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Exquisite Corpse 2021: Genre Switch

SparklingEspeon

Back on Her Bullshit
Staff
Location
a Terrace of Indeterminate Location in Snowbelle
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. espurr
  2. fennekin
  3. zoroark
Here in all its wibbly-wobbly switchy madness is the Genre Switch Exquisite Corpse! This corpse had a gimmick of every part having a different genre, to some results played straight, others hilariously wacky. This corpse has eleven parts in total, with each part's author and the genre they chose listed underneath in a spoiler box. Here are the authors themselves, listed in alphabetical order:

Abrapunk
Bench
Bluesidra
Dragonfree
Equital
Inkedust
Rainfall
Sinderella
Tetra (Flyg0n)
Windskull
Umbramatic

Happy guessing, and hope you have fun!

PART ONE

I stood there, absolutely flabbergasted. Everything about this literally defied the laws of time, space, physics, whatever there was to defy. It just didn't make any goddamn sense.

All I'd been doing was strolling down the route. Really, that's it. Of course, I engaged in a couple battles here and there, because it was a battle route, so that much I was expecting. I won a couple, collected my prize money, and went about my business. Saw a Pachirisu in the grass, thought about trying to catch it, only to realize I was out of Pokeballs--go figure.


My plan was to head off to a Pokemart to get more. But, just as I was about to head out, I crossed paths with this...kid. He couldn't have been more than eleven, maybe twelve? Young kid, almost too damn young to be out on a route like this. But whatever, it was none of my business. I was planning to leave him alone, but he approached me, shockingly enough. I was never one to turn down a battle, so I sent out my Growlithe.


And what does this kid do? I was expecting a Bidoof, maybe a Starly...but no. He whips out an ultra ball, and out pops GIRI-FUCKING-TINA. Of all the goddamn Pokemon in the world...Giritina. This twelve year old fetus of a child, with a legendary like that. How on Arceus's green Earth was this kid even able to tame a Pokemon like that?! Next I was expecting him to whip out Palkia! Hell, even Dialga!


Genre: NPC PoV

Author: Sinderella

PART TWO

How on Earth, how on Earth, how on Earth. The words kept echoing in my head in tandem with my pounding heart, drumming louder and louder the longer I was forced to stare at the malformation. The lights flickered, causing the darkrai to vanish from sight; meanwhile the thing that could only be described as some kind of walking fetus raised its one, underdeveloped arm, gurgling something at me.

“̵͚̏B̸̡̳̙̯͕̋́̈́̍͛̀e̷̮̩̝̞̍͊͠c̷̨͇̠̞̎̾̿̈́̚ͅͅo̵̳̠̺͠m̶̨̘͔̆̾́̌̕e̸̘̖̦̖͌̏̈́̈́͘ ̵̢̬͙̈̎̃̏ṗ̴͚a̶̢͎̼͉͌̅r̶̲̮̖̺̃͜t̸̞̋͠ ̴̧͙̖̖͇̖̈́̍o̸̗̝̟̒͠f̵̫̳̦͈̝́̈̉̊̔͂ ̵͙̀͛̿̀̊͠m̸̹͚̰̘͔̦̒̾͛́e̶̢̺͗̾̂̆̚…̴̺̈̊̓͜”̸̠̾̇̒͠

A switch was flipped. Survival instinct booted any semblance of rational thought out of the driver’s seat leaving a single command: Run.

I was numb, detached, stumbling blindly through the dark halls, hearing the squelching footsteps of the abominations trailing not far behind, feeling its shallow breaths caress the back of my neck, the scent of rotting flesh and blood filling my mouth. I didn’t care. I kept running and running and running, well beyond my limit.

After what felt like hours of running, the sound of my pursuer footsteps ceased and for a fleeting moment, I was awashed with a tidal wave of relief. I’d escape, I’d be free of this nightmare, free of the manifestation of my past sins, all I needed was—

In the midst of my optimism, I was sent tumbling down a long flight of stairs.

Vertigo consumed me and the pain shot through my legs and I was unable to… No… no no no no no. This couldn’t be happening, not if there was a merciful god somewhere out there. The remnants of adrenaline that remained in my system dragged my broken body across the floor. I couldn’t continue… not like this.

A perverted sound echoed from well above me.

“̵͈͊̊͆͆̂C̵̢̭͔̽͘o̶̖̬̤̭̍̔̿͠m̷̪̥͔̲̎̐̇̂̕͝e̶̽ͅ ̶̡̫͇̋̋̃̋ō̶̡̪͍̈́͋͂̕ǔ̵̧̜̦̏̿̍t̴͈̗͖̒̐̾̚͜͠ ̵̞̬͍̣̓͗͌̾̈́͜ͅc̷̨̲̦̊̎ö̸̝m̸̛̙̠͎͔̒͛e̶̖̥̺̜̅̾̍̒͝ ̵̡̆͗̒̋͠o̴̢̧̤̼̹͂̌̄͑ṳ̷͍͍͓̠͎͆̊͝t̴͙̥̫̓̆̽̓̚͘ͅ ̵̤̋̅̿̕w̶̡͕̲̗̋̀̄h̸̫̲̟̟̭̀͌̿̌e̸̦͌͌͝r̴̰̣̰̜̘̋̓͘͝ē̶̫̠͉͚͑̿v̶̙̇̃̐̐̍͘e̶̱͇̰̺̋r̵̙̪̤̥̗̳̈́̈͘ ̵̧̪̘̝͒̒̑̽̋͝ỳ̴̞͉̠͕̤ọ̶̎̀̀̋͌͊ụ̵͎͊͐̐ͅ ̴̢̨̽̊̽̐̌͝ä̶̧͎͒͝r̴̬͆̿͂́è̴̢̖͚͙̙̭̇͗͐̂̚~̷̹̤̫̘̐͂̉!̸̻̉”̸̢͙͍̦̯̉͗͛̈́̌

And then, gradually drawing itself closer…

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

Genre: Horror

Author: Inkedust

PART THREE

My heart thumped erratically, exploding in a flurry of beats. Nowhere to run. The grimer would be here soon, slipping through all the little holes and cracks to reach me.

With one hand, I clutched my starter’s pokeball, ready to release her at a moment’s notice, yet, afraid to put her in harm’s way when she was already so hurt. My other hand cupped my shirt around my nose and mouth, trying to protect my lungs from the burning, putrid stench.

Energy crackled around the pokeball, then my ivysaur released herself, vines raised in an aggressive stance. But she was on borrowed time and we both knew it; her bud was wilting, and her eyes were glazed with pain. And a dark, discolored burn disfigured her side.

I was a fool. I knew wild fire-type pokemon lived here, and I’d failed to stock up on healing items anyways. What kind of trainer was I? An overconfident fool. That’s what.

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

Ivysaur’s vines cracked through the air, striking behind me. I whirled around to face the nearest grimer. Although her attack had landed, the grimer hardly seemed fazed, blank eyes staring forward with mouth hanging agape. Was it even alive? Or was some other force animating it, filling it – and all the other grimer here – with uncharacteristic malice?

I took a single step back.

From behind. Squelch, squelch, squelch.

More of the grimer had arrived, all with the same empty-eyed look. Ivysaur and I shared a dismayed look. With the rest of the team down, how could we take on so many? Was our journey going to end here? It couldn’t! And yet…

Five badges. Five whole badges, filled with joys and hardships with my ivysaur, only to end up here. And for what? Just for a chance to catch a fire-type? As the grimer horde closed in, I couldn’t help but scream, “Why did I ever come to this stupid mansion?”

Genre: Trainer Journey

Author: Windskull

PART FOUR

Stupid mansion. The dull red tint to the facility that didn’t seem to be there before seemed to be getting redder. The whole time I had been here, a sense of distress was in the air, and despair had begun pooling in my heart. There weren’t just five or ten grimer. No, they weren’t easily countable, and more were coming. I needed to run, to get out, but my only familiar exit was blocked. Wandering eyes and meandering legs led me down corridors—still-sludge beings coming out of the vents, the walls. Was I going to make it out alive? The countdown to the possibility of escape was ticking. How long did I have? 15 minutes? 5? 45 seconds before my fate was sealed? Undulating advancing solid-liquid waves. Violet slime, turquois slime, rainbow slime.

Bell chime.

What was that? Nearly running into a table and chairs, I catch myself and see a chimecho off to the right. What was it doing there? It seemed to gesture to me, to signal “Follow!”, and then turned toward a hallway leading out of the cafeteria space. A harsh buzzer intercom had sounded, the sludge was coming up close, and everywhere the lights seemed to be redder and redder, but I felt a small rush of hope, of new wind. I scrambled toward, turned into the hallway, and nearly tripped when I saw the eyes of the chimecho staring me down. There were grimer in the hallway already. And more coming behind me, quick. The lights continued to turn crimson with betrayal. I was trapped—was this the end? Clock run out?

The buzzer sounded off again, the chimecho chimed twice, the grimer waves seemed to roll toward me faster, behind and from the front, and I was soon inundated in a tide of iridescent violet and blue. The chimecho furled its tail around its head body, as if taunting me. Was this how I went? Swindled by a stranger and suffocated by slime?

“DELTA CLEANSING ACTIVATED.”

Even with my whole face covered with sludge, a muted crimson light flooded my vision. A timeless three or four seconds later, the light had faded, the sludge had stopped covering my face… actually, the grimer had started dispersing and milling about. Nothing made sense.

The tricker(?) had unfurled its tail, chimed twice, and moved further down the hallway. I hesitated, and soon followed.

Outside a nondescript door among doors, the pink bell came to a stop and looked on me expectantly. I looked about, and believing I could probably trust it once more, opened the unlocked door. Inside was what seemed to be a study, a lab room. The chimecho moved past a bookshelf and hovered over a journal on a messy desk.

What was this about? I picked up the journal and began reading.

This mansion was a biolab. This particular wing included chemical and energy testing, including energy waveform testing. Had the grimer flock known I would be vulnerable, and had they (instinctively?) protected me?

I didn’t have much time to ponder whether the chimecho and the grimer flood had saved me, as a siren blared in that mansion lab room, and gas rapidly emitted from the vents, coalescing into a growing cloud colony of weezing.

Genre: Fantasy

Author: Rainfall

PART FIVE

I jumped to my feet. With one quick move, I lunged myself across a steel table, disregarding the samples that had been carefully placed there. They shattered into a shower of glass and chemicals, dispersing before they hit the floor. My target was clear. “But what about the-” she squealed, as I grabbed the young lab assistant by the arm. She had sought cover from the poisonous fumes on the ground, but now it was time to get moving.

“No time for that, sweety!” With that I yanked her up and dragged her to the window. The sirens drowned out her weak protests and I could focus on finding a way through the glass that was separating this poisonous hellhole from the safety outside. The fumes brought tears to my eyes. Time was running out. Guess I’d have to do this the old-fashioned way. CRACK! With one well-aimed strike, the window shattered into pieces. The splinters tore lines of blood along my biceps, but the adrenaline made me numb to it. Without hesitation, I grabbed her waist. She was now coughing and flung her arms around my neck almost instinctively. My body shattered the remaining glass as I dove outside, just in time before the fumes ignited.

The blast was deafening. It tore out the remaining windows and catapulted us forward. The heat on my back or the grass we rolled over barely registered on my well-trained muscles. “The lab! All the research, it’s gone now!” she sputtered as she wound herself out of my grip, her luscious blond hair flowing in the night wind. I shook my head as I got up and put my sunglasses on.

“Heroes don’t look at explosions, baby.”


Genre: Action

Author: Bluesidra

PART SIX

With a growl, she spun and slapped an ice-cold hand across my snout. I fell, landing on my tail, as her red robes whipped in a sudden, frigid wind.

“You come to me for help, and then you destroy and degrade my life’s work?” She stepped forward. “Tell me, why I should ever join your little questing band when it’s led by a crook such as you.”

The air grew colder—I braced myself, but she didn’t advance.

Slowly, I stood, dusting myself off as I did. A few snowflakes had landed on me, but they melted quickly in the warmth of my fur.

“Come on, Jynx, can’t you see?” I said. “You’re a natural at this. Not your little science experiments. You’re a natural at magic.”

I gestured upward with a wide sweep of my arm. She looked up to the snow clouds that had formed overhead, then caught herself and looked back down. She crossed her arms, drawing her cold back into herself.

“Such potential,” I said. “You could be as a great mage as your brother!”

Jynx scoffed. “Ah yes. And tell me, Delphox: what happened to my brother?”

I eyed her cautiously. “He lost his life in battle with a Dragon-type, during our quest to find the hidden well of magic.”

“And—” she glared into my eyes “—did you find it?”

“No, but—”

“You didn’t find it because it doesn’t exist!” she shouted, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. “This is the problem with 'adventurers' like you—the age of magic is past, if it even existed in the first place. This isn’t a fairytale or a tale of heroes. This is real life.”

I bristled. I struggled to keep my fire cool as my grip on my staff tightened. “Malign me all you want, but do you want to talk about your brother in that way?”

The look over her shoulder at me was icy, though she still held her power back. “He died, because he listened to the stories you told him.” A tense silence, and she scoffed again, shaking her head. “Just get out of here.” She started for the smoking wreckage of her lab. “I need to see what I can salvage.”

I watched, stunned, as she walked away. She began to shift through the rubble, putting out a few small fires with puffs of icy mist. This…this was not how things were supposed to go. I opened my mouth, to call out and change Jynx’s mind, but what could I say?

She was wrong. I held out my hand, formed a small flame on my palm. She and I still had some remnants of magic—therefore we should be able to bring the rest of it back, right?

Suddenly, I heard a rumble in the air. I peered into the clouds; Jynx did not pay any attention.

The sky overhead was dark. It was the dim of dusk, blanketed by gray almost-storm clouds. I squinted. The air smelled of burning, from the explosion, but I felt I could sense something else. I drew in a deep breath, and—

Blue fire, bursting from the sky.

I leaped away. Where I had been standing, was engulfed by a pillar of twirling dragon-flame. “Yes!” I cried, momentarily forgetting myself. “My summons, the spell had worked after all!”

“What the—!” It was Jynx, her voice high and sharp. “Delphox, what did you—“

From above swooped a burning comet. I jumped again, this time to grab Jynx and pull her away. She shrieked as the ground cratered with a deafening impact. A tall black form rose, wreathed in blue fire.

“A dragon,” I said, and then laughed. “Say there’s no magic now, Jynx. Look at that thing and say—“

“Move, you idiot!”

Jynx broke from me, throwing out her hands. A blue barrier formed just in time to block another burst of flame. Right. We were being attacked.

“Distract him,” I told Jynx happily. “I’ll get ready to counter.”

A muffled shout from Jynx. I ducked out of the safety of her shield, quietly so that the dragon wouldn't notice me. Once I was lined up, I drove my staff into the ground for my own attack. The dragon was struck and bellowed. Yes! I whooped with a battle cry as it turned on me. Finally, a battle between brave heroes and foul beast!

Surely, Jynx wouldn’t be able to resist this!

Genre: Fantasy

Author: Equitial

PART SEVEN

My hand flew to my gun. I raised it, and I felt a dark surge of adrenaline as I took aim.

BANG!

One bullet flew, and I watched as it hit true. There was a shrieking roar.

Dialga glared at me with his one remaining eye, the other being a mess of flesh and blood. "Foolish mortal. You can not kill me in a way that matters."

I let another bullet loose.

The blinded god swung his head wildly. "You know not what you have done! All of humanity shall suffer for this treachery--"

I couldn't help but feel a grin creep onto my face as I heard the blatant panic in the god's voice.

"Aw, you're making a mess," I said rather sardonically. "Here, let me help you with that."

One last bullet to Dialga's Core should do it. I took aim at the large diamond structure on his chest and fired.

The bullet hit its mark, and the diamond shattered completely. Dialga roared one last time, and soon fell to the ground, lifeless.

I stared at the corpse for a while.

"Well, that was a fun little distraction," I mumbled as I shoved my gun back into its holster. "Better go see what's going on with my actual job, though."

I walked back through the dingy streets, the usually fluorescent lights barely giving the streets some reprieve from the darkness that was night.

Damned lights ain't doing their job, eh?

I knew I must have looked suspicious as all hell, what with my detective getup: black trenchoat that damn near brushed the floor, and with the collar popped up, making me look like some kind of dealer.

I scoffed to myself as I thought of this.

See if I care what people think of me.

My work building came into view soon enough. The lights were still on.

Somebody still working?

I opened the doors. The receptionist was asleep at the front desk.

Heh. As per usual.

Being a Drowzee certainly didn't help matters for the receptionist's sleep schedule. That species was known to sleep for days on end.

I walked up to the Drowzee and snapped my fingers multiple times. "Hey. Wake up."

Nothing.

I snapped louder. "Robin. C'mon, you fell asleep at the desk again--"

"Ey, chief, I wouldn't do that. She needs all the sleep she can get."

I turned to see who spoke, and found myself staring at my Zangoose co-worker.

They crossed their arms and jerked their head in the direction of my office. "In there."

We walked down the hall and into my office, where I promptly tripped over a stack of folders.

"What's all this for?" I asked as I examined the folders. Bunch of crap about crime scenes.

"Bloody cops came in, you know how they are. One of them was saying stuff about legal issues and how us detectives think we're all high and mighty ever since we separated--"

I raised a hand to stop the Zangoose. "Right, okay, but why were they here?"

"Oh! Yeah, I guess they came in just to try and give us piss about our jobs, y'know, since we are better than them…"

"Huh. I mean, I won't deny that we are good at what we do, but… whatever. I'm sure we can handle it."

"Damn straight! The cops ain't got shit on this company of gumshoes, no sir!" The Zangoose raised an arm, clearly some attempt at a high-five.

I left them hanging. "…Hey, you seen Ray around? Really quiet around here." Without the ambient hum of the Electabuzz's electricity, the office felt so quiet you'd be able to hear a pin drop.

My co-worker's cheer deflated. "Ah. Right. I ain't seen him all o' today."

"Really? He's not…" I pondered this. The sudden appearance of a god, the cops trying to give us trouble, and now one of our own disappearing? "This can't be a coincidence."

"Eh?"

"It's all connected! The cops sent Dialga to try and distract me, knowing that I would be away from the office, then they came up to you directly… yes, it's all coming together!" I snapped once more. "We gotta take the fight to the cops! We're gonna dismantle them once and for all, show the world that they don't need those bastards! Let the detectives do the real work!"

They stared at me for a few seconds. "Okay, then. You do you, chief. I-- wait, did you say Dialga?"

"No time to explain! See you later, Quinn!" I said as I speed-walked out of the office and out onto the street.

Finally, I had a lead on the police! Now, I could finally expose them for--

Something touched me, and my world went dark.

I awoke standing up. The world was monochrome, only shades of grey as far as the eye could see, and there was nothing in the sky. It was as though I had stepped into a world of fog.

"Mason Caleb Rorschach." A voice whispered, the sound bouncing around in my head like a ping pong ball.

I jumped and looked around. How lame of me. "Who's there?"

No response.

"Show yourself!" My hand hovered over my gun.

"Ah… mortal, you need not draw your weapon. It would serve you no purpose here."

My eyes darted around, looking for something, anything in this impossible realm.

"I understand you have slain the Lord of Time himself. That is no small feat. For a simple human to do such a thing… unheard of."

"Who are you, and what do you want?" I called, trying my best to not let my voice waver.

"I am the nothingness at the end of life. I am the darkness. The void. That which Arceus himself fears most. I am death. I am Darkrai," A wispy creature appeared in front of me, "and I have a proposition for you."

I took a step back. "I have never heard of this 'Darkrai'... and what of this 'proposition'? Surely it can't be anything good."

"Most do not know me by name, only by nature. 'Tis death which is remembered. Life is temporary. Death is eternal," Darkrai tilted their head. "You shall bargain with death today, child…" Every word was dragged out, carefully placed, "I have seen your capability, and I would have you put it to good use. I wish to rid myself of as many of my fellow deities as possible, that I may gain some semblance of true power. I would have you slay a number of these… 'legendaries,' as your kind calls mine."

I knew I could. If Dialga had been such a pushover, and he was meant to be one of the strongest gods ever… that meant every other legendary had to be far easier than that.

"And what would I get in return?"

"Your acquaintance, unharmed. And… whatever else you would wish for."

I took in a breath. To get the full detective force back would be great… and whatever else, huh? Well, shit, I'm sold.

"You have a deal, Darkrai."

The very ground itself rumbled, and the sky brightened. Darkrai's eye glowed.

"A wise choice, mortal."

Darkrai held out a gaseous hand. I felt a burning sensation in my gun holster, and took my gun out. It was being molded into something else entirely. The gun took on a more demonic appearance, growing longer and gaining some thorn-like extensions. A sickly green light now came from the gun, almost like a poison.

"Your mortal weapon has been blessed by death. You have been chosen by death." Darkrai stood eerily still. "The first god you shall kill, under my orders… Victini. Known as the Flame of Luck."

Darkrai's form melted away into the fog. My sight cleared, and I was standing back outside my work building. The lights were off now.

"Go now. Kill Victini, and know that I shall act as your shadow. Know that death follows you." Darkrai's voice echoed in my head, and I holstered my newly-formed gun. Time to go kill another god.

Genre: Noir

Author: Abrapunk

PART EIGHT

“Go, Mew!" Ash shouted loudly. Mew teleported into existence next to him with a happy chirp.

If I, Ash Ketchum, was to become the worlds greatest detective, I would have to first defeat my old enemy. Dialga. The Dragon of Time. How had it come to this...

8hrs earlier...

I, Ash Ketchum, head and sole employee of Pokemon Master Detective Agency (PMD: A), sat in my chair, in my dark cramped room, and took a whiff of my cigarette. Oh woe for the days when I had been a carefree 10 year old... Thirty odd years ago. Which made me over 40 now.

I brooded, then reached into my desk and took a swig of Super Special Party Drink. The world was a dark one, ever since Team Rocket had gotten back to their old schemes. Crime was up, and it was all a grizzled detective like myself could do to try and fight the good fight. But cases were scarcer, and it was getting harder to get bread on the table.

Then came that soft knock at the door. I sat up in my chair, folding my hands and resting my chin on them. "Come in," I said gruffly. I dusted off my trenchcoat a little and narrowed my dark and brooding eyes on the door.

A moment later a figure entered. For a moment I thought it a human lady, but as they stepped into the grim moonlight coming through the dirty windowpane outlooking those crime ridden streets of Goldenrod City, I saw it was not a human, but a pokemon. A Jynx.

I eyed her carefully. She looked nervous. Unsure of herself, and kept glancing over her shoulder and wringing her hands together. A lady in distress if I ever saw one. I was never one to turn down a damsel such as herself.

"Oh please!" she cried, dramatically. "Oh Please mister Ketchum sir! I don't know where else to go!" She spoke in Pokemon-ish, her tone full of despair and distress.

Fortunately, I understood her perfectly. You see, I could understand her perfectly thanks to long honed aura powers. Ah, but the tale of how I have such strong abilities is a dark one, one that led me to where I am today. Ah, but I still remember that day so clearly. You see, it was the day I came home from winning the Alola League...

30 years ago...

"Wasn't that so awesome Pikachu! We won a league! You were like, pa pow! Woosh Boom!"

"Pika pika!"

I stepped into my house in Pallet Town, ready to see all my old friends, expecting a warm welcome and a party. What I found instead... My former friends, all with arms crossed and looking very upset.

Misty, my oldest friend, spoke first. "Ash. We all think its time you gave up on this Pokemon Master thing. You won the Alola League or whatever, and thats enough."

"Wha-" I looked to my mom in confusion.

"It's true sweetie. We all agree. We're concerned about you, and we all think this is for the best."

One by one, all my old friends and traveling companions chimed in with their agreement. Even that two-timing fool Ambipom left his ping pong trip to come say "Am-Ambipom! Ambipom!"

I was so upset I tried to run away. And then Pikachu... of Pikachu tried to stop me. I knew then that no one could be trusted. So from that day on I turned my back on the world. I turned my back on society. And I bought a trenchcoat.

After years of training at the Tree of Life in Rota, with the spirit of the Lucario I'd met there, I learned the ways of Aura. How to channel it, how to use it as a weapon, and how to speak the tongue of Pokemon.

30yrs later...

I nodded. "Sit down," I said gruffly to the Jynx, gesturing to the only nice chair left in my dingy office. "Tell me everything."

"Well it all started last night," She began, wringing her hands together. The temperature in the room dropped and she leaned forwards, eyes sparkling with fear. Poor damsel. So distressed. Life had hardened me but I could feel myself softening, even now. My heart warming, despite the frosty atmosphere. I was compelled to help her.

"What happened last night?" I asked gruffly.

"I saw something."

12hrs ago.... Last Night....

The Jynx shuffled out of the jazz club, pulling her coat tighter around herself. She was just a woman. A lady. A young woman, heading home for the night. It was dark, and rainy, as many nights seemed to be these days. As she passed one of the many dark alleys, shuffling along as quick as she could because of all the crime, she overhead a dark voice.

She looked to her right and saw a figure.

"Yes. All according to keikau-" the speaker coughed, then cleared their throat "-according to plan. "The timeline I want will finally come to pass."

"And if I help you... this last time, you'll leave us alone?"

"Yes," the dark voice replied.

Frightened, the Jynx hurried along, not wanting to linger further.

Sort of Present

"Describe the figure," I said sternly, though with a soft note to my voice.

Jynx nodded nervously. "Quadruped. Uh... Silver I think. And blue. And about 15 feet tall."

My eyes narrowed to impossible narrow slits and my voice dropped several octaves. "Dialga," I growled out, my voice so low it was barely comprehensible. "My old enemy."

Slightly less than 30 years ago...

"So you're saying... Dialga was the once who convinced all my friends to turn against me?" I stared in disbelief at the Celebi before me, whom I had released from the GS Ball I had retrieved from the dropped plotline.

Celebi nodded ruefully. "You see, Dialga wants to be the only dragon Master. But he knows you were such a strong trainer and had powerful connections to legendaries. He was afraid if you kept training, you would foil his plans! So he concocted a plan to try and make you give up training so he can control time how he pleases!"

"We have to stop him! Right bud-" Then I remembered my old friend Pikachu wasn't with me anymore. None of my friends were. Darkness churned inside my grim heart. I had a new companion now. Mew, who lived at the Tree of Life, where I currently resided.

So it was that I went with Mew and Celebi, and fought a great battle with Dialga. Eventually I won, but just as I tried to capture him, he slipped away through time, vowing to return.

Present (for real this time)

"You!" roared Dialga.

"Dialga!" I yelled gruffly. "You won't escape this time!" I'd been training hard with Mew. If I failed here, Dialga would no doubt go after that sweet damsel Jynx. "I'm Ash Ketchum, Pokemon Master! And I'm gonna defeat you!"

"Now!" I threw my arm out gruffly, yet dramatically.

Mew unleashed a barrage of psychic blasts. Dialga dodged to the side, but it was just as I knew he would. Right where Celebi waited. With a dreadful, yet haunting voice, Celebi sung a single note. Perish Song.

Dialga's eyes widened as he realized he'd been tricked. "NO!" he bellowed.

I smirked darkly. "Well Dialga, look's like your time is up."

Genre: Noir Betrayal Version

Author: Tetra (Flyg0n)

PART NINE

Just not the god Darkrai wanted me to.

Instead, I was killing Darkrai himself.

I was tired of him ordering me around, ordering me to kill whoever he pleased. I was tired of being sidetracked from my detective work.

Just needed to figure out how to get him out of my shadow. Then I’ll let down a lightningbolt on him to stun him, then empty this gun into him.

Actually...maybe calling a lightningbolt down on me right now would light myself up so much that I wouldn’t have a shadow for several seconds. Then Darkrai would have nowhere to hide.

I built up electricity in my cheeks, swung my tail, and called down a bolt of lightning down on me. For a moment, I was as bright as a thousand Ampharoses, and all darkness around me was eradicated.

With nowhere left to hide, Darkrai appeared, looking at me with bewilderment. “What is the meaning of—”

BANG!

BANG BANG BANG BANG!

As Darkrai collapsed to the ground, I put my gun on its newly-formed holster. Another god killed.

And one bullet saved, just in case.

Now, finally, back to detective work.

I put back on my detective’s cap, sliding it along my ears until it rested on my head.

What was I doing before all this...oh, right. Investigating Team Flare. Their hideout was purportedly inside this building I was next to.

I scurried around the building, before finding an open window. I leapt through it, and landed inside.

The moment I touched the floor, I found myself unable to walk, metal clamps having appeared around my hindlegs. I heard someone laughing, and looked up, to see a familiar person holding some sort of device.

I put a paw on the gun in my holster, flattening my ears as I looked up at the flaming red-haired man.

“AHAHAHAHAHA, Detective Pikachu, my arch-nemesis! You’re no match for Team Flare’s Ultimate Weapon!”

Genre: Detective Pikachu

Author: Bench

PART TEN

I drew the laser-gun and fired, hoping to blast a smoking hole through Lysandre's infuriatingly extravagant hair, but it only bounced harmlessly off a shimmering blue barrier as he strode to the ship's console, pulling levers and pressing buttons. I silently cursed myself for not noticing the telltale flicker, and for not figuring of course he'd have a personal shield active - for one of the richest men in the galaxy, he could stock up on them and keep them powered on at his leisure.

Outside the window, a flickering green light sputtered to life between the prongs of the giant cannon, throbbing and pulsating as it charged some terrible power. A cold hand clutched my chest. Was I too late? No, I couldn't--

With an alien vibrating thrum I could feel in the floor, the weapon fired. Not at me, not at any of the nimble rebel ships zooming outside the hull. I scurried to the window to follow the path of the beam - straight towards the city-planet of Kalos.

"No!" I gasped. As I watched, the planet warped strangely and then simply folded in on itself, collapsing into a point before it was gone.

Billions of lives, extinguished in an instant, and I'd been powerless to stop it.

"Why?!" I shouted, whirling back around toward Lysandre. "How?!"

The man smirked. "Have you heard of the legendary Pokémon Palkia? It is a creature said to have the ability to fold spacetime to its will. In reality, it's only cleverly making use of contramatter."

I stared at him in disbelief. He'd used the power of a legendary Pokémon?

"With contramatter," Lysandre went on, "spacetime curves negatively in its presence. It repels, rather than attracting. It's what allows the faster-than-light travel we use on this very ship. But it is also what permits Palkia to create wormholes and black holes. And by studying its application of its power, we have managed to invent the Ultimate Weapon. Soon the entire galaxy will submit to Team Flare's reign."

I clenched my paw, my pulse hot in my throat. His personal shield still shimmered faintly around him. Penetrating it would take a much bigger laser-gun than my Mini-Blaster. The console would be blast-resistant, too, like any part of the interior of a battleship. The image of the entire planet disappearing was still eating away at my brain. Tim. Had he still been down there? He should have had enough time, he should have, but what if something'd gone wrong...?

In an instant it came to me. If Lysandre kept his shield on at all times, the shield battery would be overworked and brittle. One good shot and...

I lifted the gun again, aimed carefully at the shield generator at his belt, and fired.

Genre: Sci-fi

Author: Dragonfree

PART ELEVEN

The shot hit true, the shield generator sparked and blew open. Lysandre roared as electricity coursed through his body. A final lunge from my Luxray companion finished the job, and he fell over and fell still.

I lowered the gun, then inspected it, and Lysandre's body. This "Lysandre"... With technology like this was he from the old times? How did he get here? And why was he after Lord Xerneas?

My Luxray nudged me, and I turned to look. A light was coming from Mealnir City, shining upward into the sky. My eyes widened.

Xerneas' temple.

-------

We rushed there, through the streets and bazaars, past the gawking onlookers, straight into the doors of the temple. Inside we only found one - Xerneas himself.

"Lord Xerneas, what is going on? Who was this "Lysandre" from the Before Times?"

Xerneas bowed his cervine head. An old enemy of mine... He brought the Light Of Ruin back into our world and plunged it into chaos. Civilization collapsed and it took thousands of years for it to recover."

"I see... But what brought him here? What brought him back?"

Xerneas looked up and looked me dead in the eye. :"The power of the Exquisite Corpse."

"Exquisite... Corpse?"

"Yes... It was an old ritual held on the "computers" and "internet" of old. People would tell individual parts of a story with each other, with only a few sentences to go by."

"But... What does that have to do with Lysandre?"
"It means his story is over. You have ended it. The world is free of his curse."

"But... What now?"

"Move on. Conquer new threats born of the new world. If you can defeat the one who brought about the calamity that birthed Neo-Pokemona, you can take on anything. You and your Luxray.

I turned to my Luxray, who gave a sort of cat smile.

"...Thank you Xerneas."

"Go forth. See new things. This tale has ended but your story is only beginning."

I nodded, and with my Luxray at my side headed out of the temple, to new lands.

Genre: Sci-fantasy

Author: Umbramatic
 
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