Legend of the Exile
Chapter 22: Thunder and Lightning
The Skarmory shot through the sky like a speeding bullet, racing across the lands of Kanto faster than the eye could see. Boulders, rivers, buildings, and trees flashed by in the blink of an eye far below Sparktail and Kyria as they held onto the Skarmory's back, shivering with the wind howling in their ears.
Somewhere far below, the King of Time was locked in madness, raining death and destruction upon the Kanto region. The Exile's war machine was advancing upon Indigo Plateau too swiftly, and wayward spirits were growing restless across Kanto in Primal Dialga's wake.
Amidst the chaos, Lute was hunting for the last of his followers, but Lute was only one Pokemon. Rush needed an army if they were to stop the Exile. 'Remember, you must rendezvous with Lute,' Kyria reminded Sparktail, her eyes glowing. 'I will do what I can to sabotage any resilient Exile forces; but I must count on you to clear the path!'
"Hold tight," called the Skarmory as they began to descend. Sparktail and Kyria clutched the Skarmory's neck tightly as they went into a steep dive towards the rotting streets of Lavender Town. Down below, Mightyenas and Lickitungs fought over scraps of food, Ariadoses and Kricketunes jabbing at each other viciously; and Monfernos roamed free.
Up ahead, the Radio Tower loomed high above the Raichu and his armored steed, growing larger and larger as they approached it. Sparktail clung for dear life, tightly shutting his eyes as the Skarmory crashed through a large glass window and tumbled into the hall within.
Inside, a herd of Torterras glanced up as Sparktail leapt down from the Skarmory's back, just before the Skarmory performed a sharp U-turn and flew back out into the sky. The Raichu tumbled as he hit the floor, surrounded by leering green tortoises. 'Torterras are creatures of the earth,' reminded Kyria as the herd assembled around the Raichu in a great circle. 'Their shells will repel your lightning.'
The Torterras all sprang at him at once, spitting seed bombs and smashing out with vines. Rolling under and behind them, he leapt up as they all smashed into each other, shrapnel from exploding seed-bombs stinging his face. Tail slashing at one tree-tortoise, he darted aside as humming energy-balls flew at him, crackling fists rebounding off their shells uselessly.
Drawing his blade, he sprang at his foes, slashing. In the eyes of his enemies, Sparktail could see the burning hatred of Giratina reflected again and again, the madness that consumed Slick, Ferricia, and Elias, that would consume Thalia if it wasn't stopped; and so he struck at the Exile's soldiers, hacking at their shells furiously.
As he spun to face the Torterras, a section of ceiling suddenly gave way, collapsing on one Torterra in a shower of debris, sending the others tottering to the far side of the room. Sparktail leapt back in alarm as plaster dust filled the room, revealing a grinning Lute seated on the slab of ceiling beneath the hole.
"Good to see you," said the Absol, nodding to the shocked Raichu, as if this was a normal greeting. "Kyria's nearby, I ttrust?" His long horn glowing white with energy, the Absol spun to face a pair of bolted doors and lowered his head.
A swell of psychic energy burst through the wall, exposing a good portion of the room to the open skies. Both Sparktail and Lute glanced up to see Kyria gracefully leaping off the Skarmory's back and into the room, landing next to the Raichu, slipping into an open-handed battle stance. The Torterras faltered.
"For the Swordians!" shouted Lute, the brilliant white glow exploding foward from his horn and blasting the door with glowing energy-blades, shattering the wooden door into splinters. "Come on!" yelled the Absol as he sprinted out of the room without looking back, Kyria and Sparktail quickly following.
Somewhere far below, the King of Time was locked in madness, raining death and destruction upon the Kanto region. The Exile's war machine was advancing upon Indigo Plateau too swiftly, and wayward spirits were growing restless across Kanto in Primal Dialga's wake.
Amidst the chaos, Lute was hunting for the last of his followers, but Lute was only one Pokemon. Rush needed an army if they were to stop the Exile. 'Remember, you must rendezvous with Lute,' Kyria reminded Sparktail, her eyes glowing. 'I will do what I can to sabotage any resilient Exile forces; but I must count on you to clear the path!'
"Hold tight," called the Skarmory as they began to descend. Sparktail and Kyria clutched the Skarmory's neck tightly as they went into a steep dive towards the rotting streets of Lavender Town. Down below, Mightyenas and Lickitungs fought over scraps of food, Ariadoses and Kricketunes jabbing at each other viciously; and Monfernos roamed free.
Up ahead, the Radio Tower loomed high above the Raichu and his armored steed, growing larger and larger as they approached it. Sparktail clung for dear life, tightly shutting his eyes as the Skarmory crashed through a large glass window and tumbled into the hall within.
Inside, a herd of Torterras glanced up as Sparktail leapt down from the Skarmory's back, just before the Skarmory performed a sharp U-turn and flew back out into the sky. The Raichu tumbled as he hit the floor, surrounded by leering green tortoises. 'Torterras are creatures of the earth,' reminded Kyria as the herd assembled around the Raichu in a great circle. 'Their shells will repel your lightning.'
The Torterras all sprang at him at once, spitting seed bombs and smashing out with vines. Rolling under and behind them, he leapt up as they all smashed into each other, shrapnel from exploding seed-bombs stinging his face. Tail slashing at one tree-tortoise, he darted aside as humming energy-balls flew at him, crackling fists rebounding off their shells uselessly.
Drawing his blade, he sprang at his foes, slashing. In the eyes of his enemies, Sparktail could see the burning hatred of Giratina reflected again and again, the madness that consumed Slick, Ferricia, and Elias, that would consume Thalia if it wasn't stopped; and so he struck at the Exile's soldiers, hacking at their shells furiously.
As he spun to face the Torterras, a section of ceiling suddenly gave way, collapsing on one Torterra in a shower of debris, sending the others tottering to the far side of the room. Sparktail leapt back in alarm as plaster dust filled the room, revealing a grinning Lute seated on the slab of ceiling beneath the hole.
"Good to see you," said the Absol, nodding to the shocked Raichu, as if this was a normal greeting. "Kyria's nearby, I ttrust?" His long horn glowing white with energy, the Absol spun to face a pair of bolted doors and lowered his head.
A swell of psychic energy burst through the wall, exposing a good portion of the room to the open skies. Both Sparktail and Lute glanced up to see Kyria gracefully leaping off the Skarmory's back and into the room, landing next to the Raichu, slipping into an open-handed battle stance. The Torterras faltered.
"For the Swordians!" shouted Lute, the brilliant white glow exploding foward from his horn and blasting the door with glowing energy-blades, shattering the wooden door into splinters. "Come on!" yelled the Absol as he sprinted out of the room without looking back, Kyria and Sparktail quickly following.
"How's Thalia?" asked Lute as he and Sparktail raced down the steel-walled corridor, Kyria trailing a good five yards behind them. Ears perking up, the Raichu glanced suspiciously to the Absol, noticing a gleam in his yellow eyes. "She's nice, you know," added the Absol lightly as they turned around a corner. "And she's got quite the fighting spirit in her, too."
"Yeah," said Sparktail, ears twitching uncomfortably as he and the Absol bounded up a set of steps, speaking more to himself than to Lute. He and Thalia were each other's first friends, but... it didn't feel right to talk about the Leafeon behind her back. "She's... nice."
"Yup, a nice gal there," agreed the Absol as the trio hurried up the steps. "She's rather lively, you know. Fitting for a Leafeon, but, it's a shame she wasn't an Umbreon. Then she'd be a creature of the night, just like me!" To this, Sparktail gave Lute a nasty glare, which the Absol only waved aside.
They soon found themselves standing before a locked door. "Allow me," said Kyria, her eyes glowing as she caught up with them. "Step back, please..."
Lute and Sparktail stepped back as the Gardevoir placed her palms against the door, chanting under her breath. The Raichu closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to dispel any envy or fear. This wouldn't help anyone... especially not Thalia...
His eyes flew open as glowing blue cracks spread all across the door's surface, layers of paint and wood splintering, fragmenting, separating. Hands raised, Kyria's eyes flashed white, and the door shattered into a thick cloud of sawdust, revealing a patrol of wide-eyed Infernapes.
"Regigigas works too fast for my liking," growled Lute as he rose to his paws, the guards hooting and screeching. "These are the same guards from the Lost Tower. No matter. We'll take them, Kyria!" Letting out clashing battle cries, the two warriors sprinted into the room towards with outstretched blades.
Sparktail brought his crackling blade slashing across the torso of an Infernape as he leapt, letting out a gasp of pain as a hard brutal fist struck him in the side. He rolled as he landed on the ground to whirl around and send a thunderbolt streaking into the vicious eyes of another foe. He ducked low to the floor as another Infernape sprang at him, barely missing the tips of his ears before landing behind him with a screech.
Leaping aside to barely avoid a flaming kick, the Raichu rallied with a thundershock as another Infernape hurled several orange-sized fireballs at him. A thin spray of hot flames lashed across his back as he hacked at another Infernape's legs, his body crackling with static.
He slashed at the flaming monkeys furiously, lightning rippling from his blade, rolling aside as furious paws smashed against the tiling where he had stood moments ago. The Raichu leapt up and whirled around with a slash to hack at a golden-gauntleted fist as its owner's wild-eyed face leaned in towards him with a snarl. Would Slick be proud of him?
"Yeah," said Sparktail, ears twitching uncomfortably as he and the Absol bounded up a set of steps, speaking more to himself than to Lute. He and Thalia were each other's first friends, but... it didn't feel right to talk about the Leafeon behind her back. "She's... nice."
"Yup, a nice gal there," agreed the Absol as the trio hurried up the steps. "She's rather lively, you know. Fitting for a Leafeon, but, it's a shame she wasn't an Umbreon. Then she'd be a creature of the night, just like me!" To this, Sparktail gave Lute a nasty glare, which the Absol only waved aside.
They soon found themselves standing before a locked door. "Allow me," said Kyria, her eyes glowing as she caught up with them. "Step back, please..."
Lute and Sparktail stepped back as the Gardevoir placed her palms against the door, chanting under her breath. The Raichu closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to dispel any envy or fear. This wouldn't help anyone... especially not Thalia...
His eyes flew open as glowing blue cracks spread all across the door's surface, layers of paint and wood splintering, fragmenting, separating. Hands raised, Kyria's eyes flashed white, and the door shattered into a thick cloud of sawdust, revealing a patrol of wide-eyed Infernapes.
"Regigigas works too fast for my liking," growled Lute as he rose to his paws, the guards hooting and screeching. "These are the same guards from the Lost Tower. No matter. We'll take them, Kyria!" Letting out clashing battle cries, the two warriors sprinted into the room towards with outstretched blades.
Sparktail brought his crackling blade slashing across the torso of an Infernape as he leapt, letting out a gasp of pain as a hard brutal fist struck him in the side. He rolled as he landed on the ground to whirl around and send a thunderbolt streaking into the vicious eyes of another foe. He ducked low to the floor as another Infernape sprang at him, barely missing the tips of his ears before landing behind him with a screech.
Leaping aside to barely avoid a flaming kick, the Raichu rallied with a thundershock as another Infernape hurled several orange-sized fireballs at him. A thin spray of hot flames lashed across his back as he hacked at another Infernape's legs, his body crackling with static.
He slashed at the flaming monkeys furiously, lightning rippling from his blade, rolling aside as furious paws smashed against the tiling where he had stood moments ago. The Raichu leapt up and whirled around with a slash to hack at a golden-gauntleted fist as its owner's wild-eyed face leaned in towards him with a snarl. Would Slick be proud of him?
"I must say, you're a decent fighter," commented Lute, his eyes gleaming as he, Sparktail, and Kyria raced up the winding spiral staircase. The Raichu was surprised--that was high praise from such a talented warrior. Then, the long-horned Absol grinned back over his shoulder to Sparktail, his eyes mischievous. "Not anywhere on my level, of course! But you'd be more likely to actually score a point on me. This is to say, of course, you'd never beat me."
Sparktail didn't comment. Lute's fighting style seemed far more agile, swifter, and deadlier than his, and he hoped they never fought each other. "You ever lost a duel?" asked the Raichu as they ascended towards the tower's spire. He didn't know what was waiting for him at the top, but Lugia surely had his reasons for sending him here.
"Me? Heck no," snorted the Absol as they ran on, ascending the tower's steps, rising ever higher. "I'm one of the best warriors the Swordwrit ever had. That's how I got to start up the Swordians. You've seen how I fight, Sparktail. I strike however, wherever, and whenever I can..."
"Discretion is the better part of valor," chided Kyria as the trio continued upward, her eyes trained towards the tower's spire overhead. "All warriors, great and small, suffer defeat at one point in time or another. Do not be fooled, Sparktail; a Lucario with a katana once nearly beheaded Lute." The longhorned Absol merely grunted, but did not comment.
Sparktail, Lute, and Kyria slowed to a halt as they approached an open door at the end of the winding hall, marked 'Control Room' in bright red lettering. "This is the room we seek," whispered Kyria. Numerous consoles and flickering lights covered the tables that lined its walls, its displays flashing with countless streams of data that the Raichu couldn't make sense of.
Bodies of Pokemon and humans were strewn along the catwalk and the room beyond, lain in various lifeless poses where Giratina's soldiers had slain them. Sparktail gripped his sword tight as they passed the corpses that stared forever towards the ceiling with unseeing eyes, empty and forever gone.
There were five Gallades standing in a row with their backs to the doorway, their blade-like arms stained dark with blood. In the center of the room, three giant silhouettes stood before a giant wall screen, on which stood an even larger figure. Approaching the entrance, the Raichu squinted as his eyes adjusted to the bright lighting inside.
There stood a craggy body of rock, a crystalline body of ice, and a robotic body of steel. It took a moment before he remembered their names from Slick's mythology collection; Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, the soldiers of a heartless king. A chill ran down his spine. If these were the warrior constructs of legend, then the mighty figure on the monitor was--
"Lord Regigigas, our Electrode raid on Saffron City was an utter success," reported Registeel, its voice a combination of robotic beeps and nerve-clawing metallic clangs. "The sheer power of this machinery has enabled us to coordinate our assaults with perfect accuracy. Master Giratina will be pleased!"
The bombings. Sparktail froze, one paw quickly going to his sword. This was the control tower that lay waste to Saffron City! Mythical soldiers or not, he couldn't back out now. "We expect Kanto to fall in less than a week," spoke Regice, its synthesized voice high and faint. The Exile shall have the world invasion army that he so justly desires, and avenge his disastrous defeat in--"
Suddenly, lightning flew over the Regis' heads and blasted the massive screen, causing it to overload and disappear in a wave of static. At once, the three soldiers and their Gallade guards whirled around as Sparktail entered the room with blade drawn, his cheeks crackling and his tail lashing against the floor. Kyria and Lute both sighed.
The red LEDs between Registeel's metal shells flashed like a monstrous spider's eyes. "Targets identified," droned the steel construct as lights swept over the three. "Raichu, Golden Era; Absol, long-horned; Gardevoir, southwest islander. Action: Terminate."
Hot energy running down his veins, Sparktail leveled his sword so that it was parallel with his line of sight, preparing to rush into his enemies; next to him, Lute was doing likewise. "Wait," called Kyria, stepping between the two warriors and the Exile's soldiers. "Who are you? Why do you defile this tower with your presence?"
Regice gave a cold, chilling laugh. "We are the servants of Regigigas, supreme King of Sinnoh, our creator and our liege," hissed the icy body. "Under his rule, we controlled the lands with an indomitable strength that none could match! But the accursed humans feared our power, and thus sealed us away. It was our master who awoke us, and allowed us to take revenge as the Exile had."
"Our highest loyalty is to His Majesty, and to his allies," rumbled Regirock, his body creaking as his stone shoulders rose. "Too long have we been imprisoned in the chaotic wilds of Hoenn, contained by weak-minded tribesmen of floating villages. Long live Giratina the Exile, and may death come to his enemies!" He gestured at the two glaring warriors with a rock fist. "Guards! Terminate them!"
"Kyria! Get back!" barked Lute as the Gallades rushed forward. Nodding, the Gardevoir retreated to the doorway as Sparktail swung his tail outwards, wrapping it around a Gallade's foot and dragging it down to the floor, driving his sword down into the fallen Gallade's head. Leaping back over a Gallade's swishing arm, he slashed at the Pokemon's limbs before whirling around to face another adversary. Lute's eyes had become passionately bright as he jumped and slashed and ducked, bringing night slash after night slash across the Gallade's torsos and backs. Jabbing and leaping and rolling and slashing, Sparktail and Lute quickly dispatched all five of the Gallades.
"For the Exile!" bellowed Registeel as the last of the Gallades fell to the floor, dead. Both Sparktail and Lute whirled around as the three golems advanced on them, shaking the floor with their slow but ominous steps. Lunging at Regice, Lute tucked his head down into a somersault to dodge a hail of ice shards as his swordlike horn fractured the ice golem's frigid body. Dropping to the floor as Regirock bashed at him with stone fists, Sparktail hacked at the golem's legs--indestructible as his sword was, he couldn't muster anywhere near the strength needed to drive the blade through solid rock.
Finally sheathing his sword, Sparktail glared up at Regirock and shot a thunderbolt from his tail at his foe, who faltered as electricity tore through the iron traces in its stone body, slurring its half-paralyzed movements. The Raichu quickly leapt up onto the construct's head, clinging to its rocky features, and struck repeatedly at Regirock's chest with sparking iron tail strikes until he heard the shattering of crystal from deep within the golem's body. The Raichu sprang off as Regirock's lights finally went dark for good, its body collapsing into a pile of boulders and dust.
Meanwhile, Registeel shot a flash cannon attack at Lute, who cleaved the attack cleanly in half with a downward slash as he leapt over Regice's ice beam. The Absol hacked at Regice's body several more times, sending chips of ice flying with every slash from his horn. Finally, the icy body was left spinning around the control room like a top without any limb left to stabilize itself. Kicking the construct with a hind paw, Lute sent it sliding across the floor and crashing out through a wall-high window, where it sailed down from the tower towards the ground a thousand feet below.
Weary and coated in rock dust, Sparktail joined Lute as the Absol lunged at Registeel, his long horn aimed at the soft plastic seal. Quickly, Registeel spun around in a circle, knocking Lute back. It slammed its head into Lute with an Iron Head attack. Sparktail sent three shock waves directly at Registeel, who curled up into a ball and rolled at him. Sparktail jumped over Registeel as Lute brought his hornblade into Registeel swiftly, knocking it back and forcing it to stand up.
A psychic bolt flew from Kyria's palm as Registeel sprang for Sparktail, stopping the steel beast in its tracks. "Get out," cried the Gardevoir, her white cloak rippling as she rose up into the air, vivid blue flames gathering at her hands. Letting out a wailing siren, Registeel spun around to face Kyria as the massive focus blast shot from the Gardevoir's hands and engulfed its core, its circuitry snapping and bursting, until Registeel finally toppled over with a shower of sparks, dead.
Sparktail didn't comment. Lute's fighting style seemed far more agile, swifter, and deadlier than his, and he hoped they never fought each other. "You ever lost a duel?" asked the Raichu as they ascended towards the tower's spire. He didn't know what was waiting for him at the top, but Lugia surely had his reasons for sending him here.
"Me? Heck no," snorted the Absol as they ran on, ascending the tower's steps, rising ever higher. "I'm one of the best warriors the Swordwrit ever had. That's how I got to start up the Swordians. You've seen how I fight, Sparktail. I strike however, wherever, and whenever I can..."
"Discretion is the better part of valor," chided Kyria as the trio continued upward, her eyes trained towards the tower's spire overhead. "All warriors, great and small, suffer defeat at one point in time or another. Do not be fooled, Sparktail; a Lucario with a katana once nearly beheaded Lute." The longhorned Absol merely grunted, but did not comment.
Sparktail, Lute, and Kyria slowed to a halt as they approached an open door at the end of the winding hall, marked 'Control Room' in bright red lettering. "This is the room we seek," whispered Kyria. Numerous consoles and flickering lights covered the tables that lined its walls, its displays flashing with countless streams of data that the Raichu couldn't make sense of.
Bodies of Pokemon and humans were strewn along the catwalk and the room beyond, lain in various lifeless poses where Giratina's soldiers had slain them. Sparktail gripped his sword tight as they passed the corpses that stared forever towards the ceiling with unseeing eyes, empty and forever gone.
There were five Gallades standing in a row with their backs to the doorway, their blade-like arms stained dark with blood. In the center of the room, three giant silhouettes stood before a giant wall screen, on which stood an even larger figure. Approaching the entrance, the Raichu squinted as his eyes adjusted to the bright lighting inside.
There stood a craggy body of rock, a crystalline body of ice, and a robotic body of steel. It took a moment before he remembered their names from Slick's mythology collection; Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, the soldiers of a heartless king. A chill ran down his spine. If these were the warrior constructs of legend, then the mighty figure on the monitor was--
"Lord Regigigas, our Electrode raid on Saffron City was an utter success," reported Registeel, its voice a combination of robotic beeps and nerve-clawing metallic clangs. "The sheer power of this machinery has enabled us to coordinate our assaults with perfect accuracy. Master Giratina will be pleased!"
The bombings. Sparktail froze, one paw quickly going to his sword. This was the control tower that lay waste to Saffron City! Mythical soldiers or not, he couldn't back out now. "We expect Kanto to fall in less than a week," spoke Regice, its synthesized voice high and faint. The Exile shall have the world invasion army that he so justly desires, and avenge his disastrous defeat in--"
Suddenly, lightning flew over the Regis' heads and blasted the massive screen, causing it to overload and disappear in a wave of static. At once, the three soldiers and their Gallade guards whirled around as Sparktail entered the room with blade drawn, his cheeks crackling and his tail lashing against the floor. Kyria and Lute both sighed.
The red LEDs between Registeel's metal shells flashed like a monstrous spider's eyes. "Targets identified," droned the steel construct as lights swept over the three. "Raichu, Golden Era; Absol, long-horned; Gardevoir, southwest islander. Action: Terminate."
Hot energy running down his veins, Sparktail leveled his sword so that it was parallel with his line of sight, preparing to rush into his enemies; next to him, Lute was doing likewise. "Wait," called Kyria, stepping between the two warriors and the Exile's soldiers. "Who are you? Why do you defile this tower with your presence?"
Regice gave a cold, chilling laugh. "We are the servants of Regigigas, supreme King of Sinnoh, our creator and our liege," hissed the icy body. "Under his rule, we controlled the lands with an indomitable strength that none could match! But the accursed humans feared our power, and thus sealed us away. It was our master who awoke us, and allowed us to take revenge as the Exile had."
"Our highest loyalty is to His Majesty, and to his allies," rumbled Regirock, his body creaking as his stone shoulders rose. "Too long have we been imprisoned in the chaotic wilds of Hoenn, contained by weak-minded tribesmen of floating villages. Long live Giratina the Exile, and may death come to his enemies!" He gestured at the two glaring warriors with a rock fist. "Guards! Terminate them!"
"Kyria! Get back!" barked Lute as the Gallades rushed forward. Nodding, the Gardevoir retreated to the doorway as Sparktail swung his tail outwards, wrapping it around a Gallade's foot and dragging it down to the floor, driving his sword down into the fallen Gallade's head. Leaping back over a Gallade's swishing arm, he slashed at the Pokemon's limbs before whirling around to face another adversary. Lute's eyes had become passionately bright as he jumped and slashed and ducked, bringing night slash after night slash across the Gallade's torsos and backs. Jabbing and leaping and rolling and slashing, Sparktail and Lute quickly dispatched all five of the Gallades.
"For the Exile!" bellowed Registeel as the last of the Gallades fell to the floor, dead. Both Sparktail and Lute whirled around as the three golems advanced on them, shaking the floor with their slow but ominous steps. Lunging at Regice, Lute tucked his head down into a somersault to dodge a hail of ice shards as his swordlike horn fractured the ice golem's frigid body. Dropping to the floor as Regirock bashed at him with stone fists, Sparktail hacked at the golem's legs--indestructible as his sword was, he couldn't muster anywhere near the strength needed to drive the blade through solid rock.
Finally sheathing his sword, Sparktail glared up at Regirock and shot a thunderbolt from his tail at his foe, who faltered as electricity tore through the iron traces in its stone body, slurring its half-paralyzed movements. The Raichu quickly leapt up onto the construct's head, clinging to its rocky features, and struck repeatedly at Regirock's chest with sparking iron tail strikes until he heard the shattering of crystal from deep within the golem's body. The Raichu sprang off as Regirock's lights finally went dark for good, its body collapsing into a pile of boulders and dust.
Meanwhile, Registeel shot a flash cannon attack at Lute, who cleaved the attack cleanly in half with a downward slash as he leapt over Regice's ice beam. The Absol hacked at Regice's body several more times, sending chips of ice flying with every slash from his horn. Finally, the icy body was left spinning around the control room like a top without any limb left to stabilize itself. Kicking the construct with a hind paw, Lute sent it sliding across the floor and crashing out through a wall-high window, where it sailed down from the tower towards the ground a thousand feet below.
Weary and coated in rock dust, Sparktail joined Lute as the Absol lunged at Registeel, his long horn aimed at the soft plastic seal. Quickly, Registeel spun around in a circle, knocking Lute back. It slammed its head into Lute with an Iron Head attack. Sparktail sent three shock waves directly at Registeel, who curled up into a ball and rolled at him. Sparktail jumped over Registeel as Lute brought his hornblade into Registeel swiftly, knocking it back and forcing it to stand up.
A psychic bolt flew from Kyria's palm as Registeel sprang for Sparktail, stopping the steel beast in its tracks. "Get out," cried the Gardevoir, her white cloak rippling as she rose up into the air, vivid blue flames gathering at her hands. Letting out a wailing siren, Registeel spun around to face Kyria as the massive focus blast shot from the Gardevoir's hands and engulfed its core, its circuitry snapping and bursting, until Registeel finally toppled over with a shower of sparks, dead.
Breathing hard, the Raichu sank to his paws. The room was a chaotic mess, the floor strewn with glass and bodies, several of the consoles on the wall damaged and smoking. "We did it," breathed Lute, shivering as a cold wind swept into the room. "Sparktail... you ought to train under me some time. Someday, you might even be as good as me with a blade."
"Um... thanks," replied the Raichu awkwardly. His fur was filthy with dust and soaked with sweat that blurred his vision, his heart still pulsing rapidly against his chest with the rush of battle. "To be honest... I never thought I'd use a sword again." Feeling the ache of his bruises and cuts, he wiped his eyes with a paw.
"That is not sanitary," said Kyria sternly, moving Sparktail's paw away. Placing one hand on the Raichu's chest fur, the Gardevoir murmured a few unintelligible words under her breath. A soothing sensation filled Sparktail as glittering light washed over his fur, his wounds sealing and vanishing. "Ah, but you do have my thanks for escorting me. Both of you."
"'Thank you for waiting; we've restored your Pokemon to fighting fit,'" quipped the long-horned Absol as Kyria healed him as well, his cuts fading beneath his fur, though both he and Sparktail still had blood in their fur. "And then 'we hope to see you again.' Sometimes you have to wonder what goes in those ladies' heads."
Ignoring Lute, Sparktail watched as Kyria strode towards the large computer console on the far wall, opposite the gaping hole left by Regice. Examining the wide fifty-inch screen carefully, the Gardevoir set her fingers to a human keyboard. "Now, let us tend to the database," whispered Kyria as she began entering commands into the computer.
A map of the Kanto and Johto regions appeared on the interface. Sparktail examined the display closely, identifying the lower rippling blue regions as ocean and the dark-gray circles as cities, linking faint memories of Kanto and Johto to locations on the map. On the left side of the map, a white pair of horns hovered over a glowing city labeled 'Cherrygrove', and a red triangular icon was steadily advancing north on a line labeled "Route 46."
Then as Sparktail glanced to the other side of the map, he noticed a steel-plated skull icon over a lone orange circle amidst a sea of oceanic blue. Further up, a gray diamond hovered over a sizable chunk of the map on Kanto's lower peninsula, labeled 'Pal Park'. Near the top of the map, on a triangular symbol labeled 'Mount Moon', Sparktail noticed a flashing blue pentagon.
"Come here," said Kyria as she zoomed in on Mount Moon, her eyes narrowing. "There's an occult energy signature from the mountain's summit." Exchanging glances, Lute and Sparktail leaned in towards the screen. "Crescent Pond... that's where the moon's power waxes full. The energy signatures..." She shook her head. "They match the aura of Primal Dialga."
"Primal Dialga?" Swallowing, the Raichu reached into his bag and felt for the Adamant Orb. If all that he'd heard so far was true, Elias's pendant was the key to Dialga's soul. The King of Time had lost control of himself in the distant past, and again in the present. River, Saffron, and Elias had stopped Dialga in ancient times; but now, it was his turn to face the fallen god.
"Lute, the Swordwrit warriors are imprisoned at this mountain," continued Kyria as she rapidly typed into the computer, summoning several other windows onto the display. "But there are sentries of some sort... an 'interdimensional, occult force of phantasmal magnitude'..." Trailing off, Kyria's eyes widened. "No... It's Shadow Hexwraiths!"
"The what?" said Sparktail blankly, glancing up to Kyria. Next to the Raichu, Lute's snow-white fur was fluffed out with agitation, eyes transfixed to the display on the computer's monitor. What was making them so afraid? "What're you talking about?"
"Six terrible Dusknoirs, six wraiths to guard Pal Park," whispered Kyria walls of text scrolled across the screen before her eyes, looking more shaken than ever. "They are... The Hexwraiths have a reputation. A terrible reputation. They are... very deadly, and very murderous."
Dusknoirs. Sparktail flinched, but tried to push down his fear. Hadn't Elias fought against Dusknoirs before? They were powerful spirits of the nether, but that was the sort of soldiers Giratina used; he should have realized he would have to fight at least one, sooner or later. "Why're they called the Shadow Hexwraiths?"
"Wait a minute," croaked Lute, whirling around to stare at the Raichu. ""You're not thinking of taking them on, are you? There's an old legend, you see, about the Dusknoirs known as the Shadow Hexwraiths. They're the ghosts of six children who starved to death. Once every full moon, they roam the lands, forever ravenous. They seize six victims, spirit them off to Pal Park, and kill them. Nothing is left of the victims but ghostly burns..."
A shiver ran down Sparktail's spine as he remembered Elias's fatal wounds, the scorched fist mark, the crushed ribcage. Realizing that a Hexwraith must have killed the Sceptile, he shrank away from Lute, squeezing the hilt of his sword. Why hadn't anyone explained what his mission would entail? But another image quickly came to mind, a Dusknoir cornering Thalia. No, it was too late; he couldn't run away now.
Kyria entered one last command, and the wall on the far side of the room slid open, revealing a door labeled 'Roof Access' in large bold letters. "In any case, Rush was right," said the Gardevoir, stepping away from the console. "Giratina has been using this tower to orchestrate his bombings. Lute, sabotage this room by any means you can. Sparktail, you and I will head outside to meet with the Skarmory. Let us go." Lute dipped his head in acknowledgement. Swallowing, Sparktail watched as Kyria opened the door, and followed her up the spiral staircase.
"Um... thanks," replied the Raichu awkwardly. His fur was filthy with dust and soaked with sweat that blurred his vision, his heart still pulsing rapidly against his chest with the rush of battle. "To be honest... I never thought I'd use a sword again." Feeling the ache of his bruises and cuts, he wiped his eyes with a paw.
"That is not sanitary," said Kyria sternly, moving Sparktail's paw away. Placing one hand on the Raichu's chest fur, the Gardevoir murmured a few unintelligible words under her breath. A soothing sensation filled Sparktail as glittering light washed over his fur, his wounds sealing and vanishing. "Ah, but you do have my thanks for escorting me. Both of you."
"'Thank you for waiting; we've restored your Pokemon to fighting fit,'" quipped the long-horned Absol as Kyria healed him as well, his cuts fading beneath his fur, though both he and Sparktail still had blood in their fur. "And then 'we hope to see you again.' Sometimes you have to wonder what goes in those ladies' heads."
Ignoring Lute, Sparktail watched as Kyria strode towards the large computer console on the far wall, opposite the gaping hole left by Regice. Examining the wide fifty-inch screen carefully, the Gardevoir set her fingers to a human keyboard. "Now, let us tend to the database," whispered Kyria as she began entering commands into the computer.
A map of the Kanto and Johto regions appeared on the interface. Sparktail examined the display closely, identifying the lower rippling blue regions as ocean and the dark-gray circles as cities, linking faint memories of Kanto and Johto to locations on the map. On the left side of the map, a white pair of horns hovered over a glowing city labeled 'Cherrygrove', and a red triangular icon was steadily advancing north on a line labeled "Route 46."
Then as Sparktail glanced to the other side of the map, he noticed a steel-plated skull icon over a lone orange circle amidst a sea of oceanic blue. Further up, a gray diamond hovered over a sizable chunk of the map on Kanto's lower peninsula, labeled 'Pal Park'. Near the top of the map, on a triangular symbol labeled 'Mount Moon', Sparktail noticed a flashing blue pentagon.
"Come here," said Kyria as she zoomed in on Mount Moon, her eyes narrowing. "There's an occult energy signature from the mountain's summit." Exchanging glances, Lute and Sparktail leaned in towards the screen. "Crescent Pond... that's where the moon's power waxes full. The energy signatures..." She shook her head. "They match the aura of Primal Dialga."
"Primal Dialga?" Swallowing, the Raichu reached into his bag and felt for the Adamant Orb. If all that he'd heard so far was true, Elias's pendant was the key to Dialga's soul. The King of Time had lost control of himself in the distant past, and again in the present. River, Saffron, and Elias had stopped Dialga in ancient times; but now, it was his turn to face the fallen god.
"Lute, the Swordwrit warriors are imprisoned at this mountain," continued Kyria as she rapidly typed into the computer, summoning several other windows onto the display. "But there are sentries of some sort... an 'interdimensional, occult force of phantasmal magnitude'..." Trailing off, Kyria's eyes widened. "No... It's Shadow Hexwraiths!"
"The what?" said Sparktail blankly, glancing up to Kyria. Next to the Raichu, Lute's snow-white fur was fluffed out with agitation, eyes transfixed to the display on the computer's monitor. What was making them so afraid? "What're you talking about?"
"Six terrible Dusknoirs, six wraiths to guard Pal Park," whispered Kyria walls of text scrolled across the screen before her eyes, looking more shaken than ever. "They are... The Hexwraiths have a reputation. A terrible reputation. They are... very deadly, and very murderous."
Dusknoirs. Sparktail flinched, but tried to push down his fear. Hadn't Elias fought against Dusknoirs before? They were powerful spirits of the nether, but that was the sort of soldiers Giratina used; he should have realized he would have to fight at least one, sooner or later. "Why're they called the Shadow Hexwraiths?"
"Wait a minute," croaked Lute, whirling around to stare at the Raichu. ""You're not thinking of taking them on, are you? There's an old legend, you see, about the Dusknoirs known as the Shadow Hexwraiths. They're the ghosts of six children who starved to death. Once every full moon, they roam the lands, forever ravenous. They seize six victims, spirit them off to Pal Park, and kill them. Nothing is left of the victims but ghostly burns..."
A shiver ran down Sparktail's spine as he remembered Elias's fatal wounds, the scorched fist mark, the crushed ribcage. Realizing that a Hexwraith must have killed the Sceptile, he shrank away from Lute, squeezing the hilt of his sword. Why hadn't anyone explained what his mission would entail? But another image quickly came to mind, a Dusknoir cornering Thalia. No, it was too late; he couldn't run away now.
Kyria entered one last command, and the wall on the far side of the room slid open, revealing a door labeled 'Roof Access' in large bold letters. "In any case, Rush was right," said the Gardevoir, stepping away from the console. "Giratina has been using this tower to orchestrate his bombings. Lute, sabotage this room by any means you can. Sparktail, you and I will head outside to meet with the Skarmory. Let us go." Lute dipped his head in acknowledgement. Swallowing, Sparktail watched as Kyria opened the door, and followed her up the spiral staircase.
As Kyria pushed open the lone black door at the top of the spiral stairs, Sparktail was buffeted by a powerful gust of wind, and raindrops splashed against the floor. In the distance, the Raichu could just faintly hear the approaching cries of the Skarmory. "Come, Falchion is waiting for us," called the Gardevoir from further up ahead.
Nodding, the Raichu stumbled forward after the Gardevoir out onto the Radio Tower's observation deck, a great round balcony open to the bleak Kanto skies. The spire was a symmetrical circular platform of gray concrete beneath his paws, a gilded upper deck looming a good eight feet behind him, joined by two sets of steps on either side of the roof access stairwell.
With the cold Kanto winds howling in his ears, Sparktail stared at the tarnished metal rails that lined the edge of the platform. Beyond the edge of the deck hovered the Skarmory, beating his wings fervently, eyes scanning the chaotic skies with fear. "Lady Kyria, and the Raichu too," called the steel-winged bird as lightning slashed across the atmosphere. "Come quickly, both of you! I fear to fly so high in such weather."
Cracks littered the rain-slicked floor beneath Sparktail's paws, his eyes darting to the long needle-like antennae which penetrated into the storm-clouds, standing a good twenty feet from its pedestal on the center of the stage. Climbing over the handrails, the Gardevoir lowered herself onto the Skarmory's back, her legs tucked under her steed's outstretched steel talons. "Quick, Sparktail," said Kyria, glancing back to the stair access door as Sparktail approached them. "We mustn't delay. He is right. It is dangerous to fly in such weather."
There was another flash of lightning, followed by a rolling peal of dark thunder--and what Sparktail had mistaken for a massive power generator shifted, ever so slightly. The Raichu froze as he caught sight of the gargantuan beast standing atop the high dais--the mighty behemoth whose immense form blotted out the sun, whose shadow he had seen on the great screen down below. "Regigigas," gasped Kyria as she and the Skarmory stared up at the monstrous king.
Four thick golden ridges arched over the top of its headless white body, the immense creature's limbs thicker than tree trunks and stronger than a Machamp's, dazzled by the glint of twelve gemstones adorning its torso from between the golden ridges. The beastly arms and legs were adorned with black wavy runes, and tremendous fingers protruded from thick cylindrical layers of ancient armor as thick clumps of moss obscured its massive feet.
As Regigigas' eyes gazed coldly upon the bracing Raichu before him, its fingers curled into massive fists like the coils of woven steel cables, and the twelve lights upon the front of its body lit up as if to give a vicious mile. "Sparktail? What are you doing?" hissed the Gardevoir as the Raichu drew his sword. "None can hope to defeat Regigigas! We must get out of here as soon as possible!"
Through the pounding rain, brushing the fur out of his eyes, certain doom waiting on the deck above, the Raichu could barely hear Kyria. "I--just go," said Sparktail distantly, still staring up into Regigigas' mechanical gaze, his sword shaking in his paw. "Lute and I--we'll find some other way off..."
The Gardevoir stared at the Raichu for a long while, Regigigas' twelve eyes flashing like the pixels of a great marquee. "Go, Falchion," said Kyria finally, sighing, the tower-spire shuddering with every movement that Regigigas made. "Sparktail... I will send Falchion back for you and Lute!"
As the Skarmory shot off into the storm, Sparktail climbed the stairs up onto the upper deck, moving along the handrails towards Regigigas, his sword raised, his tail dragging in the downpour. Then, just as he passed the main antenna, a bright thunderbolt suddenly shot down from the skies and struck the great spire.
At once, the surge of raw energy shot down the length of the massive lightning rod and engulfed Sparktail in an explosion of snarling electricity. Tail lashing against the concrete floor, he cried out as the discharge swept aside all vision, tearing at the yellow fur on his cheeks and leaving them jagged.
Regigigas let loose a furious roar as its twelve eyes fell upon the glittering sword in Sparktail's paw, and leapt down from the balcony to land with an earth-shuddering impact that hurled the Raichu back against the railing. Gritting his teeth in pain as the unyielding steel bars pressed hard into his flesh, Sparktail hastily rolled aside as Regigigas swiped at him with a monstrous glowing fist. Slashing at Regigigas' arm as it came crashing down through the metal railing where he had stood moments before, the Raichu ducked low to the floor to duck a glowing white energy tendril bursting from the behemoth's other palm.
Gasping, he sprang over another swiping arm, his blade rebounding off of the thick skin as he tried to hack at the limb in mid-dive, before tumbling to a stop at the foot of the stairs. As he rose to his paws, Regigigas charged at him like a quarterback, the large mossy feet crashing against the observation deck's dilapidated floor. Hurrying up the steps as the mighty behemoth smashed into a series of antennae, Sparktail clutched the hilt of his sword tight as he arrived at the upper platform. Maybe the weapon wasn't what he thought it was. Maybe it was just a sword after all, albeit an indestructible and highly deadly sword.
As Regigigas came lumbering up the stairs towards him, Sparktail whirled around to face his hulking foe, sheathing his sword as sparks crackled on his lightning-bolt cheeks. Gathering up his lightning, the Raichu fired a thunderbolt at the gigantic titan, who froze in mid-step and shook as sparks covered its body. Then its gemstone-eyes flashed dangerously before Sparktail's wary eyes, rippling in swift patterns if some switch had been pulled to unleash Regigigas' full strength and agility. Eyes shooting wide as the great beast charged at him with blinding speed, Sparktail gasped and leapt over the rail to land on the lower deck once more.
"Kyogre's fins," muttered the Raichu as Regigigas furiously smashed into the steel railing, which crumpled easily as the beast came crashing down to land in front of Sparktail with a mighty roar, his tremendous impact jarring the mouse's nerves. Leaping away as Regigigas lunged at him with impossible swiftness, the lightning mouse stumbled behind his giant foe and drew his sword, his head still ringing. Swallowing hard, he leapt at Regigigas with his sword and sank the blade into the gargantuan back.
The giant beast froze as the blade sank into its body, and it gave off a static gurgle of confusion. Tugging at his sword with his hind paws on Regigigas' back, Sparktail frowned as smoke and sparks of electricity began to emit from the thick white-and-black layers of skin, and he pulled at the hilt of his weapon more urgently. Then the great king's body flashed, and Sparktail's sword was flung out from the white flesh, clattering to the ground, leaving seamless flesh where the blade had been. Shocked, the Raichu stumbled back from the roaring king, a paw groping around for his sword.
"Sparktail!" shouted Lute from the stair access doorway, his snow-white pelt rippling turbulently in the wind as he stared at the Raichu. "I wrecked the computer, tore it to pieces. No one will ever be using it now. Where's Kyria? Where's the Skarmory?" And then as his eyes fell upon Regigigas' monstrous form, the long-horned Absol froze. "Oh my god-"
"De...struc...tion," rumbled Regigigas above the buffeting winds around them. The Raichu stared as the king of Sinnoh rose to its mighty feet, unwounded and undefeated. "Objective: World must be Reset... Success. Objective: Backup systems transferred... success. Objective: " As a speechless Lute stepped towards an equally dumbfounded Sparktail on his backside, Regigigas turned to face both warriors with its grid of lights. "Destruction sequence... ACTIVATED."
Shooting Sparktail an alarmed look, Lute sank his teeth into the scruff of the Raichu's neck and darted away from Regigigas as the whining electric generators on the upper deck suddenly exploded, pulverizing the floor and rails and the very air with a tremendous explosion. Glass and plastic and metal debris flew everywhere as Lute sprang over the edge of the obliterated tower spire's railing, and the two Pokemon tumbled down to earth.
Nodding, the Raichu stumbled forward after the Gardevoir out onto the Radio Tower's observation deck, a great round balcony open to the bleak Kanto skies. The spire was a symmetrical circular platform of gray concrete beneath his paws, a gilded upper deck looming a good eight feet behind him, joined by two sets of steps on either side of the roof access stairwell.
With the cold Kanto winds howling in his ears, Sparktail stared at the tarnished metal rails that lined the edge of the platform. Beyond the edge of the deck hovered the Skarmory, beating his wings fervently, eyes scanning the chaotic skies with fear. "Lady Kyria, and the Raichu too," called the steel-winged bird as lightning slashed across the atmosphere. "Come quickly, both of you! I fear to fly so high in such weather."
Cracks littered the rain-slicked floor beneath Sparktail's paws, his eyes darting to the long needle-like antennae which penetrated into the storm-clouds, standing a good twenty feet from its pedestal on the center of the stage. Climbing over the handrails, the Gardevoir lowered herself onto the Skarmory's back, her legs tucked under her steed's outstretched steel talons. "Quick, Sparktail," said Kyria, glancing back to the stair access door as Sparktail approached them. "We mustn't delay. He is right. It is dangerous to fly in such weather."
There was another flash of lightning, followed by a rolling peal of dark thunder--and what Sparktail had mistaken for a massive power generator shifted, ever so slightly. The Raichu froze as he caught sight of the gargantuan beast standing atop the high dais--the mighty behemoth whose immense form blotted out the sun, whose shadow he had seen on the great screen down below. "Regigigas," gasped Kyria as she and the Skarmory stared up at the monstrous king.
Four thick golden ridges arched over the top of its headless white body, the immense creature's limbs thicker than tree trunks and stronger than a Machamp's, dazzled by the glint of twelve gemstones adorning its torso from between the golden ridges. The beastly arms and legs were adorned with black wavy runes, and tremendous fingers protruded from thick cylindrical layers of ancient armor as thick clumps of moss obscured its massive feet.
As Regigigas' eyes gazed coldly upon the bracing Raichu before him, its fingers curled into massive fists like the coils of woven steel cables, and the twelve lights upon the front of its body lit up as if to give a vicious mile. "Sparktail? What are you doing?" hissed the Gardevoir as the Raichu drew his sword. "None can hope to defeat Regigigas! We must get out of here as soon as possible!"
Through the pounding rain, brushing the fur out of his eyes, certain doom waiting on the deck above, the Raichu could barely hear Kyria. "I--just go," said Sparktail distantly, still staring up into Regigigas' mechanical gaze, his sword shaking in his paw. "Lute and I--we'll find some other way off..."
The Gardevoir stared at the Raichu for a long while, Regigigas' twelve eyes flashing like the pixels of a great marquee. "Go, Falchion," said Kyria finally, sighing, the tower-spire shuddering with every movement that Regigigas made. "Sparktail... I will send Falchion back for you and Lute!"
As the Skarmory shot off into the storm, Sparktail climbed the stairs up onto the upper deck, moving along the handrails towards Regigigas, his sword raised, his tail dragging in the downpour. Then, just as he passed the main antenna, a bright thunderbolt suddenly shot down from the skies and struck the great spire.
At once, the surge of raw energy shot down the length of the massive lightning rod and engulfed Sparktail in an explosion of snarling electricity. Tail lashing against the concrete floor, he cried out as the discharge swept aside all vision, tearing at the yellow fur on his cheeks and leaving them jagged.
Regigigas let loose a furious roar as its twelve eyes fell upon the glittering sword in Sparktail's paw, and leapt down from the balcony to land with an earth-shuddering impact that hurled the Raichu back against the railing. Gritting his teeth in pain as the unyielding steel bars pressed hard into his flesh, Sparktail hastily rolled aside as Regigigas swiped at him with a monstrous glowing fist. Slashing at Regigigas' arm as it came crashing down through the metal railing where he had stood moments before, the Raichu ducked low to the floor to duck a glowing white energy tendril bursting from the behemoth's other palm.
Gasping, he sprang over another swiping arm, his blade rebounding off of the thick skin as he tried to hack at the limb in mid-dive, before tumbling to a stop at the foot of the stairs. As he rose to his paws, Regigigas charged at him like a quarterback, the large mossy feet crashing against the observation deck's dilapidated floor. Hurrying up the steps as the mighty behemoth smashed into a series of antennae, Sparktail clutched the hilt of his sword tight as he arrived at the upper platform. Maybe the weapon wasn't what he thought it was. Maybe it was just a sword after all, albeit an indestructible and highly deadly sword.
As Regigigas came lumbering up the stairs towards him, Sparktail whirled around to face his hulking foe, sheathing his sword as sparks crackled on his lightning-bolt cheeks. Gathering up his lightning, the Raichu fired a thunderbolt at the gigantic titan, who froze in mid-step and shook as sparks covered its body. Then its gemstone-eyes flashed dangerously before Sparktail's wary eyes, rippling in swift patterns if some switch had been pulled to unleash Regigigas' full strength and agility. Eyes shooting wide as the great beast charged at him with blinding speed, Sparktail gasped and leapt over the rail to land on the lower deck once more.
"Kyogre's fins," muttered the Raichu as Regigigas furiously smashed into the steel railing, which crumpled easily as the beast came crashing down to land in front of Sparktail with a mighty roar, his tremendous impact jarring the mouse's nerves. Leaping away as Regigigas lunged at him with impossible swiftness, the lightning mouse stumbled behind his giant foe and drew his sword, his head still ringing. Swallowing hard, he leapt at Regigigas with his sword and sank the blade into the gargantuan back.
The giant beast froze as the blade sank into its body, and it gave off a static gurgle of confusion. Tugging at his sword with his hind paws on Regigigas' back, Sparktail frowned as smoke and sparks of electricity began to emit from the thick white-and-black layers of skin, and he pulled at the hilt of his weapon more urgently. Then the great king's body flashed, and Sparktail's sword was flung out from the white flesh, clattering to the ground, leaving seamless flesh where the blade had been. Shocked, the Raichu stumbled back from the roaring king, a paw groping around for his sword.
"Sparktail!" shouted Lute from the stair access doorway, his snow-white pelt rippling turbulently in the wind as he stared at the Raichu. "I wrecked the computer, tore it to pieces. No one will ever be using it now. Where's Kyria? Where's the Skarmory?" And then as his eyes fell upon Regigigas' monstrous form, the long-horned Absol froze. "Oh my god-"
"De...struc...tion," rumbled Regigigas above the buffeting winds around them. The Raichu stared as the king of Sinnoh rose to its mighty feet, unwounded and undefeated. "Objective: World must be Reset... Success. Objective: Backup systems transferred... success. Objective: " As a speechless Lute stepped towards an equally dumbfounded Sparktail on his backside, Regigigas turned to face both warriors with its grid of lights. "Destruction sequence... ACTIVATED."
Shooting Sparktail an alarmed look, Lute sank his teeth into the scruff of the Raichu's neck and darted away from Regigigas as the whining electric generators on the upper deck suddenly exploded, pulverizing the floor and rails and the very air with a tremendous explosion. Glass and plastic and metal debris flew everywhere as Lute sprang over the edge of the obliterated tower spire's railing, and the two Pokemon tumbled down to earth.