~ Chapter 73 ~
Lake Valor—Team Galactic Strikes
"I don't need to tell you, as anyone who knows this story knows the outcome of the Battle for Lake Valor, knows that Team Galactic won that day. They had stolen the Legendary Pokémon Azelf. But it was not a victory that came without great cost. Many grunts were captured and arrested, and the victory was almost Phyrric for Galactic Commander Saturn. We did not let him get away without great cost to Team Galactic. If our struggle against Team Galactic could be described as a war, this was an important battle, but a strategic failure. A loss. But that did not mean we had lost the war…or that the loss came without it's positive side. But despite all we learned, and everyone we arrested—and even that the Pokémon League was able to restore and fix Lake Valor eventually—it did not stop the long series of struggles against Team Galactic that were to come."
Getting into Lake Valor was impossible.
Team Galactic had locked down the town, and while no one had been hurt, and ther destruction wasn't as widespread among the resort as initially thought, people were kept locked in their homes, under close watch until Team Galactic had finished what they had set out to do.
It was one less thing the rescue team had to worry about, but they still had to get past Team Galactic.
The helicopters landed a good distance from the lake, though Sakura was forced to stay behind with the helicopters so she wasn't hurt in the coming fight and Rort, with his bad leg, was forced to stay behind and watch her.
The landing zone was cleared and secured by Valentina, Crasher Wake, Fantina and Maylene. Cynthia and her grandmother Nilama were there too, and so was Sam's uncle Lou.
Lou had brought Rapidash for everyone, and a couple strong-looking farmhands to help out.
A small army had assembled to battle Team Galactic.
Once everyone was saddled and mounted on their Rapidash, they broke into groups.
Valentina led one group consisting of Maylene, Roark, Gardenia, Crasher Wake, and Lucas.
Cynthia's led a second group consisting of Palmer, Nilama, Professor Rowan, Fantina, Dawn, and Byron.
Lou led his farmhands in a third group—with Barry tagging along.
The fourth group was Sam, Jeremy, Pikachu, Niya and Alyssandra on their personal Rapidash.
Sam and his friends released their Lucario, to send them with each of the groups to keep communication between all four of them. It would be easier to coordinate their attacks that way.
Alyssandra's Lucario went with Valentina. Niya's Lucario went with Cynthia and her group, while Jeremy's Lucario went with Lou and his group.
Sam led his group atop Grey Flame, the Pokémon's ashen mane billowing like a pillar. Lucario ran beside the group, eyes closed, communicating with its siblings through aura, surveying the crater below.
Even the Pokémon could feel the weight of this situation.
The plan was simple, something Sam had come up with while everyone was still forming up and getting mounted.
Valentina would create a diversion in the town, attacking the resort in order to try and free the townsfolk and also draw away a bulk of the forces at the lake.
Sending the Champion and most of the Gym Leaders would mean Team Galactic would send as many of their grunts as they could to defend their hold on the town, as Gym Leaders and the Champion weren't going to be the easiest fight.
Cynthia would charge the eastern front of Lake Valor, and draw away even more of Team Galactic's grunts—the hope would be to capture as many grunts as possible to thin out the available forces Team Galactic had in the future, and also to pull useful information about Team Galactic and their plans from the captured grunts.
Lou woud charge the western front of Lake Valor, catching even more grunts off guard.
Meanwhile, Sam would sneak himself and his small group of friends towards the centre of the lake, where the ancient cavern of the Lake Guardian no doubt sat.
There, Sam and his friends were to engage and defeat the Team Galactic Commander leading the strike, and anyone who assisted him.
Once they defeated the Galactic Commander, they were to take them into custody, and free the captured Lake Guardian.
Easier said than done, but better than having no plan at all.
Everyone split up, charging out to their staging areas to wait for their queue.
Sam and his friends waited, mounted by the tree line, they could see the damage done by the bomb as they looked upon the lake.
It was raining.
Most of the water had been blown out of the lake.
Pokémon and fish lay dead in pools of water and debris, some hung from trees and were scattered as far as several kilometers from where the lake was.
"They're putting the grunts to work both securing the crater and piling piles of dead fish and Pokémon for disposal by burning," explained Lucario, broadcasting his thoughts outloud using telepathy for everyone around him to hear, as they surveyed the lake from the treeline, "Damage to the town is minimal. No deaths. Water and debris did most of the damage to the resort…but everyone's been kept inside it seems, so no one was harmed."
"That's surprising for Team Galactic," replied Sam, "But considering how desperate they were to get the Lake Guardian here, they probably can't risk anymore crack downs from the Pokémon League for murder or the sort."
"This isn't exactly a non-punishable offence," added Jeremy.
"But is it illegal?" asked Sam, "There's probably some technicality they've exploited. It's rude, but maybe not illegal."
"This is definitely illegal," Niya interjected, "I don't know what world you live in."
"My sister in the resort has told me that the attack has commenced," cried Lucario, his mental voice a hissing whisper.
Sam raised a pair of binoculars to his eyes, but he didn't need it. From across the lake he could see the resort sitting atop the high cliff, and flames erupted across the resort.
The Rapidash were helping out too.
The grunts could be seen pausing their work below, before an unseen commander sent them off to resecure the town from the attackers.
It was fifteen minutes before the grunts sent to the town were clear of the crater.
"Lucario, send word to my uncle and Cynthia, tell them to commence their charge," spoke Sam, putting away the binoculars and hefting up a large wooden branch he had found somewhere nearby.
He carried like a lance, a spear and a sword all in one.
"What's that for?" asked Niya, almost mockingly, "Another katana?"
Sam smirked. "Self defence."
Moments later, Lucario returned to the conversation by opening his eyes and re-establishing his mental link with everyone.
The two groups of galloping Rapidash charged towards the centre of the crater, meeting in the middle, trapping the remaining Galactic grunts between them.
"That's the signal," called Sam, "They're distracted. Let's go, follow my lead!"
Sam spurred forward, pushing Grey Flame to his limits. The Pokémon understood the urgency and didn't complain.
Niya, Alyssandra and Jeremy—with Pikachu on his shoulder—charged up behind Sam.
Lucario ran at top speeds beside the Rapidash, not even breaking a sweat.
"They're up ahead," he called to everyone in the group.
He was referencing the several Galactic Grunts who weren't caught up in the battles in the town, or at the east or west ends of the crater rushed towards the Rapidash, trying to stop them.
But Sam wasn't having any of it.
He started swinging his big tree branch around, catching a few Grunts in the legs and chest, missing their heads.
Lucario blasted a few Aura Spheres at the remaining grunts, while Grey Flame and the other Rapidash let out bursts of flame that enveloped the entire group. The flames parted the group of grunts as they panicked and jumped out of the way in confusion.
The group dismounted quickly from their Rapidash.
Lucario and the Rapidash turned towards the Galactic grunts. "Go!" cried Lucario, "We'll hold them off!"
Pikachu dashed from Jeremy's shoulder, cheeks sparking with electricity as it zapped a few grunts with lightning.
Sam and his friends didn't have time to argue. Even Jeremy, who reached out for Pikachu, paused, and changed his face to one of determination, then charged off towards the entrance to the sacred cave of Lake Valor.
The group burst in…
…Just to find the Legendary Pokémon beaten and weakened, being placed in a transport container.
The top of the mound had been blown off, and a helicopter was getting ready to take off after the Legendary Pokémon as loaded.
Every time the Legendary Pokémon tried to gather its strength and fight back it was shocked violently, where it collapsed back in the container.
The head of the expedition was the same man Sam and Jeremy had seen back in Jubilife City, during the attempted take-over of the Pokétch Company.
The blue-haired Galactic Commander.
"Saturn," spoke the Commander, "A pleasure—but not a surprise."
Sam reached for a Poké Ball.
"Easy now," he spoke again, calmly, smoothly, "If you attack I'll be forced to harm the Legendary Pokémon."
He pulled out a small remote that seemed to control the intensity and frequency of the electric shocks of the containment chamber.
"We don't need the Pokémon alive," he said. His voice was barely above a whisper. It was smooth, like caramel being drizzled over ice cream, and just as cool. There was a coy, playfulness in his tone that unnerved and disarmed the small group of would- be rescuers.
"We could just as easily kill it and take the jewels on its body," smirked Saturn, "It doesn't have to survive the trip to our Headquarters."
Sam gritted his teeth.
The warnings of Vethyr and his Lucario echoed through his head. He tried to remain calm.
His grandfather reappeared finally, placing a ghostly hand on his grandon's shoulder. "Calm," he spoke, gently, paternally.
It was enough to work, to help Sam breathe, and try to look at the situation with a more level head.
"I have been wanting to meet you since you foiled our plans at the Pokétch Company," admitted Saturn as the helicopter was loaded up, "The children who ruined our organized attack on a major corporation, the children who nearly backed Mars into a corner at the Valley Windworks. The same children who pushed us out of Eterna City, and defeated Mars and J; the very same children who pushed us from Celestic Town, who defeated our boss's Pokémon in a but a few moves. Who killed a fellow grunt…and who killed our Commander, Alexios."
"I didn't kill him," replied Sam, standing straight, but remaining calm, "He killed himself. The stress of his job forced him to it. It didn't have to happen that way."
"Hmph," grunted Saturn, "A shame. He was brilliant…and it was because of him we got this far. The Galactic Bomb, our research on the Legendary Pokémon and the rituals needed to summon them. We would've been ten years behind our current progress without him. I shall mourn his loss moreso."
Sam was taken aback. Saturn seemed almost…sincere. Like he truly felt the loss of Alexios, and that the loss of his fellow Commander was a true loss.
"I must admit, I'm not surprised you came," continued Saturn, "You always seem to show up whenever we attempt anything, whether by accident or on purpose. I am surprised you managed to rally quite an army…and still you failed. Once I was informed of the attack on the Valor Resort, I knew it was you guys…but then the attack on the left and right flanks, and finally the charge down the centre…you're quite the strategist. But you just didn't get here fast enough unfortunately."
"You were good at hiding your actions until the bomb went off," replied Sam, calmly, confidently, "But by then, I'd imagine, it was already too late."
"You're correct," acqueised Saturn, "But I admire your valiant efforts. Unfortunately—"
The helicopter started up, drowning out all other sounds. The grunt piloting the helicopter called out to Saturn, who jumped into the back of the chopper.
"—I must be going with the Legendary Pokémon!" cried Saturn over the sound of the wind and the chopping blades, "You'll have to be faster to save the other two! We'll see you at the inevitable showdown at our Headquarters!"
With that, the helicopter rose from the top of the cave, and disasppeared into the sky.
Lucario contacted Sam through their mental link.
"They've escaped," he stated plainly.
"I know," replied Sam, sighing internally, "They have the Legendary Pokémon."
"Azelf," noted Lucario, "Its name is Azelf. I can sense it leaving the area aboard the helicopter."
"What are the statuses of the other attack groups?" asked Sam.
A pause as Lucario reached out to its siblings.
"The Resort has been taken back. Most of the grunts were rounded up and captures, but several escaped," explained Lucario, "The same story with the other two groups. The captured grunts will be interrogated, but Valentina and Cynthia don't have much faith they'll talk."
"How are you and the other Pokémon?" asked Sam.
"Tired, but unharmed. Most of the fight went out of the grunts shortly after you arrived in the chamber," explained Lucario, "We are Pokémon, and lack the ability to properly arrest humans…thumbs and all. So the grunts escaped."
"They were likely already pulling out when we arrived," Sam deduced, "Saturn was stalling us, distracting us so we wouldn't report back to the others. It was enough of an opening for some grunts to escape it seems."
"Likely," concluded Lucario.
"We'll be out in a moment," finished Sam, cutting the mental link so he could focus on talking to his friends.
Sam relayed Lucario's message to his friends.
Jeremy clenched his fist. "They're going to hit the other two lakes," he concluded.
"Likely," finished Sam, "And soon. We were too late to stop them here…how do we stop them at the other lakes?"
"We'll have to split up, maybe double the amount of protection around the Lakes in the first place?" asked Niya.
"Maybe, but I don't know if Valentina wants to risk a large confrontation where people get hurt," noted Sam, "The more people protecting the lakes, the larger force Team Galactic will send for the Legendary Pokémon, and the more desparate they'll be to win. They might not think twice about killing people…especially after what happened here today."
"We'll have to talk it over with Valentina and the others, and see what they think," shrugged Alyssandra, "This will have to be a combined effort from all of us."
Sam nodded, and everyone left, feeling somewhat defeated, looking to regroup with their Rapidash, and the others who were attacking the lake crater with them.
The healing of Lake Valor would take lots of time. The process had even barely begun.
The Pokémon and fish that lived here may be gone for good, but more would have to be placed here to rebalance the eco-system.
The damage done by the Galactic Bomb would take a long time to heal…even longer now that the Guardian of the Lake was gone.
Sam and Lucario could feel the shift in energy around the lake.
Things seemed dreary, and darker. The leaves and trees felt as if they were slowly withering and dying as if by depression and sadness at the loss of their Legendary Pokémon.
Sam could only feel the emotions of the environment around him through Lucario, as if the Pokémon was some kind of conduit. What Sam felt was but a fraction of the real thing, and he could only imagine what Lucario felt at full force.
The Pokémon himself seemed to be steeped in the sadness as well.
The energies and shifting auras of the world around him affected him, due to his connection to the natural world through aura.
Lake Valor would likely never be the same, not for a very, very long time.
Team Galactic needed to be stopped, before they did the same to the other lakes, and all of Sinnoh died and was withered.
