Me: If an apology was equal to the wrong of not posting anything for a very long time, I'd give it. But, sadly, I really messed up, real life getting in my way or not, by not at least trying to put out a new one a month ago!
If this monster sized chapter doesn't cut it, I don't know what will!
My disclaimer is the same as always, so... Happy reading!
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Chapter Twelve:
The Great would-be Escape, Part 2
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The sun was still traveling on it's way to noon, when Lucario stood on Allan's path, and refused to budge until he explained himself.
Most of the wild Pokémon, relieved that the fighting from earlier had stopped, had already wandered off to attend to their daily seasonal activities, ever preparing for the coming winter. Their concerns for survival outweighing, at the moment, those they might still harbor for the safety of their new human friend.
'I'll say again, human...' Lucario glared softly, 'Why do you really want to go to Veilstone?'
Blinking out of his quiet reverie, Allan looked up, and glared, "Because those are my orders. I don't have to have a reason for you..." Allan looked away, and sighed, "But if you're really so concerned, why don't you tag along for a bit. I don't think our destinations are that different."
'Wh-You! What are you suggesting... This is some kind of trick! You want me to go along so you can eliminate me!' Lucario growled, taking a step back and eying Allan menacingly.
"Buddew-bud!" : 'Nuh-uh! He's a hero! He wouldn't do something like that!' Leaning against Allan's leg, the little Budew looked unhappily up at Lucario, who looked away. Allan shivered uncomfortably at the little Pokémon's touch, and Lucario could not believe she saw that out of the corner of her eye!
'Are you afraid of that little Budew?' Lucario could have raised an eyebrow for how disbelieving she sounded as she asked this.
"No..." Barely containing the stutter that wanted to slip past his lips, Allan squared his shoulders, and bent down to pick Budew up, "I'm not afraid of Budew. I just don't like it's final evolved form..."
"Dew?" The Budew blinked confusedly at Allan, but sat comfortably in his hands.
'That's not what your Aura is telling me...' Lucario seemed thoughtful as she watched them both, her red eyes softening slightly, and then finally, 'Alright! I'll follow you closely... If only because I have to keep an eye on you now that I have you!'
"Fine. I-That is... We need to be going, now..." Allan put Budew down, and proceeded to walk to Veilstone City.
Sniffing once, Lucario said, 'Fine!' and followed with a haughty air.
"B-Bah! Budew Bah-budew!" : 'Wh-What? Wait! Where are you going?' The little Pokémon cried, hopping swiftly after their heels.
Turning, Allan looked down at Budew, and said, "I have somewhere to be. You need to stay here with your friends, and help Torterra protect the forest from bad people."
"Bah-Bah-Budew!" Shaking his head furiously, Budew looked up at Allan sadly.
"Stay." Allan said firmly. Standing, and walking past Lucario, he never made a move to look back at the teary eyed Pokémon he was leaving behind.
Lucario, still unsure what to make of the situation merely followed, though it made her sad to think that they were just turning their backs on the little Budew.
'Allan... May I be released from my Pokéball, now?'
"Sure, Gallade..." Allan freed Gallade, and the Chivalry Pokémon, now walking beside them, turned to Lucario.
'I feel I must apologize to you...' Gallade said.
'Why?' Lucario looked at him suspiciously.
'I doubted you with the safety of my friend and Master, Allan... I'm sorry.'
'No. It's alright.' Lucario put a paw up, and shook her head, 'I really wanted to clobber him, but I thought better of it when he released me from the 'Vine Whip' himself.'
Chuckling, Gallade said, 'Yes, he's hard to grasp sometimes, but he's also a lot nicer than you would think-'
"Gallade! We're not letting her come along so she can learn all our secrets!" Allan warned, with a telepathic threat about putting him back in his Pokéball.
'Anyway...' Gallade frowned sadly.
'What?' Lucario asked curiously.
Looking in Allan's direction, Gallade said quietly, 'Not even I really know what the plans are... He'll never let us know a secret he intends to keep. At least, not until the very last possible moment... Master Allan?'
"What, Gallade? Have you finally decided to listen, and stop calling me 'Master'?"
Lucario blinked surprise, and looked at Gallade questioningly.
'No... I wanted to ask...' Gallade trailed off, thinking about what he was trying to ask.
Allan stopped walking, turned to the two Pokémon, and said, "We'll be at a disadvantage anyway, if Gallade and I don't know when your, 'Riley' arrived at the Galactic Veilstone building."
Smiling in happy surprise, Gallade nearly made an attempt to hug Allan. Luckily, he could see Allan's distress at having revealed this detail of their plan to Lucario, and held back.
'It's true.' Gallade said to Lucario, 'That's part of why we're headed to Team Galactic's headquarters... Are you willing to answer us?'
'Knowing who you are, you mean?' Lucario still felt suspicious of their plans. But... 'How long were you aware that Master Riley and I were in trouble?'
Blushing a bit at the memory, Gallade said, 'Um, about the day after we saved you from those mountain Pokémon... We've been making our way ever since.'
'That long, huh?' Lucario, also embarrassed about having been rescued at the time, put a paw over her face as they walked on.
Shuffling uncomfortably one last time, Gallade relaxed and said, 'Yes. We even passed through the Eterna building to find out what happened to you guys.'
'The Eterna building...?' Lucario thought about this with an unsure expression on her face, and then looked up surprised, 'We were held there! You tracked us that far?'
Allan had been keeping an uncomfortable silence, walking a little ahead of the chatting Pokémon, when he stopped suddenly and looked behind them.
'What is it, Allan?' Gallade asked, stopping as well.
'There are... Pokémon following us.' Lucario said bewilderedly.
And sure as she had said it, there came a soft rustling of bushes as Miltank, Chansey, Torterra, and several assorted smaller Pokémon appeared, looking relieved to have found them.
"Mii-loo, Miloo!" Miltank smiled, as Cherubi and Starly hopped up and down around her feet.
Torterra approached solemnly, "Terrrraah." : 'So good to have caught up to you before you left my part of the forest...'
'What is it, Torterra?' Gallade asked, a concerned look on his face.
"T'rrah, tor. To-grrrrah." : 'All is well. We merely wanted to see you off.'
'Oh, that's good, then.' Gallade nodded, pleased.
"That's right..." Allan said, stepping closer to put his hand on Torterra's head, "You came all this way, but I don't see that smaller-than-average Budew... Is he upset?"
Torterra seemed to shrug, and then said, "Rrr-ah... Tor. TERRA!" : 'I'm not sure where he's hiding... But safe journey. The powers of the Earth and Forest go with you!'
The other Pokémon joined in the cheer, and waved as they returned to the Autumnal depths of the forest.
"We should be going, too. It'll be noon soon. You know what that means, Gallade." Allan said, turning to continue forward.
Smiling, Gallade answered, 'Yes, Master Allan.'
'What?' Lucario looked confused, 'What do you mean, by that?'
'You'll see.' Gallade answered cryptically.
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XXX
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Much earlier in Riley's day, before that Galactic guard had been so snippy with him, he'd had time to start partially sensing the layout of the building's interior, based on the movements of the people, or Pokémon, that paced throughout the halls.
Using an archaic Aura technique that even he didn't fully understand, called 'Sign Aura', he began to invisibly draw out the general floor plan of the main hallways that were the most used. Oddly, though, the people would vanish suddenly at specific locations. Riley marked those with a slightly different Aura color.
"I'll have to investigate this phenomenon later... But for now..." He whispered, as he worked carefully in the security camera's blind spot. By the time he felt as though he were mostly done with the map, he leaned back for a better look at the whole, and sighed, "Not the best looking set of lines and plans I've ever drawn, but it'll have to do." He said as he looked at the crookedly drawn lines, and squiggly marks that made up his map.
Standing up and stretching out his body to keep away the cramp that was threatening to develop, Riley moved over to his one window to the outside world. He gazed down at the panoramic plaza that made up most of the block in front of Team Galactic's headquarters. Below where he stood, Riley could see people, as well as numerous Pokémon, walking hither thither for their shopping, entertainment, or just for the sake of walking. It looked deceivingly peaceful, considering the location, as Riley watched someone young with a strong Aura walk up to someone older with a similar feel. Watching them while they talked, Riley could see from there what was going to happen next.
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In the square below...
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"Hey, old man! That's an interesting Raichu you've got there." Said a young, cocky looking trainer as he spun a Pokéball on the tip of his finger. Catching it before it fell, he he quirked a smirk, and waited for the older man to respond.
After sizing the youth up, the older man cracked a grin of his own, and said, "Yes. And you think you've got what it takes to stand toe to toe with my, Sheila?"
"Ra-chu." The she-Raichu quipped.
"'Sheila', is it?" The youth said, his smile widening, "Well why not, I've got plenty of fighting experience under this one's belt. Go, Machoke!"
"Mm-Maaaa-choke!" Cried the Pokémon that appeared with a flash, and it flexed it's muscles confidently.
Several by standers quickly cleared the way, amid much grumbling about random battling in a shopping plaza. Regardless, many of the local kids pushed their way to the front of the battler's audience to cheer for the Pokémon they thought was going to win.
Appearing to think for a moment, the older man spoke up and said, "You've inadvertently made a bad joke of your Pokémon's appearance there, boy."
"What's that mean?" The youth replied, unimpressed by this weak smack-talk. Deciding he was going to make the first move, the youth cried, "Machoke, lets make this one quick! Go in hard, and pound it with a 'Mega Punch'!"
"Cho-ma!" The Machoke responded, charging at the smaller Pokémon recklessly.
"Ra-chu, Rachuu." Sheila sniffed, and sidestepped the Machoke's wild attack.
"Sheila! Counter that with a 'Thunder Wave'!" The older man called, moving a little to his left to keep an eye the enemy Pokémon.
"'Thunder Wave'? What kind of attack is that!" The youth busted up laughing, thinking the older man was making a fool of himself by choosing such a weak attack that does little, if any, damage to its target, "Machoke, make him pay for that bad joke with a 'Seismic Toss'!"
Stepping aside to dodge another of the Machoke's wild charges, Sheila twirled suddenly smacking her enemy's left leg with her statically charged tail, "Rai!"
"Maaa!" The powerfully muscled Pokémon cried, dropping to one knee, and holding it's zapped leg with both hands.
"Wha-Machoke! What are you doing! Get up! You can take way more than that!"
"Now, Sheila." The older man said.
"Ra-chu!" She responded expectantly.
Raising a hand to signal where to fire, the older man called out, "Use 'Shock Wave'!"
"Raichuuu!"
"Wha-No! Machoke! Get away!"
"I'm sorry to say sonny, but your Pokémon can't dodge a 'Shock Wave'... There are few that can."
"Nooo!" The young lad cried as his Pokémon was zapped by a bright blast of ball lighting.
Fried extra-crispy, the Machoke toppled and let out a faint groan, "Mmmaaaaa..."
"Aw, man!" Defeated, the boy called back his Pokémon, and said, "I guess I was being way too cocky because I'm on my way to challenge the gym leader here in Veilstone... Sorry if I said anything disrespectful."
"Haha! No offense taken. Know your way around to the Pokémon Center, yet?" The old man said, offering his hand for a sportsman's handshake.
Accepting the gesture, the youth said, "Yeah, pretty much. My name's Vincent, but everybody I know calls me, 'Vinny'."
"Wahaha! Well, Vincent, one good introduction deserves another! My name's Wattson, and I'm a gym leader from the Hoenn region."
"Gym leader? Of the Hoenn region? No wonder I couldn't beat you! You were that tough, and I just thought you were an ordinary old man!"
"Hahaha, yes. The world is a funny thing, isn't it?"
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Upstairs, in the Galactic building...
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"That was a short battle," Riley said with a small smile, glad to see that the two trainers were very sporting about the battle's outcome.
Having decided that it would be best to attempt to carefully extract info from the guards about what was going on in the way of secret plans, or recent missions to exotic locations in the Sinnoh region, Riley took a seat at the room's only table, and waited while watching the security camera.
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XXX
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'So this is it?' Lucario asked, nonplussed.
'Yes!' Gallade answered cheerfully.
Still unsure how to react, Lucario just stood there, watching Allan and Gallade as they foraged for their lunch. Finally, she said; '... I don't know why, but I was expecting something more... Dramatic...'
'Really?' Gallade said, looking over at Lucario before bending down to examine a nut bush.
'Aren't you two gathering more than you need?' Lucario asked, when she noted that the pile of ripened fruits and nuts was growing larger than necessary.
"There are more than just Gallade and I to feed here..." Allan said, coming back with five fair-sized, freshly caught fish.
'You eat fish?' Lucario exclaimed, standing up from the flat rock she had settled on.
'We only eat them cooked, but Lapras likes them raw.' Gallade answered, bringing with him several edible wild herbs. 'For the ease of our digestion,' he added when he noticed her questioning look.
'Oh, I see...' she answered, settling back down.
Rolling a pebble around, Lucario paused when Allan released Lapras, but turned her attention back to the pebble when Lapras only nodded pleasantly in greeting.
Watching Lucario at this for another moment, Allan sighed and said; "Lucario."
'What?' she asked, looking at him blankly.
Allan began to feel even more awkward, so Gallade took over by saying; 'What Allan means to say is... We gathered food for you, too.'
'... Oh.' Lucario finally answered, but didn't immediately move from her spot on the rock.
'Here! You must try these peaches! They're sweet, and juicy... Delicious!' Lapras hummed soothingly as he proclaimed this to be true.
At last, Lucario moved to a patch of soft, yellowing grass beside Lapras, and accepted one of the wild peaches.
'I got this fair pile of acorns roasted by a generous Pachirisu. Lucario, you should try them as well, while they're still warm. They're really good!' Gallade offered the whole pile to allow her to choose her own.
The entire lunch break went on like this, with Lucario only accepting what was directly offered to her. But once the initial awkwardness was passed by, both Allan and Lucario began to relax a bit, eating with no more trouble than anyone would encounter during a meal.
When their stomaches were full, and most of the foraged food consumed, it was time to press onward. Allan called Lapras back to his Pokéball, and moved to the edge of their clearing. Looking out ahead, over their path, he couldn't shake the feeling that their small party was being watched.
"Gallade." Allan whispered, signaling that his partner should approach cautiously.
Understanding the drill, Gallade moved casually toward Allan, and linked hands with him.
'What do you two sense?' Lucario asked, recognizing the Aura focusing technique they were using.
Blinking as he looked around, Gallade answered; 'Not sure yet...'
"There!" Allan carefully pointed in the direction of the presence he'd felt closing in on them.
Ready for anything, all three of them turned toward the small Aura that approached them. The bushes began to rustle. Slowly at first, and then more violently, as whatever it was became tangled in the brambles.
"Bmm-boo!" Came a muffled cry, before the creature burst free from the entangling branches in an explosive fury of 'Bullet Seed'!
Narrowly dodging being hit by the fast flying seed attack, Allan and his Pokémon companions helped each other up from the ground.
Staring sternly at their stalking assailant, Gallade said; 'I don't know whether to commend you, or to scold you, for not listening to us by staying behind with your friends.'
Jumping up from his backside, Budew attempted to stand a little taller, and said; "Bu-Budew!" : 'Uh, right! Of course!'
'This is almost too cute believe... Who knew a Dark Knight could be so funny!' Lucario had a paw to her face, trying to hide her suppressed laughter. Failing, she turned away, and continued to quiver with mirth.
Keeping his voice level, in spite of the warmth on his cheeks, Allan replied; "There's nothing cute about being followed by a Pokémon that can't handle my lifestyle!"
'I beg to differ. He seems capable of doing a lot of damage if he wants to.' Lucario countered, cooling down at last.
'She's right, Allan,' Gallade agreed, 'Maybe we should-'
"Absolutely not!"
Putting his foot down, Allan knew they didn't have time to be arguing over something like this, because by Lucario's account, Riley had been imprisoned in Team Galactic's headquarters for two days... Plenty of time for preliminary psych outs that would weaken one's awareness.
"Baaaahhh! Deeewwww!" yelled the pint-sized plant-type, as it charged at Allan's legs meaningfully.
But, bouncing off harmlessly, it landed with an abrupt thud, and a confused look on it's tiny face.
"Budew?" Budew looked up at Allan with bright, sad eyes, and a befuddled expression.
Lucario, feeling bad for the little guy, slapped Allan on the shoulder sharply. When Allan eyed her inappreciatively, she growled out; 'What's wrong now? You let me come along, and I'm out to rub your nose in the dirt!'
"'Rub my nose in the dirt'? What sort threat is that?" Allan asked Lucario, ignoring Budew for the time being. If only to make his point clear.
'One that I'm inclined to act upon here, and now, if you don't consider this Budew's feelings!' She retorted angrily.
'N-now, now, we don't need to start fighting again after finding some kind-of tentative peace agreements-...' Gallade tried.
"'Stay out of it, Gallade!'" Both Allan and Lucario growled in sync, causing them to jolt in shock, then back off a couple steps.
Thoroughly pissed off, Allan snapped first; "You've got no right to talk to Gallade like that, you-you..."
'And what of yourself!' Lucario barked back, 'You've got no kindness in your soul! You're the very reason innocent people die, on a daily basis... And you like it!'
Ducking for cover now, both Budew and Gallade had to back off as powerful Aura's, filled with rage and feeling's of injustice, began to collide, causing the very air between human and Pokémon to crackle with small, white sparks of heat!
"B-b-b-b-budewwww!" : 'W-what do we do?'
'Keep down little one. Stay behind me; I have to put up a shield to protect us!' Gallade said, turning sorrowfully back to the fight that had gotten out of hand.
"Rrrrgh! What the friggin' hell would you know about me! You don't have any idea... What kind of hell I've been through!" Unable to take his pent up rage anymore, Allan threw a punch at Lucario, who's face showed a sudden break from anger to reveal shock that he would ever openly attack a Pokémon... Even one that had angered him so.
'Master Allan!' Gallade shouted from behind his barrier.
CRACK!
The flaring Aura's receded, and silence filled the clearing. Lucario had backed into a tree when her anger gave way to shock, and, to her shame, momentary fear.
Locked eye to eye, Allan and Lucario both panted from the exertion of releasing their Aura's so violently. Keeping his fist where it had bored into the bark of the tree behind Lucario, less than an inch from beside her head, Allan whispered between breaths; "That you could lose focus of your anger at the last moment like that... That you could naively expect me go easy on you, just because we found some common ground earlier... If you had been anyone from the hundreds of fools who pledge loyalty to the ruler of all the Dark Knights... You would not still be here..."
Allan turned away, taking his fist with him, as Lucario slid down the tree's trunk to sit at the base. Still feeling shell shocked, she flinched as a sudden realization came upon her that made her look up sharply; 'You're not one of them...'
Allan stopped, keeping his back to the Pokémon, "You're a fool of your own..." he turned to face her, "I have no choice but to be one of them. That was decided for me years, and years ago."
'If you have no choice, then why did you spare me?' Lucario challenged, standing shakily up.
'What do you mean?' Gallade said, incredulous, 'Aren't you an Aura Knight's partner? Don't you know about the 'toll'?'
'A 'toll'?' Lucario looked over at Gallade perplexed, 'No... I do know that killing a Pokémon, or a human being even, will taint one's Aura with weakness... Is that what you're referring to?'
"Bah-budew!" : 'What's a 'aura'?' Stepping between the two Pokémon, Budew looked from one to the other, seeking an answer.
"Why is that Budew still around?" Allan asked calmly, from the far edge of the clearing.
"Ba-bud, Bud-budew!" : 'I'm not scared of that light... Or those small fires!' the little Pokémon chirped indignantly.
'Ma-... Allan,' Gallade cautiously began, 'It-no-... He would not leave. Even after that terrible display of your temper!'
"Is that so," Allan replied, not really interested, "Then why haven't you shooed it away, yet?"
'Because he is still determined, Allan.' Gallade moved to stand beside Allan, and put a hand over his heart as he looked at his friend unhappily. Beseechingly, Gallade knelt, hand held firmly in place as he did so, and said again, 'Allan. I know what you mean, that coming with us could mean... Well, certain discomforts. But this Budew... His mind was made up a while ago. Everything he learns about us, hasn't yet scared him off. Please... Consider him seriously.'
Standing back, tensed up, Lucario and Budew watched them carefully after Gallade had made his appeal to Allan. Thick silence, broken only by passing birds, pervaded the shady clearing. The day was waning into the afternoon, bringing with it a variety of changes, as it rolled on.
"I have no time to be thinking about this." Allan finally said, turning to head toward the east.
'What?' Lucario yelped, angry again, 'Why, after all that, would you just ignore your friend's simple request!'
'No, Lucario, it is not as simple as you might think,' Gallade said jumping up, and taking her paw. Looking her in the eyes, Gallade said, 'Allan didn't say, yes... But he did not say, no, either... For now, we have to let Budew prove himself further. Neither of us, for the sake of Budew's health, should help him. We have to let Budew handle himself on his own. At least until Allan makes his final decision.'
'That is not a very fair way to treat, Budew!' Lucario protested.
'No... But it's not fair to take it into a life-or-death war, either.' Gallade responded quietly.
"Bud... Budew, Bud-dud-dew?" : 'Then... What do I do to get him to take me along?'
Leaning down to the little Budew, Gallade patted his head, and said with a sad smile, 'If you are really serious about joining us, you'll just have to figure it out on your own... For now.'
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Later...
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Walking winding trails to eastern-most side of the Coronet Range took the remaining daylight from the skies, leaving a hazy twilit world in their wake. As the slopes evened out into more frequently traversed roads and footpaths, Allan looked up at the nearly starless sky, and shivered.
'I agree, Allan... It is unnerving to walk toward a city as the night closes in, but see next to nothing lighting the sky aside from the electrical neons, and spotlights that block out the stars...' Gallade said, shivering as well, but for different reasons.
'You two are strange...' Lucario muttered, shaking her head exasperatedly.
Looking back, she frowned slightly as she sensed about for a tiny Aura signature that would point out where Budew had gone... But it was no use. She and Gallade had lost track of him hours ago, and neither had been able to locate him since. Facing forward again, Lucario called out to them, 'Wait a minute, you two! I never got around to briefing you about the situation!'
'Don't worry, Lucario, we have an idea,' Gallade reassured her, 'Besides, we never take these missions of ours for granted... And if anyone can help get your Knight out of that viper's nest, it's Allan.'
'You're so sure?' Lucario said more to herself than the others.
'Positive.' Gallade smiled slightly to emphasize this.
"We're almost at the city now," Allan said, stopping and looking back at the other two, "Anyone who wants to quit this suicide mission is free to back out now... Otherwise, you had better be prepared to face to worst the scum of the world will throw at us!"
Both Pokémon were silent in response to these words. Then...
'I'm not about to quit and abandon my friend, and partner, Riley... They will have to walk over my dead body to harm another hair on his head, while I still have breath!' Lucario clenched her paws into fists, and glared toward the northeastern region of the city where, hidden by other tall buildings and sky-scrapers, the H.Q. of team Galactic waited.
'You know I will never part ways with you, Allan, until my life is spent battling in your defense. I will stand and fight until my Aura is all that remains of me, if need be!' Gallade stood proudly, showing none of the fatigue he and Allan had shared much earlier in the day.
"Then here's the outline of the plan I've formulated thus far," Allan began, and he bent down to start drawing a rough square in the dirt, putting a short, thicker line next to one of the square's edges.
Then he drew out a thinner rectangle adjoining the square on another side of the square, and said, "Taking the wild chance that security personnel by the main entrance will few to none, is beyond foolhardy," he tapped the ground by the thicker line, "What we want, is some kind of shortcut... A back door, if it pleases you. Something with less security, and more blind spots," Allan indicated the small rectangle, and drew a zig-zag pattern through its center, to symbolize the blind spots.
Looking up at his audience, Allan said, "Lucario, you're the only one who might've been close enough to notice something like this, the last time you were here."
Thinking about it for a moment, the Pokémon answered, 'If I did, everything was too desperate at the time for me to really take in where it might be... Assuming I saw anything at all.'
"I see..." Allan shrugged, "That's not really a problem. All it means for us, is that we'll just have to stake out the building from a distance, and see if we can't spot that weakness we're after. Sooner, rather than later."
'And what if we don't find it quickly enough? What if we're already too late?' Lucario asked, careful not to put too much voice to her worries, in case they made fun of her. They didn't. Instead...
Looking at Lucario grimly, Allan said, "One way or the other, I am going to confront the leader of Team Galactic tonight. Whether it's before, or after we save your friend, will be dictated by chance alone... I'm sorry if this dissatisfies you, but there's nothing else I came here for... And I don't take detours."
Glaring at Allan, Lucario held her paw out to him, and growled, 'I will hold you and your partners to your promise, human... You will help me get inside that building!'
Huffing a light snort, Allan smirked as he took Lucario's paw in his hand, and shook it. "And I'll hold you to yours," he added.
Thrown for moment, Lucario returned the smirk as she remembered her own words from earlier on the trail, after the argument had passed, but left an awkward feeling in its wake: 'Never mind, keeping an eye on you... Riley and I will be lucky to get away by ourselves, let alone with a few prisoners in tow.'
Remembering what she had said, she nodded agreement to her previous decision, 'It's probably for the best that we let you go after we escape. It'll be hard enough without you acting as dead weight to slow us down.' Lucario reiterated.
Allan rolled his eyes, and stood up to look down at Veilstone City once more, before proceeding.
Sighing, Gallade said, 'The only thing I could possibly regret now, is lack of rest... But only for you, Allan.'
"I'll be fine," Allan responded softly.
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Later still...
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Within the main city's limits, Allan had called Gallade back to his Pokéball to give him a chance to rest for a bit, before anything too serious had to happen.
To Lucario, as before, the city seemed loud and bright, as though Veilstone's residents never went to sleep once night fell. Perhaps there were more tourists than anything else... And maybe that was why the city didn't seem to sleep. Snorting impatiently as several drunken men, hanging off of one another for balance, crossed her and Allan's path. She was more than happy with the idea of just bulldozing the morons over, and leaving it at that. On the other hand, good etiquette as a partner to an Aura Knight, dictated that she be polite, even though she really wanted to knock their heads together.
"Heeeeyyy, lookie there! Hic!" One of the drunks said, turning to look at Allan and Lucario, as they waited for him and his buddies to leave.
Also turning to look, and nearly falling over in the process, another man said, "What's a couple 'o cute-hic girlies like you doin' out at hic-this hour?" He grinned once, and fell over.
"Them's ain't girlies, hic-dumbass," said his friend, helping him up, "They're a couple o' hic-Pokémon. See how one's really blue? Tha's how you c'n tell!"
"I don't hic-like it when Pokémon pretend to be peoples..." the second guy spoke again, disappointed.
'When are they going to leave?' Lucario asked, not really caring what Allan's response would be, as long as they could leave the drunken idiots behind.
Answering telepathically, Allan said, 'They can stay here as long as they like, but I won't.' Allan had a disapproving glare on his face, as he moved to walk past the Giddy Gang. Turning back, he asked, 'Coming?'
'On my way,' Lucario answered, turning her nose at the sour smell of cheep beer, 'How can humans drink that stuff?'
'Beats me. The stuff they must've been guzzling smells like a cheep, but popular name-brand from Kanto... And don't ask why I know this. I'm getting a headache just from the fumes.'
"'Ey-hic! Where're they goin'?" the second guy asked, trying to focus on Allan and Lucario as they passed just out of reach.
"Who cares? Them's Pokémon. Lets get us some're beer!" the third guy answered again, to much agreement from his friends.
Coughing lightly, when they were around the bend, Allan said, "The only way they're going to be able to enter another bar, is if they can prove they have the money to afford it!"
Snorting to get the acrid scent out of her nose, Lucario replied, 'Providing they can even make it to one,' snorting again, she added, 'How did you know what their chosen drink was? One of those hooligans was actually thinking coherently enough to remember what he was having before he and his buddies left that bar we passed!'
Turning his slowly warming face away from Lucario's direction, Allan muttered, "Long story short, I've had to blend into some pretty seedy crowds..."
'Oh,' Lucario said, stifling a smile at his awkward embarrassment. Clearly, that was a memory he wanted kept safely locked away in the closet of his mind. Far away from prying eyes.
Moving on to the city's uptown, and, thankfully, away from anymore drunk-headed encounters, Allan noted where the Pokémon Center was in relation to his current position. 'It will be important to remember where that is in case of an emergency...' he thought calmly, looking ahead after he had gotten his bearings.
Ten minutes later, Allan and Lucario both stood in the plaza that was situated right in front of Team Galactic's secret headquarters. Looking up at the mid-sized building told Allan only one significant thing: The building is wider, than it is tall.
'What's wrong?' Lucario asked, noting unhappily that Allan seemed grimmer than ever about the mission at hand.
'Nothing much... Just that... Anyone who doesn't know the layout of the building by heart... Is guaranteed to get lost in the mazes this place most certainly has," Allan frowned.
Sure Allan was just pulling her by the tail, Lucario said, 'Come on. It can't really be that big?'
"If your eyes can't tell you, then use your other senses," turning his frown on her, he added a touch of disappointment to his expression. Sighing, he added, "For now though, we need to find a more secure area to stake this place out."
.
Later again, but finally...!
.
'Allan,' Lucario said, returning to where he was secretly positioned, trying, through meditation, to map out the interior of the enemy fortress, 'I found an old dock house that connects to the Galactic's home base, somehow.'
"Are you sure?" Allan asked, not shifting from his meditative pose.
'Positive,' Lucario answered, glad to repeat the one-worder that Gallade had used on her earlier.
"Okay... I guess I'll figure out the weird blips I was getting from the inside, where it'll make a little more sense," shrugging his shoulders to loosen up, Allan stood on the branch of the cedar he had chosen as his perch, and hopped down. Landing lightly, he added, "But be on the lookout for any Grunts. If one spots us, we'll have to take him, or her, out before they can call for help... Or worse, set off some kind of alarm."
'You don't need to drill me on how to stealthy, Dark Knight. Riley and I are the best, from where other's of similar rank among our own stand... So you don't have to waste your time looking after me!' Lucario dashed off ahead of them to make sure the way was clear. Both she, and Allan, moved up to the wall of the older structure, and looked over at the security cams; those were set up to where they could always see the one, and only, obvious entrance to the old dock house.
On the other hand, right over where the two of them stood, there was a window. It was set high into the wall, and just big enough to allow them passage... If they could get up to it.
'So,' Allan spoke telepathically, 'Who gets to jump up there first?'
Rolling her eyes, Lucario answered, 'Hmph! A human, even a well trained one, would have extreme difficulty getting up there on his own. I'll go after I help you vault up there first... So I don't have to come back in case you don't make it after failing on your own a few times!'
'Fair enough. You won't expend as much energy as me, either way,' Allan agreed.
Kneeling with her back to the wall, Lucario awaited Allan's short rush, that would give him enough momentum to carry him up to the window quickly, and with little effort, once she launched him off her forepaws. Dashing in quickly, Allan lifted his left foot onto her waiting paws mid-dash, and jumped, with Lucario giving him the extra boost he needed to reach the waiting window.
Once there, Allan looked inside to be sure there was no one to stop them once he opened the window and slipped inside. Finding there was no one in the immediate area, save for himself and Lucario, he pushed on the rotten wooden frame, and it gave way quietly. Dropping in, he moved to the side, as Lucario landed lithely beside him.
'Good timing,' Allan thought with raised eyebrows.
'I said I'd be in quickly,' Lucario retorted.
Moving past a few make-shift walls made up of cardboard boxes, they found a slightly more solid one that even had a key card slot, and electronic shutters.
'Key cards? You'd think that the big-top villains would learn to use something a little more difficult to hack,' Allan winced, already reaching for the device.
'What do you mean? Those stupid things are anything but easy!' Lucario grumbled irately.
'Well, for some, I suppose... There's this one guy I know, not too bright, but apparently, he can read these things like a children's book. For him, it's just that simple.'
'Oh, yeah? And is he one of your Dark Knights?' Lucario rolled her eyes.
'Be grateful he isn't, or there'd be electronic chaos everywhere right about now.'
As Allan thought that last bit, the little red light on the key lock flashed to green, and the shutters rolled open. Carefully checking for any security cameras beyond the newly opened doorway, Allan was not disappointed when he dodged out of view. Out of the corner of his eye, he had caught sight of one swiveling around to get a view of the hallway's newest intruders. Pivoting back to it's former position, it remained stationary for a time, but didn't appear to be shutting off anytime soon.
'Is that motion sensitive? Lucario asked, feeling unsure what to do next.
'No, it probably just checks everyone that passes through here... It's keeping it's lens on the hall ahead as though watching something that's traveling that way. It may even be programmed to go off after a bit, to save power.'
'I'm sorry, I didn't think entering this place through better. I get the feeling, that the longer we stay right here, the worse our situation is becoming...' Lucario clenched her paw, and glared at the far wall.
'Apologizing is one thing, but I don't think you really should right now. I didn't even bother to sense ahead for that camera... But I'm not about to apologize until I've got no other choice but to surrender and die.'
'Isn't that, 'or' die?' Lucario blinked.
'No. 'And' die. Sounds silly, I know, but that's my only option if I'm going to fail a covert mission like this that badly.' Allan took a peek at the camera, 'It's light is off now... I might have a chance to disable it if I can get close enough.'
'Why not destroy it? Because that would set off an alarm, or something?'
'Sort of,' Allan said, launching himself quickly into the hall, standing pressed against the wall with the camera, 'If I can get it stuck in a position that blinds it, we'll be able to just walk past it. But then we'll have to hurry... Someone's bound to be on their way to check why no one's come through here, by now.'
Reaching up to the camera, Allan moved it's power cord in the way of it's next pivot. Satisfied that the camera could no longer look down the hallway they needed to get through, Allan signaled the thumbs-up to Lucario, and proceeded down the hall. Nearly to the other side, both creeping along silently, they stopped.
'There's definitely someone coming,' Lucario said lightly.
'There's a door we can duck into further ahead,' Allan responded, 'After that, we should probably make sure our would-be squealer is indisposed... Temporarily, at least.'
'Right,' Lucario agreed.
Waiting just inside their fortuitous doorway, with senses on high alert, they detected movement out in the hall...
"'Check the old warehouse shutters'," muttered an unhappy Galactic Grunt, clearly mimicking his superior's instructions in a less than respectful tone, "'Maybe it's nothing, but maybe it's something!'; 'Go make sure it's just a malfunction, or it's gonna be your head that's got the malfunction!'... Huh! I tell you... Those guys think they know everything!"
Still cursing under his breath about being sent on harebrained schemes, he passed the open door without even glancing at it. A mistake he was going to regret dearly, in three, two, one...
"Unh!" Grabbed on a pressure point at the base of his throat, the Grunt crumpled like a dry twig under a Rhyhorn's rear.
"He's going to have an unpleasant headache when he comes to, later." Allan whispered with a smirk.
'Yes... But did you have to pick such a painful method?' Lucario grimaced.
"Only the best, for the worst sort of people," Allan answered in a quoting tone.
'And where did you hear that phrase?' Lucario asked dryly.
"That's an original, as far as I know," Allan shrugged, turning toward the rest of the hall, where it's forked ends took a left or a straight ahead.
"... Could be that we should make our turn-off, here," looking both ways, Allan added as he turned to Lucario, "Or we could keep going, at the risk that its just a dead end further along."
'Then we make our left turn here,' she answered simply.
"You understand that there's no turning back, from here on out. Any chance there is to duck out now, will be gone as soon as we proceed down this next path... Are you sure you have the resolve to go on without quiting?" Allan asked seriously.
'I would never have come, let alone with you, if I thought I was going to fail early on...' Lucario gave Allan a determined look, 'I made my choice back on the eastern range of Mt. Coronet's foothills. I'm going... To trust you... If only until I am reunited with Riley, then I will give you a head start to escape us, as promised.'
Not replying to Lucario's speech, Allan moved ahead down the new hall that deviated from the original. Significantly shorter than the first hall, it made a right-turn less than a minute after they had started down it's length. Coming into contact with no one, and not sensing any human threats in the immediate area, they pressed on to the right and down the new path that had presented itself.
Still not running into anyone, Lucario was starting to wonder why security in this stretch of hall, that was quite a bit closer to the main headquarters than the entrance, was virtually nonexistent.
'They need a greater show of force up front,' Allan, who had sensed what Lucario was thinking, answered telepathically.
'I just thought of this, but... What about the guy we nailed? Won't he have to report in soon?'
'A fairly good point, Lucario. But here's why he won't,' Allan sighed as he looked at the ceiling, 'The doofus didn't even have a headset. He's got no radio access to the heads of security here. I gave him a quick pat-down to be sure of this... We won't be noticed at all if we get to where we're going long before they get suspicious.'
'Oh, now I understand why we aren't going any quicker than we need to,' Lucario quirked her head, and kept walking.
'Ha-ha...' Allan frowned.
.
Inside the Main Building...
.
"When do we head out? Its not like that jerk's got anything to do with our main plans!"
"Be still, Mars! Master Cyrus will personally command us when it is time." Saturn snarked.
"Be still? You're the one who's pacing about like a husband awaiting his first child." Jupiter said flatly, causing Mars to snicker.
Turing almost as red as Mars' hair, Saturn sat huffily, and crossed his arms and legs. All three of them had been called to the conference room near their boss's office. Not sure what to expect, they waited, for the most part, patiently.
"Still... You two get what I'm talking about, right? That stupid 'Gentleman Dandy' is no more use to us than an old shoe fished out of a river!" Mars griped again.
"Perhaps..." Jupiter allowed, not wanting Mars to continue with the same portion of her railing rant.
"There's no 'perhaps', about it! If Master Cyrus believes he will be of some use to us, then who are we before that decision!" Saturn snapped, still sore about the father-to-be comment.
"It doesn't make sense!" Mars countered, "We caught him, sure, but that's only because he sabotaged one of our plans! We've got no reason to let him live. So let's just put him out of our misery already!"
"Are you completely disregarding the will of your leader? Mars, you are a fool among all fools!" Saturn condemned dramatically.
"Oh, stick it up your-!" Mars began, but was interrupted by the door to their conference room being opened.
"Welcome, Master Cyrus..." Jupiter said disinterestedly.
"... Again I am given pause to wonder why I let such an emotionally challenged bunch, such as yourselves, into positions of command in my army." Cyrus said calmly, revealing no ill will, or disapproval.
"Master Cyrus! You don't really believe that moronic prisoner of ours has any real use, do you?" Mars challenged, discontent with her lot in the decision.
"That remains to be seen," Cyrus answered tonelessly, "But I did not call you three here to discuss the fate of my prisoner," taking note of the light stress Cyrus put on the word 'my', all three of his audience members wilted slightly, "I called you here to receive instructions for your next cooperative task."
"Is it time to put those super-bombs that you had us make to use?" Saturn queried, glad he wasn't completely ignorant on what this meeting could be about, causing Mars to glare at him.
Frowning slightly, Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic, said, "If you are so sure what your instructions are going to be, then I don't see a reason to waste any more of our time with this debriefing. I will leave these instruction folders with you."
With that, he placed three folders on the conference table, and proceeded to head back to his office to add some final touches to an experiment, or two.
Both Mars, and Jupiter, were glaring at Saturn now, displeased by such a short meeting with their leader.
Picking up a folder, Saturn merely said, "I see no reason why you two have to look so bitter about all this. The sooner we carry out Master Cyrus' plans, the sooner we get rewarded... Interesting."
Looking over the contents of his chosen folder, Saturn looked up at the other two and said, "Well, help yourselves. These instructions, while simple, form the most complicated plan yet."
Turning away from the source of their irritation, Mars and Jupiter chose the remaining folders, and looked their plans over.
"... This is interesting." Jupiter frowned with a raised eyebrow.
"Lake Verity... I wonder what sort of Pokémon, Master Cyrus could mean..." Mars said, digesting her own instructions for the mission at hand.
"We'll know soon enough..." Jupiter answered.
.
Back on the first floor...
.
'That was too close,' Lucario heaved a sigh as she leaned against a wall, relieved that both she and Allan had been able to take out the guards near the entrance where they finally got into the Galactic's headquarters.
'We need to move quickly, now!' Allan reminded her urgently, turning to sense for the best possible way to approach the upper levels, where Riley was most likely being kept.
'I'm just glad no one important got hurt,' Gallade commented unhappily. He'd been unable to get in on the action because it happened too quickly for him to be necessary. Still...
"G-8, and G-10! What's the status of the disturbance?" One of the walkie-talkie's on the guard's belts said with a beep.
"G-8! G-10! Answer!" It beeped again.
'Let's move,' Lucario said, running ahead before the walkie-talkie could say anything else.
Coming to an inexplicable dead end, neither Allan, nor Lucario, had any idea what to do next... Until!
"Man! Why do I have to-!" A Galactic Grunt had suddenly appeared standing on a darker floor tile, right before their shocked eyes!
"Of course!" Allan said, rushing the poor sap before he could call for help, "Teleporter tiles! That explains a lot about this building's weird internal structure... I thought something was off!"
'Congratulations...' Lucario said sarcastically, 'Now what? We don't have any idea where this leads. Or if we'll even be safe on the other side of this teleporter's set!'
"True," Allan agreed, "But we won't be any safer here, than there. I say we keep going."
'Also true...' Lucario begrudged.
Moving onto the tile Allan, then Lucario, vanished from the first floor of the building. Looking around their whereabouts on the other side, they discovered that they had traveled up to the third floor of the building... Or so said the sign on the wall next to the point they emerged.
'I don't trust them as far as I can throw them, but I don't think they're smart enough to get by without these markers that let them know where they are.' Lucario inclined her head with a grunt at the sign.
Nodding, Allan moved down the hall, looking for any new teleporter tiles, or doors, that could lead to their destinations.
'The size of this place, coupled with these warp tiles strewn throughout, makes this building a natural maze. The complete map of which probably belongs only to the boss of Team Galactic.' Allan thought solemnly.
'Be that as it may, I don't give a darn, as long as I can wring that "Commander" Mars' neck!' Lucario snorted.
'Always assuming we even run into her.' Allan rolled his eyes, but kept his focus sharp.
Twenty minutes later, after a few heart-pounding moments when they came close to being discovered by a random security Grunt, Lucario's ears pricked up.
'I sense him...' she whispered, uncertain if what she felt was true.
'These punks don't know the first thing about faking Aura's, Lucario. You definitely felt him,' Allan replied, looking ahead for a way to reach the location Lucario had sensed.
'But what if you're wrong, and they can duplicate Riley's Aura artificially?' Lucario said suddenly, putting her paw on Allan's shoulder to stop him from moving toward the warp tile that would take him to the fourth floor, 'Their boss... He's a genius. Evil, sure, but one that's uninhibited by fear of what destroying human spirit would do.'
Allan glanced back at her worried expression, and placed his palm on her forehead.
'What are you... You're following my senses to where I thought Riley's Aura was?' Lucario blinked, but waited for him to finish.
'It's faint, but hardly artificial,' Allan looked her in the eyes before moving, once again, toward another warp tile, 'And if this boss of Team Galactic is so interested in destroying human spirit, why would he be inclined to duplicate it?'
Allan moved onto the tile, and teleported away to the fourth floor. Left in alone in the empty hall, Lucario answered, 'I don't know,' and stepped onto the tile herself.
Upon reaching the other side of the matched set of teleporter tile's, Lucario yelped in shock.
"Gallade! Deflect it and move in for 'Close Combat'!" Allan cried, moving himself to dodge a fast-flying fire ball.
Lucario, stepping up beside him, asked, 'What happened?'
"No idea," Allan replied, then added, "Keep your defenses up! 'Double Team' it!"
'I'm trying!' Gallade answered, enduring a Zubat's 'Screech' before sidestepping another fire ball spewed by a nasty tempered Houndour. Neither Pokémon had a Grunt in command of it. They were just attacking, as though that is what they were put there to do.
'Need help?' Lucario asked, facing Allan with a worried look on her face.
"Please," Allan shifted aside, to let her pass.
All of a sudden, two new Pokémon appeared, and started attacking Lucario before she had time to help Gallade knock out the first two!
It was a trap. The appearance of these new Pokémon only confirmed that they were officially in deep shit.
Once Gallade knocked the Zubat out, a Golbat and a Meditite came to replace it. Lucario called up a 'Bone Rush' to try to blast her way through to Gallade's side. But every time they knocked one target out, two more would appear to replace their fallen comrades. Several Pokémon were now filling the hall. Allan, Gallade, and Lucario were beginning to feel overwhelmed.
'They can't have an unlimited supply of these 'watch dogs',' Lucario panted, beginning to tire of the fight.
'No. But do we even have the strength to beat all of the ones they have?' Gallade responded, equally tired of the constant fighting.
"That's it!" Allan said.
Glancing for an instant in his direction, then looking over the small sea of Pokémon, the two tired allies noticed that Allan had spied the triggering mechanism for the trap.
Jumping with a flip over the seething mass of enraged Pokémon, Allan reached out as he righted himself, and pulled the switch downward as he landed. Instantly, all the Pokémon that had been flooding the hall were teleported away to wherever they had come from, giving Allan and his companions only an instant to get away from that spot.
Running now, having set off the alarms for the entire building, the three intruders rushed to find the place where Riley was being held. Turning here, dashing through a doorway there, they ran. Felling the odd Grunt, or two, that crossed their path, Lucario began to wonder if this whole thing had been a planned trap... Set exclusively for their arrival!
At last, they halted by a door with an expensive type of lock on it. For a brief moment, Lucario felt the relief that she usually got when she was reunited with her friend, and partner. But then...
"Lucario? Is that you out there?" came a muffled voice from the other side.
'Riley... I'm here,' she answered, worried that any minute, now, they were going to be caught, and the escape part of the mission would fail.
"I've got the lock," Allan said, stepping back to call Gallade into his Pokéball, as said lock gave an obliging click to indicate that it was undone.
The door opened suddenly, and someone inside the room said, "Awfully young for a rescuer, aren't you, boy?"
There, before Allan and Lucario's shocked faces, stood two Grunts on either side of Riley with a pair of deadly looking guns aimed at their captive's head, and an old man with a smug little smile on his lips.
The old man had been the one to ask the earlier question, and he spoke again, " Naturally, you understand that this is a lose-lose situation for you, boy... What is your name, by the way?" he added with a slight frown.
"Shit..." Allan whispered, peeved that he had been caught so easily in a dangerous hostage situation.
"What's that? Speak up, boy!" the old man commanded imperiously.
"Commander Charon," one of the armed Grunts began, "I think we can deal with that later."
'Commander? I thought there were only three!' Lucario gave an affronted look to the group that surrounded Riley.
'I'll be fine,' Riley answered in telepathy to them both, 'Quick, make a run for it to distract them while I try to break free of their hold!'
"No sudden moves!" Charon bellowed, somehow guessing what was about to happen, unfortunately, this also provided the distraction that Riley needed to incapacitate one of the Grunts, and to steal the weapon of the other.
"Don't move," Riley said in a steely tone, facing Charon with a deadly serious expression on his face. Allan felt a shiver up his spine as he watched this, and almost jolted when he remembered his earlier reasons for entering the Galactic headquarters in the first place.
"Heeheeheehee!" Charon smirked openly, "I have no reason to keep you, if you plan on escaping. I will say, though, that if you want revenge, neither Mars, nor the other Commanders, or even Cyrus, are here anymore. Its too late to stop the plan that we've put into motion. And taking me hostage is quite useless, as they don't even really care whether or not I'm around to help assist their plans along."
"Fine." Riley said, stepping out of the room, shutting the door after he was outside with Lucario and Allan. Interestingly, the lock automatically clicked back into place once the door was shut.
"I see you've made an unusual friend, Lucario..." looking at Allan curiously, Riley shook his head and added, "But we'll deal with that later. You just better promise to remove that hood once we're safely away, kid. I like to know what the face of someone I'm talking to looks like."
'As if,' Allan thought defiantly.
Feeling disappointed, Allan decided that there was no use griping over the fact that the leader of Team Galactic was out at the moment. It was best, now, to make himself scarce until he could find another opportunity to get at Team Galactic's boss.
Lucario broke into Allan's thoughts, 'Going back would be a suicide mission. But I don't foresee any way to move forward, and still be able to escape this place.'
Choosing not to respond, Allan just moved to a warp panel that would take him up to a higher level.
'Allan! Are you ignoring me? After we helped each other get this far!' Lucario could hardly believe her eyes, as Allan just stepped onto the panel, and away from their current location.
"His name is, 'Allan'?" despite all that had happened, Riley was still able to make his blissfully ignorant look of bemusement, "Funny... I thought Dark Knight's chose names that reflect their evil-toughness."
Lucario rolled her eyes.
Following Allan up to the next floor, Riley and Lucario exchanged news via telepathy. Riley was surprised to learn what had been happening to Lucario during their separation... And even more shocked when he learned about the wild Torterra.
"He did that...?" Riley asked slowly, to be sure that Lucario was telling him the truth.
'As hard as it was for me to believe, the Torterra told me this himself,' Lucario looked earnestly at Riley, 'This truth was in the eyes of all the Pokémon that witnessed it.'
"I see..." Riley trailed off, staring ahead at nothing in particular.
Stopping at an intersection, Allan noted suspiciously that the alarms had been shut off since they got away from Charon and his armed assistants. A prickling feeling that something was very wrong, buzzed in the back of his mind as he moved forward a few steps to better see down one of the hallways.
"Lucario told me your name is, Allan... Is it alright if I address you as such?" Riley asked, as though unaware of the feeling of foreboding the area gave them.
Sighing in contempt, Allan said, "Whatever..."
"I'm sorry if you're feeling put out. I know you didn't really have plans to rescue me. They just weren't so inconvenient as to take you off course... Until, that is, the guy you were after wasn't even around. So, really... I'm sorry." Riley considered putting his hand on Allan's shoulder for emphasis, but decided against being overly familiar with him until they were safely away.
"You're right. I didn't plan on helping you out," Allan said, annoyed by Riley's apparent ditziness, "But, as it happens, this is no time for you to be apologizing. If you want to prove that you really are sorry, then you'll stay out of my way when we get out of here."
Finally choosing where he wanted to go next, Allan walked forward. Plonk! Almost falling back onto his rear, Allan put his hand out to touch the invisible barrier that blocked his path.
"Are you alright?" Riley asked, concerned that Allan had hurt himself.
"Idiot! Why did you step away from your part of the hallway?" Allan snapped, rushing back to confirm his suspicions that another invisible wall, had indeed, blocked their path back the way they had come.
Moving to the entrance of the other hall, Riley pushed on another invisible barrier that blocked their way. He said, "We're completely boxed in!"
.
XXXXXXXXX
Me: Dun dun dun! What's gonna happen next? I hope the sheer size of this chapter makes up for my inadequate posting rate. I'll have another done in a few hours. I plan on giving up my night of sleep to get you another, perhaps shorter, chapter after this to allow you a chance to see what will happen to our wayward heroes, as they learn the cause of, and way to handle, their sudden situation.
Aura: Psy-yi-yi! Duck?
Me: It'll be fine, Aura-baby. I'll get back to training you up to your evolved form later, okay?
Aura: Psy-psy!
Me: She's my cute little sweetheart, that I bred myself as an experiment in my Platinum version. So far, I'm having a bit of success. If I finally achieve what I'm after, I'll let you all know what the experiment was about, shall I? If not, sorry in advance for wasting your time.
As for the review call, I didn't get very many the last time I posted a chapter, so... I'll leave it at this, for now. Besides, I have to get started on my promised extra chapter! Laters!