Chapter 31
The Collapse
The scene that welcomed Furno upon reaching the next floor was one of ruin. The market floor was in complete disarray. The various stalls and booths that had once lined the floor's main thoroughfare were wrecked; hardly more than splinters strewn across the ground and continued down the intersecting paths of the floor. The various wares and fruits that they once held lay smashed and broken among the rubble.
From where he stood, Furno could just faintly detect the sharp acrid smell of smoke. He couldn't see it from the top of the stairs, but Furno was positive that a fire had started further within the floor. If that fire was left unchecked, it would spread throughout the division.
However, the destruction wasn't the worst part of it all.
Furno took a single step and nearly tripped over the body of a Nidoking. The fire-fighting type looked down and immediately gagged. He stumbled back and nearly fell back down the stairs had he not caught himself. He spun around, unable to look at Nidoking's still form any longer. His heart raced; his breathing shallow.
After several moments, sucking in a sharp breath, Furno forcibly settled the writhing in his stomach. He turned back around and looked at the Nidoking. To his relief, the Drill Pokémon appeared to be only unconscious. Heavily injured and breathing raggedly, but alive nonetheless. Relieved, Furno moved to help them only to pause upon seeing a familiar ban wrapped around the arm.
The bronze shield and sword stared coldly back at Furno. The Nidoking was a soldier.
Instinctively, Furno stepped back, only to remember that the poison-ground type was unconscious. It was at that moment, Furno's eyes traveled past the Nidoking into the floor. Various Pokémon, soldiers and resistance members alike, lay sprawled across the ground, some visibly struggling to move, some not at all.
A nauseating wave crashed down upon the Monferno once more as he stared out across the floor. Flashes of the moments where he and his team walked this path, animatedly talking with one another as they looked over the various goods that lined the stalls. As quick as they came, they were gone. Burned away and left in shambles.
Furno clamped his hand over his mouth as he felt bile burn in his throat. He swayed slightly and braced himself against the wall. He shook his head in a futile attempt to push out the image of his tarnished memory, but it remained stubbornly on the forefront of his mind.
All at once, the sound seemed to rush back for Furno. The sounds of fighting that Furno hadn't even realized had been drowned out by his own wallowing flooded back to a near blaring degree. Shouts and screamed echoed horribly throughout the entire floor, and perhaps from the floor above as well. There were flashes of light as well as the telltale glow of fire in the distance.
For several moments, Furno just stared and took in the sounds of chaos and the sight of his home's destruction. For a brief moment, Furno closed his eyes and opened them. He wasn't sure why, maybe some childish part of him thought that, if he closed his eyes, everything would return to the way things were, but it was a fool's dream. He wanted to run. He wanted to run far away from this hell. To hide himself away and never come back out, but…
"I can't leave Zero," he mumbled aloud. As he spoke, he savagely bit his own tongue, the pain snapping through the near suffocating fear. With a hiss of pain, Furno's gaze focused ahead once more.
He began to run into the ruined marketplace, taking care to keep close to the buildings for cover. As he went, he wasn't oblivious to the bodies, in fact he recognized several of those laying at his feet, but he didn't have the time to stop. As much as it pained him, he needed to grab Zero and get both of them out before it was too late. He didn't have time to stop and help everyone he came across.
Just as Furno was just about to round the first corner, something barreled straight into him. Unprepared, Furno was sent crashing to the ground, whatever hit him lying on top of him. Slightly dazed, Furno's vision slowly returned to him in time to meet the eyes of a Heliolisk. The two stared at one another, both too stunned to do much of anything else.
The Heliolisk was clearly injured if his various cuts and bruises were anything to go by. His blue eyes were blown wide with fear and desperation. Slowly, Furno's eyes traveled down to the electric-normal type's arm, immediately noting the strip of black cloth that stood out against the Generator Pokémon's arm.
Throat suddenly dry, Furno's gaze returned to the soldier's face in time to see the Heliolisk's return from having looked at Furno's own arm. In the next second, Furno wasn't certain who moved first. The soldier's frill began to raise, electricity beginning to arc across his body, but before he could attack, Furno struck at the same moment.
In a blink, Furno buried a Mach Punch into the soldier's stomach. With a pained gasp, the electricity the Heliolisk was generating dissipated with a feeble spark. The soldier fell off of Furno, allowing him to jump to his feet. Flames immediately began to lick the inside of Furno's mouth, only to die at the expression on the soldier's face.
Sheer terror was etched across their face. Their young face. Arceus, they looked to be Furno's age. For a brief moment, Furno wasn't staring at a Heliolisk, but himself. A mirror image of himself with that cursed band on his arm. An image of what could have been if he hadn't encountered Stride.
Furno was brought back to reality at the Heliolisk's loud shout. Steel rolled over the soldier's blatant terror, as he lunged to his feet. Not even attempting to use a move, the soldier leapt at Furno with reckless abandon. In an instant, the fire returned and Furno unleashed a vicious burst of flame that consumed the soldier before he could reach the Monferno.
The Heliolisk gave a cry of pain before crumbling to the ground. A stab of guilt speared Furno's chest as he watched the soldier fall. With a grimace he turned away and ran further into the market, trying desperately to get the soldier's pitiful whimpers out of his mind.
Furno ducked around the corner and immediately pressed himself against the wall as a blast of energy shot past him, exploding behind him as it made contact with something behind him. Ahead of him, Furno could see several resistance members trying desperately to push back a group of soldiers. They appeared to be doing well, or at the very least they were holding their ground. Furno recognized I'zer and several other members of his team in the middle of the fray, shouting out orders to those around in a futile attempt at trying to push back the encroaching soldiers.
Furno paused for a moment, desperately wishing to stop and help, but, once more, he did not. He frantically looked around the ruined landscape for any sign of Zero, but saw nothing.
He internally cursed as all he could see was ruined stalls and signs of combat. The current floor Furno resided on, while not as expansive as the residential floors, was still very large. Roughly 100,000 square feet or so. That said, judging by the sounds of combat around him, that area was quickly shrinking. If he didn't find Zero soon, he would have no choice but to fight.
As this thought crossed his mind, a shrill cry met his ears.
"Help me!"
After over a full year of plunging into mystery dungeons and rescuing Pokémon from their depths, those two simple words could always cut through even the sound of intense combat. Without any conscious thought, Furno turned in the direction of the cry and immediately began moving towards it. Before the Monferno got his wits about him, he had already begun to run in the opposite direction.
"I don't have time," he mumbled to himself, hating the fact that he was about to turn away from someone calling for help.
"Someone!" The voice was closer, just a few feet away, yet…
"I don't have time…" Furno repeated through clenched teeth. He was about to continue searching when a familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"Get away from them!"
Immediately, Furno spun around and ran towards where he heard the voices. He leapt over a heap of charred debris in time to see Zero striking a Bisharp before it could attack one of the purple Kecleon brother.
Relief flooded through the Monferno at the sight of his friend. He appeared to have a few scratches covering his body, but aside from that, he appeared to be in perfect health. Not only that, but Furno also noticed that the silver glow had left his leader's eyes, leaving his normal blood red orbs in their place.
"You little brat!" the Bisharp snarled angrily as he fell to the ground. His armored head had a sizable dent from where the Riolu had struck him and he appeared slightly dazed, but his anger seemed to override this. Slowly, the Bisharp began to rise to his feet, clearly intent on trying to attack again. However, before he could, Furno had already crashed into him with a Flame Wheel.
The soldier never had the chance to even cry out in surprise.
"Furno!" Zero gasped in surprised.
Getting up from atop the unconscious soldier, Furno glared at the Riolu. "Zero…" he growled, angrily stomping over to the Riolu. Zero gave a startled yelp as Furno grabbed him by the fur on his chest. "What the hell is your problem?!"
"Wh-What do you—" Zero cried out as he was shaken roughly by the fire-fighting type.
"What were you thinking running off like that?!" Furno demanded. "We're under attack! Now's not the time to be playing the hero!"
Zero's expression shifted from shocked to determined in an instant. "We can't just stand by and let them destroy the division! This is our home, Furno!"
A growl emanated from the Monferno, unwanted memories of his family flashing through his mind. "Don't you think I know that?!" he snarled, "but what good's a home if we aren't alive to live in it?!"
"So what? You want to run away?!" Zero demanded, slapping away Furno's hands in his anger. He sneered at the Monferno. "I thought you joined the Resistance to help other Pokémon!"
Furno's eyes flashed in anger. He opened his mouth to snap at the former human, only to pause. The slight tremor to his form. His shallow and rapid breathing. The look in his eye Furno had taken as steely determination wavered with self-doubt and conflicted guilt. Zero was hardly holding himself together.
"Th-Thank you!" the Kecleon that Zero had rescued piped up from behind them. Both young resistance members turned to the off-colored Pokémon who had tears of relief in their eyes. He had a few small scrapes and bruises, but it appeared that Zero had stopped the Bisharp from inflicting any lasting damage.
"Thank you so much!" the Kecleon repeated. "My brother already evacuated, but I went back for a few of our wares, but…" An explosion, followed by a pained scream filled the air. "…it appears that was a rather poor choice on my part."
"Of course it was!" Furno erupted, anger returning and now being directed towards the normal type. "What the hell made you think coming up here was a good idea?!"
The Kecleon took a step back, a small glimmer of fear sparking within his beady black eyes. However, this emotion was soon replaced by righteous indignation. "I'll have you know, that shop my brother and I have is our livelihood! Our entire life. The wares we sold were not just for the benefit of the Resistance, but they supported my brother and I for years."
His expression dimmed. "We could never sell our wares under the Emperor. Everything. Every item, every piece of fruit, was all monitored. If they didn't like the seller, then would never be able to make their life that way. For Pokémon like me and brother…" The Kecleon trailed off.
Furno's anger flickered out as quickly as it came. It wasn't only resistance members that had lost their lives in this attack…
"I'll…I'll go," the Kecleon said after several moments. "It's like you said, what's the use of goods if I can't sell them." He gave a mirthless chuckle and began to walk down the path Furno had taken to reach them. He paused and gave a final look towards the two young Pokémon.
"You two best leave as well. This place is far too dangerous for children," he said. With that, his form seemed to shimmer before fading away, leaving an almost comical red zigzag floating in the empty air.
Once the Kecleon was out of sight, Furno turned back to Zero. "We should follow him," he said. "Things are getting heated up here. If we stay too long, we'll get caught up in this mess."
"No!" Zero denied immediately. "We can't just leave everyone!"
"There's nothing we can do!" Furno shouted, mentally exhausted from how his emotions seemed to be in an eternal tug-of-war. "We're outnumbered and outclassed. All we'd do is get in the way!"
"I can't just do nothing!" Zero shouted desperately. Anger flashed in his eyes, but also guilt. "I can't stand around and let everyone suffer because of me!"
Furno stepped back, eyes wide in shock. This, however, only lasted for a moment before Furno's eyes narrowed. "How the hell is any of this your fault?!"
Before Zero could answer, a cruel laugh cut him off. "You should really pay more attention to your surroundings!"
Both Pokémon spun around in time to see a Scyther descending upon them with a cruel smirk. Their sharp sickles glinted dangerously; poised to strike at their necks. The black band standing out starkly on their green chiton.
Furno's heart leapt to his throat. He inwardly cursed himself. He had been so caught up in arguing with Zero that he had forgotten one of the first things he learned about combat. Always be mindful of your surroundings.
Neither he nor Zero could move. They were both frozen in shock and fear. The soldier had gotten too close for them to do anything to counter the soldier's attack. The only thing they could do was brace themselves for the impending attack.
The soldier seemed to realize this as their grin widened. As if time itself seemed to stall, the two founding members of Team Dawn Breaker could only watch in mounting horror as the Scyther drew back their sickles for their attack. Just as the bug was about to reach the duo, they were shot out of the sky by a high-powered stream of water.
With a garbled shriek, the soldier was jettisoned through the air, smashing into one of the few remaining stalls. The soldier collapsed to the ground with a pained groan and, before they could get up, was buried under several pounds of broken wood and debris as the structure caved in on itself.
"What the hell are you two doing here?!" Stride demanded as he stomped over towards the shellshocked duo.
"Stride!" Furno exclaimed, relief flooding through him. That relief was short-lived as Stride leveled him with a glare.
"Why are you two up here?!" he demanded. "Why haven't you two evacuated?!"
Furno opened his mouth to answer before closing it just as fast. He tried desperately not to look at Zero, not wanting to get the former human in trouble, but Stride seemed to notice anyway. The Greninja's hard gaze shifted to the Riolu, who stared back defiantly.
"I can't just stand around and run when we're being attacked!" Zero defended.
Stride growled something unintelligible under his breath. "I don't have time for this," he said loud enough for them to hear. He lunged forward and grabbed Zero's arm and, before the Riolu could react, began dragging Zero away. "I'm getting you two out of here!"
"No!" Zero struggled against the Greninja's iron grip. "I can't just leave!"
"You can and you will," Stride growled, not bothering to look back at the Riolu he was dragging behind him like a child throwing a tantrum.
Furno had to jog to catch up as Stride was dragging/carrying his friend away. On any normal occasion, Furno would be defending Zero, but he was secretly relieved with Stride's approach.
"Let go!" Zero continued to struggle. "I can't leave everyone!"
"Zero, it is far too dangerous for you to be here!" Stride snapped. "If anyone were to realize who you were, you'd be captured or killed on the spot! We can't risk that! You're far too valuable!"
Stride's words fell upon deaf as Zero viciously bit the Greninja's hand. Stride grunted in pain, reflexively letting go of the Riolu to pull his hand to his chest. Zero immediately tried to turn tail and run back into the fray, but was quickly caught by Furno before he could get too far. "Let me go!"
"Zero, it's too dangerous!" Furno tried to reason with his friend.
"I don' care! I have to do something!" Zero argued, struggling within Furno's grip.
"Dammit, Zero!" Furno growled. "There's nothing you can do! Even if you were able to control the Silver Soul, you still wouldn't be able to push back all of these soldiers!"
"But I have to try!" Zero said, almost brokenly. "They're here because of me. They only attacked because they knew that I was here!"
"We don't know that for sure!" Furno argued, but Zero just shook his head.
"Roman told them. He had to have," Zero said. "The soldiers are here to get to me. The Latios Division is being destroyed because of me!"
"Roman betrayed us?" Stride whispered, but Furno and Zero ignored.
Slowly, Zero stopped fighting Furno and practically slumped in the fire-fighting type's hold. "This is all happening because of me," he whispered as if coming to a sudden realization. His eyes shifted back and forth, stopping at each ruined store and unmoving body on the ground. Around them, the sounds of fighting continued to get closer with each passing second.
Zero began to tremble, his head bowed and his eyes unfocused. "Roman was right, I've become a liability and the Latios Division is paying for."
Concern burned within Furno as he stared at his trembling friend. "Zero…?"
"Maybe they'd leave if I give myself up," Zero said suddenly.
"You can't do that!" Stride shouted in alarm before Furno could even process what Zero had even said.
"They're just here for me," Zero continued, appearing to not have heard Stride. "If I give myself, maybe they'd leave everyone else alone…"
It hurt Furno to hear the desperate hope in the Riolu's voice. As if he truly believed that everything would return to the way things were if he were to give himself up. The Riolu finally looked up, red eyes unfocused yet somehow staring through Furno's very being.
"It'd work, right?" he asked, a small, almost maniacal smile crossing his face. "If I were to sacrifice myself, everyone would be okay, right?"
Furno felt as if a someone was suddenly gripping his throat. He met Zero's desperate gaze with one of horror.
"That'd work…right?" Zero asked, desperate for validation. "If I give myself up, they'd have no need to keep attacking! Everyone would be safe!"
Furno felt physically sick at the mere thought of handing over the former human over to the soldiers, but Zero seemed so convinced…so determined to save everyone. Even at the cost of his own life. How could they—
There was a flash of movement, the dull sound of flesh impacting against flesh, and Zero suddenly fully slumped into Furno's grip.
"Zero!" Furno shouted in alarm. He dropped to his knees from the Riolu's sudden dead weight. From a quick glance, Furno assessed that the Riolu was only unconscious. Looking up, Furno's eyes widened at Zero's attacker. "Stride?!"
Stride looked down at the two of them with an unreadable expression on his face. "We don't have any time to waste," he said coolly. He reached down and grabbed Zero's limp wrist. Before Furno could react, Stride slung the unconscious Riolu over his shoulder and started walking away.
"H-Hold on!" Furno shouted, scrambling to his feet. He rushed to catch up with the Greninja and grabbed the arm that wasn't holding Zero. "What the hell was that?!"
"I told you, there isn't any time," Stride replied, roughly tugging his arm free of Furno's grasp before continuing on his way.
"I get that!" Furno growled, storming after the Ninja Pokémon. "But did you have to knock him out like that?!"
Stride sighed, but didn't stop walking. "I didn't realize what was happening until he had already fallen too far," he said.
"Huh?" Furno asked, feeling completely lost.
"Zero is a Riolu…" Stride said as if it explained everything.
"Obviously," Furno muttered.
"…and Riolu are incredibly sensitive to emotions," Stride continued, sending a brief glare towards Furno. "He is incredibly vulnerable to strong concentrations of emotions. Normally, Riolu are able to muffle outside emotions so that they aren't crippling, but when they themselves are experiencing intense emotion…"
"They lose control," Furno finished with wide eyes. He looked at his friend, noting that, even unconscious, Zero appeared restless, shifting in Stride's hold as if he were having a nightmare.
"Exactly," Stride said grimly. "Which is why he needs to get out of here."
Furno swallowed dryly. He was broken from his revere as the entire floor shook violently, nearly sending Furno to his knees. An ensuing explosion erupted just a few feet from the Monferno's left, issuing a strong enough shockwave to send a billowing cloud of dust over him.
Furno covered his eyes as to not get blinded and grit his teeth. With how things were going, Furno was surprised that the market floor was still standing at this point. Furno flinched as a pang of guilt struck him. Unable to help himself, Furno looked around. The fires had progressed further, the tips of their flames caressing the stone roof. Shouts of triumph that Furno was certain didn't belong to the Latios Division's members began to call out over the screams and fearful screams that had filled the air.
"Come on, Furno!" Stride snapped, causing Furno to jolt.
"R-Right!" Furno replied, rushing to catch up.
By the time Furno had caught up with the water-dark type, Stride had already reached the descending staircase. "With luck, we'll be able to escape the division before the soldiers are able to reach the next floor," Stride said as soon as Furno reached him.
"What will…what will happen to everyone else?" Furno asked timidly, fearful of the answer.
"Exactly what you think will," Stride replied curtly, either not noticing or ignoring Furno's flinch. "Those fighting are doing so to give others a chance to escape. They are aware of the risk."
He was right, Furno did know what would happen. If the Groudon Division was anything to go by then…
Furno shook his head before his thoughts could darken further. His only hope was that the rest of his team had been evacuated in time. If they hadn't…they were already lost.
The young Monferno did his best to ignore everything going on around him as he hurried after Stride. It wasn't as hard as Furno thought it would be. Everything was muffled to him. Every scream began to fade. The occasional explosion quieted down to a dull rumble. The burning ruins of the market place blurred to an indecipherable mess of colors and movement. The only thing Furno could focus on was his own twisting thoughts. He was so out of it that he nearly crashed into Stride as the Greninja stopped moving.
Blinking, the world coming back into focus, Furno glanced up at Stride in confusion. His mouth opened to question why they were stopping only for a chilling voice to cut him off.
"I'm afraid I can't let you go any further, Stride."
The fear and horror that Furno felt when he first reached the market floor, the sickening terror that nearly sent him running paled in comparison with what he felt in that moment. Standing just a handful of feet away from them, just in front of the stairs, was a Pokémon Furno wished he would never encounter again. Before them, stood Aster.
The Gallade stood across from them in a deceptively lax manner. His arms were crossed over his chest and he held a rather smug smirk on his face, as if he was amused by something. All in all, he appeared rather relaxed and unconcerned, a sentiment that was heavily contrasted with the cold look that the Blade Pokémon held in their eyes.
Furno felt his heart stutter violently in his chest. After everything that had happened since he last saw his parents (when they sold him out), Furno had been all too happy to forget this particular soldier. He'd thought-no, he hoped that, after escaping the soldiers' clutches, he would never have the misfortune of seeing the Gallade again, but he should have known it was wishful thinking.
The Gallade caught Furno's gaze and his smirk widened. Furno tensed, his mind screaming at him to run, but he found that he was unable to move. His body refused to so much as twitch; rooted on the spot by the Gallade's gaze alone. He was smiling, but the look in the soldier's eyes promised nothing but pain and punishment for Furno even having the audacity of defying him. He wouldn't Furno, no, but he would make the Playful Pokémon suffer.
Finally, the Gallade looked away, and Furno suddenly found himself able to breath again. It had only lasted a moment, but, to Furno, it felt like so much longer. While Furno was still gasping for breath, Aster addressed Stride.
"I was hoping I'd run in to you. I was beginning to think that you'd already met your end at the hands of one of my comrades." Aster gave a nonchalant shrug and chuckled. "Lucky me."
The way the Gallade spoke made it seem like he was talking about the weather rather than someone's death. Furno couldn't even begin to hide the shivers that traveled down his back.
"Furno," Stride suddenly spoke, nearly causing the Playful Pokémon to jump. Next to him, Stride was slowly beginning to crouch down, carefully shifting Zero off of his shoulder. Furno blinked in confusion as Stride all but dropped Zero in his arms.
"Stride?"
"Take Zero and run," Stride said, his eyes never leaving Aster.
"What?!" Furno exclaimed, convinced that he had misheard the Greninja. "You can't be—"
"Furno!" Furno's mouth snapped shut at the harshness in Stride's voice. "Don't argue. You need to get Zero out of here. That is your only objective. Is that clear?"
Furno swallowed, his mouth suddenly bone dry. Hardly even realizing it, he found himself nodding his head.
"Bold of you to assume I'd let them pass," Aster commented, almost offhandedly had it not been for the dangerous edge in his voice.
With Zero fully in Furno's arms, Stride rose to his full height and glared at the Gallade. "We both know that you're here for me, not them," Stride replied coldly.
Aster chuckled, but the mirth didn't reach his eyes. Slowly, the Gallade uncrossed his arms and straightened up. "I suppose your right." His gaze shifted to Furno once more, causing the fire-fighting type to freeze. Run along, little hatchling. You'll be caught soon enough."
Furno narrowed his eyes at the psychic-fighting type, but no words left him. Seeing this, Aster snorted derisively and returned his attention to Stride. He shifted slightly to the side, leaving a path to the stairs. Even so, Furno hesitated to move.
"Go, Furno," Stride said.
Furno glanced up at Stride, opening his mouth to speak, but, once more, no sound left his mouth. He wanted to ask for reassurance, for Stride to alleviate his fears like he used to back when he and Zero first joined. For Stride to offer his support and ensure that both he and Zero would be alright, but he couldn't.
As if feeling his gaze, Stride looked down at Furno and offered a clearly forced smile. "Don't worry. I'll catch up with you shortly."
Weakly, Furno nodded, shifting Zero so that the Riolu's arm was draped over his shoulder and slowly began to walk towards the stairs. As he passed by Aster, Furno couldn't help step lightly, preparing to either run or defend himself if the Gallade so much as twitched. However, the Gallade didn't even spare him a single glance. Furno made it to the stairs and couldn't help but send a final furtive glance over his shoulder towards Stride. The Greninja remained where he was, staring down the Gallade without fear.
Some of the tension left Furno at the sight. At Stride's confidence. He would be fine. With that final thought, Furno turned and rushed down the stairs as quickly as he could.
-Resistance-
"You can drop the façade now. Your little followers are gone," Aster drawled.
Stride didn't respond. He simply continued to stand where he was. Arms hanging loosely at his sides. Seemingly uncaring of what was happening around him. To an outsider, the Greninja would appear nonchalant had it not been for the steely look in his eyes.
To the two Pokémon, everything around them had faded. Neither of them could hear the relentless sounds of combat and pain that echoed around them. Nor could they feel the rough tremors than began to increase in frequency. To them, the only thing that mattered to either of them, was the Pokémon standing in front of them.
Unperturbed by the Ninja Pokémon lack of response, Aster continued to speak. "You know, Stride. I was hoping I'd run into you today," he said. "I knew the chances were slim, we have well over one hundred soldiers with us, after all. It was only a mere whim that led me to this spot. I guess you could call it fate."
Stride continued to remain silent.
"Fate," Aster repeated, sounding almost wistful. "It's led us to this very moment. All this time, it's been my fate to right the wrong that you've created. To exact revenge for your betrayal!"
The Gallade chuckled darkly, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Bloody red eyes then snapped to Stride. "What do you think, Stride?"
Silence greeted the Blade Pokémon's question. The Greninja continued to stare in a blasé manner, unwilling to play whatever game the soldier was playing. Stride's continued silence seemed to irk the soldier.
"What? Nothing to say?" Aster questioned, unable to keep the annoyance from his voice. "And how I enjoyed our little talks! Come on Stride, this could be your last chance to speak your mind! Tell me what you're thinking!"
When Stride continued his silence, Aster grew angry. A light blue ring enveloped his eyes and the very air around him seemed to vibrate in rhythm to his body's trembling. Stride tensed; legs bending ever so slightly and his arms coming up to defend himself. Aster's body tensed, coiled like a spring and ready to lunge at any moment. However, he never did.
All at once, his trembling stopped. The psychic glow in his eyes faded and the air became still. The look of rage on the soldier's face receded, replaced by the cold aloofness from before. "Just like you to bring out the worst in me," Aster said coolly. "You always could get under my skin like no one else."
A dark grin broke through the Gallade's aloof façade; hate and disgust spewing from his gaze. "Then again, I have nothing but contempt for traitors like you."
He glared at Stride and the Greninja could feel a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face. "And yet you still won't talk!" Aster shouted angrily, though he quickly composed himself. He stared at the unresponsive Stride for several moments, before he grinned darkly at the water-dark type.
"You know, Stride…we given explicit instructions to obtain the wielder of the Silver Soul by any means necessary, so long as he is alive to face the Emperor. I could simply knock out the little Riolu, but, as I'm sure you know, both he and his teammate have quite the knack for escaping. I might just have to…ensure that they can't escape."
If possible, the tense air surrounding the two of them intensified. Stride's heart stuttered for a brief moment as fear shot through him. Followed closely by protective anger.
"That seemed to get a rise out of you!" Aster grinned, noting the change in the Greninja. "Don't worry though. Like I said, the Emperor wants the Silver Soul wielder alive. I'll just break his arms and legs so he can't run away. Maybe, if he's cooperative, I won't leave any lasting damage."
The soldier laughed cruelly, even as Stride's glare intensified. Stride's hand twitched violently as if itching to wrap itself around psychic-fighting type's throat. This only seemed to humor Aster as his laughter continued. "What's wrong, Stride?" Aster questioned mockingly. "Afraid for your student? Or, is that you remember something else? Perhaps you're remembering someone else I crippled?"
Stride's blood went cold.
"Now what was her name again? Aster asked aloud, tapping his chin exaggeratedly. "You know her, right? That Combusken from all those years ago."
Stride snapped at that.
In an instant, Stride had closed the distance between the two of them. He spawned a blade of dark energy in his hand and brought it down towards the Gallade's exposed neck. The Night Slash would have met its mark had Aster not been as fast as he was.
Just as quickly as Stride, Aster raised his own arm to meet Stride's attack; bright, earthy green energy swirling along the appendage. A resounding clang echoed as the Night Slash and Leaf Blade clashed, purple and green energy sparked between them.
"You won't touch him!" Stride growled, his eyes burning with hatred. Gritting his teeth, he continued to push at Aster's arm, going as far as grabbing his blade with both hands, but the Gallade's grin never faltered.
"Oh, so now you talk!" Aster goaded; his grin manic. "It just took a little incentive!"
In a single bout of strength, the force behind Aster's attack almost doubled. Surprised, Stride was thrown back as the Gallade swung his arm out. Stride stumbled back, caught off balance. He braced himself for Aster's follow up attack, but it never came.
"Is that truly the best you can do?" Aster jeered. "After last we fought, I would have thought you'd have gotten stronger, but you're still the same weak Frogadier from before!"
The Gallade scoffed; sneering at Stride's crouched form with obvious disgust. "To think I looked up to you."
"Sorry to disappoint!" Stride spat, dismissing his Night Slash with a flick of his wrists. Water was suddenly pooled from the air, swirling around to form match disks of rapidly rotating water in his hands. "Allow me to rectify that!" he shouted, hurling the two Water Shuriken at Aster.
"I doubt you can!" Aster shouted back, nimbly avoiding the projectiles. "You've been nothing but a disappointment since I met you!"
Stride growled in anger. Water swirled around him as he crossed his arms over his chest. With a shout, the Greninja swung his arm apart, the water having condensed into dozens of Water Shuriken, smaller than the previous two, but much more numerous.
Unfazed, Aster once more channeled grass type energy into his arms and made quick work of the slew of attacks. "When I first joined the army, all I heard about were the great exploits of Stride!" Aster groused. "How he bravely infiltrated the last human settlement, going deep into enemy territory for the sake of the Emperor!"
"Shut up!" Stride roared, throwing more and more Water Shuriken.
"How you risked your life to see to the end of the human race!" Aster continued as he faced down the cloud of projectiles, seemingly without care. The green glow faded from the Gallade's arms, replaced by a light purple light. Swing his arms, Aster hurled two crescent-like blades of purple energy at the attacks.
The two Psycho Cuts met the wall of Water Shuriken, exploding on contact. Smoke and steam billowed out from between the opposing attacks, clouding the immediate area. Before the cloud even had the chance to dissipate, Stride burst through the smoke, lunging at Aster with both feet extended towards the soldier.
Without so much as a flinch, Aster crossed his arms in front of him. With a grunt, Aster blocked the attack, skidding back several feet from the Greninja's kick. "I expected a stalwart and devout supported of Lyore! Someone who would gladly give his life for the Empire and its Pokémon, and yet all I see before me is a coward and a turncoat!" Aster yelled.
"I would gladly give my life for the sake of Lyore!" Stride shouted, unable to help himself.
"Yet you are dead set on destroying everything!" Aster shouted, rocketing towards the Greninja at startling speeds.
Stride leapt to the side to avoid Aster's initial punch. Undeterred, the Gallade pursued the Greninja, throwing a relentless barrage of punches and kicks at the water-dark type. "You and your rebel friends have done nothing but destroy the very essence of this continent!" Aster shouted in between attacks. "You've caused nothing but fear, pain, and strife for everyone in the Empire! You need to be stopped!"
Stride grit his teeth as he continuously dodged, blocked, or deflected the onslaught of attacks from the soldier. "We're saving Lyore from the Emperor!"
"By sending the continent into a state of fear and panic?!" Aster demanded incredulously. "Have you even thought about how your selfish decisions have effected the rest of the world."
"There's nothing selfish about any of this!" Stride argued. "The Emperor has tortured this continent for years! Thousands have died because of his laws and countless others have suffered greatly! The Resistance exists to free this continent from his tyranny!"
"The only tyranny that has been instilled is that which your Resistance has created!
"And the deaths?!"
"Necessary losses to preserve the peace the Emperor has created!"
"You're delusional! How can you justify the deaths of thousands?!" Stride demanded. "How can you stand there and say that what the Emperor has done was necessary?! Tell me, how was the genocide of the human race necessary for the good of Lyore?!"
"They were a threat to the security of the Lyore and the safety of its Pokémon!"
"They were a race of beings like any other Pokémon!" Stride roared as he was finally able to land a hit on the Gallade, halting the psychic-fighting type's assault. "They lived with us side-by-side for centuries and suddenly they were a threat?! Tauros shit!"
Aster growled and tried to strike Stride with a Leaf Blade, but he was too slow. The Greninja dodged the attack and retaliated with a swift strike to the Gallade's sternum, his webbed hands taking on an emerald green sheen. As Aster stumbled, Stride pressed his attack, striking the Gallade again and again, his Fury Cutter attack growing stronger with each consecutive attack.
"The only one they were a threat to was the Emperor because they could see the evil in his heart!" Stride shouted. "They knew what he would do to Lyore if he came into power so they opposed him. That is the only reason they were labeled as a threat! Can't you see that the Resistance exists to save everyone from the Emperor?!"
"Has it ever occurred to you that we don't want to be saved?!" Aster yelled. In a sudden eruption of movement, the Gallade slapped the Greninja's hands to the side before delivering a swift but strong strike to his stomach.
Stride gasped; the air being violently ejected from his body as he stumbled back, arms instinctively moving to cradle his stomach. Momentarily stunned, the Greninja was then kicked across his temple and sent sprawling to the ground with a groan.
"You never thought for a moment that this was the life that we wanted," Aster said, glaring hatefully at the Greninja. "You and those self-righteous fools that call themselves the Resistance are so deadest on overthrowing the Emperor that you never even considered that we, the denizens of Lyore, wanted a different life than the one the humans wished to impose on us! That we would prefer the safety and security offered by the Emperor rather than lawless anarchy you and your precious humans wished to instill!"
"You're wrong," Stride coughed, slowly stumbling to his feet. "I've Pokémon from all over this continent and I've seen the devastation that the Emperor has left in his wake. I believe, no, I know that this isn't the life the Pokémon of Lyore choose. Call us whatever you want. Traitors. Turncoats. Terrorists. It doesn't matter. No matter what, we will keep fighting until Lyore is free!"
Aster stared at Stride, appearing to have been taken aback by the Greninja's proclamation. This shock soon turned to anger as an ugly sneer spread across Aster's face. The Gallade's body suddenly became tense before he shot forward. Fighting type energy swirled around his fist as he seemingly appeared in the air before the Greninja. Arm up for an overhanded punch, Aster swung downward with all his might towards the Greninja's head. "Then die with your dream!" he shouted.
Punch speeding towards him, Stride nimbly shifted, practically spinning on one foot to avoid the furious punch. With all of his weight having been thrown into the attack, Aster's fist continued its movement and smashed into the ground, the hardened stone cracking under the strike. Aster shifted his weight back, preparing to straighten and continue his attack, but before he could, Stride struck.
Momentum having been built up from his spin, the Greninja spun back around and struck the Gallade across the back with a Fury Cutter, pitching the Gallade forward and causing him to fall. Reactions honed from years of combat gave Aster enough sense to turn his fall into a controlled roll. Jumping to his feet, Aster turned to engage Stride only for said Greninja to already be sailing towards him, feet extended for a drop kick.
Unprepared for the attack, the Greninja's Bounce slammed into Aster chest unhindered, sending the Gallade back to the ground while Stride gracefully kicked off of him and landed several yards away. However, Stride was far from done. The moment his feet touched the ground, the Ninja Pokémon kicked off, racing towards the soldier as he once more struggled to stand.
"No matter how many times you knock us down. No matter how many of us fall, the Resistance will live on until Lyore is safe once more!" Stride shouted as he ran. Hands came together and another blade of dark energy formed, this one an imposing three feet in length. With a wordless battle cry, Stride swung his blade, scoring a direct hit across the Gallade's chest.
Aster cried out in pain, arcs of dark purple energy clinging to his body as he stumbled away from Stride. Not willing to let Aster escaped, Stride pursued the Gallade. With masterful swings of his blade, Stride delivered cut after cut across the soldier's body, each one leaving a slew of painful arcs of dark energy dancing across the Gallade's body. Finally, after what must have been the sixth strike, the Blade Pokémon seemed to catch his wits and countered. With a swift and unexpected move, Aster struck Stride's hands with a Leaf Blade, forcing the Greninja to relinquish his hold on his summoned weapon.
Stride winced in pain, but did not flinch away. Even as Aster twisted his body and moved to attack Stride directly with the super-effective attack. Just as the Leaf Blade was about to make contact, Stride brought his hands in front of his body and sent out a massive burst of pressurized water. Aster cried out as he was swept up in the powerful Hydro Pump and carried several yards away until he smashed into the wall next to the descending stairway with a crack.
Stride kept up his attack for several moments before cutting it off and allowed the Gallade to slump to the ground. Stride staggered in place, his adrenaline slowly fading as fatigue began to settle. Breaths coming out in ragged pants, Stride didn't allow his gaze to falter from the soldier across from him.
Aster, for his part, looked worse for wear. Covered in numerous cuts and bruises ad completely drenched, the Blade Pokémon didn't appear to be much of a threat at the moment, but the murderous look in his eye said something entirely different. With no small amount of effort, Aster pushed himself to his feet, using the wall to steady himself. His glare held nothing but the deepest contempt that he could muster. Even though it was lacking due to his weakened appearance, Stride couldn't help but shudder under the weight of the soldier's gaze.
No matter how weakened he was, Aster was an incredibly dangerous opponent. That being said, this would be the perfect time for Stride to finish the Gallade off for good. However…
For a brief moment, Stride's gaze shifted to the staircase where he had sent Furno several minutes earlier. After a moment of deliberation, Stride's eyes shifted back to the struggling soldier. "It's over, Aster. I've won this battle. Leave."
Aster blinked, genuinely caught off guard. This only lasted for a second before enraged indigence flashed across his face. "Leave? You expect me to leave?!"
"You can't fight anymore and I have better things to be doing than wasting time with you," Stride responded coldly. He took several steps forward, determined to walk past the Gallade and catch up with Furno, only for Aster to suddenly push off the wall and stand in front of him. "Get out of my way."
"Wasting time?" Aster questioned deliriously. "Is that what I am to you? A waste of time?!"
Stride took an unconscious step back, immediately on guard once again. There was something in the soldier's eyes. Something that went beyond anger and hate. Something…crazed.
A twisted grin spread across the Gallade's face as he suddenly thrust his arm forward showing the black band on his arm. "I was instructed to use this in dire circumstances, so I suppose now is as good as any!"
Before Stride could question what Aster meant, the solider tore off the strip of cloth, revealing another band, this one made of a thin metal and held together by a rather flimsy looking chain. However, what drew Stride's attention was the jewel that rested inside. A perfectly spherical marble. Milky white in color with a green and pink symbol in the center. Stride recognized it instantly and dread filled his core.
"That's…"
"That's right!" Aster said with a demented grin. "Behold, the power of perfected Mega Evolution!"
With one last shout, Aster touched the gem and was engulfed in bright red light. Stride winced as he was blinded by the abrupt light. Peeking between his fingers, Stride could only watch as Aster's form began to stretch and warp. The light soon ended, showing Aster's new form to the world.
The soldier's body was now completely white save for his scalp. The crest and spikes on his head had elongated and two odd cape-like protrusions flowed from his back. Red plates had grown along his arms, appearing wickedly sharp. The newly evolved Gallade shifted, stretching out his body as if working out several kinks. Almost all signs of the damage Stride had managed to inflict seemed to have faded.
"I feel…exhilarated!" Aster suddenly shouted. He swung his arms several times in the air, the force behind each swing sending bursts of wind racing across the area.
Stride raised his arms to block the dust stirred up from the buffeting winds, eyes widened in horror as the soldier continued to marvel over his change. An uncomfortable feeling encompassed Stride in that moment. One the Greninja didn't feel often, but was very well acquainted with.
Fear.
Eventually, Aster attention returned to Stride, his satisfied smirk gaining a dangerous edge. "Now then…shall we start round two?"