We're screwed!
I had no idea what Josh might've been thinking when he attacked Volt like that! Whatever it was, it wasn't helping! Oooh, if only I was still back at home, then maybe none of this would've happened! Josh and I wouldn't have gotten trapped; I would still be human in appearance instead of high-maintenance furry bait; I could still be able to live a normal life.
But that never happened. Ever since that incident three years ago, we've been stuck here. We were able to live in the Solace Guild all of that time, but never once did we even try to antagonize the very people who took us in with a welcoming embrace and gentleness that made my own fur no longer stand on end.
And now, Josh has essentially damaged that sign of trust and understanding in just a few short minutes…
I groaned a little as Cross and his team traveled with me to where we think Josh has run off to. I've seen it happen before at times. Whenever Josh felt some sort of intense emotion, he trains in the courtyard.
Every time, this happens. For three, long, painful years.
Being an Incineroar has its perks, yes, but I'd much rather be the one trying to avoid attention rather than attract attention. But every time I hear that Josh has a new assignment, he would often suggest "Adam, I need some help with this one." "Adam, you and I can take care of this just fine." "Adam, I don't want to do this without you." "Please, Adam, for me?" "This will help out a ton, Adam! Just you wait!"
Well, I've been obedient. I've been patient. And I most definitely took Josh for his word up to this point.
But something about what he did earlier almost made me wish we had time to talk things over like civilized people.
The problem being: Volt and his team aren't very civil people.
Wulfrock tends to be the easiest to be around. He's quick with a joke if you allow him, though one thing that I most definitely was weirded out by was how he sort of embraced the Lycanroc inside of him. Every time we sparred in our spare time, whenever he beats me, he would howl with victory from time to time. I don't know, but that just seems like bizarre behavior, especially when I remember that he's still human.
Rinekai is a little bit more difficult to deal with, but still, she's pretty kind and supportive at points. I don't exactly interact with her very often, but when I do, she would try to insist that I be the one to discuss what has been going on in the day. I would then ask her if Mom and Dad still miss us, and her usually reply would be "Yes. More than anything." But the other half of the time, she would usually be strict with training, or she can be a little bit too difficult to read in regards to her actions.
As for Volt, he's usually the most difficult to reason with. Ever since we first met him, I had this vibe that he was rather tough, rigid, and moreover, relentless. The first few days we were stuck here, he would badger me into doing training for survival, demeaning me by calling me "Puss" at any point I refused to cooperate. I didn't mind the nickname. In fact, I simply didn't care. But if I continued to be difficult with training, he would only make things worse for me by giving me no food for the evening (which Josh would sneak some in for me out of kindness), or he would beat me within an inch of my life for being too soft. I'd heal from the injuries, no problem, but even then, it was like he wanted me to become the very thing I didn't want to be: a big, intimidating, and fearsome fighter.
But…that's just not who I am. I'm no fighter. I have no need to learn to fend for myself. And yet, here I am. Not only recognized as a tough fighter in the Solace Guild, but regarded as one of "the best fighters" in the Solace Guild. An accolade I don't particularly wear with pride whatsoever, despite my outward appearance.
Speaking of, I honestly don't want people to get the wrong impression from my physical appearance at all! I only want to fight if it means protecting Josh or my friends from harm! I would never in my life try to deliberately make myself out as a monster. I'm just afraid that if I acted like one, people would back away from me out of fear. I'm very self-conscious about my appearance, considering I'm muscular, hairy, and I have sharp teeth and claws…
Regardless, Josh has stepped out of line tonight. I don't know what to do. I'm no fighter! And yet, Josh wants me to take on Team Delta? The most powerful team in the Solace Guild? In a week!? Oooh, WHY must you always make things difficult, Josh!?
I could hear Josh's grunts as he's practicing his combat in the courtyard by himself, the bright orange sunset glistening off in the horizon. He looked determined. Determined to fight. Determined to prove a point. Determined to break free.
And that's the very thing about tonight that scared me.
Chapter 26: Discussion
Whenever I look at Josh training, no matter the circumstance, he would usually take it very seriously. Often times, I would wonder if he secretly wants to do it as a way to embrace being a Lucario by nature. When Josh and I first logged in to this game years ago, I was unsure of whether I was going to actually enjoy my time, especially since back then, I recalled my first experience being a little…awkward, to say the least…
Four Years Earlier…
Josh was practically so excited when he gave me the VR headset that day. The sheer look of joy on his face was something that would forever be ingrained into my memory. I merely just looked at the device curiously, a copy of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Online was already in the cartridge slot. As I looked back at Josh, I uneasily asked him "Are you sure about this, Josh?"
"Trust me," he answered with a smug grin. "You and I are Pokémon fans, right? This will be like a new experience for the both of us!"
"Right…" I mused. "I take it you're only doing this because you want to live off some weird fantasy, right?" I gave a big toothy grin back at him, and immediately, I could see Josh was blushing. I knew. Josh just didn't like to admit it to anybody, but I'm perfectly aware that he's a furry with a huge obsession with Pokémon. I remember when he and I first got the chance to play Explorers of Sky. I could tell that it awoke something in him. That, plus the fact he's also an obsessive nut when it comes to these sorts of things.
"Shut up!" Josh stammered. "It's nothing like that!"
"Deny it all you want, Josh, that's not going to convince me," I stated, setting the headset onto my lap.
"Adam, I'm only doing this because I want to learn some form of self-defense," Josh said quickly, almost as if he wanted to change topic completely. "You know. Learn the ins and outs of the game, and apply that experience when it comes to a moment in our lives where we need to fend for ourselves."
I scoffed at the idea, and I asked him "What kind of excuse is that? You just want to do this because you-"
"I want you to learn to defend yourself for my sake!" Josh interrupted, his face determined as he stared at me.
Our human physical appearances were nothing too ordinary. Josh had dark-brown hair, blue eyes, and I could tell he's got some slight facial hair coming in. My appearance wasn't much different, though my hair was a lighter shade of brown, and my hair sticks out, unlike Josh who occasionally tries to smooth out his hair with a comb. He and I stood at relatively the same height, roughly 5'10", though I could tell that I was starting to catch up to my older brother in terms of height.
As I looked at him, how he tried to badger his excuse for dragging me into the virtual world, I could see he was not going to let up unless I went in there with him. This was a tactic he tried all of the time. Anytime he thought of an experience he would want me to partake in, whether it'd be a new movie that's coming out, or a new food to try, or a new activity to take part in. Every. Single. Time. And I KNOW he was not going to let up unless I cave in, because his excuse was always the same: "I want you to broaden your horizons."
But this time, he looked at me like he wanted me to learn some form of self-defense. No "broadening horizons" crap, just pure, unadulterated determination to get me to defend myself for…his sake?
Quizzically, I looked at him, and I asked "What do you mean by that?"
Josh averted his gaze somewhat, and he said "It's just that…ever since middle school, you were constantly being pestered by other kids about how you act differently than others. You know…"
I sighed, and I go "Oh boy, here we go again…"
"I just…want to be able to help you, is all," Josh said with worry. "I'll have you know, I don't want anything bad to happen to you! You might need to learn to fend for yourself in case the worst happens."
"I'm no fighter, Josh!" I argued. "I would never do that!"
"Please?" Josh begged. "I promise you, it'll be worth it! I'll have you stay by my side until we find someone else who wants to join our team! After that, you don't have to pick up the game again!"
I took a minute to give what Josh said some thought. I looked at the VR headset, and I thought of the possibility of playing this game with Josh. I didn't know if the self-defense excuse was really going to work out, but he said it was because he didn't want anything bad to happen to me. Plus, he DID say he would leave me alone once he found another teammate. Looking at him again, I asked "You're quite persistent, aren't you?"
"And I promise, you won't hear me badger on about this ever again!" Josh said, raising his right hand to show he's sincere. "It's only until you and I feel like we can get other people into our team."
I sighed, as I looked back at the headset. I stared at it for a good few seconds, before I gave my response. "Just tell me how this works, and you have a deal."
Josh smiled as he walked over to my bed, sitting down by my side. "Okay, so first, turn it on, then place it over your head," he said.
I found the "Power" button on the device, and just like Josh said, I placed the device over my head, and I could see a few indicators on the screen. I could see the date and time, the game that's installed, and the temperature of the room.
"Next, just lay down in bed," Josh said.
I did as he requested, and I lay down in my bed. "And then what? Are you going to tuck me in?" I joked.
Josh chuckled a little. "No, just, relax. Feel the comfort of the bed, the texture of the sheets. Try and loosen up your muscles and put your nerves at ease." Easier said than done. I've usually been rather tense most of my life. Josh took notice, and he commented "You're not relaxing, Adam."
"Well, it's kind of difficult with you talking like that," I said.
"Oops! Sorry!" Josh said in total surprise. He then placed a hand on my shoulder and told me "Just trying to get you mentally prepared is all."
"Josh, I told you I want to get this over with so that you won't badger me about it in the future," I said.
Josh raised his hands up and backed away, saying "Alright! Suit yourself. Just remember to create a username and answer your questionnaire honestly. I'll see you inside of the game."
"How will I know that you're in there?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Trust me, you'll know," Josh answered with a grin. He then got off of my bed, and made his way towards his own bed, turning on the VR headset he had of his own. As he lay down, I peered over to him, curious to see what he was going to do next. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said the phrase "Connect: START." And just like that, his whole body went limp, his breathing steadied, and it looked as though he was fast asleep in an instant.
Nervously, I decided to follow his instruction. I closed my eyes, gripped the sheets of my bed, and said the phrase "Connect: START." The next thing that happened, my vision went all white, and some sensors activated to check my five senses. Sight: OK. Sound: OK. Touch: OK. Taste: OK. Smell: OK. The sensors soon faded, and after that, I found myself in a strange multicolored void, as well as the message "Welcome to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Online!" displayed in my field of vision. Once the message cleared up, I was then presented with a series of questions that went by my field of view in an instant. An interface voice said "Answer the following questions honestly to determine your given Nature."
"Nature, huh?" I wondered. I crossed my arms, and I looked at the questions I was being presented with. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt." I honestly had no idea what the point of this was about, but I went ahead and answered the questions honestly. From what I would later find out, the questions were randomly generated, and were meant to determine what my personal strengths and weaknesses are in terms of how I learn to adapt in battle. Natures affect the stat growth of the Pokémon as they level up, so it came as no surprise that I would gain strength with the Lonely nature I would eventually obtain.
Soon, the interface said "You appear to be the Lonely type." This was matched with the word "Lonely" displayed in my field of vision. The voice continued by saying "It's okay if you feel lonely, but you tend to want the comfort of others, even though you have difficulty trying to display it. Does that mean that you yourself should feel ashamed of being alone? In all honesty, it's usually when we're alone that we tend to go through our own personal growth. You go through this experience of solitude because you tend to feel like you can go at it solo. Never forget, though, that even though you feel alone, you are never truly alone."
Almost instantly, I was given a wide selection of Pokémon that quickly surrounded me on all sides, circling me as their pictures caught my attention. It took me a while to figure out which Pokémon I would want to go as. I gave it some thought, and after around a minute of careful thinking, I picked the Fire Cat Pokémon, Litten.
After that, I was presented a keyboard and a display that read "What is your username?" I didn't think too hard on the name. In fact, I was possibly the least creative when it came to naming. So, I decided to go by the username FireKat. I hit "Enter" and almost instantly, the display and keyboard vanished from view. The whole void I was in started to glow a bright light, and I could feel my body feel as if it was being thrust forward as the area started to fade off into pixels. I was given the usual announcement of what the game Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Online is like (see Chapter 1 of Part 1), and before long, the light enveloped me before it almost instantly faded to black.
And I felt as if I was standing on the ground.
I opened my eyes, looked around my surroundings, and I was in the center of the town of Oina. I was almost impressed with the architecture of the area, while also feeling a little uneasy as there were several Pokémon wandering around the plaza, and given my small stature, they looked pretty big by comparison. I decided to take a step forward to see my surroundings, and almost stumbled. That's where I came upon my first real hurdle: I'm on all fours.
I turned towards the fountain in the plaza, and I made my way over, looking inside to peek at my reflection. As I stared in the water, all I saw staring back was a Litten. I experimented with my reflection to see if it moved accordingly with my movements; I stuck out my tongue; I hissed; I held up a paw. Yup. This was me alright. The experience was surreal, if I'm being honest.
"About time you decided to show yourself," I heard a voice say behind me, scaring me into shock. As I turned around, I was staring at a Riolu. He smiled, and said "Only somebody like you would come up with such a dumb name like FireKat."
I didn't think it was possible, but here I was, listening to a Pokémon talking to me like a normal person. However, just from the way he spoke to me, it sounded awfully familiar. He sounded almost like…
"Josh?" I asked, and I almost mewled out of surprise by the sound of my own voice being high pitched. "Wait, is that my voice?" I cleared my throat a bit. "Is that my voice!?"
"Yeah, we have to sound like little children for a while," the Riolu answered. "But rest assured, you're still you underneath all of that fur, Adam. Nothing is changing that."
"Yeah, but…" I tried to walk, and I almost fumbled myself as I tried to think about the mechanics of walking on four feet. "How in the world am I supposed to move like this!? This feeling is the WORST!"
Josh sighed, placing his paws around me, and looked at me in the eye. "Don't try to overthink it," Josh added. "It's supposed to be instinctual. Just…don't think about it, and let it happen naturally."
"Uh…okay…" I took a deep breath, and I righted myself up onto my four feet, and I tried to balance myself, but was struggling to concentrate on just standing.
Josh inspected me as I made a bit of a fool of myself, and he soon made his way behind me. I didn't even see the grin on his face at all, but he ended up biting me in the tail (because I just simply didn't notice and plain forgot that I had a tail to begin with). I yelped in pain from this peculiar new addition, my fur standing on end, and I leaped up and swiftly turned around. Josh simply laughed at my own misery, and in retaliation, without even thinking, I felt this instinct to shoot flames at him, and I ended up shooting the move Ember from my mouth, where I ended up lighting the Riolu's tail on fire.
Josh yelped from the sudden pain, and he quickly rand into the fountain and dove right in. As for me, I was just in shock. I just shot flames from my mouth like it was nothing. I DID THAT! I wasn't even thinking at all! I just acted out of instinct!
Josh quickly dowsed himself, looking at me with a bit of anger for lighting his tail on fire, and he said "Hey! That was rather rude!"
"You bit me!" I argued back. "What was the point of that? Now my tail is all sore because you- Wait…" I realized with shock as I turned around and saw my tail directly behind me. I saw the tail move behind me, and I could feel it move according to my own instinct as well. I almost panicked at the sight of it. "AAAHHH! I HAVE A TAIL!"
"Yeah, thanks for pointing out the obvious," Josh said grumpily as he crawled out of the fountain. "Littens have tails, Adam. I thought you knew that by now." He then shook himself dry, causing the water to splatter all around him, some of it even hitting my own fur, which…made me quickly recoil in terror.
"Hey! Watch where you're splashing that water!" I yelled at my brother.
"Well, you sort of deserve it for lighting me on fire," Josh said.
"Only because you bit me!"
"Only because you failed to realize that cats use their tails to balance their weight, genius!"
We glared at each other for a bit, tension rising in the air. And all at once, we could see several wayward glances our way. We were in relative silence for a good while, before Josh suddenly started to burst out laughing. This was followed shortly after by me laughing.
Many players would look at the Riolu and Litten by the fountain that day as a disaster waiting to happen. We were practically opposites. Josh and I were opposites. I could never be like Josh, and he could never be like me. To them, it was a moment of randomness in the game. But to us…
This was the first real memory we shared together in the game.
Josh was so happy-go-lucky as a Riolu. I was practically the opposite, always tense and anxious. But every time I saw that smiling Riolu, I knew that Josh was being himself. This was what he truly was like. And I felt happy for him.
That happy Riolu isn't there anymore. Instead, I'm staring at a tough, rugged, and powerful Lucario. His expression wasn't even happy-go-lucky anymore. That died off the day we were trapped in this world. Yet Josh kept on training, pushing past his own limits every single time, and he and I were still polar opposites.
Only this time, the reason we're opposites were based on how we viewed this moment. At least, that's how I interpreted it. Even now, I was nervous on trying to talk to him, because Josh takes his training so seriously all the time. Even though I've mellowed out over the years as an Incineroar, I still couldn't find enough courage to just go up there and just talk to him so we can have a talk about what just happened.
And then, Cross decided to take initiative, and my heart sank out of fear. I held out a hand, yelling "Cross, wait!"
But it was too late. Cross was already beyond my reach as he approached Josh. Big mistake. I tried this once, and it didn't go well. Cross was within the vicinity of the training field, Josh's back facing him. "Josh! We need to talk!"
Josh then leapt into the air, doing a backflip, before landing in front of Cross. He then swept his legs, knocking the Gallade off balance as he fell onto the ground, before Josh readied a Bone Rush and placed the tip of his staff close to Cross's face. Josh stared at Cross for a bit, the Gallade looking at the Lucario in shock.
"Cross!" Chris and Nolan yelled as they both tried to run up to aide their teammate. I wanted to stop them, but they both rushed past me before I could even grab them.
Josh responded in kind by splitting the bone staff in two, and chucking them both towards the Scyther and Aegislash, planting them right in front of their paths to halt them. I didn't know what was bound to happen next, but I quickly saw Josh close his eyes, take a breath, and he muttered "Don't scare me like that."
"Scare you?" Chris questioned. "Scare you? You practically scared us, given what you did!"
"Bist du verrückt?" Nolan asked in German, which I believe translated to "Are you crazy?" Then again, I'm not entirely sure.
Josh turned around to face the sunset, and he answers them by saying "You guys snuck up on me. That is always a mistake."
"No, what is a mistake is attacking a superior officer and attempting to stage a mutiny through a trial by combat!" Cross stated, getting back up onto his feet. "Josh! I know I haven't been here for long, but you can't seriously be mad at Volt for his decision!"
Josh grumbled a bit in irritation. "It's not my fault that he seems to have no sense of empathy."
"That's not true," Cross argued. "I'm sure there's a perfectly valid reason for why he made the choice to contain us in this town."
"Yeah," Josh argued back. "It's to keep us caged up like animals while he's busy minding his own damn business! We were so close to getting our answers this time! And he had to go and ruin the opportunity that we needed to finally be on the move! All I wanted was just one time, one time where he looked us straight in the eye and give us a chance for once! But NOOOO! He just had to go and make this situation far worse than it already is! Gareth's dead! Our only evidence to save the trapped players is gone! Zeraora's still on the loose! And he wants us to just sit here and do nothing about it!?"
"Look, I know how you feel, Josh," Cross stated. "But complaining about it isn't going to change the fact that you literally changed the problem into a worse problem! What you came up with was reckless completely uncalled for!"
Josh glared at Cross for that statement. "So, what? He deserved it! What reason do you think he chose to trap us in this godforsaken town? Huh!? What's the reason, Cross!?"
"BECAUSE HE'S TRYING TO PROTECT YOU!" Cross yelled, grabbing Josh by the shoulders. Josh's own anger started to falter a bit as Cross gripped him, and he was kept silent for a time.
I decided to slowly walk up to the training field, my own nerves shaking, but at the same time, I wanted to stay and hear this out. I was 90% sure that this argument wouldn't change Josh's mind, but here we are. Josh, for once, was silenced from his outburst.
"Volt took you in when you had nowhere else to go," Cross mentioned. "You even mentioned that Volt named his avatar after his brother, and from what I could probably guess, Volt is sensitive on that subject because he means so much to him. And he chose to keep you here because he doesn't want to lose you like he did his brother. You aren't a soldier, Josh! No matter how much you want to convince yourself, you are just a player in a video game. I mean, sure, you've done some things you're not proud of, I get that! But that's only because you wanted to protect Adam, right?"
This caught me by surprise. "What?" I asked in shock, looking at Josh, wondering if this was indeed true. I mean, sure, he brought me into this world because he gave me a copy of the game. I never interpreted it as anything else but that for years.
And then…I thought deeper. And I recalled some things.
Josh knelt down over a bloody corpse, blood on his hands. The look of fear in his face as he looked back at me quickly turned into one of sadness. He was shaken by what he had done to protect me. Tears poured down his face as his cries of anguish filled the library when the school staff and police arrived at the scene. Several students argued to the officer that Josh was a hero, and he stopped a raving lunatic from killing them all. As for me, I was so shocked by what happened that I was petrified in fear.
I knelt by Nick's side as I looked at Josh, fast asleep by the fire. I could tell that Josh was deeply upset, and I had to ask "Why is he so sad? He doesn't even need to go out of his way for me like that."
"That's because you are important to him, Adam," Nick answered. I looked up at the Charizard, and I could see him sincerely give me a pained expression. "After all, he often told me that without you, he would have nowhere else to go. If you died, he would follow you to the great beyond as well." He then shed a tear as he closed his eyes. "Never give up on him, Adam. Josh needs you just as much as you need him."
Josh sang the song "Where the Lost Ones Go" in a duet with me as we sat by the fire, staring up at the stars. But once Josh sang the start of the chorus, his voice faltered as he looked at me, and I could see that this Riolu was trying desperately to maintain a smile on his face, despite the obvious tears he was pouring down. He soon stopped smiling altogether, though, and hugged me, and I could hear him whimpering.
Concerned, I asked him "Josh? Are you alright?"
Not a single response. Just tears. Tears, and heartache.
"Why are you crying, Josh?" I asked him.
"I'm sorry…" he mumbled.
"Huh?" I asked.
He backed away, looking me in the face, his expression showing he was deeply upset. "I'm so sorry for trapping us here, Adam! I didn't want this to happen! I didn't want ANY of this to happen!"
Josh had evolved into a Lucario right before my very eyes as I stood to protect Nick from the oncoming attack by the Monster House we stumbled upon. In a moment of just looking at the Lucario in awe, I was almost in disbelief that this was even the same Riolu I saw shedding his tears out a few days prior. He looked determined to save me. And as he looked at his own paws, he took notice of me, and saw the look of awe I had upon my face.
And then, Josh got hit by a Seed Bomb attack, knocking him to the ground. All at once, my look of awe turned into pure horror as I saw Josh struggling to get up from the very wounds he's sustained so far. I called out to him, and he looked at me for a bit, seeing I was scared for his safety, and he said "I guess some things never change, do they?"
Josh stood back up after some effort, his whole body looking worse for wear, as he started to face the oncoming swarm of wild Pokémon in an effort to protect me. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I saw this. "What are you doing? We need to get out of here! We need to run away!"
"No," Josh answered, facing the crowd of Pokémon. "I won't run away ever again. Not when I have people that are worth protecting."
"But you'll die if you fight alone!" I argued. "We won't make it!"
Josh smiled, tears forming across his face. "Perhaps so. But at least, I won't go down easily." He looked at me for a slight glance, and said "If I don't make it, promise me you will never forget that I saved your life. Never forget Adam…" He then faced the crowd of oncoming Pokémon, and he readied an Aura Sphere. Finally, he said "You are worth everything to me, because you are my brother. My closest companion. I wouldn't have asked for anything more in the whole world."
He then fired the Aura Sphere, knocking back a wild Dreadnaw, where it then shattered into pixels. However, that blast also caused Josh to start coughing up blood, as he fell to his hands (paws) and knees.
"JOSH!" I yelled out of fear. He wasn't going to last, and there were still so many Pokémon to fight against. I…I HAD to do something! If I didn't, Josh was going to die.
I saw the wild Exeggutor approach Josh, ready to strike at him with Wood Hammer. With tears in my eyes, and without much thinking, I readied a Shadow Claw to fight back, and I charged forward. I won't let that Exeggutor strike! I'm not going to run away! I'm not…
"I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU DIE!" I yelled as I struck the Exeggutor's Wood Hammer, which I was barely strong enough to block and hold back. I struggled, my brother literally behind me, as I held up the attack with one paw, my rear ones trying desperately to push the attack back. The Exeggutor, however, didn't stop. And I could feel the weight of the impact that was imminent. But I was NOT going to back down now! Not while Josh was there, bleeding out, waiting to be rescued. "RAAAAAAAAAAA!" I screamed, before my whole body began to start glowing blue.
My body underwent a drastic change. I could feel my Shadow Claw was being canceled out, only for my own claws to ignite on fire instead. My body was growing bigger, bulking up with muscle. I could feel the Exeggutor being pushed back, and my front paws suddenly morphed to resemble hands. The flaming bell around my neck vanished, only for a belt of fire to circle around my waist. My legs were growing longer, to the point where I was on only one knee as I held the attack back.
The moment the light vanished around me, I emerged as an Incineroar. "RRROOOOOAAAAARRRR!" I yelled as I felt my hands engulf in flames, and I spun in a circle as I slammed the Exeggutor back with strength I never thought I had before. The creature soon disintegrated into a series of pixels.
I stopped spinning like a top, having obtained the move Darkest Lariat, replacing the aforementioned Shadow Claw I previously had. I let out a triumphant roar or superiority as I stared at the swarm of wild Pokémon ahead of me. Turning back towards Josh, I saw him just looking at me with shock and awe. Not wanting to miss a beat, I looked at the swarm of Pokemon again, and I readied myself again for combat. With a deeper voice than before, I told Josh "Heal up while you can. I'll take it from here!"
As I recalled those moments of my life, I looked over at Josh, and I could see that he was looking at me with concern. I was at a loss for words, and I couldn't help but think about the Lucario I saw before me. He has risked EVERYTHING for me. He was trying to push himself to help me.
It was then, I understood why Josh had his outburst with Volt today.
He and Volt are similar. They want to protect us. Josh…you keep pushing yourself because you want to protect everyone. Even if you DID do those hasty actions, you did them because…
You're worried about us.
You're worried about me.
Josh lowered his head, and he muttered something so quiet that it was barely distinguishable. "….ry…"
"Huh?" Cross questioned.
Josh looked at Cross again, and admitted out loud "I'm sorry for being a reckless idiot!" Cross let go of Josh's shoulders, all of us just looking at him. He was close to breaking down again, but he tried so hard to keep his composure. "Volt angers me to no extent, but he does have his reasons… What he did to us was sensible, but wrong, and I just wanted to prove it. And…and I did so in the dumbest way imaginable…" Tears were forming in Josh's eyes, and he was starting to sob out his complaints. "He's cold, mean, and ruthless, but he…he never once thought of us as anything but a couple of reckless children…"
I felt so bad for my brother. He wanted to prove he was the smart and tough one, but I knew that deep down inside, he was sensitive. He kept it all bottled up for so long that it was just the worst feeling in the world for him. I wanted to go up and hug him.
"Well you know what? Volt's right…" Josh sobbed as I walked forward. "I'm not a man. I'm just a worthless mutt. A worthless mutt who only makes things worse because of my careless actions…"
I patted my hand on Josh's shoulder, and he looked up at me. Cross took notice of me approaching Josh with a gentle smile on my face, my eyes all watery. "Josh…" I started, thinking back to all of the memories. "I… I don't say this often, but… You see, I…" Oh boy, I was doing so well before now, but here I am unable to speak what's on my mind again! I closed my eyes, and I gritted my teeth. Without another word, I gave Josh a hug, letting his head rest upon my torso as I pet his head gently.
"I had no idea how you must've felt these past few years…" I finally said. "You struggled so much on your own because you felt like you had to carry all of the weight. Weight that I could've been there for you to carry. And now that I see you like this, I can finally see what's troubling you. You fight for the sake of others because you don't want people you care about to suffer. I can see what you've been trying to teach me these past few years since you got the game. You gave me a copy of the game because you wanted to show how much you cared. You wanted me to train not for self-defense. It was because you wanted someone who can help you carry on through the difficult times in life."
I could feel Josh tremble as I said those words. It was enough to make me cry as well. "You saved my life that day, Josh. Not from the incident. Not from Zero Isles. Not even from Zeraora." I smiled, and I said "You saved me from living a lonely, meaningless life. I could never make it on my own. And neither can you." Josh looked at me, surprised that I of all people had to say this.
Cross patted my back, and as I looked at him, he gave me a smile. It was enough to melt my heart, in fact.
Josh and I finished our little hug, and he sniffed as he wiped away his tears. Once more, a smile wrung on his face, as he looked at the both of us. "Thanks, guys. I needed that."
Cross and I nodded with smiles on our faces. However, Josh returned to being all pouty, and he mentioned "But, now that I've calmed down, I still need to make it up to Volt as soon as possible."
"I'm afraid you can't do that."
We all turned our attention to the sound of that voice, and we looked at the appearances of both D-Volt and Wulfrock approaching us. I was shocked to see that they were here, looking at us. "Commander!" I stammered, shocked to see that he was still logged in, even with the broken arm.
"So, you finally learned some common decency as a human being. So, what?" Volt added, giving all of us a glare. "That doesn't excuse your actions, Mutt. You still have a lot to make up for if you think you can attempt to convince me to set you free."
Cross was quick on the rebound, and he mentioned "Sir, with all due respect, you should not have made Josh so angry like that. Perhaps if you gave him some consideration now and again, he would've avoided the outburst we saw him display!"
"I'll take it from here," Josh said quickly, cutting Cross off as he walked over to Volt. Josh was tense, but he had to speak what needed to be said. He looked over at Volt, almost close to crying again (or maybe he was trying to contain his rage again? I don't know), and he said "I took your power for granted, and I questioned your leadership, sir. If you wish, punish me, but leave Adam and Cross out of it. They don't deserve to be caged up with me." He sighed, and he bowed his head. "Please forgive me for my behavior, sir. I spoke and acted out of line, and whatever punishment you wish to give me, I'm more than ready to accept."
Volt looked at Josh for a bit, almost for a whole half a minute as he saw Josh bowing his head. We were all standing there in relative silence. Either Volt loves to add tension, or he's planning something. Whatever his plan was, he had something going on in his mind. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it was he was thinking.
Volt closed his eyes, and calmly said "One week."
Okay, I wasn't expecting that!
We all looked at Volt in utter surprise, and even Wulfrock was questioning what it was that Volt was thinking. "Mike! What are you doing? This isn't what I was expecting to hear from you, especially after what happened!"
"I know," Volt answered, giving his teammate a look. "But wouldn't it be interesting if Team Inferno had a whole week to prepare for the fight of their lives?"
"The fight of our lives?" Josh repeated.
Volt walked past Josh, and then past me and Cross, as he looked over at the stadium due north of the base, faintly silhouetted as the sky went from orange to indigo in color. "I'm offering you a proposal. In one week, you will train hard, and this Saturday, June 8th, we will have out battle. Team Delta vs Team Inferno. All or nothing. Best out of three matches." He looked at the sky, and he chuckled, which took me by surprise, since I've never heard him laugh before.
Josh was confused, but here he is, trying to sound desperate to revoke his challenge. "Volt! Please reconsider! I made a baseless claim and I can't possibly back it up! I don't want to fight you!"
"And I'm telling you that you are to give it your all in that arena," Volt remarked. Turning back to Josh, he continued. "You claim that you're strong to take on any challenge. I'd like to see that for myself. If you beat us 2 out of 3, we will concede defeat, and you can be granted your freedom. You can roam wherever you want in the game, and even pursue Zeraora if you so choose."
"Volt…" Josh muttered from utter bewilderment.
"However," Volt continued. "If we win, you will abide by whatever we decree upon you. This will also include being contained inside of the town until a situation arises when you must depart. You will obey our orders without question. And, perhaps more importantly, any and all insubordination will have the punishment be carried out by me. I will be your judge, jury, and executioner if need be…though that last one will only be if you really piss me off." With his not-broken arm, he held out his hand, and he said "Do we have a deal?"
Josh took what Volt said into careful consideration. In fact, we all did. I wasn't too sure on what the others were thinking about all of this at the time, but I most certainly understood what it was that Josh was thinking about, because it was the same train of thought that I was thinking about.
If Josh agreed to these terms, and if we win, we can go just about anywhere.
But, if we lose, we're stuck here until the end of time.
However, the difference between then and now is that Josh is no longer seething with anger. For the first time since Josh and I first laid our eyes on Volt, we were given a proposal that felt challenging, but…at the same time, doable.
Though, how in the world Josh, Rose, and I could possibly grow stronger as fighters within the week was another big question. Somehow, I felt as if my stomach was turning in knots as I had to wrap my head around the idea that Josh would accept Volt's proposal, and that we were being forced into training once again. Only this time, we were going to fight against our superior officers.
My biggest problem is that I don't know if I could take on any of them. I remembered my sparring match with Wulfrock a few days ago, and I simply couldn't figure out how to bypass his combo of Sandstorm and Stone Edge. He seemed to be fine-tuned to his element, and proved to be more of a challenge than anything I've ever faced before.
Rinekai is no different. Her combat stems from using that twig of hers to cast Fire and Psychic attacks. Trying to bypass her might prove problematic for Josh and Rose, but maybe I could be of benefit if the two of us were paired up… However, I usually have a policy. And that policy is I do NOT want to hurt any girls! So…yeah, facing against her will be a challenge for Josh and Rose, but doable. Facing against her myself would prove to be impossible.
And then there's Volt. Frankly, I've very rarely seen him take up the battlefield, but from what Wulfrock described, he's second to none when it comes to his attack patterns, adding intense strategy and planning to his movements. Once he reaches the battlefield, you had better pray that he's merciful.
After a while of Josh mulling over his options, he begrudgingly accepted the terms and conditions, and shook Volt's hand. "Deal."
"Excellent," Volt said. He then stopped shaking Josh's paw, before saying "You begin your training tomorrow morning as soon as you are able. Oh, and…there is one more thing." Suddenly, he sparked electricity, and he zapped Josh with a powerful Thunder attack, catching all of us completely off guard. Josh screamed in agony as he felt every ounce of electricity hit his body. After a few seconds, Josh collapsed onto the ground, slightly charred from the lightning. "That was for breaking my arm. Now we're even."
Volt walked off and made his way back into the base, Wulfrock just standing there bewildered by the experience that just happened. As for me, I quickly knelt down by Josh's side, and I began to panic. "Josh! Are you alright!?" I picked him up by his shoulders, and I started shaking him. "Stay with me, Josh! Stay away from the light!"
"I'M FINE ADAM! STOP YOUR SHAKING!" Josh yelled, his eyes all swirly from being swung back and forth like that.
Immediately, I stopped my shaking, and Josh looked like he was dizzy. He quickly shook himself back into focus, and placed a paw onto his head.
"Well, it appears we're back to square one," Chris mentioned, giving a sigh of discontent. "Now what do we do?"
"I think it's obvious," Cross answered his teammate, giving him and Nolan a good look. "We're going to train Team Inferno."
"We are?" Chris and Nolan said together.
"You are?" Josh and I repeated.
Cross nodded his head, and crossed his arms. "It might not be much, since we're only going to improvise our training regimen every so often, but given my prior experience in combat, I think I could be of some use." He then turned to me and Josh, and with a confident smile, he proclaimed "I swear to you, in one week, I will turn the cat and dog into the fearsome tiger and jackal that you both resemble to a tee. Consider me your personal tutor, your guiding voice, and your sparring partner all in one. If Tom and I could train each other…" He then turned his attention back to Chris and Nolan. "…and given that I taught Chris and Nolan well…" Once again, he returned to looking at us. "I'm pretty sure that you guys will keep up and become professional fighters in no time. Let the three-time tournament champions Team Calibur be your support! What do you say?"
Josh and I were taken aback by Cross's word. Looking back at my brother, I asked him "What do you think?"
"I've seen the way he fights," Josh answered. "He's strong." Curiously, he looked back at Cross, and stated "Not only that, but his strategies are second to none. I don't think I would've asked for anyone else to be our teacher. If he could last that long against Zeraora, I think he's more than earned my respect."
I looked at Cross as well, and I could tell that he was brimming with an eagerness to help us whenever possible. I could see the fire in his eyes, like he was going to go through this, even if we refused his proposal. Remembering how he helped me and Josh in the past outside of battle, I think he's just the right man for the job. I smiled, and Cross looked at me for my answer. "If Josh trusts you, then I guess it couldn't hurt."
"Perfect," Cross said with a smile. Looking back at his team, he placed his hand behind his head, and awkwardly said "I'm sorry for dragging you guys into this. But you see, if I'm going to be stuck here anyways, wouldn't it make sense that we help our fellow players?"
Chris and Nolan took a moment to look at each other briefly, before they looked back at Cross. Chris gave a smile, and said "Well, I guess I can't leave you with these knuckleheads by yourself. You'll need all the help you can get."
"Give the word, and we'll follow you no matter what," Nolan replied to Cross. "We're like family. We stick together."
Cross gave a confident smile, placing his hands on both of his teammate's shoulders. "Thanks, guys. You're the best."
Just then, the trio of Team Calibur turned to face us, and…weirldly enough, started to strike poses, much like when we first met them.
"For evasion and speed, I shall guide you on your path as the Jade Blade, Scicle!" Chris said with a smile, holding up his blade arm with a show of confidence.
"For defensive countermeasures, I will help fortify you as the Golden Blade, Zweister!" Nolan said, giving a salute as he looked at us.
"And for tactics and offense, you can rely on my strength as the Ivory Blade, X-Glaive!" Cross said, crossing his arms into an "X" shape as he knelt to one knee.
"TOGETHER, WE SHALL BE YOUR TEACHERS: TEAM CALIBUR!" As they said their rousing proposal together, the pose they struck was…different from last time. This time, it looked more they were a team, rather than a single unit. Their pose was not like an imitation of a sword, which was what they used as their pose the first day we met. I guess they changed it up once they met us because of how we thought the pose was rather strange at the time.
However, Josh was blunt as he looked at the team, and asked them "How come you're not forming a sword anymore? Wasn't that your signature pose?"
Almost like clockwork, the group comically fell onto the ground out of shock. I tried to alleviate the situation as I sheepishly said out loud "Don't get us wrong. That new pose for your team looks great! Less awkward when compared to last time!"
Cross was quick to get back up, and he chuckled at his own teammates. "You seriously changed the pose? Why didn't you tell me?"
Collectively, Josh and I had our jaws drop at once, and we both yelled at them "YOU DIDN'T REHEARSE IT AS A GROUP FIRST!?"
Cross laughed at our reactions as he looked back at us. "I'm not the one in control of these two, you know," he stated. "They have minds of their own, and their own reasons to fight." He continued to laugh at our apparent shock, but it didn't take long for the both of us to settle down.
But then, we all turned our attention to Wulfrock, as he walked over to us with a look of concern. Sighing, he placed a paw over his head, and he mentioned "I swear, you guys are some of the most eccentric people I've ever seen. But, Josh. Adam. Do you really want to fight against Volt in the stadium? I mean…even I don't know what it is he's planning. He only accepted your terms to prove a point earlier, but… I guess a few minutes of thinking to himself gave him reason to see that you guys are more than just his tools for assignments."
"Well, that's putting it mildly," Josh said.
"Regardless," Wulfrock continued, "even if you win the tournament this Saturday, I don't think that Volt would really go and honor the agreement."
"And you are certain of this?" Josh asked curiously. "How's contact with Volt in the real world, exactly?"
"Uh…" Wulfrock was stunned for a bit, not entirely sure how to answer. "Well, not too smooth, all things considered. I tried speaking with him in-game yesterday, but I don't know… Given what happened tonight, even I think he's going a little too far…" He groaned a bit as he looked at all of us. "But, if he thinks that he wants to fight you to test your strength, I guess I'm going to allow it, as asinine as it is."
"So, you're not going to stop him?" I asked dubiously.
"I guess if Nick were here, it would be possible," Wulfrock answered. "Nick's the only one out of all of us that outranks Volt in any way. However, he's already got his hands full trying to hunt down Zeraora. I've contacted him just after your little hissy fit, but it appears he's lost sight of the cat for the time being."
I could tell that Josh winced a little upon hearing about his little fit earlier. "Maybe phrase it in a way that doesn't sound dumb?" he requested.
"Sorry," Wulfrock said apologetically. "But given Volt's position in the guild, I would not want to question him any further than you guys did earlier." He then walked up to both me and Josh, and he gave a smile that read as uncertain, but hopeful and optimistic. "In any case, I hope that you manage to give it your all, because I will not be holding back."
"Same to you," Josh said with confidence, and he and Wulfrock bumped arms together. Josh and Wulfrock smiled at each other for a good while, but before long, as the Lycanroc backed off, Josh gave him a salute. I quickly followed suit with my own salute out of necessity.
Wulfrock nodded at us, before turning his attention towards Team Calibur. "You guys take good care of them," he said. "Train them well."
"Yes, sir!" the team said with a salute.
Wulfrock nodded at them, before he walked back towards the guild. He didn't even bother to look back at us. All he did was just raise his paw and wave us farewell. Once he walked back into the guild, it was just the five of us outside in the night sky.
I sighed with relief as I lowered my arm down. I was just happy that we were no longer in any position to argue anymore. We all knew what we had to do, and we were more than ready to attempt making the most of it.
Josh turned to Cross, and asked him "How soon should we begin training?"
"I guess as soon as Rose joins us," Cross said, "though I have no idea if she wants to or not."
"Either way, she needs to be brought up to speed on recent events," Josh said. "Chris. Can I ask of you to contact Rose?"
"Sure, I guess," Chris said nervously. "However, she'd know if it was me who sent the message."
"Then I'll have you act as my ghostwriter," Josh stated. "Write down everything that I say, and she'll get the message." He then held out his paw in the air, sliding it in front of him like he was picturing a word or message that needed to be written. "Have it say 'MESSAGE FROM J' in bold letters." He lowered his paw and stared back at Chris. "Think you can do that?"
Chris laughed a bit, before stating "You're making this sound too easy. I'll write it in all-caps if it suits you."
"Works for me," Josh concluded. "Once she's here, training can begin." Josh looked at me with a smile, and patted my arm. "We should get some rest. We're going to have a long day tomorrow."
Josh started to walk back into the guild building with Chris. He seemed like he was confident, but…I don't know. Something about the way he looked at me seemed like he was a little nervous. I honestly wouldn't blame him.
I looked towards the direction of the stadium, a feeling of unease spread around my body. Can we do this? I don't even know if I can do this! Whatever Volt is thinking, it's clearly something crazy. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but it seems to me that he's more worried about our safety than we are. So why go through with this? What would be the point?
In any case, I wasn't going to think about these things for long. Cross walked next to me as he dismissed Nolan to log out for the night. As we stood side by side, staring at the stadium, Cross said to me "You and that Lucario truly are something else. I thought for sure that Volt would lift the challenge completely."
Nervously, I asked him "Do you think we stand a chance? Against Volt and his team?"
"Maybe," Cross answered. "But that will all depend on whether or not the training was worthwhile."
I turned to Cross as he said this. As I looked into his eyes, I could see that he looks slightly pained that he has to wait in the town for a while, but at the same time, eager to get this over with as soon as possible. He and Josh looked like they needed time to think about this. However, they both looked like they were more than ready to give it their all.
And then, I saw Cross's eyes briefly shift in color to a bright blue, before quickly returning to red. This caught me off guard a bit, and I believe Cross took notice, because he saw I looked puzzled. "What's wrong?" he asked.
I wish I knew what to tell him. Instead, I was just staring deeply into his eyes, seeing that they were still crimson in color, which was natural for a Gallade. I could tell the moon was out, so maybe the moonlight reflected in his eyes or something?
I sighed, before telling him "It's nothing. I'm just a little tired, that's all."
Cross nodded in understanding, before patting me on the back. "In that case, get some sleep. You'll need all the rest you can for tomorrow."
"Right," I replied.
And just like that, I was returning to my dorm room, leaving Cross outside on his own. As I looked back at him, I saw him staring at his own hand, which was odd to say the least. Then again, Josh did a similar motion from time to time, looking at his paw, expecting to see a hand, so I guess he must be thinking about home. However, the last thing I heard him say that night was unexpected.
He said "What am I doing here?"
Zeraora's trail was still being pursued, and despite the past two days of searching, Nick had yet to find any means of progress. The Charizard sat in a cave, staring off into the moonlight, having took first watch to keep an eye out alongside his pursuit team.
"Still no sign of him," EmperorBlue the Empolean mentioned, staring off into the stars with Nick.
Nick looked at his teammate, and asked him "Why are you still up, Napoleon? It's not your turn to monitor the area yet."
"True, but let's not forget that you're technically a liability," Napoleon said. "Neither of us are trapped in here like you are."
Nick acknowledged that with respect, and gave a smile. "I've survived for this long, haven't I? Credit where credit is due, surviving five years in here really changes you. I don't think I would've made it out alive if it weren't for you guys giving me an assist."
"Oh, jeez, talking about the glory days again?" a voice interrupted from behind the two of them within the cave.
Inside the cave with the Charizard and Empoleon, there were three others: a Mienshao, a Tyranitar, and a Dusknoir.
Username: Tenkaichi Species: Mienshao Guild: Resolute
Username: Spectro Species: Dusknoir Guild: Moon
Username: Kaido Species: Tyranitar Guild: Legends
"Is there anything else you guys can discuss?" the Mienshao added. "I don't want to jinx us if we ended up losing our best fighter on accident."
"You're just afraid that Zeraora is going to find us and ambush us in our sleep, aren't you?" the Dusknoir asked, giving a slightly devious grin. "Maybe he's already here and he's plotting his revenge!"
The Meinshao responded in kind by glaring at the Dusknoir, before commenting "You're enjoying teasing us, aren't you?"
In a sinister fashion, the Dusknoir leaned in closer towards the Meinshao, eerily saying "Who said that I was teasing? What if he's inside this very cave?" Just then, sparks of electricity appeared behind the Dusknoir, causing the Mienshao to freak out.
"LOOK OUT!" he yelled, rushing behind the Dusknoir, ready to strike with a High-Jump Kick. However, instead of hitting a wild Pokemon, he hit a solid wall, and he ended up feeling his foot sustaining heavy damage. He winced in pain, all the while the Dusknoir laughed at his practical joke, showing that he was just fooling around with a Thunder Punch.
"BWAHAHAHAHA!" the Dusknoir laughed with joy. "You should've seen the look on your face!"
"Rohan! Kenji! That's enough!" the Tyranitar yelled, giving his teammates a glare to set them in line. "Now is not the time for practical jokes!"
"I was just messing around, Will!" the Dusknoir, Rohan, said innocently. "I just wanted to lighten the mood, that's all!"
The Mienshao, Kenji, gripped his foot as he sat down, gritting his teeth as he looked at Rohan. "You are so lucky that you're a Ghost-type, otherwise I would've kicked the crap out of you for doing that…"
The Tyranitar, Will, shook his head and groaned. "This had better be a good reason if you're bringing us here together, Nick," he said. "Why are we searching the territories to the south again?"
Nick turned to face his team, and he said "I've brought you here because I'll be needing a strong team. You guys are the best that I could hope for."
"Right," Rohan doubted. "You just wanted someone to write your obituary in case you die." Nick gave him a glare, and the Dusknoir innocently placed both of his hands up. "I'm only kidding! Sorry!"
Nick sighed, and he looked over the four of them. "Zeraora couldn't have gotten far. At least, not without his Entercards. When I last fought him, I pursued him through the southern forests, and I was able to strike him before he could get away. The Entercards he had in his possession were taken from him. We can easily take him down if we play our cards right, and ambush him."
"Wait, you took his Entercards?" Kenji asked. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"
"Well, I just wanted to see you guys again in case I don't make it to the end," Nick answered dubiously. "I don't know if I could beat him alone. I assembled you all here because I needed your help."
"What about your guild?" Will asked. "Aren't they going to help you?"
Nick took a moment to think about it. He lowered his head, and began to think back to the day when his fellow guild members fought Zeraora. "I wouldn't count on it. They've done what they could. It's probably best they stay out of the way." Of course, he said that to try and reason with himself. HE knew it was the right thing, but… At the same time, he left Volt in charge of the guild, so it was not going to last long if Volt did something reckless.
Josh and Cross were unconscious, but alive, the both having sustained heavy injury. I was carrying Cross over my shoulders, Rose walked by our side with her head hung low and her eyes wide with fear and uncertainty, while Josh was being carried away by Rinekai using Psychic ("Less bloodstains to scrub off," she said).
We made our way towards Lucian the Meowstic, who was patiently waiting for us at the bottom of Mount Ebott. He adjusted his spectacles as he looked at us, and he said "Well, I see that your fortunes were helpful?"
Suddenly, Chris leaped forward, and used Night Slash on Lucian, attempting to strike him down out of fury. Lucian was quick to pull up a Reflect, blocking off the attack to minimize the damage. Chris lashed out as hard as he could, and yet, Lucian was able to stay relatively calm through the whole ordeal. Lucian stared blankly at Chris, and mentioned "Cross is alive, isn't he? So therefore, there's still a chance to see his future."
"You knew this would happen!" Chris yelled angrily. "You saw what was going to transpire! WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING!?"
Suddenly, Lucian's eyes glowed as he held Chris in place with Mean Look, petrifying the Scyther as he was engulfed in a faint purple aura. Lucian sighed, and walked past the Scyther as he made his way towards the rest of us. "Please do try to behave yourself," he said. "I want peace, not violence."
Once the Meowstic reached the main group, he said "I sure hope you know what's in store for you. I see that the battles you'll be facing ahead of you are wrought with intensity. And I'm not only referring to the psychical confrontations."
Volt was quick to walk towards Lucian, his expression was red with rage, though he chose to refrain himself. "You collaborated with these runts, right?" Volt asked. "Tell me, what do you think your goal was?"
"To put it bluntly, I was only trying to help you all attempt to escape from this game," Lucian stated. "As much as I hate to admit it, some things are beyond my control. I can't exactly see where every path could take me. But…if you all follow your chosen paths, then fate will play a large portion of your next few months together."
"Months?" Volt asked. "What do you mean by that?"
As I looked over at my team, I also could've sworn that Wulfrock was starting to tense up. Something seemed to be on his mind. But what?
"I suggest you have a chat with your team about that," Lucian answered, giving a look towards both Wulfrock and Rinekai. Upon looking back at the commander of the Solace Guild, he said "You are a leader of the Solace Guild. I'd say it's important that you act like one."
"Now you listen here, Four-Eyes!" Volt stated, grabbing the Meowstic by the scruff of his neck and lifting him to eye level. "I am not one to play coy with the future. You will tell me what it is that you know, otherwise, I'll have to find someone else to run the teleportation business."
"You do seem to drive a hard bargain," Lucian said plainly as he gave a smile. "Very well. I will tell you what I know is in store for your future. No prophecy necessary."
Volt let go of Lucian, and the Meowstic quickly pulled out a cloth, using Psychic to remove his glasses, as he then rubbed the glass to clean it, before putting them back on. "As much as I would rather NOT tell you what I know, you seem to be persistent, and would likely beat me to a pulp time and time again in case I end up too vague." Sighing, Lucian looked at Volt. "Here's what you must do if you want the best outcome for your near future." He grabbed Volt's hand, and his eyes glowed blue for a bit.
As the moment passed, he let go of Volt's hand, and the commander was, for the first time, stunned into absolute silence. That, and he seemed to be struggling to contain some form of emotion. Volt looked back at all of us, his expression showing genuine concern. I was honestly quite surprised to see this, and I wished that Josh was awake to see this for himself. Whatever Lucian showed him, it shook his very core.
I thought all about that the entire time I was in the bedroom. I had to think back to everything that happened, leading up to this very point. Who am I to judge when it came to the way that life tends to screw us over like this? Well, if it's any comfort, I guess the one thing that I kind of enjoy is the idea of company in my life. Though, sometimes, whenever I try to be alone, I'm usually alright with it. It just gives me time to think. Just sitting there by myself in relative silence as I waited for Josh really helps to put things into perspective.
Soon, I heard the bedroom door open, and Josh was able to walk on in. Smiling, I said "Here. Catch." I threw an apple towards Josh's direction, and he ended up catching it in both of his paws, his expression reading that he was surprised. As he looked back at me, I said "You've been unconscious for two days. I figured you must've been hungry."
Josh smiled as he shut the door behind him. "Well, thanks for the concern," he said. Josh took a bite out of the apple, and he walked on over to bed, sitting just across from me as moonlight flooded through the window, providing some illumination into our room.
Our bedroom was decorated to be a part of our own personal tastes. I had a small shelf filled with various books and notes on my end. It wasn't a lot, seeing as how I'm either traveling or training in comparison to my notes, but I wrote for the purpose of trying to maintain some form of humanity that I could keep with me. The notes I tend to write were essentially like a series of random thoughts that I catalogue in the books from time to time. My most recent note that I've written was called "What Did Lucian Show Volt?" It was essentially part three of the notes I've written on the subject of Lucian, since parts one and two were all about Josh and Cross respectively. Other notes I've written were mostly about my thoughts regarding this world, the sights I've seen, the people I've met, and the various oddities that occur within the game itself. In a way, my mind was like a steel trap.
Josh's end of the room was a lot more decorative. He has a photo of the two of us on the shelf by his bed, as well as a small tree that had the look of a few leaves plucked from its branches. As it turns out, Josh would usually like to calm his nerves with music if training wasn't on his mind. He's been practicing what's known as the leaf whistle, though he has had a slow process of learning it, given how busy we tend to get, or how much he would neglect practicing altogether. Though sometimes, when he thinks I'm fast asleep, I would overhear him attempt to practice, until he eventually was able to form a melody. Over time, he's become somewhat competent as a musician, especially given how he was primarily self-taught.
Other random knick-knacks that Josh had on his end of the room included his personal tea selection (I don't know why he has it, I guess he's probably a tea drinker). There was also an item called a Spirit Globe in the shelf, which apparently happens to act mainly as a distraction item, mostly. How it works is that it reads his spiritual self, and every time I've seen Josh mess around with it, it would give a faint blue glow. I tried messing with it once, and it just so happened to have glowed a bright red in my hands.
The last item on Josh's shelf, just right next to the small tree, was a vase with a bunch of flowers inside of it. Mostly roses. Though sometimes, I've seen Josh pick up various other kinds of flowers depending on his interest. But, apparently, roughly 90% of the time, it was roses. Red ones. Blue ones. Violet ones. White ones. Black ones. Pink ones. There was just a wide variety that he would tend to get every week, in fact. It turns out that this week's selection of roses was just red roses. Though, judging from Josh's expression, he was planning on changing the rose selection to something else. Maybe a variety of them all at once, for a change? I don't know. I guy can dream.
Josh has finished his apple, tossing the core into the air, where it vanished into a series of pixels. He exhaled in satisfaction. "I needed that. I guess I owe you one, Adam!"
"Yeah," I said, laying down in my bed, staring off into the ceiling.
Josh could tell that a lot was on my mind, and he asked "Are you still nervous? You know… About everything that happened?"
"There's not a moment where I don't think about it," I admitted. "Honestly, something is up with Commander D-Volt. Normally, he'd be the one to reprimand you for an attempt to question his leadership. I'm just…shocked he's deciding to go through with your proposal for once!"
"You mean follow through with my careless proposal," Josh pointed out. "Remember, I wasn't exactly in the right of mind."
I snickered. "Yeah. I don't think I've ever seen you so angry before. You kind of scared me for a bit."
Josh blushed a little from embarrassment, as he then looked over at the roses he has placed in his vase. "I'm thinking of changing out the roses again. Only this time, to something more appropriate."
"Really," I commented. "What color do you want to go for now? Blue? Pink?"
Josh shook his head. "I'm thinking of a mixture of colors this time."
I looked over at Josh with surprise. "A mixture this time? Wow! Good for you!"
Josh smiled at my comment, and he soon began to lay down into his own bed. "I sent my message to Rose, in case you were curious," Josh said as he looked up at the ceiling.
I sigh deeply. "I just hope she can accept what's going on. This is a pretty big deal."
Josh took a moment to respond, as he was deep in thought. "Yeah." He took a look at me, I was just trying to calm my nerves from today. Everything these past few days were so stressful. I just want to go to sleep and pretend that this never happened.
Josh understood how I was feeling, and gently, he said "I've gotten better at leaf whistle, if you want to hear."
I groaned. "I don't care," I said. "Just…do whatever you think would make you happy."
Josh nodded, and he made his way to the small tree on top of the shelf by his bed. He plucked one of the leaves, and placed it near his lips. All at once, the song he started to play was able to miraculously put my muscles at ease. All of my worries just melted from my mind. It was like I was suddenly much lighter, and my body was as malleable as jelly. I felt peaceful.
And all from a simple song.
I turned to face Josh as he played the melody through to the end, a smile spread not only across my face, but his own. Even he relaxed as he played the song, it seems. Once the song was finished, he let go of the leaf, and it vanished in a series of pixels. He gave me a smile, and he said "Goodnight, Adam."
I gave a smile back at him as I responded with "Goodnight." I yawned, and returned to facing the ceiling. Before I could let the feeling of sleep take me, I just had to know, and so I asked him "What was that song, anyways?"
"Did you forget?" Josh asked, yawning back in return. "I'm pretty sure it was obvious."
"I'm not much of a music person, you know that," I stated. "But…that song sure was lovely."
Josh smiled, closing his eyes. "It should be. It's supposed to soothe the fiercest rage"
"Really?" I asked, closing my eyes as well, the world starting to become a partial blur to me. "What's it called?"
Before I could fade off into sleep, Josh said "It's called Oración."
