CHAPTER 45
Zorian cleared his throat and stretched his arms a bit before he continued talking. "That's basically all that happened prior to me being an outlaw. From then on, all I could do was steal to survive. Houndour and I stuck together for a good while, and I was with him when he evolved."
"I still can't believe I went through all that," said Rylan. "I remember being in that chamber with you, accidentally touching the pedestal. But falling off that ledge…"
Zorian nodded. "I thought I had really lost you then. Houndoom was the one who heard tell of a Riolu with a key piece around his neck, so I gave him stolen money to keep an eye on you from the outside. I lost contact with him after he fled from Oscuro Canyon."
"He was arrested," said Gallade.
"I see," said Zorian. "Anyway, I met Slowking the same night Houndoom fled. I couldn't see his face, but he told me that he was sent out to rescue Rylan, so I told him about our connection. He and I made a deal. I would keep tabs on Giratina in exchange for your protection. That's why you were never snatched up by Giratina while scaling Mount Maelstrom."
"I getcha," said Rylan.
"Such terrible things I ended up doing…" said Zorian. "But now I'm ready to make things right. I'm ready to atone."
"It's quite all right, Zorian!" said Vulpix. "You were just worried about Rylan."
"But I'm the one who cast Nidoran and Wingull into the Distortion World. I was-" Zorian started.
"You were what?" asked Rylan.
Zorian wiped a tear from his cheek. "I was jealous of your guild teammates. Still am, in fact. You just look so happy together with them. I missed seeing that smile."
Vulpix walked up to Zorian and sat at his side, leaning against him. "We're partners now, right? Perhaps we can become friends as well. Then you'll have nothing to be jealous about! We can make you smile, too!"
Zorian blushed. "I never really thought about that."
"Oh, Vulpix, you make everyone you meet go red in the face," laughed Wingull.
"I do not!" Vulpix retaliated, starting to blush.
Everyone started laughing. Rylan pointed at Zorian's blush teasingly. Zorian looked at Rylan and saw his brother's face light up with a genuine smile. This brought another tear to Zorian's eye. Rylan hadn't smiled at him like that in years, and he had been eagerly hoping to see one.
"So, if I understand this right," Gallade said after the laughter subsided, "we need to combine the two halves of the Key of Renewal together and play a melody. That's all we have to do to bring everyone back?"
"Yup," said Zorian. "Wise Old Starmie seemed to know what she was talking about."
"But you promised you'd return the key to her when this is over," said Rylan. "Her cave is atop Mount Maelstrom."
"We made it up there before," said Buizel. "We can do it again."
"I've got a plan," said Zorian. "Remember me telling you about that ledge Rylan fell from?"
Everyone nodded.
"I was able to climb down the steep mountainside safely," said Zorian. "If we can find a pathway on that side of the mountain, we might be able to make it up to the peak in a short period of time with little trouble."
"Good idea," said Gallade. "But that's the north point. Getting there will take some time."
"Couldn't we just ride Aerodactyl up the side of the-" Buizel started. He looked around and noticed that Aerodactyl was nowhere to be seen. "Where did he go?"
"Our new friend and I had a little chat while we were in the Province," said Gallade. "He wanted to see how our world has evolved, to soak in all the change. I told him that would be all right. We can handle ourselves as far as the issue with Slowking."
"Ah, I see," said Buizel.
"So, that's our plan, then?" asked Rylan. "We travel to the mountain?"
"We make it to the top once again," said Vulpix.
"There's no getting past Slowking, though," said Nidoran. "Once he gets out of the Province, he's going to find us. With his expert psychic abilities, and with Giratina under his control, he can travel just about anywhere in the blink of an eye."
"Are you sure we should be heading to Mount Maelstrom before we deal with him, Zorian?" asked Rylan.
"Slowking has made a ton of Pokémon disappear, including residents of the mountain," Zorian explained. "If we take back the key and play the song before going to the mountain's peak, many of the hostile Pokémon of the mountain will return and our chances of making it there safely will decrease."
"That's…quite a remarkable strategic observation," said Gallade. "Even I didn't think of that."
"Taking advantage of an enemy's actions is something I have a talent for, or so I've been told," Zorian said with a grin.
"We'll still need to be on alert the whole time," said Wingull. "That's not going to be an easy task. There are still dangerous Pokémon up there."
Gallade smiled. "Don't forget," he said, "Slowking's not the only one who has psychic powers. I'm afraid I'm not very proficient at teleportation, but I can do other things to delay him if necessary."
"Well, what are we waiting for, then?" asked Buizel. "Let's get moving. Do we have any supplies?"
Each of them checked their explorer packs for useful items. They still had a fair share of food and items that they had packed for their trip to the Dark Sea.
"This should be enough to see us through to the top," said Gallade. "Especially if we're taking the North Point Route."
"How long do you think it'll take to get to that route from here?" asked Rylan.
"About half a day if we walk," said Gallade. "But let's travel quickly. We can't let Slowking capture us."
Everyone heard a quiet, calming jingle, as though a bell had been moved about.
"Oh, yikes," said Zorian. "Don't wanna lose those."
Several Shell Bells had fallen out of Zorian's pack. He hastily scooped them up.
"Are those Shell Bells?" asked Gallade. "They're really rare in this region."
"Yep, they are," Zorian responded. "I made them on Shell Island myself. I gave three of them to Houndoom the night Team StarStruck went to Oscuro Canyon. He slipped them around each of their necks so that they could recover faster."
"So that's why I felt better that very same night!" said Vulpix.
Zorian nodded. "I was going to save these for an emergency, but given what has been happening, I have a better use for them."
Zorian took a Shell Bell out of his pack and gave it to Rylan. He then distributed Shell Bells out until everyone had one.
"Shell Bells are a symbol of harmony and healing," said Gallade. "They're proof that even in a world where bad things happen, good things are sure to follow."
"Well, then, we should wear them proudly," said Vulpix as she put hers around her neck.
Rylan looked around at everyone, then down at his own Shell Bell. "Shall we be off, then?" he asked.
"Yes, let's go," said Gallade.
It was evening when the Pokémon returned from the Province. After the rest they took in the forest, the Sun had set. The Pokémon quickly headed through the forest and up the path leading to Mount Maelstrom. Instead of taking one of the main four routes up the mountain, they started to travel around the mountain.
It took almost half a day's walk, as Gallade had predicted, but since the group was travelling at a faster pace, they were able to shave a few hours off of the estimated time of arrival.
The North Point Route awaited them on the northmost side of the mountain. Once they arrived, Zorian noticed the steep mountainside from which Rylan fell that fateful day.
There was a steep but clear path leading up the mountain from that point. The Pokémon stopped at the start of that route so that they could sleep and recover their strength. Some of them took turns keeping watch in case Slowking showed up.
After a while of searching for the North Point Route and a good night's rest, Rylan and his allies were ready to scale the mountain once again.