Chapter 12: Slade
Pyre gently laid Ivy down in the camp, the snivy still hurt from the surprise attack from the twin pokemon.
"What happened?" Aqua asked, looking on in worry.
"A Plusle and a Minun, they came out of nowhere. Minun…well, he forced himself on Ivy while we were paralyzed. He seems to be hurt pretty badly." Pyre frowned at his friend. "I should've been stronger…"
"You did your best Pyre." Cynder's voice came from behind him.
He turned to her, giving her a weak smile and a hug before speaking again. "My best wasn't good enough. And I'm tired of it! I need to get stronger, I need to be better! I'm tired of everyone around me getting hurt because I'm too weak!"
"Pyre, you aren't weak." Cynder stood on her hind legs to place her forepaws on his shoulders in a hugging manner, and she nuzzled into him. "You're one of the strongest Pokemon I know, and I know you're only saying this because of how much you care, but you can't beat yourself up."
"Cynder, I failed, again. I failed to keep you safe from that Samurott, I failed to stop Slade! Now Ivy is hurt really bad! What if next time someone isn't just hurt!" Tears started streaming down his face. "I don't want that! I don't want to lose anyone because of my weakness!"
"I know." Cynder didn't speak further, she felt it was best to simply hold her beloved Charmander.
And Pyre simply held her in return. Crying into her fluffy fur.
"Guys?" Aqua broke the silence. "We should probably leave Ivy alone for now. Let him rest."
The two nodded together.
*Elsewhere*
"Was that so bad?" Xiphos stared coldly into Minun's tear soaked eyes. "Don't tell me you've never bottomed before? Or are you still upset about your useless sister?" He gestured to the Plusle's lifeless body.
Minun remained silent, an empty look in his eyes as he stared at his sister.
"Aww, is the toy sad?" Xiphos straightened Minun's face and looked him in the eye. "Or have you learned to shut up and take it?" Minun didn't reply, simply looking into the weavile's eyes. Xiphos released him and stood up. "Then stand up, we're leaving."
Minun slowly stood up. And Xiphos began to walk away. The electric pokemon quickly followed behind him.
*Days Later With Pyre*
The charmander was hard at work, sweat dripping from his body. He was pulling himself up a tree branch, straining and working his muscles, with the added weight of Aqua to help his physical training. The Squirtle held on tight.
"Is this really a good idea Pyre?"
"I have to be stronger! I have to!" The Charmander had a determined expression as he continued his movement, the muscles in his arms feeling as if they were burning, and yet it didn't give the lizard any pause. He pulled himself up again, then let himself lower, before ascending again. "I'm not letting anyone else get hurt! Not if I can help it!"
"I know Pyre, it's just…" Aqua looked down, they weren't that high up, but the water turtle wasn't accustomed to any height this far from the ground. "What if we fall?"
"We won't." The Charmander continued his exercise at a moderate pace. That is until he saw Cynder heading his way. Suddenly the determined look on his face grew even more serious and he began working himself harder and faster, regardless of the burning in his muscles. No matter how much he began to sweat, he refused to stop. His clawed hands began to feel weak, and yet, as if to defy his limits he continued.
"Pyre?" The fennekin asked from below.
"Yeah, s'up?" He asked, not looking down so as to remain focused on his workout.
"How are you doing?"
"Fine, how about you?" Despite his expression and effort, Pyre's voice seemed to be joyful as ever.
"I'd be a lot better if you relaxed a bit." The fox pokemon stared up at him. "You've been working yourself non stop since those twins attacked you. I'm worried about you."
"I know, but you don't need to worry about me, I'm tough, I'm the one that's gonna worry about everyone else."
She scowled at him. "That's not how this works…come down here." She spoke sternly.
Pyre sighed, dropping to the ground taking care his landing didn't send Aqua tumbling away. "I don't understand, I have to worry about everyone else, I'm the one putting them in danger."
"Be that as it may," Cynder nuzzled him. "You're not gonna stop me from worrying about you. You're the love of my life Pyre. I'll worry about you for as long as I live." She looked deep into his emerald eyes. "And long after."
If not for his crimson scales, Pyre's blush would've been all too obvious. "Cynder…"
She silently licked his cheek. "Please, take a break, for me."
He hugged her tight. "Okay, I will. Wanna watch the waterfall?"
Cynder giggled. "I'd love to."
Pyre smiled wide at her. "Then let's go do it!"
*Elsewhere*
The weavile sat atop the tree with a scowl. He'd been thinking for hours. No pokemon he'd sent had worked so far, so how could he ensure his enemy was destroyed. His mind shifted away as he stared at Minun. Perhaps the little rodent had the right idea.
"Does….master require me?" Minun spoke in an empty tone.
"No, but you, my dear pet, have given me an idea." Xiphos smirked. "Instead of killing Pyre, I need to break him. In all the time I've sent others to kill him, he's always held some sense of self, some energy that felt like he was in control. But last time, when you made him snap, he was as far from himself as he could be."
"But that only made him stronger sir?" Minun seemed to ask, as if his response would bring punishment. Minun found himself suddenly distracted, he noticed something on Xiphos' face that he hadn't before. A burn mark, right on his neck, not like the claw mark on his face, it looked like his neck had been held to a raging inferno.
Which it did, as Xiphos suddenly kicked the electric type from the tree. "I'm well aware you stupid fuck. But, if we can break him. He won't fight back, no matter how strong he gets." A clicking hiss was heard from above. "Don't even try it."
Xiphos jumped from the tree as a massive fuzzy yellow spider pounced on where he'd been seated. More clicking before it spit a web at him, the web spreading out and crackling with electricity. "Diiiiiinner, come back to my table."
Xiphos considered simply killing the electric spider, but then a devious thought formed in his head. "As you wish." He returned to the tree, standing atop a branch looking at the threatening pokemon in its many eyes. "Galvantula right? How would you like to serve my master?"
"I am my own master, I serve none but myself!" It seemed to hiss back before lunging at him.
"Allow me to rephrase." He jumped up hanging in the air above the galvantula just long enough to slam his claw into the spider's face. "You will serve!" A high pitched sizzling hiss resounded as that dark mark burned onto the Pokemon's face.
Once the galvantula managed to open its eyes again, a horrifying sight laid before it. A single vortex-like creature hovered across from it. Piercing magenta eyes stared a hole into the electric spider. Then after a moment the sight seemed to vanish.
"Now you've seen my master. Now you serve." Xiphos smirked. "And I have a job for you."
"I…serve, and will be of service." The spider let out a series of clicks and hisses causing a small group of joltik to land upon its back from the tree. "The brood shall feast upon master's enemies."
"Very good. Now listen closely…"
*With Pyre*
Pyre and Cynder cuddled happily watching the waterfall before them. The sun had started to go down. "Hey, Cynder, there's something I want to show you."
The fennekin gave a sweet smile and nodded. "What is it?"
Pyre stood up. "Follow me!"
Cynder's curiosity pushed her to follow him almost immediately.
They wandered a short distance from the camp up to where the waterfall originated.
"Is this it?" She asked curiously.
"Not the water, here take a seat." Pyre patted the ground beside the waterfall.
Cynder took a seat watching Pyre silently. The Charmander smiled as he faced away looking at the camp below. Taking in a deep breath he suddenly spit flames into the air in front of himself, forcing his head to move as he did so. Cynder couldn't yet tell what it was he was doing, but slowly as the flames seemed to linger in the air it became more and more obvious.
Pyre was drawing a heart in the air, a massive glowing, passionate heart. After finally finishing his movement, the Charmander turned around smiling, holding his little clawed hands in the shape of a heart as well.
Cynder didn't speak, she simply smiled happily. The fennekin slowly stood up, approaching Pyre. And she gave him a passionate kiss. The Charmander returned the kiss in kind.
"Pyre?"
"Yes Cynder?"
"Will you be my mate?"
The Charmander smiled widely, nodding happily.
*With Aqua*
The Squirtle happily stared into the sky, dozens of smaller pokemon around him, presumably the offspring of the other pokemon of the camp.
"You're so nice, mister aqua!" A small bellossom spoke, hugging the Squirtle.
"You're all so nice, I'm so glad we can all be friends. But, the sun's going down so you guys need to head on back to your parents…." Aqua went silent. The younger pokemon stared at him worriedly. "Run home, quick. And tell Victini I might need help." He waved the children away as he looked at the treeline. "Who's there?"
A soft hiss and a few eerie clicks sounded from the trees. Aqua suddenly jumped to his side as a large web stuck to the ground beside him. He hadn't even seen the attack coming, but his body moved on its own. Again a web shot by him, and he moved at just the last second. Then a third and a fourth. He was amazed he'd managed to avoid them all. But his victory was short lived.
As he looked up on the webs he saw they had in fact not been aimed at him, but the children fleeing back to camp. Several were now being painfully dragged toward the trees. Aqua acted quickly blasting the webs with a water gun, tearing them apart. Without hesitation he jumped in front of the smaller pokemon. "Go quickly!" Suddenly a large web hit his shell. Then three small ones hit his arms and head letting out a massive jolt of electricity.
He collapsed to his knees as he was suddenly being dragged back. Once he reached the treeline he felt an overwhelming fear fill him. What would happen to the children, had he saved them, did they get away? Glancing around as much as he could he saw the kids had managed to escape.
"Momma, is dis da one?"
A hiss and a click. "Yes my dear broodling, this is the Squirtle." The galvantula pulled Aqua up into the air, suddenly swaddling him in webs. "Soon my sweetings, you shall have a feast." She raised him closer to her, her fangs gleaming in what few days of sunlight remained.
This was it, Aqua felt, his life was coming to an end. Food for spiders. Not the most glorious way to go he had to admit. But he seemed to take solace in knowing he'd protected the children from this horrid fate. Just before the spider pokemon could sink her fangs into Aqua he dropped to the ground, the webs around him seemingly turned to ash. Once he hit the ground his vision went fuzzy. He slowly crawled away, hoping to escape while he could. He glanced around trying to find his savior, but nobody was there. He shook his head and prepared to run.
But he froze, something was wrong. He heard something. Crying, no not just crying, bawling, like only a child could. And it was coming from behind. His mind was telling him the joltik galvantula had with her were just upset at losing their meal, but his heart was telling him it was something far worse.
Glancing back, three joltik stood on the ground, pained sorrowful sobs splitting the silence of the growing night. In the last few days of sunlight the Squirtle discovered the cause. On the ground was a viscous green goo, splattered haphazardly across the ground. At first Aqua wasn't sure what happened, but then he noticed it. A single leg of galvantula protruding from the epicenter of the goo. Whatever happened, it had completely destroyed her, or rather almost completely.
"Finish the job." A cold voice came from the treeline as a humanoid red and blue creature crashed into the ground, its DNA strand arms stabbing into two of the joltik as it did so. Their pained wails fell away immediately.
The third joltik hadn't stopped its pained cries. The monstrous pokemon looming over them raised it's arm to finish the last of galvantula's brood. But when it's attack struck it was repelled.
To the surprise of both himself and his adversaries, Aqua had shielded the child. "Don't worry, I'll protect you…I'm gonna save you."
The cruel voice from the forest returned. "How can you save this child, if you can't save yourself?" A human emerged from the treeline, clad in armor with a two toned mask, the man called Slade. "You saw the flames. Bring me my prizes."
At his words five more pokemon emerged from the trees. One appeared to be a large metal Tyranitar known as Iron Thorns, another looked like Misdreavus with a flowing mane aptly named Fluttermane, an elegant feminine pokemon who appeared as though wearing a dress called Gardevoir, a small pink blob simply known as ditto, and finally in the center was a bird who seemed to be dressed in a mask and wrestling garb called Hawlucha.
Hawlucha spoke abruptly. "Go titans!" Seemingly at his command the five pokemon bolted off toward the nearby camp.
Aqua stood up, clutching joltik to his chest, the small pokemon still crying. Before he could run, his shell was struck from behind, sending him back to the ground. Glancing back Deoxys began striking his shell over and over again.
"He still insists on calling them that." The human spoke standing beside Deoxys. "Soon my job will be done. You don't have to die. If you give in now, you and that little pest get to live."
"You think I'm gonna trust you?"
"No, in fact I'm quite hoping you don't." A horrific cracking sound erupted into Aqua's ears. "You know, if you just let that joltik go, you could escape."
"No way! I'm not leaving him, even if he was gonna eat me! He's just a kid, and I'm not leaving him just to save myself!"
"Admirable, but misguided." Slade nodded toward Deoxys, who had ceased its assault upon Aqua. Seeing its master nod, Deoxys resumed their onslaught slamming and slashing the turtle's shell. Cracks appeared and spread across his shell.
Every instinct in his body was telling him to throw the child and run. But he stayed hunched over the joltik, shielding the small spider with his own breaking body.
His shell felt so weak, so frail, as if it were about to crumble to dust. Deoxys' arm seemed to sharpen into a spear-like tip which it then aimed at the center of Aqua's shell. Just as the alien-like pokemon thrust it's arm down something large slammed into it flying back into the treeline.
Slade wasn't surprised, not even turning his head to see where his pokemon had gone. He stepped forward passing Aqua. Four pokemon slid back, scuffed and covered in cuts. The Fluttermane, Gardevoir, Ditto, and Hawlucha. The human guessed Iron thorns was what hit Deoxys, and he had to admit he was impressed.
Across from them, Victini, Zear, Calyrex, and Pyre.
"Get away from my friend Slade!" Pyre shouted.
"I'm impressed you recognize me in this darkness." The human spoke briefly. "Glad to see I left an impression."
Pyre seemed angry. His face showed rage. "What happened to your other pokemon, this isn't the team I fought before!?"
Slade chuckled. "They outlived their usefulness when they failed to bring me Victini. And so. They are dead. Just as these five will be if you succeed in stopping me again."
Pyre's eyes went wide, how could someone be so cruel. "But they're only following your orders, and doing the best they can!"
"Stalling through conversation is a waste of time. I, am a professional. Robin!"
The Hawlucha dashed straight at Pyre. The Charmander struck out with his fist, only for the bird pokemon to slip under his punch. Robin, as the hawlucha was called, swiftly stepped around Pyre, wrapping his wings around the fire type's middle and lifting him up leaning back slamming the lizard's head into the ground.
If not for the mask, they would've seen the man smirking.
"I'm sorry, I don't have a choice, none of us do!" Robin whispered. "There are collars on us, if we don't obey…. He'll kill us all…just like our friend Terra."
Pyre rolled back, a sad look on his face. He shook his head. "You don't have to listen to him, you can resist, you can fight!" Pyre wasn't a good liar, and he certainly wasn't a good bluffer, but he hoped he seemed naïve enough to not give away what he'd just been told. The Charmander tackled the bird pokemon. He whispered back. "I'm going to save you all. I'm gonna get these collars off."
Robin tossed him overhead. "We serve loyally, whether we want to or not!" The bird pokemon jumped up slamming both feet into Pyre's chest, drop kicking him a short distance back. He pursued, trying to get out of earshot of the human. Jumping on top of Pyre he whispered again. "My friend, the ditto, B.B. we can't save him unless we take out Slade. His body wouldn't fit a collar so he injected some chemicals into him."
Pyre flipped them so he was on top of Robin, and with a mighty punch slammed the Hawlucha into the ground kicking up a small cloud of dust. The bird was fine, but the collar on his neck had broken off.
Pyre stood up about to rush one of the other pokemon when Slade held up a small device in his hand. "Now now Robin, I thought you cared about this team." His finger rested over a button. "You think I can't hear you, the collars have communicators installed so I can monitor you for just such an occasion. Now do as you're told, or their heads pop off one by one."
The Hawlucha suddenly jumped from the hole in the ground and began lashing out, assaulting Pyre with everything he had.
"You heard him….do your jobs!" The Hawlucha choked the words out as he kept striking Pyre.
The other pokemon went to work. Gardevoir moving in to attack Zear, Fluttermane going for Calyrex, and B.B. the ditto morphing and copying Victini.
Pyre threw Robin off, quickly getting to his feet and rushing the Hawlucha. Just as he swung his tail at the bird pokemon he felt a wing grab his tail and another grab one of his legs flipping him onto his back.
"Cy! Give me a hand!" Robin called out.
Looking straight up Pyre saw the mechanical Tyranitar plummeting toward him. Acting quickly he rolled out of the way, just as the machine like pokemon cracked the very ground he'd just been laying on. Scrambling to his feet he looked back at the two pokemon. He stared between them. Then to the human just behind them.
"I suppose I should warn you before you try to tamper again. If another of their collars breaks off, well, they remember Terra. Or I suppose, what's left of her." Slade's voice oozed with cold calculated strategy.
Pyre's eyes narrowed. This human seemed cruel beyond belief. Was he really willing to kill them right now? The job wasn't done yet, by all logic he'd be at a disadvantage. Unless the collars had a blast radius. If that was the case, anyone near them would be hurt too. He gritted his teeth.
He looked back to his friends. Calyrex was gone, but if the state of the strange pokemon he was fighting was any indication, he was still alive.
"Rave!" The ditto called out rushing to Fluttermane's side. "Are you alright?"
"Fine B.B. just focus!"
At her words, B.B. was knocked to the ground, Victini having struck him from behind.
Turning back Pyre found himself face to face with Cy, as the iron thorns had been called. The massive metal pokemon fell forward, trying to crush Pyre under his immense weight. But the Charmander was stronger than expected, as he caught the machine like being holding him up. With all the force he could muster in his arms and legs Pyre pushed Cy back. When the metal Tyranitar stood at full height from being pushed, the Charmander wreathed himself in flames slamming head first into the much larger pokemon, sending both rocketing forward.
Pyre hoped his plan would work, he'd purposely left himself open for this exact reason. He'd sent them both blasting toward Slade. The man, however, stepped to the side completely avoiding the attempted attack.
The two felt their momentum stop abruptly. And looking back Pyre saw both Zear and Gardevoir gesturing toward them.
The mechanical Tyranitar chuckled. "Thanks Moonfire!" As he finished his sentence he slammed gut first into Pyre pushing the Charmander back.
The Gardevoir suddenly took hold of Zear with psychic and threw him straight into Victini. The two slammed a nearby tree both falling unconscious.
Pyre struggled to stand up this time as the five pokemon all stood together before him.
"We appreciate that you wanted to help us, we do. So I'm sorry." Robin bowed his head.
"Pyre! Don't give up!" Aqua's voice pierced the night. During the commotion he'd moved around and reached Zear and Victini. Looking back he saw they'd been covered in webs. "I'm gonna get them out of here!"
Joltik poked its head up from behind Aqua, seemingly covering the squirtle's damaged shell with webbing. "I'm helping, that meany hurt momma!"
At that moment Calyrex returned. "I'll get you all out of here in one go, I just sent the camp away for their own…" the grass/psychic type was cut off. It happened so fast, Deoxys had moved from beside its master and using its spear-like arm had impaled the goat from behind.
Calyrex coughed suddenly, blood seeping from his mouth and his wounds.
"Calyrex!" Pyre turned away only to be struck hard in the back by a sudden burst of dark energy. He stumbled to the ground only to be yanked backwards, back into his feet. He was forced to turn around only to be met face first with his own fist. The force of which had him spinning vertically, but completely stationary. Still hanging in the air, he saw Robin plummeting toward him slamming him straight into the ground hard. All the air in his lungs was suddenly pushed out. Before his body settled on the ground, Cy fell upon him, slamming his massive metal body overtop of Pyre.
The five pokemon stepped back from his barely moving body.
"Pyre!" A faint voice called out. Everything went black.
*Within Pyre's Dream*
The battle raged on, Ferna, Ember, and Tin all still fighting the sea of Sneasel and weavile.
Something was wrong, there seemed to be no end to them, and the battle was taking a toll on the fire type family. They were all covered in cuts and bruises.
"Tin! I need you to let out all the firepower you've got! Deep breaths!" Ferna called out, grabbing her son by the tail. "Ember, duck!"
The Braixen-turned-delphox did just that, falling to one knee. The Charizard swung with all her might suddenly spinning in place, practically flinging her son in a circle.
Tin, having taken the deepest breath he could, roared out letting fire spew from his maw like a volcano erupting. The ocean of dark/ice types seemed to slow in its endless advance. Once Tin's flames died down, Ferna gently rested him on the ground. Looking around, many of the aggressive pokemon had seemingly collapsed. Only a small group of five remained. One of which being that malnourished Sneasel, who had miraculously regained consciousness. He however looked as though he didn't want to fight.
"Weakness. Disgraceful." The vortex veiled creature spoke, its magenta eyes dimming one becoming brighter than the other, and remarkably more red than the other. It felt familiar all of a sudden, but Pyre couldn't say why.
"Tough talk from someone unwilling to fight their own battle!" Ferna shouted.
"As if I'd waste my energy on your inferior forms. A shame those sapphire flames protect you from my brand, you'd make such lovely pets." A dark hand emerged pointing to the Charmeleon. "Especially you, untouched. The perfect plaything for myself and my subjects."
Tin shuddered at those words. He really hoped that didn't mean what he thought, but given the company of Sneasel and Weavile, his worries seemed well founded.
"You'll not touch anyone else, monster!" Ember stated threateningly.
A dark blood chilling cackle erupted from the calamitous being.
*In The Waking World*
"PYRE!" A voice called out. Far more noticeable now. It wasn't Aqua.
He shot up from laying on his back. It was a voice he hadn't heard in a while. Following the voice he watched Robin slam into Cy. The other three reacted by suddenly catching the two falling pokemon.
Pyre felt his body suddenly pulled to his feet and his head turned. He was face to face with a raichu. "R-Rai? What are…"
"No time, you need to focus!" The raichu shook Pyre a bit.
Pyre shook his head one last time and nodded. "Okay! Let's do this, Rai!"
The raichu watched in amazement, as Pyre's body seemed to glow for a moment, the blue flame on his tail sparkling a golden hue, and electricity began to crackle around him.
The Charmander looked to his friend, no such change. Just a determined face staring down their opponents.
Wordlessly the two pokemon rushed forth. Pyre stepped in line behind Rai, masking his own body with his electric companion's. The same way Plusle and Minun had done so.
Rai slid under the malformed Misdreavus shooting a bolt of lightning down upon himself only for it to stop upon its true target.
Pyre meanwhile jumped over said target, and twisting in midair wreathed his fist in flames punching the ghostly pokemon hard sending her plummeting down. The impact was apparently more than enough to knock the pokemon out.
The Hawlucha, Robin jumped toward Pyre, seeking to catch the Charmander before he reached the ground. But his eyes suddenly matched the newly arrived Raichu, who wrapped his tail around the bird's middle and yanked him back first into the ground.
Behind them, Moonfire, the Gardevoir suddenly pushed them back using psychic. She lifted the bird pokemon up. "Robin?"
"I'm fine, stay focused." He straightened up.
Rai and Pyre were already on the move again. This time targeting Cy while the other pokemon were distracted.
"Rai, build up some momentum, I wanna bring this guy down in one go!" Pyre rushed forward to attack the mechanical Tyranitar, but was stopped in his tracks by the Gardevoir.
Rai on the other hand was circling the group, building speed faster and faster each time he completed said circle.
Cy slammed Pyre back toward his much faster friend, nearly breaking the raichu's momentum, but only nearly. The electric mouse managed to avoid Pyre's tumbling body.
And on his next round he saw the charmander's plan. Reaching out with his tail as he passed Pyre, he grabbed him the force of their momentum allowing the Raichu to easily pull the fire lizard.
Pyre suddenly covered his entire body in flames as Rai slowed down just a short distance from their intended target. Slowing down wasn't quite right, as instead he'd begun spinning to maintain Pyre's momentum, until finally he let go, flinging the Charmander at Cy. The momentum he'd built up had already propelled Pyre forward at incredible speed, but he only added to it with a flare blitz, once again sending him blasting forward like a rocket taking flight.
The two pokemon once again flew through the air until they collided with a rock, seemingly knocking the large pokemon out. Pyre stepped away from the mechanical pokemon. Looking toward his friend he saw that Rai was already getting winded. Understandably so as he was alone avoiding the attacks of Moonfire, Robin, and B.B.
The Charmander was about to make a move to help, but decided to check on the injured. Rai may be winded, but they hadn't hit him yet, so Pyre could afford to do so. Sliding into place beside Aqua and Calyrex he looked them over.
"P-Pyre…" Calyrex choked out as blood oozed from his wounds. "A cave…behind the…"
"Save your breath, show me!" Pyre spoke quickly. The psychic grass type touched the lizard's head forcing a vision upon him. "I understand! Rai, come on we need to run!" Pyre lifted Aqua along with Victini and Zear onto his back. Rai slid beside him instinctively grabbing Calyrex.
"Lead the way!"
They bolted back toward where the camp had been, with Pyre turning around only to set the ground ablaze to slow down their attackers.
A glance back showed It wasn't effective, Slade himself walked through the fire followed closely by his pokemon. "Good, wear yourselves out. That makes this much easier."
They reached the waterfall. And Rai looked to his fire type friend. "Where now?"
Pyre gulped before jumping through the waterfall. Rai followed behind him.
"Set us behind that rock, then…run deeper into the cave…there's a river of magma inside… get there, and this will all be over." Calyrex seemed more sure than he'd ever been. And Pyre trusted him, following his directions both he and Rai left the group of injured pokemon behind a large rock. And darted down a corridor of the cave just as the sound of rushing water was cut several times. Turning on his heels, Pyre covered the ceiling, floor, and walls in fire, this time not to delay his pursuers but to lure them in.
"Calyrex really shouldn't have been that cryptic." Pyre frowned as they ran. A blur suddenly shot by them as they came to an opening in the cave. And within the opening was exactly what Calyrex had promised, a river of magma. But now wasn't the time to worry about that. Before then stood Deoxys, its body was thin, aerodynamic. "This guy can change his body, as far as I know he can make himself faster, tougher, and hit harder, but only one at a time."
"Impressive. Your battle intuition is commendable." Slade's voice came from behind. "He hid my prize somewhere in the cave, go back and find them." He waved off Robin and the other two pokemon. "Deoxys. I only want the Charmander. You can kill the Raichu."
The alien-like creature stared them down, and if Pyre had to guess, it was smiling. Deoxys' body shifted to its attack form. And it rushed them, it's arm sharpening as it lunged at the electric mouse. Pyre suddenly struck out slamming his fist into the creature. It barely noticed as it spun around hitting him into the ceiling with a powerful kick.
The golden flames around his tail faded, as did his consciousness.
*Within Pyre's Dream*
The remaining five Sneasel and Weavile had been slashing for who knows how long. If not for Ember's impeccable defensive abilities, they may have been in danger.
They being himself and Tin. Ferna had meanwhile gone forth and attacked the calamity directly.
It too was being impeded by Ember's protective moves. To the point it tried to lunge at him, the dark vortex just barely halted centimeters from the Braixen-turned-delphox's face. Ferna slapped the shrouded being away with her powerful tail.
But the calamitous being recovered snatching up the malnourished Sneasel as he flew by. "Useless whelp! Deal with him" a dark claw emerged only to strike the Sneasel in the face.
"I'm trying my love, I'm trying!" He pleaded weakly as he was tossed aside. The calamitous being raised it's claw to stab the Sneasel, but was stopped abruptly. Ember had slid overtop of the weakened ice type and created a barrier.
"It's okay, you don't have to fear him anymore, we can protect you. We can stop him!" Ember smiled happily at the Sneasel who buried his face in the larger Pokemon's fur and began to cry.
Ferna flew forth chasing down the veiled creature as it evaded her movements.
"Thank you…thank you…I was so scared.." the Sneasel sobbed. His voice became quiet as he began whispering.
"Well you have nothing to fear now, we have you…"
Ember was cut off. "I was so scared you'd take him away from me." The Sneasel jabbed it's claw into Ember's stomach and twisted. "But nobody is taking my love away from me!" Another claw stabbed into him, that one too twisting.
"Ember!" Ferna called out only to feel a sharp stabbing pain in her own stomach.
"My my, how foolish of you." The calamitous beings eyes flashed, the one still magenta eye fading entirely as the single crimson one grew ever brighter.
"You bastard!" Ferna shouted trying to spit flames at the shrouded creature. But it's dark clawed hand slammed her maw shut.
"What kind of mother brings her unhatched infant to a battle?" Her eyes went wide as the egg was yanked from inside her. "Don't worry, you won't die. Not yet." It laid the egg on the ground and forced her to face her mate and son.
Ember was struggling to push the malnourished Sneasel off of him. It's vigor and strength were astonishing. Tin was being swarmed by two weavile and two Sneasel, all four cutting him as he struggled against their onslaught.
"First, you'll watch your lover die at the hands of mine. Then you'll watch my dear pets take turns with your son, until it's my turn. Then you'll watch me feed my poor lover your egg." That piercing red eye gazed into hers. "Then you have my permission to die."
Flames erupted around them all. Ferna was screaming in anger and pain pushing the fire around farther pushing the dual typed pokemon back. With her strength fading she tipped her egg on its side and shoved it, rolling it toward Tin. "Tin! Take eggy and run!"
The Charmeleon scooped up the egg and bolted down the mountain, tears in his eyes.
A sickening ripping sound echoed out as the calamitous being began to rip the wings from Ferna's back.
"Insolent bitch." A dark clawed finger pointed down the mountain. "Bring them to me."
The thin Sneasel nodded and bowed. "You heard master, go!" The weavile and sneasel pursued. All but the thin malnourished one who approached the vortex veiled being. "You're so amazing my love."
"Truly your acting is unmatched my dear." It pulled the Sneasel into the smokey veil.
Ember slowly crawled toward Ferna. And she did the same. When they reached each other they clasped their hands together.
Pyre didn't know why, but he could feel everything around him. He kneeled down, invisible to the pokemon around him. Something compelled him to rest his clawed hands atop the dying couple's.
The two shot up onto their feet at his touch, and together rushed the dark creature dislodging the Sneasel from its grasp. Together they forced it back into the cave it had come out of. Flames engulfed the cave mouth and a light screen sealed it off.
*In The Waking World*
Pyre was growing irritated with how often he was losing consciousness lately. But his irritation faded as he watched his friend in battle.
Rai was covered in cuts and bruises. Deoxys was standing over him with a static net of electricity keeping it stuck in place. It struggled, showing its own cuts and bruises.
"If you're done napping I could use a hand finishing this guy off!"
Pyre stood up and nodded once again covering his body in fire, this time however the flames surrounding him burst the same brilliant sapphire as his tail. And he shot straight toward the paralyzed Deoxys. The impact had the alien-like creature spinning in place when Pyre landed beside Rai. The Raichu swung his tail around a bright orb of electricity forming at its end which was then thrown directly into the spinning pokemon. The veil of static around it seemed to fade as Deoxys collapsed.
"We did it!" Pyre cried out happily. Glancing to his side he noticed how close they were to the river of magma.
His happiness was short lived as he felt a tight grip around his tail pull him into the air. "Indeed you did. You solidified your position as my strongest weapon." Slade held him up at eye level.
"We found them Slade!" Robin scowled as he arrived holding Victini on his shoulder. "Moonfire and B.B. are dealing with the others."
The human dropped Pyre as the Hawlucha approached. He gently laid Victini on the ground. Slade reached down, lifting the pokemon into the air with one hand using the other to force Victini's eyes open. Ditto eyes. "Robin? What is this?"
The human looked at the bird pokemon. Robin was a short distance back, with his four friends. "This is for Terra! Do it B.B.!"
The ditto grew exponentially in size changing its body into that of a Snorlax.
Slade stumbled back from the sudden action, having no room to move, he fell back first into the river. "Well, played Robin." He didn't scream, he didn't try to save himself. He simply closed his eyes as he fell back, accepting his fate. "Well played."
Pyre moved away from the river. "Wh-what the hell was that!?"
"We had no choice. To save you and your friends. As well as ours." Robin spoke up as he helped his friends remove the explosive collars around their necks.
"We did not want to commit killing on Slade, but he was a bad man. And we had to save B.B." the Gardevoir added.
"Moon's right, if there was another way we would've done it." Cy chimed in.
"We're free now, and so are you. So try not to sweat it too much." Rave added.
"Thanks for helping us by the way!" B.B. spoke up now appearing as Pyre. "You're a cool guy. And you're tough. So he totally didn't suspect a thing."
"Well, gotta help where I can. Even if you were attacking us." Pyre smiled.
"We should get going. We left some important stuff behind when Slade captured us." Robin spoke again as he turned to leave. "Thank you. You saved us."
Each pokemon gave a quick bow before turning to leave.
*Later*
"What even brought you out this way Rai?" Pyre asked curiously, now that he and his friend had a chance to catch their breath.
"Well…you remember that Pikachu I really liked?"
"Yeah, what happened?"
"I don't know, one day we just didn't feel it anymore." Rai sighed. "It's like, we loved each other, but not the way we both thought."
"That's rough buddy." Pyre gave him a hug and a smile.
"Yeah, I've just been wandering, trying to find my own way. Met this nice Pangoro, he's really been helping me keep my head on straight."
"How did you know I needed help?"
"I don't know, I felt this energy I think, like I could feel your heart beating in my chest." Rai looked him in the eyes. "And I was feeling it when your flames turned all gold and cool!"
"Oooh, I guess they were right." Pyre smiled. "I'd explain it to ya, but it's a long story for another time. I gotta help set up this little camp. Ya know, you could join us. I'm sure I could convince them to let you stay."
"I appreciate the gesture, Pyre, but I think I'm fine for now." The two stood up and hugged again. "I should get going, you take care now Pyre."
"Thanks Rai." Pyre smiled as the raichu strolled away into the forest.
Pyre headed toward the camp. He was exhausted, and he was all too eager to sleep. Once he reached the camp at the waterfall he smiled. They'd erected vine tents again. And all the leading members of the camp were up and about. Calyrex had thick leaves wrapped around his wounds, Zear and Victini seemed to be up and about again. And Ivy and Cynder were waiting for him. The two waved him toward a tent.
"Hey, I just stopped by to let you know in person that I'm feeling better." The snivy smiled.
"That's great! So happy you're okay." Pyre smiled back, then looked at Cynder. "I'm tired Cynder, wanna cuddle?"
"Of course I do, now get in here!" The two entered the tent.
*Within Pyre's Dream*
Something was different about this dream. He could see, but he felt small. And weak. He couldn't move, but he saw the face of Tin holding him close. The Charmeleon was speaking aloud. "I've got you eggy, I've got you. Big brother has you."
Tin kept running, he had long since reached the foot of the mountain, but he didn't stop running. His legs felt like they were burning. He tried to run to the nearest settled area, but his pursuers had forced him away, one of the weavile breaking off with the two Sneasel heading toward the Pokemon Square.
Finally Tin found himself trapped. He had run into a dark cave. Once he reached a dead end he gently sat the egg down and turned back to face his pursuer.
The weavile smirked, having tracked down the Charmeleon. Tin noticed the weavile wasn't that much older than himself, likely the same age in fact. "You can still turn back, you don't have to do this."
"For my beloved, I must. Master deserves a proper consort, not that shriveled up thing that calls itself a Sneasel." The weavile's smirk grew. "And once I bring you to my master he'll see fit to name me, and let me lead the others as his personal lover!"
"You're out of your mind!"
The weavile rushed forth, its claws extended. Tin was exhausted; he couldn't dodge, but he had to protect his brother. So he met the weavile head on. The two collided, the weavile's claws stabbing into his gut, and suddenly he twisted, mangling the charmeleon's insides.
Tin lunged forth biting the ice type's neck and screaming out, letting his fire spill out like a supernova. He didn't let go, not even when the weavile tried to push him off. Not when his face was slashed. After a few minutes the flames engulfed the weavile and Tin let go, allowing the weavile to run screaming out of the cave, his neck burning and charring.
Tin turned back to the egg and tried to step closer but collapsed.
Pyre hated having to watch so much pain. Especially since he wanted to help, but couldn't. The Charmeleon forced himself to crawl closer until he was able to clutch the egg close. "Mom…Dad…I'm sorry…I couldn't protect eggy…" tears streamed down his face. "I'm sorry eggy…big brother can't protect you any….more…" he continued to sob as he held the egg close. "I wish I could've met you…wish I could know your…."
Pyre felt a strange warmth surrounding him, as though he were being hugged. "My name is Pyre…"
"That's a nice name…mom would've loved it for you….Pyre…I love you….little.." Tins eyes shut. "Brother…"
The egg began to glow brightly and it gently slid from Tin's hands. Pyre reached out, as if trying to hug the Charmeleon that was seemingly his brother. But as he did so, the egg slid away. Toward the back of the cave. Pyre's tears cleared long enough to see the wide grin on Tin's face. The Charmeleon was happy. Light enveloped the egg, and when the light died away, Pyre recognized where he was. The ground, the trees, the water. This was where he'd hatched. Why were his dreams showing him such things? Was that really his family…could they see him?
*In The Waking World*
Pyre wasn't quite awake, but he tossed and turned in his sleep. He managed to speak in his sleep. "I love you too, big brother."