Pokémon Journey: XYZ
Hey guys Paradox here and welcome to Chapter 121 and Chapter 38 of XYZ. We have now arrived at the Team Flare Arc as they commence a hostile takeover of Lumiose City. So to go over this Arc, it'll be divided into three chapters. This first chapter will primarily consist of Team Flare trapping everyone inside Diamondback Stadium and the gang will have to manage an escape while easing the public's tensions. I can't say how long this will be though.
One last thing I want to mention is this because I've been getting this pointed out by readers. it's about 'off view actions' that happen during the story. Most notably Pikachu, I'll admit I'm at fault for leaving Pikachu out throughout the Lumiose Conference. I was only doing so to give Ash's other Pokémon their chance in the limelight as much as possible. That doesn't mean Pikachu wasn't there to see it all happen though. We all know Pikachu is always by Ash's side and that he'll react similarly to Ash in accordance to the circumstances at hand. I figure to not having to write every little detail that happens since I've figured it be obvious plus it's gives the chance to use your imagination as to what's happening. Hence why I call these moments 'off view'. I was putting up with it since I thought it was a good idea. The only time I would stop was when the circumstances directly affected a specific character. Nonetheless that's all I have to say.
So without further ado, let's get started.
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."- Martin Luther King Jr.
Chapter 121: War Comes Home
The crowd was shocked was Lysandre went through with his presentation. "As of this moment, Prism Tower is now under our control along with the surround area of Centrico Plaza. In a matter of hours, Kalos with be reshape into a more robust design, a more beautiful marvel nation that the world will awe and fawn for. By using the ancient Ultimate Weapon, we will wipe the current slate of Kalos clean to start anew." The crowd felt fear seep into their souls, knowing what Lysandre was proposing wasn't humane. "By unleashing the power of this weapon, yes billions will perish, but your spirit will be Remember in the new Kalos. Team Flare will endure to lead Kalos into the new age...you will see." Lysandre said.
"He's completely lost it." Diantha said. "We knew this was unavoidable but we haven't anticipated he would trap us in here." Ash replies. "By now those who reside in Diamondback Stadium will stay confined inside its walls as you hopelessly watch your doomsday approaching. A small force has surrounded the perimeter to ensure no one will escape." Lysandre said. "Well ain't that cozy." Drake growled.
Lumiose City Police Department
"We are at code alpha! Repeat: code alpha." Officer Jenny calls as officers scrambled about. "Ma'am we await your orders." A uniformed officer asked. But Officer Jenny was split on what to do. On one hand, there was Team Flare staging ground at Centrico Plaza. Then there's the clearing of civilians throughout the surrounding area. Finally there is the hostage situation at Diamondback Stadium.
Three fronts, not enough manpower and panic is sweeping the streets. "This is hopeless!" She cries. "Have your men begin clearing the surrounding area." Everyone turns to see Special Agent Looker with a squad of riot officers at his side. "Me and our squad focus on the situation at Diamondback Stadium." Looker said. "But that still leaves Centrico Plaza!" Officer Jenny said. "That will have to wait. We have to free Diantha, the competitors and patrons." Looker said. "I don't disagree with you but by the way you're putting it, you expect everyone in that stadium to fight." Officer Jenny said.
"I'm expecting them to. For it'll take everyone to save Kalos."
Diamondback Stadium
"What do we do?!" "What can we do!?" "They trapping us here?!" Diantha and the Gym Leaders overheard the fans voicing their fears. "Everyone please remain calm. The situation will be resolve shortly." Diantha attempts to play crowd control. "I don't think that will be the case Dinah." The latter saw Drake and the others approaching them.
"The last thing we need is to ensign panic among us." Ramos calls. "Unfortunately time doesn't seem to be on our side." Grant said. "It's not. It seem Lysandre intends to keep us here to ensure we won't interfere in his plans." Wulfric said. "It seems that way but we can't stay here." Ash said. "Drake you're the strategist. What do we do?" Diantha asked. "We need to raise the shutters at exits to escape, but for that we need to bring power back to the stadium." Drake said.
"So two teams then. One to head to the command room to raise the shutters. The other heads to the generator room to bring power back." Rene said. "So the question is who will go?" Valerie asked. "We all can't leave to accomplish this. The last thing we need is to raise suspicions from the guards outside." Viola said.
"Okay So two people will suffice. I take the command room to raise the shutters." Drake said. "I'll join you." Rene adds herself. "So that leaves the generator room. I'll take that." Ash said. "So who's gonna go with him?" Drake asked.
"I will." Everyone turns to see Alain stepping up. "Absolutely not." Drake said. "Please give me this chance to prove to you." Alain pleads. "It'll be okay bro. I trust him." Ash said. "I don't." Drake whispers. "Then trust me." Ash said as Drake could only express disgrace. "Don't turn your back towards him okay." Drake warns. As they talked, Alain could only feel conflicted about this. For what Malva had contacted him to do awhile ago.
Flashback
"Make sure you accompany the boy wherever he goes. Let us know where though for we can set the trap for him to snare. Master Lysandre needs the boy for the future. You owe him your allegiance for everything remember?"
Alain growls for knowing how wrong this was but Malva was right. Despite his defeat to Ash, his loyalty to Lysandre forge him into the trainer he is. Now it was time for him to repay his debt.
Lumiose City Police Department
"It's been decided men. We will march towards Diamondback Stadium and defeat the Team Flare troops stationed there. From there on we will rescue everyone trapped inside and redirect our focus on Centrico Plaza. Any questions?" Looker asked as none of the troops had any. "Very well. Prepare to disembark." The men saluted and march away. "We'll coming too." Looker turns to see Blue and Green before him.
"Any help is welcomed." Looker said. "Delia's boys are in there and knowing them, we can't leave it to them to do all the work." Green said as Blue agreed.
Diamondback Stadium
Everyone else had to be patient while calming the crowds. Ash, Alain, Drake and Rene had already left to their respective tasks. On way to the command room Drake and Rene continue to trek through the hallways. "This doesn't sit well with me." Drake said. "It seems pretty simple enough as far as escape plans go." Rene said. "Not that, I'm talking about Alain." Drake said. "Oh, well my opinion is pretty subjective about him." Rene said. "Not mine, I don't trust anyone who has one foot out the door in allegiance." Drake said. "Ash seem to think otherwise." Rene said. "As Alain puts it, Ash can be unbearably naive." Drake said. "It's not just that, this kind of infiltration is fear mongering. I spoke about it with Diantha before we left." Drake said
Flashback
"This is troubling on many levels." Drake said. "Aren't you being a bit paranoid?" Diantha asked. "Team Flare's biggest strengths is infiltration Dinah. We know Alain is associated with Lysandre. On top of that we don't know who else is in on it." Drake said. "I told you, I've got people looking in on it." Diantha said. "Do you trust these people?!" Drake exclaimed. "Yes! Drake they're members of my inner circle." Diantha argues. "Do you doubt me?" She pressed. "I...no." Drake receded. "Then trust me. The last thing we need is fighting amongst ourselves." Diantha said.
"Don't tell me you've lied to her." Rene said. "Right now, I'm praying that my paranoia is wrong." Drake said.
"How much longer are we gonna remain here?" "Even if we do manage to escape, then what?!" "Everyone please remain calm." Diantha continues to do crowd control as everyone's fears fill the arena. "They maybe right. Even if we leave then what? If what Team Flare says is true than no where in Kalos is safe." Grant said.
"Diantha there is only one option. The one Ketchum propose." Wulfric said. "With all due respect, Drake Ketchum does not speak for all of us." Diantha said. "Are you saying we don't fight then?! Ketchum is expecting us to Diantha." Ramos said. "I agree with Ramos, we can't leave saving our home to just two men." Valerie said. "I'm not saying that. I'm just expressing my concerns for the public. Unlike us, they're not experienced trainers let alone soldiers." Diantha argues. "Like it or not Diantha, the choice may already have been made for us." Viola said.
"Sigh, Olympia what is your counsel on this?" Diantha turns to the Psychic Gym Leader. "The future is rather bleak that its shrouds my foresight. I'm uncertain about the outcome and the odds are stacked in our foe's favor. Nonetheless I can see the reason behind the others Diantha. I see no resolve for either of us without action. Plus aside from personal pride, I refuse to leave our fate entirely on two foreigners with their ideology of barbarism. For Kalos is our home, if we don't decide our own fate, then history will do for us." Olympia said. Diantha was troubled but now it felt the vote was against her wish. Now all that remains was breaking the news to the competitors.
Ash and Alain continue to dash down flights of stairs. Both weren't in a conversating mood to chat due to the tension in the air. Ash couldn't find a way to break the ice, even with Pikachu worrying. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Ash thought. They would reach the generator linked to the main computer. "You know how to work this thing?" Ash asked. "I'll give it a try." Alain replies as he attempts to pull a series of commands. While doing so, Alain dreads upon what's going to happen next. If all goes to plan, then no doubt Malva was waiting nearby to spring the trap.
Meanwhile Drake and Rene were already waiting in the command room for the power to come back. "How much longer is this gonna take?" Drake asked. "Patience, the generator room is about twenty stories beneath our shoes." Rene said as Drake merely shrugged her response off. "Okay out with it. What's got you all paranoid?" Rene asked. "All this, our situation. Doesn't it seem too easy. You would think we would encounter some resistance." Drake said. "I'm sure Lysandre wanted his available forces arm Centrico Plaza. Plus there's the issue of our babysitters outside the stadium walls." Rene said. "Yea, there's that as well. I just don't know what to do past that point." Drake said.
"What do you mean?" Rene said. "I mean...I can't fight an army alone!" Drake snaps. "There goes that 'I' stuff again. You're not alone in this." Rene said. "Okay sure, but even with you, me, Ash, Looker and his guys, it won't be enough!" Drake said. "Chill, I'm sure it won't be just us. I'm sure everyone in this stadium will take arms to fight." Rene said. "I think Diantha has established that she won't let that happen." Drake said. "Well that's not her decision to make. I'm sure the Gym Leaders will disagree with her." Rene said. "Well aside from Alain, I have enough concerns for one day." Drake spoke.
Meanwhile Diantha and the Gym Leaders held a conference among the competitors. "So wait...you're expecting us to fight?" Astrid asked. "You seen how many of those psychopaths are out there right?" Titus added. "You are asking us to risk our lives." Another trainer said. "Please, we all know how grave the situation is, but this is gonna take effort on all our parts." Wulfric said. "But this is your job! You're the Gym Leaders for crying out loud!" Another trainer cries. "Please, I know you're all scared. We all are as well. Part of me wish to keep you all out of this...but frankly we don't have many options to resolve this peacefully." Diantha said.
"I know me taking this stance would classify me as a pacifist. But I'm just being realistic, even if I'm in denial of the reality in front of us. Truthfully, alone we're weak and fear hampers our will. That's Team Flare intention. But if we work together, we can prove them wrong." Diantha said. "But Diantha, we're not soldiers." Terry said. "But we are all Pokémon Trainers. It won't be just us alone, each of us hasn't our Pokémon partners together. That's something Team Flare can never exploit." Viola mentions.
"Please, I can only ask you all to do this." Diantha said. "It's still your choice to accept. You won't be disgraced for abstaining. I know how much this is to take in." Diantha said as she stood in silence. "I accept." Diantha looks up to see Remo step up. "I agree that even if we assume a soldier's role, we don't discard our duty as a citizen." Remo said. "I'll take part as well. I'm pretty sure Ash wouldn't hesitate to step up either." Jason said. "Yea, we can't leave saving our home to just them." Tierno adds. Pretty soon, all 64 competitors began to contribute their resolve to fight now. "Okay Drake...It seems you got your army." Diantha said.
"This should do it." Alain said he finally finish, and managed to bring the generator online. "Alright, all that remains is for the others to open the shutters." Ash said.
"Hey Drake, we got power." Rene said. "Perfect, I don't suppose you know how to open the shutters." Drake said. "Move over then." Rene began to type on the computer to activate the shutters. "There, done." Rene said. "That was fast." Drake said. "I don't brag. We should head back to the others back on the main field." Rene invites as the two head back to battlefield.
"We should get going. No doubt everyone has already planned to escape from here." Ash said. "About that Ash, I afraid I can't let you go." Alain stood between Ash and the doorway. "This isn't the time to joke around Alain." Ash growled. "Oh but he isn't joking kid." Ash turned his back to see Malva, one of Diantha's inner circle, holding a Stinger carbine at him. "Malva...so you're in with Lysandre as well." Ash growled. "Don't take it personally kid. I have my reasons why I'm doing what I'm doing." Malva said. "Diantha would be so disappointed." Ash said.
Malva scowls upon hearing her name and fires off two shots, striking Pikachu and Ash and knocking them out cold. "What the bitch won't know won't hurt her...at least not yet." Malva said. "Get the boy while I take his Pikachu. There's a transport waiting for us." Malva said. "You didn't have to do that." Alain growled. "Would you rather have a fist fight with him instead?" Malva asked as Alain stood silent. "Didn't think so. Sheesh in all honesty, Ketchum maybe younger than you Alain but he has bigger balls than you." Malva said to further irritate the broody trainer as they proceed to make off with their quarry.
"We make it back." Rene said as they ran back to Diantha and the other Gym Leaders. "That's good, on top of that, every competitor has agreed to fight Team Flare." Diantha said. "It'll take more than that. We can't simply storm their stronghold with just brawn." Drake said. "Hey has Ash made it back?" Serena asked. "He and Alain haven't come back? That troubling." Rene said. "I agree, something's not right." Drake said. "You got that right."
Everyone turns to the jumbotron to see it turn on to reveal Malva, Alain inside a helicopter. "Malva What is the meaning of this!?" Diantha demanded. "Oh sweet Diantha, this is simply me 'showing my true colors'. Oh Ketchum, look that who we got." Malva shows a captive Ash and Pikachu. "Ash!" Serena gasped while Drake bare angry fangs at the screen. "You wound me Malva." Diantha said. "Oh Dinah, this is just the appetizer. Stick around for the main course, I'll guarantee you'll be dying to enjoy." Malva laughs as she cuts off the transmission.
Livid, Drake turns to Diantha. "Trust your people my ass!" Drake yells as he then runs off. "Drake!" Rene yells as the latter didn't stop. "He's not thinking straight!" Rene said. "We have to get outside." Viola said.
Once outside Drake heard blaster fire around the corner where he then saw Looker and some of his men engaged with the Team Flare detachment. Still angry, Drake unsheathes his twin batons and charges in. "Sir look." Looker, Blue, and Green looks to see Drake starting to rampage through the soldiers like dominos. Drake swung his sticks in a circular fashion to knock two grunts. This was followed by then handling another grunt's Stinger, and discharging it at two more to knock them out.
He would then snap the grunt's arm, causing the latter to scream. Another colleague tried to save him but only to get struck in the face by Drake's baton followed by a downward strike to the temple that knocked the grunt face first to the ground. This left one grunt remaining who wasted no time blasting stingers bolts at Drake who advances while blocking direct shots with his club. He punch the grunt's face only to then flip him over to the ground where he angrily beats down his captive's head.
"Hey kid." Blue calls but Drake continues to beat down on the helpless grunt. "Drake stop. You're killing him!" Green runs over and pulls Drake off the bloody guy. "Why!" Drake yells. "To stop you from committing a mistake...they're already down." Looker explains as Drake look upon the carnage he did. A whole detachment now broken in spirit and body but Drake still didn't feel his anger go away.
By the time everyone made it out to see the carnage made them lose their breath. "I must say...this is brutal." Grant said. "They'll live." Drake spoke said. "Are you alright now?" Diantha asked as Drake stood silent. As much as he was angry at Team Flare, he was equally angry at Dinah for being blind to everything. Diantha picked up on this, and all of her was beginning to feel frustrated.
She knew Drake was angry at her just as she was angry at herself. One of their oldest associates turn out to be a traitor along with Alain. Drake warned her about this but didn't heed. Still, she doesn't deserve to have his anger directed at her. "Already the barbarian aren't you Ketchum." Olympia scowls which Drake glares with anger. "Enough Olympia! The last thing we need to fight amongst ourselves." Diantha said. "Speak for yourself." Drake said which got everyone's attention.
"Stop! Listen we only have one option here." Rene said. "It's war they what. It's war they're gonna get." Drake said. "For that, we need a plan." Looker said. "While you do so, Mr. Ketchum and I need to have a chat." Diantha invites scowling. "Fine." He replies as the two went to a more private setting. "Okay am I missing something here?" Blue asked. "It's a long story, but I'm afraid Team Flare now has Ash captive." Rene told. Looker could only listen as now matters appear to become dire and infighting was the last thing this group needed. For they will need to come together or divided they will fall.
Meanwhile a helicopter from Hoenn was arriving to Lumiose City. Inside the passenger could only look to see he was too late and Lysandre had already put his true plan in motion. His only chance now was to link up with any resistance ready to fight him as the Journey continues.
Whew, this was a very difficult chapter to write. My thought process wasn't really doing me justice and my greatest concern was that I would make this chapter too short. Nevertheless, we have made it pass the first part. With everyone that was held captive inside the stadium having now escape.
Your guy's first thoughts would be how too easy it was for them to escape. Well, one Lysandre wasn't dwelling too many resources to keep everyone prisoner since he need his troops to safeguard Centrico Plaza. Two was he needed the brothers or in this case Ash. Speaking of Ash, I guess you could say naivety was his downfall in trusting Alain. By the way, it doesn't stop there as next time his naivety will be put to the test. Same goes for Alain as his allegiance will waver and hit a breaking point. Now he will have to choose a side to fight on.
Then there are inflaming tensions in the resistance, specifically Drake and Diantha. Not only will this put a strain in their relationship but now they have to resolve a national crisis as well. You could say they will be tested as well.
While I'm at this, I did say I suffered from writer's block and so to cope, I've written a one-shot while writing this. If there are any Persona fans out there, then I recommend reading it. I've been a fan of the series for a couple of years now but I've always been attached to the idea of having each generational team mingle with each other. If you're interested, then I recommend a favorite of mine, Ace In The Hole by eiranerys. Or another story called Persona V: Burn My Dread by TheRedeemer1995 due to its great potential.
While I'm at this I do want to confess something. Since writing that one-shot, I have thought of expanding my horizons beyond just writing Pokémon. I already thought of some ideas for Star Wars, How to Train your Dragon, and even for the Persona series. Of course, my obligation first is to finishing this story followed by doing the movies. I even have an idea for a sequel for this book in particular which would take place in Alola under very different circumstances. Nonetheless, I do have to ask your guys' thoughts to this if you're interested.
Well, that will just about do it for now. Leave a Like, and Comment on this chapter and stay tune for more. This is Paradox signing off. Goodbye.
