Heads up! I'm bumping the rating up on this chapter to Mature! For language and violence. Enjoy! Keep the reviews coming, I love hearing from you guys! (Also stay tuned after this chapter, it's not over just yet!)
Spark caught the Master Ball firmly in his hand, just as he realized what Blanche was doing. "Blanche, NO!" he screamed, just as the Voltorb exploded, the white light blinding both him and Zapdos. Spark could feel the Master Ball jerking around in his hand as he covered his face with his arm. Articuno broke free, and screamed in anguish as it realized what had happened. Even a Master Ball couldn't hold it if it wasn't willing. But it had been contained just long enough to save its life. Zapdos didn't wait for a command from its trainer, instead diving straight toward the charred concrete where Voltorb had been, and Spark clung to its feathers as tears streamed down his face. Zapdos hadn't even landed when Spark jumped, landing hard on the concrete and running as fast as he could toward Blanche, who had been thrown back by the blast. She lay motionless on the ground, and he fell to his knees beside her, scooping her up in his arms. He pulled her close and choked out a sob, feeling how limp she was in his arms.
"Come on, B. You gotta be okay. Please be okay baby," he cried, his voice cracking as he moved her silver hair from her face. There was blood coming from her nose and mouth, even from her ears. He cradled her neck, and felt the warm blood that had already soaked into her hair at the back of her head, where she had hit the concrete. He pulled her to him and continued to sob. "No, no, no," he whimpered, looking up at Candela, who stood over him, her eyes glistening with tears.
"She's not breathing. Candie… she's not…" his words seemed to claw at his throat, unwilling to make it the rest of the way out. Candela dropped to her knees beside him, pushing him gently out of the way. She lay Blanche back on the concrete, and started chest compressions. She pinched Blanche's nose and breathed into her mouth, before returning to compressions. Spark rocked back and forth, rubbing his arms and sobbing uncontrollably. Zapdos hovered over him, and watched Candela, who was becoming more and more frantic. "Come on Blanche!" she cried, as her voice weakened. "Come on!" she screamed, falling back on the concrete in defeat and gasping in a sob. Articuno loomed over Blanche, a single tear dropping from its cheek, which froze into a tiny snowflake that landed on Blanche's forehead before melting. Candela glanced up, wiping her tears as her attention was pulled to the hole in the arena, where her entire graduating class was running, then skidding to a halt as they saw Blanche, lifeless on the ground. Even Team Rocket had stopped fighting.
Zapdos stepped forward, extending a wing over Blanche. It looked back at its distraught trainer, and let out a soothing twitter. Spark sucked in a breath, and jumped up, suddenly composed. He approached his Legendary, and placed a hand on its wing. "You think so?" he asked, and Zapdos slowly nodded. "Alright," Spark said, pulling Candela away and giving Zapdos more room. Candela looked from Spark to Zapdos, confused.
Zapdos placed the tip of its wing over Blanche's heart, as electricity crawled down its spiky feathers, disappearing into her chest. It removed its wing, just as Blanche's eyes shot open and she began coughing. Spark rushed forward, pulling her into his arms. "Oh my god, B. That was so stupid, don't ever do that again! What were you thinking?!" he asked, crying as he caressed her face.
"Articuno… okay?" she whispered weakly, her Legendary lying down behind her, nuzzling her face with its beak. She reached up with a bloodied hand and stroked its feathers, a feeble smile gracing her lips. Spark let out an exasperated laugh, and leaned Blanche back, so she was resting comfortably against Articuno, the great bird cradling her as if she were a cracked egg. "Yeah, B. Articuno's okay," he sighed. Candela kneeled next to Blanche, holding her hand and inspecting her wounds. Spark glanced to his right, to see the Rocket boy who had kicked the Voltorb. "Spark?" Candela asked, her tone concerned. Spark's energy had hit her like a brick wall. He didn't seem… himself.
"You killed Headmaster Aspen," Spark said, his voice darker than Candela had ever heard it. "You stole his Lugia. You almost killed a Charizard and you just murdered an innocent Voltorb," Spark stroked Blanche's cheek lovingly before he stood, turning toward the boy with malice in his eyes. "All of those things were already unforgivable," Spark said, advancing on the boy, who backed away, a look of sheer terror on his face.
"But Buddy," Spark stopped directly in front of the boy and cracked his knuckles.
"You fucked up when you hurt my girl," he practically spit the words in the boy's face. "Zapdos... kill the lights," Spark ordered, and Zapdos tilted its head skyward, emitting a spider web of electricity toward the arena lights, overloading the system and sending yellow sparks raining down from the fixtures. The entire room was swallowed up in darkness, save the ambient light that bounced off the concrete from the hole in the wall. Spark moved like a shadow, the Rocket boy crying out in fear before he was silenced. Candela searched the darkness, her heart pounding in her chest. "Spark?" she whispered as she stood, cautiously walking through the dark, in the direction she had last seen Spark. Moltres followed her, and slowly the light from its wings illuminated Spark, who stood over the Rocket boy, his shoulders heaving. His hands were clenched into fists, and he appeared to be shaking with rage. He spoke softly to the boy who now lay on the concrete, his face bruised and bloodied.
"Do you know what happens to the human body when it's struck by lightning?" he asked as he bent down, dragging the boy to his feet by his shirt collar. The boy shook his head, whimpering, his eyes darting to Zapdos, which was entirely shrouded in darkness save its glowing red eyes.
"If you ever come near me or my friends again... you will," Spark seethed, throwing the boy to the ground. Zapdos screeched at him, and chased him for good measure. The boy crawled frantically to his feet and ran from the arena, never looking back. The rest of Team Rocket followed, abandoning their leader, who stood in shock, before turning and running from Zapdos.
Candela stepped forward, placing a hand gently on Spark's shoulder. He jumped, seemingly unaware of her presence. He looked over at her, then down to his own hands, which were covered in the boy's blood. He let out a forced breath, and wiped his hands anxiously on his pants. It was as if they weren't his hands, like they had acted of their own accord. "I'm sorry Candie. That wasn't me, I shouldn't have done that. I…" he sounded so scared. She immediately pulled him into a hug.
"Hey. It's okay," she said, pulling back to look him in the eyes. "I'm glad you did. Cuz if it had been me, there would be nothing left of that kid but a smear on the concrete," she joked, finally winning that smile of his that she loved so much.
She and Spark both jumped, as the sound of clanking metal met their ears. Lugia's chains…
Spark and Candela ran in the direction they last remembered seeing Lugia, farther into the arena, as Candela's fire types ran ahead to light the way. Faintly, far off in the darkness, they could barely make out someone, pulling the chain net off of Lugia. Probably a Rocketeer trying to make off with it.
"You there! Stop!" Candela yelled as they approached. She and Spark slowed, however, as they realized the person wasn't wearing Rocket gear. And Lugia didn't seem threatened. Instead, it was slowly rising to its feet, but it wasn't fighting to get away. Rather, it seemed to linger by the man who had thrown off its chains. Candela stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Lugia leaning down, pressing its forehead against the man's. Spark glanced at Candela, and they exchanged a look of utter confusion. When they looked back, they saw the man holding Lugia's head and whispering something to it. Lugia made a mournful sound, before turning abruptly and launching itself into the darkness. Candela lost sight of it, as it flew through the darkened arena, before it appeared at the hole in the wall, flying over top of the crowd of students, causing them all to duck and gasp. It flapped its wings once, and disappeared out of sight. Her blood boiled. They had come so far, and then this stranger had the nerve…
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" she asked, spinning around as the man approached. He pulled a pair of glasses from his eyes, and she could see his eyes were misty with tears. She immediately regretted her tone when she realized what he was wearing. A lab coat.
"Professor Willow," the man said, wiping his glasses on his shirt and placing them atop his fluffy white hair.
"My apologies Professor. It's just that… we've come so far, been through so much… all for the sake of that Lugia… and now it's gone…"
"Yes, I know what you have done, Candela. And I know who you are," he said, glancing over at Spark. His gaze drifted down to the blood smeared on the boy's clothes. "You three have done something even the greatest of trainers have found impossible. You have been through more than anyone your age should ever have to endure. Aspen would be very proud of you."
"You… knew Headmaster Aspen?" Spark asked, and Professor Willow sighed, his head held in regret.
"Yes. Studied under him at the Academy. Became a Professor, joined Team Harmony, all because of him. I was his star pupil. The only student he ever allowed to see his Lugia before graduation day," he said, his eyes far off in a distant memory. "I was caretaker to that great Legendary for many years. It was my friend," he said, his voice weakening. Candela and Spark stared, speechless.
"So… why did it leave?" Candela asked, and the Professor winced. He shook his head and sighed. "You probably don't know this yet… but when a Legendary bonds with a trainer, they bond for life. A Legendary can live for centuries, but if it bonds with a trainer, it will stay with them until either death separates them, or the trainer releases them of their vow. Even then, some remain, unwilling to part with their friends..."
Candela and Spark both turned, as Moltres and Zapdos approached, nuzzling their arms. Candela felt suddenly very grateful for her bond with Moltres.
"So… why didn't Lugia want to stay with you, if you were its friend?" Spark asked, as he caressed Zapdos's feathers.
Professor Willow's shoulders sank. "Lugia has had its heart broken. It lost its best friend only days ago, Team Harmony dissolved, and it just witnessed the greatest heartbreak of all… its cherished siblings… fighting…" he said, Candela and Spark immediately jumping on the defensive.
"But we were fighting to save it! To rescue it!" Candela barked, and Moltres shook its head in agreement.
"It doesn't matter. Headmaster Aspen and Lugia saw some of the most prosperous and harmonious years during their tenure. And even if you were fighting for the right reasons… you were fighting," he said, and Candela glanced over at Spark, exasperated. She was silent for quite some time, thinking over her words.
"Well it's wrong," she said, and both Spark and Professor Willow stared at her. "I learned something on graduation day. When that Charizard leveled our arena and killed Aspen. I am the leader of Team Valor. I stand for strength and power. But you can't have power without mercy. And you can't have peace and harmony without first fighting to earn it. And I, for one, will never stop fighting to earn Lugia's blessing."
Spark watched her, a wide smile spreading across his lips. She seemed so grown up. They certainly weren't kids anymore. He took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Me neither," he said, and she smiled back at him. Professor Willow let out a little laugh, and shook his head.
"Well said. You are wise beyond your years, young trainer," Professor Willow smiled at her. "I have dreamed, since I was a young man, of being reunited with my old friend Lugia. And while it pains me to watch it fly away, I know that it needs time to heal. And if what you say is true, and you fight to restore Team Harmony and rid the world of the discord that is Team Rocket, I know that one day, Lugia will come back to me. It will see the strength of your bond with your Legendaries. But more than that…" he said, as he stepped around the two young trainers, approaching Blanche and kneeling in front of her. She fought to keep her eyes open through her pain, but she looked up at him in awe as he placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "It will see the beauty of your friendship. The three great teams, working together, is the purest sign that Harmony is alive and well within each of you."
Blanche smiled weakly, Professor Willow smiling gently at her. He stood, glancing up to the large group of students and trainers that approached.
"My lab is not far from here. You can all take shelter there and heal your Pokemon. Your friend is severely wounded. I can help her," he said, and Spark nodded, tears misting his eyes once more. "Thank you," he whispered, before stepping forward and scooping Blanche up in his arms. She moaned in pain, and wrapped her hand around his neck. He kissed her forehead, and pulled her close.
"But before we go," Candela said as she approached the wall of cages, some still containing Pokemon. She jammed her palm onto a big red button that read "Unlock." All the cage doors swung open, the Pokemon inside running to their trainers, who rushed forward, crying and yelling with joy as they reunited with their beloved friends.
"We can't let this happen again," she said, walking up to Jay, and shouting "Team Valor!"
All the Valors in the crowd stepped forward obediently, and lined up like soldiers. She looked around to the massive Team Rocket building. It smoldered from their battle, and even though most of Team Rocket had fled, it still loomed ominously. She smiled as she looked over her group of Valors with pride.
"Burn it down."
