Thanks to mirrorkinomoto for reviewing the previous chapter
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Chapter Twenty Five: Guardian of the Skies
She hadn't even set foot on Ecruteak soil, when she heard her name called out. Looking down on the world below, she noticed Morty (of course) and five kimono girls standing there, glancing up at her. Staraptor landed and she climbed off. "Professor Elm told me it was urgent. What has happened?"
"Strange things have been happening since you last left us," Morty said, supplying an answer. "We've experienced some light showers and each one has produced a rainbow. Do you know what this means? Ho-Oh has returned!" His bright blue eyes were sparkling. Lyra couldn't help but feel incredibly excited as well.
"Ho-Oh circles the city high above in the clouds. Now is the right time to bring the bird to land on top of Bell Tower," Naoko said. "You will be the one to do this."
"Wh-what? Me?"
Naoko nodded. "Throughout your journey, you have proven to Ho-Oh, you are a trainer with a pure heart. You helped two of my sisters find their way out of the Ice Path and Ilex Forest. You saved the Slowpoke when you could've just let someone else do it instead. You lost your first two gym battles, but you persevered and won the rematches."
Zuni stepped forward. "We also know that you spared the Red Gyarados at the Lake of Rage."
"And you hatched the egg we gave to Professor Elm," another kimono girl said. Lyra noticed a name badge. Miki.
"You defeated Team Rocket and drove them out of these lands," another kimono girl said. She couldn't tell which one was which. Fortunately, these girls had name badges as well. Her name was Sayo.
The final kimono girl stepped forward. Kuni. "You have maximized the bond with your Pokemon."
Naoko spoke again, handing Lyra an orange sized bell. "This is the Clear Bell. Stand on top of the tower and ring the bell three times. You'll need to hold up the Rainbow Wing you received from the radio director, Stanley as well."
The Rainbow Wing. She had forgotten she even had. "Oh, I thought it was just a pretty souvenir."
"The Rainbow Wing comes from Ho-oh itself," Morty said. "It fell from its wing many centuries ago. It's been passed down from generation to generation until it ended up in the hands of Red. He released Ho-Oh though and ever since then, Ho-Oh has been searching for the next worthy trainer." He smiled at her.
"We have already informed the guard you will be arriving," Zuni said.
"We'll be waiting for you when you return!" Morty added.
Lyra nodded. She felt like she needed to prove her worth still, but the kimono girls seemed more than satisfied with her list of achievements. At least this would give her some time away from her Lance drama. She said her goodbyes and headed towards the Bell Tower. Unlike before, this time she could see the form of the legendary bird flying high above the peak. Would Ho-Oh come down or was this just someone's idea of a cruel joke?
Pushing negative thoughts aside, Lyra strolled towards the entrance. The old man who had explained to her the history of the city stepped aside as soon as his eyes laid on her. "Welcome, Lyra. Naoko has told me everything. Please, go ahead." He bowed his head respectfully, and Lyra returned a warm smile. Once inside, the old man moved to his original spot. Lyra found herself wondering if the man did that all day and all night long.
The walk towards the tower entrance was a magical experience. It felt like taking a step into another world where everything seemed way too perfect to be real. Leaves that had fallen from the coloured trees made up the pathway, crunching under feet as she walked over them. Soothing melodies of birdsong filled her ears as she continued on the path. As she drew closer, the tower seemed to become larger.
She assumed the Burned Tower looked like the Bell Tower in its glory days. A pagoda-style archway was built in front of the main building, and strangely enough there were no guards in sight. The man at the entrance in Ecruteak City seemed to be the only person guarding the place. Five floors made up the pagoda-structured building with the largest floor on the bottom. The walls were white, and the tiled roofs a dark shade of blue.
Finally, she arrived at the main door. The doors were open. Lyra suspected the old man had them unlocked specifically for her arrival. She stepped inside. The interior of the building reminded her of Sprout Tower back in Violet City – empty inside, not even one statue or painting to look at. It seemed like the place was devoid of any modern age art, and Lyra suspected that was the case to keep the place sacred.
She spotted a ladder leading up to the fifth floor. It didn't look safe at all, but she had no other choice but to go up it. Placing her hands on the rung above her head, she hoisted herself up and started to climb. Pain erupted in the upper right hand shoulder, but she continued to climb. Turning back now would mean turning back on Ho-Oh and this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to catch the wild legendary bird.
Ascending upwards for what felt like hours, Lyra finally reached the uppermost floor. She climbed off the ladder, rolled onto her back and lay motionless for a couple of minutes to catch her breath. Once she had stopped panting like an exhausted Houndour, she picked herself up the floor, dusted her dress and made her way to the balcony. Outside, she was immediately greeted by a strong breeze, which almost knocked her over. A loud, harsh cry coming from above made her arch her neck back. There! Up above with the clouds was a magnificent phoenix.
"Here goes nothing… I sure hope this works," she mumbled, removing the Rainbow Wing and Clear Bell from her bag. She walked a couple of inches towards the edge of the balcony, holding the two items up high. Another breeze blew, causing the bell to chime. Its melody was soothing and Lyra found herself feeling quite relaxed. There was another chime followed by an eager squawk. Rather than take in the scenery around her, Lyra trained her eyes on the legendary bird.
It dove towards her. Her eyes widened. The bird was large up high above, but now that it was rapidly descending, Lyra noticed the bird was one of the biggest Pokemon she had ever seen, only dwarfed by a Steelix and Onix. Its massive nine-foot wings were pinned against the bird's red-feathered body, as it hurtled towards the tower like a comet hitting the region. Ho-Oh landed on top of the tower, gripping onto the slope with strong talons. The bird stretched its wings out, peering down at her with black ringed, intimidating red eyes.
Lyra wasn't sure how to address the great bird. No one had ever told her how to greet a legendary Pokemon. She stared up at it, unable to pull her eyes away from the bird's sheer beauty. Although she knew what the Pokemon was called, she held up her Pokedex anyway.
Ho-oh. Legends claim this Pokemon flies the world's skies continuously on its magnificent seven-coloured wings.
Lyra didn't see seven colours – she only saw five colours: gold, red, yellow, white and green. Perhaps the Pokedex could see something her eyes couldn't. Ho-Oh continued to look down at her, unmoving. Was the bird expecting a battle? How was she supposed to beat a legendary anyway? She moved her hands down to her belt, reaching for Toto's pokeball. Ho-Oh tilted its head to the side. Lyra withdrew her hand, unsure.
Wait. The master ball. Hadn't Professor Elm mentioned the ball could catch anything without fail?Ho-Oh didn't look like it wanted to fight, but this could simply be a trick. Besides, if she was going to put the ball to good use, she was going to use it on a truly special Pokemon. She pulled out her bag and searched inside looking for the flashy purple ball. There. She put the Clear Bell and Rainbow Wing back inside, withdrawing the master ball. "Please don't get mad at me," she said in a low voice, as she brought her arm back. Ho-Oh made a high-pitched cry again, almost making Lyra drop it. Fortunately, she held on then threw it forward. The ball sparkled as it sailed through the air.
The ball hit the Ho-Oh's chest and bounced off, landing on the ground. The lid opened and a bright red light encased the legendary. Ho-Oh was pulled into the ball. The ball didn't even rock once. Ho-Oh, the legendary bird of the infamous Ecruteak tale, had been caught. She stared down at the ball. Now what? She wasn't going to use the legendary in the league challenge, but she could sense Ho-Oh's eagerness to battle.
She bent down, picked up the ball and placed it in her bag, then made her way back down the ladder. Going down seemed to take less time than going up had, and she soon found herself back on safe ground again. It didn't take her too long to return to Ecruteak City. The kimono girls and Morty were waiting for her at the main entrance.
"You did it, didn't you?" Naoko said, smiling.
Lyra nodded. "I just used the master ball. Ho-Oh deserves nothing less."
"You didn't fight at all?" Morty asked, perplexed. "Why wouldn't you fight?"
Lyra shrugged. "Ho-Oh didn't seem interested in fighting. It just sat there, looking at me. Legendaries only approach trainers if they find you are a pure hearted trainer, right? So what's the point in battling then? The Pokemon knows you're pure-hearted, so you shouldn't have to fight. It wouldn't be proving anything."
"That's… an interesting perspective," Morty replied. "I guess that's why Ho-Oh never appeared to me."
"Are you going to use Ho-Oh in your league challenge?" Zuni asked.
"No, that doesn't seem right," Lyra answered. "I do plan to use Ho-Oh in a battle, and I know just the person."
Naoko smiled again, pulling Lyra into a hug. "Whoever you decide to battle against using Ho-Oh, I know it will change that trainer. Good luck in your challenge, Lyra!"
Sayo nodded. "You may lack long years of experience, but the bond you share with your Pokemon, will always be stronger. I wish you all the very best in your journey to the top."
"The Champion and the Elite Four await you, Lyra," Morty said, giving Lyra a handshake. "We will be rooting for you on the television screen."
"Television screen?" Lyra blurted. "You mean my challenge is going to be filmed?"
Morty lifted a brow. "You're special, Lyra. You defeated Team Rocket, remember? Everyone is going to want to see the heroine of Johto in action. I would recommend taking on the league when your Pokemon are strong enough. Going in under levelled will only result in a loss. If your Pokemon are at good levels, you'll breeze through the league if you can develop a good counter-attacking strategy. Remember, everyone in Johto and Kanto will be watching you. The backlash will be incredible if you lose."
Talk about pressure, she thought. She had hoped to take on the league a few times over to develop strategies to defeat them. But if everyone was going to watching her every move… then perhaps following Morty's advice would be wise. "What do you suggest I do, then?"
"Before you set off for Victory Road, why don't you visit all the gym leaders? They'll all have advice for you," Morty said. "As gym leaders, we know more about the Elite Four and the Champion than anyone else in the region. If you're interested in training, I'd suggest heading over to the waterfall in between the Safari Zone and Cianwood City. There's some tough Pokemon up there."
"Thanks for the advice."
He smiled. "Well, I've given you my advice for the league. The others will tell you more. Farewell!" The five Kimono sisters each gave Lyra a parting hug before Lyra climbed onto her Staraptor's back. She had never felt so excited to travel to someplace new before. Travelling to the Indigo Plateau… the very place where Champions were made. The Elite Four would be waiting for her… and so would Lance.
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The past week had taken Lyra on a journey around Johto. She met up with all the gym leaders she had defeated (with the exception of Clair because she couldn't be found), and picked up some valuable advice for the challenge ahead. Falkner and Bugsy told her about the Elite Four members, Will, Koga, Bruno and Karen while Whitney and Chuck explained how Lyra could win. Pryce simply told Lyra to believe in herself and in her Pokemon, but visiting Jasmine had been the most memorable.
"He came to me earlier this week to talk about you," Jasmine said. "He cares about you a great deal, Lyra even if he's not willing to admit that out loud yet."
"He talked to you about me?" Lyra repeated, feeling a little shocked. "I can't say I'm too surprised though. Our last conversation didn't end on a happy note," she added, tone laced with guilt. If she could turn back time to fix up one error, it would be the conversation she had with the Champion before heading home.
"I know you're unhappy with him, but he has been working hard to make up for those mistakes. I can't tell you what to do next, Lyra – all I can say is we all make mistakes, but we can make things right again. That's all the advice I can give to you. Good luck."
Meeting up with Lance again was going to be an awkward experience, Lyra thought. But it was something she had to overcome. She set foot on the Johto-Kanto border when she was suddenly approached by a rather chubby man. She spotted food stains smeared all over the front of his shirt. "Uh, hello?" she said politely.
"You're Lyra, aren't you? I've seen you on television!" The man stuck out his hand, urging Lyra to take it. She did reluctantly, wincing as he shook it firmly. "Do you know what you just did? You just stepped into Kanto region! You being here tell me you are heading towards the Indigo Plateau. I've got some information to tell you."
"Uh, ok."
The man beamed a toothy grin. "Victory Road is just up ahead, but you'll need more than just strong Pokemon to get you through. You need to have Pokemon that know how to push boulders, smash rocks, climb waterfalls and cross whirlpools to get make it to the league building."
Well, that was a problem, Lyra thought. "My Pokemon only can only do one of those things." None of her current Pokemon could swim across whirlpools.
He pointed to a small wooden cabin nearby. "That's no problem! You're allowed to take one supporting Pokemon anyway so choose a Pokemon that can handle all that. Just step inside this building over here and you can make any changes necessary. Don't worry once you make it to the league you'll be able to change your line up again. Go for it, Lyra! I'll be watching you on the screen!"
She smiled then moved over to the cabin. Stepping inside the cabin, she immediately made her way to the Pokemon storage system. Entering her log on details, she brought up the screen.
"What would you like to do?" said a robotic female voice.
Lyra clicked on the 'deposit' button. The screen brought up a box of her stored Pokemon and a smaller box with her current team. Togepi, Ho-Oh, Red Gyarados, Shiny Dratini and Paras rested in the storage area. There was a whirring noise as two pokeball transfer slots emerged from the machine.
It was difficult to choose a Pokemon to sacrifice since she wanted to take them all with her, but someone had to be left off. "All right, I'll select Red Gyarados as my support." She selected the avatar for the Gyarados and seconds later, the pokeball emerged.
Now she was faced with another dilemma. She wanted to use Ho-Oh for this part, but that would mean making a change to her team. The thought of parting with any of her current Pokemon didn't sit well with her – after all, she had experienced a lot with them – but what had to be done, had to be done. Decisions, decisions. It was only going to be for a short time though, but who to swap out?
Ho-Oh was a fire-type and a flying-type so swapping Staraptor or Growlithe was the best obvious choice. Growlithe still needed a bit of extra experience though, so she decided to exchange Staraptor for the legendary. "Sorry, Staraptor. I'll bring you back once I reach the league." One bird for another. She placed Staraptor's ball in the transfer slot. Moments later, Ho-Oh appeared. She scooped up the ball and placed it in her bag then exited the cabin.
She turned her attention to the intimidating cave across the water. There was a golden archway reading 'Victory Road' just before the entrance. Lyra took in a deep breath and headed towards the next pool of water. She didn't get very far when she heard a cry of frustration coming from a clearing within the trees. Curious, drew closer.
There was a bush in the way and unfortunately Lyra didn't have Paras with her, but she could see over it. She spotted Eusine standing a few feet away all alone talking to himself. "You refuse me now, Suicine… but you will be mine. I made a promise to continue his work and I never break promises. I will find you again!"
Lyra couldn't help herself. She called out his name. "Eusine!"
His head jerked in her direction. "So, you made it to Victory Road after all."
Well, that was less than friendly greeting. "You're still chasing after Suicine."
"Indeed," he said with a nod. "I told you I would never stop." He moved towards the bush, eyes never leaving her face, looking at her with newfound wonder as if she was a legendary herself. "But Suicine continues to refuse me… and I wonder if it's because of your existence? Suicine has chosen you, but if I defeat you in battle and remove you from this world, then Suicine will move on and choose someone else."
Lyra stepped back, uncertain. There was a maddened gleam in his eyes that hadn't been visible before when she encountered him in Cianwood. The obsession to make Suicine his had consumed him. She could feel Ho-Oh's rage emanating from her master ball. Obviously, Ho-Oh could sense the man's intentions towards Suicine were not good. "I am not easily defeated, Eusine."
A slow smile crossed his face. "You will fall, Lyra. All great heroes do. Allow me to congratulate you on your excellent victory against Team Rocket – I was beginning to tire of that fool's nonsensical blabbering."
"Are you in league with Team Rocket?" she said softly.
"I had hoped Archer would defeat you, but it seems he was too weak to complete the task." He sighed. "But I do not need his help to defeat you."
Lyra's jaw tightened. "Then battle me."
He laughed. "Do you take me for a fool? Now is not the right time to battle. I will wait until the time is right. Now go on and claim the title that you are destined to take. We will meet again, Lyra." He chuckled, sending a cold chill down her spine. She was tempted to defeat him right now but she couldn't get pass the prickly bush. "Goodbye."
Discussion over. Eusine wasn't going to say another word and she couldn't get to him. She had no choice but to push aside Eusine's threats and continue on to Victory Road to reach the league. Archer had been right about one thing – peace never lasted forever.
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Overcoming the obstacles Victory Road presented was a challenge unlike any she had faced before. She had lost count of how many times she had to push boulders out of her way, and how many wrong turns she had taken. Sometimes she took a turn thinking it would lead her to the upper level, only to find she had walked into another dead end. Her Pokemon seemed just as agitated as her, venting their frustrations on inanimate objects.
Her Red Gyarados smashed another rock, letting out a ferocious spine-tingling roar. Although the Pokemon was much calmer than it had been when she first encountered it, he was still prone to violent outbursts. Thankfully, it never turned his rage on her, but it was still rather a nerve-wrecking experience being in the presence of a raging Gyarados.
"Oh no, we've been here before!" she exclaimed, pointing at a rock. Toto had marked it with three long lines earlier. "We're going around in circles!" Her shoulders slumped. How on earth was she supposed to make it to the league? The Elite Four members and Lance were probably waiting for her to walk through those doors right now. "Ugh."
What was even more annoying than getting lost was that there appeared to be no trainers present in Victory Road. She had hoped to ask another trainer for directions, but unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen. Had no one else managed to make it this far in recent times? She would've thought there would've been a handful of them trying to stop other people from reaching the league.
She walked around some more thankful the cave was brightly lit. At least there was something positive to say about the caves. Now if only someone would nicely put in some signs directing people where to go… Eventually, she found a ladder leading up to the second floor. The second floor was just as confusing. There was a cliff facing her, and a path leading south and one leading north. "Eh, which one to take? Eenie, meenie, miny moe, catch a Sentret by the tail, if it screams, let it go, eenie, meenie, miny… moe!" Her finger landed on the southern path. "South it is then."
She made her way down the southern path, following a road that never seemed to end. It took her up on the cliff top, but the path seemed like it was going nowhere. She wondered if she had taken the wrong path, and briefly considered backtracking until she found another ladder. "Thank Arceus," she said, relieved. Climbing up the ladder, she felt a sense of triumph. Some progress had been made!
Now she was on the third floor and she hoped this was the final one. By this point in time, she had grown sick of caves. All the caves looked exactly the same. At least when she was travelling from one city to the next, the routes varied. There was always something to see outside. She headed towards the eastern path, after reaching a junction. North or east. This time, she decided to take the northern path.
There was a hole leading down waiting for her. Lyra dropped to her knees and looked down. Down below, she spotted a murky brown potion. Another move to help her defeat the Elite Four? There was no way she was going to let this opportunity go by, so she dropped down and retrieved it. "Earthquake," she said, reading the words imprinted on a tiny label. Had someone mistakenly dropped it? Now, how to get back to where I was, she thought, looking around.
Fortunately, there was a ladder nearby. She climbed up it, pushed aside a boulder and soon found herself back on the second floor again with the cliff. Once again, she headed down the southern path feeling a sense of déjà vu. It didn't take her long to reach the third level and return to where she had been moments before. She reached the junction and took the eastern path, which led her past three rocks. "Gyarados, use Rock Smash!"
Gyarados happily obliged, and rammed his body into the rocks, smashing them into bits. Behind the third rock was another bottle. It was a deep shade of purple. Lyra picked it up. "Dark Pulse." She placed it in her bag then continued making her way to the east. Up ahead, she saw a light which could only mean one thing – the exit of Victory Road was just ahead. A smile crossed her face. Finally.
"Wait right there, chump. You're not going anywhere."
She froze. That voice… could it be? Silver? Turning around she spotted the familiar long-red haired boy standing behind her, a sneer on his face. "I was beginning to wonder when you would show up," she said, trying her hardest to conceal the edge in her voice by acting calmly. Why did it have to be right now when she was so close to reaching the league?
He stepped forward. "So you managed to defeat Team Rocket, but I don't care. Defeating them doesn't mean you're strong. They were already weak to begin with, just like you." He raised a finger and pointed it at her. "You want to challenge the league? Don't even bother, you're not strong enough. I'll take your place instead, so just hand me your badges now and I won't have to hurt you."
"I'm not giving you my hard earned badges."
He spat at the ground. "Fine. I'll just have to take them off you by force then. Go, Sneasel!" He summoned a Pokemon that looked like a cross between a weasel and a feline. It had blue dark blue fur, and three red feathers for a tail. What captured Lyra's attention were the long sharp claws on both the Pokemon's hands. She pulled out her Pokedex for information.
Sneasel. Its paws conceal sharp claws. If attacked, it suddenly extends the claws and startles its enemy.
She put the item away back into her bag. "You got lucky the last time we battled in Ecruteak, but I'm not going to let your tricks get the better of me." She glanced down at her Pokemon and selected the master ball. This was the moment she had been waiting for.
"I will defeat you and I will become the world's greatest trainer!"
"A great trainer isn't about pure power, Silver! It's about maximising the bond with your Pokemon!"
Silver scowled. "I'm not weak-hearted like you. Power is everything. Winning is all that matters!"
"Is that why you hate Team Rocket so much? Because you're so alike?" She knew that comment would sting.
His eyes widened. "How dare you compare me to that filth?"
Lyra threw her pokeball onto the ground a few feet in front of her. The ball popped open and a red light emerged, temporarily blinding all present. The light faded and Ho-Oh appeared, fixing its red eyes on the Sneasel. Sneasel seemed to cower under the legendary's gaze. It was as if Ho-Oh was the king of a kingdom and Sneasel just a commoner, forced to kneel before the leader. "Ho-Oh, use Fire Blast!" An overpowering burst of fire erupted from the bird's mouth, setting the Sneasel alight.
"No… no way! Why would a legendary want to submit itself to a weakling like you?!" Silver raged, as Sneasel fainted. Lyra thought she caught a glimpse of fear in his dark eyes, but it was gone just as quick. He drew out his next Pokemon, a Magneton. Ho-Oh used Fire Blast again and Magneton fainted before it could even use an attack of its own. "But it doesn't matter. I. Am. Not. Giving. Up!" He was becoming desperate now; Lyra could see the panic in his eyes.
"You will never become strong if you continue following this path, Silver!" Ho-Oh crowed, flapping its massive wings. It beat its wings so hard Silver had a hard time staying upright. "Do you want to be like Team Rocket by mistreating your Pokemon?"
He hissed. "I am not Team Rocket!"
"You stole a Pokemon!" Ho-Oh flapped its wings again, echoing Lyra's anger. This time, Silver actually toppled over.
"I stole two Pokemon!" he blurted, trying to pick himself back up again, but Ho-Oh wouldn't allow him to. Every time he tried, Ho-Oh beat him down again with a powerful gust. "I beat up some trainer for his Sneasel and I don't regret it!" he spat.
Lyra shook her head sadly. "The hate you feel… it corrupts you and your Pokemon."
He summoned a Golbat this time. Lyra knew a little bit about Golbat's since she had a Zubat for a short time. Golbat's only evolved into Crobats when peak happiness had been fulfilled. "Stop talking! Fight me! Golbat, use Air Cutter!" Golbat dashed forward, slashing at Ho-Oh's wings, as if the bat's wings were knives.
"Ho-Oh, use Extrasensory!" Ho-Oh closed its eyes, as a pink glow shrouded the bird. It opened its eyes several seconds later. Golbat thrashed wildly in the air, acting like it had been attacked in the air. It fell to the ground, eyes rolled back into its head. "You'll never win like this, Silver! I can help you!" Wasn't that her purpose after all? To help people find themselves again? Wasn't that what Lance's grandfather had said?
Silver summoned his forth Pokemon, a Haunter. Although it had now evolved, it was still the same Pokemon that had made her unconscious all those long years ago. "No! No one can help me!" he screamed, stamping the ground. "My father tried to help me, but all he wanted was to use me as a tool for his own purposes! I am not Giovanni! I am not my father's son!"
And there it was the truth behind Silver's hostility. All the pieces fell into place. Silver hated Team Rocket because his father had been the mastermind behind the organization. The boy had probably been raised to think ill of everyone else but himself. No wonder he was so bitter all the time. "No, you're not. You can be better than that. Treating your Pokemon with love and care is the only way you'll ever become stronger." Ho-Oh echoed her words, by crowing loudly. It beat its wings again, conjuring a temporary rainbow which filled the cave. It made her wonder – had all the rainbows she had seen as a kid been of Ho-Oh's creation? "Ho-Oh, use Extrasensory again!"
Silver didn't issue an order for his Pokemon to counter-attack – he just stood there, shocked. "It can't end like this… I am strong…" Haunter was struck by an invisible force and fainted in the same way Golbat had. Silver was left with only two Pokemon now, the first Pokemon he stole and another he had caught. He brought out a bipedal Pokemon, which looked a bit like a golden lizard standing on two legs. It held a spoon in its right hand.
Lyra held out her pokedex having never seen anything like it before.
Kadabra. The evolved form of Abra. It possesses strong spiritual power. The more danger it faces, the stronger its psychic power.
Ho-Oh didn't know the right moves to cause the Pokemon to faint in one hit, but the bird was certainly strong enough to endure anything the Kadabra threw at it.
"Kadabra… use Psybeam!"
"Ho-Oh, use Fire Blast!"
The two attacks collided, but Ho-Oh's immense power forced it back. Kadabra was shrouded in flames, screaming as its spoon melted away. Silver squeezed his eyes shut, slamming his fists into the floor. "No… no, no, no! Why can't I win?" he moaned.
"Give it up, Silver. You and I both know your last Pokemon will not be able to stand up against Ho-Oh. Do not put your Pokemon through the pain."
He glanced up at her, the fire in his eyes dimming. He didn't bother sending out his final Pokemon, knowing the battle had already been lost. Ho-Oh landed on the ground, standing behind Lyra, giving Silver a steely gaze. The bird didn't trust Silver, but even the legendary knew Silver could never hope to win. "You… You defeated me again."
Lyra walked over to him, extending a hand. "It doesn't always have to be like this, Silver. One of these days you'll be able to defeat me but only when you learn to love your Pokemon."
Silver wiped his eyes, staring at her hand. He stared for a few moments longer then took it, as she helped him to his feet. "Why… why did you want to help me?"
"Everyone makes mistakes," Lyra said, recalling Jasmine's words. "I forgive you." Three simple words yet they held so much meaning. Silver seemed shocked – he hadn't been expecting that. "But I can't remain here I have to take on the league. There's someone I need to talk to." Lance.
"I…"
She shook her head. "You don't need to say anything, Silver. I'll see you again when this is all over, but for now I really must leave."
He nodded, remaining silent. He retreated into the cave allowing Lyra to advance towards the exit, after she returned Ho-Oh to its ball. Stepping outside again brought her great relief. The sun was shining and the sky was mostly blue, except for a number of clouds crowding around the peak of the mountains to the east. No storms brewing on the horizon which was a nice change from the usual.
Up above, she saw the intimidating building towering before her. It was truly a magnificent structure, designed specifically to look imposing. She turned to look at the mountains. They were so tall they made Mount Mortar look miniscule in comparison. The peaks of the mountains were covered by thick cloud. Was that Mt. Silver? The one her father had tried to climb? Was this where Red lived now?
"Hey there, Lyra! I see you overcame the obstacles of Victory Road!" said the gym advisor. Needless to say, she was a little surprised to see him standing there. Had he flown all the way here just to greet her? Not that it was surprising though, after all, every single media outfit in Johto and Kanto were present. "As you've probably already guessed, this is Indigo Plateau, home to the Elite Four and the Champion! Once you step inside, you'll be able to rest, dine, shop and decide on your final team. Make sure you are fully prepared though – once you start the challenge you can't go back!" He stepped aside, allowing her to walk past. She thanked him and strolled up to the double glass doors and entered.
It was like stepping into another city of Johto. There were shops, healing centres, restaurants, trading machines… and lots of trainers and media present. In the far corner she spotted a tall blue haired girl with a banner which read, 'We love you no matter what happens, Lance!' She didn't see anyone she recognized making her feel rather out of place. People all over Johto and Kanto had come here to watch her battle on the big screen. It was rather nerve wrecking.
Taking in a deep breath, she walked up to the counter to decide on her final team. It wasn't a hard choice for she didn't have many Pokemon to choose from anyway. But what she could do was improve the move sets of her Pokemon to counter anything the Elite Four threw at her. She returned Gyarados and Ho-Oh to the pc and selected Staraptor again. Her team was set, but before entering through the doors she wanted to do one last check.
She exited the building so she could summon all her Pokemon without anyone crowding around her. "All right, this is the moment of truth. We are about to fight our toughest battle yet so I need to make sure you are all ready." She pulled out her pokedex and brought up the information about her team. The information was as follows:
Toto (Feraligatr), lvl 49
Avalanche, Crunch, Surf and Slash
Gabite, lvl 47
Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Slash and Dig
Staraptor, lvl 48
Close Combat, Take Down, Aerial Ace and Wing Attack
Shelgon, lvl 47
Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Zen Headbutt and Dragonbreath
Arcanine, lvl 47
Fire Blast, Flamethrower, Crunch and Heatwave
Espeon, lvl 48
Psychic, Shadow Claw, Psybeam and Future Sight
Hopefully, that'll be enough to defeat whatever Pokemon the Elite Four used. She returned her Pokemon to their balls and moved back inside the building. Upon re-entering, she was approached by the blue-haired girl who had been holding the 'We love you no matter what happens, Lance' banner.
"So, you're Lyra," the girl said. "I'm Marina, Lance's number one fan. You're not going to be able to defeat him."
Oh great, Lyra thought, sighing inwardly. Another obsessed Lance-fangirl. From her experience in Blackthorn, Lance fans were incredibly strange individuals. She tried to step aside to avoid Marina, but the girl just stepped in her path again. "I've got a title to claim," Lyra said.
"Lance will defeat you. You mean nothing to him. If anyone deserves his attention, it's me. Don't cry when you lose." She smiled sweetly and walked away to join a gaggle of girls standing nearby. As Lyra approached the main gates, the girls sent daggers in her direction. Weird obsessive fangirls. She shrugged it off.
"I know this might sound silly, but I have to see if you have all eight badges," the police officer said. He held out a hand, waiting for Lyra to hand over her badge case. She brought it out and gave it to him. He lifted the lid, looked down and nodded. "I see. You may pass. Once you step inside you will not be able to exit, so make sure you're prepared. Stock up on items! Good luck, Lyra. The entire region is watching you." He winked, stepping aside.
Lyra glanced down into her bag, checking to see if she had enough items to last the challenge. She counted at least fifteen hyper potions, ten revives a couple of full restores. Surely, that had to be enough to match up against the Elite Four and Lance? She took in a deep breath and stepped through the doors, jumping as it slammed behind her. The biggest challenge of her life started now.