You all know what I'm gonna say here: AMOURSHIPPING IS CANON! AMOURSHIPPING IS CANON! HELL YEAH! Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, please enjoy something that's had Amourshipping as canon for a while now. Chapter 11! (Oh, and Amourshipping is canon.)
Chapter 11
A Double
Serena tried to even her breathing, staring at the sight in front of her. When that clearly wasn't working, she shook her head, as though it was going to clear it from her vision. Though when she looked ahead, Reeree still looked the same. Still the same piercing blue eyes, still the same honey-blonde hair. Had the two of them been placed side by side before Serena had cut her hair, they would have easily been twins.
"Tch…" Reeree scoffed upon the sight of her face. She was scowling, giving the most unattractive look upon her face. Serena swallowed thickly. Seeing that upon her own face was unsettling, and she wanted to ask how it was possible. Astrid was the first to find her voice.
"Who are you? !" she snarled angrily. Reeree, if that was indeed her name, turned her head to look at the blonde for just a moment.
"I'm her," she said, pointing directly at Serena. The honey-blonde Performer backed up, clutching at her chest. Braixen gave a look of worry back, but all Serena could manage was a shake of her head. "In a sense."
"And what does that mean?" Astrid demanded angrily. Pyroar leapt back to join her, snarling loudly at the girl with Serena's face. "Your name is Reeree but you look just like Serena. If that was a secret, it's out now, so don't speak in riddles!"
"Umm…uhh…I'm not sure what's going on!" Kalas voice cried out loudly over the crowd. It pierced through whatever confusion Serena was feeling in that moment and she dropped her hands to step forward. "Champion Diantha, what's your opinion on what's going-Champion?"
"Umbreon, Snarl!" Reeree suddenly ordered. The attack was unexpected, but Astrid reacted quicker than Serena had the time to do so. Pyroar ran forward, jumping atop the bridge before leaping above the Snarl and sending a cascade of flames at it to break it apart.
"Don't dodge the question, understand?" Astrid demanded. "Who are you?"
"That's not for you to know. I'm only in this for one reason alone!" Reeree yelled, gripping at her now exposed set of pokeballs. She tossed them high into the air. Serena watched, shifting her foot into more of a battle-ready stance as the balls exploded with light, revealing a Pangoro and Delphox on the stones. Things were starting to make a little more sense for Serena. Well…maybe. "I'm here to keep the attention away from them…and because of her."
"Me?" Serena asked, her gaze narrowing. "Why would you care about me? Because you have my face?"
"That's arrogant," Reeree snapped angrily. "I care…because you're the Serena that has everything. Pangoro, Dark Pulse. Delphox, Flamethrower!"
"Serena!" Astrid yelled. Even though Reeree was in clear violation of the rules of battle, it looked like the other Serena could care less. Judging from the way that the referee threw himself to the side and began scrambling towards one of the open halls, he didn't seem to care, either. The rest of the crowd was a different story; they were more like a mix between confused and slightly panicking.
"Braixen, Flamethrower, full power!" she yelled, not wasting any more time on thought. Braixen snapped back to focusing and brandished her wand forward to send a powerful gushing flame to impact with the incoming strikes. It proved stronger than either of them thought, but Braixen held on despite the power pushing her back bit by bit. "You can do this! We won't let her hurt anyone."
"I'm not in this to hurt anyone but you!" Reeree yelled, and Serena could see her clench her fist angrily. Even from that distance, Serena could sense the genuine rage flowing through the girl, though she'd no idea what she'd done to make her hate her so much. "Umbreon, add a Swift!"
"Breon!" Umbreon barked, prancing forward. Serena's eyes widened as she looked between the three Pokémon that her opponent had pulled out. A Delphox, strong and majestic. A Pangoro, who had proven itself more than nimble in previous battles. And an Umbreon, prancing around like a beautiful wondrous dancer. They were hers…just different. That single thought locked her up as Umbreon leapt high and sent the golden stars cascading right at her.
"Serena, move!" Astrid screamed, but she was deaf to it. Reeree really did look like her. No…she was her, in almost every way. The only true noticeable difference was in nature. One of the Swift stars hit her in the chest and Serena fell to the ground with a loud "oof!" Bile rose in her throat at the thought. How was this possible? More than that, why did this girl hate her so much? What had happened to her for her to consider attacking her so violently?
"It's unclear what's going on," Kalas' voice continued commenting on, more professional than he had been at the end of the Kalos Team Tournament, "but Reeree has broken the rules by calling two more Pokémon to the field. I am unsure as to what her objective is, but-"
Kalas' voice cut out suddenly, along with the footage on the screen that showed them battling below. Umbreon had landed on the bridge, glaring at Serena with a harsh look. It was odd to her; even knowing that it wasn't her dear Sylveon, seeing Umbreon glare was like a twist to the gut. A different sound replaced that of Kalas.
"Spectators, please vacate the stadium," Diantha said coolly, her picture on the screen depicting poise and grace. "The League will officially sort this out. However, given Reeree's breaking of the rules, we'd prefer for civilians to not be caught in any crossfire despite our protective measures. Those participants that are still here from earlier in the tournament, if you could join me in the hallways."
"You heard the lady!" Kalas boomed out almost immediately afterward. The thought was a comforting one, that they'd be able to avoid civilian issues compared to the last two events that were interrupted. But it didn't stop Serena from remaining frozen at what was going on. Reeree was now sloshing through the water, her long hair blowing behind her, unrestrained by any form of hat. She looked positively furious.
"You…" she seethed, almost like she was unable to keep her anger. "Why? I've watched you through this tournament…acting like it means nothing…Must be nice to pretend it's all just a game."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Serena protested loudly, though her mirror self appeared to be deaf to that. For a single wild moment, Serena wondered if this really was her Mirror World self, but judging from the intense hatred the girl was pouring out, she knew that wasn't possible. "I don't get any of this!"
"I don't care! You people do nothing but take! And take! Why is it that you got to keep everything? !" Reeree yelled, looking apoplectic. Yet as she splashed through the water, droplets flying all around, Serena could swear she saw tears in her eyes. That alone prevented Serena from being able to move. What pain did that girl hold? "Pangoro! Stone Edge!"
"Goro!" Pangoro said in a clipped voice as he slammed his hand on the stone. Every piece of rock that jutted out from the ground did so with a splash as it raced along, aiming right for her. Braixen brandished her wand like a sword and stepped in front to try and block it, but the stones instantly began to curve around to sail right for Serena.
"Go, Togekiss!" Serena's breath caught and she looked to the side, just in time to see the Jubilee Pokémon come racing and spiraling through the air. Right as the stones were about to impact with her prone body, Togekiss grabbed ahold of her by her dress and carried her up into the air. "Piplup, use Ice Beam on the water!"
"Luuuuup!" came the shrill cry of Piplup and Serena watched as the chilly blue beam traveled across the water's surface. It froze so quickly that Reeree was in midstep when it froze around her ankles. Looking down, Serena saw Dawn quickly slide down the walls of the stadium and onto the battlefield, looking rather fierce. Togekiss twirled around in midair and aimed right back for her, depositing Serena lightly.
"You all right?" Dawn asked, keeping her gaze between both of the Serenas.
"Y-yeah…I'm just…" Serena gasped out. She really didn't know what to think right at that moment. Looking over, she noticed Reeree struggling inside of the ice, groaning in frustration, yet somehow remaining calm at the same time. Her very existence baffled her. Yet Serena knew. She knew she couldn't let it bother her, because whoever she was, whatever she was, there was no doubt she was with DARC. That part was easy to figure out, and Serena wasn't going to let her hurt anybody.
"Pull it together, Serena," Astrid said, coming to stand next to both Serena and Dawn as she cracked her knuckles. "That girl isn't you. Whoever she is, it isn't you."
"I know that," Serena said, but realized she wasn't getting through to herself. So she slapped herself on the cheeks as Braixen, Pyroar and Piplup closed ranks and Dawn recalled Togekiss. "I know that! Let's go!"
"That's the spirit! Good thing that barrier doesn't work on the other side, because now we can team up again!" Dawn said with conviction. All three girls stepped forward. Serena could see their battle still being portrayed on the screen as the audience calmly made their way out of the stadium. Reeree seemed to notice this because she stopped struggling and turned to her own trio of Pokémon.
"Braixen, Flamethrower!"
"You, too, Pyroar!" Astrid ordered, both girls throwing their arms out with their commands. Braixen simply pointed and spewed her flame while Pyroar reared back before letting his own powerful flames mix with hers. They shot forward on a straight collision for the clustered Pangoro and Delphox.
"Block it with Fire Blast," Reeree said, throwing her hand out as well. Serena nearly gulped; the movement really was identical. Delphox spun her wand around, and now that Serena knew just who the Delphox was, she could also see the near identical wand movements as she pointed forward and the five-pronged wheel of fire blasted out. The flames collided in the air before exploding in little sparks.
"Piplup, use Drill Peck!" Dawn ordered, pumping her fist. Piplup waddled along until he hit the ice and then slid along it, his beak elongating. He quickly skated under the bridge and made a beeline right for Pangoro. Once he got close, he jumped.
"Arm Thrust!" Reeree said coldly. Pangoro looked to smirk before both of his arms glowed a bright white and he practically punched forward. The open palm struck Piplup and Serena could see the poor penguin's body ripple before he was sent flying back with a cry. Umbreon leapt away from the bridge and onto the slippery surface right before Piplup crashed through it from the attack. The bridge broke into tiny pieces of rubble.
"Catch him, Braixen," Serena ordered. She kept her eye on Reeree, who looked to have stopped trying to get out of the ice. Braixen reached forward with her wand and managed to quickly catch Piplup on it. He held on tight as Braixen was forced to rear back. Serena now looked to Dawn, who nodded. "Toss him!"
"Spin and use Drill Peck!" Dawn ordered. Braixen shifted the direction of her body and flung her wand forward. While she was able to hold on to the stick, Piplup let go and went flying forward at a quick speed. He spun through the air creating white ribbons of light as he did so before nailing Pangoro in the chest before he could react. The Daunting Pokémon wore eyes of surprise before getting flung backwards and slamming into the wall. "Yes!"
"You all right, Pangoro?" Reeree asked, using the same kind of concern that Serena all too often did. From the brief cloud of dust, Pangoro emerged.
"Pan!" he grunted and then grinned at Piplup, who quickly decided to skitter back across the ice.
"Great. Umbreon, use Snarl! Break the ice!" Umbreon, having gained her footing upon the ice, charged forward, sending the black wave right from her position towards Braixen. It wasn't the most powerful, considering the distance it had to travel, but numerous chunks of the ice broke off, revealing that the still somewhat shallow water wasn't entirely frozen.
"Piplup. Into the water!"
"Lup!" Piplup acknowledged, diving right into the drink. Reeree clearly wasn't letting that deter her assault on Serena, even with Braixen gracefully twirling to the side. Once she'd spun away from the Snarl, Serena decided to be more proactive. Astrid had the perfect strategy already in mind.
"We take out Pangoro first. He arguably has the most brute strength out of the three," the blonde pointed out wisely. Serena liked that idea, at least to the extent that it would limit their enemy's offensive power. Though it was weird to call herself "the enemy".
"Braixen, Fire Spin, right at Pangoro!"
"Sen!" Braixen agreed, jabbing forward and letting out the spiral of flame towards Pangoro. Reeree, who appeared to be in the path of it, ducked low as the circle of flame grew wider. Pyroar was on the move, leaping into the circles of fire. Even if the attack tended to lick at his fur, they looked to barely even tickle the lion, whose maw was brimming with heat. Pangoro punched forward, but Pyroar was too nimble and sunk his flaming fangs into their opponent. Pangoro cried out at his body was consumed in flames.
"Good, he's burned," Astrid noted. "Now's our chance to strike back!"
"Pangoro, Delphox, do what you do best!" Reeree ordered. Certain commands hadn't been given, but Serena was more than certain as to which moves the two of them would be using in tandem with one another. Sure enough, Delphox instantly directed a Flamethrower from her wand while Pangoro called forth his dark nexus of energy and sent it out in a swirling beam. Only they weren't heading for Braixen, but for her.
"Braixen, Fire Blast, quick!" Serena called, prepared to somersault underneath the attacks if she needed to. Braixen moved quickly, forgoing the use of her wand to open her mouth and send the powerful pentagram of fire out toward the incoming strikes. They collided and exploded in midair, causing Serena and Dawn both to hold onto their skirts while Astrid held her ground. Funnily enough, Dawn was the one to make the next move.
"Now, Piplup! Bubblebeam on Pangoro!" she cried before the blowback from the explosion ceased. Reeree whipped her head around, like she was trying to see where Piplup would emerge from. It turned out to be in the most obvious place as the penguin blasted out from the ice right in front of Pangoro.
"Pipluluplup!" Piplup cried as he sent the barrage of bubbles that impacted with Pangoro and left him vulnerable, pushing back inch by inch. Dawn quickly called another command, unheard over the impacting bubbles. Pangoro attempted to move, but the burn inflicted from earlier consumed his body. That gave Piplup ample time to strike with the long beak indicative of Drill Peck.
Pangoro flew back and slammed upon the ground with a loud thud, no longer getting up. Piplup was back in the water before Reeree had called her Pokémon back, narrowing the field. She quickly glared at Serena before looking down at her own legs and smirking. Yet it wasn't an ominous smirk necessarily; it looked more like one that Ash would wear when he came up with a great idea in battle.
"Delphox, melt the ice!"
"Delphoooooooox!" the Fox Pokémon screeched, plunging her wand down into the ice, enough that it cracked. Then she summoned up a flame that turned the floor red hot. More and more cracks appeared along the surface, and the thin veneer of ice began to melt away. Reeree had quickly begun to regain her mobility.
"We have to end this fast," Astrid concluded. "Giga Impact!" Pyroar gave a suitably loud roar as he blasted forward on what remained of the ice for Umbreon. His body glowed a bright yellow and purple as he picked up speed. Umbreon watched him approach timidly and Serena's heart clenched. It really was her Eevee.
"Umbreon, dodge and use Swift on her, now!" Serena frowned, knowing full well that the "her" to which Reeree was referring was herself. Pyroar was nearly upon Umbreon when the Moonlight Pokémon slid to the side using the ice. Pyroar missed, nearly slamming into the wall as Umbreon's yellow spots began to glow brighter and then flinging out the golden stars right for Serena. Serena's frown got deeper. It didn't matter that she was the same Eevee.
"Hidden Power!" Braixen pointed her wand up this time and sent a cascade of silver orbs out to impact with the stars. They broke apart and sent softly falling glitter upon them once they'd collided with each other. Dawn wasn't giving Reeree a chance to breathe.
"Whirlpool!"
"You're kid-" Reeree said. It was clear she was a little frustrated that now she was free, it was only to be offered up to a raging whirlpool that Piplup was forming in the middle of the field, starting to suck them all into the massive vortex. Serena heard tromping footsteps and she turned to see Diantha, Conway, and Shauna's group all running towards them through a hallway. "Well, good thing Clime gave me this just in case I needed to escape. Even if I'm not using it for that!"
"Hey!" Serena yelled. "Just what are you-"
Reeree held up a small device that looked like it was cobbled together from various wires, plastics and metals. Without any more delay, she pressed a small red button on it. Loud popping noises were heard around the entire stadium, causing Serena to look up. All around the area lights were blowing out as things short-circuited and even the screens exploded in a sudden shower of glass onto the emptying seats. Even the one-way shield around the arena dropped. That wasn't the worst of it, though, as a loud groaning reached all of their ears.
Then the platform began to fall quickly.
Serena reached out for Dawn and managed to hold onto her as the platform fell with them on it. Her blood rushed into her ears from all of it and she saw the rubble and the water beginning to rise in the air briefly from the difference in density and gravity. More than that, Piplup was also dragged out of the water. Up above, Serena saw Diantha and the others peering over the edge into the abyss they were now traveling down to.
"Snarl! Take out Piplup!" Reeree commanded. The girls were too busy recovering from the fall they were still in the middle of (each screaming internally at the prospect of falling to their deaths) that Dawn was unable to give a command. Umbreon moved freely enough, dancing across the rocks and rubble before sending out the black wave that hit Piplup and sent him tumbling off to the side.
"Br-Braixen, flip over the rubble and use Hidden Power on Delphox!" Serena choked out, unable to keep her breath in as they continued to fall. It was all moving so quickly. Braixen struggled to her feet, but managed to pad along through the water quickly and using her wand like a pole vault she flipped upward and twirled through the air. Reeree watched her with fascination for a moment before recovering as Braixen began to summon her silver orbs.
"Hidden Power, yourself, Delphox!" Reeree yelled. Delphox was fast; certainly faster than Braixen as she summoned the large silver orb to the tip of her wand. However, Pyroar had other plans as he leapt forward just as the orb was fired off. Before it could impact with Braixen, it slammed into Pyroar's chest and sent him sprawling backwards, leaving Serena at a severe disadvantage.
Then she noticed the water floating upward with their descent. Reeree had finally turned her attentions back towards her, but Serena's mind was working quicker than her opponent could. Obscuring the field before had worked to her advantage. Serena looked around and saw Dawn and Astrid coming to stand resolutely on the falling platform, giving her all the information she needed. "Braixen, Fire Blast on any water you can touch!"
"Braixen!" Braixen concurred and she twirled in her spot, bringing her wand with her while it let out numerous wheels of fire. The powerful attack hit every inch of water it could find, momentarily blinding the field in steam. Delphox and Umbreon could no longer see her in the cloud.
"Now, let's go!" Dawn yelled. Neither she nor Astrid needed to give orders as Piplup came sailing out of nowhere to impale Umbreon with a Drill Peck and Pyroar slammed into Delphox with Giga Impact. The two enemy Pokémon flew through the air and impacted with the wall. Just as that happened, the platform stopped descending with a sudden screech. Serena's knees buckled and she dropped from the sudden stop. Then she looked down and noticed the platform glowing blue as it began to rise. She looked up and saw the sight of Gardevoir and Slowking helping to drag the platform up.
"Good…" she breathed out, glad that they were rescued from a rather catastrophic death. Knowing that she didn't have to worry, Serena looked to see the unconscious forms of Delphox and Umbreon while Braixen, Piplup and Pyroar all leaned on each from the exhaustion of so many moves. At least they're all oka-
She didn't know what was happening. All Serena suddenly knew was that she had actually been tackled to the ground. When she looked up, it was to the sight of Reeree above her, tears streaming from her eyes as her long hair flowed around her. It made her look wild and feral.
"Why?" she bawled out angrily, raising a hand like she was going to slap her. "Why did your side have to have everything?"
"What are you talking about?" Serena gasped out, realizing that Reeree's knee was pressing against her chest and lungs. The girl had officially lost it, even if she had the same face as her.
"You get to be with him! You get to…Why does your world have to have everything so peaceful while I live with pain? !" Serena didn't know what to make of the statement, but she tried to struggle under the girl's hold as Reeree's hand went on a collision course for her face.
It never made it, as a rock suddenly slammed against Reeree's head. The girl jerked a little and then collapsed back into the water, unconscious like her Pokémon. Behind her was Astrid, a loose piece of the rubble in her hand for a moment before she tossed it aside. That action done, the blonde offered a hand to Serena. Coughing and spluttering, she gratefully took the hand and was helped back up. "You all right?"
"Fine…Thanks…" Serena expressed. The field was growing lighter now as they were nearly back up to the top by Diantha. Beyond them, the stands were pretty much empty, the exodus having gone well. Knowing that, Serena directed her gaze to the knocked out Reeree. "What did she mean 'your side' and 'your world'?"
"Who knows?" Dawn sighed out, almost collapsing on her butt from the exhaustion. "The girl was clearly crazy…though I wonder why she looks so much like you."
"I wonder that myself," Diantha's voice called. The field finally drew level with the platforms to enter on. As it did, the Champion turned and nodded at Conway, whose Slowking shifted targets to suddenly carry Reeree and her knocked out Pokémon over to the platform. Shauna quickly bent down to retrieve the girl's pokeballs and recall Umbreon and Delphox while the rest of those on the platform exited it. Once they were all clear, Gardevoir dropped her Psychic and the platform fell. It only took a bit of time before it fell to the bottom with a mighty crash. Once it had, Diantha looked at all of them with an appraising look. "Shauna, could you restrain the girl with your Ivysaur? We'll want to question her once she's woken up."
"Sure, Champion," was Shauna's quick response. Diantha sighed a little and called back her Gardevoir. Serena stepped forward as the Champion began to speak.
"I've no idea what her plan was, but from the way she was talking, it seemed like it had something to do with whatever happened to the president," she mused loudly. "At least this way we have a hostage, and hopefully a source of information."
"She said that she was keeping all eyes on the tournament," Astrid said, her fingers tapping away at her chin. "So, what? She wanted a blind eye to what her cohorts were doing?"
"Ash…" Serena breathed. If she wanted all eyes away from the rest of DARC's plan, then it could potentially mean Ash was in danger. Gripping at her chest, Serena desperately hoped he was okay, along with Clemont and Bonnie. The very thought of all of them being in danger and the reasons why was enough to make her woozy, but she stayed on her feet.
"Either way, I have a feeling the situation has become quite grave," Diantha commented. "Between what you told me of Ash and Clemont this morning, followed by this and my information, we've no idea what is about to happen."
"Then we'll have to round everyone up, right?" Serena asked. This drew attention from everyone there. "I have a way to contact Ash and Clemont, though I'm not sure how reliable it is. Since Ash is with his father, can't we all form a plan from there?"
"It's a good idea…in theory. But don't Clemont's inventions…not have the best track record for success," Diantha said, her lips turned into an amused smile. Serena had to stop herself from letting off a sheepish laugh at the truth being spoken.
"Then let me take a look at it, heh heh heh," Conway said, creepily adjusting his glasses once again. "I may not be an inventor, but I think I could make them work perfectly."
"Okay." Knowing that she could trust Conway despite his creepy demeanor, Serena reached into her vest pocket and pulled out the walkie talkie before handing it over to Conway. He instantly began to examine it. Diantha, however, turned to look down at the unconscious Reeree.
"While he figures that out, I think we should secure this girl…this other Serena, and get some answers. After that, we'll rendezvous and do whatever we can to take the enemy down." Serena nodded alongside all the others, but she couldn't stop the growing pit of worry in her stomach. Fighting against herself had been one of the hardest things she'd had to do. And if she wasn't the only one, Serena feared the worst for how the others would fare in the meantime.
"All right, Secret Agent Bonnie time!"
"Nene!" Dedenne whispered out as Bonnie brought her fingers together like a gun. From his corner of the cell, President Goodshow appeared to chuckle, though there were a few untimely wheezes thrown in. That made Bonnie drop her playacting and look at him worriedly.
"Don't worry about me, Miss Bonnie," he assured her with a smile. With a slight groan, Goodshow stood tall. "Tell me about this plan of yours."
"Oh, right!" Bonnie said. After giving a quick look to either side, ensuring that it was just the three of them in the area, she scuttled closer to the president and leaned in. "So, my brother's a real great inventor, and I've seen him make lots and lots of inventions."
"So I've heard," the older man said teasingly. "The rumors of one of his inventions running the Lumiose Gym for months were quite the topic for gossip at the League for a while." Bonnie's shoulders raised with the sheepish look she wore.
"Anyway, since I've watched him and I've dealt with tons of Team Rocket's inventions," Bonnie continued proudly. "I know what to look out for these days! So, when that big meanie was doing those things to you, I noticed that all the electricity is centered on the door to the cell!"
"You mean…these walls are perfectly fine," Goodshow commented. He appeared to test her theory by grabbing onto one of the metal bars to the side of them. Other than what looked like a slight tingling bristling along his beard, the effect of the electricity on the door to the cell was negligible. The president also looked to examine the gaps of the bars. "And it would seem Dedenne could slip through these…"
"Exactly!" Bonnie said positively. "Dedenne can get through them to get outside and then take the electricity away from the bars! I've seen him take communication electricity from Pikachu all the time, so I know he can do it!"
"Dene!" Dedenne said proudly in agreement with her, thumping at his chest. Goodshow looked around the area and seemed to nod positively at the idea.
"Sounds like a plan!" he finally concurred. Bonnie beamed at him with a rather toothy smile. Having the president's approval, Bonnie leaned down to the ground as Dedenne leapt onto the solid surface.
"Okay, Dedenne! But be careful, all right?" she whispered to him. Dedenne nodded and then turned around and aimed for the gap in the bars. For a brief second, Bonnie was worried that he'd actually get stuck in the bars thanks to his stomach. Those fears were allayed seconds later when he finally popped out on the other side, rolling along the floor of the adjacent cell. Giving a happy chatter, Dedenne continued along over to the next cell.
It was hard to tell from her position, but Bonnie was almost certain that there were three cells stretching out from the one they were in. With each bar Dedenne passed through, Bonnie gave a little cheer until, at last, Dedenne reached the last hurdle and squeezed out through the door bars of the final cell. It took him a moment to recover, shaking his head a little from the exertion he put out. However, when he looked back at her, Bonnie could tell he was filled with energy. They were partners, working together to get free.
"All right, use your whiskers and tail to get the electricity away from the door!" she told him eagerly. Dedenne nodded and skittered to the end of the cells before tentatively touching his black whiskers to the gray bars. Bonnie looked over to the door out of their own cell and saw it shimmering with suddenly visible blue electricity. It looked far too dangerous to touch, but before long that blue haze began to suddenly shift, funneling into a large bar at the top of the door. Once it reached there, it then shot off in the direction of Dedenne. Bonnie watched its progress until all of the electricity seemed to have, more or less, been removed. "Dedenne, get away!"
"Ne!" Dedenne cried out, though he didn't move quite fast enough to avoid all the electricity streaming towards his tiny body. Once it reached that spot in the bars it sparked outward, sending Dedenne tumbling. Crying out, Bonnie quickly ran over to the door, not caring if they were wholly successful, and pulled on it. She wasn't shocked by it, but the door still wouldn't budge.
"Open! Open door! Dedenne!" she cried, looking over at her passed out little friend. He looked so helpless and tired, yet the door still wouldn't budge. After another pull, Bonnie's hands let go of the door and she fell back. There had to be a way to get out! As little tears began to prick her eyes, she looked up and saw Goodshow's surprisingly strong hands pulling on the bars with gusto.
"Grrrrrrrah!" he screamed and with a loud, wrenching noise the door suddenly flung open and deposited him on the floor next to Bonnie. The blonde girl was up in a flash and running out of the open door, feet pounding the floor until she reached her tiny little friend.
"Dedenne! Dedenne! Talk to me!" she cried out, picking him up and cradling him. He didn't respond for a moment until he gave a soft little cough. "Oh, you're okay!"
"Ne…" Dedenne said, clearly tired and woozy from the activity he'd just done.
"You were great. Take a rest in my bag," she said kindly, putting Dedenne into her bag. He must have readily fallen asleep, because she heard nothing more from him. With that settled, she quickly ran back to the open cell to see that Goodshow had gotten up and was slowly making his way out of the cell.
"Someone will probably have heard that, so we need to be quick, but careful," he told her. Bonnie nodded emphatically and took the president's hand as she began to drag him off towards the door that Cedric and Clime had come through a few hours ago. It was a simple red door, but with a push of the handle, it swung open easily. At least this part will be easier than getting out of the cell…
Their hands still joined, Bonnie and Goodshow continued down the corridor behind the door. That particular corridor held no windows, but instead was lined with lights down it, bathing the hall in red. Some doors dotted the corridor, but neither tried opening them for fear of what would be inside. Instead, they just walked silently down until Bonnie noticed a metal stairway leading up. She gave a quick point to it and Goodshow nodded. Remaining silent, the two turned and placed a rather wary step on the stairs.
Positive that their footsteps wouldn't make all that much noise on the stairs, they continued upward until they reached another red door. Goodshow held Bonnie back and pressed on it tentatively. It swung open to a brighter lit corridor, that was just as empty as the one before. Bonnie now peeked her head around the corridor and could see it all leading to a blue door at the end. Shaking her head at the strange color coordination, she nevertheless walked on with Goodshow into the eerily empty hallway. The closer they got to the door, the louder it became. Bonnie wasn't sure exactly what kind of sound she was hearing, but the fact that it was getting louder meant that they were getting somewhere. Soon enough, they reached the blue door and opened it very slowly, peeking out.
The first thing Bonnie saw were a bunch of multi-colored crates covering up the door, though not blocking their exit. It did, however, obscure them from view of anyone outside and allowed them to finally walk outside. As Goodshow shut the door quietly, sunlight suddenly hit Bonnie's eyes and she cringed a little. That loud sound finally reached its zenith and Bonnie was finally able to recognize it for what it was: ocean waves.
Turning around, Bonnie saw that they were officially outside, the blue sky resting above her head. More than that, she was looking over the edge of something and out onto the sea. That led her to a very unsettling conclusion, which she whispered. "We're on a boat…"
"On the ocean, it would seem…" Goodshow grumbled out. Bonnie's eyes widened as the reality of their situation fully hit her: they were on a boat in the ocean with no place to run. If that wasn't bad enough, a new sound split the air in the form of a droning machine. Casting her gaze skyward once more, Bonnie saw a jet-black airship come sailing in towards the ship. For a moment, she watched its progress, even looking over the top of the boxes to see it descend onto a large open space there, where Cedric and Clime were waiting, their backs turned to her. Making sure she was still mostly hidden, Bonnie continued to watch. A ramp seemed to open up from the airship and Bonnie watched a man with stark red hair descend to greet the other two.
"Keh heh, everything go well, Carl?" Cedric said. Even with his back turned, Bonnie could tell his belly was jiggling.
"Well enough," Carl answered. "Thanks for the monitoring. We were able to secure the cocoon. Could you prepare a chamber and containment device? I'd rather not have Yveltal awaken and try to kill us before the goal is reached."
"Of course, I've already got design specs ready," Clime answered, adjusting what seemed to be glasses on his face. Bonnie peered a little closer and noticed the boy was no longer wearing his suit from before, exposing his bright blond hair. "I'm sorry that we were unable to find the location of the weapon. It wasn't strong enough without his ability and the president resisted it."
"Did he?" From a distance, Bonnie thought Carl's face looked rather dismissive, especially once he seemed to wave the subject matter. Clime gave a quick bow and began to turn around, forcing Bonnie to duck so she wasn't seen. After a few seconds, she peeked back over while Goodshow took a rest next to her. Her eyes widened and she held her breath at what she saw: Travis descending down the ramp.
"You have a ship as your base? Lame, dad," he spat. Carl looked at him with an exasperated expression. "When I worked for Team Neo we had a fancy airship. You guys must be cheap."
"We're smart, loser," snapped another voiced coming down the ramp. At this one, Bonnie actually forced her hands to clap over her mouth. Of the three descending, she easily recognized two of the three as Miette and Gary Oak, though she had no idea why they'd be working with the enemy. Swallowing thickly, she chose to continue watching until they walked away. After that…well, I could always learn how to fly that thing…
"We stole it after it was abandoned by the Devon Corporation," spat the purple-haired boy amidst the group. "And why did you decide to take him along, Carl?"
"He's my son," Carl dismissed.
"Son or no? He's not one of us," Gary said angrily. "I mean, neither are you, but at least you've been useful to the overall goal. Does he even share our views?"
"Who cares about that?" Miette asked, leaning on Gary's shoulder as she adjusted a shoe on her foot. "I care more about Reeree. Cedric, is she back yet? Did she win the tournament?"
"I'm afraid I'm not aware," Cedric answered. "My Trevenant Network was busy focusing on other things. Speaking of, I managed to get a lock on the final piece to the puzzle. Once it settles down, I think we'll be able to move in."
"Finally, some actual good news!" the unknown boy spat. "Now, what do we do about him?"
"Oh, please, if you think you guys are scary then you missed a few tactics at Intimidating School," Travis laughed out. Bonnie swallowed again; she certainly felt they were intimidating enough in that moment. "Is this really all you can put together, dad? Loser trainers like this?"
"I didn't put them together," Carl said tiredly. "And besides, they're not here for their strength, but their purpose."
"Purpose?" Travis asked. "Who cares about that? Purpose is nothing compared to strength."
"Oh, please tell me I can run this loser through," Gary said, gripping a pokeball. Cedric began to laugh his creepy laugh with another crinkling of his usual chip bag. "You have genuinely no idea what we're trying to do, so shut your mouth!"
"You're right, I don't," Travis mocked him tauntingly. "And I don't care either. All I know is what I've heard: you want to destroy this world. That's good enough for me."
"You're-" Miette began to snarl out when Carl held a hand up and approached the boy that was obviously his son. Once he reached him, he placed a hand on his shoulder. The others stood around and watched, remaining silent in the midst of the clear father and son reunion.
"You want to watch the world burn, right?" Carl asked. Travis didn't answer right away, but Bonnie could see him nod with a smirk on his face. "Yes…I had a feeling you might. After Ancien and Nova, I knew that if you ever got free, you'd come for me. Revenge always was of the highest order with you, even on the playground."
"You know me so well, dad. It's touching," Travis said with a simpering tone. "So, I don't care what your reasons are. Let's take revenge on this world and burn it together!"
"Travis, it's good to see you again," Carl said and Bonnie watched as the two redheads embraced in a hug. It nearly made her blanch. The whole thing was like some sick, villainous, heartwarming moment between two people that were clearly nuttier than fruitcakes. "Goodbye."
"Wha-?"
Everything went silent and Bonnie's stomach fell. A bright light shone outward as a Kabutops emerged from its pokeball next to Carl and the man withdrew. Before Travis (or Bonnie) could even blink, Kabutops plunged forward with glowing purple sickles and stuck Travis in the chest. He coughed loudly and Bonnie could see blood squirt from his chest. The sight was so frightening that she couldn't help but squeak. Kabutops held Travis in the air for a moment before tossing him back onto the ship's deck where he began to wheeze, the blood pouring out, matching the color of his hair.
"Taken care of, Gary," Carl said with a nod. Cedric really began to laugh loudly now as the purple-haired boy and Gary watched with almost amused smiles. Bonnie shook her head in disbelief. How…? How could they so casually do that to someone with a smile?
"D-dad…wh-why?" Travis spluttered out, sounding more like a wheeze than any intelligible words. Carl walked over and kneeled down at his son's level.
"You're my greatest sin, Travis," he said soothingly, reaching over and running his hands through his son's hair. "Goodness knows I tried, but I knew you'd never change from the moment you met that Dalton. So I joined DARC. Once we burn the world, raze it to the ground, then it will truly be free of what you've wrought upon it. And it'll erase my sins at the same time."
"Y-you…" Travis said. He tried to reach upwards and touch his father before his hand fell. Bonnie's breaths were short and her fingers slipped from the container as she heard one last statement of Carl's.
"Both our stains…everyone's stains will be washed away. Let us prepare, shall we?"
Bonnie fell back, gasping for air, though sounding more like a squeaky door hinge as she hit the ground. They couldn't be human. And that couldn't have been Gary and Miette, because neither of them would condone such actions. Bonnie tried to get her breathing under control; tried to find some peace. That quickly became impossible at the sound of slow footsteps all too near to her head. She had clearly been heard. Her body was shaking, though, and she couldn't move, feeling as though she was paralyzed. All she could do instead was turn and look at just who had found her.
"You people really do nothing but cause problems, don't you, Bonnie?"
Tears of pure unadulterated fear filled Bonnie's eyes as she looked at the person who had found them. The glasses were the same, though covered up by goggles. The hair was the same. The voice was the same, and she wondered how she hadn't noticed it before. It wasn't him though, and she knew that, because her brain and every muscle in her body was telling her to run. Yet even though she knew it, her mouth still breathed his name in fear.
"Clemont."
Author's Note: I hope I delivered a particularly intense chapter to all of you. I'd like to think I did, especially since a lot happened while the mystery only deepened. Yes, Reeree is confirmed to be Serena even further, though obviously very different. She also blames Serena for something. How and why that is will be revealed sooner than later. More importantly is Bonnie's section this chapter. Clime is indeed revealed to be Clemont, which was kind of obvious given the other characters (though a huge shock to Bonnie, of course). As for Travis…well, how many saw that coming? For the record, it was meant to purposely evoke a similarity to Travis' scene with Seamus in the previous story. How will this go from here with Bonnie captured? You'll find out…
Of course, before I go off, it's time to thank all of those making this story a success! My big thanks to all those who reviewed: StrawHatLuffy94, ultimateCCC, Cato Yugi, FantasyLover88, aliensinnoh, Omegaz, potat lasaro, sunshineisdelicious, AdvancedAlto, sparkydragon98, Daisy Pragnya, Daniel31, AmourshippingCanon, Cottonmouth25 and 1 guest! Thanks for all of your support as we continue on with the finale of this universe I've built. Until the next chapter where we'll meet again, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.