//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Searching // Story: The Bridge x Pokemon Masters - Kardas // by Tarbtano //------------------------------// Enzo Island, Pokemon Multiverse, Universal Stream: Master 1114.17 Kappa Platinum had only been to the Hall of Legends a few times to be honest, most of the time her interactions with Legendary Pokemon were during her visits to Giratina in the Reverse World. The first time she came here was when Arceus wanted to personally thank her for stopping Team Galactic. It was also the day she was made a member of the Pokemon Magisters, a secret group of Pokemon Trainers who had accomplished great heroic deeds and bonded to a Major or Prime Legendary. They were mostly just made of Trainers who had defeated evil organizations, but others did exist. The reason she was currently here was because Arceus had called both her and Giratina for a “Special Mission”. “So what do you think your mom has called us for?” The large six legged dragon that was walking beside her looked down at her companion, the blood red eyes filled with neutrality. “Dunno, she likes to tell us things in person. Eh, whatever.” Platinum gave a small smile, the Renegade Pokemon was one of her only few friends aside from Diamond and Pearl. Similarly, Platinum was Tina’s only human friend. But as her bonded human partner, they had a closer friendship than most. Probably because they both shared Tsundere traits. They soon reached the room where Arceus was. The walls and ceiling were arranged in intricate patterns and designs, each of them reflecting one of the many diverse cultures that flourished in the known world. In a way, each of them represented the civilizations that were the cumulative work of humankind, a testament of creation. It was fitting for a being who was rumored to have created the universe. The regal Legendary Pokemon, who vaguely resembled a white equine with a golden, jeweled ring extending from her midsection, greeted them. “Giratina, Platinum, so glad you could make it.” “Mom,” Giratina said nonchalantly. “Arceus,” Platinum said with a smile and bow. “Now before I explain what's going on, I have to make sure our young Platinum here understands a few things.” “Okay, shoot.” “As so, Platinum. As Giratina may have told you, sometimes in between the task the Legends take to keep our world safe, we often observe other universes and the lives of the inhabitants within them. Hoopa Prime likes to call it “a Reality TV show, just with other worlds." The Champion knew what Arceus was talking about, Giratina told her about how they received an Omnisphere that lets them observe other dimensions and universes outside their view. Apparently it was a gift from one of Arceus’s deity friends, one that hailed from a world populated by shape shifting robots. “Yes, I am familiar with this.” “Good, because you two will be going to the Pony Multiverse.” Platinum raised her eyebrows at this, her knowledge about the Pony Multiverse was gleaned from her encounter with Dusk Shine and the union of Arceus and Prince Solaris. The Pony Multiverse got its name from the fact that in all of its realities, there was always a planet called Equus, and a kingdom called Equestria. These phenomenons were called “Constants”, things that will always exist in universes that are within their Multiverse and give them their name. Such as how in the Pokemon Multiverse, there were always Pokemon no matter which version of Earth you went to. Giratina let out a small chuckle. “Ah the Pony Multiverse, where “Friendship is Magic” and everyone sings and dances. So where are we going? TCB 612.7 Alpha, TGA 113.19 Epsilon…...ANW 114.5 Zeta? Cause if it is the last one we may need more than just me.” Arceus narrowed her eyes, “What are you implying?” “N-Nothing mother,” Giratina was now avoiding her mother's gaze. “Anyway, no, you’re both going to Equus 813.2 Alpha.” Giratina and Platinum looked at each other and then back to Arceus. The human cleared her throat, “Never heard of that one before.” “Well, long story short. On the surface it is like your typical Equus, but we haven’t monitored it long enough to see any deviations. That being said, the most interesting thing is that it appears to have visitors from the Kaiju Multiverse.” “Kaiju?” Platinum said. “Those giant monsters from those Kanto movie franchises?” “Yes Platinum, these Kaiju aren’t that much different from the ones you see in film. Creatures the size of buildings, some possessing powers that rival and even surpass certain Legendary Pokemon.” “I sense a but coming.”Giratina said, knowing from experience that it wasn’t just that simple. “But, they have lost their titanic forms due to this universe having a Dimensional Barrier that suppress inhabitants that come from outside their universe. It has turned the Kaiju into forms that are more natural to the species of the planet” “Oh, so it's gonna be one of those worlds,” Giratina had heard about these barriers some worlds had, they often transform people from outside the Pony Multiverse into species that are native the Equus (often they became Ponies). She had even heard a rumor about how a Darkrai from the Mystery Dungeon Realm Cluster became a pegasus upon arriving in Equss 912.13 Alpha. “Normally the Barrier around this particular realm would affect both you and Platinum, forcing you to become native lifeforms, but..” Arceus eyes glowed for a second, then a wave of energy washed over Giratina, Platinum and the Pokemon inside her Pokeballs. “I have arranged an aura for your bodies that will cancel the effects of the Barrier while you are there. So you will remain the same once you pass through the Barrier. It wouldn’t be enough to force your way through said Barrier but there appears to be a hole in it at the moment and I can just barely manage to slip you through it.” “Alright,” Giratina didn’t feel different, but then her mother knew how she wanted to be comfortable. “But you still haven't told us why we are going to this universe.” “I was getting to that,” Arceus’s face then turned serious. “The reason why you are both going there, is because that is where Kardas is.” Giratina’s eyes went wide, now that was serious. A moment of silence passed before Platinum perked her brow and waved, “Wait, who’s Kardas?” Giratina looked at her companion with the same expression as her mother. “Kardas is one of the colony Goliaths, the same Goliaths who pioneered the people of the Ransei region to new worlds during the Golden Age.” This time Platinum’s eyes went wide, the Goliaths were probably more mythical than Pokemon like Mew and Jirachi. Said to have been titans of breathtaking height and great power, rumored to be the very first creations of Arceus that predated all life on Earth. To know now that they were real… “Not long ago I sent out a telepathic message to all the Goliath’s across the realms, but so far it has been a month and only Vale has returned.” “Vale? Where was he?” Giratina inquired Arceus nodded her head to the side, “Shimmer 214.8 Epsilon.” Giratina puzzled perplexingly, “........Dang how did he survive there for so long?” “Luck, pure shameless luck. But Vale said how he had to summon a servant just to help him regain his power. Even still, he barely escaped if it were not for……” Platinum raised an eyebrow and let the worry become evident in her tone, “What?” Arceus paused but shook her head, “Nevermind, that’s a tale for another time. Back to the point, Vale’s story had made me realize something. If Vale and the other Goliaths got my message, they would have all returned by now if they had the power. Which can mean one thing….they don’t have to power to come back on their own.” Giratina soon put two and two together, “So you’re sending us to retrieve Kardas, if he is even still alive.” “He’s alive, otherwise his spirit would have returned to this Earth.” Platinum thought for a moment. This was a very important endeavor, to help bring home one of Earth’s greatest and most powerful myths was something that would be a great experience, aside from traveling to another Megaverse. But she had one question. “Arceus, I will gladly accept this mission with pride. But I have to ask, why can’t you go and get him yourself?” Giratina was a little surprised with Platinum’s question. They both knew that for all the power Arceus had, “god” was still not something she was. She couldn't do everything myths made her out to be. But then again she could understand since Kardas and the Goliaths were created before the legendary Pokemon, so it would make sense for a mother to rescue her child. Arceus however didn’t seem to be offended by Platinum’s question. “I understand your question, and yes I would just go there and retrieve him myself. However…” The deity let out a groaning sigh. “As Giratina and the legends know, because another Arceus suddenly moved his world's population to ANW 114.5 Zeta without the consent of its natives, it has caused some tension between the Pokemon and Pony Multiverses. Some worlds whom are aware of the other realms  are up in arms with what he basically pulled off as an invasion and got away with, not to mention some of my other multiversal doppelgangers are also not happy with what he did. Me going to another Pony Universe would not help ease that tension right now, and I would not want to be the reason for an interdimensional war. On top of it all, recklessly trying to move anything, even myself, between realms like that can tear holes in the dimensional barriers if any are present. Such action can spell disaster for anything inside them. It could drop threats into worlds unprepared for them…” Arceus took a pause, and for a moment there was a look upon her face that practically seemed like concern or even fear. “Or let something free. There are some things out there far more powerful or dangerous than some realms can contend with. If such forces became aware of other realms and found a way to escape…” Both Giratina and Platinum took a collective gulp, if such forces as interdimensional damage or the release of extremely powerful entities into other worlds were bad enough that they scared Arceus; then such outcomes were to be feared by all accounts. Giratina even knew of one such entity that was for all intents a “Chaos Bringer”. “I can of course still go to Solaris’ Equestria and he can come here. Since we are married and our worlds are linked together, there is no risk of damages. Another reason why I can’t go is-” A high pitched, childish voice called out from the background, “Mommy!” All of a sudden a white blur came through the door and put its forelegs around Arceus’s own, Platinum looked at it and saw that it was a smaller Arceus. His name was Arkayis Caminus Alicor, the son of Arceus and Prince Solaris. “Arkayis, mommy is kinda busy right now. Whats wrong?” “Can I go see daddy?” The Alpha Pokemon picked up her newborn and gave him a nuzzle. “Of course you can, I’ll take you to daddy once I am done talking with your big sister.” “Okay!”, And just like that, the little energetic spawn of two powerful beings zipped back out the doors. Platinum looked at the door and then back at Arceus. Giratina grunted, “Ah, so the egg hatched.” Platinum chuckled and rubbed at the back of her head, “Anyway, so when will we be going?” “Now I’m afraid, because it appears we are not the only ones looking to find Kardas first.” “What?!”, Giratina snapped with her tone instantly going from zero to one hundred, “Who else could know about the location of a Goliath?!” “Someone you know very well Giratina. I don’t know how, but Palkia detected a spatial distortion that matched the signature of one of her spatial pearls. She looked into it, and saw that the one called “Zero” is now in Equss 813.2 Alpha.” Giratina’s eyes widened, before her face turned into a scowl. “And I can only guess one reason why he is there…” ======================= Dozens of Magnemite and Magneton formed up upon one another, linking the magnets flanking their forms and moving in a perfectly straight line just a few millimeters above the treeline. Every time the height of the trees varied, the formation would move slightly to compensate; flowing over the forest like a draped curtain. Each individual pokemon’s mechanical, cycloptian eyes glowed a dull blue of increasing intensity; building up until they released a quick but horribly high-pitched ping that sent birds scrambling. The pinging noise, that momentary mechanical shriek called a Screech attack, was meant to deafen an opponent at full blast and lower its ability to defend itself. These short bursts failed to do that, but they weren’t supposed to. The Magnemite and Magneton continued to ping and screech at the forest and fields below, sweeping across both in a wide arc. Inside a venerable floating fortress, the mecha that had a standoff with Princess Twilight Sparkle and Mothra Lea stood in the back of a control room. It’s large, chest mounted “eye” pulsed with an identical blue light to the Magnemite and Magneton, sending a signal out from its form to the main computer situated before the captain’s seat. The broad computer screen, which wrapped around the whole of the front half of the room, lit up with a map. Across the midpoint of said map were dozens of tiny, pulsing dots to indicate the Magnemite and Magneton positions. Every time they and the mecha’s eye pulsed, a circle pinged off the dots and mapped out more of the landscape around them. Flickering onto the screen’s side appeared the visage of a consciousness made of programming and a cybernetic mind. The artificial intelligence’s avatar was that of a young woman wearing an elaborate dress and looping hair, sporting inhumanly bright locks and eyes that were yellow on the lower half and red on the top half of the irises. The AI, known as Infi by designation, let the millions of lines of code scan across her eyes before bowing her head towards the man seated at the helm. “Despite previous encounters, the search parameter is proceeding as intended. With controlled bursts of coordinated Screech attack, the Magnemite and Magneton are penetrating the ground and providing a readout of what lay within,” the AI chimed. The commander of the ship hummed, tapping at his finger against the armrest, “And what of our intruders?” Infi nodded her head and changed the view of the screen, pulling up several point of view shots from both the pokemon and the mecha showing the royal changeling and young alicorn and their battle with the scout team of magnemite and magneton. “The first is identifiable as a sapient species of equine, matching dimensional archive signature as an alicorn, young as it is. The other, matched to a royal changeling, has peculiarities.” “Peculiarities?”, he raised his eyebrow, “Display.” The screen of the alicorn and changeling standing beside each other enlarged. “Initiating simulated aura signature from Lucario data,” Infi noted. Her master leaned in closer upon what he saw, tilting his head. Aura was, lacking better terms, the visible display of one’s soul and life force. Lucario, a well-studied species of pokemon resembling an upright jackal, was capable of sensing that force and the mecha could simulate such an ability. And when the aura readouts for the two intruders flickered on his curiosity increased. The alicorn’s signature was bright granted, but even through the brightness he could still tell her outline matched her general body shape. The changeling on the other hand was completely different. Instead of the odd mix of equine and insectoid, it’s aura was completely out of it’s normal shape. Glowing bright teal, its shape was unmistakably akin to some sort of butterfly or moth. “That’s unusual for sure. Haven’t seen something akin to that since that scan at Alto Mare.” Infi nodded, “Indeed. At Alto Mare, the Legendary Pokemon Latias and Latios were capable of assuming human form; however their aura signature remained the same regardless.” “But this isn’t Alto Mare,” he grumbled as he leered at the picture of the insectoid aura, “And that is not something we have on record. I don’t think we want any more surprises in this ordeal Infi.” “That would prove contrary to plans, Zero” Zero turned his chair aside to look back at the map his pokemon were charting out. A young man in his prime, his pale hair and piercing amber eyes studying every detail. “Contrary indeed. Have the Magnemite and Magneton increase their arc sweep rate. Our target’s sheer size means we’re unlikely to miss it by hurrying things along slightly.” “At once,” Infi bowed and vanished from the display, off to do her duties. Zero spun his chair around and faced the mecha standing at attention in the back of the room. He smiled and nodded as he extended his hand. “Go and conduct your own sweep in the opposite way, we need to cover as much ground as possible before any more surprises decide to show themselves. I’ll call you forth if another incident occurs.” His command was met by the machine crossing an arm over its chest and bowing, turning and levitating back to the hangar doors. As it left, Zero got up and walked along to the storeroom of the airship. Arms crossed behind his back, the dimension-hopping criminal stopped before a seemingly innocuous container and stared at it. The glass cylinder was plain aside from the two mechanical scanners mounted on either end, giving a feed of readouts on the small monitor displayed next to the container. Zero let his mind travel back to the intruders and the baffling aura signature of something that looked equine and yet clearly wasn’t. It and the alicorn were an uncertainty, potential threats in fact. And if there was one thing Zero cared not for, it was uncertainty. Something he was getting a lot of as he looked to the tiny fossil within the cylinder with an unreadable look in his eyes. After all, in a ship armed to the teeth and packing a small army of decent to high level pokemon; this was probably the most dangerous entity on-board. An entity he was considering having a use for. “Infi, how are the readouts for the primary scan going?” Infi’s voice chimed in through the intercom, “13% and climbing.” Zero’s eyes narrowed as he shrugged, turning away from the tiny fossil and waving his have offhandedly at it. “Kardas, we’re getting closer…”, he grumbled. ================ Twilight Sparkle and Mothra Lea looked on at the entities they saw standing before them, not knowing if they should be shocked at the one they recognized or the one that was completely alien. They were both acquainted with humans, but seeing one standing before them at equal height was an eyepopper for Mothra and seeing one in Equestria was causing Twilight’s horn to hurt. Then there was the matter of the human’s companion, which could be favorably compared to a vaguely insectoid or arachnoid dragon; like a winged serpent and centipede thrown into a blender. Neither Princess of Friendship nor Guardian of Mortals knew they were met with the Champion of Sinnoh, Platinum, and her companion, the Legendary Pokemon of Antimatter, Giratina. At least not until the former jovially introduced herself. Platinum blinked, chuckling a tad nervously as she extended a hand while holding the other up in a nonthreatening posture; “Ehehe, as I was saying again. Salutations, I’m Platinum; Platinum Berlitz. Current champion of Sinnoh, keeper to Giratina, and I do believe there is an issue here I’m supposed to help with… You can understand me, right?” “Yes, yes we can,” Mothra muttered with a half dumbstruck expression; “It’s just…” “How are you still in human form? Every time I jump the barrier I change back and forth from pony to human and back,” Twilight Sparkle murmured as she finished her friend’s train of thought. “Oh,” Platinum paused before rubbing at the back of her head, “Arceus, a very powerful being, sent us here through a hole in this world’s barrier. Strange thing to be there, this Equestria’s barrier is exceptionally strong otherwise.” Mothra Lea winced, not too happy about being reminded how she and the other five original kaiju’s entrance into this world caused what she feared be irreparable damage. Fear that was now enhanced given now it seemed beings from even dimensions other than Terra were able to make the journey here and do Tanaka knows what to Equestria. Twilight Sparkle however, was more keyed in on a specific wording Platinum used, “Wait, ‘this Equestria’? Is this related to why you called me Dusk Shine earlier?” Platinum snapped her fingers and nodded, “If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then yes. There are more than just one version of Equestria out there, or at least different realms close enough they can get grouped under the same label as ‘Equestrias’. Some are very similar to each other with only a minor difference, someone moved to somewhere else, getting replaced by another hero, encountering another realm’s denizens, everyone is the opposite sex. And some sport very big differences.” Twilight Sparkle picked up on what was being set down, “Like a mirrored world of flipped moralities, or everypony being a different species in a different setting?” “Exactly! Done some realm hopping yourself I take it?” Twilight shrugged, “Stopped an evil version of my mentor and a very out of control high school formal.” “Neat! Well you’ll be quick on the uptake then. In a nutshell I’m a friend of another version of you, boy- er stallion version named Dusk Shine.” “Huh, well I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle!”, Twilight quipped with a smile and extended her hoof to Platinum’s hand. Platinum beamed and shook the pony’s hoof, “Charmed!” Mothra Lea relaxed slightly at the human’s actions. Moralities was something she could read like a book, no matter how hard one tried to hide it. It’s why she sought out Twilight Sparkle and revealed herself in the first place. And this young woman, this Platinum Berlitz, was checking out just fine even if her companion was unnerving. -Then again I spent the last two decades in companionship with Godzilla, whom am I to judge appearances?- Mothra Lea cleared her throat and approached the human, “I am called Mothra. Now, you mentioned you were here to help with something. Mind clarifying?” “Right!”, Platinum nodded as she pulled out a device that caused Twilight’s eyes to widen and Lea to perk up her brow as she recognized it as a tiny computer of some kind. Platinum flipped the rectangular shaped object open, revealing it to have two screens with an assortment of buttons and a directional key flanking the lower panel. Drawing out a stylus from the side of the device, Platinum rapidly tapped away to pull up some pictures. Soon the top display showed a mugshot of a pale haired, amber eyed man. “This is Zero, a rogue researcher turned criminal. After trying and failing to capture Giratina here, he escaped prison and amassed his forces. He then used his machinery’s remaining connection to a place called the Reverse World to slingshot himself across the realms. He’s been tracked to here and I was sent to get him.” “And what is he looking for here?”, Mothra murmured as she surveyed the leering visage of the young man. “Zero thinks worlds are, for short terms, messed up beyond other’s means to repair them. How exactly he never saw fit to elaborate, but the effects of his quest were clear enough. First he wanted control of the world he came from and then others. He originally saw Giratina here’s realm, the Reverse World which acted as a counterbalance to his and my world, as a means to control that world and reshape our world as he saw fit. When a few trainers and more importantly, Legendary Pokemon got in the way, he now sees them as opposition and is trying to find means to overpower them.” “So a grade-A egomaniac who insists he’s the best one to be in charge with otherwise vague motivations?”, Twilight Sparkle piped. Platinum gave her a shrug and a nod. Mothra Lea puzzled, glancing off to the side. -Sounds like a Japanese TV show antagonist...- She took notice of the large dragon-like being looming closer. Giratina, who had been silent this whole time, spoke once something clicked in her mind. “Wait, you’re Mothra? As in Mothra the Guardian of Mortals?” Both Mothra and Twilight jumped wide eyed as they heard what just came out of the dragon’s mouth. “Wait, how do you know my title?” “Well, remember when Platinum said that there are other worlds? The same thing applies to you Kaiju who hail from Toho Megaverse.” “Toho what?”, Twilight murmured in a confused manner. Platinum sighed, “Okay, let me explain in better detail.” Twilight took out her notebook, but a look from everybody made her face red and she put them away. With a nod from Mothra and Twilight, Platinum began, “While many believe in concept of the multiverse, some believe in an even larger frontier known as the omniverse. Each of your realms, or universes in this case are contained within their own multiverse. It’s the multiverse where you’ll encounter things like a mirrored version of your world’s morality or a world where everyone's role or occupation is different. Then each multiverse is contained within its own megaverse, which encapsulates other multiverses, which are all part of the bigger omniverse that each megaverse is included in.” Twilight rubbed her chin, the multiverse she was aware of, but this was new. “This is where we are now, the “Pony Multiverse” as many call it. Its primary constant is that in this multiverse there is always a kingdom called Equestria and most of the time there are six ponies who play the central story. A “Constant” is a concept, character or idea that will almost always manifest in that universe, so you could say that Equestria is basically the catalyst for your realms.” Twilight had to process this for a moment, not only were the worlds beyond this realm even greater than she could imagine, but it turns out that Equestria, and possibly her and her friends played an even greater role in their multiverse. “Now, your realms are a component of the what's called the “Hasbro Megaverse”. Your multiverse is the second biggest behind the Transformers Multiverse. That place is home to a race of transforming robots” “Transforming robots?”, Mothra pondered before shrugging, “I think I’ve seen stranger things.” Platinum continued, “So, while we are in the Pony Multiverse, Mothra here hails from the “Kaiju Multiverse” a component of the Toho Megaverse, as the title suggests is known for its giant monsters.” Mothra Lea deadpanned, “Hmm, why am I not surprised?” “Now, aside from other multiverses like Bionicle, Nasu, or DC; we hail from the “Pokemon Multiverse”, which is located in the Nintendo Megaverse. Our multiverse is known for its creatures called Pokemon or “Pocket Monsters” as some call us. Pokemon are basically creatures with control over the elements and other forces of nature.” Twilight looked up to Giratina and motioned towards them, “So, I guess you’re a Pokemon?” Giratina nodded, “Yes, however I am what is known as a Legendary Pokemon. Legendary Pokemon are Pokemon that are far more important and powerful than normal Pokemon, not to mention rarer. And whereas most Pokemon range from normal to intelligent animals, Legendaries are entirely sapient. But there are some universes where all Pokemon are fully sapient.” “So, what kind of Legendary Pokemon are you?” “I am the Legendary Pokemon of Antimatter and the first born of the creation dragons. My mother is Arceus who is the creator of all Pokemon.” One could practically feel a pin drop as Lea’s eyes briefly dilated at the thought of a specific, three letter “g” word forming in her head. “So, this Arceus is your god?” Giratina shook her head, “No. While there are other versions of her who are in a sense “gods” and sometimes brag about it, my mother forgoes such a title because of the perception of power that comes with it. My mother isn’t too keen on things like immortality and all the perks of creation, and she never claims to have created our universe or even Earth for that matter. Some other versions of Arceus did create their own universe at the expense of their power, others claim godhood falsely.” “I see. it seems like she took a lesson in humility.” “I think she would say humble.” Lea sighed, silently wishing all supposed deities or mighty beings one could refer to as such were of a similar disposition. She of all kaiju knew. Twilight was thinking when a notable question popped in her head. “Okay, so this Arceus used her power to send you here?” “Yes.” Twilight and Mothra looked at each other, the changeling realized Twilight’s idea and spoke it. “Can she send people to other multiverses?” Giratina paused but slowly nodded, “In a limited capacity, such as for us. Why?” “Well, me and other Kaiju were sent here by accident and we have been looking for a way home ever since. Or more importantly, a way to get any kaiju whom might still be on the loose away from here.” Now Platinum and Giratina looked at each other, but the look they gave back was not one of reassurance. Platinum frowned and slowly shook her head, “If you are asking if we can send you all home, we’re sorry but we can’t.” Mothra became disheartened, “Why?” “Due to some events that we can’t get into, the Pokemon worlds are in hot water with any realm that’s aware of their existence. Can’t get into details but another version of Arceus pulled a pretty dodgy stunt and the reception wasn’t pleasant. If my mother tried to help, she’d have to appear here herself and that could cause issues with other realms trying to get involved. Not to mention that realm travel is dangerous in that if you try to cross vast distances in the Omniverse you risk getting lost in the void between worlds. You could also damage one world severely, or potentially cause drastic harm to both. Also due to the infinite amount of worlds the chances of finding your realm in particular would be very slim given she’s not from either world” “But, what about you guys? Wouldn’t the same apply to you?”, Twilight worriedly noted. “We have a direct link basically that temporarily ties this world to ours,” Platinum muttered as she pulled out a pearl that was pink and glowing. “This pearl was made by Giratina’s sister Palkia, the Legendary of Space and Dimensions. It has an emergency return function that can bring me, Tina, and Zero back to our home realm once we are done here.” Twilight and Mothra both had disappointed looks on their faces, it seemed fate wanted the Kaiju to stay just a little bit longer. Giratina saw the look in their eyes and felt a pang of sympathy for them, “Sorry. If it’s any consolation, if fate brought the kaiju to this particular Equestria then they are needed here. And if any could find a way to bring you lot back home, it’s yourselves.” Mothra gave the pair a small smile, “It's fine, not your fault… Besides,” The former kaiju gave a knowing glance to Twilight, whom easily picked up on her friend’s memo and brushed off any angsting, “We’ve got this Zero character to worry about. We’ll figure out our own issues.” “You all sure you want to involve yourselves so much? Zero was a threat to Giratina when he was less armed, now he’s even more so,” Platinum muttered as she frowned, “Now that misunderstandings are out of the way, we can try to handle this ourselves.” Twilight Sparkle blew a raspberry and waved her hoof at the human, “Oh don’t worry about us! We’ve faced our own share of danger. Had a horde of giant killer bats last month.” Mothra Lea chuckled and joined her friend at Platinum and Giratina’s side, “My family was never one to leave a good deed undone and my equine friend shares the sentiment. You have yourself some local help on your mission.” Platinum could have argued, could have insisted she take point, could have done some other stunts many in such stories would do to protect those insisting on helping them. But she did no such thing, only cracking a wide grin and pointing out into the horizon from their hilltop with a Alicorn Princess, Legendary Pokemon, and Altered Kaiju at the Champion’s sides. “Look out Zero, here we come!”