A Brilliant Diamond Story

Chapter 8: The Fate of the World

After that quick flight to Veilstone, it wasn't exactly an FBI hot-breach; the guard out front didn't even stop me. He literally dropped the key I needed and ran off. So, scooping that up and making my way in through the back door, I began moving Splinter Cell-style through the base, taking out grunts and their Pokemon as I maneuvered through the maze of tunnels and structures, trumpet-filled music blasting overhead. I decided Beav hadn't had enough time to fight, so she and I ran through this base together, clobbering the soldiers who decided they wanted to earn their paychecks the hard way. And believe me, there were a lot of them. We even ran by one grunt who didn't even have a Pokemon, though he certainly tried to body-block us from continuing. Beav put an end to that real quick.

The warp pads proved as difficult as they did whenever I ran into them in other Pokemon games. That is to say, an embarrassing amount of effort was needed to traverse this puzzle. There were just so many gates, man! It took me quite a while to make it through the maze, passing by a room called the "Galatic Nap Room: Make sure beds are unoccupied before sleeping!" which just had terrible implications, but after a little more traversing, I eventually reached the top...and found Cyrus waiting for me within.

After a lecture about how useless my emotions were, we had our battle, and Beav was able to crush both his Murkrow and his Golbat with hardly an issue. His Sneasel, however, proved more resistant to Rock-moves, so Blitzo stepped in to handle it. And with a blazing Fire Spin, that was exactly what he did.

I was almost suspicious at how easy that had been. Cyrus' manneurisms, his posture, his tone...either he truly didn't care about losing that battle, or he was going easy on me. And I didn't like that thought one bit.

He departed with a contemptuous wave and the parting words that he was going to erase it all on the peak of Mount Coronet. Well, I certainly couldn't allow that to happen, could I?

I made it through the rest of the lab, finding multiple scientists now repentant for the horrid contraption they had helped create; the Red Chain, formed from the crystals of the Lake Guardians. Yes, the ones in their foreheads. Arceus only know if they can grow those back, but after throwing Saturn across the room, I managed to free the Lake Guardians, and my work in the Galactic Base was finished. Strange that I hadn't run into Jupiter, considering that's where she said she was going...oh, well.

After the devastation of the Team Galactic base, it was a quick flight to Eterna City to climb Mount Coronet...only to find a Team Galactic grunt who was loudly lamenting that there was no way up to the peak from there. Why she wasn't with the rest of her crew when they ascended the mountain is beyond me, but she told me it was the Hearthome side that had a path to the peak. So, a quick flight to the other side of the mountain, dammit, and I could begin my ascension. It took quite some time, and resulted in what I could only assume every single member of Team Galactic leaping at me to try and stop me. I mean, honestly, I couldn't go five steps without running into one! How did they even manage to recruit this many members?!

It didn't matter. I steamrolled them all.

After that, and a blow to the local ecosystem after knocking out what had to be dozens of wild Pokemon as well, I finally, finally reached the peak. Spear Pillar.

I sat there for a long moment. Just like at the start of this journey, so long ago, I found myself simply basking in the environment. The music, with is thundering drums and blasting trumpets; the broken pillars, belying an ancient, once-hallowed sight for the worship of the gods of all things; the flute symbol on the stairs, an insignia that told me the God of All Pokemon resided somewhere above us...it was like I was 12 once more, treading on ground that hadn't been tread on in centuries. Like I was about to do battle with the Olympians themselves.

Two Grunts tried to stop me, but Leaf and Zippy hurled them over the side. And then, as I approached, Cyrus began to speak. He gave his pledge to unmake the world, to bring about peace in a way that someone had tried to do so long ago; and now he had Dialga, summoned forth, bound in the Red Chain, and distorting the region around us in the coolest mix of colors I had ever seen as a kid.

It was truly breathtaking, honestly. Having played the perfection that was Legends: Arceus, I understood all the context now; how the Red Chain had been a holy tool, used only to stop the destruction of the world, now warped to bring about its end. And standing here, having witnessed the destruction of Spear Pillar by Dialga and Palkia, I realized what Cyrus had become. What Team Galactic had become, since its days in Hisui.

And that only meant, for the sake of what had been, and what could be, that I had to stop Cyrus.

But Mars and Jupiter, despite how clearly unhinged their boss had become, stood against me still. It looked like a 1v2, something I wasn't exactly looking forward to...until Barry appeared, offering to help. I doubted he actually could...but I wasn't one to turn down the help. In our time of need, he had at least picked himself up to stand against evil.

They both started the battle with Bronzors, which Zippy was able to crush with ease. But then came their Skuntank and Purugly, so I had Zippy Volt Switch out and sent in Leaf, who crushed both of them (and...Barry's Munchlax) with an Earthquake. After that, it was Golbat City, and I decided to give Zippy a quick breather and let Click deal with them.

With them defeated, it was just me and Cyrus now. But Cyrus was distracted...in a beautiful array of color, Dialga was now surrounded by stars, creation itself molding around him. It looked like it was over...but then the piano chimed in.

Suddenly, the three Lake Guardians appeared around Dialga, and in a blast of energy, the Red Chain shattered, and Dialga was free.

But it definitely was not happy. And neither was Cyrus.

Battle: Galactic Leader Cyrus

And so he attacked. His Honchkrow appeared first, but thankfully Zippy was still at the head of my party, and he made quick work of the puff-chested bird. Then, out came his Gyarados, and I made a near-fatal mistake; I left Zippy in. It made sense; he was an Electric type, quad effective against the Gyarados. For safety measures, I had Zippy use Charge first to make his Spark really hurt...and it might have been the one thing that saved him. That was when I remembered, in a brilliant flash of fear and horror, that Cyrus' Gyarados knew Earthquake. I have no doubts that the increase to Zippy's Special Defense is what saved him there, because he barely hung on. But the Spark did indeed kill, and I was able to switch him out.

Specifically, switch him out for Blitzo when Cyrus summoned his Weavile. How it had evolved in the short time between our fights is beyond me, but nevertheless, Blitzo came out to trap it in a Fire Spin...and then it used Dig. Thank God, I was able to switch in Click before it struck, ensuring no damage to anyone, and a Cross Poison to finish it off. Then, it was time for his Crobat, which was a quick swap-out for Zippy yet again to Spark it immediately, no way in hell was I risking it knowing something insane.

And with that, Cyrus was bested. Now he was truly angry, and he swore to not give up his dream of finding the ultimate power...and then his cronies and he smoke-bombed out of there, I assume, because they all just disappeared.

And that just left me, and Dialga. I approached him, the very fabric of time warping around its form as it stanced up for a battle for the ages...

Except, no, because I shoved that Master Ball down its throat, no way am I fighting the god of all time. But I will admit, the battlefield's background was unbelievably awesome as the sky warped and broke, as if reality were coming apart.

But with that, the tragedy was avoided. The very world we lived in was saved...

And now I had to keep working on my Gym badges, as if this past chapter wouldn't put me in therapy for decades.

But, fine. I suited up my team, and we made our way for Sunyshore City.