Chapter Fourteen: Step By Step, Forward
When Wally woke up in the morning, he found May sprawled across the table, face pressed into the wooden surface. He tried waking her, but to no avail. She had a phonebook still clutched in one hand. Wally sighed. She was taking this more seriously than he expected. The lofty and casual girl he thought she was had pretty much turned around and given him a run for his money. Working nonstop, making calls through the night, she put Wally to shame.
He scrawled a note and left it on the table so she wouldn't wake up confused. It said: "Back in a couple of hours". He put on his grey worn out jacket and ventured out of the house. The streets were filling up at this time in the morning, and he nodded hello to a couple that he knew fairly well. He was well known in the city, something that gave him the ability to do what he was doing right now. Wally had been thinking off late, and he realized that with the main force of their team out doing things far away, they would need a base to support them, more like a headquarters. His house was far too small for that. If they meant to get the trainers of the world together, his house would capsize.
And so when Wally climbed the silver steps into the upper segment of Lilycove, he found that he was expected. Ray stood waiting for him, clothed cleanly in his suit. Wally felt informal and uncouth in his grey jacket with strings dangling down. Behind Ray loomed the mass that was the Lilycove Mall, and right beside it stood several Dark Apostles. Ray reached out and wrung Wally's hand.
"There's nothing to negotiate. It's yours." said Ray a tad too loud, enough to make Wally start and the Dark Apostles look up.
"They're right here." Wally whispered forcefully, urging Ray to be careful.
"And do you want them to be?" Ray asked.
The question hung. Wally understood what Ray was getting at- something far deeper than the answer to that question. It was obvious- he didn't want the Apostles to be there. Not in this area, not in this city, not in this region, not even in this world.
"No." Wally said, hand reaching down to his waist.
"Then what do you propose to do?"
"Start this revolution." Wally said, smiling. Ray laughed heartily. In a flash, the three Apostles lay on the ground completely unconscious with Gardevoir hovering close by. A soft beeping sound emanated from one of the bodies, and Ray spun around, tossing a Pokeball.
A crimson blur took down the charging Apostles before they reached Wally and Ray. Scizor sat on its haunches, observing the undignified way the enemy was sprawled on the ground. Then they heard the sound- of many feet pounding on the earth, the sound of many Pokemon flying, slithering, leaping, running towards them. Citizens watched from the bottom of the steps in shock as light burst into existence as Wally and Ray released all their Pokemon.
Wally had never given up on his trainer instincts, allowing himself to capture and train at least three Pokemon other than Gardevoir. The Apostles had to stop and observe what was before them. Wally felt sorry for their Pokemon. The Apostles wouldn't and couldn't give up the city without a fight, and it had now become a fight they would lose. Wally suddenly realized why this was the right time to attack- the Apostles main force was concentrated elsewhere for the first time in ages.
The Apostles climbed up the steps and their Pokemon followed: snarling Zangooses, hissing Sevipers, and more. But the entire city shook when Salamence roared, shooting dragon flame into the air. Like a symphony in motion, Scizor and Salamence created artful images of war. While flaming bouts created miniature infernos, Scizor leapt and spun around almost artistically, cutting down enemies. The Zangoose, Pokemon heavily built for attack and speed, were caught unawares by the red duo. Wally watched the Zangoose turn as their fur caught flame, only to be cut down by the red blur that was Scizor.
It took almost an hour to wipe out the Apostles. Ray and Wally were, as Wally had hoped, joined by some newly enthusiastic Lilycove citizens who were ready to take their city back. Soon, every Apostle was tied up and left within the basement of the Lilycove Mall. Wally stood and looked upon his work, dusting his hands.
"How long was I asleep?" he heard a voice, blank and soft. He turned to see May standing at the open glass doors of the mall.
There were small moments Ash treasured in life these days. To tell the truth, he enjoyed everything he did partly because he lived life for the thrill of battle and the rewards he reaped, but when a peaceful time or two arrived, he knew he'd never forget it. He still reminisced about the very beginning of their journey, when he sat on the wooden platform in front of the cottage at Littleroot and sipped on a cold beer, just enjoying the stillness of the night.
This was one of those moments. Captain Stern was fast asleep, and Gary, Ash, and Flannery manned the Maria, a sleek narrow submarine that looked old but sturdy. The submarine was streamlined like a fish, which allowed them to maneuver through most underwater obstacles. It also gave Ash the impression that the submarine was just a corridor. Their bunks were located at the very end of the vehicle, and a wall separated this area from a miniature stand-in kitchen and the cockpit.
It was this cockpit that Ash spent most of his time in. His sleeping patterns had changed drastically- in fact, one could say that he didn't have sleeping patterns anymore. He just didn't feel the need to close his eyes for more than two hours. He simply sat and watched the sea unfold before him. The glass wall between him and the vast recesses of water was all he needed to see. Gary had always been one to dislike silences because it made him uncomfortable- but even he appreciated the beauty of underwater silence.
Once in a while, they did see something that shook them out of their peaceful states of mind. After a day of smooth sailing, Ash set his eyes for the first time on a Gorebyss, a slim and pale pink colored Pokemon. It slithered like an eel towards their submarine. From afar, it seemed average sized, perhaps the length of a Seviper- a Pokemon Ash hadn't seen for a very long time, he realized. But as the Pokemon made its way towards them, Ash's heart stopped. It was monstrous, like a coiling pink scaled rope that lashed underwater endlessly. What frightened Ash was the narrow beak-like structure the Gorebyss had in front, as a snout. Sharp and narrow, this was what the Pokemon used to suck the blood out of prey to leave it immobile and bloodless. It locked eyes with Ash, and he was suddenly convinced that the sharp snout was about to pierce through the glass of the Maria. It disappeared into the dark waters just then, assumedly deciding that there was tastier prey.
A week into the trip and Ash started wondering about his friends. He didn't fear for them, nor was he worried about them, plainly because he knew that the tasks assigned to them played to their strengths. He just felt lonely without them. Gary felt the same way, but the two found it difficult to have a conversation that was less business and more casual. Captain Stern seemed completely used to being on his own; the experience that came from countless journeys made isolation easier. Things became emotionally and psychologically far more difficult when the temperatures began to drop. Of course, Ash had seen it coming; he had charted the journey more than even Stern had. In fact, he had considered the cold so much that he had Flannery pick up a bunch of winter clothing and food while Ash and Gary stole, or rather, borrowed the Maria along with Captain Stern. When they had picked Flannery up slightly away from Slateport, she had been burdened with baggage, and Ash had whined about it being all too much. Now, he regretted not asking her to get more.
The cold penetrated through the metal submarine walls, and every ripple sent through the waters sent another wave of cold at them. The needles of frigidity pierced his every muscle and bone. While Stern slept, at this moment, Flannery, Gary, and Ash were huddled together, clutching each other for some small warmth. Their eyes were constantly locked on the water ahead of them; Stern had warned them that frozen planes of water and spikes of ice were common occurrences at such depth. He had also elaborated lengthily about how a single translucent plane of ice at this depth was harder than all the metal this submarine was made of.
The control over the regions Sven had prevented them from taking air transport, as Professor Oak and Ash had many years ago. They were forced to go the whole way underwater- apparently Sven had people watching the ocean surface as well. After brushing through scores of maps, Ash had confirmed that Aryon was the northmost point of…almost anywhere. There was nothing beyond it, frankly. The frigid temperatures began to get worse as they got closer and closer to their destination. That made Ash feel better for a small amount of time- at least they were getting closer. But then another thought crossed his mind: what would they do once they arrived?
He had been so supremely confident at Wally's dining table. He had been absolutely sure that the monk would be at Fortree, that the monk would give him the answers he needed, that he would depart from Fortree with a clear head and a complete understanding. But Fortree was empty of answers. There was no sign of the monk, and Ash had felt like a fool. He had to be convinced almost forcefully by Flannery and Gary to let it go and move on to the next step in the plan. And now…they moved closer and closer to Aryon without knowing what awaited them- death or an answer, or perhaps both.
When Captain Stern awoke, he forced the three into bed, berating them on the long-term effects of rejecting sleep. Stern was almost a fatherly figure to Ash; the old man was simply a bundle of affection. Ash detested himself for getting the old man involved in this, but he also had to remind himself that if the people of the world didn't unite against the Apostles, there would be no world to unite. As Ash lay awake in his bed, Flannery on his left and the soft white fur of Absol on his right rubbing against his skin, he felt it.
Like a vibration that seemed to emanate from within him, it shook his body. He sat up straight several times, but nobody in the room had felt it. Flannery was in a deep slumber, and Gary hadn't spoken in over an hour, so Ash guessed he was fast asleep as well. The feeling didn't go away. He couldn't shut his eyes; he felt so terribly strange. The blood within his veins was thrumming with activity, he might've exploded any second. Then it happened. Like a rush of a thousand images entering his mind through a pipe, his eyes went blank for a second and then vision reappeared. He collapsed back onto the bed, unable to move.
He was in a raging inferno of a battlefield. There were bodies all around him- humans, Pokemon, trees. Flames patterned the dusty ground. The battle had not ended- humans battled alongside Pokemon, swinging weapons while the magical monsters struck with the elements and their bodies. He couldn't recognize the people; they were shadows in the dark, but he was able to notice that there was no Dark Apostle uniform in the fray. The people on the battlefield looked ordinary citizens, but bloodied and vicious. There were no two sides to this war- it just looked like one army fighting amongst itself. Ash could not understand. He stepped forward, finding the ground stable enough to walk. He did walk, past all the blood and fighting. He thought his eardrums would shatter with the noise. He felt disgusted with himself and his past life as a trainer chasing constant battles with other Pokemon. Was this the end he was creating? Constant battle and bloodshed? He kept going with his steady walk, looking all around him, left and right, trying his best to avoid the multiple skirmishes. He chanced a glance straight ahead of himself, and he stopped looking around. Sitting on an upraised platform, a cliff of sorts, was a figure. He could not tell if it was human or Pokemon, because the bright multicolored light around it almost blinded him.
It almost looked like a hugely unsuccessful court, with the citizens and lawyers fighting it out below and the judge presiding over the proceedings calmly. The blinding light was in utter control, and seemed more serene than dangerous, something that Ash felt gave it a whole lot more power. There was something supernatural about it, something misunderstood and mysterious. Ash somehow felt he could never and would never fathom such a vast power. It seemed to be the very essence of power and control. Ash had seen the bending and breaking of things as solid as time and space, so much that he did not doubt the existence of a power that could twist the entire world around its little finger. There were many ambiguous powers he had encountered, be it from the terrorizing force of Mewtwo to the singular and systematic brutality of Deoxys, but none seemed as potent as this. Then, all of a sudden, the image disappeared. He heard a voice, as clear as crystal, say to him:
Do not underestimate the power of Two.
Great things come in small packages.
Sven mused as he turned it around with his fingers, feeling the small ridges and etches on the golden stone. It was the size of his palm, and yet he would give his entire arm for it. Much blood had been spilled for this. He wondered how much Oak and Birch would surrender to have this in their grasp- the power of the final piece of the Law Stone. He had not touched it at first.
He had simply watched his scientists attempt to decipher it, to puzzle out what it meant. But nothing happened. None of the glyphs were translatable- it seemed to be a completely useless piece of stone. When Sven finally held it in the palm of his hand, he thought it inconsequential as well. He had chanced upon its true power accidentally. He had slipped it into his pocket before a practice battle with Maxie. And as his Metagross pummeled Maxie's Crobat to the floor, it happened. The stone glowed white hot, almost singing his skin, and then all of a sudden, Crobat collapsed in a heap. A bright green orb seeped out of the purple Pokemon's skin, and sped towards Sven, disappearing into his chest before he could react. A second later, he felt a change. He could hear things, really hear them. He could hear Maxie's heart thudding in shock from twenty feet away, he could hear his guards talking outside the door in whispers. He looked up at the ceiling, a slow smile spreading on his face. All this time, he had been stealing Pokemon souls with that enchanting device, hoping to create a true beast, a combination of souls of everything powerful and dangerous, when it was pointless compared to this. With this, he was the beast. He truly was made for great things.