Chapter five
Penitentiary
Viridian city sat in a silent interlude, its skies void of any clouds, its winds gentle and soothing. The warming sun coated all in a deep hue of yellow, its soothing fingers brushing the verges of the landscape. Pidgey cooed in the hidden niches in which they crafted their nests, occasionally chirping an alarm to those nearby as a Rattata came skittering past. Plusle and Minun scampered about the alleyways between the arms of the buildings, their electricity trails flickering the lights in the vicinity. Tailow fluttered from their daily hovels, taking to the skies in great flocks of shining blue. A single Clefairy poked its head out from the cover of its home, relishing the cool breeze upon its warm fur, its face trained into a contented smile.
Emayla roughly pulled on the edges of her fur-lined jacket, further covering her arms into their warming depths. She leaned forward into the chair previously occupied by Kael, looking out the window into the serene land beyond, her thoughts whirling. Tirus had managed to create a cure for their malady. He had the escape Emayla had been searching eight thousand years for. She could finally be free of this miserable existence; free of the service of Arceus. Her breath quickened in spite of herself, causing the Pokemon trainer to clutch her head in utter jubilation.
Kael appeared from the depths of the room, slowly padding across the chamber to his master's side. He, too, found himself staring out at the landscape beyond, though his thoughts were of a marginally different chord. His era of servitude would come to an end at Emayla's release also, but at a greater cost than his master could foresee.
Slight rufflings murmured from the soft cover of the single bed, heralding the awakening of the Pichu, drawing the attention of the two at the window. The small yellow Pokemon lifted his head slowly from its resting place inside the cover of the pillows, blinking several times in the noon light. His immediate non-response brought a sliver of worry to Emayla's eyes, causing her to rise from her perch and move to the Pichu's side.
The Pichu looked up at her with smiling eyes, sleep still holding a fog over his face. "Chu chu pi." He said tiredly, rubbing his small paws repeatedly over his eyes to try and wipe away the remnants of his dreams.
Emayla glanced over to Kael, a single eyebrow trailing up her forehead. The white Lucario responded with a chuckle, bowing his head slightly in exasperation. "He says 'good morning', m'lady."
The Pokemon trainer paused for a moment, waiting for Kael to take his customary place by her side. Her Pokemon remained at his spot by the window, his eyes lightly trained on the Pichu, indicating that he'd not connect his aura with the threat of another attack so fresh in his mind. She sighed. "Could you ask him his name?"
Kael nodded, relaying the stated information quickly to the blissful Pokemon. "Toe…us?" Kael repeated back to Emayla, cocking his head slightly.
"Thomas?" Emayla replied, attempting to piece together the syllables presented by her partner.
The white Lucario shrugged. Again, he conveyed the word to the Pichu, who nodded faintly in response, his head tipped ever so slightly. "Chu pichu."
Kael smiled. "Close enough." He translated.
EC
The afternoon waned slowly, the brilliant sun tipping over the roof of the Pokemon center, casting the innards of the building into slight shadows. The luminescent light flickered in the plastered white roof, its prime years of servitude long since past. The newly dubbed Thomas sat lightly on the pane of the window, his ears perked up to their fullest extent as he strained to catch the slightest sounds from the world outside. His L-shaped black tail twitched every time a Pidgey fluttered past his window, his maw spreading deeper and deeper into a smile with every passing. The small mouse Pokemon paused for a moment in his viewings to glance over his shoulder at Kael, aiming a cheerful glance his way. The white Lucario sat on the bed behind him, his paws folded firmly across his chest, his red eyes causally watching over the smaller Pichu. He kept his right shoulder angled back towards the further door as he sat, still untrusting of the power inside the tiny Pokemon.
"It's really pretty." Thomas commented, his head slightly shifting towards the shimmering land outside. "I've never seen anything outside the forest before." His eyes misted over slightly at the mention of his former home, the devastation playing over his orbs in a macabre tune.
Kael offered no words of comfort, knowing that his councils would only draw retributions from the Pichu. He remained in place, his gaze never shifting from its soft glance, slightly wishing that Emayla would finish her errands in the city below.
Thomas turned back towards the clear glass, resting his two little paws on the slick surface, his nose only centimeters away from the cold expanse. "I miss them." He whispered, his eyes beginning to moisten. "Eladriel, Sorbolis, Reighgar…" Thomas' words slowly faded as he spoke, becoming an indiscernible stream of sobs. His shoulders began to shudder as he cried in earnest, tears pooling into the plastic interior of the window at his feet.
Kael sighed to himself, rising gradually from his perch, unclenching his tense muscles with practiced grace. The white Lucario padded slowly to Thomas, placing one paw lightly on the yellow Pokemon's shoulder, his voice remaining mute.
At this slightest of touch, Thomas swerved around, wrapping his little paws in Kael's fur, sobbing into the warmth of the older Pokemon's body. Kael, startled at first by the sudden reaction by the Pichu, froze as he felt the tears staining his fur, unsure of what he could do. Slowly, the white Lucario eased, his eyes softening in pure empathy for Thomas. He knelt down, lowering himself enough so his shoulders remained level with the Pichu.
Thomas pulled back slightly as he felt the Lucario move, his face soaked with tears. His lonely eyes reflected in Kael's, sending a slight tremor through the older Pokemon's form. The powers this small Pokemon had at his command…
Kael held no resistance as Thomas once again buried his small face into his shoulder, accepting the tears with returned sympathy. He had nothing to offer to console the Pichu, allowing Thomas to spill his emotions without interference. The white Lucario's eyes trailed out to the world beyond as he patiently waited, eyeing for any sign of his master. The alleyways and roads of the far floors of Viridian revealed nothing to his searching eyes, worrying Kael slightly. He knew that Emayla would return, but a lifetime serving as her guard came with its repercussions, causing the Lucario to always worry at her disappearances. He sighed to himself once again, raising his paw to pat the still crying Thomas gently on his back.
EC
Emayla strolled down the well kept streets of Viridian city easily, her pace matching those of the casual passerby. The towering spires of buildings wrapped around her on all sides, their glassed sides glittering in the sunlight, bathing the world below in a splash of color. An occasional flicker would pass over the glowing surface of the sky's mirrors, revealing the motion within the buildings with a quick burst. The doors of the various shops chimed in different tunes as they were moved, sending an unintended chorus into the air. The occasional fenced tree broke into the stone forest, its untamed majesty reaching towards the heavens, its many fingers the resting place for all Pokemon. The scents of the hardened metals that built the foundation of the city were drowned out by pleasant odors that wafted from the varying food shops, their tantalizing aromas calling to the populace to taste their wondrous depths.
Emayla reached a single hand casually down towards her belt, her confidence rising a step as she felt the familiar weight of the Pokeballs that harbored her loyal team, save for Kael, who waited at the Pokemon center with Thomas. A slight pang pulled a cord in her heart as she once again tasted the regrets for leaving her trusted companion behind, but she knew that the white Lucario would keep Thomas safe.
A small market at the end of the curb tugged at her attention, causing the Pokemon trainer to divert her course, entering the warm shop with open eyes. Piles upon piles of goods layered each other in colorful patterns, their prices labeled on rather bright price tags that seemed to hover above their stacks. Emayla sauntered over to a basket filled with nigh luminescent apples, their shining red surfaces at the peak of perfection. She picked one up gingerly, inhaling its sweet scent, inwardly smiling at the pleasure she knew she'd see upon delivering it to Thomas.
The Pokemon trainer went about her business quickly, collecting supplies for the long road ahead, her mind sealed off from outside influences. As she neared the counter to purchase her selections, a single conversation perked at her attention.
"But there have been no other reports?" A man was saying to his companion, his back facing Emayla. He wore the simple garb of choice for the market, but something about his posture sent chills up the Pokemon trainer's spine. He carried himself with the utmost confidence, his fingers always a hairs-breadth away from his Pokeballs. His blue eyes darted about the market, looking for any eavesdroppers, his scan passing by Emayla.
"No." The second replied, his appearance equally normal and threatening. "Nothing has come out of the forest. He might have finished them all off."
"Can that really be?" The first scoffed. "I've heard that those in the forest were of the highest proficiency. Perhaps they're shirking their duties."
The second laughed quietly. "With a mission as important as theirs? They wouldn't dare let that Pichu Carrier–"
"Hush!" Interrupted the first, his eyes darting madly about the market, coming to a rest at Emayla's stilled form. They continued with their conversation quietly, a slight amount of words making their way into Emayla's consciousness. "Located… center… retrieval in…" That was all she needed to hear.
Quickly paying the clerk the proper amount, Emayla hurried out of the small market, her course a direct line back to the Pokemon center. She brushed by the citizens of the city with haste, ignoring the grunts of protests as she shoved past the occasional slow mover with unnecessary vigor. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she moved, fear rising like a tide.
The looming form of the Pokemon center blotted out the brilliant sun, its shadow further casting Emayla into the recesses of worry. Hundreds of trainers milled in and out of the sliding doors, their Pokemon adding loudly to the overall din. With the cover that Team Rocket installed, it was impossible to tell if any were hostile.
Emayla roughly pushed her way into the main hall of the Pokemon center, immediately diverting her course for the stairway that led to the second floor and her room. Dozens of humans huffed at her passing, unwillingly parting the center of the stairwell to make way for the hurrying trainer. With each step her speed increased, her rush forcing her to fly past any obstacles. The landing to the second floor opened its great maw, the large expanse a straight shot to the far chamber. Emayla pulled herself up the final few steps with haunting force, causing the carpet to groan in protest and rip savagely at the seams. Doors on either side of the hall flashed by as she ran, their dull surfaces blending into a single entity at the force of her run.
A single door opened wide at the end of the hallway; the door that led to Emayla's room. Light pooled into the darker hallway from the chamber, a single silhouette blotting its radiance. A sudden burst of desperation took hold of her, causing the Pokemon trainer to barrel to the side, slamming herself, hard, into the being that took up residence in the doorway.
Kael let out a startled gasp as his master pounded into him, sending them both in the undeniable path of gravity. The white Lucario deftly twisted in mid-air, carefully keeping Emayla away from the deadly spike that protruded from his chest as they fell. Their collective weight landed heavily on the carpet, sending tremors through the floor, causing the complementary vase on the far desk to swerve precariously.
Emayla lay there for a moment, winded, as her Pokemon rose with a slight chuckle. Kael shook his head. "What's the rush for, m'lady?"
Emayla coughed slightly, catching her breath from her frantic pace. The trainer picked herself up from the ground rather unceremoniously, her blood-red eyes catching those of her Pokemon. A silent message passed between them in an instant, causing the Lucario to tense in sudden alarm. "Our position is in jeopardy. Team Rocket knows we're here."
Thomas hopped down from his place in the window, his small Pichu ears cocked in worry, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Pichu pi?" He asked.
"Tell Thomas it's time to go," Emayla instructed Kael, roughly shoving her new purchases into her large backpack, eager to be out the door.
The Lucario relayed the given information, causing Thomas to cock his head further to the side. "Pi pichu chu pi?"
Kael knelt down, gently scooping the Pichu into the air, placing him onto his sturdy shoulder, a smile edging on his maw. He murmured to the smaller Pokemon quietly, deftly keeping out of Emayla's way as she hurried about the room, searching for more supplies.
The Pokemon trainer opened the drawer at the arms of the bed, causing a small, leather bound book to bounce harshly against the wooden frame as she did so. With trembling hands, Emayla lifted the book to eye level, reading the ancient scripts underlying the new-age texts. "The Arcemund." She whispered, cracking open the stiff pages to the front cover, inhaling deeply the scent of the old paper.
The subtle echoes from the farthest reaches of the city suddenly escalated in volume, causing all inhabitants of the chamber to freeze. Shouts reverberated menacingly in the confined spaces of their room, carrying with it the tangible scent of dread.
"Time's up." Kael commented, gripping the handle to the door with his left paw. He eyed Emayla expectantly, who nodded in reply.
The three companions exited the Pokemon center quickly, their escape covered easily by the throng of people that ran out to meet the day. A commotion in the courtyard of the center had drawn the mob, where two humans held a rather flamboyant shouting match. Emayla took Kael's arm, diverting their course far from the growing crowd, taking the less noticeable alleyways to the edge of town. They ran for several long minutes, taking the crisscrossing pathways far away from the distant noise. The buildings suddenly gave way to an explosion of life, the vast grasslands that separated the city from the woods beyond swaying gently in the breeze.
"Where shall we go?" Kael asked, glancing towards his trainer. Thomas shifted his precarious position on the human's shoulders, a place that he had obtained somewhere in the din of the alley. The Pichu's ears perked up with renewed vigor as he scented his distant homeland on the breeze,
"Pewter." Emayla replied. "We head north to Pewter city. Viridian may have fallen to the taint of Team Rocket, but Brock will never allow their pollution to destroy his home."
Kael nodded his acknowledgement.
Emayla took a single Pokeball from its magnetic clip on the safety of her belt, lightly clicking on the center mechanism on its surface. Kael gave her a quizzical look, eyeing the solitary Pokeball with slight suspicions. The Pokemon trainer lowered her head sheepishly. "It's best if I took to the skies." She answered, her eyes flicking to Thomas for an indication of her reasoning.
Kael followed her strain of thought, his eyes narrowing slightly at her suggestion.
"It would only be for a little while," Emayla argued to the white Lucario's silent bombardments. Her left hand started its rise towards her neck, where hung Kael's own Pokeball, clipped lightly to a strip of dark cloth that she wore as a necklace. A black paw shot towards her hand, gripping her fingers firmly, holding her in place. His red eyes bore into hers, a silent pleading pooling from their depths.
"Don't." He whispered.
Emayla brought his paw against her neck, her pulse throbbing against his claws. "It's better this way." She replied in equal volume. Kael's grip slackened, but his eyes never lost their pained glint. The trainer finished the retrieval of the Pokeball at her neck, clicking it so it enlarged for the Lucario. "I'm sorry." She murmured.
Kael backed up a step, a false smile finding its way up his maw as he glanced at the worried Thomas. Emayla lifted the Pokeball to eye level, the sincerity of her last words reflecting on her eyes, knowing the utter agony that she would soon invoke upon her partner. Kael lifted his face to the heavens, his eyes closed, his paws spread out on either side. With a swift movement, his form became that of pure light, the absolute glory of his returned shape dimming even the light of the sun. The energy swirled for a moment on the spot in which it had been created, and then suddenly snaked back inside the Pokeball with a resounding snap.
Emayla bent her head sadly, returning the Pokeball to its resting place on her neck. Unlike the other Pokemon of the world, something was amiss with her partner. This abnormal anomaly caused the Lucario actual physical pain every moment he 'rested' in the Pokeball, thus forcing the trainer to keep Kael out of that prison whenever possible.
Thomas pulled lightly on her ear, diverting Emayla from her reverie. "Chu chu pi?" He asked worriedly, glancing towards the red and white sphere at Emayla's collarbone.
"It'll be alright," Emayla replied, knowing full well the small Pichu couldn't understand her. The Pokemon trainer glanced towards the sky, her eyes narrowing slightly against the glare of the sun. "Xavier, where are you?"
EC
-Earlier that same day-
Blackfire clutched his arm in agony, curling up into a tight ball in a futile attempt to alleviate the pain. Unbidden tears flowed from his swollen eyes, staining the already blood-covered floor with their salty sting. The Rocket lieutenant could see nothing of his prison, for it was completely void of light, but he didn't care. He hardly knew who or what he was. The pain completely blotted out his thoughts, dominating his consciousness with its knowing superiority.
He laid there for hours, suffering in silent torture, the world passing unknowingly over his cage. He could hear them; they stomped just above his reach, sending slight tremors through the walls of his cell every time they passed by. Blackfire tried to cry out; tried to tell those unforgiving quakes of his plight, but his voice failed him. Air gushed out of his throat, but no noise followed, leaving the deadened air just as silent as before.
Hope was a nonexistent force in his soul, leaving him in a bleak and hopeless state. Blackfire hadn't the slightest idea on how he could possibly escape. He wasn't even sure if he could muster his willpower enough to try. Solstice had locked him up in this airtight box, waiting for his inevitable doom, like a fattened lamb for the slaughter. He could hear that accursed laughter in the clogged air around him, surrounding his body with a veil of absolute sadistic agony. Solstice enjoyed every minute of his suffering, often slinking in to the darkness to inflict yet another wound to the Rocket lieutenant's ravaged form.
Soon the footsteps above silenced, leaving the chamber in an absolute hush of terror. The only sound that dared enter his prison was the painful gasps emitted by Blackfire, Solstice having long since gone to torture its other victims.
His blood began to congeal, sealing up his numerous wounds slowly in the cold of his chamber. His mind began to shut off the receptors for pain in his body, allowing Blackfire to think clearly for the first time in several hours. He blinked, trying to catch a glimpse of his prison. Nothing allowed itself to be seen; no light dared pervade the box. Blackfire slowly rose from his painful crouch, his head brushing the top of the prison without having risen to his full extent. If he extended his arms to either side, they brushed the edges of his cell, regardless of the directions he twisted in.
A wail slowly rose from the depths of his lungs; a scream of pure agony that ripped through the sickly air. His scream tore through his throat for hours, lacerating his voice to nothing more than a pitiful whimper. The echoes of his yell bounced off the walls repeatedly, having nowhere to escape, thudding heavily back into his consciousness every time they passed. Blackfire collapsed onto the floor.
Suddenly, a harsh explosion ripped through the roof of his prison, hurling the Rocket lieutenant into the far wall. Light bled in through an imperceptible crack in the roof, bathing Blackfire in a bloody halo.
Fire blasted again against the roof, followed by sharp claws that easily tore through the protection of the darkened cell. Blackfire lifted his hand above his head, shielding his sensitive eyes from the assault of illumination.
Creed hacked at the roof with increasing vigor, his maw still dripping with liquid fire. The Houndoom ripped away stone slabs, a whine escaping from his throat when he saw his defeated master.
"C-Creed?" Blackfire whispered, hardly able to believe his eyes, thinking this to be a horrid hallucination.
The Houndoom whimpered in reply, his paws bleeding from the force of his dig. The hole finished its own opening with the pull of gravity, allowing a cavity just large enough for Blackfire to push through. The Rocket lieutenant lifted his hand into the air, his strength having left his body long ago.
Creed clamped onto his masters arm with his commanding jaws, his fangs ripping through the soft flesh, but finding a solid hold. His powerful muscles rippling with the effort, the Houndoom heaved his weakened master out of the pit.
Blackfire gripped the lightened surface land with absolute joy, tears falling from his eyes. Creed whimpered again, padding slowly to his master's side, his head lowered, and his spiked tail waving back and fourth in happiness. The former Rocket lieutenant reached up with his good hand to gently pat his faithful Houndoom. Creed licked his master's hand in reply, panting slightly from the effort of his work. "Good boy."
Creed nudged his head against Blackfire, telling the human to rise. Blackfire obliged, one hand placed firmly on the Houndoom's back for support as he did.
Blackfire lifted his head, taking in the deep scenery of the land. The castle of Tirus loomed far away on the great hill, its gardens swarming with his chosen elite. A glittering plane of tall grass swayed in the late afternoon light between the castle and where Blackfire stood, their arms dancing in ignorance. Several Team Rocket agents prowled about the premise of the land, thus explaining the tremors that ravaged his cell earlier, but none stalked clearing on which Blackfire rested.
"Let's get out of here, Creed." Blackfire rasped, wrapping his fingers in the warm fur of his Houndoom, feeling the powerful muscles responding lightly to his touch. The dark fire Pokemon turned lightly on the spot, padding quietly into the day, his master in tow.