(November 2nd)
Following a rigorous training session and a reunion with a powerful friend the previous day, Jarod, Diantha and their pokemon are now preparing for a meeting with Wikstrom and the kalos elite four. The morning sun shimmering down as it always does. However, little do they know, that the counterstrike against team infinity and the true horror of conflict is about to begin.
"C'mon Jarod, we have to get going. Diantha calls up to the male champion".
"Hold up, I'm coming, I'm coming." He replies, rushing down the stairs and out the door. The two trainers climb upon yveltal's back and begin the flight to Kiloude city, where the elite four have set up a base in the battle maison in the small southeastern city. After about 15 minutes. The two arrive in front of the building and head in to a large room, the elite 4, as well as Cynthia and Steven are waiting.
"Glad you could join us, and Jarod it's good to see you up and moving. Diantha told me what had happened and it left us quite worried." Says Wikstrom, as he shakes hands with the champion.
"Much obliged Wikstrom, I tell ya, I'm glad to be alive after that experience." Jarod replies.
"So are we." The other members reply in unison.
"Anyways, its time for us to begin our operation to save the region from team infinity's grasp. We have recently learned from a survivor from the Dendemile raid, that Team Infinity has constructed a prison in the depths of frost cavern. Most likely, they are holding trainers and their pokemon hostage in the freezing pits under the mountain. We need to infiltrate the facility and rescue as many of them as possible and retrieve any information we can on this organization. However, the facility is littered with patrolling grunts and is protected by an electrified tripwire fence outside. We will infiltrate the facility from the west and clear out the opposition, and liberate any and all prisoners." Wikstrom bellows.
"I see; however, I do see a potential problem with our plan." Drasna says, questioningly.
"Oh, and what would that be?" Wikstrom asks the dragon lady of the Kalos elite four.
"If we were to travel as one big group, they will detect us immediately and the whole operation will be blown. I'd suggest only 3 of us go on the mission to decrease the chance of being detected as well as allow us to split our forces to handle each objective more discreetly." Jarod interjects.
"He is right, if all eight of us were to go, they would pick us up before we even get in range of the cavern." Steven says.
"Hmm. I see what you are saying." Wikstrom says. "Although I don't like splitting us up, I suppose we have no choice."
"I will lead the trio, as champion of the region, its my duty to protect Kalos." Jarod declares. "Steven and Cynthia, I want you to join me on the mission. Steven, your steel and rock types will be helpful in breaking down prison cells and handling the poison and fire types that the grunts will most likely have. Cynthia, your team provides excellent type coverage capabilities and will provide great assistance in dealing with pokemon of other types and disabling traps. Something tells me that they will have pokemon of many types at their disposal so we will need to be ready just in case."
"We're with you, Jarod. We've got your back." The two champions reply.
"Be careful babe, don't get yourself in trouble out there." Diantha says worriedly.
"I won't… not when I have someone to fight for."Jarod says before quickly kissing her which surprises the remaining elite four besides Wikstrom.
"Well well, it appears we ve got a pair of love birds don't we." Chuckles Malva.
"A beautiful romance in such dark times. Its simply amazing!" Exclaims Siebold.
"Ahh cork it you two." Jarod says annoyed.
"Yeah, shut up." Diantha says, blushing while the rest simply laugh and smile.
"Anyways, Steven, Cynthia let's move out!" Jarod shouts, as the three champions depart on skarmory and reach the outskirts of the ruined Dendemile town in about 30 minutes. They touch down in the woods near the cavern. As they move swiftly through the snowy brush, Steven sees what appears to be a fence post at the edge of the forest.
"Jarod, I think we ve discovered the electric fence, it appears to span the entire parameter around the caverns exterior." Steven says.
"Oh great, how the heck are we gonna disable it without being noticed." Jarod grumbles.
"I think garchomp might be able to tunnel underneath and cut the wiring below and disable it." Cynthia says.
"Excellent idea, and since she is ground type, she can't be electrocuted." Jarod replies in agreement.
"Alright then. garchomp, come out and use dig." Cynthia calls out as a large bipedal dragon with a shark like fin on her back as well as her tail. Her short blunt nose and head are accentuated by two protrusions that give her the appearance of a hammerhead. jutting from her arms are two large fins with a single claw on the end of each. She jumps up before burrowing into the ground. The dragon spots a cluster of wires connecting to a metal base and uses slash, cutting through them like paper before quickly jumping out of the hole.
"Look, the current is dissipating." Steven says, spotting a small spark that quickly disappears along with the hum of the electric fence indicating its destruction.
"Advance forward along the outer cave wall, we need to get in without being spotted." Jarod whispers and the two champions nod. Within 2 minutes they quickly reach the entrance and slip in, taking cover behind a group of icy rocks.
"Alright, from what I've gathered from the blueprints, there are two floors below us. The 2nd floor appears to contain multiple storage safes and a control panel on the far-left side, as well as a control room on the right. The basement level contains the holding cells, which is where those monsters are probably holding captured pokemon and trainers. There is a stairway leading down there but there are grunts everywhere. Steven, I need you to take them out in battle and draw their attention from me and Cynthia, do you understand?" Jarod asks.
"Consider it done." Steven says.
"Cynthia, you head to the second level and see what you can nab from the safes and figure out if you can disable the security lock on the control panel there."
"Will do, me and my pokemon won't let them get away with this." States the blonde champion.
"Alright, lets move in, be careful everyone." Jarod says as the three split.
"Same to you champ." The other 2 reply back.
Steven immediately begins battling with his mega metagross against a pair of grunts and their golbats but they stand no chance against the might of the Hoenn champion and are defeated soundlessly. Cynthia slips by another patrolling grunt and descends to the second floor and begins picking the locks on each of the fifteen safes, recovering documents containing blueprints, information about Team Infinity and plans regarding their next move in the kalos region.
"Jarod, Ive got a hold of some documents and files from the storage area." Cynthia quietly radios in.
"Good, anything else?" He replies
"Nothing really most of them were empty, what's the next step?" Cynthia asks.
"See if you can disable that control panel at the back of the room, that should cut power to the cell doors." Jarod commands.
"Ok."Cynthia states and moves toward a locked box on the back wall. She has garchomp hit it with a flamethrower which melts the wiring and disables it. But before she can radio in, a grunt hiding up on a ledge above her shoots a tranquilizer dart, striking her in the neck and knocking her out. Garchomp quickly chases the offender off and begins to carry her trainer to the exit. Meanwhile, Jarod reaches the basement and is horrified by the sight in front of him. Trapped in multiple cages are injured pokemon, some covered in lacerations and shivering, a few of them are unconscious or chained up.
"Bastards!" he growls under his breath before deploying his lucario and gallade to help bust them out.
"Anubis, use bone rush, Lawrence psycho cut." Jarod calls out, both his teammates quickly break each of the twenty cages and Jarod moves in to tend to the wounded, using a few max revives on an unconscious dragonair, scizor, and steelix.
"C'mon, let's get you all out of here." He says and the nervous but relieved pokemon trail behind him. Flare comes out to provide warmth with her heat.
"I'll keep them warm."She says.
"Smart thinking." Jarod says, when
Steven radios in with bad news.
"Hey Jarod, are you there?"
"Yeah Steven,what's going on? Have we been discovered?" Jarod replies.
"No, but Cynthia has been incapacitated, looks like she got shot with a tranquilizer of some sort." The silver haired champ says worriedly.
"Damn it, just hold on I'm on my way up. I have rescued about 20 pokemon but there were no trainers. My guess is that they either escaped or lost their lives when Dendemile was attacked." Jarod replies
"I see, I'm waiting near the spot where we entered the cavern." Steven says.
"Roger that, see you on the surface." Jarod replies. As him, Flare and the rescued pokemon emerge from the basement to the entrance floor, Jarod doesn't notice a lone grunt positioned on a ledge above the stairway that is armed with a speargun.
"Gotcha now, you sneaky rat." He says, quietly before taking aim at the champions heart and pulling the trigger, however Flare notices the glint of metal and reacts.
"Look out!" She shouts.
'What the, Ooof."Jarod calls out as flare shoves him out of the way but takes the spear right through her heart, the pointed projectile embedding itself deep, a fatal blow.
"Urrrrgh…" She chokes out, spitting up blood.
"Flare!" Jarod screams as he lunges forward to catch Flare as she falls to the ground. The steelix in the group lets out a dragonbreath in the direction that the spear came from and sends the grunt flying out of the cave.
"Flare… please say something…" Jarod says quietly, his eyes beginning to glisten.
'… Y…you re safe…thank arceus…" Flare says, her voice starting to fade
"Flare. Why…why'd you have to go and do that", Jarod quivers.
"I'd be…damned to let... s..something happen to you. My dearest friend….and I would…do it again." Flare gasps, blood seeping from her chest.
"Flare… please hang on, ill get you fixed up..." Jarod pleads
"Nn... Not this time… I'm too far gone…" Flare says, her voice barely audible.
"Flare…please…"Jarod begs, tears starting to flow down his face.
"Jarod… please promise me this… take down team infinity…for me, and everyone else… don't lose your humanity… I'll be watching from above…. I'll... Never…forget…our…. friend…ship…." With one last gasp, Flare shuts her eyes and goes limp in the arms of her trainer:Cold and dead.
"Flare... urrgh…. nnnoooOOO!" Jarod yells out in grief as his lucario and gallade bow their heads in respect and sadness
"Damnit…" Anubis growls
"She was a fighter to the end, rest in peace noble warrior", Lawrence says, staring up at the sky.
'They…. they're going TO PAY FOR THIS !" Jarod yells angrily before lifting his fallen partner and slowly exiting the cavern, his soul and spirit heavy with grief and anguish.