Pokemon Adventures: Hunt of the Plates

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon Adventures/Special.

I'm pushing myself closer to the limits; I decided that if I catch up to the drafts, so be it. I can't concentrate on drafting unless it's the only thing I can do, and the excess of free times nowadays is limiting my time on it. Still I carry on!

Began writing on November 27th, 2011. About to begin drafting Chapter 16 of Arc 2.

Chapter 4. Vs. Darkrai: The Hunt Begins

Platina stood beside Diamond and watched on curiously as Gold and Pearl helped out Professor Oak set up the large videoscreen in Cynthia's living room. She herself hadn't inherited her father's talent with machinery, and often envied those who did.

"Professor, do you think the connection will be safe through the storm?" Crys asked concernedly as she looked out the window. Following her gaze, Platina couldn't help but be a little depressed to see that even the rising sun was hardly visible within the now-permanently gray sky.

"Bill and his computer friends are working to keep it running as we speak," replied Professor Oak confidently as he began working with the keyboard. "They know what they're doing; they wouldn't let it fail."

"I'm sure of that," chuckled Red, probably remembering his old friendship with Bill. "So, Professor, who're you trying so hard to hook us up with?"

"You'll know when you see for yourself," said the Professor as he grinned at him. "Feels rather new to seee you again after four whole years, young man. I could tell Green was starting to get itchy."

"Gramps," Green groaned in irritation, but before he could continue Gold and Pearl stood up finished. At once the huge monitor flared into life, and Platina quickly gathered with the other Dex Holders in front of it as several smaller screens popped onto it.

"Steven, we need you up first," Cynthia spoke into the monitor, and one of the screens cleared to reveal the face of a man with silver hair, his teal eyes brimming with cool intelligence.

"Steven!" Ruby was the first to react, coming closer to look at the Hoenn Champion with delight in his voice - Platina recognized him as the man who had given her the mansion in Resort Area two years ago.

"Hello, Ruby, Sapphire," smiled Steven as he acknowledged his two accquiantances first before shifting his gaze to the rest. "As Wallace probably told you, I've been working with the Space Research Center in Mossdeep City to track the actions of Team Rocket and Team Galactic via satelite. Well, we've been doing that, and we discovered a particular pattern in the location of their activities in Sinnoh, and so far in Sinnoh only."

"Show us," gulped Emerald in anticipation. Steven nodded as the screen next to him cleared, this time revaling a familiar map of Sinnoh which Platina quickly recognized. It was plain to see that the criminal activities done were indicated by the red dots that were peppered all over the map, but Platina quickly caught on another detail.

"Most of the dots are grouped together," Silver spoke what she was about to say. "The Victory Road, Eterna Forest, Hearthome, Veilstone, Iron Island, Acuity Lakefront... damn, even right by our front door... is there supposed to be a pattern?"

"I think Lucian can tell it better than I," said Steven, just in time for another screen to pop up below the map. This one featured an intelligent-looking man with long lilac hair, his purple eyes gleaming sharply under his glasses as he looked up from a thick book which he had been reading.

"Greetings, Dex Holders of the world. I am Lucian of the Elite Four of Sinnoh," he spoke in a calm voice after exchanging a nod with Cynthia, Diamond and Pearl - Platina's two friends had met him before while she'd been away in the Battle Frontier. "Before I explain the meaning of that map I wish to ask you something important: How many of you are familiar with the name Arceus?"

Platina involuntarily let out a gasp of surprise, for it was name that she did know.

"The Original One," she whispered, blushing slightly as several surprised heads turned in her direction.

"Ah yes, you were the child of Berlitz," said Lucian, looking at her with an impressed smile. "Well, why don't you share us what you know?"

"I - I only saw the name once, in the book you're holding there," replied Platina, shyly pointing at the tomb still in the Elite Four member's hand. "According to ancient myths Arceus is the Pokemon... a deity... that was born with the universe itself, and most of the deities we know are her offspring. It is also said that all the Pokemons' powers originate from her own, which are divided into sixteen Plates of power that matches the sixteen types of Pokemon, save Normal. After creating the universe she entered a deep slumber, but the Plates are said to have remained in this world."

"Why, that's a very accurate description of the book!" Cynthia remarked, looking at Lucian with a proud smile. "What did I tell you, Lucian? It's good the world has so many talented young Trainers to offer."

"True," agreed Lucian, also looking pleased. "What you say is corrrect. Now, knowing that, I have put together the bits and pieces of ancient lore from all over the world to make a single decision: See the clusters of red all over the map? How many do you see?"

"Sixteen," answered Green grimly. "I think we get the point."

"Team Galactic are after the Plates," whispered Platina, feeling a cold drop of horror dissolving within her insides.

"But why? What are those Plates good for?" Inquired Sapphire, sounding confused.

"Who knows, besides selling off for a good price?" Steven shrugged. "But we can assume that as the relics of the creator of the universe those artifacts hold incredible power. Isn't that enough?"

"I guess," acknowledged Emerald, glaring into the red dots as if doing so would make them disappear. "So they're creating all this mess to cover up a scavanger hunt? That's pretty lame."

"They deem the effort worthwhile," spoke Cynthia seriously. "Listen to what Looker has to say."

"Looker?" Platina looked up from her musings to see the last screen pop into life, revealing Looker's tired-looking face. "It's you! Where are you now?"

"Really nearby, in fact," replied the International Police with a weary smile. "In a police station on the edge of Mt. Coronet. You're not gonna believe what we've just faced about an hour ago in the caves."

"I can't imagine... Team Plasma?" Gold muttered with a roll of his eyes, only to have Crys give him a good nudge in the ass with one knee; Platina flinched from the impact.

"Exactly."

"What?" About ten to fifteen voices exclaimed simultaneously as everyone stared into Looker's perfectly serious expression with wide eyes.

"It was most definitely a bunch of Team Plasma grunts we fought in there," continued the detective gravely. "But something was different about them. Maybe some of you remember what the Team Galactic grunts were like when you battled them?"

"I do," Diamond spoke up beside Platina. "There was no emotion on their faces, no feelings... as if they were machines rather than people."

"Right," agreed Looker. "I don't know how they do it - hypnosis, brainwashing or just good acting skills - but that's the condition we found those Team Plasma grunts in."

Platina shared worried looks with the other Dex Holders, their faces speaking uniformly: That did NOT sound good.

"What's worse, we've got bad news from Unova," went on Looker with a scowl. "I just got a call from Cheren about half an hour ago; there's been a breakout from a jail in Driftveil City: seven of them."

"Oh, no..." This time it was White who reacted first, moaning with her eyes wide in horror and disbelief.

"The Seven Sages!" Black exploded from her side, almost leaping into the screen against Looker's face. "They escaped? Ghetsis too?"

"Yes," sighed Looker, sounding frustrated. "I'm suspecting that the Shadow Triad is behind this escapade, since they're virtually the only Team Plasma members of any position that evaded capture. But that's not my point. The important thing's that all of a sudden practically all the bad guys around the world suddenly got themselves obssessed over the Plates, and they'll do anything to get it in their hands."

A sober silence followed his conclusion as all the information sank in. Then,

"Well, putting it that way makes it a lot simpler, doesn't it?" Said Red as he slowly got to his feet from the floor where he had been sitting with Yellow. Looking at the senior Dex Holder in surprise, Platina could see that he was smiling.

"What do you mean, senpai?" Asked White, raising her eyebrows in bewilderment.

"Well, as Trainers there's only one thing we can do about it, right?" Red asked back in a-matter-of-fact tone, his eyes beginning to gleam with determination. "Whatever those guys are after the Plates for, it can't be for anything good. So all we need to do is to stop them."

"You're right, Master," agreed Black, an identical vigor plain to see on his face. "Our friends took a lot of effort to provide this information for us; this is the best way we can repay them!"

"Finally, it's time all that training's put to use!" Pearl exclaimed, his own eyes glowing in fervor as he shared a similar look with Diamond.

Platina glanced around in wonde as such remarks of excitement and readiness began rising out of the Dex Holders, and felt her own heart beginning to swell. Despite knowing him for only a short while, she was constantly finding herself amazed by Red's ability to inspire people; it was as if he bore a blazing torch within him, alighting everyone's passion by just being near them. It was a sharp constrast to Green, the cool voice of reason among them, to a degree that Platina found it astounding to see them as best of friends. It was a different sort of friendship from that between Diamond and Pearl, perhaps closer to that of Gold and Silver.

"Well, what are we waiting for, now that it's decided?" Spoke up Gold loudly, twirling his billiard cue in the air before pointing at the dotted map with a snap of his finger. "We've got ass-kicking to do all over the region. Let's move!"

"Hold your Rapidash, junior," cut in Green with a click of his tongue in annoyance, as expected. "That's exactly why we need to cool it and plan ahead. Grey's Sigilyph may be able to send us all over the map, but we still need to make decisions on who and where."

"You mean split up, senpai?" Asked Ruby, raising his eyebrows in questioning.

"That would be logical, in the least," Steven told him from the screen, eyes glinting as if he knew why Ruby was against the idea. "It'll save you precious time, and pack some elements of surprise for those criminals."

"But what if one of us isn't enough?" White inquired, sounding uncertain.

"We won't be alone," assured Pearl confidently. "We aren't the only Trainers fighting back here. Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, the police, they'll all be our allies. Isn't that right?"

"Of course it is," said Cynthia kindly as Lucian, Steven and Looker nodded from the screen. "Well, then, why don't you all gather around the map? I'll tell you about in which location each Plates are said to be hidden, so that you can pick a location for your preferences."

"Right, let's do this," spoke Sapphire to herself as Platina found herself beside the wild senior, who was looking at a cluster of red located right next to Celestic Town.

As she began examining the map herself Platina could hear Professor Oak talk to Cynthia in a pleased voice: "Isn't it odd, that there are sixteen Dex Holders here to protect the sixteen Plates? Quite amazing to be just coincidence, if I do say so myself."

"It must be destiny," Cynthia agreed, though her voice sounded much more serious than Platina had expected.

- Somewhere above the ocean, south of Fullmoon Island -

"Dark Void!"

The seventy-sixth incapacitation attempt swiftly left Darkrai's palm, only to carry smoothly onto the 76th failed attempt as Deoxys hastly dodged the black orb in his Speed Forme. The Pitch Black Pokemon let out a growl of frustration a his quarry swiftly turned around, no doubt to phase into Attack Forme and retaliate; the ability to shift forms was proving itself to be seriously annoying to him. Thank Arceus the creature's combat patterns were easy to read. He could now dodge most of his attacks with fair ease, but the ones that did hit really, REALLY hurt.

"Shadow Ball!" He cried in succession, launching a quick burst of ghastly energy just as Deoxys went into Attack Forme. Unable to phase back in time, the DNA Pokemon failed to cast a protective move after entering Defense Forme, ending up receiving the Ghost-type attack squarely in the chest.

With a grunt of surprise Deoxys was blasted back several feet midair before he could regain his balance, but Darkrai's attention was suddenly focused upon a small object that fell out of him like a pebble torn off a rock, falling onto the rocks below with a soft plunk. Apparantly Deoxys had noticed it too, as he immediately took a power-dive towad the object - without shifting out of the slow Defense Forme.

Aha.

"Focus Blast!" Darkrai roared quickly, flinging a ball of pure energy upon the boulder where the small stone had fallen upon. He didn't miss the look of dismay in his prey's eyes as he noticed the attack, struggling with the Defense Forme's unimpressive speed to outfly the Focus Blast before it smashed his prize into smithereens.

Just before Darkrai's attack touched the rock Deoxys's flat hand closed around the little meteorite. At once the DNA Pokemon's body changed from a plated behemoth into a slim-shaped torpedo. With blistering speed Deoxys shot away from Darkrai in Speed Forme as the boulder shattered under the Focus Blast's impact.

Darkrai felt a second growl build up in his throat as he resumed chase, but despite the discomfort of acting after sunrise (though the sun was completely hidden under the clouds) he felt a small sense of satisfaction. He had discovered his opponent's strength, the source of his versatility - which would soon prove to be his weakness. Deoxys was aware of this as well, which was why he was now more intent on fleeing rather than fighting.

The worst thing to do when fighting a nightmare was to be afraid of it, to run away from it.

Contrary to common belief Darkrai wasn't particularly belligerent compared to the other deities (Dialga - yeesh!), but his accursed power to invoke nightmares doomed him to an eternity of loneliness and persecution, and such an environment is bound to nurture bitterness and spite. One way to unleash such grudge was through combat, and thus in battle Darkrai became the fiercest and the deadliest among all non-Titan deities. Also, having lived through the terror of the victims of his plague countless times, fear was an emotion he knew like the back of his hand.

And considering that the ones subjected to his power were usually prone to flee scared, this knowledge made Darkrai even more dangerous as a hunter.

Now his quarry had chosen to flee. The foe had become the prey.

The hunt was on.

Hm, how long has it been since we've had a chapter without an author's note? Well, proceeding to the reviews regardless!

the Red King, Uchiha Sasuke XII, I thought this question would turn up! XD Let's just say that this is the same Darkrai that petrified the Dex Holders 4 years ago, but now he's been freed from Sird's control. The details of the event, you'll have to wait for Arc 3.

In Chapter 5, another short passingby chapter, we take another break to see what our villian friends are up to, as well as continuing to look at Darkrai pwning Deoxys XD. Darkrai's one of my favorite legendaries, and I wanted do give him a lot of spotlight. Maybe I've succeeded a bit too much? XD Until then, R&R!

Writing completed on November 27th, 2011. This is Yowl of Time, out.