform’s railing. “My beautiful world was no closer to being a reality!”
Many of Team Flare’s agents, even those watching safely through a screen, flinched away at their leader’s sudden outburst.
“Poverty, strife, crime, disease, greed, corruption, and violence… these ills continued to mar the world around me despite everything that I had done. My help had done nothing but to confirm the lazy in their complacency and fill the pockets of the greedy and entitled.” Lysandre bared his teeth in a snarl. “Foolish, arrogant people. They consumed everything without a thought in their entitlement and wanted more. I realized then and there that the greed of humanity would never be sated, that it would consume all things around it and eventually the very planet itself. I realized that the world’s problems were far too vast to be solved with mere charity. While the numbers of people and Pokémon continue to grow without restraint, despoiling ever more of our planet’s precious beauty to feed their appetites, only a rare and special few have had the foresight to see where this will lead.”
The men and women around him began whispering more excitedly, getting louder as their leader favored them with a rare unfeigned smile.
“Yes,” said Lysandre, “you of Team Flare are that special few, chosen by destiny to inherit a new and beautiful world. You see clearly what others do not, you understand what must be done, and that proves that you have the beautiful souls the new world requires.” He spread his arms wide. “You are willing to give up everything to see the world swept clean of the filth that pollutes it, even that which is most precious to you.” His blue eyes briefly went to the red and white orbs on his belt. “And for that you have my eternal and undying gratitude. If it were not for you – not for each and every one of you – then we would not be standing here today. Thanks to your hard work and sacrifice, the arrogant and greedy will be swept away and the world will blossom forevermore. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me and for all life.” He beamed out over the crowd, smiling warmly. “Now that we stand on the precipice of victory, I simply want you to take a moment to give yourselves a round of applause.”
All throughout the base, Team Flare’s many members erupted into frantic clapping and cheers. Many hugged one another close or shook a friend’s hand in congratulation. A few took the moment to kiss their sweethearts. Lysandre watched them do it, waiting until the excitement had died back a bit before continuing.
“This world is greedy, arrogant, and corrupt,” he said. “Its people multiply thoughtlessly and consume without limit. Their entitlement would see the planet sucked dry and left an empty husk. The world’s so-called guardians have failed in their duty, and so it falls to us. Today we stand up and make our objections plain. Today we say to all the world that it’s time for a new start! To create my utopian dream!”
There was more applause from the crowd, more cheers and scattered chants of “Flare” and “Lysandre”. Their leader waved pleasantly, to still more cheering.
“I’d like to propose a toast,” Lysandre nodded at Malva, who handed him a glass of red wine. “To the end of the world!” he raised his glass high. “And to the birth of the new!”
All around him, the crowd roared.
To the northeast, atop a distant mountain, a strange Pokémon looked down upon the world. Its canine body was primarily black, with small spots of green around its muzzle, neck, paws, and chest. Its pupil-less white eyes stared down at a distant forest and beheld the ugly black scar marking the extent of the night’s flames. It saw the forest It looked further north, gaze fixed intently on a trio of stone monoliths sprouting from the earth.
The Pokémon’s eyes narrowed, and it leapt from its perch.
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Oh my. I forgot pretty much everything else I was going to say at sudden Zygarde. Needless to say, I am hyped.
Zygarde has appeared! Shit's about to get real.
Sorry Lysandre. Economy doesn't work well- we have a long history all about why.
So his backstory is like Buddha's, only instead of accepting darkness as a part of the human condition and trying to help people work past it, He's gonna wipe out almost every living being on the planet, including the species that didn't show him the darkness, while preserving a bunch of rich people.
Lysandra can only be glad he is facing Poke restricted Celestia and Luna.
Instead of Fusion and Gravity.
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Middle class and higher, technically (the entrance fee is five high end bikes worth). But yes, basically.
Pokémon have darkness too, they're just usually more up front about it. To use an example Lysandre would be intimately familiar with, Gyarados is infamous for being an ill-tempered brute with a penchant for wiping out entire cities when angered, which can be by almost anything. And even when not doing that, what do you imagine a gigantic sea dragon with fangs the size of a human forearm eats in its natural habitat? Seaweed?
I would teleport in front of Lysandte and that Elite Four member with a hand raised and say one word to them.
HAKAI
5,885 words? Now that's a big chapter. I shall read it with delight once I've finished my MMOFPS session.
9118190
Is it any wonder why I HATE Lysandre so much...?
Enters Zygarde, I was expecting him for a while.
So Lysandre started as a benevolent man wanting to help others and discovers that they are some A-holes. Welcome to reality.
Zygarde! Balance must be restored!
9118117
Ditto...
9118229
I imagine fish (which do exist) and or fish Pokemon
Oh boy, Zygarde is coming and he is gonna be pissed at Lysander.
Celestia hopped of the machine’s head while
Celestia flew further, flowing the prints just to make sure
dodged away from the cone, it’s blistering heat distorting
It saw the forest It looked further north
1. Off.
2. Following.
3. Its.
4. Hmm... Structure here feels wrong. And extra capitalisation.
Blah blah blah Malthusianism blah.
Well hello, Zygarde. I'd forgotten about you. 😁
I eagerly anticipate your imminent demise Lysandre.
The final clash is near... The fire rises!
The heroes have won another battle, but the worst is about to come.
Giovanni and co better hurry. And if that pokemon at the end is Zygarde, his help will be welcomed.
Excellent chapter. I eagerly await Lysandre and his garbage minions to be wiped out. Seeing all of them cheer for the apocalypse pretty much cinches the fact that they're all would be murderers on a global scale. None deserve mercy.
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not really Zyguarde, only about a tenth of him...
And thus Zygarde finally steps in. Shit is about to go down...
9118190 Yep, like Valentine in Kingsman.
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No lie, I would too, he's acting like the Pokemon version of Zamasu with how his reasons for mass planetary genocide are going. And he's too delusional to see he's hypocritical and going about things the wrong way.
At least with guys like Thanos you can see where he's coming from and sympathize given the evidence he's experienced personally compared to others who can research the events and see how they actually happened and the best way to solve the problem without death. If someone talked that guy down and convinced him there's a better way to achieve his end goal that doesn't involve wiping out half the universe, then we wouldn't have an issue with him since we would have helped him with his plan and saved the universe in the process.
With Lysandre, there's unfortunately no way to talk him down, he refuses to even consider other ways or solutions. If he was more open-minded then we could do something but he's too far gone believing this bullcrap he's sprouting. Chances are he'll end up like those monsters who burned Xerneas alive 1000 years or so ago at Perfect Zygarde's giant robotic hands.
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A 10th of a Zygarde is still Zygarde. Just ask the games. >^_^<
Careful Lysander... the world is about to respond with an extremely loud "screw you"!
-sees the ending- A NEW CHALLENGER LEAPS INTO THE FRAY!
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And the rack that way to die sounded painful
I can understand why Lysandre is so embittered by his generosity being taken for granted. Completely get that. He's not going to change human nature though.
9118288
I never cared for him myself, but at least I kind of see where he's coming from in this version of him. in the game he just seemed to be evil for evil's sake.
So basically, Lysandre sucks at charity and math. He gave away a billion dollars without enough oversight to make sure it was actually going to people in need, and thought that would be enough to solve all the world's problems.
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To be fair, it sounds like some of the people he helped with it actually did need the help. It’s just that they became greedy and entitled, and always demanded more.
I find it hard to believe that none of them were truly grateful, and actually made the best of his offerings, but Lysandre focused completely on all of the bad, and NONE of the good.
The author does a fantastic job of making Lysandre sympathetic, yet at the same time you just can’t WAIT for his plans to fall apart around him.
Also, the fact that he seemingly just gave up immediately after charity failed, and didn’t try any other solution that didn’t involve wiping nearly everyone out, really puts a dent in that sympathy.
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He was, as he said, young and naive at the time. He's not stupid, he wouldn't be a successful businessman and inventor if he were, but he grew up very wealthy and with (unlike James) very loving parents. This part is pure headcanon, but in my mind he never really experienced any kind of failure in any significant way before that point. Sure he lost some Pokemon battles during his journey, but he saw it more as a sightseeing tour than an effort to be the very best like no one ever was. He was rich and smart and well-disposed towards others throughout his youth and never really had any significant problems. Even though he was an only child he wasn't even lonely, thanks to a little Magikarp that had washed up on shore as the tide went out. A young Lysandre brought the poor thing back home out of compassion, and they grew up together. Magikarp was, unlike some others, completely grateful and the two became very close. As a consequence of this sheltered and happy upbringing he had very little knowledge of the darker aspects of the human condition and was completely psychologically unprepared for a failure of this magnitude.
Certainly, some of Lysandre's charitable giving went well. Alakazam mentions in an earlier chapter that he paid for an orphanage in Laverre City out his own pocket, and refuses to think bad of him for that reason. But, especially when he was younger, certain unscrupulous people figured out this rich man was big-hearted and a sucker for a sob story, and took advantage. Others just became complacent, lazy, or entitled, which can happen when a naive man gives too much for nothing. It's a known phenomenon that negative experiences cognitively outweigh positive ones, and that's the case here.
Dude, you don't need to kill everyone for that... only 50% of everything, apparently.
Also oh hi Zygarde
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HOBTIFSRRTDOIABA?!
Why I'm glad you asked! It's pronounced Hob-Tiffs-Writ-Doi-Aba! But remember! You must only pronounce it in a Boston accent. Otherwise the acronym losses all meaning! Now off, my fellow ally of the New Luna Republic's Avian Squadron! Take flight and Glory Be!
*Edit* Why did this comment get dislikes? It's just a dumb side joke. Huh, maybe some people just hate the whole 'New Luna Republic' gag.
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Now, that's just unfair.
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Yeah, no sympathy. He tried to fix the world by himself and that didn't work. So already we see a massive ego problem. Then he decides if he can't be the solution, he'd rather be the problem instead. He's supposedly upset by greed, but it's hard to imagine anything more greedy than destroying the world and making a new one for just you. And then his recruitment strategy gets him mostly rich cowards, since they are people that can buy their way in and are too spineless to stand against him.
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I dunno. Mega Meowth coulve been Crusader.
"it was that same moment that a giant mechanical Meowth swooped over the treetops on foot-mounted jets"
That sounds so random even with context...
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That's part of the tragedy of the "Well Meaning Extremist" Villain type, they tend to end up as hypocrites. Destroying the world because it will make you feel better is the height of selfishness. His pool of followers is filled with the selfish, the cruel, the cowardly, the spineless and the greedy. Thus his paradise would be poisoned, filled with everything he hates about mankind while everything he loves about it is destroyed.
No matter how rich you are saving the world isn't easy and it's an endless job. There will always be people who will take advantage and always more in need. Changing the world for the better is a Nobel goal, but you have to keep on doing it, or the world will just change back. Lysander saw this truth and denied it, convincing himself if he just did something big enough he could destroy the truth that the struggle doesn't end.
9119843
What is a boston accent?
I was wondering if that thing was going to show up. Glad to see it here.
9121316https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TuW4oGKzVKc
More New England than Boston, but very similar.
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Okay thank you
9127900
Remind me of the last fight she won under her own power. Because, in canon, ordinary changeling drones successfully jumped and captured her, and they're way weaker than Lysandre's well-trained Gyarados.
Here's a canonical depiction of Celestia on the front lines of and actual war:
Nothing she does here is particularly impressive, still less suggests that she would curb stomp a Legendary.
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Honestly, there's hardly enough in that scene to form an opinion of any kind, for or against that idea. About the most you could say IMO is that the fact that Sombra (or someone on his side) apparently thought that ambushing Celestia would even have a chance to work puts an upper limit on her abilities.
Will Team Rocket ever learn their lesson?! First they try to capture Pikachu and now they capture Celestia by accident and what and happens next they blast off again!
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Much like how Shitstain was a massive hypocrite by getting rid of the Cutie Marks of others but decided to keep hers.
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Starlight was defeated by a speech because Twilight got her to realize her hypocrisy. Realizing what she wanted to do would cause so much more pain that it would ever prevent. Lysander doesn't get, or refuses to see, his solution is worse than the problem.
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right, because giving the poor the things they need to survive is a much worse idea than letting billionaires fuck people over to get more money they'll never use. That's how you get price gouging and people dead because they can't afford medication.
I love Blargs.