Last time on Tony's Journey...
Tony found his lost Larvesta, Sunny, deep within the Pinwheel Forest - but also coming across a training ground for Sawk and Throh, quickly being attacked by the Fighting-types. After a fierce battle, Tony, along with Lucky, Lancelot, Sunny, Burgh's Sewaddle and a Venipede whom Sunny had met while lost managed to beat all of the Sawk and Throh after a long, hard battle! Just as Tony was about to call his Aunt Sally for help, however, he saw an explosion in the direction of Castelia, where he believed Team Plasma was heading. Knowing that Burgh had gone after Team Plasma as well, Tony decided once again to jump into danger, and ran in the direction of the explosion to help Burgh defeat Team Plasma and save Hawes!
What will happen next? Find out now!
It was getting dark outside. Not that the dark bothered Mystico - to be honest, he loved the dark. Perhaps it was because everyone else seemed to be afraid of it. Perhaps it was because he could hide in the darkness, and be alone, free from humans and their petty desires, alone in the darkness - except for his Pokemon, of course. They were the only ones who could understand a tormented soul like his.
Mystico felt a kinship between himself and Ghost-types. Ghost-types were often mistaken for devils and demons in ancient times, and today the public opinion hadn't changed much. Most people were afraid of Ghost-types - just like people were afraid of Mystico, who only wanted to make people smile.
Well, if you can't have the happiness of people, then you can have their fear. Darkness makes fear, so Mystico reveled in the shadows, and he reveled in fear - even the fear of his underlings. It was no secret that Mystico's habit of vanishing and reappearing inside the Team Plasma HQ, along with his habit of wearing make-up and laughing manically were considered to be terrifying by most of the grunts, and it was considered bad luck to have to serve under him.
Of course, they did more than just fear him - some of them resented him. Mystico, like the other Plasma Knights, was never a Plasma Squire. The day he had arrived he had been given the title, and the very next day he was ordering them about. None of them knew who he was, or where he came from, but they did feel that it was unfair that he should be promoted ahead of them. Of course, they didn't know who else they would serve if not Mystico - the other Plasma Knights were even more reclusive than he was, with an exception of the Knight of Steel, Numera, who tended to be with Ghetsis at most times. So, serve under Mystico they did; their King had commanded it. He commanded all of Team Plasma, even the Plasma Knights.
Mystico smirked as the darkness grew around the forest. The Plasma Knights, the most dangerous and powerful of the Plasma Military, hand-picked by the King himself to be the Sword of Justice and Liberation, a weapon to protect and free all Pokemon. Four Knights to stand against the entire Pokemon League, and destroy their Gym Leaders.
A pity that Lenora, Gym Leader of Nacrene City, would live to see the end of this day. Mystico had really been looking forward to fighting her, and subsequently defeating her. It wasn't anything personal, really, but a Nacrene native should defeat another Nacrene native, and none of the other Knights were from Nacrene... of course, the only one he knew anything about was Numera, and she was from Castelia. Not that she could hold a candle to Mystico and his friends.
"Lit!"
Speaking of candles...
A bright, blue light flew out from the trees, screeching unhappily. Mystico raised his hand, bringing the Plasmas behind him, along with his Cofagrigus, who was currently carrying Hawes's coffin. The light approached, and revealed itself to be one of Mystico's Litwicks - badly hurt, too. The Candle Pokemon wobbled in the air as he floated towards his friend. "Lit..."
"Litwick?" Mystico gently caught Litwick in his gloved hand. "What happened to you?"
"Liiiiit..." Litwick moaned unhappily.
Mystico's eyes darkened. "We're being followed, aren't we?"
"Lit..."
Mystico slowly nodded. "Good job," he congratulated. "Get some rest." Litwick gratefully nodded and faded from view, vanishing completely. Mystico turned his attention to his underlings. "Alright, boys and girls!" he announced. The Plasmas all winced at the jovial nature in his tone. "Apparently, someone didn't get the "we have a hostage" memo. So, we need to hurry along and deliver the Dragon Skull." He reached underneath his cloak and pulled out said skull from seemingly nowhere. "Let's get a move on - his Sageliness awaits us."
"Plasma!" the grunts shouted, saluting the Plasma Knight. They hurried off to their meeting place - unaware of the silhouette of Burgh, watching them from above in the shadows of the trees. Giving a Cheshire Cat smile, he began to follow them.
Sage - the definition of the word is a wise man, someone filled with enlightenment and intelligence, who is well-rounded and intellectual in the ways of the world, and filled with wisdom. Sages were known to be wise, to be brilliant, to be enlightened.
Team Plasma, as you know, was the center of enlightenment. As such, it was only natural that they'd have sages - the Seven Sages to be exact. (A/N: Insert Ocarina of Time joke, here, please.) Seven men of enlightenment and wisdom, united against the evils of slavery and cruelty that the Pokemon Leagues promoted.
Sage Gorm was one of those sages. The old man had reached enlightenment long ago, and had been recruited into Team Plasma. Like the other sages, he was old - enlightenment rarely is bestowed on the youthful - with pure white hair and a a wrinkled, kindly face. He wore the traditional cloth of a sage - a dark, black robe with golden trim, and a tall, cylindrical hat on his head. His hands were folded into his robes, giving him the appearance of an ancient king. He was flanked by two Plasmas - or at least, two Plasmas that were actually visible.
"Greetings, Sir Mystico. How are you holding up, fellow subject of our King?"
Gorm's slow, creaking voice filled the silent clearing that lay just before the road outside of the forest, leading to the largest metropolis in Unova, Castelia City, where one of Team Plasmas' HQ's could be located. Even now, the Arch-Sage himself, Ghetsis, was awaiting Gorm's return with the sacred skull, which Mystico had obtained as promised.
Mystico bowed down on one knee, the Plasma Grunts who followed him doing the same. He held up the skull to the sage. "I am well, your Holiness. As promised, I have delivered the Dragon Skull."
Gorm put a warm, kind hand on Mystico's shoulder. "You've done well," he said, quietly. "I should expect nothing less from a Plasma Knight. Did you encounter any problems?"
"Not yet, sir," Mystico said. "I took a hostage - Hawes, the Nacrene City Museum's co-curator and loving husband to the Gym Leader, Lenora." He gestured to the coffin with a smirk. "Sadly, one of my Litwick friends who stayed behind to see that no one followed us has informed me that we are being followed - evidently someone does not care for Hawes's continued well-being."
"I see..." Gorm said, quietly. "I trust that you shall deal swift justice to this intrusion?"
"Naturally, Your Honor."
"Good." Gorm held out his hands. "Now, please give me the Dragon Skull - in the name of Pokemon Liberation. Plasma!"
"PLASMA!" the grunts chorused.
Mystico complied, handing the skull to the sage. Just as the skull left Mystico's hands, however, and entered Gorm's, a thick blob of webbing struck the skull and yanked it out of the old man's hands.
"What on earth?!" Gorm gasped as the skull sailed through the air and into the trees.
"Who dares-!?" snarled Mystico.
A taunting and elegant voice called out from the trees: "Well, a little bug told me that Team Plasma had kidnapped a good friend of mine, so here I come, and what do I spy with my little eye? These important looking guys!"
A tall man with crazy-looking brown hair and a green cape rose from the tree's canopy, followed by a green and yellow mantis-like Pokemon, with leafy blades on its forearms, a thin body and a face that was bright and cheerful, despite the situation. Mystico recognized it as a Leavanny, a Grass/Bug-type, and the final form of Sewaddle.
The Plasma Grunts recognized him at once, shouting and swearing angrily. Mystico forced a smile onto his face as he approached the tree, Cofagrigus following him. "Well, well..." the clown sneered. "Burgh, the Gym Leader of Castelia City, and close personal friend of Lenora!"
"Yes," Burgh said, keeping his own confident smile on as well. "And you must be Sir Mystico, the Plasma Knight. I've heard of you from a friend - though I wish I had heard better things about you."
"And I you," Mystico returned. "Well, as much as I'd enjoy making small-talk, we all have places to be, so..." His face darkened and his voice turned hostile. "Hand over that skull."
Burgh pulled the Dragon Skull out from his cloak and held it in the air. "You want this, don't you? Care to explain why?"
"If I did, I'd have to kill you," Mystico said. "Of course, I probably have to kill you anyways..."
"Mmmmheheheh..." agreed Cofagrigus.
"Well," Burgh said, sounding offended, "I'm just trying to be civil, and you're threatening me! I'm starting to get nervous... and my palms seem to be sweating..." The Dragon Skull began to slip from Burgh's hands, and almost fell. The Plasmas all screamed out in unison, horrified, until Burgh caught it, smiling smugly. "You see what I mean?" he asked. "It's slippery, isn't it, Leavanny?"
"Leah!" Leavanny agreed with a smile.
Mystico hated being outmaneuvered - especially in front of his underlings, and especially in front of a sage of all people. While he was enraged, he knew that the mission had to be accomplished. "Alright, then," he said, his voice cracking. "What do you want?"
"I want Hawes," Burgh said. "Let him go right now, and I'll give you the skull - intact, of course."
"You first," Mystico replied, folding his arms.
Burgh narrowed his eyes in response. "No thanks - I happen to know how the last trade-off you did went. Not a very honest man, are you?"
Mystico grinned. "I'm a magician," he said, matter-of-factly. "I used to make my living off of trickery. But of course, you're not exactly in the position to be calling me out on my sins, are you, Gym Leader?"
"Do you want the skull, or not?" Burgh demanded.
"Sir Mystico," Sage Gorm whispered, "without that skull, we cannot..."
"I know, Your Holiness, I know," Mystico said. He glared up at Burgh again. "Well... you seem to think you're in the position to be demanding anything." He gestured to the coffin with Hawes. "What's to stop me from simply killing Hawes, here?"
"You could..." Burgh admitted. "But I wouldn't recommend it." He raised the skull high in the air, the threat of him dropping it all too real.
Mystico bowed his head. "I see that I have no choice..." he admitted. The Plasmas gawked at the Plasma Knight, unable to believe that he'd surrender - to a Gym Leader, a sworn enemy to Team Plasma of all people!"
Burgh felt a wave of relief wash over him as Mystico admitted defeat. "I see you're a reasonable man," he said, gratefully.
"Yes..." Mystico said. "It seems I don't..." He looked up at Burgh and smirked suddenly. "Or do I?"
Burgh's eyes widened as a bead of sweat ran down his face - it really was getting hot up there. But it didn't get warm in winter, unless...
"Luuuure..."
Burgh's eyes widened as he whirled around, quickly catching sight of the fireball shooting for him and Leavanny. He cried out as he pushed Leavanny out from the tree, following suit. Both Gym Leader and Pokemon fell to the ground, losing their grip on the skull. The skull sailed into the air, Cofagrigus swiftly capturing it with Psychic.
Burgh moaned as he looked up. Mystico beamed down upon him as his second Pokemon hovered down to his side, a flaming blue orb with twisted metal limbs, staring down at him with yellow eyes - a Chandelure, the final form of Litwick.
"Now..." Mystico snapped his fingers, and a bluish light burst into the air, fading away after a split second to reveal a sword - a long, sharp blade with a curved, silvery guard and an inky black handle. Mystico seized the sword from the air and pointed it at Burgh's face. "What was that you were saying about me being 'reasonable'?"
Author's Note:
Well, looks like Burgh's in trouble now - it's a nice change, isn't it? Tony isn't in trouble for once! Of course, now it's just another Bug-type Specialist in trouble, but hey, what can you do?
Looks like Burgh's in a dangerous situation. Mystico is under no circumstances a Plasma Grunt - he's a Knight, and a much larger threat than any normal grunt, both in a Pokemon Battle and outside of it, something that I plan on emphizing in the next chapter.
Speaking of next time, I have an announcement: I'm going to visit relatives in Maryland, so I won't be able to update over the weekend. So, I expect lots of reviews when I get back, you hear me? Thank you for the support and patience in advance!
Now, reader question time! If you were a Gym Leader in the Pokemon League, what type of Pokemon would you use? I mean, I'd obviously use Bug-types, but what would you use? Answer after you review!
Mystico: "Alright, review or Burgh and Hawes both get it! Muahahahaha!"
Tony's Party:
1: Lucky, female Butterfree
Ability: Compound Eyes
Move Set: Bug Buzz, Confusion, Sleep Powder and Dream Eater.
2: Sunny, female Larvesta
Ability: Flame Body
Move Set: Ember, Flame Charge, Leech Life and Morning Sun
3: Lancelot, Male Karrablast
Ability: Swarm
Move Set: Fury Cutter, Peck, Endure, and X-Scissor.
4: Female Sewaddle, on loan from Burgh.
Ability: Swarm
Move Set: Bug-Bite, Razor Leaf, String-Shot and Tackle.
5: Male Venipede, unnamed
Ability: Poison Point
Move Set: Rollout, Poison Sting, Screech and Pursuit.
