Welcome to the next chapter of Rise from the Ashes, where we'll see Ren and Julius travel through the Alamissa Urben in order to reach Zone Zero. What complications will they see on their journey? You'll have to read in order to find out.
But before I begin, I want to give a shout-out to another fellow fanfiction author, NexusMHX. I highly recommend that you read their latest story, Pokémon Rejuvenation: Interceptor as it's a very good story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.
Alamissa Urben: Entrance
The duo had arrived at the entrance to the once vast city, with Ren noticing a gold-colored sign standing proudly in the sand as he stepped towards it to take a look at it. "Alamissa Urben…the City of Happiness. An ironic title, given what has happened here."
"Forgive me for my ignorance, but what did happen here?" Julius inquired, with Ren shooting him a quick look.
"You'll learn the story just by walking through this place." The raven-haired teen replied, a small sigh escaping from his mouth. "T-There's something I want to talk to your about, Julius. Specifically, why I joined Team Xen in the first place. After all that has happened, I figured that you deserve some sort of explanation. The hell that became my life started after our confrontation in Goldenleaf Town, right when you defeated Narcissa..."
*Back then…*
"D-Damn it!" Ren roared, punching the exterior of the Goldenleaf Gym in a fit of rage. The young man had recovered from his previous episode and now learnt the consequences of his mistakes. "I-I don't know what got over me; it was like someone entirely different had taken over me and made me watch the nasty aftermath. I never meant to say all those horrible things to Julius; especially after he tried so hard to help me achieve my dream. Now not only have I had my dream be fulfilled by someone else, rendering all my work pointless, but I drove away my best friend. Why? Why did this have to happen to me?!"
"Anger is a most powerful motivation; it will take you far in life provided you know how to handle it…" A familiar voice spoke to him, the young man turning around and spotted the source right on the rooftop.
"Crescent!" Ren exclaimed. "So you were the one who manipulated me back there!"
"Not at all, young man. I'm here to offer you a way to improve your situation." Crescent offered, intriguing the young man. "A part of you seeks recognition and glory for your deeds, right? In that case I can help you get what you want, specifically by destroying Team Xen from within."
"From within…?" The young man inquired.
"Yes; do as I say and your name will become immortalized in the history books. Of course, I will offer you some much needed answers to any questions you may have. Come on a walk with me and I'll tell you all that you would ever want to know." The young woman offered, lowering herself to the ground and outstretched her hand. Ren spent some time deliberating on this, after all it could act as atonement for what happened with Julius back in the Gym, and help him gather the strength to finally surpass him. But the part about destroying Team Xen from within bothered him, just what did she mean exactly?
"A-Alright, but you better not pull a fast one on me." Ren agreed, they duo shaking hands on the deal.
"A wise decision, come with me…" Crescent smiled, the duo walking in the direction of Wispy Path. "Come, let us talk about the—"
"I don't wish to talk about causal topics; the only thing I want from you is answers!" The raven-haired teen demanded from her.
"And you will get them, if you come with me." The young woman smirked, using her power to teleport herself and Ren from the area.
0000
"What the…where am I?" Ren inquired, slowly getting up off the floor as he found himself in some sort of library; a private library to be precise. There were roses decorating the wooden beams that hung over the room, lined up in a symmetrical fashion. The tiled floor was a mishmash of black and white, no doubt mirroring the outfit of the library's owner. Speaking of which, crescent was sitting casually in an ornate throne beside a wooden table, beckoning the young teen to come towards her. But easily the most baffling part about this room were the various paintings that rested on the back wall, once of which depicted someone who looked eerily similar to Julius. "What the hell is this place, Crescent?! It's so damn creepy…"
"I'll ignore that comment you made about my place of residence, just this once. This is my base of operations." Crescent answered, shooting him a snide glance for his previous comment.
"So did you bring me here to tell me what's been going on, or just for kicks and giggles?" The raven-haired teen shot back. "And why do you have a portrait of Julius, and all those other people?"
"Your role is to listen, not ask. I'm the one talking here, alright?" The black-haired woman replied, her frown intensifying. "And again, I'll ignore that last part before I become extremely angry."
"S-Sorry. I'll k-keep quiet." Ren stammered, not wanting to further irritate his host.
"Good. Now about why I brought you here…you said you wanted answers, correct? What if I could give you an answer to that really big problem that's haunting you? What if I said there was a way to bring Melia back from the dead?" Crescent began, the teen's blood freezing upon hearing that last comment. Did she…did she really know how to bring someone back from the dead? If she could, then this could be a chance for him to…
"Y-You can really do that?!" He exclaimed in surprise. "Y-You're lying! There's no way that's possible. Once someone's dead, they're just gone and…"
"You and Melia were really good friends prior to all of this, right? It's a shame that friendship ended all because Team Xen decided they wanted what was hidden inside her. And all that effort for what? They got her killed for no reason. But you, Ren, could give her a second chance…a second chance at a life she never had. Imagine how grateful she would be to you. Imagine all the people who would look up to you. Imagine everything that could happen with her once she's back. Imagine how much that would make her love you, just as you love her. Imagine, finally being able to surpass Julius, being able to do what he couldn't do." Crescent began to tempt the raven-haired teen, with promises of love, happiness and glory. He really wanted to bring her back so he could get a chance to confess his love to her, to make Venam happy again, and to finally surpass his childhood rival. However, he knew that such a boon wouldn't be easy to get, and he had an idea on what she wanted.
"Y-You said before about wanting me to infiltrate Team Xen to destroy them from inside. Is that what I have to do in order to bring back Melia?" Ren inquired.
"Heheheheh…I figured I'd win you over. As for your question, yes, you are to join Team Xen as a means to infiltrate them." She stated calmly.
"You're out of your mind, Crescent! If you think I'll pledge myself to the one's who killed Melia, then you're—" He shot back in anger, only for the young woman to raise her hand at him.
"Silence. You won't be under their thumb, but mine. You are to act as my mole for now, gathering information on a certain something for me. In exchange for this information, I will revive Melia for you. You'll also be taking down team Xen from the inside while doing this favor for me, a beneficial deal for us both. You get Melia back, and I get to see team Xen burn from the inside out." Crescent replied, the raven-haired teen mulling it over in his mind.
"Well…you are right when you say this plan benefits us both. However, you're saying it as if it's easier than it actually is." Ren chimed back at her.
"Of course it won't be easy, but the rewards are more than worth the effort, no? And of course, I'll do everything to keep you safe. I believe you have the most potential out of your little friendship group to do this. So what do you say Ren? Do we have a deal?" The black-haired woman continued, outstretching her hand towards him. Ren gazed at her hand momentarily, before accepting the deal and shook it, unaware of the smirk that grew on her face.
0000
'So I joined Team Xen, but as I'm sure you found out, Crescent had manipulated me from the very beginning. Melia had never died that day, and she knew it; I cut off ties with her following my escape from that factory near Sheridan Village. But in the end, she had made a fool out of me…she got what she wanted, and I got tangled into an inescapable situation." Ren concluded his tale, a horrified expression plastered on Julius' face. His friend, his dearest friend was stuck in between a rock and a hard place, all because of what happened back at Goldenleaf Town.
"R-Ren…I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry for what you've been through. I-I should've never entered Goldenleaf Town when I did. I should've waited until you were done before I arrived; I'm so sorry I ruined your most cherished dream!" The young teen apologized profusely, falling to his knees as Ren approached his ally.
"Julius…you don't need to apologize. While I was angry at everything and everyone for what had happened back there, I know that you were just another victim in the whole affair. I didn't join Team Xen to betray you, Melia or Venam; I only wanted my friend back, I only wanted to get a chance to…" He began.
"To confess your love to her?" Julius finished his sentence off, catching his friend by surprise.
"H-How do you—" Ren stammered.
"You brought it up as one of your reasons for partaking in your quest; to have a chance of winning her affections." The young teen answered, shooting an apologetic look at his friend. It would break his heart even further were he to tell him about the two people who Melia had pledged her love to, so he chose to keep quiet about it for now.
"Heh, I guess I did…I don't really remember much about what happened back there, and I don't plan to. That aside, there's now something bigger than Team Xen itself, something I'm determined to see to the end." The raven-haired teen declared, intriguing his friend only to throw a curve ball his way. "But I'll keep that to myself for now. Before we begin our mission, there's one last thing I want to do. Right before I was commissioned to be Nastasia's assistant…I came across something peculiar. I found a single Pokéball among a pile of trash, scheduled for incineration a few hours after I found it. I managed to scavenge it but it was damaged; Nastasia helped me repair it. Once the repairs were done, I found out that it belonged to someone very close to you; your mother, Nancy. I kept it safe with me until I can get a chance to give it to you, so here you go."
The raven-haired teen opened the ball, with Sylveon emerging out of it, the small Fairy-type Pokémon quietly gazing her surroundings before shooting a look at Julius, the son of her beloved trainer. A whole wealth of emotions welled up within the young teen; sadness, relief, gratitude, he was at a complete loss for words. Finally…after so long would he have something to remember his mother by, something to ensure that she will always be watching over him.
"M-Mother…" He sniffled, gesturing her Sylveon to approach him as he embraced her, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed into the Intertwining Pokemon's soft fur. The Sylveon attempted to console her friend, her soft feelers petting his back lightly as Ren allowed them to have their touching reunion. A few minutes later, Julius has ceased crying, slowly getting back up as he accepted the empty ball from Ren before recalling Sylveon back to her ball. He will keep her safe from harm, just like how his mother gave up her life to save him. "T-Thank you, Ren. T-This means so much to me…"
"No worries." He replied, handing over a black box to his friend as well. "Take this as my apology, to you and to Nancy."
"No need to apologize; I never had any ill will towards you…" Julius replied, accepting the box and tucking it in his bag, before opting to embrace his friend out of the blue.
"J-Julius?!" Ren exclaimed, a little surprised by his friend's sudden affection.
"I'm sorry, but I'm so glad that I have my friend back. I'm so grateful that you're safe and sound, despite your current predicament." The young teen smiled, breaking off the hug before tidying up his jacket. "There, got that out of my system. Now let us begin our—"
"Ren!" A familiar voice called out, catching the duo off-guard as they saw Reina approach them, only for her to hug her older brother firmly.
"W-What are you doing here, Reina?" Ren inquired.
"I knew you had good intentions all along, I just knew it!" She replied, wiping a few small tears from her eyes as Huey soon joined the trio inside the Alamissa Urben.
"W-Were you two listening to us the entire time?" Julius asked, shooting a quick glance at the redhead.
"Sorry, but Reina really wanted to follow you two here, and I couldn't let her go out on her own. I told her that we should just go back, but she wouldn't listen to me. Once she get's an idea in her head, it's impossible to stop her." Huey defended Reina and himself.
"Hahaha, ain't that the truth?" The raven-haired teen chuckled lightly, breaking off the hug with his sister. "But you and Huey should really go back home. Not the city, but back home; things are only going to get worse from here on out."
"I'm not going back to the city, nor will I go back to Goldenleaf. If you two are going to risk your lives for the sake of dealing with this Rift, then I wanna come too." Reina rebutted, not wanting to be left out.
"Reina, you do not understand these Rifts at all. They're dangerous…so very dangerous. An over exposure to them will damage your psyche, bringing out your inner demons to the surface. I know this, because it happened to me. That day…that horrid day, oh how I wish I could forget about it." Julius began.
"Absolutely right; this is nothing like those TV shows we used to watch together. I-I might not be able to keep you safe if we get ourselves into a bad spot. I don't want to lose you, sis…" Ren chimed in.
"But we have Pokémon! Not as much as you two, but enough to be useful!" The red-haired boy chimed in. "The other day, I wanted to go back home, but being out of the city made me realize how much I relied on my sister to accomplish things. If I'm out here, then that means I can gain the strength I need to be independent! I will then use this newfound strength to find my sister…and thank her for all she's done for me."
"Exactly! I wasn't even a trainer before you left, but I managed to travel around the entire region by myself. I bet I could hold my own against you in a battle!" Reina added, a low chuckle escaping from Ren's mouth.
"Heh, so that's how it is, then? Very well, you two can come, but if things get too dicey, you WILL leave." He conceded, the two younger children jumping for joy.
"Yes! We won't let you down!" Huey cheered.
"Got it!" The raven-haired girl chimed in.
"Then let's get moving. Alamissa Urben is a dangerous place to traverse, so tread carefully." Ren informed then, the young teen leading the way as the other three followed him towards the ruined city.
0000
When the group arrived at the ruined city, everyone except for Ren was taken aback by the destruction that laid right before their eyes. Entire houses were blown up, reduced to piles of rubble and wood, pathways were blown up, creating holes that lead down towards the depths of this place, and the buildings that were still standing somehow had all their color eroded, leaving them as pale husks of what they once were. The roads going through the city had a few ruined tanks left abandoned on them, leading them to think that the town was a victim of an invading army. But who that army were and why they caused so much chaos was a complete mystery to the group.
"My word…what happened here?" Julius inquired, taking a few steps to inspect the carnage, only for a flash of light to catch him off guard. When he uncovered his eyes; he saw a most startling sight, the entire city was in pristine condition, as if the incident had never happened in the first place. As far as his eyes could see, there were young children playing with their Pokémon while their affectionate grandparents kept an eye on them from one the various wooden benches that lined up the place. But as quickly as it occurred, another flash shone through the area, the young teen stepping back as he now saw the city in its ruined state again. "D-Did you all see that?! Did you see that?"
"See what, Julius?" Reina inquired, a look of curiosity on her face.
"I-I saw what this town was like before the war; it had so many bright colors and the people were minding their own business, enjoying the day with their family. But then it flashed back to reality, back to this ruined city before us. I-It's almost like I got a glimpse of the past; please tell me you saw it." He began rambling, but the other three looked at him oddly.
"Sorry, I can't say I had a vision like yours. Are you sure you're alright?" Huey replied, a little unnerved by what Julius was talking about.
"Y-Yeah, I'm alright. Look, I know that it sounds far-fetched, but I wouldn't lie to you all." The young teen answered.
"There's got to be a logical reason why Julius was the only one who saw that vision; I don't know what it is, but perhaps we'll get our own visions soon enough. That said, we should get a move on." Ren called out to the others, the group of four continuing their trip through the ruined city, unaware that they were being watched from afar. While they were continuing their exploration, the raven-haired teen decided to ask his friend a few questions, questions that he wanted some answers for. "Hey, Julius…how have Melia and the other's been going? It's been a while since I last saw her, and we didn't part on good terms, so I want to know what you got up to while I was…absent."
"It's been quite a roller-coaster since we last saw each other; the first notable incident was when Melia, Venam and I were trapped in Kristiline Town, at the hands of that batshit crazy woman Angie. Remember when I told you about how the Dimensional Rift screws with your mind? That was when I received first-hand experience of that wretched experience. But if that wasn't enough, she had to watch her adoptive father, Professor Jenner die before her very eyes. It wasn't a painless death either; he was pushed into the lava by Geara for betraying Team Xen and attempted to rescue Nim from their clutches." Julius began, a tightening sensation coursing through Ren's heart.
"J-Jenner…" He began weakly, now knowing the full truth of what happened that very day. as an agent of Team Xen, he had heard part of the story from Nastasia, but she was mainly complaining about how Madelis' gambit ruined the entire plan. Hearing that Professor Jenner had died that very day, giving up his life in order to atone for betraying his daughter had stung him, especially since the duo had befriended each other during his time as his assistant. "T-Then what happened?"
"Melia, Venam and I went to West Gearen to deal with the green fog that had settled in the area, with some help from a guy named Kanon. He's a really chill dude and was a childhood friend of Melia from before she had met you." The young teen continued, choosing to keep the part about time travel secret for now. "Afterwards, the four of us arrived at Grand Dream City and explored the place for a little while. Things were looking up for once until…until Venam got petrified. Poor Melia…she was so distraught over what had happened to her; I tried my best to comfort her, but I knew it wouldn't be enough. Ever since then, the two of us have been searching around for a cure, but we haven't had any luck so far."
"I-I see…poor Venam, I hope you two find the cure for her condition in the near future." Ren offered his condolences, with Julius shooting him a nod of appreciation. "H-Has Melia talked about me recently, or at all since that day?"
"Not to my knowledge. From what I gather, she's still angry at you for your choice, believing that you betrayed her trust. I haven't had the courage to ask her, lest I get a slap across the face." He replied.
"Understandable, I can see why she thought I betrayed her. Hopefully, when I see her next, I can offer my side of the story to her. Who knows, perhaps when all this is over, the four of us could hang out again, just like the good old days." The raven-haired teen expressed his desires, reminiscing on all the fun they've had together.
"Yeah…I'd like that as well." Julius agreed, the group continuing to walk through the ruined city, only for Huey to step back in shock as he started to rub his eyes.
"I-I saw it! I saw that thing that Julius mentioned earlier!" The redhead exclaimed, only for Ren and Reina to step back in surprise momentarily, rubbing their eyes as they too saw a vision of the past.
"I-I saw it just then! Seems that Julius was telling the truth after all." The raven-haired girl chimed in.
"I've been here before and experienced these visions firsthand. Hence why I knew Julius was telling the truth. They have this…haunting feeling about it; what with the townsfolk oblivious as to what's going to happen to them." Ren chimed in, looking towards the sky. "Those visions…those visions are what the town used to look like. I don't know what exactly happened here, but I'm sure you could piece it together based on what lies before your eyes."
"So when will we get to see this Ryland fellow Alexandra mentioned earlier?" The young teen inquired.
"Very soon; we're at the end of the place. I'm sure he would be waiting for us, possibly to fight us. Therefore, it would be wise to prepare beforehand." The raven-haired teen answered, gesturing the group to follow him as they walked up the flight of stairs before them and into the next room. Upon entering inside, the group of four walked quietly, noticing a lone figure gazing upon the ruins quietly. He had short, reddish-orange hair that was spiked up in a few places, and matching orange eyes that seemed to pierce through whatever it was he was looking at. His outfit was more regal than one would expect, with a red-button up suit that had a tail at the bottom, pitch-black pants made from the finest silk available, and a billowing reddish-orange cape that reached the back of his legs. Julius had to admit something, the man before him was pretty damn handsome.
"Hmmm? I didn't expect the ones to disturb this place to be you four." The man commented, directing his gaze towards the four teenagers.
"Our apologies, Ryland. We simply wished to pass through this area." Ren bowed respectfully, with the other three soon following suit.
"You show more respect than I expected for someone who has no connection to this place. Tell me, did any of you see the visions of the past?" Ryland inquired. "The ones I've layered around Alamissa?"
"Yes we have, sir. But are you saying that you were the reason we saw those visions?" Julius answered, with the older man giving a nod of confirmation.
"I was able to discover a way to bring the past to the present, using the power of the Timesplicer Stones, but it only last for a short amount of time. It's my way of telling the story of Alamissa Urben. It is important that I keep its story alive. After all, no one outside the Badlands even knows this place exists." He explained, turning his gaze to the side momentarily.
"That…makes a lot of sense, truth be told. But why is this place so important to you?" Reina inquired. "Why live here instead of Sashila Village?"
"I'm not going to beat around the bush here; I stay here because I refuse to let go of my homeland." Ryland began, outstretching his right arm to show off the ruined home before them. "This place was a beacon of hope for the people of the Badlands. When the calamity began, it started in this very area. We were hit the hardest, but nobody came to our aid despite that. We had to build our civilization from the ground up, but even with the combined teamwork of us all, creation a civilization where so much destruction took place was heard work. Our incredible determination was not enough to fulfill our wishes, which was when a man named William Grevillea and his assistant Herald Jenkel found our city."
'Jenkel…where have I heard that name before?' Julius thought to himself, scratching his mind over that small detail.
"With his vast amount of research and technology, he began to restore the nearby areas. Oases started to spring up, Pokémon began coming back…things were starting to turn around for us after so much pain and misery. However, it wouldn't last; Team Xen attacked us with the intent to kill each and every one of us. And the one in charge of that invasion was none other than Grand Dream City's "illustrious" mayor, Cassandra." The older man continued, catching all of the group, sans Julius off-guard.
"C-Cassandra?! Y-You can't be serious!" Huey exclaimed in surprise.
'Seems that hunch Erin and I had about her was right; she was hiding something after all…' The young teen thought to himself.
"Oh I am serious indeed. Anyway, something incredible happened during that battle. The ground beneath Alamissa opened up and Cassandra called for an immediate retreat. She thought that the crevice would finish us off, but her arrogance would prove to be her downfall. My brother Adam and I survived the attack, along with Alexandra and her brother Damien. The four of us searched for any survivors we could and bring them to a new location, I'm sure at least one of you has come across the Ruined City during your explorations?"" Ryland stated, with the four teenagers looking at each other briefly.
"W-We didn't, mister. We were told to stay clear of that place as bandits have taken up residence in that area." Reina answered quietly.
"That place was our second home before it became what it is today; I was certain we would all die out there when we arrived. But we were saved by a stranger, a girl named appeared and saw our plight. She had come to finish what her father, the previously mentioned William Grevillea had started. Flora restored the land west of the Ruined City, which is where Sashila Village was born." The older man concluded his tale, the group of four intrigued by what they had heard.
"That's a fascinating tale indeed, but why tell us this?" The raven-haired girl inquired, a casual smile on Ryland's face.
"I'm merely giving you all an explanation for my loyalty to Bladestar. All of us have our reasons for doing what we do; we all fight for something, no matter what side we're on. I'm sure you all have a story for why you fight for your respective side?" He replied.
"I do have a story to tell; a story to redeem myself for the mistakes I've made, to respect and honor the memory of my fallen friends, and to ensure that I never experience a nightmare like that again." Julius replied quietly.
"I also have a story to tell; I've come a long way and experienced much to reach this point." Ren chimed in.
"As have I, however it'll be impossible for us to see eye to eye." Ryland gazed coldly at the raven-haired teen. "I will never forgive Team Xen for what they have done to me and my people, nor will I forgive those who chose to sit around and do nothing while we suffered. Please forgive me, but I have to do this." The orange-haired man stated, snapping his fingers as a group of four Bladestar administrators approached the teenagers.
"W-We're surrounded!" Huey exclaimed in surprise.
"I know what you all came here for; I will not allow you to enter Zone Zero." Ryland stated bluntly, pointing towards the teenagers. "Get them, but do not harm them. I do not wish for anymore blood to be shed upon this place."
"Looks like we're in a sticky situation. What do you say to teaming up against them, like in the good old days?" Julius offered, as a toothy grin appeared on Ren's face.
"Hell yeah, I've been wanting to fight alongside you for a long time now. Reina, Huey, you take on those two; we'll handle the other two!" Ren agreed adamantly.
"Got it!" They both complied with his plan, the group of four splitting into two teams of two to deal with the Bladestar ambush.
"This'll be a cakewalk!" One of the admins facing Ren and Julius boasted, as he and his co-worker sent out a Walrein and Alolan Ninetales respectively, the two Ice-types standing firmly before the duo. Both Ren and Julius quietly pondered on what Pokémon to send out first, opting to go for Greninja and Sylveon respectively, the latter turning to face her new trainer in confusion.
"I know it may be weird to see me in place of my mother, but if you can help me out in this battle, I'll greatly appreciate it." The young teen requested, with Sylveon giving him a determined nod before staring down her enemies.
The Ninetales started off by channeling its hidden power to send a light blue ball of energy into the sky, the ball soon exploding as it started to hail inside the ruined house, invigorating both Ice type Pokémon. With the hailstorm at full power, the Walrein took in a deep breath and blew a massive gust of wind at the duo, the powerful blizzard sending shiver's down the Greninja's spine. However the nimble frog was far from defeated, it's tongue changing color to a deep purple as it retched up a ball of noxious garbage from its mouth and hurled it at the Ninetales, sending the fox Pokémon flying back as it skidded on the ground. Picking itself back up, it stood firm and channeled it's inner power before firing a beam of icy cold energy at the Sylveon, who stood her ground before retaliating with a Moonblast, the two powerful attacks colliding in mid-air as they battled for dominance. However, the previous attack had weakened the Ninetales greatly, enabling the Sylveon to take the initiative and deal a devastating blow to her foe, with the fox Pokémon getting sent hurtling towards a wall before crashing into it. When the small blanket of dust had died down, it showed that the Ninetales was knocked out.
"Tch, lucky break." The second Bladestar admin scoffed, recalling her Pokémon before opting to send out her Drampa, the usually serene Dragon letting out a roar of determination. The Drampa reared its neck and began to collect energy in its mouth, the bright orange ball of energy growing bigger and bigger by the second. A few moments later, it fired the energy in a mighty beam of light, striking the poor Sylveon as she was sent flying back several feet and crashed on the ground. But despite the beams power, her impressive defenses were able to shine through, with the Intertwining Pokémon managing to get back up. Knowing that the amount of energy used in the attack would cause the Drampa to rest momentarily, both Pokémon figured it would be a smart idea to target the Walrein and deal with it quickly. The Greninja began climbing up on the wall to distract the walrus, the latter shooting a series of ice shards at the nimble frog, who retaliated by striking down the shards with water shurikens.
This distraction gave Sylveon ample opportunity to change the surrounding area, a sweet-smelling mist emanating from her feelers as the surrounding area was now filled with the enchanting mist. The Sylveon chirped happily, the mist granting her a sizable power boost as the wondrous feeling coursed through her body as she lunged at the Walrein and tackled it. The large walrus was taken aback by the sudden attack, skidding backwards on the floor for a few feet as it maintained it's footing. However, the Greninja would soon leap off the wall and dove towards the Walrein, the frogs tongue now a orangish-brown as it delivered a swift kick to the back of its head, the walrus letting out a surprised bellow as it staggered on the spot before slumping to the ground. By this point, the Drampa had managed to recover and began charging up another beam of energy in the hopes of taking its foes out. But the Greninja was able to counter in time, it's tongue changing color to a baby blue as it quickly conjured up a ball of ice-cold energy and channeled it into a beam, the attack striking its foe and froze it in place.
"Phew, a bit of a tight spot but we were able to pull through!" Ren chimed in, with both admins surprised at the duo's tactics as they promptly recalled their Pokémon.
"Not bad for a Xen rat, but you stand no chance against us!" The first Bladestar admin retorted, as he and his partner promptly sent out a Volcarona and Dhelmise respectively. The sentient anchor started things off by calling forth a series of ethereal chains and aimed them at the Sylveon, who attempted to dodge the attack but was unsuccessful and was promptly ensnared by the attack. This had caused the Intertwining Pokémon to panic, who started striking the chains with her feelers in an attempt to break free, but the chains held onto their victim firmly. This gave the Volcarona the chance for a free hit, the fiery moth conjuring up a terribly hot gust of wind that blew the pink mist away, striking the Slyveon as she was sent flying back towards Julius' feet, the small Fairy Pokémon attempting to get back up, but was unable to.
"Please don't exert yourself, you did more than enough for today…" The young teen consoled his friend, gently petting her head before recalling her to her ball. Eyeing up the two powerful Pokémon before him, Julius sent out his Astronite and began formulating a plan on how to deal with them as soon as possible. Noticing his friend's look of determination, Ren soon came up with an idea of his own, but it would require a little switching up, so to speak.
"Greninja, time to switch things around with U-Turn!" He requested, with his comrade giving him a quick nod as he lunged at the Dhelmise, the frog's tongue a light green as it kicked the sentient anchor before leaping back towards Ren, the raven-haired teen recalling it before sending out his Arcanine. The large dog let out a loud roar that sent shiver's down the spines of its foes, building up a large ball of fire in its mouth before firing it in a stream at the Dhelmise. The ghostly anchor let out a low moan of pain as it swung around the area in a frantic attempt to put the fire out, with the Volcarona flying back in order to avoid getting struck down. But as it was flying back, it was left open to the Astronite, who conjured up a series of sharp rocks and rained them down onto the two Pokémon, sending the large moth crashing into the Dhelmise as they crumpled onto the ground, neither of them able to continue battling.
"H-How did you know what I was planning to do?" Julius inquired, amazed at how Ren was able to plan things perfectly.
"I had a hunch you'd send out a Rock-type Pokémon to deal with the Volcarona, determining it to be the more serious threat. So I found a way to get my Arcanine out and have it use Flamethrower on the Dhelmise; Dhelmise are known to panic when the seaweed that forms their body is on fire, and would do anything to put it out. This of course, lowered the Volcarona's guard, enabling your Astronite to land a critical hit easily." The raven-haired teen explained, intriguing Julius with his newfound cunning. Someday, he would hope to have a rematch with his friend to see what other tactics he has up his sleeve.
"Seems like you two are competent battlers; a shame you're not on our side, you would've gone far in Bladestar." The female admin chimed in, as she and her partner recalled their Pokémon before opting to send out their next combatants, a Whimsicott and a Diggersby. The large rabbit began flexing it's massive ears, beckoning the enemy Pokémon to attack it while the Whimsicott let out a quick chime of happiness. Almost immediately, the Whimsicott took to the skies and launched a few seeds from its cottony body, falling onto the Astronite as they soon sported vines that ensnared the extraterrestrial Pokémon. The Traveler Pokémon let out a low moan of pain, feeling its body getting drained of energy as it retaliated by levitating a few rocks and flung them at the Whimsicott, pushing it back a few feet.
Meanwhile, the Diggersby raised its arms in the air and slammed them down onto the ground, creating a powerful tremor that struck the Arcanine, causing it to fall over and hit the ground hard. The large dog managed to get back onto its feet and lunged at the bulky rabbit, its body cloaked in fire as it tackled the Diggersby into the wall, creating a small cloud of dust that blanketed the area. The Arcanine walked back to its trainer, confident in its victory, only for a pair of arms to snatch the dog up, the Legendary Pokémon letting out a confused howl as it saw the Diggersby emerge from the hole in the wall. Holding on to it firmly, it leapt up high into the air before slamming down onto the ground, causing the place to quiver slightly as a concerned look grew on Ren's face. When the dust died down, it showed that both Pokémon were knocked out, with the Digging Pokémon having used a risky method to deal with its foe.
"Arcanine, I'm glad you're alright!" The raven-haired teen ran over to his fallen friend, sighing in relief that, while injured, his Arcanine would be alright after a good night's rest. Promptly recalling it to its ball, Ren spent a few seconds deciding what his next Pokémon will be, opting to settle for his Scizor.
"N-Not good…I'm down to my last Pokémon." The male Bladestar admin began to panic, recalling his Diggersby before sending out his Whiscash, the calm Pokémon letting out a sigh of content. Seeing that his comrade was in danger, the Scizor prioritized dealing with the Whimsicott, the study Bug Pokemon's pincers glowing a lustrous silver as it lunged at the Windveiled Pokémon and punched it, the small Pokémon letting out a cry of surprise as it was sent flying back. The Scizor proceeded to snip the vines off of Astronite, who let out a quick chirp of gratitude before opting to deal with the Whiscash, who charged up a Water Pulse and spewed it at the Scizor. The Traveler Pokémon took the attack for its teammate, opting to retaliate by ensnaring the Whiskers Pokémon with its psychic power, levitating it into the air momentarily before flinging it towards the Whimsicott. Watching the two enemy Pokémon crash into each other, the Scizor sprang off the wall and struck them down with its pincers, the two Pokémon crashing into the ground and kicked up some more dust, covering the arena as all four trainers covered their faces for protection. Once the dust died down, it showed that both the Whimsicott and the Whiscash were knocked out, the two Bladestar admins shocked to their core over the sight.
"T-This can't be possible; you're just a pair of ordinary trainers, or are you…?" The female admin exclaimed, the duo recalling their Pokémon as they checked upon their other co-workers. To their dismay, they saw that Reina and Huey had defeated them fairly easily, the two young teens sporting triumphant grins on their faces.
"To think there are trainers out there with the strength to easily defeat Bladestar's elite admins…" Ryland mused, having watched the battle from a safe distance as he approached the four teens. "It's trainers like you who cause so much pain and suffering."
"Ryland, we do not wish to cause you or your people any pain. We only want to—" Julius began, only for the older man to raise his hand in the air.
"Please, let me finish." He requested, the young teen keeping quiet as requested. "It's because of outsiders like you that the people of the Badlands endured such hardship! We wouldn't be in this position if the world didn't turn a blind eye to our plight. That, is why I put my faith and trust into Flora. She helped us out when nobody else would, offering her ear to our pleas for salvation."
"But is that truly what you believe?" Ren inquired, with Ryland raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "After everything you hope to achieve, do you really think Flora is the one to do it? You say you put your total faith and trust into Flora, but you're a high-ranking member of Bladestar. You know everything she's done and everything she's going to do."
"Y-You don't know what you're talking about!" Ryland shot back quickly.
"Oh, but I do, as do my sister Reina, and my friend Julius. The three of us grew up in a place bogged down by past hardships, which fostered a hostile attitude towards outsiders. I wanted to be the one to change that way of thinking, to be the hero that Goldenleaf needed and to show them the world. Kind of like how you want to be the hero of the Badlands, that is how we are alike." The raven-haired teen began.
"Alike? Hah, I beg your pardon? You dishonored yourself by joining an organization like Team Xen." The older man scoffed at him.
"And you joined Bladestar, a radical group that will stop at nothing for the world to accept their ideals. But you don't have to be a part of that, you can still leave. Try and shape the Badlands how you see them, not how Flora does. You and I both know that she's not the one to change this place. Don't allow yourself to be trapped by a cruel decision like I have." Ren continued, catching the older man off-guard with his words. Somehow…somehow this young man had reads through him as if he were a children's novel.
"I-I must admit, you read me like a book. Seeing through my façade is something not many people can do; most impressive indeed. Personally, I still think we cannot see eye to eye completely, but the both of us have a lot to work on as a person." Ryland began, taking a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "For as much good as Flora has done for this place, she is not the answer for this place. I followed her ideals blindly, making myself believe that I was doing the right thing. Because following her meant the restoration of the Badlands, but at what cost? The destruction of everywhere else? We would be no better than the ones who left us to die. Flora…she's just as manipulative as Madame X."
"S-So, what will you do next, Ryland?" Reina inquired cautiously, the older man turning his head to face the ruined wall.
"As the saying goes, if you want to do things right, you have to do them yourself. I'll let you four go through." He answered, catching the four admins off-guard. "As for you four, tell Flora that while I greatly appreciate all that she's done for the people of the Badlands, I wish to take over the restoration of the Badlands from here on out."
"Flora's going to get really angry at you, sir. You'll be sorry for this!" One of the admins retorted, storming out with the other three following right behind him.
"You four, there's something I wish to speak to you about. As a high-ranking member of Bladestar, I've been brief in on future missions that Bladestar have laid out. One in particular, I must warn you about—" The orange-haired man began
"Oh what's this? You made up already? That's no fun at all…" A mysterious voice called out, a portal suddenly opening before the group as a most mysterious figure emerged from it. The figure had dark brown skin, spiky black hair and wore a pair of futuristic shades over his eyes. His outfit greatly resembled a white spacesuit and he was hovering on some sort of skateboard, made from what looked like futuristic technology. "I don't suppose I'm interrupting something? Like a cool summer breeze, I'll make my way into this conversation."
"W-Who is that man…?" Julius whispered to his friends, taken aback by his sudden arrival.
"Remember that stranger who attacked Alexandra? That's him over there." Ren whispered back, shooting a glare at the mysterious man. "I can't believe you have the audacity to follow me all the way here!"
"Ah-ah-ah, put those claws away, kitty cat. I'm not here for you. I thought this whole thing would've gone another way, but you losers kept to the same script! A real man knows when to adapt to everything, like a cup of red dye and sparkling clear water." The mysterious man rambled in an intoxicatingly smooth voice, the group of five eying him up oddly.
"What are you even talking about, mister?" Huey chimed in.
"I don't know, but I love that silky-smooth voice of his!" Reina replied dreamily, with her brother shooting her a quick look of disapproval.
"I appreciate the comment little lassie, but it's a shame I've gotta drop on in like this. How about we all go on a ride? Admission for five?" The man offered.
"Pardon me, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We won't be going anywhere with you." Ryland requested, reaching for a Pokéball. "If you refuse to heed my words, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to resort to violence. Is that clear?"
"I'm afraid you misunderstand. I said admission for five; you are so not invited." The mysterious man ignored Ryland's request, turning to face the other four. "As for everyone else...buckle up, because the ride will be bumpy!"
Upon saying those words, he dove towards the group of four at incredible speeds, his body and board glowing as he struck the four teens. Within an instant, the five of them were teleported away from Alamissa Urben, and taken to somewhere else entirely, leaving a confused Ryland all on his own.
Another chapter wrapped up nicely; I especially loved the reunion between Julius and Sylveon. Some people may be a little upset that I copied the ending to Chapter 15 at the beginning, but given how Ren was telling Julius about what had happened, I figured it would make sense to show the conversation between him and Crescent. Now the next chapter will be amazing as it'll cover the part where you get to play as Melia during her investigation in the Scholar District. Thank you all for reading and supporting this story, I'll see you in the next chapter.
