Pikanchi: Yay! Closet reader revealed! x3 Thank you! I'm so glad you like the story. And delighted that you find the shippy moments squee-able. Thank you for the suggestions and comments, and I will go fix that typo too.
Duel Soul: Thank you so much!! I'm glad you like the name Taze, haha. Barry is a terrible name, I agree. And yes, those chapters were DEFINITELY the calm before the storm.
Jen: Ah, I thank you again for that awesome pic! It's so cute! Hope you enjoy this next chapter!
Saber-chan: Thank you for the suggestions dear!
RisingDawn201: You read the whole thing in three hours? XD AWESOME. Welcome aboard! I'm so glad you're liking it. And OH I'm so happy to hear that the emotions I try to convey are coming across well.
Patty: Oh, I know… Lucas has kind of been in the background for a few chapters. Don't worry, his time to shine is coming! Thank you!
Lady Airashii: Thanks! Well, I hope this update isn't to quick… I don't like to hold chapters back once I finish them. :D
beachbabii: You're back! You're welcome!
Heartlessneko: XD Oh dear, sorry!
Seagull: YAY thank you! Yay Seagull! -glomps-
ZetroC Girl: Thank you! Ashes says thanks, as well. x3
Thanks everyone for reviewing! It was awesome to get such in-depth reviews! OH, and THANK YOU FOR 500 REVIEWS! Here's to 1000!
And since I got so many comments about Lucas, just know that he WILL get major development, soon. I have not forgotten about our favorite know-it-all. :3
New chapter time! Expect questions to be answered, and new ones to come up. Enjoy, and please review! Keep the constructive criticism coming.
Chapter 38: Betrayal of a Friend...
Night had fallen.
Raindrops tumbled in an icy sheet from the black sky. A loud ruckus of pattering resounded as they pelted down on a small tent set up on Route 215 where Dawn, Lucas and Taze lay inside, huddled under their sleeping bags.
They had been traveling for a couple days now. Veilstone was getting closer. They would get there in the morning.
Taze stared up at the thin canopy sagging down with weight from the pooling rain. The sound of the drops was making him anxious. Usually the pitter-patter of rain helped him get to sleep, but not tonight.
The sky was crying especially hard, tonight.
Taze felt like the tears were for him.
…
He couldn't sleep.
This was no surprise, of course. There was too much to be thinking about for him to sleep.
Besides, whenever he closed his eyes, he saw things. Things he didn't like to think about.
So, the boy opted not to sleep. It was easier that way. He would rather be exhausted all the time than be exposed to all the disturbing things he saw in his dreams.
Of course, with the help of the Lunar Wing, they weren't as bad as they had been a couple months ago. No more waking up screaming, thinking he had killed everyone he loved with his bare hands, and being surprised when he woke up to find that he wasn't covered in blood.
These dreams were much more subdued. They weren't dangerous anymore. Just very, very unsettling.
He saw strange things in these dreams. Deformed pokemon, and people with three heads. A woman sitting in a rocking chair, holding her head in her hands and weeping softly.
A dark, empty room.
A man laughing darkly.
A burning church. Children screaming.
Taze shook his head, driving these thoughts away.
…He was distracting himself.
The blond glanced over at Dawn, who was sleeping peacefully next to Ashes. The Monferno lay curled up on a ball on top of her sleeping bag, secreting warmth to the girl. His tail flame smoldered gently, illuminating a soft golden light through the tent.
Her yellow travel bag sat next to her head, partially open.
The boy could see the dark figures of the Splash and Spooky Plates jutting out from underneath a knot of clothes. In a week's time, she was supposed to deliver them to Aaron, the leader of the Seeking team the Elite Four had set up to find the plates. They would make the transaction in Pastoria City. From there, the plates would be delivered to the Council, where they would be safely vaulted away with the rest of the Arceus Plates they found.
They were to be locked up together, away from all of the criminals in the world. Just like they should be.
Taze strained his eyes away from the plates, screwing them shut.
Sweat hag begun to gather at his brow. He sat in mute apprehension, while his conscience and the small shadow in the corner of his mind argued about what he knew he would inevitably have to do.
A bit hesitant, he slowly slithered out of his sleeping bag and leaned over Lucas, reaching for Dawn's bag.
"Mmf… help. Meatballs are taking over the world…"
Dawn's muffled voice bubbled out of her mouth in a sleepy monotone. Taze jumped, nearly bumping into Lucas, and fell backwards onto his hands.
The girl let out a loud snore.
She was only sleeping.
Dammit. Taze licked his lips. He was starting to shake. It was so close…so close…
…
He slumped back into his sleeping bag, sighing with frustration.
How the hell was he going to do this?
Taze Kidane woke up panting. He shot up in bed, looking around the room of the Solaceon Town pokemon center.
With a look around the room, he noticed Dawn and Lucas's beds were empty. Their bags were open: TM discs and pokeballs had tumbled to the floor like pieces of trash.
The boy slowly got out of bed, ruffling his blond hair. He pulled his orange and white striped shirt over his long, thin frame, and looked at himself in the mirror.
He looked like crap. As always.
The grim black bags under his eyes were starting to fade, but were still noticeable. His yellow hair spiked awkwardly in a tangle of grease.
He licked his cracked lips with his dry tongue, grimacing at his pale face.
Suddenly, a wave of terror washed over him. A sharp pain shot through his head. He felt as if he'd been stabbed. He fell to the ground, clutching his head in crippling pain.
A deep, sinister voice resonated through his mind and body.
You seem to have forgotten the mission I have given you, child.
Darkrai.
He spoke to Taze telepathically, his cool voice manifested with a conniving undertone.
The boy barred his teeth in pain. He felt as if he had lost control of some part of his brain.
Darkrai was in there with him. Taking over. Screaming through his body, delivering him unthinkable pain.
Taze had to get away. Maybe if he ran, the pain would go away…maybe if he ran, Darkrai would let him be.
He shakily got to his feet, stumbling over to the window.
It would be unwise to ignore my directions.
And then, memories of the Lost Tower, and what Darkrai had told him to do there, came flooding back to him.
…He felt his orange eyes widening.
Of course. The plates.
The boy thumped the window open with difficulty. All of his energy was gone. He was a powerless flea.
The Plates must be taken from the girl. Your friend Dawn, am I correct?
"Stop—it—" Taze choked out.
Desperately, he climbed out of the window, his eyes screwed shut with the pain. His head was light and dizzy. He couldn't see anything. His whole world was a blur of bright sunlight and red and black spots.
Right as he was lowering himself to the ground he lost his balance. He toppled out of the window and landed on his back with an excruciating crack.
You will aide Team Galactic in their worldly undertaking. With your help, the world will be a better place.
"NO! I won't!" Taze yelled out shakily, writhing in pain.
The daggers in his brain delved deeper. The pain magnified. It was too much to handle…
--I can't do this. It's too much to handle I'm going to die I can't do it please help me oh god anyone PLEASE HELP ME--
You must, came Darkrai's simple reply. His voice was much too calm for this situation. Taze lashed out in fury, stifling out a suffocated yell through his labored breathing. He kicked his legs and throttled the air with his fists, desperate to free himself of the situation.
He knew he was powerless, though.
It wasn't fair. He was being attacked, and he couldn't do anything about it. He was defenseless.
"W-what… what if I don't? Can't I say no?! DON'T I HAVE A GODDAMN CHOICE?!" he screamed.
"…I suppose you do."
The pain receded for a few precious moments. Taze's eyes opened, and a glint of hope pulsed through him.
If you decide not to steal the plates, that is fine. But it will cost you.
"What? What will it c-cost me?" Taze whispered. His voice was weak.
He felt like he was… dying.
Your friends' lives. The boy and the girl.
…They will be killed.
Taze's mouth opened, mute in horror. He tried to speak, but no words came out. He didn't even know what to say.
It was so…unreal. So unfair. What had he done to deserve this?
There is a warehouse in northern Veilstone, owned by Team Galactic. You are to take the Plates there and hand them over as soon as your travels allow.
…Failure to do so will result in the execution of your friends.
The knives in his brain started to retract. They pulled out slowly, and the pain retreated. He could sense Darkrai leaving.
Taze lay immobilized on the grass under the window. He couldn't move, couldn't speak.
He was alone. Alone and helpless. He heard the door swing open in the pokecenter room, and Dawn's voice rang out, calling for him.
After a few more moments of deadly silence, the door closed.
Taze blacked out a few minutes later.
When he woke up, he knew what he had to do.
I slide back under my sleeping bag, beginning to shiver.
It just…isn't …fair…
Darkrai is slowly but surely crushing me. Soon I will be nothing. Soon I'll be unthinking, unfeeling, and completely subjected to Darkrai's deeds.
I'm becoming his puppet.
I'm pathetic. Being tortured for no good reason. What did I do to deserve this? Why is this happening?
I keep asking for answers, but no one will give them to me. Nobody can help me. I want to scream in rage out of my anger at the world, but at the same time, I am trying everything I can to stay happy.
I'm… just a kid.
I'm supposed to be happy…
Oh god…
Someone…help me…
Yeah, asking for help -- perhaps from the council -- has crossed my mind. But that would just worsen the tangle I have myself in. They'd freak out…
I don't want any more attention drawn to myself. I'm tired of being pitied.
I sigh. Stealing the Plates is going to be quite a challenge – Dawn hardly ever leaves her bag lying around idly. Nighttime is the best opportunity for snatching the Plates, but if I did it now, in the morning she'd probably realize they were gone before we even reached Veilstone.
She could easily tap into her Arcane powers and sense where they were, and that I had stolen them…
So I'll wait for tomorrow, staying alert for any chance to strike.
…Hm. Dawn.
Ever since the mind meeting with Darkrai in Solaceon, I've been trying my best to be especially nice to her. Holding her bag when she uses the outhouse, cooking her dinners for her, smiling and complimenting her way more than is healthy, reassuring her that no, she does not look fat in that outfit…
I feel like such an asshole for doing this out of nowhere after all the stupid arguments we've had recently, but…
I need her to trust me.
The more I'm on her good side, the less chance she'll have of suspecting me.
I curl my fists suddenly, in a bout of heartbreaking distress. Damn Darkrai for giving me an ultimatum like that.
How fucking cowardly.
Either way, I end up the loser.
If I steal the plates, I'll be aiding Team Galactic and betraying the trust of the Elite Four and my friends.
But if I don't…
Lucas and Dawn will die.
Obviously I'm not going to just sit around and let them be killed. I know what I'm capable of. Back at the Lost Tower… when I had been possessed…
I don't remember most of it, but what I do remember is, I had legendary powers of Darkness at my fingertips.
If Darkrai had wanted me to, I could have killed them in the blink of an eye.
Knowing him, if I were to refuse to get him the plates, I would probably wind up being their killer.
The whole situation is disgusting.
And I can do nothing about it.
…
That's the worst part of all.
The three trainers awoke bright and early in the morning. The rain clouds were starting to drift away, and by the time they had packed up, the sun shone brightly down on them, the droplets of dew sitting on the grass blades glistening like diamonds.
Route 215 was a long one, and it had been raining nearly the entire time they had been on it. Needless to say, they were excited to get to Veilstone, where there were actual buildings they could keep warm and dry in.
Dawn and Lekora walked down the road ahead of Lucas and Taze, chugging bottles of Moomoo Milk. They'd purchased a couple dozen from the crazy ladies who ran the Milk Shack back near the beginning of the route, and had been having chugging contests ever since.
"Guys… we're supposed to, you know, be saving the milk to use as potions for the pokemon," Lucas said, sighing.
The girls didn't listen. Lekora had finished off the last of her bottle, and raised it up in the air in victory.
"NOO I have been defeated again…" Dawn dropped her head to the ground, whining in defeat.
:Heh, that's right, biotch.: Lekora smirked. :Why, back in the city, I'd stay up all night leeching liquor off of hobos… 'til I blacked out, of course.:
:Dayummm, Lekora's so badass.: Ashes rolled his eyes sarcastically. :You think just because you got drunk every night you're cool? Well, you're not. Noob.:
:Whatever, you're just jealous 'cause you can't hold your dranks.:
:Hm… Taylor, where does milk come from?: Pokey asked, looking up at his trainer.
Taze sweatdropped.
:Pokey, let me tell you,: Ashes said, puffing out his chest proudly. :It comes from a nipple. Which is on a boob. Which are those squishy round things women have. On their chests. Which I would very much like to caress one day. …And you get the point.:
:Ohhhhhhh.: The Grotle nodded in understanding. :I see!:
"That's…lovely." Dawn gagged, shielding her chest with her arms, and Lucas and Taze laughed, very awkwardly.
Shieldon, who had been bounding along the dirt road beside Lucas and running off the trail to sniff flowers and bash his head into tree trunks, suddenly stopped.
:Hmm… boobies…: He smiled shyly, blushing a little.
Everyone spun around to look at him, shocked that he had said something that didn't involve the words "blood" or "kill."
:Holy crap. This one's really starting to worry me." Lekora hiccupped, slightly disturbed.
"You guys all worry me," said Lucas. "Hey, uh, there's the city tollbooth. Let's go!"
And the group started running at full speed toward Veilstone City, eager to get out of the cold, wet autumn.
Veilstone was an isolated city on the east side of Sinnoh. A small mountain range surrounded it in the southwest, and thin forests of evergreens cushioned it from the eastern seas. The city itself was very rocky, full of cliffs and many natural staircases made of stone. The city was said to be built around meteorites that fell into the land hundreds of years ago. According to legend, the meteorites were how Clefairy came to inhabit Sinnoh.
The city was cold, hollow, and gray. If not for its two biggest attractions – the game corner and the department store – it probably would have been a very quiet place.
There were many people bustling about that October day, however. Ladies with parasols sat leisurely outside the department store, holding giant shopping bags full of new clothes. Men with beer bellies and stressed out business workers stumbled into the Game Corner, eager to find an escape from their daily lives.
Despite the attractions, the first thing Dawn, Lucas and Taze did was find a Pokemon Center.
"I need a nice warm shower," Dawn announced as they stepped into their room, the usual boring white-walled, three bed recluse. It was funny that in their journey, the closest thing to home was the pokemon center rooms.
"Hm, I think I'll go check out the Game Corner." Lucas took off his red beret and set it on the nightstand, running a hand through his dark hair.
Taze was busy dusting off his badges. He looked up at the two of them.
"I'm gonna to go to the department store. I need to buy a few things for our battle with Maylene, anyway."
"Ooh, that's right. We're gonna fight your GIRLFRIEND soon." Dawn stuck her tongue out at the blond with a smirk, and he blushed furiously.
"What?! She's not my girlfriend!"
"Pretty much," Lucas said.
"SEE? Even Lucas knows it's true."
"Whatevskies. We… like each other, okay? That doesn't make us 'official.'"
Dawn scoffed. "Whatever. Everyone totally noticed you two being all cutesy back in Oreburgh."
"Wha--?! We were not!"
Lucas chuckled. "C'mon, Taze. Everyone can see it. It's pretty much a dead giveaway in the way you look at her…" He glance over at the Dawn, who was nodding smugly in agreement.
"Awww man… really? Is it really that obvious?" Taze smiled slightly, in spite of himself. Dawn shivered.
"Yeah. …Eugh. Romance is gross."
"Says Mrs. I-Love-Aaron." Lucas narrowed his eyes at the girl, who shrunk back in icy mortification.
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me, Mrs. Ozaki."
"LULU!!!! STOP IIIIT!"
"What? DAWN the boy-hater, likes Aaron? Wow, I really never thought I'd see the day. This is GOLD!" Taze cackled, and Dawn threw one of her pink boots at his head.
"Grr…thanks a lot for revealing my secret, LULU."
"It wouldn't have stayed secret much longer, what with him flirting with you and calling you beautiful and all that."
"Yeah, well…that's private! Dammit, why do I tell anyone anything?!"
"Because you love us." Taze smiled.
"NO, you stupid boys anger me to no end," she growled. And with that, she shut herself in the bathroom.
…A few seconds later, the door opened again.
"Oh, Taze, could you pick up a few Revives while you're at the store? I hate shopping."
Taze nodded, and the door slammed again. The hiss of the shower started.
"Haha... girls are weird…" Lucas put his beret back on, looking at the ceiling thoughtfully.
"I know. But they're kind of nice, too…"
"Yeah, if you find the right one." Lucas sighed. "Well, I guess I'm off. See ya later." He waved on his way out.
The door clicked softly shut, and Taze sat looking around the room.
He was alone. Finally. He didn't move. He listened carefully to Dawn in the bathroom…
The squeak of feet against the floor of the shower could be heard. He looked over at her yellow bag. It sat on her bed, zipped all the way up.
The boy gulped.
It was now or never.
Amber eyes widening, he made his way over the bag, quietly sliding open the zipper. He grabbed the two plates hidden under a bunch of clothes, and hastily slipped them into his own bag.
His hands were shaking as he zipped her bag back up, careful to leave it exactly as it had been.
A sigh of relief left his mouth as he took a few steps back.
He'd done it. He'd really done it.
He felt a pinprick of guilt, but reminded himself that he was doing this to save their lives.
He was doing the right thing.
…He hoped.
"Psst. Yo, Bernie!"
"Yeah, Cleo?"
"The kid's here. Should we go tell Mars?"
"Duh! Let's go! Oh man, I can't believe this is happening… the boss is a total genius."
"I know! Totally genius, and evil…"
"No joke. He'll really do anything to get those plates, huh?"
"Yeah… Hey, now that we've recovered from that fiasco in Eterna, I hope we get our raises…"
"Yeah, yeah…don't count on it too quick, though. I hate how we never know what's going on…"
The two Grunts came to a dark doorway of an office. They poked their heads in, bowing to the shadowy figure sitting at the desk inside, her sharp face highlighted only by the ominous glow from her computer monitor.
"Um, Commander Mars? The kid… he's here."
"…Very well. I'll take it from here."
The grunts nodded, bowing to their superior, and excused themselves from her office.
The woman's lips split into a greedy smile. She stood from her swiveling office chair, checking the pokeballs at her waist. With a brief run of her long, spiderlike fingers through her flame red hair, she set off down the hallway of the Galactic Warehouse.
Today, there was a little extra bounce in her step. She was feeling good – the whole of Team Galactic was feeling good. She couldn't believe what kind of deal they had managed to score.
She came to the main entrance of the warehouse. She slid open the peephole in the door, her ruby eyes gazing down at a bright yellow head of hair. After she made sure the boy was alone, she opened the door.
Taze Kidane, son of the famous Battle Tower Tycoon and the infamous subject of Darkrai's tormenting, stood before her.
Upon recognizing her, his orange eyes narrowed grudgingly. His face grew extremely hostile.
"Oh. It's you."
Mars laughed darkly.
"Nice to see you too, kid. Now hand over the plates."
A reluctant hand zipped open his messenger bag. He brought out two tattered and worn slabs of rock, one gray and the other ocean blue.
He handed them over without a word, hanging his head with shame.
"Thanks, sweetie. You're doing the right thing."
"Just take them already," he snarled. "Oh, and get the fuck out of my life. I don't enjoy these sick little tests, or whatever they are."
Mars smiled, amused. The boy sure did seem a lot bolder than he had the first time they'd met at Valley Windworks. He couldn't even form a sentence without stuttering, back then.
"Test? If that's what you want to call it, sweetie, then fine. But Cyrus will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals, even if it means a little sacrifice."
"Well, you don't have to freaking threaten to kill my friends!"
Mars raised an eyebrow.
"So that's what your little phantom friend told you? Interesting…"
The boy looked taken aback. "What? You mean Darkrai? What are you saying?"
"Heh… never mind. Tell your little pals thanks. Team Galactic appreciates your generosity."
With that, Mars promptly shut the door on him, spinning on her heel to take the plates to the boss. She grinned, glad to have an important role in all of this.
Still, she felt a little sorry for the kid. Though the boss had only let her in on a few precious details, she seemed to know more about all this than Taze did. He had absolutely no clue what was going on.
…Oh well.
All she knew was, that boy was very important to the phantom.
And threatening to take his life was a surefire way to persuade Darkrai to help Team Galactic with whatever they wanted.
Lucas Ekeio stood outside the entrance to the Game Corner, looking in through the windows with interest.
He wasn't quite sure he wanted to go in… it was full of a bunch of middle-aged people, and besides, he didn't have a coin case. A big sign was set up outside, saying you needed one to play.
The boy sighed, looking down at Budew.
"Well, looks like this was a failure. Wanna go to the gym?"
:Sure!: Budew bounched happily. The two turned around, starting to walk down the rocky stairs that led back down to the main road. The round red dome of the Gym glistened in the distance, sitting on the other side of a cliff.
As Lucas was busy staring at it, he didn't notice he was walking right into someone.
"Ah--! Oh, sorry…" Lucas looked up at the tall man standing before him. He wore a brown trench coat, carrying himself with importance. His eyes were sharp and calculating, complementing his chiseled features, but his smile was friendly and blindingly white. He held a thin black briefcase in one hand.
"Hello there, young trainer." The man held out his free hand; Lucas took it in what was the sturdiest handshake in his life.
"Er, hi. Lucas Ekeio. …Who are you?"
The man looked around conspicuously, leaning down closer to Lucas.
"That, my friend, is a secret." He flashed Lucas a smile, running a hand through his neat black hair. "Oh, I see you have a Budew!"
Lucas looked down at the grass-type in his arms. "Uh, yeah, I have a Budew…" He trailed off. Who the heck was this guy, and why was his identity so secret? He looked kind of important, what with the trench coat and black briefcase.
"Come, come. You should get her a back rub." The mysterious trench-coated man gently pushed Lucas over to the entrance of the quaint house they stood before. The door was propped open, and the scent of flowers and cookies drifted pleasantly from within…
"Oooh, yeah, I was reading about this in the Veilstone information pamphlet. The person here gives pokemon back rubs for free. Thanks, I was looking for this!" Lucas nodded at the man, who began to walk away, and went inside with Budew.
A young woman squealed happily when she saw them coming in.
"Ooh, a Budew! Perfect, perfect! Give her here…" the young woman snatched her up, rolling up her sleeves.
:What's going on? Ooh… this feels goooood….: Budew relaxed as the lady rubbed her body in slow, circular motions.
"This will alleviate all the stress you have. Just forget about your troubles, and relax…yes, good. And…here we go!" the Massage Lady smiled when she finished, handing Lucas a slip of paper. "Here, a complimentary coupon for free admission to the Great Marsh in Pastoria."
"Whoa, thanks lady! This is awesome!" Lucas beamed at the coupon he held in his hands. He couldn't wait to get into the Great Marsh, the pokemon catching exhibit over in Pastoria City. He'd heard loads about it, and had always wanted to visit someday…
"No problem! It was my pleasure."
:Wheee!: Budew smiled, jumping into her trainer's arms. The plant pokemon nuzzled his shoulder happily.
The boy's eyes widened when he noticed his pokemon beginning to glow a bright white.
Budew was…evolving?
She grew very hot; Lucas had to set her down on the table as she began change form. Slowly, the two twisted vines on top of her head split, moving downwards to create two arms. Little rosebuds, red on one side and blue on the other, formed at the end of each arm, bursting into bloom. Three spikes jutted out from the top of her head, and her tiny stubby legs grew longer, slender, and more feminine. Her body was covered by a large leaf-like skirt, and two smaller leaves served as shoulder pads.
"Roooo! Roselia!" Roselia cooed delightedly, and Lucas beamed, hardly able to contain his excitement.
"Budew! I mean, Roselia! you evolved!"
The massage lady grinned. "I'm glad I was able to help."
Lucas nodded at her. "Budew evolve when they became extremely happy and attached to their trainers. The back massage was a big help…"
"Exactly. Congratulations! Roselia really seems to like you."
Lucas fussed excitedly over his newly evolved pokemon. Roselia twirled around, waving her bouquet arms around gracefully.
"Thank you!" Lucas waved at the massage lady gratefully as he and Roselia went back out into the street.
:I'm all big now! And more powerful, too!: Roselia spun around again happily.
"Yeah! You look great." Lucas patted her on the head.
They had walked no more than two feet when Lucas felt a buzz in his pocket. His pokedex was alerting him of an incoming call.
"URGET CALL. URGENT CALL," it barked. He took it out, flipping it open to see Dawn's frantic face in the video screen.
"LUCAS! Where are you?!" she demanded. She was frowning, her eyebrows knit.
"I'm over by the Game Corner. Why? You look upset—"
"I AM! I got out of the shower, and… looked in my bag."
"…And?"
"The plates…they're gone."
"WHAT?!"
Just then, the screen split and Taze appeared on the other side. The boy was smiling.
"Hey guys, what's up?"
"The plates are… gone," Dawn whined.
"WHAT?!"
"That was my exactly my reaction." Lucas groaned. This wasn't good.
"I…I don't know where they could be." Dawn was visibly upset, breathing heavily and quickly. Her eyes were full of panic. "I was sure they were in there last time I checked… but that was… oh god, I don't even know. Maybe last night. They could be anywhere. Who could have stolen them? Stupid Team Galactic, probably. Guys, what do we do? What do we do?!"
Lucas sighed, rubbing his temples. "Just…stay calm. I'll be there in a second… where are you?"
"Back on Route 215, retracing my steps… maybe the plates fell out of my bag when we were walking or something. I need to find them…"
"Okay. I'll be there as soon as possible."
"Me too. I just got to the Department Store, but that can wait. Be there in a jiff," Taze said.
The three teens nodded, and the video screen turned black.
Lucas turned to Roselia, grimacing.
"Well, change of plans. We need to get to Route 215."
:Surely!: the rose pokemon bowed, and Lucas returned her to her pokeball, sprinting as fast as he could to the western tollbooth.
Lucas and Taze arrived at Route 215 at roughly the same time. They burst out of the tollbooth and onto the route together, looking around for Dawn.
They spotted the figure of a girl in the distance, standing in the middle of a giant grass field.
A Monferno, a Misdreavus, and a Psyduck surrounded her, all standing with their heads hung to the ground as she collapsed to her hands and knees.
Taze and Lucas looked at each other, their eyes widening in fear.
"Come on." Taze ran toward her, Lucas following close behind.
The girl dug her fingers into the wet, squishy ground, grabbing a fist full of grass. She tore it out viciously, looking down at the back of her right hand in pain.
She bit her lip so hard, she thought she might draw blood.
Ripping up the grass in rage, her body shook as she struggled to draw power from somewhere, anywhere…
The glowing blue Mantra didn't appear on her hand. There were no plates nearby. Nowhere to draw energy from.
…She was powerless.
Dawn let out a frustrated cry, one that hurt the ears of her pokemon, and curled over into the fetal position.
She pulled her hair, messing up her face, and looked up into the gray sky. Tiny droplets of rain began to fall down onto her, kissing her sad little face.
The world around her froze. The shaking ceased. A strange calm of disappointment washed over her. She heard nothing, saw only the sky and the little worms that swam in your eyes when you looked up there too long.
A cold raindrop fell on her cheek, worming down her face like a tear.
She had lost the Plates. She had been given a responsibility, and now she had let everyone down.
What would the Council think? Would they be disappointed? Would they be angry?
...What would Aaron think?
--he'll hate me, ohgod he'll hate me even though he said I was beautiful, will he still think I'm beautiful? No, I'm worthless, I can't even do the one thing I was told to do, I'm irresponsible, I'm a stupid child, why did anyone ever put me in charge of anything, I'm incompetent--
The Spooky Plate. She'd found it all by herself, back in Amity Square. She was supposed to give that, and the Splash Plate back to the Council in Pastoria…
But now she couldn't. They were counting on her, and she let them down.
All her hard work… hours spent studying that book Aaron had given her…
Everything had gone to waste.
She had failed.
She felt like crying, but told herself not to. She couldn't cry again. She wasn't weak. Tears were for little kids who scraped their knees, or dumb girls who wore their hearts on their sleeves.
…
She was neither of those things.
When Lucas and Taze reached the girl, they thought for a second she was dead. She stared vacantly up at the sky, her mouth hung open in devastation.
"Dawn. DAWN!" Lucas shook her desperately. She wrenched her eyes shut, letting out a hostile growl.
She wanted them to disappear.
"Get up… it's okay. The Plates don't matter. They're just slabs of rock. The Council will understand… It was bound to happen…"
Her eyes opened slowly.
"…No. It wasn't. I was supposed to guard them with my life."
The two boys and three pokemon looked down at her sadly.
Taze felt as if he'd been stabbed in the heart.
He was…such a terrible person. He couldn't believe he had brought all this suffering onto her.
He tried to be supportive, tried to tell her it was okay, but inside, he was going crazy.
He had done this.
The boy tried to tell himself that this was for the better. All this pain…it was better than death, wasn't it?
Pain would pass, eventually.
...
Death was forever.
Lucas's heart bled for the girl. He knew what she must have been feeling... he'd had the feeling many times before, in his life. It always came when you held such high expectations of yourself. It always came when you least expected it to.
Disappointment in yourself was the worst kind of disappointment.
He propped Dawn up, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.
"Dawn, pull yourself together. It'll be okay. The Council will get the Plates back."
She didn't respond.
"I know…I know it seems like the end of the world, but it's not. They got away with two Plates. Two out of seventeen. We'll call Aaron, and tell him what happened…everything will be okay. We have a Gym battle to win today, too. Doesn't that…sound like fun?"
The girl limped up his arms and he squeezed her, frowning. He wished he wasn't so bad at this.
He wanted to help her. He wanted everything to be good again. He wished he could just magically say the word and everything would go away.
Taze crouched down, setting a supportive hand on Dawn's shoulder.
Lucas swallowed, continuing. "Please, Dawn... please get up."
He wanted so badly for her to jump up and punch the air energetically, yelling at the top of her lungs that she would get her revenge.
…But she didn't.
He wanted to see her smile in understanding. He wanted her to accept what had happened.
Unfortunately, this had been too big of a blow to her stupid ego.
And although she didn't jump up with the valor Lucas knew she had inside of her, she did begin to slowly stir, pushing Lucas away from her. She got to her feet, tightening the pink scarf around her neck.
Dawn took in a breath of cold air. It pricked her lungs, but it felt good.
She would get stronger through the pain. She would make herself turn every bad feeling into something good. She'd channel it into her training, her battling, and someday… she'd battle that stupid Cyrus guy and win.
"…Fine."
Her voice was uncharacteristically soft.
And then, uncanny as it seemed, she smirked.
"Let's go kick Maylene's ass."