"Go, Scizor!"
Feng Che released his Pokémon. "Use Bullet Punch!"
Scizor became a silver blur. Thud-thud-thud! The Kricketune were slammed into the corridor walls with such force that the stone cracked, revealing a hidden side passage. Some of the insects fell into spatial rifts within the walls, where they were instantly bisected by invisible shears of reality.
"Return, Scizor." Feng Che followed the blue guidance of the Unown into the hidden passage.
The Pursuit
At the ruins' entrance, Cynthia and Mishiko arrived. They had already neutralized the guards left by Cyrus.
"Drasna, stay here. If things go south, signal the town for reinforcements," Cynthia ordered. "Elder Mishiko, let's go."
Mishiko looked at the statues of Dialga and Palkia with a heavy expression. "I have a bad feeling about this, Cynthia. This place feels... hungry."
They stepped into the portal, but not before Mishiko handed Cynthia a shimmering jade bracelet. "If we are separated, these will hum. The closer we are, the brighter they glow."
The Great Falls
Feng Che emerged from his hidden tunnel into a massive cavern dominated by a gargantuan waterfall. The roar of the water was deafening. Thousands of Gyarados swirled in the mist, their roars competing with the crashing waves.
"Feng Che, look at the water," Mewtwo warned.
"I see it. The flow is erratic," Feng Che noted. "In some spots, the water is frozen in mid-air—time stop. In others, it's falling upward. The Magikarp in the pool are trying to leap the falls, but if they hit the wrong zone, they either age into dust or revert to eggs. Only the 'lucky' ones who find the natural flow reach the top and evolve."
Just then, a Honchkrow landed nearby. Cyrus stepped off its back.
"Ryusei? You're ahead of me?" Cyrus looked surprised. Seeing the briefcase was still in Feng Che's hand, he relaxed. "I got dropped into a nest of Carnivine. It took me a moment to clear them."
"I got lucky, Boss," Feng Che said, putting on his best 'Ryusei' face. "I found a straight path. I've been guarding the case with my life."
"Good," Cyrus nodded. "There are two ways across this waterfall. One is by flying, but you have to navigate the shifting time-streams while dodging the Gyarados. The second is to find the Golden Magikarp. Legend says it knows the only path of stable time."
As he spoke, a streak of shimmering gold flashed within the cascading white water.