ACT III: Stranded
Today was the day, everyone had already made their preparations for what had to come next. Cody, Terry and Vera told their parents about their summer plans, they passed it off as a trip around the East Coast. Quinn also told his family he was going to be exploring to find out what he wanted to do with his life, even scoping out potential colleges. None of them dared mention they were going to be traveling across dimensions to save the worlds from the cold darkness that was Kyurem.
Deep down Keldeo felt guilty, these humans, these friends, had dropped everything just to help him, they knew what was at stake, and they also knew what was at risk. That failed to sway them from running though, and the next step of the plan was straight forward enough, get to Paradise, and join up with the other pokemon who could fight against Kyurem.
Keldeo walked around the outside of Quinn's house, watching the others go about in groups doing what they needed to do to get ready for travel. Cody, Quinn, Genesect, and Absol were huddled over everyones...what did they call them...cell phones? Keldeo heard Quinn talk about enough to know they were talking about that program that allowed him to understand Genesect, everyone being to communicate with Genesect would be helpful. Cody asked questions and offered advice as they prepared, reminding him of how and when Cobalion would take charge, especially before some major fight.
Terry and Vera were bickering as they did, Keldeo would eavesdrop on them every now and then, it always reminded him of Terrakion and Virizion. They would argue about small little things, things that came about from two people who were raised differently. Right now it was about how Vera chose to carry her supplies. Most everyone else had a backpack, Cody had his satchel, but Vera wanted to use a trunk. The others seemed to assume it was for just clothing. But when they opened it up and saw the abundance of camping supplies, they were surprised. They still opted to not use it though, considering between Quinn and Terry they had most of the supplies. Not to mention in Paradise, most of the amenities they would need would already be covered. All they had to do was stay as Pokemon most of the time. Quinn would be harder to explain, but easing them into one human instead of four was a good idea, Keldeo mused.
"Blue." Keldeo turned to the sound of Genesect approaching them "Quinn has asked me to inform you that the others have finished preparing for the trip, they are ready when you are." Genesect beeped.
"Thanks, Genesect." Keldeo nodded, watching Genesect move back to Quinn and the others, who were finally getting everything ready to go. This was it then, they were going to take the fight back to Kyurem. Keep this earth safe from him and keep the fight in his world. Travel to Paradise and finish this once and for all. Keldeo was going to have to take charge, the others didn't have the knowledge of the other world he did.
Keldeo inhaled slowly "Alright everyone!" he began, a voice hiding just how nervous he was. The others didn't seem to notice, as they all stopped talking amongst themselves and turned to face him. Then his breath caught in his throat and nearly choked, what was he going to say to inspire everyone to get ready for the fight of their lives.
What was he going to say? What would the others say? He thought of all of the rousing speeches that Cobalion used to give. They came so naturally to a leader like him, but now he had to be a leader to them.
"Erm…" Keldeo began again "This is it. We're going to go to Paradise, and we're going to take the fight back to Kyurem. For putting you all in danger, and for what he did to my friends." Keldeo nodded, already finding himself out of things to talk about. He cursed under his breath, Cobalion would have made it sound so much cooler. He would have a rousing speech, not a rousing sentence. Keldeo didn't notice the others nodding in agreement.
"Sounds good to me." Terry cracked his knuckles.
Keldeo opened and closed his mouth, apparently it was good enough for them "Roll with it…" he muttered.
"So how are we going to get there anyways?" Vera asked.
"My Secret Sword," Keldeo said "I know I've really only used it to fight. But it has a lot of other powers...at least according to the other swordsmen. It's what I used to get here in the first place." Keldeo thought back to the panic he felt when he first used it after watching his other friends die. It was a whim of his terrified impulses that allowed him to use it in the first place. If the barriers between all words were growing weaker, ideally it would be easy to get through.
"So...you know how to use it then, right?" Cody finally asked the question Keldeo didn't have the answer for. He spent the last few days training to use the sword for fighting, Cody, Terry and Vera couldn't fight against it for long whenever they experimented. It was a powerful weapon, but for this purpose...
"Er...yeah." Keldeo nodded, attempting to channel Cobalion's confidence once again. He conjured the orange energy from his horn, creating the sword once again. Sweat collected on his brow, imagining the other looking at him, waiting to do it. Swing his sword, tear a hole in the fabric in reality to his homeworld. Simple enough. Right?
He concentrated on Paradise, his home. Seeing his old friends, and how his new friends were going to meet them. They were all going to work together and save the worlds from Kyurem, the one who killed his other friends. There was the destination in mind, and with his resolve to avenge everything lost, there was the intent. He brought the sword down with a yell, eyes lighting up as an orange hole in reality appeared before them. He looked through, seeing the familiar wooden bridge that led into Paradise and Post Town.
This was it. Home.
"Hey, alright." Keldeo heard Terry from behind "You had us worried there, man." Keldeo sighed in relief, letting the others walk through the portal with him short behind. Quinn returned Absol and Genesect to their pokeballs and followed shortly afterwards. He took one more look behind him, the last one to walk through. His home away from through all of this. It was nice while it lasted, but it was time to go home and set things right.
Despite his initial apprehension, it was funny to see the others try to maintain their balance in the wormhole. Cody and Quinn had to hold on to each other, Vera reamined stiff as a board, while Terry just kept spinning.
"So this is it?" Cody asked, floating close to Keldeo now "That's Paradise?"
Keldeo nodded excitedly "Yeah, it's gonna be weird heading back after all this time…" Keldeo stopped "How long has it been since...all of this started?"
"About two weeks...but who's keeping track?" Cody averted his gaze "I was thinking this was going to take up our whole summer. But I mean, it's already over. Just one last thing to do."
"Granted that last thing is a major thing." Vera chimed in "Kyurem's done nothing but sent minions after us. We have no idea what he's capable of."
"Which is why we lay low in Paradise to start." Keldeo offered "Just...see what's been up since I was gone and work from there. Kyurem won't have as much time to prepare if he doesn't know we're coming."
"Oh, but I know…" the orange of the portal around slowly giving way to a familiar dank purple "Did you think I would not acknowledge a tear in reality?" The others were already touching their medallions, transforming into the swordsmen as Quinn tossed his pokeball, summoning Genesect. Everyone suddenly remembered how weird the gravity was in the wormhole, any attempt to stand up right to face Kyurem here found themselves spinning around. It was jarring to see a tear inside of a tear in reality, but to everyone's horror, they saw the head of a pale blue and gray dragon peering through, staring right at them with eyes that swirled yellow and purple.
"So that's what he looks like…" Terry groaned, trying his best to properly face Kyurem, sword summoned and spinning in the wormhole. A chill in the air began to form, no one was moving through the wormhole now.
"No more grandstanding, swordsmen. You die here!" Kyurem roared, unleashing a blast of ice at all of them.
"Genesect, Burn Drive!" Quinn yelled, throwing the red disc drive to the Techno Blaster. Genesect was already charging it up to meet the blast of ice with a blast of fire. It dispelled the ice, but not before sending everyone flying around from the blast of wind left behind. Quinn was already reaching for Absol's pokeball.
It was now that Kyurem entered the wormhole proper "I had every intention to go to your world and do it myself. So thank you for saving me a trip…-!" Kyurem was about to charge, only for a rush of leaves and stones from Vera and Terry to stop him, if only for a moment, with a swipe of his head, he blew through it all, sending the two slamming into the wall of the wormhole.
Cody and Keldeo summoned their swords, trying their best to charge at Kyurem. Keldeo found it easier to move, but Cody still struggled to get his bearings straight. Keldeo attempted to move back and help Cody, but that moment's distraction was enough for Kyurem to launch another ice beam, sending Cody farther back. Keldeo pointed his sword at Kyurem, ignoring the trembling his legs.
"So quick to threaten me with the gift I gave to you, swordsman." Kyurem mused, earning a growl from Keldeo, his thoughts turning to when he was possessed and attacking his friends. It was Kyurem's fault, and he was going to make sure he regretted it. He launched himself at Kyurem, excited to see the dragon visibly recoil from the attack. A few more slashes and Kyurem was backing up, the first time since this fight started. He could hear Cody and the others preparing their attacks as well. He saw the jagged stones, the razor sharp leaves, the fiery blast, the cutting wind, and Cody charge forward to face him with his sword drawn. All of the attacks met in an explosion that obfuscated the wormhole.
A pause, a sign that the attacks worked in any way. He could hear the others celebrating early, but fear kept Keldeo from silencing them. To prove his point, a biting wind blew through the wormhole, revealing Kyurem with a dark purple aura, unphased by the attacks.
"Not enough." Was all Kyurem said, and he charged once again. Keldeo roared, using his sword to meet Kyurem head on, the whole wormhole rocked from the attack, sending everyone spiraling around. Kyurem remained unphased and kept charging, only for Keldeo to attack once again.
"We can't fight here! We need to get out!" Keldeo managed to yell in a break in the onslaught, moving out of the way now. They weren't prepared for this. There was no way any of them were prepared for this. They needed more time, but if Kyurem was going on the offensive like this, could they even find the time anymore? They needed to get out of here, now. It was a struggle enough to open the wormhole in the first place. Keldeo's mind was a rush, thinking of somewhere, anywhere to go that wasn't here, but all he could think about was all of the possible worlds...and this biting and painful cold.
Keldeo looked up in horror as Kyurem had intended to step on him, stomp him out of existence as he had done the other swordsmen. He closed his eyes and slashed with intent once again, surprised to hear the roar of Kyurem as he backed away from them as an explosion rocked the two of them. Panic setting in as he felt himself falling backwards into a cold and windy world. He was dazed and confused, watching as Quinn returned Absol to his ball, desperately grabbing for Genesect who transformed and tried to stay afloat, letting him safely down. In the confusion Cody and Vera had apparently turned back into humans, Terry struggled to move towards them, crading the two as they all fell down. Humans couldn't survive a massive fall, but a pokemon could...probably. It was only now that Keldeo decided to stabilize himself, bracing for impact.
They all landed in snow, sinking a few feet deep. Cody was the first to shoot up, followed by Quinn and Genesect. The sudden shift from warm summer to cold winter was something no one was ready for. They needed to get out of the cold. Now.
"Everyone!?" Cody yelled through the wind, already moving off of Terry, who had transformed back into a human, the fall too much for his pokemon body. Cody helped Vera up, and the two had to help Terry up and out of the snow. His skin red with as he shivered, the others were beginning to shiver from the cold too. No one was dressed for it. And while the pokemon forms could handle the cold, they needed to regroup, make sure everyone was here...and alive. Quinn had been looking over Genesect this whole time, seemingly undisturbed by the cold, at least for now. Cody was almost jealous of all of Quinn's naturally large body keeping him warm, but he shifted his thoughts elsewhere. The humans were accounted for, the gear was accounted for…
"Keldeo?" Cody screamed, desperate for a sign that Keldeo was still alive, anywhere with them. It was then that Genesect hovered into the air, scanning the area. The others watched in still silence and apprehension, the cold distracting them from worrying about Keldeo properly. Finally Genesect circled over one area and dropped to the ground. Cody ran after Genesect, ignoring the snow that made its way into his socks and shoes, ignoring the cold for just a moment longer "Keldeo!" he called out again over the snowy crater.
"I'm here...I'm okay…" Cody breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the shifting of Keldeo as he moved out of the snowy crater. Cody tried his best to stifle a gasp as Keldeo finally pulled his head free from the snow, but Keldeo heard him "What? What's wrong?" Cody heard the others come up from behind them, and judging by their silenced reactions, they were thinking the same thing.
"Your horn…" Vera managed, saying it before anyone else could. What Blue only now realized was how his horn had been broken, the top half not too far away, sticking out of the snow. Keldeo stammered, backing away from it with eyes wide in horror. On a whim, he tried to summon his Secret Sword, the orange energy coalescing around his broken horn for a moment, before fizzling away into nothingness on the wind
"No...no…" Keldeo began, horror settling into him. He had just got this, this was their edge against Kyurem, and it was already gone and ruined. And now they were trapped in some other dimension with no clue how to get back. He had already led them into their deaths. His thoughts continued to spiral, his breathing shallow and ragged.
"Dammit..." was all Cody managed. Any attempt to get Keldeo's attention was ignored. The others huddled around, partly in comfort and partly in warmth from the cold. Cody took the time to grab the horn and put it in the backpack. The others stood up, looking around. The wind and snow made it too hard to see too far away. They had no clue where they even were.
"What the hell was that!?" Vera screamed over the wind uncharacteristically, clutching at her sides and shivering violently, Terry holding her close and offering whatever warmth he could.
"That did not go well…" Quinn muttered.
"Really? What tipped you off? Was it how he blew through our attacks like paper? Or how he broke Keldeo's horn!" Cody didn't hear a clever answer from Quinn, and he didn't blame him. That wasn't going to be some glorious battle for the sake of the multiverse. That was going to be death, plain and simple. If Keldeo hadn't stepped in, they would have failed before they even began. But now they were somewhere else, another world?
Cody blinked, turning to the others as the arguing grew louder and louder "Guys!" Cody yelled over the arguing and the storm. A shiver shot up his spine "Arguing isn't going to help right now…" We need to get out of the cold and…" Cody paused, did he even know what he was going to do. It was strange to think how he had taken up the leader role in a sense since this all started, but now he found himself at a loss "We just need to get out of the cold…"
"And then what?" Vera asked, harsher than she probably meant. Cody grimaced, everyone's gaze on him now, even Keldeo turned to look at him now. But panic began to set into him as he knew he didn't have an answer.
Suddenly, they saw the shadow of a figure in the distance. The others grabbed their medallions, hoping to meet the mysterious figure, but nothing happened. They needed more time before they could transform again. Whatever it was, it was small and biped, definitely a human. One that was dressed in a thick orange snowsuit. When they were finally close enough, the figure flipped their hood and removed their goggles, looking over the stranded individuals lost in the harsh cold winter storm. The person eventually put everything back on, beckoning them to follow them though the storm.
The others were in no position to protest. They looked warm, and they probably knew where to go to stay warm. The five of them trudged through the snow, carefully following behind this mysterious individual.
Cody lost track of how long he was staring at the fire, letting the warmth envelope him and calm him. Their first step into this brave new world was a disaster, crushed by Kyurem, especially Keldeo. A spike of anxiety went through as he saw the broken horn again, the other piece still in his bag. He dared to look over at where the others were huddled in the house, strewn about the living room as they tried to rest. Cody couldn't sleep, which is why he opted to stay up, greet and talk to their savior.
Cody turned back to the group, Keldeo stirring awake as their eyes locked for a moment. Keldeo wordlessly made his way over to Cody, sitting next to him. They sat in silence, just watching the fire. Finally, Cody spoke "How are you feeling?"
"How do you think?" Keldeo spat, no anger or sadness in his voice, it was like he forced himself to talk.
"Right…" Cody said, another long silence fell over the two of them.
"Sorry…" Keldeo managed, huddling in on himself. Cody hummed in response. Another pause "What are we going to do?" Keldeo asked, a desperate tinge to his voice. Cody looked to him, then to the others. It seems like he really did take on the leadership role here. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"I think…" Cody cupped his head in his hands "Figure out where we are...see if we can't find our way back to our world...or yours." he sighed. He had to start somewhere with a plan, and gathering information was going to be the best course of action to get out of...wherever they were.
But why did it have to be him?
The door to the cabin opened, Cody and Keldeo watching their savior step through the door, still decked out in that orange snow suit. She set aside a couple of bags, seemingly heavy with something they couldn't see. They finally took off their hood and goggles, it was a woman, her dark skin catching the fire's light. A flip of her head revealing long braids that rested on her shoulder. She was already beginning to undress from the snow suit. She was in a black sleeveless tee and gray sweatpants. Throwing the boots aside, she opted for thick white socks. It was then she finally acknowledged Cody and Keldeo.
"So…" the girl began with a crooked smile "Wanna tell me what all of this is?" she gestured to all of them, " A bunch of trainers falling from the sky...with a Keldeo and a Genesect, of all pokemon."
Trainer. Cody knew that word from Quinn. He wasn't sure just how much he could tell this girl yet, so he nodded "Yeah...a...uhm…" Cody swallowed "Fight...got out of hand and we just…-!?"
"A fight." she began "That caused all of you to fall right out of the sky...without any winter gear." she asked, clearly not buying anything he said "The truth. Now."
Cody looked to Keldeo, looking for permission to just spill everything. Keldeo looked between Cody and the girl, finally nodding "Alright. We're from another world." He pointed to Keldeo "A world without humans…" he pointed to himself "A world without Pokemon. We have medallions that let us turn into pokemon and Kyurem from his world wants all of us dead now because...reasons…" Cody looked at her, and her cocky look turned into one of utter surprise. "And you don't believe a word of what I just said, do you?"
"Not a one." she said "I guess the fall really messed with ya…" She sat down beside the two of them "So, when everyone wakes up. I want you all out of my cabin" she began. Cody tried touching his medallion to transform and prove his point, but it didn't work, it still needed more time to recharge "But...I got you guys some warmer clothes. Should keep you warm enough while you try and get back to...whatever it was you were doing. Just don't go marching out into a snowstorm again, okay?"
"Yeah...right…" Cody sighed, watching Keldeo walk off to nudge the others awake. "Well, thanks for what you've done…-?" Cody looked at the girl.
"Amanda." she said with a nod.
"Thanks." Cody sighed, already heading for the door grabbing one of the coats Amanda got for them; a garish shade of orange. The sounds of the others getting rudely awoken was all he heard as he walked outside.
Cody was better prepared for the chill of outside than he was before. The light snowfall was an improvement over the blizzard they had stumbled into hours before. He found himself in a small town, the center being a small farm, he was surprised to see things growing in this cold too. Cabins dotted the edges of this winter wonderland, people walking around wearing significantly less than he was wearing, they were clearly more acclimated to the climate than he and the others were. He couldn't determine exactly where he and the others were, until he saw an older woman walking by with a strange looking creature, a purple and blue creature with what looked like pigtails, all together looking like some puff of cosmic smog.
"Any clue where we are, Cody?" Keldeo walked back up towards Cody, locking eyes on the same strange creature that Cody was watching.
"Ever seen a pokemon like that?" Cody asked.
"No but it's enough to know where we are..." Keldeo looked back to the others coming out in the same ugly orange coats. Cody knew he and Keldeo were thinking the same thing. Genesect would know where they are.
"Quinn, can you have Genesect tell us where we are?" Cody said. Quinn was already pulling out Genesect's pokeball and sending him out and explaining what was going on.
"What are we going to do now?" Terry asked, he and Vera approached Cody.
"We know we're in the hybrid world...so maybe something here can help us?" Cody thought aloud.
"Location identified: Freezington, in the Crown Tundra of the Galar Region." Genesect spoke through their phones "I am...unfamiliar with this location."
"It's alright, Genesect." Quinn patted Genesect.
"What about that one scientist you met?" Vera asked Quinn "Maybe he can help?"
"Colress?" Quinn said "Even if we knew where he was. I don't have any method to contact him." he shrugged.
"So...we're stranded here then?" Terry huffed "Keldeo can't use his sword and we don't have any other way to get back home?" the door to Amanda's cabin opened as she poked her head out.
"Any chance you guys can be crazy somewhere else?" Amanda asked, dripping with sardonicism "I wanna relax before I head back out and explore."
"Y'know…-!?" Terry took a step forward, only for Quinn and Vera to stand in his way, holding him back.
"We were just leaving." Cody said, enough of a cue for the others to begin walking. He noticed Amanda open and close her mouth for a moment before nodding, closing the door to her cabin again. Cody took one step forward, and nearly tripped into the snow, having to grab a fence post for support.
"Cody?" Keldeo asked, propping him back up.
"Yeah I'm fine…-?" Cody huffed, kicking the snow where he tripped before, definitely feeling something large and hard in the snow. He brushed the snow away with his hands and found a large wooden orb, it almost looked like an onion if he looked at it the right way.
"So...what are we going to do?" Keldeo and Cody walked back towards the group, waiting in the center of town not too far away from the patch of farming land. Cody tossed the wooden orb in his hands, a distraction from the rising panic in his heart.
"Well...I don't know…" Cody sighed, he bit his tongue, resisting the urge to pout about how he was suddenly the one everyone was looking to for help. He was just as lost as the others in what to do.
"Yeah...I don't know either…" Keldeo looked back towards the group, huddled up on each other as they spoke amongst themselves. Keldeo laughed despite himself "What did we get ourselves into…?"
"Keldeo?" Cody managed to ask.
"I...nothing…" Keldeo sighed "It's nothing." he picked up the pace, not giving Cody the chance to ask what Keldeo meant. The two of them made it back to the group.
"Hey look at this." Vera gestured to what the others were huddled around. It was a wooden statue, a small creature atop the faded figure of a horse. Cody tried to read the plaque in front of it, but it was in a language he didn't understand. "Genesect translated it already."
"Affirmative." Genesect began "This is the pokemon identified as Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests. A legendary pokemon of vast and unique powers."
"Ever heard of a pokemon like that, Blue?" Quinn asked.
"No, I haven't." Keldeo sighed "But legendary and mythical pokemon tend to know each other...and are really powerful." Keldeo's eyes lit up, turning back to Cody, the two thinking the same thing.
"So...that's a step forward." Cody nodded "We find this Calyrex, and see if we can't convince him to help us."
"The plaque states that Calyrex has been absent from the Crown Tundra for centuries. Probability of finding Calyrex, 7%." Genesect beeped.
Cody sighed, bounding the wooden orb in his head for a moment longer before placing it on the wooden statue the head of the creature riding the horse "It's our best shot at getting out of here." Cody nodded, "So we have to try something."
"My...crown…" a chill ran up and down Cody's spine, and judging by the expression on Terry, Vera and Keldeo's face, they heard that too. A voice that pierced his mind, reminding him of how Kyurem and his forces would speak to them before. But the clouds in the sky were still a normal overcast.
"Guys?" Quinn asked, noticing the concerned look on all of their faces "Gonna need a play by play here...what are you doing?"
"A voice…" Cody said "Not Kyurem's...but…-!?"
"Calyrex identified." Genesect said, everyone following its gaze to a couple of yards behind the statue. It looked like a bipedal white deer. While its body was small, it had a massive green bulb on its head. Cody realized it looked just like the wooden orb he placed upon the statue's head: a crown, apparently. It levitated, tucked away behind bushes between Amanda's cabin.
Quinn turned to Genesect "...So about those odds of finding Calyrex?" he asked.
"Recalculating…" Genesect beeped "Probability of finding Calyrex, 95%" Quinn sighed, patting Genesect on the side.
"You can...hear me?" Calyrex spoke again through their minds "You can...understand me...fascinating."
"Is he speaking again?" Quinn asked. Cody realized the medallions allowed them to understand pokemon, it's why everyone but Quinn could hear Calyrex. Cody only managed a nod, he could tell the others were weighing their options, whether they needed to be ready to fight or not.
"Yes...you are not of this world...strangers…" Calyrex continued "Perhaps...you can help me...we can help each other…" Calyrex sunk deeper into the bushes behind Amanda's cabin.
"...Not to sound like a broken record but…-?" Quinn began.
"Oh right sorry...It wants us to talk…" Cody said.
"I don't know…" Vera followed up "Can we trust it?"
"We'll knock it out if it tries anything funny…" Terry growled, hand hovering over the medallion.
"If it's our best bet towards getting out of here...let's hear it out…" Keldeo nodded, already approaching where Calyrex was, the others following close behind.
Keldeo entered the small clearing first, he noticed just how close it was to the girl who helped them's cabin, dreading what would happen if she caught them so close again. He stopped at the edge, letting the others catch up.
"Where did it go?" Terry asked.
"We saw it here..." Vera asked "Can it hide itself?"
"We don't know what it can do." Cody thought aloud. All these doubts, coupled with everything else that happened since they came here. Keldeo still had a dull headache from the breaking of his horn. He tried to be brave, but in the face of everything that happened to him...
"Greetings…-!" The voice entered their minds again. Keldeo gasped, spinning around delivering a swift quick to the source of the voice, sending Calyrex flying back and deeper into the clearing, spinning into the snow and hitting the side of the cabin before resting, unmoving.
"Oh...oh no!" Keldeo galloped towards the unmoving form of Calyrex, the humans in a stunned silence "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you. We're all just a little…" Keldeo breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Calyrex finally float back up to greet them.
"By all means…" Calyrex strained to speak, making Keldeo feel worse for attacking without meaning to "That is sufficient proof of your power...no need to test you further…" it said, glowing a gentle green before shaking itself.
"Did you just heal yourself?" Cody asked.
"Indeed I did." Calyrex floated between all of them "And the way you all look at me tells me you understand me. You are not like the humans of this world. You are different." Calyrex nodded "You might be just what I needed."
"And the feeling is mutual," Terry said "We need your help too. You gotta help us get out of here." the other shushed Terry, but Calyrex simply nodded.
"Of course, I could not expect you to help me for free." Calyrex nodded "However, to help you. I need you to help me first."
"How so?" Vera asked.
"First, some context…" Calyrex floated towards the edge of the clearing, looking over Freezington "Once upon a time, I ruled this land alongside humans and pokemon. The King of Bountiful Harvests, I was once known as. The humans would revere me, and that would fuel my power to help them in turn. It was a symbiotic relationship. However, their belief in me faded, and so did my powers. If I am to have my powers return to me, the people of the Crown Tundra must believe in me again."
"...So why can't you just walk out there and explain yourself?" Terry asked, crossing his arms.
"I cannot speak to humans the same way I speak to you. There is a power within most of you that allows communicating to be much easier. But to them, I am just a fairy tale, a myth. Nothing…" Calyrex's tone petered into that of sadness "Even still, human faith alone would not be enough to return me to my full power. I would need my steed to bring me back to my fullest strength." Calyrex nodded.
"Does your fullest strength include inter-dimensional travel?" Vera asked.
"Indeed." Calyrex smiled "I had no reason to do so in the past, and so I stayed here. But rest assured, that power is one I possess, and I would gladly do so to repay your efforts in restoring my power."
Keldeo glared at Calyrex, an uneasy feeling over them, he turned back to the others "What do you think?" he asked Cody and the others.
"He's supposed to be a king of these lands...kings can be good...sometimes…" Vera thought aloud.
"He's weak enough right now...we figure he's lying…" Terry followed up.
"Genesect, can you detect the anomaly in him?" Quinn asked, Genesect looked back to Calyrex for a moment.
"Anomoly not detected within Calyrex. Probability of telling the truth: 89.8%"
"I like those numbers…" Quinn thought aloud, only to look up and back out towards the village "Oh no…" he mumbled, everyone turning to see Amanda peering around the corner.
"I thought I told you crazies to get away from my cabin...am I going to have to…-!" Amanda began, only for Cody to step forward, touching his medallion and hoping to transform into Cobalion, but again, he didn't transform. He assumed he needed more time still. But when Terry stepped forward and transformed into Terrakion, it left more questions for him.
But at least for now, it was enough to shut Amanda up, she shrank back at Terry, eyes wide in fear "You were...okay so...okay…"
"So this was the power I sensed within you all…" Calyrex said in surprise "Do all of you possess the power to transform into these swordsmen?"
"...Most of us…" Cody said, showing off the medallion, Vera showing hers too. Cody once again tried to transform, but when he failed and Vera transformed into Virizion, it was enough to shut him up for good. Quinn stood there, shrugging at Calyrex as he showed his two pokeballs.
"Incredible. I knew my faith was well placed…"
"Hey...we didn't agree to help you yet…-!" Keldeo turned to Calyrex
"Uhm, hello. Back to me for a second!" Amanda yelled, looking at Cody "Okay...so let's say I believe this...other world thing...where do we go from here?"
"We?" Cody glared "You made it clear you didn't want anything to do with us ten minutes ago. So you can just head back inside...and...pretend you didn't see us...and him...please?" Cody said, noticing Amanda was looking at Calyrex, fist clenched, holding onto something.
"Actually, Cody…" Quinn began "She probably knows these parts as well as Calyrex. We'll need as much help navigating the Crown Tundra as we can get." Cody looked back to Quinn, groaning as he realized just how right he was.
"A guide?" Amanda said "I can do that, easy. I've been here for a couple of weeks now, and got most of this place mapped out." She pulled out her hand drawn map for proof from her backpack, intricately designed and easy to read. More reason for Cody to groan, not only was she going to be help, she was going to be a good help. He looked back down at her clenched fist, noticing the ball in hand now.
"Why are you really wanting to help?" Cody asked "When ten minutes ago you kicked us out into the snow."
"Hey! I bought you the coats, didn't I?" Amanda huffed "Besides, you can't expect everyone to be fully open and honest with strangers who came to them under mysterious circumstances now, can you?" Amanda was clearly putting on a show and being over dramatic, but Cody had to admit she had a point.
Cody looked back towards the others "So what do you think?" he asked the others. Terry and Vera returned to humans as well.
"Hey if it means more help, I guess we can take it." Quinn said, earning uneasy nodding from the others.
Keldeo sighed "It's our best bet for getting back to stop Kyurem so...I guess we'll do it."
"Ah, swordsmen. I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to help me." Calyrex bowed to the others, hovering towards Amanda "And as for you trainer. I understand the circumstances are indeed unique, but I thank you for agreeing to help us." Calyrex spoke excitedly. Amanda stood there, blinking in surprise.
"So...he was just talking, right?" Amanda asked "I can't speak pokemon so I had to assume it was?"
"You do that a lot in this group." Quinn said.
"Forgive me, in my haste I forgot…" Calyrex shook his head "Let us gather together and plan to return me to my power, and to get you all home."
"Right…" Cody nodded "Amanda, can we use your cabin to plan?"
"Oh so you're just…" Amanda swallowed the rest of that sentence back down "Yeah, sure…" Amanda watched the others moving inside "Just no transforming into pokemon in there...the cabin's a rental." Amanda jumped, realizing Cody stayed behind, sizing her up and down "Oh what? See something you like?" Amanda glared.
"Why are you really helping us?" Cody asked, eyes resting on Amanda's still clenched fist.
"I need a reason to want to help you all out?" Amanda scoffed "I thought you guys were desperate for help."
"We are." Cody grinned at how his honesty disarmed Amanda "And I might be from a world without pokemon...but Quinn showed me how pokeballs work." Cody gestured to the clenched fist. Amanda scowled, lifting her arm up and revealing a black and yellow ball in her hand. He wasn't sure what the color difference was, but he assumed the function was the same.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm a trainer, and we like to catch pokemon." Amanda crossed her arms.
"Sure, and catch whatever you think will help us while we're working together. But if you think you're catching Calyrex before this is over, or God forbid Keldeo…" Cody opened and closed his mouth, unsure how or if he wanted to finish that sentence, brushing past her and heading back inside to her cabin.
"Who's God?" Amanda asked quickly after a long silence, earning a long groan from Cody. She brushed passed Cody and went inside the cabin. Cody was alone and able to inspect the medallion properly. If Terry and Vera were anything to go off of, the medallion should be working again, allowing him to transform into Coballion, but it still didn't work, compounding on his anxieties from before. Everyone expected him to be a leader for some reason, make the decisions to get them back on track. But he was just as lost, just as confused, just as scared. And now he had lost his power, and he didn't even know when he would be getting them back.
Cody took the medallion off, cramming it into his pocket before moving back inside.
They had all gathered around the large kitchen table in the cabin, Amanda's map sprawled out across it. As Cody stepped forward to the table, he was greeted by Quinn handing him a mug of what smelled like hot cocoa. He was dubious after he heard Amanda had made it, but one sip was enough to quell that concern, it tasted really good. Kicking them out into the cold and threatening to capture their ticket home one minute, buying them winter clothes and making them warm drinks the next. He couldn't get a good read on this girl.
"If we are all ready to begin..." Calyrex hovered over the map, Genesect nearby to act as translator for Quinn and Amanda "For me to regain my powers and help you. I will need my steed. When we ride as one, our power was nearly unmatchable."
"So catch a horse…" Terry shrugged "We can do that."
"I'm afraid it's much more than 'catching a horse'." Calyrex said "My steed hasn't been seen for a very long time, and it will take a lot for them to come back to me."
"So what do we need?" Vera asked.
"Carrots." Calyrex responded.
"...And?" Keldeo almost hoped there was more to this.
"That is it." Calyrex finished his sentence. An uncomfortable groan from the others, it couldn't be that easy.
"Wait…" Amanada chimed in "There's a guy in town that sells carrot seeds. Claims there special, from a long time ago. Maybe those are your carrots?"
Calyrex's eyes lit up to that "They have to be. We must get them at once. I can use what little power I have left to accelerate their growth."
"Well hang on…" Amanda frowned "I tried asking for them too but he won't let me have them. He only takes dynite ore as payment."
"What's so special about an ore?" Cody turned to her.
"It's a secondary form of currency here. Not a lot of visitors want to visit a frozen tundra, so they trade with other things besides money." Amanda shrugged, smiling "Fortunately for all of you, I know where to find plenty of it." She pointed on the map "The Max Lair. Home of some strong pokemon, but it's also lousy with dynite ore. One run through there and we'll have plenty of ore to pay the guy." Amanda nodded "I can do that."
"And I'll come to!" Quinn added after a nudge from Cody. He still didn't trust her to not try and endanger someone here.
"Okay…so with that out of the way..." Quinn turned to Calyrex "Now the next big question. How do we grow a carrot in a tundra?"
"Some fruits and veggies grow better in colder climates…" Vera shrugged "Maybe this one does too?"
"Correct, Vera." Calyrex nodded "The Crown Tundra was once full of fertile soil to grow many berries, fruits and vegetables. But as I have traveled the tundra I have found fewer and fewer places that are still fertile." Calyrex closed their eyes, three points on the map glowing blue, which Amanda quickly marked with an 'X' "There are the only places left where it is safe to grow in the tundra."
"And the one here in Freezington is full with other stuff. We won't be able to convince them to grow the carrots." Amanda said.
"Of course not," Cody sighed "So I guess Terry and Vera could scope out the other spots them, see which one works best for growing?" earning a nod from the two of them.
"What about you and Keldeo?" Quinn asked, making Cody turn his gaze and bite his lip, he knew he was going to have to come clean soon.
"I don't know why but…" Cody grabbed the medallion out of his pocket and shook it for good measure, but no transformation occured, it didn't even glow "I can't transform. I'm...useless."
"And without my horn. I'm not much better." Keldeo sighed "I'm really sorry to have to do this to all of you, but…" Keldeo was surprised when Terry stepped forward and ruffled his mane.
"Don't sweat it." Terry smirked.
"You've already done so much for us." Vera nodded.
"Now it's our turn," Quinn said. Amanda watched from the back, still giving the effort to give them a thumbs up, something to at least show that she was on their side.
"Guys…" Keldeo sighed, nodding "Alright. We're counting on you."
"Then we have our goals, let us begin." Calyrex added, the others getting ready to go, bundling up to travel out into the cold. Cody and Keldeo moved to the couch, watching the others begin to move out the door into the Crown Tundra.
And he and Keldeo were stuck here doing nothing.
Cody dropped his smile when the others waved goodbye, huddling over himself as he sat on the couch. A stranger's couch...in a stranger's cabin...in a stranger's world...in a…-!
"Cody?" Keldeo nudged him back to reality "Are you okay? You've got this...thousand yard stare..."
Cody tried his best to look at Keldeo, but when his eyes kept dilating and his heart kept beating heavily, he knew what was happening.
Cody opened his mouth, but no words came out, he pushed past Keldeo, ignoring his cry as rushed outside. The cold hitting him in just the right way, making his skin tingle and the feeling of cold entering his body. A reminder where he was presently. He exhaled, feeling his breath as he finally turned to Keldeo, who had followed him outside.
"Sorry...sorry…" Cody managed a whisper as he spoke "Sometimes too much happens at once and I just...shut down." he turned to Keldeo, wiping his eyes "I'll be fine I just need to…-!?" he was about to say 'be alone', but when Keldeo rested beside Cody, placing his head on his lap, he knew being alone wasn't an option. The two just say there in the snow for a while.
"I...that happens to me too." Keldeo finally broke the silence "When my horn broke...when I realized the others were dead...I just shut down…I didn't know others could get that."
Cody moaned "It's called a panic attack." Cody thought back to the beginning of his journey, frankly surprised that now was the time for everything to just dawn on him. Every fight, every near death experience, every time the other turned to him for leadership. He was surprised how long it took him to realize just what was happening.
Keldeo nodded "I thought I was just crazy...or weak." Keldeo nuzzled into Cody's lap with a half hearted chuckle. Cody placed his hand on Keldeo's head, stroking it through his mane as they sat in the snow together. Listening to each other's breathing, their heart beats, just being here in the moment. Cody acepted the fact that he and Keldeo couldn't do much now, but if they had to entrust their fate to anybody, he was happy it was there friends. Who knew, maybe even Amanda could be a friend to them at some point.
Author's Note: You have the power to shape the story! On my page I will be posting a poll to determine which steed Calyrex will have for the story. Will he become the Ice Rider with Glastrier, or the Shadow Rider with Spectrier? Your the most voted answer will be revealed in later chapters.