Chapter Thirty-Three: Dust to Dust
Nora shrieked and leapt back as the electricity jumped from her wrists. Adira covered her mouth and laughed. "I just shot lightning…"
"Well technically, it was an electrical current," Adira said. "But you have done well. Every other typhlosion I've met has only been able to manage a small, localized current – the attack known as thunder punch. I bet they would be quite envious of you."
"Y-yeah…" Nora looked down at her paws, expecting them to be smoking. They were not. "I didn't know I could do that…"
"As I have told you before, psychics are able to influence their environment in many ways. Trina might not be able to manipulate water like Naomi, but she can move matter. On the battlefield, Nathan simply orders her to use 'surf.' But you have far fewer limitations than Trina," the latias said, narrowing her eyes.
"Really?" Nora asked, receiving a nod in return.
"Trina has trained with us for six and a half years. The two of us have been training a few days a week for only three months – and you have become proficient in several things that she has." That encouraged Nora to say the least.
"You're saying I could be stronger than Trina?" she asked.
"Only time will tell that one," Adira replied. "But you certainly have greater potential – Trina herself admits that much. I would not be surprised in the slightest if you did reach that point by the end of the year – and that is a very impressive feat."
"What level is she?" Nora asked. "I don't really have much of one since, you know… I wasn't used in any fights prior to this whole invasion, and none of those are really league-official things." That much was true; the typhlosion, in reality, had no idea what her current estimated level would be. Until some form of normalcy was established, all they had to go off of was the data prior to Omega's conquest.
"Eighty-nine." Nora had to do a double check.
"…Eighty-nine?" The latias nodded. "You mean to tell me that Trina is almost level ninety?"
"That's what eighty-nine means, yes."
"Wow…" From her days under Sofia, Nora recalled hearing that Iris' team was in the mid-eighties. "Why didn't you guys battle Iris prior to… well, all of this?"
"Because we did not want to." That certainly was an answer, but it wasn't one she could understand. Why, if Nora had known of her capabilities when she was on Sofia's team, they would have long since settled into the league. "Even if we didn't have many other things going on, the idea of career battling is not what I would consider an enjoyable vocation. At least, given the way it often plays out. Broken bones, brain damage… every so often, somebody even dies. Despite our strength, nothing is impossible – and none of us are invincible. As good as we may be at battling, I prefer to keep it as a last resort. Valerie, on the other hand…" Adira shook her head.
"She likes battling?"
"All but lives for it. At least she's learned a bit of self-control these past few years."
"She sounds fun. I hope to meet her one day," Nora said.
"I suppose we will see," Adira replied. She formed a barrier in front of her once again – a thin, bright projection. "Now, I believe break time has gone on long enough."
"Ugh, of course…"
"Come, now – I hope you were not content with that weak little thunderbolt earlier. Why, even Krista could have managed that much."
"Alright," Nora said, clenching her fists and matching Adira's playful grin.
"Toothpaste?"
"We're good on that one," Aaron said. "For a while, at least."
"Alright. Anything else you think of, just let me know. Aiden can fly it out to you." Nathan shut the trunk and the two of them headed back towards the door. Aaron could see multiple different elemental attacks rising into the air from behind the house, not even bothering to ask at this point. Whatever training Nora was receiving was beyond him.
"Nathan?"
"Hmm?" The older trainer leaned against the doorway.
"I know I might not always say it, but thank you – for everything." A small smile appeared on Nathan's face.
"Of course I'm going to help you – however I can." He placed his hand on Aaron's shoulder. "You've come a long way from where you once were. I still think there's room for development, but none of us have reached our best. All we can do is walk that road and always be open to being better."
"Yeah…" Memories of Humilau and Nimbasa flooded his mind. Aaron shook his head. "I just wish I knew what 'better' was at this point. Everyone is saying something completely different, and they're all so… so sure of themselves. Sure enough to kill someone else over it. I don't know if everyone's right about something or if no one is. And then there's the matter of this Alexander guy and his army of legendaries…"
"That is true," Nathan replied.
"I don't know what to make of anything anymore, to be honest. This shit's confusing. I thought it would just be stepping up to stop some tyrant, but… I don't know." He looked towards Nathan, hoping for some form of guidance here. Maybe the older trainer had considered these things, too. Or maybe the world was just innately a mess and there was no understanding it anymore. "What are your thoughts on all this? I mean, I'm pretty sure I know your feelings about Alpha and Delta – but what about Omega? Do you think they're right?"
"I don't think they're perfect," Nathan replied. "Surely they have their issues. But I think they're right about this world. About us."
"You do?" Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised. Many of the legendaries that Nathan revered had taken sides with Omega. Again, the question of the nature of their own opposition to Omega – to these powerful beings – ran through his head.
"Yeah."
"…Then what do you think about us for fighting them?" Aaron asked. There was a pause; for once, Nathan seemed to have to think over his words.
"I think you're a bit confused. This conversation proves that much. But I think you're earnestly doing what you feel is right. I thought the same thing when I was in Alpha, and I'm sure Delta members aren't any different. Everyone's the good guy in their own eyes. The thing is, though, our standards aren't the measure when it comes to right and wrong."
"But I can't help but feel like there's something not right. Why would the legendaries let us fight back if there wasn't something wrong with Omega?"
"You're asking me to explain the thought processes of beings that are far beyond my human brain. I'm sorry to disappoint, but I don't think I'm qualified to infer what all they could be thinking right now."
"That's fair."
"But I do know this: if Omega is fundamentally bad, then why would the legendaries have aligned with them?"
"I don't know," Aaron admitted. "But… didn't Zekrom align with one of those Team Plasma nutjobs not too long ago?"
"Not Team Plasma, but a single – and very confused, might I add – person that was being manipulated. He was innocent of their atrocities and Ghetsis' ambitions. N sought a world where pokémon wouldn't need to fear the greed and abuse of humans. If you've been paying attention to the ongoings of the Desert Resort, then you can see why that's as big a threat as it is."
"I don't…"
"Where do you think your apartments are built?" Aaron remained quiet. "The same place a good portion of Castelia was built, after all. Over sand."
"Alright, I get it. But I didn't do that."
"Maybe," Nathan replied. "Like I said, I don't have all of the answers. But there comes a time where we need to stop pointing fingers at who's to blame and who needs to pay and start trying to fix stuff. As far as Omega is concerned, I think they're the first team that is actually trying to take care of these issues. Maybe not perfectly, but they definitely aren't what Clay and Elesa are." Aaron could at least vouch for that much; he had no doubt that Alpha and Delta would each kill half the population if it meant getting what they wanted. Omega, as far as he knew, had sought to end their conflicts and preserve peace. But that didn't mean they were right about everything else.
"So we're on opposite ends of this, huh…"
"I don't think that's the case, either."
"But you think I'm wrong," Aaron said.
"Again, that's a very simplistic view of things," he responded. "I think you're doing the best you can – the best you know. But I think there is a better option, yes." Nathan glanced at the pokémon waiting in the car, then back at Aaron. "You're young, Aaron. When I was your age, I was certain that I'd be taking over Clay's mantle. Things change as everyone gets older – they either mature and gain life experience or become more self-absorbed and foolish. In time, we will see where we stand on this issue. But regardless of where that happens to be, you are my friend. Even if we see things differently."
"Yeah," Aaron said with a nod.
"Good. See you at church tomorrow, right?"
"Of course."
If the world were in any other state, this would have marked the first day of Aaron's senior classes. Though things would only be this intense for another six and half months – until either Omega controlled the planet or Unova had retained its independence – he did wonder if he was ever going to get his degree. On the bright side, without the prior government being in any state of functioning, it was unlikely that Aaron would need to worry about his student loans, so that was a plus…
And even if things didn't work out on that front, at least it had set the events in motion for him to get Nora. That alone had made everything else worth it. The two were laying with each other on the couch as the news went on. Aaron's arm was draped over her as they occasionally exchanged a peck here and there. Aster was asleep in his ball while the other three pokémon were playing a board game at the table. There wasn't a whole lot to do for entertainment anymore.
"That's not fair!" Krista slammed her little paw on the table, jolting Aaron and Nora out of their stupor. "Dammit, Marcus!"
"What's going on?" Aaron asked.
"These two are cheating!"
"Guys, don't cheat."
"We aren't," Marcus said.
"Yes you are!" The audino glared at Marcus and Brooke, the latter of which looked away and tried in vain to stifle her laughter.
"H-hey… if I wanna trade him a blue property for a brown, that's my right."
"You two are teaming up against me!"
"Nooo…"
"Guys, don't make Krista's life miserable."
"Fine," Marcus said. "Tell you what, I'll only put three houses on the properties and not a hotel. Deal?" Brooke lost the last little bit of control she had managed and burst into laughter.
"I hate you both."
"Aww, we love you too." Aaron rolled his eyes and looked back at the screen with disinterest. European nations seemed to be surrendering to Omega out of societal collapses rather than any desire to submit to their ideals. Some of the best trainers were still from Galar or Kalos, so there was still some semblance of hope there. As time went on, it became more and more likely that the North American regions would be the last ones standing. Whether or not that was something Aaron wanted to see was another thing entirely.
After a rather grumpy audino retired for the night, Marcus and Brooke cleaned up the board game and joined him in the living room. Nora had fallen asleep in his embrace. "Hey," Brooke whispered.
"What's up?"
"What is that other room in the hallway?"
"Oh, that's Darian's room," Aaron said.
"Darian?"
"My roommate. He went to visit his parents right before all this shit started happening and didn't come back."
"Oh no… I'm sorry to hear that." the floatzel said.
"Oh, he's fine – I just meant that he didn't come back here. Sorry, should have specified." Brooke stared at him and crossed her arms.
"Well, thanks for gettin' me all concerned for nothing…"
"Sorry." But that did bring something to mind. He hadn't really spoken to Darian aside from an initial call towards the start of the invasion. True, they had drifted apart over the past few years – as had their priorities – but he still considered Darian a friend.
Aaron gradually worked his way from behind Nora, doing his best to refrain from waking her. The typhlosion blindly reached for him. "Come back," she mumbled.
"Just a minute," he replied, giving her a quick kiss. "I need to check on something."
He stepped outside to make the call. The first time there was no answer, but then Darian picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey," Aaron said. "How's it going? Thought I'd check how you're doing in the middle of the apocalypse…"
"I'm fine, man. Parents and I all but ran for the fucking hills. My uncle has a place out in the country, so we're good and safe. I don't want anything to do with the clusterfuck that is Unova right now."
"Understandable."
"You on the other hand… you're making a bit of noise over there. Every once in a while, I see you on TV, and now there's that video going around..." Aaron stiffened up.
"What video?"
"You haven't seen it?" his roommate asked in disbelief. "You flipped your shit at one of those mission sites."
"Great. That's just great." It seemed as though someone had been filming the incident.
"Fucking cool was what it was," Darian stated. "You more or less summed up how anyone with half a brain feels right about now." Even if that were true, the last thing he and his team needed was more publicity – especially now that he was likely a target for both Alpha and Delta. He had successfully managed to pit himself against all three warring factions…
"Anyways, I guess you aren't exactly coming back."
"Hell no."
"Yeah, can't blame ya," Aaron said. "Most of the people in the apartment complex left. Probably had similar ideas considering Delta is always close."
"I'll admit, I think you're crazy for staying. But somebody needs to stick around and fight Omega, I guess." There was a pause as Aaron tried to think about what to say – a trap that many of their conversations had fallen into as they drifted apart over the years. Darian broke the silence. "Well listen… since I won't be coming back, feel free to use my room. I think there's an extra key in one of the counter drawers or something."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I mean, it's not like I'll be using the place. I'll warn you, though, room's probably a mess. I wasn't exactly expecting a global invasion when I left…"
"Thanks, man." The room would free them up a bit now that there were five members to his team. For the first time in over half a year, he would be able to sleep on a bed again.
The conversation dwindled down from there. A few questions about how the fight was going were asked, then about the new team member, but as usual, their conversation became stale – carried on by two participants who seemed to only continue out of courtesy.
"Well, I'll let you go for the night," Aaron said. Darian immediately seized upon the opportunity, much to his appreciation.
"Alright. Just… try not to die out there."
"No promises." A tired laugh was heard from the other end of the phone.
"Goodnight, man." The call ended.
Aaron made a mental note to tend to the new room tomorrow. For now, though, he knelt beside the couch. Nora yawned. "What was that all about?"
"Just wanted to see how Darian was doing. Oh, and we can use his room now."
"That's nice." Nora closed her eyes as Aaron's hand caressed her cheek. She had been exhausted these past few days as her training sessions now stretched into hours. Today had been no exception. What did surprise him, though, was when the typhlosion stated that she had learned solar beam.
"Hope you aren't ready to call it a night here," Aaron said. "Pretty sure Marcus wants his bed tonight." She groaned.
"But I'm comfortable…"
"I'm sure you are." Aaron slipped his arms under the typhlosion and gently lifted her into the air. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."
When he walked into the room, Aaron rolled his eyes at the sight of Krista, who had somehow fallen asleep with the pillow on her stomach. He set Nora on her side and rubbed her cheek again. They remained like that for a moment, no words needing to be said. And that was how he knew that this was real – unlike every other relationship he'd ever had. There was a diminishing idea of where exactly their bond would lead. As scared as he was of the prospect, if he were to welcome it with anyone, it would be Nora.
But for now, all they could do is take things one day at a time. Planning for whatever the future may hold would need to wait until their work was done.
It was early in the morning when the world was rocked. Aaron and Marcus darted up as Aster struggled to open his eyes. They frantically looked around as the thunderous sound encompassed Nimbasa. 'What the hell is going on?!' Marcus' voice cried within his head. Aaron fumbled around for his translator earpieces.
"I-I don't know!" The trainer peered through the blinds. Stars still clung to the night sky. It wasn't long before Nora, Brooke and Krista rushed out from the back. The noise seemed to spread across the region into a booming echo, carried away as quickly as it had come. It was when smoke began to rise, both in the east and the west, when Aaron realized what had happened. "The bridges!"
"Oh shit…" Brooke muttered.
"They blew them up…" Aaron said, the events not having fully processed. Alpha was carrying on their offensive against the city. "Arceus… we're fucked." Aaron said, pacing around the room. He flicked on the light switch and grabbed his phone. This wasn't good; Clay and his followers could very well finish what they started and descend from the north at any given moment. "We need to call Sofia – everyone needs to be ready for a fight." He all but sprinted back to the bedroom, switched into a pair of pants and tightened his trainer belt. Aaron tossed Marcus' and Krista's mega stones to them, too.
"What do we do now?" Krista asked, slipping on the bracelet.
"We've got to get to Mom and Dad. We'll… figure everything else out along the way." The trainer snatched the keys up and bolted out the door, only briefly locking it as his pokémon scrambled into the car. Smoke and dust were climbing into the air, branching upwards and blotting out the stars.
"So we don't have a plan?" Marcus said. "We just run and hide?"
"If Alpha is going to push into the city, there's not much we can do," he replied. "But we've gotta be there for my parents. If they intend on ending this once and for all… there's going to be collateral damage. We just need to make sure we aren't in that."
"That sounds like a good plan to me," the audino stated.
The drive towards their house would take them by the Driftveil Drawbridge – or whatever would be left of it. Dust became thicker the more they went and the world became brighter. Aaron gripped Nora's hand as a pit formed in his stomach. The sight of red taillights filled his vision. Cars were backed up and trying to drive past each other in every direction. It was only a momentary distraction, though. Only a hundred stable lights in the midst of the fire.
The bridge was gone.
"Holy shit…" Aaron's mouth fell slowly as the fire encompassed the world. He opened the door and stepped out of his car. Fragments of the bridge were still raining down into the black water beneath; giant steel bars creaked and groaned under their own weight. Guys…" he weakly said, "this is it. They mean to end it here…"
"It looks like they're blocked up ahead, but we've gotta get away from here. What do we do n—" He cut Brooke off.
"I don't know! Just because I'm your trainer doesn't mean I have all the answers, alright?!" A few Alpha members stood on their trucks and held their rifles, ready to fire on anyone who stepped out of line. They were attempting to wave people off, but he doubted that there was any salvaging the unorganized cluster of vehicles. One guy pointed his pistol at bystanders and yelled for them to get back into their cars. Aaron was about to comply with that demand and take another route to his parents' when the man locked eyes with him. He froze as the flashlight fell on him.
"Hey!" the man snapped, taking a few steps towards him. "You're that dumb shit who interfered with our first mission!"
"Aaron! Get in the car!" Nora hissed. He made a motion towards the open door before finding himself staring down the barrel of the pistol.
"Yeah, I still have you to thank for totalin' my boat." He glanced inside the car at the terrified pokémon. "If yer little magician even thinks about trying somethin' this time, well…" He pressed the gun to Aaron's forehead. "Better hope she can do it before I scramble your brain."
His breathing became light as Clyde called for backup. One of the Alpha members clicked a button on his radio. "We got that kid – that one from the damn phone video. Same one who jumped us at the drawbridge last time." He paused as the response came and nodded slightly. The man tilted his head. "Uh huh, sure thing." The radio was set back at his belt, his other hand clutching the pump of his shotgun.
"Well?" Clyde asked.
"Change of plans. Seems like you've made a name for yourself, boy. Orders from higher up are to bring you in."
"What?" The man ignored Aaron and motioned for one of the others to come with him. The trainer's eyes darted towards his equally scared pokémon.
"Clyde, you finish things up here. Devon and I will take care of the boy." Clyde locked eyes with Aaron for a second before lowering his gun and backing up. He turned around and went back to patrolling the traffic. The other man approached the window and pointed his gun towards Nora. "Now I want you to listen as if your life depended on it, because it does." This Alpha member lacked any sort of accent; he was clearly a Unovan native, and one who likely lived in the city at that. "Slowly reach down and grab your pokéball belt." Aaron paused, hoping that some sort of interference would have come by now – anything. But not this time. He had no choice but to do what he was told. "That's right – nice and slow. Now return them."
"Please, don't hurt them. It was my idea to—"
"Didn't ask for your input," Devon said. "But that isn't exactly what we had in mind – just as long as you all stay in line." He swallowed, then nodded as he grabbed the pokéballs. One by one he returned his pokémon. Nora was the last to look at him as he did so. "Great. Now get in the car. We're going for a drive."
They put him in the front passenger seat of his own vehicle. One of the two militants sat behind him, holding his gun at ready while the other guy drove. Wordlessly they steered through darkened roads. Streetlights permeated the dark smoke in the air like glimmering coals in a furnace. Aaron would have been glad to leave the bridge had it been under different circumstances.
"Where are you taking me?" He tried to hide the hoarseness within his voice.
"Quiet." That was the only answer he received.
The car weaved around overturned vehicles and broken buildings with its headlights dimmed as it approached the unknown destination. A quick glance at a sign notified him once they had passed Opelucid into the northern woods. They pulled off the freeway onto a smaller road bordering the tree line. That's when he saw the convoy.
People in camouflage and kevlar raced in every direction, armed with firearms of every kind and were accompanied by a multitude of pokémon. As they pulled to a halt, Aaron noticed that a few guys were loading yellow-wrapped packages of dynamite into the bed of a truck. Many of the people here looked like ex-military - maybe even active before all this went down.
"Out of the car, kid," Devon stated.
"A-alright. Where are we going?" He fumbled to unlatch his seatbelt before opening the door.
"Someone wants to speak to you. You should consider yourself lucky, too. I'd have shot you first thing had it been up to me." That did anything but comfort the trainer. The two militants led him at gunpoint towards the woods. Grass had been flattened – a result of the many vehicles that had driven through here – as they approached a small convoy.
In the midst of it was a large, ruby-red truck.
Aaron felt his blood turn to ice as he stared at the older man. Like many of the others present, a ballistic vest was strapped to his body and an AR-15 was slung over his shoulders. That's where the tactical nature of his setup ended, though. A revolver was at his side, and on top of his head was that white cowboy hat that had become iconic across the world.
Standing in front of him was Clay.
The former gym leader nodded and waved off one of the two that had escorted Aaron there. Oh shit… Aaron thought. He was looking at one of the most powerful trainers in the world. One whose followers had killed people for far less than interfering in major plans like he had.
"So this here's the boy who cost me thirty-two men and one and a half million dollars in dynamite…" Despite the accusations – true ones at that – Clay didn't sound like he was too angry. At least, not angry enough to withdraw that revolver… "That was quite a stunt, I must admit." Aaron failed to meet his gaze, fixing his eyes upon the ground.
"…I guess I aim to please…" His nervous statement got a laugh from the older man. He took a step towards Aaron, his hand resting at his side. He reached near the gun, his fingers close to its handle. Aaron held his breath as Clay paused there for a second. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal carton, flicking it open and withdrawing a cigar. Clay extended one towards Aaron. "I… I don't smoke."
"Damn son, you know how hard it is to get these nowadays?" The young trainer remained silent, though it was mostly to think up a response. Fortunately, one wasn't needed. "Suit yourself." He withdrew one and lit it. "Y'all can leave us," he said to the other guards. "Go an' help the others with their last-minute preparations. This boy ain't no threat to me." The guards nodded before leaving them. Clay leaned against his truck, arms folded with one hand loosely gripping the cigar.
"Why did you want to see me?" Aaron managed to ask.
"Like I said, you and your little party decided to interfere with my business. It takes someone mighty brave or mighty stupid to do that."
"Or maybe a bit of both." A grin stretched on Clay's face upon hearing Aaron's words.
"I reckon that could be the case, too." Another puff of the cigar. "That was some speech you gave last week. Really took Unova by storm, ya know."
"So I've been told."
"Yep. 'Course, it had a bit of bullshit sprinkled in. Clearly you don't get us if you're thinkin' that we're the bad guys here. Those men out there? They're nothin' more than a bunch of scared patriots, worried about a future that's about to be stolen from 'em. Delta would have us locked away for 're-education' or outright shot. That's a future I ain't about to let happen. They done cheated in the elections and done everything in their power to make sure we wouldn't stand again. But you know what? A patriot don't ever back down, even in the face of death."
"This is out of control," Aaron replied. "Look at all this – you're about to drive our cities into the dirt."
"That's the idea."
"Look, I'm pretty damn certain that the world would be a lot better without Delta," Aaron said. "But you'll end up killing people who don't have anything to do with this." Clay lowered his head a little, his hat casting a shadow onto his wrinkled face.
"You think I like that?" he asked. "I hate it as much as you, boy. But no war's without its casualties." He paced towards the scene in the road, his cowboy boots making light taps against the asphalt as a pair of druddigons were loading a truck with metal ammunition containers. Aaron made a quick move for his pocket and grabbed his phone. His fingers flew, and as the gym leader turned around, he barely managed to shove it back into his pocket before being spotted. Hopefully it would work.
"So what now, Clay? You slaughter your way through Unova?"
"We didn't draw first blood here, son. And you know that, too, don't ya? The media done filled your heads with all sorts of shit, but anyone with common sense can see that these two teams ain't the same, no matter what that madman says." Clay tapped some ashes into the wind. "No. We didn't start it, but we're endin' it today."
"So why am I here? Are you going to kill me?" Aaron hoped he could withdraw a pokéball before any guns were pointed towards him.
"Boy, if I wanted you dead, you'd have never made it here. I was the one who told 'em to bring you to me." Aaron averted his gaze, a fist balled up by his side. "I know you probably think we're chompin' at the bit to kill folks, but we ain't Delta. I know you've heard some shit about us, but we ain't out here to spread terror over the land. We're just here to take Delta outta the picture. That's it, and that's always been it." He crossed his arms over the ballistic jacket. Given his other attire, there was no doubt that Clay would have worn his cowboy vest if the opportunity had prevented itself. "As for you, you got two options. Join us or stay outta our way. It makes little difference to me – the results of today are all the same. But I'll admit, if I had a couple dozen like you, we could've taken the whole damn country if we wanted."
"It'd be a cold day in hell before I join you," Aaron replied. "You would never take someone like me, anyways. Your people would probably shoot me in the streets because of what I am."
"Is that so?" Clay asked. "I ain't ever ordered a damn one of my men to shoot someone. Not before today, at least, but it took decades for this to happen. Now what makes you think I wouldn't take ya onto the team?"
"Because you didn't want Nathan for the same reason." The former gym leader froze as if he'd been shot.
"How do you know that name?"
"Small world, I guess," Aaron replied. "You couldn't accept him being a little bit different from what you wanted, could you?" It was clear that he had struck a nerve there. Even though it was stupid to press forth considering who exactly had the gun – and a military – Aaron kept going. "You couldn't stand the idea of someone working for you who was with a pokémon, much less someone who would replace you." Clay remained motionless for a moment. A small sigh blew smoke from his mouth.
"And that there's why you wouldn't join, ain't it? You're just like him in that regard." Aaron said nothing, and that silence was taken as a response of its own. "As far as people like yourself are concerned, you're weird. It ain't normal, and I think you know that."
"Is bombing bridges and ordering your men to kill tens of thousands of people normal?" the younger trainer asked.
"These ain't normal times," Clay admitted. "I do imagine the good Lord had some reason for makin' humans and pokémon compatible, though I don't know what. It won't ever be normal, but so long as it's kept quiet and not paraded around like these Delta faggots do, it is what it is." Aaron had to make sure he heard that correctly.
"That's not what I expected to hear – not from you."
"I ain't losin' no more people that can help me win this war to somethin' like that." It seemed even someone like Clay was capable of change. Unfortunately, it was nowhere near enough.
"Look Clay, you don't have to do this. Don't be the villain they're making you out to be. You can stop this still."
"I can't, and I won't. We're damned if we do and damned if we don't according to Delta. Our very existence makes us villains according to them. All we can do is end this fast so that life can return to normal."
"I… I can't let that happen. Almost everyone I care about is in Nimbasa."
"Is that so?" Aaron quietly nodded. Clay dropped the spent cigar butt and ground it into the dirt. "You and what army?" The trainer pulled out one of five pokéballs. A smile broke out between the white beard and he laughed.
"Ah… you ain't got no chance against me, son. But what you do have is some basketball-sized nuts for even entertainin' the idea." Clay rolled up a sleeve. The crystal surface of the golden watch reflected a blinding glimmer from his truck's headlights. "Eh, we got about fifteen minutes before it's time to go. More than enough to teach you a thing or two. And how about I make it interesting? I win, you're gonna help me win this war. Hell, someone of your skills would have quite the future in Alpha. And if you win, I'll abandon this whole mission."
"There's no way you'd legitimately make a bet like that," Aaron muttered. "You don't think I'm a threat."
"Boy, I was beatin' champions before your parents even met."
"Then I guess I won't be much of an issue, huh?" Clay rested his hand at his belt opposite to the revolver. Six camouflage balls were there.
"I reckon not," Clay replied. A smile curled on the leader's face as his fingers rhythmically moved by his pokéballs. "You ready for yer first of many lessons, boy?" Aaron cut his gaze towards a much more skilled opponent.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Clay backed up a bit. The only source of light was from the vehicles, piercing through the dark morning as a few people gathered around to watch their leader in action. Aaron was way over his head right now. And yet, that hadn't stopped him from the very beginning of this invasion. Nora had said it herself: sometimes there was no way to be ready for the challenges life threw at them. That wasn't a luxury they had this time around.
"Draw!" The two swiftly threw out their first pokémon.
Marcus landed on the field, nodding towards his trainer as Aaron readied his key stone. With the bracelet fastened securely on the lucario's wrist, he felt the power surge into him as he transitioned into his mega form. 'Good,' Aaron thought as he looked at the krookodile. 'You should know how to deal with him, right?'
'Of course.' After all, Marcus had sparred with one for years.
The lucario took his fighting stance and waited for the first move. That didn't take long. "Earthquake, then stone edge!" Marcus leapt into the air as the violent seismic wave pulsed through the ground. He felt the displacement of air as rocks flew by him, landing on the ground before ducking under a large projectile. He shoved his arm forth and launched an aura sphere. The krookodile's arm became a blur, batting it away before charging Marcus. Oh shit!
'Extreme speed!' he ordered. Marcus intercepted a much stronger opponent and struck him in the gut. It felt like punching stone. Another followed, this one hooked upwards, before he had to back off.
"Keith, hit 'em with aerial ace." The reptile closed the distance faster than Marcus had imagined, spinning and launching a roundhouse kick head-level. The fighting-type ducked, feeling his ears get clipped from the strike before he rolled underneath. Keith pivoted and kicked sand towards his face. Only, it would have contacted his face – had he not shot another aura sphere. This one met its mark.
"Gah!" Keith cried out, shaking his head. He snarled. "Alright mutt, you'll bleed for that!"
"Throat chop!" Marcus formed a bone staff and swung before he could, intent on keeping him on the defensive. That's the only way he would win this. Keith blocked the staff with his right arm and slammed his foot into the ground. The earthquake knocked Marcus off his feet. "Fire fang," Clay ordered. The lucario's eyes went wide as Keith's pinned him and attempted to clamp his powerful jaws around him, only managing to stop him by shoving the bone staff towards the back of his mouth. A vicious growl came from his throat as he attempted to shake free of Marcus.
Aaron struggled to come up with an idea as the krookodile bit down on the bone staff. A crack sounded as he nearly broke through; Marcus was running out of time. An idea from a previous fight came to mind. 'Marcus, low kick – aim for his upper leg!'
He freed his right leg from Keith's grasp and swiftly rammed it into the krookodile's thigh. Keith hissed in pain and tried to regain control of Marcus but failed to stop another kick to his leg. The ground-type had enough and bit through the bone staff. "Marcus!" Aaron cried aloud as the opponent attempted to bit down on Marcus' face. He wasn't looking to just win a fight; Keith was looking to hospitalize him. The lucario blocked the descent with his forearm. A searing pain lanced through him as the pointed teeth clamped down.
'Are you okay?!'
'Never better!' Marcus sarcastically replied. He cried out as Keith clamped down harder, heat rushing into his arm as blood dripped from between gleaming teeth. He wasn't much more than an animal. That was also his downfall. An idea hit them both at the same time.
'Marcus – focus blast.' Despite the pain, Marcus grinned. Keith only noticed the energy rushing towards his forearm too late. A loud smack was heard as the attack slammed into the roof of the krookodile's mouth, making his head snap back before falling off him. Marcus seized the opportunity as Aaron gave the command. 'Calm mind, then aura sphere!' He felt the energy draw into him as Keith struggled to get up, clearly dazed from such a brutal strike. Keith looked up with a snarl before the blue orb slammed into his face.
Clay folded his arms. "Well now… ain't that a surprise." Marcus stood up and brushed the dirt from his fur. Blood seeped through several holes in his forearm, but the wounds didn't look too deep. "Hope ya ain't afraid of ghosts, son. Your turn, Goliath." Clay released what had to be the largest golurk Marcus had ever seen.
Aaron frowned; that took away a great deal of Marcus' moveset. His PDA did anything but reassure him; Goliath was level eighty-four. 'Marcus, be careful – he knows the elemental punches. You'll need to rely on special attacks.'
'Fine by me.' He charged a shadow ball before any orders could be uttered. The golurk phased through the ground a split-second before it was released. He kept his guard up, ready for the colossal opponent to materialize nearby. What happened instead was the ground started shaking. He bent his knees to keep from falling over when a hand reached from below and grabbed his ankle. Shit…
"Marcus!" Aaron yelled as the golurk hoisted him up into the air. He struck Goliath in the head over and over, but he didn't seem to budge as the ground began to grow distant. 'Aim for the seal!' The lucario formed a bone staff and slammed it into the metal brace on his opponent's chest. A creak was heard as the metal deformed slightly. Goliath released a mechanical cry and dropped the lucario.
Marcus took a moment to regain his senses. That was all he had; the golurk slammed into the ground and made him jump back. He flung a shadow ball towards Goliath as he stampeded towards the lucario. 'He's not stopping!' A mighty fist cut through the air. Marcus dodged one strike after another until Goliath grew tired of this approach. A leg left the ground, and for the lucario, time all but halted. He jumped in preparation of what was going to happen; surely enough, a violent pulse was sent through the ground. Heat pooled around the golem's fist as he nearly knocked Marcus out of the air, grazing his back as he swung the bone staff with all his might. A loud snap was heard as it connected with the side of Goliath's head.
What he didn't expect was the backhand. The ground-type pivoted and slammed into Marcus' back, launching him to the ground as if he were nothing more than a gnat. The lucario moaned as his body refused to obey him. Heavy footsteps came closer. 'Steel beam!' The silver-blue aura rushed to his hand as he shot a blinding beam towards Goliath, pulsing into the dented seal and causing him to stumble back. But he didn't lose his footing.
It hurt. That much Marcus expected with this attack. But it was working; Goliath was struggling to remain standing. At least, that was what it looked like – until he surged forward and brought his large, fiery fist down onto Marcus.
Aaron returned the lucario and tossed out Brooke. The floatzel looked back at him with a smirk. "So, what've we got here?" she asked.
"A level eighty-four golurk that knows elemental punches. Mind your distance."
"How the hell do you know that, boy?" Clay's eyes settled on the PDA in Aaron's hands. "Son of a bitch, you done got yourself one of their devices. Hope you know I can't let ya leave with that."
"We'll see. Brooke, use waterfall!" The floatzel sprinted towards him while drawing water from the air, Goliath bracing himself as the torrent closed in. A blast of frigid water stung him as Brooke ducked a thunder punch. She was much faster than her opponent and planned to use that advantage to the fullest. Alright big guy, let's see what you've got. Brooke slung her arm and hurled a frothy wave towards him, watching as it impacted his chest with little to show for it.
"Goliath, iron defense."
"He's planning on walling you out," Aaron said. "Aqua jet!" She went for the legs, planning on using his weight against him, but the golem foresaw the attack.
"Ah!" Brooke cried as he smacked her onto the ground. She only had a second to process things as his foot descended. The ground shook as she rolled over, wide-eyed as to what just happened. "What the hell was that?!" He pulled his foot from the earth, sending sediment and rocks flying in each direction. "Fine, you wanna play that way…" The floatzel dodged another attack before shaping a quick stream of moisture into a curved, frozen shape. She went for the head. Goliath blocked it with his arm, taking a slice to his wrist and shattering on the bronze band. She pushed off of his arm before he could counterattack.
"Stone edge!" The golurk ripped sediment from the ground with his mind and shaped them into stones in a matter of seconds. Brooke shot another ice beam towards him. Her breathing sped up as projectiles crashed around her, exploding into dirt as she dodged in every direction. Brooke flipped over one and landed on the hood of Clay's vehicle. "Watch the truck!" he snapped. Goliath paused, and that hesitation was all she needed, shooting frigid water towards his face. It froze. The golurk toppled over, clawing to remove it as she jumped in front of him.
"Now Brooke! Use blizzard!" A wry grin stretched across her face. This close, he would be absorbing the full force of the attack.
"Goodnight you big flowerpot!" A stinging breeze froze the grass over and coated Goliath with ice. He raised his arms to protect his front as layers of white began to build over him. She doubled down on the attack and forced him to the ground.
The golurk responded with a machine-like roar and slammed his fist into his face, shattering the ice. Brooke frowned as he raised it high. "…Oh shit." He smashed the ground and lunged towards the fallen floatzel. Electricity coursed through the fist that caught her in the stomach.
Aaron looked in disbelief as Goliath stood up once again. This was what he got for competing well above his league. Clay laughed as he returned Brooke to the safety of her ball. "Looks like you ain't ever faced a real trainer before, now have ya?"
"...This isn't over yet."
"Boy, it was over the moment it started," the former gym-leader retorted. "Now let's see that next pokémon."
Aster was up next. "We've gotta pull this back," Aaron said. Given the fact that he only had five pokémon, they couldn't afford to fall behind anymore. "Razor leaf!" The serperior lashed out and slung projectiles towards the automaton, closing the distance as they crashed into him. "Good, now reflect!"
"Hit 'em with shadow ball." Aster narrowly managed to duck the dark orb as Goliath charged towards him, making the ground shake with every step. Little did they know, that was just what Aaron wanted.
"Aqua tail!" Aster sprung up and slung his tail into the golurk's face, a stream of water slashing across Goliath. He fell on his back with a loud thud, slowly struggling to get back up. The serperior wasn't about to let that happen. "Leaf tornado!" Hurricane-like winds picked up around Goliath as green projectiles impacted him. He reached his hand forth as he tried to crawl out. Aster hissed as he doubled down on the attack, locking eyes with the massive creature as he choked the life out of him.
Goliath fell and the light drained from his eyes.
Clay shrugged before returning the golurk. "Not half bad, kid. But it don't change a thing." An aggron stomped onto the field, nearly as tall as the previous foe – and likely just as heavy. If that wasn't intimidating enough, the mega stone clinging to his wrist was.
"Watch out, Aster. He has the elemental punches, flamethrower and avalanche." He didn't bother telling him that the aggron was also level eighty-seven. There wasn't a single attack in the serperior's arsenal that was very effective against such a threat. Aster stood his ground, knowing damn well he wasn't going to win this fight. But he had to at least try.
"Bruce, let's show 'em what a real mega looks like." The aggron released a hearty laugh as light surrounded him. Metal creaked as it was deformed, his body slightly changing its shape as a chrome-like sheen began to radiate off of him. Bruce punched an open fist as he made his way towards Aster.
"Energy ball!" Aster hurled the green orb of energy towards him, watching in horror as it clipped Bruce's face without making him so much as blink. He did laugh, though. "Use reflect again!" He nodded, knowing he'd need as much defense as possible.
"Earthquake and brick break!" Clay said with a grin. He stomped the earth hard enough to make the vehicles shake. Aster managed to avoid a heavy punch from a less agile opponent, only realizing before it was too late the tail that followed after it. His chest felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer as he tried to catch his breath. Aster looked up and saw the aggron coming for another attack.
"Move!" He sprung to the side as Bruce kicked dirt up from where he just was. "Aster, you need to keep your distance!"
"Fine, you wanna be like that – flamethrower."
"Protect and synthesis!" Aaron ordered. The serperior blocked the immense heat and began mending his injuries. He didn't have long; Bruce closed the distance between them and struck the barrier, shattering through it and hurling Aster into a tree. The serpent moaned as he lifted his head. An idea came to Aaron. They couldn't hurt him – not on their own. But they could make his weight work against him. "Grass knot!" Bruce's eyes darted down as a root shot from the earth, wrapping around his ankles.
"Son of a bitch…"
"Aqua tail!" Aster nodded, flinging himself up and slashing the aggron's face. He toppled over and landed on his back with an involuntary groan.
"That was smart," Clay admitted. "But it'll take a lot more than that little trick to take down Bruce."
"Oh I'm fine," the aggron stated, ripping the roots that bound his legs. "Just pissed."
"Calm mind – quick, while he's still down!" Aster needed every edge he could get over the tank – especially since the serperior couldn't hurt him with his regular attacks.
"Let's show 'em a trick of our own. Rock slide – you know what to do." The aggron ripped sediment from the ground in the same manner as every other time Aaron had seen the attack.
The only difference was that he was doing it behind Aster.
"Behind you!" The grass-type swiftly glanced over his side as a rock slammed into him. The next thing Aster knew, his body snapped back as Bruce's fist connected, shooting a fiery pain through his front. He coughed as his diaphragm felt like it was collapsing in on itself. Aster looked up as the aggron approached him with lethal intent.
"End of the line, you overgrown weed."
"N-not yet!" Aster snared his ankles again, this time without the order, and slithered between the opponent's legs before he could react. An aqua tail to the back of his knee caused the same thing as before. An involuntary grunt escaped his chest.
"Aster! Keep using grass knot! Make sure he doesn't get up!" That was the only chance they had. Vines wrapped around his limbs and neck, pinning him to the ground. Aster charged up a solar beam and released it point-blank to the aggron's face. Bruce growled in pain as he tried to break free, only for the roots around his neck to tighten.
"See now, that's just cold," Clay stated. "Bruce, earthquake and ice punch." One hand broke free; with it, he slammed into the ground, throwing Aster off balance as his wrists started to shimmer. The vines became brittle and snapped off, and with both hands free, he freed his neck. Aster quickly put some distance between the two of them.
"Get back here!" the aggron roared, ripping the ground apart from afar. Aster dodged projectiles as they flew past him until another massive pulse was sent through the ground. That's when one caught his frontside, sending him flying back the way he came. His vision blurred as he looked up at the dark sky, stars blotted out by the colossal figure overhead. Aster gagged as frigid digits closed around his neck, shoving him to the ground. "Send my regards to Dad!" Bruce spat, making Aster's eyes go wide as the pressure tightened.
Aaron immediately returned the serperior before he could continue. No fight was worth losing Aster. "What the fuck was that? He tried to kill him!"
"Eh, I'm sure Bruce knew you'd return him. Ain't that right?"
"…Sure." Aaron clenched one of few remaining pokéballs in his hand. This wasn't good – the fight was now two versus four.
Krista looked at the opponent before her, then back over her shoulder. "Aaron, there are two things fairies are weak to – and that's one of them!"
"Look, we're running out of options. He's weak now, and you've got a lot more stuff that can hurt him than Aster."
"Weak?" Bruce growled. "I'll make a fuckin' throw pillow outta her! You tell me who's weak then!"
"Whatever." Krista stretched her arms wide as her mega evolution commenced, the white-gold coat materializing. In the haze of her transformation, the audino used reflect before anyone noticed.
"Flamethrower!" Aaron yelled over the stampeding aggron. Krista thrust her hands and sent a fiery blast towards him.
"Metal claw." He charged through her attack and raised his sharp claws, ready to slice her open.
"Dazzling gleam!" The light caught him off guard, blinding him and making him trip as Krista used the moment to escape.
"Ah! You little bitch!" He rubbed his eyes, dilated pupils peeking through narrowed slits. Her attack did nothing in terms of damage but having a blinded enemy more than made up for that. The audino realized pretty quickly that this was a very viable strategy. Annoying, but viable. The second he looked towards her, Krista grinned, shooting another pulse of light. "Fuck!" he roared.
"Krista! Keep him blind and keep using reflect!" If she could stack multiple barriers over herself, there was a chance they could turn this around. Squinting his eyes shut, Bruce pounded the ground with his arms in an effort to take her off balance. Krista fell on her rear, getting up much faster than he could and launched a thunderbolt. Electricity coursed throughout his entire body – the negative effect of being coated in metal – and he yelled in pain. Trembling limbs grew heavier as his body refused to obey him. Just before he fell, the audino hit him with a final dazzling gleam.
"Great work, Krista." Three against two, one of them being Nora, was much better. He was hoping to further improve their chances of winning – that is, until the next pokémon was sent out.
Aaron swallowed nervously as he looked at the excadrill's stats on his PDA. Those reflects didn't give her an advantage; they were necessary to even be on the field right now. "What am I dealing with?" the audino asked her trainer as Knox drug his claws along one another.
"…You don't want to know."
"I'm not in the mood for guessing games. What's his level?" Aaron was almost tempted to make a number up, but Clay would probably tell her the terrifying truth.
"…Ninety-one." And that was as of five months ago, too. Krista remained quiet for a second, but readied herself for a fight, nonetheless. For someone who had a nearly twenty-level difference – and a type disadvantage – she was awfully bold.
"See now, that's what I like to see," the Alpha leader said to a few of his supporters. "Little gal has guts. Too bad Knox could just as well open 'em up."
"We'll see about that," she murmured, forming another protective barrier over her body.
"Sandstorm!" Dirt kicked up in every direction, swirling around in a large, dusty tornado over the field. Grains of soil bounced off of her barriers but blotted out her opponent. Her eyes scanned the field; she couldn't tell right from left.
"Krista, use dazzling gleam!" The momentary bright pulse, had it been used a second or two sooner, would have revealed a shadowy figure closing in from her right. "Look out!" She managed to raise her arm in time, protecting her face as his claws sliced through her protective layers as though they weren't there at all. She shrieked as three red gashes appeared on her forearm, reacting with a strong psychic push and sending him several yards back. Knox slowed himself by sticking his claws in the dirt and dragging himself to a stop. She barely had time to mend the cuts when he disappeared in the sandstorm again.
"No you don't!" She used dazzling gleam again, this time unable to see the opponent. But she wasn't about to let him sneak up on her again.
Aaron watched as light pulsed through the concealed battlefield, illuminating it periodically like lightning in a cloud. One shadow moved through it faster than he could register. "He's trying to flank you – left side." Krista pivoted and shot a flamethrower in that direction, only to see a loose cluster of rocks crumble. What?
She cried out as a deep slash was made in her back, leaping away and shooting a flamethrower towards a target that had long vanished. The audino would have glared at her trainer if she could see him. "Aaron, what the hell?!"
"I don't… I don't understand…" An excadrill's laugh caught her attention from somewhere in the sandstorm.
"I know you city folk think we're dumb, but I can assure you that we didn't get to where we are without knowing a few things," Knox said. "Now be a good girl and go down already. Last warning. Next time, I go for something that can't be healed so easily."
"There won't be a next time!" Krista replied, pulling a freezing gust of wind forth and sending it towards him. The grains of dirt clustered together and fell out of the air, leaving a torn but visible battlefield. Knox scraped the ice off of his claws and started towards her once again.
"Icy wind. Clever," Clay said. "Knox, put 'er down."
"Dazzling gleam!" Aaron said. The excadrill covered his eyes with one arm while running, only to be tripped by her psychic attack. Krista clenched her jaw while sending another flamethrower his way. Knox pulled stones from around him and blocked the blunt of the attack, his fur singing on the side before he launched the rocks as projectiles. "Protect!" Krista formed the barrier in the nick of time, preventing his claws from drawing down her chest. A sound like metal scraping glass could be heard as he tore through the invisible shield. Before she could react, Knox rammed his bladed head into her, causing tears to stream from her eyes as a burning razor cleaved into her shoulder. Aaron watched in horror as she was flung into a tree.
The audino only managed to open her eyes as two claws jabbed into the bark on either side of her neck. Breaths coming out as terrified gasps, she looked up at a smirking excadrill. "Best not squirm. Wouldn't wanna slice your own throat, now would ya?" She readily welcomed the confines of her ball.
Clay laughed as Aaron looked down at the last pokéball. Nora may have been his strongest, but right now he wondered how much that mattered. "Alright, it's about time to wrap things up here. Go on – let's see that typhlosion of yours." He wordlessly released Nora onto the field, who looked back at him, releasing a sigh of relief upon seeing that he had not been harmed. The look didn't escape either Clay or his excadrill. "So that's the one, ain't it? I may've been raised in a barn – more or less – but anyone with any sense could recognize a look like that."
"Pathetic…" Knox said, not subtle in the slightest. Nora lowered herself on all fours, taking a deep breath as she concentrated. This was what all of her training had led up to. Right now, she wasn't about to pull any punches.
"Let's see how that furry girlfriend of yours does against this. Earth power!" Before the ground around her could rise, she was gone, racing towards the trees as his attack missed by a wide margin. A bright aura began to condense around her hands. Rocks were hurled in her direction and slammed into trees, kicking up bark as she picked one and all but sprinted up it.
"What the fuck?" the excadrill muttered. She flipped off it, straightening herself in midair before launching a psychic blast – far too fast for him to dodge it. Knox was sent rolling. He groaned as he pushed himself back onto his feet.
"Flamethrower!" Aaron commanded. She launched a flame that dried up any remaining grass. He snapped back to reality and charged, ready to sink his razor-sharp claws into the typhlosion. Nora stood on her hind legs and formed two bright barriers over her arms. Knox propelled himself into the air and brought his claws down.
It sounded like metal striking metal. His eyes went wide. Nora had blocked the attack. "Wh-what?" In his moment of hesitation, she slammed the other barrier into his face. His head snapped back as blood shot from his tiny nose. Nora lifted him telepathically, savoring the look of fear in his eyes.
"Pathetic," she stated, slamming him into the tree. His body went limp as he slid down it.
"What?" Clay tried to make sense of everything that was going on. He wasn't alone; several Alpha members fell silent. "That… doesn't make any sense." Nevertheless, he released his fifth pokémon – someone that Aaron wasn't familiar with from Nathan's story. The PDA, though, told him everything he needed to know.
"Nora, if you can take Knox, you can take this guy. He's level eighty-seven."
"Anything I should know about?" she asked, not looking away from the rhyperior. Upon hearing that she had taken down Knox, he froze for a moment.
"Don't you worry about a thing," Clay said. "Knox was already tired."
"From an audino?!" he stammered. Despite his massive size, he sounded unsure of himself. But he shook his head. "Whatever. You'll never get past Rhett."
"We'll see." Before either of the two trainers could give an order, Nora rushed towards him, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
"Oh shit!" Alan reacted instinctively. She recognized the attack as hammer arm, jumping as he harmlessly scraped her chest. The same couldn't be said for him. Nora slammed her fist into the side of his jaw. He tried punching her again and again, growing frustrated as she dodged each and every attack. He hauled back and readied another, only to find his arm was stuck. Nora grunted as she strained her telekinetic abilities, lifting a much heavier foe into the air. "Put me down!" the rhyperior yelled.
"Alan, use thunderbolt!" Nora was forced to drop him earlier than she'd hoped, forcing her strength into the barriers over her body to absorb the blunt of the attack. Static crackled and died out. Alan used the split second to his advantage and grabbed her. "Body press!" Nora failed to break free in time before he rammed her into a tree, forcing the air from her lungs.
"Nora!" Aaron cried out. She grunted as she tried to push him off to no avail.
"Choke her out!" Clay yelled. For the first time in the entire battle, he seemed to be taking things seriously. Nora's cheek was pressed against the tree as she cried out in pain, trying to think of something.
'Nora!' Aaron ordered telepathically. 'Ram his head into the tree!' Through her peripheral, the typhlosion saw what her trainer was going for. Alan howled as his head was telekinetically smashed forward, releasing his grip of Nora. His lower horn had embedded a few inches as he tried to pry it out. Nora straightened herself up, clutching her chest while pointing an arm towards him and charging the attack. The rhyperior broke free and spun around only to be met with a solar beam.
Alan collapsed against the same tree his teammate had. "You've gotta be shittin' me." Clay had grown frustrated, perhaps reliving a battle from long ago. This had to be that look – the fear of not having taken a threat seriously, only to learn of its existence in the worst way imaginable. Only this time, Clay's team had something to show for it. Nora's breaths were strained as she clutched her chest. Nevertheless, she stood on her hind legs, ready to go for one final round.
The garchomp roared out his challenge, and the moment he was released onto the field, the mega stone bound to his ankle began to shine. "Rhett, you need to take her down."
'What are we dealing with here?' she asked Aaron.
'He's level ninety-two and knows pretty much every move a dragon can learn. People say he's the strongest garchomp in the world…'
'Which is probably true,' Nora remarked. 'Won't save him.'
'Are you sure you're good to keep fighting?' he asked.
'I'll be fine. I'd be more worried about him.' Even though she said that, Nora couldn't ignore the tremendous pain in her chest. She would just need to finish this before that got the best of her.
"Earthquake!" All the others Aaron's team had experienced throughout this fight were nothing compared to this. Soil jumped up everywhere as car alarms sounded. Nora jumped into the air and levitated in place.
"They supposed to do that?" Rhett asked his trainer.
"Not… from what I recall. Stone edge!" Rhett formed the sediment around him into small boulders, flinging them towards the typhlosion. Nora went back to the ground, jumping over one before grabbing another, spinning around and sending it back the way it came. Rhett was knocked off his feet, growling as he got back up.
'Psychic!' He realized what attack she was trying to use and raced towards her at blinding speeds, intent on not giving her the time needed. Nora was forced on the defensive – not a good place to be against a garchomp – blocking one strike after another from his hooked arms. Nora stammered as they slammed into the protective barriers she'd formed, cracking them as she was forced to back up. He rammed into her with all his strength, intent on taking things to the ground. The typhlosion reached up and grabbed his shoulders, pulling her feet off the ground and pushing off of his chest. Rhett snapped at her and missed. 'Now!'
The beam impacted his chest and sprawled him out on the ground. The garchomp grunted as he stumbled back onto his feet. Nora was panting heavily, both from exhaustion and her sore body. "You are not winning this," he hissed.
"Sure," she said between breaths.
"Outrage!" A furious power the typhlosion had never seen before filled Rhett as he drew in energy from the atmosphere. Among the stars and headlights, he was the only other thing glowing. Nora yelped as a sickle-shaped arm cleaved the ground where she had just been standing, her opponent a snarling mess as he attempted to cut her open. Muscles burned as she attempted to evade him. Nora couldn't do it for much longer; her movements were becoming more and more sluggish.
'Earthquake!' She copied his motion from earlier. He stumbled as the ground shook. That tiny window of opportunity was all she had before he resumed his onslaught. 'Psychic!' The telekinetic blast slammed into his face, sending him back – but not down. She froze as his grimacing face charged her again. Right now, he may as well have been an animal.
She heard nothing aside from her own gasp as he kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying. Nora crashed onto the ground and went fetal, moaning as her entire torso felt like it had been hit by a freight train.
"NORA!" Aaron ran to her side, looking for any signs of life-threatening trauma. If there was any, it was internal. But she took him by surprise, stretching her hand forth and clutching the grass as she got back on all fours. Clay looked blankly at the scene, ordering one final command.
"Hyper beam." Aaron froze as the garchomp charged up the attack. He fidgeted for the pokéball; an attack like that from Rhett of all people would likely be fatal. But she batted it away.
"Please, it's not worth it!" Aaron said. She ignored him as she drew energy into herself. A beam of light shot from his mouth, and at that moment, everyone expected a hole to appear where her chest once had. But that wasn't what happened.
"No… that's not…" Clay stuttered. Nora growled as she forced her body to obey, catching the energy in place. "That can't be…" Rhett went stiff as he saw his attack fail to impact her, the very energy he expected to kill siphoned from the beam and into the typhlosion's body. Her eyes shone as she readied an attack she never hoped to use again, the garchomp backing up as a purple aura encompassed her body. There was no time for Aaron to put any distance between himself and Nora when it happened.
Nora unleashed a psychic blast in Rhett's direction, one that caused her own ears to ring. The garchomp was flung through the air as though he were weightless, slamming into Clay's truck and crashing through the metal frame. The atmosphere was no longer dark, fire coursing through everything in front of the typhlosion. Rhett wasn't moving.
"RHETT!" Clay sprinted towards his totaled vehicle as Aaron hugged Nora against him, propping the exhausted typhlosion up. Her eyes threatened to close at any moment, but she was still standing. The former gym leader pulled his garchomp from the wreckage, feeling for a pulse and releasing a sigh of relief upon finding one.
"I lightened up so he would live," Nora tiredly said.
"You… lightened up?" Aaron shook his head. "Well… shit. I guess I'm living with a weapon of mass destruction…" She released a pained laugh at that. Clay had returned his garchomp, slowly pacing out to the middle of a fiery battlefield. At this rate, the woods would burn.
"I…"
"A deal's a deal, Clay. You said if I won, you'd call off the raid. Doesn't look to me like any of your pokémon are standing." The Alpha members looked to their leader in confusion. They were supposed to head out any second now.
"…You know damn well I ain't stoppin' this."
"What?! But you said—"
"You never said you were packin' something like that." Aaron shook his head in disbelief.
"And you wonder why the highest legendaries are against you. I see your word means nothing."
"We're the ones fightin' for the legendaries, boy. You'd do well to remember that," Clay retorted.
"Sure. You keep telling yourself that." A whirring sound picked up, like that of a loud drone. Aaron grinned, thankful that his plan had actually worked. He grabbed his phone, and confirming his suspicion, saw that the call had been going on this entire time. The young trainer turned the screen for the former gym leader to see as the airships began to descend. Clay's eyes went wide.
"What have you done?"
"I wasn't actually expecting to win, though that was a nice surprise, too," Aaron said. "But we did a great job of stalling you out, didn't we?" He pointed towards the sky as the Hydreigons drew close. "Have fun with them."
Clay only glared at him a second longer before sprinting off, joining the calamity as Alpha members began shooting and climbing into their cars. He jumped in one of the loaded pickups. "Drive!" he yelled. The truck sped off into the night with a spotlight trailing it. Nora laughed weakly, clasping his side for support as they watched the chaos unfold.
Alexander jumped out of the airship with his soldiers, bullets impacting his suit harmlessly. "Sir, Clay has escaped."
"Focus on rounding up the militants," he said. "They are far more dangerous than Clay can be on his own." The soldier nodded and placed his fist to his chest.
"You heard him! Round up the insurgents!" Alexander clutched a pokéball at his side – one that he had prepared to use in the worst-case scenario. By some miracle, that had not happened. Releasing Necrozma onto the scene invoked fear within the Alpha members, many of which got on their knees and lowered their weapons.
'Would you mind putting out the fires?' he asked. 'Sorry to ask something so mundane for you, but I'd rather not displace thousands of pokémon and risk burning Opelucid to the ground.'
'Of course.' The golden dragon absorbed excess energy in the area, pulling the fire into his body as though nothing had ever happened. For a being who had absorbed a supernova, this was trivial.
The militants were taken into custody and their weapons tossed into the beds of pickups, several of which had been completely filled. Clay very well could have wiped out the greater part of the metropolitan area with this much firepower – and he would likely sleep just fine doing so. Alexander clenched his fist. He would be making another speech tonight.
For now, though, there was one other order of business. He looked at the trainer and his team of five, overseen by a single knight who had brought them medical supplies. The lucario was laid back with a bag of ice over his head and a tightly wrapped bandage on his arm. Though he was in the worst condition of the five, he was responsive and would be alright.
"See to it that they are taken care of," he said to Larek. "They've saved many Unovans today."
"Yes sir." Alexander nodded before turning around and heading for an airship. He'd had it with these teams, waging violence in the name of their despicable 'greater goods.' Before leaving, though, he made a quick call.
"Cynthia, I need you in Unova in about eight hours. Clay blew out the four major bridges throughout the city."
"What?" she asked. She was a lot more awake than him right now. "Why?"
"Looks like him and his gang were trying to murder their way across the cities and blew out the bridges to prevent anyone from escaping."
"Huh…" The older woman was audibly perturbed upon hearing this. "So what would you like me to do about this?"
"You? Nothing," Alexander replied. "But since you have Groudon at the moment…"
He arrived back at the Patagaza base of operations shortly after, over five thousand miles away from where he had been within the hour. Instead of stepping out of his suit, though, he marched for the central tent. It had what he needed right now. Soliera met him soon after the airship touched down. "How is everything?"
"Unova will survive for now," he replied. "I'm going to make sure it stays that way." She hesitated for a second until it dawned on her.
"You're planning on giving a speech." He nodded as he parted the tent's folds. "Very well, I'll make sure we're live in a few."
"Thank you." Alexander took his spot at the table, pulling up a holographic map of the planet. He looked at it for a minute and sighed. There was a lot of purple; he was winning the lands.
He just wasn't winning the people.
At least, not in the first-world regions. Not if stuff like this was still going on. Because of that, a single compromise – one that Alexander had hoped to never make – would need to be made. He mentally discussed the prospect with Reshiram and Zekrom before closing the map.
He had hoped that by bringing in countless members from both teams every time they acted in violence, it would dissuade people from following them. Tonight, tens – maybe hundreds – of thousands of people could have died. Had it not been for a single trainer, they would have.
Things wouldn't settle down until he had the head of each snake. And yet, both heads were likely to compete against him. His hand was trapped by the very restrictions they had placed upon themselves. There were no easy solutions – just the one that he'd hoped to avoid.
But right now, it seemed like that was all he had.
A/N: Special thanks to FuryWrites for beta reading this chapter.