(28)_*_*_( ) (One) (Last) (Time)
-NOTE: Be prepared to flip back to old chapters for character recollections.-
SLAM! "I'm home!"
"Said Ms. Obvious."
"You're no fun." Lock's little sister dashed right to the television, brow sweaty and hair sticking from biking home. It was uncomfortably hot and dry, even for summer. In fact, it hadn't rained at all in their world since the episode before No Sleep Tonight. She plopped her helmet on the middle couch cushion next to her as she jumped, turned, and landed on her butt at the end while grabbing the remote. She turned it on and saw Cartoon Network was still there, to her relief. Tom and Jerry were currently performing their good old antics.
Her mom sighed, looking over with a sad smile from across the breakfast bar. She was drying a dish in her hand. "Milly, it's not time yet, you know that," she said a little annoyedly (but not meanly-you know how parents are). "Turn it off, please...I don't want to deal with that right now."
Milly looked up at her with pouty eyes. "But you and I BOTH know that anything could happen," she defended. "Who knows? Maybe it'll come on. It IS live."
"I TOLD you-his boss told me that reality travels differently than the Pokémon show's world," their mother objected, putting the plate away and turning to the sink, television not visible to her from behind the wall. "We see whatever is happening to your brother in their real time each time a new episode comes on." She picked up a wet plate and rubbed her rag across it.
"But..." Milly sighed and picked up the remote again, letting it tilt back and forth on her finger as she gently played with it. "...Not every episode happens the same amount of time afterwards...which means he could be getting hurt right now..." she muttered.
"I'm more worried than you are, Milly," her mother said a bit gentler, frowning slightly, putting away the dish. "It's not easy seeing your son get possessed, somehow, and act like a completely different person."
Milly sighed as the cartoon ended. "...Will he be okay, Mom?" she asked.
Her mother didn't answer, picking up the last dish and starting to let her cloth leech away the moisture on it.
Milly frowned and looked at the television as another Tom and Jerry was announced for next-after the commercial. "...What about...Pokémon...?" she asked.
Her mother sighed, pausing the drying for a moment. "...I don't know. It's a show. A frighteningly real show, but...I don't know," she answered. "Maybe...it'll all be reset to before this mess." She resumed her work.
"...I hope so," Milly agreed, nodding. Then, the clock chimed. 3:30 P.M., on the dot. "...I'll be back down in three-" "hours" is how she wanted to finish, pointing the remote with finger on the power button, but when something that wasn't Tom and Jerry came on, she stopped dead, eyes wide. "...Huh?" she instead said, quite loudly. She then gasped. "MOM!"
Her mother jumped at the sound, dropping the plate. She squeaked, dove, and started juggling the stoneware before, making her saving throw, catching it. She sighed in relief and put it away before, grumbling, stomping over to shout at her daughter, hands on hips. "WHAT?" she asked. But she only had to follow Milly's pointing finger to the screen to locate her answer.
Kioshi's foot twitched about, fidgeting. He was sitting with one leg crossed over another, occupying an end of the sofa in the Pokémon Center. Along with him were the others from their recently-extended group, each doing different things while they waited. Outside the windows were lights and streamers. Kioshi's face was in a frown, arms crossed.
Travis grunted and stretched his arms, sitting in a window seat, then dropped them while turning to look out. "Who'da thunk it?" he asked. "The tournament's traditionally the start of a festival that's been going on for ages, celebrating the bond between man and 'mon." He flicked his tail-he'd been in wolf form for the last couple of hours, probably; it was hard to tell for the audience. Nurse Joy was probably used to it by now. She was the only one to worry about right now, since the only people in the lobby were the cheer squads and their pokémon friends.
"Yeah," nodded a corner-sitting Zante, smiling and skritching a spot on a purring Vesp's head while she wrapped about his ample middle. "It's supposed to go on all night tonight, ending with a special silly-and-serious award ceremony for each of the finalists in the tournament, which should be happening soon." He looked up at a wall clock. It displayed 11:00. "...Yeah, about an hour away."
Kioshi growled and stamped his foot down, making everyone look at him. "So of course Ash is still out, being a finalist in the tournament," he said tartly. "So we've been sitting here for over four hours for nothing!" He stood up and strode to the door.
"Where're you going, Kioshi?" asked Suzu, wiping her visible eye. She had just woken up, as had all the other humans besides Kioshi.
"I'm going out to find the Agents and ask our question, already," Kioshi answered over his shoulder before opening the door and entering the humid summer night.
The others raised their eyebrows (Vesp was still purring in bliss, so no eyeridge-raise from her) at this before Suzu and Hibiki scrambled to get up and follow him. "W-Wait, Kioshi! You know that it could be dangerous!" Hibiki called.
"So you guys stay here," instructed Suzu, turning and running almost entirely backwards. She spoke to Dragonair, Teddiursa, and Croconaw, who were all awake, now, and ready to follow their friends. She, then her fellow Bluendan member, exited the Center.
Frank turned his head from this, shrugging. "We'll hold down the fort, I guess," he yawned. He pulled down his hat over his eyes and resumed sleeping on a love seat.
"Should we...?" asked Dorian, who was sitting across from Travis at the table they were in. He'd been sleeping with his head on the surface, glasses comically askew.
Travis shook his head. "Not yet," he said. "Besides, I don't think people would react well to me," he added, grinning sheepishly and ending up grinning wolfishly while he motioned to himself.
Being groggy made Dorian's half-eyeing easier than normal. "Just change back. It's a NEW moon out, so why are you even...?" he grumbled flatly. Travis gave his best J. Talbain taunt (smiling mischievously and waggling a finger) and Dorian emitted a chuckle.
"You never know," he said. He dropped the smile and looked out at the busy streets. "...You never know..."
Noise! Laughing. Singing. Happy conversation. I wanted to rip my eardrums out and stomp on them. But that would have to come AFTER I was finished kicking everyone's butts. I smirked and slapped down my hand. "ROYAL FLUSH!" I roared, grinning.
Meyers and Hunter groaned and tossed their hands in the air, cards flying away. ""Fold,"" they submitted, rolling their heads and eyes to opposite sides.
"Awright, gimmie," I said, reaching for the small pile of Pokédollar coins we were gambling with. "My prize for my fantastic luck!" I grinned wider and shoved it all into my wallet, which, to my chagrin, wouldn't close afterwards. I lifted it up and held it, looking at it. "Huh."
"Guess ya need a change purse, huh?" joked Hunter, chuckling and resting an arm on the table.
I growled and whipped my head at him. "Guys don't carry purses!" I spat. "What, you think I'm a fruit or something?"
"No, we think you're a nut," Meyers answered from under the table. He was picking up the cards before they blew away. (See, we were playing at a café and were sitting around one of the outdoor tables.)
I was about to rebuke him when I decided not to waste my energy. I shook my head and looked around. "When can we go back to the Center?" I asked, annoyed.
"After they do this awards show thing," replied Meyers, coming back up and gathering up the rest of the cards into a deck. Tunk-tunk went the slips of lightly laminated paper as he put them together. "Till then, I think it's time to stop. The cameras might be on and the Agency'll be held for promoting gambling in front of kids," he advised. "Remember, we're in the place where they changed 'gambler' to 'gamer'."
"You just don't wanna lose the rest of your dough," I taunted, smirking smugly and pointing at him. I put my wallet into my backpack beside me. I groaned and leaned back in my chair, hands behind my head. "This is BORRR-iiiing," I sang-complained.
"You're acting like a KIII-iiiid," Hunter imitated, frowning. "AND, you said that it'd be fun to go to a huge party like this."
"Festival, really," corrected Brock as he came over. He smiled and leaned on the railing separating our table from the brick mosiac streets. "You guys doing alright?" he asked.
"I know I am!" I crowed, grin on my face.
"He's been cleaning us out," Meyers explained, thumbing to me. "I never knew he'd be so good at poker."
"Poker? For actual money?" Brock asked, surprised and raising his eyebrows. "You're not supposed to GAMBLE, are you?"
This got me steaming. Chair legs hitting the ground loudly, I leaned forwards before getting up and shouting, "QUIT BEIN' A WUSS!" right in Brock's face. "I'm SICK of everyone's goody-two-shoes attitude around here!" I motioned with my arms around the crowd. "I mean, look! Everyone's SOBER! Not a pickpocket in sight! And not a single soul doing something stupid! Do you guys even know what a party IS?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Brock with my hands on my hips.
Brock grimaced and backed up a bit. "Festival," he corrected again. "And, yeah, we do, but this event is for all ages, so we have to keep it calm," he added. "If it were just adults, there'd be the stuff you're talking about...though..." He turned around and looked about. "...Alright, that last thing you said is starting to bug me, thanks," he admitted, and I barked a laugh.
"There ANY place on this island where people PARTY?" I asked, leaning on the railing.
Brock shrugged. "I dunno," he said as if he'd just realized his ignorance. He sat against the bars and whipped out his handy-dandy guide book. He flipped through it, looking at the section about interesting annual events at towns. He frowned and shook his head, closing it. "Sorry, Lock, but there's nowhere in Sinnoh that might please you," he apologized.
I rolled my eyes. "Figures."
"Actually, though," Brock added, face brightening as he held up a finger, "I remember hearing about this from somewhere. See, there's this place called Nightsky City. It's located in a distant region, but it's got this huge event at the end of the month that's apparantly pretty huge. They've got...refreshments, we'll say, though they make sure nobody gets too wet."
I grumbled. "Wussies, all-a yehs," I growled.
"At least they serve some," Brock pointed out, frowning and closing the book. "Lock, you're being really ornery. What's up?"
I looked sideways at him. "You DON'T want to start," I warned him.
Kioshi looked around, weaving in and out of the people around. It looked like everyone in the coloseum was out there, drinking all kinds of soda, playing carnival games at booths, or talking at a café he passed by. He didn't bother to ask anyone if they'd seen anyone in black suits-that'd only get him some looks. He stood in the center of a plaza, gripping his hair with his gloved hands. The night was hot and humid, and instead of getting cooler, it was only getting warmer-maybe from all the body heat. "Grrrr, this is getting annoying!" he growled. "Something's throwing me off!" He shook his head and turned around a little too sharply. As a result, he crashed right into a young man. "Oof!"
"Waagh!"
Both stumbled back, then anger-veined, took a fist-raised scolding pose, and yelled, ""WATCH WHERE YER GOIN'!"" before Kioshi raised his eyebrows, going, "Huh?" He stood entirely as he beheld who he'd bumped into. "...Are you Satoshi?" he asked, fighting to keep his slight awe down.
The boy nodded. "Yeah," he answered, appearing unfazed that he was called by a different name. "I'm Ash, that's right." He smirked, crossing his arms. "You see me in the finals?" he asked.
Kioshi smiled and bowed. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have turned so fast," he apologized. He came up again. "I'm looking for the Elite Beat Agents, and I heard they were with you," he said. "It's important I ask them something. You know where they are?"
Ash blinked at this. "Huh? The Agents?" he repeated. "Uh..." He looked left, then right, finding no familiar faces in the crowd. He gave a sheepish smile and shrug. "Sorry, but we separated a while ago. They're somewhere around town, though," he answered.
Kioshi sighed, drooping. His ponytail fell and hung from the left side of his neck. "Thank you, anyway, Satoshi," he said, giving a small smile. He raised a hand. "See you in fourty-five minutes, I guess!"
Ash chuckled and held a hand up as well, smiling. "Yeah, see ya," he said, turning and disappearing in the crowd.
At this time, Suzu and Hibiki found him. "Kioshi!" Suzu called, and Kioshi turned to see his partners. "Couldn't you wait for us?" she asked.
"Sorry, but I'm feeling a little on-edge," he alibied, grimacing.
"That's because you've been staying up all night," Hibiki reasoned, smirking.
"No, it's because we're all on-edge," Suzu corrected, giving a curt nod. "Don't pretend you can't feel it. That feeling in the pit of your chest...where we sense..." She put a hand on her bosom.
Kioshi did the same to his. With a frown, he nodded. "Dread," he identified. "Supernaturally strong dread."
"I've got our salt," Hibiki said, producing three shakers in one hand, each being held between two fingers.
Kioshi and Suzu were about to anime fall when they remembered. "Oh, for the demons," Suzu said. "Yeah." She took one and Kioshi took one. "Just in case."
"Well, let's go," Kioshi said, turning around and facing the crowd again.
"But we can't feel their fires!" protested Hibiki. "How can we find them in this mess?"
"The old-fashioned way," Suzu sighed. "It must be related to the dread-it must be blocking him."
"Where's a good place to start, you think, then?" asked Hibiki.
A loud group of shouts caused their heads to turn left. They saw three men in black suits and sunglasses at a milk jug toss game, with the black one pumping his fist in victory, the blonde clapping, and the lanyard-wearer crossing his arms and lifting a nostril. They saw a pair of fiery eyes floating behind him. "There would be good," Kioshi answered, and they dashed over.
"Aww, YEAAH, man!" Hunter danced in victory a little as the man operating the game reset the jugs. "PERFECT shot! Gimmie dat plushie!" he pointed, indicating a life-sized miltank plushie.
I raised my nostril further up. "You're a fan of fat cows?" I asked, disgust in my voice.
Hunter scowled over his shoulder at me. "Watch yo' mouth, dawg," he warned. "We ain't got no need of no double entendres, yannow. Annis is fo' a friend at school," he added, turning to take the plushie with a smile. "She likes miltank, for some reason. I'm a scizor guy, myself." He looked back at us while he added this part, hugging the stuffie to him. It was so big, only his dorky-ass star-shaped shades and above were availible to show of his face, eyes bracketed between the pink cow's horns. He then turned to our left to walk away and let Meyers play next. When he did, he stopped, eyebrows raising as he saw something. "HEL-lo."
"Eh?" I followed his gaze and saw three adolescents running at us. The one in front was in a black outfit that I recognized as a Japanese cheering outfit-part of my orientation for this wretched job-and the ones behind him wore what looked like military dress coats, complete with fancy coat of arms with laurels. "What on...?" I grumbled as they skidded to a halt.
"Agents!" the black-wearing one called as he skidded. While he slowed, his ponytail, which was black with a streak of red for a Shadow-inspired accent-nerd-whipped forth around the left side of his neck. He flicked it back after coming to a halt, wiping his bangs from his eyes as he did so. "Kuso, it's hot out," he muttered.
"'K'so'?" I repeated.
"'Kuso'," corrected Meyers, who was absently pushing Hunter away with one hand while giving his money to the man with the other, yet keeping his eyes on the new folks. "It's a Japanese word expressing a bad mood, like 'darn'."
'Then why didn't he just SAY 'darn'?' I roared in my head, glaring. I didn't like these guys already. "Who are you and why do you know who we are?" I asked with an edge.
The three didn't seem fazed, though the black-haired one grimaced a bit. "We're the Ouendan," he answered. "I'm Kioshi. These are my backups, Hibiki and Suzu," he introduced, pointing first to the slicked white-haired guy and then the fancy-hairstyled blonde girl at their names, then crossing his arms. The two were standing with their arms behind their backs, at ease.
""Good evening,"" they greeted in unison.
I gritted my teeth and bared them in a grimace of my own. "Unison lines are REALLY getting to me," I...gah, is there even a synonym for "growled" at ALL? (...I mean it, is there?)
Kioshi didn't seem to hear me. "We've been told about you by our own leader through...well, I don't quite know EXACTLY how, but not by phone, but he told me about you guys, and we've got to ask you something important," he continued.
"Then ASK, already!" I barked, tapping my foot. "You're wasting my time, here!" Indeed, they were: It was my turn to try the game. Meyers had failed pretty badly. I made a note to make fun of him after I was finished.
Kioshi nodded. "Right. Do you know a way back home?" he asked.
"Home?" I raised an eyebrow. "What, I'm sorry, I never got the memo it was my turn to watch some Jap weirdo for his mommy today," I bit out.
"YO!"
"'EY!"
(Back home, Mom shouted my real name in the same tone of angry disgust as my backups.)
I blocked both attacks-an elbow from Hunter and a swat from Meyers. I wasn't able to counter, sadly, since I had to deal with Kioshi.
Kioshi anger-veined, and I felt a powerful energy from him. I knew what it was and knew that I wanted AWAY from him. He didn't make any other motion to signify he heard my remark. "You know the home I mean. OUR home. Yours as well as mine."
I raised my eyebrows. "You mean..." I narrowed them again. "Ah, yeah, you're from Evening Town and the Bluendan are from Morning Town back in Japan, aren't you?" I asked. "Never knew they were recruiting high school cheer squad dropouts." More protests, more blocking.
"You're the rudest American I've ever met," Suzu said in disgust, glaring. "You're not giving a good impression of your team."
I scoffed. "Really?" I asked. "I'd say I'm doing as good a job as any!" I shook my head, then decided to just answer them. "Well, sorry, bubs, but we've got nuttin'."
"We haven't gotten anything on the portal that EBA HQ is building us from our badges since Riverhelm," Meyers added. I shot him a glare, which caused him and his eyebrows to jump a bit for some reason.
"Por...oh, yeah," Hibiki said, looking up in thought. "That'd make sense. We came in through a portal, so we go out through a portal."
"We've got the thing runnin', but they need some time to work outta few kinks 'fore we can get home," Hunter described, unable to catch my glare.
"Shut it, I'm speaking to them," I said firmly. I turned back to them. "So? Go away. You asked your question."
Kioshi narrowed his eyebrows. "Well, I was just going to say that we're going to have to stick with you until the portal is ready," he said with a bit of stone, patience wearing thin (finally).
"STICK WITH US?" I repeated, jerking back. I seethed and shouted, "If you really want to get home, then just do your Land of the Rising Sun magic and ninja vanish outta here! You just want to stick around with all of these losers around here!" I held out my arms to express everyone around me.
Kioshi looked at Lock, sweatdropping a little. 'His fire is rising, but it's not the kind of fire we use,' he noticed. The eyes behind the Agent were glowing hotter.
I let my hands flop down into fists. "I'm SICK and TIRED of this fuckin' place! The sooner that portal gets fixed, the better. Besides, why do you want OUR portal? Shouldn't you be safe on the other side of the Pacific where I don't have to deal with you weirdos?" I pointed my finger out. "VAMOOSE! Before I get crankier!"
Kioshi closed his eyes and shook his head. "Something's wrong with you," he said quietly. "Nobody able to be an Agent is like this by nature."
"Oh. But we all are." I said this just as quietly, a small smile curling on my lips. I scowled again quickly and roared, "GO AWAY!"
Kioshi noticed the air shimmering around my body, then shook his head again. "Good night," he bade before turning on his heel. "Ikuze," he said to his flunkies, the word staying the same no matter who was watching where. They walked off into the crowd, happily being swallowed up by it.
I lowered my hand, letting out an angry breath through my nostrils. I turned to the man behind the booth just blinking at us and walked over, slapping down my money. "Gimmie balls," I grunted. He gave me them, looking at me, while my teammates tried to talk to me, berating me. I ignored them, though, choosing to answer with getting a bullzeye on the jug stack without knocking a single one down. Everyone blinked and backed up, the guy running the game doing so in fear, I knew, as they looked at the red-rimmed hole I'd made with the fastball. I glanced left and right at Meyers and Hunter, tossing the softball up and down in my hand.
They shut up.
Joy leaned on the counter while she spoke to Travis, who rested a black and grey furry arm on it and leaned on that, facing her sideways. "You can actually talk to canine pokémon?" she asked.
"Unfortunately, yes," Travis answered, nodding sadly.
"HEY!" Yena barked, and Travis and Joy laughed.
SLAM! Joy jumped at the door almost breaking from the force Kioshi opened it with. He stepped through, looking serious like he was doing a cheer, with his friends doing the same behind him. He stopped and looked around the room, settling on Travis. "How well can you take hits?" he asked him calmly.
Travis blinked. "Uuuuh...pretty well, I guess, if I block," he replied. "Why?"
Suzu went over to Zante, who was in a chair, reading, Vesp curled up next to him on the floor. Hibiki examined a recliner. Kioshi sighed, motioning to this all.
Travis blinked again after this, then sighed, smiling. "Aroo...I think I get it," he said, and he braced himself, holding his forearms up in a crossing pose. "You sure me, though? I'm not exactly the softest thing in the world..."
Kioshi didn't care. After nodding to the others, they all set to work hammering lightning-fast punches, alternating arms, at their targets for a full ten seconds, growling and half-roaring from between gritted teeth. Abruptly, they stopped, panting slightly. Angry fire could be seen flickering around them from the tv audience and any pokémon or high-spirited humans in the immediate audience.
Travis turned his arms to him and raised his eyebrows. "I swear, I can see bruises beneath my fur," he said facetiously. "Seriously, OW." He massaged them, grimacing slightly.
"Lemme see," Joy said, holding a hand out and accepting the forearms to examine. Kioshi looked at the others.
Zante blinked as, slowly, the pit that had reached to his tensed stomach muscles popped back out, the midway-to-blubber-density fat pushing the belly back into shape. "And I thought Vesp left some indents," he muttered as Suzu sat down next to him.
Hibiki frowned and shook the back cushion of the chair like he was fluffing a pillow, trying to get rid of his own mark.
Frank, having been awoken by the door's slam, looked at all of this. "You guys need to carry around a punching bag when you're venting," he grumbled before going back to sleep.
"You guys DO know that catharsis is actually not good for you, right?" asked Dorian from his table, adjusting his glasses. "It only makes you angrier."
Suzu turned and glared at him. "Well, it sure as hell feels good somewhere up there," she replied. "...Where'd you pick that up, by the way?"
Dorian nonchalantly whipped out a battered-covered textbook from his backpack. "AP PSYCH" was printed on it in English. Suzu sighed and hung her head as a substitute to an anime fall at the fact he carries a textbook around with him.
Kioshi groan-sighed and flopped down on the sofa the episode started on, bouncing a bit. "Travis, you DON'T want to meet the Agents right now," he said, hand over eyes.
"This doesn't look good," the werewolf muttered, frowning in interest over his shoulder.
"You might want to lay off these for a while," advised Joy, letting go of the forearms. "Kioshi bruised you almost to the bone."
"Wow." Travis walked over and sat on the sofa next to Kioshi, resting his elbows on his knees and letting his paws droop down between his legs. "How'd you learn to punch like that?" he asked.
"That's what I was gonna ask," Yena said in Human, coming over and sitting on the floor next to his fellow wolf.
Kioshi looked over at the werewolf, turning his head and leaving his hand to hold the side of it. "When you're an Ouendan member, you have to be able to straight one-two punch like a jackhammer," he answered wryly. His teammates chuckled in agreement.
Travis smiled a bit. "Heh. So...what happened?" he asked.
"Agent Lock, that's what," Suzu seethed, crossing her arms. "I swear, if I wasn't afraid he'd rip me a new one with that thing behind him, I would have taught him a lesson he'll never forget."
"Lock?" Joy repeated, causing everyone to turn to her. "You mean the Agent with the house keys on a lanyard?" Grim nods. She smiled sympathetically. "I don't blame you," she said. "I'm sorry to say, but he's not the nicest of young men. Something about him makes me feel warm in the angry way, even if he's just standing close to me..." She bowed her head and put her hand on her chin. "...I don't know why, though..." she added softly.
"Possessed," Travis answered, looking a bit serious for once tonight. "I wasn't kidding about that story about my folks, Nurse Joy. I think he's getting possessed by something that's making him act evily." He looked out the window.
Kioshi had lowered his head to rest it in his hands, rubbing his hair. Suddenly, he, along with the other Ouendan, froze, wide-eyed. "Holy..."
Travis could feel it, too, and it caused Dorian, who had given up on sleeping for the moment, to instantly feel wide-awake, own eyes magnifying behind his glasses. Frank merely snorted and snored on. However, Travis made no sign. He just looked thoughtfully out at the people outside, the back of his head being all that the camera could see.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
"...They're not answering," Kahn muttered. He sat in his chair, adopting his usual steepled-fingers pose, looking at the monitors forming one giant screen for the surprise episode. "Is Lock forbidding them without forbidding them...?" He shook his head. 'At least the others can feel it...' He surpressed a gulp. 'This is it,' he thought, grimacing and narrowing his eyebrows slightly. 'Heaven help them...'
Night filled the sky over the coliseum. Clouds filled the night. But rain didn't fill the clouds, as dark they were. Light from below in the city was polluting the sky, blotting out stars. Various sounds could be heard as the festival went underway. Among them was the sound of the narrator's voice, unheard for many episodes.
"Every year in the city of Wharfton, a massive battle tournament is held," he began. "The Wharfton Cup, as it is called, draws people for miles, from all regions, for the chance to watch some of the most intense battles ever, all for the coveted Wharfton Badge. This badge is recognized by the Sinnoh League, and thus gives trainers the chance to skip a gym battle to get to the League. But this is not the only or most important reason it exists."
Liza walked along, smiling as she ate a dumpling. Behind her walked Charla and Charizard, the latter of whom was blushing ever so slightly.
"It also begins the annual Empathy Festival," continued the narrator.
Charizard heard someone to the side and looked. He smiled as he saw who and waved. Charlie, standing with his two bandmate friends, waved back, grinning, then turned around again as he blew his trumpet in trio to a small crowd's delight.
Nearby stood Abe, leaning against a lying-down Elodie's shoulder and smiling fondly at her, her returning the face while allowing children to use the slopes, ridges, and bumps of her body as a playground in the middle of a large plaza. "A festival celebrating the bond between man and pokémon...fitting for a date, huh?" Abe asked, and Elodie rumbled a chuckle.
"Go back to your job, sweetie," she said, nudging his butt gently with her snout. He laughed and went.
"Yes, the bond between people and pokémon-seen by some as the perfect relationship-and, as a result, humanity's coexistence with nature," the narrator went on.
"Hurry, you slowpokes! They're about to hand out the cool awards!" Takishi called, beckoning behind him as he ran.
Kagome and the other brothers smiled and chuckled as they walked after. "Hold your horses, Takishi," Kagome called gently.
Marin walked through the crowd, fanning herself with a white-clothed fan and wearing an uneasy look under her sunhat. "I thought Sinnoh was supposed to be cooler..." she mumbled.
The narrator pressed on, "Many festivities are held through the night after the Cup ends to the next. On the first midnight, the eight finalists in the Wharfton Cup are each given a special award-one of which being held in higher regard than the Wharfton Badge."
POP! Benishirina's yellow dart burst a balloon of its opposite color, to his smirking delight. "Yes!"
Jessie, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet all clapped, wearing the outfits that the balloon darts booth people wore. "Good shot!" James complimented.
"That wins you a mid-sized prize!" Jessie chimed, wearing her best smile.
"So, whaddaya wanna get?" Meowth asked.
"That one," Benishirina pointed, indicating a teddy bear-sized smoochum doll. He recieved it and turned to Luna, who was standing there, blushing.
"Oh, you," she said, getting it. She then blinked at Team Rocket before raising an eyebrow and saying, "You guys look familiar," a little suspiciously.
TR sweatdropped and shook their heads, denying it.
"These awards are given for unique accomplishments, general feats of note, and best-ofs," the narrator explained.
In the crowd gathering around the center of the main plaza, Nozomi went to stand with her children and Masa, smiling at them while they looked up. In little Aiko's hand was a spinda head balloon, while Ryuichi held nothing. He grinned up to his mother. "Those were some great battles those people up there had, weren't they?" he asked.
"That they were," agreed Nozomi.
Flying high above the crowd were Rosa, Jin, and a slightly reluctant Hiromo, soaring atop Pidgeot. They looked down at the festivities with wonder and eagerness. "Ah!" Rosa said, pointing to the crowd below. "That's the awards! Pidgeot, land on a building nearby so we can get a good view!" The great bird gave an affirmative, deep chirp, and banked to the closest building to perch.
"Each award has been decided on by a panel of judges, so that only one could win each award. A consolation award is given to any ties or overlaps. One award is for Best Gamble, for the trainer who took the riskiest move and succeeded. One is for Greatest Effort, for the trainer who tried the hardest but still lost. One is for Most Contest-like Battler, for the trainer whose battles were the flashiest. One is for Smartest Battler, for the trainer who used the best strategy," listed the narrator.
Kelly frowned as she looked upwards. "It looks like rain," she said after swallowing a mouthful of a caramel apple she was eating, "but...it doesn't FEEL like it..."
Behind her, Sooteye the snorlax was being restrained, with difficulty, by the leader and right- and left-hand boys of the Street Blazers. He was reaching hungrily for a huge platter of fruit that someone was selling food from for people.
The finalists stood in a line, side by side, as the blue-suited mayor of Wharfton walked along, giving them unique medals.
"One is for Best Battle, a unique consolation award given to both participants of the battle, for the trainers of the battle that wowed the audience and judges in its so-called 'epicness'. One is for Funniest Moment, for the trainer whose pokémon fell victim the most to the most hilarious incedent on the field. One is for something unique that occured in a battle that year; this year's award was for Best Synchronized Victory Dance, given to the trainer who, with his pokémon, had the best winning jig-together. And one is for the trainer who won humbly, lost gracefully, and respected the actions of both sides: Best Sportsmanship," the narrator ended the list, having listed them while the crowd politely clapped for each award being handed out.
"But the greatest prize of all in this tournament," the mayor said, standing next to the last of the finalists, "is the final award. Given to the trainer who most embodies this festival's subject of celebration, it is a mark of a great trainer-and person."
Amongst the crowd were Agents Lock, Meyers, and Hunter. Lock was still shimmering, but otherwise appeared to have calmed. He was crossing his arms and slouching, fidgeting. "C'mon, get on with it," he muttered.
The mayor smiled and held up a gold medal on a 7-color-rainbow ribbon. The medal bore a pokéball symbol on the back, with the emblem of Wharfton-the dock of the Wharfton Badge-on the lower half while the upper bore the name of the winner and the prize. On the front was a line-etched, very beautiful, fancy heart. On the left side of it was a human hand, and on the right was a pawprint, both circled with a line that went around the outside edge of the heart. "This medal-this award-symbolizes the love shared between human beings and pokémon," the mayor continued. "And it also symbolizes the founding principle of the city of Wharfton: That people should work to create, maintain, and protect this strong relationship, as well as the relationships they can have with one another, so that the world will become a better place."
Lock frowned and stuck out his tounge. "Gimmie a break," he murmured.
The mayor held up the medal in two hands and turned to the trainer. "We humbly bequeath thee with the Empathy Award," he said, then placed it around his neck. The boy stood and smiled as the mayor finished, "Ash Ketchum of Pallat Town in Kanto!"
The crowd-partly literally-roared. Lock rolled his eyes and didn't even halfheartedly clap. Ash just blushed and smiled at everyone after shaking hands with the mayor. As well, symbolized by differently-colored-ribboned mini-medals pinned to his vest, he had won the consolation prizes for Best Battle, Best Sportsmanship and Best Gamble. (They all had pokéball symbols, but each was a different ball. The Best Battle was a Master Ball, Best Sportsmanship was a Heal Ball, and Best Gamble was a simple pokéball.)
Part of the literal roaring came from Charizard. Ash turned his head before breaking into a smile and waving. "Charizard!" he called to the flying orange creature a way away. He jumped off-stage-which was okay, since the ceremony had ended, anyway-and into a space cleared by the crowd for both to land.
"Tonight," the narrator said while this went on, "during this year's Festival, there will be more than relationships that will be needing protected as an inaudible hum of uneasiness saturates the humid air this hot summer night." And he was silent.
Lock grinned as he saw Charizard, too, actually. He laughed loudly when, as traditional, Ash got turned to his US dub namesake by his pokémon as a greeting. Charizard landed from his flight with a smile on. Ash shook the soot off and did his Ash smile at Charizard. "It's great to see you, again, Charizard!" he greeted. "How're you doing?"
Before the fire-tailed lizard could respond, Lock came from the crowd and said, "Well, well, if it isn't my favorite character, Charizard!" Charizard turned and looked, confused at first by the favorite character bit. Then, he stopped, eyes wide.
"What...the...heck...?" he muttered in his language, subtitles again appearing on the bottom of the screen, while he saw the eyes behind Lock and his shimmering field.
Lock grinned, putting a hand on his hip. "You know, I've always liked it when you flame Ash like that," he went on. "You're pretty cool! Strong, big, and wise enough to put annoying kids in their place." He smirked at Ash, who anger-veined.
Poom.
Lock and Ash turned to look as they heard the sound. Charizard had taken a step back from Lock, fists clenched and eyes locked on the ones behind Lock. Ash frowned in concern at this-Charizard's never really been AFRAID of anyone! He looked around; only people. "What is it, Charizard?" he asked, coming over. He was so concerned, he barely noticed a happy Pikachu hopping over. Some other people watched on. Included in the crowd behind Ash, background people to the camera's view, were Erin, Paul, and Eliza of the Rosevale Rhydons. As well, Brock and Dawn were approaching, being the people whom Pikachu had jumped from to get to his friend.
Charizard pointed his middle claw, first somewhat up and third curled, at Lock. "Behind him..." he muttered.
Lock widened his eyes as shock came through him. "You...don't want to...be...near me...?" he whispered in horror.
"Huh?" Brett stopped, hard worked-for girlfriend stopping as well. They were passing by a tv shop in California. The screens were tuning in to Cartoon Network. "Hey, isn't that...?"
"AAAH! WHAT THE-!" Kojiro reeled back in his chair at Ryuryu Interactive in Japan as his screen suddenly went from code to cartoons. "...Good thing I have it on auto-save..." he muttered. "Is this some joke?"
People in Times Square looked up and around as the television monitors all about the intersection changed, one by one, to Pokémon.
All the other screens at EBA HQ were changing to the show, as well. "What's going on?" Kahn asked, looking left and right. "Is this some sort of überhack?"
Pikachu, sitting on Ash's shoulder, raised his eyebrows. "Lock?" he asked, turning his head. He gasped and tightened his grip on Ash.
"Mmm! Pikachu, careful," Ash admonished, looking to the shoulder the rodent perched on. As he did, he saw Lock and raised his eyebrows. "Lock?"
Lock was standing with feet spread apart. His fists were at his sides, shaking. His head was bowed down, hiding his face. "What? Am I too sophisticated-looking for you, you overgrown country hick?" he asked in a calm voice. Behind him, unseen, the eyes blazed up more. "So much you don't want to be near me?"
Charizard took another step back, sweatdropping a bit. "Erm...you're on fire..." he muttered.
Lock, apparantly, understood this. "Oh, I'm on fire, huh?" he asked, cocking his head. "I'm not surprised. You see...I dunno if anyone else can see, but...quite frankly..." He clenched his fists tighter. "I...am about ready..."
He whipped his head up, revealing red dots burning in the centers of his shades. "...to EXPLODE!" he shouted.
Ash stumbled back, seeing the red eyes. "L-LOCK! What the-?" he cried.
"Lock!"
"What's going on?"
Meyers and Hunter ran forward to get to him, but suddenly, a brief flame wall pushed them back with a grunt, as well as some other people.
People finally began to see Lock's outline shimmering and the eyes, slowly fading in as they got hotter. "I've HAD it with this place!" Lock raged. His voice had taken on another quality-as if he were half speaking through a dark voice changer. "It's so damn FAKE, it's SICKENING! Where's the pain? The violence? The COMPETENT-" here, he glanced over at Team Rocket in their booth, "-crime?"
Team Rocket anger-veined and retorted, """HEY!""" at this. They were answered with a large, frightening blast of black-outlined, blood-red fire. They screamed and dove out of the way, barely managing to escape before the balloon darts booth exploded.
People were now giving Lock a wide berth, as well as clamoring. "What's up with those eyes?" cried someone nearby Cecil and his girlfriend.
"Mommy, what's happening?" Aiko asked, crying while tugging Nozomi's apron.
"Woo! Glad we're up here," Rosa said, shakily smiling over at Jin and Hiromi, all of whom were holding binoculars. They bore scared expressions as they nodded. Pidgeot was freaked-blue-foreheading from the display of power.
Lock stood, encompassed by black-outlined flames. He was holding his mic, which was appearing through more flames that diminished. "This whole damn world is POINTLESS!" he continued. "I can't believe I ever LIKED this show! It's bona-fide G.A.Y.!"
"LOCK!" Ash cried, holding his hands up in front of him, expression both cautious and assertive. "STOP!"
Lock ignored him and turned around, looking at everyone. "You know what I say this world needs? It doesn't need some stupid relationship crap! It doesn't need everyone being all hunky-dory all the time! It doesn't need CRAP! I'm SICK of all this KIDDIE SHIT! What this place needs..." He crouched down.
The ground started to rumble. People were beginning to panic. Abe gritted his teeth and shouted, "EVERYONE, GET DOWN!" while drawing his pistol.
Cracks formed on the ground, seeping out rays of sinister-looking red-orange light. Then, Lock thrust up, extending his body skyward, fiery mic highest. "...is CHAOS!" he roared, body flaring in a blast of fire.
KRRAABAAAAM! It looked as if hell had unleashed a hoarde of its denizens upon the world, starting with Wharfton. The ground exploded, sending up debris and thousands of demons. Will-o-whisps, more of the demon-men that Travis had seen on two different occasions, and scads of smaller versions of those things. They ran around, razing everything about. People screamed and ran. The whole of the land was illuminated as if in a burning building.
Then, some people were shot with a white beam bordered by fire. When it faded, they were, as well, and lying on the ground, faces subdued and hopeless.
"SALT!" Brock cried, reaching into his backpack. "THEY'RE VULNERABLE TO SALT!"
Lock laughed. "You HONESTLY think there's enough salt in the entire WORLD to take these guys all out?" he sneered at the breeder.
"The world?" repeated Marin, who was brave enough to stay near there.
"Right-o," Lock confirmed. The camera came in as if going over him, blackening all the world around his face. It stopped with his shades, the only things showing of him, while scenes from around the Pokémon world were seen.
"From Kanto..." A shot of Saffron City in chaos, the Silph Co. building in black-bordered flames.
"...to Johto..." A scene of Goldenrod City in disarray, the trains pushed over in the station.
"...to Hoenn..." A picture of Slateport City in pandemoneum, the shops in the bazaar in shambles.
"...to Orre..." A vision of Phenac City in distress, the water replaced with what looked like lava.
"...to Sinnoh..." A sight of Snowpoint City in turmoil, the whole place entrenched in a snowstorm.
"...and beyond!" A view of a city, somewhere, half in darkness. A large, barely perceptable figure in a cloak lay unconcious in the shadow of an alleyway, lying atop bags of garbage. A long tail could be seen coming from it.
The camera switched back to Lock. "These guys are here to bring about a new world order," he said. "And they're doin' it just the way I like it!"
Meyers and Hunter stepped back. "Lock..." Meyers said quietly, grimacing.
"Yo, man, he's gone," Hunter told him, face the same. "We's on our own!"
"And there's nothing anyone can do about it."
Everyone turned to face the voice. It was deep, dark, smooth, rich. And it came from a fierce, large-horned, black-and-red-cloaked demon the size of a building. It had three sets of arms, a huge pair of wicked wings, and actual feet, though these were angular as well, and only had three toes. They resembled an aerodactyl's or a bird's feet in shape. It had eyes like any other demon. Its five tails bore spikes all the way down, looking like thorny, squirming arrows. As it floated above the ground, unburning fire forming a circle beneath it, it boomed, "We have come, Agents, feeble humans of this world. You have one of your own to thank for it, actually. I am Master, the leader of my wonderful tribe of demons, the Hatemongers." He took a very polite and graceful bow, rotating all three right arms before pressing them to his grand chest, all three left coming out. Then, as he rose, he fired a blast of that white, fire-rimmed light at a crowd, causing many to fly away. "And we are here to take hold before we perish from the sickening lack of conflict here!" he roared, shaking the ground.
Lock smirked and turned around to everyone. "To take a line from Shrek, this is the part where you run away," he said.
Everyone did run.
"HURRY! TO MT. CORONET!" shouted Abe, beckoning. "IT WILL BE GREAT COVER!"
Thankfully, the town was built near the foot of Mt. Coronet, the massive range stretching across half of Sinnoh. Everyone ran off, dodging attacks.
"SQUIRM! WHA-HAAA!" Lock cried as he, aided by demonic might, flew around and shot balls of black and fire at people, as well as the strange beams.
"Submit to the sorrow within, and all will be easier for you," ordered Master as he fired the strange beam again.
As it happened, all of the people the Agents and Ouendan had cheered on had come into the same crowd. They were almost there, to Mt. Coronet. Then, the beam that Master fired hit behind them, making them fly off and unleash an agonized cry of desperation,
"UUWWAAAAAAAUUUGGHH!"
Kahn stood up, teeth gritted. "FOXX!" he barked. "NOW! WE NEED TO GET IN THERE AND SAVE THESE POOR PEOPLE!"
"Right!" Foxx pressed a few keys on her computer on the floor.
"Are you certain this will work?" asked Kai, walking over to Kahn, arms crossed. "Can we all get there in time?"
Kahn looked back over his shoulder at the people in the briefing room. Every Agent and Ouendan, both cities, were assembled there. "We have to," he said. "Otherwise, who knows what will happen?"
"...Lock, you handle them," Master's voice came on the screen, redirected Kahn's attention. "Keep cornering them."
"Yes, Master!" Lock affirmed, sounding as if he'd just taken an order from Kahn (which made him twitch).
"Good. Now, people of this world, run. Run, for I love seeing how futile your actions are! You think that someone will help you? Why help you? It's pointless! Do it yourself!" The demon laughed, which sounded like flames blasting apart heavy objects. "After all, that's what we did when we wanted to enter this world. Distress...the key to unlocking the final gate to our world!"
The camera changed to a shot of Master as he floated along, looming over the burning city while crowds ran beneath. All his arms were crossed. He narrowed his eyes as if smiling evilly. "Heh. Run. And I'm not talking just to you down there..." He looked up. Right into the camera. "You, too. Go ahead..."
CLICK!
CLANK!
TICK!
CLUNK!
SNAP!
People around the world whipped around to find every door and window lock themselves at once, a crackling violet energy fading from the mechanisms. People indoors were locked in while people outside were locked out.
The entire planet was trapped.
Milly gasped and held her mother as if she were younger than her real 13 years of age. "Mommy?"
Her mom was gazing at the screen, horror on her face. "...Greg...No..."
"...I DARE YOU!" Master continued, then laughed again. "Oh, yes, I can see you. Not all the millions of hopefully scared shitless faces, but you, Elite Beat Agents, Ouendan!"
Kahn realized then, as well, that all the different screens were broadcasting the show in different languages. "What the...the HELL?" he asked, then sucked in his breath as he heard himself on all the channels as if near the speakers with a (feedback-proof) microphone.
"You hear that? Kahn, the leader of the Agents, you feeble man," Master taunted, "so 'loyal' to his employees that he would put the entire agency through an embarassing order to watch a kids' show daily!"
"How much do YOU care about your coworkers, huh?" roared Chieftan, which was saying something. His angry voice was about as frightening to hear as Master's when he was angry, even mildly.
Master scoffed. "WOOAH, there, cowboy," he jeered. "Nobody cares about ANYONE! Don't you SEE? Bah, I'll get to that later..." He shook his head. "The point is that I'm ecstatic that all of you are convienently in one place. And I have you to thank, as well, Doumeki Kai, for having just as much 'care' for your subordinates," he added, looking over at Kai, who took no steps back at all, but merely let his spiritual flame burn higher. "Cut the bravado, I'm MOSTLY fire," the demon scolded.
"If it were not for the both of you, you would not all be in one room. You, the cheer squad who led Earth to defend itself from a fatal meteorite. You, the agency who led Earth to defend itself from an alien invasion. You, the two squads who led Earth to defend itself from freezing by a burnt-out sun." He chuckled darkly. "Oh, how you've been a thorn in our sides."
All of the television screens (and computer monitors) began to grow a ring of violet, crackly haze-the portal.
The Agents and Ouendan took a step back. "!"
Master's eyes began to glow white, bordered by fire. "Now, I want to see YOU, this time, CRY IN DISPAIR!" he laughed, and fired through the television. Thankfully, he was only aiming for the EBA/Ouendan.
Or...unthankfully...?
The briefing room was full of bodies lying down on the floor, dispair overcoming their forms. Well, almost. Chieftan grunted as he fought. "N...No..." he grunted weakly. "You...will...not...wi...iinnnn..." Finally, he collapsed, depression like no other seizing his heart with an icy grip.
Master laughed his bone-shivering, evil laugh. The camera zoomed out from his face, where it had been, and it could now be seen that the clouds had changed into thousands of patches of images-the viewers. Countless faces of people being forced to watch looked on from the sky, like ghosts from heaven looking down at hell on Earth.
Going into these images were demons. Coming out were screams.
-:-:-
Everyone gathered around a plateau at Mt. Coronet. They grouped up, trying to stay away from the beasts below climbing up. Many Officer Jennys and other police were on the border, trying to keep order. They all looked hopelessly at one another. "There's no way we can do this," Rose said, frowning, as she looked at her friends and Sooteye and the other skater kids. "Too much..."
"...They destroyed the Agents..." Kelly whispered, falling to her knees and hands.
"...and the Ouendan..." added Benishirina, falling beside, as well, with Luna standing behind him, fist to her mouth in uncertaincy.
Above, viewers were panicking, some being captured. Many were diving out, hoping for the best. To their dismay, they came out from the clouds. (But, to their relief, none were killed-only made very unhappy, dispair beamed or otherwise.) Some landed on the plateau with the crowd. Among them, viewers could see the forms of Rebecca and her friend, Jenny, who both landed in a surprised Elodie's pouch. "?" she went, looking down with blinking eyes as she felt the fwumph of the two falling in.
Standing in the crowd already, rubbing his arm, was Kojiro. "It...It's hopeless..." he grunted, using Japanese with subtitles for any other viewer but still being understood by everyone around.
"What are we going to do?" asked James, who was standing uncertain with his teammates, holding hands with Jessie. (He and Jessie were back in their normal uniforms.) Around them stood more people. Included was a hurting Monkshood family.
"You FIGHT, that's what!"
(-)Instrumental
Every head turned. On the top of a higher spot on the mountain stood a small group. They jumped, sliding down the side, before hitting the plateau. "OSU!" I cried, thrusting my hand out in his point.
Around me stood Suzu, Hibiki, the ameture Agents, Meyers, Hunter, and all of the pokémon following us. Everyone looked determined, faces cast in slight shadow from the pale violet light illuminated from the clouds' images that overrode the red light below.
"OUENDAN!" "AGENTS!" cried the crowd, smiling in relief.
Unseen to the viewers, Travis's parents gasped and said, "Travis...!"
-:-(MISSION: ) The Grand Finale? Two Worlds' Last Shot!-:-
The Agents and pokémon scattered into the crowd while us Ouendan dashed to find a suitable cheering place. Travis barked, "We have to believe! Put all your energy into it and fight back with the power inside of you!" as he passed by Team Rocket and Abe.
"""OSU!"""
Team Rocket and Abe stood, determined flames leaping up as they felt it. """"GOOOOOOO!""""
"Fight all you want, but you're only gonna make me MORE pissed!" Travis looked up and snarled.
Lock landed on a rock, surrounded by evil flame, smirking. "This is a REAL battle! Not pokémon-versus-pokémon, but a skirmish in a war!" he warned. He pointed at a group, which included Rosa's and Sooteye's posses. "Your way of life is on the line!"
"""OSU!"""
More determined flames. "GOOOOOOO!" (There's a lot in that group, so yeah, no multiple "'s.)
Kelly, Benishirina, and Luna. Marin, Kagome, and her charges. Ash, Charizard, Pikachu, Brock, and Dawn. Everyone was getting energized, now, as the Ouendan passed by them. The scene made Kojiro and other Japanese real-worlders feel déja vù; it was all quite similar to the start of the COUNTDOWN performance some time ago by the Ouendan.
Me, Suzu, and Hibiki skidded into place at a spot nearby the slope of the mountain as we began what I was sure was our final cheer.
"""IKUZE!...SAN! NI! ICHI! SURE!"""
- I'm a soldier, znachit ya ((I'm a soldier, and that means))
- I otvetchik i sud'ya ((I'm both defendent and judge))
- Ya stoyu na dvuh kontsah ognya ((I am standing on the two ends of fire))
- Ogibaya virazhi, obgonyaya smert' i zhizn' ((Bending over the steep turns, overtaking death and life))
- Ya begu srazit'sya s ten'yu lzhi ((I'm running to fight the shadow of the lies))
- Skol'ko b ni...
The song for this dire time was the original opening theme to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd Gig, "RISE" by Yoko Kanno and performed by the Scandanavian (I think) singer, Origa. The heavily remixed and rearranged version of the first theme ("Inner Universe") and the complex (no pun intended) cheer of us Ouendan accompanied the crowd in their battle. The primary targets in the crowd who led the side of good were, incedentially, all of the targets that had been cheered by the Agents and us since Lock joined the EBA. At first, the crowd was fighting off the Hatemonger assault barely, the pokémon fighting to a standstill and the people cheering and defiantly dancing with moderate energy-some were doing their best, others were tired. In one place, Travis and Lock were seen locked in a wrestling match, Fallen Agent versus Wannabe Agent. Then, in a frightening dip of confidence, Lock, who had overpowered Travis, was leading the charge with fireballs and minions, the crowd yelling and diving out of the way to avoid getting hit. The lighting had gone in favor of the fiery type. Their drive to survive then passed through like a wave, soon after, and inspired them to cheer and dance with all their heart, a spectrum-bordered white flame starting around them. The pokémon were holding off the demons, repelling them-but not quite defeating them. Lock was being subdued by Travis, who had him in a pin and was pouring his moonlight energy into his body.
"We're trapped!" cried a boy.
Rosa, Sooteye's friends, and Kagome stood with their other friends and some others against a mountain wall, cornered by a group of Heavy Hatemongers (the big ones). They were charging an attack of fire. "Prepare to die!" they growled, paws together a la Kamehameha Wave.
Everyone blue-squiggle-faced and pressed up to the wall. "They're gonna shoot!" one of Sooteye's friends whailed.
"BEGONE!" the demons roared before firing.
FWOOM! WHACK! The attack failed! Everyone, cringing and bracing, looked up and saw, to their delight, the pokémon and Tag, Yer, and It doing all they could to defend them: Sooteye was standing with Block, making use of his Thick Fat ability, Pidgeot was using Whirlwind, and the former bandits were dashing and attacking the demons with all of their soul, some of the white, iridescent fire appearing around their shoes and hands as they struck with immense fighting prowess. "STAY BACK!" they cried.
-(O)-
(-)Skol'ko b nitej ne plyol obman ((No matter how much (many?) threads deceit weaves))
(-)Pokazhet lik sveta istina ((The truth will show the face of light))
"Peekaboo."
We turned and got a facefull of dispair beam from a demon before falling. I felt the worst feeling ever...as if everything negative I had ever felt was coming back in spades...as if I could do nothing...My spirit's fire was extinguished.
Lock smirked at his minion's work, pausing from his grapple with Travis. "That oughtta-" he began before looking up and going, "HEY! Why's the music...?"
Standing and doing their swaying to everyone were his former backups, Meyers and Hunter, performing without a leader. Travis grinned, upside down from his position on the ground. "Agents!" he cried.
Moments before the next segment began, Meyers and Hunter stopped and pointed out with smiles. ""HEY!"" they cheered with their souls, feeling the flow of music and the cheer. They felt in their chests the energy that is the source of the EBA's cheering effectiveness. As such, they were able to perform an on-the-spot chorus dance as if they'd practiced it a million times.
The plateau went from firey roaring to energized swaying. "WWOOOOOOAAAAHH!"
- (It's time to stand)
- Save your tears
- For the day
- When our pain is far behind (It's time to live)
- On your feet
- Come with me
- We are soldiers stand or die (There's no time to be afraid(?))
- Save your fears
- Take your place
- Save them for the judgement day ((I can't make him out...))
- Fast and free
- Follow me
- Time to make the sacrifice
- We rise or fall
The throng did the same as before as the Agents did a strong interperative dance. They didn't do as well as they could have, but it was mostly as best as they could do it.
"Go, go, go!" Benishirina went, running along with Abe and Brock and spreading out salt in a long line.
"Dig like you've never dug in your entire life!" Jessie ordered as she, James, Meowth, Wobbuffet, and, of all people, Marin worked with pickaxes as they tried to dig into the rock. Beside them were other pokémon, all using Dig as hard as they could.
Platoons of demonic soldiers pressed in. "CHAARRRRRGE!" they cried.
"HURRY!" cried Elodie, jump-stomping a powerful Fissure along the line of the trench they were making, spiderweb-cracking the surrounding stone. After the rock was mostly weakened, TR went in a whirlwind of expert hole-digging, with help from Marin and the other pokémon. "YAAAAAH!" they all cried.
"NO MORE TIME!" Everyone who could dove in, regardless of how finished it was, at the last second.
WHAMMO! The salt halted the fighters and the trench shielded them from the attacks. Elodie, too big to get in, was struck, but was so enormous, it would have taken more than the four or five dispair beams that were fired. She looked down, wincing a smile to the others in the pit.
Everyone stood, James resting his hand on his pickaxe while mopping his brow. "Not even demons can stop the hole-digging masters!" he crowed triumphantly with a tired but satisfied smile.
"A-MEN!" agreed the others, making some of the people in Cartoon Network HQ wince a little at the fact they're gonna get litigated, for sure.
-(O)-
(-) (Instrumental)
(-) I'm a soldier, born to stand
(-) In this waking hell I am
(-) Witnessing more than I can compute
"Uuuugh..." I groaned as I stood up, my spark reignited from the cheering of Meyers and Hunter. "They revived me..." I muttered. I gasped and looked up as I heard a loud noise. "! NO!"
Meyers and Hunter fell down, pale and subdued. They'd been hit.
My heart froze as I looked around at everyone. "It's..." They looked back or continued their battle. The music contined. "It's like before..." I gulped, then closed my eyes and nodded. "I have to..." I looked up again, my fire igniting to full. "It's all up to me! I CAN'T give up!"
Or, at least, I tried tell myself as I skidded into place again.
"OSU!" I cried.
Alone against what must have been more than two million people, pokémon, and demons, not to mention the viewers.
- Pray myself we don't forget
- Lies, betrayed and the oppressed
- Please give me the strength to be the truth
- People facing the fire together
- If we don't, we'll lose all we have found
- (It's time to stand)
- Save your tears
- For the day
- When our pain is far behind (It's time to live)
- On your feet
- Come with me
- We are soldiers stand or die (There's no time to be afraid(?))
- Save your fears
- Take your place
- Save them for the judgement day ((I can't make him out...))
- Fast and free
- Follow me
- Time to make...
'I can do this!' I told myself over and over as I cheered. But no matter how hard I cheered, it seemed, they couldn't do more than barely...That's when the chorus came again. ''It's time to stand'...' I repeated. 'It's time to STAND!' With a roar, I poured my entire body, mind, and spirit into my cheering, emitting as much energy as I could.
And they fought harder.
(-) Time to make the sacrifiiii-i-i-ice
"THUNDER!" Ash cried, pointing as he commanded Pikachu in front of him. He was alone against a wall. He was to my right at the moment and pretty nearby.
"Perfect shot..." Master came floating up here, aiming a finger and charging a dispair beam.
Lock came down before Pikachu could move and smirked. "I've waited a while to do this," he said, floating.
Right in Master's line of fire-firing fire.
I whipped my head around at this, alerted. I then turned an arrow stomp into a closed-fist dash, turning to him as I did the move. My profile was all Master could see as my arms swung down. Then, after doing a hand clap on the run, I jumped and thrust my arms out, crashing into Lock. My left hand burned as it collided head-on with the eyes behind him.
"AAAWWRRRRUUGH!" Lock cried, flying back farther than me, his body having been transferred my momentum. I hung in the air for a split second. Just too long.
(-) We rise or-
K Y U U U U U S H H H H H ! ! !
-:-:-
(...)
Vrrrrrnnnn-Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk-
VWOOYYY-PSHH!
(...)
TEUUSHH!
(DREADFULLY sorry for how much I swiped from Earth's Last Day (or whatever it's called) for this!)
Nope, I didn't just edit this chapter to close a possible plot hole! Nope, not me! *whistles*
