I do not own Pokemon or the characters' species, but I own the characters.
Fate of the Holder
"End recording."
There was a whirr, then, "RECORDING ENDED."
Apprehensively I glanced at the mouth of the cave I was hiding in. I had heard noises, ones that normally weren't heard in this area…
Turning to the black and silver robot in front of me, I said to it telepathically, "Registeel, find a place to hide. I think they've found me, but they can't get your key. I'll buy you some time."
Registeel's optical sensors flashed, then it moved away toward the back of the cave, like the obedient robot I had programmed it to be. Sighing, I lifted into the air and floated closer to the cave mouth. I was a Mew, one of the original races, with a pink body and a long tail swishing nervously behind me.
I wished I could just hide deeper in the tunnels, like Registeel, but if I did that, they would find both me and Registeel. I had to keep them occupied long enough for Registeel to get hidden.
I thought about my family, back on the home planet. Did they miss me? Did they know where I was? Did they know what I was doing, what I was about to do?
For that matter, did I know what I was doing? Probably not, but that couldn't be helped now.
Flattening against the rocky wall of the cave next to the mouth, I peered around the corner of the entrance, to check if my suspicions were correct. Unfortunately, they were. On the mountainside outside, I spotted one black, furry object. They were hiding behind various boulders and rock formations.
Taking a breath to try to calm myself, I exited the cave.
Immediately, more Dark Pulses and Dragon Pulses than I could count came flying at me. I managed to dodge them all, though it may have had something to do with the power inside of me as well.
Pokemon of all shapes and sizes emerged onto the mountainside, lunging at me. I found it ironic that the oh-so-powerful Tabor needed to bring an army to take down one Pokemon. But quickly reacting, I began firing off Aura Spheres at them, while avoiding the ones that could fly. For almost a minute, I held my ground.
But then my luck ran out, as I was struck on the head by something from behind. I instantly fell to the rocky ground, dazed, and was immediately grabbed by about five of the other Pokemon. Before I could react, I had been pinned to the ground.
After struggling futilely for several moments, I gave up. I knew my psychic powers would be useless against them, that they wouldn't even feel it. With my arms pinned, I couldn't launch any other attacks, so instead I simply laid there, breathing heavily and trying to think. It was at that moment that I wished I still knew how to Transform, but I had forgotten how to after neglecting the skill for months.
A large winged figure landed in the middle of the army, and they spread aside to give it room. It was mostly purple, with green and black patterns. It had, in addition to leaf-covered wings, two arms ending in claws and two legs ending in talons. It had a long, ropy tail that stretched out behind it for some distance. On its face was a small purple beak. I recognized it, it was an Umbrakkat, and its name was Tabor. With some satisfaction, I noticed that a green patch covered its left eye, which I had blasted at our last meeting.
It moved closer to me, stopping when it was a few feet away and looking down at me with its one good eye, which was yellow. "So this is where you were hiding, Avari. You have given me a lot of trouble, you know." The telepathic voice was calm and emotionless, yet also commanding.
I glared at him. "I'm surprised you were able to find me, being half blind."
Tabor recoiled as if stung, then glared back at me. "You will pay for that. I don't believe you are in a position to insult me." His expression became neutral again. "Seeing as how you are in that position, and considering your continued resistance, don't you think it would be rather kind of me to offer you a way out? Yet I am. If you will agree to join me, I will let you live."
I knew he was bluffing, he wouldn't kill me. If he did, then his last chance at obtaining the Eldest Power was gone. "How many times and in how many different ways do I have to say 'no'? I'll die first."
"Very well, then. You will indeed die first."
I blinked. "What?"
"You are not of any use to me if you will not help me. I cannot force you to use your power, so it is evident that I will never get it anyway. In that case, I might as well kill you as a consolation prize, hm?"
I struggled against my captors, in vain. "You can't! When the Grand Council learns—"
Tabor laughed. "Ah, the Grand Council. Yes, them. There are only two problems. One, we're on a different planet, where there is no one to hear you scream. Two, the home planet is shortly to become… how shall I put it?... space dust."
My eyes widened. "No!"
Tabor nodded, his expression still neutral as if he wasn't discussing blowing his home planet to bits. "Yes. If I can't have the Eldest Power, no one else will, either." He turned and spread his wings. "Kill her."
I glanced up as the various Pokemon surrounding me began to charge up attacks. Desperately, I called out. "Wait!"
Tabor turned back toward me, folding his wings. "What is it?" The others let their attacks fade as they watched.
I hesitated, then spoke again. "If you're going to kill me, at least do it yourself. So that no one can say I was taken down by your cronies." I thought the word distastefully.
Tabor studied me for several moments, then responded. "Very well. I will enjoy doing it myself."
"It'll be the only thing you ever did yourself," I shot back.
Tabor laughed, then stretched out one claw. A dark haze began to gather around it. "Since I'm in a good mood, do you have any last requests, or final words?"
"Yes. Go die under a rock." I was trying to act brave, but I was really struggling not to cry.
Tabor's one eye flashed in anger. "That is one thing that will not happen anytime soon. Good-bye, Avari." A compressed black cloud shot from his claw, coming straight at me.
I braced myself. As it contacted me, it was absorbed into my skin, and I immediately felt my body go numb. Closing my eyes, I waited as all feeling gradually disappeared, sound fading away. I felt like I was floating.
I thought about what had happened. I had saved the universe from Tabor, wasn't that a good enough cause to sacrifice myself for? Still, I wished I could have had a little more time. By my reckoning, I was only about six of this planet's years old. That wasn't long enough. But, I then thought, I had had many experiences that most normally didn't. Some were happy, some were not. I fervently hoped that the next holder of the Eldest Power would be willing to do the same as me, to protect the universe from evil.
Yet I also hoped that the next holder would not have to make the same choices as me, that the power would go unnoticed in him or her for his or her entire life. I hoped that my last message, carried by Registeel, would last through the ages as a testament to my struggle. And that it would someday help a holder of the Eldest Power.
Right before my life winked out, my story ended, I was peaceful. After a year of struggling, fighting, running, and hiding, I finally felt at peace. For this was the fate of the holder. And that was one thing no power could change.