Thanks to IanAlphaAxel for reviewing the previous chapter!Also, thanks to mirrorkinomoto for the catch-up reviews.
To anyone reading this story again (after it's multiple re-uploads) thank you!
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Chapter Twenty Nine: Salvation
It was almost hard to believe she was the one walking down the long winding path to the Champion's room. It hadn't seemed that long ago when she had received her first Pokemon from the professor. Dawn pinched herself to make sure it wasn't just a dream, but she was still here walking along a red carpet. Not a dream, a reality. She was walking down a path so many trainers wanted to set foot on, but only a tiny percentage of the population would ever make it.
The events of the past year played through her mind like a movie. She remembered the embarrassing moment when the professor had caught her and Barry running around in the wild grass back when she was nothing but an innocent trainer. She remembered the thrill of victory she had tasted when she had defeated Barry in her very first battle. She remembered the excitement when she had captured a Pokemon and obtained her first gym badge.
It hadn't always been smiles though – tears had been spilled and blood had been shed. She had been beaten down by a couple of cyclists, she had been received a crushing defeat by some low-level grunts and she had even sustained a life threatening injury from one of her own Pokemon. Finding out her that her father had been the driving force behind the crimes committed across the region had been difficult to comprehend, but fortunately she was able to help him, along with Cynthia's assistance, before it was too late.
Every event, whether good or bad, had prepared her for this moment. Every obstacle in her path had made her stronger and without them, she doubted she'd even be here today. All the lessons she had learned would be put to the test and she hoped it would be enough. She continued walking down the hallway, taking in deep breaths to calm her nerves, knowing all the cameras were on her. She hoped her parents were watching. She wanted to make them proud.
Up ahead, she spotted an iron gate. The Lake Guardians of Sinnoh were carved into the door with the captions, 'knowledge', 'emotion' and 'willpower' written underneath each one. She raised a hand and brought it to the handle then turned it downwards. The gate opened slowly which only heightened her nerves. She took in another deep breath before entering – this was it. This was the time to put all her previous teachings to the ultimate test.
The gate closed behind her. She moved forward, stepping into a large circular room, which unlike the others, seemed to represent no specific theme. That was not to say the room lacked character though – the room was by far the most interesting and spectacular place she had set foot in. There were six white columns on either side of the room, each one forming an arch with its neighbour. Each pillar had an engraving of a Pokemon. One of them had a picture of a Togekiss, but the others were unknown to her.
She continued to take in her surroundings, completely lost for words. The floor was covered in black and white shiny tiles while the ceiling, although a plain white colour, had golden chandeliers hanging down. Stained-glass windows provided the main source of light and there were five in the room – two on the left, two on the right and one in the middle behind an iron throne. The four windows on the sides had names of the Elite Four while the main one had Cynthia's.
Sitting on the iron throne was Cynthia herself, and she looked like a queen only without a crown. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Dawn pulled her gaze away from the chandeliers and nodded. The battle was going to take place in here? That seemed like a bad idea since she knew both their Pokemon would destroy some, if not all the magnificent structures in the room. "Yeah, I've never seen anything like this before. It seems a shame to fight in here."
Cynthia stood up from the chair and walked forward, pushing the strands of blonde hair away from her right eye. Dawn was surprised – she hadn't seen Cynthia with her right eye uncovered before and wondered what brought on the change. She didn't have the opportunity to ask though as Cynthia spoke again.
"Dawn, I have been looking forward to this battle ever since the day you were born. I always knew that one day, this day would come. Together, you and your Pokemon overcame all the challenges you faced, however difficult. It means that's you've triumphed over any personal weaknesses too. The power you learned… I can feel it emanating from you. But that's enough talk. Let's get on with why you're here. As the Pokemon League Champion of Sinnoh, I accept your challenge!"
Although Cynthia's speech sounded like it came from a script of some sort, Dawn could feel she truly meant those words. The people watching this on their television screens probably thought nothing much of it, but it meant a lot to her. Dawn glanced down at her team of six. "It's been a long journey, but we finally made it to the end. It all comes down to this battle – even if we do lose today, I know that you all gave it your best." She looked up and stepped forward to take her position opposite to Cynthia.
Cynthia reached a hand down to the pokebelt hiding underneath her coat then brought out her first Pokemon. An ethereal composition of swirling purple fog emerged from the pokeball's light, it's green, crescent eyes fixed on Dawn. The Pokemon had a jagged mouth, which reminded her vaguely of a jack-o-lantern.
Spiritomb. Its constant mischief and misdeeds resulted in it being bound to an Odd Keystone by a mysterious spell.
Dawn summoned her Houndoom to start off the battle."Houndoom, use Thunder Fang!" Sprinting forward, Houndoom bounded across the glossy tiles and threw himself at the floating Pokemon, clamping his high voltage jaws on the rock attached to its body. The corners of the Spiritomb's mouth curved upwards, and it started to laugh, which confused her canine and herself.
"Spiritomb, use Silver Wind!" The Spiritomb emitted a high-pitched shriek which sounded a bit like a chalk scratching against a blackboard. The sound caused the chandeliers to vibrate, the flames of the candles flickering, as a breeze appeared from out of nowhere. Somehow, the strange Spiritomb could create wind from nothing. Dust clinging to the items in the room was picked up in the wind and thrown towards Houndoom's direction.
Dawn never would've imagined dust could hurt, but it did when used as a weapon by a Pokemon. Her eyes watered and her lungs burned as she breathed in a few glittering dust particles. Houndoom too, found it difficult to cope with the stinging dust, but the attack didn't seem too do much harm against him either. "Houndoom, use Dark Pulse!" Houndoom planted his feet forward and emitted a wave of dark energy, which cleansed the area of dust. The wave struck the slow Spiritomb, but it seemed to be little affected by it.
"Return Spiritomb!" Cynthia recalled her Pokemon and sent out another one. Togekiss emerged and immediately took to the ceiling, navigating through the columns. Dawn recalled her Houndoom as well and sent forth her Vaporean. There was more than one method of taking down a Pokemon in flight.
"Togekiss, use Air Slash!" Togekiss flew over her Vaporean then crashed down, slashing at her face with both wing blades. Vaporean released a cry and reared on her legs, swatting at the air, wincing in pain.
"Vaporean! Use Muddy Water!" She smacked her tail against the tiled floor, the power in her body splitting the ground in half. Beneath the ground there was water. Vaporean smacked the ground once more, forcing the water to spout upwards. Dirty water spilled out across the floor. On the next turn, she planned to manipulate the water to hurl it at the Togekiss to knock it out of the air.
"Togekiss, use Shock Wave!" Togekiss circled a few columns then flew down straight through the middle, beating its wings to quicken its pace. Each flap caused a bolt of lightning to crash down to the ground. The floor beneath her rose up, bringing her out of harm's way, but her Vaporean did not fare so well. Multiple bolts in a single line struck the water electrocuting all in its path. Vaporean thrashed around, her tail smacking the water, as she tried to avoid the bolts, but escape was impossible. Another bolt landed, this time striking her directly and before Dawn knew it her Vaporean had fainted.
So much for using the water to take down the Togekiss, she thought. This was going to come down to a battle in the air. She brought out her Honchkrow. The avian hopped into the air and flapped a few times to gain altitude then chased the Togekiss around the columns, managing to keep up with the Togekiss' speed. Some of the turns were tight, but Honchkrow's early acrobatic training had helped.
"Togekiss, use Shock Wave!" Lightning bolts didn't fall from the undersides of the Togekiss' wings, this time they exited its mouth, emerging at such speed that her Honchkrow was unable to evade the attacks. He was struck multiple times, completely at the mercy of the lightning then plummeted to the water below, his talons up in the air.
"Dawn, you're not even trying."
Dawn gritted her teeth. She had hoped to rely on Honchkrow's aerial prowess to win the battle against the Togekiss, but that lightning attack seemed unavoidable. She had no choice but to use Hydreigon before her entire team was wiped out. "Go for it, Hydreigon!" Hydreigon emerged, gnashing and hissing at the air, swinging his tail back and forth like he was fighting against an invisible grip. "Use Hyper Voice, Hydreigon!"
For a large creature, Hydreigon could move quickly. Obstacles weren't a problem – he simply attacked them with his tail until it broke which was the case here. His acrobatic evasive abilities paled significantly to Honchkrow, but his massive bulk more than made up for it. He was much harder to knock out of the air. The three heads released a monstrous roar which shook the entire room. The chandeliers above swung back and forth and Dawn feared for a moment that it would fall. Somehow, it stayed. For now.
Cracks appeared in the columns. Hydreigon roared again, making the cracks in the columns deepen. Invisible shockwaves reverberated throughout the room, creating more cracks in the surrounding architecture, until the chandeliers above loosened. The five chandeliers smashed to the ground, the flames immediately doused out by the water. Hydreigon released another roar, knocking Togekiss down.
"Togekiss, use Aura Sphere!" Togekiss recovered from its fall, stopping a few inches above the water, and flew upwards, a faint aura radiating from its body. It drove its head into Hydreigon's belly, eliciting a deep bellowing roar from the three-headed dragon. Hydreigon brought his tail downwards, striking the Togekiss on the back. Being so close, Togekiss was unable to avoid and was knocked down once more.
Hydreigon dive-bombed, throwing himself on the smaller Pokemon, using his bulk to keep it pinned down in the ankle-deep water. "Hydreigon, use Tri Attack!" The head on the left attacked first, releasing a bolt from his mouth, which in such close quarters, failed to miss. The right head attacked second, spewing a torrent of water over the Togekiss' face, blinding its eyes for a short few moments. Finally, the main headed added fire, fusing with the other two attacks, creating an overwhelming power of the elements.
Because the Togekiss was already covered in water, the electrical beam of Hydreigon's attack did additional damage. Togekiss made a noise then crumpled its wings, its eyelids squeezing shut. "You did well, Togekiss," Cynthia said before returning the Pokemon. "Milotic!" A serpentine creature with a mermaid-like tail emerged.
Milotic. It evolves from a Feebas when levelled up with its beauty condition high enough. Its lovely scales are described as rainbow-coloured. They change colour depending on the viewing angle.
Milotic looked deadly towards her Pokemon so she did the smart thing and replaced the dragon with Gengar. Miltoic appeared to be a Water-type and most likely had an Ice-type attack in its arsenal. "Gengar, use Shadow Ball!" Gengar conjured up a sphere of shadows then hurled it forwards at the Milotic. Milotic rolled out of the way.
"Milotic, use Surf!" The water materialized into a tidal wave then sped towards her side of the arena, taking down anything in its path. The already damaged columns crumbled under the pressure bringing down some parts of the ceiling with it. Gengar was swept away and thrown against her safety platform, but fortunately managed to recover. She took the time to pour a Max Revive into her Vaporean's pokeball, giving the Milotic another opportunity to attack.
Cynthia ordered her Milotic to use Surf again, and the second wave was too much for her Gengar. It wasn't that the attack was super-effective against him, but her Gengar couldn't swim. Dawn recalled him to his pokeball and sent out her Vaporean again. The field was a swimming pool now. Vaporean splashed around, seeming to enjoy her new environment, and Milotic too enjoyed the water.
"Return, Milotic! Go, Roserade!" Dawn had a brief flashback of the battle against Gardenia back in Eterna City. The Pokemon hadn't seemed that strong, having been taken down quickly by a few Flying-type attacks. Cynthia had chosen to call out Roserade to counter-attack her Vaporean. She'd be lucky to get at least one hit in.
"Roserade, use Energy Ball!" Roserade climbed on the railings on Cynthia's platform and conjured up a glowing green orb with its left rose. It threw it forward, but Vaporean dipped beneath the surface to avoid it.
"Vaporean, use Ice Beam!" Vaporean swam to the surface, and poked her head out then released a beam of ice at Roserade. There was nowhere for the Roserade to go since the field was still covered in water, and it was knocked off its railing, and soon encased in ice. The ice shattered and Roserade raised a weak hand then dropped it down. Cynthia returned it then brought out Spiritomb again.
Now to remove the water so her other Pokemon could be used. "Vaporean, use Muddy Water!" The water turned a murky shade of brown. Vaporean cried out and manipulated the water into a tidal wave and sent it forwards. The wave broke down a few more columns and covered her Spiritomb in both water and rock before the waters receded. Spiritomb shook off the rock and grinned.
"Spiritomb, use Psychic!" Cynthia thrust a finger forward. Spiritomb's eyes changed colour and Vaporean was sent skywards by an invisible force. She hit the ceiling then came down, hurtling towards the floor. She landed with a loud thud, a pained gasp leaving her weakened body. Dawn recalled her and brought out Torterra.
"Torterra, use Energy Ball!" Swaying his tree back and forth by moving his body from side to side, his movements caused the leaves on the tree on his back to fall off. They merged into a glowing ball with assistance from the vines before being catapulted towards the Spiritomb. Spiritomb was smacked in the face and brought to the ground. For a Pokemon that appeared to have no weaknesses, it certainly had low endurance levels.
"Not bad at all, Dawn," Cynthia said. "But I know you can do better. Show me how deep your bond with your Pokemon is. Show me that you can harness that power and bring it to the battle because if you can't, you won't ever win against me. Lucario!" She was reminded of Maylene's one, but knew Cynthia's Lucario would be stronger and faster.
The same strategy should work here though and an area effect like earthquake ought to make quick work of the agile Pokemon. That was, if Lucario didn't take her Torterra down first. "Remember your battle against the first Lucario we fought, Torterra!"
"Lucario, use Stone Edge!" Lucario crouched down then jumped up only to come down to the ground again. Rocks flew up from beneath Torterra, throwing him up in the air. He fell back down, landing on an angle, his feet up in the air. At least he wasn't completely helpless.
"Use Earthquake, Torterra!" Vines from his tree emerged and pushed him back over onto his feet. Back facing the right way up, Torterra proceeded to stomp his feet, creating a violent tremor to shake the ground. More pieces of the ceiling fell down. Lucario managed to evade the falling rocks by tumbling and leaping and only stopped when the ground stopped shaking. A few more earthquakes and the Lucario should hopefully have run out of steam.
"Lucario, use Extreme Speed!" It dashed forward so quickly, Dawn couldn't even see the Lucario. Torterra was driven into a wall. Lucario climbed onto his back and aimed a palm downwards, readying its next attack.
"Use Earthquake again, Torterra!" He stomped his feet once again, creating another violent tremor to shake the building. A crack split down the middle of the ceiling and the sides caved in, allowing sunlight to pour in. The poor room was being torn apart – Dawn felt a little sad that such a majestic place had to be destroyed. It was going to be expensive fixing this place up.
Instead of running away, Lucario held on, gripping the undersides of Torterra's shell. It was thrown from side to side, but it clung one seemingly for dear life almost. "Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" Lucario pulled back a glowing fist then smashed it down into Torterra's shell, creating a crack down the middle. Torterra screamed. Vines burst from the tree and snaked around the Lucario's legs. They lifted it up and hurled it forward, throwing Lucario into one of the damaged columns. Lucario failed to stand, but the splitting of Torterra's shell rendered her tortoise unable to fight. He collapsed too.
Four Pokemon remained in moderate health – Houndoom, Hydreigon, Gengar and Vaporean. Cynthia had two remaining – the Milotic and most likely her Garchomp, which Dawn had already witnessed in the Distortion World. Cynthia summoned Garchomp and Dawn brought out her own dragon, hoping to gain the upper advantage.
"Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!" Garchomp charged forward, keeping its fins close to its body, as it sprinted down the hallway. Weakened from his earlier attack from Togekiss, Hydreigon was unable to lift himself back up into the air, and had to stay on the ground. All three heads roared at the incoming Garchomp. Garchomp leapt into the air and landed on Hydreigon, slashing at the dragon's main head with both his blades. It then jumped off and swung its muscular tail, slamming it into the belly of her dragon.
For the first time in Hydreigon's career, the dragon was left incapable of defending himself. He roared again then collapsed in a heap. Using a Max Revive on Hydreigon would be pointless since he'd just be defeated with ease by Cynthia's Garchomp anyway. She brought out her Gengar next and hoped he'd be able to do some form of damage.
"Garchomp, use Giga Impact!" Garchomp charged forward again, this time ramming its hammer-like head into Gengar's stomach. Gengar was flung aside as if he were weightless and hit the far wall, bringing it crashing down on him. Her poor Ghost-type Pokemon couldn't throw the tonne of rocks of him though and remained trapped underneath them. The Garchomp remained steady taking in a few deep breaths then raised its arms in the air and let out a thunderous roar.
The dragon was truly vicious and Dawn could see why it was Cynthia's mascot Pokemon. But every Pokemon had a weakness and sometimes a Pokemon's own strength was that. All she had to do was attack it when it was recovering from using Giga Impact, but it required precise timing and a decent field set-up. She returned her fainted Gengar and sent out Houndoom.
"Houndoom, use Thunder Fang!" The canine charged and leapt, throwing his bulk against the dragon, hoping to knock it off its feet. Houndoom wasn't quite weighty enough though and failed to do much at all. He bit down, but the dragon's scales were hard to penetrate.
"Counter-attack, Garchomp!" Garchomp fought back, bringing its tail around, smacking the Houndoom in the side of his face. Houndoom was sent sprawling across the floor on his belly. Garchomp ran over, jumped up and brought both razor sharp fins forward, the tips slashing at the canine's eyes. "Now use Dragon Rush!" Houndoom was driven into the ground by Garchomp's tail. He remained on the floor.
It all came down to Vaporean and she hoped her youngest Pokemon could endure whatever Garchomp threw at her. On the plus-side, at least none of Garchomp's attacks would do a significant amount of damage. Another plus was that Garchomp was exceptionally weak to a powerful Ice-type attack being a Ground and Dragon-type.
"Garchomp, use Giga Impact!"
Garchomp rushed forward again and threw its body against Vaporean. Vaporean fell backwards and almost looked ready to collapse, but managed to hold on much to Dawn's surprise. Perhaps the Pokemon's youth had given her the extra energy to survive. "Now Vaporean, use Ice Beam!" Vaporean's frill turned to an icy colour and a beam rocketed forwards, hitting the Garchomp in the stomach.
Garchomp staggered back, roaring and slashing at air, but the dragon hadn't fallen over just yet. Cynthia moved forward, drawing a hand out from beneath her black coat, giving her Garchomp a small yellow berry. Garchomp happily took it and seemed a little stronger than before – at least, that's what Dawn thought. The dragon was stumbling around looking dazed. She decided to heal her Vaporean as well, giving her a powerful dosage of a Hyper Potion.
"Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!" Garchomp attacked again, leaping into the air then crashing down on top of Vaporean, smacking her on her back with its tail and blades. Vaporean tried to tumble out of the way, but the Garchomp was much faster and held her in place. It attacked her and once again Vaporean was driven into the ground on the verge of collapse.
"Finish this battle off with Ice Beam, Vaporean!" Vaporean countered – and the Garchomp was knocked to the ground. The dragon gave a deep roar and tried to stand up again, but the ice beam had done its work. Dawn glanced up and noticed that Cynthia was smiling – she frowned. Why was she smiling? Happiness? Satisfaction?
Cynthia recalled her fallen Garchomp and sent out Milotic. "It comes down to this moment," she said, then gestured around the now-destroyed room. It hardly looked recognizable anymore. "You've had to fight some difficult battles to reach me here and now it's time to prove to me that you're ready to inherit my legacy. I ask that you do not hold back. Give it your best, Dawn."
She wished there was some other way to claim the title of Champion other than having to take down the current Champion. Cynthia was a friend – it felt wrong to take that title away from her, just like it felt wrong that she was the one standing here, and not Barry, who always seemed to want the title more. "All right, Vaporean, let's do this!" It was going to be a long battle, she knew it. Water-type Pokemon vs a Water-type Pokemon. She'd have to resort to her earlier strategies in which exhaustion was her weapon.
"Milotic, use Dragon Pulse!" Milotic released a glowing beam of draconic energy at Vaporean, sending her flying across the arena. She smacked the wall of Dawn's platform, and landed on the ground, legs splayed.
"Vaporean, use Ice Beam!" She didn't have any other choice really, but to keep reusing the same move until either Pokemon had exhausted their moves.
The ice beam hit the Milotic in the face, prompting the aquatic serpent to cry out, but remained standing. Dawn healed Vaporean again, sacrificing a turn, allowing the Milotic to get an extra hit in. The cycle repeated itself – Milotic used Dragon Pulse, Vaporean used Ice Beam and then Dawn healed Vaporean – until the Milotic appeared to have used up all Dragon Pulses. Thank Arceus I hadn't used many healing items throughout my journey, Dawn thought. If she had, she would've lost this battle earlier on and would've had to retake the challenge.
"Milotic, use Ice Beam!"
Vaporean soon exhausted Ice Beam as well, becoming far too exhausted to use such a stamina demanding attack. Milotic's Ice Beam did little damage to Vaporean – it seemed the opponent's strongest attack against her had been Dragon Pulse. "Vaporean, use Muddy Water!" The field was covered in water again.
"Use Surf, Milotic!"
"Use Muddy Water again, Vaporean!"
A battle of tidal waves began and both attacks seemed matched in power, neither wave being unable to overpower the other. This cycle repeated as well until both Pokemon no longer had the stamina to use to use it. It was beginning to look quite dire – Vaporean was far too tired now to use Surf and could only use a weak Water Pulse.
Milotic fared worse though – it didn't seem to have any attacks left at all and had resorted to turning its hide into a reflective coating. Dawn wasn't sure what it did, but as long as Vaporean took no damage, she had a chance to win. "Milotic, use Mirror Coat again!" Dawn could see her reflection in the Milotic's hide. Her face looked worried.
"Finish this, Vaporean! Use Water Pulse!" The water had long since receded now and Milotic was unable to hide under water. Vaporean sprayed water onto the floor then used it to slide across, slamming into the Milotic's exposed body. Milotic gave a mournful cry then flopped down. Vaporean collapsed as well. A draw.
Cynthia pressed a button and the two platforms lowered themselves to ground level. She hopped over the railings and Dawn did the same. "It's a… draw…" Cynthia murmured. "In all my years as a trainer, I have never witnessed a tie."
She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't a loss, but it hadn't been a victory either. Did that mean she had to retake the challenge? "What happens next?" She tried to conceal the disappointment in her tone. To her, a draw felt like a failure. "Does that mean I have retake the challenge?"
Cynthia stroked her chin, looking thoughtful. "I don't think that will be required of you. You've already proven that you're capable of defeating them… No, I would think that would be a little redundant." A smile slowly crept across her face. "Battles that end in draws aren't covered in the official league rules, but I think I have a solution that should make everyone happy. But first, let's go someplace else." She took hold of one of Dawn's arms and led her away into another co-joining room.
Cynthia led her down a hallway which had photos of famous trainers on either sides of the walls. Dawn looked at them with interest – she spotted Steven's frame hanging to the left and one of Lance on the other side. "What is this place?" Beneath their photos, was a golden plague of their Pokemon.
"The Hall of Fame. Every league in the world has a place like this – this is where we remember the trainers who conquered the league to become the Champion of their region." She turned to Dawn, smiling. "You have earned the right to have your picture displayed here in this hall."
"But I didn't."
Cynthia chuckled. "But you did not lose either."
"You said you had a solution?"
She nodded. "I believe you and I can rule this region together."
"Two Champions?"
"We can take it in turns. You can have two seasons and I'll take the other two."
A co-joint partnership. It sounded strange, and she wasn't quite sure how it would work, but it seemed like a good idea anyway. That way Cynthia kept her title and could handle the political stuff still. "I wouldn't have to live at the league, would I? I'm not prepared to leave my mother yet."
"You can stay anywhere you like, but it would be preferable to live close to the league." Cynthia fell silent for a few moments before speaking again. "I'm sure Sinnoh can handle having two females in charge," she said, grinning down at Dawn. "But I'm afraid celebrations are going to have to wait – there will be a grand ceremony swearing you in as a Champion, but we must first stop Charon at all costs." The grin on her face faded.
Charon. The true mastermind behind Galactic. He had been the reason for her mother's hospitalization. Her expression darkened. "Do you know where he is?"
"I've received a report that he has established himself on Stark Mountain. We must depart immediately – the Elite Four members will meet us on the island." Celebration? Ceremony? Stark Mountain? "I know you have questions, but you'll have to wait for your answers. We can't waste time here. Charon must be stopped as quickly as possible." Instead of heading back the way they came, Cynthia led Dawn through a secret back door entrance which took them outside. "Did you bring any revive items?"
Dawn remembered the pouch of ashes in her bag and pulled it out. "Here we go."
Cynthia took it, opened it and pinched a few ashes and placed it inside her Togekiss' pokeball then handed it back. Dawn gave a few ashes to her Honchkrow's pokeball to revive the fainted avian. "Let's go."
.
Stark Island would've been a great place to relax if they weren't here on official business. It was similar to Sunyshore's beaches only the island lacked the infrastructure the mainland had. There were some buildings here, but they holiday homes available to be purchased by only the wealthiest of people. Stark Island's main attraction was of course the volcano. It was only half the size of Mt. Coronet, but much wider and far more dangerous.
"Cynthia! Dawn! Glad you both made it!" Flint said, running towards them, the other members of the Elite Four behind him. "Buck and Looker are just up ahead taking shelter in a hut. They've got some news you don't wanna miss! Come on!" He led them to a hut in between a couple of palm trees. He sat down on the ground in between Bertha and Buck and gestured for the two girls to sit down as well.
Looker acknowledged Dawn with a nod. Seeing him again after so long felt strange and she wondered what he was doing here. He had probably heard there was trouble on this island and had come to help out. Buck, a teenage male with a radical hairstyle, leaned forward. His hair was tied up in a ponytail and his bangs were two shades of colours – bright red and yellow.
"This is my brother, Cynthia. He was supposed to be returning home today, but decided to cancel his trip. Why don't you tell us what you saw, Buck?" Flint said, nudging his younger brother in the ribs.
Buck leaned forward to speak. "Well, like my brother said, I was supposed to be coming home today, but I noticed a disturbance on the volcano. I've been interest in volcanos for a long time now and I knew what I saw wasn't natural. Vulcanologists hadn't reported a possible eruption, and they don't believe one is going to happen within the next couple of years, but I saw it coming to life!" Buck blurted out, waving his arms around as he spoke. "And the next thing I felt was a tremor in the ground! I looked up and I saw a few goons in space suits running around, talking about some dude called Charon and Galactic. I don't know who this guy is, but I know the name Galactic."
"Yes, yes, I could not believe my eyes!" Looker added, dusting his jacket of lint. "I thought Galactic were finished, but work is never done for a member of the International Police, no, no, no! I should tell you why I have arrived here. After we parted, I investigated Galactic's hideout. I uncovered Charon's plot. I tried to call the Champion, but the Champion did not reply."
"And so I called Looker on Cynthia's request," Flint said. "It took awhile to convince him I wasn't a spy, but eventually he told me about Galactic's new hiding spot. Charon's got something called a Magma Stone and old tales say that it has the power to control the legendary guardian of the volcano, Heatran. Charon must be planning on using the Pokemon's power to cause Stark Mountain to erupt."
"But he'll kill everyone," Aaron said. "That plan is crazy. Why would he want to do that?"
Flint shrugged. "I don't know, but I guess he wants to mould Galactic into his vision? Who knows what's going through that old man's head?"
"He has to be stopped," Bertha said.
Cynthia murmured in agreement. "I think it would be best if we split up into two groups – That way, we will cover more ground. We'll also have a chance to draw out the guards so we're not all overwhelmed at once." She looked at Dawn. "You're coming with me, Dawn. We'll stick close. Flint, you're coming with us too."
"I'll be happy to guide you up the volcano," Buck said with a wink.
"Buck," Flint warned.
Buck pouted. "I was just being friendly!" he defended then quietened down, noticing everyone was giving him strange looks. "There are multiple paths that will take us to the top, but those are the hiking trails. We don't want to go up them – besides, they're heavily guarded by Galactic people anyway. It would be suicide if we fought them head on."
"We're strong enough to take them," Lucian said.
Buck shook his head. "I don't want to insult your skills, but there's no way we could win. They have the advantage here and we don't. We'd be facing an uphill battle – Charon has an army. They have numbers. We would be better off taking a discreet path and I know just the right ones to take."
"Go on," Bertha said.
"The left path takes you to the other side of the volcano. It'll take you longer, but it's not so steep." Buck turned to face Bertha and cleared his throat. "Uh, no offense, but you might want to take that path, since, you know, it'll be less tough on your legs."
Bertha smiled. "That's fine, dear boy. I appreciate your concern."
Aaron raised his hand. "I'll go with Bertha."
"I will accompany them as well," Lucian said.
"I will lead the way," Looker stated.
Cynthia brought a fingernail to her lower lip. "What's the other path like?"
"It'll take less than an hour to reach Charon's main base, but it's a steep hike," Buck answered. Flint groaned inwardly and Dawn couldn't help but feeling like groaning too. Another mountainous climb towards a dangerous area. She'd done enough walking up mountains to last her the rest of a lifetime. Her Pokemon were lucky they didn't have to walk up.
"Then it's settled. We will meet up with you at the top then," Cynthia said. "Stay safe everyone. Do not do anything rash." Buck started walking towards the path on the right and Looker took his group to the left. The groups exchanged quick goodbyes and parted ways. "All right, Buck. Lead the way."
Buck quickened his pace, leading his group towards a narrow path in between the thick vegetation. Dawn would've missed it if he hadn't been here. The boy must've spent a fair few months exploring the place since he seemed to know exactly where he was going. Their path took them on a scenic upwards climb of rivers, flora and fauna. She was thankful for all the exercise she had done in the past year otherwise she doubted she wouldn't have lasted this long.
They continued walking upwards. The path was steeper here, and Dawn felt the burn in her muscles becoming more noticeable with each step she took. Each step seemed tougher than the previous one. Hiking had never been her speciality. She developed a new deep respect for hikers now realizing just how difficult an activity like this was. Cynthia and Flint were also panting heavily, but their legs continued to move.
"Keep on breathing, Flint… That's the key… Just keep breathing…" she heard Flint mutter.
"Oh, don't be such a baby, brother!" Buck called over his shoulder, a wide smirk on his face. "I guess all that time at the league has made you lazy! You ought to get out more you know." He picked up his tempo, beginning to pull away from the rest of the group.
Flint snarled. "Buck! Stop showing off!"
"You're just jealous because you're not as fit as me."
"Keep on dreaming, little brother."
Buck sniggered and increased his pace up the mountain, pulling away from the group, much to Flint's annoyance. The Fire-type master muttered something about 'annoying little brothers' and chased after him, leaving the two girls on their own. Dawn stopped for a few moments to recollect her breath, pressing a hand against a tree trunk. Cynthia stopped besides her. "Are you all right, Dawn? Don't push yourself too hard."
She nodded. "I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all."
"We'll be there soon. Just try to keep your mind focused on something else and you won't notice your exhaustion as much." Cynthia moved away from the tree and continued walking upwards. Dawn gave herself a few more moments then ascended up the path again. It didn't take long for them to meet up with the two brothers again – they had stopped, and both boys were peering up at a purple-haired woman. Jupiter.
"You shouldn't be here," she said. Unlike last time, she wasn't with mock disgust – in fact, she actually looked relieved to see them which was strange considering their relationship.
Cynthia pushed in between Buck and Flint and glared up at Jupiter. "We're here to stop Charon."
"Stop Charon?" She forced out a dry laugh. "He can't be stopped. The end of the world has already begun…" Bringing her hands to her face, she rubbed her temples then lowered her hands. She was actually trembling. "I should've left when I had the chance… But he's gone too far… He's mad, you know… Charon. He's going to kill us all." A frightened sob left her.
Either the woman was a good actor or she was actually terrified for her life. It was such a stark contrast to her earlier behaviour though that Dawn wasn't sure whether to take her seriously or not. Cynthia approached her cautiously, holding up a hand to prevent the boys from following. "You're talking about the Magma Stone."
Jupiter's bottom lip trembled. "I… I didn't want to believe it… I thought he was going to rebuild Galactic… to fix up the mess Cyrus left behind… But he's making it so much worse… And now he's teamed up with her…" Her face paled. Another fearful sob escaped her, her eyes resting on Dawn's face. "Charon has your father. He has him bound in rope."
Her thoughts went back to the phone call she had received before entering Victory Road. Cyrus had said he was perfectly all right and so was her mother and Dawn had believed him… But that was false information. It explained how Paul was able to find her so easily. Charon must've forced Cyrus into giving up information. She didn't even want to begin thinking about what the old man might've done to her father.
"Where is he?" she blurted. She had saved him in the Distortion World with Cynthia's assistance, and now he was in danger again, this time held captive by someone who had once worked for him. The possibility of losing him dawned on her and almost brought on tears – she hadn't saved him just to lose him so soon.
"Jupiter, can you take us to Charon?" Cynthia demanded.
"Cynthia, we can't trust her! This could just be an act!" Flint protested.
Dawn bit down on her lower lip, curling her fingers into fists, letting them hang loosely at her sides. Charon's actions had almost killed her mother. His actions had almost resulted in the death of her father in the Distortion World. Now he was trying to kill him again. It was becoming quite personal now and she didn't want Charon to escape justice. "You helped Charon bring harm to my family and friends," she said slowly. "Why should we trust you?"
"It's the one good thing I can do."
"We should take her in. Lock her behind bars. Let her rot," Buck said.
Cynthia studied Jupiter's face then shook her head. "No. She comes with us." Flint opened his mouth to argue, but Cynthia shook her head. "I need you to trust in me, Flint. I need you to trust in your Champion." He closed his mouth and took a step back, but Buck wasn't so easily persuaded.
"This is an act!"
Flint held his brother back. "Drop it, Buck. Save your energy for the real fight."
Buck stopped fighting against his brother's grip and pulled himself free. He wasn't happy, but at least he didn't try to create more problems. "Fine."
"Let's go."
.
Cyrus picked himself up groggily from the ground, his head and body reeling from pain. Charon stood at the edge, cradling the precious Magma Stone in his arms, a triumphant sneer on his face. Crobat remained tied to the pole, bloodied and broken, but at least he was still alive, unlike his other Pokemon. They were dead and it was fault. More lives lost. Was he going to leave a bloody trail everywhere he went?
"Ah, I see you've awaken!" Charon said, turning around to walk away from the ledge, to kneel at Cyrus's side. "I was going to use the iron rod again, but I see that is no longer necessary. You should've perished in the Distortion World – that was supposed to be your fate." Charon put the Magma Stone down on the ground and leaned in close. "You won't be so lucky this time."
Cyrus remained silent, daring himself not to speak a word. It hadn't been too long ago he had been faced with death and here he was again, the threat of death looming over him once more. He wasn't sure if he'd make it out alive this time either and if by some miracle that he did survive, he was sure he'd be locked up behind bars. Although, being in a cell would be quite luxurious to the hell he was in right now.
Mars burst in, rushing towards Charon, an expression of fear on her face. "Charon! We've spotted intruders on the far side of the volcano! They're coming this way!"
Charon stood up, his brows knotted in frustration. "Intruders? Who are they? Tell me!"
"Three brats from the Elite Four and one shady man in a coat!"
He felt a glimmer of hope. The Elite Four. Well, three of them. Somehow they had received word about Galactic's new location. Perhaps he'd get out of this alive in one piece after all, but the damage had been already been done. Even if he lived, the lives of the Pokemon he had lost could not be brought back.
"And why was this not brought to my attention earlier?!"
Mars paled. "We… we didn't know, Master Charon. They took a secret path, one we didn't know about."
"I'm surrounded by idiots!" Charon complained, throwing the Magma Stone to the floor. "Idiots! All of you!"
"Master Charon?"
"Call for Hunter J! I will have her beaten for this!"
Mars ran out to find the woman then returned several moments later. Hunter J didn't seem worried at all, rather, she seemed to find the entire event quite amusing. "You called for me, Charon?"
Charon stormed over to her, stabbing a finger in her face. "Your apprentice failed in his simple mission. He was supposed to have brought the girl here without earning the attention of the league! You have failed in your task! Guards! Guards! Tie this woman up and have her taken away!" A group of grunts hurried in, but they did not act to arrest Hunter J. "What are you doing? I gave you an order!"
"During our little torturing session, the grunts decided that you are unfit to rule," Hunter J said, moving towards Charon, the group of four grunts remaining close to her side. "They are afraid you will do the same to them in time. They fear you are becoming a tyrant. Therefore, they have made the decision to leave. They will be coming with me."
Charon's eyes narrowed into slits. "You… dare to betray me?"
"I was never loyal to you, Charon. You just thought I was. Don't you know you can never play games with a woman and expect to win?" She walked over to the fallen Magma Stone and picked it up with both hands. "I'll be taking this with me – I'm sure it will fetch a nice price on the market. Goodbye Charon. We will not meet again." She turned to leave, but before she did, she looked at Cyrus and winked. "Thank you for the Pokemon parts. Do not be concerned - I will ensure they fetch the highest price." She left, the group of grunts tagging along closely. Mars looked at Charon then at Hunter J's retreating figure then back to Charon again. She looked hesitant.
"Stay with me, Mars." He held out a hand, offering it to her.
Mars looked at it then took a step back. "I… I don't think so."
"I have always supported you, Mars. I have always known your true potential."
She seemed to be considering it, but then shook her head. "You are right, Master Charon, but without an army, or the Magma Stone, you have nothing. You can't protect me – you can't protect yourself." She sprinted away.
"Commander!"
But Mars was already gone. It brought him a sense of satisfaction knowing Charon had been betrayed in the same manner as he had been – but there was one thing that kept him apart from Charon. He wasn't alone. Charon had no one. He had no legacy to leave behind. Still, despite the betrayal, the prospect of death was still very high. Charon had been defeated, but he still had the power to kill him if he needed to.
Severely weakened and bound to rope, Cyrus was defenceless. If Charon decided to come at him with a weapon of some sort, he'd be powerless to stop him. The same thought must've occurred to him too. Charon closed his eyes and bowed his head in prayer. "I… I have failed… I have failed to avenge my beloved Rotom… Forgive me, my friend." He opened his eyes and stared down at Cyrus.
"You'll die here today," Cyrus said.
"And I will die with the satisfaction knowing that I died for a noble cause – for love." Charon turned away to walk over to the ledge again, glancing down at the lava pit below. Cyrus couldn't see it, but Charon had often waved the Magma Stone over the ledge that he knew there was lava down there. "You may think of me as a man who was selfish and cruel, but that's what love does. It drives us to achieve great things. It gives us the strength to carry on living until death claims us. Why we love, no one knows why – it's an unexplainable, but powerful force."
A Pokemon. Charon had been a trainer at some point in his lifetime and the loss of his companion had led him down this path. To a certain extent, he could see where the man was coming from, but to sacrifice those who bore no connection to Rotom? He supposed Charon had lost himself the day Rotom had perished and instead of moving on, he wanted to avenge him instead, holding onto the belief it would cure the pain. If Charon had been able to forgive himself, perhaps this mess wouldn't have happened. Perhaps.
"Dad!" Cyrus turned his gaze away from Charon's back, focusing his eyes on the main entrance. Dawn and behind her was Cynthia. It was like a repeat of the Distortion World all over again only this time he was fighting on the right side. Dawn hurried over and dropped down, her hands immediately moving to the rope binding him. She tried to rip it apart, but it was too strong. Bringing a hand down to her pokebelt, she brought out a Pokemon. A Torterra appeared and immediately started gnawing on the rope.
Charon did nothing. He stood and watched perplexed by the sight. The knowledge his death was soon to come had calmed the fire in his stomach. The will to carry on fighting had faded. "It's over, Charon," Cynthia said. "Your plans are no more."
Torterra finished biting through the ropes. They fell to the blood-stained ground. Freedom. The giant tortoise then moved over to ram the pole Crobat was tied to over while Dawn tried to help him to his feet. She struggled to pick him up and he felt far too weak to stand on his own. She fumbled around for another pokeball and brought out her Honchkrow. Seeing Honchkrow was a painful reminder of his own bird who had been killed as a result of Charon's grief.
"We're going to get you out of here," Dawn said. With the aid of Torterra, Dawn managed to get him on Honchkrow's back.
"Sunyshore City," Cyrus said. "Take me home." He hadn't set foot in that city for a long time and returning to his hometown of birth felt strange. But he had a reason to go back. Family. Charon had been right about something – love was a funny thing. It came in multiple forms yet its power remained the same. "What are you going to do about Charon? We can't just leave him here."
"We'll lock him up behind bars and interrogate him," Cynthia answered. "I have a few questions I'd like to ask him relating to the Distortion World, Giratina and a few other things."
Charon snorted. "I will not give you the satisfaction of having your questions answered. You believe you have won, but victory is just a temporary thing. Enjoy it for now – you'll meet your end soon. Sinnoh will never be at peace." He took a step towards the edge, beads of sweat dripping down his face. "Eventually, you luck will run out."
"Step away from the edge, Charon," Cynthia said.
"You expect me to surrender, and spend the remaining years of my life behind bars, so you can interrogate me?" Craning his neck back, he laughed then brought it down again. "I will die on my own terms with the knowledge it was my choice." Turning around to face the crater, he raised his arms, and stretched them to his sides, drawing in a deep breath. "This is my decision. This is my choice. This is my salvation."
"Charon!" Cynthia called. Charon jumped, plummeting down into the bubbling pit below, maddened laughter filling the air. The mountain trembled, and pieces of dirt clinging to the walls began to fall, as the vibration intensified. The volcano's guardian had awakened.
"We should leave," Cyrus said, in between heavy breaths. "Heatran may believe we are the ones responsible for taking the Magma Stone," he added. No one argued with him.
"But what about the volcano? If it erupts…" Dawn trailed.
"We can't worry about for the moment – we do not even know where the Magma Stone is," Cynthia said. "Come, let us depart."