The Adventure Zetto

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Kenshin: Guess we're back to this. Today, we begin finishing up this story. So expect things to completely derail off the story's expectations.

Kei: Well it gives us a break from waiting for responses on Makai Knight, and getting away from flamers throwing pies.

Kenshin: Let it go son. Today, Calem speaks with Team Flare's leader after a confrontation with Valerie.

Journal Entry 09: Remains of Flames

Inside of Laverre City, Calem recognizes the center of this small town is rooted to a tree. It gives a mysterious feel to the overall city. Bonnie becomes amazed at the bright night lights, sightless to the mission at hand. She is just about to hunt down the local businesses before Clemont stops her.

"I'm going to bed. We'll head to the Pokemon Center and meet with Valerie in the morning," says Clemont as he heads to the center. Calem agrees, following after to get some shut eyes.

Bonnie complains, "But I wanna see the city," before yawning.

"We can explore when this is over. You've been here before," her brother tells her just as they enter the center.

After healing and feeding their pokemon, they take to the beds ready for sleep.

That Morning…

Clemont awakens from his slumber, his sister fast asleep in the bed beside him. After cleaning his glasses and using his tools to brush his teeth – failing – he checks the next room for Calem. There he finds no track or speck aside from a neatly folded bed.

"Calem?" He looks around the center for any other place he could be. "He couldn't have gone to the gym." He stops when he sees Calem inside at the wait area. "Oh."

"Morning Clemont," speaks the blue wearing introvert as he plays with his hat. He looks a bit dirty and beat up on his clothes, even more than usual since he wears the same stuff over and over.

"Where were you?"

"I was out doing earlier morning training with my team."

"Oh right. You're aiming for that badge," speaks the electric expert.

Calem looks aside, sighing. "Well, as much as I would want the badge, Team Flare is more important."

'Flare?' Clemont darts his pupils across his sockets thinking, before the light bulb turns on. "You think she's a part of Flare?"

"Yes." He remembers seeing her having a conversation on the phone about him. It would make sense if it had something to do with them.

Once breakfast is over and done with, the trio make their way towards the Laverre Gym. Calem opens the door, and in they step towards a dollhouse…yeah. Putting that aside, Calem traverses through the building ready to search through for the maiden from the land of history.

At the top floor of the dollhouse, Calem and the others stop in front of the beautiful lady, sitting in a chair. "You've finally come. I've been waiting for you to be flown into my path," she says, making a stand, "fluttering down on a fortunate wind. At this level, you have earned yourself the right to a battle, as a reward for your efforts Calem."

"Valerie," says Calem as he walks towards her. "I'm here for you."

"Of course. You want to preserve this land of history, so you shall side with me. But first, let us-"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you a question." Her smile drops. "Before we battle, I wanted to know the truth about you; you were following me, to get me to join your gang."

"…You knew?"

"I saw you conversing with someone about me, about joining Team Flare." Valerie's eyes widen in shock. "I was hoping to be friends with you. I really did. But if you're just going to use me for this then things will not work out."

Valerie's face becomes overshadowed. "…and that's your decision?"

"Yes."

"She really was with Flare," mutters Clemont. He didn't expect this, and yet it makes sense in context.

"So, I guess this is where our battle begins-"

"I'm sorry it had to come to this." Something of a gun cocking rebounds through their ears. Calem turns around to face the noise, and sees Valerie wielding a pistol. Clemont jumps up in shock before hiding his sister.

"What the? Valerie?" Calem backs away seeing the gun pointed at his skull. At any moment she could plug one right between his eyes, and that's why he's trying to protect Clemont.

"I did everything I could to lure you to our cause," she speaks, eyes to his shadow. "I even liked you a lot. But, you just couldn't believe. I was warned this would happen. Should you fail to confide with Team Flare I would have to bring you in," her eyes no longer the majestic fairy she made herself out to be. "Team Flare's vision will be made!"

"Are you guys really doing this for the sake of the world?"

"Yeah! You're all just selfish jerks who wanna keep the good stuff to yourselves!" This is Bonnie.

"When too many people want the same thing, you can't share it. And then they fight over it, and destroy what they have. I want the world to stay the way it is; that's why the population must drop, and both humans and pokemon reduce to thousands over billions."

The trio are appalled by her callous desire. Clemont even questions her: "How can you say that?! Humans and Pokemon are living beings! You can't just throw away their lives just so yours can be better!"

"I'm not the only gym leader who believes so," she tells him coldly. Clemont and Calem look at one another wondering if it's not as bad as what she's assuming. "Clemont, aside from you, Korrina and Viola, we Gym Leaders are providing our support towards Team Flare's goals."

This is shocking. "But it's not too late. Clemont, Calem, Bonnie, you can join us. You can live in a beautiful world."

Despite not wanting to listen to her anymore or agree with her decision, he has to know something. "Valerie, why did you want me to join Team Flare?"

"You…" She waves her pistol before him. "You have no idea who you are, do you? Or maybe you do, and you're feigning ignorance." She then takes aim and fires.

Calem takes the bullet to the head. Like a splash in a lake, his DNA flies everywhere making crimson stains. The siblings freeze in horror at the display, slowly taking in what happened. Bonnie turns teary eyed seeing his death, affected the most. "Calem…"

"Calem!" shouts Clemont, going down to check his vitals in futile. "Why did you shoot him?! I thought you needed him!"

"I do. All you have to do is wait." The bullet slowly rises from the hole, bouncing on the floor upon exit. His wound closes up, and everything about him fixes up. Awestruck, everyone watches as Calem gets back up. "He's immortal."

The X protagonist gets up glaring at Valerie. "How did you know?"

"You wanna know?" Before she could get an answer, the top of the gym explodes. From above drops the color black, in the shape of a dragon. This electric legendary roars, expelling his energy to repel Valerie.

"Oh my god!" Bonnie shouts.

"It's the legendary Pokemon of Unova, Zekrom…" says Calem, recognizing what he saw back at the expensive castle.

The dragon begins shrinking in size, turning into the trainer Black. Hilbert looks to Calem and his compatriots before asking, "You guys alright? I heard a gunshot."

"You…you were a Pokemon the whole time?!" Calem asks in shock, breaking character for a moment.

"Oh yeah, I never told you. I'm a vessel for the Pokemon Zekrom," Hilbert states, grinning exposing his sharp canines. "I actually came by for her." He goes over to the frightened Valerie. "I've been looking into Team Flare with the help of Alexa and Viola looking for its members. Turns out, Lysandre of Lysandre labs is involved."

"Who are you… Are you like Calem?" Valerie fires, but his electromagnetic field blocks all bullets. He then draws in her gun and grabs her tunic. After applying a small jolt around her, he tosses the woman onto the wall, where she sticks like a static cling.

"Now, you are going to tell me where Lysandre is, or else I'm leaving you up there."

"I… I don't know! You have to ask Olympia!"

"… Who?"

"She must mean the Gym leader of Anistar City," Clemont tells him. Hilbert nods before snapping his fingers, turning eyes towards the electric trainer.

"Think you can give me some directions? I can fly us over there."

After leaving the gym, Calem and the group go to the Pokemon center. Many people gather at the gym after the explosion wishing to know the situation, so it's good they got out of the way before questions were asked.

In the center's lobby, Calem asks Hilbert, "How long were you looking for Flare?"

"Since I came here. Hilda and I found out that their base of operations was in Kalos so I went ahead to stop them," he says, relaying what his plans were for the trio.

"What does this have to do with you?" Clemont asks, before checking his taciturn sister. She hasn't been the same since she saw someone shot through the head.

"Hilda and I took down Team Plasma four years ago. They came back with a new plan to take over the world and with help we stopped them again. She and I didn't want anymore pokemon suffering because of teams, so she and N built a team to take out corrupt gangs like Plasma, Galactic and Rocket; she called it Blue Flare based off an attack Reshiram uses. But one of our members went rogue and left, and built Team Flare, and I don't know why."

"So Team Flare originated in Unova…" Calem mutters as he thinks more on it. "But why is he in Kalos?"

"There's something going on in this region that he needs, and it's probably a Legendary Pokemon." The X protagonist narrows his eyes worrying. "Lysandre used a pen name to join our group so we didn't know it was him until too late. He kept saying how dark and ugly this world was, that no matter what we did we were ruining our planet. He had to make things better, the right way."

"The right way?" Everyone stops when the Holocaster turns on. Picking it up, Calem looks at it.

Malva appears on screen. "Breaking news; the Pokeball Factory was just attacked. The assailants have not been identified. However, this is not expected to have any effect on the sales of Pokeballs."

The message then ends, causing Calem to put it away. "The Pokeball Factory?"

"That's just north of here!" Clemont says before getting up to go. Hilbert and Calem follow after. Heading north they come across the Pokeball Factory after several minutes. There, the police have gathered.

"It said was," Hilbert speaks as he looks along the scene. "That means they're probably already gone. I'm heading to wherever Olympia is."

"You want to go?" asks Clemont. "It's not that far from here."

"Lets. The sooner I find their base, the sooner I can end this." Taking a step back away from the crowd, Hilbert transforms. He surrounds himself in a sphere of black lightning, morphing into the Yin Pokemon Zekrom.

Though they knew this would happen, the site is still beholding. Everyone else around them sees this in shock, as Zekrom grabs Clemont and Calem, the former holding his sister, and flies away. Clemont takes out his Town Map to scan the area.

"The way to Anistar City is just southeast of Laverre City." Zekrom takes flight in accordance to his directions. He moves the three onto his back for the travel.

As they travel, Bonnie manages to recover from her shock. "He was shot."

"Bonnie!" Clemont goes to his sister right next to her. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," she says, looking over at Calem. "Calem, why did you survive that?"

He remains silent, goosebumps rising on their skin awaiting an answer. "I don't want to say."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know either." He looks down. "When I was a kid, I saw a dry white tree in a forest. I gave it water to feel better and left, and fell down a cliff." Shocked and terrified, they let him continue. "When I woke up, I saw a blue Pokemon walking away from me. I had forgotten about that until I was 12, and I kept having dreams of dying."

"Wow…" Clemont places a hand on his shoulder.

"Ever since whenever I got hurt, I would heal from it completely. No matter how severe I could recover from it. It scared me, and I was hoping to find a reason for it. But nothing, even today."

The story resides in all of their hearts as they continue, the dragon making its way towards their next destination ahead of schedule. Eventually they reach the city over water, Hilbert landing on top of the center. He then quickly changes back, causing the others to fall on top of it.

He lands with ease, but the others aren't so lucky. "You guys okay?"

"NO WE'RE NOT!" shouts Bonnie and Clemont.

Calem easily recovers and turns to his friends. "You guys ready?" He and Hilbert then walk towards the gym as the siblings follow. There, Calem enters in to find a woman awaiting them.

She is a dark skinned woman with a skin tight black suit that flows from the legs. She has a cape with the stars on it. Her dark purple hair crescents up and down her. The middle aged woman smirks seeing him. "Welcome. I have been expecting you."

"Olympia?" asks Hilbert.

"I was talking to the X protagonist," says Olympia, reporting words only meant for the author. She gestures to the boy in blue. "Lysandre has been expecting your involvement, because I told him."

"What do you know about me?"

"I know there's more to you than just a kid with trauma." She raises a hand at him. "A ritual to decide your fate and future; you will find your resolution in Lysandre Labs. Just return to the Magenta Plaza in Luminose, and you'll find it."

She then waves her hand, and the door opens. Calem asks, "Aren't you gonna stop us?"

"Why would I? You're going right where he needs you to, in front of his face." She then waves them goodbye.

"…okay." With that, the quartet make their exit. Olympia remains silent.

"Besides, I don't want to spoil your flags."

Outside the gym, Calem opens his Holo Caster when a noise goes off. "Hm?" It displays Lysandre.

"Pokemon trainers, I come to you by the Holo Caster to deliver an important announcement. Listen well, and don't shake your Holo Casters or else you'll miss it."

"You should fix it then," says Clemont.

"Team Flare will revive the ultimate weapon, eliminate everyone who isn't one with our group, and return our planet to its original, beautiful state. Do not bother begging unproductive fools who consume the future. This weapon will return everything to a clean slate. Sorry those who couldn't join in time, but it's too late. Goodbye." He then clicks away, and then screaming goes off in their earshot.

The people who have seen the message have gone into mass panic. Many everywhere run about like chickens with heads cut off, an analogy that doesn't work in the world of pokemon. Hilbert looks about before saying, "Calem, go on ahead. We'll try to quell everyone down."

"We will?" Bonnie asks.

"What about him? Calem'll be alone."

"He'll be fine. He can regenerate from any injury," Hilbert states, reminding them of his ability.

"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when it happens," he replies. "But, I actually want to go. There's something I need to know." The X protagonist sends out Acno, climbing on the fire lizard's back. "Don't be long!"

The trio watch as Calem flies away, getting to work quelling the primal fear. By the end of the day, he soon reaches the city of lights. The charizard lands by the Pokemon center centered in the city. He jumps off and pats his dragon, thanking him for his help, before throwing away the Holo Caster.

After retrieving Charizard inside, he walks around looking for that familiar red cafe they first came across Lysandre in. Since it's on Magenta plaza it's the perfect place to go. "Found it."

Seeing a duo of Flare members drinking coffee inside, he realizes this is the right place. "Hm? Who's this guy?" The others get up ready to kick him out. They bounce pokeballs in hand ready to beat him down, pokemon popping out.

Staring down the Liepards, Toxicroak and Swalots, Calem takes out two balls. "Pikachu, Garo!" His two Pokemon come out ready to battle.

Elsewhere…

Shauna, Tierno and Trevor try to use their Holo Casters to call their friends Serena and Calem. But to their fears, neither of them seem to be answering the call. Shauna finally gives up, saying, "Tierno, I think something bad happened."

"Ah man, you're probably right. Y always answers her calls," speaks the big guy, unable to move or throw in his dance moves in this dire situation. "We gotta find them."

"How?" Trevor asks.

"We'll find a way." Shauna holds out a Pokeball.

Later…

After many a battle, Calem steps past the members of Team Flare he has defeated. He then asks, "Where's Lysandre," while holding up Gummy.

One man lying defeated with his Pokemon points to the bookcase. Calem walks over to it and pushes it aside using all his teenage strength, finding it rather easy. From behind it he finds a secret staircase leading into the earth, and follows it down. As he does, Gummy begins glowing.

"Eh?" He holds Gummy before him, feeling it change shape in his arms. It takes a slightly more solid shape, as the Pokemon Sliggoo. "Oh, great!"

He scans his Pokemon. "Sliggoo, the Soft Tissue Pokemon – its horns function as a radar system more than its nose and ears, as its evolution devolved its eyes."

"It's great that you're growing Sliggoo. I hope to bring your eyes back by evolving you." He then retrieves Gummy in her Pokeball. "Now for the mission."

Calem walks down the steps, coming within Lysandre's Labs. Keeping his eyes forward he continues through, reaching a labyrinth of a laboratory. Thinking, his mind comes back to his friends. He can probably survive anything, but they won't live if this ultimate weapon is anything true. "I don't want anyone to get hurt, or killed. I've just started opening up to people, and I won't lose them."

His declaration leads to someone catching his attention. A Team Flare Scientist comes out of hiding, the dark blue Mable. "Oh, to think there was a little rat moving in. Are you Calem?"

"Yes."

"Then prepare to be brought forth to the weapon. You'll be essential." She sends out Houndoom.

"Nanami!" Frogadier comes out on Calem's throw, and she prepares for battle.

"Sludge Bomb!" A ball of toxins shoots out at the ninja frog, who jumps in the air dodging.

"Water Pulse!" Nanami counters sending a ball of water to attack, capturing the sludge. The two attacks hit the ground, the poison neutralized. "Smack Down!"

Houndoom dodges the stone thrown, but gets elbowed by the ninja frog. On Calem's order, she smashes the dog with another Water Pulse directly. The powerful hit sends Houndoom flying backwards, and Nanami stands triumphant in victory. "Good work out there!"

"What?!" Mable almost flips out, before recovering herself. "This was to be expected. Your Pokemon has a type advantage, that's all."

Nanami begins to glow, shining brightly similar to how Gummy was. Pretty soon she stands tall at Calem's height, shedding its gleam to reveal herself as Greninja. On instinct, Calem scans the Pokemon. "Greninja, the Ninja Pokemon – it can appear and vanish with a ninja's grace. Its mastery of water moves allows it to form shurikens of compressed water that can cut through steel."

"Weavile!" Mable sends out her last Pokemon, the Ice and Dark type. "Night Slash!"

"Use Night Slash too!" Nanami forms a blade of water, and clashes with the Weavile's icy claws.

The high speed slashes go off in rapid succession. At the last moment, Weavile dodges and turns around facing Nanami. "Quick Attack!" Weavile then moves quick tackling her, knocking the ninja into the wall.

'Nanami isn't adjusted to her speed yet. I may have to change her out.' He reaches for his Pokeball, stopping as he sees Mable keeping an eye on him. 'No. The moment I try to change she'll knocking the balls out of my hand.' "Water Shuriken!" Landing on the ceiling, Nanami forms water that swirls into blades.

She then throws it, but Weavile manages to dodge quickly. Before Mable could gloat, a second one comes out of the shadow and attacks her. "Ice Shard!"

"Smokescreen!" Nanami summons smoke to block out their vision, before moving in fast with a held Water Shuriken. Slashing five times, Weavile takes the blow and falls over.

"No!" she shouts, retrieving her fallen Pokemon. Mable drops down sad. "Well, to the victor goes the spoils."

"Where's Lysandre?"

"Go to basement floor three using of the elevator." Reluctant, she holds up the key to the elevator. "Get going. He has allot to say."

"Thank you," he says politely, before walking over to the elevator. Taking it down, he reaches the basement.

"Let's see… he's gotta be somewhere here…" He goes down a seat of steps, and finds Lysandre standing by a cage. Electrified, he sees the giant man he met before standing.

Lysandre turns around, as if waiting for him. "Welcome," he says, looking at Calem.

"What's this all about?"

"Listen boy," speaks the man.

"A terribly long time ago…there was a man and a Pokémon. He loved that Pokémon very much. But then, a war began, and his beloved Pokémon took part in the war." Calem's eyes narrow as he pays close attention. He can already tell that he's talking about himself. "Several years have passed, until he found a tiny box. The man wanted to bring the Pokémon back. No matter what it took; that's why the man built a machine to give it life.

"And it worked! His precious friend came back, but his rage had not subsided. He could not forgive the world that had hurt the Pokémon he loved, and that is how he turned his machine into a weapon of destruction. The man became a bringer of destruction that ended the war. The Pokémon that was given life must have known, that the lives of many Pokémon were taken to restore its life. The resurrected Pokémon left the man."

Calem looks to him. 'Wait, if that's true how is he alive?' He then remembers his situation and realizes it must be connected.

"Get the key back. That machine must not be used again!"

"Who are you?!" asks Calem.

"He is AZ," Lysandre speaks. "He is the same king who has lived 3 millenniums ago. He created the machine, and used it to give himself eternal life. That's why he has the key to the machine."

The X protagonist turns to the lion headed man, asking, "Lysandre, what's this all about?"

"This world will eventually reach the point of no return." Lysandre steps forward, stopping just in front of him. "They say the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, but I've seen the darkness that is reality. You can't save everyone, no matter how hard you try. And even if you did, those you try to save betray you. Only those who prove loyal to my cause will live, and the rest of the world will be destroyed."

Calem looks at him, disturbed by how unflinching he is in killing living beings. "I try to save people and pokemon, but there are too many foolish people aiming to destroy eachother for their own selfishness." He clenches his fists in anger. "He who believes in his authority over his fellow man does not deserve the same privileges."

"But you can't just go about killing other people! What makes their lives any less than yours?" Calem declares, gripping his fists tightly.

"In order for my plans to succeed, I needed him. When I found out the truth behind you, him, and Serena," an eyebrow raises on his face, "I knew you were the keys to my success."

"Serena? What did you do to her?"

"It's a fine, long story actually." Lysandre looks aside with a scowl. "Kalos contains the might of three Legendary Pokemon, two of which tower over the prestige of life and death. The Pokemon Xerneas has the power of eternal life, providing its power to bloom wherever it steps. It lives for a thousand years before transferring into a resting state. Upon doing so its power releases, providing life energy to all. The Pokemon known as Yveltal spread its ominous wings, its mere presence endlessly engulfing the lands of Kalos in its darkness. Its power caused many to fall one by one into the eternal slumber known as death." The young one backs away in shock. "Like the Pokemon Xerneas, it lives for a thousand years. At the end of its lifespan, it absorbs the life force of living things around it to restart it."

Calem begins putting facts together. Hilbert's exposition is starting to match up with Lysandre's plans. "You're planning on using their energy to power that doomsday weapon."

"I believe I've talked enough. Now, I bid you adieu." He takes the time to walk towards the elevator.

"Wait, aren't you going to stop me? Or, take me with you? Aren't I a part of your plan?"

"Oh, you'll come. Your friend is there waiting for you, and you're the only one who knows the location." He then enters, the elevator taking him far away from him.

"Blast!" Calem hits the door angrily. "Serena…"

Lysandre walks through a hallway leading to a helicopter outside. He takes out his holocaster, contacting someone. "Xerosic, activate the machine."

Elsewhere…

In the midst of Georenge Town, the ground shakes as if hit by a high class earthquake. The magnitude of tremors breaks apart the structure of many of the wooden households surrounding. The three rocks centering the town rise up, sinking into the earth's crust.

A hole explodes as a crystal the size of a dragon rise up. Unfortunate people get caught in the rubble that fall down upon them. The crystal opens up, revealing its true shape as a flower cannon.

Kenshin: Everything's coming up. By next chapter, the readers will know the fate of Serena, Calem's involvement, and character death.

Yusei: Yo, spoilers!

Kenshin: They don't know who!

Julia: Thank you for your time reading. I swear I'll make sure they complete this story.