The Game is On
"Don't try anything funny," Joey soothingly said, petting the back of his Espeon. "Any act that I deem as a threat will force me to take antipersonnel maneuvers. Such as contorting your body into a disheveled Tangela."
-"I won't hesitate to do so,"- Espeon added, menacingly growling. Her eyes flashed bright pink to strengthen her argument.
Red's right arm had already reached for his belt but stopped before he could grab a Pokeball. His face contorted in pain as he felt his arm being twisted. Espeon stopped right before the breaking point of the bone in his arm.
"Fine," he painfully agreed. His arm was instantly freed from the telekinetic force.
"That's a fine attitude," Joey remarked pleasantly. "You're more compliant than your brother. I can feel things are going to go smoothly."
Red's senses were on high alert but he was overwhelmed by Joey's presence. More accurately, he was drawn to the multiple life forces emanating from the peculiar trainer. He felt Espeon's aura and Joey's but it was an unsettling aura that felt like a dozens souls crying out in agony that pricked the hairs on his nape. Various other unidentifiable auras clung to the man like an ominous odor.
"My brother. Where is he?" Red mustered the strength to ask. He didn't want to show weakness in front of Joey.
"Is that really what you want to ask the leader of Kuriasora?" Joey jokingly said. "You just want to know where your big brother is. Why care where he is when he was never there for you in the past?"
Red scanned the area for any other people in the vicinity or hiding behind the trees. He found not a single soul in the district and managed to pinpoint the writhing mass of souls in Joey's front pocket. "Leader? Leer is dead," Red reminded him. "How are you going to continue if it's only you?"
"What makes a leader?" Joey posed the question. He leaned in closer. "People say you're born a leader or it's your destiny to become one."
Red glared back. "Don't get smart with me. I realize now that it was a stupid question," Red bitterly replied.
"I'm the leader since I carry the beliefs of my team. I will serve them till the end. I will unite the people together," Joey uncannily said, pulling back.
Red took the time to compose himself and think about his situation. If he is the leader, then he is crucial to stopping them again. He must have already assembled a small team...
"So, you must be the one that helped Drake escape from prison," Red figured out.
Joey made an annoyed smack with his lips before answering with, "I'm going to plead the fifth."
"That's only when you won't testify about yourself!" Red condemned. "And I find it hard that you would become the leader of Kuriasora. The way you don't take things seriously. How you tend to beat around the bush. Who would accept you as leader?"
"Ah, a question I can comfortably answer," Joey smiled. "Well, you see… I figured that a tiny, little lie-like say perhaps Leer entrusting the organization to me- would be enough. I, of course, provided vague evidence such showing them an odd flute. They believed me right after that. Probably prepared to lay down their lives for me."
Joey finally took out the item causing Red to cringe in his soul. The strangest flute that he has ever seen was in Joey's outstretched hand. A blend of many souls struggled within the device, as if the mesh of life forces could burst out at any moment. This was no artifact crafted by any sane human and he was sure even a person with no aura powers could easily sense the ominous power this thing emanated.
"What legendary Pokemon does this belong too?" Red asked, trying his best to hide his discontent.
Joey grinned, enjoying the grimace on Red's face. "You Aura Guardians are quite something. This belongs to a legendary that history has forgotten. A creature even before Lugia's time." He toyed with the idea of playing it but quickly dispel the notion and pocketed it.
Red couldn't even start to comprehend what was going through Joey's mind but continued to spout questions, hoping to stall till he had a plan. "Why would you betray Leer's image for your own goals? Or are you in Kuriasora for different reasons?"
Joey folded his hands and smirked. "Leer was wasting his talents on a useless project. Finding strength in this particular legendary Pokemon. It just takes a stronger Pokemon to overcome him," Joey answered. "I was seeking for the truth but not in the way he set out to do. No, I joined to observe him while working on my own goal. "
Red froze. "What do you mean observe? Why tell me all this in the first place?'
"I planned to work with him until his plan fell through or I accomplished my own," he conceitedly said. "I saw how obsessed he was with plans with Lugia. He lashed at me for suggesting another way. He couldn't see clearly…unlike you. I have this distinctive feeling that you will play an important part in the upcoming events."
"Me? I'm just a…I guess I'm more than just an average trainer at this point," Red said.
"Pokemon Champion of the Indigo League is quite a title to hold at such a young age but that doesn't matter to me," Joey pushed the matter aside, leaning in close. "Your deep connection with your aura. That is something I've long searched for in this world."
"And what about Leer? He recruited you didn't he?"
Joey laughed."We both founded Kuriasora. We only collaborated to find a way to tear down the pokemon league system. He only focused on this Lugia as if that was all we needed. He believed too much in his aura skills will carry us through the end. He was nothing more than a sham compared to you, a genuine heir to Sir Pallet and properly trained to bout. He had no master to teach him and that kept him from ever advancing to your level."
"He was just as capable if not mor-" Red defended and stop himself. There's no point in defending a psychopath. Or was he just misguided...
"Yet, he couldn't sense the ancient power in this," Joey grabbed the strange stone slab next to him. Various glyphs that Red couldn't begin to decipher were chiseled into the bright pink stone. It was no larger than a school textbook but heavier.
"What is that?" Red asked. He sensed another strange yet nostalgic power in Joey's hands. "It's not alive yet it pulses as if...it was part of another being." The slab entrusted to him by the previous champion didn't feel like this one and it wasn't covered in bizarre runes. The Squalid Slab energy was faint and foreign. This slab felt ancient as if its been dormant for thousands of years if not more yet it gave a sense of familiarity.
"Bingo! You can feel the faint aura...of...well even we don't know to what it belongs to," Joey simply shrugged. "But it's a power that stirs nostalgia and it seems stronger in certain Pokemon."
Espeon lifted a paw to touch the stone. A bright flash and the slab suddenly came to life, taking on a neon pink glow that radiated power. Red instantly felt Espeon's own power increase as she accepted the primordial power. She lifted her paw, severing the connection with the plate. The light around the stone tablet dimmed until it was completely gone.
"Have you seen anything like this before?" Joey asked with a cocky smile.
Red shook his head. "There are more of these...artifacts?"
"Of course there are. It is rumored that there is one plate for every Pokemon type," Joey pulled the plate closer, eyes squinted. "We only have this one and the only thing we can decipher is that it's called the Mind Plate. Fitting since it powers up Psychic type moves. Your brother had one, but he wouldn't tell me where it it."
Red couldn't help but become alert at the mention of his brother. "Why would he hide it from you, the new leader of Kuriasora?"
"He's a traitor to Kuriasora. Since you have forgotten, he killed the previous leader. He's always been a traitor, especially when he let you win." Joey sounded annoyed, sticking a hand into his pocket.
"Let me win? I won that fair and square," Red adamantly defended.
"He didn't even go all out with you," Joey replied.
"How could you know? You weren't even there to witness the fight!" Red lambasted, the thought of it hit his nerve for some reason. Did it matter if Ember didn't try his hardest to fight him?
Joey enjoyed the defensive reaction and pulled out a black bracelet from his pocket. He tossed it at Red to inspect it closer. "This belonged to brother. I just happened to find this on his right wrist," Joey explained, wide grin plastered on his face.
A simple bracelet for the exception of a single marble-like gem embedded in it. It radiated with nearly every color of the visible light spectrum.
"It's a keystone you idiot," Joey harshly answered. "The key component to Mega Evolve. I won't give you a lecture on how it works. You just need to know that the Pokemon needs to be holding its respective Mega Stone which Ember's Charizard did not have nor did his Houndoom."
This can't be his? Right? Red held on to the peculiar bracelet. His thoughts swirled with questions.
"An excellent trainer like him shouldn't have fallen to some kid like you," Joey went on. "His fighting style was straightforward but his strategy was always well layout. His idea to take down Leer was ingenious in it's own way. The plan gave with a heavy price but he did so without any complaints. He took risks while all you did Red was take the safe path. That's why I don't fear you even if you are the new Pokemon Champion."
Red took a step forward, glaring back. "What makes you think I can't be as great as my brother? What makes you so sure I can't stop you? Am I not that interesting to you?"
"In terms of personality…you're ordinary. Bland, headstrong hero that doesn't seem to think outside of combat. There are things you wouldn't do to get what you want…unlike your brother. He was extraordinary. But he wasted his talents on opposing me," Joey commended the man.
Red got up close to his face, ignoring the growling Espeon. Joey didn't flinch and fixated his eyes on the boy.
An unsettling silence encompassed the two.
"You're not ordinary…" Joey softly said, blinking before briefly closing his eyes. He smiled, opening his eyes again. He spoke softly and insanely, "I can see. You're not as ordinary as I thought you were. You're not like your brother. No. In your own special way, I can see there is something there after all."
Red mutely stared back as Joey took a deep breath. Joey relaxed his tense shoulders, leaned back as if he was idling at the park.
"If that's the case, then I'm going to have to reveal the bad news then," Joey said in somber tone. "I was hoping to use him but sadly your brother, Ember, is dead. "
Red lifted an eyebrow. He was at first shocked then confused. He sensed that Joey was sincere but he must be able to tamper with his aura...right? "What are you trying to do? You think that's going to work on me?" Red finally responded.
"He's dead, Red," Joey repeated himself in a dead serious voice. "I know because I'm the one who teleported him away. Ember doesn't have any Pokemon that can teleport but I do have my Slowbro. I took him away."
Teleport! That's how he and my brother managed to escape the rain of boulders at Navel Rock! Red figured. Red recounted that Ember had no psychic Pokemon in his arsenal. "I'll believe you up to that point," Red acknowledged the improbability of Ember teleporting away by himself.
"I would have loved to have him on my squad. Aura Guardians are getting harder to come by in this age and era," Joey rambled.
"You would have done well to have kept an aura guardian in your little group," Red asserted. He managed to get close Joey. He closely examined the strange powers surrounding the leader, and settled on a single life form that he almost missed.
"Is that so?" Joey asked. Espeon's psychic activated and kept her grip on Red as she let out a low growl.
"An aura guardian could have kept your phone from shocking you," Red replied. He finally found the identity of the hidden aura that was lurking on Joey's person. The source was well hidden and took him awhile to locate it. "Discharge!"
Electricity practically exploded from Joey's pocket, blasting and shocking him away with his Espeon. Red snatched the pink slab in the midst of chaos and pulled out his own Pokeball to release his Garchomp. He gripped the stone against his chest and faced the stunned Joey.
Alongside Garchomp was an old foe to fight with him. The plasma being shaped like a lightning rod was the rare Rotom. Ember's Rotom kept his true form hidden inside the small cellular device and finally decided to show himself.
"Vaporeon, Rotom is not an enemy!" Red shouted to his Vaporeon that he released. "He's our ally in this fight."
Vaporeon dropped her alert state from Rotom and faced Joey slowly getting up. -"You seem different from before,"- Vaporeon noted Rotom's appearance not looking like an oven.
- "Zzz-This is my true form but please focus on the battle!"- Rotom buzzed.
Joey clasped his hands together and slowly clapped. "I've been wondering where you were, little Rotom. To think that you had the guts to hide right next to me." Joey praised, receiving a glower from Rotom. His pants were tattered but his Pokeballs were still attached to the belt. Without warning, he released two new Pokemon.
The first was a giant gray bell, echoing a low ring. The markings on it's side resembled a wide face with circular, red eyes and a toothy grin. Two arms extended from the top of the bell and spun them around, floating above ground with telekinetic powers. The other was a huge sarcophagus that could be found in depths of an ancient pyramid. The coffin open up a sliver and dark shadow tendrils slipped out to form into four arms. The top of the sarcophagus was molded into a pharoah's head and mischievous red eyes peered back at Red.
"Discharge! Vaporeon take cover!"
Rotom whirred with electricity and fired it in all directions. The electric attack hit all three of Joey's Pokemon. Vaporeon managed to escape the friendly fire by jumping behind Garchomp, who absorbed the electricity with no repercussions.
During the attack, Red made sure to pull out his Pokedex to gain info on the two unfamiliar Pokemon.
"Bronzong: the Bronze Bell Pokemon. Some believe it to be a deity that summons rain clouds. When angered, it lets out a warning cry that rings out like the tolling of a bell"
"Cofagrigus: the Coffin Pokemon. This Pokemon has a body of sparkling gold becoming symbols of the wealth that kings of bygone eras had. They like to eat gold nuggets."
A steel and psychic type while the other is a pure ghost type, Red confirmed the typing of these two. Levitate ability makes my ground-type moves useless and I can't even try to theorize what this Mummy ability does.
"Shadow Ball the Espeon. Garchomp, Dragon Rush Cofagrigus and Rotom please Thunderbolt the Bronzong."
"Psyshock your counterpart, Espeon. Payback the little ghost, Bronzong and Shadow Claw, Cofagrigus!"
Joey's Pokemon were slow to react since their orders were given after Red. Vaporeon, nimble and swift, fired her Shadow Ball into Espeon's flank. She gritted her teeth, eyes flashing pink. Three blue and purple masses of energy shot out of Espeon's body, pummeling Vaporeon.
Bronzong's static steel face showed no signs of agony as it was shocked to it's core by Rotom. It did let out an odd roar that rang like church bells and flexed it's two arms. A black ring of energy formed around Bronzong. Another hollow ringing of bells sounded and the dark energy blasted Rotom backwards.
Garchomp traded blows with the surprisingly defensive Coffin Pokemon. His claws marked Cofagrigus lustrous gold and received a few slashes back. Garchomp hopped back with barely a scratch, but he felt his body change. There was no physical alteration but Garchomp swore he felt an ominous force enter his body.
-"I'm sure you did something to me,"- Garchomp accused the cursed ghost. -"This doesn't feel right!"-
-"It's nothing to worry about,"- Cofagrigus grinned with a toothy smirk. - " The Mummy's curse is useless against you anyways."-
"It hasn't been a second and you are already putting Rotom to good use with your own Pokemon," Joey praised. "I guess I really have little hope in defeating a strategic trainer like you but I really need that plate back."
"Rotom, they're all susceptible to ghost type. Ominous Wind to get them all," Red began to formulate a plan. He knew Joey had something in mind and needed to end this quick. "Flamethrower and Hydro Pump!"
Joey snapped his fingers. "Espeon, Trick Room. You other two focus on getting that slab back."
Distorting space itself, Espeon created white and blue tiled walls around the area that all disappeared right after appearing for a second. Red and Joey were also caught up in the strange dimension. Red felt like he gained extra weight and could feel his movement slow down to a sluggish pace. He turned towards Joey and saw him he had already released a Slowbro behind him. Joey was defensive with his placement of Slowbro, summoning the Pokemon behind him away from harm's way.
Accumulated to the new environment, both Bronzong and Cofagrigus charged forward at breakneck speed. Their new speed allowed them to race right past the slow Garchomp and Rotom. Bronzong's eyes begin to glow pink before taking a Hydro Pump from behind. They weren't the only ones to gain an increase in speed. Vaporeon was able to blast water and pushed the bell into a tree.
-"Don't hit me if you know what's good for you,"- Cofagrigus warned, lunging at Red.
The aura guardian's movement was agonizing slow and could only watch in horror as the giant sarcophagus grabbed the him with all four translucent arms. The first held him in place, sending shiver down Red's spine. The grip was firm but could feel like the hands could evaporate like smoke with a gust of wind. The other two pried the tablet from his grip with little effort and held it up high from his reach.
Garchomp forgo the Flamethrower in favor of a more physical approach and not risk the chance of hurting Red by accident. The Trick Room messed with his mind but he tried his best to save his trainer from danger. His sharp claws raked Cofagrigus back, releasing Red in pain. The ghost Pokemon spun around and flung the stone tablet with all his might.
Sailing through the air, Joey held out his hand. The tablet was guided to his hand with the aid of the psychic abilities of his Slowbro. The dimwitted looking Pokemon cleanly brought the tablet into his trainer's outstretched hand.
"Nearly got the better of me, I'll admit," Joey laughed as if Red just pulled a simple prank. "That's why I got to stay one step ahead you. See ya!" Joey recalled all of his Pokemon except for one. He placed a hand on Slowbro and was gone without of a trace.
Red cursed, scanning the area for any traces of Joey's aura. The trick room ended, allowing or everyone to move at their normal speed. They were on high alert until Red finally gave the sign of no threats were around.
Rotom buzzed and whirred as it floated near Red. It's two lighting bolt-like appendages waved at Red's pocket. Red thought about it for a moment and took out the only thing in that pocket. He pulled out his Pokedex, confused by the sudden interest.
Without warning, Rotom charged into the device. Red dropped the device, jumping back. The Pokedex rocked back and forth on the ground. Taking on a ghostly aura, the possessed device levitated. Using the robotic text to speech of the Pokedex, Rotom struggled to form sounds.
"Em...brrrr-mmmmbrrrr," Rotom groaned, forming a small face on the tiny screen.
"Ember?" Red grew anxious.
Rotom nodded, looking quite somber. "My train-train-trainer. My friennnnd is gone," the device spoke in it's monotone male voice. Rotom quickly grasped the inner mechanisms of Professor's Oak invention.
"Ember is gone?" Red asked, but wished to not hear the answer.
Rotom didn't immediately respond. It's blue eyes turned away. "Ember is no longer with us. He gave his life," the voice gave the sad news.
"Then what Joey said...was it him who..." Red couldn't finish his thought.
"No," he simply answered. "Ember turned to stone."
"Just like Leer. Someone got to him and did the same," Red spouted. He felt anger and contempt for his lost brother but he never wished for him to suffer the same fate as Leer.
Rotom's power faltered for a moment but regained control of the Pokedex. "He did it to himself. He sealed Leer's power at the cost of his life. He turned to stone right before Joey. Charizard shielded Ember from Joey and suffered the same fate. I lost my two friends that day..."
Red probed Rotom's aura only to find distress and sadness. He couldn't imagine how it felt for a Pokemon to lose their trainer and companion. How Rotom kept it's temperament intact as it hid on the traitor's phone. Red reached out a hand but stopped at the ghost's next words.
"I wanted to help but he told me hide. He asked me to find you-to tell you where it is," Rotom said, turning back to Red. It held a determined gaze. "You need to go to your father's grave. That's where you find th-th-th-theee..." the voice faded out and sparks jumped out from his Pokedex.
Rotom hopped out of the Pokedex, letting it fall and clatter across the ground. Red reached down and picked up the fried Pokedex. He felt somewhat sad for breaking such crucial piece of his journey but more important things lay at hand.
"I'm assuming Ember released you from his Pokeball so please get into this new one. I don't have room in my party so you will be sent back to the pc," Red said, holding up an empty Pokeball.
-"But I know where it's buried. I can lead you to it,"- Rotom tried to convince him to follow him, waving his arms.
"I can tell you want to help but I know where to look now. I can take it from faster on my Charizard and you can finally get some rest. I can tell you've had a hard, painful trip. You lost your friends but you still kept your determination to follow with Ember's order," Red summed up Rotom's feelings.
Rotom let out a small sigh but obliged. He bopped his head on the Pokeball and got sucked right into the Pokeball. The Pokeball didn't struggle and clicked with a satisfying ting. It flashed white, getting sent back to Professor Oak's lab with the rest of his pals on Ember's team.
"Alright, Charizard let's get a move on," Red said, bringing out his starter. He returned the rest back into their Pokeballs and hopped on Charizard's back.
-"Home I assume?"- he grunted, getting position.
"We need to head home but we need to make a quick stop," Red said.
Charizard took off towards Pallet. Red had him skip his hometown and flew into the woods off in the south. He took a faint, yet visible dirt path not used by many. It was a path that Red and his mother used to take into the forest. A place that only he knew about and that was where his father wanted to rest.
A densely packed forest gave in to a small pond that was no larger then a gym arena. It was close to the bank that his father's grave rested. It was a standard and modest tombstone that marked the place. What drew Charizard attention as he landed was granite boulder chiseled into the rough shape of a deformed Charizard. One arm was shorter than the other, while its feet were too big for its proportion. A lopsided head gave the art piece a silly look and the folded wings looked more like humps on the Charizard's back.
-"Did your father ever see what a Charizard looks like?"- Charizard sweated at the poor piece of art.
"It was a piece that my dad had one of his Pokemon chiseled to impress my mother," Red explained. He stopped to sense the uneasy energy underneath the Charizard statue. "Help me move this."
Red pushed against the bulging stomach as Charizard shoved the surprisingly heavy Charizard. Together they forced it back, revealing soft dirt beneath. It was dark and loamy but Red still got on knees to dig through with his bare hands. Charizard made more progress by raking the ground with his claws.
It didn't take them long to find the hidden treasure. Charizard barely scrapped it when a bright light lit up beneath the ground. Red stopped him, fearing that he might scratch up the smooth stone. He plucked it from the ground, a burning red stone tablet.
-"What is this? I felt a sudden urge to breath fire as if my power increased?"- Charizard gawked at the unusual artifact. He touched it once more and it lit up again.
This thing must react to fire Pokemon, Red theorized seeing how it affected his Pokemon. The light faded from the inanimate object just as the one before.
The air grew heavy, making every breath Red took a struggle. His movements slowed down as his eyes widely darted around to find his Charizard was also stuck in slow motion. From the bushes a long pink tentacle darted out, wrapping around the slab. From Red's grip it pulled back and it brought the item right into the stumpy arms of a Lickitung. The tentacle was revealed to be a prehensile tongue that coiled up and the Pokemon proudly showed off its prize.
"This is where Ember was hiding it. Well more accurately, this was where your father chose to stow it away. I guess I now know why he had to stop by his hometown. Probably to make sure it wasn't found."
"You saw us meet up here," Red spat, stunned again by Joey's sudden presence. He knew about his confrontation with Ember here.
"Duh, who do you think set your home on fire," Joey said back. "But now I see how much more valuable you are to me alive." Slowbro tugged Joey's ripped pants and blinded Red with a flash of light.
Red slammed his fists into the ground, humiliated and angry. Joey was gone and with another plate in hand. He led him right to another artifact. He didn't know what he intended to do with it but it just couldn't end well for anyone.
In his anger, he broke through the dirt to reveal more secrets hidden under the plate. He felt something hard in the dirt. He dug for a bit and dusted off the dirt. A wooden unmarked box lay beneath. No odd energies emanated from the box but he couldn't risk of it being taken away from him. He quickly stuffed it into backpack. He stopped at his father's grave and turned back towards town.
