Chapter XX: Patterns of Power
"What is he doing down there?" Leo whispered to himself, expressing his impatience. In the last while, he watched Kol enter camp, be greeted by two others that he just made out to be also Pokémon-humans, talk with one of them for a while, enter a tent, then exit and talk some more.
"He do what he say," Akri informed in like-wise whisper.
Which really wasn't that informative. What he wanted to know was what Kol's signal was supposed to be, and how long was it going to take? And where was his other self, Blaze, Sally, Lonny, and Grovyle? And that second infernape…whoever that was.
He also felt the tension building in Uononi as the golden skarmory kept her eyes fixed on the scene below when one of the hybrids went into another tent. "How are you doing?" Leo asked.
The yellow eye on the one side of her head moved to briefly focus on him. "The berry helped. Thank you." The eye moved back to the camp below as the one hybrid came back out.
"He hold…what?" Akri asked as the person handed Kol whatever it was.
From Akri's tone, Leo thought the little Guardian already knew the answer.
"That is the treasure," Uononi seemed to breathe in through her metallic-like beak.
The skarmory didn't even twitch beside him as the two Pokémon-humans seemingly talked for a while more. He hoped with the orb in his hand, Kol would run, or start a fight…or do something! But Kol…handed it back? "What are you doing?" he hissed. "Don't give it back!" Pounding his large fist into the ground again, he didn't know how much longer he could wait, although if he had to go up against one of those hybrids by himself, he pretty much knew how that would turn out.
And of course, everything rode on Kol not betraying him.
An unexpected bright, white flash in the camp grabbed his instant attention; the flash was like that created by Palkia when using his teleportation ability! Could it… actually be…? As the light faded, a large dragon-like figure appeared in the center of it, briefly raising his hopes it was indeed the Pokémon of space…
…until, when the light fully faded…
It clearly wasn't Palkia, but it seemed familiar. In the reddish light of sunset, he couldn't be absolutely certain, but it looked a lot like…
Akri's gasp beside him confirmed it for him: it was the creature who attacked him and everyone else! Heart instantly pounding, the name for it came back to him: Granakri. At first, he first wanted Kol to get out of there…then to fight it off. Especially if that General or whoever joined him. Together, the combined power of two Pokémon-humans could certainly defeat it! Right?
As soon as that hope came to him, his skin tightened and his fins prickled at what transpired next. The other Pokémon-human bowed to the creature as Kol backed up… "What…is…going on?" demanding of the ground and grass in front of him in a horse whisper.
Then the bowing hybrid…handed the orb to the creature…and Granakri held it high in one clawed hand, letting out a loud charizard-like roar…
What the hell is going on? Leo mentally exclaimed, using a human word he didn't normally use. He couldn't do anything except watch in disbelief as others around the large Pokémon seemed to go to their knees as if honoring it!
"I will try and bring help to rescue your friends when I can," Uononi said suddenly, raising herself up.
Tearing his eyes from the unfolding scene below to face the her: "What?"
"I must use Extreme Speed now. Goodbye…"
Before her words had fully died, before he could even form a protest, the skarmory disappeared in front of him, replaced by a golden streak leading down to the camp and through it...
"Wow," Akri said in clear amazement. "Bird move quick!"
For himself, his heart froze as Granakri began roaring, now in clear rage…
The subject of the old story about the extremely powerful Pokémon, perhaps the most powerful Pokémon that ever existed, was…right in front of him! Granakri, the one who turned against his creators, and tried to destroy the world in an effort to bring the world under his control. The Pokémon who was supposed to be long since dead!
He had believed what the swampert told him. But there was still a certain reality to it that couldn't sink in until he saw the creature for himself. And that reality, along with his overwhelmed physic sense…hit hard. Seeing the General bow and present the Griseous orb to the legendary Pokémon made it worse. As well as he could judge the facial expression of a charizard, Granakri looked quite…satisfied.
"And," the General continued with a surprising air of pride, "may I also present our agent from Earth, who had exceeded all expectations to deliver both Dialga and Palkia to us, and thus the other two orbs," gesturing a hand in Kol's direction.
Granakri looked down in seemingly noticing him for the first time. Kol backed up under the gaze, which felt to intensify the crushing feeling of too much energy. This…this was a nightmare in every sense of the term!
With a sharp-toothed grin: "You've done well then," in a deep, growly voice. Then thrusting the orb as high as its arm would allow: "After a hundred years of searching, I have all three orbs and this planet! Tomorrow…we go to the temple!" As the creature pointed its snout upward and roared, all the humans and Pokémon around let out their own weaker yells or roars.
The noise was deafening and the scene around surreal. Kol struggled to breathe and think, heart pounding as he shook. The General was…working with Granakri? How…why? And they were going to summon Arceus? Tomorrow?
The odd-colored skarmory had been absolutely correct. Getting the orb from the General and now Granakri was far more important than any rescue attempt! Although…just what was the purpose of summing Arceus? After the racket died: "Why are we summoning Arceus?" The General had only moments before said he would tell him later. But he needed to know now. Although addressing Granakri directly he was sure was dangerous, well… he was already in a hell of a lot of danger! Truly though, it took all the courage he had to just get the words out.
The Pokémon looked back down questioningly.
"Forgive me lord," the General spoke quickly, "I haven't yet told him the entire plan."
Granakri chuckled. Still holding the orb up high where it caught the last rays from the setting sun, he glanced at it as if admiring, his light blue eyes taking on a weak glow from the same light. "Well young one, after I summon the Original One, I will…"
Kol blinked. It appeared as a large golden streak from behind, casting the very briefest of reflections of golden sunlight as it intersected Granakri's hand. And as soon as he realized there had been a streak…the black orb was gone…and Granakri recoiled instantly, as if his clawed hand and arm had been dealt a heavy blow!
It was a moment before anyone moved, then Granakri let out a very different roar. "It was a skarmory!" it raged, swinging its massive tail around along with a rest of its body. In only a second, it partly spread its wings and released what seemed like one unnaturally bright hyperbeam from its mouth, toward the rapidly receding streak and causing a broad arc of the sky to light up in explosions! The human soldiers at once yelled and opened up with at least a dozen full auto weapons, sending a spray of bullets into the sky in the same direction! The gunfire only died when the hyperbeam did, many seconds later.
Too many incredible things happening nearly at once threatened to overwhelm him. Eventually, he knew it must have of been Uononi using Extreme Speed judging from the golden glint, there being no other way any Pokémon could move that fast. And straining to see over the distance, he thought the bird actually got away too, or at least nothing seemed to fall out of the sky.
Granakri raged again, forcing even the General to back up as humans, Pokémon and the Lieutenant cowered to various degrees.
After a mere moment of this, the General grabbed two Pokéballs, releasing a staraptor and a fearow. On a signal from him, the lieutenant and a couple humans released other bird Pokémon. "A skarmory just streaked past and stole our Griseous orb," yelling angrily as he pointed in the direction Uononi disappeared. "Go find it and bring the orb back!" The small flock took off with extreme haste, without doubt sensing the precarious situation.
Then…all became silent but for the retreating birds and the various sounds of twilight Pokémon in the grassland around them. It lasted all of maybe ten seconds.
Granakri swung around with a deep, throaty growl that seemed to shake the ground, making everyone nearby except the General flinch. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A SECURE CAMP!"
"We can't eliminate every single Pokémon for kilometers around!" the General shot back, looking quite defiant in giving a wave of his arms around them.
The dark charizard-like Pokémon stared at him for a good many seconds before lowering his head to nearly the same level as the General's, all teeth bared and nostrils flaring, forcing the old hybrid to lean back a little. But instead of yelling, the Pokémon spoke calmly: "I trust the orb will be found before tomorrow then," infusing his words such that it was clear there would be major consequences if it wasn't. Then raising his head back up, "Now, is there anything else to report before I leave to retrieve the other two orbs?"
Kol resisted an urge to glance behind at the tent with the prisoners, but the General didn't. In fact, the man gestured in the direction.
"We captured some unexpected guests. In fact, they already had the Griseous orb when we found them. Apparently they had managed to find it just before we got there."
Cocking his head, Granakri quickly faced the tent with a quiet, inquisitive-sounding snort. "Prisoners? Who? No one else should be here."
"Two humans, a few Pokémon, and one odd looking human female with blue skin. They claim you've met before, at the portal site, and…"
"Show me," Granakri commanded with a growl, cutting off the General.
On turning for the tent, Kol suddenly figured out why all the tents were higher than required for humans or even moderately large Pokémon. Even so, as the General rushed to hold open the flap, Granakri barely cleared the opening. And the recoiling and wide eyes formed on the prisoners as the three of them entered didn't surprise him at all. If anything, it provided yet more confirmation their story about battling the Pokémon was true.
Too bad he felt like cowering as much as they did. Truly, he couldn't see any possible way to help them at the moment, and if Granakri decided to do away with them…there was now absolutely no way he could help!
Leo Hanson moved to give Blaze support as the unsteady infernape practically crawled back, and saw the tears in the Pokémon's eyes. They thought his swampert counterpart had died back on the Poké world, but now learn he survived to only be killed later by their old enemy after seeking his help… In trying to comfort his counterpart's partner who had since become more attached to him, he wrapped an arm around the fire monkey and helped him sit upright.
Ruby appeared wanting to help with a carefully-placed hand as Lonny joined her; Sally reached around him to put another arm around the infernape's head and mane. Through this, Blaze didn't move except to draw his red and white haired legs up against himself, burying his muzzle between his knees and not making a sound.
The two soldiers seemed to allow this by hardly reacting. The Pokémon were watching more carefully, however, with the arcanine's stare at each of them a bit piercing.
He was about to ask for some food to help the infernape recover when a bright flash streamed in through seams in the thick cloth, the entire illumination from outside increasing substantially for a moment.
"What was…" Sally started to say.
Leo shook his head, looking to the soldiers. They again reacted hardly at all and seemed thoroughly unconcerned. He was tempted to ask them about it, but really didn't want to provoke them with such a question, especially after Blaze nearly got himself killed. Shortly after, there was a low, growly voice not far away, a bit of talking…just before a loud roar that startled not just him.
The soldiers seemed to smile at this.
Then a moment later came yelling, another bright flash, distant explosions, lots of gunfire…
This time the soldiers jerked with the rest of them! Obviously something bad was happening outside as they stood and leveled their weapons, though at none of them in particular. The arcanine, nidoking, poliwhirl, graveler and breloom were all on their feet in an instant as well.
"What is going on out there?" Sally whispered next to him.
"Testing their weapons?" Leo replied, daring the soldiers to hush him.
Whatever reaction the two men in front of them would have made seemed to get cut off as another, more ominous roar came through the tent fabric. More yelling by the same strange voice, one that now felt familiar…something about the area not being secure.
Things seemed to quiet down, at least for a few moments. But if he had any thoughts that things couldn't get much worse, they were dashed as the tent flap was pushed back, revealing a charizard-like creature…one with a distinctive scent that hit almost instantly…
His breath caught in his throat; despite the poor look they had of it in the portal chamber, there was little mistaking it was the powerful Pokémon who'd attacked them! And in the better light, he noticed new details, like it's now obviously darker tone, slender build and curved horns. Sally squeezed closer while both Grovyle and Lonny hissed. And Blaze…Blaze tensed further and froze solid, his yellow and blue eyes fixed on the large Pokémon.
Alright, he'd been wondering if they would ever meet up with that creature again. It was like a constant fear hiding in the shadows of his mind, slowly eating at him. It'd faded over the days, as it seemed less and less likely such a meeting would happen as time went on. Now for this Pokémon to appear before them, in the middle of a human-Pokémon hybrid camp no less…!
Even through the shock, he noted Ruby reacted the least, though even her eyes widened. Then, she was the only one of them who hadn't meet it yet.
"What are you?" Lonny shouted, as if challenging.
Neither it, the General or Kol reacted until all three were fully inside. Then as it folded it's arms across it's chest: "So…you survived," the charizard growled low in human speech, staring down from nearly above them.
Granakri's reaction confirmed he had met them before. Not that Kol had any doubts about the swampert's story anymore. In continuing to try and suppress his urge to run, he wondered what he could do if the genetically engineered creature decided to finish them right then and there. Granakri tried to kill them before, but didn't finish. Probably triggered the portal using an attack, but once they came out the other side…
"And I was told you found the Griseous orb," the Pokémon continued, with a claw pointing to them. "You ended up saving us a little time." With a slight chuckle to his growly voice: "Seems my decision to let you live after we arrived here was a fortuitous one. But you surprise me. I really didn't think you would live, or to come to find the orb ahead of us." It's eyes narrowing: "How did you manage…I wonder?"
"What are you?" the female infernape asked from partly behind Leo, earning the stares of those around her.
He again wondered who the infernape was; the swampert Leo certainly didn't know. Wasn't important though; what was, was Granakri baring his teeth…before he realized it as a smile, not a threat.
Granakri looked to regard the prisoners for a moment. "If it suits my General here," gesturing with one of his longer-than-normal-for-a-charizard arms, "I'll permit him to explain. As much as I enjoy playing with humans and other Pokémon, I'm busy." With that, the creature turned for the door, curving its large tail around and avoided hitting anything on its way out. Enpersen followed and the two human soldiers who had backed all the way to the tent wall came to reclaim their spots.
Kol spared the prisoners a last, carefully neutral glance, before exiting too, but not before suffering several hateful looks.
Granakri and the General walked some distance away before Enpersen spoke. "I already decided to spare them. Those two humans are the ones who designed and built a dimensional gate."
But the old, legendary Pokémon didn't seem to listen, instead gazing off toward the river and where the skarmory had flown off with the orb not long before.
"If you decide otherwise, however…"
"Having such technology would be valuable," Kol added as neutrally as he could, hoping his voice didn't convey any hint of deception…and that his heart would slow its pounding before he fainted!
Granakri whipped around with startling speed. Lowering his head to their level to face both of them: "I am your transport. I'm the one who brought you here and I will take you wherever I decide. Perhaps not for you, though," finishing with a claw nearly to Kol's chest.
He froze, watching as if in slow motion the creature withdraw his claw.
Back to the General: "Do not forget who your master is. You will go where I determine; there is no need for you to go elsewhere."
Locking eyes with Granakri: "With all respect sir, there's only one of you," Enpersen replied.
Is he challenging him? Kol thought in starting to back up a step.
"You have to rely on us to make our own decisions. More so if you own more than one planet in the future."
Raising his head back up, the Pokémon stared directly down at the older man. With a huff, "Fine, if you think such could be that useful, let them live and serve me. But I still expect you to have the orb before I return."
"What if we can't find it?" Kol asked in a higher-than normal pitch, and quickly chiding himself for sounding fearful. But if he could stir up a little dissention… Without knowing Granakri hardly at all, save for that passed down through ancient stories, he hoped doing such didn't get him killed!
The General giving him a quick sideways scowl: "Can we still make use of only the Adamant and Lustrous orbs?"
The large Pokémon at first wrinkled his snout in apparent anger, but the expression faded as he faced the river again. He stayed like that for a while, during which Kol started to wonder if he really did overdo it with just the one question. During this silence where even the humans and the lieutenant around them in camp made hardly a noise, he became all too aware of the continuing physic pressure, not just in his head, but in his chest as well.
Eventually the creature did move again. With a seemingly distant expression, he looked first to the prisoner tent, then at Kol, back to the river, then a look over the prisoner tent to the hill a few hundred meters behind…the one where the skarmory had flown from and Leo and Akri currently still were (he hoped)…
Did the creature's eyes narrow just a bit?
After scratching the base of one of his charizard-like horns, Granakri finally faced the Enpersen: "We should be able to summon the Original One with only two, if we make an effort." Pointing a claw at the General's chest, "Whether you recover the orb or not, you will leave on time tomorrow to meet me at the temple." Then with a growl and some anger: "I will arrive with the other two orbs, so keep to the schedule!"
With no warning, the creature suddenly blazed in blinding light. Without opening his eyes, Kol could feel the creature was gone and its pressure rapidly fading. The relief was as a boulder being lifted off him…he could breathe easily for the first time in seemingly ages! Regaining himself, he noticed the General showing a small amount of relief as various humans around started moving again and the Lieutenant approached.
"That was close," the young hybrid said, a hint of sweat about his pale face. "But if we can still summon Arceus, then it doesn't matter if we get the Griseous orb back, although I thought it took all three orbs. Weren't the writings clear about that?"
The General nodded, taking a deep sigh. "I'm sure Granakri knows what he's doing." After an odd stare at the prisoner tent, "Now get the supplies Granakri brought stored on the transports before everyone retires. We'll be leaving early tomorrow; it's a long way to the temple."
The Lieutenant nodded, giving a humph as Kol met his eyes briefly.
The General observed things as everyone got into motion with the new supplies, seemingly lost in thought, and Kol waited for the right moment to ask a certain and important question. After a machoke tripped and nearly dropped its crate to earn a sharp reprimand about slowing down and being careful, "What does Granakri have planned at the temple? Why is he summoning Arceus?"
"I don't know," Enpersen replied flatly.
Kol fixed a stare on him, a slight evening breeze ruffling the General's long white hair and his own shorter hair to a lesser degree. "Granakri doesn't trust you?"
Almost bitterly: "We're his servants; he doesn't need to tell us anything except what we need to know."
Although he had already guessed that in at least one sense, the General's response made his spine tingle. "What do you mean exactly, 'we're his servants'? Of that creature that nearly destroyed our ancestors?"
Across the older man's face came signs of a mental debate. "Kol, you were always regarded as a special one among us, which was why I took a particular interest in you. You're getting here only proves my time wasn't wasted. And since you have made your way into this plan much further than any of us intended, and have now seen Granakri himself, its time I tell you something only very few of our kind have been privileged to know."
The General's tone was half stern, half amused, but on his gesture, Kol followed him into his personal tent. And within only moments, wish he had never come to the damned planet!
As evening became night, the waiting was nigh unbearable. Granakri showing up was a shock, and the power Leo witnessed the Pokémon unleash for a second time sure didn't help, making every one of his nerves scream to get his friends out of there! He somehow managed to hold himself in check, giving Kol more time to do whatever it was he was going to do.
Fortunately there were no apparent attacks against anyone in camp, and the beast was now gone again, with Uononi having gotten away with the Griseous orb. Unless one of the human's bullets caught her and she was laying somewhere in the distance, dying, or one of the released bird Pokémon caught up…although none had yet returned. Watching Kol follow another hybrid into a tent, he formed thoughts of running down there despite the hybrids and the weapons the humans had. Maybe he could duck the bullets…
Arg! His emotions were so blasted high, he couldn't even think straight!
Swearing he simply couldn't wait any longer: "They don't have the orb anymore, so we can now concentrate on rescuing." Charging forward would be foolish in all likelihood, but with Kol's and Akri's help… He started getting up, but one of Akri's tiny hands was quickly on his forehead.
"We can't go," the Guardian hissed through his small mouth. "The General…is with Granakri."
"As in, working with that Pokémon?" Not that he hadn't already guessed that considering what had transpired just before.
"Yes."
That fact did make the entire situation a whole lot worse, though. Kol could be in serious danger as well. Unless the hybrid turned on him. If so, then rescue was all but hopeless.
He tried focusing on just observing the camp for a while more, wondering what in a aipom tail's sake Kol's signal was supposed to be, or if there was even going to be one. "How can I just sit here?" asking in exasperation after another moment.
"You try rescue now, you die," Akri said pointedly. "Then you no use."
"How do you know I can't succeed?" Other than it being quite obvious he was outmatched at least forty to one!
"Not meant to try now."
"I'm not meant? What does that mean?" Akri didn't answer, but it was increasingly apparent the Guardian was holding back something. Even so, he still had the sense it was for his own good, if not aggravating that he was being…perhaps not controlled, but led. And in his current state of mind, even a little added aggravation wasn't good… "Great. So I can't do anything but wait here, completely helpless," he continued, starting to tap his balled-up hand against the now flattened-grass covered ground. He really wanted to scream. So close, yet not able to do anything! On a sudden idea, he started getting up again anyway. "Maybe I can get closer and at least catch a glimpse…"
The Guardian's sudden appearance in front of his face surprised him. Grabbing the gills on either side of his face, there was also something odd about the small Pokémon's light green eyes. Something…insistent…undeniable…tiring…
"You rest now," Akri's voice said as if through a thickening fog. "I wake when…you… needed…"
The words were the last he remembered before feeling a shaking and hearing the Guardian again. The tone was urgent.
"Wake up!"
He did, and surprisingly fast. And just as quickly realized what the Guardian had done. "You used hypnosis on me!" hissing with indignation.
"You about to do foolishness," Akri whispered back. "Kol come now."
Following Akri's tiny pointing arm, Leo saw in the moonlight Kol walking below the hill, coming around behind the same way he had left however many hours ago. Glancing to the camp, there were only a couple small fires still going. Backing down from the hill's ridge with Akri, he waited near the base as Kol reached them.
"What is going on?" he nearly yelled, checking his volume just in time. After the Pokémon-human didn't answer for a few seconds was when he noticed the preoccupation and distant look on the man's pale, boyish face.
"Granakri showed up," Kol finally answered, voice nearly devoid of emotion.
"Yes, we saw that," Leo replied. "Did Uononi really get away with the orb?"
Kol shrugged. "Didn't see any of the Pokémon come back with it. Probably. But…"
Leo waited a moment for the hybrid to finish, but he didn't. "So when do we get everyone out of there?"
After a sigh, the man seemed to refocus a little. "The guards think I'm going out for a walk, doing a quick patrol for them, so I don't have much time. Everyone's going to be leaving early in the morning, heading for Arceus's temple." In a few sentences, he explained what the apparent plan of the hybrids and Granakri was, although not what the ultimate goal was.
No doubt it was nothing good, but "How do we rescue Blaze and everyone else?"
"I've already set something in motion for the morning. You'll must wait until then, when you see most everyone leave. I'll be lagging behind. Approach the camp after most the vehicles leave."
"That's it?"
"I don't know. We'll have to see in the morning. I better go now."
He had a dozen other questions, but the Pokémon-human started running for the opposite side of the hill.
Leo nearly started following.
"He make them think no one here," Akri said with a small hand to his shoulder, as if holding him back.
Not that he actually was going to follow; he understood the ruse Kol was trying. But to use a human phrase, he felt for the umpteenth time since arriving on the planet that he wasn't being told everything!
"Sleep till morning," Akri seemed to suggest. And just as Leo started covering his eyes to avoid another hypnosis, the Guardian added: "You need strength tomorrow."
"Huh? What am I going to be…" As he looked to the Guardian, the small portion of his eyes he left uncovered was all Akri needed…
Kol still felt numb, even after going for a "walk". Giving a passing shrug to one of the guards: "Was nothing". Of course, he hadn't actually heard anything and neither of the humans insisted on going with him. As a hybrid, he was naturally their superior and thus had to obey him. Which didn't mean the General hadn't told them to keep an eye on him, but that didn't appear to be the case. Likewise, it was fortunate they hadn't seen the flash from the small, quiet thunderbolt he released under the hood of one of the transports.
"Going for a walk this late?"
Swinging around, he found the Lieutenant's head was peeking outside his tent. "Thought I heard something; considering we were attacked by a skarmory, I considered it prudent to investigate," giving the same story he told the guards.
The younger hybrid looked to the hill Kol indicated. "Same direction that damned bird came from."
"Yes, but I found nothing there now." He continued for his own tent, mindful the young man's eyes were on him, but his voice stopped him.
More quietly: "Before you get too comfortable, Kol, I don't trust you. So don't think you can just walk in here like this and pretend everything is normal. I know who you really are."
Before he could formulate a reply, the man ducked back into his tent, leaving him to dwell on it in his own tent. Obviously the man would know about his past. But did he suspect he'd broken the conditioning Enpersen had imposed on him? Or was it just that the Lieutenant still considered him a foe? If the former, he needed to continue being very careful. The General and the Lieutenant together could probably overpower him and at least start the conditioning process all over again.
Enpersen wasn't giving any signs he suspected that, though. If he did, he guessed he wouldn't have been told… Not that the nightmare hadn't crossed his mind on some level, when he started suspecting Granakri was still alive. But like something so terrible it was to be shut away and never given the light of day, he'd refused to give it any real thought. That and it was so outlandish, it seemed impossible and so warranted no further thought for that reason alone.
Now, that darkest of possibilities was true...if the General wasn't lying.
Laying on the small cot provided him, he curled himself into a fetal position, wishing he could simply cease to be. There was, ultimately, only one way out now. He simply couldn't live with the thought of his race being created by such a terrible Pokémon, their only purpose to serve him…