Polaris-Ponyta, Addie-Plusle, Embyr-Blaziken, Swamp-Swampert, Sage-Gardevoir, Tahoe-Flygon

Versus the Volcano

Jirachi sat on the ground in front of us, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Then he looked up and blinked at us for a few moments.

"Good morning," he yawned. He used a type of telepathy that would be audible even to normal people.

"Good morning," I replied.

"Hi!" Hari said brightly.

"Something woke me up,"Jirachi said. He gave himself a little push and floated above the ground.

"Yeah, that was us," I admitted. "We needed to ask you something."

"We have wishes!" Hari exclaimed.

"Wishes?" Jirachi asked. "What kind of wishes?"

"STOP!"

We turned to see Kyle standing a short ways away, out of breath with his fists clenched at his sides. Ben was behind him. His hand was out as though he'd tried and failed to stop Kyle from running forwards. Ben's other arm held the Deoxys crystal. Numel was standing at Ben's heels, looking confused.

"You can't!" Kyle shouted. "I need to catch Jirachi! The wishes are mine!"

Jirachi looked alarmed and backed up a few feet. "Catch me?"He repeated.

"You're going to scare Jirachi away!" I warned.

"We won't catch you," Hari promised.

Jirachi glanced around nervously before floating closer to Hari for protection.

"You didn't exactly leave the camp quietly," Ben explained apologetically. "We both woke up and followed you."

I glared at Hari, who was responsible for the racket upon our departure. He looked innocently at me.

"Kyle, we weren't going to take the wishes for ourselves," I assured him. "Deoxys asked us to come try singing again since we'd all calmed down.

Deoxys's light form floated over to Kyle to reassure him.

Kyle relaxed very slightly, but still looked distrustful.

"Jirachi is a special Pokémon," I continued. "He doesn't want to be caught. He shouldn't be caught. He's needed by other people too. You don't have to catch Jirachi to ask him for help."

"I need Jirachi! With Jirachi my Dad will let me go for sure! Jirachi will be strong enough that my parents won't be worried for me anymore and I can be a Pokémon trainer!"

So, Kyle's parents were worried about him, and that was one of the reasons they wouldn't let him go? Did that have to do with his dad not liking trainers?

"There are other Pokémon that can protect you," I said. "See, look." I pointed at Numel, who had walked towards Kyle and was staring up at him. "Numel would probably go with you."

"I don't want Numel! It's just a big yellow blob!" Kyle stepped away from Numel. "I want Jirachi!" Kyle was starting to cry with frustration. "You said you were gonna help me, but you were really just using me, like everyone else!"

A steam vent erupted off to the side, mirroring Kyle's frustration and anxiety.

I walked towards Kyle, who was staring at the ground, his fists clenched again. His tears dripped against the mountain face.

I knelt in front of him, but he turned away.

"Kyle," I said, "We'll do everything we can to help you get a Pokémon and convince your parents to let you go on your Pokémon journey. But what about Deoxys? Didn't you come to help her? I thought you wanted to help her recover. Now, did you really only want to make wishes for yourself, or did you want to help Deoxys?"

Deoxys floated nearby, looking uneasy.

Kyle sniffed. Finally he looked up. "I want to help Deoxys."

"Should we ask Jirachi to grant the wish?" I asked.

Kyle nodded slowly.

Jirachi peeked out from behind Hari. "No one's gonna catch me?"He asked.

"Do you promise Jirachi that you won't try to catch him?"

Kyle nodded.

Hari brought Jirachi forwards and Ben placed the crystal on the ground. Deoxys disappeared back inside of the smooth crystal.

Jirachi landed next to the crystal and looked up at us.

"Jirachi," Kyle said, stepping forwards, "I wish that you'd help Deoxys get her real body back."

Jirachi cocked his head. "Okay." He closed his eyes and placed his hands on the crystal. The eye on his stomach opened and began to flow. The light poured into the crystal.

"It'll probably take a while," Ben said. "It'll take a lot of energy."

There was a hissing sound as a steam vent spat up boiling water feet from us.

Kyle screamed and flinched away from the hot droplets.

"This is dangerous," Ben said, holding out his arm to herd us backwards. "This area must be pretty active. We should have gone somewhere safe before we asked Jirachi to revive Deoxys."

There was another sputtering sound as another steam vent erupted.

"We gotta get out of here," Ben shouted.

Would we be able to move Jirachi without breaking the wish?

"We can't leave Jirachi here," I cried back. "Ben, can you get Kyle and Hari out of here?"

"Are you insane?" Ben shouted. "You can't stay here!"

He reached to his belt for his Pokéballs, but we'd both left them at camp.

Another vent spat up steam. This was bad. They were getting more frequent.

Sage! I called telepathically. I need you!

I felt the response as my Gardevoir broke out of her Pokéball. A moment later, Sage teleported beside me.

"Sage, I need you to make a shield around us," I said.

My Gardevoir nodded and quickly cast a protective bubble around us. As steam spurted up from the earth, the hot droplets bounced harmlessly off of our shield.

"Problem solved," I said, smiling. "Thanks, Sage."

Sage nodded, but remained focused on holding the shield.

My eyes darted around, following the geysers. The ground rumbled beneath us, and suddenly a great fountain of water gushed from the mountain a hundred feet above us. The water dislodged a ledge of rocks, which came thundering down towards us.

Sage looked alarmed. I can't stop those with my shield!

I looked down at Jirachi, but he was still pressing against the crystal. How long would it take? The landslide was bearing down on us!

Then something swooped down from above us. It was Tahoe, my Flygon! She hovered above us, ready to make her move. A moment later, Polaris, Addie, Swamp, Embyr and Gro came into sight and stood between the rockslide and us. Swamp quickly fired Hydro Pump, creating a ditch along the mountain to funnel the rocks away from us. Tahoe created another by using Dragonbreath, and Addie used electricity to make another.

Then the landslide was upon us. Rocks rained down, crashing off of our protective shield. I saw cracks starting to form in the psychic barrier and Sage shut her eyes, straining to hold it in place.

Swamp used water attacks to push aside the largest boulders. Embyr kicked others out of the way. Polaris used fire, and Addie used electricity. Gro used Leaf Blade to shatter stones. Tahoe hovered above our shield trying to knock away any rocks that made it past the others. But still they couldn't stop them all. And the rain of stones had only begun.

A large boulder plowed its way through Swamp's Hydro Pump and slammed into Sage' shield, shattering it. Sage quickly used psychic to deflect it from our huddled group. She dropped to her knees, exhausted. She wouldn't be able to put up another shield.

"Tahoe," I shouted. "Come and get Kyle, Numel, and Hari!" Tahoe wasn't strong enough to carry all of us.

Tahoe dove down and landed in front of us. The other Pokémon covered us as I helped Kyle onto Tahoe's back and handed Numel up to him.

"I'll stay and help," Hari said.

I tried to argue, but a falling rock forced Tahoe back up into the air and she circled above the worst of the landslide, using distance attacks to try to help.

Some of the rocks slid down the funnels the Pokémon had dug, but they weren't big enough the channel the entire landslide.

I watched desperately as each of my Pokémon's moves grew weaker. They wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer. Would the landslide subside in time?

Then my eyes followed a large rock as it ricocheted up into the air, straight at Tahoe's back.

"Tahoe!" I shouted. But she wouldn't be able to turn in time. She and Kyle would be hit!

A small burst of flame shot out from in front of Kyle. Numel had used Ember to slow the boulder! Tahoe quickly slipped out of the way. I breathed a sigh of relief.

It looked like the rockslide was ebbing.

But then I felt a chill run down my spine. A fresh wave was coming. Another steam jet had set off a second slide.

The Pokémon gathered closer together. They were all panting, and I didn't think they'd be able to fend off another wave. They were already battered from the smaller rocks that had gotten through.

There was a vivid flash of light, and I felt panic rise in me. I was sure that the volcano had erupted. But no, it wasn't lava that had made the light. It was something closer.

Deoxys! The crystal was shining like the sun!

Jirachi stepped backwards as the crystal rose into the air. A shape began to expand from the crystal, stretching arms and legs outwards. A moment later, Deoxys stood before us, her tentacle arms swaying and her crystal core glinting in the starlight.

"Everyone, gather closer!" I called. The Pokémon automatically obeyed, gathering towards us.

Deoxys changed shape, becoming heavier and bulkier. She'd taken on her defense form. A shield sprung up around us. It was stronger than Sage's, and when the first rocks struck, it held firm.

We huddled together as the boulders thundered past. They rolled over our protective barrier and flooded around us. It seemed to take an eternity, but finally silence spread across the mountaintop as the last of the stones clattered down the face of the mountain.