Chapter Thirty One: I'll Tell You Snow Lies
The week that followed Zula's attack on the Dopeak City Pokémon Center was one of recovery for Sapph and Haley's Pokémon, though not as much as for Sapph himself. As Sapph sat up in bed. he turned to look outside his room window at the opalescent mountainside that bordered the city and the Icy Pass. The Icy Pass, home to many of Corei's local Ice types, was the next challenge he and Haley would have to traverse to get to their next hotspot on their Corei tour. He felt itchy beneath the bright green scrubs he was made to wear whilst recovering at the centre and resisted the urge to slip a hand in between the folds to scratch. Stiff white bandages that concealed the scar that Anuvi's Yaiba no Hayashi had left on him since his most recent and final berserker rage tingled like crazy, and Sapph couldn't be less than thrilled to lose them.
The seven days, despite being a period of extreme inactivity for his body, left Sapph's mind free to reflect on the happenings of his recuperation period, the first one that would come to mind being T.J.'s surprising (yet unnecessary) announcement that he was staying at Dopeak City to complete his preparations for the Trigello Tournament which was scheduled to start in two weeks' time. Sapph and Haley had known the Pacifidlog trainer's fixation was on fighting types and as the highest ranking Fighting type gym in the world, training at the Dopeak City Gym would be instrumental in his quest to become a world-renowned Fighting type master.
Chen seemed to pop in quite a bit too, to let Sapph know of T.J.'s progress and to help Sapph sneak out to train. Sapph saw this as somewhat odd of the child prodigy to go anywhere without Lhi, the second gym leader to whom Sapph was sure he was related. It was after the end of Chen's first visit that Haley had informed him that far from being related, they were merely best friends since infancy, causing a nearly-permanently raised eyebrow reaction in the Johton trainer.
These recollections then led to the memory of Zen's old trainer attempting to convince Sapph to part with his newly evolved Fighting type Pokémon three days after his battle with Lhi and Chen. Sapph had heard the full story of Zen's prior abandonment and remained adamant about telling the matured trainer to do something that he'd never say around his mother. Things escalated into a full blown battle which Zen had handily won despite the man's Machop evolving midway through the 'negotiation'. Zen dispatched his old comrade with a Confusion attack so powerful it could be easily mistaken for a Psycho Boost attack, and left Sapph in fearful awe of what his Pokémon were fast becoming capable of and how he'd have to step up his training plan and take off the kiddie gloves for good.
The aftermath of the assault was a memory shared and particularly relished by the Combatant Pokémon, who was presently meditating in the ward where Anuvi, Ace and Crimson were taking their time to heal their wounds from the Team Shadow's attack. His golden eyes were focused on the Warrior Pokémon who was chatting in a subdued voice with Lavender and Arcana whilst Ace conferred with Crimson about the grim prognosis the Fighting/Psychic type had pronounced in the wake of Anuvi's revival...
-Flashback-
Dopeak City Pokémon Center, Pokémon Ward B
The second hand of the wall clock in the room ticked rhythmically as the second night of Sapph's Pokémon passed without much incident. Sapph was there with his Pokémon, glad that they were all fine... all still alive.
The only Pokémon who didn't seem to share in the festive atmosphere was the Jutunkick, Zen. He stared out of the window, the information weighing on his mind and conscious getting harder and harder to bear alone.
Arcana noticed and called over, Yo, man! Don' be no wet blanket, man! Come join the par-tay!
You wouldn't really be in a partying mood if you were me... or Anuvi, for that matter, Zen said in a carrying mutter that grabbed everybody's attention nonetheless.
The mood became pronouncedly gloomier at this pronouncement as all eyes fixed themselves on their Fighting type team mate.
"What d'you mean by 'or Anuvi, for that matter'?" Sapph said worriedly. "Nurse Joy said he'd be fine... that he only needed rest..."
She was grading him beside regular Squirrage, Zen said glumly, aware that he couldn't worm his way out of revealing the information he was keeping from the others. Anuvi's a special case. The things that made him different... the Essence of Eowmad and all that came with it? They were all taken by Zula, remember?
What are you getting at? Lavender said hotly. You put a shred of the essence... or whatever it is, back in Anii, didn't you?
Yeah, Zen said calmly. Only a shred. That's basically what's keeping him alive. But it came at a price...
At this point, the Jutunkick exchanged a knowing look with the Squirrage and the Warrior Pokémon gasped.
Yaiba no Hayashi... the Grass type whispered in horror.
Zen nodded gravely and said, Yep, looks like you can never use the attack again.
The statement hung in the air for several seconds before being greeted by an uproar of shock, indignation and stunned horror by all those present.
Say whut? Arcana exclaimed in disbelief.
How? Why? Crimson asked, completely baffled.
It was basically a blade of Eowmad's near infinite power and used to attack the opponent, Zen explained. Using it basically chipped away at Eowmad's reserves, and the little Anuvi retains in him isn't enough to utilise that way without placing his life in mortal danger.
But why didn't you say anything? Ace asked indignantly.
We just survived near extinction two days ago, Zen said in a harsh voice. This isn't the kind of news that you give to your team mates when they're just happy to be alive, is it? he shot at Sapph, who had slumped back trying to take in the impact the news had left in its wake.
Smiling faintly at the Jutunkick's consideration, he shook his head and said, "No, you're right, Zen. Thanks for trying to keep this to yourself to spare us the burden."
Sapph and the others slumped into a sort of depression that one would adopt at the wake of a departed love one, and Zen, watching the scene change, wondered with a heavy heart if he had done the right thing...
Being a true team player was going to be a lot tougher than it had seemed two nights' ago...
-End Flashback-
Sapph sighed as he watched the sun sink behind the mountain peaks, his mind also on his first Pokémon's predicament. Yaiba no Hayashi had always been a sure-win trump card for the Squirrage since his evolution at Chinooka City. There were few moves left to teach the highly experienced Pokémon that would fit in with his preferable fighting style of high speed movement and certainly none of them were powerful enough to match the Essence-powered attack. As his mind wandered in the straits of ponder, the door behind him opened and Haley walked in, the setting sun causing her face to glow with a reddish gold hue not dissimilar to her hair, which was done up in its now familiar single plait which she draped over her shoulder, Nurse Joy at her heels.
"Hey, Sapph," Haley said uncertainly. Sapph had seemed withdrawn to her all week long and although she had the company of her team (fully recovered after two days of solid rest) and frequent visits to the gym to train with T.J. for the Trigello Tournament, which for some strange reason, had gripped the Water type specialist particularly fiercely (indeed more so than the boy trainer who never backed away from a challenge) to keep her occupied, she still missed the joking, carefree Sapph that she had grown accustomed to arguing with and admonishing.
"Hey, Haley."
"Well, Sapphire, all your Pokémon should be travel-worthy by the morning," Nurse Joy announced brightly to the dark-haired boy, who hadn't glanced around at their entry. "And your wound is certainly recovering much faster than we initially thought. You should be cleared to travel tomorrow, especially since the mountain storms around the Icy Pass's entrance have subsided."
Sapph glanced back at the petite ladies behind him and with a small smile, closed his eyes and nodded respectfully before facing the window once more.
Both looked at each other in surprise and decided to let the matter, and Sapph, rest. Both backed out of the room, Haley lingering on the threshold, battling within herself to demand what was eating at Sapph and at the same time wishing to respect his privacy. Exhaling heavily and irritated, she closed the door behind her gently leaving the boy to his thoughts on Team Shadow...
The terrorist group had been covert in the past, their earlier encounters purely coincidental. But since the Green Hill abduction, Team Shadow had started playing a considerably higher-risk game... a game he was dragged into blindly. He had tried to avoid contact with Team Shadow since Rubin, and later, Nora were unwillingly dragged into the fray... however the group (conveniently known as the Light, Sapph thought with a well-practiced rolling of the eyes) were making things difficult. Their stand on anti-Pokémon philosophy enthralled Sapph almost as much as their tactics frightened him. As darkness crept through the window into the room, Sapph flopped backwards onto the bed, his face screwed up in thought.
No matter how serious the threat the Light seemed to pose, Team Shadow were obviously out to get him... and he knew why. Frau Hiyori's death (albeit at the hands of the Light) and Zula and Vulca's appearance amongst the flames of the burning shack soon afterwards confirmed it. He wasn't sure how many of the Shadow captains were after Essences or how many they had already obtained. Heck, he wasn't even sure how many there were or their preferred Essences (save for two, one of whom had been successful), but after the attack on Anuvi, he wasn't going to take any more chances.
As he reached for his Pokégear and dialled a number, he reached a decision...
He was done running...
... done hiding...
...done being afraid of conflict...
"Hello, Sapph. This is Tony..."
The game of Persian and Rattata had gone on long enough. He was going to fight back... before they attacked again.
The next day bore bright sun and brisk winds. Sapph had awoken late due to his phone call and was pulling a warm black shirt over his tummy. Glancing in the mirror as he reached for his trademark red hoodie, he noticed his hair was growing a little out of control. He'd probably need to trim it soon... before his mother saw him and chased him with a pair of scissors herself.
Smiling at the thought, he zipped up his jacket and hefted his knapsack onto his back, giving the room one last looking over before closing the door behind him gently, his spirits and determination higher than ever.
Entering the reception hall, Sapph saw Haley finishing up breakfast as all twelve of their Pokémon stretched and chatted animatedly, although several of Sapph's Pokémon were seemingly more subdued than Haley's.
"Ah, Sapph! Breakfast?" Haley asked brightly, a sky blue pullover hiding her white button up shirt from view. Looking her over as he joined the group at the table, Sapph was relieved to see that Haley had finally resigned to wear long black denim trousers with her hiking boots. He wasn't really in the mood for her constant groaning and whining about the weather when she could easily call home and ask for warmer clothing to be delivered to her via the Pidgey Postal service.
"Nah, I'll just get something to go," Sapph replied cheerfully. "After all, with five weeks to the league finals, every second counts."
Haley smiled in spite of herself. "Well, it's good to see you on your feet and back to norm-," Haley blushed faintly, catching herself in midsentence. To avert attention from the heat that had accumulated at her face she said loudly, "well, let's just get moving then! I want to get to Legendio early... lot to do there, after all..."
And laughing heartily, she packed the bowls away hurriedly, causing Sapph to give off an enormous sweat drop.
Turning to his Pokémon, Sapph said, "OK, guys... ready to go?"
Lavender and Arcana nodded whilst wagging their tails as Zen finished his morning routine shadow boxing drills and grinned toothily. Crimson, Ace and Anuvi nodded sombrely, after some final stretches to ensure that everything was in order.
Sapph returned all six Pokémon to their capture spheres in a series of red light flashes as Haley did the same with her Pokémon.
"Well, Nurse Joy," Sapph said with a slight bow. "Thank you for your care and hospitality."
"Oh, it was no problem, dear," Nurse Joy said kindly as the boy swung his cloak over his shoulders and do up the fastening. "Just take it easy for a few days, particularly with Ace and Anuvi."
Haley nodded as she said, "Give Lhi, Chen and T.J. our best... bye!"
"Take care, you two!" Nurse Joy called behind their retreating backs as they made their way out of town and back on the road.
Four hours of solid marching took the duo deep into the mountains; Haley using the GPS map on her PokéNav to navigate a safe path through the dips between peaks that would lead them to Legendio Town.
"Hey, Haley!" Sapph called to the Coreian local who was a few feet ahead of him. Pointing halfway up the mountain on their right at an icy stalactite-laden entrance to a cave, "Why are we going this way? The Icy Pass's back that way!"
"Well, of course we're avoiding it, Sapph!" Haley called back above the howling wind which blew her white scarf all over the place around her head. "Don't you remember the Rocky Tunnel? And EverWood Forest? We're avoiding places like that if we can help it! Got it?"
"No, I don't got it!" Sapph replied angrily. "That place is chock-full of Pokémon and Arcana and Lavender could use the workout!"
Getting angry, Haley shot back, "For the last time, Sapph! We are NOT going into that bloody hole in the wa... hey, what're you doing?" she screeched as Sapph trudged away from her towards the tunnel's cavernous entrance. Scowling heavily, Haley ploughed her way through the snow after him panting, "Get... back... here!"
Sapph had abruptly stopped, allowing Haley to catch up with the boy trainer, and say, "Finally! What are you... ohhh, no," she shuddered, following Sapph's line of vision and seeing a swarm of strange Bug Pokémon come rushing out of the cave entrance to face the intruders.
Their large oval heads sat upon pea-bodied thorax as their icy blue compound eyes fixed them selves upon the grinning Sapph and the apprehensive Haley. Their eyes, triangle shaped markings and the tips of their dainty pointed feet were all a matching hue of blue that stood out vividly on their stark white bodies; their black wings covers folded back into a short abdomen and despite the loud thrumming noises they were emitting, there were no visible means by which they levitated off the snowy ground.
"Sapph... don't tell me... no, you don't want to..." Haley pleaded weakly as Sapph pulled out his irritating yet informative Pokémon encyclopaedia and scanned the Pokémon before them.
Glacid, the Aphid Pokémon. Bug/Ice type Pokémon. When their wing covers are folded back, their backs release spores into the air which flash freeze the air into solid, yet translucent wings of NeverMeltIce.
Sapph grinned and plucked a pokéball off his belt. "Not too much of a challenge, but we'll take it... go, Arcana!"
And with a flash of white light, the orange and black-striped Puppy Pokémon took her stance, her pale purple eyes anticipating a good fight.
"Sapph... let's get out of here..."
"Arcana, Flamethrower attack; let's go!" Sapph commanded her Growlithe, completely ignoring his travel partner.
Haley groaned and slapped her face with her palm.
Arcana complied by puffing out her creamy white ruff and with her eyes gleaming fiery yellow for a moment, expelling a stream of bluish white flames that seemed to meet a solid pink barrier of light.
"So, you know Barrier, hunh?" Sapph said, heating up to the challenge. "OK... Arcana, use... whoa! Watch it!" Sapph, Haley and Arcana dove for cover as the firebrand's attack came pelting right back at them, burning stronger than ever. The rebounded Flamethrower hit the ground where they had stood mere seconds before and evaporated the snow that was there in a split second.
"Sapph, you twit!" Haley screeched angrily. "That wasn't Barrier... it was Mirror Coat!"
Sapph quickly checked up on the attack as reinforcements came swarming out of the cave to replace those who had passed out returning Arcana's fire.
Dayum... an' ah thought I was hot stuff before, Arcana said flippantly, staring at the hole the Flamethrower had melted in the fresh snow. Now what're them bros an' co. up to now? she asked herself, as one of them charged up what looked like a ball of hard packed snow in its hand before throwing it with uncanny speed and accuracy which Arcana barely dodged with a high pitched yelp.
"Crap... what was that?" Sapph gasped as icicles popped out of the ground where the snowball had hit. "'Snowball... Ice type attack. Power, fifty-five; Accuracy, ninety percent... may freeze on contact'? Well, now that I can't hit them from a distance, thanks to their Mirror Coat," he mused, snapping his Pokédex shut, "physical attacks are our only bet. But their Snowball attack will make it hard to get close... perfect."
Arcana seemed to see where Sapph was going with his musings. So we're having evasion drill training, hunh? Works for me, she said zipping between the hail of Snowballs the swarm of Aphid Pokémon had begun pelting the ground with, none making contact.
A stray Snowball hit the ground by Haley's hand which was lying beside her behind a snowdrift, nearly encasing it in ice as she screamed and pulled away quickly.
"SAAAAPHIIIIIRRRE..." Haley growled in a feral voice, causing Sapph to gulp.
Oops, looks like playtime is over, Sapph thought sheepishly. Calling out to Arcana, he said, "OK, girl... no more Mister Nice Guy... Flame Wheel!"
Arcana, who had had been darting in and out of the way of the icy assault while chanting, Nah... nah, nah, nah... nah, nah... nah, nah... can't touch me... as she moved suddenly skidded to a halt and fixing her purple eyes on the Glacid swarm that thought they had her cornered, as they prepared to attack her in unison.
Arcana began to growl deeply as the ground under her feet began to glow molten lava red. HrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRR... Arcana's growl increased in volume and the air around her began to grow hotter and hotter and the ground began to break apart.
"Whoa, Arcana! Chill out a bit!" Haley yelled as Sapph simply stood in awe of how far the Puppy Pokémon had come in terms of raw power.
...RRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAARRRRGGH ! Arcana yelled as the ground began to break apart, revealing a hollow, glacial abyss directly under Sapph, Haley's and her own feet... erm, paws.
"Arcana! Stop...whoaaaa!" Sapph yelled as he noticed the lack of ground beneath their feet, which resulted in their second (and Sapph's third) fall into unknown danger.
"Sapph, you moro-AAAAH!" Haley screamed as they fell, clutching her ankle as they fell. The Glacid had decided to take one more shot at the offenders and one Snowball attack had hit Haley square in the ankle, encasing it in ice.
Twisting in midair to watch Haley wince in pain as the ice crept up her leg, Sapph yelled out in pain himself as the hand that clutched Arcana's pokéball scraped against the icy wall, creating a deep gash in his wrist and causing him the drop the pokéball which went clattering into the shadowy depths of the cave after the yowling Puppy Pokémon.
"ARCANAAA!" Sapph bellowed.
"SAAAAPH!" Haley screamed, attempting to reach for Sapph's uninjured wrist, coming up short as she hit an icy ledge that stretched like a super slide of ice into a dark hole in the wall; into which she shot like a ballast missile.
Sapph fell for a few more seconds before hitting a snowdrift and sinking four feet into the snow and groaning in pain, worry, relief and exasperation all at once. As pleased as he was to have survived the fall, his concern for Arcana and Haley pushed his relief out and allowed panic to settle in. It was official... he had to find them... now.
A mass of fur shifted away from the boy as he struggled to pull himself out of the snow and a voice murmured, "Who's there? Rubin? Is that you?"
Brushing the snow off his cloak and scowling, Sapph fished about in his backpack for a flashlight and realised with a thrill of dread that Haley was carrying the flashlight. Mentally cursing his idiocy, he took a few tentative steps towards the mass of shaggy fur and cradling his wounded wrist in his other hand he said roughly, "Who are you?"
A flash of light filled the cave as a small pika like creature hopped up, its red cheeks sparkling angrily as its beady eyes bored into Sapph's terrified blue ones. Its black tipped ears quivered as the light it emitted from its body light up the face of a scared teenaged blonde with green eyes reflecting Sapph's shock and two tear tracks running down her cheeks as recognition began to join the Flash attack in lighting her features.
"Sapphire?!"
"You!" Sapph gasped in shock, pointing a finger at Carla's stunned expression. "What are you doing here? And why did you call me Rubin?" he added in an affronted and suspicious tone. "Wouldn't you be with your precious Kammyki- hey," Sapph said, noting her teary eyes and lowering his guard. "What's your problem?"
Carla looked into Sapph's suddenly concerned irises and sniffling slightly murmured, "Everything."
As customary of our little group's exploits, when they get separated by a fall, at least one of them tends to have a watery landing. Unluckily, this time Arcana met a stream of boiling hot spring water snout first. Howling in pain as the Fire type's bane swept over her and forcing her under, Arcana felt her strength fading fast.
Her vision getting blurrier by the second, Arcana's purple eyes saw a light about four lengths away, seemingly beckoning her towards it. Like a parent in whose arms a child would feel forever safe; like a long lost brother or friend, Arcana felt her very being resonate with the pulsing reddish yellow light and with renewed vigour she found somewhere deep within herself from a source she had tapped into during her dreary days under the Dyrim siblings' torture, that had kept her going during those dark times, Arcana pushed against the flow of water with every ounce of strength her muscles could afford.
Arcana began to feel changes well up within her as she closed the gap between herself and the submerged light; her muscles now screaming in protest along with her lungs, which would surely burst under the pressure of exertion. It was all she could do but to plead with her tiring body, as she inched closer to the source of light before her, Just a little further... almost there... don't give in... c'mon Arcana! Damnit, you've never quit before... don't... start... NOW!
With the last of her strength, Arcana did the suicidal; she opened her mouth while facing the powerful current and seized the light in her maw together with a considerable volume of water and thought she was dead for sure... yet, at the same time... felt more alive that ever before as her shape-shifting body exploded out of the water, glowing a brilliant white.
Landing heavily on the rocky bank, her transformation approaching completion; the light died down and Arcana choked and gagged for several long minutes before she opened her eyes only to see a long shaggy lock of cream coloured fur obscure her left eye. Spitting out the last of the water and what looked like a chunk of dull-coloured amber, she staggered over towards the cave walls, which covered in ice, dimly reflected her in all her six foot, two inch glory. Her bushy tail had grown considerably longer and the ruff of fur that hung under her chin had extended to merge with the identically-coloured fur that lay atop her head to form a majestic furry mane which fell elegantly into her eyes. Sweeping her head to one side, she allowed the fur to fall into her right eye which she thought made her look more feminine...
After all, Arcana wasn't one to let her own evolution perturb her for long... seeing as she had seen Arcanine before (the Dyrim family had held several contests on their expansive property and had witnessed a couple of showboat Arcanine that had participated from behind the bars of her cage where she stayed during the breaks in her torture) and eagerly anticipated her evolution as mush as she had her liberation from her tormentors.
Icy blue, slanting eyes appeared all around her from behind and Arcana, although exhausted, bristled as she turned around and faced her next opposition, slowly yet surely beginning to hate water in all forms when what seemed to be the oldest Face Pokémon, a fact made obvious by the length of its black horns, spoke up, Was it thou who removed the Rock of Heat from within the stream of vapour's depths?
Uhhh, Arcana said, glancing around at the stone that had given her the will to fight for her life, and had lost its energy to the Legendary Pokémon. I... guess?
By now, many yellow and black cone-shaped Pokémon had joined the Glalie and in unison they bowed (freaking funny sight in the case of the Glalie) as the elder Face Pokémon said gratefully, Thou hath granted us the ability to go home at last. On all our behalf, I thank thee.
D'awww, man, Arcana said, blushing faintly as she watched the stream behind her freeze over in the absence of the Fire Stone that had embedded itself in the cavern floor. It was nuthin'.
As the Snorunt danced cheerfully in a circle around their saviour and the Glalie froze the river over with a collective Ice Beam, a thought came to the Fire type's mind, Say, Gramps... you ain't seen a young kid in a red jacket around, 'ave ya?
We saw him, we saw him! A couple of Snorunt chimed happily.
Well, uh, could ya show me where?
But of course, the elder Glalie said with another short bow. Snorii... Capsuk... please show our new friend the human she seeketh.
Yes, Elder, the two Snorunt said happily. Bouncing ahead of the large reddish orange Pokémon, they chirped in their childish singsong voices, Come, follow, follow, follow... follow, follow... follow me!
Haley never was one for water rides or amusement park attractions, despite her adoration and still unknown affiliation for the Water element, and thus was understandably aggrieved as she sped down the tube of ice, gaining acceleration at every bumpy turn down the icy chute.
Worried about her landing, Haley frantically scrabbled for the slick sides of the tube and hit her wrist against a protruding rock and screamed a fresh scream of pain as she felt it throb in pain. A couple of seconds later the ride levelled off and opened up into a sparkling glacial cave... with no safe landing in sight.
This is exactly why I didn't want to go to the bloody Icy Pass, Haley thought in terror as she let loose what she thought would certainly be her last scream... the ground came closer... and closer... she shut her eyes...
...and hit something soft. And warm. Something that said in an amused tenor voice, "You know, you aren't going to die... so could you please stop screaming?"
Haley stopped screaming very suddenly and opened her eyes rapidly. What she beheld left her breathless: light brown hair and reddish brown eyes under a green bandanna rippled in the cave's wintry air as an attractively condescending smile curved the flawless face that, in some ways resembled his brother, but in others seemed, to Haley, purely angelic.
"Rubin?! You're here too?" Haley said in a fluttery voice, noticing that Rubin had caught her in bridal fashion added considerable contribution to the blush her face was burning up from. "How...?"
"I was a victim of another's miscalculation," Rubin said in a worn voice, as he carried Haley (still bridal style) towards a roaring fire he had started off to the corner of the cave away from the icy draught from which Haley could still not determine was originating from. "How about you? I had heard that you are a Water type enthusiast... were you...?"
"Oh, heavens, no," Haley said, struggling to bring her voice under control. "I was all for avoiding this place... it's basically..."
"...all Sapphire's fault, right?" Rubin guessed, setting Haley gently by the fire and beginning to tend to Haley's frozen ankle, causing the young researcher to flush embarrassedly. "Relax. Sapphire has had the habit of forcing people around him into stuff they don't want to do... there was the time that he made our little sister accompany him to the Dark Cave... Dad was furious. Sapphire tried to feed us the bilge that Emma had wanted to come by her own free will...like a seven year old girl would want anything to do with a place like that," Rubin said, shaking his head in exaggerated repulsion.
Haley was stunned. "No way... he didn't!"
"Well, it's your call to believe me or not. Just remember this: Sapph has quite the reputation as a reckless thrill-seeker. I've no idea why you travel around with him, and I'm not about to pry. Just... you know, watch your backs. Both yours and my brother's. I know it can be vexing," he said as Haley stared at his smiling face. "But after seeing you in action on that airship, I know I can trust you to at least rein his... tendencies. We may have our differences, but he's still my, you know... brother, and all..."
"I don't understand, though," Haley said slowly. "You seem like such a great guy. Why does Sapph seem to dislike you so much?"
"Well," Rubin said thoughtfully as he turned back to stoke the fire, hiding the pink tinge that had lit up his facial features. "I'm not really sure. Guess all the pressure our Father puts on him to measure up to me. I know not everybody can be like me, but he could at least try to learn a little responsibility... his complete lack of it worries me at times..."
"So you're travelling with my brother now, hunh?" Sapph said, straightening up and away from Carla's sprained ankle, which was now wrapped in stiff white bandages. Carla had been telling him about her travels with his twin brother since the Grand Corei Desert and how they had ended up separated in the Icy Pass.
Studying the Coreian girl's face who stared at the job Sapph had done to her ankle in a semi-appreciative manner, Sapph shivered slightly as a chilly draught swept the cavern.
Carla had obviously felt the same sensation as she suddenly started and asked, "What did you do, Sappy? Don't just tell your Ice Pokémon to do stuff like that!"
"I don't have any Ice type Pokémon, Carla," Sapph said snippily. "At least, not yet..."
Both turned towards the source of the sudden chill and saw something ebony slink out of the shadows towards them, pools of icy blue glinting from beneath its shaggy blue-black fur. Its four paws padded nearly noiselessly as it snarled deeply at the pair.
Sapph stole a glance at Carla, who nodded, her Pokédex already out, and in unison both pointed them at the new arrival, and both flickered to life and spoke in similarly monotonous voices, although Carla's had a definite trace of feminism to it:
Huskup, the Husky Pokémon. Known to be without peer in terms of endurance, Huskup have been recorded to be able to run for eight days with as little as an hour of sleep. Huskup is a Dark/Ice type Pokémon.
"Sounds like a tough one," Sapph said, enlarging a pokéball. "You want this one, Carla?"
"Looks ungainly," Carla said with a sniff. "You can go ahead."
"You know," Sapph said after he'd pulled himself out of an animé pass out, and the Huskup had let out an offended snarl. "Just 'cus you travel around with my brother, it doesn't mean you have to act like him."
"But your brother's a world class Co-ordinator and he says elegance is every thing to Contest participators..."
"Screw what my brother says," Sapph said sharply. "He may be skilled and all that, but what he has in skill he lacks in humanity. Rubin isn't exactly the most nurturing brother in the world... and you don't have to take my word for it..."
"What d'you mean by that? WHOA!" Carla yelped as the Ice type, impatient with the endless chitchat had unleashed a Powder Snow attack at the squabbling youths, which Sapph had noticed just in time and had pulled Carla out of the line of fire, uh, I mean ice.
"Trust me on this, Rubin only helps people as long as there is something in it for him... but we'll get to that after I take care of our impatient friend. Let's go, Crimson!"
The Five Star Pokémon burst out of his pokéball and began to hover above the ground, its four fists alight with cosmic energy in preparation for any order.
Before Sapph could issue any however, the Huskup unleashed another Powder Snow attack on the group. Crimson instinctively raised one fist and caught the ice attack full on.
Carla screamed, "Is that what you call nurturing, Sappy? Letting you Pokémon take attacks head on? Yeah, that's real carin... hunh?" Her green eyes bugged out of her head as the fist Crimson had used to block the icy assault had turned a cool blue with what looked like vapour rising from it into the air.
Impatient, aren't we? Crimson said calmly, as the Huskup let out another snarl and began to rush towards the Bug type.
"Crimson, time to put this guy in his place," Sapph said determinedly. "Comet Punch, Fire Style!"
Roger! Crimson said confidently charging up two of his other fists with heat energy, turning the comets into miniature suns as the Huskup raced closer. Crimson yelled as thrust forward with a fiery one-two jab, releasing two blasts of fire that illuminated Carla's disbelieving face.
"Comet Punch... Fire style?" she said in shock. "So... that Thunderpunch back in Nightspark City..."
"Yeah, that was Comet Punch Thunder Style," Sapph said calmly, waiting for the flames to die down so he could take his chance with the empty pokéball in his hand. "Crimson's Comet Punch seems to have the ability to absorb the attributes of whichever attack hits it... this is the third time it's happened..."
"So that's why..."
"Yep," the boy trainer said calmly, tensing the muscles in his arm as the fire finally died down, leaving Crimson extremely exhausted. "Unfortunately... it looks like Fire Style takes a heavier toll on him than Thunder style does... must be the level of attack absorbed, according to Haley..."
"What, that wannabe Einstein?" Carla said in surprise. "Did she come up with that herself or did some poor sap of a professor think it up for her to patent?"
"Hunh, whaddya mean..." Sapph started interrupted by a loud scream of pain. Cursing his lapse of attention, he turned back to the battle to watch Crimson slowly become encased in ice which had spread from a pair of puncture wounds on the wrist. Standing as proudly as it could a few feet away was the Huskup which had somehow miraculously survived the pseudo-Fire attack and looked ready for more.
"Crap! Crimson, return!" Sapph commanded, pulling his Ledian back out of harm's way before he completely froze over from the Huskup's Ice Fang attack. "How'd that thing survive a Fire attack dead on?"
"Look at the walls of the cave," Carla replied. Sapph complied and saw with a thrill of horror that they had melted to some degree since the Comet Punch Fire Style had been released. "The vapour the melted ice released as the attack passed must have weakened it!"
"So Fire attacks won't work here, hunh?" Sapph mused, switching pokéballs on his belt. "Well, if that won't work... let's do it, Zen!"
The evolved Combatant Pokémon landed on one knee and expertly caught his own pokéball before tossing it back to Sapph. Rising to his feet, he gave the Huskup a looking over before asking, So, how shall we attend to this one, kid?
'Attend to me'? the Huskup growled in a guttural voice. No one attends to the mighty Keynid but the great Keynid himself, commoner.
Oooh, blue blooded stuck-up snob, are we? Zen said cheerfully. Well, I'm sure spending some time with Sapph can cure that... we are capturing it, right?
"Yup," his trainer said calmly. "Go easy on it, though... can't have Professor Yew think we abuse future team mates..."
This coming from the guy who uses an uberly powerful Ledian to get new recruits on his team, Zen chuckled before sidestepping the charging Huskup, a ball of pure aura building up in his rubbery palm.
"So," Haley wondered aloud, staring around the icy cavern. "Any ideas how we get out of this?"
"None come to mind," Rubin said thoughtfully. "We seem to be thoroughly hemmed in by icy walls, though," he said, ceasing his examination of their arctic prison.
"So breaking through the thinnest wall would open a pathway... and a possible way out?" Haley said with understanding flickering in her grey eyes.
"Exactly," Rubin smiled. "You know, you're a lot smarter than Carla lets on..."
Letting loose a noise of dissent, Haley said, "You mean the class bubble head who only graduated based on how she looks?"
"Sounds like there's a story here," Rubin smiled faintly as he sat down across the fire from Haley. "And after that, I'm not sure if I want to hear it..."
"Yes, well, you're right. There is a story there... and it starts six years ago, when we first met..."
-Flashback-
Olville Pokémon Academy, six years ago...
A seven-year girl in a clean blue smock ran up to a group of gossiping girls in the school yard, her long blonde hair dancing behind her amongst the falling hues of red autumn brought.
"Hey, Carlie," one of the girls said, acknowledging the new arrival as she doubled over to catch her breath. "Have a good summer?"
"Yeah," Carla panted cheerfully. "You girls?"
As the others gave signs and sounds of agreement, the girl who'd addressed Carla earlier swept a lock of short black hair out of her eyes and said, "Did you hear the latest gossip? Looks like we get fresh transfer students this year..."
Carla however wasn't listening. She had just spotted a boy of her own age with his reddish blond hair trimmed neatly being led into the school building by a stately woman in an emerald green ballroom dress whose reddish blonde hair had been passed on to her children, the other one walked ahead of them, wearing a bright yellow one-piece dress and looking a year younger, her hair worn up in a long ponytail that reached the small of her back.
At the doorway, the young boy looked back and saw Carla staring at him with what looked to him like wonderment. Not in the slightest bit embarrassed, the juvenile Kamren raised a small hand and waved at Carla, who went scarlet in the face.
Just then, the boy's little sister came out again and began tugging her big brother into the building. She stole a curious askance glance at Carla, who quickly regained control of the blood that had rushed to her face and glared back, slightly annoyed that the (to her, at least) magic moment had been ruined by a six year old girl.
Haley, in the meantime had dragged her brother into the school saying, "I don't like her, Kamren! Don't smile at her again!"
Kamren laughed and said, "Relax, Haley. What's the big deal anyways?"
"You didn't see the way she looked at me?"
"You mean like a booger? I look at you like that all the time," Kamren teased.
"No, you do not!" Haley insisted hotly as they reached the principal's office door outside which their mother was conversing with a slightly potbellied, balding man who could only be the principal.
"Yeah, well," Kamren said, shaking his red and black sleeve out of his sister's grip. "We're in public school now, Haley. Our friends won't be the same anymore... things change, Haley. And I think it best you grow up into them."
And leaving the little girl in his wake, he walked up to his mother and the principal, leaving Haley with nothing but horror at the thought of these changes and her mounting dislike at the source of these changes... the blonde in the schoolyard...
-End Flashback-
"I didn't know it then, but Carla was allegedly the brightest mind at the academy when I first enrolled... and it became obvious that she wanted it to stay that way. She never seemed to feel threatened by my presence at first... she actually seemed bored by school. At the end of the term, however... when the results were posted... everything changed..."
-Flashback-
Olville Pokémon Academy, five years ago...
Sleet pounded on the windows as Haley was led down the corridor by the principal to her new classroom. Why she was being moved was beyond her seven year-old mind... did this usually happen to new students?
After a few more minutes of silent walking, they had reached the doorway of Class Two-A. Haley stared at the name plate on the door... this was Kamren's class... why was she being sent here?
The portly principal rapped on the door. A second or two later it slid open, revealing a petite woman with her dark hair done up in a tight bun. Smiling down at Haley, she asked the principal, "So is this the prodigy that everyone's talking about?"
"The one and the same," the man said in a jovial voice. With much enthusiasm, he gently nudged Haley into the room with a kindly smile down at the worried girl and reassured her. "Don't worry, young Haley. With your remarkable talent and intellect, you should fit right in here..."
And leaving her with the teacher who had then proceeded to introduce her to the class as Kamren's younger sister who'd been skipped a year due to her phenomenal performance in the last term's exams, much to what seemed to be Kamren's chagrin (judging by the way everybody stared at him when they found out she was his sister). There was so much going on, and she didn't understand a word of it, despite her joy at being in the same class as her brother.
The first period passed like any other she had experienced thus far: she answered questions correctly; read perfectly... she basically performed as her parents had advised herself and Kamren... to the best of their ability.
When the lunch bell rang, everybody grouped up, leaving Haley seated alone. She looked around for her brother, but he had gone.
She looked towards the gaggle of girls to whom the blonde haired Carla seemed to be the leader, who gave her belittling looks which sent the message that they wouldn't accept her anytime soon...
She looked to the teacher, who seemed too busy grading papers to notice...
As the realisation hit her, she got out of her chair and walked erectly to the door, breaking into a tearful sprint for the bathroom where she locked herself in the last stall and hugged her knees to her chest, sobbing silently.
She was alone.
All alone...
... and everyone seemed to be telling her that loud and clear.
-End Flashback-
"Carla seemed to hate me and always seemed to be on the look out for opportunities to show me up. From track to Pokémon History, she used any and all means to try and divert attention from me to herself. It was almost as though she felt intimidated... and I didn't quite get why. I asked Kamren about it, but he seemed overly besotted by that... that... " here, Haley struggled for words that could describe how she felt about Carla, but she could not find words strong enough.
"So, you had to go through school alone, hunh?" Rubin said sceptically. "Didn't you have any friends?"
"No," Haley said bitterly. "Carla made sure of that. My own brother wasn't there to watch my back. I mean, what kind of brother does that to their little sister? I know what he'd say now if I asked him about it," she went on bitterly, mimicking her brother's lofty voice. "'I'm not Father, alright? Just leave your whining 'til he gets home.' That's why I'm becoming a researcher... it's the most efficient way of finding him again...of bringing our family back together again."
Quite the childhood you've had, Haley, Rubin thought with some surprise. Looking at his wrist watch, he stood up and said, "It's nearly noon. C'mon... it should be easier to break through the ice if it's weaker... plus weather reports forecast clear sunny skies today..."
"Allow me," Haley said with a smile, holding up an enlarged pokéball. "I know you have a Blaziken... but I owe you one. Go, Pixy!"
"So... his name's Keynid, is it?" Sapph asked, staring at his palm which previously held his newest Pokémon in a pokéball that had automatically been transported to the Yew Observatory.
Breathing heavily, Zen said, Yeah, and don't let his size fool you. He's one tough Pokémon. I've never needed more than one Aura Sphere to take an opponent down... especially after the first one connects...
"Great, you caught a Huskup. Congratulations," Carla said scathingly. "We're still trapped down here, you know."
"Thanks for the reality check, Miss Obvious," Sapph said humourlessly. "We still have to find Haley and my Growlithe, you know..."
Well, you won't have to look too far, Zen said with a tired smile, jerking his head towards the place from which the Huskup had appeared.
Sapph and Carla looked up at the wall and noticed a rippling orange light glowing on the other side of the wall accompanied with an increase in temperature even Crimson's fiery Comet Punch couldn't surpass. Carla and Sapph backed away fearfully as the ice cracked and blew apart revealing a six foot tall quadruped with a tiger-like pelt and bushy golden yellow mane and tail. At her feet a couple of curious cone-shaped creatures peeked out and giggled, There's the redcoat! There's the redcoat!
Thanks, little bros, the Arcanine said gratefully. Stepping forward, she smiled at a flabbergasted Sapph and Carla and said, Well, looks like I'm not the only one who's had an excitin' time today, eh? Who's da sistah?
Relax, Zen said as Sapph mouthed wordlessly in shock at the developments that had progressed in his absence, she's not tagging along for too long, I think... hey, kid, the Combatant Pokémon hailed his trainer. You new pal ain't hangin' around too long, right? Haley will get mad, you know...
Sapph could only reply with an anguished yell at the thought of missing yet another one of his Pokémon's once in a lifetime experiences.
A flock of Chilay had settled at the snowy side of the mountains facing Legendio City and were just about to settle in when a voluminous blast echoed somewhere up the mountain face startling the Snow Jay Pokémon into ungainly flight.
A golden white Pokémon led the way out of the subzero confines of the Icy Pass, its nine long tails flowing and rippling in the fresh early afternoon breeze. As it surveyed the settlement beneath it with its blood red eyes, it was joined by its trainer, a reddish blonde girl and the benefactor of its evolution, a brown haired boy decked out in green and tan apparel.
"Rubin," Haley said, words unable to express her gratitude. "I don't know what to say... first, you save my life... then you give us a Fire Stone... I'm... you..."
"Don't worry about it," Rubin said calmly, looking back into the snowy pass. "Listen, you and Pixy go on ahead... I've got unfinished business to attend to in the caves..."
"We'll come with you," Haley said quickly. The Ninetails beside her nodded in assent.
"Thank you," Rubin said graciously. "But I couldn't let you go through another minute of being in those caves..."
"But you let me do that, hunh, Rubin?" an icy voice called out from behind them, causing the pair to look to their left at an Arcanine carrying two people on its back out of the caves several feet away.
"Sapph! Arcana!" Haley said cheerfully, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the boy trainer and his newly evolved firebrand. Her face fell as her eyes fell upon the speaker, who rode behind Sapph and her attitude dropped several degrees in warmth as she addressed her rival. "Carla..."
"Hello, Sapphire," Rubin said coolly, his reddish brown eyes boring into the sparkling blue and somewhat challenging eyes of his younger twin.
"Hey," was all Sapph said in reply.
The atmosphere that surrounded the group as they began their silent march into Legendio City was not the warmest that our heroes had experienced... after all, distrust does sow the thorniest of weeds amongst the fragrant flowers of friendship... and with the information the foursome had heard from people who would gladly spill all the beans about their past... trust would surely be one thing the group would find hard to regain.