Chapter 37 – [Null]

Welcome!

This is the portal that leads to the world inhabited only by Pokemon!

Beyond this gateway, many new adventures and fresh experiences await your arrival!

Before you depart for your adventure, you must answer some questions.

Be truthful when you answer them!

Now, are you readty?

Then… Let the questions begin!

…

You see a broken down machine laying amidst a pile of junk. It looks salvageable, but you’ve also got the tools back at your place to repair it. What do you do?

-Salvage it for parts. It might have something valuable!
->Bring it back home and repair it. I’ll clean it up and make it look good as new!
-Leave it. It was probably thrown away for a reason.

Are you a trusting person?

->Yes
-No

You learn that someone you’ve trusted has been hiding a secret from you all this time that you didn’t know about! How do you react?

-Well… I’m sure they had their reasons.
-I can’t possibly forgive them, and I don’t think I can trust them anymore.
->It depends on the secret.
-Force them to tell me what else they’ve been hiding for me.

Do you think even the worst people can redeem themselves?

-Nope! If they’re that bad, they’re already too far gone.
->If they’re given enough time, effort and love, yes.
-Maaaaaaaaaaaaybeeeeee? I dunno…

Where do you find your strength?

-From within!
->From my friends.
-I was born this strong, duh.

Do you believe in an afterlife?

->Wait, what?
-There’s more to life after death.
-Nah, you die and that’s it.

Are you comfortable with who you are as a person?

-Wait hold on a minute
->What kinds of questions are these?

Are you comfortable with who you are as a person?

-Yes
-No
->I don’t know…

Do you believe that you were given a second chance?

-You mean I was given a first chance?
->I had to have been, considering everything.
-It’s all one chance, right? No such thing as second chances!

Do you ever feel like you have misplaced your trust in someone?

->A few times, yeah…
-Nope, I keep good company.
-Everyone I know are all liars, I don’t trust anyone but myself.

Are you scared of the end?

-Yes
->No

Do you wish you could remember anything about who you were before?

-I have to know!
->Who I used to be doesn’t matter. What matters is the person I am today.
-I’d really rather not.

Do you identify as male, female, or something else?

-Male
->Female
-Something else

Thank you!

Now, your aura will be analyzed.

Your aura is the energy that makes you radiate! It makes up who you are!

Just relax, calm yourself.

Place your hand upon the necklace.

This will determine your aura.

That’s it.

Breathe deeply.

Now, exhale.

…

Your aura has been identified, please place the necklace back around your neck.

Your aura is…

A cleansing, vibrant orange!

Thank you for answering all those questions.

You seem to be… The empathetic type!

You’re very loving and caring to those around you. You cherish every moment you spend with the people closest to you. If you could truly spend every waking moment of your life with them, you would. Your optimistic attitude seems to rub off on others as well. Not only do they make you happy, but you make them happy. You mean just as much to them as they do to you.

So, an empathetic type like you… Will be a Skitty!

And finally… Who will be your partner?

…What’s that? You already have a partner?

Interesting.

Well then.

Let’s ask them some questions too! Shall we?

---

You go to meet up with your friend, but when you get to where you friend asked you to meet them, they’ve gotten into an argument with some bullies, and you see one of the bullies hit your friend! What do you do?

->Run up to them and punch them back! That’ll teach them to mess with my friend!
-Quickly pull my friend away before they can get even more hurt.
-Hide and wait for the situation to resolve itself.

You have a lot of things you need to do, but you also have a lot of other things you want to do!

-I can put them off until later, they’re not THAT important.
->Can’t I just do them equally? That’s possible, right?
-I need to get what I need done as soon as possible, otherwise it’ll never be done.

What would you rather spend your day doing?

-Playing outside!
-Sleeping, too tired to do anything.
->Huddling up in the corner and reading all my favorite books!

What are you most afraid of?

->The unknown.
-The dark! There might be monsters lurking in there!
-Bugs!!!

Do you often find yourself daydreaming?

-All the time!
->Huh? You say something?
-Not really, no.

What do you want to be?

->An explorer!
-A shopkeeper!
-Uhhh… I dunno!

Why is that?

-I just think it’s really cool!
->There’s so much out there unexplored, and I want to see it all!
-For fun! I gotta get out of the house more anyway.

Are you scared of the end?

->Yes
-No

Do the ends justify the means?

-No, there has to be a better way.
->If it results in the best possible outcome, yes.

Think about everything you’ve experienced in your life. Think about where you are now. Do you feel like it’s destiny?

-It has to be!
-I don’t believe in destiny.
->I dunno. I just sorta… Wound up here without thinking about it.

If you could go back in your life and change anything, would you?

->No. I wouldn’t be who I am today if I changed any of that, right?
-Sooooooooo many things.

What would you do if anything ever happened to your partner?

-I don’t wanna think about it.
->Nothing will happen to my partner, because I’ll do everything I can to keep them safe.
-I don’t think I could go on…

How do you want to die?

-…What kind of question is that?
-Go out with a bang.
->I don’t wanna die.

Do you identify as male, female, or something else?

->Male
-Female
-Something else

Thank you!

Now, your aura will be analyzed.

Your aura is the energy that makes you radiate! It makes up who you are!

Just relax, calm yourself.

Place your hand upon the necklace.

This will determine your aura.

That’s it.

Breathe deeply.

Now, exhale.

…

Your aura has been identified, please place the necklace back around your neck.

Your aura is…

A fiery red!

Thank you for answering all those questions.

You seem to be… The stubborn type!

You can bring yourself to do certain things, but sometimes you need a little push before you can bring yourself to do it! You often mean well, but can be a bit clumsy in your approaches to things, and often have a hard time adapting when the world throws you a curveball. But you have a strong sense of justice and you know where your morals lie, so if anything goes wrong, you’ll do everything in your power to make things right!

So, a stubborn type like you… Will be a Riolu!

What are your names?

…Lexxi and Rickety? Perfectly fine names for people like you.

You’re finally ready for what’s to come.

Good luck!

---

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Lexxi and Rickety stand at the pinnacle of Temporal Tower, the heartbeat of the tower echoing all around them.

They feel… Dazed, dizzy like awakening from some kind of slumber, their vision starting to return, the two trying to get their bearings.

“…Did you feel that too, Lexxi?” Rickety asks, a tinge of nervousness to his voice. “I feel like I just blacked out, I can’t remember anything that just happened.”

“I felt that too…” Lexxi nods her head. “I remember being asked all these questions, but I can’t remember what I was asked, I just sort of… Answered.”

Rickety gives an uneasy nod. “I think I experienced the same thing. Got asked all these questions, but can’t remember for the life of me what they were… I just remember being very offput by what it asked me.”

The two look up at the sky, a fiery red vortex swirling around them as lightning crackles out from it, the beating of Temporal Tower’s heart growing louder and louder as the whole floor rumbles and vibrates.

“Well… If seems like whatever happened, we’re finally here.” Lexxi says, glancing up at Rickety. “Are you ready, Rickety? Be honest.”

“…No.” Rickety shakes his head. “I-I’m not ready at all. I keep thinking ‘what if something goes wrong, what if we mess up?’ But… I can do it. We can do it.” Rickety gives an uneasy, but determined smile. “We’lll face whatever’s waiting for us at the top of this tower and we’ll save time from collapsing.”

“And we’ll do it together.” Lexxi says, smiling determinedly.

Lexxi and Rickety share an understanding nod with each other, walking forward, closer to the edge of the tower. They see something in the distance. It looks like some kind of wall with a keystone. Five indentations spread all throughout, all in the shape of Time Gears.

But something else drew their attention. What lay in front of the keystone. Dialga was laying on the ground, defeated, unconscious. Dialga’s body had turned a darker shade of blue, bright orange markings lining the sides of his body, affecting other aspects of the armor and other platings lining his body.

Standing in front of the defeated Dialga was Iron Valiant, double-edged Halberd held firmly in hand.

The machine slowly turns its head, glaring back at Lexxi and Rickety, sending chills down their spines. The grip on its halberd tightens as the machine turns back around to face them, its holographic eyes staring them down with a piercing, visceral intensity.

It swings its blade, causing a gust of wind to blow towards them as dust picks up from the floor.

Iron Valiant says nothing. It has no need to speak any words.

They all know what’s about to transpire.

And the fate of the world will be determined here.