Chapter 30
Forged by the Flames
After having learned Dark Pulse from King, Zekra and the rest of Team Vendetta set out to the gym to take care of their training for the day. Though the four had a confidence boost in their abilities thanks to their Erebus Woods mission, they knew that they still had to keep improving their skills. There were always tougher enemies to fight and more skills to be learned. Never would there be a point in time where one should stop progressing, and the four knew this very well.
At the moment, the four were once again split up to visit their separate mentors and learn from them. That is, except Impetus. She was with Novus at the moment, as she always had been, for the fighting-type master of this gym refused to teach her. Yet, Impetus didn't mind too much. She felt she learned many things from Novus, even if these things had nothing to do with battles.
Impetus and Novus sat together in front of the large Reshiram statue now, something the two usually did whenever they talked. The Mienfoo never understood why this spot before the great dragon seemed to be Novus's favorite spot, but she never bothered to ask. She considered that now would be a good time to ask.
"Why do we sit here whenever we talk?" Impetus asked. "I wish to know."
"The answer to that question is simple," Novus stated. "It's because I feel at peace whenever I'm in the presence of Reshiram. Though this is nothing but a mere statue of him, I feel he is protecting me. Whenever it's possible, I always like to be here, even when none are with me."
"Why would do you need to feel at peace?" Impetus then asked. "Do you feel threatened?"
"No, I don't feel threatened," Novus laughed. "I never feel such. I mean to say that it brings me comfort to be before the statue. It brings a very similar feeling to being at my home after so long. You understand that, don't you?"
"Yes, I understand now," Impetus nodded. "Thank you. Perhaps one day you will meet Reshiram and you can talk to him. You seem to like him very much. I'm sure he would like you too, should you be able to meet him."
"I'm sure he would welcome my insignificant, mortal presence for still believing in him after no one else does," Novus said quietly. "Perhaps that one day will come. I await that day."
Silence once again resumed as Novus seemed to ponder in something. Impetus glanced up at the pearly, majestic statue and gazed deeply into its blue eyes. It returned such stare, as if it were the actual living legendary rather than a lifeless, stone replica of such.
Just then, Impetus heard someone entering the room. She turned to find a Charizard standing by the entrance. Though Impetus had never seen this Pokémon before, she had a vague idea of who it was. She gently prodded the Quilava with her paw, trying to get his attention.
Novus came out of his strange musing a moment later and was quick to see the Charizard as well. His eyes seemed to dull.
"Hello, Blaize," Novus said simply. "I believe I know why you're here, but do confirm my suspicions."
"Well, I just came to say that the ones in charge of your gym made their decision," the one named Blaize said. "They've confirmed that I'm taking your place. You'll be leaving here soon."
The Quilava blinked. He seemed to think of something to say, but nothing came. Yet, he didn't appear bitter by the information. He seemed rather thoughtful, for some reason.
"When do you think you'll be replacing me?" Novus then asked.
"Probably tomorrow," Blaize frowned.
Novus stared at the Charizard wordlessly. And yet, his eyes reflected no ill will. He didn't seem to be filled with such disdain at the thought of being removed from the gym he worked in. It was a very strange sight to Impetus. She started to wonder where Novus would go if he was taken away from here. Then, she started to wonder what would happen to her. Would she be accompanying one of her companions while they trained? Or would she simply need to wait outside for them until they finished their training?
She continued to ponder these things as the Charizard and Quilava continued speaking. She paid no attention to their words. She understood all that she needed to know from the beginning of the conversation. Perhaps when Blaize left, she would ask Novus where he would go now that he was forced to leave the gym.
But then, her thoughts were disrupted when she noticed another Pokémon entering Novus's chamber. This Pokémon, unlike Blaize, was someone Impetus knew very well. She resisted the urge to let out a hiss as she watched a certain Lucario enter the room.
Though Impetus could see Rey, she knew that he couldn't see her as easily. Blaize's bulk was partially obscuring her from view. She didn't know how long she would remain hidden, but Impetus chose to remain quiet until her presence was known. She had several violent thoughts running through her mind, and she didn't want a reason to listen to them.
In the Lucario's paws was what appeared to be a small, marble statue. However, due to its small size, it was hard to tell exactly what the statue was supposed to be. But, as he drew closer, it became obvious as to what the statue was: a miniature Reshiram.
Rey came up to the Quilava and set the figure in front of him.
"The others heard you were leaving soon," Rey started to explain. "They knew that you can't take your prized Reshiram with you, and though they don't know exactly why you continue to believe in him, they knew you would miss the statue. So, they all chipped in and had this smaller one crafted for you. They wanted me to give you this since the others had errands or students to take care of."
Novus looked upon the statue. It was only a few inches tall and held as much detail as the original statue despite being on a smaller scale, serving as a near-exact replica. He smiled faintly at seeing it.
"Thank you for the gift," he said. "I'm afraid it will be the only thing I can bring with me after I leave here. I must discard the portraits since carrying all of them serves me no purpose."
The Lucario nodded and turned to leave. Yet, he only took a few steps forward when he finally noticed another aura presence in the room that belonged to neither Novus nor Blaize. He looked over the Charizard to see whose aura he was sensing, allowing him to find a Mienfoo staring back at him with an icy gaze.
Rey scowled at the sight of seeing the feral.
"So… it's you," Rey seethed bitterly. "You're here…"
Impetus wished to say something, but was interrupted by the Charizard before any words could come.
"You know her?" Blaize asked the Lucario.
"Yes, I know this thing," Rey answered. "She's a wild. You can tell because of the claws. Civil Mienfoo do not keep their claws. She does."
The Charizard's eyes wandered to the Mienfoo's paws, where he saw such claws Rey spoke of. A very disgusted look suddenly overcame the once friendly Charizard.
Impetus grimaced upon seeing this. She knew what was going on. Despite not being told that feral Pokémon were looked down upon, she knew of such truth. She had understood what Rey said to Terron the first time she and the Cubone met Rey. Even in her disoriented state, thanks to the Dark Pulse Rey had used on her at that time, she had understood it well enough.
Novus suddenly stepped in front of Impetus, streams of fire escaping his nostrils.
"I ask that you two leave now," he warned, resisting a snarl.
"Why do you have that wild with you, Novus?" Rey asked with a scoff. "You know that they're unintelligent creatures. They're meaningless. All they're good for are their meat for when you're hungry. Otherwise, they have no other purpose."
"Leave, now," Novus said once more, this time with more force behind his voice. "I seek to prove you wrong, but that has failed in my past attempts with others. I will no longer try to reason with those who hold no room in their hearts to accept the truth. Get out. Do not bother Impetus."
"There is no 'truth' you're talking about in regards to wilds. That Mienfoo is just a filthy-"
Without warning, the Lucario suddenly felt a paw press into his face. Energy erupted from behind the paw a second later, sending Rey tumbling to the ground. Impetus rushed in to deliver a kick, but was unable to connect the attack due to Rey performing an elaborate backwards roll in the nick of time. He quickly rose to his feet and gathered the aura energy between his paws.
Impetus clenched her teeth tight as her eyes became ablaze with ferocity.
"Attacking me again, are you?" the Lucario asked with a bitter, knowing laugh. "You really haven't changed."
He proceeded to throw the sphere of energy at the Mienfoo. Impetus quickly bounded out of the way, though she didn't retaliate. Instead, she continued to give the Lucario such a dark glare as her paws seemed to twitch. Novus immediately proceeded to stand in between the two dueling Pokémon, not caring about his well-being. Blaize remained where he stood, choosing simply to watch what was going on.
"Both of you, cease this at once!" Novus demanded. "I refuse to-"
"It is you who hasn't changed."
Novus abruptly stopped talking while Rey and Blaize seemingly became frozen in place. They slowly cast their eyes to the source of the voice: Impetus.
"You, who refuse to consider the fact that we ferals may actually be intelligent given time," Impetus said boldly. "You, who believe that we cannot grow. You are the one who is not intelligent. You haven't changed."
Impetus put her paws close together in a very similar manner as Rey did when using a particular attack.
"You are the same as when I first saw you. Nothing's changed," Impetus went on. "I am changed. I can speak and show you my thoughts. That is change. That is progress."
A red energy slowly began to form in the space between her paws. It flickered slightly, but managed to remain stable. Everyone's eyes grew at the sight.
"I am not an unintelligent feral. You know nothing."
The power pulsed, drastically amplifying in size before shooting out of her paws a second later.
It sailed toward the Lucario, glowing with the brightness of her aura. Yet, just as it was going to close in on Rey, the sphere promptly burst with a blinding flash.
Everyone shut their eyes as the uncontrolled energy flew all around them, creating a small gale in the room.
When the energy had died down and the light faded, everyone found that no one was harmed. Not even the objects in the room had been damaged.
The three adults looked toward the one who had attempted to create the Aura Sphere.
Impetus was scowling in disgust as she looked upon the Lucario and Charizard. Her paws steamed of crimson aura.
"You're… you're not supposed to…" Blaize tried to say.
"Not supposed to use this power? Not supposed to talk? I can do both," Impetus spat. "I am a feral, and I can do more than you ever thought possible. Remember that next time you see one of my kind."
With a snort, the Mienfoo began to walk toward the exit of the chamber. Rey and Blaize could only stare at Impetus, completely speechless from the spectacle.
"Impetus, where are you going?" Novus called.
"Leaving," she said curtly. "I have made my point to those two civils. I no longer have a reason to stay here."
Novus said more, but Impetus didn't listen to what had to be said. She didn't want to tolerate Rey and Blaize's presence for much longer.
Without another word, she left the chamber, not looking back at those she left behind.
An hour later, Terron came walking out of the ground-type chamber, finished with the day's session. He still hadn't learned much in regards to using the power known as Earth Power, but he felt he was making some progress. Perhaps tomorrow or the next day he would finally be able to use the technique.
As the Cubone thought this over, he went into the fire-type chamber to get Impetus. Yet, the moment he walked inside, he found that she wasn't inside. In fact, no one was inside the room. Novus nor Impetus were nowhere to be found. All that seemed to accompany Terron was the magnificent Reshiram statue.
Terron rubbed his skull awkwardly before turning back around to leave the room. Perhaps his friends knew why Impetus and Novus were gone. He wasn't sure why they'd know, but he supposed that asking his friends was better than panicking.
Just as the Cubone came into the main part of the gym, he found that Zekra and Syn had already finished their training and were about to wander toward Tunra's chamber. But, as soon as they saw Terron emerge from Novus's chamber, they quickly came over to him with pleasant smiles.
"Oh hey, we were just about to get you," Zekra said before she realized something wasn't right. "Wait, where's Impetus? You just came out of Novus's room, didn't you?"
"Yeah, she's not there for some reason. And neither is Novus," Terron answered. "I was just about to ask you guys if you knew where they went."
"No, I haven't seen any of them," Zekra said. "I've been with Arcanum this whole time."
"Me neither," Syn added as a depressing frown overcame him. "Do you think Impetus might have left to go back to the wild? I mean, she was saying she might do that earlier today…"
A nervous chill went down Terron's spine. Yes, Impetus had said such thing. There was a good chance she actually left the team to go back to her home. Terron's mind became frantic at the thought of her leaving so unexpectedly, but his brain was quick to remind him of one extra, important detail: that Impetus had said she would tell the others if she would leave the team. She had never said anything about leaving for certain at all.
Still, despite knowing this, it didn't change the fact that Impetus had mysteriously disappeared. There was still reason to worry over the Mienfoo's wellbeing. Perhaps it was tied into why Novus was missing as well.
"Impetus wouldn't leave for the wild without telling us," Terron stated, trying to remain calm as a true leader would in these situations. "Let's just look around. Everyone, check all of the rooms. When you're done, let's meet back here."
With a nod, the three split up and checked every chamber that they hadn't visited already. A couple of minutes later, the three came rushing back to the meeting spot Terron had assigned. No one had Impetus with them.
"Did you guys find anything out?" Terron asked.
"No, no one's seen her," Syn reported glumly. "In fact, no one really knows who she is. I had to describe her and everything."
"Yeah, same here," Zekra said. "No one's seen a Mienfoo. And, they don't know about Novus either."
Terron started to feel very uneasy. It was becoming hard to focus now that the panic was settling deep into his heart, but he refused to let that show. Impetus had to be around somewhere. He needed to stay collected. Distress wasn't going to help in this situation.
"Let's start looking around town," Terron suggested. "She might be back at the Fellowship for whatever reason, or maybe at one of the shops. Just look wherever we usually go every day."
The children proceeded to leave the gym, thinking over every location they visited daily. There was the Drifblim Transportation they went to every morning. There was the market place to get their supplies for their never-ending missions. The bank to deposit all of the funds they made that day. The storage center to keep their excess supplies in a safe and organized place. The Fellowship base that they called home.
There were so many places to visit that were a part of their daily lives.
Not to mention, there was the possibility that Impetus went to visit a place in town they didn't always visit. If that was the case, they would have to check every single corner of Aurora Town. But, they'd do it to find Impetus. They wouldn't give up on finding her.
Once the three came to the outside of the gym, they prepared to split up once more. But, just as they were about to, they saw a bright flash go off nearby. Thankfully, it didn't blind the children due to how distant the flash was. The children brought their attention toward the light, only to find exactly what they had been searching for.
It was Impetus standing near a tree with Novus sitting in the grass nearby her.
The three quickly ran toward the Mienfoo, relief drowning out their anxiety as happy smiles grew on their faces. When they were reunited with Impetus, all of them quickly tackled her with a hug. Thankfully, Impetus was able to resist their momentum and wasn't knocked down. She managed to remain standing as the three Pokémon embraced her, Zekra included by wrapping all of her limbs around Impetus.
Impetus gazed upon them curiously as they clung to her tightly.
"Why are you so happy to see me?" the Mienfoo asked.
"Because we couldn't find you and we thought you might have left us!" Syn cried. "We were worried about you!"
"Worried about me…" Impetus repeated in melancholy. "I didn't realize I was worrying you. I just wanted to leave and come here. Novus also came to keep me company."
The three nodded in understanding as they slowly released their hold on Impetus, still relishing the relief they all felt. Zekra brought her gaze over to Novus.
"You came out here with Impetus to give her company?" Zekra asked, wanting verification.
"I felt she could use someone's presence," Novus shrugged. "I'm also assisting her with the training she's doing out here, even if I'm only giving simple tips rather than actually mentoring."
"Training?" Zekra asked curiously.
Impetus nodded as she cupped her hands close together. A small, flickering orb of light manifested itself between her paws. Her paws flexed as she attempted to keep the energy contained.
"I saw this power again today," Impetus stated. "I wanted to use it to prove something. It proved its point, even if this power isn't complete. But I need to make it better. It cannot stay in the outside world long."
"Rey saw you, didn't he?" Terron asked tensely, realizing that was what Impetus was vaguely referring to. "Tch, I swear, when we see him again…"
"Don't worry about him," Impetus said calmly, catching Terron off-guard. "I have shown him the truth. Whether he and the Charizard accept it is their choice. But I have made my point. I am satisfied. You do not need to bother them. All that's left to do is improve this power. I have awakened it, and wish to make it stronger."
Terron didn't know what to say. He had no idea what Impetus did, but he knew she was speaking the truth. He could see Novus in the distance, giving an affirmative nod to confirm Impetus's words. The Mienfoo had shown Rey and this Charizard how she was an intelligent Pokémon. Terron felt such speechlessness at knowing this.
"But how did you learn to use Aura Sphere so quickly?" Zekra then asked. "No one learns that quickly."
"Everyone around me uses power so much like this," Impetus answered as she gazed down at the manifested aura. "The pulse of dark feelings. The ball that comes from a ghost spirit. The seeds that are plant energy given physical form. They are all the same. I have seen it so much. I have watched it and seen how they are all brought from the inner world to the outside world. They are all the same with different energies. I have watched it and now try to copy that with the energy all radiate. I've succeeded for the most part."
Impetus turned back to the tree and threw the sphere at its trunk. The energy only managed to remain stable for a few seconds before exploding with the flash seen from earlier. Everyone blinked away the fuzzy lights that they were now seeing.
"Yes, still needs work," Impetus noted.
"Well, I'm glad that you're learning a new move," Zekra smiled. "But, I'm mostly glad that nothing happened to you. We really thought you left us for a moment."
Impetus gave a soft smile, but otherwise, said nothing. As the three children continued to look up at their feral friend, Novus got up from his spot and started to leave.
"I believe my presence is no longer necessary," he told them. "Take care, children. I will not be here tomorrow at this gym, but I can assure you that I'll see you four again."
Everyone abruptly brought their eyes to the Quilava. He stopped and turned to them, waiting for their words to come so he could address them.
"Wait, you're leaving?" Zekra asked in disbelief. "What do you mean?"
"That's right; I didn't tell you or Syn," Novus chuckled to himself. "Yes, this organization has replaced me with a Charizard named Blaize. I am to leave tomorrow. I won't be staying here anymore."
"But… you were such a nice friend…" Zekra tried to say. "You were the reason Ter- I mean, our leader and I found out about this place. It's thanks to you that we're stronger than we were when we first met you! Who are we going to talk to whenever we visit the gym, now that you're leaving?"
"Do not feel so melancholy," Novus smiled. "I assure you: we will meet again. Do not take this as a parting. Take this as a temporary goodbye."
Zekra and the others slowly nodded, feeling the sadness well up inside of them as they watched the Quilava wander back to the gym to gather his small amount of belongings. They would miss him. Though they weren't incredibly close to him, the team had still formed a tight bond with him. They visited him almost every day, whether it was to give a simple hello or to have a short conversation. Having him out of their lives would create a small but noticeable hole in their hearts.
But despite this, everyone on Team Vendetta gave Novus one last smile before he finally disappeared from their view.
The very next day, Team Vendetta's typical routine resumed. They woke up at dawn, ate their breakfast as they talked about whatever came to mind, and then used the Drifblim Transportation to go on the day's mission. Their mission of the day had involved gathering some honey from a Combee hive for a particular bakery in a distant city. The team had been provided the location of the hive, which was conveniently close to the town the bakery resided in.
Though there had been some complications, such as the bees swarming the children and trying to drive them out of the colony, the four had managed to get a decent amount of honey out of the various honeycombs. Once they had gathered the resource, they brought it back to the bakery and were given their reward. But, after the Fellowship had taken their sum of the money, the children were only left with six hundred Poké. Still, they didn't mind. It was still a sufficient amount of money for the job.
Now, Terron was sitting outside the gym with Impetus, resting from the day's excitement. Zekra and Syn were training inside the building as usual. Terron normally would have been inside with them, training alongside Tunra, but he felt he needed a break from that today. He felt it was okay to take these "vacation" days once in a while.
As he relaxed, Terron watched Impetus practice her Aura Sphere again. She seemed to be doing better with keeping the energy stable for a longer time, but it still didn't last as long as she wished. Yet, despite the many failures and blurred visions received from such, she continued to practice. Her dedication ceased to waver.
The Cubone smiled at the sight.
"At the rate you're going, you'll probably have that mastered by tomorrow," Terron chuckled.
"Perhaps," Impetus said distractedly as she once again created the energy in her paws. "I'm in no rush to master it. It can be tomorrow or a month. I don't care which."
"Well, you've got patience and dedication, so that'll help you," Terron said.
Impetus nodded as she tried to make the sphere amplify in size. Once it had reached the size of a baseball, she then reduced it back into the size of a marble before enlarging it once more. She continued to do this, keeping a close eye on the fluctuating aura energy.
"Hey, Impetus," Terron suddenly said.
"Yes?" she asked, not looking at the Cubone.
"Thank you."
The Mienfoo abruptly stopped focusing on her task. The power faded away from her paws, not exploding into a brilliant light this time. She brought her gaze over to the Cubone to find that he was smiling with bright happiness.
"Thank you for encouraging me to open up to everyone," Terron said warmly. "It's because of you that everyone's much happier now. All of the pain we had doesn't feel so bad anymore."
She watched him get to his feet and stand before her. He looked up at her with such gratitude shining in the eyes behind his mask.
"If you hadn't told me to open up, I'm not sure what would have happened," Terron went on. "We might have escaped Erebus Woods… but I might have not learned my lesson about keeping secrets if it weren't for you. It was only because you constantly told me to talk to the others, that I was able to realize what kind of damage I was causing to our friends. So, thank you, Impetus. Thank you."
The Cubone wrapped his arms around the Mienfoo, resting his head against her leg. Finding that the skull felt uncomfortable when pressing against her body, Impetus gently lifted the mask off the Cubone and set it beside them. Once she had done that, she reached down and picked up the small Cubone. She held him to her chest, returning the hug as she felt Terron's warmth spread through her.
After a happy minute passed, the two separated and Terron put his mask back on. The two sat down in the grass that filled the area, their backs pressing together, before starting a casual conversation about what they thought of their current world. They spoke of the things they both grew to cherish in the civil world of Pokémon, such as the wonderful Pokémon they had met along their journey and the fascinating things that could be found in neither of their worlds. When they had finished that topic, they went on to another, and another, caring not how much time had passed.
They had become so absorbed in their conversations, in fact, that they failed to realize a certain Flygon approaching them from the distance until he landed right in front of them.
"Ah ha! I knew I'd find you here!" Vantis exclaimed triumphantly. "I just thought you were in the Fellowship and spent so long looking in there. But, I kinda figured you'd be here. This is a good place for training."
The Flygon looked around for a moment.
"Where's Zekra and Syn?" he asked obliviously.
"Oh, they're still inside, training," Terron answered. "We can go get them if you want."
"Nah, it's fine," Vantis said carelessly. "I'll just tell you two what's going on, and then you can pass along the message. Sound good?"
"Yeah, sounds good," Terron nodded. "So Vantis, what do you want to tell us?"
"Well, I checked my schedule and saw that I can take you kids to Dusk Mines the day after tomorrow," Vantis explained. "So, I can take you four to Yimtri on that day. And, I made it so that you can go on that day too. I talked to Len and said that you needed to go there since you forgot something important there and wanted to look for it."
"He didn't suggest that the Dusk Mines members just look for the lost thing for us and send it back here?" Terron asked oddly.
"Nah, he didn't ask," Vantis assured. "He said it was okay if you guys go with me. So yeah, we can go in two days!"
"Great!" Terron cried as an eager grin came over him. "I can't wait to tell Zekra and Syn about that! Finally!"
"The end of the Plagued Ones is soon, once we convince Yimtri," Impetus added with a smaller, more tranquil smile.
"Yeah!" Vantis said just as enthusiastically. "We'll meet at dawn in front of the Fellowship two days from today. That sound good to you?"
"Alright, we can do that," Terron nodded. "That sounds fine. Thanks, Vantis. You're a big help."
The Flygon smiled widely. His wings buzzed, as if to compliment his cheeriness.
"You're welcome," Vantis replied. "And, I came here for another reason too. It's about you, Terron."
Terron's happy expression slowly changed into that of a more confused one.
"What do you mean?" he asked curiously.
"Well, I saw how you were having a hard time during that fight with Yimtri," Vantis began. "You didn't really seem to know any kind of attacks other than how to use your bones. Is that true?"
"I know how to make earthquakes, but otherwise, yeah," Terron said with a shamed sigh. "I'm trying to learn other techniques, but it's going kind of slowly since I'm a Cubone and Cubone don't exactly do much other than attack with their bone weapons. I mean, I have a lot of different bone weapons that can do all sorts of things, but I never got to bring them with me when we went to Dusk Mines since I wasn't expecting to go dungeon crawling. But yeah, I don't know much other than that."
"Ah, I see," Vantis said solemnly. "Well, that's the other reason why I came here. I wanted to help you with that so you can be better prepared in case something like that happens again. I wanted to teach you more abilities."
Terron's eyes widened at the offer.
"But I've got Master Tunra teaching me already," the Cubone started to say. "He's working on this one power with me at the moment. Even if that's not going too well right now…"
"Haha, well let me try anyway," Vantis laughed playfully. "I have a feeling I can get you to learn that power much more quickly than you can with Tunra. What's this power you're trying to learn?"
"Earth Power," Terron said meekly.
"Ha, yes! I know I can teach you that!" Vantis cried. "I haven't used that power in a while, but it's still fresh in my head! I've known that since I was a little Trapinch!"
"Why do you think you can teach me that ability better than Tunra?" Terron asked, trying not to make the question sound like an insult.
Thankfully for Terron, the Flygon wasn't offended by his words. Vantis looked upon the Cubone with a confident smile.
"Being part dragon has made me learn what it feels like to not be like other ground-types," Vantis explained. "I get how you feel. You Cubone don't use the ground to your advantage most of the time, unlike most of the other ground-types. Your kind just decided to use bones even though you can still use ground abilities, and thus, now that's basically all you Cubone and Marowak do now unless you try other stuff. When I became a Vibrava, a similar thing happened to me. Even though I hated flying and remained on the ground, I found I couldn't use my ground powers as much thanks to my new form. I couldn't control it as much as I could as a Trapinch. Something about being able to fly changed all of that. And for the longest time, I had to relearn how to use ground abilities in the new form. So yeah, I know how it feels. I've been there. And that's why I think I can help you a little more efficiently than Tunra. I'll show you that by teaching you Earth Power right now. You'll be able to use in a matter of minutes."
Terron continued to stare at the Flygon with an odd gaze, but decided he'd give Vantis a chance. He seemed to know what he was talking about. Plus, there was nothing to be wasted by doing this.
"Alright, I'll give this a try," Terron said.
"I will practice my power as you practice yours," Impetus stated, catching both of the ground-types' attention. "I will give you room to work."
Terron gave her a nod as Impetus went around the gym to find a more remote place to work. The Cubone brought his attention back to Vantis once Impetus had found a spot and began to work on her own abilities. Vantis took a few steps back from Terron.
"First, a demonstration," Vantis said. "I know you've probably seen this before, but I'm going to show you it anyway."
The Flygon immediately proceeded to slam his claws into the ground. The ground trembled as a fissure tore through the grass, widening rapidly as it made its way forward. Terron watched the crack creep past him, seeing nothing but darkness deep within the crevice. Yet, a second later, that suddenly changed. A golden light immediately proceeded to shoot out of the very end of the fissure like a powerful geyser. The energy continuously sprayed into the air for a few more seconds before finally dying down and disappearing back inside the fissure. The crack in the ground then narrowed, stitching itself back together just Vantis removed his claws from the soil.
"And there you have it," Vantis said proudly. "Now, it's time to teach you Earth Power. Get in a stance where you won't easily fall over."
Terron nodded as he set his feet apart and mimicked the stance he held whenever creating quakes.
"Alright, that's a good stance. Good," Vantis beamed. "Now… I want you to reach down and feel the dirt under you. I want you to soak it all up. Not literally of course, but you know, take in the feeling."
"So… you want me to become one with the dirt, basically," Terron deadpanned.
"Don't say it like that! It sounds so cheesy that way!" Vantis cried. "Just do it!"
Terron shook his head in annoyance, but didn't complain. He shoved his hands into the ground beneath him and waited. He felt rather ridiculous for doing this, but he continued to follow Vantis's instruction anyway and let his thoughts focus on how comfortable the soil made him feel.
"Now, I want you to think about Groudon," Vantis said. "Think of the legendary who created the land we live on. Put him in your mind and imagine him creating the very land you're feeling. When you're using Earth Power, you are basically copying what Groudon did in the ancient past. After he created a giant mass of land, he then split it with giant fissures to make the different lands. These fissures you make are the same kind, only on a smaller scale. The energy you release from these fissures is Groudon's essence living inside you. His spirit lives in every ground-type, and this is how it is manifested. You are using your Groudon's power. You basically are Groudon when you use Earth Power."
"I'm using Groudon's power…" Terron repeated thoughtfully.
"Yes. Now, search inside yourself and find Groudon's spirit," Vantis instructed. "He's with you; you just have to find him. Every ground-type has him inside them, no matter who they are."
The Cubone closed his eyes as he imagined the behemoth, ancient being from long ago. He could see the great being so clearly in his mind, standing in a large pool of lava as it remained unharmed from the intense heat. Yes, he could see the being so clearly. He had found Groudon's spirit within him.
Terron opened his eyes…
… only to find that he was no longer with Vantis in Aurora Town. He was now with Groudon in the world of molten rock, the only piece of land being the one he stood upon. Its golden eyes were staring at the Cubone with its impenetrable gaze.
The Cubone's eyes widened in horror when he realized what was happening.
No… I can't be here again… Terron thought in disbelief. I haven't seen here in so long… why am I here now? I don't remember passing out…
"You have returned once more," the Groudon spoke. "I thought you wouldn't return after you had managed to do so after so long. But now you are here."
Terron's heart stopped. The Groudon had the exact same voice as the voice he had heard several times within his mind.
The one who had been speaking to him this whole time was Groudon. And yet… this fact brought no answers to Terron's mind. It only brought forth a hundred more questions from his mind that nearly nulled his ability to speak. Yet, Terron refused to let the shock overwhelm him. He had been meaning to come to visit the voice that was inside his head. And now that he was here, he needed to get his answers. He couldn't let this opportunity go.
"Yes, I'm here," Terron said. "I'm here… wherever here is. And I have questions. Questions that you need to answer."
"You do not belong here," the Groudon said. "You will surely perish should you stay much longer. Why do you refuse to heed my warnings?"
"Because you never give me a straight answer whenever I ask you questions!" Terron yelled irritably. "So give me my answers and I promise I won't come back here again! Tell me how you're me when you're Groudon! Am I supposed to be you reincarnated or something?! Because I know that's not possible when I'm a human! And what do you even mean when you say you're me?! It doesn't make any sense!"
The Groudon lowered its head to gaze straight into the little Cubone's eyes. Terron could feel the intense heat radiating off the being's body as its large eyes penetrated deep into the Cubone's soul.
"I am you, and you are me," the behemoth said. "Such a fact is truth. I am Groudon because you chose for me to be this way. You have made me appear as this creature. I had no form before, but I do now because I am growing stronger. I am growing stronger because you keep returning here."
"I… I made you appear this way?" Terron asked unsurely. "You're growing stronger… what do you mean by that?"
The Groudon opened its mouth to speak, but it abruptly stopped. It glanced around for a brief moment, not moving its head as its eyes darted around in every direction.
"Your time here has ended. Someone from the outside world is summoning you away from here," it said in what appeared to be a relieved sigh. "Leave, Terron. Do not come back. For the next time you come back… you will not be able to leave here."
Terron cried out in alarm, but no words escaped his mouth. Instead, the world around him suddenly faded away as his sight and hearing dulled. Everything slowly disappeared into nothingness…
The Cubone's eyes immediately snapped open. As to be expected, he found himself lying on the ground, Vantis shaking him awake as Impetus stood beside him. The Flygon's eyes were wide with worry and his breath was rather short. He wasn't even bothering to mask his panic, unlike the other times he was in a crisis. Impetus, on the other hand, managed to remain collected despite the obvious unease in her eyes. She let out a relieved sigh at seeing him conscious again.
"Terron, you're awake!" Vantis cried. "You just passed out for no reason! You okay?"
The Cubone rubbed his skull as he slowly got to his feet. He felt an intense amount of fatigue coursing through him, but after a few seconds, it managed to fade away. His body felt energized once more.
"I'm fine," Terron stated. "Sorry about that. I'm not sure what happened to me."
"Are you sure?" Vantis asked. "I mean, we can get you the doctor if you want. Fainting for no reason really isn't something that's good for you…"
"I'm fine, really," Terron said again, this time more firmly. "Let just get back to training. I'll see if I can use Earth Power now."
Though the Flygon still appeared concerned, he nodded in understanding. He and Impetus gave Terron his space as they waited for the Cubone to try out the power. Terron took in a deep breath as he tried to clear his thoughts of the incident that had happened moments ago. He could focus on those later. He could even talk to the others about it if he wanted to. After all, he still needed to explain this last secret to them. He had completely forgotten about it yesterday, and they deserved to know about the strange being in his mind after everything they went through. But for now, he made the choice to push the thought out of his mind.
The Cubone curled one of his hands into a fist as he focused on the thought of Groudon's power being a part of him. It was bringing forth other unwanted thoughts, but Terron made sure that he didn't ponder in such thoughts for long. He felt a strange, foreign energy course through him as he thought of the behemoth, but he didn't become alarmed. This was no doubt the power Vantis was speaking of. He had finally tapped into it.
Terron smacked his fist into the ground below and watched as a large crevice formed in front of him. It slowly crept toward the Flygon, but no energy began to form from deep within the fissure.
He was about to grimace in frustration, but suddenly, a dim light filled the newly-formed crevice. Vantis smiled eagerly at the sight.
"That's right! Now, gather all the energy you feel into one place!" the Flygon said. "And then, release it all at once!"
Terron nodded as he put all of his concentration on the power. He felt every bit of the power flow through his veins as it gathered to his free paw. His hand twitched from having such a massive concentration of energy in one place, but he didn't release his hold on it. He kept it in his hand until every last bit of the energy managed to gather in the one place. When all of the power was in paw, Terron immediately made a fist and slammed the paw into the ground.
The power abruptly left his hand and flooded into the ground all at once. The light within the fissure suddenly intensified before a bright ray of raw power shot out the end of the crack. Vantis, who was dangerously close to the fissure, immediately leapt out of the way as the energy exploded into the air. Terron laughed victoriously as he watched the power continue to burst out of the ground for a few more seconds until he removed both of his hands from the ground. The golden energy faded away as the fissure slowly closed up.
Terron panted as his own strength seemed to waver for just a moment. He let himself fall into a sitting position as he took in a few deep breaths. Impetus left the Cubone to go back to her training area, feeling he could use some time to rest without her presence.
"See! You did it!" Vantis exclaimed as he came over to the Cubone. "How do you feel?"
"Kinda tired," Terron said with a weak smile.
"Ah, yeah that tends to happen when you first learn it," Vantis noted thoughtfully. "You're using energy that you're not used to using, so it makes sense that you'd feel a little weary. But rest assured; once you use Earth Power enough times, you get used to it and you'll stop feeling so tired."
"Heh, thanks," Terron said. "When Master Tunra tried to teach me this, he didn't mention anything about Groudon energy. He just said I need to look within myself for the power. I guess by having a good idea of what to look for, it became easier to use the power. That's what you were going for, right?"
"Yeah, something like that," Vantis said with a shrug. "I've found that if you think about Groudon when using ground powers like that, it makes things a lot easier. But yeah, I taught you something new today. And, I can keep teaching you too, if you want. I know all kinds of abilities you might want to know."
Terron chuckled as he slowly got to his feet. Though he still felt slightly light-headed, he didn't feel as exhausted. He could still stand without feeling the need to rest.
"I'd like that a lot," the Cubone smiled. "Thanks."
"It's no problem," Vantis grinned. "I'll teach you some more stuff another day though, since I need to get going. But, I'll see you again two days from today. Make sure that you're ready for whatever might happen there."
Terron nodded as the Flygon quietly rose into the air. Vantis was about to take off, but suddenly seemed to remember something as he looked back at the Cubone.
"Oh yeah, I figured I'd tell you this, but you get the day off tomorrow," Vantis said. "Everybody in the Fellowship does. So, I just wanted to let you know that, even though you'll probably find out anyway by looking at the Bulletin Board."
"Why does everybody get a free day tomorrow?" Terron asked curiously.
"Because," Vantis smiled, "tomorrow will be the twentieth anniversary of the Aurora Town Special Tasks Fellowship. We want our members to relax on the day our Fellowship was established. It's our way of saying thanks for working for us. I'd take you to Dusk Mines on that day, but I was gonna relax since it's been a while since I got a day off. I was going to take a little trip tomorrow."
"Oh, I see," Terron said simply.
"Yeah, sorry about that. But, at least you have all of tomorrow to discuss how you're going to convince Yimtri," Vantis said. "But, until then, enjoy your time off. I'll see again at dawn the day after tomorrow. Good luck, Terron."
The Flygon then flew away, leaving Terron behind to ponder in the news.
A couple hours later, the four members of Team Vendetta were reunited and now walked back to the Fellowship together. Though everyone was somewhat tired from the day's training and mission, everyone managed to keep a pleasant air about them.
"So, Vantis told me that we get the day off tomorrow," Terron told his team. "He said it's to celebrate the day our particular Fellowship was established."
"Really?" Zekra asked curiously. "Huh, that's interesting. But alright, I guess we get the day off. What do you want to do for tomorrow then?"
"Well, I'm not really sure," Terron admitted. "The last time we got a day off was when we got Impetus on the team. I mean, I wanted to spend part of the day discussing our strategy for getting Yimtri to listen to us, but that won't take long. So, what do you guys want to do?"
"That's a good question," Syn said. "Hmm, what to do, what to do. It feels so weird to have all of this free time after being so busy."
"We could visit somewhere," Impetus suggested. "We could take a walk through a new place. I would like to see new places. They are always a sight to see."
"What kind of place would you wanna visit?" Terron then asked.
"Somewhere different," Impetus said nonchalantly. "It doesn't matter where. Somewhere I haven't seen before."
"We could go to this river that's near here," Zekra suddenly said.
Everyone turned to look at her. There was a faint, reminiscing shine in her eyes.
"When I was leaving Blackoak Town, my friend Chi and I were talking about this river that's supposed to be near here," Zekra explained softly. "I don't know where it is or what it's called, but I'm sure our maps can point it out. I'd like to go there, if it's okay with you guys. It'd be a nice place to relax, and we can talk about our plan for Yimtri there. And, it's a different place, so I'm sure you'd like it, Impetus. But, it's your decision."
A melancholy, yet peaceful smile grew on her face as she waited for their answer. Everyone continued to stare at her for a brief moment as they took in the information, but their answers required no thinking on their part. They already knew their answers.
"Sure, I'd like to go," Syn said as a happy smile came over him. "It sounds nice."
"I'll go too," Impetus added. "I would like to see this river. I've never seen a river before."
"Well, looks like we're all in agreement then," Terron said cheerily. "So, as soon as we get to the Fellowship, we'll try to find this river you're talking about and maybe stay there for the day."
Zekra's smile brightened at hearing their answers as the sadness inside her seemed to fade away.
The four then talked among each other as they made their way back to the Fellowship, discussing what they'd do on their small trip to the river. Syn made several suggestions, such as to buy special lunches for all of them to eat together. He gave such thought about what the meal could be and where they could buy all of the food. Amused by his idea, the three had decided to follow his idea and promised to buy their special meals the next day so that they could be as fresh as possible.
As the children arrived at the base, now chatting about what games they could play during their river visit, they noticed someone familiar standing near the entrance. The four cut their conversation short as they came close to the familiar face and surrounded that Pokémon with odd glances.
It was Novus with a small, brown sack resting beside him. He looked up at the four with a grin.
"I told you that our parting wouldn't be permanent," he chuckled. "Hello again, children."
"Novus… what are you doing here?" Zekra asked, unsure if she wanted to sound excited or confused. "I mean, you weren't at the gym when I checked. It was that Charizard instead. I thought you left town."
"I was considering the option of such," Novus confessed thoughtfully. "I know of many places I could venture off to. Shiron is such an immense world; I'm sure it has a new place for me somewhere. But, I decided against that after careful thought. I have reached a different decision of what I shall do now."
"And what would that be?" Zekra asked.
The Quilava's smile became smug as he held up a paw and gestured to all four of the children.
"Why, to ask if I may become the fifth member of your team," he answered.
Everyone except Impetus felt their jaws drop. Novus laughed heartily at their reaction.
"I've thought long and hard of this decision," Novus began. "For the longest time, I've always wanted to join the Special Tasks Fellowship and assist in terminating the Plagued Ones. Yet, that wasn't possible because they do not accept single member teams. So, I became a trainer to monitor the Fellowship and wait for a team to ask me to join them. Of course, such never happened. But now that I am free of my trainer responsibilities and have met you children, I can join the Fellowship by becoming a part of your team. I've grown to admire each of your dedications and seen how much you've grown since I first met you after you attacked me. And so, I wish to join under your team name. You've proven that you're a competent team, and I do wish for such. Then also, you seem like you could you use someone like me. You may be competent, but I believe having someone such as myself may further help your team. So please, I ask to let me join your team. Let me lend you my power and wisdom and together, we will to stop the ones known as Plagued Ones. "
He looked up at them expectantly, wearing a calm and collected smile.
No one on Team Vendetta had to speak to reach their unanimous answer. Though they understood that they'd have to share all of their secrets and thoughts with this new member, they didn't feel any dread overcome them. They knew Novus long enough to have developed a degree of trust in him. Adding him to the team only meant deepening such bond they had already forged with him.
"Of course we'll let you join us, Novus," Terron beamed. "I'm sure it'll be really interesting having you on our team."
Dusk Mines
In the deeper, underground section of the northern Fellowship, Yimtri found himself leaning against a wall of an empty hallway. He was just outside the area where he and his members contained their criminals: the prisons. They occupied the entire lower section of his Fellowship, and he was in the few parts of the vicinity that were not surrounded by prison cells.
The Sableye was thinking himself. Even as Erebus continued to send such surreal things into his mind, he managed to keep his true thoughts focused. Any traces of abnormality were promptly ignored to the best of his ability.
Drae… you still refuse to talk. Yimtri thought. I've been trying for two days now… and you refuse to say anything. We have tried to get into your mind with our most talented psychic, but for some reason, they are unable to access your hidden thoughts. How and why are you being so difficult, Drae…? What are you hiding deep in your consciousness…?
You will never be able to find his thoughts.
The Sableye became very tense as an unnerving voice very akin to his own overshadowed his thoughts.
You cannot access them through the power of your psychics. No...
Yimtri suddenly felt a sharp pain in his cranium. He gripped the side of his head and dug his claws deep into his scalp.
"God… not this…" Yimtri cursed as he grimaced. "Just when I thought I was able to avoid this…"
You cannot reach them. You cannot, as you are a lowly being compared to the higher powers.
The pain grew more intense as the voice became louder. The Sableye pressed his claws further into his head. If it weren't for the fact that he was a ghost, blood would have been drawn by now.
Yimtri continued to tolerate the voice, waiting for the aching to subside. These migraines typically lasted twenty seconds, though sometimes they lasted an entire minute. There was nothing to do other than to suffer in silence.
You will never find your answers the way you are going about now. That is-
"Stop tormenting me!"
Yimtri found he couldn't wait out the rest of the torture. The pain was too much this time. It was much more agonizing than what he had become accustomed to. It was what happened thanks to him exploring Erebus Woods days ago. It could make the suffering even more excruciating now. It was the consequence for allowing Erebus to plague him further.
*Thump!* *Thump!*
The Sableye repeatedly bashed his forehead into the wall behind him, trying to stifle the gibberish that was going through his mind. Though his instincts screamed to make himself intangible, Yimtri didn't listen. He needed to give himself physical trauma. He forced himself to remain tangible as he continued his attempt to drown out the garbled words.
Thankfully for him, enough abuse to his cranium allowed him to drive off the voice. He only had to slam his head for a few more seconds before his mind was at peace once more. For the most part.
Yimtri let out an exhausted sigh as he put his head in his hands. It throbbed painfully, but it was much more favorable than letting the voice remain in his head, where it could cause more gruesome agony.
"I should be glad that I'm part ghost," he said with a bitter laugh. "Otherwise… these methods would no doubt leave lasting scars on my mind. But, my mind's ruined by Erebus anyway. It probably wouldn't matter what kind of Pokémon I am. My mind will be corrupted no matter what I am."
The Sableye shook his head in dismay before dropping his hands. He let out yet another sigh before glancing down the corridor that led to where Drae was held captive. He thought for a moment before walking toward the prisons. He needed to see Drae. That was the original reason he came down here. He didn't need to ponder any longer.
Yimtri passed by various prison cells as he made his way to where Drae was being contained. At first glance, there were no cells in sight. All that was around Yimtri were several small holes in the rock walls that stood on either side of the corridor. Yet, Yimtri knew better. The holes in the walls were actually makeshift windows for the holding cells behind each wall. Behind the walls, wherever a window was, there was a small room that served as the cell. There were no doors to these chambers. The only way to access the many prison cells was to have the ability to phase through the solid rock.
After passing by several of the hidden chambers, the Sableye finally came to the one where Drae was being held. He exhaled deeply before stepping through the wall.
When Yimtri come out the other side of the wall, he found himself in the small prison cell with Drae. The Weavile was sitting against a wall on the other side of the room, metal chains wrapped tightly around his body while his feet were shackled into the ground. He was staring vacantly ahead of him, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. He still wore his scarf, which was the only possession he was allowed to keep while in the cell.
The second the Weavile saw Yimtri, however, he gave a dark glare before turning his head away with a frown.
"This is going to be the third time I'm going to attempt to talk to you," Yimtri stated matter-of-factly. "And hopefully… this will be the time I actually get something out of you."
The Weavile glanced at the Sableye for a brief second before averting his gaze once more. Yimtri approached the Weavile and stopped right in front of him. He didn't need to crouch down to speak to Drae eye-to-eye. Drae's current position allowed the two of them to be at about the same height.
"I've tried two different ways to gain some kind of information out of you," Yimtri began. "I've interrogated you in the most orthodox way. I've had our most talented psychic come in and enter your mind despite the psychic barrier you and I have thanks to being Pokémon of the darkness. Neither of those two worked. I don't know how you were able to prevent our psychic from accessing your innermost thoughts, but I won't bother to ask. I know you won't answer the question. You haven't even spoken since those children attacked you."
The Weavile continued to remain silent, causing Yimtri to grit his teeth in frustration. Yet, he didn't let his agitation get the best of him. He had to remain rational.
"So, because neither of those strategies work, I'm afraid I'll have to resort to a more drastic approach."
Without warning, Drae felt a hook to his face, knocking him onto his side. There were now three, bloody streaks dangerously close to his eye. The Weavile looked up to find the Sableye standing over him, his right claw stained with Drae's blood.
"Why did you attack those children, Drae?" Yimtri asked sternly. "Answer the question."
The Weavile let out a pained groan, but otherwise, said nothing. Yimtri's scowl deepened.
*Slash!*
Another set of claw marks formed on the Weavile's face.
"Who are the others you kept referring to when you attacked those children?" Yimtri asked. "Do you work for someone other than me?"
No answer.
*Slash!*
"Why were you so concerned that those children saw you with an Aggron carcass? Why were you filled with such paranoia?"
There was still no answer.
*Slash!*
"Why were you practically obsessed with that scarf of yours? Those children said you jumped off a cliff to retrieve it. What's so special about it?"
Even still, the Weavile continued to remain silent as his blood leaked onto the ground beneath him. The Sableye's eyes became eerily bright at Drae's lack of words. It seemed the Weavile wasn't going to say anything, no matter what happened. Torture certainly wasn't working.
So, the Sableye went with a different option.
He grabbed the Weavile's scarf in his claw with a firm grip before ripping it off him in one pull.
Drae's vacant, yet pained eyes suddenly became wide with hysteria.
"Give that to me!" he howled. "Give it back to me or I'll tear you to pieces!"
The Weavile attempted to lunge at the Sableye, but found he couldn't due to his restrains. Even still, he desperately squirmed around, attempting to break free. Yimtri grew alarmed by Drae's sudden energy, but managed to remain calm. Maybe now, he could finally get some answers.
"Why do you want this back?" the Sableye asked.
"Because I need it!" Drae screeched. "I NEED it!"
"Why do you need it?" Yimtri asked.
"Because I need it!" Drae babbled. "You don't understand how important that thing is to me! Give it back to me! Give it back! Give it back! Give it back! GIVE IT BACK!"
Yimtri cringed at the sight of seeing his member slowly losing his hold on reality. He took a couple of steps back as the Weavile continued to flail around uselessly.
"I'll return it if you answer my questions," Yimtri said. "Go on. Tell me why you attacked those children."
"I NEED it!" Drae spouted as his voice changed into that of a delirious maniac. "Give it to me! It means everything! It's mine! It's mine! Give me it! Give me the scarf! NOW! NOW! I NEEEEEED IT! NEED! NEEEEEED!"
"Drae, answer the questions!" Yimtri snapped.
Coherent words no longer seemed to come out of the Weavile's mouth. He was now shouting complete gibberish that seemed to be a mix of pathetic wailings and anguished shrieks. Drae could no longer answer the questions. He was long gone now.
Yimtri let out a low sigh. There was nothing more that could be done for the moment.
"I'll be keeping this with me," Yimtri stated as he turned around to walk away. "If you want this back, then it'd be best if you answer my questions. I'll give you time to ponder in your decision."
Drae continued to spout his garbled words as he moved sporadically. Yimtri found he couldn't look at his member in such agony without feeling pity. This Weavile was one of his trusted followers after all. He cherished each and every one of them. Even though Drae had betrayed that trust, the Sableye still wished things didn't have to be like this for his member.
Yimtri shook his head in shame as he phased through the wall with the crimson scarf in tow, leaving behind the crazed Weavile as his insane ranting echoed throughout the entire prison.