For those that have taken the time to read this story, you have my appreciation. Sorry it took so long to upload a new chapter. Work, hospital visits and all that junk life throws at you. You know how it is... Anyway, for those still reading, here's your new chapter. Enjoy.
The young dragon looked up at the colossal mountain range ahead of it as it crawled out of the small trench it had dug for itself. This is the way it was every day. Wake up, morning hunt, sleep the day away, nightly hunt. A repetitive but effective lifestyle if there ever was one. The dragon grunted as it looked down at the no-longer recognizable body in the trench, now just a pile of leftover flesh and bones. Its hunt. Thoroughly hunted as always. The dragon would not have it any other way because the world it was born into gave it no other option. Ever since its time of hatching, it had always been kill or be killed out here. Such is the world for wild pokémon. You didn't want to end up at the bottom of the food chain. Not when the entire region was dominated by fire types, dragons types and cruel climate. You're a weakling, the world toughens you up. If you have not toughened up enough by the time the next predator shows itself, you're done. The dragon took to indulging in itself by thinking of how strong it must have been to survive for this long. Even among other wild pokémon, it had always thought itself to be different by a significant margin as far as wild pokémon go. That its value as an individual was far heavier in weight than others of its kind. Whether it was hunting, being hunted or just straight up got in a fight, the young dragon always managed to find itself on top. It did not dare engage or even get close to the more mature or fully evolved, though, as that would be considered suicide. When too big a threat made itself known, it would try to outrun it if it could or find the closest hole to crawl into and hope that whatever had targeted it wasn't very good at digging and/or had settled for an easier target. By that logic, luck might have also been a critical factor in its survival.
The dragon's yellow eyes leered through the frontal opening of its shell as a few crunching noises came from within and after a moment, it suddenly spat out a half-chewed bone onto the ground. It couldn't swallow bones but it was oddly satisfying to chew on them for a bit. The dragon's musings were cut short as it felt light but steady tapping on the top of its shell. Rain... The dragon growled in annoyance. The sky was pissing on it again. How it hated the rain. The sound and odd sensation the raindrops made when they would continuously strike against its shell drove it insane. On top of that was also the probability of it becoming sick. It remembered the first time that happened and would very much rather not have a repeat experience.
From the mostly silent base where it stood, the Shelgon looked up at the great foothills ahead of it that only got bigger with the rough terrain's elevation. Each foothill contained multiple elevations of caves that were both entrances and exits to the massive networks of caverns and underground paths that lay within them. At the top and in the center of the mountains was a colossal volcano, positioned in such a fashion as if it were a king and the mountains its subjects. So gigantic that the top of it was obscured by the clouds that had settled in for the night. On a clear day, the clouds that surrounded it would instead be smoke. For a moment, it wondered what the top of it was like and how great a view it would be if it made its perch at the summit of that volcano.
The Shelgon's thoughts were once again disrupted, this time by a ferocious roar. Looking up, to the best of its ability anyway, the Endurance Pokémon watched as the silhouette of an adult dragon zoomed through the darkened, rainy sky and towards one of the mountains it had probably claimed as its home. The Shelgon could not help but give a jealous snarl. It had dreamed of flight for the longest time, itself. It had always longed to sprout wings and take to the sky, feeling the breeze against its face and viewing the world from its own perfect vantage. It has not and will not let go of that dream. It will take flight one day, of that it was certain. But that day is not today, so it resigned itself to walking towards the mountain range at a much slower pace.
Actually, that won't do, either.
Closing its eyes, the adolescent dragon tightened its muscles and focused its energy, surrounding itself in a fierce aura in a performance of Dragon Dance. Finished, the dragon took off into the mountain range at a more satisfying speed.
A Gible cried out when its back slammed against the cave wall with enough force to knock it out. Ahead of it, a Gabite stood, looking no worse for wear. The Gabite snorted and proceeded down the long and narrow cave, undeterred.
"Weaklings." The Cave Pokémon commented as it took a brief glance back at the defeated Gible that had a few more of its kind, about half a dozen of them, sprawled around it in the same way. He had been the target of an organized hunt, it seemed but the problem in their plan was that he was more powerful than all of them combined and then some. He hailed from the Dragon Realm, a large nesting ground for all of dragonkind and home of the most powerful dragons in the world. Even a not fully evolved pokémon like himself could take on anything that the Volcanic Summit could throw at him. The only real challenge he got in his life was from his peers back home that he would occasionally get into scuffles with. The adult dragons, much like the wild dragons, would not really care much about this behavior and would only step in when it looked like one of them was about to be fatally injured. Apart from that, the Dragon Realm was pretty much an organized and cultured version of the wild dragons' habitat that didn't bother with the rest of the world for the most part. He had heard of some kind of far away settlement where all kinds of pokémon gather from the adult dragons but he never gave it much thought or care.
The Gabite walked along the narrow cave with an arm extended to his left, scraping his claw along the cave wall peculiarly. The dragon stopped at a part of the wall that made a different sound than the rest of it and turned to inspect that specific spot directly. He gave the wall a few experimental jabs and watched in satisfaction when his claw easily pierced through. From there, the Gabite started to dig deliberately at the wall, plowing through the rock at a steady pace until its claws struck something different. Taking surprising care, the Gabite reached in with both its claws and pulled out a sapphire from within the hole he made. He looked it over, mesmerized by its beauty and shiny and sparkly and so pretty and...
The Cave Pokémon shook his head. He really needed to drop that habit. Not taking any more chances at looking at the precious stone, the Gabite placed it in the side pack it had brought along with itself that was fastened tightly around its torso. The sapphire made a slight clink as it landed against the other stones the Gabite had collected.
Nodding to himself, the dragon pressed forward. This gem hunting behavior had taken root from the time he had evolved a good while ago. Really, most if not all Gabite exhibited this kind of behavior. There was just something about jewels that they found phenomenally appealing. But what set him apart from wild Gabite was his tendency to bring the jewels he collects back to the Dragon Realm and leave them at the top of the Sky Pillar, erected by the realm's denizens themselves and leave them there as a tribute to their lord and master, Rayquaza. The Gabite had never actually met or even seen the legendary dragon type. Only heard many stories from the adult dragons about how he is their master and protector as well as the alpha dragon to their kingdom. The very reason they were able to live on their land. His favorite story was about how Rayquaza took an entire mass of land as his territory, eventually dubbing it the Dragon Realm and raising the first ever dragon pokémon of the realm himself. The prestigious dragons then went on and on to create newer generations upon generations of dragons until it became the powerful realm he knew today. The stories inspired the young dragon. Inspired him to train himself over the limit and grow powerful so that he could continue to protect the home Rayquaza had given him and his fellow dragons. The Sky Pillar was built to honor Rayquaza and from time to time, the Cave Pokémon would take the treasure he finds to the top and pile them onto Rayquaza's ever expanding treasure hoard in hopes that he too would one day get to see the mighty legendary face to face... Although, it didn't hurt to keep a few gems for himself.
The Gabite came to the end of the narrow corridor and into a large room. The room had different entrances and exits around it that branched off to other sections of the Volcanic Summit. He compared it to a hub of sorts. It was good he didn't tread to far, as that would get him hopelessly lost. Never mind that this was far from his first time here, the place was just too damn big. On the outside it was just your large mountains and one volcano but on the inside, it was a labyrinth. Getting back on track, the Gabite walked further into the room with small steps, scratching his feet on parts of the ground every now and then. A little while of this and he eventually came across a part of the ground he was satisfied with, prompting him to start digging there. He dug a hole half his body in height until his claw clinked against something. Taking care the dragon type scratched around the object he found until he was able to pull it out safely. Using both his claws, he picked up an emerald, the precious green jewel sparkling beautifully against his skin in a manner that was so pretty and so marvelous like no other and not to mention shiny and radiant and- damn it! The Gible dropped the emerald into his bag and climbed out of the hole. He craned his neck a little, sighing when he heard the satisfying cracks. Just as he was about to press forward, something out the corner of his vision caught his attention.
In ran a Shelgon, moving faster than they were allowed. It sneezed once then made a noise of irritation. At least it was out of the rain, its shell had just started to dry and the heat of the inner mountain would hopefully keep it in good health. It hopped up and down in a brief exercise and then made to take one of the routes to its own personal den. It took a few steps then stopped when it noticed the one other dragon in the room. It turned to face the Gabite and growled at him while glaring with its yellow eyes in an attempt to look intimidating. The Cave Pokémon rolled his eyes. Was he being challenged? He didn't have time for this.
The Shelgon watched as the dragon it was trying to engage turned and walked away, seemingly disinterested. What was that about? Isn't fighting what dragons do? Was he ignoring it or, even worse, deeming it a poor opponent? The Endurance Pokémon growled fiercely at the notion and focused more of its energy through its body.
Noticing the sudden spike of energy, the Gabite turned around and faced the Shelgon who, he observed, was using Dragon Dance. Looks like he was going to be forced into a fight regardless of his decision. Oh well... Better make it quick, he thought.
The Shelgon smirked within its shell when it finally got its opponent's attention. It would make sure to teach him not to underestimate its power. Giving a feral growl, the Shelgon charged forward at speeds it really had no business reaching, intending deliver the Gabite a swift defeat.
The Gabite just stood, waiting for his opponent to reach him. It got closer and closer by the second until it was right in front of him, at which point the Gabite raised his foot and thrust it against the front of the Shelgon's shell, stopping it in its tracks. The Cave Pokémon then placed the same foot between the Shelgon's front legs, just under its shell and casually kicked upwards, flicking it onto its back causing the Endurance Pokémon's stubby legs to flail wildly as it attempted to get back on its feet.
The Gabite walked around to its front and brought himself down to the Shelgon's eye level, appearing upside-down in its vision. "Normally I would kill and maybe even eat you but I'm a busy pokémon with things to do. Consider yourself lucky." The Gabite stood and took a small swipe with his claw against the Shelgon's shell, causing it to spin on its back like a top. Amused, the Gabite sauntered off and exited the room to seek out more treasure.
Left alone, the Shelgon could do nothing as it continued to spin on the cave floor until, thankfully, it slowed to a stop and just lay there upside-down. Now with proper control over its body, it begun to shift its weight side to side, building enough energy each time until it successfully rolled back onto its feet. This wasn't the first time something like this happened to it, annoyingly enough and had long since learned how to deal with the problem whenever it happened. Looking around, the pokémon it attempted and failed to engage was nowhere to be found. It growled like a poor sport. This wasn't over. It took a few sniffs in the air, catching the faintest trace of the Gabite's scent and tracing it to one of the openings in the large room where it was sure the Cave Pokémon disappeared to. Still under the effects of Dragon Dance, the Shelgon charged down that route to track down its unwilling opponent.
Walking out of the narrow cave route he had travelled through, the Gabite found himself in yet another room. This one was not as big as the last and it did not have any branching paths as the previous room did, leading him to believe he had stumbled into another dragon's den. This was not the case, however, as the room showed no signs of life and proved to be nothing more than a dead end. It didn't matter to him any. He was here for treasure hunting not sightseeing. Walking further into the room, the Gabite took to inspecting the cave walls with his masterful claws. He came across one part of the wall that felt different than the others but after a few scratches, he shook his head and deemed it fruitless before moving on along the wall. After a short walk, he came across another part of the wall that caught his attention and dug his claws into it, plowing through for a short while and eventually pulling out a small purple gem. He recognized it as a Dragon Gem. The Gabite took a few steps back from the wall and inspected it closely. It did not glimmer like he wanted and wasn't even that valuable to begin with. It was a good find, don't get him wrong but it wasn't what he was after. Oh well, there was no need for it to go to waste for that reason alone and he decided to bring it with him.
Just as the Cave Pokémon was about to put it away for future use, a stream of superheated purple energy spontaneously flew into the room, aimed right at him. The young dragon blinked as the violent energy filtered around the green barrier he had projected around himself on reflex. The Dragon Gem he held between his claws glowed a little from exposure to the dragon attack but did nothing else. His eyes followed to where the attack had come from and to his mild surprise, saw the Shelgon from earlier blocking the entrance to the room he was in. And by 'blocking' he meant 'five of him could easily just walk around it.'
"You again." He spoke with an unfazed tone.
The Endurance Pokémon just hissed at him and fired off another Dragon Pulse. The Gabite leaped a little to the side and avoided it completely before charging towards the pokémon that just wouldn't leave him alone. Claws at the ready, he took a wide swing at the Shelgon which stood on its hind legs and met his Dragon Claw with one of its own. The force of its attack caused his eyes to widen ever so slightly and recoil from the impact while the Shelgon pressed on with its assault by expelling another Dragon Pulse from its hidden maw. Finding his balance, the Gabite leaned his body back and narrowly avoided the stream of energy as it sailed in front of him, even taking his time to gaze at the direction it went and watching it explode against the cave wall. The Gabite regained his concentration when he looked back and saw the Shelgon running at him at high speed with the intention of causing him serious physical harm. It leaped up and bared down with its front legs in a heavy Dragon Claw that was unfortunately met with another barrier. The Endurance Pokémon did not let up, however, as it continued to slash away at the Gabite, its small but dangerous claws scraping harshly against its opponent's shield and sending sparks flying left and right. When the Gabite's Protect finally expired, the Shelgon attempted to deal the killing blow but the Cave Pokémon simply poked its exposed belly and caused it to roll onto its back again.
Seeing this, the Gabite took a few steps back got into a less aggressive posture. "Had enough yet?"
The Shelgon responded by firing yet another Dragon Pulse, an action that, without being anchored to the ground, caused it to rocket boost towards the Gabite like a cannon. Eyes widening, the ground type held his arms up to take the brunt of the attack which knocked him off his feet and sent him scraping along the ground on his side. Recovering quickly and getting back up, the Gabite narrowed his eyes dangerously at the Shelgon that got back on its feet as well. The Gabite growled, now fully hostile and ready to knock some heads. He stomped on the ground with a hefty roar and after a moment, the cave they occupied was suddenly filled with a heavy Sandstorm. Only now did the Shelgon start to feel threatened as the tiny rock and dirt particles constantly dug into its exposed legs and some even getting into its shell, making it feel incredibly uncomfortable as well as slightly fatigued. Its poor predicament was only made worse by the fact that it couldn't see its opponent anymore. One second the Gabite was in front of it but the moment the sandstorm was kicked up, it was like the Cave Pokémon suddenly vanished. A few seconds passed, increasing the Shelgon's sense of paranoia until the Gabite made his presence known via a well placed Dragon Claw to its side, cutting cleanly through its shell and inflicting injury on the body inside it. The Shelgon cried out and was sent flying straight at the furthest wall, slamming painfully into it and instantly losing consciousness. The Gabite was ready to end it when he saw that his opponent was already down for the count from just one of his attacks. He felt disappointed on top of being irritated to have his time wasted like this. The Gabite sighed and looked down at the defeated dragon. It was interesting while it lasted, he supposed. As interesting as fighting a wild pokémon would be anyway but now that the battle was out of the way, it was back to business.
The blue dragon looked around the room and spotted a small opening close to the ceiling. The Shelgon now forgotten, the Gabite ran to the other end of the room and started to scale the cave wall, eventually reaching the top and stepping out into the rain and onto an outer ledge that oversaw most of the Volcanic Summit.
It was quite a view to say the least. The Gabite absent-mindedly licked the blood from his claw as he took it all in. Beyond the base of the mountains lay an expansive land that went on for who knows how long. He spotted a few crags in the distance that, to him, did nothing but serve to make the landmass more uneven than it already is. Besides the crags, he could make out some deep depressions in the land that he figured were home to some wild pokémon. A good distance directly ahead of him was a wide, unoccupied sink in the earth which, when he squinted his eyes enough, turned out to be some kind of watering hole. To his right, far in the distance and beyond the horizon, was a collection of giant rocky spires that had a storm looming over them which went on for miles deep into the Tempest Peaks and to his far left past his vision was a canyon that separated the Seismic Highland from the Volcanic Summit. It was all quite a feast for the eyes and he would have stayed to admire it a little longer if he did not have pressing matters to attend to.
Looking down, his eyes followed the ledge upwards that ended in an opening which led into another room higher than the one that was directly behind him. He walked steadily up the ledge and took a peek to the side, feeling a little apprehensive about walking on a platform with no support or makeshift railing seeing as one slip could easily send him falling down the mountain to his doom. The thought made him move a little faster until he stood safely at the opening of the higher room. The Gabite quickly looked around and found that like a few of the others, the cave was devoid of visible life. It was always better this way, as there wouldn't be suicidal pokémon to get in his way of treasure hunting. Dropping down from the ledge, the Cave Pokémon landed with a dull thud and instantly got to work.
Defeat. It wasn't a word it liked to associate itself with yet there it lay with its eyes closed and on the verge of losing consciousness again. Its wound ached with a dull throb in time with its heartbeat but it didn't bother to get up, instead thinking back to the pokémon it so carelessly challenged. It didn't feel at fault, though, as this wasn't the first time it had challenged a Gabite and only sought to give itself a quick exercise before returning to its den but what it instead got was one hell of a workout that left it briefly out cold. There was something unique about this one Gabite that set itself apart from the ones it easily defeated in the past. It left the Endurance Pokémon intrigued by it, something it seldom felt. Where did it come from? What was the source of its power that it couldn't hope to match even after powering itself up multiple times with Dragon Dance? All these unanswered questions left its mind boggled and for a moment, it wondered if it would be able to reach or even surpass that level of power.
Before it could continue with its thoughts, its attention was captured by what it could make out as a slight sizzling noise. Opening its eyes, it came face to stupid face with a Magcargo that held its gaze with a blank expression. Now that it was aware of the fire type's presence, the Shelgon started to feel uncomfortably hot from exposure to the Magcargo's extremely high body temperature. Something had to be done.
It got up with a slight wince and the Shelgon stared down the Magcargo with an offensive glare in an attempt to get it to leave. Sensing the dragon type's sudden hostile presence, flames flared out of parts of the fire type's shell and it gave an even glare as it prepared an attack but before it could do so, it was suddenly shot with a great volume of water that came straight from the Shelgon's mouth, blasting it across the room and knocking it out in an instant. For a moment, it wondered if this is what the Gabite must have felt like when it first challenged him; stronger and a little more than annoyed. The Shelgon stared at the motionless Magcargo in front of it as its body sizzled violently from being soaked in a large body of water. Speaking of which... The Shelgon performed a weaker version of its Hydro Pump move with most of the water collecting within its shell, rinsing out its body of the dirt that had settled inside and cleaning its wound. After a few shakes of its body, the Shelgon leaned forward and expelled the murky water onto the ground. It repeated this a few more times until it felt clean enough to be satisfied. There was still the issue of the hole made in the side of its shell but that would repair itself in due time. Looking at the unconscious fire type one last time, the Shelgon gave it an irritated snarl and left for the exit.
Things were not going as well as the Gabite would have hoped. Multiple holes in the wall and floor told of its fruitless efforts. The room he was in held nothing of value, he came to realize. Finishing digging through a part of the wall, the Cave Pokémon sighed in disappointment when he removed an Oval Stone. It looked a lot like an egg and the Gabite had no idea why. The only thing he was sure of is that it was garbage to him and with that thought, he tossed it to the floor along with the other useless items he found. He gave the pile a once-over. They consisted of Fire Stones, Hard Stones, a few Gems and some Moon Stones, all junk in his eyes. Looking around, he found that there was nowhere else he could dig in the room and left for the ledge. Back outside, the Gabite looked around but found no alternate paths. That is until he looked up and saw a hanging ledge three meters above and beyond his reach.
He took a quick look at his sharp claws. While he could easily scale the wall, doing such a thing could potentially end with him falling if he wasn't careful. Even so, the notion did nothing to dissuade him from his goal and after digging his claws into the wall, he started to slowly pull himself up. The dragon type used extra care when scaling the wall, making sure not to apply to much pressure that his claws would end up accidentally cutting through the rocky face and cause him to slip and plummet. The idea actually gave him a slight rush and he got honestly surprised when he drew enjoyment from putting himself in mortal danger. Still, his small climb went off without a hitch and he soon found himself in the opening overlooking the biggest room he'd seen yet. Not wasting any time, he leaped down to the ground with a small grin and immediately started to feel about the wall. He clawed through for a little while but then stopped when he felt there was nothing to be found in this particular section. He moved about different parts of the room, jabbing at the ground or cave wall to get a feel of certain areas of interest.
Unbeknownst to the young dragon, danger was looming overhead. A pokémon about twice the size of the Gabite stared down at him with its pale yellow eyes as it clung to the ceiling. Its dark blue body allowed it to go unnoticed in the dark cave and drool seeped out of its mouth as it prepared to literally get the drop on its target. Crawling slowly along the ceiling, it positioned itself exactly above the Cave Pokémon and then proceeded to go for the kill.
For his part, the Gabite was too engrossed with his spelunking to notice the predator plotting his demise. That is until his Dragon Gem glowed faintly in his bag that told him a dragon move was being used very close to him. This, along with the dirt and rocks that fell on and around him, quickly alerted him to the room's other occupant. Reacting with movement that only years of training could bring, the Gabite jumped up, drop kicked the wall in front of him and sent himself flying backwards in a quick flip. Literally a second later, a Druddigon came crashing down on the spot he was standing on prior to his maneuver with a heavy crash. Dust kicked up around it as his fellow Cave Pokémon pierced him with its gaze from a crouching position. With a loud roar, the Druddigon charged at the Gabite.
The Gabite glared at the Druddigon and the claws on his feet dug into the ground in anticipation. His foe got the drop on him, he'll give it that but now that he was fully aware of its presence, he was ready to lay the smack-down on it. He charged forward, meeting it halfway and expertly ducked under a swipe aimed at his head before driving a knee into its gut that sent it slamming into the wall behind it. The Druddigon winced and ducked just as the Gabite's claw took a swing at it and left a large gash in the wall approximately where its neck had just been. The Druddigon then tackled the Gabite to the ground but the ground type quickly reversed it midway and it was the Druddigon that found itself on its back. The Gabite was ready to sink his claws in his opponent's skull but bailed on that plan to lean backwards in order to avoid the Flamethrower that was blasted from the Druddigon's jagged mouth. Before he could recover, the Druddigon grabbed his neck with one of its long arms and got up while holding the Gabite away from it. With its arm extended, the Druddigon could hold its prey at a safe distance while being able to deal the killing blow. It was thrown for a loop, however, when the Gabite simply went for the easier way out and used his claw to swiftly sever the arm that held him in its grip. The Druddigon's eyes widened then slammed shut when the pain registered and blood pumped out of the injury in steady bursts. Gripping the remainder of its severed arm in a poor attempt to stop the bleeding, the Druddigon glared at the Gabite who held the other half of its arm between his claws and waved it side to side like he was greeting it. Roaring viciously, the fuming dragon leaped at the smaller dragon with its mouth opened and its deadly teeth on full display to which the Gabite responded by jamming the Druddigon's own arm between it s jaws to keep it from biting down on him.
The Druddigon's eyes widened a second time at this and developed mixed feelings about biting down on its own surprisingly delectable arm. The young dragon took advantage of its stumped reaction by swinging a claw upwards into its lower jaw and drawing even more blood that gushed out of its body. The Druddigon gave a gurgled roar of agony as its 'prey' used the same motion of his attack to swing it up, perform a couple of revolutions in the air with it and used the momentum of his throw to slam its fairly heavy body into the ground with enough force to shake the cave floor which developed heavy cracks that went unnoticed by the dueling pokémon. Feeling particularly pissed off, an emotion brought on by his previous unlucky streak of treasure hunting, the Gabite jumped as high as he could and with a roar of his own, came dropping like a rock tied to another rock, foot extended and slamming it into the fallen Druddigon. The larger dragon opened its mouth to cry out but all that came out was a silent scream and the force from the Gabite's brutal assault, coupled with their combined weight, added just enough pressure to the damaged cave floor for it to collapse under them and send them falling to the lower level...
Were it not for the sudden turn of events the Shelgon experienced, it would have written the day off as uneventfully average and called it a night. As the Shelgon walked down the long and slightly winding corridor, its mind was still plagued by the fascinating Gabite it lost to. There was something about it that the Endurance Pokémon couldn't quite place. It fought plenty Gabite in the past and had not lost to a single one until just recently. Indeed, there was something definitely up with the one it fought tonight. It moved like no other pokémon it came across. Sure there probably existed more powerful dragons but power and skill were not the same thing. The Gabite possessed skill and in vast amounts. The way it moved and its thought process were on another level. Moreover, it spoke in a way that it couldn't understand. A way that differed greatly from wild pokémon. It couldn't understand anything that wasn't in its evolutionary line anyway but it could tell the Gabite's way of communicating was beyond foreign to it.
Like most dragons, the Shelgon was born alone. This never really bothered it as having a lack of guardians in a demanding world forced it to work twice as hard to adapt and keep it from falling too low on the food chain. Could the same be said about the Gabite? Was it also a loner that reached its level by giving a big 'screw you' to the ecosystem? Or did the source of its power come from something else entirely? If so, then what?
Coming up to the end of the corridor, the Shelgon found itself walking into a familiar large room that it passed through nearly every day since it was between the route that led to the open area and the route that led to its den. The room had a pretty high up ceiling as well, held up by tall stone structures that acted as support beams and a few stalactites hung down at some points. The Shelgon blinked in alertness as it heard a crash from above. Leaning back, it balanced itself on its hind legs and tail, creating a makeshift tripod for itself and inspecting where it heard the noise. Another crash, this one louder, made dirt and a few stalactites shake loose and fall to the floor. The Shelgon squinted its eyes like it was expecting something else to happen. Its patience was soon rewarded and with a surprised expression, witnessed the centre of the ceiling collapse dramatically as two figures dropped in and landed rather loudly a few meters in front of it. Dropping back on all fours, the Endurance Pokémon ran forward to inspect the crash and its heart skipped a beat at what it saw.
The Gabite smirked triumphantly at the dead dragon underneath his foot, patting himself on the back for a job well done. Now that the battle was over, the Gabite stepped off of his foe's carcass so he could get a good read on where he ended up. Turned out he knew the place. Yeah, it was all coming together. This is the room he traversed to go deeper into the mountain and the route that led back outside the rear of the mountain to the Dragon Realm was not far from here. Well, how about that? Seeing as he got his fill of battles and the treasure hunting stopped looking promising a while ago, the Gabite figured he'd just head home and- what?
"You're kidding me, you again?" The Gabite actually paused mid walk animation and found himself staring at the Shelgon for the third time that night. He wanted to believe it was a different Shelgon but the hole he had stabbed in the side of its shell was unmistakable.
For a moment, the just stared at each other, dumbfounded. Neither knew what to do, the Gabite didn't seem to be under any sort of attack and the Shelgon preferred not to provoke him. Instead the Shelgon took this moment to inspect the dual type. It gave him a look up and down then moved around him to view him from other angles. Bewildered, the Gabite did nothing but watched as it walked circles around him. Talk about a change in attitude. The Shelgon, dissatisfied that its query wasn't doing anything, moved forward and gave him a non-lethal tackle.
"H-hey!" The Cave Pokémon protested and raised its claws. Seeing this, the Shelgon got a good look at his claws and other than being blood-stained, they looked just like any other Gabite's. It took a whiff of him and found his scent to be quite astonishing. It could pick up the different scents off him that were distinctive to other dragons. The scent was strong. Did he live with other dragons? Including some that weren't a part of his species? Like a Zweilous and Axew living together? The thought was positively absurd but its curiosity was raised enough that it wanted to see his home for itself as well as the other dragons that inhabited it. It wanted to meet them and see if it could learn the strength that the Gabite demonstrated. On a less important note, it must be pretty good to be able to rely on an ally when times were tough. It would certainly make survivability a lot easier. But would he consider the possibility of bringing the Shelgon along? Especially after it attacked him? Seeing as he already lived with other dragons, the Endurance Pokémon hoped he would forgive it and bring it along with him.
The Gabite watched as the Shelgon hopped up and down while grunting some gibberish. Was it trying to tell him something? He couldn't understand if that was the case. The thing about prestigious pokémon like himself was that they spoke in a certain universal dialect that allowed any pokémon to be able to converse with the next even if they were from different parts of the world. Maybe if he was also a Shelgon, he would have been able to understand its species' way of communicating but as things stood, he couldn't make heads or tails with what it was saying. The Shelgon noticed this and bumped into him a second time and then ran in place to try and convey the message.
Just as the Gabite was about to tell the Shelgon to knock it off, hissing noises told him that they were not the only two pokémon in the room anymore. The Shelgon also noticed this and stopped with its shenanigans to look around. Druddigon, lots of them began to fill into the room from various points of entry. Some from holes in the wall, some from crawls spaces that were etched into the edges of the cave floor and others peering into the room from the hole in the ceiling that the Gabite created. The commotion must have attracted them and they all glared at the two youthful dragons, intending to make them their dinner. The Shelgon looked back to the Gabite and made some more indiscernible noised at him. The Gabite, while alert, still didn't look like he understood so instead of trying to tell him, the Shelgon figured it should show him instead and performed Dragon Dance.
This caught the Gabite by surprise, not really expecting it to want to stay and fight. Alongside him, no less. Was it trying to prove something? It's a tenacious little thing he'll give it that. He thought of making a break for it, himself. Not that he couldn't take them, it's just that he was starting to get tired of the whole routine. He still considered just up and leaving by digging his way out but when he saw the convicted look in the Shelgon's eyes he couldn't just leave it to its horrible demise, especially after it displayed what he guessed was a friendly disposition. Looks like the circumstances between them had changed. He sighed as he settled for staying by its side. Not like the Druddigon would just watch him leave anyway. Damn moral fiber...
The Shelgon continued to power itself up with the vigorous dragon aura as the Druddigon closed in on them from all angles. It thought to give a battle cry but was stopped when the Gabite's claw found its way within its shell and crammed a Sitrus Berry into its mouth. It looked at the Cave Pokémon but his eyes were focused more on the danger around them.
"You need it more than I do." He simply said, to which the Shelgon obediently chewed and swallowed. "I hope you're really as strong as you let on because I can only help you as much as you can help me." The Gabite crossed his arms and channeled a different kind of energy that took on the form of ethereal blue swords that orbited around him before bursting and enveloping him in a fierce crimson aura that surged through his body and powered him up something deadly. The Shelgon took a moment to gawk at its enemy turned ally as it could feel his power skyrocketing to frightening levels, making it glad it avoided challenging him again and appreciating the fact that they would be fighting on the same side. The two pokémon turned their backs towards each other and faced down their mutual enemies. "Get ready... Here they come!" The Gabite gave a roar and the battle was on.
Two Druddigon from opposite ends of the oppressed dragons kicked things off by charging straight at their targets. The young dragons at the centre of the room crouch down to prepare a counter attack. The first to move was the Gabite, jumping forward and using his superior speed to duck underneath a Druddigon's Dragon Claw and retaliate by digging both his claws into his opponent's chest, bypassing its ribs and striking its vitals. The thing passed out right there and the Gabite swung its dead weight around into another Druddigon that thought to take advantage of his inability to attack from all angles. He couldn't, no one could but it was difficult to get the drop on him regardless. He felt something latch onto his dorsal fin and yank him up off the ground. The Druddigon that thought it had him under the ropes but realized too late why this was a terrible idea as its arm was sent hurdling through the air, detached from its body. Before the Druddigon could voice its complaint, another of its kind was slammed into it, this one having a scorched body and unseeing eyes. The Gabite looked behind himself to find that the Shelgon was handling itself better than he thought.
He watched the Endurance Pokémon retreat its limbs into its shell just as a Druddigon's jaws closed around the frontal opening then his eyes slightly went wide when the Shelgon expelled a Dragon Pulse that incinerated the Druddigon's head and caused its body to stumble before falling to the floor like a sack of bricks. It turned around to meet his gaze but then both their eyes went wide when they saw the danger beyond each other. One ran towards the other, the Gabite jumping over the Shelgon and beheading a Druddigon that attempted a sneak attack on it while the Endurance Pokémon used its Dragon Pulse to fire at an enemy Cave Pokémon that tried to perform a deadly lunge at the Gabite's exposed back. Both their targets hit the ground but were replaced by more of them as soon as that happened. The Shelgon growled defiantly at its enemies, not one to back down. Ever. If their intention was to make it their meal, the Shelgon sure as hell wasn't going to make it easy for them. Just as one of the Druddigon tried to make a lunge for it, the Shelgon sent a deadly pulse of dragon energy at it before it could act on its decision, sending it barreling down the cave and slamming head first into the wall.
Unfortunately for the Shelgon, it could only attack one at a time and the other Druddigon capitalized on the Shelgon's need for a brief recharge time by swinging a heavy arm at it. Retreating into its shell was all the Shelgon could do as the Druddigon's claws slammed against its side. The Shelgon watched from within its shell as the room frantically rotated around it. At least that's how it appeared to the Endurance Pokémon as its round body tumbled a good distance before being stopped by yet another foe. This one wasn't too bright. Scratch that. It was dumber than the rest and proved its stupidity by jamming its claws through the frontal opening of the Shelgon's shell. Unsurprisingly, the Druddigon roared in pain and used its other arm to push against the Endurance Pokémon's shell to try and get it off to no avail. When that didn't work, it flailed its trapped arm around so as to force the Shelgon to let go, an idea that actually worked and the Shelgon finally popped loose. The Druddigon sighed in relief, only to start roaring once again after finding that its arm was eaten off up to its wrist. The injured Druddigon glared with fury in its yellow eyes and watched the Shelgon spit out what remained of its hand, which wasn't much. It prepared to launch an assault but the Shelgon beat it to the punch, rolling onto its back and using Dragon Pulse to launch itself right at the Druddigon. The Shelgon nailed its opponent right in the face and it briefly saw stars before passing out. The Shelgon stood back up on its legs and gave a hoarse cough. It had used too many breath attacks and felt a mild burning sensation in its throat. Noticing no more enemies in front of it the Shelgon turned around to witness a scattered pile of unmoving bodies made by the Gabite who was wrapping up in dealing with the last one, giving it a drop kick and riding the Druddigon's unconscious body across the floor a few good meters before stepping off.
This left the Endurance Pokémon flabbergasted. Just what was the extent of his strength, it wondered? What made it stand out from literally every other dragon it met? It had to know. Seeing as things were wrapped up, the Shelgon trotted towards the only conscious Cave Pokémon in the room with small steps. The Gabite turned to face it and his eyes blinked in alertness as he pointed in its direction.
"Behind you!" The Gabite didn't know why it suddenly mattered to him that the Shelgon was under danger as he was pretty much a free pokémon at this point. Regardless of the fact, he watched with concern as four Druddigon crawled out of an open space from the far end of the room. Following his gaze, the Shelgon turned around and panicked as it watched the Druddigon close in on its position by the second. The Gabite thought quickly and then, remembering something important, reached into his bag.
"Here, use this!" The Shelgon turned back around and saw the Gabite drop an object on the floor before kicking it across the room towards it. As the object got closer and closer, it became clear as to what it was; a Dragon Gem. Something it recognized all too well and gladly jumped up to accept it into its opening while twisting back around to find that the Druddigon were now right in front of it. Right at the moment one of them swung its claws inches from its face, the Shelgon activated the Dragon Gem and fired one final Dragon Pulse. Although, thanks to the Gem in question, it wasn't a 'Dragon Pulse' as much as it was a 'Big Freaking Wave Motion Dragon Cannon.' The attack was so large that its vision was consumed by a field of bluish-purple and could only make out the silhouettes of the Druddigon that quickly disappeared as they were consumed and incinerated by the energy. Unable to control its own attack, the Shelgon found itself zooming backwards through the air, past the Gabite and landing on the other side of the cave with comical bounces. Being the lucky pokémon it was, the Shelgon landed on its back.
Chuckling, the Gabite walked up to the Shelgon and laid down on his stomach in a tired fashion.
"Everything okay in there?"
Instead of giving a reply, the Shelgon rolled itself forward onto its stomach as well. They both just lay there and caught their breath.
"That was quite something, huh? Who would have guessed we would end up fighting next to each other?" The Shelgon didn't respond. "You know, now that I think about it, you Shelgon and the rest of your line shouldn't normally be able to use Dragon Dance or Dragon Pulse. Not by yourselves anyway... Got any other surprises for me?"
Instead of making any effort to communicate, the Shelgon just started making strange chewing sounds from inside its shell. After a little while of this, the Shelgon spat out the used Dragon Gem on the floor between them. The Gabite blinked in surprise. Not because of the Shelgon's action but because of the distinct sound the gem made when it hit the ground. The Gabite reached a claw forward and knocked the useless gem to the side then using it to dig into the cave floor. The Shelgon watched with rapt attention, curious to see what the Cave Pokémon was up to. The Gabite continued to dig until the dirt gave way to a ruby that illuminated a small area around them. Under the effects of the precious stone's influence on him, the Gabite reached down and picked it up, continuing to stare in exaggerated fixation at it. The Shelgon just watched as the Gabite remained in the same position for a full eight minutes... Was this stone really that important to him? Was it why he was here in the first place? Sure, it looked pretty but the Shelgon didn't think much of it.
The Gabite snapped out of it when the Shelgon growled to get his attention. He looked at it but it just stared back at him. "Um... Thanks. I probably wouldn't have found this without you." The Gabite packed the ruby into his bag and the Shelgon caught a quick glimpse of the other colored and sparkling stones it held which put its suspicions to rest.
The Gabite took one last look at the Shelgon, not knowing exactly what to say next. So he just waved at it and turned to leave. The Shelgon, interpreting his wave as a 'follow me' gesture, started to follow behind him with deliberate steps. The Cave Pokémon noticed this and faced it, a little surprised.
"You want to come with? Really?" The Gabite couldn't believe how fast his relationship with the wild Shelgon had developed. At first, he found it to be a nuisance but by the end of the night, they ended up fighting alongside each other in a battle for their survival. The Shelgon even surprised him with its fighting spirit and capable battle prowess, something he rarely felt even towards the dragons back home his own age. It was enough for the Gabite to actually consider the Endurance Pokémon's request. He placed a claw under his chin in deep thought. If he could adopt it into the Dragon Realm and condition it to be able to become as strong as, or even stronger, than the Dragon Realm's denizens, they would have a strong ally among their ranks. The Shelgon showed promise so it was a real possibility. Seeing as he impressed it in some way or other, he could also see it being loyal. Strength was something the Dragon Realm held in high regard and was the quickest way to earning their respect so perhaps he could put in a good word for the wild pokémon to the older dragons when they got back home... And if his plea was denied, hey they would at least have a quick meal so he really wasn't putting anything at stake from bringing it along. Idly, he thought of how this whole situation reminded him of how Rayquaza formed the Dragon Realm.
"You know what, screw it. Let's go." The Gabite walked up to a heightened ledge at the end of the room opposite corridor the Shelgon used to get in. He jumped up and hung onto the ledge, looking down and shaking his tail for the Shelgon to take, who bit onto it but not too hard as to cause injury, to which the Gabite was grateful for and pulled it up along with him. They both stood and looked down the narrow path that led to an opening which had moonlight filtering through. The rain had subsided, the Shelgon was thankful for that.
"I know you can't understand me but since we might potentially be living together, introductions are in order. My name is Bahamut. Yo!" The Gabite gave the Shelgon a salute but the Endurance Pokémon just stared in confusion at him. "Don't worry about it. I'll teach you how to speak in our tongue. You'll get the hang of it later. Well, come on. Your new life starts tonight." Bahamut beckoned for the Shelgon to follow and it happily did so, glad to find that the Gabite took to using a friendly disposition with it.
"We're going to have to give you a name too." The Cave Pokémon said as an afterthought as he and his new ally stepped out into the open field on route to their home.
Dragon Realm - Present Day... Night.
Calamity stirred from her sleep, idly waving her tail around as she woke up from her dream. She still felt groggy and struggled to keep herself awake. Her body ached, though not as much as she remembered. Her last memory was that of a Blaziken besting her in battle. Her eyes shot open and looked around, wondering if she was still in the Seismic Highland. She prepared to get up but was stopped by a familiar voice.
"Don't. I won't have you putting pressure on your wounds after all the trouble I went to licking them clean." She looked around the brick-lined room, her eyes eventually falling on a Garchomp. She glared at him but against her better judgement, her tail started wagging. She raised and thumped it on the ground to get it to stop.
"You don't have to be like that around me." Bahamut coolly told the Salamence.
Calamity wanted to reply but winced in pain when she tried speak, remembering how the Blaziken dislocated her jaw with a well placed kick. This did not go unnoticed by the Garchomp and he walked towards her with steady steps. Calamity looked up at him as he got closer and her eyes widened when he placed his claws on either side of her lower jaw before twisting and then wrenching it back into place. She gave an understandable roar of pain that was so loud it shook the bricks lining the walls of her den.
"Are you mad!? That is much too dangerous!"
"And efficient when done right." Bahamut added.
The Salamence did not look satisfied one bit and snapped her head forward to take a bite out of the Garchomp who responded quite calmly by stuffing a slab of meet between her jaws that was too big for her to swallow. When did...?
"Eat up." The Mach Pokémon instructed her. Calamity leered at him but did nothing apart from lowering her head and using her claws to hold down the pound of meat while she took bites out of it.
"I do not need you to take care of me."
"Yeah you do." Yeah she did. It was a pointless argument and Calamity wasn't even sure why she said it. She shook her head and changed the subject.
"Where is Sordid?" She was referring to the Hydreigon that accompanied her to the Seismic Highland.
"Venting his frustrations on some unlucky pokémon in the Volcanic Summit. He looked quite pissed when he left. Something about a pair of fire types getting the best of him." Bahamut crossed his arms and casually leaned his body against the wall. "He's the one that brought you back, by the way. You were both covered in scorch marks and bruises. I can't recall the last time I saw you so beat up. "
Calamity took a pause from her meal to recall her battle with the fire type and how all she could do was injure his leg before he defeated her. "...I lost to a Blaziken." She almost sounded embarrassed but Bahamut paid it no mind. "Those fire types... They were..." Too powerful for her to handle? She wasn't about to say that. "They were annoying." Calamity closed her eyes like a snob and took more bites of her food. Bahamut just chuckled at her expense.
"Sordid already told me everything. There's no shame in losing. Take it as a learning experience. Maybe now you'll think twice about rampaging in unfamiliar territory." He made it sound like she was some kind of out of control killing machine. It wasn't that far from the truth but she never really counted killing a wild pokémon as anything. That thought, she admitted, was quite morbid, considering that she used to be one herself.
"All I wanted was to see if there were more pokémon like... Like you out there." She visibly tensed, not really one to give praise. "I got tired of fighting the same pokémon day in, day out. I just wanted a change in scenery is all. I was not actually going to attack another realm. I had not even asked Sordid to come with me. He just did."
"And he's the reason you came back home. You owe him your thanks." The Garchomp reminded her.
"Yes, yes. I will thank him when he returns." Calamity rolled her eyes but then her expression softened as she averted her gaze from her fellow dragon. "Bahamut."
"Hm?"
"This Pokémon Settlement... What is it really like?"
Bahamut looked at the Salamence, not really sure what kind of answer she was looking for. Ever since he had evolved, he was able to make trips to the Pokémon Settlement by himself without worrying about running into anything he couldn't handle. He offered to take Calamity with him once but from her point of view, she saw it as just a way to do 'ridiculous, extensive shopping' and went on to say she 'thought it was ludicrous for her to fly for miles just to chat up pokémon she did not even know or like.' The Garchomp noted from her change in demeanor that she was starting to see the settlement for more than what she originally thought, likely owing to her first real taste of battle outside the Dragon Realm. She turned back to him expecting an answer and he leaned off the wall with a small smile.
"I'll tell you about it in full detail tomorrow but for now, please try to get some rest."
Calamity gave him a dissatisfied look but did as he asked, regardless. She looked down at her meal that was reduced to a pile of bones and took one of them in her mouth. Not to swallow, just to play around with it, making light crunching noises and wagging her tail in content. Looking back up, she saw Bahamut was still there, forcing his mouth shut to try and keep himself from laughing.
"Old habits never die, huh?"
"Just get out."
Bahamut chuckled and raised his claws defensively. "Fine. Goodnight then."
"Whatever." Calamity turned away from him and laid her head down. The Dragon Pokémon listened as Bahamut's footsteps became less and less audible until she couldn't hear them anymore. She turned her head up and found no one, leaving just her alone in her den. Calamity lowered her head back down one last time, closing her eyes and curling up her body. "Goodnight, Bahamut." She uttered inaudibly as she was sent back to dreamland.
Psychic Realm - Midnight
Night was usually a time that signaled the end of an individual's day. Stores closed, homes locked up and inhabitants sleeping soundly, patiently waiting for the next day to arrive. For two pokémon, however, the night would not be spent slumbering but rather carrying out a mission they took upon themselves. Latios and Latias silently and dutifully floated down the cobblestone path that was lined with steel pillars. On the top of the pillars sat special glassy stones, purple in color, which refracted the light they caught from the full moon above and illuminated the path for the two psychic types. To their left and right were rolls of buildings composed of both shops and homes, completely closed up for the night and would not be opened until the next day came around. Up above a flock of Sigilyph traveled to and fro the Psychic Realm in memorized routes and patterns. They never slept, instead keeping a watchful eye of the floating city every minute of every day.
About half an hour passed before the sibling dragons made it to the edge of the city overlooking the Spirit Peaks from which it ascended. The edge was blocked off by slim metal bars three meters in height separated by an inch of space fencing around the entire perimeter of the Psychic Realm. The steel fence was about a meter away from the edge as an added safety measure. Latios took a quick look at his sister who looked a bit uneasy about their whole ordeal.
"Is everything okay, Latias?"
Latias looked at her brother for a second and then back to the world below. "I'm just worried about Cresselia is all." The way the Lunar Pokémon used her power to provide Lunar Wings for her entire city as well as the majority of the Pokémon Settlement has left her in the worst condition they had ever seen her in.
Latios moved against his sister nuzzled against her reassuringly. "Cresselia will be fine. All she did was exhaust herself a little. She'll pull through. There's a reason Arceus chose her to lead the Psychic Realm."
"Because Mew wasn't available?"
"Be that as it may, Cresselia is more than fit to lead the psychic types. She's the sole reason our entire city is able to live peacefully, given the circumstances."
Latias' eyes went half-lidded as she thought about their situation. After witnessing Cresselia's continuous unwavering efforts to keep everyone she could safe, the Eon duo took it upon themselves to actually seek out the cause of the problem. That problem's name being Darkrai. Now that she thought about it, what would they say when they actually encounter the Pitch Black Pokémon? Will they be able to convince him to return to his faraway home of New Moon Island? Or would they get into a fight with him? The latter was something she did not want to happen as the thought of fighting Darkrai actually sent chills through her body. He was a dark type which made her secondary type useless already. He had deadly control over anyone sleeping and was a powerful fighter in his own right. Lots of pokémon feared him, feared his power. She was one of those pokémon, no lie. Regardless of all that, she made a promise to the beloved ruler of the Psychic Realm that they would find a solution in her stead. Latias looked through the steel bars and down at the spirit peaks, feeling the confidence coming back to her.
"Let's do this, Latios."
Latios chuckled at his sister's change in attitude. "I rarely ever get to see you this serious."
"It's for Cresselia. She needs us and I'll do anything for her."
"We both would. Not just Cresselia but our whole city as well." Latios followed red dragon's gaze to the world before them. "So how are we going to do this? His previous sighting near the Pokémon Settlement is the only clue we have to his whereabouts."
Latias thought about it for a few seconds before coming to her quick conclusion. "We could split up."
"Split up? Are you certain?"
"Yes... I feel we'll cover more ground that way. Metaphorically speaking. I also want to do a sweep of the Spirit Peaks to make sure he isn't too close to home."
Latias gave an understandable nod but still looked concerned over his sister's decision. Latias smiled reassuringly at him.
"Come on, bro. Your sister can take care of herself. Besides, if either of us do sight him, we can contact each other through telepathy. I'll even promise not to engage him without you." Latias raised her pinky claw. Latios looked down at his sister's offered claw and with a bashful turn of his head, he raised his own pinkly claw and wrapped it around Latias', cheeks turning pink as he did so. She was too cute sometimes.
"Fine, it's a promise. I'll check things out near the Pokémon Settlement. I'll contact you if anything happens. Please do the same."
"You got it, bro."
"Alright. Let's get started."
The Eon duo separated from each other and flew over the barrier before making a dive for the land below, hitting ludicrous speeds in just a few seconds. They tucked their arms into their bodies and changed trajectory as they got closer to ground level. Now flying horizontally, the Eon duo split paths with Latios speeding into the horizon towards the Pokémon Settlement while Latias flew towards a valley to begin her search. The two pokémon were both anxious but hell if they weren't going to carry out their duty for the well being of their home and afflicted pokémon alike.
Pokémon Settlement - Berry Juice Bar
It had been quite the eventful day for the three of them. Fighting dragons wasn't something any sane pokémon would want to do, ice type or otherwise. There was a very good reason they had a reputation that made them stand out among the many types pokémon. Fully evolved, they were incredibly powerful beasts of battle and none could ever get used to fighting them. The same could be said for Team Blaze as their mission was no walk in the park. When they got back, the first stop they made was for the Guild Collaboration from which they received their payment and used that money to treat their wounds at the infirmary. After all that, they settled in the Berry Juice Bar for a meal and relax before they would call it a night. Being late night, the bar was mostly empty with only a few patrons lingering about. The trio of fire types sat at a table close to one of the walls, leisurely enjoying their meal and each other's company.
Jetstream had his leg bandaged from his thigh to his knee from when the Salamence tore it up during his finishing blow.
Scorcher had long since taken his Assault Vest off and had a medical patch placed against the bruise at his side. It no longer ached but he was still a little bitter over it.
Aiden had it the worst. During his battle, there was too much adrenaline pumping through his body for him to register any damage taken. When he woke up from his unconscious state, it became apparent just how serious the injuries he sustained were. He had bandages wrapped around his chest and back from when he was slammed to the ground and against a rock. His left arm was in a sling owing to the bite he was forced to endure from one of the heads of the Hydreigon he fought. It wasn't too serious, though. No bones were broken but the Blissey that treated him and his friends advised him not to put pressure on it. He somberly used his good arm to pick up a Lava Cookie and swallow it whole.
"You okay, Aiden? You've been holding that expression since we got back." Jetstream addressed the youngest member of Team Blaze with concern.
"Apart from these injuries, I'm fine. Just been thinking is all."
"About what?" Scorcher asked, pushing an empty plate to the center of the table.
"Nothing much. Just the battles we had today with those dragons." Aiden drowned the chunk he swallowed with a huge gulp of Berry Juice. "Why do you think they attacked the Seismic Highland anyway? Were they wild pokémon that came from the Volcanic Summit?"
"They weren't." All attention was drawn to Jetstream who finished up his meal and beverage. "They were from the Dragon Realm. The Salamence said she sought to do battle with as many pokémon as she could for the sake of it."
Aiden and Scorcher looked at each other and then back to the Blaziken. "I doubt that kind of action can be justified by a reason like that. I thought all realms respected their neighboring lands." Scorcher disputed.
"Yeah, well there you have it." Jetstream raised his arms, unable to offer any other explanation. "Let's just be glad they weren't crazy enough to actually attack the Ground or Rock Realms and that we intervened before they could cause anymore damage. Hopefully, we knocked enough sense into them to think twice about acting so carelessly in the future." Scorcher wanted to argue further but really couldn't since things were already taken care of.
"That's a shame." Aiden broke the short silence. "I was hoping to meet that Hydreigon again and pay him back for these injuries."
"I think the damage you did is enough for him to never forget who you are. The adolescent fire type that beat him all kinds of black and blue to match his body's colors. It must be tearing him apart." Scorcher laughed.
"That bad, huh?" Jetstream asked.
"Dude, you should have seen it! Our little guy here dodged all his attacks and kicked his ass all over the field. That Hydreigon must have had some serious endurance because not even I could get up from a beating like that. I can only imagine what he's telling his buddies back home. 'Stop laughing, you guys! I told you, I had a cold!'" Scorcher did his best whiny voice.
Aiden rolled his eyes but soaked up the praise nonetheless. He had to admit, putting those dragons in their place felt all kinds of good even though he woke up after the mission was already over. That thought reminded him of something important. "Hey, Scorcher... Thanks for looking out for me."
"Hey, no problem, Aiden. It was my pleasure to give the business to that jerk. No one messes my friends and gets away with it." A cheesy comment but it was fine. Scorcher raised his fist and Aiden reached over the table to bump it with his own but that action reminded him of his condition as he winced and sat back down.
"You okay, Aiden?" Jetstream asked with almost parental worry. "Please don't push yourself too hard."
"Fine. I'm fine." Aiden rubbed his aching arm. "Believe me, the fact that I can't do any jobs until I recover is more painful than these injuries. I hate bumming it out."
"Hey, don't sweat it, Aiden. Mellow out. Here, have a drink." Scorcher placed his cup in front of the Charmeleon who took a whiff of the stuff and both he and Jetstream shot the Infernape with a deadpan expression.
"This is alcohol."
"Yes it is."
"I can't drink this."
"Sure, you can."
"Okay, let me rephrase that. I won't drink this."
"Suit yourself." Scorcher retrieved his beverage and chugged it down in a manner that was not recommended. Aiden just gave him a flat look.
"You're a terrible guardian."
"For what it's worth, I never once called myself your guardian."
"I'm younger than you are. You should set a better example."
Scorcher raised an eyebrow and broke into a laugh soon joined by Aiden. Jetstream just chuckled at their antics. Their playful bickering was the most amusing thing to him. The rest of the night went on like that, the three fire types just enjoying each other's company. As more patrons left the Berry Juice Bar, it was called to attention just how late it was and they figured they may as well turn in, themselves. Jetstream left the payment as well as a tip on the table as he and his team left the bar through the Comfort Inn and out onto the streets of the settlement. It was the dead of the night and there wasn't a single soul awake, showing just how late it was. It didn't concern the fire types much. They wouldn't be taking any jobs for a while and they could rest as much as they wanted.
"I wonder how everyone is doing at home. It's been a while since we last saw them." Aiden struck up conversation as he walked with his team towards the apartment they were renting.
"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Jetstream looked up towards the sky in thought. "Been like, what, half a year now?"
"About." Scorcher casually clasped his hands behind his head. "You're missing them too, huh?"
Aiden nodded. Since they had an active career as a guild in the settlement, it wasn't often they got to see their friends and families back in the Fire Realm. "It would be nice drop by and see how mom and everyone else is doing. We should plan a trip sometime."
"How about next week?" Jetstream suggested. "We should be healed enough by then that travel shouldn't be a problem. These past months have been nothing but jobs day in, day out so we all deserve a little break anyway."
"I'm with Jetstream on that. What about you, Aiden? Looking forward to heading home for a bit?"
"Does an Ursaring crap in the woods?" Aiden answered, demonstrating what hanging out with pokémon older than him did to his vocabulary.
"It's settled then. We'll be traveling to the Fire Realm next week. We'll stay there until we make a full recovery and then it's back to business." The Blaziken explained. His partners had no problem with that.
"Sounds like a plan." Scorcher smiled, looking forward to seeing how his brothers were doing.
"Can't wait." Aiden smiled warmly. After everything that had happened, it would do them good to settle down and relax at home until they were refreshed.
With them all agreed, they continued to walk on in silence until they reached the building they were living in. A large flat that was home to them and many other pokémon, each having separate private rooms. Without much thought, all three fire types entered the building and towards their room to turn in for some well deserved rest.
The night had been more uneventful than he thought. Not that this was a bad thing. As Latios soared over the Pokémon Settlement, he was relieved to find that there was nothing out of the ordinary. If Darkrai truly was in the area, the Lunar Wings that were distributed here would keep most of the residents safe. Beyond that, there was nothing he could really offer them in the way of protection. After circulating the entire circumference of the colossal city a few more times, Latios deemed his searched complete and started to think of what to do next. He could contact Latias and see how her own search was going. This wasn't an overstatement of their psychic abilities. The psychic link he had with his sister was stronger than any other pokémon in the world. They could contact each other telepathically at any time unless they were literally at the opposite ends of the world at which point their connection would be lost. What this meant is that their psychic link would never be severed as there was no circumstance he could think of that would allow them to be away from each other to such a extent.
Just as the Eon Pokémon was about to contact his sister, something in the distance caught his attention. He watched as rain clouds settled over the Spirit Peaks. The strange thing about it was that the focus of the sudden rainstorm was just around that area alone which made it look quite unnatural.
"Odd..." Latios placed all his attention on the storm cloud that continued to form in the distance. Was it Darkrai? Probably not. It had to be something though. The sky above him was completely clear and that raised his suspicions as to what the phenomenon transpiring above the Spirit Peaks was all about. Latias had promised him that she would contact him if she came into contact with Darkrai but thinking about it now, other hostilities were also a possibility. "Hmm... Could that be Rain Dance?" As Latios continued to study the happenings in the distance, his eyes narrowed as violent bolts of lightning began striking down from the dark clouds. He recognized the move as Thunder. It couldn't be mistaken, especially not by him as he could perform that move himself. Something was definitely up and felt he should get to the bottom of things. He could easily wave it off as two wild pokémon getting into a scuffle but he personally preferred to deal with potential problems before they became too big.
With a new goal in his sights, Latios tucked his arms back into his body and sped forward at blinding speeds towards the eye of the storm.
Spirit Peaks - Great Valley
How long had it been since he last saw the world in all its splendor? Too long, that was for certain. The world had not changed much during his isolation, he observed. The Spirit Peaks were still as brilliant as he last saw it, though. He looked down at the open valley and watched with his visible blue eye at the marvelous display. The open valley was popular to many pokémon because on bright nights such as this, the special rocks jutting from the various surfaces would illuminate beautifully in the moonlight and would paint the scenery a pale, almost magical purple. None could quite understand how these kinds of rocks came to be but many speculated that it was because of all the spiritual energy that radiated from the psychic types that lived in the Spirit Peaks.
Darkrai closed his eyes and sighed as parts of his body and hair billowed in the gentle breeze. He needed this. He needed a little time off New Moon Island to clear his head. Spending so many years in isolation did no favors to his psyche. It was too quiet. Too lonely. He was literally the only living thing for miles there. It got to the point where he would put himself in an extended hibernated state ranging from a few days to whole weeks just to help the time pass by. But the problem there was that when he woke up, it was still the same old thing as it was before. Maddening and discomforting silence. The dark, silent island was his whole world and sometimes he felt he wasn't satisfied with just that. He hid in isolation in order to protect the rest of the world from his power and even now he was putting many at jeopardy just by existing in the same place as them but there came a time when even he could see the great injustice that his ability brought him.
The Pitch Black Pokémon lowered himself to ground level and rubbed a claw across the surface of one of the purple rocks. The dark type then pulled the rock out of the ground and rose back up into the air as he inspected it. To the less informed, it could be mistaken for a valuable precious stone but it was really just a different colored rock and would shatter under enough pressure just as any would. That being said, its beauty could not be denied.
"They're really pretty, aren't they?" A timid voice asked from behind him. He turned around to meet the gentle gaze of Latias. He could recognize her from anywhere. Honestly, he recognized any legendary pokémon. He's been around for a very long time and he knew a lot more than what his sheltered life would lead some to believe. The question was why was she here?
"Um... It's a lovely night tonight, huh?" Well, Latias found him. Now what? "Um..."
Darkrai looked at the uneasy dragon type in front of him. Upon close inspection, he saw the Lunar Wing wrapped around her neck like a choker. An item that nullified his ability's effect on the holder that came from one pokémon and one pokémon alone. "Cresselia sent you to find me?"
Latias shuddered and backed away when he actually addressed her. His voice was deep, guttural and fear inducing. If he asked her to perform summersaults right there, she probably would for worry of what would happen to her if she didn't. "N-no. I-I'm here on my own."
"Why?"
The Eon Pokémon faced away from him. "Um... Well... That's..."
"Are you here to tell me to return to New Moon Island?"
Latias panicked when it seemed like she had offended him in some way and felt like she was about to be forced into a battle. She was taken by surprise, however, when Darkrai closed his visible eye and toyed with the rock in his hand. She sensed no malicious intent from him.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you or tell you you're wrong in finding me. You're probably just looking out for the Psychic Realm. Am I wrong?"
Latias shook her head. Unable to really form words.
"Tell me. Has Cresselia used her Lunar Wings to protect your city?" Still speechless, Latias did nothing but nod in the affirmative. Darkrai sighed in relief. That was good. Just like always, Cresselia was the first to be aware of his presence and already went through all the motions to neutralize his being a threat without making enemies between himself and her pokémon. His power wasn't harming anyone in the Psychic Realm and the presence of the Lunar Pokémon was the real reason he chose the Spirit Peaks as his place of rest.
"Wait... You already knew what Cresselia has been doing these past days?"Latias finally found her voice.
"I do." He turned away from her. It was more like an accurate guess on his part but the Eon Pokémon's question told him that he was correct in assuming that.
"Then you know what happens to Cresselia when she overuses her power?"
"...I'm aware, yes."
"O-okay, here's my third question. Why do you insist on exposing yourself when you know what your power does to Cresselia and other pokémon?" She didn't want to sound like she was accusing him of anything but it was hard not to with a question like that.
"I have my reason." Darkrai held up his arm and looked at the valley through the translucent rock as he replied. "You may not know this but my ability hinders me just as much as it does any other pokémon."
Latias blinked at that small revelation. "What? Really?"
The dark type lowered the rock and rubbed it against his body. "I cannot allow myself to form any friendships or any kind relationships with anyone else for fear of what would happen to them if they spend too much time in my presence. Being away from New Moon Island is the only way I can give myself comfort. That is why I sincerely ask that you please be patient with me, for my presence here is only temporary. You must understand, I mean no harm. My ability is a power I cannot turn off."
Latias already knew that last part. Everyone that knew of him did. But it wasn't apparent to her how much of an obstacle in his life it turned out to be even though it should have been. All she cared about was how it would affect others and never really gave any thought on how it affected the Bad Dreams wielder himself. Here she was, looking for a way to convince him to return to where he came when in doing that, she was shunning him away from the closest thing he could get to finding peace in his lonely life. It made her feel like crap, in all honesty. It's funny how the smallest piece of information could so drastically change the dynamic of a situation. She wasn't even sure what to do or say anymore. Darkrai noticed her deflated state and tried to assure her by placing his hand on her head. Latias' eyes went wide, her breath hitched and she visibly tensed as her feathers stoop up on end when he did that, causing him to quickly take his hand back as if he had touched molten rock.
"F-forgive me. I did not mean to hurt you."
"No... No, I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I guess I just didn't know what to expect. I'm sorry." Latias gave a nervous laugh as her accelerated heart rate dropped down to safer levels. She sighed and looked at the dark type who still looked like he did her wrong, holding the rock with both hands and turning his head away. "Look, for what it's worth, I think you're a great pokémon."
Darkrai just stared at her, looking like he didn't believe a word she said. "Really." The way he said that hardly even sounded like a question.
"Yes, really. I'll be honest with you. When I came out here looking for you, I was expecting you to be all 'crush, kill, destroy' because of your reputation. But talking with you like this, it's obvious to me that you're nothing like that at all. You're a real decent pokémon as far as dark types go. I also think it's really noble of you to sacrifice your social life to keep innocent pokémon from falling prey to your power. I'm not going to judge you because of something out of your control so please, take all the time you need out here." The red dragon smiled at him in her charming way.
Darkrai was left speechless by the Eon Pokémon's compassion and by her offer to let him do as he pleased despite what she knew about him. "You're sure about this?"
"I am." Latias frowned at his hesitance to take her up on her goodwill gesture. She guessed that so many years of him being alone had conditioned him to easily accept disappointment. She didn't think that was fair. "Really, take all the time you need. Though the Psychic Realm and Pokémon Settlement are protected from your power thanks to Cresselia, I would still appreciate it if you didn't go near any civilization for the sake of everyone's safety. I hope this is not too big a compromise?" The action she was taking was careless and risky but she didn't care as it was the best she could do without coming off as a selfish pokémon.
"Not at all. I'll admit, this is the most anyone has ever done for me." Latias' frown dropped further upon hearing that. "I will try to keep my power from harming innocent souls. You have my word."
Darkrai bowed towards the psychic type and she bowed back politely. She felt happy. She was expecting to duel with a pokémon she felt she had no chance of defeating but instead got to connect with him on an emotional level and deal with the issue in a diplomatic way. Without aid from her brother, no less. Mission accomplished, she smiled. Kindness: One, Oppression: Zero. She was about ready to call up her brother so they would return to the Psychic Realm together. Granted, she would have to twist her story a little to keep Darkrai from being further targeted. She hated lying but she hated conflict even more. This way everyone would benefit. Just as she prepared to open up the psychic connection she shared with Latios, she stopped when she felt a raindrop land on the top of her head.
"What? Rain? Now?" Latias held open her claws and felt as the rain continued to fall on her body. Looking up, she watched dark clouds form above the valley she and Darkrai were in, continuing to let loose a torrential downpour.
"This is Rain Dance." Darkrai informed and looked beyond her. "He's probably the cause of it."
Latias followed his gaze and saw the cause of the sudden storm. A pokémon. Not just any pokémon. This pokémon had a pronounced horn extending from his forehead, a draconian fanged maw, cruel yellow eyes, sleek arms covered in a cloudy substance and ending in claws, a long, thin tail adorned with black spheres that had small spikes on top of them, a jewel where his naval should be and an overall reptilian body. The lower part of his body was a deep blue and from the waist up was a lighter blue covered in small dark blue patches. This was the Bolt Strike Pokémon, Thundurus. More than that, it was Thundurus in his powerful Therian Form and he was here to crash the party. His tail whished side to side, electricity crackling through it as his storm worsened.
Darkrai didn't say anything. He already knew of the Bolt Strike Pokémon's less than pleasant attitude and exactly what he was here for. He looked at Latias and saw her glare with hostility at the electric type legendary.
"What's the meaning of this? What do you want from us?" Thundurus' answer came in the form of him charging large amounts of electricity through his body in order to strengthen the power of his electric type moves. Latias just continued to glare at the legendary in front of her. She wasn't remotely as patient with him as she was with Darkrai. Yeah, she knew about him and how he and Tornadus attacked the Tempest Peaks for no real reason other than to amuse themselves. Looks like the same thing was about to happen here. Not if she had a say in things. "If you think you can spread your mayhem here, you've got another thing coming. You better just pack up and leave if you know what's-" She was stopped when Darkrai extended his arm in front of her in a protective display.
"Please, allow me to handle this."
Latias was surprised by his offer to fight in her stead. She thought she could at least attempt to intimidate the legendary into leaving without any struggles involved but it seemed the Pitch Black Pokémon had other plans. "You're sure?"
"I am. This is the least I can do for causing your home so much trouble. You are one of the few to show me kindness and I intend to pay you back for it. I do not tolerate pokémon that abuse their power to place fear in others, either. So please stand back."
Latias' surprised expression was soon replaced by a grateful, if not hesitant smile. "You have the stage then." Latias withdrew to ground level in a safer location. She did not leave the area, though, just in case Darkrai would end up requiring her assistance. She never wanted to witness any conflict to begin with but if Darkrai knew better, she wasn't going to stop him. Looks like this was going to be an eventful night, after all.
For his part, Thundurus felt like whoever he fought didn't matter as long as he got some action. Darkrai was sure to entertain him as much as he wanted.
"I shall give you a chance to consider what you are doing. Leave peacefully now or suffer unending torment." Darkrai shattered the rock in his hand and waited for the electric type's response. He felt it was a reasonable offer. Unfortunately, Thundurus didn't bite and only saw it as a challenge. He flexed his arms and gave a battle cry to the heavens as his body expelled surplus amounts of electricity around him. He was in no mood for talking and was all ready for battle. "So be it." Darkrai's gaze went cold and he used a clawed hand to beckon the Bolt Strike Pokémon towards him in a taunting manner.
Thundurus took the bait, the storm above them rumbling violently. He gave a mighty roar, his tail whipping around aggressively as the dark clouds crackled and heeded his call, electricity converging powerfully at a single point and unleashing it all as a mighty bolt strike that fired downward at unavoidable speeds towards Darkrai. The Pitch Black Pokémon, still locking eyes with Thundurus, simply raised his arm straight up and used Protect. The lightning strike landed against the barrier with a deafening boom, dividing around it and continuing to rain down in an array of charged projectiles that scorched parts of the valley below them. Just as Thundurus was about to strike Darkrai with another Thunder, the dark type held his arm in front of his face and snapped his fingers. As soon as he did this, a collection of purple seals formed around the Bolt Strike Pokémon and he found himself no longer able to use his strongest attack.
"That is Disable." Darkrai informed the hostile legendary. "You cannot win this battle. I am lenient and will allow you one last chance to leave unharmed. Consider your actions, Thundurus."
Thundurus considered his action, all right. Just not in the way Darkrai was hoping, going for the next best thing and discharging large amounts of electricity around him in a large radius. The Pitch Black Pokémon, not fancying the idea of being electrocuted while wet, flew backwards out of range of Thundurus' attack. The electric type pursued, chasing Darkrai through the stormy valley at high speeds and using his horn to shoot Thunderbolts at the fleeing dark type. Darkrai waved his body side to side, avoiding Thundurus' relentless assault quite easily. He was good at destruction, Darkrai will give him that. Too good at it, he thought, watching as the electric legendary's attacks collided with the terrain around him while he skillfully flew backwards. The dirt and rocks that were thrown up by the shots of his Thunderbolt actually worked against the Bolt Strike Pokémon, temporarily obscuring his vision and making him miss his next shot and so on. When Darkrai dodged left, a Thunderbolt aimed at his chest impacted with the ground which resulted in Thundurus receiving a mouth and face full of dirt, making him stagger and lose focus of where he was flying. Darkrai took this opportunity to point his hand towards his distracted opponent and fire a powerful Dark Pulse that knocked the Bolt Strike Pokémon out of the air, sending him crashing to the ground where he tumbled and rolled quite aggressively before coming to a skidding halt.
Darkrai stopped flying at this point, instead lowering himself to ground level and inspecting his foe from a safe distance. He watched as Thundurus stirred and picked himself off the ground followed by him meeting his gaze with a glare. Thundurus floated back up and flexed his muscles. A dark energy surged through his body, stimulating his mind as he powered himself up with Nasty Plot. Ready to continue, Thundurus used Thunderbolt once again, this time the electric projectile being greater and more deadly than the last. Darkrai put his arm up and used Protect to block the first attack and then took off back into the air to avoid the next one. Thundurus immediately followed after his opponent and fired what were pretty much electric missiles at this point at the dark type. This new dramatic change in power forced the Pitch Black Pokémon to put more effort into his movements. He craned his body back in a quick flip that helped him avoid one projectile as it sailed over him and he fired a Dark Pulse which collided with the next attack. The end result of their opposing attacks was an obscuring black pulse of charged energy that continued to expand dangerously and rain down residue particles towards the increasingly abused land. The two dueling pokémon flew around their combined attack and re-engaged each other, shooting at one another with the same attacks as before which ended in much the same way, causing another burst of dark energy and electric particles.
From her position some yards away, Latias watched their battle unfold with caution. Their combined actions were really doing a number on the land. She gulped with uncertainty, hoping Darkrai would put an end to his battle sooner than later. She watched as a new wave of charged projectiles fell towards her location, forcing her to quickly find a new hiding spot if she didn't want to end up a black spot on the ground. It was an exaggeration, electricity never really hurt her that much, being a dragon type and all but that didn't mean she wanted to get struck by it. She flew a little into the air where she could keep a closer eye on the battling pokémon and allow her to get a better read on what they were doing.
'Latias! Are you there?' A voice came from inside her head.
'Latios? Where are you?'
'I'm on my way towards the storm that formed around your location. Are you okay?'
'I-I'm- Aahh!' Latias narrowly avoided a stray Thunderbolt.
'Latias, what's the matter? Are you under attack?'
'Well... Uh... Sort of. I found Darkrai... But-'
'Darkrai? Is he the one causing all the explosions I'm seeing?'
'No... Well, yes but- Ah!' Latias winced as a bolt landed against her body. The sensation made her shudder but the pain barely registered.
'What was that? Are you hurt? Hold on I'm almost there!'
'Wait, Latios! You don't understand! Latios? Latios! Damn... He closed the connection. I forget we can do that.' Latias gazed back at the battle taking place, hoping Darkrai would wrap things up before her brother arrived so they could explain the situation to him if the need arises.
Chaos continued to ensue in the sky as Darkrai and Thundurus' battle raged on, the two pokémon firing their best attacks at each other. Thundurus in an attempt to down the dark type while Darkrai fired his mostly in retaliation and also as a slight reminder to his opponent that he was out of his league. Thundurus could beat Darkrai any day in the offensive department but that didn't mean anything if the dark type was too fast for him to catch. It frustrated him to no end to see just how easily the Pitch Black Pokémon could fly circles around him. Just as Thundurus was about to attack the nimble Dark type with another Thunderbolt, he felt something reawaken within him. He smirked, Disable's effect had worn off on him, allowing him the use of his deadly Thunder attack. He summoned the heavy dose of electricity from the clouds above him but instead of trying to drop it on Darkrai like before, he instead dropped it on himself. The gigantic bolt of lightning was attracted to the sharp horn on his head, striking against it and activating his Volt Absorb ability, healing himself by a fair margin and giving him the boost he needed. From there, the electric type pointed his horn towards his opponent, gathering enormous amounts of electricity at the tip, growing larger in size by the second until it was about twice the size of his head, at which point the Bolt Strike Pokémon released it all at the dark type before him. Darkrai's eye widened in surprise for the first time that night, watching as Thundurus' attack flew towards him. Too wide and traveling too fast to avoid, Darkrai's only option was to cross his arms in front of him and use Protect. Even with the impenetrable barrier defending him, Darkrai was sent flying towards the ground at breakneck speed and collided quite violently against the earth. He watched from within his protective screen as the attack exploded around him, distorting his view of the world and nearly making him go deaf, the electricity scorching the valley as it continued to expand around him. He closed his eyes and winced, not knowing how long he could keep the barrier up. If he lapsed for even just a second, he would be exposed to the thunder dome that would surely do him in. Thankfully, he held on just long enough for the attack to die out before his barrier did. He could not take another attack like that. Judging from the look in Thundurus' eyes, he probably knew this too and prepared to fire the same attack again.
"I will not allow you." Darkrai rose up from the crater that was formed in the wake of Thundurus' attack and raised an open palm towards the hostile legendary. "This battle is over." As soon as he said this, multiple blackish-purple substances the same size as his body formed around him before flying towards his foe in a large inescapable volley of energy spheres.
Thundurus immediately ceased with his attack and attempted to avoid the incoming projectiles. He dodged the first, flew under the second but wasn't so lucky with the third. The moment the projectile even tapped him the slightest bit, Darkrai's signature move, 'Dark Void,' initiated and he felt himself swallowed up by the dark sphere. The Bolt Strike Pokémon's eyes got heavy. He panicked and fought to stay awake, knowing full well what would happen if he fell asleep in the presence of Darkrai. It was no use, the attack had fully gripped him, everything went dark and he was dragged into his demise. Fully asleep, Thundurus instantly became tormented by hellish nightmares. Nightmares so painfully intense that they caused him to scream in agony and claw at his own body, subconsciously trying put a stop to it, staining his claws red as he drew his own blood in nasty gashes in the process. With the defeated legendary no longer having control over his body, he fell down to the surface, falling listlessly into a crevice and out of Darkrai's sight. With the Bolt Strike Pokemon's defeat, the storm pouring into the valley lessened to a harmless drizzle then slowly ebbed away to nothing.
Darkrai sighed. It was over. The battle was won. Now maybe he could- wait... What was that? The dark legendary's attention was caught by a red object falling to the ground. Only it wasn't a simple object at all.
"Latias!" Darkrai flew towards the falling psychic type, managing to catch her before she hit the ground. She was asleep, which only meant she got hit by his Dark Void. "Tch... How could I be so careless?" He watched her chest rise and fall steadily. She wasn't having a nightmare, that was good. Now only thing left was what should he do with her? Should he wait for her to wake up, wake her up right there or take her back to the Psychic Realm?
"Latias!"
Darkrai looked up and saw that Latios had finally made his appearance but with the worst possible timing. His death glare was understandable. His sister asleep in his arms covered with a few scorch marks and matted feathers, not to mention the battle scarred land around them... It was quite incriminating.
"Get away from my sister!" From Latios' mouth came a Dragon Pulse that served as more than a warning. Darkrai had no choice but to drop the sleeping pokémon unceremoniously to the ground in order to avoid the attack.
If Latios wasn't pissed before, he sure as hell was pissed now. He flew over to his sister and held up her neck and upper body. There was a smile on her face as she enjoyed whatever pleasant dream she was having. He eternally thanked Cresselia for that but it didn't sate his anger any. Darkrai observed Latios put the slumbering pokémon down and glare at him in silent fury. He didn't look like he was in the mood to talk or listen. The dark type closed his eyes and sighed. It looked like he was going to be forced into the role of villain yet again.
"You-" Latios started but was cut off.
"Forgive me..."
Before Latios could respond, Darkrai was in front of him in the blink of an eye and placed his palm on the Eon Pokémon's forehead, incasing him in a black dome and putting him to sleep. Latios fell to the ground next to his sister right there. Darkrai sighed. He wished things never had to turn out this way but really, it was pretty much what he was expecting for being so incompatible with other pokémon. At least this option was better than engaging him in combat as he never wished to cause either of them any harm. He stroked his claws through his hair in exasperation. He only hoped they would forgive him when they woke up. Latias might but he wasn't so sure about the protective Latios, who had found him in a rather compromising situation. Best case scenario, the female Eon Pokémon would explain things to her brother and eliminate the tension among them. For now, he had two sleeping dragons to deal with.
"I suppose I should take responsibility. This is partly my fault, after all." Darkrai reached down and hefted the Eon Pokémon over his shoulders. Normally carrying just one would be more than enough for him but he could use Psychic to ease their weight on him. He looked up and could make out the Psychic Realm as a bright jewel in the sky, probably a fifteen minute flight when carrying two pokémon like this.
"This night is over. Let's get you two home."
Arceus-damn it, that was awful... He got Latios and Latias safely back to the Psychic Realm, well and good but not without running into a few problems. The furthest he could get them was the gates of the floating city before he was immediately assaulted by the Sigilyph patrolling their home. He couldn't very well attack them, not even in self defense as that would cause alarm to the citizens of the realm. He instead fled and while doing so found that the flying types were pretty damn good shots, managing to clip him while he was a kilometer away. It wasn't even because he was who he was, the Sigilyph were inclined to attack anything foreign that came close to the Psychic Realm. At least there wasn't any discrimination... After a greeting like that, he knew that he couldn't very well remain in the Spirit Peaks as he did not want to cause anymore problems for himself or the pokémon that lived close by. This is why he flew through the sky, over the ocean, looking for any piece of land to inhabit for the night. The activities forced on him left him in an exhausted state. He had no idea what time it was but his body screamed 'too damn late.' Honestly, any piece of land would do it for him. Any piece of land that wasn't New Moon Island. He couldn't go back. Not yet. Anywhere but that dark and dead-silent island. Anywhere that would lead him to believe there was life around him.
As he thought this, he caught a glimpse of something in the distant. A small islet that stood out in the otherwise empty ocean. He did not question what it was or what kind of pokémon inhabited it, all he saw when he looked at it was a place to rest his tired body, he had been flying for too long. He descended towards the island, feeling an odd but calming aura as he got closer to it, almost as if it was pulling him toward it. The moment he reached the island, he just plopped face-down on the lush and incredibly comfortable grass. The soft grass, coupled by the sound of the gentle waves splashing against the shore behind him was enough to lull his fatigued body into a peaceful sleep.
"Oh, irony..." Darkrai managed to mutter as he felt himself get whisked away into the land of dreams.
Uncharted Island - Morning
Calming waves, chirping birds, soft grass, it was all so soothing. He had not felt like this in a long time. Too long, if you ask him. The well rested legendary stirred as he felt a tapping against his arm. He opened his eyes slowly as he gave himself time to adjust to the light of the morning. When his eyes focused, he was greeted by a quartet of Tailow placing some Oran Berries in his open hand. He clenched his claws, informing the flying types of his awakened state. Contrary to what he thought, the Tailow did not fly away, instead chirping with joy as they flew up to sit on his shoulders while he got up. He looked at them and then down at the berries he held.
"Are these for me?" He kind of already knew the answer but, again, he wasn't used to anyone doing anything for him.
The Tailow didn't let it bother them, simply chirping in happiness and nodded their heads.
"Thank you..." Darkrai brought the berries up to his mouth, out of view from his audience and gladly ate them. "They are delicious, thank you."
The flying types, happy that their guest accepted their food, flew off his body and hovered in front of him, bobbing up and down, chirping something he couldn't understand and then flying into the lush forest ahead of them.
Darkrai, figuring he had nothing else to do, followed after them. He found the forest to be quite attractive. Every plant and tree he laid his eyes on grew healthy and bared ripe fruit. Some Rattata scampered in front of him, stopped to offer him a smile and ran into some bushes. As he walked passed a tree, a pair Pachirisu climbed up a branch and jumped from them onto his shoulders, ran down his body and towards where he came. The pokémon here were oddly comfortable with his presence, treating him as if he had been living with them since they hatched. He looked forward, continuing to follow the birds until the forest opened up to a wide watering hole. The water was crystal clear, and the large pond was framed by rocks and neatly placed vines and shrubbery. The flying types all perched on the rocks at the water's edge and looked at Darkrai expectantly. What did they expect him to do? Go for a swim? He doubted that. Besides, he wasn't really in the moo-
"Darkrai..."
The dark type blinked. Someone just called out to him but he didn't tell who. Maybe he was hallucina-
"Darkrai."
Yup, there was definitely someone calling out to him. He looked at the flying type and saw that more pokémon had gathered, flying types that sat on the rocks and small rodent normal types that stood by the water's edge. They all looked at the pond, making him do the same. There was a ripple that came from the center as something rose from the water. As more of the objected was revealed, he found that the thing rising from the pond was... None other than himself. It was like looking into a mirror as another Darkrai stood in front of him. Obviously, it was a little unsettling.
"Wh-Who are you?" Darkrai hesitantly asked.
The dark type in front of him just craned its head in confusion. "Is it not obvious? I am you."
"Really." Darkrai deadpanned.
"I know it is hard to believe but your eyes do not lie. I am you. Or rather, a representation of your inner turmoil."
Darkrai did not like where this was going but that did not mean he wasn't at least a bit curious about this sudden apparition. He said nothing and his doppelganger took this as incentive to continue.
"This island possesses a mysterious power, you see. It reflects unresolved tension of any pokémon that stands before this pond. I cannot tell you what troubles you, as that is a conclusion you have to reach by yourself. By staying on this island, one may reach enlightenment and leave a complete being. It is your choice to leave now and continue to live your life as you see fit... But if it is closure you are looking for, please step forward."
Darkrai was at a loss for words. He still could not believe what he was seeing and wondered if he was still dreaming. Still, his copy's words were enticing and if the island indeed had mysterious powers, he wanted to see them for himself. He stepped, or rather floated forward. Now face to face with his doppelganger, he did not know what to expect. It reached a hand up towards his face and he felt his anxiety grow by the second.
"Honk."
Darkrai just floated there above the pond feeling like an idiot as his clone lightly squeezed the bridge of his nose. Then his clone started to shake like it was holding in a laugh. Not very well, he figured, as his clone erupted in amused laughter but that wasn't the weirdest thing. The weirdest thing was the clone's voice had changed to a more childish tone. It held its stomach and continued to laugh at Darkrai's expense. The strangeness did not end there as its body glowed white and grew to a smaller shape. So small that he was sure its head could fit in his hand. When the light cleared, the Pitch Black Pokémon found himself staring at a small, pink furred pokémon with a feline appearance and a tail that was twice as long as its body.
"Ahahahahahaha! You should have seen your face! You were all 'I'm totally eating up all this garbage.' Ahahaha! Oh, that's rich!" The immature pokémon held its stomach and kicked its legs in hysterical glee.
Darkrai just stood there, dumbfounded for an entirely different reason. Did he just run into who he thought?
"Ahahaha! Ooooohhh... My poor ribs! I haven't laughed like that in a while..." The New Species Pokémon wiped a tear from its eye.
"..."
"Okay... For real this time." The pokémon cleared its throat. "Hi! I'm Mew! These are my friends!" The little pokémon around the area made assorted sounds of greeting. "And we welcome you to Faraway Island!" Mew raised its hands and used its psychic power to raise the water in a high pillar behind it. The moisture combined with the sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees created sparkles and a rainbow effect.
"..." Darkrai just looked at the flamboyant fanfare in front of him, still at a loss for words. There was only one thought going through his head at this point: What the hell did he get himself into now?
END CHAPTER.
Author's Note: I gave Therian Thundurus the Lightning Rod ability because I'm an idiot. This is fixed.