Fanning the Flames

10

"Serena Batton."

Serena opened her eyes to see herself not within the hotel room she had fallen asleep in, but rather a dark void with nothing to be seen for miles around. Or at least that's what she had thought before something began to glow behind her, causing her to turn to see...Pokémon? They weren't any ordinary Pokémon though, Serena could sense their power even from where she stood.

There were three of them: a blue deer-looking creature with magnificently multi-colored antlers atop its head, a red bird-like monster with large wings tipped with talons and a sharp gaze, and a green and black colored snake. Neither of them seemed to move, but Serena could hear one speak to her.

"Welcome to our shared realm, young one. Few ever lay their eyes upon this place, and never has one seen all of us here."

Serena deduced it was the blue deer talking, the other two seeming to glare at her with suspicion. She didn't ask to be here, why were they getting upset? Surely she should be upset for being brought here against her will?

"Why am I here? I can't stay, I have a friend to go back to in Coumarine City and a Gym battle to win." She said, her voice echoing throughout the void, signaling the place was pretty expansive. That only caused her to feel more anxious.

"You are physically still where you had fallen asleep in the physical world, your mind is here. We have summoned you here because we need your help."

"You mean you need her assistance. We never asked to be here."

The voice came from the red bird, its blue eyes staring daggers at her. Serena had the feeling she wasn't exactly welcome here but she couldn't seem to leave.

"You are a fool if you think a child can do anything about the imbalance of our world. We are in danger of being discovered and this was your grand idea?"

It was the green snake who had spoken that time, though it appeared both of their words were annoying the deer.

"We have been discovered by those Team Flare fools, this girl is our last chance of stopping them before we are picked off, one by one. One of your Cores has already been captured Zygarde, how long do you expect to evade capture?"

Cores? Captured? By Team Flare? Serena was more lost now than she had been when she had first arrived.

"Enough! Can you just tell me why I'm here?!"

The deer nodded, glaring at its compatriots, but they said nothing.

"We are the Legendary Pokémon who watch over this land. I am Xerneas, these are Yveltal and Zygarde. You have already been made aware of Team Flare's presence in Kalos, but you do not know the full extent of their plans." of Team Flare's presence in Kalos, but you do not know the full extent of their plans." of Team Flare's presence in Kalos, but you do not know the full extent of their plans."

Team Flare had plans? Serena could've sworn she remembered Alex talking about something like this, but the memory played at the edges of her mind.

"Plans? What plans?"

Xerneas waved its head, causing a sort of hologram projection to appear behind it. The location displayed behind it was Geosenge Town, or at least it looked like it. But something was off.

"Team Flare's base is located underneath Geosenge Town. This may seem a random location, but there is an ancient weapon buried far under the ground, a weapon once for restoration now meant for destruction. It was built 3,000 years ago during the Great War, meant originally to revive the creator's Pokémon. After it was revived, the creator's intentions soon turned dark and he fashioned his creation into the Ultimate Weapon."