Arms of Arceus

It had been a month since God’s Breath had left the Paradox. Eighty thousand Pokémon had perished fighting the strange creatures of that place, though by all accounts it would have been many more if not for the psychic-types. Dorris and her psychics had been highly praised for their great efforts during the siege. Their foresight had been instrumental in saving millions of lives, despite never having coordinated their powers in that way before. Dorris had accepted the praise graciously, and had reformed her psychic circles to include those from the lands of nature who chose to remain in the city and replace the fallen. Rainbow Dash had been saved several times during those battles by the very psychic-types she was now observing.

The Pegasus lay at the top of a small hill that curved around to form a bowl shape. Inside of the bowl was a small clearing that was often used by the Pokémon of the Serene Hills to train and spar. Welshi stood on one side of the clearing, cheering happily as she gave a pep talk to the new members of her elite Lilligant Guard. Four of her guards had fallen in battle, their bravery commemorated on a plaque with their fellow warriors in the palace gardens. The four Lilligant that stood before Welshi now had been given their new positions in honor of their strength and bravery at the city’s walls. A month into their training, and the newcomers were already growing small thorns along their bodies that marked them as members of the grass-type battalions.

On the opposite side of the arena stood Dorris, pawing nervously at her eye-shaped earrings as she spoke. Her voice was soft and strict as she instructed the four male Meowstic she had recently recruited, and her slight lisp had become more visible. Her new recruits stood to attention, listening to their leader as she explained the situation. They, too, had proven themselves highly capable during the four-day siege in both battle and foresight. After a few minutes of talking, Welshi and Dorris called out to each other and they left the sparring ground. As dozens of eager onlookers watched from the top of the hill, Dorris called for the battle to begin.

“Is Dorris being more strict with her psychics lately, or is it just me?” Rarity asked as she sat between two Wigglytuff she had made friends with. Two Leavanny sat nearby, talking excitedly as they knit clothes and watched the match below.

“Yeah, she’s been a bit on edge lately,” Rainbow Dash said. One of the Altaria she had befriended landed next to her. He placed a bowl of berries between the ponies before returning to the sky to hum melodically with his sister.

“That poor thing,” Rarity said as she began eating the berries. “She and her psychic-types did so well keeping us informed on the battlefield. I know she wants to improve, but she should really take a moment to enjoy her victory.”

The crowd cheered as the Pokémon in the arena clashed. The young Meowstic had begun casting Psychic as a group, but one of their number had already fallen victim to Sleep Powder. The Lilligant dodged rocks and waves of psychic force thrown at them with incredible grace. However, portions of the grass were covered in dew from the previous morning, causing one of the Lilligant slip and fall. A teammate dashed over to help her, only to be lifted and thrown hard against the hillside with her friend. They slumped to the ground, unconscious, while the remaining two Lilligants began a synchronized Quiver Dance.

“So, how much longer do you think we’ll be traveling?” Rainbow Dash asked as she watched the Lilligant dance and dodge with surprising speed.

“The last I heard, Princess Luna had found a place to land not far away,” Rarity said. “The Dreamscape is infinite, and extremely dangerous. She’s never used it to go beyond our own universe. If it weren’t for the dreams of beings in other universes, we wouldn’t be able to find our way at all.”

“So what’s this place she’s found?” Rainbow Dash asked as the Lilligant switched to a simultaneous Petal Dance. The Meowstic protected themselves, avoiding damage from the petals. They quickly launched Sucker Punches at their sparring partners only to find themselves trapped in the midst of a flurry of razor sharp petals.

“She says that there is a great deal of chaos within this place, but there is a strong feeling of justice, as well. She suspects that there are many righteous forces there that can help us, should we need it.”

“Cloe makes it sound like Dark Arceus is building an army worse than the stuff on Octaria,” Rainbow Dash said as she watched the battle continue. “I hope we don’t need the help, but if she’s right then we probably will.”

“I think it is time we came to a stop,” Princess Luna said as she gazed through the gentle, shifting colors of the Dreamscape. “We’ve tarried far too long as it is. We should be finding Dark Arceus.”

“This universe looks so unstable, though,” Princess Celestia said. “It’s so small… like a poorly quilted blanket made of many conflicting pieces.”

“It is the first place we’ve come to on this journey, and it is home to many heroes. The enemy has withdrawn from Moon Shrine, but they only do so to consolidate their forces. I’m sure that, if we leave now, we can make a difference, despite our lateness.”

“Probably, but I still don’t like leaving Twilight and her friends to deal with this mess on their own.”

“We’ve created our own mess, sister. I’m sure the one we leave them with will not be the worst of the two. Besides, if we leave the city floating aimlessly through the Dream it will become lost. By the time we return, not even I will be able to find us again.”

“You’re right,” Princess Celestia said with a heavy sigh. “Fine, let’s land somewhere where we won’t be noticed. It’s best that God’s Breath scout the landscape and deal with the locals on its own terms.”

The vast oceans of Battleworld protected Doom’s kingdoms from certain threats, but only one land needed a wall to separate it from the rest of the world. The Deadlands was the most vile place imaginable within Doom’s creation. The endless tide of evil here struck fear in the hearts of all who knew of them, and as such, it was exceedingly rare that any would dare set foot in this place. Be they a soldier, rebel, or criminal none entered this godforsaken landscape unless their reasons were dire. It was near the shores of this wasteland that God’s Breath came to rest.

The city’s arrival alerted the enforcers of Doom’s laws, and several Thors appeared in the skies above the vile domain. They searched for hours, avoiding confrontations with the monsters here as best they could. But the disturbance had lasted only a moment, and no signs of its cause could be found. A new disturbance arose and the Thors were called away, though the forces of Doom remained watchful of the area. Unknown to the Thors and the god they served, God’s Breath had already sunk deep beneath the sea. Bolstered by the Rainbow Power coursing through the five magical pillars, the blessings of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina hid the city from the sight of those who didn’t know of its existence. From their hidden stronghold, the Pokémon were already beginning to look out upon this strange, new land as they made preparations to explore.