Episode 28: Temple of the North
Lute couldn't stop breathing aloud. His breaths weren't hoarse or weak, but they were deep and exaggerated. In fact, it was all he could do. His body felt heavier than a slab of cement, sprawled out and lifeless on the cold, wet rocks of the surface of Reis Island. His friends were all around him and were no better, dropped to zero energy from their desperate swim to the island.
Fortunately for them, the island's mountainous layout and valleys provided the perfect coverage for where they washed up. There were King's Shield agents on the island, but they were stationed in the safest spots perfect for an ambush, while Lute's team were well hidden.
"Hey, I know you guys are kinda dying and all that, but they did see the gondola crash and stuff. You're not gonna be able to sleep here forever," Naivie fluttered over them. They barely moved. "Don't make me sell you kids out. C'mon, rise and shine babies! World saving awaits."
"Naivie c'mon, just stop," Esther grumbled and turned away.
Naivie started prodding her. "If you sit there, there'll eventually find you. And then all this struggling will be for nothing. C'mon, you've gotta move!"
"She has a point, obnoxiously," Phoenix said as he casually stood up. One look at him made them feel even more tired. Somehow, he looked the same as he always did, brimming with energy but unbothered and plain. The group hung their heads as they forced themselves to their feet, but even after a few minutes, they still had to lean on walls.
"This is the worst way to do an exploration. And we still have to go back under to get to the temple, right?" Sophitia said. "Man, I've really put us in it this time."
"I actually did a little tour of the island while you lot were out. You should be able to handle it," Naivie said. "All up? Alright then, follow me carefully. I'll lead you guys the shortest way there. But there are groups of police and agents stationed all over the place, so stay outta their sight and try to be quiet."
"Stealth? I never thought I'd be happy about avoidin' fights. Just gotta keep my stomach quiet," Esther grumbled.
"They're stationed all over the island? Seriously? How many Pokémon did they get to come after us?" Lute wondered.
"I think they're pretty serious about the whole temple thing. After all, Lassic loses if you guys get there," Naivie said. Everyone was stood up now. "Breathe through your noses and keep quiet, okay? Now follow me."
"We'll go one at a time. Lute and Infia, you're the smallest, so you first," Sophitia suggested. The Minun was still slumped forward and pale from fatigue however, so Lute pushed her so that she was sat on his back.
"Wa-wait, stop I don't—" she gasped.
"It's fine, I don't mind," he said, looking up at her. "Try to rest and recover as much as you can."
"But I… I hate this." She scrunched herself.
"I know how you feel, but this isn't about being weak or strong right now. You've done your best. Now let me do what I do best," he said.
"One thing at a time," Esther added. Infia gave in and leaned forward to squeeze herself into Lute and shrink their figure.
Now that he was up and looking around, Naivie floated ahead on a path to their right. He never noticed how funny she looked when she moved, bobbing up and down like fish Pokémon.
Even though she fluttered through a cave path, the ground was rough and there was tiny bits of debris everywhere that he accidentally kicked. He froze every time, expecting a spy to detect him out of nowhere.
Fortunately for him, Naivie stopped every now and then to account for the stationed agents, so none of them actually heard him. There were clearings amongst the valleys and hills, and each one had various tough Pokémon hidden on the hills or on the ceilings of caves nearby. The terrain was confusing as a result; Lute felt as though he was constantly walking on a slant or very close to one of the rivers that ran through the cracks, instead of being on a coherent path. The walls and floor were black, dusty, and seemed to rotate all around him wherever he went. It was claustrophobic enough to make him hold his breath, even though he turned out to be well away from water all the time.
Breathing through his nose barely helped, either. Dung had a better smell than this place. His tongue felt like it fluctuated between something burnt and something toxic. Combined with the darkness of the night hiding most of the area in silhouette, and he felt nauseous every time he pricked his foot on a piece of metal or scraped himself on a loose brick or whatever it was he was kicking.
The next thing he knew, Naivie's route took them to the end of a path. These spots had been open areas with flat ground and a Pokémon or two stationed on guard. She stopped at this next one, forcing the group to remain hidden behind a short wall.
"Wait. There are some guys here," Naivie whispered.
Lute gulped. He couldn't sense other Pokémon the way Sophitia and the others could. All he could do was take Naivie's word for it, and sweat hard as he remained as still as he could. Now that he wasn't moving, the stench was became overbearing, and the ground felt too hard. If he had to do this for too long, he could see himself going insane. He tried to stay focused however, and kept his mouth shut and eyes concentrated on Naivie. Infia shuffled and reminded him that she was there.
"It's no use. We'll have to take the water," Naivie whispered. Lute's eyes widened, and he looked around. A little way down to his left was a very thin river that led in the direction he assumed they were headed.
"Seriously?" he whispered with an eyebrow raised.
"They ain't movin'. And be careful, don't make a splash," Naivie said as she led the way. He hung his head as he turned his back to crawl down the cliff carefully.
That claustrophobia was settling in big time, now. This part was far thinner than he saw earlier. He couldn't walk straight without scratching his fur against the walls to his side, and some parts were so jagged and sharp that he would have to slow down to squeeze his way through. Just looking at it made him feel like the walls might close in and crush him, and to that he gulped and moaned a bit.
The worst part was the enforced dive yet again. Even though the area ran this thin, the walls were slanted at such an angle that the clearing where the stationed Pokémon were was in full view, or at least, he could imagine it so from their height. He could make out a Gliscor from where he was too, a Pokémon known for its impressive senses, so he couldn't underestimate that thought. He stared at the water below him once more and frowned. Great. Another long dive. He and Infia took a deep and exaggerated breath, and snuck into the water.
With all this, the water felt a lot colder and more unbearable than before. It was freezing cold, dark, and murky enough to obscure his view of everything via puffs of dust and dirt from everything he touched. He felt Infia cringe and squeeze him harder, as well as whoever was behind him pushing him a bit whenever he stopped due to the path growing thinner. After just a minute without air, he felt his body tighten from its need to surface, but at his speed, he knew he couldn't give in to that. This was the worst thing he ever had to do in his life.
At this point, he wanted his powers to activate and to let him stay underwater for longer, but that didn't happen for some reason. As he shuffled along this tight waterway, his chest started to pang and his view darkened. He didn't even know if he was following Naivie anymore, or if the others were behind him. He just kept going as far as he could, holding his breath and bearing the strain of it all. Some moments later, he couldn't take anymore. Trying not to breathe literally hurt his whole body, so he gave up and scrambled upwards.
Both Lute and Infia gasped aloud when they were free. Lute didn't realise just how out of breath he actually let himself get. His chest stung when he began to breathe again, almost as if his lungs had contracted and were filling back to normal size. His view was still blurry and everything around him sounded muffled and unfocused. He absolutely had to stay still and recover his strength from how weak he was. He sounded like he was whining, too.
"Er, are you guys okay?" Naivie asked after a minute. She didn't whisper, which got Lute's attention.
"Just, give us a minute, please," he huffed dryly.
"Geez dude. You and Sophitia really like makin' me work hard, don't you?" Esther groaned and pinched Lute as she shuffled her way past him. She looked just as drained, too.
"Wait, Esther—" Lute gasped.
"What? I'm gonna go and wring out my clothes before I get waterlogged or something. Infia, you coming?" Esther said.
Lute tilted his head, and then realised where he was. He had been under and gone way further than he anticipated. The terrain wasn't too different from before, but there was a mountain behind them and a great clearing to their left. To the right was more valley where the water continued, but all of it was far steeper and nastier to traverse.
"You guys made it. Not far to the temple, now," Naivie informed.
"Wait, but you said – wasn't that—" Lute cut himself off, looking back and forth. The underwater path they had just braved had a roof over it, and his eyes widened. If he hadn't lasted long enough, he could have actually drowned everyone back there. No wonder Infia didn't say anything.
"Dare I say it? It looks like the agents haven't come this far out, either," Sophitia remarked as she admired the area. She shook herself off, irked by the splotches of dirt and mud stuck to her.
"This part of Reis Island is only accessible via the underwater road. I mean yeah, you guys had to go under way earlier than I planned, but you lasted anyway, right? You're all alive, no trouble," Naivie praised.
"Your lack of concern sometimes is truly going to get back to you someday," Phoenix warned. He shook himself dry as well. "What was with the water there? It wasn't seawater."
"Yeah. It's ruined my clothes." Infia tugged at her shirt. She looked like he hadn't washed it in weeks. All her pink had drained out and was matted with splotches of brown and black. Lute twisted to look at himself, realising he was just as bad.
"And it still stinks, too. Maybe this is why no gondolas go to this island. It's just a wasteland," he said. He tried to get to higher ground to look around some more. He tripped on even more debris on his way up, although this was a lot more annoying and painful to hit. His foot actually got stuck in something, to which he kicked and growled. It was a can of something. "Wait a minute, that was?"
He stared at the ground more closely. All the unevenness started to make sense here. There were cans. Wrappers. Scraps of things, what looked like food or materials.
He dared to look back at the mountain he had swam under. It had the same thing – the very mountain was made entirely out of decomposed litter of all kinds, from item packaging to wasted food, dung, and everything else one would casually throw away. All of it was so old and far removed that it had gone black and brown, and stuck to each other to create this painful terrain. Naturally, that meant the river was borderline toxic, a myriad of putrid colours that pasted into the natural seawater colour.
"Is this a landfill?" Sophitia gasped.
"A landfill?" Naivie floated over to her.
"It's a place where people get rid of waste by like, burying it into the ground. But it's not a sustainable method of getting rid of mass waste at all," she explained. She stared at it all with a concern. "Wait a minute, now that I think about it, how do you Pokémon get rid of all your waste material?"
"The same way anyone else deals with it? You put it in a litterbox and let the trash collectors take it," Esther shrugged. "Or a restroom. Just normal stuff."
"Yeah, but where does it all go after that?" Sophitia asked. Esther raised a finger, then lowered it. No one else answered. "Have they been dumping all of Aseria's rubbish here?"
"That's… really disturbing. What do they do when the island is full?" Infia asked.
"Better question, what happens to the island when it's got shit in it rather than natural soil?" Sophitia raised her voice. "They chose a place where a temple was to do this? How can you have that little respect for anything?"
"Hey, this is all the more reason to get on with it, right? That's enough of a break. Let's get to the temple before they find out we're here," Naivie said.
"You are questionably unbothered by this," Lute said.
"Well yeah, because the moment you guys are done, the problem gets resolved. They probably thought they could ruin this precious island by using it as their dumping ground for the entirety of Aseria's waste," Naivie replied. She floated up high to look at the scenery. "It was always a place of dilapidated mountains and valleys and stuff. The Pokémon that lived here kinda basked in the guardian and the flower's blessings and never worked. But they never let it get to this state."
"Oh Naivie," Esther said. The tiny Carbink spun around them, and then stopped before them all.
"Hey. I know you're all having doubts because of everything that's happened. But I'm sure we're all going to get through this. To even your doubts, let me tell you that you don't need to hesitate on growing the flower," Naivie added.
Lute hung his head. "If we do that, V-Wave technology stops working, doesn't it?"
Naivie shook. "It does. However, this will only happen when the flowers bloom. I get to decide when they actually bloom, so even if you grow all four, the whole world won't suddenly be in crisis or anything."
"It won't?" Sophitia said with widened eyes.
"Having the flowers ready to bloom puts us in the advantage. After you grow them, I'll wait for you guys to tell everyone," Naivie explained. "Tell the world to stop relying on Lassic's technology. Come up with new solutions to those that have to rely on it. I know you guys can change the whole world. And when you give me the go ahead, I can restore the seasons."
"Why didn't you just tell us this in the first place?" Sophitia cried.
"And lastly, for you, Lute and Infia. You guys won't actually die when the flowers bloom, either," Naivie finished. Now everyone's eyes were wide.
"Wait, they were going to die?" Sophitia said even louder.
"I told them they would. I expected them to back off from the whole thing. Yet here you both are, still trying your hardest despite it," Naivie clarified. She looked happy. "V-Waves will still be around, so you guys will be just fine. I'll make sure of it."
"Are you for real? Why would you do something like that?" Sophitia cried and pulled Lute over. He was about to snap at her until he realised how desperate she looked.
"This was when I wasn't feeling right. It's fine now, though," he said, trying to look away.
"No it's not. If you died, what would the rest of us have to do about it? You as well, Infia. You both have so much to live for, you shouldn't—"
"Hey clam up already. Can't you tell I was spreading good vibes here?" Naivie bonked the Sylveon on the nose. "That the lot of you would sacrifice your very lives for the sake of this planet is just another of the reasons you all are heroes. But as the guide, I have to put that theory into true practice, you know? So yeah, I said and did some really questionable stuff in the past. But so did you. And now, here we are! Minutes away from the last temple. Minutes away from saving the world."
"Ugh, I can never understand you. I dunno whether you're just saying stuff like this to get on our good books or what," Sophitia sighed. "Well, whatever you think, know that I did all this because of what I think of Aseria, and for Lute. If it was just for you, I wouldn't have bothered."
"Hey, at the end of the day, I am just a tiny 'bink. I do what I have to do and I do it as long as it's right," Naivie replied. "Okay, that's enough mushy stuff from me. You girls done yet?"
"Huh?" Lute said. It took him a moment to realise the change in tone.
"Yeah the girls went to wring out their clothes, but there was no cover so I had to stop you from peeking for a little while," Naivie admitted. Lute flinched and spun around in confusion, and surely enough, Esther and Infia were behind them. Esther was damp and had discarded her ribbon, while Infia was miserable, having discarded her shirt altogether.
"It's ruined. I don't know what I'm going to do," Infia said. She held her skirt down and played with the tip. "My whole costume needs changing."
"This is your fault you know, Sophitia. You didn't think about her at all when you dumped us into ocean!" Esther cried.
All eyes turned to the Sylveon, who slapped her forehead with a feeler. "Are we really gonna drill me for this? Like I said, it was either an unwinnable ambush, or we swim here. I made my choice."
"You made your choice. And ruined our clothes in the process," Esther said.
"Wait a minute, this is rich coming from the girl who plays in the mud like a pig!"
"But I don't drag everybody with me and ruin their stuff!"
"Yes you do! Remember that time with the Risen?"
"I was playing with you! And I didn't go and ruin your clothes or anything."
"You stained my shiny coat! I couldn't get that mud out for weeks!"
Lute groaned as he watched them bicker. He was too hungry for this. Naivie didn't say anything for a while, so he nudged her. "Are we still heroes if we argue about clothes?"
"Don't ask me, ask yourselves that! I don't get why any of you wear clothes at all. Except Infia, for obvious reasons," Naivie said, eyes shut. He groaned and slumped forward.
"Esther, it's okay. I just have to bear it right now, right?" Infia tugged at the Pikachu. "J-just… sorry, I look ridiculous. It's really embarrassing."
"But this is serious! It's total self-esteem territory. You're just an ordinary Minun now, there's nothing embarrassing about that," Esther said.
"I can't let stuff like this bother me, though. I-I have no choice. Ah, let's just go already. The longer we take, the more embarrassing this gets," she pouted
"That's the spirit! Nothing else holding us up. Keep following me." Naivie fluttered away. Sophitia gave in with a shrug and a shake of her head.
"You sure you're okay?" Lute asked.
"Please go in front. I want to be at the back," Infia said, still holding her skirt down.
Her look made him nervous, but he obeyed anyway. Seeing Infia without a top on for once, he never realised how pale her face was in comparison to the rest of her. Despite them all having gone through that putrid river, her fur coat was smooth and clean, shiny even. Her figure was healthy, if a little round; but he did agree that she looked a little silly. He had to shake off a giggle there, which earnt him a funny look from Phoenix. Now wasn't the time for thoughts like that.
Naivie directed the group across the open clearing, which wasn't as vast as it initially appeared. The further on they went, the smoother the ground became, going from decomposed litter to a strange, dry field of dark brown grass and crusty soil. She continued onwards to a wide cave, to which the group slowed down upon entry.
Inside was warmly lit up by glowing orbs on top of candles, each of which gave the area a fiery glow. The cave was spacious but empty of detail, besides the altar at the far end. The altar was familiar with the markings on the floor and the tiny spot of soil in the centre.
"It's here. This is actually it," Lute said, jaw dropped. Everyone scattered in expectation of a trap or, but nothing triggered. The temple really was in the middle of this barren cave. "Surprised there's no Teleportal. This one isn't in Moand Dia."
"Well, what're you waiting for? Let's get that flower grown!" Naivie said as she floated over the middle. Everyone was quiet. "What? Did a ghost just pop up behind me or something?"
"No it's just… I should be thankful because I'm starving to death here, but it's almost disappointing. No Evoli, no King's Shield agents, no Spirle… just, we made it," Esther remarked.
"Be careful what you wish for, Esther," Naivie said, half-lidded.
"Yeah, you're right. If we really had to fight somebody, it'd probably push us to our limits," she agreed. She took position. "When we're done with this, can we please sort out the food situation? And our clothes, too?"
"It's a priority," Sophitia promised. She slumped forward as her stomach growled.
"This is the last time, so the last reminder of what to do. Pray for what you want out of the world, and the flower will grow in your view. But you absolutely mustn't stop praying until I tell you to, no matter what happens, okay?" Naivie recited as they all took position. "This is the last time, so things can still fail."
"And you're absolutely certain? The V-Waves won't just suddenly stop working? Lute and Infia will be alright?" Sophitia asked.
"Positive. There will be little difference to Aseria until I make the flowers bloom. I'll wait until you guys give me the go ahead before I do that," Naivie assured. "Don't you trust me?"
Sophitia didn't answer that. She just put her feelers together and bowed her head. The others did the same to pray in their spots to initiate the ritual. Just like all the other times, the markings below them glowed with turquoise light that flared around them. The light seeped through the markings to light up the whole area, and then erupted around Naivie and shrouded her in flames. She groaned and growled like she was in agony.
They wanted to say they were used to it, but it still hurt to hear. They were sadly used to the light strain that took away their consciousness, too. Even with their eyes closed, white soon replaced everyone's vision, and the group drifted off into the dream of Sophitia's memory.
…
"Thank you for answering those questions so sincerely. It seems that I was correct when I believed that you would be someone special who could help us," Diancie said.
However, Diancie couldn't be seen, only heard. There didn't seem to be anyone here. Just a pattern of waving greens, blues, and whites. It was a peaceful void, disrupted only by the form of a silhouette in the centre.
"You appear to be… the proud, heroic type. You aspire to be something special on your own, someone who stands up for themselves and everyone else, no matter who they may be," Diancie said. "You are talented, resourceful, and always speak your mind. Everyone else looks up you and isn't afraid to ask for help. Someone like you is the perfect leader, selfless and always the first to outdo themselves no matter the problem. You seem perfect, don't you?"
There was a long pause, and the silhouette began to form into the shape of an Eevee.
"But you still have much to learn, and may struggle to admit when you may be wrong. Your haste and pride in helping others may lead you into situations that you simply cannot deal with." Diancie's tone changed. "In your overwhelming care for others, you lack an important self-love, too. You don't view your personal problems or faults as things others should have to deal with. As a result, you are pretty lonely, despite all the praise from others. When searching for fulfilment in your own life, you may never find it, and remain forever lost. But don't fret. Your belief in what makes you happy will keep you going, no matter how dark those feelings become."
There was another pause, and the silhouette morphed from an Eevee into the shape of a Sylveon. It coloured in as well, revealing its shiny fur coat of blue fur. It had a lot of excess blue fur, so much that it hung down the sides of its face.
"Someone like you is best as an Eevee, but due to circumstances, I have evolved you straight into a Sylveon," Diancie said.
Sylveon stepped forward and admired itself in a reflective puddle. It was shaky with its movements however, and nearly tripped itself up in those few steps.
"This is me? A Sylveon," she said. She admired herself and her feelers, weirded out by it all. "I'm on four feet. And I have those weird hands. This is going to take long to get used to, you know."
"It will. But I'm afraid things are progressing very quickly. Your training will have to begin from now." Diancie bounced her way in front of the Sylveon. "Sophitia. This is something very special, though. You're going to be extraordinary. An experience. Pokémon are going to love you. And with that will come the ultimate attack we need you to learn during this training: Return."
"Return? Don't skip too far ahead. I-I feel like I'm gonna fall over," Sophitia said, looking down at her wobbling legs. "So if I learn that attack, I can take on any enemy? And deal with why we're doing this in the first place."
…
Lute flashed awake very suddenly. He regained consciousness even though his eyes were shut, and groaned as he got up. He felt like he'd been asleep for a while, but immediately checked for the Ancient Flower.
There it was, right behind him. A giant flower with roots so large they covered the floor markings, and a Shaymin slept at the foot of it. He stared at it for a minute, and then started to laugh lightly just as the others groaned and got up.
"We did it. We actually did it. We did it, we did it!" he cheered and raised his paws as he turned around. He immediately froze, and his smile turned upside-down. Staring at him in surprise was Silver.
No one said anything for a few moments. The Goodra quickly composed herself. Her hands curled up and her face became furious. Lute could've sworn the slime on her body become wetter as well, as it shone and flowed in the dim light.
"This is it, isn't it? The Ancient Flowers your group have been cultivating in order to destroy Aseria's technology," Silver asked.
"Destroy it? We're not trying to destroy it. That's… not what these flowers are for," Sophitia replied, glancing back and forth between them both.
"Great. Just when I thought we'd have an easy time from here on," Esther groaned.
"Perhaps not exactly. But we know the legend. V-Waves get reserved for distribution via these flowers. They'll stop most of Aseria's machines from working," Silver stated. "This is the last one? You've grown all of them?"
"We did. We did it because we had to," Infia said. "If we didn't, the weather wouldn't return. Now it can."
"There's little point in trying to argue with you, is there? Now that things are this far, I've got no choice but to take action against you," Silver said. "You threaten the stability of the entirety of Aserian civilization. Don't you understand that? If you break our technology, the world falls to a standstill. We won't even be able to get off this island!"
Yes we will. Gondolas will stop working, but Pokémon will not. We can use a sailing ship, or a Pokémon can ferry us across the sky or water," Phoenix said.
"Don't try to get technical and smart with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Silver raised her voice.
"What he's saying is that there are solutions to everything. Solutions that don't forfeit the natural world. If Pokémon continue on the way they are, then Aseria will be destroyed." Sophitia stepped forward. "We'll be resetting our society back by many generations, yes, but that is what it takes to keep us safe!"
"Don't talk to me about finding solutions when you yourselves aren't finding more suitable solutions to your own problems. Do you know how many Pokémon will suffer as a result of your actions?" Silver objected. She sounded unexpectedly anxious. "Don't you trust Lassic? His guidance and beliefs are what made King's Shield what it is today. And King Shield's aim is to protect the world. Protect Pokémon from dangers they don't even know about. Aseria's history isn't what you think it is!"
"But if we carry on the way we are, the whole world will die. The lack of weather," Lute said. He looked down. He couldn't find his words all of a sudden. Why is Silver this desperate?
"Our job was just to help Pokémon. Lassic and our teams were always searching for ways to help that. This legend isn't a solution!" Silver shouted.
"Then how? Since you seem to know so much, tell us why it isn't a solution!" Sophitia cried.
"Naivie is manipulative. She's been lying to you the whole time, just feeding you everything you want to hear. All this will do is revive the sins of Aseria's history," Silver said.
"Which are what? Go on, tell us," Sophitia challenged. Silver tensed up.
"You will need to ask Lassic. He's the only one who knows," she said.
"So you're just blindly listening to him? And you don't even know, either?" Sophitia stamped forward.
"You've seen what he's capable of. He is the leading mind that made Aseria what it is today. He brought out the best in Pokémon, enabled us to evolve beyond feral creatures occupying a wild world. We can maintain this world as it is, and we can do without destroying society. We just have to figure out how," Silver explained.
"Listen to me. The only reason I'm doing all this is because I work based on what I see rather than what I hear. I'm not listening to Naivie, or you, or Lassic. I never did. I'm doing this because I feel it's best for the world, from what I've seen and experienced," Sophitia stated.
"Then you're impossible to reason with," Silver finished.
"Unless you have solid proof, of course. I'm sick of seeing Pokémon not act like Pokémon. All of them losing their powers as they rely on vehicles and other machines to do simple stuff. Just look at this island! Today's Pokémon don't care a bit about nature or their history. You Pokémon had everything you ever needed, yet you replaced it with whatever the hell everything is now, as if that's progression!" Sophitia argued.
"And all that's under the belief that the old world, that flawed old world where dictatorship ruled and war was rampant, is better than a modern, democratic society?" Silver said.
"Democracy? Your democracy doesn't even work!" Esther shouted. "Ordinary Pokémon like me slave away for pennies while aristocrats with no care for life breed Pokémon like me and Infia. We have more morals than that!"
"Your morals are about to ruin the lives of every single Pokémon that is just hanging on the edge. Pokémon with disabilities, or families they can barely support in their fields. Are you really going to forfeit them based on your blind ideals?" Silver said.
"Like I said. I do it based on what I see. And what I see is a world where those Pokémon can be Pokémon," Sophitia said as she formed her sword and shield. "You only want to preserve those Pokémon because they keep working for you."
"So you see it. You can already tell we're not going to see eye to eye on this. King's Shield has been as kind and patient with you as they possibly can, but enough is enough. I'm not going to sit here and watch while a generation of kids destroy everything their elders spent so long building up," Silver shuddered. Her eyes widened and body tensed. The others did the same to prepare for battle as best as they could.
"Just because you're older, doesn't mean you know better. Can't you just look at everything that's happening?" Esther said. She was cut off by Silver spitting out a Dragon Pulse attack, a beam of purple flames and energy that blew up on the floor where Esther just was.
"Your words are meaningless. If you really think that the world we live in is wrong, then fight the very law of it. Fight me! Put everything you have into it, and try to take me down," Silver shouted.
Lute shuffled back a little. Normally he would be okay with that idea, but right now, he was certain that would lead to defeat or even death. He was in a bit of a daze, unfocused and lost in thought. His stomach panged so hard that he couldn't stop shuddering, like if he fell to the ground now, he wouldn't be able to get back up. He didn't know whether he could trigger his powers again or not, even though he needed them now more than ever. Was it worth the risk trying?
But more so, he was totally lost in thought. He couldn't understand what was happening, the full weight of it all. He was certain that when Esther came to his house on that fateful day, shoving Naivie in his face to drag them off to Everend's temple, that it was fate. Pokémon should be side with him and cooperate to restore the seasons.
And now here he was. Face to face in battle with Aseria's most powerful defender, the strongest King's Shield agent he knew. She wasn't having a word of him or his friend's beliefs, strongly convinced that Lassic was in the right. Was it patriotism, blind or justified? Or was it truly adult knowledge he wouldn't understand that she withheld from him? Or by extreme chance, was it the same as Sophitia, and Silver's own personal beliefs driven by experience and sight?
The battle had exploded around him while he stared in dazed disbelief. The team scattered and came at her two at once to combine their moves and crush Silver in a pelting of special attacks. Flamethrower combined with Moonblast, Thunderbolt fused with Revelation Dance, and any other combinations they could pull off on a whim. Silver took none of it. She bounced across the cave at shocking speed, or pushed those attacks back with an easy Dragon Pulse.
It was chaotic and deafening. Beams rained across the cave, exploding and shrouding everyone in smoke. The cave shook as Silver's Fire Punch and Outrage attacks smashed the ground when she missed, and the air trembled when Phoenix's Flame Charge clashed with Aqua Tail. And when everyone seemed to collapse with fatigue, the Goodra twirled her head around as she threw up a huge, orange ball of fire. That fireball hit the ceiling of the cave and exploded against it, splitting into countless meteors that fell with the sound of fireworks.
This had him focused, and he had dance about to dodge. He clenched his muscles and flew into Quick Attack, no longer thinking. If one of those Draco Meteors hit him, he would be dead for sure. So he charged through the storm, darting left to right to avoid their fiery blasts as they exploded around him. Silver locked eyes with him for the briefest of moments before impact, and he hit her straight in the neck.
The scene froze for him, and battle instincts came into play. She had caught him by twisting to the side so that he hit her arm, but he had latched himself there. He cried out, opened wide, and bit down on her neck as hard as he could, his motion exaggerated by a bear trap made of energy that clamped down on her.
Silver winced and twirled, and then with a feral thrash, sent him skidding across the ground. Just that felt like it tore the skin off his chest, but natural reactions made him right himself. He was puffing and panting, drenched in goo and sweat. He tried to hop into another Quick Attack, but the goo had made him heavier, and he was stuck him to the ground. One glance at his feet made it look like he had glue underneath them. His only response was a fierce growl at the dragon.
Silver had to fight off Sophitia's sword and shield with Fire Punch and Flamethrower, effortlessly bashed Esther away with a backhand, and then locked eyes with Lute before roaring. She came at him like a Sharpedo, surrounding her arms and face in a draconic storm of energy. He had moments to react, and anxiously did whatever came to mind as she hopped up and dove toward him.
His electric attack came out, a crackling orb of yellow electricity. It looked like she literally ate it to charge right through and slam into him, and that was it for him. All he could do was roar at the top of his voice as all of his senses were lost to pain.
"Lute!" Sophitia shrieked. She rushed over to him while the others stood guard over her.
He couldn't hear her for a while, though. He felt like his whole body was on fire, melting and shedding its insides as a mixture of agony and chill took over him. The attack hadn't physically broken him, but it left him on his back and shivering. His body was covered from head to toe in black and red marks. He managed to keep a hold of himself enough to notice Sophitia and Infia above him, the latter using her healing touch to try and restore him. It must have worked, because that agony had shrunk into aches and hunger pangs after a moment.
He rolled to his feet and huffed. This was a bad idea. The worst idea he had ever had. Believing he stood a chance against Silver and taking her head on while starving to death. Even if his V-Pocket powers had triggered, she probably would have competed with them for long enough to beat him on stamina alone. He glared up at her furiously, and she glared right back, her eyes red and crazed.
However, the Goodra was spasming. She was in an uncomfortable pose, or what would be one if not for how round and jelly-like her body was. She was paralysed. And just when he thought to take advantage, someone else acted for him. He could only see their shadow drop behind her before it was too late, where a thorn stabbed her right in the back. Silver let out a shrill cry and arched her back hard. She froze in that position, and was cradled carefully by the leafy arms of a Dragalge.
"What the?" Esther screamed.
"Easy now. I would not move too much if I were you. The more you do, the faster the poison will seep through your body. And it wouldn't do to have a dead Goodra on either of our hands, would it?" Storm whispered. The others made a move, but one sharp glare from him, and they all froze. "I must admit, it was a lucky stroke that you happened to fight her. If not for your attack paralysing her so, I might not have ever landed my Poison Tail. It is both luck, and something I thank you for."
"Now what? What is he doing here?" Esther cried. Storm's eyes narrowed as if he was grinning at them.
"I have information for you, heroes. Information you will be very happy to hear," Storm said. He let go of Silver's shivering body to let her slump to the ground. He kept his tail in her however. It spread a hideous patch of purple around the stab wound. It was underneath her skin, almost like a poisonous bruise was spreading across it, separated by her veins and pores. "Princess Genesis is ours. And she's told us where the Mega Stone is. It is only a matter of time now before ultimate power is ours."
"No… seriously? Genesis? You're just saying that to throw us off!" Sophitia gasped and shook her head.
"Hoho. Is that what you believe? Then so be it. Sit and watch as Spirle evolves into an unstoppable force," Storm bragged. He crossed his arms. "Meanwhile, her little heroic husband was apprehended by none other than King's Shield. They made our job easy!"
"Kuri as well?" Infia gasped.
"And now, thanks to you, we have Silver. She should make an impressive Risen," he said, starting to float off the ground. "That is all. As things are now, Aseria is already within our grasp!"
"What? No, don't you dare run you bastard!" Esther shouted as she dove toward him. Storm spun and vanished in the blink of an eye, taking Silver with him. "No! Get back here!"
"We know you will come for her. If you do not, consider her dead," his voice echoed around the room. Everyone twisted around in expectation of an ambush, but nothing came. His presence simply vanished.
"Uh," Naivie said, making them all jump. She came from behind the flower, eyes agape.
"Naivie! You were hiding?" Sophitia cried.
"Well yeah, Silver came before you woke up. I couldn't let her find me and do something," Naivie squeaked. She shook hard. "But what in the world just happened?"
