Chapter 14

"Panja's Legacy, Part 2."

2/18/17 - 2/23/17 - 3/4/17 - 3/16/17 - 3/26/17 - 3/31/17

Panja and Amaya went straight to Treasure Town first thing in the morning. Pokemon were crowding the storage room, and Sachi taps his foot impatiently. He was about to go in the vortex himself when he sees Panja and Amaya approaching him.

"How are you doing, pal?" Panja asks Sachi.

"Fatigued, stressed out…"

"Once I have everything prepared, we can go inside the wormhole whenever we can." Amaya told them.

"Good. Can you get us some supplies while we come up with a game plan?"

Amaya nods to Panja before walking away from him. Panja looks at Sachi again.

"Chatot was in my chambers, his perch was closest to my bed - I could've-!"

"Don't play the what-if-game." Panja quietly said. "The only thing we can do is go to the Distortion World and rescue Chatot."

"... I know. It's just Wigglytuff trusted me to be in charge and I blow it. Just like I always do."

"Everyone makes mistakes." Panja soothes him as Amaya returns.

"We have ten Sitrus Berries and ten Heal Seeds and Reviver Seeds. We should be okay for the time being, but because we're near level 60 yet…"

"We'll be okay, so long as we stay together." Panja says.

"Make way!"

"Team Freedom is coming through!"

Sachi and Amaya were behind Panja as they wait for the crowd to back away from the storage shed. They enter the shed and stand in front of the swirling black hole.

"Brace yourselves." He told his friends. Sachi and Amaya nod. Team Freedom leap into the black hole, and the vortex closes behind them.

The Distortion World is a weird, upside down place. As of now, Panja and his two friends were on a platform, but they were upside down.

"I can't feel my legs…" Sachi almost loses his balance and Amaya grabs his wrist.

"This gravity is manipulating the equilibrium of our bodies."

"But why is Sachi the only one affected by it?"

"I have no idea." Amaya replies. She slings Sachi's arm around her neck and shoulder, the zoroark almost recoils his arm and gagged.

"Dude! Your tongue is so slimy!"

The platform underneath Team Freedom shakes violently as a grey and black striped serpent flies from under the platform. A colorful bundle of feathers fall from the serpent's mouth and near Panja's paw.

Panja's eyes narrow. "We found Giratina and Chatot!"

Amaya whips out an oran berry from the bag and makes Sachi eat it; Sachi's mane bristles wildly and removes his arm from her shoulder and stands on his own two feet.

Panja looks back at the two.

"Team Freedom, let's go!"

(Music: Battle With Zavok; from Sonic Lost World)

Chatot clamps his beak shut, refusing to cry at the piercing teeth pricking his feathers and skin. He sees a beam of electricity shoot at Origin Forme Giratina's wing, making the Renegade Pokemon teeter from the air and scrapes his side on a platform.

Chatot notices a luxray, greninja and zoroark running on the platform and jumping up the staircase-like floating rocks.

"Y-Young Guildmaster!" Chatot squawks with glee.

"Hold on, Chatot!" Sachi exclaims. Amaya forms a Water Shuriken and fires it to hit Giratina in the eye. The Dragon/Ghost type legendary shrieks and crashes into the platform, promptly dropping Chatot.

"Amaya!" Panja exclaims. The female greninja jumps off and grabs Chatot in her arms. Amaya uses her super long tongue to grab a pillar on the far right and swings underneath, flies in the air before letting go and landing on the separate platform.

"Night Daze!" Sachi hits the ground as a black shock wave emits from his paw and hits Giratina.

"Wild Charge!" Panja's whole body becomes covered with electricity, and leaps from the platform to head butt Giratina's head. Panja latches his claws on to Giratina's head and bites down.

Giratina flies underneath the platform and forcibly rams his head on a pillar. Panja jumps off and finds himself on another platform with an ancient altar, and Giratina changes into his Altered Forme, a towering figure with three legs on each side, and six skinny black wings.

Three of Giratina's wings reaches out and strikes at Panja, he dodges all three and faces Giratina.

"Thunder!" Panja fires a powerful lightning bolt and hits Giratina, only for the lightning bolt to be reflected and hit Panja. Giratina's wing grabs Panja by the tail and throws him toward Giratina's open mouth.

Panja's tail becomes hardened iron and swings it across Giratina's face, hard. The Renegade Pokemon shrieks as a shock wave is launched from its mouth, and an open portal of the storage shed shows itself, briefly.

Panja suddenly thought of an idea. "Amaya! Sachi!" Panja punches Giratina with his front paw, and the shock wave appears and opens a bigger portal of the storage shed.

"Go for it!" He cries. Amaya untangles her tongue and wraps itself on the pillar on the altar platform. She grabs Sachi's waist and keeps Chatot in her arm, and swings across the abyss and lands on the other platform.

Amaya steps through with Chatot in her arms with Sachi following, until he hears Panja cry with pain. The male luxray is pinned down by Giratina's massive foot. Sachi hesitates, and charges at Giratina's leg with his Night Slash dagger forming in his paw.

"Let go of him you monster!"

SLASH!

Sachi stands in front of Panja as Giratina's foot is cut off, and vanished like mist.

"Sachihiro!" Panja groans. "Go through that portal, now, before it disappears!"

"Not without you!" Sachi growls, not looking at him. "You're about to be a dad soon, I ain't leaving without dragging your sorry hide back to Eliza and your egg!"

Giratina's wing reached out quickly and slashes Sachi's chest, the deep wound is enough for him to drop on his knees from shock. Giratina opens his mouth and prepares to use Hyper Beam.

Panja gets up and bites down on Sachi's hair, and throws the zoroark away, toward the portal as Giratina's Hyper Beam launched and blasts Panja, making a bright light of an explosion.

"Panja…?" Sachi whispers. He looks at Panja, but his vision is becomes foggy and sees nothing but smoke and Giratina's colors. Stomping and screams of pain.

Sachi feels a teeth grab his hair and pull him in.

"No!" Sachi screams as he is pulled out of the Distortion World and feels his paws touch the wooden floorboards. Chief looks at Sachi with relief.

"Thank Arceus you're alive-."

"You idiots! Panja's still in there!"

The portal immediately closes up, and Sachi suddenly couldn't hear anything except his own heartbeat.

"No…"

Sachi sighs and falls flat on his back. Chief and the police pokemon rush to the young Guildmaster's side and one leaves to seek medical attention for him.

Thump…

"He shouldn't be out exploring until the stitches heal properly."

Thump…

"But will he be alright?" "Yes. I wish I could say the same for…"

Panja…

"He just talked!"

"Guildmaster, Guildmaster, can you hear me?"

Sachi slowly opens his eyes Nurse Chansey and Amaya. Sachi finds himself inside of Chansey's hut, and tries to sit up.

"Don't move." Amaya warns him. "Chansey said you can't pull anything while you're injured."

"Who cares?" Sachi growls, rubbing his head. "How is Chatot?"

Amaya frowns behind her long scarf-like tongue.

"G-Guildmaster…?"

Sachi looks to his right. Chatot is laying on a nest with a blanket inside, his wings and body were in bandages, and his feathers were dull as if he hasn't been in sunlight for weeks.

Ignoring his pain, Sachi jumps out of his bed and kneels down to the Music Note Pokemon.

"Chatot!"

Chatot's little chest rises and falls to his breathing. "I'm so happy that you're alright… You have so much ahead, it would've been such a waste for that potential to disappear."

"Why are you worried about me? Look at you!"

Chatot sighs softly. "I'm afraid that my time in this world has expired. I've known it the moment Giratina stabbed me…"

Sachi feels a lump forming in his throat. "N-No." He moans. "Chatot, you don't mean that."

Sachi looks at Nurse Chansey. "Please do something! Can't you use Soft Boiled and heal him?!"

"Guildmaster." Chatot whispers. "Don't be so hard on her. She already told me that there's nothing she can do for me, and I already accepted my fate."

Sachi's tears fall from his snout. "But I can't run the guild without you! I'll just mess it up! I always did that as a kid - I screw things up!"

"You're not that zorua anymore, Guildmaster. You have grown into a remarkable zoroark that the previous guildmaster has seen inside of you."

Chatot's eyes close as his little chest slowly stops rising. His body is still warm, but Sachi can tell that he was gone.

"Rest in peace, Chatot-sensei." Amaya whispers.

Sachi looks up and stands. "Where's Panja? He must have made it, right?"

Amaya stares at Sachi. "Sachihiro…"

"Well? Did he?"

Amaya sighs. "We don't know."

Sachi blinks and the tears fly from his eyelashes. "What?! Didn't they open the portal?!"

"No, that's just it. Nobody can find any trace of it." Amaya says. "And Houndoom already said she wasn't going to risk her officers to go into a dangerous place."

Sachi growls and storms out of Chansey's hut. Houndoom and her force were still in front of the storage shed when he stomps over to her.

"Find Panja!"

Houndoom looks at him in surprise. "Guildmaster."

"Go find that portal and bring Panja back!"

Houndoom frowns. "And risk getting killed? No way. Besides, we're not even sure that Kizuko is still alive."

Sachi bares his fangs. "Then try!"

"Guildmaster, you're obviously still grieving. I suggest that you stand back and let me run my dogs."

"Damn straight I'm grieving!" Sachi yells. "My right hand pokemon just died minutes ago, and you're telling me that you'd leave my best friend with that monster?!"

Amaya notices that the residents of Treasure Town were becoming uncomfortable with the usual happy-go-lucky Guildmaster's rising anger.

"Panja is about to be a father! That kid is gonna be cheated out of knowing a brave luxray because you're not willing to take the risk and find him! Fine! I'll just go to the Distortion World and get him back-!"

Amaya places her finger on Sachi's shoulder and neck, pinching a nerve. Sachi suddenly falls unconscious and limped, Amaya throws him over her shoulder.

Chief watches her walk away with an unconscious Sachi over her shoulder and enter Nurse Chansey's hut. The young growlithe wishes there is something more he could do, but he agrees with Houndoom. They can't have anymore casualties.

(Song: Mufasa's Dead; from The Lion King)

Amaya walks through the savanna alone late afternoon. The police immediately reported Panja dead before dawn arrived, and that made Sachi furious to the extent of not leaving the guild.

The storage shed was taken down the morning following the announcement. It brought too much pain to the residents who watched Panja grew up and evolve into luxray.

Amaya stops in her tracks. "I'm here to see Eliza. I'm a friend of her husband."

A female luxray behind her with claws unsheathed retracts them.

"Very well. Follow me." The luxray female pads past Amaya and leads her to Eliza's cave. Eliza and her sister, Leona, watch the egg shake and crack slightly.

"Eliza. A greninja by the name Amaya Noriko claims to know Panja."

Eliza turns her head to see Amaya standing in the entrance.

"It's alright. She's telling the truth."

The luxray subordinate dips her head and left. Amaya walks in the den with caution, and sees the wobbly egg.

"Amaya?"

The female greninja forces herself to look at Eliza. Eliza notices Amaya's somber expression.

"Eliza…"

Amaya practiced with what she would say to Panja's widow all last night, hence her lack of sleep. But she couldn't calm herself down, she didn't feel right to admit that her best friend is gone.

"I don't know how to say it. I just can't find the right way to say it…"

"Amaya." Eliza said. "He's gone, isn't he?"

Amaya nods reluctantly. "The police have declared Panja dead, probably during the fight with Giratina. I'm sorry. I'm so, very sorry for not being able to…"

"Stop."

Eliza swallows the lump in her throat. "I had a feeling that he wouldn't return to see our egg hatch. Even when he promised me. But make no mistake, I don't blame you for what happened. I only wish you aren't beating yourself up for Panja's choice...his sacrifice."

Amaya feels tears sting in her eyes. "I wish Sachi was here to hear that. He hasn't left his chambers since the incident."

"Panja always talked about you and Sachihiro." Eliza puts in. "You two are strong pokemon who would've died to ensure one of you is safe…"

"Eliza - it's happening!" Leona exclaims. Amaya stands in silence as Eliza directs her attention to the egg. The egg cracks open to a tiny light blue paw, a light engulfs the egg as it takes the shape of a small cub.

A shinx sits where the egg once was. Smaller than the standard shinx, and a tiny tuft of fur on its forehead, the baby shinx opens its yellow eyes and looks at the ceiling.

"It's a boy." Leona purrs to Eliza. Amaya remains silent, staring at Panja's son. The shinx cub then turns to look at Eliza, who is smiling, with sadness or happiness, Amaya couldn't tell. It was probably both.

"Hello… Kimba." She whispers fondly to the cub. "My little Panja."

Kimba cooed and places his paws on Eliza's nose. He nuzzles her and mews softly.

Amaya now feels like an intruder in this miraculous, beautiful moment.

"I'll take my leave."

Eliza looks up to Amaya. "Remember what I said." Amaya nods stiffly and dashes off like the wind. Eliza looks down on Kimba, her son's innocent eyes looking at her and smiling.

I don't believe your father would die… Even if he did, I would know it. In my belly, I know he's alive somewhere.

Amaya goes to the guild and stands in front of the chamber door. She knocks on it softly. "Sachihiro? It's me, Amaya…" the door slowly opens to reveal an empty, dark room with no sign of the zoroark.

Amaya leaves the guild and asks pokemon where Sachi was, and was told that he was at Sharpedo Bluff.

Oh, Arceus no! Please tell me he's not what I think he's doing!

The female greninja races to the cliffside of Treasure Town and sees Sachi's silhouette sitting on the cliff.

(Song: Hymn for the Missing; by Red)

Amaya sighs with relief and walks towards Sachi. The zoroark's ear flicks, hearing her footsteps.

"I thought you went to travel the world again. I wouldn't blame you if you left."

"No, but I would blame myself for leaving you here."

Amaya sits down next to Sachi, letting her legs swing off the cliffside and listening to the waves crash on the beach below.

"Panja and Eliza's egg hatched. It was a boy." She told Sachi.

"Kimba?"

"Yes. How did you…?"

"Panja said he was going to name his kid after the manga character, whether it was a boy or girl."

Sachi's paws tremble. "Why him, huh?" He asks her quietly. "After all we did to escape Giratina, why did he have to die? It's not fair…"

"I don't think life is ever fair." Amaya says.

Sachi closes his eyes, and tears fall from his snout.

"I got sliced by Giratina, back in the Distortion World. Giratina was about to kill us off with Hyper Beam when Panja threw me out of the way. I couldn't see what happened, I just heard screaming and…

"Panja saved my tail dozens of times when were kids. I became a Guildmaster and was trusted with responsibilities nobody could dream of, but I couldn't even save him! I screwed up and he ended up dead because of me!"

"Do you think you're the only one with a cross to bear?" Amaya demands. "Panja is my best friend, too. I feel just as much hurt as you do."

Sachi wipes his tears away, only for him to cry harder.

"And the worst part of all this is that what happened is irreversible. We have to live with it, accept it and move on."

"... What if I don't?"

Amaya looks at him. "Everyone grieves differently from a tragedy. The best we can do is honor Panja's legacy and the memories we had with him."

Sachi blinks and nods slowly. "I suppose so…" Sachi stands up and dusts his legs.

"I suppose I should give everyone an apology."

"You don't have to. You were grieving."

Sachi shakes his head. "That's still no excuse to lash out like that. I'd like to walk around without everyone fearing me."

Sachi extends his paw to Amaya, who grabs his paw and gets up off the ground.

"I should probably go to Chatot's funeral this evening, too."

Amaya bows her head. "He was a great assistant and confidant. I don't know how you will find another pokemon to fill in his place."

"I'm looking at her."

The female greninja looks at Sachi. The male zoroark smiles.

"What better right hand pokemon than my best friend? Just so you know, you were my second choice besides Panja."

Amaya chuckles. "I'm flattered." Amaya bows to Sachi. "I would be honored to accept the position."

Present

"So Amaya and I worked together for a decade since that day. Soon we got apprentices applying for the guild again, it was just like our days as Wigglytuff's apprentices. We haven't forgotten about your dad, Kimba, and we hoped that Giratina would never hurt another pokemon like he did to Panja.

"He was a brave and loyal luxray who never hesitated to lend a helping paw. I only wish he survived the attack so he could see you now."

Kimba blinks away a stray tear. "You think he would be proud of me?"

Sachi nods. "Yup. He'd probably even look at some stranger and say 'That's my cub!', although he showed too much pride that would make you embarrassed to have him near you."

"... Thank you Sachi." Kimba gets up and nuzzles Sachi's stomach with gratitude, the zoroark hugs Kimba with one arm when Ryota burst in.

"Sorry, Guildmaster, but Kana is awake!"

Kimba looks at Ryota. "She is?"

"Yeah, but she's super weak, Kaiyo said not to make too much noise when you come in." Ryota left quickly. Kimba dips his head to Sachi before following.

Sachi sighs.

Giratina. You are causing so much pain, I hope you get what you deserve.

Kimba looks at Kaiyo, and the meganium nods and moves aside for Kimba walk through. Kana looks at him and wags her tail, weakly.

"Hi…" She whispers.

Kimba smiles sadly and nods. "Hi, to you, too."

(Song: Borderline of Madness; from Persona 4)

Grover City is burning in a terrible fire as residents race to escape. Carla smashes through the temple and meets with Sly.

"Where is the Griseous Orb?!" She demands the female salandit.

"I thought you had it!"

"No!" Carla snaps. "Because if I did, I wouldn't be asking you idiot!"

"Don't yell at me! You know I lash out when I get yelled at!"

While the two Team Geno members were arguing, a lone oranguru crawls out of a secret escape burrow and quickly and quietly runs away from the burning city of grass.

Oranguru is holding a strange, dull yellow jewel-like object in her arms, hidden from view. The Griseous Orb.

I must get away. I must seek the lion and fox immediately.

Oranguru runs away until she disappears in the forest without detection from Carla or Sly.

Okay. I know it's been super long since my last chapter came out. Which is why I feel like I owe you guys an apology.

I'm super sorry to those who have waited patiently for this story to be updated. I have devoted all my time to The Littlest Warrior and A New Dawn: Horizon that I almost lost inspiration for PMD: Sparks of Friendship.

I almost lost my passion for it and was close to contemplating about discontinuing it just so I would spare you guys months and months of a chapter that was never going to come.

I finally sat my lazy self down and I wrote down the chapter, and some of my passion came back to continue this story.

Still, I remember how many stories I liked that were taking super long to update or discontinued because of the author's lack of inspiration (which is their decision) and I would hate to put you guys through that.

The majority of my stories in Pages are left to gather digital dust and never continue on. I don't plan on doing that now that I post stuff on FanFiction.

Once again, I'd like to thank you who follow and favorite this story despite my laziness and lack of inspiration and, basically, not dropping it from your list.

Thank you for reading this and I hope you have a great evening, and hope to write more in the future. :) ~ Kyubi