Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Shadows of Ganderosa
Chapter 36
A Past Worth Knowing
"Why do you persist, Wicker?" the voice demanded in Hazel's head. Everywhere the charmeleon looked, she saw darkness. All she could feel was the chill of whatever void she was trapped in. All she could hear were her own thoughts as well as the voice – which seemed to worry the charmeleon. She had no clue what was going on, but she knew it wasn't the first time she'd heard this voice.
And then there were the chills that continued to crawl up Hazel's spine like ants on a tree-trunk. Her entire body tingled from the ominous presence that terrified her more than anything she'd ever seen, hear, or felt in her life.
"Please, Jake!" Hazel shouted out of desperation. "I'm not who you think I am!" She slapped her paws to either side of her head in an attempt at shielding her head.
"You are the needle in my foot that I should have removed long ago!" the voice roared. "I thought you would only be a minor issue that could be swept aside, but you have transformed into a knife in my side! Sadly, I can't kill you at the moment, but I can still drive you to insanity!"
Hazel felt a surge of pressure in her head. The pain was indescribably awful. She began screaming for some hope of rescue from the shadows and fear that engulfed her every sense.
"Stop!" Hazel pleaded. "I-I'm not Wicker!"
"You share her blood!" Jake roared. "You are Wicker!"
Another burst of pain rushed Hazel's mind. She gave another shriek of pain. Then, images flashed in her head: images of her father, images of that day. She saw her father's fearful gaze set upon her as he fell onto the soaked floor. She saw herself being carried away as she called out for a parent she'd never have again. She saw the dusknoir that wished her dead all those years ago. Hazel watched the ghost's single, glowing, red eye. Everything around the eye disappeared, leaving the glowing pupil. Hazel watched in horror as the eye split in half and morphed into a hate-filled pair of red, glowing eyes that stared into Hazel's fear and amplified it ten-fold.
"No!" Hazel screamed. "Please stop!"
"Stay out of things that do not concern you!" blared the voice.
Hazel bolted upright from the night-mare. Body soaked, the charmeleon took a hard gulp in an attempt to stop her panting. She looked around, seeing Dillan was sleeping on the other side of his make-shift burrow. She then looked over at the dirt walls to the burrow, then to the sloped exit.
Calm down, Hazel... Only another dream... Just take a deep breath and calm down... Hazel began breathing slowly as she tried to keep her mind off of her night mare. She closed her eyes and stared into the darkness. Then, she immediately opened them, afraid of some imaginary beast appearing from the blackness.
That name again... Wicker... Hazel pondered on that word. Wicker... It has to mean something... Why does Jake keep calling me by that name? What does it mean? Hazel set her paw on the floor next to her tail. Then, her mind wandered to the flame that danced on the tip. Dang it... It can't be true... There was no evidence that any one of them was changed to that level... Someone would have noticed something like that: told someone or written it down somewhere. I would have known about it... But maybe there's a middle-ground to it all... If that's true, then... Hazel shook her head quickly, trying to shake the doubts within her. That won't happen. It can't happen. Dillan hasn't showed any signs of changing, yet... But why doesn't that reassure me?
She sighed at her thoughts. The charmeleon grabbed her tail once more and stared at it. Why isn't anything ever simple in this world? And why does it feel like the world it always attacking me and my friends?
"Hey." Hazel looked up to find Dillan standing there, looking down at her worriedly. He gave a light smile towards her. "Are you alright?"
Hazel was about to answer him, but then she remembered how he had acted yesterday. Instead, she turned away from him, looking towards the wall. "What is it?" she asked coldly.
"Y-you just look worried, is all..." Dillan said, sounding ashamed, and he should. After practically giving a feral over to that dirty eevee without knowing the consequences, he should feel even worse, though Hazel didn't want it to get that far. She still had a friend in him, she just wanted him to know exactly how she felt about it all.
"I'm fine," Hazel said, still not meeting Dillan's gaze. "Let's move out. We're just about ready to hit Harrier Town, which means we're close to Snow-Point Cave."
"Hey," Dillan said. Hazel looked at him with a scowl. She noticed Dillan's guilty frown and his nervous gaze that was currently directed towards the ground. "I-I was wondering..." he stuttered with a nervous glance towards his charmeleon friend. "I need your map..."
"Why?" she asked out of curiosity. "We know exactly where we're going."
"I know that..." Dillan said. "I just wanted to... you know... look at it for a bit..."
"That's not really an answer," Hazel said.
"Uh... Well, Leslie said something about Thalia going to an island... so I wanted to look at the map to see all the islands... If you don't mind."
Hazel frowned. Is he really that uncomfortable by how I'm treating him? Maybe... She mentally kicked herself. No. As much as I hate this, I can't let it slide. It was too bad a move to be taken lightly.
Hazel reached onto the ground and grabbed the strap of her bag. Slinging the strap over her shoulder, she rummaged around for her map. She pulled out the aged, rolled-up piece of paper and handed it over to Dillan. "Just be careful with it. It's still an heirloom for my family."
Dillan gave a nervous smile as he brought his claws up, presenting them to Hazel. Hazel looked at them, realizing the problem. She felt a small bit of joy in seeing the gabite's issue: not from spite, but because this issue seemed to occur for him too often to be taken seriously. A slight smile escaped from the left side of her mouth as she set the map on the floor.
"Thanks," Dillan said sincerely. He got down on the ground and rolled out the map, looking over it.
Hazel's eyes set on the map, remembering what value it held for her. It was a special map, as she had told her team the first time it had come up: one that had the Ganderosan seal on the top, right corner. It was a war map used during the Ganderosan Civil War. Some places of today were missing, such as Lake Town in the Ferician Region, as well as Port Town in the Alkan. Some places that have long since been abandoned are still on the map, as well: places such as Poltress and Castellum Town, as well as a few others Hazel couldn't care to remember that had been decimated during the war.
She remembered when her father had given the map to her, saying it was an important treasure to their family passed down from her Great-Great-Grandfather who had died on the losing side. She had never heard any stories about him, only about her great ancestors who had explored Ganderosa. It was truly too bad, but at the same time, she didn't know if she would be able to listen to a story from her father after everything she'd been put through.
"Hey Hazel?" Dillan asked.
"Yeah?" Hazel asked, turning her focus away from her thoughts and onto Dillan.
"Where was Arlon sent after we caught him?"
"Giratina's Isle," Hazel answered. "There's a high-security prison on... the..." She stopped herself when she saw the look of fear and worry on Dillan's face. He's afraid?
"Thalia went to an island, right?" Dillan asked slowly.
Hazel shook her head quickly, wearing a nervous smile. "She wouldn't go there... It's suicide. Thalia would have been seen by the guards. Besides, Thalia would have been there weeks ago, meaning Garth wold have heard if Arlon had escaped. Garth would have told us something by now, right?"
"But where else would she go?" Dillan asked. "According to your map, there are only a few islands in Ganderosa: Jarondai, the Alkan Islands, and Giratina's Isle."
"I understand why she would avoid Jarondai, but why don't you think she went back to the Alkan Islands?"
"She came from there and stopped at Castellum Town," Dillan said. "Why would she double back? Giratina's Isle is the only place that makes sense. Arlon is her reason for going there."
The flame on Hazel's tail began flaring as worry filled her heart. She couldn't have gone there! It just isn't possible... She'd be seen or something..."Hang on... Why are we trusting Leslie so blindly?"
The question seemed to take Dillan by surprise. He drew his head back from shock. "What?"
"Think about it," Hazel urged. "He could have told us anything he wanted, and we would have believed it because we're trying to rescue our friend, right? Why should we believe him?"
"He knew things about her that he wouldn't have unless she was actually there," Dillan stated. "He listed her friends, and he told us that Thalia was interested in the mural. She had to have been there!"
"Alright..." Hazel said as she tried to think of another reason for Leslie to have lied. "But why listen to Thalia? Wouldn't he have been too interested in his work? Why is it that he heard her and not Nancy?"
Dillan shook his head. "Why are you so sure that Thalia wouldn't break Arlon from jail?" he asked forcefully. His tail began to vibrate, and his arms began to shake. "Couldn't she have done it without anyone knowing? Couldn't she have killed everyone there? Then no one would be able to talk to the Guild! We wouldn't know if he's out! Arlon could be hurting pokemon for all we know! How can you be so sure that he's not hurting anyone?"
The air seemed to resonate Dillan's fear throughout the room. It hit Hazel hard, as if slamming her with an iron ball. She was speechless. He's... He's terrified...
"Are you going to say anything?" he shouted.
"You're really worried about Arlon..." Hazel said softly. She couldn't believe it, but had she truly realized the impact Arlon had had on her friend's mind? Was he truly that traumatized by the pokemon?
"Of course I am!" Dillan shouted, though he didn't look angry. The wide-eyed snarl he wore conveyed fear more than anything. "He's determined to hurt me in any way possible! He broke my ankle before anything I can remember, and he showed me my sister! On top of that, he tried to kill Bolt, and succeeded in murdering Koa! And now Thalia might have broken him out of prison! He could be hunting us right now, waiting to hurt me! Or even worse, he could kill you!"
"Dillan..." Hazel said softly.
"And you want to go on ignoring it?"
Hazel looked away from the gabite, ashamed for not realizing what Arlon had done to him: her of all pokemon. The moment she had found out King Judah may have been involved in her mother's death, she could hardly keep herself contained. Then when she thought "Armageddon" may have been set up to try to kill her, it almost tore her apart. She should have seen Dillan's feelings before he said anything: from the moment Arlon's escape became a possibility, however small.
She didn't believe he really had escaped. Arlon was too sensitive of a topic at the Palando Guild for it to have gone unheard. Even if Garth had heard about the shiftree, he would have shown some sort of sign, like his signature tail-swishing. But he seemed too focused on other matters: all of which wouldn't have outweighed Arlon's escape. It just didn't seem possible that the shiftree would be away from Giratina's Isle.
"Dillan, I'm truly sorry," Hazel said softly. She then faced him. "But what do you want us to do?" Dillan's expression didn't seem to change. He didn't seem capable at the moment of anger or hate: only fear. "We're already so close to Snow-Point Cave; to another clue about Ryan's whereabouts. Giratina's Isle is in the opposite direction of where we need to go next. There's also the fact that there aren't any paths to the island by foot, which means traveling in the middle of nowhere until we come across a massive lake. From there, we swim to the island. Being exposed to water over a long period of time drains my energy. I wouldn't be able to reach the other side."
"But-" Dillan began.
"Let's say we did happen to make it to the island. What then? The guards aren't suppose to let anyone in or out of the complex. We'd be stuck there, or arrested for trespassing. I'm sorry, but going there isn't an option."
"Then what are we suppose to do?" Dillan asked.
This wasn't going to end without some sort of solution, and Hazel knew it. Dillan was too afraid to let this go unanswered.
"Well..." Hazel said as she struggled to think of some answer. Then she thought of one. "Lawrence."
"Fericia's Guildmaster?" Dillan asked.
"If anyone would have heard about Arlon's escape, it's him," Hazel said. "We'll send him a letter in Harrier Town telling him about Arlon. We'll ask him what he knows. From there, We'll get a letter back telling us whether he's escaped or not."
"But how long will that take?" Dillan asked. "Days? Weeks?"
"Two days at the least," Hazel said. "But we'll make sure the letter gets to him as soon as possible: make sure they know it's urgent."
Dillan looked down at the floor, shutting his eyes. "What if he attacks us before then? What if-"
Hazel didn't let Dillan finish. She took hold of his arm and squeezed. He looked up at her. "We're a team, right?"
"Yeah..." Dillan said slowly.
"And teams trust each other, right?"
Dillan opened his mouth as if to say something, but hesitated. He then turned away from her.
Dillan whipped the tears from the corners of his eyes. "I just... don't want to see you die... Not like Grace..."
Hazel shook her head. "That won't happen. I trust you too much to think you'd let it."
"But I'm not that strong..." Dillan said.
"Yes, you are," Hazel assured. "You were the one who got us out of Poltress, right?"
"Yeah, but-"
"And you were the one who got Leslie and Nancy out of the Shadowed Brush, right?"
"Well-"
"And you were the one who got me and Tom out of the Lantern Fields and away from Jake, right?"
"But-"
"Stop doubting yourself," Hazel said with a smile. "You've saved me enough for me to count on you. Now it's your turn to trust me to-"
"But I do trust you," Dillan said. He looked Hazel directly in the eyes. She saw his honesty and loyalty towards her. She couldn't help but smile at the gabite.
"We'll figure it out," she assured. "And we'll find Thalia."
Dillan turned away from Hazel, thinking to himself before nodding. "Alright. We'll go through with your plan."
"Good to hear!" Hazel said enthusiastically. "Now, if that's settled, let's head out!"
"Agreed," Dillan said with a nod.
(Jarondai Territory: Castle Jarondai)
The darkness of the night sky accompanied by the massive cloud of smoke bellowing from Jarondai's volcano made it hard to see what was in front of her, though it didn't stop her. She continued to dart along the charred, dirt ground, not looking back: not at the volcano or her old home. It was too hard. How could she face him after this?
"Halt!" a voice commanded.
The girl stopped in place and turned towards the voice. She saw the Royal Guardsman standing tall and proud. His white, shaggy fur contrasting the green on his massive arms and feet. The massive, white eyebrows that rested above plum-colored eyes showed pride, as well as condescension.
The abomasnow looked down on the pokemon, eyeing her. Then, he realized exactly who he was talking to. Almost immediately, he dropped his cold gaze and replaced it with a nervous smile. "M-Ms. Arvaine!" he shouted with worry. "I didn't notice it was you!"
The little pokemon looked at the abomasnow with worry. He doesn't know that I-... I can make this work...
"Why do you stop me, guard?" the girl demanded.
"My apologies," the guard pleaded. "It's just that... It's dark out, and I didn't expect you to be out of bed on the grounds-"
"Is this not my home?" the girl shouted. "Am I not allowed to take a mid-night stroll?"
"Where did she go?!" a voice called out from the distance. "Where's Dianne Arvaine?!"
Dianne's spine shivered from fear. They're coming...
The abomasnow looked back towards the voice in the distance with curiosity. "They're looking for you?" he questioned. This was her chance.
Dianne sprung up on her back legs into the air and struck at the pokemon's chest with an uppercut to the back. The guardsman was thrown to the floor. Almost immediately after, while the pokemon was stunned by the sudden attack, Dianne felt her head become consumed with power as it became bathed in metal. She slammed her skull into the pokemon's back with an "Iron Head" attack. The abomasnow said nothing. He was simply out-cold.
I need to get out of here... I need to get away...
"There she is!" a voice called out.
Dianne looked towards the voice to see a massive blast of purple light emerge. She jumped to the left, dodging the attack easily, just like her tutors had taught her. She then broke into a run once more, tearing through the courtyard to the gates.
She then felt a stinging sensation in her back. Dianne looked backwards to see a yellow pokemon with glowing, glassy, red bug-eyes was staring at her. It's arm was connected to what looked like a lance which was in the little Arvaine's back. She gave a cry as she felt the burning sensation spread across her body. Dianne whipped around, slamming her closed fist into the beedrill's face, driving it from her body. The pokemon spun in the air for a second before recovering and dashing towards her once more.
"Stay away from me!" Dianne shouted out of desperation. The beedrill dove towards her once more, this time with a glowing arm directed straight towards her. Dianne waited until the last second to move left and press her arm's scales against the lance, deflecting it away from her. She then whipped around, swinging her tail at the beedrill. The pokemon expected this, flying above her attack and jabbing once more. Dianne spun around the attack and deflected it once more, this time towards the ground. The beedrill's arm buried itself in the black, dirt of Jarondai, making an opening for Dianne. She focused on her chest where a purple light began to glow through her chest. She looked straight into the sky as she let the purple energy emerge into the air. It flew like a glowing canon ball before exploding mid-air. The explosion sent miniature orbs of energy towards the ground, pelting everything in sight.
The beedrill began pressing on the ground in an attempt at removing his lance-like arm. Futilely, he gave one final push before multiple, glowing spheres trailed by fire rained down from the sky straight onto the beedrill. It gave a shout of agony before fainting from the pain.
Dianne began panting from the energy that attack had taken from her. She felt the stinging in her back radiate pain throughout her body. Poison... Not good...
"Dianne, you can only run for so long," a proud voice echoed throughout the court-yard. It sounded full of contempt. "Eventually, the consequences of your actions will catch up to you."
Dianne didn't answer the pokemon. She wanted to just run up to him and feel his love for her: feel his comforting arms embrace her. Still, hat went every sense of logic and emotion she'd ever known. It was a trap. Her tutor had taught her enough to expect that much and more.
Traipsing across the castle grounds towards the gate, Dianne ignored her feelings of guilt: that this was her fault. She ignored the voice in her mind that told her, "He'd understand". It was all wrong: lying to her.
Dianne looked up at the massive walls ahead, seeing the gates. She cursed internally, seeing they were shut. Why did you blindly hope for them to be open in the middle of the night?
"Ms. Arvaine, stop!" a new voice demanded to her left. Dianne looked towards the voice, seeing a pokemon she wished she would never encounter tonight.
The pokemon's black stripes blended in with the night while it's white, underbelly revealed his position. Dianne looked at it's dulled-red scales which seemed to balance the black and white. The thin arms led to short, pointed nails. The plump nature of the pokemon's legs and body was enough to deceive anyone into thinking it was overweight, but Dianne knew better. All that fat was actually muscle. The black, marble-like eyes of the pokemon were surrounded by black scales, giving the pokemon a look as though it was wearing sunglasses. On top of that, the long snout of the pokemon was lined with teeth protruding onto the lower lip while it ended with flaring nostrils.
The pokemon scowled at Dianne. She knew she couldn't escape him. Maybe her father, but him? He was too big of a threat, known throughout the castle as "Commander", no matter his actual rank as the leader of the Royal Guard. No, there was no escape. It was all over.
(Alkan Territory: Snow-Point Mountain Range)
Hazel was still impressed with the view Dillan and she had been experiencing for the past few hours. Hills blanketed with grass curved up and down all around them. The sun was beginning its descent into the horizon next to the group of mountains which shot up right in front of her. Clouds bathed the tips of the mountain in clumps, forewarning the charmeleon of rain.
Most charmeleon would probably freak at the sight of the clouds. They would run for cover from the droplets of water, but not Hazel. She rather enjoyed the sound of the droplets colliding with the gravel path she walked and plant-life. She felt a cold breeze blow by as the rail descended from the sky She felt a slight prickling sensation with each drop that hit her scales, but it didn't bother her too much. Dillan, on the other hand, seemed annoyed with the situation.
"What's wrong?" Hazel asked cheerfully, forgetting all about her anger from this morning. "The cold?"
"I just don't want to get wet right now, is all..." Dillan said as he held his arms above his head, trying to shield himself with his fins. "We're close to the mountains, right? I'm not just imagining it?"
"You can see the entrance," Hazel said, pointing towards the mountain ahead. A tiny hole could be seen in the front leading deeper inside.
"Good," Dillan said with relief. He looked towards Hazel. "Wanna run?"
"Do I?" Hazel asked with enthusiasm, breaking into a sprint towards the cave. Dillan tore off after her.
As Hazel got closer to the cave's entrance, she realized something peculiar. The entrance had different colors behind in the shadows: colors of every sort. Getting even closer revealed that these colors were from crystals that were embedded in the walls of the cave. Hazel stopped at the entrance and looked inside with wonder at the splendor of all the colors.
"Amazing..." she said in awe.
Dillan tore past Hazel and into the cave. Almost immediately upon entering, he gave a sigh. "Good to be out of the rain..."
"Are you seeing this?" Hazel asked, nudging Dillan on the shoulders. She reached up onto the wall and took hold of one of the crystals. She tried to pull it out of the wall, using a bit of force. When she found it didn't come out so easily, Hazel put more muscle into it until she was using her entire body to pry the crystal from the wall to no avail. "Man they're really in there."
"I've been here..." he said slowly. Hazel looked at Dillan and saw his expression. It was one of worry.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Dillan's expression didn't change. He continued to look at the crystals littering the walls. He began to walk into the cave, no taking his eyes off of the walls.
"I don't think we should be here..." Dillan said.
"Why not?"
"My first memories are of this place..." Dillan turned towards Hazel. "This is where I met Kieth..."
"It is?" Hazel asked, worried about her friend. "Are you alright?"
"That's not why I'm worried..." Dillan said. "Garth told us Thalia was suppose to be here, right?"
Hazel clenched her jaw, thinking about what Dillan was getting at. "You don't think this is the Thalia's base, do you?"
"I don't know... But I hope it is, because that means this is where Ryan would be, right?"
"Yeah..." Hazel said worriedly. "But it also means we're walking into the heart of the bad-guys."
"That's-" Dillan stopped himself, quickly turning to face into the cave.
The two stood there in silence, Hazel waiting for Dillan to talk to her. "Dillan?" she asked.
Dillan's right fin began to glow blue and extended as he brought his arms up in a defensive stance. "Someone's coming this way," he said.
Hazel planted her feet, ready to blow a stream of fire down the cave if she needed to.
"How do you know?"
"My Miracle Sense."
That's when Hazel heard a small pitter-patter sound coming from down the cave. She focused on whatever was in the darkness.
"Get away from him!" a small, female voice called out from ahead. Hazel looked through the darkness as a small, mouse-like pokemon came racing towards them. Hazel recognized the pokemon as a mienfoo, but it looked a little smaller than the rest of its species. Must be with the Enemy...
Dillan dropped his guard, staring at the pokemon ahead. "Valery?"
"Feral freak!" the mienfoo shouted as she leaped into the air over Dillan. She dove straight towards Hazel. The charmeleon didn't hesitate. She felt the fire in her chest begin to swell up her throat until she shot out a stream of flames towards Valery.
"Detect!" Valery shouted. The mienfoo slapped her hands together and vanished into thin air. Hazel stopped the fire-stream out of shock. Detect?! How is she so fast-
A voice echoed from behind Hazel, shouting, "Fake-out!" Hazel felt the sides of her head being squished between two furry paws. Her ear-drums began to ring from the sudden pressure, and she let out a yell of pain. She then heard a muffled voice saying something along the lines of, "Fork Balm", and a burst of pressure could be felt on her back, forcing Hazel into the ground.
As the ringing stopped, Hazel got up swiftly. She looked at her opponent with frustration. She's fast, I'll give her that... So how do I beat her?
"Stop!" Dillan shouted. He ran past Hazel, putting himself in between the fighting.
"Get out of the way, Dillan!" Valery shouted.
"You know Dillan?" Hazel questioned.
"Of course I know him, feral!" Valery shouted. "I'm his guardian!"
"Feral?" Dillan questioned.
"Guardian?" Hazel asked.
Valery looked at Dillan, saying, "Why won't you ever let me help you?!"
"Help me from what?" Dillan asked. "My friend?"
"Friend?" the mienfoo questioned. She looked at Hazel for a few seconds, then Dillan. "She's your..." Trailing off, Valery looked at Hazel with shock. "Then... you're... you're Hazel?" The little mienfoo began to blush.
"And you're not one of the bad guys?" Hazel questioned.
"Do you see me?" Valery questioned, starting to calm down. "I'm not a feral."
"And you thought I was?" Hazel questioned.
"Well, yeah..." Valery said. She began holding her hands behind her back and moving her left foot back and forth as if nervous.
"Well, I'm not," Hazel said. She gave a sigh and turned to Dillan. "Who is she?"
"W-well," Dillan stuttered nervously. "You see... um... She's-"
"I'm Valery G," Valery announced. "The G stands for G... Gr..." Valery looked away nervously. "Gr... Gr... Gregarious!" the pokemon looked back at Hazel with a smile. "The G. stands for gregarious!"
"And how do you know Dillan?" Hazel questioned.
"W-well... um..." Valery stumbled. "I... um..."
"She saved his life," a new voice stated from the entrance of the cave.
Dillan jumped from the new voice while Hazel looked down the hall with curiosity. Valery, however, looked at the new-comer with joy.
"Trinity!" the mienfoo shouted. She tore away from Dillan and Hazel, tackling the new pokemon in a hug. Hazel was shocked to see the new-comer was someone she recognized. Trinity Fitz...
The hakamo-o looked at Hazel and Dillan with a neutral expression as she placed her right paw on Valery's back.
"You..." Dillan and Hazel said in unison.
"Yes, me," Fitz said.
"I missed you!" Valery shouted.
"Me too, child," Fitz said with a smile. She looked towards Dillan and said, "So they think you are the one from the prophecy. Which means..." The pokemon began to scowl at Dillan. "So you really are the owner of the Sapphire Star."
"The prophecy?" Hazel asked. She turned towards Dillan, remembering what he had told her yesterday about that mural being tied to a prophecy, though the gabite never elaborated on that. She also remembered Thalia saying something about a prophecy when they had met, but she couldn't remember what about. Dillan, however, looked nervous about something.
"Right..." Dillan said. "Guess I didn't tell you about that, yet..."
"Does he want her to know?" Valery asked Fitz. The mienfoo began rubbing her left arm as if it was bothering her.
"I guess we are about to find out," Fitz said. She broke away from Valery and began walking towards Team Rapture. "'A great shadow will come and engulf the world. It will consume everything and replace it with hate and death. The world will be on the verge of collapsing. One pokemon will be the decider of the fate of everything. It will decide whether the world lives or falls. That single pokemon will form a team of four: the one who will see the future, the leader of an army, the deceiver, and the one who will bring an end to everything that exists.' That is the Ganderosan Prophecy." Fitz looked at Dillan, saying, "Someone very important thinks that you are one of the four in that prophecy. Which one of the four is still uncertain."
"What?" Hazel asked. She noticed Fitz' brow-line raise at Hazel's remark.
"You know nothing about your friend's involvement?" Fitz questioned. She began to scowl at Dillan. "You involve her in your life as one in the prophecy, yet you will not share the dangers?"
"She isn't involved," Dillan said. "What do you mean by dan-"
"Are you this oblivious?" Fitz scolded, cutting Dillan's sentence short. "I cannot believe you would allow her to be your friend, yet not realize the dangers that entails. You think she is not involved in them? Take a look around. She is here with you. What if the Enemy were to come for you? Do you not think she would be in any danger?" Dillan looked absolutely horrified. His tail was twitching uncontrollably and his jaw hung in shock. Fitz scoffed. "I had higher hopes for our hero, but to find out it is someone who can hardly think of an obvious conclusion? On what universe did they think you could keep track of one of the stones?"
"Trinity!" Valery protested.
Fitz looked towards Valery for a few seconds before reluctantly saying, "My apologies."
"It's kind of hard to keep track of it when a thief takes it from under your nose..." Dillan said quietly.
Fitz reared on Dillan in anger. "I am not a thief!" she roared, her lower lip twitching with anger.
"Trin," Valery said as though she was warning her.
"What in Ganderosa are you talking about?" Hazel questioned, very confused about the situation. "Dillan is part of a prophecy?"
"Yeah," Fitz said with a hint of anger. "He's the-"
"Wait!" Valery and Dillan shouted in sync, both taking a step towards Trinity Fitz.
"What is it-" Fitz began, but stopped when she noticed the mienfoo cradling her arm.
"He'll hurt me, too..." Valery said worriedly.
Fitz gave a sigh and said, "I'm sorry." She turned to Dillan. "Why did you come to Snow-Point Cave?"
"We're searching for our friend," Dillan said quickly. "Thalia the nidoqueen took him."
"She's the blue one," Valery explained.
"I know Thalia," Fitz stated. "You think she's here?"
"We don't know what to think..." Hazel said halfheartedly, still wondering what exactly Dillan was involved in. "But can someone please explain to me what's happening?"
"Sorry, but no," Fitz said.
"Dillan?" Hazel pleaded.
Dillan looked at Hazel with shame. He gave a sigh and looked at Fitz and Valery. "Could you both give us a minute?"
"I cannot do that," Fitz said.
"Sure!" Valery said. She grabbed Fitz by the arm and began pulling her towards the cave's exit, though the hakamo-o didn't budge. "Come on Trinity!" Valery said, stressing each syllable. "Dillan wants some privacy, so we're gonna give it to him!"
Fitz looked down at Valery with a raised eyebrow. "But-"
"They won't do anything! I trust Dillan!"
Sighing, Fitz allowed herself to be led out of the cave, but not before saying, "Only for a minute. And do not go any deeper into the cave."
"We'll stay right here," Hazel said. Dillan waited for Fitz and Valery to leave the cave, and even then, he seemed to keep waiting. Hazel turned towards Dillan, waiting for him to say something.
"So... you know about the prophecy, now..." Dillan said.
"Yeah," Hazel said. "And?"
The cold, cave air around the charmeleon became stagnant with anticipation. Seconds felt like minutes as worries and doubts – such as whether she could completely trust Dillan while he kept something vital to himself – were about to be put to rest. She had no idea what was about to occur: what Dillan would do. Would he finally share his emotions? Would he finally trust her? Would he finally tell her what was on his mind? Would he finally be the exploration partner she wanted him to be?
The gabite gave a sigh. "I'm terrified... that you won't believe me even if I did tell you..." he said sadly.
Hazel didn't understand. He doesn't trust me to believe him? "What makes you say that?"
Dillan's eyes focused on Hazel's. She saw so much through so little. It was as if Dillan was sharing his emotions through eye contact. But through all of the pain and worry, Hazel could tell one thing stood out above the others: fear.
"When you first asked me about my secret," the gabite began, "I told you I couldn't share it with you because a friend of mine would get hurt... but I don't think that's entirely true...
"The first time we came to Palando, I saw Arlon in the arena... When I told you and Ryan, you both thought he was in my head."
"Is that what this is about?" she questioned. She hadn't thought about that day in such a long time, not since it had ended. She had dismissed it for a reason she couldn't recall. Even now she was leaning more towards it being in his head, but it didn't seem like he shared her opinion on the matter. Even if she had a hart time believing it wasn't in his head, guilt began to course through her brain. Is that why he doesn't trust me to believe him?
"Well, you were both wrong," Dillan said. "Arlon had some winged... blue pokemon with... some sort of heart-shaped nose following me. It called itself Logan. I'm still not sure how he did it, but Logan forced me to see Arlon so I would suffer. He'd been doing it since that day, and he showed me Grace."
That made Hazel feel even worse. It wasn't in his head... Her gaze fell from Dillan to the ground. A feeling of shame took hold of her heart. I doubted him...when he was right... And here I am asking for the truth?
"Dillan," Hazel said. "I'm so sorry..."
"The secret I've been keeping is even harder to believe than seeing Arlon without any evidence..." Hazel looked up at Dillan with shock: not from what he said but how he said it. She would have expected him to have contempt in his voice. Instead, she heard shame. "I hadn't told you yet because I assumed you wouldn't believe me..."
"You're not mad?" Hazel asked.
The gabite's eyes widened. "Mad? Why would I be..." He thought for a few seconds before stating, "No, I'm not mad. I'm more frustrated with myself."
"Why?" Hazel asked. She was starting to get confused with Dillan's attitude to the situation.
"I should have told you and Ryan," Dillan stated. "Fitz is right... I'm in the middle of something really bad, and you're right here with me. Being my friend is putting you at risk."
It felt like a dagger had been plunged into Hazel's heart. "I'm still confused," she said worriedly, hoping Dillan wasn't saying what she thought. "Do you want me to... stop being your friend?"
Dillan's lower lip twitched. "No! Not at all!" he blurted frantically. "It's just that..." He went back into a saddened state. "I think you should hear everything I have to say before you decide to keep being here for me...
"So..." The gabite gave a deep sigh. He looked Hazel directly in the eyes and said, "Hazel, I'm not a pokemon. I'm human."
"I'm sorry?" Hazel asked, even more confused than she'd ever felt before.
"I'm not a gabite," Dillan said, sounding completely sincere. It made Hazel even more confused.
"But you obviously are!" Hazel said, expecting this fact to be blatantly obvious.
"Well... yeah..." Dillan said. "But at the same time, I'm not."
"You're not making any sense..." Hazel said.
"Let me explain."
Hazel stood there, listening intently for a long time. Dillan had told her about how when he got here, he'd felt as though he didn't belong: how nothing seemed familiar to him. He then went on to tell her about a dream he'd had with Jake. He'd told him that he was human and he was from somewhere else: another world entirely. There, he was a creature called a human, and so was his sister.
"I'm still not sure how," Dillan said. "But I was brought here to stop the Enemy as part of the prophecy Fitz told us. When we were in Frost-Island, Ignitus told me about the Enemy. Apparently, he was part of the Enemy's group. Ignitus said the Enemy's goal is to wipe out Ganderosa, but I'm not sure why."
"So you're not a gabite..." Hazel said slowly. Her head felt very light. She felt as though she needed to take a seat and process everything Dillan had told her, so she did.
"The Enemy is hunting me down because of what I am..." Dillan said.
"And that's the reason Thalia wanted you..." Hazel said.
"Ryan was taken because I'm human... which means your at risk, as well..."
"That's a lot to process..." She knew that was putting it lightly. Her entire perception of Dillan, a gabite she considered one of her closest friends – probably family – is a creature from another world called a "human" sent here to save Ganderosa from the Enemy. On top of it all, Dillan's role was based entirely off of some mural in Castellum Town which told of a prophecy. It was unbelievable.
"If you don't... want to b-be my friend anymore..." Hazel looked up at Dillan. She noticed tears in the corners of his eyes."If y-you think you'd be i-in too much danger, I'd understand-d." He's serious about that?
"Don't say that," Hazel told him. She jumped up onto her feet.
"Being my friend puts you i-in danger..." Dillan said. "I don't want to do that to you..."
"Snap out of it," Hazel said. She wrapped her arms around the gabite. "Why would I ever leave you over something like this?"
"You could d-die..."
"Dillan, before I met you and Ryan, I was dead. I had no friends to turn to: just my father and my grand-parents. I was all alone with my dying dreams and hopes. Then, I met you two, and my entire life changed. And it was for the better. Without you, I'd be alone again... And to me that's worse than dying." Hazel smiled. "Besides, you're like the brother I never had... I've lost a family once. I won't ever go through it again."
Hazel felt a prickling sensation on her arm as Dillan's breathing became unsteady. Hazel just stood there, being the emotional crutch Dillan needed, all the while thinking about what she'd just heard. So you're not a pokemon... Come to think of it, that explains a lot of unanswered questions such as why you haven't recalled anything about Ganderosa while at the same time you've remembered things about your sister. At the same time, it's really hard to believe. But I'm going to trust you on this. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?
The minutes that went by had felt to Dillan like hours. He felt so relieved at Hazel's words. She trusted him. All of that worry, all of that fear, and it was all for nothing. After he had gotten a hold on his emotions, Dillan broke away from Hazel and whipped his eyes with his claw.
"Thank Hazel," Dillan said. "I really needed someone I could trust."
"Of course," Hazel said.
"Alright," Fitz' voice called out from down the cavern, startling the gabite. He'd forgotten all about the hakamo-o. "Now that that is over with, I would like to get down to business."
Hazel looked annoyed at the Hakamo-o's intrusion. She looked at Fitz with a scowl, saying, "We're still talking over here."
"As heart-warming as it is, I still have a job to finish."
"That reminds me," Dillan began. "Why are you here?"
"I was getting to that, hero," Fitz said with an annoyed tone.
"And you seem to know Valery closely. How is that? I mean, you're a thief, right?"
Fitz' fist tightened into a ball at that remark. "I am not a thief!"
"Then explain the Sapphire Star?" Hazel asked. She turned to Dillan as if hoping she got the name right. He nodded in acknowledgement.
"I didn't know it was so important," Fitz said. She sounded as though she was trying desperately to keep her tone on a civil level. "I thought it was just a trinket."
"That doesn't justify-"
"Can I please get back to the topic?" Dillan remained silent, seeing no reason for her to stay on this road of conversation. "Thank you.
"Now, you both said you were here for 'Queen Poison', right?" Who?
"Thalia," Valery corrected. Dillan looked behind Fitz to see the little mienfoo running down the cave to join the group.
Fitz didn't look back at the mienfoo, but continued. "What made you think she was here?"
"Our Guildleader," Dillan said. "He told us she was meeting with a group of nuzleaf on the road from here to Harrier Town, so we assumed they'd be coming here."
"Well, he was wrong," Fitz said. "There is nothing here but gems imbeded in the mountain-side."
"Nothing?" Hazel asked.
"Well, there is the door!" Valery said.
"Valery," Fitz scolded.
"They won't tell anyone!" the mienfoo said defiantly. "And this is Dillan for crying out loud!"
"That does not mean he is the-" Fitz stopped herself. She looked back at Dillan and Hazel. "The door is off-topic."
"What door?" Dillan questioned.
"The G-Gate, D!" Valery said with some sort of slang accent.
"Why don't you just show it to us?" Hazel asked as she smiled at Valery's comment.
"Great idea!" Valery announced. "Follow me!"
"Valery," Fitz scolded.
"What?" Valery questioned. "It won't hurt anything, Ms. 'I refuse to use contractions'. It probably won't open for them, anyways. Why not show them?"
Show us what? The door? And what door is she talking about?
Fitz looked at the mienfoo for a few seconds, contemplating whether this was a good idea or not. "And you're sure your arm will not..."
"Positive," Valery said enthusiastically. She walked right passed Dillan and Hazel while waving her arm. "Come on! I'll show you."
"Alright..." Dillan said. He began walking forwards, following the mienfoo. Hazel shrugged and began walking as well. Fitz trailed behind the group.
During the time the group had been walking in the cave, Hazel had asked Valery about calling herself Dillan's Guardian.
"I just make sure he doesn't get himself killed," Valery explained.
"So Dillan," Hazel began. "How does it feel to have an eleven-year-old as a guardian?"
"She's not elev..." Dillan began, but trailed off when he noticed Valery nodding her head. "You are?!"
"I mean," Valery began with a smirk. "I know I look older, but." She motioned her hands through the air in a circular motion before resting her paws on her chest. She then looked at Hazel and said, "How did you guess?"
"I knew a guy from my hometown who was a mienfoo."
"Really? Well, where are you from?"
"Labensia Castle."
"No kidding."
Hazel tilted her head and looked at Valery with a smile. "Why do you say that? Were you from Labensia, too?"
"Cirlynd. It's on the coast of Fericia."
"The port town?"
"So that what they used the docks for."
Dillan looked backwards to see Fitz was trailing behind. She seemed to be smiling out of the corner of her mouth at Valery. Then, he started to wonder. Maybe that was what drove the gabite towards his next descicion. That had to be the only explanation. What other reason did he have?
Dillan fell back towards Fitz and walked next to her. The moment he did, Fitz started scowling, but she didn't face the gabite.
"So... Thalia isn't here?"
"We already went over this," Fitz said coldly, not turning to face the gabite.
"Well, that sucks..." Dillan said sadly. "We came here to find her hoping she'd lead us to our friend, but if she isn't here."
"I guess you have no reason to stay, do you?"
Wow... She's being really harsh... Dillan smiled at Fitz as he said, "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot."
"No, I think we have a reason for not liking each other."
"And what's your reason?"
Fitz stopped in her tracks and grabbed Dillan by the arm, forcefully stopping him. "Why are you trying to get along with me?" she asked sharply.
"I-I-" Dillan stuttered.
"You what? Spit it out!"
"I-it's just that you and Valery are friends, and she's a good pokemon... I just... assumed since me and Valery are good with each other... that we... could be, as well..."
Fitz smirked at Dillan. "Listen to me closely because I am only saying this once. I do not know you, and vice-versa. But from what I can tell, you are a stuttering coward who has been thrown into something that is beyond him. We are not friends, nor will we ever be, so just continue waking and I will leave your face intact. Are we clear?"
Dillan just stood there with a dumb-found expression. He felt as though Fitz was ready to kill him should he make the wrong move. So he said nothing. But... Did she call me a coward?
"This is what I am talking about," Fitz said as she shook her head. "Just leave me be and I will try not to kill you out of disgust." She let go of the gabite and walked on.
As Dillan looked at her back, he noticed a trail of blood making its way down her left arm accompanied by what looked like a scab which made its way down near her wrist, just like Valery. But that means she's obviously working for the same pokemon Valery is. If she's on the same team, can't we get along?
"Hey," Hazel said sharply towards Fitz. The hakamo-o turned towards her and glared. Hazel met the cold gaze with her own.
"What?" she asked. "Are you going to fight me? Is it not strange? The last time we met, was it not you who wanted to avoid a confrontation?"
"Trinity!" Valery scolded. She looked shocked by her friend's behavior. "Stop acting like an A-class jerk!"
"Well?" Fitz asked Hazel.
"If you want to fight us, then do it," Hazel said. "If you don't, then stop attacking Dillan."
Fitz exhaled sharply before saying, "You seem oddly familiar to me... I'm not sure why, but..." She shrugged and walked forwards once more. "Never mind. We are almost there."
"What did I ever do to you?" Dillan asked. Fitz stopped in her tracks. She began looking at Dillan in the corner of her eye. "Or is it even me?"
"You don't deserve to know about me, so be silent and continue walking." With that, the hakamo-o went onward, not looking back at the pokemon she left behind. "Better yet, just leave this place. You belong somewhere else."
"Trinity!" Valery called out. She gave a sigh and turned to team Rapture. "She's not like this, I promise. She's actually really nice." She turned back towards the cave and darted onward, calling, "Come on, Trin! Don't be like that!"
"Don't listen to that thief," Hazel said. "You aren't a coward."
"Yeah..." Dilan said. Maybe not completely, but still... He turned to Hazel and said, "What are we doing here, Hazel?" Hazel opened her mouth as if to answer, but just stood there in silence. "We came here to find Ryan and Thalia, but they're obviously not here, so why are we following Valery?"
"They said something about a door..." Hazel said. "But I guess it doesn't truly matter, does it?"
"It isn't like it's going to tell us where Ryan is."
"Good point," Hazel said. She stood there for a few seconds before saying, "What now? We lost our lead..."
"Yeah..." Dillan began thinking about what to do next. "Well, we still have one."
"Right," Hazel nodded. "Seeing Lawrence would be a great idea!"
"Actually, why don't we head on to the Howling Plains? From there we could get the Sapphire Star, which could lead us to Ryan. If not, we still have Lawrence to send a message to Giratina's Isle."
"Great idea!" Hazel complimented. "So, wanna head out now? I mean, you said it yourself. There's no real reason to stay."
Dillan nodded. "It's a great idea." He looked back down the passageway. He felt Valery and Fitz walking out of his "Miracle Sense"'s range, after which they were gone. "And they're not stopping for us."
"Then let's go," Hazel said.
Dillan nodded. With that, they were off. He had no clue what lied ahead, but it didn't matter. Before, he would have been frightened for Hazel and his safety. But now, he felt as though a burden was lifted off of his shoulders. Not even Arlon's potential escape scared him. Why? Because he knew Team Rapture was stronger now than yesterday, and it gave him hope for the future.
(Kerroshia Region: Poltress Town)
Ryan got on all four, ready to fight the ghost-type pokemon, regardless of the potential collateral damage that encircled him. Isaac floated into the ground and out of Ryan's vision. The pachirisu grimaced. Dang it...
"I warned you about a confrontation," the voice argued.
Well, I can't focus with you in my-
Ryan's thoughts were cut abruptly by a set of knuckles digging into his chest that sent him spinning through the air. Ryan spread his arms and legs to get control of himself. It worked just long enough to see out of the corner of his eye as Isaac had come up from behind him with a shadowy fist pointed straight at his head. The pachirisu spun his tail and sent stars flying towards Isaac. Ryan was disturbed to see his stars pass through the dusknoir. Uh-oh...
"You're losing your touch, Mr. Simon," the voice snapped.
Isaac's fist made contact, sending Ryan even further into the sky. The cold air rustled Ryan's fur as he did back-flips from the attack. He cursed internally at his rookie mistake. Focus! Focus and kick his ghostly tail! Ryan's cheeks began to spark as he stretched his body out to stop his rotations. Thankfully, it worked. He had managed to stop his rotations in time to see Isaac's fist come at him again. This time, Ryan was ready. He felt the blue electricity arc out from his cheeks, making their way towards his opponent. Isaac was surrounded by the "thunder-bolt" attack, but he didn't stop. His fist once again collided with Ryan, sending him even further into the air. Ryan looked downwards and saw he was at least two stories off the ground, which was too high for someone of his size. At this rate, I'll pancake! Think of something, or it's all over!
"This is your end!" Isaac shouted. His fist came at Ryan once more. Only one thing to do... Ryan didn't make any attempt at stopping the attack. He watched through a grimacing face at the impending pain he was about to accept. A second before the fist made contact, Ryan slapped his paws onto it and held on for dear life. Unfortunately, it meant his entire body taking the force of the strike. He gave a shout of pain as the shadowy fist engulfed him. Even still, he didn't let go.
Isaac looked at Ryan with annoyance as the pachirisu sat on his fist. The dusknoir brought him his second hand and shoved it towards his opponent. Ryan saw the attack and – ignoring the dull bruise-like pain all over his body – jumped further up Isaac's arm. Isaac's attack made contact with his own fist. He gave a shout of pain as he drew his first fist back. He began shaking it, but that didn't stop the little pachirisu. He went up his arm and onto his face.
"This is your end!" Ryan shouted. He rubbed his cheeks all over the dusknoir's face. Sparks emerged all over Isaac's body as he shouted in pain. His hand came up and grabbed Ryan. He tore the pachirisu from his face and looked him in the eyes.
"I won't be beaten this-" Isaac was cut off by another burst of electricity from Ryan. He shouted once more and lost some altitude. It's working!
"This fight was decided when you were forced into the sky, fool."
Before Ryan could process what the voice told him, Isaac chucked him downwards towards the earth. The pachirisu viewed the dirt as the wind whizzed by his ears. He watched in horror as the ground below flew towards him like a freight train. If falling from two stories was bad, being thrown from one was catastrophic. All he had time for was to close his eyes and futilely brace himself for his own impending doom. That's when he felt two rough hands grab him by the back, interrupting the ground. The wind blew sideways as he came to a halt. Gasps erupted from around Ryan.
"Pathetic," a voice stated. Ryan opened his eyes and looked up, seeing himself in the blue arms of Thalia.
"Why..." Ryan stumbled in shock and fear. "Why are you..."
"I'm here because the Master doesn't trust you won't kill yourself in the attempt at solving such a menial task," Thalia said coldly. She dropped Ryan from her arms and he forcefully collided with her foot, then the sandy path.
Ryan stood up quickly and looked at a descending Isaac. The dusknoir was sparking, though he looked as though he was still able, and willing, to fight.
"Who are you?" Isaac asked with crossed arms.
"I'm giving you one way out of this alive,"Thalia stated. "I don't want to waste any more energy than I have to, but I will kill you if needed."
"Who are you to make demands of me?!" Isaac roared.
"I haven't made a demand, yet." Isaac's stomach lip twitched slightly at Thalia's comment.
"Go on," Isaac stated angrily.
"Get out of our way and let us deal with Spiritomb. If you don't, I will bury you."
"You're too pompous for my tastes, but Master Spiritomb shouldn't mind your sacrifice."
"Suit yourself," Thalia said coldly. She turned towards Ryan. "You've failed this match, so stay there and observe."
"This is my mission!" Ryan shouted.
"This became my mission when you accepted failure." Ryan wore an angry snarl as he stared at the nidoqueen. "Sit there."
Isaac's fist raced towards the back of Thalia's head. The nidoqueen quickly turned to face Isaac, her head bobbing out of the dusknoir's way. Almost immediately after he missed, Thalia's nails glowed purple. She jabbed Isaac's chest multiple times before her foot came up into his chest. Isaac doubled back from the assault. His sparking body turned a shade of purple. Thalia's horn began sparking as she jabbed her fist into his chest. Immediately after her jab, the dusknoir lit up like a Christmas tree from electricity. He gave a shout of pain as his fist came out and slammed into Thalia's side. She didn't seem fazed one bit by the attack. Instead, she raised her foot and slammed it into the earth. Ryan was shocked to feel vibrations in the ground. A house next to him collapsed, sending dust into the air. He watched as the statue in front of him split down the middle, revealing what looked like a hidden passageway. The ground began to crack from underneath the dusknoir. A massive ravine formed from right in front of Thalia. Isaac brought his arms to his chest and a force field formed.
"Protect won't save you!" Thalia shouted.
The ground split open from underneath Isaac. Thalia jabbed a fist at the shield and it dissipated. Isaac looked at Thalia with a wide eye as she slammed her wrists on his shoulders, throwing him into the hole below. Thalia brought her foot down once more and the earth shut on Isaac.
Ryan looked at the carnage caused by that singe move. "Earthquake..." he said in awe. In under a minute, Thalia had done exactly what she said she would: she buried him.
"Isaac?" a crowd member asked.
"He's dead," Thalia stated. Gasps echoed through the town.
"Liar!" someone shouted.
Thalia looked towards the crowd member with a scowl. "He was poisoned, paralyzed, and weakened from my attacks. He was too weak to shift through the ground, and he knew that. So he used protect. My attack forced his shield to go to waste, and I drove him into the ground. He's gone."
Ryan was speechless. He could only look at the small crack in the earth that use to be a ravine and think about the power Thalia had displayed.
"But he was our leader!" another ghost shouted. "How are we suppose to revive Spiritomb, now?!"
"Why do you think we're here?" Thalia stated. She turned away from the crowd and walked towards the statue. "Traitor."
That snapped Ryan out of his trance-like state. He got up and walked towards Thalia. The two pokemon reached the statue and stared down a flight of darkened, spiral stairs. The two began descending.
"You're concerned for the dusknoir?" Thalia questioned as she and Ryan were engulfed in the passageway's shadows.
"No," Ryan said flatly. "He's a murderer and a cult leader."
"But you still think he should have been left alive?"
"I never said that," Ryan snapped. "And stop interrogating me! This was my mission to begin with, and I would have done everything in my power to complete it!"
"So, you're afraid of me," Thalia said.
"No-"
"Of course you are. You're afraid you'll be useless to our group. Therefore, you lose one more route towards closure."
"Stop saying that word!" Ryan shouted. His words echoed throughout the staircase. "Just say exactly what you mean!"
"Why would I do that?" Thalia questioned. "Why use a phrase when I can use a word that gives the same meaning?"
Ryan shook his head. "Fine. Whatever."
"But that's besides the point," Thalia said as she stopped on the stairs. "You're too weak to do anything other than you're original purpose. Why the Master trusted you with this mission is something I cannot understand, yet won't question. Although, I personally think that expecting you to do more is putting you at a greater risk, and we need you for the end-game."
"That's what you guys keep telling me," Ryan said sharply. "But wait! You don't really need me! There's one other person who can take my job!"
"True," Thalia said. "Although, I wouldn't worry about him for much longer. The Master's already put a plan in place to test his loyalties once and for all."
Ryan grimaced. He didn't like the sound of that one bit. That settles it. My entire life is at risk... and it's all based on one test...
"Think of it this way," Thalia said. "At least now your fears are justified. They're still holding you back from serving the Master, but justified."
"G-" Ryan was cut off as Thalia slammed her paw against his body and pushed on his neck as she pressed him against the wall. He couldn't breathe, but that wasn't his biggest concern. Thalia looked outraged at the pachirisu. Her curled lips formed a massive snarl as her wide-eyed hatred bled out of her through an unsteady breath and flaring nostrils.
"Don't let your tongue slip!" she roared. "The Master's name is not to be spoken for fear of spies! Speak the Master's name and he will find another to fill your shoes, traitor! Do you understand?"
Ryan nodded his head as best he could what with the squishing of his throat accompanied by his oxygen-deprived lungs. Thalia drew back, letting Ryan fall on the step. Gasping for air, he looked up at Thalia with a scowl, though he felt very afraid. At this very moment, he realized more than ever that Thalia was not afraid to kill him, regardless of who's side he was on.
"Let's just... go," Ryan struggled to say. The bruise that began to form on his neck made talking difficult, let alone breathing.
"Don't forget that the Master needs you alive, but only because your usefulness outweighs your mistakes," Thalia warned. "If you force his hand with any more 'accidents' like this, I won't hesitate to end you." She gave one final glare before descending the stairs. Ryan slowly got to his feet and trailed behind. He didn't dare say anything more for fear of Thalia crushing him. At the same time, he couldn't stop worrying about being replaced. If that happens, I'll lose everything! I can't let it... I won't let it!
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Ryan noticed the familiar room at the end of the hallway. They entered the dimly-lit hall. Ryan looked over the empty stair-like, dirt seats across the stadium-like room that encircled the stage at the bottom. Stands with torches surrounded a stone that rested in the middle of the dirt stage. Details were hard to make out from this distance, so Ryan began descending the room with Thalia following closely behind.
When they reached the bottom, Ryan couldn't help but notice two wooden boards along the wall. He smiled at the boards remembering Hazel, Dillan, and his escape through the wall.
"Sentiments?" Thalia asked coldly.
Ryan scowled at the nidoqueen. "He saved my life that day," he stated.
"Yet now you're his enemy. Interesting."
"Focus on the mission, not me." Ryan turned away from Thalia. "And stop reading my thoughts!"
"Give me a reason to trust you won't turn," Thalia said.
Ryan ignored the comment and put his focus on the stone in front of him. "So this is Spiritomb?"
"Yes, Mr. Simon," the voice stated from in Ryan's head.
"What do I do?"
"You will do nothing. Thalia has more than enough instructions on how to proceed."
"Then why am I even here?" Ryan asked.
"A test, Mr. Simon. All my followers must be tested first-hand, including Thalia. You, however, have failed this test."
"Then I'm fired?" he asked sharply.
"Of course not. I will find another task for you soon enough. As for now, you will be an observer to Thalia. Afterwards, she will be watching you. You work for her now. Anything she says, you follow through. Understood?"
"Master," Thalia said with a bow. "I accept the responsibility, should it be your will."
"It is, Thalia."
Great... Now Lizard-Lips is my commander?
"Is that an issue?"
"No..." Ryan said apprehensively. "Master..."
Thalia came up from her bow and scowled at Ryan. She then put her attention towards the stone. "Then let's begin."
She walked over to the torch and knocked it over onto the floor. Some red, glowing, hot coals spilled out onto the stage. She then walked over to the stone and began tracing her claw over the engraving. There as what looked like a crack running down the middle of the stone with two divots on either side.
"So how does this work?" Ryan questioned.
"You stand in silence and observe," Thalia stated as she turned the stone in her paws.
Ryan rolled his eyes. Fine... Why I'm not trustworthy after nearly a month of this crap is beyond me...
"Stop complaining about trust." Thalia said coldly. "You've done nothing yet to prove your loyalty, so stop expecting favors from me."
Ryan hated when Thalia read his mind. He had no idea how it was possible. Maybe it was through their Master. Maybe she had some sort of untapped ability. Whatever it was, he didn't care for it.
Thalia's left paw held the stone at the bottom while she stretched her right one towards the coals. Ryan was horrified to see Thalia pick a few coals out of the embers with her bare paw. She didn't grimace, but merely set two coals into both of the divots, giving the stone glowing eyes of fire. Thalia set the stone on the floor. She then set five coals around the rock and walked back to Ryan.
Thalia stood up straight and looked down at the stone. She stretched her arms out and opened her palms, allowing Ryan to see the charred scales of her hand. Thalia closed her eyes and muttered, "The Master took you from this world in a time that has long since passed. Since then, you have been deprived of heat and light. May the coals in your eyes serve as a dim beacon of hope in your time of need to guide you back to this world. Spiritomb, the Master beckons your return. Awaken from your slumber to serve the Master's purposes once more."
The stone on the floor sat there, motionless. Ryan stared at it for a few seconds, expecting something to happen at any moment. Then, it did. The red-hot coals in the stone's divots seemed to crack. Then, they shattered into one-thousand embers. The embers seemed to disperse into the stone's divots and trail themselves along the crack. The embers around the stone began to glow a brighter shade of red. Then, they turned purple. Ryan watched in amazement as the stones rose into the air above the stone. They began to spin, leaving a small, purple trail of light. The air itself became stagnant and dry.
Ryan felt a shudder run down his neck. He didn't know where this was going, but it looked very bad. He took a step back to feel safe: to remind himself that he still had the option of running. No! Running would mean quitting, and that's not going to help me with Thalia... He watched as the stones spun faster and faster. They turned upright in the air, creating a ring of purple light. A gust seemed to pick up from out of nowhere, blowing Ryan around due to his lack of weight. Nevertheless, he held his ground. The second torch and its stand fell over from the wind. The flame went out and the embers stopped glowing. The only source of light left was the purple ring. Then, even that went out. It left them in complete darkness.
Ryan sat there, stationary. His rapid heart-beat was drowned out his unsteady breath. He knew that normally he felt invigorated to fight. It gave him a sense of comfort to know that he could protect himself. In this circumstance, there would be no fight. It would be a slaughter house, and he would be the animal.
"They said I was crazy to side with him," a deep, unsteady voice echoed throughout the dark chamber. Ryan turned around, trying to find the source of the voice, but it sounded as though it was on all sides. "They said I should have been afraid of him: that I should have abandoned Poltress Town when I had the chance!"
A grinding sound came from behind Ryan. He whipped around to face the source, but was blinded by the darkness.
"They said I shouldn't have trusted you, Thalia!" the voice roared.
"Hello, old friend," Thalia stated.
"Friend?!" the voice roared. "You call me friend, yet I've been wandering around in that stone for so long, I've lost track! And who's fault is that?!"
"Be calm," Thalia said.
"Calm?! You want me to be calm?!"
"Akuji, calm down," Thalia demanded. "Now."
"You can't order me around anymore!" the voice, Akuji, shouted angrily.
Ryan saw a small purple circle appear out of nowhere. The circle began to grow in diameter very rapidly in front of him. Ryan watched as the circle grew three times his size. Yellow globs surrounded in green appeared on the surface of the purple disk. Ryan watched as a green, zig-zagged mouth appeared on the disk. It smiled maliciously at Ryan. Two half-crescent, green eyes appeared. One had a twitching swirl inside of it as if that was the pokemon's pupil. It unnerved Ryan greatly to see this creature in front of him. He wanted to run. Something about this creature terrified him just as much as the Master did.
"I'll kill you first!" Akuji's voice rang out from the disk. Each word felt like a knife being dragged through Ryan's courage.
"Akuji, the Master wants you to return," Thalia announced.
The purple disk stopped growing. It stared at Ryan, eyeing him for a few seconds before turning to the left. "What the h-"
"Stop your foolishness," Thalia said.
"Foolishness?" Akuji asked. "Foolishness?!" The room grew in brightness, leaving the dimly-lit room they had been in. Thalia was scowling at the spiritomb as he drew closer to her. "I spent so many years in that stone! I don't even know what happened to the Great War! And it's all the Master's fault! You seriously think I'd consider joining that lunatic?!" He looked left and said, "Oh, what do you know?! . . . Well, that's just great! Why don't you come out here and tell him that!" Is he... talking to himself? Ryan didn't know whether to feel better about that, or freaked out.
"You seem to be forgetting who put you in that stone, Akuji," Thalia said.
Akuji stared at Thalia with utter frustration. "Team Rebirth assaulted my home and killed my citizens! How do you expect me to forget that?! I was sealed in that damned stone for years because of the very master I served!"
"And he can put you back," Thalia said flatly.
"I-" Akuji stopped himself. He turned away from Thalia and looked at the ground. "What do you want? . . . But- . . . But what if he- . . . Yes, I get that, but-"
Ryan wanted to know what they were talking about. Thalia called him friend, but the Master said he'd been locked up in that stone since Ganderosa's Civil War. How is it possible that Thalia knew him long enough for them to be friends? She would have to be nearly one-hundred to have been born in that time period! He was about to speak up when he was interrupted.
"If you wish to know more, prove your loyalty."
How am I suppose to do that with Thalia hanging over my neck? She was here today in the blink of an eye, so she was watching me the whole time!
"Having Thalia as a back-up plan in case you fail is logical. You will have chances to prove yourself under Thalia's supervision."
Ryan gave an internal groan. As much as he hated it, he had no other options. Fine...
"But she's a witch!" Akuji said aloud. He paused for a few seconds before cursing loudly. He turned to Thalia and said, "They discussed it and say it is in my best interest to work with the Master once more!"
"And what do you say?" Thalia questioned.
"I say screw you, lady!" Akuji shouted. "But I agree with them, so let's go meet the Master!"
Thalia smiled lightly. "It isn't that easy, Akuji. First, he has a mission for you involving someone who has been in our way for some time now."
"And what about it?" Akuji asked.
"The Master wants you to complete the task."
"And that is?"
"Kill a few pokemon for him. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Hold on a minute," Ryan cut in. Akuji and Thalia faced him, both wearing annoyed expressions, but Ryan didn't care. "So you're spiritomb, correct?" he asked Akuji.
"Who's this runt?" Akuji asked. Ryan felt his anger rise in his chest. He would have retaliated if he didn't fear what Thalia may do to him.
"This is Ryan Simon, the Master's latest pet project," Thalia said with disgust.
"Orange or blue?" Akuji asked.
"What?" Ryan asked with shock at how stupid the question sounded.
"That isn't your mission," Thalia said. "You need to find and kill some pokemon, remember?"
Akuji sat there for a few seconds before saying, "Yes, I hear her! . . . It's not like that! . . . Oh, not you, too! Get a hold of yourselves! . . . I'd rather kill her, but that isn't an option! . . . Yes! Ignoring her is the best choice of action, but-"
"Akuji!" Thalia snapped.
"What?" Akuji shouted. "Can't you see I'm busy?"
"The Master's mission," Thalia said.
"Whatever," Akuji said. "Just tell me who I have to end, and I'll do it!"
"Team Armageddon," Thalia said.
Ryan grimaced. He hadn't heard that name since he was with the Guild. "What?!" he shouted worriedly.
Akuji looked at Ryan with a raised eyebrow. "What's wrong with him? And no, I don't think it's poke-pocks!"
"He's sentimental," Thalia said. She turned towards Akuji and said, "Just ignore him and focus."
"Fine," Akuji agreed.
Ryan felt like tearing himself apart. Here he was trying to earn trust while these two were shutting him out.
"Calm yourself," the Master said.
"So, who's Team Armageddon?" Akuji questioned.
"A problem that has gone unsolved for far too long. The Guild managed to destroy most of them, but there are still a few stragglers."
"Just give me their names, species, and where they were last seen, and I'll be off!"
"Peterson the Plusle, Titus the Black Charizard, Molan the Greninja, and Ignitus the Infernape. Each of them must be eliminated by next week. Understood?"
"Screw you!" Akuji shouted. He faded into the floor and was gone. Thalia looked away from the spot where Akuji was and walked towards the exit of the room.
"So I'm assuming he's not with us," Ryan said.
"What did I tell you when you came back to Team Rebirth?" Thalia questioned. Ryan stood there, motionless. He moved his paw to his barren arm. He looked down at where his purple buff use to be. "I told you to cut your sentiments."
"I remember," Ryan said coldly.
"Then why are you still dwelling on what happened to your enemies?" Ryan didn't have an answer for her. "That's why you panicked at the mention of Team Armageddon, correct?" He still had no answer. He felt the anger and hatred for the nidoqueen rise in his chest. His paw began to shake, and his heart was racing at a million miles an hour. Thalia looked at him. Her lip was curled and her eyes were narrowed angrily on his body. "You're disgusting. Why you aren't just replaced is beyond me."
Ryan had no way to hold back. All the anger, all the work, all he'd given up... he recalled the hopeless feelings he'd felt when he was with his family. He remembered wanting to escape his feelings. He remembered the same feelings coming back to him right before he left Adelina the first time. They were the same feelings he'd been trying to avoid when he rejoined Team Rebirth. All his doubts and worried overwhelmed him. The only thing Ryan could think about in that moment was his brother Luke.
Ryan barreled towards the nidoqueen. He shouted in rage at Thalia. He spun on his heels, swishing his tail as stars flew forwards. After his spin, before the stars could reach Thalia, he lunged at her, teeth bared. Thalia didn't look away from the attack. She just looked straight at Ryan. Thalia moved around the stars at the last second. Her paw came out and spun. It collided with Ryan's cheek, throwing him left into the stands. He slammed into the dirt and bounced. Hitting the edge of another step, he came to a stop. Thalia looked at the stars that were still intent on attacking her. She took the full-force of the attack, unfazed by the move. Then, she walked up to Ryan.
He felt too weak to fight her. The damage he'd sustained fighting Isaac came back to haunt him in this latest fight. Ryan's vision started going dark.
Thalia knelt down next to Ryan, scowling at him. "The Master wants you alive and intact, so this is all I am allowed to do. But don't take that to mean I will not do whatever I can to make you submit to me. You're my pupil now, and you follow whatever I say. Do we have an understanding?"
Ryan shut his eyes. He didn't care what would happen to him if he didn't talk. Instead of going along with Thalia's words, he listened to her thumping feet as they grew quieter and quieter. Maybe it was exhaustion that prevented him from hearing Thalia's steps. All he knew was his consciousness was slipping away. The last thing that went through his mind was his brother Luke's face, accompanied by the feeling he'd been trying to avoid this entire time: hopelessness.
(Author's Notes)
Hey guys! MasterKnight2142 here!
I'm gonna be honest with you guys, I was (and still am) really worried about this chapter due to the massive amount of exposition. Didn't know how to cut it out or make it shorter without removing something from the chapter, so there you go!
I'm gonna start trying to keep this section brief for the sake of not wasting anyone's time, so here you go! :D
Shout-out to "Amoebic", "prof2", "X007", and "atthaphanhinrunyapuck" for favoriting/following the storY! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
Anyways, thanks for reading! I'll see you guys in the next chapter!