The morning sun steadily rose over the horizon of the Brilliant Meadow and with it came new possibilities. Birds sung as they flew through the air, signaling the brand new day to all those within earshot. Pokémon both wild and prestigious arose to continue the duties they had left open the previous day as well as take advantage of fresh opportunities the future had in store. The truth could be said for the Fairy Realm as many of its residents worked to and fro in preparation of their opening business hours. Some establishments had even been opened ahead of time, Flora's Library being one of them where a familiar looking Sylveon was headed.
The bell placed above the door frame of the inner structure jingled, informing the pokémon within that another patron had just entered. From behind her desk, Flora turned to the pleasant noise and smiled warmly at the slowly approaching Intertwining Pokémon. She placed the book she was holding in its spot on a shelf behind her and made her way closer to her desk so she could address the Sylveon politely.
"Good morning, Sylvia." Flora offered a friendly smile for her visitor. "Color me surprised. I would have never expected to see you here so early. Or here at all, really."
"Good morning, Miss Flora." Sylvia flashed a smile of her own. "Neither did I, actually. I'm here because someone else is."
"Angel?"
Sylvia nodded. "I figured I'd find her here." Sylvia stepped forward and laid down some shards on the Floette's desk. "I don't want it to look like I'm wasting your time so I'm going to borrow a book. Give me something good."
"You really know her well. She was literally my first visitor. She's seated at the furthest wall in the left wing of the library." Flora stashed the shards and rummaged through some books behind her before presenting the Sylveon with a novel she felt she would enjoy. "I hope romance is good enough for you, Sylvia. This one in particular is popular with girls your age."
"Romance is fine." Sylvia accepted the book with a smile. "Thank you, Miss Flora. Enjoy your day."
"Only if you enjoy yours, dear." The Single Bloom Pokémon waved as the fairy type Eeveelution took her leave further into the library, the book she borrowed wrapped gently in her ribbons.
Passing shelf after shelf all filled with books, Sylvia made her way deeper into the library, arriving at a door and gently passing through it, not wanting to disturb the few other patrons that also chose to visit this early. After a little more walking, Sylvia made a ninety degree turn down to a more isolated part of the library. Walking through an aisle that felt more like a corridor with how high the shelves were, she finally spotted her friend, sitting at a lone table and scanning intently at her borrowed literature. She smiled again and broke into a faster walk.
"Hey, Angel." Sylvia whispered just loud enough to catch the blue Kirlia's attention.
Upon hearing her name, Angel looked up from her book to see her friend take a seat next to her. With a happy smile, she offered her greetings. "Good morning, Sylvia."
"I see you're in a better mood than you were yesterday. That's good. I was worried you would still be moping around. I'm actually here because I came to check on you."
"That's really thoughtful of you, thanks. There's nothing to worry about, though. After all, I was assured everything's fine by Miss Fleur, Mom and even yourself." Angel was thankful she was surrounded by such amazing pokémon. "If I continued to act all emotional, it would only be selfish to those that offered me their support. So there's nothing to worry about anymore."
"That's the spirit." The Intertwining Pokémon wrapped one of her ribbons around her friend's shoulders. "Your smiles are priceless so don't waste them. So... What are you reading?"
"Oh. Just a short story today. Taking a break from the more compelling stuff for a little while." Angel just now noticed the book Sylvia came with. "Wow, really?"
"Laugh it up, you." The Sylveon rolled her eyes. "I figured I may as well since I'm here."
The Kirlia studied the front of the book for a moment. It was a book titled 'Sunset: An Unlikely Affair.' It had an illustration of a Crobat and a Mightyena being hostile with each other and on the bottom in between them was a Gothitelle that looked like it was undergoing emotional turmoil.
"Well this looks... Interesting. Never pegged you for a romantic." Angel commented.
"I'm not but hopefully that won't stop me from enjoying this book since I already paid to borrow it."
The Emotion Pokémon remained silent as she watched her friend open the book with her ribbons and begin reading it. Seconds turned to minutes to almost an hour and in that time, Sylvia's expression went from enraptured to stoic, then to annoyed and finally...
"Ugh!"
"Ssshhh. We're in a library."
"This book sucks! It's totally not like real life. I can't imagine these kinds of scenarios happening in the real world."
"It's fiction, Syl-"
"Who starts dating without communicating with each other first? You can't speak exclusively through held gazes. Also, I thought Crobat hated the light but this dude can look at the sun. Way for the author to do their research... I think this Gothitelle likes getting intimate a little too much. She has a problem. Every character so far has a problem."
Angel was more amazed that Sylvia covered quite a few chapters in little time. "I guess these kinds of books aren't your thing after all- You're still reading it?" The Kirlia watched in confusion as the Sylveon dove her nose into the book a second time.
"Well I want to know what happens next. This Mightyena is being a jerk and wants the Gothitelle all to himself. Oh come on, who's THIS now?" Sylvia complained.
Her conflicted ramblings got the attention of another library occupant. A Wigglytuff that was making his way down the aisle toward them with an annoyed expression.
"Um... Sylvia?" Angel spoke up, not wanting to deal with someone she didn't personally know. Especially when they looked like they were going to be confrontational.
Hearing her name, Sylvia looked up from her book and followed the Kirlia's gaze to the approaching Wigglytuff. Looking back to her friend, she saw that Angel wore a reserved expression and obviously didn't want to deal with this. Giving one final look the Balloon Pokémon, she put together a plan that would ease her friend's apprehension.
"May we help you?" Sylvia whispered at the pokémon now in front of their table.
"This is a library, girl, not a debate club. Some of us are trying to-"
"What? Please speak up, we can't hear you."
The Wigglytuff did just that. "I'm trying to read but you-"
"What?"
"I said I'm trying to-"
"What?"
"I said I'm trying to read so please keep it down!" He practically yelled in annoyance and got the attention of most the left wing's section.
"Excuse me, ma'am." Sylvia waved down one of the Floette down the isle that worked at the library. "We're trying to read but this guy is disturbing us. A little assistance please?"
The Floette made her way down to their table and held onto the embarrassed Wigglytuff's arm. "This is a library, sir, please keep it down. Here, let me find you a new table." With that, the Balloon Pokémon was whisked away wearing an incredulous expression and the Sylveon smirked triumphantly at him. With the commotion over, the other visitors went back to their reading while Sylvia faced her friend with a mischievous smirk.
"Problem solved." She whispered.
"That wasn't very nice."
"I know, right? The nerve of that guy."
"That's not what I..." Angel just gave her friend a blank expression before giggling into her palm. She wasn't going to lie, the misdirection was funny and the irony of having the innocent taken in for her crime was not lost on her. Sylvia certainly had a mean streak.
"There's that smile I love. If you hold it for the rest of the day you'll make me a really happy pokémon."
"Noted."
"Good. We got all morning so let's enjoy it."
Angel nodded in agreement and focused on her own book. They continued to read together in silence for the remainder of their time in the library. She was glad she had someone as supportive as Sylvia for a friend. Very glad.
Mirage Island - Morning
Mirage Island, as it was apparently called, was the very definition of a small island paradise. The flora flourished and the fauna pranced about without a care in the world. The air was as pure as can be and the sky was clear of clouds without the temperature being too high. A welcoming breeze wafted throughout the island and the waters of the ocean splashed gently against its shores. Trees and berry plants grew to their fullest potential, unhampered by any means of pollution or toxicity. Truly a place any pokémon would love to call home.
All of this, however, went ignored by the Pitch Black Pokémon in favor of what was right in front of him, floating above the watering hole in a carefree manner. Since the previous night, Darkrai's luck had taken a turn for the unexpected but nothing could have prepared him for the rare event that is encountering the illusive Mew. Both said nothing as the small pokémon gathered around just continued on with their lives without them. Eventually, the legendary psychic type broke the silence...
"Purrloin got your tongue?" With a phrase that was barely a conversation starter.
"Hmph. Color me surprised. I wouldn't have expected to meet you of all pokémon. Is that how you greet all of your visitors?"
"You're the first one, actually. I had a lot of time to practice." Mew went from its curled up position to floating on its stomach, cheeks in paws.
Darkrai looked around briefly then set his eyes back on the New Species Pokémon and decided to engage in the ever awkward act that is small talk. "This island is yours I presume?"
"Yep! I made it myself. You won't find an island better than this one. Granted, you won't find this one at all."
"And why is that?"
The pink pokémon gave Darkrai a knowing smile. "I can move this island at will in any direction I want and even use my psychic power to camouflage it. It's kind of a private mobile home for me and my friends." Mew motioned to the friendly wild pokémon around them. "Wild pokémon are a different matter from prestigious pokémon, they pose no threat to us. Too much presence of individuality would only lead to conflict. In fact, I welcome more wild pokémon whenever I can. The more the merrier. I can just enlarge this island if it gets too crowded. And because I can relocate it to pretty much wherever, it's unlikely anyone will ever find us and spoil our fun."
"But then how did I find myself here, if that's the case?" Darkrai inquired.
"Hmmm... My only theory is that you have the greatest luck in the world. Tee-hee." Mew smirked and curled back up, rocking itself back and forth as it did.
Darkrai scoffed. "I have serious doubts about that."
"Oh? What else can I call a pokémon that not only found this island but also held a conversation with me? I have three fingers yet I can still count on one paw how many non-wild pokémon have gotten to speak with me." The psychic type stated.
"Isn't that a little conceited of you to say?"
"What? You want me to pretend that we legendary pokémon aren't special? Well we are. Both you and I are special, Darkrai. Uh huh. Difference is I'm not shy about admitting it." Mew did a few twirls in the air. "We're one of a kind, you and I. We're different from the masses. We do not require any names because our species name alone is enough for us to be recognizable by everyone. Us legendary pokémon are a greater importance to this world. We were placed here by Arceus himself for a higher purpose, after all."
"A purpose you refused to uphold." Darkrai reminded the psychic type.
Mew took on a thoughtful expression. "Yes, that is one way of looking at it but consider this; had I accepted the role of leader of the Psychic Realm, it would mean Cresselia's home would retroactively be her original on Full Moon Island. So no Cresselia, no floating city, limited to no Lunar Wings... And no protection from you. Think about that for a second."
"..." That last part left Darkrai speechless. Being a pokémon that made others suffer for his freedom, he supposed he should appreciate the way things turned out. As Mew implied, this past week could have been a lot worse for all those involved, were the circumstances different. Sighing, he leveled his blue gaze on the psychic type again. "So what's your story? Is this where you've been hiding the entire time?"
"Yes." Mew admitted, shamelessly. "I've spent the majority of my life enjoying my freedom. It's an easy thing to do when you own a moving island. Not many legendary pokémon can say that, you know?"
"I'm glad at least some of us have that luxury."
Mew regarded the dark type with an unreadable look on its face. It knew of the Pitch Black Pokémon's reputation. Everyone did. He isolates himself in a single location for years on end so that innocent pokémon don't have to be tormented by unrelenting night terrors. It was a huge and unfair inconvenience but the small psychic type stuck to its beliefs that things happened for a reason. He sighed and took on an uncharistically serious expression.
"Listen, Darkrai... I'm going to share with you something Arceus told me a long time ago just after he gave the position of the Psychic Realm's ruler to Cresselia... Rules don't... Uh... Wait, hold on... Ah! I remember now... Rules don't exist to bind you. Rather, they exist for you to be more aware of your freedoms. Nothing good ever comes from focusing too much on what you can't do. There's nothing more important than freedom and instead of being envious of those that have it, use every tool at your disposal to achieve your own. When every pokémon is aware of their freedoms without acting on selfishness, that will be the day when peace among all will be achieved... Or something like that."
Darkrai stared at the small pink pokémon with surprise evident on his otherwise featureless face. He thought heavily on what Mew just said as well as what it said prior. From the immature way it first presented itself, he wouldn't have guessed the New Species Pokémon held this level of empathy.
"You're more mature than you look." The dark type finally spoke.
"And you're way less scary than you look." Mew giggled.
"Touché."
"Alright, now that we've poured out our hearts... Let's play!" Mew performed a series of loops around Darkrai before grabbing his arm and leading him nowhere in particular.
"Actually, I should probably get going." Darkrai halted their aerial advance and drew his arm away from a disappointed Mew. He faced away from the psychic type and was ready to take to the skies, albeit reluctantly. "Thank you for the hospitality... But it'd be best if I took my leave."
"Why?"
"Why? I don't belong here, that's why. My presence alone will cause problems for your home. You know that." Came the dark type's apathetic answer.
"Is it because you're ashamed of what you are?"
The voice was suddenly much deeper, sounding a lot like his own which caused Darkrai to turn and face Mew. Sure enough, the New Species Pokémon had transformed into him again.
"Please don't do that."
Mew transformed back into its own form and flew directly in front of the dark legendary. "Sorry. It's just... You don't have to run from us is all I'm saying. You're welcome to stay here a bit longer if you want to. You have nowhere else to go, after all." New Moon Island didn't count as there was nothing and no one to return to there. It wasn't a home. It was a cage-less prison.
"But my power... The pokémon here will-"
"You know, I wonder about that." Mew gave him a coy smile. "I mean you spent the entire night here with no ill effects to anyone. Have you really not questioned why that is?"
Now that the subject had been brought up, Darkrai really did wonder why no one on the island was affected by his ability. Just as he was about to ask, Mew held up one of its tiny fingers.
"The answer is very simple." Mew's body glowed and grew in size. Before long, Darkrai was no longer staring at Mew but Cresselia instead. The now Lunar Pokémon focused her power and created a Lunar Wing in a sparkling display which floated over to Darkrai. Finished, Cresselia transformed back to Mew who then smiled cutely at the astonished Darkrai. "When you have the ability to restructure your genetic code to match any pokémon in the world, stuff like this becomes easy. Though, I can't do it for long. It's as tiring as it looks and sounds."
Darkrai, looked at the Lunar Wing tied around his wrist and back to Mew, unsure of what to say.
"Everything is fine, Darkrai. You left your isolated island to experience freedom and I'm giving you a chance to do so. You're a good pokémon and I feel that you deserve better." Mew smiled invitingly and offered its open paw to him. "Come on, play with me. Let's experience freedom together."
The dark type looked at the offered paw and, after a brief moment of hesitation, took it into his dark, clawed hand.
Mew grinned at this and with alarming speed sent them both careening through the air where they were quickly joined by the Tailow from before.
With the breeze blowing against his face, Darkrai looked at the legendary psychic type holding on to his arm and felt himself smile. A smile no one could see but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered to him at the moment. This is what he had been looking for the entire week he was off his own island. For the first time in a long time, he was hopeful. His only wish was that this newfound friendship with the New Species Pokémon would last beyond his expectations.
'Mew... You have my gratitude.' The dark type thought to himself as he was willingly led to who knows where by the cute pink bundle of fun.
Psychic Realm - Afternoon
"How are they?"
Xanatos stared up at the fatigued Lunar Pokémon on her high perch. Being one of her aides, the Alakazam made it his duty of relaying to her the state of the twin Eon Pokémon after they had been brought to the medical ward by the Sigilyph.
"After a quick check up, they didn't appear to have any lasting damage apart from being put into a deep sleep. The Lunar Wings did their trick and saved them from Darkrai's curse. They are currently resting in their chamber." The Alakazam explained.
Cresselia sighed, relieved. After Latios and Latias voiced their intention to repel Darkrai themselves, granting them protection and offering them words of encouragement was all she could do as she was in no state to dissuade them from taking on this responsibility. Though, she was aware that the Pitch Black Pokémon held no malice, his ability still posed a threat to all pokémon in his immediate vicinity. Moreover, she had her doubts that the psychic dragons could take him in a fight. Not that she had no faith in their power, rather she was worried about their well being. If something had happened to them, she could never forgive herself.
"Do you believe they were successful in their mission?" Xanatos spoke up.
"I...I no longer feel his presence in the mainland." Cresselia paused to catch her breath. She was still in terrible shape and could easily exhaust herself. "Whether or not they got caught in a battle remains to be proven but, regardless, it can be assumed they settled the problem one way or another... Are they awake?"
"They awoke from their sleep an hour, thirty two minutes and fifty four seconds ago." The Psi Pokémon explained.
Cresselia nodded, chuckling at her fellow psychic type's accurate reading. "That's good. We can debrief them later. Have someone prepare a meal for them. They must be famished. And... Give them my thanks."
"Yes, my queen." Xanatos bowed and teleported out of the rotunda to carry out her order.
Cresselia gave a warm smile to where the Alakazam had been standing before nodding off into a well earned slumber.
Seismic Highland - Underground Catacombs
A wild Boldore appeared! Which proceeded to go down from a single use of an Excadrill's Drill Run, the Subterrene Pokémon's Mold Breaker ability allowing it to completely negate the rock type's Sturdy ability and pulverize it into dust. After that little set back, the ground type hefted a sack of assorted precious stones over his shoulder and called back to his subordinates.
"All right, let's proceed."
"Yes, sir, Captain Pintsize!" Came the reply of three Drillbur, Digger, Doug and Duster, each with their own bag of swag.
The leading Excadrill, named Pintsize, led his crew deeper into the caves of the catacombs. A large subterranean network the ground and rock types of their respecting Realms used for their mining activities. Being already large when first discovered, it only grew in size as active miners continued to expand its spacious caves for the valuable minerals it held. Ever since word of the rampaging dragons' defeat had arrived from the Pokémon Settlement, the denizens of the Ground Realm were given the green flag to continue their duties. To shed a little light, mining was entirely possible but the Ground and Rock Realms preferred to exercise caution as a strong enough attack, Earthquake for example, could lead to catastrophic effects such as cave-ins or other disasters that could end the good lives of good workers. This was also the reason why the Ground Realm decided to deploy a test mining team composed of only four pokémon.
"Over here. This looks like a good spot." Pintsize stopped his crew when they found themselves in a room with a high ceiling and wide floor. Few stalactites hung above them and barely posed a threat. Location, location, location. The Excadrill placed his hefty bag on the ground before leaping up, pointing all of his claws towards the ground, spun at high speeds like a literal drill on the way down and penetrated the cave floor like it was made of paper machete.
His subordinates followed suit, using their arms like shovels and quickly disappearing underground, though the ground types were mindful not to dig too far as to upset the structure of the cave. Again, safety first. Minutes passed and before long, stones of different sizes and colors were ejected from the holes dug, followed by the ground types leaping out of said holes.
"This looks like a good haul." The Excadrill nodded.
"A haul we hauled from the holes." One of his crew joked.
"...I'll give you that one, Duster but try harder next time." Pintsize and his team went on to add their findings to their growing stash. "I think this is good enough for today, boys. Let's archive what we have and trade them in at the Pokémon Settlement. If we tunnel our way to the Pokémon Settlement, we just might make the deadline. We've got a limited amount of time remaining so let's shake a leg."
"Yes, sir!" The Drillbur followed their leader out the way they came in on one of the paths designated for travel. The settlement's order for new stones and gems was long overdue. After making their exchange, the delayed job would finally be done and they would be heading back home...
Tempest Peaks, Forested Base - Evening
"How awful."
A howling wind blew as Guild Chartreuse observed the wreckage in front of them with an air of sympathy. Thundurus and Tornadus certainly did a number on the forest located at the base of the mountains leading up to the Electric and Flying Realms. Trees that weren't toppled off their roots were torn up instead, reduced to splintered stumps. The land was defaced with unnaturally large scorch marks that could only be brought about with strong electric attacks. But worst of all was the damage done to the large four meter tall stone statue of Zekrom the Electric Realm created as tribute to their leader. An arm and a wing were knocked off, it was blackened in some areas and deep cracks were littered all about. It was quite a disrespectful thing for the two legendary flying types to do.
"Those two have a lot of nerve." Serpentine commented.
"They could be using their power for the greater good but they instead choose to waste it like this." Valiant gave his own input.
Saber looked from his teammates to the devastation in front of him. Then he looked to the second group they had traveled with. A Rhyperior from the Rock Realm named Carapace accompanied by two Rhydon and a Conkeldurr from the Fighting Realm named Centrifuge. The fighting type carried a huge and heavy looking back pack over his shoulders, its contents a mystery. The job his team had taken was a joint mission given by the electric types of the Tempest Peaks and they had spent the entire previous day preparing for the journey. He and his colleagues were an assault team in charge of taking care of hostile pokémon while the rock and fighting types would help clear the area of fallen trees and fix the damaged statue. If things went off without a hitch, they would all be done by sunrise.
Stepping forward, Carapace and Centrifuge got started with their side of the job. The Rhyperior and his fellow rock types carried bags of cement and large containers of water with which they would use to fill in the cracks. Centrifuge would use the remaining cement to create new molds to replace the parts that were broken off the statue. It all seemed straight forward but the reason this was such a high ranking mission was because of the lingering threat of the two legendary assholes still being in the area. Say it with me now; better safe than sorry.
"Let's get started." The Rhyperior commanded gruffly. "Leave the repairs to us. Saber and your crew, please go ahead and scout the area for any potential problems."
"Sure thing. Come on, guys." Saber used his speed and agility to leap into the nearest tall tree.
"You two go on ahead." Valiant replied. "I won't be able to keep up with you speedsters in this thick forest so I'll stay behind and help with the heavy lifting. This way, I can also take care of any hostiles that would want to interrupt the fixing process while you and Serpentine are off doing your thing." The Chesnaught reinforced his statement by easily picking up a fallen tree and carrying it away to deposit it in a safer area.
"We'll leave it to you then." Saber nodded to Serpentine and the two of them vanished deeper into opposite ends of the forest.
Wind blew against his body as the Sceptile criss-crossed around the thick foliage in huge leaps. When it came to navigating tall forests like this, his kind were peerless in skill. He snagged a branch with a raised hand, the momentum of his jump forcing it to act like a pivot and swung himself higher into the tree tops. Grabbing onto the thick trunk of another tree, he used the clawed tips of his hands and feet to carry himself straight to the top, emerging with a rustle of leaves into the night sky. Standing up straight, the grass type looked down at the large forest below him. Even from this vantage point, the damage done to the plant life was visible. Each fallen tree added to Saber's growing ire. As a grass type, it pained him to see his natural habitat torn down so cruelly. One can argue that the trees could be re-grown but that wasn't the point. This didn't have to have happen in the first place. It wasn't fair for the forest or anyone to pay the price of another pokémon's selfish actions. On top of that, when new plants would eventually be planted, it would still take them years to fully grow to the majestic level of their fallen counterparts. Legendary or not, this act was unforgivable to him. He wasn't going to call them deities if they didn't give him a reason to be referred to as such.
"Tch." Saber raised his head and faced up at the starry night sky. The bright twinkles of the celestial bodies did nothing to quell his annoyance. What he would really like is a chance to put those two in their place. He was serious. He saw it as a favor to every pokémon that fell prey to their unprovoked wrath. It wasn't right to sit around and do nothing while the two continued to raise havoc for kicks. Someone had to do something. He felt that responsibility belonged to the guilds of the Pokémon Settlement that swore the oath that they would protect anything that needed protecting. The reason guilds existed at all was proof of that ideal. Saber knew other legendary pokémon could take them in a fight, some even in one hit but he felt that their defeat should come from the hands of the 'general masses' such as himself to prove the point that they weren't as weak as they appeared. As long as bullies are convinced they will always have targets, this kind of behavior will never cease. It was up to their targets to fight back.
After having enough of stewing in his dissatisfaction, the Forest Pokémon decided to continue with his scouting of the area. Quiet as the night, he jumped off the branch he was standing on and dove into the lower parts of the trees.
Fairy Realm - Entrance/Exit
Angel looked apprehensively between her two friends, unsure of how to reply to their offer. Gallant, Sylvia and herself stood just in front of the entrance of their home. The two brought her here this late at night, something that gave her much confusion but that confusion was quickly replaced by shock and disbelief when they revealed their intention to bring her with them to the Brilliant Meadow. At first she thought it was some kind of joke and even now she had trouble believing they were serious when they assured her it was anything but.
"You're actually serious?" Angel rubbed her arms together with hints of discomfort.
"Serious as the grass is green." Gallant replied.
"So what do you say, Angel?"
The addressed pokémon still had her doubts. "Wh-What if we get caught? I mean... Wouldn't this turn into a serious issue?"
"I doubt it but that's a risk we're willing to take." Sylvia asserted. "We're not going to force you or anything. The offer is in the air is all. You can come with us, wait here or even go home if you want but Gallant and I would really appreciate it if you came with us. You wouldn't believe how beautiful it is out there. I promise you won't regret it. Will you join us?"
Sylvia walked closer to the quiet Gallant and wrapped a ribbon around his arm. Gallant looked to Angel and stretched his other arm out toward her.
Angel looked at the arm offered to her, uncertainty giving way to curiosity. It was no secret to her friends that she wondered about the outside world just as much as they did and that she wanted to know more about it. A lot more. The opportunity to do so was right in front of her. Slowly, she reached out with her hand. Maybe she could break the rules... Just this once?
Gallant smirked at her and with a flash, the area around her vanished to pave way for a new one.
Blinking, Angel looked around her in awe. The night air wafted through the field, making the tall grass, trees and the rest of the flora rustle gently. The surrounding plant life extended well beyond her field of vision, giving her perspective a new sense of openness. The trees of assorted colors and sizes danced to the beck and call of the wind and were illuminated by the moonlight. The sky above presented her with a thick cosmos of dancing stars. It's like the world around her cried out 'let me show you what I got' and boy, did it ever. It almost felt unreal. She had never seen anything like this before and felt herself reach a new level of appreciation for her friends for showing her this wonderful sight.
"Wow. Wow!" She exclaimed before spinning like a top on one leg to take in as much of the environment as she could.
"I knew she'd like it." Sylvia chuckled to Gallant. "What do you think Ang-"
"It's amazing! Why didn't we come out here sooner?!" The Emotion Pokémon continued to spin and dance around as most Kirlia were prone to doing when happy.
"Woah there, girl." The Sylveon giggled and looked around, herself. "This place looks as incredible as ever."
"What compelled you to even come out here, Gallant?" Angel asked.
"Hmm... I guess you can say after seeing it the first time, I wanted more. If I could get away with it, I'd teleport all the way to the Pokémon Settlement. But that's wishful thinking."
"So keep wishing." Sylvia told him.
"I intend to make them come true some day. Hopefully after I evolve, I'll be granted enough independence to be able to see the rest of the world myself, not just the outskirts of our home." Gallant remembered what Saber had told him. "It's not that I'm saying the Fairy Realm isn't enough. It's just that we could experience so much more, you know?"
"I hear ya, Gallant." Sylvia lamented, looking up at the stars. "I mean, just last week I was barely aware of how many legendary pokémon there were in the world. Now I can't help but ask myself what else is out there waiting to be discovered. Or maybe everything has been discovered and we just aren't aware..."
Angel stopped spinning and looked at her friends. Seems all three of them had similar ideas and desires. Though, there was little they could do about it now. All they could do at the moment was wait and see what the future held for them.
"You think we'll get that chance?" The female Kirlia asked.
"It wouldn't make sense not to." Gallant answered her. "I'm not planning on letting things end here. I wanna know more about our world. I wanna experience more exciting journeys. Meet new pokémon. Share stories with new friends. All those things."
"Oh? Angel and I aren't enough?" Sylvia teased.
"That's not what I meant. Stop looking for trouble."
"Baby, I'm a trouble 'mon."
"I'm aware."
Angel giggled at her friends' banter before looking at the stars again. "We should probably head back soon. I don't want my mom to go mad with worry. She might come looking for us."
"It is pretty late, yeah. Come on." Gallant held out his arm to Angel. She could teleport back by herself but he was only being courteous.
Angel paid it no mind, stepping forward but fell short of grabbing onto his hand...
"KYYYYAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!" Because she just got kidnapped by a Fearow that carried her through the air to its presumed nest.
"..." Gallant stared ahead of himself, Angel's voice becoming less and less audible as the bird of prey covered distance. The whole thing happened so fast that it took a few moments for the urgency of the situation to sink in. Slowly, he turned his head toward Sylvia and she did the same. Then they panicked.
"OH CRAP!" The remaining Kirlia was in hysterics.
"Miss Sana will kill us!"
"We have to get her back! Fast!"
The two of them bolted as fast as they could in the general direction their friend was carried off to.
For her part, Angel didn't know what to make of the situation. One minute she was chatting with her two companions and the next, she found herself soaring through the air in the talons of a Fearow, the ground below her passing by in a blur. The initial shock wore off quickly and the blue Kirlia could start making rational decisions.
"H-Hey! Let me go!" The Emotion Pokémon struggled in its grip. She didn't expect it to listen to reason and sure enough, it didn't. "Okay, you feathered fiend, you asked for it!" Gathering energy within her body, Angel let rip with a strong discharge of electricity, an action that caused the flying type to cry out in pain and release her immediately.
Free from her constraints, the fairy type fell to the ground at a dangerous pace but she wasn't worried. Using her skill at psychic manipulation, she slowed her body down to a safer speed then gently lowered herself to ground level, touching down with her dainty legs. Looking back up, she saw the Fearow making a straight line for her, unamused by her little escape trick. Instead of being worried for her life, Angel got into her standard battle stance. A socially awkward pokémon she was but that had no bearing on her combat ability whatsoever. When it came to battling, she was actually pretty confident.
"Guess it can't be helped." Angel's horns glowed white, becoming brighter still and suddenly releasing an intense flash of blinding light.
The Fearow shrieked in alarm and lost control of its flight, missing its intended target and crashing into the ground behind her. Not being granted time to recover, it felt some kind of force slam into its side that sent its body rolling further along the ground. Swinging its head side to side to regain its bearings, the Fearow stood up on shaky legs and glared at its target. All three of her. The flying type blinked in confusion at the three Kirlia standing a few meters ahead of it. One of them used a finger to lower its eyelid in a rude gesture which made the other two gawk at her. Figuring that must be the real deal, the Fearow charged at her, spinning as it went and using Drill Peck. The flying type skewered the one still making faces only for it to vanish like an illusion. The Fearow's error was rewarded by another Psychic attack that sent it spiraling out of control and into the tall grass.
"As if I would really act like that." Angel looked at her remaining clone who just shrugged.
An angry shriek alerted the Kirlia that the wild pokémon wasn't done. It launched out of the tall grass and made to dive-bomb her again. One of the Kirlia phased out of sight, leaving the other behind to be the sole target which the flying type focused its efforts on, figuring the one that disappeared must have been fake too. It altered its trajectory so it flew at a low altitude above the ground and ran the psychic type through with its sharp beak. It turned out to be an illusion as well with the real Angel reappearing on its back. The Fearow didn't know what happened but one second it was flying over an open path only for a bright flash to reveal it soaring full speed toward a rooted tree.
Having teleported her foe into the path of an obstacle, Angel leaped off its back at the last moment, forcing the flying type to ram beak-first into the tree's thick trunk. She looked back and watched as the Fearow struggled, planting its talons on the trunk and yanking as hard as it could to set itself free, wings flapping all the while. It wasn't yet done, she guessed, and decided to wrap things up. Spinning on a foot, she performed Double Team and three new copies of herself phased into existence that danced along with her.
The bird pokémon managed to shake itself free, its beak leaving a hole in the trunk. It darted its furious eyes around before spotting her prey. Four of them this time. The Fearow squawked in frustration at being unable to keep up with its prey's convoluted tactics. One of the Kirlia charged up a strong electric current and sent it crackling towards the flying type. It dodged to one side and used its speed close the distance between itself and one of its targets. The flying type gave a furious shriek and retaliated by driving its talons into the Kirlia that vanished into thin air, proving it was an illusion. Another electric attack was shot toward it and it responded by beating its winds rapidly at the oncoming attack, its Whirlwind acting as a strong enough insulator to cancel the move out. However, it wasn't ready for the third Thunderbolt attack. Its only option was to cover the front of its body with its strong wings in a protective stance and hope for the best. The plan succeeded. Succeeded a little too well, in fact. The flying type looked at itself, it was unharmed. That's when it all made sense. None of the attacks were real and just served as a distraction for the true Kirlia to attack its blind spot. That's how the psychic type managed to get its hits in all this time. When it saw an oncoming bolt of electricity, the Fearow decided to test its theory. Just as it suspected, the projectile went right through its body harmlessly. Now that it figured out the Kirlia's strategy the flying type kept a look out for the real thing. Eventually, it spotted her taking a few wary steps away from the rest of the group, realizing she had been discovered. If the Fearow could smile, now would be the time to do so. The Kirlia cowered and continued to take backward steps. The fake one in front of her tried to fake him out by charging more electricity through itself but the flying type knew better. It wouldn't be fooled again and with that, it took a nose dive toward the fleeing Kirlia with the intent to impale her. She tried to run but it was faster, catching up to her quickly and finally stabbing its long beak into her back. And she vanished as quickly as she was created. Before the Fearow could realize the gravity of its blunder, it was shot out of the sky with a vicious bolt of lightning courtesy of the Kirlia it had ignored. It fell to the ground like a rock and landed in a defeated heap.
Its body twitched in paralysis and fought to stay awake, barely able to lift a single wing when Angel stepped into its vision. Its eyes were half closed and its head was laid on the ground. As such, it was only able to make out her lower body. "Good night." It heard her say before everything went black with the sound of a thunderclap.
The Emotion Pokémon stared down at the sizzling wild pokémon with an indifferent expression. The two remaining copies of her danced around her in victory before they too vanished into nothing.
"Angel!"
Hearing her name, Angel looked behind herself to see her fast approaching friends.
"We're here to... Save... You?" Sylvia looked down at the fallen bird. "Huh."
"It's fine. I took care of it. It wasn't very smart." Angel informed.
"Guess we were late to the party. Sorry." Gallant bowed his head in apology.
"It's fine, Gallant. I don't even have a scratch on me, see?" Angel twisted her body around for him to observe.
"That's not it. You wouldn't have been taken in the first place if I didn't bring you out here. It's my fault. I'm sorry."
Angel looked at the repentant Kirlia beating himself up over the night's ordeals. She made to reassure him. "I said it's okay, Gallant. Really. I'm taking the good with the bad. Yes, the unexpected happened but thanks to you guys, I got to visit the Brilliant Meadow, practice the techniques my mom taught me and got to replace my quill collection." The shiny Kirlia smiled.
"What do you-"
Her two friends watched, flabbergasted, as Angel plucked some feathers off of the unconscious Fearow. "See? It's all good. No need to keep blaming yourself because I don't blame you. Now come on, let's go home. This night has gone on long enough and I'm starting to get hungry." She held her hand out to her male counterpart.
"Sure." Gallant accepted her hand with a relieved smile. Then he took one of Sylvia's ribbons. From there, the three friends teleported back to their home, glad their night ended on a high note.
Tempest Peaks - Base Forest - Night
"All right, now let it down slowly." Centrifuge instructed.
He, Carapace, Valiant and a Rhydon each carried a pole vertically that they gently lowered into small, narrow holes dug into the dirt. The poles were seven meters tall, six point five when placed into the holes. Above them lay a thick square canvas in which its four points were fastened to the top of each pole. This was what the Conkeldurr had carried with him on the mission. A set of breakable metal cylinders that could reconnected to variable lengths, max being ten meters.
"That should protect the statue from possible rain while we work." The fighting type looked at their work. Each point of the metal rods held up the canvas perfectly which lay suspended above the statue. The remaining Rhydon was already busy patching up the open cracks with freshly made cement. He was soon joined by the Rhyperior and the first Rhydon.
"You guys do good work." Valiant praised. Noting the fast progress they had made on the repairs.
"I could say the same. Having you help us clear the area of obstacles and wild pokémon has made this job pass faster than we expected." Carapace replied.
The Chesnaught observed the rock and fighting types, his surroundings completely disposed of fallen trees and fallen wild pokémon. With nothing left to do for the moment, the grass type just watched them work. Minutes passed with nary a sound but the blowing wind and the sloshing of cement in front of him. It was probably better this way, he admitted. He and his team were to keep the area uncompromised of any issues, not go around looking for fights. That would only attract more wild pokémon and a disturbance from a large scale battle could greatly interfere with the fixing process. The faster the pokémon worked, the sooner they would be done and the sooner the job would be completed.
A single drop of moisture falling on his head broke Valiant out of his absent-mindedness. He thought nothing of it. The Tempest Peaks were known for this kind of weather. The drizzle eventually progressed into a steady shower. He continued to watch the fighting and rock types work without a misstep, the canvas providing good cover against the downpour.
"You and your crew okay, Carapace?"
"The rain is fine. We are unaffected by natural water. Heck, we can even swim in it. Water only becomes a problem when it's blasted at us with enough force to shatter rock." The Rhyperior continued his duties without turning to a gaze in the grass type's direction.
Valiant nodded to himself, glad that the weather wouldn't prove to be a problem for the rock type pokémon. He sighed with boredom and crossed his arms. The rain got heavier and he looked up. The sky was obscured by dark clouds that spanned his entire field of vision. He thought about Saber and Serpentine, hoping they at least had something to occupy their time with because he sure as hell didn't.
"When do you think you'll be done?" Looks like small talk was his only remaining solace.
"If we keep going like this, we should be finished before sunrise." Carapace replied, looking back at the Spiny Armor Pokémon. "We should be glad the damage to the statue wasn't too bad and- Valiant, look out! Behind you!"
Valiant spun around and watched as a huge gust of wind tore its way toward him. He slammed his fists together and from them emerged a large, circular green shield covered with thick, protective spikes. His Spiky Shield nullified the attack and, after disabling it, took the time to see who dared attack him from the rear like a coward.
He quickly located the pokémon, hovering some inches above ground a few meters away from him. A large avian type pokémon with a deep green body. It carried itself more upright than most birds did. Each flapping wing was as wide as it was tall and had purple tips adorning its primary feathers. Its legs ended with a set of terrifying looking purple talons. Swirl-shaped structures ran up the length of its thick, purple tail which ended in a similarly swirled tip. Upon its head was a flowing cloud, acting like a mane and running down its back up to its tail. Its chest was muscular and armored with two diamond shaped purple crests positioned side by side. Its stomach was plain and had a lone, small, red jewel fused to its skin where its naval should be. The Cyclone Pokémon, Tornadus, Therian Form. It gave a mighty roar and with it, beckoned a stronger torrential downpour.
Valiant said nothing, instead choosing to glare at the legendary. The pokémon behind him kept quiet as well, not expecting the legendary pokémon to make a reappearance in a location he had already ravaged. After several tense moments of silence, Carapace spoke up.
"Valiant-"
"Just keep working and pretend we're not here." The Chesnaught cut him off. "I'll lead him away and keep him busy. Do your side of the job and I'll do mine." With both his hands, he reached underneath his shell and pulled out a few medium sized green seeds that he flung at the flying type. They soared through the air and detonated right in front of the Cyclone Pokémon's face,
Tornadus protected itself with a single wing, barely fazed by the explosion. It looked back at his foe but found the grass type to be missing, a hole in place of where he had been standing.
"Hey! Tornadass!" He called out from behind it and caught its attention. His body was halfway sticking out of the ground. "If you're as all-powerful as you think you are then have at me!" Valiant ducked back into his hole and burrowed his way away from the vicinity to a less forested area.
Tornadus gave chase. It wasn't going to back down and let some faceless pokémon get away with that statement.
The repairmon watched silence as the legendary pokémon pursued the grass type, uncertainty evident on their faces. They looked among themselves before deciding to follow the Chesnaught's advice and offer him encouragement in spirit, not knowing if he could handle the dangerous encounter.
The Cyclone Pokémon continued to follow the underground traveler, eventually coming to a stop in the air when the grass type ceased his advance. A new hole opened up in the ground and Tornadus prepared an attack for the pokémon that would emerge from it. Contrary to its expectations, the grass type did not climb out of the deep earth cavity but instead sent more Seed Bombs flying up into the air. The scattered explosives made Tornadus halt his attack and fly back to where he was more at ease. Not that they could hurt him. He wanted to make sure he was undistracted in his search for the Spiny Armor Pokémon.
The Chesnaught decided to crawl out of the earth behind his opponent but he was noticed immediately. Tornadus slammed its body down to the ground in front of Valiant and spread his wings with a mighty roar. The strong winds howled along with him.
"Okay, no one will interfere with us here." Valiant craned his head and cracked his knuckles. "I am quite curious to see just how much power you hold as a legendary pokémon. Have at you, knave."
Tornadus ignored the insult and beat its wings forward, whipping up an incredible cyclone. The attack decimated the few trees around them as well as the small plants on the surface around the grass type. Valiant slammed his fist together and performed Spiky Shield while bending at the knees to keep himself rooted and balanced as the Hurricane laid waste to the terrain around him. A tree to his side toppled over with multiple cuts in its trunk and its branches severed. The Chesnaught stood strong, however. His shield and weight keeping him from being buffeted by the flying type's powerful attack. His feet dug into the ground and he charged at his opponent with a warcry.
Tornadus was faster and took flight as soon as he saw this. He kept himself aloft and watched the Chesnaught miss his mark. But Valiant wasn't finished. He aimed his Spiky Shield upwards and fired the sharps spines like canons at his foe. Tornadus wasn't prepared for this but that wasn't a problem as it used its vastly superior speed to move out the way in time. Valiant kept at it, aiming his shield at the fast moving aerial pokémon and fired spike after spike of his Pin Missile at him. With every evaded move, Tornadus got more confident in his speed which made the next action catch it off guard as the Chesnaught fired ahead of him rather than directly at him. Flying at high speed, he couldn't change his directional pattern in time and made to shield his face with a raised wing which took the blow, his flesh getting skewered in the process. With one damaged wing the legendary pokémon failed to stay balanced in the air and performed an impromptu landing maneuver, steering to the best of his ability in the direction of a tall hardwood, digging his talons into the trunk to halt his speed and then jumping safely down to the ground.
Valiant watched, shield still raised, as Tornadus bit down on the spike embedded in his wing and pulled it out then spat it to the floor. It left a gaping wound in its flesh. Very slowly, the wound closed, the Cyclone Pokémon's Regenerator ability kicking in. Tornadus did not wait for his injury to fully heal and ran at the Chesnaught, being only half as fast on the ground as he was in the air. Valiant raised his shield and fired the last few spikes the oncoming foe but Tornadus dodged them with zero effort, the projectiles whizzing harmlessly passed his head. The flying type then leaped up and came bearing down talons-first at the Chesnaught. Said pokémon deactivated his shield and raised his arms to catch the avian's feet in his hands. His muscles bulged with exertion and he struggled to keep his foe at bay but it was becoming increasingly difficult by the second. With a desperate shout, Valiant swung the Cyclone Pokémon around and back into the air but Tornadus recovered mid-flight, his wing now healed. The flying type smirked coldly and threw down a thin, crescent-shaped air current at his target.
Valiant watched the Air Slash's advance with a strained expression. His body was starting to show signs of fatigue but he pressed on. He reached into his shell again and tossed out more explosive seeds at the flying type's attack. The detonations cancelled out the projectile but another one quickly replaced it and he sent out more seeds to intercept that one as well. A third Air Slash blew away the smoke and whipped through the space between them but he, unfortunately, wasn't able to intercept this one fast enough, instead raising his arms in a defensive posture as an emergency countermeasure. The Chesnaught gave a grunt of pain, the Air Slash making deep cuts in his skin. His hide was very tough but it still wasn't able to tank as much as it could, having a double weakness to the flying type. Fresh blood dripped from his lacerations but he managed to protect his vitals. Tornadus looked down upon him with a cold gaze and motioned to attack him again and hopefully end the grass type once and for all..
Tornadus pulled his wings back and Valiant held his defensive stance but before Tornadus could launch his assault, a translucent wave of energy was blasted into his side with enough force to knock him out of the air. The Chesnaught faced the direction where the attack had come from and was relieved to see Serpentine slithering her way to him.
"Hogging all the fun? That's ssssoooo unlike you, Valiant." She commented with a distinct feminine accent as she took her place next to him.
"What can I say? I doubt he would have waited for all of us to regroup." Valiant panted. "Your save was much appreciated, thank you."
"A lady has to know how to make an appearance." Serpentine watched Tornadus get back up and glare at the two of them. Her Hidden Power Ice did a number on him but he was still battle capable. "What say we show this brute some mannersss, hm?"
With a rekindled confidence, Valiant faced the wounded legendary. "Then lead us in this dance, milady."
"Gladly!" Serpentine hissed and straight up fired a powerful Leaf Storm at the legendary, the intense blast of green energy and cutting leaves surging its way at their foe.
Tornadus took to the sky and avoided the blast, not taking any chances with such a powerful attack. From his vantage point, the flying type sent forth from his wings a wide, vertical funnel cloud that twisted its way toward the two grass types, hoping to engulf and shred them both at the same time. Serpentine responded by charging up with a green glow and firing another Leaf Storm to combat the Cyclone Pokémon's Hurricane. Here's where her Contrary ability came into play. Usually, when a debilitating move like Leaf Storm is used, it would quickly exhaust the user and discourage them from spamming the same move but Contrary made the opposite happen. Instead of being weakened, the Regal Pokémon was actually empowered by moves that would otherwise lower the performance of most pokémon, hence the name 'Contrary.' Because of this, her Leaf Storm ended up being stronger than the last with greater power and wider range. Tornadus was not expecting this at all. What should have been a disadvantageous move ended up swallowing his Hurricane and continued unhampered toward him. He used his speed to fly higher still, just barely avoiding the attack and flew back down with his sharp talons heading for the bigger threat of the two.
Serpentine coiled up in preparation as Tornadus got ever so closer. Just as he slammed into the ground, the Serperior slithered elusively around his legs, her body tough enough to not mind the rocks tossed up her opponent's weight. She slithered up his body starting from his left leg, to the right side of his waist and finally coiling around his neck. The flying type struggled, his air supply being sapped away as it endured being squeezed between Serpentine's ouroboros. Grunting in annoyance, Tornadus opened his mouth wide and blasted a sickening wave of dark energy from within that engulfed her. Serpentine cried out in pain but willed her body to cope with the attack, holding firm, squeezing down harder with every passing second. Tornadus readied another Dark Pulse but was suddenly tackled by something really heavy straight at his exposed torso. Serpentine detached herself from her foe and watched him fly back and land painfully on the ground, his body kicking up dirt and rocks.
Tornadus started getting back up and he saw the Chesnaught charging at him to keep the onslaught going. Tornadus roared and fired an Air Slash with an outward swing of a single wing. Valiant put his arms together and created another Spiky Shield without missing a beat, rushing down the legendary pokémon with all he had. Tornadus protected himself with his left wing and the grass type rammed the hazardous end of his shield into it. Multiple spikes pierced into the avian's appendage and it winced in pain as blood oozed onto the weaponized shield. Glaring down at the Chesnaught, Tornadus pulled his damaged wing upwards and shook himself free of the briars. This action imbalanced Valiant a little and the Cyclone Pokémon wasted no time in taking advantage of that. Using his left leg, he kicked up at the grass type's raised shield, knocking it out of his arms and then brought his talons down on Valiant's chest, slamming him into the ground and keeping him pinned down. The flying type added more pressure against Valiant, digging into his midsection and drawing blood from the punctured skin. The grass type fought against him, holding onto Tornadus' leg in order to ease the weight but it barely helped. Just as things started to look bad, Serpentine came to his aid and closed distance between herself and the flying type keeping him held down.
Tornadus watched her and conjured up multiple crescent blades of wind with his uninjured wing. Serpentine, however, was quicker than the damaging air currents, zigzagging around them and swinging her tail in a wide arc, expelling her own crescent aura of Hidden Power Ice. Thanks to the earlier boosts granted by her Contrary ability, this one was stronger than ever before. His left wing still recovering, Tornadus sent another vacuum bullet at the oncoming attack and they collided against each other, cancelling each other out in an explosive distortion of energy. From that distortion emerged Serpentine, her tail extended with a glowing green blade that she swung at the flying type's belly. Tornadus deliberately took the hit and in doing so gave himself the opportunity to retaliate which he did by whipping her down with an overhead strike of his pinion. With the Regal Pokémon knocked to the ground, Tornadus chose to dispatch her with an Air Slash but Valiant wasn't having it. Barely conscious but still willing to fight, he reared his fist back and drove it right into the Cyclone Pokémon's knee with all he had. Tornadus howled in agony as the pokémon underneath him dislocated his joint with a sickening crunch of bone and immediately raised his leg off him. Serpentine recovered and used her chance to spit up a green fluid from her mouth at the inconvenienced legendary. Tornadus was doused in the liquid but it ha no immediate effects. He glared at the two. Valiant held his chest with one arm with an equal glare in his eyes and Serpentine held up her tail with a glowing Leaf Blade extending from the tip.
Tornadus did nothing for the moment, opting to buy himself time for his wounds to recover. Only... They didn't. At all. The Cyclone Pokémon looked at his body in confusion. His leg still ached dearly. The slash and stab wounds on his stomach and left wing stopped with their recovery process. That's when it dawned on him. Serpentine's earlier action was not an attack but a status move. She used Gastro Acid on him and his Regenerator ability was effectively disabled. Slowly, he raised his head, blood boiling in his eyes. How dare they. How dare they!
Tornadus roared his fury and blasted wave after wave of Air Slashes with both his wings, powering through his pain to desperately kill the two grass types. Some of them missed their mark, coursing in the wrong direction and cutting down parts of the surrounding environment. Others were more successful in their aim but Valiant protected himself with his Spiky Shield while Serpentine used Leaf Blade against the projectiles, each of her parries accompanied by an audible slashing sound. Tornadus didn't let up, continuing to blow out volleys of incredibly sharp air waves.
Then, too quick for him to see, a vertical green line passed down his vision. Slowly, he looked down and noticed a Sceptile in a crouching position leering up at him, the leaves on his arm glowing green and were coated with blood. His blood. After a delay, his chest sprayed out a small burst of blood from the wound carved into his body starting at his collarbone and ending at his jewel-encrusted naval. The fresh blood coated parts of the Sceptile's upper body but he didn't care. In fact, his eyes looked like they demanded more. Tornadus glared in defiant fury at the new threat but Saber wasn't fazed one bit. With his good leg, Tornadus raised and brought down his sharp talons upon the third grass type to join the battle. Saber reacted flawlessly with an almost vertical roundhouse kick against the raised foot, throwing it off mark and used the momentum of that attack to flow into his next, crouching low and striking out with an extended leg that swept Tornadus' other foot out from under him.
Tornadus lost all balance, fell onto his front and he blinked in surprise. He was losing. He, the Cyclone Pokémon was losing! To grass types! He saw the Sceptile jump into the air, blades on his arms reared back and glowing. The Cyclone Pokémon rolled to the side and avoided the hit which left a deep gash against the surface where he had been. Tornadus swung his wing upward just as he got up and nailed Saber in his side. The grass type's body was sent flying but he recovered by digging his claws into the bark of a tree he passed by. Tornadus saw this and, instead of going for the obvious, used Extrasensory.
Saber's eyes lit up in alarm as he felt his body pinned against the tree by some kind of horizontal gravitational force. He struggled to keep breathing, feeling the air getting forced out of his lungs. Tornadus grinned cruelly but his concentration was broken by Seed Bombs going off right by his face. That small window of hesitation was all Saber needed to get back on track, jettisoning himself at his foe and slicing open a new injury in his opponent's exposed side. Tornadus grunted in pain and tried to bludgeon the grass type with his wing but he was already gone, showing up on his other side and using Leaf Blade to carve a new streak of red in his skin. With a frustrated bellow, the Cyclone Pokémon opened the entire span of both his wings and conjured up strong winds that shook the trees around them and forced Saber away from him.
Saber landed on his feet but he wasn't in good shape, cuts criss-crossing all over his body. He was fast and could do quite a bit of damage but his body wasn't built for this kind of abuse. Seeing this, Tornadus collected a bundle of dark energy within his mouth and aimed it at the Forest Pokémon. Its plans were foiled, however, when two vines wrapped around his neck and pulled his head backwards, forcing him to expel the Dark Pulse wastefully above him. He looked back and saw Serpentine holding onto him with vines coming out of her 'high collar.' Still having enough strength in him, he thrust his head forward, pulling her towards him before tossing his head back and smashing it into hers in a reverse head-butt. Free from his constraints, Tornadus reached back and bit down on the suspended grass type, shook her around a little for good measure before tossing her at some nearby rocks. She cruised through the air, unable to halt herself and closed her eyes as she braced for impact but fortune came to her in the form of Valiant intercepting her by diving at her and catching her in his arms, twisting in the air just right so that he took the brunt of the damage when they hit the ground. They looked at each other then up at Tornadus whose attention was being held by Saber. Getting up, the two partners rejoined the battle to offer support to their comrade.
Saber ducked down underneath a Crunch but before he could counter-attack, he was kicked by the flying type, getting knocked away but recovering in a series of back flips and got right back in like nothing happened, leaping from point A to point B as a green blur. Just as he got close to his foe, Tornadus whipped his tail out at him and Saber simply performed a somersault over it. From behind him, the Forest Pokémon opened his palms and used Giga Drain, the sucking green aura stealing the dwindling stamina from the legendary to add to his own. Panting but still undefeated, Tornadus made to batter the grass type with a wing but halted when the ground underneath them rumbled violently before gigantic roots erupted from the soil to bind him. Frenzy Plant, courtesy of Serpentine.
Legs, chest, neck, wings, Tornadus was utterly restrained and could do nothing to prevent Saber from draining his energy reserves. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was a legendary. To have nameless pokémon hold an advantage over him... The idea was unfathomable but it was happening. As he struggled to free himself, he felt a spike of energy ahead of him. Looking up, he saw the Chesnaught glowing with a whitish-gold aura, hunched over in preparation of his attack.
He roared defiantly in the face of his opponent and ejected a thick cloud of dark energy from his mouth, it was his last line of defense. Being part fighting type, Valiant barely felt the Dark Pulse expelled against him, continuing to power himself up, reaching the apex of his charge and shooting straight like a cannon, wrecking the ground at his starting point and tossing up dirt as he went. Saber retreated from behind him as Tornadus' eyes widened with every second the Chesnaught drew closer until the supercharged grass type slammed into him with a devastating Giga Impact. The Cyclone Pokémon's pupils shrunk to pinpricks as he was thrust into a world of pain. His bones and muscles cried out in agony and the force of the blow demolished the roots that held him steady, sending him flying a great many meters through the air and land roughly on the ground, rocking about a few more meters before finally skidding to a stop, defeated and unconscious.
The three victorious grass types were barely standing, themselves. Tornadus was body checked too far back for them to see properly but as he lay unmoving, they knew he was down for the count until some commotion caught their eyes. They were barely able to make it out, what with it being night and in the rain but it appeared Tornadus was being hefted onto the shoulder of a legless muscular pokémon with a large tail, they didn't know who or what. They could have sworn the unknown entity gazed briefly in their direction before taking off with the fallen legendary pokémon. The grass types tiredly looked among themselves hoping to find some kind of answers in each other's eyes.
"What might you think that was about?" Valiant asked. He was crouched down to recover the lost energy he used up with his final attack.
"I don't know... But I don't think it's something we should be worried about... For now at least." Saber spoke.
"Indeed. If it were a threat, it would have used this opportunity to attack and would have made an easy win out of us for sure~tsss." Serpentine commented.
"We'll leave it at that then... If it's not a threat then it is none of our concern. For now at the very least." Valiant stated. "But here's to hoping it is not an ally of Tornadus that would help him cause more trouble than he and Thundurus already have. That would be bad for business."
"Yes, well hopefully after tonight Tornadus will have enough sense of mind to learn not to trifle with whomever he wants... If and when he wakes up."
"If and when..?" Serpentine echoed.
"Hey... I don't know if Valiant killed him." Saber stood up and prepared to return to the statue and check on the working pokémon. "But honestly? He'd be doing the world a favor if he did."
Valiant shook his head with a smile and tried to get up and follow the cynical Sceptile back to the mountain base, still holding his sore chest but stumbled, only getting back up when Serpentine offered him support with her vines. Good thing there was a treatment bag waiting for them or his and his team mates' injuries could have been a serious problem.
"I highly doubt it. He's a legendary, if you may recall."
"I didn't hear the word 'immortal' in your sentence so that doesn't matter to me. A pokémon, even if worshipped as a deity, is still a pokémon and I'm glad he got the beating he deserved." Saber climbed up one of the few standing trees and looked down at his teammates. "I'm making one last scan around the perimeter. Can't be too safe. See you in an hour or so." He tossed a long, thin blade of grass in his mouth to chew on and he was gone in an instant.
This left the Chesnaught and Serperior traveling side by side to the thicker parts of the woods. Their battle was done and with Tornadus' defeat, the rain settled down to a more tolerable drizzle. Since Saber volunteered himself to keep watch, Valiant and Serpentine were forced to find alternative ways to kill time.
"20 questions?"
"Sure."
Spectral Forest - Dead in the Night
That last hostile ghost pokémon shrieked in its demise and condensed into a pale black mist. The Gengar that fired the Shadow Ball lowered his arm and sighed. Though, it looked odd with that huge slasher grin. He looked at his partner next to him, a Gourgeist. She showed visible damage and fatigue from their prolonged battle with the wild ghost pokémon that attempted for the umpteenth time to enter the Ghost Realm. She looked at him with tired eyes.
"Things can't keep going like this, Scourge." She spoke.
"It's all we can do for now, Wiccan... It all falls on you, me and the remaining members of our realm to protect our home. After all, we don't have our Lord Giratina to protect us. We haven't for quite a while." The Gengar replied.
Wiccan looked down and hid her features. "It's not fair. How long can we keep doing this? Will we one day wake up and find our realm overrun and no longer habitable? What will become of us?"
"We can pull through, Wiccan. The Poison Realm has no Legendary Pokémon protecting them either but they're able to get by."
"Then why don't you go live with the poison types if it's so great there!" Wiccan did a 180 in disgust and proceeded bitterly down the path to her home without her partner.
Scourge sighed and followed after her. He felt her pain. He really did. He was just trying to keep her spirit uplifted. They shared the struggle with the rest of their home but their situation would only get worse if they gave into despair. She was right. They had to do something before they were faced with a dire situation they could do nothing about... Such was the life of the Ghost Realm; there was none.
END CHAPTER
Please R&R. Your thoughts really matter.