Heya everyone!

Once again my IB muse left me, so I decided why not and watched the Japanese Team Flare arc again, which made me wonder what may have happened if Team Flare had won? It's a bit dark with death, violence and some swearing later on in the story but if I need to bump it up to an M rating I will.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter One: It All Ends in Tragedy

If one had asked any of the eighteen people that made up the wall between the leader of Team Flare and the Anistar City Sundial how they felt at that moment in time, most – if not all - of them would answer 'terrified but determined'. The fate of the world rested upon their shoulders, humanity would fall if they were to crumble against Lysandre's onslaught of attacks from his gigantic Zygarde beast. Chespie had already been rescued but the megalith was still on the prowl with on set goal in mind. Deep inside, they all knew that this was about to end in failure. Most of the Gym Leader's Pokémon had been knocked out and only the survivors of the light blasts were left on the front line.

Diantha realised that the morale was falling drastically as each second passed, friends inching closer and closer together as if they would never live to see each other again. Her eyes rested on the steel grey ones of Steven Stone, who nodded back at her with understanding. An all-out attack may be the only way to win, just as long as everyone tried their hardest to defeat the megalith.

"Alright everyone," she yelled above the grinding of rock against barren earth, trying her hardest not to grit her teeth together at the sound. "One last chance, use your strongest attacks on that thing!" The Kalos Champion received loud shouts of agreement back as, one by one, each trainer called out one or two moves each. Moves of almost every type flew through the air, joining together into a gigantic beam of rainbow colours that streaked through the ruby red sky towards the megalith beast. The combined efforts of the trainers and their Pokémon struck the beast in the chest, ripping a hole through its chest area, causing it to stop in its tracks with the gems no longer powered as shown by the lack of a pink glow.

Everyone stilled and waited on baited breath to see if the thing would move once more, minutes passed until they realised they had won. Kalos was saved. As people began to celebrate, Diantha's eyes latched up to the top of the megalith where Lysandre was just staring down at them. He wasn't screaming, he wasn't trying anything, just standing there… with a smile on his face. Either he knew he had lost for the final time or he had a trick up his sleeve. It seemed that she wasn't the only one who had noticed this.

"Everyone, ready your guard!" Steven shouted, which was immediately met by a scramble back into formation. Of course, the others believed they had won already and were confused by the sudden need to become cautious yet again. However, they trusted the two Champions and followed instructions instantaneously. Never ignore the judgement of a Champion, or it could just result in the ending that no one would want to tread.

"Impressive, very… impressive…" Lysandre was clapping from his frozen perch atop the rocky beast's head. "You've won, congratulations are in order aren't they… or are they?" He began laughing manically as the beast powered back to life, its gems flashing with light once more. With their Pokémon already extremely exhausted, the defenders of Kalos faltered knowing that they couldn't do anything more. Their partners were too tired to use another move, it was a wonder that some of them were even standing after everything that had happened over the past few hours.

It was all over for them.

They had lost.

The Team Flare leader sneered down at his opposers, knowing that their sullen expressions meant they had realised the truth and that most of them were going to die soon enough. He was just biding his time for a bit until his backup arrived. So, this is what the poor Kalos region had for its defence squad? How pathetic. Most of the people making up the line were useless, dirt beneath his feet and they deserved to be eliminated where they were standing. A few had a… purpose in his eyes, and those few would know it as soon as he was able to tell them so. Of course, it didn't take long until his backup arrived.

All of the trainers gasped – either in horror or anger – as multiple helicopters were flying in their direction overhead, each bearing the symbol of Team Flare, the singular flame that could cause destruction on a worldwide scale. Once the helicopters were in front of the megalith, member upon member – from grunt to admin – slid down the ropes that were cast over to the sides of the metallic bringers of doom. People who were either incapacitated or unconscious a few moments ago were standing in front of them, realising their own Pokémon onto the battlefield. If they were outnumbered before, then they were now.

Noticing the scowl on a certain Gym Leader's face, Xerosic laughed haughtily as if he was mocking Father Christmas with the 'Ho' based noise. "What? Did you really think your trapdoor system was really adequate? I say, for someone who was rambling on about how inventions should be used to help both Pokémon and people you sure have a lot of death traps in that tower of yours. I was flung out right by two of my esteemed colleagues, who I of course rescued with my bountiful strength…"

"In your dreams, old man!" Bryony scowled, turning her head away from him sourly. "Aliana and I were already free when your fat arse decided to rain down from the heavens and crush us!"

"Ladies, ladies," Mable said with a wave of the hand. "Chill. We are a team and shouldn't be squabbling. After all, we are the victors in today's fight of ideals."

"Mable is right," By now the megalith had bowed its head, allowing its master to get off beside his scientists who were at the front. "However, we should offer the ex-Champion a choice before we do anything too rash."

"A choice?" Wulfric raised an eyebrow at this, wasn't Lysandre trying to destroy Kalos a mere minute ago? So, why did he want to give Diantha a choice? And what did he mean ex-Champion?

"Yes, a choice…" Lysandre's tone was mocking, as if he was dealing with little children and not some of the strongest trainers of this generation. "Either you let us destroy the Kalos region an everyone in it or you let us, Team Flare, rule Kalos and make it the beautiful region we believe it could be."

"Are you insane?! That's not a choice!" Korrina snarled at them, turning her head towards the Champion. "Don't listen to them, Diantha, we can still fight!"

"Oh, a non-believer are we now?" The Flare leader chuckled. "How about I show you what happens if you DON'T make a choice. Fire now, at those two lovebirds!" He pointed to Viola and Grant, smirking with a psychopathic glint in his eyes. Before anyone could do anything, a powerful white beam struck the Gym Leaders where they stood, screaming violently as their bodies evaporated into nothing. Once the attack was over, the only evidence that they were ever there was two piles of dust on the floor, which were quickly lost to the harsh, stinging breeze that slapped the faces of those it passed.

"You… you murderer!" Valerie cried out, with Ramos nodding behind her. "How could you?!"

"Quite easily. In fact, I could do it again. Megalith, crush them!" Another beam burst forth, enveloping Valerie and Ramos in its deathly rays. Just before she disintegrated, Valerie turned to Diantha.

"Don't give up hope! We will beat him, I know we can!" With that, she too perished and became nought but grey dust that fluttered away on the breeze, as did Ramos beside her who left without saying a word. Nobody could say anything at the moment, because they knew any word could end up with their end eminent as well. Diantha turned her head back to Lysandre, who still had that arrogant, smug smirk on his face, a smirk he had the right to wear. In an instant, he could just kill any one of the trainers there, including the younger ones. She only thanked the heavens that Serena, Bonnie and Mairin had run to safety when the battle began and that Alain's Charizard had delivered Chespie to her when they had believed the megalith had been stopped the first time around.

"I've given you enough time to think, Diantha," The red-haired man's words brought forth everyone's attention. "What's it going to be, destruction or a chance of life for the people?" As much as it pained her to do so, she couldn't tell him yet. It would break her to give up her region's freedom to a madman like the person in front of her but, at the same time, she wouldn't let millions of people die because of her stubbornness. "Seriously? Still taking your time. Alright then, if the death of your workers isn't enough then maybe this is. Celosia, your Drapion is required." The purple haired scientist sent a knowing grin back to her boss.

"Of course," she threw the Poké Ball towards the group. "Alright, grab the person close to you!" Unlike the first death beam, this attack wasn't random as Celosia knew who her newly formed Drapion would grab with its claws. Pained screaming filled the air as one boy was lifted from the ground in a tight grip.

"Ash!" Clemont went to help his friend, only to pale as the creature raised its poison dripping tail to its hostage's neck, telling him what would happen if he took a step closer. The inventor's eyes glanced over to Pikachu and Greninja, who were restraining themselves from lashing out. A few seconds before hand they were exhausted, only just standing but the determination to save their trainer from a horrible end gave them the energy they needed to fight back, to save their friend and partner. It was too late, however, as there was nothing they could do. Not even when Drapion sauntered back to its mistress could they do anything, not with that poison covered tail so close to a vital artery. If the poison got in somehow, there would be minutes until it would have killed Ash, and with no antidote in sight they didn't need another death at the moment.

"You have ten seconds Diantha, or more blood will be spilt on your hands!" Lysandre announced, staring her down. "Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three... two… one…"

"Okay!" Diantha yelled, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "You win, you get to rule Kalos. That's my choice, to keep Kalos alive!"

"I knew you would see sense." The leader chuckled out loud, looking over the opposition with hidden glee.

"Now let him go," she spoke up once more, this time sternly now that the threat had been eliminated. "You've got what you want from me."

Lysandre nodded his head at Celosia, who told her Drapion to lower its tail but that was all she told it to do. "Uh, uh, uh. Don't be so demanding anymore, you don't run this place, I do. And what I do with MY hostage is my choice so, no. I don't think I will." He revelled in the cries against his actions, marvelled at the screams of friends. There was nothing they could do, he was the leader now, after all. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the two Zygarde cores hopping ever closer with some motive to merge together and take him out. "Nice try you two, but it didn't work. Megalith!" Upon command, another beam was sent towards the cores, with only enough time for Z2 to knock Squishy out of the way.

"I don't regret this, show him our power someday…" Z2 said softly as it too became a victim to the power of the beast controlled by a human monster. Squishy watched with both grief and fury as its brother, its fellow core was lost, just dust floating off to a new life in a nicer plane of existence.

"I will, I will get my revenge!" It promised as Bonnie rushed over to grab her friend, before rushing back to her brother before she too became a victim of Lysandre's rock machine.

"Ah, how sad. Anyway, I will be leaving you all in peace after one thing," he turned to Olympia, who was glaring steadily back at him. "If you want no one else to suffer, I would advise if you came with us, Olympia. I'm sure you don't want any more blood to be shed on this day."

"Don't even consider it!" Wulfric muttered to her. "We can't lose you, we've already lost four Gym Leaders, a powerful trainer and a Legendry to that guy."

The psychic ignored him, keeping her focus trained on the dangerous man standing above them. "You want my future sight, a way to protect what you are planning on building. An ability like mine would be useful to you."

"Very smart, ten points," Aliana rolled her eyes with a huff. "Can we get this over with?"

"Fine, I will come with you willingly as long as no one else is hurt."

"I promise you that I will not harm a hair on their heads." Without looking back, Olympia floated over to the imposing force of evil that had now won the battle of Kalos. She didn't say a word as another helicopter came in overhead, obviously for the leader of their organisation and his second in commands, along with the captives they had acclaimed over the course of an hour. "I believe it is time for us to take our leave, I bid you all adieu. To my labs, we must announce our victory!" The Team Flare members cheered as they were collected by the helicopters, which turned around headed towards Lumiose City.

Already in grief and shocked by the events that had just occurred, the remaining Gym Leaders and trainers all turned to Diantha on what to do next. Guiltily, she looked to the ground as the words trembled from her mouth. "I think we should head to the Pokémon Laboratory and rethink our plans from there."

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" They looked up at Jessie, who was still inside the news chopper that Team Rocket had stolen from earlier. "Get in and let's go!" Nobody dared to argue with her.

~0~o~0~

"What do we do now?" Bonnie asked, clutching at Squishy who was seething in rage at the death of Z2 or, as Bonnie had begun calling it, Bluey. Her lip quivered as no one answered her, casting doubt and fear into her heart. "I said…"

"We know what you said, Bonnie," Clemont sighed, rubbing her head on their shared sofa inside the laboratory of Professor Sycamore, who was also there at the scene. "It's just we all can't believe it happened, that's all."

"Four Gym Leaders dead, four!" Korrina was still scowling, her mind unable to comprehend their loss. "And a legendary Pokémon! Plus, Olympia and Ash are in the hands of that madman!" She kicked the wall out of anger, ignoring the stares she was being given. "Don't tell me I'm wrong. Valerie wanted us to fight and beat him yet here we are, hiding like cowards!"

"If we weren't 'hiding like cowards' then we would currently all be dead," Wulfric told her curtly. "That would do nothing good for anybody."

"But…"

"Arguing isn't going to solve anything," Steven spoke up, his arms crossed across his chest. "We need to stick together more now than ever. If we are going to beat…"

"We can't, not right now," Alain spoke up this time, staring at the floor moodily. "We're outmatched drastically and I'm sure his grunts are out securing Lumiose whilst they're off capturing the League building for their new headquarters."

"Of course you would know," Serena huffed scornfully. "You were one of them not too long ago. If it wasn't for you none of this would have happened." Whilst everyone else stared at her for her unusual outburst, Alain knew she was right. Lysandre wouldn't have the Mega Evolution energy if it wasn't for him, Chespie wouldn't have been in a coma, all those people wouldn't have to suffer.

"Hey! Shut up!" Mairin, not one for letting any old girl knock Alain down, shouted. "Maybe if you were more of a trainer, you could have kept HIM safe! Alain was being manipulated, he was believing he was doing the right thing for everyone by helping that man out. Even though he wasn't, he still didn't know so shut up!"

"And this is exactly what we needed! More fighting!" Wulfric sighed at Korrina's outburst but kept quiet for now, there was no use in getting anyone else angry.

"It seems like we aren't getting out of this one easily." James muttered sadly, wishing he could be back in Kanto at that moment.

"Yeah," Meowth looked over to the two Pokémon who were never recalled. "Are you guys okay? I mean, how are ya?" Greninja didn't answer but Pikachu just muttered the one word that everyone understood the meaning of, 'Pika pi'. "I know ya miss him, but I'm telling ya, he's gonna be just fine? Right, guys?" Noting the extracted, sharp claws of Meowth's, Jessie and James nodded in agreement.

"Yes! He is and you can be the one there to save him!"

"It would be no problem for the great Pikachu!" Meowth wanted to slap his forehead with his palm. He was truly the brains of the operation if those two bumbling idiots were going around and saying stuff like that to a grieving Pokémon, who had just lost his trainer. Before anyone could say anything else, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Open up, by order of Team Flare!"

"Follow me," Sycamore said suddenly, dashing towards the back of the building. He lifted up a rug as everyone else arrived, revealing a trapdoor hidden underneath. "These tunnels lead between each and every region in the world. Use them to escape. I'll remain behind and deal with the grunts for you."

"But Professor…" Bonnie was interrupted almost immediately.

"Just go, and be careful!" One by one, the survivors made their way down the steps into the tunnel system, making sure that everyone got down safely until the last person made it and the door was shut behind them.

Hiding under the floor actually didn't block out everything. The group could hear voices, which lead into loud arguing. Clemont pulled his sister closer to him as everyone else listened. It went deadly silent for a few moments until a gunshot rang out, followed by a couple more. Bonnie sobbed into her brother's jumpsuit as Alain almost collapsed. Professor Augustine Sycamore was dead, if the blood dripping through the trapdoor was anything to say about his state. There was no movement from those in hiding until footsteps leaving the building faded into nothing.

"Let's not leave the professor's sacrifice in vain, shall we?" Steven pointed to the path that led deeper into the tunnels. The path that led to the network that connected the regions.

"Come on, let's go." Diantha led the procession, with Alain remaining to pay his respects to the man that had practically raised him. Mairin watched him with uncertainty, Chespie looking up at her confused. He began to follow the others, only stopping when Mairin put Chespie down and hugged him tightly, something which he reciprocated. There they remained for a few moments until they were forced to separate, walking hand in hand down the tunnels to a new life as rebels.