Chapter 16: The Shackles of the Gangs
The early morning drizzle was as soft and pleasant as the quiet breeze washing over the plains. Ember woke up feeling full of energy, though she didn't get up right away, since she knew it would be best to conserve as much sleep as she could. As she lied there with her eyes closed, she thought back to the story Absol had told her last night.
She thought about all the vivid, heartfelt ways he'd described Elsa, and how beautiful he said she was. Ember hoped Absol thought she was beautiful too. Her favorite part of the conversation they'd had afterwards was when he'd said that while she wasn't the only good thing in her life, she was the best. She must have repeated the words in her mind a thousand times that night.
One question still plagued her, though. She hadn't asked it last night, since that wouldn't have been the proper time, but the nagging curiosity was ardently tormenting her. She glanced at Absol, who was still sound asleep next to her. She didn't want to wake him, but it was a matter of such grave importance, she felt it couldn't wait another minute.
"Absol?" she called softly.
She heard a faint grunt as Absol stirred slightly. She called his name again, a bit louder. Finally, an eye opened, glancing at her.
"What is it?" he murmured groggily.
"Did you ever have a nickname?" Ember asked.
"Huh? What?"
"I mean when you were with your trainer," Ember clarified. "Did he give you a nickname?"
"Yes," Absol replied.
Then, as if the matter were settled, he rolled back over and shut his eyes again. Ember was left staring dumbly at him for a moment.
"So…what was it?" she asked finally.
There was no reply. She merely heard Absol snoring slightly. Her eyes narrowed.
"Absol, I know you're not asleep," she said.
"No, I'm definitely asleep," he replied.
Ember groaned. She knew she could spend the rest of her life trying to break through Absol's word games. The fact that he wouldn't tell her his nickname inevitably made her want to know even more. As much as it pained her, she decided to wait until later and try asking again.
It wasn't until further in the day, when they were cooking their breakfast—a large Stantler they'd had the good fortune to find and catch—that Ember tried once more to brainstorm a way to get Absol to spill the berries.
"So, how long have you and Umbra been friends?" she asked.
"Oh, a few years now," Absol replied. "I just hope he'll have a good life out there in that docile town with what's-her-face."
"He's a pretty funny guy," she added. "He's a riot from his wit about the Pokedex right down to that silly nickname of his."
"I don't know. I've heard worse nicknames."
"Really?" Ember asked, trying to keep the eager note from her voice. "What other kinds of nicknames have you heard?"
Absol smirked. "Nice try, Ember."
Dang it! She thought. I was doing so well, too!
She was tired of beating around the bush. She was going to learn Absol's nickname if it killed her.
"You might as well give it up," Absol said, as if reading her thoughts.
"Well, you already know my nickname!" she protested. "Isn't it only fair that I know yours?"
"Life's not fair. Get used to it."
"Absol, are you going to tell me or not?"
"Let's start with 'not' and go from there."
"Well, why not?!" Ember demanded angrily.
Absol grinned. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"YES! That's the whole reason I'm asking!"
"Are you gonna eat that?" Absol asked, gesturing toward her portion of the Stantler.
"What?!" Ember said, looking down at her food. "No—I mean, yes!"
"Good," Absol replied, chuckling.
Ember growled. "Absol, if you don't tell me, I'm gonna burn you."
"Go ahead," Absol replied calmly. "I've still got plenty of Rawst Berries in the bag."
"You're a jerk."
"Guilty as charged."
Ember moaned in frustration and sat on her haunches, bitterly eating her portion of the game. As she finished the remnants of her breakfast, one last idea popped into her head. She glanced up at Absol, giving him her best meek, pleading look.
"Absol, can you please tell me? Pretty please?" she begged sweetly.
Absol paused for a moment, pursing his lips as he pondered her pleas. Finally, he shrugged slightly.
"Well, if it's that important to you, I guess I can tell you," he relented.
Ember eagerly jumped up, grinned ecstatically. Absol gestured for her to come closer. She walked up and stood next to him, and he leaned toward her ear.
"Next time, take some acting lessons," he whispered.
With that, Absol suddenly bolted off through the field up ahead, leaving Ember standing there, mouth agape. She managed to snap herself out of it just in time.
"Hey!" she shouted. "Get back here!"
With that, Ember quickly chased Absol through the field, running at top speed to keep on his tail. She'd had a hard time keeping up with Absol in the past, and she didn't know the limits of his speed, but she was determined to catch him this time. After all, her curiosity was on the line. She had to know Absol's nickname now.
Absol ran through a shallow stream, then jumped to the other side and kept moving. There was a time when Ember wouldn't have dared follow him through the water, but now Absol's own teachings would be his downfall. Ember splashed through the stream, then darted back to land and continued the hot pursuit.
She chased Absol for the better part of a half-hour as he zigzagged through groves, fields, streams, and woods in his attempts to lose her. To her surprise, Ember managed to keep right on his tail the entire time, no matter how many clever weaving moves he pulled to throw her off. In fact, even as she began to tire to the point of complete exhaustion, she saw that Absol was getting worn out as well. A grin slowly spread onto her face despite her fatigue. She nearly had him.
As she steadily gained on Absol, she forced her tired body to keep going, desperate to close the last few feet of distance between them and catch him. Breathing hard, she sprinted at full speed when she saw Absol beginning to slow down. Finally, she managed to catch up, only about a foot and a half away from him. Using the last reserves of her strength, she leapt forward in an all-or-nothing gambit.
Luckily, the move paid off. She managed to grab Absol's hind legs, and he stumbled and fell. Thankfully, he didn't hit the ground too hard, since he was running far slower in his fatigue. Ember quickly scrambled forward before he could regain his feet, shoving and rolling him onto his back. Once he was in the helpless position, she swiftly pinned him to the ground, grinning triumphantly. Absol chuckled in astonishment.
"Wow," he said between breaths. "I didn't know you had it in you, Ember!"
Ember was too tired to respond, so she merely enjoyed the victory, feeling proud to have finally bested Absol in a contest of speed. Once she managed to catch her breath, she made sure Absol had no way of getting up and then looked him in the eye.
"Alright, Absol," she said smugly. "Now you're gonna tell me your nickname, one way or another. And I'm not letting you up until you do!"
There was a brief silence as Absol held her gaze. Ember was a little surprised that he didn't seem annoyed or upset at being caught and pinned down. In fact, there was a smoldering and fiery look in his eyes that expressed passion, care, and roughness. It was a rare look, but her favorite by far.
"Really?" he asked, smiling. "So, you're just going to lie on top of me until I decide to tell you?"
Ember looked at him in confusion for a moment. Her eyes widened as the comprehension suddenly dawned on her. She looked down, realizing how awkward and ridiculous the situation was, with her arms around his shoulders as she held him down, her belly on his and their faces inches apart. She knew she couldn't stay like that forever, which still gave Absol the upper hand. However, his next words surprised her even more.
"I think I can live with that," he said.
Before she could even ponder what he meant, Absol slowly reached his arms around her. Ember's mouth opened in shock as he began to gently stroke her fur. She groped to form a question, but the question died away before it ever escaped her lips as Absol started to soothingly rub her shoulders and neck. Ember's eyes glazed over and finally closed as she relished the feeling of Absol softly caressing her.
She felt Absol begin to gently pull her head down toward his, slowly leaning his mouth closer to hers. Her eyes shot back open as she realized what he wanted. Her first instinct was to pull away, both out of intimidation and the instinct for personal liberty. But a deeper need began to grapple with those instincts. The need for affection and the desire to love and be loved won out in the end, and Ember found herself leaning in closer of her own free will for the kiss they'd almost shared that day at the contest hall.
At last, their lips met. Ember's heart was pounding so loudly she was afraid Absol would hear it. His kiss was gentle and loving, slow but not too slow. His mouth was also a little cold, probably due to the chilly weather and slight drizzle. Ember felt incredibly warm despite the brisk air, her body shaking slightly with nervousness. However, Absol's touch managed to make her feel more safe and confident, as though he were reaching right into her soul and saying, don't worry, everything is alright.
Ember opened her mouth a little and let him in once she felt more secure. She tasted the faintest traces of the game they'd eaten that morning as their tongues touched. She hoped the taste wasn't too noticeable in her own mouth, even though it wasn't unpleasant. As they continued more passionately, Ember couldn't help letting out a slight moan of pleasure, her shoulders sagging as she enjoyed every second of the otherworldly cascade of feelings racing through her.
Finally, after the most thrilling minute of Ember's life, she and Absol reluctantly broke the kiss. Ember nuzzled her head against Absol's mane, closing her eyes as she heard the sound of his heart. Surprisingly, it was beating every bit as fast as hers. The two remained in the embrace for a long time, each relishing the warmth and affection of the other as much as they could.
"Uh, Ember?" Absol said after a few more moments. "May I get up now?"
"Oh, uh, yeah," Ember said quickly, blushing slightly. "Sorry about that."
Ember stood up and got off of him. Absol rolled to his feet, grinning at her.
"Well, that was a pleasant start to my morning," he said.
Ember couldn't help but return the smile. Her legs felt slightly weak, so she waited a moment before walking. She was still in awe that she'd done that. She'd been through countless journeys and trials, fought her way through evil gangs, monster Pokémon, elite trainers, and even travelled across the entire region, but she thought she'd never get the chance to kiss Absol. She nearly fell over again as she thought about it.
However, one little thing still bothered her. She glanced at Absol, looking for a suitable way to form the question.
"So, uh, Absol…what is your nickname, anyway?" she asked.
Absol let out a long sigh. "You're still not gonna let that go, are you?"
Ember shook her head sheepishly. Absol groaned slightly, looking down for a moment. Finally, he let out another sigh, this time of resignation.
"Alright," he muttered. "…It's Shadow."
Ember couldn't stifle a giggle, much to Absol's chagrin.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure we all know how uncreative the name is, Ember," he spat. "It's not like I had a choice in the matter."
"Aw, don't be like that," she said, having the grace to look apologetic. "I'm sorry for laughing. I think it's a cute name."
"It's not supposed to be cute. Now, then, I think it's about time we got going, don't you?"
Ember grinned. "Whatever you say, Shadow."
Absol's eyes narrowed. "Don't push your luck."
Ember and Absol finally continued their venture through the last few miles of the region as the sun began to break through the clouds. The drizzle persisted even after the sun shone through, forming a large rainbow in the sky. Ember couldn't keep her eyes off the otherworldly sight, occasionally stumbling over small rocks or uneven ground while she wasn't paying attention.
Absol smiled as he glanced at Ember, who was too utterly enthralled by the rainbow to notice. His thoughts drifted to the kiss they'd shared, which he'd profoundly enjoyed. It reminded him of his first kiss with Elsa, and it was every bit as pleasant and exciting. Ember had made him give up his nickname, but he'd won a much greater battle. Bit by bit, he would win her over and make her his, just as he was hers. And when the time came, he was confident she would choose him over her trainer. He knew that Umbra was right, and he didn't plan on giving Ember up anymore without a fight.
Absol was snapped out of his thoughts by a rustling in the trees nearby. Both he and Ember looked up, trying to find the source of the noise, but neither saw anything except a branch or two bobbing in the wind.
"What was that?" Ember asked.
"I'm not sure," Absol replied. "Might be just a bird Pokémon or something. Let's keep moving."
On her end, Ember merely shrugged and dismissed the matter, too eager to reach their destination to care. As they treaded down the rural route, Ember remembered that they were nearly at the end of the region, and that in a few days, according to what Absol said, they would be done with the journey. She thought back to when Absol asked what she would do when she returned to Rose. The question had caught her off guard, but also piqued another curiosity within her.
"Hey, Absol?" she said.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"What are you going to do when this journey is over?"
Absol shrugged. "Not much. Maybe I'll head back to Umbra's town, or find some other place to stay."
Ember glanced at him, scowling thoughtfully. "Well, Umbra's pretty good company, and his city's nice, but is that all? I mean, won't you be kind of lonely?"
"Uh, well," Absol began hesitantly. "I uh…I was kind of hoping…"
Ember raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What is it?"
Absol shook his head. "Never mind, it's not important. Anyway, as much fun as it is talking about me, I think we ought to focus on the fact that you're almost home."
"Well, how are we going to get to the island?" Ember asked. "Umbra's map said it was really far out to sea from here. Unless you know Surf or Fly, we can't get over there."
Absol smiled. "Speaking of our wonderful friend Umbra, I bet you didn't know that he has connections to Pokémon even as far as this end of the region."
"Really? Like who?"
"Like someone who can help us get to the other side of the sea," Absol explained. "There's an HM slave who lives somewhere up ahead. Since he used to know Umbra, I'm betting we can get him to help us."
Ember scowled. "HM slave?"
Absol nodded sadly. "Yeah. You know about HMs, right?"
"Of course."
"Well, a lot of trainers catch Pokémon just to teach them nothing but HMs to help them get across the region easier. They call those Pokémon 'HM Slaves.' It's a pretty fitting name. Anyway, the Pokémon I'm talking about is a Tropius who was released by his trainer. He was an HM Slave while he was with his trainer, so he can use Fly to get us to the Battle Tower."
"Wait a moment. The trainer released a Pokémon that knew nothing but HMs?" Ember asked in horror. "But Hidden Machines are useless in combat! How could a Pokémon survive in the wild like that?"
"With great difficulty," Absol replied soberly. "The worst part is, only a skilled human can make a Pokémon forget HM moves. So, since he's in the wild, he can never learn any useful moves since he can't ever forget any of his HMs. It's a sad life."
"I bet it is," Ember agreed quietly.
"Anyway, he's probably the only one who can help us get to the other side," Absol continued. "Once we find him, I'm sure we can convince him to Fly us to the tower, or at least near it."
"Will that really work?"
Absol shrugged. "You know what they say: A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
With that, the two continued in companionable silence for a time. As Ember walked, she began to feel slightly lightheaded. The trail before her seemed to shift in and out of focus, and she was unable to follow it with her eyes. As the dizziness grew worse, she began to stumble repeatedly down the path, feeling sick at her stomach.
"Absol?" she called, her voice a coarse whisper.
But when she looked at Absol, she saw his blurred form stumbling as well. Faintly, she saw Absol launch a Stone Edge into the trees. Suddenly, there was a loud squawk, followed by a black form flapping away. Finally, Ember's dizziness began to fade enough for her to see clearly, though she still felt slightly sick.
"What…was that?" Ember asked between breaths.
"It's Honchkrow again," Absol muttered bitterly. "I don't know what he was doing, but I scared him off."
"I'm getting really sick of that guy."
"Get in line."
With that, the two took a moment to recuperate, and then continued down the path, keeping a more wary eye on their surroundings. However, no other threats presented themselves as they ventured off the trail and toward the edge of the region. Ember secretly hoped Honchkrow would show himself again. She wanted to fry him alive with a Fire Blast. The thought made her smirk a bit.
After another half-hour's walk, the two finally began to see and hear the ocean around them, the smell of the sea air reaching their nostrils in a matter of seconds. A tall lighthouse also came into view between the trees.
"We're here," Absol announced. "Tropius loves these kinds of places, and Umbra said that he made himself a home here. We're almost done."
Suddenly, however, as Ember and Absol stepped out from behind the trees blocking their view, their smiles faded. About a hundred yards ahead of them were several large, tent-like structures. A few campfires burned, and many Pokémon were cooking caught game. Upon further inspection, most of them were Electric Pokémon, though there were at least fifty Pokémon in the camp, and plenty of them were Water types as well.
"Oh, no," Absol muttered.
"The East Side is here?" Ember asked quietly. "Why are they here too?"
"There's your answer," Absol replied, pointing towards a different section of the camp.
Ember squinted at the spot where Absol was pointing. She saw dozens of large Pokémon being taken out of the nearby lighthouse and shackled or carted away in large groups by the Electric types.
"What are they doing?" she asked.
"It's a slave camp," Absol replied gravely. "They're capturing strong Pokémon, either to trade or use for labor. Tropius probably—wait! By Groudon, there he is!"
The two saw the long, green form of a Tropius being dragged along with the other slave Pokémon.
"They want him for his HM moves, right?" Ember deduced. "I bet they're gonna use him to break through obstacles or fly their agents wherever they need to go."
"Or break rocks to mine for ore," Absol added. "Our job just got a whole lot harder."
"But how could they catch him? Why didn't he just fly away?"
"He probably tried that," Absol replied sadly. "I bet they struck him down with Thunder the instant he used Fly."
"This just isn't fair," Ember pouted. "Why do the East and West sides always have to show up and ruin everything? I'm sick of it! Let's go down there and crush them all, then free Tropius and fly away!"
"There's way too many of them for that. We can't even sneak into the camp from the sea. Take a look in the water."
Ember glanced at the sea near the camp. She saw at least forty Lanturn and other Water or Electric Pokémon swimming around in formations. She groaned in exasperation.
"Well, we have to do something."
"There's nothing we can do," Absol replied. "Unless…"
Absol suddenly turned and ran back through the trees. Ember followed him curiously. Absol was glancing restlessly back and forth, running all around the woods.
"What are you looking for?" Ember called after him.
"Bird Pokémon," Absol replied. "Starly, Farfetch'd, anything."
"Why are we looking for Bird Pokemon?"
Absol briefly glanced back at her, giving her a quick smile.
"We're gonna cause a distraction," he replied. "Then we're gonna go in there, destroy everything in our path, and set free all the slaves."
Ember grinned. "Now you're talking my language!"
That night, all was quiet at the East Side slave outpost. An Ampharos was at the top of the lighthouse, using electricity to activate and shine the beacon. The agents were going about their normal duties, occasionally tending to the slaves and\or beating them when they weren't compliant. They continued to set up several man-made tents they'd stolen from nearby towns a few weeks back, and the Pokémon guarding the slaves alternated shifts regularly, many of them heading inside the lighthouse.
At the water's edge, a Klinklang approached his Commandant, Cloyster, and sent off a few sparks in salute.
"Commandant, our scouts are reporting West Side activity nearby," the Steel-type Pokémon said in a grating metallic voice.
"How close are they?" Cloyster asked.
"About three miles away and steadily advancing, Commandant."
Cloyster scowled thoughtfully. "Keep the guards awake and on constant patrol. We can't let the West Side get to the slaves before I take them to Luxray."
Klinklang saluted and returned to the camp. The deep scowl remained on Cloyster's half-concealed face.
"You'll never beat me, Arcanine," he muttered.
Suddenly, Cloyster and all the members of the East Side camp heard a distant but clear noise. It sounded like hundreds of loud squawks and flapping getting closer and closer. Cloyster went over to the captain of the guard, a Gliscor, who was standing in front of a formation of Electric Pokémon, also staring toward the sound.
"Captain, what's coming toward us?" he asked.
Gliscor cocked his head to the side. "I'm not sure, Commandant."
Cloyster scoffed in irritation and continued to watch for any signs of an attack force. Then, suddenly, the source of the noise presented itself. A massive flock of bird Pokémon flew over the nearby trees and above the camp. The East Side agents below watched in fear, confusion, and anger as the huge flock flew all around them, shrieking loudly.
"We're under attack!" Cloyster shouted. "Scramble the guards!"
Gliscor quickly turned and gave the order to his soldiers. Dozens of guards charged into the fray, attacking the bird Pokémon and trying to shoot them down. The 'battle' was pretty one-sided, but it would certainly be a long one, as there were hundreds of bird Pokémon all flying everywhere in insane patterns.
What no one else noticed in the middle of that confusion were two unseen Pokémon sneaking into the camp, their plan having been a success.
Ember and Absol quickly ducked behind a few large rocks as a guards scrambled past them. They didn't dare hide near or behind any of the tents, since any Pokémon still inside would see their silhouettes. Once the guards were out of sight—probably in the middle of the chaos nearby—they peeked out toward the lighthouse, seeing one or two slaves still being forced inside.
"We need to get in there," Absol muttered. "But that's the problem. Most of the East Side agents will be in there."
"Since there are tents out here, they must have run out of space for all their agents in there, huh?" Ember added miserably. "Great. How are we gonna deal with them all?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead yet."
"Oh, perfect."
Once a pathway was open, seizing their chance, the two ran toward the lighthouse, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. As they went, an Electivire came a bit too close to them while trying to chase down a Fearow. Ember decided that in the confusion of the 'battle,' no one would notice another attack, so she torched it with Fire Blast.
Luckily, no other guards or agents seemed to see the move. Absol nodded, signaling it was alright, and they continued toward the lighthouse. They were steadily getting closer and closer, hearing the sounds of war growing quieter and more distant with every passing second. In fact, they soon found themselves right in front of the entrance, only a few feet away…
Suddenly, about five Starly and another Fearow flew straight past them. The Fearow was actually carrying a dead Stunfisk away in its beak. Ember and Absol ducked away to avoid a Thunderbolt as an Electrode and a Raichu charged after them, stopping in shock when they saw Ember and Absol.
Reacting instantly, Ember launched Fire Blast, finishing off the Raichu before it could even move. Absol used Sucker Punch on the Electrode as it prepared an attack. However, the Electric Pokémon survived the blow. Ember and Absol expected a typical electric move, and they were more than prepared for it. However, the Electrode didn't use an electric move.
It used Explosion.
Ember and Absol were thrown back eleven feet from the blast, nearly deafened from the noise and blinded by the light. They hit the ground with a sickening thud, hearing the sounds of cracking bones. Ember's body was so shocked by the impact that she didn't even feel pain at first. Then, like a dam bursting open, the agony flooded through her half-numb body. She let out a pained groan, hearing Absol cursing nearby as well.
"You…alright?" he called hoarsely.
"No, I'm not okay!" she shouted back. "An Electrode just blasted me across a field! I hate Explosion!"
As she started to regain feeling in her body, Ember slowly and carefully stood up, wincing every time a jolt of pain throbbed in her legs. She saw Absol begin to stand up too, stumbling slightly as he tried to gain his footing.
"What now?" Ember asked worriedly. "We can't do much like this. Can we heal before going inside?"
"I'm afraid we're a little low on healing items," Absol replied sadly. "We'll just have to chance it and hope we don't run into trouble."
Ember shrugged. "Well, that's what we always do, anyway. I'm game."
With that, the two finally—albeit with extreme caution—entered the lighthouse. They instantly saw about a dozen slaves shackled together in the middle of the large bottom room. Ember and Absol ducked behind one of the many large crates inside the lighthouse as they saw two guards patrolling the chamber. One was a powerfully-built Machamp circling the area, the other an Alakazam calmly watching from the opposite doorway near an old pile of gears.
"I'll take Alakazam," Absol whispered. "You get Machamp from behind."
Ember nodded, ever-so-slightly peeking out at Machamp as he checked each slave to make sure their shackles were secure. Absol slowly crept on his belly through the doorway on their left. Ember watched and waited patiently with bated breath as Absol circled around the room. She finally saw him come up behind Alakazam, ready to pounce.
Taking that as her cue, Ember carefully stepped out from behind her cover as Absol grabbed the Alakazam by the throat, dragging him out of sight. She heard a muffled thud from the other room. Thankfully, Machamp seemed not to notice. As Ember started to head for Machamp, she felt the same dizziness she'd felt earlier in the day when Honchkrow was near. It was vaguely and unpleasantly familiar. Shaking her head, she forced herself to keep moving.
As she began to follow Machamp as he circled the chamber, she prayed none of the slaves would give her away. Thankfully, the slave Pokémon apparently were much smarter than they looked. When they saw her, they only briefly glanced at her in surprise, and then quickly looked back down as if they hadn't noticed. She breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"Hey, Alakazam, come help me tie down this Gallade," Machamp suddenly called.
When no response came, Machamp glanced over at the doorway, seeing no sign of Alakazam.
"Hey, you better not be getting into the rations," Machamp growled angrily. "We only have a limited supply of those, and—"
Suddenly, Ember sprang at Machamp, latching her claws onto his neck. As Machamp writhed and struggled, she used Psyshock, blasting him with the waves of energy. As his resistance slackened, Ember bit his throat, tearing into the life vein and finishing him off. After a brief death struggle, Machamp finally collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
Absol entered the room, approaching the slaves and cutting several of their shackles.
"Thank you for freeing us," said a Gallade, who was obviously one of the Pokémon the other slaves respected and followed. He also wore an odd yellow ribbon, as did all the other captives.
"Are there others?" Absol asked.
"There are many more of us on the higher levels," Gallade replied.
"Was there a Tropius with them?" Ember asked.
Gallade scowled thoughtfully. "I'm not sure, but I think I saw a Tropius on the third floor."
Absol nodded. "Thank you. Now, can you lead these slaves in combat to help us free the others? The camp outside is in confusion and disorder, so it's the perfect chance for everyone to escape."
Gallade smiled. "I'll take care of it. Alright, everyone, let's go!"
Following Gallade in a surprisingly organized formation, the slaves formed themselves into three rows of seven.
"Well, with only twenty-one Pokémon, we don't have too strong a fighting force," Absol muttered. "We'll have to use brain over brawn. Stay down here 'till we give you the signal."
Gallade and the other Pokémon nodded, moving toward the edge of the stairway, ready to come when called. Ember and Absol slowly and carefully crept up the stairs to the next level. They soon found themselves in a large, kitchen-like area. Ember smelled a delicious aroma all around the room.
"The East Side must be having a ball up here," she muttered.
"Let's change that," Absol replied wryly.
The two suddenly heard muffled laughter, quickly ducking behind a pair of large wooden tables. Peeking out, they saw dozens of agents of multiple types walking to and fro, either eating, talking, or tormenting the band of slaves in the middle of the room. They were cruelly being forced to watch the others eat and drink while they were no-doubt starved.
"We'll need the others for this," Ember whispered.
"You're right, but let's even the odds a bit first," Absol replied. "There're at least thirty agents in here. I'll get a few of them together in one spot, and you roast 'em."
"How are you gonna do that?"
Absol stood up, reaching over the top of the table and grabbing an empty bottle. He then chucked it across the room, ducking back down as it shattered nearby.
"What was that?" they heard one voice yell.
"Go see what it was!" another replied.
Ember slowly lifted her head and watched as a Bronzong, an Eelektross, a Galvantula, a Jolteon and a Zebstrika walked over to the back of the room, shoving a large crate out of the way as they gathered near the shattered bottle behind it. One of them sighed in relief as they saw the source of the problem. Taking that as her cue, Ember activated Drought, brightening the room.
Once the other agents were startled and confused, she jumped up and used Fire Blast, torching the five Pokémon at the rear of the room. The move was entirely successful, the five agents writhing about in agony as the flames enveloped them.
"Now!" Absol shouted down the stairway.
With a furious battle cry, the twenty-one former slaves charged up the stairs single-file and immediately began hacking, biting, and blasting away at the enemy as soon as they reached the top. Reacting quickly, the East Side began to swarm the top of the stairs, trying to block their path. The East Side began to force them back down, but the former slaves held their ground, refusing to be pushed back any further. The two files of soldiers met on the narrow stairway, battling each other one Pokémon at a time. Gallade was in the lead, going sword-to-scales with a Milotic.
Nearby, Ember and Absol tried to sneak around the fighting and free the other slaves. However, a Whiscash and a Carracosta noticed the trick and charged out of the nearby battle, blocking their path. Ember used Solarbeam, taking down Whiscash with ease. Absol tried to use Sucker Punch, but the move failed! Carracosta used Shell Smash, the shell on his back shattering as his body was enveloped in a bright green light.
Absol used Sucker Punch again, this time scoring a direct hit, but the Carracosta survived the blow thanks to its ability Sturdy. It then retaliated with Waterfall, flying at Absol and crashing into him. Absol flew backwards and smashed through the table they'd hidden behind earlier. Ember angrily used Solarbeam, blasting Carracosta across the room until he crashed through a window, falling to his doom.
Ember quickly ran over to Absol, shoving the broken halves of the table away as she checked his wounds. He was still breathing, but definitely out for the count. Ember opened the bag on his back, checking for a Revive, but there were none left. She cursed angrily, looking back toward the stairway. The liberated slaves were losing badly, the East Side beating them one by one as they overpowered and outmaneuvered them.
Ember knew she couldn't afford to waste time. She had to free the other slaves, or they would lose the fight. As much as it pained her, she left Absol's side, running over to the cluster of slaves, who began to cheer her on and encourage her as she carefully burned away the chains on their manacles, making sure not to hurt them in the process.
"Go help the others!" she shouted as she continued.
One by one, the slaves charged into the fray as Ember freed them. Soon, the East Side was caught in a pincer, the two forces of liberated Pokémon squeezing them until they were crushed.
Finally, as the last of the East Side agents fell, after a brief moment of triumph with shouting and cheering, the Pokémon that had earned their freedom surveyed the room. Ember glanced down the stairway, feeling a stab of grief as she saw Gallade lying dead near the top, the fallen Milotic next to him. It seemed like the bravest Pokémon always died first, she thought bitterly. Nearby, a Scizor wearing the same yellow ribbon as the other slaves half-flew, half-waked over to Ember.
"Thank you very much for freeing us," he said calmly. "You've done enough. You're hurt, and your friend needs tending to. We'll free the others. Get out as soon you can."
Ember nodded sadly, watching as the Scizor led the group of Pokémon—which had now reached nearly forty—up the next stairway and into the final battle for their freedom. Ember walked back over to Absol, sitting down at his side. She knew she'd have to carry him out of the lighthouse herself. She wished she'd thought to ask for help, but she realized that the others probably couldn't spare the extra hand anyway.
Finally, Ember reached down and put her paw on Absol's shoulder. She heard him mumble faintly as his eyes slowly blinked open.
"It's alright, Absol," she muttered, gently stroking his fur. "I know this is will hurt, but I need your help."
Despite his no-doubt disoriented state, Absol gave her a tiny nod. Ember leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. She then reached down and pulled his paw over her shoulder, supporting him as he slowly stood, grunting in pain. Above her, Ember heard the sounds of battle beginning to die down. Even as the two slowly walked toward the stairs, Ember started to feel the same dizziness again that she'd felt before.
As Absol leaned against her, she felt warm liquid on her side. She glanced at him, seeing blood covering his ribs from where the Shell Smash-empowered Waterfall hit him hard. He was lucky to still be breathing. Just getting to the first staircase alone was an agonizing process. Ember found that she needed to lean on Absol a little to keep going as well. The mysterious dizziness, headache and sickness began to overpower her, and she found herself struggling to keep going. The two supported each other as they began to descend the stairs, Ember dealing with the sickness and Absol with his injuries.
After a full five minutes of carefully treading down the stairs and occasionally stopping to avoid tripping, the two finally made it back down to the ground floor.
"Ember…move," Absol groaned.
"What?" she said, surprised.
"I said move!"
Absol pushed Ember aside as a Klinklang burst into the room, using Gear Shift. The metallic agent shined brightly as his stats were overpowered. Absol managed to launch a Flamethrower, roasting Klinklang. But it wasn't enough to take it down, and Klinklang began to charge at Absol, its speed greatly boosted. Just as it was about to use Gear Grind, Ember torched it with Fire Blast from the left. Finally, Klinklang let out a grating metallic shriek as it collapsed to the ground, slowly burning to ash.
"Let's get the hell out of here," Ember muttered.
With that, Ember limped back over to Absol, feeling even sicker than before. She put her left paw over Absol's shoulder and he put his right over hers, the two continuing to slowly head for the exit. Finally, at long last, cold, fresh air assailed their nostrils as they made it outside, smelling the sea air once again.
"Don't move, you West Side lapdogs!"
Ember jolted as she heard the sharp voice. Suddenly, she felt herself yanked off the ground and held in a crushing, vice-like grip. Absol was grabbed as well by a Swampert, held tightly by the throat. She tried to twist her head back and burn the Pokémon holding her, but the agent grabbed her by the neck with one arm. She then stopped struggling as several more East Side agents stood in front of her, ready to attack if she tried anything.
"Hold them until we can transport them to Luxray," another voice said.
Ember faintly recognized the voice. It sounded too familiar to be just a coincidence. She craned her head toward the source of it, her jaw dropping as she saw who it was. It was one of her old teammates from her days with Rose, one who stuck by her through tournament after tournament.
It was Cloyster.
Ember was stunned speechless for a moment. Then, in her ecstasy at seeing one of her old friends, she grinned broadly.
"Cloyster! Is that you?" she called.
A brief look of surprise crossed Cloyster's features. Ember realized that the question was too vague, since the Cloyster race wasn't too uncommon.
"Cloyster, it's me, Ember!" she tried. "Don't you recognize me?"
Recognition finally dawned in Cloyster's eyes. After a brief silence, he nodded to the guards.
"Enough," he said. "Put them down."
At his command, Ember and Absol were suddenly and unceremoniously dropped onto the grass. Ember turned, seeing the Pokémon that had been holding her was a Blastoise, which now headed toward the water nearby as well as the Swampert. There was also a Politoed nearby with the ability Drizzle, which explained all the rain. She turned toward Cloyster, who was now flanked by the Blastoise, the Politoed, and the Swampert.
Overcome by a rush of joy, Ember managed to stumble over to Cloyster without thinking, wishing she could jump up and hug him in her happiness.
"Cloyster!" she greeted eagerly. "I can't believe it! What in the world are you doing here?!"
Cloyster smiled. "It's been too long, eh, Ember? Yeah, Rose released me a while ago, and eventually I found myself here."
"You found yourself in an East Side outpost?" Ember asked. "Were you captured too? Are any of our other teammates here?"
"No, there's no one else here but you."
Suddenly, Ember was hit with a stab of doubt. "Wait a moment, this isn't right. Why are these guards obeying you? Are you…?"
"I'm afraid so," Cloyster said.
Before she could even wrap her head around the awful truth, Ember heard footsteps coming from the tents behind Cloyster. She watched in horror as the area was soon flooded with East Side agents, Cloyster standing in the lead. Ember recoiled in shock, her jaw dropping.
"Oh, no," Ember muttered. "No, no, no, no, no. This can't be right. You can't be with the East Side too."
"I'm sorry, Ember," Cloyster said. "When I was lost in the wilderness, Luxray took me in, and thanks to the skills I learned for those tournaments, I quickly became one of his chief commanders."
Next to Ember, Absol coughed a little, pushing himself from the ground and standing on his own, albeit still slightly unstable. He scoffed at Cloyster.
"You call that a grand entrance?" Absol asked between small breaths. "Try something productive next time with your 'betrayal'."
"Meh, I'm not here for your entertainment," Cloyster replied nonchalantly.
"Are you proud of the things you've done since your release? How about all the Pokémon you've killed?"
Cloyster regarded him calmly. "Hey, it's a cruel world, and you do what you have to if you want to survive. Nothing I've done is any crueler than what trainers like Rose do every day, so why should I hesitate?"
"That's great logic," Absol spat. "I'm sure your other teammates would be proud of what you've done, how you've betrayed them all."
"After the way they treated me, they had it coming," Cloyster retorted.
"Huh, you're pretty talented at making excuses. You must have spent a lot of time trying to justify yourself. Good work."
Scowling angrily, Cloyster nodded toward one of his lieutenants. The East Side agents encircled Ember and Absol, cutting off all routes of escape. Ember and Absol knew that the Drizzle drenching the fields would strengthen all the enemy Water types and enhance the accuracy of the Electric types. They had no chance against so many powered-up Pokémon at once. Ember sadly looked at Absol.
"I'm so sorry," she said. "This is my fault. If I'd just waited for the others to come before I took you outside…"
Cloyster chuckled. "Oh, you think if you had the slaves helping you, things would be different? Well, don't feel too bad. You have no idea how many soldiers we still have lurking in that lighthouse. They'll be more than enough to handle your little band of slaves, and even if they're not, we certainly are. So, you shouldn't blame yourself. You would have lost anyway. I must admit, though, I didn't expect the bird Pokémon ruse."
"Cloyster, why are you doing this?" Ember asked desperately. "You were a great friend and teammate. This isn't like you at all!"
Cloyster sighed. "This isn't like me? Sorry, but you don't really know me, and I'm not about to tell you my whole life story while you try to think of a way to escape."
The East Side agents began to move in on Ember and Absol, no-doubt to capture them and take them to wherever their main base was. Ember wanted desperately to find some way to resist her traitorous old friend and his hordes, but she was still feeling the mysterious nausea from before, and she could tell Absol was feeling it too.
"Guess it's the end of the line, huh?" Absol muttered.
Suddenly, however, a Gliscor flew towards Cloyster, panting and looking mortified.
"Commandant, the West Side is here!" the bat-like Pokémon screeched rapidly. "They've broken through our rear guard!"
The powerful rain suddenly faded as Sunny Day was activated somewhere, and while it wasn't nearly as powerful or long-lasting as Drought, it temporarily eliminated the Drizzle. A blast of flame shot toward Cloyster, Blastoise stepping in the way and taking the deadly attack. The nearby trees were then burned away, a wave of Fire and Dark Pokémon charging into the outpost.
Ember and Absol tried to use the distraction to escape, but they were surrounded on all sides by fighting and grappling Pokémon of various types. Ember and Absol cursed angrily, searching for any way to escape the circle of chaos, but none presented itself. They finally had a means of escape, but no way to leave!
"We've got to blast our way through before one side wins!" Absol yelled. "Let's go!"
"Right behind you!" Ember replied.
On their last legs, struggling against both their injuries and their vaguely familiar sickness, Ember and Absol charged into the fray, blasting away at any Pokémon in sight, trying to cut a hole in the wall of enemies surrounding them. For the most part, it was useless. There were far too many Pokémon battling and clashing in the base now, and whenever any of them fell, a dozen more would take their place, and Ember and Absol were running out of steam fast.
Suddenly, another massive force of Fire Pokémon rushed into battle from the opposite end of the field, trapping the East Side in a pincer. Ember was shocked to see none other than Arcanine in the lead. The sounds of battle briefly increased to the point of being deafening. Then, abruptly, the noise began to die down until silence finally reigned once more. Ember had never been more chilled by any silence.
The East Side agents had lost.
"Well, well, well," a sickeningly familiar voice cawed. "How sad. It seems Cloyster got away."
Ember and Absol, now surrounded by Fire Pokémon, hesitantly turned and saw Honchkrow fly down, perching himself on one of the few unburned trees left nearby. They desperately hoped he hadn't seen them, but those hopes were instantly dashed when he turned and gave them a wry smirk.
"We really need to stop meeting like this, eh?" he said.
"I'd rather we didn't meet at all," Absol replied bitterly.
To their left, Arcanine scrutinized the battlefield carefully, and then nodded to his soldiers.
"Take whatever supplies, slaves and prisoners you can find," he ordered calmly. "Track down Cloyster if you can."
The West Side agents saluted and went off toward the lighthouse, no-doubt trapping the slaves inside. Arcanine then turned to Ember and Absol.
"It seems you two are our prisoners once again," he said. "Make no mistake, I'll kill you at the first sign of resistance this time."
Honchkrow cawed in amusement. "Not like you could resist, anyway. You've no-doubt been feeling weak and dizzy lately, am I right? I bet you still have no idea the depth of my grand scheme."
Ember's eyes narrowed. "You poisoned us, right?"
Honchkrow's grin slowly faded. "Uh…yeah. I poisoned you two earlier today."
"Typical," Absol muttered.
Honchkrows grin returned. "I knew I'd get the chance to capture you sooner or later today, and it looks like I got lucky. You really had me worried when you stupidly charged into the East Side outpost for whatever reason, but thanks to you, we got to kill two Starly with one stone: capture you and take over the base."
Absol gritted his teeth. "Do you ever get tired of being the most disgusting bird on the face of the earth?"
Honchkrow cawed gleefully. "There's one thing I never get tired of: making you angry! We were planning this attack for months, but you really made it easier with your little infiltration and liberation attempt. Oh, look, here comes Arcanine's force. Let's see the fruits of your labors, shall we?"
Surrounded by Fire types, the slaves Ember and Absol had previously freed were now being escorted out of the lighthouse, once again bound and chained together. A few of them glanced sadly at Ember and Absol before being dragged away.
"They'll no-doubt be very useful in our mines," Honchkrow said. "In fact, so will you, Absol. Now, then, the poison in your body will be healed if you come quietly."
Ember and Absol were quickly encircled by a group of Fire Pokémon similar to the ones that captured them in the icy forest a few months back. Honchkrow grinned wickedly again.
"Don't worry, we have Pokémon that can fly you back to our main lair," he said. "I'm sure Houndoom has really missed you two."
"I've really missed you two," greeted a chillingly familiar voice. "So nice of you to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire just to see me again."
Ember and Absol now stood before the leader of the West Side, once more at the bottom of the West Side headquarters in the mines, surrounded by blazing fires and West Side agents ready to attack at the slightest sign of provocation. The heat in the room was becoming slightly unpleasant even for Ember. She shuddered to think of how it was affecting Absol.
In the back of the room, the shadowy form of Houndoom himself was inside the massive, roaring fire, not even condescending to approach them this time. Ember could tell that Absol was holding back the urge to rush forward and try to kill him, although he was doing an admirable job concealing it.
"It's funny," Houndoom mused. "With all the things I've been hearing about you two, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were myths."
"Are you done with your pickup lines?" Absol asked wryly.
"Ha! That's the one thing I always like about you and your friend Umbra: your cutting wit! Too bad I won't get to enjoy any more of it in the days to come."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Houndoom shrugged. "I thought it would be obvious. Last time, you were here as my guests. Now, you're my prisoners. And finally, Ember's Drought ability is going to help us end this war."
Ember scoffed. "If I wasn't going to help you before, what makes you think I'd do it now?"
Houndoom smiled. "Why, your sentimentality, of course. If you don't assist us, Absol will die."
Ember recoiled as if struck. She looked to Absol, whose face was a grim mask.
"Here's how things are going to go this time," Houndoom said matter-of-factly. "Absol, have you ever heard the human proverb, 'life without pain has no meaning?'"
Absol's head cocked to the side. "I might've. Why?"
Houndoom grinned wickedly. "I'm going to give your life plenty of meaning. You thought it was hell working for me before? Now, you're going to ache. You're going to suffer. You're going to burn. And by the end of our time together, you'll be on your knees, begging me to end your pain, and I won't."
"You wish," Absol spat.
"We'll see how long your confidence holds out in the slave mines. You had sympathy for the slaves in the East Side outpost, but now you'll have empathy, as well. I'll show you what it's like to be a slave, to live like one, and probably die like one."
Ember looked worriedly at Absol, but he gave her a reassuring smile. She wished she had his calm.
"As for you, Ember, you and Absol will regret becoming so attached to each other," Houndoom continued. "You're going to assist us in the war against the East Side. It's a very interesting situation you're in, I must say. If you resist or disobey me, Absol will die. And without Absol, we'd have no way to keep you in check, effectively making you useless to us, so you'll be killed too. And if Absol resists, he'll be killed, leading to the same result. Absol will die if you're killed in combat, too, since he's not nearly as useful to us. In other words, if either one of you resists me or dies, the other will die as well. That should be enough to keep both of you under control, eh?"
Ember and Absol exchanged nervous glances, knowing that their lives were about to be changed forever. And they had been so close to their goal! Now it was lost forever. Ember would never see Rose again, and if she wasn't careful, she'd never see Absol again, either. The thought suddenly made her realize something important.
"Wait a moment," she said sharply. "How do I know you won't just kill Absol anyway while I'm on the battlefield? How can I be sure he's still alive?"
Houndoom waved his claw dismissively. "I'll let you two see each other occasionally, if you obey me without question. Now, then, Ember, Arcanine will escort you to your new quarters, and he will serve as your 'guardian' on the battlefield. He'll also keep a close eye on you to make sure you don't try anything stupid. As for you, Absol, since I know you're so fond of Honchkrow, you'll be under his command in the mines."
Absol glared daggers at Honchkrow, who smiled innocently at him.
"Isn't that nice, Absol?" Honchkrow said cheerfully. "You always wanted a purpose in life, and now you have one: working for Houndoom as a slave in order to keep Ember alive as his soldier."
While Absol was no-doubt trying to think of a way to escape that involved killing Honchkrow, Ember hesitantly glanced at Arcanine's cold, unreadable eyes. She shuddered at the thought of working for Houndoom. Despite all they'd been through, all the times they'd escaped, she was now his pawn in the gang wars. Even worse, Absol was his slave. Would they ever escape, or were they doomed to spend the rest of their lives—however long that would be—fighting under the West Side banner?
"I think that about covers it," Houndoom said nonchalantly. "Now, are you two going to get moving, or will I have to kill you both already?"
Ember and Absol sadly looked into each other's eyes one last time before being escorted away, Ember with Arcanine and Absol with Honchkrow. Houndoom grinned widely as they went.
"Oh, and one last thing," Houndoom said as they went. "As the ruler of the army that you now serve in, let me be the first to say…WELCOME TO THE GANG WARS!"
Chapter 17: Trial by Fire