"Splendid."
Deep within the depths of the Team Plasma Castle lies a ceremonial hall, and right in the middle of the hall lies a throne. On the throne sat a man, the man who orchestrated events that resulted in what happened today.
"Congratulations, Lord Ghetsis. Your dreams are coming true."
A vile smirk spread across Ghetsis' face.
"Soon, very soon, the whole of Unova will be in my grasp. It's been too long… Unova was rightfully mine. It will soon be mine!"
The Shadow Triad exchanged secret glances with each other. Ghetsis has been slowly losing it the closer they are in reaching their goals. His obsession to rule over Unova and separate people from pokemon had twisted his mentality far beyond their expectations.
But at the end of the day he is still their master. They had sworn their allegiances to him the very day he saved their lives. Madman or not, their lives are his to use and command.
"How's the situation outside looking right now?"
"Lord Ghetsis, we had suffered significant losses on our end, but it was a worthy sacrifice for the Unova League to lose three Gym Leaders. The destruction of Opelucid had also thrown the region into disarray. The entire region is panicking. Furthermore, we had also gotten what we wanted from Opelucid. I propose that we strike while the iron's hot."
"Hehehehe…" A slow chuckle could be heard from Ghetsis as his shoulders trembled slightly from the motion. "Very well, enact the next stage of our plans. It's time to get back what was rightfully mine."
The scarlet eyepiece that the man wore over his right eye gleamed in the darkness.
"Raise the castle. Today we take over the Pokemon League."
He is just one out of many office workers. All he wanted was a nine to five job.
So why is he working overtime?
Oh right, because he works for the League and the freaking Plasmas are being a pain in everyone's ass.
"Thibault, I need you to help-"
"Thibault, prepare these documents, there's another emergency meeting in fifteen minutes-"
"Thibault-"
"Thibault-"
Thibault this, Thibault that. He's so sick of this. He really wishes this madness will stop right now.
He would soon learn seconds later that he has to be careful for what he wishes for.
It first started when the entire building was violently shaking like an earthquake had struck. The suddenness of it all shocked his mind to the point that his mind wasn't able to compute until the mini flower pot on his table fell and shattered, bringing him back to reality.
"Quick, hide!"
Thibault had no idea who said that, but this timely reminder snapped him back to action as he quickly found a place to hide himself from the falling debris. It was just in time too because a large piece of concrete fell from the ceiling and landed at where he was just a few seconds ago.
Too close.
"What's going on?!"
"I don't know!"
Terrified screams filled the air and fear permeated the entire Unova League building. This is the Unova Pokemon League. This building was built here precisely because their ancestors were very well aware that natural disasters would never reach this part of the region, which also meant that this earthquake had to be man-made.
And just who would be bold enough to launch a direct offensive on the very face of the Unova Pokemon League? The answer was very obvious.
"Team… TEAM PLASMA!"
The sounds of combat told Thibault enough of what is currently going on outside. Team Plasma had decided that they had enough of laying low and are taking bold and concrete steps to overthrow the Unova Pokemon League, starting from their headquarters itself.
"Non-combatants step aside and evacuate the building! Leave the fighting to the trainers! Move! Stop daydreaming and move if you want to leave!"
Trainers that were stationed in the building started to take charge of the situation as they stayed behind to buy time for its occupants to vacate the building. Thibault wasted no time in trying to flee. His place is not at the battlefield, the League trainers are also only able to fight with greater freedom if they do not have to worry about trying to protect defenseless bystanders who were sucked into this fight against their will.
"Greetings, Unova! We are Team Plasma!"
The magnified voice could be heard at every corner, the source of it unknown.
"We are here today to show the people of Unova the truth of our world! We will show you that our ideals are stronger than a Champion who keeps Pokémon bound! Just like the hero who founded Unova, Ghetsis the leader of Team Plasma will be accompanied by the legendary Pokémon. He will give this order! 'Trainers, release your Pokemon!' For this, we have prepared a suitable castle for the legendary Reshiram and our king, ME, GHETSIS!"
Thibault soon saw for himself what was the cause of the violent trembling of the earth. Through the windows of the building he spotted a humongous castle starting to rise and emerge from the ground behind the League building much like a very bad horror movie.
Yes, a castle, and stairs are starting to stretch out from the castle to connect to the Unova League building for the Plasmas within the castle to siege the place.
"Resistance is futile! Victory against you is assured! Lay down your pokemon and cease to fight! Champion of Unova, declare your surrender! I'm giving you this advice out of kindness! Yes, kindness. I'm making sure the Champion doesn't get hurt for no reason. Granted, the moment when someone loses all hope... I really do love to watch that moment."
A mad sounding chuckle could be heard all over the place.
"Hear me, Unova! We have combined our power with the legendary Dragon-type Pokémon and intend to create a new world. We herald the return of the hero of Unova, founder of this region. Remember, Unovans! Pokémon are different from people. They are living beings who contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. They are beings whose greatness we should acknowledge! Beings who should be freed from our oppression!"
Furious shouts and cries started to ring out as pokemon on both sides started to clash in earnest, each for their own beliefs and ideologies.
"I am Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius, the descendent of the Twin Heroes of Unova and the hero who will lead us to our promised utopia with the power of our twin dragons! The destruction of Opelucid is just the start of our holy crusade to free all pokemon from their bindings! We, Team Plasma, invite you to join us! We all want to create a new world where people and Pokémon are both free! Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you now... Please, release your Pokémon! If you don't, we will resort to using force!"
The floor underneath Thibault gave way at the very moment, causing Thibault and his fellow fleeing coworkers to experience a terrifying twenty-one floor drop. He screamed, praying in despair that this is not how he will die.
He is just an ordinary office worker. He's not even a pokemon trainer. Why must this happen to him?
"Gothitelle!"
The brilliance of psychic light came to their rescue. When he finally got over his shock he found himself staring dazedly at the back of a slim young woman with incredibly long bushy brown hair, putting herself in between them and a horde of insane religious zealots.
"I am Caitlin of the Unova Elite Four. I will hold the enemies back, please make your way to safety in the meantime. Champion Alder is on his way."
A wall of raging flames erupted where the top of the castle was at just right after she said that. The volcarona which the entire region recognised and associate it as the mightiest power of the region is currently locked in a vicious battle up ahead, battling alongside its trainer to protect Unova.
"Y-Yes… T-Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, please move. I cannot claim to have full control of my power the moment I enter combat," the woman replied graciously just as a violent build up of psychic energy began to encase her entire body. She is a well-known Ability Holder not just among the Unova region, but across the entire world for her violent outbursts of psychic power.
Thibault ran as instructed, not daring to stay a second longer in fear that it might cause inconvenience for the Elite Four who just saved their lives.
Can their Pillars win this battle? Thibault does not know, but he really hopes that Unova can pull through this crisis just as how it had done for five centuries.
Because he really does not want to imagine what kind of living hell this place will be should they fail.
Champion Alder had lost.
That was the news I received from my father. Team Plasma had sprung an ambush on the Unova League, occupying the building that was previously known as the headquarters of the Unova League. Champion Alder and Elite Four Caitlin were there at the time and their combined might was instrumental to reducing the casualties to a minimum, but it still wasn't enough.
Alder had faced off against the true leader of Team Plasma, Ghetsis, but Ghetsis' confidence in taking on the Champion of Unova wasn't unwarranted. He had pulled out a legendary pokemon and sent it to battle the Champion, which was the main reason for Alder's loss.
Ghetsis had Reshiram under his command. This isn't good news.
Caitlin had managed to grab Alder and flee but Alder would not be able to take charge of the situation for the foreseeable future, not with how he is still in a coma with no way of knowing when he will wake up. The Elite Four are currently taking charge of the situation in his stead but nobody has the confidence of going up against one of the twin dragons of Unova and bring victory over to our side. This is after all, a legendary pokemon we are looking at.
The significance of the twin dragons lies not in their power, but also the myths surrounding them. They are a religious symbol to Unovans, for Unovans believe that those who are able to command the dragons are heroes who will bring peace to Unova in their greatest time of need. As such, many religious Unovans are starting to doubt their faith and are wavering, questioning if it is indeed by heaven's will that Team Plasma should rule the region.
I will admit that we had all severely underestimated Team Plasma. They had hid their true power too darn well. In a way, they had even surpassed Team Rocket at its prime, having a way to fully control a legend to do their bidding without needing to rely on external aid like how Team Rocket required the M2 Bind to control Mewtwo. Everything looks so bleak right now.
So how much would it cost to eradicate Team Plasma once and for all?
That was the question I had been mulling over ever since I received that bad news. As usual, my plans never went according to plan. Things had derailed entirely from the original plan I had crafted the very first time I stepped on Unova's soil. Meeting Iris, reuniting with my family, trying to learn and adapt to not needing to do things alone… I don't want to make it sound as if it was a bad thing, but my progress in uprooting the cancerous tumour known as Team Plasma had slowed considerably ever since I decided that maybe, it was more important to live in the present instead of being hung up in the past.
Originally, if things had indeed gone according to what I planned it to and I had never met Iris and my family, I had estimated that it would take a maximum of two years for me to infiltrate into the inner circle of Team Plasma and break them up from within. I had confidence that I could succeed even without any external help and without relying on anybody else.
But I don't have the luxury of time right now.
I was also told that Opelucid City had been frozen over by some sort of mobile weapon invented by Team Plasma that goes by the name of the Plasma Frigate. Where Team Plasma lacks in quality when it comes to their trainers and pokemon, they definitely more than made up for it in terms of technological advancement. Maybe I had been underestimating them a little too much.
No, we should all be frank and admit that the entire world had severely underestimated them and we are now paying the price for our arrogance.
It was not just Champion Alder's loss that made the current situation so bad. Icirrus City was not the only city that Team Plasma had attacked. Team Plasma had really decided to bank everything on one final gambit and launched a full out offensive and declared war against Unova. Striaton City, Nacrene City, Icirrus City, Opelucid City; four major cities were being attacked and severely hit by Team Plasma in the span of a single day. Not only that, Unova had just lost three Gym Leaders on the very same day.
That is a very huge loss. It's the only thing the news had been reporting for the past twenty four hours.
Needless to say, Unova had been thrown into utter chaos. Something needs to be done as soon as possible. Team Plasma needs to be removed before more damage could be inflicted onto the region. Even without taking into consideration my own personal grudge against Team Plasma for killing Asher, as a Dandolos and the next head of the family, protecting the region is my duty.
Team Plasma needs to be exterminated right here and now. There's no room for argument about this. With the unknown flying airship capable of nuking an entire city and the power of a twin dragon on their side, it does not seem like there's any way we could turn the situation around. My original plan of going undercover with Colress' help would be useless now, we simply don't have the time and the fruits of that endeavour would not be enough to aid our cause. What we need now is a fast acting remedy that can puncture Team Plasma's best weapons in the shortest time possible to even the playing ground.
But like I mentioned previously, I currently don't have the luxury of time. I not only need a quick fix that is able to deal a huge blow on the Plasmas such that they wouldn't be able to make any other huge moves in the new future, I would also need to know who are their core members, any other tactical level weapons that they may have, and so on and so forth. I need to verify for myself their true strength before anyone is able to take them out of the picture in one swift blow. I don't need to be a genius to know that my entire family will currently be too busy trying to do damage control and amp up security around the areas of the region my family were tasked to protect. There is currently very little that we can do to organise a counteroffensive in a moment's notice.
I need very reliable helpers and the only way I could think of to get those in such a short amount of time would be…
I had been weighing this option in my mind ever since I came to the conclusion that I really need the help of world-class professionals from the underworld to uproot Team Plasma once and for all. Time is of the essence and the longer this situation is allowed to fester, the greater the danger Unova will be subjected to.
Decision made, I took out my phone. I swiped at my phone until I spotted the app I installed on my phone ever since I was offered a membership within Tarot. The app design was a simple opened eye and I clicked to open it. I navigated through the app until I opened the private group chat that only the Cards of Tarot are granted permission to be a part of.
What made Tarot so renowned among the underworld was because they always lived up to their claim that there's nothing that cannot be exchanged within Tarot as long as you have what it takes to pay the price for it. What made it even more ridiculous was that no matter which part of the world you are currently at, any objects that you ordered and bought on Tarot's online platform will be delivered to you within a week. Till date, that was a mystery that I could never solve or figure out due to how long the duration of interregional travels can possibly take.
If they can truly live up to their claim of being capable of accomplishing anything as long as the right price is being offered, then…
How much would it cost to eradicate Team Plasma once and for all?
I do have a huge fortune left under my name thanks to Alice's generosity. I had spent a part of it to buy Iris over back at the underground auction but I still have a lot more from where it came from. Even so, I'm still unsure if this was truly enough to hire the services from the Cards of Tarot because something as difficult as removing Team Plasma from the world would definitely mean the involvement of some of those freaks. If what Hermit said was to be believed some of them had been walking on this planet for more than a century and for a select few, perhaps even longer than that.
Nothing will be accomplished if I just sit here and daydream. So, I keyed in my question.
[Magician] : How much would it cost to eradicate Team Plasma once and for all?
I wasn't kept waiting for long. Barely half a minute had passed before somebody replied.
[Hermit] : Magician Whoa what happened?
[Hermit] : But anyway, the price is def gonna be HUUUUGE
[Sun] : Count me in dammit
[Sun] : Those fuckers nearly killed me!
[Moon] : Sun Sucker
[Sun] : Moon Stfu
[Sun] : Magician What's your plan?
[Sun] : Want to partner up?
[Sun] : I think it's about time I get myself a few new corpses to dissect
Sun offering to help free of charge was certainly a huge surprise, but one that I will take. I need all the help that I can get right now.
[Magician] : Sun Sure
[Sun] : Nice 👍
[Sun] : Here's to a wonderful partnership 🍻
[Hanged Man] : Sun Magician Can you guys hold off taking Team Plasma down for another week or two?
[Hanged Man] : I still have unfinished business with them
Oh great, of course that slimy bastard would be the first one to object to this. I really do not want anyone getting in my way so would the Cards mind if I remove one of us with permanent effect?
[Sun] : Hanged Man Business?
[Sun] : Wait, you are working for them?
[Sun] : You little shit you had a hand in making that stupid frigate thing amiright?!
[Sun] : That thing nearly killed me you fucker!
[Sun] : Hanged Man You better pray that you never need to see a doctor for your entire life because I'm going to make sure that no doctor would ever
[Sun] : Dare
[Sun] : To
[Sun] : Treat you! 👿👿👿
[Hanged Man] : They pay good money
[Sun] : STFU YOU BACKSTABBING SHIT
Sun and Hanged Man continued to squabble in the chat like two kindergarten brats while I continued to mull over what was just being revealed. Colress was being infuriatingly secretive about what he's really doing for Team Plasma when asked, but him being in charge of designing the Plasma Frigate would be within the realms of reasons. I hadn't thought about this possibility until Sun pointed it out.
Actually, how did Sun figure this out in the first place?
I also knew all along that Tarot is a mercenary group and that the leader, Fool, doesn't really care what we do as long as we don't jeopardise the group's interest. This is a group that welcomes people from both the good and bad side of the law to congregate and hang out as long as you have the needed skills and power to stay in the game, so when you bring such a powerful group of people who had all sorts of allegiances to all sorts of factions, how would anyone mediate any sort of conflicts of interests within the group?
My attention returned to my phone. It seems that more Cards had joined in the conversation while I was spacing out. Justice, Strength, Death, Devil, and a few others had started to make their appearances too.
[Justice] : Image
[Justice] : Never thought I would live to see the day where an entire town gets frozen over.
[Strength] : Image
[Strength] : Even Snowpoint City wasn't as bad
[Death] : Both of you are at Opelucid?
[Justice] : For some sightseeing. Saw more than what I bargained for
[Devil] : Wtf
[Devil] : I saw some pretty messed up things on the news but your picture makes it look even worse
[Devil] : Star Is this what you prophesied that day?
[Devil] : That when Magician asks something from Tarot it will be during "gruelling times"?
[Devil] : Does this count?
[Hermit] : HOLY SHIT
[Hermit] : I JUST REMEMBERED ABOUT THAT TOO
[Hermit] : Star !
My mind blanked out for a short moment as I recalled the memory of that day where I chatted with the Cards on this chat group for the very first time. Star did make such a prophecy but I never thought it would really come true. Seems like he really does have some skills in the divination department after all.
The chat suddenly went silent when an unexpected member spoke up.
[Fool] : Magician Regarding your question about the cost needed to remove Team Plasma
[Fool] : There will be none
[Fool] : Team Plasma's foolhardy move had just caused us a huge loss in the Unova region. Since those idiots chose to knowingly step upon Tarot's interest in the Unova region, we will make an example out of them.
The chat remained deathly silent before it quite figuratively exploded.
[Hermit] : WAIT WE ARE GOING TO WAR WITH TP TOO?
[Hermit] : ADAJKDFHDAH
[Hermit] : THIS IS SO COOL
[Hermit] : I WANT TO JOIN I WANT TO JOIN I WANT TO JOIN
[Justice] : Fool For real?
[Devil] : Wish I could be there for the party but I am at Alola…
[Sun] : HELL YEAH COUNT ME IN🙌🙌🙌
[Sun] : Fool You are the best!
A long list of messages bombarded the chat from almost everyone within the group. Even those that had been lurking here for almost forever had come online after the leader had given the order. It took a while, but the chat finally calmed down when more concrete instructions were pumped down.
[Fool] : Location
[Fool] : Magician Sun Justice Strength Hanged Man High Priestess This evening 7pm, be there
[Fool] : High Priestess will tell you what you need to do. Let's aim to finish this within a week.
[Hermit] : Fool You are mobilising SIX of us? 😱
[Hermit] : Is the situation really that bad?
[Moon] : Hermit Bruh it was reported that Ghetsis commanded a freaking Reshiram. You think?
[Hermit] : But we would need a legend to fight another legend?
[Hermit] : Oh wait
[Hermit] : WE HAVE LEGENDS?!
[Hermit] : THIS IS SO COOL ADJKFHASDHFALSH
[Hermit] : I LOVE TAROT
[Hermit] : Magician Sun Justice Strength Hanged Man High Priestess WHICH ONE OF YOU HAVE LEGENDS LET ME SEE LET ME SEE LET ME SEE
[Hermit] : PLEASEEEEEE
None of us being tagged by Hermit made a reply to Hermit's request and Fool's status changed to offline right after he gave that order. Whether the leader really disconnected from the server or if he chose to appear offline, I cannot tell nor will I know, but it really felt like it's a little too coincidental for Fool to interfere in this matter right when I was about to post a commission to bring Team Plasma down.
Is this really just a coincidence? If so, just what on earth did Team Plasma do to enrage Fool to the point in mobilising the Cards of Tarot to take them down within a week? Hermit seemed rather shocked that six of us were being mobilised, which means that this number is a very huge number by the Cards' standards. Also, does Tarot really have legends in their possession? It sounds highly plausible because if not for it, what gave Fool the confidence that we could stand up against Reshiram?
Whatever it is, things look like they are working out in my favour.
I took a look at my watch. Seven pm… just two more hours until then. The location that Fool wanted us to be there by then was located at one of the most remote locations of the region, Anville Town. Under usual circumstances it would be close to impossible to reach this place but I have my ways. I always do.
It's time to meet the Cards of Tarot and see what they are made of.
AN: Re-post and edit cos I realised there's some formatting issues for the mobile version. I apologise in advance if some of you receive false alarms about another chapter update
Name: Jayce Dandolos
Age: 23
Pokemon Team:
1. Ninetales, female
2. Exeggutor, male
3. Weavile, male
4. Honchkrow, female
5. Umbreon, male
6. Hydreigon, male
7. Drapion, female
8. Zoroark, male
9. Bisharp, male
10. Shiftry, male
11. Porygon-Z, (Nosy), genderless
12. Greninja, male
13. Spiritomb, male
14. Pikachu, (Grumpy), male