Chapter Twenty - We Fall in Flames
The Pokemon World Tournament arena looked far more exciting up close than it had when Rosa questioned Ella about it back at the Driftveil Pokémon center. The colosseum, formed by elegant arches of polished marble stone, seemed to touch the sky.
Enormous banners were draped from the top of the arena, displaying famous trainers, events, and prizes. A steady stream of trainers and visitors flowed in and out the doors, but judging from the roar of people Rosa could hear from the outside sidewalk, the Colosseum was full.
What kind of trainers were in there, that the tournament drew that many people?
She shook her head and tightened her grip on her bag. It had been two days since she'd met up with Curtis, and although she knew she needed to move on, something was pulling her towards the arena. Maybe her desire to prove her strength? If she could hold her own against famous trainers, surely she'd have a chance against Ghetsis.
Or maybe it was Zaveid, who was insistently tugging at her pant leg and pointing towards the colosseum like not going would end him.
She lightly brushed the top of Zaveid's head to calm him. "You'll get your chance." Rosa soothed.
Near her foot, Gaston flicked his oversized tail and yawned. The fox didn't seem to care about battling as much as Zaveid did, but he seemed content enough with exploring. She doubted he'd gotten out much when he'd lived at Rood's.
"Alright guys, let's go inside."
Entering the lobby area was like entering a palace. She was amazed by the blue rugs extending towards the front desk area, splitting off into three sections to ascent the double staircases. The floors were paved in gleaming black marble, while the walls were crafted from silver stone.
Camera crews scurried back and forth near the entrance, trying to get a glimpse of famous trainers passing by, and Rosa had to snatch Gaston around the waist and move him so he wouldn't get stepped on.
"Watch it." She scolded the cameraman, who shoved past her without a glance.
Zaveid sneered. Rosa looked down in time to see him rip his razor shells from his hips, which she quickly snatched from his hands. "Oh, no you don't. He may be rude, but he's still a person. Save your energy for battle."
"Ah, does that mean the young miss will be entering?"
The cold voice next to her ear sent spiders down Rosa's spine. She staggered back like she'd been stung, and the polished marble floor squeaked as she twisted to face the blond-haired man standing behind her.
He was still wearing his lab coat, and the blue curve of hair orbiting his head looked as stiff and unnatural as ever, but there was a light smile on his face that she was unused to seeing. It wasn't smug, like he'd always looked in the past, but genuinely friendly.
The scientist regarded her with amusement – probably because of her alarmed expression – but when she didn't relax, his smile widened. "I'm sorry if I startled you. This lobby is loud, so I couldn't properly alert you to my coming. I thought it would be rude to walk by without saying hello, however.
"You've grown since I saw you last, miss Rosa. And you've caught new Pokemon as well – how delightful."
Rosa opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly Gaston sprang forward with a savage growl, canine teeth uncovered, and wasted no time in trying to snap his tiny jaw around the man's ankle. He latched onto fabric rather than skin, thankfully, but he tore at the pant leg viciously, like he was trying to strip flesh from bone.
"Gaston, let him go now! Zavied, move - Gaston! Knock that off!"
She grabbed her rabid Pokémon around the middle and tugged at him, but he just squirmed and locked his jaw around the seam near the ankle. She jerked harder, the scientist shook his leg a little, and Gaston's grip finally loosened.
"I'm really sorry!" Rosa cried, tucking her furious Pokémon against her chest. "He apparently experiences mood swings from time to time, and I guess something just set him off."
"Don't worry about it." He said, waving off her apology. "It's no trouble, really. I know Pokemon can be protective of their trainers, and I'm pleased to see yours are no exception."
She eyed his frayed pant leg doubtfully. "Yeah, but-"
"No need to concern yourself. So, you are planning on participating in the tournament, yes? I was planning to watch anyway, but it would be so exciting to see how much more powerful you are from the last time we met."
"We might, I'm not sure –"
"Rosa!"
She looked up at her name, and her brows furrowed when she saw Hugh tearing through the masses of people to reach her. He waved frantically, trying to catch her attention, and the forceful look in his eyes jumpstarted her heart.
Rosa left the scientist's side to meet him.
"Hugh? What are you doing here?" She frowned. "Are why are you all sweaty?"
His chest was heaving. "No time! There's a Team Plasma member running around outside near the docks. I saw you'd come into the tournament, so I came to get you. I think he's trying to board a boat!"
"What?"
The scientist appeared next to her side, effectively butting into their conversation. "No, Rosa! You mustn't go after them."
She was already following Hugh to the door, but he grabbed her elbow and threw her back towards him. Rosa shook him off.
"What?" She demanded.
"I can't let you go. It's too dangerous."
The man was getting away. They were wasting time. "What do you care? You don't know me. And I certainly don't know you – your name, your career - or why you keep showing up."
He shook his head firmly. "It's Colress. And I know more than you think. You think you're strong because you have Pokémon to protect you, but that doesn't mean you're safe. Team Plasma is dangerous, Rosa, and you will regret getting involved. Stay here."
"No way."
She turned on her heels and sprinted after Hugh, thoughts of ruining Plasma and finding Touko pounding through her head.
It was still loud outside the arena, but the only sound Rosa could hear was her feet pounding against the snowy pavement as she followed Hugh towards the boat docks. Zaveid and Gaston followed closely behind her, silent shadows guarding their trainer.
"Up there!"
She pushed against the bodies swelling the boat docks, ignoring their cries of protest as she elbowed her way around them. There were exclamations of irritation as she shoved her way through, but the blood roaring in Rosa's ears was too loud for her to understand their complaints. The faces were a blur, her vision tunneling to focus on Hugh, who was working his way past the crowd with no less vigor. It had been so long since she'd last seen him. Why were they always chasing Plasma when they were together?
The metal docks thundered under her footsteps. If the Plasma man was boarding a boat, did that mean the vessel was departing for Ghetsis's main base? They could just be heading towards the islands, back to Aspertia, but there was no reason why they would be going that way.
Then again, their actions never made sense to her.
"It's here!"
Hugh stopped at the bow of an enormous sailboat, jabbing his finger in the mighty vessel's direction. Rosa paused beside him, gasping for air. She hunched over and used her knees as support as she caught her breath, but her friend was already moving towards the steel ramp extending from the dock to the ship's boarding station.
"Wait, Hugh. That boat could be crawling with Plasma members. Don't you think we should have a plan or something?"
He shook his head. "We don't have time for that, they could depart any minute. Let's go."
"Wait!"
Rosa pulled her bag around her waist and dug through it. She could feel the warmth of the item she wanted, and when she opened her items pocket, the firestone pulsed under the dim sunlight.
"This will only take a second."
She'd expected the ship to be filled with enemies, but the top deck was empty. Hugh swore colorfully and started pounding around the ship searching for occupants, but Rosa hung back, unsure.
It was quiet. A vessel nearing its departure was always full of sailors bustling to get the boat ready to leave, but there was nobody. The deck was still, the air tense and awkward.
Rosa paused, ears straining. The quiet dripped around them like rain on icy skin. Gaston clung close to her leg, refusing to be moved further away than a couple inches, and she didn't blame him.
Something was wrong.
"Hugh." She whispered. He was halfway across the deck now, stomping around like Godzilla crushing pedestrians. "Hugh, stop. Come back."
His spiked hair was going floppy under the falling snow. "Why? What's wrong?"
She bit her lip and rubbed Gaston's fluffy ears to reassure herself. "I don't know. Something."
"Well, well. She is a smart girl, isn't she?"
Blinding light flooded the deck. It pierced Rosa's eyes like daggers, and with a gasp, she threw her hands up to shield herself.
A dull thud sounded near her feet, followed by a pained grunt that sounded like Hugh. Her eyes flew open to see her friend lying face-down on the deck, but he scrambled to his feet and hastily pressed his back against Rosa's. She could feel him shaking, but whether from fear or from rage, she did not know.
They were surrounded. A small army of Team Plasma members circled them, their sinister faces alive with hungry anticipation as they eyed their captured prey. Some were close enough Rosa could smell their breath. Each was garbed in Plasma's dark colors, and each hand held a Pokeball.
Trapped. They were trapped.
"Rosa." Hugh whispered, tugging a pokeball from his belt. "You ready?"
Her hands were trembling, but she nodded. "Of course."
"Servine, let's go."
"Sven, I need you!"
She tossed Sven's pokeball in the air, and a figure five-times the size of her puppy materialized on the wooden deck. His build was thick with muscle, and he towered over Rosa and the grunts.
His great furry head tilted, a growl like a roar vibrating in the Arcanine's chest. He dropped onto his front feet, ears flat against his head, and barked viciously at the mob of Plasma members. A few of them spooked and stumbled back, but one took the threat without flinching.
Rosa thought he looked older, maybe thirty, despite the long, white hair that cascaded down his back to his waist. His outfit was different from the rest of the members – black fabric that fit snugly against his muscled chest, charcoal-colored sweats for pants, cloth tucked over his nose and mouth – he almost reminded her of some off-brand ninja.
There was no trace of fear on his porcelain face.
"Absol," The man murmured impassively, "Make quick work of them. Attack."
Plasma's war cry was deafening. Every surrounding member tossed their pokeballs skyward, releasing an army of dark and poison types that flooded the deck, all headed by the ninja's Absol. They crushed the circle inward, forcing Rosa and Hugh closer together.
Rosa's heart summersaulted into her throat and took her breath away.
"Sven, flamethrower!"
"Take them out with leaf blade, Servine!"
Red hot flames blasted from Sven's open jaw, scorching the first set of defending Pokémon with a wall of fire. Absol leapt aside, completely unharmed, but many of the grunt's team members were hit directly. Screams pierced the air as Liepard fur caught aflame, Golbat collapsed to the ground, and Muk were singed. First-stage Pokémon lost consciousness and dropped like flies, but far more regained their footing.
Gaston sprung away from Rosa's feet to help. His tail bobbed behind him as he dove head-first into the ocean of enemies, and soon enough more enemies were falling, surrendering to their injuries.
For half a second, Rosa allowed a spark of hope to ignite inside her. Team Plasma was great in number, but she was rich in strength. She believed in her Pokémon.
And she believed in Hugh.
The cries of Team Plasma exploded into chaos as their horde of voices commanded Pokémon to attack. Sven tried to dodge the wave of attacks, but his howl of agony struck Rosa like a dagger as an overwhelming onslaught of poison, energy, and claws penetrated his orangecicle fur.
Despite his great height, the Arcanine collapsed. The number of enemies that fell upon him was so great, Rosa couldn't see him anymore.
Panic rushed through her. Sven was whimpering horribly, but the noises didn't sound natural. Fingers trembling, she removed another pokeball from her belt and tossed it above her head.
"Zaveid, get Sven out of there!"
Her otter materialized in a flash of red light. His beady eyes surveyed the deck swiftly before his shells were in his hands and he was rushing the army of enemies like a vengeful god.
"Hugh, how are you doing back there?"
"Not good."
More pokeballs were thrown, more Pokémon appeared, and Rosa's fear for her team, her friend, and herself, grew worse. Soon her entire team was on the deck, bodies slick with snow and sweat as they fought desperately to defend their trainer.
Anna dashed across the deck, blue energy encasing her fist and droplets of blood flowing down her cheek. The Absol she was fighting was lightning fast and clearly trained to confuse opponents. It leapt back and forth with ease, dodging Anna's every attempt to land a blow.
"Anna, you're more intelligent than that idiot. Use it!"
Her Lucario accepted the command with a flick of her ear. Absol jumped over a Liepard's head and rolled over the floor, but Anna didn't follow this time. She paused mid-step, shoving aside a Magnemite, and locked eyes with the mountain Pokémon.
Rosa recognized the silent challenge she issued: catch me if you can.
Absol snarled at the taunt. Wind whipped around his ankles, picking up stray dust and bits of dirt, and when he sprang forward, the air formed razors-sharp edges.
Anna blurred. An unfortunate Golbat was left in the wind's wake, and as its wings were slashed to ribbons, Absol lashed his tail in frustration and turned his great head in search of his real opponent.
He was surprised when a swift kick to the backside careened him forward.
"Aura sphere, Anna!"
Blue energy blossomed in her palms, and for the first time, Absol had no time to dodge. Rosa was frightened and stressed, but it was very, very satisfying to watch the creature get pounded by the full force of Anna's fury.
They could do this. They could do this.
"Servine, watch out!"
Rosa felt Hugh fall away from her back.
Her exposed shoulders were an Achille's heel. Like starved rodents, the members of Team Plasma swarmed her, and as she cried out for her Pokémon in terror, pain shattered the back of her skull.
Soooooo I wanted to update early this week, because this is it, guys. The story is finally, finally getting where I want it to be, and I couldn't be more excited. It feels like I've been waiting for this portion of the story for ages, and now that its here, I just wanna write all the time.
Buckle up, guys. You're in for a ride.
See you all next week!