Theme Song
From light to dark, it seems you've lost (Frank smirking in his office while looking down at Lumiose City)
Can you repair hope, or is this the cost? (The group stares off into the sunset, minus Ariel and Catherine)
Show them your strength, and don't you wait (Greninja throws a Water Shuriken while hopping off a tree, and Charizard collides with Dragonite)
The prize goes to the one who doesn't hesitate (Camera zooms in on Ariel, transitions to Catherine looking at Owen and Ariel's baby pictures)
Some may fall, (The people of Lumiose stare in horror while a body falls off the top of Prism Tower)
But that's what must happen to save them all (Children are running around the various cities playing with Pokemon)
Which power will rise? Is this the demise? (Split screen of Owen and Frank glaring at each other)
It's too late to go back, you must go on (Brooklyn and Daniel battling against Spike and Viviana)
Keep your head up and remain strong! (Freeze-frame of Owen standing with his Pokemon, which includes Gengar and Chesnaught)
It's all or nothing, let your life go... Pokemon!
Well, it's time for the battles with Grim to start, and we're kicking it off with a double battle! Last chapter, the group (minus Owen, who's off the grid, at the moment) arrived in Lumiose to begin their attempt at removing Frank from power. While Brooklyn, Daniel, and Ariel began searching Prism Tower, Catherine took it upon herself to hold off all the Team Grim grunts outside of Prism Tower to buy them time, and Eddy and Cindy are making sure at least one gate in the city remains open. Let's get going!
ShadowDragon9000: Lol, thanks for the review (the PM you sent me), and I think the idea of Owen joining Frank in chapter 66 would be hilarious XD
Breana (guest): I can assure you Frank didn't take him, because he probably would've killed Owen and the others at the camp if that were the case. He'll be coming back soon, but there will be a really huge betrayal
SomeGuy (guest): I'm actually done with the two chapters after this one, so I guess you could say I'm firing on all cylinders ;) Catherine's Mega Fusion idea will be explained before the Kalos League starts (like the chapter before the introduction), and I figured since she was such a strong trainer, E4 and all, she should be capable of Mega Evolving three Pokemon. Also, thanks for the compliment!
The 6th Spectral King: It will be, and that'll end up being the last theme song of the story :( Oh well, I guess we're hitting the home stretch, because I think there are only five or six chapters in the next arc, and then the Kalos League will start up
guest: I like the idea with Mega Fusion, and I'll definitely use that when Owen battles Frank
SinnohBlaze (guest): Brooklyn's Pokemon in Unova were Samurott, Beartic, Galvantula, Swoobat, and Smoochum (the latter two were used once or twice, I think) and Ariel does have other Pokemon, they just won't be introduced because I think that would take away from her and Blaziken's character. Also, Daniel's Dragonair won't evolve at all because in Daniel's OC form, MCMXCV didn't include Dragonair evolving, so I don't want to change someone's OC unless I get their permission
Owen's team
Greninja, (m), level 39, Water Shuriken, Smack Down, Round, Quick Attack, Water Pulse*, Smokescreen*
Charizard, (m), level 72, Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, Seismic Toss, Blast Burn, Aerial Ace*, ?*
Gengar, (f), level 41, Shadow Punch, Mean Look, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch*, Payback*
Slurpuff, (f), level 43, Fairy Wind, Fake Tears, Cotton Spore, Draining Kiss, Energy Ball*
Butterfree, (f), level 37, Tackle, Silver Wind, Psybeam, Gust, Poison Powder*, Sleep Powder*
Tyrantrum, (m), level 42, Dragon Claw, Stomp, Stealth Rock, Crunch, Ancient Power*, Dragon Tail*
Chesnaught, (m), level 41, Mega Drain, Needle Arm, Rollout, Vine Whip, Spiky Shield*, Seed Bomb*
With Professor Sycamore
Hawlucha, (m), level 40, Wing Attack, Karate Chop, Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Bounce*
Pikachu, (m), level 39, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Nuzzle, Electro Ball*, Double Team*
"How much higher do you think we have to go?" Brooklyn asked Daniel and Ariel as they continued to scale the tower. Her question was answered when Daniel reached the top of the stairs, and a large door stood in front of him. Ariel and Brooklyn stood to his left and right, respectively, and he opened the door slowly. All three teens walked into the room, and it was pitch-black.
"Where are we?" Daniel asked when he stopped walking. Ariel and Brooklyn also stopped when Daniel placed his hands on their shoulders. Suddenly, the lights turned on and it was revealed that they were standing in the middle of a battlefield, which had glass windows surrounding it. To the left of where the trainers were standing was another flight of stairs, which they began to walk towards.
"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" As soon as she heard the command, Ariel pushed both Daniel and Brooklyn away from the high-pressured blast of water while diving herself, just barely avoiding the attack. Once she stood up, Ariel saw Spike standing in front of an elevator, smirking devilishly while his Gyarados flew around the glass room.
"What are you doing here, chump?" Ariel interrogated as Spike began to walk forwards. His smirk changed to a scowl upon hearing Ariel's harsh words, and he stood in his place. "Shouldn't you be begging Frank for treats?"
"Ooh, your words would hurt, but killing you get rid of that pain," Spike spat as his Gyarados landed behind him and roared powerfully. Ariel glared at the man and was about to grab Blaziken's Pokeball, but she was stopped by Daniel putting his arm in front of her.
"Don't waste your time with this guy, you two need to go stop Frank," he said, grabbing a Pokeball while doing so. Brooklyn nodded and grabbed Ariel's arm before running towards the stairs, but a gigantic, muscular Pokemon leaped in front of them, blocking their path.
"Viviana, what are you doing here?" Frank asked while the young woman appeared out of the same elevator he had. While she walked across the battlefield, she glared at Ariel while her Machamp threw the two girls into Daniel.
"Frank wanted to make sure these little pests didn't get any further, so here I am," she answered slyly as Machamp returned to her side. "None of you are getting out of here alive."
"That's it! Blaziken, come on out!" Ariel screamed, throwing her starter's Pokeball. Blaziken appeared from the spherical device and flames shot out of his wrists while he glanced back and forth at his two opponents, who frowned. They remembered vividly how they had lost to Blaziken and Charizard the month prior, and they weren't about to let that happen again.
"Dragonair, go!" Daniel yelled, catching Ariel and the admins by surprise.
"Samurott, let's help them out!" Brooklyn shouted. Both Pokemon appeared in front of their trainers and stepped in front of Blaziken while Brooklyn and Daniel stood in front of Ariel. "Ariel, you have to find Frank. We can hold these two off," Brooklyn informed her boyfriend's sister, who stared in shock along with Blaziken.
"We won't let that happen! Gyarados, use Twister!" Gyarados roared before whipping his tail forward, creating a swirling blast of wind that nearly knocked Brooklyn, Daniel, and their Pokemon onto the ground.
Before the vicious wind could hit Ariel, Blaziken grabbed his trainer and dashed up the stairs to the left, prompting Machamp to chase after him, but Brooklyn wasn't going to stand for it.
"Samurott, use Razor Shell!" Samurott lunged forward and slashed Machamp in the back with both of his scalchops, making the fighting type fall face first on the ground before getting back up and running back to Viviana, who cursed under her breath. "Neither of you are going to stop Ariel! You're not getting past us."
"That's right. We'll do everything in our power to beat you!" Daniel shouted, to which Brooklyn nodded. The proclamations made by the teens made both Spike and Viviana cackle.
"Hah! You two honestly think you stand a chance against us? Face it, we all know you're both distractions," Spike spat.
"Really. Both of you are pathetic and don't have a shot at this. Machamp, use Cross Chop on Samurott!" Viviana commanded, starting the battle. Machamp quickly crossed his top two arms over his chest as they began to glow white, and he jumped in the air while preparing to strike Samurott, who waited for Brooklyn's counterattack.
"Samurott, dodge it and use Aqua Jet on Machamp!" Samurott surprisingly avoided the wicked attack that crushed the part of the battlefield the water type had been standing on, and he was encapsulated in water before slamming into Machamp. Much to her dismay, Brooklyn watched as Machamp grabbed Samurott's horn and stopped his attack, leaving her Pokemon defenseless.
"Dragonair, help Samurott out by using Outrage!" Daniel commanded, seeing his partner was in serious trouble. Dragonair zipped towards Machamp while glowing bright red and she whipped her tail over the fighting type's head, slamming him into the ground while freeing Samurott from his grip. Viviana bit her bottom lip nervously while her Pokemon struggled to get back up, but he managed to do so after a bit of effort.
"Dragon Tail!" Daniel and Brooklyn's attention snapped over to Gyarados as the giant sea serpent flew through the air while his tail was glowing turquoise. In nanoseconds, he whacked Dragonair straight into the ground with the vicious attack, and the force of Dragonair's landing shook the entire tower. Both Brooklyn and Daniel, along with Spike and Viviana struggled to keep their balance during the shaking, but they all stayed upright while Dragonair started flying around once again.
"Earthquake, Machamp!" Machamp quickly slammed his right foot on the ground, making the battlefield shake before a large pillar of dirt shot up from underneath Samurott and struck him in the chin, sending the water type flying through the air. Even though he tried to regain control over his flailing body, Samurott hit the ground back-first, and he cried out in pain.
"Hang in there, Samurott! Use Ice Beam on Gyarados!" Despite being in excruciating pain, Samurott lifted his head off the ground and fired a zigzagging beam of icy energy at Gyarados, and the attack landed, though it didn't appear to do as much damage as expected.
"Hit Gyarados with another Ice Beam, Dragonair!" Daniel shouted while pointing at the water and flying type. The blue orb on Dragonair's neck started to glow brightly and she unleashed the same attack Samurott had seconds ago. Spike, however, was more than ready to counter the attack, and Gyarados dodged with relative ease.
"Do you think we should activate Grim Reversion?" Spike asked Viviana as Gyarados landed in front of him. The woman looked at the condition Machamp was in and she nodded, which brought a wicked smirk to Spike's face.
"I guess we underestimated you both, but now you get to face us both at full power!" Viviana announced, striking fear into her enemies. Suddenly, she and Frank tapped the bracelets on their wrists, and the two Pokemon in front of them started to change in appearance. When the transformation was complete, Machamp and Gyarados looked exactly like they did when they battled Owen and Ariel, except their was a slight black aura surrounding their bodies.
"This isn't good," Brooklyn whispered to Daniel in fear. The sixteen year old nodded at the assessment, but both refused to back down from their opponents. "Use Hydro Pump on the ground!" Samurott, who had managed to get on his feet during the transformation, unleashed another high-pressured blast of dark water that tumbled and crashed across the battlefield, but Machamp quickly hopped onto Gyarados' back and the water type took to the air.
"Outrage, Dragonair!" Dragonair soared after Gyarados and Machamp while his body was glowing orange, but Viviana was quick to counter the powerful dragon type attack.
"Grab Dragonair by the neck and slam him into the ground!" Machamp leaped off Gyarados' back and grabbed Dragonair's neck with one hand, instantly stopping the Outrage. The two Pokemon then fell from the air like bags of bricks and Machamp threw his arm forward before hitting the ground, dishing out a ridiculous amount of damage to the dragon type.
"Gyarados, use Hydro Pump on Dragonair to finish this!" Gyarados' mouth snapped open and the serpent unleashed a tidal wave's worth of water. Without hesitation, Samurott ran in front of Dragonair and Brooklyn reacted out of instinct.
"Block it with Protect, Samurott!" Samurott slammed his front feet on the ground and a bubble of green energy appeared around him and Dragonair. The destructive Hydro Pump, however, crashed straight through the shield and exploded when it hit Samurott and Dragonair, knocking both Pokemon out instantly.
"Machamp, grab them!" Viviana shouted as the two trainers withdrew their fainted Pokemon. As soon as Samurott and Dragonair were in their Pokeballs, Machamp grabbed Brooklyn and Daniel, who attempted to break out of the fighting type's grip.
"What do you think we should do with them?" Spike inquired curiously as he withdrew Gyarados to his Pokeball.
"Frank told me he wanted them. Machamp, knock them out." Before Brooklyn or Daniel could do anything, Machamp hit them over their heads with his free hands, and the two teens were out cold. "Now let's go deal with the last one."
000
Ariel and Blaziken continued to climb the stairs until a light appeared straight ahead of them, and they went as fast as they could before walking out of Prism Tower, and they stood on the top platform, looking down at the entire city. The two looked around in confusion as no one else was around, and they began walking around the gigantic platform, which was the size of a battlefield.
"Maybe we took a wrong turn," Ariel guessed as the wind blew at her back, causing her hair to fly in front of her face. "We should go back."
"No way. If we do, we'll have to deal with Spike and Viviana, and there's no way I can take both of them on at the same time," Blaziken informed his trainer, who frowned at the information. "I think I can get to the bottom, depending on how steep the drop is."
"Okay. When I get my hands on that wimp, I'm going to destroy him!" Ariel screamed angrily, clenching her fists so tightly they began to tremble. Blaziken noticed this, remembering Owen had done the same thing at least once since they had met, and the fire type smiled at how his trainer resembled the boy. He quickly looked off into the distance, sensing some sort of powerful energy moving towards him.
"There's no need for that, is there, Ariel?" Ariel and Blaziken turned to see Frank step out of Prism Tower with a disgusting grin on his face. Dragonite soon followed the man, and Blaziken began to growl at the Pokemon lowly.
"Frank..." Ariel muttered, locking eyes with her father. "I'm going to do what my mom wouldn't, and that's kill you!"
"And I'll do what she prevented me from doing, and that's kill you," the man stated coldly, sending chills down his daughter's spine. Blaziken was unnerved by the promise, and the pit in his stomach continued to grow and make its presence known.
"No, I'm going to save this region from your sick rule, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"Ah, my little girl grew up to be quite the angry one, didn't she, Dragonite?" Frank asked the dragon, who nodded obediently, as if he were too scared to answer in any other fashion. "Would you like to know why I decided to make you and your brother my number one enemies?" Frank asked, actually expecting an answer from Ariel, who continued to clench her fists.
Blaziken continued to watch the building rage in his trainer increased exponentially with each passing second, and he felt her anger and hatred manifest in his body as he looked at Frank's Dragonite, who had the same evil look on his face.
"It's because I never wanted either of you in the first place, so I figured I might as well wipe my mistakes away while I still had the chance."
Cold, Frank. So, Brooklyn and Daniel managed to hold Spike and Viviana off for a long enough time so that Ariel and Blaziken would get their shot at Frank, but you won't get to read that next chapter (hype buildup, much?). This arc has actually been really easy, and as I expected, fun to write, given the whole sense of urgency surrounding it and everything. Till next time, peace out. Also, I've scrapped "Into the Darkness"
Next Chapter: "A Heavy Conscience": As the drama in Lumiose City reaches a boiling point, Owen's decision to leave the others weighs on him. Will Charizard and Owen's other Pokemon convince Owen to join the fight?
Grim Arc
Chapter 64: Ariel vs Frank: When Tempers Collide
Chapter 65: Grim Reversion vs Mega Fusion!
Chapter 66: Betrayal for the Better