Pokemon Legends: Sinnoh Saga
Chapter 35
The Big Galactic Battle
"Hey, were those boxes always there?"
"Of course they were! Even if you didn't notice them before, boxes don't just move on their own!"
"Will you two shut up! Cyrus is about to speak!"
In a large open room in the Team Galactic HQ, just about every grunt remaining in the organization had gathered. Though there were no seats or tables, the room obviously served as a meeting area. There was a tall platform at the front of the room, upon which a blue haired man in a Galactic uniform stood, ready to make a speech. A pair of cardboard boxes sat off to the side of all this. Unbeknownst to the grunts, one of those boxes contained Dawn.
What does it say that this video game logic works so well? Dawn wondered. Oh, right. Team Galactic are idiots. I just wish I could see from inside this box...
As Cyrus, leader of Team Galactic, finally took the mic, the grunts gave a loud cheer but fell silent as he prepared to speak. "Fellow members of Team Galactic! Hear me!" Cyrus bellowed. "My name, as I appear to you today, is Cyrus. This world of our's is a crude one. In a word, it is incomplete. It has been, and always will be, a struggle to survive in this world."
Wait, what's he going on about? Dawn wondered, Cyrus's speech already losing her.
"We humans and pokemon are likewise incomplete," he continued. "Because we are all so lacking, we fight, we maim..." Cyrus's voice lowered. "It is ugly."
Well what does he expect? Some zen-like awakening and we rise to a higher existance or something? Dawn rolled her eyes. This guy... just what's his problem? Come to think of it... I'm sensing that weird non-aura again... could that be him? Could he have been the one at Celestic Town? Dawn was really wishing her box had eye holes now, but she knew someone might see her then.
"I hate the incompleteness. That we are all incomplete, I hate it with my entire body and being. The world should be complete. The world must change." Cyrus was briefly interrupted as the grunts cheered again. He motioned for silence, then continued. "Then, who will change it?"
Does he think he can change it with the lake pokemon somehow? Dawn wondered. Or does it have something to do with the pokemon they keep in balance? I know he's definitely going to say he will change it though.
"Me, Cyrus. And Team Galactic. Yes, all of you," Cyrus said, confirming Dawn's suspicions. "Together we pored over myths and exposed their secrets. Together we captured legendary pokemon. And now, Team Galactic has obtained the energy to change the world! The power of dreams is in our grasp!"
Yeah, in your dreams! Dawn thought, frowning. I think what really annoys me is how passionate his speech is and yet how empty his soul is. How can he do that? Maintain such a facade while keeping everything bottled up inside him? That's why he doesn't give off an aura! It's like he's dead inside! How can someone so dead give a speech like that!
"Understand it, fellow members! My long-held dreamworld is on the verge of becoming a reality," Cyrus said, his speech finally coming to a close. "All those headed to Mt. Coronet, and those who remain here... Though our missions differ, our hearts beat as one! Let there be glory for Team Galactic!" The grunts erupted into loud cheering and applauding now, praising Cyrus. After a moment of this, Cyrus left the stand and disappeared into a door in the rear.
That settles it! I'm definitely taking this guy on! Dawn thought. She was eager to go after him now, but knew there was an amy of grunts in the room. Weak though they might be, she wasn't confident she could take on so many at once.
Fortunately, while Dawn couldn't actually see out of her box, she could still feel the auras of the grunts in the room. They were fairly slow to depart but after a minute or so they started to leave. By the time Dawn was finally taking the box off, the room had been cleared out entirely.
"You know, I think the only thing weirder than that working..." Dawn gave the other box next to her's a good kick. "Is that someone else had the same idea!"
"AHA! So you have caught me again!" Dawn held back a groan when she heard the voice, immediately recognizing it. The box was cast aside as Looker stood up, grinning. "But! To see you here, it is quite a surprise! Do you not think it is a bit too dangerous for someone such as yourself to be wandering around here?"
"Looker, I'm going to be blunt. I probably have a better chance at getting through here in one piece than you do," Dawn said, folding her arms. "I mean, how many pokemon do you even have? Do you think you could take on the grunts with your pokemon? I know I can. And have. Repeatedly. They're pushovers."
"Ah, I suppose that would be my one weakpoint..." Looker said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "It seems you have not only a knack for disguising yourself not unlike my own but stronger pokemon. Furthermore, you did disrupt their operations at the Valley Windworks..."
"Right, well, unless you have any objections, I'm going after Team Galactic's glorious leader there," Dawn jabbed her thumb back in the direction of the speaker's platform. "Well? Any issues?"
Looker shook his head. "No, do whatever it is you are going to be doing. I shall continue to investigate Team Galactic, as it seems there may be another person of interest here. So for now, let us part ways!"
"Couldn't agree more!" Dawn replied. With that, Dawn and Looker left the meeting room, each heading in a different direction.
Down in the underground hangar, the gym leaders had their hands full against Charon's creation. They each had at least one pokemon active and launching attacks while the robotic tank moved forward. It had yet to attack, but was enduring the gym leaders' attacks quite easily. But Wake seemed to have an idea.
"Everyone! Stand back!" Wake called out with a grin, taking a pokeball in each hand. "My boys will take care of this! Floatzel! Gyarados!" The pokeballs in his hands opened, releasing the two pokemon. "Attack that thing with Brine, both of you!"
Floatzel and Gyarados nodded and opened their mouths to fire a stream of water at the X-ATM092. Unlike a regular water attack, the water they were shooting at their opponent was composed entirely of salt water rather than fresh water. This didn't seem to make any difference, though. The water splashed harmlessly off the tank's body.
"Fool. Don't you think waterproofing was one of the first things I considered for such a creation?" Charon, still displayed on an overhead monitor, said to Wake. "Furthermore, I am prepared to deal with your pokemon quite swiftly. Observe."
The X-ATM092 opened one of its giant claws and pointed it toward the two water pokemon. A slot in the middle of the claw opened and electricity charged along the inside of the claws. Two bolts of electricity then fired out in quick succession, striking the two water pokemon. Floatzel and Gyarados roared in pain and Gyarados immediately collapsed while Floatzel seemed to just barely remain standing. Wake immediately recalled Gyarados.
"Tch!" Wake clenched a fist. "This thing is just full of surprises!"
"Then allow me!" Fantina called out, taking a pokeball in hand and releasing a banette. "Banette, phase through it and strike with Thunderbolt!" Banette nodded and quickly flew off toward the X-ATM092. Banette flew over it and stopped, then tried lowering herself into the machine by going incorporeal. To her surprise, a jolt of electricity shot through her when she tried and threw her back.
"You will find I've had extensive experience with ghost pokemon and have developed defenses thusly," Charon said to them. The X-ATM092 reached back with one of its claws and grabbed Banette. The same barrier that prevented her from entering the machine now kept her firmly in its grasp while sending electricity through her body. Shortly after, a rather large jolt shot through her and knocked her out. The tank then tossed the unconscious ghost aside.
"So even ghosts will not work..." Fantina mumbled in disbelief. Worried about further attacks, she recalled her banette.
"We're not out of options yet!" Candice yelled, taking a pokeball in each hand. From those pokeballs, she released Abomasnow and Glaceon to join her previously released Froslass. Upon being released, Abomasnow's ability triggered an indoor blizzard to blow throughout the hangar.
"Froslass! Glaceon! Blizzard, freeze it solid with the full power of the storm Abomasnow's making!" Froslass and Glaceon focused their power, taking control over the storm and directing all the ice and snow within it toward the X-ATM092. Ice began to form over it, but didn't seem to impede it in the slightest.
"A decent effort, but not quite good enough," Charon said to them. "Now, witness the true firepower of my creation." The X-ATM092 extended its other claw this time and another slot opened in the middle. Rather than electricity, a wide stream of flames shot out from this one. Froslass and Abomasnow were completely swallowed up by the flames and almost instantly dropped, but Glaceon took only a glancing blow that scorched the left side of his back.
"I'm disappointed. Is this the best Sinnoh's finest can do?" Charon taunted the gym leaders. "Then allow me to end this quickly. Your usefulness as test subjects has expired." The X-ATM092 crouched down as Charon spoke and folded its claws in front of it. Its speed began to increase as it moved across the hangar, quite obviously intent on ramming the gym leaders.
"Bastiodon! Block it!" Byron called out. Bastiodon, already released from its pokeball to fight Charon's creation, quickly moved forward to block the X-ATM092's path.
Roark looked between his father and Bastiodon with a determined expression, then to his own pokemon. Ramparados stood ready, waiting for commands from Roark. "Ramparados, we're not backing down from this! HEAD SMASH!" Ramparados nodded and charged forward while Byron looked at his son in shock.
"Hey! I've got this! Leave the blocking to the defensive pokemon or your Ramparados is going to get hurt!" Byron said to him.
"I can handle this!" Roark shot back bitterly. Today, he was quite eager to prove he could handle himself. Ramparados charged in to attack X-ATM092, head lowered. As he approached, the robot slowed down and extended a claw, meeting Ramparados' charge with a swift blow to the head. The claw was knocked back by the force of the impact but seemed to be undamaged, but Ramparados dropped unconscious almost immediately.
"D-damn it..." Roark grumbled. After one attack, his strongest pokemon was out cold. Swallowing down his pride, Roark recalled his pokemon.
"Roark, I don't know what your problem is but now's not the time!" Byron yelled at his son. His own pokemon, Bastiodon, stood completely undeterred in the X-ATM092's path. The X-ATM092 came to a stop as Charon considered whether or not his machine could get past it.
"Using the Block technique, no doubt," Charon mused. "Hitting that at full speed could prove disasterous. I will have to seek other means to deal with this nuisance."
The X-ATM092 opened both claws and aimed them at Bastiodon. From one claw, a stream of flames fired out. From the other, a blast of electricity. Bastiodon growled in pain as he was struck by both, but continued to maintain his position. Bastiodon was an incredibly defensive pokemon, he would be able to take quite a bit of punishment before going down.
"Lucario! Now's our chance!" Maylene called out to the pokemon standing before her. "Get in there and attack with Force Palm! Aim for the face!"
Lucario charged across the hangar while the X-ATM092 was busy with Bastiodon. He channeled aura into his paws as he made his approach and jumped into the air, then came down toward the 'face' of the robot, which consisted of a pair of large red panels. Lucario struck out with one paw, striking between the panels and letting loose a wave of aura that tore them apart.
"A useless gesture," Charon said, knowing what the gym leader had been trying. "So long as we are battling in here, I can still...
"Roserade, Leaf Storm!" Gardenia called out, cutting Charon off. Roserade leapt into the air and spun around, unleashing a massive barrage of leaves. However, they weren't aiming for the X-ATM092. Instead, the leaves shot into the screen and speakers, destroying them almost instantly. With the screen destroyed, X-ATM092 stopped its attack, finally giving Bastiodon a break.
"One more move should end this monster!" Byron said, taking another pokeball in his hand. "Magneton, Thunderbolt! Aim for the hole!" From the pokeball, a magneton emerged and immediately began charging electricity across its three unfused magnets. Spotting its target, it fired a bolt of electricity. The bolt hit its mark, entering the hole ripped open by Maylene's lucario. The machine started shaking and produing sparks as electricity flowed into it, then finally collapsed.
"Well THAT was more difficult than it should have been!" Candice said, folding her arms. "I just wish we could still see that guy's face. I bet his expression would have been priceless!"
"Looks like we're finished here, in any case," Byron said. "Alright, everyone, move out. Look for an exit and check for anymore traps. We were careless coming in here, we can't afford that anymore." The rest of the gym leaders voiced their agreement and immediately set to work exploring the rest of the hangar, all the while being cautious incase the X-ATM092 wasn't as lifeless as it seemed.
However, Byron stopped one of the gym leaders before. He reached out and put a hand on the young man's shoulder to stop him. "I think we need to talk, Roark." Roark stopped, but he didn't say anything. "Wanna tell me what that attitude is about?"
"...Why? Why did you take Dawn with you instead of me?"
Byron frowned. "Because I thought you could handle yourself without me. Though it seems I might have been wrong about that." Byron released his grip on his son's shoulder. "We'll discuss this later. For now, you don't do anything unless I tell you to." With that, Byron left to join the others in their search.
"Guess I screwed up..." Roark muttered to himself, clenching a fist. He relaxed his hand after a moment and then went to join the others as well.
"You don't stand a chance against me, you brat!" Mars said, grinning as she took a pokeball in her hand. "Golbat, go! Attack his pokemon with Poison Fang!" The pokeball opened and a golbat emerged from it. The golbat immediately flew toward Pips, fangs bared...
But was stopped midway. A yellow, humanoid pokemon carrying a pair of spoons suddenly appeared between Pips and the golbat. When it appeared, a blue aura surrounded the golbat. It was then smashed into the floor repeatedly, rendering it unconscious by the time it was released from the psychic power that gripped it. Seeing her golbat so easily defeated, Mars stared at the new arrival in shock.
"Meet Abs, my alakazam," Lucas said to Mars. "I wasn't bluffing when I said I had stronger pokemon. And now, I finally have them. So, you won't be winning this time."
"Don't get cocky over this win! I still have two pokemon left!" Mars shot back. Despite her tough words, she was sweating now as she recalled her golbat. "Bronzong, go! Deal with this pest!" she called out, releasing a floating bronze bell pokemon. Just as soon as he had heard the name, though, Lucas was already taking a pokeball in his hand.
"Mags, go!" Lucas called out, releasing another pokemon next to his Abs. The pokemon that appeared was five feet in height and rather chubby looking. Its body had a flame-like design on it and its arms looked like cannons.
"Mags, Fire Blast!" Mags took aim at Bronzong with its right arm and fired a large ball of fire. The ball of fire expanded, taking a shape similar to a stick figure just before finally hitting Bronzong. Bronzong groaned as the flames heated its body. The flames then exploded, blasting Bronzong into the floor and shattering the tiles. The pokemon tried to float back up again, but it was too weak and dropped back down.
What's with this kid's strength all of a sudden! Mars wondered in disbelief. Why did he have such strong pokemon and not use them before!
"You know, it's been a while since my pokemon have gotten a decent workout," Lucas said to Mars. Mags and Abs nodded their agreement. "It's a bit disappointing that your pokemon keep falling in one hit. If it's going to be like that, then my guys won't have any fun."
How dare he talk down to me! Mars thought, gritting her teeth. But no matter what way I look at this, I don't stand a chance at beating him! These pokemon are just too strong! I have no choice, I'll have to fall back and regroup at Mt. Coronet! Mars recalled Bronzong and then turned and fled down the corridor.
"Guess she's going to be boring then," Lucas said, shrugging. His pokemon, save for Pips, frowned in disappointment. "Well, we're done here for now. Let's see if we can find the others."
"I see. So your project has failed, Charon?" Cyrus said into an ear-mounted communicator. "No matter. We're done here. Even if this headquarters falls, it will make no difference now. Have all available personnel move to Mt. Coronet." Cyrus walked to the center of the computer room he was now in and grabbed a red string of crystals from the table there. "The plan proceeds."
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"
"...But it seems I have one more issue to deal with. I will leave as soon as it is dealt with." Cyrus clicked a button on his communicator to turn it off, then searched the table in front of him. Various papers, books, and tools were spread out. With his free hand he grabbed a paper and pen and wrote something down.
"Don't you dare just ignore me after saying that!" Dawn yelled from the room's entrance. "There's no way I'm going to let someone like you get away with all this!"
"Is that so? So you heard my speech then..." Cyrus turned to face her, now holding the paper in his hand along with the chain. Dawn could feel a strange, powerful aura from the crystals. "I had a feeling you might show up, but I did not expect to see you until I had reached Mt. Coronet."
"Hmph. I bet you think you have all the answers, don't you!" Dawn shot back.
"Indeed." Cyrus replied. "Do you recall the pokemon that was sleeping at the bottom of Lake Verity? You were playing with it, one day. It seemed quite attached to you, specifically."
"Yeah, I remember. What about it?" Dawn asked. She didn't care too much for why Cyrus would know that. In addition to the auras from the crystals, and the distinct lack of an aura from Cyrus, Dawn could feel three powerful but wavering auras nearby. She had a feeling what Cyrus was about to say next would tell her what those were.
"That pokemon is here, as we speak. No doubt in quite a bit of pain, I might add," Cyrus said to her, his expression almost completely blank as he spoke. He noticed Dawn flinch when he mentioned the part about Mesprit being in pain. Good. That was the reaction he wanted.
"However, I have here a special code," Cyrus held out the paper to her. "Put that into the main computer in the containment room and it will release the lake pokemon. I have what I need from them, so it matters not to me if you release them. The room is just down the hall."
Dawn growled and quickly reached out, snatching the paper from Cyrus. "I'll be releasing those three, but I'm definitely not finished with you!"
"Of course not, I wouldn't expect any less," Cyrus replied, placing his hands behind his back, fingers idly fondling the chain of crystals he held. "I will be heading to the top of Mt. Coronet now. You do whatever it is you think you're going to do." Without another word, Cyrus moved past Dawn, heading down the same hall just outside that he directed her to.
"Damn him..." Dawn growled, clenching the paper tightly in her hand. Freeing the three lake pokemon would now take priority over chasing Cyrus, even if he had been lying about the code. She was sure whatever the pokemon were confined in was something she could break somehow. As she finally took off down that hall as well, part of her mind was telling her that she should have expected this. Afterall, wasn't it still too early for a final boss encounter?
The corridor that Dawn had charged down eventually split off into two directions. One seemed to lead to an exit, as evidenced by the white and red 'exit' sign over it. The other seemed to be some kind of computer room. The corridor bothered Dawn, though. It suddenly seemed as if she had charged straight into some kind of sci-fi horror movie, running past vats full of strange green liquids and scientists mumbling about what they were made to do.
I get the feeling that whatever Cyrus did, it wasn't very nice, Dawn thought, then finally reached the end of the corridor and entered the room. She froze when she saw, and felt, what awaited her.
Not very nice at all, she thought upon seeing the three vats in the room. Like the ones in the corridor, a strange green liquid filled them. In addition, though, each also contained a pokemon. Dawn could feel powerful auras from them, and could also feel their pain. The three pokemon in the vats were suffering. One of those pokemon she immediately recognized as Mesprit.
Dawn rushed toward the first computer that she saw, pushing two men aside to get at it. In her haste, she didn't even notice who the individuals were. She didn't particularly care, either. They were both knocked to the floor while Dawn took the crumpled paper in her hand and looked it over, then started hitting buttons.
"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!" One of the two men, Lt. Commander Saturn, angrily demanded as he bolted back onto his feet. Noticing that Dawn was just hitting buttons without pulling up any kind of prompt on the screen, Saturn groaned. "Nevermind that, you don't even know how computers work! You can't put in a code like that!"
"You can," the other man, Commander Charon, said with a wry grin as he finally stood up. "If the computer was programmed to recognize it."
"I got this code from Cyrus himself, he said it'd free the legendary pokemon!" Dawn said, not even looking up from the keyboard in front of her.
"Free the legendary pokemon?" Saturn asked in disbelief. "But why would he even DO that! You don't even need a code for it! You just have to press the release button!" Before Saturn could finish speaking, Dawn had finished entering the code. As expected, the pokemon had not been released, though a timer had now appeared on the screen. Dawn was confused by this, and Saturn looked to Charon for an answer. "What kind of code is this?"
"A very special code!" Charon replied. "One only Cyrus and I know about. You see, that code..." A twisted grin spread across Charon's face. "Was the self-destruct code."
Hearing this, Dawn looked at the screen in utter horror. Not only had she been tricked, but in the worst way possible. Not only was Cyrus going to be rid of her, but the gym leaders as well. Dawn had to think of something fast if everyone was going to get out alive.
She had less than thirty seconds.
Author's Notes: I think I might be starting to enjoy writing Cyrus, and making his actions actually match his personality. He's going to create a new world, right? So why the hell should he care about what happens to anyone in this one? If he has to blow up a building and sacrifice his entire 'team' to get what he wants, then big deal. Purgatory justifies the means (it's supposed to be Utopia, but...)
Well, I'm sure the building will be evacuated in time anyway. How long did they have again? ...Oh yeah. Huh. That'd be just enough time to ensure whoever activated that code could get to the nearby, conveniently-placed exit warp, and probably not much more than that.
Cyrus's speech was taken DIRECTLY from the in-game dialogue, btw. Didn't feel any need to change that.