Chapter 22
Rescue Part 5
Weiss cried out in pain as dark energy lashed across her side, causing her to stumble. The Sableye laughed cruelly at her, ducking behind his large gemstone to avoid a Thunderbolt from Bolt. "You'll have to do better than that!" he crowed.
"Dammit!" Samuel shouted in frustration, fruitlessly pounding against the dark-ghost type's shield. The Sableye merely grinned, their sharp toothed grin never faltering, even as their legs shook to bare against the abusive weight of Samuel's blows. As Samuel raised his arm for another blow, the Sableye surged upwards, knocking the ice-grass type off balance and catching his cheek with a Shadow Claw.
"ARGH!" Samuel stumbled back, clutching his face.
"Samuel!" Bolt called worried, rushing to his teammate, while keeping an eye on the Sableye.
"I'm fine!" Samuel grunted, glaring hatefully at the Darkness Pokémon, who simply stood there; not at all bothered by the fact that he was allowing the trio to regain their breath.
"This is hopeless," Weiss panted, her various injuries weighing heavy on her body. "We can't even land a single attack!"
"Then we keep trying!" Samuel snapped angrily. Weiss shivered as the air around the large Pokémon grew bitterly cold. "We need to get through."
"No, we don't," Bolt interrupted.
Samuel turned on the Manectric. "What?!" he demanded.
"Weiss is right, at the rate we're going, we won't be able to win," Bolt reasoned.
"We just have to keep up the pressure!" Samuel argued stubbornly. "Their attacks barely hurt! We just have to keep pushing!"
"We're not getting anywhere!" Bolt snapped. "We've hardly scratched that crystal! We could keep attacking for an hour and we'd still be nowhere close to hitting him!"
"We just need to strike harder and faster…"
"Do you hear yourself?" Bolt snapped incredulously. "We've been throwing everything we had at that thing! We can't just continue to rashly attack! Even if their attacks aren't doing much, the fact that we can't land a single blow means that they'll outlast us!"
"Then what do you suggest we do?!" Samuel demanded.
Bolt glared heatedly at the Abomasnow, before turning to look at the Sableye. Weiss mirrored this action, frowning when she saw that the Sableye seemed content with watching the trio. The sharp, cruel, and far too calm grin the Darkness Pokémon wore sent shivers down the off colored Absol's spine. They were too calm, too complacent, not that this surprised Weiss given how all of their attacks had been ineffective against the Sableye's crystal shield, but it was still unnerving.
"We have no choice but to backtrack," Bolt said, shocking both of his compatriots.
"Are you kidding?!" Samuel asked. "You want us to just turn tail and run?!"
"We have no other choice!" Bolt growled. "Like I said, at the rate we're going, we'd be here for hours. We don't have time for that!"
"So, you just want to give up?!" Samuel demanded; his face gaining an angry flush. "We've already spent so much time fighting, do you seriously just want to leave?!"
"Our mission is to rescue Zero!" Bolt said, glaring at the Abomasnow. "We can't spend time fighting unnecessary battles!"
"This isn't unnecessary!" Samuel bellowed.
"It is!" Bolt insisted angrily. "They essentially even said that they were here to stall us! Just look at them!" he said, gesturing at the motionless Sableye with his paw. Said Darkness Pokémon just grinned wider, going as far as to wave tauntingly at them. "They are literally here to keep us from progressing! Even if we do beat them, we'd have wasted so much time here that it might be too late to save Zero!"
Samuel's face turned a rather impressive shade of purple as he struggled to come up with an argument. His body trembled with barely restrained argue; his mouth opening and closing, allowing the spluttered attempts at words to fill the silence. After several seconds, Samuel seemed to deflate. "Fine," he relented. "You're right. We're here on a rescue mission. Not a capture mission."
"Thank you," Bolt said gratefully, shoulders slumping.
"So, we're going?" Weiss asked, feeling conflicted. The rational part of her mind knew that this was the right course, but…
"Yes," Bolt said. "We'll have to circle back and choose one of the other paths. Hopefully, we won't lose too much time."
"But they said they won't let us flee," Weiss argued. She blinked. Why was she arguing?
"That was most likely a bluff," Bolt said. "Considering that they haven't moved from that spot, and the fact that they are balancing the gem rather than actually carrying it, I'd wager that they're not strong enough to be able to move around while holding the stone. I also doubt that they'd willingly leave behind their means of defense."
"Right," Weiss said, trying to ignore the odd bubbling of anxiety that was building in her stomach.
"Let's go," Bolt said, turning to dash back the way they came.
"Oh? Are you leaving?" the Sableye called. They laughed. "I guess Team Surge isn't all that it's cracked up to be!"
Samuel growled low, but refused to rise to the Sableye's bait. "Let's just go," Bolt said, spurring the group into running.
"Fools!" Weiss felt her fur raise as a sudden dark blur rushed across the ground under her and the others. The dark blob erupted from the ground in front of the trio, three shadowy orbs shooting out from the mass. The Shadow Balls exploded against the trio. They weren't too powerful, but the shock the suddenness of the attacks caused the group to stagger.
"I told you before, I wouldn't let you escape!" The chilling voice of the Sableye cut through the corridor. Blocking their path yet again, the Sableye stood. Their sharp-toothed grin stretching even wider across their face. "There's no escape!"
"Dammit," Bolt cursed, shaking off his pain. "We really are trapped!"
"Of course," the Sableye goaded. "As long as I'm here, you'll never get to Morpheus!
Weiss shook as she struggled to her feet. Her body ached and moved sluggishly, but her mind raced with a multitude of thoughts and emotion. She was afraid. A deep seeded void of hopelessness steadily grew within her. She would die here. This Sableye, this monster, it was going to kill all of them.
She had always known that joining the Resistance was dangerous, opposing the Emperor couldn't be considered anything else, but never before had Weiss been so close to her own death. All of her training couldn't have prepared her for this moment.
Bolt was saying something, trying to form some sort of plan, but Weiss couldn't hear him. She was too far away. To trapped in the swirl of dark thoughts. Everything was bleeding away, everything but the murderous grin on the Sableye's face. That confident smirk that promised pain and death. Just looking at them, Weiss knew it would be drawn out.
Weiss found her body shaking uncontrollably, her breaths coming out in sharp pants. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to die. She didn't…want…to…
Her heart thudded in her chest. She couldn't breathe. Everything was getting blurry. Everything but the Sableye's sickening expression.
Her instincts were screaming at her to run. To run far away from this place, but she couldn't. She tried to raise her paw, but it was firmly rooted to the ground. Not only that, but they already tried to run. The Sableye had easily caught them, trapping them in this loop. There was no way to get away.
Her legs buckled under her. Bolt and Samuel immediately moved to her aid. They were speaking to her, most likely trying to see if she was okay, but she couldn't hear them. She was going to die. She was going to die in the woods, away from her team. Away from her friends… She was alone.
Zero, Furno, Dusty, Belladonna, Quill, Bogran, Noelle…
Everything they'd been through…it was all going to end here…
No.
She couldn't just give up.
She had joined the Resistance to prove that she was more than her color. More than just a Bloody Absol, but her reason had changed. Team Dawn Breaker had changed that. Zero had changed that. She now wanted to make the world a better place for everyone, to stop the pain the Emperor was causing. Zero was the key, she was sure of it, and she'd be damned if she let herself fall without a fight!
The haze lifted. The world sharpened.
"Weiss?" Bolt asked, eyeing the Absol in concern and wariness.
Weiss didn't respond. She was breathing harshly, her body still trembling. Her heart continued to hammer against her chest. She was terrified, even now, but she couldn't standby any longer.
"Oh, has one of you gone mad in fear?" the Sableye goaded, laughing viciously.
Weiss swallowed thickly. Shakily, she rose onto all fours, ignoring the worried comments of her group. Her claws dug deeply into the dirt; her entire body tensing like a spring. Alarmed, Bolt opened his mouth in warning, but it was too late. Weiss had already burst past both of them.
The Sableye's laugher was cut short, garbled into a gasp of surprise as the Absol was suddenly in front of them. They barely had time to duck behind their shield before the Absol descended upon them.
Weiss wasn't thinking anymore. She was desperate. She had to live. For her team. For the future!
Dark energy arched across her claw as she swung her arm downwards like guillotine, a primal scream tearing from her throat.
The impact echoed across the corridor like an explosion. Weiss' claws pressed sharply against the smooth crystal, but the gem held. The Sableye grinned evilly, even as it struggled to keep the Absol at bay.
"You should know by now that won't wor—"
A loud crack cut through the Sableye's words. Everyone froze. Just under Weiss' middle claw, a small, hairline crack stood brazenly across the once smooth surface.
Bolt and Samuel openly gaped. After all this time. After all the attacks they had thrown at the Sableye's crystal, Weiss had just managed to crack the damn thing.
The Sableye, who had been momentarily frozen in shock, erupted from their stupor with a feral growl. With a harsh shove, they threw the Absol off their gem, sending the Disaster Pokémon crashing to the ground. Spinning their stone around, the Sableye inspected the damage. It wasn't a large crack, but it stood out blaringly obvious to the Sableye.
"H-How?" the Sableye whispered, talking more to themself rather than the rest of the group. They looked towards the Absol, who was beginning to rise to her feet, their jewel eyes burning with hatred.
"She cracked it?" Samuel stated in amazement. "We weren't even able to scratch it!"
"It must have been Super Luck," Bolt realized. "The innate ability that some Absol possess that allows them to strike an opponent's weak point."
"That's a thing?!" Samuel questioned.
Oblivious to the conversations around her, Weiss slowly rose to her feet. Her various wounds burned and her muscles ached. She was panting, her mind a cluttered mess of desperation and determination. Her eyes rose, narrowing in on the crack she had left in astonishment. She had done that?
"You little…" the Sableye growled furiously. They snarled, a scathing insult on the tip of their tongue, only for their words to turn into a startled shriek as Weiss was upon them once more.
"Weiss!" Bolt shouted in alarm and surprise.
The Absol didn't hear her ally's shout over the blood roaring in her ears. She damaged the gem. She couldn't stop. She was so close.
Like a wild beast, she relentlessly attacked the Sableye's crystal shield, using every move at her disposal. Again and again, her attacks bounced off the crystal, but still she refused to stop.
"Back off!" the Sableye shrieked, shoving the Absol back before striking her with a Power Gem.
Weiss cried out, as the beam of energy burned her flesh, the force sending her back several feet. However, she didn't fall. She held her ground, her body shaking slightly. The Sableye, while vicious, lacked any real attack power, especially when compared to the rest of its group. She could weather its attacks.
With another growl, Weiss lunged forward, ignoring the calls from behind her. Once more, dark energy engulfed her claws as she struck the crystal. The Sableye flinched, eyes seeming to shift to the already formed crack in fear. When the crack did not grow, the Sableye turned its attention back to Weiss.
With a snarl, the Sableye swung their crystal, causing Weiss to stumble. Not giving the Absol a moment to recover, the Darkness Pokémon struck her across the face with a Punishment.
Weiss hissed in pain as the attack struck her across her left eye. She stumbled, but refused to fall. She glared at the Sableye with her one good eye, a throaty growl emanating from her.
The Sableye was unnerved; their expression curled into one of hesitance. Their expression then schooled itself into a sneer. "If you want to die so badly then fine!"
With a shout, the Sableye shot a Dark Pulse at the Absol. Weiss ducked out of the way, the rings just cresting over her horn. "Drop dead!" Weiss shouted, lunging forward once more with a Night Slash.
Again, her claws met the unforgiving surface of the Sableye's gem and, once more, the crack remained unchanged. It was disheartening, but she refused to stop.
"Come on!" Weiss screamed, striking the stone once again. "Break!"
"Not a chance!" the Sableye shrieked, striking the Absol with another Power Gem.
Weiss stumbled back, reeling in pain. She turned her body to face the altered Pokémon again, only for a Shadow Ball to explode in her face. She cried out, nearly collapsing.
She could hardly move. Dark spots were beginning to creep into the edges of her vision. She gave a harsh cough. Her breathing was becoming ragged.
"Just die!" a muffled shout rang out, cutting through the fog that was beginning to surround Weiss' mind.
Blearily, Weiss looked up. The Sableye was in front of her, their claws raised to cut Weiss down. She tried to move, but her body didn't respond. It was taking all her strength just to stand.
As the Sableye was about to strike, a bolt of electricity shot through the air, spearing the ground between the two Pokémon. The Sableye stumbled back, nearly tripping over their gem. A moment later, Samuel barreled past Weiss, ramming his body into the Sableye's crystal, forcing the evolved Pokémon to step back from the Abomasnow's sheer weight.
"Weiss! Are you alright?!" Bolt asked, skidding to a halt next to the Absol.
"Bolt?" Weiss asked, her voice slurred.
"Arceus, what were you thinking?!" the Manectric scolded, frantically looking over the injured dark type. "Shit. Samuel! I need a sitrus berry!"
"I won't give you the chance!" the jeweled eyes Pokémon screamed. Deflecting another attack from the Abomasnow, the dark-ghost type shot a Dark Pulse at Bolt and Weiss. Before the attack could reach them, Bolt unleashed a fierce Thunderbolt, catching the attack midair.
"Dammit," Bolt cursed.
Weiss blinked, her eyes slowly swiveling to look at the Sableye. "I have…to…" She took a step forward, only to stumble, nearly falling flat on her face.
"Weiss!" Bolt exclaimed. "Enough! You need to stay back. You've taken too much damage!"
"Can't…" Weiss mumbled, her eyes never leaving the Sableye. "Need to…break…"
"Weiss…" Bolt laid a paw on the Absol's shoulder, but she shrugged it off.
"I need to break it…have too…get to Zero…" Weiss shook her head, struggling to see past the encroaching darkness steadily overcoming her vision. She swallowed thickly, struggling to catch her breath. "This is the only way…my only chance…"
She wasn't talking to Bolt anymore. She hardly even realized that he was there. "I have to risk everything. Have to give it everything…"
She inhaled deeply, forcing her pain to the back of her mind, leaving only a single thought. No, a single desire. To break the Sableye's crystal.
Weiss screamed; a deep primal sound of pure desperation. Before Bolt could stop her, she dashed down the corridor towards the quarreling duo. She raced past Samuel, ducking beneath the ice-grass type's legs, earning a startled gasp from both Pokémon. The last bit of Weiss' energy pooled into her claws for one last attack. One last chance.
With one final push of her battered body, Weiss attacked the Sableye's shield with a Night Slash.
The impact rang out like a gong, plunging the corridor into silence. A moment passed. Then another. Then another. The jewel remained unchanged.
Weiss' heart sank as her body gave out. She collapsed, hardly able to keep her eyes open. She could only blearily stare at the unfazed gemstone.
The Sableye started to laugh, relief flooding through them. They opened their mouth, a biting jeer on their tongue, only for a sharp snap to cut them off.
All eyes moved turned to the large crystal. Another crack had formed along the left most side, nearly twice the size as the previous one. Slowly, the crack widened, stretching out to meet the smaller. A second later, there was an earsplitting crack and a shard, roughly the size of an apple, fell off of the shield.
No one moved. No one spoke. They just stared. Stared at the broken shard.
The Sableye recovered first. "You bitch!" they screeched. They lunged at Weiss, abandoning their crystal in their anger. They were about to tear their claws into the off colored Pokémon when a powerful bolt of electricity struck them in the chest.
The Sableye screamed, electricity arcing across their body. They staggered backwards, tripping over their own crystal. They gasped in pain; their eyes closed and their body still twitching with residual electricity. Opening their eyes, the evolved Pokémon gave a humiliating squeak when they saw Samuel towering over them.
"Nothing to save you now!" the Abomasnow said, a menacing grin on their face.
The Sableye shrieked, diving for their crystal, just barely managing to bring it over their body as Samuel opened his mouth and unleashed a violent Blizzard.
Shards of ice and snow slammed into the crystal, coating the large gem in a thin layer of ice. "It's no use!" the Sableye shrieked. "You still can't touch me!"
"Wasn't aiming for you!" Samuel growled, cutting off his attack. "Your little jewel's lost it's integrity! It's weak! And do you know what happens to weak crystals when they're exposed to extreme cold?"
If possible, the ghost paled. "N—"
"They break!" Samuel shouted, bringing down both of his fists for a twin Wood Hammer.
The crystal shattered in an instant, leaving the dark-ghost type completely defenseless as Samuel's attack slammed into his body. The Sableye gave a single shriek of pain before Samuel buried it into the ground with his attack.
There was a bright flash of red light as Samuel backed away. The glow faded swiftly, revealing the Sableye. Unconscious and reverted back to their original form. The red gem in their chest heavily cracked.
"Serve you right, little punk," Samuel spat.
"Samuel!" the Abomasnow turned towards Bolt, who had crouched down next to an unmoving Weiss.
"Is she alright?" Samuel asked worriedly, hurrying over to the duo.
"She's in a bad way," Bolt said grimly. "She pushed herself too far."
"Can we feed her a berry?" Samuel asked, concern evident in his eyes.
Bolt shook his head. "I doubt she'd have the energy to even swallow. We need to get her out of here."
"Dammit," Samuel cursed. "What do we do?"
Bolt grimaced. He looked around the battle torn corridor, his mind racing. "Okay, we'll do this," he said. "You take Weiss back to the entrance. I'll keep going and help the others with Morpheus."
"Are you sure?" Samuel asked.
"We have no other choice. Weiss needs medical attention and all we've got are berries," Bolt pointed out. "We need to get her out of here."
Samuel frowned, clearly not liking Bolt's plan, but nodded all the same. "Fine. Be careful, Bolt."
Bolt nodded, trying to give the ice-grass type a reassuring grin, but it came out more like a grimace. The larger Pokémon kneeled and scooped up the unconscious dark type. Taking care not to jostle her, he climbed to his feet and started to walk back the way they came.
"Wait," Bolt suddenly said. "Take the Sableye's stone. If they wake up, I'd rather they not be able to transform again."
The Abomasnow nodded, carefully extracting the circular stone from the Darkness Pokémon's slack grip as he passed. He gave the Manectric one final nod before hurrying down the path.
Bolt watched them go, a small smile gracing his features as he looked at Weiss. "You did good, kid," he murmured. His expression then quickly schooled into look of determination. Turning around, he bounded further into the dungeon.
-Resistance-
For a moment, everything was still for Quill.
The wind didn't blow. The ambiance of the woods was all but silent. No one moved. Not even him. He just stood there, his newly sharpened claws still piercing his brother's side, pumping toxins into his large body.
A cold numbness filtered through the Quilladin's body; his gaze firmly locked on his own hand. He had attacked his brother. Why did he do that?
Quill's hand twitched against his will. Sluggishly, Quill raised his head, meeting the cold, emotionless eyes of his brother. The Chesnaught slowly turned to fully face the smaller Pokémon, wrenching Quill's hand from his side in the process.
Quill could only stand there, frozen in place as Crass towered over him. They stared at one another, one with desperation the other with emptiness.
"What are you just standing there for?! Crush him!" the Gothitelle screeched, breaking through the silence that surrounded them.
Crass moved before Quill couldn't even process what the Astral Body Pokémon had said. The Chesnaught raised his arm, fighting-type energy flooding his arm. Without a sound, Crash swung towards the paralyzed Quilladin.
Quill blinked, apathetically watching the attack hurtle towards him. Part of him, a very small and smothered part of him, screamed at him to run, but he didn't listen to it. He didn't want to move…
"M-Move!" A shaky shout rang out. "Please, Quill…Move!"
That voice…
Noelle.
Quill's eyes snapped back into focus. At the last possible second, he dove out of the way of Crass' Hammer Arm. The ground cracked and caved under the powerful fighting-type attack, but Quill was unharmed.
Quill panted. It came back. The reason why he attacked. To protect Noelle. A member of Team Dawn Breaker. A member of his team.
When Crass had been taken, Quill had nowhere to go. The Resistance had taken him in, giving him a place to call home, and giving him a purpose. However, it wasn't until he joined Team Dawn Breaker that he gained what he desperately wanted.
A family.
Quill rose to his full height; his gaze set. Looking at Crass hurt. It hurt knowing that he would have to fight his brother, but…his brother was gone. He wasn't sure if there was some way to bring him back, but Quill wouldn't sacrifice his new family!
"You, useless lump!" the Gothitelle shouted angrily. "Get him! Get him!"
Crass stood, facing his brother, though there was no recognition in the Chesnaught's eyes. Quill met the dead gaze with his determined glare. He refused to back down!
Crass charged forward and Quill ran to meet him. As they ran, dark green energy formed around their arms; forming sharps spikes around Quill's and a stump like extension around Crass'. The two met in the middle and swung their respective attacks at the other.
Needle Arm and Wood Hammer crashed into one another with ferocious intensity. The two stood there, their attacks locked against the other. Quill grit his teeth, his muscles screaming as he fought against his brother's attack, but no matter how much he pushed, he couldn't get any ground on the Chesnaught.
Slowly, Crass pressed down on Quill, threatening to cause the Quilladin's knees to buckle. Knowing he wouldn't win a contest of strength, Quill relented his hold, twisting his body as he allowed the attack scrape against his arm and shoulder before slamming into the ground.
Quill winced, his arm throbbing in pain, but kept moving. He slipped under the Chesnaught's guard and jabbed the larger Pokémon in his side with another Poison Jab. However, unlike before, his attack didn't pierce through the Chesnaught's armored shell.
Crass spun around, swinging his arm to strike the Quilladin, but he was too slow from his repeated Hammer Arms. Quill was able to quickly duck under the attack and backpedal, putting a couple feet of space between the two combatants.
Crass, wrenching his fist from the ruined earth under him, rushed forward, swiping his bare hands towards the smaller Pokémon. Quill quickly sidestepped, striking the Chesnaught across his armored back as he barreled past. The Chesnaught gave no indication that it felt Quill's attack, and quickly turned around and smashed his fist into the Quilladin.
Quill grit his teeth as the strong blow crashed into his side, barely biting down his cry of pain. His bones trembled under the blow, threatening to shatter under the Spiny Armor Pokémon's fist. The Chesnaught's attack hadn't even been an actual move, but it still hurt!
Stumbling backwards, Quill quickly brought his arms, summoning a small Spiky Shield to protect himself from another crushing blow. The Chesnaught's fist smashed into the shield, sending a jarring jolt through Quill's arm as he struggled to maintain his shield. The Chesnaught seemed to pay no heed to the sharp thorns that pierced his hand and simply smashed his other fist into the shield when it didn't break.
The smaller Spiny Armor Pokémon winced as yet another heavy blow smashed into his shield. Each blow sent violent tremors through the Quilladin's body as he continued to maintain his shield. His knees shook, threatening to buckle after every strike. Cracks began forming in his shield, threatening to break should the Chesnaught continue his barrage.
Unfortunately for Quill, Crass did in fact continue his barrage. With one final blow, the Chesnaught smashed through the smaller Pokémon's shield, causing Quilladin to fall back onto the ground. Now defenseless, Quill watched with wide eyes as his brother raised his bloody fist, bright energy encompassing his arm as he prepared to crush the Quilladin into the ground.
"L-Leave him a-alone!" a shrill voice shouted. Not a second later, a small glowing ball of ice exploded against the Chesnaught's back, leaving a thin coat of frost across the Pokémon's shell.
Apparently startled, Crass lost focus on his attack and stumbled. He then turned towards Noelle, who, once again, appeared to have been petrified by fear at the Chesnaught's gaze. Now, with a new target in sight, Crass began to lumber towards the Snorunt, his arm raised. Before he could reach the ice-type, however, Quill rolled to his feet and shot out two vines towards the larger Pokémon, wrapping around his arm before he could strike the Snorunt.
Gritting his teeth, Quill struggled just to keep the Chesnaught from crushing the Snorunt. "Move!" Quill shouted through clenched teeth.
Quill's voice seemed to snap the small ice-type out of her stupor, but, instead of running, she stood her ground. Eyes screwed up in determination, the Snorunt inhaled sharply before expelling a large cloud of frigid wind at the Chesnaught. Unable to move, Crass took the full force of Noelle's Frost Breath. His expression never changed, but he did raise his arm in front of his face in an attempt to fend off the attack.
Quill watched on, astonished by Noelle's boldness. He quickly came to his senses as Crass tugged against his vines. Redoubling his efforts, Quill pulled viciously against the Chesnaught's arm. The larger Pokémon teetered on its feet, but remained upright.
Quill resisted the urge to curse. Noelle's attack was slowly using power, the Snorunt being unable to keep up her attack, and the second the Snorunt faltered, Quill knew that Crass would be able to break free and demolish the Snorunt. He just needed to pull it off his feet…
Crass' body suddenly tensed; jerking as if in sudden pain. Quill was confused by this until he saw the mark he had left with his Poison Jab pulse along the unprotected portion of Crass' back. Dark purple lines seemed to be painfully extending along the Chesnaught's back; glowing an ominous violet. Poison.
Eyes wide, realizing that this was his chance, Quill pulled for all he was worth, practically throwing his body back onto the ground to combat the Chesnaught's weight. Pressed by attacks from both sides, Crass lost his footing and crashed to the ground.
For several moments, a steady calm seemed to pass across the room as the behemoth fell. In those seconds, no one spoke, not even the Gothitelle. It wasn't until the Chesnaught twitched on the ground that Quill was spurred into moving. Without hesitation, Quill shot several more vines at the prone Pokémon, trapping its limbs against its body. He knew that it wouldn't keep the Chesnaught bound, but it would but him and Noelle time. The Snorunt collapsed to the ground, panting with exertion and Quill had to fight not to follow her example. The battle was far from over.
"You useless lump!" the Gothitelle screeched angrily at the Chesnaught. "Get up and—!"
"I suggest you call him off," Jasmine's cold, cutting voice interrupted. Before the Gothitelle could react, the Liepard knocked the Gothitelle to the ground, a claw coated in dark energy pressed against her throat.
"Wh-What?! B-But how…?" the Gothitelle spluttered, only to fall silent as the claws pressed harder against her neck, drawing a thin line of red.
"Call him off," Jasmine repeated, her voice eerily calm. "Now."
The Gothitelle swallowed thickly. "Crass…Rest," the Gothitelle grunted reluctantly.
All at once, Crass, who had been making moves to free himself, went completely lax. His eyes fluttered closed and he appeared to fall asleep.
"Good choice," Jasmine said.
"J-Jasmine?" Quill gaped.
The Liepard spared the Quilladin a short glance before returning her attention to the Gothitelle. "Apologies for deceiving you. I needed to make sure that this one's attention was fully on your battle before I intervened," she explained, pressing harder than needed against the psychic-type's back.
"You willingly put children in danger for the chance to defeat me?" the Gothitelle asked incredulously. "I guess the Resistance isn't as noble as they make themselves out to be!"
"Quiet, you!" Jasmine snarled, pressing her claws further against the Gothitelle's throat.
"They were also not in any true danger," Mystic's calm voice rang out. The Meowstic, looking little worse for wear, walked over to the other psychic-type. "We were both observing the entire time, ready to intervene should the need arrive." She glanced at Quill, her stoic gaze boring into the Quilladin. "Quill. You preformed adequately. I had my doubts that you would fight back, even at the risk of your teammate. I am glad to have been proven incorrect."
Quill could only nod dumbly, his mind reeling.
Mystic turned back to the Gothitelle, ignoring the glare the Astral Body Pokémon sent at her. The Meowstic approached the trapped Pokémon, crouching down to her level. Her two long ears suddenly unraveled, revealing the eye-like organs hidden there. The 'eyes' flashed as what appeared to be pink bubbles slowly formed out of them and slowly began floating towards the Gothitelle.
The Astral Pokémon saw the bubbles and began struggled frantically to avoid them, but Jasmine didn't let up. The bubbles burst against the psychic-types face, causing her to flinch. A moment later, the Gothitelle's blue eyes became slightly dazed and unfocused. A second later, she went limp; soft snores coming from her unmoving form.
"There," Mystic said. "We can rest easy for now. She will be asleep for some time."
"Wait, no!" Quill exclaimed. "Crass is still being controlled! She has to free him!"
Mystic just shook her head. "Morpheus was the one who forced his will upon Crass'. It is unlikely a psychic-type of her caliber would be able to break his hold on your brother."
"So, we're just going to leave him like this?!" Quill demanded.
"No. We will take him with us," Mystic said, observing the slumbering Chesnaught. "I will take him with me to the beginning of the dungeon."
"Y-You're leaving?" Noelle asked hesitantly.
"I sustained quite a few injuries while defending you," Mystic replied bluntly. There wasn't any malice or accusation, but Noelle did flinch at the Constraint Pokémon's words. "That, coupled with the fact that I will be forced to use Psychic in order to carry Crass, means that I would be essentially useless in combat."
"But, he's poisoned," Quill said, glancing fretfully at his brother.
"The poison is artificial, created through the manipulation of your own grass-type energy rather than the natural toxins that most poison-types possess. It will fade shortly without causing severe detriment to his current health," Mystic explained. "If that is all, it would be best if we part ways now. Zero is still our prime directive. The longer we stay here and talk, the further away he gets."
Quill wanted to argue; concern for his brother flooding his mind. However, at the same time, the gnawing guilt in his chest over forgetting his friend intensified. Clenching his fists tightly, Quill sighed. At the moment, Crass was safe. They needed to rescue Zero.
"Okay," Quill relented.
Mystic nodded before turning to Jasmine. "Move out as quickly as you can. I am unsure how far ahead Zero is, so you must make haste."
The Liepard gave a singly nod. "Right." She turned to Quill and Noelle. "Let's go."
Without another word, the three Pokémon dashed forward, racing down the corridor across from them, leaving Mystic alone with her two unconscious charges. Quill desperately tried to ignore the conflicted pain that was lancing through his chest. He knew it was for the best that they press on, but after just finding his brother, especially in his condition…
A cold weight brushed against Quill's leg, nearly causing the Quilladin to jump in fright. Glancing down, Quill saw Noelle was running closely by his side. She glanced up at him, not saying anything, but she didn't have to. Quill understood. She would stand by him. All of Team Dawn Breaker would, and that was enough for him.
-Resistance-
Furno felt immense trepidation when he saw the Xatu from standing patiently in the room ahead of him.
It was a bad match up, type match-up aside. From what he remembered, the Xatu, or Coatl if he recalled correctly, seemed to anticipate Team Surge's moves before they even made them. Furno wasn't sure if this was some kind of ability or if the rumors about the Mystic Pokémon actually being able to see the future were true, but it made Furno severely his chances of winning a one-on-one.
The fire-fighting-type momentarily debated turning back the way he came and try and find an alternative route, but he quickly squashed that. He didn't have the time. He just needed to rush through as fast as he could. He could see the room's branching corridor from where he was. He just needed to get close enough so he could use Dig and rush towards the exit…
However, that plan went out the window the moment Furno stepped into the room and the Xatu whirled around to face him.
Furno's heart skipped a beat. Eyes blown wide, Furno made to dive into the ground, his mind frantically coming up with an escape route, only for his body to suddenly jerk out of his control.
"Dammit!" Furno cursed. He frantically tried to break himself out of the Xatu's psychic hold, desperately willing his body to move, but he couldn't so much as twitch.
"I do not wish to fight," the Xatu said as she stared at the Monferno's struggling form. Furno glared at the Mystic Pokémon, flames licking at the inside of his mouth, begging to be unleashed upon the psychic-flying type.
"Like I'd believe that!" Furno snarled.
The Xatu regarded him before giving a short sigh. A moment later, the psychic grip around Furno faded, causing him to stumble forward. "I told you, I do not wish to fight. I simply wish to talk." Coatl said once more.
Regaining his balance, Furno regarded the Xatu angrily. "I don't have time to talk!"
"This will not take long," Coatl insisted. "I have seen many futures in my life. A near countless possible endings and outcomes derived from multiple actions of various Pokémon. It is the curse of my species."
"I frankly don't care," Furno growled in annoyance. He kept eyeing the opposite corridor. He needed to get to Zero as soon as possible.
"That is fine. Many don't care for the plight of my species. Regardless, you must hear what I have to say," Coatl said. "I promise, nothing will be lost should you listen to me. In fact, this path leads to the best outcome."
"Why should I believe you?" Furno demanded. "You work for Morpheus. You helped kidnap Zero!"
Coatl said nothing. Furno growled angrily, prepared to make a run for the room's exit. Just as he was about to move, Coatl shifted. Opening her wings, revealing a startlingly familiar badge. The stone in the center a bright blue.
"A Resistance Badge!" Furno gasped, all his anger fleeing his system. "But…why…"
"As I said, I have seen many possible futures. The path I walk is the one that I believe leads to the best possible outcome," Coatl explained, covering her badge once more. "I know that this does not excuse what I have done, but believe everything I have done has been for the betterment of Lyore. It is this path that has allowed me to speak to you at this very moment."
"What's so important that you have to speak to me now?" Furno asked. "Why do all of this? Why kidnap Zero?!"
"Because the alternatives were less than favorable," Coatl answered. "This way, the potential costs were minimal."
"Minimal? Zero is in the hands of a mind-controlling psychopath!" Furno exclaimed, anger returning. "How is this the best possible outcome?!"
The Xatu regarded the Monferno. "One of the possible outcomes was Aster personally hunting Zero down, killing several of your teammates in the process. The others were even less kind than that."
Furno swallowed thickly, his tail flame lowering to a dull roar. "Okay, but couldn't you have prevented this? I mean, if you can see the future…"
"It doesn't work like that," Coatl said with a shake of her head. "Every action has consequences. Preventing one event leads to another that would have never transpired to come to fruition. Attempting to prevent every negative event has led many Xatu into insanity. The best we can do is follow the path with the best chance of a positive outcome."
"And this path gives you the best chance?" Furno asked.
"It gives everyone the best chance," Coatl said. "I have seen it. This path, cloaked in hopeless suffering, the only light at the end of it all is the Silver Soul. In all the possible outcomes I have seen, the Silver Soul rests in the center of the coming battle. Whether or not he will end the Emperor's reign is yet to be seen, but he will be instrumental in the climax of the war. As will you."
"Me?" Furno asked.
"Yes," Coatl responded. "Zero will face many trials in the coming days, many of which he won't be able to handle by himself. He will need you, and only you, to stand by him no matter what danger you may face."
"You don't need to tell me that. I'll stick by Zero no matter what!" Furno exclaimed passionately.
"That is good mentality, but will you be able to maintain those beliefs in the face of death?"
Furno felt a cold chill run down his spine. That wasn't a hypothetical question.
Coatl turned towards the corridor behind her. "Enough time has passed. You must hurry or else Zero will be lost forever."
"Enough time?" Furno questioned, struggling to shake off the persisting chill. "You were…stalling?"
"Yes. As I said, this was the best path I have foreseen. Had you gone earlier…things would be far more difficult for you," Coatl said. She looked Furno right in the eye. "What you will face in the next room, you will face it alone. You have no hope of beating Morpheus, you can only stall long enough for back-up to arrive. If you cannot stall Morpheus long enough, he will take Zero and the Silver Soul will be lost forever."
Coatl turned her back on Furno. "I wish you luck."
"Wait!" Furno exclaimed. He took a step forward, hand outstretched as if to grab onto the Xatu. However, in a brief flash of light. Coatl disappeared.
Furno lowered his hand, eyes still fixed on the spot Coatl had just stood. He felt lost, the Xatu's ominous words weigh heavy on his mind. He felt cold; a deep chill that he couldn't disperse. His tail flame spluttered as if the cold were affecting it.
With shuddering breath, Furno forced his mind to focus. There was no time to question the cryptic meaning behind the Xatu's parting words. He had to rescue Zero. That was all that mattered.
Not sparing another moment, Furno ran towards the corridor. "Hang on Zero," he whispered to himself. "I'm coming."