No one to thank this time, but happy reading to my silent people
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Chapter Twenty: Valuable Lessons
Saturn glanced at the remains of Lake Valor, tears rolling down his cheeks. The explosion had done more than force the Lake Guardian out of its hiding spot; it had killed all the Magikarp as well and the squad responsible for placing the bomb. He was all alone now – his surviving grunts had taken the unconscious legendary back to headquarters and he remained behind to stall.
He was surrounded by Magikarp – some were still alive, but without water, they would soon perish in the heat. The lake had been destroyed completely – all that remained now was a deep empty pit. The groans of the helpless Magikarp filled the air, and Saturn looked at the ground to block the images of their flailing bodies from his sight. Even if the lake had remained, these Magikarp could not be saved. They were missing fins, scales and other various parts surgery couldn't fix.
He tried to block out the sounds of the dying fish by covering his ears, but their pained cries only became louder, almost deafening him. It was almost like a sad symphony of the condemned, giving their last song before death took them from this world. The bodies of the bomb squad lay in bits and pieces across the ground, mixed in with the Magikarp. He took in a deep breath then lurched forward, his hands resting on his knees, head reeling from the stench.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be! Now he was standing in a graveyard with the rotting corpses of his men and Magikarp. He dropped to his knees and swallowed a few mouthfuls of air, trying to calm himself down, but it was all too much to bear. The bomb was far more powerful than he assumed. He curled his fingers into a fist and punched the ground, tears continuing to stream down his face. Only one question raced through his mind – a simple why?
He thought he was strong enough to endure it – the boss wanted strong people as his commanders after all, but he couldn't bear to look the destruction he played a part in causing. Sending someone to their death was oddly satisfying, but watching someone die before his eyes was a different experience all together. "What have I done?" he murmured, burying his face into his hands, his body trembling with each breath he took in.
It was Cyrus's idea to form a squad to blow up the lakes. He assembled a squad together to die and he didn't care as long as he got what he wanted. Had he planned for Saturn to perish as well? Was that why he rarely communicated with him? Had he planned for this moment to happen and that's why he didn't share the finer workings of his plans with anyone else? Saturn looked up at the sky, watching clouds amass above. A storm was coming.
He picked himself up from the ground and wiped the dirt stains off his clothing. What did Cyrus plan to do with him now? Was he supposed to have died in that bomb blast as well or was Cyrus saving him for something greater? More tears spilled down his cheeks, berating himself for his weakness. He had allowed Cyrus to control him, to do with him as the man pleased, until he ran out of uses. The worst part of it all? He knew this was wrong and that's what hurt the most.
He turned around to face the lake's entrance waiting for the police to show up. He thought about just turning himself over and ending it now, but giving up was weakness and Cyrus would disprove. The man might not be here, but he had controlled Saturn for long enough, it wasn't easy to shake it off. It wasn't the police standing there at the entrance. Instead, a young female of no older than fourteen stood at the entrance, a horrified expression on her face. She looked familiar for some reason, but he couldn't figure out what it was exactly that made him feel like he knew her.
He wiped the tears away and pointed a finger at her. "You shouldn't be here, little girl."
She looked around, taking in her surroundings, her blue eyes filled with anger and heartbreak. It was wrong for a young person to have to see this, but she had chosen to visit. "…Why… What happened…" she said slowly, her face pale.
Saturn cleared his throat. He had to be strong. "It's for the greater good of the world."
"You were behind the bombing at Pastoria City," she said softly.
The girl was smarter than she looked. "Yes, that's right," Saturn answered. "What happened was necessary, but I don't expect someone as young as yourself to understand what's going on here. Why don't you turn around and head back to the playground and play with people your own age?"
She shook her head, blue bangs falling around her face. "I'm not leaving until I know why."
Her desire to know more piped his curiosity. She reminded herself of his days when he was at college – always asking questions about things he had no business in. "Look around you, little girl. What do your eyes tell you?" Perhaps he had been wrong to assume she was smart. Anyone with half a brain could see what had happened here. "We're trying to make the world a better place and we'll do whatever it takes to make it so. Now what is your name?"
"Dawn."
"Well, Dawn, I don't know who you think you are, but I'm giving you the chance to walk away from this and be blind. If you choose to stay I will be forced to fight you and it won't end well for you – choose to be blind, Dawn."
"Then I'll fight."
The conviction in her tone surprised him. Her eyes had a dangerous gleam, reminding him of someone else he knew, and he was struck again by the familiarity of her features. How could someone so young have such fierceness in their eyes? Curiosity got the better of him and he stepped forward, a hand on a pokeball. "You have caught my interest. You must have some reasonable skill to make it this far, but don't go running home crying to your father after I beat you."
Dawn's expression darkened. "That's rich seeing as my father is your boss." She threw out one of her pokeballs and a Houndoom emerged, his fierce eyes locking on Saturn, as if he were something delicious to eat. Saturn's brows lifted. Her father was… Cyrus? But that couldn't be right – Cyrus never mentioned anything about having a daughter, and besides, wasn't he against all that anyway?
"You're lying." Saturn summoned his mascot Pokemon, Toxicroak, to the battlefield. The two Pokemon circled each other, Houndoom's whip-like tail, smacking the ground, slicing a few blades of grass. A bead of sweat began to form on his forehead and he took a step backwards, almost falling over a dead Magikarp in the process. "You're trying to play mind games with me," he added, forcing a dry laugh.
"Houndoom, use Fire Fang!" Houndoom stretched open his sharp fangs, his menacing eyes locking on Saturn's Toxicroak. The canine's teeth turned a shade of lava as the dog rushed forward, leaping a couple of feet, his paws knocking Toxicroak over onto the ground. Her Houndoom's power took him by surprise – how could someone have so much power at such a young age?
"Use Poison Jab, Toxicroak!" His Pokemon leapt forward, a purple aura encasing his arms, and punched, his fists slamming into the side of the canine's body. Houndoom staggered backwards then lowered his head, his tail held up above his body like a lance. The canine moved forward then lunged, tackling the Toxicroak to the ground, his jaws holding the toad in place. Toxicroak tried to free himself, but the Houndoom's grip was unrelenting.
"The battle is over. Tell me where my father is."
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Volkner walked over to the edge of the pier and looked at the ocean. In the distance, he could see a faint image of a white cathedral on an island. The cathedral was home to the Champion and the Elite Four. Somewhere inside that building was his Pokemon stored away in a safe place under Flint's protection. He looked away.
Word about the gym closing down had spread like wildfire throughout Sunyshore City. His gym students had come to him complaining about losing their jobs, but Volkner just turned away from them, unable to provide any answers. Ignoring their protests was the only thing he could do. He felt more alone now than he did when his father passed away. At least he had his Pokemon. Now he had nothing.
Even Destiny, the girl who wanted to sleep with him, refused to talk. She claimed she didn't want to associate with someone who had lost heart. All hope was lost. Nothing mattered more. Without his Pokemon, he was a nobody, someone unimportant. He was the talk of the city. People spoke of him highly once before – now they just laughed.
"Hey look, it's Volkner!" a male trainer called out from behind him. Volkner briefly glanced over, spotting a male surrounded by a pack of females. He turned away facing the ocean again. "You wanna battle? Oh wait, I forgot, you don't have any Pokemon!" the trainer jeered, earning chuckles from his friends.
It had been like this for awhile now. Trainers, inexperienced and experienced, would visit him just to taunt him, knowing there was nothing he could do. Sometimes, some trainers even threw items at him, just as payback for the times he had turned the power off in the city for kicks. He had often heard that karma was a bitch and only now did he realize just how true those words were.
"Volkner," a soft female voice said.
He glanced to his left and noticed Jasmine standing by, looking at him with an expression he could only read as pity. "Jasmine," he replied. "Have you come here to make fun of me too?" he added, trying to joke, but failing considerably.
"That's not my style."
He snorted. Jasmine was basically a saint. She did no wrong. Her purpose in life was to help those around her, not to make them feel useless and inferior. She never had a bad word to say about anyone or anything. How she remained so upbeat and positive was astounding, but it's what made her company pleasant.
"You know, if people see you talking to me they might make fun of you too."
"They can talk, but they do not see what I see."
He rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't even be here, Jasmine. Don't you have a gym to run?"
"I came to see you."
"Did Flint ask you to preach? Maybe you should find a new hobby and stop trying to interfere in other people's problems," he replied, more harshly than he intended. He saw a brief flicker of hurt in her light brown eyes and felt guilt rise up within. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." Good work, Volkner, he told himself. You hurt Jasmine, the only trainer who can be bothered to talk to you, he added.
"You will get your Pokemon back in due time."
"And how do I do that? Get on my knees before Flint and beg for forgiveness?" he replied curtly. "It was because of Flint that I'm even in this position."
She looked at him sternly. "You are in this position because you made decisions that led you down this path. You can't lay the blame elsewhere."
She was right, but he didn't want to admit it out loud. He remained silent, preferring to listen to the waves crashing against the shoreline than the sound of his own voice. Jasmine didn't say anything either much to his relief. She was like that. She knew when to listen and when to speak. Arguing voices reached his ears and he lifted his head up, turning around to look over his shoulder to see what the commotion was. Jasmine heard it too.
At the far end of the pier, he caught a glimpse of Maylene's unmistakable pink hair. She was arguing with Destiny and judging by the way Maylene was shaking her fists, she was infuriated. Destiny ran away and Maylene lowered her fists then stormed in his direction. Volkner tensed – his last two conversations with Maylene hadn't ended well. How was this one going to end? Jasmine must've noticed his discomfort because she edged closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, giving him an assuring smile.
Maylene arrived. Her eyes moved from Volkner, to Jasmine then to the hand resting on his shoulder. Her lips pressed into a thin smile and he swore he caught a hint of jealousy in her eyes. He quickly brushed off Jasmine's hand and moved towards Maylene. "Maylene," he said, acknowledging her with a nod.
"I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?" she replied, directing her question more at Jasmine than Volkner.
"Jasmine was visiting," Volkner said.
Maylene turned to face him. "It looked a little more than 'just visiting' to me."
The hostility Maylene was showing to Jasmine was so unlike her. The fighter probably thought he was flirting with Jasmine. A while back, he had a thing for the Steel-type gym leader, but living in separate regions made it quite difficult to maintain a relationship. Besides, she didn't seem interested in him that way anyway having turned down his multiple attempts to ask her out. Sometimes it was hard to tell with females whether they were just being friendly and polite or they actually had a romantic interest in you.
"I'll be going," Jasmine said. "If you need someone to talk to Volkner, you know what number to call." She turned away and left.
"You talk to Jasmine, but you won't talk to me," Maylene started, after Jasmine disappeared from sight. "What makes her so different?"
"She listens," Volkner replied. "She doesn't play mind games with me, like you do."
"Oh, that's right, I forgot." She gave a sardonic laugh. "You like the girls that pay you compliments or do services for you, like that tramp of yours, Destiny." Volkner opened his mouth to protest, but Maylene shook her head. "She told me, Volkner. I called her your favourite pet. She ran away."
He glowered. "You don't have the authority to tell my students off."
"They're not under your supervision anymore, Volkner."
He drew in a deep breath, raking a hand through his blond hair. "Did you come all this way for an apology? I'm sorry, Maylene. There. I said it. Now can we please stop fighting?"
She moved in closer. "I came all this way to tell you what's really on my mind. Candice helped me realize it." She squeezed her eyes shut, took in a deep mouthful of air and exhaled, opening her eyes again. "You were right. What you said before… Arceus, help me… But I do care about you, Volkner."
"If you cared so much, why did you boot me out?"
"You hurt me, not once, but twice." A dry laugh left her throat. "You made a fool of me, and you didn't seem to care. I wanted to help you, but you threw it back in my face. I allowed you to stay at my gym for a few days until you recovered, but you just made a bigger mess of things. But… I found it in myself to forgive you for that."
"Maylene…"
"And then I come all the way here preparing myself to tell you how I really feel and then I hear all these stories about you. I heard about the pranks you pulled on your students, I heard about the incident at the lighthouse with Destiny and Flint and then I find you here with Jasmine." She rubbed her eyes. "I thought I could help you, but I was foolish to think that. You've shown me that now."
He felt like the world's greatest villain right now. "It was never my intention to hurt you."
"You keep saying that, but you keep doing it and you don't even realize it!"
A few locals had stopped by to watch. Some were even cheeky enough to take photos. Anything with Volkner in it was bound to be headline news in the local paper. Hell, if he was lucky enough, he might even be featured on regional television. He was already the number one topic for discussion. He held his arms out to the side. "Then what is it? What do you want me to realize? That I'm a screw-up?" More people had joined the crowd. Volkner ignored them.
"Damn right you are and everyone can see it!" she seethed.
He was well aware that more than half of the population of Sunyshore City had gathered around to see Maylene kick his ass in public. He even caught a few comments from his gym students cheering Maylene on. They wanted to see him fail. Perhaps it was a form of revenge for them after the mistreatment he brought on everyone else in this city. They wanted to witness his dramatic fall from grace.
Panic welled up inside him. Fighting a battle indoors was fine, but on stage like this before a critical public? It was different. "I lost my father, I lost my friends, I lost my gym and I lost my Pokemon. What else must I lose before life loses its meaning permanently?" He forced a laugh, trying to keep himself together. His sense of rationality was fading. It wouldn't matter what he said – it wouldn't change a thing. Judgements had been cast and they would not be reversed.
"Volkner…" she said, moving closer towards him, never once making eye contact with the crowd. Her entire focus was on him. "Stop it." She looked at him with concern, her hands grasping his arm.
"You were right - You can't save me, no one can so do me a favour and let me go. There is no such thing as hope."
She tightened her grasp. "You're not thinking straight."
He tried to shove her away, but she held her ground. She might be a female, but she was strong, stronger than a lot of males, thanks to her long years training to be a top fighter. She drew back a hand then brought it forward, slapping him in the face. The simple action brought him back to the night at the casino where she had slapped him after he had kissed her against her will. He grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her closer to him, close enough he could breathe in the scent of her hair. Citrus scented shampoo.
Maylene must've thought he was trying to kiss her again because he caught a flicker of fear in her eyes. She reacted immediately and brought her knee back then slammed it forward, striking him directly between the legs. A surprised grunt left his throat before a pain exploded down below, causing him to drop to the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back tears as fiery pain consumed him.
"Volkner!" She knelt down beside him.
Nausea gripped his mind. He sat up and lurched forward, expelling yesterday's dinner onto the ground, thankfully not getting anything on Maylene. He heard Maylene yelling at the crowd, telling them to disperse, while he braced himself for another round of vomiting. The fight to hold back tears failed, and they rolled down his cheeks, dropping down onto the pool of vomit before him. The stench filled his nostrils, making his stomach twist again, almost enough to make him vomit a third a time.
He remained in this position for a couple more moments until the worst of the pain faded away. Fortunately, the majority of the crowd had left now – only a handful of his trainers remained. This was surely going to headline the local newspaper tomorrow. What was the point in even returning to the gym when his name was tarnished beyond repair?
"Come on Volkner, let's get you to the Pokemon Centre," Maylene said, helping him stand up from the ground. His legs wobbled, but he managed to keep himself upright, using Maylene as support as he limped towards the building.
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The Galactic commander had been broken – Dawn could see the defeat in his eyes, but he still tried to fight. Instead of beating his Pokemon to a fainting state, Dawn ordered her Houndoom to knock the trainer over onto his backside. Houndoom happily obliged and jumped, throwing his body against Saturn, knocking him to the ground.
Houndoom rushed forward and leapt, throwing his body against the commander, knocking him to the ground. The canine brought his face up against the trainer's own, baring his teeth, uttering a deep growl. He tried to push the much larger Houndoom off, but he stopped dead in his tracks, scared stiff by the intimidating canine. Houndoom snarled again, a drop of saliva falling on his face.
The man pulled a face and turned his head to the side. "I don't know! All I know is that he wants to capture the Lake Guardians for some purpose!" he cried out.
Dawn decided the man was telling the truth and ordered her Houndoom to climb off Saturn, allowing the man to sit upright. "It's all right, Houndoom. He won't threaten us." And if he tried to do something, she had some other powerful Pokemon to call on to put the commander in his place. Houndoom stayed near the man's side watching him closely as Dawn moved in closer. The dead Magikarp surrounding her reminded her of the disaster at Pastoria only it was so much worse. More blood. More dead.
"I swore an oath to serve him faithfully," the man said, wiping away the tears with the back of his hands. "I believed his lies! I didn't want any of this to happen! Please, you must believe me!" Either this man was an excellent actor or he truly felt remorse for his actions.
Dawn considered her options – she could beat him down and call on the gym leaders to take the man away or use him to gain access to reach her father. Breaking into Galactic's main headquarters wouldn't be so easy and she figured using someone in a high position would make it much easier. "Will you help me find Cyrus?"
The man seemed shocked – he was probably expecting her to hand him over to the authorities. "I… I can't. I can't betray him."
Dawn lifted a brow. The man's loyalty was surprising for someone who had been told by his superior to blow up a lake. He was trembling – a bizarre sight on a member of Galactic. She had grown accustomed to overconfident trainers who talked big, but this one was different. He wanted to stand by his oath despite having done wrong. Her gaze softened. "Please, tell me what you know."
The man drew in a deep breath and nodded. "I can't reverse the damage, but perhaps by helping you, I can stop more from happening… I have nothing else to lose anyway…" he murmured. Dawn gained the impression he was trying to convince himself rather than convince her. "Take this key," he said, reaching into his pocket, throwing Dawn a small silver key. "It's a master key and it will open any door in the Galactic Headquarters in Veilstone City."
She put it away. "Thank you."
He jerked his head up, surprised. "The boss made us believe the only way to improve our world is to remove the human spirit… I do not know what else your father has planned, but capturing the Lake Guardians is only the first step." He sniffed, biting down on his lip. "That's all I can say – the other commanders probably know more than I do so you should seek them out for more information." He climbed to his feet. "You said your name was Dawn? I'm Saturn."
"What are you going to do now, Saturn?"
He tried to smile, but there was no joy in his eyes. "There is no hope for me. I will be blamed for these deaths." All was silent except for the gasps and groans of the Magikarp around them. The haunting image of the dead would forever remain implanted in her mind. "I will accept my role in the destruction that has taken place here today – it will not bring the dead back to life, but at least I can die knowing that I left this world trying to make amends." He smiled, and this time it was for real. "Farewell, Dawn." He sat down on the ground again, his legs crossed, head bowed with eyes squeezed shut.
Dawn left.
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Professor Rowan headed to Twinleaf Town to check up on Johanna. Carolina hadn't returned from celebrating her youngest granddaughter's birthday party, and Rowan wondered if the woman had gotten caught up in the debacle with the Galactic members. She was probably lying low for awhile until it was safe to leave again.
That left him with the task of keeping an eye on Johanna, whose behaviour had become so erratic, he had no idea what to do. Sometimes she happy and other times stark raving mad. It took something as little as running out of a drink to bring tears to her eyes and took almost half a day just to calm her down. Something was off, that much was obvious, and he wanted answers.
He unlocked the door and stepped inside, poking his head around the corner, just encase Johanna was there to attack him with the fly swat again. No one. He breathed a sigh of relief and ventured in further, closing the door behind him. Johanna wasn't in the lounge nor was she in the kitchen. He frowned. That was odd. She could always be found in the kitchen or lounge when he returned to supervise.
"Johanna?" he called out.
No answer.
He made his way towards her bedroom, climbing up the staircase to the upper level, one cautious step at a time. Tumbling down the stairs at his age would not end well for him. As he closed the distance to her room, he heard faint sobs coming from her room. He thought about knocking on the door, but then figured she was probably just watching a sad show on television and crying about that. Besides, he didn't want to interrupt her again.
Turning around from her door, he sauntered over towards the bathroom, to throw away some old cash receipts into the bin. He was about to empty his pockets when his eye caught a box labelled, 'pregnancy test'. He raised his eyebrows – was this the reason behind Johanna's increasingly erratic behaviour? Turning away from the bin, he headed back to Johanna's room and knocked on the door.
"Johanna, I know you're in there. I want to talk to you about something."
"I don't want to talk!"
He sighed and tried again. "It's about Dawn."
That caught her attention. Her sobs ceased. "What is it?"
"I won't tell you unless you come out of that room."
There was no movement from inside. He pressed his forehead against the door and sighed again. The test itself wasn't in the bin and he assumed Johanna probably still had it with her. He was about to turn away from the door when it opened. Johanna peered through a tiny opening. "What is it?" she asked again.
He decided to cut to the chase. "Johanna, are you pregnant?"
Her jaw dropped. "No! How could you even suggest that?"
She tried to close the door, but he pressed his body against it, keeping it open. "I saw the box in the bathroom bin. You can't hide this from me, Johanna. Please, I want to know so I can help you. You are my niece and I promised I'd always look out for you in the way your parents could not."
She looked like she was going to scream obscenities at him, but instead she opened the door allowing him to come inside. This was usually a sign she had bad news or had done something naughty. Johanna was always awful at hiding things. She sat down on the bed, hands resting on her lap, her eyes refusing to meet with his. "Carolina bought me one."
"And?" He placed a hand on her shoulder.
She turned around, locking eyes with his. Her bottom lip trembled. He didn't even need to hear her admit it had turned out positive – he scolded himself for not suspecting it earlier when it was obvious there was something different about her. Now that he was up close, he realized she had put on a bit of weight. "I didn't think it was going to actually happen! I mean, what are the chances?" She started crying again.
Professor Rowan pulled her into a hug, letting her cry into his shoulder. "Everything is going to be all right, Johanna." That was a lie of course – he couldn't see into the future, but he wanted to give his niece some silver lining of hope to hold onto. "Who is he?" He had a suspicion Cyrus was somehow involved in all of this – Johanna wasn't the unfaithful type, but he wanted a confirmation anyway.
She clutched his shirt tighter. "You know who," she said in between sobs.
Somehow, her confession made everything seem so much more complex than before. "Johanna…" he started. Did she know what his current activity entailed? He thought about telling her but the girl was so miserable already he didn't want to add more stress to her life. On the other hand, she had to know what he was doing to prepare herself for whatever fate had in mind for him.
"Don't lecture me. I know what I did, but I will not give this child up."
He stopped himself from speaking further. Johanna had convinced herself he could still be helped, and Rowan hoped for the unborn's child sake she was correct. He didn't share her confidence – in his perspective, Cyrus was a lost cause. It would be better if Johanna could just forget about him and move on with her life, but she wouldn't do that, especially not when she was carrying his second child.
May Arceus have mercy.
.
By the time Dawn had reached Lake Verity, she knew he was too late. The Galactic grunts had carted the Lake Guardian away and only a red-headed female remained in place, a triumphant smirk on her face. Dawn recognized her immediately – Commander Mars, the same trainer she had battled at the Valley Windworks a long while ago.
Lucas was on the ground, clutching a bloodied arm to his chest, pain lacing his features. Dawn called his name and hurried over to help him, dropping to her knees at his side. "Oh my Arceus, what happened to you?!" She glanced down at his arm. A deep gash made by the sharp claws of a Purugly had cut into his flesh.
"He tried to fight me and he lost," Mars said. She raised a hand and pointed it at Dawn's face. "You and I have a score to settle and this time, there will be no interference. I'm going to rip your heart out and have it served on a dinner plate for interfering with Galactic's plans!" she spat, her face turning red with anger, so red her hair almost matched.
Lucas winced. "Fight her, Dawn… Don't worry about me…" He gritted his teeth together, biting down on his lip, to stop himself from crying out in pain.
Dawn wasn't too sure – his wound was bleeding profusely, dribbling down his arm, turning the ground a dark shade of red. Being attacked by a Pokemon was something Dawn knew quite well, but Mars' Pokemon wasn't under the influence of drugs. Her Pokemon had willingly attacked a trainer with the intention to inflict serious damage. She stood up and turned to face Mars.
"You've ruined everything, you little bitch! When I saw you in that hospital I thought for sure you were going to die, but it seemed like fate had different plans for you." Her mouth twisted in an almost psychotic smirk. "You might be the boss' daughter, but don't think I'll take it easy on you. I don't care about him and I certainly don't care for his bastard child! I wish he was here right now so he could watch me tear you apart!"
The vehemence in her voice took Dawn by surprise. Mars was trembling with anger, her fingers curled into fists. The woman would surely rip her head off with her own bare hands if given the chance. Dawn summoned her Zweilous. The two heads hissed at her. "This doesn't have to come down to a fight." In the corner of her eye, she spotted Lucas removing his jacket. He wrapped a sleeve around his bleeding arm.
"Shut up! Don't try to run away from this! The boss betrayed me and I'm going to make him pay by taking you out!" she screamed. "Purugly, use Slash!" For a feline with such a bulky body, she could move with surprising speed. The cat threw herself at Zweilous' form, bringing forth a powerful claw, striking his left neck.
A spine-tingling roar erupted from the two heads, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand erect. Mars herself, looked taken aback, but she quickly regathered her composure. "Zweilous, use Dragon Pulse!" Dawn ordered.
The two heads opened their mouths, conjuring a dark purple beam of draconic energy. The twin beams exited the heads and fused together, hurtling towards the Purugly's face. The impact was immediate. The sturdy Purugly was lifted off her feet and thrown several metres away, her back smacking against the hard wood of a remaining tree. Purugly did not stand again. Dawn suspected the cat had been overworked and was now exhausted.
Mars glowered. "…How?! How can a little brat like you defeat me, a Galactic commander?!" She kicked the ground then screamed some more until her voice turned hoarse. "I will never stop hunting you down until I've defeated you! Do you hear me? Do you hear me?!" She recalled her Pokemon then darted through the remaining woods.
Dawn watched the trainer flee only turning her eyes away when she heard Lucas groan. "Lucas!" She hurried over to him again. He was pale; a sickly pale. He needed help otherwise she feared he might not survive the night. Fortunately, there was a Pokemon Centre in the near distance. She summoned her Houndoom. "Houndoom, please take Lucas to the Pokemon Centre in Sandgem just up this road. I need to find Barry."
"…Dawn… be careful…" Lucas gasped, wincing. Houndoom crouched down onto his belly and Dawn assisted Lucas onto the canine's back. Once Lucas was on, Houndoom stood up slowly, making sure Lucas didn't slide off. Lucas wrapped his good arm around the dog's back. "…Barry… might be in trouble… You need to find him and quickly." He lowered his rest, resting it against the back of Houndoom's neck then mustered up a weak smile.
Houndoom trotted towards the lake's exit. Dawn thought about visiting her mother since her home was just around the corner, but a voice in the back of her mind told her she had to leave immediately. Barry was probably battling Jupiter's Skuntank right now in the blistering cold elements of the northern most region and every second wasted placed him in a greater danger. "Hold on, Barry. I'm coming," she said, summoning her Honchkrow.
Flying to Snowpoint at this time of the year was usually a good time, but the blizzard-like conditions had yet to die down which meant she had to make the trip by foot. The city was reachable by heading north from Mount Coronet's ground floor and would take at least a week to get there should the roads not be blocked by layers of snow. "We need to head Mount Coronet." Honchkrow nodded and Dawn climbed on. The bird lifted himself up into the air and started flying towards Mount Coronet. Dawn could only hope Barry managed to keep himself safe.
.
Everything was falling into motion now and Charon could only sit back in his chair and watch it all unfurl. The commanders had managed to retrieve the Lake Guardians and the legendaries were on the way to the headquarters. Revenge was close, yet still so far away. There were still a few things that needed to be done however and one of those tasks included tying up Cyrus's loose ends.
During the boss's absence, Charon had snuck into his main office to search through the drawers. He had found a book with his name on it and decided to burn it to destroy all evidence linking him to the opening of the Distortion World. For his plan to succeed, all blame had to fall on Cyrus. The authorities would eventually catch up to him, but it would take much longer if they had no leads. He needed as much time as possible to ensure his ultimate goal would be achieved.
"What do you want us to do, Charon?" a grunt asked, scratching his head, giving Charon a confused look.
"I need you and your group to head to Stark Mountain," Charon explained calmly.
The two grunts exchanged looks. "But Charon, the boss wants us to patrol the upper levels of Mount Coronet! He said, 'come with me to Mt. Coronet and guard the upper levels and you will stand at my side as caretakers of the new world'."
Just when he thought the grunts couldn't get more idiotic, they say and do something that quashes the thought. "There has been a late change in plans. You will be needed at Stark Mountain. I have arranged a ship to take you there tomorrow at dawn."
"But the boss hasn't told us anything?" the first grunt said.
The second grunt was also confused. "We always take our orders from the boss."
Charon suppressed a growl. Despite their astonishing levels of stupidity, they were incredibly loyal to Cyrus for whatever reason. He had to admit though, Cyrus could turn on the charm when needed to, changing the minds of even the most bull-headed. "You will take commands from me – the boss has entrusted me with handling the second phase of our assignment."
"The boss would've mentioned you."
"There has been a change in plans and the boss has been far too busy to pass on the orders to you. Why do you think I have remained behind?"
The grunts looked at each other and shrugged. "But won't the boss need protection when he makes his way up the mountain? I hear there are some hostile Pokemon living up near the peak." The other grunt shuddered.
Charon shook his head. "And that is why he has no need of you. You will draw too much attention and all the hostile Pokemon will awaken and then you will be in trouble. If the boss goes alone, he will have a much greater chance of sneaking past them without the lot of you making noise. Your services will be required elsewhere."
The grunts frowned, puzzled. Curse their undying loyalty, Charon thought. It was proving to be more difficult to change their minds than he had originally assumed. "Well, if that's what the boss wants…" said the first grunt. "Okay Charon. We will do as you say since you speak on behalf of the boss."
Charon almost sighed. "Excellent. I will ensure you are all suitably rewarded as the boss sees fit." That was a lie of course – he wouldn't pay the grunts a single cent of real coin. The counterfeit money he had tried to fool Hunter J with would be used instead. "You must leave as soon as the boss returns. I will tell him you are moving earlier than planned to prepare for the new world. You should arrive in Sunyshore this evening. I will meet you there in two days time."
They nodded then turned to leave the room. The laboratory was empty once more and Charon turned to the table where a couple of syringes rested. He walked over and picked them up, putting them into his pocket. Cyrus had returned from Celestic Town earlier in the day, but he had left again, this time heading to Mount Coronet to set up positions for the grunts. The poor fool thought he would have some back up heading up the mountain and what a shock he would get to find there were no grunts patrolling the upper levels.
Charon himself would be accompanying the boss and Mars and Jupiter would meet them at Spear Pillar, the peak of the mountain. It was smarter to open the rift to the Distortion World up high, far away from the public eye, as Charon had informed Cyrus earlier this week. Cyrus agreed. While Cyrus busied himself with the Distortion World business, Charon would begin to create the Magma Stone needed to control Heatran. If all went according to plan, Cyrus would free Giratina and be killed in the process, allowing Charon to slay the beast that caused the death of his Rotom with the help of Heatran's power. The world would be his to rule and all life would be his to control.
Dawn was still a problem. Hunter J hadn't dealt with her yet, but perhaps the woman didn't know where to find her. Charon pulled out his Xtransceiver and sent her a message, telling her Dawn will be on her way to Mount Coronet. The delay was frustrating – if Dawn was not permanently dealt with, there was a slim chance his entire plan would fail. He was pulled out of his thoughts when the door opened revealing the boss himself. Charon straightened and greeted the boss with a bow.
"You've returned from your trip. How was it at Mount Coronet?"
The boss walked by, followed by small groups of grunts carrying Pokemon in their arms. "The place is suitable." He turned to the machine then back to Charon. "I need you to start the extraction process immediately – it will not be long before the league raids this building and I'm sure they'll bring a large force with them. We will not have the numbers to deal with them all," Cyrus ordered.
Charon nodded. "Certainly. Just place them in the machine here and attach the wires and the extraction process will commence. I have already sent some of the grunts to head to Mt. Coronet to prepare themselves for the upcoming events. I hope that's not a problem with you?"
Cyrus shook his head. "Not at all. Although I do not trust you, you have yet to fail me." He turned to the grunts then jerked his head towards the machine. "Load the Pokemon into the machine."
How foolish they all were, Charon thought, as the grunts loaded the Lake Guardians into the extraction machine. Cyrus started connecting some of the wires to the Pokemon while Charon just watched as the grunts left the room. Once all the wires were connected, Charon turned to Cyrus, his hand hovering over the big red button. "Is there anything you would like to do before the glass comes down? I will not be able to bring it back up until the extraction is finished."
"Legend says touching Mesprit will remove all feeling…"
"Are you having second thoughts? Isn't this what you wanted – to remove the capacity to feel permanently? What is holding you back?"
Cyrus continued to look on. "I've waited for almost three decades for this moment…" He moved closer to Mesprit, his eyes locked on the Pokemon. He moved his hand towards the creature's head, but he did not touch it. He turned to Charon. "I would like you to touch the Mesprit first just encase the legends turn out to be nothing more than false tales."
So Cyrus wasn't as foolish as he thought. "You are to be the new ruler of this universe, am I not correct?" Charon countered. "Therefore, it is only right that you should be the one to touch the Mesprit first. I am but a lowly commander and not worthy of touching such a great and powerful being." It made him feel sick to the stomach to flatter Cyrus with false words, but if it made the buffoon touch it first then it was worth it. He wanted to see the man's reaction when he discovered Mesprit made things worse for him, rather than better.
"Hmm, I suppose you are correct." Cyrus reached out and touched the Mesprit on the head. He held it there for a couple of moments then pulled his hand back, his brows furrowed. Charon studied him closely, but aside from a frown, he couldn't tell anything had changed. "Proceed," Cyrus commanded. His tone was still the same – perhaps the effects weren't immediate.
Charon pushed the red button and a glass screen came down, trapping the three Pokemon inside. He pushed another button, a blue one, and the machine turned on. Six hooks emerged from the ceiling, reaching down until their hooks were firmly beneath the gems. They tore into the trio's flesh, prompting the three Pokemon to awaken, their eyes frozen with terror.
"The Lake Guardians will try to resist, but they do not have the power to break the glass," Charon pointed out, as the Pokemon began to thrash wildly, trying to claw their way out.
"Will they survive this?"
Charon nodded. "They will not die if that's what you're wondering, but they will be scarred for life. Their gems are irreplaceable and they will not grow back – humans can't regrow limbs and the same applies to the Lake Guardians." The hooks dug deeper into the flesh, prompting the Pokemon to scream. Their voices were muted though since the machine was soundproof. The gems loosened. With one hard yank, the hooks ripped the gems from the flesh causing blood to splatter against the glass caging.
"Quick – we must inject the Lake Guardians again before they fully come to their senses," Charon ordered, as the bloodied screen came down. He grabbed two syringes and gave the other one to Cyrus, before injecting Mesprit and Azelf. Cyrus's gaze lingered for a couple of seconds before he pulled himself out of his trance to stab Uxie in its back. The Lake Guardians' eyes immediately shut.
Charon picked up the bloodied gems and carried them over to a much smaller machine sitting on the desk. It appeared to look like an ordinary blending machine, but instead of blending fruits and vegetables, it crushed crystals. He threw the items in the blender then put the lid on before hitting the 'on' button. The blades reached peak speed in a matter of moments, crushing the gems into tiny shards, the sound reverberating throughout the room. The sound was similar to that of skulls being crushed.
"How long will this take?"
"About thirty seconds," Charon said, just as the blender stopped. "Ah, it's finished. Now, we must freeze it – do you have a Pokemon that knows an Ice-type move?"
"I have a Weavile and a Gyarados."
"Weavile will do," Charon replied, removing the blender from the machine, pouring it into a nearby bowl. It wasn't entirely liquid – there were still solid chunks of gem inside, but it was enough to make the Red Chain.
Cyrus summoned his Weavile. "Weavile, use Ice Punch."
Weavile stepped forward and drew back a paw, bringing his claws together until an ice casing covered his arm. He drove his claws forward, the tips stabbing the crushed gems, turning it into one solid object. Charon picked it up and held it up high. "And here we have it. The Red Chain." He handed over the item to Cyrus. "You only have a short amount of time to summon Palkia and Dialga – the Red Chain will shatter into pieces and then the new universe will become nothing but a dream."
"And what of Giratina?"
Charon was not surprised. He had read his journals after all which the boss had somehow obtained. "You can capture Giratina and he will give you the power to create a new universe to your liking." Another lie, but Cyrus was clueless. "The master ball will contain his power."
Cyrus looked like he wanted say something more, but decided against it for whatever reason. He turned his back and headed towards the exit then stopped. "I expect you to be there when the time comes. Mars and Jupiter will pick you up and escort you to the peak. I want you to bear witness to the birth of a new world."
He nodded. "I look forward to it."
"Good," Cyrus replied, glancing over his shoulder. "Get some rest. You'll need to be in peak health for the climb." He left the room. A smirk spread across Charon's face. Cyrus thought this was the end, but it was only the beginning of something far greater than his simple mind could ever comprehend.
.
The powerful chilly wind of the Snowpoint's highest point was nothing in comparison to the coldness running through his body. He had mustered up all the strength he had, yet he did not have the power to defeat the woman who called herself Jupiter. She clicked her tongue and shook her head with mock pity, hands resting on her hips. "You silly boy, did you really think you could defeat me?" she taunted.
Barry tried to come up with some smart retort, but nothing came to mind. He couldn't win the battle with his team of Pokemon – how could he expect to win in a war of words? For so long now he believed he had what it took to become the region's next Champion, but this woman proved him wrong. She had torn apart his team, exploited his weaknesses and crushed his hopes. The Lake Guardian had been long gone by the time of his arrival, but he had hoped to avenge the legendary by defeating Jupiter.
"Your Pokemon are weak – just like you. You have no strategy at all; I'm surprised you managed to make it this far," she jeered, towering over him, as he crouched on the ground, trying his hardest to keep it together. "You should quit while you are behind. As they say, once a weakling, always a weakling. You don't have what it takes to be the Champion – you don't even think ahead. You just throw yourself into situations."
Barry squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to shut her comments out, but her words sliced through him like a knife, stabbing him right in the heart where it hurt the most. "I'm not weak… I'm not…"
"Oh for goodness sake…" Jupiter exhaled loudly. "I defeated you with little effort. Why can't you just accept that you are pathetic? You're Pokemon aren't bad, but you're laughably weak. I was hoping for more of a challenge, but I guess you can't have everything you want, right?"
How could he face his friends after this? He had failed his Pokemon. His friends and family. The legendary Lake Guardians and himself. "I…" His eyes brimmed with tears and he squeezed them together even tighter, hoping it would stop more from spilling.
"You're friends with that blue-haired girl, right? Dawn, I believe her name is? I was hoping she'd come in your place." She snickered. "At least she can put up a good fight which is something you can't seem to manage at all. I guess you came all this way to prove to her that you are her equal? I suppose that's somewhat adorable."
No matter how hard he tried, he never seemed to be good enough. The gym leaders had commented on the enthusiasm he showed during a battle, but never did anyone mention he had what it took to become the Champion. Was his dream nothing more than false hope? Was that why Dawn always seemed to be one step ahead in terms of skill even though he claimed his gym badges before her?
"Awww is that a teardrop I see or do my eyes deceive me?" She sniggered. "Run back to your mama, little boy. You aren't ready for this. There's no room for the weak in this world." She pushed him aside, her heels kicking up snow in his face, her cold laughter filling the air. Her faithful and deadly Skuntank trotted after her.
Barry remained kneeling in the snow, his teardrops rolling down his face, landing on the ground before him. The one positive of being alone was at least no one could see and hear him cry. Her words stung like a Beedrill's stinger. He was never going to be strong. He was just never going to be good enough for anyone. Even Dawn, his best friend and greatest rival, was able to see that.
He had come all this way thinking he could handle the task, to prove… what? That he was a strong enough trainer to handle any obstacle in his path like a Champion would? Or had he come this way to prove to Dawn he was her equal, like Jupiter had suggested? It puzzled him. He had never viewed his friendship from that perspective before.
"Barry? Are you all right?"
He jerked his head up upon hearing his name, recognizing the voice straight away – how could he not recognize it? He wiped the last few tears away and glanced over his shoulder, spotting Dawn standing at the entrance of the lake. A hand tugged the scarf around her neck. The girl had put on a woolly jumper and had traded in that short skirt for something much warmer.
"I failed," he said weakly, trying to stop his voice from shaking. "I couldn't stop her."
"We were already too late, Barry."
He grimaced. "I lost the battle." He had thrown everything he had against her, but it hadn't been enough. "I couldn't do it. I was too weak." His shoulders slumped, and he turned his attention back to the ground, unable to look at Dawn anymore. What did she think of him now?
"You're not weak, Barry," Dawn said, kneeling down next to him.
He refused to meet her eyes. "I thought I was strong… but she proved I wasn't as tough as I thought." Laughably weak, she had said. "All I wanted was to be someone my father could be proud of… He'd be so disappointed if he could see how weak I am."
His father had left a couple of years ago to take up a job offer somewhere in the Battle Frontier. He kept in contact with the man sometimes through email, but it just wasn't the same as speaking to him face to face. He vowed to become a trainer his father would be proud of and he believed the only way to do that was to become the Champion.
Dawn placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look at me, Barry. You're not weak. You're one of the strongest trainers I know – you keep pushing me to become a better trainer," she said softly. "Do you remember the brothers at the Veilstone Gym?" He nodded. "Being a trainer is more than just becoming stronger – it's about standing up for what is right and that's where you draw your strength."
He let her words sink in, trying to grasp the meaning behind them. "What do you fight for?"
"To defend the ones I care about," she said softly. "I draw my strength from love."
Passion. That's what he lacked and it's what gave Dawn the upper hand over him. She had a reason to fight – up until this moment, he had been training to become the strongest trainer in Sinnoh, but now he was beginning to realize strength came from other sources. "I've been a poor friend, haven't I?" he said, turning to meet her eyes.
She smiled. "We may have not travelled together much at all, but you have always brought a smile to my face. I couldn't ask for anything more in a friend." She pulled her hand away and helped him up from the ground. "What do you say you and I stop those commanders together, yeah?"
He couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face. "What about the gym?"
"Well, yeah, that's not such a bad idea."
"You go on ahead. I'll meet up with you in Veilstone."
"You're not going to take on the gym?" she replied, an eyebrow lifted.
He shook his head. "The gym battle can wait. I want to fight Jupiter again and this time she won't beat me. Give me a call when you're done here and we'll take them on together."
"Don't take too long, Barry – I might have to fine you ten million dollars," Dawn teased. She turned around and left the lake leaving Barry alone. He chuckled to himself at her comment. He waited for her to leave then exited himself, dusting the snow off his clothing. Becoming the strongest trainer was still his primary goal, but now he had a reason for it, rather than it just being a title to boast about. He was going to be a Champion who fought to protect others.