PokeStones of the Dead - Chapter Two
Staring at the conflicting emotions on Lillette's face, Temperance was aware that she thought lightly of him, and was loathe letting a person frozen for 3 whole minutes by ONE zombie take part in this battle. On the other hand, she knew that he was quite experienced in battle, and she needed all the help she could get – manpower was short, and there were more Dead than living Pokemon in some areas.
This young man wants to help, and my head says yes, but my heart says that he cannot be trusted. What do you think?
Staring at her 4 Poke Balls, Lillette tapped each one of them in turn, mouthing their names. Scizor. Misdreavus. Lapras. Xatu.
Temperance waited.
"Ok, you can join. Do away with all you can spare and go with as much haste as you can muster to Lavender. They have great need."
Temperance carried few things that held emotional or spiritual importance in his pack. Most were things of physical necessity, like foodstuffs, clothing, and shelter. Even then, many things were jettisoned into a corner at Vermillion Harbour, he hoping beyond hope to get them back after all these was over. Amongst these items were his medals and trophies won. They were useless to him now, and he never really felt any affection for them anyway. However, one thing that Temperance had been only too eager to stow away now came into prominence – his parents' last gift to him a year ago. The ring, entrusted to him on his sixteenth birthday, was now worn on Temperance's hand. He had refused to wear the ring on the grounds that it served no practical purpose, except to make people think he was an emotional wellspring. Now, the ring held special importance.
Lillette was impatiently waiting for him to get ready, making several gestures and sounds of discontent, even though Temperance had barely took ten minutes to get everything in order. Finally, everything was fit into one pack, and Temperance set off with Lillette to Lavender Town. Lillette explained as the duo ran to the smaller city.
"Surrounded on both sides by Celadon and Fuchsia, Lavender's only escape route lies toward Vermillion, with the Rock Tunnel caved in and Route 8 occupied with the Dead. Yet we cannot so lightly abandon the radio tower as well as the cemetery. If this PokeStone breaks, hundreds more Dead will rise from the cemetery, and we will be unable to correspond with other cities via radio. We must protect it at all costs."
"What is the status of the defence at present? Lavender doesn't have a Gym Leader, and both neighbouring Gym Leaders are slain. How can they hold on to this point?"
"The Fighting Dojo master escaped thither with his Pokemon, and Sabrina lent him some of her psychic Pokemon. Even as we speak, some of them are clearing the Rock Tunnel, while the rest are engaged in desperate defence against the Dead. If we can clear the Rock Tunnel, innocents will have a chance to escape to Cerulean. If we can force the attackers to retreat, Sabrina's and Janine's forces from Saffron and the surviving forces from Lavender can surround them at Route 8. They will be annihilated."
"Understood."
The two young trainers rushed towards Lavender. Thankfully, the route between Vermillion and Lavender had been previously cleared by the reinforcements from Vermillion who went to help the besieged city. Temperance knew better than to take to the skies. Without cover from the trees and buildings, aerial scouts could easily take note of their presence and set up an ambush. As Lavender grew ever closer, Temperance could not help but thank his physical training at Hoenn, preparing him for a sprint like this. What was more surprising was that the girl was running as fast, if not faster, than him. Then again, she was obviously a soldier of some kind, so it was not that unexpected on closer thought.
As the duo stepped into Lavender, the first sight greeting them was fighting and psychic Pokemon working hand in hand to fend off the insane amounts of Dead. Grass and Poison Pokemon were in abundance, with Koffings and Glooms emitting a fouler smell than they would usually emit. Upon closer observation, all of their bodies were rotting away. Yet it had not affected their ability to battle. The Razor Leafs and Sludge Bombs they used to attack could not be differentiated from that of a living Pokemon.
So… which one of you was the one who killed my parents?
Facing such amounts of Dead, Temperance was unfazed. If anything, he was motivated to destroy them all, for what they did to everyone. Feeling the ring around his finger one more time, Temperance released two of his Poke Balls at the same time, just as Lillette beside him did the same. Gyarados and Dodrio, along with Misdreavus and Xatu, joined the defending ranks. The battle had begun.
Temperance stared at the hordes of Dead approaching the city. Even a casual glance showed that they outnumbered the defending forces by at least two to one. Also, for the first time, Temperance noticed that the attackers here showed signs of intelligence lacking from the earlier battle with the Ampharos. Could someone be controlling these hordes from afar? Some necromancer or evil magician? There was no time for pondering further. Lavender only had one captain, the Fighting Dojo Master. Temperance saw Lillette engaging in conversation with him.
"Why so few left, sir? When I left for Vermillion, there were at least equal numbers!"
"News that we should focus on sending civilians to Cerulean as soon as possible, so I sent all Machops and Machokes we have to the Rock Tunnel. Also, enemy Glooms and Jumpluffs have been using various immobilizing powders. Supplies are running low and we have no choice but to sent those afflicted to rest."
Lillette, on hearing the news, immediately turned to Temperance, and without asking, rummaged through his pack, looking for Pokemon supplies, molesting Temperance's personal belongings without a second glance at them.
"What are you doing?"
"Idiot, we're vastly outnumbered. Many are in tents paralysed, sleeping, or suffering from a slow poison that will eventually take them to their doom. Get out your heals!"
Temperance took out his Antidotes and Paralyse Heals, throwing them at Lillette who ran to the tents. Temperance gazed at her running figure, and then turned back at the dead. Far too many for single-target attacks – if they all stuck to beams, their Pokemon would die of old age before the host of Dead were eliminated. There was a need for a move that affected far more than one target.
"Hold on, guys! Dodrio, Whirlwind!"
Dodrio's small wings beat furiously as it cooked up strong winds that were launched at the Dead. Those at the frontline were pushed back, and some were even raised and threw in the middle of the pack, crushing several attackers. However, a Mr. Mime defending was caught in the whirlwind and threw in the midst of the Dead, causing it to become quickly devoured and turned into one of the zombies.
Shit! What have I done!
The Mr. Mime's smiling face remained, but it was now a sinister smile. Eyes lidless, blood leaking from every orifice of its body, it was now a grisly manifestation of its usual self. Facing Temperance, the Mr. Mime concentrated, sending a burst of psychic energy that threatened to pull Temperance into the zombies for a speedy end.
"Gyarados, Hyper Beam that Mr. Mime! Hurry!"
Temperance's Gyarados, sensing his master's urgency, sent his most powerful attack towards the Mr. Mime, then slumped back, exhausted. The beam was a perfect shot, decapitating the Mr. Mime. Even zombies could not take a beheading, and the zombie fell, but not before its Psychic hit, throwing Temperance forward.
No…! I'll die if I land over there…
"Xatu, Barrier!"
Temperance turned in mid-air to see Lillette emerge from the tents with a company of psychic Pokemon, including an Alakazam, which Temperance noticed with delight. Just as he was about to call out to her for help, he slammed full force into an invisible barrier and slumped to the ground.
Ouch…
Temperance grimaced at the pain, but knew that it could have been a lot worse. Picking himself up, he made sure that his ring was still on his finger, then ducked as Xatu shot a Psybeam over the Barrier, carving a path through the Dead. His words of thanks froze on his lips, replaced by an indignant expression. Lillette had not even made sure he was out of the line of fire.
"Cover your ears! Whatever you do, don't listen to it!"
Temperance vaguely recognised Lillette's voice, cursed her for not even waiting for him to stand up and get back to the defence, then covered his ears as Misdreavus unleashed a Perish Song, the song beautiful and very sad at the same time. Even with his ears covered, he could feel the power behind the notes, but did not get the full force of the attack.
As the song stopped, Temperance knew that the song would take some time to take effect, and the Dead could simply retreat beyond a certain area. It would not quell the tides… Walking back to the crowd, he heard the Fighting Dojo Master command a Hypno to use Hypnosis, freezing a few of the Dead in sleep. They would stay there until they died… again… from the Perish Song.
Everyone is doing something useful except me… I have to get my act together! These people killed my parents. Am I going to just stand here and do nothing?
Temperance released Flygon, just as Lillette sent out Scizor. He turned to face the attackers with renewed vigour, his weariness after the long run and the pain of the Barrier already forgotten.
All right, let's show these stupid zombies…
"Gyarados, Flygon, Earthquake!"
Gyarados and Flygon positioned themselves facing each other, a horde of Dead between them. The Dual Earthquake caused the ground to ripple in waves, all earth's malice directed at the attacking zombies. Tossed like rag dolls, most of the zombies were crushed in the onrushing earthquake, then got swallowed into the bowels of the earth. However, some of the Grass and Poison Pokemon spat out various powders as a defence measure, thus paralysing Gyarados and poisoning Flygon. Visibly weakened, the two Pokemon flew back to Temperance, Flygon wincing every few seconds, while Gyarados seemingly unable to control its movement at times.
"Lillette, are there any heals left?"
"No… They were all used…"
Temperance resisted the urge to give Lillette a piece of his mind, instead focusing on the good points of the battle so far. That dual Earthquake, along with the earlier Perish Song, had cleared many of the Dead, while those remaining had been pushed back. Lillette, while apparently unable to help him cure his Pokemon, was keeping them at bay with Silver Wind and Psychic. Barrier and Light Screen was also preventing them from breaching the town's defences. This brought some cheer from Temperance. Surely, the battle would be over before long, and he could cure his two afflicted Pokemon.
Then he saw the Jumpluffs and Venomoths flying over the Barrier. Appearing to be carrying a zombie Mr. Mime, and a living Weepinbell, the zombies flew over the defences… toward the PokeStone.
Shit! "Gyarados, Hyper Beam! Flygon, Fire Blast!" So that's what they're doing! That Weepinbell must have been Erika's… and therefore they will slay it and smear its blood on the PokeStone… and then the entire horde of cemetery dwellers will rise to wreak a terrible havoc upon this city… no, all of Kanto, and even beyond!
Temperance turned. Why weren't his Pokemon doing anything? Then he saw that Gyarados was paralysed, totally unable to move, and Flygon, poisoned, was flying up far too slow. The Jumpluffs sprayed Stun Spores over the entire town, causing not only Flygon, but many of the other defenders, to fall paralysed as well. The Fighting Dojo Master, on the verge of ordering his psychic Pokemon to use Psywave on the flying attackers, fell, mouth still open in command. Although a sitting duck for any zombie who wanted to give him the finishing blow, the zombies had no interest in him. They were heading for the PokeStone.
"Gyarados, Flygon, return! Dodrio, follow me!"
Temperance ran helter-skelter towards the PokeStone, banishing the weariness and pain in his legs. Dodrio, running much faster than her master, took the offensive, charging through the landed Venomoths with a Drill Peck, then turned, using Wing Attack to beat the Venomoths away. Weepinbell, clearly immobilised, was the next to land, carried by two Jumpluffs. The usually feathery and cheerful Pokemon was now horribly disfigured, the feathers now home to various small and fell insects. The flies buzzing around the zombies' heads almost made Temperance throw up again, but he knew that protecting this PokeStone was more important.
"Dodrio, Aerial Ace!"
Dodrio aimed at the two Jumpluffs for a brief moment, and then struck with an unknown force with deadly accuracy. Going above the Weepinbell's head, the projectile hit the two Jumpluffs, who dropped the Weepinbell. Temperance ran forward and caught it. Without Erika's Pokemon, there would be no way of destroying the PokeStone. Dodrio was easily fending off the zombies, some of them already fallen, others unable to battle. Then the final group landed – the Mr. Mime along with two Grovyles.
The Mr. Mime paused for a moment, opening its hideous mouth in a spell. The two Grovyles, already backing off his Dodrio, suddenly turned into his parents. His mother, round and cheerful face smiling as widely as the day he came back from Hoenn a year ago, was wearing the traditional apron of a housewife, advancing slowly towards him, arms outstretched. His father, slightly balding, was in office attire, having just returned from work. Briefcase in hand, he held out his hand in greeting. With only one difference. Both of them held knives in their hands.
Temperance walked slowly towards them, as if in a trance. One small part of his mind told him that it was an illusion, that these were undead Grovyles who would have no qualms about chopping off his head. The more powerful part asked him to throw his arms around them in a hug. Dodrio, seeing her master so unsure, hesitated, and a Jumpluff took the chance to cast sleeping powder over her. Dodrio, resisting with every second, was nevertheless put to sleep for a short period of time.
Temperance got closer to his parents. His parents raised their knives.