Draco: This is it. I'm actually writing up the final battles. I might actually submit this thing. Holy frickin' Mulch.
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Chapter 25: The Grand Master
The dome on the opposite rim of the volcano did not host a Colosseum - at least, not directly inside. There was a large-open room, with several computer interfaces and a wall covered in massive screens; the door was contained in a small entryway, with a wall on either side that Wes assumed to contain separate rooms.
Three people were standing inside. Two of them were taller men, dressed in unusual ensembles that weren't quite black; one of them had a bluish hue to his garments, reflected in his violet hair that had a few loose strands dangling aside, and the other's clothes had a reddish hue, beneath a closely-cropped head of brown hair. Otherwise, the outfits were identical - stiff tops with strange dark patterns, possessing broad, pointed shoulders and lengths similar to those of longcoats, with a binding of sorts at waist level and sleeves of a softer make than the torso. Each man wore a pair of visor-like sunglasses, and kept his hands folded behind him as Wes and Rui stepped in.
The other was a much older - and much shorter - man. He was seated in a large chair of some description that was facing away from the entrance at first, leaving nothing visible but his bald head and the collar of a robe in purple and gold. After a moment, however, the chair turned around; his eyes were closed behind a pair of very transparent glasses, and his ears were positively broad at the sides of his head, as a testament to his age. Something was clipped to each ear - a communications device of some sort that nonetheless provided a color contrast to an otherwise very monochromatic head.
Rui and Wes halted as he turned around; the old man seemed about to speak before Wes raised a finger declaratively. The elder's mouth closed, and seemed content to let them speak first before the Snagger aimed that finger at the trio, glancing at Rui with a bemused "Haven't we...?"
"Yeah, I think so," Rui confirmed. "Don't you three hang around the Coronet Diner in Gateon Port?"
The taller man in red glanced at his compatriot. "Are we really out to dine so often?"
The man in blue seemed like he was unsure. "They do make a good Slowpoke Tail."
"Come now, boys," the older man reprimanded, "she's not wrong." He nodded his head towards Rui. "Yes, girl, we do frequent Gateon Port. Without our underlings having a reliable means of coming here, we must go to the mainland if there is anything that demands attention in person. And, yes, we often take the opportunity to eat out while we're there. It was on one such occasion that you two provided us with a little post-meal entertainment - when you fought off the boss of Team Snagem, who had long since ceased his usefulness."
Wes grunted lightly. "So you are the true leader of Cipher," he observed. "You lured in members under the pretense of granting their desires, hired Team Snagem to steal Pokémon from trainers, and then subjected them to endarkenment to create Shadow Pokémon."
"Indeed," the old man confirmed. "I am Greevil, the Grand Master of Cipher. Everything that you have unmade thus far has been working towards my goals." He shook his head. "I had hoped that with the fool Evice taken into custody, we would be able to operate under the radar... for longer than a scant three weeks. But no - still you continue to interfere. And now you have come all the way to Citadark Isle. I see that drastic measures are necessary."
He turned his chair around. "Ardos."
"Yes, sir." The taller man in blue stepped forward, approaching Wes and Rui; as he stepped within the bounds of the side-walls that contained the entryway, something rose up behind him - a ballistic glass window that promptly sealed them off from the open room. The man in red turned to speak to the Grand Master... but the three in the entryway could no longer hear him, the barrier isolating sound as well as access.
Rui turned his attention on their opponent, Ardos. "So you're going to stop us, are you?"
"Indeed," Ardos confirmed, folding his hands behind him once again. "I am one of the Grand Master's Guardians, standing ever at his command from before there was a Cipher beneath him. If he orders me to battle, I will battle, no matter my opponent. If he orders me to acquire Pokémon, I will acquire whatever Pokémon he seeks, no matter how far I must travel. If he orders me to see endarkenment done, I will endarken every Pokémon in Orre!"
"The cruelties performed by those who cannot understand," Wes bemoaned.
"You think the Grand Master does not understand?" Ardos laughed. "He knows full well what the endarkenment process entails." Then, glaring at Rui, "Or did you think yourself the only human in Orre who could wield aura?"
"What?" Rui stepped back. "You mean...?"
"The Grand Master understands what endarkenment does to Pokémon all too well," Ardos proclaimed. "He himself bore witness to the same dark Pokémon that Ein strove to recreate. When he witnessed its power, and saw that it had no mind but battle, he knew that such a Pokémon could be used for greatness, if wielded by one with the drive to seize greatness. And when Ein recreated the darkness it exhibited, he had his means to create an army of mighty Shadow Pokémon, by which he can rule the world!"
His left hand emerged from behind him, seizing two Poké Balls from his belt. "That is the Grand Master's ambition! I will not allow you to interfere for one moment longer!"
You are challenged by Cipher Guardian Ardos!
He brought his arm across his body before hurling the Balls forward, and Wes reached for his own belt as an Alakazam and Machamp appeared. Espeon and Umbreon were sent out to face the two; Umbreon proceeded to charge at Alakazam as Espeon unleashed a Psychic pulse around Machamp; the Superpower Pokémon managed to last through the blow, charging at her in retaliation as Alakazam took aim at the approaching Umbreon.
A prismatic glow appeared around the Psi Pokémon's eyes a moment before Umbreon's Payback connected. As Alakazam was left reeling, she retaliated with a Psychic of her own - and to Wes' concern, the attack connected, the Miracle Eye letting her cut through the Dark-type's defense and leaving the Moonlight Pokémon stumbling. Machamp closed in on Espeon, striking her roughly with a Dual Chop; the second blow left the Sun Pokémon tumbling to the side, but she quickly recovered, attacking with another Psychic to finish him off as Umbreon eliminated Alakazam with a second Payback.
Ardos withdrew the Pokémon with his right hand and sent out their replacements with his left, a Tauros and Kingdra appearing. Wes withdrew Espeon and Umbreon, sending out Hitmontop and Ampharos; the Light Pokémon took aim at Kingdra as Kingdra took aim at her, and the two unleashed simultaneous Dragon Pulses that only narrowly missed one another, each striking the other's sender as Hitmontop and Tauros charged in simultaneity.
The Wild Bull Pokémon connected with a violent Thrash; Hitmontop managed to endure the blow and quickly retorted with a bombardment of Close Combat that knocked Tauros out. Ampharos and Kingdra had both tanked one another's strikes; as Ardos was withdrawing Tauros, they both opened fire again; this time Ampharos was the one left standing, her Dragon Pulse striking Kingdra far harder than his struck her.
The Grand Master's Guardian cursed under his breath as he withdrew Kingdra as well; he seized his last two Poké Balls and threw them forward. There was no boast or bravado to the action as a Heracross and Froslass appeared - and so Wes was caught off-guard by Rui's gasp.
"Wes-!" she warned.
"So that's the one," Wes observed. "Expose the Ghost!"
This time Hitmontop's eyes began to glow, and his spinning halted for a moment as he zeroed in on Froslass; Ampharos turned her attention to Heracross, invoking a blast of Thunder. The Single Horn Pokémon managed to endure the blow and charged at Ampharos in return, striking her with a most ferocious Reversal; as Hitmontop's Foresight enshrouded the Froslass, the Shadow Pokémon unleashed a dark gale that struck the Handstand Pokémon down.
Wes withdrew them both, sending out Espeon and Umbreon again. "Take out the Bug - then Hold Back!"
"The Snagger," Ardos growled. "I'd hoped to strike you down faster than this - but no matter!"
Espeon loosed a Psychic to finish off Heracross as Umbreon charged at Froslass; the Snow Land Pokémon only drifted back, unleashing another Shadow Storm before he could connect. Umbreon managed to continue through the gale, connecting with a withheld blow - one that only landed because of Hitmontop's preparation - and then retreating. An ephemeral sun and moon appeared above the two Eeveelutions; no sooner had the light sources faded out than Froslass swept her hands forward, and a shadowy aura extended skyward, shrouding the battlefield with darkness.
Wes hissed; that was gonna limit their ability to recover, and take a toll if this dragged out what's more. Espeon and Umbreon charged forward together this time, striking in tandem and then leaping aside; as they retreated, Froslass unleashed another Shadow Storm, striking them in time with the encroachment of the Shadow Sky. The two Eeveelutions managed to endure the onslaught and went for one more charge; Wes promptly drew out an Ultra Ball, brandishing it in his left hand and letting his Snag Machine convert it.
Espeon connected, and leapt to one side; Umbreon followed suit, and leapt to the other. As Froslass was about to retaliate, Wes hurled the Snag Ball forward, and it opened up before her dark gales could lash forward, enveloping her and then closing to fall to the ground.
Shake... Shake... Shake... Click!
Ardos gasped in anger as the Ball bounced back to Wes, and he caught it in his left hand, letting it vanish in response to his full party. "I can see why you're the last line of defense," he praised. "That was a much closer fight than the Advisors."
"Spare me your appreciation of the worthless," Ardos retorted. "My task is done." He glanced back at the barrier between the door and the greater room; Rui abruptly realized that Greevil had vanished from the room, and the other Guardian was standing there alone, his back to them. "You cannot reach the Grand Master now."
Rui shook her head. "Never say can't," she reprimanded; she and Wes turned around, stepping back out of the dome and leaving Ardos alone in the entryway.
+x+x+x+
Wes almost wished they'd chosen to say can't.
There was a staircase (of a sort) built into the cliff face, hidden from the side where the elevators lay; a careful look with both hands firmly on the railings had revealed a second walkway below the first one. With extreme caution (there were no handrails for the staircase), Wes and Rui managed to reach the lower walkway, advancing forward to find an elevator leading up to the dome.
The lift was not there when they approached it - but there was a key slot set into a Poké Ball, like those of Realgam Tower. When Wes inserted Lovrina's Battle Pass, the Poké Ball lit up with a bright pink glow, and the elevator descended; he and Rui stepped in, and the lift took them up into the dome. It deposited them in a small room with a PC; after patching up his team, Wes opened the door to find the open room on the other side of the barrier.
The man in red was still standing there with his back to the entrance; with a sigh, he turned around, keeping his hands folded behind him. "I presume Lovrina has turned on us?"
"That obvious, was it?" Rui snarked. "You gonna fight us, too?"
"I'm afraid so," the man confirmed. "My name is Eldes; I too, am one of the Grand Master's Guardians... and his son."
Wes started. "Son? He's your father?"
"Yes," Eldes confirmed. "Ardos and I are brothers, and sons of the Grand Master. We have stood at his side for long, and though we do not share his sensitivity to aura, we nonetheless act wherever he cannot." He shook his head sadly. "His ambition with Shadow Pokémon has led to the suffering of so many... and yet I cannot help but believe that what has happened is the better course of action."
"What are you talking about?" Rui demanded. "How is this better?"
Eldes took a deep breath.
"The man you defeated in Realgam Tower - the scapegoat Evice - is the grandson of the man who made Phenac City the most prosperous town in Orre. He worked in tandem with the Devon Corporation of Hoenn, using a power known as Infinity Energy to create a safe place for Pokémon Trainers. He drew water from deep within the earth, bringing life to the barren desert. But Infinity Energy is dangerous, and a moment's error can have catastrophic consequences."
The Guardian shook his head. "Evice's father had continued the partnership with Devon, and was present for the disaster that led to the partnership being broken. A damaged power cell for Infinity Energy led to a great detonation in the place where Realgam Tower stands now. It solidified the sands and shook the region. By some miracle, no one was near enough to be seriously injured - but there were several who were near enough to be affected. They would report bizarre sights; another Orre, where stood a broken ship in the desert, a sinister facility built like a temple, a laboratory where any suffering could be undone, and places where wild Pokémon gathered."
"There are no wild Pokémon in Orre," Wes proclaimed.
"You can see why they did not give credibility to the events," Eldes observed. "Both those who saw the visions and those who heard of them assumed them to be dreams. But Evice was one of those people, and he saw something much less pleasant. Terrible Pokémon that could do naught but fight; a girl who could identify them at a glance; a boy capable of taking them from their rightful Trainers; a legendary Pokémon warped nearly beyond recognition; and a man who had enlisted him with the promise of ruling the world, only to abandon him when he was defeated and apprehended."
Wes remembered what Evice had said, atop Realgam Tower. "You're certainly picking up more quickly than I remember."
"You don't mean..." Rui stepped forward. "They saw... the future?"
"A future that might have been, perhaps," Eldes observed. "But when he became Mayor of Phenac City, Father did approach him, hoping to find someone who could lead Cipher while he remained hidden. When Evice realized he was the man from the vision, he shared all he knew - the rise and fall of Cipher, not once but twice over. Father intended to use this information to try and avert the fall... but when he asked Evice to assist him all the same, Evice refused. He did not intend to be a scapegoat. So Father offered an alternative, inviting him to simply observe the process by which Shadow Pokémon are made. And when he did..."
"Evice was endarkened," Wes realized. "By seeing the process, the darkness affected him!"
"Indeed," Eldes confirmed. "And in so doing, his judgement was warped. When Father made the offer again, he accepted without a second thought, convinced that events would not transpire as they did in his vision. Indeed, Father intended to account for the events that Evice had reported... but he still needed a scapegoat, whose defeat would create a smokescreen by which he would be able to advance his ambition without drawing attention."
He stepped forward. "In Evice's vision, Greevil was apprehended by the authorities of Orre, years after Evice himself. I fear that he will take any action that he believes will avert that future, no matter the cost. Knowing this, will you still oppose him?"
Wes narrowed his gaze. "Cipher is bringing harm to countless Pokémon and people," he proclaimed. "Yes, we will stop him."
"Then I am afraid I must oppose you, in turn," Eldes returned.
His right hand emerged from behind him, seizing his Poké Balls as Ardos had. "Show me the strength of your convictions, and the might of your Pokémon, and allow me to show you mine!"
You are challenged by Cipher Guardian Eldes!
Wes nodded, reaching for his belt as Eldes flung his Balls forward; a Ninjask and Flygon appeared there, and Wes already knew this was going to be a difficult fight as he sent out Altaria and Octillery in return. Both speedsters acted with immense haste, Flygon surging forward with a Dragon Rush that nearly knocked Altaria out of the air as Ninjask struck Octillery with a Giga Drain. The Jet Pokémon managed to remain standing, as well, and struck Flygon with a precision Ice Beam as she tried to withdraw; once Altaria had righted herself, she sent a Flamethrower in Ninjask's direction, knocking her out as well.
Eldes withdrew the Pokémon with his left hand and sent out their replacements with his right; a Walrein and Gengar appeared there, both looking ready for a fight. Wes elected to withdraw Altaria first, sending out Ampharos in her place as Octillery fired an Octazooka at Gengar; the Ghost-type retaliated with a Shadow Punch, and Walrein followed through with a Body Slam to finish her off before Ampharos had the chance to strike him with a Thunderbolt.
Wes quickly withdrew Octillery, sending out Hitmontop in her place; he promptly whirled forward, powering through the Aurora Beam that Walrein sent in his direction to connect with a flurry of Triple Kicks. Gengar rounded on Ampharos, Toxic whirling around him and then the Light Pokémon to poison her; Ampharos retaliated with a barrage of Power Gems that quickly soared forward to strike the Ghost-type.
As soon as the bombardment ended, Gengar retaliated, unleashing a sinister Hex that reacted violently with the deadly poison. Ampharos barely managed to hold on, unleashing a Dragon Pulse in retaliation; as Gengar was knocked out, Walrein loosed a Blizzard that struck her and Hitmontop both, knocking out the Light Pokémon as Hitmontop whirled forward to finish him off with a Close Combat.
With a sigh, Eldes withdrew Walrein as well; once his side of the field was clear, he sent out a Marowak and Gallade to take their places, and Rui reacted. "Wes-!"
"Got it!" Wes assured her.
He withdrew Hitmontop as well, sending out Espeon and Umbreon. "Wreck the Bone Keeper - then Hold Back!"
"Devoted to your goals," Eldes praised. "Let's see if you have what it takes to fulfill them!"
Marowak drove her bone into the ground, unleashing an Earthquake to strike everyone else; the Eeveelutions made to act through the tremors, Espeon unleashing a Psychic around the Bone Keeper Pokémon as Umbreon charged forward. No sooner had his Payback finished Marowak off than Gallade rushed him from the side, slamming a fierce, shadowy blow into the Moonlight Pokémon that threw him back across the battlefield; as he made to right himself, an ephemeral moon appeared above him as Espeon charged forward for retaliation.
A withheld blow struck Gallade from the side, but the Blade Pokémon retaliated with another Shadow Break, hitting Espeon much harder and throwing her back. The moon faded out from above Umbreon, and he charged forward for a blow of his own, worsening Gallade's condition as Espeon healed up; as a third Shadow Break threw Umbreon back, Wes drew out an Ultra Ball and converted it, hurling it forward while the field was clear.
The Snag Ball enveloped the Blade Pokémon before he could charge at Espeon, and it fell to the ground once it had closed, leaving everyone anticipating the result.
Shake... Shake... Shake... Click!
A small smile rose on Eldes' face as the Ball bounced back towards Wes; he caught it in his left hand, and once it vanished he withdrew his Pokémon with his right. "Not bad," he praised the Guardian. "You and Ardos are some of the toughest opponents I've faced."
"You flatter me," Eldes insisted. "But thank you all the same." His smile faltered. "Sadly, I'm afraid neither of us has ever overcome Father. I hope that you can save Lugia... but I do not favour your odds in Snagging it before it defeats you all."
He stepped past them. "Best of luck."
Draco: Whenever I see Marowak's name, I'm reminded of this stupid little type-based rap that was on a music player the first time I visited the official Pokémon website. I've never been able to find it since, and all I remember is two lines about Ground/Electric matchups and a remark about Muk's foul gas that ended with a transition into the chorus before/as the rhyme kicked in.
You are justified in being skeptical that that was on the official Pokémon website, but if you think it's because I wrote that, I wish I deserved that suspicion.