Love in the Time of Turbulence

Chapter 12: A Harbinger

I need to quickly clear up a misconception I've created...two, perhaps. 1) Apparently, a lot of you think we're heading for an ending. We are...but it's just the climax. This story still has quite a bit to go. 2) I've now come to appreciate XYZ 32, understanding what they were doing with it, and it's quite good. Enough talk! Chapter 12, begin!

Chapter 12

A Harbinger

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Rocky gasped as Serena suddenly bolted out of her chair and dashed for the exit from the house. At the moment, she wasn't in the completely right state of listening, but she still decided to keep an ear open towards him. "Dalton, whoever he is, is planning on using the properties of the keystones and Rayquaza because of some connection to Mega Evolution in order to open some sort of dimensional rift or other."

"A condensed version, but yeah," Serena answered, skidding to a stop on the street. She quickly turned and began to pelt down the street towards the marketplace and watched the dying embers of sunlight illuminate her path.

"Wait...they want to bring Rayquaza here?" he asked, and Serena could swear that she heard a slight quiver pass through his voice. She couldn't blame him; even hearing the name of the Pokémon Rayquaza was enough to make her own feet rattle. She hadn't even faced the beast back in Ancien City, but the stories from Clemont, Bonnie and the others were enough to let her know it was something to be feared. "That's insane!"

"This whole situation is insane," Serena commented. Rocky appeared to nod in agreement with this statement. "Yesterday, we were just paying a visit to the town, oblivious to anything else. Now we're dealing with crazy people who want to summon Rayquaza to open rifts and do who knows what with it. I mean, I'm just a Performer...I never thought I'd be involved in stuff like this!"

Yet here she was, running towards Nova Town's marketplace to tell the Champion, of all people, of what she had found during their little venture into town. No...Serena realized to herself as she ran, I'm not just a Performer anymore. I haven't been since the Ancien Debacle. It was a hard truth to accept, in its own way, but she also knew that it was one that she would have to if she had any hope of surviving whatever was about to happen. But she would, because she had. Her only prayer now was for Ash's well-being, wherever he was.

Rocky didn't seem able to say much of anything, focused entirely on keeping pace with her as she ran under the Gate into the marketplace. Lights were flickering on around the city, shining brightly under the new veil of nighttime. People seemed ready to go to sleep inside their homes, but Serena had too much adrenaline running through her to even contemplate going to sleep.

She also had a very distinct feeling that those very same people would be back out of their beds all too soon.

"Diantha!" Serena yelled, forgetting to address the Champion with any of her titles. It certainly spoke to the urgency of the situation, as the woman turned to her, her face only illuminated by the streetlamps.

"Did you find anything?" she asked tersely. Serena finally pulled up to a stop from her running and took a moment to catch her breath. Diantha waited patiently, and in that time, Astrid had approached from one of the other Gates in the area to listen in.

"Y-yes," Serena finally managed to gasp out. "Dalton...he plans to use the keystones to open a dimensional rift."

"What?" The Champion's question was so flat, Serena had wondered for a second whether it had actually been a statement. Astrid looked alarmed as well.

"How is that possible?" she asked. Serena shook her head, her hair moving with it.

"I'm not sure, and it's just a hypothesis that Elaine made. We can't really confirm it," she said, swallowing down the lump in her throat. Diantha's lips pursed, either in displeasure or worry, and she stepped forward to put a hand on Serena's shoulder kindly.