Part 23: ??? Years of Hell Dimension

Part 23: ??? Years of Hell Dimension

Spear Pillar





I think I finally found the answer from studying the myths. When this world was made, DIALGA and PALKIA appeared. Apparently, there was one more Pokemon that appeared at the same time. A Pokemon with as much power as DIALGA and PALKIA... but also one whose name was never to be spoken--GIRATINA! It's said to lurk in another world... a world on the opposite side of ours... that's what that shadow was. It must have been GIRATINA.



It's because of that portal. It's joined us to the other world. If it's not closed, the distortion will spread to Sinnoh and beyond... our world will be destroyed...



In a moment, there's something not right.



There we go, my legit copy was being weird there, just had to switch 3D renderers, which you do on a Nintendo DS (tm).




Where does it lead to?

And that's me satisfied, let's go... save Cyrus? Hm.

Distortion World




Can you feel it? There are no Pokemon here at all. Time isn't flowing. And space isn't stable. A world where the rules are broken. A space one might call the Distortion World... let's find GIRATINA. We need it to stop the spreading distortion at the Spear Pillar...



GIRATINA...! We have to hurry! If something's not done, the distortion will swallow not only our world, it will overwhelm the Distortion World...



Ah come on, I can't jump that- oh, that's a weird feeling.



It appears to move if you step on a certain spot. On the ground here... why is it colored differently?



...in the Distortion World, are we really traveling downward?



Don't look down, don't look down. But is it down? If you think about it, on a spherical world, down is a different direction for everyone, it's all relative, therefore



Oh come on, do you really expect me to walk on that? I'm not the Prince! And this has been a strictly top down grid based series, the idea of running on walls is completely-



Well I'll be damned.



So in case you haven't noticed yet, the Distortion World is rad as hell, and absolutely something Pokemon had never done before. It's not perfect, it's a big puzzle box that can be more obtuse than interesting, but overall this is gonna be an amazing looking plot corridor in the remakes.



Let's just hop up here.



The legend told of a world on the other side of ours. This world. Why does this world exist? Why is GIRATINA here all alone? ...there's so much that can't be explained, but we have things to do. Let's split up. We have to find the right way. We don't need to go together now. Let's keep looking for the way down.



Alright, let's go around.



And arodown.



And uppity south. Got it?



Get used to things appearing out of nowhere. Liiiike...



It abandoned me here, then disappeared somewhere farther down... was it content merely to interfere with my plan...?



Well I'm ten, so yeah, but my mom doesn't want me to wear them until I'm older... what were we talking about?



That includes humans and Pokemon alike. Genes are contained in a DNA strand. A DNA strand consists of two chains of opposing characteristics in a spiral. If one of the chains were to be broken, the other would replicate it. One or the other cannot exist without its opposite. Do you understand where I am going with this? This is a bizarre world. Time doesn't flow. Space isn't stable. Only that shadowy Pokemon lives here. This world is the opposite of our world--our world I wish to change. It is like the chains composing a strand of DNA. The two worlds must be balancing each other to remain in existence. Without the one, the other cannot exist. The shadowy Pokemon must play a role in keeping the worlds in balance. That is why it must have interfered and brought me here. The shadowy Pokemon must have made this bizarre world. That's why trying to change our world disturbed it and made it reveal itself. But that is all irrelevant. What matters is defeating that Pokemon and making this world disappear. I won't allow it to interfere with me again. With it gone, neither world will be able to revert to its original state...



Phew, that guy sure likes talking. I went halfway through that before realising I could just transcribe it. I didn't, but I should've. Anyway, there's a dead end here, we'll make sure to remember this.



Alright, let's go weast, you'd think we'd go so far weast we wouldn't be weast anymore, but we're still weast. If I don't go down a path, it's a dead end, or it'll look like the way forward will appear, but it'll be a pitted bridge that we can't jump on. Trial and error is the name of the game.



I feel like I'm missing a drawable map on the bottom screen. Where the fuck am I?



Oh, turns out I'm still in the HM dimension.



Can you solve the puzzle???



Maybe GIRATINA wants to test those that visit here? It appears as if we can't go on unless we solve the puzzle. There were some boulders that could be moved... and there are several odd pits on the floor... the Pokemon of the lakes seem eager to show us something...



Okay, nearly two done, should be easy enough to get the third one, right?



Ahaha, follow me through this changing maze.



Don't look at that silhouette too closely, it's bad for your eyes.



We're getting close. Uh, I think.



We shouldn't let him wander around too much. To the left is the dead end from earlier that would lead you back to Mesprit's boulder, but you'd end up back here anyway to get to the final one, so just don't hop the ledge.



Hey wait, tell me more about these genies!



Up we go.



And then... uh...



Up? Up. ...UP?!



Alright, I think we're getting to the end here.



What a riveting task this was.



I understand they can keep balance against either PALKIA or DIALGA. Does it mean they can't do that with GIRATINA? ...oops. This is no time for idle chitchat.




Let's tackle this major problem head on.



Why do you seek to change the world? If you hate our world, you should just go off somewhere alone. Find somewhere where you can live without seeing others.

Why should I run and hide from the world and have to wait quietly? My aim is to rid our world of the vague and incomplete thing we call spirit. By freeing ourselves of that, our world can be made complete. That is my justice! No one can interfere!

But... that's not justice at all!

I won't lose! Not to that shadowy Pokemon! Not in any worthless world!

Galactic Boss Battle





Cyrus/Akagi
From Kuros, Persian for sun, and 赤木 Akagi (bishop wood), also a common surname in Japan. It also means red castle, red tree or red future.






A much more dangerous fight than the final one on Spear Pillar in DP, Cyrus has a lot of scary Pokemon that really should've been better integrated in his previous fights. His ace even switched!



Ah dammit, I was gonna do the same thing to you.



But Skulletor is out here taking names.



No STAB? I lived, bitch.



Sheesh, finally, the fang moves are nice since they can afflict status or flinch and this krow would've demolished us otherwise.




Etrian is really not a fan of the Zubat line, but speedy Pop can finish this off!



Alright can someone land a hit?!



Not after all the sacrifices we've made to get this far! What of my world?! Of my new galaxy?! Was this all a dream to be swept away by your reality?!

Distortion World



This bizarre world is none other than that Pokemon itself! Capturing it or defeating it will make this world disappear! Very well! Rather than repairing the world, you're going to destroy it for me! Do it. You inherit my legacy.



It's not possible that a Pokemon can make the world disappear. The world awaited your birth. Not only yours, either. The Pokemon with you. The people close to you. All the Pokemon and people were born because they have a part in the world. I'm convinced of that. GIRATINA won't go out of existence. This Distortion World won't disappear. Our world won't disappear, either. Let's go meet GIRATINA. ...oops. I should do something about your hardworking Pokemon first.



Please don't let it eat me.



It has merged the Distortion World and our world at the Spear Pillar. That's why both worlds are becoming distorted. But there's nothing to fear. You can defeat GIRATINA and show the tight bond you share with your Pokemon. Or you can demonstrate how much you want it to join you. If you succeed in doing either, GIRATINA will understand. The distortion of the two worlds will stop! I know that the bond you share with your Pokemon is strong!




Just keep jumping, just keep jumping, don't look down, don't think about-



Now would be a great time to save.

Giratina Battle




This is looking like a real nasty fight. You know what, I'm not in the mood to catch a legendary right now.



See ya.



You quelled its rage by refusing to battle it?! Your doing so means this irrational world will remain in existence!



Ah just kidding, this is my second favourite Pokemon, of course we're gonna catch it! Shadow Force is a pretty powerful move, but Huevo gives no shits.





Cor, what a beauty! But also ow. With those amazing stats and an amazing STAB combination, it's no surprise that this mon is a monster. It'll easily clean up the rest of the game and look rad as hell while doing it. It only really needs Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt, but you'll have some great Dragon options of Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse coming up. There's also Dark Pulse, Silver Wind and Psychic, but it works just as well as a physical attacker, with the wide range to boot. It learns a move every 10 levels, so it'll be postgame when it finally gets Earth Power, as well as Aura Sphere at NINETY, but if there's a good move for it, it probably has it, like Earthquake, Stone Edge as well as Outrage and Iron Head from tutor. But if you want an easy time, then this is a great choice.



However Origin won't be the form you keep when you catch it, you need a postgame item for that, but the difference between Altered and Origin for the rest of the game is very slight, being slightly tankier arguably makes it more effective and it learns the same moves at the same time, so it doesn't really matter. I say really because the Griseous Orb boosts Dragon and Ghost moves, which is the main draw for Origin, but everything I stated previous applies here, you can just be more resilient. Due to its amazing coverage, you're free to run Thunder Wave, Charge Beam, Substitute or Will-O-Wisp and just have fun with it. It's a powerful skull dragon at the end of the game, go nuts.



Yaaaay! Awww. Well hopefully Dusk Balls work in here.



Bitchin'

Distortion World



Does that make it impossible for me to create a new world? Even if I made new Red Chains, the new world can't be made! Why?! What compels you to protect the two worlds? Is spirit, a vague and incomplete thing, so important to you?!

...the places we are born. The time we spend living... the languages we speak... we are all different. But the presence of Pokemon unites us. We share our lives with our Pokemon, and our happiness grows as we all become greater than we were alone. That is why we can battle and trade with anyone we choose...



Enough of your blathering! That's how you justify spirit as something worthwhile?! That is merely humans hoping, deluding themselves that they are happy and safe! The emotions roiling inside me... rage, hatred, frustration... these ugly emotions arise because of my own incomplete spirit! ...enough. We will never see eye to eye. This, I promise you. I will break the secrets of the world. With that knowledge, I will create my complete and perfect world. One day, you will awaken to a world of my creation. A world without spirit.



Since there is sadness, we can feel joy. When there is anger, compassion is born... let's go back home. The portal where GIRATINA was should lead back to our world. GIRATINA was written in legend as being on the other side of our world. It stands to reason that it has a link to the other side.

Sendoff Spring



It's the Sendoff Spring... it's said to somehow lead to the great beyond... and GIRATINA was said to live in a world on the opposite side of ours... oh! I'm sincerely sorry! It's very rude of me! Hikari, you're incredible! You really are a fantastic Trainer! Let me say this on behalf of all Sinnoh: Hikari, thank you! Oh! That's right! You have to go tell Prof. Rowan! He was very worried about you. You should visit him at his lab.



Phew, that's the main plot over. Definitely crazier than DP and had a lot more player agency than Emerald, but the Distortion World is different, rather than good. Also could do with less Cynthia hand holding throughout, but overall, not bad, not bad at all.



This was a postgame area in DP, so no level 54 Bibarel to find, but this is the first time we can catch Dusclops. Neat!



And we end up back here. What a crazy turn of events.



That's all to the fourth secret lake until later, so let's go see the one who misses us the most! ...who's mom? I was talking about the prof.

Prof. Rowan's Lab



You... you leave me speechless! You've done it! You really have done it! Never has my heart pounded this hard for so long in my 60 years of living!

After you left, the professor did a lot of checking around. He got really worried about you, Hikari. He got in touch with people he knows to rustle up help... you didn't need it, Hikari. I'm glad to see you back safe, too.

Oh, yes, there was something I had to tell you. The three Pokemon of the lakes appear to have returned to their homes. So, tell me. How are things going for you? The Pokedex...? Hm! A total of 176! ...and the number of Badges? Well! You've got seven already! That only leaves Sunyshore's Gym. Hm! You've come this far. Why not obtain Sunyshore's Badge? And why not challenge the Pokemon League? That will broaden your horizons further than ever before. Not to mention the opportunities to meet even more Pokemon. Oh, yes, Hikari. If you see Cynthia, please give her my best regards.

So, I was thinking... those Pokemon you met, Hikari... were they the ones said to be the creators of the Sinnoh region?



Oh yeah, seeing Dialga and Palkia added them to our Pokedex, but like other third versions, we'll be able to catch them both soon enough.



That'll do us for today, whew that was pretty crazy, but I think we can relax and not have anything else ridiculous happen to-



Little is known about the Pokerus except that they are microscopic life-forms that attach to Pokemon. While infected, Pokemon are said to grow exceptionally well.



NANI???!!!