PMD: Fateful Saviors

Chapter 16: Permafrost Revelation

Without waiting for Zeplin to return, we entered Mt Freeze's dungeon, intent to rush to the summit as quick as possible. We didn't know 100% if Ninetales was here, but I had a tingling feeling in my gut that said it was true. My entire body was shivering with anticipation. Either that, or I was just cold.

"Feeling alright, Alfrin?" Howard asked me slowly as we trekked through the snow and stone maze that made up the dungeon. Most of the wild Pokemon we met in the dungeon were Normal and Rock type Pokemon strangely. Not that I was complaining, seeing as it made Howard's job easier. Still, I'd be lying if seeing a Shelgon here wasn't odd, "Alfrin?"

"I heard you," I grumbled back, but I eased my tone. There was no point getting angry at Howard or Fiona. The Breloom simply insisted on the most logical course of action and it made sense. Erdalla even stated that she prefers logical teammates over emotional ones once, so I made sure to follow her example, "I'm… I'm alright. I shouldn't have yelled at Zeplin back there and sent him off"

"That was his decision and not yours. Don't kick yourself over it," Howard assured me, "Though I find it a bit hypocritical that he's searching for Erdalla on his own when he himself said not to do it after the Articuno battle"

"Minds change by the second. The Magnemite simply had a change of heart," Fiona said sagely before staring behind her, "Though going out alone to search for one dead body isn't the wisest of ideas…"

"Truth be told, I was going to try and find her after we met with Ninetales," I admitted, "A part of me truly doesn't believe she's dead. And while he's not here now, I can respect Zeplin for acting on it early. Maybe she really is alive now. But if I left searching for her until after we cleared Mt Freeze, she could of died"

"Alfrin, the winds of fate are a fickle thing of fiction. They are meant to be imagined, dreamt upon and not to be questioned. If I did this, what could change? If I did that, something would happen," Howard put his hand on my shoulder, which surprised me, "If you continue being stuck on the crossroads of fate, you'll never move anywhere. Stick to your current course and Zeplin will stay with his. Hope that he and Erdalla come back alive"

"Hope… I could use some of that now. Even though there are three of us here, I feel so, so very alone," I confessed. I mentally told myself that now wasn't the time to break down, but the whirlpool of violent emotions bottled up inside me ever since the Articuno battle. I felt like I was bursting, "What I wouldn't give for Erina, Salazar, Natalie or hell, even Gildan to keep our spirits up. It just feels… so dead around here"

"You aren't wrong. This is the coldest region on the continent after all," Even Fiona, cloaked in her warm fur, was shivering slightly, "Aside from the few wild Pokemon, only Articuno lives here. Ninetales too, if the legend is true"

"Then it should be an easy climb for us. Danger that it has, a dungeon makes it easier to make it to the summit," I put on the best smile I could, even if it was cracked, "No need to scale high cliffs or brave dangerous weather"

"Yes… that would be the end of us all. Maybe except for Fiona," Howard peered at me closely, watching me walk, "Alfrin, stay close to me. You're going to freeze"

"I am not," Right after, I sneezed, "Unngh… Fiona didn't lie when she said this was the coldest part of the continent…"

"Maybe this will help," The Breloom picked me up by the neck, erecting a yelp of protest from me. Carrying me over to Fiona, I was suddenly dropped onto the Absol's back, with both me and her crying out in surprise, "There. You should be fine if you snuggle into Fiona's fur. I'll handle any wild Pokemon"

"Howard… I did not consent to this!" Fiona yelped. She was unaccustomed to being touched in the slightest, much less ridden like a mount, "Get… get him off me. I can't fight like this"

"I said that I would handle any wild Pokemon," Howard repeating, smirking, "There isn't a lot here, like you said. So one Pokemon can take care of it, right?"

"I guess…"

"And you have your Ice Beam, which doesn't require you to thrash around or anything. Just accept it, alright? For Alfrin's sake," Howard pleaded and the Absol sighed.

"Fine. But it's on you if we suddenly attract an- Oh," Fiona turned her eyes on me, but I was already asleep on her mane, consumed by stress and exhaustion from the fight with Articuno. The Absol sighed again in exasperation, "Poor guy. So much on his shoulders and yet…"

"The size and age of a child perhaps. Yeah," Howard shook his head as we ascended to the sixth floor, "Still, this entire mess will be resolved if we find Ninetales here. The final stretch of Alfrin's journey"

"If we find Ninetales," Fiona repeated bitterly, "I've been around here countless times and haven't seen them once"

"We have to trust that Ninetales is here. It's too late to go back now," The Breloom replied, instinctively punching a Vigoroth square in the face to repel it. Any actual threat like Slaking were sleeping in and Zangoose were down in Frosty Forest, hunting easier prey, "Let's have at least a little faith, alright?"

"Mm… very well"

…

"MM… STILL NOTHING. I'VE SEARCHED AND SEARCHED, BUT SHE'S STILL NOT AROUND! BZZT!" Zeplin muttered to himself as he flew back up to the ridge where we fought Articuno, "BZZT! I THOUGHT FOR SURE I'D FIND HER SOMEWHERE DOWN THERE. BUT NO FOOTPRINTS AND NO BODY. WHERE EVEN IS SHE…?"

"BZZT! NO POINT IN STICKING AROUND HERE. LET'S TRY TO CATCH UP WITH ALFRIN AND THE OTHERS IN MT FREEZE," Zeplin decided and headed back to the icy mountain. However, when he got within sight of the dungeon's entrance, he froze in fear, "WHAT… HOW…?"

"This is it, huh? The final dungeon Team Lazulian could be hiding in," Tyranitar of Team A.C.T observed as he looked up the stark peak, "From here, there is nowhere else to run besides jumping into the Grand Sea"

"And none of them will survive that journey. Not even Alfrin," Charizard agreed, "Is that right, Alakazam?"

"Mm. Is it so. We've given them up until this point to solve the mystery. And now they are out of time," Alakazam nodded, "Come, Team A.C.T! Today, we are finishing off Team Lazulian once and for all and riding the world of disasters!"

"YEAH!"

And with that, the trio proceeded into Mt Freeze. Zeplin knew they would catch up to Alfrin and others fast. He needed to stop them.

"Zeplin!" The Magnemite heard a voice cry out from beside him and he turned to see Erdalla, Salazar, Erina and Natalie trudging towards him on the snow path, "Zeplin, is that you?!"

"ERDALLA! YOU'RE ALIVE! BZZT!" Zeplin zoomed over and crashed into the Pikachu as a hug, nearly knocking her over. Erdalla took it in stride however and howled with laughter, embracing the Magnemite, "YOU DON'T KNOW HOW WORRIED ALL OF US WERE. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?! BZZT!"

"It's… a long story. Let's just say I survived and these three misfits found me. And by misfits, I mean Natalie because she should be resting off her injuries," Erdalla glared at the Mawile and she looked away, embarrassed but giggling, "What about you Zeplin? Where's Alfrin and the others?"

"THEY WENT UP TO MT FREEZE ALREADY. I LEFT TO GO AND TRY TO FIND YOU. BZZT!" Zeplin replied as Erdalla let go of the Magnemite, "AND NOW THAT I DID, WE NEED TO HURRY! BZZT!"

"Why? What's the matter Zeplin?" Salazar asked, worried and the Magnemite glanced towards the dungeon entrance, grimacing.

"I… I SAW TEAM A.C.T GOING INTO THE DUNGEON SHORTLY BEFORE YOU GUYS CAME. THEY'RE COMING FOR ALFRIN AND THE OTHERS! BZZT!" Zeplin explained and Erdalla gasped in horror.

"They… they're actually here?! And out to get us?" Erdalla asked and Zeplin nodded frantically, "Okay, we have to rush Mt Freeze and catch them before they kill Alfrin and Howard! We can't waste any time!"

"Erdalla, are you sure we can stop them? I mean, it's Team A.C.T we're talking about here," Erina said carefully and Erdalla grit her teeth, frustrated.

"I know it is, but we can't just let them take out Alfrin before they reach the summit!" The Pikachu snapped, "We don't need to fight them. All we need to do is stall them out and explain that Ninetales will reveal the truth atop Mt Freeze. That's it"

"So is Ninetales really on the top of Mt Freeze or what?"

"Why does it matter now, Salazar?"

"Nothing. Just… nothing"

"THE PLAN IS SET THEN. LET'S GO! BZZT!" Zeplin rallied and charged into the dungeon, with the four other Pokemon trailing behind.

"Come on, come on. Can fate just be merciful to me for once in my life…?" Erdalla muttered to herself as the group dashed through the dungeon at frantic speeds, blitzing through any wild Pokemon that got in their way, "I can't lose Alfrin. Not after everything we've been through…"

…

Despite the frigid chill, I actually managed a blissful rest on Fiona's neck. Her fur was really warm. So much so that I was still sleeping by the time we reached a rest stop between the mountain base and the peak.

"Deep sleeper, aren't you…?" Fiona murmured as she gently slid me off her back and onto the ground, curled up against her warm body, "Hope you're having good dreams there, buddy"

"Sometimes I wish I was as small as him. I could use a nap myself," Howard yawned, leaning against a wall, "Leaning against you with my height would just crush you"

"And it would be creepy. You're a grown man after all," The Absol smiled lightly as Howard snickered, "Get yourself another girl to snuggle with"

"I already have one actually"

"Oh do you now?"

"Well, maybe. I'm not sure about it myself," Howard frowned, sitting up, "I mean, we've been lifelong companions our entire lives and I've devoted myself to be her bodyguard. But I'm not sure we creep into the romantic territory. We're just really close friends"

"How disappointed she must be when the love of her life pushes her away as a friend," Fiona teased the Breloom and he backed away, glaring at the Absol, "Relax Howard. I don't even know who your friend is. What would I know?"

"Yeah but… now you're just making me insecure," Howard bit his lip and Fiona rested her paw on his shoulder.

"If there's one thing I can say, it's that I foretell a disaster in your relationship if you don't pool it out soon. So muster up the courage, alright? She won't push you away for doing it," Fiona assured in a soothing tone, "She IS your lifelong partner, right?"

"Yeah… yeah, she is"

"Then something like this shouldn't strain your relationship. Now give it a little thought," Fiona let go of Howard's shoulder, noticing that I was stirring in my sleep, "Oh look, he's about to awaken"

"Mmgh… good morning…" I cracked open my eyes to see Fiona and Howard's faces staring down at me, "How far did we get to and how long was I asleep?"

"We got through fifteen floors of Mt Freeze and we're currently at a rest spot. You've been out for about an hour and a half now," Howard stated, "How was your nap, sleepy head?"

"It was good actually. Fiona's fur is really warm," I remarked, wiping my eyes as the Absol blushed, "More importantly, I had a dream while I was asleep"

"Did you now? What did you see?"

"I had dreams like this before. I was in a world filled with ever changing colours like a kaleidoscope and inside this world, I heard a distant voice calling out to me," I explained, "Every time, I could barely make out what they were saying. But now, I understood"

"What were they saying?" Fiona asked, intrigued.

"The owner of the voice appeared in front of me. It was a Gardevoir," I replied, "Just like the legend. She said that she was so glad we finally got to meet and that Ninetales was expecting us at the top of Mt Freeze"

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up a bit here. You're saying that the real Gardevoir from the Ninetales legend appeared in your dreams?!" Howard repeated and I nodded, "And she's always been in them?"

"This is the first time I saw her in the flesh, but yes, she's been popping up in my dreams constantly ever since I arrived here," I admitted, "It's what made me believe I was the cursed human but… she never has shown any remorse or hatred towards me in the times we talked"

"In any case, what matters is that Ninetales from the legend is here, if Alfrin's dream is true!" Fiona said excitedly, "We can finally know the truth about the disasters"

"Yes and with that, we should make for the summit. Let's end this once and for all," I nodded with renewed determination, "No more guessing around or uncertainty. Finally… we have some real guidance"

And on that word, we proceed into the Mt Freeze Peaks…

…

"Damn! These wild Pokemon never seem to let up!" Erdalla growled as she blasted a Slaking with dozens of electrical bolts, only slowing it slightly as it rampaged closer towards the group. A Monster House spawned in and it was giving the squad a surprising amount of trouble. Within seconds, they were surrounded, "Natalie and Zeplin, shield Salazar and Erina! These Zangoose are vicious!"

"Dammit! These guys take forever to take out!" Salazar snarled as he dueled blade to claw with three other Zangoose, carefully whirling and slashing to try and defeat them all. With a swift stroke of Slash, the Scyther ripped through one Zangoose's chest and killed it, but the other two pushed him back with Crush Claw, "Zeplin, a little electrical outburst would help now!"

"I'M TRYING! BUT THESE PUPITAR ARE JUST… ARGHH!" Zeplin buzzed in annoyance as he shot off a Thunderbolt to eviscerate the two Zangoose fighting Salazar before getting knocked back by a Pupitar Headbutt, "OW! BZZT!"

"I got you covered!", Natalie dashed in and swiveled her giant steel jaws onto the Pupitar, slamming them backwards with Iron Head before chewing them up to raw pebbles. The Mawile dealt with the second Pupitar the same way before falling back to assist Erdalla, "Okay, there's only a few left. Don't give up everyone!"

"Everyone get down!" Erdalla cried before letting loose a massive flare of electricity with Discharge, frying every remaining Pokemon in the Monster House except for the Slaking, who merely shrugged it off, "Focus on the Slaking now!"

"GARR!" The Slaking roared and slammed it's massive fist onto the ground, triggering an Earthquake which brought Zeplin to the ground instantly and crippled Erina and Erdalla, "RARR!"

"I'll take him. Natalie, go and heal the others!" Salazar told the Mawile and she nodded. The Scyther rushed towards the giant ape, blades poised to strike, "Take this!"

Slashing and cutting at Slaking with a wild flurry of Fury Cutter, the ape roared in pain and challenge before raising it's hand to smash Salazar away. However, the Scyther dashed away in time and continued his relentless pursuit. The goal to defeating Slaking was to give it no quarter. As immensely powerful as they were, they are lazy and are slow to attack. Pressuring them with attacks of your own were best.

"Salazar, get out of there. Zeplin, with me!" Erdalla commanded and both her and the Magnemite pulsed with strong electricity "Thunderbolt!"

Two doses of powerful volts crashed onto the Slaking with great power, making the ape wail in agony. As the attack went off, Erina chipped in with her own Egg Bomb, blasting the Slaking onto the ground with a great thud, defeated and dead.

"Thank goodness Reviver Seeds exist. I don't think I would be able to take him out on my own," Salazar smiled with relief after the threat was passed, "But we wasted a lot of time thanks to this"

"Yeah and I can't imagine Team A.C.T struggling like we are. We might already be too late…" Erdalla said bitterly as she bit her lip, "Hopefully they reach the summit before it's too late"

"Hope is all we have to protect them at this point" Erina added sadly, "But we have to press on"

"Yes. Maybe we'll find a shortcut along the way that'll let us catch up. Or we just get lucky with stair placement when we reach a new floor. You never know," Natalie grinned, trying to be optimistic, "So let's not kick the bucket so soon, right?"

"Yeah… we can still make it. We're fine," Erdalla said mostly to herself. The group of five continued on. They were only on the fifth floor of Mt Freeze and Team A.C.T was definitely farther than they were. It was hard to predict where Alfrin and the others were though.

"Erdalla, watch out!" Salazar broke the Pikachu out of her thoughts, but it was too late.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Erdalla screamed as she fell through a deep hole in the snow and landed on… a cushion? In a dungeon?

"Hello! And welcome to the Secret Bazaar!" A pleasant voice greeted Erdalla as she got up, wiping the daze out of her eyes, "I'm your guide, Kirlia!"

"Secret…. Bazaar? What even is-"

"Erdalla! Are you okay?!" The Pikachu heard Natalie's voice cry out from the hole and she perked up, glancing at it.

"Are those your friends?" Kirlia asked and Erdalla nodded.

"Yeah. They are," Erdalla cupped her hands into a funnel before shouting back up the hole, "I'm fine! Come down here! It's okay!"

"Are you sure?!" Salazar's voice rang back.

"There's a cushion to break your fall! You'll be fine!" Erdalla yelled back and one by one, each of her teammates fell into the Secret Bazaar, looking around in curiosity. The room they were in was well lit and designed almost like a cafe. It felt really out of place in a remote mountain like this, "What even is this place…?"

"It's a Secret Bazaar! If lucky explorers find them, they are treated to our wonderful services to assist them!" Kirlia gestured to a stand to her left, "Mime Jr over here can magically treat your bodies of all injuries, infections and even restore the PP of your moves. Frankly, he's wonderful!"

"I need to know this guy's secrets…" Erina muttered and Mime Jr giggled, putting a finger up to his lips.

"Nope. Not sharing my craft. It's what lets me keep my place here! Ha ha!" Mime Jr laughed as Kirlia moved on to the second stand beside it.

"And here is Swalot! If you need extra supplies for the journey again, he's the person to talk to" Kirlia explained and Erdalla cleared her throat, wanting to get this over with quick.

"This is amazing and all, but we're kinda in a hurry right now. Is there anything here that can possibly push us forward in the dungeon?" The Pikachu asked, "Like some sort of magic teleportation? That's a thing, right?"

Kirlia frowned, clearly disappointed, "You can talk to Shedinja back there. He's the master on that sort of thing"

"Thank you. Again, we're sorry we can't stay for long, but we've got a job to do," Erdalla thanked the Kirlia and she smiled lightly.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll see each other again. We operate all over the continent after all!"

"Huh? How do you do that?"

"Let's just say… it's a family secret. Five family secrets," Kirlia gave Erdalla a sly smile, "Now hurry along. You said you were in a rush, right?"

"Right, right. See you around, I guess," Erdalla shrugged and guided her group towards Shedinja in the back, who was hovering over a stand composing of ancient stone gateways. The Shedinja didn't bat an eye when the group approached him. He didn't even look alive.

"Uhh hello? Are you Shedinja?"

"... What do you need of me?" Shedinja's voice sounded quiet, but raspy. It would be barely audible if the room wasn't silent, "I can take you anywhere in the dungeon you would like. Free of charge. Within personal limits"

"How close can you get us to the summit?" Salazar asked and Shedinja tilted his head, pondering for a second.

"I can take you to the rest spot between the mountain base and peaks. That will save you ten more floors," Shedinja responded without emotion, "Shall I transport your group there?"

"Yes please. Thank you," Erina nodded and Shedinja glowed with blue light, erecting a warp circle similar to an Escape Orb underneath our feet, "Whoa…!"

"Farewell and safe travels" Shedinja intoned and with a flicker, we all vanished into black nothingness.

…

"Hi-yah!" Fiona slashed apart a Glalie with her horn, ending the Monster House that barred the trio's way to the final staircase, "Alright, looks like we're in the clear"

"Good. Then there is only one thing left to do: meet Ninetales," I gave my two companions a satisfied smile. Finally, this torturous journey was coming to an end. No more people would have to die over this senseless manhunt and we could finally combat the real threat: the disasters. Erdalla… I hope you're proud. We can finally start fixing the world, "Come on, you two"

We ascended the stone steps and made it onto the summit of Mt Freeze, a gusty peak surrounded by snow, sleet, rocks and icicles. The winds whipped around us in a powerful flurry, chilling all of us to the bone. Even Fiona was chattering.

"W-well… here we are. Where is Ninetales…?" The Absol asked before we heard the shuffling of three Pokemon behind us, "What? Impossible…"

"What's the matter Fion- AAH!" I turned to see Team A.C.T right behind us, looking barely fazed from the conditions around us. How did they get to us without us noticing?! Especially with Tyranitar and Charizard, I thought any of us would have spotted them ages ago. Did Alakazam warp them here or something?, "Team A.C.T, how… how did you get here?!"

"You'd be surprised how well fate works with you when you're working towards a righteous goal. That and a little luck with dungeon exploring," Tyranitar explained as the trio stepped forward towards us, poised to attack. However, Alakazam held up his spoon, stopping Charizard and Tyranitar, "What is it? Alfrin is here and cornered. We can end this"

"Alfrin, I was hoping you could figure out this mystery before we caught up to you. But you ran out of time," Alakazam intoned, freezing me with his voice, "Your fugitive act has dragged us all the way out here, but no more. Your quest ends today"

"Wait Alakazam! We can explain-"

"Alfrin, the role of a rescue team is to bring peace to the populace and the world. We gave you more than enough time to clear your name and here you are, with the disasters still ravaging the world," Tyranitar added, getting himself in the stance to fight, "That means nothing has changed since our encounter at the Silver Trench, besides your lost companions"

"Nothing more needs to be said. We're settling this now," Charizard grinned, "Sorry Alfrin, but I don't know how to show mercy"

"Get them!" Alakazam commanded and his teammates charged towards us while Howard and Fiona did the same. Howard threw his fist at Tyranitar with Mach Punch, but Alakazam teleported in front of his teammate to take the blow, blasting back the Breloom with Psybeam. Fiona tried to capitalize on Alakazam with Faint Attack, but Tyranitar shielded his boss in turn. There was no way to break through their defense.

"Not good enough!" Charizard blew a massive plume of flames with Flamethrower, meeting my Water Pulse in midair. The sheer power of the flames smoked right through the attack and washed me in roaring fire, my skin charring and smoking with every second.

"Alfrin!" Fiona cried as the attack ended and Charizard began to follow up with Fire Blast, "Damn! I can't let you fall now!"

Jumping in front of me, Fiona erected a protective blue shield with Protect, deflecting the incoming Fire Blast. However, it wasn't able to take another attack and Fiona took a lethal wound as Tyranitar's Stone Edge ripped through and ruptured her side, "Aagghh!"

"No… no! Not when we're so close!" Howard cried desperately as he fed me a Oran Berry, healing my immense burns. He began frantically searching through his toolbox, looking for anything that could help, "Come on… anything that works here please!"

"Not so fast" Alakazam rose his spoon, which glowed with pink light and a mental shock slammed into Howard's brain, sending him spiralling towards the wall with a sick crunch. The Breloom slid down the wall with a bloody trail, out cold, "Alfrin, I didn't want to come to this, but you gave us no choice"

"Alakazam… unngh…" I groaned, still hazy from Charizard's Flamethrower, "Gardevoir… she told me…"

"Don't speak Alfrin. Just lie down and let the earth claim you. Rest knowing that the world is safe," Alakazam said softly before he jerked his head sideways, hearing Charizard roar in pain, "What?!"

"Salazar, now!" I heard Erdalla's voice yell from the other side of the summit as a blue orb flew into the fray, exploding in a shockwave of immobilizing magic. A Foe-Stun Orb. I pushed myself up, seeing Salazar, Natalie and everyone else taking Team A.C.T by complete surprise, forcing them on the defensive. I caught Erdalla's eye and she flashed me a brilliant grin.

"Get away from them! Thunderbolt!" Erdalla threw an electrical javelin at Charizard again, alongside Zeplin, paralyzing the poor Pokemon by electric overload. Natalie was dueling Tyranitar in a dangerous dance of death while Salazar fought Alakazam, using his Fury Cutter and Pursuit to give the team leader no quarter. It was a magical sight to see.

"We can't continue like this. We need a distraction," Alakazam muttered before turning to Tyranitar, "Tyranitar, Sand Stream!"

Just as the tyrannical beast was about to stomp it's foot down, an ancient, regal voice resounded throughout the summit, instantly stopping our fight.

"CEASE THIS AT ONCE!" A beautiful cream coloured nine-tailed fox fell from the nearest peak onto our battlefield, glaring at both sides, "I will have no fighting in my abode. Alfrin and his party are my guests. You are not to kill them"

"You're… Ninetales!" Alakazam gasped, "The one from the legend!"

"That's Ninetales?!"

"The legend was true then!"

"Tell me straight up then," Alakazam approached Ninetales carefully, "Who was the human in your legend? No… even before that. Is your legend even a true event? Depending on your reply, I might have no choice but to kill Alfrin and his party"

"I will say it again. You are not to kill my guests," Ninetales growled, his beady red eyes flashing in fury, "But yes, this "legend" is true. Once upon a time, I attempted to lay a curse on a human for touching my sacred tails"

"However, the human's partner Pokemon, a Gardevoir stepped forth and selflessly bore the curse meant for the human," Ninetales continued, "Then, the human did a selfish and cowardly thing. They ran away and abandoned the cursed Gardevoir"

"We know the legend already. Who is the cursed human?" Erdalla asked and Ninetales flashed her a dark look, causing the Pikachu to step back, "...Sorry. I'm just anxious"

"As I was saying, the human eventually became a Pokemon. Transformed into the beast they were, the human lives on," Ninetales continued, "And who is that human might you ask…?"

Slowly, Ninetales turned to me, eyeing me carefully. I felt the air become still around me as Ninetales opened his mouth to speak.

"Alfrin… be at ease"

"... What?"

"Be at ease. It is not you. You are not the cursed human," Ninetales said decisively and I felt a massive weight over my shoulders finally lift. At last, all the doubt and misery was flying away from my body. I wasn't cursed after all. I wasn't the one bringing forth the disasters. But if it wasn't me… who was? Who was really the cursed human? What was causing the disasters? A million new questions ran through my head.

"Really…? Is that true…?" I heard Erdalla's voice tremble behind me and Ninetales nodded, "Oh thank the-"

"Whoa, Erdalla!" I caught the Pikachu as she crashed into me, hugging me tightly as she sniffled over my shoulders, "What are you crying about?"

"It's all over, Alfrin. We're finally not on the run anymore. We can return home," Erdalla stuttered through tears of joy, "Finally… it's…"

"I must add as well that the human turning into a Pokemon and the disasters are not linked together," Ninetales interrupted, "The cause of the natural calamities… exist elsewhere"

"Wait a minute. Then if Alfrin isn't the cursed human from the legend, then how did he turn into a Pokemon?" Salazar asked before staring at me, "Just who are you Alfrin…?"

Before Ninetales could answer, the ground suddenly started shaking around us. Zeplin shrieked in horror, but Natalie caught him before he could spiral out of control.

"An earthquake all the way up here?! What's happening?!" Charizard cried.

"The disasters are worsening. The shifting of the earth… it will awaken a great and powerful beast," Ninetales intoned, not even fazed from the powerful quake, "With the calamities on this scale, Groudon will awaken!"

"Groudon?! Groudon will rise?!" Alakazam cried in shock.

"Groudon… that's the legendary Pokemon that appeared in myths. The one that created the land!" Erdalla realized "THAT is what will awaken from this?!"

"If Groudon were to get loose, chaos would rage across the entire world. By awakening Groudon, his archenemy Kyogre would rise too," Ninetales continued, "The world will be torn asunder by their ancient battle once more. They must be stopped!"

"We'll go. Team Lazulian, head back to Pokemon Square to rest. You've earned it," Alakazam faced his companions and rose his spoon, "Team A.C.T, move out! To Groudon!"

And with that, the trio vanished off the Mt Freeze summit in a flash of pink light. Ninetales gave us one last sagely look before leaping back onto the peak, disappearing in the gray clouds.

"We have to get out of here! Huddle up everyone!" Erdalla cried and pulled an Escape Orb out of her toolbox. We all got together and the Pikachu smashed the crystal ball on the ground. Instantly, a blue circle appeared under our feet and transported us off Mt Freeze, ending our quest for the truth once and for all…

Our team:

- Alfrin, Mudkip - Reunited Lazulian

Level 33

Moves: Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Ancient Power and Mud Shot

- Erdalla, Pikachu - Renewed Leader

Level 35

Moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Thunder Punch and Thunder Wave

And another chapter down! Sorry for such the long delay guys. I was caught up with schoolwork, other fanfics and life in general. I promise that the next chapter won't take as long to release, seeing as we're near the end now. If you want to be notified of when a new chapter comes out, favorite and follow. If you want to give constructive criticism, leave a review. Until next time!