True Magic
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
Chapter Three
"I think this spell will do the trick. We'll need to use the local center's teleport diagram, but it'll get us to Eterna City much faster," said Lucas, gesturing towards a teleportation spell. Their allotted time of one week was used up, and they prepared to leave Sandgem Town.
"Why Eterna City?" asked Dawn, examining the spell's description.
"I figured since most of the wizards are disappearing there, we should start there as well. What do you think of the spell?"
"It's seems good, although I don't really understand what this is about centers and teleport diagrams…"
"Well, with this spell, you can teleport to any place with a certified teleportation diagram. You usually find them at a town or city's local wizard rest center, but some people have managed to get a hold of them in their own houses, offering rest stops for wizards."
"What local wizard rest center?"
"Didn't you see the huge red building out there? The one with a W sign?"
"Oh that? That's a rest center for wizards?"
"Yeah. Any wizard can stay at a rest center after offering proper identification. Speaking of which, you did get your official wizard ID, right?" asked Lucas.
"Yeah. Now, for this spell to Eterna –"
"I wouldn't go there if I were you two," said Professor Rowan, barging into the lab where Dawn and Lucas were currently situated. "I've just received news from Eterna's local master; it seems that a Block Spell has been put over the entire city."
"The entire place? That's a lot of power to keep running nonstop," said Lucas. "What will we do now?"
"I suggest you go to Floaroma Town first. From there, try to make your way to Eterna, but remember about the Block Spell."
"Excuse me, but what is the Block Spell?" interrupted Dawn.
"It prevents people from on the inside of it from leaving the affected area. Of course, you can enter, but you won't be able to get out afterwards," explained Lucas.
"Exactly. Now, Gardenia –"
"Who?" asked Dawn.
"Gardenia, Eterna's local master wizard. Now, if there are no more interruptions," Professor Rowan shot Dawn a nasty glare, "I was just about to explain what Gardenia told me. Evidently, she has discovered that it is not being powered directly by wizards, but rather by numerous spell tags placed all around the city. If you two can find the spell tags and eradicate them, the Block Spell will fall. Also, if you get into the city, seek the help of the local wizards. They will assist you."
Despite the thousands of questions ricocheting in Dawn's head, she kept quiet until Professor Rowan finished explaining. Finally, with one last breath, the professor eyed both young wizards.
"I am sorry to have to send you two out to do this, but please, do what you must and then come back safely."
A barely noticeable shimmer appeared in the man's eyes before he abruptly turned and left the lab.
"You probably have a ton of questions, and I'm pretty sure we learned about them this past week," sighed Lucas. "Go ahead."
"What's a master wizard? What's a local master wizard? What's a spell tag?" blurted Dawn.
"Yeah, we learned about all of those," sighed Lucas. "A master wizard is one who is extremely talented in a branch of magic. In some cities over Sinnoh, there are local master wizards; they are charged with the task of protecting their city and the neighboring areas if needed. Luckily, there hasn't been any disturbance for the past century or so.
"Now, about spell tags. Remember that spell we put on your wand to make it less brittle? That used a spell tag. Spell tags are used to hold magic and release the spell over time. That way, no wizard has to oversee the entire process of magic and can instead just let the spell tag do the spell. Got all of that?"
"Yeah," said Dawn. "Well, we'd better get going. After all, we need to go to Floaroma and then Eterna from there."
"Yeah…" said Lucas.
They both hoisted their bags and left the lab. Before entering the wizard center, they both took a last look at the peaceful town of Sandgem.
"Will we come back?" asked Dawn softly.
"Of course. We don't even know if this will be a dangerous task yet," said Lucas, even though his eyes were saddened and worried.
"Let's go then," sighed Dawn, turning away from the beautiful morning sun of the town. "We need to start as soon as possible."
"Wait!"
Both young wizards turned at the call. Johanna was rushing at them at breakneck speed, a magical gust pushing her along.
"Take these," she gasped when she reached the duo. She dropped two identical objects into their hands.
"Um, thanks?" said Dawn, looking at the small piece of metal. "Is this some sort of headset that goes around one ear?"
The wire was shaped in such a way that it would sit on one side of the head yet protrude slightly.
"Those belonged to me and your father," said Johanna, a misty look overcoming her. "They're lenses. Press the button on the side."
Lucas and Dawn did so and were startled when lenses slid out of the metal. Lucas's lens was blue while Dawn's was red.
"Put them on," directed Johanna."
The two wizards did so and suddenly gasped when they looked through it. Johanna smiled tiredly.
"Yep. Those lenses allow you to see magic. Keep them safe."
"I couldn't," said Lucas, hurriedly taking the headpiece of and retracting the lens. "If this belonged to your husband, I couldn't take it –"
"Nonsense. You'll probably end up as my son-in-law anyways, and these are basically family heirlooms," said Johanna, waving a hand. After seeing the bright red face of Lucas and the infuriated, equally-red face of Dawn, Johanna realized what she had just said. "Oh. Uh, well, get going. I expect to see you home for dinner, Dawn."
And with that, Johanna gusted away, leaving the shocked pair on the steps of the wizard center.
"Um… well, that was very nice of her to give these to us," said Lucas, coughing slightly. The blush slowly descended from his cheeks, but his ears were still flaming, a clear contrast to his dark hair. Dawn nodded, lips sealed together as though she would never speak again due to embarrassment. She did speak again though.
"Hey Lucas?"
"Yeah?"
"Why are those spells we put on my wand lasting so long?"
"Because they're efficient. The little bit of aura you put into the spells is enough to keep them going. They require small amounts of power to generate the spell. You'll have to renew the magic eventually, say, in a year or two."
"Wow…"
"Excuse me…"
A young, pink-haired woman interrupted their conversation. "What can I help you with? I'm Nurse Joy, by the way."
"Uh, hi," said Lucas. "We'd like to teleport to Floaroma Town."
"Teleportation? Right this way."
The pink-haired nurse led them along path to a room.
"Slide your wizard identification cards there, please," she said, pointing to a slot. The door swung open after they were registered. On the floor, a large diagram had been drawn, filled with complex measurements and calculations.
"Write your names there, fill in the number of people traveling there, and pulse a bit of both of your auras into there. Then, stand in the center circle," directed Nurse Joy.
The two did as she instructed and then reluctantly stood in the middle. Slowly, the diagram began to glow, shimmering gently as power flowed throughout the diagram. Lucas and Dawn closed their eyes as the glow reached them, feeling the warmth of power engulf them.
When they next opened their eyes, it seemed as though there was no change, yet another Nurse Joy walked into the room and ushered them out.
"Are we really in Floaroma, Nurse Joy?" asked Dawn, taking a look at the identical surroundings.
"Yes, of course."
"Then why are you here?"
"What?"
"Shouldn't you be taking care of Sandgem Town's wizard center?"
Nurse Joy laughed.
"Oh, I'm not that Nurse Joy. I'm Floaroma Town's Nurse Joy. Sandgem Town's Nurse Joy is my younger sister."
"…"
"Have a nice day!" Nurse Joy said cheerfully as she went on her way.
"Let's go," said Lucas, dragging a still-stupefied Dawn.
They walked out into the town of Floaroma, inhaling the fresh scent of blooming flowers.
"Okay, we should go this way to get to Eterna –"
"Excuse me…"
Nurse Joy tapped their shoulders.
"You have a call from the esteemed Professor Rowan. Please come with me back to the center…"
The two wizards curiously followed the nurse, wondering why Rowan would suddenly call them right after they left. Upon entering the center, Nurse Joy led them to a computer where Professor Rowan could be seen on screen waiting impatiently.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Rowan said curtly. The nurse nodded and left, Professor Rowan turning his attention to Lucas and Dawn. "Now, you might be wondering why I'm calling you, so I'll tell you. If you have any questions at all, you'd best ask me right now before it's too late."
Too late for what? thought Dawn, wincing at the thoughts that popped into her head.
"Here's a good one, Professor," said Lucas, slightly angrily. "Why does it seem like we're the only ones worrying about this?"
"I understand that you feel that way, but you're not," said the professor. "Most of the other wizards have deemed Veilstone City the first place to go to, and many are heading there. I believe that Pastoria City and Hearthome City wizards are leading this investigation. However, since Oreburgh is close to Eterna and may be attacked next, Roark has decided to launch full defensive measures. Most of the local masters have stayed put; after all, you never know what could happen if they were to leave their cities."
"Well, at least others are working on this," grumbled Lucas.
"Is there anything else?"
"Dawn?" asked Lucas. She shook her head.
"Alright then. I wish you two good luck in your rescue of Eterna City."
The screen blacked out. Lucas sighed and stood up.
"Let's go."
Soon, they left the gates of Floaroma Town and were heading onto Route 205. The sight of a crying little girl stopped them.
"What's wrong?" asked Dawn, hurrying to the girl and crouching down. "Are you alright?"
"They took Daddy!" bawled the youngster, pointing at a building further down. "They took Daddy and won't let him go!"
"Who?" asked Lucas. The girl sniffled.
"I… I think they called themselves Team Galactic…"
Lucas and Dawn glanced at each other and nodded simultaneously.
"We'll save your dad, don't worry," Dawn said soothingly. "Just stay safe so they don't get you, alright?"
The girl nodded hesitantly as Lucas and Dawn took off.
"What is this place?" asked Dawn, gesturing at the windmills and building.
"This sign calls it Valley Windworks. It looks like they're an energy company that utilizes wind power."
"Well, let's check it out…"
"Be careful," warned Lucas, holding his staff at the ready. Dawn nodded and drew out her wand from its holder at her waist.
They shifted to the doors and quietly slipped through them; unfortunately, they slammed right into a bizarre man heading out the doors.
"Hey!" he yelled. "Intruders!"
Dawn quickly shot a Water Gun Spell at the man, blasting him down the hallway as more, identical people appeared just around the corner. Quickly, they encircled Dawn and Lucas.
"Who are you?" asked Lucas.
"And what did you do to your hair?" added Dawn, bemused at the strange shade of neon blue-green that gave the color of the messes of hair on each person's head.
"We are Team Galactic," said one of the people. "We're just Grunts. And this is called fashion," he said, jabbing a finger at his hair and directing the last comment at Dawn.
As Dawn snorted at the "fashionable" hair and earned many glares from the Grunts, Lucas took a more direct approach for information.
"Have you taken a man hostage?"
"So what if we have?" jeered another Grunt. She laughed. "You're just kids; you won't understand the great things Team Galactic is planning!"
With that, the ten Grunts attacked.
They each held out their hands and a malicious purple aura formed around each of them. Glowing, purple darts began to shoot at Lucas and Dawn. Lucas quickly brought up his staff and formed a yellow barrier, deflecting the needles. As the Grunts scattered to avoid their repelled attack, Lucas and Dawn took the opportunity to move on.
As they rounded the corner, Grunts hot on their tail, Dawn turned around and shot an Aurora Beam Spell at the wall, creating a frozen, rainbow-hued wall that sealed off the corridor. Running around a last table, they saw a man tied up in a chair and a woman interrogating him.
"How do you activate the power?" she screeched. The man refused to answer. "Tell me, or I promise you you'll never see your precious daughter again!"
The man's eyes paled, but the woman's attention was caught on Dawn and Lucas as they appeared around a table. She snorted.
"Useless Grunts… I'll have to deal with the intruders myself. Now tell me, who are you? And why are you here?"
"I think we should be asking you those questions," retorted Dawn. "After all, you just took over the entire plant."
She laughed. "I like your spunk, kid. I'm one of Team Galactic's three Commanders; I'm Mars. We've been trying to create a new world that's better than this one... But people have shown little understanding about what we do. You don't understand either, do you? It's a little saddening... So, let's have a battle to decide what we should do next. If I win, you leave. If you win, we, Team Galactic, will leave!"
Without further ado, she jumped forward. She crossed her arms and then swung them up in an X shape, sending two blades of air flying at Lucas. Lucas blocked it with a Light Screen Spell while Dawn took the opportunity to shoot an Ice Shard Spell at Mars. The woman suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Dawn, kicking her sharply in the back.
With a cry of pain, Dawn was launched forward. Lucas turned and quickly blocked a Toxic Spell from Mars, but she quickly swung another Air Cutter Spell at him, smashing him into the wall and slicing his jacket.
"Looks like I win," said Mars, smirking. "Now get out."
"You haven't won yet," said Dawn, raising her wand and firing a stream of water at the Commander.
"Pitiful," said Mars, shaking her head. She raised a hand and produced a claw of aura. She destroyed Dawn's water with a single, swift slash and leisurely reclined in a chair. "Got anything else up your sleeves?"
Lucas slowly staggered upright, as did Dawn. Lucas raised his staff above his head and concentrated.
"Get ready, Dawn!" he yelled as his spell took effect.
"What the –!"
The force of gravity suddenly intensified and everyone was buckled to the floor.
"All her spells need some sort of large movement," said Lucas, relaxing and allowing his spell to function properly. "If she can't move, she can't fight. Now, Dawn!"
Even as Dawn and Lucas extended their weapons to charge spells, Mars laughed.
"You forgot my Toxic Spell," she whispered. "If it reaches you… you'll be poisoned rather badly."
Dawn's eyes widened as purple goo oozed from Mars's splayed fingers.
"Don't bother, Dawn," yelled Lucas. "If we stop her, I'll end the Gravity Spell and we can deal with the Toxic after that!"
A rainbow-hued spiral burst from Lucas's staff, and Dawn strengthened her resolve and used the Aurora Beam Spell with Lucas's Extrasensory. The two attacks converged on a screaming Mars and she was knocked unconscious and frozen on the spot. Quickly, Lucas released his Gravity Spell and Dawn neutralized Toxic with water. They both ran over to the man, who was knocked over onto his face by Lucas's spell, and quickly sat him upright and untied him.
"Thank you," he gasped. "I couldn't breathe like that…"
"No problem," said Dawn, helping the man to stand. "You're daughter's waiting for you on Route 205."
Without further hesitation, the man ran out of the energy plant. Lucas and Dawn limped along with him and smiled when they saw the man embrace his daughter tightly. They turned and finally decided to examine their injuries.
"Your jacket," said Dawn, lifting it and grimacing at the sliced pattern. "Did that Air Cutter go deeper?"
"No," said Lucas, examining his red sweater. "I should be fine. How about you? She kicked you pretty hard."
"I'm fine too," said Dawn, stretching her back and getting a few cricks out of it. "It's just a little sore."
"Well, if we're both fine, let's get going," sighed Lucas. They walked over to the plant worker. "Sir, we'll be leaving now. We hope you'll be alright in the future."
"Thank you so much," said the man. "I hope you stay safe as well."
Leaving the reunited father and daughter, Lucas and Dawn continued on their way to Eterna City.
"By the way," said Lucas, "did you notice any of the Grunts or Mars when we left Valley Windworks?"
Dawn shook her head.
"That's weird..."
Continuing on, the pair meandered slowly through the peaceful countryside; before they knew it, they stood outside the immense Eterna Forest. Trees loomed overhead and blocked light from entering. Even so, grass grew abundantly throughout the forest. Lucas and Dawn glanced at each other, sighed, and entered the next obstacle of their quest. Little did they know that the forest held more dangers than they cared to believe…
"Who are the kids?"
"Who knows?"
"Well… we'll stop them."
"Get rid of them as soon as they reach that point."
"Get rid of them?"
"Destroy them."