This... Thing Loooks Like Something Straight From The Dark Souls.

Past of the future, future of the past...

Interlude. Different Points.

Soris Region, near Chernoholmsk, Imperial Rocket Factory #2.

Nikolai walked along the assembly line, checking the sounding rockets, before they'll get packed up, loaded into containers and delivered to the Zemlino Space Center.

Three months ago, the Rayquaza has destroyed both of the space stations in orbit, killed twelve cosmonauts and reduced the satellite groups of both Soris Empire and the Pokemon Nation to pretty much nothing. And that's not counting the destruction of anything, that goes higher than troposphere, such as research drones or high-altitude planes.

Since then, the Imperial Space Program took a hit, but, thanks to the personal support of the Empress, stayed strong. Right now, their primary priority was set to the atmospheric research, so, they've commissioned several hundreds of the modified A-100 sounding rockets - the fastest rockets in the world, capable of 100g of acceleration!

Speaking of which...

"... Why are those sounding rockets like this?" the worker thought, doing a check on the hull. "No ablative protection, which is very strange, considering their accelerations and resulting ram heating in the atmosphere, unusual science payload adapter, attitude jets instead of steering fins and, for what it looks like, radio command flight guidance system…"

"Surprised by how those rockets look?" asked him superior, who approached the worker undetected. "I'm also surprised by this order. It'll make sense, if they'll be used in space…"

"But what for?"

"... I don't know. And I think we better keep low and silent about it. They didn't double the payment and order me to increase your salaries for nothing."

Hoenn Region, Sootopolis.

"...And for the ending of the "Zap Rangers", we've planned…" TV fell silent.

"Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers. Over and over again," said Valencia, switching the set off via button on the device itself and walking to the kitchen.

Ever since the Rayquaza got crazy and destroyed most of the stuff in orbit, then began a stratospheric blockade, pure chaos ensued.

In a lot of places cults sprung to life, calling, that the end of the world was near. Some of them had committed mass suicides, some - went into riots, allowing the looters of all sorts to flourish, some went into self-constructed shelters… it was true insanity.

And, as a Cheri Berry on top of that cake, many book and comic writers, along with producers of TV shows and so on, decided to tell everyone their plans on ending their works. The newspapers and networks were pretty much flooded with them. Valencia was even afraid to imagine, how much money they were getting from those exclusive interviews.

"Still nothing good?" a question sounded from the kitchen.

"Still nothing good," responded the woman, entering the room. In one of the chairs, a young man sat. If not for a slightly ragged look of his face, it would've been impossible to tell, that he was, actually, a Draconid.

"Damn. Gonna lay low for a few more weeks, I guess?" said Damien. His name was quite unusual for a member of this tribe… but it really helped him to get to his Sootopolian friend for a safe hiding, when the pogroms started. Even though, officially, Hoenn government had nothing against the Draconids, the fact, that those people worshipped Rayquaza, was enough of a trigger to allow humans, driven to hysterical paranoia by the acts of recently-resurfaced Sky High Pokemon and some medias, which were happily exploiting those events, to near-instantly resort to the unprovoked and indiscriminate violence. Even though most of the Draconids had powerful Pokemon with them, it often just made crazed people to switch to the swarming tactics, mixed with dirty fighting. Even great Draconid combatants weren't able to stand against fifty normal trainers and some more non-trainers at once, especially, when those people were specifically targeting the Draconid in question and going for the injuries at least.

"Of course," replied Valencia. She wondered, why the news networks weren't showing anything about Soris now and how they, with their different culture, reacted to what has happened several months ago.

Soris Region, near Zemlino, VAB #3

"Contact zone reached," said the computer system in the cabin of the overhead crane. The slightly aged man threw a quick look at the screen in cabin, at the payload, at the destination, then gently shifted the left control stick, activating the hoist and lowering the turret with railgun, suspended on the crane's hook, to the workers below. Right now, the air conditioning system of the Vertical Assembly Building was being repaired and the clouds started to build up inside. It wasn't raining yet and most of the equipment was water-proofed for this very reason, but the condensation on the glass windows of the cabin was getting annoying for the operator, since it forced him to mostly rely on the instruments.

"Klim, the break is starting about now! Get down here!" sounded from the comm system. Klim Goncharenko, a very experienced crane operator - probably, the best one in the entire Empire, since the Emperor himself called him for participating in this operation - frowned a little.

"Okay, guys, but you know - I'm not into smoking. And know, if you've touched sandwiches, brought here by my wife… well, the unexpected bowel movements should start in roughly a minute or so!"

For a thirty seconds, there was an uneasy silence, soon followed by "Sanyuch, you fraggin' bastard!" and a sound of at least three men sprinting towards the restroom. Klim smiled and started to drive the crane back to the parking position, thinking about his son and sort-of-a-granddaughter, who stayed in the Imperial Science Facility 9.

You’re probably right.

Took the Tomodachi Life personality quiz for Jirarudan and he ended up with Confident Designer and told he should have an office and a lab coat.

……what.

Parents (mini-fic).

- Well, that’s it for today! - said cabinet minister Alva, closing the old book. - Your majesty, your homework - assemble the levi-drone and program it to avoid obstacles during the flight on determined path. Next lesson will be in two days.

- Understood, minister Alva! - happily responded prince Raleigh. The cabinet minister gave him a smile, left the prince’s room and headed for his own one, slowly drifting in his thoughts...

"Why they can’t spend more time with me?” - asked young Alva himself, slowly reading “Introduction to Arcane Science”. - “Am I less important to them, than arcane researches? Or...”

- Happy birthday, Alva! - said Ogden, giving his son a present. - Sorry for so little time, but, as you know, our salary...

- I know and I understand you, - replied boy, slowly unwrapping the package. - Wait, is it...

- Yes, it is, - proudly said Nancy. - “Young arcane researcher’s first kit”.

- But it’s so expensive... How much... What... Why...

- Alva, you’re our son, - announced both Ogden and Nancy at the same time, - and we want you to be happy. About money... It’s not that important. Again, forgive us from spending so little time with you, but...

- Thank you so much... - responded the young boy, who was on verge of crying. As he knew, this kit costed nearly thrice the dad’s salary, so, they should’ve either started saving money no less than few months ago, or overwork. From what it looked like, it was the second cause. And they did this just because they’ve wanted their son to be happy...

- Prince Raleigh, why are you crying? - gently asked cabinet minister young prince, who was silently sobbing in the far corner of the library. - If it makes you feel better, I promise, that I won’t tell it to anyone.

- Dad... I’m not sure if he still remembers that I exist, - angrily whispered boy. From what it looked like, he just couldn’t keep it in himself anymore. - Sister loves her jetbikes more than her own brother... And mom, the only one, who loved me...

Raleigh couldn’t see it, but Alva’s grip on the staff became harder. His parents may’ve spent too little time with him, when he was child, but, at least, they’ve truly loved him and wanted their son to be happy.

- My condolences, prince Raleigh, - said cabinet minister, looking at the book, which was placed on table before prince. - You’re interested in the arcane science?

- Yes, and what? - harshly replied boy, showing, that his closest relatives didn’t share this kind of interest.

- Nothing special, prince Raleigh, I’ve just wanted to say, that I’m an arcane researcher and can provide help in it to you, if you want it.

- Really? - asked Raleigh, looking at cabinet minister with hope in his eyes.

“Just how alone is he?” - asked Alva himself, while giving a smile to prince and saying:

- Of course.

- Great work, but there are some mistakes, - said Alva to Raleigh, checking his homework. For more than year now, Alva was pretty much giving free private lessons in arcane science to young prince and, from what it looked like, neither king nor Kimia cared. - Looks like we need to perfect your math first!

- If we need it, I’ll do my best! - responded Raleigh whole-heartedly. As Alva has understood, he was pretty much the only friend of young prince, his closest men... and that the plans about overtaking kingdom needed to be re-written. Raleigh may never know it, but he was the one who deeply softened the cabinet minister’s heart and prevented a chain of planned political assassinations.

“When we overtake the kingdom, you will be the one, who will bring it might and prosperity, and I... I’ll help you do it,” - thought Alva, looking at young prince’s work and explaining him his mistakes.

“From what it looks like, I’m more of a parental figure to Raleigh, than the king,” - finished his chain of thoughts Alva, putting the staff aside, taking the place in the chair, pressing the “Door lock” button on the remote, opening the drawer and taking an old photo from it.

Team ISP (Specific Impulse). This Team, unlike many others, does not want to get anything on Earth - quite opposite, in fact, they want to get AWAY from it! Their main reasoning for that is that too much weird and dangerous shit is happening there (and, to be fair, it kinda is - just look at the games and anime!), so, it’d be better, if civilization thrived in more than one place. As long as it inhabits a single planet, a single star, it can be extinguished instantly at doings of a few madmen.   Quite a bit of their research and development is spent on creating a colony ship, sufficient to get everything, needed for building the civilization anew, to another planet (or even another star) in one go. This Legendaries this Team seeks out are those, who can help them with their goal - Palkia, Dialga, Giratina, Solgaleo, Lunala and Necrozma, although they have plans for slower-than-light travel, should it fail.

The Flight Director (leader) of Team ISP is Robert Phillip Eugen Charles von Korolyov. His second-in command (admins) are Control Officer Gary Truax  and Flight Activities Officer Robert Koelle. One of the problems with this Team is that they kinda... lack appropriate care at how damaging the start of their colony ship is going to be. Even the basic version, with Zubrinov’s mass conversion torch engines (based on researching the Guzzlord), can easily damage the ecosystem with their crazy exhaust (53 megatons of TNT equivalent per second). Quite ironic of them, indeed, but, even though they are aware of that, the events in the world make them constantly “adjust” their priorities, with the one about the minimizing the collateral damage of the launch going lower and lower.

Their Pokemon are mostly space-themed, with Flight Director having Deoxys and two Celesteela in his team, whil the Flight Activities Officer has a Rayquaza, in addition to non-Legendaries.

If you were to design an evil team for Pokémon, what would their goal be? What would you name them?

I’d like an “evil” organization of scientists who want to restore the earth to how it used to be before pollution, deforestation, global warming, and the extinction of plants and Pokémon. The only problem is that they’re going about it by stealing fossils from museums, maybe under the guise of a break in, but in reality some of those within the organization work there.

They could be called Team Revitalization.

The legendaries are brought back from fossils. Maybe if the region was based in Greece or Egypt they could be a griffin and/or basilisk. Maybe when they’re brought back, they go berserk in this new world they don’t understand, and go about trying to destroy everything in their path.

Finally, my trainer avatar truly represents me.

I know it, especially his not-omnipotentness (and when I see a fic with Arceus Almighty, I immediately see a lazy writing). It’s just a way to explain such a amount of Alpha Pokemons and, you know, cram this dex entry (which may contain a false information) into a gameplay. However, I do not want to play it this way in my fic, so, there is only one Arceus in it - not omnipotent, not really that powerful (no more than in anime) and definitely NOT the best parent ever (though not the worst either). What about you?

catching legendary Pokémon has always made me a bit uncomfortable like? tapu koko is in my pc box rn. who’s protecting the island. Arceus is pretty much god and probably has better things to do than follow the commands of a 12 year old but ok

While also multiplying whatever lies in my 6th item slot. Now, how do I call you?

Do you remember Dex entry on Arceus? The “It is described in mythology as the Pokémon that shaped the universe with its 1,000 arms.” one? I think, that what we get under the name “Arceus” in games is really just one of these “arms”, which he sorta “donates” to player.

catching legendary Pokémon has always made me a bit uncomfortable like? tapu koko is in my pc box rn. who’s protecting the island. Arceus is pretty much god and probably has better things to do than follow the commands of a 12 year old but ok

Some worldbuilding for my fic - Flying Palace’s Artificial Intelligence system.

After hardware and software upgrade in the first fic, she (yes, this AI thinks of itself as a female) gained complete sentience.

She's always loyal to her creator (protagonist), even more, than a Gardevoir to it's trainer, and tries to do whatever she can in order to ensure her master's well-being.

She helps him organize his daily life, searches all of the available informational networks for a clues to find whatever will please him (and, so far, she has managed to help him find some really worthy pieces of art) and, overall, serves him as far as she can.

However, she is not necessarily nice: if she considers someone threat to the creator, she, at first, will try to evade or drive it off gently, but won't hesitate to kill if there are no other options and will not regret it, unless there are some really serious consequences. She's also ready to sacrifice herself and the Flying Palace if there's the only way to save her master, but she considers this as a last option.

After gaining sentience, she, unbeknownst to her master, contacted corporate AI system and downloaded data about psychological conditioning - a technic to slowly remake ways someone thinks into what you need, and yes, she've used it already, though, thankfully, not on the creator - she has built-in precautions against it, so, all she can do to him is gently talk him out of the dangerous ways and more into constructive and safe ones.

The worst part of psychological conditioning is that it's not a mind control in way we know, but, rather, slow and gentle remake of the someone's mind, thoughts and identity itself to what you need and it cannot be easily undone - it's not brute overtake, like psychic-type mind control, but, rather, a slow bending of original mind into the shape you need. It takes a lot of time to be done, but, once it's complete, there is no going back.

At the end of first fic, thanks to some reasons yet to be found, Yveltal’s Cocoon, collected by the protagonist, instead of unfolding into full-sized adult Destruction Pokemon, fell apart into a tiny chunks and revealed a small hatchling, which has imprinted on the protagonist. While protagonist and this Yveltal, named Jorsey, have bonded with eachother (Jorsey loves his “daddy”, protagonist plain likes this small Cutietal), AI system only sees deathly threat to her master in this Destruction Pokemon, even if such young, and “dreams” of eliminating him (here the Yveltal psychological gender is closer to male) forever. If you think she cares about the world balance and such, think again. Yes, she’s somewhat like the real Lawrence III - the world outside of the Flying Palace matters very little for her, unlike her master, which is the sole reason she exists and whom wish is absolute to her. So far, she made her position about her master clear (”Remember - if he dies because of you, I’ll do everything to free the world from such a death embodiment as you, even if it’ll mean cessation of mine existence. If it’ll be required, I’ll use something, that works on principles more basic than universe itself. Understood?”) to Jorsey and used some of psychological conditioning techniques to induce a specificially-constructed nightmare in a safe way (”safe” here means “no accidental Oblivion Wing or unplanned psychological damage”).

The device she means is the Energy Reaction Core, invented by the real Lawrence III, which is capable of generating nearly limitless amounts of energy and principles behind which are yet to be understood, but are presumed to be more basic than universe itself. However, it is clear, that anything, that passes the Energy Core Sphere’s (which is stationed inside the Core by containment fields and which is what generates energy. Shutting down containment fields, most of the time, results in Sphere’s quick expansion and even quicker dissipation with very little or even no destruction of surrounding machinery and never creates an explosion) border, ceases to exist in this reality. Because of this, it’s theoretically possible to kill Yveltal or, for this matter, any Legendary for real by throwing it into the Energy Core Sphere. 

Thanks to her doings, when Jorsey first saw the Energy Reaction Core’s Energy Core Sphere during the tour in the Flying Palace’s engine room alongside with protagonist, he froze in fear and nearly fainted in his “daddy”’s arms. Thankfully, somehow, during the direct visual contact with protagonist, who was worried about the condition of the little Yveltal, Jorsey, despite his Dark/Flying typing, has managed to pass some parts of his nightmare and fear directly into the protagonist’s mind, somewhat similar to the Aura or telepathy. Now, protagonist has a clues to the Yveltal’s strange behavior and thinks about what could’ve done it. Of course, AI system does not want her master to misjudge her doings (she honestly thinks she is doing the right thing and... well, she may have a point here) and directly order her to cease and desist, so she tries to distract him from it, because she cannot violate direct orders, unless they are given under the psychic mind control, which she is to prevent under all circumstances. Thankfully, she cannot use psychological conditioning on him, so protagonist still has a chance to find out about this and order her to stop it.

Let me make thoughts more clear: Aether Foundation, despite all of their doings, was never called a Team (like the criminal ones). Only those groups of evil-doers, which were called Teams, received their respective versions of Pikachu Villains.

Pikachu Villain Figures from the Pokemon Center