Chapter 20
Humanity's Focus
It had probably been a few hours since Elly had contacted the others through telepathy, but time seemed to have slowed to a crawl after the most important pokémon in her life had been taken away. How long had it been since she'd last felt it? That creeping sensation of loneliness, of worthlessness, of pure, agonizing doubt. Where was Eric? Was he ok? Was he being tortured as she lay there among the grass and filth, trying to avoid detection from those search parties? If there was one thing she'd gained from her trip down the sewage, it was the removal of her natural scent in exchange for a much fouler one, which had kept her hidden from the sniffing hounds they had released: dog pokémon and normal dogs alike, pacing around the forest searching for her incessantly.
"That thing's got to be around here somewhere… This is so stupid, why does he want them alive anyways?!" A soldier asked, frustrated by the fact they'd been sent on a search mission for what he thought to be a stupid pokémon.
"Something about them holding the key to neutralizing the dark matter's negative effects… Guy's been going on and on about that shit like it's gonna change the world for the better, thinks he's Albert friggin' Einstein… For like Frankenstein though! Those things down on the third level are the living proof of that!" The guard laughed at the tasteless joke, which made Elly back away in order to prevent herself from pouncing the detestable human.
"Yeah, those things make me sick… But it takes a special type of sick to turn kids into those monsters. Why the fuck do they do that anyways? Can't they just like, be happy with the money they get and the fact there's less and less of those freaks on this planet? Serves them right: running around, attacking people just because they look at them, cursing them to join their ranks… Monsters, that's what they are."
"Yeah, I honestly don't give a shit. I got a paycheck on my account every month, my family's safe and not starving, I'm a happy man. And I even get to knock two or three of those things out of this world, so what's not to like?" With every word, nod and laughter those two uttered, her blood boiled more and more. Money. That's what it always came down to: to become richer, to have a better life, even if you had to use others as stepping stones. But to know that they enjoyed this senseless bloodshed… her irate state wasn't enough to make her pounce them, and instead kept backing off from the duo, both in order to avoid detection and to keep herself from attacking them.
However, she didn't account for the foliage to end behind her, and backed up right into the open, realizing the severity of her mistake when a dog started barking, calling out her position to the two guards she'd been listening to for the past minutes. They ran after her, one of them reaching for his radio while the other pointed his gun at the Eevee, who tried to limp away, her black sphere shooting up and smashing a black Riolu fist into his chin, knocking the gun away and then hitting the other guard with a back handed blow. It was too late however, as all the soldiers were flocking to the area, all of them readying their rifles and aiming at the Eevee. She was surrounded from virtually every angle, holding up frail psychic barriers.
Deep inside, she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere: her attempt to communicate with the others had only given away her position near the mansion, and after that it'd been impossible to get away. Security was too tight, and she'd been caught in the net. A soldier with a badge on his chest stepped up, gripping a large pistol and pointing at her. "Lower the barriers. We will not attempt to kill you. We want you alive, Eevee." His finger wasn't on the trigger, but he was still pointing at her. She remembered the scientists saying they wanted both her and Eric alive… hence why the Riolu was still in that world. She bit her lip, hoping that at least her message had gotten to her friends and silently accepted her fate. She was physically and psychologically exhausted, feeling frustrated that Eric's sacrifice had been for naught.
"We're putting a psychic repression collar when we get her inside… and I wouldn't mind to have a few rounds with her." One of the search pokémon, a Pyroar with a leash around his neck, smiled. "It's hard to not get excited when you're chasing a female the whole morning." She gagged as she looked away from him, utterly disgusted, and as she was pushed around and ordered to move, she turned to face him.
"Why are you doing this?! You're one of us!"
"I get fed. I get to survive those experiments. And I get to enjoy some pokémon in a more intimate level from time to time… What's not to like?"
"That means you're just no better than a normal animal!" Her screams were answered by the weight of his paw crushing her head against the dirt, the company stopping as he growled and laughed.
"So what? I get to enjoy what life I had, while you idealistic shits get to rot away in cages. Get your facts straight: humans are superior, plain and simple. So get down, lick their feet, and you survive. That's all I want, and that's all I'll do here, now, and forever: cheat." He stomped her once. "Repress." He elicited a howl of pain from her, the wind blowing with strength. "And survive!" He hit her with strength, the Eevee trying to summon her dark matter blob, only for a warning shot to be fired, not even close to forming a shape with it as she rolled away on the dirt.
"Are you two done? Come on, let's get inside!" Another soldier's shouts echoed in her ears, her right front leg was screaming in agony, now sure that her leg was going to get infected from earlier. They grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, the wind now roaring, shaking the leaves and twigs, almost as if a storm was about to break out right on top of their heads. "Oh brilliant, another thunderstorm… There weren't any clouds in the sky just a second ag-" The soldier shouted and fired to the air.
Elly's eyes couldn't process what happened around her as the soldier's gun and some of his fingers were cut clean off, an aura sphere hit the Pyroar and forced him to release Eevee and a pair of giant claws grabbed her and lifted her off the ground, gunfire whistling around them as they moved in circles and around the air. If she blinked, she moved the precise and quick movements as she was hoisted further and further up in the air.
The shout of a familiar voice shouting to get away reached her ears as a green aura sphere flew towards the group on the ground. Before a golden head appeared, silver eyes looking at her for a moment.
"Hold on!" Her world shook again as Dust was forced to grab onto whatever he was on, the owner's voice forcing them to go much much higher… and the grip around her body went loose as she rocketed up into the air, adrenaline kicking in as her eyes went wide open and she screamed, falling down… "Catch her!" The voice ordered in the wind, increasing in volume.
Dust looked up from his position and saw her falling. The shiny Riolu reaching to her with both paws, catching the Eevee and then cowering down to avoid the flying bullets hitting them and held tightly, using an arm to hold Elly secured by his side. "Alright, grab her tight!" She looked in front of them, and saw Serge's familiar feathers, the Pidgeot turning around to face her before shouting, diving down and spinning wildly with them on his back, the Eevee reaching to grab his feathers in a desperate attempt to not fly off from the motion, as Dust tightened his grip on her.
"Open fire! Open fire!" The bullets whistled past them as Serge kept dodging, missing them by mere inches as he moved to get the trees in the way of their sights. The sea appeared beneath them as he flew off into the sunset, panting heavily as he looked back above his cargo, then looked at Elly.
"Hey, hey are you alright Elly?" The concern in his voice was genuine, something that almost brought Elly to tears, simply nodding and unable to say anything else but whimper in gratitude.
"Hold on. We're getting you home." Dust said to her, then he rose his head and looked behind them. Meanwhile, back on the ground, some soldiers were trying to aim at the squirming Pidgeot, the wind's intensity finally dying down, swearing as what seemed to be pure chance had made it so the wind kicked up and increased the drift.
"Damn it. Call the elites and send pokémon after them! You have to shoot him down!" The soldier in charge shouted at one of his subordinates, who immediately reached for the radio and called the higher ups.
"What's the problem? Can't we just, let them fly away? There's no way they could've contacted help without any communication devices." The soldier's question was responded by an audible slap from his superior, making the lower ranking one stand straight as he was shouted at.
"You idiot! They have psychic capabilities! They contacted one of their friends to come rescue them, and they did! They know the location of this lab! If they get away, god knows what will happen!"
"Sir! They're sending the pokémon out, th-" A roar silenced them as four winged pokémon flew out from the mansion's entrance, all of them taking off after the escapees.
"Kill them! Don't let them give away our position!"
(Lightning Battle - Kid Icarus Uprising)
Serge saw them coming from the island, and swore under his breath. "We've got company! Hold on tight! Dust call them out to me!" The Pidgeot flapped his wings and leant forward, increasing in speed as he went even faster than when he'd carried Dust over to that island.
Dust looked behind them and as he saw them approaching. 'Braviary, Skarmory, Talonflame and… a fucking Hydreigon!?' He told himself to identify their airbond enemies. "Fucking great!" He cursed.
"What?! What do y-" Serge's questions were interrupted as a hyper beam soared past their heads, threatening to blow a hole in their chests and hitting the water, a massive water geyser rising up, forcing the flying type to dodge to the side as he threatened to crash into it. "Fuck me! Dust, turn around and tell me what's going on, I need to focus on flying the hell out of here!" His speed increased exponentially as the wind blew from behind them, his wings leaving trails as he soared through the air at his highest speed, the water rippling underneath them, the wind slapping and trying to push them off. The chase was on.
The Riolu did that, immediately throwing an aura sphere at the Talonflame, who had a fire ball ready to shot and another at the Braviary, that tried to get close. "We got company, and one's a fucking Hydreigon." The Riolu informed, eyes on his opponents, throwing to them more spheres.
"Oh fucking fantastic! Alright, Elly hold on please, this is going to get hectic!" He looked behind them and veered to the left as the stray fireball blew up, embers and smoke falling on their heads as he narrowly avoided it, continuing on his flight path. The Eevee's grip was strong, but she could feel her strength draining, the exhaustion and the growing infection on her leg getting to her spirit.
The Dragon type was charging up another laser, Dust warning of this as he tried to break the dragon's concentration with another ball, but it dodged the projectile, firing of its own. "Incoming!" Dust roared, getting hold again on his friend. Holding Elly once again as he turned back forwards. Serge dived down as the beam seared his feathers, making him lose his straightness from the sheer speed, but quickly recovered and kept on his collision course to the water, seeing if any of those four would crash against it surface as he quickly spread his wings and curved to the front, a blast of wind hitting the water as they returned to their flightpath, flying so close to the water they were leaving a trail on it.
Holding onto Serge for dear life, Dust looked back, seeing the others. The Braviary had slowed down, on its focus to get to Serge it hadn't seen the distance with the water, the others corrected their paths to keep the chase. The Skarmory flapped its wings, metallic feathers flying towards them at high speeds. Dust summoned an aura bone and spun it with his paws, the feathers colliding with the solidified aura either bouncing off, stabbing into it or being parried. After that, Dust threw the bone at them with all his strength. The Braviary got hit on a shoulder and went down into the water, body rolling across it's surface like a rag doll as it tumbled and came to a screeching halt, then sinking underneath.
'That's one down.' He thought, yet there were three more to take care of. He looked at Serge, and then at Elly, seeing her tired and that nasty cut on her leg, he bit his lip. "Hey, listen. Hold on just a bit more. We are going to take you home and then we'll get back and save the others, ok?" He said to her, trying to encourage her to keep her grip and to stay awake. He then saw an opportunity. "Serge! Fly over The Inaccessible!" He shouted at the Pidgeot. With luck the winds of the place would throw their pursuers off if they even dared to go over that island, and the golden jackal tried to not think of the worst that could happen there.
Serge looked at the island and nodded, his wings glowing as he kept the wind blowing in directions that benefited them, getting closer to the water as the island appeared in their view. "Dust! Use your hidden power and make something to block them! Quick!" He could see the Talonflame wrapping itself in flames and blitzing forward through the intense gusts, trying to tackle them and outright kill them.
The Riolu bent over the Pidgeot's side and extended a paw, sending his aura into the water with the short distance between his paw and the surface, being almost the same than with his surfing board. It was hard but after a moment a column of water rose suddenly, the fire type bird slamming right into it not expecting that, its fire dying before he was taken down. The Hydreigon dodged everything they threw at it. He would've continued if not because they flew over a whirlpool that cut his connection with the water, signaling they were close to the risks of the island. Dust went back up and checked on Elly, hoping she was still hanging there, to then look at the last of their pursuers. She was, but was growing weaker, not holding onto his feathers anymore
The island's irregular winds were making it hard for the three headed dragon to fly straight, yet the bastard made sure to slow them down firing a Hyper Beam from each of its heads to slow them down. "Incoming by three!" Dust roared seeing the attack. The three beams directed right on their flightpath. Once again leaving the offensive to hold himself and their friend tightly. 'Come on! That gotta leave the bastard tired as hell!' He thought since Hyper Beam was not an easy move to pull out, even less three at the same time.
Serge flew up and rolled, the beam hitting the water right underneath them and blowing up, water splashing as the light blinded them for just a moment, the stormy sky above them darkening. The other two blasted beside them, crossing in front of them as a massive explosion sounded off in front of them, forcing Serge to get even closer to the water, drops of it splashing on their faces as his wing grazed it. The heat from the explosion reached them and was quickly replaced by the wave of water that crashed down on them, forcing Serge to quickly flap his wings and regain his altitude before he fell down. "Damn it, that was too close!"
"Close enough for me." Dust commented as he concentrated, another column of water shooting up from the sea to hit the Hydreigon, who dodged again, making the Riolu curse. But what happened next surprised him. More columns, replicas to his own, rose from the sea following their path, the three headed dragon gasping and trying to dodge each one. Dust could feel a strange aura behind those pillars, but he shook his head to dismiss that distraction, it wasn't the moment nor the time, he had to focus on the fight. He fired an Aura sphere as he saw the dragon dodge to one side of a water pillar, the only attack that connected with it, yet it kept on the chase, even with a burnt mark on its left neck's side.
The winds blew strong from one side, then the other, then a rising current that was followed by a downwards one. Such was the madness of The Inaccessible's surroundings. The whirlpools that surrounded the coast of the island being the actual frontier to this chaos. Serge found it difficult to even make it to the actual islands, and the pokémon on his back were struggling too, Elly slowly losing her grasp on his feathers. Dust readied another attack, but he noticed the Eevee moving. Looking at her then he saw her slipping off. "Shit!" Dismissing his attack he held onto her tightly, to the point of getting on top of her and holding her with his body. "Serge we need to land!" He called. "Elly's out of strength!" The Riolu added, securing her with his body he wouldn't be able to attack at their pursuer, turning his head to look back at the Hydreigon, what he saw was a barrage of metallic feathers flying their way courtesy of the Skarmory, who he had forgotten at all thanks to their other foe. "Fuck! Feathers incoming!"
Serge looked back and nodded, diving down and swooping across the surface of the island. Elly's forehead was hot with a fever, breathing heavily and panting, her eyelids feeling heavy. She was tired, and her head was pounding. Dust looked back, their pursuers hot on their tails. If they wanted to hide they'd have to find a way to lose them. The Riolu looked forwards and around, looking for wherever could be a good hiding place and also a way to lose them. The thunder rumbled above, threatening to fall on them at any moment. Looking back again he saw the three headed dragon reading another triple Hyperbeam. 'Shit! Fuck! Curse the damned Bastard!' He thought and looked around and then saw they were soaring over a forest. "Serge! Undercover!" He called.
(Stop the music)
Serge spotted the trees and dived down, then quickly snuck in between the trees, disappearing from their sights. The storm was starting to pick up, and rain was pouring down on the island, the chaotic weather conditions clearly showing the ugliest and most powerful results right above their heads. With almost robotic efficiency the Skarmory dived in after Serge, while the Hydreigon glided above, scouting from the top while preparing more Hyper Beams. Serge landed on a patch of dirt, exhausted, and shook his head. "Get off. Now. Get her to safety." The Eevee's gaze was lost in the sky, on the verge of losing consciousness.
Dust slid off his back and then picked up Elly in his arms, she lay there limply, whispering pleads for Serge to not go alone and trying to convince them she was ok, her voice nothing but a faint trail of the burning will and anger that raged within. The sound of twigs snapping was heard, alarming them to their pursuers' proximity, and Serge looked at Dust, his eyes repeating his previous orders. The Riolu nodded and for once reached to the other with his aura, like his mother used with humans. "You try not to die." He said as he started to move away carrying Elly. Priority now was stealth and find somewhere to hide. It was a hard task to go unnoticed while carrying someone but the Riolu had his ears standing painfully on end as he slipped through trees and roots, trying to not leave a trail behind, the Riolu used the roots as stepping stones and moving from tree to tree, until he thought they were a good distance away and he decided it was safe to quit that precaution, yet he had to find a place for them to hide until Serge could pick them up again.
Serge gave him a thumbs up with his wing, then covered their escape as they vanished into the shadows, looking around the clearing. His wings were glowing, the wind around him calm and still, making sure he wasn't distracted by anything that wasn't his foes. He could see the damn dragon type looming above, those dreaded Hyper Beams searching for a target to disintegrate… but the Skarmory was probably tracking him down in the woods… and it wouldn't be long before it found him.
Meanwhile, Dust kept moving, every now and then looking at Elly in the eyes. The Eevee was clearly exhausted. He hugged her for a moment, not losing sight of his way. As the forest became less and less thick, he saw a mountain before him, and a big cave. After looking at it for a moment he decided to take the place, the darkness would hide them, and the cave itself would keep them dry, if only he could start a fire to warm up, but that was completely out of the question. The Riolu walked up the hill leading to the cave and went in. He used his aura sight to see in the darkness, It surprised him how much clear could he see the aura of that place, but it was helpful for him. If not, he would've have rolled down the dirt that formed another hill within the cave. He walked down carefully until the floor was even again, and then he set Elly down carefully and knelt by her side. He decided to inspect her a bit, her body was warm, too warm, and her wound looked nasty. He didn't need to be a medical expert to know that it was infected, and that the infection was making her ill. 'Damnit! Just what we needed!' He thought to himself but then shook his head and breathed in deep.
He looked all over her body for other injuries, finding bruises and burns all over her body and underneath her fur, but they were very minor when compared to the open cut. After the inspection he sat by her and carefully put her head on his lap and a paw on her forehead. His paw slowly felt cool to the touch as he controlled his ice punch to just cool off his fur and skin. he couldn't breath icy winds like his mother but he hoped this would be enough, with his cool paw he tried to fight her fever, the only thing that was left was wait for Serge. "I… I promise you Elly. We'll take you home. We'll help you recover and once you recover we will go back and save the others. Even if we have to fight our way out. We will save them." He said to her, the only thing he thought he could do for her aside from trying to cool her body. She could only blabber incoherently in response, his words somehow reaching her, moving her head on his hip, trying to nod in agreement, but feeling her strength as it seeped out of her.
The sound of twigs snapping behind Serge brought him back to reality and quickly threw a slash, blocking the other's wing as it came through the brush, both of their eyes locking. Serge's were full of fire and determination, the Skarmory's were empty, like a robot's. In that single instant did Serge feel a small hint of pity creep up on him: whatever they had been put through that had made them into these soul less machines… he'd make sure it'd never happen again.
(The Stains of Time - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance)
With a roar they pushed back against the other, claws sliding on the dirt as they struck their wings again, walking sideways and edging close to each other as they tried to push the other's wing out of the way. Serge was the first to lower his wing, the Skarmory's flying by as he ducked and then strike at his chest. Though his quills were made out of metal, the flying and normal type's limb cut through them like butter, blood surging from the open wound as it shouted, alerting it's teammate. With remarkable speed, Serge took off through the trees, ducking and weaving between the logs and stumps as the expected barrage of Hyper Beams rained down, explosions and debris flying off as he escaped. With the last beam he did wingover, quickly shooting upwards towards the dragon type and folded his wings, attempting to slice one of its heads off.
However, the Skarmory shot back up to him and stopped the blow, leaving him open to another beam before he fell down because of gravity, recovering and flying away again. The rain was making it even harder to spot what was actually in front of him, let alone the smoke from the Hyper Beams and the fire beneath that was being fought against by the rain. He lead them outside of the main island, where they were hiding, and took them back to the spikes, where the water pillars were still raising and lowering. He decided to stick close to the water and maneuvered around the pillars, attempting to make the Skarmory, who was hot on his heels, crash into them. The part steel type didn't miss a beat, however, and dodged them with the same, if not more effectively than the Pidgeot.
Knowing this, he smiled and flew up, letting him catch up… and then quickly rolled to the right, making the Skarmory follow him until they were both doing circles in the air, approaching a pair of spikes that were incredibly close. The darkness made it almost impossible to make them out, but a lucky lightning bolt gave out the position and arrangement of the spikes to Serge, including the small gap within them. He made a mad dash for them, feeling those iron feathers whistling past him, barely touching his own, and then at the last possible second folded his wings and twisted his body, becoming a literal bullet as he passed through the needle hole. Lightning struck just as the Skarmory reached the spikes, too late to react, and smashed into them head on.
The impact knocked it out of the air, barely conscious, and the Hydreigon spotted Serge swooping down, one final lightning strike making it possible to see the Pidgeot diving down with a wing on the ready, and the next instant he was through the Skarmory, a fountain of liquid surging out from the steel type's body as it plummeted down to the watery depths. The dragon type roared and fired indiscriminately, the beams soaring past the Pidgeot as they reached his general vicinity in near instants. The only thing saving him at that point was his own unpredictable patterns. Without Lucy's abnormal reflexes, he couldn't possibly dodge those things without using his own agility in the air. That's how it'd always been, he was king in the air: unpredictable, nobody knew when he'd strike… and this time was no different.
He flew close to the water, reaching shore and landing near one of the spikes, catching his breath and wiping theblood from his left wing. They were both sore, and he felt numb pain on his chest, but could easily keep going, even with the exhaustion from flying for such long times and at such high speeds.
Not far away from there, a ship was sailing its normal route. On the deck, a bunch of tourists were looking at The Inaccessible, bearing witness to the chaos of the island's climate, while the speakers enhanced the voice of a man that was talking about the island itself, explaining the only things they knew about it. The tourists were picking photos and even a local took the opportunity to take a video of the phenomenon with its phone. The Hydreigon saw this, and glared at the phone, and the center head opened its maw, light surging from it as it charged another Hyper Beam. Serge's eyes went wide open, and quickly ran from behind the pillar and swung his glowing wing at the monstrous pokémon, an intense blast of wind making the shot go wide as it trailed across the surface of the water, explosions going off as it traveled. The other two heads however, were charged up, and while one took aim at the now revealed Pidgeot, the other aimed at the ship again, panic spreading among the humans.
The bird rushed down the slope and took off, doing a barrel roll around the incoming beam and tackling the Hydreigon onto the ship with a roar of his own, both of them falling on the deck. The Hydreigon crashed and broke some of the boards, scaring off most of the humans while some pulled out phones and began recording. Serge readied his wings and swung at one of the heads, which simply weaved out of the way and headbutted him, whilst the other tried to bite into his neck, being met with a backhanded slash from his other wing as he stepped back, the fangs being cut clean off and blood surging from its maw and the Pidgeot's wing. Only a minor scratch.
What happened next however, quite literally shook their world and rocked the boat they were on.
Humans started to shout and point at the island as the spikes glowed intensely with that same light green glow Serge's wing emitted whenever he manipulated the wind, and as the glow reached its apex beams of the same light shot up into the stormy clouds above, meeting above and beyond their viewing range… and the winds suddenly roared and stormed around them as the ship veered and shook, the humans running inside the hull, some of them remaining where they stood. Whether they were foolish or brave was anyone's guess, but the twister forming above their heads wasn't. The cone slowly slithered its way down to the water, making movement much harder as they all felt the suction, but it wasn't until it touched the water that the real force of the wind manifested itself. They were a ways away from it, and even then the force was enough to yank most of the humans off of where they stood, smashing against the safety railings and hanging on for dear life whilst the ones on the other side grabbed onto the side of the boat, their phones pointed at the two pokémon.
It was pouring down, and visibility was poor. The multicolored feathers on his head waved with the wind, the rain hitting his back and lightning strikes making it hard to make out things except for those few instants of light, but Serge could clearly see the Hydreigon struggling to reach him, running against the wind's force and stomping down, leaving marks on the wood as it set out to accomplish its goal… whilst the Pidgeot was just standing there, unaffected by the wind, his right wing glowing intensely to counter the tornado's gust. One of the heads lunged at his neck, and it was only met by another precise slice, opening a nasty cut on its cheek, and the pokémon tumbled back, hanging on by the force of its legs and charging up one last Hyper Beam with its centrical head… which was denied by the Pidgeot's wing again, mercilessly cutting that head's eyes, rendering it blind and making it fall backwards, biting down on the rails and bending them out of shape as it hung on for dear life, the humans screaming in panic and excitement.
The other two heads then did what their masters had instructed them, rather than following what any sane pokémon had done in their place, and charged up a Hyper Beam, then immediately disengaged from the railing, aiming at Serge and moments away from firing and blowing the entire place to dust.
"Go to hell." Were the last words it heard from the Pidgeot as two silver lines traced the air around it.
(Stop the music)
Two cuts appeared on the railing, besides the main head, and the fragment flew off, and with it, that warped pokémon, who roared and tried to flap its tired wings in vain as it was sucked up into the twister, and out of sight. Whether he was dead or alive was inconsequential to Serge. With that one roar that echoed in his head above the rage of the wind around them, he closed his eyes and breathed in, finally allowing himself to rest. He immediately felt his feet give way, falling down as he coughed up blood, an intense migraine taking hold of his head as he fell to his knees. The twister started moving away, the intensity of the winds diminishing as it carried away the cloudy skies with it, giving way to a clear orange sky, the winds dying down.
Everyone on the boat was surprised by what had happened, yet the reactions were different. One shouted for help for the Pidgeot, while others stood there and a third group rushed to his aid as well. Not only humans but also Pokémon were around, and it was mostly the Pokémon who approached the Pidgeot, some eyeing humans, others fully concentrated on helping the avian in whichever way they could. Various healing moves were casted upon him if only to help him stay stable. As things settled down, those that had recorded the entire thing and had also taken pictures didn't waste more time in uploading them to PokeTube, or sending them to the Regional News' website.
The Pidgeot's ears were ringing after all of that, but he could feel the claws and paws rubbing on his body, his migraine leaving him in a short few minutes of just breathing in and out looking at those pokémon, exchanging smiles, nods and words of reassurement, telling them that everything would be fine. After he felt he was good enough, he stood back up, towering above all and any pokémon or human in that ship, giving his back to the sun, then turning around to look at the island. He looked down at the pokémon and smiled, walking away from the mob and spreading his wings, once again lifting up a bit of wind before taking off, thanking them all as he departed to meet up with Dust and Elly, and finally take them all back home with that glorious sun.
The noise of the Television was like a distant, unintelligible noise to her. Luca was laying on the couch, her eyes on the ceiling as she sighed. She should've known it would happen. Dust was never one to stay still when he could help somehow. "Still worried about him?" Hadrim asked her, the Espeon cuddling by her side, both of them occupying the entirety of the couch.
"Don't tell me you are not, Had. I can feel you just want to link with his mind and teleport to him." She answered, making him snort slightly. He found it funny, whether she was reading his aura or she just knew him enough to tell that. Probably the second since she was more concentrated on her thoughts.
"Touche." He said. "But both of us know he can handle himself and being with Serge I'm positive they'll be back soon."
She just sighed for this, looking at the Television.
"And that's all for now. We will keep info-" The anchorman stopped his tracks as he was about to end the reports for the time being, and reach to one ear with a hand, probably something new incoming, which wasn't that rare. After a bit he looked back on screen. "Seems like we got more breaking news. At the moment various videos and images are being uploaded to our website about an attack on a ship on the outskirts of The Inaccessible, sent by witnesses of the scene." Having already everything ready to showcase, a video popped up on screen, showing a Hydreigon attacking a ship, but what made Luca and Hadrim stand was the Pokémon that interrupted the attack.
"What the fuck!?" Hadrim blurted out.
"Isn't that Serge!?" Luca spat, her voice loud enough to be heard all over the place. Her voice caught the attention to everyone, specially Jake, who was sitting on the armchair beside them and slammed the laptop shut, tossing it on the cushiony surface and staring at the images. The sight of that Pidgeot in the middle of that mob was confusing at first, but he was obviously Serge. Everyone else in the household ran it quickly and looked at the news.
"Yeah, that IS him! What the heck did he get himself into?! And where's Dust?!" Lucy's screams were summarizing everyone's thoughts, starting to worry again as the videos saw the wounded Pidgeot fly away into the distance… and nobody knew where to.
"Where's he going?!" Everyone edged close to the screen… and then the image shifted to the anchorlady, making everyone shout in annoyance and slight rage, specially Nox, who shouted obscenities at the screen.
As the anchors were talking about the news, the pictures of the fight were also being shown on a corner of the screen. "The direction… Is he flying towards The Inaccessible?" He asked.
"What? But the winds there are unpredictable! Let alone the entire climate! You just saw that twister!" Luca spoke up.
"Jake if the video is on the news I'm sure it'll be on PokéTube as well. You think you can find it?" The Espeon asked. "I can only think of one reason for him to get to that island."
Jake pounced on the armchair, showing a lot more emotion than ever before, and started hammering away at the keyboard and going to pokétube. To his amazement, the video is on the first page of the website, and has amassed thousands and thousands of views over the last few minutes. He calls everyone over and plays the video, which only shows the part of the fight that took place near the ship. The lighting and quality of the video made it almost impossible to see anything, but the familiar shape of the Pidgeot and a Hydreigon could be spotted in the shadows.
"Yeah! Fuck him up Serge, show him what you're made of!" Nox cheered for him, even if the video was pre-recorded. When the light beams shot up from the pillars, however, Jake looked at the Kaisers, inquiring about this phenomena.
"That Island has an aura of its own. It's like it's alive itself." Was all the explanation Luca could give him. "That's what I've read and what I've felt the times we've gotten close to it."
"So if you use anything like magic or abilities it just reacts? But… Serge can't use magic! How the hell did all of that happen?!" Lucy's question only made Jake frown.
"...How can you be so sure about that, Lucy?" Was all he answered, his own question confusing everyone.
"Damnit, there has to be a full video of it." Hadrim cursed the liking humans and even other Pokémon get for only the action bits of a video. However, before the Espeon could even concentrate on the keyboard of the laptop a noise reached his ears. It was the sound of something crashing through leafs, large wings flapping and someone landing on the ground outside in the backyard..
Outside, the two Pokémon they were talking about had arrived. Dust immediately slipped off Serge's back and picked Elly up, then ran to the door, smashing it. Luca was already on her way to it as she heard the banging of the door. She opened it and saw Dust holding Elly in his arms. "Please, scold me later, now she needs help." Her son didn't let her talk as he ran inside past her. Luca was stunned out of words, and not because of the stench that her nose had caught, as Dust rushed inside and upstairs calling for Zed's help for Elly. First thing he wanted to do was get her help and somewhere she could rest.
As Dust came into the house everyone saw the Eevee in his arms. They all called out her name as they rushed to check on her. Jake was the first one to spot the infected wound, and immediately called Zed's attention to it, and the Zorua got to work, checking the wound, and asking Dust to put her down in a bed or anywhere so she could rest, ordering everyone around to bring him antibiotics, medicine, and everything in that house he could use to help her, even if he still struggled to run around.
They all still had to come out of the haze of Elly coming back so suddenly, so most forgot about the flying type that had rescued her until he came into the house, panting heavily and leaning on a wall just keep himself from falling down. As everyone set off to go for what he had asked, Hadrim spotted the Pidgeot and got to his side. "Need a paw?" He offered the avian, seeing him so tired. "I don't know if it was your idea or Dust's. What I do know is that it was foolish and that you two brought Elly back. That's a start and it seems you don't do very well without your usual naps." The smirk on his muzzle gave away the last joke, yet the offer to help him kept up.
Serge couldn't help but smile at that sentence, getting himself back to speed and over to the now free couch. "Hey, it's the least I can do… now, if you'll excuse me, I'd rather leave the complaints, shouting and question for after I wake up from unconsciousness. So…" The moment he laid down on the couch he passed out, clearly too tired to even consider the others. He had earned himself that rest though, even Jake agreed… but the ice type would hold him to that interrogation once he woke up. Dust on the other side had the nerves still pumping him through tiredness, meaning he was hysteric still, helping get medicine for Elly and also cold water and a cloth to put on her head and fight back the fever.
Far away, back inside that accursed laboratory, the guards and scientists were recovering from the recent breakout. Tensions were high, and the higher ups were bossing around their lackeys around trying to restore order. The Pokémon were rabid and enraged, as the news spread like wildfire: someone had escaped the lab, and shouts of revolution and hope were filling the halls, a desire to live and survive that hadn't been seen for a long time echoing in those hallways.
Eric wasn't there to watch them however. After their stunt and Elly's consequent escape, he'd been taken to a more secluded area of the prison. He had obtained a larger cage in the process, but shared the room with massive pokémon, like a Sceptile, a Charizard, and curiously enough another Riolu, whose arms were crossed, hiding deep cuts and marks. "So… you're the guy that has everyone in an uproar right now, eh?" Were the first words he ever heard from the fighting type as Eric was tossed into his cage unceremoniously, a pink eye from the beating he'd received.
"Yeah, well… not really. I tried to escape, didn't work out… but my mate did, and that's good enough for me." He stood back up and sat, looking at the Riolu whose cage was higher. "How'd you know?"
The Riolu's fur a light teal, with orange features wherever it should be black, a confident smirk on his face. He pointed at the speakers above them, shrugging and walking to the side of his cage. "Can't say I know how that feels… never had a mate. Girlfriends? Sure, tons of them, but actual mates and in a deep and meaningful relationship? Not even close." His behaviour was actually refreshing a nice break from the constant sadness and misery that had surrounded him in the other part.
"What's your name?"
"Oh, already asking me for names? Haven't even taken me to a first date yet…" Eric didn't necessarily find it funny, but his newfound friend still chuckled anyway. "Whatever, name's Phal, nice to meet you. I'd shake your paw but… I can barely lift these anyway."
"Nice to meet you Phal. Name's Eric." After they got introductions out the way and Phal properly "Welcomed him to hell", song and all, they both talked for a long time about their bleak condition. Phal had been there for quite a long time, and they'd been testing on his arms most of the time, hence why he could barely move them anymore.
"Assholes must've hit a nerve or something… don't expect to be swinging these anytime soon… but hey!" He kicked the air. "I can still kick butt! Literally!" He sat down, looking at the normal Riolu. "They're probably gonna do the same to you… they want to figure out how we channel aura and control it the way we do… so they can do whatever the fuck they want with it."
"Then they'll be shocked to see I'm not like the rest. I'll make them work for it." Phal smiled at his words, finding his determination admirable. Still, Eric had other questions for him. "And what do they want to do with it anyways? Aren't humans capable of achieving aura control on their own through training?" His questions were only answered with shrugs and 'beats me', which were accurate responses: as long as they got out alive and stopped them in their tracks, what did it matter? No explanation or reasoning could ever convince them that this senseless bloodshed was worth it.
As if on cue, scientists entered the isolated room and walked over to Eric's cage. He stood up and looked ready for a fight, but wasn't pulled out of the cage, instead the entire thing was carried away on a trolley, looking at his friend. "Looks like they want something with you man! Stay strong!" His cheers reached him even after he left the room, managing to flash him a smile and a thumbs up before he disappeared from view. He was taken through the twisting hallways and doors and finally ended up in what looked like an interrogation room. They opened the cage and shook him out, too tired to go back to fighting immediately. It had been very long since had last eaten and drunk anything.
The door shut behind him, and he knew he was stuck in that place until they were done with… whatever they wanted to do with him in there. He waited for what felt like hours, until finally the door opened again, and in walked a blond haired man he recognized immediately: the head scientist, Gherard. The human glanced at the pokémon, both of them exchanging glares that said volumes to the other, before the man walked over to the other side of the table and sat down, placing a box of salty snacks, two cups and a bottle of water on it, then sat down.
A good five minutes went by, the two staring at each other, until Gherard motioned at the opposite chair with his hand. "Please, take a seat." The tone of his voice seemed friendly at first, but Eric could feel the menacing undertones in it, and only glared at the human, who simply laughed. "You have no reason to trust me, specially after what you've seen here… but I've come here to talk."
"Talk with me? An animal? Sounds counter intuitive for your species." Eric spat back, his words earning him a bemused look.
"Well, unlike most of the humans here, I am a man of science…" He showed him his left ear, and the Riolu saw something that quite honestly shocked him: a small black device strapped to his ear which he recognized from when he had fought against that trainer back in a hotel: a translator. "And for this reason, I know that pokémon are perfectly sentient creatures, capable of talking."
That reveal came as a shock to him… but it also brought something else: uncontrollable rage, which seeped through his being, his teeth tattering. "...saying that doesn't make me want to talk with you. It just makes me want to strangle you."
"Just try it. Lay a finger on me and guards will come in to turn you into a swiss cheese. You're a valuable test subject, but in our hierarchy, I'm far more important than you'll ever be,... you should get used to it. Now… come, and sit down. There's much we must talk about." That menacing undertone had completely taken over the first half of his sentence, letting Eric know that this human wasn't to be trifled with. He walked up to the chair and say on it, still below the human's eye level, always looking down at him.
The human opened the water bottle and the bag of snacks, pouring him a glass of the liquid and putting the bag closer to him. Eric didn't dare touch either of the two, for fear that they'd be poisoned or with drugs, just like what the tried to force on the poor pokémon outside. Gherard rolled his eyes and showed him the contents of the bag. "Which one do you want me to take?" His question came through as strange to the Riolu, but he still pointed at one of them, the one that looked the most suspicious, with a strange shape… Gherard took it out and ate it in front of him, then poured himself water from the same bottle and drank it, showing him the full glass and then again when it was empty.
"There's nothing strange in either of these. You look famished, and having a conversation of such importance with an empty stomach." After this, Eric did drink water and eat the entire bag, replenishing his strength, all while the human stared at him with that massive shit eating grin. "Feeling better? Very well, now let's begin… What is your name? I'm Gherard, one of the two head scientists in this laboratory… Wipe that frown off your face, Riolu, I'm not the one at the head of the experiments your kind is enduring… I'm more focused on…
"The Dark Matter." Eric drily finished for him, leaving the other's mouth open as he uttered the same words.
"Why… yes. How did you know we called it that?"
"Because we also call it that. And I can tell you it's not something you should be messing with… Gherard." He struggled to pronounce his name because of the anger.
"What a coincidence… and who is we, mister…" He didn't finish that sentence because he still didn't know the Riolu's name, and the angry look on his face was an indication that he had no intentions of telling him. "I told you mine… it's only fair you'd tell me yours. Unless you don't have one…. e5e5e5 is a mouthful."
"Then just call me E5."
Gherard sighed in exasperation, leaning back on his chair and looking away, rubbing his chin whilst Eric looked in the opposite direction, intent on making this as hard as possible for the human and make him lose his cool temper. "Very well… E5 it is then. Now, you mentioned a we when you talked about the dark matter. I'm going to assume it was the Eevee you escaped with. You're related somehow, aren't you?" Eric's face shifted slightly, and Gherard read it. If there was one thing the man could do was read the movements on other's faces. "Your sister? Your mother? Your… lover?" He said the last one with a smile, and Eric snapped back to stare at him, making the smile grow wider. "Bingo."
"What the hell do you want to do with the Dark Matter? It'll only bring you and this world pain and destruction. I am dead serious when I say that you're all better off destroying… both pokémon AND humans." Gherard stared at the Riolu and leaned back, crossing his fingers as he put his shoulders on the table.
"E5… Do you know what sentience is?" The question caught the pokémon off guard, unsure of what he should answer. "Sentience, is, to some, what separates human and pokémon: some defend that pokémon aren't sentient creatures, but rather animals that go about their daily business without realizing that they exist in the first place, that the world happens around them, that changes constantly. That's what sentience means: to be aware of one's existence and surroundings."
He leaned forward. "Others, think that humans and pokémon are equals, and should both walk towards the future hand in hand… both outlooks are wrong in my opinion. I believe pokémon and humans to be different in many ways, with each species having its share of advantages and disadvantages. However, they key difference is that, unlike pokémon, humans have stepped up and aim to… shape the world around them." Once again, he earned himself a weird glance from the Riolu.
"See, pokémon are stranded at a strange in between: they are sentient enough to realize their own existence, to have their own culture and define themselves as… well, themselves. However, humans have always been one step ahead, and that is because we utilize our sentience to shape the world. We are aware of our condition: we merely exist on this physical plane, where all we can see, feel, touch, taste and smell is all there must be, while the existence of a more spiritual plane is debatable to some, whilst others outright deny it. Unlike pokémon, however, humans have decided to do… something about it."
He got up from his place and paced around the room. "Humans have evolved and progressed with the sole intention to shape the world around them. That is what makes us different: Pokémon adapt to the environment, but us humans adapt the environment to ourselves, we shape the world and change it to fit our interests. We build roads across continents to connect civilizations, construct machines to communicate across large gaps… Something that pokémon simply don't do. They instead remain passive, living in packs, and moving together, never aspiring to be something else."
Eric was speechless, thinking back on the pokémon they'd come across on that world: most were like that, others behaved like humans… but not quite. "It's because of this that we are so different, and some humans think we're infinitely superior to pokémon. However, you have the tools. The abilities pokémon possess are extremely powerful and valuable, and yet you don't take advantage of them… all of that wasted potential… If it were to fall in our hands… completely…"
Eric's head snapped up and looked at Gherard. "You want to find a way for humans to inherit pokémon abilities?!"
"And completely subjugate pokémon kind. Yes, you now understand the goal of Team Arena. Some in this organization desire for this, others only want money, recognition… or safety. We provide it all with this goal in mind: as long as they work towards it, we welcome anyone in our ranks." He sat back down, and that smiled disappeared. "But I'm not interested in any of that. Pokémon bore me on a scientific level: a mish mash of flesh and bone, no different than humans asides from those key differences. It's my colleague who is far more intrigued with your abilities… I want to know everything about the Dark Matter: how it's made, how you're invulnerable to it, how to exploit it… and what other uses we can find for it."
Rebscura came to the Riolu's mind instantly, and his body writhed in fear and anger. "You can't do it!"
"Oh but we must. That's what we must do, in the name of progress, for humankind to reach new heights, I must research the dark matter, I must unveil all its secrets, turn it into a clean and powerful source of energy, a weapon of mass destruction, the ultimate defense… The properties of this element are unknown to all of us… Except for you." He pointed at him. "You hold the answers to all my questions… and I want- No, I need them."
The jackal bit his lip, shaking his head. "No."
His answer was short and anticlimactic after that long speech, and a long silence hung over their heads, only broken by the sound of Gherard clicking his tongue. "That's ok. I wasn't expecting this to be easy… after all, you're the individual that almost broke out… I thought you'd have been more desperate for freedom and reuniting with your loved one…" Eric frowned, as he knew where he was trying to do, fighting the temptation to succumb: he wanted to go back to Elly, more than anything else in the whole wide world. But he wouldn't fall so easily.
"Oh well… this won't be the only time we'll be talking together, E5. I'm a patient man, but I'm also determined. I will get what I want: one way or another." He stood up and left the room behind Eric. A few minutes later guards came in, carrying sticks and police clubs. Gherard's words echoed in his head as he tried to fight back against the mob.
"Are you sure these are the correct readings from the nanomachines test on that fox?" Administrator John, the head of the lab, said as he inspected the readings that had been reported to him from the last subject for nanomachines testing.
"Yes sir. The devices seem to have a little malfunction on the shutdown protocol that shocks the host-" Another scientist, a particularly good looking woman, with short, fiery hair and brown eyes started to inform but was stopped by her boss.
"I don't care about that. I trust the engineers will fix that problem. I speak about this." He pointed at the readings and the different levels of strength on the graphic. "I want you to explain me this!" He pointed out. "What is this in between the normal strength of that animal and the actual move Strength!" He screamed.
The woman jumped back, slightly frightened, yet she examined her copy of the readings. "Seems like the Zoro-ejem. I mean Test Subject ZD-37915 possesses the same capabilities of Test Subjects from the LF and RF identifications, and that it empowered its muscles with this ability." She informed.
"So you telling me that a beast of a different family from the usual is able to use this… Aura power shit?" He asked, she only nodded in response. The man stood thinking for a bit, the possibilities this held and the answers it also brought. On another side it could have been just simple will to survive. "Have we developed a nonlethal composition of 'Project Automaton'?" He asked, the woman's eyes went wide with this question.
"Y-yes, Administrator. It had been tested already and though its effects last less than previous compositions, with the correct dose it will last for hours and won't kill the test subjects."
"Perfect. I want to see ZD-37915 on the pit and fighting. Administer a dose to it and throw it into battle. I want to see if these readings are not mere coincidence. Dismissed." John ordered. The woman simply nodded and turned around, leaving the room. John then started to think about the other headache he had in his facility, what for him was RF-e5e5e5. He wanted to get rid of that animal. It's been enough of a headache already, blowing up part of the Pokémon powers research and holding area for the failures of those experiments. He had wanted to execute that beast before it brought any more troubles, and to show the other beasts that everyone gets their punishment, but Gherard had managed to get his way across and got the thing alive.
The situation infuriated him, if he could only find a way to get rid of that one and break the spirits of the other beasts in his facility so things could go back to normal and fewer incidents with rebellious animals would raise. It didn't help that the search party assigned to recapture the escaped test subject had returned empty handed and that there was no report from the aerial squad. 'All because of that kid and his idea of a perfect energy source and weapon.' He thought. 'The Big Boss is starting to spoil the brat too much. It's time to put him in his place and show him that He will not agree with everything he does.' As he was talking to himself within his mind he devised a plan to get rid of the roots of the problem. He'll spread the rumour the escaped test subject was found dead and that's why the search party came back empty handed, then he'll get rid of the other root of this rebellion. Maybe even put on a show with it and have one of the soldiers kill it in front of everyone.
Back at the household. Everything seemed to be calmer now, with Elly back some were devising a plan to go rescue the others, while others were worried for her even after Zed had said that she'll be good after some resting after taking care of the infection. That had been the only moment Dust had calmed down, also the only moment tiredness caught up to him, The shiny Riolu almost passing out on the spot, but holding on enough to go to his room and flop on his own couch, Emily staying with him all the time. However, not everything was plotting or visiting the sky blue eyed Eevee. For instance, Clara and Daniel had called Hadrim and Luca to talk. Once the four were alone it was clear the silence was tense. Until Daniel spoke up. "So the situation goes as this. Six of us were kidnaped. We insisted on calling the authorities but you asked us to not do it without giving us any explanation. We trust you so we didn't do it. After that, other two fly off in what it now is clear was some kind of rescue mission, at least one of them was shown on the news fighting against a pretty dangerous Pokémon, and they come back with one of the kidnaped with an infected wound on a leg." He summarized, both Pokémon lowering their ears and faces in shame, knowing now why they had wanted to talk in private. "We love and trust you all, but it seems like you do not trust us." The man said.
"You know we will listen to you. Have we ever given a reason to make you think we don't?" Clara asked now. "Please. Tell us what's happening. Ever since that night you went out and got trouble's you've seemed awfully wary. All of you, and had refused to tell us anything."
Both Pokémon looked at each other for a moment, not knowing what to say. The humans wanted an explanation and they were in all their right to demand one, but half the story was not in their power to tell. "I wish we could explain everything, Clara." Luca started, looking down not being able to look at the woman in the eyes. "But we just… can't." She said.
"Bullshit, Luca!" Dani butt in, making them all look at him. "Don't give us that now, every time we've had troubles we've come to a solution together, like the family we are! Yet these past months you've been avoiding this topic in front of us. What makes you not trust us with what's happening to you, guys?" He said. The anger that was at the beginning of his protest slowly transformed into clear worry for them. "We are all a family damnit! So why you keep whatever it is that has you alls cared from us?" He asked.
This time, Hadrim sighed. The Espeon was thinking on what to do, if explain everything to them, about the Legendaries, about the thing that was behind Team Star. Dani was right, they were a family and what's a family if they can't trust one another? The Espeon just didn't know what to do or say for once. He could only see one way now, spill the beans about everything that was on their right to say, meaning the problem with the Legendary Pokémon. It might be enough to get them to understand why they didn't want to attract much attention over themselves. If the humans called the police, the media would find a way to get the story out for everyone to know. He had to decide, and quick before Dani and Clara decided to take it into their own hands.
Dark was suddenly awoken. The Zoroark standing before being held by a Machamp so he wouldn't move. And before he could say anything a syringe was stabbed on his neck. The Zoroark let out a growl of pain but it was ignored. Once the orange liquid was poured into him the human that used it took the item out and the Machamp forced Dark to move.
He was taken to a big room with an artificial environment, tossed inside and locked in. He felt pain from within himself. His body ached for a moment before he felt his blood boiling with an anger he didn't know where was it coming from. The confusion and fear only empowered that rage to the point that he let out a howl. After a moment, another Pokémon was shoved into the same room, it was a Kabutops. Both of them were on different ends of the room. Dark was looking around as he moved, looking for somewhere to hide, his mind was a mess of confusion, fear and rage. he wanted to hit something, whatever to vent out that rage boiling within.
It wasn't long before the two Pokémon found each other. At that moment Dark was so mad he couldn't hold back a growl to the other, territorial instincts kicking over and fueling that rage. He wasn't the only one, tho, the Kabutops also growled at him and even attacked him, charging forwards with an Aqua jet and getting its blade arms shine. Dark growled louder and shoot a Shadow ball to the incoming enemy, who simply dodged. and kept rushing forwards, stopping when he was on top of the Zoroark and slashing, yet the moment its blade cut the body of the Dark type, this shattered like crystal and vanished. Leaving the ground and water type confused enough time to get hit by a particularly nasty shadow claw from the Zoroark, the which scratched through the exoskeleton and opened three gushes on the fossil pokemon's face. With a roar, it attacked again, rushing again at the Zoroark but this time it summoned a sphere of water which surrounded him and then let loose a strong wave of water. that flooded the area for a moment, hitting the Zoroark full force but Dark didn't budge from his position, enduring the strength of the water, the which only made him slid backwards on the now muddy ground.
After the Surf attack the Kabutops went for another Slash, yet the Zoroark blocked it summoning an aura bone to parry the attack, then followed by hitting the other with all his strength, and a Shadow ball that exploded and sent the pokemon flying back. Dark dismissed his Bone rush and ran at it, and both clashed in an exchange of attacks. The Zoroark used his shadow claw to attack or block. The Zoroark got hit various times, getting cuts here and there, yet he also delivered more to the Kabutops. After a little while, they separated and the ground and water type attacked again with an Aqua jet and its blade glowed as another slash came. Dark used his illusion again, this time he disappeared from his place. Generating illusions all over the place. Trapping his enemy in a mental game, attacking his mind and senses instead of his body this time.
It was hard with the rage rushing through his veins to concentrate on keeping the illusion. Yet he kept it up, faking sounds, guiding his rival around as he wanted while he kept hiding, putting illusions of himself against his foe, making it hard for it to defeat them, yet allowing it to. He wanted to tire it out. And managed to, making it fight against mirages of himself. Once he dimmed the other tired enough, he revealed himself and went to attack, behaving like his illusions, he fooled the Kabutops into going past him and smirked. After that he sent a fake to attack him by surprise, the Kabutops fought the fake until he stabbed it through the chest and brought it down, then the illusion, surprising his enemy, and he attacked. He stabbed his paw through the other's body, the claws going all the way through the Kabutops and then he drew back, his enemy turned and looked at him, the rage was gone and only fear was visible now, yet Dark charged an aura sphere, his purple aura tainted with streaks of orange, his eyes flowing with the same anomalous color. The Zoroark then slammed the sphere into the other's chest and threw it away from him, along with the Pokémon and after a few moments it exploded.
Even as the fight was done, he was growling, looking around. The drug still flowing through his veins, keeping him angry and on edge. On another side, John had taken what he wanted, aside from more information on how some others abilities worked. Since they didn't know much on how the projection of illusions worked. Thanks to the readings the nanomachines in his body had lent them since he activated them on this fight, what the ability did was project the user's imagination upon reality. And on the other hand he got the answer, this beast had the ability to use that power called Aura.
Eric was put in his spot back in front of Gherard, tired, hungry and beaten up. The man had a laptop in front of him today, and was watching the feed that had been observing the Riolu all hours of the day during the entire time he'd been there. "Now… look at this. You're actually avoiding all the food and drink… that's interesting. Are you not hungry, E5?" He shut the laptop and stood back up. "I would have brought you food again, but… how many times have we done this over the past two days? Seven? Eight? With all this excitement I've lost count."
He hadn't. Exactly seven times the Riolu had counted: he'd been put through horrible tests, trying to break his will, and then returned to Gherard for more interrogations. Over and over. They talked about different things each time: humanity's true sin, the thirst for knowledge, the ways they had shaped the world… he went on and on about all this, and Eric could say he knew Gherard well with all honesty… and he was about to turn all that knowledge on him.
"Why do you want… The Dark Matter?" Was the only thing Eric said, infinitely confusing the human.
"E5… I thought we discussed this already… I want to discover its applications! Its uses! This whole facility we're in right now, and all the experiments that are being conducted on it are being fueled by the energy produced by the vat of dark matter you almost destroyed! And we're just using a small amount of the energy that is emitted when we throw anything into it! Anything from the chair you're sitting on to your friends, anything will produce massive amounts of energy depending on its size, and I want to know to harvest all that energy, and the applications it can have! I've offered you freedom, money, fame… and you still refuse it all! Why?!" He slammed his fist on the table, and the Riolu had to fight back a smile for the moment.
"No… I meant your personal reasons." The human retracted his fist from the table and sat down, looking at him. "You're desperate to find this information and make a name for yourself… why?" The blond man didn't answer, verbally, only sighing and tightening the grip his hands had on each other. "You're being pressured… but not by your superiors, no… That's not the case, otherwise I wouldn't be here. I think it's something else… A family member, perhaps?" Gherard got up and turned away, pacing around as Eric turned their first encounter on him.
"A sister that you're jealous of maybe? You're both in this together, and you're frustrated she's higher above you, with her always taunting and pressuring you, trying to keep you under her heel… and this dark matter business is your only way up. The only way you'll ever get that recognition you so desperately crave… you don't give a damn about anything else… you just want to be better than whoever's been pressuring you, you scu-" He was silenced by a slap across the face… and another. And another. One after the other, a steady rhythm as the blows rained down on his cheeks while Eric showed him a wicked smile, Gherard's usually calm demeanor being replaced by this erratic and emotionally charged man. When he was satisfied, there was a sliver of blood snaking its way out of the corner of Eric's muzzle and down his chin. With the amount of hits he'd just received, it was a miracle his teeth weren't broken, as Gherard's hand was blood red, and probably with a couple bones out of their joints.
"You… little shit." He slammed the chair he had been sitting on out of the way, approaching the Riolu. "That's the last time you cross me… I've run out of patience… and I promised I'd get my hands on what you have… one way or the other." His words were filled with rage and venomous hatred, and the Riolu only answered by spitting blood in his face.
Gherard, however, seemed to have a revelation with that blood spit… and his smile widened. "You know… I'd lie if I said I didn't enjoy these conversations… even if my colleagues call me insane. Still, there's something… odd, about you. Your mannerisms, your beliefs, your thoughts, the way you speak and move… It's distinctively human, and yet when we looked into your background, you didn't have a trainer. In fact, you seemed to pop into existence with those friends of yours… Which begs the question, where'd you come from? And… why are you so different from all the other pokémon here?" He edged closer to the Riolu, the pokémon's grin fading while his own grew. "Could it be that… you're not like them to begin with? That you are different to pokémon and humans, almost as if… you came from somewhere else… really, really far away…" A drop of sweat trickled down the Riolu's forehead, which told the scientist all he wanted to know.
"Oh I can't wait to open you up."
Serge woke up with a gasp, his eyes glancing around the room and getting used to the poor lighting. He was in a mostly dark room, the only discernible source of light being a candlestick propped up on a desk, besides the which was Jake, sitting on a chair with his legs crossed and seemingly reading a book, but he could see how his eyes fluttered every so often, fighting back sleep. When he noticed he was wide awake, however, he shut the book and snapped to his feet, walking over to the bed. The Pidgeot got ahead of him, sitting up and putting his right wing up. "I'm fine, I'm fine… the migraine's gone for now, so I'll live. I really overdid it back there, flying so mu-" He was cut off when Jake grabbed his wing and pushed the feathers out of the way, making the Pidgeot panic. "Hey hey, what the f-"
The Sneasel searched in that soft mess, and eventually found what he'd been looking for: underneath his coat of feathers, he could see white lines trailing around, making a pattern underneath. "I knew it. When I saw you using the wind like that, and your wing glowing like that… I always suspected there was something up with you, but now I know I was right to not trust you: you can use magic."
Serge pulled back from the ice type, caressing his wing and getting the feathers back in their rightful spot, where they covered his mark. "And?"
"And?! This changes everything, Serge! You've been a magic user for a long time, and not once did you come out to tell us?! Why?!" He bombarded the bird with questions, the latter feeling his headache coming back to haunt him already, placing a wing on the Sneasel's head.
"Ok ok… alright, first of all, just because I know magic doesn't mean I'm not the Pidgeot you all know and love. I just, y'know, kept it as a little secret from y'all. And before you ask, I did have my reasons… Some of which I don't want to explain quite yet." Halfway through his speech the ice type huffed and walked away, reaching the door and grabbing the knob.
"It's not a matter of want or not want anymore, Serge!" He twisted it and flung the door open, revealing that most of the pokémon in the house were behind it, listening in. They all recoiled when the Sneasel uncovered them, telling the flying type that this hadn't been planned. Lucy jumped up when the door hit the wall. "We all know, you don't have any more time, you need to tell us what that mark means, and why you have it!"
Dust was also there, yet he wasn't expecting this kind of conversation to go on. He only wanted to know how the Pidgeot was doing after their little trip at high speeds, but this was none of his business. 'I should better go.' He thought, turning and starting to walk away.
"Alright well, I… I'm just… not prepared to tell that story yet, ok?" Nobody answered for a long time, which made the Pidgeot sigh and stand up. "Look, I've had this since I was… 18 years old. Right around that time something… something really bad happened. I don't want to go into details because it was that what pushed me to… making deals with shady people, become a drunkard, playboy, and the shit that you've all heard around me… I won't lie when I say that I did enjoy it, and would still enjoy it if I did it today, hell you all know, I take the first chance I get to go out on the town. But… I joined Team Star, and I was given a legitimate chance, even after some of this garbage came to light… So I owe you guys, and I owe Eric and Elly."
"That still doesn't explain why you'd keep something so crucial hidden from us Serge. If you're willing to lie about this, what else are you hiding?"
"You don't want to know. I'll take the blame if anyone ever drops by to say they want me to pay a debt… but what 'm talking about here, what happened with this?" He rose a wing. "I don't want to tell either you, or Eric, Elly or anyone else in the fucking whole wide world. I want what happened to stay in the past, now and forever, and move on."
"And what if it does come back, against your better judgement?" Jake inquired, his tone having gotten more stern.
"Then I'll leave the team if you all want me to." His words were serious. Whatever the Pidgeot was hiding was incredibly big, and Jake was the only one in that room who didn't look away or at the ground, unable to look at the Pidgeot for various reasons. The Sneasel knew better than to press the interrogation, and simply picked up his book.
"Very well… let us hope that it never comes down to that, Serge."
"Thank you. I mean it." He rose his head and looked at them, his thoughts immediately drifting to the reason he'd been asleep like this. "How's Elly doing? Is she up already?"
"She's…" Lucy opened her mouth to explain the situation, but was interrupted by the Eevee herself walking into the room, dragging a paw across the floor as she butted her way past them without saying a word. Sour wouldn't be enough an adjective to describe her face, twisted in an unhappy frown even as she looked at her saviour.
"Serge, I need you to fly me back there." Her statement was expected, and everyone rolled their eyes or sighed in defeat, especially Jake who dropped his book on the floor and flapped his arms.
"Wait, what?! First of all, I don't think you should be up, and second of all, let me get some rest, damn it! I need at least one day before attempting something like that…"
"You've been asleep for two days Serge!"
"What?!" The bird looked at everyone else in the room, and answered with nods and shrugs.
"From what Dust told us, and from what we saw on the screens… by the way, your little stunt was televised across the entire region, and possibly the whole world, so well done… Anyways, from what we know, you overexerted yourself, and I thought the most logical approach was for you to sleep for as long as you needed… even if you went borderline comatose for the first few hours." Jake's lengthy explanation provided some answers, but made many more questions pop up in the bird's brain.
He was cut off by Elly again, however. "That's exactly my point! He's been asleep for two days, and the others are still over there and suffering through that torture! Eric is hanging on to life by a thread, but I don't know anything about the others! They might very well be dead as we're just wasting our time here discussing things we should be discussing when they're safe!" She faced the Pidgeot. "Don't think you're getting off without explaining those powers a bit more and how they work Serge, but now you need to take us to the island now and help us rescue everyone else, because we've already wasted enough time as i-"
Jake stomped up to her and delivered a slap across her face, twisting her face from the blow, which left everyone in the room speechless and the Eevee flabbergasted. Even Jake recoiled and shook his hand, as he had put a bit more force than he intended behind it. Still, it was effective, and the normal type was quiet. "From what Serge and Dust told us, it was a stroke of pure luck that you managed to get out far enough so that they could extract you from the island Elly. Attacking now, without knowing the situation or any sort of back up would be reckless and get some of us kidnapped or killed."
"We no longer have the surprise factor on our side: they know you got out, and they'll be expecting your return to finish what you started. They'll be waiting for pokémon like us, skilled with powerful abilities… and magic. And we will be defeated, because there are too many of them, and with their weaponry they'd decimate us. On top of that, they could use the others as meatshields, and force us to surrender lest they're executed in front of us. We have become the centre of their attention, and they know what to expect from us."
"So what do you suggest we do then?! Sit around with our arms crossed until something happens?! Eric is t-"
"We know Eric is there Elly, listen to me!" For the first time since they'd all met Jake, the Sneasel shouted to the top of his lungs and at the border of just downright losing it: he was desperate, with bloodshot eyes and bags underneath them, and grabbing the Eevee's shoulders and shaking them, his fingers gripping at her arms. "When Serge and Dust left… we feared the worst. We feared that we had lost them…" He shot a pained glance at Serge, which told the Pidgeot just how much he'd fucked up by doing something like that. "And I have no intentions of letting that happen again. Mark my words, Elly, that we will all go there soon, and we will be prepared for anything."
Elly was about to cry, but somehow managed to hold back a pained wail, sniffing and stuttering a follow-up question. "And what is it that you want to do?"
Jake let go of her and walked towards the window, looking out at the cloudy sky. "Our options are severely limited… but while thinking about what we could do I had an epiphany. I thought not about what we could do, but rather what others could do for us." Everyone stared at the Sneasel with hopeful eyes, and opened their ears to listen to his plan.
"Those monsters made two fatal mistakes: they kidnapped Eric, our fearless leader and friend… but they also kidnapped Dark and Natalie, precious friends of ours… and the targets of a massive conspiration involving legendary pokémon from this world. And one of the sides just so happens to despise humans." Serge, Elly and Zed gasped in unison, with Nox and Lucy following their example soon after. They all knew where this was going.
"But… but that's gonna be a fucking massacre!" Serge shouted, shocked that this was even being considered as an option.
"What else can we do? Ourselves alone will not be capable of breaking through their defences, especially when they're expecting us… but what if we used someone else as a distraction, a decoy of sorts."
"So you want to use Dailos' faction to…"
Dust had been checking on Ichiro, since he decided to wait til Team Star ended their discussion so he could go ask about Serge. Yet when Jake shouted like that it had picked his interest. The human boy was playing videogames with a headset so he was very much deaf. The shiny Riolu went out of the room and as the conversation had been going on he approached, and he asked, interrupting the question that was being asked with his own. "If that's your plan tell us, Jake. What is it that would make Dailos' followers go there and do the dirty job themselves, when those humans can very well do it for them?" He asked.
"Simple: There's another faction involved in this, one that would very much like for Dark and Natalie to stay alive… thus, when they learn that they've been kidnapped, they will send someone to rescue them. Dailos knows this fact, and will have no other choice but sending his own legendaries. And once those three sides meet… that, will be when we strike, go into the laboratory, and get everyone to safety while they are all fighting outside." He concluded his explanation with a wicked smile.
"I hope you have planned an escape route that doesn't go through the battlefield." He said and then looked at Elly and her paw, biting his lip, knowing her position, he's been one of those that had tried to convince her to let the matter to them, but nothing worked.
"From what Elly said, her escape route led to an area behind the mansion itself, far away from where the battle will most likely take place. If everything else fails then…" He looked at Nox, who smile grew so wide it hurt his face. "We'll make our own."
"Hell yeah! This plan's gonna be the shit!" The fire type was ecstatic.
"This is fucking insane… but count me in. I won't let those bastards get away with this." Lucy said, putting up her paw.
"If there's really no other choice then… we'll have to do it."
"There's still no way to make you stay, right Elly?" Dust asked her, folding his arms. "If we want to get there fast some of us will have to stay back and wait. And I also will not stay sitting on my ass wondering if this had gone all according to plan." He said. As much as he had wanted Elly to stay it was because of her wounded leg, he himself was just as adamant on going back for his family and friend.
"I'm in… but I have a question: how the fuck are we going to get in contact with those legendaries without… you know… getting killed ourselves?" Serge asked, keeping his wing hovering just above the others'.
"Well… I do remember you telling us that you knew where Leopold and Kaylani live… I'm sure they know other legendaries that can… spread the message both ways." Serge smiled at the Sneasel. This was the reason why he loved working with the ice type so much.
"...In other news, the case of the attack on the ship around The Inaccesible island, in the Narel Region, hasn't been solved. The unconscious bodies of a Skarmory and the Hydreigon were found washed up on the shores of the nearby islands the day after, and neither pokémon have said anything about the attacks. They are now in police custody, but the Pidgeot has yet to be found." The screen shifted to the shot a human had taken of Serge. Looking away and at the Hydreigon, and with that glowing wing… There was just no mistaking that pearl tied tightly around his right talon.
The cloaked figure smiled and turned around, melting into the human mob around it.
The trail was reignited.
PS: Hey, Eric here, just a small FYI: We aren't doing ANs so as to not take you guys outside of the inmersion of these chapters, sorry about this. Your reviews will be answered through PM. Thank you for understanding.
Special thanks to my fantastic friend WesternFail for helping me by being a Beta for this chapter. You are doing god's work by fixing whatever I miss.