Guardian of the Sea
The wooden stage was set in the small theater. People of all classes knelt before small rectangular tables that were a hand width above the tatami mat. Green cushions were provided to the onlookers to be placed under their knees as they reached for their prepared tea. Some even had food brought to them but they quietly ate as everyone had their eyes on stage.
Warm lighting brought out the bright red kimonos of the five ladies performing on the wooden stage. Music done in beautiful harmony played throughout the performance. Their synchronized dancing was well choreographed as they moved gracefully even though they wore long kimonos and wooden sandals.
At the end of the music, the five girls stopped side by side facing towards the crowd. The audience applauded with joy, making the kimono girls bow in respect. They shuffled towards the end of the stage, leaving the attendants to their boisterous conversations.
Entering their changing room large enough for the five entertainers, they silently paused forming a circle, facing each other.
The girl closest to the door exiting the room spoke first to acknowledge the fact weighing their minds.
"It appears the Sea Guardian has awoken from its deep sleep," she solemnly said, fidgeting with the end of her long sleeves.
"It seems so, Zuki," another girl replied, shaking her slightly jingling the Pokeballs pinned into her stylish, elegant hair.
All the dancers became worried, uncomfortably fidgeting in place.
"So were we wrong in giving the Silver Feather along with the Tidal Bell to that wealthy man?" Zuki innocently asked.
"We were not," the eldest of the dancers finally chose to speak up. Her confident tone made the girls lift up their head. "It was the right choice. I can assure you that the disturbance of Sea Guardian is not our doing."
"Then who could have done such a thing without the Silver Feather, Miki!?" the timid girl of the group shouted her question.
Miki pulled out her red fan made out of bamboo. She waved it across her face as to ease her tension she built up inside her. She kept the cam demeanor as she answered, "I don't know who exactly, but I can tell you who has our Silver Feather. The hero who will put an end to this is the wielder."
"The moon is high above us," Leer remarked, looking straight up to a dark ceiling that made it impossible to see the sky. "The waterfall rushing down only happens when the moon's gravity pulls it into Navel Rock."
-"I told you to stay back,"- Feraligatr menacingly growled, snapping his jaws at Red who came a little too close.
"Who is this Lugia?" Red asked. He scanned the top of the waterfall expecting some entity to jump out.
Leer didn't respond as if was infatuated by the roaring waterfall before him, not letting it fall out of his vision. He walked closer to the edge of the bottomless pool that seemed to never fill up from the rushing water. He now stood on flat raised ground with more weird markings carved into the ground.
"We got to stop him," Janine bitterly said.
"I think it's too late," Red said dismayed.
"What do you mean too late? He hasn't done anything yet," Janine snapped back. She reached into her pockets and retrieved three black spheres that she held between her four fingers.
"Don't try and fight this Pokemon yourself," Sabrina sternly said. "It won't be easily fooled by cheap tricks and you are not fast enough to dodge that Pokemon's Aqua Jet."
Janine clenched her fist. "Then are we just suppose to stand by and watch!" she angrily snapped.
Red stepped forward again, disregarding Feraligatr's growls. "What do intend to accomplish? What made you do this, Jared?" he demanded answers. The trainer Jared knew wouldn't never given up on becoming Pokemon Champion yet he stood here, having assassinated Aaron Stark to accomplish some extravagant plan with some villainous group of people.
"It's here," Leer answered, sounding relieved as if his hidden pains have disappeared all at once.
"Here...what is this?" Red said alarmed. He shockingly stared at the waterfall.
The wall of water reached an incredible width of one hundred feet. The substantial amount of water that profusely fell over the bluff failed to hide the outline of an enormous figure. The shadow of a Pokemon with an avian-like structure appeared behind the blue curtain. Glowing blue eyes penetrated the deep blue, clean water.
A single flap of its giant wing span propelled it forward, through the curtain to makes its grand entrance. Water seemed to slide right off its pale silver feathers as if was protected by an invisible plastic film. A brief moment of silence as the giant bird emerged fell into the open room.
Completely pale silver except for the little blue it sported around the triangular eyes, underbelly, and plate-like protrusions on its broad back and smaller on the reptile-like tail. Enormous wings with flexible ends giving it a strong resemblance to hands with thick fingers.
Flapping in place, the massive creature stared down at the group with intelligible black pupil brimming with wisdom. Opening its beak-like mouth, a pink tongue filling the bottom of the jaw, it let out a screech suitable for Pokemon of its caliber.
Every trainer in the vicinity, excluding Leer, slammed their hands against their ears, trying to lessen the damage on their ear drums. In the mid of the chaos, a clear masculine voice entered the heads of every living being in the area.
-"Who is the one that dared wake me up from my slumber?"- The intelligent voice said telekinetically.
Leer raised his hands to the legendary creature, silver feather in hand, and spoke in his commanding tone. "I am the bearer of the Silver Wing. Fate has brought me this feather to allow me to with meet you, Lugia."
Lugia floated down, tips of feet barely touching the skin of the pool, extended its long neck forward as to closely observe the memento.
-"By simply having my feather, you believe that you have the right to summon me?"- he asked appalled. –"And that feather has already been used by someone before…it has been used by a wretched human that resembles…You!"-
"That man was pitiful," Leer agreed, "but I'm different from him. He wanted petty revenge. What I want is to rid the world of all malice. Turn the world that is terribly wrong and recreate it into an entirely new world where none of these evils are allowed to exist. Lend me your power, Guardian of the Sea."
Lugia flew back up high, wings as silent as leaf falling on a calm autumn morning.
-"Such absurdity from a mere human,"- Lugia lambasted. –"Such hypocrisy! I can sense the malevolent motivations of your actions. Did you believe destroying your emotions will protect you from driving force of feelings such as hate."-
Red took another step forward.
-"Watch it kid! You're getting close to my biting range,"- Feraligatr warned.
He made eye contact with the Pokemon before speaking up. "Go back to where came from," Red harshly worded but tried to sound sincere. "Don't listen to what this man has to say. He doesn't wield appropriate intentions for the world."
"And who are you to judge what the world needs?" Leer barked, turning back with a deadly glare.
"The same thing I can ask you?" Red retorted.
"Because unlike you," Leer began his strict reply, "I know how rotten this world is. I experienced the unfairness and how unforgivable this world is. I'm not the only one who understands but I am the only one who has the opportunity to make the necessary changes!"
-"Silence!"- Lugia shouted into the minds of his choosing. The arguing trainers stopped to look back up. –"You are aggravating me even more! You imprisoned and torture my three servants! You claimed to have untainted ideals when they were formed by hate! My awakening was not to aid you fools but to put an end to this foolishness!"- He blared, letting out an angered roar audible throughout the mountain.
What! So did he wake up by his own accord and not by Leer? Red thought perplexed. This temple wasn't the key to awaken Lugia? Then what was the purpose…wait! Dread filled his heart when he thought of an idea as to why this place was set up.
Leer didn't flinch from Lugia's approach. He didn't break a sweat when the infuriated voice weighed on his mind.
-"Now, give me one excellent reason as to why I should spare your measly life,"- he asked, -"And maybe, maybe, I'll let you go with only this single warning."-
"You will be difficult to convince," Leer calmly responded, pocketing his feather. He reached into his pocket to pull out a single black, leather glove. He smoothly pulled the fabric over his fingers, stretching them afterwards. "How about I gave you back your powers?"
-"Give me back my power?"- Lugia answered flustered. –"How can you give me back something that I already have?"-
Leer shook his head as if he was mocking Lugia's response. "My ancestor didn't make full use of this temple. He didn't know, but I managed to find out the true purpose of the full moon ritual." He dropped down to his knees, slamming his clothed hand into the middle of the ruins he stood upon.
Light poured through the cracks and the groaning of stone as Leer released his aura energy. The same energy Red felt when from the security system in place around the legendary birds.
Was it he who developed the aura system for this place? Red asked himself.
From the stone floor, Leer pulled out what looked like a stone monument up to his waist. Three holes carved into the stone tablet equidistant distance from each other and each was filled in with the elemental crystals.
Overflowing with energy, the three orbs burned with their respective color, giving off bright illumination.
-"The crystals I gave my servants?"- Lugia acted surprised.
Leer nodded taking each crystal from their spots. "You created the Legendary Birds to maintain balance of the ocean. You gave them power but you needed to give them something to help control their immense powers when you first made them." Leer held the yellow and red crystal in his left and the blue on his right hand.
"I was going to have the crystals absorb all the energy from the trio's bodies but certain circumstances didn't allow me to continue further," Leer said somewhat bitterly. "But most of the power is back in here and I will give it back to the creator of this power."
-"Giving me back the power I handed out to Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno won't convince me!"- Lugia shouted outraged. –"It has made me even less forgivable! Prepare for annihilation!"-
"Get out of here you guys!" Red turn back to yell. He sensed the energy swelling inside Lugia, preparing to nuke the entire place.
Leer didn't back down from the imminent threat. He threw all three Crystal orbs into the air.
"If you can control aura, then you can control life," Leer coldly said out loud. He lifted his glowing hands as the crystals came falling back down. A flash of blue light blinded everyone.
Leer caught a large green crystal the size of a volleyball. His hands still glowing, the large orb began to melt into his gloved hand. As if he was absorbing the crystal right into his body, the crystal disappeared into the hand.
Leer let out a pained grunt, nearly falling into the water reservoir in front of him as he stumbled with the pain. He held his right hand tightly as it began to violently shake and glow intensely. The pain soon left Leer's body as new power surged through him, finally accepting him.
-"What have you done with my elemental crystal?"- Lugia asked baffled by Leer's sudden actions.
"I morphed them all into one single crystal that matched my aura," he blandly answered. "And took into my body." Streaks of blue light seem to lingered around his body like ribbons encircling his body.
-"For what purpose will that serve you,"- he scoffed. The plates on his back lifted as Lugia prepared to attack.
"For this." Leer extended the aura filled right hand towards the flying beast. Blue tentacle-like aura flew out of his right arm. The energy stretched out to ensnare Lugia in a fraction of a second. Lighting was fired from Leer's arm and traveled upwards to shock Lugia.
-"Geh! This is not enough to stop me!"- Lugia roared, struggling to escape. He managed to stay afloat with his psychic powers but needed some of his telekinetic energy to try and rip open from the trap.
Leer threw a Pokeball to his side. His last Pokemon was a purple Crobat. Without any commands, the bat-like Pokemon flew to his trainer's left side and extended his lower wing. Leer grabbed onto it.
Crobat flapped a few more rapid beats before taking off like a bullet. It made sure to not get the cord connected Leer and Lugia get twisted up as he ascended. He flew past Lugia's head, receiving a death glare, and dropped off Leer onto Lugia's back
"I'm glad to see the combine power of the Legendary Birds was enough to keep you paralyzed for the right amount of time," Leer remarked, severing the line that connected him and his target.
Lugia wiggled in his trap, gaining some mobility over his body, but not enough to escape. He felt the sudden pressure placed on the base of his neck. A sharp sting followed by pain running down his spine made him shuddered.
Leer had his palm pressed directly into Lugia's neck. "Now take back your power!" Leer shouted. He channeled the energy inside him through his hand and forced it into Lugia's. The taint of Leer's aura in the legendary pokemon's power was what Leer aimed for to happen.
Red noticed the faint hints of Leer's life force and fully realized what he was trying to do.
"Come on, Lugia! Fight that jerk!" Janine shouted encouragement.
"He can't escape now," Red said dismayed. There was a sudden change in Lugia's massive aura which was followed by a loud bang.
Lugia broke free from his restraints, wings fully outstretched. The silver in its feathers glittered as it gently floated down to the water.
Leer kept his hand connected to Lugia's neck like a leech sticks to its prey. The hood of his sweater could barely be seen flapping in the air over Lugia's shoulder as he had to be crouched down to keep the connection.
"Told you he could break free," Janine said enthusiastically.
"I don't think that Lugia breaking out of the restraints is the case here," Erika said looking worry.
"He has taken over Lugia's mind and body," Red revealed. "Combining his energy into the three elemental crystals he managed to infiltrate Lugia's aura. He used the chance to override Lugia's life force with his own through elaborate execution."
From Lugia's back, Leer recalled Feraligatr back along with Crobat. He no longer needed them when he now controlled the being that rules the oceans of the world.
"Lugia, bring Judgment to the people on the ground. Hydro Pump them!" Leer yelled his order.
The mixture of shock and horrified looks from the group didn't change Leer's cold heart. He blankly watched as Lugia leaned forward to fire off water pressurized. The water swamped the rocky platform below them.
Leer seized the Hydro Pump moments after the spraying. He could feel as the immense power as if it was his own. He didn't feel falter under the weight of such power as normal people would have and quickly adjusted to the new strength.
Being efficient in controlling Lugia's powers, Leer managed to maneuver the people bellow him as he wanted to. He missed completely on purposed and used the Hydro Pump to separate the group.
The gym leaders along with Janine jumped to their left to avoid the water. Red being slightly farther away from everyone else had to recklessly jump to his right.
"That was just a warning. Let this be a lesson to you all," Leer proclaimed loudly over the waterfall. "Lugia is not a force to reckon with. I will like to keep you gym leaders around to help keep order in the new world. Follow me into the new order, but for those who disobey me; prepare to suffer the worst."
Lugia floated to Leer's left; tilting to the side so everyone could see Leer. "Allow me to make an example out of you boy." The leader pointed at the lone Red fallen on the ground far away from the rest.
Red cradled his injured elbow and right knee and barely heard Leer's proclamation. His eyes widened in fear as the Guardian opened his jaws once more in his general direction. He shot back up only to fall back down due to his injured knee not able to uphold his upper body.
"Shred the offender apart with your legendary move. Aeroblast!"
Lugia reared his head back as air was sucked into his gaping beak. He shot forward, releasing a vortex of wind. As if he swallowed a tornado and was throwing back up, the swirling wind screeched with the sounds of howling wind viciously ripping through air.
An attack that was impossible to dodge, since Red didn't think of himself faster than the wind, Red thought this was his end.
"Fusion Flare!"
Heat now dared to take Red's life.
A column of burning fire met the whirling tornado. A small firework show of fire flashed. The flames came through and pushed through the Aeroblast, increasing in size as well as heat intensity.
Lugia's head whipped back as the Fusion Flare blasted into his face. The abnormal cry for pain rang throughout the cavern.
Red glanced to back to thank his savior. His eyes widen when he saw it was Ember who saved him. His brother stood in the doorway from where he came from along with ever single of his Pokemon out of their Pokeballs
"Ember, what is the meaning of this!" Leer shouted, making his mindless slave clear out the fire with another Hydro Pump.
Ember said something directly to his Charizard to soft for anyone to hear. The dragon nodded and took off into the cave, after allowing the Infernape crawl up onto his back as a passenger.
"The moment that I have waited for this entire time has arrived," Ember shouted at Leer. "All you people on the ground, I suggest you leave. I'm not going to feel regret if you guys get caught in the crossfire."
"Are you defying me?" Leer shouted incredulously. "When I have the Legendary Pokemon, Lugia, under my complete control?"
"Overpowering you will be easy," Ember sneered. "My aura powers are formidable enough take control."
Leer kept his hand close to the base of Lugia's neck. "The power of Lugia should never be underestimated!"
"Psychic and Flying type?" Ember oddly asked. Telekinetic powers that allow it to speak and allow it to hover in air without the use of its wings. That's the psychic part and the Flying type is not all that hard to prove, Ember noted in his head.
"Having a type advantage won't save you," Leer proclaimed. "The power yo-" Two Fire Blasts appeared from Leer's right.
"Aeroblast!"
Lugia ripped the twin Fire Blasts into shreds of embers with his Aeroblast. He kept it going to attack the Charizard along with the Infernape. Charizard flew out of the wind based attack. The wall behind him was torn up by the blast, sending hazardous chunks of rocks everywhere.
"Red! Get out of there!" Yelled a female voice.
Red was still on the ground stunned by the events. He looked up to see the gym leaders had escaped but Janine stood at the doorway of the stairway leading out. She motioned Red to hurry up.
Charizard whipped through the cave with the Aeroblast close on his tail. He flew above the exit and the blast of air caused giant rocks to tumble over the exit. Janine had to jump to avoid getting caught in the falling debris.
Red protected his eyes from the dust sent outwards. He coughed and slowly got back up, grabbing the wall as a crutch. He began to heal his injuries as Ember kept the boss busy.
Ember's Rotom-heat floated through the air. Getting behind, Rotom launched a Thunder bolt from its oven mittens. The electric move was aimed at Leer but he made the bird fly up and made him get shocked instead.
Ember switched riders on Charizard's back in the brief moment. All of his Pokemon acted on their orders given to them. Houndoom sprinted down the stairs with his fellow Flareon companion close behind. Infernape employed a Stone Edge to give them more time to set up. Lugia grunted getting hit. The rather large Magmortar moved the slowest to not fall of the stairway for water was his greatest foe.
Leer stared back into Ember's unwavering stare. "I won't allow ugly emotions as anger cloud my mind. The retaliation will be punishment for disobedience and not revenge for attacking me."
"Word it as you want," Ember said back, clinging to his Pokemon. "I will decide in the end what you meant. History is written by the victor after all."
Lugia fired off a Psychic attack at the Charizard losing altitude. Low enough from the ground, Houndoom was able to jump straight up into the air and get in front of the Psychic. Graced by his Dark typing, Houndoom harmlessly took the attack for Ember and fired a Dark Pulse. Charizard helped with a Flamethrower.
Lugia's massive bulk left little room to dodge the super effective attack along with major burns. The mindless beast croaked a shrill cry but retaliated with an Aeroblast that Ember motioned both Houndoom and Charizard to dodge.
The blast struck right in front of them, launching all three backwards. Ember lost his hold on Charizard and fell onto the hard ground with a thud.
Leer divided his attention to attack the Rotom with a swift wing attack. The Discharge move left some damage but it was a trade Leer was willing to make if it meant knocking Rotom into the side of the cavern and knocking it out.
Infernape being his next target, Leer made Lugia flapped a single wing towards the monkey's platform. A powerful gust of wind sent the ape tumbling backwards into the room with the Zapdos.
"Now, finish Ember off," Leer loudly ordered. He dug his feet into Lugia's feathery back, trying to get a better position that wasn't prone to falling off. He peered over Lugia's shoulder to see where Ember landed.
"Hydro Pump!"
Another Hydro Pump from Lugia's mouth but this time was aimed at a true target. Ember sprawled on the ground with his Pokemon to far away to help him. The Hydro Pump struck. The water struck burning flames that engulfed the entire Hydro Pump.
"Why are resting during a battle?" Red asked Ember.
Ember looked up to see Red's face above him before steam shrouded the brothers. The steam was blasted away by Red and Ember realized it was his Charizard who saved him. Panting uncontrollably, the dragon was able to send unfavorable glance at Ember.
-Risking my life for this trash- Charizard thought crossly. -What the hell has gotten into you Red?-
Red roughly grabbed Ember's arm and pulled him up to his feet. "Just take this payment for saving my life."
"Your Charizard? You had an extra revive," Ember hazily said.
Red nodded. "First time I see you caught off guard," Red remarked smirking.
Ember pushed himself off Red as if disgusted. He observed the layout of the area he was fighting in after the fog lifted. He nodded to himself.
"Everything is set," Ember said looking up to the dead look of Lugia's. "I'm…going to need you for this, Red."
Red raised an eyebrow, shocked by Ember's sudden need for help.
"Fine, but don't think I'm your ally after this battle," Red remarked.
Ember agreed. "Prepare your Charizard. I'm going all out on this."
