Chapter 29
Rage of the Soul
Wild silver eyes burned with wild anger as he charged forward, his fist swirling with power. The Flygon, who was closest to the Riolu, gave a startled yelp and took to the air, narrowly avoiding the enraged Pokémon's attack. With no target, Zero's fist slammed into the ground with a near deafening boom. Large clumps of dirt and rock spewed into the air, the ground caving in under the Riolu's fist, forming a small hole. Slowly, the Riolu stood and glared up at the flying Pokémon, a sharp snarl on his lips.
The Flygon, slightly unnerved by the new arrival. "Wh-What is this?" she shouted to her teammate, refusing to take her eyes off the Riolu.
"This must be what Orion warned us about!" the Galvantula hissed, clicking his mandibles anxiously. "This must be the power of the Silver Soul."
Stride ignored the two soldiers, completely focused on Zero. He had seen this power twice, once back at the Groudon Division and briefly in the Latios Division's own training center, but seeing that silvery light shimmering and burning like a fire just feet away from him still sent a jolt of warmth and awe running through him. As if everything he had worked for, everything the Resistance had worked for, was about to come to fruition. Yet…something was wrong.
He had witnessed the rage of the Silver Soul before, but this was different. He could feel it settling around him like a noose. There was anger, so much of it, but it felt like it was flickering. Shifting between chaotically through an array of emotions, unable to settle on one.
"…don't care what it is! I'll crush him!" Stride's attention snapped towards the Flygon just in time to see her dive towards the Riolu.
"No, you fool!" the Galvantula shouted in warning to his teammate, but his cried fell upon deaf ears.
Bright blue energy swarmed around the Flygon's form as she picked up speed, barreling towards the Riolu. Zero, to Stride's horror, mad no move to dodge the attack. Instead, he growled loudly before leaping into the air to meet the Mystic Pokémon's attack head on. Once more, the silvery aura swirled and coalesced around his fist as he swung it towards the Flygon's encroaching form.
The two attacks collided in a burst of brightly colored energy, sending a shockwave across the clearing. In the next moment, Zero's punch cut through the Flygon's, knocking her out of her Dragon Rush. The Flygon cried out in pain and shock, reeling from the force of the attack. Before she could recover, Zero twisted in midair, catching his foot along the Flygon's neck and hurling her towards the earth with sharp kick.
The Flygon, unable to right herself, screamed as she crashed into the ground. The air knocked out of her, the soldier was unable to move out of the way as the Riolu landed directly on her stomach, crushing her into the ground with a startling amount of force. Coughing violently and practically embedded into the dirt, she was helpless as the Riolu raised his paw, intent on striking her again. Before he could, an electrified thread of web shot across the clearing, wrapping itself around Zero's wrist.
The Riolu howled in pain as electricity arched across his body. With a snarl, the aura around his free paw stretched into a three-taloned claw and he cut through the webbing. Growling, he turned his attention to the EleSpider Pokémon. He stepped off of the soldier, and began to approach her partner menacingly.
The Galvantula took a couple steps back, his fur bristling as electricity began to spark warningly across his body. With a hiss, the electric-bug type shot a thing beam of electricity at the approaching Riolu. Without a flinch, the Riolu swung his paw in an upward motion, sending a blade of silver aura rushing across the field towards the attack. To the Galvantula's shock and horror, the Riolu's attack cut through his and continued on its path towards the soldier. In an explosion of bright silverly light and wind, the Galvantula was thrown into the air.
Spinning head over heels, the soldier reeled in pain. Even so, he managed to twist himself in the air and shoot several globs of compacted webbing towards the Riolu before landing less than gracefully on the ground. Zero stood still as the balls of web exploded around him, not even twitching as one smashed into him, binding him in thick web.
As the brief interaction between Zero and the Galvantula occurred, the Flygon slowly began to push herself off of the ground. Panting lightly, her body trembled as she stood on shaky feet, her gaze finding Zero just as he was bound. Seizing her chance, she charged the immobile Riolu, her claws emblazoned with draconic energy.
"You little brat!" she screeched, baring down on the former human. Her claws slammed into the Riolu's back, knocking him to the ground and cutting through the threads holding him.
"No, you fool!" the Galvantula shouted. "The webbing…!"
With a ferocious howl, Zero tore through the remaining webs that stuck to his body and threw the Flygon off of him. Rising to his feet, the Riolu glared at the Flygon. He brought his paws together before quickly pulling them apart, summoning a staff between them.
"Bone Rush?" Stride exclaimed; eyes wide.
With another howl, Zero leapt towards the Flygon brandishing the newly summoned staff. The ground-dragon type backpedaled, not having enough time to take off. They clumsily dodged out of the way of the Riolu's wild swings. She swung around, attempting to strike the Riolu with a Dragon Tail, but the Silver Soul bearer was too fast. He easily ducked under the attack and circled the dragon.
The Flygon only had the time to curse before the Riolu swung his staff. With a loud crack, the staff of energy struck the Mystic Pokémon across the face, causing her to stumble. Unable to recover, the Riolu spun on the spot and struck again, slamming the bone staff into the Flygon's stomach.
The soldier coughed harshly; the air being knocked out of her lungs as she was thrown across the field. She slammed into the ground and skid across the dirt for several feet, entangling herself in the web traps that were scattered across the clearing. The Galvantula, who had been rushing towards them in an attempt to help his ally, couldn't move out of the way as the Flygon barreled into him and sent him tumbling to the ground. Zero growled at the two solider, dismissing his staff, he slowly stalked towards the struggling soldiers.
-Resistance-
As the battle progressed, Stride couldn't help but gape in awe. While Stride had found himself struggling against the two soldiers, Zero was pushing them back with apparent ease. The power of the Silver Soul was truly incredible and yet…
Stride frowned as the former human continued to decimate the two soldiers. The uneasy feeling that seemed to permeate the air still hadn't faded. Something was very wrong…
"Stride!" The Greninja turned to see Furno limping towards him, one hand clutched around his middle.
"Furno!" Stride exclaimed in worry. He rushed over to the fire-fighting type.
"I'm fine. I just got caught by an unexpected attack. I'll live," Furno said, waving off the Greninja's concern in favor of watching Zero. "What happened? Why is Zero like this?"
"I'm not sure," Stride admitted, turning his attention back to the fight. "He just…burst out of the forest in this state."
Furno frowned in thought. "It must have happened when he was fighting that soldier…"
Stride's gaze flickered to the still unmoving form of the Turtonator and scowled. "Then it's likely he pushed Zero to his breaking point. Not surprising given what he's done…"
"What he's done?" Furno asked.
Stride grew solemn and turned back to the battle. "That soldier was one of the one sent to siege the Zarude Division. He was personally the one responsible for starting the fire that caused the division to collapse."
Furno's eyes widened, bile churning in the bottom of his stomach. His gaze wandered over to Zero as he continued his assault on the two remaining soldiers. "Is that why Zero's like this? Did that soldier tell him?"
Stride merely sighed. "It would seem that way. I've only met him on two separate occasions, including today, but he definitely seems like the type to taunt and goad his opponent. Despite how well Zero hides it, he is not immune to bouts of emotional distress. The instances in which the Silver Soul has activated is proof of that." Stride held back a wince as he recalled his own involvement in one such instance. "Anger would seem to be its trigger and learning that he was facing against one of the ones responsible for the eradication of his people was most likely more than enough to push him over the edge."
"Zero," Furno murmured, wincing as if he were feeling the Riolu's pain. "Should we…help him?"
"I don't think that's necessary," Stride replied as he watched Zero toss the Flygon into a tree with relative ease. "The power of the Silver Soul is truly incredible."
"But that's not Zero," Furno argued, glaring at the Greninja. "That's not how he fights. He's not that…brutal.",
"He fights much like a wild Pokémon," Stride admitted. "His attacks and movements are rather basic and primal, but the power behind his attacks make up for it. Once he learns to control the Silver Soul…"
"You're still on that?!" Furno exclaimed incredulously. "The last time you tried to get Zero to control the Silver Soul, you nearly destroyed the training facilities!"
"I am aware," Stride replied curtly. "That being said, as powerful as this form is, without proper control, it is useless. Zero needs to be able to control that power if he's to defeat the Emperor."
"Is that all Zero is to you? A means to an end?" Furno all but snarled. "You saw what happened when you pushed him before. What do you think will happen if you do it again?"
Stride remained silent for a moment. "It won't be the same."
"Won't it?" Furno sneered. "You've already proven you're willing to do anything it takes to reach you goals. What's changed since then?"
"It's all of our goals!" Stride shouted. "Being free of the Emperor's rule; that's what we're all fighting for. It's why the Resistance exists! You agreed to put everything on the line for the betterment of Lyore when you joined the Resistance!"
"But I never agreed to sacrifice my friends!" Furno snapped. "We're supposed to be helping Pokémon, not torturing them! We're supposed to be better than the Emperor. How are we supposed to do that when we're hurting our allies?!"
Stride opened his mouth, but no words left him. He simply stood there, gaping like a Magikarp. Furno sneered at the sight, turning back to the fight. "That's what I thought."
Stride found himself swallowing thickly as he too turned back to the fight, a sickening feeling settling in his chest. He wasn't torturing Zero. A little pain was nothing, especially during war. It wasn't as if he was purposefully causing the former human strife. It was for the good of Lyore.
…so why did he feel so sick?
"Where's Bella?" Furno suddenly asked.
Stride blinked. "I sent her after you and Furno when I saw that one of the soldiers broke off. Did she not reach you?"
Furno frowned. "I don't know. I got knocked out fairly quickly, but if she's not here now…"
Neither Pokémon spoke as the horrible realization dawned on both of them. They both knew that the Banette would follow the Riolu to hell and back. The fact that she wasn't there at that moment did not bode well for the ghost's wellbeing.
A loud explosion drew the duo's attention back towards the center od the clearing. Both the Flygon and the Galvantula were strewn across the ground covered in bruises and scratches. Neither of them were moving. Across from them, Zero with hardly a scratch. Silvery claws surrounded his paws as he slowly stalked towards the two soldiers.
"What's he doing?" Furno asked, sounding incredibly concerned. "They're down. Unconscious. So, why…?"
"Looks like he's finishing it," Stride said. "Like that Dusclops…"
A look of horror dawned across Furno's face. "You mean…he's going to…"
"It seems like it."
"No," Furno whispered, unable, or unwilling, to believe Stride's words. Yet, here he was, watching his friend stalk towards the soldiers, elongated claws scraping across the ground and murderous anger blazing in his eyes. "Zero, don't!"
Furno made to take a step forward, but Stride was quick to grab him. "Furno, don't!"
"Let me go!" Furno snarled, trying to break the Greninja's grip.
"Don't be reckless!" Stride hissed. "Zero's acting like a wild Pokémon. There's no telling what he'd do if you got in his way. Think, Furno!"
"I don't care!" Furno shouted angrily. "I won't let Zero kill them!"
"This is war, Furno!" Stride snapped angrily. "Death is inevitable. It's something you have to- Furno!"
Furno paid the Ninja Pokémon and wrenched his arm free from Stride's grasp, elbowing him in the stomach for good measure. He then raced forward, ignoring Stride's shouts, determined to stop Zero.
-Resistance-
The Galvantula groaned in pain, unable to even stand; his partner in a much similar predicament. Across from them, the Silver Soul brat was steadily making his way towards them with hardly a scratch. That power, it was far more than either of them had anticipated. It was no wonder why the Emperor wanted him dealt with.
"So, you're going to finish us off then?" the soldier asked, trying his best to sound unintimidated.
The Riolu said nothing. In fact, he gave no indication that he had even heard the EleSpider. The Emanation Pokémon enraged expression never changed or shifted. He just continued to stalk forward, the aura around his paws forming razor sharp claws.
The electric-bug type swallowed heavily, a chill running down his spine. He tried once more to stand, but his legs hardly even twitched in all his effort. "Go on then!" the soldier shouted, not bothering to hide the tremble in his voice. "Kill us! We'll die knowing that we served our Emperor to the bitter end!"
Once more, the Riolu gave no response aside from his near feral growling. The monster behind the guise of a child stood directly over their crumpled form, arms raised to strike them down in a single strike. The soldier tightly shut his eyes, his body tensing as he waited for the end.
"Zero!"
The Riolu halted mid-swing, his claws stopping just inches from the Galvantula's head. He slowly straightened and turned his head, his gaze meeting Furno's.
"That's enough, Zero," Furno said. "You beat them. You can stop now."
Zero's lip curled into a snarl as he turned to fully face the Monferno, his claws receding back into the aura around him. Furno flinched at the predatory look in his friend's eyes and instinctively took a step back before catching himself. Taking a breath, he forced himself to stay calm and leveled a glare at the Riolu. "You've already won! There's no reason to take it this far!"
Wild eyes narrowed into pinpricks. The silvery aura that surrounded Zero flickered and lashed around like a caged beast.
Seeing his words having no effect, Furno felt himself growing angry. "Will you cut it out?!" he demanded. "You're not a feral Pokémon, so stop acting like one!"
Slowly, Zero began to stalk forward, his growls becoming louder with each step. Furno took a step back, a flicker of doubt sparking in him. "This isn't you, Zero," he pleaded. "You're not thinking clearly! I know your angry and hurt and in pain, but you've got to snap out of it! Zero—!"
Furno's pleas were cut off by as Zero let out a booming howl. Apparently having enough with the conversation, Zero leapt at the Monferno, fist cocked and prepared to strike down his friend.
All of Furno's previous courage and bluster vanished in an instant and he found himself rooted on the spot. Disbelief crashed into Furno like a tidal wave, freezing him in place and forcing him to watch as his friend closed the distance between them, his fist swirling with power. The Monferno had a brief moment to remember Ashen Woods when Zero had attacked him while under Morpheus' control before Zero was practically on top of him. The former human's attack would have certainly sent him crashing to the ground had Stride not grabbed him at the last moment and tossed him to the side.
Furno hit the ground with a soft grunt, before immediately scrambled to his feet. Horror lanced through him as he was met with the sight of Stride blocking the Riolu fist with a Night Slash, holding the blade in front of him like a shield. Stride grunted in effort as he struggled to hold back the Riolu attack. With a shout, Stride twisted his body to the side, causing Zero's fist the skirt passed him and pull him off balance. Before the Emanation Pokémon could recover, Stride struck him in the stomach with a powerful kick, sending the Riolu flying back several yards before crashing to the ground in a heap.
"Stride! What are you doing?!" Furno shouted, coming back to his senses.
"Talking isn't going to get us anywhere," Stride responded, narrowing his eyes as he watched Zero rise off of the ground. "He's lost control. I have to wear him down until the power fades."
Before Furno could say anything else, another deafening howl boomed across the clearing. Back on his feet, the silvery light danced around the Riolu, flexing under his every movement. He launched himself across the clearing at alarming speeds, reaching Stride in a near instant. Stride jumped up and back as the Riolu's foot smashed into the ground where he once stood, sinking into the earth. In the next moment, the Riolu was moving again, following the Greninja's jump and catching him in the air. Unable to dodge, Stride was forced summon another Night Slash to block the former human's punch. Even so, the force of the attack, sent the Greninja hurtling to the ground.
Stride landed heavily on his feet, wincing as his knees nearly buckled. Not missing a moment, Stride raised his hands and shot out a large blast of water at the still airborne Riolu. The Hydro Pump met its mark, striking the former human in the chest with enough force to cause him to gasp and send him tumbling head over heels. As he fell, Stride cut off his attack and dashed towards the Riolu descending form. Just before he hit the ground, Stride leapt at him, striking the Riolu with an Aerial Ace.
Zero was flung across the clearing, skipping across the ground like a stone across a pond. His eyes suddenly snapped open as he twisted his body and slammed his paws into the ground. His fingers dragged roughly across the ground, dissipating his momentum until he came to a halt on all fours. He lifted his head, fixing the Greninja with a hateful glare.
Stride, to his credit, didn't so much as flinch under the animalistic expression on his charge's face. He summoned another Night Slash in his hands before rushing towards the Riolu, ignoring Furno's shouts to stop. Zero growled at the encroaching Greninja, ignorant to his friends shouts as he too charged forward, claws forming from the aura around his paws.
Zero swung his newly formed claws the second Stride was close enough, forcing the Greninja to parry the attack. Stride then quickly sidestepped and tripped the Riolu, causing Zero to stumble past him. As Zero tried to regain his footing, Stride quickly sent three swift strikes across the Riolu's unprotected back. Zero howled in pain and nearly fell forward. However, far quicker than Stride anticipated, the former human spun around and raked his claws across the Ninja Pokémon's chest.
Stride gasped from the unexpected blow. He staggered backwards, clutching his injury. The scratches weren't deep, but they burned. It was as if the Riolu's claws were made of pure fire, yet there were no burns on the Greninja's body. Just the lingering wisps of silvery aura that clung to his skin.
Stride was forcibly brought from his contemplation by strong strike to his jaw. Reeling, Stride flinched as the all too familiar sensation of burning yet not burning engulfed his lower jaw and cheek. The elder Pokémon was quick to come to his senses and quickly dodged out of the way of another wild punch, skirting to the side and hurling several Water Shuriken at the Riolu as he charged. The watery weapons burst against Zero's body, but he just hardly slowed down as he pursued the Greninja.
Furno watched this all, frozen in place. Stride was holding his own, yet…even Furno could tell that he was losing ground. Zero seemed to be able to shrug off anything the Greninja threw at him, yet Stride was not so lucky. He slowly but surely wearing down. Stride, a Pokémon who had years of experience was being overcome. The Silver Soul was truly terrifying if it could make even a strong Pokémon like Stride seem weak. If the battle kept up, and Zero didn't wear himself out…
"Why…?"
Furno stiffened before turning towards the Galvantula. "What was that?"
"Why?" the soldier repeated. "Why did you…save us?"
Furno frowned at the EleSpider Pokémon and turned back to the fight between Zero and Stride. "I didn't do it for you," he spat. "I just didn't want Zero to do that kind of thing."
The Galvantula still didn't seem to understand. "But why? We're on opposing sides of the war, why would you stop him? He's your weapon, isn't he?"
Furno whirled around. "What the hell are you talking about? Zero's not a weapon!"
"Of course he is," the soldier argued. "The Riolu with the Silver Soul. The Resistance's secret weapon against the Emperor. Bred and trained for the sole purpose of laying waste to Lyore and everything and everyone in his path."
Furno felt his stomach turn. "That's…that's not true!"
The Galvantula gave a raspy chuckle. "Could have fooled me. He fights more like a monster than a Pokémon."
"He's not!" Furno shouted angrily. "He fights for the Pokémon of Lyore! All of us do! That's what the Resistance is for!"
A pain filled cry cut through their conversation, snapping their attention back towards the two combatants just in time to see Stride collapse while clutching his side. "He doesn't appear to be fighting for Lyore at the moment," the soldier commented dryly.
Furno didn't respond, his eyes glued ahead. Zero had his back towards Furno, his attention solely focused on a struggling Stride; the silvery aura around him pulsing stronger than ever. Furno had to stop him.
Furno had only taken a single step forward when the soldier called to him. "Don't be a fool, kid. Get out of here while you can. You don't want any part of this war!"
The Monferno glanced back at the soldier, his expression blank. "I never wanted to be part of this war. Your Emperor never gave me a choice in the matter."
With that, Furno ran.
Stride had just gotten back onto unsteady feet, raising his arms in defense when Furno arrived. Just before Zero could raise his arms to attack, Furno slammed into him from behind. The fire-fighting type quickly wrapped his arms around the smaller Pokémon, gripping his own forearms with a vice-like grip.
Immediately, Zero started struggling. He thrashed wildly in Furno's grip, snarling furiously as he fought to break the Monferno's hold. Furno winced, his previous injuries practically screaming in pain, but he refused to weaken his hold.
"Snap out of it, Zero!" he shouted in the Riolu's ears.
The Playful Pokémon's reply was another feral howl and more struggles. The aura surrounding his friend seemed to react to the Riolu's desire to escape and flared out, engulfing Furno in its light. All at once, Furno gasped, nearly letting go of Zero as an unfamiliar pain racing across his body. Furno had felt heat before, but, as a fire type, it never bothered him before, but now…
He was burning.
Furno couldn't stop the cry of pain that escaped him as. The unfamiliar sensation was almost too much, but he still refused to let go. "Zero…listen," Furno ground out. "Please."
"Furno! Let go of him!" Stride shouted in alarm.
Tears began to prickle at the corner of Furno's eyes. He stubbornly shook his head and tightened his grip. "Zero…listen it's okay. It's over. You won. You don't need to fight anymore!"
Furno's cries seemed to fall of deaf ears. Zero continued to struggle fervently in Furno's grip; his howls continuing to grow. Furno gasped as the burning sensation intensified, the silvery swirling into a tower of light.
"Zero!"
-Resistance-
Zero felt like he floating in a red fog. A relentless pounding drummed against the inside of his skull. His heart throbbing in his ears. His mind was a scrambled mess of sadness, hurt, failure, and, above all, anger. A bubbling fury that felt like it was burning his very being. He wanted it to stop. Everything that was causing him to feel this way…he just wanted it to disappear.
"…ero…"
Bella…He had failed Bella. She was gone because he wasn't strong enough. Gone because he was weak.
"…Zero…"
She was gone. Like everything else from his past. Everything that he was and where he came from…burned to ash and scattered to the wind. Destroyed by the Emperor and his soldiers. They would pay. They would all pay!
"Zero…you need to snap out of it!"
He would make them pay. He would destroy them all. He would destroy everything in his path until he erased everything that had hurt him!
"Zero, please…"
Zero's angry scowl twitched. There was a voice cutting through the haze like an annoying buzz. It was soft, hardly above a whisper when compared to the violent roaring in his ears, but Zero couldn't help but notice it. It was familiar, infuriatingly so, but Zero's hazy mind couldn't place.
A soft growl escaped Zero and he shook his head. It didn't matter. He didn't care. All that mattered was—
"Zero."
Zero growled, clutching his head. The throbbing grew to the levels of thunder. The voice was stirring up the whirlwind in his head. He couldn't think clearly. Everything was all jumbled. The suffocating pressure of his anger flickered, if only momentarily, allowing more thoughts and emotions to flood his already shattered mind.
"Furno?" Zero whispered unconsciously.
"Zero, please. You need to calm down…"
The voice -Furno's voice- it was cracking and growing weaker by the second. Was he hurt? What was happening? What was wrong with Furno?
"You're…hurting me…"
Everything froze in that instant.
H-He was hurting Furno? It was him?
No.
No!
"No!" Zero shouted, snapping back to himself. The haze faded; the storm calmed. The former human's eyes fluttered open, the aura that had surrounded him faded into a small flicker before disappearing completely. Silver bled to red and a deep fatigue sunk into Zero's body, causing him to go all but limp. Had it not been for the arms gripping him, Zero would have surely fallen to the ground in a boneless heap.
"Zero? You okay?"
Zero blinked languidly, awareness coming to him at a slow pace. He turned his head and stared at Furno, yet his eyes were out of focus. "Furno?"
"Yeah, it's me Zero," Furno said, letting out a relieved laugh. His grip on the Riolu slackened, but didn't fully leave the fighting type. The Monferno sunk to his knees, taking Zero with him, though the Riolu was in no state to complain. "Thank Arceus you're back."
"Back?" Zero questioned uncomprehendingly. "What? What happened?"
Zero's heavy gaze slowly began to take in his surroundings. He noted the craters, the torn-up clumps of earth and rock, the unmoving Turtonator and barely stirring Galvantula and Flygon. He eyes fell upon Stride, noting the various bruises and cuts that littered his form. Memories of the last few minutes gradually came back to him and a look of dawning horror crossed Zero's face.
"I…I did this?"
"No, this wasn't you," Furno said immediately despite his fatigue. "You weren't in control. You didn't—"
"But it was me," Zero argued. "I did all of this. I…I hurt Stride. I hurt you. I…"
Furno released his grip on Zero only to spin the Riolu around and grip his shoulders. "Zero. It wasn't you," Furno said firmly, but Zero didn't seem to believe him. The Riolu just stared at his friend unseeingly.
"This isn't the place for this," Stride interrupted unemotionally. "We need to return to the Latios Division immediately.
Furno glared at the Greninja's callousness, but he could find no fault in his logic. "Fine," he grumbled, making sure Stride could see his glare. "Let's go find Bella and…" Furno trailed off when he felt Zero stiffen.
"Belladonna…she's gone…" Zero whispered.
Furno frowned, turning back to Zero. "What? What do you—"
"She gone!" Zero suddenly shouted, lifting his head to pin the Monferno with a teary-eyed glare. "She's gone," he repeated, his voice broken and soft.
Furno shook his head, still not understanding. "What do you mean by gone?"
"He means she burned away to ash," the cold voice of the Turtonator suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned towards the soldier. The Turtonator coughed weakly from his position on his back. He smirked at the trio of Resistance members, his weakened state not diminishing the cruelty in his eyes. "I've never seen a ghost burn away like that," he said almost wistfully. "Who would have thought…" The fire-dragon type gave a cruel laugh before devolving into a coughing fit.
"You…" Furno couldn't form words. His entire form shook with barely suppressed rage. "How could you?!" He made to stand but Zero grabbed his wrists.
"Don't…" he whispered.
Furno gave Zero an incredulous look. "We can't just let him—" Zero stubbornly shook his head, his expression empty and hollow. Continuous whispers of 'no' repeating endlessly. Furno felt his anger fade to worry.
"Pathetic," the Turtonator scoffed. "You kids just don't get it. This is war. Survival of the fittest and all that. There's no time for weakness and compassion. It's kill or be killed. If can't figure that out, you have no place in this war."
The soldier's beady eyes shifted to a stoic Stride. "Ask you friend over there. He knows what war means. You've seen what it does to Pokémon and, well, I guess we can't really count humans anymore now can we?"
Stride's eyes narrowed, his hands clenching and unclenching. The soldier saw this and grinned unrepentantly. "Struck a nerve, did I? Well, what are you going to do about it? Kill me? Go ahead. Show these kids—ERK!" The Turtonator's words were forcibly cut off as a small bolt of electricity struck him. Already severely damaged, the soldier gave a final cry before slumping back into unconsciousness.
Stunned, Stride and Furno turned towards the Galvantula who shakily stood next to his partner. "We're even," the EleSpider Pokémon said, staring directly at Furno.
With the electric-bug type's piece said, the Flygon stepped forward. Stride immediately tensed, summoning a blade of dark type energy into his hand. The ground-dragon type paused, sending the Ninja Pokémon a tired glare. "It's done," she said. "We've already lost."
The Flygon turned away from Stride and continued to walk forward until she reached the Turtonator. With a loud grunt, she hoisted her fellow dragon type off of the ground, slinging his arm around her neck.
"Like I said, we're even," the Galvantula said as the Flygon lumbered over to him with their unconscious ally. "Let's all just walk away."
"Do you honestly expect me to believe that you'll just leave?" Stride questioned, not dropping his guard for a second.
"Believe what you want. I personally don't care," the Galvantula replied with a sneer. "Neither of us are in any state to continue this fight and I personally don't want to fight…that again." The soldier pointed a leg towards a still catatonic Zero.
Furno immediately bristled. "Watch what you say about him!" he snapped.
The soldier's eyes moved back over towards the Monferno, his gaze softening ever so slightly. "I meant what I said kid; you don't want any part of this war. Get out while you can."
Furno felt his throat become dry, but he met the soldier's gaze. "And I told you before, I never had the choice."
The soldier stared at the Monferno for several moments before giving a solemn nod. He then turned to the Flygon. "Come on. Let's leave before he wakes up." The Mystic Pokémon nods and begins to walk towards the tree line. The EleSpider took several steps after her, before turning back to the Resistance members. "Pray we don't meet again."
With that, the three soldiers disappear into the forest, leaving Stride and Furno alone in the clearing with a borderline unresponsive Zero.