A/N: Okay... wow. it has been waaay too long since I last updated this fic, and I'm REALLY sorry about that, I really have no excuse as to how I let so many months go by other than I was very distracted/busy & had a total lack of motivation to work on this. I'm very set on finishing it though! I doubt there's much interest in Hoenn stuff right now either way, but S/M comes out pretty soon, so maybe it'll get people back into Pokemon.
Chapter 45 - The Brink
Fortree City was quiet, much quieter than it had been in years. The twittering of birds was absent from the treetops, as was the distant chatter of villagers. This left only the wind, blowing in from the east, harassing the branches and the large leaves that grew from them. Breaking the silence, near the center of the hub, was a single radio, its reception fuzzy and full of static, playing an outdated, foreign rock song. Had anyone else been around they might've scoffed at the music; however the only person present was the man sitting beside the radio, one hand at his side propping him up, the other in his lap, tapping his fingers against his leg to the beat, legs dangling from the wooden platform he was seated at. He wore striped khaki slacks, a simple black vest, and a red dress shirt beneath it, the ironed sleeves pulled up to his elbows due to the heat. Between the outfit, and his strange hairstyle – a single, bright red tuft of hair at the front of a bald head – he stood out like a sore thumb in the rural city.
"BZZT- ZZT - … WE INTERRUPT THIS BROADCAST TO BRING YOU AN EMERGENCY ALERT. EMERGENCY ALERT."
One of the man's eyebrows curved upwards as he glanced down at the object, unperturbed.
"THE SUPERSTORM ORIGINATING AROUND SOOTOPOLIS CITY IS CONTINUING WEST. IT HAS MADE LANDFALL IN LILYCOVE CITY AND DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WEAKENING. EVACUATION HAS ALREADY BEEN CARRIED OUT ALONG THE EAST COAST OF HOENN. IF YOU ARE STILL PRESENT, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO RETREAT FURTHER WEST. BE SURE TO TAKE COVER, AS HEAVY LIGHTNING IS REPORTED ALONG WITH DAMAGING GALE-FORCE WINDS…"
The man yawned, running a hand along the top of his head. "That doesn't sound too good."
"SEVERE FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN ALL REGIONS OF EASTERN HOENN. THE WEATHER INSTITUTE IS CALLING FOR EVACUATIONS OF ALL CITIES AND TOWNS EAST OF MAUVILLE CITY. *BZZZT* THE SUPERSTORM ORIGINATING AROUND SOOTOPOLIS CITY…"
With a click of a button, the volume faded. The man picked up his radio and set it in a black backpack beside him, grumbling, "They should really give these Pokenavs a radio function." He then got back to his feet, dusted off his clothes, and gazed down into the branches below, which tumbled gently – innocently, even. Curling his lips, he gave a loud whistle.
In moments, two Pokemon were at his side, emerging from the forest; an Absol and a Mightyena, their coats covered in twigs and leaves. The man let out a sigh at this, picking a few from the latter's fur. "I'm gonna have to get you two groomed, again… Gimme a break."
Mightyena barked, and wagged its tail, signaling to its trainer that it'd done its assigned task of searching for any remaining townspeople. The elite trainer nodded back, then flipped open his Pokenav.
"We're all clear here, Winona. Let's get outta here."
"Alright, I'll be right over."
Another gust, carrying warm – hot, even – air blew up from beneath the platform, and the man sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing, Steve-o."
"Walrein, Sealeo! Go!"
Amidst the sheets of rain blowing through the streets of Slateport in all directions, there were two white bursts of light. Thunder roared furiously overhead, and lightning reached down from the tumbling black clouds towards the ravaged buildings. The Pokemon that emerged – hulking masses of blue blubber that were at no risk of being blown away by the winds – roared at the scene and awaited further orders from their master.
The trainer in question stood with one arm over her forehead, and the other holding her billowing, soaked clothes in place. The dress was lavender, with a white collar and sleeves, slick and rippling out behind her. She wasn't as youthful physically as she had been when she'd raised these two Pokemon, then energetic little Spheals, but she still had the same fiery personality and her voice was able to cut through the storm's fury to reach her Pokemon's ears. "Ice Beam! Spread out!"
The Pokemon responded immediately; the larger mass, Walrein, flopped up the avenue to a building whose roof had been rent apart. People were still inside, cowering and attempting to take cover, having not made it to the shelters on time. A few of them averted their gaze from the sky to the approaching Pokemon as it powered up the attack. Then jagged, white beams of energy shot from Walrein's mouth and across the tattered building, temporarily shielding it from the rain.
Meanwhile, Sealeo had made its way out to the coast, alongside its mysterious trainer. The waves had swallowed up Slateport's entire beach area, and out amongst the rolling gray mass were stray striped umbrellas and broken beach chairs. Thankfully, the woman realized, there didn't seem to be any people out there accompanying them. She turned to the harbor. Anchoring or tying up a boat seemed to have been the only option, with such a storm on the horizon, but in reality it had done nothing; some lay upturned in the hungry waves, others in shambles and scattered across the road above the harbor.
Her eyes widened as she spotted a handful of sailors amongst this mess. They were within running distance of the massive warehouse building that was serving as a shelter for many townspeople, but with the wind and waves coming in, and the debris swirling about in the air, it was a death wish to make a break for it now. The woman strode over to the docks with a speed that seemed to contradict her age, down some rattling ramps and stairs littered with paper and trash, and into the main harbor, which was already flooded, the water reaching up to her calves. She clicked her tongue, and ordered Sealeo to freeze a path over to the sailors. The Pokemon shot out an ice beam at once, creating a jagged walkway over to the shack the men were huddled around. The trainer hurried forwards at once, Sealeo huffing and loafing along by her side.
"You there!" She called out, fists clenched at her side. "Get to the shelter, now!"
The men, somehow, heard her, and cast uneasy glances at each other. Three of them were backed against the shack, which was quivering in the storm, while two others were clutching a palm tree planted in the sidewalk that looked as if it'd go flying any second now.
Out of the corner of her eye, the woman spotted something even more treacherous; a waterspout had spawned right in the middle of the harbor, and was making its way inland. Anything in its path was sent flying. She gritted her teeth, glaring again at the sailors – why weren't they moving?!
Sealeo cried out in protest and hopped forwards all of the sudden, and again the trainer looked out to the harbor – to see that the waterspout had picked up a huge chunk of a sailboat and sent it careening towards the sailors.
She reacted instantly, waving out one hand. "Sealeo! Ice Beam! Now!"
The group of men turned in shock at the Pokemon launched the attack at the object hurtling towards them like a javelin. It froze in midair instantly and fell to the ground with the added weight. The impact caused the debris to shatter; the pieces slid further up the road, stopping beneath the bewildered sailors' feet.
"What are you waiting for?! Go!" demanded the woman again, furiously, and at last the men were able to move themselves inland towards the warehouse.
She sighed as Sealeo returned to her side. The Pokemon hummed, very distressed by what was going on, and though the woman was better at concealing the feeling, she was, too. That kid, Steven… I hope he knows what he's doing.
Elsewhere, two other dispatched elite trainers were hard at work. At the peak of Mt. Pyre, a Ghost-type specialist was helping an elderly couple, as well as evacuated families from the surrounding area that had ventured to the mountain's peak, to shelter inside. Six powerful Dragon-type Pokemon commanded by a veteran trainer were scattered across Lilycove City, which after all this time was still under the assault of Kyogre's power rather than Groudon's. They carried injured or marooned shoppers from the Department Store, which swayed back and forth beneath the storm's assault, and swept through streets with little trouble to help those stuck in upturned cars or flooding hotels.
All four of them were wondering about Steven Stone, who had hastily contacted them warning of an event like this. And while the details of the situation were unclear, they helped, putting their own lives at risk in doing so, hoping desperately that the young Champion knew what he was doing.
As much as I wanted to help Latias, to not be a burden, there wasn't anything I could do except bury my face in its feathers and keep a tight hold on its body. There was no way I could direct it on where to go. I'll just have to put all my faith in you, Latias, I thought, running my hand along its neck. The Pokemon hummed softly in response, and continued doing so every few minutes, as if it were checking in on me.
"I'm fine," I responded softly. "Just keep going." Soon, hopefully, this will all be over…
"Tiii…"
As the flight continued, I tried to keep my mind off of Steven, who was still stuck at Sootopolis. If I didn't find Rayquaza and stop all this soon… N-no, he can handle it, probably, I told myself. He's… the Champion, after all. The thought wasn't very convincing. Regardless of how skilled a trainer you were… there's no way you could last forever in a city that was literally sinking. My thoughts moved on to my parents, and Brendan and Professor Birch back home in Littleroot. Had the storm reached there yet? The intense sunlight? Dad was a powerful trainer, but you can't fight the weather, nature… not for long.
There was a chance I wouldn't make it back home.
The realization made my heart beat faster in my chest and my arms tighten around Latias. No… I'll get through this. I have to.
Another hum came from the Dragon-type.
"I'm fine."
"Tiii."
Latias came to a gradual halt. I licked my parched lips, and then peeled open my eyes. We'd landed, at a barren island of leached sand and a huge, towering gray structure that disappeared into the sky, farther than I could see. I gasped, only to cough as the dry air filled my lungs.
Wallace was already here. His robed form stood out in the otherwise dull landscape of yellow and blue. He was perched at the bank of a hill, gaze focused on the pillar as well. Though the trainer was much taller than I, beside this tower he looked like nothing more than a snowflake.
I dismounted Latias, patting it on the head. "Thank you..." It pushed past my hand, nuzzling its snout beneath my neck and I giggled. "I'll take care of this, definitely."
My feet scuffed against the dirt, summoning up clouds of dust that hung in the boiling hot air. The walk wasn't bad at all, by any means, but by the time I reached the tower's gaping maw of an entrance, I felt drained.
Wallace, probably hearing the noise, turned as I neared the pillar. "Ah, so Latias couldn't just fly you up to the top, after all…? Figures…" hummed the man, though the slight wrinkles on his face made the quip feel forced. "Even as a Sootopolitan I can't fathom why. Perhaps the air isn't suitable for it, or it can sense Rayquaza…" His eyes, as turquoise as the sea that shifted beneath the sun's glare beyond us, seemed to glint. "Awfully brave of you to go up all by yourself, when a legendary Pokemon's deemed it too dangerous itself."
I frowned. "So then, this is the entrance?"
Wallace huffed. "Yes, I've already unlocked it. As a Sootopolitan, you're given permission to enter, 'O chosen one'."
A breeze blew through, one that was a little too strong even for an island in the middle of the sea, and with it was the faint, blurry rumble of thunder. I turned to the entrance to Sky Pillar, which rose up at least thirty feet, wondering what Wallace meant by 'unlock'. There's no time to waste. Fists clenched, I started into the tower. Behind me, I heard Wallace's hurried footsteps as he followed suit.
I don't know what I expected the inside to look like, but it was nothing beautiful. Sky Pillar was, through and through, a place untouched by humans for hundreds of years, as the legends had said. The halls were wide and the ceiling just barely visible in the dim lighting. The structure itself was made of some kind of dark, igneous rock, but curiously, each wall held two windows that were too angular and perfect to be simply naturally-formed gaps. They were just big enough for someone of my size to fit through. The sunlight that drifted in did hardly anything to light the tower, though, only providing enough visibility so that one could make out the faults in the ground and the border of what appeared to be a stairwell at the other end of the floor. It was littered with rocks and debris of all sizes, from pebbles to boulders, that made simply walking from one side of the room to the other a task in itself; above, in the ceiling, were dark, gaping holes in the above floor through which the rocks probably came.
Wallace's voice roused me from my observation. "May. We should hurry."
"Yes," I mumbled, watching my step as I made for the stairwell. Focusing on the task of simply making it to the dark passage was easier than thinking of the pillar itself and how it seemed to stretch into outer space – how many floors I would have to climb, if it was even possible…
After struggling over a sizable pile of rubble, we reached the stairwell; I glanced back nervously at Wallace. Of course, it was the only way, but… It's so steep… And the stairs look like they could give way any second… Furthermore it was so dark that I could hardly see past the fourth step – if there was a Pokemon, or a weak point in the ground…
I nearly tiptoed onto the first step. Then the second. Nothing so far. Cautiously, I continued upwards, Wallace following three or four steps behind me. I had to pull my knees up nearly to my chest to reach each step, although the edges were crumbled and none of them were exactly the same height. But they weren't shattering beneath my feet, so that was a high point.
Just as I was turning the corner to head to the second level, the ground began to shudder. Immediately I stumbled into the wall, and behind me I heard Wallace struggling to hold his footing as well. An… an earthquake?! The ground was shaking violently, and all around came menacing rumbles and groans within the tower's structure. Just as I moved to take another step, there was a crack behind me, followed by a thunderous sound that seemed to be getting louder.
I caught a glimpse of Wallace a few steps down. "May – go!" he called, waving his hand. I didn't think, and threw myself up a few more stairs, scraping my arms on the rock in the process. Behind me, there was a huge crash, followed by a blast of musky air and dirt that stuck to my skin and mouth in the already dry air.
Once the shaking came to an abrupt halt, I turned onto my back, gazing down the stairwell. The place where I'd been standing, where there was a bend in the path, was completely filled in with rocks. I jumped to my feet, a hot surge of alarm running up my spine. "Wallace? Wallace?!" No, no, no…
"I'm fine, May," came the muffled reply, and I let out a sigh. "The tower is more fragile than I thought… and to think the worst of the weather is starting to reach out this far…"
I wiped the sweat from my brow and reached one hand into my bag. "It's no problem – I have a Pokemon that knows Rock Smash."
There was a short pause on his end. "No, you shouldn't waste time with that, May – get to the top. You were the one entrusted with the Blue Orb – it should be you who faces Rayquaza, anyway. I've done my part."
The place isn't exactly stable enough for me to go hacking at some rocks with Mightyena, either, I thought with a frown. "Are you sure…?"
The words must have not been loud enough to reach through the wall of black rubble. "Well then, I'm leaving this to you, May. I'll head back to Sootopolis and do what I can. Best of luck."
With that, he was gone, and it's not like there was anything else to talk about. But, even if I didn't even know him, I suddenly felt intensely lonely and scared in this tower that I was more or less trapped in. There were still countless floors left to climb, and who knew if another earthquake would hit? Without Wallace here… I could die, get crushed, and no one would know, no one would come to help…
There was a sudden clap, and I jumped, realizing that it came from one of my Pokeballs. Blaziken emerged, a glowing beacon of color in the darkness, and made a soft noise before bounding up the rest of the steps. I could only stare after it. Blaziken… T-that's right, I have my Pokemon with me. It turned around, stamping its feet in impatience, and I hurried up the rest of the stairs. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"
The third floor… I started towards a window to see just how far up from the ground this was. There was no way to gauge distance in this tower. The ground, still littered with rocks and rubble, made a strange noise beneath my feet, almost like the crinkling of a leaf in autumn. If I just head to that window on the left, I can avoid the bigger rocks-
CRASH!
I gasped as my right foot suddenly broke through the ground as if it were nothing more than paper, stumbling backwards and bracing myself against a boulder. But the breach spread, further and further, following each panicked step I took until the strained floor around the stone gave way, too. I screamed, flailing desperately to grab a hold of something as the boulder seemed to fall in slow-motion to the following floor, and then to the ground floor. Dirt erupted all around, exploding from the hole in the ground. My lungs itched and tingled as they filled with the dust and suddenly I was coughing hoarsely instead of crying out, and – and there was a grip around my arm. Tight, but smooth. And a familiar grunting, high pitched…
I blinked open my watering eyes and looked up. The dust cloud hung in the air, but through it I could make out Lileep, its head outstretched and one of its appendages wrapped around my wrist.
"Leeeeeeeeeeep…"
I could only stare, dumbfounded, as the Pokemon lifted me back to safety with great effort.
"Lileep…" Suddenly there were tears in my already messy eyes. My chest felt warm, not the arid, choking warmth that was hanging in the air but the comforting warmth of something akin to gratitude and love. "Thank you…"
The ancient Pokemon only squeaked in response.
Cracks. That was the way around this place. The dilapidated sections of the floor had very faint cracks in them, as if someone had dusted some ash pavement – they were faint, but visible with the help of Sableye's Flash ability. I picked out the safer sections of the floor and, with the Dark-type clutching onto my head, jumped from one section of stable ground to another until I reached the stairs.
It was on the fifth floor that I ran into another obstacle – there didn't seem to be a single section of stable ground.
I bit my lip, immediately regretting the actions as blood came seeping out. There was no time to mull over this. If I had even brought Pelipper, using it to glide across surely would've agitated the vicious Pokemon lurking in the shadows that I was trying to avoid. So, then, how? I clenched and unclenched my hands into fists, growing increasingly frustrated. Is it really impossible, to get through a tower this old?
Wallace's cryptic words came back to me, and his strange faith that I would be the one to stop this mess. No. No matter what happens, I have to get through. There's no turning back now. There never was any turning back, really… With a sigh, I reached into my bag and drew out my Mach Bike. It was fixed now, good as new, thanks to Rydel, but the colorful streaks along its frame still gave me flashbacks to the crash that felt like so long ago. Rydel, his shop… I wonder if they're okay…
Sableye started to bark in protest as I pulled myself onto the bike. Its claws dug into my hair.
"Eye! Sableye!"
"Here goes nothing…"
I inhaled sharply and then shot forwards, pushing my feet down on the pedals so fast that they began to slip off, and I flinched as the plastic scraped against my shins. We flew across the floor, just fast enough that each section only began to crumple as the back tire was moving off of it. My breath caught in my throat. I twisted the handlebar as we came to the end of the room, and the bike jerked to the right, swerving back around towards the next stairwell. But the movement had slowed us and the crumbling was catching up.
"Aaah!" My whole body was shaking and I pulled one hand from the rattling handles to my bag. "L-Lileep! Help!"
The Pokemon materialized at the foot of the stairwell just a few yards ahead, immediately extending its neck and latching a hold of the bike's front tire, the tentacles weaving between the spokes. Behind us, the rest of the floor gave way in a wave of opaque gray dust. The bike, with Lileep's help, rolled unsteadily onto the stable ground before falling over, leaving Sableye, Lileep, and I in a heap.
I looked back at the ravaged floor. In the darkness of the ceiling, there was movement, faint glowing that was no doubt an agitated Claydol. I almost wanted to laugh, but stifled the desire and picked myself up. It's going to be a long way to the top...
My breath came in short, loud pants, every last ounce of moisture evacuating my overheated body in the form of sweat. Blaziken, at least, was by my side, helping half-drag me up the stairs. This isn't working, I thought as I pulled out the bicycle once more, heaving myself onto the seat. I have to find my second wind, but… it's so… hot, hard to breath… Before I could move an inch another killer coughing fit came on and I groped for the spare water bottle in my bag. I was still wheezing as I held it up over my head; unfortunately, I was only allowed a few warm drips. The last of my water supply… and to think I was nearly drowning earlier… What a joke…
Perhaps I was pushing myself over my limit, but the thought, as it, usually seemed to be, was in the back of my mind. I'd discovered a way to forge on through the dark, ancient tower without doubling over from exhaustion, and it was distracting myself with thoughts of everyone in danger. Maybe it was dangerous to drive yourself on anxiety alone, but it was working. Every town I'd visited while traveling would be destroyed… If they were not absorbed into the hungering ocean, like Sootopolis, Mossdeep, Lilycove, Slateport, Dewford, Rustboro, Mauville, Oldale, Littleroot… Then they could have a similarly worse fate when met with Groudon's power. The severe heat and sunlight was unlivable. Plants would scorch, forests would burn, the loss of life of human and Pokemon would be outstanding… If that wasn't enough, certainly Groudon's power could reactivate Mt. Chimney and bury Lavaridge, Fallabor, and the teeming wildlands in-between in hot magma. I should've asked Steven about that, I told myself. I'm sure he'd know. I don't even think I want to know, though, for sure.
And Steven. While the other cities, the faces I knew there, seemed so far away and safe, the image of Steven and his Pokemon standing alone in Sootopolis haunted me. How long had it been? He'd had high ground, but surely that wouldn't last forever. And there were two mythical Pokemon battling not far away. If he'd gotten caught in the aftermath of one of their attacks…
I brushed the thought away again. By now, the sound of my teeth clattering had accompanied my loud panting, and pushing my legs harder against the pedal was all that kept them from quaking, too. What was it that made you believe in me all this time, Steven? Me, a rookie trainer? Sure, I can battle - but that's only because I was always around Dad growing up. Just like how a child raised by a fisherman would be good at fishing when they're older. The staircases were getting hard now, even with the help of my Pokemon. It felt as if each wheeze of a breath I took filled my lungs with hot sand rather than air. If I didn't hurry, I could die. All those times I ran into Aqua... It was just coincidence. It was coincidence that I stopped them. So why did he trust me to do something this important...? Wallace, too... I don't understand. Feet scuffing against the dusty floor, I leaned against the wall, putting most of my weight against the only relatively solid part of Sky Pillar. Blaziken, who'd opted to carry the bike, growled as if urging me to ride it onward. With all my remaining energy, I heaved myself back onto the seat and started pedaling. I'm just a trainer... In the end, I'm just an ordinary trainer.
In the corner of my eye I spotted one of those small windows, and jerked the handlebars to the right, swerving to the stable patch of ground beneath it. I could hear the storm when I first got here on Latias… How's it not gotten here by now…? Wiping the sweat from my forehead with one arm, I leaned on the window sill, and my breath caught at the sight that awaited me.
Above, the same deep blue sky sat, filled with gleaming rays of sunlight; that, at least, was the same. Below, however, were clouds, swirling angrily off into the horizon, some rising higher than others but none reaching the window I was at. They might as well have been made of pure, blinding light under the sun's strength, and I squeezed my eyes shut, having gotten used to the dim interior of the tower. So the storm is here, I concluded, I'm just above it. It would've been beautiful, had the circumstances been different.
Reinvigorated, I mounted my bike and pushed across the rest of the floor. They were right. I can't stop now. I-I can do this… …Since when did I ever have to tell myself that…? Memories faded in and out – even focusing on that, now, was a strain. Stupid memories, of me, stealing my dad's Pokemon, fighting criminals… All things I was always stupidly driven to do. I always thought Dad was just being overprotective, but he really was right, wasn't he…? I've always been prone to playing hero. Now look at the mess that's gotten me in. The tears slipped off my cheeks, indiscernible from my sweat. A particular memory surfaced, of Jasmine and I, as children, sitting atop Olivine's coastal cliffs, east of the city, by the lighthouse; that'd always been her shining beacon, her tie to the city along with the Gym. It was reasonable, and realistic; she'd take care of the lighthouse when she was older, and aim to become leader of the Olivine City Gym. Her family had always supported and encouraged that. What were my dreams? I thought, wheeling past two glowing Claydol. Sitting on that cliff, I'd been looking further, at something that might've not even been there – the Whirl Islands, and Lugia, thinking of the old legends that told of a pure-hearted hero that would one day meet it. I was probably chattering nonstop about it to Jasmine that day, and she was probably absently listening, offering a word of encouragement now and then. I'd always wanted to be that "hero", I thought grimly, clutching a hold of Blaziken's arm as we moved up another dilapidated set of stairs. To raise Pokemon, like Dad did, to meet Lugia and explore the islands, and to become the strongest Trainer in the region. An unsettling thought hit me - Kyogre's power would keep spreading until Olivine, too, was swallowed up by the sea.
On the next floor, an unlikely sight awaited me: stable ground. Cautiously, with Blaziken still protectively by my side, I stepped further out from the stairway. The floor gave no indication of giving way, and was not littered with cracks as the lower zones had been. Dim sunlight appeared to be poking though from high above, highlighting columns of dust and coloring the floor a rusty brown. I hurried onward as fast as my wobbling legs could take me, half-leaning on the Fire-type by my side. We've gotta be close. The floor felt more spacious than the rest, if only slightly, and the stairway at the end was in much better shape than the others. There were no windows.
Exchanging a nervous glance with the Pokemon at my side, we climbed the next set of steps.
What awaited us at the end of them was the sky.
With the highest layer of clouds now far below, it was beautiful, in all its unburdened glory. The sun was sinking beneath the storm clouds, and colors bloomed from that spot up over my head to the other side of the horizon, from crimson to orange to peach to pale to a soft, baby blue, and finally, a dark indigo, promising that night was on its way; among this last blotch of color, three or four stars made themselves visible. It was almost easy to get lost in the sight, and forget about the weight on my shoulders, but only almost. I straightened my back and turned to follow the pathway – strange that there was one. It was barely wide enough even for my own two feet, with deposits of rocks and debris on either side, and gaping holes further out. I better watch my step. The path zig-zagged back and forth, up some uneven stairs, until at last I reached some sort of platform, a peak, a final floor to Sky Pillar.
But that was all it was. A floor. About forty meters ahead, it dropped off the other side. Brow furrowed, I glanced left and right. There were ruins here, crumbling walls and enormous boulders (meteorites…?), but that was about it. I took a few more steps forwards, Blaziken's Pokeball still clutched in my right hand.
Then, something shifted. The air became cooler, more humid, and thinner, and I had to take deeper breaths just to keep my head from swimming. Off to the left, there was movement, a blur of green; but when I looked there was nothing, just long, snaking shadows from the deformed walls lying around. Behind me, then, I heard something, felt a slight breeze, but when I spun around on my heel again, there was nothing.
I cursed. Am I hallucinating, now? The silence was unnerving. My nervous gulp, unsteady breathing and the squeaking of my glove as my grip on the Pokeball tightened all seemed too loud, as though I was giving myself away to whatever predator was here. Then a new noise joined in – breathing, deep, heavy breaths, accompanied with a slight hiss, a snort punctuating every other huff…
Unable now to stop my legs from trembling, I turned again to the center of the floor, and couldn't keep from gasping at what had appeared there.
To call it a snake would be too much of an understatement. It was like a dragon out of a storybook; a long, coiling body covered in emerald green scales, two wicked claws, pearl-white fangs as long as my forearm… and the eyes – they were the same as Kyogre and Groudon's, luminous and yellow. Its mouth was parted just slightly as it huffed, and though it was coiled the Pokemon was still hovering in the air, the pointed red tip of its tail twitching just slightly.
This is… Rayquaza. I bit the inside of my cheek in an effort to ground myself. The lack of oxygen was still getting to me. It's the mediator…
Puffing out my chest, I took another step forwards. Rayquaza's eyes seemed to see everything, from my wobbling legs to my pathetic attempt to make myself appear not quite as insignificant. But it didn't attack; it was still, careful. My arm seemed to move on its own, unzipping my bag with my ring and pinky fingers, then depositing the ball in that pocket. Rayquaza noticed this, too, snorting.
I summoned up my hoarse voice as loud as I could make it: "Rayquaza…! Kyogre and Groudon are fighting again!" It made no movements, only continued to watch with those reptilian yellow eyes. "…You need to stop them, please! You're the only one that can, now…" I failed to, after all...
A low growl was growing in the dragon's throat now, and for a moment I had the thought that I would die up here, be incinerated by a blast of violet flames… But the attack never came. Instead Rayquaza lowered its head as though it were nodding, or perhaps to get a closer look at me – it was, after all, at least thirteen meters or so taller than I even with its body coiled. For what felt like ages, it watched me, and I was too frightened and entranced to look away. Then there was another hiss, sounding not unlike the wind running through the leaves of an oak.
All in one motion, Rayquaza slithered out of its coil and into the sky, and it was magical to watch. Like gravity didn't even effect this Pokemon. Northwest was the direction the creature took off in – towards Sootopolis. Just as I was losing track of its shape among the shifting colors on the horizon, there came an enormous cry that sent vibrations through the ground and my entire torso. An acknowledgement.
Drawn out of my daze, I became aware of something dripping down my face. Warm, not quite in the right spot for tears… It ran further, onto my lips, and the metallic taste was enough to make me recoil. Touching my lip left a red stain on my glove. A nosebleed? Come to think of it, my head is… really pounding… Stumbling, I reached for a rock, figuring it looked stable enough.
Dusk had set in, now, the sun leaving behind no evidence of its presence except for a dim, lavender glow above the clouds. The night sky was sprinkled with stars. I sat down against the boulder, letting the blood drip from my nose down my chin and onto my shirt. Yes… night time was oddly comforting. It didn't instill the same sense of danger and fear that the sun and clouds did. It was silent up here, as if the top of the tower reached into outer space. I sighed, feeling like a deflated balloon. There were tears pricking my eyes, so I closed them and rested my pounding head on the rock.
I did it… Behind my eyelids was Rayquaza's retreating figure again, looping and curving, swift as the wind, like a stray satin ribbon caught up in a gust. My heart was racing, beating wildly in my chest like an agitated Vigoroth. Wallace was right, after all. And the old lady atop Mt. Pyre, and Steven, and the Blue Orb. It wasn't all for nothing, I thought with a smile, as, quietly, everything faded into darkness.
A/N: the kind of-sequel to this is up as well! Part of the delay for this chapter was me waiting I was able to post that alongside this. It's titled Aftershocks, & you can probably find it from my page.
