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Chapter X - Crashing Down
No amount of words could describe the shock I felt at seeing such familiar faces, in the last place I'd expected them to be.
Skyla and Drayden were dressed in cold-weather clothing matching their usual fashion styles. Drayden's light, mauve sweater was large enough to fit his toned physique. Skyla wore a bubble jacket, magenta in color. Brycen, on the other hand, wore his usual, ceremonial garb, consisting nothing more of a patterned blue sheet draped over half his torso. I'd stopped asking myself how he survived with such clothing in the cold long ago.
Behind the trio of humans stood a partial team of four Pokémon, ones I recognized as Brycen's ice-types, including a Weavile, Cryogonal, Beartic, and Vanilluxe. Seeing he'd arrived at his destination, he released two others from the folds of his flamboyant blue outfit, a Dewgong and Walrein, their physiques not quite suitable for walking long distances.
Drayden and Skyla's respective teams, minus the former's Altaria, who he had released prior, were nowhere to be found.
Skyla stepped before me, proceeding to reach down tentatively with a spare shirt she'd been given by Drayden, in hopes to dry me off.
If I was being honest with myself, I should have predicted this scenario at one point or another and been prepared to deal with it. I was surely a prize to be won after all that's had happened. It was only a matter of time before someone was bound to find me.
The Pokénav… I was such an idiot. Some part of me wanted to keep the device, despite suspicions of Skyla's ability to trace the call she'd placed… I led them right to us. Somin should have been allowed to destroy it without our intervention.
Now, what was I to do? As I saw it, Victor would have a tough time defeating the Beartic in combat, Axle was completely out of commission, Jet was gone, and Vita, along with Somin, were dealing with whatever unknown problems they were facing.
That meant I was left to face three Gym Leaders and their teams of over-powered Pokémon with only myself and my non-existent combat experience, accompanied only by a very limited Axew. Not to mention we were both in the process of freezing to death from our impromptu dip in the river. Plus, as I was gruesomely reminded by a shot of pain from my leg, I was seriously injured.
According to Somin, Mew should have already been, or was soon to be gone, off in her search for Arceus. That, combined with the fact I'd probably infuriated her beyond belief (her lack of communication over the last few days hadn't been promising), basically asserted the idea there would be no help coming for me.
"W-w-we're too l-late," Misa shivered beside me, having previously told me about 'monsters' on their way to our location. I ignored her, my entire focus stuck on Skyla.
Skyla's smile as she continued reaching towards me spoke of the warmth I would receive as reward for accepting her help. The fact I could feel nothing but an undying cold destroyed all desire for resistance.
Yet, I shirked back as she approached. If I let her take me, everything I'd been doing to stay together as a team over the last two weeks or so would be for naught.
Her expression disappeared, replaced by a look more of concern than anything else. She spoke a few words behind her, ones I could not hear in between shivers.
I tried moving away… Maybe if I ran back to where Victor was, he would have perhaps beaten the Beartic and could assist in our escape or retaliation.
I tried getting my legs under me, and did so successfully, grunting, I pushed away, hoping to gain momentum as I did. My body wouldn't move correctly, no matter how I willed it to. I ended up falling onto my side maybe five feet away, shivering and whining pitifully.
Skyla sighed.
"Altaria, I'll get the Axew. Can you get the Zorua?"
With that, the Mistralton Gym Leader moved on to attempt to pick up Misa. The Axew was so terrified as to provide no resistance until Skyla grabbed her and lifted her up. Squealing, Misa seemed to kick into action, chomping a jaw down around Skyla's hand. She let go with a scream of pain.
Skyla sighed at the sight of the small dragon trying to get her footing under herself once she was back on the ground, and addressed Drayden's Altaria while cradling her injured hand.
"Just… Sing to them both," she told the blue dragon as it began advancing on me, "They're not gonna let us take care of them willingly.."
Oh no… I have to get away.
Eyes widening, I whipped my head around towards Misa, who had finally gathered her bearings. She stared back at me with trepidation, as if debating whether or not to help me escape. It was obvious she didn't know what was about to happen.
Who could blame her? As far as I knew, her entire world was Twist Mountain. I'd doubted she'd ever come into contact with a Pokémon that knew how to use the move Sing, let alone know its effects. We would be both put to sleep in seconds if we didn't act fast.
I did all I could, and screamed a command in her direction.
"Cov-cover your ears!" I yelled, proceeding to rest my head on the ground. I placed both of my front forelegs on top of my head, folding down my large ears so they could hear almost nothing.
"W-what?" I heard Misa's response. "Why?"
By then, it was already too late. Thankfully, all I could hear was a soft hum from the Altaria's direction, and while it succeeded in making my slightly woozy, I was overall unaffected. I blinked sleepily a few times, trying to get a grasp of the attack's results on Misa.
The first notes seemed to hit her as her response to me formed. She blinked surprisedly at first contact, yet was teetering within a few seconds. From her standing position, she eventually fell hard, into the fresh snow before her feet.
"Shit," I mumbled to myself. My one chance of escaping, regardless of how annoying, was now just as incapacitated as Axle. I was truly alone now.
I faintly heard the Altaria finish her song, prompting me to uncover my ears. I was staring dead at the unconscious Axew, scowling at her stupidity.
"Hello, little one…"
I spun my head around towards the female voice addressing me. I made sure to get up off my side and scoot away to the best of my ability, leaving a small trickle of red where I'd been. I shook heavily, both in suspense and as a result of the cold.
A sky-blue dragon, wings seemingly made of pearlescent white clouds, approached me cautiously. The Altaria, Drayden's first combatant in my Gym battle against him, and the caster of the song I'd only faintly heard, approached.
Her voice held a caring tone to it, as if she was truly convinced I was as I seemed. Did the Gym Leaders not know I was a Zorua? A small ray of hope formed with the thought. They didn't know I was, in fact, the one they sought.
Cautiously, she stepped forward. She was obviously shocked after observing such a young Pokémon know how to avoid her song. Her eyes betrayed that confusion, but she wore a look of soft acceptance.
Furthermore, she looked down and saw the trail of blood tainting the snow. She grew further concerned, but said nothing.
Behind her, Skyla was staring at me dumbfoundedly. Drayden himself even gave a shred of attention, staring at us out of the corner of his eye.
"How?" I thought I heard Brycen's voice, his form directly behind the Altaria and out of visibility. "There's no way it should've known…"
Oh shit… It's time to go. They're gonna figure me out.
Once more, I tried getting up, shivering with every movement. Breathing ladened, I took a few steps away from the Altaria, keeping my shaky stare directly on her.
"Are you cold?" the dragon spoke in a soothing manner, voice of the same concern the Gym Leaders behind her harbored. "I can make you warm."
"L-l-leeeave u-us al-alone," I shakily replied through chattering teeth. I probably ended up making myself seem even more pitiful.
The Altaria's eyes grew even more confused. She'd gotten a taste of my ability to talk a few seconds before, sure, but was now experiencing it for herself. She continued her advance, nonetheless, a caringly condescending frown forming upon her beak.
"S-st-stay baaack," I cowered, shrinking back even further. She was extending a cloudy wing towards me to pluck me up. I could only imagine how warm it felt. I wanted to accept, of course. I was so cold, the light wind and snow making every horrid feeling so much more profound. As much as I would hate myself if I capitalized on her offer, was this suffering really worth only a few more seconds of freedom?
A sudden wave to dizziness hit me, my vision fading to black for a few seconds. A stab of pain reminded me once again of the wound I'd sustained from the Beartic. I slumped forwards, unable to walk any further.
"No," I choked out, clenching my eyes shut, incapable of movement as the gap between the Altaria and I lessened the final few inches.
WHOM… CRASH
I opened my eyes at the first hints of unnatural sound filling my ears. The sight that met me, to say the very least, succeeded in invoking great astonishment.
A deathly screech was heard, turning all heads. The Altaria, about to grab me not two seconds before, was flying through the air against her own volition. She was propelled violently in the opposite direction, body writhing in apparent pain. The source? A pink, and nearly transparent wall of energy lying before me.
The forcefield seemed to bend and twist with the wind, its surface home to small jolts of psychic power, dancing across the surface in small arcs. With the lack of contact, it seemed to disappear.
"M-Mew?!" I choked out quietly, instantly recognizing the energy used to make the barrier. I turned every which way to catch a glimpse of the legendary. Her appearance should have been impossible. Wherever she was, she remained invisible. She still meant to protect me?
The Gym Leader's reactions were varied. Skyla squeaked in surprise, jumping back when the Altaria was shot in the opposite direction. Brycen stared between the dragon and me incredulously, speechless. Drayden only turned towards his Altaria, not even the smallest hints of shock touching his face, almost as if he'd been expecting retaliation.
"What the hell is that Zorua?!" Brycen exclaimed. "Did it do that?"
"Hmm…" Drayden spoke quietly, giving a quick glance around. "Mew… So, you really are here… I'd by lying if I said I'm surprised you stuck around. You have been known to abandon your mistakes, after all."
His Altaria shakily stood to step beside her trainer. She didn't seem hurt, only shaken up, twitching every so often with the delayed effects of the defense.
Drayden took a look around him before turning to Brycen. He threw a few objects in the Icirrus City Gym Leader's direction.
"Change of plans," he said gruffly. "Cave, now… Get as many as you can."
Brycen caught the items, surprised they were sent in his direction. He was still reeling from what had happened to the dragon. It took him a few seconds before digesting what he'd witnessed and addressing Drayden accordingly.
"You're cocky, you know that?" the younger Gym Leader responded reluctantly. "I don't care how strong you are, you can't take her… There's no way—"
"Don't worry about it," Drayden interrupted Brycen in a no-nonsense tone. Defeated, and with no room for discussion, Brycen huffed and signaled the Weavile in his possession towards the river. In response, the Pokémon covered the surface with an Ice Beam, allowing their entire team to pass. I was unable to protest as the Gym Leader entered the cave, where he would most definitely find a sleeping Swampert, easily abductable.
"Where were we?" Drayden continued, motioning for Skyla to get behind him. She obeyed him without question.
She whispered a few, indiscernible words in his ear, prompting him to give a glance at both myself and the unconscious Misa. He shook his head as if to dismiss her statement. He then proceeded to unlatch all the balls from his belt simultaneously, allowing for his dragons to flood the area. Skyla remained as she was. In addition to the Druddigon, Haxorus, and Flygon I'd fought against in our Gym Battle, there were two extra members on his team, an Aggron and a Hydreigon. Almost every creature summoned stood considerably taller than the Gym Leader himself, causing a pit of despair to form in my stomach.
"Ignore the hatchlings," or something along those lines came out of his mouth next as he addressed his team. "We won't be able to do anything to help them until Mew is incapacitated."
The dragons remained silent, all on their guard for what was to happen next. I thought I saw the slightest glimmer of nervousness regarding the situation coming from the Flygon in particular. The Aggron and Hydreigon harbored similar expressions, turning every which way every so often tentatively. The Druddigon wore something akin to a smirk, standing at the ready next to the Haxorus, in a calm sense of contemplation.
The Altaria's stare flitted back and forth between myself and Misa, concern for our wellbeing filling her gaze.
"Now Mew," Drayden said without falter, drawing my attention back to him, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm taking 'your human', as you called him in Lavaridge, back with me tonight… Whether that means you stay or leave with us is your decision. Accommodations shall be provided for both of your care, in addition to the entirety of Ray's team."
No response…
"I understand this most likely has to do with your own, personal affairs. I can respect that. However, that does not indemnify Ray of suspicion for the murder of dozens of people. We simply want to protect you, your liege, as well as your other companions, before any further harm can come from misunderstanding. No harm will come to either of you should you go quietly."
Still no response. I heard Drayden sigh.
"I'm not sure if you know this," he said solemnly, "but I'm an extremely perceptible person."
When he still received no response, he pointed to a random spot in the sky. I turned, despite feeling as if my limbs were freezing as they were, to a point high above my left shoulder. Nothing was there.
"Altaria, if you will…"
In response, and without hesitation, the blue dragon wrenched her gaze from me and fired off a hastily-charged Dragon Pulse, blue energy flying through the air at seemingly no target, directed only by Drayden's pointing.
My mouth dropped as a second, pink shield of energy appeared directly in front of the point, intercepting the attack and prompting a cloud of smoke to form in its wake.
A small, pink, floating creature materialized in the same spot when all was said and done.
"Bravo," Mew broadcasted sarcastically, allowing everyone in the vicinity to hear her words. "What a great job you did. A-Plus."
"You weren't going to respond," Drayden calmly defended himself, unfazed he was in the presence of a god. "If we can, I'd like to get onto more pressing matters. Mind telling me where 'your human' is?"
Wait… They're just going to start talking as if nothing happened? What the hell is going on?!
I dared not speak, breaking the tension in the air. Mew seemed to be hyper-focused, and doubted the result would be pretty if I were to interrupt their conversation.
"Right to business, are we? You're bold… Do I get a question first?"
She was speaking in a tantalizing manner, but Drayden answered nonetheless.
"What do you need to know about me, Mew? Ask if you must."
"Ooh! Alrighty! Lemme think."
The legendary put her paw to her chin before spinning around in the air in a lackadaisical manner. It didn't seem as if she cared much for what was occurring. She proceeded to ask a question, however, that succeeded in making Drayden's eyes narrow.
"Why go aaaaaaall the way up into the mountains to find a dead trainer? Seems pretty redundant, don'tcha think?"
It astonished me Mew kept her bubbly nature, even now. Were we not in a precarious situation, or was she really that confident in herself?
Skyla's reaction to the legendary's words was well-hidden, but I could hear a faint whimper escape her lips as she started shivering.
"Or maybe you can tell me more about the UPF? Those nice, nice guys in Lavaridge who ransacked my human's house mentioned them. If you don't mind, I'd like to go and meet them personally, give them a little gift for what they did to him."
UPF? Was that the group stalking me? I always thought they were unnamed, but apparently not...
"The UPF, hmm?" Drayden confirmed. "Yes, they were the ones following Ray. And, assuming you've been shadowing him for quite a while, I'm surprised you don't know more yourself."
"I'm not stupid, Drayden. I just needed confirmation. Legendaries have been having just a teensy problem with them lately. Now I know for sure, though, they were the ones to murder my trainer, I can knock out two birds with one stone."
"You and I both know that's idiotic, Mew. It's a little known fact to me that the UPF is the reason legendaries are getting trainers in the first place, correct?"
Mew's expression was quick to turn sour. "Tread lightly, Drayden."
"Why else would such elusive beings be spotted all over the world? How many now are missing from your ranks? Four? Five?"
"Well well, you're in the know, aren't you?"
"With trainers, though, you have the opportunity to hide in plain sight, as well as receive the added protection of a Pokéball. You're not the only one who had that idea. A threat you can't fight, somehow abducting the world's strongest creatures… At least four are confirmed missing from your ranks, Mew. Four of the world's most powerful creatures, gone without a trace, and we have no way of knowing whether or not that number is higher."
"..."
"Where's Arceus, Mew? Was he one of them?"
The legendary, no longer in the mood for games, shot a harsh glare towards the Gym Leader as she stopped and levitated in place.
I was growing too cold to notice the conversation. My vision was growing dark.
"Why, of all trainers, choose Ray Alston? There must have been better, more stable options as a trainer, no?"
"You're not making your situation any better."
"No, I suppose I'm not. It's simply a curiosity both my closest confidant and I share."
The legendary began to giggle once again as Drayden spoke, floating down towards me. I provided no argument as she reached her paw out to touch the top of my head. I was too cold to care, either way, a combination of the blood loss and the freezing water rendering me shivering violently. At least her paw was warm, if only a little.
"You're boring. Follow us again and I'll kill you."
I felt the buzz of the legendary's power flood me for a brief moment, initiating a teleport. I closed my eyes, ready to be whisked away, to where the team would hopefully be reunited. I had many questions, of course, and prayed the legendary would stick around long enough to answer them.
"And, just so you know," she began as I could feel the lift of teleportation ensue, "It was my choice, and I chose him."
…
…
Nothing happened. I did not feel reality wrapping itself around me as the sickening feeling of teleportation kicked in. I only became more frigidly cold as she removed her paw from my head tentatively. I opened my eyes after a few seconds to look up at Mew. What I saw placed amazing amounts of fear into my heart.
She looked scared… Sure, I'd seen worry on her face before, and even anxiety, but never pure fear. She narrowed her eyes as she reached down to place her other paw on me, as if she was having trouble teleporting me anywhere. The wide-eyed look she wore revealed to me she had no idea what was happening.
"W-what the hell?" I heard her say audibly, backing away from me. Drayden seemed on edge about what was going on, and was in a position to give a command to his dragons at any given time.
"Hey! What's going o-"
I turned sluggishly to see Vita alone entering the scene, freezing upon seeing the situation before her.
"V-Vita!" Skyla yelled, stuttering. "I knew you'd be here! Where's Ray?!"
Vita, after recognizing and assessing the situation, seemed to notice me laying in the snow. She rushed towards me as my vision grew only more and more black. My breathing was ragged.
"Oh no, no no no no," I could faintly hear her muttering to herself.
I couldn't retain consciousness any further. Shivering and too weak to even whine, I lost consciousness as Vita wrapped herself around me.
"He's passed out!" Vita exclaimed to Mew, trying to find a way to stop the bleeding she'd noticed in Ray's thigh. "Mew! Just get us out of here and help him!"
"I know this is gonna sound really bad, but I can't."
"What?! No! Just teleport us out of here!"
"I can't!" she exclaimed, betraying none of her panic outside of her voice. "Something's wrong… Something inside Ray is rejecting me… He's didn't teleporting anywhere, no matter how hard I tried! I can't! I can't heal him too, I tried as soon as I touched him! I can't read Drayden's mind, either, can't figure out how he knows all this stuff about us and about me! It's… I can't… I'm powerless…"
The tone of her psychic voice revealed to the Serperior the amount of fear she was feeling under her shroud of confidence. She'd obviously never experienced a situation such as the one we found ourselves in.
"I-I can't lose him! I'll protect you both, you have to know the humans aren't here to help! Just please, please try to help him."
Vita hardly skipped a beat before starting the process of Synthesis on the unconscious Zorua before her. Simultaneously, she blocked him entirely from the cold and squeezed enough to provide as much warmth as possible.
"I'm gonna have to give you a hard pass, Drayden." Mew continued, slipping back into a laid-back façade. "Deal sounds sweet, but it would be soooo much sweeter if you weren't full of shit."
"I do not lie, Mew."
"Yeah, makes a ton of sense. You're just gonna take my human, who's highly wanted by the humans for something he didn't do, and you're just gonna hide him from all of them."
"Those are exactly my intentions."
Skyla seemed troubled at this. "Drayden, I thought you said we were going to help clear his name!"
"I plan to, but you're naïve if you expect the public to switch conviction so rapidly. Until there's substantial evidence, that leak from the Lavaridge PD has screwed your nephew. People know he was involved."
"Yoohoo! If you're done, we can just go. I'll let you guys be to argue like an old married couple."
"Right. I get off track at times. Forgive me."
Mew rolled her eyes. "Gonna put it plain and simply, Dray. We're not going anywhere with anybody. So sorry to disappoint you."
"Why haven't you teleported away, Mew? Is something wrong? Records show you're always quick to run away from your issues."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Take it as you will, and don't be afraid to leave if you're feeling too stressed by my confrontation, or the fact that Alston's Serperior is the one thing between that Zorua and death."
Mew gave a tentative glance back towards Vita. She was working furiously to help Ray. Mew harbored some sense of satisfaction in the fact that Drayden was none the wiser regarding Ray's new form, though she was still growing angrier at his overstepping bounds with his words and assertion of dominance, despite it being non-existent.
"Drayden, I respect you for keeping up this lie for so long, but you're really starting to tick me off. I'm giving you one last chance here to quit while you're ahead."
"Likewise. I have the upper hand here, so I should, naturally, be the one making demands. I'm giving you one last chance to succumb and come with us. I will not ask so nicely the next time."
Mew smirked as she began flying around in a forcibly lazy circle. The legendary had never been talked to in such a manner from a human. A new experience, she supposed.
"I don't know who you think you're talking to, but…"
The legendary simply snapped her stubby fingers, sending a shockwave of energy in all directions to propel the dragons behind Drayden away. The wave of psychic energy passed over both him and Skyla, who had been standing in front of the row of dragons, harmlessly. A cacophony of grunts and screams could be heard as every gargantuan shape was tossed about haphazardly, before all was silent once again. None made any movements after they hit the ground.
"My human may have had trouble fighting you, but you're just as weak as the rest. I know you're scared deep down, but use that big brain of yours to think. Did you ever really have a chance of bringing us in?"
Drayden, rather than say anything, motioned for Skyla to get behind him, which she did without question. She seemed to be scared enough for the both of them.
The Dragon Gym Leader shrugged off his jacket, leaving behind a simple white undershirt. Unlike a T Shirt, the straps holding the shoulders were relatively thin, leaving enough range of motion to accomplish what he desired. Drayden then rolled his neck as if stretching out.
Mew was confused, tilting her head to stare at the Gym Leader condescendingly.
He took a step forward, then another. It was as if the snow melted beneath Drayden's boots. Surely, he didn't plan on fighting the legendary himself.
Snickering, Mew, outstretched her paw, engulfed in psychic power, and clenched it. Nothing happened.
She tried again, keeping up a veil of nonchalance as the Gym Leader grew closer. Nothing happened. Why was he not collapsed?
She huffed roughly, narrowing her eyes.
"I don't know what you're doing, but you got ten feet left before I disintegrate you."
Drayden crossed the said distance within a few seconds. Mew was powerless to do anything; none of her extensive powers were working on the Gym Leader.
She would go right in for the kill, then. How she'd allowed this human to insult her prowess time and time again, it was simply unacceptable. For the first time in a long time, she found herself growling, fur standing on end.
Drayden never wavered in his confidence. He stopped but a few feet from Mew, and chose to stare up at the legendary with eyes full of fire.
"Are you going to let your pride kill another one of the creatures who you've allowed to grow close to you?"
Mew snapped, lunging forward at lightning-fast speeds and infusing her tail with psychic power. When she believed to be upon the Gym Leader, she flicked her tail where his neck should've been. In a reaction sime she thought not even possible in humankind, however, the old man sidestepped the onslaught.
She wasn't aware of the Gym Leader's true capability until she felt his clenched fist make contact with her shoulder. Underestimating the attack's power, she was blown away ten feet before righting herself in the air.
That… Hurt… It actually hurt. She tried her best not to show any confusion whatsoever. Instead, she hardly had to fake as her rage only grew. She was being undermined by a creature thousands of levels beneath her. She wouldn't hold back.
She flew forwards at the speed of a jet and nearly instantly pinned the large man down with a psychic chokehold. From where she was, Vita could see the smallest of smirks form on the Gym Leader's face, despite being defenseless on the ground.
"Hey!" I heard a yell from off to the left. It seemed Brycen had just finished up in the cave, and had walked outside to see his superior in an extremely inopportune position.
He motioned for his Dewgong to fire off an attack at the legendary, but was stopped when yet another wave of psychic energy sent his entire team flying right back into the cave, leaving Brycen untouched and bewildered. Mew seemed sure they would not reappear anytime soon.
Despite the unfortunate position Drayden found himself in, he stared into Mew's eyes with unrelenting confidence.
"You're upset, Mew. I can understand that. So many extenuating circumstances have led to this point. All of this negativity, however, can be mitigated if you and your human cooperate. It's just as simple to pool our resources. With my know-how and your power, we could grind the UPF into dust. Think rationally, would you? Do you think he enjoys being subjected to a life on the run? And really, do I look like a pushover myself?"
"Heh," the legendary replied, seemingly increasing the strength of her psychic grip around Drayden's neck. "Sounds like the words of a cornered kit. What made you think you were any match for me?"
All sense of lightheartedness was gone from her voice. Her status as a respected legendary creature had been challenged by a simple human. It was important she put on a show as one of the most powerful creatures alive.
"I'm sure my ambition wasn't unfounded. It would make no difference if you just peered into my mind and saw for yourself, no?"
"Gladly."
She'd been previously unable to read the Gym Leader's mind, a result of what she took to be a human-made device. Now that she had physical contact, however, she was just as easily able to slip past his skull and infiltrate his mind.
Fire.
White, hot, fire.
It was everywhere. It was blinding.
She couldn't take it. Never before had the contents of a human's mind been so chaotic, yet so clear as to create a perfect way to disorient the legendary. Mew squeaked, now unable to see in the wake of the magnificent fire she'd seen in the Gym Leader's mind.
Afterward, everything was silent. Her vision began to clear as she tried sorting out the chaos that'd spread to her own mind. She was too discombobulated to notice until it was too late.
Drayden's arm was extended upwards towards her own face from his position on the ground. Touching her forehead and in the Gym Leader's grasp was a small, spherical-shaped object, half white and half purple. The purple half of the object was decorated with two, pink circles, sitting directly across from one another.
She felt the cold metal through her fur and knew instantly exactly what it was.
Drayden remained silent with a solemn frown as Mew's terrified screams rang about the entirety of the forest. Her entire, pink body was soon outlined in a blinding red light, originally emanating from the sphere. She was promptly absorbed into the object, her screams steadily diminishing as she disappeared altogether.
When the sound disappeared, the entire world shared Drayden's silence.
The Gym Leader sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides in a spread-eagle position of relief. He even chuckled quietly to himself a few times, sounding quite as insane as he'd made himself out to be.
M-Mew… Got captured?
"We're leaving. Now."
Vita flicked her head around to watch Somin as he entered from the trees behind them. Next to the Zoroark was a heavily damaged Durant. He looked rough, to say the least, but looked as if he would recover with time. One of his six legs was wrenched out of place, and he seemed to be steadily leaking a blue substance from his mouth. He also sported multiple dents along his flank, evidence of the battle Somin had stayed behind to help the Durant finish.
"Brycen's in there with Axle, and Ray's bleeding! We can't leave!" she shot back, shying away from the scowl that formed on Somin's snout as a result.
Drayden's dragons were incapacitated, every single one unconscious. Likely, each of Brycen's ice-types were knocked out as well. Maybe, if Somin was able to threaten each of the Gym Leaders, they would be able to escape with the Swampert. Then again, how would they be able to transport him? He was much too heavy for Somin to carry alone.
A soft cough sounded from behind them. Skyla was slowly stepping towards Drayden, carefully surveying the scene around her. I saw Brycen, close behind, sliding down the hill towards the other two trainers.
"Holy… Your plan actually worked, Drayden…" Skyle spoke dumbfoundedly, staring at the Master Ball in Drayden's hand.
The dragon type trainer huffed in return. "You both did well… But we're not done yet."
With that, both Brycen and Skyla's stares were directed at the three of Ray's team still conscious. For a moment, Skyla stepped forward and tried addressing them.
"S-Somin," Skyla stuttered, addressing the Zoroark personally for the first time since he'd evolved Seeing the Zorua she'd come to know well, evolved and dangerous, struck her with a strange sort of trepidation. "Is Ray alrig—"
A growl from the Zoroark in question cut Ray's aunt off. She reeled back, head hanging low. His illusionary voice was soon to appear in Vita's head.
"What the hell'd Ray do? Take a swim?" he said, without any hint of joking. "Just play along. He's not Ray. Human Ray hatched his egg while we were in Lavaridge."
Vita hardly took the time to process the command. Mew was captured… Everyone was injured… And now, above all, three Gym Leaders, all of which she knew to some degree, were ready to take their team back to civilization.
She hardly cared. By then, the Ray's breathing had begun to become more and more shallow… All thoughts of what was going on disappeared in a state of unknowing that soon set in. She began licking the Zorua dry, unable to do much else.
Horrible nightmares were seemingly plaguing the Zorua's mind. It was to be a long night ahead.
"You feel better after all that?"
"Meh, I don't really know… On one hand, seeing my parents makes me a bit more at ease, but dad was acting weird the whole time, ya know?"
"He was an oddball, wasn't he?" the telepathic voice chuckled. "It was pretty funny seeing his reaction to us still being with you. It was like he thought you ditched us and were coming home to stay."
"He seemed angry with me. Part of why I ran away in the first place is because he was so against me getting a Pokémon when I turned ten. I guess some people are just like that, though."
"So…?"
"Skyla was right… I've just been demonizing my parents for no reason. People just have different opinions about this kinda stuff."
"Eh, don't get too soft on him. I still didn't like him. Glad you didn't tell him about Jet hatching, in any case."
"Well, I think I feel better now," the boy said, shrugging and looking behind him. He was walking now on the outskirts of town; a heavy downpour had recently started and succeeded in soaking his entire team.
His allowed his team to catch up from behind. He'd been walking rather quickly in order to arrive at the closest Pokémon Center to the main trail leading out of town, and while most of his team could keep up, Sierra and Axle had fallen behind.
The latter, a Marshtomp, rather enjoyed the rain and hardly made any rush to keep up. The former, however, had only just evolved into a Krokorok within the last month, and still had trouble walking with her new physique.
"I can return you if you want, Sierra…"
The Krokorok paused for a moment and sent the human a foreboding look of disapproval, as if another word offering assistance would prompt her to pulverize him. The human recognized the jesting air about her and made a big show of rolling his eyes.
"Snarky, are we? If Jet grows up to be sarcastic and petty, I'm blaming you."
In reference to the newborn, the Krokorok began breaking out in laughter. It surprised Ray how much progress she'd made from the timid Sandile he'd caught her as. She was growing confident, and in that fact alone, the human found the ability to smile.
He began walking forward again, running a hand through his soaking hair to wring it out as much as he possible could. Whatever water he was able to remove was promptly replaced. He looked up at the sky frustratedly.
"I swear to Arceus… We're all gonna catch a cold and be delayed from getting back on the road, aren't we?"
"I wouldn't doubt it."
"Sorry, guys. Didn't think it would be raining this hard. If I see a cab I'll call one."
"Vine… Ser, Servine."
"MARSH!"
A squeal was heard, prompting the human to turn around. Instead of finding the source, however, he found himself on the receiving end of a strong geyser of water. He was pushed back until he gathered my bearings, but by then, it'd stopped.
"Axle!" the human yelled, however uselessly. The damage had already been done, and it wasn't as if the Marshtomp was able to soak his clothes further.
Vita was laughing hysterically. Axle was looking between the human and her, mouth agape and fumbling for words.
"Ah jeez. You're all horrible, you know that?"
"We pride ourselves on it."
The human was about to turn and give a sarcastic response to the Zorua's sass when he found himself swamped once again in water.
However, the wave that'd engulfed him was not from his team. A passing van, moving at a rather quick pace, had kicked up water in its wake.
"Asshole," the boy mumbled under his breath as he noticed something odd.
As if the driver had heard his quiet insult, the brake lights lit, shining red through the drops of rain that only seemed to intensify as the van stopped a few dozen feet away.
"Guys, I don't like the look of this. Be on guard."
For safety's sake, the boy reached into his pocket for the survival knife he kept on his person.
The passenger-side door opened and a man stepped out. The boy took a look at what the man was wearing, a uniform burned into his memory for many years to com. A long, black stripe ran down the outer edges of a gray trenchcoat, closed over a dark blue dress shirt.
The boy knew something was wrong, only affirmed when the man revealed he was holding a Pokéball. The boy was quick to call out a command.
"Guys, get ready for a fight. We don't know what this guy wants."
He was shocked to observe, however, as a red beam, easily visible despite the dreary scene, shoot from the device and connect with none other than Somin. The Zorua let out a yell of surprise as his body was engulfed in the same, red outline before being retracted into the ball.
The human was quick to grope all the balls on his belt. One was missing.
"How did y-"
The man began approaching as he hooked Somin's ball on his own belt. Simultaneously, the sliding door of the van opened to reveal a few fully evolved Pokémon. A Mightyena and an Alakazam were among them, and while three remained by the car, those two stepped forward with the man.
"Axle, Sierra, the Mightyena," the boy commanded his team as the gap between the two opposing sides decreased. "Vita, try the Alakazam. I'll see if I ca-"
A flash of white threw the trainer off. He shielded his eyes as it grew in intensity. He knew it came from the opposing side, but was otherwise unaware as to its cause. A whooshing sound, not unlike the passage of wind, accompanied the light. A few moments passed before the nova began to fade, after which the boy could look back on the scene with an only-growing sense of fear.
The Alakazam had Mega Evolved. Instead of advance further it levitated above the ground in a sitting position reminiscent of meditation. This was only the second time the boy had ever seen Mega Evolution in his life as a trainer.
He recognized a move brewing as the Pokémon's eyes began to grow a bluish purple. His breath hitched.
No consequence was apparent. As the boy looked around in the aftermath, he could see nothing had changed. Yet, that wasn't comforting.
Absolutely nothing had changed, as in, no movements had been made by his teammates to attack. They were frozen in place. The boy began choking on his words.
"Return the Marshtomp."
"W-Why are y-you d-"
"Do as I say."
The boy was in no place to argue. With fumbling, shaky hands, he slowly reached for Axle's Pokéball. Swallowing, and praying for the best, he returned the Marshtomp in a beam of red light.
"Roll the Pokéball to me."
"W-What?! No!"
The man was now in full view. He was easily in his mid-thirties, and wore a no-nonsense look on his thin, bearded face. Narrowing his eyes, he snapped his fingers.
Vita and Sierra, still frozen, were moved telekinetically over towards the man. At his command, the Mightyena opened its jaws and bit down on Vita as she was levitated within range. The Servine's screams of pain rang out amongst the empty street.
"STOP!"
The Mightyena stopped for a moment.
"The Marshtomp's Pokéball."
"Why are you doing this?!"
Vita screamed again as the Mightyena bit into her side. Green blood began to leak down her reptilian skin.
The boy let his eyes widen further as his lungs heaved. He felt his nose itch as tears welled up in his eyes.
"HELP!" he screamed out around him. It seemed nobody heard him.
"You're not the only one with an illusionist," the man said calmly, pointing back behind him. One of the Pokémon who had stayed next to the van was a Zoroark. It smirked menacingly upon being referenced.
The boy breathed heavily as his Servine's screams only grew in intensity. Biting his upper lip to the point it bled, he indignantly followed the man's command. Axle's Pokéball skid across the wet concrete.
"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" the opposing man said as Vita and Sierra were rotated within the air to face the boy. Their faces shone with fear, the former's were wet with tears from the pain.
"What did I do?!" I screamed, helpless as my two remaining Pokémon came to a rest.
"You disobeyed."
"What?! What are you talking about?! Who are you?!"
The man smiled ever so slightly in the boy's hysterical confusion. Without another word, he reached into his trenchcoat and drew a mat black pistol.
"Waitwaitwaitwait!" the boy yelled, raising his hands and waving them as the man seemed to toy with the firearm for a moment. "Just-... I promise not to tell anyone if you just let us go. Please!"
"Choose."
"What?!"
"I'm a terrible decisionmaker, and I was told to kill at least one of em tonight, so that's where you come in."
The boy said nothing, scanning his mind to see if he recognized the man from anywhere. No memories came to mind.
"I don't-"
"Do I have to spell it out for ya? Kid, one of your Pokémon is dying tonight. Big shocker, huh? I'm lettin' you choose which one, though. I'm not a total monster."
"L-look. What do you want? Money? I have money, my dad's the CEO of-"
"God, you do need to be taught a lesson. You're wasting my time, you know that?"
This was a dream. A very, very bad dream. There was no way everything could go wrong this quickly. He didn't even know why he was being attacked!
The man actually wanted him to choose which of his teammates lived and which died? What kind of sick choice was that? He wasn't serious, right?
I needed to make a plan. Was there any way out of this? That Alakazam looked like it had infinite endurance as it held Vita and Sierra in place. Could he use any of their abilities to my advantage here? The only ranged moves the two knew between them were Leaf Tornado and Mud Slap. Would it be enough to disorient the Alakazam long enough to escape?
Who was he kidding? It was a Mega! The only chance he had was talking the man out of doing anything rash, or waiting long enough for the Zoroark's illusion to fall.
So, he tried stalling with every bit of improvisational skill he could harbor.
"I… I still don't understand."
"This gun here, y'know, the one I'm waving around right now?" the man replied sarcastically, moving his hand around a bit as if to remind me he was in possession of the firearm. "I'm gonna let you choose a 'mon that I won't shoot with it, let you keep it, and be on my merry way. As far as the rest go, the Zorua's mine, the Marshtomp's mine, and whichever one you let die belongs to Giratina."
Whoever the man was, he didn't know the boy had a baby Rufflet in a fifth Pokéball on his belt. He couldn't possibly use that to his advantage, the hatchling had hardly opened its eyes.
"I… I don't understand why. I haven't done anything!"
"I already told you. You disobeyed."
"Disobeyed who?!"
Both Vita and Sierra were crying now, the latter was letting out scared noises akin to whimpers. We were powerless. The man remained silent as a sick smile grew.
"Disobeyed wh-"
My yell was cut short as Vita yelled once again, this time in determination. She'd conjured a Leaf Tornado and sent it in the direction of the Alakazam. In surprise, the Mega Evolution lost control of the Servine and Krokorok both.
"Sierra!" I called out, recognizing the break in concentration. "Foul Play the Alakazam, now! Vita, take the Mightye-"
BANG! BANG!
Two shots rang out as the man fired them into the air. Everyone froze once again as he lowered the gun towards the boy.
"Now, you two can't be selfish," he addressed my Pokémon. "Would you rather it be your trainer, or one of you?"
The Mightyena jumped to action in that moment, grabbing Vita's entire body in its gaping jaws. It seemed to have grown a taste for the Servine.
It simply carried her back to the armed man. He grimaced for the first time since the boy had met him. Reaching out, he grabbed the nearby Krokorok by the back of the neck and wrenched her from her feet. The boy said nothing as the man forced her to her knees directly behind where the Mightyena held the Servine's head.
"Or I could just kill them both," he said angrily, pushing the barrel of the gun against the back of the Krokorok head. The boy stepped forward apprehensively in an instinctive attempt to rectify the situation.
"Choose," the man reiterated, digging the gun further into the base of Sierra's skull. He no longer seemed amused. "Choose, or I'll kill them both."
The boy's chest heaved as he tried making another plan. If it ended as badly as the last one, there was no guarantee it would end without death.
"Three."
He's counting?! NO! I have to figure something out!
"Two."
Think, idiot! What would Skyla do?! What am I gonna do!
He gave another look at his team members. Both sets of eyes were closed. Sierra tried displaying some confidence by keeping back tears. Vita was speaking words to herself as if the words were her last. The boy looked at them forlornly. He couldn't choose between them!
He's bluffing! He's gotta be!
"One."
I… I have to.
"N-"
"VITA!"
There was no reason behind the decision, no thought into the choice. He'd simply chosen, and let his heart decide what he himself could not.
Ray could think no longer, however, and hadn't breathed for the entirety of the slow countdown. He closed his eyes and dropped to his knees, now feeling too nauseous to stand. Seconds passed with nothing occurring.
"Open your eyes."
Ray did so tentatively. One glance at his two remaining team members, however, made him look away and begin to cry.
They both looked shocked, hurt even more so. The pain in their eyes just then relayed to him that he'd made the wrong decision. Whether or not they both would have rather died together than forcing him to choose one was up for debate, but Ray was scared to face them nonetheless.
Ray felt as a psychic influence took hold of his body. His face was forced to turn and watch the events to follow.
He had to watch as the man wordlessly wrenched Sierra away from the Mightyena and Servine and force her down once again to her hands and knees. She looked towards Ray fearfully. He wanted nothing more than to break out of the psychic bonds and knock the man away.
That look of fear was the last he ever saw of his Krokorok's face before it was blown away. The bullet entered the back of her skull and went clearly through, obliterating anything in its path. Instantly killed, Sierra slumped to the floor.
Ray wanted to scream. Rather, he felt no energy to keep himself up as the psychic bonds faltered. He shut his eyes tight and slumped to the concrete as if he himself had been killed.
He thought nothing. He didn't want to think. He felt like he wanted to puke everything he could possible let out. Sierra's body still lied where it had, nothing discernable was wrong if one didn't look at her face. Vita hadn't moved an inch, and was prone on the ground herself. She was bleeding from multiple wounds inflicted by the Mightyena.
He regained full awareness as he recognized the skid of tires. The van was pulling away.
Pulling away with Somin and Axle.
Screaming and scrambling to his feet, he sprinted to chase the van as it drove away, unlatching two of the remaining balls on his belt and returning both Vita and Sierra, despite the latter having no more need for the device.
Almost instantly up to speed, the van was quick to fly down the street and out of reach. Ray didn't let himself stop, even when it seemed impossible he would ever catch up.
Yet catch up he did. He was faintly aware of a disturbance a few blocks down. A stray vehicle, nothing short of a miracle, with a sickening crash, had T-Boned the larger car. Both spun out of control, resulting in the van careening onto a nearby sidewalk and into a building on the corner.
Ray hardly felt the time pass as he finally caught up and began digging through the debris. The Mightyena and Zoroark were found, unconscious but alive. The same couldn't be said for the Alakazam, whose body he saw a distance away. It had since reverted from its Mega form.
The man was unconscious with a nasty head wound. Ray, without thinking, used all his might to wrench the driver-side door open and scavenge from the man's belt. After retrieving the two objects of his desire, he hiccuped as he turned away.
The scene was carnage, certainly, but he ran still. He gave no mind to the driver of the other vehicle, despite his gratefulness of its position in the exact time to impede upon the assailant's escape. He ran until he was out of sight, and away from the city altogether.
The rain wasn't of mind anymore.
Silence… Silent respects had to be paid. Ray reminisced on what he could have done differently that night just a few days prior.
Simultaneously, he could have done everything to change the situation, but was powerless. A different approach may have saved her life. Why he was compelled to choose his starter when faced with such a dilemma was impossible to deduce.
He blamed himself, as he thought he should.
Though, he'd had some time to think. The man had Somin's Ultra Ball initially, without any conceivable way of obtaining it. There was only one answer. The only person with access to his belt while he'd been in Black City was the owner of the house in which he'd stayed.
"I know who ordered that man to attack us."
"What? Who?"
"..."
Ray looked at Somin and the remainder after the incident, standing over Sierra's hastily made grave.
"And here I was thinking he got over it all. You were right not to like him, Somin. I'm going to kill him one day."
I stood and faced my team, reborn of mind with a new conviction in life. Truly, I was now Ray, a different boy that'd left home years before.
"That's a promise."
"You can't change the past, Ray… It's my fault this happened."
"You can't blame yourself, Skyla."
"I'm the one who suggested you go see your parents… They told me they were worried sick about you… I should've known better."
"..."
"Ray, maybe you should stop. My Gym is always open to you if you want to settle down…"
"I'm going to disappear for a while… Quitting is exactly what he wants me to do… It's what he's always wanted me to do. It's been almost a year since it's happened, and we've already lost to Brycen four times. I need to train."
"Training like you are right now isn't healthy, Ray! Stay where you are. Timberline, right? I'm coming to get you and bring you back here to Mistralton."
"Goodbye, Skyla."
"Ray-"
I hung up and gave a glance towards his team. It was time to go. I'd found a nice spot while on a hiking trip which was suitable for living. A year in the wilderness would undoubtedly help me clear my head.
No one spoke of it, but I knew the murder was on everyone's minds.
The pink lady tried to make me forget… The therapist as well.
I never did…
And in the end, I was vengeful. He would take a chance when it came to him. For the assailant and his father both.
A few things about this chapter and the story in general…
I felt bad, first and foremost, about the specific attention given to certain characters above others, considering, in a cast of ten or more, Drayden, Vita, Mew, and Somin are and always have been the main focus. Drayden's team will be getting a spotlight over the next few chapters, but writing now, I regret not crafting scenarios in which I could include more of Skyla.
I felt like some things were glossed over in this chapter, as opposed to other aspects receiving extreme detail. Yet, I believe I put it where it matters.
The last scene was rewritten a few times. Initially, as any old readers of the story will know, the death scene was published entirely differently. However, a scene much like this was how I originally intended it to be. The emotion was necessary in order to give weight to how important of an event it was in Ray's life. Not to mention I HATED how hastily I made the other version of the death, and the quality of work really shone in how bad it really was.
The introduction into it was rather abrupt as well. This scene, in particular, wasn't placed within context of the story. Simply, fever dreams being as spontaneous as they may be, it's what Ray's mind chose to show him. Reviving the guilt surrounding his inability to protect his teammates? Perhaps...
Fun Fact: Any flashbacks from before his conviction for revenge will refer to Ray as 'the boy'. Being a defining moment in his life, I like to think he truly became who we see now as a result.
So, with that, Act I comes to a close.
I've been putting off doing responses to reviews (mainly due to the fact other chapters are cluttered enough as-is. So, I've decided that at the end of each Act, I'm going to go through and recognize each of the readers faithful enough to provide feedback or reactions! Quite honestly, reviews are my favorite part of writing this, and I'd really like to encourage anyone teetering on the edge to leave one! It doesn't have to be much, a simple reaction and a few thoughts regarding the story is more than enough.
Anyways, thank-you to:
ShadowCreeper5 - I thank you dearly for all you've done to help the story as I'm writing it. I, quite literally, would not have been able to do this without you.
Jack The Skull - Even if you are a guest, knowing your reactions to each individual chapter helped me get an idea of whether or not what I did in each respective area was correct.
AveragePichu - My most frequent reviewer, certainly (if one excludes Shadow's Beta Reading). You've helped the review counter get to where it is now, and it's nice to have simple feedback every once in awhile.
XelYel - The most lengthy review can be attributed to you. I had trouble learning exactly where the 'troublesome' parts of the story were, but you surely helped in that regard. You pointed out the worst of the story, an action I can't thank you enough for.
UnholyPens - I appreciate the fact you believe I'm doing well even though I'm just starting out. I feel much better knowing my writing style is detailed enough to paint a vivid picture.
Aewynessa - Being an author with a decently popular story yourself, I'm glad to see you find my own up to par. I hope future chapters will entertain you thoroughly!
Doreh - Another quite lengthy review. I absolutely love the fact you pointed out what was most wrong with the story so I could improve. Like Xel, many of your points helped me realize what it was that turned some viewers off and fix it accordingly.
Welp, that's all for now, I believe. Until next time!
END ACT I
