Chapter 37: Rise of The Empire (Part 2)
When we last left our heroes, they were on their way to save their friend Ash from the clutches of Guardians who were now in their final stages of preparations on the revival of their old king. With very little time and so many things to do and so many questions left unanswered, the gang had to put the peddle to the meddle if they would have any chance at all in saving their hero from the clutches of history.
But… they were not the only ones who were part of this long war. In the distance, the old council of the once great empire stood against this tide of power, hoping to hold this darkness a little bit longer. But with such little strength and their powers drained of all life, they stood little chance like a strong oak tree against the typhoon.
(Somewhere along the seas of fort Gregro)
Richie and the rest of the gang held on to whatever objects they could find so they wouldn't fall off due to the strong winds that were gushing against them. Though the island itself was a fortress, the place was indeed a place where no man would land without a death wish. It almost looked like mother nature herself had taken the enemy's side and lended them her powers to manipulate the very weather.
"This is bad!" said Brock as he struggled to hold on to the railing while his other hand was busy holding onto a map. "If this wind keeps up, we'll be blown out to smithereens!"
"May be we could take another approach!" yelled Tracey from the back of the boat.
But Richie wasn't gonna back out now. The faster he gets this boat on that island the faster he gets to save his friend. "There's no time to turn back now!" he yelled out while putting everything he's got onto the steering wheel, "If we turn this ship around, there won't be a next time!" with a push on the peddle, the boat began to go even faster than before. Drake must've put some sort of customized engine, cuz no legal speed boat could possibly go up to 300kph now could they?
Just when they thought that it was all over and that they were gonna die from the sea, the boat made miraculous come back and sent them straight towards one of the empty landing beaches on the southern part of the island. Luckily for them, the patrol that was supposed to be here just left a moment ago, which should give them enough time to gather up their courage.
Max and Richie wasted no time in packing. The moment the winds shifted, they gathered up their Pokeballs and supplies and prepared for a rescue mission. Brock would've been proud of them if only they actually knew what they were doing. Sure they had the gears and equipments for the task but they even know what they were doing or what strategy they were gonna used? If he's lucky, these two wouldn't go to the front door and politely asked for them to give back Ash now would they?
"Come on guys, let's go!" Richie ordered which most of them acted almost immediately.
"Hold on Richie!" Brock halted them, "We don't even know where Ash is. He could be anywhere on this island" suddenly, a great light resonated from the nearby mountain which totally screams evil from any point you look at it. With a wave of Richie's hand, the whole group followed him to wherever he may go.
The gang rushed through the forest not caring about the thorns and bushes along the way.
(Rustboro city hotel)
Delia was once again wide awake, not letting a single thing blink pass her by without notice. She could not sleep nor could she eat. Her sixth sense began to tingle bit by bit and it was becoming stronger by the second.
Fortunately, the storm had finally ended and the people of the city were celebrating some sort of festival to greet the night. Fire works were launched into the sky decorating the stars with its magical lights. Though it may only be a few second short, it still illuminated the skies quite beautifully.
Right after the last drop of rain fell to the ground, the professor wasted no time in getting the next tickets to Valmarian city. In fact, he wasn't surprised to see hundreds of people lined up in front of the ticket counter. People even decided to camp outside the airport just so they could make it to the greatest competition the world has to offer.
"Ash… please be ok…"
(Fort Gregro, hallway)
"Hmmm?" Chaucer turned his head around as he thought that he heard a voice coming from the distance. He scanned the area with his psychic abilities but still… nothing.
"What's the matter Chuacer?" Hagard called out from behind. "The ceremony is starting in a few hours. You don't want to be late" the yellow Lucario nodded, "I thought I heard something… it must've just been the wind"
(Back with the rest of the gang)
Richie and the gang weren't exactly having the best of times. Just as they thought that they were getting closer to the mountain protected fortress, the forest seemed to lead them to another direction. They've been wandering the woods around thirty minutes now and with the time of the planet eclipse coming close, they will have to find Ash soon or the whole human race will perish. But of course… none of them knew that the world was at stake.
"Where are we now?" asked Drew who was fluttering his jacket to keep off the heat. Though it was still nighttime, running around an island for thirty minutes doesn't exactly relaxes one's body. "I think we're on the other side of the island" Tracey replied holding one of his sketchpads. The young little Pokemon observer was trying to map the place as fast as he could, but with the gang racing against time itself, it was hard to keep up.
"This is hopeless!" Richie yelled out, "We'll never find Ash like this!" in a sudden burst of anger, the boy pounded his fist to the ground hoping that some sort of miracle could save them.
"This forest is like a maze" Brock inquired, "If we this up, we'll probably be going around in circles"
But Richie wasn't about to give up yet! "Well… the only thing we can do now is to keep moving forward!" and with that, he gave out a stare that would make everyone do a forced march. Nothing was gonna stop this boy… not even death itself would have the guts to show himself here, seeing that the end of the world was fast approaching.
(Valmarian city) (07:45 PM)
After meditating at the park for awhile, Gary decided to take a stroll around the city. The disturbing offer from his friend Red rang through his mind like a messenger that awaited an answer. The suggestion made by that boy was as troubling as the roaring skies above. As he walked down the empty street lane in downtown central near the fire department, something in one of the gift shops caught his eyes.
An old Pokeball looking medallion in the shape of an Arcanine dangled along the pile of hundreds. It was part of a large set, from Pokemons ranging from the cutest to the fiercest of monsters.
"Hey gramps" Gary called out to the old salesman who was just about to close up shop, "How much is this?" the old man took a quick look at the product and smirked, "Oh that? I was planning to throw those away in a week or two. But if you want it, you can have it" Gary gently nodded in respect and took the Arcanine medallion.
Who knew that something that nice would cost nothing at all? I guess no one really does appreciate arts anymore.
But just as the gang boss was about to make a quick retreat back to his suite in five star hotel, Gary caught sight of Jaques who was still being the loyal lapdog. He has been trailing the boss ever since he began his fight against the other gangs. The guy was afraid that one of their rival gangs would come and make a sneak attack on the boss, so he decided that it would be best to keep an eye for him. It didn't matter where Gary went, he would follow him like a boomerang coming back to its wielder.
"You're still here?" Gary asked in a humorous tone. He didn't mind being followed around twenty-four-seven, it just didn't seem right that's all. Jaques didn't reply, he just stared at him, making no attempts to strike a conversation.
After several minutes of smiling like an idiot, Gary approached the blonde haired Pokemon trainers and handed him the medallion. "Here…" he said calmly. Jaques willingly took the gift but was struck with a great awe of confusion. With no more words being exchanged, Gary decided that it time to turn in. He'll be needing all his strength to fight tomorrow.
An Arcanine…… the Pokemon symbol… of loyalty.
(Fort Gregro, narrow corridors) (08:00 PM)
The four original members of the Guardians awaited patiently outside the altar room as Pallet walked in to perform the ritual. Only a few hours remained until the planets aligned with each other, making a imbalance in the cosmos. During that time, the earth will have the ability to do almost anything, and at that moment, the powers of all magic would gradually increase a thousand folds. And with that amount of power at the palm of Pallet's hands… he will use it to bring back the fallen king from the boat of the afterlife.
But as Sha-hear waited for the fifth member to give them a report, a Murkrow flew in by the window and gave him a message he didn't want to hear. "Murk murkrow!"
The white Lucario's eyes widened slightly but then turned back into their original forms. He then waved off the bird Pokemon and turned to the rest of the unit. "It appears… we have an intruder" Rosa gave him a sharp look which did not go unnoticed. "Who…?" she asked in a threatening tone.
"We do not know" he replied, "Our patrols have discovered a boat near the west side of the island. It appeared to have made landing an hour ago" it was then Chaucer spoke up, "I'll have the chosens double security around the keep"
But before the yellow Lucario could even think of moving, Hagard stopped him, "No Chaucer!" the green Lucario yelled, "We're at the most critical stage of our plans. We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted by such inferior matters. Let the patrols take care of them. We are needed here!" he heightened the last part of his sentence slightly. But then at the same time, the door to the altar room suddenly opened, making a loud bang sound when it slammed against the wall.
Coming out from the room was Pallet himself, dressed in ceremonial robe and holding the magic staff of Kear "What is the problem?" the boy asked the four Lucarios. Hagard gladly answered, "It appears we have some intruders on the island. But it is nothing to worry about. We should have the situation contained in a matter of hours" but then Chaucer had other things to say, "I suggest we tighten security around the palace. We don't know what these humans are capable of!"
"Don't concern yourself Chaucer" Pallet waved him off, "They won't get through the forest of mist… and even if they do… I think our soldiers can take care of them" just when he finished his sentence, a great beam of light ensued from behind catching the attention of everyone in the narrow corridors. "It's time…" Pallet once again grew out a grin and walked into the altar room with the rest of the Guardians.
Inside the altar room stood several artifacts from an empire that is long forgotten and a boy… whose fate… would decide the world.
Ash was sleeping on a stone pedestal with his face so peaceful and calm. The roof on top of the castle keep was open, letting the stars shine brightly along the room. If one should bring a disco ball here, it would definitely be a worthwhile light show.
"It's here! The constellation is finally here!" Pallet yelled out in pure joy as he gave upon the planets that had aligned together above the castle keep.
(Back with the gang)
Richie and the remaining members of the gang dashed through forest of mist once more only to find themselves on the other side of the island. No matter how many times they tried going straight towards the mountain head on, they always seemed to find an obstacle that makes them turn the other way around.
"Not again!" Tracey yelled out as he pulled the hair on his head. "We'll never get there if we keep this up!" suddenly, something caught the eyes of the Drew, "Hey guys…" he pointed at the sky, "Look at that!" the whole gang turned their heads to see one of the most amazing sights ever. A great majestic beam was shooting at the skies going for billions and billions of miles across space. "What is that?" Max asked. But it seemed like nobody knows the answer.
"It looks like some sort of constellation or something" Brock let out a wild guess not knowing how close he is to the truth. Letting the stars become their guide, Richie decided to follow the planets instead of following the mountain.
(Back with the Guardians)
As the four Lucarios wait as Pallet did all the complicated ritual preparations something odd began clinging onto Rosa's mind. Was what she was doing the right thing? Was it right for them to take a life from the humans? Was it right for them to take an innocent child's life to serve their own purpose?
The pink Pokemon shook her head violently to remove the thoughts away. She was not doing this to serve her purpose. She was doing this for the sake of all Pokemons and the sake of the natural balance of the world.
"Rosa?" Sha-hear called her attention, "Is something wrong? You were out for a moment there" but she just waved it off, "It… its nothing. My mind is just weary that's all" but then suddenly, a strange wave of power surged throughout the land like a tsunami overthrowing the trees.
Anything and anyone that could feel this powerful force would quickly shake in fear. The Guardians were of no exceptions as well. They knew this power well… and it could only belong to those they once served…… the councilors of the Empire.
"W… what is this? Did any of you feel that?" Hagard said hoping that he wasn't going crazy. Sha-hear visibly sharpened his eyes as the hatred for those illusions grow larger by the second. "This power… this aura… (sniff sniff) There is no mistake… it is indeed the old councilmen of his majesty. But… how is it possible?" it was then a thought struck him, "Where are the torches?!"
"I believe we left them back at the temple when we moved our operations here" Rosa answered. But that only made Sha-hear angrier than before.
But no one was angrier… than Pallet himself, "No…" he said quietly, "Not this time… not anymore! Not again… Sha-hear, Chaucer, Hagard!" the three said Pokemons stiffened as their names were called up. "Take the army and stop them! Rosa, you guard the front door. No one will interfere with my plans… NO ONE!" with a snap of his fingers, the four members of the Guardians vanished to accomplish their designated tasks.
(In a campsite just outside the fortress gates)
A few kilometers away from the main strongpoint of Fort Gregro, three men sat along the campfire near a giant boulder that seemed to have been lodged there for about two million years ago. "Do you think we got their attention?" asked the newly resurrected Furo as he put his staff on his back. His question was soon answered when they all began hearing angry cries of Pokemons coming from within the walls. "Yeah… I think we got their attention" Noeh said as he put out the campfire with a bucket of water. Being killed then brought back from the afterlife wasn't exactly a joyful ride for any of them.
"Come on… I think our hosts are finally coming out to greet us" said Loin with a smirk. "It would be unwise to ignore such hospitality" But then something panged at the back of Noeh's head. "That reminds me: Where's Azal?"
"I sent him on an errand" Loin replied, "Don't worry… he'll meet us when the time is right. Come on… it looks like they're getting impatient" the guy wasn't kidding. If one could hear the roars that were coming from the other side of that wall, he would probably think that it would be wise to stay on this side than to go onto that side.
(Back with the gang)
Just as the gang made their way through the woods by following the stars, they were finally able to reach the slopes of the mountain which encircled around Fort Gregro. "We… we finally… huff huff we finally made it!" said Richie as he panted like a dog that had been running around chasing his tail. "But how are we gonna get into the mountain?" asked Max. "It'll take us a whole day if we go around it looking for an entrance"
"Max's right" Brock added as he placed his hand up to his chin, "From what I've seen so far: This mountain covers just about everywhere around the island. We'll need to split up and (crack…) Huh?" Just before anyone could possibly think of what was going on, a sudden crack caught the gang's attention. Apparently they were standing on a soft spot somewhere near the mountain area and just as the god predicted… the slope opened up faster than any of them could even believe. The gang held on to the surface for as long as they could, but unfortunately for all of them, the hole on the ground began to rumble causing anyone who was left on top to lose balance and fall down.
The slide they went through lasted for about three minutes if one was correct. At first they all believe that they were gonna die or something, but after the first few slides and jumps, they began to think that this trap was kinda fun. After they finally reach the end of the nature made ride, they somehow found themselves inside the mountains… but more importantly… they found themselves inside the fortress.
"Woo hoo! Who's up for round two!" yelled Duplica as she was the last who came out of the ride. The gang gave her a 'shhh' sound signaling her to shut up before she draws attention to herself and the rest of the group.
"Where are we?" Tracey asked as he took a peek through the bushes. "It looks like we're in the lair of the Pokemons that attacked us earlier" Brock noted as he gazed at the many Pokemons that were around the area. If any of them made any sudden move, they can kiss their career as Pokemon trainers goodbye.
"Pikapi…" (Ash) Pikachu mumbled as he pointed to the top of the castle. For some reason… the little yellow mouse seems like he got a sixth sense for the boy.
"Can you sense something Pikachu?" Richie asked. Pikachu simply nodded and pointed at the top of castle again. "Ash must be in there" the boy said balling his fists.
"But how are we gonna make it through all of those Pokemons out there?" May ask worryingly. She could take on a few Pokemons on her own, but the ones in armors seemed to be way tougher than your average Pokemon. "I'd say we charge them!" Dawn suggested which was automatically refused by everyone around. Going out there with no plan at all seemed like to be inviting death to have a tea party with you.
"Hey guys, look!" Tracey said in a whisper. As the gang silently watch the huge army of Pokemons roaring angrily at something, three Lucarios appeared out of the blues and began ordering the troops around. "Hey!" Todd noted, "Isn't that the Pokemon that attacked us on Drake's ship?" he was talking about the Yellow Lucario, Chaucer.
(With the Guardians)
"All troops! Assemble to me now!" Sha-hear ordered with a defining yell. "Hagard, you make sure the air units and prepared to attack from above. Chaucer, you gather up the reserve troops and we'll head out. GO!"
"Yes sir!" the two of them said in unison.
"Open the gate!" the white Lucario demanded which was complied too almost immediately. With him leading the grand legion of the king and Chaucer and Hagard by his side, they were now indeed a force NOT to be reckoned with unless you have a death wish.
(Somewhere in the river of the afterlife)
The grim reaper was dancing around as he just received some list of the new victims that were coming today. With permission from the 'higher' authorities, he was allowed to be a temporary captain of the cruise liner 'The Flying Dutchman' due to the amount of souls that were about to come today. His usual boat raft wasn't gonna cut it that's for sure.
"Hey… what's a dead guy gotta do to get some service around here?" asked the grim reaper to the undead crew.
(Back with the gang)
"Look guys! They're moving out" Misty said as she took a peak through the bushes they were hiding. As the Pokemon army move away from the castle courtyard, and through the main gate, the whole group took the opportunity and dashed off into the castle.
"Great! Now's our chance to get in and save Ash!" Todd suggested in a whispering voice, but then Max had to decline, "But it will take us forever to search that castle" the boy was right though. The castle was too big for just the few of them to search on their own. And Ash could be in any of those rooms.
"Ah, I got it!" Brock boink his hands together as he thought of a brilliant idea. He then began searching through his bag and miraculiously pulled out an old Pokemon league cap. "Hey Pikachu" the squinty man called out, "Do you think you can get Ash's scent from this?" Pikachu began sniffing the cap's exterior and interior getting the old sweat onto the electrical mouse's nose.
"Alright Pikachu… can you smell Ash's scent?" Max asked his friend's Pokemon. The little yellow mouse then began sniffing through the floor with great amount of concentration, and after a few minutes, his nose caught onto something familiar. (Pikapikapi!) he shouted then dashing off into the main stairways. "I think he smells something!" Anabel inquired as she was the first to follow it. The gang didn't fall far behind.
Surprisingly for everyone, the castle seemed to be unprotected for some reason. There were no guards no soldiers and no staff to protect the hallways. It was like the place had been completely abandoned just minutes ago.
But right now, none of them cared about that. The only thing that mattered was to follow Pikachu until he reaches Ash…… or at least they hope so.
"Come on guys! Pick up the pace!" Richie yelled out to the members who were following behind. The ones that were being left out were Tracey, Todd, Drew and Dawn. "Oh boy… when this is over… huff huff… remind me to start doing work outs" said Tracey as we wiped the sweat off his bandana.
With no time left to lose, the gang hastened their pace once more through the long parapet staircase that seemed to stretch on just like that time when they got to Kear's tower. But of course, this one was much shorter and they didn't have a Kabutops chasing them every step of the way.
(Back with the councilors)
Loin, Furo and Noeh stood upon a giant rock right outside the castle next to an empty plain which was wide enough to support a huge army. "Looks like that's our welcoming wagon" Loin humored as the gates of the fortress opened up before them. Hundreds of upon thousands of Pokemon began pouring through those metal barred doors like a swarm of ants covering the horizon. At the center of the army, Sha-hear, the white Lucario stood at center with his blades ready to tear through the bones of his enemies. Hagard stood on his left flank and Chaucer on the other giving out angry glares at his opponents.
"Azal is late" Noeh noted that one of their members was not with them. But Loin kept his cool, "Don't worry too much Noeh… or you'll be growing white hairs in your ears in no time. Come on… we can still do this even with just the three of us"
With the three counselors, Loin, Noeh and Furo marching down with nothing but sticks and strength on their backs, the Guardians ready themselves for one heck of a battle that would ultimately determine the face of the old empire.
"What are our odds of winning Loin?" Furo asked his friend. But truthfully… the guy could care less about winning. "Our objective here is not to win Furo" he began, "Our mission… is to keep the Guardians busy… while Ash's friends make their way to the castle and rescue him. Our lives today is as expendable as it were two million years ago. But no matter what the cost, we cannot let the enemy turn back! We must keep their gaze fixed upon us and nothing else…"
(A/N: Now would be a good time to say 'Keep them blind to all else that is moving' but that would just be redundant wouldn't it?)
(Altar room)
Pallet place Ash in the chambers of rituals as he prepared for the return of the king. No words and thoughts were exchanged on that moment. Just being with the only person he could call a friend… and a family was more than enough for the boy to live. Wasting no time at all, Pallet removed the arm length glove on Ash's right arm and touched it right at the tip. "Yes… this is the one" he said quietly to himself.
Right after confirming that the mark was real, Pallet lifted the young Pokemon trainer with some sort of telekinetic ability. Taking every inch of the process with precision beyond precisions, Pallet place Ash in a small pool that seemed like a mystical pond or something.
(Back with Sha-hear)
The white Lucario gritted his teeth like a log through a saw mill. It was true that they had the advantage in numbers, but facing against the greatest minds of their time wasn't exactly what I would call… an even battle. The Pokemons know of the danger that they are about to face, but it wasn't gonna stop them from bringing back their old king.
"Chaucer, you take the left, Hagard, you take the right" Sha-hear ordered, "I'll take the center……" with one wave of the guy's paw, the Pokemons began to move out with their own roars, making it look like a battle that would be worth a million songs. The two sides approached first by walking, after a minute they begin to jog and then after another minute… they sprint…
With both groups just a few hundred meters away from each other, Sha-hear called out to the army, "Soldiers of the Empire…… charge!!!"
"Raaaaarrrrrrr!!!!"
(Castle keep, 12th floor)
As the gang kept running the stairs like crazy following Ash's scent through Pikachu's little nose, they began hearing some sort of fight going on outside. "Come on guys!" Richie ordered, "Let's keep up the pace!" those who lagging behind were Tracey, Todd, Drew and Dawn.
"W… wait for us guys" the young sketcher pleaded in an exhausted tone. Climbing up the stairs brought back some painful memories when they were climbing up into Kear's tower. But at least now they didn't have a Kabutops chasing them all the way to the top floor. "If we make it out of here alive… huff huff" Drew said as he breathed between words, "I'm going to start working out again"
But just when the gang were about to reach the top floor of the castle, an Ursaring, Linoon and a Pidgeot dressed in gold full combat armor stood in their path like they guarding the place with their very lives. The moment the three chosens caught sight of the humans, their eyes visibly sharpened with anger. With their renewed vigor coming from hatred for humanity's sins, the three Pokemons unleashed their attacks at the gang which forced them to go back two levels.
"Everyone, run!" Misty yelled as she picked herself up from the ground. But Richie wasn't gonna back down because of just three Pokemons. If one would see him now, you would either accuse him of ignorance or stupidity rather than courage and bravery…… or was that the same thing?
"Sparky, Pikachu, Thunderbolt attack!" the boy ordered which the two Pokemons followed to the letter. The two Pikachus unleashed a powerful strike which was more powerful than anything the world has ever seen in a hundred years. But the Chosens were not going to be taken out that easily. After shrugging off the paralysis status off, Ursaring charged up a hyper beam attack from its mouth and launched it towards the boy, but luckily for Richie, it only missed him by an inch.
"We'd better double back!" Brock suggested, which was probably a good idea… for all of them. With the whole gang agreeing to the idea, they dashed off back down the stairs to find a new way to the top floor.
(With Rosa)
A sudden rumble around the narrow corridors alerted the pink Lucario as she was meditating in front of the steel bared doors. "Hmm? What was that?" she quickly returned to her meditative position and began scanning the castle grounds one by one.
As she focused her mind and ignore all the physical sounds of nature, a vision flashed through her mind faster than anyone could say 'Tango'. She could see the fight between the chosens and the humans. She could see them coming closer towards the top floor. And as the minutes passed by, she knew that she had to do something to… 'welcome' her guests.
(Back on the battlefield)
"Hyaaaa!" Noeh unleashed a powerful flurry of attacks against a couple of Wartortles as they tried to wash him away with their watergun attacks. "Come on you dum dums! It's gonna take more than that to take me down!" he taunted out having one of the goons reply, a green flashed came through catching him off guard. "Oofff!" the two million old man grunted.
"It looks like you're losing your touch Noeh" said Hagard, the green Lucario. But the old councilor simply smirked at him with his quarterstaff on his back. "Hagard… my old friend" he began, "It's been too long… I almost didn't recognize you" they both gave out a chuckle, which was kind of odd for two who were fighting for their very lives. "But you are correct though" Noeh replied with a normal smile, "I haven't been exercising for two million years now. May be a little stretching will help loosen things up!" and with that, he charged at the Pokemon with his staff, landing a slight blow on its shoulder.
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On another side of the battlefield, Furo was rapidly taking down the smaller Pokemons with his hand held powers. He knocked out many of his opponents away, but after a few minutes of fighting, he began to feel somewhat weak within his chest. "Gahhh…" he fell on his knees. "Ok… note to self: Don't exert too much power" but then his rest was soon interrupted when a yellow figure laid its foot on his nose. "Ooofff!" he grunted as he made several backward rolls on the ground.
"Didn't I tell you to never let your guard down Furo?" it was Chaucer, the yellow Lucario. "I'm disappointed… I thought I taught you better than that"
The old councilor didn't really know who it was until he finally got his face back up from the ground. Furo swiped away the dirt on his cheeks and let out a semi friendly smile, "I'm sorry master" he said sarcastically, "I guess I haven't been doing much of my homework"
Chaucer was gonna let out a laugh, but then he noticed one of his very (x 2000) old students was missing, "Hmm? Odd… where's Azal? I thought the both of you were stuck like brothers" Furo let out a chuckle, "Sorry master. I think he's currently looking for a present for you. Besides… the three of us have a lot of things to catch up on"
This time, Chaucer could not contain his laugh. "Hahahahaha! That's the little Furo I remember… always a joker… and never paid much attention in school"
"Don't get me wrong master Chaucer. You're a wonderful teacher… it's just the subject I'm not really interested in" Furo smirked, letting out bit of a laugh at the end. Chaucer saw this and quickly became irritated, but he knew that his old students wouldn't be interested in his words of wisdom. "Even after all these years, the two of you refuse to grow up" he said with a sad smile. "I wonder how you two even got admitted to the chamber of councils" but before the two of them could continue with their minor chat, a small battle cry caught their attention.
"Oh oh…" said Furo as he gazed upon the tattered grounds, "That doesn't look good"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
At the center of the battlefield, Loin was fighting for his life against the Groundon that he unleashed a few days ago back at the palace. He was clearly regretting making that thing enemy. "Grrr!" he scowled, "The next time Azal brings back a pet, I'll have to make sure it's harmless!" he then gave out a galliant charge at the beast's head and smacking it right out of its poor misery. At first, the giant fire breathing Godzilla felt a bit light headed, but then after a few more smacks on the head, the beast fell to the ground with a defining crash, making some of the nearby Pokemons to lose their morale. The shake was so powerful that it even made a puff of smoke which hid everything under a thin layer of dust.
"Phew… That's one heck of a st…" he never got to finish his sentence when a blade came from above catching him a bit by surprise. The blade missed him by a strain of hair, and a string of his cotton jacket leaving nothing but a mess on his fashion.
Once the smoke finally cleared, the sight of his attacker only made Loin smirk heroically. "Well well well… if it isn't the great captain Sha-hear himself. It's an honor…" the man let out a slight sarcastic bow, but the white scared-eye Lucario did not smile. In fact… his face consisted of nothing but seriousness. His eyes were focused, but did not show anger. His mouth was locked in a line form, making others unsure if he was either smiling or frowning. "I guess it's too late for me to beg for forgiveness isn't it?" Loin said with a smile from ear to ear. And again, Sha-hear did not reply… he only stood there, with his blades drawn and an expressionless face imprinted on him. "(sigh…) I guess there's no point in talking with you now, is there?" with nothing more left to say (there wasn't really much to say anyway) the two of them began fighting like there was no tomorrow. (Well… for the human race, there won't be much of a tomorrow)
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"Geeze… Sha-hear is taking this quite seriously" Furo said with a grin facing his old master. "Yes… that guy could never take a joke" Chaucer replied with the same smirk. But then all of a sudden… the two of them grew serious, "But it doesn't matter now!" the yellow Lucario began, "Come at me Furo! It's time I'd show you… how masters punish their students!"
(Back with the gang) (11:30 PM)
Back in the castle keep, things were not that different. The gang members were now being chased by the powerful chosens of the Guardians. No matter how many times they turned through intersections or go up and down a stair case, the Pokemons suited in gold armors were everywhere. By the time they lost them, they had already lost three hours of their time.
"Come on guys… this way" Tracey suggested as he climbed up the stairs in a very exhausted state. As a matter of fact, the whole gang was dead tired… even Richie himself thought that he had lost five pounds after running for so long. But even though they were tired, that did not mean they were gonna stop now. Gathering their strength from the bowls of their stomachs, the gang once again began their ascend through the ragged staircase, taking every floor with caution. If they meet those Chosens again, they wouldn't be able to sprint like that ever.
"Alright Pikachu" said Richie to his friend's Pokemon, "Can you get Ash's scent from here?" the little mouse nodded and began sniffing once again for its master unique smell. Rows upon rows of hard marbles lined the steps with every inch of the way. The sight of such a long staircase made everyone wonder: how much more do they need to climb to reach the top?
As the minutes went by like sand through an hourglass, they finally reached the end of the long road. (Pi? Pika pikachu!) Pikachu began pointing towards a largely barred door which looked like it was meat to withstand a siege. The metal plates on the side held as firm as it was the day it was built. Its reinforced steel cages were like those that you use in prisons and that complex opening device at the center was a clear call sign that this thing wasn't gonna open unless you know the password.
Ash's Pikachu pointed at the door gesturing to the rest of the gang that their friend was in there. "He's in there?" Dawn asked to which the little mouse nodded in reply. Before anyone knew it, Richie was already heading towards the door to ram it with his own body weight. But then something caught Brock's sharp eye. A thin line of string was laying just a few feet from the door, it was attach to several sharp objects, and… "Richie! Look out!" the squinty eyed man didn't need to analyze the whole thing to know that it was a trap. The moment the thing was activated, Brock and Todd pulled the boy out just before the arrows pierced him like a balloon.
"Whoa… thanks guys…" Richie apologized for his recklessness.
"That's ok Richie" Brock smiled, "But let's take things easy from now on ok? We wouldn't want to get ourselves chop and sawed before we hit the road to Valmarian city"
"But unfortunately for all of you… your road ends here" the gang turned their heads to the sound of the voice which appeared in front of the steel door. "I will not allow you to interfere with our plans…" it was Rosa… the pink Lucario.
"A Lucario?" Max yelled
(Back on the battlefield) (11:43 PM)
Chaucer laid a fist (paw) on Furo's chin sending the guy towards the wall on the other side of the battle zone. The fight between student and master wasn't exactly the most cheerful of battles, because it almost resembles a fight between families. "Had enough, boy?" Chaucer asked as he fell to the ground on his back completely exhausted from the fight. But Furo only smiled back at his taunts as he too fell on the ground, "What? Is that all, my great master can take? Come on now… I thought you were better than that"
Many Pokemons of different kinds and elements littered around the ground heavily injured like they've just gone through a massive beating of a life time. Even though there were only three attackers, the councilors had proven to be a force deadlier than the creatures of the sea.
"Insulting as always aren't you Furo?" the yellow Lucario replied with a smirk. Some part of his left eye was swollen, and the cuts and bruises robbed the Pokemon of all of his fighting strength. Right now, those two just want to have a little chat before the whole thing blows over "You haven't changed one bit"
"I could say the same for you master" the old student replied wiping the dirt off his face, "Even after all those years, you still use the same old dirty tricks"
"That's because the past is the link to the present. Through history come the present and the present comes the future. It's basic timeline knowledge"
Furo chuckled, "Strange… I don't remember you teaching logic in our class master" his eyes turned sad as his thought were mildly preoccupied.
"I learned that from Hagard" Chaucer answered back, "He may be crazy at times, but the man knows what he's saying…… sometimes"
"Yeah… the only thing you were ever good at was teaching us how to fight" once the two of them finally recuperated from their short break, they stood up on their feet and got back into battle positions. "I guess break time is over………. Let's end this…"
"Yes… let's"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Loin and Noeh were now fighting side by side against Sha-hear and Hagard at the center of the battlefield. The Pokemon army that was supposed to be near invincible was now defeated but fortunately for them, none of them seemed to be in fatal conditions.
After three intense hours of non-stop fighting and powers being cast from one side to the other, the councilors managed to pierce through the first line of the fortress's defense making the entire area go up in flames like a raging inferno. But Sha-hear still had more surprises up his sleeves. With a trick move he learned back from the old days, he took Loin's feet by surprise and pinned him down to a death-by-death position. "Give it up Loin!" Sha-hear said finaly. "You cannot hope to defeat all of us! The human race face is destined for extinction and you know it as well as anyone!!"
But those words only made the man angrier, "That is not something for you to decide!" Loin pulled out his arm and blasts the white Lucario off him. "The day of extinction is still far from now!"
"The human race is nothing more than a parasite!" Sha-hear countered, "Their existence alone consumes the world of all its life. They must be destroyed!"
"THEY, have the right to choose!" Loin quickly pulled out his quarterstaff and slammed the tip part against Sha-hear's head sending him flying towards the castle courtyard.
Seeing the battle turning against their favor, Hagard whistled out loud and in the reserve units that from the back of the base. With the army restored to a portion of its size, Loin knew that this distraction plan was gonna be harder than he thought.
"It's over Loin…" the white Lucario said with a serious death like tone as he stood from his prone position, "There's no chance for any of you to escape. Surrender now… or be destroyed"
The situation seemed to look a bit tight for Loin and Noeh at the moment. Surrounded by Pokemons with claws that can rip your skin to shreds, with very little strength left to fight…… the condition of their battle seemed to hit rock bottom. But like the people say: When things hit the ground level… there's no other way but to go up!
"Oh… I think I'll take my chances" Loin stated as he pulled out a smirk from his lips. The two Guardians looked at him confusingly until they felt a sudden rumble coming from the mountain. Before anyone could even recover from the fight, an explosion occurred which grabbed everyone's attention in an instant.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rayquasa, the long green dragon of the North Pole, one of the greatest, largest and longest Pokemons ever to fly across the skies of the world… had appeared before them. Its roar was more powerful than fifty Crowbats combined using super sonic. Its size and length was so long that if it wanted, it could actually encircle to castle three times and then biting its tail at the end. (kinda like Jormunganda but way way way smaller)
(Castle Keep narrow corridors)
As the fight on the battlegrounds continued to rage, Rosa was busy keeping the gang which now had the reaction to call 'annoying whelps' busy. She kept dishing out shadow balls and other attacks but Pikachu and Sparky seemed to be more than a match for an ancient Pokemon such as her.
"This isn't good" Brock stated as she saw the anger in Rosa's eyes. It was burning with determination to protect the door even with the cost of her own life. "We need to find a way to get through that door or we'll never get to Ash!"
"We need some sort of a distraction" Misty suggested as she took cover behind one of the pillars. "Something to block her eyes for a minute!" however… no one had any idea on how to stop the mad raging Pokemon from her guard duties. With only one point of entry and no way to out flank the pink Lucario… Todd thought of a brilliant idea. "I got it!" the photographer yelled out, "Give me five minutes and it'll be done in no time!" he suddenly took out his cameras and began tampering with the lenses. "All right… now here's the plan… (whisper whisper)"
(Battlefield)
Sha-hear and Hagard withdrew from the main defense line of the fortress as the old councilors snapped back at their heels. The Rayquasa that Azal lead into the castle grounds was making a good mess out of things. With a giant dragon hovering over the area, it felt as if defeat was almost inevitable. "Hmph!" Sha-hear grunted as he dodged another one of Rayquasa's attacks. Seeing that the situation was getting worse by the minute, he waved up his hands and ordered to the Pokemons behind him, "Titans, move out!" in an instant, a Zapdos, Moltres and Rosa's Articuno flew up from their nests and attacked the giant dragon that haunted their skies. With three legendary Pokemons up in the air and a whole battlefield left desolated on the ground, Azal knew that it was time for him to join in.
"Hmm… looks like things are getting way too much for me up here" the man said as he gazed around the burnt fortress. He then turned to Rayquasa's ear, "Alright buddy. I'm leaving the rest up to you. Happy hunting!" even though the guy was at least a hundred feet off the ground, Azal jumped from the back of the long green dragon and made landed on the ground smoothly as silk itself. By the time he got there, he met Loin and Noeh who looked like they've just been through a sauna bath or something, "Hey guys, the cavalry's here!"
"You're late!" Noeh yelled back with a sarcastic angry face. Azal quickly waved his hand defensively and gave out a sweat drop on his forehead, "Hey, catching Rayquasa wasn't exactly an easy job you know" ignoring the glare that Noeh was giving him, Azal turned to Loin who was gazing up at the exterior of the altar room.
"How much time do we have?" Azal asked his companion. Loin took a look at his watch and made sure that it was telling the correct time. Every second that counted seemed to draw closer to humanity's end. "Three minutes…… probably less" he replied with a sigh at the end. Azal simply chuckled which was quite amazing seeing that the end of the world was coming. How can someone remain so calm when he knows when death was nearing?
(Castle Keep, narrow corridors) (11:57 PM)
"Zippo, Sparky, I choose you!" Richie called out his Pokemons next to him along with Ash's Piakchu. "Blaziken, Eevee, Squirtle, come on out!" May ordered which was then followed by Anabel, "Espeon, Alakazam, come and help me!" with eight Pokemons by their side, Rosa felt like she was gonna have a bad day. With a single motion of their hands, the Pokemons unleashed a powerful attack altogether. Rosa saw this and quickly activated two of her attacks. Double team and protect! (Hey I've just learned that in Japanese they call Double Team 'Kagebunshin' which means shadow clones!)
With Rosa split into dozens, the eight Pokemons had to pick their targets wisely or they'll be having one heck of a fight on their hands. But unfortunately, lady luck doesn't seem to be with them on that particular moment.
The pink Lucario dodged the attack and let her clones get hit giving her a few moments rest. Seeing now that she was overwhelmed with numbers, she let anger get the best of her. Gathering up what's left of her energies, she came out of her hiding place and began throwing shadow balls at an alarming rate along with hyper beams coming from her mouth.
The gang was surprised by the outburst that they quickly hid behind the marbled pillars just to get to safety. Luckily for them, the pillars were strong enough to withstand much of the attacks. For the past thirty seconds the only thing that could be heard from that area was 'boom', 'bang', 'ka-pow!' etc
After a whole minute passed by, Rosa must've given them everything she's got! The pillars that were supposed to standing was utterly destroyed, the walls looked as if a battering ram had been slamming itself for almost an hour, the surrounding decors were tainted black with burnt marks from the fire power she unleashed and nothing… not even an ant could've survived that.
Sensing that her opponents were dead, Rosa walked up to the pillar where they hid to make sure her kills were confirmed. There was a short silence. Nothing but the sound of battle outside the castle keep was filling the air. However… this all seemed too easy for the pink Pokemon.
And her theory had been proven correct when she felt a presence coming from behind. Immediately she charged up a shadow ball the size of a watermelon and prepared to shove it down the stomach of her attacker. But before she could unleash it, Todd said with a smirk, "Say cheese!" with a click of his camera and with the flash turned on to maximum effect, the light temporary made Rosa blind. This made the pink Lucario accidentally throw the shadow ball on her paws to the metal door that she was supposed to protect.
Seeing Rosa vulnerable for just a quick moment, Richie and May called out to their Pokemons, "Sparky, Pikachu, use thunderbolt attack!"
"Blaziken, use overheat!" the attack was so strong that it sent the Lucario all the way to the metal door, breaking it down to nothing but a pile of stones.
"Alright! We did it!" Richie cheered out in victory. With no time left to lose, the gang made their way through the door only to find………
An empty room…
It wasn't really empty though. There was an altar at the center of the room surrounded by five artifacts. A ring, a staff, a sword, and a glove. But what caught their attention the most was a strange pool in front of them. It emanated in a noble blue color and was gave out a slightly bright light that illuminated the room. It was just about the size of a small pond that you would see small school of frogs playing around. But right now all of that didn't matter. What really matter was the fact that Pikachu was pointing at it. To their surprise, Ash was there… and his face was just floating above water level which allowed them to see him, "Is that Ash… in there?" Drew asked to anyone who could give him the answer.
Acting on pure instinct and the love for his new found brother, Max ran towards the pool with little care about his own safety. "Ash!" he called out hoping to get a reply, "I'm coming for ya!" but just as he approached the pool, a shadow ball came from behind destroying a portion of the wall near Max's side.
The gang quickly turned their heads around to meet the furious glare of the pink Lucario who they all thought was already down for the count. With such little strength left in her body and fatal wounds all around, Rosa dragged her wounded half dead carcass from the rubble of the great door and approached the enemies of the empire. She limped with her one leg, dragging the other wounded one through the solid marbles, scowling at the humans that dared to defile this sacred ground. The gang moved away as she dragged herself closer to them. However… before she could even make it half the way, she felt a hand on her shoulder, which surprised her quite a bit.
"That's enough Rosa…" said Pallet/Chu, "You can rest easy now…"
"Pallet!" Rosa said, "I'm sorry… I could not stop them" she apologized
But Pallet just grinned back at her, "Don't worry Rosa…… its ok now. There's no need to worry. The ritual is done…" this caused the Rosa's eyes to widen considerably. "You…… you mean…" the boy nodded, "Yes…… he's back…" a grin escaped the boy's lips holding every moment like a treasure of a lifetime.
Just as he said those words, a sudden sound began to emanate from the pool where Ash was.
(Back outside)
As Rayquasa and the three legendary titan birds fought over the palace, something caught the attention of all life form on the island. Whether they were fighting or just limping out of the area, no one could take their eyes on that unusual sight.
The time of the planet's alignment… has come. The sight of all the planets was so clear that you could even see it from the farthest side of Kanto. Pluto, Mars, Neptune, you name it, it was there!
Loin and the rest of the councilors glared up, hoping that nothing would happen in the next two minutes. They could only hope and plead the to the gods that their distraction was enough to buy Ash's friends enough time…… time to save the world and the boy from total chaos.
But alas…… their prayers were not answered. A few seconds after the planet aligned themselves… a great beam of light pierce through the planets sending a wave of immeasurable energy to the altar room. At that moment, the only thing that Loin could say from his mouth is.
"We failed…"
(Altar room)
Everyone in the room shielded their eyes as the energy beam struck down from the heavens and then onto the pool where Ash was floating. No one understood what was happening; the gang was probably so confused that they'd probably match the intelligence of a Slowbro.
"Wha? What's happening!?" May yelled as she covered her eyes with her hands.
No one was certain how Ash was feeling at that moment. Since the boy was still asleep he would not be able to explain how it felt like to have the powers of the gods in the palm of his hand.
A minute after the energy beam hit the boy, everything went silent. The gang recovered from the blast attack but was still unsure on what was going on. The water that filled the pool was now dried up as if it had been put in a really hot place for a long time and now it was all evaporated.
Suddenly… Misty saw Ash's hand twitched a little, this brought so much joy into her heart that it nearly filled her entire body with relief. But when the boy stood up from his sleeping position… Pallet could only grin with pleasure… as his friend had finally returned.
"Welcome back…… your majesty…"