Chapter 7
"My head," Grovyle moaned, holding it in his hands. His vision was unclear and he felt very dizzy.
"We succeeded in the easiest part of our goal," Delta sounded calm, despite having to have a headache as bad as Grovyle's, "Now just to break out."
Grovyle looked up tentatively, wincing as the pain in his head worsened. There were bars in from of him, the other walls seemed to be stone although he hadn't looked behind him, and opposite there seemed to be another room. Inside that there was a sleeping green Espeon, they were very thin although as clean as all of the cat Pokémon Grovyle had ever come across had been.
"How long have I been out?" Grovyle ignored the Espeon's presence, turning to Delta.
"I'm not sure, I woke up a few hours ago. They've been a few Sableye gawking at us," she smiled then, and Grovyle realized how little she did, "We seem to be more of a legend than we think."
"So do we have support from the normal Pokémon, then? It could come in handy if they're any willing to help us, we could get equipment and food and take shelter…"
"I think it has the opposite effect. Before people would have feared us spies, perhaps, but a few might have been brave enough to help us despite their distrust of strangers. Now we're publicly enemies of Dialga no one will dare to stand up to him and help us in any way," her smile faded then, to Grovyle's dismay, "In one sense we're even more truly alone."
"There is another side to this," Grovyle offered, desperate to cheer Delta up, "We'll always be remembered now."
"Hah," Delta laughed bitterly, "We're not that famous. If we manage to escape from the unavoidable execution then we'll have to worry about our lack of help. Otherwise there's nothing to worry about at all."
Since Grovyle couldn't think of a reply to that, aside from pointing out that it was Delta who had gotten them in to this in the first place which he wouldn't do since he didn't want to upset her, they sat in silence. Grovyle stared at the Espeon, willing it to wake up and tell them about some sort of secret escape tunnel in their cell, even though he knew it'd never happen.
"This might not be the best time," Grovyle admitted, as he looked at Delta, "but I don't feel quite as passionately as you do about, well, generally lifting the darkness. I… I want to. I want to have your pure motives and work on tackling this, this darkness but…"
"You're not quite ready to sacrifice everything for it," she finished for him, "but you really shouldn't assume that my motives are pure. Not that it matters, the results are the same. In the end, you've got t have nothing to live for and nothing to lose. Personal vendetta helps too."
Grovyle remembered the familiar way in which Delta had addressed Dusknoir and shuddered slightly. Maybe after this experience he would gain something similar, and move one step closer to being able to sacrifice everything. He wasn't sure he wanted to. But yet… the closer he got to Delta the less willing he was to give her up. So in some sense, he was becoming more attached to this darkness and all it entailed rather than slowly letting it slip by.
"Hello," the shiny Espeon had finally woken up, "Grovyle and Delta, yes? I've been tracking your movements for quite a while. I'm Sianté."
Grovyle flinched at the mention of his name. Was this how Dusknoir could always find them so easily..?
"Ah yes. I've speculated about your existence for a while," Delta replied. Grovyle was unsure about whether she was bluffing or not, "may I ask why exactly you lead him to us and spill our plans, time after time?"
"Stay here for long enough," she smiled, bitterly, "and you'll find out. Not that you will, you'll either be killed in a few hours or you'll find a way out."
"Surely you can help us get out?" Delta enquired, eagerly.
Suddenly Grovyle saw her plan. She had suspected the existence of some kind of psychic, assuming the psychic felt guilty about what they did for Dialga she had hoped they'd help them escape. But this Espeon and her hardened, unforgiving eyes… maybe Delta had made a gross miscalculation. Then again, he trusted her. She would have a backup plan.
"Not I, I've assessed the risk benefit of every possible escape method and the danger isn't worth it. The chances of getting out are miniscule, next to nothing."
Grovyle noted the lack of hopelessness in her voice. She had been here for a very long time.
"What of Azelf?" Grovyle asked, remembering Celebi saying that he'd been captured.
"The blue elf? I think his ramblings got too much for the guards and they killed him, quietly. I remember Dusknoir getting annoyed this one time-"
"You're sure you can't help us escape?" Delta demanded, interrupting. It was clear she hadn't been listening to their conversation.
"I told you, no," Sianté insisted coldly, angry at being interrupted, "There is one very risky way, but it relies on brute strength. No offence," she cast her eyes over Delta, "but you just wouldn't make the cut."
"We'll take anything," Grovyle put in, unable to keep the desperation out of his voice.
At Grovyle's input Sianté's eyes softened. Briefly he reflected on her cold treatment of Delta, but it was probably triggered because of the interruption.
"There is a dungeon here," she admitted, "but it's a harsh one. Ninety-nine floors, barely any good items, he uses it to trap people in. They're all of these insane Pokémon wandering around in it… and I'm not sure but I think Palkia may reside at the bottom. Everything's tough… it's not worth the risk. I don't even think it's an exit by accident. He wants people to try and escape via it, to become lost…
"If you faint inside you don't get brought back to your cell, you respawn on floor one. Over time attempting and attempting, over and over, you slowly begin to lose your mind. You become a feral Pokémon, trapped inside. Not even Palkia could get through, that's why he's trapped in there. It's not worth it. Don't even try."
The pair were silent for a moment. That's not even an option, Grovyle thought, I'd rather Dusknoir killed me than be trapped in there.Delta seemed to consider it for a long time before she finally mumbled, in defeat,
"We couldn't make that."
"What a shame." Grovyle and Delta jumped back at the familiar voice piercing through their conversation. Dusknoir. "I really thought you'd take that option. Still, what can I say," he smiled, "either way has the same ending result."
"You're cheating," Delta replied, with an unnerving smile to match Dusknoir's. Grovyle shrank back, in awe and horror of the strange game these two insisted on playing, "you should really let us hatch at least one plan."
"I gave you time aplenty, it's not my fault you chose to only start planning when Grovyle woke up. Now, it's time for my victory, come on."
"How dull," was Delta's sole comment as both of them stood up and followed Dusknoir, flanked by Sableye.
Grovyle cowered through the dark corridors, he couldn't help himself. Delta managed to somehow maintain a bored expression throughout their march, Grovyle envied her for that.
"You know," he told her as they were tied up at the pillars, "I'm happy to have known you, to have fought this. I made more of an impact even if I lived for a shorter while, and it was nice to know some light… if only once… so thank you. For all of this."
"It's too early for farewells," Delta replied, "I thought either the psychic would help us or us letting him live back with Mesprit would make him think he owed us this," her brow furrowed, "never did I think this would be the end. I'd hoped to save this for later, but… now seems to be the time."
"Wha-" Grovyle was cut off by a sharp jab of Sableye claw to the stomach. He cried out in pain, wishing he could take it like Delta. "Celebi," he muttered, as everything began to fade, "I wish I could talk to her one last time…"
Then everything faded to white. If this is the end… Grovyle thought, then there's nothing left to say. The world will remain dark… he drifted off.
"Wake up! Grovyle! We have to get moving!" Delta whispered urgently, "I used the escape orb I'd put aside for an emergency like this."
He sat up, invigorated with life. Jumping up, he gasped at pain from a wound in his side. Delta was bleeding worse than he was, so he didn't mention anything, setting off after her. There was a dungeon ahead, he still had the treasure bag and tossed Delta a few oran berries, eating some himself.
"This is the dungeon we need to enter," she told him, "Craggy Coast. It's just one stop-off, not the last one."
With a tentative smile, he followed her. Perhaps it was the first time he'd felt happy to be alive.
-
"That was easier than I expected," Grovyle sighed, "It was fairly short and we found better items than we used. We even lost the Sableye; I wish all dungeons were this easy."
"I agree," Delta seemed relieved, "There's something I need to tell you. But first I need to know that you trust me."
"I do," Grovyle replied, more wanting to know what she wanted to tell him than actually being honest. He trusted her, but only within reason. Her familiarity with Dusknoir kept him wary.
"I don't think we can trust Celebi's judgement." Grovyle froze, waiting to hear justification for Delta's claim. "She's ruthless. We need her help, I admit that, but she's willing to sacrifice too much. She's too old, too affected by the darkness. Dialga and her are both linked to the time stream and you've seen what it's done to Dialga. She's just better at hiding it."
"No." Grovyle responded, icily, "Celebi saved me from becoming like the rest of the inhabitants of the darkness. She kept me alive. I owe her too much to abandon her."
"You have to see how she's been manipulating you. She'll do anything to end the darkness, ethics aside. We need to have standards, to be above those we fight-"
"I trust her above anyone. I will follow her before anyone else no matter what you say."
"She trained you well, and we both owe her. Maybe you'll come to see my view…" she muttered the last part so Grovyle could barely hear her, "Hopefully before it's too late."
