Chapter 21
Rescue Part 4
Quill barely withheld a cry of pain as he weathered yet another bone-shuddering blow from his brother. Looking up weakly, Quill was forced to quickly bring his guard back up as yet another Hammer Arm barreled towards him. With the force of a rampaging Tauros, the powerful fighting-type move broke Quill's guard and slammed into Quill's stomach.
The Quilladin gasped, all the air in his body being painfully pulled out of him from the force of the tremendous hit. Quill felt his feet leave the ground as he was flung like a ragdoll, smashing into the dungeon's 'wall' with an echoing impact. He slumped to the ground, coughing violently while clutching his chest.
The Chesnaught, unperturbed that he had just struck his brother, slowly began to lumber towards the weakened Quilladin. Quill weakly looked up, his eyes shining with pain. "Crass…"
"Wake the hell up!" In a blur, Jasmine appeared seemingly out of the Chesnaught's shadow. With a sharp hiss, she raked her shadow infused claws across the grass-fighting type's back.
Crass tilted forward ever so slightly, but his blank expression never wavered. Instead the behemoth turned, swinging his arm out to swat Jasmine away, but the Liepard was too swift. She easily ducked under the attack, and rushed between his legs, delivering a vicious Slash to the back of Crass' knee as she rushed to Quill's side.
"Can you stand?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of the Chesnaught.
"Y-Yeah," Quill coughed, wiping away a smudge of blood from his mouth as he stood on shaking legs. "But…"
"Good. As much as I hate admitting this, I won't be able to defeat this beast alone," Jasmine admitted through clenched teeth. "With Mystic occupying the Gothitelle and Noelle…incapacitated, I'll need your help in order to bring him down. Now, he's used several Hammer Arms, meaning his has severely lowered his movement speed. We'll need to take advantage of that if we want to—"
"I…I can't."
Jasmine blinked, finally turning her gaze away from the Chesnaught. "What?"
"I can't fight him," Quill said, refusing to look at the Liepard. "I can't fight my brother."
Jasmine stared at the Quilladin as if he had grown a second head. All at once, her face morphed into an angry scowl. "Are you kidding me?!" she snapped.
Quill blinked, taken aback. "Huh?"
"You won't fight your brother? Open your eyes!" Jasmine snarled. "That's not your brother! Not anymore! It's a puppet created to stand in our way!"
"That doesn't matter!" Quill shouted. "He's still my brother! I can't hurt him!"
"And what of Zero?" Jasmine demanded. Quill flinched; his mouth snapping shut. "Are you just going to forsake him for the sake of not harming your brother?" Jasmine questioned. "Are you going to let him suffer because you can't bring yourself to help him?!"
An uncomfortable writhing mass pooled in in Quill's stomach. He had nearly forgotten…The reason he was there. He came to save his leader, his friend. He promised himself that he would stop at nothing to save him, and yet…
The Quilladin's gaze rose to look at his brother.
He was hesitating. Seeing his brother like this…as an enemy… It hurt more than any attack. His brother that had sacrificed himself to give Quill a fighting chance now stood before him, stopping him for getting to his friend…
It was too much for the Quilladin.
"Well, isn't this touching?" Both Resistance members froze in shock when they saw the Gothitelle looking little worse for wear stroll leisurely towards the Chesnaught. "A conflict between siblings," she mused cruelly. "Or, close to it. If you count this thing as an actual Pokémon."
A lance of fear pierced through the Cruel Pokémon. Frantically looking around for Mystic, her heart leapt to her throat when she saw the prone form of the Constraint Pokémon. "Mystic!"
Jasmine's call seemed to fall upon deaf ears as Mystic didn't respond. Noelle kneeled next her, frantically fretting over the psychic type, but unsure of how to help.
"She was a competent fighter," the Gothitelle said. "Too bad her ally wasn't." She chuckled. "That Snorunt is pathetic, even amongst others of its species. You shouldn't have brought it here."
Noelle visibly flinched, cowering further into herself.
"Damn you!" Jasmine growled, her entire body twitching with hardly restrained fury. Unable to control herself any longer, with a vicious howl, she lunged towards the Gothitelle. Claws bared and coated with dark energy, the Liepard was moments away from her target when something moved into her path. "Huh?"
To Jasmine's shock and horror, the Chesnaught now stood directly in front of her. Green light burst from the Spiny Armor Pokémon's arms, forming a solid shield covered in dozens of sharp thorns before him. Unable to stop, Jasmine crashed into barrier, crying out as the thorns stabbed into her body.
Fighting off the pain, she kicked off of the shield, landing a fair distance away. Panting, she looked at the Chesnaught in shock, surprised that he had been able to react so quickly.
"Nice try," the Gothitelle goaded. "You almost got me. This one truly is the best bodyguard I could ask for." She reached out and stroked the Chesnaught's chin, the loving gesture ruined by the cruel smirk of the Astral Body Pokémon's face.
"Don't touch him!" Quill shouted, releasing a Pin Missile attack at the psychic type.
"Please," the Gothitelle scoffed. She raised her hand and caught the glowing projectiles with Psychic. With a grin, she swung her arm and sent the attack shooting towards Noelle and the prone Mystic.
"Noelle!" Quill shouted in alarm.
The Snorunt looked up, her eyes widening in fear as the attack rushed towards her. She froze, her never ending shivering ceasing in that instant. She wouldn't be able to dodge.
The Snow Cap Pokémon suddenly squeaked as the unmoving body next to her suddenly jolted into action. Grabbing the small ice type, Mystic pulled Noelle to her chest and curled around her, showing her back to the barrage of needles. The rogue attack exploded against her back, ripping a harsh cry from the Meowstic as she slumped over.
"Mystic!" Jasmine shrieked in horror. She was about to run to the Meowstic's side when the ground around her began to shake and crack.
Unable to even get out a cry of shock, the ground around Jasmine erupted. Dozens of thick, thorny vines burst from the ground around her, towering over the Liepard like the maw of a vicious beast before closing in. Jasmine's screams of pain were drowned out by the earth-shaking barrage of tree-sized vine smashing into the ground.
"No," Quill whispered, staring in horror as the Gothitelle laughed at the display before her.
-Resistance-
The numerous denizens of the forest all seemed to have answered the Oranguru's call, acting upon whatever power that was controlling them. They attacked ferociously, acting more like dungeonous Pokémon; attacking anything not from their territory rather than simply observing and fleeing trespassers like most wild Pokémon would. Because of this, Furno and Seth found themselves trapped within their current location.
However, despite their numbers advantage, Furno couldn't help but feel that the Pokémon were relatively weak. Compared to the past fights he had been in, the wild Pokémon before him were nothing more than annoyances. Granted, they were rather zealous annoyances.
Furno couldn't hold back a bark of surprise as a hail of Poison Stings struck the spot he had just been standing in. Cheeks slightly flushed, the Monferno turned and unleashed a furious blast of fire towards the offending Skorupi. The poison-bug type could only squeal, the instinctual feeling of fear fighting through whatever control the normal-psychic type had over it, as it was engulfed in flames.
A small ember of satisfaction flickered within the fire-fighting type upon defeating his opponent. However, it soon turned to a grimace as yet another Pokémon took its place. "Seriously? How many of them are there?!"
"Pay attention!" Furno yelped as he was forced to the ground just as a Tranquil soared overhead, its wings alight with glowing energy. Looking up, he winced when he saw the glare Seth was giving him.
"Sorry," Furno apologized, withholding a wince as Seth got off him.
"Just pay attention," the Absol groused. "Just because these Pokémon are weak doesn't mean that you can take the situation lightly."
"He's right you know," Cortex said. "In a battle, no matter what skill level they possess, or how many there are, an enemy is not to be underestimated."
"Hmph, you're rather cocky for someone who refused to even battle," Seth commented, dodging an attack from a Misdreavus.
"But of course. A teacher's job is always to instruct their students," Cortex said superiorly from his seated position. "Besides, I see no reason to intervene in this battle. Not with such lack luster opponents."
"Lack luster?" Furno growled angerly, his flames blustering with his fury.
"Yes, lack luster," Cortex repeated. "You and your team. Or should I say, both of your teams."
Seth paused. "What?"
"For being part of such an infamous team, I can't help but be disappointed with Team Surge's performance," Cortex continued. "With how quickly a bunch of mercenaries incapacitated your allies, I can't help but feel that many of the stories surrounding your team have been greatly exaggerated. Or, perhaps…you simply lack proper leadership."
Furno growled heatedly, a sharp response on the tip of his tongue. However, before he could speak, he froze. What felt like a cold and suffocating cloak fell upon him, nearly snuffing out his flame in an instant before the Monferno realized what it was. Intent.
"I did notice that Stride was not with the group when you attempted to attack us," Cortex continued, seemingly oblivious to the rising Intent. "Was he not part of the operation? That would seem to be the most likely option as I doubt that such a simplistic plan would have been created by the apparent military genius of Stride."
By that point, Furno was having slight trouble with breathing. The suffocating Intent emanating from the Absol was steadily encompassing the room. Even the controlled Pokémon appeared to be rooted in place, yet Cortex continued to show no indication that he even noticed the Absol's rising anger.
"Team Surge must heavily depend on Stride to suffer such a decline without his presence. Such a shame," Cortex finished cruelly, a ghost of a smile flitting across his face.
A low rumble reverberated deep within the Absol. The growl, while soft, seemed echo through the room. The menacing tone seemed to send a deep chill through all that heard it, leaving no dispute as to what Absol was. A predator.
"I'm typically a practical Pokémon by nature," Seth said, his mounting Intent betraying the calmness in his words. As he spoke, the wind picked up, swirling and shifting around the Absol like a subdued tornado.
"While I can be stubborn and irate, I never let my emotions get the better of me. However…out of everything, if there's one thing that pushes me over the edge…" Seth's claws dug deep into the ground, leaving grooves within the hard earth. His furious red eyes bored holes in the nonchalant Sage Pokémon. "it would be those that look down on me and my team!"
"Oh?" Cortex questioned with a raised brow. A challenging smirk stretched across his muzzle. "Well then, what are you going to do about it?"
Furno gulped, having never seen this level of anger in the Absol. Everything else, compared to this moment, was just minor irritation. This was the first time Furno felt legitimately afraid of the Disaster Pokémon.
"Furno." The Playful Pokémon jolted as the Absol spoke to him. "In exactly three seconds, I want you to jump."
"Wh-What?"
Instead of answering, the wind surrounding Seth suddenly intensified. Wind whipped and spiraled around the Absol, roaring like a hardly restrained monster, begging to be released. Begging to destroy. Clumps of earth were pulled from the ground, disintegrating as it met the whirlwind of destruction.
"I'm going to show this bastard what it means to challenge a member of Team Surge!" Seth roared. No sooner had he said these words, Seth let go of the winds and destruction ensued.
-Resistance-
Wake growled both in pain and aggravation. The Zoroark he had been trouncing just minutes prior, had completely turned the tables on him. The Zoroark, Mirage, now that she was free of Bella's Foresight, had Wake completely at her mercy.
She wasn't over the top with her illusions like she had been when the group first entered the false dungeon. She wasn't creating false enemies or drastic changes in the environment. Instead, she was more subtle with her creations; changing the landscape ever so slightly in order to trip the Poliwrath up or simply creating illusions of herself to keep her from harms way. She did all this while hampering the water-fighting type with relentless attacks.
Wake endured yet another hit that came seemingly out of nowhere, followed by an amused laugh that was steadily getting on the Tadpole Pokémon's nerves. He had never been more thankful of his fighting type resilience as he was in that very moment. It appeared that the Illusion Fox Pokémon knew mostly dark-type moves, judging by the amount Night Slashes she subjected him too. That or she was purposefully drawing the fight out.
"Oh! You almost had me there!" the smug voice of Mirage laughed as Wake punched through yet another false image of the Zoroark.
"Stop hiding and fight me you coward!" Wake shouted, incensed.
"Really? Does that actually work?" Mirage taunted. "Shouting and demanding that an opponent face you? Get real."
Wake grunted as claws raked across the back of his leg, causing the water-fighting type to fall to one knee from the unexpected hit. "In a real fight," the Zoroark whispered in Wake's ear, "an enemy will do anything and everything to win."
Wake scoffed, turning in the direction of the voice. "I know that. I just needed to keep you talking long enough to figure out where you were!"
In an instant, an orb of water formed in Wake's hand. With a shout, the Poliwrath twisted around towards Mirage's voice and smashed the orb onto the ground. The condensed sphere of water burst on impact, causing a large flood of water to rush wildly in that directions.
The water rushed forward, uncontrolled and unrelenting. It smashed into the wall of trees, causing the large flora to shake minutely. The wave only lasted a moment longer before the water stilled, leaving the ground muddy and littered with puddles.
Everything was silent for a moment; the only sound coming from the wind. Wake scanned the surrounding area, eyes narrowed as he tried to find any sign of the Zoroark. "Where did she g-ACK!" the Poliwrath cried out as a sharp pain smashed against the back of his skull, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"A nice try, but amateurish at best," Mirage scoffed, her form shimmering into existence. "That's what I like about you fighting types. You're all so simple. It makes fighting you so satisfying."
Mirage leisurely walked towards the Poliwrath as he struggled to get back to his feet. "You know, I'm actually the weakest of the group in terms of raw strength," Mirage confessed. "However, against muscle-heads like you, I more than make up for my weakness."
"Why the hell are you still talking?!" Wake shouted angrily, swiping at the Zoroark when she entered his reach, only for his hand to pass harmlessly through her. An illusion.
"Because you can't stop me," Mirage said smugly. "I can take my time and do the classic villain monologue without you being able to stop me!"
Wake growled, finally rising to his feet. He glared hatefully at the illusion. Despite knowing it to be futile, he unleashed a powerful blast of water, tearing through the illusion. A second later, a second illusion appeared a few feet away.
"Really? Man, you really are a muscle-head!" Mirage laughed. "I suppose I should finish this though. Morpheus wants us all to meet up and—what the hell?!"
Wake blinked as a red spotlight suddenly enshrouded the image of the Zoroark. The image flickered before disappearing, leaving the light. The red light swiftly roamed across the room before resting upon a single area a few feet away. The area shimmered before revealing a stunned Mirage.
"What?!" the Zoroark demanded, eyes shooting towards the source of the light. Her blue eyes blazed with fury when she saw the Banette, which she had thought she had taken care of, staring right at her, still prone on the ground, but just managing to lift her head.
Mirage growled. "You little…" She took a step towards the Banette, intent on finishing the job, when she froze. The fur on the back of her neck rose; a sudden chill running down her spine. She turned and stared into the nonexistence grin on the Poliwrath's face.
"Gotcha," Wake said, reeling his arm back; his fist glowing with power. Mirage didn't even have enough time to dodge.
A loud, echoing crack, the Zoroark went flying across the room. She crashed to the ground, bouncing and skidding for several feet before skidding into a tangled heap. She didn't seem to be moving.
Wake, fist still extended, seemed to grin in satisfaction. "That felt good," he said. No sooner had he said this, he fell to his knees, completely winded. "Did she really do that much damage to me?" he asked aloud.
A low, questioning trill met the Poliwrath's ears. Looking up, Wake saw Bella looking at him in concern. Wake had to chuckle at this. Compared to him, the Marionette Pokémon was far worse off than him.
"I'm fine," Wake said, trying, and failing, to rise to his feet. "Just tired."
Groaning, Wake surveyed his injuries, wincing at the numerous cuts and gashes across his body. Had he really let the Zoroark do that much damage to him. He had really become complacent since the team's return from Razed Ridge.
A soft groan jolted Wake from his thoughts. The Zoroark stirred.
To the Poliwrath's mounting horror, the dark type had gotten her arms underneath herself and managed to push herself onto her knees. Her blue eyes shone with both pain and unquenchable anger, but it wasn't Wake who was subject to the Illusion Fox Pokémon's fury.
"Infernal ghost!" Mirage shouted. Shakily, she managed to stand, her gaze never wavering from the prone Banette. Her breathing was shallow, coming out in harsh gasps, the pace of which increased with each passing second. Her bristled; her entire shaking with building rage.
Wake immediately knew what would happen.
"No!" Wake shouted, trying to get up, but falling when he tried. Mirage paid no heed to Wake's shout and charged Bella.
Mirage, claws cloaked with dark energy, an expression of murder on her face, charged the Banette like a wild beast. Bella, far too injured to move, could only lay prone as the Zoroark drew closer. All the while, Wake could only look on helplessly.
Mere feet away, Mirage pounced, claws extended, mouth opened as if intent to tear into the Marionette Pokémon with her teeth as well as her claws. As the Zoroark closed in, Bella closed her eyes, bracing herself for her impending doom, but it never came.
Bella's eyes shot open at the sound of rushing water. Just before the Zoroark could land her attack, a large torrent of water had crashed into her, carrying her several yards across the room and slamming her into the wall of trees. The water continued pressing the hapless dark type against the trees before steadily petering out, leaving the Zoroark to slump to the ground, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.
Blinking rapidly, Bella felt herself sag in relief. Turning to the Poliwrath, a thankful chirp on her lips, Bella paused. The Poliwrath wasn't looking at her. He wasn't even looking at the Zoroark. Instead, he was looking in the opposite direction; an expression of baffled shock on his face. Following his gaze, Bella saw why.
Standing at the mouth of the hallway was a Pokémon neither Wake nor Bella expected to see, let alone help them.
"Y-You?" Wake gaped.
Marvel shifted anxiously before nodding her large head. "Yes. Me."
-Resistance-
Liz bit her tongue as yet another brutal punch smashed through her guard and crashed into her side. The large poison-ground type staggered back, barely able to bring her arms back up to block another harsh punch.
Growling, the Nidoqueen lashed out with an attack of her own. The Drill Pokémon's Mega Punch struck the Primeape across his cheek, sending the fighting type stumbling, but he recovered quickly. With a loud shriek, Ares bounded forward, violently swinging his mitts in a manner befitting a feral Meowth. Claws shot from the Primeape's mitts and relentlessly raked across Liz's raised arms, leaving startling deep grooves along her forearms.
Wincing, Liz grit her teeth before swinging her arms outward, knocking away Ares' hands in the process. Not missing a beat, Liz grabbed Ares' arms and pulled him towards her while she lunged forward. Her horn began to glow with a bright silver hue as she used Peck to stab the Primeape.
Ares grit his teeth, pain shooting through him as the horn, sharpened by flying type energy, dug into his flesh. The harsh red light of Ares' Rage flashed over his form, his entire body tensing as if it had been shock. With an enraged shout, Ares twisted his hands around to grip Liz's wrists; using her own strength to pull himself up and deliver a sharp kick to the Nidoqueen's chin.
Caught off guard, Liz's grip slackened and that was all it took for Ares to break free from her grasp. Continuing his momentum from the kick, Ares flipped through air, landing lightly on the balls of his feet before shooting forward. Unbalanced, Liz had no means of dodging or blocking the Mega Punch that the Primeape sent towards her unprotected middle.
A loud crack reverberated through the room; the air visibly distilled from the force of Ares' blow. An airless cough was wrenched from the Nidoqueen, her thick armored hide cracking; caving under the attack. Stumbling back, Liz fell to her knees, still gripping her chest as she coughed violently.
With her eyes on the ground, Liz saw Ares' feet enter her vision. Weakly, Liz raised her head, still glaring defiantly despite her uninterrupted coughing fit. The Pig Monkey Pokémon stared down at her, all of the rage his species was known for on blatant display. With eyes seething with unrestrained hate an anger, Ares struck with another vicious Low Kick, this one aimed at Liz's temple.
Liz crashed to the ground, her head spinning and vision spotty. Even so, she slowly pushed herself back to her knees and glared at Ares. "Is that all?" she taunted.
Ares saw red.
Screeching in rage, Ares kicked the Nidoqueen, once more sending her crashing to the ground. However, he did not stop there. He continued to punch and quick every part of the Nidoqueen he could reach. Too angry to even use his moves.
"Stupid…Stupid…BITCH!" Ares shouted, his words devolving into an enraged jumble of curses and slurs. He brought up both of his arms, intent on finishing the Nidoqueen off, when a yellow blur slammed into him, knocking the fighting type away.
Liz blinked, her eyes widening as she watched the familiar ground type uncurl themselves. "Dusty…?"
"Dammit," Ares seethed, having recovered from the Sandshrew's surprised attack. He stood and glared hatefully. He tensed, preparing to lunge, but was met with a wall of murky water that crashed into his side and swept him away.
"We'll buy you as much time as we can!" Bogran shouted, running to stand next to the Sandshrew.
"Bogran?" Liz asked, baffled.
The Marshtomp glanced behind him, orange eyes appearing terrified yet resolute all at the same time. "We'll keep him busy while you recover," he said. "I'm not sure how long we'll last, so please don't take long!"
"He's coming," Dusty said.
True to the Mouse Pokémon's words, Ares was once more on his feet. His fur matted; a look of pure loathing emblazoned across his face. "Damn, brats!" With a screech, the Primeape charged forward.
Liz struggled to get up, a demand for the two to run away on the tip of her tongue, but the two members of Team Dawn Breaker had already run to meet the enraged fighting type.
Bogran and Dusty suddenly jutted in opposite directions, flanking the Primeape. Ares stopped his charge, eyeing the two Pokémon, trying to decide which one to pursue. As it would happen, the duo made the choice for him, as Bogran suddenly charged forward, hands coated in frigid energy.
With a loud cry, the Marshtomp swung his fists at the Primeape, but the fighting type was too fast. He lunged out of the way of Bogran's flailing attacks with relative ease. The Primeape was about to respond with an attack of his own, when a sharp pain erupted across his back.
Turning, Ares was forced to bring up his arms to protect his face from the barrage of Poison Sting the Sandshrew was shooting at him. Most of the needles merely bounced off his overly bulging muscles, due to his repeated uses of Rage and Bulk Up, but a few managed to pierce his hardened flesh.
Ares was then reminded by his second enemy as a burning cold fist smashed into his back, nearly causing the Primeape to stumble. The fighting type could feel ice begin to creep along his back, but a quick flex shattered the ice with ease. With a growl, Ares spun around and backhanded the Marshtomp, sending the water-ground type flying.
Dusty, seeing his friend sent sprawling to the ground, he cut off his attack and burrowing into the ground just as Ares began to turn to him. Blinking in confusion, Ares looked around only for the Sandshrew to burst from the ground and smash into the Primeape's side. Before Ares could counterattack, Dusty once more used Dig.
This action repeated with Dusty burrowing into the ground and popping up to do damage before retreating and doing it again. After several seconds of this, Ares had enough. Raising a foot, the Pig Monkey Pokémon stomped violently on the ground, sending a visible tremor through the nearby ground. A moment later, the ground violently shook; the earth cracking harshly under the Primeape's foot. With a sharp cry, Dusty was pushed out from the ground, the Earthquake doing even more damage with him having been under ground.
With a savage grin, Ares grabbed the airborne ground type before smashing him to the ground, the jagged and cracked earth shattering from the force of the Sandshrew's back crashing to the ground. Despite his armored back, Dusty gasped in pain, his entire body reeling with pain. Momentarily stunned, Dusty was unable to move out of the way as Ares mercilessly kicked him, sending his body ragdolling across the room.
Ares didn't have time to rest on his laurels as Bogran returned to the fight. Ares nearly fell forward as several globs of compacted dirt and mud impacted against his back. He whirled around, not even flinching at the Mud Bombs that impacted his body, and charged the Marshtomp.
Bogran, seeing the Primeape running at him unimpeded by his attack, stuttered in shock. He tried to jump out of the way of the charging Primeape, but he wasn't fast enough. Ares managed to jut out his arm as he ran by, clipping Bogran as he rushed by, sending the Marshtomp sprawling across the ground.
Bogran was forced to scramble to his feet as Ares attacked him. He attempted to fend off the Primeape's attacks, but it was just too strong. In a matter of moments, Bogran had been sent crashing to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Battered and bruised, Bogran attempted to get up, only for Ares' foot to crush him into the dirt.
Ares, fueled by his own anger and Rage, was beyond words. He stared balefully at the Marshtomp, silently seething; practically frothing as his anger visibly shook his body. Off to the side, Bogran saw that Dusty was trying to get up, but it was clear that he was suffering heavy damage. They had both been defeated.
They had hardly lasted a full minute.
Despair settled in Bogran's stomach, his previous fear returning full force. He had hoped that, with both himself and Dusty working together, they could at least do some notable damage, but the Primeape just shrugged off all of their attacks. In hindsight, after seeing what the Primeape had done to Liz, a seasoned Resistance member, he should have known that neither he nor Dusty stood much of a chance. He just didn't think the power-gap was so large.
Growling loudly, the Primeape raised his hand, energy beginning to swirl around it. "Die!" Ares shouted, bringing down his hand—
Only to be struck by a large glob of dark purple gunk. Ares stumbled back, caught off guard from the attack. He turned to face his attack, only for a glowing green tail to smash into him, sending him flying across the room.
Weakly, Bogran looked up, shocked to see Liz standing over him. "Liz?"
"You reckless idiots," Liz sighed tiredly, shaking her head. "If you'd let me finish earlier, I'd have told you that I had everything under control."
Bogran blinked. "Huh? But…"
The Mud Fish Pokémon's words were drowned out as Ares recovered. Mindlessly, he charged, both of his fists glowing with vibrant energy. Bogran tensed, but Liz seemed unperturbed. "Watch and learn," she said with a small smile.
Bogran opened his mouth to say something, but the words died in his throat as an immense amount of energy began to build up around the Nidoqueen. Bogran stared open mouthed as energy continued to grow around the poison-ground type like a raging fire, its intensity cracking the ground as Liz's energy continued to build. All the while, Liz watched Ares approach, slowly bringing back her arm for a punch.
When Ares reached striking distance, Liz punched for all she was worth.
Bogran was forced to shield his eyes as a tremendous gust of wind exploded outwards. The Marshtomp gripped the ground as hard as he could as to not be blown away. He could feel debris being flung around him, buffeting his skin. When the shockwaves finally died down, Bogran opened his eyes to survey the damage.
Liz was standing there, fist still outstretched as if nothing had transpired. In front of her, however, was a massive crater with a large trench stretching from it for several yards. At the very end of the destruction, was Ares. Bruised, battered, and slightly burned, the Primeape lay still. His eyes were shut, and his expression almost peaceful.
Liz sighed tiredly. A satisfied smile on her face. "Counter never fails."
"That was your plan?" Dusty asked, having managed to get back to his feet.
"Yep," Liz responded. "He was a lot stronger than I first thought. Because of that, I knew that, in a straight fight, he'd probably out last me, especially when he kept using Bulk Up and Rage. If things kept going the way they were, I would have definitely lost. My only option was to rack up damage and deliver a Counter!"
Liz grinned happily, seemingly ignorant to the various injuries that littered her body. "Now, let's get movi—oof." She winced, suddenly collapsing to one knee.
"Liz!" Bogran scrambled to his feet and rushed to the Nidoqueen's side, Dusty doing the same. The Drill Pokémon was panting raggedly, her entire body sagging as if weighed down.
"Sorry," she apologized with blasé, yet tired, smile. "That fight took more out of me than I thought." She glanced down at her own battered body. "To think that I guy like that was able to do so much damage. I'm really losing my edge."
Liz sighed, glancing at the two younger members. "Sorry you two, but I need a moment to rest before we can continue. Let's just hope the others can get to Zero in time."
-Resistance-
Quill felt his heart drop into his stomach. Mystic wasn't moving, he couldn't even see Jasmine through the heavy cloud of dust, and poor Noelle was most likely pinned under the Meowstic's body. He was alone.
"Well, that ended about how I thought it would," the Gothitelle said, sounding bored and disinterested. "I guess the rumors surrounding Team Surge were just that. Rumors."
Quill didn't respond. He just continued to look at his allies.
"We should meet up with Morpheus," the Gothitelle continued, talking more to herself rather than her brainwashed puppet. "Oh," she added, almost as an afterthought, "I suppose we should tidy up."
Quill tensed, having immediately understood the psychic type's meaning. He turned to the Gothitelle, meeting her cruel smile.
"Crass?" The Chesnaught perked up at his name. "Be a dear and dispose of your brother for me."
Quill's breath hitched. Without a word, the Chesnaught began to lumber towards him. He was walking normally, but every step seemed to last a life time. He needed to move. He needed to fight. He needed to run. He needed to do…something. Anything.
But he couldn't.
Quill was rooted on the spot.
"Crass…don't…" he whispered, but his pleas fell upon deaf ears. The Chesnaught continued his approach undeterred.
The Gothitelle was speaking again, most likely saying something condescending or cruel, but she sounded muffled. Or, rather Quill couldn't focus on her. He could only focus on his brother, his executioner.
Crass stood before him, his massive form towering over the young Quilladin. The Chesnaught raised his arm, a bright glow slowly beginning to encompass the large limb. Was the larger Pokémon planning on crushing him?
Quill didn't care. He couldn't. He felt numb. His mind was fuzzy. He couldn't think. Everything was hazy. Only one thing was certain. His brother was about kill him.
The tears that had been building behind Quill's eyes fell freely, streaming down his face and dripping to the ground. It was over.
Quill closed his eyes, unwilling to see his brother do what he was about to do. He braced himself, waiting for the blow to end his life.
It never came.
Frowning, Quill cracked an eye open and gaped.
Crass was still there, arm poised to crush Quill where he stood, but he was no longer staring looking at him. Instead, his head was turned towards and unlikely source.
Little Noelle stood behind the giant, shivering violently. Her breath visibly curled in the air; a layer of thin frost coating a small section of the Chesnaught's back. She had attacked him.
"L-Leave h-him alone!" Noelle said shakily. Her voice quaked and her eyes were filled with terror, yet determination.
Crass blinked uncomprehendingly as if unsure of what to do against the small Snow Cap Pokémon.
"Oh, just deal with her too!" the Gothitelle said in annoyance.
No.
Quill jolted from his revere, his mind coming back to him in the moment it took for Crass to turn towards Noelle. Little Noelle. The small ice type that was scared of her own shadow. The one who hid behind Weiss on almost every mission the team took. The one who had attacked Crass in an attempt to save Quill…
Quill was moving before he even realized it.
After all these years, Quill had thought that he'd be willing to give up everything just to see his brother again. It was only at that moment, after spending so much time with the Resistance, that he realized he had been too hasty. Team Dawn Breaker, after everything they had gone through, was his family. Every one of them, and he'd protect and stand by them so long as his heart continued to beat!
It was this thought that spurred poisonous energy to flood into Quill's hand, tinting his claws a toxic purple color. The Gothitelle appeared to have noticed this and tried to call out in warning to her puppet, but it came too late. Before anyone could react, Quill had already struck the Chesnaught with a swift Poison Jab.
-Resistance-
Furno could only stare in awe.
All around him lay the destruction from Seth's attack. The once unkept and wild blades of grass, weeds, and shrubs had been reduced to practically nonexistent heights. The surrounding walls of trees were either heavily scarred or cut down fully from the furious wind that Seth had just unleashed. Cortex's 'army' had not been spared from Seth's attack.
The room was littered with the unmoving forms of the Oranguru's minions, their bodies littered with heavy cuts. Cortex himself sat in his original position, a bright green dome surrounding him. The normal-psychic type appeared frazzled if not fully caught off guard. His eyes shifted from Seth to the large crack that traveled down his Protect.
"Incredible," Furno found himself muttering. Had he not jumped in time, there was no way he'd still be standing!
He glanced at the Absol, shocked to find that the Disaster Pokémon didn't even look winded. Just how strong was Seth?"
"Furno." Seth's gravely calm voice jolted the Monferno from his shock.
"Y-Yes?"
"Take the path on the left," Seth said, not taking his eyes off of the Oranguru. "Judging by the tracks, Morpheus most likely went in that direction. Go there, and catch up."
"What?!" Furno blanched. "Weren't we supposed to stick to our teams?!"
"The situation has changed," Seth responded. "You are to pursue Morpheus or, at the very least, stall him long enough for one of the groups to reach you."
"But what about you?" Furno asked worriedly.
"I can handle myself."
"But—"
"Furno!" Seth snapped, patience wearing thin. "I didn't assign you to me because I needed assistance against the enemy. I did it to keep an eye on you. Unfortunately, if I were to continue doing this, we run the risk of Morpheus escaping."
Furno flinched, not at the comment towards his strength, but because he knew Seth was right. Even so, leaving the Absol alone didn't sit right with the Monferno.
"Remember, Furno," Seth continued, his voice marginally softer, "our main objective is to rescue Zero, not to fight."
Furno stiffened. His hands curled into tight fists. He was right. Zero needed him more than Seth did. With a steely look, Furno nodded and dashed towards the hallway Seth mentioned.
"No you don't!" Cortex shouted. He dropped his Protect and lifted an arm to attack the Monferno before he could escape, but a blade of psychic energy slammed into him, causing the Sage Pokémon to fall onto his back.
"Your fight's with me!" Seth snarled.
Cortex lifted himself, glaring when he saw that Furno had made it out of the room. "Dammit," he cursed, anger filling his gaze, but only for a moment. As quickly as it came, his anger seemed to fade, his expression becoming calm, if not a small bit annoyed.
"Fine then," he said as he rose to his feet. He glared at the Absol, his previously superior and condescending expression having vanished. "I'll dispose of you quickly then pursue the Monferno."
Seth growled, done with talking. Without another word, the Absol lunged.