Chapter 23: Oboneron's Secrets
A new morning rose over the campus grounds of Luna Nova Academy as the students learned about camping out. Unfezant was on a branch when she woke to find a large cat carrying Meowth to the campsite. Both felines were heavily burned a the large cat's legs trembled greatly in pain. Unfezant cawed frantically to the call, alerting the other Pokémon who were in other tents. It also woke some of the students. "Is it morning already?" groaned Amanda. She exited her tent before she spotted the cats, Meowth unconscious in the bigger cat's mouth. Amanda realized that a situation came to light. "EVERYONE! EMERGENCY!" Hearing Amanda, the students stirred awake and started to come out, including Ash and Pikachu.
"Amanda, what is it!?" questioned Lotte. They waited back as Ash came to see it.
"Meowth!" he realized. "And Persian!" The larger cat had a red gem wedged in its forehead. The bigger cat collapsed, pain too much to bear. "They're badly injured." Diana wondered about the two Pokémon.
"Isn't that the same cat that was in Blytonbury with those others?" she wondered.
"You don't forget something like that so easily," Akko recalled. "Though, what's with the bigger cat?" Ash viewed Persian with caution.
"That's Giovanni's Persian," he remembered. "And he runs Team Rocket."
"So, do we just leave them be?" asked Hannah.
"No, something happened to these two,"Ash refused. "It may be related to Oboneron." Persian woke, seeing Ash. Snarls, it acted defensive.
"Looks like it wants to scuffle," Diana warned. Persian lunged, but the injuries forced the cat back down.
"Take it easy, Persian," Ash advised. Akko emerged with Ash's PokéDex, aiming it at the new Pokémon.
PERSIAN – NORMAL – HT: 3'3" – WT: 70.5 LBS. ABILITY: LIMBER
"PERSIAN, THE CLASSY CAT POKÉMON, AND THE EVOLVED FORM OF MEOWTH," it registered. "PERSIAN ACT SUPERIOR, MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE JEWEL IN ITS FOREHEAD."
"Wait, this guy will become that guy?" guessed Barbara while pointing to Meowth, then Persian. Pikachu provided a purple spray bottle to Ash as he petted Persian.
"Good idea, Pikachu," Ash praised. "Get one for Diana. She's treating Meowth." Looking to Diana with Wangari and Molly over Meowth, Pikachu hesitated to the idea.
"We may need answers to Oboneron if he has any," Wangari hoped. Pikachu understood the occasion and grabbed another bottle.
"Can I ask if this is part of being a trainer?" asked Molly.
"I know, right?" reacted Ash. "I didn't think we'd get a crash course on it so quickly." He sprayed the contents onto Persian who lashed and hissed. Amanda itched Persian's ears.
"Calm down, we're here to help you," she eased. Persian looked to Amanda, an image of another girl like her showing up in its eyes. It stopped reacting and calmed down to allow Ash the treatment.
"That should do it," Ash relieved.
"Good," Amanda sighed. "Let me get some water for it." She dashed off to her tent as Jasminka prepared breakfast.
"I never thought I'd make so much more food," she huffed. "But zis Buckwheat Porridge should be zis stuff to get ze cats on zere paws." As Jasminka hurried, Meowth started to stir.
"My fur…" he groaned. Starting to sit up, Meowth realized he was surrounded by the witches. He yelped at the sight. "Twerpettes!" Diana clutched Meowth's head, securing him from escaping.
"You, feline, are not going anywhere," she warned. Meowth gawked more, Pikachu ready to help with controlling both of Team Rocket's cats.
"Youse can't hold Meowth like dis!" complained Meowth. Amanda returned with water for Persian as Ash came to Meowth.
"So, what's going on that you're away from Team Rocket, Meowth?" he questioned. "You and Persian were badly burnt." Meowth didn't want to deal with Ash, knowing their history.
"Like I'm telling ya anyting, twerp!" he lashed out. Amanda stepped away from Persian to take Meowth by the head from Diana.
"A Brooklyn accent, huh?" she sneered. "I eat Brooklynites like you for breakfast." Meowth gawked to the threat.
"Youse can't do dat!" he pleaded before turning to Ash. "Twerp, do someting! You wouldn't let Meowth get eaten by dese twerpettes!"
"Keep in mind, these 'twerpettes' happen to be much more powerful than all of Team Rocket," he grinned. "So, I'd watch what I say around them." Meowth sweated through his fur as Persian rested. "Now, what happened that had you and Persian badly injured?" Meowth tried to dart his head away from Ash, forgetting Amanda had his head firm.
"I ain't talking to ya, twerp!" he refused as the rest of his body turned away. Akko brought her wand out, pointing it at Meowth's head. Opening his eyes, he saw the tip of the wand before looking up to Akko.
"Do we need to remind you of what happened back then in Blytonbury?" she recalled. Meowth shrieked at more pain.
"Alright!" he cried out. "Alright, I'll talk! Don't hurt Meowth anymore! And get yer fingas off my head!"
"Nope, you're not going anywhere," denied Sucy. "Amanda, open his mouth." Meowth rolled his eyes to Sucy holding a vial of a black liquid. He became frightened.
"Don't, I'll talk!" he squawked. Sucy stopped. "Our boss made a contract with someting named Oboneron who wanted revenge. Our boss and it began a slow merge togetha which took weeks." The students looked around to ponder Meowth's briefing as Persian walked to get its feet underneath him.
"Ash, what do you think?" asked Wangari. "You know this cat better than anyone else here."
"Keep in mind, we don't know much about Oboneron," Ash advised. "And the only likely place about him is back at the House that Anna's looking into." Another question emerged in his head. "What about Jessie and James?" Meowth couldn't lie as tears started to form.
"Dey vanished when da boss and dat ting emerged and burned his Persian and me," he whimpered. Ash nodded, confirming Team Rocket's fate.
"Ash, what does he mean?" asked Akko. It took a few seconds before Ash had an answer.
"We need answers about Oboneron," he replied. "Headmistress Holbrooke has to have something if we stand a chance against this thing."
"So, back to Luna Nova Academy?" guessed Lotte.
"It's a start," Diana plotted. "I would need to call home if she's there." Ash believed Anna had to have found something at this point.
"This camping trip is over," he determined. "We need to bring Meowth and Persian in the school." Meowth believed he would be locked up in whatever prison Luna Nova Academy had.
"Now hold on, twerp!" he mewed. "Why should we go to dis school!? Youse surrounded by a lot of twerpettes! Don't ya feel like a Goldeen in an ocean!?" Sucy, vial still in hand, presented it to Meowth.
"It's either comply or vial," she teased. Thinking it's a poison, Meowth surrendered.
"Okay, okay!" he refused to accept the vial.
"Besides, there's a nurse that can help out," Ash informed. "I mean, did you forget that you traveled with me, Iris and Cilan?" Meowth sighed as the students and Pokémon packed the tents and rushed to Luna Nova Academy.
"Let's get going, Persian!" urged Amanda. Persian mewed before following Amanda. Lotte was suspicious of the vial as she approached Sucy.
"What's the brew that you have in there?" she urged.
"Breastmilk with a red dye," Sucy answered. Lotte groaned to the threat of something harmless. At Luna Nova Academy, Miranda, Ursula, Croix and Nelson saw Meowth and Persian with the story of Oboneron.
"So, it's only a matter of time," Miranda assumed. "And he's already taken hostages, albeit the boss's own employees." Ursula felt troubled to the case.
"Headmistress, we've tried to look into more of Oboneron," she voiced. "But we haven't found a shred of information that tells us how Aaron defeated this being of hostile magic." Ellen came in but seeing Meowth froze her. She gulped, hoping Meowth didn't see her. She backpedaled from the room, her face dripping with sweat and fear.
"Aaron?" repeated Meowth. "As in Sir Aaron? From da Camerean Palace?"
("That's what we believe,") Pikachu squeaked. Meowth awed as he put a paw on his chin.
"Interestin'…" he mewed. Ash turned, finding Ellen hiding behind the door, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Persian, lying on the ground with bandages, looked to Ellen without moving.
"Right now, we're still waiting for any word from the House of Cavendish," Croix briefed. "Of course, those witches are as trustful as Appleton has been, considering the history." Meowth looked confused to the discussion.
"I was meaning ta ask," he spoke to Ash. "Why are youse with witches? I mean, if Jessie saw her, I can say dat I met an older hag dan her." Offended, Miranda clocked Meowth in the back of his head with a paddle.
"Even if you are a talking cat, you must mind your manners," she grumbled. Meowth didn't move.
"Sorry…" he murmured. "I couldn't help it." Diana returned to the room as everyone else, including Persian, turned to her.
"Anything?" asked Nelson.
"Nothing good," Diana replied. "Anna has searched the entire House… Nothing." This spelled a problem for the staff and students.
"If it's not here," Ursula started. "And it's not at the House, where could it be?" Ash remembered the note at the back of his tome.
"But it has to be at the House," Ash proclaimed. "There's no other place where something like that has to be." The women began to wonder on Ash's claim.
"What makes you so sure?" questioned Croix.
"A note I found on the back of the tome," Ash mentioned. "Sir Aaron must have given it to Easter Cavendish before he returned the Pokémon World. It's the only place it would be." Diana believed Ash forgot the report.
"Dear, it's not there!" she reminded. Ash didn't believe Diana and suspected Daryl of foul play.
"She's done something to the notes," he assumed. "I'm sure of it." Diana believed Ash suspected her aunt to be holding the items from the thousand years before. The teachers and Miranda started to come to the same conclusion.
"If this is true," Croix pondered. "Should we go and make a visit?" Nelson believed time was of the essence.
"Not really much of a choice, Croix," she shrugged. "We need to find it if we need to stop Oboneron." Ursula nodded as she palmed Diana's shoulder.
"I understand that your aunt and cousins don't want visitors," she acknowledged. "But if Ash is correct, we have an upper hand on Oboneron. She has to comply for it." Hearing Ursula, Meowth seemed curious.
"Aunt and cousins?" he repeated.
"Yeah, Diana's living folks are also witches," Ash informed. "You and Persian will need to stay."
"And why should I!?" snapped Meowth.
"I choose!" scolded Miranda as she summoned rope to tie him up. Meowth yelped and fought for freedom. Miranda let Ash go, Pikachu joining his shoulder. Soon enough, they, Akko, Diana, Croix and Ursula flew to the House of Cavendish. Landing, Akko, Diana, Ash and Pikachu entered first with Croix and Ursula following.
"Are you sure that we can leave Team Rocket's Pokémon alone with the Headmistress?" wondered Akko.
"I'm not one who leaves Pokémon injured," Ash replied. Suddenly, they see Anna appearing, visibly angered.
"Anna!?" called out Diana. Anna didn't look at Diana or her entourage and stormed into another room.
"DARYL!" she shouted. The students followed suit. They reached another room with Daryl sipping wine.
"Anna, what is it?" she scoffed.
"You would drink while a crisis is about to unfold," she scowled. "Where are the parchments!?" Daryl gave Anna a side-eye.
"Parchments?"
"The parchments from the last millennium! The ones which depict Oboneron's downfall!" In response, Daryl casually sipped her wine.
"Oh, that… I converted that to a book. It wasn't that hard before it was out of my hands." To Anna, the parchments were no longer in the House with an opportunity.
"You mean you sold it!? That book is about the wrath and downfall of Oboneron that our ancestor, Theodore Cavendish, wrote! It held the key in stopping that magical beast!"
"That? Surely, you can't be serious. Besides, it was a solid £750,000." The dismissal made Anna angry.
"You'd throw a key piece of evidence for money!?" Pointing, Daryl had another point to make.
"Besides, there's something bigger in mind that will affect the House, if you hadn't already noticed: That peasant boy with my niece! I don't care if he's the son of an alum, he's a poor boy who doesn't deserve to step in the house!"
"Ash is more than that, like his mother being a student. Did Delia do something to you as a new mother?"
"Even if she didn't, her son should never have been around, regardless of the circumstances! What does he have to prove?"
"Plenty… In fact, he may be the next patriarch of this House… and where does that place you?"
"Oh, please! You forget, you're only a maid to the prestige of the House, and if he decides to show up-"
"Like now?" voiced Ash. Daryl and Anna jumped at the sound, turning to Ash and Pikachu approaching. "Hello, Daryl. I supposed the talk about me is… decent?" Daryl didn't approve of Ash in her sights once more as Akko and Diana stood back.
"A peasant like you shouldn't be in this House," she scorned. Ash wasn't fazed.
"Peasant? I'm surprised that you think I want a dollar from this House."
"It's not 'Dollar' that's the currency, but regardless…"
"You would doom all of England just to further inherit yourself, Aunt Daryl?" spoke Diana. She and Akko stood side-by-side with Ash.
"Even more, the entire continent?" added Akko. Maril and Merrill came out with wands, ready to defend their mother.
"You will not touch our mother!" urged Maril. Lightning bolts shot from their wands, but Diana, Ash and Pikachu countered with their own. Seeing the Mouse Pokémon, Maril and Merrill seemed baffled.
"Did that rodent shoot lightning as well?" gawked Merrill.
"And that's not all he can do," Akko sneered as Croix entered. Daryl also didn't like seeing new people.
"Croix Meridies…" she mulled. "I heard that you and Chariot du Nord fought each other." Croix smirked at the comment.
"Back then, sure," she confirmed. "Now, we're side-by-side." Ursula came forward to acknowledge Croix's truth.
"Who did you sell the book to, Daryl?" she demanded an answer. "Do you want to risk your daughters' lives by selling the key to victory?"
"Like you becoming a witch for entertainment, Chariot du Nord?" countered Daryl. Ursula didn't bat an eye. Ash, Akko, Diana and Pikachu gawked to the name given to Ursula.
"Chariot?" repeated Ash. Ursula, or Chariot, didn't bat an eye to the name.
"My name is irrelevant," she warned. "Who did you sell the book to? If you care about Maril and Merrill, it's better to tell us."
"And if I refuse?" taunted Daryl.
"Everyone, even yourself, will die," Chariot responded. "All of the blood will be on your hands."
"Then you're the one failing the people, Miss Nord," Merrill mocked. "Besides, we have all the protection in the House. Luna Nova Academy should've hired better teachers." Chariot and Croix growled as Akko saw the sky quickly going black. To her, Oboneron was fully awake.
"Guys!" she advised. Everyone turned to Akko and then the window to see the sky going black.
"Oboneron…" hushed Diana. "We're too late to stop it." Maril and Merrill watched as flames emitted from the sky. They became quickly worried.
"Mother?" voiced Maril. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"The flames are not a good sign," Merrill gulped. "Maybe it's best to tell them about the book." Daryl scoffed, disbelieving the notion.
"Please, we'll be safe in here," she shrugged. To those visiting, they were ready to leave.
"We better go," Chariot suggested. Everyone else agreed. Ash and Pikachu reached Chariot, still puzzled by the name.
"Is your name really Chariot?" he asked. Chariot palmed Ash's free shoulder.
"Right now, we need to focus on Oboneron," she pointed out. "Let's go." She left as Pikachu joined the other girls. Ash turned back to Daryl, Maril and Merrill.
"By the way, you may have more money, but the way you drink suggest how poor you really are," he scorned. "Real people know when they have enough. You were never told enough once in your youth. That's why I'm wealthier than you'll ever be." He rushed out, ready to stop Oboneron as Daryl crushed her wine glass, cutting her hand.
"That wretched wanker!" she growled. She pointed her bloody finger at Anna. "I should've known better than to keep you around." Mean eyes, Anna did not appreciate the backtalk.
"Indeed, you should've," she replied in kind. Ash rejoined the girls as Akko rode with Diana and Ash and Pikachu got back on Shooting Star. To Ash, this was a battle for his life oncoming as they flew back to Luna Nova Academy… and to Oboneron.
TO BE CONTINUED...
