Pokemon - From the Brink

Chapter 57 - Help from on High

"Uhnn... Huh...? Where am I...?" Nelly opened her eyes to find herself standing in a void of greyish-white.

"Your desperation has brought you here, to me." A booming voice answered her question.

Standing in the abyss was a mighty being – a creature of unparalleled presence. It stood above ten feet tall, magnificent grey of different shades combining with its golden hooves and cross-like wheel to create an air of raw brilliance. An all-seeing, all-knowing power that could easily crush any threat. Its green eyes with red pupils settled on the girl as she looked up in awe.

"Arceus...?"

"Nelly Lara Ora-Yuki." The Alpha Pokemon said.

She felt a chill run down her spine as the God of our world spoke her name, tapping its hoof down and sending a ripple coursing throughout the blank space.

A faint image appeared in the sea of white, showing from above the scene of the battlefield, where Bedlam was ripping through people left and right. The image was frozen in time, as Nelly saw me with my arms around her, scythes of death inches away.

"Ah..." She gasped, stepping forward.

"This enemy you face – it is a powerful foe." Arceus commented. "It has destroyed the sacred gems, and wiped out millions of lives. If left unchecked, it will certainly not rest until all life on Earth is extinguished."

"Please help us!" Nelly turned back to it. "We have no other options – Bedlam will destroy us all!" She glanced back at the projected image. "It... It killed my... M-my..." She felt a lump in her throat.

"Your parents. And your younger sibling."

"Gh... Yes..." She swallowed, unsuccessfully fighting tears. "And if nobody steps in... It'll kill him..." She lifted her hand slowly over the picture and gently placed her palm over me.

"That is a very narrow-sighted view of the outcome. In reality, all life will die. All humans, and all Pokemon. You yourself will also perish, and yet your concern is for this individual."

"I know... I know that...! But..." Her fingers trembled, as if she yearned to pull me out of the picture. "I just lost... Everything... He's all I have left... I don't want to die, either, but... More than that – I-I can't let him die...! I can't!" She screamed, her face red and tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please, Arceus – I'm begging you!" She turned around and fell to her knees, hands clasped together. "Please...! Please help..."

"You humans are a peculiar pair." Arceus noted. "I have met face-to-face with this boy before also." It nodded towards the scene. "He expressed nothing but the most urgent need to see you restored to your full health."

"Mm..." Nelly sniffed. "But he's one of the people who lives in the world you watch over – haven't you seen what's been going on?!"

"I have."

"Then why haven't you stepped in?! Surely you have the power to do something about this?!"

"It is not so simple." Arceus turned its head. "If I were to leave this place, and then fall to the beast whom you face, then the fabric of reality would crumble and the world itself world itself would collapse in on itself. That truth is the same as it has always been. That is the reason why I bestowed specific Pokemon with the ability to connect with humans. In doing so, a portion of my strength resides within them, and I am able to assist without leaving my domain."

"But... But clearly that isn't enough anymore...!" Her lower lip quivered. "Bedlam, it... I-it..." She choked up. "IT KILLED MY MOTHER!" She yelled, her lungs straining. "Bring her back!"