Chapter 45: Everyone Has A Story
The electric pokemon all built up static, and were on the entity in a flash.
You cannot destroy me! it roared.
The pokemon, trainers included, were sent flying outside the opening.
"Red! Get all the starter pokemon gathered here!" I yelled. "Yellow! Get the electric types! Blaziken! We need Hoenn Heaven here NOW!"
Everyone ran to do what I asked.
"What should I do?" Natalie asked from behind me. Her Pikachu was a Pikachu no more. It was a Raichu.
I wanted to tell her to go away and never come back. But the truth was, she had just helped us to lure this monster out here. I could already see the entity, a giant ball of fire with arms, eyes, and a really evil smile on its face. It had lava pouring from all over it's body, and was leaving a trail of fire behind it.
"You need to get out of here, and get somewhere safe," I said. "You've done enough."
I turned to walk away, to give orders to the Legendary League, who was just finishing up chasing away the last of the fire pokemon, weakening the entity. She grabbed my shoulder.
"Listen here, dammit," she snapped. "I know you want to protect me, but I can take care of myself. I have a lot of things I haven't told you, about why I am who I am. I know you care about me, and dont want me to get hurt, but I have had some far worse things happen to me in my childhood."
I froze, and looked at her. I could see the pain in her eyes, as the tears flowed down her face, her eyes blotched and red.
I reached out, and held her, and we both cried.
"I cant sit here and do nothing, worried that you might die," she sobbed. "I've already lost so much. My grandma is dead, my parents left me behind, and ran away to Reborn, and all I had left were the pokemon around me. And now that I have you, I don't want to go back to that."
I felt a tear fall down my face.
This thing has hurt too many people, and it was time to end this.
For Grandpa Birch, and for Natalie, who wept in my arms.
There was too much pain.
It had to end.
Now.
Chapter 46: The End Of The Road
(NOTE: I actually, as I write this chapter, am beginning to cry. I have really become attached to my characters, and Dustin, who was created to represent me, is by far my favorite character.)
I let go of Natalie.
"Get the Legendary League." I said. She ran over to them.
I went to my Papa Norman, who was holding Sapphire.
"Papa, where is Rayquaza?"
"What are you planning to do?" he asked suspiciously. "Your mother has lost her father. She doesn't need you to go off and die too."
"Where is Rayquaza?"
He sighed. "Rayquaza is with Alexander. I think they are finally seeing eye-to-eye."
I ran to the area near the Battle Arena, and found Alexander. Rayquaza was hovering on the water, head over the side, staring Alexander in the eyes.
"Alexander, I need Rayquaza." I said. I explained what I planned to do.
"You will need all the legendaries, not just Rayquaza." He said. Then he did something shocking. He knelt down, and handed me a small pin.
"My father gave this to me when I became a man. He told me to give it to someone who I felt would show more courage than me." He said. "It is a small artifact that is said to bring luck to those who need it most. I want you to have it, as you have showed more courage than anyone I have ever met."
I looked at the pin. It had an inscription of Jirachi on it, making a wish. I closed my hand around it.
"I will get the others." He started to leave.
"Sir?"
"Hm?" he stopped.
"If I die..." I said. "Tell my parents and Natalie that I love them, and can you give Natalie my Frontier Pass? Tell her that my Master Team is hers, and that I want her to complete the Battle Arena in my place, and that, if she can, I want her to become the League Champion for me."
I handed him my Trainer ID and Frontier Pass. Then I set my bag down, and set down the seven pokeballs. Blaziken, Metagross, Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Sceptile, and La-Suke. The order in which they entered my Master Team.
"I will. You have my word."
He ran off to get the other Legendary League.
My team popped out of their pokeballs.
"Blaziken." I said. "I'm sorry. I feel like I have betrayed you, by leaving you. But I can't let you die with me."
Blaziken hugged me, and I began to cry.
My Master Team surrounded me, and I could see the looks of pain in every single one of them.
"I am sorry. Natalie will take care of you. I know she will. Keep her safe."
"You needed us?" I heard Arianna say.
I looked one last time at my team, who had been there with me through all of this, and choked out, "I love you guys." before I ran over to explain my final stand against the entity.