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Tear the Heavens Asunder - Prologue by YumeYukimenokoTsuki
The Grande Spiral Cup- Part 1 by Kiritost
Titanic IntroductionFor my dear Aunt Sonia. Thank you for everything we accomplished together. May your legacy live on. My name is T.G.G. Ketchum, and for as long as I can remember, there have been all kinds of tales about the sinking of the Titanic. Indeed, by the time I was in elementary school, the event was told in social studies class. The Macro Cosmos Herløv Titanic, better known as the MCH Titanic, was the largest ship in the world. It was on its maiden voyage to Wyndon in the Galar region from Olivine City in the Johto region with 2,200 people on board. Halfway through the journey on April 14th, 1912, it hit an iceberg and sank, resulting in the deaths of more than two-thirds of the people on board. But even before learning about it in school, my family had their own stories about the Titanic. For better and for worse, it was a significant part of our history. As I got older, I developed a passion for writing stories unrelated to Titanic, but it has always been in the back of my mind to write this book. And so, Aunt Sonia and I spent several years researching on the Titanic, and combining our family stories with other people’s stories, both told and untold, to give our own version of what happened.Now, there are three problems why we aren't only telling my family's stories: the first is that many people have focused on their own stories in interviews, autobiographies, and the occasional documentary. So, it would be difficult for this book to stand out. The second is that much of Titanic's history is either commonly known or rarely mentioned, and as a survivor, Aunt Sonia wanted it all to be told. Third and most importantly, just saying who the people on the ship are and what their fates are would dishonor them. The people on the ship were not simply historical figures of the event or contributions to the number of deaths or survivors. These were real people with dreams, goals, friends, and loved ones who lost so much. Instead, I want to tell their stories narratively. Nothing I say will be completely accurate word for word, leastways when the people Aunt Sonia and I interviewed can only recollect so much. Still, I will do my best to capture, if nothing else, the spirits of who these people were and what they experienced on that fateful voyage. And so, dear reader, I hope you will put what you've heard about the Titanic to the back of your mind as I tell these stories. Stories of wonder, idolatry, friendship, discrimination, joy, fear, unity, and broken pride. But above all else, the story is about two particular passengers on board the Titanic named Ash Ketchum and Serena Yvonne....
The Tale of Twin Hearts (Remastered) - IntroWelcome and Enjoy., The Tale of Twin HeartsIntro, "No Time.""No explanation.""No reason." "Why do the Guardians feel they can do whatever they want? They're no different than us." "..." "Why was my son Chosen?" "Why was my son chosen?" "...""..." "It is no surprise the sight of a Legendary Pokemon such a Jirachi is something to behold";"Such a visit is unexpected." "His expression was...dim, speaking in a hushed tone." "Asking him of his visit, there was barely an answer." "Forcing a smile, he tells us he has a gift for our sons;" "A...curse..." "When asked what it was, all he does is ask both of them to reach out their hands towards him." "When they did, he touched their hands and they began to glow." "A small mark appeared on their Foreheads." "A Mark in the shape of a familiar Symbol." "My son began shimmering red." "My son...began glistening blue." "Such as sight made me curious." "Such a sight made me worry." "Dismissing them, he told us what his gift was. He told us why he gave the gift." "..." "My son, bearing such a heavy burden." "My son...carrying such a heavy responsibility..." "Why?" "Why..." "..." "It's been years since then." "It's been some time since then." "For our sons to never see each other again"..."It's been heavy on the both of them." "We never told them what it was or what it was for." "We never told them why it happened." "They don't even know they aren't allowed to see each other." "They don't know they aren't allowed to be near each other." "Should we have told them?" "Should...we have told them?" "..." "Today marks the day of my son's Journey." "Today marks the hour of my son's adventure." "To the home of exploration he goes, will he ever cross paths with his best friend?" "To the heart of exploration he follows, Will he ever meet ends with his true companion?" "..." "As sad this may be"; "As painful this may feel.""I hope that day never comes." "I hope that day never comes."
Artwork
Cotton Candy Clouds by Orbitalbacon357
Champion Alexander Redwood - Unova by PokeFan1337
Dragon Emperor by PokeFan1337
Basically Tao by PokeFan1337
The Redwood Saga

Mature Content

Pokemon: Lee's Kanto Arc
Pokemon Ranger, Vatonage Reborn
Pokemon Ranger - Vatonage Reborn EpilogueEpilogue A week had passed since Operation Brighton and life was very close to normal for Almia. Some Area Rangers worked to clean up Gigaremo wreckages from Peril Cliffs and the Vien Forest, some, including Barlow, worked to remove the cargo ship Barlow crashed into the school’s pier while others simply answered the concerns of civilians. Every employee of Altru Inc. who was not involved with Team Dim Sun and its heinous crimes against Almia was able to swiftly return to work, despite concerns over whether or not Wyatt Hall, formerly known as Blake Hall, would be allowed to resume his position as president of the company. Isaac was also among the employees returning to work at Altru Inc., which he was more than happy to do so with his brand new companions, Apollo the Umbreon and Ophelia the Espeon. Normality was within reach for the Ranger Union as well; the Top Operators were all hard at work at their stations, the Top Mechanics were busy salvaging the recovered Gigaremo wreckages and powerless Miniremo units for parts before properly disposing them, while Murph continued to bring joy to the Ranger Union with his optimism. Keith and Buizel simultaneously yawned quietly as they ascended from the escalator and entered the Operations Room, where he saw Chairperson Erma and Professor Hastings once more observing the hard work of the Top Operators and, by extension, the recovering state of the region. “Mornin’!” he suddenly greeted sunnily, commanding the attention of the two elders in a heartbeat. “Good morning, dear,” Chairperson Erma greeted back courteously. “Ah, Keith, good morning!” Professor Hastings happily replied. “You’re looking better!” “I’ve been feeling better for days now,” Keith responded somewhat boastfully, indicating his lack of bandages around his forehead. “So, what’s going on right now? Any updates?” “Sven and Wendy are still in the process of questioning the Team Dim Sun members that were arrested during Operation Brighton,” Professor Hastings began, his smile fading a little. “I understand their preference to patrol the region to search for whatever remains of the group--” “Kincaid and the Sinis Trio,” Keith grumbled vengefully. “Bui…!!” Buizel growled nastily. “But their trail has gone cold,” Professor Hastings continued. “As it stands, there is nothing to begin an investigation from.” “For now, all we can truly do is wait for Sven and Wendy to learn something through their questioning,” Chairperson Erma added. “Truth be told, dear, everything else appears to be in order; I don’t believe there’s anything that requires your attention.” “Not even to help Sven and Wendy question the Dumb Scum goons we’ve caught?” Keith asked in shock. “They have it under control,” Chairperson Erma replied reassuringly. “There’s no need to worry, dear.” “If you say so, but--” “All of that being said, however,” Professor Hastings suddenly said, his smile quickly returning in full force. “There IS something Erma and I would like to ask of you.” “Huh?” “Oh, yes, of course,” Erma nodded understandingly. “Rhythmi, dear; it’s time.” “Ah, yes, ma’am!” Rhythmi replied happily. Before leaving her seat, Rhythmi pulled something out from underneath her station and carried it with her as she walked over to Keith and presented it to him; to his confusion and curiosity, however, it seemed to be little more than a somewhat narrow cardboard box that, upon receiving it from Rhythmi, was rather light. “Here you go: one delivery for Alexa!” Rhythmi said joyfully. “You want me to take this to her? Why, what’s in it?” Keith asked quickly. “You may find out once you take it to her,” Professor Hastings replied teasingly. “Just be sure not to drop it on your way to Chicole Village; despite its looks, the package IS relatively fragile.” “But let’s be honest; you were going to go and see her anyway, right?” Rhythmi asked playfully. “Why shouldn’t I? She’s my friend,” Keith replied, raising an eyebrow. Rhythmi merely smirked at him in response, leading Keith to roll his eyes away from her and instead smile down at his excited partner. “Ready to go, buddy?” “Bui-ui!” *** Alexa yawned quietly as she carefully walked down the staircase, wearing nothing but a set of grey pyjamas with the words ‘Espurr-fect” printed in cursive on her pyjama top with an image of a happily smiling Espurr underneath and her hair down, and made her way into the nearby kitchen, where she slowly sat at the kitchen table opposite her father, who was in the middle of reading the latest issue of The Vien Tribune. Keenan was happily sitting in the nearby lounge with a partially healed Ryder, a Typhlosion with fine, silky-smooth fur, a red-eyed Meganium with short antennae and Keenan’s unbelievably tiny Vaporeon. Lily, meanwhile, smiled at her tired daughter as she approached the kitchen table and set a warm cup of milk near her. “Sweetie, you could’ve stayed in bed if you’re still tired,” Lily giggled. “I know, but it’s like I CAN’T sleep even though I WANT to,” Alexa sighed. “…but…that doesn’t make sense, does it…?” “It never does, but I know that feeling,” Hayden chuckled. “How’re you feeling apart from that, Lexie?” “It still hurts a little bit to move, but I think I’m through the worst of it,” Alexa replied with a kind smile. “It doesn’t hurt to breathe as much now, at least…” “M-Maybe that’s why you’re still tired,” Keenan said worriedly, looking over at his sister from the sofa. “Because you’re still in pain.” “Not as much as before, though, so don’t worry,” Alexa replied comfortingly, smiling sweetly at her brother. “Maybe in the next few days or so, I’ll be well enough to start patrolling again.” “You just wanna get back to work as soon as you can,” Ryder remarked jokingly. “I know you were kidding, Ryder, but, Alexa, we’ve talked about this,” Hayden sighed, suddenly setting the newspaper down to face his daughter with concern. “I absolutely understand the circumstances you were in, but the harder you work, the more you need to rest.” “I know,” Alexa sighed sadly. “I just…I don’t want to feel useless…” “You’re not going to be seen as useless when you’re resting from saving the Almia region from disaster,” Lily said reassuringly. “I don’t understand where you got that idea from – or your concerns about being a Pokémon Ranger not working out for you, for that matter – but you mustn’t think like that about yourself; it’s not healthy.” Ryder felt a cold chill up his spine that was fortunately undetected by the Pokémon surrounding him and looked up at Alexa; noting the hint of hesitation in her body language, he pushed himself off of the plush carpet and walked over to her, where he gave her a light cuddle that she quickly returned just as softly. “Even if being a Ranger DOESN’T work out, you’ll have made yourself a legend.” “If you say so,” Alexa chuckled nervously. “Thanks, Ryder…” What little tension had brought its way into the house was swiftly abolished by the sudden sound of knocking from the front door. All eyes were drawn to it, but nobody was able to make an attempt to answer the door before a voice suddenly spoke up. “Hello? Anyone in there?” Alexa stood up from her chair almost too quickly, excitement consuming her as she stared at the door with a bright, sunny smile on her face, recognising that voice all too well. “Bu-ui-bui, bui…!” “Y-You KNOW what I meant…!” “Keith!” Alexa called back merrily. “I’m coming!” Alexa’s mad dash towards the door was almost immediately cut short; a few steps into her beeline and she felt her entire body seething in agony from the sudden movement and the weight being put onto her wounded leg. Taken by surprise, Hayden threw himself out of his seat to tend to his recoiling daughter, facing her with immense worry. “Steady, steady! Don’t move so fast…!” “You okay, sis…?” “I-I think so, thanks…!” After a few seconds and a few deep breaths to curb her pain, Alexa resumed her journey to the front door, walking up to it with a slight limp on her injured leg and ultimately greeting a rather worried Keith with a somewhat forced smile. “H-Hey, Keith…” “Hey, you okay there?” Keith asked gently. “Oh, yeah, I-I’m fine, I just…got a bit too excited is all…” “It’s great to see you up and about, though,” Keith said with a soft smile. “Thank you,” Alexa replied kindly. “C’mon in.” “Thanks!” Alexa moved to one side, allowing Keith and Buizel to enter the household, Keith carrying his kit bag over his shoulder as well as the package Rhythmi gave him under his arm as he entered. During the few seconds it took for Alexa to close the front door behind them and walk over to Hayden, Keith suddenly felt a twinge of nervousness; he knew the people in the house with Alexa were her family, but this was his first time seeing them in person – furthermore, he couldn’t help but notice how absolutely none of them looked anything like Alexa… “Let me introduce you to everyone,” Alexa began excitedly. “First, this is my dad; he’s probably the most informal CEO you’ll ever meet. Dad, this is Keith, one of my friends from Ranger School.” “And the one your other friend scolded for being in the girls’ dorm, if I recall,” Hayden remarked teasingly. “We were leaving school anyway,” Keith sighed. “I-I didn’t see it as a big deal.” “Neither did I, remember?” Alexa giggled. Keith felt his slight sense of uneasiness growing as, despite the man’s friendly mannerism, Hayden walked over to him and offered his hand for a handshake, which Keith accepted with very subtle hesitation after setting his kit bag down on the floor next to him. “Hayden Thorndyke, CEO of the Poké Mart Company,” Hayden said politely. “Alexa’s been telling us about you all week.” “ALL week…?” Keith asked with a nervous chuckle. “Yep, and nothing but high praises at that,” Hayden replied with a smile. “And I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for her; it truly means the world to me.” “Sure, no problem; Alexa’s worth looking out for!” Keith said, feeling his anxiety subsiding as he gave Hayden his usual charismatic smile. Alexa’s face subtly blushed from Keith’s high praise, but quickly turned her attention to Lily, retaining her excitement as she introduced her mother to her friend. “And this is my mother,” Alexa said happily. “She might not look like it, but she IS a Pokémon Trainer as well; she trains with Dad every now and then!” Keith took one look at Lily and instantly noticed her hair; though the colour and the bangs differed, Lily’s hair was identical to Alexa’s in length and thickness – but it didn’t take long for him to realise that that wasn’t the only shared trait between mother and daughter. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sweetheart,” Lily greeted politely, giving Keith a courteous bow. “My name’s Lily.” “Oh, THAT’S where you got that bowing thing from!” Keith exclaimed, smiling at Alexa. “Yeah, definitely Lily’s fault,” Hayden remarked playfully. “I don’t remember you complaining about it, though, Tiger,” Lily retorted teasingly. “Although,” she continued, smiling sweetly at Keith. “I should mention that I didn’t mean for Alexa to pick up that habit; it just…happened.” “Don’t sweat it; it’s a nice habit,” Keith replied kindly. Keith suddenly watched an elated Alexa walking over to Keenan and lightly cuddling the boy from behind while giving Keith the absolute sunniest and brightest smile he’d seen from her in at least a long time. “And, finally, THIS little cutie right here is my little brother,” Alexa said, her voice oozing with adoration. “Don’t underestimate him; he looks innocent, but he’s no pushover as a Trainer – that and he hates it when people underestimate him, so don’t do that. Isn’t he adorable?” “Love you too, sis,” Keenan laughed, holding one of the hands Alexa had placed gently on his shoulders before smiling politely at Keith. “Hi, there! My name’s Keenan!” “It’s nice to meet ya, kiddo,” Keith replied cheerfully. “And it’s nice to meet you both too,” he added, turning his smile to Alexa’s parents. “Bui!” Buizel said in agreement. “Now that we finally have a face to at least one of Alexa’s friends,” Hayden began casually. “How can we help you?” “Uh? Oh, yeah, right, almost forgot,” Keith laughed bashfully before smiling at Alexa. “Delivery for ya from the Ranger Union!” he remarked, holding up the package Rhythmi gave him. “Huh? They…couldn’t have just sent a card…?” Alexa questioned in confusion. “After what WE had to go through, it better not JUST be a card,” Ryder replied jokingly. “Well, then, let’s get it onto the table and find out what’s in it,” Lily proposed. The Vaporeon, Typhlosion and Meganium watched as everyone gathered around the kitchen table, Hayden quickly moving the newspaper onto the chair he once occupied before Keith placed the package down on the table, close to Alexa. All eyes were on Alexa as she opened the strangely narrow box and looked inside it, but she couldn’t help but chuckle at what she saw on top of the upside down picture frame. “What?” Keith asked, bewildered. Alexa pulled out the item she was giggling about for Keith and her family to see; it was a small display box designed to showcase a small, rounded object, and placed inside it was a translucent stone – one that Ryder recognised above all else. “Hey, that’s the shard I found in the first Gigaremo I destroyed!” “Y-Yeah, the one the Tears of Princes shards cleared up!” Keith exclaimed, equally as shocked as Ryder. “Oh, it looks so beautiful!” Lily said endearingly. “It does NOW, since it doesn’t have any dark aura in it anymore,” Ryder replied. “Sven,” Alexa said suddenly with a smirk. “Sven? What’s HE got to do with it?” Keith asked, even more bewildered. “I’m guessing this is a gift from HIM, that’s what he’s got to do with it,” Alexa explained. “In the same way he gave Rhythmi and Linda the shards from the Yellow and Red Tears of Princes respectively, he’s giving me THIS shard from the Shadow Crystal, which will obviously need a rename.” “I remember you saying something about that,” Hayden began, gently receiving the box from Alexa for a closer look at its contents. “You said it almost led to a fight between the two girls, right?” “Because they both said their shards were souvenirs from Sven,” Alexa explained. “And poor Murph was stuck wondering what was going on,” Ryder added. “Like the rest of us, actually.” “What else is in there?” Keenan wondered. Alexa pulled out what she thought was the picture frame from the box, only to then realise that it was ONE picture frame as she saw a second picture frame lying upside down left inside the box. Alexa disregarded the second frame for the moment and revealed the contents of the frame she was holding; inside the silver frame was an expertly-taken photograph of the Ranger Union building, but all over it were different signatures in what looked like the same black marker pen – some of the signatures Alexa quickly recognised were those belonging to Professor Hastings, Chairperson Erma, Rhythmi, Isaac, everyone at the Vientown Ranger Base and, in particular, Keith, but every signature came with a message saying something to the tune of ‘get well soon’. “Ah…almost forgot about that,” Keith said sheepishly. “I think that was Rhythmi’s idea.” “That’s a cool photo; it looks better than just a card,” Keenan said happily. “It was nice of them to frame it as well; it’ll save us the hassle of finding one ourselves,” Lily added joyfully. “We can put it in our display cabinet when we go back to Johto.” “Will there be room?” Alexa asked with a timid chuckle. “If there isn’t, we’ll make some for it,” Hayden replied optimistically. “Same goes for the shard too.” “Thanks,” Alexa said politely. “But what’s…?” Alexa pulled out the second picture frame out of the box, allowing Keith to pull it to one side now that it had been emptied of all its contents. With the box no longer in the way, Alexa was able to turn the frame over and set it on the table for everyone to see; there, inside the golden picture frame, was a spectacularly designed certificate from the Ranger Union, which expressed a heartfelt appreciation for Alexa’s service during Operation Brighton and officially certifying her as something called the ‘Hero of Almia’ – the certificate left Alexa completely speechless, but everyone around her, including Keith, was overwhelmingly ecstatic. As a matter of fact, Hayden was so proud of Alexa that he suddenly became tearful. “Oh, my gosh…! Alexa, this is INCREDIBLE…!” Lily remarked, containing her enthusiasm as much as she could. “Oh, Lexie, I’m so PROUD of you!” Hayden exclaimed, immediately giving his daughter a big, yet soft, cuddle. “Y-Yeah, but you’re proud of me by default,” Alexa replied with nervous laughter. “So what if he IS!? That’s AMAZING, Alexa!” Keith cried joyfully. “You’re a REAL HERO, sis!” Keenan added excitedly. “It’s right THERE, IN WRITING!” “And it’s DEFINITELY better than ‘just’ a card,” Ryder added wittily. “G-Guys, c’mon, stop it…! It-it’s not THAT big a deal…!” Alexa chuckled shyly. “Alexa, being officially recognised as a HERO is a HUGE deal!” Keith exclaimed in disbelief. “How’re you--” “It’s all right, sweetheart; Alexa’s very much like her father,” Lily said understandingly. “They’re both humble to the point where their achievements, however big or small, don’t even affect them. Isn’t that right, Tiger?” she added, playfully smirking at her husband. “I keep telling you, it was JUST an idea,” Hayden responded, suddenly pouting at his wife. “I didn’t mean to become the next CEO…!” “Says the man whose idea turned the company around from the brink of liquidation to the unstoppable retail powerhouse it is today,” Lily retorted playfully. “Which, need I point out, isn’t even in the same league as what Alexa’s achieved,” Hayden replied, his overwhelming pride and joy swiftly returning. “Our sweet little Lexie prevented a global CATASTROPHE!” “D-Dad…!” Despite the shaky smile on Alexa’s face, Keith could easily tell that she was spooked, but he honestly couldn’t blame her; after all, the very idea of what Team Dim Sun was attempting to achieve was horrific enough for her to feel physically sick to her stomach, so remembering the mission to thwart their plan would obviously spook her – at least, for now, Keith hoped. “Well, this is most CERTAINLY going into the cabinet,” Lily stated, carefully taking the framed certificate off of the table. “If it can’t fit, then it can hang on the wall next to it.” “Y-Yeah, thanks…” Alexa chuckled shyly. “I-I, uh…guess that’s it…?” “Uh…not quite…” Suddenly, everyone looked over at Keith, and everyone but Buizel was confused to see him walking over to the kit bag he’d previously dropped and dragging it over towards the table. Alexa watched him opening the bag, which was placed in between his feet, pulling and quickly holding it in front of Alexa. “TA-DAAAAA!” “BUI-BUIIIIIII!” Alexa stared at the item Keith was holding out to her in absolute silence; the item was an immaculate, hand-made Charmander plush with expertly embroidered eyes and facial features, and with a carefully crafted tail-flame that wasn’t just a mess of red and yellow fluff – Alexa stared at it, awe and delight sparkling in her eyes for all to see. “Oh, that’s gorgeous!” Lily stated with delight. “I thought so too when I saw it,” Keith replied happily. “The store had other Pokémon plushies of the same quality, but I couldn’t NOT go with that one; I saw it and thought of Alexa because it’s her Starter Pokémon!” Alexa carefully accepted the gift from Keith and held it close to her, but she faced Keith in complete shock. “…y-you remembered that…?” “Nope; I never forgot that,” Keith replied, giving Alexa his trademark charismatic grin. “You can’t remember something you didn’t forget.” Alexa felt tears in her eyes and a smile reaching her lips, touched deeply by both Keith’s gift and the sentiment behind it. Still holding onto the plushie by one of its arms, Alexa moved closer to Keith and hugged him softly, which Keith was more than happy to return without any thought about how it would look to her family. “…thank you… …that…that’s so sweet of you…” “No sweat! It might not be as valuable as that certificate, but--” “I know, but…I love it anyway…thank you…” The cuddle soon came to an end as Keith and Alexa released one another from their embrace. Keith, however, suddenly patted the top of Alexa’s head softly before retrieving his empty kit bag from the floor. “You can be such a softie, you know that?” “So I’ve been told,” Alexa replied, slightly glancing over at her parents. “More than once. So,” she continued, looking back at Keith curiously. “W-What’re you up to today…?” “Nothing; giving you that package was all I was asked to do,” Keith replied. “I ought to head back and let them know how it went.” “Bui,” Buizel grinned. “VERY well, I’d say,” Ryder chuckled. “Professor Hastings hasn’t asked you to do anything else? Not even to patrol?” Alexa asked worriedly. “Chairperson Erma said everything’s under control, but…I dunno, I might patrol anyway,” Keith mumbled to himself. “Well, whatever you decide to do, don’t be a stranger; it truly was wonderful to have finally met you,” Lily said kindly. “We’d love to have you over again.” “Thanks; I might take you up on that sometime!” Keith said to Lily happily before smiling back at Alexa. “Anything you wanna pass on to the Ranger Union?” “Just…tell them thanks,” Alexa replied modestly. “And…I think I’ll be able to come back in a few more days…but maybe don’t hold me to that…? It…still kinda hurts to move…” “I’ll figure that out,” Keith said with a wink. “See you later, everyone!” “Bye, Keith!” Keenan responded gleefully. “Thanks for stopping by,” Hayden said sunnily. “Take care!” Lily said gently. Keith gave the family one last wave just before he and Buizel exited the house. Once the door closed behind him, Hayden breathed a deep sigh of satisfaction and smiled excitedly. “I like him!” he suddenly declared joyfully. “I mean, I had a feeling I would from what you’ve told us about him, Lexie, but…I like him!” “But…he didn’t meet the Pokémon,” Keenan said despondently, glancing over at the Vaporeon, Typhlosion and Meganium. “There’ll be time enough for that, sweetie,” Lily said reassuringly. “We might end up seeing more of Keith in the future.” “Of course you will,” Alexa replied blissfully. “Besides…I’d like him to meet some more of my other Pokémon sometime,” she continued, tightening her grip on her plushie. *** The makeshift harbour hidden within Boyleland where Team Dim Sun had previously taken Barlow captive was troublingly thriving with more Dim Sun activity; several grunts were in the process of moving the last of the metallic crates Barlow and Alexa had previously hidden behind onto the nearby, unmarked cargo ship under the very watchful eye of Kincaid. Eventually, Ice, Lavana and Heath gathered around him from different areas of the cave. “I think we’re clear to leave this place behind us once and for all,” Ice said casually. “We’ve already taken everything that’s isn’t nailed down.” “Do you even KNOW what we’re collecting anymore?” Lavana asked, frustrated. “We’ve been doing this all week and you haven’t said anything about why we’re doing this!” “Team Dim Sun is starting over, Lavana; I’ve TOLD you this already,” Kincaid replied angrily. “Once we’ve collected everything there is to collect here, we can begin preparations for our return.” “I-I not sure,” Heath said reluctantly. “I think maybe we stop and flee to own countries while can do so…” “…you’re the only one here who’s not from Almia, big guy,” Ice replied sceptically. “Don’t go there with that, Ice,” Kincaid said spitefully. “…still…she’ll pay for her interference in time…” “She’d better,” Lavana agreed nastily. “But I suppose HOW she’ll pay will be part of our preparations.” “If Hall hadn’t called for the Miniremo production to stop, I would have more confidence in our comeback,” Kincaid said furiously. “Not that it’d even matter now anyway; thanks to whatever stunt Alexa was able to pull off last week, a lot of our spare Dark Shards are useless now,” Ice stated casually. “…do we have any at ALL?” Kincaid asked through gritted teeth. “We still have a fair amount that we kept below sea level that’re still good,” Ice replied nonchalantly. “But then we go back to the whole ‘stop Miniremo production’ issue…unless we, oh, I don’t know…start it up again?” “Perhaps, but--…hm…this might be more difficult than I thought,” Kincaid mumbled to himself. “It not need be difficult; we can just call it no more, yes?” “Heath, if you want to call it ‘no more’, why’re you here?” Kincaid asked suspiciously. “You’re either with us or you’re not; it’s that simple.” “At least SOMETHING is,” Ice teased. “So, how much longer do you think it’ll be before we’re actually ready to discuss Team Dim Sun’s encore?” “It won’t be a Team Dim Sun encore,” Kincaid stated, smirking sinisterly. “Team Dim Sun was Blake Hall’s legacy. Alexa may have put an end to Team Dim Sun…but Team Debonairs will put an end to Alexa…” Lavana shared Kincaid’s devilish grin over the idea, but Ice merely shrugged with complete apathy. Heath, on the other hand, was hesitant; he clearly remembered the compassion Alexa had given him during Operation Brighton regardless of what he’d done to her and Keith in Haruba – he wasn’t sure if he should’ve returned to Kincaid after all… *** Cain lay on the bed inside what appeared to be a cosy little hotel room of some kind, reading the latest edition of The Almia Times. Other, earlier copies of the newspaper were sprawled out all over the floor around the bed, all of which had reports of Alexa’s deeds as a Pokémon Ranger as front-page headlines. The edition Cain was reading was no exception; the front-page headline was of Alexa’s recent success during Operation Brighton, calling her ‘Hero of Almia’ as well as thanking the other Rangers involved, and showed a photograph of Alexa, Keith, their Partner Pokémon and their friends in the middle of appreciating the Go-Rock Quads concert – it was clear from how natural everyone in the photograph looked that it was taken without their notice. After reading the final page of the newspaper, Cain closed it and stared at Alexa’s image in the photograph, a psychotic smirk gradually stretching across his face…The story continues…
Pokemon Ranger - Vatonage Reborn chpt 56Chapter Fifty Six – Vatonage Reborn What followed the sudden blinding flash was a breathtaking, awe-inspiring sight; the Tears of Princes, all still glowing brightly, hovered in the air and circled around the Shadow Crystal, which had become as clear as a crystal of pure ice and emitted a little glow of its own, making it resemble a giant star in the night sky. Best of all, the Incredible Machine, with the darkness of the Shadow Crystal vanquished, had become inactive, suggesting that the Pokémon all across Almia had finally regained their senses. “ALEXA!!” However, there wasn’t much room for immediate celebration; wasting no time, Keith and Buizel bolted from the Staraptor they rode on and raced over to their fallen friends. Buizel instantly began to nudge Ryder’s body in hopes of getting some form of response from the Lucario, while Keith collapsed onto his knees and gently lifted Alexa’s upper body off of the floor, cradling his friend in his arms in almost the same way he did in the Hippowdon Temple. “ALEXA!! Alexa, can you hear me?!” Sven and Wendy soon caught up with Keith, Luxray and Staraptor joining Buizel in attempting to wake Ryder up with their own gentle nudging. Upon seeing Alexa’s horrific condition up close, Wendy recoiled and averted her eyes, almost sickened at the absolute state of her, while Sven felt his heart sinking to his stomach. “Alexa, PLEASE! Y-You have to wake UP…!” Suddenly, Barlow, Isaac and even Professor Hastings hurried onto the roof, followed closely by Makuhita, Espeon and Umbreon. Upon seeing Alexa’s motionless body in Keith’s arms, Barlow immediately began to tremble, horrified and devastated to once again fear for Alexa’s life. He quickly knelt next to Keith and looked down at his former rookie with tears in his eyes; her face was flushed from the chronic stress she’d undergone while capturing Darkrai, her body was bruised all over from her overworking her severely tired and aching muscles, the blood from her knee laceration left red streaks down her leg while the blood from her waist injury stained almost the entire lower half of her vest – Barlow couldn’t decide if she looked worse than when she was poisoned or not. “ALEXA! Alexa, C’MON, kid, you’re NOT doin’ this to me again!!” Isaac and Professor Hastings began to gather around and observe Alexa’s condition near Sven and Wendy, only for the pair to instantly recoil from seeing her ghastly state; while her condition was far worse than Isaac had imagined, which left him even closer to the verge of sobbing all over again, Professor Hastings had immense difficulty in even fathoming what had happened to Alexa to leave her in such a state and how painful it must have been for her to endure. “C’MON, Alexa!” Barlow cried tearfully. “ALEXA, WAKE UP!!” Keith yelled desperately. “PLEASE!!” Unbeknownst to everyone, Darkrai began to stir; he groaned softly under his breath and slowly raised himself off of the steps. While rubbing his head gently, he looked over at the scene of everyone showing concerns for Alexa and Ryder’s health; he saw Espeon and Makuhita consoling a deeply upset Buizel while Umbreon closely examined Ryder’s condition and checked the Lucario’s breathing, and he saw Alexa’s fingers twitching before anyone else. “…mm…aagh…!” Alexa miraculously began to stir, but the very slightest movement brought monumental pain along with it, ironically accelerating her awakening. She struggled to open her eyes once again, but found herself looking up at Keith as soon as her vision focused and smiled very gently at him. Alexa regaining consciousness immediately dispelled all sense of dread regarding her fate, sending a tidal wave of relief to everyone around her, but leaving Professor Hastings and the senior Top Rangers in overwhelming shock; considering how gravely wounded and exhausted she looked, they were left wondering how in the world she was able to regain consciousness at all, and so quickly no less. Keith, Barlow and Isaac, on the other hand, were far too overjoyed to see her awake to truly care about how it was possible. “…hey…” Alexa said softly. “…hey, you…!” Keith replied, just as quietly and with tears in his eyes. “Oh, thank ARCEUS you’re back with us!” Barlow cried joyfully. “I thought I was gonna LOSE you this time!” Alexa lost her smile and tried to push herself out of Keith’s arms, but she found herself in insufferable pain from the slightest of movements; she could barely move her hand without feeling the worlds of hurt she’d sustained during the entire operation. But she was determined; she continued her efforts under the horrified eyes of the professors and Pokémon Rangers around her. “Whoa, t-take it easy!” Keith exclaimed frantically. “It’s over, you did it!!” “…I—w-what…?” “He’s right, hun,” Sven said gently, finally giving Alexa a kind smile. “You came through for us.” “…R-Ryder…w-where’s--” “I’m right here.” Suddenly, every single one of the Pokémon surrounding Ryder yelped and backed away from him, none of them sure if it was Ryder sounding like he was perfectly fine despite his multitude of injuries and lying almost lifelessly on the ground that alarmed them or how suddenly he spoke up. “Oh, y-you’re awake too?” Wendy asked with a nervous chuckle. “Kinda hard not to be with everyone poking me like a lump on the ground.” While Isaac suddenly knelt in front of Alexa with the intent on tending to her waist and knee injuries and while Sven walked over to Ryder, Darkrai hovered a couple of inches backwards and held his palms out in front of him, resulting in two small portals of darkness appearing on the ground in front of him a second later. “This is bad… I-I-I’ll patch you up, Alexa, but you’ve GOT to get to the hospital,” Isaac said shakily, plundering Alexa’s first aid kit from her mildly damaged pack to begin his treatment. “I-I-I’ll try to be careful, but it-it’s going to hurt…” While most eyes were on Isaac as he started by cleaning and redressing Alexa’s waist cut, which had bled far more copiously than her other wounds throughout her confrontation with Blake and Darkrai, the quivering figures of Blake Hall himself and Wheeler slowly rose from the portals Darkrai had summoned. “…AAAGH…!!” “It’s okay, I’ve got you,” Keith softly said reassuringly. “What in Arceus’s name happened to you, kid…?” Barlow quietly asked worriedly. “Upsy-daisy,” Sven suddenly said playfully as he lifted Ryder off of the ground. As Sven returned to his original position between Wendy and Professor Hastings with Ryder in his arms, Blake and Wheeler dared to take a few steps towards the commotion in front of them, while Darkrai silently lowered himself into a portal of darkness he summoned underneath him, ultimately vanishing without a trace. “Your pup’s definitely a fighter, hun,” Sven stated kindly to Alexa. “Kept fighting the good fight even while you were down.” “…yeah, he’s…he’s amazing…” “W-What’s--…w-what’s going on?” Just as Isaac was about to tend to Alexa’s knee laceration, Blake had finally felt enough courage to speak up since his return from Darkrai’s Dark Void and almost all attention was swiftly dedicated to him and Wheeler, both of whom were left in shock to see how much Alexa and Ryder’s conditions had deteriorated since the two parties saw each other last. Upon seeing the two men, however, Professor Hastings decided to step forward and speak to them, with a kind smile upon recognising the docile demeanour on the otherwise bewildered Blake. “Ah, you’ve finally awoken from your nightmare, it would seem,” he began politely. “One that you have lived for many years, have you not?” “W-What’re you--” As Isaac hastily resumed his task of changing the bandages around Alexa’s knee, awash with conflicting emotions over seeing his old boss once again, causing Alexa to flinch in pain in the process, Professor Hastings walked closer to Blake, taking something out of his coat pocket, which turned out to be the recreated diary Vatona handed to him back at the Ranger Union. “This belongs to you; it’s your father’s diary – we have managed to restore it to its former glory.” Blake watched Professor Hastings in stunned silence as the older man proceeded to skim through the book’s pages to find whatever it was he was looking for, while Isaac, having finished tending to Alexa’s knee injury and returning the first aid kit to her pack, helped Barlow carefully move her onto Keith’s back; while Alexa very slowly moved her arms around Keith’s shoulders, Keith himself carefully held each of her legs under his arms, carrying her in the exact same manner as when he carried her back to the Ranger Union from the Hippowdon Temple. After making sure Alexa was safely in position, Isaac, the Pokémon Rangers and the Pokémon around them started to gather around Professor Hastings, who’d finally finished skimming the diary’s pages and looked over at Blake curiously. “If you will allow me, may I read some of it aloud?” he asked quickly. “I--…uh…y-yes…please do,” Blake replied unsurely. “M-Mr. President, a-are you sure?” Wheeler asked quietly, looking up at his boss worriedly. “Y-Yes, I believe so…” Just when everyone gathered around just behind Professor Hastings, the elderly man gave Blake a simple nod before casting his eyes to the pristine pages in front of him in preparation to read the words printed on them, which he spoke with nothing but the utmost respect for the man who originally wrote them. “The oil reserve is down to half that of last year. I fear for the future of Almia. Today, several mysterious black stones were unearthed from the drilling site. They were unlike anything I had ever seen; they shone with a dark, alluring light – I felt something stir in my heart in response to its fascinating darkness…” Isaac was the only one averting his eyes from the professor as he proceeded to turn to the next page of the diary, clearly uncomfortable around Blake despite the more docile and mildly unsettled nature of the man. Alexa and Ryder, however, kept their tired eyes exclusively on Blake, having noticed his lack of aggression and even recognising…anguish in his body language… “This next entry is approximately six months later,” he continued. “Finally, we discovered a gigantic specimen of the Dark Shard…the Shadow Crystal! However, it is guarded by a Pokémon that is like darkness itself; though we can see the Shadow Crystal, the Pokémon keeps us at bay – we have no choice but to make do with the small Dark Shards we can collect. They will allow us to continue with our studies on dream-energy sources. Today also happened to be my only child Wyatt Hall’s thirteenth birthday.” While the name Professor Hastings had just spoken left shockwaves down almost everyone’s spines, the only ones who failed to react were Alexa and Ryder, though it was partially due to their severe weakness; instead, they almost felt heartbroken when they saw Blake…recoiling at the very mention of the name Wyatt Hall… “But because I had become so enthralled with studying the crystal, it slipped my mind,” Professor Hastings continued, keeping his eyes on the pages beneath him. “I feel bad for having done my son Wyatt wrong…” In spite of the fact that Blake was the mastermind behind all of the pain and suffering of so many innocent Pokémon and authorised the misfortune that had befallen her and her fellow Rangers, Alexa couldn’t help but feel sympathetic to the man the very instant she could see his body trembling… “This is an entry exactly one year later,” Professor Hastings continued, turning to the appropriate page. “Today, my only son reached his fourteenth birthday. Over my wife’s protestations, I changed my son’s name from Wyatt to Blake. We, my son and I, held a ceremony near the Shadow Crystal for changing his name. We dedicated my son, who will lead Altru Inc., to the Shadow Crystal. In return, let the Shadow Crystal’s incomparable power flow to my son. May the Shadow Crystal and Blake lead Altru to glory.” Though the entry Professor Hastings just narrated explained Ryder’s previous observation of how Blake was quite literally consumed by the same aura embedded in the Shadow Crystal, nobody felt it appropriate to instigate any sort of discussion; one by one, the rest of the Rangers and Pokémon all saw Blake’s increasingly fragile condition and remained silent out of respect. Wheeler, however, walked closer to Blake and patted his boss on the back in hopes of comforting him. “This entry comes roughly two years after your renaming, Blake, but it isn’t dated anymore,” Professor Hastings continued softly. “I realise now that I made a terrible and terrifying mistake. The Shadow Crystal, over thousands of years, absorbed negative feelings. It took in the darkness from the hearts of people and stored it as energy. My only son Blake has become trapped in its infinite darkness. My own son, who drove my from Altru Inc. to become its youngest president! Blake Hall… No; Wyatt Hall! My son, I promise! I will save you! For the rest of my years, I will do everything I can to free you!” Professor Hastings finally closed the diary, but the final words he spoke had a profound impact on Blake and Alexa; although Blake hid his emotions surprisingly well partly because of his sunglasses obscuring his eyes, Keith began to hear Alexa sobbing, which was tainted with pain-filled moans as she instinctively clenched Keith’s jacket in response to her sorrow – hoping to help her somehow, Keith tilted his head towards hers and whispered something soothingly to her, while Barlow, despite being close to tears himself, simply placed a hand very softly on Alexa’s shoulder and stroked it with his thumb. “That is where the diary ended,” Professor Hastings said finally, handing the very book he read from over to Blake, who accepted it with quivering hands. “Of course, it also contained a wealth of information on other matters, such as the secrets of the Blue, Red and Yellow Gems, and it covered the ancient legends of Almia in great detail.” Blake shakily held the diary in both hands and stared at the front cover speechlessly; he simply couldn’t find the words to justify the mountain of emotions he was going through, especially as the final entry echoed in his ears. “While we unfortunately failed to decipher the entire thing, the original diary was extraordinarily important,” Professor Hastings continued gently. “If Alexa hadn’t found it, Operation Brighton wouldn’t have been possible.” “A-Alexa found it…?” Blake whispered shakily, quickly turning his head towards the girl looking at him sadly. “Indeed; her finding the diary was how we learned of the existence of the coloured gems,” Professor Hastings replied. “As for you, I believe you learned of them from your father, did you not…President Wyatt Hall?” Blake held the diary close to his heart, but hung his head almost in shame and breathed a deep sigh of clear and absolute remorse, worrying his assistant to an even greater extent than before. Eventually, Blake looked over at Alexa one more time before taking a deep breath and turning his attention to his audience. “…yes…my real name is Wyatt Hall… …and, yes…it was my father who told me the secret of the coloured gems…but…I was already enthralled by the Shadow Crystal by then…” “M-Mr. President…” “I…founded Team Dim Sun in the name of collecting the Dark Shards,” Blake continued regretfully. “But…that was an insufficient approach… …the Rangers managed to gather the three gems that eluded my father…the gems that, in turn…as you said, Professor, awakened me from my long nightmare…and to name your mission Operation Brighton…? …my father finally got his wish to save me today…” “Indeed,” Professor Hastings nodded slowly. “However, most of the credit simply must go to Alexa; after all, she was the one who brought the Blue and Red Gems to the Ranger Union and--” “I’m…very well aware,” Blake sighed lightly. “…I…I’ve caused so much harm…not just to Almia’s Pokémon…but to the Pokémon Rangers… …and,” he continued, looking sadly over at Keith, Alexa and Isaac. “…and even to CHILDREN… I…I cannot expect to be forgiven for the pain my decisions and actions have caused them…all I can do is express my regret…and denounce everything I’ve done as the leader of Team Dim Sun… …I…I sincerely apologise…” Keith wasn’t sure how to feel over Blake’s sudden change of heart; to him, it didn’t feel all that long ago that Blake was attempting to plunge Alexa into her own long-lasting nightmare, a fate that sounded worse than death, only for that same man to regret it shortly after – and Keith’s conflicting emotions on the matter were in spite of the revelations Professor Hastings laid bare. Isaac refused to acknowledge Blake with eye contact, just as unsure of what to make of Blake’s apology as Keith and even less certain of his ability to give him the benefit of the doubt; instead, he stood there, arms wrapped around himself and subtly shivering where he stood, leading Espeon and Umbreon to return to his side and softly lean their bodies against his shins comfortingly. Alexa, however, kept her tired eyes on Blake despite her struggles to keep them open. “Bla—uh…Wyatt,” Barlow began, removing his hand from Alexa’s shoulder and taking a few steps forward. “You still need to make amends for what you’ve done…and you have a lot to answer for. Can you walk out of here and meet the escorts in front of the Altru Building on your own?” “Y-You’re not going to restrain me?” Blake asked, facing Barlow in shock. “Restraints are for the uncooperative,” Barlow replied, giving Blake a single nod. “And from the way you looked at that book you’re holdin’…I know you MEANT your apology…” “I--… …thank you…I’m grateful for your kindness…” Blake slowly began to leave the rooftop, a somehow still faithful Wheeler willingly following his boss. However, just as he was about to pass the group of Pokémon Rangers, he stopped near Keith and Alexa, his eyes focused on her one last time as she looked at him curiously. “Alexa…? I cannot apologise to you enough; of all the Rangers who fought to carry out my father’s wish to save me from myself…it is you who have suffered the most… Truly, I…I am sorry…” Blake let out a mild sigh, removed his sunglasses from his face and, to Wheeler’s surprise, dropped them where he stood, one of the lenses and the frame shattering as they hit the floor beneath his feet. From there, he opened his gentle icy blue eyes and smiled at Alexa softly. “…conversely, you have my undying gratitude,” he continued. “Your focus, commitment and sheer will are the reasons my father’s wish came true… And I am grateful that, despite us being on opposing sides…you were still able to show compassion towards Wheeler and I… You are quite a remarkable child…” Blake slowly looked over at Ryder, who lay limply in Sven’s arms and kept his half-open eyes on the former foe with the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth, which Blake admittedly found somewhat endearing. “And your Lucario,” he continued softly. “…Lucario, I believe, aren’t easy Pokémon to raise… So for you to raise one to become such a powerful Pokémon…is a true testament of the devotion you hold for Pokémon everywhere and of your skills as a Trainer. You should be admired for that.” While it certainly felt strange for the Pokémon Rangers – for Keith especially – to hear such sincere praise from the man who’d threatened Almia’s very way of life with his totalitarian ideology, Alexa stared at him for a few moments before smiling weakly at him. “…thank you…” Satisfied, Blake continued his exit from the rooftop, Wheeler happily following close behind him. Barlow looked down at his concerned partner and motioned the little Makuhita to follow him off of the roof, but not before giving Alexa one final endearing pat on the head. Isaac watched Barlow and Makuhita catching up with Blake and Wheeler rather sadly. “…Isaac…?” Alexa asked quietly. “I-I’ll be fine,” Isaac shakily insisted. “…Barlow--…I-I know Melody’s safe…but…M.Mr Hall…” “I know it’s weird to see him--…well…NORMAL, I guess,” Keith began sympathetically. “But, yeah, I get it; he took advantage of you, so you’re obviously not gonna trust him again for at LEAST a while.” “I…I know,” Isaac sighed. “It will take time, but I hold no doubts that Wyatt will ultimately become the man he was meant to be,” Professor Hastings said confidently. Professor Hastings walked away from Isaac and the Top Rangers slightly to face every single one of them with pride, relief and gratitude written all over his face and oozing in his voice as he continued to speak to them. “…all of you…the Operators…the researchers…and every other Union staff…all of you who love Pokémon…YOU have made this victory possible…” The only ones who weren’t smiling in the wake of Professor Hastings’ praise were Isaac and Alexa. Isaac was still overwhelmingly rattled by the whole experience and still in deep conflict regarding the relationship he thought he had with the man he knew as Blake Hall. Alexa, on the other hand, struggled immeasurably to accept her share of the credit for Operation Brighton’s success, even as arguably the biggest contributor to it. “Your intelligence, bravery and your passion have solved the biggest crisis in Almia’s history!” Professor Hastings continued, his euphoria threatening to erupt. “You have all gone above and beyond the call of duty and have turned Altru’s birthday into a day of celebration for ALL of Almia…a day that shall NEVER be forgotten. Now, allow me to conclude with my usual words spoken in the best of spirits…that is it for Operation Brighton – mission CLEAR!” In that moment, whatever sense of dread, fear, anguish and despair that remained was eliminated entirely by the wave of relief brought about by Professor Hastings’ closure. Wendy took a deep breath and looked up at the nighttime sky above her with a certain look of…clarity in her eyes, her beloved Staraptor imitating her adoringly. Luxray happily hopped onto his hind legs in an attempt to cuddle Sven, resting his front paws on the man’s shoulder, amusing his partner in the process. Keith breathed a tremendous sigh of relief knowing that his emotional roller coaster, between his anxieties from having to separate from Alexa to his strangely intense fears for her life following Darkrai’s brutal assault against her, were at last at an end. While Ryder was too exhausted to even wag his tail to express his happiness, Isaac simply wouldn’t express such a sentiment; sure, Isaac was as happy as anyone else that Almia avoided catastrophe, but he was still attempting to process Blake Hall’s redemption to truly share in the low-key celebration. Alexa, however, was a different story; if it wasn’t for the fact that, like Ryder, she was too weak to express anything other than her indescribable exhaustion, she would have continued to seemingly reject her contribution to Operation Brighton’s success. “Now, then,” Professor Hastings suddenly began optimistically. “Keith, Sven, I would like the two of you to take Alexa and Ryder to the hospital; they are inconceivably overdue for medical attention and it wouldn’t do for them to miss out on the celebrations due to start in the morning.” “What about Darkrai?” Ryder suddenly asked worriedly. “…I-I think…h-he’ll take care of himself…” Alexa replied, almost inaudibly. “Oh, and Keith? I would like you to get your injuries checked up while you are there,” Professor Hastings continued. “I’m certain Kate and Raegan did what they could, but--” “They did enough, but, y-yeah, okay,” Keith replied awkwardly. “Guess it can’t hurt…” “C’mon, hotshot; let’s get to it,” Sven said happily. “Lux!” “Bui!” Wendy and Staraptor were the only ones to remain with Professor Hastings and watched as Isaac, her colleagues and the rest of the Pokémon all proceeded to leave the rooftop, Sven allowing Keith and Isaac down the steps first. As soon as the group left, Wendy lost her smile and breathed a rather shaky sigh. “I-I don’t know what happened to her, Professor, but…I’ve never seen anything LIKE that before…!” “Even with all of her stamina and willpower, I cannot decide whether her condition was more or less frightful than her surviving it,” Professor Hastings admitted quietly. “Regardless…she was the best candidate for Operation Brighton’s key role and, for better or worse, she succeeded.” “…she held on,” Wendy quietly said sombrely. “She…she must have gone through so much hell on the way up here, she was almost dragged into…whatever Keith rescued her from…and…that attack… …and…she wouldn’t give up…” “It sounds to me like she has more willpower than we previously thought. …mind you, that wasn’t the reason I assigned the key role to her in the first place, but I must say that it served her remarkably well tonight.” Wendy gave her superior a nod of agreement before looking up at the night sky with her Staraptor all over again, wrapping an arm around her precious Predator Pokémon partner as she smiled contently. Until…her smile began to wane… “…it…it’s not over…” “Not quite…but thank you for not saying anything in front of the young ones,” Professor Hastings replied with a sigh of relief. “For now…let them rest…and let them enjoy the celebrations…” *** Hours later, the sky above Almia was clear and bright, a perfect complement to the explosive atmosphere in Altru Park; a humongous crowd gathered around the very same stage where Alexa had outshined Blake Hall during his announcement a mere few days ago to watch, cheer and dance along to the Go-Rock Quads as they performed their upbeat and inspirational concert with their hearts and souls. Behind the crowd and admiring the music from afar were Rhythmi, Isaac, Melody, Keith and Alexa. Rhythmi was the only one among her friends making an attempt to dance along with the Go-Rock Quads’ music, while Isaac and Melody were more thrilled that they were able to witness the concert together, Espeon and Umbreon happily sitting near the siblings. Though Keith, with fresh bandages across his forehead, forearm and shin, was simply content with listening to the music with Buizel, with fresh bandages around his forehead and torso, hanging from his shoulders, he couldn’t help but keep a subtle eye on Alexa; both she and Ryder had regained enough strength to at the very least stand on their own and had considerably less difficulty staying awake, but the amount of bandages they wore still gave cause for concern – while Ryder’s bandages were mostly limited to his chest and forehead, Alexa easily wore the most bandages, which she wore across her forehead, her knee, around at least her waist as seen through the rip in her vest, both ankles, both forearms and her right wrist. However, it wasn’t until Barlow, Crawford and Luana approached them with a Doduo among their Partner Pokémon that anyone in the group spoke up, starting with Barlow as he glanced over at the distant concert. “Whoo-yeah!! The Go-Rock Quads rule!” he exclaimed joyfully. “Between them and this hot and sunny weather, today’s double-celebration couldn’t be any more perfect!” “Ma-ku!” Makuhita rejoiced in agreement. “Barlow, I-I really have to thank you for rescuing me earlier,” Isaac suddenly said bashfully. “You shouting ‘Target Clear’ before punching the beam generator…it was so simple, but it was SO cool!” “Bah, you don’t have to worry about that, kid; I was just doin’ what I do best – clearin’ targets!” Barlow laughed. “Oh, oh, Barlow, Barlow!” Melody suddenly cried excitedly, running over to the burly Ranger. “My big brother says he’s taking a holiday today and he said he’d play with me all day!” “Aw, that’s so sweet,” Alexa said endearingly. “You definitely need it after what you had to go through.” “Well, after Operation Brighton, it might take a little while for the company to get back and running again in SOME capacity anyway,” Isaac replied with a timid chuckle. “I know I’ll be spending my time off with Melody…” “AND with Espy and Umby!” Melody chimed in, confusing Espeon and Umbreon. “That’s NOT what they’re going to be named, but…yes, I’m letting Espeon and Umbreon stay with me!” Isaac explained, Espeon and Umbreon happily nodding in confirmation. “That’s great!” Keith beamed happily. “Y-Yeah, it sure is,” Barlow agreed tearfully. “I-I’m really happy for you two…!!” “A little TOO happy, eh, Barlow?” Crawford asked teasingly. “Who can blame him? It’s always wonderful to see Pokémon and humans becoming friends!” Luana said blissfully. “Buh-neary!” Buneary said in agreement. “And since Alexa asked them to keep him safe during Operation Brighton,” Rhythmi suddenly began. “Then they can keep him and Melody safe in the future!” “For the record, I didn’t think Espeon and Umbreon would bond with Isaac,” Alexa said humbly. “But I’m glad they got a happy ending either way.” “Hey, Alexa…?” All of a sudden, everyone watched Alexa and Keith as she turned to face him, confused and concerned by how withdrawn, somewhat bashful and almost nervous he looked underneath the kind and heart-warming smile he was giving her. “…remember when we first met…? …when I caught most of the Bidoof that got out of control…?” “T-They were over-excited,” Alexa corrected nervously. “B-But…where’re you going with this…?” “I…pledged to be the best Ranger I could be… …I-I think I DID that, but…I think, between the two of us…YOU’RE the better Ranger…” Rhythmi would’ve immediately jumped on Keith’s remark and teased him about it had she not noticed the look of borderline terror in Alexa’s eyes as she recoiled a little from him and gradually started to hyperventilate, as if his remark somehow offended her, worrying her onlookers. “…w-what…?!” “J-J-Just…THINK about it, would ya? Whether I screwed up in Haruba or not, you would’ve brought most of the Tears of Princes back to the Ranger Union!” Keith explained, severely concerned after seeing tears welling up in Alexa’s eyes. “But when I DID screw up…YOU bailed me out by earning the Yellow Gem even if it WAS for a little while… So…it-it made me feel REALLY happy that I got to save you from that darkness,” he continued, his smile softening significantly. “It’s like…I was able to PROPERLY pay you back for saving ME…” As heartfelt as Keith’s sentiment was, it failed to leave its intended impact on Alexa; the tears in her eyes started to run down her face, her body trembled slightly and her erratic breathing became increasingly obvious. “…h-how can you SAY that…?!” Alexa questioned woefully as she began to sob. “…Keith, YOU’RE the reason Ryder and I are HERE right now…!! …without you, w-we wouldn’t have--…I-I wouldn’t--…!” To Keith’s overwhelming surprise, Alexa suddenly threw herself at him, holding him in the softest, warmest hug she could give, her fingers on one hand running through his spiky hair as it rested on the back of his head and the other clenching the back of his jacket. Keith held onto Alexa just as gently, even mirroring her by placing a hand on the back of her head, and smiled at her caringly in response. However, from the very moment Alexa clung to him, Keith’s face was blushing quite vividly, almost amusing everyone around them. “…y-you’ve been there for me since the day we met…!! …from cheering me up to…to saving my life…!! …h-how can you say I’M the better Ranger when I owe that to YOU…?! …Keith, I…I don’t know how to THANK you…!!” Both Keith and Alexa were unaware of the reactions their embrace had garnered; of course, Ryder and Buizel looked on with pure delight, but Barlow narrowly avoided bursting into tears with a deep breath and a sigh, while Crawford glanced over at Luana, subtly pointed between Keith and Alexa and then created the shape of a heart with his thumbs and index fingers, amusing his fellow Ranger and their partners. “People give help…and are helped.” It wasn’t until Barlow spoke up that Keith and Alexa turned their attention away from each other to face him in confusion, still maintaining their embrace somewhat as they listened to the rest of what Barlow had to say. “That goes for Pokémon, too,” he continued gently. “Everyone lives by helping each other…don’t think of it as what you owe to others or what others owe to you…” “…y-yeah…you’re right,” Alexa shakily said in agreement, smiling sweetly at Barlow. “By the way,” Barlow suddenly began, turning his attention momentarily to the concert. “This song…about how the king of Almia fell into darkness? And how the princes came together? It’s just like this storybook my grandma used to read me when I was a kid…” “S-So I guess Operation Brighton…recreated history…?” Keith guessed nervously. “I mean…that’s what happened to Blake—uh, Wyatt—uh, whatever his name is…” “Wyatt,” Alexa said quietly. “…I…get the feeling that NOBODY will forget that story ever again…” “I think you’re right, Golden Girl,” Crawford grinned. “I’d be amazed if anyone forgets that Almia’s biggest hero isn’t even Almian herself!” “On that note, Alexa,” Barlow suddenly began softly, patting the Doduo’s back lightly. “I know you pulled an all-nighter and took A LOT of abuse…but I’ve got a mission for you: go meet your family in Chicole Village…” “T-They’re…here already…?!” Alexa asked in immense shock. “They kept THAT one quiet,” Ryder remarked in surprise. “I--…I-I mean, a-are you sure…?” “Alexa, I don’t care how much rest you got at the hospital; you look ready to fall asleep,” Barlow replied worriedly. “And you don’t look like you’re in any less pain either.” “It’s hard to argue with his assessment,” Crawford said playfully. “Meet your family in Chicole Village and get some PROPER rest,” Barlow reiterated with a gentle smile. “This is your final mission from me.” Alexa was hesitant at first, but she took a deep breath and slowly let out a sigh to dispel her anxieties before taking Ryder’s Poké Ball out of her pocket and holding it towards Ryder, who immediately smiled with indescribable relief upon seeing it. “Y-You’re not running with Doduo in your condition.” “I love you,” Ryder replied quickly. Alexa smiled kindly as the Poké Ball fired its red energy beam at Ryder, absorbing him and pulling him back inside the safety of the spherical capsule. After placing Ryder’s Poké Ball back into the same pocket she pulled it out from, Alexa walked over to the Doduo, who crouched in anticipation of her climbing onto his back. Keith, however, followed her and ultimately aided her onto the Twin Bird Pokémon’s back, which alarmed Alexa at first before smiling appreciatively at him the moment she was safely in position and Doduo stood up properly again. “…thank you…” Keith gave Alexa a simple nod followed by a wink and his usual charismatic smile in response. Alexa gave him an acknowledging nod before clicking her tongue, cueing Doduo to begin his light jog out of Altru Park all the way to Chicole Village, her friends all watching her departure with caring smiles, Melody waving at them until they disappeared from sight. *** In what felt like no time at all, Alexa had found herself approaching Vientown, the very town where her Pokémon Ranger career lifted off. To her surprise, she saw that the town’s residents had gathered together in anticipation of her arrival, who all cheered and celebrated her as Doduo jogged past them at a slightly slower pace than before; during the improvised parade, Alexa recognised Ollie and Elaine, who stood side by side and hand in hand as they happily waved at her with Big Bertha, Little Tim and their Miltank on one side of the congregation and Mr. Woodward with the familiar faces of Starly, Munchlax and Pachirisu cheering for her on the other side, just before Doduo picked up the pace and ultimately left the quaint little town to conclude his journey. Doduo once more slowed his pace until he came to a stop at the farthest end of Chicole Village, where he crouched his body low enough for Alexa to dismount unaided. As soon as she was safely off of his back, Alexa smiled at Doduo and gave both of his heads a gentle petting before the Twin Bird Pokémon began to make his way out of the village and, presumably, back to Barlow. Alexa took a deep breath and sighed as she took Ryder’s Poké Ball out of her pocket. However, before she could bring Ryder out of it… “SIS!!” Keenan’s gleeful voice erupted through the village’s tranquillity, which was by itself enough to alarm Alexa extensively, very nearly dropping Ryder’s Poké Ball in the process. After she reinforced her grip on the Poké Ball, she was about to address her little brother when… “G’AAGH!!” Without much thought, Keenan threw himself at Alexa almost like how she’d thrown herself at Keith in Altru Park, causing her to cry out in mild shock and agitated pain and drop Ryder’s Poké Ball onto the grass. But just as quickly as he threw himself at his sister, Keenan moved away from her and looked up at her apologetically, while Ryder’s Poké Ball opened as it touched the grass and releasing him from it. “S-Sorry, I-I was--” Keenan’s apology was cut short by Alexa suddenly pulling him back into the hug he wanted to give her, briefly startling the boy before his overwhelming joy returned and cuddled Alexa lovingly. “Get back in there, you…!” Alexa said playfully, feeling her tears falling from her eyes almost as quickly as she felt them brewing. “…I missed you, Keenan…!!” “ALEXA!!” Alexa looked up, only for her warm smile to grow at the sight of both of her parents running over to her and holding onto her lovingly and as gently as they could without causing her further harm, her father just as close to tears as Alexa herself was. Ryder watched the family reunion with his ears drooped on either side of his head, but with a loving smile and his tail swaying from side to side. “Mum…Dad…!!” “Oh, sweetie, we’re glad to see you’re all right!” Lily said happily. “And we’re so PROUD of you…!” “The Ranger Union called and told us you’re a HERO!” Keenan added in pure delight. “You saved Almia and maybe even THE WORLD!! You’re SO AWESOME, sis…!!” “Oh, Lexie, I’m just glad you’re SAFE…!!” Hayden said tearfully. “My sweet little Lexie…!!” “Da-a-a-ad…!!” Eventually, the group hug came to its inevitable end, allowing Hayden and Lily to turn their attention to Ryder; Ryder hurried over to Alexa’s side and playfully ruffled Keenan’s hair with his paw while retaining his loving smile. “Ryder, thank you SO much for looking after Alexa,” Lily began graciously. “And for everything you’ve done to help her.” “I don’t need thanks for that, Lily,” Ryder replied modestly. “I’m ALWAYS gonna do what I can for her. But I have to go with Hayden here; I’m just glad she’s safe.” “Ryder…!!” Alexa mumbled tearfully, wiping her eyes with her palms. Alexa would have broken down in tears had a yawn not suddenly escaped her, silencing her sobs in an instant. Alexa held a hand just over her mouth as she yawned, but she began to find it difficult to keep her eyes open as soon as she was done. Then, all of a sudden, Ryder began to yawn, holding a paw just in front of his muzzle until he, too, was done. “Aw, bless you two…! You’re both overdue for a nice, long rest. But, first,” Lily began with slight worry. “When was the last time you two ate?” Alexa and Ryder suddenly glanced at one another, taken aback by Lily’s enquiry, only to quickly look back at her with nervous smiles and an awkward chuckle from Ryder. “That tells me all I need to know,” Lily sighed softly. “Right, let’s head inside, everyone, and I’ll cook something hearty for our darling heroes.” “…thanks, Mum,” Alexa quietly said gratefully. Hayden quickly walked over to Alexa and lightly wrapped his arm around his daughter’s shoulder as the entire family began to enter the house nearest to them, which had a ‘For Sale’ sign nearby that was covered by a large sticker of some kind with the word ‘Sold’ written on it in a large and bold font. As soon as everyone else was inside the building, Lily let out one last sigh of relief and smiled softly before closing the front door behind her.~ Fin.
Pokemon Ranger - Vatonage Reborn chpt 55Chapter Fifty Five – Operation Brighton pt VI All hope seemed lost. Alexa’s scream mercifully came to an end, but in its wake was a consuming sense of fear and despair for Operation Brighton’s outcome. Isaac, having heard most of what was transpiring on the roof above, had long since lost the strong and encouraging bravado that persuaded Alexa to press on and was now huddled in one corner of the cubicle he was confined in, clenching his head with both hands, trembling uncontrollably with a look of unbridled terror in his eyes and occasionally sobbing quietly. Espeon and Umbreon, as part of their responsibility of safeguarding Isaac’s well-being, would frequently check on his increasingly declining state, causing the pair more concern with each check-up. In the end, they couldn’t stand protecting him from the sidelines; they had to take a running start, but Espeon and Umbreon leapt over the electrified barrier trapping Isaac in the cubicle to join him, Umbreon resting his head on Isaac’s shoulder and Espeon gently leaning against his chest in hopes of comforting the traumatised teen. * Optimism seemed to be at an all-time low at the foot of Altru Tower as well; even some of the apprehended Team Dim Sun goons looked towards the roof in complete horror in the wake of such a powerful and borderline inhuman scream. Crawford’s face was pale as he stared upwards in uncharacteristic silence. Luana trembled in place and held both hands over her mouth in utter fright. But none reacted more strongly than Barlow; looked up at the darkness above with a fiercely aching heart and tears trickling from his pain-filled eyes, fearing for Alexa’s life far more than he’d feared for her life during the Cargo Ship fiasco, especially with her shriek of raw agony still ringing in his ears like a death knell. “Heh; serves her right…” Barlow darted his suddenly savage glare towards the culprit behind the heartless sentiment that disturbed the silence, his gaze ending up on two of the arrested Team Dim Sun grunts that had yet to be processed; the taller of the two grunts stared towards the darkness with a peculiar mix of worry and awe, but the shorter one looked upwards with a smirk that gave him away as the man behind the uncaring sentiment. “Wow…” the taller grunt whispered. “She has such a powerful voice…” “What’re you praising her for? She’s the ENEMY,” the shorter grunt scolded. “Hey, I can give credit where it’s due,” the taller grunt replied crabbily. “And, to her credit, she has a powerful voice.” “Or, rather…HAD.” Without warning, Barlow charged towards the shorter grunt, grabbed him by the collar of his leotard with both hands and pulled the spooked man so close to him their noses and foreheads almost clashed. The sudden confrontation alarmed Makuhita to say the least, but Crawford and Luana snapped out of their states of fear to try and separate Barlow and the grunt, who quickly returned to smirking at the clearly irate and offended Ranger. “YOU WANNA SAY THAT TO MY FACE, GLOOM-SNIFFER?!” “Barlow, STOP!” Luana cried desperately. “Cut it out,” Crawford cautioned the grunt sternly. “Dude, stop it,” the taller grunt said in frustration. “Why? I’m entitled to my opinion,” the cocky grunt said mockingly. “NOT IF YOU’RE WISHIN’ A KID DEAD, YOU AIN’T!” Barlow roared furiously. “I’m sorry, did we hear the same scream just now?” the cocky grunt asked insultingly. “Nobody screams like that for no reason; whatever happened up there, I’d bet cold, hard cash that it left her in a pool of her own blood…” “YOU SHUT YOUR DIRTY MOUTH RIGHT NOW OR I’LL--” “You’ll what?” the arrogant grunt asked with a chuckle. “Attack a man unable to defend himself and stoop to OUR level?” “Y’mean YOUR level,” the taller grunt grumbled, rolling his eyes away from his supposed ally. “Barlow, let him GO!” Luana yelled frantically. Feeling unable to contain himself for much longer, Barlow pushed the grunt away from him and walked a few paces away from him with a hand held over his eyes, Luana and Crawford watching their leader with intense worry as his body began to visibly tremble and tiny sobs escaped his throat. Seeing his partner in such powerful agony, Makuhita ran over to him and hugged his legs; while the gesture prompted Barlow to place a hand on the back of Makuhita’s head, it wasn’t enough to pull Barlow out of his anguish. * Tensions were high in the Ranger Union as well; Rhythmi, Linda and Marcus were all working overtime at their stations, panicking Rangers occasionally running across the room either to or from the roof above with their Partner Pokémon behind the increasingly stressed Professor Hastings and distraught Chairperson Erma, both of whom kept their eyes on the overworked Top Operators. “It-it’s impossible! T-The Incredible Machine has SURPASSED Level Three!” Linda cried in terror. “T-There wasn’t ANOTHER level, was there!?” “Who cares about that!?” Marcus asked anxiously. “I’m more concerned about the fact its effect is spreading even as far as Haruba and Hia Valley!” “Pokémon are losing control all over Almia!” Rhythmi exclaimed despairingly. “T-The reports won’t stop coming!!” “What’s happening down there!?” Linda asked fearfully. “C-Can’t you CALL someone, Rhythmi?!” “I tried calling Alexa just now, but her signal’s too weak for some reason!” Rhythmi replied brokenheartedly. “I-I-I don’t know what happened, it-it-it was FINE just a few moments ago!” Suddenly, Rhythmi sprinted out of her seat and hurried over to confront Professor Hastings and Chairperson Erma, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste in the process. Fortunately, she managed to reach the alarmed elders before she could fall, facing the pair with tears in her eyes as she began to make her desperate plea. “PLEASE, let me go to the operation site!” Rhythmi cried distraughtly. “It’s bad enough that KEITH had to get hurt, but if anything’s happened to ALEXA… I-I-I WANT TO HELP MY FRIENDS!!” “No! I forbid it!” Hastings shouted firmly. “You must remain here and help Linda and Marcus gather and share information with the Rangers! Whether it feels that way or not, that is an extremely important role, especially now!” “Rhythmi, dear, I know things are becoming extraordinarily difficult, but please try to have faith in our Top Rangers,” Erma said gently just as an Area Ranger and his Croagunk Partner Pokémon sped towards the roof behind her. “I, too, am concerned for Alexa’s health and indeed the health of our other three Top Rangers, but they would not have been given the roles assigned to them if they were incapable of fulfilling them.” As well-intentioned as Chairperson Erma’s words were, they failed to ease Rhythmi’s fear and despair; she struggled to decide whether to continue her feeble attempt to debate her position with the elders or return to her post, resulting in her shivering in place and ready to break out into tears right then and there. Mercifully for her, however, Vatona ran onto the floor and over to Professor Hastings, taking care not to collide with the Area Ranger rushing past him or trip over her Dedenne Partner Pokémon along the way. “Professor, w-we did it!” Vatona said excitedly. Before Professor Hastings could even ask, Vatona quickly pulled something from the inside of his coat and presented it to the baffled elder; it took Hastings a few moments to realise that the book practically shoved in front of his face was, it would appear, Brighton Hall’s diary…only more pristine in condition and complete in content – it seemed like the old, decrepit, burnt book Alexa brought back from the Chroma Highlands was restored to its former glory if not recreated in its entirety. * Keith, Sven and Wendy continued to hover above and look down at the black clouds obscuring the tower roof, they and their Partner Pokémon still horribly shaken up by the devastating implication of the yellow flash that caused Alexa and Ryder’s unspeakable agony. Sven and Wendy barely had it in them to break the silence around them, but Keith could barely contain himself; he clenched the scruff of his Staraptor’s neck, body trembling uncontrollably, tears falling endlessly from his eyes and fought against the powerful urge to unleash a mighty scream of his own. After what felt to the trio like an eternity, Sven sighed quietly and held his Styler in front of him. “I’ll…I’ll tell the Professor.” “DON’T YOU DARE!!” Keith shouted violently. “Keith, I know you’re upset, but--” “SHE’S NOT DEAD!!” Keith yelled defiantly. “She…s-s-she just…she’s NOT!!” Seeing how strongly Keith responded to the mysterious assault against his dearest friend left Wendy even more emotional than the assault itself, but Sven pitied the younger Top Ranger even more; as much as Keith was willing to deny the very idea of Alexa having just been killed, Sven could tell that, deep down, Keith at least acknowledged that the possibility existed. “Keith--” Suddenly, a deep boom echoed in the air around the flying Rangers, prompting all three of them and their Pokémon to look down, confused and curious; soon enough, more booms echoed around them, each one following a flash of cyan blue energy that the three Rangers recognised all too well… “Ryder…!” Wendy gasped in shock. “Not ALL hope is lost then,” Sven mumbled. “Even with Ryder still kicking, Alexa--” “STOP IT!!” Keith suddenly shouted, angrily and sorrowfully. “ALEXA’S NOT DEAD!! She…s-she CAN’T BE!” “You’re the only one saying she is like it’s a sure thing,” Sven stated critically. “I-I know she was able to survive Toxic, but THIS… I-I-I don’t think even SHE’d be able to survive whatever that was…!!” The three Rangers and their Pokémon continued to watch the cyan flashes in the black clouds, which often collided with deep purple flashes that created additional booms that echoed in the atmosphere. After a few moments, Keith suddenly let out an aggravated snarl. “THAT’S IT, I’m going down there to help her!! STARAPTOR!” “Star!” Keith’s Staraptor nodded compliantly. But before Staraptor could prepare to dive towards the darkness, the Yellow Gem suddenly began to shine brighter than it ever had before, greatly surprising Keith and Buizel while confusing Sven, Luxray, Wendy and her Staraptor. “W-What’s…?!” “AAH!” Wendy gasped. Suddenly, the Red Gem began to shine more intensely, alarming the airborne Rangers more than they were when the Yellow Gem started to glow more powerfully. Before anyone could begin to question anything, the Blue Gem started to shine more strongly, startling Sven and Luxray to such an extent that Luxray almost fell off of the Staraptor’s back! “T-The gems…w-what’s going on…?!” Wendy asked in shock. “What in the hell are they reacting to…?” Sven asked quietly in confusion, blindly pulling his partner back into his original position. Keith tried to look beyond the blinding glow of the Yellow Gem in front of him and looked down at the dark clouds obscuring the roof below, feeling his emotions overwhelming him all over again as he quickly figured out the answer to Sven’s question. “…Alexa…!!” * At first, Alexa lay motionless, her body severely bruised almost everywhere, her knee and waist wounds bleeding through their bandages and her uniform, minor cuts around her body further contributing to her blood loss. Gradually, however, she began to awaken; she moaned softly under her breath, her twitching body aching violently even at the subtlest and slightest of movement. Ultimately, her tired eyes were open, allowing her blurry vision to focus as she observed Ryder’s ferocious conflict with Darkrai; unlike his earlier, more defensive strategy, Ryder was completely dedicated to offense, alternating between long-ranged attacks with mostly Aura Sphere and physical attacks such as Force Palm, the Lucario’s aura cackling all over his body almost like it was waiting to be unleashed. Just as the two Pokémon clashed Shadow Claws, Ryder’s ears twitched and quickly turned his head towards Alexa, awash with many an emotion to see her struggling immeasurably just to lift her head off of the floor. “ALEX!!” With very little disregard for Darkrai, Ryder cancelled out his Shadow Claw attack and blindly struck the Pitch Black Pokémon with a swift Force Palm to push his opponent away, allowing him to jump onto all-fours and hurry over to her, all without realising that Darkrai’s body occasionally cackled with static electricity from the assault. Ryder lowered his face towards Alexa and nuzzled her lovingly, yet gently, as his tail flailed wildly behind him, thrilled beyond all comprehension simply to see his beloved Trainer miraculously survived Darkrai’s brutal attack. “Thank ARCEUS you’re alive…!!” But Ryder’s delight was short-lived when he finally got to see Alexa’s face in its entirety; she looked as drained and exhausted as she felt, the dark circles of fatigue under her irritated eyes seemed darker than before, but worst of all were the few cuts around her forehead that bled down her face. Yet, despite her demoralising condition, Alexa just barely mustered a tiny smile for her fretting friend. “…Ryder…y-you’re okay…” “I had to use some Full Restore, but, yeah…I-I think so,” Ryder replied sadly, affectionately nuzzling Alexa while she began to push herself off of the ground even more. “…there’s only one Full Restore left, but…that doesn’t matter if you’re--” “I need--…I-I need to do this…!” “You’re too badly hurt!” Ryder cried sadly. “Alex, I’m SO SORRY I couldn’t protect us from that attack, but--” “Focus Blast…” “…what…?” “…th-that’s what it was… A-AAGH…!!” Just as Alexa managed to lift her torso off of the ground, her shoulder gave way and she came dangerously close to falling to the floor again. But it didn’t stop her from continuing her seemingly impossible endeavour of simply standing up, as much as her body cried out in unspeakable agony in the meantime. “H-H-Hang on, l-let me--” Before Ryder could offer his assistance, his aura sensors twitched and turned his head towards the clouded sky above, causing Alexa to do the same, confused about what might have gotten her Lucario’s attention. Suddenly, three coloured spheres of light began their descent, one by one; first, the yellow light, second, the red light and, third, the blue light – while Alexa and Ryder knew all too well exactly where the lights came from, seeing those particular colours appearing from the darkness left them consumed by fear, Alexa’s mind in particular flashing back to when she last saw similarly-coloured lights circling around in a darkened sky. The three lights soon began to circle around one another as they descended towards Alexa, specifically towards her Styler. Confused, Alexa shakily lifted her arm and recalled her Capture Disc, allowing the three coloured lights to spread to it along with the rest of her Styler until, in the end, they consumed the Capture Disc exclusively. Shocked beyond belief, Alexa quickly opened her Styler, only to see a notification informing her that the Incredible Program that was installed earlier on…was ‘already active’. Alexa closed her Styler and, along with Ryder, stared at the glowing Capture Disc, both in absolute wonder…and deep terror… “…it…it-it’s like…back…then…” Ryder said quietly in complete fear. Alexa kept her eyes on the lights spiralling around her Capture Disc with barely an attempt to carry on Ryder’s pitiful effort at making conversation. After a few moments of staring at the lights, Alexa suddenly resumed her arduous task of returning to her feet, which terrified Ryder so much he bounced back onto his hind legs. “A-Alex, slow down, y-you--” “Understand your situation…” Ryder stared at Alexa, confused and curious by her sudden, hushed remark, feeling his heart race accelerating as Alexa’s struggle was beginning to pay off; her torso was fully lifted off of the ground and now the foot of her uninjured leg was on the floor. “…trust your instincts…” It was painful to be sure, but Alexa’s other foot was also able to step onto the floor; she had successfully changed into something of a crouching position, and now all she had to do was straighten her knees and her hunching back. “…and…let your heart…drive you forward…” As he watched Alexa’s attempt to complete the supposedly simple task of standing, Ryder took the time to digest her words, most of which sounded strangely familiar to him. However, it didn’t take him long to figure out that what Alexa had said…represented the lessons she’d learned from collecting the Tears of Princes; the Blue Gem’s guardian taught her to stay true to her instincts, the Red Gem’s guardian taught her to embrace the burning passion in her heart if all else failed and the Yellow Gem’s guardian taught her that, oftentimes, there are no other choices in a given situation… “…I get it…we can’t give up…but…we can do it…” Ryder felt his heart rate accelerating faster than he could keep up with, but not because he was petrified of seeing Alexa pushing herself through what could only be described as hellish pain; rather, he stared at his Trainer and listened to her words with sparkles of inspiration in his eyes and his aura cackling frenziedly around his body. “…we’ve done it before…we can do it again…” Though her back was still somewhat hunched and her knees still slightly bent, Alexa raised her head; despite her exhaustion, despite her pain and despite her tears, her eyes were filled to the brim with determination as they focused on Darkrai twitching his way back into something resembling a battle pose. “We’ll NEVER give up…no matter WHAT’S thrown at us…we’ll NEVER surrender!” Her heart and her spirit burning with intense resolve, Alexa quickly straightened her back and raised her head to the obscured heavens, her tears falling from her eyes along with her sweat and her blood; it was obvious her body was in tremendous physical pain, but her will was stronger yet. “DO YOU HEAR ME?! I WON’T GIVE UP AND YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!!” Her steadfastness was beautifully reflected in her tone, while her phenomenal volume perfectly capturing her powerful spirit that inspired Ryder so deeply that he unleashed a roar just as loud as Alexa’s, his aura finally erupting and burning fiercely all over his body the same way the guardian Lucario’s aura had consumed him during their confrontation. But Ryder wasn’t the only one Alexa’s resolve touched. One floor below, Isaac looked towards the roof with a trembling smile and a glimmer of hope sparkling in his terrified eyes. At the foot of the tower, the Dim Sun grunt that had antagonised Barlow was aghast to hear Alexa again while his cohort was once again in awe over the power behind her voice, Crawford and Luana celebrated Alexa and Ryder’s survival with a joyful high-five and an embrace, while Barlow kept his watery eyes towards the roof with a shaking smile. Flying above the black clouds, Sven and Wendy struggled to comprehend how in the world Alexa was able to survive what they could only imagine was a monstrously powerful attack, but Keith simply couldn’t – and seemingly wouldn’t – stop smiling; he was so relieved and so overjoyed to hear Alexa’s voice again that he almost completely broke down in tears. With their spirits burning as passionately as Ryder’s bodily aura, Alexa and Ryder glared at Darkrai, waiting for him to make the first move, which proved difficult with his movements hindered by the static electricity occasionally stiffening his muscles. “…all or nothing?” Ryder asked quietly. “…all or nothing,” Alexa replied in a low murmur. “GAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOO!” they yelled harmoniously. Ryder charged towards Darkrai, his fists glimmering in a dark orange light beneath his aura. However, Ryder wasn’t able to complete his Bullet Punch technique before Darkrai zoomed away from the irate Lucario and attempted to strike Ryder down with a Dark Pulse attack, which Ryder quickly evaded. Ryder then tried to circle the Darkrai, leaving a trail of small Aura Spheres behind him that all closed in on and struck the Pitch Black Pokémon from all sides. Despite his paralysis, however, Darkrai proved that he was still a significant threat; not only did Darkrai endure the Aura Sphere barrage with absolute ease, he continued to move almost at blinding speeds all around the rooftop and kept up his merciless assaults against the enhanced Ryder, which ranged from Dark Pulses to Shadow Balls to even the occasional Focus Blast attack. But Ryder remained undeterred; he continued to challenge Darkrai fearlessly, once more alternating between his physical attacks and his ranged attacks while defending himself every once in a while. Alexa, on the other hand, wasn’t doing so well despite her unwavering vigour. Sure, all she had to do was guide her Capture Disc around Darkrai while avoiding damage until the capture was complete, which sounded incredibly simple in concept, but her physical condition made the simple task far more gruelling than it should have been and perhaps even comparable to torture; just like when she was trying her absolute hardest just to stand up, the smallest of movements sent wave upon waves of unspeakable agony all through her body – and Alexa was trying to carry out her Capture with her body in so much indescribable pain…while moving around like she was in absolutely no pain whatsoever. Fuelled and almost blinded by her raging fortitude, Alexa completely disregarded the torrential pain her body was suffering from and was controlling her Capture Disc with fluent, dance-like movements with the occasional somersault to avoid stray attacks from either Pokémon thrown in and further adding to the pain she wilfully neglected. Ryder and Darkrai’s battle grew more chaotic as Ryder quickly learned that Darkrai’s paralysis truly had little to no effect on him; Darkrai continued to fight at his naturally blinding speed and struck with sheer brute force, even when the static electricity cackled all around Darkrai’s body and failed to slow him down even in the slightest. If he had any hope of keeping such a berserk Pokémon away from the inconceivably fragile Alexa, Ryder begrudgingly decided to completely forego using Protect in order to optimise his offense, praying that Darkrai would focus more on their battle than the Capture Disc circling around him. This, however, proved to be more of a challenge than Ryder thought; he partially healed himself after the Focus Blast that severely wounded and weakened Alexa, but the entirety of Operation Brighton had started to take its toll on the young Pokémon – his breathing started to become laboured, he began to feel sweat underneath his fur, keeping his eyes open soon became a slight challenge, his muscles started to ache at long last and, worst of all, his fierce determination started to warp into something deranged. Alexa wasn’t faring much better; she continued her usual dance-like movements and carried on dodging stray attacks with somersaults, but her movements grew more and more forced as time went on due to her firm refusal to surrender to her body’s overwhelmingly intense agony and stop. By carrying on like normal after suffering more physical abuse than she’d ever sustained up to that particular moment in time and forcing her weak and wounded body to run solely by her will, emotion and adrenaline, her mental health, too, began to deteriorate; the same way Ryder’s determination morphed into pure rage, Alexa’s sense of resolve became corrupted, resulting in her becoming as berserk as the very same Darkrai she was attempting to capture – she started to put even more power into her forced movements, she began to lose control of her emotions and, devastatingly, her psyche was crumbling piece by piece with every passing second. “What’s this pressure…?” Alexa started to hear the same intimidating voice she heard while she and Ryder were slowly sinking into Darkrai’s Dark Void, inflicting her with the same level of fear she felt back then. However, rather than the fear crippling her, her fear pushed her even harder, her movements growing even wilder and more powerful, which tortured her mind, body and spirit to an even greater degree. “R-AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!” Ryder sank his teeth into Darkrai’s shoulder, his bodily aura burning so ferociously and so intensely that his entire being was almost obscured by it, his eyes consumed by a phenomenally powerful sense of anger and distress; it was clear that Ryder was also suffering on a psychological level. “You’re too late…” “I won’t let you get in my way any further…” “This Pokémon will destroy you!” “SHUT UP…!” Alexa spontaneously snarled savagely. Alexa tried to ignore the voice ringing in her ears and tried to concentrate on her Capture Disc; she kept her Capture Disc in place until the veil of magenta energy that enveloped it thickened and became pastel rainbow in colour, which left behind a thick, identically coloured Capture Line behind it as Alexa resumed controlling it, pouring even more of her scarce energy into circling it around Darkrai much faster than she was before. “Alexa, are you losing your mind?” “You’re delusional, believing that you are safe!!” “I should have expected as much…” “SHUT UP!!” Alexa suddenly yelled, furiously and fearfully. Darkrai and Ryder kept clashing and clashing, even with Ryder’s condition declining by the second; his attacks became more sporadic and feral, having stopped using any of his ranged attacks quite some time ago in favour of physical ones, which, at a glance, seemed to exclusively be Crunch. “It is all for--” “—world is complete.” “—only appear as a shadow.” “DY-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!” “HR-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!” Both Alexa and Ryder let out harmonised roars of pure rage mixed with deep and absolute anguish as they gave their efforts one final push. To begin with, Ryder crossed his arms in front of himself and allowed Darkrai’s Shadow Claw attack to slam down on top of him, which then allowed Ryder, who was slightly leaning backwards, to throw his entire upper body upwards, swiftly uncrossing his arms in the process, his body glimmering in a bright orange glow underneath his bodily aura. Just before Darkrai could attack Ryder with Dark Pulse, the Lucario dashed towards the Pitch Black Pokémon and pummelled him repeatedly, his fists once more gleaming in a deep orange aura underneath the fiery cyan aura consuming his body. Alexa, meanwhile, held her Styler wrist and controlled her Capture Disc with more strength, quelling her mildly shaky arm movement and improving the speed of her Capture Disc’s trajectory. “GR-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!” At the exact same time, Darkrai unleashed one more Focus Blast attack at Ryder, the Lucario unleashed a barrage of small, partially-charged Aura Spheres at the Pitch Black Pokémon; the Aura Spheres, despite their lacking charge, were somehow enough to prevent the Focus Blast from reaching the Aura Pokémon, but the clash resulted in an explosion that knocked both Ryder and Darkrai backwards; Darkrai crashed into the steps leading up to the Shadow Crystal, whereas Ryder was blown back almost to where he and Alexa started. Both Pokémon struggled to lift themselves up, but Ryder had a much tougher time moving a muscle while Darkrai strained just to keep himself afloat. “NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!” Alexa let out one last scream of indescribable anger, unspeakable anguish and inconceivable pain as she concentrated every ounce of strength she could muster into circling her Capture Disc around Darkrai, twirling her entire body along with her arm for as much power and control as possible. Unfortunately, however, as soon as the white ring started to form itself around Darkrai, Alexa began to slow down, looking as incredibly faint as she felt, her vision starting to fail her. “…no…not now…!” She tried her absolute hardest to keep her Capture Disc moving, releasing her grip on her wrist and circling her arm while stationary, but fighting against her fatigue was fruitless; as hard as she tried, she couldn’t make the loops she wanted to make. “I…can’t…” Alexa’s arm went limp, putting an abrupt end to the Capture Disc’s activity and causing it to drop to the ground, bouncing a little down the steps along the way, the three coloured lights fading away as it lay motionless at the bottom of the steps. Alexa’s arm twitched in what appeared to be a feeble effort to regain control of her Capture Disc, but it was useless; in the end, Alexa’s body began to fall, her weight leaning against her wounded leg, keeping her eyes on Darkrai even while her vision grew worse. “…no…!” Alexa collapsed onto the floor, her consciousness finally failing her. What she couldn’t see, however, was the white ring her Capture Disc left behind; it shrank around Darkrai, consuming the Pitch Black Pokémon in white, yellow, red and blue lights that, in the very end, left Darkrai lying on the steps it hovered over. With Darkrai’s rampage at an end, the black clouds around the roof suddenly dissipated, revealing an extremely disturbing scene to the flying Top Rangers, nobody knowing what horrified them more; Darkrai or Alexa and Ryder lying motionless on the ground. “ALEXA!!” Keith cried in terror. “How did they--” “We can’t worry about them now!!” Sven shouted anxiously. “Operation Brighton’s on again! GO-GO-GO-GO!!” The three Staraptor dove at full speed towards the Shadow Crystal, Keith taking every single opportunity available to him to look at Alexa and Ryder while he, Sven and Wendy circled the Tears of Princes around the Shadow Crystal. The longer the Shadow Crystal was exposed to the Tears of Princes, the darkness inside grew weaker and the yellow, blue and red lights shone brighter. Eventually, all three Rangers and their Pokémon were forced to move away from the Shadow Crystal when it unleashed a large, overpowering flash of pure, white light…To be concluded…
Pokemon Ranger - Vatonage Reborn chpt 54Chapter Fifty Four – Operation Brighton pt V As the dreaded Incredible Machine grew in power, so, too, did its impact on Almia; more and more Pokémon across the region began to unexpectedly lose their senses by the second, resulting in almost all manner of consequences for the human population – Pokémon Rangers everywhere were exhausting themselves keeping the chaos under as much control as possible, Team Dim Sun members were losing their grip on the Pokémon they had already enslaved and a horrifyingly increasing number of civilians were finding themselves assaulted either by the wild Pokémon that invaded their living space or by those they were already living with. The latter was particularly prevalent in Vientown; Big Bertha’s Miltank was demolishing the fence around the paddock with a Rollout frenzy, the Starly, Munchlax and Pachirisu living with Mr. Woodward were causing an even bigger stir than during Keith and Alexa’s one-day internship and three Happiny were throwing unbelievably large temper tantrums despite all of them possessing their treasured stones. Big Bertha and Little Tim, despite a panic attack threatening to consume his composure, worked together flawlessly in evacuating their four children from their house before Miltank could attack it during her Rampage, Mr. Woodward constantly ducked to evade Starly’s aerial assaults while also attempting to communicate with his frenzied friends and a little girl desperately called out to the hostile Happiny from the security of her father’s arms while he and the girl’s mother observed the mayhem in horror. “What in the HECK is goin’ on here!?” Big Bertha yelled, watching her beloved Miltank destroy the last of the fence posts and rolling her way to whatever obstacle was unfortunate enough to cross her spontaneous path. “HAPPINY, PLEASE, STOP!” the little girl cried pleadingly. “What in the world has--WHOA!” Mr. Woodward shouted, suddenly ducking to avoid yet another one of Starly’s Double-Edge attacks that had no intended target in mind. “Gotten into the Pokémon!?” “HEY!!” Suddenly, Ollie ran out of the Ranger Base, flailing his arms to attract the attention of the perplexed and petrified townsfolk; Ollie, contrary to everyone around him, was more confident – braver, even – and almost acted like a proper authority figure as he pointed to the Ranger Base he’d not long exited. “OVER HERE!! QUICKLY, GET INSIDE!! NOW!!” Without much room to argue, the other Vientown residents swarmed towards the Ranger Base, everyone allowing the children inside first and Ollie waiting to be the last one inside the building. Despite now being safe inside the sturdiest building in town, the residents were far from settled; the little girl who’d called out to the Happiny in vain began to sob in her father’s arms, Big Bertha immediately tended to her hyperventilating husband and Mr. Woodward wouldn’t stop pacing around under his worry for his three friends. “MCKENZIE, LOCK IT DOWN!!” Ollie called firmly, turning his attention to the shivering Operator. With the press of a single button, shutters suddenly fell over the front door and the windows, further securing the building and protecting its occupants from the rampaging Pokémon outside. The townsfolk safe, albeit shaken up, Ollie breathed a sigh of relief and tried to relax while Elaine walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “That was amazing, Ollie,” she said kindly. “Thanks…but…taking charge like that felt awkward…” “Welp, I reckon we’re just glad SOMEONE took charge,” Big Bertha chimed in gently. “We’re all safe…” “Yes, but from WHAT?” the sobbing child’s father questioned in utter confusion. “A good question,” Mr. Woodward stated worriedly. “Why in the world are the Pokémon in such a state?!” “Miltank broke the fence,” said one of Big Bertha’s sons nonchalantly. Although the shutters were closed, Elaine looked over at the nearest window as if she were attempting to look up at the dark sky from where she stood. She kept her hand on Ollie’s shoulder, though it began to tremble under her crippling concern, which Ollie had immediately noticed. “You’re not worried about Barlow and the others,” he said gently. “…I’m…I-I’m worried about Alexa,” Elaine confessed. “Barlow said she didn’t take the Operation Brighton briefing well a-and now she’s on the FRONT LINE! I-I don’t even want to IMAGINE what she must be going through right now a-and she’s--” “Capable,” Ollie interjected carefully. “If she was able to rescue Barlow and however many Pokémon from a Cargo Ship, she can do this.” “I-I know she’s capable, Ollie, but I’m still worried about her!” Elaine said in despair. “She BARELY SURVIVED the Cargo Ship ordeal; HOW is she going to survive something of THIS magnitude?! IS she--” “Don’t finish that thought; Alexa’s going to pull through this,” Ollie stated confidently, placing his hand on Elaine’s. “If anyone can do it, it’s HER.” Elaine was unsure if she could respond without her anxiety overwhelm her, which was the last thing she wanted to do in front of the children. Instead, she breathed a small sigh and subtly reinforced her grip on Ollie’s shoulder, which was met by Ollie slightly tightening his grip on her hand. *** It was a struggle, but, with Ryder’s aid, the despondent and despairing Alexa finally stepped onto the roof of Altru Tower, exhaustion and physical injury be damned. As she waited for her breath to catch up to her, Alexa observed her final obstacle from a safe distance; behind the three figures she just about identified as Heath and Wheeler standing on either side of Blake Hall was the unmistakable shape of the infamous Shadow Crystal, hovering in the very centre of what seemed to be an amplifier of sorts. Sluggishly approaching the last of her opposition, Alexa saw more of the strange contraption around the Shadow Crystal and spotted what seemed to be a dark plasma ball of some kind with a presently unknown purpose. As she and Ryder, the Yellow Gem still in his possession, drew closer, however, Heath became more dismayed to see how much worse Alexa’s condition had gotten since she exiled him from the yellow Circuit Ball chamber; he saw the bloodstain and tear in her vest, which looked soaked and seemed stuck to her like an extra layer of skin from how much of a sweat she’d worked since their confrontation, he saw how her knees trembled under her physical, emotional and mental exhaustion as she walked and, once she stopped to face her final foe head-on, saw that her eyes were extraordinarily irritated, both from fatigue and from the many, many tears she’d shed since Operation Brighton had commenced. Wheeler responded to the poor girl’s condition with absolute disgust, like she was automatically an inferior being just because she was wounded, distressed and tired. Blake, on the other hand, smirked at her and Ryder, giving the pair a slow and almost condescending clap. “Welcome, miss Alexa… I must say you’ve clearly gone through so much trouble just to see me; I’m honoured.” Alexa bit her lip, initially refusing to engage in idle chitchat with the mastermind behind the mental incapacitation of so many innocent Pokémon and the hardships that had befallen her closest allies; instead, her powerfully sinister glare burned more fiercely, having noticed the smirk hidden beneath Blake’s moustache wasn’t solely because of her appalling form… “It’s just a pity then that you’re just about too late,” Blake continued, borderline patronisingly. “As of what I believe to be a mere few minutes ago, the Incredible Machine has reached its full power…thus bringing every last Pokémon in Almia under my absolute control… Do you know what this means, Alexa?” “YES,” Alexa answered bitterly, before Blake had the chance to continue his gloating and answer his own question for her. “It means you can make Pokémon do absolutely ANYTHING you so choose… It means you’ve reduced them to nothing more than organic droids… IT MEANS POKÉMON SLAVE LABOUR IS THE DREAM ENERGY YOU’VE BEEN PROMOTING THE WHOLE TIME!!” With the revelation that, despite her best efforts and the invaluable assistance of those closest to her, she was marginally too late to prevent the worst from occurring, the last straw had finally broken for Alexa; what little that had remained of her composure shattered like glass, causing every single one of the overpowering emotions she’d tried her absolute hardest to contain for the sake of her mission’s progress to run rampant and consume her entirely, making her vibe – and, to a lesser extent, her demeanour – akin to that of an extraordinarily powerful and vehemently enraged dragon fighting solely for the sake of a presumed lost loved one. Heath only pitied Alexa more deeply while Wheeler recoiled in fright just from the look in Alexa’s eyes, but Blake, miraculously enough, remained undeterred by her extreme character metamorphosis. “You sound like you figured me out a long time ago,” he commented casually. “But why does it offend you so much? You ARE a Pokémon Trainer, after all.” “HOW DARE YOU!!” Alexa screamed savagely. “I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU!! MY POKÉMON ARE LIKE FAMILY TO ME AND I WOULD NEVER TREAT THEM LIKE TOOLS FOR MY OWN CONVENIENCE!!” “Pokémon Trainers command their Pokémon, and they obey without question; how exactly are you nothing like me?” Blake asked heartlessly. “BECAUSE I CAN THINK FOR MYSELF!!” Ryder roared fiercely, sharing Alexa’s sentiments to the absolute fullest. “MY POKÉMON HAVE THE FREEDOM TO QUESTION WHATEVER I REQUEST OF THEM!! YOU AND YOUR TYRANNICAL REGIME, THOUGH, TAKE THAT FREEDOM AWAY FROM THE POKÉMON SO THEY BECOME INCAPABLE OF DEFYING YOU!!” Alexa continued wrathfully, tears falling endlessly from her eyes. “POKÉMON ARE NOT MEANT TO BE EXPLOITED!!” “But is that not what humans are already doing? They already fulfil a wide array of purposes to make human lives easier…all I’m doing is…expanding on that,” Blake said coldly. “WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS CREATING A WORLD OF HUMAN SUPREMACY AND POKÉMON OPPRESSION!!” Alexa shouted, angrily and sorrowfully. “YOU WANT TO CREATE A WORLD WHERE SUCH WONDERFUL CREATURES ARE CONSIDERED NO MORE THAN INANIMATE OBJECTS!!” “Does that not sound like a splendid world?” Blake asked, smirking again. “NO!!” Alexa cried furiously. “I WILL NEVER SUPPORT A WORLD WHERE POKÉMON ARE DEEMED INFERIOR TO HUMANS!! I’LL DIE FIGHTING TO PRESERVE THEIR RIGHTS BEFORE I PUT UP WITH THEM BEING SEEN AS ANYTHING LESS THAN EQUAL!!” she shouted irately, with no regard for the consequences of her word choice. Whereas Heath felt his heart cracking and Wheeler trembled in his shoes under the power Alexa’s words carried, Blake remained as stone-hearted as ever, looked down at her with complete indifference and shrugged. “So be it,” he replied. “The world will accept it when the time comes, with or without you.” Alexa and Ryder watched Blake turning around and walking over to the strange plasma ball behind him. Once he was close to it, he placed both hands on the mysterious orb, which somehow made the energy inside cackle with more ferocity and even created a series of weak shockwaves, as Alexa and Ryder could see Blake’s ponytail and jacket swaying like they would during a typical gust of wind. Nevertheless, Alexa and Ryder kept their glares on their nemesis as he continued to speak to them even with his back turned against them. “From here, I have every single Pokémon in Almia at my fingertips. No matter where they are or how many of them there are, they are ALL mine to control,” Blake stated sinisterly. “And without the need for a Gigaremo OR a Miniremo; the Incredible Machine surpasses them BOTH, and it ultimately paid off splendidly when I placed Kincaid as a teacher in Ranger School.” “THAT MAY AS WELL HAVE BEEN YOUR FIRST MISTAKE THEN; I DIDN’T TRUST HIM FROM THE VERY MOMENT WE MET!!” Alexa yelled lividly. “Pity; Kincaid may have successfully recruited a genius who appears perhaps once a century, but having someone like YOU on my side would have been extraordinary,” Blake said, his evil grin unseen by everyone around him. “If your intuition hadn’t surpassed our deception, you would have ranked quite highly within Team Dim Sun – in fact, I would have more than likely created a special position specifically FOR you, Alexa!” “HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED TO SAY IT BEFORE IT GETS INTO YOUR HEAD?! I’LL DIE BEFORE I SUPPORT YOUR BACKWARDS AND UNJUST IDEOLOGY!!” Alexa reiterated wrathfully. “Oh, don’t worry,” Blake began casually. Blake suddenly turned and walked slightly away from his strange plasma ball, the shockwaves having ceased and the energy within the plasma ball settled once more. Blake looked down at Alexa, retaining his evil grin as he noticed Alexa very subtly taking a step backwards, her body trembling a little more and dread added to her collection of potent, dominating emotions. “I have just summoned a Pokémon that will accommodate you.” After a few moments of silence that was tense only for Alexa and Ryder, the large, imposing figure of a Dusknoir, lost to the sinister aura emanating endlessly from the Shadow Crystal amplified by the devious contraption the gigantic gem was confined to. Though Alexa’s rage was still as powerful as it was when she first spoke, she felt her stomach turning and her colour fading away at the very sight of Dusknoir’s puppet-like movements and the hollow look in its eye – evidently, seeing Pokémon under such an evil influence was still just as devastating to her as the very day she and Crawford first discovered the Gigaremo unit in Marine Cave what felt like so long ago. “Ah, right on cue,” Blake said with a brief chuckle. “Your condition tells me I need not bring out my best against you, Alexa, but…I know you’re resilient; going easy against you now would be a mistake – therefore, I have decided to bring Dusknoir here from Haruba to end the both of you and take back the Yellow Gem.” Ryder quickly tossed the Yellow Gem behind him and towards the perimeter of the roof, allowing him to focus solely on the innocent Dusknoir that Blake was forcing into what potentially could be a very intense struggle. He subtly glanced over at Alexa, who was quick to ready her Styler and aimed the Capture Disc at Dusknoir, her arm trembling from all manner of emotions and her lacking physical condition. “Dusknoir, I command you: put this Ranger out of her misery and retrieve the Yellow Gem!” “Uwuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh…!” With a ghostly groan that somehow sounded even more horrifying than what was considered normal for a Ghost type Pokémon, the Dusknoir zoomed towards Alexa, almost charging towards her Capture Disc head-on. Ryder intercepted the Gripper Pokémon before it could grab Alexa with its huge hands and lunged at it, sinking his teeth into its shoulder. At the exact same time, Alexa released her Capture Disc and, to the best of her limited ability, ran away from the Dusknoir just as it grabbed Ryder by the scruff of his neck and tossed him aside the same way Ryder had tossed the Yellow Gem aside. As soon as the Capture Disc made its first loop around Dusknoir, however, the real struggle began. Alexa found herself fortunate that she’d instructed Ryder to heal himself prior to their arrival on the roof; as a consequence of her injuries, Dusknoir was just barely faster than her and would have easily struck or snatched her had it not been for Ryder’s borderline blinding speed and powerful desire to protect his dear partner. But Dusknoir was nearly as relentless as Ryder; their Dark Pulse attacks somehow always collided with one another, swipes from Ryder’s Shadow Claw countered Dusknoir’s shadowy punches and Ryder would always throw up his protective barrier every time Dusknoir attempted to throw a fiery punch at him. At one point during the intense confrontation, however, Ryder was too distracted to noticed Dusknoir’s shadow extending along the ground beneath them. With her mobility restricted, Alexa found herself forced to only move around the roof every once in a while and to stay in one place as far away from Dusknoir as possible to prevent further injury while performing her capture as optimally as she could; whenever she felt a need to relocate, she’d hold her Capture Disc in place until it glimmered in a vivid rainbow aura that transformed the Capture Line from its standard blueish-white to that of a thick rainbow. The only real consequences of relying on her Power Charge ability were her need to charge her Capture Disc twice every single time Dusknoir and Ryder’s conflict broke her line and the fleeting vulnerability that came from the charging. While she was charging her Capture Disc to its second charge, Dusknoir’s shadow slid behind her, almost infiltrating her own shadow, and began to rise. Just as her Capture Disc was fully charged, Alexa felt an intense chill down her spine and spun around in anticipation of someone attempting to strike her from behind, only to see Dusknoir’s shadow in the midst of its assault! “AAAGH!!” Reacting quickly, Alexa dove to one side to prevent the large shadow throwing its entire form at her. Though she prevented injury from Dusknoir’s Shadow Sneak attack, Alexa had unfortunately hit her head on the ground, leaving her relatively disoriented and, thus, her Capture Disc lying motionless next to the scuffling Pokémon. Having heard her startled yell, Ryder looked back at his fallen friend in terror, which allowed Dusknoir to finally land a hit, striking the distracted mixed-breed with its fire-coated fist and knocking the pup almost all the way to where Alexa lay, yelping as he crashed onto the ground. The pair struggled to find their footing, Alexa having to avoid putting her weight against her wounded leg as best she could and Ryder having to endure the pain from the dim red aura that consumed and plagued his entire body. Blake and Wheeler watched their struggle with incredible and sickening pleasure, but the smirks melted from their faces once both Ryder and Alexa were back onto their feet, their eyes burning with fierce resolve, refusing to allow Blake to defeat them right then and there. “How are you--” “H’AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!” Without giving Blake a chance to express his disbelief, Alexa and Ryder resumed their roles; the Lucario lunged once more at Dusknoir, choosing to assault the Gripper Pokémon with more Dark Pulse attacks rather than biting into its shoulders and allowing himself to be thrown around like a shotput again. Alexa, on the other hand, sacrificed using her Power Charge ability and opted to send her Capture Disc through one of Ryder’s Dark Pulse attacks, instantly giving the device the same dull grey/bright red colouration and black light trail that aided her during her confrontation with the Froslass Ice had enslaved in Almia Castle to now aid her against Dusknoir. Blake observed their resistance angrily, which only began to boil once Alexa’s Capture Disc finally created the ring of white light that decided her victory, powerless to prevent it from shrinking around Dusknoir and ultimately freeing it from his control. While the redeemed Dusknoir, after a brief surveillance of its strange surroundings, flew away from the strange environment and presumably back to wherever Blake had summoned it from, Alexa recalled her Capture Disc and wasted no time in raiding her supply pack for the penultimate Full Restore spray she had left and used it on her Lucario once he returned to her side; the three antagonistic men watched as Ryder’s injuries and the agonising red aura began to disappear in a matter of seconds once the medicine touched the Aura Pokémon’s fur. Unfortunately for Alexa, there wasn’t enough medicine in the spray bottle to heal Ryder completely; several bruises remained, but at the very least the aura that had momentarily pained him had gone. Trying his best to contain his anger, Blake subtly smirked at the young pair and gave them another slow clap. “Well, well…it seems you’ve surpassed the reputation you’ve accumulated,” he began, his focus locked directly onto the intense look of fortitude in Alexa’s irritated and tired eyes. “But make no mistake; I’ve already won.” “I think you’re forgetting about the Yellow Gem we had to play Switcheroo with,” Ryder retorted with a cocky smirk. “Oh, no, I haven’t forgotten at all,” Blake replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders. “Far from it; I’m not in the least bit concerned.” “E-EH?! B-B-B-But Mr. President!” Wheeler stuttered in astonishment and horror. “T-T-The gems, th-they cannot--” “Are you forgetting young miss Alexa’s condition?” Blake asked, in a tone meant to demean the girl in question. “B-But her Lucario--” “Please, Wheeler, you are far too worried about all of this,” Blake said abruptly, sniggering a little. “I can summon as many Pokémon as it’ll take to hinder that Lucario. As for Alexa herself…she’s gotten so weak she can barely hold up her own body weight, and, let’s be fair…it doesn’t look like she has a lot of body weight to carry…” All of a sudden, Alexa felt her heart rate accelerating, but not from Blake’s rather pathetic attempt to use her lacklustre muscle-mass as a weapon to attack her. Rather, her instincts were once again assaulting her senses and reminded her of a certain pattern that had been consistent throughout her time as Top Ranger; so far, the Shadow Crystal’s location was discovered, the Team Dim Sun figurehead in charge of its security had been confronted and the Pokémon he’d chosen to challenge her had been redeemed – but what of the Pokémon that was supposed to have guarded the Shadow Crystal? If what Sven hypothesised was true and that the Mythical Pokémon Darkrai WAS supposed to guard it…and if there was nothing at the podium to suggest a Pokémon battle had taken place…that only left one possible conclusion…and it was that deduction that morphed Alexa’s fierce anger and powerful drive into paralysing fear and an agonising sense of déjà vu… “…no…” Alexa muttered meekly. “…no… …no-no-no-nononononono--NONONONONONONO…!!” Sensing her rapidly increasing fear, Ryder looked up at her, his confusion immediately shifting to terror the instant he saw the abundant horror and devastation in Alexa’s eyes. Fuelled by his own sense of crippling anxiety, Ryder looked back at Blake Hall, only to see the man returning to the very same plasma ball that had allowed him to summon the Dusknoir Alexa had just liberated, dread dominating the dynamic duo. “Scared, my dear?” Blake asked condescendingly. “…well…I suppose you would be; after all,” he continued, smirking as he placed both hands on the strange sphere again. “Midnight HAS arrived.” Wheeler giggled in premature triumph as the plasma ball began to activate, once again creating the weak shockwaves that sent Blake’s jacket and ponytail swaying like flags in a strong breeze. The courage they’d displayed in their struggle against Dusknoir drowned by asphyxiating distress, Alexa and Ryder slowly took several steps back and helplessly watched Blake summoning the one Pokémon they absolutely did NOT want him to turn against them… “On this the day of Altru’s birth, let your presence be known to the world in ALL its dark glory!” Blake exclaimed authoritatively. “NOW! AWAKEN from the darkness and bring forth a new age unlike ANY in all the known history! ARISE, MY DARKRAI!!” Darkrai’s name alone was enough to crush Alexa and Ryder spiritually and paralyse them with more fear than they’d ever felt in a very long time, but to see the Shadow Crystal’s sinister aura pulsating from its confinement and to feel the tower shaking beneath their feet left the pair phenomenally frightened of what was to come…and extremely lucky if they had any resolve left once they found out… In the sky above the tower, the two Staraptor carrying Sven, Wendy and their respective Tears of Princes, began to squawk and screech uncontrollably while flying around in unstable patterns, much to the shock of the two Top Rangers. While Wendy only had the responsibility of making sure she didn’t lose her grip on the Red Gem, Sven had to both make sure the Blue Gem stayed in his possession AND keep his partner Luxray from slipping off of Staraptor’s back from behind him. “WHOA-WHOA-WHOA-WHOA!!” Sven exclaimed, simultaneously grabbing Luxray by the scruff of his neck with one hand, holding the Blue Gem close to him with his other arm and balancing himself on Staraptor’s back. “STARAPTOR, CALM DOWN!!” Wendy cried desperately to her companion. “What’s going ON down there?!” “I dunno, but maybe we should act NOW before we find out!” Sven suggested hastily, looking down at the very distant Alexa and Ryder worriedly. “Or, rather, before THEY find out!” “They can take care of it!” Wendy yelled frantically. “We can’t do much until the Staraptor calm down first!!” His summoning complete, Blake turned away from his plasma ball and returned to his original position, looking down at smirking sinisterly at the petrified Lucario and the severely panicking Alexa, satisfied at their complete loss of bravado. “You know what kind of Pokémon Darkrai is, don’t you, Alexa?” Blake asked with subtle mockery. “The epitome of darkness…a truly powerful Pokémon that stores the energy of darkness within its own body…and soon, my dear…your judge, jury and executioner…” Slowly but surely, a portal of pure blackness appeared and expanded on the floor within the space between Alexa and Blake. Alexa and Ryder took a few more steps back quite hastily as, from the depths of the darkness, the mesmerised and soulless figure of the Pitch-Black Pokémon rose up and blindly opposed the anxiety-riddled Ranger and her frightened friend. During Darkrai’s ascent, Blake returned to his plasma ball, but positioned himself in a way that would allow him to utilise the ball and watch Alexa and Ryder succumb to the fate he had planned. “Ah, but wait,” Blake continued, loud enough for Alexa and Ryder to hear. “I’ve decided to reconsider granting your request for death. No…for all you have done to interfere with my vision…you deserve so much worse…” While Wheeler quietly cackled maniacally over the presumed advantage Blake had just put himself at, Heath simply couldn’t take his eyes off of the overwhelmingly distressed Alexa, feeling an element of anxiety of his own now that Darkrai had been brought forth. “NOW, Darkrai! PLUNGE THAT GIRL INTO A NEVER-ENDING NIGHTMARE!!” Blake slammed his hand on the plasma ball, causing it to activate once more and Darkrai to respond. Like a puppet moving at the whims of the puppeteer, Darkrai hovered a few feet higher above the ground and held its arms up in the air, summoning the very same dark shadows Darkrai itself ascended from. “THIS IS IT!” Blake shouted victoriously. “You may have been a worthy opponent from the very beginning, but now is the time for us to part ways! ADIEU, ALEXA!!” But neither Alexa nor Ryder heard a word Blake had just said; they were utterly frozen in fear by the shadow surrounding them from beneath their feet, their bodies slowly becoming corrupted by the black aura the portal was emanating…but worse was yet to come… “This world of ours is a crude one…” Alexa reacted to the somewhat bland yet frightfully intimidating male voice that began ringing in her ears with absolutely nothing but perpetual horror and despair; she looked around her hastily, but saw nothing but the shadows beneath her, the rooftop she stood on and the night sky around her – the fear had consumed her to such an extent that she didn’t even notice Ryder, despite standing right next to her, mirroring her very disposition. “The world must change…” “I hate the incompleteness…” “It is ugly…” Despite there only being one voice ringing in Alexa’s ears, it began to speak over itself the more she stood within the shadows beneath her. Ryder, too, heard the voices in his ears and even began to whimper fearfully the more he heard. Unbeknownst to either of them, though, the shadows began to rise from behind them, forming two very distinct figures; the silhouette behind Alexa appeared to be that of a human male with an unusual hairstyle that resembled an upside down crescent moon, while the silhouette behind Ryder resembled that of a Toxicroak not unlike the one he’d confronted at the Pueltown Harbour back when Team Dim Sun was barely a threat to Almia’s Pokémon… “G-GET AWAY FROM ME!!” Alexa screamed with unbridled fear and despair. “--thing can remain!” “Let there be glory for--” “STOP IT!!” Alexa screamed, sobbing. “STOP!! LEAVE ME ALO--MMMMPH!!” Without warning, the two silhouettes grabbed their unsuspecting targets, Alexa’s slapping one of its shadowy hands over her mouth and flinging its other arm around her torso, Ryder’s wrapping one arm around his neck and the other around his stomach. Severely startled by the sudden ambush, both Alexa and Ryder struggled with every ounce of energy they could muster, but their efforts were mostly futile; Ryder was able to move the shadowy arm from around his neck and Alexa managed to pull the dark hand away from her mouth, but both silhouettes were already pulling their victims deeper into the portal beneath them – in fact, Alexa was already knee-deep into the portal by the time she and Ryder regained their ability to breathe freely. “Something’s…enraged…?” “NO!! LET GO OF ME!! LET ME GO!!” “Pathetic and worthless…” “NO!! NAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOO!!” With the Staraptor having just barely been able to regain control of themselves, Sven and Wendy watched Alexa and Ryder’s dire predicament in complete and absolute terror; not only could they see the duo struggling against the darkness gradually pulling them into the void below, but they heard every last one of Alexa’s desperate cries. “ALEXA!!” Sven shouted in horror. “We need to go after them!!” Wendy yelled frantically, looking over at Sven desperately. “We can’t let them suffer like this!!” “No arguments from ME!” Sven exclaimed in agreement. However, just as Sven’s Staraptor flew backwards in preparation to help the duo in distress, something in the distance caught Sven and Wendy’s attention; a stream of white light suddenly began to fly from almost the same altitude as the Staraptor they rode and dove straight towards Alexa and Ryder… “What’s…?” Wendy mumbled in confusion. “What do you THINK…?” Sven asked with a confident smirk. “ALEXAAAAAAA!!” Alexa and Ryder suddenly looked around as soon as Keith’s voice tore through the darkness engulfing them and, sure enough, they found him, riding a brand new Staraptor flying at breakneck speed straight towards them, he and Buizel mildly bandaged from the injuries they’d sustained upon their crash-landing. Alexa kept her eyes specifically on Keith, her heart accelerating to a rate beyond her control and her eyes tearing up all over again as he drew closer and closer to her. “KEEEEEEEEEITH!!” she called back, her persistent fear and agony ruining her otherwise euphoric tone. “QUICK, TAKE MY HAND!!” With one hand clasping the scruff of Staraptor’s neck, Keith leaned to one side and reached out to Alexa, who reached out to him in return. Alexa forced herself to resist struggling instinctively against the shadow restraining her, but she successfully clasped her hand around Keith’s arm the very instant he was within reach; Alexa somehow felt aflutter as soon as Keith secured his grip on her arm, but had no time to dwell on the strange sensation and instead snatched her terrified and almost fully submerged Lucario from the darkness by the scruff of his neck while Staraptor soared into the sky, pulling Alexa and Ryder out of the dark portal with so much force that the pair were ripped away from the silhouettes that had snatched them, causing them to disintegrate into nothingness as the dark portal faded away and Darkrai’s posture relaxed. Keith’s timely arrival infuriated none more than Blake, but Heath let out a sigh, subtly expressing some degree of relief. Staraptor swerved around and landed on the roof only after Keith released his grip on Alexa, allowing her and Ryder to reunite with solid ground before they reunited with him and Buizel. Immediately after dismounting, Alexa rushed over to Keith and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and clinging to him for dear life, Keith quickly snatching her into his arms as she began to sob both out of immeasurable anguish from what she had just barely survived and from overwhelming joy just from seeing her dearest friend was safe. Ryder, on the other hand, had a very similar reunion with Buizel; both Pokémon dove at one another and couldn’t stop nuzzling one another, nor could they stop their tails from wagging excitedly. The reunions only angered Blake further, but there was something about Keith and Alexa’s reunion in particular that Heath could appreciate and even…adore. “KEITH!! Y-You’re okay…!!” Alexa cried, joyfully and sadly. “I-I-I was afraid you’d--…” “I-I’m so sorry!!” Keith exclaimed remorsefully. “I can’t imagine how worried you must’ve been, but…everything’s going to be okay now…I’m here…” “Heck YEAH you are!” Ryder shouted out excitedly. “You COULDN’T have gotten back to us at a better time!” “…thank you… …thank you so much…!!” Alexa wept softly. Keith smiled gently and moved one hand to the back of Alexa’s head, once again feeling that warmth in his heart from the last time he’d held Alexa so close to him. Although this sensation confused him yet again, he didn’t care to think about it; rather, he simply let himself enjoy the moment and embrace the warm, fuzzy feeling that came with it. “…you…you WRETCHED RANGERS!!” Blake’s enraged outburst interrupted the tender atmosphere of the reunion between friends, but not enough for Keith to surrender his embrace entirely as he, Alexa and their Pokémon looked towards him, Alexa being the only one still in a state of shock while Keith smirked confidently at the irate boss, Buizel looked on with mild intimidation and Ryder glared and growled furiously at the man, his cyan aura flickering discreetly across his fur. Heath and Wheeler, contrary to any expectation, watched in alarm as Blake began his own episode of exploding anger. “THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA AND YOU RUIN IT FOR ME BY PREVENTING ME FROM ELIMINATING THE BIGGEST THREAT TO MY GRAND DESIGN!!” “Nobody ASKED for a new era, you asshole!” Keith shouted back, giving him the middle finger. “Let alone YOURS!” “I WON’T LET MY EFFORTS BE FOR NOTHING!! I’LL MAKE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU REGRET EVER TAKING UP ARMS AGAINST ME!!” “Not before WE make you regret turning Pokémon into your slaves!” Ryder roared furiously, his glare intensifying. “AND FOR THAT STUNT WITH DARKRAI’S ATTACK!!” “Alexa, I REALLY hate to leave you NOW of all times,” Keith suddenly said, turning his focus to Alexa and looking directly into her eyes. “But we need to finish this! Where’s the Yellow Gem?!” “Here you go!” Ryder replied hastily. Without even looking behind him, Ryder held out a paw that quickly began to shine vividly with his cyan aura. Seconds later, the Yellow Gem, partially glimmering in Ryder’s aura, flew towards Keith and Alexa from where the Lucario had tossed it and hovered just in front of Keith; the second Keith took hold of the gem, the cyan aura around it faded away and Ryder lowered his arm. With the gem in his possession once more, Keith gave Alexa a soft pat on the top of her head before returning to Staraptor, climbing onto the Predator Pokémon’s back and settling the Yellow Gem in front of him while Buizel hopped into Keith’s shoulder. While preparing to take off, Keith finally took some time to acknowledge Alexa’s physical condition, which he immediately noticed had severely declined since his departure, making him even more hesitant to fulfil his role in the crucial operation. However, he soon gave Alexa a nod and the most reassuring smile he could muster. “Hold on for as much longer as you can; we’re almost there,” he said encouragingly. “Be safe.” “You as well,” Alexa replied sweetly. Keith gave her one more reassuring nod moments before Staraptor lifted herself off of the ground; at first, she flew off in the same direction she came from to gain momentum, but quickly turned around and flew past Alexa, she and Keith giving one another a high five just before she soared into the air. “STOP HIM!!” Blake commanded furiously. “STOP HIM NOW!!” Darkrai blindly held an arm out and, from its palm, fired a thick Dark Pulse attack onto Staraptor’s path. In retaliation, Ryder quickly charged and threw an Aura Sphere attack at the Dark Pulse; the two attacks collided and resulted in a small explosion that startled the Staraptor and caused her to barrel roll away from the collision, but her trajectory was otherwise undisturbed and she, Keith and Buizel escaped the attempted assault unscathed. Alexa felt her heart aflutter as she watched Keith’s Staraptor flying over to join the Staraptor carrying Sven, Wendy and the other two Tears of Princes in the sky above, but Blake…was far from amused… “…fine.” Hearing the same level of calm from Blake after the tide had just turned in her favour threw Alexa’s paralysing fear to the surface as a cold chill ran up her spine. Ryder, too, felt severely unnerved by how placid Blake had suddenly become and, despite his own sense of dread and anxiety, instantly took up a protective stance in front of Alexa as the duo looked over at Blake in horror. “If you insist…you leave me no choice… The truth is, Alexa, the Incredible Machine has ANOTHER level…a level HIGHER than Three…and you have forced me to use it – the forbidden LEVEL DARK!!” The announcement of a level of power beyond the dreaded third was horrific enough for Alexa and Ryder, but to see Wheeler and Heath equally as terrified as they were only made the revelation even worse; after all, Level Three was always told to be the highest level the Incredible Machine could reach and all of Almia may very well be doomed if the accursed structure ever reached that level – considering what Alexa and Ryder had seen from the Incredible Machine at Level Three, what in the world was Level Dark capable of?! “NO!! N-N-NO, Mr. President, PLEASE, YOU MUSTN’T!” Wheeler shouted pleadingly. “You YOURSELF admitted there is no telling of what will happen if the Incredible Machine reaches Level Dark!!” “B-Boss, I-I am also cannot following you with this!” Heath cried frantically. “N-N-No more, please, I-I cannot--…” Hard as Wheeler and Heath may try to protest, their cries fell on wilfully deaf ears. Blake faced the plasma ball properly and once again slapped both hands on the dreadful device. After a few seconds of nothing, the gradually flashing green lights on either side of the plasma ball suddenly began to rapidly flash a sinister red, causing the entire machine to tremble under its power overload and creating more tremors to shake all around the tower…but that wasn’t even the worst part; Darkrai slapped both hands on its head and hovered around uncontrollably, very clearly suffering from even more unspeakable agony that no other Pokémon under Team Dim Sun control had ever experienced before it. “G’AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!” “D’AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!” Darkrai’s unbearably tormented shriek caused the strongly empathetic Alexa to scream in intolerable terror and excruciating despair, clasping her head with both hands exactly as Darkrai had, closing her eyes tightly and starting to sob all over again. Ryder, on the other hand, winced and looked away from Darkrai’s torment, hoping the Pitch-Black Pokémon’s pain would end very soon. Sven, Wendy and Keith watched in pure horror as the top of the tower became obscured by clouds of darkness, Darkrai and Alexa’s screams echoing in the air around them. All three Staraptor hovered backwards in recoil and Buizel hid behind Keith’s neck in response, but the three Top Rangers felt the most concerned for Alexa, for her frightened and distressed scream rang the loudest for the three. “Oh, my gosh…” Wendy muttered, holding a hand near her mouth in shock. “What’s going on down there?!” “I dunno; I can’t see a thing!” Sven yelled in anger. “Must be something ELSE our copy of the blueprints didn’t show us… DAMNIT, Hall!!” Keith simply stared at Alexa’s position, his heart racing a mile a minute while her scream echoed in his ears long after they’d faded away; as much as he believed in Alexa and as much as he trusted Ryder’s ability to keep her safe, hearing such an intense degree of fear in Alexa’s voice crushed him emotionally – he began to hyperventilate, felt his eyes watering and felt a powerful urge to abandon his post simply to be with her… It took Alexa and Ryder a few seconds after the entire area fell silent to open their eyes…but even fewer to wish they hadn’t; Darkrai hovered in place limply as it had done before, but somehow with even less life and a look of pure emptiness in its exposed eye – if any level of power up to Level Three made Pokémon little more than puppets, then Level Dark turned Darkrai into some kind of…living undead creature. Looking at what Darkrai had become overwhelmed Alexa and Ryder almost instantaneously, the pair looking just as physically sick as they were repulsed; Ryder stared at the fellow Pokémon with his eyes wide, ears drooped and his tail between his legs, while Alexa had both hands slapped over her mouth, trembled in endless terror, tears trickling from her tired eyes and felt the powerful urge to whimper, sob and gag all at once – never, in all of their time dealing with Team Dim Sun’s nefarious treatment of Pokémon, had they ever expected to see such a brutal obliteration of a Pokémon’s free will. Blake, on the other hand… “You have every right to be scared, Alexa,” he began, smirking maliciously at her. “After all, this level of power is known only to the infinity that is darkness itself… You have forced me to this extent, Alexa; now it is time for you to suffer the consequences…” Suffer the consequences? As far as she was concerned, Alexa didn’t need Blake to command anything from Darkrai to ‘suffer the consequences’ – just LOOKING at what Level Dark had done to Darkrai was enough for her to ‘suffer the consequences’… “My Darkrai! Your age has arrived, but there is a task you must first complete!” Blake called commandingly. “ELIMINATE THE PESTS FLYING OVERHEAD AND OBLITERATE THE GIRL BEFORE ME!! DO IT, AND MY NEW ERA WILL FINALLY COME TO FRUITION!!” It took a few moments for Blake, Wheeler and Heath to realise…Darkrai was not responding; it just…hovered there…doing nothing but the occasional twitch. Perplexed, Blake walked in front of Darkrai to investigate its trance-like state, but found absolutely nothing wrong with it as far as he was concerned. Darkrai’s lack of motion, though, eventually wore down Blake’s patience. “Darkrai, did you not HEAR me?! I said ELIMINATE THE PESTS FLYING OVERHEAD!!” he angrily instructed again. No response again; Darkrai just hovered in place, a finger and its neck twitching on occasion – Blake’s anger only grew with Darkrai’s unresponsiveness, but it left Wheeler and Heath equally as perturbed. As for Alexa… “…there’s… …th-there’s nothing there…” she squeaked fearfully. The antagonistic trio looked over at her, Wheeler and Heath tremendously horrified by her tiny words and Blake even more enraged at her for having spoken up against him at all, even if she had been reduced to an emotional wreck of a Top Ranger. “…I-I-I can’t see anything…!! …he’s…h-h-he’s lost…!!” “Don’t be ABSURD!” Blake yelled furiously. “My Darkrai is under my FULL control!” Immediately after Blake made his claim, Darkrai finally began to move; Alexa kept her eyes on Darkrai as he slowly turned towards Wheeler, terrifying the assistant even further. Heath had also noticed Darkrai’s movements, but was far too intimidated to utter a single syllable to his boss. Not that Heath would have made any difference; Blake was too preoccupied yelling at Alexa to notice what Darkrai was doing. “Once I have eliminated the threat of the Tears of Princes, I will have Darkrai PERSONALLY throw you into the nightmare that boy just--” “WHEELER, GET AWAY FROM THERE!!” Alexa suddenly screamed in horror. But Wheeler reacted just about too late; Darkrai threw his arms into the air, summoning a portal of darkness beneath Wheeler’s feet – a dark portal identical to the one that came so very close to swallowing Alexa and Ryder. “W-WAAH! W-W-What is--?!” While the darkness began to consume the man from the feet upwards, Wheeler looked around hastily, his sense of anxiety crushing him more strongly by the second. All eyes were on Wheeler during his plight, but only Blake looked on with mild sentiments while Alexa, Ryder and even Heath looked on in overpowering horror. “NO!! S-STOP THIS!! AWAY WITH YOU!!” But the darkness swallowing him was relentless; as with Alexa and Ryder before him, a shadow rose up from behind Wheeler, taking the shape of an unrecognisable older man with only slight resemblance to Wheeler himself – Alexa and Ryder recoiled at the sight of the silhouette, knowing exactly what was going to happen next… “GET AWAY FROM M--AAAAAAGH!!” The silhouette slapped a hand on the top of Wheeler’s head and seemed to have tightly gripped the poor assistant’s hair before proceeding to push him deeper into the void with just one shadowy arm, the other quickly revealing itself to be holding something that looked like…a bottle of all things. Wheeler sunk deeper into the darkness, turning his head towards Blake desperately once the man was neck-deep into the portal. “M-MR. PRESIDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENT!!” But Wheeler’s cry fell on deaf ears; Blake simply watched Wheeler disappearing completely into the dark portal, the silhouette sinking along with the man while the portal itself shrank until it closed completely – Wheeler…was gone. As if Wheeler’s disappearance wasn’t horrifying enough for Alexa, Ryder and Heath, the plasma ball that once controlled Darkrai became so overloaded that it shattered like the glass it was made of. Heath began to hyperventilate, fearing what else the now officially uncontrollable Darkrai was going to do next. “M-M-Mr. Wheeler…!! …b-boss, th-this, it-it is too much, I--” “It’s just Wheeler,” Blake replied coldly, quickly looking over at the scared Sinis Trio member. “Darkrai’s still under my control.” Ryder’s jaw may just as well have shattered on impact with the floor; Darkrai plunged Wheeler into the man’s own nightmare without ANY instruction to do so from Blake, yet Blake STILL had the audacity to claim he had full control over Darkrai?! And with the plasma ball overloaded to oblivion, no less?! Neither he, Alexa nor Heath could believe the denial that came out of Blake’s mouth, but Alexa’s focus was elsewhere… “HEATH!! HEATH, YOU HAVE TO GO!!” she cried urgently. Heath, Blake and even Ryder turned to face her in horror; after everything Heath had put her through, both physically and emotionally, she found the capacity to show concern for the man’s safety and well-being – while Blake reacted to her concern with repulsion, Ryder began to perk his ears up, pulled his tail from between his legs and even managed to crack a very, very tiny smile in response to her kindness. “PLEASE!!” Even Heath was taken by surprise, but Alexa persisted, looking at Keith’s former captor with pleading eyes. It didn’t take long for Heath to sprint away from his position, stopping as soon as he reached Alexa; the two locked eyes for a few tense seconds, but Heath’s demeanour softened a little as he spoke to her gently. “Gracias, querida niña…” Blake watched in anger and in horror as Heath sped off once again until he was safely off of the roof, away from the threat of being pulled into a never-ending nightmare of his own. Alexa sighed shakily with relief, but knew too well that things had only just begun. As quickly as she could relax from having at least saved Heath from Wheeler’s fate, she turned her desperation to Blake. “PLEASE, Y-YOU HAVE TO GO TOO!!” “Have you completely LOST YOUR MIND?!” Blake shouted wrathfully. “I REFUSE to abandon my pursuit JUST because WHEELER’s out of the picture!” Alexa couldn’t keep her eyes on Blake for too long; Darkrai had slowly turned towards Blake and, like he did with Wheeler, threw his arms into the air, gradually creating the portal of darkness underneath Blake’s feet, devastating Alexa immeasurably. “Darkrai is at MY mercy and I WILL make sure it--” “BLAKE, RUUUUUN!!” Alexa cried frantically. “What--?” But Blake noticed his predicament too late for him to escape it; he was already ankle-deep into the darkness and couldn’t flee from its gravitational pull, no matter how hard he tried. He looked back at Darkrai, who he now realised was acting outside of all control – even of himself – and finally understood why Alexa was so desperate to spare him the fate that had befallen Wheeler… “DARKRAI, W-WHAT’RE YOU--” “BLAAAAAAKE!!” “NO, ALEX!!” Alexa tried to hasten to Blake’s aid, only for Ryder to intercept her and pull her into his arms protectively, shielding her from having to witness another unfortunate victim being pulled into his own perpetual nightmare. As much as she wanted to try and reach Blake again, she ultimately flung her arms around her Lucario and buried her face into his fluffy chest, powerless to do anything to help Blake out of his dire situation. “NO!! NO, STOP!! NO!! HEEEELP!! AAAAAGH!!” Two silhouettes rose from the shadows on either side of Blake, each one grabbing a shoulder and pulling him deeper into the void. Blake flailed frantically and looked around him in tremendous haste in response to whatever voices he was hearing in his head before looking down at the huddle that was Alexa and Ryder just as he was neck-deep into his own nightmare. “ALEXAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!” The instant Blake called out her name, Alexa broke down and sobbed openly in Ryder’s arms, powerless to do anything to save the man; even if he was the mastermind behind the suffering of Pokémon all across Almia, she absolutely didn’t want him to suffer a fate worse than death… Only when silence befell the roof once more did Ryder and Alexa dare to stand up and face the out-of-control Darkrai, who was by now focusing its empty eye on them. Alexa was consumed – crippled, even – by the very same fear she felt while she was in danger of sinking into her own nightmare just from staring the Pitch-Black Pokémon down, but the thought of being the only one with any kind of power to combat whatever threat Darkrai now posed to Almia not only distressed her to an even greater extent, but the pressure the responsibility came with hindered her further, making her lose her confidence in her abilities entirely. Regardless of how she felt, however, Alexa knew better; she choked back a sob, aimed her Capture Disc shakily at the idling Darkrai and faced him, more distressed and more anxious than ever. “GO!!” Alexa fired her Capture Disc at Darkrai, cueing Ryder to charge at the Pitch-Black Pokémon with a green energy burning under his paws. Unfortunately, Alexa quickly came to realise that her Capture Disc wasn’t able to reach Darkrai before she could loop it around him; there was something that seemed to repel the disc away from Darkrai. Ryder, too, quickly learned how difficult a task stopping Darkrai would become; the Lucario had to forfeit his Force Palm attack in favour of forming his protective barrier in order to protect himself from the barrage of shadowy spheres that Darkrai had unleashed before zooming away from the Lucario in order to attack him with a Dark Pulse almost immediately after his Shadow Ball barrage ended. Ryder was able to dodge the Dark Pulse easily enough and threw an Aura Sphere at Darkrai, only for Darkrai to knock it back to Ryder with yet another shower of Shadow Balls, most of which struck Ryder from above before the Aura Pokémon could respond. “Ugh…d-d’aagh…!!” Alexa struggled immeasurably to move her Capture Disc closer to Darkrai; she had to push her Styler arm just to make the disc move closer to the Pitch-Black Pokémon, but the disc simply wouldn’t budge any further than a few feet from him – Alexa was just straining herself for no reason, sabotaging what little physical condition she had left, as evident from the blood starting to stain the bandage around her knee… “Alex, what’s wrong?!” Ryder asked frantically, hearing her struggles. “Why aren’t you capturing Darkrai?!” “I CAN’T!!” Alexa shouted, terrified, agonised and anxious. “M-My Capture Disc won’t go any closer…!!” “You’re JOKING!” Ryder cried in disbelief, throwing up another protective barrier to shield himself from another one of Darkrai’s Shadow Ball showers. “I thought you had that upgrade thingy!” “I DO, BUT IT’S NOT WORKING!!” Alexa yelled, sorrowfully and fearfully. Ryder threw an Aura Sphere at Darkrai, but looked at Alexa before he could determine whether it struck Darkrai or not; he noticed her struggling to move her arm, but felt even more concerned for her when he saw the paralysing panic dominating her demeanour – she trembled in place all over again, both from her physical pain and her emotional suffering, but she also began to twitch in places, including one of her eyes, both her knees and the hand meant to guide the Capture Disc around its target. “I-I-I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!” Ryder’s ears twitched and looked over at Darkrai, horrified to realise what was about to happen; not only was Darkrai charging up a sphere of black energy that was itself engulfed in darkness and not only did this new attack look far stronger than Ryder’s Aura Sphere attack…but it was aimed directly at Alexa – and she was too caught up in her own fear to even notice… “W-W-WE’RE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN DO THIS AN-AND IF WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING THEN WH-WHAT HOPE DOES--” “NAAAAOOOOO!!” Ryder raced the darkened sphere Darkrai unleashed and successfully skidded in front of the severely startled Alexa. However, Ryder’s attempt to throw up the one thing that would shield her and himself from the corrupt attack…failed; the light that would have summoned Ryder’s protective barrier fizzled from Ryder’s paws, leaving the pair vulnerable to Darkrai’s attack. Once the sphere struck its target, it let out a blinding explosion of dark energy, which was followed by a bright yellow energy, all around Alexa and Ryder. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!” From the sky, Sven, Wendy, Keith and the Pokémon with them watched in torrential terror; they saw the flash of yellow energy from within the darkness surrounding the roof of the tower, but they also heard Alexa and Ryder’s screams of pure, unbridled agony echoing all around them as Alexa’s terrified scream had before them. Wendy felt her heart cracking at what little she could see, hands hovering over her mouth and her eyes beginning to water. Sven felt his stomach plummeting as he could only imagine what had caused such unspeakable pain to such a young pair. Keith, on the other hand, reacted the strongest; his heart shattered like glass, his body quivered…his tears fell from his eyes…his voice filled with fear and despair… “ALEXAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”To be continued…
PMD:DD
Brave New World
Pokemon Ageos Chronicles
Claudius and the Pokemon Colosseum
Pokemon Rangers Layla and Zangoose
Pokemon Rangers Layla and Zangoose 3 - SotG -24CHAPTER 24 - FINAL SHOWDOWN The rangers walked down the hallway after breaking the seals on the door using the Line Mode of their stylers. They had to climb a very tall stone spiral staircase to the top of the fortress before coming out to find a large room. It was much like the rooms Kasa and Hocus were in, except this one was bigger and there was a map of Oblivia engraved into the stone floor.Standing there waiting was Edward in his part of the golden armor. He looked serious, “So, you’ve finally come this far, Pokemon Rangers.”Layla spoke, “Where’s Kip, Edward? We just want to help.”“Blues! Layla!” The team looked to see Kip standing against a pillar at the backside of the room, his hands bound back around the pillar. Blues smiled, “Kip, you ok?”Kip grinned, “Nothing up my sleeve but a Hello, rangers.”Layla turned to Edward, “You don’t have to fight us, Edward. We know how you and the others feel about all this. You can stop this. You can still make things right.”Edward shook his head, “I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”Blues smiled, “Why not? Don’t you want things to go back? Don’t you want to go back to being the good doctor loved by all? I know Kasa wants to go back to seeing happy faces when she comes to visit Oblivia, I know Nate just wants to help the place he’s come to call home, and I know for a fact that Hocus would give up anything in all the world just to teach Kip his greatest tricks again.” Edward glanced over at Kip, then sighed, “I really believed finding the Golden Armor would make me happy. Would fill that… that emptiness in my chest. To revitalize the excitement I had lost years ago.” He looked ashamed, “That is… until I saw Kip dangling out from the fortress. At that moment… I realized something. I felt as if a light in my soul was about to be lost with him.”He looked at them, “I found that, while I may have lost something when I gave up my former life, I gained something much greater in this new one, something I gained when Hocus invited me to visit his grandson with him. Because of Hocus’s history, Kip’s parents didn’t care for him being around Kip at that time, so he was too nervous to go alone when they finally gave in and allowed him to visit for the first time.” He smiled as he remembered, “Such a bright boy with such beautiful and incredible dreams for the future. It reminded me so much of my own childhood. It was as if my life had started over, but in someone else. For a moment, I wondered if what I was feeling at that moment was how my father had felt when he would watch me, seeing how I dreamed of becoming a doctor and saving lives.”Edward smirked, “If there is anything I’ve learned all these years watching young Kip grow… it’s that dreams can change, just like people can change. With how limited life is, it makes what you do in it that much more important and special.” He smiled, “It’s what makes life worth living, isn’t it? Knowing that you can be whomever you want, or doing whatever you choose? It makes each and every life meaningful. Sure you may find ups and downs, good times and bad ones, but it never stops being yours.” He chuckled, “Even you seem to have experienced that, Blues. You wish to now become a Pokemon Ranger, a dream you gained only recently, yet you can achieve it just like anyone who’s had the dream their entire life!”He smiled at Kip, “I saw that same passion in Kip when he chose to become a magician, just like his grandfather. Even while his parents and everyone else told him he was wasting his potential, he held tightly to his dream and believed in it with all his heart. So did the four of us. The truth is, I was already so excited to see the man he would become. Even as I began to fear the end that the future would bring me, I kept moving towards it just so I could see what it would bring for him. And to know that everything we of the Societea had gained from our long lives could actually be passed down to someone new, someone who could use it to create their own extraordinary life?” He smiled, “It was… it was worth it.”He shrugged sadly, “I suppose… when the Poke-Founders showed up with the offer to help me find the Golden Armor that I had only ever dreamed of, I let myself fall to the temptation.” He sighed, “And I forgot what really mattered.”He looked at Kip, “So, while I know it might not make much sense, I hope that one day you could forgive us old fools for our mistake. If we could give it all back, we would.”Kip was silent, but then sighed, “Edward, I…”SLASH!Kip gasped as the pillar began to tip backward, the top of it cut from the ceiling that helped hold it up. The others gasped in horror as it fell back towards the open sky. The only thing that stopped him was the long glowing red wires that had lined the pillars and the floor, now holding the pillar almost horizontally out the open wall of the room. Anymore weight and the wires were sure to snap and drop the pillar, right along with Kip.Blues yelled over to him, “Hang on, Kip!” Kip didn’t budge, wide-eyed in fear, knowing that any move he made would spell his doom.Though, before they could go to Kip, Charles stepped in the way with a seviper, no doubt one of Kiara’s, at his side. He smirked, “You really should be more careful, Thinker. You keep playing with the kiddies and one of them just might get hurt.”Edward looked worried, “Leave him alone! He has nothing to do with this!”Charles scoffed, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. The only person hurting him now… is you.”Edward understood and sighed, “Oh, fine already!” He turned to the rangers, “I’m sorry, but I have no choice.” He pulled on his helmet, “Life is already so limited, I can’t bear to cut Kip’s any shorter. I want, more than anything else in the world, to see him live the life he deserves. I’m sorry if that’s selfish, but it’s what matters to me.”Suddenly, a purple void appeared at Ed’s side. Blues and the others gasped as Mewtwo appeared from it before the void vanished. Mewtwo awoke and cried out, ready to battle for its new master. Edward sounded sad from inside the helmet, “I truly am sorry.” He pointed at them, “Mewtwo, attack!”Mewtwo faced the rangers, who activated their stylers as their partners prepared to fight. Layla smirked, “You ready, team?” The others nodded, and with that they were at it. Zangoose and Bell did their best distracting and attacking while Blues and Layla ducked and dodged attacks as they did their capture. Now and again, Layla would push Blues out of the way or Blues would pull Layla from an attack. The four of them were in perfect sync, and it showed as the capture finally came to an end. Mewtwo was finally captured.Mewtwo gave a cry and went back into it’s sleeping position as it floated above them. Charles gasped, “Th-That’s impossible!”Edward lifted his helmet, looking amazed, “Such feeling, such teamwork, such bonds of friendship… so much like my friends and I in our youth. It’s… it’s incredible.”Charles caught their attention as he laughed, “Not as incredible as what comes next.” They all turned to him as he crossed his arms with a mean grin, “Let’s see how Renbow Island likes the makeover we gave Dolce Island.”Blues paled in horror, “No… You wouldn’t…” Charles placed a foot against the bottom end of the pillar, as if to push it over the side, which would surely snap the wires, “Oh, I wouldn’t, but I’m sure if Ed still wants the kid alive, he’ll be very much obliged to do it.”Edward opened his mouth to speak, but someone else spoke, “No.”They all looked over at Kip. Kip managed to find his voice as he spoke again, “L-Look, I get it. I get why you four did what you did and I believe you when you say you’re sorry. Honestly, I forgave you all a while ago, I just couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud yet.”He sighed, “I know you just want the best for me, but… Edward…” He managed to look at them, “Please… don’t do this for me… I know you want me to live my life, but… for what? What’s the point if I know people’s lives were lost because of me? My life for the lives of many? How could I ever live with that?”He glanced down at the world below, “Some of the kids I perform for live on Renbow Island. Is my life, my future, more important than theirs? And what about their families? And their pokemon?”He shut his eyes tight, “Edward, please… don’t force me to carry that weight.”Edward looked heartbroken, “Kip… I…” He was silent for a moment, then clenched his fists, “I understand.” He turned to Charles with a defiant look, “I will not do it! I will not serve you or your ‘Lady in Charge’ any longer!”He glanced at Kip, “Because of how important Kip is to us, we will not cause him any more pain because of our mistakes.” Charles looked a bit worried to see their hostage plan was failing.“How precious, Ed.” They all looked around for where the new voice had come from.That’s when a light appeared and Kiara herself walked out. They all gasped to see she was now wearing the other three pieces of the Golden Armor. She smirked coldly, “Looking for me, rangers?” She gave Zangoose a chilling grin, “Hello again, Zangoose.” Zangoose shivered slightly, but stood his ground, “Kiara.”Edward spoke up, “How did you get the pieces of Golden Armor? What have you done with Kasa, Nate, and Hocus?”Kiara chuckled, “I should have known I couldn’t rely on a bunch of old-timers. Since none of you are capable of getting the job done, even after I held your little friend here hostage, it would appear I’ll have to take measures into my own hands.” She held out her hand, causing a strange force to pull the Golden Armor right off of Edward and onto her.She chuckled, “The Golden Armor has chosen its rightful ruler, and that ruler is me!”Layla felt worry as Kiara pulled on the helmet and was surrounded by a violet power that awoke Mewtwo again, “Oh no.”Kiara smirked, “As for you, Eddie, I’m afraid I no longer have use of you, or the boy. I think it’s about time I ‘dropped’ our partnership. Thank you so much for your support, but I think we can take it from here.”Suddenly, her seviper swung its tail, slicing through a couple of the wires holding Kip up. The others gasped as the other wires began to rapidly snap. At the last moment, Kip managed to finally get through the rope he had been secretly cutting with a sharp stone he had. He quickly took a leap and just managed to catch the edge of the floor as the pillar fell to the world below.Zangoose gasped, “Hang on, Kip, we’re coming!” He ran over and caught Kip’s hand just before he could lose his grip. Layla hurried over and helped him in pulling Kip up as Kiara laughed, “Always the heroic type, aren’t you, Zangoose?” She turned to Mewtwo, “I grant you more power, Mewtwo, to destroy those rangers once and for all!” Mewtwo cried out as it became surrounded by a violet power.Then Mewtwo created a large sphere of violet energy, just like the void it had earlier appeared from, in its hands, then turned to throw it at Layla and Zangoose. Blues saw it and gasped, “Layla! Zangoose!” They both looked as they managed to get Kip on solid ground, but neither could do anything in time as the sphere was thrown at them.Just at the last second, Blues suddenly jumped in the way, taking the hit himself. Layla was shocked as Blues only smiled sadly at her, then vanished with the attack. Layla was horrified, “BLUES!!” Edward with Kip, who he was now hugging, looked just as horrified.Kiara burst into laughter, “What a love-sick fool of a boy! And to think, I almost had him join me!”Layla turned to Kiara, angry tears flooding her eyes, “Where is he, Kiara?! What did you do to him!?”Kiara shrugged with a cold smirk, “How should I know? Mewtwo is the one who banished him somewhere far, far away. So, honestly, I have no clue where he ended up.” She laughed heartlessly, “Maybe somewhere dark and alone. I hear it runs in the family after all!”Before Layla could say or do anything, Mewtwo faced them as Kiara smirked, “Don’t feel bad, ranger. You will soon be joining him. Any last words? I’ll be sure to pass it on to the Ranger Union when I drop by to retire them all, permanently!”Layla yelled at her, “I will never forgive you for this, Kiara!!”Kiara laughed, “Are those really your final words? What a waste.” She pointed at them and Mewtwo prepared to use its attack again.Kip spoke up, “Layla! Zangoose! Move!”Layla clenched her fists, “No… I will not run away from the likes of you, you… you COWARD!!” She managed to jump out of the way of the attack and activated her styer, “This ends now!!” Zangoose, feeling her passion, joined her as they faced Mewtwo.Kiara scoffed, “How foolish. Very well, go right ahead.” She smirked coldly, “Fight all you like, but you will fail.” She turned to Mewtwo, “Forget sending them away, just destroy them! I want to watch them suffer.” Mewtwo turned to Layla and Zangoose, it’s body embedded with incredible power and rage.Zangoose pulled out a leaf, “I should be able to calm it down with the song Oracion, just like we did with Darkrai in Almia. Then we…” He was cut off when the move slash hand his hand, both hurting him and slicing the leaf in two. Zangoose saw it was the seviper who attacked him.Zangoose growled, “Scratch that. Seems we have to face it head-on then.” He glanced over at Bell, only to find she was sitting miserably to one side of the room, face covered. She was far too heartbroken to help them.Layla wiped her eyes, “Then let’s do it. Ready?” Zangoose nodded and they were at it. The two moved fast and strong, but Mewtwo was stronger.As Layla kept up on her capture, taking hit after hit as her styler’s power continued to drop, Zangoose fought back and forth with Mewtwo, only to be battered up quite a bit. Layla didn’t let up, even as her capture disc took hit after hit. Zangoose noticed as he fought, looking a bit concerned, “Easy, Layla. You’re not even halfway into the capture yet.” But she wasn’t listening. She could only see Blues’s sad smile before he disappeared. She was so angry and so focused on capturing Mewtwo and making Kiara pay that she didn’t even pay attention to what she was doing.Not until, her capture disc finally shattered from one last attack from Mewtwo. She was shocked, especially when she looked at her styler only to find it was completely out of commission. Her now broken capture disc sat there on the floor, now powerless and useless.She watched her styler, unable to believe it was now broken. That was the first time she ever fully broke her styler doing a capture. How did she lose focus so much that she missed something so vital?Though, her attention was pulled back when she heard Zangoose yell, “Layla, move!”She looked to see Mewtwo above her, ready to strike her down. She was too surprised to even move in time. It was Zangoose who suddenly shoved her out of the way, taking the blow himself and getting smashed to the floor painfully. Zangoose groaned weakly as he slowly got back to his feet, only for Mewtwo to smash him down harder, this time creating a crater in the map-engraved floor. To Layla’s fear, Zangoose didn’t get back up.Kiara laughed loudly, “You see? You can’t stop me! I’m not like the fools you’ve faced so far, rangers, I’m the real thing! No heroic children are going to stop my quest for a new and perfect world!” She laughed to the sky, “It took me many years, but victory is finally mine!”Layla wasn’t even listening. She only watched her beaten partner, remembered Blues being stolen away, and saw frightened Bell, Edward, and Kip off to the side, watching the heroes lose. Layla felt broken inside. The same feeling of hopelessness she felt on Altru Tower in Almia only so long ago washed over her. Everyone was counting on her, this time the whole world, and she managed to lose sight of it and failed. What had she done?Layla felt tears escape her eyes, “I… I’m so sorry.”Kiara smirked, “Not as sorry as you’re going to be.” She pointed at Layla, “Finish her.” Mewtwo floated towards Layla.Layla backed away until her back was against one of the other pillars. Mewtwo floated right in front of her as it created another sphere of power over its head. Layla felt worry. What could she do now? She couldn’t capture it, Zangoose couldn’t help her, no one could. Kip and Edward could only watch in horror. Bell covered her mouth in fear.However, just as Mewtwo was about to send Layla away, it stopped, as if another force was holding it back. Layla was surprised, but not as surprised as Kiara. Kiara looked shocked, “What is going on now?”“Sorry to drop in unannounced.” They all looked to see Orr standing there with a large group of Pinchers, and even quite a few Poke-Founders, all struggling to use their gauntlets to try to hold back Mewtwo. Orr smirked, “Miss me?”Kiara was shocked, “What are you doing here, and what are you all doing?”Orr grinned, “Just doing our job, as well as repaying a few favors.” He glanced at the grunts with him, “Believe it or not, these guys did not like you turning them into mindless slaves in those suits of Steelhead armor.”Kiara growled, “Traitors, the whole lot of you!” Layla used the confusion of the multiple controls on Mewtwo to slip from in front of it and hurry over to Orr. She looked at him, “Thanks, Orr.”Orr smirked, “Like I said, I owed a few favors. Consider us now even.”As they were talking, Edward whispered to Kip as he looked over at Zangoose, “We need to get Zangoose back to his feet. Come on, while they’re distracted.” Kip nodded and they snuck over to Zangoose. Edward quickly checked his pocket and pulled out a small pouch of an odd powder.Kip was curious, “What is that?”Edward smiled, “Revival herbs.” He went down next to Zangoose, who managed to come to, but couldn’t move, “Zangoose, you need to eat this.”Zangoose looked at the powder Edward held out to him and groaned, “Oh…”Edward spoke, “I know it won’t taste good, but it’s all I have, and I’m sure Layla could still use your help.”Before Zangoose could accept it, the seviper lunged at them, ready to attack. Though, they were surprised when it was stopped by a second seviper, then a third. Kiara noticed, “What!? What are you two doing? Stop fighting each other and stop Zangoose!” The two sevipers who attacked the first ignored her and knocked the first one out cold. Kiara was confused, “Why aren’t you obeying me?”“Their loyalties now lie elsewhere.” The two sevipers slithered over to someone who walked in. They were all surprised to see Axel walk in. He looked serious and full of a strange new authority, “Thanks to help from Orr’s friend Celebi, we figured out how to, in a simple term, ‘purify’ the pokemon you affected with the shadow pokemon experiment. In other words, these two no longer obey you. In fact, they’re so grateful to me for freeing them, much like these grunts you had in the Steelhead armor, that they decided to give up on you and join me.”Kiara was shocked, “Join you? Join you to do what!?”Axel smirked, “Isn’t it obvious? To do exactly what you always wanted since the day I was born; to take over the Poke-Founders.” He faced his mother, “You’ve lied to me, you tortured my closest friends, and you took the most important things in my life away from me. If anyone in this room has a beef to repay you, it’s me, and I’m finally here to take back my life!”He smirked confidently, “Just like Kip and Blues, and even Layla and Orr, I deserve to live my life, my way, and now that’s what I’m going to do!”Charles spoke up, “Axel… think about what you’re saying…”Axel smirked, “I have, dad, and I’ve made up my mind.” He stood proudly as he faced his mother, “It’s time I made my own legacy, and I’m doing it without you!” Zangoose, who was now on his feet, even if only at half his strength, smiled deeply as he watched Axel. Axel smiled at him, “Sorry it took me so long to finally realize it, pal.”Zangoose smiled happily, “I’m just so glad you did. I’m so proud of you, Axel.”However, Kiara looked infuriated, “You… You ungrateful little…” She turned to Mewtwo, “Forget this! Destroy them all, Mewtwo!”Axel glanced at Orr, “Did you bring a raichu like I asked?”Orr nodded and pulled out a pokeball, releasing a raichu, “Think this can charge back up your styler, ranger girl?”Layla smiled, “That’ll be perfect, thanks.” She let the raichu charge her styler, managing to repair it and send it to full power.Axel spoke, “You can use raichu to keep charging your styler when it gets low, while my sevipers help Zangoose fight Mewtwo. My people will do what they can to confuse Mewtwo by upsetting my mom’s control.”Layla nodded, “Got it. Thank you, Axel.”Axel smirked, “Hey, you shouldn’t get to be Zangoose’s only cool friend.” Zangoose chuckled, then turned with the two sevipers to face Mewtwo. Bell even joined them, ready to help and make Kiara pay for taking Blues.Kiara was furious, “I will destroy you all! No one will ruin this for me again! Not any one!!” She sent Mewtwo at them again.This time, Layla was focused and Zangoose wasn’t fighting alone, making the battle far more in favor of the heroes. Kiara yelled commands at Mewtwo in a rage, but it wasn’t enough. Even as she sent all the power she could into it, it still couldn’t stop Layla as she completed that final loop of her capture.The second the capture was completed, Mewtwo calmed down and the power that was overwhelming it finally ceased. It was free, especially now that Kiara had no more power left to control it. Mewtwo looked at Layla and the others, gave a nod of thanks, then flew off out of the fortress.Layla smiled, “We did it.”Kiara mumbled softly, “...it… it can’t… be…” The armor fell from her, revealing just how weak she now was after using so much of the Golden Armor’s power. She fell to her knees, “This… this is impossible… after everything…” They all watched as the four pieces of armor disappeared into four balls of light that shot off in four different directions out into the world.Kiara looked beaten, “So that’s it… it’s really over…”Layla spoke, “Yes, it’s over. You won’t be hurting anyone else now, Kiara. You’re finished!”Kiara’s head hung, then she started to chuckle, “Yes, it is certainly over, isn’t it? I suppose I can live with that…” She grinned coldly at Layla, “...knowing that it’s also very much over for you too.” Suddenly, the fortress began to shake violently. To everyone’s fright, the fortress began to fall out of the sky.Kiara laughed, “What did you expect? With the Golden Armor gone, there’s nothing keeping it in the air!” She smirked, “It was a long battle, but it seems it finally comes to an end. Your end.” She laughed and finally collapsed.Charles hurried over to her side with the last seviper, lifting her into his arms, “Seems this is where we take our leave.” He looked over at Axel, “Kid, I hope you know what you’ve just called on yourself.” He smirked, “Because next time we see each other, we’re enemies, so you’d better be ready for it.” With that, he jumped out from the fortress, only to be seen flying off with Kiara and the seviper on a salamence.Some of the grunts started to panic, “What do we do?! Where are the escape pods on this thing?!”Axel spoke up, “Calm down, all of you! We’ll head down to the flyers and be off this thing with plenty of time to spare, ok? Just hurry down. Make sure you bring the rest of the Societea waiting down there with us!”Kip smiled, “So gramps and the others are ok?”Orr smirked, “Yeah, little roughed up, but over-all they’re fine. I’m sure the doc here could take a look at them, but let’s save that for after we’re off the falling death trap.” Orr led Kip and Edward along with the grunts out of the room to head down to the Z.Z.Flyers.Zangoose spoke up before the heroes could leave too, “But… we can’t just leave, can we?”Bell looked surprised, “Punny pun? Pun lopunny pun!”Zangoose looked a bit worried, “I know, but what happens when this huge thing hits the ocean? It’ll create a huge tsunami that could possibly wipe out the Oblivia region anyways!”Axel understood, a bit worried himself, “He’s right! We need some way to stop the fortress from hitting the ocean, but how?”Just then, Layla’s styler started beeping. Layla quickly answered, “Now’s not exactly a good time!”They saw Meech on the screen of what Layla assumed was Ozzy’s styler, “Layla, is everyone up there ok? Give me a report, stat!”Layla quickly gave the short story, “We stopped Kiara and got rid of the Golden Armor, but now the Sky Fortress is falling. If it hits the sea, all of Oblivia will be washed away!”Then they saw Whitney, “Well, you’re in luck, cause I found something that just might be able to help you!”Zangoose spoke, “Then give it to us fast, we’re running out of time!”Whitney explained, “In the past, the hero used the power of the rainbow to encompass the Sky Fortress, which had lost power then too. The rainbow is, in other words…”Layla smiled, “Ho-Oh! We can call Ho-Oh with the emblem to help us!” She rushed over to the edge of the room, looking out at the open sky. She aimed her styler out and used the Line Mode to made Ho-Oh’s emblem appear in the sky. Though, the shaking made her lose her balance, causing her to almost fall out, but she was quickly caught by Zangoose and Axel. Layla saw the sea below getting closer, “Come on, come on, where are you, Ho-Oh? Please, hurry!”Just then, sparkling light began to descend around them. Layla smiled, “Ho-Oh!”That’s when Ho-Oh flew by, giving a loud cry. Layla yelled out to it, “Ho-Oh, we need your help to stop the fall of the fortress! Please, all of Oblivia is depending on you!”Ho-Oh gave a loud cry, then flew off around the fortress, giving off its large rainbow and light. The light of the rainbow seemed to fill the fortress with a new power and wrap it in rainbow beams, causing it to slow down just before hitting the water. Everyone inside was caught off guard by how suddenly it slowed down, throwing everyone from their feet as the fortress crashed down, now at a much slower pace, creating a much calmer splash than if it had fallen as the original speed.Layla rubbed her head as she sat up, the fortress no longer shaking, “Ow… is everyone ok?”Axel sat up with Zangoose, “Fine.”Zangoose smiled, “So, we did it? Oblivia is safe now, right?”Layla smiled, then her smile faded to pain, “But… Blues…” She looked out at the water around them, “He’s still gone…” Bell looked sad too, now remembering her lost partner.Zangoose opened his mouth to say something, but something else made a sound. They turned to see Mewtwo fly in. Axel was surprised, “Mewtwo? What are you doing back? I thought you left.”It looked thoughtful as it created a void and something dropped out on the floor. Layla gasped, “Blues!!” She rushed over to his side and tried to shake him awake, “Blues, open your eyes! Wake up, Blues! Please, answer me!”Blues finally opened his eyes and looked up at her, then managed a weak smile, “I could get used to a view like this.” Though, he was quite surprised when Layla suddenly pressed her lips against his in a kiss. Blues was only surprised for a moment, but he soon was kissing her back.When they finally parted, she hugged him tightly, “Don’t you ever leave me again.”Blues smiled kindly as he hugged her, “I’m sorry I scared you. Trust me, I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.” He gently pulled her away so he could look her in the eyes, “Because I’m too madly in love with you to ever let anyone stand between us again.”Layla smiled, “And I love you too, Wilt Hall.” Blues didn’t even flinch at the sound of his name, only smiling, “Sweetheart, you can call me whatever you want if that means I’m finally getting that date we’ve teased all this time about.” Layla laughed as he pulled her close to kiss again.Once Layla let go and Blues was on his feet, Bell jumped Blues with a hug too, smiling in tears as she held him tightly. Blues chuckled, “Yeah, I’m sorry to you too, partner. I promise to be more careful from now on and try to avoid doing anything that rash again. You forgive me?” Bell nodded as she wiped her eyes and smiled at him.Zangoose spoke up, “Just where did Mewtwo send you, Blues?”Blues tensed a little as he remembered, “I don’t really know. I only know it was dark and silent. I was hopelessly lost, but… I remember thinking about all of you. I just imagined you were all there with me, right at my side, even if I couldn’t see you, and… well… I guess I didn’t feel quite so afraid anymore.” He smiled, “Next thing I know, I’m here.”Layla turned to Mewtwo with a smile, “Thank you so much for bringing him back to us, Mewtwo.” Mewtwo nodded with a smile, then flew off.Layla then turned to Blues, “And thank you again for saving us, Blues. That was pretty heroic of you.”Blues chuckled, “Yeah, it seems you’ve really rubbed off on me, huh?” He looked around, “Now does someone want to explain what the heck happened while I was gone? How are we in the ocean? What happened to Kiara? And why is Axel here like a good guy now?” He saw the grunts and the Societea walk in, “Scratch that; why does it look like all the bad guys are good guys now?”Kip smiled, “Blues, you’re ok!” Blues smirked, “Did you really think anyone could get rid of me that easily?”Zangoose chuckled, though he was clearly worn out after everything, “We’ll explain everything a little later. For now, I think our ride’s here.” He pointed outside the fortress, where they all could see the Union sailing over.Meech grinned as Ozzy sailed the Union this time, “We’ve come to pick up the Heroes of Oblivia and accompanying party!”Layla’s smile started to falter, “Uh, aren’t they coming in a little fast?”Meech turned to Ozzy, “Bro, you need to slow it down more.”Ozzy looked nervous, “Wait, how do I slow down more than this?”Blues gasped as the Union grew closer, “Brace yourselves!!” Everyone held onto something as the Union hit the side of the fortress, sending a bit of a shockwave through it. Luckily, it wasn’t anything too severe.Meech groaned from the floor of the Union, “Someone remind me never to let Ozzy talk me into letting him do something this dangerous again.” Whitney giggled as she and her family helped the brothers to their feet.Megura, who was also on board, along with the pokemon from Dolce Island, waved to everyone on the fortress, “All aboard, everyone!” Before long, everyone was safely on the Union. This did not include the grunts of both the Poke-Founders and the Pinchers who worked for Axel now, who all went to collect their flyers and supplies from the fortress. Meech grinned, “Well, I’ve got some awesome news! The wireless tower has finally been finished, so I gave a report to the Ranger Union in Almia! They’ll be sending a few rangers over here to help clean things up here and make sure no one can pull this fun little stunt ever again.”Kip looked a bit worried as he looked over at the Societea sitting with him, “What about my grandfather and the others? What will happen to them?” Ozzy grinned, “Meech decided to show us just how much the Union adores him by nicely asking them to let them off the hook. They learned their lesson after all and they clearly don’t plan to cause anymore trouble, something I’m sure you can make sure of. So, seeing as the Ranger Union was already just so glad to see Meech was ok that they had no problem granting his request. So, you seniors are off the hook!”Edward smiled, “Thank you, all of you. We promise we will use our skills for the better good from here on out, however long or short that may be.”Kip smirked, “I’ll make sure of that. I’m gonna have to keep a way closer eye on you four from now on. Though, I guess I can’t do that if I go back to school, now can I? Guess I’ll just have to stick around here, maybe pick back up where I left off training as a magician.” The others smiled, all four rather looking forward to it and overjoyed to hear Kip wouldn’t give up on his dreams after all.Zangoose spoke, “What about Axel, the Poke-Founders, and the Pinchers here? Is the Ranger Union going to be willing to give them a second chance too?”Ozzy smirked, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. These people aren’t part of the Poke-Founders and Pinchers. As far as the Ranger Union knows, the Pinchers disbanded and are who-knows-where now, and you know how little they know about the Poke-Founders as it is. I highly doubt they know anything about Kiara having a kid, especially not one who used to work with her, and I’m sure not planning to tell them.”Meech smiled, “And as it currently stands, Axel’s no more than a friend of yours, Zangoose. I doubt anyone would have any reason to see him as anything else.”Zangoose smiled, “Thank you. That means a lot to me.” He looked over at his friend, “So, what do you plan to do now? Just what is your legacy going to be?”Axel smiled, “Well, I’d kinda like to use all that research and information my mom’s collected after all these years for good. Rather than using knowledge of ways to powerful pokemon and objects to take over the world, what if I used it to protect the world? There are so many threats out there that no one knows about, just like here in Oblivia with the Golden Armor and the Sky Fortress. If someone who knew about all this ahead of time had been able to come and warn people, maybe use their knowledge to prevent the threat from getting this bad, things would have gone far smoother here.”He smiled proudly, “So, that’s what I’m going to change. We of the newly founded Poke-Watchers will use our knowledge, skills, and wide-range over multiple regions to assist Pokemon Rangers in preventing disasters like this one in the future. We’ll be something like a sister-unit to the Pokemon Rangers, lending our help when we can and giving heads up if we believe a threat may be occuring. After all, my mother and the rest of the Poke-Founders are still out there, and they don’t plan to quit anytime soon, I’m sure. You said it yourself, the Pokemon Rangers have nothing on them, right? Someone has to be ready for her, so why not the ones who know them best?”Meech grinned, “I think that’s an awesome plan, kid! We’re all rooting for you!”Layla nodded, “Agreed. I look forward to seeing just what all you accomplish, Axel. Perhaps, we’ll even get to work together one day.”Axel smirked as his new crew flew over, even bringing him his blue flyer, “Perhaps. Only the future can tell.” Though, before he climbed onto it, he looked back at Orr, who wasn’t following, “You’re not coming, Orr?”Orr sighed with a smile, “I think I’m about ready to retire from the ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ scene, kid. After all the craziness of my life, I think I’ve earned the chance to just kick up my feet and let the world deal with its own problems. I wanna live a normal, peaceful life where I don’t have to worry about starving, fighting, or dying. The life my grandfather would have wanted for me, you know?” He smirked as Celebi flew over and cuddled against him, “Plus, I think I owe Celebi a lot of playtime after all these years.” Celebi giggled.Axel smiled, “I understand, Orr. As your friend, I want you to do what’s best for you. And after everything you’ve done for me all these years, I think it’s the least I owe you.” He held out his hand, “Keep in touch at least?”Orr smirked, “You bet. I wanna hear how this big dream of yours goes.” He then winked, “If you ever need me, you’ll find me on Kincaid’s private island. He promised to let me chill there with him after we worked together for Dim Sun, so I think I’m about ready to take him up on his offer.”Axel smiled, then turned to Zangoose, “Zangoose…” He hugged Zangoose tightly, “I’m so glad I got to see you again, even if the circumstances were pretty crummy.”Zangoose laughed as he hugged him back, “Yeah, but it worked out.” He let go with a kind smile, “You’re finally going for your own dream, and you have the ambition to do it. Knowing that you’re going to be ok out there is all I ever wanted for you. I know you’re going to do something really amazing out there, Axel, I guarantee it.”Axel nodded, “Of course! After all, now that it’s official that my parents will never be proud of me ever again, I can at least make sure my brother is.” He winked, “Like I said before, Layla shouldn’t be your only cool friend.” Zangoose chuckled as Axel hopped on his flyer and hovered into the air. Axel smiled at the rangers, “Thank you all again, and I hope to work with you all one day!” With that, he and the others flew off. As Axel flew off, he grinned back at Layla and Blues, “And I expect an invitation from you two when you finally tie the knot!”Blues was confused, “Invitation for what?”Layla shrugged, “I couldn’t quite catch it.” Zangoose and Orr only snickered, both having heard exactly what Axel said.Bell yawned, “Pun pun pun.”Zangoose stretched, “Yeah, I could use a rest too. I’m completely worn out.”Megura giggled, “Yes, I’m sure you’re all absolutely tuckered out after such a grand adventure.” She walked over and took the wheel, “Though, I doubt you’ll get to rest right away. I’m sure everyone in Oblivia is just waiting to see the big return of their heroes!” She winked at them as she took the wheel of the Union, “I’ll just take us slow, that way we can enjoy this beautiful summer sun and the cool ocean breeze.”Bell smiled and called her friends, “Lopunny pun! Pun pun!”Meech chuckled as she and her friends started to perform, “I guess we even get a hero show while we head back! Is it great to be rangers or what?” Everyone laughed as the Union began it’s gentle sail back to shore.
Pokemon Rangers Layla and Zangoose - SotG -21CHAPTER 21 - SKY FORTRESS On the ancient fortress, the Societea looked pleased with themselves as they stood in the control chamber of the fortress. Hocus chuckled, “What an illusion! It’s really quite wonderful!”Kasa giggled as she looked out the open walls around them, “How mysterious!” She looked down at the gauntlet she was wearing, “I’m feeling stronger and stronger, almost as strong as in the past!”Nate looked around, “So it was the Sky Fortress that made the Ancient Ruler so powerful.”“Afraid it’s too early to be surprised, you old coots.” They all spun around to see Kiara and Charles. Kiara smirked, “Sorry to barge in like this, but I figured it’s finally about time you four payed up.”Ed was surprised, “Pay up? Whatever are you talking about?”Kiara grinned coldly, “What? You think all my help was for nothing? Surely you four are old enough to know that’s not how this works.” She stepped forward, “In return for helping you get your immortality, you four will now work for me.”Ed scoffed, “You really are a foolish woman, Kiara. You really think we would serve you when we now have the greatest weapon of all time? You have no power here!”Kiara’s grin grew chilling as Charles brought out something, “Don’t I?”Hocus gasped in horror as he saw the person Charles pulled forward, “Kipper!”Kip, now dressed in casual clothes and no longer wearing his magician mask that hid his bright red eyes, was bound in rope and gagged, looking a bit roughed up as Charles held him tight by his ropes. Kiara smiled, “As you can see, I have something I know you all want back safely. So, either you pay up, or the boy just might get hurt.”Hocus looked distressed, “Leave him out of this! This has nothing to do with him! He doesn’t even know!” He turned to Ed, “Edward, do something!”Ed faced Kiara, “You will…”Kiara laughed, “Still trying to make demands, Ed “The Thinker”? Are you sure that’s what you want to do right now?” She snapped her fingers, “I’m the one who makes the demands here, Eddy.”Charles walked over with Kip to the open side of the room and held him out in the open air. Hocus, Kasa, and Nate all gasped in fright, all three worried now. Kip looked terrified as he saw the lake and ground so far below.Kiara grinned, “I will give you to the count of three to surrender yourselves to me, or the boy gets to find out just how long it takes to reach the ground from up here. I warn you, while we may be above a lake, I can assure you that even that won’t be enough of a cushion to save him.” Kip looked over at the four, afraid what they would choose.Kiara grinned to see the worried looks of the four older criminals, “One…” Ed didn’t say anything.Kiara continued, “Two…”Hocus turned to Ed, “Edward, please.” Still nothing from Ed.Kiara’s grin grew, “Three…”Kasa and Nate spoke up with Hocus, “Ed!!”Ed finally spoke up, “Alright!”Kiara smirked as Ed spoke, looking sad and ashamed, “Very well, Kiara. You may have the armor, just… let the poor boy go.”Kiara chuckled, “Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Ed. I don’t want your armor; I just want your obedience. You are welcome to keep your precious immortality, I simply need you to use the fortress as I see fit.”Ed sighed, “Fine, whatever you want.”Kiara glanced over at Charles. Charles understood and brought Kip back in, dropping him on the floor. Kiara smirked, “First things first, I need to know you four will behave. If you want me to free the boy, you’ll have to prove yourselves to me.”Kasa spoke, “And how exactly do we do that?”Kiara grinned coldly, “Here’s your first order of business…” Far below, the Rangers watched the fortress high above them. Zangoose looked worried, “Now what do we do?”Layla looked ashamed, “I can’t believe we failed to stop their plans. They not only got the armor, but they managed to raise the fortress too.”“Are you kidding? That’s the least of your worries!” They looked to see Orr fly down on staraptor. He looked up at the fortress in worry, “I can only fear what comes next. This is exactly what Kiara’s been after for the last seventeen years.”Layla spoke, “But she’s still working under the Societea. We have time, don’t we?”Orr scoffed, “I wouldn’t count on that.”Just then, the fortress started to make a loud noise above. They all looked and were surprised to see one of the cannons was actually powering up a huge ball of powerful light, reminding them of the plasma beams the Pinchers used. Blues looked worried, “What the heck is that supposed to be?”Orr watched, “Nothing good.” They were shocked as it grew huge and suddenly was shot off through the air.All of Oblivia saw the shot fly across the sky. However, everyone was horrified as it landed, right in the middle of Dolce Island. The people of Renbow Island, including Megura, Arby, and Little Tony were shocked as they watched the blast engulf their neighboring island. Though Megura and Arby quickly rushed off to their boats as everyone else could only watch.At the ruins, Blues and the others were shocked beyond words as they saw the remains. Bell was horrified, “PUN PUN!!!”Zangoose was the first to find words, “...D-Dolce Island… is gone…”Just then, they heard a voice, “People of Oblivia!” They turned to look up at the fortress.They listened to Kiara’s voice being broadcast for all of Oblivia to hear, “I am the new ruler of Oblivia! Go outside now, and look at the sky!”Zangoose growled, “Kiara.” At the same time, Whitney was pacing in her study, “I can’t seem to figure out the group of letters in this important part.”Just then, Misty rushed upstairs, “Mama! There’s something in the sky! Come see!”Whitney was deeply invested in the pages in front of her, “Not right now, dear. I’m trying to concentrate on reading the letters on the murels right now.”Misty could see how hard her mother was working and understood with a sad look, “Mama…” She turned and headed downstairs. She knew her mother wouldn’t rest until she made up for her mistake in the ruins. She was dedicated to making things right, no matter what. While Misty did respect that, she wished her mother could see she was trying to make up from something she didn’t do wrong. Meanwhile, Arby rowed the boat he was in, which was full of pokemon, while Megura and another young man from Renbow Island did the same in two other boats. As they rowed the Dolce Island pokemon to safety, they could hear Kiara from above, “People of Oblivia!” The three looked up at the fortress.Kiara continued, “Now you have witnessed an unbelievable scene. Well, believe it, because it’s real! Allow me to enlighten those of you who don’t understand what is happening. In the past, there was an immortal ruler here in Oblivia.”The people in Tilt Village, including Meech and Ozzy, watched the fortress as she continued, “This person of legend left me this gift of the incredible Sky Fortress!” She laughed, “Now, behave and submit to me, Kiara of the Poke-Founders, who has obtained unbelievable power!”Meech was horrified beyond words as his brother spoke in fright, “No flippin’ way.”On Sophian Island, Supurna watched with all the people in town around her as Kiara continued, “If you don’t, this Light of Judgement that I just showed you will certainly destroy the islands of Oblivia, one by one!”Supurna clasped her hands in fear, “Oh Blues, I hope you’re alright, wherever you are.” As this was happening, Whitney gasped in her study, “I finally understand the important part!” She read the piece out loud, “<i>The three lords of the sky were fooled by evil power. In order to free them, the Hero of Oblivia bore the Rainbow Grail to the Rainbow Dias. The shining rainbow that finally appeared freed fire, ice, and lightning from the evil ruler.</i>”She grinned, “So that’s it! Of course!”Just then, Misty ran back up, “MOM!! Dolce Island is gone!!” Whitney was surprised as Misty grabbed her hand and rushed her downstairs and out to the front of the house.Out there already was Orlando, watching in horror. Whitney and Misty joined him, both just as shocked. Whitney held Orlando’s hand in fear, “This is awful. Is the terrible disaster caused by the Evil Ruler referring to that?” Back at the ruins, Bell cried into her paws. Blues hugged her, “It’s ok, Bell. I’m sure your friends found a way off in time.” His eyes became icy, “I swear, they will not get away with any of this.”Layla was just as angry, “This is unforgivable. We won’t rest until they pay for this, every single bit of it. Kiara’s gone too far this time.”Zangoose nodded, “We need to get up there and stop this. If we don’t, who will?”Layla looked up at the fortress, “We have to break into the Sky Fortress!” She used her Line Mode to call on Latios while Blues caught Orr’s staraptor. The two then quickly flew off into the air with their partners.Orr sighed, “Good luck, you guys. You’re gonna need it.” Celebi appeared at his side and looked just as worried. Kiara watched from the command center of the fortress with a cold grin, “Soon, the ultimate treasure will be mine. The whole world will obey my rule, my vision. I will remake this world into my image and shape it to my ideals. There is no one who can stop me now.”Charles smirked as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, “I told you you would succeed this time.”Kiara smirked, “You say that every time, whether it works or not.”Charles kissed her cheek, “Because I believe in you every time.”Kasa scoffed, “Get a room, you two.”Kiara glanced over at the four, all standing around the map on the floor of the Oblivia Region, while Steelheads surrounded them, now obedient to Kiara. Kip was still bound off to one side under the watch of the twin girls who had disposed of Orr earlier. Kiara smirked, “Don’t be so sour about this. At least you four get to live forever.”She glanced over at Kip, “Even if not everyone is probably thrilled about that anymore.” Kip looked away, both angry and hurt.Hocus spoke up, “You said if we go along with all this, you would let him go!”Kiara laughed, “Oh, relax, you old geezer. He’s fine, isn’t he? No harm will come to him. I just can’t let him leave just yet, not when you four are such renowned liars.” She walked over and pulled Kip over to the Societea, “But if you’d like to chat with him, be my guest.” She sat him in the middle of them on the floor and removed his gag.She smirked and walked away, “Have fun with that while I see to a couple things.” She and Charles left, leaving the Steelhead to guard them under the careful eye of the twins.Hocus smiled, “Are you alright, Kip?”Kip looked away, “What do you care?” He looked angry, “You didn’t care about Dolce Island or all the poor pokemon who were on it when you blew it up. You certainly don’t care that your greed could cost everyone in Oblivia their homes and even their lives.”Kip looked at them, his eyes heartbroken, “I really believed you guys when you said you gave it all up. You told me you would never go back to that life, yet here we are. I believed you when you told me you found something far more important than riches and power.” He scoffed, “But I guess dad was right. There’s no such thing as ‘the magic of joy and a smile’.” He looked at his grandfather, “A magician really is nothing more than a con man looking for the next payout, right?” Hocus looked heartbroken to hear him say that.Kip looked over all four of them, “You all are. All just looking to con the next sad sucker.”He looked down at the floor, now miserable, “Guess I’m that sucker now.” They all looked deeply ashamed.Ed spoke up, “Kip…”Kip chuckled sadly, “To think, I really believed in all of you. You all were my idols. I admired every one of you my whole life.” He looked at Kasa, “You were the one to design and make my new magician uniform. Every moment you spent making it, you continued to talk about how excited you were for me. How you could see me making headlines one day.” Then he turned to Nate, “And you, always telling me to never give up, no matter how many times I would fail.” Then he turned to Ed, “And who was it who would tend to me every time I messed up a trick and got hurt? Always an encouraging smile saying I could do anything I set my mind to.”Then he turned to Hocus, “And you… the man who I always dreamed of becoming. The man who inspired me and showed me who I wanted to become, believing in me every step of the way.”Kip smirked bitterly, “And yet, here we are. In the end, what did any of it even matter? What if it had been my home island targeted just now? With me and my family on it? Or what if those crooks had dropped me a moment ago? In the end, none of it matters. Now, I’ll be lucky to survive the experience.”He chuckled coldly, “And here I dreamed I would be your legacy, grandfather. I would go out and do everything you only ever dreamed of doing at my age. I would travel the world and share your tricks with everyone, bringing happiness to every region in the world. I was going to do that, for you.” He looked up at him, “Well, you clearly won’t need me for that now, will you? You’re immortal now, you can go do whatever you like for however long you like. You certainly don’t need me anymore. Why teach me your ways when you can do it all yourself for the rest of time?”Hocus went down next to Kip, “Don’t say that, Kip! You mean so much to me! Please don’t change because of my mistake!”Kip looked away, “Forget it, gramps. If I survive this, I’m going back to school like dad wants. After all, the only things that matter in life are power and riches, right? Clearly, you guys would all agree. So, I might as well get started.” All four of them looked devastated by that.Kasa looked heartbroken, “We’re so sorry, Kip.”Nate nodded, “We never meant for any of this to happen.”Ed sighed, “We wanted immortality, not all this destruction and chaos. If I’d known the Poke-Founders would betray us, I would never have accepted their help.”Kip scoffed, “Yeah, whatever.” Just turned himself away from them, “Just leave me alone.” No one could find anything else to say.Just then, Kiara returned, “Seems we’ve got company on the way.” She noticed the scene and smirked coldly, “I take it your chat didn’t go well?” No one said a word. She continued, “Looks like those meddlesome Rangers are heading this way.”Kip gasped, “Blues and Layla.”Kiara smirked, “Yes, it seems they’re taking the rash option and charging right for us. The time to make this Sky Fortress invincible has come. The Ruler who wore the Golden Armor was said to have controlled the three rulers of the sky at will. How about we give that a try?”Ed looked over at Kip and sighed, “Very well.” He and the others worked together to do as she ordered.Outside, as the Rangers began to make their way closer to the fortress, Zangoose spoke up, “Geez, this thing is enormous! They could be anywhere on it!”Blues, still looking icy cold, spoke in a serious tone, “Doesn’t matter. We have to stop them before they do something else that can’t be undone!”However, at that moment, they heard something flying up behind them. Layla looked and gasped, “Incoming!” They ducked out of the way as Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos flew by them, straight for the fortress. When they reached it, the sky grew dark and a huge black sphere of power appeared around the fortress.Layla was surprised, “Moltres and the others made a barrier around the Sky Fortress?” She looked over at the others, “We’ll need to find a way to break that barrier somehow if we want to get in.”Zangoose watched the fortress ahead, “We should head back to Orlando’s house and figure out another way.”Blues was about to remark, but Zangoose spoke up, “I know it’s frustrating, but there’s no other choice! We have to retreat!”Blues looked annoyed with this plan, but he sighed, “Fine. Let’s go.” Layla flew Latios off for Renbow Island and Blues followed.
Pokemon Rangers Layla and Zangoose 3 - SotG -20CHAPTER 20 - THE FINAL PIECE Layla and Zangoose dropped down on the ground of Layuda Island. Layla looked up at Latios as he flew, “Thanks again, Latios!” Latios gave a nod and was soon gone in the dark clouds above.Zangoose turned to Layla, “Alright, now let’s hurry to the summit.” He looked around at the few damaged ZZ Flyers around them, “Clearly the Pinchers managed to get here before us, so we’re quickly running out of time.”Layla nodded, “Yeah, let’s go!” With that, they rushed off into the cave at the mountain’s base. They made their way past Pinchers and Steelheads, bolts of lightning that continued to strike any water around them, and large metal door traps and a few iron bars placed to slow them down.However, they soon came across a Steelhead who was helping a Pincher put up more barriers. When the Steelhead saw them, he sighed, “You again.”The Pincher noticed him stop, “What are you doing, sir? We have to stall them as long as possible!”The Steelhead spoke, “I have made a mistake. The ancient Steelhead wouldn’t have done petty things like this. They always faced their enemies and challenged them to battle.”The Pincher was confused, “S-Sir?”The Steelhead stepped forward to face Layla and Zangoose, “This armor seems to be trying to tell me something… about a warrior’s pride…”Zangoose looked concerned, “What is he talking about? The armor… is talking to him?”The Steelhead held out his hands and called on the power of the armor. Zangoose saw the attack coming and grabbed Layla, “Look out!” They ducked from a group of eight electrodes that dropped from the air.The Steelhead spoke in a powerful voice, “I will buy time no more! You will now pay!”Layla activated her styler, “We have to capture them, and fast, before they blow this whole tunnel to pieces!” Zangoose did his best to help her with the capture, moving quickly to prevent the pokemon from exploding in that small tunnel.Soon, they finished the capture and sighed with relief. The Steelhead didn’t say anything as the Pincher grabbed his arm, “Sir! Pull yourself together! You did everything you could! Come on, let’s run!” He then started pushing the silent Steelhead off down the tunnel towards the exit.Zangoose watched them go, “How strange. It’s like wearing the armor changed him somehow.” He looked at Layla, “I’m beginning to worry those pieces of armor are more of a concern than I originally thought.”Layla nodded, “Agreed. For now, let’s just stop Charles from waking Zapdos.” With that, the two hurried onwards.Soon, they reached the large stone tablet that blocked the way. Zangoose looked up at Layla, “Entei and Suicune opened the other monuments, so that only leaves Raikou’s emblem.” Layla used the Line Mode and the way opened up for them.Layla looked at Zangoose, “You ready? Zapdos has to be on the other side, right along with Charles.”Zangoose smirked, “Ready when you are, partner.” The two hurried through.When they came out on the summit, they weren’t surprised to find Charles and three Steelheads, one of which was trying to wake up Zapdos, who was asleep among a nest of black clouds with large sparks of lightning. The Steelhead spoke, “Zapdos should waken momentarily.”Just then, the clouds dispersed. Layla gasped, “Oh no. We’re too late!” Zapdos woke with a loud cry.Another Steelhead spoke, “Moltres and Articuno have already been awakened and should be flying around Oblivia’s skies.”Charles grinned coldly, “We’ve finally made it this far. The Lady in Charge will be mighty pleased.” He looked up at the sky as Zapdos flew off, shooting down bolts of lightning as it went, “When Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos awaken, Oblivia will be enveloped in boundless fear. Now is that time!”He then turned to the Rangers with a cold smirk, “Sorry we didn’t wait up for you. You were taking a little too long, so we decided to just go ahead and finish without you. Too bad, I was really hoping for a fight before we finished our great work.” He grinned, “Though, I suppose even if we’re already finished, I can’t very well let you two leave here in one piece.”He laughed, “It will soon rise again, and when it does, it would be best that you two are no longer a threat.” He then sent out a Metagross against them.Zangoose prepared himself, “You ready, Layla?”Layla nodded, “Ready! Capture on!” With that, they got right to work on the capture. Though, it wasn’t easy. The attacks were hard on Layla’s styler, and there was only so much a normal type like Zangoose could do to a powerful steel type like Metagross.Finally, they managed to complete the capture. Layal sighed, “We did it. That was more difficult than I expected.”Zangoose nodded, “Agreed.”Charles shrugged, “Oh well. The job is done, and that’s all that matters to me.” He hopped on his camo flyer as the clouds above cleared up, “Time to go, boys! The Lady in Charge is waiting for a good report!” With that, they flew off on their flyers, the sky no longer storming.Layla sighed, “I’d go after him, but what’s the point? We failed to stop him. Now that those three are awake, a terrible disaster will occur. That’s what Whitney said, right?”Zangoose sighed, “Only one way to be sure.” Layla called on Latios and they flew off into the sky.As they flew, Zangoose spoke up from behind her, “Let’s just head back to the others. Maybe Blues is back with Orr. Orr might know something useful for us.”“Did somebody say my name?” They turned to see Blues fly over on a staraptor. Though, he wasn’t alone. Orr was on the back of a second staraptor with Celebi flying at his side.Blues smirked, “As you can see, our first official solo mission was a success.” Bell smiled excitedly from behind him.Orr rolled his eyes, “It’s not like it was a hard mission. Celebi showed you the way right to me.” Celebi giggled as it flew around him, just happy to have him back.Layla smirked, “So, you’re a big softy after all, huh?”Orr scoffed, “Whatever.” He cleared his throat, “...but, thanks for the help.”Zangoose spoke, “Orr, we need to know. Just what are the Pokemon Pinchers planning, and what do the Poke-Founders have to do with it?”Orr sighed, “I don’t know who the Pinchers’ bosses are, only Kiara ever knows that kind of info, but I do know that they believe this whole plot of theirs is their own. Sorry goofs have no clue that they’re nothing more than pawns in Kiara’s game. Their victory is her victory. She provided them with everything they need and they somehow think she’s just assisting them? As if.”Layla spoke, “What about what Charles said? He mentioned something rising again. What could he have been talking about? Just what is the disaster that’s supposed to occur now that the three legendary bird pokemon are awake?”Orr sighed, “You won’t like it. As far as I know, the event happens in the Oblivia Ruins. That’s no doubt where Charles is headed now.”Layla remembered, “The ruins behind the waterfall on Sophian Island! Let’s get over there, and fast! Maybe we still stand a chance of stopping this!” With that, they flew off fast with Latios.Orr shook his head, “She doesn’t seem to get it. It’s already too late.”Blues scoffed, “We’ll see about that.” He flew off after them, “You can go ahead and give up, but we won’t be beaten that easily.”Orr watched them go and sighed, “Poor fools have no idea what they’re up against. This isn’t Dim Sun and their stupid machine, this is something far more powerful.” He looked worried, “And once Kiara gets her hands on it, it’s not just Oblivia that’s doomed.” Celebi looked just as worried.Soon, Layla, Zangoose, Blues, and Bell landed in the Oblivia Ruins where they previously rescued Whitney and Misty. Blues sighed as she hopped off his staraptor, he gasped, “Hey, isn’t that…” They looked to see a familiar figure being led into the ruins by a couple Steelhead.Layla was surprised, “That was Kasa, wasn’t it?” She turned to Blues, “Did the Steelhead capture her? But why? She has nothing to do with this, does she?”Blues looked serious, “I don’t know, but I’m not having it! Let’s go!” The team rushed in.When they caught up, Blues spoke first, “Kasa!”Kasa looked as she stood between the two Steelhead and smiled, “Oh, Rangers! My wishes have come true!” She looked at the two Steelhead who now stood in the way, “Please! Won’t you save me?”One of the Steelhead looked confused, “What’s she going on about all of a sudden?”The other one shrugged, “She’s a strange woman.” They both turned their attention to the Rangers and sent out a Torterra and a Sceptile.Once Blues and Layla got through their pokemon, the Steelhead ran off. Though, Blues was surprised, “Hey, wait, where did Kasa go?”Layla looked too, “Did she escape while we were capturing?”Zangoose looked concerned as he looked the way the Steelhead ran off, “I have a feeling I know.” He led the way and the others followed.Soon, they came to the room where they rescued Whitney and Misty from Charles. Layla was surprised to see the doorway at the otherside of the room was open now, “Wasn’t that sealed shut before?”Zangoose looked at the triangular symbol on the floor, now glowing in the three corners in different colors of red, blue, and yellow. He felt concern, “I think it’s safe to say they managed to unlock it by awakening the three legendary bird pokemon.” He looked ahead as his ears caught a sound, “I hear laughter up ahead. Come on.” The team hurried forward.However, they were shocked by what they found. A room with a line of Steelheads at either side of the room, standing at attention for… a table? One covered in tea cups and treats. Though, what shocked the Rangers were the people sitting around it.There sat Kasa, Nate, and Hocus, having tea just like back in town. Layla was surprised, “What is going on here?”Nate smiled, “Well, as you can see, we’re having a tea party.”Kasa giggled, “But today is a little different. This is a very special tea party.”Hocus grinned, “Well, Rangers, would you like some delicious tea?”Blues was confused, “Tea? Right now? Do you three realize where you are right now? What’s going on?”Nate chuckled as he motioned to the Steelhead, “Are you talking about the Steelhead? If so, don’t worry.” His smile became less friendly, “I’ve employed them to be our hired help today.” He snapped his fingers and the Steelhead suddenly rushed over, surrounding the Rangers.Zangoose spoke, “I was afraid of this.” He looked over at the three at the table, “I knew they seemed familiar to me. I remember Kiara looking over their files while I was still under her control. Now I understand why.”Just then, someone else spoke, “What’s all the commotion about? Did something happen?” That’s when Dr. Edward joined them. Edward noticed them, “Oh, the Rangers. Did someone invite you as guests?”Hocus grinned, “No, but I did have a wondrous illusion to share! It will be even more fun with guests than it would be with just us alone.” He grinned at Nate, “Don’t you agree, Nate?”Nate sighed, looking a bit bored now, “What’s the point? I hate acting.” He glanced at Edward, “Come on, Ed, isn’t it okay by now?”Blue looked shocked, “Acting?” Layla gasped as it finally sank in for both of them.Edward chuckled, “Nate, you’re as impatient as ever.” He smirked, “Fine. I thought this would be a fun way to kill time until the show, but you’re right, we don’t need a ridiculous farce like this at this late hour.”Layla spoke, “It can’t be… you four are…”Hocus chuckled, “This is how the trick works! We are the Societea! We’re a fantastic group of friends who’ve used our money to run the Pokemon Pinchers, with aid from the Poke-Founders, and worked toward the goal of realizing our grand dream!”Nate leaned back in his chair, “The only thing we didn’t plan on was your appearance, Rangers.”Kasa smirked, “But even that was no more than the opening act to warm up for the big show that’s about to start.”Edward chuckled, “Yes. Our goal will soon be complete.”Layla spoke, “Who are all of you really?”Kasa smirked, “I’m Kasa! I’m a master of disguise so accomplished that only I know what I really look like.”Then Hocus pulled out a staff, “I’m Hocus! I was called the miraculous magician, because no one alive has figured out my tricks.”Nate smirked as he stood up and flexed his muscles, “I’m Nate! In the past, I was a feared wrestler known as Nathaniel KnockOut! And I’m still training as hard as ever!”Edward removed his doctor’s coat and pulled on a long black and gold jacket, “Finally, as you know, I am Edward. Being a doctor is my cover. I was once known and feared as Ed “The Thinker”, and there was nothing I couldn’t steal.” The three others did the same; Hocus now wearing a black and gold hat and cape, Kasa removing her long jacket to reveal the black dress and gold scarf underneath, and Nate pulled on a jacket like Edward’s.Edward chuckled, “The four of us started working as The Societea 50 years ago. We’ve been all over the world, stealing anything worth calling treasure. We’re such a perfect team that it even amazes me.”Layla and Zangoose were speechless and Blues spoke in equal shock, “The Societea? The actual Societea? I’d heard so many stories when I was a kid, but I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you all in person. It’s such a bittersweet moment, because while I thought you guys were cool as a kid thief, I can only see how bad this is for me now that I’m here as a Ranger.”Ed chuckled, “How nice to meet a fan of our work.” He sighed, “Sadly, even this perfect team couldn’t beat old age. The Societea broke up, and I started living peacefully here in Oblivia.”Ed smirked, “But I was born bad. I couldn’t be expected to take the boredom of an elegant and simple life. No thrills, no excitement. All I had was time to waste. I couldn’t stand the peace and boredom, but most of all, I couldn’t stand myself in old age!” He grinned, “That’s when I heard the legend of the Immortal Ruler who wore the Golden Armor.”The Rangers gasped as each of them pulled on a piece of golden armor. Nate wore the chestplate, Kasa and Hocus each wore a gauntlet, and Ed wore the shoulder pads and carried the helmet under his arm.Ed chuckled, “I called the old gang and started collecting information in each area in Oblivia. We then pulled together a group of thugs looking for a big pay out and hired them to work for us. We even crossed paths with the Poke-Founders, who at one point had also searched for the Golden Armor in the past, but failed to find it. They found and collected pieces of the old armor and old writings in their past attempt, so they offered it all to us, seeing as I clearly had a better chance of doing what they could not, thanks to my being so close with the older folks here in Oblivia. They gave us a great number of strange suits of armor and control gauntlets left by the ancient warriors called the Steelhead.”Nate smirked, “As you can see, we managed to locate the great Golden Armor and are now wearing parts of it. We have nothing to fear, because being immortal means we never have to worry about getting old, let alone dying.”Ed chuckled, “Just wearing the Golden Armor alone, however, is not everything. The Ancient Ruler obtained a power that was so terrible that, not only Oblivia, but the entire world fell to its knees! That unlimited power is about to be resurrected!”Suddenly, the whole ruins began to shake. Blues quickly caught Layla as she was nearly thrown off her feet. Ed laughed, “Sounds like Kiara has finished her part.” He turned to the Rangers, “Now, my meddlesome Rangers, we will allow you to leave peacefully, because of the courage and wisdom it took you to get this far.” He waved to the table, “Have some tea while you sit here and watch the return of the Societea, the new eternal rulers!”The Rangers could only watch as the Societea walked into the next room, soon followed by the Steelhead in rows of two, before the doors slid shut behind them. Layla was about to go after them, “Oh no you don’t!”Though, Zangoose grabbed her and pulled her back to piece a chunk of the ceiling from landing on her, “Layla, it’s too dangerous here! We need to get out, and fast! This place won’t hold up for much longer!” They all quickly rushed out the way they came in.Once they got out into the open, Layla turned to the others, “Now what do we do? Just what are they planning to accomplish here?”Blues was about to answer, but stopped as his face went pale, “Oh dear Arceus.” The others noticed he was looking past them and turned around, only to be shocked by what they saw. They all rushed over to the edge of the ruins to look out over the nearby lake. They could see a shape rising to the surface, and it was huge!The team was horrified as an enormous form rose from the lake. It was shaped like a giant stone pine cone with cannons on every side. The engravings and design was clearly very ancient, but the power it gave off was nothing short of almighty and destructive. They watched as it rose higher and higher into the air above Oblivia.Zangoose spoke in horror, “The fortress has finally risen.”
Pokemon Rangers Layla and Zangoose 3 - SotG -19CHAPTER 19 - TO MT. LAYUDA The team watched as Meech continued to scold Orlando rather brutally, “And another thing! What do you think would have happened if you were captured too? Huh? You think your family would be anymore safe if you became a third hostage, as well as ruin the others’ plans of action at the time?” Orlando stared shamefully at the floor.Layla and Blues glanced at each other. Ozzy wasn’t kidding. Meech laid down a very harsh reality when he had to for the sake of safety. It was no surprise he was in charge of PR at the Ranger Union. It was clear in his authority and his understanding of situations that he was familiar with running things for Rangers as a head Operator. He knew the problems that came with poor planning, the risks of rash actions, and the dangers of disobedience when given orders from a superior. Orlando knew he was right on every single point he made, each one leading to a failure in their mission that could have resulted in a very bad outcome.Meech finally stopped and took a deep breath before speaking, “Look, just because I’m a simple Operator from Almia doesn’t mean I can’t still know what I’m doing in another region. Quite frankly, I could put in a bad report and have you fired on the spot for such negligence and corrupted judgement. We’re already two to zero against these people, we don’t need anymore bad luck. So, from now on, you’d better remember that you have a responsibility to more than just your family here. A bad call on your part for the sake of a selfish goal could put the entire region at risk. Do you understand?”Orlando nodded, “Yes, sir.”Meech crossed his arms, “Then I expect to see better restraint from here on out. Not only that, but it’s about time you learned to put more trust in your fellow Rangers as well as in Operators like myself. I know you’ve been an Area Ranger on your own a long time now, but that’s no excuse. Pokemon Rangers need to work together, and that means they sometimes have to rely on each other to carry out a mission.”Orlando nodded again, “Yes, sir. I understand. I promise not to act so rashly again.”Meech calmed down, “Good. I’ll be holding you to that.”Ozzy snickered, “And he wonders why he should be the next Chairperson in the Almia Ranger Union.”Meech glanced at him, “Knock it off, bro.” Ozzy only grinned with a shrug.Layla spoke, “Now we need to work on our next plan of action. We need to know more about what the Pinchers and the Poke-Founders are up to.”Whitney sighed, “Perhaps I can help with that. Everyone, come up to my library. There’s something I want to show you.” The others all followed her upstairs.Once up there and circling his table covered in books, Whitney spoke, “While Misty and I were taken hostage, that man, Charles, was looking to me for the location of the legendary pokemon Zapdos. If he finds it… the three pokemon on the mural, Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos… will all have been awoken.”Blues spoke, Bell standing at his side, “And just what does happen when all three are awoken exactly?”Whitney sighed, “That’s what I was looking into.” She turned to Layla, “Layla, I noticed you took pictures back in the ruins. Could you show them to us?”Layla used the Line Mode to project the pictures on the wall for everyone to see. She started with the first picture she took. It was a strange mural with a huge pinecone-looking shape in the sky, seeming to rain down something on a land of fire and destruction. Zangoose gasped, “Wait, I know this one. An ancient Oblivia under siege by… by…” He scratched his head, “I… can’t remember the name, but I remember the story. Something terrible happened very long ago. A… a machine? A fortress to be exact.” He pointed to the shape in the mural, “It was a fortress that brought disaster to Oblivia.”Whitney nodded, “Correct. That’s what I believe they are after. This fortress and the Golden Armor that is said to control it.”Ozzy raised his hand, “Question! What the heck does the three legendary bird pokemon have to do with this fortress thing?”Whitney turned to the second mural picture Layla had, this one with the three legendary bird pokemon facing the heavens as people below seemed to praise them as strange symbols were etched around it, “This one proves that they are somehow related. How exactly, I’m still not sure, but I know that awakening the three legendaries will open the way to the fortress.”Layla spoke, “Then we need to stop Charles from reaching Zapdos. Whitney, just where are they headed?”Whitney sighed, “Mt. Layuda. I told him about it when I deciphered the murals for him.” She looked ashamed.Blues spoke, “Don’t blame yourself. You were protecting your daughter. It was the right thing to do.”Whitney smiled gratefully, “Thank you, Blues. You can find Mt. Layuda on Layuda Island, which is northwest of here. People don’t go there.”Ozzy smirked, “Let me guess; it’s got lightning?”Whitney nodded, “Exactly. It’s always surrounded by it.”Ozzy smirked, “Called it. Molten volcano for Moltres, snowy mountain peak with avalanches for Articuno, and now mountain surrounded by lightning for Zapdos. Classic!”Layla spoke, “Then we’d better get moving. Ozzy, you stay with Meech to watch everyone here, and yes, that means you too, Orlando. Blues, Zangoose, Bell, and I will go to Layuda.”Just then, Misty hurried over and handed Blues his styler, “Here you go, Blues. I hope it is sufficient.”Layla was confused as Blues accepted it, “What is she talking about?”Blues smiled, “I had Misty upgrade my styler for me. Now, it’s as powerful as a regular Capture Styler. That way, I can be more helpful to you.”Misty smirked, “Actually, from my calculations, it should be even more powerful than an ordinary Capture Styler like Orlando’s. It is equal to a Fine Styler, making it much more durable and can now convey your feelings much more efficiently.” Then she added, “Oh, and, uh, I actually added the Line Mode to your styler too, that way you can call on the legendary beast pokemon too if you need to. Just in case.”Blues smiled, “Really? Wow. Thanks, Misty. Where would we be without you?”Misty blushed as she looked down at her feet from the high praise, “Oh, um, s-sure.”Layla chuckled, “You really managed to fit all of that in a simple Trainer Styler? You truly are outstanding, Misty.” She turned to Blues, Zangoose, and Bell, “Ready to go, team?” They nodded and her and the team headed out.It wasn’t long before the team, now flying a pair of Staraptors, were flying towards Layuda Island. Though, they were surprised to spot flyers ahead, chasing something. Blues scoffed, “Are they chasing Latios again?”Zangoose looked concerned, “Though, it seems they’re actually catching up this time. Latios must be exhausted to be flying that slowly.”Layla sighed, “Better go give it a hand before those idiots shoot the poor creature down.” They flew after the flyers.One of the Pinchers noticed them coming and gasped, “Uh oh! Pokemon Ranger at six o’clock!”When Latios noticed the Pinchers were focused on the Rangers, it used a final burst of energy to shoot off into the nearby clouds and get lost from sight. One of the Pinchers noticed and groaned, “Dang it! We lost it again! No doubt it’s headed back to that island to recover! All this chasing and we lose it, AGAIN! It never ends!!”Another Pincher scoffed, “Then you three go after it! Don’t let it get away! We’ll deal with the Ranger! Go!” The three flew off and the two faced Layla and Blues’s Staraptors.The two set out a bunch of drifloons and drifblims, but Layla and Blues easily captured them all. Once they were through, the Pinchers smirked. The one grinned, “We may have lost the fight, but we still bought the others time!” They both flew off.Blues turned to Layla, “We need to go after the other three.” Layla nodded and they hurried off after the ones chasing Latios.When they caught up, they found the three, but no sign of Latios. The Pincher in charge groaned loudly, “We still managed to lose it! It’s definitely headed for that stupid island!” She turned to the other two, “We’re going after it! Whatever it takes, we need to catch that Latios!”Layla spoke up as she and Blues flew up behind them, “Not before going through us.”The Pinchers turned to them in surprise. One of the grunts gasped, “Wait, you guys are still ok?!”The leader smirked, “Well, we’ll just have to fix that!” They sent out a bunch of starly and pidgeottos. Once again, the rangers easily captured them all.The leader gulped once all the pokemon were captured, “How can you possibly do a capture like that while flying?” They quickly flew off.Zangoose smiled, “Well, at least Latios can rest his wings now.”Layla nodded, “Yeah, and we can get back to reaching Layuda Island. Let’s go.” They flew off.Though, it wasn’t long before they found themselves flying through rather dark clouds. In only seconds, bolts of lightning began shooting down around them, frightening their Staraptor as they flew around ducking from bolts. Layla yelled over the noise of it all, “There’s no way we can fly through this! We need to get out, and quickly!” Blues nodded and they flew off out of the clouds.Though, as they went, Blues noticed something in the cloud with them off to their right. To his surprise, it was Latios, zooming through the clouds like a jet, ducking from bolts with ease. Blues found that interesting as he quickly followed Layla out of the storm clouds.Once they were back in the safe sky, Layla sighed, “Finally. That was close.” She gently pet her staraptor’s head, “Sorry about that, staraptor.”Blues spoke, “Did you see it?”Layla turned to him, “See what?”Blues looked back at the clouds, “Latios. He flew through those clouds like it was nothing at all. He was too fast to be hit by the lightning.” He smiled, “If we could get Latios’s help, we might be able to get to Layuda Island.”Layla smiled, “Good thinking! We just need to figure out where he went.”Zangoose rubbed his chin, “I wonder… could he be headed for Tilikule Island? I remember Kiara mentioning it before, and it’s rather close to here. That could be where Latios was headed.”Blues spoke, “Those Pinchers did mention an island. We should go check it out.”Layla nodded, “It’s worth having a look. Let’s go.” They quickly flew off for the tiny island, it being smaller than any other island.When they arrived, they looked around. Zangoose sniffed the air, “This is Tilikule Island? It smells of wildflowers and honey.”Layla looked around, “I don’t see Latios though.”Blues smirked, “But I do see something else of value.” He pointed and they all looked. There sat a large monument, much like the ones the legendary beasts were guarding.Blues walked up to it as Layla spoke, “A monument. I wonder if it has a hidden Involith too.”Zangoose looked it over, “I don’t know, but it does seem to have a picture etched into it.”Blues smirked, “It’s the islands of Oblivia. The upper left one is this very island.” He leaned in closer, “Though, what are these small marks in the five smallest islands?”Layla shrugged as her styler started ringing, “Only one person I can think might know.” She answered her styler to find Ozzy and Whitney, “Speaking of which, hey, Whitney.”Ozzy looked closely at the screen, “Where are you guys? That doesn’t look like an island surrounded by lightning.”Layla explained, “We’re currently on Tilikule Island, but we’ve lost Latios. We need Latios’s help if we’re going to reach Mt. Layuta through those clouds.”Whitney smiled, “Well, you’re in luck, because there is also an emblem for calling Latios! If you can find the emblem, it should help you out!”Blues was surprised, “Wait, there’s an emblem for Latios, too? Where do we find it?”Whitney smiled, “There’s a story here, one of Oblivia’s legends, about a pokemon that tears across the sky. In the story, there is a poem that the hero reads: Fly, O thou who…”As she read, Zangoose joined her, “...splits the endless sky asunder and pierces the thickest clouds.” He smiled, “I remember that poem. It’s why Kiara warned the Pinchers to capture Latios. Latios really is the only one who can get us through those clouds. I remember her talking about it. Even in the legend, the Hero of Oblivia had difficulty getting Latios’s help. Latios has always been a less trusting pokemon, so the emblem may be the only way to earn his trust.”Blues was curious, “And just how do we find it?”Whitney smiled, “From what I have gathered, Latios’s emblem is shaped from the lines that connect the five small monuments in different parts of Oblivia. I’ve seen only three of these monuments.”Zangoose smiled, “That’s right! That’s what those stones were!” He turned to the others, “Remember that stone on Faldera Island? The one I recognized but couldn’t remember the importance of?”Layla remembered the small strange stone, “Oh, right. So that’s one of these monuments we need to find to learn Latios’s emblem?”Whitney nodded, “Correct. The three I know of are on Dolce Island, Faldera Island, and Sophian Island. There should be two more, but…”Blues smirked as he looked at the map, “Oh, so that’s it!” He pointed to the marks, “The marks on the map are referring to the locations of the monuments!”Zangoose nodded, “Exactly, meaning from the looks of it, there’s one right over…” He walked off to the right side of the tiny island and smiled, “Right over here!” He ran over to the tiny monument just sitting there.Layla smiled, “Perfect, so this shouldn’t be too hard. We just have to use this map to find all five of them.” She turned her styler to the map and took a picture.Whitney sighed, “Just be careful out there. I fear that trials more difficult than anything you’ve encountered so far are waiting for you.”Ozzy grinned, “Don’t worry, Whitney. This is Layla and Zangoose we’re talking about! They’ve been through more than you can imagine! If anyone can do this, it’s them, guaranteed!” Ozzy winked at Layla, “You guys can do it, no problem! We all believe in you! Oh, and Blues and Bell too! After all, they’re learning from the best!”Layla smiled to hear Ozzy confidence in them, “Thanks, Ozzy. We won’t fail.” With that, they hung up.Zangoose looked at the monument, “It’s a plate just like the one on Faldera Island. It’s a translation by Amun that says ‘Fly, O thou’.”Blues smirked, “It’s the beginning of the poem.”Suddenly, the arrow on the top of the monument started to glow. Layla looked at the picture on her styler and gasped, “Hey, the mark is glowing now!” She showed the others and they were surprised by the change in the picture. Now the top left mark was glowing.Blue chuckled, “That’s spooky.”Zangoose smiled, “Seems the legend is true. We’ll need to go to the five places marked on the map if we want to get help from Latios. We have four to go, so let’s move, team! We need to hurry if we want to beat Charles and the Pinchers to Zapdos!” The team quickly hopped on a couple staraptors and flew off.So, the team flew off to Faldera Island, then Sophian Island, and then Dolce Island. With each monument they found, they faced Pinchers who tried to stop them. Zangoose was a bit surprised to find that the Pinchers had no idea what they were doing with the monuments, just that Charles told them to protect them from the Rangers.Soon, the team was flying through the air towards the last monument location. Layla looked below them, “The mark on the map points somewhere around here.”Zangoose looked down, “I don’t see an actual island. If anything, there seems to be an underwater volcano. I can see a shape, but it’s entirely underwater.”Blues sighed, “Meaning, we won’t reach the monument this way. We should have gone by sea, not sky. It’s too risky trying to fly down if it really is a volcano. The heated updraft will be a problem.”Layla nodded, “Agreed. Come on. We’ll see if Meech can take us on the Union.” With that, they flew off for Tilt Village.When they arrived, they found Meech and Ozzy waiting. Layla spoke as they walked over, “Meech, we need some help.”Meech smiled, “Ozzy told me all about the monuments. When Whitney learned that one of the islands in the legend was currently underwater, Ozzy came by to let me know that you might need a ride. So, we’re ready when you guys are.”Blues smirked, “Way to be ahead of the curve. I see why you’re so valuable at the Ranger Union in Almia.”Meech waved him off, “Oh stop and get on. I’ll sail you over to the Eastern Sea in no time. All hands, and paws, on deck!”Some time later, Meech spoke from his place at the wheel, “We’re right above the volcano. The Union’s high-powered sonar is showing something square-shaped on the seafloor just below us. It’s probably the small monument you’re looking for!”Layla turned to Blues, “Which of us should dive down for it? We still only have one breathing device.”Blues smirked, “I’ll go. I’m the better swimmer, and after the last few pinchers who showed up at the other monuments, I’m sure there will be some waiting down here too.”Meech walked over, “He’s right. Not only do you have pinchers to deal with, but the currents around here are really strong. A stronger swimmer would be best for this mission. You’ll also want to watch out for jets of hot water, too, from the volcano.”Blues nodded as he accepted the Micro Aqualung from Layla, “You got it. I’ll try to be quick.” With that, he dove over the side of the Union into the water below.Layla sighed as she watched the water, “Be careful, Blues.”Down below, Blues made his way into caves in the volcano, traversing through the many tunnels and taking on the few pinchers he happened across. Of course, the pinchers tried to slow him down with multiple traps and blocked paths, but he easily gained the help of pokemon around him to get through.Before too long, Blues found himself at the dark bottom of the underwater volcano. He carefully made his way around the bottom, searching for the monument with some help from a couple lanturns he captured on the way there. Soon, one of the lanturns smiled and led him over to where it found the monument. Blues gave it a kind, grateful smile as he went down next to it. He smiled when it began to glow, the last monument they needed to be activated.Though, Blues was a bit surprised when he started finding it harder to breathe. He checked his styler to find the air supply was quickly running out. He quickly captured a nearby Sharpedo and let it help him quickly swim back up to the surface.When he returned and was helped back onto the Union, Meech grinned, “So, that makes five monuments activated! Great work, team!”Blue chuckled, “Amun certainly was a tenacious guy, wasn’t he? Even going to the depths of the ocean just to place an explanatory plate? I’ll give him his credit. That is true dedication.”Layla spoke as she turned to the staraptor she caught while waiting for Blues to return, “Now, let’s hurry back to Tilikule Island and find Latios. We still need to hurry to Mt. Layuta if we want to beat Charles and the pinchers there.”Blues nodded, “Then let’s go.”Meech waved to them as they flew off, “Good luck, you guys!”When the team returned to Tilikule Island, they found the map monument now had an emblem that closely resembled a star. Layla smiled as she drew the emblem into her styler, “So this is the emblem for Latios, huh?”Zangoose smiled, “Why not give it a try and call on Latios?”Layla nodded and used the Line Mode to call on Latios. They were surprised when it suddenly flew by at top speed, then passed again, before finally coming to a stop in front of Layla. Layla noticed the concerned look Latios gave her, unsure whether he could trust her or not, “Maybe I should do a capture, just so he knows he can trust me.”Zangoose nodded, “I think that would be best.” So, Layla did a quick capture and managed to get her feelings across.Latios smiled, now understanding who she was and what she wanted, and lowered himself so she could climb on. Layla smiled, “Great, now we can get to Mt. Layuda.”Blues scratched his head, “Doesn’t look like all of us can ride him. We wouldn’t want to weigh him down.” He smiled, “You go on ahead to Mt. Layuda, Bell and I can fly back to the others. We can wait for you there.”Before Layla could answer, they heard a familiar voice. Blues was surprised, “Celebi? Again?”Though, this time Celebi flew around them in a panic. Zangoose was surprised, “Is this the Celebi you two were talking about?”Layla nodded, “Yeah, but something seems wrong.”Blues spoke, “Maybe we should capture it to calm it down.”Celebi stopped and used its powers in a bright light, engulfing Layla, Blues, and Zangoose. When they opened their eyes, they were in a large metal room. Zangoose was surprised, “Hey, this is the base I was being kept in while I was under the experiment’s control.”Layla looked around, “Meaning this is where Kiara is hiding. I wonder where it is.”Blues crossed his arms, “I’m more curious what Celebi wanted to show us so badly.”That’s when someone walked in. They were surprised to see Orr enter the room, looking a bit concerned and annoyed, mumbling to himself. Though, at the same time, Kiara walked in from another way.Orr tensed and stopped, “Oh! Y-You’re here early.”Kiara stood ahead of him and crossed her arms, “I must say I’m rather disappointed in you, Orr. I really thought you were smarter than this.”Orr looked a bit worried, “What are you talking about? I got both Moltres and Articuno, just like you wanted. Sure I ran into a bit of trouble with the Rangers, but nothing I couldn’t handle.”Kiara sighed, “Oh Orr, this really is just sad.” She looked coldly at him, “You should know by now; I’m not that easily fooled.”Suddenly, one of her sevipers jumped Orr from behind, wrapping around him tightly. Orr struggled against it, “Hey! Let go of me! What’s the big idea!?”Kiara sighed, “Save it, Orr, I know about Celebi.” Orr looked worried.Layla was surprised, “Celebi? What does Celebi have to do with Orr?”Blues gasped, “Wait, could he…” He turned to Layla and Zangoose, “Could he be the one who sent Celebi to us?”Layla was surprised, “What?”She then immediately remembered what Charles said before. About how Orr had been helping them and Kiara found out, though she had no idea what he meant at the time. Then she thought about Orr and Axel in Daybreak Ruins, and in the memory where they were together. They were clearly friends, maybe so much that Orr wanted to help Axel realize that the Poke-Founders were bad news. Because of how much Axel cared about Zangoose, what if Orr sent Celebi so he could help free Zangoose for him?Then she remembered the memory where Kiara mentioned a ‘special pokemon’ Orr couldn’t get for them, one that was apparently his friend before he joined the Poke-Founders. It could only have been Celebi.Kiara smirked, “Sadly, now I have no choice but to punish you. First you don’t serve the purpose you were taken in to serve, then you go traitor and run away to join another organization, and now you’re helping the Rangers to defeat us? This is simply unacceptable, Orr. I tolerated you because Charles liked you and Axel needed a friend to keep him useful to me, now you have outlasted your usefulness to us.”Orr glared at her, “Alright, fine. Yeah, I’m a traitor. I told you before I didn’t want to be a part of the Poke-Founders anymore! That’s why I left! When I ran into Kincaid and he offered me a job, I figured it couldn’t possibly be worse than what I left behind, so I went for it! No doubt that’s why you decided to help the Rangers go after them! Just so you could get back at me!”Kiara smirked coldly, “That was a bonus, yes.” She sighed, “Now, whatever will I do with you? I would ask Charles what he thinks, but he’s off to chat with a certain archeologist currently, so even he can’t save you now.” She grinned cruelly, “Perhaps I’ll just put you back where I found you all those years ago. Back in that pit where no one could hear you call for help. You were trapped in that hole for ten days the last time. I wonder how many more days you’ll be trapped there this time around?”Orr looked a bit frightened by that idea, “You wouldn’t dare!”Kiara laughed, “Watch me!” She turned to a couple Poke-Founders who walked in, “See to it he’s never seen again.”The two Poke-Founders, a pair of twin girls with orange hair, one with one ponytail and the other with two, nodded and spoke in unison, “Yes, ma’am.” They had a couple guy grunts walk in and grab Orr.Orr glared at Kiara as they dragged him away, “You won’t get away with this, Kiara! Mark my words, I’ll get you back for everything! You hear me?! Everything!!” Soon, he was dragged away.Kiara smirked, “Afraid not, Orr. I may have failed the last time I tried this plan, but I won’t fail again. This time, I will get what I came for.” With that, she turned and walked away.Blues looked concerned, “This can’t be good.” Then the light flashed and they were back on Tilikule Island with Bell and Latios.Zangoose looked up at the sad Celebi, “So that’s why you’re so upset. You need help to find and rescue Orr.” Celebi nodded.Layla spoke, “We need to go find him. Whether he’s a friend or foe, we can’t just leave a person in trouble.”Blues looked serious, “Then I’ll go find him. Bell and I will go with Celebi and figure out where they took him while you and Zangoose go to Mt. Layuda on Latios.”Layla nodded, “Ok, just be careful.”Blues smirked, “Same to you, princess. Don’t let those bad boys rough you up while I’m away.”Layla nudged him with her elbow as she smirked, “Just get going.” Blues winked at her before hopping on a staraptor and flying off with Bell and Celebi.Layla turned to Zangoose, “You ready?”Zangoose nodded with a smile, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Fashion and Fyre

Mature Content

Ultra Genesis
Ultra Genesis Part 27: Shopping tripThe clanging of metal on metal and the scraping of nails through bitumen rung clearly through the dark street; lit by streetlamps and the lights of the pokemon centre and a strange building nearby. Kaili slipped off the back of the powerful steel bird pokemon, pulling the sheet around him to hide the scales.He didn’t have a chance to thank ‘Deathmachine’ before the bird had launched away and back into the night, leaving the young man alone on the Heahea city pier. A part of him wanted to lower the sheet, the cool sea breeze rushing eagerly across him. But he knew if he relaxed even a little, the scales would be visible to anyone passing by.Hunching forward in Mohn’s sheet, to keep his bag from lifting it too much, the young man marched along the quiet road in the dark of night. The first building with lights sported a sign in elegant letters above it’s widest window. Though the text was near impossible to read as the nearest source of light spilled out of the store within. Directly inside the window was a mannequin positioned almost perfectly that Kaili’s face overlayed atop its own. It wore a short sleeve shirt with a few buttons below the collar, and a pair of surf shorts. With a groan to himself, the trainer pushed the door open and stepped into the cramped clothes store. The floor of the store was filled with tables piled above and below with masses of neatly folded clothes. Shelves lined the walls, piling slightly higher before giving way to rows of shirts hanging from bars above.The interior of the building felt so bright. Not just from the lights overhead but from the apparent glare of the clothes about him. So many bright blues, reds, yellows and oranges. For the life of him he couldn’t see black, or even dark purple or blue. “Are you okay?” A young woman had sidled over toward him, and as he turned he watched her say the words again, though clearly the first time for her. She was looking him up and down, clearly concerned about the sheet but didn’t back off as quickly as he expected. He’d assumed whoever was working would assume he was robbing them. He was just lucky there was a store like this open at this time of night.“Yeah I’m fine. Am a little confused why you’re open this late though.” He smiled at her, trying his best not to seem creepy. Though he knew, looking as he did, that wasn’t going to be easy.“Oh, yeah the boss wants us open as long as possible. Tourists from places like Kalos find it hard to sleep at night after all.” She smiled, clearly pushing her own concerns aside in the name of customer service. “Can I help you find anything?” and there it was, a glimmer of hope that she could get this weirdo out of the store as fast as possible. Kaili understood, he knew how he looked right now. But without the sheet would have been worse.“I’m looking for long sleeved shirts actually.” he turned away, ‘perusing’ the shelves as he inched away from her. “Sleeves, in Alola?””That’s a rare request.””Sleeves?””Are you sure?””Okay” her voice bombarded him as the young man scrunched up his eyes, trying his best not to collapse onto the table as the voices seemed to calm and fade away.He felt the woman approach, about to reach out to help support him before he semi recoiled, disguising it as a polite shuffle away sideways. They sat in a strangely tense silence for what felt like an hour before the girl finally spoke again.“Actually, we had someone come in the other week trying to pawn us some old clothes in the middle of the night. Creeper was really um-” She paused, he could hear the echo of the word ‘shifty’ in the recesses of his mind, though she never said the word herself. “narcissistic I guess. Called himself a looker, but he was a little old for me.”He heard her shuffle away. Kaili lifted his head to follow her path. She’d stopped behind the register to rifle through a box before holding up an old and very worn but distinctly clean; brown trench coat. He forced a smile, slinking through the strange aisles to the counter. Despite having buttons down one side, Kaili could see as he drew near that there was no way to actually fasten the coat closed. His arms would be covered but his chest exposed. At least here that would be an easy fix.Grabbing several of the cheaper singlets he could find on his way, Kaili dropped them on the register and quietly paid. It was far cheaper than he’d expected, not even $500, he’d seen price tags about the store as high as $4000. With relief at the cheapness, the young man almost scurried into the changing rooms. When he finally emerged from the store, the young man wore a simple black singlet not dissimilar to those hanging from the kids who called themselves ‘team skull’, covered with a weighty brown trenchcoat that didn’t button up at the front. His backpack, slung over one shoulder, now heavy with a borrowed sheet and three new singlets.Light suddenly flooded the street to his left. Glancing toward the source, Kaili saw a familiar girl stepping out of the pokemon centre not far away. Beside her stood a much taller woman; stern face softened as she looked down at the young girl. A streak of green hair framing one side of her face. Kaili only had a moment to notice the bandages wrapped around Ivy’s hand, cradled to her chest, before a black and white; human shaped pokemon teleported them away. Once again the young man was alone in the street. Though this time his isolation was joined by a lump growing in his stomach. She was seriously burned. Even with sleeves, she was burned by the scales on his arm. She’d only meant to help and he’d hurt her.
Pokemon Benayla Version 2
Pokemon Benayla Version 2 Chapter Eleven.Title: Braced for anything! Bridge to everything!(The quiet Canadian wilderness of the Muskoka area stands steady. Our ten-year-old Pokémon Trainer April runs forth on her journey.)April thinking: It’s been a while since the day I left home. We’ve come far out here.(Cyndaquil soon appears running beside her.)April thinking: My Pokémon and I have done well for ourselves, good times and bad, I’ve been happy with our time together.(The area behind them rumbles loudly.)April thinking: And now…..Cyndaquil: Help!!(An Onix comes forth from the darkness. Chasing them as they run.)April: And now we’re in trouble!(Onix fires Screech right at them. Which both of them narrowly evade as they jump while running. Coming to a stop as they return to the ground.)April: Fight back! Hurry!(Cyndaquil fires Ember. Which Onix withstands head on.)April: Cyndaquil! Watch out!Cyndaquil: !!(Onix tries to use Bind. Cyndaquil jumps down through it. Scampering up Onix’s body.)April: Smokescreen!(Cyndaquil fires smoke right in Onix’s face, encompassing the area around the Rock Snake Pokémon’s body.)April: Alright then…..Here we go!(She throws her Poké Ball as the smoke subsides. Absorbing Onix. Then blinking on the ground as Cyndaquil catches his breath.)Cyndaquil: That thing…..(Onix escapes the Poké Ball. Roaring loudly at them.)Cyndaquil: This is bad! April, what do we do?!?April: Run for it!(Onix strikes the ground with her tail, knocking them off balance.)April: Cyndaquil!(Onix fires Rock Throw at Cyndaquil. April gets up just in time to take the hit.)Cyndaquil: April!(Cyndaquil dashes toward her as Onix lunges in the same direction.)Cyndaquil: Take this!(Cyndaquil critically hits Onix with Ember dead center.)April:…..(April painfully drags herself to her feet, taking a Great Ball out of her backpack.)April: This ends now!(She throws the Great Ball at Onix. Once more absorbing the large Pokémon and hitting the ground. April and Cyndaquil breathing hard.)Cyndaquil:……April: Come on….(The Great Ball stops moving. Onix is caught!)Cyndaquil: That was so close….April: Ow…..(April’s left leg is seriously injured.)Cyndaquil: Are you alright April??(Cyndaquil dashes back to April.)April: Yeah, we just need to rest for a little bit. Don’t worry about it.Cyndaquil: You saved me from that attack, of course I’m worried! April….(Onix’s Great Ball disappears from the nearby ground.)Cyndaquil: Okay, what’s up with that anyway??April’s Pokédex: Onix was sent to the personal computer box.Cyndaquil:……What now??(April sits down, straightening out her injured leg.)April: Trainers are only allowed to have six Pokémon at a time. Extra caught Pokémon are stored elsewhere.Cyndaquil: What?! You can’t have any more Pokémon after you catch them??April: Of course I can. We just need to switch them out that’s all. But never mind that now. Could you get the bandages from my backpack?Cyndaquil: Yes.(April and her Cyndaquil rest under a tree, her leg nicely tended to.)April: Thanks Cyndaquil. That was our toughest battle yet.Cyndaquil: More like scariest. It wasn’t just huge; it resisted all my attacks too! I’m just glad we’re alright.April: We’re going to deal with far worse in our time. We’ve become strong, but we’ll need to be much stronger from here.Cyndaquil: Which means.April: I’m pretty sure in saying it’s about time to find our next gym battle.Cyndaquil: Oh yeah! I’ll say!....Where is it??April: Let’s see now.(She takes out her Windows Phone.)April: No connection out here. Figures….Cyndaquil: What the….April: What is it?(Cyndaquil looks up into the tree, then climbs it.)April: Cyndaquil! Get back here!Cyndaquil: Okay.(He jumps back down onto April.)April: Hey!Cyndaquil: Here!(He hands April a Red Acorn.)April: Wait, that’s….(She takes out her Yellow Acorn.)April: I wonder what’s up with these.Cyndaquil: Me too.(When April can walk, she and Cyndaquil make their way to Springdale Park.)April: Looks like we’re on our way back to civilization. Cyndaquil: But I don’t see anybody.April: So now….(She pulls out here phone again.)April: Nope. STILL no connection.Cyndaquil: But….(Cyndaquil looks around at the barren park around them.)Cyndaquil: This place looks abandoned.April: You really think that??(Cyndaquil walks over to the park’s playground, vacant from a distance.)April: Where….Are we anyway??Cyndaquil: Good question.(They hear something from the playground.)Cyndaquil: Something’s back there.April: Yeah, we’re not alone.(Cyndaquil approaches the slide, just when a Gligar emerges from behind it. Munching on part of the playground’s bridge.)April: What’s that??April’s Pokédex: Gligar. The Fly Scorpion Pokémon. It is found on steep cliffs and only ventures from its dwelling to hunt. Gligar battle with their poisonous stingers.April: Well this one’s clearly having a hard time hunting; you don’t need a stinger to get food like that.Cyndaquil: So this place IS abandoned.Gligar: !!(Gligar uses Faint Attack on Cyndaquil. Knocking him way back.)Cyndaquil: Hey! What was that for!(Gligar glides forth, aiming Poison Sting at Cyndaquil. Who counters with Ember. Burning Gligar.)April: Great shot! Tackle!(Gligar stands still as he feels Burn damage. Then blocks Cyndaquil’s next attack with Detect.)April: What was that??Gligar: Heh.(Gligar rams Cyndaquil back with Faint Attack again.)April: Smokescreen!(Gligar flies up as Cyndaquil fires Smokescreen. But still can’t find him on the ground. Forced to land after more Burn damage, on his belly.)April: Alright now!(She tosses her Poké Ball at Gligar, which is automatically repelled.)Cyndaquil: Huh??April: That means….(Gligar is returned to his Poké Ball by a Lass.)Lass Nelly: Thanks for that, finding him again took me forever.April: Hey….What happened with your Pokémon??Lass Nelly: I left him at the Day Care, and he ran off. Cyndaquil: The what??Lass Nelly: It’s right past this area, the one in Bracebridge. Cyndaquil: Where are we right NOW?!Lass Nelly: I take it you’re not from around here.April: Was it that obvious?Cyndaquil: We’d like to find the nearest town soon, please help us.Lass Nelly: Since you got my Pokémon back for me.(She points behind her.)Lass Nelly: Just follow that path out of here, from the traffic light it’s a straight line to Bracebridge. The town I just came from.April: Oh, well thank you.Lass Nelly: And thanks again.(Soon enough, April and Cyndaquil find their way to Bracebridge. Another quiet town on the water. Ontario’s got a lot of those actually.)Cyndaquil: Yay! We made it through the woods again!April: Really glad you’re as happy as I am.Cyndaquil: Where should we go first? Somewhere to eat? Should we go sightseeing? Or-(Cyndaquil stops walking.)April: What??(Cyndaquil points ahead, a Slowpoke walks around in the open. And soon another comes from around a corner. Then another from under a nearby bench outside a house. And look, there’s another one crossing the street. And one more sticking its tail into a barrel.)April: What in the…..April’s Pokédex: Slowpoke. The Dopey Pokémon. Slowpoke’s mind is so blank that it doesn’t react to even the worst pain. In the wild it fishes with its tail in the water.(Cyndaquil walks around the numerous Slowpoke, then finds himself in front of one.)Cyndaquil: Nice to meet you all.(Slowpoke smiles, but does not react any further.) April: Are they wild Slowpoke, or do they all have Trainers?Cyndaquil: I’m hungry….April: Okay….(April and Cyndaquil sit down at McDonald’s, Cyndaquil got the happy meal!)April: Alright. Now that we have an internet connection.(She checks her phone.)April: We’re in Bracebridge. This town is known for its waterfalls. And plenty of historical sites.Cyndaquil: Sounds like a cool place.(Cyndaquil opens his happy meal box, taking out his hash brown.)April: Yeah, after I switch out my Pokémon we’re definitely going to check out all this stuff.Cyndaquil: Awesome! Where should we go first?(April starts eating her pancake. Thinking to herself.)April: Actually, let’s ask someone about these.(April pulls out her Yellow and Red Acorns.)Cyndaquil: Yeah…..I wonder what those are for.April: Maybe I should’ve asked Joey before we left Dorset. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough, but….Cyndaquil: But who do we ask about this??(Cyndaquil pulls out a Metal Coat from his happy meal box.)April: What’s that thing?(She looks at the front of the store. Seeing a promotional poster for Pokémon attack enhancers.)April: Um…..Cyndaquil: This makes my attacks stronger??April: I feel like I should wonder if it’s just a rip off or something.Cyndaquil: Do you think we should get another one?April: No, I don’t.(She puts her stuff back in her backpack, then gets up.)April: Let’s get going Cyndaquil.(April and her Starter Pokémon next find themselves on a trolly ride.)April: First things first, we need to find somewhere I can switch out my Pokémon.(Cyndaquil looks out the window in amazement.)Cyndaquil: I’ve never seen a place like this before! Bracebridge looks so cool.April: Now that you mention it.(They pass a whole bunch of old-fashioned style buildings, accompanied by modern age places like stores and so forth. Complete with three Slowpoke every five seconds walking around.)Cyndaquil: April, I can see now. Why you wanted to travel around Ontario, it’s very cool.April: We’ve barely scratched the surface my friend.(She pats Cyndaquil’s head.)Sewer Diver: Hey, did Rolf say he was done with those balls yet?April: Huh??Wanker: He said he would be by this afternoon. What acorns did you give him anyway??Sewer Diver: A blue one, and…..White. I think. What about you?Wanker: Just the usual load of blacks.Sewer Diver: What the hell do you need with so many of the same Poké Balls?? Or do you only know how to search in one place?Wanker: Does it really matter? We’ll pick up our Pokémon from the Day Care and then stop by his place before we take off tonight.(April listens intently, and Cyndaquil walks up to the gentlemen before them.)Cyndaquil: Excuse me. Do you guys know about the weird looking acorns my Trainer and I found?(They both look down.)Sewer Diver: Yeah, you take them to someone who can make Poké Balls from them. Special kinds of balls that you can only get that way.Wanker: Balls that just look cool, rumor has it they don’t actually work right.Sewer Diver: You don’t know that first of all.(April picks up Cyndaquil.)April: You can make Poké Balls out of these things?Sewer Diver: Yeah, it’s what people did before modern Poké Balls were developed. But you need to find someone qualified to do it, it’s a hard process.April: Would you guys’ mind directing me to this person?(The trolly stops.)Wanker: His name’s Rolf. And he lives right up that way.Sewer Diver: People call him the Son of a Shepherd. He’s weird in person, has a lot of odd customs. But he knows what’s what. Good guy if you ask me.(He points up the hill next to the trolly.)April: Thanks so much.(April and Cyndaquil climb up the roadless hill.)Cyndaquil: For a small looking town it sure is complex, mostly every house is close together. But this guy’s out in the middle of the woods.April: It’s probably where he works, not where he lives.Cyndaquil: Something about this part of town feels different. I don’t see any…..(A Slowpoke appears at the top of the hill.)Cyndaquil: Never mind….April: We’re looking for Rolf, does he live around here?(Slowpoke stands still for a moment, then turns around to walk away.)April: Okay….(Cyndaquil runs forth after Slowpoke. April following behind.)Cyndaquil: Hey Slowpoke! Are you Rolf??April: Cyndaquil are you crazy??Cyndaquil: There’s no one else out here as far as we can tell! That Slowpoke’s gotta be him!(In the time it takes them to get up the hill, Slowpoke walks into a large shed full of equipment.)April: There is no way a Slowpoke knows how to make Poké Balls!Cyndaquil: Of course he can. He’s the Son of a Shepherd.(He stops walking outside of the shed’s door just in time for a human shadow to overlap him.)Cyndaquil: Right Rolf??Old Man: SHE isn’t Rolf!(April reaches Cyndaquil in time to see him too.)Old Man: I’M Rolf!Cyndaquil: Wow! You’re bigger than I imagined you’d be!April: Huh??Rolf: What brings you here?? Noisy Hedgehog and City Stranger??April: I’m actually from Peterborough….Cyndaquil: Noisy what??Rolf: State your business! Slowpoke sensed you an entire pumpkin patch away and informed Rolf that you’re clearly weak in the upper story.April: Excuse me??Cyndaquil: We’ve got acorns Rolf! We were hoping you’d make a couple Poké Balls for us.Rolf: Oh ho! Come in Rolf’s shed.(April and Cyndaquil look at each other.)Cyndaquil: Okay.(April and Cyndaquil join Rolf in the back of his shed. Surrounded by many old pictures and complex equipment. Approaching the machine he uses to make Poké Balls and the accessory tools surrounding it. Slowpoke sits behind them.)April: Why do these acorns look different anyway??Rolf: Yes, rare colored acorns were once common in Ontario. Rolf’s Great Nano made many Poké Balls from them, he brought this craft here from the Old Country. Now in the present, Rolf can afford to live here without worry.April: Uh-Huh….Cyndaquil: I don’t get it….April: I think the method of making Poké Balls from acorns came from another part of the world.Rolf: You are a Pokémon Trainer, is this true?April: Yes. We found two acorns on our journey, yellow and red ones. Tell me, how are the Poké Balls you make with them different from the ones people usually use?Rolf:……They are better.Cyndaquil: Go on….Rolf: These balls are mightier than the ones you’ve come to know in your short travels. The powerful wild Pokémon you will meet from this day onward, many of them will be quite difficult to obtain with your typical brand, yes?Cyndaquil: Oh yeah! April, you used a different kind of Poké Ball earlier in the forest! Where’d you get it?April: It was a Great Ball. It’s basically a stronger version of the standard Poké Ball. I got it while we were at Bondi Village.Cyndaquil: Stronger? Is that what you’re talking about Rolf??Rolf: Not quite long in the nose hair dryer Pokémon! Rolf’s balls have various utilities depending on which acorn Rolf crafts them from! And which Pokémon the holder wishes to use them on.April: Not just stronger? But more diverse? That’s what you’re saying.Rolf: This is true. But Rolf needs twenty-four hours to make such balls.April: Twenty-four hours??!Rolf: Rolf has much business with this art. The waiting is great, but the reward is greater. You wish to have Rolf’s finely made Poké Balls yes??April: That’s fine.(She puts down her backpack. Taking out her Yellow and Red Acorns.)Rolf: With your phone number, Rolf will call when balls are to the wall.April: Thank you Rolf…..(Slowpoke comes up behind them.)Cyndaquil: Hello.Rolf: Yes. Slowpoke comes to enjoy your company. She is a Pokémon that doesn’t easily approach anyone besides Rolf’s relatives. She does not even come outside when strangers visit Rolf here. You two remind Slowpoke of herself.April: Good to know….(April and Cyndaquil next find themselves in the middle of Bracebridge.)Cyndaquil: Now we’ve got plenty of time to explore around here.April: Yeah you’re right. And this looks like another cool place. I just….Cyndaquil: Just what??April: Wonder if we’re on the right track.Cyndaquil: What are you talking about?? April, we’ve been having so much fun ever since we left your home!April: That’s not what I meant.(She looks at Cyndaquil.)April: The last time we saw Duncan, he thrashed us badly. All I wanted was to save Lapras from him. Cyndaquil: And we did.April: Lapras saved US from him. Yes, we’ve had a cool journey so far. But I….I can’t even begin to think about losing a fight like that with so much at stake.Cyndaquil: You don’t think we’re as strong as we should be.....April: Cyndaquil….You’ve become very strong, you took on Quagsire despite how dangerous that battle was. All to protect me. As scared as I was, all I could think about how much I didn’t want you to lose. How much….I don’t want to lose you.Cyndaquil: April….April: After today’s battle it really hit me. Our enemies from here will be stronger and stronger. So I….Cyndaquil: I don’t want to lose you either. But those thoughts never crossed my mind. Because I don’t doubt myself.(Cyndaquil dashes off.)April: Cyndaqui?? Wait!(She goes after him.)To Be Continued.
Pokemon Infinity
Pokmon Infinity Part 1 [Re upload] [Eng]A next day at the Pokémon Center, Ash prepares for his battle against Clemont. Ash trains Pikachu and Goodra already newly evolved and with Frogadier. Serena prepared her things while Bonnie sees the battle.Serena: (Yesterday, it had some kinda of dreams that I never listen… I ask myself if it’s true about Arceus, but it was a powerful creature talking to me… I’m not sure...)The training began with Pikachu as his enemy. (The next gym is only electric type, so they use Pikachu to fight against electricity). Started the battle with a Thunderbolt of Pikachu, Goodra resists the attack, while Frogadier uses Water Sphere, in that Pikachu dodges as if nothing, then it throws an Electro ball, but Frogadier avoids it.Ash: “We must move faster, because the electricity flows quickly!!”When Pikachu use all his power for an Electro Ball against Frogadier, Frogadier dodges the attack, it goes further to Serena. Serena doesn’t realize the attack, she looks forward and mysteriously evades the attack, as she didn’t know what happened.Serena: “What was that?”2 seconds later Serena notices something rarely in her body, but…Serena: “Nah, nothing...”Frogadier notices that is something weird with Serena.Ash: “Frogadier, don’t distract!”Pikachu tries to hit him with Iron Tail, luckily Frogadier reacts on time, and he counterattacks with Cut against Pikachu. The battle comes to the climax, Goodra prepares to use Revenge against Pikachu. Goodra shows to Pikachu (Behind of Pikachu is Serena finishing her work.) Finally, Goodra throws his attack against Pikachu, Pikachu evades immediately, but the attack goes exactly against Serena. Ash sees the danger and screams.Ash: "SERENA, BE CAREFUL!!!!!!”.Serena turns to see, but it was late, the attack arrives face to face on Serena. Next the mystery behind Serena’s body and her secret power of the sphere, what the last day Serena speaks with Arceus, the eyes and hair of Serena starts to get light, and comes an aura that makes sound like a super saiyan aura, her right hand goes up alone and stops the attack.Ash: "What!! What happened?"Bonnie: "Serena??"Serena surprises a lot that she throws the attack to the sky, and disables her transformation.After that, Ash and Bonnie run to Serena asking,Ash: "What did you do times ago?"Serena: "I don't know, I feel myself like a Pokémon defends the attack."Ash: "Seriously, but you changed your form a while ago!"Bonnie: "You had up to a visible aura golden color."Serena: "How odd, it seems that obtained powers of..."Serena falls shocked when she realizes that her dream, it was reality that Arceus warned about it, then Serena says:Serena: "Forgotten, at least I'm safe not?"Ash: "Ok, then let's go to Clemont's gym."Bonnie appears a little suspicious, look at Serena and thinkBonnie: (Serena got a rare power like a Pokémon, it will be that Serena transforms a Pokémon in the form of human?).Arriving at the Clemont gym, and the events like in the amine until the Battle of Clemont, something has changed the atmosphere after the end of the battle, winning Ash of course.Ash. "I have five medals, 3 more and I'm going to the league."Serena: "Congratulations Ash" (blushing)Clemont: "Well although I wanted to continue, but it was a nice battle...".An explosion inside the gym. It was the rocket team with its improved “Mega Mega Meowth”. The Rocket Team takes all the Poke balls and Pikachu.Ash: "Give me back my Pikachu."Meowth: "Never you brad!!!"James: "Well we go, Goodbye!!!"The Rocket Team escapes the gym but at that time...Serena: "Stop!"Mega Mega Meowth stops.Jessie: "What do you want, brat?"Serena: "Drop everything before I come..."Serena walks slowly towards Mega Mega Meowth.Jessie: "And if we don't want to?"Serena looks up with clear eyes beforeSerena: "Then I will have to do it with force"Then Ash and Bonnie are speaking like they’re scared of something.Ash: "Has not this situation happened in the Pokémon Center?Bonnie: "Yes!" [Ash and Bonnie are scared about Serena’s transformation]Clemont realize the fear of his friend and sister and speaks like the other two. Clemont: "What are you talking about?"Jessie: "Hahaha, oh but your eyes changed color, did you use magic?"Serena: "No"In that her hair changes the color too.Serena presses her hand, releases its aura and saysSerena: "Take the Poke balls down, right now!!!".She strikes the Mega Mega Meowth that sends to fly away.Meowth: "What of kind of brat is she?”James: “I am already scared!!”.The others remain open mouth. Serena pursues the M.M.Meowth.Meowth: "We're going to fly before she comes."M.M. Meowth flies up.Serena: (They escape, I must try increment my power to make a gust of energy.)Serena takes a pose, forms her hand as a sphere and puts it back (like the Kamehameha), It forms a sphere, after 5 seconds, shoots:Serena: "HAA!!!!"And launches the sphere like a Kamehameha [It really is a Kamehameha]. The Kamehameha travels fast as about 2000 km/h, and pierces the M.M. Meowth causing it to explode and the Rocket Team flies out. The Pokémon fall and Serena catches them all, Pikachu falls to Ash as usual. In that Serena says:Serena: "Finish..."Serena faints.Ash: "Serena, SERENAAA!!!!"Clemont: "Quick, we have to take her to the hospital!".??: take her to my laboratory, I want to examine her".All: "Professor Sycamore!!".Professor: "Quickly, we have to take it".Then they take Serena to Sycamore’s laboratory.Ash: “Serena, what’s happened to you, you surprise me...”To be continued...Next part [2]: Research on the new power.
Pokemon Story
Bonds that Bind - Chapter Thirty-oneChapter Thirty-one:A Royal Domestic“Juliana?” the Leafeon piped up as they traversed the greenery, no moment silent with all the Grass Pokémon up and active, holding conversations, laughing, performing daily chores to keep their hidden home lush and healthy; this place was bustling, but not madly. “This festival you’ve mentioned . . .” “Our Festival of Daybreak,” said Juliana passionately. “Or Daybreak’s Dance, whichever’s easiest.” “Y-yes, that,” Rose continued, and Juliana lowered her gaze to her as they went, intrigued as to how Rose knew of the name. Reading this from the snake’s countenance, Rose explained, “A Morelull told me a bit about it; she said it was an annual tradition.” “That it is,” said Juliana. “I doubt it needs saying how precious sunlight is, how without it we Grass types could not hope to live full, independent lives. Simply put, the Festival of Daybreak serves as our tribute to July and the warmth she brings.” “But what’s involved? There’s some kind of opening play, isn’t there?” But Juliana merely forwarded her gaze, avoiding the subject by stating, happily, “Here we are.” Rose looked to find they were approaching a cluster of Pecha bushes, hundreds of the pink berries flourishing under a ray of sunshine. The females weren’t the first there, some Skiddo siblings helping themselves to the sweetly fruit. “Tammy, Timmy,” began Juliana in a mock-stern voice, and the two goats drew breath, giving Rose the impression these kids were up to something they shouldn’t be. “I do hope this isn’t against the wishes of your parents.” Tammy and Timmy faltered under scrutiny before — “It’s not!” blurted the girl. “Please don’t tell on us!” blurted the boy at the same time, revealing the truth and glaring at his sister for lying. Juliana kept her impish grin for a second or two longer and then said, “My lips are sealed just this once.” Both Skiddo did not need telling how big a lifeline they’d been given, brother and sister beaming with relief. “Thank you, thank you!” they praised in unison. “Hmph,” leered the snake. “Now be off with you, lest I undergo a change of heart.” Her message was heard loud and clear, both youngsters bolting from her presence. Once left alone, Juliana dropped her act and turned to Rose. “Their parents have all but forbade them from touching their favourite fruits,” she explained to the confused Leafeon, “in an effort to get them back into eating vegetables.” “Oh, right,” said Rose, finding it strange how any living here would need to consume organic matter. “So you don’t all . . . ?” “Don’t all what?” “Y’know, live like . . . ferals do . . . photosynthesizing where you can?” “Ah,” said Juliana, understanding and not taking offense, “harmoniously. Some of us choose to, though not because of wild instinct. Here, we are not governed by city lifestyles or nature. We are, for lack of a better word, free. You aren’t the first city-goer to find us; indeed, many of our permanent residents hail from such families, parents and grandparents and great-grandparents all drawn to a life without burdens. That said, rules still apply to all, so treat others as you’d want to be treated.” “Definitely,” agreed Rose, and Juliana did not feel it necessary to lecture her on mannerism. The Serperior was confident in her ability to read the character of others and couldn’t sense a single bad bone in the Leafeon’s body. Extending a vine, Juliana plucked a Pecha berry from the bush. “Help yourself,” she told Rose, swallowing the fruit whole and taking another. Rose focused a berry at eye level and moved forward to pluck it between her teeth. Juicy sweetness flooded her tastebuds from the first chew, reaffirming her love of the flavour. Her face lit up with delight, pleasing Juliana. “You won’t find better,” she smiled. “It’s no easy feat maintaining soil to be this rich and fertile; I owe as much to my people.” “Are winters bad?” Rose asked, for she had never endured a season outside the comfort of brick and mortar walls. “We, perhaps, reap less of what we sow,” said Juliana slightly cryptically, plainly something of a touchy subject for her. “This isn’t Alola; ice can grip the land. When the colder months impinge, it is all we can do to influence the weather.” On top of feeling bad for having asked the question, Rose now felt guilty over eating their food. It could not have been more obvious that in order to survive harsher months Juliana’s people would have to perform daily Sunny Day rituals, an undertaking more demanding than one may think. As with all weather-effecting powers (Rain Dance, Sandstorm, and Hail to name the others), normal use yields short-term results typically lasting from between a minute to twenty, sometimes up to an hour if the conjurer is powerful enough. Of course Rose knew the Grass Pokémon of around here played a part in Blossom Valley’s lovely climate, but the reality was bordering brutality! If she was understanding correctly, this meant long days of work for one quarter of the year, every year. Even with as many men and women as Rose had seen all taking turns and contributing, winter had to feel unrelenting, or at minimum depressing. Her Glaceon sister suddenly sprang to mind, for this wasn’t unlike her dilemma during summer months. Granted, Glacia didn’t have to alter the weather around her to keep cool, but she still had to regulate her temperature every hour of every day, her only respite coming with sleep and over their brief trip to Winterbreath Mountains. Yet another thing Rose admired about her big sister, her ability to carry on all while respecting Rose’s love of warmth, often saving her complaints of it for when the Leafeon wasn’t around. Overlooking Glacia’s mettle throughout their trekking of the region was too easily done. . . . “Something on your mind?” asked Juliana, for Rose had exhaled through her nose, looking wistful. “Thinking about my sister — one of my sisters,” said Rose. “I . . . I’m starting to miss her.” Smiling, she looked to Juliana. “She’s one of those people: formidable, hardy, but so caring.” “All traits of us Grass types,” Juliana stated with pride, nabbing another berry; Rose pinched another as well. “She’s actually a Glaceon.” “Meaning you aren’t all of those things? Dear child, none are as hardy as we. Others may sell us short, predators may exploit our weaknesses — yet we stand among the highest in diversity. Even when times are lean we always endure . . . never forgetting those who could not. Please understand our festival isn’t just a celebration of prosperity. On the third and final morning, we take time to reflect, honouring those who came before us — those whose efforts, big or small, shaped this place into the sanctuary we recognize today.” “But where do I fit into it?” Rose pressed, her insides squirming. Juliana paused her eating, fixing the Leafeon an inscrutable stare. Besting her anxiety, Rose piped up, “Y-you’re being nice to butter me up, so tell me why! I know there’s a play involved, and you said yourself I have ‘winsome qualities.’ I hope you’re not expecting me to perform on stage —” “Busted!” came a male’s voice, a youthful, somewhat lordly tone to it; both girls’ heads jerked around, Juliana’s expression breaking as though having been caught in the act. The voice belonged to a handsome Servine, appearing from around some bushes. “No, no,” he began smugly, approaching and holding up his right, squat hand, “please carry on, Mother.” — Mother? thought Rose — “What, Litten got your tongue?” said the smaller snake when Juliana came over shamefaced. “You’ve always gotta win, so give this girl whatever sob story you have. And if that doesn’t work you can always do what you do best: coerce her so she has no choice!” “Laurence!” shrieked Juliana, disapproving, “That is enough! For goodness sake, boy, did I raise you to behave this poorly in front of new faces?” “How should I know?” scoffed Laurence. With the Servine now closer, Rose picked up on some facial features, the two most noteworthy being his eye colour — hazel, as opposed to the generic red — and what could only be described as freckles — dozens of tiny, yellow-brown spots donning the roof of his muzzle. “Basically raised myself since evolution.” “U-umm,” started Rose gingerly, using her position as guest to get between the clear argument. “You’re Juliana’s son?” she addressed the Servine. He turned his gaze upon the Eevee, Rose herself rather taken by his suave demeanour. “Perceived that much, did you?” he said superciliously, and Rose’s ears drew back in surprise. “Congratulations on being more than a pretty face. Credit for finding this one,” he added, now speaking with his mother. “Hasn’t changed my mind.” Why you stuck-up, smarmy little . . . prat! was what Rose was holding back. While she knew his comment was a dig at her intelligence, she bottled challenging him, a straight show of her meekness. Luckily for the Leafeon, Juliana did not condone her boy’s rudeness, rearing herself back and appearing to suddenly tower above the both of them, scowling. Her action had the desired effect, Laurence seeming disconcerted. “You apologize for that remark, right now,” said the Serperior warningly. Abashed, Laurence met the stranger’s gaze and read the hurt in her brown eyes; it was clear she was eager for this. “That was . . . discourteous of me. Forgive, please.” However, before Rose could get a word in, Laurence threw his mother a glare, continuing, “But my answer’s still no! I’m not a child — you can’t make me.” “Hmph,” retorted Juliana. “The way you’re behaving, ‘child’ is hardly appropriate; more ‘toddler throwing a tantrum.’ Virizion can only tell me where I went wrong,” she sighed. “Your brother never gave me so much grief . . .” “And here we go again with my saint brother!” Laurence couldn’t help biting, further escalating the argument. “Such a pity the golden child had to grow up and leave us — you could turn to him for anything.” “Stop a second!” Rose, who was uncomfortable with tension, interjected. The Leafeon had no memory of her birth mother, and here Laurence was, fighting with his own, taking for granted the preciousness of their bond. Much to Rose’s surprise, both mother and son fell silent. “Sorry,” she felt compelled to say, despite not being in the wrong. “I just . . . wanna know what’s going on here. Please.” Rose watched as the two pulled opposite faces, with Juliana’s glare failing and Laurence grinning smugly. “Mother, care to disclose some answers?” he said to put her on the spot. Heaving a defeated, nettled sigh, Juliana focused the Eevee. “As you know, the Festival of Daybreak commences with an opening play. This play primarily centres around two individuals, a man and a woman, who, together, recount the tale of how our home came to be. The chosen pair play the roles of my founding ancestors; both Snivy-born with dreams for a life without threat. Once, a very long time ago, these Servine faced a choice: carry on relying just on each other, or shoulder the burden of unifying a generation. Young though they were, with the arrival of spring one decisive year, they embarked on their journey, crossing many territories in pursuit of followers and a place to, properly, call home. As you can imagine, the task was monumental and punishing, countless Pokémon shutting down the idea of paradise and many months spent wandering Tavolous. “Very few were convinced by words, especially coming from adolescent Servine. Weaker Pokémon took a chance, going along with the plan for assurance of protection. Casualties, however, were to mount in this time of hardship, my distant kin maturing into Serperiors and doing everything possible to mitigate the odds. It may interest you to know that Blossom Valley wasn’t the first place they tried to settle in. Various destinations were reached and tested, all proving inadequate somehow. To this day, Tavolous remains largely untamed, her landscape forged by the elements: volcanoes to the northeast, ice mountains neighboured north, wild seas, idyllic rivers — there is a home for us all. By the time my kin found haven here, less than fifty survived. “But there was hope for this place. Empty, vast grassland deterred most ambush predators — the first major advantage over previous locations. Even still, survival was never a guarantee; illness, diseases, a lack of nutriment, adverse weather conditions, and inner conflict were certainly challenges when my kin’s reign began. In spite of it all, though, they endured, and over time more Pokémon came to them, word of mouth spreading gradually. More Grass types meant fairer delegation of tasks. Happiness was on the up, and it reflected beautifully all around.” Rose understood Juliana was speaking of the colourful flora that gave Blossom Valley its name. “She didn’t ask for a full history lecture,” said Laurence, annoyed. The Serperior turned on her son, more incensed than he was at being interrupted. “I am trying to convey here our cultural heritage, substantiating to a perfect stranger the importance of this festival. And if that isn’t abject enough, my own child turns his back on his people —” “Come off it,” scoffed Laurence. “These’re your people, they’d follow you to the ends of the earth.” “You’re their prince!” cried Juliana. “Like it or not, some day, these people will need your leadership. They’ll put their faith — straighten up and pay attention!” she hissed, for Laurence had rolled his eyes, shaking his head insouciantly, “— they’ll put their faith in you, as they have me — and I’ll rule way past my prime if it means protecting our legacy.” “So have another kid, if legacy’s all you care about,” said Laurence coldly, his mother struck dumb as he moved away. Juliana attempted to call him back but the Servine ignored her. “Well there you have it,” she said hoarsely. “I’m a blind advocate, how nice.” Now Rose did not know what to think. From what she was told, this festival held great significance to Juliana and her people. The Leafeon wanted to help if she could, but still needed more information. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it,” she told the snake softly, hoping to pacify her. “All families argue.” Juliana couldn’t suppress a wry laugh. “Some more than others,” she said, continuing to stare out where her boy had gone, now out of sight. “Of course I care about him, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to throttle him. Oh,” she added with a roll of her eyes, having caught the Eevee’s look of concern, “I jest! No, I daresay he’s outgrown a good spanking, not that it’s a real solution for anything. The truth of the matter is I could have been a more attentive parent. Laurence is my second, arriving nine years after his brother, Jamie. Right from the beginning, Laurence was difficult to raise. I could not set aside the time for him, like I had with Jamie.” To Rose, it started to sound like Laurence had been overshadowed by his older brother, but she kept silent to listen. “Ordinarily, I’d have Jamie fill the role of my father kin, and his partner would double up with him. But maturity catches up with us all at some point, and I find myself with only one son for the first time in fifteen years.” “So that’s how old Laurence is?” Rose asked, and Juliana nodded. A single year separated the two. “And . . . you want me to be his partner in your play?” “I would owe you a debt of gratitude,” said Juliana sincerely. “But that won’t matter if Laurence refuses outright. He’s stubborn as a Mudbray.” “Why’s he like that? He’s just so . . . noble, like he should be better than that.” Juliana heaved a sigh, an air of melancholy about her. “I don’t know why I’m confessing this, but . . . Laurence, he . . . wasn’t planned.” The Serperior fell quiet for a moment, reflecting. “I was in a bad place at the time. Laurence’s father was a wanderer and he happened upon me out on the valley. He was the perfect distraction — relief from all the pressure I’d been under as ruler.” Beneath the fur of her cheeks, Rose’s skin blushed a soft pink; talk of sexual relations gave Rose butterflies. “So foolish,” Juliana continued. “Weeks after our encounter I began experiencing symptoms, the same symptoms I’d shared carrying Jamie. I was pregnant with another Snivy whose father was already long gone. But don’t think for a second that I did not want Laurence. I will always love my children. Excuses can’t justify my actions, but I simply couldn’t devote the same level of affection for Laurence as I had done his brother.” Rose thought on her response for a moment. “Well, I’m not a mum, so I can’t begin to imagine how hard it must’ve been on you.” Juliana was silent for a moment, gazing out over her home before seeing the pinkness of Rose’s cheeks. “Oh,” she began, something motherly about her smile, “I’m embarrassing you, aren’t I? Sorry. My love life, my business.” “I-I’ve not . . .” not even kissed a boy before, Rose finished to herself, conscious of what Juliana would think. “No,” she recovered, “it’s all right. So, if Laurence won’t do it, can’t you just take his place?” The Serperior laughed humorously. “Oh no. Certainly, my days of stage acting are long gone; age has to have some benefits!” “But you were stressing how important this is!” argued Rose. “For my son,” Juliana clarified. “Everything depends on him, now, and by participating, he will be carving his future as king. His people need to see him, need to know they can turn to him in times of hardship. He cannot stay a child any longer, as much as he may wish it. And so, Rose, I ask for your help. Laurence will not listen to me, but perhaps it’s possible to impart my feelings through you.” “You want me to try and talk him round?” said Rose, without much confidence. “I-I don’t know him . . . and the way he spoke to me . . .” “He could’ve been friendlier, yes. Laurence . . . only gets along with a select few, and the fault lies with me . . . for abusing my responsibilities . . . for feeding his insecurities. I have to right my wrongs.” As sincere as Juliana seemed, Rose couldn’t shake the sense that she were being guilt-tripped. So not only did she have to star in this play, she also had to convince the very person keeping a spanner in the works! And all for what — gratitude? Had Juliana forgotten the Leafeon was here involuntarily? How Rose wished she had Glacia here to stick up for her. . . . As though suddenly realizing the scale of what she was asking, Juliana said, heaving a dejected sigh, “Forgive me. For a moment my hopes were getting up. I will . . . I will see to it personally that you leave with your friends.” “But . . . what about the festival?” Juliana attempted a casual smile. “I’ve treated you unfairly. You’re under no obligation to help.” “But if I don’t, all your people will be let down,” said Rose, voicing the difference she could make. She fell silent, conflicted between what felt right and what was easy. Really not wanting to be in this situation, she forced through the decision to help. “. . . I’ll help,” she muttered to the ground, sullen. Evidently not taking her mood seriously, Juliana beamed. “Oh thank you, thank you!” Rose hadn’t expected it when Juliana pulled her into a slightly discomfiting snake-hug, the Serperior coiling her tail around the Leafeon’s midriff and lifting her effortlessly to rub cheeks; being ticklish, Rose quickly perked up. Ceasing her overfriendly display of appreciation, Juliana cleared her throat and put Rose down. “Apologies,” she said, with an abrupt return to her formal tone. “I should know better than to get carried away before anything’s happened.” Raising a smile, she added, “But I have a good feeling about you, Rose — that you can bring down my boy’s walls.” Flattering though it was being held in such esteem, Rose didn’t let it go to her head; she knew she wasn’t the solution here, and it was no use pretending otherwise. All that said, she saw no harm in trying, provided Juliana wasn’t expecting miracles. “Well I can give it a shot, at the very least,” she said, understandably reserved. “How long do we have, before the festival starts?” “Preparation is already underway behind Home Tree,” said Juliana. “We’ve got forty-eight hours.” “Two days?” said Rose, flustered. “That’s . . . that’s not enough time!” “It’s all we have,” the Serperior responded calmly and with an edge of finality. “But . . . say Laurence agrees to it, I’ve still got to rehearse and not look stupid! Then there’s the pressure of everyone watching me . . . I can’t. Unless you can push it back?” she added, hope in her tone. “This event is set in stone,” Juliana had to disappoint. “It wouldn’t be right of me to delay by any period of time.” “But you’re the queen!” Rose beseeched. “Whatever you say goes, right?” Seeing that the Leafeon was getting herself worked up, Juliana slid in to relax her nerves. “It hasn’t got to be television-worthy,” informed the snake, smiling. “The best piece of advice I can give is to go with the flow and not overthink things. I know it sounds daunting, two days, but Laurence has seen his share of plays, enough to understand his role. Even if you miss a cue, he can compensate for you. Trust is what’ll see this through.” Rose wished she had Juliana’s confidence. “That’s if I can win it in the first place.” In an effort to encourage her, Juliana extended a vine to Rose’s chin and gently lifted her gaze. “You could melt an Avalugg’s heart without trying,” she smiled. Her kindness had the desired effect, Rose blushing with pride. Nobody moved as they drunkenly pondered the barrier, almost indiscernible to the naked eye. Since identifying it, Simon, Rozlynn, and Coulter had pushed nearer, none willing to cross the threshold. They had been here twice before already, adamant that each time they would cross over together, side by side. But once more, an unexplainable haze befell the trio, their heads fogging over as though inebriated and always worsening the closer they got. “Well are you ladies gonna go through, or am I doing it?” said Rozlynn impatiently, her voice slurred and posture feeble. “I was waiting for a countdown,” justified Simon, who looked on the verge of collapsing. “Nah, didn’t you say . . . something, something . . .” And the Decidueye racked his brain, like swimming through murky water to reach the surface. “Super helpful,” the Jolteon managed sarcasm amidst his own confusion. And then: “Protect!” said Coulter, having a hallelujah moment . . . for remembering a plan formulated one minute ago. “Yeah, you were going to ‘pop a Protect bubble’ this time.” The Jolteon pretended to remember. “Oh right! I mean, obviously.” With much more effort than it should have taken, he summoned a turquoise dome of near-impenetrable energy. It was common knowledge that the move Protect shielded users from almost all sources of energy; kinetic, thermal, chemical, and radiant all falling under this category. Whatever was happening here seemed to be screwing with their cognitive functions. It, therefore, stood to reason that some resistance could be expected. “We ready?” said Coulter, looking to both Simon and Rozlynn. When they nodded, he counted down, “Three — two — one!” And for the third time they passed through the barrier. As they did so, however, déjà vu struck the non-Eevees, with both experiencing ringing headaches and whitening eyesight simultaneously before. . . . Coulter was first to come to, regaining his senses and finding himself lying on his chest in a bed of flowers. Freed of whatever spell he’d been put under, he could think much more clearly. He could tell he was a fair distance from the barrier, replaying everything in his head and acknowledging the fact this was the beginning of a loop. “Rozlynn? Simon?” he called out, frustration in his voice as he rose back up. From off to his right he heard Rozlynn respond. “I’m here, I’m here.” The Florges too looked annoyed as she picked herself up from the ground. Zephyr winds brushed the landscape, Blossom Valley’s beauty and serenity going unappreciated. “Not again!” she groaned, turning to face Coulter. “This is humiliating! What’re we supposed to do?” “We take five minutes,” instructed Coulter calmly, as much for his own benefit, “and figure this out.” Rozlynn did not argue however did avert her gaze, folding her arms. It wasn’t until after mumbling something to herself that she picked up on the unusual silence. “Um, where did Sparky get to?” she asked, looking around but not seeing the Electric-type. When Coulter threw her a confused stare, she clarified, “Simon. He’s not here.” Coulter confirmed this to be the case by swiftly surveying the scene. While it would have been easy to let worry govern his actions, now missing both his Eevee charges, Coulter stayed level-headed, deducing that Simon’s plan had worked. “Which can only mean . . .” Clearly, Coulter thought Rozlynn was a mind reader, building her up to finish his sentence. Despite not being in the mood for humouring anyone, Rozlynn went along with it, believing she’d reached the same conclusion. “. . . he made it. He . . .” And Coulter watched as comprehension caught up with the attractive young lady in his company. “So that is it!” The Decidueye nodded, now armed with the knowledge necessary for bypassing the barrier. “Let’s not waste a second longer.” But what the pair hadn’t been prepared for was seeing two Shiinotic materializing out of thin air some seventy yards ahead, where the barrier lay. Coulter and Rozlynn did not act rashly, simply pausing on the spot and observing as the mushroom-like beings approached. “Wanna mess with them real quick?” Nigel whispered to Wes; the pair were known for delighting in light mischief. Wes’s answer came in the form of a silly grin as he fought off the giggles. Although the Decidueye and Florges suspected something, they had no reason to get hostile . . . yet. “That’s close enough,” was on the tip of Coulter’s tongue when Wes and Nigel stopped, saving him a job and possibly avoiding unpleasantries. “Pokémon of Earth,” began Nigel in a generic alien voice, “prepare for escort aboard the Mothership” — he gestured back to the barrier, which rippled to make it more visible at range — “where you will be harvested for brain neurons.” “New-ons!” Wes added in for effect, made less impactful due to his poor vocabulary skills. Regardless, both Shiinotic outstretched their hands, chanting nonsensically until Rozlynn snapped. “This isn’t funny!” she shouted at them, though it was clear the subject of aliens had unnerved her. “We know that’s no Mothership!” Satisfied with the reaction they’d gotten, Wes and Nigel gave up their act, cracking up with laughter. “Cool your temper, darlin’,” said Nigel, “all in good fun.” Wanting Rozlynn to calm down, Coulter intervened to state their intentions. “We’ve been trying to gain entry,” said the owl. “We aren’t here by mistake.” Seeing that this old-timer meant business, Nigel became less jokey. “Yeah, the sentries gathered that much already. Don’t worry, we’ll let you through now, no more tricks.” “There’d better not be,” said Rozlynn warningly. “We promise!” said Wes happily, Rozlynn’s attitude bouncing right off the simple Pokémon. “You’re not going to question why?” said Coulter, finding it bizarre how they were allowed passage all of a sudden. “Best left to the queen,” Nigel said. “She’s the one who actually ordered us to find you: a Florges, Decidueye, and Jolteon. Has . . .” he added, noticing the absence of the last-mentioned, “your speedy friend done a runner?” Wes picked up on the pun and laughed. “Good one, Nigel!” But neither Coulter nor Rozlynn were tickled by this. “He made it through on our last attempt,” Coulter informed the pair. “At least, that’s what we assume. Did you not see him?” “Oh,” said Nigel, and his tone put the outsiders on tenterhooks, “then he might have been teleported to another checkpoint.” “Meaning?” pressed Rozlynn. Unfortunately, when it came to the sanctuary’s defences, more than one measure was in place. “Okay, so here’s the thing,” Nigel began to explain as best he could. “That wall — the one we just came out of — it’s one of many sections that safeguard where we live. Basically, there’re sentries posted on the other side of each — and if, for whatever reason, an intruder makes it past, they’ll end up detained. If your friend put up too much of a fight, then it’d make sense he got teleported to a tougher post.” “Hmph. Exeggcute, I’m guessing?” said Rozlynn knowingly, referring to the sentries. “Wow!” said Wes in awe. “You’re a great guesser.” Rozlynn ignored the ambiguous remark, having known this information from the get-go and only getting brain fogged after Rose’s disappearance. “Whole thing’s been a farce,” she told Coulter, disappointment weighing on her voice. “Don’t blame yourself,” Coulter lent his support, to which Rozlynn appeared grateful for. “You stepped up when Kadence needed you. You’re our best hope for reasoning with her friend.” “I know,” she said, “but we’ve gotta get Simon and Rose back first.” Both Shiinotic took an interest in the latter name. “If you’re talking about a Leafeon, she’s in the sanctuary. We know because . . .” Nigel dropped his gaze with abashment, “we took her there last night, while you were sleeping.” Rozlynn scrutinized the pair through squinted eyes. “Oh dear Xerneas,” she began with something close to disgust. “I’ve been watched by perverts.” “Whoa, whoa!” said Nigel, quick to defend himself and Wes, “That’s a bit much. We didn’t watch you sleep, but we had to keep you that way.” Not wanting this friction to ruin their opportunity, the army colonel stepped in. “I’m sure you can explain everything once we’re in,” he reasoned, gesturing the barrier behind them. “This is Rozlynn, by the way, and I’m Coulter.” “I’m Wes, short for Wesley,” Wes introduced himself happily, then looking sideways to his friend, “and this here is Nigel. We’re best buddies.” “They don’t care,” said Nigel, not trying to put a downer on Wes. “Who cares that they don’t care?” Wes deflected his counterpart’s gloom, raising a smile in him. “We care, which is important.” Wes never needed telling how much Nigel valued his friendship, the two as good as inseparable since hitching a ride on a wandering Grotle (which had been searching for the sanctuary) some years back as Morelull, occupying a bush each and starting out as neighbours. They went together like cheese and crackers. His mood improved, Nigel faced the strangers and said, “Let’s go.” Coulter and Rozlynn followed behind Nigel and Wes as they approached the barrier, defining more and more the nearer they got. It had been around this distance on previous attempts where vagueness encroached, and instinctively Coulter and Rozlynn braced for it, trying to focus their minds in an effort to increase their mental resistance. Only, there was no need: Perception and judgement were not fettered, enabling the pair to see and think clearly. It caught them by surprise when colour came into existence, like dye poured into a bowl of water, starting central of the barrier with forest green before expanding and revealing defined features. Without stopping, both Shiinotic passed through the barrier like it was the most normal thing in the world. The Florges and Decidueye, however, paused on this side, gazing into the mirror world. Limited though their view was, they could make out forest undergrowth canopied by tree leaves and not open sky, like out here. Refraction appeared to apply to the barrier, for when Wes doubled back through it he emerged slightly to the side of his original position, all from an outside perspective. “Come on, thought you wanted in!” pushed the Shiinotic eagerly. Satisfied he’d motivated them, he crossed over again, the pair joining him just seconds later. The newcomers’ reactions didn’t come as a surprise for Wes; the sanctuary was likely beyond anything they had ever witnessed. Here was a place, an entire home for Grass Pokémon, isolated and diligently protected around the clock — a whole other world only rumoured to exist for other types. With Rozlynn and Coulter taking in their new surroundings, Wes turned to see Nigel still conversing with an Exeggcute batch not far away. The Exeggcute operated from a DIY shelter, the components of which, presumably, locally sourced from these very trees and constructed with basic carpentry skills. Gathering what information he needed, Nigel waved the three others over. “Turns out your friend was teleported,” Nigel told Rozlynn and Coulter, confirming his speculation of earlier as each Exeggcute head bounced a single time, seeming agitated. “We should’ve left him in a tree!” cried one of the heads, sounding male. “Too right! The amount of grief you’ve given us,” another cried. “It’s not fun repelling idiots who don’t get the message,” the lead head spoke up. “Oh I think you’ll find you’re the idiots here,” argued Rozlynn, much to the pink eggs’ annoyance. “Did it never occur to you that maybe, just maybe, it was worth hearing our side of the story?” “Stop it,” voiced Coulter, a reproachful glare silencing the Florges. “They were following protocol, as any good soldier should.” However much this remark irked her, he would accept responsibility for after getting what they came for; right now, making a good impression mattered, and his counterargument seemed to still the Exeggcute batch. Addressing them with respect, he said, “We apologize for the constant intrusions, but we have urgent business here.” “You mean beyond finding your friends?” quizzed Nigel, now suspecting more to their motives. It looked to be pure coincidence originally when he and Wes happened on their campsite; an odd mix of four city-goers, a young and pretty Leafeon happening to be among them. Both Shiinotic took it as a sign, that they could get the festival back on track. Had the queen not upbraided them for it, both would not have thought twice on taking Rose away, how selfish and morally wrong such an act was. Yet now all four strangers had infiltrated their forest home, all the while having an objective. . . . The Decidueye, even being a Grass-type, did himself no favours by pondering a response; as far as Nigel was concerned, whatever answer left his beak was a lie. “We know who we need to talk to,” he ducked the question, unwilling to disclose the truth if it could be helped. “You won’t be talking to anyone if you carry on like this,” warned the lead Exeggcute head. “Cooperate and tell us who.” Not wanting to exacerbate the situation, Coulter handed it over to Rozlynn as she held that information. Now all eyes were on her. “Juliana,” she said, and the surprise was visibly immediate; Rozlynn had to refrain from grinning, satisfied she’d undermined any authority here. “She important enough for ya?” “You know Her Majesty?” the lead Exeggcute said, in as much disbelief as his five subordinates. “How?” demanded a head from the back. “We’re friends,” answered Rozlynn. “Kinda,” she added with a touch of awkwardness. “We first met through a mutual friend — granted visits are few and far between. Point is, she can help us with something, so if you could just let us see her . . .” “Visits to where?” Nigel asked. “The Chime Pavilion in Petalflo,” said Rozlynn, and she guessed from the expressionless faces that none of them understood the massive distance separating the two places. “The journey itself would take weeks without transport. Look, digressing here. Every minute wasted is crucial, so can we please?” “Yes!” Nigel obliged out of irritation, “All right. Virizion knows what’s so dire, but we get it.” He turned to the Exeggcute batch and requested for their use of telepathy to communicate with the other checkpoint in order to rematerialize the Jolteon here; from there, Wes and Nigel would escort the outsiders to the forest’s heart to reconvene with Juliana, fulfilling their queen’s wish. But before the Exeggcute batch complied, each fixed Coulter and Rozlynn with unsmiling stares. “The forest will be watching,” they all said ominously, then closing their eyes and carving the connection to the stricter checkpoint. Several moments passed by in tense silence, ambient noise coming in the form of overhead tree foliage rustling in the breeze; no birdsong sounded through this forest, a fact which could be taken as peaceful or unnerving. And then — Whoosh — “Waaaaah — !” Thud. Swift reactions were needed to catch Simon’s screaming entrance. Teleportation, as he nauseously discovered, wasn’t as smooth as one would imagine. Simon could accurately describe the experience as: being sent through a portal travelling at the speed of sound with no comprehension of the immediate realm before, simultaneously and abruptly, hitting another portal and slowing way down only to then be thrown out unceremoniously. His head still spinning, Simon stayed put where he landed, all except the Exeggcute batch approaching him. “Good news,” said Rozlynn cheerfully, “all is well! We got in after all.” “Looking a bit green around the gills, son,” analysed Coulter in a more sympathetic manner than Rozlynn. Simon groaned. “Try flushing yourself down the toilet at Mach 5 an’ see how you come out. . . .” He did not reject the support of Wes and Nigel when both came to either side of him, helping him to sit up. “Things’ll clear up after a minute,” Nigel told him apologetically. “Th-thanks,” said Simon cautiously. “Um . . . who’re you?” Feeling as though something was missing, he then raised a paw to his head to discover his new sunglasses were gone. “Bro! They stole the shades I swiped!” And as though this accusation had been heard, the black-and-orange eyewear blinked into existence, rolling to a stop by the Jolteon’s feet. Having won the Leafeon over, Juliana set her sights on finding her Servine son, leading Rose away from the Pecha bushes once she’d had her fill. When Rose begged the question of how they would find Laurence, Juliana revealed she knew of a secret place her boy liked to go to whenever stressed or moody. “So he’s there a lot, huh?” Rose couldn’t stop herself from wisecracking; a consequence of spending too long in Simon’s company. “Sorry,” she tittered, half sincere and half tickled because Juliana had laughed. “You cheeky mare,” retorted the snake in good humour. She went on to explain that the secret place was one of three water sources for her people. As Rose was seeing for herself, the sanctuary covered a good amount of range, but it wasn’t indefinite. This created an environment unsuitable for large bodies of water. So while the sanctuary had no lakes, it did have waterholes. Pokémon, however, rarely frequented this upcoming one for understandable reasons: Firstly, of the three, it was smallest, so not great for social gatherings; then there was distance, with it being much farther out; to add to distance, there was nothing but unmanaged forest out this way, little more than a dirt track to follow until reaching an extremity point. The result was peace and quiet from the liveliness of the sanctuary’s heart. “. . . I shouldn’t be joking about him,” Juliana reflected on her influence as a bad mother after a brief silence. “My neglect has pushed him to loneliness. Tell me . . .” she looked down on the Eevee, “is this selfishness?” Rose answered true to what she believed. “You want to make things right with him — and you’ve gotta build bridges somehow. That doesn’t sound selfish to me,” she smiled, and in turn so did Juliana. Heartened by the Leafeon’s support, Juliana pressed on with high confidence of finding Laurence. Of course, it was all assumption; Laurence could well have gone home to his personal space at Home Tree. As they went, Rose kept within touching distance of Juliana, whom knew her way through even the most remote sections of forest — perhaps the biggest advantage of a birth here. Eventually, Juliana slithered to a halt, extending a vine across Rose’s chest and blocking her. “What’s — ?” But, using the same vine and only for a second, Juliana covered her mouth. She watched as the thick tendril retreated back inside Juliana’s collar. With a prideful smile the Serperior lifted her gaze to a specific tree. After following her eyes, Rose quickly located Laurence. An air of melancholy hung over the Servine as he stared out over the waterhole, he himself perfectly settled in a hollow that had been carved out above a weighty bough. It was as Juliana guessed. “Boy’s so predictable,” she murmured, and Rose turned to her in confusion. “Him being up there,” Juliana explained, “oh he’s itching to send anyone away.” Rose then understood their surreptitious arrival: they would catch Laurence off balance when they made themselves known. “So I . . . guess I’m up?” said Rose, her original reservations resurfacing. “Don’t be nervous of him,” Juliana tried to embolden her. “You can do this. Just tell it from your perspective, maybe open up about yourself.” Feeling a little less under pressure, Rose nodded. She began moving out from around some bushes concealing their location but then paused and looked back. “You’ll be close, right?” she asked, seeking assurance. “I won’t eavesdrop, but yes, I’ll be nearby.” Forwarding her gaze, Rose composed herself by exhaling through her mouth at low volume, not wanting Juliana to hear. Off she padded, Juliana watching until her leafy tail escaped view around the shrubbery. Meanwhile, under the impression he was alone, Laurence acted on a strange habit he tended to have when idle for too long: Extracting a vine from out his right side collar, he stuck it in his mouth, looking most silly as he harmlessly munched on it, not unlike a baby attached to his dummy/pacifier. One could only assume his mind was wandering, for he failed to notice as Rose pulled up just under him, not being stealthy about it either. “Um,” she began awkwardly, her neck cranked back in order to see him, “e-excuse me, Laurence?” At once, his lazy face snapped to attention, hurrying to get the vine out of his gob. “You saw nothing!” he blurted, an unpleasant wave of heat running down his body as he tried to recover. But rather than show he was flustered, the Servine would confront the issue with hostility, an effective way of turning the tide; nobody dare test the future king’s patience if they valued living here. Ready to give her what for, Laurence stepped out onto the bough, his balance perfect as the two locked gazes. However, any aggression swiftly slid off his face, like rain striking a window. “Oh,” he said, “it’s you — from before.” “Yeah . . . Rose is my name, seeing as it wasn’t mentioned earlier,” she finished on a nervous giggle. Laurence’s expression remained indifferent and he gave no response. Subsequently, Rose faltered for words. “. . . Why’re you in a tree?” But Laurence merely rolled his hazel eyes. “D’you wanna not pretend? It’s glaringly obvious my mother sent you after me. Of course she’d know where I go to be alone! Can’t even have that anymore, denied the simplest of rights.” Rose didn’t feel good about her involvement in this, now just wanting to give Laurence back his space. But she couldn’t fall at the first hurdle — her family would believe in her. “Actually, I was hoping to hear what you have to say,” she smiled up at him, and he betrayed cautious interest. “But everyone needs their own space.” She turned to leave, trying her luck at the old reverse psychology trick. “Sorry.” And with that she moved off at random, zero sense of direction and risking getting lost. Luckily for her, Laurence wouldn’t let her travel any farther that particular way. “Monkshood,” he warned knowingly, bringing the female to a halt. “What?” she said, clueless as she looked around at him. “You’re headed straight at a nest of monkshood, a rather poisonous plant. Safest way back to Home Tree,” he pointed his conelike snout eastward, “is over there. Keep going for about a hundred metres and you’ll join up with a path.” He gazed back down at her, exuding a mixed bag of swagger and consideration. “Paths are great for walking on.” Not caring for his mockery, Rose said, frowning, “No need to get nasty.” Her words seemed to have an impact on him, conflict warping the Servine’s normally lofty face as he watched the Leafeon go. “Wait!” Again she paused to glance back at him, and it was here Laurence felt raw, physical attraction. Pretty fit, he found himself thinking, unaware of the fact he was daydreaming. Rose, meanwhile, had turned her body around, curious to know what he was thinking. “You getting dizzy up there?” she eventually said, finding an excuse for his absorption. Laurence snapped out of it. “I’m, um . . .” It was completely unlike him to feel so rotten so easily; for a second or so he could not meet her gaze. “Being horrible . . . to you. Sorry.” Despite it sounding a little forced, Rose accepted the apology. Smiling gratefully, she said, “Thanks for warning me. I wouldn’t have known about monks . . . plant.” “Monkshood,” he educated her. As Rose made her way back to him, Laurence parked his bum on the bough, his dwarf legs much too short to dangle; to maintain balance, he wrapped his tail (leaf-shaped tip included) around the bark. “And you were right as well,” Rose confessed. “Juliana asked me to speak with you.” The look on Laurence’s face said it all, the truth coming as no surprise. “She’s got you right where she wants you: wrapped around her tail.” Arrogance and disappointment were absent as he spoke, the Servine going for a more tactful approach. “Give my mother an inch and she’ll take a mile. It’s not your fault; she switches on the charm and people obey, like they forget no’s an option.” “Maybe that’s partly true,” Rose agreed with him, earning more of his interest as she sat down also. “She’s admitted she’s not been the best parent, but she cares about making it up.” “Mm-hmm,” nodded Laurence, and Rose sensed incoming sarcasm. “So much she couldn’t be bothered to say it in person. D’you want some real honesty? Nothing’s gonna change from” — he motioned to and fro with his right hand — “whatever this is. Only a masochist would wanna get involved here, and you don’t strike me as the type. So just go — ask to be taken to an exit — life’ll go on.” Rose, tickled by his masochist statement, couldn’t help but smile. In an effort to justify the Serperior’s choices, she said, “Juliana felt that this way was best. That if she came you’d think the worst, like she’d be hounding or stalking you.” “Um, hello! She’s known all along that I come here. Sounds an awful lot like stalking if you ask me.” “She gets concerned,” Rose reached out. “Isn’t that what mums do?” Laurence scoffed. “Your mother, sure. Difference being mine has a whole sanctuary to rule. I’m not special, like you are to your mum; her ‘concern’ never comes out of love.” This time around Rose had no response lined up; she had gone mute, a definite sadness beginning to weigh her down. The Leafeon never got to know her birth mother, long since deceased . . . robbed of that parent before her first word. “What’s with the long face?” Laurence asked. She looked back up at him. His gaze was fixed on her as he waited patiently, putting no added pressure on her to answer. She contemplated keeping it all to herself, but she was never any good at holding in strong emotions; they would gradually eat away at her, affecting her general mood until it was obvious to everyone. “. . . You said my mother,” she piped up, her voice almost spiritless now. “I never knew her. She. . . . I only recently found out she was murdered when I was very young — and that our dad abandoned us as it happened.” Laurence’s shock might have been replicated if a rogue baseball smacked him in the face. He tried to speak his mind, normally not difficult for him, but nothing felt natural. What was anyone meant to say to this! Over the next ten minutes Laurence empathized with the outsider, descending from his tree to sit with her, though he kept out of touching range. Rose was sure to set the record straight when Laurence quizzed her on her dad, the Servine suspecting foul play. The truth was far more cowardly, her Meowstic father putting his own life before that of his wife and eight children. He had forced his family to lie low in their home as their hamlet came under siege . . . and the price was paid for in blood. Horrible as the subject matter was, Laurence found himself intrigued, perhaps overly so. Expressing he didn’t wish to be too nosey, he asked whether she knew the whole reason behind the attack. Having been an Eevee cub at the time, Rose had no memory of the trauma (something she was increasingly grateful for since discovering the truth), but, through a combination of what Fall and Glacia recalled and the attack catching the news media’s attention, it was established that a trio of criminals, headed by a ruthless Tyranitar, had sought a specific police officer responsible for busting their crime spree of robbing jewellers. Apparently these criminals had been pulling heists up and down the region for years, peddling their stolen goods for cold, hard cash, which they would then split three ways, cleverly depositing high sums into offshore banking accounts. The whole ordeal had authorities riled at the time, unable to pin down the culprits until one officer made a discovery, linking together a target pattern that saw law and crime clash. Even though police were able to catch the criminals in the act, the monstrous Tyranitar proved much too dangerous to subdue, resulting in his escape. Little did anyone know Vasco, the Tyranitar, now harboured a deadly vendetta. After some digging of his own, Vasco learned of the officer responsible for his downfall, tracing him to his home of Appleage — and so happening to be the Eevees’ home at the time. Wrong place, wrong time . . . Acacia’s death boiled down to that. Douglas Sutton was the only target on Vasco’s mind; the Tyranitar had no other reason for being there, only to kill the Scyther officer and make his power known. But in a single, nightmarish night, life would never be the same. Vasco lost everything: his cronies, his fortune, his luxuries. In a matter of months police accrued enough evidence and information to clean him out of pocket, his bank having no choice but to relinquish funds to the Tavolousian government. Freedom was more than what Vasco deserved after brutally murdering one of their own, but police decided against pursuit of him, mainly due to his formidable size. It wasn’t unheard of, at least in Tavolous, for some Pokémon to be blacklisted within society, this fact also applying, rarely, among the police code. If an individual is considered too dangerous or powerful for imprisonment, they qualify for blacklisting. Those select few have their names registered on an immunity database which protects them from authorities. While not viewed in high regard by the general public, police blacklisting wasn’t as idiotic as it seemed, because the immunity only functioned beyond the borders of civilization; anyone listed who broke this rule risked losing more than just their freedom. Blacklisting was purely a means of avoiding conflict. From the moment he was registered on that list, Vasco became an outcast, condemned to feral life or no life at all. For Douglas’s wife and son, the dead Scyther’s next of kin, this knowledge came as the second best form of justice, though their loss and pain would remain immeasurable for years. No one knew what became of Vasco, the Tyranitar violating his immunity enough times to warrant the Dragons’ Court marking him for death. Was he still out there, resisting assassination? Had police avenged those Vasco killed? “Sounds like you’re one tough customer to have survived that as a cub,” complimented Laurence, finding it a task to process everything he’d been told. Rose shook her head. “My big brother and sister got us through that,” she credited with humility. “They really stepped up, and I . . . I’d be lost without them. . . .” Her thoughts were carried away to Fall and Raina, concern for their safety quickly trying to frighten her. But she couldn’t start down this slippery slope, telling herself not to think on it. She clung to the hope Coulter’s people would find and bring the Flareon and Vaporeon back. Even with Fall’s injuries (Rose shuddered, hearing Fall’s wailing as a Corphish clamped down on his back leg, slicing through fur and meat) the rescue team sent carried medical supplies and could treat him. A white-winged butterfly fluttered close by, working its way towards the tree the teenagers were parked under. “For what it’s worth,” began Laurence softly, as the delicate insect came to rest on the trunk between them, “I’m sorry that happened to you. World’s . . .” he downed his gaze, “got some monsters.” Despite not saying anything, Rose was appreciative. “With any luck he’s dead now.” They reunited gazes. “That Tyranitar.” Rose wasn’t sure how to feel. Perhaps a more vindictive person would delight in this. “I just . . . wish it all never happened. Maybe if I’d been there now, I’d’ve made a difference.” Looking at the Leafeon, prowess wasn’t the first thing that came to mind, nor was intimidation. Sparing her feelings, Laurence held back his reservations. “Don’t torment yourself with what-ifs,” he comforted her. “If nothing else, I’m glad you didn’t die.” It seemed to take the Servine a moment to realize what he’d said, a flush of pink donning his snout as he turned away, his composure knocked off balance. Rose tried to meet his eye, smiling when she couldn’t. “It’s . . . definitely not too late to sort things out with your mum,” she came back to her original point, hoping he’d be more receptive now. Watching his blush fade wasn’t the most positive of signs, but at the same time he wasn’t immediately on her case about it. “At least . . . hear what she has to say?” Laurence turned to her. “What if it was you and your dad?” he challenged, and the question completely stalled Rose. “If he walked up to you, right now, would you give him a chance?” Uncertainty twisted her usually sweet face. “H-how would he even know me? I was an Eevee cub last time he saw me — I could be anyone.” “Let’s say for argument’s sake he just recognizes his own daughter and wants to make up for lost time. He’s ‘sorry’ for abandoning you, has a whole speech written down. D’you listen, or tell him where to stick it?” She wished she could pause time to consider. On the one paw weighed pure curiosity regarding her father, matched pound for pound on the other by nerves and disappointment. She supposed if it really came down to it she would want answers, however nerve-racking. “Whatever his excuse,” began Rose passively, and Laurence had a feeling she wasn’t going to side with him, “he’s still my dad.” This pretty much confirmed it for Laurence, whom let his irritation show. “I’m sorry that’s not what you wanted to hear, but it’s the truth! I’m not saying I’d instantly forgive him — running away nearly destroyed our family. But . . . cutting him off forever . . . never letting go of grudges . . . we have to be better than that.” “Says who — Arceus?” Laurence contested, his temper not so lost he couldn’t be reasoned with. “How can you be so soft? That man clearly knew what he was doing, and you classify him as a parent! He should be dead to you; mine is to me.” “I’m sorry you feel that way,” Rose said, making a conscious effort to avoid disclosing what she’d been told regarding Juliana’s fling — no need to embarrass Laurence. Yet all this did provide an opportunity. “Your mother’s been nothing but kind to me,” she smiled. “Probably done as much for me as my dad did. And I . . . agreed to help with the play.” “You don’t mean . . . ?” Laurence began, almost sure of where she was going with this. “Yep,” she said brightly. “Consider us partners!” “H-hold the phone here,” Laurence blurted, getting to his feet in a knee-jerked reaction, evidently spooked by her exuberance. The white-winged butterfly quivered slightly but did not take off. “Firstly, I ain’t doing it. Secondly, you don’t know what’s involved. Thirdly, y-you can’t just lumber your past on someone then drop it like hot coal! It’s bonkers, utterly messed up.” While Rose respected his viewpoint, she wasn’t about to overplay her feelings. Her personal history, early and recent, would’ve disturbed most ordinary people, Laurence being a case in point. But what good was it crying over foregone events when she could make a real difference today? Just as she went to open her mouth, out the corner of her eye she spotted the butterfly. Second by second, tension diffused as the pair observed the pretty creature, Rose’s childlike enthusiasm renewed. “It’s very beautiful here,” she voiced, outstretching a paw to encourage the butterfly. “Kinda get the sense I’m spoiling it. . . .” A funny sensation in his tummy made Laurence chuckle. “You’re so weird,” he said, bending his knees to sit down again. “Good weird or bad weird?” Reading his smile told her the answer. “Why care about a festival you’ve never heard of?” quizzed Laurence, and Rose didn’t take it as accusatory. “You don’t owe my mother anything. Unless . . . unless you’re planning on living here?” “It’s not because of that,” Rose kept things honest, unknowing of Laurence’s dejection for he masked it. “If you want the truth, all of it petrifies me —” “So refuse!” Laurence insisted, and Rose would be lying if she said she wasn’t tempted. “We’ll tell my mum it’s too short notice; that you felt pressured into it.” In a sudden flitter of white the butterfly jumped onto the female’s paw, its frail legs tickling her pads. “She’ll be really disappointed. And not just her,” she added, displaying percipience beyond her years, “but everyone else as well.” “Not your problem. C’mon, I’m giving you a literal get-out-of-jail-free card here!” But the more he protested the more suspicious Rose grew of an underlying issue. “You can’t resent your mum that much,” she boldly claimed. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he was quick to snap. Rose shrugged. “I could be reading it completely wrong, but I get the feeling you’re worried.” Laurence raised a smug grin. “How very . . . clairvoyant. All right. Go on. What am I worried about?” “Purely guessing, you’re avoiding responsibility —” With a roll of his eyes, he sniggered over her. “Where’ve I heard that before?” he scoffed, referencing his mother. “So you’re not avoiding anything?” Rose persisted in a kindly manner, dealing damage to Laurence’s walls. “Nothing whatsoever.” “Well I wish I had your confidence,” she admitted. Blowing softly, she motivated the butterfly, making it take flight; it lingered above the Pokémon. “Even thinking about a stage makes me nervous.” “Be grateful you haven’t gotta rule here one day.” “Oh for sure,” she agreed. “I’m nobody’s first choice when it comes to strong leadership.” But a crack in Laurence’s façade showed when the butterfly landed atop his head, causing him to flinch. “Bugger off, you — !” Overreacting, he swatted at the insect with his tail, thankfully missing. “What?” he challenged the staring Leafeon once the pest had flown away. “I’m, erm, allergic.” “And that’s fine,” Rose empathized. “Not saying you should, but talking about a problem can really help . . .” Unable to bear her provoking consideration, he groaned in defeat. “You’re bloody impossible!” He did not know what it was about her; lying to her felt like lying to Shaymin, something at the back of his mind telling him she only wished to help. “We’ve all got problems, some less embarrassing than others.” “What’s embarrassing?” she pushed for, with a cute tilt of her head. But Laurence clammed up, understandably hesitant about divulging the truth. “Sorry. I . . . shouldn’t be prying.” “See, that right there,” Laurence said, piquing Rose’s interest, “backing off, respecting me,” he shook his head, “not my mother’s style. Everything’s gotta be sorted ASAP: She catches wind of a dispute, she’ll rock up to address it; she hears I’ve skipped breakfast, it’s straight in with a lecture — ‘Most important meal of the day, don’tcha know!’ I’m not a damn child, I know all this!” “Still it can’t be easy for her,” Rose said to be reasonable. “Juggling being a parent and queen. Sounds to me she’s doing her best.” “Yeah, total beast-mode twenty-four seven! And that’s what I have to look forward to. No thank you! Minute I turn eighteen, I’m gone.” Try as she might, Rose couldn’t entirely suppress her shock. “You’re . . . not gonna be king?” “I was never meant to be!” said Laurence, and Rose believed she was uncovering the root of his troubles; she had to keep him talking. “My brother, Jamie — he was supposed to take up the mantle — him, not me. Then he went and left, and now all of a sudden I’m the great saviour. But what if I don’t want it? What if I can’t handle that level of responsibility?” He scoffed. “Guarantee nobody cares, least of all my mother. Well if these plebeians expect the same unrelenting routine, then they can dream on.” “Why wouldn’t Juliana care?” said Rose evenly. “Has she said that?” “Like I’d confide anything in her,” said Laurence dismissively. “You saw how she was before, banging on about legacy, maintaining rule over this place. My whole life I’ve all but been invisible to her, always playing second fiddle to my more popular brother. But how typical, now he’s out of the picture I get his limelight. She’s a user, having you do her dirty work. Was it her idea to get you to guilt trip me with that tale you spun?” he finished with a bite most bitter, immediately stinging the Leafeon. “Everything I told you was true!” she cried, and at once Laurence regretted opening his big mouth, Rose’s upset appearing genuine. “And I’d never use my mum’s death as a weapon!” Laurence held up his hands in surrender, taken aback by the female’s outburst. “O-okay, I take it back,” he acknowledged his mistake. Happily for him, Rose’s anger was quick to subside, leaving behind a void filling with silence. “. . . You realize,” Laurence finally broke it, “she’s laughing at us? Two kids stuck playing mind games. That’s all we are, kids.” “Part of growing up means facing uncomfortable responsibilities,” sighed Rose sagely. “Even if you aren’t on the best of terms with her, you should be telling this to your mum.” Remarkably, Laurence had no retort, his mood turning reflective and lost. She seemed to be making progress, trying to warm him to the prospect of sharing thoughts with his mother. But Juliana had warned of his stubbornness, which broke through again. “She won’t understand,” he told Rose. “She’s not a normal mother, don’t you get it? All she ever has time for is ruling. It’s all she knows — and given any chance, she’ll drag me along. I’m not gonna be her puppet, now or ever!” “But what if she’s changed?” Rose insisted, and Laurence was no less dubious. “When I was talking with her earlier she admitted her issues. You know, everything she said about you has been completely right, so it shows she knows you.” “Because she’s a control freak! How many more times do I have to repeat myself before it’s drilled into your head? Me and her aren’t the same. If I do as you say an’ open up to ’er, I might as well kiss my freedom goodbye —” Tension climbing high, Laurence got to his feet and began pacing a few metres away. Rose did not pressure him further during this, using the time to bring her own heartrate down. After awhile Laurence fizzled out and came to a halt. “Leaving when I’m old enough is my only ticket out,” he said calmly. “I can’t be the ruler she wants . . . and with Jamie gone, I’m her rightful heir.” “Couldn’t Jamie come back? If things got desperate . . .” “He’s renounced his ties here,” explained Laurence sadly. “He has his own commitments now: got the whole family man, move-to-the-city deal going. Says he’ll still visit, though.” A sudden thought entered his mind, one which he liked. “That’s something I could do as king.” “What?” “Have him exiled,” he grinned. “The guards would hang on my every whim.” Hoping it wouldn’t backfire on Jamie, Rose said, “Them and everyone else. Might be fun having all that power. Just . . . don’t be a tyrant, please.” Laurence dropped his act, the negatives of ruling outweighing the positives. “It’s for the best my mum keeps ruling,” he said. “I’ll gladly admit she’s great at it.” “But she can’t go on forever,” Rose pointed out. “I dunno, maybe you’ll find someone nice to rule with. You have your eye on anyone special round here?” she asked, rotating her head from right to left in search of Pokémon but none were about. “What, you mean fancy?” he asked for clarification, and Rose nodded, smiling brightly. “That’s . . . all very personal!” Laurence ducked the question, flustered. “You haven’t gotta say,” Rose was merciful, which, she did not doubt, was more than could be said of either Raina or Summer; had Laurence been in the hot seat with them, he’d just as soon snap. Rose grew up with a family that shared teasing tendencies, the Leafeon not the biggest prankster of the bunch. That said, a lifetime of influence was bound to leave a lasting impression on even the sweetest sibling — now showing in the form of a sly grin. “This girl a secret crush, is she? She one of those through-childhood friends?” Laurence’s freckles were suddenly swimming in a flash of pink. “I-I’m not saying! Not saying because . . . there is no crush! You can smirk all you like, believe whatever.” “Aw, learn to lighten up!” said Rose, her energy indefatigable. “I’m trying to help, is all.” “’S’ a funny way of helping. And not ‘har-har’ funny, either.” “My point is,” she pressed, “every king needs a queen, to rule side by side. You’re . . .” (at first she hesitated with the word) “scared now, but that’s age related. I’d be in the same boat too. But I have family to count on,” she smiled. “I know I can turn to them with any problem; they’ll support me. You’ve got that too with Juliana.” Annoyed with the subject matter looping back to his mother, Laurence drew breath to protest however was cut off. “No, I’m serious!” Rose stayed her course, determined to kindle the snakes’ bond. “You’re not ready for marriage yet —” “Understatement of the year,” Laurence injected some sass. “— so give her a chance. Unless you plan on staying mad forever, she’s not giving up on you. Plus, also, time has a way of changing us. The way I see it, you can teach her how to be a better pa —” “Fine, all right!” he conceded, willing to meet her halfway if it meant an end to her badgering. Bringing his voice and emotions down, he continued to the overjoyed Eevee, “I’ll do the play with you — but you’d best not be planning any surprises.” Rose set her right forepaw over her heart. “Cross my heart and hope to wilt!” “That goes double for Mum. If I so much as catch wind she’s manipulating the situation, there’s no going back for us. I’ll leave like I said, and the future of this place will be on her head.” “I’ve been truthful,” she told him straight. “Juliana didn’t let on to anything else. She’s gonna be so thrilled with the news!” “Ease up there, Larry,” said Laurence, tickled by her enthusiasm. “Plenty can go wrong, and we’ll need to start rehearsing straight away — more for your sake than mine.”
Blue Steel

Mature Content

Tides of the Soul
TotS Ch. 39 - The Boy In The Mountain (VS. Red)The day had come, and I was dressed for the job since the normal weather was already getting a bit chillier, anyway. Gone were my jean overall shorts and red sneakers, and in went a red-orange knit sweater with navy blue snowsuit overalls, brown boots lined with false fur at the top, and cream winter gloves. To cover the first two before I set off on Louie, a thick salmon snow coat with a fuzzy brown lining around the hood, perfect for protecting my head despite my normal hat doing a great job. Ready to get going, we took off through the December skies and reached the League Gate, moving to the base of Mt. Silver after showing my exclusive pass to the reception guards. There was a convenient Pokémon Center seated at the base, so I went into it to give my team a little rest. “Here you go, Champion Ritsu,” the Nurse Joy said, returning my fully healed Pokémon to me. “But… are you sure you’d like to past this point? It’s very rare for those who enter to return at all.” “I’ll be fine,” I assured her. “Red said the Champion has to come and defeat him specifically, and that’s me now. Scary as this is, turning my back on everybody else is even scarier with what I can imagine Red would do to them all over again.”“Then, if there’s no stopping you… I wish you all my luck.”Spraying my body head to toe with a Max Repel, I ventured through the tall grass and into the cave that would eventually lead to the top. The bottom of the small stone stairs was filled with water above a low waterfall, so I tossed Lady out of her Poké Ball to guide me across and down to the lower floor. My next obstacle was a rigid ledge that was far too unstable for me to climb up on my own, so I exchanged Lady for Blaze, who used her new Rock Climb move to guide us up the ledge. She repeated the procedure for when we had to climb down, but my Typhlosion stopped the moment she saw the small pond. “This is as far as I’m going,” Blaze firmly decided. “Get Lady to take care of this one.” “Great idea,” I agreed, switching Blaze out for Lady again.Lady took me down the second waterfall and closer to the exit. Returning her to her Ball, I left the first cave. Outside, I climbed up the ledges using the stairs, traversed the tall green grass, and entered another cave. Walking ahead, I found one more, much taller flight of stone steps that lead to the second floor of the mountain. Given all the climbing and hiking I’d just done, this trip was already starting to wear me out. How did Red manage to make getting to him as hard as beating him? The joke was on him, though; I didn’t plan on laying down and dying before I really got started. One short break to catch my breath, have some water, and rest my feet, and away I went further up the mountain. “Why did Red have to prove his point on the highest mountain possible?” I panted. “It’s a wonder he even made it to the top instead of dying on the way there…” “Kinda makes me wish he did die on the way there instead,” Blaze wheezed. “It’d save us the trip up.” “Hey, don’t go that far. It’s still scary just to think about what happened to him here, evil or not.”Floor 2 required me leaving the cavern and entering again due to all of the unbreakable rocks standing in my path. Eventually, I found my way to the higher part of the floor and left the second cave through the biggest exit. This time around, the outside had turned snowy and even colder than it was before. Never had I ever been thankful for a quick trip back home and a highly protective mother that bundled me up like one step outside would have the same effect as Sheer Cold. An obvious exaggeration, of course, but it sure felt just as brutal getting hit in the face with repeated, endless snow flurries going at bullet speed. “I’m almost to that peak!” I told myself, looking up at the dark clouds circling the mountaintop. Along with the snowstorm raging on, an abnormal pair of thunder and lightning went with it. I gulped. “Maybe I should have invested in some hiking gear, too?”Oh, well, there was no turning back to get some now. Not when I’d already proven it possible to go on without any. The atmosphere was just as chilly inside the next cave as it was out. I knew I was close to the peak when I felt the temperature drop even further the more I went inside. But, the one thing standing between Red and myself was a steep ledge covered in ice. I called Blaze from her Poké Ball, and she was able to take me up the ledge using Rock Climb while melting the cold with her natural intense heat. At the top, we could both see the straight path leading up to the snowy peak. “This is it,” Blaze said to me. “Yep,” I nodded. “Get ready, Red. It all ends here!” I clenched my fist, continuing with heavier steps through the thick white snow.Blaze followed me up the path, staying close so I could have a proper heat source other than my cloak. Further and further we walked, only for me to trip over a rock buried in the frost. I looked back and saw that it actually wasn’t a rock, but Blaze’s body heat melted the snow away, I wished that it was. What I thought was a rock was actually a human skull connected to its skeleton, which was surrounded by the bones and fragments of different Pokémon. Beside it, a very old, very scratched Trainer ID stuck out halfway, and I picked it up after chipping away at the frozen edges trapping it in its place. The photograph was faded, but I could make out hints of two brown eyes, tanned skin, and black hair, all belonging to an adult man whose remaining birthdate was the same year as Mom’s. Speaking of her, I found another item buried in the icy dirt. “It’s… Mom! And me?!” I gasped. The longer I stared at the fading wet photograph, the less I could deny that: behind me as a toddler busy riding my old Caterpie-shaped tricycle without a care in the world was a younger version of Kristen Levare, sitting on the living room sofa and smiling at the camera. “Why is there a picture of us here? I’ve never been here before, and Mom wouldn’t be caught dead.” “Forget about the Trainer ID from beyond the grave and nostalgia,” Blaze scolded. “We’re gonna join him if we don’t keep moving. Red’s literally in eyesight!” “I know he is. I’m not giving up, but you can’t help me being a little spooked seeing an old picture of myself up here near some stranger’s card. Do you think he knew us? A family friend, maybe?” “Two words, Ritsu: who cares? That mountaintop ain’t gonna reach itself. Now, are you coming, or what, Champion?” I sighed, nonetheless putting the discarded Trainer ID in my bag so I could look at it after the battle. One look up at the gray among the snowstorm set the situation’s full weight in. “...Let’s go.”We marched further up the snowy path until we finally reached the frigid peak of Mt. Silver. The only thing either of us could hear was the storm whispering past our ears, snow flicking me in the shoulders for being in its way doing nothing. I looked around for Red’s ghost, and no one was around, nor about to make an appearance. He definitely couldn’t have just up and forgotten our rendezvous, so all I had to do was wait patiently. What rewarded my virtue in barely minutes was the familiar dark mist coming down from the clouds circling the mountain, manifesting into Red. As soon as his form was full, those same scarlet eyes and malicious, pointed smile looked right at me and my stern face. “You made it,” he chuckled in his young, yet distorted voice. “You still had another month or so to go, but the early Pidgey catches the Wurmple, I guess.” “There’s still time to reconsider settling things this way,” I suggested. “If I have to, I’ll happily fight you, but I’m going to give you one last chance and back out.” “Keep it. The only thing I want to see is me winning, and you and your mole freezing to death at my feet.” “And where has that gotten you? Where has it gotten everyone else you used to love?! Half the regions are traumatized, your best friend misses you like crazy, and— and your mother… your poor mother has to deal with losing you while raising the brother and sister you’ll never get to meet! Why is that? Because of this. All of this, Red.” Red cocked an eyebrow. “You mean getting my wish and turning into the strongest Trainer in Kanto and Johto, if not the whole world? And for what kind of price? My idiot so-called friends? My body? My mom? None of those were going to last forever, and I happily realized that.” “How could you say that…? They were all—!” “—Coming between me and the kind of Trainer I should have been first. Big whoop, all the unimportant stuff is far behind me, and that’s where it’s staying. This is my life…” Red’s lips turned into a crescent-shaped smile, “and the end of yours. If it’s parents missing their kids is what you’re so worried about, then you’ll be re-introduced to yours in no time!” “Unlike you, I just saw my mom, and I’ve never been happier to say that truthfully knowing she’s doing well.” “What about your dad? I’m sure you saw him on the way up here.” “My— dad? My dad?! He climbed this mountain, too?” “Correct. Who did you think that skeleton you tripped over on the way here belonged to? Ol’ Pietro Levare, wanting a redo and went for it… with a price! Amazing as a job he did against the Gym Leaders, now he can rest easy from all that hard work courtesy of me and my team.”The world felt as though it’d stopped then and there, and I could find nothing to say outwardly. After all, what could I say? Sure, I didn’t know my father nor anything about him… but Red was to blame for that. He didn’t leave Mom or me behind because he got sick of being with us; I was willing to bet that if it weren’t for the unluckiest encounter possible, or the ghost boy who ended up taking his life away from him, he would have come back. Mom wouldn’t have suffered a broken heart and tried to keep me locked away from the rest of the world for what was my own good in her eyes, because I’d know the love of both parents raising me. But… I didn’t. None of that happened.And there was nobody to blame for it except him.That did it. Red was going to pay. “Blaze, you’re up first,” I tearfully growled, letting her step up to the plate first. “Oh, so your starter would like to die first?” Red hummed. “Fine by me. I think I’m going to fight Fire-type with Fire-type! Charizard, go!”Rather than tossing a Poké Ball, Red raised his hand, and a swirl of dark mist took the form of a ghostly Charizard, eyes red and malicious like its Trainer. The first move he commanded it to do was Dragon Pulse, and what spouted from the Pokémon’s mouth was a beam of bright vermillion energy that looked to be about ten times stronger than anything Lance’s Gyarados could throw at me. The blast struck Blaze with a critical hit leftover, and already she was hardly able to stand from such an impact. I immediately sprayed her with a Full Restore, and she was able to get back onto her feet. “Blaze, use Rock Climb!” I cried out. Blaze’s claws glowed brightly and she was able to attack Charizard by digging her claws deeply into its chest. This left plenty of damage on Charizard, if its growing fatigue was anything worth going by. “Maybe you’re not as weak as I thought…” Red pondered. “Charizard, use Air Slash!” “Blaze, look out!”Just as she was about to avoid the attack, Blaze screamed when she was hit by Charizard running by her and cutting her with its sharpened glowing wings in the chest two times. Placing a paw to the area, Blaze inhaled sharply and lifted it when blood colored her palm from the X-shaped gash in her chest. Even after I sprayed every and any cut with a Hyper Potion, that one particular injury didn’t go away or come close to. It stopped bleeding, thankfully, but that was all it could accomplish. “That’s gonna leave a mark,” she panted, getting up angrier. “Is that all ya got, chump?! Do your worst!” “Use Strength!” I commanded.Charizard was about to attack Blaze once again, but she grabbed her opponent and suplexed him to the ground with all of her might. When Red told Charizard to give Dragon Pulse another go, Blaze learned from the last time and anticipated it far better. While it still hit her and did plenty of damage, she gripped the rocky ground and used it to pull herself closer to Charizard with claws sharpened by Rock Climb. With a single pounce and pummel, she defeated it, but rather than fall over and faint normally, it became purely black mist and drifted up to the heavens without any assumed chance of returning. “Charizard! Come back! I can’t lose you, too!” Red exclaimed, reaching for the clouds his Pokémon’s spirit disappeared into with no avail. His fists balled, glaring at me. “You’re going to regret that… Blastoise, go!” Pointing forward, the ghost of his Blastoise took to the stage like its teammate had and appeared in an equally ominous dark form with red eyes. “You did great, Blaze. Take the longest rest you can,” I said as I recalled her for my next Pokémon with a relieved smile. “Erin, it’s your turn now!” “That’s Red’s Blastoise? It’s all… ghosty,” Erin observed. “So, is it a Ghost-type, or a Water-type?” “I’m pretty sure it’s still Water, don’t let that fool you.” “Blastoise, attack it with Focus Blast,” Red ordered. “Erin, dodge and use Giga Drain!”Blastoise’s charged up Focus Blast was nimbly dodged by Erin leaping out of the way. She then concentrated and sapped Blastoise of nearly half its energy, which flew out of its ghostly form in glowing green orbs that couldn’t make her healthier than she already was right now. Red ordered Blastoise to “destroy” my Gloom with Blizzard, and out of its shell cannons was a blast of freezing cold and snow, which damaged and completely froze Erin solid. I quickly sprayed her with a Full Restore; the fast effects thawing her out and healing the frostbitten wounds. “Erin, use Petal Dance!” I instructed.Erin conjured up pink flower petals from her red head-flower and began spinning and moving in a graceful fashion. My Gloom send a flurry of petals towards Blastoise, who had no room for an attack and had no choice but to keep taking damage. Eventually, the phantom Pokémon faded from existence like its predecessor.“Ugh… that move always makes me so dizzy,” Erin groaned, losing her balance and falling down. “Am I done now? I’m not feeling too good…”“Yes. Great job, my friend,” I praised her, and back in her Poké Ball she went.“Lapras, it’s your turn,” Red stated as the deceased Lapras took its own phantom form.“Merida, come out.” Throwing the next Poké Ball, out came my Ampharos, who braced herself.Lapras was the first to attack, its move of choice being the same Blizzard I assumed it’d used to help Red make his grand re-appearance at the post-coronation feast. It inhaled part of the snowstorm going on around us, which gave its already frigid, wintry breath more of a boost that almost knocked me over when it hit my Ampharos. Merida stood her ground the entire time, enduring the freezing cold as best as she could despite shivering. Raising her fist, she charged up a nice Thunder Punch and jumped forward to slug Lapras in the face, which left a critical hit behind and made it considerably weaker. “Good! Now finish the job with—” I was about to say. Red healed up Lapras’ injuries by absorbing the damage from it. It was disturbing, but kept my focus. “...Okay, so much for that. Merida, Thunder!”Merida’s forehead orb crackled with electricity, reacting with the nimbus clouds already hanging above us all. From them came a burst of lightning that struck the red gem and charged it up until it’d hit its peak, Merida spreading her arms wide to fire a burst of lightning at Lapras. The bright electrical fury of what had to be thousands of burning volts fried Lapras until its dark remnants faded away with the winds of the storm. Red stepped forward to reach out and grab his Pokémon as if saving it were possible, but stopped when it disappeared completely and made him even angrier. “Let’s go, Venusaur!” Red called as Venusaur took the stage in its haunting appearance. “Lady, you’re up now,” I said as I released Lady from her Poké Ball once Merida was back in hers. “Venusaur, use Sludge Bomb,” Red said to his Pokémon. “Lady, block with Surf!”Venusaur’s ghostly and toxic Sludge Bomb was dissolved in the tidal wave summoned from Lady’s magic horn. When the wave crashed down upon the phantom Grass-type, it took only a moderate amount of damage. Its next move, though thankfully non-damaging, was Sleep Powder, courtesy of Red’s orders. From the large flower on its back, Venusaur produced a green and purple powder that rained down upon and tainted Lady’s breathing bubble. When it did, my Seaking’s eyelids lost a battle to stay open as she got lulled into a deep sleep thanks to the powder’s intoxicatingly soporific effects having polluted her personal water and spread right to her gills in just seconds. “Lady, wake up!” I exclaimed, spraying the water bubble with a Full Heal. “If you sleep now, you’ll be sleeping forever!”The minute she came to, Lady evaded another Sludge Bomb attempt on her from Venusaur. Just then, Venusaur used its mighty Frenzy Plant move, trapping Lady and her bubble. “I… I cannot move!” she gasped. “Now, it’s time to finish you…” Red cackled. “Venusaur, Giga Drain!” “Lady, use the new move I taught you before we fought Blaine!” I cried. “Ice Beam!”Before Venusaur could absorb the rest of Lady’s life energy, she put its reign to a literally freezing halt when a magical beam of ice launched itself from her horn. Lady refused to stop firing until the frost finished spreading all the way to Venusaur’s enormous feet from the tip of its head flower. Red demanded it use Sleep Powder again, but it couldn’t move a muscle and cause anymore trouble. When I told Lady to use Surf as the finisher, her horn glowed brightly and created a deadly tidal wave, which slammed itself down on the frozen Venusaur and shattered it into pieces. Those little fragments became shadowy mist and faded from existence, ascending to the same clouds as everyone else that’d lost to me. “Lady, return,” I said as Lady’s Poké Ball took her in in a red beam. “Have we had enough, young man?” “I’m just getting started,” Red snarled, beginning to summon the corrupted spirit of his next Pokémon. “Maybe there is a reason you were able to beat Lance. But, I’m still stronger than you and anyone else in this damn world!” “That’s all you’ve come to care about anymore, isn’t it?” “What else do I have left? What else has there been for me after everything the League did to a kid like me?! Too many of my Pokémon— dead. Killed! Gone too soon when none of them deserved it! All because I wasn’t strong enough to make them a cut above the rest.” Tears ran down Red’s face, poisoned with his hatred. “But, not anymore. Now, my Snorlax is gonna be the one that puts an end to your reign and makes everyone who did this to me pay the price! Go!”A ghostly Snorlax took form in front of me and Red. I chose Louie to fight it, and my Noctowl was flying strong. “Snorlax, use Giga Impact!” Red called.Snorlax turned over and began rolling down the hill towards Louie. Thanks to its incredibly heavy weight, it took little time picking up speed and becoming as dangerous as an oncoming boulder ready to run over an unlucky hiker. Louie scrambled to fly away, but even in getting himself off the ground, still couldn’t reach a high enough height to not get plowed by the Snorlax that glowed red with power. Louie struck me when he’d gone flying, and we both would have tumbled right down Mt. Silver if I hadn’t grabbed onto the nearest rock and pulled myself back up without letting go of him. “For an apparition… that Snorlax of his still packs the biggest of punches,” Louie panted, seeing it having fallen asleep. “Humph! Sleeping on the job? A fool’s hubris, really.” “It’s actually because Giga Impact takes a lot out of whoever uses it, but I’m in no way letting this go to waste,” I wheezed, cracking my back to get rid of its soreness. “Louie, use Roost! Then, attack with Psychic!”Louie surrounded himself with pristine magical feathers that he absorbed into his body like a sponge, restoring a fair portion of the health he’d lost getting run over. I heard Red tell Snorlax to attack with Blizzard when it’d woken up from its cat nap, but Louie caught the attack using the psychic energy he’d channeled from deep inside his body. Never before had I seen an actual portion of a snow storm stay still, but there was a first for everything. Louie turned the Blizzard against Snorlax and deflected it, KO’ing it in seconds using the combined power of the two moves. “None too keen on getting the cold shoulder, are you, old chap?” Louie taunted, pecking at the snow in his feathers to clean them. “S-Snorlax…” Red rasped, tearfully watching Snorlax fade away forever with pained eyes that became hateful looking at me. “You think you’re so strong, don’t you? Stronger than me, even?” he snarled. “Well, newsflash, kid: you’re not! You may have beaten most of my Pokémon, but compared to me, you’re nothing! Do you hear me?! NOTHING!” “Red. It’s over,” I said, staying firm. “You need to let go. Of your pain, of your mistakes, of the past… and of everything. The only person who’s been holding you back this whole time has been yourself, and until you come out and admit that, you’re gonna be stuck being as unhappy as the rest of us have been all these years.” “NO!” Just like before, Red’s fury shook the mountain saying that word. “I’m not letting go! I’ll— I’ll never let any of this go! Snorlax may have failed, but… but he won’t. Yeah, yeah… my partner-in-crime will shut you up real good. Pikachu… I choose you!”I nearly fell over when the mountain shook the hardest I remembered feeling of it. The dark clouds grew and left no trace of light left in an already bleak sky, roaring and crackling with electricity until the ground was struck by a bolt so powerful, even Merida couldn’t think of recreating it. Moving my arm from my eyes, the smoke it left started clearing with a new creature’s silhouette taking an actual shape. From it was born a new Pokémon, the only small one Red had on him. As expected, it was a ghostly little Pikachu, its eyes as menacing and scarlet as the Trainer that had its loyalty even in death. “Louie, return,” I said, pointing the Ball at my Noctowl and recalling him. “But, who do I use…?” Before I could make a decision, Rose came out of her Poké Ball on her own will. I gasped, knowing that she’d be dead in seconds if she ever tried to face an Electric-type, especially one as strong as Pikachu. “No. Absolutely not.” “Ritsu, please. Let me fight,” Rose pleaded, her usual chipper attitude absent and replaced with a soft earnestness. “You’re half-Flying, and you think I’m stupid enough to let you fight an Electric-type? Red’s Electric-type?! That thing will kill you in seconds!” “I’m the only one who hasn’t gotten to fight this battle yet. My training with you won’t be for naught, I promise! If you thought I was strong against Lance, then our recent training amps me up at least ten times!” “Do you think that’s going to be enough?” “Training as hard as we did was all we could do. If it weren’t enough, would anybody be calling you the Champion?” She strived a good point. We did work pretty hard to get here. “...Will you be alright?” “You’re asking the same girl who almost ripped apart a whole forest fresh out of her Egg?” “Okay… we’ll try it.” I pointed a finger at Rose before sending her out. “But! The minute I see you’ve bitten off way more than you could actually chew, you’re going straight back in the Ball until we leave, complaint-free. Understood, young lady?” “Sold.” “Rose, use Shadow Ball!” “Pikachu, defend with Iron Tail,” Red commanded.Rose’s Shadow Ball was fired from her hands once charged to a size that exceeded her own height, but was instantly deflected with the force of Pikachu’s Iron Tail. Maybe Red’s team was more affected by being ghosts than I expected. Before we knew it, Pikachu had charged at Rose with full force and struck her to the ground with an amped up Volt Tackle. It cracked the mountainside and ran over the crater she was left in, still alive, but definitely being seduced by the calls of death from how much she was trembling. “Rose!” I gasped, running and spraying her using a Full Restore. “I’m alright now,” she panted, her wings able to pick her back up to the air. “Should I give Shadow Ball another go, or my secret weapon?” “Shadow Ball first, secret weapon when we know we can take the chance.” “Deflect with Volt Tackle,” Red said to his partner.Once again, Rose’s Shadow Ball proved futile as Pikachu ran right through it unscathed with Volt Tackle, which also hit Rose when it rammed into her again. I sprayed her with yet another Full Restore before she could take anymore damage. My word, Bruno was not exaggerating about how much of a tartar Red raised his Pikachu to be. If it could do this to Rose, imagining what he’d done to a person made me shiver worse than I did against the cold around me. “Pikachu, Thunderbolt!” Red shouted.From the dark clouds above were bright flashes. Those flashes eventually turned into a strike of burning lightning that struck Rose as she let out a scream. Although the blast wasn’t as powerful as a Thunder attack from Merida, it was still incredibly titanical in power, which said a lot about Red’s Pikachu. When the lightning stopped, Rose fell into the snow face-first, feathers burnt and a darker gray instead of their healthier white with red and blue triangles. “Oh no!” I gasped, rushing to Rose’s side. “Rose, are you alright?”She didn’t move for a few seconds, but I could see that she was thankfully still breathing. I pulled out the last Full Restore from my bag and sprayed her with it again. This was not good, it was not good at all! I knew that if she endured another attack like this, Rose would be doomed. “Rose, be careful,” I told her when she fluttered into the air again. “If you get hurt again, then it’s all over for us.” “Got it,” Rose confirmed. “Pikachu, use Thunderbolt again,” Red told it, grinning evilly.Once again, the burst of lightning from the clouds fired down upon Rose. But this time, she managed to avoid contact by warping it with Extrasensory. With the electricity at her command now, she fired it at Pikachu, who took double the damage from both attacks. Add insult to injury for Red, the move managed to paralyze Pikachu. “No!” he roared, “That can’t be! The odds of an Electric-type being paralyzed are so low!” “Low, but not impossible,” I teased. “I’m surprised the ‘strongest Trainer of them all’ didn’t know that.” “Shut up. Shut up! Pikachu might be down, but he’s not out!” “He might be. Rose… do it. Use Metronome!”Rose’s hands began flicking back and forth until they glowed bright blue. The randomized move she conjured was one I had only seen twice in my lifetime: Aeroblast. From her mouth spouted a low howl and a titanic gust of wind, enough to blow Rose back several feet until she’d managed to hold herself in place whilst attacking Pikachu. Red was also shielding himself with his arms, eyes going wide as his final and closest companion took the full damage. When it was over, Pikachu could stand no longer, giving a weak little groan before falling onto its side and starting to fade from existence, a sign of its ultimate defeat nearing. “Pikachu!” Red cried, running over and holding his disappearing partner. “No, not you, too! I can’t— d-don’t make me lose you, too…! Not my best friend!” Saying nothing, Pikachu gave Red a weak smile and shut its eyes, the last thing it felt was the cradle of its Trainer’s arms that it finally left, ascending as dark mist until it disappeared into the heavens. “P… Pikachu? Pikachu…?!” “...We did it. We— we DID IT! WE DID IT!” Rose and I cheered as we hugged each other to rejoice, jumping up and down despite how tired both of us were. “We’ve won!”Our celebrating was interrupted by a powerful rumbling and a booming snarl accompanied by huffing and puffing. We looked and saw that Red was on his knees, holding his head as he let out a scream of pain and anger loud enough to reverberate throughout the area. I screamed, too, holding Rose close so I could protect her from whatever outburst Red was about to have. Suddenly, the rumbling stopped, and I saw that Red had stood up. Instead of his expected glare or scowl, his head hung with a frown— neither bitter nor hateful, but… crushed. We stared at him, wary until we heard sniffling and hiccups with sobs coming out of Red before he fell to his knees crying above his palms. “I lost… how could I have lost to you? T-To anyone…?!” Red wept. “I’m supposed to be unbeatable. But, now… it’s gone. All of it’s gone…” “You’re fresh out of options, you big bully! No more dirty tricks, so leave us all—!” Rose started to snap until I looked at her and shook my head to quiet her. Letting her go, she remained flying in place while I approached Red like one would a frightened Stantler. “Ritsu! What are you—?!” “—Hush,” I ordered, turning my back on her to continue what I was doing. I lowered my voice, offering a hand to Red as he cried in a ball. “Red—” “—DON’T TOUCH ME!” Red roared, Mt. Silver’s resulting tremor throwing off my balance until I stood straight again. “This is all your fault! You took everything away from me! Just like them! That’s all the Indigo League knows how to do! Now…!” Red broke down again, sobbing. “Now, I don’t have anything anymore! Even in death, I couldn’t protect any of my Pokémon from you! They’re gone! They’re all gone…”Red couldn’t speak past that, turning away from me still hugging his knees with a hunched back. My heart broke having to watch this. One little boy that’d done so much wrong, done so much hurt and harm thanks to all his pent-up rage against the world for what it’d done to him first. And now that I’d gotten what I and everyone wanted and stopped his rampage… what else was left except a sad little boy with nothing and no one left to bring him up? I tried again in getting near him, the snow crinkling softly under each step of my boots until I was finally right next to him. Red sniffled, glaring at me and ready to tell me off again until I sat down. Even if it weren’t for the snowsuit protecting me from melting snow, I didn’t care. “What? You’re not done rubbing it in? You came all this way up the mountain to make me pay, so—” Red accused until I unzipped my coat and did something that made him stop: I hugged him, closing the inner fleece around us both. I was surprised I could touch him, given I was hugging a ghost. “It’s okay,” I whispered with closed eyes, chin atop his hat without letting go. Red struggled, wanting to get away until he gave up, realizing I wasn’t moving a muscle. “It’s okay, Red.” “N-No… no, it’s not okay.” Red hiccupped, sobs going through him as more tears left him. “Nothing I’ve been through is okay!” I shook his head, but only to agree with him. “I didn’t mean that. Nobody deserved to get hurt. Not you, not me, not your family or your friends.” “Then, what’s okay? After all that’s happened, wh-what’s okay?” “Everything else from this point. I didn’t just come here to help Kanto or Johto; I came here hoping to help you find the peace you didn’t get three years ago.” “B-But… I don’t have anything left. The whole world hates me, the friends I had left just passed on, a-and I don’t even have a body anymore! I can’t go anywhere from here… there’s no way out for me.” “There may not be anything left in your old life, but that’s done. If you can find it in you to move on from all of it and go somewhere else that’s waiting to see you, it won’t be so bad. You’ll even get to see your team again; all of them!” “Do I even deserve to? It’s my fault we all wound up like this. I put my older friends in battles they didn’t survive, and just as bad, I made the choice to drag six others up here until we didn’t have anymore food or water. Wherever all of them are… they’re better off without me. Just like Kanto and Johto’s decided.” “Nobody’s really at fault for the first one. Doing something as big as starting your career as a Pokémon Trainer, especially one taking the League Challenge— you never have as much control over what could happen as you think, no matter what you do or how you get yourself ready for it. Some things are preventable, but the rest? Just unfortunate. And a lot of regrets will come out of that, sure, but… nobody willingly causes their own bad luck. We just have to take some time to get past all the bad stuff, and appreciate the good.” “There was nothing I could have done, huh?” “Nothing except your best. That’s all anybody can do, and I’d say you did just that.” “Where do I go from here, if I’ve done my best?” I smiled delicately, looking down at Red. “Forward. Everybody’s waiting, Red.” “Go forward…”We stayed like that for a little longer until I started to feel Red less and less as the seconds passed. Looking down, his darkness blew off of him slowly, revealing a more normal version of himself that smiled with his eyes closed against my embrace. I heard a quiet little “So warm…” come out of him, then after, Red had faded away to finally move onto the afterlife free of burden. I was smiling, too, both at the biggest victory I’d earned and the fact that I helped a tortured spirit find peace. Zipping my coat back up, I felt myself about to collapse from the exhaustion of this long, long mission. Rose flew to me and pressed one of the other Poké Balls, catching me from behind before I could hit the snow. The next thing I knew, I was being flown down the mountain by Louie with Rose flying next to us. “...Mission accomplished, guys,” I breathed. “Kanto and Johto… are finally safe.” “Indeed, they are,” Louie agreed. “Hopefully now, everyone can get a well-deserved resting.” “Yep,” Rose yawned as we reached the night-fallen and sleeping Viridian City. “I’m bushed.” “Let’s check in to the Pokémon Center for now,” I said, getting off of Louie. “Tomorrow, we’ll tell everyone the good news.”, The very next day in Viridian City, me and everyone on my team were standing firmly on a wooden stage before the entire population of the city in the Main Square of Viridian, located at its heart. I’d returned to my normal clothes, no longer bothered by snow and ice falling all around me with threats of a wintry death. Next to me was of course my Champion predecessor, Lance, who was standing behind a podium with a microphone at a fair distance from his mouth. “Ladies and gentlemen.” Lance started. “Nearly thirteen hours ago from this very moment, our brave Champion rid this and our neighbor region of the corrupted spirit of Red, who now rests in peace in a better world with his companions. And, it is this moment that I take to recognize the heroism of not only Champion Ritsu, but also the bravery of her teammates and friends beside her.Lance took seven gold medals of honor from the podium and began walking next to each and every one of my teammates, placing them on each of them. “Blaze, the Brave,” Lance began, placing the honorary medal around her neck as the gold dangled in front of Blaze’s new X-shaped chest scar and continuing to the others. “Rose, the Rash. Merida, the Bashful. Aloysius—” “—Just ‘Louie’ is fine, sir,” Louie insisted before Lance put the medal around his neck. “Very well then. Louie, the Adamant,” Lance continued as the remaining medals went to my final two Pokémon. “Erin, the Quirky, and Lady, the Hasty.” He then turned to me proudly as he placed my medal around my neck. “All six of these amazing, loyal Pokémon trained under the love, the kindness, and hard work of the one and only; our hero, Champion Ritsu Levare!”Camera shutters and applause roared out through the crowd. My team and I smiled and waved to everyone with triumph. Amongst the rejoicing, I stared up at the sky, looking at the puffy white clouds sailing across the bright blue of the sunny day as I thought about how far I had come at this point. Looking back at the crowd, we all stopped waving as a bright smile crossed my face, my thoughts now about the prosperity and future of both Kanto and Johto with me as the new Champion, and my closest companions by my side for all time.
PMD Unchained, Genesis Tears
PMD Unchained: Genesis Tears Chapter 20Chapter 20: A Burning Desire to ProtectWith a flinch, Charlos took another step back in fear. "A B-Berserk Hunter?! One of our own is a Hunter??" Retreating one more step, his insane confidence returned just as quickly as it had vanished. "There's no possible way - Category 3's are nothing more than a myth, a fairy tale, nothing more!"Another Dragon Rage hit me, square in the chest this time. However, with Dez numbing any and all pain and my unnatural resistance to being knocked out mid-fight, I took it like a champ. Opting to take his surprise at my unfaltering stance into an opportunity fro myself, I slammed a Force Palm of my own into his chest, throwing Charlos back farther than most other Pokemon that would've used it themselves. As he struggled to stand back up again, I noticed a few lances of static electricity dart around his frame, making it obvious that he had gotten paralyzed by my strike.Taking my chance, I pick Ellie up and effortlessly dash her behind a nearby building. Setting her down out of view, I feel Dez sneer inside my head. "Yeah, move her here; not like she'd be in any less danger than she already was.""This action was yours as well, Dez," I say aloud. "Besides, I think she'll be out of the way and safe for the moment at least." After I glanced around to make sure there weren't any more surprise Berserks hiding around me, then left her side in order to fight Charlos. But what I didn't notice was what was flying up above, trying hard to hide from veiw in the clouds, waiting for a chance to strike. I only found out my mistake a bit later; but refocusing on my current fight..."Alright Charlos," I called at him, "Now that Ellie's out of harm's way, we can finally go to town taking care of you." Stopping a good five feet away from him, I smiled. Jokingly I added, "Would you prefer the steak or the pork to start?"Paralysis wore off right then and there, causing him to chuckle to himself. "I think I'll take the rare dog," he said, crouching for an obvious lunge. "And make it really rare. I like mine bloody and screaming!"Charging at me a little faster than I had anticipated, I narrowly avoided a claw that would've sundered me in two or otherwise been an unpleasant way to die. I retaliated with a knee to his face, sending him flying away from me and into a nearby building. Dashing out of the resulting debris, Charlos' teeth glowed a burning orange, causing a flaming replica of those same fangs to flare to life. Fire Fang, I thought to myself mere moments before I narrowly avoided contact once more, the mere memory of what those fangs did to my arm still fresh in my mind.The next minute or two were of the same fighting: him attempting to end me in two seconds flat, and me retaliating with a move-less attack. Before long, we both became exhausted - me from the damage that my body had previously sustained, and him with his injuries from getting slammed by retaliation after retaliation from me. Both of us were breathing heavy at this point, and I'm certain that as much as he wanted to stop, Charlos wouldn't be allowed to until the virus had done what it was forcing him to."Alright, this is getting boring," said Dez, co-pilot in training and current backseat driver. "I think I might have a way to end the fight and give Ellie's niisan to repent to her for causing you both this pain.""Huh?" I said aloud once more, breathing normalized from the idea that Dez began to share within seconds of me questioning him. I filled back up with determination at the thought of his plan working, as though it had been mine from the start. "Alright then, Dez; I just hope for our sake this works.""What are you muttering to yourself over there, brat?" Charlos snarled, furious at my ignorance towards him. "Whatever, I'll just tear you to pieces now! Take this!" Half-staggering in his last-ditch effort to eliminate me, he charged in mindlessly and aimed for my throat. (Pun intended, he wanted to take my breath away.)Grabbing the claw that he had aimed at my neck with, I jabbed my other paw into his stomach. Dez then used the contact to force the virus that infected him to be sucked into my body by Dez himself, who, as the plan would work, acted as a nutralizing factor and absorbed the virus. As he later explained, he was created to absorb all opposing forces against their will into himself. 'Think of it as a air or water filter that only allows pure air or water throguht them, takin away any impure properties in the air of water,' I think he put it.Watching the insanity slowly and painfully drip out of Charlos' face and eyes was awful for me. But if it gives him one more chance to be nice to Ellie, I'll take that risk of losing myself, I thought to myself in that moment. After all, no filter keeps everything out.Within moments, the virus was removed from him completely. "There," Dez thought at me. "That should take care of that - however, he only has three minutes because of the internal damage we cuased him while he was under it's influence.""Good," I grunted, staggering from the Berserk power vansihing from me and Charlos' weight falling on me solely. "Thanks, Dez."Upon hearing the Charmeleon in my grasp gasp in pain, I turn my full attention to him. "Hey, you alright there, tough guy? You've put yourself and others through a lot of trouble, ya know?""Wha? Who?" he said, finding it a little hard to see my face. "Aren't you -?"I nod, counting down the seconds he had left. "You're free from it's control, my dude. But the damage is done, Ya know? You only have about two and a half minutes left if we can't get you some aid."A gargled laugh croaks from him as I hear stumbling paws head our way, followed by more firmly taken and heavy footsteps. I set him against a nearby rock as Ellie flops to her knees next to me and Charlos. "Brother!" she cried out, embracing his head gently. "Heh," he huffed placing a trembling claw on he back. "Not for much longer, I'm afraid." I turn my head towards the newcomers, who had been moving the townsfolk to a safer location: Ri, Grovyle, Bibarel and Azalea, the latter flying thanks to her Sky Forme. "Where's Lira?" I asked, to which Ri shock his head and mouthed 'I'll explain later' and turned towards Charlos, who was trying to quietly explain to a sobbing Ellie that he's dying."No! I can't leave you again - not after... after..." Through her sobs, Ellie tried to wish him better, ask him to hang in there; but there was nothing anyone was able to do. He only has thirty seconds left, I thought to myself sadly."Hey, you. Riolu," he says, catching my attention from counting his time left. I look up, catching his eyes. The life was fading from them, and strained my ears in order to hear his last words, barely noticeable and hardly heard:"Keep Ellie alive, you hear me? Protect her.. until... your last... breath..."Nothing but silence remained for several moments. The flame on his tail had long since gone out before Ellie clutched him tighter, distraught and sobbing even louder than before. It took both me and Ri to gently pull her away from Charlos' already cooling body, with Azalea trying to verbally sooth her all the while. In the end, I was the one that she tightly clutched to herself while everyone else tried to calm her down. While everyone was doing that, I simply questioned the disappearance of Lira in order to distract myself from my current situation. Once everyone was finally able to soothe her enough, Eliie loosened her grip on me, allowing me to breath properly. We moved as far away from the fighting as possible, with Grovyle and Bibarel soon after rushing to join the fray once we were safe.As we sat inside Team Crusade's base once more, I turned towards Ri. "Where even IS Lira, dude?" I asked nonchalantly. "Shouldn't you guys be out there fighting hard and side-by-side to protect Treasure Town?"Glancing back towards the rooms down the hall, Ri sighed. "I wish she was here right now, but at the moment she's not." Turning his head to stare at me, I noticed through his aura that I must've had something to do with it. "I guess that I can at least tell you the events of last night."We took both you and Ellie back here from the guild last night; if I recall, you fell asleep in the middle of your last bite of food, Grendar, while Ellie fell asleep on the way here. "After Grovyle helped get you guys in bed, {reminder to viewers: beds in most old-school guilds were piles of hay with blankets} Lira commented on how cute you two seemed to be when you weren't half dead with exhaustion or endangered by your own problems. She patted your head {this remark was with a glance from Grovyle} and left the room, saying to me how someday it might be nice to have kids of our own."Then a Dimensional Scream hit her, making her collapse. She ended up out of it for about two minutes, before snapping to attention with a jarring start." Looking between Grovyle and Dusknoir (who had just re-emerged from his room to know the cause of the commotion), both of whom simply shrugged at Ri, Ri himself sighed in dismay. "She wouldn't tell any of us what she had seen, simply saying that it was a bunch of nonsense."Raising her uninjured arm, Ellie politely waved her left paw in the air. "Question! I have a question!" with a nod from Ri and a muttering of something about preschool from Grovyle, Ellie continues speaking. "I don't really know what this Dimensional Scream is about. What exactly is it?""I believe that I could better explain this," Dusknoir said, with a glance at Ri, "than you could. You hardly know too much about it yourself, whereas I have studied it since I learned of its existence." With a grunt from a clearly displeased Grovyle and a sad look from Ri, Dusknoir began to explain: "You see, the Dimensional Scream is an extremely rare ability - one that allows its user, and only its user, to see into the past or future. Lira is currently the only known," {pausing with a glance towards Grovyle, who simply gave a mostly unnoticed stare of silencing daggers} "er, mon, that has obtained the ability to do so -"I, having noticed this exchange between the pair, had decided to speak up. "There's no reason to hide it, you guys - I've already heard that Lira was a human like me. Heard it from multiple sources, too." Glancing between the three pairs of eyes now focused on me, I coughed uncomfortably. "Ri being one of those sources, by the way."With a huff coming from the Wood Gecko and Gripper Pokemon as they both glanced at Ri, Dusknoir shook his head. "Well then, it's out of the way and in the open regardless, then." Turning back towards Ellie and me, he nodded almost to himself before he resumed his explanation. "Another thing to note about the Dimensional Scream is that it requires for the user to be with someone that they can trust unconditionally. In other words, Lira is only able to safely use it when she's around either Grovyle or Ri." A slight wave of disappointment flashed over his face at this that, while brief, said it all - Lira mostly found herself uneasy around Dusknoir because of his past deeds, whatever those were.Finally free from Ellie's grasp, I started to pace in thought. So Lira's ability is this Dimensional Scream, which allows her to see into the past and future, huh? So what's so special with me then? I got my Berserk powers like anyone else who could've survived the process, so that can't count. And I don't think that the Keyblade that I received from that lady in white would count, either - "Wait, you got a what now?" asked Dez in my mind, causing me to yelp and stumble in surprise."Jesus Christ Almighty, Dez," I loudly grumbled. "Could ya NOT scare me when I'm thinking here?" This mini outburst, however, did not go unnoticed by the others, each of whom had different looks on their faces: Ellie's was one of concern, Ri's was of confusion, where Grovyle wore a mask of pretend indifference to hide his shock and worry (which was shown through his aura). Dusknoir, however, recalled this morning's events, and pleaded with his eye for me to not repeat the earlier events.Ignoring Dusknoir's fearful expression, Grovyle stared at me for the longest time before speaking. "Just how long has that thing been inside you?"Sighing to myself, I explained the events of the futile fight against Charlos up until the point that Dez joined back up with me. It was, however, that who would show up other than Dr Roberts and Trace, both fuming, while a Chinccino I hadn't seen before shyly walked down the entryway steps behind them.With a quick glance at me, Trace grumbled a quiet "Hope it was worth it" in my direction before plopping back first into a corner and slouchedly crossing all four of his paws in front of him. I'm guessing that something is going on between him and his dad, right? I pondered at Dez. And that you're the middleman for said issue? "Yup, sadly. They disagreed with whether or not I should stay with them as they fled, and Trace set me free in order to save you." A moment's pause followed, and I felt the question on Dez's metaphorical lips before he even asked. "Why are you asking me this, anyways? The answer itself must be very obvious to an Aura user like yourself."Maybe so, I thought back at him, but I think that it might be more than just that. Taking a sidelong glance at Dr Roberts, I quickly looked back ahead of me in thought. But it seems to me like there's something infecting him as well, though I don't think that it's another virus.A yellow paw was stretched into view, causing me to look at its source. "The virus, please," grumbled the scientist, a dark look covering his otherwise polite gaze.I returned his stare, taking in the dark aura he was giving off. We stayed like that for several moments, with me studying him intently while his patience slowly ran down. Finally, and before he could try and demand anything from me, I spoke a single word: "No."
Pokemon Ascension

Mature Content

Magic and Transvolution
Magic and Transvolution - Chapter 61,Chapter 61: The Truth of Wizlore.'Snow Forest' The frozen sign states, nearing the chilly road. Wild Pokémon roam around: Frolicing in the snow, eating the frozen grass, and sometimes doing a mix of both. Two Smoochums toss snowballs at each other, laughing along the way. Winter Deerlings prance around, dodging the incoming snowballs from the Smoochums. The Deerlings then collide into each other, giggling. Soon, a bright light appears in the middle of the road, scaring away the Nativus. The light dissipates: Eight individuals lie there—Ramon, Justin, Ada, X, Mesmeren, Henry, Simon, and Penelope. The Gardevoir coughs out purple blood, painting the flakes. She strokes the ground, uncaring about the freezing temperature. "Oh god!" Penelope haggles, gagging. Everyone looks at her. "I—" she borderline vomits before holding it in, covering her lips. "I did not expect it to hurt so much." Ada and Justin look at each other, concerns flaring. The teen raises her hand. "Um Penelope, right?" She looks around. "Where…did you take us?" Justin strokes his head. "Wait wait wait!" He scans around. "Where's our friends!? Wh…Where's MOM!?" X raises his paw. "Well I'm here, but like—" his head tilts. "Yeah: Where are the others?" Justin forms a fist. "Shit! We've been separated again, fam!" Simon looks down, wrapping around his legs. "Poor Roan. Our reunion was short-lived…" A jab to the puffy snow catches Simon's attention, eyeing the girl staring at the ground, fury painting her. "Team Conjure, I swear," Ada says, her claws summoning. "Those assholes!" Henry shoots Penelope a cold glare. "What the hell was that!?" The Gardevoir blinks. "What?" "You separated us from Zethor." The mid teen throws his hands up. "You know how he gets when I'm not around, Penelope!" Huffing, he shakes his head. "And to think you can use your Rune properly." "Shut it!" Penelope snaps, rubbing her forehead. "I teleported not 1, not 2, not even 3—10 is baby numbers—20." A fist slams to the ground. "20 people, myself included!" She groans, panting. "Doing all of that gave me a massive headache! So don't tell me I'm not using my Rune 'properly' because your Legendary buddy isn't with you, prick!" Henry lifts his hands. "Whoa, relax Penelope. I'm—" he sighs. "I'm sorry for saying those things. I got carried away due to what happened today." Penelope squints. "You're always at your worst under stress, Henry. Try addressing your aggression more, okay?" The Gardevoir looks up, the dark blues flourishing with the snow. "Besides, Zethor will fly his way back. He always does." Henry nods, pressing his glasses back. "Right." Simon rushes to Penelope, his non-metallic hand glowing blue. "Hold still." Penelope doesn't resist, letting the teen nudge her head. X looks to his side, the frozen sign leaning against the tree. He points. "Looks like we're in somewhere called 'Snow Forest'." Henry lifts his head. "Snow Forest? That means—" he eyes the road ahead: A tall mansion sits afar, the snow making it barely seeable. The brunette smacks the palm of his hand. "Brilliant: We're at my home nearing Chillnova." "Ch-Chillnova?" Justin rubs his arms, shaking. "I know this place needs to chill on the novas." Henry blinks. "What?" His head shakes. "Anyways, we're at the northwest of Wizlore, far from the southeast." "Huh." The dark skin boy shivers. "D-Do it usually be chilly out here though, for real? Cuz I'm freezing." X rubs his paws, blowing. "Same." Henry nods. "There's some heat here and there, but generally speaking: It's cold." "Joy," Justin and X say in unison, groaning. Ada smiles, tugging her jacket. "At least I have this on, keeping me nice and cozy!" Justin snorts, adjusting his gray bag that has totally been with him the whole time. "I'd imagine." Henry snaps his fingers. "Before we go though, I need to introduce myself properly…" He turns to Ramon. "My name's Henry Rush. Beside me are Simon Victor and Penelope." His hand presses his chest. "Despite knowing zero things about us: We're on your side, Ramon." He eyes the other four. "That goes for you all, too." Ada caresses her chin. "I see. Although, we have heard of Simon while traveling with his friend." "Figures." Simon keeps healing the Gardevoir, smiling. "Roan did tell me about him making new friends. He must be referring to you guys." Ramon eyes the three: The yellow heart pendant shuffling around Penelope's neck, the sleeveless black trench coat shrouding Simon, and the blue jeans covering Henry's legs. Henry's plain white shirt drifts to the wind, the blue glasses doing its best to shield his eyes of the same color. Meanwhile, Simon's red eyes gaze at Penelope's forehead, his blue fingernails resting on it. Hmm… The Zorua glances. Mesmeren looks. "Is something wrong?" Ramon walks forward, staring up at Henry. "That reminds me—" pauses. "What's going on with Team Conjure and Dne? And…why do you know a lot about me?" Henry, Penelope, and Simon stare at each other, exchanging brief nods. They then look back at the fox. "It's best if we talk at the mansion first." "No." Ramon glares. "Tell me now." Henry blinks. "Why?" "Didn't you say you're by our side? Why can't you just tell me here? Why does it have to be at the mansion?" Ramon questions, tensing up. Henry squints. "It's cold out here: We'll get sick if we stay for too long." The fox sighs. "How can I trust you then?" Ramon glares once more. "How…am I sure that you won't pull a similar stunt Nomar did?" Henry quirks his brow, pointing at Penelope. "She coughed blood out badly upon saving us from Conjure's wrath. Shouldn't that be proof of our intentions?" Penelope blinks, tilting her head. That's…one way to put it. Her forehead stops glowing. Ramon frowns, lowering his ears. "Hmm…" "Look: Whether you trust us or not is up to you." Henry sighs. "I just don't want any of us to freeze to death. So please, consider staying at the mansion for the time being." "...Fine." Ramon sighs. "Not like I have a choice, to be honest." "S-Same here, fam! I need that w-warmth, BADLY!" Justin clatters his teeth, caressing his arms. "Man it be chilly!" Simon pouts. "I know, right!?" He looks down. "My feet's getting cold from it all." Henry squints. "Then wear some shoes next time!" Groaning, he caresses his temples. "I keep telling you that going around barefoot isn't good for you!" "NO!" Simon whines, stomping. "I refuse!" His metallic fist is against his chest, the boy's head held high. "Shoes wouldn't let me appreciate the true meaning of hardships! Trudging through the many trials and errors across the bareness is the way to go." "More like the way to die quickly." Henry shakes his head. "Let's go." Everyone follows the path towards the mansion, Henry leading them all. Mesmeren coughs out black blood, blinking at the painted snow. Penelope turns to the Hypno, anxious. "Change back to a Drowzee right now," she demands. "We don't need another Unmonization situation like before." "O-Oh! O-Okay…" Mesmeren takes a deep breath, glowing white before decreasing her size: Her chest fur fading, her ears no longer being large. Once she finishes, she eyes around: Her yellow claws and bangs still intact, her eyes remaining in the black scleras state. She blinks. "Huh!?" "We'll explain those changes once we get to the mansion." Penelope smiles. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's just how Transvian works." "Oh. N-Noted, then." Everyone continues onward until they stop, reaching the large mansion. Beige colors spread from left to right, up and down: A couple windows littering the place followed by a red door ahead, being large enough for even a Copperajah to fit in! Henry steps on the porch, raising his fist. . . . Turn. Turn. CRANK! A Primarina sits at the desk, tweaking and cranking a random object. He's near the stairs leading up to the top floor, living rooms being on either side. Wooden textures spread throughout the entrance and workplace, stopping at the living rooms' carpets. Antiques lay across the walls, one of them containing a portrait of a young boy with his parents, a Popplio waving beside him while smiling. The sea lion has short hair unlike the usual long ones of his kind, toolkits wrapping around his blue tail. Goggles shroud his cyan eyes, pulling out a power drill before drilling the object. DING! The Pokémon keeps drilling, the screws inserting inside the object. DING! DING! DING! The Primarina stops. DING! "Ugggh…" He calmly sets his drill down, lifting his goggles. His eyes roll, staring at the ceiling. People. Sighing, he turns around and flops towards the front door. He opens it: Henry and company standing before him. The mermaid squints. "I was in the middle of something." Henry squints back. "You're always in the middle of something." He taps his foot. "Why didn't you unlock the door sooner?" "Because: I was fixing a machine." "What machine, Adrian?" Adrian scoffs. "None of your business machine." Henry sighs, closing his eyes. "Whatever. Unlock the door quickly next time I ring it, alright?" "Since when did you become a parent figure here?" His arms fold. "Last I checked, I'm older than you." Henry lifts a finger. "By one age: 18." "And?" "I—" Henry covers his face, groaning. "Okay, fair point but still: Be more wary of your surroundings instead of being way into your gadgets!" "Hey, I'm not THAT into them." Adrian tilts his head, eyeing up. "Okay, maybe a little, but still: I can hear what's going on around me." Henry folds his arms, shaking his head. "Really now? Then why haven't you open the do—" "Yo fam: The WEATHER!" Justin interrupts. "Argue while we're inside, not outside!" Henry nods. "Fair point." He walks in. "Thank you." Everyone else follows suit, Adrian trailing back to his desk. Henry points to the living room on the right: Four sofas, a chair, a table, and a fireplace lying ahead. "Let's have our talk there." Everyone nods, heading over to the sofas. . . . Silence. The fire flickers being its company. "..." Justin sits in the first middle sofa, his legs spreading, his elbows resting. "..." Ada sits beside him, staring down with her hand to her lips, her legs crossing. "..." X and Mesmeren sit on the second middle sofa, looking to their left, anxiousness radiating. "..." Ramon is beside Mesmeren, frowning off to the side, his ears drooping. Simon and Penelope sit on the left sofa, being beside Henry. The teen rests in his chair, wielding a book as a drill echoes nearby. The boy leans back, closing the red plain book, displaying its title: 'The Truth of Wizlore'. "Okay." The brunette presses his glasses. "To go over all of what I've read: Transvians were once considered extinct until the Prospective Institute incident happened, leading to more of them being revealed alive this whole time." BZZZZZ! "This even includes two Intellicates having a chance of birthing a Transvian." "Right…" X lowers his brows. "Asscus told me about that." He stares off. "Still find that hard to believe…" "Understandable." BZZZZZZ! "It explains why you, Ramon, Mesmeren, and even Penelope are capable of Ki—" BZZZZZZ! The boy slams the book down, staring at the main hall. "Adrian, for the love of Arceus: TONE IT DOWN!" He throws his hands up. "We're in the middle of a serious conversation here!" "Ugh. Fiiine, I'll use the wrench instead," the Primarina says next door. "Thank you!" The teen sighs, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry about that. Adrian tends to get really noisy with his tools." Ada chuckles. "I can tell." Henry clears his throat. "Anyways—" he stares at X. "You four are capable of Kind Sensory, whi—" "I can explain this one, Henry. As a Transvian myself." Penelope smiles. "Kind Sensory lets us Transvians sense each other's presence whenever we're nearby." Cyan auras cast around her hand. "It's thanks to the magic blood within us that increases our mind's awareness of one another." "Huh. That's dope!" The Buizel tilts his paw at Mesmeren and Ramon. "No wonder why I was having that funny feeling whenever I'm near these two." "Y-Yeah! It also explains that feeling while I'm around Ramon the first time we met." Ramon nods. "Mhm." Henry lifts his hand. "Indeed, but we're getting off topic here." He holds his book up, clearing his throat. "While it's true that Transvians experienced a resurgence after the incident, someone—a group, rather—in the Wizlore Government don't want the public to know about this due to what we're told from The Birth of Wizlore." Justin folds his arms. "So basically we've been lied to?" Henry presses his glasses. "Absolutely." He sets the book on the table, a portrait lying beside it. "The public, the other side of the government, the Spell Guardians—all convinced that Transvians are still extinct when that's not the case." X quirks his brow. "But wait, wouldn't the public end up knowing about the lie the moment they see a Pokémon evolve and devolve back out of the blue?" Henry shakes his head. "No: The public would dubbed them as 'abnormal' by government standards, giving the other side a perfect opportunity to take the Transvian away." X grits his teeth. "Yeesh! Kidnapping much?" "Essentially that, yes." The teen taps the book. Ada caresses her chin. "I see…" She lifts a finger. "You've mentioned 'the other side of the government': Aren't they all aware of this lie? Conspiracy, actually." "Not really. Or at least those I'm not aware of." He folds his arms, crossing his legs. "All I know is that this group has succeeded in their goals to convince the world about Transvians' extinction. They're called B Side, and they're doing everything in their power to keep it a secret." His lens glisten. "Including working with Team Conjure." Justin and Ada lower their brows with perplexion. "What!?" Henry eyes the Zorua. "Like you've said before Ramon: You're the Transvian who survived the incident, becoming the first Nativu to succeed Project Transvian." "Yeah…" Ramon looks down. "What led to the success?" "Your blood." Henry waves his hand around. "Thanks to your parents, their bits of magic blood have passed down to you, leading to your non-magic blood fusing with the magic ones." He caresses his chin. "From what I can remember, the Nativus those scientists used had only normal blood, making it difficult for the fusion to happen." "I see." The Zorua flicks his ears. "Was my parents Transvians?" He blinks, his ears lowering. "...Do I even have parents, I wonder." The teen blinks, staring off. "I…have no clue, honestly." He looks back. "But assuming that you do, I'd say they're not Transvians, maybe? Your parents were most likely Intellicates that birthed a Nativu, which is a rarity." Ramon gazes at the fireplace. "Interesting." Ada tilts her head. "Here's my question, though: How do you know all this? About the conspiracy and how Ramon used to be a Nativu?" Her hands rest on her knees. Henry looks away, adjusting his glasses. "I'm…not sure if you're ready for the truth." Sighing, he closes his eyes, melancholy echoing his tone. Penelope huffs. "Oh quit being dramatic, will you?" She eyes Ada. "He used to work for Team Conjure and was close friends with Dr. Xander Yvonne. It's the reason why he has a beam katana and Simon has arm cannons." Justin widens his eyes, his mouth ajar. "Shit, really?" "Indeed!" Simon lifts his metallic hand, shapeshifting it into twin cannons. "Adrian even modified it into my arm and everything!" He reverts it back to normal. Adrian shouts, "I did it because I was bored, by the way! Don't get the wrong idea here!" Simon laughs in an awkward manner, scratching his head. "Haha…right." Ramon eyes Henry's katana, the hilt clinging to his waist. The fox gasps. "Wow…No wonder those weapons look familiar." "They look dope, dude!" X leaps up and down on the couch, jabbing the air. "I be seeing you two going 'pew pew' and 'pow pow' with those things earlier, haha!" Henry points at the weasel. "One, relax on the sofa. And two, I don't know where you hear any 'pews' and 'pows' whenever I use my katana." X stops. "It's called figure of speech, bro." Ada quirks her brow. "Huh. I'm surprised you even know what that is." The Buizel scoffs, stroking his chest. "The hell does that imply, Ada?" The girl simply giggles, leading the weasel to pout. "Hey!" Simon snorts before nodding. "Regardless, thanks." He stares at his metallic hand. "Dr. Yvonne is a magnificent man for gifting these useful weapons to Henry." The boy holds his hands together, nuzzling them. "If it weren't for him, I would've had to rely on one arm." He sighs. "Then again, I could've also been dead, too." His hand rests on Henry's, the latter blushing. "I once again can't stress my gratitude for saving me there. Seriously…thank you, Henry." Henry scratches his nose, his lips quivering. "N-No problem…" Ramon blinks. Is he blushing? Henry clears his throat. "Anyways, Penelope—" he glances. "You could've at least let me build towards the truth about myself, you know? Giving me some, uh—" his glasses glisten. "Flare to my background." The Gardevoir shrugs. "Eh, we're in an ongoing serious situation. I think dramatizing it is the last thing anyone wants to hear" The teen sighs, his arms slouching. "Fair enough." X eyes the portrait: The familiar yellow necklace Charmeleon and friends being there. He points. "Hey, that's the same portrait I saw Noctis having." Ramon looks as well. "Huh. You're right." Henry gasps. "Did you say Noctis?" The weasel scratches his head. "Yeah?" "...How's he doing? Is he, um…okay?" Henry's voice is that of sorrow, concern dancing from it. "Wait a second: You know him!?" "Yes: He's another beloved friend of mine." Henry grabs the portrait, nudging the spot where the blue jacket teen is. "This is me beside him and Yvonne." "So like: Who's the Riolu there?" X asks. "Travis," Ramon concludes. "HIM!?" Justin and Ada exclaim. "Noctis and Yvonne are friends with him, so naturally Henry would be, too." Henry nods. "Hitting the nail on the coffin there." X slowly nods. "Man…that explains so much." "Yeah, man. I always wondered who the guy with the blue jacket is, when I first saw him." Justin nudges his head. "Crazy how you also know Travis, too." Henry raises his brow. "Why's that?" Ramon sighs. "Because Travis was trying to kill me for causing Dr. Yvonne's death." "Oh…" The teen scratches the back of his head shyly. "I wasn't aware of that. I had a feeling his death would make him sad, but didn't expect it to…have him come after you over this." "How weren't you aware of Travis' pursuit?" Ada asks. "I, uh…moved out." Ada blinks, shaking her head. "And why's that?" "I had a falling out with Noctis: His consistent self-loathing and pushing others away had driven me to just…leave." Henry sighs. "I'm ashamed of doing that. But I thought it was for the best to have him improve himself." Ada glares. "Have you tried to call him, at least?" "I have! He wouldn't answer my calls!" "Oh." Henry scratches the back of his head, chuckling softly. "Yeaaah…Despite saying he's my close friend, his behavior speaks the opposite." "After meeting him, I can see that!" X grimaces. "Yeesh." Ramon blinks in bewilderment. "Wait a second: How come Noctis never mentioned you when he was telling us about his past?" Justin caresses his chin. "Yeah, homie got a point here." Henry stares. "...Ah." Sighing, the teen shakes his head. "Figure he'd purposefully forget that I was there with him, Yvonne, and Travis." "Bruh," X and Justin say, squinting. Penelope's hands press her chest, gazing at the Zorua. "Our sincere apologies for all of this happening to you." "No…" Ramon strokes the sofa, whimpering. "I-I deserved it, honestly." Justin shakes his head. "Nah fam, you don't." He frowns. "Sure, you're the Transvian that survived the incident, but consider: You don't remember anything from your past." "That's…true." The Zorua lowers his head. "But it doesn't mean Yvonne had to die because of it! Maybe if he didn't find me in Avalon Forest a long while back, then none of this would've happened." Soon a brief memory of the Zorua being saved by some scientists shows up, the main one rushing towards him. He blinks into reality. "Wait…I remembered." "Hmm?" Ada gazes at him, perplexed. "Nomar told me that Dr. Yvonne saved me at Avalon Forest, along with Travis and the other scientists!" The fox stares off. "I couldn't remember due to focusing on my wound. But now that everything settled, I remembered that part of my memory." "That's…interesting. You did mention about failing to remember anything from your past before the Gloria Falls stuff happened." "Yeah. So here's the thing I'm wondering: Why?" He stares at his paws. "Why am I now starting to remember my past?" Henry rubs his chin. "I have a theory. And I think it's the most accurate one." X shakes his paws. "Well spit it out then!" "I…was going to." Henry blinks, sighing. "So: I believe Dne was purposefully erasing your past memories while their soul was inside of you. That way, they can continue their manipulation." He glares off. "I bet this happened as soon as you became a Transvian too, the bastard." Ramon shakes his head. "But how so? I was knocked out after the Prospective incident happened. Plus, Dne showed me I was taken away by those scientists during one of my dreams." "Good point." The teen presses his glasses. "That's why I also believed they did this after you became conscious. Or maybe it's during your unconsciousness." He taps his foot. "Can't say for certain, but knowing them, it could very well be the latter due to your amnesiac state." "Ah…That's right. Nomar did tell me that he connected with me while I was knocked out." He frowns. "Well, he already was connected with me while I was a Nativu. But I guess he couldn't manipulate a Nativu to do his bidding as opposed to a Transvian?" His ears lower. "Regardless: I wouldn't doubt them having the ability to erase my memories, considering they're a deity." "Mhm." Penelope gasps. "That reminds me!" She glances at Ramon, X, and Mesmeren. "You three: Try not to get caught by Team Conjure and B Side." X folds his arms. "Hmm?" "Like Henry mentioned—" Penelope's hand presses her chest. "B Side is doing everything they can to hide the truth, which includes capturing Transvians by any means." "Yeah, that does relate to the whole 'abnormal' thing Henry mentioned before." X frowns. "Indeed. He forgot to mention what happens if they take a Transvian away." Penelope holds her hands. "B Side will turn them into Unmons, a different kind of Pokémon species that can be manipulated by someone like Dne." Mesmeren shakes. "O-Oh no…" Henry nods. "Yep, it's pretty bad." He sets the book onto his lap. "I've already told my other friends to head towards the Replen Kingdom, where the Immunity Spell Guardian is at." "Replen Kingdom?" Ramon asks. "It's a royal kingdom located at the very north of Wizlore." He squints, looking away. "Knowing Dne is alive with the Bitter Glory in hand is…not good." Grits his teeth. "Not in the slightest." "Wh-What's the Bitter Glory?" Mesmeren asks. "The gem on Dne's chest." Henry stares at the book. "It allows them to use their Rune without any of its negative effects such as hurting them upon using it." Glares. "Think of it as foreshadowing for what they can do after achieving their deity form." Mesmeren's hand raises, nudging her maw. "Oh dear." Simon lifts his finger. "I should also mention that Dne's eyes look different whenever they use their Rune. It's not the usual black ones with specific colored irises." Henry nods. "Yeah, which is strange." "Wait, is that why my eyes look like this whenever I use my Rune?" X asks, pointing at his orange irises within black scleras. "Positively!" Penelope answers. "They revert back to normal after a day has passed." "Oh." Mesmeren raises her hand. "Th-That reminds me: Why do I have claws?" She then touches the hair covering her left eye. "A-And this, too!" Penelope waves her hand. "You've used Transvolution for the first time, the kind that allows you to evolve and devolve by will. You'll develop extra features on yourself that no ordinary Pokémon would have." "Such as the hair over my eye?" Ramon asks, blowing on it. The Gardevoir snaps her fingers. "Correct. And the reason why I've told you and Mesmeren to devolve is because your evolved forms aren't your MS form." "MS?" Ramon and Mesmeren tilt their heads. "Main Stage." Penelope sighs, closing her eyes. "It's a bit complicated, but I'll explain shortly: Transvians have a MS that allows them to transvolve back into, without the risk of becoming an Unmon. You two's evolved forms aren't the MS, meaning you'll risk becoming an Unmon the longer you stay in it." X folds his arms, tilting his head. "Does this mean we'll never truly evolve?" "No, actually: Transvians can undergo normal evolution just like any other Pokémon. It's just the difference is, the evolved form becomes the Transvian's new MS form…" Penelope sighs, bowing. "Hopefully that was easy to understand. Apologies if it wasn't, otherwise!" "I see." Ramon's ears flicker. "Have you used Transvolution before, Penelope?" "I have!" The humanoid smiles. Ada blinks. "But I don't see any drastic features on you, unlike Mesmeren and Ramon." Penelope giggles. "Ah, but look closely." She points at her face, everyone squinting: A beauty mark lies on her right cheek. "Oooh. I didn't notice the mark until now!" "Some features are less obvious than the others." The Gardevoir adjusts her hat. "Pretty neat, huh?" "I-Indeed." Mesmeren pokes her fingers together. X ignites aquatic flames from his paw, gazing. "All of that is cool, but none of it explains why I can use Magic moves, though." His attack fades. "Primary and Secondary." The Gardevoir shrugs. "That's simple: Magic." "...Wha—" "In your blood. Your magic blood: It gives you those three moves, just like Sorcerous." Penelope smiles. "What makes us different is that we don't have the Magic typing: Just our normal Pokémon ones." She tilts her head. "For some reason, we're unable to copy any Pokémon's attributes like Sorcerous could." "Still boggles my mind that we can do that, by the way," Justin says, staring at his hand: Blue auras radiating. "I see." X looks at Henry. "Okay so we know that Nomar—erm, Dne—Nomar Dne has the Bitter Glory, which is a yikes." "Without a doubt." "So then what happens if they get all of the Spells?" Henry grips his fist. "It'll form into the Ultimate Spell." "The Ultimate Spell?" Everyone except Penelope and Simon ask. Henry nods, opening the red book. "It's…best if the book explains." He turns a couple of pages before stopping. "The Ultimate Spell: A combination of all eight Spells together, capable of providing anyone unlimited usage of its Spells. It's the key to having Dne achieve their true form, a form that anyone struggles against, regardless of the Spell spreading across Wizlore. Despite the threatening potential, this Spell has its downsides: It'll—" "..." X waves his paw around. "It'll what?" "The author didn't finish." Henry turns the book around, showing the end of the page cutting off abruptly. "I guess she ran out of time writing it." "Bizzare..." Ada gazes down. "So this Ultimate Spell will make Nomar strong if he gets his hands on it?" "Stronger, correction. Everyone in Wizlore will have the Spell's powers, regardless of what species they are. It's just that Dne will be the strongest of them all." "Jeez…sounds wack, yo." "Beyond it, even." Henry nods. "Thankfully, even the most powerful Spell has its weakness." He caresses his chin, gazing down. "If only we know what that weakness is, then we'll be able to stop Dne even after they achieve their form…" "Right." Ada caresses her chin, succumbing to thoughts. "..." Ramon sighs, jumping off the sofa. Mesmeren looks. "Where are you going?" The Zorua looks to his side and stares at the windows, the snow dancing across the night sky. "To look outside." Glances. "I…need some time to process all of this." "May I come with you?" Mesmeren asks. Ramon shakes his head. "No…I really need to be left alone. Just…" Ears lower. "Everything feels like a lie: Who Nomar really was, who I am, the origin of Wizlore." He whimpers. "I feel like a fool for trusting Nomar the whole time, and in return: I got you all in this mess." Ada lowers her head. "Come on, Ramon. You know this isn't your fault: None of it is." The Zorua sniffles, tears beginning to form. "I wish I could agree. But again: All of this ties to me." Mesmeren hops out of the sofa. "I'm sor—" Ramon gasps, his torso being wrapped by the Drowzee. "You're not a fool," she says, nuzzling. "You're lost and confused about the world you're in. L-Like everyone else…" Mesmeren sighs, caressing the fox's back. "We're all still learning about it. Together." She pulls back, staring into the fox's blue eyes. "Like you've told me before: Don't blame yourself for something beyond your control." Smiles. Ramon stares back: Remaining completely still as that exact phrase circulates throughout his mind. Mesmeren… He smiles back at a gradual pace, walking towards the windows ahead. Mesmeren watches, her hand clenching her ribbon. Ramon… Henry stares at his book, the clock above the fireplace ticking. He then gasps. "Oh!" He sets the book back on the table, clasping his hands together. "Alright: Now that you know about the real history of Wizlore…" He rests on his elbows. "We need to save the book's author." "Eh?" Justin tilts his head. "What happened to her?" "She was detained by the Wizlore government when attempting to release The Truth of Wizlore." Henry crosses his legs. "Definitely B Side's doing." "Hmm." Ada lays a hand on her chin. "Somehow we've never asked about who the author is on the Wizlore books." "Yeah." Justin leans forward, slouching. "What's her name?" Penelope caresses the side of her arm, gazing down. Henry leans forward, his glasses glistening before saying the following: "Charlotte."Five stories.One true journey…In Magic & Transvolution 2!
Pokemon: The Eternal Darkness

Mature Content

Magical Pokemon Quest
Nanette Daisy's Harmony Mark (MPQ Spoilers!) by Latis2454
Pokemon: Journey Through the Shadows
Obstinant Change
Obstinant Change: CH5: Rough Diamonds
OBSTINANT CHANGE:CHAPTER 5: ROUGH DIAMONDS…“So… this is Cain Marlow?” Sonya asked rhetorically, looking the Obstagoon over. “Not the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. Definitely up there, though.”Sonya smiled at Marnie. “I don’t have a lot of strong leads based on what you’ve got for me, but I’m sure I can find something from his hair samples.”“Well, he seemed to glow the way Grim does before he Dynamaxes,” Marnie offered. Sonya fully agreed. “As a matter of fact, Marnie, my Power Spot detector is picking up a constant stream of energy radiating from his fur. This unfortunate happenstance could be the key to furthering my research.”The researcher input something on a computer. “It will take a long time before I have any concrete results, though.” Sonya moved some hair out of her face. “If you choose to ‘go pro’ with him, I’d strongly advise against Dynamaxing. For any of your Pokémon. Not just him.”Marnie straightened her posture. “‘Go pro?’ You’re not actually suggesting I take him in as a part of my team, are you?” She got up from her chair. “He knows nothing about battling!”Marnie suddenly recalled Cain’s encounter with the poachers and his brief excursion with the Machoke in the Wild Areas. She rubbed the back of her neck. “Well… almost nothing.”Sonya nodded as she checked Cain’s pulse. “Indeed. He might not have much of a move pool at the moment, but after a quick scan of his muscle fibers, his overall base stats average out at roughly 113. That’s a 30% higher average than most Obstagoons get. He hasn’t even boosted that average through training, either.”“I don’t think it’s a good idea is all I’m saying, Sonya.” Marnie rested a hand on Cain’s shoulder. The Obstagoon met her eyes and gave her a weak smile.“I don’t know if you’ll have much choice, Marnie. The Media has already caught wind of your new addition. Ultimately, the decision is Cain’s to make.”Cain looked from Marnie to Sonya, back to Marnie, back to Sonya. He wasn’t a fighter by traditional means, no, but it would kill him if he just left Marnie in a tight spot like that. Besides, if he was to have an adventure at all, he would need to get his hands dirty. And just like the farmer boy he was, getting dirty was one thing he was good at.Cain held a hand in front of him and gave a thumbs up, flashing a confident smile. Marnie’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious, Cain?! You’ll get demolished!”Cain simply shrugged. “So be it,” he said. Of course, Marnie couldn’t understand what he said, but he maintained an adamant air to it. He was dead certain.The young lady sighed and put her hands in her pocket. She was going to have a long month on her hands. Cain didn’t know the basics. It was a nightmare to teach her Toxicroak to recognize types. How bad would it be for Cain who didn’t know what type matchups were? An idea struck her. She pulled out her phone and punched in a number.“Who are you calling?” Sonya asked.“-Yo!-” Piers greeted. “-How’d the opening ceremony go?-”Marnie rolled her eyes. “It was fine, Piers. Listen, I’ve got a Pokémon that I need help training. Do you think you could-”“-Is it the one that everyone’s been going nuts over? I’ve been hearing nonstop rumors of an Obstagoon that could put mine to shame.-”“Err, yeah, actually. I’ll explain what I need when I get home tonight. Good bye,” Marnie said.“-Sis, I-” Piers objected, but was cutoff by the connection being terminated.Marnie picked up Cain’s Poke’ball. “You ready to go?” she asked him. Cain nodded sluggishly and pressed the button. A flash of red ensued, and Cain had reentered the capsule. Marnie waved to Sonya before exiting.…Piers bit his lip. “…Impressive,” he said after looking Cain up and down. “I’m honestly a little jealous.”“Cannon, this is my brother Piers. He’s going to be your instructor for a few days. Get along with him, okay?” Marnie said. “I’m going to go get the rest of my team ready for today’s gym battle.”Cain waved good bye as Marnie disappeared around the corner. Piers raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re an odd one, ain’tcha?”He latticed his fingers together and stretched his arms. “Let’s get started.” Piers walked over to a board he set up with type labels attached to it. “Knowing your type matchups can turn the tides in the worst of scenarios. The first thing we’re going to do is as follows:”Piers took the labels off the board and rearranged them. “I’m going to give you a type and you have to point to the type or types that you think would prove super effective against my type in combat.”The retired Gym Leader pulled the label for Fire type to his side of the board. “Let’s start with an easy one. This is the Fire type.”The Obstagoon stared at the seventeen other types in confusion. What is useful against fires? He thought back to the time he accidentally set a small tree on fire when tending to the Rapidash stables. He put it out with a bucket of drinking water and surrounded the burnt ashes with lots of rocks to prevent reignition.Cain plucked the Water label and placed it in the ‘Super effective’ zone. He then grabbed Rock and put it next to it. Unsure of what to add next, the Obstagoon stared at the collection of remaining types, waiting for another answer to come to him. What else could be used to isolate fire from fuel?He snapped his fingers as he reached for the Ground type label. Piers let out a breath of relief. He was actually concerned he wouldn’t find it. “Moving on,” he said. Piers rearranged the board again.This step by step procedure went on for about an hour, Cain getting caught up on certain types like Dragon or Fairy. Piers then had him practice finding ineffective type matchups. After that, he showed him the immunities.“Okay, Cannon. I think it’s time to actually start battling, wouldn’t you agree?” Piers asked.Cain relaxed his shoulders in relief. Done with the brain puzzles, he thought. “Okay!” The Obstagoon clasped a hand around his clenched fist.“Good response.” Piers cracked a smirk as he pulled out his Obstagoon’s Poke’ball. “I’ve got a friend who’s just dying to pummel you.”Cain’s confidence waned as Piers’ Obstagoon stood before him. Yes, Cain was taller, but the way this Obstagoon stared at him deeply unsettled the rookie.“So!” Piers drew his attention. “Let’s see how long you can handle dodging Bruiser’s attacks.”…END OF CHAPTEREND OF EPISODE
Pokemon: Fire and Aura
Pokemon: Fire and Aura - Ch. 16Chapter 16: The Mystery of Riolu The last thing Riolu remembered was collapsing in front of a small building right as the sun went down. It was malnourished, thirsty, and still in some pain, despite the berries that mysterious visitor gave it. All wasn’t lost though, as a kindly woman dressed in a white and pink skirt came out and took Riolu inside. After getting a look at her petit face, Riolu passed out. “Oh, you poor Riolu!” she said in a genuinely worried tone, “Let’s get you in. Wigglytuff, prepare the examination room, we have injured.” Riolu’s body was laid down on a soft examination pad, as an IV drip was inserted into its arm and an oxygen mask was put on its face. Nurse Joy worked furiously as she kept her eyes on various screens. She hadn’t seen a Riolu this rough in her entire career as a healer. The first thing she did was check its vitals. “Heartbeat is well below normal. Skin and muscle tissues show signs of oversaturation by some type of liquid, similar to a saline solution. Due to high salination and great physical exertion, the subject is highly dehydrated.” she said. “Wiggly, wigg,” Wigglytuff added. Wigglytuff was focusing on calibrating systems and making sure the IV drip wasn’t overdosing Riolu. “Starting internal scans.” Joy said as she brought a scanner arm over Riolu. A scanning beam turned on and Joy ran it over Riolu, watching for critical data. In seconds, the scan was complete, prompting more information windows to flash up on Joy’s work screens. “What the-” she exclaimed. “Wigg?” Wigglytuff replied. “Riolu’s brain activity is off the charts. It’s running a fever well over what should be expected. And what’s more, it has odd devices embedded in its spine.” Joy said. “Wigg, wigglytuff!” Wigglytuff replied. “We can’t worry about that for now, we just need to get Riolu stabilized.” Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff worked through the night to get Riolu at least sleeping peacefully. Hydration went back to normal, the fever went away, and the brain activity decreased significantly. Relieved that her efforts were successful, she decided to leave Riolu in observation for the time being, as the next day was breaking, and she had to take care of business.Nurse Joy and her assistant tended to both Riolu and trainers passing through as they could over the day. One thought couldn’t escape Joy’s mind however as she worked: those weird devices in Riolu’s back and neck. What were they for? Why were they in this particular Riolu, and not others? She didn’t let the questions bother her for now. Hers was the only pokemon center that was convenient for Cyllage City’s trainers. The workload she was experiencing kept her and Wigglytuff busy for nearly four days straight. While she attended to trainers, she had Wigglytuff keep an eye on Riolu in observation. Over the course of the four days, Riolu’s condition improved enough that Wigglytuff was given the all-clear to take it to the recovery room in the back. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a break came to Nurse Joy, allowing her a moment to breathe. In all this hubbub, she nearly forgot about Riolu. Once Joy made sure she wouldn’t be needed for a while, she went in the back of the center to check on her patient. Riolu turned out to be sleeping peacefully, much to Joy’s relief. She always enjoyed seeing small pokemon sleeping, she couldn’t help herself. She took the lull in business to her advantage and picked Riolu up. She listened in closely to hear Riolu breathing steadily. Its warm little body seemed so fragile to Joy. She couldn’t help but feel horrible for the poor thing. After what it went through, she couldn’t exactly blame it. She caressed Riolu’s face lightly with her fingertips, and being careful not to wake it up, carried it in her arms like a baby into her operating room for access to her scanning tools. After gently placing Riolu stomach-down on her table, she prepared the same scanning arm she used before. While she fiddled with little switches and knobs, she took another look at Riolu’s back. There were eight socket-like protrusions implanted along Riolu’s spine in pairs. Each pair located in what appeared to be strategic points along the spine. They weren’t rusted, meaning they were either newly implanted, or were made of a corrosion resistant material like titanium. Joy leaned in and closely examined one of the sockets at the middle of the spine by hand. It appeared to be a bit oversized for Riolu’s body, about an inch in total diameter and situated at an angle, presumably to accommodate some kind of interface mechanism. The surface of the metal was polished, without any blemishes or scratches. Gripping it between two fingers, she wiggled it lightly, and surely enough, like she saw on her initial scan, the socket was fully embedded into the spinal vertebra. Each one was identical to the one Joy examined, and she furrowed her brow in contemplation. “What are these things? And why implant them in a Riolu?” Joy whispered to herself. Joy finished prepping her scanner and turned it on, running the beam over Riolu’s back. She watched the MRI scan updating in real time on a screen to her right. The computer built a 3D model of Riolu’s spinal profile, which revealed some stunning and concerning data. The sockets were directly wired into the spine, but sickeningly, they were drilled in. The tissue contusions left behind supported that conclusion. Looking deeper, Joy discovered to her shock that, attached to the thin tapered and threaded anchor spikes, there were specialized wire networks running between the sockets that ran through and up Riolu’s spinal bones. Each wire was specially sealed against bodily fluids and coiled into long S shaped patterns running up and down the left and right sides of the spine. There had to be at least a medium sized spool’s worth of it inside Riolu total. It was almost as if it was done solely to compensate for Riolu evolving and growing in height. What Joy found next made her recoil in disgust. Each wire network was bunched up into two distinct braided chords and jacked into Riolu’s brain stem and lower cranial regions. Joy covered her mouth and looked again down at her still sleeping patient. To Nurse Joy, it was nothing less than a miracle that Riolu was even alive after she found it. She had no idea what any of the wiring was doing in Riolu’s body, but seeing her scans… Joy pushed away the screen and gently laid a hand on Riolu’s face, gently caressing its ear with her thumb. “You poor thing! Who could’ve done this to you?” Nurse Joy whispered, as tears welled up in her eyes. Riolu stirred slightly, but stayed asleep as Nurse Joy fought back her emotions and picked Riolu up. Carefully handling the little pokemon, she returned to the recovery room to see Wigglytuff standing next to Riolu’s bed with an expectant look on her face. Joy looked at Wigglytuff with a forlorn expression. Wigglytuff, seeing her best friend so down, waddled up next to Joy and touched Riolu’s face. Confused, Wigglytuff inquired why Joy looked so sad, as Riolu was still very much alive, if only sleeping. “Wigglytuff, this Riolu–” Joy started, choking back a sob, “He’s seen some bad times. Something’s clearly wrong with him. I’ll show you the scans later, but…” Wigglytuff let Joy pass as she gently put Riolu back to bed and put the blanket over him. She grabbed a rolling stool and took a seat right next to Riolu and pet his head with the tender touch she was known for. Joy simply couldn’t believe what befell this wonderful little pokemon. She had the scans to prove it, but she refused to acknowledge someone would be so evil as to do this to a baby pokemon. She could no longer fight back her tears, and she let them flow as she looked at Riolu’s face. He was so tranquil, so serene in his slumber that it was hard to believe something like this awaited his waking life. Wigglytuff felt bad for Joy, as she’d never seen Joy actually shed a tear in her life. “Tuff, wigglytuff.” she whispered as she left Joy’s side. “Thanks Wigglytuff, I’ll be out in a minute.” Joy replied through her tears. You poor thing, Riolu. I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve whatever was done to you. Joy thought to herself as she held his head in her hand. “Ri,” he squeaked. Joy was taken aback as Riolu stirred slightly, and turned onto his side, facing her. He wrapped his little paws around Joy’s wrist and nuzzled her hand a little. Still, he slept. Joy wondered what he could be dreaming about, but it warmed her heart to see Riolu was recovering nicely. “Hang in there for me, ok?” Joy whispered, choking back more tears. She slid her hand out from under Riolu’s head and readjusted the blanket over his shoulders, tucking him in. She lightly pat Riolu’s shoulder and quietly put the rolling stool away, turning the lights as low as they could go before exiting the recovery room. After shutting the door as quietly as she could, Nurse Joy took a deep breath, willing her tears to go away so she could get back to work. Wigglytuff approached Joy from behind, touching a hand to Joy’s arm in quiet reassurance. Joy smiled and nodded, turning around just in time for more trainers coming in for pokemon checkups. After the day was done, Nurse Joy closed up shop and changed clothes. She swapped her pink and white skirt with a set of pajamas and took up one of the center’s motel rooms for the night. She couldn’t bring herself to leave Riolu alone for the night in the building. Before going to bed, she recorded her findings and downloaded the MRI scan to her work tablet. She pulled up her email, and wrote to Professor Sycamore, detailing all her findings and attaching the MRI images before hitting send. Someone had to know about what she found. ================================================= Riolu was exhausted. Not only had he run for close to a week, he had only survived on streams and berries he found in the forest. He didn’t know how long he’d been sleeping, but he welcomed it. Sleeping outside his containment pod was a feeling so alien, yet natural to Riolu. He had been taken in by a sweet, kindly woman last he remembered. For the first time in what likely was his entire life, Riolu slept like the baby he was. No torturous nightmares invaded his mind, no ambient noise so droning and loud it kept him half awake. It was pure, peaceful silence the entire duration of his slumber. Riolu relished it, longing for more, but it was not to last. He woke up finally, under a warm, cozy comforter on his side. His eyes, not used to the light of the room, ached as he struggled to fully rouse himself. Riolu let out a series of long, deep yawns, and stretched all his limbs and body. He welcomed the sense of quiet that came with his surroundings. He took in the room surrounding him. There were multiple other beds like his, all empty with neatly made crisp white sheets and fluffed pillows. Along the walls were framed paintings of scenery and various photos, along with wall sconces housing light fixtures that had been dimmed to their lowest setting. The walls were ocre colored, with white trim and a white ceiling. Breathing deep, Riolu slowly rose to his feet, but having been asleep for days, his legs gave out and he fell back down on the mattress, sitting up instead of standing. Slowly, the door to his room opened, the sun flooding in from outside. In the door stood the same woman he saw before he passed out. She looked just like he remembered her. “Oh, Riolu, you’re awake! Thank goodness.” the woman said. Riolu regarded her with a look of curiosity. She saved his life, but also she was kind to him, a far cry from the previous humans he’d been around. He could see a gentle white aura around her, it made him feel calm and safe. The woman picked up Riolu, holding him like a human baby as she brought him out into the main area of the building. There, Riolu saw a man. At first he was on his guard, but quickly lowered it once he saw the aura around this particular man was also kind and wise. “So this is the Riolu you told me about,” the man said as he walked up to Riolu. “Indeed, Professor. I found him collapsed outside about five days ago now, he was in really bad shape. But now, he seems to be doing ok, outside of some normal weakness from being asleep for so many days.” the woman replied. “What a trooper.” the Professor jokingly commented, “So, you called me here to take a look at something?” “Yes, and I’ll warn you right now, it’s upsetting to say the least.” the woman said. Riolu, in the woman’s arms, was taken to a room he was unfamiliar with. It looked somewhat similar to the containment rooms he’d been in previously. Riolu’s gaze darted around the room, spotting various instruments and devices of unknown function to him. He quickly grew agitated, and started whimpering and growling at everything he saw. The only thing keeping him from making another escape attempt was the calming sense of love the woman had while he was in her arms. Noticing this, the Professor commented. “Riolu seems to be scared.” the Professor said, eyeing the medical equipment, “Could it be because of your equipment?” “It’s possible,” the woman answered, stroking Riolu’s head and calming him down, “It’s ok Riolu, I just want to show the Professor your back, ok? I’m not gonna do anything to you.” Riolu looked into the woman’s eyes, her purity and serenity helped calm Riolu down, and he let her place him on a table. He stood on the table, eyeing both people in front of him. The woman gestured for him to turn around, and he did so, straining his neck to keep an eye on them. “What in the-” the Professor said. “I warned you that it would be upsetting, Professor Sycamore. I sent you the MRI images, don’t you remember?” the woman said. “Nurse Joy, it’s one thing to analyze an MRI image, but seeing it in person, it’s-” Professor Sycamore replied. “Ri? Ri-riolu.” Riolu interjected. “Nurse Joy, this finding is unprecedented, and somewhat disturbing. Are you certain you didn’t find any demarcations or branding on any of these?” Professor Sycamore said as he closely examined Riolu’s spinal sockets. “No, Professor, nothing. They’re a completely clean titanium alloy, and considering the wire networks, I’d say it’s impossible to remove them without…” Nurse Joy said. She didn’t finish the sentence, but Riolu knew what she meant all too well. “That is pure tragedy. This poor pokemon…” Professor Sycamore said. Riolu turned back around to look at Joy and Sycamore, wondering what would happen next. Sycamore had a hand on his chin, deep in thought, and Joy was facing him with a forlorn look on her face. “Professor, I fear for Riolu. I fear releasing him as he is would be a death sentence. Also, I don’t want him on the news. Considering what he’s been through, there’s a good chance he’d be taken in for study, and if it’s anything like whatever ended up happening with those sockets, it would be too much.” Nurse Joy said. “I agree…” Sycamore said pensively, “I understand your concerns, Nurse Joy. This development is highly disturbing indeed. If Riolu would let me, I would take him to my lab and let him roam around in the pokemon terrarium there. But like you said, Riolu is probably highly averse to lab environments after what happened to him.” “I simply don’t know what to do with him,” Nurse Joy said, turning her gaze to Riolu. Riolu let Nurse Joy pick him up again as the conversation continued. “Your situation is tricky indeed.” Professor Sycamore said.Sycamore extended a hand to stroke Riolu’s head and ears. Riolu nuzzled his hand lightly, he enjoyed it when people gave him a good petting. Sycamore, while petting Riolu, seemed to be studying him visually. His old, wizened face wrapped up in thought regarded Riolu with a sense that he knew something about him that Nurse Joy didn’t. Looking into Sycamore’s eyes, Riolu started to remember. The thing that drove Riolu to this place, the guiding light within the darkness. His feelings of determination started to come back gradually, as Riolu remembered why he ended up here in the first place. Sycamore seemed to pick up on it, as he furrowed his brow in contemplation. “If I may suggest one thing; I know this is counter-intuitive and maybe a little scary, but maybe, just maybe, Riolu needs to be released.” he said. “Professor, forgive me, but I just brought Riolu back from the brink. He’s barely able to stand for long periods. He just woke up from a five day coma. I can’t just put him out in the forest.” Nurse Joy retorted. “Joy, I know it’s a harsh notion. But look in his eyes.” Sycamore said. Joy looked into Riolu’s eyes, and he stared back into her. He still clung to Nurse Joy’s chest, but there was something else intermittently going through Riolu’s mind. Riolu almost forgot, due to the decency and pure kindness Joy had given him. But, the drive to find him was still there. It just took a little while to come back to him. Joy seemed to notice it, but she didn’t know exactly what Riolu was thinking. To Riolu, she only saw determination in his eyes. “Riol-riolu.” Riolu stated. “Riolu,” Joy said. “Nurse Joy, I’ve seen this kind of determination in pokemon before. Riolu is on a mission of his own making. To what end his goals reach, I can’t say. All I know is Riolu has a goal. He seems to be searching for something. Think of it this way, you wouldn’t be releasing Riolu into the wild, you’re simply a stepping stone in his journey. A place to rest, recover, and prepare. You didn’t find him, he just ended up in the right place at the right time.” Sycamore said. Riolu looked at the professor again, and nodded, agreeing with his statement. Joy, on the other hand, thought long and hard about what she was just told. Her expression was slightly pained, like she didn’t want to let go of Riolu. She pet Riolu’s head again, readjusting her hold on him as she was still holding him like a human toddler. “Riolu,” she said, “is this true? Are you trying to find something – someone?” Riolu nodded. Nurse Joy’s expression fell a little further. “I–just don’t want to see you go. I worry for you. Of all the places you could’ve ended up, you happened to end up here in my pokemon center.” she said. “Ri, riolu.” Riolu said, placing a paw on her heart. He looked into Joy’s eyes again, pouring out his determination for her to see. Joy seemed touched by this, as she let a stray tear flow down her face. This tender moment went on for minutes, as Joy finally understood what Riolu’s goal was. Riolu greatly appreciated the kindness Nurse Joy gave him. He had nothing but praise in his heart for her dedication. His paw on her heart was a token of gratitude. The look he gave Joy was a declaration. I must find him. He thought to himself. “Now you see, Joy. Riolu’s heart is set. His mind is absolute.” Sycamore said. Joy shifted her tearful gaze to Sycamore again. “Riolu, and his evolved form, Lucario, are among the most loyal and determined of the pokemon species. It’s likely Riolu made a connection with someone at some point. It may be hard, especially for a stray pokemon in need, but sometimes it’s best to let go.” he said tenderly. Joy focused on Riolu again, who still had his paw over her heart. He opened up his heart, letting all his feelings be bare and known to this kind woman. He only hoped that Joy would see them, and let him go. With his paw still on her heart, Nurse Joy wrapped Riolu up in her embrace. He let her head touch his, hoping his thoughts might mix with hers. He felt tears run between her face and Riolu’s, it was heartbreaking to him. He could sense Sycamore was looking on at the display, a solemn expression across his face. “Riolu, please promise me one thing.” Joy choked as she embraced Riolu. “Ri,” he replied. “Please, please take care of yourself. I know not what happened to you, and I couldn’t hope to understand it. All I want is for you to be safe.” she added, tears freely flowing. “Rio-lu,” Riolu whispered. A feeling overcame both him and Joy, a sense of peace. Riolu seemed to have calmed Joy to the point where her tears stopped flowing. She released her embrace, and she wiped her eyes with her free hand, sniffling slightly. “You’re making the right choice, Joy.” Sycamore said, placing a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. Nurse Joy nodded, as she took Riolu to the front desk and sat him down. She produced a few berries and served them slowly to Riolu, who graciously accepted and ate them. He knew he needed energy and strength to find who he was looking for. After consuming a few berries, he felt steady, and ready for action. Joy smiled, and produced a small pack of berries and pokemon food inside a handkerchief, tying the ensemble around his shoulders and neck like a backpack. Riolu smiled at Nurse Joy, and jumped into her arms again for one last embrace. Outside the pokemon center, Nurse Joy and Professor Sycamore waved Riolu off. He waved back, and started walking into town, following his instincts, and the aura trail of the one human he was looking for. ====================================== –Day three of Riolu’s coma– Katie and Hammond found a clearing in the trees, a spot to check back in with the boss. Wordlessly, Katie reached a hand into her pack to pull out another communication device. She set it down on the ground, and activated it with a touch. Three panels spread out from the surface of the playing card sized device, and a holographic projection materialized at eye level. Windows of program text opened and closed while each system booted up. The twins waited with bated breath as a video call window opened. The call connected, and the ever imposing backlit figure of Giovanni appeared. His face, as always, was hiding in shadow. “Report.” he commanded. “Sir, things are going as planned. The boy has shown signs of significant improvement.” Katie said. “Elaborate.” Giovanni ordered. “Sir, our on-site observations have concluded that his latent abilities have started to manifest themselves. His battlefield and situational awareness is quickly approaching levels that rival professional trainers. One could go as far as to say it’s happening far ahead of schedule.” Hammond stated. Giovanni sat back in his chair, pondering the information relayed to him. “Have you any theories on what could be causing this phenomena?” he asked. “Given our current resources, there can be no definitive answers at this time, sir. We need to keep observing and testing him, as per our orders.” Katie said. Giovanni nodded in acceptance. Suddenly, to the twins’ surprise, one of Giovanni’s secretaries walked into frame, leaned in and whispered something to the boss. The twins stole quick side glances at each other, wondering what this could mean. They immediately got their answer. “Your orders have changed.” Giovanni said. “Sir?” the twins inquired in unison. “I have just been reminded that an asset of ours escaped from one of our research facilities in Kalos a week ago,” he said. The call window shrunk and a 3D projection of the Kalos region took center stage. A blip on the map started blinking red, and two more image windows spread from the blip, revealing an imposing looking secretive structure. It was covered in vines and overgrowth to conceal the contours, and it looked to be made of classic Team Rocket reinforced concrete. It was situated in a heavily forested sector of Kalos, about four days’ journey east on foot from Cyllage City. “This asset is of utmost importance. The facility you see now is where it was contained. For security reasons, I shall not disclose its name, nor inform you of its purpose. Strictly non-classified relevant information will be sent to your communicator. Your orders are to retrieve and re-contain. Locate the asset and return it. In the interim, you may continue to observe and test the boy at your discretion. Am I understood?” Giovanni said. “Sir, yessir.” the twins acknowledged. Giovanni’s call window closed, leaving the twins free to converse amongst themselves. Asset? Katie thought to herself. This was the first time she’d heard of a Team Rocket facility in Kalos, and now she and Hammond had to play courier out of nowhere? This didn’t make sense to her. Just then, a new message chimed in on the communicator. Hammond opened the notification to reveal one document and three images. He read through the document while Katie studied the three images closely. What she saw shocked her. The ‘asset’ as the boss referred to, was a Riolu. From the front it looked indistinguishable from any other. The other two images were a different story. In the side profile and reverse images, Katie saw that there were four pairs of interface sockets that looked to be mounted to its spine. Katie didn’t know what they were used for, but the sight of them made her stomach turn over. What did they do to it? She thought. What is Giovanni working on? “Holy crap,” Hammond exclaimed as he saw the images. Katie saw Hammond had turned pale the moment she looked at him. “Have you seen anything like this?” she asked. Hammond didn’t answer. He just stood there, staring at the third image like he was in a trance. He looked to be breaking out in a cold sweat too. Katie was confused, and starting to get a little scared. “Hey, you ok?” she asked, shaking Hammond’s arm. “This is way bigger than I thought.” Hammond mumbled. His tone suggested he knew something Katie didn’t. Hammond shoved Katie back a foot or two, and this time he was the one to stomp a communicator to pieces. His deathly pale expression never changed. Katie was taken aback, as she was usually the one to destroy their stuff. This came completely out of nowhere. “What’s wrong with you?!” she exclaimed. After taking a few more breaths, and making sure the communicator was utterly pulverized, Hammond apologized. “Katie, we can’t let Team Rocket’s science goons get their hands on Riolu,” he said. “What? What do you mean? I’m lost here!” Katie replied, “What’s so important about that Riolu? Why does it have those weird things in its back? Hammond, tell me!” Hammond’s face regained some color as he gathered himself. He ran a hand through his red hair, and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Katie, there’s something I haven’t told you about Team Rocket,” he said. Katie listened in. She was already tired of the whole ‘brother gone crazy’ shtick. Despite her impatience, she let Hammond continue to gather himself before letting him speak. “Keep in mind, this happened years ago back at the academy, so the details may be fuzzy. You and I may have been the best field agents in our class, but Team Rocket doesn’t just recruit recon and battle agents. They are brilliant scientists. In our class alone, there were loads of science nerds. We may have been the youngest recruits, but they were the smartest. I was paired with a few in our time there. I overheard one or two of them bragging about some secret project the boss was looking to open up. They said something about sleep studies and dreams, it was all Greek to me. But the one thing that stuck out to me was: they said, ‘If we can find a way to jack into a pokemon’s brain, so many possibilities would open up.’ I think those things on Riolu’s back are a part of that.” Hammond said. “No way, you’re serious?” Katie said as she covered her mouth in disgust. “Yup.” he confirmed, “And from the looks of that Riolu, I’d say their experiments are further along than I could’ve imagined. Katie, Riolu is in serious danger if we recapture it. We can’t let those psychos get a hold of it.” “How?” Katie asked, “We were given direct orders to do just that. We need to keep up the illusion we’re still loyal to Giovanni. If we let anything slip…” she said. Her mind trailed off into the many horrible punishments that awaited them if Giovanni found out the twins were traitors. The twins let their shoulders fall. They were in an impossible position now. They wouldn’t let an innocent pokemon be tortured, but they had to keep tricking the boss into thinking they were indispensable. “You shouldn’t have destroyed the communicator, Hammond.” Katie said, “We could’ve leaked the info and made it ten times harder for Giovanni to keep things under wraps.” “Do you know how big a mistake that’d be? We’re the only ones who have that info. If it’s leaked, we’re the first ones to suspect.” Hammond reprimanded. “Oh, yeah,” Katie replied, resigned to her mistake, “But still, we have to let someone know about this. Someone we can trust. Maybe we could–” Hammond’s eyes lit up. A thought popped into his head. His heartbeat accelerated, and he smacked his fist into his palm. He stared into space, letting the idea run its course in his head, going through every possible variable. “What? What is it?” Katie asked. “The timing of it all is a bit weird, don’t you think? I mean, we just delivered a report saying Nick’s abilities are starting to get traction, and now we hear of a Riolu getting loose from a Team Rocket facility. After what I just explained about the scientists, and gathering all the facts together, don’t you think they might be connected?” Hammond pondered. Katie didn’t quite follow, but she heard what Hammond was saying. She listened in some more. “Let’s think. Way back when we received our briefing in April before entering Kalos, we were projecting Nick to start showing signs of his abilities far later than what we’re seeing now. It’s almost like something was unlocked.” Hammond said. “Ok,” Katie replied. “Look at our last encounter. Right after you summoned your Rhydon, Nick knew exactly how to counter it. He even managed to do it with three pokemon at once. His awareness was insane. That was five days ago on the tenth of May. If we go by the boss’s count of a week from today, on the eighth, Riolu escaped. And, going by the calendar, what happened the day of Riolu’s escape?” Hammond asked. “Nick’s Cyllage gym win…” Katie pondered. Hammond revealed his smart watch. He woke it, and tapped on a locator app. A holographic screen projected from the face, and he punched in his credentials, accessing a copy of the document that was sent to them. He pulled an ID code from the document, and plugged it into a search field. The code was accepted, and within seconds a map of Kalos zoomed into the outskirts of Cyllage City, tracking a little blue blip. “No way,” Katie said, her mind fully blown. “Way,” Hammond said, pulling some more programming trickery. He executed a pathfinding algorithm that traced the blip’s previous locations and formed a line. It led more or less straight east, to a point in the forest that would take four days to get to on foot. And the start of the line just so happened to land on the eighth, exactly a week ago. “This is big, Hammond.” Katie said. “You’re telling me.” Hammond said as he deactivated the screen. “Could Nick and Riolu be connected somehow like you said?” Katie posited. “It’s a mighty big coincidence. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to know that’s the case.” Hammond replied. “We may have to accelerate operations.” Katie said. “I don’t disagree. But I get the feeling we just need to be patient, as usual. Nick’s abilities may be starting to show earlier than predicted, but that doesn’t mean he’s able to use them yet.” Hammond declared. “Agreed.” Katie said, folding her arms. “Katie, we’ll reveal ourselves in due time. We just have to push Nick enough that he starts to push the boundaries, then we’ll talk with him. We can’t rush it. If we do, we risk compromising our whole plan, and unleashing something dangerous in the process.” Hammond said.
Pokemon: Vengeful Timelord Chron
Pokemon: Vengeful Timelord Chron Chapter 20Chapter 20The next morning, Blake, Ash, Goh, Dawn, Jon, Laman, Barry, Pikachu, Raichu and Piplup were having breakfast at a restaurant in Viridian City. They were seated near a TV that had the morning news on.“Military officers have occupied Mount Moon shortly after the conclusion of the large-scale Pokemon battle that broke out there yesterday,” the newswoman reported. “Mount Moon will remain off limits to the public until it is deemed safe by military and government officials. As for the prison escapee, Paul, he was turned over to law enforcement officers shortly after being apprehended by a large group of notable Pokemon Trainers, which included the Pokemon Monarch himself, Leon. Paul was immediately transported back to the Neo Alcatraz Correctional Facility where he will serve the rest of his life sentence in solitary confinement under suicide watch. Now for our weekly weather report…”“So, what do you think Mewtwo meant when he said the world would be set to a future that even he couldn’t foresee?” Goh asked.“The future isn’t always knowable, Goh,” Blake answered. “Sure, we can predict certain things that will happen. But for the most part, it’s anyone’s guess.”“Blake’s right,” Ash agreed. “None of us could ever guess we’d be up against a Pokemon that wanted to reset time until he got the timeline he wanted. Now that Chron’s gone and the Grandclock is destroyed, we don’t have to worry about time restarting anymore. We can focus on other things now.”“Like our careers,” Jon replied.“And exploring other regions,” Dawn added.Once everyone finished eating breakfast, they paid for their meals and left the restaurant. It was one of those rare days in Viridian City where the paparazzi wasn’t waiting outside for an impromptu interview with famous Pokemon Trainers.“Well, I should head back to Twinleaf Town,” Barry said. “My dad is probably worried about where I’ve been these past couple of days.”“Mind if I accompany you to Sinnoh, Barry?” Laman requested.“Why do you want to go to Sinnoh, Laman?” Blake asked.“I can’t stay here in Kanto,” Laman explained. “Not after nearly helping Chron reset time. I doubt the people here in Kanto will be kind to me once they hear about it. Also, I’d like to try the Sinnoh League at least once in my career.”“They’ll eventually forgive you, Laman,” Dawn said. “After all, you helped us stop Chron in the end. I can see that you’re trying to change your ways now, which is something Paul never tried to do. You’re not like Paul. There’s good in you.”“I appreciate that, Dawn,” Laman replied. “Still, I’d be more at peace if I left Kanto for a while. It’s part of turning a new leaf. Maybe I’ll come back one day. But for now, my heart is telling me I need to be in Sinnoh.”“Then we won’t stop you,” Blake said. “Good luck in Sinnoh.”“I’ll see you again one day, Blake,” Laman replied.“Let’s go, Laman,” Barry said.Laman and Barry went their way after exchanging handshakes with their friends.“Well, it was nice saving the world with all of you…again,” Jon said. “But, like Laman is doing, I need to get going to another region.”“Kalos,” Blake replied, knowing where Jon was heading.“That’s right, Blake,” Jon confirmed. “I had fun journeying with you through Hoenn. I know we’ll see each other again in the future. I won’t say goodbye. Instead…I’ll see you when I see you.”“Take care, Jon,” Blake said.After exchanging handshakes with Blake, Ash, Goh and Dawn, Jon went his way.“So, it looks like Dawn and I are heading for Alola now,” Blake informed Ash and Goh. “I’m looking forward to battling some of the Trainers down there and, hopefully, becoming Conference Champion in that League as well.”“You’ll win the Manalo Conference Championship, I’m sure of it,” Goh replied.“See you again when I defend the Alola League Championship against you, Blake,” Ash said.“See you there, Ash,” Blake agreed.Blake exchanged handshakes with Ash and Goh. Dawn, on the other hand, gave a high-five to Ash and Goh. Ash, Goh and Pikachu went their way. Blake, Dawn, Raichu and Piplup began their journey toward Alola.“Things are going to be different now,” Blake told Dawn as they, Raichu and Piplup walked out of Viridian City. “I don’t think we’ll ever see our lives the same way again after defeating Chron and his allies.”“I’ve certainly gained a new appreciation for life,” Dawn replied. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all of this, it’s that we should make the best of our lives.”“Indeed, Dawn,” Blake agreed. “We may not know what will happen from this point on, but we do know one thing. Whatever the future holds for us, we will face it together.”The End
Pokemon Ranger - Vengeful Shadows
Pokemon Ranger - Vengeful Shadows chpt 27Chapter Twenty Seven – The Dim Sun Sets pt III “And let’s not forget the THREE LARGE-SCALE missions she had to clear in ONE DAY!!” Hayden shouted lividly at the rather disgraced Professor Hastings and Chairperson Erma as he continued to softly cuddle his trembling wife. “And just how did you compensate her for that one?! Oh, wait, I know; it was ONE DAY OFF, wasn’t it?! JUST. ONE. DAY OFF. For THREE DAYS WORTH OF EXCRUCIATING WORK?!” Sven and Wendy observed the intense discussion between their superiors and Alexa’s distraught and enraged parents silently, choosing not to intervene lest they fan the flames of Hayden and Lily’s wrath. Additionally, between the absolute ferocity in Hayden’s voice and the nature of the discussion itself, Keith, Rhythmi and Isaac felt far too intimidated to include themselves in the meeting again, though Keith couldn’t help but feel remorseful for his earlier outburst as well; Hayden’s recollection of Alexa’s three missions reminded him of being dragged to the open helicopter doors and watching her immediately suffering a severe meltdown the moment she saw him as Heath’s hostage – and considering the physical state she was in at the time, how could he possibly claim Alexa was “fine”?! “I-I understand your grievances, but you must understand the circumstances we were under at the time,” Hastings began as calmly as he could. “With the Yellow Gem in their possession, Team Dim Sun was ready to begin their plans to activate their Incredible Machine and seize possession of Almia’s Pokémon population. If Alexa hadn’t recovered from her three missions when she did, then--” “Did you not have any other Pokémon Rangers you could have called upon?!” Lily abruptly questioned vindictively, glaring at Professor Hastings nastily from her husband’s protective embrace, unnerving him and Chairperson Erma alike. “I’m certain the ones in Vientown would have been willing and able to cover for Alexa!” “After Alexa was rescued, we did call Jack and Kate to assist Sven and Wendy with--” “E-EXCUSE ME!?” Lily cried in horror. “You actually had other Pokémon Rangers that could have backed Alexa up the WHOLE TIME?!” Hayden suddenly yelled furiously, reinforcing his grip on his devastated wife. “Then why didn’t you USE THEM earlier?! Like for – oh, I don’t know – Operation freaking BRIGHTON?! How do you justify not capitalising on your ability to summon other Pokémon Rangers from anywhere else in the world for something as crucial as the world-saving mission ALEXA ALMOST DIED ON?!” Chairperson Erma and Professor Hastings glanced over at each other before avoiding eye contact with Hayden and Lily out of complete remorse and shame, Sven and Wendy watching their defeated superiors worriedly. “Pokémon all over the region were growing more hostile as a result of the Incredible Machine,” Professor Hastings responded quietly, daring to face the vengeful Hayden sombrely. “And most of the additional Pokémon Rangers were arresting Team Dim Sun agents from in and around Altru Inc.’s building. Please, try to understand; I specifically chose the roles the Top Rangers were to play because they had the best chances of success in those roles.” “Then let me pose you another question: why did you assign the most DANGEROUS role to one of the more inexperienced Top Rangers?!” Hayden asked furiously. “Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly proud of what our daughter achieved that night, but surely someone with more experience as a Top Ranger – or just as a Ranger in general – could’ve handled it just as well if not better?!” “Truth be told, Mr. Thorndyke, both Alexa and Keith were originally meant to remain on standby for Operation Brighton in the beginning,” Erma suddenly replied quietly. “However, the Sinis Trio launched an assault against the Ranger Union in order to seize Isaac…and their success in doing so forced the professor to reconsider his original strategy.” “That doesn’t answer my question,” Hayden commented coldly. “Why did Alexa get the most dangerous role?!” “In all fairness, it was a choice between her and Keith, and Keith was just as new to the Top Ranger position as Alexa,” Hastings continued civilly. “Either of them would have been able to fulfil the most important component of Operation Brighton, I have absolutely zero doubts about that…but I ultimately chose Alexa because of her willpower, her unique experiences as a Pokémon Trainer and of Ryder’s battling experience. Yet, even then, considering the reports of what transpired on the rooftop following the Incredible Machine activating its secret Level Dark and Alexa and Ryder’s conditions once we reached them once it was all over…it was quite possibly a miracle Operation Brighton was a success at all…” “Which brings back the glaring question of why in Arceus’s NAME did you NOT want to RESCUE ALEXA WHEN SHE WAS KIDNAPPED?!” Hayden roared irately and despairingly. “If Alexa taking the most important role is the only reason Operation Brighton was successful, why did you HESITATE to HELP HER when she NEEDED IT THE MOST?! And don’t you DARE say it’s because you were being threatened because that ship’s already sailed!!” Professor Hastings and Chairperson Erma suddenly fell silent once again, unable to provide any concrete answers for their reluctance to uphold their promise to keep their Top Rangers safe. However, the longer they remained unresponsive, the angrier and more distraught Hayden and Lily became. “Yeah…that’s what I thought…!” Hayden stated harshly, gently releasing Lily from his embrace. “Then we’re done here.” “Mr. Thorndyke, I don’t think it’s fair to--” “I said we’re done here!” Hayden abruptly snapped at the startled Sven. “I’ve already learned everything I needed to know; all that needs to be done now is for my wife and I to take our daughter home.” “Y-Yes, of course, but we must discuss what will happen next,” Erma suddenly said worriedly. “We will discuss that with Alexa as her parents!” Hayden quickly shouted furiously at Chairperson Erma. “I still need to decide if it’s even worth making a claim for financial compensation for all of the pain Alexa had to suffer through, but I definitely have half a mind to forbid her from EVER returning to work, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THAT’S WHAT SHE WANTS OR NOT!!” With those haunting remarks, Hayden and Lily stormed out of the Conference Room and left Professor Hastings and Chairperson Erma utterly astonished and ashamed. Horrified, Keith immediately pursued the irate parents with a panicking Rhythmi and Isaac hurrying behind him, Buizel, Apollo and Ophelia catching up with their human companions. “H-Hayden, w-wait!!” Keith called frantically. The Conference Room doors closed just behind Rhythmi and Isaac, leaving Professor Hastings and Chairperson Erma with a severely concerned Sven and Wendy behind to process Hayden’s threats.*** Ryder stared down the basement corridor with his excitement growing more and more as a fulfilled and relatively relaxed Alexa made her way back to him, her hair still running freely from when she undid her braid to help Kincaid feel comfortable enough to talk to her properly. She gave Ryder a gentle smile and softly stroked his head when she reached the cell he waited by, though her altered appearance and the distinct lack of accompanying Salamence alarmed the nearby Sinis Trio, Lavana in particular staring at Alexa’s hair in awe. Ice, however, subtly broke the silence with a light chuckle. “Hey there, you haven’t seen Alexa anywhere, have you?” he questioned teasingly. “Oh, haha, very funny,” Alexa replied playfully. “I did what I thought would help Kincaid open up to me and it worked.” “That’s the important thing. Thanks, princess,” Ice said gratefully with a warm smile. “Alexa, seriously…your hair is amazing…! Is that why it’s always braided up? To keep it tamed?” Lavana asked gleefully. “N-No, I can wear it like this whenever; I just kept it braided up for work and sleeping.” “W-Where Salamence?” Heath suddenly asked in confusion. Alexa turned her gentle smile towards him, Ice and Lavana as she simply pulled the high-gloss Poké Ball from her pocket and held it up in front of them in response to Heath’s enquiry. “You actually caught him?” Lavana asked in shock. “Y-Yeah, but it actually feels more like Kincaid gave him to me,” Alexa replied with a small, bashful chuckle as she pocketed the posh Poké Ball again. “It was his idea…” “Given everything that’s happened over the last few days, I don’t think he’ll wanna be anywhere near a Dragon-type ever again,” Ryder said sheepishly. “If that turns out to be the case, I can’t say I’d blame him,” Ice responded casually. “T-That’s kind of how I feel about Grimmsnarl, to be honest,” Alexa replied somewhat sadly, confusing the Sinis Trio and instantly worrying Ryder. “I-I know not all Grimmsnarl are bad, but--” “THEN WHERE WERE YOU?!” Hayden’s wrathful shouting suddenly echoed down the basement corridor and immediately alarmed Alexa, Ryder and the Sinis Trio; they all looked in the direction of the basement’s entrance and flinched as the rage-filled roaring continued. “WHERE WERE YOU WHEN MY DAUGHTER NEEDED HELP?!” “Ay, he still in much anger,” Heath quietly commented worriedly. “I not blame him, but…estoy preocupado por él.” “I-I’m sorry, I should go now,” Alexa suddenly stated anxiously as she faced the Sinis Trio again. “I-I’ll come back to see you off properly, but right now I need to help my dad calm down…!” “Go for it, princess,” Ice replied understandingly. “Take care.” “Y-You too, thank you,” Alexa replied hastily, giving the trio a quick courteous bow before rushing down the corridor and out of the basement, Ryder smiling and quickly waving his goodbye to Ice, Heath and Lavana before racing after her. “THE WHOLE TIME YOU COULD HAVE--” It didn’t take long for Alexa or Ryder to leave the basement, but Hayden’s irate yelling continued to reach the Sinis Trio, who couldn’t help but listen to the furious father’s venting with mild fear. “So…she gets it from her dad then,” Ice suddenly commented, his nonchalant tone carrying a small hint of dread behind it. “The Applin doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it…?” By the time Alexa and Ryder returned to the Ranger Union’s main lobby, they found Hayden directing his anger towards the severely spooked Jack, Lily trying to calm him down and Keith attempting to attract Hayden’s attention while Rhythmi and Isaac tried to prevent him from doing so. Buizel, Apollo and Ophelia crouched behind their human partners out of slight fear of Hayden’s ire, while Jack’s Chatot didn’t seem to be bothered by it in the slightest; he just roosted on Jack’s shoulders and observed the interactions in front of him without a care in the world. “L-Listen, I-I don’t know what I can tell you,” Jack began, smiling nervously at Hayden and speaking as calmly as he possibly could. “I didn’t know what had happened until I was called here to investigate the oilrig for any evidence--” “THEY DIDN’T THINK TO SEND THAT KIND OF TEAM IMMEDIATELY AFTER MY DAUGHTER WAS BROUGHT BACK HERE SAFELY!?” Hayden shouted furiously. “Oh, this just keeps getting worse by the SECOND, DOESN’T IT?!” “Hayden, please, try to calm down!” Lily cried desperately. “I’m as upset about all of this as you are, but we’re done for now!” “For now, Lily, but I don’t think I’ll let this GO until--” “Dad!!” As if by some sort of magic, Hayden’s burning rage was finally extinguished in immediate response to Alexa’s call; he turned towards her just in time to see her rushing towards him and caught her when she threw herself at him for a cuddle – he held onto Alexa as close to him as he could without causing further injury to her arm, stroking her hair slowly and softly. Alexa, meanwhile, held her free hand at the back of her father’s head, his cocoa brown hair running through her fingers. “Lexie…! …I’m sorry, sweetie, I-I--” “I know, Dad,” Alexa quickly replied in a gentle whisper. “It’s okay…” Jack sighed in relief as the heated atmosphere in the lobby finally faded away, but Alexa’s arrival concerned Keith even more, especially when she hadn’t noticed his presence; he wasn’t sure if she was still upset with him or if she simply hadn’t actually seen him yet. “Ready to go home, sweetie?” Lily asked gently. “Yeah,” Alexa responded softly. “Heck yeah!” Ryder added excitedly, his tail beginning to wag uncontrollably. “I’ve been ready to get away from this place since before Kincaid crashed the party!” “Wait, y-you’re going now?!” Keith asked in horror. “Why’s that such a shock to you?” Isaac questioned, worriedly and suspiciously. “We knew she was going to be going home today!” “What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?” Rhythmi asked warily. “W-What about that thing you said in the Conference Room?!” Keith questioned Hayden frantically, ignoring Isaac and Rhythmi’s concerns. “I said a lot of things in the Conference Room, so you’re going to have to be more specific,” Hayden replied cautiously. While Hayden and Alexa glanced over at Keith, Hayden still gently holding onto Alexa, Lily took a pink Poké Ball with a darker pink spot on the top and a purple pattern on the bottom and opened it near her husband and daughter; the Pokémon that was released from the Poké Ball was a Gardevoir with long celadon hair that ran down to her shoulder blades, burnt orange eyes and fin-like horn and a green and pink marble of some kind embedded in a silver bracelet worn around its left wrist. “About forcing Alexa to QUIT!” Keith cried anxiously, alarming Alexa and Ryder. “Y-You don’t really mean that, do you?!” “Don’t test me,” Hayden cautioned firmly, glaring angrily at Keith. “I’m not in the mood.” “But y-you can’t! Y-You can’t make her quit, c-can you?! Alexa, tell him!! Tell him he CAN’T MAKE YOU QUIT!!” Alexa stared at Keith in shock at first, but slowly averted her eyes from him sadly, as if to refuse his desperate plea. Leaving Keith in greater shock and dismay than when she called out his hypocrisy in their dorm room, she glanced over at Jack curiously. “Jack, c-can you check on how Kincaid’s doing…?” she asked nervously, shocking Hayden and Lily. “I-I dunno for sure, but h-he might be ready to re-join the Sinis Trio…? M-Maybe…?” “It’s worth a check,” Jack replied reassuringly. “Leave it with me.” “Thank you.” “No worries. Safe travels!” Jack responded cheerfully as he walked over to the open doorway and ventured into the basement. “Ready to go?” Lily asked Hayden and Alexa sweetly. “Yep,” Hayden replied quickly as Alexa nodded in response. “Alexa!? C-C’mon, say something!” Keith cried desperately. “You’re not going to let that slide, are you?!” “Keith, I--…I don’t want to get into that right now…I-I just wanna go home…!” “Me too, Lexie…” “You heard them, Amara,” Lily suddenly said softly to her Gardevoir. “Let’s go home.” “Gladly,” the Gardevoir replied in a soft and soothing telepathic voice. “Alexa, wait--” But Keith’s latest attempt to protest was thwarted just as quickly as he began to speak; Amara held her arms out as her eyes shone in a bright multi-coloured aura that immediately surrounded her, Ryder, Alexa and her parents for no more than two seconds before they all instantaneously vanished into thin air, leaving Keith, Isaac and Rhythmi to mull over Hayden’s devastating threat and Alexa’s disturbing refusal to acknowledge it with dread.*** Kincaid was still sitting on the lower bunk bed in peace by the time Jack quietly approached his cell; he was mildly surprised to see a little smile on Kincaid’s face at first, but his own smile soon returned as he spoke up softly. “How’re you doing there, mate?” “My plans for Team Debonairs have been shattered before they could even take off properly and now I’m incarcerated in the very establishment I threatened to destroy…yet…taking the time to reflect and to simply enjoy the silence around me has been highly cathartic…” “Silence, huh? So you couldn’t hear Alexa’s dad raging up a storm just now?” Jack asked curiously. “No, I haven’t,” Kincaid replied, looking over at Jack in confusion. “Though if what you said is true, then I can hardly blame him; any decent parent would be upset if they found out their child was in jeopardy – especially the kind I’ve put Alexa through. …is that why you’re here then? To ask if I’ve heard a father’s wrath from all the way down here?” “Nah, I’m here to give you a welfare check,” Jack said cheerfully. “It’s clear you’re in better spirits now, but I’d like to take a look at your arm while I’m at it if that’s okay?” “Uh, by all means,” Kincaid replied with a nod. Jack quickly opened the cell door with a key he pulled out of his pocket and approached Kincaid; he gestured for Kincaid to remain seated and began to very carefully pull his arm out of the sling, slowly pulled the damaged sleeve back to reveal the bandages around his arm – he watched curiously and with slight dread as Jack began to slowly unwrap the bandages. “At least you got treated quickly,” Jack suddenly said casually. “That’s always a good thing.” “Alexa had a first aid kit with her the whole time,” Kincaid replied quietly. “…and asked her Raichu for the rest of her medical supplies…” “Can’t say she wasn’t prepared then,” Jack chuckled. “Then again, if nothing else, Pokémon Trainers have to be prepared in case they need to heal one of their Pokémon so far away from a Pokémon Centre.” Jack managed to unravel enough of the bandages to see all of Kincaid’s injuries; there were two deep bite marks on his forearm, but Jack very gently raised Kincaid’s arm to see the other two bite marks on his inner forearm – while Kincaid recoiled at the sight of the marks, Jack was relieved that none of them were bleeding. “Looks like they’re healing nicely,” he said reassuringly, carefully lowering Kincaid’s arm and slowly re-wrapping the bandages around the injuries. “I’ll cover them back up for now and put fresh bandages on ‘em later.” “I-If you insist,” Kincaid replied awkwardly. “…I’m…lucky none of the teeth pierced a vein…a-according to one of the Vientown Rangers, anyway…” “I’d agree with that.” “…then again, I’m lucky to even be alive…” “Wanna talk about it?” Jack offered kindly. “I’m all ears.” “It--…it felt strange…going from loathing someone enough to want to kid--…t-to neutralise for the second time to--…to caring about her welfare the same way she cared so much about mine… Truth be told, had it not been for the Pokémon she brought with her, that Hydreigon would’ve been the death of me…” “I getcha; Kate and I were in a bit of a bind thanks to a couple of your goons sharing a Venusaur, but the Persian and Decidueye that came to our rescue were Alexa’s Pokémon,” Jack said understandingly. “Yes, I’ve seen them; she summoned them and told them to find and protect Heath before confronting me with her Charizard,” Kincaid replied with a soft smile. “…which makes that the second time she’s helped him…” “The first time being with Dark Void, right? Heath told us about it during yesterday’s meeting,” Jack explained gently. “I don’t know much about it, but it must’ve been a big deal if it made him betray you like that.” “Alexa nearly succumbed to it herself, and from how she described it to us, I…completely understand Heath’s betrayal,” Kincaid said with a heavy sigh. “…I’ve…treated him badly since I took control of Team Dim Sun…him, Ice and Lavana… …that’s…another thing I regret…” “It’s okay, you can patch things up with ‘em,” Jack said reassuringly as he carefully pulled Kincaid’s sleeve down. “There we go. How does your shoulder feel?” “My shoul—ah…it-it feels better…” “Does it hurt to move?” “N-No, I don’t believe so,” Kincaid replied awkwardly, glancing over at his shoulder while he began to slowly move it around. “No, it-it’s fine now.” “Good, then this can come off now,” Jack responded happily, quickly proceeding to untie and remove Kincaid’s sling. “There; looking good!” “I suppose so…? …thank you…” “No problem,” Jack replied with a wink, flinging the discarded sling onto his free shoulder. “Oh yeah, can’t forget the real question: do you wanna be with your buddies now?” “Buddies!” Chatot suddenly squawked merrily. “What…?! W-Why are you asking me that?” Kincaid questioned in shock. “You mean aside from the improvement in your mood?” Jack asked playfully. “Alexa thought you might be ready to reunite with them, that’s all.” Kincaid stared at Jack in shock before smiling gently at him, touched that Alexa still showed concern for him even after she left. He took a deep breath before he stood up, stretched his back a little and finally gave Jack a single nod for his answer. Jack smiled and nodded back at Kincaid before escorting him out of the cell, quickly closing and locking it behind them before venturing down the corridor together. By the time Jack and Kincaid quietly approached the Sinis Trio’s cell, Heath, Ice and Lavana had settled down and were smiling and laughing as Tinkaton proudly showed off her hammer, her presence in the cell surprising Kincaid. It wasn’t until Jack opened the cell door that Heath, Ice and Lavana finally turned their attention to him, delighted to see the slightly nervous Kincaid slowly making his way inside the cell. “You sure you don’t want to change your mind?” Jack asked worriedly. “No, I’ll be alright,” Kincaid answered calmly. “Thank you.” Jack simply nodded in response, locked the cell door behind Kincaid and made his way out of the basement. Kincaid waited for Jack’s footsteps to disappear in their entirety before taking yet another deep breath and facing his subordinates apprehensively. “I-I’m sorry,” he began earnestly, immediately preventing Ice from speaking up first. “I’ve treated all three of you horribly since I took charge…and…I deeply regret it…” “I…wouldn’t say horribly, but…it’s all water under the bridge by now, don’t worry about it,” Ice responded reassuringly. “For me, it was more the attitude more than the actual words you used, if that makes sense,” Lavana said timidly. “It does; the context in which words are spoken is what gives them the power of meaning,” Kincaid replied understandingly before glancing over at Heath. “Heath, I…I must apologise to you most of all; I should have listened to your concerns and questioned why you didn’t want us to ki--hurt Alexa instead of labelling you as a traitor for not wanting Team Dim Sun to live on as Team Debonairs…” “It maybe my blame too,” Heath responded sadly. “I not telling you of Alexa saving my life because I not thinking you believe me, but I maybe…should have all same…?” “I’m afraid I don’t know if I would have believed you if you did,” Kincaid said regretfully. “We were talking about this before Alexa visited us; if he said something, I would’ve asked her when I went to ‘pick her up’,” Ice suddenly explained gently, turning Kincaid’s attention towards him. “Still not sure what I would’ve done if she confirmed it, but I would’ve asked nonetheless.” “Considering how much of a shock it was for us to hear when she told us about it earlier today, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d ended up abandoning the mission altogether,” Kincaid sighed. “I would’ve hated you doing that at first, but if Heath’s claims were indeed corroborated, well…I can’t say I would’ve known what to do with that information either… Regardless, I shouldn’t have mistreated any of you…and…I sincerely apologise…” “I’m just happy to have you back with us, big man,” Ice said gently. “And I see you’re not wearing your sling anymore.” “Y-Yes, my shoulder’s feeling better now,” Kincaid replied, carefully and slowly rubbing his right shoulder. “And my arm’s not far behind.” “Thank Arceus,” Lavana sighed with relief. “I was so scared when Hydreigon held you up like that…!” “All of us were,” Kincaid chuckled nervously. “I’m honestly grateful for everyone’s help, so…Ice, Lavana…thank you.” “You’re welcome,” Ice replied kindly. “I’m glad I could help,” Lavana responded cheerfully. “I-I just happy you doing better,” Heath said with a soft smile. “I not seeing you so calm before…” “Yeah, it’s almost like you’re a completely different person!” Lavana added gleefully. “I mean, I love it – you have an adorable smile – but it’s still kinda weird to see after knowing you as an angry git for so long! Uh, n-no offence…” “None taken; if anything, you put it almost too kindly,” Kincaid replied with a brief, light-hearted chuckle. “I just hope I never revert back to being the man I was before today…” “I’m sure we can make sure of that,” Ice replied with a wink. “We’re not your subordinates anymore, but we’re still your friends.” “And I’m genuinely grateful you still consider yourselves as such even after how I mistreated you,” Kincaid said graciously. “…thank you; I’m…I’m truly happy to be with all three of you…” “TIN-KA!!” Kincaid suddenly looked down at Tinkaton in confusion, only to see her showing off her hammer to him, carefully swinging it around, twirling it in her hand and even cuddling it while looking up at him merrily. “Tin-ka!!” “I-I never truly noticed it before, but isn’t that…?” “Yup; Tinkaton made her hammer from Gigaremo parts,” Ice said with a chuckle. “Gotta say, it looks really cool.” “Tinkaton use what metal they find in wild, which not always good in state,” Heath explained as he smiled lovingly at Tinkaton. “Metal used for Gigaremo, is new, so Tinkaton hammer is in best state.” Tinkaton continued to stare at Kincaid in anticipation, as if expecting some form of feedback or simple praise from him. After a few moments of slightly awkward silence, Kincaid smiled gently at Tinkaton and chuckled a little. “It’s beautiful.” “Kaaaaaaaa…!” Filled to the brim with pride and joy, Tinkaton cuddled her hammed again, spinning around and giggling with absolute glee from Kincaid’s simple yet meaningful compliment. As she happily ran over to Heath and jumped up at him for a cuddle that he was more than happy to give, Kincaid smiled brightly, the darkness in his heart finally fading away once and for all…To be continued…
Pokemon: Heart and Mind
Wanted - A Pokemon Colosseum Nuzlocke
Wanted! - A Pokemon Colosseum Nuzlocke - Page 236 by YumeYukimenokoTsuki
Friendship is Harmony: LEGENDS
Pokemon: Legends of Magic
Pokemon Insurgence: Dark and Light DD
Pokemon Insurgence Dark and Light DD chpt.4 pg.06 by Kiritost
The Tale of Twin Hearts
The Tale of Twin Hearts (Remastered) - Ch1, Page 1Chatot never ceases to amaze me..., The Tale of Twin HeartsChapter 1: An Unusual Adventure Begins(Page 1), "WHAT!?"A Chatot started squawking and flapping his winging spastically to the point that I thought he was going to explode. Honestly, I'm not sure why he was so surprised, but the way he was acting, It seemed this place didn't get as many offers as I thought."A Chikotira, a Shinx, and a Buneary. What a trio. Hmm, Let me have a good look at you three..."Slowly, the Chatot looks at each one of us. First, he looked at the Chikorita, then the Shinx. As soon as he looked at me, he paused and squinted. He looked at me as if I didn't belong; He wasn't wrong. The only thing that had me worried was that he spent so much time staring me down, I was starting to get uncomfortable. What was he looking for?"...Alright, well, pardon me for my behavior," He said, straightening his posture. "My name is James Aerostine, but please, call me "Chatot". I am the Assisting Guildmaster and Head of Intel of the Wigglytuff Guild. If you have not heard about this establishment by now, we recruit Pokemon willing to dedicate themselves as Explorers and Rescuers, but I'm sure you know that by now. That's why you came here, isn't it? Now, please, head over to the Guildmaster. He's in his room over there. If you want to address him properly, call him 'Wigglytuff', alright?"Entering the room, a Wigglytuff stood at the other end, smiling brightly, almost as if he was anticipating us. Walking up to him, he too looked at each one of us."Hiya! Welcome to the Wigglytuff Guild! Before I go any further with the recruitment process, may I please have your names and can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Let's start with you," Pointing at the Shinx.The Shinx cleared his throat nervously and begins introducing himself."H-Hi, My name is Pumpkin and...I...uh, I...I'm a-I'm a Hu- ""He's a friend of mine. He isn't usually this nervous, but I guess with all the new faces, he can't help himself," The Chikorita said quickly, covering the Shinx's mouth. With us knowing what he is (or used to be) and the fact that he lost his memory, I'd say that was quick thinking on her part."Oh! Well no worries, the Pokemon here are very friendly. I'm sure you'll feel right at home in no time!" Wigglytuff chuckled. Turning around, Wigglytuff started fumbling around before turning back to us. "Okay, what about you?"Wigglytuff points to the Chikorita."My name is Miya. I am a Chikorita, of course, heh, and I am from the Islands of the Grand Sea," She said, her tone rather confident."Grand Sea? Wow, that's far! Still, it's quite the treat for the daughter of the famous explorers Nina and Blue to be here. A natural leader.""...!? Wha-?! Wait, how did you-"Wigglytuff waved his paw dismissively before Miya could finish."We used to be friends years ago, including your adopted father. You could say I'm a family friend," Wigglytuff giggled.Miya sat there with a shocked look on her face "Wow..."Once again, Wigglytuff turned around and started fumbling around before turning back to us. It made me curious as to what was behind his back..."...Alright! Now, what about you?" He said, pointing to me.""Oh, uh, My name is Liloxi. I'm from Blizzard Island and-""Wait." He said, cutting me off. His cheerful expression disappears as he narrows his eyes at me. "Did you say 'Liloxi?'""Y-yeah, how come? Have you heard of me?""...Nope!" He said going back to his cheerful expression. I just think it's a cool name! You all have very interesting names!"All I could do is look at him confused before turning to the others. They had the same looks on their face too."Okay~! I have something for you all." Turning around one last time, Wigglytuff fumbled around, once again. When he turned back to us, he had three scarves in his paws. From there, he gave one to each one of us."Welcome to the Guild!""WOW!" Miya exclaimed, staring at her scarf. Excitement was written all over her face as she sat and tied the scarf around her head. I always thought the scarves went around your neck since just about every explorer or rescuer I've seen (including the Pokemon here) had it around their necks, but who am I to judge? I didn't want the thing around my neck anyways.Carefully, I took the scarf and tied it around my waist. It would have been a disaster if it got tangled in this...mess my mother calls "Fur". Pumpkin on the other hand tied it around his leg which was probably easier for him to access."Looking good!" Wigglytuff smiled. "Now that you are members, you will be able to begin your training as explorers. Chatot will be outside the room waiting for you. He should have an assignment for you three."An Assignment!?" Miya's eyes lit up, hardly able to contain her excitement. "Pumpkin, Liloxi, let's go!"Exiting the room, Chatot stood at the door and nearly fell over as we all rushed out. Catching himself, he dusted his feathers off and squawked as he saw us. He studied us, giving us a judgemental look before shaking his head profusely."What an odd bunch..." He mumbled. "Those scarves aren't supposed to be worn that way. The Guildmaster actually let you three out of the room looking like that?""Yeah, What's wrong with it?" Pumpkin said, looking at all of our scarves."Well, it's just..." Chatot took a quick glance at the other members. Each of them was at their post, hard at work, and enjoying it too. Chatot sighed, "Nothing. Nothing at all. Now, I'm sure you heard by now, but I do have an assignment for you three. Recently we got a report that a local Spoink lo-""Chatooot~, you gave the other recruits that one alreeeeady~!" Wigglytuff said from the room, almost as if he was singing. Since there wasn't a door (At least from what I saw), I'm sure Wigglytuff heard us the entire time."Wha-Guildmaster! Are you Eavesdropping?""Nooooo~," He said in a teasing manner. Obviously, he was, and judging by the annoyed look on Chatot's face, it was also obvious that the Guildmaster did this plenty of times before. "Besides, don't you have something better than that for them? Like...you know...""What!? Guildmaster! Please! That mission is Rank A. These children just got here!""We're not kids..." I grumbled."Oh Hush, you're kids to me." Chatot snapped before turning his attention back to the Guildmaster. "As I was saying, don't you think that's a bit...much?""Nah, I'm sure they can handle it." The Guildmaster said in a confident tone. I wasn't sure what a "Rank A" Mission was or how tough it was either, but if Chatot was freaking out about it, it probably wasn't a walk in the park."Guildmaster, but...""No buts Chatot, they can handle this!""...Sigh, fine," Chatot said, giving in before turning to us. His expression? Serious, much more than before."You three, Listen up and listen carefully. An hour from here is a territory known to be controlled by a pack of wild Poochyhenas. Their leader: a Mightyhena. The territory itself has been noted, but mostly unexplored due to most of our member and non-member explorers being too afraid of either the high volcanic activity or the vicious attacks, leaving some of them severely wound but alive. What's worse, we got a report that the pack recently attacked one of our stations before ransacking a nearby town. They were even bold enough to kidnap someone; a Traveller, unaffiliated with us. We need you to rescue them. The question is, though, are you up for the task? It's alright if you say-""Yes!" Miya shouted before anyone could protest. "We'll do it."Chatot blinked. "A-Are you sure?""I guess, I'm not sure if we'll succeed, but I'm willing to give it a shot," Pumpkin nodded."Yeah. I don't mind a challenge," I said, responding after."Wow...you three ARE an odd bunch. You remind me of the last two recruits that just joined not too long ago." Chatot said, scratching his head with his feathers.After hearing about the recruits again, Miya gave Chatot a curious look. "Hey Chatot, I remember you said something about recruits before us. did they join recently?""Yes, but that's another matter. I'm sure by the time you get back, you'll meet them. Now get going! And here, take this bag with you, it's yours to keep. Usually, we don't give this until after the first or second mission, but I have a feeling it'll be helpful. Inside, you'll find a badge for each one of you and one to represent the team, along with some supplies."Handing the bag to Miya, she opened it and took out the badge, handing one to each of us. Searching some more, she finds our Team Badge and stares at it intently. "This is amazing, We're a real team now.""Quite amazing indeed, But you just started so you're only "Normal Rank". You can increase it by doing missions such as the one I just gave you, but you guys must complete them for that to happen, so get going! There's a life on the line, mind you!"Awesome! Are you guys ready?""Yeah!" Pumpkin and I said simultaneously."Let's go!", {~?~}(After the three exits the Guild, Chatot ponders for a moment, looking around the 2nd floor of the Guild. Coming to a conclusion, he heads for the exit as well, not before being stopped by Wigglytuff.)"You're going to go follow them, aren't you."(Chatot looks down and sighs then gives him a worried look.)"Guildmaster, I'm not going to stop them. In fact, I, too believe they can handle it. However...It's just...""You noticed too, didn't you," Wigglytuff said in a soft tone."Yes, faintly. I'm not sure how or which child it came from, but I have a hunch and I'm sure you do as well. However, that Buneary...(Chatot looks towards the Exit again.)"...I just need to keep an eye on him."(As he tries to leave, Wigglytuff stops him once again.)"Chatot, hold on for a moment."(Briefly going back into the room, Wigglytuff emerges with a bag in his hand and a badge. Both the bag and the badge were a bit worn, as if it's seen some fights, but held together pretty well.) "Don't forget your stuff.""But I'm only-" Chatot stops himself and smiles. "Right, Thank you Guildmaster-no, thank you, Joy.""Anytime! Be safe. Send a signal or teleport to me if something goes wrong."Of course, Joy"(Hugging him, Wigglytuff smiles confidently and sees Chatot off before heading back to his room.)
Titanic
Titanic Chapter 3After being personally greeted by Captain Drake, Mivashkama, Morfious, Oleana, Serena, and Molly headed straight for their suite on B Deck. Mivashkama thought it silly to bother saying goodbye to primarily second or third class people at the dock when there was much to unpack. The officer at the dock proved worthy of the tip Mivashkama gave with the luggage already at their suite and a few men awaiting orders on where to put them. Morfious began ordering the staff where everything went on his master's behalf. Meanwhile, Mivashkama, Oleana, and Serena went to their respective bedrooms to unpack their personal things. Molly went with Serena to help her unpack. Serena couldn't deny that the rooms were very fancy, with fine wooden walls, and fancy furniture. Still, she wished Oleana had kept her collection of paintings and family portraits so she could personalize the rooms and give them color.Serena and Molly had just finished unpacking when Oleana came in without knocking, her eyes instantly on Serena. “Serena, we're meeting Mivashkama’s business partners for lunch in 20 minutes,” Oleana announced. “Molly, have her changed into her new yellow spring dress.”“Yes, ma'am,” Molly said. Oleana left, closing the door behind her before she could see Serena give her a cold look. Serena couldn't deny that she was hungry as neither of them had eaten since the night before, but she wasn't thrilled about eating with her fiance's partners, who she assumed were just as uptight and self-centered as he was. With a huff, Serena turned around to face her bed to allow Molly to change into her spring dress. As far as dresses go back then, it was an acceptable or modern type of yellow becoming of a lady of first class. In Serena's eyes, it was the ugliest thing she had ever seen, much less worn. In fact, anything Oleana bought with the stimulus Mivashkama gave her, even for her own wardrobe, was ghastly to Serena regardless if it was the latest trend. Serena would have preferred that she choose her own clothes. Still, whenever she brought it up with Oliana before leaving Viridian City, Oleana would claim superiority by reminding Serena that she was the head of the family. Only her choices mattered for their survival. In times like this, Serena began to wonder what her father saw in Oleana as a wife and a stepmother, Lord, rest his soul. With her new dress on, Serena exited her bedroom to find Mivashkama and Oliana waiting for her. Mivashkama wore a clean black suit with a maroon vest and white bow tie, and Oleana was wearing a green dress with white, bushy sleeves. Serena resisted the urge to squirm at the sight of her stepmother's dress which she thought was tacky at best, as Mivashkama took her hand. Molly and Morfious bowed to Mivashkama and Oleana as their employers, and Serena exited the cabin. Oleana and Serena followed Mivashkama to the Grand Staircase, where they went down the steps to the first-class dining saloon on D Deck. The saloon was already filled with other first-class passengers, many of whom were chatting more than they were eating their lunch. Men talked about business, women gossiped, and some just listened and made the occasional response out of respect. There was a band playing calm, classical music by the windows. No one seemed to have paid any mind to them, but the band seemed content to play. Mivashkama guided the women to a table at the center of the dining saloon, where three people were already seated. Two were men in fine gray suits. The oldest was a tan man in his 40s with streaks of gray hair. His suit contained a red vest, a green tie, and gold cufflinks with the words M.C. etched on them. The second man was in his 30s and had short brown hair. His suit contained a purple vest and tie with silver cufflinks. Sitting next to him on the right side of the table was a woman also in her 30s with long, curly peach hair wearing a pink and dark red dress. The tan man sat on the left end of the table with a glass of brandy in his left hand while the younger man and the woman were locked in conversation. The older man stared at the menu until he noticed Mivashkama, Oleana, and Serena walking over to them. “There you are, Mivashkama,” he said. “I was getting so hungry that I was beginning to think we should order without you.”“Apologies, Rose. It took a while to get settled in,” Mivashkama said. “Ladies, this is Chairman Rose. He is the head of Macro Cosmos. Rose, this is my fiancee, Serena.”“Ah, yes. Your fiancee. Congratulations to the both of you,” Chairman Roe said before turning to Oleana. “And you must be her mother. Am I right, madam?”For a few seconds, Oleana stared at Chairman Rose with her cheeks turning a subtle shade of red. Mivashkama and Serena looked at her confused as Oleana stared as though the chairman was a dashing man half her age looking at her with a devil-may-care grin. Finally, Oleana realized she was staring for too long, and her blush grew as she cleared her throat. “Stepmother, actually, but please call me Oleana,” she said. Chairman Rose chuckled and gently took Oleana's hand to kiss it. “Well then, enchanté, Oleana," he said.Oleana giggled, feeling like a schoolgirl blushing over her crush. Mivashkama and Serena looked at each other, silently agreeing that Oleana's demeanor was odd. The brown-haired man and the peach-haired woman noticed Chairman Rose was out of his seat and stood up to greet the people he was talking to. The chairman noticed them coming and let go of Oleana's hand. "Ah, yes. Further instructions are in order," he said. "Allow me to introduce Macro Cosmo's Master Shipbuilder, Timothy Durbin, and Archeologist Sonia Magnolia."In case it isn't clear, dear reader, the second person introduced was my Aunt Sonia. History acknowledges Aunt Sonia as the Heroine of the Titanic, but her spirit would haunt me to my grave if I didn't say there's more to remember than her deeds during and after the sinking. Aunt Sonia was the granddaughter of a well-renowned historian in the Galar region, who was a good friend of Chairman Rose. When Titanic was on its maiden voyage, Aunt Sonia had been an archeologist for four years despite women not commonly allowed to have such occupations and spent time in Kanto searching for ruins of the lost city of Pokémopolis. In the third year of her expedition, she found the lost city south of Pallet Town and made a name for herself. You might have heard that another female archeologist named Dr. Eve found the lost city, but history has proven that Dr. Eve tried to take credit for many archeologist discoveries at the time. She claimed to have found Pokémopolis while Aunt Sonia and her team were doing all the work. Still, the evidence shows that Aunt Sonia, as she lovingly put it to me growing up, beat that "good-for-nothing, stiff-necked, self-important wanton" by several days. As a reward, Chairman Rose ensured Sonia was given a first-class ticket when she decided to go back to Galar to report her findings, where her occupation would land her a second-class ticket at best. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Herløv,” Aunt Sonia said with a cheerful smile. “And congratulations to you and your fiancee on your engagement.”“Thank you kindly, Sonia, and please just call me Mivashkama. Any friend of Rose and Timothy's is a friend of mine,” Mivashkama said with a smile. “All right, Mivashkama, it is,” Aunt Sonia said. Serena looked at Mivashkama with a hint of concern, still feeling his cheerful demeanor hollow. Her thoughts were interrupted when the brown-haired man stepped up in front of her. “Begging your pardon, madam, but you look familiar,” Timothy said. “By any chance, would you happen to be Serena Yvonne, the performer?”Serena's eyes glimmered as she looked at Timothy, surprised. “Yes, I am,” she answered. Timothy's curious look turned into a warm smile as he held Serena's hands up. “Well, I’ll be doggone. I'm an admirer of your dancing, my lady,” he said. “I was at one of your performances in Vermillion City with a few colleagues. From the bottom of my heart, I never seen such beautiful dancing."“Oh, thank you. I'm happy to hear that, Mr. Durbin,” Serena said.“Yes, yes, Serena was a nice dancer,” Oleana said. “However, since Serena will be a lady when married to Lord Herløv, she will not be partaking in any more performances.”“Really? That's a shame to hear,” Timothy said, his smile weakening. “Surely you have seen your fiancee perform yourself, Mivashkama.”“No, and there is no need,” Mivashkama said. “And I would appreciate it if you do not bring up the matter again, Timothy.”Timothy looked at Mivashkama, astonished that he thought so little of Serena's talent. He furrowed his brow and nodded in respect, perhaps accepting that it was a private matter. Serena felt as though there was an open door allowing her a moment to connect with someone, only to have it closed in front of her just as she took the first step. She looked down at the floor, trying to hide her disappointment as Chairman Rose cleared his throat. “Well, now that introductions have been made, shall we start ordering?” he asked. “Absolutely. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm so famished I could eat a whole chicken, head and all,” Sonia said. Timothy chuckled, and there was an edge of a smirk on Serena's face. Chairman Rose, Oleana, and Mivashkama looked at each other, finding Aunt Sonia's expression improper. The chairman cleared his throat again and gestured to the group to the table. They all sat down with Chairman Rose and Oleana sitting on opposite ends, Timothy and Sonia sat next to each other on the right, and Mivashkama and Serena sat next to each other on the left. Chairman Rose helped Oleana to her seat, which made her blush again. The chairman gave her a warm smile that made her heart skip a beat as he returned to his seat on the other end of the table. “So, have you three settled in just fine?” He asked."Oh, yes indeed," Oleana said before Mivashkama could speak. "Our rooms are simply gorgeous, and your ship itself is magnificent. You must be very proud, Mr. Chairman.""Oh, please, do call me Rose, Oleana," the chairman said, making Oleana's cheeks turn pink again for already going on a first-name basis with him. "And, yes. I am very proud indeed. She is the largest moving object ever made by the hand of man in all of history. But I must say I owe the accomplishment to Timothy.""Oh, come now, Rose. You give me too much credit," Timothy said."Nonsense, my good man. You designed your masterpiece from the keel plates up," Chairman Rose said. "Frankly, I think we should have added your name to Titanic's full name when we had the chance. The Macro Cosmos Herløv Durbin Titanic or the MCHD Titanic. A mouthful, I grant you, but it's only fitting.""I may have knocked her together, but the ship was your idea," Timothy said before turning to Mivashkama, Oleana, and Serena. "He envisioned a steamer so grand in scale and so luxurious in its appointments that its supremacy could never be challenged. Not to mention that Mivashkama's generous funding willed her into solid reality.""What can I say, gentlemen? I know a good business opportunity when I hear it, and yours involves making history," Mivashkama boasted."Well, whatever the case, your ship has made history, Rose. And may its supremacy reign forever," Oleana said."Hear, hear," Chairman Rose, Mivashkama, and Timothy said simultaneously.Serena' frown deepened as everyone but her and Aunt Sonia praised the ship. She still couldn't deny the impressive feet that Titanic was, but at the same time, she feared the extent that creating the ship had built everyone's ego to the point that her stepmother was infatuated with the head of Macro Cosmos. She turned to Aunt Sonia, who noticed Serena looking at her, and the peach-haired woman smirked, glancing at the three men and then rolling her eyes. Serena lightly chuckled, careful that no one could hear her as a waiter approached them."Are you ready, sir?" The waiter asked. "Yes. My fiancee and I will both have the lamb rare with very little mint sauce," Mivashkama said. "You like lamb, right, Serenie?"In truth, Serena cared very little about meat apart from chicken and certain fish. She also would rather eat all her least favorite foods at once than hear Mivashkama call her by that name again. Serena could feel Oleana's gaze next to her. If they weren't in public, Oleana would tell Serena not to make Mivashkama look like a fool for ordering something she didn't want and for calling her something she hated. With no other choice, Serena turned to Mivashkama and forced a smile that satisfied him. Aunt Sonia raised her eyebrow as she ordered without looking at her waiter. As the waiters left with a bow, Aunt Sonia smirked as she decided to speak up. “You plan to cut her meat as well, Mivashkama?” she asked teasingly. Mivashkama and Oleana gave Aunt Sonia looks that made her uneasy. She cleared her throat and put on a friendly smile as she turned to the chairman. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask. Did you come up with the name Titanic, Rose?” Aunt Sonia asked. “Yes, actually,” Chairman Rose said. “I wanted a name that conveys her size, and size means stability, luxury, and above all, strength.”Serena raised her eyebrow and an edge of a smirk appeared on her face as Chairman Rose spoke.“Have you ever read articles from Dr. Freud, Chairman Rose?” Serena asked. “His ideas about the male preoccupation with size might be of particular interest to you.” Aunt Sonia's eyes widened, covering her mouth with both hands to hide a wide smile. It took Timothy a moment for it to hit him before he snickered. Mivashkama glared at Serena disapprovingly while Oleana looked at her astounded. “What’s gotten into you?” Oleana whispered into Serena's ear.“Come on, stepmother. It's all in good fun,” Serena said. “I will not have you speaking vulgarly in front of the chairman and your fiancee. You’re going to be the Lady of Hammerlocke. Behave like one,” Oliana hissed. Serena scoffed and stood up from her seat, muttering, “Excuse me,” before walking away. Mivashkama opened his mouth to order her to come back, but Serena was already too far away. Timothy and Aunt Sonia glanced at each other, then Aunt Sonia smirked again as she turned back to Mivashkama. “She seems like a handful, Mivashkama. You think you can handle her?” She asked teasingly. Mivashkama restrained himself from giving another disapproving look and said, “Well, I'll certainly have to start minding what my fiancee reads from now on. Won't I?”“Freud? Who's Freud?" Chairman Rose asked, embarrassed. “Is he a passenger here?”****************************************It is a common mistake when discussing the history of the Titanic to believe that all the passengers in third class were dirt poor. In fact, while some passengers were having financial problems and seeking a better life in Galar, like Ash, Goh, and Chloe, being third-class simply meant being among members of the common people as opposed to people of first and second class, who were more financially successful. One third-class ticket to board the Titanic was about $35, which was a little over a grand in today's money. It is also a common mistake to say that third-class passengers were living in poor conditions on the Titanic, and granted, they had only two bathrooms to share at E Deck, and their cabins were small, consisting of two bunk beds. Even so, Chairman Rose was true to his word in making Titanic a place of luxury, providing third-class passengers with nicer living conditions than many of them were accustomed to. Their cabins had electricity and running water, and they had their own general room to have parties. Best of all, they were given three meals a day in two dining saloons on F Deck, unlike other steamships requiring them to bring their own food. They’d have oatmeal porridge and milk, ham, eggs, smoked herrings, jacket potatoes, bread, tea, and coffee for breakfast. Dinner contained rice soup, fresh bread, roast beef, gravy, corn, plum pudding, biscuits, gravy, and fruit. Supper consisted of gruel, biscuits, and cheese. In the general room, the third class passengers also had plenty of beer. It wasn't the same as having champagne and caviar, but for the third-class passengers, they felt like royalty. Many believed what they enjoyed was a taste of what they had in store in the Galar region. This was how Ash, Chole, and Goh felt when they finished looking at the horizon at the bow. They found their cabin and put their bags on their bunks before going to the first third class dining saloon, where they were served rice and carrot soup. They finished their lunch shortly before the first-class passengers finished unpacking and went to their lunch, for the common folk had fewer things to unpack. After eating, Ash, Goh, and Chloe decided to relax at the stern to relax and enjoy the bright sun and salty air. They sat by the railing on the starboard side, watching other passengers relax after their first meal on the ship. Eventually, Ash decided to take out his sketchbook and began to draw a chubby man and his daughter watching dolphins jumping close to the ship. Goh and Chloe stood up from their seats to watch the dolphins, with Chloe’s arm wrapped around Goh’s."Amazing creatures. Aren't they?" Chloe said."Yes, they are, my love," Goh said. "I've never seen dolphins in person before."“Me neither,” Ash said."I have."Ash, Goh, and Chloe turned to see a man with spiky mahogany hair. He was leaning against the railing while holding a cigarette, looking at the trio with a proud smirk."I used to ride ships from Vermilion City to Saffron City whenever my grandfather had to travel on business when I was a kid,” the mahoney-haired man said.“Is that so? Well, I bet you’ve never been on a beautiful ship like the Titanic before,” Chloe said."Well, I’m not one for making a fuss about appearances, but this Kanto ship is a beauty to be proud of,” the mahoney-haired man said."Kanto? Wasn't this made in Johto and funded by a company from Galar?" Goh asked. "Aw, Galar, schmalar. It's 15,000 Kantoian men who built this ship, myself included," the mahoney-haired man said, stomping his foot on the wooden floor. "I installed this floor myself. That's how I gained enough money to get myself a ticket. Just wish this part of the ship wasn't also where the stuffy, first-class punks take their dogs to do their business on my fine work. Typical that they would come all the way down here from their nice suites just for that. Isn't it?""Yeah, well, I guess designing a loo just for first-class pets just never crossed their minds," Ash said. "Or perhaps they prefer to take their dogs over here to remind us of our rank in the scheme of things.""Ha! Like we can forget," the maghoney-haired man said. "I’m Gary Oak, by the way.""Ash Ketchum," Ash said as he shook Gary's hand."And I'm Goh Walker. This is my wife, Chloe," Goh said."Nice to meet you," Chloe said. Gary gave Chloe a respectful nod as he shook her husband’s hand. As he stepped back to where he was standing, he noticed the drawing Ash was working on. Gary looked between the picture and the father and daughter, impressed with how well the picture was drawn. "You make any money with those drawings?" Gary asked. But instead of answering, Ash stared past Gary within an entranced look. Goh, Chole, and Gary looked in the direction he was looking to find Serena resting her arms on the railing on the balcony at B Deck. She stared at the sea, still peeved at Mivashkama and Oleana, but Ash remained captivated. Goh, and Chloe looked at each other, surprised as it hit them what their best friend was doing, but Gary laughed and shook his head. "Forget it, Ashy-Boy. You're more likely to have angels come flying out of your bum than to get with the likes of her," he said.Ash did not mind Gary's words, for he continued staring like Serena was the only other soul on the ship. Serena glanced in his direction momentarily before looking back at the sea. Then she looked back, noticing Ash staring at her. She didn't know why she was interested in the stranger staring at her, but she couldn't look away. Goh waved his hand in front of Ash, but his best friend ignored him. Goh turned to Chloe, who looked at Serena curiously as the first-class woman still stared back at Ash. She turned to Goh, and they smirked, intrigued with what was happening. Just then, Mivashkama walked over to Serena and took her arm, forcing her to look at him. Ash, Goh, Chloe, and Gary couldn't hear Serena and Mivashkama talking, but the latter was clearly displeased. Serena's frown deepened, and she walked away, leaving Mivashkama alone to scoff, wondering what to do with his defiant fiancee. With Serena out of sight, Ash returned to his drawing, forgetting that his friends were with him. Gary scratched his head, puzzled as he turned to Goh and Chloe."Have you ever seen a rich lady stare at your friend like that?" He asked. "Honestly, I've never seen him so interested in a woman like that before," Goh said.“Me neither,” Chloe said. Gary turned back at Ash, even more puzzled, but then decided to shrug and went back to his cigarette, concluding it was a crazy coincidence. Goh and Chloe took Gary’s disregard to go back to looking out at sea, but their minds were on Ash staring at Serena. As Ash finished his drawing, he held it up to himself and blew on it to get all the splinters off just as the father and daughter were leaving, having finished looking at the dolphins. He smiled fondly, pleased with this work, but then his smile faded, and he looked back to where he saw Serena. Perhaps he wanted to draw her next, or maybe he was curious why she was upset. Whatever the case, Serena was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he hoped beyond reason that he would see her again....
Tear the Heavens Asunder

Mature Content

Tear the Heavens Asunder - Act 1 by YumeYukimenokoTsuki
The Grande Spiral Cup
The Grande Spiral Cup- Part 3 by Kiritost
Due to recent and apparently permanent changes, I'll be coming around DA a lot less. Submissions may take a bit longer to go through but since all submissions have a month before being auto-declined, I should be able to get them in. Since I'm around DA less, submissions will take longer to be approved, but I do try to check back here at least once a week, every week.

With the changes to scrolling artwork, I'm also unable to invite more undiscovered people. As things are now, I can only really see old, popular works, usually by people who haven't been on the site in years. The group no longer auto-accepts members thanks to Eclipse, but I will check in regularly to let our new members in, and will respond to their folder requests when I see them.

I fully intend to keep the group going, but as for how you submit stuff, I'm not entirely sure with the new interface. If it ends up in the wrong place, do not worry, I'll move it for you to its proper folder. Somehow.


With all that said, I would advise you guys to consider posting your stuff on other sites. Not only because it's good to have as much exposure for a story as possible (if you want that), but because other site's editors are now Leagues better than DA's text editor. I'll put some suggestions for other sites below, if that interests you. Enjoy.



FanFiction.net: www.fanfiction.net/game/Pok%C3…

Pokecommunity.com: www.pokecommunity.com/forumdis…

Archive of Our Own: archiveofourown.org/tags/Pocke…
Hello everyone, and thanks for joining my group. I figured I'd put this up for those with questions. Let's start with the obvious.


What is this place?

Whether I've shot you an invite while browsing, or you've joined on your own accord, welcome.

This is a group for Pokemon themed fanfiction. That includes comics, written stories, whatever. Too many times I've seen stories on written or even comic strip style stories tossed into a vaguely labeled folder, while standalone art gets priority. Well, in this group, if it's a story of some sort, it'll get its own folder. At least, until space becomes an issue. But we'll get to that.


What constitutes a 'story'?

I'd say if it has 5 or more individual deviations making up a cohesive plot of some sort, it would suffice as a story. Now obviously, they can be shorter, and just as good, but those shorter gems can go in the Featured folder. If there's under five of them. As far as mediums go, as long as whatever you're writing or drawing or AI generating forms some kind of cohesive story, I will put it in a folder. That means written word, comics, whatever. It's all welcome.


Submitting Art:

Since this is a group primarily focused on storytelling, and since it's also primarily focused on Pokemon, I'm going to ask that if your story contains anything romantic or lewd that, say, anyone under the age of 16 is as yet unaware of, you should say so at the beginning of your story, which will likely be in the Featured folder. We're mature-themes friendly here, but it's always good to let people know what they're about to read, just in case. I'm sure most of you have already done this, since this is DA, but it's always good to remind people.

As far as actually submitting goes, for the moment, I'm keeping submissions on a voting system. Only 1 is required to let them be posted, and I'm pretty good about pushing them through. I do work however, so if there's an 8 hour gap between your submitting and the work being posted, you know why. I do check this pretty much every night though, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Since we're not a 'sooper groop' the submission limit is ten a day, apparently. That's per folder, however, so hopefully it's not too much of a PITA.

Any kind of story is welcome. Comics, Literature, as long as it's Pokemon related, we will gladly accept it.


Where do you submit your story?

I've mentioned this elsewhere all over the group, but it's important, so I'll reiterate. If you want your story to be a part of our growing gallery, simply send me a note (or make a comment, or otherwise get in contact with me) with the name of said story, and I'll have a folder for it up within moments after responding. Since there's admin-stuff I need to do with each new folder, give it like, five minutes after I respond before you start submitting.

First chapters and prologues, or even just samples of a story, can all go in the Featured folder. It might also be a good idea to include links in the description part of your submission, so people can jump to the start, or the next chapter.

In the future, I may change this to a folder for each author, rather than each story, but that won't be an issue until we start running out of space for new folders, and we're a long way off from that.

I should also probably mention that folders/stories that aren't updated for four months straight will be removed, but again, I don't plan on actually removing anything until space becomes an issue. If you're reading this now, you have nothing to worry about. We're a long way off from running out of room, and if we ever manage to reach that point, I'll be damn impressed, and make a proper 'announcement' about it. For stories that have concluded, disregard this rule entirely. If you're putting your work up here in its entirety, the least I can do is keep it up for as long as this group exists.


Suggestions

Some of you may receive suggestions to add Deviations from me. This is because parts of your story, like the first chapter/prologue are missing from the Featured folder, and all you've submitted are random chapters. Usually, I wait until there's multiple random chapters in Featured before sending out suggestions to add things to places. However, I, like you all, only get ten of these a day, and some of your stories are Impressively long.  Please consider this when uploading your story. I don't expect constant submissions each day, but if you guys can slowly submit chapters when you're able so we can get the entire story up on here, it would be very appreciated.

If you don't want your story up here and have since changed your mind since submitting your random, out of order chapter, just let me know with a note.


Actual Rules

Rule #1: Don't be a dick. I shouldn't have to explain this. If you're going to comment on a story, there's a way to be polite about it. If you're going to offer a critique, there's a way to do so without triggering the author's rage. I have a zero-tolerance policy for drama, and have no issues using the Ban-hammer. I don't want to use it, I haven't needed to use it thus far, so don't give me a reason to.

I'll add more rules when/if we need them. This will work for the moment. Thanks again for joining, and enjoy your time here.
I'm finally satisfied with everything for the moment, and have opened requests to join. Everything should be set to automatic approval.

Given that I'm somewhat new to this group thing, if you're trying to submit something or join, and cannot do so, send me a note and I shall endeavor to fix it.
Welcome to GlobalPokemonFanfics. Anyone is welcome to join.

This group is a place where writers or aspiring artists can freely submit sample of their work, or even request a folder for their own story.

All eligible stories should be regularly updated. Empty folders will be deleted.
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Group Info

A group for any creator of Pokemon fan fiction, including but not limited to comics, and other forms of storytelling involving Pokemon. If you want a folder to put your entire story in, send me a note. Samples of story, like prologues/first chapters or first pages, can go in the featured folder. Anyone can join.

Any random artwork relating to Pokemon can go in the 'Artwork' folder.
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Founded 6 Years ago
Jan 11, 2018

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:iconxmeargle:
Xmeargle Featured By Owner Aug 12, 2023
Hello. I am a new member. Nice to meet you all.
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:iconsonicramon:
SonicRamon Featured By Owner Jul 16, 2021  Student Artist
Man, it has been a long while since I've shared my work in this group. And also like...used dA in general.

Can't believe my fanfic is here even after all these years. Both my old and new one, in fact.
Sincerely, thank you for keeping my folders here, PokeFan1337. And I've become more surprised by the amount of views my 4th M&T chapter has gotten the moment I upload it onto dA, too. It was like...a tiny landslide I didn't expect after being absent from dA for 12 months straight. Like I'm talking 10 to 27 views before sharing the chapter to other groups. It's crazy, in all honesty...
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:iconpokefan1337:
PokeFan1337 Featured By Owner Jul 23, 2021  Hobbyist Writer
I'm not around DA much either, but yea the folders here will probably stay up as long as DA does. FanFiction.net is also pretty good for exposure. My new chapters tend to get like, 200 views. For several days. I'll check here more regularly if you're going to be posting.
Reply
:iconsonicramon:
SonicRamon Featured By Owner Jul 23, 2021  Student Artist
That would be nice, yeah. And FFN is a really good site for showcasing fics there, too. Mine is even on there till this day, and has been gaining an decent amount of views.
Although my fic has gotten more attraction here since I've uploaded the 4th chapter on after not using DA for a long while. Didn't know there would be folks here wanting to see more of my fanfic for this long.
Reply
:iconkrytonator:
Krytonator Featured By Owner May 8, 2021  Hobbyist Writer
Hey, thanks for the invite! I never thought my work would garner this kind of attention, but here I am anyways I suppose. For what I'm writing currently, I'll need two folders, the names being "PMD: Adventures of Xylus" and "Pokemon: Life's a Battle."
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:iconpokefan1337:
PokeFan1337 Featured By Owner May 11, 2021  Hobbyist Writer
Thanks for joining. Your folders are ready. Enjoy.
Reply
:iconnexel-arts:
NexeL-Arts Featured By Owner Mar 26, 2021  Hobbyist Digital Artist
Heya, thanks so much for inviting me to join up!  This place looks like a great place to further publish my pokemon fiction.  I also noticed that others have said if I provide my fiction's name to you I can put my entire fiction in that folder.  I'm sure you've seen it, but in case you need it straight from the creator, the title is Pokemon: Fire and Aura.  Thanks again for hosting my fiction as well as countless others.
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:iconpokefan1337:
PokeFan1337 Featured By Owner Mar 26, 2021  Hobbyist Writer
Np, thanks for joining. Putting the name here or in a note helps, especially when some of you are prolific af, and have like, ten stories.

Anyways. Your folder is ready. Enjoy.
Reply
:iconrubyispure:
RubyisPure Featured By Owner Apr 29, 2020
Thanks for letting me join! I'm starting to think about the title of my story! I did also send you a note asking for a folder for the story! Thanks again!
Reply
:iconlatis2454:
Latis2454 Featured By Owner Edited Mar 24, 2020  Student Digital Artist
Hey! Thanks for inviting me! I'll take some time before the first few chapters of my stories for Magical Pokemon Quest are published. The folders are called "Abigail's Journey", "Team PokeFaith's Formation", and "Magical Pokemon Quest". All three folders LOOK like a trilogy, but are really a total of 11 stories. Would that be OK?

P.S. I'd also like an extra folder called "Sword and Shield Special". That special takes place after MPQ's Alola season and before the 8th season. I would really like it... a lot! Oh, and a few artwork samples:

Nanette Daisy (MPQ SPOILERS!) by PokemonHeroine123   Nanette Daisy's Harmony Mark (MPQ Spoilers!) by Latis2454  

EDIT: Got the first chapter of "Let's Go, Team PokeFaith! (Part 1)" out:  1. A Fresh Beginning! by Latis2454
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