=Chapter 43, Fourth of Six=
*Jacob to Arky*
*Dear Arky, It's been a few weeks since I last wrote to you, but we've been having some difficulty nowadays. Jessy called from Lilycove and said she's on her way now to Mossdeep City, but she warned us that Snagem is definitely in Lilycove. Although she said she and Latios couldn't pin down where they were hiding out. She also mentioned some strange activity along route 121 near the city, but it was weird.*
*She said she thought she saw a girl, at least that's what she 'thinks' she saw. She said she couldn't remember exactly what happened, not even Latios could explain. He simply said that, for a moment, he felt a huge wave of fear, but then everything was gone and he couldn't remember the girl Jessy saw.*
*In any case, Karen won her sixth badge and now we're on our way down Route 121 for Lilycove with Segan.*
*After Suicune joined our side as an official ally of my team, she has gone ahead to scour the path for dangerous threats to us. It feels weird, but also comforting having a powerful legendary Pokemon as a friend, not that Latias isn't powerful, but Suicune is clearly wiser and more experienced by comparison. Speaking of my team, something weird has been happening with Coral recently. I can't explain it, but she's become a bit more… friendly toward me, and a bit more rude to others around me.*
*Sara says she doesn't sense anything unusual, but I'm still a little worried.*
(Jacob's PoV)
"Now this is what camping is all about!" Karen yelled as she dug into her lunch alongside her team. "A nice fire, warm meal, and a tent to eat under and keep us all dry from the rain! Nothing like traveling with someone who has money!"
"Yes, you sure know how to spend my hard earned money Karen." Segan said with a chuckle as he and Glace ate their food more slowly. "Then again, this is what I signed up for."
"You betcha!" Karen said with a grin.
"Really Karen, you could at least show a little restraint." Jacob said as he and Sara shared his lunch while she sat in his lap. "I mean, making Segan pay for all of this camping equipment? We didn't use all of this on Route 119, so why now of all of a sudden?"
They were halfway along Route 121, halfway to Lilycove and camping while they waited for the storm that rolled in to pass. All around their tent their teams sat or levitated eating the lunch that Jacob had prepared. Everyone except for Coral, who was eating her lunch closer to Jacob, about as close as she could get to him.
As he glanced at her and she noticed him glancing, she smiled happily and nodded at him, and he simply smiled and waved back. *Sara, are you sensing anything wrong with Coral today?* He asked her.
(I'm afraid not, she seems normal so far.) Sara replied calmly.
*I hope she stays that way, why did she get so hostile toward you yesterday?* He asked mostly himself again. *All I did was give you a victory hug after that practice battle, and she almost hoses you down with a Hydro Pump.*
It was true, the day before he and Karen were having a practice battle between his team of Sara and Coral, and Karen's Lance and Laura. Sara was showing greater and greater strength in her psychic abilities with each day that passed, something Segan said was related to their connection with each other. According to him, the closer he and Sara became, the more powerful her powers would naturally become. When Jacob asked how strong she could become, he said it depended on how 'close' he and Sara wanted to be, but when Jacob asked what he meant, he merely shrugged and walked away.
After the battle ended and Karen's team grudgingly conceded defeat, Sara went into her usual dance routine before jumping and hugging Jacob again. Then Coral became upset, and before everyone's eyes sprayed Sara with a powerful blast of water, similar to a Hydro Pump. They avoided a lot of the attack's blast thanks to Sara's quick reaction, but it was still a shock that Coral would attack them.
When he asked what was wrong, she apologized and swore she had no idea why she reacted that way, and begged them to forgive her.
They did forgive her, but she still looked mortified about the action she took.
When he talked to her in private with Sara and asked why she reacted that way, she simply couldn't explain. All she could answer was that she had this sudden anger build up rapidly, extremely rapidly, and before she could react or think about her decision, she attacked Sara.
"So what should we do after lunch?" Karen said, snapping Jacob out of his thoughts.
"Uh…" He said. "I don't honestly know, I don't feel like having another practice battle, and I don't want to do anymore traveling today."
"Well in that case, how about you two go out and gather some berries for dinner!" Segan said with a grin. "I mean, it's been a while since we've had Pokeblocks for our Pokemon, why not go and gather some for them. Even Pokemon like to have little treats every now and then."
"Froslass…" Glace nodded in agreement as she poured him some more tea.
(Pokeblocks?) Sara said to him excitedly.
At the word Pokeblocks, all of their Pokemon looked up excitedly. "Well I guess that answers what we're doing after lunch." Jacob chuckled.
As he and Sara finished eating, he stood up with her on his shoulder and stretched, before grabbing his berry holding bag from his backpack. As he grabbed it he felt his hand brush against the Keystone box he kept in it.
He didn't know why, but he took the box out and looked at the Keystone inside. Even after nearly seven months of holding it, with it sitting inside of that box and not being touched, it still gleamed brilliantly in response to his presence. "Hey Jacob, whatcha doing?" Karen asked as she held her own berry holding back.
"Just thinking Karen." He replied as Sara looked at him curiously. "I've had this thing for a while now, but I've not used it once."
"Well it 'is' kinda hard to use a Keystone if you don't have the appropriate Megastone for your Pokemon to use." She said with a chuckle. "I'll get my own Keystone someday, and when I do the first thing I'm ganna do is find me a Megastone for my team. Then watch out world, cause Karen is coming at ya full speed!"
"Well while you two dream about Mega Evolution and stones…" Segan said as he rounded up the dishes. "Glace and I are going to be doing dishes, honestly making an adult slave over you two is a crime against nature!"
"Froslass las las las." Glace chuckled as she grinned.
"Alright Segan, we'll be back later with the berries." Karen said as her team gathered around her while Jacob's gathered near him.
"Yea, we shouldn't take too long." Jacob said as Coral slithered closer to him and gave him an affectionate nuzzle. "See you later!"
"Take care!" Segan yelled as they left.
(Missy the Mismagius's PoV)
Missy watched from afar, just out of range of the Krilia and Riolu's ability to sense her, waiting for her moment. When the two trainers and the man with the smelly jacket and younger ghost type left, she made her move.
She quickly levitated over to the camp and manifested her physical self so she could touch physical objects, rather than just hide from the vision of both humans and Pokemon like she was doing for the last six hours.
"Must hurry…" She whispered feebly as she opened the bag and dug inside, searching for the glimmering stone of power.
She found it after some digging, and picked up the stone, even though it was contained in the box she could feel the power stored within, it flowed into her and lent her some much needed strength. A mere touch of the stone let the strength she needed flow into her.
"Ah… much better." She whispered as she replaced the stone into the box. "Now to find him."
She closed the box and began tracking down her charge, but as she followed the direction that he and his fellow trainer and their teams had taken, she had this huge wave of fear wash over her. She had not felt such fear, such unfathomable anger since…
"Not my concern, must find him, should be here somewhere!" She said with a chuckle, almost forgetting entirely what it was she had just felt.
(Jacob's PoV)
"Alright we'll check around this area, you see what you can find over that way!" Jacob said as they reached a section of the forest where he was sure Berry Trees grew.
"This is so slave labor!" Karen complained as she and her team headed off away from him and his team.
"I know, that's what you always say Karen." He chuckled as he led his team in another direction.
(She complains about slave labor a lot.) Sara commented as Latias flew behind him while the others walked, slithered and flew close by. (She barely does anything while her team does all the hard work, why does she talk like that?)
"She's just being herself Sara." He said, scratching her hair and making her giggle.
(Master Jacob.) Latias said as she floated ahead of him and looked at him with a curious expression. (How come Suicune isn't with us, I figured she'd stay close by you now that you've captured her.)
"Because Latias, Suicune is like one of those Pokemon that doesn't deserve to be kept tied to anyone in my opinion." He said to her. "She loves running freely like she used to, and if I were to keep her with me I would have to send one of you away. Kora doesn't mind where she is as long as she gets food, but I don't want to send any of you away just to have Suicune with me. Also… stop with the master thing alright? How many times do I have to tell you?"
(Sorry!) She chuckled as she flew behind him again.
It took them some time, but eventually they did find some berry trees near the edge of a nice large clearing, and within minutes he had told everyone what to do to gather the berries. Soon they were in pairs and gathering berries for whatever Segan wanted to do with them. "It's a good thing we found a nice clump of variety of berries here." He said as he and Sara picked some Pecha Berries from one tree.
(Yea, and I'm especially glad we get to pick them together!) Sara commented.
"Really, but we always pick them together Sara." He replied as she levitated their berries into the bag not far from them.
(Oh uh… yea I just mean it's nice that I get to pick them with you.) She answered, but he could swear he felt her feeling thoroughly embarrassed by what she said.
He chuckled and let it slide, his Pokemon have been acting strange lately, first Coral lashing out against Sara, and now Sara saying the weirdest of things. He noticed that there was a definite pattern to this trend, so far the female members of his team were acting this way. Harold, Roran and Ivan had yet to act out differently. He also noticed that Coral and Sara were acting differently concerning him, not the others, only when it involved him.
He always knew Sara's species was extremely close to their trainers, starting with Ralts which only approached humans with positive dispositions and personalities. As a Kirlia her emotions and feelings were even more closely tied to his now, so whenever he was positive she was positive, and the closer they became the more powerful and positive her growth as a Pokemon was.
He wondered if perhaps there was some connection, or something he was missing, but just shrugged it off and decided he would find out in Lilycove at the Pokemon Center.
(Missy's PoV)
Missy finally found him and his team, they were just past the tree line gathering berries. She checked his team, it was the same team she had seen on the island, but they were different, stronger.
"Oh, the starter evolved again?" She asked curiously. "Close, he's closer, much closer now! Is he ready? Not sure, quite possibly close though, must be close!"
She watched how the team reacted around him as they gathered their berries, looking closely at how close they each appeared to him. What she saw made her giggle.
"Oh, jealousy?" She whispered quietly. "Looky looky, Milotic is glaring at little Kirlia. Oh much jealousy, very so, must be that time of year yes? No? Oh getting very near? Yes! Much closer than we thought before!" She looked at the Kirlia and saw how it was smiling happily every time the trainer looked at it. "Awww, so cute, very close together they are! Must be close for her to evolve as well yes? No? Are you sure? Oh, still more growth left? Yes? No? Make up your mind, is she yes or no? Yes? Are you sure? Positive? Okay dokey!"
She watched the target of interest next, the starter, and saw how the two went about picking their berries. She saw that the Sceptile, though obviously had far more capabilities getting berries using his claws, picked the berries the same as the trainer did. This was a good sign, unconsciously he was moving in tandem with his trainer, using the same kind of walk, and had similar swaggers in their steps. They even had the same motion in which they spun around to drop berries on the ground into a pile.
"Not bad, getting closer, but is he ready?" She asked again. "Not ready yet, how much longer?" She waited for a response that of course, did not come. "Oh, so we talk to him now? Yes, no? Maybe so? Put a ring around the rose because it's time to go go go? Okay dokey."
She hid herself again and floated closer to the group, noticing that they had nearly finished gathering their berries.
What she failed to notice, or so she thought, was that the box she was carrying was still completely visible. After all, she knew full well that hiding herself only did that, hid herself from view, what she was carrying was not affected.
Or so she thought, at least she 'thinks' that's what she thought.
(Jacob's PoV)
"Alright guys I think we're all done here." He said as he eyed how full the berry bag was. "Shall we get goi…?"
He stopped midsentence as a box floated toward them from the direction of their camp. A box that was easily recognizable as the one that housed his Keystone. What confused him was why it was floating toward him.
(Uh… does that thing do that often?) Latias asked curiously as it floated and landed in front of them.
(No… it doesn't.) Sara replied.
"What is this doing out here?" He asked as he picked up the box and stared at the Mega Bracelet inside.
"Sceptile?" Harold said as he walked over and looked at it as well. "How did it get here?" Sara translated.
While they stared at it, Ivan began sniffing suddenly, and he turned around and growled ferociously. "What is it Ivan?" He asked his Mightyena who continued to sniff constantly.
He sniffed one final time, before looking around suspiciously. "Garrwar." He growled, his fangs bared and electricity coursing through them. "There's someone here."
At that his entire team went into defensive postures, each one taking up a position on some side of Jacob, readying themselves for some unseen threat. All except Latias who seemed more curious than protective.
(How do you know there's someone here?) She asked Ivan as she floated near him. (I can't sense anyone nearby, and I'd detect the mind of any Pokemon close by.)
"Ivan detects anything with his nose, so there might be some Pokemon is nearby that can hide their mind." He said, before he heard someone giggling behind him, a giggling he was very familiar with. "You have got to be kidding me." He turned with his team to look at the source of the giggling, and saw a Mismagius materialize before them.
It was Missy, the Mismagius from Southern Island and all of their other encounters. She was giggling and grinning at them as if everything were one big joke to her. "Hehehehe." She giggled again as she did a little flip. "Nope, it's me! Little old mini Missy Me!" She stopped flipping and looked at him happily. "It's little Missy the Mismagius, remember me?"
"Hello again Missy, yea we remember you." He said, not too enthusiastic about seeing this Mismagius again, his tone mirrored by Harold and the others around him.
All except Latias who just looked confused. (Hey, isn't this that Mismagius intruder from home?) She asked.
"Yea, we've had some run-ins with this Mismagius." He said to her. "What do you want this time Missy?"
Missy simply glanced around at his team, before once again giggling at him. "Follow me this time, yes?" She said, waving her little 'arms' at him and beckoning him to follow her. "Follow, yes? No being silly and making me work?"
"Not until I get some answers." He said. "Why do you keep making me follow you, who is that girl, what is your relation to her? And how come you somehow always seem to know where I am at all times? Are you following me?"
Missy's response only frustrated him more, as she began giggling even more heartily at him. "Want answers yes?" She asked him, before leaning closer to him. "Are you sure you want? Might not like what you hear, still want to know?"
"I'd rather hear answers than not know…" He said hesitantly, not sure why this Mismagius was getting closer to him.
Then she nodded and backed away, before shifting her glances at each of his team one at a time. He then knew what was about to happen, but the moment he thought it, she once again paralyzed them all with a flash of light from her eyes. "Not time yet, now you follow me!" She giggled as she levitated forward quickly, grabbed the box from his hand, and held it up to them. "Mine now!"
She waved the box at them before turning around and floating off with it at maximum speed. A few seconds later Jacob was freed from the paralyzing grip of her spell, and with his team behind him, chased after Missy. Coral had to be recalled into her ball before they gave chase because she was too slow, but Harold, Roran and Latias easily kept pace with him, and Ivan was not too far behind. Sara clutched his shoulder as they chased after the Mismagius.
"Why am I not surprised?" He yelled as Missy led them over a small creak, through the forest, and past a small clearing. "How does she keep getting us like that?"
(I don't know either, I had a psychic barrier up to repel any paralyzing spells she could put on us this time, but she broke through it easily.) Sara said to him.
"She broke through a barrier you put up?" He asked her curiously. "How could that happen, she doesn't seem to be the type capable of such strength."
He knew Sara's barriers were becoming much stronger, no longer did she rely on her Teleport to protect her from attacks. She could now create small barriers to resist physical, special, or even status inflicting attacks. She had learned to do this thanks to an Alakazam and its trainer who were more than willing to show her how to create such barriers in Fortree City. She impressed the entire team when she repelled one of Ivan's trademark Take Down attacks, and brushed off the attack as if it were nothing but a gentle breeze.
So the fact that this Mismagius was capable of breaking through her barrier told him that she was indeed very strong.
*But then again, she did put twenty legendary class Pokemon, plus two very well trained teams of Pokemon as well as their trainers to sleep.* He thought, remembering their last encounter with her. *But she said that was extremely taxing and very tiring, she didn't have the strength to make us follow her that time, so she had to rely on us following her willingly. Doesn't look like it's the same this time around.*
They followed the Mismagius for several minutes, before she looked back at them, giggled loudly again, and turned and sped off and out of vision beyond a strand of trees and tall wild grass. He had a funny feeling about what he was going to find, and as he slowed down he walked through the trees and grass with his team behind him.
Sure enough, sitting some distance in front of him, was the girl from all three times they've seen this Mismagius. She was sitting with her belt of Pokeballs this time, still wore that same green bandana, purple short sleeved shirt and jeans, with the same heavily worn shows.
But this time they saw she was eating from a bag of berries, the same bag of berries that Jacob and his team had filled up.
He realized that the Mismagius had simply led them in a giant circle. They were right back where she had started this chase.
"Your team sure knows how to pick berries." She said dully as she ate one berry before she tied up the bag. "Wish I could taste them, they probably taste sweet or sour. Then again, food that is not rightfully yours always tastes the worse, so that's probably why I don't taste anything."
"Hey, that's our food!" Jacob yelled angrily, matched by his team as they growled and stared furiously at her for eating their food.
"Food does not concern me, only the trainer that I seek." She said as she stood up and looked at him, again wearing the mask that she had worn last time. "Tell me Trainer, of your bond with your Sceptile, how strong is it since last we met?"
"Where's my Keystone first?" He countered, knowing that whenever that Mismagius stole his Keystone, she usually dropped it with this girl.
In response, the girl calmly stepped aside and showed a box sitting behind her, the same box that held his Keystone.
"How come that Mismagius keeps stealing that Keystone from me, and it always ends up with you?" He asked suspiciously. "She says she doesn't know you, or so I've interpreted, and you claim to have no Mismagius, but you two somehow always seem to appear together almost all the time."
"I would not know, perhaps its coincidence, or perhaps we do know each other." She replied as she took one of her Pokeballs from her belt and stared at it. "Either way the position between us remain the same, you will not touch this Keystone nor will you take it from me so long as I claim it. You are unworthy of this power, your fear and refusal to even wear it is proof that you do not deserve it."
At that his entire team with exception to Harold and Sara stepped forward or moved closer, glaring angrily and snarling at her. He would have been terrified if he had been on the receiving end of their fierce expressions, but the girl remained absolutely calm and merely chuckled.
"You think to intimidate me do you?" She asked before tossing the Pokeball and releasing the Pokemon inside, her Blaziken. "Then come, challenge me if you dare. A true trainer never backs down from a challenge, I will not hide from my enemies and nor will my team."
Her Blaziken stood six feet tall and assumed an aggressive posture, and it was as true as the girl said, her Blaziken looked ready to take on Jacob's entire team single handed. He didn't even seem to flinch at the number set against him, nor how strong the opponent looked. He merely stood there awaiting instructions, like a battle hardened Pokemon belonging to the Champion of a region.
(Jacob… call them off.) Sara said nervously. (That Blaziken… I've never felt such power… he's not doing 'ANYTHING' but I can feel how strong he is just from his feelings. If the others fight him… he'll rip them apart!)
"Guys!" He yelled, getting all of their attention. "Calm down… provoking her or threatening her won't solve anything."
They all nodded and backed down, taking up positions behind him, but Roran still glared angrily at the Blaziken, while Latias and the others merely stared silently.
(I don't like this girl one bit.) Latias commented to him. (She is way too confident in herself. If she didn't have that Blaziken with her, she wouldn't be so bold or calm.)
"I assume by your looks, you think that because I have my Blaziken, that I am overconfident in my abilities correct?" She said to Latias. "Correct, but because we are Trainers we are defined by the Pokemon we command, which brings us to our fourth lesson young Trainer." She said, now looking to Jacob. "If you wish to accept my lesson, we will begin as before. Or you can simply walk away, and leave this Keystone behind for another to challenge me for it. Until I deem you worthy, you will not lay claim to this stone."
He sighed as he knew she was serious, and unlike last time she had her Blaziken, plus five other Pokemon that he had yet to see. If Sara was serious, and this Blaziken was really as powerful as she told him, than her Blaziken alone could crush his entire team, no matter how strong they were. "Alright… what's the next lesson?" He asked.
She nodded and beckoned at him and Harold to follow her, picking up the box as she did, which they did, leaving the others to watch from the sidelines. Sara wanted to go with him, but he insisted that she stay with the others. As he walked he wondered why they were walking away as if they needed space. *There's plenty of space around here.* He thought.
Once they were some distance from the rest of his team, but still within vision, she and her Blaziken stopped and turned to face them.
"Now trainer and starter, you two are the strongest together, when paired side by side compared to those of your fellow team members." She said calmly, pointing at him as she put the box down. "However as you know, strength alone will never win a battle. You can dodge attacks until the day wanes, and you can deal critical damage upon your opponent until dawn comes, but if you cannot endure attacks you will never withstand your opponent's strongest attack."
Her Blaziken smacked his fists together, and bowed respectfully to him and Harold, and he and Harold repeated the gesture, knowing that their fourth lesson was about to begin.
"The most powerful of attacks are the most difficult to endure, but the most accurate and powerful of attacks are also the most dangerous!" She said as she pulled out a second Pokeball and released the largest Pokemon in existence, one he'd only read about.
A Wailord.
Harold and Jacob merely went open mouthed as they stared at the massive Pokemon, they were mere dwarfs compared to the giant. His team would have probably taken up a fraction of the tip of its head if they stood side by side! He could see now why they needed distance and space in the clearing, this Pokemon was so large, it would have crushed all of them and not even notice.
*That Pokemon is massive… it's even larger than Arky!* He thought.
His teacher stood roughly ten feet tall at his highest, but this Wailord was easily four times that height, and he didn't even want to try and judge how long it was from head to tail.
"The most dangerous attacks are the most powerful and most difficult to avoid, some you cannot dodge no matter how much you try, and your opponent so bulky that even a critical blow will not defeat it. For such opponents you must be able to endure their attack, for it is the only way you can survive a battle's length long enough to counter attack. To endure the attack, the Pokemon must brace itself, using the power of the bond between Pokemon and Trainer! With that power you can withstand any and all attacks, not indefinitely but long enough to counter attack."
As the girl spoke the Blaziken walked out far enough so that he was within visual range of the Wailord, meanwhile she reached into her vest and pulled out several potions and other items that he had not seen. "Wailord!" She yelled, and it looked down at her with one of its eyes. "Hydro Pump!"
"Glllnngaaaaaaaar!" It moaned as it opened its massive mouth, and released a massive Hydro Pump, five times as large as the ones Arky ever produced, and perhaps even twice as strong with just as much intensity, all aimed at the speck that was her Blaziken.
Her Blaziken braced himself, stood his ground, put his arms up in front of his face, and took the full blast of the attack head on. He was amazed as he watched the Blaziken standing tall while the attack went on against him. He could see the pain on the Blaziken's face, the water was causing him enormous pain. Yet still he stood there, enduring the attack, even when he was driven to his knee he stood his ground.
For a full minute she had the Wailord continue blasting him with the attack, before she signaled it to stop. The area around her Blaziken was completely soaked, and he was letting off steam with each second because he too was soaked. His legs were shaking, his arms shook violently, and he gasped for breath. But still he stood up, smacked his fists together, and assumed an aggressive stance, as if nothing were wrong.
"That Hydro Pump could have annihilated a colony of Torkoal, but because of the power of my bond with my Blaziken, he withstood the attack." The girl said as she recalled the Wailord, before beckoning her Blaziken to come back to her. "With the power of our bond, we can withstand any attack's firepower if it is capable of knocking us out in a single strike. This is the only way to endure such moves without knowing the move Endure itself." When her Blaziken was next to her she took one of the potions and injected him with it, instantly he sighed in content and stretched.
"Now we will do the same with your starter." She replied, picking up the potions and items she had pulled out. "These are Revives, and Full Restores. They will allow us to keep trying until we run out or until you get this right."
"Wait, Revives?" He asked quickly. "What are Revives?"
"Medicine that forces consciousness onto a Pokemon that has fainted." She said simply. "As for the Full Restores, I figured you would know about them, but just in case they restore a Pokemon to its full strength. When my Blaziken attacks, your Pokemon will surely faint in one strike, else this lesson will be pointless."
"No way, you're not putting drugs into my Pokemon without me knowing how they work!" He stated.
"Sceptile…" Harold said, looking at him face to face, before shaking his head slowly.
(He says, it's alright Jacob…) Sara said, translating for him even at a distance.
"But Harold…" He said, before he was once again silenced by Harold's confidence.
"Sceptile… Scept Sceptile!" He said determinedly. "We have to Jacob… we need to learn how to do this!"
For several minutes they simply stared at one another, before finally Jacob agreed with his starter. He was right, they had to learn how to do this technique, against the Shadow Pokemon they needed every advantage they could get.
"Very well then, when your Sceptile is ready, have him brace himself." She said. "Then my Blaziken will strike with his strongest attack, if you can tap into the power of your bond he will be able to endure the strike. If not… we will restore him and try again until he does."
They both nodded and Harold took a position opposite the Blaziken, then with a confident nod toward Jacob, he bent his knees and braced himself.
"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" The girl ordered.
"Blaze!" He said, and charged at Harold quickly, his legs becoming wrapped in swirling flames, before he jumped and slammed against Harold with full force.
"Sceeeeeeeeeept!" Harold screamed as he was flung backward to land heavily on the ground.
"Harold!" Jacob yelled as he ran to his started, along with the rest of his team who joined him.
When they reached him they found he had a huge burn mark where the Blaziken had kicked him, and he was unconscious, breathing but still unconscious.
The girl walked up to him and took one of the Revives, a star shaped item, and slipped it into his open mouth. Then she gently nudged it down his throat and into his stomach. Moments later Harold began breathing again and wearily got up, shaking his head as he got his bearings.
"Sceptile?" He asked. "What hit me?"
A moment later the girl took the nozzle of one of the Full Restores and touched it to his arm, then injected the bluish liquid into him without him noticing. But as he felt the stinging sensation of the potion going to work, the burn marks and surface damage vanished, leaving him as healthy as before.
"You did not tap into the bond, you must have the power of the bond or you will not endure the attack." She stated as she stood up and her Blaziken resumed its stance. "Unless you wish to go through this process, again and again, you must tap into the power of your bond! Nothing short of that will allow your Harold to endure the attack."
He didn't like what they were being forced to do, all for his Keystone. But they both nodded and once again took up their positions for another attempt.
(Harold's PoV)
Harold could still feel the stinging sensation of the Blaze Kick from before, and he wasn't too keen on taking another hit.
So as the girl instructed, he tried tapping again into that power of their bond, that mysterious pool of energy that only seemed to grow with time between them. He tapped into it and felt its energy flowing into him again.
But he knew it wasn't enough, he could tell that it wasn't enough. This same amount of energy was the same amount he just tried using, and it didn't help him.
*Come on… I need more!*He thought, trying to pull more from it. *I need more… I need more to protect Jacob!*
At the thought of his trainer, he remembered his promise back on Southern Island. He had vowed that he would become stronger, that he would achieve Mega Evolution, and become so powerful that nothing would threaten his trainer again.
He vowed he would never fear ever hurting or letting harm befall his close friend.
Then, as if hearing his thoughts and memories, it felt like before when he needed more power to deal that critical damage to end a fight. It was like another gate, another floodgate opened up and poured unbelievable strength into that pool, and once more it poured into his limbs.
He felt even stronger, even more powerful than before. He braced himself and glared at the Blaziken, unsure if this was enough but needing to test it to find out.
"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" The girl ordered.
"Blaze!" He said, before taking a running jump, his leg wrapping again in flames and smacking into him with full force like before.
It hurt like before, he could not believe how much pain he was suffering, the sheer power of the force was enough to push him to one knee and that wasn't even taking the burning sensation into account. The flames made him feel like he was being burned alive, but as he took the hit and was flung backward, he found himself still standing, still holding his ground against the power of this Blaziken.
For several seconds he stood there, unsure if the attack was over or not, before he relaxed his guard and looked around.
He had barely been budged from his position, he was still close to where Jacob and the others were watching in amazement. But most of all, he was still standing.
*So that's… what it feels like.*He thought in awe. *Now I see… that's how her Blaziken is so powerful… they have that same pool of energy thanks to their bond. No wonder his trainer boasted that they could take on our entire team. With that much energy… who could stand against them?*
(Jacob's PoV)
"He did it!" Jacob yelled as he and the others walked over to him, getting into a group hug and congratulating the starter.
"Sceptile!" Harold chuckled as he looked around at them all.
There was the sound of clapping as the girl applauded them, before dropping their bag of berries as well as the box containing the Keystone near them. "Well done Trainer… you and your team have seen the power of the fourth level of my training." She said warmly. "You now have the power to endure even the most powerful of attacks from the mightiest of foes. You still have two lessons left to go… soon you will be ready to challenge me for it. But never forget, this power is not meant to be abused to the point where you no longer concern for your partner's safety. Only use it when all other means of battle are lost to you. For just as this power is a gift, it is also a curse, for if you use its power and care not for your Pokemon's safety, it will backfire and damage the bond you have forged with them. Trust is what makes you strong… never forget that, only through betrayal of that trust can your bond be destroyed."
She held her head with her hand and wobbled slightly. "It is so hard… so hard… can't keep this up. But not yet… I need to hold on…" She whispered before looking back up at them through her mask. "Trainer… when you are ready for your next lesson, go to the base entrance of Mt. Pyre. There you shall take the next step toward Mega Evolution. If you succeed there you will then climb Mt. Pyre for your final test, and there you will either succeed or fail in claiming this Keystone from me!"
Without being able to say anything else, a pair of purple lights appeared behind the girl and all of them suddenly became sleepy. Unable to stay awake, they collapsed to the ground where they were.
"When you are ready, we will meet again Trainer." The girl's voice echoed in his mind as his vision began to fade. "Do not waste time… hurry, I do not know… how much time I have left."
(Karen's PoV)
"That's funny, they should be around here." She thought as she and Lance looked around for Jacob and his team.
Karen had been looking for an hour for Jacob and company with no luck, it was way past when they were supposed to meet up and she was starting to get worried. "Not that I have to worry when he's got heavy hitters with him, but still what's taking them?" She complained.
"Rio!" Lance said, pointing toward a field that they were drawing close to in their search.
"Huh, what is it?" She asked, peeking through the tall grass to see what he was talking about.
As she peeked she saw a group of Pokemon as well as what looked like Jacob. A few seconds later she knew it was him because Latias was curled up next to him as well as Harold his Sceptile. But what got her alarmed was that they weren't alone, a girl was standing over them.
A girl with black, red, and yellow hair, as well as wearing a filthy lab coat. Beside her were two Pokemon, an Espeon and an Umbreon.
"It's that girl, that Anita Rig from before!" She hissed. "What's she doing here?"
Without even giving herself time to think, because in all honesty she didn't like thinking. She preferred action, and since that girl was all alone and standing over Jacob and his team, she decided to find out directly. "Hey you!" She yelled, jumping from the cover of the tall grass with Lance and grabbing Ziggles Pokeball. "Get away from my friend."
The girl turned around with her two Pokemon who instantly went defensive, but she merely scowled at her and yawned. "Oh, it's the hotheaded one." She commented before turning back to Jacob with her note pad and some strange device in her other hand. "Can't you leave me alone, I'm busy with my research?" She asked before talking to herself. "Interesting, he still has the six perfect thirty one IV's from before, and still the Serious Nature from my last scan. Yet he clearly has no DNA relating to any species other than human in his body? Then where is this data coming from? Is it possible he is like me?"
"Hey I'm talking to you!" Karen yelled, hating being ignored. "You want to pick a fight or what? What are you doing with my friends, how did they end up like this?"
Anita sighed and turned around to face her. "Even if you are an idiot, you've still seen far too much here for me to allow you to remember everything here." She said, taking the jewel into her hand. "I'm afraid for the safety of my research, I can't allow you to remember any of this!" Then she took the jewel on her neck to her mouth and spoke to it, but couldn't hear what she said.
"Oh yea right, like that's going to…" She started saying before she felt something behind her.
She turned around and saw the air behind her beginning to swirl. Then it was like a purple and black vortex appeared behind her, the colors were all twisted and distorted and hurt her eyes the longer she stared at it.
But then she saw two red menacing eyes appear, and heard a growl that terrified her come from the vortex.
"What the…" She said before six powerful black tendrils swarmed out of the vortex, four wrapped around her arms and legs while the other two held Lance.
"Rioooooo!" Lance yelled, trying to break free but couldn't.
The tendrils holding her gripped her tightly, forcing her to look into the eyes that started to frighten her beyond anything. Unable to call out Ziggles to rescue her, she dropped the Pokeball, hoping and praying it would bounce and send him out, but a glow around the ball slowed its descent and made it land gently, without triggering the release mechanism.
"What are… stop it please?" She yelled fearfully, trying to break free but the grip of the tendrils were too tight.
"I'm sorry, but you can't remember anything you've seen here." Anita Rig said out of sight. "Remove the last five minutes of her memory, that should be enough alright?"
"Noooooo!" Karen yelled as she felt herself being pulled toward those red eyes, then all she knew was darkness.
=Five Minutes Later=
"Hey… wake up sleepy head." Someone said to her, tapping her on her forehead.
"Ugh… did you get the name of the Garchomp that ran over me?" She asked as she came to.
"No, but how come you dozed off near here?" He asked as his team circled her curiously.
She got up and looked around, she was in a large field surrounded by grass and trees. "Huh… how did I get here?" She asked as Lance yawned loudly as well. "I must have really been tired, one moment I was looking for you, and the next I'm lying here?"
"You probably took a nap when you were busy looking." He said. "In any case, let's head back, I have got a story to tell you."
She looked over at Jacob and saw he was holding a green stone about the size of a large rock, with a DNA pattern engraved in it. "Is that a Megastone?" She asked incredulously. "Where did you get that?"
"I'll explain later, but for now let's go." He said with a sigh.
Karen nodded and followed behind him and his team, making sure to pick up Ziggles Pokeball that she dropped by accident when she fell asleep apparently, but for some reason she had this sudden wave of fear as she looked back at where she had been sleeping. She thought she had this faint memory of seeing… someone, or something.
But she just couldn't remember what it was for the life of her.
"Man… I must have been really tired searching for Jacob and his crew." She said to herself as she stretched.