Ren and the protagonist end up fighting the Rift Hippowdon and ultimately destroy it. Afterwards the group informs Nastasia that the path to the Pyramid is clear.
Chapter 14 - Death of One, Birth of Another
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Chapter 14 - Death of One, Birth of Another is the fourteenth chapter of Rejuvenation. It starts directly after the protagonist's battle with Adam Might and Bladestar's bombing of the grand dream ball immediately after it. The protagonist and their friends find themselves in a mad rush to save Alice, Allen and Melia who were hurt in Bladestar's attack, and even team up with Team Xen to do it.
Chapter Summary
After the explosion
The chapter opens with Valarie dreaming of her friends, a memory seemingly lost, before awakening due to the noise of the explosion caused by Flora.
At Bladestar HQ some grunts leave the organization following Flora’s betrayal, as she didn’t warn the grunts that they would be included in the explosion. Despite this, Flora keeps going with her plan. Ryland is being held captive because of his abandonment (and subsequent betrayal) of Bladestar, and is seemingly being experimented on; after this, he will be sent to Zone Zero.
At the stadium, the protagonist, Huey and Reina discuss what to do. Amber suddenly runs out and is afraid for her mother, who was last she knew supposed to be at the Grand Dream Ball as well, but a lady who introduces herself as Hazuki, Thomas Blakeory Sr.'s wife, confirms Tesla's safety and asks Amber to cheer up the crowd. She then tells the rest of the group to go outside as she arranged something for them to do, but not before confirming she remembers the protagonist, and will speak to them when the time is right.
Nastasia's plan
Outside, Rhodea and Ren join the group and explain what happened. Ren confirms that Melia, Alice and Allen are barely alive and kept in stasis capsules, but there’s no sign of Erin. Rhodea, being aware of Ren's membership in Team Xen, concedes that she is willing to accept the help of Team Xen in this situation. The group enters a Team Xen Airship nearby, where Nastasia awaits them. She explains that thanks to some connections at the hospital she was able to retrieve Melia, Alice and Allen, but the only way to save them is by taking them to the Spring of Rejuvenation, located in Eclysia Pyramid, before the life support of their stasis pods runs out in 32 hours. Nastasia managed to located the spring and determine it's effects with the help of Ren and Aelita, who at this point enters the room with some last bits of data for Nastasia.
Suddenly some noise in the cargo hold grabs the groups attention, this turns out to be two stowaways, namely Adam Might, who despite still missing his old memories still feels drawn to Eclysia Pyramid specifically, and Braixen desperately clinging onto Adam who doesn't recognize her at all. After reporting back to Nastasia, she quickly divides the present trainers, including the 2 stowaways, into 3 teams, the protagonist together with Ren and Aelita make up team A, whose job is to infiltrate Zone Zero on foot up to the Pyramid, which is protected by Bladestar’s Dimensional Rift Pokémon and cannot be reached by the ship. Team B is made of Huey, Reina and Rhodea, who are supposed to follow behind team A, to make sure nothing was missed and to provide backup. Team C consists of Adam, Braixen aswell as the Xen grunts Eli and Sharon, who are to remain on the Airship as backup.
Calm before the storm
During the trip the protagonist will be shown that Nastasia has been trying to “rebuild” Geara, who after the events at Valor Mountain was split into thousands of tiny data pieces by the broken teleporter; they will also learn of Aelita’s adventure at the Spring of Preservation, where she met Kreiss who loaned her his partner’s Mega Audino. Aelita will tell them of her trip in Sheridan Village, where after visiting the Spring of Purification she was contacted by Kai’ya, a strange being which helped her find her sense of self while also deposing Texen as Sheridan's Sensei. The girl says that thanks to her trips to the springs she regained some of Kenneth’s and Vivian’s memories, and is now searching for a red haired woman.
Zone Zero
Shortly after the group's arrival in Zone Zero and subsequent split-up, Team A wanders through Zone Zero, and after a little delay because of Risa Rider who strangely says she has seen Aelita and Venam participating at the tournament, find themselves stopped by a big group of Bladestar grunts, but teams B and C intervene to stop them. As they continue their exploration they realize Zone Zero is actually the Ruins of Hiyoshi City. Ren and the protagonist find a file describing Anathea, but the information seems to be different than what they both know.
The two meet up with Aelita and proceed until they are stopped by Lorna, who, manipulated by Crescent, has now found a new purpose: making the others feel what she felt when she was supposedly shown— abandonment and loneliness. After she is confronted and beaten by the protagonist she reveals Crescent has gone missing and she struggles to keep her emotions at bay, letting her powers make strange things happen. Once she regains control of herself, she tries to petrify Ren, but her magic won’t work on his artificial body, and after receiving a blow from him, she runs away.
Meanwhile team B is exploring Zone Zero behind Aelita, Ren and the protagonist, but for some reason Rhodea, seemingly shaken by something, decides to leave. Ren wasn't quite as unnaffected by Lorna's attack as it first appeared as he starts malfunctioning, being unable to speak correctly, so the group stops at an old Pokèmon Center, in which Risa Raider restored the power. The remainder of the other teams, now consisting of Huey, Rein, Adam and Braixen, catch up with them in that time, and decide and try to find a way forward while Ren attempts to repair himself, but Braixen seems distracted by her own inability to help, and remembers the reason she can't evolve aswell as the way to fix this.
Interlude at the Ignis Ironworks
In the meantime, Melia finds herself in a strange dimension, which seems to be a representation of her subconscious, where she meets Melanie, who has been stuck in there after their overlapping. Melanie explains that after the explosion Melia was hit in the head by Amanda, and now needs to wake up. but she also mentions that she is sometimes able to mess with Melia’s emotions, just as she did when Melia found out about Nim having attacked Venam.
Melia wakes and finds herself without Pokèmon, facing Amanda. She tries using her powers but gets electrocuted, as apparently Amanda is aware of what she can do. Help comes in unexpected ways, and Madelis jumps in and saves her, giving her back her Pokèmon. The two fight Amanda, who apparently doesn’t belong to neither Bladestar nor Team Xen, but even being defeated the girl manages to catch Melia with some sort of tentacle until Sakitron and Erick intervene and free her, explaining they are now located in West Gearen City, more specifically Ignis Ironworks. Without her hat, which fell of during the fight it becomes obvious that Amanda is actually a machine and is faced by Sakitron. After the battle she will reveal that she was created to sabotage the league's management to "control the power of the region" by stifling the progress of its trainers. The plans of her master started just after the protagonist returned to Aevium, but before saying anything else Amanda falls into the lava and burns to death. The group leaves the factory; Madelis reveals some disillusionment with her current position, so Melia asks her to leave Team Xen and join them, but Madelis refuses, implying that she can't even if she wanted to. Before leaving Madelis tells Melia what the protagonist and Nastasia are doing, so Melia, Erick and Sakitron set off to help their friends.
Rift Hippowdon
Back in Zone Zero, Ren has repaired himself and the group only has 5 hours until the power on their friend's stasis pods runs out. Risa once again helps them proceed and the characters find some sort of empty bomb with Garufan writing on it. Risa mentions the Rift is just up ahead and she took care of the grunts guarding it, so Ren, Aelita and the protagonist go face it.
The following events differ due to player choice
The protagonist shows their friends a Weird Diary that details among other things how to cure dimensional rift Pokèmon. While interesting Ren comes to the conclusion that they do not have the time or means to try and save this particular Rift, but Aelita's borrowed mega Audino seems to want to try and heal it, but is ultimately shot down. Ren and the protagonist fight the rift but after beating it back Audino attempts to heal the rift, which at first doesn't seem to work until Audino focuses a massive healing beam onto the rift, which returns the Hippowdon back to normal. Audino loses it's mega evolved form after this having expended the last of it's energy. When the group reports back, to tell that the path is clear, Nastasia is already aware of their success dealing with the rift but expresses surprise that Audino was able to restore a dimensional rift back to normal.
Entering Eclysia Pyramid
The sandstorms subsides and the Xen Airship approaches the Pyramid; Nastasia temporarily hands Braixen speaking device for testing, though mentions it will not work very long in its current state. However, the Pokémon uses that opportunity to ask her to create something. Ren, Aelita and the protagonist proceed towards the Pyramid, and the latter experiences some flashbacks involving to people named Axel and Ariana having some sort of sibling quarrel. After this, they will finally reach Eclysia Pyramid. Once inside a mechanical voice will greet the newcomers, but it turns out that the Spring of Rejuvenation is completely dried up.
While the others try to find a solution to this, the protagonist experiences another flashback, seeing 2 people named Adrest and Variya, talk about the Spring. Variya shows Adrest the spring, saying they were able to create it through the Jewel of Life, a gem they made out of the material contained in a meteorite. The Protagonist is possessed by a strange voice which tells the characters they need to get to the top of the pyramid and insert the Jewel of Life to make the water flow once again. While the people present notice that the protagonist isn't being themself, they take the advice, and Ren, Aelita and the protagonist rush towards the pyramid top.
While the three make their way through the pyramid, strangely, Allen and Alice will appear and to help them, but they don't seem to realize what is actually happening, instead it seems more like they are playing make believe. Allen is a gallant hero and Alice his princess. After fighting of some Bladestar grunts and what seems to be the Pyramid's guardian machines with the twins' help, they find themselves in front of a massive door. When it seemed that they couldn't open it, the protagonist's Normality Badge—which they recieved from Marianette a long time ago—reacts to a nearby panel which allows them to open the door. After passing through the door Huey and Reina catch up with the group, while the Pyramid announced another three people to have entered it.
The duo is surprised that they the other three barely made any progress at all, since all they had to do was go up a staircase and go through a door. Alice reappears again and it turns out that all the puzzles solved by the group were made by Alice, who was using Unown to play with them. She will then threaten them to keep playing with her, having no grip on reality at all. Allen will try to stop her, but Alice has the Unown "dismantle" Allen. Aelita will stay back to face Alice while the others progress into a more technological section of the pyramid. Aelita ultimately wins, sending Alice back to the Unown Dimension, where Allen gets through to his sister and she realizes her mistakes, and that they can be free now. The Unown will try to prevent them from going away, but a strange light comes to help…
Aelita catches up with the group, just as Damien and Alexandra enter the Pyramid. Almost at the top, the mysterious person with the hoverboard appears and offers to give some information he found about the Pyramid, but after being confronted Aelita, asking him about his partner, the redhaired woman, he decides to leave the group to their devices.
Eclysia Skyview
At the top of the Pyramid, the characters find Ryland is being remote-controlled through some strange machine by Flora, who has removed the Jewel of Life from its place, and the team fights Bladestar. After the fight Flora refuses to hand over the Jewel, but Aelita manages to snatch it from her, but even after inserting its proper place the Spring doesn’t flow. This is because only the descendants of King Ieisel can activate the mechanism, and Ryland is the only one alive, according to Flora. Using Ryland as a hostage Flora demands the group to return the Jewel to her but just then Ren receives a call from Nastasia, and starts transmitting a live broadcast: apparently Cassandra survived the bombing at the grand dream ball.
The following events differ due to player choice
This shakes Flora to the core, and in a fit of rage she smashes her control panel, disabling the machine that controlled Ryland. Flora didn't notice due to the situation on the Pyramid that Florin, who she had tied up nearby, managed to freed himself. Just as Flora started to calm down, Florin enters with the police in tow to arrest his sister.
This shakes Flora to the core, and in a fit of rage she smashes her control panel, disabling the machine that controlled Ryland.
While Bladestar is retreating the group realizes they are running out of time, but Ryland is unconscious so they can't get him to activate the Spring. However, at this point Adam's memories start coming back. He remembers Ryland is his brother, and therefore realizes he is a descendant of Ieisel as well and activates the Spring. They contact Nastasia, and despite having ran out of time, their friends are safe, as Damien and Alexandra used their Latios and Latias respectively to keep them alive for just a bit longer.
Ambushed at the peak
Adam brings an unconscious Ryland down. Huey, Reina, Aelita, Braixen and the protagonist stay to the top, only to encounter Madame X and the mysterious hoverboarder, who are here to take the Jewel of Life. The surfer explains the Pyramid is an Ark, a ship created by Garufa to escape the planet through the power of the Jewel. Madame X really has no concrete plan for the pyramid, but is determined to find out its secrets and as such doesn't want others to meddle with it. The protagonist and Aelita face Madame X head on, and with a final blow coming from Melia, who was able to reach them, they defeat her.
Sakitron finishes Madame X, and as Team Xen’s leader laments how things would be different if it weren't for her suit, a red-haired woman appears. She faces the group together with the hoverboarder, but Braixen seems to know her friends can’t win. The mysterious duo is using an illusion, making the protagonist fight against Melia and Aelita. In the end, the duo beat everyone with only Braixen remaining. Braixen remembers what happened after Crescent sent her, Saki, Valarie and Adam to Route 7. Even there, the duo appeared and attacked them, but Crescent appeared to stop them. In the end though, the red haired woman knocked her out, by having her Beheeyem launch a surprise attack.
Newfound power
At the top of the pyramid, the hoverboarder—now known as Kieran—checks on Madame X, but as it turns out Madame X is not wounded at all, having faked her own loss with the red haired woman's help to make the protagonist and their friends become overconfident. The red haired woman stays behind to secure the Jewel of Life, while Madame X and Kieran leave. Braixen confronts the redhead, only for her to hit the Pokémon and throw her wand away. At this point Braixen, refusing to give in and after having taking the antidote against her everstone serum that prevented her from evolving starts to evolve into a Delphox—or Delpha as she decides to call herself. Delpha is now able to see through the red haired woman’s illusions, and with new strength and power as well as the help of of Adam the two defeat her. Realizing she was beaten the redhead will leave without the Jewel, but before disappearing Delpha asks her about Crescent's fate, to which the mysterious woman replies that she killed her.
After this ordeal everyone regroups. Aelita and the rest of the group wonders who is actually in the stasis pod they thought contained Melia and head down, but Delpha asks Melia and the Protagonist to stay behind so she can fill them in on Lavender's situation, as well as what happened to Crescent. On the way down Adam and Damien bury their grudges they held against each other after some persistent nudging by Alexandra. Ren gives Alexandra the letter Nymiera gave him in the past, while Ryland gives the protagonist and Ren his badge as thanks for saving him.
Reconciliation at the spring
At the spring, the person in one of the stasis pods that was thought to be Melia turns out to be Erin. During the explosion, a bright light surrounded and protected her, coming from inside her. To add to the confusion, Melia declares Erin is her sister. At the Athenaeum the two shared a memory and realized they had the same mother. Ren and Melia finally speak and are able to make peace. Remembering Alice calling her Eriena during the grand dream ball, Erin asks the now also recovered Alice about this. Alice replies that she and Allen originally weren't alone trapped in the Unown Dimension, there was also their sister Eriena, which Alice recognizes Erin to be. Following this, Alice tries to inspect Melia more closely when suddenly the both of them as well as Allen and Erin start shining and create the Archetype’s symbol on the floor, which breaks apart just as suddenly. Immediately after Melia collapses, but she gets cured with some water from the spring. Nastasia seems to know why this happened, but refuses to speak and ends the truce, kicking everyone not part of Team Xen out of the Spring.
Outside Alexandra wants to speak to Alice, Allen, Melia, Erin as well as the protagonist, but everyone is exhausted and something else important needs to still be done. As a result, the majority of the group returns to GDC, except Alexandra, Damien and Aelita who still have business at the Spring of Rejuvenation.
Saving Lavender
At the penthouse Delpha explains to everyone what happened to her at the Hospital of Hope. A plan is formed to save Lavender: Erin will speak with Isha to distract him, having Huey and the protagonist as a backup, while Melia and Reina infiltrate the underground base. As they put their plan into motion though, Isha surprises them, opening a secret passage from his office. Erin, Huey, Delpha and the protagonist follow him, getting to a strange lab, where Isha is holding Lavender. Dr. Isha who suddenly acts more and more unstable explains why he is keeping Lavender and what he intends to do.
Isha’s father, Dr. Isiah, was able to transplant himself into his own son’s brain to escape an incurable illness, but now he’s sick again with that same illness, and he intends to use Lavender as a new vessel. Isha fights the protagonist and then tries to run. Huey tries to stop him but to no avail, until Ren and—to everyone's surprise—Venam show up to stop Isha. Lavender is freed and authorities are called to arrest Isha, who swears he has left a gift for everyone in the city and one day will have his revenge. Ren explains Venam was taken by Nastasia and cured using the Spring of Rejuvenation. Venam took some of the water, and in the following days all the victims turned to stone get cured.
Three days later, Kanon appears in the groups GDC penthouse and says Alexandra is ready to see the people she requested to speak to back at the pyramid and asks them to visit her in Sashila Village. Venam decides to tag along, while Lavender, Huey and Reina will stay in GDC.
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