Chapter Three - To Stop Evil Too Late
"Who are you?" I was asked.
"My name's Dan," I answered.
"Well, that's your name—yes, Dan—but who are you?" he continued.
"What do you mean?"
"I've never seen anyone fight like that. You could've easily killed all those men, but it looks like you just refrained from killing them altogether. Yet, you did as well as I did myself."
That guy was talking to me as we were running. I had decided to follow behind, since he knew where we were going and I didn't.
". . . I'm just really good with swords, I guess."
The only real training I've gotten were public courses. Though, I was at the top of every class.
All of those teachers told me that it wasn't because I was more skilled, though. It's because I'm so much faster than so many people, and my reflexes are unreal. More often than not, I'd always hear: "Why don't you go professional?"
That wasn't something I wanted to do. My life here was completely fine—no need to change it.
There's an answer if you're wondering why I suddenly decided to come with this guy. I don't want my home to be destroyed. Even though I've lived here for just six months, it's the most comfortable I've ever been. I'll do a lot to protect it.
"I'm N, by the way, Dan," he interjected, arms pumping back and forth as he ran.
"What a way to meet," I joked, looking to my side.
Maybe I held back a little too much against those Team Plasma people.
It wasn't common, but I'd find bodies leaned up against buildings and blood dried along the stone flooring of the town. It's obvious they died from the brutality these guys showed—resisting or not.
They might be just following orders. If I know anything about the average coup of people, you'll notice that the leader is far more scarier than most other normal human beings. Those guys were probably just following orders. Maybe brainwashed. Who knows. They're still human. And I'm not so keen on ending another person's life.
"We're almost there, Dan. If I lose to him, then I'm going to need you to fight my father, Ghetsis. Even kill him, if you really have to," he coldly told.
"Shouldn't I fight him first?"
"No. If I can, this is a battle I have to fight myself."
". . . And kill your dad?"
"I won't call him my dad anymore. It's not like he cared in the first place. . . . And I don't want revenge, either. If you can get off without killing him, then do that, Dan. But I just want what's best for the world."
I kept silent, listening to what N had to say.
"He brainwashed me into thinking Team Plasma was all for freeing Pokémon. But as of recently, I've learned that his plan was to just obtain the strongest Pokémon, then rule over the world with it. I've stopped him a few times, but this time . . . is a lot different."
". . . Got it."
Up ahead stood a large, gray dome. The structure was a very old building—an ancient one that's well-known throughout the city. It's a museum, and also the place where most public events are held at. It would make sense that this big event would be held around here.
And just before that stood a line of Team Plasma grunts, standing guard and in an entirely straight line. N rushed forward, pulling out his sword and slicing down through two of them, all before the rest could even react. While only really hurting one, he completely slit the throat of one of them. He just ran past them, and as did I, but the one that had his neck cut open.
I caught sight of him, running past. Just as I said before . . . human. Chances were that he wasn't going to make it, either.
My sigh was cut off as I skid to a stop, watching N stand a short distance from this man in a black cloak. In the black cloak, the most I caught in physical-appearance was his similarly green hair, which spiked outward in three different directions. Without attacking, those grunts surrounded the area and stood. I looked about, before returning my attention to N and what I'd imagine to be his father.
His dad turned around, slowly bringing his eyes to meet his son's.
"I knew that wouldn't be enough to kill you . . . but you came back?" Ghetsis asked.
"I did. . . ."
"Why? I was trying to keep you alive here, son."
"Don't call me 'son'. I'm not your son anymore, Ghetsis."
Reaching to his side, Ghetsis pulled out a slightly curved blade, which was similar to N's. They were both the same models, it looked like—'Katanas', for a more specific term.
"Apparently not, N."
N leaned down into a low stance, holding his sword in his higher hand and aiming it at his disowned father. Ghetsis took more of a fencer-like stance, putting one hand behind his back and leaving the other to hold onto his weapon.
"Well, N, I can't let you get in the way of the operation. If killing you is what it takes to stop you, then that's what I will do."
Lacking hesitation to the utmost degree, N immediately leapt forward at Ghetsis. Albeit fast in his movements, Ghetsis only took one similar movement to deflect his son's slash, leaning forward in a wave-like motion. Following up, Ghetsis swung at his opposer's opening, just to hit nothing as N shuffled back.
N took at a stabbing motion, just to be cut off from Ghetsis' block, before he riposted with a down-up cut. N locked his blade with the other, stopping it from moving, before turning under it and taking a cut at Ghetsis' back. Yet again, it was blocked, before N stabbed another time at the much older man's side.
With unhesitant eyes, Ghetsis locked his blade with N's and twisted it about, before pointing the tip of the blade into the hand of his opponent and freeing the blade, before tossing it aside with his own sword.
N stumbled back, already looking tired with the blood from his face dried up.
"You can't beat me. Please, just leave the city and get safe."
"I won't let you just kill all these people like that."
"Even if you were to beat me right now, there'd be no stopping it. If I were to be killed right now, there would be no one to control Groudon when he comes out of that portal," he explained, nodding his head back behind him.
Written on the ground in what looked like a brightly-glowing chalk was a circle with several symbols inside it. It was similar to the looks of a pentagram, but not exactly.
". . . What?" N queried, looking behind Ghetsis.
"That's right. So if you want to waste more time fighting, then I won't be so lenient on you this second time around."
N took another step back, looking at his hand. There was an incision where Ghetsis had stabbed to disarm him, now bleeding.
"Fine," he said, "but only if you fight him." Slowly, he brought his hand up to point at me.
". . . Is this a joke? You know we're the finest fighters in our region, right, N? And even then, with my teachings, you still couldn't beat me. If you're just trying to kill him, then let the grunts take care of it."
"I'm being serious, Ghetsis. And he's better than both myself and you."
N got oddly eyed over by not only Ghetsis, by the grunts included. But one stepped out, pleading in his case:
"It's true. He was able to fend off our entire group without killing one man."
The man speaking was the one whose hand I had taken. You could see as it was roughly bandaged, and blood was still leaking through it.
". . . We'll see about that," Ghetsis muttered, before taking a step forward. "Fine. Come, young man, bring out your sword."
I blinked, now having the attention focused on me. Gradually, I took my steps forward, before standing right next to N. He stepped back, quietly watching.
"Before we fight, though . . . I will need your name," Ghetsis told.
"My name is Daniel Lupo."
"Daniel Lupo, hnm? Well, if you don't already know, my name is Ghetsis Harmonia."
I didn't say anything more than what I had before I took my hand to the side and gripped onto the weapon I kept. The noise it made echoed about as it slid from its holster, properly being handled into a stance that I took.
"Now let's see if you're as well-off as N make-believes to be."
Ghetsis took a stance, and I followed the same. With one leg behind another, and my sword held out in front of myself, I stood still. In his stance before, he also stood still.
"I see how you play, Daniel," he muttered, before taking slow steps towards me. I was on the defensive side of this fight.
And in a few steps, he found himself in distance of me. But without attacking, he stared me down, and I did the same.
Flashing his metal forward, he stabbed at me without telegraphing his decision beforehand. But my blade came to match his, grinding across it before sliding off and striking a cut into Ghetsis' side—myself twirling about in the same motion.
Ghetsis froze as I was suddenly not gone, bringing his free hand to his side and faltering.
"Wh-what!?" he shouted.
The battle wasn't over, however. And so I followed, turning myself around and aiming my sword at his wielding-hand. Quickly, he parried my sword upward. But turning myself about yet again, my free hand grabbed his wrist. My sword-hand gained momentum, before I made a cut into his forearm.
It cut clean-through, leaving the front part of his arm to fall to the ground and for blood to quickly start flooding out.
I began taking steps back, sheathing my sword as he shouted out in pain.
"Ah! G- . . . how!?" he cried—not upset, but confused.
". . . I told you," N stated.
Not a word would come from me, as I stopped in place and stared at him.
"How're you so fast?" he asked me, meekly raising his head to look at me.
Ignoring his question, I looked around to the surrounding soldiers. They all had confused looks on their faces, to which I took advantage of.
"If you guys don't leave, then I'll kill each and every one of you!" I shouted.
It showed just how much they feared Ghetsis, because they all proceeded to bolt faster than I'd like to believe. Even from a bluff as big as that.
"It's over, Ghetsis. Cancel the summoning now," N continued, stepping up next to me.
". . . I- . . . I can't," he told.
"What!?" N asked, exasperated.
"I can't st—"
Before the next word was said, a giant explosion rocked the area around all of us. Quickly, we were surrounded in smoke and what I saw as soot. Soon, ashes settled to the ground, giving a low amount of visibility to myself. I looked around, and found N's eyes wide in shock.
As if in an instant, fire had set to any surrounding areas outside of what small circle we all stood in.
"N-No . . ." N mumbled, visibly shaken.
My visibility was incredibly limited, now. All I saw was N, then Ghetsis just a little bit away from us. And slowly, Ghetsis took a stand.
"Y-You thought it was just that easy to beat me now, huh? Well after two defeats, I don't believe I'll be taking anymore!" he told.
N nor myself had any input, looking to him.
"Now behold, the true power of Gr—!"
Before Ghetsis finished his sentence, a large shape came from the smog that surrounded us. A hammer. It instantly crushed him into the ground, leaving his arms and a leg of his to crookedly point upward in a jaw-grindingly grotesque fashion.
A shape stepped out of the form, one hand held to the lengthy hammer that set itself into the corpse of Ghetsis.
"Delicious," it said, licking along its sharp teeth.