Pokemon Adventures: Where Legends Cross
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon Adventures/Special.
Hello again! In this chapter we return to the two whom we haven't heard from since Chapter 6! Let's see what they're encountering this time...
Began writing on April 14th, 2011. Began drafting chapter 26.
Chapter 11. Vs. Sableye: Making Friends... and Foes
- Near Icirrus City, Southern Entrance -
"Hang in there, Archy, we're almost there!" Platina could hear Crys soothing her tired Arcanine as they raced headlong down the road leading to Icirrus City, despite the exhaustion evident in her own voice. As for herself, Platina was hardly in a condition to speak to Rapidash at all; in spite of all her adventures throughout Sinnoh, this was the first time she had been mobbed by a whole gang of Pokemon, and it was not a pleasant experience. She had barely managed to open a way for both of them to escape, and the stunt had cost much.
"I - I think they're catching up!" She managed to gasp out as the sound of pursuit grew louder behind them. "Let's hurry. Surely they won't follow us into the city?"
"Who knows what they'll - oh!" Looking up at the sudden exclamation, Platina lifted her aching head to see the horrified expressions of both Crystal and Archy. Following their gaze ahead, she felt her own eyes threatening to pop out of their sockets.
Smoke was rising from the city in front of them.
- Icirrus City -
There wasn't even time to drop by the Pokemon Center as Crys rushed into the city with Platina right behind her. The culprits that were attacking the city revealed themselves soon enough; for a moment Crystal could only watch in horror as Bronzors and Golbats went flying around, indiscrimately attacking everything around them as their Trainers rushed about, odd green-haired people with the most... alarming... uniform she had ever seen; they made the Team Rocket uniform look cool.
"Team Galactic!" Platina's expression was horror itself as she stared at the sight from her side in disbelief. "But... it's impossible. We brought them down in Sinnoh!"
Crystal felt her heart drop down to her toes. Why were all the criminals suddenly coming back to life in this region of all places? Remembering the dream that first led her to Unova (though the PokeDex filling was more than just an excuse on her part), she silently prayed to Suicune to give her strength. You were right, Suicune. The danger has come.
"Cherrim, use Petal Dance!" Platina's shout put her attention back to the present as the younger girl's Cherrim popped out of its Poke Ball, immediately blowing several grunts away with a powerful gust of flowing petals.
"Nice one!" Crystal told her as they quickly dismounted from their steeds. Inwardly admiring Platina's skill in battle (not to mention her encyclopedic knowledge) she prepared to send out her own Pokemon when she noticed a small, black shape leaping out at the younger Dex Holder from behind, its wicked claws coiled to launch a fatal slash at her exposed neck.
"Megaree, get that!' Crys shouted, sending out her strongest partner against the assultant, who grunted with surprise as the Meganium smacked it away with a powerful Magical Leaf.
"What - ?" Platina exclaimed at she whirled around to see Megaree, who looked back at her with a wink. Cherrim, noticing the attacker as well, rushed in front of its Trainer in a defensive position as the opponent leaped back to its feet, revealing itself to be a wicked-looking Sableye.
"Well, well, well," the female voice was sly and icy as its master walked out of nowhere to stand behind the Darkness Pokemon. The minor details like the stupid uniform and her bunned-up purple hair was nothing comapred to the malice and ill-will reflected in her violet eyes as she narrowed them at Platina, who had apparantly recognized the woman as well - and was regretting it deeply. "Who is this, I do believe we have met before in Lake Acuity, haven't we?"
"Jupiter!" Platina exclaimed, for the first time showing enmity in her gold-tinted eyes as she spun around to face the smirking woman. "What are you doing here in Unova? Are you under orders from Cyrus?"
Before Jupiter could reply, however, a horribly familiar voice spoke from behind Crystal: "Raticate, Hyper Fang."
"Megaree, Protect!" Crys shouted out of reflex, whirling behind to see the Mouse Pokemon charging straight at her, its wicked fangs bared to rip and tear. Just in time Megaree jumped in between, setting up a barrier in front of her on which the Raticate ungracefully bounced off, its teeth grating the surface of the protective move with a screech.
"Giovanni!" Crys gritted her teeth as the Team Rocket Boss walked out to stand in front of her, his expression displeased as he observed the situation in front of him. To her horror, Crystal saw that now the dark man's own grunts had joined Team Galactic in terrorizing the town.
"Ah," said Jupiter, her expression slightly lifting in amusement as she noticed him. "Pardon me for the intrusion, sir. I was not aware that these were your... prey."
"Do not play games with me, woman," Giovanni grunted back, though he returned her sly grin with a black smirk of his own. "This is only a temporary truce, if I must remind you."
"Hm, excuse me, then," said Jupiter with a low laugh.
"A truce?" Crystal gasped in horror. After all the pain of facing Team Rocket through the years, now she was supposed to face two ALLIED bands of criminals?
"A matter of efficiency," stated Jupiter, leering at the two girls with enough venom in her eyes to melt boulders. "Something that proved beneficial today, it seems, now that we've got you trapped in a pincer grip."
"Then I shall shatter that pincer." Crys nearly flinched in shock as Platina turned to face Jupiter, with more grudge and spite than she believed the younger Trainer was capable of exerting; even Jupiter seemed rather taken aback. "We settle this here, Jupiter. Cherrim, use Sunny Day!"
With an assuring nod the Blossom Pokemon fired two bright orbs into the the cloudy sky, which exploded upon reaching the heavens, chasing the clouds away momentarily to reveal the sunlight pouring into the entire city, shrouding the surroundings of Cherrim and the Sableye in a glaring veil of light.
Crystal would have watched more to see the Sableye retaliate, but she was forced to turn her attention to Giovanni. Desperately wishing Platina good luck - something told her that Jupiter was a very capable fighter - the Capturer shared an assuring look with Megaree as they faced the Team Rocket Boss and his Raticate together.
"Raticate, use Crunch!"
"Megaree, Razor Leaf!"
"Beartic, use Icicle Crash!"
Both Giovanni and his Raticate dodged out of the way as a giant polar-like Pokemon (at first Crystal mistook it for an albino Ursaring) shot up from behind them, slamming an enormous icicle onto the spot where they've been a second ago with an incredible crash.
"Who dares to intrude?" Giovanni snapped angrily as he looked around, only to see that a good number of both his and Jupiter's grunts were frozen deep, as the small city was suddenly swarming all over with Cubchoos and Vanilites. Crys looked up in surprise to see that a handful of Trainers - mostly consisting of burly black-belts - had appeared out of nowhere to face Team Rocket and Galactic, led by a tall man with light-blue hair, garbed in traditional ice-blue outfit. His grey eyes were hidden behind a blue visor of ice, oddly reminding Crystal of a certain late ice-type gym leader.
"You take care of the grunts," the man - obviously the city's Gym Leader- instructed the Trainers behind him in a stern and serious voice. "I'll take care of the leaders. Make haste!"
"Yes, Brycen!" The gym Trainers chorused, dashing away with their Pokemon.
"You there!" Brycen barked out at Jupiter, who was busily clashing her Sableye with Cherrim - Crystal saw to her relief that the Darkness Pokemon was already quite weakened by Cherrim's relentless attacks - in a furious cat-fight. "Leave the little lady alone and face me! Or are all criminals only good at picking on children?"
"We'll see about that," said Jupiter as she turned to face the Gym Leader, only to have a Solarbeam miss her ear by an inch.
"You're fight's with me, Jupiter!" Crystal had never heard the normally calm and poised Platina sounding so fierce. "Are you backing down from a challenge?"
"You..." growled Jupiter, having been taunted twice in a row.
"Little Miss, your courage is admiring, but there is no need to push yourself." Brycen called out to Platina, having left his Beartic to face off against Giovanni's Raticate, leaving Crys and Megaree without an opponent.
"There is no need to worry for me," Platina replied to the Gym Leader with a thin smile as Cherrim pushed Sableye further with a Petal Dance attack. "Please, leave this woman to me. We have a score to settle here."
"If you insist..." said Brycen rather reluctantly, returning his attention to Giovanni.
Well, no time to lie around useless.
"Parasee, Xatee!" Crystal cried quickly, allowing her Parasect and Xatu to materialize beside Megaree with energetic cries. Though they weren't exactly her main fighting members, she felt that Bonee and Monlee had exhausted themselves enough.
"Let's take care of the grunts while the Boss are occupied, okay?" She told her teammates, who chorused in agreement before rushing at the minions, who were now engaging in battle with Brycen's Gym Trainers.
"Parasee, paralyze them! Megaree, use Vine Whip!" Crystal commanded in a rapid succession as the grunts that were free began noticing her. Before they could properly react, however, Parasee's Stun Spore poured over them and their Pokemon ruthlessly, rooting them to the spot. Megaree quickly followed after, using his vines to tightly bind them together.
(A/N: Yes, Megaree is male)
"All-right! Now Xatee - "
"Stop this nonsense at once!"
A thundering voice suddenly broke through the noisy atmosphere, causing Crys to nearly jump in surprise. Quickly scanning around, she saw that all heads (even Giovanni's) were turned toward the northern entrace of the city. Crystal's eyes widened as she spotted more people walking into the devastated square, this time all dressed in something that largely resembled a middle-age armor suit.
By heavens, had every criminal organization in the world decided to have a conference meeting here?
The armored people entered proudly, as if it was perfectly fine for them to walk in and out of towns as they pleased. At their lead was, to Crystal's surprise, an old man with a slightly hunched back and whitening hair, garbed in what seemed to be an attire for a sage, dark brown in color. A hulky Throh walked beside him, the Judo Pokemon's grim expression reflecting the apparant anger in the man's withered face.
"See what is happening before our eyes, brothers and sisters!" The old man cried out in outrage, sweeping his hand across the scene before them - more specifically, at the fighting grunts of Teams Rocket and Galactic. "A gang of lowly thieves, seeking to use Pokemon like slaves for their selfish gain! The atrocity! What do these bandits deserve?"
"Pain! Punishment! Justice!" Chorused the armored grunts in unison. Crys blinked in confusion at the unexpected words. These people were here to fight against the villians? She cast a swift glance at Platina, who looked just as baffled.
"Well, damn," Giovanni's irritated sigh caught Crystal's attention as she turned to look at the man walking over to Jupiter, apparantly having abandoned both their matches. "It looks like some stupid old geezer decided to intervene. Talk about an eager beaver."
"I'll say," muttered Jupiter, despite the fact that the sick smile hadn't vanished. "Interloping like that. I guess that's our sign to retreat."
"What?" Crystal exclaimed in shock. Was this woman being serious?
"The fighitng option isn't dead yet," suggested Giovanni, although the offer didn't sound very serious.
"We've done enough here," replied Jupiter, already turning away from the scowling old man. "Time to move our operation elsewhere. The geezer's come too late anyway."
"Whatever you say," Giovanni snorted as he turned to his grunts. "You heard it. We're moving!" The grunts complied at once (except, of course, the ones that were snared), evacuating the small city in a hurry until only Giovanni was facing the newly-arrived army.
"I'll remember that face, old geezer," he sneered at the sage. "One day, you'll find me in a worse mood... That day, that face will be lying broken beneath my feet. Until then, Sage Bronius of Team Plasma... farewell."
Then he was gone.
Blankly staring at where the Team Rocket was just a moment ago, Crystal's mind was so jumbled up that she didn't notice Brycen stalking forward to Team Plasma before he spoke out.
"Team Plasma." His voice was unnaturally stiff, more so considering that these people had virtually saved his town. "Do not think you can gain our trust through acts like these, although I cannot say they aren't appreciated. What you plan to do is wrong, and you can expect us to fight it to the end."
"I'm sorry you must think that way. It appears that you have yet to understand our ideals." Sage Bronius replied, seemingly only sightly taken aback by the Gym Leader's harsh words.
"It is you that underestimate the mind of men," Brycen replied flatly. "Conversation's over. You will leave now."
"If that is your wish," answered Bronius calmly as he turnd to his grunts. "Let us depart, brothers and sisters."
Not looking back to see Team Plasma depart, Brycen immediately turned back and walked back toward the gym, but Crys could hear several disturbed whispers here and there as people stared at the leaving army's back.
As he passed her and Platina, though, Brycen abruptly stopped and came over, noticing them with a raise of his eyebrows.
"That was an admirable fight the two of you put up there," he commented with a thin smile as he stood in front of Crystal and Platina. "By the looks of your Pokemon you're not from around here, are you?"
"No," Crys replied politely, taking out her PokeDex to show him. "My name is Crystal, Dex Holder of the Johto region. This is my companion Platina Berlitz, Dex Holder from Sinnoh."
"It is an honor to meet you," Platina added with an expert's curtsey.
"Dex Holder?" said Brycen, looking surprised before his expression frowned up in deep thought. As Crys began to wonder if she should ask him if anything was the matter, he opened his eyes again as he spoke:
"Then the two of you should listen to what I have to say."
- Icirrus Gym -
"So that's what has been going around here," said Crys, nearly slumping back in her chair as her dream - and Suicune's unspoken message - made itself clear. "Zekrom, the legendary Dragon of Energy... and I thought our adventures were weird."
"Our region's own Dex Holder is seeking to stop N and Zekrom as we speak," continued Brycen, though he did spare a curious look at her and Platina. "It's been around two days since Black won the Freeze Badge from me, so I'm supposing he has arrived at Relic Castle by now. At least that'll keep the Light Stone safe from Team Plasma, and if Reshiram is awakened... well, then we'll finally have a winning chance."
"Why did Team Plasma try to help you a while ago, when they knew you won't support them?" Asked Platina.
"For one thing, they wouldn't have known; White's message only reached me this morning," explained Brycen. "On top of that, what they were trying to do is something more subtle; they put on a white hat in front of us, trying to convince the townspeople that they're not as bad as everyone make them out to be."
"They've had some success in it," Crys commented, remembering some of the peoples' looks as Team Plasma left.
"Yes, but back to the point," said Brycen with a nod. "Black and White will do what they can, but that doesn't mean we can leave everything to them. We Gym Leaders, in the least, must do our part and stop Team Plasma's bulk army any way we can. Thanks to White we now know that whatever Team Plasma attempts to do, it'll happen in the Pokemon League or somewhere close. That's why everyone decided to meet here, which is the closest city to the Victory Road besides Opelucid, where Black should be heading to soon."
"That's a good idea," approved Platina with a knowing nod. "So when are they supposed to come?"
"I believe..." Brycen abruptly paused midspeech, allowing the girls to hear the sound of rotor blades spinning. "... it's time for us to greet visitors."
The three people quickly stepped outside the gym to find a large blue-silver helicopter descend from the sky, a head of a young magenta-haired woman with a propeller-shaped hairpin and large, cheerful blue eyes poking out of the cockpit.
"Brycen!" She called out as the chopper prepared to land. "Heard you were under attack! Are you all right?"
"Very well, Skyla, thanks to some help from these two Trainers here," said Brycen as he glanced at Crystal and Platina, who both ducked their heads shyly at the praise. "Come down here. We have much to discuss."
"We all owe you heavy thanks, Crys and Platina," Lenora spoke sincerely as she looked warmly at the two Dex Holders sitting across her. "It's very kind of you to offer us help, even though this doesn't concern you."
But of course it does, Crys wanted to tell the Normal-type Gym Leader, but decided that it would be unwise to reveal her dream so readily.
"Cress, where are Cilan and Chili?" Brycen asked a tall, blue haired and blue-eyed man, dressed like a waiter of a fancy restaraunt. "It's odd to see the three of you apart for once. Something happened?"
"My brothers and I decided to stay behind," announced Cress, although Crys felt that he sounded a little regretful. "Just in case Team Plasma or other criminals decide to raid cities while you're all vacant. I followed up to here because I'm in charge of the northern cities."
"That is wise, I think," Brycen replied, nodding in comprehension.
"So, when do we leave for Opelucid?" Asked Burgh, looking as if he'd burst out of his seat in an artistic inspiration any moment. "I'd like to see ol' Drayden's face when he sees six Gym Leaders barge through his front door. That'll be worth good artwork!"
"Eh, if we leave now, assuming that we ditch the chopper, we'll probably arrive a little before Black," grunted Clay without looking at him, busily checking over his mineral collection.
"Elesa, is something the matter?" Skyla asked her friend in a puzzled voice, while the Electric-type gym leader steadily gazed at Crys and Platina with a curious expression.
"When White left Nimbasa she went with another Trainer," she spoke to no one in partucular as she continued to look at the two girls. "She was a Dex Holder too - " Crys stiffened at this point - "from Kanto. She called herself Blue..."
"Blue-senpai?" Crystal gasped in amazement, nearly leaping out of her seat in astonishment. Of all the Dex Holders she knew and loved, Blue was here? Platina, who had heard of the older Dex Holder from Crys, also gasped in recognition.
"Ah, so you do know her," said Elesa, looking a little relieved. "Can you tell me what she's like?"
"I guess she's been a killer queen, right?" Crys asked, slightly sweatdropping at Elesa's nod. "I know, that's a part of who she is. She can cheat, trick, even... seduce..., but she never abandons. She's a good person, and a very skilled Trainer - stronger than me, in any case. I'm glad White's with her."
"That's assuring to hear," said Elesa, smiling at the praise. "Her journey is no less dangerous than Black's, and a worthy companion is a lot to be appreciated."
"That's true," Skyla nodded, turning to Crys and Platina with a friendly smile. "So, what are you two gonna do now? If you're okay, why don't you accompany us to Opelucid? The more the merrier, right?"
"Why not?" said Burgh, shrugging exaggeratedly before either girl could answer. "Two extremely talented - I think we already got that established - Trainers, travelling together with six Gym Leaders to quell a great foe who wish to awaken an ancient power! Oh, now that's an epic! I feel so inspired!"
Lenora chuckled at his pose before opening her atms welcomingly at two Dex Holders. "Of course we'd like that, dears. We'll be delighted to have you together on this journey."
"Thank you," said Platina sincerely before giving an inquiring look at Crystal. Understanding, she nodded back with a smile. "Then we will come."
"Ya chose a good time te decide," grunted Clay as he rose to his feet. "'s about time we leave the marsh. That'll be better than sitting 'round here till those thieves decide te take a second visit, eh?"
"Aye," agreed Brycen, rising with the rest of the Gym Leaders and marching forward, the rest of the crowd including Crys and Platina right behind him.
"Waiting is over. It is time."
Giovanni is back! *gets stoned for OOC-ness* Didn't I tell you already? He'll be like this for, er, awhile! Geez, now that I've written up to here he's really starting to look like an asshole...
So Crys and Platina runs into Team Rocket and Galactic working together... man, the craziness of it! I'm afraid this is the first of many chapters where the story begins to go berserk. I'm not that good at portraying details, and all the mass-scale battles that are about to happen are so terribly difficult... eh, wish me luck.
Pikachu127, I have mentioned in chapter 1 that this arc will have 35 chapters. The horror of it! *dies* the second arc, I think, should have around 32 chapters. As for arc three... I haven't even finished plotting the whole thing. Oh, and about the Kanto Dex Holders... expect a good news in chapter 17! Oooh, spoiler!
And no, she did NOT steal the Umbreon from Karen... though she might be tempted :) Which reminds me, when White lost her PokeDex in the last chapter, did you guess? Hell yeah, she sure as hell pickpocketed it XD
Well, I think that's all for today. R&R!
Writing completed in May 16th, 2011. This is Yowl of Time, out.