Gaby Stons – You're using a translator to read this fic? Wow, that must take a while. And yes, Lance is very stupid at the moment Thanks for reviewing!
Redemmo – I try to at least start on the next chapter a week after I post but I always get caught up over on DA with the illustrations I do of this. Thanks for the review!
The Incarnation Pokemon – Wallace has arrived and shall stick around too! I hope you're satisfied with my characterization of him Thank you for reviewing!
Maia's Pen – Ahaha! You're brilliant you know that? You pick up on all the things I want people to notice and it makes me smile. Like the things Clair says to the subtle humour I slip in. Maybe others pick em up too but you always comment. Anyhoo, the beginning of the fourth chapter may seem odd at the moment but Ash and his friends shall be in this soon… unfortunately. And thank you for reviewing!
A/N: Whoopie! Our computer crashed big time and i couldn't get Word up when we re-booted it. Fortunately as I'm writing this on WordPad our new computer should be arriving soon. I really need to get a move on with this.
Ahaha! With these new features on i can pinpoint all my closet readers! It's fun to see how many places your fic goes, haha. God i hate closet readers, it's so disheartening...
Rambling on there, anyway, onwards! And if you thought chapter five was a long one…
Notes
"Talking"
Thinking
((Psychic communication))
Pokemon speech
'Phone calls' and
'Tatsu language'
The Dragon Homeland
Chapter 7
Ryuin's body heaved on the cold stone floor as Wes fought to channel the pain away from his consciousness. Not only had the despicable dragon injured his own body and stolen it but now the wretch was channelling the pain through to him. Rui was kneeling at his side whilst the dragon's three cronies watched them with unwavering eyes from across the long room.
Rui was livid. More so with herself than anything else. She watched the dragon's body with reassuring eyes whenever Wes looked up at her, but truth be told she was in conflict with herself. While this was her best friend she was hugging it was also the body of a pokemon everyone would grow to despise in the near future, and while the body had no power part of her was telling her to finish it. But that wasn't just in her.
She could never do such things.
The Psychic leaned back on her feet as Wes growled in pain again, and since he had no psychic abilities he could only use the deep vocal chords of the dragons and not a voice, but it was obvious he was in pain. So obvious it hurt her eyes to watch. To a passer-by it would seem the creature was suffering from a severe case of mental trauma when in reality this experience could very well destroy his mind.
Not while it was still in the body though. No, it would be when Ryuin and Vance would force her to switch their minds back again. The dragon could easily survive the process as many times as need be, but Wes on the other hand…
She was trembling with fury and fear.
"So, when do we spring the trap?"
Brendan groaned in annoyance, "when the Prime Minister gets 'ere!" Honestly, how're we meant to get Jayshow in trouble if the Minister ain't here?"
"Ah, right" May grumbled then rung her hands together and grinned "this is gonna be great!"
"Yep! Now lets see what we've got so far… rope?"
"Check!"
"Hair dye?"
"Check!"
"Mobile phone?"
"Check!"
"Football?"
"Check!"
"Spray paint?"
"Check!"
"Dunsparce?"
"Check!"
"Woman in labour!"
"Check!… No wait, what?" May rapped her clipboard with the pen and looked for the source of the voice in confusion.
Brendan jumped up from the sofa when the Indigo Champion barrelled into the room. "Whoa, Lance! Thought you went to the hospital?"
Lance looked around sharply, "what? Oh yeah, uh, I mean no!"
"Calm down or you gonna hurt yourself, Lance" May advised then looked around him and the room. "Why're you here anyway?"
"Ah, yeah, the um, the" Lance scratched his head, "ah yeah! Karen!" He blurted.
"She's still in the hospital wing, y'know" May informed.
"I know that!" Lance snapped causing May to squeak and skitter back. "Oh, sorry…" he sighed.
"Okay" Brendan nodded his acceptance of the situation then looked around the room too. "Um, where's Lorelei?"
The Dragon Master froze at the question for a long moment then cringed. "Uhg!" He ran over to the door and ripped it open to reveal Lorelei leaning against the frame with a fed up expression. "Sorry, sorry" he bowed slightly and followed her into the room. "That's right, worry 'bout your own condition."
Lorelei swatted at him as she fell down to sit on the sofa near Brendan, "I'm not a cripple, y'know."
The Latias bonded girl jumped from leaning on the wall to touch the ice trainer, "why aren't you at the hospital?"
"Oh, I couldn't leave without knowing how Karen was."
"Mercury is treating her," May stated, "or course she'll be okay."
"I'd still like to – ah!" Lorelei gripped her middle with an arm while her other hand sought out anything to hold. Unfortunately that "anything" turned out to be Brendan's hand.
"Oh jeez!" He cringed as the woman crushed his hand during the contraction.
May jumped forward to the Ice Master again, "you really got to go to the hospital."
"I've been tellin' 'er that for the last 'alf an 'our," Lance murmured. He jumped when Lorelei pointed a threatening finger at him, glaring with all her might and growled.
"Shut up, you!"
Brendan whined, "could you let go of my hand...?"
"I'm a woman in labour. Don't mess with me" Lorelei growled.
"I think," the Hoenn girl started in a small voice, " I think you should really get to the hospital. Really!"
Lorelei looked up at her as she spoke. "Yes… I'm sure you're right," she sighed.
Lance scowled, "oh great. I've been tellin' ya that for thirty minutes, then May tells you twice an' you decide now's the time to go?" The two women glared death at him. "Fine, fine…"
"Has the contraction finished yet?" Brendan squeaked.
Lorelei dropped her eyes to the boy then his hand, "oh, yeah, sorry" she let go.
"For the love of Lugia can we go to the 'ospital?" the Dragon Master pleaded.
"What? Oh, yes, "Lorelei agreed and took her husband's hand to help her up from the sofa and turned back to Brendan and May. "Could you tell me how Karen is later, please?"
May nodded and patted Brendan on the back as he clutched his hand, "of course we will. Right?" She looked down at her friend.
"The pain," he muttered not looking up.
Wesley Grammar prowled the halls watching for people who might recognize him. With the Indigo finals brewing and the Dark Master and Ice Master out of action now was the time to use the Karada Machine. All high rank personnel where either surveying the battles, at the hospital with the Dark Master or just generally away from the Plateau.
The Ice Master starting labour was a godsend for the Dragon. Not only did it cause more hysteria among the Masters but it also got the other Tatsu out of the Plateau and far enough away, hopefully, that he wouldn't sense anything or anyone using the Machine.
Ryuin moved further towards the Karada Meeting room through the deserted halls. Thinking back on it, no one has found that child yet. And I still have one Legendary for my collection. He preened as he looked down at the egg in his tight grip, now all that is left is to obtain the Earthly Orbs from the Cave of Origin.
Recalling his mental map to the machine Ryuin walked the halls with wary eyes. If it was one thing he was used to it was sudden calamities befalling him at the most inopportune time. This plan was not allowed to fail. Soon he'd have the Earthly Orbs in his possession and Giovanni's genius mind at his disposal among other things. It would begin soon.
The Red and Blue orbs. Did these humans have no imagination? Did they not bother to check their history? The orbs had been the royal treasures of Master Kravos and all other Dragon Masters throughout the ages of Tatsu history. Of course not even Vance knew the power they held, or for that master, their guardian.
Moving down the twisted stairs into the basement floor of the Plateau and the meeting room the place seemed empty of other life. He shuffled towards the machine carefully and placed the egg on the platform before turning to the control panel.
"Hm, the System seems to have taken in quite a lot of energy from those dragons for itself" he mumbled to himself lightly touching the panel. "If this keeps up soon there will be no Tatsu alive to this day."
"You!"
Ryuin jumped around to face the intruder. "How did you get in here without me knowing!" The dragon demanded the boy. Blast! it must be this useless human's body!
Isaac snorted as he stumbled over to the Karada Machine. "I couldn't care less. Now I'll be taking Icemist back if you don't mind."
"My, my. Aren't we confident now," Ryuin laughed. "Do you need to be knocked around the room to gain confidence or are you just generally worried about your egg?"
"Why wouldn't i be worried about Icemist?" Isaac exclaimed as he reached for the Lugia egg.
"Because," the black dragon snarled, "you humans are filth!" He lifted his arm and thrust the boy back with a swift punch. "I'll be taking this" he said as he stepped up onto the platform and seized the egg tighter.
Isaac ground out a string off obsanities as he picked himself up from the floor and glared. Ryuin smirked when he saw the boy dive for the platform and nodded at the control panels which lit up with a fantastic orange light. As normal the tendrils of light travelled across the machine to collect under the platform, but with the sheer power of the order from the dragon and the overwhelming urge to obey commands from a higher being the System sped up the process and Wes' body was gone before Isaac could connect.
Isaac stumbled through the air to land in a heap past the machine where he crumpled down.
"You didn't have to come down here with me, Drake."
The Elite fourth of Hoenn glanced at his colleague as the two trainers made their way deeper into the Cave of Origin. "I'm not here for you" he gruffly voiced, "my dragons felt something was wrong."
The Gym Leader nodded lightly, "ah of course. God forbid you'd actually help someone" he murmured.
"I have a busy schedule to keep" the dragon trainer defended himself, "i cannot spend my time with raga bonds like you."
"Now hold on a second!"
Drake cut the man off quickly "they sense something powerful has arrived in our land. Something that does not belong here."
"Yes I'm aware of that" Wallace sighed, "if you hadn't noticed something has broken through the outer guard wall."
"Don't take that tone with me" Drake warned stopping in his tracks, "i am an Elite!"
The Water Leader stopped and turned to the older trainer, " i know what this is about" he announced earning a sceptical look. "You're irate Steven appointed me Vice Champion."
"Not exactly" Drake shouted his voice echoing across the walls, "Steven spends very little time with usas it isI'm surprised he hasn't elected you to the Supreme Fifth!"
Wallace heaved a sigh. "You are beginning to sound very much like the President of the Indigo League. Can we walk in silence at least?"
"Just know that whatever is down here you will not get in my way!" The old trainer said as he began walking again.
Wallace gestured with his hands and nodded, "fine, whatever, can we please carry on?"
The two Master trainers wandered the streets of Cherrygrove mulling over the events of the SS. Anne. Both Clair and Abby still had to find the Johto trainers that had been Chosen by the Karada System.
Clair kicked a pebble out of her path and sighed, "I 'ope Karen's gonna be okay…"
"I'm sure she's fine" Abby smiled trying to reassure her friend, "mum knows what she's doing."
"Yeah I suppose," the Tatsu breathed. "But how on earth are we gonna find this" she took the slip of paper with the trainer's names on out of her pocket, "Marina and Kenta?"
Abby tutted and touched a slim finger to her cheek, "I thought we'd go to the region's lead professor… what's his name again?"
"Elm" Clair looked up, "he lives in New Bark town, the next town over from here."
The Elite Third grinned and nodded with renewed enthusiasm, "we better get a move on then!"
"It is a tad strange that the System is Choosing new trainers amongst this trouble we're 'aving with the Warui though" Clair pondered aloud.
"You people worry too much" Abby laughed, "I bet the System never sleeps."
"Of course it doesn't sleep" Clair said irritably " not with me an Lance feeding the damn thing all the time!"
As the two trainers began to leave the main market area of Cherrygrove and move into the more rural area of the town, the outskirts, Abby stopped suddenly. "Why do you feed the Machine anyway?"
The female dragon trainer rolled her eyes skyward as she continued walking. "If we don't then the System will die" she stated simply.
With a small squeak Abby hopped to catch up with her companion, "but before it was brought to the Plateau it was dead… wasn't it?"
"The Machine was dead, the actual System wasn't."
"Soooo," Abby squinted her eyes "you got it working again?"
"Yeah, it's kinda like the kiss of life I guess" Clair's brow furrowed, "but there's only me and Lance who feed it , whereas if our whole family were alive and feeding it the Machine would literally glow with power." She looked down at the younger trainer, "shouldn't you know all this anyway?"
Abby coloured "I guess I wasn't paying much attention then, if it's not sports or Pokemon I… tend to zone it out" she laughed nervously.
"Sometimes I wonder how you ever beat the Elite."
"Me too…"
"Bruno! Bruno!" Lance came screeching into the former Elite's living room shouting the man's name.
The man himself jumped out of his skin when he noticed the Dragon Master suddenly appear in his house and start shouting, "how'd you get in here?" he asked with astonishment. Not only did he live in a well guarded area of Indigo city with an amazing neighbourhood watch but his Pokemon also made great 'guard dogs'.
Lance stopped and looked up at the taller man, "well, you're door wasn't locked in any serious way."
"Good god, man" Bruno grinned "my door's double bolted with Onix skin!" The panicked trainer waved him off but didn't make a move to do anything else. Bruno watched him for a short moment before; "well?"
"Oh!" The lights turned on for the Tatsu, "is your wife home?"
"You mean, Judy" the fighter corrected with a blank face, "you never call her by her name even after she said clearly that you can."
"It's improper" Lance reasoned then shook his head " anyway, we need t' borrow summat off 'er."
"We?"
"Yeah. Well, Lorelei does, not me."
The ex-Elite looked around the room for any signs that the Ice trainer may have slipped in unnoticed while Lance was making a scene, and when finding no evidence of the woman turned back. "You didn't leaver her in the car did you? Dear god she's pregnant, Lance!"
The man in question scowled, "no I didn't leave 'er in the car!"
"Then, where is she?"
Lance stopped breathing as he stood frozen to the spot then winced and ran to the door standing back while he opened it quickly. Lorelei stood hunched over in the doorway glaring death at her husband.
Bruno laughed "if looks could kill you be dead five times over, Lance!"
"I don't know what I'm doing…" he mumbled to himself helping his wife through into the living room but Lorelei simply swatted him away and walked over to her old colleague.
"Afternoon, Bruno" she greeted with a smile, " I was wondering if Judy was home?"
"I asked that too… for the record" Lance voiced from the doorway.
"I don't think so" Bruno hummed ignoring the younger man, "this is the time she goes to help with the church ceremonial crafts fair. Is it anything I can get you?"
"Yes!" Lance shouted and moved over to them with three long strides.
"No!" Lorelei countered her husband quickly.
The Indigo Champion huffed and crossed his arms, "but then we can get t' 'ospital quicker if Bruno gets it."
"No, it's woman's business."
"Well if we don't go fast you'll 'ave the baby righ' 'ere on the floor and you wouldn't want Bruno to see that would ya?"
"Don't be insensitive, Lance!"
Bruno watched the couple fight a while longer trying to find a good opening to interrupt them but when finding none cut Lance off and spoke. "I have five children, I'm sure I can get you what you need."
"Good!" Lance turned to the man, "she needs some new underwear 'cause of the… sprayage."
"Lance!"
Bruno heaved a hearty laugh as the Ice Master laid into her husband, pregnant or not Ice always beat Dragon. As he left the room and went upstairs to fetch the items he couldn't stop himself sniggering. The two had been married for about a year now and never stopped arguing. But they weren't 'real' arguments as some may say but more 'playful'. Each time they'd start shouting about either something so insignificant or irrelevant they always, always took jabs at each other about the same things. Lance and his peculiar accent and Lorelei and her constant need to tidy.
Of course neither really meant it and everyone knew that, they'd always argued and disagreed about most things since they day they'd met yet it didn't matter. It just meant that their relationship was more fiery than most others; his own actually. Judy was his rock, he often told her, and she loved him for it. He smiled when he heard the shouting subside and returned with a bag full of the things him and Judy used when another baby was coming into their family.
"There that should do it" he smiled and dropped the bag on the dragon trainer, "and some other things too."
"Thank you" Lorelei smiled warmly then turned back to Lance, "and I think you'd better drive now" she patted his shoulder and shuffled out of the door. Lance laughed nervously and ran out after her.
"We'll come see you later!" Bruno shouted as they left.
The dank path leading down deeper into the Cave of Origin seem a little different to the Gym Leader. "Something has happened already" Wallace whispered.
"Well I should think it has" Drake said loudly enough for his voice to echo.
Wallace scowled and hissed, "quiet!"
"My dragons have a better sense of unnatural substances" Drake started "they are after all dragons!"
"Will you be quiet!" Wallace hissed again through his teeth "and stop doting on your Pokemon. We have a serious problem here. Keep your mind on task."
Drake grunted as he followed the younger man deeper into the cave. Everything seemed normal as far as he was concerned. The few Pokemon that inhabited the area, such as Zubat, where keeping their distance, but they always did that when they sensed powerful Pokemon or adversaries around. He huffed as he stood in a soggy patch on the floor and stopped to wipe his boot free of the substance. However, as he dropped his torch to the floor to get a better look Wallace rushed over to him and knelt down.
"This, this" he mumbled quietly to himself while running a slender finger through the clear matter, "this is saliva."
The Dragon Elite kicked out his foot to push back the Gym Leader and stood again, "and why is that so important? It'll be from any of the Pokemon down here in this blasted hole."
Wallace shook his head, "no, not this amount" he stood up again to look deeper into the cave. "Something big is moving around down here."
"Well then" Drake motioned for a poke ball, "what ever it is, it's gonna be in for a world of pain" he grabbed Flygon's pokeball.
"No!" Wallace hissed grabbing the man's wrist and taking the ball, "do not be so brash. We don't even know what we're up against."
Drake nodded harshly and snatched Flygon's bal back and clipped it back onto his belt and started off further into the cave. Wallace trailed the man at a slower pace to take in the scene.
First the outer guard wall was destroyed, he thought no Pokemon from this area can even cause a dent in the wall so it must either be a citizen of Sootopolis or a Pokemon from a different region. But then that brings up the question of how a Pokemon indigenous to a different area found it's way into the city. He took his hat off and ran a hand through his hair still following the older man. I wonder… no, better check up on the orbs first.
He strolled up alongside Drake and nodded towards the huge stone doors just ahead of them. "First we check if the Blue and Red orbs are still in their original chambers, as I'm sure both Abby and Flannery would notify us if something where to happen to Kyogre or Groudon."
Drake grunted "well then I'm sure they'd notice if the orbs where tampered with."
"Not necessarily" Wallace started "as both the orbs have their own separate life force shielding them from even the Legendaries. Both Groudon and Kyogre are perfectly capable of destroying them and would cause mass destruction on their part with no way for us to stop them."
The dragon trainer looked all around him before turning back to the Gym Leader. "Fine! Go check!"
"I do not need your permission" Wallace said as he stood before the giant doors. Tall and golden they created a vast difference to the gloomy cave walls and just screamed to be opened. He took a deep breath and pushed a door open with little force and entered.
However, no sooner had he entered the split chamber hallway did the golden door slam shut behind him with a mighty bang. He whipped around to watch the movement but it was too fast for him to escape back to the other side. Sighing he continued further across the cave floor to a crossroads.
"Strange" he mumbled to himself glancing back to the doors then the crossroad, "this has never happened before."
If he were to take the path to his left then he'd reach the Blue orb's chamber, the path to the right and he'd reach the Red orb's chamber and back towards where he'd come from would lead to the exit but this new path straight forwards… Shaking his head Wallace turned left to check on the Blue Orb
Following further along the path the rushing of water could be heard and the reflection of the liquid traced the walls drowning the path in crystal blue. Upon entrance to the chamber a magnificent waterfall fell from the ceiling of the chamber to collect in an impressive pool the Legendary Kyorge inhabited. Wallace stepped forward onto a protruding rock ledge to address the orb.
"Kyogre, Creator of seas!" He shouted above the water's noise, "The Guardian of the Orbs addresses you!" He waited for the response but frowned when none reached his ears. "It is I; Wallace Clause Riverer Gym Leader of Sootopolis City Gym."
When still no reply came from the water beast he scanned the room for anything else out of the ordinary. Nothing. Perhaps Abby has called him out he pondered oh well, looks like we'll have to do this the hard way.
Reaching up into a long sleeve he snapped a miniaturized poke ball from his silver bracelet and dropped it to the floor. A single blinding flash of light later and a Milotic cooed and sang her melody to her Master. Wallace smiled gently and dropped to his knees to stroke the smooth scales and oddly placed furry ears.
"Can you hop on over there" he pointed to the waterfall "and curtain the water please?" The Pokemon cooed again and nodded elegantly before slithering across the floor to dive into the pool.
Drake stared at the door and fingered Flygon's pokeball uncomfortably. When the doors had shut him out from the chambers he'd tried to push them open with the same ease Wallace had but to no avail. In fact, he couldn't even open them a scratch.
He huffed and turned to lean back against the doors all the while tossing the pokeball up and down in a nervous fashion, and although he'd never admit to being worried about the Vice Champion he undoubtly was.
Milotic nudged the pedestal back into a slot behind the tremendous waterfall to part the water for her trainer. As the pedestal moved back a fraction a low rumbling was heard as the ancient mechanics of the old world were brought back to life and, unseen, created a blockade to trap the excess water and create a dry and safe path across the pool to the pedestal. The waterfall itself did not dry up but curtain aside to reveal Milotic, the pedestal and the door behind leading further on towards Kyogre's resting place.
Hopping down from the small rock face Wallace swiftly crossed the dry path before the water had time to come crashing down upon him filling the pool once again. As he passed through the waterfall the pedestal clicked forward and all the restrained water fell forward again.
In spite of this and all else things seeming normal the Gym Leader gasped in horror as he noticed the pedestal no longer held the Blue orb. Spinning around to look in every direction his breathing became tattered and Milotic sang her song in a soothing manner.
"Oh no," his eyes widened "oh no!" He cursed under his breath and looked down at his Pokemon, "Milly, go check on Drake!" Ho ordered, "I'm going to Kyogre's resting place, hurry!"
The water Pokemon nodded quickly and shot through the bursting waterfall back towards the dragon trainer's direction. Wallace, however, gathered his thoughts and marched down the dark path towards where he hoped Kyogre still was.
Emerging in the great space of the Sea's chamber Wallace immediately scowled at the lone figure across the room. "Hey you!" He yelled keeping his anger restrained, after all, everyone is innocent until proven guilty and he had no evidence that this boy had done anything… yet.
The blue clad figure jumped only slightly be otherwise ignored his call and hunched over again, Wallace glared. "Excuse me! What are you doing here?"
The teenaged boy jumped again and slowly turned around to face the Vice Champion, "so, you are the Guardian of the Earthly orbs."
"Excuse me?"
"The Earthly orbs; the Red and Blue orbs." Wesley said, "their Guardian, their Keeper."
Wallace bristled but nodded vaguely, "is there anything I can do for you?"
"No, not anymore."
"What are you talking about? And just what do you think you're doing down here?" Wallace demanded firmly. "Only I am allowed access to the Cave of Origin."
Wes chuckled and grinned with lidded eyes, "yes, you'd think that wouldn't you."
"Answer me!"
"Very well" Wes said " I do enjoy a decent conversation now and them. I'm afraid I cannot find a good conversationalist back home." He stood to the full body height his human body could take and declared his name; "I am Wesley Grammar!"
The Gym Leader smiled and tilted his head to one side, "and now, you see, I just don't believe you."
Wesley's face paled as Ryuin watched the man with a judging eye, "What?"
Wallace crossed his arms and smiled more. "Steven has filled me in on all the details of the Karada System's most recent escapades and, also, that two bonded trainers from the Orre region have taken it upon themselves to keep watch on the Indigo Champion's brother, Vance. It is also to my knowledge that only a select few can touch the orbs without inflicting serious bodily harm upon themselves after possession; the orbs defence mechanism. Those few include the Tatsu, Kyogre and Groudon's bonded trainers and myself; so therefore you are a Tatsu! And the only Tatsu alive to this day are the Ansons thus I can only assume you are not Wesley Grammar but a threat to us all!"
Ryuin stared the man down before he burst out into laughter causing Wallace to scowl. "You are an intelligent one Mr Riverer! How it makes me wish I had your mind and body in Tatsu!"
Wallace threw his arm out, "enough talk! Give me the Blue orb back!"
Ryuin grinned and pulled both the orbs out from a pocket to show the man, "these are returning to their rightful home! Tatsu!" Shoving the orbs back into the hidden pocket of the coat Ryuin then held up both hands and surrounded himself with orange light. Lifting himself from the floor with the psychic light he thrust himself forward, past Wallace and out of sight.
Growling, Wallace turned on his heel and ran after the boy.
Drake grumbled when he heard a dull bang on the other side of the thick doors and placed his ear against them to try to hear the murmuring better. He narrowed his eyes as he recognized the faint song of Milotic but reared back suddenly as a louder, more violent, bang reverberated through the doors and all fell silent.
Stepping further back he could see the golden double doors vibrating slightly and an orange light escaping the little of space where the two doors met in the middle but before he had the time to call out Flygon the doors exploded open to reveal Wes standing perfectly still.
Drake growled gutturally instantly noticing something strange about the boy. "Who're you?" he hollered in rage, "what're you doing down here?"
Ryuin bowed his head ignoring the trainer and lifted himself from the floor again. Drake growled and instantly his trusted Flygon released himself from his pokeball. "Flygon?"
The dragon levelled its eyes at Ryuin and howled a call. Ryuin peered down at the Hoenn dragon and grinned slowly descending to stand on his feet once again on the solid cold floor of the cave. 'Alright, have it your way!'
The Elite Fourth scrunched up his face in confusion. In all the 68 years he'd been alive he's never once heard a language like that before, not even on his travels that had taken him to the farthest reaches of the world.
Ryuin leisurely pulled out the Red orb, causing Drake to gasp, and held it out in front of himself. "Groudon, Creator of the Lands! The Creator of the Orbs addresses you!"
Drake watched all around himself as a roar rumbled the cave shaking loose pebbles and dust from the walls. "W, what are you doing?"
The golden eyes of Wesley Grammar glinted with a crazy light as a wide smirk crossed the face of the boy, "taking back what is rightfully mine." He thrust his arm up abruptly and the ground burst open showering the dragon trainer and his Pokemon with painful shrapnel.
Drake stumbled to keep his footing as the ground continued to shudder with the pressure of something pushing up towards the surface. Just as he fell Flygon tackled him across the cave floor as a giant clawed hand scooped up from the volcano of earth and slammed down on the spot he'd been previously standing.
"The bloody Hell?" His eyes widened with shock as the Pokemon below hauled itself out of the gaping hole in the ground at a snail's pace. "Groudon!"
Ryuin cackled as the Legendary Pokemon pulled itself to it's full height and screamed a roar that would make ears bleed, the Psychic dragon smirked again as Drake covered his ears and Flygon flattened it's head against the remains of the floor. In spite of his great pleasure the moment was ruined as the local Gym Leader emerged from the chamber.
Wallace's eyes scanned the room in alarm until a crumpled heap caught his attention. "Milly!" he dashed over to the fallen Milotic and petted her head as the Pokemon moaned with pain. Pulling out her poke ball he gently withdrew he yet remained crouched on the floor. "How dare you…" he murmured with quiet fury. Standing up suddenly he glowered at the Dragon-Boy, "how dare you come into this city and disrupt the balance of power. Do you have any idea what will happen to this planet if you take away those orbs!"
Ryuin frowned at the accusation and turned back to Groudon, finish them.
"No!" Wallace stepped forward but Ryuin was too fast hovering around the Ground Pokemon and out towards the cave entrance. The Water Leader looked up at the Groudon with unwavering eyes as the Legendary glanced to and fro from Drake back to him. "Groudon" he said with a levelled voice, "why are you doing this? Surely this has nothing to do with Flannery. Are you that weak that you would rather take orders from a stone more readily than your bonded?"
The Pokemon admitted deep rumbling noise from it's throat but otherwise stayed perfectly still.
Drake swallowed the lump in his throat and stumbled to his feet, "jus' let it go. In fact… we should go."
Wallace stared at the dragon trainer in disbelief. "You mean to tell me you would willingly abandon the people of this city?"
Just as Drake was voicing his response Groudon barked another roar and swept it's heavily armoured paw down across the ground knocking the trainers back and across the floor with the reverberations. Wallace immediately jumped to his feet and threw a poke ball releasing a Wartortle.
The turtle Pokemon looked all around then froze when it caught sight of the Legendary. "It's fine, Wartortle, we only need to distract it" Wallace told his new Pokemon. Blast! Why didn't I train the Pokemon more? He berated himself, and I don't have anymore with me.
The Water Pokemon dug it's heals into the ground and spat out an average Water gun at it's opponent. The stream or water merely caused a drizzle against the Pokemon and only served to anger it more. Drake pointed at the Legendary and Flygon blew out Dragonbreath but that too did not affect the Legendary in any severe way.
Wallace frowned yet whispered something to his Pokemon and Wartortle inhaled a deep breath before shooting water at the walls with all it's strength. The high powered liquid scraped dust from the surface of the wall that mixed with each other to drop to the ground in a congealed mess.
Groudon howled as the muddy substance began to build all around it. Drake climbed on Flygon and the dragon flew his trainer across over to the Water Leader. "Just what are ya doing?"
"It's called desperate measures."
Drake shook his head and recalled Flygon, "but you do realise you've blocked of the entrance to us" he said whilst Wartortle continued it's assault.
"Don't be daft, Drake" Wallace scowled, "there are other ways out of this cave!"
The Elite Fourth glanced back to the struggling Groudon then to his comrade again and shook his head. "Lead the way" he gestured with his hands.
"I always do" Wallace grinned and quickly recalled Wartortle and ran through the damaged golden doors where Drake shortly followed after.
Lance came tumbling out of the hospital room door and hit the wall. A nurse came rushing out after him, "she said you can't."
Lance shook his head "that's not the word she said, trust me." The nurse nodded whether she understood or not and waked back into the room. Lance looked down at his wedding ring and gripped it tightly pulling. "How come some people can get these off real easy?" he asked himself tugging at the ring and when failing to remove it looked back into the room.
Lorelei was talking nicely with the hospital personnel like it was an average day, but as soon as he went in she screamed and cursed at him. Her personal favourite was; "You! You did this to me!" which made him want to laugh. Of course he never would in front of her, but it just seemed as if that was something one would be say in a sitcom and it almost made him smile. Almost.
On the car drive to the closest public hospital, when he'd taken over driving and perhaps stopped panicking as much, Lorelei had told him to ask her three times if she'd like an epidural when the heavy contractions and labour started. Of course he'd agreed, but that was mainly due to the fact she was crushing his hand the moment she was talking and he needed both hands to drive… and it hurt. And now that he'd just asked her just once she'd thrown him out of the room in a fit.
Watching a doctor leave and enter the room again he followed behind the other man. Lorelei smiled at the doctor, "hello Mr-take-away-my-pain" she greeted the man with. The doctor smiled and nodded as Lance moved around the bed to sit in the chair at the woman's bedside.
The man in white tapped his clipboard and looked at the couple. "Mrs Anson" he addressed Lorelei, "you have dilated enough and we are going to wheel you down to delivery. Okay?" Both the Ansons nodded a two nurses came to wheel the bed to the delivery room.
Lance sighed as he followed them down the halls and tugged on his wedding ring again. Though, after this, he doubted he'd ever want to take it off.
Wallace and Drake turned another sharp corner as Groudon pursued them at a surprisingly fast pace for such a bulky Pokemon. They came to a screeching halt as a sudden spurt of lave gushed out from the ground.
"Holy crap!" Drake shouted jumping back from the hot substance. Wallace huffed, there was certainly far too much of the stuff for a water gun from Wartortle to cool it down, not to mention the seemingly random outbursts sprouting up from the lake of fire so that excluded flying over to that exit.
He grabbed Drake's shoulder and pointed in a different direction, "this way! There's another exit!"
The dragon trainer took off after the Gym Leader, "but we're going up now" he panted.
Wallace looked over his shoulder to the older man as they continued up the path. "Well, it's either up… or down." He motioned behind them where a deep red light illuminated the cave and a low rumbling shook the walls.
"Point taken!" Drake shouted back.
As the two trainers sped up the path it was hit and miss as to whether a sudden blast of lava would consume them. Of course the higher they got the less intense the lava became and less frequent to boot.
Wallace pointed ahead to a sliver of bright light. "There! That's the way out!"
"Hallelujah" Drake praised loudly.
Groudon emerged at the far end of the long pathway and stomped a foot. The walls shuddered under the pressure and many pebbles and larger rocks fell lose scattering across the way and hindering swift movement. But when neither Drake nor Wallace showed signs of halting the Legendary threw forth a torrent of fire in a last ditch attempt to stop the trainers.
Both the trainers frowned as the concentrated heat raced up behind them and dived through the large crack in the cave wall letting the fire stream past and out into the sky. Shortly after Groundon thrust a clawed paw against the cracked wall knocking the trainers forward from the wall.
Wallace climbed to his feet and turned to look at the Pokemon through the cracked wall. "Not so tough now are you?" Groudon howled and threw another flamethrower of fire out into the sky while still crashing against the wall trying to reach the humans on the cliff face.
Falling to a stand Drake scanned the skies noting that the volcano top seemed much bigger than before. Much bigger! He ambled to the rock's edge to look down upon the city of Sootopolis . "Ah, Wallace?" he murmured, "how high up are we?"
"High enough" Wallace replied indignantly, "that's all that matters."
Drake swallowed. "Then, then maybe you should come look at this."
The Vice Champion eyed the other man's back thoughtfully, turned to look at the Groudon, and sauntered to the edge of the rock. The scene that met his eyes caused him to stumble back and fall to the ground.
The entire city at the base of the inactive volcano of Sootopolis was laying I ruins. All the buildings on all the different levels where demolished, some more so than others. The streets where torn up and scattered all across the area, the environment was drowning in the devastation, and no people showed their faces… or bodies. Large bodies of water flooded the remains of any human constructions.
Drake looked around in horror at the scene then, slowly, dropped his gaze to the man shivering on the floor. However, just as he was about to drop down next to the man Wallace shot up and pushed him aside.
"The town has been terminated!" Ryuin shouted with sadistic glee from Kyogre's back down in the large lake.
"You bastard!" Wallace cried down, voice echoing. "You monster!"
Ryuin levelled his gaze up near the clouds as he watched the Keeper of the Orbs holler down to him and bowed holding both orbs high.
"I'm going to get those orbs back" Wallace whispered harshly backing himself up against the wall and Groudon's watching eye.
Drake's eyes followed the man's movements, "what're you doing?" he asked in surprise. "No! Don't do it!" his eyes widened as the Gym Leader ran the short distance of the rock's ledge and dived off the edge. "You idiot!" He skidded to the edge himself and watched as the other man dove towards the water. Releasing one of his dragons never even crossed his mind in his shock.
Ryuin started when something splashed through the water spaying him with a drizzle of salty water. He growled as harshly as his human vocal chords would allow as Wallace resurfaced and tossed his hat aside.
"So, come to stop me, have you?" The man didn't reply verbally but the look on his face affirmed Ryuin's sarcastic question. "Have it you way" he grinned, 'Kyogre!'
The whale of a Pokemon pushed down into the water under the trainer, yet careful not to allow water to reach Ryuin, and surfaced so Wallace was kneeling on the Legendary's back. Ryuin stalked down towards the man but still kept his distance as Wallace glared more hatefully.
"Shall we commence?"
Wallace glowered at the boy and stood to his full height. "All I want are the orbs."
Ryuin nodded, "and that, too, is all I want!" He lunged forward and knocked Wallace onto his back and looked down at him. "Though I already have them!" He jumped back and the orange light suspended himself from Kyogre as the Pokemon rolled onto it's back and forced the Gym Leader under the waves.
Wallace took a gulp of water in the abrupt movement and struggled to resurface. But every time he neared the penetration point Kyogre would drop a fin through the water and the pressure would push him deeper. Through the crystal clear water he could just about make out Ryuin watching him drown.
Shaking his head against the water he unclipped a poke ball from his bracelet and released Wartortle. Instantly the Pokemon understood the situation, if there was one thing Wallace liked his Pokemon to be it was intelligent, and breathed out a small bubble of air.
Breathing in the precious oxygen Wallace pointed up at Ryuin through the waves. Wartortle nodded and shot past the surface of the water to connect with Wes' body. Ryuin screeched as the Pokemon brought him down into the water where he, too, inhaled a fair amount of water.
Rui whimpered with concern as Wes suddenly sat up coughing and spluttering up water. She thumped the dragon's back as Wes took a few shuddering gasps of air only to cough up more water from his lungs again.
From the back of the room Xanthe frowned. "Is Master okay?" she asked Vance with a concerned look.
The Tatsu shook his wings and nodded. "Master is fine. He is just channelling all human, tck, weaknesses that came with that boy's body back through to him."
Xanthe scratched her head, "but… that's his own body he's damaging."
Vance shook his wings again then his head. "No. When, tck, Master returns to his own, tck, body he will simply, tck, channel back all the damages to the boy."
"His name is Wes!" Rui screamed from the floor. Vance nodded at her, smiling slightly.
The female peon instantly caught the vague smile and grinned at the Tatsu. "You're so smart, Vancie!" The Tatsu shook his head and rolled his eyes.
Ryuin tossed a small orb of psychic power through the water to ram Wartortle back and knock the creature out. Immediately Wallace withdrew his Pokemon and dove for the boy's body. He connected knocking the wind from the smaller body.
Nevertheless, Wallace was still human and therefore had a severer disadvantage underwater whereas Ryuin could easily breath in he liquid and transfer the substance back through to his body in Tatsu thus he could stay submerged as long as needs be.
Taking advantage of Ryuin's struggles to regain his breath Wallace grabbed the Red and Blue orbs from the boy's inner pocket and kicked off. Ryuin ground out a silenced growl and held out his hands to grasp the Leader in his psychic hold and pulling him back.
Just as Ryuin reached out a hand to take the orbs back a different Pokemon came crashing down amongst the water and cracked Ryuin swiftly releasing Wallace at the same time. The Gym Leader grinned as Drake's Fylgon grabbed him and pushed off through the waves.
Ryuin, however, had other ideas and grasped the dragon's long tail just as they left the water. As the dragon Pokemon climbed higher in the shy Ryuin climbed around the dragon to reach out towards Wallace and tug away the Red orb from the exhausted Gym Leader's grip. Wallace cursed the psychic as Ryuin let go and hovered back as Flygon returned Wallace back to the cliff's ledge.
"What the hell on earth and heaven did you think you where doing?" Drake instantly laid into the younger man. "You're bloody insane!" Wallace coughed up a mouthful of the salty water and showed the man the Blue orb. "Well that's all well an' true, but couldn't you have gotten the Red orb? The we could've gotten out of here" he pointed at Groudon still trying to reach them.
Wallace scowled, but smiled when Flygon approached him with his soaking wet hat, then crawled back over to the edge to look down at Ryuin. The psychic was watching him back with a steady gaze and a steady hand holding onto the Red orb.
Clearing his throat Wallace turned to look at the Ground dragon. "Could you take me back down there, perhaps?" The Flygon hesitated a while before nodding it's okay and reaching out for the man.
"No you won't!" Drake ordered of his Pokemon. "Now that we at least have one orb we're leaving!" Flygon retreated back to his trainer quickly.
"Fine" Wallace whispered, "then I'll have to do this myself." He stood on shaky legs and reached the ledge's edge again ready to dive back down. Drake paled instantly and gave in.
"Fine, fine!" He waved his hands, "take him down, Flygon."
The dragon nodded enthusiastically and stood up behind the Water Leader and wrapped it's small arms around the man's torso and leapt from the ledge. He knew not of what this being was that seemed both human and dragon but being a dragon itself Flygon sensed something bigger was happening with other dragons from the different regions and wanted to help in any way possible.
Ryuin grinned when he saw the dragon flying back down and looked at Kyogre back in the lake. The Legendary was, itself, watching the turn of events and to further see who it's Master was when holding the orb. It all got so confusing when people kept switching the orb back and forth.
"One down one to go" Ryuin said once Wallace was within normal speaking distance. "Too bad the outer walls of the volcano are thicker than the inside walls, otherwise I'd have Groudon take you now."
"That's right" Wallace smirked, "for the moment you have a useless orb while I on the other hand," he held out the Blue orb as it shone with a bright crystal light and Kyogre began thrashing in the lake. He grinned. "All the seas are connected meaning Kyogre can hunt you down from anywhere whilst Groudon is trapped here on this island."
Ryuin grunted as his psychic abilities arose all around him. "I do not run!" The energy around his body exploded into the atmosphere and thrust Flygon down to the floor just outside the cave entrance.
As both trainer and dragon got back to their feet Ryuin aimed another attack at them from the sky. Wallace skidded out of the way but Flygon, being bigger, caught the brunt of the attack and was catapulted to hit the damaged outer guard wall.
Wallace glanced back to the dragon but soon whipped his head back to Ryuin as the psychic began to cackle. He came hovering down and around Wallace to stop just outside the cave entrance.
"Well then" Wallace smiled, "this is where we part ways!" He presented the lake with the Blue orb as it shone again with a precious light. Kyogre answer the call instantaneously and blasted out of the lake washing water across the shore and spraying the surrounding area.
The Legendary heaved up further into the air behind Wallace to come to a sudden stop on the hard land with a tremendous thump in front of both Ryuin and Wallace.
"Do it!" Wallace thrust his arm forward and Kyogre drew in a breath and spurted a shocked Ryuin with a high powered Hydro pump that only a Legendary Water Pokemon could muster. Ryuin shrieked as the pressure pushed him back down into the Cave of Origin where he shortly teleported to safety. Flygon judged the power of the teleport and guessed the human/dragon had only travelled to the outskirts of Sootopolis but sensed he was leaving not returning.
The dragon limped over to Wallace, who was staring at Kyogre, and checked him over before returning for it's trainer. The moment Drake set foot on the ground he ran to the Gym Leader and also checked him over for injuries.
"You insane bastard!" he laughed heartily. "But I gotta admit you did it!"
Wallace gave the man a brief smile before turning back to look at Kyogre stranded on the land. "Well, better get him back in the water."
Back in Indigo City public hospital Lorelei was swaying her baby to and fro ever so gently while smiling and cooing down at it. Slowly she looked up from the child to the small window in the door.
Both Lance and the doctor were clearly arguing about something. And she knew what that something was. With Lance being a Tatsu, but most of the world not knowing, he was bound to pass on some of the dragon traits to their child. And while that should've been a blessed occasion, carrying on the Tatsu line, it would be an oddity if a doctor other than Mercury where to examine the baby.
For as far as they knew the baby could have wings and until those wings are released they frame the body of a Tatsu like the ribcage showing up on an x-ray as 'additional' limbs. And now the doctor was probably adamant about giving the baby a check-up and Lance was trying to deter him.
Eventually Lance had Dragonite, Pepper, stand in front of the door after he entered the room to keep everyone back until Bruno arrived to take them back to the Plateau. He sat down next to his wife and looked at their baby.
The nurses had been shocked to find the baby had vibrant golden eyes, like all Tatsu, when normally newborn babies had blue eyes because no colour had tinted them yet. And that was true, but a Tatsu's eyes were originally yellow then gained colour quickly as time passed.
Lorelei handed their baby girl to her husband as she stretched in the bed. Lance looked down at his daughter and scanned her for any oddities and when finding none gazed at her eyes.
Darling little golden eyes gazed back at him as Lorelei spoke. "So, she's a beautiful baby girl." Lance nodded. "And we're calling her Ryuanna?" Lance nodded again but Lorelei suspected he wasn't listening to her.
There was something odd about… Ryuanna was it? Something in her eyes just didn't seem right…
A/N: Lance is such a prat and so OOC with situations like these XD and I love battering Isaac around, it's fun to attack an OC but i don't know why. And Ryuin isn't a Mary-Sue (if he could be one) I don't think… he's just very violent and/or sadistic. Wallace is so brave too… and called a Milotic Milly XD
Science and logic really took a serious hit this chapter around too, heh. But hey, this is Pokemon!
Anyway, these chapters aren't too long are they? Because they'll only get longer soon. And please leave a review on you way out, they're so encouraging.