-Several Hours Later, 8 PM (15 Hours Before Yuuki's Arrival in Celestic)-
The Ranger sighed in content as the sun shined warmly down upon him. He was laying in his parent's old pool, the water gently lapping at him, tempting him to lean his head back, to slip off into dreamland.
He wanted to, as well. It seemed like such a simple concept: let go for a while, rest and relax within the shallows. He started leaning back, his eyes slowly shutting. However, he could feel something on his chest, a weight of some sort. He opened an eye and atop him sat a multicolored blob, blurred out by his tired eyes. It ran it's small hands over his chest, and he gasped as a tight pain erupted, searing through him.
Reality slapping him in the face, as usual.
At once, he woke up, jerking forward so violently that the wild Kirlia that had been tending to his chest was thrown several feet away. She landed in a heap at the edge of the river with a startled "Kia!"
As quickly as he had sat up, however, Charley fell backwards as his entire body exploded in agony. His last memories came rushing back to him without mercy: The temple imploding, Sheena and Kevin getting crushed, Arceus awaking and tossing him aside like a worthless toy. The very last thing he remembered was the air rushing by him so quickly that he couldn't breathe, before his face seemed to shatter into a million pieces. Darkness.
The Kirlia quickly ran up to him, running her hands over his chest once more, her small hands glowing with green energy. The wounds on his chest were the most life threatening, she was sure: large, jagged pieces of stone had gouged out large parts of his skin. It was a miracle he was alive, even though she and several others had been continuously working on reviving him since he'd landed. She remembered it well: His body, wreathed in fire, had landed in the water. His Torkoal had landed, too, but he had been protected by his shell. She had gone to Torkoal and helped him rescue the man, for she recognized his voice when he spoke in her mind, back when he had been fighting Darkrai. Since then, she and several other psychic types had taken him to a small place by the river, hidden by a bush of leaves, and had been taking turns working themselves to exhaustion with their healing abilities.
His chest was mostly healed now, but the rest of his wounds were only touched up enough to prevent him from dieing. Now that his body was awake, though, she used his energy, combined with hers, to amp up the process. Very, very slowly, the cuts all across his chest, legs, arms, and neck started closing simultaneously, turning from the jagged, barely-closed scabs they had been left as, to wounds that looked several days old. New skin had grown in place. Charley's breathing slowly went back to normal, and as he fell to sleep once again, his heart stabilized.
Torkoal watched from a few steps behind as Kirlia stepped back, falling onto her back in exhaustion. She looked up into his eyes, gave him a weak smile, then fainted.
When she awoke, it was dark, and she slept on a small bed of leaves, fairly close to a small campfire. Torkoal laid nearby, conversing quietly with several other pokemon. A dark shape laid behind him, awake but seemingly exhausted. Kirlia groaned tiredly, and in response a hand delicately stroked her head. She realized only then that her head was in the lap of another female Kirlia: her girlfriend. She blushed heavily and sat up, managing to adjust herself so she was leaning against her rather than laying on her.
"You don't have to be embarrassed," Charley said to her. He smiled tiredly in her direction. "We tried to wake you up, but you exhausted yourself a lot more than you should have, finishing my healing like that. Thank you."
The girl just nods, leaning against her mate. The other chuckles, moving so as to hug her. Charley raises his voice slightly, addressing the group as a whole, which consisted of the two Kirlias, a Grumpig, a couple of Meditite and a Medicham, an Abra with a bandaged foot, and a tired looking Gallade. The latter had several jagged scars down his arms and legs, and several wounds that had been bandaged by the Ranger once he'd woken up. "My Styler's Radar Function says that a friend of mine is heading for Celestic Town. I'd like to head down there. I cannot thank you enough for protecting me while I was out, not to mention saving my life, but I can start by offering my protection. At this point, I've got to find her and get to a safe house. It's near Route 210. You all could go there if you like. I'm going to leave the decision to Gallade, here, since he appears to be your unchosen leader," Charley adds, nodding respectfully towards the Gallade. He nods back, and although the movement causes him to wince slightly, Charley is sure that the Blade Pokemon would defend the other members of the band without hesitation.
"Thank you for the offer, Ranger." Gallade's voice sounds in his head. "I think, however, that it would be unsafe to travel with you. If Arceus realizes you're alive, he will hunt you down. I think the best thing to do would be to guide my group to Route 210. Perhaps, if we meet again, we will travel there together."
Charley nods. "The best of luck to you then, and may good fortune fall upon you." With that, he pulls himself shakily to his feet, taking a moment to stretch. His uniform had long since been shredded to make his and Gallade's bandages, so he wore a white t shirt that was much to short for him, and his black shorts. (The shirt had been taken from the remains of a department store in Michina Town.) His abs, which somehow had remained untouched, shown from under his shirt, and both the Kirlia blushed heavily, though he took no notice in the semi darkness of the early morning. He nods to the group as a whole one last time, then walks away, Torkoal trailing behind him.
From what he could tell, the Vatonage Ranger had fallen into the river Nunquam Fuit, which even by itself was a death sentence. Combined with his injuries and exhaustion, he could figure out no possible explanation as to why he survived the initial fall, other than dumb luck. Of course, he wouldn't've survived anyway had the pokemon not come to his aid. After the Kirlia had healed him enough to keep him alive, she had left Torkoal to guard him while she fetched her group. Speaking of which…
Charley looks up, noticing that he'd arrived at the base of the cliff. Ignoring the city behind him, he looks at a spot on the bank, where the sand had been turned pink by his blood. He turns his gaze to the Coal Pokemon beside him. "Thanks, Torkoal." The Ranger was never one for mushy speeches, despite somehow having a natural talent for them, but Torkoal got the message. He grinned his usual, cheeky smile, which Charley returned as they made their way towards the city.
Their smiles quickly faded, however, as the ruins came into full view. All around them, the once thriving, beautiful town of Michina was reduced to a giant pile of smoking rubble. Again and again Charley turned his gaze away from the remains of people and pokemon alike, the normally cheery trainer quickly losing himself in the wasteland.
He finally arrived at the town square, which he had walked through not two days ago. He closed his eyes and remembered the vibrant colors, the cheerful squeals of people and pokemon as they worked together in their chaotic, yet organized daily lives. Then he opened them once again, and not for the life of him could he see the memory hidden within the desolate piles of crumbled rock and wood. Then he turned his gaze to the middle of the field, where a small plot of grass, about five feet square, surrounded a flag pole. Atop the pole, tattered, burned, and limp, stood a white flag. He gazed for a moment at it, for the pole itself seemed barely able to stand, yet it was.
As he watched, a gust of wind flew across the plain. Dust rose, and just for a moment, the flag rustled and spread out within the wind. On it, in the center, was a charcoal sketch of Xerneas. Above it, "Michina Town" written in bold, black letters.
And below that, the word 'Vitam' stood out over the white cloth.
Life.
"I understand…" Charley whispered. He stood straighter, and with a forced air, he strode across the square, stopping only when he found a broken board, almost like a quarter of an old door. He took it back to the pole, thought for a moment, then started to write, cutting the words into the wood with his knife. He laughed to himself once or twice during the ordeal.
Alright, listen up. I've got a lot of things to say and not much time to say it…
When he was finished, he held the board against the pole at chest height, then drove his knife as hard as he possibly could into the top of the board. It struck fast, barreling through the door and sticking into the pole behind it. When he stepped back, it held steady. Charley nodded. Now, then…
Charley sighed, then, tapping on his Styler, he pointed down the road which he and Torkoal had originally arrived here by.
-2 Hours Later (12 Hours Before Yuuki's Arrival in Celestic)-
The Ranger sat tiredly against a rock, leaning down to cup his hands in the river as he did so. He brought the water quickly onto his face, splashing it comfortably onto him. He stretched, gazing around as he did so. He had quickly maneuvered off the beaten path to Veilstone, preferring a more direct route to Celestic.
He laid back against the rock, taking a moment to close his eyes. It only seemed like a moment, but when he opened them, the light had changed significantly. He checked his Styler, annoyed to see that he had slept for nearly three hours. Thankfully, Yuuki was still beelining for Celestic, but he had to be quick. He jumped up, startling Torkoal, who had been asleep beside him.
"You coulda woke me up, ya know," Charley frowned at his partner. "Anyway, we need to find a Staraptor." As he said this, a wild Pidgeot momentarily appears above the clearing, heading farther down river. "Or, you know, a Pidgeot," Charley muttered.
Torkoal wheezed a laugh as they set off quickly towards the Bird Pokemon. A half hour of walking brought them to an impressive sight: the Lake of Fuit. Charley gazed around in awe. It was a fairly large lake near route 210, as well as the turning point of the river. Sure enough, Charley turned his gaze South East, where the river continued towards Route 215, eventually coming out in Lake Valor.
Several pokemon cries brought the Vatonage Ranger's attention back to the lake itself. The wild pokemon gazed nervously at him. He could tell they were shaken by the recent events, and he put his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "No cause for alarm," he promised. "I was going to ask for help from the Pidgeot that I saw fly down here. I need transport to Celestic Town, as quickly as possible."
The pokemon continued to gaze at him, to the point where Charley backed up a step. Then, a Pichu broke away from the group, approaching him timidly. Charley kneeled down, putting a hand out towards it. The Pichu shivered, crying out nervously, but she calmed when he put his hand gently on her ears and rubbed. This friendly gesture seemed to be enough for the other pokemon, for they stopped glaring and seemed much warmer to the intruders.
The Pichu broke away from Charley, waving its little arms in a 'follow me' motion, setting off down the lakeside. Charley followed, greeting the pokemon as he did so. There were dozens at the lake, drinking, eating, and talking. All seemed battered and bruised, and Charley felt a twinge of shame. He knew he shouldn't have; after all, there was no way he could've stopped Arceus. All the same…
The Ranger snapped to his senses as they passed a boulder that had been blocking his view. Pidgeot laid comfortably in his large nest, but instantly came alert when the Ranger came into sight. Quickly, however, he calmed as Pichu jumped up onto the nest wall, chattering madly. A moment later the bird nodded.
Charley brought his Capture Styler up, showing off the device to the Pidgeot. "Would it be ok if I use this on you? It'll be easier to fly if we're connected. It doesn't hurt, and I promise it isn't permanent. Capture On!" Charley added as Pidgeot nodded once again. The top burst out of the Styler and quickly started spinning around the Bird Pokemon. The beam of light tightened around his body, intensely brightening for a moment before vanishing completely.
"Capture Complete," Charley says as the top flies back into the Styler. "Let's go."
-8 Hours Later-
"It looks like Yuuki just landed," Charley says. "I can't wait to see her." He pats Pidgeot's neck, earning a delighted caw from him. Charley himself was starting to get sore from the light haul, but he knew it was nothing compared to the tiredness of Pidgeot, so he kept it to himself. Torkoal, who had been riding on his human Partner's lap, grinned.
Charley sighed and moved his Styler arm up to his chest. "'Aight, I suppose I should see if I can fix anything on this." He tapped a couple times, making sure that his assumptions were correct, which they were: only the most basic functions of the Styler were working. Capture, of course, was in pristine condition, excluding the fact that it was running outta juice. He'd need to find an electric type soon or risk running his Styler completely out of battery. The other, Radar, was also working, although Charley was disappointed that the blue LED hadn't blinked yet. That meant that he wasn't being tracked, which meant that they couldn't track him for some reason.
Or, more likely, they all thought him dead.
Charley sighed, knowing that no tools meant no easy fixes. In desperation, he clicked the automatic diagnostic. It was supposed to be able to fix any minor glitches in the system, which can happen due to things like excessive force exerted on the Styler. It usually didn't work too well.
It was about a half hour before the diagnostic finished, and Charley was pleasantly surprised when the Styler's screen presented a fix for his Communications. He sighs annoyedly to himself.
"The only time I get good luck is during the damned apocalypse... Figures." Torkoal chuckles as the annoyed Top Ranger activates the fix, and it's nearly another forty minutes before the device finishes. Naturally, his mic would take longer to recalibrate, so he could only listen in.
He takes a deep breath, then presses a button on his Styler. All Ranger's devices were automatically tuned into whatever was going on on the main screen, as well as the main camera, where the leaders could direct them. Charley raised a brow as the screen split into three parts. The top left held a worried looking Professor Hastings and Chairperson Erma, the right a panic-stricken Sven.
Then his eyes widened in horror as he looked at the bottom half, where Yuuki laid crumpled on a stone floor with chunks of rock all around her. Her leg was trashed, as if she had fallen. The camera angled upwards, where a mean looking Houndoom stared down at her from the lip of what he quickly realized was a cave.
"SVEN, MOVE!" Professor Hastings shouted.
"Oh man," Charley muttered. He put his arm down on Pidgeot's neck, urging him to go faster. They could see Celestic in the distance now, but even as they started to dive, Houndoom put a claw against Yuuki's shorts, cutting them open. In any other circumstance, Charley would've blushed heavily as his girlfriend started moaning heavily, but he was too panicked to care at this point.
And then Pidgeot landed outside the rim of the cave, Charley grabbed Torkoal and rushed to the rim, one hand waving a thanks to Pidgeot, who got the message. The other flung out as he ordered a command. Torkoal blasted a Flamethrower into the cave with masterful precision. It came within inches of Yuuki but did no damage to her. Instead, it blasted Houndoom across the cave floor. Without even stopping to consider the edge, Charley jumped from the cliff, shouting, "Flamethrower, again!"
He ducked and rolled on the cave floor, ignoring the pain in his neck as he impacted heavily. He continued through the roll and ended on his feet, blasting the top out of his Capture Styler before he was even fully standing; "Capture, ON!"
He spun the top with a vengeance, almost completing the Capture before Houndoom knew what he was doing. In desperation, Houndoom lashed at the band, but Charley had seen it coming; he pulled his arm towards him, and the top's circular motion abruptly became an oval, bypassing his attack before coming back closer. It brightened as it clamped around his body, then vanished.
"Capture Complete," Charley says, relieved. "Houndoom, go up and help my Partner protect this area."
Charley took a deep breath as he watched Houndoom take his tricky path. When he reached the top, the Ranger turned to Yuuki, who gasped.
"Ch-Ch-Charley?!"
Nunquam Fuit: Latin for 'Never Would Have Been.
