Chapter 6
Power Switch
A Jolteon dashed across a gap in a wall, skidding to a stop once he had reached the other side, safely out of sight, tucking himself in an alley between two neighboring buildings. He turned back, poked his head out quickly scanning the area, before gesturing behind himself that the coast was clear. Promptly, a Ninetales slinked across the gap and met the Jolteon. Cramped together, Zav pressed his ear against the wall, listening intently.
"Is this it?" Pyrare asked. Zav didn't answer, but instead paused, narrowing his eyes, and promptly pulled himself away from the wall. Zav nodded, glancing out of the alley for a second and quickly retracting himself back to cover.
"This is where they'd be," Zav confirmed, biting his lip, "However, there are two guards stationed right in front, and I don't think we've got any chance of getting past them."
Pyrare peeked out herself and spotted the two. She had to agree with the Jolteon. They'd come as far as they could to follow the two.
Contrarily to what Dusty had told them, they had snuck into the Shadow facility and gotten all the way to the main control center undetected. It was odd, since many spots she'd swear a Shadow would be posted was utterly vacant. Zav argued to follow Rowan and Dusty in even with the two guards posted, but there wasn't a chance they'd be able to get in. The Jolteon cursed quietly, but Pyrare was secretly thankful, as making it this far without detection was a miracle in itself. If she was being completely honest, she was both impressed and terrified by the Jolteon's boldness. Even for his age, she had never seen someone so undeterred by anything. She guessed it was a perk that came with being born as the Astren's guardian.
"Aagh!" Zav cried out suddenly, crumpling to the ground, clutching his head as he began to writhe on the ground in pain. Pyrare jumped at his outburst, glancing out quickly for a moment, afraid it had drawn some attention to them. No one seemed to have heard, and she turned back to the Jolteon, who had quieted down, yet still seemed to be in a lot of pain, if his incoherent mumbles and grunts of agony were any signal. She frowned. Well, now they for sure weren't gonna get past the guards.
"What's wrong?' She asked, her mind flashing immediately to the Umbreon. Zav was his guardian after all, so weren't they connected in some way? If that were true, then that meant Rowan could be in trouble.
"R一Rowan… he…" Zav murmured between grunts of agony and pain, confirming what she had thought. Pyrare took a closer look at him. He looked completely fine, yet he was grasping his head as if it were a cliff ledge he was dangling off. His eyes were tight shut in pain, and his muscles were twitching in the pain. She looked upon it in shock, horror, and pity. It looked as if he was about to pass out.
"Rowan is what? In trouble?" Pyrare asked him. Instead of a response, Zav's eyes eased open, but instead of landing on Pyrare, they landed behind her. The Ninetales spun around, but was met with a sharp crack to her chest, and flew over to the back of the alley, landing to a skidding halt. She gasped for air, gaining her footing and catching her breath, wincing from the attack. Her eyes shot up to see her attacker, assuming it was a Shadow, but instead, a familiar figure stood over Zav, a dreadfully worried expression on his face.
She backed up carefully as Aves turned to her, a furious expression on his face. His hooves glowed white, and with Pyrare backed into a corner, the chance of her winning a fight seemed slim, especially against the famed Absol himself. She glanced helplessly at both Aves and Zav, knowing the Absol thought her to be the enemy.
"Aves, I didn't do that to him! I'm a friend!" She said desperately as Aves began to close in on her. He didn't even seem to hear her. He reared back to strike, and Pyrare's panic began to overtake her mind. She wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Bracing for what seemed inevitable, Pyrare shut her eyes tight and braced for impact. To her surprise though, no assault came. She opened her eyes, hearing Zav's murmurs at a barely audible level.
"No… Aves… She's with… us…" He muttered, just in the nick of time. Aves kept his gaze on the Ninetales before breaking it and rushing back over to the Jolteon, all hostility towards her having vanished.
"Zav, please, if you can, where is Rowan?" He asked gently. Zav was able to respond much better, which meant that whatever Rowan was going through at the moment must be alleviating somewhat.
"He's in… this building," He told him, getting to his feet as he leaned against the wall for support, wincing with still prominent pain, "I think… I think he's done it. He's gotten them…" He said, a weak smile showing through the pain. His smile was infectious, and the Ninetales grew a broad, excited grin herself, and glanced at Aves, expecting to see the same. Instead, she was greeted with perhaps the opposite.
His jaw trembled, and his eyes were wide with fear. His breathing turned shallow for a moment, and his whole expression wreaked of pure fear. He took a moment to calm himself down, though it was only half successful, and he cleared his throat nervously, a concerned glance at Zav, who was struggling to walk.
He whirled around to Pyrare, "I assume you're our ally, correct?" He asked, urgency in his voice. Pyrare nodded swiftly, "Good, I need you to stay back here and make sure Zav is alright. Don't let him follow me." He ordered her abruptly, turning and bounding off and out of the alley.
"Wait! There are guards一" She started to warn, but two quick thuds sounding outside the alley answered her questions. Moments later sirens rang throughout the facility, and the sound of scrambling footsteps mixed with them, making it difficult for the Ninetales to even think straight. Her eyes caught the Jolteon, who, despite what Aves had just told her, was inching his way closer to the alley exit, baring his clenched teeth as step after step, he neared the exit.
"Zav, no!" Pyrare yelped, grabbing him and yanking him backward, back into the safety of the alley. The Jolteon fought her immediately with great ferocity, and even despite the pain Zav was enduring, Pyrare had to fight hard to pin him down, amassing a fair share of cuts and bruises from his flailing claws. Even when she had him immobilized, he still squirmed, showing no sign of tiring soon.
"What's the matter with you, Zav! Going out there would be suicide, especially when you can barely walk!" She panted, Zav still putting up quite the fight. He didn't let up as he spoke.
"Rowan… needs me…" He panted, glaring up at her as if she was an enemy. Pyrare looked back at him, shocked by what he had said. She saw surges of electricity pulsing through his fur, but by then it was too late, painful volts surging through her before she could leap off him. Electrified, she lost her grip on him, and the Jolteon kicked her off with relative ease, despite his gritted teeth, and leaped to his feet, having somehow gained control over his motor skills once again. Stumbling a bit, he dashed out of the alley before Pyrare could stop him, bolts of lightning zipping past the alley entrance moments after, along with barrages of stray purple beams and arcs.
"What in Arceus is happening?" Pyrare muttered to herself, groaning as she got to her feet, shaking the static out of her pelt. She sighed, waiting for a break from the flurry of attacks that zoomed past the alley, before sprinting out to join Zav in the brawl, charging with a spiraling inferno surrounding her.
Rowan
Rowan get up
They're right outside
Get up
Rowan, please, you must
The Umbreon could barely hear the faint, familiar voice that distantly sounded. Instead, his head was aching with an irritating ring. He could barely even hear his own thoughts, and couldn't even muster the strength to get to his feet. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to control one of his raging senses at a time, but it didn't help. The images flashed by him regardless, there was no escape from them.
Rowan would've been fine had they made any sense, but they didn't. Even the visions of the grim future that potentially awaited him would've been far better than the jarring, fragmented snippets of whatever he was shown. He made the best sense he could of them, struggling to think over the loud ringing that plagued his ears. He took a staggering, deep breath, and did his best to focus on them, knowing well enough that this would probably be the last time he'd see them. Slowly, they began to merge together, forming a lazily patched together vision.
A far crevasse outstretched for miles and miles, seeming to go on forever. Dark figures dotted the vast plains that lay before the abrupt cliffs, creating a sea of an overwhelming murky purple. Rivers of deep, tainted purple ran through the rolling fields, infecting the land around them with veins of a sickly black color. The moon, shaking in the sky, shone bright, illuminating each and every one of the eerie lack of facial features on any of the formless figures. The land seemed to be plunged into darkness, and the silent inhabitants lurked in place, somewhat in anticipation of something.
Far in the distance, something caught Rowan's eye. Two figures stood among the overwhelming sea of black, two figures who, once he caught focus on, were surrounded by a barrier of bright light. One of them stood, what appeared to be a shield clenched tightly in his hand as he braced against the barrier, supporting it rigidly as fresh pulses of white light rippled from the shield. The dark figures close to the barrier slammed themselves against the wall of light, but the shield held, and they were kept at bay.
Behind him though stood another figure, this one armed with only his bare fists. He stood upon the edge of the crevasse, safe within the barrier of light, and peered down. His fists were glowing bright, shining more vividly as he clenched them. He turned back and said something to the other, though Rowan was far too much away to hear. However, when the figure turned around, he Rowan caught a glimpse of his face, and he was struck with a realization.
They were humans.
He wasn't sure how he knew, considering he had never seen one before, but he did. He remembered that he had been a human before, and a thought popped into his mind as he gazed at the two.
Was that him? Was this some glimpse into his past life?
As he pondered the thought, he began to finally question just what in Arceus was going on. He didn't know what these dark figures were, but the longer he kept his eye on them, the more chills they sent down his spine. It didn't help too that they seemed to want to extinguish the only light in the entirety of the rolling fields.
Especially since that light had a chance at being himself.
But just when he was beginning to understand what he was seeing, just as he was about to finally figure something out, it began to fade into black, and the ringing flooded his ears once again. He reached out, trying to tug the vision back to him, but it was far too late. Slowly, a sideways view of metallic walls shone in his vision, and the sensation of cold steel chilled him to the bone.
Get up, Rowan The familiar voice sounded again. Rowan grunted and obliged, struggling to his feet amongst the pounding headache that began. He teetered over until half-collapsing against the wall. To his dismay, it seemed to be vibrating, but a glance over at the door revealed something far more horrifying.
Several shallow indents marked the thick steel, and every few moments, another indent slammed itself inward, a loud clang sounding from the other side.
I'm trying to get to you The voice said again, sounding more and more familiar with every word it said Just hold on.
"I… can't move. My head…" Rowan mumbled between clenched teeth. The loud clangs that sounded from the door didn't help either, and he was beginning to hear shouts resounding from the other side as well. He knew it was only a matter of time before they broke it down and flooded in to seize him.
Luckily though, his memory had finally seemed to defog, relieving his headache slightly. He recognized that the pokemon on the other side of the wall weren't trying to save him, no, they were the Shadows, and they were trying to kill him. He gulped as he heard their shouts, estimating there must be hundreds of them outside, itching at the chance to get their claws on him.
He bared his teeth as the first of four hinges on the door snapped off, and unsheathed his claws as another two followed suit. He tried his best, but the hurricane of sensations that ran through his head made it impossible to focus. Fear began to overwhelm him as he couldn't even muster up the strength to illuminate his rings. He began to shake, petrified as the final moments of safety slipped between his claws like loose sand. How in Arceus was he going to fight off even one of these Shadows?
The last bolt unhinged, and the battered door flung to the side as Rowan met eyes with his enemies. Their shouts silenced at once when they saw the Umbreon, halting to a standstill. They seemed almost as petrified as he was, unsure of what they were to do now. Rowan knew what they were thinking though. They've just broken down the one barrier to an apparent fully powered Astren, and they were nothing more than enemies in the eyes of him.
Unfortunately though, they caught on rather quickly.
"He's powerless! He can't even turn his rings on!" One of them pointed out, exclaiming in delight. Rowan's eyes darted around at them, the Shadows in the front beginning to cautiously lurk inward. Moments passed, and soon their cries of imminent triumph grew voluminous as they stepped within lunging range. Rowan was too terrified to speak, and the visions of the future that lay ahead without him began to flash in and out of his mind. His back pressed against the steel walls as the Shadows closed in on him, broad, malicious smiles on their faces.
CRACK
A bright light filled the room without warning, and Rowan yelped in surprise, bracing for an onslaught of attacks to presume. Instead, the shrieks of his enemies cried out in panic as their voices began to be silenced with a deadening thud onto the floor. In a matter of only moments, the voluminous Shadow horde had been devastated into nothingness, and when the brightness faded, all that remained were their lifeless bodies, motionless and clustered around Rowan. He looked upon them in bafflement, noticing they hadn't moved a single inch since he last saw them. The Shadow alarms still blared in the hallway, and they all just seemed to have spontaneously collapsed around him, leaving him unscathed and alone.
Well, almost alone.
Rowan gasped when he caught the figure out of the corner of his eye. The hasty whisk of his cloak as he rounded the corner of the room was all too familiar. He hastily hurried after him, doing the best he could to pursue the figure with his still aching mind. He nearly stumbled on all the bodies chasing his supposed savior, but luckily his footing kept up with him.
"Hey!" Rowan called after him. He was at the far hallway door, and he paused, glancing back at him, his face concealed by his hood. Rowan noticed a glowing yellow blade that stuck out of his cloak. (okay ya I know that sounds like a lightsaber but it's not okay bear with me, I draw inspirations from everywhere)
"You're the pokemon I saw in my dream a month ago!" He exclaimed, and the stranger nodded. Rowan didn't risk any more steps, afraid he would flee.
"Who are you? How did you save me?" Rowan further questioned, pausing as the blade caught his eye again, "...Why did you save me?" He added, in a surprisingly skeptical tone. The pokemon didn't move, nor reply to his questions immediately. Instead, footsteps began to resound from the other end of the hallway, and Rowan shot around at the sound of them, hoping it wasn't another Shadow, as his pounding headache still rendered him useless.
"Rowan! You're alri一" Dusty sighed in relief as he rounded the corner, cutting himself off as he witnessed the sea of bodies surrounding Rowan. He blinked, open-mouthed, staring at Rowan in amazement.
"Arceus Rowan…" He murmured to himself, "Guess those Crystals really do work wonders, huh?"
Rowan shook his head, clutching it with a paw and glancing back, "It was hi一" He began to explain before realizing the pokemon had fled out of sight. He turned back to Dusty, who was looking at him warily.
"You alright Rowan?" He asked, stepping towards the Umbreon. Rowan was about to speak before a familiar and dreaded roar sounded from behind the red Absol. Dusty was far too late to react, and his attempt to dive out of harm's way was futile, as the barreling Aves had tackled and pinned him in a matter of seconds. He growled at the red Absol, who struggled uselessly under Aves' tight, merciless grip.
"Aves!" Rowan yelled weakly, his headache starting to get the better of him. The Absol's head shot towards Rowan, at first threateningly, but soon it turned horrified as it spotted the bodies piled around him. His grip on Dusty loosened as he let him go, turned back, and dashed out of sight, all without a word escaping his petrified face.
"Wow, Rowan. I never thought those Crystals could do… this." Dusty said as he glanced at the lifeless hallway, in a surprisingly impressed tone, "You'll be able to一" He began to say before Rowan collapsed onto him. Dusty caught him but nearly toppled over himself in the surprise.
"Arceus Rowan, are you alright?" He asked, though Rowan sensed he wasn't exactly concerned for Rowan, but somehow rather himself.
"Get… Get me to Zav…" He mumbled, feeling more and more exhausted as each moment passed. He knew the voice in his head was Zav's, and right now, it was calling desperately for him.
"Right." Was all Dusty remarked before they set off, limping through the hallways and back out the main doors. A lazy glance to the side revealed Aves had cleanly sliced through both guards with his horn shortly before, and the courtyard was peppered with fallen foes and eerily quiet, despite the moans of the few heavily injured, yet conscious Shadow members. He spotted Pyrare, who had a deep cut in her right shoulder, the blood having crusted over. She didn't seem in much pain as she glanced pitifully down at a nearly unconscious Shadow, debating whether or not to put his incomprehensible pain-slurred speech to rest.
"Rowan!" The Umbreon heard Zav exclaim. A few paces up revealed the Jolteon scuffling with Aves, struggling violently under his grip. Aves risked a glance back at Rowan, buying Zav just the right amount to squirm free and break away, dashing full speed at the Umbreon.
"No Zav!" Aves cried out desperately, charging after the Jolteon. However it was no use, as Zav's speed was unmatchable, and not even Aves would be able to catch him.
"You may… want to move…" Rowan told Dusty as the Jolteon neared, showing no signs of slowing. Dusty quickly obliged and scrambled out of the way.
In an instant, Rowan was swept off his trembling legs and sent tumbling to the earth with Zav, bracing as they skid to a stop on the hardened earth. However, it didn't hurt at all. In fact, nothing seemed to hurt anymore. His headache had instantly subsided, his weak muscles had been rejuvenated to far beyond their full strength, and his previously foggy senses were now sharper than ever. He opened his eyes, having braced them for what he presumed was to be a painful impact, to see Zav standing over him, bruised but mostly uninjured, looking at him with incredible anticipation. His eyes had somehow brightened, and Rowan realized he could see every detail with picturesque detail. The minute sparks bouncing around in his fur, the rolling hills of sapphire in his eyes, the cracks in the dried blood that surrounded a shallow cut and the depth to the purple of a bruise, it was all there and vivid. Time seemed to have bent to his will, as it appeared to him he could slow it slightly and quicken it's passing to his liking. He could even sense the slight vibrations in the earth and could discern the rapid hoofbeats of Aves and Dusty, to the pattering of Pyrare's paws as she dashed over with them.
He focused back on Zav, noticing a sensation that seemed to radiate from the Jolteon. He wasn't sure what it was, but he did have an explanation as to why it made him feel much stronger and more powerful. Zav was his guardian; he was the Astren. The closer they were, the more powerful they'd be.
"Zav! Get away from him!" Aves roared, tackling the Jolteon off Rowan. They scuffled to the ground, Aves getting an early pin on Zav. Yet this time, Aves seemed to struggle more against the Jolteon, much to his surprise, and Zav was just about ready to shock Aves full of lightning, his pelt bristling with electricity, until Rowan shook his head to refrain. Instead, Rowan rose to his feet, a newfound confidence having emerged, and called to Aves strongly.
"Stop Aves. I haven't become what you fear." Rowan called. He saw the Absol's spine shudder as he heard his voice, and immediately he leaped off Zav to face him, keeping himself between the Jolteon and Rowan. Pyrare looked upon the scene with skepticism, unsure if Rowan knew what he was getting himself into. Dusty, however, wore a broadening grin as he eyed Rowan, thinking he knew full well what the Umbreon was capable of. A bit of a lesson would make the Absol ever so satisfied.
"Oh, you haven't, have you? Then I presume someone else massacred all the Shadows in that hallway, all without a scratch upon them?" Aves spat angrily in an outrage. Rowan nodded.
"Actually yes, that's exactly what happened." He replied calmly. Aves laughed hysterically. He had to admit, it did sound pretty absurd.
"Oh Rowan, I'd have thought those Crystals would have also given you at least the ability to come up with a decent lie, but no! All they've done is given you murderous intent, bent on killing every inconvenience that stands in your way!" He yelled, his anger bubbling up. Zav glanced at Rowan, silently offering his help, but he dismissed it. He knew he'd have to deal with Aves alone this time if he was going to get his point across.
"Aves, those Shadows would've killed me had I not defended myself. I've only resorted to violence to defend myself or someone else, never for offense. You've seen it firsthand on the Southern Islands. Why would I change simply by touching a few shiny stones?" Rowan said, giving up completely to explain to Aves that he indeed hadn't killed them. He realized his memory seemed to be ingrained in his head more than ever, remembering every moment of everything that he had experienced in perfect detail at his will.
Aves narrowed his eyes, gazing unflinchingly as he met Rowan's, "Because, you and I both know what power does to those who obtain it." He said in a low voice.
"It corrupts," Rowan stated, looking right into Aves, "Yet it only seems to do so to those who are already corrupt. Those who are not, it does not do so." He said gesturing to the Absol. For a moment, Aves didn't know what to say, but he soon found a way to turn the statement against Rowan.
"Flattery will not help you, Rowan. You killed them. They were an inconvenience, and you disposed of them." Aves said coldly, retaining his glare.
Is what Aves says true, Rowan? Zav asked him through thought. Rowan spotted him and shook his head. He was partially relieved when at least Zav knew he was telling the truth. Aves was just far too skeptical and arrogant that anyone more powerful than him could ever be benevolent in spirit, and not a warmongering menace.
"You seem hypocritical, Aves. You've done the same," Rowan pointed out, gesturing back to the front doors of the facility where the two dead guards lay, "More times than I've cared to count."
Aves turned red, "In order to get to you, I had to kill them, Rowan. I know what previous Astren's are capable of, Rowan, you could've harmlessly knocked all of them out had you wished." He argued. Rowan shook his head.
"Just how powerful do you think I am, Aves? Sure, I've been given more power by those Crystals, but not enough to slice through all of those Shadows and come out completely unscathed! If I could do that, I'd be marching over to the Kingpin right now because no one could stop me!" Rowan exclaimed, starting to get a little infuriated with Aves' increasingly absurd assumptions. Out of nowhere though, Dusty burst out in a fit of laughter, prompting everyone to switch their looks over to him as he struggled to contain himself.
"What in Arceus' name do you think is funny about this?!" Aves demanded, starting his way over to the Absol. Dusty glanced at Aves and continued laughing, not moving as Aves neared, an infuriated glare on his face. Zav was following close behind if things were to get out of hand.
Luckily Rowan was quick to act, intercepted the Absol before he could strike Dusty. Aves gave him a warning glare, "I'm warning you, Rowan, if you don't let me through to that Absol, you're gonna regret it. I don't care how powerful you are." He growled. Dusty managed to quell his laughter long enough to speak.
"Ah, it's just way too funny Aves," Dusty remarked, still chuckling to himself.
"What's too funny, you一" He hissed, before Dusty cut him off.
"Well, it's just that if Rowan was so powerful and evil like you think he is, he could've easily killed you along with the rest of us if he desired." Dusty pointed out, "And honestly, with how much of a pain you're being, I'm surprised Rowan hasn't by now." He huffed, prompting a low growl from Aves.
"Aves, he has a point you know," Zav pointed out, "If Rowan had truly turned corrupt and evil from those Crystals, he would've killed us by now. Especially you."
Aves glanced back at Zav for a moment, then turning his gaze back to Rowan, "So, we're supposed to just hope you don't try to kill us then, is that it?" He said, still reluctant to admit defeat. Rowan sighed in exasperation.
"Isn't that what we did when you planned out everything? When you were the strongest amongst us? Arceus, Aves, don't we just assume our friends won't try to kill us?" Rowan pointed out, his voice exhausted from this argument. Aves paused for a moment, glanced back at Zav once more, and mouthed something to the Jolteon. Zav's eyes flashed to Rowan briefly. He nodded immediately, and Aves turned back to Rowan reluctantly.
"Fine. I'll trust you," He surrendered, however sourly, brushing past him and Dusty. Before he left them to go examine the few remaining conscious Shadows though, he muttered something into Rowan's ear that reassured him that his feuds with the Absol were far from over:
"But if you even lay a single claw on Zav, I'm ripping you to pieces."
Barren oak trees dotted the landscape, their leaves coating the forest floor in a thick carpet of leaves the color of blood and rust. They were soaked in last night's sleety downpour and muffled any footsteps that sounded to a silence. Nevertheless the Gallade, his eyes closed, was quite aware of the pokemon that drew near. Thinking he was asleep, they turned to creep away, but he held up an arm in recognition.
"I'm awake. What is it?" He asked, his quiet, tired voice mingling with the thousands that sounded below him. He was atop a hill, on the edge of a late-autumn forest, and below him stirred thousands of pokemon, their early morning chatters resounding throughout the camp.
"The pokemon are growing restless, Glade. They're questioning what we are to do next… as well as how trusting your judgment is." An Aggron said. Beside him, a Tropius stood, casting a wary glance at the Aggron. Perhaps criticisms of the Gallade's leadership wasn't the best thing to bring up right now. Glade sensed all of this, however, and chuckled weakly.
"Arbos, I've told you already. Managing all the separate forces of the Order, something I'm amazed even all three of High Order were able to pull off, is far too much of a task for myself一" Glade spoke in a patient voice, however, the Aggron interrupted again.
"Yes Glade, I know. They're thinking that perhaps you could've instead split the power among select others, create a new High Order so to speak, instead of calling every member down here." Arbos said again, this time a hint of a challenge in his voice. Glade paused for a moment and shook his head.
"You are aware of the recent events that have happened, are you not?" Glade asked Arbos, still not having moved from the tree he rested against.
"Yes, I am sir, I just don't think that一" He began before Glade cut him off.
"And what will the Shadows think when they hear we have lost all three of our leaders, our most brilliant strategist, and that the Astren is against us?" Glade said, keeping his patient tone. There was a reluctant pause before Arbos responded.
"...that this would be a一" He began, but Glade finished for him.
"一perfect opportunity to strike. Yes, quite smart you are, Arbos." Glade finished, disregarding the huff the Aggron sounded in response.
"Alright sir, I admit, you may have a point. But still, how is cornering ourselves to the southern peninsula a good idea? We'll have nowhere to run if the Shadows launch an attack." He argued. Glade nodded at this, and got to his feet, his exhausted eyes meeting Arbos' for a short moment before he looked out across the vast plain that extended after the forest's edge. It was barely visible, but about four miles away was the entrance to a narrow canyon that snaked its way for ten miles before giving way to the plains of the southern peninsula. The walls of it were gargantuous, and sheer cliffs on both sides made the only passage to the southern peninsula through the pass. Glade extended his arm out to it.
"We won't need to run," He said, a slight grin on his face, "Arbos, what do you think the Shadows will do when they hear of the entirety of the Order retreating back to the Southern Peninsula, all right after losing their three leaders?"
Arbos' challenging tone had by now completely vanished, and was replaced with slightly amazed curiosity, "They'll amass a force to crush us, seeing we've got no place to run, sir." He responded. Glade nodded, glancing back at the canyon.
"You see Arbos, if we can lure their massive force into the canyon, they'll be trapped. It'll only be for a moment, but we'll have the near entirety of the Shadows right where we want them, and we'll descend down upon them, surrounding them within the pass and crushing them from every side." Glade explained, his tired eyes glimmering with the thought that they could end this war with one decisive blow to the Shadows. Arbos however, cast a skeptical glance at Glade.
"But sir, what if they know what we're doing though? You can't honestly expect them to just walk through that canyon not expecting an ambush, do you, sir?" He asked, but Glade nodded.
"Actually, I do," He said, turning and pointing down to an Unfezant that sat among the thousands of pokemon, "Do you know her name?" He asked. Arbos glanced down for a moment, and shook his head, slightly to his dismay. Glade shrugged.
"Me neither. Sort of like she just showed up, right?" He said, noticing how she was quite reserved in character when compared to the social pokemon chatting around her, "It's because she's a Shadow scout, sent here to get a look at what all this is about." He told him. Arbos looked at him with complete dismay. Before he could speak, however, Glade beat him to it.
"In fact, we've spotted numerous ones spying on us." Glade remarked, sitting back down to rest against the tree, as if what he said wasn't completely absurd, "But it's just what we need."
Arbos at this point was staring at Glade as if he had completely lost his mind, "Sir, are you sure you're thinking straight?" He asked warily. Glade chuckled at this.
"Positive, Arbos. You see once we traverse the canyon and settle on the southern peninsula, these scouts will flee the camp, and hurry to report back to the Kingpin of what we're doing. How open, and vulnerable we are, cornered at the edge of the peninsula. Of course, after hearing this, the Kingpin won't halt to launch a massive offensive against us, expecting us to be off guard, caught totally unexpected at the edge of the continent. They'll be passing through the canyon, expecting to meet us miles ahead, sitting as easy prey to their attack." Glade told him, and Arbos' mouth was gaped open in amazement of this plan. He took a few moments to respond.
"What… what if we aren't enough to defeat them? We'll be outnumbered ten to one in taking on all of Shadows." He said, and Glade glanced back at him, his eyes meeting the Aggron's. Within them shone an uttermost certainty.
"I hope our massive advantage of both terrain and having caught them off guard will be enough to result in a victory, but that's a risk we'll have to accept if we go through with this." Glade told him, before turning back. Arbos fell silent, eyeing the Gallade with a mixture of amazement, amusement, and admiration.
"Well Arbos, if you'd be so kind as to leave, I've got some matters to discuss with Florif." He dismissed, and the Aggron nodded, pushing past the Tropius and disappearing among the thousands of pokemon that dotted the forest below.
"So Florif, what's troubling you?" Glade asked, sitting back down, cross-legged. The Tropius paused, as if she didn't know exactly what to say.
"Well, Glade, sir, please know that I mean you know offense, and I am not questioning your orders一" She said carefully before Glade cut her off with an exasperated sigh.
"What is it?" He ordered, slight irritation present in his voice.
"Yes, well, I'm not sure how to put this," She began, pausing for a moment, before reassuring herself with a nod, "But are you sure Rowan is as evil as you think?"
Glade cocked his head and glanced back at her. Floriff had been wary about his reaction, but he didn't seem furious at her question. Instead, he looked back at her with curiosity and slight bewilderment.
"Why exactly do you think this?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her, unblinking. His tone wasn't hostile, but still Floriff had the feeling she was now treading on thin ice. Cautiously, she proceeded.
"Back in the city, when we were pursuing him, Some other members and I had cornered him into a building. We would have had him, but out of nowhere, the building collapsed on us! Rubble buried all of us, feet upon feet of it, and everyone else was crushed instantly by it. I was lucky and escaped with merely broken bones, but it was only because of Rowan yanked me out of it before I suffocated." She told Glade as he observed her, narrow eyes, unblinking, "Had it not been for him, I would not have survived. Tell me, if he were truly evil as you say, wouldn't he have just left me to die, sir?"
Glade' face was unreadable. He paused for a few moments, considering what Floriff had said, before shifting back to how he had been before, "Floriff, remind me how Rowan himself went, miraculously, completely unscathed during this?" Glade asked, but Floriff had already known the answer to his question.
"Yes, sir, he protected himself, but that's just一" She began, before being interrupted by Glade.
"Yes, and tell me why exactly you needed saving?" Glade asked her, catching her off guard, "Who do you think brought the building down?"
Floriff looked at him incredulously, "Glade, if he had the ability to take a building down without laying a paw on it, I'm pretty sure he could've beaten us easily on his own." She argued, "He wouldn't've had to bring the building down."
Glade shook his head and sighed, "Exactly." He said, turning away from her once again. Floriff blinked, paused for a moment, and was near about to ask just what in Arceus Glade meant before the Gallade spoke again.
"If Rowan could've killed you so easily, why did he choose the option of bringing a building down as his best option?" He asked her. Floriff at this point had given up trying to understand what went through the Gallade's mind.
"I don't know, sir." She responded in a slightly defeated voice.
"Because," Glade said, looking back and met her eyes for just a moment, "It allowed him to make it seem like an accident, and more importantly, keep you alive in particular."
"Why would he want me alive?" Floriff asked, finding herself skeptical of Glade's answer. It just seemed too absurd that a truly evil being would spare anyone's life.
"For the very reason we're having this argument." Glade told her, "I can't imagine he loves having the Order against him. Starting an internal revolt against their leader by acting heroic and victimized would do mighty well for his situation." He said, biting his lip and narrowing his eyes, "He's already manipulated Aves, I imagine he could manipulate anyone." He muttered to himself in anger.
Floriff had been quiet, pondering what Glade had proposed with an open mouth and wide eyes. Finally, she spoke, "You think Rowan saved me with the intent that I'd start a rebellion against you, sir?" She asked, and Glade nodded. He looked back at her, a suddenly hostile, scrutinizing look on his face.
"You haven't told anyone else of this, have you? Rumors spread like wildfire, you know." He asked, in a tone that told Floriff there was a correct answer to this question.
"No, I haven't. You are the only one I've discussed this with, sir." She responded, stifling her nervousness. Glade paused for a moment, which made her heart skip a beat.
"Good. We wouldn't want him to succeed with his plan, right?" Glade said contently.
"No, sir." She said finally, a stretch of silence presuming after. Glade sensed she was still there.
"Anything else?" He asked, his patience waning.
"Yes, sir, I mean no disrespect, but have you thought this plan of yours through? Are you sure the Shadows will fall for it, sir?" She asked warily. Glade turned back and met her eyes with his own utterly exhausted ones.
"Why do you suppose I'm on the verge of collapsing in exhaustion, Floriff?" He told her, and Floriff quickly nodded and dismissed herself, making haste.
Glade heard her leave and heaved an exhausted sigh, his eyes drooping as he rested back against the tree. He had had a busy past few days and was about ready to collapse into a slumber, exhausted. Leaning against the tree, his eyes landed lazily on the canyon. He wondered absurdly if the canyon knew history was going to be made in it in just a couple days. Forever, the landmark will pinpoint perhaps the greatest moment in all of Rastesian history. It will mark the greatest battle the continent had ever seen, and once the dust has cleared, it would either be freedom or oppression which would rise. The very future of the world was teetering on the edge of falling fate to the Shadows, but with this precise victory, the tides would turn massively, and the Order would be in a prime position to retake the continent.
Forever, the Battle For Rastesia would be written about by historians. Glade only hoped his name would belong to the victors.
Hello! Long time since I've had one of these... and a post to begin with... heh
Well, besides my lack of excuse for such a hiatus, hope you enjoy the chapter! Ran into a bit of a mind block halfway through, but once I got over that, I really started to love writing this again. I'm pretty excited for the next chapters (and yes, I know I say that a lot, but this time I actually mean it), and I hope at least some of you are too!
By the way, if you figure out who that super strange and mysterious hooded character is, or at least your best guess, please do not spoil it for everyone else in the reviews, rather write me a pm, please. I know some of you have a sharp eye for stuff like that. Hope you're all doing fantastic!
Sincerely,
Eon11
