The Power of Twenty-two
I drummed my fingers upon the sleek conference table as I shifted around in my seat uncomfortably. The armchair was soft and absolutely luxurious, but the fact that the current discussion was so serious and I was situated at the head of the table did not spell well for me.
Just a few days ago, something strange happened to me, but I shall talk about it after this hopelessly tedious meeting ends.
After the grim announcement of war, a good one hour had passed fruitfully, since we had managed to summarize the abilities of Deoxys the DNA pokemon and tactics to counter them.
Deoxys had four Formes in total: Normal, Attack, Defense, Speed. And as the names suggest, this level 30 pokemon has dangerous attacking power, sturdy defense, and insane speed that it could change whenever it likes. It is highly intelligent, has psychokinesis, regenerative powers and even an unknown signature move called Psycho Boost. The worse thing was, there were three thousand of them, and the numbers continued to be produced like a baby factory.
According to the guy behind the speaker, Deoxys had always been able to clone itself, but not perfectly, since its clones were supposed to be a lot weaker than the original. The League had also managed to find a fatal weakness of our enemy, and it was none other than its heart. One hit at the round purple orb in its chest, it crumbles away into dust.
But even with this knowledge, it would not work if we were not strong enough. It has been centuries since Kanto ever went to war, and the only person that appeared to be dabbled in the arts of its violence was none other than Lieutenant Surge. The burly guy was a foreigner, and he had always told many of his war stories back in other backwater regions such as Orre. You'd expect him to say something smart and useful with his experience and mentality.
"Charge!" Was all he said. Then Chuck and Bruno chanted after him.
Of course. He is more of the brawn type after all. I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes.
The guy behind the speaker then continued to organize their plans to raise an army. The Gym Leaders were given the task to recruit strong trainers with Pokémon level thirty and above. All Gym Trainers were automatically enlisted into the army, not excluding the Battle Frontier trainers, such as the Frontier Brains: Palmer Kurotsugu, Thorton Nejiki, Dahlia, Kokuran Darach and Argenta Kate.
The news of the impending disaster would be conveyed to the public by tomorrow, and without a doubt, the disorder will follow, and the League assured that they will try their best to calm the masses down.
"When will Deoxys attack?" Brock asked.
"Our team of scientist led by Professor Oak had estimated it to be in three months' time. The Deoxys are still in their dormant states."
Professor Oak, huh? That's reassuring. I remarked in my mind.
"Another plan to increase our strength is to use legendary Pokémon. They are significantly superior to most Pokémon, but right now, we only have Ho-oh that is in the hands of the Champion."
"Two," I called out. "I've just caught Lugia."
After I said this, everyone started making a fuss, which confused me greatly. Was it that weird to catch another legendary? Two is little compared to Red's four legendary and one mythical pokemon.
Then Misty suggested, "Talking about legendary pokemon, doesn't he have them?"
The whole hall went hush, a few whispers here and there. Everyone knew who Misty was referring to. A few of the Gym Leaders were already casting glances at Green, who sighed.
"Red, is it?" The Viridian Gym Leader said out loud. "He's back."
Pryce then raised his hand, which was rare since the old man was grumpily dull. He questioned, "But where is he?"
The guy behind the speaker did not reply to his query. Instead, two unlikely Leaders voiced out.
First was Falkner, who said, "I battled Red two days ago."
The second one was Bugsy, who stuttered, "I-I-I battled R-Red yesterday!"
Their two announcements took the conference by storm, as words erupted around the table. Most were shocked that Red had returned, but not for me and Green, the two of us astonished for different reasons.
The fact that he had won two Gym battles in two days made the both of us exchanged glances at each other. I then stared at him and he stared at me, and without us realizing, we had broad grins on our faces.
Some of the Leaders then asked where did Red disappeared to, for three years, and in the end, it was me who replied. They were surprised, and very much so since Mt Silver was commonly known to people as the Impossible Mountain. Then a few started commenting that he would be a great help, and soon it was unanimously decided that Red is to participate in the war.
There was one last announcement left in store for everyone. No one saw it coming, and no one would even expect that they would come in as reinforcement.
"Due to the lack of people, we have sought help from a separate region a week ago, and it has been confirmed," the guy behind the speaker reported. "that the Hoenn Gym Leaders, Elites, Champions, and Battle Frontier trainers will arrive in three days time."
It just took one split second for cheers to resound throughout the whole hall. Even my mouth hanged open while the heavy stomps of Chuck, the over-the-top enthusiasm from Whitney, and the annoying clapping that came from many others rumbled around the hall.
Hoenn was a pretty faraway region from Johto and Kanto and was well-known for having an exquisite nature, strong trainers and Pokémon that can never be found in these parts.
"Wait, if it's Hoenn, will that person come?" Falkner asked.
"That person?" the guy behind the speaker replied.
"Oh, do you mean that kid that quelled the clash between Groudon and Kyogre four years ago?" Clair answered.
"He's seventeen, isn't he?" said Koga. "I've heard that he is the strongest in Hoenn."
"Ha! Another Undefeated Champion! There are loads of youngsters coming up and about." Blaine chuckled. "So! Is Brendan joining us?"
My eyes literally lit up when I heard that name. The Hoenn Champion, Brendan.
He was hailed as a hero in Hoenn, and became Champion at the age of fourteen and would have remained as the youngest Champion in the world had not Green and Red entered the stage.
Next, we were provided details of the welcome party that would be held on the evening of August 1st, right at the Indigo Plateau. The word "party" should have enticed me with daydreams of delicious and vast amounts of food, a wondrous ballroom and pretty ladies everywhere, yet the moment the guy said we were to attend in proper attire, I hit my head against the table. Proper attire was tantamount to stifling tuxedos, painful dress boots, and awful slicked hairstyles.
"The conference has ended in its entirety, and you are all dismissed!" the guy behind the speaker announced, closing the curtains for this meeting.
There was a shuffle of footsteps and clattering of the furniture, and it did not take long for most to file out of the hall. Meanwhile, I was just wallowing in sorrow in my armchair, wondering if my poor soul could survive the hellish nightmare of formalities.
"Hey, let's go grab lunch." Green's voice called out. I stood up with my back slouched and slowly dragged myself out. We were the only people left in the hall, and somehow I did not even care that Morty had disappeared.
"You okay?" the Viridian City Gym Leader muttered flatly, his expression insipid since all this business was over. I shook my head in reply and droned on about tuxedos and hair gel.
"Hair gel's not that bad."
"I hate it. It ruins my fringe."
"Never mind. By the way, I'd like caviar dishes for lunch."
"What are you? A vampire that sucks away my money?"
"Then... Wagyu beef."
"I did not agree that I am treating you to a meal."
"Fine, Chutoro sushi."
"Are you even listening to me?"
We squabbled for a minute as we exited the hall and walked towards the stairway before Green suddenly motioned me to keep quiet. We were a distance away from the staircase, and we could distinctively hear the loud and open words of the Johto Gym Leaders. Before the two of us slunk back, I managed to catch a glimpse of the members that were conversing between one another.
Falkner, Whitney, Chuck, Pyrce and surprisingly, Morty. I wanted to get a closer look, but Green violently tore me away, causing me to ponder why did we need to hide and eavesdrop on what they were saying. Basically, their conversation went like this:
"Since he battled Bugsy yesterday, he will definitely go to-" Falkner began.
"Me! Me! My Gym! Ohhhh, I'm so excited to see him in the flesh!" squealed Whitney.
"Quiet down! Hasten your words, Falkner, I don't have the time to entertain you, youngsters." The hoarse and grumpy voice of Pryce grunted.
"Yes, I'm sorry. Well, I was thinking that the four of you could go to Goldenrod and meet Red." Falkner continued.
"Hmm? Why so, Hayato?" Morty asked lazily.
"I think that all of you should battle him."
"Wahahah! Good thinking, we should!" Chuck rumbled loudly.
"I don't have time to waste on needless battles." huffed Pryce, and as expected, that grumpy old man had left. Then after, I could hear the long sigh of Falkner, who seemed to be at a loss for some reason. It perked my curiosity since it sounded like the conversation was not going anywhere.
"... Um..." A shy voice called out, and immediately, I knew that it was the extremely shy Jasmine.
"Oh! Jasmine!" Falkner shouted enthusiastically.
"... Hiee!" cried she, the female taken by surprise by the other Gym Leader's raised volume.
"My apologies, please, can you accompany the three of them to Goldenrod right now?" said Falkner, his tone rather urgent.
"... I have the time..." she replied reproachfully.
"Thank you very much! Morty, and Chuck-san, I assume you are going?" inquired the Violet City Gym Leader.
"Wahahaha! Of course! My spirit's roaring for a good battle!" Chuck boomed.
"I'd like to see how this will play out, so count me in," Morty replied, and I could imagine him having that permanent smirk on his face.
After I heard a few more distanced footsteps, I reached out my hand to tap on Green to tell him that we could leave. But that guy was no longer next to me, and instead, I found him striding down the stairs as freely as ever. I refrained from calling him and quickly curled myself back. Blinking a few times, I observed that the spiky-haired guy was confronting Falkner, who looked as if he had been waiting for Green to come out on his own accord.
"Green, so you've heard everything," said Falkner with a polite tone.
"Your intent was transparent. Trying to use Gym Battles to get him to return to the League, how did you know that he would never comply to orders from the higher ups?" Green replied.
I instantly closed off my mouth with my hands to prevent any gasps from escaping. Knowing Red, he was not one to stay bound to anything. In the first place, it was the League system that had forced him to resign from his Champion title, so it was unlikely that he will be willing to help out.
"It was my best bet," Falkner admitted. "You should all know how strong he is, and how much he will be able to help us."
Green scoffed, and he walked past the Gym Leader.
"Well, of course." He said. "Red is Kanto's Undefeated Champion after all."
Okay, then. I shall change the subject back to the Major Arcana. Celebi finally broke the heavy silence, as it flew around Red, Pikachu, Espeon, Charizard and Bayleef. While the four Pokémon had grave and bewildered expressions, the trainer's face was simply unreadable. In Celebi's eyes, he looked as if he were hesitant of something.
Wait! We still have questions about Deoxys! Pikachu cried out impatiently. You can see the future, right? Can't you just show us some ways to defeat them?
No, I can't. As for your questions, I believe the humans back in the real world will answer them, am I right, Zero? The Time Travel Pokémon glanced at the trainer, and it realized that the teenager remained silent.
It seems to me that you are unwilling to fight for the Pokemon League. remarked the mythical Pokémon. Immediately, Pikachu, Espeon and Charizard turned to look at their trainer with concern. These three knew exactly how much Red wanted to avoid having anything to do with the dreaded League, but somehow, they all knew that in the face of such danger, the possibility of him being summoned back was high.
"... One question," Red finally broke the silence. "How do I identify who is in the deck?"
Each of the cards will have a tattoo on their bodies once they are aware of their existence in the Major Arcana. You should check yours.
Red blinked twice before he took off his vest and rolled up his shirt sleeves and pants to check his arms and legs. Finding nothing on these parts, the boy removed his gloves and spotted the black mark on the back of his hand. His pokemon all crowded around him as their excitement bubbled vigorously, but their faces fell when they saw the tattoo.
It's not a number...
What's that sign?
Hmm hmm? Let me take a look.
Celebi pushed through the group and stared at the symbol with confusion. It was not zero like what the previous Fools had, but instead, it was a circle with a slash across it.
"... Isn't this a null sign?" The trainer muttered. Celebi lifted the human's hand and examined the tattoo intently, its expression full of curiosity.
Moving on. It finally said.
Hey! But it might mean something. Espeon protested.
I don't have the time for this, cat. In the first place, humans and ordinary pokémon cannot stay here for too long. It's for your own good, so if you have any other problems, find the other twenty-one cards.
Espeon gritted her teeth, and with a click of the tongue, she turned away and started sulking.
I never knew Espeon could even sulk. Bayleef whispered to Pikachu.
Believe me, there were worse days. The mouse sighed. Meanwhile, Celebi ignored the psychic pokemon and went on.
All the cards Major Arcana hold the special ability to wield Arceus' Plates and effectively use his power. So your second task is to find them.
Red widened his eyes, befuddled. He was already having trouble believing the whole matter about the Major Arcana, and now Celebi just claimed that the deck could use Arceus' Plates.
Does that mean he could carry out pokémon moves? Like Ice Beam or Razor Leaf? That's absurd... And if there are sixteen Plates, how can all twenty-two of them use Arceus' power?
Wait... why is everything getting blurry? Is it my eyes? No... wait... I... still have questions...
At the next moment, Red fell to the ground with a thud. Pikachu, Bayleef, and Charizard cried out, their faces full of genuine shock. Espeon heard the ruckus behind her back and frantically turned to look, but instead, her legs wobbled and gave way. Bayleef let out a small whimper as the leaf on his head trembled and soon he fainted. Pikachu and Charizard were physically stronger and managed to stay on their feet.
See, that's why I said you cannot stay in here. Your bodies cannot keep up with the flow of time in my dimension.
But we still have so much to ask! Espeon heaved painfully, her mouth feeling brittle and dry.
All I can tell you as of now is that the identity of the Magician is Green Oak. And in order to assist you in finding the Major Arcana, I will make this an exception and tell you a part of the future.
Over the next week, six of the cards will meet. And one card will...
Pikachu and Espeon blacked out, while Charizard managed to hear the last few words.
Gain the power of the Zap Plate.
Seeing that all had reached their limits, Celebi opened the portal back to the real world. Using its psychic powers, the group exited Celebi's dimension in their unconscious states. After the gateway went shut, the Time Travel pokemon heaved a sigh of relief and then turned around, just to see the two special Pichu jumping around excitedly.
Thanks for leading them here.
The two Pichu smiled and then scampered off to play around. After making sure that the twin pokemon had wandered far away, Celebi stretched its body in an attempt to relax, before it called out.
My lord, the Fool has left. I presume that you had a fun time hiding from them?
Space vibrated violently, the various clocks that hang around the dimension shook and clattered, and all of a sudden, there was a bright flash. Then after, a gleaming and mighty creature materialized. The white equine Pokémon had a grey, vertically-striated underside, tail, mane, and face, and its four gold-tipped hoofs and the classy cross-wheel protrusion around its abdomen glimmered under an imaginary source of light. It then gazed towards Celebi, those red pupils looking all-powerful and pressurizing. The Time Travel Pokémon said nothing as Arceus treaded forward gracefully, ripples appearing on the "ground" with his every step.
Why, Celebi, I was not hiding, but merely spectating in a corner. They simply did not notice my presence. spoke Arceus, its heavenly and sonorous voice reverberating throughout the dimension.
My lord, what is your impression of Zero? Celebi asked.
Ah, a fine young human. replied the Creator with a hearty tone.
What about the null sign on his hand? inquired the psychic Pokémon.
Hmm, what are your thoughts about it? Arceus replied with another question.
I'm afraid I am unable to perceive anything from it other than oblivion. Celebi admitted.
Oblivion. It has a wondrously nice yet dark ring to it. Now then, Celebi, what do you think of the Major Arcana? asked the Creator.
I can't wrap my head around that bunch of humans. It's strange that even though I know that six of them will meet up in one week back in the real world, I can never see how they look like. Almost as if something is hindering us from knowing their identities. said Celebi.
Arceus merely replied with a small nod of its head.
My lord, pardon my rudeness, but what exactly is the Major Arcana? Out of all Pokémon, you are the one who has lived the longest, and has the most wisdom. Celebi added.
The Alpha Pokémon chuckled slightly, amused by Celebi's words. It then glanced at the tiny mythical Pokémon that hovered around next to him, before its voice rumbled again.
The deck is the manifestation of Earth's will. said the Creator.
Earth's will? exclaimed Celebi with much incredulity. Lord, you are the Master of the entire pokémon universe, isn't Earth's will yours to bend?
You should know better, Celebi. I can never control the existences that I had created.
Yes, of course, my mistake. But what is your logic and reasoning behind this hypothesis?
My reasoning? Celebi, you have not lived as long as me, but you must be aware of the rise and fall of many civilizations. And I imagine that such happenings are all caused by Earth itself, by having humans to shape this world. They built it, sophisticated it, revolutionized it, and had created wondrous things for this world. On the flip side, they had dirtied it, harmed it, deviled it, and brought many Ages to ruin. In my opinion, the planet wanted these events to come true. If you studied closely, throughout history, the ones that had instigated prosperity or destruction has always been one group of people.
The Major Arcana. Celebi muttered before it gasped in realization. Oh my goodness, the null sign...
Yes, the Creation Pokémon said grimly. Oblivion.
"Tell me again, why are we here?" I asked sarcastically through gritted teeth. This weird setting of a fast-food restaurant situated in Viridian City, all those beeping and electrical noises coming out from the cashier counter, that annoying slurping noises that came from the adjacent seats, the hustle bustle of people and most importantly, the Gym Leader that was sitting coolly opposite me.
"Because I want to eat burgers." He replied with a bored look as he picked up a fistful of french fries.
"No, why are we here!?" I shouted irritably.
"Because we're here to eat lunch? The heck's wrong with you?" Green muttered with a mouthful of fries.
"After all of that, I'm amazed you could sit here as if nothing happened! And why are we wearing these get-ups anyway!" I stretched the odd striped shirt that looked exceedingly weird on me and pointed at the clown wig and sunglasses I was forced to adorn myself with. Green, on the other hand, wore similar sunglasses and was wearing my cap, which magically flattened down his stupid hair. I can't fathom why I was the only one looking like a comedian.
"Disguise." the Gym Leader said before he bit into his chicken burger.
"Disguise, my ass! You just want me to look silly!" I yelled over the noise, my cheeks reddening.
"Tch. Busted." Green breathed. I glared at him, before I calmed myself down, knowing that this was necessary for people like us when we go out onto the streets. Then I rapped onto the table while drinking my coke.
"I still don't get it. Why did Falkner ask the four of them to go and battle Red?" I asked out of the blue since the question had been bugging me incessantly.
"Not telling. Go find out yourself or work that brain of yours." Green said. Giving an irked click of the tongue, I decided to talk of the strange dream that came to me a few days before.
"There was this weird voice talking to me, saying things about cards and whatnot. Green, do you know about the Major Arcana?" I asked. Immediately, he froze in place, his brown eyes so wide and surprised. Then he choked onto his food, spluttered, and started hitting his chest while coughing. I hurriedly passed him his drink, and he thankfully received it. He took in a long breath, and after a few moments of respite, he spoke rather circumspectly.
"Are you a card?"
I snapped my fingers excitedly as if a light bulb of realization had popped above my head. Nodding enthusiastically, I inquired,
"Are you one too?"
"I'm Number I, the Magician!" Green replied, his eyes sparkling with a rare sort of exhilaration.
"I'm Number VII, the Chariot!" I cried out while pointing to myself.
The two of us went wordless for a second before we burst out laughing. People around stared at us funnily, their gazes branding us as weirdos.