Hey everyone! It has been a while, hasn't it? It's taken a while to get this new chapter done. but I finally did it! :)
This chapter is a bit different from most of the others, as none of the main characters appear in it. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why it took so long to complete. Hopefully the next few chapters won't take as long as this one did... Anyways, I hope you guys will think the wait was worth it.
So, as usual, if you guys have any thoughts on the chapter or the story in general, feel free to leave a review/comment! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far!
Chapter 49: You really did come back…
The sun was going down in distance. Leandra was making her towards the crowd of Luxray that had gathered, and were currently discussing amongst themselves how to deal with this unexpected development. Soon, Leandra spotted him, a Luxray standing meekly before the others. Her eyes narrowed, as she walked up towards him. The Luxray lifted his head slightly, his eyes widening slightly as he saw Leandra approach him.
"So… It is true," Leandra said, sternly gazing at the Luxray in front of her. "You really did come back…"
"Leandra…" the Luxray responded, looking away in shame. "I… You have every right to be mad…"
"You don't need to tell me that, Tirell!" Leandra snarled, glaring at the former leader of the pride. "You just leave without a word, running away from your responsibilities and even your own family… Do you have any idea what we went through!?"
Tirell just stood there, looking down at the ground in shame. Some of the other Luxray nervously muttered amongst themselves, unsure of what to do. It was clear that Tirell couldn't just resume his old duties as the leader of the pride, so… exactly what would happen from here?
"… I know… I… I am a coward…" Tirell said, sighing. "I've failed you all, and… and I know simply apologizing won't make things right…"
"And how exactly do you intend to make things right?" Leandra asked through gritted teeth, still glaring at him.
"I… I don't know…" Tirell responded, shaking his head. "But… I want to do whatever I can to help the pride."
Leandra kept glaring at Tirell, while most of the other Luxray seemed too intimidated to approach them. Eventually, one Luxray did approach.
"Very well," the Luxray said, looking over at Tirell. "With the current situation being what it is, we might need all the help we can get…"
The Luxray glanced over at some of the other Luxray, before looking back over at Leandra and Tirell.
"We'll sort out the rest later," the Luxray said, walking away.
The other Luxray that had been watching the scene began to walk away. Leandra glared at Tirell for a few more moments, before turning around.
"Well, then… I'll be heading home now," Leandra said, before glancing over at Tirell one more time before leaving. "Do not follow me."
Tirell solemnly nodded his head, watching silently as Leandra walked away.
Lita awoke to the sound of a low growling, having fallen asleep while waiting for her mother to return home. She opened her eyes slightly and lifted her head, looking over at her mother, who had just returned. Lita wasn't sure what was going on, but she could tell from just a glance that something was bothering her mother. Leandra was breathing through gritted teeth, staring down at the ground as she lingered near the cave entrance. She soon looked up slightly and noticed Lita's concerned gaze.
"… There's nothing to worry about," Leandra said curtly.
"… Are you sure?" Lita responded, blinking a few times.
"Yes, I'm sure," Leandra replied hastily. "You don't have to worry about anything. Go back to sleep."
"… Okay," Lita responded, lying back down. "… Good night, mom."
"Good night, my little princess," Leandra replied, sighing.
Lita continued to stare up at her mother with golden eyes for a few more moments, before falling asleep. Leandra sat down and quietly thought about how to handle the situation. She knew she couldn't keep Tirell's return a secret from Lita for too long, and she knew it wouldn't take long for Tirell to discover that Blitz wasn't around and start asking about his son's whereabouts. Leandra wasn't looking forward to dealing with it all, but she knew there wasn't any way out of it.
Eventually, Leandra lay down, and after a few more minutes of inner turmoil, she was able to fall asleep.
The warm, bright rays of sun shone through the entrance of the cave, partially illuminating the inside. Lita wasn't in a hurry to get up, but after a while, she felt she'd be wasting too much of the day if she remained in bed. As she got up onto her feet, yawned and stretched, she realized that her mother wasn't there in the cave with her. Lita walked over to the cave entrance and peeked outside, wondering exactly what time it was. She was surprised to see a certain Luxio waiting for her outside the cave.
"Hey, you're up," Charge said, looking over at Lita.
"Oh, good morning, Charge," Lita replied, walking over to the Luxio. "How are you today?"
Charge looked away, seeming as if he was contemplating something.
"… Is something the matter?" Lita asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Ah… Your mother hasn't told you yet?" Charge responded, still not making eye contact with Lita.
"Told me what?" Lita inquired, looking up at Charge.
"… Come, let's go for a walk," Charge said, turning his head to face Lita. "I'll explain it as we go."
"Um… Okay," Lita responded, nodding her head.
The two electric-type Pokémon slowly walked together with no particular destination in mind, and Lita listened as Charge began to explain what had happened. As she listened to what Charge had to tell her, Lita's expression turned pensive.
"… I… see," Lita said, staring into space. "Dad… finally came back…"
"Yeah, pretty much," Charge responded, nodding his head. "Don't expect things to return to how they were before, though."
Lita quietly nodded her head, knowing perfectly well that Charge was right. A lot had happened since her father left, after all.
"… You want to go see him?" Charge asked, looking at Lita. "I mean, I doubt your mother would like that, but if you want, we could probably sneak over and-"
"No, it's okay," Lita responded, shaking her head.
"Ah, all right," Charge replied, seeming a bit startled that Lita cut him off.
After a few moments, the two electric types resumed their walk in silence. Charge couldn't help but watch Lita with a concerned look. He had a feeling that he wasn't the only member of the pride currently unsure of how to deal with this situation. If there was one thing Charge had learned over the course of the last few months or so, it was how quickly things could just suddenly change.
"… That mystery dungeon…" Lita muttered.
"Hmm?" Charge responded, looking at Lita.
"… Take me there again," Lita said, looking up at Charge. "Take me to that mystery dungeon."
"Huh?" Charge replied, blinking a few times. "You mean… the one we explored together a while back?"
"Yes, that one," Lita responded, nodding her head. "Let's go back there."
"Um… Why?" Charge asked, still confused. "Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"
"Please…" Lita responded, looking up at Charge pleadingly.
"… All right," Charge replied, sighing. "We'll go."
It didn't take long before Charge and Lita reached the entrance to the mystery dungeon. It was only a few floors long, and was best known within the Lightning Plateau for being a place young Shinx tried to test their strength and courage by making it to the end of the dungeon and bringing back one of the berries that grew on the trees at the end of the dungeon. It was the dungeon Charge had taken Lita to so she could try to help her build up her confidence.
"So, we're back here again, huh?" Charge commented, looking around. "Hmm… I don't see any distortions in this area…"
"Me neither," Lita responded, also looking around. "That's good…"
The wild Pokémon living within the mystery dungeon weren't all that tough, making it a good spot to train for young Shinx seeking to test out their powers. Charge had also explored the dungeon back when he was a Shinx, just to show the other Shinx that he could. He had always been confident in his fighting abilities, and wasn't afraid to show it. Of course, that was before he made the mistake of pushing Blitz too far…
Charge glanced down at the damaged electricity glands on his left foreleg. He had accepted that it would probably never completely heal. Lita had offered to try teaching him how to use the Fire Fang and Ice Fang attacks that both she and her older brother had learned from their father, so maybe that could make up for his reduced ability to generate electricity. So far, he hadn't really been able to get either attack to work, though.
"So… If everything is fine here, should we go in?" Lita asked, looking up at Charge.
"Yeah, let's go," Charge responded, nodding his head.
The two stepped through the entrance to the dungeon, entering the labyrinth within. Since there wasn't anyone else in there at the moment besides them and the wild Pokémon, it was the perfect place to go to avoid everyone else for a while. Plus, Charge figured they could possibly get some training done while they were in there.
"Whoa…" Lita said, looking around as she and Charge explored the mystery dungeon. "This is completely different from how it looked the last time!"
"Of course it is," Charge commented, looking at Lita. "The mazes never look the same as when you last explored them."
"I know that," Lita responded, nodding her head slightly. "But this is the first time I'm actually seeing it."
"Oh, right," Charge replied, quickly nodding his head.
There were simply some things one had to see in order to fully comprehend it, even if one was familiar with the concept. The way the mystery dungeons worked was common knowledge, but it could still catch some off-guard to see it in action for the very first time. Mystery dungeons weren't like any other places, after all.
The two of them had begun slowly making their way through the maze, trying to locate the stairs leading to the next floor. The first floor's maze was a fairly small one, so it didn't take too long for them to actually find the stairs. Charge made sure to pick up an Oran berry lying on the ground a short distance away from the stairs before he and Lita moved on to the next floor. They hadn't come across any wild Pokémon on the previous floor, but upon reaching the second floor, they immediately came across one.
It was a small bipedal Pokémon with pale yellow fur and long red ears. Its tail was red and shaped like a plus-sign, and there were also plus-shaped markings on its red cheeks. The wild Plusle didn't seem at all perturbed as Charge and Lita appeared near it.
"So… Do you want to make the first move?" Charge asked, glancing down at Lita. "Or should I go first?"
"It doesn't really matter," Lita responded, not even looking up.
"Ah… Okay, then," Charge replied, nodding his head slightly.
Without warning, the Plusle dashed forward and hit Charge in the face. Charge quickly shook off the small rabbit-like electric type, before unleashing a powerful roar, sending the Plusle flying into a wall.
"You okay?" Lita asked, looking up at Charge.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Charge responded, rapidly shaking his head in annoyance.
The Plusle got back onto its feet, seeming a bit dazed. Lita took the opportunity to tackle the smaller electric type. The Plusle let out an angry squeak, before making its next move as the battle continued.
Meanwhile, Leandra was sitting by herself near a river, sparks of electricity occasionally rippling through her fur. She wondered if Lita had found out about Tirell's return yet. She must've had by now. Leandra sighed, not quite knowing what to do. She had gone back to the cave earlier to check if Lita had woken up, only to find that she had already gone off somewhere with her friend. Leandra wondered if she'd have enough time to figure out what to say about the situation before they got back…
One of her ears rose slightly as she heard the sound of rustling from behind her, but she didn't even need to turn to realize who it was that was approaching.
"… Tirell," Leandra said curtly.
Tirell stopped as Leandra said his name, pausing for a few seconds to consider what to say to her.
"… How are they?" Tirell asked, keeping some distance from the other Luxray.
"... "They"?" Leandra responded, feigning ignorance. "Who are you referring to?"
"Blitz and Lita," Tirell replied, looking away. "I… I know you don't want me to see them right now, but I wanted to at least know how they're doing…"
Leandra didn't answer him. After a few moments of tense silence, Tirell wondered whether or not to speak up again, but decided against it. Leandra glanced at the other Luxray behind her, sighing before finally breaking the silence once more.
"… You let everyone down, Tirell," Leandra said, her ears drooping down slightly.
"… I know," Tirell responded, looking down at the ground.
"How could you just run away like that?" Leandra asked, turning to face Tirell. "From the pride, from us… Were we not important to you?"
Tirell froze, staring wide-eyed at Leandra.
"You're horrible, Tirell," Leandra said, turning away.
Tirell wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say.
"… Why bother now, Tirell?" Leandra asked, her voice wavering just a little. "I don't understand you…"
"Leandra…" Tirell said, looking down in shame. "… I'm sorry."
Leandra did not respond.
"… I know apologizing isn't enough," Tirell said, sighing. "I know you'll… probably never trust me the same way again…"
"Just go away," Leandra muttered, not turning to look at Tirell.
"… I'll talk to you later, then," Tirell responded, nodding his head solemnly.
Tirell slowly walked away, leaving Leandra by herself. Leandra sighed and lied down on the ground. Everything that was happening now was weighing heavily on her mind, but she didn't want to think about it all right now. It was certainly going to take a while for things to get better…
Lita and Charge stood back to back as they faced off against two wild Pokémon in the mystery dungeon. One was another Plusle, while the other was a similar-looking Pokémon with light blue ears, cheeks and tail, as well as minus-symbols instead of plus-symbols. Both seemed quite excited, blue sparks occasionally shooting from their bodies. When together in the same place like this, the Plusle and the Minun gained an extra power boost. However, Charge and Lita didn't seem too worried about this.
"Which one of them should we try to take down first?" Lita asked, glancing at Charge.
"Well, I think the Plusle might hit a little harder," Charge responded, quietly looking over at the Plusle. "Although I wouldn't take my eyes off of the Minun either… They're both pretty fast, you know."
"Got it," Lita replied, nodding her head. "Let's do this, then."
"Watch out!" Charge called out, as both the Plusle and the Minun came rushing towards them.
Lita quickly dodged the Plusle, while Charge tried to push the Minun away with a headbutt, knocking it down to the ground. Lita then lunged at the Plusle, managing to hit with a tackle. She was about to attack again before the Plusle could get back up, when the Minun suddenly rushed in from the side and struck before Lita had the chance to react.
"Lita!" Charge called out, having trouble keeping up with the faster Pokémon.
"I-I'm all right…" Lita responded, shaking it off.
The Minun had helped the Plusle back onto its feet, and the two of them seemed quite cheerful.
"What are you two so excited about?" Lita muttered under her breath, glaring at the two wild Pokémon.
Sparks flew from the Plusle and the Minun's bodies as they ran towards Lita once more, but she made her fur shine brightly, blinding them both. Lita then took the opportunity to attack the Plusle once more, before quickly moving aside as the Minun came rushing towards her. Charge took the opportunity to attack as Lita led the Minun to him, biting down on the rabbit-like Pokémon's tail. The Minun managed to shake free, but was starting to look visibly worn out from the battle.
"Just a little more…" Charge muttered, observing his opponents.
Charge approached the Minun, only for the Plusle to suddenly run over and jump onto his head. He attempted to shake the Plusle off as the smaller Pokémon clung to his mane. The Minun cheerfully jumped up and down, cheering for the Plusle, only to find itself getting tackled from behind by Lita.
The Plusle gave a surprised squeak and lost its grip on Charge's mane as Lita knocked the Minun down to the ground.
"Let's get this over with!" Lita shouted, leaping at the Plusle and biting down with glowing blue fangs.
Charge watched as Lita's attack left the wild Plusle encased in ice.
"Wow…" Charge said, blinking a few times. "That was… pretty cool."
"Thanks," Lita responded, panting. "I've been practicing…"
The two electric lion Pokémon decided to leave the room they had been in and find the stairs leading outside. The Minun got up onto its feet, and looked around, before turning to the frozen Plusle next to it. The Minun curiously examined the ice that the Plusle was currently stuck inside, before breathing its warm breath onto the ice. The Minun tilted its head slightly, glancing around, before resuming trying to thaw the other Pokémon out from the ice with its breath.
After exiting the mystery dungeon, Lita and Charge laid down underneath a large berry tree. Things were quiet for a few minutes, neither of them speaking. They occasionally looked at each other, appreciating the other's company. Warm rays of sunlight shined down on the two through the branches of the tree. A soft breeze blew through the area, rustling the leaves on the branches of the trees.
"… I don't really feel any braver…" Lita said softly, absentmindedly staring at the sky.
"Hmm?" Charge responded, looking over at Lita next to him.
"The young Shinx go here to prove their courage, right?" Lita asked, looking over at Charge.
"Yeah…" Charge responded, nodding his head.
"I don't feel any braver, though," Lita said, sighing. "I know I can't avoid what is happening now… and I don't want to run from it…"
Lita's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I don't want to be a coward," Lita said decisively. "I want to be strong enough to face whatever happens, no matter how difficult it may get."
"Lita…" Charge responded, staring at the younger Pokémon.
"I know," Lita replied, closing her eyes. "As I am now, I lack that kind of strength…"
"I-I don't think anyone expects you to have that kind of strength right now!" Charge exclaimed. "I mean, you're still just a cub!"
"But I won't always be," Lita replied, still keeping her eyes closed. "In fact, I'm pretty sure it won't be long before I'm the same height as my big brother…"
"Well… I suppose…" Charge responded, glancing around.
"And besides, with things being the way they are now, I doubt I'll just be able to play and have fun all day," Lita said, opening her eyes.
"Yeah… I guess that's true," Charge responded.
There were a few seconds of silence, before Lita spoke up again.
"… I'll have to tell my big brother about this," Lita said, sighing. "I wonder how he might feel about all of this…"
"I wouldn't know," Charge responded, shaking his head.
"... Do you think… Blitz would be angry?" Lita asked, looking over at Charge. "Do you think he might be mad at father…?"
"It wouldn't be unreasonable," Charge responded, looking away. "I can't really speak for Blitz, though…"
"Right…" Lita replied, nodding her head slightly.
"What about you?" Charge asked, looking over at Lita. "Are you mad at your father?"
Lita thought it over for a few moments before answering.
"I'm not really sure…" Lita said, blinking a few times. "My feelings… are kind of complicated right now…"
"I see," Charge responded, nodding his head slightly.
"My dad's actions caused a lot of trouble for everyone," Lita said, sighing. "Especially for my big brother…"
Charge just nodded his head in response.
"I don't want to hate him, though," Lita said, resting her head on her paws. "In fact, I don't think I'm capable of doing so… I'm still pretty upset about all of this, though."
"So, you'll forgive him?" Charge asked, looking over at Lita.
"Not right away," Lita responded, shaking her head. "But I'm sure I will eventually. Things will get better, right?"
"I guess so," Charge responded, tilting his head slightly. "Things are going to be a little tense now, but it can't possibly stay that way forever."
"Yeah… You're right," Lita replied, leaning against Charge with a small smile.
Charge looked a bit surprised as Lita leaned against him, but didn't say anything. He hoped for Lita's sake that things would get better soon. However, in a way, he could also sympathize with what Tirell had to be going through. Tirell had made mistakes, and was now going to be trying to make up for them. Tirell's actions had caused a lot of grief for Blitz, and Charge knew that his own actions had only made things worse.
Charge hadn't had the chance to apologize to Blitz yet. He wasn't sure when he would get that chance, since it didn't seem like Blitz would be returning home to Lightning Plateau anytime soon. Charge wasn't sure if spending time with and looking after Lita was helping make up for what he had done, but he had grown to care about her. Charge wondered if Lita too had grown to consider him something like a second older brother. Of course, it wouldn't be quite the same…
"Charge…?" Lita said, still leaning against the Luxio.
"What is it?" Charge asked, looking over at Lita.
"Maybe we should head back now?" Lita responded, looking up at Charge. "I… I should really talk to my mom about this, and… I have to let Blitz know what's happened too…"
"Right," Charge replied, nodding his head. "Let's go, then."
The two got up, and began heading back. The two slowly walked side by side, not saying much as they walked together. Charge wondered how the conversation between Lita and her mother would go, or what would happen from here. There wasn't much he could do, though, aside from continuing to look after Lita.
"Lita is a lot braver than she thinks she is," Charge thought to himself, glancing down at the smaller Pokémon by his side. "I can't help but admire her a little…"
Things were always changing, sometimes gradually, other times almost instantly. The situation was rather tense now, but Charge knew that he was right and that things would eventually be sorted out. It'd probably take a bit longer for Leandra and Tirell to patch things up, but Charge didn't doubt that they too would eventually figure something out.
A lot could happen in Lighting Plateau in the next few days, but at this point, no one could know exactly what to expect. Charge, Lita and the other Pokémon living there would just have to wait and see how things would play out…
That night, in Fenix Town, Stella and Bow were watching the stars as usual, seeking answers about the whereabouts of the remainder of the Axis Tower crystals. After looking up at the stars for a while, a glimpse of another place appeared in a vision.
"It's… snowing…" Bow said, closing her eyes for a moment.
"Oh, you see it too?" Stella asked, looking over at her daughter.
"Yes…" Bow responded, nodding her head. "A place full of snow and ice…"
"And somewhere in that place, a crystal is hidden…" Stella added, smiling.
"Do you know where this place is?" Bow asked, looking over at her mother.
"I think so," Stella responded, nodding her head. "We'll inform the rescue teams tomorrow."
Bow smiled, and decided to call it a night and get some sleep, now that the stars had revealed the location of another one of the crystals. Stella decided to stay awake a little longer, and see if the stars had anything else to show her.
End of Chapter 49