Pokemon: Crimson Fury

by TheNMan64

When the moon glows with a shade of sinister crimson, both humans and Pokémon become aggressive and violent towards one another. As a group of villains plots to harness the power of the moon for their own purposes, a group of aspiring Pokémon Trainers must battle the forces of evil, their own emotions and the very moon itself to save the world

74. Chapter 73: The Beach Head

In the darkness of the Observation Deck of the Syndicate Base, Elezar and Cassius watched as the clouds Hunter had created dissipated and evaporated. The two had once been very confident in their ability to win out this day. But when Hunter and his army of Legendary Pokémon had fallen, their confidence died with him. The Grand Master, who had been observing alongside them in silence, decided to speak on the matter.

Hunter is no more.

"He played with his food when he should have eaten it" Elezar groaned. "A fitting end for a fool like him."

"If Legendary Pokémon aren't enough to stop them, what is?" Cassius asked nervously.

Victory has not eluded you yet, Cassius. You must hold true to what you know and never look back from how far you have come. The Crimson Fury will rule over the battlefield tonight. Even the Kingstons can do little to prevent this. Their great Champion is bound to it's power, after all.

"If he had died" Elezar bemoaned, "we would be in a much better place."

"Well, we haven't lost out on those regards, just yet" Cassius insisted.

"You really think someone here is capable of getting rid of the Champion? Even with Hunter gone?"

Cassius laughed. "It's not a matter of defeating him, but of outwitting him. You see, I have an ace up my sleeve when it comes to dealing with their precious hero, Michael Kingston. His own gift."

You believe you can use the Crimson Fury's power against him?

"Naturally, Grand Master" Cassius assured him. "Once Michael falls, the rest of their little gang of pests will be like swatting flies."

"Then we shall leave it to you" Elezar told the scientist. "If your plan for exploiting Michael works, we cannot possibly lose."

"Then the onus is on me to achieve my goals" Cassius grinned, before departing for his own chambers.

The fool is going to get himself killed. The Crimson Fury is no switch you can turn on and off at your leisure.

Elezar shrugged. "Then let them destroy each other. It's no sweat off my back if Cassius fails."

{Meanwhile}

After another quick flight from their battle sight with Hunter, Ryan, Michael and the others landed on a small beach where Giselle pointed them towards as the primary entrance to the Syndicate Base on Mt. Heatmor. As they landed, Ryan looked up in awe at the volcano and it's immeasurable power pulsating from it. The molten lava that constantly oozed from the top of the Heatmor shaped mouth of the Volcano no doubt made this place stick out like a sore thumb, and made the boy wonder why here of all places would the Syndicate want to build their base of operations.

After they had all landed and situated themselves, the ArcResistance team was going over their footage from the previous battle and was fascinated by what they had captured, including the clashes with Kyogre and Groudon. Tommy assisted them in deciding which shots would be the best for them to present as they released the videos online for their next slew of News Stories.

"Are you really insisting on using that shot of Hunter falling into the ocean?" Amber asked, almost repulsed by the idea.

"How else can we prove that the crazy guy with all those Legendary Pokémon was taken down?" Dylan argued.

"We could try interviewing the people actually involved in the battling?"

"What fun is that?"

"It's honest and safe journalism!"

"Hey!" Cameron snapped. "Let's keep the arguing about videos until after we've taken down the Syndicate, okay?"

"Yes ma'am" Dylan saluted.

Cameron looked out onto the open water, but saw no sign of the approaching boats from Pocus Town containing the rest of the family. "I don't like this. You would have thought that Hunter was the best line of defense they had."

Michael looked to her. "Then contact your Dad and find out what's going on. I'm going to call Uncle Byron and find out what's going on on his end."

"It is odd that we haven't heard anything from them, yet" Mark said ominously.

Ryan turned his attention back towards the Syndicate Base itself. He didn't know why, but he could feel that Addison was here. Being held somewhere by the bad guys. Or more specifically, Matthew. I promise you, Addy. I'll find some way to fix whatever it is they did to you. And if Matt get's in my way, I'll...I'll...

"She must really mean something to you if she's got you this worked up" Giselle said as she approached Ryan.

"Who says I'm worked up?" Ryan demanded.

Giselle rolled her eyes. "You Kingstons wear your emotions on your sleeves. It's not hard to point out the obvious." She paused for a moment. "Take advice from a woman, kid. If you find someone you're willing to battle armies and fight ferocious monsters for, she had better be the one. You don't want to run off acting like a fool for someone who isn't the one you want."

"I know she is" Ryan insisted. "She's my best friend and I'll rip through anyone that tries to keep me and her apart!"

Giselle nodded. "Good. You're gonna need all the confidence you can if Hunter was just their opening act."

"Hey!" Chris called to the group. "How about we start working on getting that door open and less about chatting?"

"The door is magnetically sealed" Giselle warned him. "You're going to need an EMP Device if you're going to storm that base, or some explosives."

"Fortunately" Ryan insisted. "We have those guys right here." He gestured towards the ArcResistance team.

"Those kids know anything about EMPs?" she questioned.

"Hey!" Dylan snapped. "I'll have you know we've broken into Syndicate Bases before."

"All one of them?" Amber cautioned her friend. "This is no time to be overly confident."

Giselle looked around for something. "Something's not right. There's an alarm system in place for any unwanted vessel landing on the shores here. But why hasn't it gone off and triggered the arrival of their goon squad?"

Ryan joined her in looking around. "Where would they be coming from?"

"Keep your eyes peeled, kid" she insisted. "Then you'll find them."

"Bad news, guys" Cameron warned the team. "The Gym Leaders are under attack on the water by a bunch of Gyarados."

Ryan smacked himself. "I forgot about that!" He remembered all too well when Addison and he were sailing towards the Northern Outpost with Ralph and were beset upon by the Gyarados. "They're going to be cooked to a crisp out there without support."

"It gets worse" Michael told them as he ended his call on his Pokémon Gear. "Uncle Byron has been trapped by some security system on the land bridge here. There's no way into the Syndicate Fortress until we shut down the security systems."

"What does that mean?" Ryan asked.

"It means we're on our own until something happens on either front" Lizzie told him.

"We need to get into that base" Michael looked up towards the Syndicate Base and then down towards the ArcResistance Team. "You kids are on. Work your magic and get us into that base."

Corey saluted him. "Leave it to us." Corey led the procession towards the top of the tall staircase with Amber, Dylan and Tommy walking up behind him.

Michael looked down towards Giselle. "Go with them and keep an eye out for them."

"Now I'm babysitting?" she groaned. "That is no way to keep your end of the-"

A blaring alarm sounds off, as if someone had just triggered it. While the rest of the Elite Four and Ryan searched for what could have possibly triggered the alarms, Michael looked back at his former foe. "Unless you're keen to battle some more, go back up there and protect them from whatever's about to come." Giselle sighed and raced up the steps. Michael then called the Elite Four and Ryan together. "Alright. This is it. We're going to have to hold this beach head until the others arrive to back us up. There can be no room for mistakes here. If they get to those ArcResistance Kids, this whole operation is lost."

"We're ready" Chris assured his cousin.

"Alright" Michael said. "Chris, Mark and Lizzie. You three get the left side of the beach. Ryan, Cameron and I have the right side."

Chris called out his Garchomp named Omega, Mark called out his Goodra and Lizzie called out Jazz the Umbreon and then took off to the other side. Cameron called out her Venusaur, called Trops. Michael sent out his Blastoise and Ryan called out his Pyroar, Simba. The six braced for the impact of their opponents and soon found a wave of Houndours, Arboks, Weezings, Mightyenas and Skuntanks coming their way.

"Let's do this!" Michael snarled.

"YEAH!" Ryan proclaimed, before the tide of the battle began to surge on them.

The battle struck harder than Ryan had anticipated. While Cameron and Michael had no problem blasting away the endless seas of Pokémon, Simba was a little less refined in his attacks and thus needed to work harder with countless Hyper Voices and Heat Waves to wear the enemies down while the Blastoise or Venusaur would level the opponents. When given a chance to, he took a glance over to where Mark, Lizzie and Chris were. The three seemed so refined in their battling and techniques that the Syndicate Peons and their hordes of Pokémon didn't stand a chance.

Cameron put a hand on her cousin's shoulder. "It's not over yet, Ry, Keep fighting."

Ryan nodded. "Right!"

The Syndicate Goons seemed to be using the age old strategy of simply slamming into the defenders with wave after wave of Pokémon and battle the enemy into submission. Even Michael had to admit it was a clever strategy. "I have to admit. We can't keep doing this forever."

"Whoever is coordinating this attack knows how to break morale, that's for sure" Cameron remarked as her Venusaur launched a massive Solarbeam at the opponents, completely devastating a chunk of them, before a Houndour sent a flamethrower her way, prompting Michael's Blastoise to step up and launch huge torrents of Hydro Pump his opponent's way. This managed to clear a huge line of Syndicate Peons and their Pokémon, but the numbers seemed to keep filing in endlessly.

"HEY! YOU GUYS!" a voice called from out of nowhere. The trio looked around for the source and found a Lapras and a Swampert beginning to ferry reinforcements over. On the Lapras were Billy and Daniel, who immediately leaped into action by sending the Lapras forward with a Surf attack that smashed the attacking Syndicate Pokémon into the wall of the Volcanic Base. Billy's Empoleon emerged from the ocean and launched a Flash Cannon at the other Pokémon to cover the Lapras. Renee and her Swampert used Hammer Arms left and right to pummel incoming Houndours and Skuntanks.

"Don't tell me you started without us" Billy asked.

"Billy!" Ryan cheered.

"Your late to the party as usual" Cameron remarked.

"Can't help it if we're the only ones who were prepared for something like this" Daniel shrugged. He recalled his Lapras and sent out his Weavile who moved like a bullet and slashed through Pokémon left and right.

"The rest will be coming in" Renee called over to Michael. "But we need to make sure we can force them and keep them at bay."

Ryan looked at the molten build up near the top of the rockface they were battling and grinned. "I've got an idea!"

"I'm all ears" Michael said.

Ryan called over to his cousins. "Billy! Danny! Renee! Move over to the other side and help Chris and the others!"

Cameron was shocked by this plan. "We just got bailed out by them!"

"Trust me! I know what I'm doing!"

Renee, Billy and Daniel shrugged and led their Pokémon over to assist Chris and the others. Michael's Blastoise was slightly drained by the battling, but seemed ready to go. "I hope you have a better plan than this!" Michael insisted.

"Call out Mufasa!" Ryan insisted.

Michael recalled his Blastoise and sent out his Arcanine. "Okay, now what?"

Ryan pointed towards that molten mass appearing above them from the volcano. "We make that thing melt away!"

"That's your plan?' Cameron cried out.

"It's ingenious!" Michael realized. "Mufasa! Use Roar!"

"Simba!" Ryan called to his Pyroar. "Use Hyper Voice!"

Both the Arcanine and Pyroar let out tremendous roars that caused the rocks protecting the beach head from accumulating lava to collapse. Like water bursting from a geyser, the Lava shot out of the hole and created a wall of magma that none of the Syndicate Goons dared to pass through. And if any proved bold enough, they would get swallowed up by the seas or attacked by the rapidly incoming Gym Leaders. Michael and Ryan sent their Pokémon forward one last time with a combine Heat Wave from the two of them to send the remnants of their side's Syndicate Goons packing.

Cameron was in awe. "Color me impressed. I didn't think that would work."

Ryan high-fived his cousin. "We did it, Mike!"

"That was all you, Ryan" Michael insisted. "Good work!"

More and more Kingstons poured out onto the battlefield. Greg and Tori arrived while flying on Greg's Flygon and the two pursued a battle with the Flygon and Tori's Vileplume. Jeice and Shannon arrived while flying underneath Shannon's Drifblims and landed to offer support to the others. Sailor Ralph sailed Jon, Annie and Jenna onto the beach and helped Jon carry Jenna's healing machine onto the beach head, while Michael helped Annie and Jenna out of the boat, before they could start building up their base of operations.

"MIKE!" Giselle called down to Michael and Ryan. The two looked around and saw that the gates were opening. "We're in!"

Michael nodded. "Go on ahead." He turned to Cameron. "Head on in." Cameron nodded and sprinted up the steps after Giselle, the ArcResistance Team and Tommy. Michael turned towards Mark, Lizzie and Chris, but was surprised to see them looking drained already. "Guys?"

Chris heaved a bit. "Forgot how this much battling drains you."

Mark was leaning heavily on the rockface. "Gimme a second. I'll be fine."

Lizzie was grabbing at her knee. "We'll be fine, Mike."

Michael looked down, prompting Ryan to eye his cousin worriedly. He turned back towards the three Elite Four heroes he had idolized and saw exactly what they were when they had reunited after the Syndicate Compound. They were far from fighting shape. Battered and fatigued by weeks of malnourishment and injuries, they couldn't really be counted on to be the heroes they were all expected to be. Ryan put his hand to his heart. Addy, you gotta give me a bit of time. "Don't worry, guys. I'll stomp out those Syndicate Admins by myself."

"What?" Chris replied.

Michael looked down at him. "Come on, Ryan."

"I'm serious" Ryan insisted. "They need to get some rest. And so do you. I can fight them."

"Absolutely not" Mark snapped. "We're the Elite Four. We battle until we can't anymore." He struggled his way up the steps towards where Cameron and the others had gone inside.

"Yeah, Ryan" Chris said. "It's not that we don't want to rest. Believe me, that's what I'm best at. But when it's hero time, we've got to hero it out."

Michael nodded. "Then let's go. We can worry about who does what later." Michael and Chris made their way up the steps, but Lizzie remained behind. Ryan came over to her side.

"I'm fine, Ryan" she said.

"You need to take a rest" Ryan told her. He put her arm around him and helped her get to a step to sit down on. "Here, now you can rest and recover before you go back in and kick some bad guy butt."

"Ryan, you don't understand-"

"Lizzie, I've lost too many people on this journey, already" Ryan snapped. "You're staying here until you're healthy and that's-"

"Hey, brat!" a woman's voice called to Ryan. He turned and saw a boat ferry Lily, Lena and Archer towards the Beach Head. The Three Syndicate Admins leaped out of the boat and grinned at the sight of Ryan. "Well look at you. Haven't you become quite the hero in your time here."

Ryan turned and walked away from them.

Lily was aghast. "Hey! We were talking to you!"

Ryan looked back. "Oh, I'm sorry. I mistook you guys as threats."

"WHY YOU LITTLE-"

"Enough" Archer snapped as he stepped in front of the two. "Aren't you pleased to see me, boy?"

"Do I know you?" Ryan asked.

"How could you not?" Archer remarked bitterly. "Or did I hit you so hard that you forgot?"

Hit me so hard? Then that means...Ryan finally decided to pay attention to at least him. "You. You're the one who attacked me at the Faire."

"The name's Archer" he demanded to be called. "And I'm afraid you and your friends have gotten far enough. It's time we put an end to you."

Ryan pointed back towards the doors of the Syndicate Base. "I hate to burst your bubble, Archie, but we've already gotten in. Elezar doesn't have long to be left in power. And I really don't have time to waste on small fry like yourselves." He turned to leave and follow his cousins inside.

"Don't you remember we kidnapped you?" Lena insisted.

Ryan laughed at that. "I'd love to see you try it, now."

Archer laughed. "Confidence. Arrogance. I like that in an enemy. It's a shame that you and I cannot be allies, Ryan. But, rules are rules and you have been a thorn in our side for long enough." Archer called out his Houndoom. who barked angrily at Ryan. "And you won't be getting into that base anytime soon."

"And you're gonna stop me?" Ryan called back, waving him off.

Archer snickered. "I like how he fancies himself a hero, yet he's failed everyone he's been trying to save."

This caused Ryan to pause. The tingling feeling in his heart came back. "What did you just say?"

"I mean" Archer continued, "it's bad enough that you failed to protect that little Queensbury girl from being abducted and branded. Even you had to be bailed out by her own little brother."

Ryan turned to face them, his face contorting in anger.

"And what was that girl's name we kidnapped from the Faire?" Archer mocked. "Madison? Or Alison?"

"Addison" Ryan growled.

"That's the one" he snickered. "Oh, how she screamed your name when we took her. Help me, Ryan! Please save me!"

Lizzie looked up towards Ryan in fear. "Ryan?"

Ryan clenched his fists and he could feel his vision being blinded by something going on in his body.

Archer saw this and made cooing noises at the boy. "Aw, did I upset the little boy? Does he want to fight me?"

Simba raced up the steps to check on his trainer and sniffed his feet, before sneezing and feeling the same burning sensation inside of him. The Pyroar growled menacingly at the Houndoom.

"Fight you?" Ryan repeated softly. "No. I don't want to fight you." He sprinted down the steps to confront Archer and the twins himself. "I'M GOING TO BREAK YOU IN HALF!" Ryan's eyes burned with immeasurable fury. All transient thoughts and hopes he had vanished. Now, all he wanted to do was destroy these three for harming the people he cared about.

"RYAN!" Lizzie cried out. She turned over towards the Gym Leader of Terra Town. "Greg! We need a roof! NOW!"

Greg, who had been helping the others throttle the Syndicate Goons, nodded and had his Flygon shoot a Dragon Pulse at one of the adjacent parts of the volcano, which fell in place over Ryan's head and allowed him to recover his thoughts.

"Wha-? What happened?" Ryan said as he held his head.

Lizzie came to his side and heaved a sigh of relief, before turning towards the three Syndicate Admins. "How dare you treat this Crimson Fury like it's a game?"

Archer folded his arms and laughed. "How can I not? When it's so easy to get under the boy's skin?"

"You'll pay for this!" Lizzie said, calling out her Umbreon and marching to take on the three by herself. Ryan, who could see Lizzie was preparing to battle them, left his Pyroar on the steps and sent out Sparks to join in on the battle.

Lily and Lena sent out their Arboks to join Archer's Houndoom. Lily laughed. "3 against 2 is odds I can live with."

Ryan shrugged. "Never underestimate the odds. I thought you two goons would have learned that by now." A shadow flew over his head. Ryan looked up into the skies. Is that an Altaria? And from the Altaria dropped someone he hadn't seen in person in quite some time. Someone he was overjoyed to see was ready to join in on the fight. "Julia!"

Julia glared at the three Syndicate Peons and sent out her Sylveon, Bella into the battle. "Don't tell me I missed the opening act?"

Lizzie smiled. "I'm glad you could make it at all, Julia."

Archer growled. "Bring on all the help you want! Houndoom! Use Flamethrower!" The demonic dog Pokémon sent a raging torrent of fire directly at Lizzie's Umbreon, but Julia was on the move.

"Bella! Use Moonblast!" The Sylveon, like Galatea had before, sent a powerful energy blast into the Houndoom, striking him fiercely in the head and almost cancelling out the Fire Attack.

Lily moved to defend the Houndoom. "Arbok! Use Sludge Bomb!" The Arbok loomed over the Sylveon, eager to dispense an immense ball of toxic sludge on the Sylveon, but Ryan jumped to Julia's defense.

"Sparks! Use Thunderbolt!" The Jolteon unleashed a volley of Lightning down on the Arbok, striking it in the head and causing the poisonous Pokémon to collapse to the ground, fainted.

Lena moved in for the attack on Sparks. "Arbok! Use Wrap!" But before the Arbok could strike, Lizzie moved first.

"Jazz! Use Dark Pulse!" The Umbreon sent an immense torrent of dark energy at the Arbok, causing it to fall back towards her trainer.

Archer was livid. "Houndoom! Use Fire Blast!" The Houndoom sent a Fire Blast directly at Julia's Sylveon, but Sparks leaped in front of the blast to block the blow for his Mother. Sparks took the immeasurably powerful Fire Blast and collapsed. The Sylveon rushed towards her child and licked it tenderly, but Sparks fight here was finished.

Julia glared at Archer. "You'll pay for that."

"How so, Professor?" he asked mockingly.

"SIMBA!" Ryan called to his Pyroar. "Use Hyper Voice and send these clowns packing!" Simba leaped in front of the Umbreon and Sylveon and let out a tremendous, earth shaking roar that not only wiped out the remnants of the Houndooms health, but also launched Lily, Lena into the skies far, while sending Archer skipping across the water like a stone.

"NO!" Archer cried as he hit each stop before crashing into a rock in the sea.

"We did it!" Julia cheered.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Ryan flung himself into Julia. "You're here! You're really here."

Julia smiled and hugged the boy back. "Of course I'm here, Ryan. And I'm glad you're safe."

Ryan let her go and looked up at her excitedly. "You came to see Mike!" He took her hand and tried to lead her up the steps. "Come on, he just went inside." But before the two could make it far, Lizzie collapsed onto her knees.

"Lizzie!" Julia cried, rushing over to her side. "Are you okay?"

Lizzie was breathing heavily. "I don't know."

Julia felt the woman's forehead and sighed. "You have a fever. You're done, here."

"I can't" she insisted. "I have to help."

Ryan shook his head. "You've fought enough, Lizzie. You helped us take down four Syndicate Admins. Leave the rest to us."

"But-"

"Ryan's right" Julia insisted. "We need to keep you healthy." She looked towards Ryan as she put Lizzie over her shoulder. "Can I count on you to help out the others?"

Ryan nodded. "You know it!"

Julia smiled. "Okay, Ry. Please be careful." As Julia brought Lizzie over towards Jenna and Annie's quickly assembling Rest and Recovery section, Ryan hurried over towards Sparks. Julia's Sylveon was tenderly licking her child, who had taken quite a hit for her. Ryan took a Hyper Potion out of his bag and offered it to Sparks, who drank it and recovered to full strength. The Jolteon quickly nuzzled his mother before running to Ryan and Simba's side.

"You sure you're going to be okay?" Ryan asked his trusted Jolteon. Sparks barked happily up to him. "Okay then." He recalled Simba and Sparks into their Poké Balls and hurried up the steps towards the next phase of their battle.