Cherreads

Chapter 89 - Chapter 89

Janine stared at her PokéNav in horror as emergency alerts flooded the screen. Earthquake warnings, followed by tsunami advisories, followed by something else—strange energy readings unlike anything the League's monitoring systems had ever detected.

She rushed outside her gym just in time to see the distant figures of unknown Pokémon wreaking havoc.

"Evacuate the city!" she shouted to her gym trainers. Her PokéNav buzzed frantically. The gym leaders' group chat had exploded:

[Group Chat: Kanto Gym Leaders] 

[Currently Online: 💪🌸⚡️🌊🧠☠️🥋🔥🌿] 

Brock: EMERGENCY ALERT! Unknown Pokémon attacking Pewter City! Never seen anything like this?!

Misty: Same in Cerulean! One looks like Gyarados but... different! It's destroying the bridge!

Lt. Surge: Vermilion Harbor under attack by metallic creatures. My Electric types barely doing damage. Not matching any known species!

Sabrina: Dimensional readings off the charts. These aren't normal Pokémon. My psychic connection shows they're... displaced somehow.

Blaine: My research equipment detecting massive energy anomalies. These creatures share DNA with known Pokémon but readings suggest temporal distortion.

Janine: Fuchsia attacked by what looks like a prehistoric Volcarona. Poison attacks ineffective!

[LEAGUE EMERGENCY BROADCAST]

All gym leaders mobilize your emergency teams. Multiple regions reporting strange Pokémon attacks. Creatures do not match ANY Pokédex entries. Coordinate with local law enforcement for evacuation. Protect civilians at all costs. 

Exercise extreme caution - traditional type advantages may not apply.

Aiden's POV

The Pokémon Center shook like it was made of cardboard. Glass from the windows flew everywhere as people screamed and ran for cover. I moved without thinking, diving to pull a young trainer away from falling ceiling tiles.

"Everyone, stay down!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the panic.

Nurse Joy was already moving the injured Pokémon to safety. Her face had that professional calm that comes from years of disaster training, but her eyes gave away the fear.

"This isn't a normal earthquake," she said as I helped her move a stretcher with a wounded Nidorino.

"No kidding," I muttered, looking outside.

The sky had turned a weird purple-gray, like bruised skin. In the distance, I could see what looked like tears in reality itself. Something was breaking down the walls between dimensions. 

My hand moved to my belt where my team waited. I could feel their Poké Balls vibrating, the Pokémon inside sensing the danger.

"I need to get out there," I said, helping an old man find shelter under a sturdy table.

"It's too dangerous!" Nurse Joy grabbed my arm. "The authorities have asked everyone to stay inside until—"

The building shook again, and this time a large chunk of the ceiling came down right in the center of the room.

"There won't be an 'inside' much longer," I replied grimly. "Trust me, I can help."

I didn't wait for her permission. 

Outside, Fuchsia City looked like a war zone. Buildings were damaged, streets cracked open, and people ran screaming everywhere. Above it all, those strange portals kept appearing, some growing larger, more frequent.

And then I saw an Iron Thorns stomping through the Pokémon Safari, terrifying the already panicked Pokémon. Its metallic body gleamed unnaturally under the strange sky.

"Astra," I called, throwing the Master Ball. "We've got trouble."

Mewtwo materialized with that particular heaviness that comes with its psychic pressure. Even in the chaos, people stopped to stare. Most had never seen a Mewtwo outside of rumors and legends.

What is happening? Astra's voice filled my mind. What are these creatures?

"They're called Paradox Pokémon, similar to the one we encountered in Lavender Town."

I explained quickly. "They are from the distant past or future. Something's pulling them through time and space. 

Another portal opened right in front of us, and a strange, twisted version of Magnezone crashed through. Its body was made of some crystal-like material that pulsed with electricity, and its eyes locked onto us immediately.

"Astra, Psychic!"

Mewtwo raised a three-fingered hand, and the air itself seemed to distort as the psychic attack slammed into the twisted Magnezone. The Paradox Pokémon went flying backwards.

Three more portals ripped open in the sky above Fuchsia City. Through one came what looked like a Hydreigon made of pure energy, its three heads screaming in different pitches that shattered windows all around us.

"This is getting out of hand," I whispered.

In the distance, I could see Janine, Fuchsia City's Gym Leader, directing her poison-type Pokémon against a strange mechanical Venusaur. Her purple hair whipped in the wind as she shouted commands, her face set with determination. But even from here, I could tell she was losing ground.

Aiden, more are coming. Astra's mental voice was tense.

"Oh great," I replied automatically, then looked up.

The sky was now filled with portals, each one spitting out more Paradox Pokémon. And between them, something worse – I could see the distinctive silhouettes of legendary Pokémon. The three legendary birds circled overhead, but they weren't acting right. Zapdos fired lightning randomly into the city. Moltres's flames burned too bright, too hot. And Articuno's ice beams seemed to freeze anything they touched solid, including people.

"Why are the legendaries attacking?" I whispered. "This doesn't make sense."

They were supposed to be guardians, protectors. Even when they fought, it was usually for a reason – territory, balance, misunderstandings that could be resolved.

This was something else. They looked... wrong. Their eyes glowed with the same purple light as the portals.

"They're being controlled," I realized. 

Yes. Astra's mental voice was grim. I can feel it – a psychic signature binding them.

A new voice suddenly cut through the chaos – amplified somehow to echo across the city.

"Citizens of Kanto! Witness the dawn of a new era!"

I turned toward the source and saw a figure hovering above the city, standing on what looked like a floating platform. He was young – maybe in his early twenties – with white hair styled in an undercut and wearing a lab coat over what looked like battle armor. Purple energy crackled around him like lightning, and beside him floated a Paradox Pokémon I'd never seen before – something that looked like a twisted version of Celebi, its body full mechanical.

"That's not possible," I muttered. "Arven?"

Wait. No. This wasn't the Arven I knew from the games.

"My name is Professor Arven," the man announced, his voice echoing across the ruined city. "Field commander of Team Rainbow Rocket's Dimensional Forces. Your world is now part of our multiverse empire."

Team Rainbow Rocket? I know about them. They are a version of Team Rocket that succeeded in taking over their universe. They include the leaders of earlier villain teams from alternate universes where they achieved their goals. 

But the ones I know are not this strong. While they could control many Pokémon, including legendary ones, it was not to this extent. And last time I checked, Arven was not a villain.

"The legendary Pokémon you so revere are now under our control," Arven continued, gesturing to the birds circling above. "As are these Paradox Pokémon – beings from the furthest reaches of time and space. Resistance is futile."

Typical villain monologue.

I sighed. All I wanted was an easy vacation: no shenanigans, no problems, just simple travel and collecting badges. Is that too much to ask?

I glanced back at the havoc around me. Various Paradox Pokémon were now swarming through the city, charging through streets, smashing into buildings, scattering humans and Pokémon alike. Fuchsia was on the brink of becoming a memory.

I stood there for a second, torn. 

On one hand, the logical choice was to deal with the Paradox Pokémon first. Minimize the damage. Help the people. Make sure the city didn't become a crater. Basic hero 101 stuff.

But then there was Arven, a self-proclaimed professor of interdimensional tyranny, crackling with purple evil juice and giving off the same energy as a final boss who monologues before nuking the map.

I could take out the minions… or go for the source directly.

"Astra, you think you can take those three all by yourself?" I gestured at the three legendary birds flying and wreaking havoc in the air.

Astra thought for a second before nodding. "Three on one? I am insulted."

I watched as Astra shot into the sky like a purple comet, her psychic energy blazing around her. The three legendary birds noticed her immediately, all turning their glowing purple eyes in her direction.

"Be careful!" I shouted after her, even though I knew she could handle herself.

I will return shortly, her voice echoed in my head as she flew directly at the three legendary birds. These poor creatures are being controlled against their will.

I turned my attention back to Professor Arven, who was still floating on his weird platform, looking way too pleased with himself. Typical villain pose. It was like he'd read "Evil Overlord 101" and decided to follow it to the letter.

Then my heart sank as two massive forms began to materialize through larger portals.

The silhouettes were unmistakable—Lugia and Ho-Oh, the legendary guardians of Johto. But something was wrong with them. Their eyes glowed that same sickly purple.

"So much for a vacation," I groaned. 

All around me, the city was in chaos. In the distance, I could see trainers battling against the Paradox Pokémon. A flash of purple hair showed Janine coordinating defense efforts with her poison types. Was that Koga with her? And...wait, was that Lance, with his Dragonite blasting away at a crystalized Hydreigon?

Good. They could handle the Paradox outbreak while I dealt with the source.

I reached for my belt, as I thought about my team. Zephyr, my Pidgeot. Sun, my Primeape. Blaze, my Arcanine. Kaisel, my Scyther. Rayna, my Larvitar. Levi, my still-useless shiny Magikarp. None of them could stand against corrupted legendaries.

"Guess we're doing this the old fashioned way," I muttered to myself.

I focused, accessing my Celestial Inventory. A familiar warmth spread through me as the connection was established.

High above, Astra was putting on a masterclass in psychic combat. She had trapped Articuno in a bubble of psychic energy while simultaneously dodging Moltres's fire blasts and returning fire with shadow balls at Zapdos. Three against one, and she was holding her own.

Meanwhile, Arven had noticed me staring. Our eyes locked, and his lips curled into a smile.

"Ah, a brave challenger!" his voice boomed. "Come to witness true power firsthand?"

I said nothing. I was pissed. I was goddamn angry.

I raised my hand toward the sky, palm upward. Golden light began to spiral around my arm, crackling with magical energy. Behind me, shimmering ripples appeared in the air—dozens of them, golden portals into another dimension.

Arven's eyes widened. "What...is that?" he demanded.

"This," I said, my voice steady and cold, "is what happens when you ruin my vacation."

With a flick of my wrist, the portals expanded. From each one emerged the gleaming tip of a weapon—swords, spears, axes, hammers, each one a masterpiece of craftsmanship, each one pulsing with energy.

I thrust my hand forward, and the weapons launched like bullets. Dozens of gleaming blades streaked toward Arven and his corrupted Celebi, leaving trails of golden light in their wake. The air itself seemed to sing with the sound of their passage.

The corrupted Celebi shrieked and raised a barrier. My first wave of weapons shattered against it, but I was just getting started. More portals opened around me, an entire ring of golden gateways spinning like a halo.

"More?" Arven laughed, though I could hear the edge of nervousness in his voice. "You'll need more than fancy tricks to—"

I didn't let him finish. Another wave launched, this time from all directions at once. Swords and spears rushed toward him from every angle. The Celebi's barrier strained and cracked.

Arven snapped his fingers, and both Lugia and Ho-Oh moved forward, their eyes blazing with that controlled purple light. Lugia opened its mouth, the beginnings of an Aeroblast forming, while Ho-Oh's wings began to glow with Sacred Fire.

"Have fun with that," I muttered, summoning even more portals.

This time, I pulled out specialized weapons. With pinpoint precision, I aimed them directly at the control devices attached to the legendaries' heads—small purple crystals embedded just above their eyes.

A hammer and trident shot forward with blinding speed. Ho-Oh tried to dodge, but my aim was true. The ice hammer shattered its control crystal, while the trident pierced Lugia's device.

Arven's confident expression finally shattered. He stumbled backward on his platform, true fear in his eyes.

"What...what are you?" he whispered.

Golden portals opened all around him—above, below, to all sides—each one revealing a different legendary weapon pointed directly at him.

"Just a guy on vacation," I said with a cold smile. "A very annoyed guy on vacation."

Astra had also managed to free all three birds from their mind control. They circled warily, free but confused.

"Wait!" Arven stumbled backward, true fear in his eyes now. "I'm just following orders! Team Rainbow Rocket spans dimensions—Giovanni is the one you want!"

"You attacked a city full of innocent people," I said coldly. "You enslaved legendary Pokémon. You ruined my vacation."

"Three strikes."

The corrupted Celebi darted between us, forming another barrier. I brought the sword down in a single arc, and the barrier, along with the Celebi, split in two, dissolving into motes of light.

"Please!" Arven was on his knees now, fumbling with something on his wrist. "I can help you! I know their plans!"

"Too late."

Summoning a sword from my inventory. I swung the blade cleanly through Arven's neck, leaving no blood, no mess—just a clean separation as his body fell backward.

For a moment, his face held an expression of surprise, as if he couldn't believe what had happened. Then his form began to dissolve, breaking apart into fragments of light that scattered in the wind.

His wrist device clattered to the platform, and I picked it up. A dimensional anchor, probably what he'd used to open the portals in the first place. But something else had fallen too—a small locket.

Without Arven's control, the remaining portals began to destabilize. Some closed immediately, while others fluctuated wildly, sucking back the Paradox Pokémon that had emerged. Ho-Oh gave a final screech as it soared upwards in a blaze of rainbow colors, seemingly eager to put distance between itself and this mess.

Lugia remained, hovering near the platform, watching me with intelligent eyes. It made no move to attack or flee.

"Sorry you had to see that," I said quietly.

The legendary Pokémon inclined its head slightly, almost like a bow, before turning and diving toward the ocean. Within seconds, it had disappeared beneath the waves.

I turned my attention back to the locket and picked it up, turning it over in my hand. Something compelled me to open it. Inside was a picture of a large, fluffy dog Pokémon—a Mabosstiff—and a much younger, smiling Arven.

I reached into my inventory and pulled out the Memory Prism, a rare artifact that could reveal the past of objects it touched.

I was curious about what happened to this arven, what made him like this.

I pressed the crystal against the locket and closed my eyes.

Visions flashed through my mind—a young boy with a Mabosstiff puppy, sitting alone in a lighthouse, waiting. Day after day, year after year, waiting for parents who never came home. Flashes of neglect, of loneliness, of a child raising himself with only a loyal Pokémon for company.

Then a journey to a place called Area Zero, a massive crater. The boy, now older, is searching through an abandoned lab. Finding logs, realizing his parents had already been dead for years. 

I saw the already weak Mabosstiff injured while protecting him from a Paradox Pokémon. Saw countless failed attempts to heal it. Saw the desperation, the pain.

Then a man in a dark suit—Giovanni—offering power, offering control over the very things that had taken everything from him.

Then he took control of several Paradox Pokémon and sent them into different regions to start the invasion.

I recognized one of them, the Malamar from Lavender Town.

After that

The visions stopped.

"Damn it," I muttered.

Knowing what happened to him left a bitter taste in my mouth. At some point, he was just a kid who lost everything. 

Astra floated down to the platform, the three legendary birds nowhere to be seen.

"You recognized him," Astra observed, not a question.

"Yeah.." I said quietly. "

"I understand," she replied simply. 

"The Elite Four noticed," she replied. "The red-haired one—Lance—he saw everything."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah, I know. Couldn't be helped. Hopefully not too many people noticed with all the chaos going on."

"Perhaps it is time to move on?" Astra suggested. "We could return to your world."

I considered it for a moment, watching as emergency crews began to arrive below. I thought about the guild, about Gildarts and Makarov, about Erza and the other kids.

"Not yet," I decided. "We've still got two badges to collect. Besides, Team Rainbow Rocket is still out there."

Astra nodded, "I understand."

I reached back into my inventory, searching for something I'd never thought I'd use in this world. My fingers closed around a smooth, round object—the Memory Mist Orb, an artifact that could selectively alter memories.

"What is that?" Astra asked.

"This will fix things."

I held the orb up, focusing my energy into it. The blue light intensified, swirling within the glass sphere like mist.

With a sharp twist, I broke the orb in my hand. The mist exploded outward, expanding in all directions, covering the entire city in a thin blue haze. It hung there for a moment, then began to sink down, settling over everyone below like a gentle snowfall.

I watched as Lance's and the other trainers' eyes glazed over for a moment. The expression of shock and suspicion on his face softened, replaced by mild confusion.

It's done.

As my feet hit the ground, I took a deep breath and looked around at the devastation. 

This wasn't how I'd planned to spend my day, but then again, at least it wasn't boring.

"Come on," I called to Astra. "Let's go see who needs help."

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Author's Note:

The next chapter will be the last chapter for the Pokemon Arc.

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