Chapter 40: Illusion
"I found something!" Jennifer yelled from across the room. "I think this might open the gate!"
Both Isaac and Regal rushed towards Jennifer. She stood next to what, at first glance, looked like a perfectly normal wall. Once Isaac and Regal closely inspected the wall though, they saw small, straight cracks that separated a square section of the wall.
"I think if we all push up against it..." Explained Jennifer. "It'll move and activate a switch that'll open the gate, just like the switch Lloyd stepped on that separated me from the others."
"It could just be another trap." Said Isaac. "But we don't have much of a choice."
Jennifer and Isaac went up to the wall switch, joined soon after by Regal, who had to gently put down Plusle, and began to push their combined weight against it.
At first, the switch didn't budge, but eventually, the large, square section of the wall began to move.
"It's working!" Regal said excitedly.
"Keep pushing!" Yelled Isaac.
---
"Push! We can do it! Keep pushing!"
On top of the spire, Lloyd, Rita and Sakura were attempting to escape the incoming pokemon that had lured them here by pushing the gate that kept them trapped up enough to slip under. Unfortunately, despite their combined effort, the gate wouldn't budge an inch.
"It's hopeless..." Said Rita, exhausted from the escape attempt. "We're trapped up here. There's no way the three of us are going to move that thing."
Lloyd didn't want to admit it, but she was right. He let go of the metal bars, and backed away.
"Looks like we'll have to fight." Said Sakura.
Lloyd opened the supply bag and took out three Oran Berrys. He passed them out to both Rita and Sakura, keeping one for himself. "Eat these, if were gonna fight, we need all the strength we can get." They nodded, and ate the berries quickly.
Zar, the Charizard who had pursued Lloyd since the beginning, finally landed on the Spires circular roof.
A moment later, the Fearow that flew in from the opposite direction, landed beside Zar, looking exhausted.
"Uhh... I hate having to fly... so... tired..." Lloyd guessed that this Lancet, since Fearow was the same pokemon he transformed into to escape the Brotherhood Headquarters.
"Get up..." Said Zar. "You look ridiculous."
"Listen Zar, YOU might be used to flying, having wings and all, but I've been a stupid little Squirtle for months now!"
"Lloyd." Rita's whisper had startle Lloyd slightly. "Why don't we attack now? While they're distracted?"
"Good idea. Tell Sakura to get ready."
Lloyd built up the electricity in his body, ready to unleash it at the Zar and Lancet.
"When I count to three..." Whisper Lloyd. "I want you both to attack with me."
Both Rita and Sakura nodded.
"One... Two..."
Zar and Lancet continued to argue more and more, not even noticing the trio preparing a surprise attack.
"Three!" Lloyd yelled. At the same time, Lloyd unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt attack, Sakura shot out a dozen tiny flames with Ember, and Rita tossed multiple Razor Leaf attacks.
The attacks all went towards Zar and Lancet, who still were ignoring everyone in favor of their agreement, but when the attacks reached them, everything went right through them like they weren't even there. For a moment, they continued to argue as if nothing had happened, then suddenly, the both of them faded, and eventually disappeared, like a pair of ghosts.
"... What just happened?" Asked Rita.
"They disappeared." Replied Sakura.
"... I know that. Why did they just disappear like that?"
Sakura shrugged.
"This is so weird, it's like they... hey wait." Rita was interrupted when suddenly, she seemed to get lighter, and as if gravity had turned itself off, she began to float in mid-air. "Whoa! What the heck is going on now!?"
Lloyd, and then Sakura, began to rise as well, floating a few inches off the ground like Rita, no control over what was happening.
"Someone must be controlling us with a psychic attack!" Sakura said while flailing her legs in mid-air, fruitlessly trying to land back down. "Whoever is doing this probably created those illusions of those other two guys!"
Lloyd felt sick to his stomach, it was the same motion sickness he got from using the Headquarters elevator. "Just stay calm everyone." He managed to say.
From somewhere below them, over the side of the spire, they heard someone speaking.
"You've done quite a good job of keeping away from me Lloyd..."
Lloyd recognized the voice from one of his dreams with Shadow. Lloyd figured that it was Mewtwo himself who had set and sprung the trap to capture him.
Mewtwo appeared, using psychic powers to levitate his body up from over the edge of spire.
"Who are you?" Asked Rita. "What do you want with us?!"
"It's not you or your little vulpix friend I want, only Lloyd. Why is none of your business."
"Let them go Mewtwo!" Pleaded Lloyd, thinking only of the safety of his friends. "If its only me you want, leave them and take me."
"Actually... I think your friends will make good insurance in case you try to escape." He laughed. "I will take you all, and if Lloyd escapes, its you, his friends, who will suffer the consequences."
Before anyone could say anything in protest, everyone, including their captor, began to fade away just like the illusions. Soon everyone disappeared, leaving the roof of Sunset Spire void of any pokemon.
Mewtwo, using his psychic abilities, teleported himself, and his three prisoners, to an unknown location.
---
The huge, stone switch that Isaac, Jennifer and Regal had been pushing had finally been activated. It stopped moving, and a loud 'click' sound could be heard behind it.
Not a moment later, the gate slowly began to rise, allowing everyone to climb the steps to follow Lloyd and the others.
"Come on everyone! Hurry!" Isaac yelled as he ran towards, then up, the stairway. Jennifer and Regal both followed as quickly as they could.
---
The storm was worse then ever, everyone had to shield their faces from the wind and the rain to be able to see.
"Where are they?!" Jennifer yelled at the top of her lungs, barely louder the storm. "I can't see anyone!"
"They're not here!" Said Regal. "Nobodies here!"
Something was obviously wrong, there was no way off of the top of the spire without jumping or flying off, or going back the way they came up, which was impossible because of the metal gate that had separated everyone in the first place.
"Come on, lets get back inside!" Yelled Isaac. "They're not up here!"
Reluctantly, Regal and Jennifer followed Isaac back down the stairway, and out of the rain.
"Where could they be?" Asked Regal. "This doesn't make any sense..."
"Isaac, what if they fell off the edge or something!" Jennifer said. "
"We don't have any Escape Orbs, so we'll have to take the long way down." Said Isaac. "It's the only way we can get down to make sure."
"Wait a second." Said Jennifer, suddenly calmer then she was before. "Why don't we just jump down?"
Isaac looked at her as if she was completely insane. "Are you crazy? The fall would kill us!"
"You maybe, if you just jumped down. I would be able to land safely, no problem, and Regal could just fly down."
"And what about me?" Asked Isaac.
"Just trust me, you'll be fine."
---
Isaac found himself standing at the edge of Sunset Spires roof, unable to believe what he was about to do.
Jennifer's plan to get down as soon as possible had worked so far. As she had explained earlier, Regal got down by flying down, staying close to the spire in case the wind picked up, and Jennifer simply jumped down, landing safely as if she had jumped no more then a couple of feet.
It was the second part of her plan that bothered Isaac.
Just as she was about to jump, she had told Isaac that he had to jump, and she would catch him as he fell. Isaac wasn't able to protest to her, as Jennifer had jumped the moment her explanation had finished.
"This is crazy..." Isaac muttered to himself. "There is no way..."
Jennifer looked like she was yelling something, but the storm was far to loud for Isaac to hear her from so far away.
Looks like I have no other choice.
Isaac got as close to the ledge as he could.
Alright... three... two...
He took a deep breath, hoping it would calm him. As he inhaled a lung full of air, the direction of the wind suddenly changed, going in the direction he was facing. He was so close to the ledge that he wasn't able to avoid being blown off the roof.
Isaac fell forward towards Jennifer and Regal, and yelled at the top of his lungs as he dropped towards the ground.
When Isaac was about half way down, Jennifer jumped straight up, towards Isaac.
Jennifer grabbed Isaac in mid-air, and the both of them fell together. Jennifer landed on the ground perfectly, without injuring either herself or Isaac, who was still yelling despite reaching the ground safely.
"Isaac, you're fine."
Isaac stopped yelling, but wasn't able to say, to shocked by the fall. All he did was lay on the ground and breath loudly.
"Regal is circling the base of this place looking for the others, just relax for a moment." She smiled at him. "I told you that you could trust me."
"Y... Yeah..." He managed to say between breaths.
"For a moment, I didn't think you were gonna jump."
Not like I had much of a choice. "... Yeah."
Isaac finally calmed down enough to get up off the ground. He stood and brushed the muddy sand off of his back. "Lets... never do that again."
"Suit yourself." Jennifer said with a shrug of her shoulders.
They didn't have to wait long for Regal's return. As soon as he had met back up with Isaac and Jennifer, Isaac asked him what he saw, and if he had found any of the missing Team Valiant members.
"No. I looked all around and found nobody."
Everyone was silent for a moment. The sound of thunder rumbled in the distance.
"What should we do?" Asked Regal. "Should we go back to the Headquarters?"
Isaac nodded. "There's no point sticking around here if Lloyd and the others are gone, let's go back and decide on what to do next."
Luckily, the storm was beginning to let up, making the upcoming journey back to Havoc City less difficult. Isaac lead the way away from Sunset Spire, into the wasteland, with Jennifer and Regal, close behind him. Plusle, who was still sleeping despite all that had happened, rested in Regal's arms as he flew in the air.
"I hope the others are ok." Jennifer said quietly, nearly whispering the words.
---
Lloyd eventually woke up, flat on the floor in a place he didn't recognize. His head hurt, but otherwise he was ok.
He stood up and looked around. The first thing he noticed was that he was alone, neither Rita or Sakura were in the tiny room with him.
The room was very dark, almost pitch black. It was also small, square, and the only way in or out was through a door made of red, metal bars. He walked over to the bars and looked through, he saw nothing except a long hallway lined with doors similar to his.
"Hellooooo? Hellooooooo!" He called out.
No response.
"Ritaaaaaaaa!"
Nothing.
"Saaaaaakuraaaaaa!"
Silence.
"Ritaaaaaaa! Saaaaaakuraaaaaaaa! Anybody?"
Wherever Lloyd was, he was alone, his friends who had been dragged along with him were no where to be found.
Lloyd pushed his body against the bars, but they were solid. With no other ways in or out of the room, he was trapped.
Now what?
He grabbed the bars and pulled, and once again, the bars were immobile.
Lloyd thought he heard footsteps, so he let go of the bars and listened closely. There was definitely the sound of footsteps, but he couldn't tell if they were coming towards him.
"Hellooooooo!?" He called out again.
"Lloyd? Is that you?" It sounded like Rita.
"Rita?"
"Yes it's me! I'm coming Lloyd!"
The footsteps got louder and louder, and eventually the sound came from down the hall, towards Lloyds cell.
"I'm here Rita!"
Finally Rita reached the small cell that held Lloyd. She smiled at him. "Oh I'm so happy you're safe!"
"I'm glad you're safe. Any ideas of where we are?"
"No, I don't."
"Alright, try to get me out of here, we need to escape right away."
"But Lloyd..." The voice was different, Rita sounded just like Lloyd, but without any emotion. "You can't escape. Never."
Rita transformed into an exact twin of Lloyd. Lloyd realized he had been tricked, and that this pokemon was actually Lancet in disguise.
"Lancet..."
"Yes, it is me." He laughed. "I can't believe I fooled you so easily. That was hilarious!"
"Where is Rita? And Sakura? Tell me!"
"Sorry, it's a seeeeeecreeeeet!" He said playfully, trying to tease Lloyd.
Lloyd responded to Lancets taunting with a Thunderbolt attack. Lancet never saw it coming.
"Ahhhhhhh! You little rat!" Lancet growled. "If the boss didn't want you unharmed, I... I... I would do something terrible!"
"Why are you even here Lancet?" Lloyd asked. "Did you just come to laugh at my expense, or do you have a purpose being here?"
"The Boss put me in charge of guarding you until the e... Until he has need of you."
"What does he want with me?"
"You'll find out, but not for awhile. I suggest you find something productive to do." Lancet yawned loudly. "I'm gonna go take a nap in the other room." Lancet walked down the hall. Lloyd could hear him walk into a nearby room, and then nothing. Once again Lloyd was alone, and the halls that surrounded his cell were silent.
He decided to try to get some rest, since there was nothing else he could do. He picked a random corner and laid down on his back. Eventually, despite laying on a cold, hard floor, he managed to fall asleep.
---
Rita was in a cell similar to Lloyds, but far away from his. As soon as she woke up, she looked around, confused by her surroundings, and she found herself being watched by the Charizard, Zar, who stared at her from the other side of a barred door..
"What... where am I?" She asked Zar sleepily.
"You're trapped. A prisoner." He said simply. "About time too. It's just a shame I couldn't be the one to bring you here. I certainly wouldn't have been as gentle as the boss was."
"Like you could have done anything. I've beaten you twice already!"
"Grrrr, you wouldn't last a minute one on one against me. I would turn you into nothing but a large piece of charcoal."
Rita stuck out her tongue. "Why don't you open the door and prove it hotshot? Scared?"
Zar gritted his teeth, trying to remain calm. "The boss said you are not to be harmed unless your friend tries to escape. Consider yourself lucky!"
"Ooooooo, I'm so scared."
"You better hope he doesn't try to escape, you little shrub." Zar began to stomp off down the hall. He yelled back to Rita as he left. "Otherwise, It'll be ME who gets to punish you, and I will enjoy it!"
"And you better hope I don't escape!" She yelled in response. "I'll beat you to a burning little pulp, you stupid, ugly little lizard!"
She heard the sound of a door slamming somewhere down the hall, then nothing.
Rita sighed. "I hope the others are ok."