Guardian Solaris
Ages:
Ash-17
Max- 13
May- 15
Dawn- 13
Serena – 10
Review Replies: The reason I was irritated about length was because it just seemed to jump between things too fast without any sufficient fillers to slow things down in-between the different 'things' that happened. Thanks for the reviews. Lucifer, if my quality was good, I wouldn't have the grammatical errors. Reader Adv. Well, you never know. Ash dose seem to have disturbing nightmares all too often in fics like these, he has really got to find a therapist :P L.V. So you remember my sig, and here I thought everyone forgot lol. But things are quite complex not everyone in the Pokémon world gives away all they know in a flash, as this chapter will show...
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Chapter 24- The Merits of Guile
"Ash, slowly..." Dawn muttered under her breath. staring towards the great creature in front of her eyes. "Step back, so he doesn't notice" Dawn muttered, as the notion that 'we're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die,' continued to run through her mind.
"Slowly" Max echoed Dawn, slowly placing one foot backwards, wondering whether the great beast in front of them would notice.
Its ears perked up.
"Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea" Max panicked freezing in his place. The great beast stretched his limbs as several bones within his body began to click into place once more. "Dawn?" Max whispered, "Why'd you have such a bad idea?"
"If you don't like my ideas, get your own." Dawn replied in a murmur. Continuing to think, 'we're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die'
"Ash, May" Dawn said, as the beast continued to reinvigorate individual muscles, in his obscure ritual.
"Yeah" they replied.
"Got any ideas?"
"We could battle him" May suggested, although her comment was immediately silenced by the look that she received from her younger brother.
"Pi Pika" Pikachu commented to his trainer.
"Really?" he said in a louder tone.
"What is it?" Dawn whispered.
"Well" Ash said rather loudly as everybody cringed slightly. The beast hadn't noticed them as of yet, and Ash seemed to be destroying that small advantage. Altough the trainer dashed the hopes of his friends as he said "He can hear everything we say."
The eyes of the others widened, as they looked to the beast, who just looked onto the group in return. Just standing, with his bright green eyes maintaining an everlasting watch onto the eyes of each and every human there.
Pikachu appeared to be the only one that was unaffected by the piercing green gaze of the wolf.
Marcus smiled, as the backs of May, Dawn, and Max shuddered at the gruesome fates that could await them. 'Creepy smile, not good, not good' Dawn thought, whilst Max looked into 'rape eyes, not good, not good'
Ash kept his stance resolute as the rubble filled wasteland that used to be the tower laid scattered upon the ground behind of the great beast.
Marcus hunched his back, as his eyes came to the same level as that of the relatively small humans. Crouching slightly, he moved his head closer, breathing as he examined the faces of the little children that stood before him.
Maintaining a watch upon the mortals, and scaring them out of their skin.
Maintaining his gaze. Time seemed to stand still, nothing moved.
Marcus became bored. Exhaling his vile breath from his lungs that had not been used for years, Marcus made Ash wince at the horrid smell of his breath.
He had no tie any longer to this human.
The great beast stood up straight from the humans.
He huffed once more, as some of the group took steps back in fear.
His face turned into a snarl, as he flashed his teeth to the humans that stood there. In anticipation, they took a hold of their Pokéballs.
Growing fearful of the battle that would take place, even Ash, had no idea of what may happen. Basing any actions that Marcus would make, upon the actions of his brother would not suffice, considering how different the two were.
Then Marcus did something unexpected by all of the humans, although Pikachu seemed rather in different. After a great nauseating sound of bone shifting in place, he moved, and swivelled around, shifting the dirt underneath of him.
Turning around, and away from the group he began to walk away from them.
"Well" Ash said, as the rest of the group turned their attention to him. "That was a pile of rubbish right there"
"No duh" Max replied. As Serena looked at him.
"Look who's talking. You were ready to cry." She said
"Well you" Max said.
"I what?" Serena asked the older boy
...
But only silence followed, as Ash just looked on with a sense of amusement, only to be snapped out by May.
"Ash" she asked, knowing that this was a time for answers.
"Yeah" he replied,
"Well" she began but was cut off by a loud noise. Turning her head in the direction of the sound.
Marcus grabbed a large tree trunk, with one of his arms. Digging deep within the wood with his claws the creature pulled the trunk and all attached branches out of the ground, as the ground began to shift. The ground underneath of the trunk erupted as the tree was lifted with its roots still attached.
Marcus stood with the tree in his hand for a second, as the wolf began to remember his strength once more.
Shrugging off the thought the Wolf threw the tree into the distance, as it flew through the air and crashed in conclusion of its flight.
"Don't see that everyday..." Max commented.
"A enormous Pokémon, most likely legendary, walking through Lavender forest throwing trees like pencils. No duh" Serena commented.
Marcus ripped out another tree, throwing it in the distance as the thickness of the forest kept him from advancing.
Smelling something.
Something faint, yet distinct in the air. Noticeable only to those experienced in its scent.
Marcus smiled as he began to move faster.
But the small party of humans unlike Marcus didn't pick up on the slight changes in the air like Marcus. Humans rarely do.
"You sure it's legendary" Max asked keeping his view upon Marcus, as Serena just looked at the boy in amazement.
"What?" he asked clueless.
"Well" Ash interjected "I'm guessing. Leo wasn't in the Pokédex" he continued.
"Leo?" May inquired.
"Yeah, who is that. You mentioned him before" Max added on in curiosity.
'Leo' Ash thought.
"Leo" he replied, choosing not to look his friends in the eyes. Diverting his gaze to the beast that was slowly ripping apart the forest. "I'll tell you soon"
"Why?" May asked as Ash put his hand into his pocket, "Why not now?"
"Yeah" Max echoed not noticing how Serena chose to remain quiet. "Why can't you tell us now?"
"Because" Ash muttered, taking his altered Pokéball from inside of his pocket. "I got to stop him from getting away"
"What" Max asked, halting his speech once he saw the Pokéball that Ash had clutched inside of his hand. "oh"
Ash looked towards the wolf who continued to make his way, not wishing to have anything more to do with the group. But Ash needed the wolf. "Come one out" he muttered as he focused his mind towards the task at hand. Continuing to have a focus on his target even when A'Drith roared out into the sky, shaking the barren wood.
He felt the warmth of his friends leave, but he didn't turn around. He knew that they had made it to safety. A'Drith has been known t be, unstable after all.
"A'Drith" he said maintaining his focus, "This is gonna be tough" he said, wondering if the dragon would acknowledge his trainer. Although the trainer's doubts were shattered as the Chaos Pokémon roared in approval.
Hearing the commotion Marcus turned around as his grin grew into a smile. He stood upright, maintaining his confident grin, walking up towards the Pokémon, yet maintaining a sufficient amount of space in between the two of them.
"You want to fight me?" he asked with amusement in his voice.
"Yeah" Ash shouted in an attempt to project his voice, "Your brother told me"
"Leo told you to fight me?"
"No, he said that you would show me the next part of my journey!" he shouted once more, knowing that his friends would have all the more questions for him. But this wasn't the time for explanations, only action.
"Foolish human" Marcus muttered, 'He wishes to know what to do, but doesn't understand that this is not his story. His arrogance is amusing'
Looking towards his foe A'Drith appeared to be more than eager to start battling he smiled once more. 'This is going to be easy' he thought. Yet at the same time Marcus was mildly surprised how the Dragons previous endeavour hadn't left A'Drith drained.
"Well" Ash asked, "Are you ready?"
"Of course" Marcus replied calmly, "I need to stretch my limbs." the creature said continuing the conversation that was beginning to take its toll upon A'Drith's nonexistent patience.
Within the dragons' mind nothing but impatience lurked, the lure of battle was too great to resist. Marcus was already using this to his advantage; as the Wolf continued to smile towards his opponent, waiting for the short fuse to burn out.
After all Power wasn't everything. It is only useful with Knowledge, Creating skills and techniques. One of which Marcus was an expert in.
After all I taught him.
While he waited, he didn't remember me, but rather the fun he was about to have, as the fight started in an instant.
A'Drith launched forwards in his own accord. The headstrong dragon pushed his legs into the dirt, launching him into the air like a missile, heading straight for his opponent. The wolf fell backwards on purpose, causing A'Drith to fly straight above him. As the dragon began to fall he stretched out his wings trying to slow down his descent; but falling face first into the dirt, as the ground shook from his weight.
A'Drith roared, getting back up in an instant. Turning his head around to find Marcus' claw slashing his face.
He collapsed onto the ground from the strike, feeling a surge of pain strike through his body.
Pain.
The dragon groaned as Marcus' foot came in contact with his chest. Pushing all the oxygen out of his lungs, a dirty yet effective attack. Marcus kept the pressure, pushing more and more. A'Drith merely wheezed as the air was forcibly pushed out of his lungs, without any choice, he found himself panicking at this new situation.
"Come on!" Ash shouted, becoming as entranced with the battles outcome as A'Drith, but in return A'Drith wheezed even more, all of the air flowing out of his lungs from Marcus' foot that remained firm. The words of his trainer didn't seem to strike through.
A'Drith quickly rolled, knocking Marcus off balance. Both combatants got up in an instant. A'Drith was already panting, as Ash noticed his Pokémon in a completely new light. Looking at A'Drith desperate for the first time in the Dragons life. Even whilst battling Celebi, the dragon wasn't as desperate for energy.
He shouted, "Into the air" trying to aid his Pokémon, regardless of the great strength and agility that Marcus had already shown.
The dragon flapped his wings as a gust blew around of him, but the wolf had already found a countermeasure. Leaping high into the air, just as A'Drith was ascending, Marcus stretched out his claw, grabbing a hold of A'Driths wing, as the Dragon faltered, falling back to the ground once more.
Marcus walked a few steps away, turning around in order to face his opponent, snarling as A'Drith found a good portion of his pride ripped away. Ash thought, not knowing how to use his power house to its full potential. Wondering how to assist his Pokémon against an opponent that seemed to dominate him on all fronts.
A'Drith got up gradually, as a face full of anger grew, reviled through his blood red eyes. There was nothing else, just those eyes that shone towards his opponent in repugnance. Pure hatered growing inside of the dragons soul.
"Give it your all!" Ash shouted what A'Drith already knew, as several spores flew out of the dragon, flying, fluttering randomly like butterflies. Launching the very attack that had defeated a legendary, taught by Leo.
"Now that's cheating" Marcus mumbled, but continuing to smirk, as the spores came closer to him instead of digging into the ground. Yet whilst A'Driths complete concentration was taken from the attack, Marcus managed to use his opponents distraction. The wolf pointed his hand to the Dragon, and shot a bolt of lightning, catching the spores along the way, as it struck the Dragon in the chest.
It continued, pulsing volts of energy as the bright blue beam of lightning forced its way through the air, illuminating all with its bright blue glow. Ash had to protect his Pokémon. But the energy continued to flow, not like a standard thunderbolt. This attack flowed like a river from the wolf. Not allowing his opponent to escape the volts.
"Flamethrower" he bellowed in desperation as the Dragon inhaled air into his already damaged lungs. Blowing the air out as pitch black fire that surrounded the Lightning, not stopping the energy beam, but covering its glow in a deep dark shadow. The flamethrower struck Marcus, meeting no resistance from the wolf as he fell backwards from the attack.
The Wolf got back up, entire patches of fur glowing orange as they burned, leaving a horrid smell within the air.
He growled from the strike, as A'Drith stood ready, focusing on his opponent, with a disgust against Marcus growing within his beaten chest. Eyes glowing blood red. Feeling the energy as it continued to pulse around of his body.
The wolf hands began to glow a dim blue once more as he opened them out wide. A crackling could be heard in the air. Marcus puffed his chest, with his arms on either side him. He clapped them, launching a bolt of thunder straight towards his opponent. "Slash!" Ash commanded as the Dragon used his claw to deflect the thunder, to the rubble of the tower, as it exploded.
Shrapnel flew from the debris, as it collided with Marcus' fur, and A'Drith's scales, but not damaging them in any serious way. Then in an instant Marcus struck like lightning and A'Drith was on the floor from a slash of the wolf's claw. He groaned, as Marcus put one foot upon the dragons wing, and another onto his chest. The dragon tried to move, but found that his opponents weight was too much.
Marcus pushed his foot into the dragons chest even further as the dragons lungs were damaged even further. He felt them ready to give up, the only scream of pain in his body that overcame the screams of the world.
Yet all Marcus did was smile. He prized the dragons' mouth open with his arms, finding some resistance, but opening it up nevertheless. The dragons white dagger like teeth shone as Marcus placed one of his hands around of A'Driths jaw, keeping it open. Forcing the other hand into the dragons' mouth, smiling as energy began to flow through his hand, finding its way into the dragon, without having to penetrate his armour like scales.
A'Drith screamed, as his eyes clamped shut, Unable to shut his mouth and sever the wolf's hand, the energy continued to flow. Streaming out from the dragon in the form of bright sparks, disintegrating his organs from the inside.
"Flamethrower" Ash called out in hope. But A'Drith couldn't hear. "Flamethrower" he called out once more, but nothing came. "Come on!"
Ash stopped, feeling as if he could cry at the sight of his Pokémon being tortured. Then the tables seeed to turn, and Ash found a glimmer of hope ignite his eyes. Marcus began to howl in pain, letting go of A'Driths jaw. But finding that the Dragon had calmped his mouth shut. Marcus continued to scream out in pain, howling, as black flames escaped through the gaps in A'Driths mouth. The flames screams that were overshadowed from the howls of agony that the wolf let loose.
Marcus continued to pull, as his howls shook the forest.
The dragon growled, keeping a hold of his prey. Clamping his mouth shut as he sustained his point blank flamethrower towards Marcus. Finding some joy in his retribution.
"Keep going" Ash shouted, providing encouragement for the merciless attack. But Marcus managed to swing his claw, as it made contact with A'Driths cheek, forcing the dragon to let go. Retracting his hand Marcus found it ablaze, with a black flame that didn't appear to extinguish.
He waved it around in the air, attempting to extinguish the flame; as A'Drith began to get up.
Marcus lay his hand onto the ground as he stamped it with ferocity, trying to extinguish the flame, whilst A'Drith had managed to get up onto his feet.
The blazing hand was not blazing anymore, as it appeared pitch black, letting a foul smell of burnt flesh and fur escape into the air once more. The hand was half cooked, half ash, as Marcus looked over to his opponent, with rage locked within his green eyes. A'Drith attempted to reflect that rage, failing through the intense pain that Marcus had inflicted. Keeping himself up with his last strands of strength.
Marcus, looked back to his hand, as a white glow began to emanate from it. "Get ready" Ash called out. But when the glow dissipated the hand was as good as new, appearing as if it had regenerated, "Now that's cheating" Ash called out, meeting a reply from Marcus.
"Look who's talking"
Marcus closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind for the next strike. Believing that his opponent would still be exhausted from their previous bouts to do much, if anything. But his moment of peace was taken out by a "fly!" order from Ash.
Marcus opened his eyes to find several balls of fire descending from the sky like bombs.
The Wolf placed both of his hands above of his head as the Flames met with some form of barrier that caused them to dissipate.
"Come on, what can't he do?" Ash muttered, forgetting that he was brother to the one that taught A'Drith in the first place. "Use the Sky!" Ash thought, believing that he may have found a form of approval from the usually disobedient A'Drith.
The dragon swooped down, using his mighty wings in order to carry him, swooping down as if he was using Aerial Ace, but Marcus just stood, waiting as his opponent came to him.
At the last second, Marcus back flipped kicking the Dragon in the jaw with his powerful legs, as A'Drith lost stability and crashed into the dirt.
The Wolf smiled as he landed back on his feet perfectly, muttering "Still got it" with a smirk. He turned to A'Drith who lay upon the dirt, paying no attention to the post apocalyptic landscape they had created. The landscape that, if anything was more depressing than the backdrop that was there beforehand.
"A'Drith, stand" Ash said, as his Pokémon complied; "now" he said, although the dragon had no intention to listening to its trainer. He lunged towards the wolf with a claw, finding his strike parried effortlessly.
The Dragon turned around to Marcus, finding that he had vanished. Then finding the Wolf crushing his head in the next instant, as A'Drith found himself once more in the dirt.
Marcus grabbed the back of A'Drith's head, behind of his horns, with the ability to pierce the back of the dragons' throat in an instant, killing him.
Then it was all over, Marcus found a hold on A'Drith like picking a snake up form the back of its head. A'Drith attempted to struggle with what little strength the dragon had. Moving, but unable to escape the grasp that his opponent had. It was over.
Ash and his friends remained silent, whilst Marcus pondered his choices. Wondering what A'Driths' fate would be. Rubbing the dragons face in the dirt left and right. Left for death, right for a painful death. The others could try and intervene, but that would only result in the dragons death, as groans form the defeated Dragon escaped his mouth. But they clutched Pokéballs nevertheless, ready to avenge the dragon if Marcus would choose a wrong decision. Even though they would fall to the same fate as the dragon.
His eyes closed to hide his shame, knowing that he had only managed to last this long through luck. Whilst his opponent had used his physical strength and knowledge to run circles around the dragon. It wasn't a matter of power, but of the combatant with the most intelligence. Or as the wolf would call it cunning... guile.
He moved his head to A'Drith's side, muttering. "It is amazing how dim-witted the infantile are. My brother is an idiot if he believes that you have any form of common sense. Power perhaps. But in the form of cunning, and guile. You are no better than the dirt that you are wallowing in. A pathetic display." Marcus took a glance over to Ash and the others as they remained at the edge of their seats, "oh it's great to be back. I presume that you won't join the mêlée that's coming up. No? All the better, the war zone isn't a place for children."
Marcus looked back to Ash, who appeared to be enraged even more than A'Drith, who in contrast appeared as if he just had all of his pride toppled. "I suggest that you train that boy, or he trains you. I don't really know. Anything would help a distressed infant like you." As the Wolf stood up, letting go of A'Driths neck.
Marcus smirked, as he began to walk off once more. Muttering "Now time for the main event. Retribution is mine" as the wolf moved out in order to meet a more potent adversary, the opponent that would shape the wolfs future from now on. Me.
Ash continued to watch onto Marcus as the wolf walked away. Once certain that Mracus had left, the trainer ran up to A'Drith, who hadn't moved. He could be hurt, after all that battle was explosive. A clash of titans, with the only separating feature between the two being their experience.
He reached A'Drith as he could hear heavy breathing from the Dragon, as his chest expanded and contracted slowly. The trainer took a look towards the dragons face, and the rest of his body. Searching for any evident injury. Finding nothing, not even a scratch, just the marks of dirt that had been inflicted upon A'Drith as an indignity.
"Are you alright?" Ash muttered, not receiving a reply apart from the breathing, as he came to the conclusion that the dragon was sleeping, exhausted beyond words from the fight. He traced the individual scales of the dragon, realising that he was close to losing him once more. Sighing, Ash took out A'Driths Pokéball returning the beast within it once more.
For a second Ash just looked towards the Pokéball, continuing to contemplate on this new turn of events. He just didn't know what to do, it was almost as if. He wasn't in control of his own actions. He sighed.
"Ash!" someone's voice came from behind, as the boy turned his head around.
"Hey." He replied to his friends that had just managed to reach him.
"Is he...?" Serena asked with concern. Used to seeing Ash in battles, but nothing close to a battle of that magnitude.
"He'll be fine. Even after that, he's just really tired" Ash said, quite exhausted himself. "But we've got a lot of work to do, just like he said" the trainer said. Wondering 'I just don't know what to do'
"Ash?" Dawn interjected.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"Who is that?" she asked.
"The big hairy guy?"
"Yes. How do you know it? And who is this Leo person that you keep on talking about?" Dawn asked the obvious question. Ash stalled showing her that there was some basis to her queries, pushing her to ask more. "What aren't you telling us?"
"Well" Ash said caught slightly off guard, "ahh" he thought
"Come on Ash" Max said, "I think we deserve an explanation."
"Why?" Serena said in defence.
"Why not?" Max replied, "Why can't he tell us what we need to know?"
"Because, if you don't like it, why'd you come? He wanted to go on his own. Ash wanted all of you to stay safe, so what's your problem? He didn't want you lot to get tangled in this." Serena explained defending Ash, although giving away the fact.
"So, you know this little secret as well" Dawn assumed, "May, do you know?"
"No" the Hoenn native replied.
"Ash. We deserve an explanation." Max asked.
"Well" he pondered, stalling one more.
"Well what? Ash, why don't you trust us. A few seconds ago you talked about this secret of yours to that thing .Like it was the most obvious thing in the world." Dawn asked.
"And" Serena said once more before Ash could reply. Looking at Dawn who towered above her, but size didn't faze the young girl.
"You say that Ash doesn't trust you. What have you done? You just meet him, and you expect him to trust you like you're best buddies again?" she argued.
"Why not. Ash is one of my closest"
"Then" Serena interrupted, "Why are you scared of him half of the time?"
"What are you talking about?" Dawn questioned.
"You know. I may be small but I'm not blind."
"I'm not scared" Dawn said defending herself, "it's something else"
"what?" the white haired girl accused, seeing that she had found some weakness in Dawn.
"Why do you need to know?" the Sinnoh native muttered
"Exactly" Serena exclaimed triumphantly, as Ash knew the outcome of the bout all along, not bothering to listen to the small hint Dawn gave away. Ash knew how good Serena was at arguing, especially after all the arguments the two had whilst travelling together, she had to be.
Dawn chose not to speak, as she just looked towards Max who had chosen not to interject once more. Then she looked over to May, who had also remained silent. "sorry about that" Dawn muttered out of thin air.
"Yeah, and... what?" the white haired girl asked, not expecting an apology.
"Sorry. It's just annoying not knowing what's going on. Not being able to do anything to help your friends. So sorry for taking it out on you" Dawn explained.
"wow... Well, yeah, alright, ur thanks." The youngest member of the group stuttered.
"Ash" May spoke finally, "Tell us when you're ready" she said, to the slight shock of the others. "It's your choice" she said, knowing that Ash had his reasons, just like how he had reasons for making his friends fear him through his Aura abilities, to strengthen their bond with one another. He must have had reasons for his behaviour now as well. She accepted that.
"Thanks" Ash said with a smile. "Come on, We're still in a forest full of ghosts." He explained as he led the group the same way that Marcus went.
"Ash?" May asked once more, as he turned around.
"yeah?"
"That's the same way that the, Thing, went."
"I know"
"Why are we going that way?" May asked as they heard the sound of another tree being ripped out of the ground in the distance.
"Well he promised something. I want it"
"What did he promise?"
"It was a bit vague. Something to do with my journey" he explained.
"Don't you mean 'our' journey"
"Not really" he said smiling, "I'm the only one that matters" he said cheekily earning him a light punch from Serena.
"Just hurry up, he's bigger than us, and he's going to get away" Serena said, as the group made their way.
They continued to make their way, progressing along. Not looking back at the wreckage of the tower.
Not finding any need to look.
But why would they need to look back upon the devastation of my failed creation. No, they carried on; they continued to run towards the traitor.
Not looking back. Not looking to the past for answers.
How very human.
How very human to not look at the fate of the past, to provide answers to what the future would be.
Because my plan was coming to effect.
It had already begun.
A while ago.
Now, in the midst of my failed creation, in the midst of the rubble, and through the stench of that traitor.
Beyond the city, the woods, the people, and the ghosts. Past the stone, and air. Past my abysmal attempt at a prison, there it was. Where one would fail, another greater plan would succeed.
Beyond anything that a mortal would be able to make, beyond their capability for thought; it lay.
It awakened.
The rubble lay around the old floor of the tower.
The seal that the traitor had unknowingly guarded. Brilliant.
I am brilliant.
After all, did you know that words that had been worn by time would slowly show? Reading one message. Only one message.
One message that had stayed there for all of this time, as the letters became clear once more. Written in a forgotten language.
It read the words:
TOAXL I am the Treachery and Deceit
I am coming. Ready or not.
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F.Y.I.
- How'd you guys like the battle? I tried to make it as brutal as possible.
- Characters are not based off of me. No.
- Thanks to Sp1derp1g for being my Beta reader. If you don't receive any of GlaDos' cake... the mail man has it XD
PLZ R&R
And now I need to gorge on some cake...
Caaakkkkeeee...