Authors' Note: If there are any questions, please leave a review and we will do our best and try to answer it!
Disclaimer: We don't actually own Pokemon.
Chapter Eleven: The Struggle for Striaton
"Coward." Ralph growled as the cold wind swept past him. The pale yellow circle that was the sun shone weakly from behind the winter clouds. He stared down at the black magic globe that encircled the dying Striaton citizens. "He doesn't enter the battle and uses magic to do his dirty work."
"When do we attack?" Rachiel bared her teeth. "The generals have left already. It's time."
"Five more seconds until the guard shift." Amethyst said, "Four... three... two..."
"One." Rachiel snarled, "ATTACK!"
The group charged down the hill they were hidden behind with Garchomp cannons and blazing eyes full of fury.
"We'll hold them until you can dispel the magic dome!" Ralph shouted, "Hurry!"
"Got it!" Charnette raced off with Amethyst at her side and Victor, Mark, and Charlez flanking her. They wove easily past the bewildered guards, darting from shadow to shadow, and occasionally stopping to bonk an alarmed officer on the head.
"That building!" Amethyst hissed as they ducked behind a tent to avoid a troop of officers. She stared up at a dark blue building rising up in front of them. "It used to be a weather station, but those mangy rats took over and trapped the citizens inside. Fools!"
"Careful now." Charnette growled, sliding along the ground, "I'm sensing magic traps around here... but they don't seem to be triggering."
"What kind of magic traps?" Mark asked nervously.
"Mmmm... destructive beams? Clever! Turns any object into a pile of smoldering ashes. That's a good spell."
Mark gulped as Charnette went on idly.
"The building is obviously teleport-proof... hmm..." She gave Victor a sidelong glance. "How well can you make a distraction?"
"Wha―?"
BOOT!
"AHHHH!" Victor howled as Amethyst promptly kicked him into view of the guards.
"Intruder!" the Sableye officer guarding the doors of the building shouted, "Get him!"
Victor scrambled to his tiny diamond-shaped feet and ran for his life, yelling, "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE YOOOOOOOOOOUUUU!" as he took off with seven officers on his tail. The other Revolutionists quickly used the moment of distraction and slipped into the building.
The group quickly darted through the halls. Strangely, there weren't any guards inside.
"Overconfidence?" Charlez murmured warily.
"No." Charnette said grimly, "The Shadow Force never gets overconfident." She stopped for a second, sniffing the air tentatively, and darted towards the direction of the casters. The others followed her with alert eyes and ears. She stopped in front of a crossway.
"Um... Charnette?" Mark said nervously, "This looks suspiciously like the magic trap we fell into in Route 1."
"I think it was moved here." Charnette replied with a bored yawn, showing her gleaming teeth.
"Er..." Charlez coughed, "How does one move a maze?"
"Magic." Amethyst gave the insect an uh-duh look. "With enough magic, one can move anything, even a room, or a building, to another place."
"Oh." Mark frowned. "But... shouldn't there be like, other enchanters and enchantresses making this magic maze?"
"No." Charnette chose a path and immediately ducked to avoid a swinging axe from overhead. "This is the Labyrinth. It has its own life source, and its own mind. There's no need for other Pokemon to control it or make it."
"The Labyrinth?" Charlez yelped, fluttering to dodge a laser beam, "Like in the ancient myths?"
"Yes." Charnette blasted an animated stone statue and went on as if nothing had happened. "Which means the Shadow Force thinks this is enough to stop us."
"Well, it won't, will it?" Mark looked around and nearly had his chicken head taken off by an array of needle-sharp arrows. He managed to toast them.
"Live now, talk later!" Charlez blasted a carnivorous vine plant and hopped over a crevice in the ground. The crevice rumbled and shot fire, nearly baking Charnette to a crisp, but she managed to cast an ice spell and freeze it over.
"Shouldn't there be like, live opponents in here, though?" Mark asked.
"MUAAHAHAHAHA!" The four stopped in front of black platform, which was glowing with multicolored light. The enchantress Circe burst into view. "YOUR DAY OF DESTRUCTION HAS COME, CHAR―"
The Liepard turned her into stone and hopped over the statue.
More Pokemon flew at them―Banettes, Dusknoirs, Houndooms, but the squad of Revolutionists cut them down like they were a grass lawn and kept on moving. Soon, their movements became so fluid, Charnette could cast a spell, Amethyst would punch the target, Charlez would make a flying tackle into it, and Mark would finish the attack with a Blaze Kick.
"Here." The enchantress stopped in front of a white door glowing with purple light. "The door's cursed. Give me a second." She chanted something quickly under her breath, and the door melted into a pile of slushy metal. "Okay. Let's go."
Inside the door were four frail Pokemon―a Litwick, a Golduck, a Munna, and a Mr. Mime―all muttering an endless spell. They encircled a miniature version of Striaton city. The Litwick's purple flames and the Munna's pink smoke snaked through the streets, turning black as it touched the pavement. Mr. Mime's magic glass gleamed faintly as the Golduck muttered his spell, turning it pitch-black.
"Voodoo magic." Charnette said, "So that's how they were doing it!"
All four Pokemon turned around, still chanting their spells desperately.
"Do we kill them?" Mark asked.
"Wait!" Amethyst pointed. The Golduck was scribbling frantically on a piece of paper. "I don't think they're with the Shadow Force."
"Um..." Mark gave them a dubious glance. "They're casting the spell, right?"
The Golduck, still murmuring his spell, handed Charlez the note.
"We're not with the Shadow Force. We are their captives. Inside this building is a group of hostages―all children. If we stop the spell, the destructive magic beams will activate and kill us all." Charlez read, "We could care less about ourselves, but you have to save the children."
"Which floor are they on?" Charnette inquired.
All four Pokemon shook their heads.
"How tall is this building?" Mark asked.
The Golduck shrugged and glanced at the Munna. "She knows." he wrote, "And she's the only one who can get to them. But she's stuck here."
"Does that mean we have to go through the Labyrinth... again?" Charlez groaned.
"Ermm..." The door creaked open behind them and Victor scrambled into sight. "You guys do know there's a backdoor and secret passage right?"
Victor's tail had been set on fire like a Charmander's. His green coat was newly clipped and singed with flames. His left foot had a frozen block of ice like an icicle boot, but otherwise, he looked pretty good.
Everybody turned towards Charnette.
"Hey," the Liepard said, "Going through the maze was much more fun."
"Are you―" Mark rushed forward, but Amethyst tripped him with a firestick.
"Enough of that, y'all." she said sternly, "We gotta save the kiddies and those folks, and put down the magic globe." She tugged at her scarf and looked up at the ceiling. "If I'mma right about the globe, that means we only got one hour to shut it down before the Striaton citizens die."
"Oh, man. You mean it took us that long to get here?" Mark groaned, "Stupid maze!"
Charnette hesitated as the details of a plan so dark and dangerous ran through her mind. She knew she might die because of this plan. But she couldn't let the innocent die. She couldn't let the children die, either. She set her jaws together in a determined snarl. "I'll take the little flying pink piggy's place." she said, "I know how to cast the spell. As soon as you guys get the children out, I'll take over each of the casters' place until they're all out. Then I'll ditch the globe and make a run for it."
"It'll trigger the magic beams." Charlez warned, "I don't think you can make it out on time."
Charnette grinned. "What do you think black magic is for?"
At the front lines...
The frontal assault wasn't going well.
How did Ralph know this?
Ron was weeping over a broken Garchomp Cannon a Tyranitar had smashed. Trent was knocked out on like an apple. Rachiel's orders couldn't be heard over the screams and shouts of the battle.
But Ralph, one would say, it's just a magic globe! You guys took over Nuvema and Accumula in minutes. How hard is it to take down a magic globe?
Quite hard. You might as well be trying to attack mud. Nothing worked.
Rachiel appeared next to Ralph with Xeno. Both of them were panting heavily.
"The magic globe isn't getting any weaker." the Houndoom groused, "Where is that darn Liepard and her foxy friend?"
"We're losing a lot of ground!" Lumiere floated over with May at his side. "I'm running out of healing supplies. Vindictus is running out of potions. Jason's running out of pastries. Ron's crying over a heap of junk metal. Trent is down. Charnette and her group aren't back yet. What do we do?"
"Find the leader." Ralph decided, "The lieutenant or officer in charge or whatever."
"Right." Rachiel turned around and shouted, "Jason! Vindictus!" She waved the two over along with five of their allies. "Trash their camp and find the officer in charge. I want them alive or dead."
The squad saluted and darted off.
"It won't be enough." May warned, "This is a combined army, from the looks of it. There's got to be more than one leader."
"Now you tell me." Rachiel snorted.
"What if," Lumiere said, "We focus our attacks on one part of the globe instead of spreading out our attacks?"
Ralph slapped himself. How had he been so stupid? Focusing on one part of the barrier would break it down faster. "How do we tell the oth―"
"Revolutionists!" Rachiel shouted, "Panzerkeil formation!"
Immediately, the Revolutionists gathered into a wedge, all scrambling towards Rachiel's position.
"Break it down!" the Houndoom ordered.
"Pantser kill?" Jebodiah asked, "What are you gonna do? Hurl underclothes at them?"
The Revolutionists turned into a disciplined battalion of warriors. The fighters on the outside were warding off the officers, whilst the ones inside focused their attacks on a part of the barrier.
"Panzerkeil." Rachiel corrected, "It's an offensive armored tactic made to cut through a wedge of the enemy. Usually, armored vehicles are used. But I think this'll work just fine with Pokemon."
"Tank!" Trent bellowed as May healed him. The green armor Pokemon roared and plowed through several fronts of officers.
"This isn't enough." Lumiere warned, "It'll work for now, but according to Amethyst's report, the Striaton citizens should be reaching a state of unconsciousness right now. They'll faint soon and if they don't get oxygen..." He trailed off. It wasn't like he needed to finish.
"Charnette." Ralph muttered, half praying, "Hurry up..."
At the Northern Kingdom...
Matilda had always been okay at chess, but at the moment she felt like a complete newbie.
Why?
Doomsday had surrounded her king and placed her at a continuous check with two bishops, a knight, and several pawns.
Matilda surveyed her chess pieces. She shook her great scarred head and focused on her king. She could use her bishop to take out Doomsday's knight, but if she did, Doomsday's pawn would kill her. Nothing was worse than getting killed by a pawn.
"How do you do that?" Matilda marveled as she shifted her king's position.
Doomsday gave her a smile and chose her rook, moving it towards Matilda's king. "My mother taught me when I was young." she answered, "She's a really good chess player." She stopped her rook two spaces in front of Matilda's king. "Checkmate again."
Matilda groaned. "At this point, I'm gonna lose." She glanced to and fro between her pieces. "I can't move my king anymore." she realized, startled, "What do I do? You have me surrounded."
Doomsday tapped her claws on the chessboard. "I may have you surrounded." she said, "But there's always a way out..."
"How?" Matilda frowned.
Doomsday's smile turned somewhat malicious, as if she were comparing the chess match to a real life event. "You have to sacrifice someone..."
Back at Striaton City, at the Weather Station...
"I think it's this way." The Munna floated over to a silver door and opened it. Mark tackled her before a blazing hot pillar of fire turned her into a crisp. "Uh, wrong door... they must've remodeled this... wait a sec..."
"We don't have a sec." Victor grumbled, "Hurry up!"
"This door?" The Munna pushed open another door. A magical ice beam turned her into an Munna-sicle. Mark thawed her out with a grumble. "Uh... sorry―ACHOO―s'bout thath..."
Amethyst growled, annoyed. Her best friend was taking the strain of maintaining the stupid Munna's place while the Munna apparently chose to short-circuit her memory at the exact time. Amethyst twitched her sharp jackal-like ears. There was a muffled sound, like the whining of a pup...
"This door!" Amethyst kicked the Munna out of the way and smashed through the door to find a dozen young Pokemon huddled in a dark, rank room that smelled of Pidgeot waste. The fox wrinkled her nose. "Oh, Lordy." she cursed, and addressed the kids, "We're the Revolutionists. We're here to save you."
None of them moved.
"Hurry!" Mark yapped, "Or the building's gonna come down!"
The kids looked uncertainly at each other.
"They're friends." the Munna promised, and lifted them up with Telekinesis, "Quickly, let's go!" The Revolutionists ran as fast as they could back to the room Charnette was in.
"Hurry!" Charnette grunted as she maintained the four Pokemons' roles in creating the barrier, "I won't last forever."
"Thank you." The Mr. Mime bowed gratefully. "I will forever be in debt to you."
"Why thank you." Charnette returned, "Now shut up and run like a scared Weedle."
"Charna." Amethyst said, "Let me stay with ya."
"It'll be easier for me to get out in a dangerous situation if I'm on my own." Charnette said, touching her nose to her friend's quivering coat, "I'll be fine. Go!"
Amethyst left reluctantly with the rescued casters and Striaton children. Her eyes said, Don't do anything stupid!
I'm not trying to. Charnette eyed back, The plan itself was stupid in the first place.
She watched with her emerald-green eyes as the last shadow of her friend disappeared into the dark secret passageway that Victor had used earlier. She wondered if she would ever see her friend again.
I have to maintain the spell. Charnette gritted her teeth. I can do this!
Back on the battlefield...
"We're making progress!" Xeno shouted as Ralph whomped a Rhydon solidly over the head, "The barrier's weakening!"
"Hold your fire!" Lumiere shouted, "I'm going in!" The Chandelure's form blazed brightly, and he slowly passed through the black globe. May teleported and disappeared inside. The Revolutionists cheered and resumed their jobs with renewed zeal.
"That must mean that oxygen's getting in as well!" Rachiel informed Ralph as they worked side-by-side to take down, "Yes!" She lashed her tail and sent a Murkrow flying with a painful wail.
Ralph felt thrill charge him with new strength. The Revolutionists were winning. The Striaton citizens were going to be alright. Filled with confidence, he launched furious attacks at a fast, consecutive pace, creating a beam of pure power that launched the enemy high into the sky or sent them several kilometers into the dirt. Beside him, his friends fought just as bravely, yelling and hacking officers out of the way as they worked together to bring down the magic globe.
"You can't win!" an enemy Tranquil officer shouted, "We are greater in numbers!"
The officers surged forward desperately, surrounding the small group of Revolutionists on all flanks. Ralph watched in dismay as they circled them completely and started blasting attack after attack.
"Fight back!" Rachiel ordered.
"You can't do anything!" the Tranquil returned with a shriek.
Then a clear, calm voice cut through the bird's screech.
"Maybe they can't do anything." a Panpour said as he passed through the magic globe, "But Striaton City has over a hundred thousand citizens, and as of today, you have made all of us very, very, mad." He finished as a horde of newly healed Striaton City citizens appeared behind him.
"Akhelios!" Xeno exclaimed.
The mayor smiled playfully. "Need help?"
Back in the Weather Station...
It's only a matter of time until the Shadow Force realizes that the magic globe's gotten weaker, Charnette thought, I need to maintain it long enough so Amethyst and the others can get to a safe place out of flying wreckage range. She closed her eyes and sensed Amethyst's presence as the fox and the others scrambled down the dark, cold stairs that led to exit. Hurry up... please... she prayed weakly.
Suddenly, her sharp ears twitched. There was another presence entering the building. It took a different path than Amethyst and the others... Charnette flicked her ears up and listened intently.
"Check to see if the casters are still doing their job." said a voice.
"Why wouldn't they be?" another asked curiously, "They do care about those children, don't they?"
"What happens if they actually stopped casting it?" a third, nervous voice asked, "Are you really going to kill the children?"
"No, we'll keep them hostages. But we'll kill the casters. Our enchanters should be arriving soon. We won't need those pathetic casters after that." growled the first voice.
Charnette felt a snarl rise in her throat. She glared weakly at the door, where she knew that those three hench-pokemon were going to walk through. Amethyst, hurry, please. She did her best to maintain the spell, but she could feel the magical beam trigger spell outside starting to heat up.
"What about the magical beams? You don't think they'd stop it now and kill all of us, right?" the nervous voice inquired shakily.
"I wouldn't worry about that. All of the spells in this building will only work on a non-Shadow Force Pokemon."
"Why not?"
"See that pendant on your uniform? That'll deflect the spells and allow us to teleport if we need to."
Charnette silently cursed herself. (Not the magical curse, the verbal one.) She wish she'd kept her uniform. But to be honest, she'd already shredded hers. She forgot about keeping the pendant. Idiot! she scolded herself, I must be getting soft. She clicked her tongue in disgust and unsheathed her claws as three shadows fell across the doorway. She tried to keep on maintaining the spell as the three officers stepped into the doorway―a Primeape, a Electross, and a Venomoth.
She blasted the Electross with a Desert Spell, sending him screeching away as she attacked the others and tried to keep the spell going at the same time. She could feel Amethyst's scampering as her companions neared the doorway. Hurry up...
"You'll bring this building down and kill yourselves and the captives!" the Primeape snarled.
"Yeah, sorry. They're gone now." Charnette replied, her eyes flashing. The Primeape screamed as fire erupted all around him. But it was weak, squeezed from Charnette's remaining energy.
Pitter-patter... Charnette let out a weak smile. Amethyst and the others had escaped the building. They were safe and running towards the battlefield.
Then Charnette made a split-second decision. She lunged at the officers, sending the Venomoth and the Electross flying as she ripped the pendants off their uniforms. As she had suspected―they were each created to protect that one specific officer. Quite annoying. If only she had enough time to reset that spell...
SLAM!
Charnette flew across the room as the Venomoth hit her with a glittery purple wing. Then pendants shattered as they fell. All four Pokemon froze. The Primeape, the only one left with a pendant, backed up, his pendant flashing.
"Don't leave us!" the Venomoth yelped as the Primeape teleported away in a flash of blue light.
"Are you two going to help me?" Charnette asked, although she already knew their answer.
The Electross and Venomoth both stood in their places, trembling. But Charnette could see the defiance in their eyes. They were and would always be loyal to the Shadow Force, like she herself had once been. Even though their leader had betrayed them on the behalf of the Shadow Force, they would still fight for the group they'd come to love and enjoy being part of. They would never help her.
"Never." The Venomoth's voice was shaky but firm. "We are loyal to the Shadow Force forever."
Charnette lifted her tail, feeling the building shake as the magic beams were triggered. "They betrayed you in the end." she said, "Your loyalty is worth nothing."
Both officers closed their eyes.
"We know." the Electross said, his voice bitter like a rusty blade, "But it's a part of us now. We can't change. We will always be loyal to them even if they betray us."
"Then." Charnette closed her eyes and let go of the spell. "Be brave."
The entire building rumbled as pure beams of heat and light seared through it. Charnette felt the ground beneath her disappear, and then she was falling.
Amethyst, please forgive me...
Falling into the dark.
At the battle...
"Ralphie!" Ralph turned to see Amethyst, Mark, Victor, Charlez, and some battered-looking Pokemon scramble towards him.
"You got out!" Ralph exclaimed happily, then his excited gaze immediately turned into a frown, "Where's Charnette?"
"She should be ditching the spell and coming any moment now." Charlez replied.
A cheer went up from both the Striaton City citizens and the Revolutionists as the black globe flickered once, then disappeared. The Shadow Force officers let out a mixture of screams, amazed and horrified shouts, and terrified yells.
Amethyst suddenly stiffened, her grin disappeared. Her amber eyes grew wide with horror and she dashed back the way she'd came.
"Amethyst?" Ralph called, dueling against a Lairon.
"Go after her!" Rachiel shouted, "We've got them on the run!"
Ralph gave the Houndoom a brief, thankful nod, then ran after the frantic Braixen. "Lumiere! Victor! Jebodiah!" he yelled, "Come with me!"
"Amethyst, what's wrong?" Victor howled as he ran after her as fast as his stubby legs would allow him.
"It's Cha―Charna!" Amethyst shrieked, "I gotta find her!"
Ralph swallowed. "She got out, right?"
BOOOOOM!
Ralph looked up in horror as a white building ahead of him exploded, fracturing in a burst of dark purple flames and gray smoke. The suffocating fumes danced through the air, and the Revolutionists were forced to take cover behind trucks and other vehicles the Shadow Force had abandoned.
When the smoke cleared, Ralph began to feel worse. Where the massive building had once stood was a pile of smoldering blocks.
"Search it!" he yelled at his shocked comrades.
"Over there!" Victor gestured at a sparkly purple glint buried in the rocks.
Jebodiah used Strength and managed to heave the block aside. But it wasn't Charnette. A battered Venomoth wearing torn uniform was lying beneath the wreckage, wedged halfway between a rock and shattered glass that must've once been a light bulb.
Lumiere floated over the insect, and his grim expression was all that Ralph needed to see to know that the officer was dead.
"There's another officer here too!" Ralph heard Victor shout, "An Electross!"
The Electross officer was also dead, crushed by the tons of collapsed building bricks.
"There's just no way any Pokemon can live after being hit with that much force." Lumiere said softly.
Ralph walked gently over to Amethyst and put his paw on her shoulder. "Amethyst, I'm so sorry." he whispered.
"She ain't dead." the Braixen's voice was as sharp as flint, "She's still alive."
"But you heard Lum―"
"She's alive!" the fox shouted.
"Ameth―" Ralph trailed off. He remembered the day when Charlez had come to his house and told him that his parents were dead. It was a sadness that one couldn't bear. He remembered facing the news with disbelief and shock. He didn't believe a single word. He didn't want to believe in a single word. Because he thought that as long as he didn't believe in it, his parents would still be alive.
But the truth was painful, and no ignorance could defy it for long. Ralph didn't know how to comfort Amethyst. He couldn't imagine Charnette being alive, after being crushed by tons of rocks.
"Lumiere..." Ralph glanced at the Chandelure. "Is Charnette..."
"Amethyst and Charnette have a telepathic link." Lumiere said quietly, "If Charnette is alive, she'd be doing exactly what she's doing―sending a message to Amethyst to tell her where she is."
Hope flared through the Lucario's chest. "Amethyst!" he called urgently, "Where is she? Can she sense you?"
The fox nodded and led them in a circular patrol around the area where they found the two dead officers. Then she planted her firestick on one of the rocks.
"Here." she said, quivering.
"Jebodiah!" Ralph only had to shout the Raichu's name for him to come scurrying over. The Raichu, along with Ralph, Victor, and Amethyst, used Strength to carefully move the rubbish pile. Soon Ralph saw the dark purple colt, with jagged yellow diamond-shaped streaks on it, and the Liepard's graceful figure. A faint emerald light encased her, but just barely. As they moved the last of the boulders, the light disappeared completely.
"Get her to the hospital!" Lumiere said, "I don't have the needed equipment! Hurry!"
"The Striaton Hospital's been bombed!" Victor said, "I think they're setting up a medic area in the Striaton Church."
"Whatever, move it!"
"No, it can't be right!" Amethyst paced the hall of the Striaton City Church. "It can't be right! You musta've done somethin' wrong!" she screamed in Lumiere's face.
"She's not breathing. Her heart's not beating." Lumiere said in an impossibly gentle voice. Ralph, who was sitting nearby, felt a pang through his heart.
I know how it feels too...
"You're all lyin'!" Amethyst shouted at nobody in particular. None of the Revolutionists sitting outside the room made eye contact with her.
"You have to accept the truth." May placed a gentle hand on the Braixen's shoulder.
"I... I can't... Charna... she wouldn't..." Amethyst lowered her head.
May bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Amethyst." she said softly, "But Charnette is gone."
At the Turnback Cave temple...
"Have you dealt with Dialga and Palkia?" Darkrai bowed before his dark ally respectfully. "If we knock them out of control, time and space will be ours to take over."
Giratina made a hissing sound that might've accounted for some type of laughter or an angry snarl. "I haven't." he growled.
Darkrai frowned. "Why? Can't you pull them into the Reversal World and freeze them there?"
Giratina shook his massive head. "There is some kind of dark force that corrupted them and took control of them before I could. It's driven them insane, which makes it impossible for me to locate them."
Darkrai started at Giratina. "But how? Who would do such a thing? Who has power like that?"
"A legendary." Giratina rumbled, "Only another legendary could've done it."
"Another legendary?" Darkrai froze in shock. "Which one? Which of the legendaries would care about this political battle?"
"Cresselia wouldn't." Giratina growled, "Shaymin, Meloetta, and some others wouldn't. But you've attacked Hoenn, Kanto, Johto and Sinnoh. The legendaries of those regions must've joined the battle."
"Impossible!" Darkrai cried, "Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre haven't woken yet! And the others―"
"Don't try to deny it." Giratina's eyes were filled with rage and anger. "We must accept the truth." He paused a bit, as if savoring his next words. "The legendaries have joined the battle."
Somewhere in the dark...
A pair of glowing green eyes opened to find themselves in darkness. It was pure black, so they weren't sure if they were actually opened or not.
Something moved.
Charnette staggered to her paws, but found that she was wrapped in a nest of black branches entwined with multicolored jewels. She recognized the place. It felt cozy, and familiar. She sank down again, feeling safe and warm.
Charnette. Two shapes appeared out of the shadows, barely visible. Charnette's eyes widened as she saw the graceful shape descending and the jagged figure ascending out of the darkness.
"Mom?" she asked hesitantly, "Dad?" A lump rose in her throat. "If you're here, then am I..."
Not quite, though that was a bold and selfless move. Mom said approvingly, her shape a blurry red.
We have brought your soul here so you listen to our warnings. Dad added, flickering with multicolored light.
"What... warnings?" Charnette asked.
Do you really think that Darkrai is your enemy? Mom murmured softly, Who do you think is supporting him? Who do you think is hiding in the dark... in the shadows?
Charnette frowned, lost deep in thought. "Do you mean... another legendary? But I thought the only legendary Pokemon engaging in this battle was Darkrai!"
Her mom shook her head. No, Charnette. As Darkrai attacks the other regions, the defenders of justice―the legendary Pokemon, slowly wake from their supposedly "eternal" sleep. One cannot just try taking over the world without meeting indirect consequences. The Lake Guardians of Sinnoh have already woken...And the Swords of Justice are coming forth from their hiding places. Even Mew is waking. Soon, it won't just be a political clash. It will be a clash of the universe itself.
Charnette swallowed. A universal clash did not sound the least bit fun. "Then what do I do about it? Or..." She narrowed her eyes wistfully as she remembered her parents' rank and position. "I'm guessing you can't tell me directly."
A Great Prophecy, for the first time since the Dark Ages, has surfaced, her father said, stepping around her, Many oracles have already sensed it, although they did not uncover all of it. None of us have, actually... but we know the first few lines of it. He raised his head, his deep, dark eyes glittering like jewels. The road before the chosen ones is unpaved and filled with stones.
Her mother picked up the lines easily, with a tense growl. Among them, a knight will go off alone.
His heart filled with regret of a past mistake made,her father continued.
Carved in the metals of an ancient blade. Charnette looked up as her mother nodded down at her. Upon the chosen ones, a great battle shall befall.
But will it be in their hearts, courage is installed? Her father's voice contained a note of curiosity and contempt. Or shall it be impudence that destroys them all?
Good-bye, my daughter. Charnette felt drowsy (if one could do that in a dream). You're waking now. Protect your sister. Protect your friends. And most of all...
Protect the Revolution. Her father's voice wrapped around Charnette as her parents slowly faded from her sight.
At the Striaton Church...
Beep.
Ralph nearly fell off his seat. The original Revolutionists―him, Lumiere, Charlez, Xeno, Rachiel, Trent, Victor, Mark, and Amethyst were sitting around Charnette's deathbed. The machines that broadcasted Charnette's heartbeat had been silent just a second ago.
Beep.
But now it wasn't.
"C-Charna?" Amethyst whispered.
Beep.
"I don't believe it." Lumiere shook his head in awe. "It's impossible. Fifty tons of rock! How could she survive that?"
Beep.
"If she's dead, then why's the heart monitor beeping?" Charlez swallowed, "Do you think..."
Lumiere's eyes suddenly sparkled. "I got it," he announced, "Right before she was hit with the rocks, there was a defensive shield around her, right?"
The others nodded vigorously in agreement as the beeping went on, gradually growing stronger and steadily.
"If I had to guess," Lumiere continued, "Is that Charnette knew that she couldn't escape from the rubble, so she removed her soul from her body in order to protect herself. Her body is dead, but her soul is still alive. I'm guessing that her soul is returning to her body right now." He shook his head in amazement. "But to learn that kind of spell... quite incredible."
Charnette's eyelids fluttered open. For a second, her normally green eyes were glowing white. Then the glow faded and she looked like her old self again―permanently creepy yet had a somewhat cheerful smile.
"Hey." she said cautiously, "Miss me?"
"Charna!" Amethyst lunged at her with a flying tackle. "Don'tcha ever―scare me like that again!"
"Not my idea." Charnette returned with a smirk. Then her expression turned serious. "But I'm didn't come back alone. While I was... away..." She hesitated for a second too long. "Anyways, I have a prophecy." She yanked out the wires and tubes connecting to her body with a disgusted hiss and jumped out of the hospital bunk gracefully. "I suppose you'd all want to hear it. It's the first part of the Great Prophecy."
"The great―what?" Charlez asked.
"Not important. Anyhow," Charnette took a deep breath and started chanting.
"The road before the chosen ones is unpaved and filled with stones
Among them, a knight will go off alone.
His heart filled with regret of a past mistake made
Carved in the metals of an ancient blade.
Upon the chosen ones, a great battle shall befall
But will it be that in their hearts, courage is installed?
Or shall it be impudence that destroys them all?"
Ralph bolted upright in his seat. "That's Scarlet's prophecy!" he exclaimed, "The one that rotten good-for-nothing mangy Umbreon spy Lunis stole from us!"
"Well, one thing is pretty obvious." Charlez tapped a claw on the armrest of her seat. "Among them, a knight will go off alone. His heart filled with regret of a past mistake made. Carved in the metals of an ancient blade. My idea is that Marcus is that knight. Ralph, you said he went off on a journey to restore a sword, right? And the past mistake must be when Har―" She caught Mark's pained expression. "―when Team HMM dispersed. That's what it means from my perspective, anyway."
"I think Charlez is right." Victor ventured, "The knight must be Marcus. But what's the great battle? Where's the rest of the prophecy?"
"I'm sure the rest of the prophecy will become clear to us soon." Charnette replied, "But for now, let's not get too cocky. The flames of our Revolution depends on it."
Ralph took a shaky breath. "Deal." he decided. He raised his eyes to the ceiling.
Whatever you're planning out there, Darkrai. Whatever you're trying to do... you won't succeed. I will keep this flame of Revolution alive!
In the Northern Kingdom Palace...
Matilda was at check. Again. And at this point, it sure looked like she needed to sacrifice one of her other pieces in order to get her king out of the tangle.
"Fine." she took a deep breath. The glint in Doomsday's eyes told her that the general had been anticipating that move exactly. It was rather creepy, and frustrating at the same time. But she had no choice. She was not about to lose to one of the lower rankers. She slid her rook across the board so that it stood in front of her king.
"Your Highness!" Xiawa, who had recovered from his wounds, ran into the throne room where the two had been playing chess for around two hours now. "I have good news to report!"
"Yes?" the queen prompted.
"The Stonethrow Town Rebellion has been quelled! There are no more Northern Kingdom Rebellions!" Xiawa reported, "The town has been crushed utterly, leaving no rebellious survivors."
"Excellent." General Doomsday purred, "Did my trainees do well?"
"Yubabah and Shadow alone took out over half the town. They were one of the main reasons for our success!" Xiawa returned.
Doomsday laughed cheerfully. "That's wonderful." she said, and bowed her head to Matilda.
Matilda nodded, waving her royal fan. "That's marvelous." she intoned, "Now, leave us."
Xiawa bowed deeply and scampered off. The two now rather cheerful ladies returned to their oh-so-important chess game.
As Matilda had expected, Doomsday moved her bishop and swallowed the piece easily. Matilda wanted to move her king forward, but if she did, she knew that Doomsday would put her at another check with a pawn. "You're good at this." the Nidoqueen admitted finally, "You make sure that I don't make any moves without consequences."
"That's true." Doomsday let out a cheerful laugh. "I've kept most of my important pieces―my queen, my other knight, my rooks, and two of my pawns―sleeping. But now..." Her eyes glinted in the light of the throne room fire. "... they're waking up."
Credits:
alpha2275: LoG Representative on Fanfiction and Fanfiction Manager
MarcusUCOD: Dialogue Writer
Esther Hung: Chief Writer, Editor, Video Maker, and Character Creator
Anisa Krieg: Writer, Artist, Character Creator, and Tweaker
(More TBD...)