Hall of Origins

  Once again, Arceus gathered the denizens of the Hall together. Normally, the Legends would be chattering amongst one another until Arceus appeared and inevitably silenced them to begin, but now, it was dead silent. Before Necrozma’s onslaught began, the Hall of Origins meetings were few and far between, so when they became more constant, many questions arose. Now, there were no such questions. Everyone knew why they were here. Necrozma was mere hours away, and just as the humans and ordinary Pokemon had a wave of dread nearly smothering them, the Legends, too, felt this same fear. They knew why they were brought here on this day.

  Now, every single Legendary Pokemon appeared in the Hall. There were some normally exempt from the Hall meetings, such as those who were caught by Trainers, but even they were called to this one. Even the Goddess of all Pokemon, Mew, was called, and she sat on a small elevated pedestal next to where Arceus would be seated upon his arrival. The artificial Pokemon, save Mewtwo, were still exempt, as they were not considered Legends. Mewtwo’s case was simply special treatment on account of his battle against Necrozma.

  Latias couldn’t help but notice her brother, Latios, was there as well. But...that made no sense! He sacrificed himself to stop a tsunami and save the city of Alto Mare, so why, then, was he now here?! How was such a thing possible?! Latios apparently ended up noticing Latias’s odd stare toward him and averted his gaze. Latias felt a part of her shatter at seeing her beloved brother treating her as if she were a complete stranger.

  Arceus appeared at the Hall’s largest seat as he normally did, making Giratina and Lugia scowl. The Alpha Pokemon cleared his throat and said, “May I have thine atte-”

  “You can put that to rest,” Snapped Giratina. “Just get on with the meeting.”

  Arceus gave his firstborn son the evil eye for a moment, then turned back around to address the rest of the Hall. “Very well,” Arceus said, “Let’s get on with it then.” Arceus lightly stamped his foot, resulting in a noise that sounded almost like a gong. A screen appeared on the floor of the Hall, and on that screen was a vision of a colossal fleet of jet-black ships soaring through space.

  “I need not remind you for the umpteenth time,” Spoke Arceus, “But Necrozma and his forces will arrive in roughly twelve hours from now. That…” He trailed off, looking about the hall at the various Legends gathered. “...will be our last chance at stopping him.”

  The screen showcasing Necrozma’s fleet disappeared, reverting the Hall back to its normal bright white coloring. “That,” Said Arceus, “Is why I have called you all here. He nodded toward Darkrai and the rest of Tobias’s team. “Even the ones who have responsibilities regarding their trainers.”

  ‘Their Trainers?!’ Exclaimed Latias to herself upon noticing Arceus’s nod toward her brother. ‘Is that where Latios has been?!’

  Arceus continued speaking, snapping Latias out of her train of thought. “To most of us, the battle against Necrozma is a matter of life or death.” He looked down toward Deoxys with an empathetic expression. “To some of us...it means much more.”

  Deoxys narrowed his eyes. “Indeed,” He said. “Necrozma was responsible for the complete destruction of my home planet.” His tendrils changed shape into fists, which the DNA Pokemon clenched furiously at the memory of the dark menace Necrozma annihilating his planet. “I escaped onto a meteor, but just barely. I watched as my planet was reduced to rubble before going into a hibernation of sorts…”

  Deoxys’s fist relaxed slightly, and he looked back up at Arceus, his expression softening. “I don’t know how much time passed since then, but I eventually wound up here.” He looked over toward Rayquaza. “When I first arrived here, I was met with...resistance.”

  Rayquaza sheepishly averted his gaze, but Deoxys shook his head. “No,” Said the DNA Pokemon, “It’s quite alright, you were simply doing your duty as a guardian to this planet when you attacked me.” He looked back toward Arceus next. “But when our battle was over, and I didn’t know what to do, Lord Arceus gave me a home here on this world.”

  Deoxys took to the knee, bowing to the Alpha Pokemon. “In my time of need, Arceus allowed me to take refuge here on Earth. For that, I will be grateful until the day I die.” Rising to his feet once more, Deoxys continued and said, “So, my goal is not exclusively revenge for my old home. I have a new home now, and I refuse to let it die like the last!

  A wave of clapping resounded through the Hall. Many of the Legends who were dreading the coming hours found a sort of solace in Deoxys’s rallying speech, pushing their trepidation away for the moment. “Well said, Deoxys!” Praised Arceus. “That was a wonderful speech!”

  Deoxys bowed once more and nodded. “I was simply expressing my feelings, milord.”

  Arceus nodded to him and turned to address the rest of the hall. “Whatever your intentions were, it was quite magnificent nonetheless. Which brings me to my point of bringing you all one last time before Necrozma arrives.” A wistful expression came over Arceus’s face, and the deity Pokemon looked up toward the bright white ceiling of the Hall of Origins. “I don’t mean to be a stick in the mud, per se, nor do I wish to ruin the mood, especially after Deoxys’s speech, but…”

  Arceus let out a long-winded sigh and closed his eyes. “What I mean to say to you all is...I’m sorry.”

  The Legends immediately looked at him in confusion. They eyed one another as if they had any inkling as to what their father meant, and eventually turned back to him. “Milord?” Asked Rayquaza. “I’m...not following…”

  Arceus let out a dry chuckle. “Perhaps most of you don’t even recall what I’m about to tell you, since I’ve acted this way for so long…but…” Arceus turned back toward Giratina, his firstborn son and the Renegade Pokemon. “There is one among us besides myself who will never be able to forget...since he received the full brunt of it.”

  Giratina’s everlasting scowl didn’t falter at that. He simply scoffed, refusing to meet Arceus’s gaze.

  Arceus nodded sadly and turned away from him. “Most of you were either too young or didn’t even exist yet when Mew and I first sculpted the world, so you didn’t know what...I used to be like.”

  The head of the Hall didn’t speak for a few minutes, resulting in a deafening and incredibly awkward silence for many minutes later. Every denizen of the Hall of Origins inwardly sighed in relief when their father next spoke. “I suppose I should start from the beginning, then.”

  The floor-wide screen reappeared, making the white hall go dark except for the screen’s light. It no longer showed the approaching fleet of Necrozma. Instead, Arceus and Mew were shown, floating in the middle of a large field of debris in the middle of space.

  Mew looked over at Arceus with worry on her face and whispered, “Is it okay to be showing them this?”

  Arceus nodded. “After the way I’ve ruled this world and them, they deserve to know everything.”

  He cleared his throat and spoke to the Legends. “This is...your origin and the origin of our home, Earth.” On the screen, Arceus and Mew closed their eyes and began emitting a bright white light. The rubble surrounding the two began glowing as well, then started floating forward away from the two. The debris clashed together violently, becoming white-hot due to the friction, and melted together. “Mew and I shared a dream,” Arceus said, “A dream of a place where life other than us could exist. By that time, the Universe already had planets and meteors scattered everywhere. We gathered some and fused them together to create our own planet.”

  On the screen, all of the debris had successfully merged together, creating a gigantic sphere that shined in a brilliant white light. “However,” Said Arceus, “The world we created was not yet inhabitable.” Evidenced by this, the screen zoomed in on the world, which was coated in magma and violent storms. In some places, whatever land that had managed to appear was constantly warping in shape, and the storms radically changed in speed at different intervals. “Our world was imbalanced. Chaotic. Inhospitable to the life we so dearly wished for...but then…”

  The vision next showed Arceus glowing brightly once more until three different glowing lights appeared from his body. The first was dark purple and turned into Giratina. The second was pink, and turned into Palkia. The third was cyan in color, turning into Dialga. “The Elemental Plates were something I always had. Using their incredible power, I created three entities capable of controlling the very fabric of time, space, and matter. I trained them to harness their powers, and used them to give proper balance to the world. Since they were so useful, I dotingly nicknamed them my Thousand Hands.” The infantile Creation Trio flew down to the world with Arceus and Mew watching them from above. Palkia gave shape and form to the land, Dialga restored the proper flow of time to it, and Giratina added to it, making the world grow larger.

  “However,” Arceus said, “They alone could not fix our world. Though a proper balance was brought to it, it was still incredibly hot and inhospitable.” The Arceus in the vision began glowing once more. This time, he created a green light that became Rayquaza, a red light that became Groudon, and a blue light that became Kyogre. “So, I created more life forms. I created Kyogre to, in turn, create the world’s oceans and Groudon to make sure there was still enough land for life to be born on. Rayquaza’s purpose was to be a balancing factor between these two, making sure one didn’t have power over the other. Later on, his duties were expanded to protecting the Earth from outside dangers like meteors or other hostile life forms.”

  Mew, in the vision, was shown to be creating vast amounts of other life forms to inhabit the oceans. Ancient Pokemon like Kabuto and Omanyte appeared in droves. “As I created new life forms with the power to bring balance to our world, Mew began creating life forms of her own. Though they were weaker than my creations, hers came in vast quantities.” The screen showed an Omanyte attempting to crawl out of the water, only to be scorched by the burning-hot lands and retreat back into the ocean. “However,” Arceus said, “Only a few of Mew’s creations were able to withstand the landscape, and those that were able to could not live in the ocean.” The oceans began growing at incredible speeds, drowning most of the land until only two-thirds of the land remained. The only inhabitants of said land were creatures born from lava and rock, such as Slugma and Roggenrola.

  “The land was barren for the most part, while the ocean was flourishing with Mew’s life, so I allowed Kyogre to expand the oceans in order to cool the land faster. Needless to say, Groudon was unhappy with my decision, sparking an endless rivalry between the two.” The present-day Arceus looked down and let out a deep sigh. “That,” He said, “Was the first among a long line of endless follies from me.”

  The heat of the land was shown sizzling, the water that made contact, resulting in steam that floated up into the sky. Eventually, the steam began bundling up together into clouds and rained water back down not only into the ocean, but the land as well. “With the increase in ocean water, excess heat carried the water into the sky and created the first rain. I was, at the time, ecstatic, not giving any attention to the unhappiness I had caused Groudon in the process. I was...too self-absorbed. Blinded by my exhilaration with the world’s progress.”

  The rain coated most of the world, forcing many Pokemon that existed on land to flee for areas it didn’t cover, either to large volcanic areas or underground. However, grass and other foliage began growing in their place. “As the early land Pokemon, which we called Magical Creatures at the time, fled, new forms of life were able to surface on their own. Yet again, I paid no attention to those who were hurt and instead focused solely on the changes. However, this is where the changes ended for the time being, and so I attempted to force them to occur.”

  The screen showed Arceus speaking with Mew in an excited fashion. “I had asked Mew to experiment with ways for life to adapt on its own, with no need for us to constantly create more. At first, the two of us were stumped until Mew had the idea to give already-existing life forms the ability to change themselves over time. We nicknamed this phenomenon “Evolution.””

  On the screen, Mew’s life forms began glowing and changed into different, more powerful forms. Omanyte turned into Omastar. Slugma turned into Magcargo. The non-sentient life forms, such as grass began changing as well, growing into bushes, flowers, and the first tree. “That tree,” Arceus said, “Is now the Tree of Life. Upon its creation, many creatures flocked to it, using it for homes and food. Mew took interest in the tree, seeing immense amounts of potential for further evolution of our creations.”

  Mew, in the vision, flew down to the first tree and surrounded both herself and it in a brilliant white light. “Mew split half of her life force and gave it to the first tree, bonding with it. The tree ingrained itself firmly, spreading its roots all across the world and growing into an immensely large size. More unique life forms began springing up across the world afterward, and many of them flocked to the Tree of Life. “Due to the Tree of Life’s creation, new life forms such as plants and other sentient creatures were created across the globe. This new explosion of life came at the cost of Mew’s freedom, and since her life was bound to the tree, if it died, she would go with it.”

  The vision next showed Arceus bowing to Mew, an act the Hall of Origins denizens believed to be an apology. Mew, however, waved him off nonchalantly and went back inside the tree. “Mew said the change didn’t bother her so long as she had means of entertaining herself, and she could observe life growing. Leaving the Tree of Life became problematic and incredibly uncomfortable for her, however, and as you all know, she rarely ever decided to leave it since.”

  The Arceus in the screen was shown to no longer be as ecstatic as he once was, and soon fell into an obvious depression. “Without my partner Mew at my side, I began growing lonesome. I could not interact with the world as much as I wished, as my presence would cause a disturbance, and my position as overseer of the world prevented me from seeing her too often. The occasional visits from my three original sons were nice, but fleeting, and I could not interact much with the Weather Trio due to them being Earthly in nature.”

  Earth’s earlier stages were soon becoming unbalanced as well, as the screen showed. Life forms soon began overpopulating the world. They fought over resources, and when there wasn’t any, they withered and grew weak. “Another imbalance occurred. At the time, the earlier life forms couldn’t die, as their lives were directly supported by my energy, or my “Aura” rather. This…” The present Arceus bowed his head and let out another long-winded sigh. “...Was my next great folly.”

  Past Arceus was shown travelling down to the Tree of Life, and Mew soon appeared to confront him. “I explained the situation to Mew, and the two of us attempted to devise a solution. She proposed creating another planet entirely and dividing their populations, but I told her that would only slow the problem, and we couldn’t keep creating worlds forever. Eventually, our Aura would run dry, and we would perish. With no one to govern the worlds, they would perish as well.”

  Arceus of the past and Arceus of the present mirrored an expression: Remorse. “Then...we figured out a solution…” The oldest of the early life forms began wrinkling and withering, until eventually, they stopped moving altogether, and their bodies turned to dust. “We...allowed them to die…” Arceus of the past was shown creating three more lights. A whitish-pink one that turned into Xerneas, a black and red one that turned into Yveltal, and a black, white and green one that turned into Zygarde’s united form.

  “I created Xerneas to oversee the creation of new life, Yveltal to become the bringer of death, and Zygarde to keep balance between the two, just as I did for Groudon and Kyogre with Rayquaza.” Many of the oldest Pokemon quickly began withering away into nothingness, while other younger versions were born in their pre-evolved states. “Almost all life was extinguished, and all new life was given a new genetic coding detailing slight adaptations with each new generation. As old Pokemon died, their remains allowed for new life to be born, such as plants, which would in turn feed the deceased Pokemon’s descendants.”

  Present Arceus raised his head once more. “Though our solution ended up working, the Legendary Pokemon, who existed at the time, who could not die by aging as normal Pokemon, were shaken by the sudden death of the old Pokemon.” He looked over to Giratina, who once again turned away from him. “None of them ever forgot...and one never forgave.”

  The plan of Mew and Arceus seemingly ended up working. With every passing generation, the new one became slightly stronger for the most part, and some species ended up entirely turning into new ones to better suit the environment they lived in. “The dream of a life-filled paradise Mew and I shared died and became a desperate struggle to fix our past mistakes. Though I agonized over the deaths of my creations, neither Mew nor I could deny that our solution worked. With every generation, a new slight change came about in every species. We called this a “Secondary Evolution.”

  The screen showcased various Pokemon performing their normal evolutions once or twice, then fading away in place of a younger one, which followed the life of their predecessor and ended up the same way. This repeated endlessly, until the species of Pokemon eventually changed into an entirely new one. Eventually, they turned into something different than a Pokemon altogether. “Then,” Said Arceus, “The humans emerged. They were more sophisticated than any Pokemon, forming vast communities together and creating technology, making scientific discoveries, and doing things not even I imagined was possible.”

  Then, the screen showed Giratina making contact with the early humans. Arceus’s expression furled into one of discomfort, but he continued speaking in spite of that. “Giratina...took interest in the humans and regularly interacted with them. Eventually, those early humans formed a cult around Giratina.” Arceus let out another long-winded sigh, and Mew gave him a concerned look when she saw the pain on his face. She then looked over at Giratina, and she could practically feel the malice radiating from him as he looked down at the screen.

  “Then,” Said Arceus, “I made my...greatest mistake.” The screen showed the past Arceus descending down from the skies to confront Giratina with rage plastered on his face. He crashed down before the civilization of humans, knocking down many of their buildings in the process. “In my younger pride and foolishness, I demanded to know why Giratina was attempting to interfere with the lives of the humans.” The younger Giratina was shown flying from the town to face Arceus. “He told me that he had the right to interact with the humans, and called me a monster who destroyed his own creations. He said that he would be a better ruler than I.”

  Arceus’s shaking voice betrayed him, showing the other Legends the pain Arceus felt at reliving these memories. “...I was foolish...so, so foolish...Giratina saying that made me fly into a fit of rage. I attacked him mercilessly, not giving him the chance to retaliate or flee.” Past Arceus was shown relentlessly throwing a volley of attacks at the young Giratina and catching the attention of the humans. “The humans, seeing their deity being attacked, rushed from their homes and began throwing rocks, wood, and anything else they could find.” The young Giratina was knocked to the ground in front of them, and Arceus stood over his collapsed body. The fury in Arceus’s eyes made the humans cower in fear. Even the Legends gathered in the Hall of Origins felt shivers run down their spine at seeing Arceus’s rage-filled glare.

  “So,” Uttered Arceus, “I attacked them as well...but not before proving just how ruthless of a tyrant I used to be.” A black void suddenly opened underneath the young Giratina, and he was slowly pulled through it. He pleaded with Arceus for mercy and forgiveness, and received no answer. The terrified Giratina said his father’s name one last time before being completely dragged through and disappearing.

  Arceus trembled at the memory, and his voice shook now more than ever. “I...banished Giratina to a world opposite of our own. This world’s shadow, if you will...The Reverse World, where reality itself was warped beyond comprehension, and light was barely present.” Past Arceus then turned his fury-filled gaze toward the humans. Some of them began running, whereas others bowed before the one who banished their deity and begged for mercy. Arceus looked past them at the city they created and completely eradicated it. He then disappeared from sight without looking back at humans whose civilization he destroyed.

  “I spared the lives of the humans, but completely destroyed their homes and halted their evolutionary process as well, dooming them to stagnation. The Pokemon who witnessed the event declared the humans as their enemy. The humans, who were vengeful over the loss of their home and their deity, turned their anger toward the Pokemon.” The screen then showed the humans rebuilding their homes, along with primitive weapons like spears and swords. Their new home was raided by a horde of Pokemon, and blood spilled by the lakefull. “This sparked the first of many wars between humans and Pokemon. For millions of years, wars broke out between the two. There were even civil wars between humans and Pokemon between factions who wished for coexistence, which ironically led to the first union between the two races.”

  The Arceus of the past appeared once more, overlooking the world. He enveloped himself in a brilliant white light, and suddenly, a myriad of lights surrounded him, becoming other beings. They were other Legendary Pokemon, and were sent down to inhabit the world. “At that time, my past self could not escape my own fury. Instead of realizing my mistakes and fixing them, I created more Legendary Pokemon for the sole purpose of having something to directly rule over just to put my mind and ego at ease.”

  The Arceus of the past was then shown opening a golden-white hole in space-time into an empty, white void. The deity Pokemon gave it form, creating a row of tall, gigantic white chairs with two at their head. “Thus, I created the Hall of Origins, where I could directly call all Legendary Pokemon to discuss my orders.” Present-day Arceus turned his gaze up from the screen to the denizens of the Hall. “Don’t mistake my meaning,” He said, “While it was the intention of my foolish younger self to create you all for the explicit purpose of having something to subjugate, I quickly came to realize you were all far greater than that. I don’t regret creating any of you, not in the slightest. I love you all just as a father would love his children.”

  An audible scoff was heard from Giratina, which Arceus promptly ignored, looking back down to the screen on the floor. “As the years went by, my rage ended up subsiding for the most part. I once again found joy in watching the development of the common Pokemon, and even the humans as well. Conveniently, I’d managed to put Giratina out of my mind all the while. This peace lasted for many centuries until…” Past Arceus’s face seemed alarmed, and he disappeared from the Hall of Origins, reappearing before the world. A colossal object was hurtling toward the planet, threatening to destroy everything he worked so hard for. “I received an alarmed message from Rayquaza. He told me a colossal meteor was on its way toward Earth, and he couldn’t stop it.”

  Past Arceus appeared in the meteor’s collision path from a brilliant white portal and rocketed toward it, surrounding himself with the Elemental Plates. “I took matters into my own hands. Using the Plates, I collided with the meteor head-on, but the crash knocked them from my grasp and sent them scattering across the land below, along with the meteor’s fragments.” The screen showed Arceus’s collision, ending with a blindingly bright explosion. Arceus himself ended up falling like a ragdoll onto the scoured land below, where he lay unmoving.

  “Without my plates, my life force would inevitably cease,” Explained Arceus. “What’s more, without my plates, I no longer had the strength to retrieve them. However…” The screen showed a human dressed in rags, dragging along one of Arceus’s plates. Though it appeared to be incredibly heavy for the man, he pushed himself to help Arceus, and eventually managed to return it to him. “That man was Damos, the human, that saved my life, as well as the world itself. Thanks to him, I had the strength to retrieve the rest of the Elemental Plates.”

  From underneath the collapsed debris, Arceus’s plates rose up one after another, fusing with the deity Pokemon once more. Arceus rose back to his feet and thanked Damos. “I was able to stop the collision and, thanks to Damos, survive as well. However, it came with a cost.” The screen showed a barren, grey landscape covered in snow. Flowers were buried and crushed underneath the frost, and trees quickly began losing their leaves due to the harsh winter winds. “The meteor’s explosion caused an artificial winter around the globe for years to come, but no land felt the winter’s icy claw more than Michina Town, the place directly below where the explosion occurred and Damos’s home.”

  In the vision, Arceus and Damos conversed about what to do. Eventually, the Alpha Pokemon summoned his plates once more and fused five of them together to create an orb that glowed green and housed a gentle white light within that stretched out in tendrils in all directions until being stopped by the orb’s walls. “I merged the Meadow, Splash, Earth, Zap, and Draco plates together to create the Jewel of Life, allowing the scorched land to be replenished into its former glory.”

  True to Arceus’s word, the cold, icy land was immediately replaced with one of lush gardens and flowing rivers as far as the eye could see. “I told Damos, however, that it was only a temporary respite and that I would return for the Jewel one day. My life would eventually fade without it, after all.” The past Arceus gave Damos one last nod before leaping into the air and disappearing through a portal. The scene then shifted to Arceus’s reappearance at a desolate-looking temple. “When I returned for the Jewel of Life, Damos and his cohort, Marcus lured me into a trap.”

  The vision of Damos ushered Arceus to follow him, luring him through the temple until he was told to stop, and that the Jewel of Life would promptly be delivered back to him. Suddenly, the walls were lined with Electric-Type Pokemon, which Arceus no longer had any resistance to due to his missing plates, and attacked him all at once. A hole in the roof opened up, dropping dozens of large boulders and attempting to crush Arceus underneath. “I was able to withstand the assault and destroyed the temple in a blind rage. True to my incompetant, younger self’s nature, I left the Jewel of Life buried underneath the rubble and went off far away into deep space for thousands of years to regenerate my strength.”

  Past Arceus, after having reduced the temple to rubble, flew up into the sky and disappeared. The humans were left bewildered as to why their god destroyed the temple, as they were not privy to Damos’s betrayal. Present Arceus bowed his head. “This was my second greatest folly.” The screen showed Groudon and Kyogre attacking one another while Rayquaza fought the two of them at once. Eventually, the masters of Land and Sea lost their glow and retreated underground into a deep slumber. Palkia and Dialga met one another in a void of space and time, where they battled with one another for centuries after.

  “Because of my absence, the world struggled to retain its balance. Mew tried her best to keep our creation together, but was unable to make much of a difference from within the Tree of Life and resigned to letting our creation govern itself.” The vision then showed thousands of years rolling by. More life began to emerge, and human civilization expanded rapidly with new groundbreaking inventions and scientific breakthroughs happening almost yearly. “Ironically, I believe my period of absence to be the greatest stage of development this world has ever seen. Humanity figured out how to undo my curse on their own, using their natural genius to record and pass knowledge along to every new generation, allowing for civilizations I would never have thought to be possible. What’s more, several new Legendary Pokemon were born from the Tree of Life rather than I, such as the Swords of Justice and the Elemental Birds.”

  The screen then showed the Hall of Origins during Arceus’s leave, which had become grey, barren, and was crumbling. “However, the Legends were affected immensely by my absence, becoming violent and destructive toward either the world, humanity, or one another. Who was it that repaired the void I left behind? It was not I, nor any other Legendary Pokemon.” A young, black-haired boy appeared on the screen. He was in his pajamas, running through a town in a hurry. The boy eventually made it to a large building where he received a Pikachu and was inevitably electrocuted by it. “It was a young human boy by the name of Ash Ketchum.”

  Ash was shown dragging his newly-obtained Pikachu by a rope and thick rubber gloves, earning a few chuckles from the Hall members. He was then shown running from a large flock of angry Spearow and using his body to defend the Pikachu from them. Before he could be attacked, however, the Pikachu jumped up and scared them away with a large Thundershock attack. Ash and Pikachu then went on, gathering new allies, both human and Pokemon alike to chase their dreams while defeating almost anything thrown their way.

  Then, Ash found himself on an island with several other trainers. They were gathered here by one person for the goal of becoming the most powerful trainer, or so they were led to believe. In all actuality, they were gathered by the genetic clone of Mew, aptly named ‘Mewtwo,’ to test the power of Mewtwo’s cloned Pokemon before he would go on to eradicate all natural life and replace them with his ‘genetically superior’ clones.

  Mew, sensing the danger, appeared to stop her clone. As she fought her clone, the original Pokemon on the battlefield below them fought their own clones as well in a brutal death match. They would have killed one another if it weren’t for Ash, who stepped in between the two Legends, being reduced to stone in the process. The apparent loss of their close friend drove Ash’s comrades to tears, as well as the Pokemon and even Clone Pokemon who could sense the pointlessness of their battle after Ash’s sacrifice. Their tears ended up melting the stone away, essentially reviving Ash. Mewtwo was taught a great lesson about life on that day, and Mew was reminded that even she, with all her age and power, had much to learn when it came to life too.

  Ash was then shone, going to a variety of different places and meeting many Legends. The Orange Islands were first, where he’d met Lugia and helped him calm the Elemental Birds. Then, a land of mystique, where he met Entei. “Most of you have met the boy at some point or another. Some even had their lives saved by him. Even me.” Ash and his friends were then shown going to a town atop a large plateau, where Palkia and Dialga dueled one another, threatening to erase the town’s very existence, along with everyone in it. Ash, with the help of his friends and the townsfolk were able to put a stop to their fighting and restore the town. Ash was then dragged into Giratina’s Distortion World by the Renegade Pokemon. However, Ash ended up actually saving him from a psychotic man who shared the name of Ash’s youngest companion, Zero, though they had no actual relation besides that, with the help of another Legendary Pokemon, Shaymin. Finally, Ash came upon Michina Town’s remnants.

  “Fate must have had some sort of hand here. What happened next could not possibly be mere coincidence.” Ash was shown walking about a lakeside until Dialga suddenly appeared above it. Below Dialga, Giratina appeared from the lake and attempted to attack the Temporal Pokemon. “Apparently, Giratina had managed to find a way to temporarily escape from Distortion World during my absence and used this to seek retaliation against Dialga and Palkia due to their battling, which caused great damage to his world.”

  Palkia then appeared as well, fighting against Giratina to save Dialga. A woman dressed in white robes attempted to stop them by unifying her heart with theirs, but the power of the Creation Trio was overwhelming. “Since Ash had previously quelled Palkia and Dialga’s madness, they no longer had any reason to battle against one another, and worked together to stop Giratina. That woman’s name is Sheena. She is a direct descendant of Damos and tried to cease their battle unsuccessfully.” Without hesitation, Ash dove straight into the lake to put a halt to the fight himself. Giratina thrashed wildly in the water, nearly drowning Ash in the process, until he saw the boy. While Giratina was momentarily stopped, Sheena was able to communicate with him and stop the battle entirely.

  “With the immediate danger now over, Sheena and another human by the name of Kevin thanked Ash by showing him and his friends the inside of the temple, which their ancestors had restored after I destroyed it.” Ash and his friends were shown walking through the temple behind Sheena, marvelling at ancient paintings of the Creation Trio until they came to a room with a strange device. It had five spheres. A black one at the bottom, representing the Distortion World. A blue one, representing the normal world. A pink one, representing Palkia and space. A blue one representing Dialga and time. Finally, at the center of them all was a golden one larger than any other, representing Arceus himself.

  “These humans, Kevin and Sheena, somehow created a device that could monitor disturbances in the fabric of space, time, and reality. They called it the Time-Space Axis.” On the screen below, the Time-Space Axis began shaking violently. Shocked, Sheena and Kevin rushed outside with Ash and his friends following close behind. The present-day Arceus let out a humm as he watched the events re-unfold once more. “Having been slumbering in a far-off galaxy and absorbing its power, I used the energy from it to make up for what I lost from the meteor impact and the Jewel of Life. Now, it was finally the time for my return.”

  Arceus emerged from a portal high above Michina Town. Above the deity Pokemon’s head, a swirl of white energy manifested together, then rained down upon the town. Sheena emerged from the temple, urging him to stop. She took a scepter out, containing the Jewel of Life, or at least she believed it to be. “The Jewel she had was a farce. A trap laid by Damos, or rather Marcus, in days past, so that when I came once more, I would be unable to locate it and the land might survive.” Past Arceus then smashed the false gem to pieces and continued his rampage. Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina appeared once more to defend Ash and the others, inciting more rage from the Alpha Pokemon.

  “This...is a testament to just how foolish and self-absorbed I truly was,” Arceus said sadly, looking down at the screen. “Believing Palkia and Dialga to have betrayed me, and that Giratina was up to what I thought as, more schemes revolving around humans, I attacked the three of them without mercy, just as I had done to Giratina alone all those years ago.” Past Arceus then used Judgement, tearing up the landscape and threatening the lives of all who lived in it. Palkia and Dialga rushed to block the attack from harming the humans, but were knocked to the ground.

  “As a last-ditch attempt, Dialga sent Ash and his friends back in time to stop Damos’s betrayal,” Explained Arceus. “However, when they arrived, they eventually found out that Marcus had hypnotized Damos, and he was the true betrayer all along.” The screen showed Arceus being lured into the same area once more, but instead of being buried under rubble, cement poured from the walls and submerged Arceus. The electric Pokemon from before, taking advantage of Arceus’s weakness, trapped him long enough for the cement to submerge him almost completely.

  “I thought that was the end for me,” Arceus admitted. “But Damos was able to rekindle our bond and help me regain consciousness. Ash delivered the Jewel of Life back to me, returning me to my full power and saving my life.” The screen showed Ash and the others floating up back into the sky with Arceus, until the group suddenly disappeared. More cement began erupting from the walls, making the inner sanction of the temple crumble and taking Marcus with it. “With their goal complete, Ash and the others returned to their normal time. What happened next was...foggy in my memory. I remember two distinct happenings: One where the betrayal occurred, and one where Ash stopped it. To this day, I’m not sure which one was real, but it no longer matters.”

  Ash and the others appeared back in the present day on the screen, where Arceus was still rampaging. “It took a moment for the effects of the time travel to catch up with me. Apparently, that entire history where I’d left after the betrayal never ended up happening, yet I remember it occurring. I assume all of you remember both of the parallel histories as well.” In the vision, Arceus stopped his rampaging upon Ash calling out to him. The events and memories of what happened in the past suddenly appeared in the deity Pokemon’s memory, and he undid the damage he’d caused to Michina Town.

  “At last, I had returned to the world. What’s more, Ash had managed to both save my life and scour my rage. If only the same could be said of my pride.” Arceus was shown speaking with Ash and his friends before leaping up into the air and disappearing from sight, repeating his initial meeting from Damos in a sense. “My retaking of the Jewel of Life did return the land of Michina Town to the winter wasteland it used to be. However, the rest of the world had returned to normal, which allowed for the town and its lands to follow suit at a faster pace than what would have been possible had I never used the Jewel. Damos and the other humans of Michina Town worked incredibly hard to restore it as well, and it eventually became just as much of a paradise as it was with the Jewel of Life.”

  The screen then showed Ash continuing his journey, eventually losing the Sinnoh League and going to Unova and Kalos as well. “I decided to make Ash my “chosen human,” seeing as how he saved me in more ways than one and later saved most of you. That would...lead us to today.” The screen faded, returning the Hall of Origins to its bright white form. Looking back up to the rest of the Legends, Arceus said, “However, as I said before, my blinding pride soon took hold once more, and I resumed leading the Hall of Origins. I found Pokemon, that were one of a kind, and immediately dubbed them Legends so the Hall would be more lively. At least, that’s what I told myself.”

  Arceus’s eyes showed a tired sadness that resounded in the hearts of most of the Legends who saw it. “Once again,” Arceus said, “Do not mistake my meaning. Just as I have no regrets in creating you all, it’s the opposite, in fact, I also have no regrets in appointing you all as Legends and members of the Hall of Origins.” He let out a chuckle, saying, “In fact, I might do it again if I find more one-of-a-kind Pokemon that were born in my absence. There could still be many I never found.” Arceus laughed, but cut it short when no one else did.

  Clearing his throat, Arceus continued. “Anyways, as I was saying, my pride had still shut my eyes to my various follies. I believed that I could simply pick up where I left off as the Hall’s Leader, neglecting to even consider your feelings.” Arceus turned to Giratina, whose scowl had only deepened after witnessing Arceus’s story. “None, have been dealt a worse injustice than you, Giratina. I’m sorry for that. Once the Necrozma threat has been dealt with, I will gladly give you your freedom to wander wherever you please.”

  Giratina scoffed. “Once I’m free, I’m getting the hell away from this planet and never coming back.” His eyes narrowed at Arceus, showing a deep rage that burned like an inferno. “If you give me my freedom, you’ll never see me again. Are you prepared to deal with that?”

  To everyone in the Hall’s surprise, Arceus nodded. “I have kept you trapped for far too long,” Arceus said softly. “If your wish is to use your freedom to abandon this world, then I don’t blame you. What you do with your life will be exclusively your choice.”

  Giratina’s shock was evident, but he quickly regained his composure, looking away from the deity Pokemon. Nodding to him, Arceus then turned back toward the rest of the Legends. “I made far too many mistakes in my past, and only realized that they were mistakes in general at the end of the last meeting.” The father of all Pokemon then turned to his next firstborn sons, Palkia and Dialga. “Just as Giratina had said, Palkia and Dialga were terrified of me. With how much of a tyrant I acted, I couldn’t blame them. I assume many of you feel similarly.”

  Arceus closed his eyes tightly as if he felt immense pain and shook his head. “After my first battle against Necrozma, for the first time in my life, I felt that my full power was meaningless. None of my attacks scratched him in the slightest, and what was worse, he ended up being the reason why Yveltal went missing.” Slowly, the Alpha Pokemon opened his eyes, raising his head. “I know Yveltal yet lives somewhere. If he died, then all life on Earth would have perished. But...at the moment when Necrozma attacked him...I felt the heart-stopping fear of watching a loved one die…”

  Arceus shook his head again, more vigorously this time. “During my next battle against Necrozma, the one that took place after the last Hall meeting, I felt complete, utter helplessness.” The Alpha Pokemon turned a sorrowful gaze toward Keldeo, whose eyes widened at seeing his divine father’s expression. “The loss of the Swords of Justice, and nearly losing the one who saved my life to that monster Necrozma pushed me over the brink, and I used every last inch of my power against that demon, and yet-!”

  Arceus trembled with rage. His eyes were opened as far as possible and glowing a bright crimson red. He managed to cut himself off, realizing his anger was, once again, beginning to overtake him. Letting out a long sigh, Arceus relaxed his body and continued. “And yet...I still wasn’t even able to put a scratch on him…”

  A series of shocked gasps rang out from most of the Legends, but none dared to speak up and interrupt their father. Arceus raised his head, opening his eyes and revealing a determination that put the Legends at ease. “However,” He said, “When I next confront Necrozma, I will be vastly more powerful than I was previously. Since that battle, I’ve been gathering as much strength as possible. What’s more…” Though Arceus possessed no mouth, the Legends somehow knew he was smiling. “I also have all of you. I revealed my past to you because I trust you all with both my life and my...our world. When the time comes for us to do battle against Necrozma, I want to do it not as the Legends, nor as the members of the Hall of Origins…”

  Even now, the stinging pain that came from recalling the deaths of the Swords of Justice as well as seeing Rayquaza and Lugia in their broken, battered states that Necrozma had left them in plagued the father of all Pokemon. He never wanted to feel that pain again. “When we confront Necrozma, we shall do it as what we were always meant to be...a family…”

  Cheers and clapping from the Legends filled the Hall. Arceus’s rallying speech had managed to lift the cloud of dread that smothered the Legends. “That’s right!” Cried Keldeo. “I’ll make that monster pay for what he’s done!”

  “We all will” Another voice spoke. It was deep, gruff, and raspy like an old man. Those who heard it could feel a chill run down their backs. Turning to the source of the voice, Keldeo found none other than Kyurem, the ruler of Ice and, ironically, considered the most powerful Dragon-Type Pokemon not counting Mega Evolution.

  “Kyurem?!” Exclaimed Keldeo. “What...what do you mean?”

  “When I heard the Swords of Justice were slain, I could not believe it,” Kyurem replied. “Do not think me a monster. Besides you, those three all dueled me at some point or other as well. I respected their strength and their honor.” A grin crept up the Ice Dragon’s face. “And after our duel, I respect you as well. Even more so to think you fought a demon like Necrozma. I would happily assist in avenging the deaths of the Swords of Justice.”

  Keldeo was left speechless. To think that one such as Kyurem possessed a code of honor. Perhaps he’d misjudged him. Wiping away a tear from his eyes, Keldeo returned Kyurem’s smile with one of his own and nodded. “Thank you, Kyurem! Yes, we will avenge them and make sure no more fall to Necrozma’s hands!”

  “That we shall,” Said Kyurem with a chuckle. “That we shall...and speaking of which…” He turned his head up toward Mew. “Lady Mew, I heard from Arceus during the last Hall meeting that you...weren’t going to partake in the battle against Necrozma?”

  Mew nodded. “You heard correctly, though it’s not to say that I don’t want to join you.” A smaller screen appeared in front of her, showing the colossal Tree of Life. “My responsibilities are to guard the Tree of Life at all costs. You already know this, but if the Tree dies…” The screen showed the giant tree engulfed in flames with its branches collapsing and falling to the ground. Immediately, the land surrounding it became grey, and the plants around the world began dying. “...Everything dies. The Tree of Life houses the largest concentration of Aura in the world, and possibly even the universe. To lose that would be catastrophic.”

  Mew then turned toward Rayquaza. Mewtwo, who didn’t have a seat, leaned against the large seat on the ground beneath Rayquaza. “On an unrelated note, that same Aura has allowed for a miracle to occur. Show them...Mewtwo.”

  “Very well,” Mewtwo replied with a nod. “I would be more than happy to demonstrate the power I obtained thanks to you.” Closing his eyes, the clone Pokemon Mewtwo recalled the feeling of transforming. A series of small, blue sparkling lights began surrounding him until they covered his body completely, then exploded outward. When the light faded, Mewtwo had changed into his newly-obtained Mega Form.

  Giratina narrowed his eyes at Mewtwo. “Hold on, is that…?” His eyes suddenly went wide, and he reeled back in shock. “Mega Evolution?!” He shook his head in denial. “No,” He cried, “That’s not possible! There’s no way a clone would be able to do something like that!”

  “Ordinarily, no,” Mew said to him. “However, the Tree of Life apparently deemed him worthy and used its own Aura to make such a miracle possible.”

  “I could not have done it alone,” Mewtwo admitted, looking up at Rayquaza with a smile. “Had it not been for Rayquaza, I would have never been able to achieve this form.”

  Rayquaza chuckled. “Nah, it was all you. I practically just sat back and watched while you did the heavy lifting.”

  Arceus spoke up and said, “Well, whatever the case, I won’t ask why the two of you were ever in the Tree of Life to begin with.” He looked over to his pink counterpart and continued. “If Mew allowed it, I’ll allow it. I’m simply glad we have even more power to use against Necrozma now.”

  Mewtwo closed his eyes, surrounding himself in the bright blue glow for a split second before it dissipated and left him back in his regular state. “Indeed,” He said to Arceus. “Though I cannot yet call myself part of this world, I believe that the Tree of Life choosing me was an...acceptance from the world, if you will.” The clone Pokemon’s deep amethyst eyes narrowed, resolute. “I wish to use the power of the Tree of Life to fell Necrozma, or at least aid in bringing about his end. Once that happens, I believe I can truly say I belong here.”

  “Think nothing of the sort,” Arceus told Mewtwo with his equivalent of a smile. “Mew allowed you into the Tree of Beginning, and the Tree itself allowed you to use its power. Not to mention…” He then turned his gaze to Rayquaza. “It seems you’ve already found a friend amidst the Hall members. As far as I am concerned, you are more than welcome to call yourself a part of this world.”

  Mewtwo was taken aback by Arceus’s benevolence. “T-thank you, Arceus,” He said, lowering his head into a bow. “I won’t forget this...I swear, I’ll use every last inch of my life force if it means defeating Necrozma and saving this world!”

  Arceus shook his head. “There will be no need for that. No one else will have their life taken by that monster! I will make sure of that.”

  Giratina scoffed. “Is that right? I recall you yourself saying something about being utterly defeated by Necrozma at your maximum power? What exactly is so different now that it makes you think this time will end any differently?”

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  To Giratina’s chagrin, Arceus chuckled at the question. “I’m quite glad you asked. During my previous battle against Necrozma, I indeed lost, and quite badly at that.” The Legends could see Arceus was smirking somehow, though the deity Pokemon had no mouth. “However, I was able to get a grasp on his power, and I’m currently absorbing power from different celestial bodies across the universe, barring our own, of course. I won’t be able to join you all in the battle immediately, but the second my power matches his, I will warp to you and slay Necrozma myself.”

  Giratina let out a booming laugh. “You must be kidding!”

  Arceus warily raised a brow at his firstborn son. “I beg your pardon?”

  “You know full well what I’m talking about!” Giratina hissed. “Here you are, talking all big about how you’re going to “protect us all,” and then say you’re staying out of the battle for a time?!”

  Arceus sighed. “Giratina, I would never do this if there were another way. I’m not asking you to put your lives on the line while I simply sit back and watch.”

  Giratina scowled at his father with hatred practically lining his red eyes. “Really? Because that sounds exactly like what you’re asking of us.”

  Mew let out an exasperated sigh and shrugged. “Honestly, Giratina, can you please refrain from acting like a child for one Hall meeting?”

  At that, Giratina began laughing like a Poochyena. “Oh, that’s rich coming from the likes of you! When, exactly, was the last time you ever helped? Last I recall, it was when,” he motioned toward Mewtwo with his head, “That cheap replica first showed his face. I bet you only ever bothered to stop playing with your toys because he had your DNA, and you couldn’t stand the idea of someone else being like you!”

  Mew’s eye twitched, and her fur slowly started to stand on end. “Hold your tongue!” She roared. “That is, unless you desire to be thrashed within an inch of your life!”

  “Come on now,” Said Arceus, hoping to defuse the situation, “Now is not the time to-”

  “Go on, then!” Goaded a grinning Giratina. “Strike me if you dare! Doing so would only further Necrozma’s chance of winning!” His eyes and grin widened as an idea struck him. “Or better yet, why don’t you actually fight Necrozma, you coward?!” Giratina looked around at the various other Legends and followed up with, “I’m sure I’m not the only one asking the same thing, right?”

  Mew glared at Giratina, growling menacingly. “If they do, they’re better off not speaking their minds.” A bright pink energy crackled around the Mother of all Pokemon menacingly, and any Legend that had been looking at her quickly averted their gaze. Mew smirked and said, “Arceus, continue with-”

  “Actually,” Said Kyurem, “I’ve admittedly been wondering about that as well.”

  Mew slowly looked back at him. Her entire face had gone dark, save for her eyes that had intensified from pink to red. “What…?”

  Unfazed by the goddess Pokemon’s attempt at scaring him into submission, Kyurem repeated himself. “I’ve been wondering about that since the last Hall meeting.” The Ice Dragon tilted his head, narrowing his bright yellow eyes at Mew’s questioningly. “You’re tied with Arceus in terms of power, right? Or, I suppose you’re a bit behind him now with that energy he’s been stockpiling.”

  “What’s your point?” Asked Mew.

  “My point, Kyurem said, “Is that, despite your power, you’re not actually going to help. Why is that?”

  “Arceus and I already told you!” Shouted Mew. “I’m staying behind to protect the Tree of Life! If it dies, everything dies!”

  “How exactly is that result different than if Necrozma wins?” Kyurem pointed out. “We can grow another tree, but if Necrozma wins, what planet will be left to grow it on?!”

  Mew opened her mouth to try and retort what Kyurem said, but found herself unable to come up with anything. All she could do was grit her teeth and glare at him, for she subconsciously knew Kyurem had a more than fair point, and she couldn’t refute it. “Tch…!”

  Kyurem let out a sigh, sending a visible, pale breath of frigid air out from his mouth. “Fine, then,” He said, “If you’re so worried about the Tree, then how about I guard it in your stead while you aid in the battle against Necrozma?”

  This sent up an uproar, amidst the members of the Hall. Almost all of the Legends collectively shouted out in protest to Kyurem’s question. None more so than Keldeo, whom Kyurem had promised to assist in avenging the deaths of the Swords of Justice.

  “Excuse me?!” Screeched a furious Mew. “Why would I ever allow you to set one foot in the Tree of Life?! You know it’s considered a sin by the highest offense to do so without explicit permission!”

  The Ice Dragon narrowed his eyes at Mew, making a grumbling noise that sounded like a mix of a sigh and a growl. “If you allowed your clone to do so, then it must not be all that great a sin after all.”

  Mew attempted to stammer out a retort. “T-that was...that was a special circumstance! I initially repelled him as well until I saw his resolve to protect the Earth!”

  “And my goal is different?!” Kyurem bellowed. “Don’t mistake my offer as cowardice, Lady Mew. I would prefer nothing more than to battle against Necrozma, but I am not enough of a fool to think my presence there would be meaningful if Lord Arceus could not strike him down!” He let out another cold breath, sending shivers down the spines of the Legends closest to them, and closed his eyes for a moment.

  “Please, Lady Mew,” He pleaded, “I swear to you, I am thinking of the greater picture. I am a warrior who values pride and honor above all else, thanks to the Swords of Justice, and I would love nothing more than to avenge them…” He glanced at the only remaining member of the Swords of Justice apologetically. Keldeo could practically see guilt lining the old dragon’s eyes. “...but I am not foolish enough to believe that I could do so much as to even hold that monster back. You, however, possess the same power as Lord Arceus and would have vastly more of a chance at stopping him than I. What’s more, no one but you would be more capable of holding your own against Necrozma until Arceus arrives!”

  He looked up at the Goddess Pokemon pleadingly and bowed—a gesture that sent gasps up from the Legends. In all of Kyurem’s existence, he never bowed to anyone. Not the Swords of Justice, nor the twin heroes of Unova, who had bonded with him to create the region long ago. The prideful Dragon of Ice never even bowed to his creators, until now, that is.

  “There will be millions of people and Pokemon at the site of the battle,” Spoke Kyurem. “I am only thinking about the lives that could potentially be saved...so please...allow me to guard the Tree of Life while you battle Necrozma…”

  Mew, ironically, froze up for a few seconds. The look on her face showed she was in deep thought, and the Legends anxiously awaited her decision. Kyurem stayed completely still during this. He did not move, open his eyes, twitch, or even breathe until Mew finally gave the Boundary Pokemon her answer.

  “I’m sorry, Kyurem...but no…”

  Kyurem immediately reared his head back up at her, his yellow eyes wide with fury. “WHAT?!”

  “I simply cannot trust something as important as the Tree of Life to someone else,” Mew explained. “You yourself admitted that you could not defend yourself against Necrozma. If Necrozma attacked the Tree of Life, there’s simply no way you could defend it, and should the Tree be destroyed during the battle against Necrozma, well…” Mew looked down at Kyurem with a coldness to her gaze that Kyurem’s ice could never hope to match. “In your own words, there would be no planet left to save.”

  Kyurem let out a fearsome growl, and ice began crawling down from his pedestal. “Unbelievable…” He seethed, “I sacrificed my honor and pride to bow for you...I told you my reasonings, plain and clear, and yet you still deny me?!”

  Mew merely scoffed at him. “I told you my reasonings, as well,” She retorted, “And from my point of view, they counter yours completely. There will be no further discussion on the subject.”

  Keldeo raised his hoof. “Hold on a minute,” He said, “I think Kyurem made some-”

  Keldeo’s breath was caught in his throat when Mew’s gaze met his own. Her stare felt like jagged knives were poking at every inch of his skin, as if daring him to say more. He immediately lowered his hoof and backed down. The Goddess Pokemon sent a hollow smile Keldeo’s way and turned back toward Kyurem. She was about to continue the Hall meeting as if nothing had happened until Giratina spoke up.

  “Oh come now, mother,” Hissed the Renegade Pokemon, “Let the boy speak his mind.”

  She turned her ice-cold glare his way. “Excuse me?”

  To Mew’s annoyance, Giratina only chuckled at her attempt at intimidation. “There’s no need for that look,” He said, “We’re a family now, right?” He looked up at Arceus with an eerie grin planted upon his face. “That’s what dear daddy Arceus said, wasn’t it? So come on, let little Keldeo talk.” Without waiting for Mew’s answer, Giratina leaned his head past her and said to Keldeo, “You have the floor. Say whatever you wish.”

  The firstborn son of Arceus glanced Mew’s way, meeting her icy gaze with his own fiery, burning one unflinching. “If Arceus and Mew have any respect for any of us here in the Hall of Origins, then they will let us all speak our minds freely. One would have to be heartless to deny someone who’s lost so much.”

  Arceus nodded. “The purpose of this Hall meeting was to bring us closer together before we faced off against Necrozma. I have no objections.”

  Mew bit her lip, but ultimately decided to allow it. “Very well,” She said, looking at Keldeo in annoyance, “Speak your mind, Keldeo.”

  Keldeo nodded, albeit shakily, and cleared his throat.” Th-thank you Lady Mew and Lord Arceus…” He looked at Giratina, finding it difficult to meet the Renegade Pokemon’s blood red eyes, and said, “I-I must...thank you as well, G-Giratina, for speaking on my behalf…”

  Giratina’s wide grin and following chuckle seemed to contradict his actions, making it difficult for anyone to pin down his real motivation in speaking for Keldeo. “Don’t mention it,” He hissed, “We, who’ve been so terribly wronged, must stick together...wouldn’t you agree?”

  The younger Legend could no longer meet Giratina’s gaze, what with the ruler of matter’s overwhelming presence, and averted his gaze. “I-I suppose so,” He said. He then turned back up to Kyurem. Not too long ago, he found the Ice Dragon to be the most intimidating being possible, but in comparison to the likes of Necrozma, Mew, and Giratina, Kyurem hardly held a candle to them.

  Once again, clearing his throat, Keldeo began speaking again. “I d-don’t mean any disrespect, Lady Mew, but I have to agree with Kyurem.” Glancing over at the aforementioned Ice Dragon, he continued. “Though I would prefer to fight alongside him against Necrozma, I have to agree that having you in the battle as well would put many of our minds at ease, and could potentially save thousands of lives! What’s more, Necrozma is appearing at Goldenrod City, which is in an entirely different region than the Tree of Life, so it’s not in much danger unless Necrozma decides to simply destroy the planet.”

  Looking back up at Mew, he said, “But that’s something that could be prevented if you were battling him! Not to mention, your Psychic powers could be used to rescue humans and Pokemon as well!”

  Mew didn’t respond for quite some time, only staring at Keldeo with a blank expression. Seconds that went by soon became minutes, and with every passing moment, Keldeo lost more and more bravado. “Um...right, Lady Mew…?”

  “...Sorry, but I still have to decline.”

  The fierce stomp of Kyurem’s foot made Keldeo jump. “Fine, then!” He roared. “If you wish to simply sit in your precious Tree like a coward while the rest of us fight, then so be it!” He sent one last fury-filled, piercing gaze with his bright yellow eyes Mew’s way. “But if we survive, I want you to realize the death toll is on your head.”

  Arceus’s eyes widened when he saw what Kyurem was about to do. “Kyurem, wait-!”

  The Boundary Pokemon turned around and left through his portal, but not before glancing at Keldeo expectantly. The last remaining Sword of Justice turned back around at Mew, whose expression was still cold and blank, then hopped up onto Kyurem’s pedestal and left as well, following him back to the Great Chasm that Kyurem called home.

  Arceus bowed his head, letting out a long-winded sigh, whereas Mew simply sat back on her seat as if nothing had happened. She even summoned a large pink bubble, bouncing on it like a trampoline with a cheerful smile.

  “That was...unfortunate,” The now emotionally-fatigued Arceus said, “But let us continue the Hall meeting regardless.”

  “Oh, really?” Giratina asked, a hint of mischief lining the edge of his voice. “You’re going to continue just like that?”

  The irritation lining Arceus’s expression as he turned to look at his son was evident. “Of course I am,” He replied, “We only have so much time left, and I’d like to salvage it before Necrozma arrives.”

  “Ah yes,” Hissed Giratina, “Of course, time would be on your mind. Even more so than the injured Legend in our midst.”

  “What are you on about now?” Arceus asked.

  Giratina turned away from his father, instead looking toward Lugia and the Three Elemental Birds. “Take a look at Zapdos over there. I expected you to say something about it, but apparently it didn’t warrant your attention, so I decided to speak up about it.”

  Arceus looked at his son oddly, but followed his gaze toward Lugia nonetheless. Upon looking at the Guardian of the Sea, he found no apparent injury, besides the one Necrozma gave him. Moltres and Articuno had some scratches on them, but they didn’t appear to be all that detrimental-looking. Then, he saw Zapdos, and his eyes shot open like dinner plates.

  “Zapdos!” He cried. “What happened to you?!”

  “About time you said something about it,” Lugia said with obvious ire. “But how am I not surprised that it took someone else mentioning it to get your attention?” He gave the Renegade Pokemon a nod and said, “I never thought I’d say this in my lifetime, but thank you, Giratina.”

  “Not a problem at all, brother,” Replied Giratina.

  Arceus quickly bowed his head. “My apologies, Lugia and Zapdos. With everything else going on, I…”

  Lugia shook his head and sighed. “No matter. I was going to say something about it earlier anyways but didn’t exactly have the chance.”

  Zapdos looked up at Arceus and let out a shrill screech. “Oh right,” Said Lugia, “Do you think you could have Xerneas heal Zapdos’s wound?”

  Arceus paused briefly. He needed to be far more cautious with himself than how he was during the last Hall meeting. The absolute last thing he needed was for someone else to start another outbreak. He nodded to the silver guardian, then asked, “Zapdos, can you fly with it? It doesn’t look too terribly deep at the very least.”

  The Elemental Bird of Lightning nodded back to Arceus and flapped his wings. It winced, but was able to keep itself airborne, as well as maneuver through the air before landing back upon its designated platform.

  “I see,” Said Arceus, “By the way, how exactly did this injury occur?”

  Lugia’s eyes suddenly narrowed as the memory of the human invaders, especially Christopher Lee, flashed before his eyes for a split second. “Right...about that…I feel like you would be interested to know that a group of humans decided to invade Fire Island and take it over at that.”

  The Alpha Pokemon narrowed his eyes. “I see. What kind of Pokemon did they have with them? It must have been quite the group if they managed to put such an injury on Zapdos’s wing.”

  “Actually,” Said Lugia, “This particular group of humans didn’t actually possess any Pokemon.”

  The old Arceus would have barked out a vastly-inappropriate laugh at that in disbelief. The new Arceus, however, knew better and took a more gentle approach to voicing his skepticism. “Pardon my asking,” Said the Alpha Pokemon, “But I’m...not following your meaning…”

  “Of course you aren’t,” Replied an annoyed Lugia. “Now that I think about it, you were probably gone during the rise of man-made weaponry.”

  Arceus tilted his head in confusion. “I suppose you’re right,” He admitted, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. How could anything made by humans rival the power of Pokemon to the extent it could harm a Legend?”

  “That is what I want to know,” Replied Lugia. “While you were gone all those years, humanity made tremendous leaps and bounds in terms of technology, and of course, more wars broke out just as you said before, but…” He looked at the hole in Zapdos’s wing with a deep-seated frown planted upon his face. “No matter how destructive their technology became, they could only put scratches on some of the Legends. The last of these weapons hadn’t been seen for hundreds of years, and so I assumed they were all either destroyed or lost to time. Now, though...these humans not only revived these weapons, but made them more powerful than ever.”

  Arceus hummed and nodded. “I see,” He said. “Yes, these humans sound troublesome indeed. Tell me: Why did they come there, to those islands? I assumed all the humans were either taking shelter or at Goldenrod City by now.”

  Lugia’s sharp black eyes turned up toward Arceus. “About that, actually…They said the Orange Islands were destroyed during the battle between Necrozma, the Elemental Birds and I. They came here to our islands, accusing us of destroying them and denying Necrozma’s existence, as well as demanding that we hand over Fire Island to them so that they could build new homes.”

  The Beast of the Sea glowered at Arceus accusingly. “From my memory, the Elemental Islands were also destroyed during that battle, yet they were restored upon our re-awakening. Why is it, then, that the rest of the Orange Islands were not?”

  Without missing a beat, Arceus replied, “I attempted to do so, actually. Rayquaza can vouch for that. However…” The Alpha Pokemon’s eyebrows furled in discomfort at the memory of the survivors gathered at the Orange Islands’ remains. “They...neglected to accept my help. I even offered to use the Jewel of Life to restore their homes, but because I could not bring their loved ones back, they rejected both me and any assistance I could have offered.”

  Lugia narrowed his eyes at his godfather. “Really?” He asked. “Because that’s not the story I was given.”

  “Oh?” Asked Arceus curiously.

  “What they told me,” Lugia started, his gaze becoming more judgemental with every passing second, “No, what they showed me...Is that you went to the islands and restored it, only to undo that restoration once they set you off!” The Beast of the Seas jumped up onto his feet and pointed his wing at Arceus accusingly. “They never would have come to the islands at all had you simply restored it anyways, or can you simply not control yourselves when you feel you’re under attack?!”

  Arceus held himself back from exploding out at Lugia, swallowing whatever he was about to mindlessly say and pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. “...They wished for none of my assistance, and so I gave them just that,” He explained. “Not to mention, I need all the strength I can get against Necrozma. If I went back and restored them now, Necrozma would have an assured victory, and they would be destroyed regardless.”

  He looked down upon Zapdos’s injury and couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. “However, I cannot deny your claims regarding my actions leading to their attempted invasion of your homes, and for that,” He bowed his head toward the Three Elemental Birds, “I am sorry.”

  Lugia lowered himself back into his seat and scoffed. However, he still had far more questions for Arceus. “All right, then,” He said. “I can concede to your logic there, at least, but that’s still not all.”

  “There’s more?” Arceus asked. “Please, do tell.”

  Lugia frowned deeply, looking down in thought. He could still see the face of Christopher Lee grinning at him from the boat he escaped in whenever the Beast of the Seas closed his eyes. “There was this one human in particular that seemed to be the voice and essentially the brains of all the others.”

  “Did he mention his name?” Arceus asked, earning a nod from Lugia.

  “Indeed,” Answered the Sea Guardian. “He called himself Christopher Lee.”

  Arceus’s eyes widened. “What did you just say?!”

  Lugia looked at him oddly. “Does the name mean something to you?”

  Arceus’s expression curled into a frown, and the red glow of his eyes returned. “That man was there at the Orange Islands when I arrived. It was he who turned the humans against me...and you say he was not only there with the ones who invaded Fire Island, but he led them as well?”

  “Wait, you met him as well?!” Exclaimed Lugia. “If he was at both places, then…”

  Arceus nodded, understanding Lugia’s train of thought. “Indeed. That man was there during both times, as if he expected us to show up. If he has weapons that can damage Legendary Pokemon without the need for Pokemon themselves, then…” The Alpha Pokemon’s eyes darkened. “I fear that this rabbit hole, per se, goes far deeper than mere coincidence.”

  Lugia’s expression lit up. “Yes!” He exclaimed. “That’s exactly what I was thinking, Lord Arceus! What’s more, they recorded the battle between themselves, the Elemental Birds, and I. I assume Christopher Lee edited the footage he recorded of you at the Orange Islands to incriminate you. If he did that, he could easily do the same with the other recordings.”

  ‘Do you honestly believe I care in the slightest about what humans thought of me?’

  Lugia already came to regret that statement immensely. He could already imagine that man sending the footage of what Moltres did to one of Christopher’s men to news channels across the globe. Something told him it wouldn’t be hard for a domino effect to take place should that happen.

  “We need to find them!” Lugia exclaimed hastily.

  “Find them?” Asked Arceus. “You mean they escaped?”

  Lugia bit his lip. Perhaps he’d said too much. “They did,” Answered Lugia, neglecting to mention the ones he’d trapped. “I couldn’t have simply killed them.”

  Nodding, Arceus said, “I suppose so. Killing them would simply upset the public even more.”

  Lugia bobbed his head in agreement. “Exactly! But in any case, we obviously cannot simply leave these humans unchecked. If that footage gets out, there could very well be another war between Pokemon and mankind, which is the last thing we need right now.”

  “I agree,” Replied Arceus. “Enough blood has been shed to last a lifetime. After we defeat Necrozma, I will look into this Christopher Lee character and see what else I can do.”

  Lugia’s expression quickly sank once more. “W-what?! No, we need to stop them now! There’s no way they could have possibly gotten far in only a day, so our best bet at stopping them is to do so as fast as possible!”

  Arceus shook his head. Inwardly, his heartbeat began steadily rising as he realized what reaction his next words might incur, and so he made sure to choose them wisely before speaking once more. “I’m sorry, Lugia, but that’s not possible at the moment. As much of a danger these humans may pose, the threat of Necrozma is infinitely more important at the moment.”

  “I know that,” Admitted Lugia, “But we cannot simply let them do as they please in the meantime! If they go unchecked, they could cause a massive sway of public belief in Necrozma, and when that monster arrives, many trainers might have abandoned the battlefield by then!” He craned his head up toward Arceus with pleading eyes. “Please, Lord Arceus! With the full might of the Hall, we could easily decipher their location and stop them before they become too great of a threat!”

  Arceus once again shook his head. “As of now, if we hope to defeat Necrozma, none of us can expend even an inkling of strength. What’s more, it’s likely that, if the goal of those humans is to gather footage of us Legends that might make us seem evil to the public eye, then they would position themselves near a large gathering of other humans.”

  Arceus tapped the tip of his foot on his pedestal, and the Hall became dark once more. The screen that Arceus had used to explain Earth’s origins had reappeared, only now it showed a large town. “That Christopher Lee is obviously an incredibly cunning individual. If we were to strike him as one singular force, like, you suggest, then the result would likely end up similarly to what I’m about to show you.”

  Lugia looked up at Arceus pleadingly, but the Alpha Pokemon, as well as everyone else, was already looking down at the screen. Hesitantly, Lugia followed suit. It started off with the Legends suddenly appearing from the sky and descending upon the town. They honed in on one building in particular, and collectively used their power to raze it.

  The building was torn to pieces, and the brown-suited figure of Christopher Lee was pulled from its remains by an invisible grip. However, they neglected to take the other buildings into account, which housed many more humans. “Needless to say, Christopher Lee would obviously place himself in a highly populated area, and the moment we struck, we would be allowing many more humans to see us do such a thing. We would be playing into his hand and setting up the war ourselves.”

  Christopher Lee flailed helplessly against the pull and was lifted up into the sky until he, as well as all the other Legends, disappeared without a trace. Left bewildered and terrified, the other humans, who had been recording the incident, showed it to all who would listen. “If we tried to stop him now,” Spoke Arceus, “Then that sway in public opinion would only happen quicker. The future you’re trying to stop, Lugia, would come to pass even easier than Christopher could ever hope so.”

  Arceus’s red eyes glowed brightly, changing the scene once more. “And this,” He said, “Is that future.” The screen then showed a scorching city engulfed in flames, with citizens and trainers now fighting the Pokémon they once called their friends with all different kinds of melee weapons and firearms. The Legends stood over the battlefield, watching but unmoving.

  The Leader of the Hall then shut off the screen, returning said Hall, back to its bright white state. He looked up from where the screen once was at Lugia and asked, “Do you see my point now? Attacking now would be foolish.”

  Lugia let out an annoyed sigh between his teeth. “I do, but-”

  “Then there is nothing more to discuss,” Interjected Arceus, “We only have so much time left, and I still haven’t even gotten to the main point of this final Hall meeting.”

  “Final?” Hissed Giratina. “You make it sound as if we’re going to die, Father. Surely you have more faith in us than that.”

  Letting out a tired sigh, Arceus turned back toward Giratina. “That isn’t what I meant, and you know it,” He said, “I have the utmost faith in our victory, and I have faith in all of you as well. I simply meant that we should spend our time wisely.”

  “Stopping another potential human-Pokemon war sounds like a fair use of that time,” Countered Giratina. “Since you’re so sure of victory against Necrozma, then shouldn’t we worry about the future as well?” He gave Lugia a chilling grin and said, “Go ahead, Lugia. Why don’t you speak your mind?”

  Lugia nodded to him and opened his mouth to speak, but Arceus stomped his foot into his pedestal, resulting in a loud gong-like sound that silenced the Hall. “This is not happening again!” Roared Arceus, glaring at Giratina with his signature divine ferocity. “I may have wronged you far more than you could have ever deserved, Giratina, but I will not allow you to jeopardize this Hall meeting!”

  Giratina sent a glare of his own with equal ferocity back at Arceus and retorted, “Me? Jeopardize this meeting? What are you saying, Father? I am simply allowing everyone to speak their minds, which is something that you never allowed them to do!”

  Arceus was quickly starting to lose his calm with his firstborn son, and unintentionally his eyes started to glow red again. “True as that may be, I know you’re also doing it to provoke further arguments, and if it were at any other time, I would allow it, but right now we don’t have much time and I won’t allow you to waste it with your nonsense!”

  Arceus quickly froze after realizing what he had just said. He quickly allowed his crimson red glow to fade, and said, “I apologize, Giratina, for my outburst. It was...unwarranted”

  Giratina merely chuckled at him. “Keep your apologies to yourself...or rather…” He eyed Lugia mischievously. “Perhaps you should direct it at him. All he wanted was to protect the world from another looming threat, but you’re too focused on Necrozma alone to see it.”

  “I’d just ignore him if I were you,” Mew piped up from atop her bubble. “He’s purposely trying to get under everyone’s skin and then push the blame on you, you know.” She sat up from her bubble, narrowing her eyes at him. “On second thought, it’s probably best to just send him back to Distortion World for now. It’s not like him being here actually helps anyone.”

  Mew’s insults only served to elicit a devious grin from the Renegade Pokemon. “Keep talking all high and mighty from the inside of your tree. I’ll be laughing when Necrozma burns it to the ground.”

  A pink glow suddenly enveloped Giratina, and he was violently forced to the ground. The Goddess of all Pokemon floated over toward him with a shadow draped over her eyes. “Were I in your place, I would say such things, bastard child.”

  Giratina managed to cough out a laugh even against the crushing force of Mew’s power. “Do you honestly...think I care for an insult like that…? I disowned you as a mother...the moment you allowed Arceus to send me to that hell…”

  Mew’s and Giratina’s little squabble was cut short by a fierce roar from Arceus. “ENOUGH!” The Alpha Pokemon stood up on his hind legs and crashed his front ones down upon his pedestal with such force that it caused the entire dimension the Hall of Origins was in to quake violently. The Legends were collectively knocked off their feet, and Arceus’s rage turned the Hall red.

  “THAT IS…!” Realizing what he was doing, Arceus quickly got ahold of himself, taking in deep breaths to quell his anger. The quaking eventually stopped, the red Hall faded with white taking its place once more, and when Arceus looked back up at the Legends, he saw a collective expression among all of their faces, including Giratina’s: Fear...and it haunted him. “That is… enough…”

  He first looked at Mew. “What you said is wrong. Giratina is only this way now because of what I did. Anything he says and does against me is well-warranted, and he was, is, and will always be my son. Our son.”

  Mew attempted to protest. “Arceus, he’s-”

  “-Been put through hell,” Snapped Arceus, “And did not deserve it.”

  “That doesn’t give him the excuse to put the world in danger!”

  Giratina pushed himself back onto his feet and laughed, though it still sounded choked to an extent. “The only thing in danger is your pathetic, fragile feelings. You simply can’t handle anyone daring to speak out against you, can you?” Looking past Mew and toward his father, Giratina added, “The same goes for you, Arceus. You may act soft now, but that’s simply a ruse. A facade. A farce! Should we survive Necrozma, you’ll eventually devolve back to your old personality, or rather, your real one, and once again become the tyrant you’ve always been.” He laughed. “It’s quite amusing, actually. The only reason you’re not your usual tyrannical self is because, there’s another more dangerous tyrant in the form of Necrozma.”

  Arceus only sighed, no longer being able to meet his firstborn son’s eye.

  “Go on then!” Goaded Giratina. “Tell me I’m wrong!” He received no answer, and so the Renegade Pokemon slunk back into his seat smugly. “That’s what I thought. Lugia, take it away.”

  Lugia looked at him oddly, then gave that same look to Arceus and Mew. Mew was already facing away from the Beast of the Seas, floating back to her little bubble. Arceus, who was looking elsewhere, only gave Lugia a halfhearted, tired nod.

  Taking this as a sign to continue, Lugia did just that. “Thank you again...Giratina…” Once again, Giratina smiled at him and gave him a small nod. “Anyways, Lord Arceus...I don’t believe we’d even need to bring all of us to Christopher. We could simply trace his location, and once we find it, send in one Legend alone to extract both him and his footage.”

  Letting out a sigh for the umpteenth time, Arceus replied, “That would not be possible either. If they have weaponry capable of damaging Legends, then they also have the capacity to set up traps that could do the same, if not worse. I mean, take a look at Zapdos, for example.”

  “I could do it,” Offered Mewtwo, to the surprise of just about everyone in the hall. “With my Psychic powers, I can read minds, find just about any kind of life form, and erase memories. It would take me less than an hour to do so, and I could do it without anyone even knowing of my existence afterward.”

  Lugia was genuinely awed at Mewtwo’s selflessness. He originally didn’t expect much of him, being a manmade clone and all, and a clone of Mew no less. Now, though, his opinion had swayed instantaneously. “You would put yourself at such risk for my sake?”

  Mewtwo shook his head. “Not simply for your sake...Lugia, was it?” The clone Pokemon looked up at the pure white roof of the Hall as if it were as beautiful as the night sky itself. “I wish to do this because I hold all forms of life dear to me. If something as terrible as what I saw in Arceus’s description of a war were to occur, then...I’m not quite sure what I would do…What’s more, my set of skills would make me the perfect candidate for the job. There is none more suited than me.”

  “No way,” Arceus snapped. “You, Mewtwo, have proven yourself to be a frontrunner against Necrozma. If even a sliver of your strength is expended here, it could have disastrous effects. Countless lives could be lost.”

  “And that is different than the lives potentially lost to a war?!” Lugia demanded. “And what control do you have over Mewtwo?! He is not your creation!”

  “The war will be prevented,” Arceus said, attempting to reassure him, “Just not now. This whole matter is best left until after Necrozma is dealt with anyways, and whether I created him or not does not matter. He is a part of this world, and I am only trying to see that it is not destroyed!”

  “No, this is a matter of control for you!” Lugia declared. “This whole Hall meeting was a setup, wasn’t it?! This isn’t for some kind of get-together or to lift our spirits or whatever nonsense you claim it to be! It’s a ruse so that you can further keep us locked in chains to blindly adhere to your orders!”

  “Lugia…”

  Arceus could see the hate returning to Lugia in his eyes, and it killed the old Pokemon on the inside. “I get it now...this whole meeting was to keep us blindly believing in you while we fought against that demon until you felt like taking part in the battle!”

  “Lugia, please…”

  The Sea Guardian vigorously shook his head. His eyes widened madly, and his pupils became nothing more than black slits. “Well, I won’t take part in that! I see now that there is no getting through to you. Once your mind is set on a decision, you refuse to yield on it or even consider the options of someone else. Were it not for my grudge against Necrozma and my survival, I would abandon this fool’s errand, but for now, I can no longer stand the sight of you.”

  Lugia turned around and attempted to leave through the portal at the back of his pedestal, but stopped once he felt a pull at his wing. He turned back around and found Zapdos, who raised his injured wing for Lugia to see.

  “Oh, right,” Said Lugia, “I’d...forgotten about that. Sorry.” He turned up to Arceus and asked, “What will you do about Zapdos’s injury? Surely at least that warrants some kind of action.”

  Arceus couldn’t bring himself to speak. His answer would only serve to increase Lugia’s hatred, and his own reasoning would ring hollow within the Sea Guardian. But he needed to say something, and so as much as it tore him up on the inside, he said, “...That injury does not seem to impede Zapdos, as they have displayed before. I’ve said this countless times, but I believe that if we spend an inkling of extra strength, we will lose. Jirachi’s wishes cost stamina and cause her to go into comas if overutilized. Any power I use will be power I won’t be able to battle Necrozma with, and Xerneas’s healing is delegated for the entirety of the battlefield. There are simply...too many factors at work.”

  Sensing the imposing disaster, Xerneas quickly stepped forward and said, “No, it is fine, Lord Arceus. I, too, have been gathering power and could easily fix such a wound.”

  Inwardly, Arceus wanted to accept the offer. Yet the voice in his head that told him they needed all the power they could get screamed at him to say no, and eventually won the inner battle. “N-...” He practically choked over the word. “N-no, I’m afraid that’s not...n-not…” The divine leader of the Hall faced the ground, slowly shaking his head. “I...I cannot allow you...to do that. There are...millions of people and Pokemon... who will need that power…”

  Arceus was unable to bring himself to raise his head, but could still feel the hate-filled glare of not only just Lugia, but the three Elemental Birds as well. He heard no response from either Xerneas, Lugia, or the birds. Instead, he heard only the sound of the four of them exiting the Hall, and it took all of his remaining willpower, to not collapse there and then.

  Eventually, the Alpha Pokemon managed to raise his head, albeit only slightly, and said to the other Hall members, “It wasn’t supposed to go this way. The instability of the Hall will be our undoing! ...This meeting...was a mistake. You all head home...and prepare however you will.”

  The Legends looked at Arceus oddly, then looked around at one another before slowly disappearing through their portals one after another. While the sound of pattering feet and activation of portals filled the Hall, Arceus merely looked away from them all. He did not look at the Legends, his firstborn sons, or even Mew. “Palkia, Dialga...and you too, Giratina...stay for a moment, would you?”

  The rulers of Time and Space quickly turned back around from their portals to their father. Giratina, already halfway through his own, hesitated for a second but ultimately obeyed Arceus and turned to face him. Arceus was about to confront them when he saw that one other Legend had yet to move.

  As Latios left through his portal with the other members of Tobias’s team, Latias helplessly reached out toward him. She wanted to cry out to him, hug him, and cry into his neck, but he seemed to not even know who she was. As Latios disappeared, she lowered her arm once more and instead focused her gaze upon Arceus.

  “Lord Arceus,” She said, “I...I didn’t speak up earlier because I couldn’t really find a voice among everyone else.”

  “Do you have a question for me?” Arceus asked.

  Mew floated in front of the Alpha Pokemon, facing Latias. “It’s probably not a good time,” She said, “You can see Arceus is stressed right now, so you should run along home, sweetie.”

  “It’s...fine, actually,” Said Arceus, “I can already guess what Latias is going to ask me, anyway.”

  The Eon Pokemon looked up at him and nodded. “I want to know why Latios has returned. Why is he alive, and why have I not known about it?”

  “Latios hasn’t...returned, per se,” Arceus said. “When something...anything dies, they are lost forever. What I did was create a new one. Once I did so, I attempted to send him back toward Alto Mare, but he had apparently been caught by a trainer named Tobias before he could make it there.”

  Latias, recalling that Arceus had mentioned some Legends being caught by trainers at the beginning of this Hall meeting, nodded in understanding. “I see,” Responded Latias, “But why, then, didn’t you tell me?”

  Arceus sighed. “I assumed it would be too painful. To know that your sibling was alive, at least in a sense, well...naturally, you would want to go them...but if you did that, who would protect the Soul Dew?”

  Latias lowered her head. “So, that was it...I suppose you were right, then. But why allow a trainer to catch them?”

  Nodding, Arceus continued. “This Latios is not the same one you knew. I intended for him to be a gift, or a new younger sibling, but apparently, fate decided otherwise. I decided not to intervene because I didn’t think it was my place to do so. Besides, this new Latios has no recollection of the life of the one before it. Even if I were to fill it with the memories of the old Latios, it would still not be the same. So, I simply let it be.”

  “...Very well,” Latias replied, turning back around toward her portal. “I...can see your point…” With that, Latias flew through the portal and travelled back to Alto-Mare. The look of longing and sadness in her eyes was not lost on Arceus, and so he sighed, knowing that he failed three of his children that day. Yet, there were three more waiting behind him, and he would not fail them again.

  Arceus bowed his head and turned around toward the three of them. “My sons,” He said, “I am...a failure. I can admit that now.”

  Palkia, Dialga, and Mew’s eyes went wide, whereas Giratina simply smirked. “You finally admit it,” Said the Renegade Pokemon, “At last, you finally admit it.”

  Arceus chuckled dryly. “So it would seem, Giratina...so it would seem.”

  He paused for a few seconds, then heaved out a long-winded breath, and continued. “I didn’t want this,” He said, “I just wanted us to all be together on the same side, and I won’t lie to you...I don’t know if we’ll all live through this, which is exactly why I didn’t want to waste this meeting. This could very well be the last time I’ll ever get to see any of you or that you'll ever be able to see me. I love each and every one of you, regardless of what’s happened in the past.”

  “W-what?” Stammered Dialga. “You cannot mean such a thing!”

  Palkia nodded in agreement with his counterpart. “I agree with Dialga, Father! Do you truly believe we might not make it?”

  Mew covered her mouth with her tiny hands and giggled. “Of course he doesn’t! He’s just messing aro-”

  “I do,” Arceus responded, quieting the three of them. “When I kept saying things like, “When we win” and, “When Necrozma is defeated” I was simply putting on a brave face. In truth, I have no idea how tomorrow will go…”

  “Father…”

  “Arceus…”

  Arceus lifted his head once more, facing them all with determination. “However, I do not plan on losing this war. I would rather die and make sure Necrozma goes with me than live and watch you die in my stead. I couldn’t live knowing that my sons and daughters were killed.”

  The divine Pokemon’s crimson red eyes began glowing once more. “However, I will not die just yet. I have failed you all too many times, and dying would not remedy that in the slightest! I have wronged you, hurt you, and ruled over you all like a tyrant for far too long, and I will be damned if I die before making it up to you all! I will live, not for me or my rule, but for you!”

  Lowering his head once more to face his sons, Arceus said, “I will not let you die. That, I can promise.” Palkia and Dialga were suddenly pulled toward Arceus by a golden glow, and before the two of them could protest, they were silenced when their foreheads were pressed up against their father’s. “I love you...my sons…”

  Palkia and Dialga were rendered stunned by the act. Their eyes were widened, and they were frozen stiff. But when it wore off, they did not pull away. They pressed their heads forward as well, accepting their father’s love.

  “We...love you too, father,” Said Dialga. “I can truly feel now that you are not who you used to be.”

  “Indeed,” Followed Palkia with a nod. “And I can make you a promise as well: That when this is over, I will be there by your side forever.”

  Arceus chuckled. “I’d like that very much, Palkia and Dialga, my sons. Now, then…”

  Arceus broke away from the rulers of Time and Space and turned next, to his remaining son. Palkia and Dialga were confused until they followed his gaze toward Giratina. Smiling brightly at his firstborn son, Arceus asked, “What of you, then? I can never ask for your forgiveness, but will you at least give an old fool like me his selfish wish?” Arceus waited a few moments for Giratina’s response, and when he expectedly received none, continued. “Giratina, my son...I said this before, but my love, ever extends to you as well. I don’t wish for your forgiveness, but can you at least join us one last time as family?”

  The Renegade Pokemon stared down at the Hall’s floor, seemingly in deep thought. He still made no reply, and Arceus, Palkia, Dialga, and even Mew all awaited his eventual response with baited breath. Finally, Giratina opened his mouth, looked back up at Arceus with a smile, and spoke.

  “I get it now.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Arceus exclaimed, elated.

  Giratina laughed and nodded. “Yes, yes, I do get it now! I get why you’ve been acting this way.”

  Arceus’s smile faltered slightly in his confusion as to what Giratina was referring to. “Er...is that so?”

  The ruler, or rather prisoner, of the Distortion World threw his head backward and cackled. “Yes, I finally understand! You’re breaking!”

  Now genuinely baffled, Arceus asked, “I...beg your pardon, Giratina?”

  “All the pressure with Necrozma just around the corner, and the fact that the others are finally starting to see you for what you really are, is too much for you. It’s causing you to crack like glass!” He dissolved into another small laughing fit before continuing. “It’s not the thought of letting us die that’s doing it; it’s the thought of no longer having something to rule over! It’s the fact that if Necrozma kills us, you will have nothing to control!”

  “Giratina, you don’t-”

  “What’s more, you yourself don’t even realize that it’s true!” Screeched Giratina, interrupting Arceus. “You’ve literally tricked yourself into believing you actually care for us, but heartless monsters like you and Mew could never care for anyone but yourselves!”

  Arceus stared into his son’s hate-filled eyes and could no longer make himself feel horror, for it no longer surprised him anymore. He wanted to break eye contact, but found himself unable to pull his gaze away. “You haven’t gone soft,” Giratina hissed, “You’ve gone senile. The threat of Necrozma made you realize your rule might not last forever, and it terrified you into a completely different kind of madness than the one you’ve smothered your creations with all these years.”

  Arceus could not hope to form a retort of any kind. Giratina’s words plagued at his mind, forcing him to mull them over without hope for ever actually deciphering a counter. Mew, however, quickly took action. Her hair stood on end, a shadow draped itself over her face, and her normally-pink energy darkened into a crimson red.

  “Silence!” She roared. “Arceus has allowed you to speak this nonsense for far too long! I, however, will not stand for it!”

  “Hah!” Mocked Giratina. “Of course you would say such a thing! Had I not known better, I would say you’re more of a tyrant than Arceus, and far more of a hypocrite than him as well.”

  The now-infuriated Mew bared her teeth in rage. “Excuse me?!”

  The Goddess of all Pokemon flared her energy out in all directions in a storm of crimson, sparking lightning that wreaked havoc upon the Hall. The lightning tore at the pedestals, sweeping across the floor and roof while ripping holes in almost every part of the Hall. Mew expected Giratina to immediately back down at her show of force, but to her surprise, he pushed right on past her field of energy and got up close to her face.

  “This is exactly what I’m talking about,” He hissed. “Your egos are oh so fragile, and when someone hurts them in the slightest, you end up doing nothing but causing pain to everyone else!”

  Mew’s eyes went red, and she threw Giratina to the floor of the Hall, where he crashed with a resounding thud. Arceus tried to go to his aid, but stopped when the Renegade Pokemon shot a fiery glare his way.

  “Keep on proving me right!” He roared at Mew. “You two are nothing without your precious egos, and you, Mew, are worse than them all!” Mew attempted to grab hold of him with Psychic once more, but Giratina quickly used Shadow Force to disappear, then reappear directly in front of her. “Now that I think about it, you are worse than Arceus. At least he had the guts to actually watch over the world, but you? All you ever do is isolate yourself in that damnable Tree of yours while playing with toys like a child!”

  The crimson red glow of Giratina’s eyes magnified to the point it outshined Mew’s. “What right do you have to rule over the world when you never even take part in it?! You’re a coward who can’t bring herself to even look at the failure of a world you wrought!”

  Giratina was taken hold of by Mew’s power once more and thrown back through his portal into the Distortion World. As Giratina flew toward it, he let out a deafening scream, which was cut off the moment he flew through the portal. With a thunderous roar that seemed to be unthinkable to come from one such as Mew, she sent a powerful Psychic blast at the portal, destroying both it and the pedestal that Giratina normally sat on. Without facing Arceus, she stormed back through her own portal and closed it.

  Arceus was left in a state of shock. He stared with wide eyes at where Giratina’s pedestal once was. The scene of his firstborn son screaming as he was flung through the portal replayed in his mind over and over again. It was exactly like...that time back then. The scream of utter terror as his son was dragged down through a portal into a dark, warped, desolate land echoed in Arceus’s mind over and over and over again without end.

  He blinked, realizing that his other sons were still present. He quickly turned around and asked, “Palkia! Dialga! Are you alri-” But they were already gone. They’d fled from Mew’s terrifying power back through their portals, leaving Arceus completely alone in the ruined Hall of Origins. Arceus’s eyes began squinting of their own accord as his brow creased. He quickly shook his head to stop what was about to happen, and in doing so, stopped the memory of his son’s terrified howling. For now, at least.

  Arceus recalled staring at Mew with an expression of horror planted on his face, and now, the only thing the Alpha Pokemon could bring himself to say in the now-desolate Hall of Origins was, “Was I...like that…?”