Soul Guardians
Part 26 now! WOOH, I've gotten over 100,000 words and 200 reviews now! I'm so happy! PARDY TIME! Anyways, now the gang are almost to Blackthorn… The final badge…. And then, it's onto the League! So for now, please enjoy this slight filler chapter, although it does have some important stuff in it as well. PLUS… Well, something I'll keep secret… *evil laugh* As for the time till I updated, I'm sorry, I just started sixth form (school years 12 and 13 for those who don't know what that is) and it's roughly doubled my homework and school work amount… R&R please!
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
-Telepathy-
Poke speech = BOLD
My thoughts/questions=()
Ash groaned slightly as he took a step; a combination of Team Rocket's net and Electra's 'revival' method had left him with a noticeable limp and a lot of pain. As he took another step, Tia placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Ash… Are you SURE you're fine..?" Ash nodded, smiling at her.
"I'm sure, Tia… Completely sure. You know it'll take more than that to put me out of it." Tia smiled nervously, but agreed.
"I hope the Eggs are OK back there… This backpack is safer than my arms, but is it as warm..?" Tio looked back at her, nodding.
"It's warm enough, sister. Just take it a little easy on the running, climbing, and anything with lots of movement. Also, if you transform, then the Eggs will be on your back as the backpack isn't part of the illusion. So they're perfectly safe." Tia grinned a little, sure now that both Ash and Tio were claiming the backpacks strength.
"OK then! It's strong enough!" Ash nodded, absently scratching Electra between the ears. Her eyes drifted half-closed as she relaxed.
Aaahhhh…. That's nice, Ash….. Electra pushed her head into his hand, making him scratch slightly harder, before he pulled his hand away.
"Hey, Brock! How much longer?" Brock turned around, waving the map.
"I'd say, maybe five minutes!" Ash nodded, before Bianca broke into a run.
"A Pokémon Centre! Shade, I'll get you healed up real soon." Tio tore after her, shouting to wait for him. Lorenzo, however, stopped.
"Ash. How are we going to get Silver into the city? He's incredibly rare, and any Trainer will try to capture him immediately." Ash sighed, slowing down as the others stopped.
"Erm… I don't really know." Everyone sweatdropped, before Silver spoke up.
I-I could be… c-c-captured…by one o-of you… Lorenzo sighed and shook his head after Ash translated Silver's suggestion.
"It seems good, but I don't think a battle would help you Silver. Especially as the Pokémon are all very strong around here. It wouldn't be good if you got injured." Tia nodded too.
"And I don't want his parents angry at us either… I dread to think what they'd do to us for that…" Misty grinned, before pointing at Brock.
"Well, Brock could take care of Silver…" Ash stared at her, before speaking.
"You wanna expose Silver to THAT..? He'll teach Silver all of his perverted ways, Misty…" Misty sighed.
"Good point… I could do it…" Brock laughed as she said that.
"He doesn't need to be taught about how to be violent, Misty…" Misty glared at him, raising a fist.
"What was that..?" Brock paled before backing away slightly.
"N-Nothing…" Ash sighed, turning to Lorenzo.
"Do you have any ideas, Lorenzo..?" He shrugged, looking past Ash at Brock cowering from Misty.
"Well, you can't do it, they definitely can't do it… Electra's needed by you… Tio and Bianca are in the city… I suppose I'LL have to do it." Ash nodded, agreeing in part.
"Won't Bianca want you to go with her though? I mean, you ARE her grandfather." Lorenzo smiled slightly, before nodding.
"Yes, but she's all grown up. I still think of her as that slightly rash teenager, but she's a lot more sensible now. And I trust Tio to keep her safe. He's slacked a lot, probably a combination of you, Tia and Bianca wearing away his sensibility, but he's still the most level-headed of you all. I don't mind Bianca entrusting her safety to him, and so I can confidently watch over Silver." Ash nodded slowly, and scratched Silver's head as he spoke.
"OK. But even then, can you protect him? You don't have any Pokémon, and no offense Lorenzo, but… well…" Lorenzo laughed slightly.
"I'm a little over-indulgent? I might not BE the healthiest weight, but I can still run, fight and trouble poachers. Besides, I did a few years as a Trainer… One of my team was a Water-Type, so you never know… If I'm lucky he could be near. But I can keep Silver safe. Don't worry Ash." Silver, who'd been listening in on them, looked at Ash.
He p-probably could keep m-me safe, Ash… I-I t-t-trust him to do it. Ash nodded again, looking over towards Blackthorn.
"Bianca should be OK with it… But, Tio might not… He'll worry about poachers and the fact that you might be hurt a lot easier than us. But if you're sure Lorenzo…" Lorenzo nodded, and stepped towards Silver, standing at his side.
"I'll keep him as safe as possible. Don't worry, now go and win that Badge Ash. Good luck, and Arceus-speed." Ash nodded his thanks, before turning to Brock and Misty who were, unsurprisingly, squabbling.
"Guys! We're gonna head to Blackthorn, Lorenzo decided to look after Silver while we're busy. Ready for the challenge to come?" Brock nodded, lifting his backpack up.
"I need to get more supplies as well Ash. We'll have to stop at a PokeMart or somewhere that sells medicine and food." Misty lifted Togepi up, so he was next to her head.
"Togepi here needs to have his nap, so I'll be in the Centre if you need me. Other than that, I just need to get a few things for myself." Togepi chirped, looking at Ash.
I wanna play a game with Aunt Electra… Electra gently smiled at Togepi, before shaking her head.
Sorry, kiddo… You need your sleep if you wanna grow up big and strong like your mum there. Togepi yawned slightly, nodding his head as his eyes drooped to half-mast.
O…K… Aunt… I'll go sleep… Night… Misty smiled and gently lowered Togepi, smoothly rocking him in her arms. Ash looked to Tia, who had removed the Eggs from her bag and was also cradling them. Ash reached out and gently took one of the Eggs, smiling at Tia, who winked back at him. Lorenzo sighed, before nodding towards the City.
"Ash, shouldn't you and the other three begin walking towards Blackthorn? Bianca and Tio are probably at the Centre by now." Ash nodded, smiling slightly at him.
"Right. Ready Tia?" Tia nodded, stepping up to him and planting a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"I'm ready no matter what, Ash…" Ash grinned, gently kissing her back.
"Hey, you two, Brock'll never move if you keep it up…" Ash turned as Misty pointed to Brock, who was sitting beneath a tree, curled up and with a Dark Aura, mumbling to himself.
"Why does Ash get so lucky..? When he was as dense as a block of lead I could understand, but now it's like he's tormenting me…" Misty grabbed his ear and began dragging him down the path as Ash and Tia walked next to her.
"Come on, you. We need to get to the City." As the four of them began to bicker between their selves, Lorenzo looked towards Silver.
"We should get you out of sight and off this path, Silver." Said Lugia nodded, before following Lorenzo as he walked into the trees. Once they reached a small clearing, Lorenzo sat on a tree stump.
"This should do for now…" Silver nodded, laying down next to Lorenzo and closing his eyes as he began to nap. Lorenzo cracked his back as he stretched, feeling small twinges as he moved stiff muscles.
"That felt good… And that looks like a good idea." Lorenzo sat on the ground, leant on the tree stump,, and soon fell asleep again as calm descended on the duo, the air wrought with nothing but birdsong and the faint sound of a City's hustle and bustle in the background.
(With Bianca and Tio)
Bianca looked up from her hands as Tio walked over with two cups of hot chocolate. She smiled gratefully as she took one, looking at Tio.
"I never gave you the money for these." Tio sat next to her, looking around slightly.
"Yeah… Well you know, people drop cash all the time…. I just kinda gathered a few of the more valuable ones with Psychic and bought them." He held out a few sachets of sugar as well, while Bianca took two.
"Thank you, Tio…" Tio sighed as he rested his drink on his knee.
"Bianca, I know you're worried, but relax; I'm sure that Nurse Joy will do everything she needs to do for Sha-… OWOWOW!" He stood up with a start, hurriedly placing his drink on the table and patting at his knee; the hot drink had burnt him through his jeans, marking them. Bianca giggled slightly, as Tio sat down again. With a sigh, he rubbed his knee.
"That's just painful… Stupid burns…" Bianca gave him a hug, and smiled at him.
"AW, it isn't so bad… You can just re-create the illusion without that mark, right?" Tio nodded, as he hugged her back.
"Yeah, but it was still annoying that it burned. I mean it's still painful even with a resistance to heat."
Bianca nodded, as she let go of Tio.
"Hey, Bianca, what did Nurse Joy say about Shade anyway?" Bianca paused slightly as she thought about it.
"She said that he was exhausted from that battle he'd been in, and that he'd been electrocuted badly, with slight burns. He'll be able to travel, but he needs to avoid battles for a few days." Tio nodded, as a small alert chimed.
"Hey, Bianca I think that Shade's been healed. Wanna go check?" Bianca nodded as she quickly drank her hot chocolate, handing him the empty cup. Tio shook his head as he followed her.
"I never could get how you drink scolding hot drinks so fast…" Bianca shrugged as she approached a Chansey.
"It's one of my skills." She called back over her shoulder, before facing the Chansey.
"Excuse me, but do you know anything about a Sneasel called Shade..? I was wondering if it was him who the chime went off for…" The Chansey nodded, facing her.
Of course; if you'll follow me. The Chansey beckoned with a hand; presumably because she assumed that they couldn't understand her. Bianca nodded, following her with Tio. After following the Chansey for a few minutes, the pair of them met another Chansey who was carrying a lightly struggling Shade.
I said put me down!
Not until you are safely in the arms of your Trainer, as you are still technically in my medical care. So, no.
Come on! She's right there! The Chansey walked over and handed Shade to Bianca, who took him and nodded at the Chansey.
"Thank you for looking after him." The Chansey bowed, before turning to leave and return to her duties. Bianca looked at Shade, smiling slightly.
"Shade, are you OK?" He looked up at Bianca, a light glare on his face.
I took that beating from Sparks, ended up unconscious for about two days, and then I had to go through all that hospital stuff… What. Do. You. THINK? Tio glared slightly, as Bianca sighed.
"I do want the best for you, Shade. Why don't you try to get along a little more..?" Shade shrugged before wriggling free, dropping to the floor.
Well, I never wanted to go with you, you took me from my clan, and then I get beaten by a rat… Need any more reasons? Bianca placed a hand on Tio's shoulder as a pulsing vein popped up on his forehead.
"No. Not to know that I can't trust or rely on you for anything. I thought that catching you could mean we would become friends… Instead, you hate me for it." Shade glanced over his shoulder at Bianca, who had a dejected look on her face. Shade sighed, and groaned slightly.
I know I'm gonna regret it… He turned around, before jumping up to Bianca's shoulder and sitting there.
Happy…? Bianca nodded and sniffed, smiling slightly.
"Yeah… Thank you Shade…." Tio rolled his eyes at the sight of them.
-Over-doing the guilt trip much, Bianca..?- Bianca rolled her eyes slightly.
-It worked, didn't it?- Tio nodded, before looking around the room.
"Hey, Bianca, why don't we go for a little sightseeing? We haven't been to Blackthorn before." She nodded eagerly; now she knew Shade was safe, she could relax.
"Sure! Where do we go first then?" Tio shrugged, before placing an arm around her waist.
"Why don't we wander about, see what we find..?" Bianca smiled as she leaned against Tio, careful to keep Shade on her shoulder.
"I like it… Let's go." Tio nodded, before gesturing to the doors.
"Ladies first…" Bianca giggled as she left the building, Tio close behind her.
"Just what every girl wants, a gentlemon…" Tio rolled his eyes in mock horror.
"Such a bad joke, Bianca. REALLY bad joke." Bianca nodded, smiling.
"It's true though isn't it?" Tio grudgingly nodded after a few seconds.
"OK, it's true. But we should start to walk right? We don't wanna be standing here when the others arrive." Bianca nodded and nuzzled Tio, who kissed the top of her head. Shade rolled his eyes and pretended to stick two fingers down his throat, making gagging noises.
Get a room..! Tio glared slightly at Shade.
"Did you HAVE to catch him?" Shade threw his arms in the air, his voice rich with sarcasm.
FINALLY, someone agrees with me! Now release me already. Bianca smiled, but shook her head.
"Sorry Shade, but I caught you. You've gotta travel with me now." Tio sighed, while Shade simply facepalmed. (Not good as a Sneasel, think of those claws…)
"Fine… But shouldn't he be in his ball? It should be a lot safer in there for him than out here." Shade laughed at Tio, leaning towards him.
I'll tell ya something, here… I don't care about getting in trouble. I'll fight my way out, or I won't GET out… Ya see, we Sneasel… We're raised in that Frigid Cavern. If we get hurt badly, we're on our own. If we get lost, we're alone. Siblings leave badly injured siblings, if they're a lost cause. When we are raised… It's a life-or-death situation all the time. I've fought tougher, ya see… So I'm not afraid. Bianca sighed, before looking at Shade.
"I thought that you'd be glad to get out of there then…" Shade grinned, before shaking his head.
Nope; I don't mind travelling, but under a human..? Or even you… Urgh… I'd rather get lost in the caverns… Tio scowled at him, before stepping dangerously close.
"I take insults about myself, or people who I don't know… But when you insult or dismiss my family and friends in such a manner… I get angry… You won't like me angry…" Shade yawned, putting a paw in front of his mouth.
Bite me. Tio snarled, before Bianca grabbed his shoulder.
"Hey, Tio..! Easy..! He's just being annoying." Shade tapped her on the shoulder.
Actually, it's Torment… Bianca shrugged.
"Either way, it's annoying. Now come on, Tio… Don't attack him here…. ~Please..?" Bianca gave Tio the 'little-puppy-Growlithe-eyes', and nuzzled him. Tio almost immediately relented.
"OK... I'll lay off of him… For you…" Bianca smiled, as Tio leaned closer to her. And, just as he was about to kiss her lips… Bianca darted ahead, towards the south of the city.
"Come on, Tio! I wanna see what's down here!" Tio stood there for a few seconds, still with his eyes closed and lips puckered, before sighing. He looked up as Shade laughed and shouted.
Epically cockblocked! Tio growled as he started to walk after them both, with Shade still laughing.
"I swear, I'm gonna hurt him all over again if he keeps this up…"
(With Ash, Tia, Brock and Misty)
Ash grinned as the group passed through, and into the City.
"Alright! Let's… GO!" Tia jumped up next to him, hugging him tightly.
"Yeah!" Brock smiled at the sight, before looking around.
"I can see the PokeMart. I'll be buying supplies if you need me, OK?" Ash nodded, while Tia turned to look at Brock.
"Can you get some more of those snacks that Ash's mum bought for Christmas..? They might have some more in there!" Ash nodded enthusiastically at Brock.
"Yeah, those were great! Maybe you could get the recipe, huh?" Brock nodded, chuckling at them.
"Sure, you two. I'll grab some for the other pair of lovers too. See you in a few hours!" Brock called out as he started walking towards the Mart's entrance. Misty turned towards the draconic couple, gently rocking Togepi.
"I heard that there's a great view south of the City. I'll take Togepi there, he might like the view." Ash nodded, before lifting Electra from his shoulder and setting her on Misty's.
"Electra, I want you to go with Misty, OK? You're faster, so I want you to try and keep Togepi out of trouble. Got it?" Electra nodded, while playing with Togepi; she was holding her tail low enough for him to almost reach, and he was tapping it back and forth. (Think like when a cat has that ball of string hanging above the ground).
No sweat, Ash. I'll care for him like he was my own. Ash grinned at her, before rubbing between her ears.
"I knew I could count on you… I'll see you when I get back, OK?" Electra nodded, as Togepi finally grabbed her tail between his hands, and pulled. Electra slipped backwards, sliding off Misty's shoulder and settling next to Togepi, who trilled happily. Electra smiled, before patting Togepi's head. Misty set them on the floor, before looking at Ash.
"I'll try to look after her, Ash." Ash grinned as he nodded.
"I trust you, Misty… Now, Tia… TO EXPLORE THE CITY!" Ash quickly struck the conqueror's pose on a nearby rock (one leg on the rock with thigh parallel to floor, right hand on waist, left arm extended) before Tia jumped up to hug him.
"Yeah! Let's go!" Ash and Tia ran into the city together, looking around all the buildings with linked arms. Misty just smiled, before turning to the south and starting to walk.
"Togepi… Electra… Come on, we're gonna go for a walk, OK?" Electra, quickly guided Togepi after Misty, and the three of them starting to walk, Electra and Togepi paying tag around Misty. She looked down at the two Pokémon, smiling to herself.
'They get on so well… I wonder if any of the other female ones do with Togepi…' As she watched them playing together, the strangest thought crossed her mind;
'I wonder… What it's like as a Pokémon… To be Togepi's true mother…' She almost stopped walking, but didn't want to draw the attention of Electra and Togepi.
'Why did I think THAT..? I suppose… he sees me as his mother… But… I'm not, and one day… I'll have to tell him.' She shook her head quickly, clearing it of those thoughts.
'No. I'm gonna stop thinking like this. I'm happy as me; and Togepi's happy as well.' Smiling again, she rummaged in her bag before pulling out a half sandwich.
"Togepi, are you hungry yet?" Togepi spun round and ran over to her, trilling happily. Misty smiled as she lifted him up, before settling him in the crook of her elbow. As she held Togepi in place, she broke small pieces of the sandwich off before feeding them to Togepi. Electra also climbed up to Misty's shoulder, before settling there. As Misty sat down to continue feeding Togepi, Electra closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
(with Ash and Tia)
Ash stretched, before looking over at Tia.
"Hey, Tia. It's getting pretty close to lunch time; you wanna grab a snack?" Tia nodded as she leant against Ash, before pointing to his left.
"Look! An all-you-can-eat buffet!" Ash grinned as he and Tia walked towards the building, the owners unaware of the doom about to befall them.
"You know, you'd think that they'd learn about these places…" Tia giggled as she hugged Ash.
"Well, I'm glad they haven't! We still get to eat to our heart's content, and for free!" Ash nodded, kissing Tia's forehead.
"Well, here we go. And… IN we go…" Ash and Tia walked in, where they examined the sign more closely.
"Hmm… There's a challenge going on here… Apparently, if you eat three pounds of each of the 120 dishes sold here, then the entire meal's free… Or you pay what you did eat, and leave…." Ash grinned as Tia looked at him.
"Ready for a challenge?" Tia nodded.
"Always; but can you beat me..?" Ash smirked, before opening the door for her.
"I'm confident I can…" Tia walked in, with Ash following her. The two of them approached the waiter, before speaking.
"Hey, we'd like to take the challenge here?" The waiter nodded, before frowning.
"It's one person per challenge…" Tia nodded, before giggling.
"We wanna take it together at the same time. A challenge each." The waiter nodded, before turning around and picking up a small phone.
"Hey, boss? We've got a double challenge taker here… A boy and girl… Yes, I'm serious… No, I'm not pulling your leg… OK, boss." The waiter turned around to face into the restaurant.
"If you would follow me…" Ash and Tia tailed the waiter, looking around the restaurant with interest. The walls were dark oak, with a golden divider running around at waist height. The roof was strung with paper lanterns in green, red and blue, and there was one large intricate aquarium running across the dividers off all the tables, joining together. Ash stared in awe, while Tia licked her lips.
"I hope we get to fish for our own food… I miss that…" Ash turned to look at Tia, smiling slightly.
"You and Tio used to catch your own fish..?" Tia nodded.
"Yep. We used to take turns diving in the sea and getting a Magikarp. They're tasty once you get past the scales, bones and small amount of meat." She raised an eyebrow as Ash pulled a face; a combination of revulsion and interest.
"What..? We don't have fangs for no reason. We're dragons, we NEED to eat meat. That's why we ate Magikarp, there's loads of them and they're easier to catch than Goldeen. You just need to watch out for Gyarados." Ash nodded, before looking at the small group of Goldeen swimming past them.
"Couldn't you just eat things like berries, plants and fruits?" Tia shrugged slightly, as the waiter came to a stop.
"Here you are. Please, we will begin to serve your challenge in thirty minutes. Unfortunately, this does attract some attention, so expect to be eating in front of a small crowd. If you wish, we can arrange for the challenge to be at a later time." Ash shook his head as Tia sat down.
"No thanks, we're good with the crowd." The waiter bowed, before turning around and leaving. As Ash sat down, Tia turned to him, eager to carry on the conversation.
"We could eat all that stuff, but it's got almost none of the stuff we need in a diet. To be healthy, we had to eat fish." Ash nodded, as Tia turned back to look at the Goldeen.
"I get it now… So you had to eat them to survive-… Tia..?" Tia kept staring at the Goldeen, as a small trail of drool ran off her chin.
"Mmm… I haven't had Goldeen in years… I still remember how delicious it was…" Ash snapped his fingers in front of her face, snapping her out of her trance. He sighed as he gently wiped her chin with a napkin.
"Tia, can you try not to think of eating the Pokémon in the aquarium..? I know it must be hard, but they're for decoration only…" Tia sighed as well, but nodded.
"Sorry, Ash… I guess that I still love Goldeen as much as usual." Ash simply smiled, before resting a hand across her shoulders.
"No worries, Tia. Who knows, there may be some served up in the meal." Tia brightened up, before hugging him.
"I'd love that, Ash." Ash hugged her back, before gently kissing her.
"I know you would… sweetie…" Tia giggled at the nickname, kissing Ash back.
"Well, I always did love fish." Ash grinned, before gently leaning back.
"I thought that you loved Pecha berries?" Tia smiled before softly shaking her head.
"That was a craving, Ash. Really, I like them, but I love fish." Ash simply smiled at her, before nodding.
"Well, with luck, we'll be eating soon." Ash and Tia leant against each other, before snuggling together and relaxing, oblivious to the crowd around them.
Unknown to them however… They weren't alone… In the number of other patrons, one couple weren't eating, despite the food in front of them. One of them was still wearing a glove, and was nonchalantly resting it on the table. The other one had a handbag on the floor. No-one realised it, but close examination would've revealed a small camera lens built into the top of the glove, and the handbag had several small holes in the side, leading to the dull reflection of a mike. The one wearing gloves slowly stirred, before speaking in a hushed whisper.
"Targets are in our sights, Agent O." The one with the hand bag-Agent O-nodded slowly.
"I see them. Activating microphone now, Agent A… Let's forget the 'Agent' bit, OK?" O reached into her handbag and pulled out a small handkerchief, gently turning on the microphone.
"Fair enough, O. Camera is operational as of five minutes ago. Targets appear to be relaxed."
"A, we should be able to get the sample easily. There's only that old guy guarding it."
"Easy, O… We don't know what Pokémon they left behind with him."
"Mmm… True… Hey, A? Do you think the boss has forgiven us yet?"
"No. I doubt that he has so soon. That's why we got this job, O; so we can prove ourselves."
"OK. The targets are obviously not responding to anything… Shall we contact the other teams?"
"Sure, O. You contact them; I'll deal with the bill." A stood up, removing the glove with a camera and placing it on the table, facing the Eonic couple. O, meanwhile, simply twisted a small circular earing, which was connected to her ear and mike piece. The piece was a small, clear plastic hearing bud which also connected to a miniature microphone, which was specially covered to appear the same tone as the wearer's skin, and was altered with each wearer.
"Agent O, calling in Agents J.A. and J.E. We're moving in on the target. Approach target from the south. We'll take it from the north." A small crackle followed O's speech, before a reply buzzed through.
"Agent J.A. here. Reading loud and clear, Agent O. Proceeding to move on and out." Once more, O twisted her earing, and spoke again.
"Agent O calling in Agents B and C. Prep for target. Approach from the east. Myself and Agent A will approach from the north. Agents J.A. and J.E. are coming in from the south." Another short crackle of static, before a reply.
"Got it. We'll be there. Will the pilot be where they should be? I don't want this to go wrong." Agent O uttered a short, harsh laugh.
"It'll go without a hitch. Guaranteed."
(half an hour later)
Ash and Tia were busy boring through the challenge, much to the owner's surprise.
Tio and Bianca were napping together, relaxing in the long grass.
Misty was sitting across the river, fishing, while Electra and Togepi were playing away from the edge.
And with Lorenzo and Silver…
Silver reared back, crying out in fear. He'd been woken by a bad feeling, like something wasn't right. He'd opened his eyes, before pulling back. There were six people around him, all dressed in pure black. Their faces were hidden. And one had Lorenzo in a headlock, his face turning red. Silver sniffed, before slowly speaking.
Wh…Wh-what do y-you w-w-want..? One of the Darks-a name that appealed to Silver as a name for them-stepped forwards, before speaking.
"What we want… Is you. You will come with us… Or the old man comes across some… unpleasantness… in the woods." As the Dark finished speaking, a low drone came through the air, getting louder, as suddenly a large chopper appeared, with a bulbous containment room beneath it. It landed to the side of Silver, a couple dozen of feet away, and the doors slowly slid open. The dark began speaking again.
"We want you…to step inside here. We will take you-and the old man-back to our base. We need some… information… from you, and th old man will ensure that you and your friends won't try anything. Now, please… Board." Silver gulped, as Lorenzo croaked out a few words.
"Silver…. Run…." The Dark holding him tightened his grip, and Lorenzo gagged, before slumping.
"He's alive. Unconscious, but alive. If you wish him to stay like that… You'll comply." Silver's eyes darted back and forth between the six Darks, almost crying from fear, tension and worry. He gulped, before an idea hit him. He let the tears flow; and when he buried his face under his wings, he covered the glow of telepathy.
-BIANCA! I NEED H-HELP! TH-THE DARKS HAVE ME A-AND L-L-LORENZO! PLEASE, H-HURRY!- Silver cut of the telepathy and peeped from between his wings to see a Dark crouched next to him.
"Hey, he's alive. I promise, OK? Now, please… Get on board, otherwise he light decide to change that…" Silver gulped, before nodding. He slowly stood up, before heavily shuffling into the carrier. He turned around, just as the doors closed. And that single, loud boom, of metal hitting metal, carried all the significance of Arceus' final Judgement.
(With Bianca, Tio and Shade)
Bianca jolted awake as a wave of telepathy blasted through her. She moaned out loud at the residual pain, even as the message was received.
-BIANCA! I NEED H-HELP! TH-THE DARKS HAVE ME A-AND L-L-LORENZO! PLEASE, H-HURRY!- Bianca shot to her feet, shaking Tio awake. As he stirred, she recalled Shade, who was leaning against a rock.
"Bianca..?" Bianca tugged on Tio's arm, but she could only drag him rather than lift.
"Silver and grandpa are in trouble! Come on, we need to get the others!" Tio was on his feet in an instant.
"No time. We get Ash and Tia, then go." He started to run towards Blackthorn, Bianca following him closely. After a few minutes they managed to track Ash and Latias' mental signature. As they ran into the restaurant, Ash and Tia were just finishing some sushi.
"Yeah! We did it!" Tia jumped up, cheering. Ash just laughed, before hugging her.
"I knew we could do it!" Tio stopped at the edge of the crowd, waving to get their attention.
-Ash! Tia! Lorenzo and Silver are in trouble!- Immediately, Ash and Tia pushed through the crowd to get out of the restaurant.
"Where are they?" Ash asked; Tia had a look of worry on her face. Tio looked to Bianca.
"They're where we left them. He... Silver said something about the… Darks… having him and grandpa." Ash frowned as the four of them ran out of the City.
" What are the 'Darks'?" Bianca shrugged, ducking a low hanging branch.
"Who knows? Silver came up with the name, so only him and grandpa would know what they are." Ash nodded. He looked behind him, before looking to the others.
"We're clear of the City. Shift?" Tio nodded, and as one the four of them shifted back to their Pokémon form. Immediately, the four of them sped off, all of them wearing the backpacks still.
Damnit… I forgot this… Tio complained as he rolled to shift the bag around.
What's up? Tia asked, moving closer as she flew.
These bags aren't part of the illusion, so they're not gonna go when we shift. So now I have to adapt for it… Bianca scowled as she moved ahead.
Get used to it, Tio… We got company… As the rest of them caught up to Bianca, they saw that a large helicopter was taking off, it's engines almost completely silent. Bianca's sharp eye for art meant she could see details others missed, so it's no surprise she saw what the others missed; a single silver feather was caught in the doors of the container.
Silver's in there! Tio nodded, before turning to his left.
We have other things to deal with first… As the others looked at what Tio mentioned, five Darks ran out.
"Hold it! We're taking you with us! The boss would love it if we brought back five Legendaries!" Ash scowled, while Bianca let out a low growl. One of the Darks grinned at Bianca's reaction.
"Hmm… Looks like we annoyed one. Oh well… Let's get them! Come on out, Houndoom!" One of the Darks threw a strange ball in the air; it was grey on the under half instead of white, and had a pitch black surface on top where it should be red. As it opened, a flash of dark grey appeared before forming into the Houndoom. It shook its head, before glaring at the Eons.
Well, well… Fresh meat… The Houndoom licked its lips, grinning. I always love it when I get to destroy my opponents in battle… Tio glared at the Houndoom, while Ash let out a low growl. Both of them moved in front of their mates, adopting defensive poses. Bianca shied backwards slightly, while Tia simply bared her teeth, her fangs glinting in the patchwork light showing through the leaves.
"It'll take more than intimidation to scare us off!" A second Dark threw his ball in the air, the same as the first Dark's ball, and in the grey flash that formed, a Ditto appeared.
Hey… COOL… Never cloned one of you before… The Ditto muttered. The Dark pointed at Ash, before shouting out,
"Ditto, Transform into that Legendary!" The ditto glowed white before it's shape altered into an identical version of Ash. Ash shuddered slightly, as he looked at the Ditto.
That's too creepy… Tia blinked, before looking back and forth between them.
It's impossible to tell which is which… Tio shrugged, before grinning.
Hey, all we need to do is keep close to Ash, right? So let's go! Ash nodded, as him and Tio flew in opposite directions, Tia and Bianca sticking close to their mate. The Dark pointed towards Tia, before shouting out.
"Houndoom, get that bag! I wanna know what's in it!" The Houndoom snarled, before running towards Tia. It spat a Fire Blast at Ash, making him barrel roll out of the way; and the Houndoom lunged at Tia, tearing the bag off of her back. Ash looked over when Tia cried out, to see the Houndoom had dropped the bag at its Trainer's feet. The Dark picked up the bag, laughing.
"Good going, Houndoom. Let's see…" The Dark opened the bag, whistling in surprise.
"Hey, Eggs… I'll love these to be mine…" The Dark looked up as the Houndoom whimpered, to see Tia glaring, surrounded by a fiery aura. Tia cried out in fury, before lifting several dozen pounds of earth with Psychic. Then she slammed it into the Houndoom, surrounding it in an earthen case. She then lifted the Houndoom by using the earth, fire burning in her eyes, before slamming it into the Dark. He cried out in pain, before Ash swept in and grabbed the bag. As he flew away, Tia began to repeatedly smash the Houndoom into the Dark, ignoring the cries of pain from them both.
Do! Not! Take! My! Children! Ever! AGAIN! At the last word, Tia smashed the Houndoom down so hard that the Dark and the Houndoom left a crater several metres wide and deep. Tia let her Psychic dissipate, and the earth around the Houndoom crumbled apart. Ash sweatdropped at the sight, before slowly floating over towards Tia.
Tia..? Are you OK now..? Tia turned to Ash before taking the bag back, checking the Eggs inside, answering when she was satisfied.
I'm fine. I won't let anyone hurt these two, Ash… No-one. Ash gently rubbed her back, just between her wings.
I know, Tia… I know… Now come on. We need to help Tio and Bianca… Tia nodded, before putting her bag back on.
OK. The two of them turned towards Tio and Bianca; to see that Tio was on the floor, nearly unconscious. He slowly lifted his head, looking at the Ditto he was facing.
A… Ash… Why..? Ash gulped; the Ditto was confusing Tio, making him think the Ditto was the REAL Ash. The Ditto floated over Tio, before grinning.
Dragon… Out. HYA! The Ditto used a Dragon Claw on Tio, knocking him into a tree. Tio rolled down to the floor, before sighing. Ash and Tia cried out; their brother had been knocked out by the attack. The Ditto turned towards Bianca, who had darted over to Tio.
Guess you're next, 'sis'… Bianca looked up, tears forming in her eyes.
Wh-What… What are you doing, Ash..? The Dark let out a sinister laugh, before pointing at Bianca.
"Ditto, do what you want! She's an easy win!" The Ditto leered at Bianca, slowly running a claw down her cheek. Bianca closed her eyes and tilted her head away, as the Ditto pulled it's arm back, the claws glowing for a Dragon Claw attack. As it started to swing it's arm, Ash charged in, shouting.
Bianca! It's not me! Hurry, look! Bianca looked over, blinking. Suddenly she heard the Ditto cry out as it swung, and she let out a slight scream, flinging her arms up. A light green shield spread from her hands to encompass her, and the Ditto's attack bounced off the Protect. The Ditto turned towards Ash-who smashed it with his Luster Purge attack, breaking a tree in half. Tia quickly darted up to the Ditto and used her own Ice Beam to freeze the Ditto. Ash dropped down to Tio's level, gently shaking his shoulder.
Tio..? Are you OK..? Tio stirred, moaning slightly; before punching Ash in the face, knocking him to the floor.
Get off of me, you idiot! Why the hell did you fight me!? Ash bolted up to Tio, glaring.
It was that damned Ditto! Not me!
Really!? It sure as hell didn't seem like it!
It was a Ditto! Of course it seemed like me! Tia flew between them, pushing them both apart.
It was the bloody Ditto, already! Get over it, and get back on track! We still have to save Silver! Ash and Tio nodded, before looking towards the clump of ice; which had an Ash-shaped hollow in it filled with a Ditto in the base of it, fainted. Tio sighed, before shaking his head.
I'm sorry Ash… I guess, I did think it was you… Can you forgive me? Ash grinned, before nodding.
Of course, Tio. What kind of brother would I be if I held a grudge? Tio grinned, before him and Ash high-fived. Bianca coughed to get the attention of the others, who turned to see she was still in her Protect.
Erm… Any idea how I get out of here..? She tapped the Protect, while the other three sweatdropped. Suddenly, Tio grinned.
Float as far back as possible. When Bianca did that, Tio lifted the four remaining Darks with a Psychic, and threw them at the Protect, boosted with a DragonBreath attack. The combination managed to shatter the Protect, and catapulted the Darks into the air, before they disappeared Team Rocket-style. Ash and Bianca carefully helped Tio to float, seeing as he was so weak from the battle, and the four of them flew towards the clearing, and the helicopter that was starting to disappear from view. The four of them flew after it, soon catching up to the chopper, and the back of it opened up to show a ramp. On the ramp was a sixth Dark, who laughed.
"You can try, but don't bother; we've a trussed up old guy and a Lugia here! If you try to get them, we'll drop them both; and it'll take the four of you to stop the Lugia hitting the floor. So either you leave this helicopter alone and they both live, or you pursue and make the choice; old guy or Legendary!" Tio gritted his teeth, and Bianca shouted a curse after them, but the four of them stopped. Suddenly, the Dark threw five ropes off the back of the chopper, and after a while, the still-moving helicopter had four Darks pulled up the ropes into the chopper. Thanks to their sensitive hearing, the four Eons heard the conversation that went on, helped by them shouting over the chopper's engines; inside the helicopter there wasn't any noise muffling.
"Where's Agent A!?" One of the Darks shook his head sadly.
"Not enough time to reclaim her; she's still back there and unconscious! We've got no chance of rescueing her, she's liability!" The first Dark swore before punching the button to close the ramp while oulling in the rope.
"Damnit! I can't leave her behind! We've always been together when working, me and An-" The ramp clanged shut, blocking the speech from the Dark. Ash turned to Tio, who had a deathly glare stuck on his face.
We're gonna go ask questions, right? Tio shook his head.
We're gonna ask questions, MY way. Ash shuddered; the look on Tio's face suggested more pain than answering. The four of them flew back to the battle scene, where Tio used the Dark's ball to recall the Houndoom. He shifted then grabbed the Dark by the collar of the outfit, pulling her out of the ground and slapping her several times round the face. The Dark started, before groaning.
"Ow…. What happened..?" Tio snarled as he lifted the Dark off the floor, her feet roughly a foot above the ground; about eight feet, if you count the crater beneath her. She slowly looked at Tio, before panicking.
"What the hell!? They were meant to get me out of here if I failed!" Tio snarled again, baring his teeth; even in his human form, he was intimidating. Especially with his clothing choices.
"You tell me WHAT you are doing, NOW, without joking around or lieing…. And you might live. That Lugia is my charge, and the old man my grandfather-in-law. Now, tell. Me. EVERYTHING." The Dark glared, before sighing.
"No." Tio glared, before leaning close to the Dark's ear, and whispering.
"Do you like your blood INSIDE your body..? Because if I don't get my answers… I'll tear your throat out…" The Dark paled around the eyes, but didn't say a thing. Tio glared, before reaching out with his hand and oulling the hood off. Immediately, Tio hissed, as the Dark's light lilac hair was revealed.
"You..!" Tio's grip on the Dark's neck tightened, making her face turn red.
"You were meant to be in prison!" The Dark managed a croaking laugh, before Tio squeezed her neck even tighter, making her gag. Ash leaned forwards, only to gasp.
It's Anni! I thought she was arrested! Tio glared, as an omnious creaking came from Anni's neck.
"So did I…" Tia put a paw on Tio's shoulder.
Tio… Don't kill her. As much as I'd like to see that, we need answers… Tio sighed, relieving a small amount of pressure from her neck.
"Or… He pointed to the communicator bead in Anni's ear, and reached out for it.
(On the chopper)
Agent O was pacing back and forth restlessly; Her and A had never left the other one behind; they always went back for each other, no matter the situation. O kicked the wall again, before spinning round and pointing at one of the Darks.
"You! B! Why the hell didn't you try to get Agent A back!?" B held up his hands, stepping back.
"Hey, I did my best; The Latios dealt with us too easily!" O swore again, before she switched back to her original channel with Agent A, just in time to hear something.
"-it, NO! NO! NOOO-sssqqquuueennnnnsssshh-" O ripped her ear bud out as a burst of interference tore down it into her ear. She winced, before slowly putting the ear bud back in. Silence.
"A..? Are you OK..?" A low snarl sounded through the earbud.
"Hello… Oakley…" Oakley gulped; someone had Anni, and they knew who they were.
"Who is this!? What have you done with my companion!?" A low laugh followed as a reply.
"She's… Indisposed. Me and MY companions have a grudge, Oakley… But I didn't expect you to remember me and my sister…. After all, you were working for your boss…" Oakley frowned, as a scream sounded in the background.
"What are you doing to her!?"
"One moment… Tia! I said NOT to hurt her! Anyways, that sound was something you'd NOT like to know the origin of. Let me say this though, Oakley. You have two people who are VERY important to us four. And we WILL rescue them. You had better prepare, Oakley… Because I'm not very forgiving, or a sparer of mercy as of now. In fact, I'm more of a blood-thirsty battler… So run, Oakley… Run… But I WILL find you, and it's more fun when the prey are trying to escape… See you soon, Oakley… But you won't see me." Oakley winced as another rush of static filled the earbud; with horror she realised that the other person had crushed the communicator. She slowly turned round to face the four Darks.
"Everyone… I think we just pissed off the wrong persons… We've got a real fight coming, and… They have Agent A." The Darks sat in silence for a few seconds, before one sighed.
"We better tell the boss… But we achieved our objective. We have the target, and a hostage to boot." Oakley shook her head slowly.
"We've landed in a storm here… They're pissed BECAUSE of the target and hostage…. And they know who me and Anni are. We've encountered them before." The five Darks looked back and forth at each other, as it dawned on them; they were in for a nightmare fight, with four unknown individuals… Who had a grudge and a reason to exact it."