"Braixen, look out!"
I quickly rolled to my right as a giant ice shingle fell from the ceiling, just narrowly missing the tip of my tail. I let out a sigh of relief. I wanted to say thanks to Monferno for the heads up, but I saw Kyurem charge another beam in his mouth. The five of us stood still and waited for a chance to counter. Kyurem sprayed his ice beam out towards Snivy and Dewott. Fortunately, Dewott hopped back and avoided the attack. Snivy, however, hopped to the side and began running up the wall... But how could he do that if the wall is made of ice? Before I could think more about it, my thought was interrupted when I heard Snivy let out a battle cry as he leaped off the wall, swinging his sword down on Kyurem. However, Kyurem quickly swung his body around, slamming his tail against Snivy's side, which then caused Snivy to crash into the wall, and fall to the floor.
"Snivy!" Mienshao ran over to guard him, while Monferno, Dewott, and I focused on Kyurem.
I raised my wand, and pointed it towards Kyurem. I began to focus my psych up... Clear my thoughts... Concentrate my power at the tip of my wand to form a Psybeam. As I felt the power keep growing and growing, I heard Kyurem charge up another ice beam. I opened my eyes to see what he was doing, but I flinched when I noticed he was about to shoot his beam straight at me. Losing all concentration on my Psybeam, I rolled to the side, again, as Kyurem sprayed his ice beam. However, as I dodged, I felt a sharp sting on my feet, and fell to the floor.
"Hnng...!" I grunted as I looked down; My feet were frozen together! "Crap!"
Thinking quickly, I looked around and noticed Snivy and Mienshao were right in front of me. I called out to them. "Quick, Snivy! Mienshao! Help!"
However, as soon as I said this, the light in the room, strangely, dimmed down, as if some kind of shadow covered the entire area...
What's... happening?
Everyone suddenly hung their heads down, even Kyurem... This dreary feeling came over me. The whole room filled with an eerie ambiance, and the air became stagnant. No one was moving, and it was completely silent, only adding to the unexpected sullenness around me. I looked around in confusion... But then decided to shake my head and focus back on Snivy and Mienshao.
"Don't just stand there! Help me!" I cried out.
Snivy slowly turned his head, but immediately snapped his face in my direction. His crimson-red eyes added to his phantasmal gaze, which shot passed my mind. Seeing Snivy stare at me... My body became encompassed in an aura of fear. My being paralyzed as I continued to stare into his eyes. I was so lost and confused, but the only thing I wanted to do was run... Just leave and never come back; escape the fear the was plaguing me right now. I don't know why I was so scared, though. Nothing seemed right...
Snivy tilted his head to the side and spoke. "Look at you... Lying on the job? I thought you wanted to be helpful to the team. I thought you wanted to help change the world. So why are you wasting our time~?"
Snivy's voice was demented and twisted. Every word that came out of his mouth only buried me deeper in despair. My mind kept going blank, trying to comprehend what was going on... But Snivy started walking towards me. With each step he took, his shadow behind him began to grow... and grow... I whimpered in fear.
"You see? Like I said before, you're not very helpful in combat. Your body- no, your soul is just a waste of space. Why are you even trying at this point? You were better off slacking and doing nothing. You told yourself once that you wanted to do something with your life. But look around you. You're risking your life on a team of Pokémon who, clearly, are much more skilled than you. And why is that? To save the world? You really think you're strong enough to take on a challenge as great as that? That's the most pathetic goal anyone of your status could ever think of! Your just an insignificant bug on the planet, no different than anyone else!"
"No... That's not true!" I yelled back. "I am useful! I do have a purpose!"
"Really? And what would that be? Relying on everyone else to help you because you're too weak and simple-minded to see your own problem?"
"Shut up!" I yelled again. "J-Just... shut up!"
"Take a long look at what you're doing... You're only hiding from your truth. Heh, you're not worthy enough to handle this work. Because of your uselessness, you must be removed from the team... And to ensure that no one like you ever comes around again, you must also be removed from this existence!"
Suddenly, everyone else, including Kyurem, snapped their heads in my direction. They all had devil-red eyes... And they began to inch their way over to me. I wanted to flee, but the dreadful atmosphere of the room still kept me paralyzed. The feelings associated with claustrophobia encompassed my mind. My heart felt like it was ready to squeeze out of my chest...
As the five of them slowly came closer and closer, they repeatedly whispered my name. Gradually, I heard more unknown voices around the room echo the same thing; filling my ears with nothing but apprehensive nightmares.
Braixen, Braixen, Braixen, Braixen...
Braixen, Braixen, Braixen, Braixen...
Bra̧i̶x̢e͞n̸, B͘̕r̕a̡i̛͡x̡͢͠e̛͝҉n͢͞,̕͡͡ ,̭ Br̛ąix҉҉e̶n,̸́ B̷̸̡͢͢ŗ̸̛͘a҉̧͢͠͝i͝͠x̴̷̶͟è̸ņ̸̢͡͡.̷̢̀͡͠.̴̛.̧̛̕͞
My mind drowned in an execrated abyssal torment of angst...
"Braixen... Braixen! Wake up!"
My eyes widened and I woke up in a cold sweat; The voices of reality brought me out of my nightmare. I sat in bed with an uneven breathing pattern. But despite the tense air from my dream, the familiarity of the PokéHeroes base brought me to a calming mood. Dewott sat on the bed to my left; I guess he was the one who woke me up...
Looking down at my paws, I said aloud, "What the hell just happened!?"
Dewott flinched at my unexpected reaction. "Are you okay Braixen? You started struggling in your sleep, but then it seemed like you were trying to run from something... You started freaking me out, too..."
I paused. "It was... a very, very bad dream..."
"Oh? What happened?" Dewott asked. However, I was too nervous to explain it to him.
What was the point of that dream? I tried replaying it in my mind...
The picture of Snivy staring at me flashed in my mind and brought shivers down my spine.
"There was... madness... all around me..." I gave Dewott a vague answer. I felt that this was something I should bring up with Snivy instead.
"Hm..." Dewott thought to himself for a moment. "Well, luckily, we're not taking any jobs today, so use this time to clear your mind from that." Hearing him mention "jobs" reminded me about the team. It was then that I noticed that everyone besides Dewott was gone.
"Where is everyone?" I asked.
"Monferno left early to spread the message of Snivy to the other teams. Mienshao and Snivy went to Post Town... I'm not exactly sure why, though. They told me to stay here and wait for you to wake up."
I heard the words from the Snivy in my dream echo in my head.
"Your body- no, your soul is just a waste of space."
No... that isn't true... I know that's not true...
And I'm going to prove it!
I eagerly hopped out of the bed. "Well, let's go meet up with them!"
Dewott gave a confused look at my sudden change in mood. But he shrugged, and we left Paradise, heading towards Post Town.
Today looked like your average day. Nothing fancy. Sun was shining. A few clouds here and there. It wasn't too hot or too cold. The quiet atmosphere calmed my thoughts, and my mind was able to safely wander without thinking about my nightma- Nope. Not going to even mention it...
A wooden archway that stood at the end of a wooden, red bridge indicated that we made it to Post Town. As we started crossing it, a pair of eccentric Pichu's skid by us.
"Hurry, this way! Something's going on in the central plaza!" One called to the other as they ran ahead. I looked over at Dewott, and he nodded his head. We followed them.
A large crowd containing a variety of Pokémon was gathered in the central plaza. To the right of Swanna's Café we saw Snivy and Mienshao standing on some kind of platform. As usual, Snivy was wearing his cloak. He seemed to be giving some kind of speech. I squeezed through the crowd past an Excadrill and a Leavanny so I could hear Snivy better. (Dewott stayed in the back of the crowd.)
"... I hope you all can understand why I was gone. I'm sorry for leaving you all behind. I'm sorry I didn't protect Eevee. However, there are still lots of problems out there in the world. And now that I'm back, I plan to go back to what I was doing before; If you ever need help, don't be afraid to ask Team PokéHeroes for assistance."
And with that, Snivy hopped off stage. I guess that was the end of whatever speech he gave. As he and Mienshao walked off and the crowd of Pokémon dispersed, I heard some of them around me talk about what Snivy said.
"... He's back? I can't believe he's still alive..."
"... guess it's nice to know the rescue team is back..."
"... I feel bad knowing his friend is gone. Hope he's okay..."
But I also heard some of the Pokémon say some... unexpected comments.
"... There's a rescue team here? I had no idea..."
"... Who is that guy? I feel bad, but..."
"... I was hoping for some bigger news. Eh, whatever..."
That last one greatly irritated me. After all Snivy's been through- after all he's lost, and finally coming back here, some of these Pokémon didn't even take him seriously. Granted, it's been a few years, so it's understandable that some Pokémon wouldn't know who he is. But still, his own home doesn't even remember who he is. I felt terrible for him...
Snivy and Mienshao spotted us and they walked over.
"Good morning, Braixen." Mienshao greeted me. I rubbed the back of my head.
"Heh... Sorry for sleeping in. I had a lot on my mind. Anyway, what was that all about?" I asked.
"I told them..." Snivy said, coldly. "I told them about why I was gone..." He turned his head away. "I also told them that Eevee was gone, too..."
"Oh..." It must've taken a lot of strength to tell a whole crowd about what happened. I saw Mienshao cross his arms.
"Hm. Yes... I wanted Snivy to announce that he has returned. I wanted him to tell what happened, and give everyone some answers. Perhaps now that he's back, we can gain a little more recognition."
"But you do realize that some of these Pokémon don't even know who Snivy is, right?"
"I do know that. But when a certain event happens around here, word of it spreads much quicker in this town than you might think. Hopefully, the Pokémon that left during Snivy's absence will be glad to know that he has come back. Maybe even some of our older friends will hear about his return..."
"Yea... Let's hope..."
"So, what do we do now?" Deowtt asked.
"I was going to look around and grab some supplies for our... upcoming battle. Actually, I need you to come with me."
"Alright." Dewott nodded in response.
"As for you two..." Mienshao motioned to me and Snivy. "I imagine your mission was a bit difficult, Braixen, so you're free to rest up. And I'm sure it'll take some time to get used to the area again, Snivy. So you, too, are free to do as you like. Enjoy the day off." Mienshao turned around. "Let's get going Dewott."
The two of them walked off, leaving me and Snivy in the town plaza by ourselves. I wasn't exactly sure what to do... I looked over at Snivy. He was looking down at the ground. But when I glanced at his eyes, my nightmare flashed in my mind again. I shuddered. I turned around and was about to briskly walk off, but Snivy spoke.
"Braixen..." I immediately stopped and slowly turned towards him.
"Y-Yea?" Snivy was silent for a moment.
"Can you... come with me?" He still had his head down; He didn't look at me.
"Um... Where to?"
"Just... Can you come with me?" He repeated. Seeing his depressive nature, I decided to put my personal thoughts aside and help him.
"S-Sure..."
He began walking out of Post Town, and I followed along to the unknown destination.
We arrived back at Paradise; It was about noon time now. I followed Snivy through the desolated land. Occasionally, he would stop and look around.
"I never thought I'd see this place so... empty..." He continued to make similar comments along the way to wherever we were going.
Eventually, we made it all the way to the back of Paradise, where the normal-type dojo was. After climbing all the way up to it, Snivy walked over to the edge of the cliff behind the dojo. He stared out over the edge. Over in the distance, soft winds carried waves of water onto the shore of a beach. The crashing sound of the waves and the cool whirls of wind brought a certain ambiance around the two of us. It made me feel more open and calm. Snivy sat down and hung his feet over the edge of the cliff. I did the same, but kept a certain distance away from him. We both continued to stare out...
"Braixen?" Snivy spoke unexpectedly. I looked towards him. "Do you think... Do you think we can stop Kyurem?" Oh, so that's what's been bothering him? Huh...
"Well..." I paused. Truth be told, I wasn't sure how I felt about going to fight a Legendary Pokémon. I was definitely scared of it, though.
"You don't think we'll win either, do you?"
"No... I wouldn't say that, Snivy." I answered. "Let me put it this way: If you told me a few months ago that one day I was going to head off and fight one of the Legendary Pokémon, I would've called you crazy."
Snivy hung his head down. "So you really don't think we'll win..."
"However," I continued, "now that I've met you, and I know what you're capable of, and having met Mienshao and Dewott; Just having you guys for support, I'm much more confident that we have a chance at beating Kyurem."
"Hmph... But I needed to use my sword's powers to beat him the last time. What makes you think we'll win this time?"
I could see the stress and worry build up in Snivy. I let out a chuckle. "Snivy, you don't need to get so worked up. Like Mienshao said, it'll do more harm than good to worry. Besides, look at how much you've done since you came back without your powers: You realized your mistake in protecting Eevee, and decided to move forward from it. You came back to Paradise and rejoined the team. And you just announced that you returned! That's quite a lot that you've overcame without some fancy ability or power. Your fighting ability isn't the only important attribute you have."
I saw Snivy start to give a small smile at the praise I gave him. But he turned his head away, trying to hide it. I laughed at him.
"And besides," I grabbed Snivy's sword and pulled it out of his sheath.
"H-Hey! What are you-?"
"You've fought a lot with this sword haven't you?" I looked closer at the blade. Many scratches marked up the blade. "So, you must know how to handle this sword well, right? That in itself is another accomplishment. How many other Pokémon do you know fight with a weapon? In a way, this gives us a slight advantage in our fight, don't you think?"
I handed the sword back to Snivy, which he immediately sheathed. He looked back out at the horizon and closed his eyes.
"Thank you Braixen... I don't know what I would've done without you."
"Without... me?" It was then that I remembered my nightmare and how he said I was worthless. But right here... he just said he needed me... Right? I had to know... "Snivy..." He continued to stare at the horizon. "I, uh... had a nightmare last night."
Snivy turned his head towards me. He looked shocked. "Really? What happened?"
I paused for a moment.
"All of us- the team, we were fighting Kyurem... And during the fight, I got my feet frozen from his ice beam. And then everything went dark, and everyone- you, Mienshao, Monferno, even Kyurem, gave me this evil glare. It was terrifying..." Snivy continued to intently listen to my dream. "And when that happened, you started talking to me... You mentioned that I was worthless... That I had no purpose on the team... I had no purpose in life..."
Snivy gave a startled look. "Why would I say that to you?"
"I don't know... Remember in the Forest of Shadows- remember that Krokorok we fought? I remember after the fight, you said I wasn't good in combat. I think that's where it all came from..."
Snivy looked out at the horizon. "Well... yeah... From what I saw, you weren't good at fighting." Snivy's words caused me to flinch. "But that doesn't mean you don't have a purpose."
I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"
"Finding out what you want to achieve... That's something only you can discover. When I first left my home, it was because I wanted to see more of the world. But all I saw at the time was corruption among everyone. Soon, I realized that I was too weak to take on everything myself. So I joined Eevee's team. I wanted to save the world, find a solution to the corruption it faced... And we were able to stop it. But now Kyurem's returned. It's going to spiral into an abyss again, and I can't let that happen... That is my purpose... and I need to become stronger..."
Snivy turned his head towards me.
"You are helpful. You do have a purpose. But fighting to save the planet isn't your purpose. However, joining the team, I think, was a good step in the right direction." He smiled at me. "And if it helps at all, I'm glad you're on this team."
I smiled back and closed my eyes. "Heh... Thanks, Snivy."
Dewott and Mienshao were looking around at the shops in Post Town, deciding what supplies was necessary for the upcoming battle. As they continued to look around, an unknown Pokémon watched them. The Pokémon followed them around town, deciding when to approach them. It wasn't long before the Pokémon took a few steps in their direction.
"Excuse me..." The Pokémon's voice was deep. Mienshao and Dewott turned towards the Pokémon.
"Can I help you?" Mienshao noticed the giant Pokémon had white fur, with a red zigzag going across its body. A scar covered its right eye.
"You're a part of Team PokéHeroes, aren't ya'?"
Mienshao and Dewott gave a stern look. They noticed something was off.
"Dewott, continue looking for supplies."
"Uh... O-Okay..." Dewott nervously watched as Mienshao walked up to the Pokémon.
"Yes... I am the leader to Team PokéHeroes. Is there something you need?" Mienshao tried to keep things formal.
"Yeah." The Pokémon replied. "I'm looking for a certain Snivy..."
A few hours had passed since Snivy and I had that conversation. We continued to stare out at the horizon. It was sunset now; The sun began to shine rays of orange, red, and yellow that all clashed together to form a beautiful sky. I'm glad I was able to clear things up with Snivy. Now I hope that one day, I do find my reason- my purpose in life. But I do want to help Snivy in protecting the world, and saving the Pokémon from destruction; I came this far. I'm not going to back out now.
We unexpectedly heard a voice.
"Snivy!" It was Mienshao.
"What could he want?" Snivy wondered. We both stood up.
Mienshao appeared over the edge as he climbed up the steps. However, I flinched once I noticed the Pokémon following behind him. A giant Zangoose walked up beside Mienshao. His stern posture and the scar over his right eye were signs that he had been in many battles. I wouldn't be shocked if he faced death in the eye at least once... I noticed Snivy was frozen, but he instinctively placed his hand on the handle to his sword. But why?
"This Zangoose here says he would like to speak with you, Snivy."
"Hm. Thank you very much." The Zangoose stepped forward. He gave a smirk. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
I was completely lost. "Snivy, what's going on? Do you know this guy?"
Snivy stared daggers at the Zangoose. "This Zangoose tried to steal Eevee's pendant many years ago. But I was the one who drove him away before he could cause any major harm to Eevee..."
The Zangoose let out a deep laugh. "Oh, don't worry. I gave up trying to find power. The pendant means nothing to me now. I'm here because I have a score to settle with you. I think I'm ready to take on those nifty powers you have."
"Heh, you're in luck. I lost all those powers. But that's not going to stop me from fighting you." Snivy withdrew his sword from the sheath; The light from the sun glistened off the blade. He got into a battle stance. I did the same.
"No Braixen, this fight is mine."
"But, Snivy-"
"Don't worry. I don't plan to lose..." Snivy's words had a sharp sting to them. I wasn't comfortable with Snivy going at this Zangoose by himself. I mean, this Zangoose is almost three times Snivy's size! Would he be able to win? I looked over at Mienshao for guidance. He just shrugged at me. I guess I will let them fight...
Zangoose and Snivy maintained their stares at each other; The tension between the two gradually rose. I could hear the wind softly whistle in the air as it gently blew by. Snivy's cloak blew along with the wind. When the breeze stopped, that's when Snivy made the first move. He sprinted towards Zangoose, holding his sword high in the air. Zangoose brandished his black claws. When Snivy got in range, he leaped in the air and swung his sword down at Zangoose. But Zangoose's claws easily blocked Snivy's blade. Zangoose then grabbed Snivy by his tail, and hurled him straight at the ground. Snivy's back slammed on the hard dirt as bits of debris flew up in the air.
"Ack!" Snivy let out a cry in pain, but quickly rolled back and stood up again. I noticed Snivy's back got scraped up, but he didn't look like he was affected by it. Unexpectedly, Zangoose jumped in front of Snivy, and began to let out a fury of punches in close combat. Snivy managed to block a few with his blade, but it only took four punches before he was sent flying backwards again. He slowly stood up, and wobbled on his feet before getting his balance back.
This time... seeing the bruises on Snivy... It hurt me to see him in pain.
Snivy strafed around Zangoose and tried to slash at him from behind. However, Zangoose was swifter. He turned around and block the sword with his left-hand claws, again. Using his right hand, he grabbed Snivy by his neck; I flinched in response. I took a step forward, wanting to jump in, but Snivy said-
"Hck!" My eyes were pained by the image they saw. Zangoose crushed his left-hand claws into Snivy side, causing blood to spray out of him. "Ugh!" Snivy grunted at the sharp cut. Zangoose then threw Snivy at the ground again, staining the grass a deep red. "Agh!"
"Snivy!" Mienshao and I both called out to him. Snivy placed his hand on his side, covering the wound. He struggled to get back up.
"Hahahahha..." Zangoose let out another laugh. "I think fighting me without those powers was a big mistake for you. Although, it's quite a shame. I was hoping to get a much more interesting fight out of this. Oh well..." Zangoose held his right hand up into a fist.
Seeing Zangoose about to beat down Snivy...
No...
I'm not going to allow this!
I grabbed the tip of my wand from my tail...
As Zangoose threw his fist forward, a loud thump was made. It collided against my wand, blocking his attack on Snivy.
"What!?" Zangoose flinched. I held my wand up, and wrapped a blazing fire around me. I then charged straight at Zangoose, slamming my body flames into him. He held his arms up in defense and skid back on his feet. I stood in front of Snivy, guarding him.
"Braixen... W-What are you doing?" Snivy wearily asked.
"I'm sorry. I know you told me not to intervene... But now I realize that without you, I have no purpose; I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you... If you die, then all the work I've done now would be wasted. Plus, we need you; We need you to fight off Kyurem later on. I'm not going to sit here and let you die... And that is my purpose: To protect those that are important to me!"
As soon as I said this, a radiant white light instantly shone off my body, encompassing me inside it's purity. My spirit floated off my body... and ascended high into the sky, where I was surrounded by nothing but the astral stars. What was this? I could feel a certain strength begin to grow inside my body. Somehow, it seemed familiar. Yes... I do remember this feeling... But when else did I feel it? Beyond the stars, I heard a certain angelic voice echo towards me.
"The strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest."
I could feel my mind and body evolve...
This power... I remember now...
I'm evolving...
Finally, my spirit descended back to reality. The light had faded out and I could see the rest of my body. A red dress of fur had grown downwards from my waist. There were red-furred sleeves around my arms, too. A coat of yellow-fur covered my torso, like a tunic.
Finally, I had evolved into Delphox...
As I slowly looked up I noticed Zangoose staring at me. I gave him a stern glare.
"If you plan to pursue this fight against Snivy, then you will need to challenge me, too." I held my wand out towards him.
Snivy, Mienshao, and Zangoose continued to stare at me. Hm... If they weren't familiar with what a Braixen was, then they certainly don't know what a Delphox is. I guess my appearance shocked them a bit. But after a brief moment, Zangoose let out a laugh.
"Haha... Snivy must mean that much to you, huh? Well then," Zangoose shrugged. "I guess I forfeit. I wasn't planning on killing you, anyway."
"What!? Really?" Snivy and I were both shocked.
"Wait," Snivy spoke up. "You were so close to winning... and now you're just going to give up?"
Zangoose looked up at the sky. "I know what it's like to have a special meaning towards someone. Heck, over the last few years, I actually started a family. If I died, then they'd be lost without me. So, Snivy, if you mean that much to this... uh..."
"Delphox." I stated.
"If you mean that much to Delphox here, then I'm not going to continue the fight." Zangoose walked up to me, but I kept my wand out. "Relax. I just want to help Snivy; I did leave a pretty nasty cut in his side."
Oh crap, that's right! I turned towards Snivy.
"Are you okay, Snivy?" I asked worriedly. Mienshao ran over to Snivy and examined him.
"He's stopped bleeding, so he should be fine. But we need to get him back to the base to be treated."
"Alright then, allow me to help." Zangoose gently scooped up Snivy so that he wouldn't hurt him. He had Snivy sit on his shoulder and lean against his head.
"Heh, you must not be that prideful if you don't mind me carrying you like this."
"I'm not too concerned with pride right now... as I am with my life." Snivy replied. "So, please, let's head back to the base."
"Follow me." Mienshao began walking off.
I followed behind Zangoose, keeping a close eye on Snivy. Along the way, I looked down at my new hands. It suddenly dawned on me how important my evolution was.
Actually... oh my gosh...
Oh my gosh! My mind started racing! I evolved! I'm faster, I'm stronger, I can learn new moves, and best of all, I'm finally a psychic! Yes! I couldn't help but let out a prideful smirk at my new self.
"So you evolved, huh?" Snivy spoke to me. I smiled at him.
"Yep!"
"And you're now... Delphox, right?"
"Yea!"
Mienshao overheard us and joined the conversation. "So judging by your appearance, you're a psychic now too, yes?"
"Yes!" When Mienshao said that I got excited again.
"So, do you know any psychic powers?" he asked.
Suddenly, I froze.
"That's right... I have psychic powers now! Although... I think I have to learn them."
"Well, in that case, once Snivy is taken care of, we will begin training your psychic abilities."
I gave a smile in response. "I can't wait to try them out!"
As we followed the path back to the main base, I looked down at my hands again.
Finally, I have evolved.
A new me.
A new body, soul, mind, and spirit...
I will put it to good use.
