~ Chapter 83 ~
To Lake Verity!
"By the time we got to Lake Verity, the defenders there were already with their backs up against a wall. We showed up with enough time to prevent their capture, and even got to meet Professor Rowan's sons, but we couldn't prevent the capture of Mesprit. The Legendary Pokémon that gave humans emotion fell into the hands of Team Galactic that day…and what was worse, we found out why they were capturing people up at Lake Acuity. At the end of the day, all we could do was regroup, and take the fight to Veilstone City. We were able to get ahold of Looker finally, shortly after the attack on the lakes, and he was able to begin planning the beginnings of our infiltration of the Team Galactic Headquarters, but that's a tale for later."
Their arrival at Lake Verity was sudden and hectic.
Abra had kept them out of the way of most of the fighting, and it allowed Sam and Alyssandra to take a look at the damage.
There were armoured Spiritum transports, and several operatives were battling against Professor Rowan, Valentina and Cynthia.
Rowan had six Pokémon out ripping through hordes of grunts and their Pokémon as they tried to dogpile on the trio defending the island cavern.
Sam could see a Luxray, a notched and battle-worn Empoleon, a Moltres, an Abomasnow, an Absol and a Dragonite.
Those had to be Rowan's Pokémon as they moved at his commands.
Cynthia had her Spiritomb, Roserade, Togekiss, Lucario, Milotic and Garchomp out. Her Pokémon were raining terror and hellfire down upon Team Galactic, but even that didn't seem to stop them.
Valentina had her Infernape, Luxray, Drapion, Vespiquen, Garchomp and Staraptor.
"Is that a Shiny Staraptor?" asked Sam, noticing the odd colouration of Valentina's Pokémon.
Alyssandra nodded.
Looking down they could see Dawn, Lucas, and the Gym Leaders Byron, Roark, Fantina, Wake and Maylene battled the leader of the attack, whom Sam and Alyssandra recognized as Mars, from Eterna City.
They were still pressed with their backs against the shoreline, but they were doing a bit better than the slowly overwhelmed Rowan, Valentina and Cynthia.
Sam looked at Alyssandra as the Abra disappeared.
"I'll go back up those at the island, do you want to help the Gym Leaders?" asked Sam.
"You don't want a rematch with Mars?" asked Alyssandra, smirking.
"Not this time," replied Sam.
Sam released and mounted his Garchomp, while Alyssandra got atop her Rapidash.
Both Pokémon were spurred forward, and Garchomp took off like a jet, bringing Sam towards the middle island.
There was a small crash as Sam and the Pokémon landed, Garchomp roaring in the faces of the Galactic Grunts who were now caught on both sides.
Sam released his other Pokémon.
His Empoleon sliced through crowd and Pokémon alike.
His Rampardos trampled anything stupid enough to get in her way.
Sam's Luxray loosed bolts of electricity upon its unsuspecting victims, dipping his tail in the water to shock anyone trying to swim to safety.
Sam's Lucario had joined his sister, Niya's Lucario, who was there fighting alongside the ex-Champion, Valentina the current Champion, and Professor Rowan.
Staraptor coordinated its attacks from above, swooping down to peck and claw at anyone distracted or wounded by the other fighters.
"Nice Moltres," joked Sam as he pulled up beside Professor Rowan, leaving his Garchomp to rampage like the dragon it was, "And your Shiny Staraptor is a nice touch."
"I've heard similar stories about your Rapidash," smirked Valentina, "He was beautiful leading the attack column at Lake Valor."
"Too bad it didn't do much," sighed Sam, remembering the defeat they faced there.
"We're glad to have the back up," added Cynthia, "Though, I'm surprised to see you here so soon. We would have thought you'd be needed up at Lake Acuity."
Sam's look said everything he wanted to say, and Cynthia's eyes flashed with worry.
"I'll explain later," Sam answered solemnly, "Right now, we have a second wave to worry about."
Sam pointed to the water, where a few more speed boats full of Team Galactic grunts were coming to both rescue their fallen brothers and sisters, and continue to press the attack on the island cavern.
Garmchomp let out a roar, blasting a flamethrower at the boats as they came close.
Rowan's, Sam's and Valentina's Luxray sent bolts firing into the water at the boats, trying to prevent them from landing on the the shore.
"We're pushing them back!" cried Rowan, "Keep going!"
"Good to know you haven't gotten old, Rowan," laughed Aurelio, shouting into the face of his old friend without the man even knowing, "If you had fought this hard when I was alive you might have won more often."
Sam gave his grandfather a look.
If Rowan only knew what was being shouted at him he'd likely be less than pleased.
If Sam wasn't so pressed for focus right now he might've laughed.
Sam and the others were able to keep pushing back the Team Galactic grunts, not allowing one to land their boats or feet upon the central island.
"Keep fighting!" cried Valentina, "They're coming again!"
She was right.
For all they had pushed off several waves of Team Galactic grunts, more were on their way in larger, more heavily armoured boats.
Sam gritted his teeth. How much longer could the defenders and their Pokémon keep this up without exhausting?
Alyssandra, the Gym Leaders, Dawn and Lucas Oak were holding off Mars and her circling barricade of tanks, armoured vehicles and troop transports.
The defenders found theirselves found surrounded and cut off from support.
Every time they brought down a vehicle or several grunts, more Pokémon and grunts—and even vehicles—would seamlessly be subbed in and fill the ranks of the fallen bretheren with even more.
It was like fighting a Hydra.
For every head you cut off, two more would grow back in its place.
They were tiring fast, and their Pokémon, for as strong as they were, couldn't keep up with the sheer volume of enemies.
"Tiring yet?" laughed Mars.
She seemed to enjoy torturing her prey.
Alyssandra's Lopunny let out an Ice Beam that felled several Team Galactic grunts.
"Vee can't keep doing this!" cried Fantina, "Vee are tiring too quickly!"
"I've noticed," grumbled Byron, "But we're trapped. We can't escape."
Crasher Wake let out a roar and sent his Gyarados smashing into some of the armoured vehicles, toppling a couple.
Before he could rampage entirely through the blockade, he was shocked by Electric Type Pokémon and sent crashing to the ground unconscious.
Wake recalled his Pokémon before it could be heart more and pulled out an Empoleon.
"Bastards!" roared Wake, "You'll pay for what you did to Pastoria!"
Suddenly, there was an explosion from the lake.
Smoke billowed from the top of the island cavern—that much could be seen from within the barricade of armourned vehicles.
Everyone and everything stopped.
The spinning transports, Team Galactic, their Pokémon, Mars and the defenders.
All paused to watch a helicopter blazoned with the Team Galactic G fly out over the lake, and swoop low over the central island.
Several ropes and ladders were lowered into the island cave, and came back with special ops grunts and a glass canister containing the exhausted and unconscious Mespirt.
Mars let out a harsh laugh, and called for a retreat of her soldiers.
Team Galactic and their Pokémon retreated quickly, leaving behind nothing but ticking and smoking vehicles.
"It's going to blow!" cried Roark.
He and Byron let out a set of Bastiodon and instantly sent up a massive protective barrier.
Protect was a useful move if used properly.
Here, it saved everyone from the massive explosion that followed the escape of Team Galactic.
Alyssandra could see through the spaces between the explosions that more vehicles were waiting to evacuate Team Galactic grunts and Mars from the area and bring them back to Veilstone City.
As the Protect wore off, smoke and ash filled everyone's lungs, and they started to gasp for air.
It took the combined efforts of Crasher Wake and his Pokémon to put the fire out.
The metal sizzled and popped still, steam and smoke still billowed about around the defeated defenders.
Alyssandra burned through the sizzling wreckage towards the water's edge.
She didn't have to look long to see what she was looking for.
Sam, Valentina, Rowan and Cynthia were flying back over the lake, looking exhausted, defeated, and tired.
Sam, Valentina and Cynthia rode their Garchomps, while Rowan rode his Moltres.
It was a matter of moments before they finally landed on the ground before Alyssandra.
Alyssandra immediately threw her arms around Sam and hugged him so tight he thought his ribs might break and neck might snap.
"Are you okay?" she asked, pulled back slightly.
Sam nodded. He was quiet, solemn, defeat was clear on the faces of everyone there.
"What happened?" asked Byron, concern showing through the steely gaze.
"They got some special ops up to the top of the mound, without us noticing," explained Cynthia, "The waves of grunts were a distraction…we fell for it unfortunately. By the time we noticed the special ops grunts, they had already blown the top off the cavern and gotten in."
"At that point, we'd been so surrounded and overhwlemed by grunts and Pokémon that sparing even a single person and their Pokémon would've led to us all being captured or killed," continued Professor Rowan, dirty and scuffed up, his overoat torn and singed in places.
"We had no choice," grumbled Sam, "We kept ourselves alive, and were forced to hold off more grunts as they took Mespirt. We failed."
"When you say captured, I assume you told them?" asked Alyssandra.
"Some of it," answered Sam, "We've got the time now though, so, let's catch them up."
Alyssandra nodded and as everyone gathered around the two of them, they explained what had happened up at Lake Acuity.
The Spiritum steel, the first attack, the submarine and the drill, the attack while Sam and Alyssandra were in Snowpoint City recruited Candice.
How everyone was captured except for a single ranch hand, and how the fortress was completely burned and destroyed.
The most upset were Valentina, Roark, Cynthia, Byron, Rowan, and Fantina, who had family and close friends now in the hands of Team Galactic.
Byron and Roark's niece and cousin, Gardenia, was captured.
Cynthia's grandmother, Nilama, was captured.
Rowan and Valentina's friends, Niya and Jeremy, were captured.
Fantina's niece, Niya, was also captured.
Wake, Maylene, Dawn and Lucas had no one especially close to them captured, but were angered and worried for the people they knew—if even slightly.
Sam explained how Candice had roused Snowpoint City and was waiting outside of Veilstone City to begin the attack and siege of the Galactic Headquarters.
"We're not alone, at least," growled Valentina, worried for her friends.
"It's worse than we thought," was Cynthia's response.
Her face was worried, she was near inconsable. She continued on about how everything was for naught, and how the universe was now doomed.
No one understood what she meant, until she explained, simply.
"They have Nilama," stated Cynthia, matter of factly, "She's the highest Religious Authority in the Sinnoh Region. She's the Highest Priestess of the Creator Pokémon…between here and Professor Yarrow, they have everything they'd need complete their goals."
"You don't give your grandmother enough credit," snorted Aurelio from behind Sam.
Professor Rowan echoed his words.
"I don't worry about my grandmother's tenacity," explained Cynthia, "But Team Galactic is cruel, and vile, and even she has her limits."
"I can't believe…I never saw it," sighed Maylene, "When they started, they were a simple energy company. It was the previous Gym Leader who let them buy up their building near the docks. Which building it is, I don't know, they burned all records associated with them. Looker said he was infiltrating the building, to try and get us all in but…I haven't heard from him in a long time. I'm sorry, Valentina, for failing you as a Gym Leader."
Valentina was shocked by Maylene's sudden repentance. "I…forgive you?" she half asked, half stuttered. It was not wholely expected, as no one blamed Maylene for Team Galactic.
"But now, my city is in danger, my people are under siege and probably under Team Galactic's thumb in my absence," she pleaded, "We must save them, and stop them—for Veilstone, and for all of Sinnoh; no! For the world!"
"For the universe," stated Sam, "You have no idea how large their plans really are…"
"What do you mean?" asked Crasher Wake.
"I'll explain on the way, but, before we go," started Sam, "There's something you should all know. Professor, do you remember when I mentioned meeting Professor Yarrow in Mount Coronet months ago?"
"Yes?" asked Professor Rowan.
"It wasn't Yarrow...turns out it was his grandson, Cyrus," finished Sam.
Professor Rowan's face went grim. "He was always a smart boy, but very mislead in his ambitions and ideals," sighed Professor Rowan, "I wish I could say I'm surprised. But there's nothing we can do now. We must get to Veilstone City and put a stop to him and his plans before they go any further—at the least, we must save our friends."
Everyone was in agreement, and they began their trip to Twinleaf Town, to called the NFTS for some Fearow to Veilstone City.
It was funny, Alyssandra pointed out on the way there, this was the closest they had been to home in months, and they would soon be in the hometown they had known their whole life.
Minutes from their families…and they couldn't go home, they couldn't stop and see them just yet.
There was too much to do, too many battles to fight.
There was going to be a gauntlet before them.
Once they got into the Galactic HQ, they'd have to fight their way to Cyrus, through his Commanders and Charon, and to the place he kept the Legendary Pokémon.
With any luck, they could get there before he completed the Red Chain.
But something in Sam knew that wouldn't be the case.
Nilama had given them these artifacts for a reason…they would meet the Legendary Creators in battle in the end, and when it came down to it, Sam knew he could fight the Champion, but his skills against a Creator God…he doubted himself.
The world was doomed.
