Summary: Human turned Pokémon have suddenly started disappearing without explanation. Their teammates and loved ones are left to scramble about in worry and wonder as to where their missing friends may be. However, the arrival of Celine, a newly human turned Pokémon, suggests that the Pokémon world is in danger once again. As she sets out on her journey, she is blissfully unaware of the darkness that follows her and her team…
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Chapter 24: A Tacticians Vow
Lizette was in her room sitting in between two rather large piles of crumbled up paper. She was scribbling down something in the notebook on her lap, pausing briefly to review it halfway through. With an agitated hiss, she ripped the paper out and crushed it. Tossing it across the room, she growled. "This won't work either!"
Rubbing her temples, she stared at the piece of paper sitting in front of her. It was a list of facts that she needed to keep in mind for the upcoming battle. Two injured, with a possible third, pokémon, no layout of the palace, and a strong suspicion that the boss of the castle was the legendary pokemon, Zekrom. With that much in mind, she needed to find a way where everyone could sustain little to no injuries. Unfortunately, it didn't matter what angle she looked at it from - this fight was going to be brutal and there was no telling what could happen.
Thus leading her to stay confined in her room after the fight that occurred earlier that morning in order to conjure up a plan. It was now a little after 2pm.
Drexel, Fiona, Rumi, Donte, Celine, and Aiden were all key factors to the battle. She wasn't sure how they'd activate the mega evolution, but she knew that it would definitely be the key to their success. She worried, however, that due to Aiden's injuries he'd be unable to mega evolve. The task of rescuing the kidnapped pokémon and defeating the Dark Army fell on the lucario's and delphox's shoulders. Without knowing how their leadering was fairing was beginning to worry the meowstic. What if she was too injured to fight? What if they were unable to defeat their opponent?
Mentally exhausted, the feline collapsed back onto her bed. She pulled her paws over her eyes. The members of Team Pokéstars and Echo Hearts insisted on coming. Even with the hope that Team Invincible Hope and Solar Spiral would return, the fight was still going to be brutal. They were fearless, ready to jump into the fangs of danger without a moment's hesitation.
Which was why they needed to be prepared for it, she thought.
She was perfectly aware that planning for their mission and its success was going to be difficult, but she had never expected it to become this difficult. There were too many possibilities, too many unknowns. Someone could die if she wasn't able to predict those unknowns!
Groaning, she turned to her side. She felt so stupid. The solution to all her problems was probably something simple.
Her ear flicked in the direction of the door. There had been a small shout and quiet chattering going on in the other room. Had the others returned? She debated on whether or not she should investigate, but immediately brushed it off. No, she thought angrily, I refuse to leave this room. It's my job to give them hope, and as thing stand, I have nothing to give them. I won't leave this room until I've got something that can help us!
With strength renewed, she forced herself back up and glared at the piece of paper sitting innocently in front of her. She started jotting down anything that came to mind. She was determined to contribute to her team. Their lives were in her paws, and she needed to make sure everyone would leave that place alive.
While she worked feveriously to conjure up a master plan, there was a celebration occurring in the living room. Jaxon was jumping up and down happily, holding onto the paw of the now awakened arcanine. She was watching him confusedly, listening to his endless questions and rambling.
It took her a bit to realize that she'd been under the sleeping spells influence for a while. When that realization came she immediately understood why Jaxon was so glad to have her back.
"I was so worried," he rambled, using his tail to wipe away a stray tear, "I wasn't sure when you were going to wake up, or if you were ever going to wake up. I was left all alone. I didn't know what I was going to do…" He nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. "Did you know the world seems darker when you or Nyla aren't around for my amusement?"
Despite the tick twitching above her eye, a weak grin formed on her face. She let out a sigh and rubbed her face against his. "Stop crying," she murmured. "It's unfitting to see the supposedly strong willed co-leader of Echo Hearts crying."
He chuckled awkwardly as the familiar goofy grin plastered itself on his face.
"Drexel or Rumi must've completed their mission," Silver said, relieved to see Kalista awake now. He could imagine the awakening of countless others who'd fallen under the same spell and how happy their loved ones must be at that moment.
Kalista cocked her head. "Drexel? Rumi? Who are they?"
"Well…" Jaxon began with a half hearted chuckle. "You kinda missed a lot while you were taking your beauty nap." She shot him a glare and he jumped back defensively. With some help from Silver, he told her the story.
While he was explaining what happened during her time under the spell, Zoroark and Grovyle were keeping an eye on Aiden. He stood beside the window, silently watching the sky. His expression was unreadable; his silence was a total contrast to his earlier eagerness. He had barely acknowledged the arcanine's awakening.
"Think he'll be stable enough for the mission?" Grovyle whispered.
Zoroark eyed the grass-type from the corner of his eyes. Returning his gaze to Aiden, he released a quiet sigh. "I don't know. It's a possibility." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He looks fine now, but we both know that will change when we get there."
"That just makes me wonder if he'll listen to reason when it comes down to it."
"I hope that Lizette is making some form of a backup plan in the event he isn't stable," Zoroark murmured. "Out of everyone here, she knows him best."
Grovyle remained silent. His shoulders sagged as he released a sigh. "Things will already be difficult enough when we get there. I pray he'll at least have some common sense."
"Is the mighty futuristic thief getting cold feet? How surprising," Zoroark smirked. Grovyle glared at him from the corner of his eye.
"I am not getting cold feet," he growled in defense. "I've been in the heat of battle for most of my life. I'm used to this type of atmosphere."
"And, while I'm at it," he continued, "for someone whose duty is to supposedly keep watch over the humans, you aren't very good at your job. I never saw you in the future when I first met Anna, and I know for a fact we were never approached by someone as suspicious as you."
"Ever heard of being inconspicuous?" the dark-type countered. "My kind does not show its true face to the human nor to their partners. Our duty is to watch them from the shadows, and take the form of another to test their will."
"I remember no test."
Zoroark chuckled. "Perhaps you did not need it. You did say the future you knew was daunting, did you not?"
"Yes, but -"
"Then every mission you and Anna ever did was a test in itself. The future Guardian saw no reason to approach either of you since the two of you were doing well under the pressure." He sent a glance his way. "Perhaps you two had already been deemed worthy and strong."
Grovyle eyed him, but said nothing. Zoroark chuckled when the grass-type turned away. "It is how we have remained hidden for all these years."
The chatter in the room died down when the sounds of a door opening and closing echoed throughout the house. They all looked towards the hallway, expecting Lizette to walk into the living room to notify them she was done with her plans. Instead of Lizette, however, a trio of familiar pokémon appeared. Drexel, Aldous, and Fiona were all standing at the entry of the living room proudly. Save for a couple of bruises, scratches, and strange new scarfs, they looked relatively unharmed.
Jaxon eyed the scarves. Around Aldous' neck was a dark blue scarf with the ends colored white. In the center of the scarf was a large green eye with a light green surrounding it - the symbol of a meowstic's strength as many would recognize. A similar scarf rested around Fiona's left arm; it was purple with a white, yellow, and red flower pattern. A green wing-like symbol was in the center of the scarf. And finally, a pink and dark pink meshed scarf with three shuriken symbols on in rested around Drexel's right arm.
"When did ya have time to get new accessories?" Jaxon chuckled.
"I asked a friend to design these well before we went on our mission. He caught us on the way back here. Why? Jealous?" Aldous smirked.
The electric mouse just snorted. "No. I was never the type to fancy useless scarves."
Aldous only smiled knowingly. Fiona, on the other hand, was glaring at the electric type. She opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. Oh well, they'd figure it out sooner or later.
Drexel examined the room, nodding in greeting when his eyes caught Kalista's. Eventually they settled on Aiden. "Where's Celine, and what's with the bruises?"
At the mention of Team Cosmic's leaders lack of presence, Aldous tensed. There were no signs of Lizette anywhere in the room either. But before he could jump into a frenzy, Silver spoke up. "We were ambushed by Zekrom." Aldous paled significantly. "Aiden and Celebi suffered the brunt of the damage, and Celine was captured. And calm down, Aldous, your girlfriend is fine. Lizette is in her room trying to come up with a plan right now."
Aldous snorted and folded his arms. Looking away, he was glad his fur could hide his blush. "She's not my girlfriend!" At least, not yet anyway… he added mentally. Silver rolled his eyes.
"So let me get this straight," Kalista began as she carefully left the comfort of the couch, "while I was knocked out, you guys discovered two more teams with human turned pokémon. You also managed to defend yourself against this weavile named Icy and gather these strange bracelets and stones called the Mega Bracelets and Mega stones. However, while the two other teams containing the other human turned pokemon were out completing their missions, you were ambushed and suffered at least three big blows: Celebi has burns and because of the paralysis, she's still slightly numb; Aiden was knocked out and is currently suffering from tender bruises,which in my opinion doesn't sound that bad at all considering I've had worse," she said the last bit mostly to herself, "and Celine was captured, leaving all of you in a pickle as to how she's doing, how we're going to combat these odds, and waiting on the plans of Team Cosmic's tactician. That sound just about right?"
"Well, that's the short version of it, yes," Grovyle nodded.
"Alright then," she nodded her head towards Zoroark, "you guys forgot to introduce me to your new friend."
Aldous looked down towards Lizette's room as Zoroark proceeded in telling the arcanine about himself. Gaining Drexel's attention, he nodded his head towards her room. Drexel understood immediately and gave him the ok. With one final nod, he bade them a silent farewell and made his way towards her room.
He knocked, but she never answered. "Liz?" he called. When she didn't answer, he knocked again and continued waiting. Still hearing no movement or sound, he pressed his ear against the door. He could hear the sound of a paper being crumpled with an annoyed groan. Must be working hard, he thought. Perhaps I can help her. Two minds are better than one after all. "I'm coming in, Liz."
He opened the door as silently and carefully as he could. He didn't want to disturb her at all. But, as the door opened and he attempted to sneak in quietly, one nasty glare shot in his direction was enough to tell him anything would set her off. Remaining next to the door, he stood there nervously.
"Um, hi," he said awkwardly.
"Hi," she answered quickly, returning her focused gaze on the paper in front of her. She continued scribbling down notes, completely ignoring him. But as he continued to stand there and examine the room, she grew even more annoyed. Slamming her pen down, she glared at her male counterpart. "What do you want?"
"I...wanted to help you," he said slowly. "I heard from the others about what happened while we were gone. I figured that two minds were better than one, so I thought you'd like some help-"
"This is my mission," she said almost possessively, "I can't rely on others for help."
"Did you ever stop to think that this is a mission shared by all three teams?" he asked her. She paused in her writing and eyed him from the corner of her eyes. "Yeah, I get it. Drexel and Rumi had their own dungeons and you're seeing this last dungeon being left up to your team and all, but look at the facts: we're going to be facing an army. What makes you think that it's a task you three can shoulder alone?"
While his words were sound, Lizette still felt the need to be stubborn. "You've already done your job. You got your team through the Tower of Geoma, did you not? Now it's my turn to guide my team through Mallowburn Palace."
Aldous scoffed and folded his arms in front of himself. "You didn't answer my question. Act stubborn all you want, but even with all your strength an army of pokémon is just too much for your team alone. What we faced will be nothing compared for what is waiting for us there."
When she didn't answer, he sighed and continued.
"Do you even have a map?" Silence. "I didn't think so. As a tactician, you know how important maps are to us."
"And where would you suggest we find one before the mission?" she demanded.
"We don't bother with the map," he smiled.
She could feel a twitch developing above her right eye. Just what the heck was he going on about? "Look," she growled, "I don't have time for your petty games. I have a job to do, so kindly get out."
"You're overthinking things," he continued, completely ignoring the threat behind her words. He approached her and eyed the paper in front of her. "How long have you been into planning things?"
"What are you getting at?" she snapped. "You know what? I don't have time for your nonsense, so get out!
"Improvise."
"Excuse me?"
"You're going to need to improvise," he repeated. "Not everything is going to go according to plan. Have you taken in account of the mentality of the others and how it could affect them as we draw closer?"
"I did with Aiden-"
"Just Aiden?" he interrupted, having already guessed her answer.
"Yes, but-"
"You didn't think of taking the others feelings into account because you believed that they would have a firm hold on it," he interrupted again. Feeling confident and unafraid of the dangerous aura taking over the room, he sat in front of her. He grabbed a piece of paper and began writing down things. "However, that can change quickly for some of the teams. Namely Echo Hearts and Pokéstars. Once they see their friends, they might not be able to focus on the mission; they'd put their focus into rescuing their leaders and friends."
"Furthermore," he continued, "even with my team, Rumi's team, your team, and their teams, we're still lacking in power. I noticed that some of the members of your team and others were bruised. Most, or all of us, are exhausted, but I know none of us want to wait - even if that's our smartest option."
Turning to another piece of paper he began to draw. "This battle would be too much, and it would be suicidal if we just ran in with our teams alone. We're going to need more help." He looked at her, straight in the eyes as if daring her to shoot down his proposition. "We're going to need to ask for assistance from the other teams. Teams from the headquarters."
"But…" She looked down at her work desperately. "This is our mission…"
He placed his paw on top of hers. She looked at him. He offered her a smile. "Even the strongest of teams need help sometime too. I understand how you feel, but as the tactician of Team Cosmic, you need to account for your team's entire strength and weakness'. There will be times when your strength alone just won't cut it. This is one of those times."
She lowered her head. "You guys didn't need to ask for help in your missions."
"That's because we weren't facing an army."
"And that makes all the difference?"
"It does, Lizette, and you know it."
She stared at her paws, contemplating his words. Deep down she knew he was right, but she had heard the stories of the other human turned pokémon and their missions. It was always them and their team members who handled the core dungeon. No outsiders had ever helped, or at least that's how it'd been portrayed...
She eyed his drawing from the corner of her eyes. It was a mock design for a help wanted poster. She looked back at her piles of crumpled papers. With a sigh, she relented. "If we're going to take that route, then we're going to need an immediate assembly. We don't have time to spare anymore. Every second counts."
Aldous smile broadened. She looked at him with a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I just hope that everyone agrees with this plan."
"They'll just have to," he said, getting to his feet and extending a paw towards her. "It's the most logical plan we can come up with. There is no way we could ever hope to do it alone in our condition. And even if they argued that they could do it at full health, I'd still say it's debatable. Come on, let's tell the others and get this ball rolling."
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In the corner of her newly acquired cell, Celine sat bitterly. Her body ached and throbbed with pain from the wounds she had sustained from her earlier fight. Her eyes were locked on the dull grey cobblestone of her cell. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the fire-proof bars of her cell and a trace of the psychic barrier.
In her desperate attempt to get free, she tried everything. Ranging from fire attacks to psychic attacks, nothing worked. Whenever she tried using her psychic powers, or if any of her attacks had hit the barrier, there was this strange, painful sound that filled her head. It always disrupted her and stopped her from focusing on her psychic abilities.
Eventually, she gave up.
With a soundless sigh, she brought her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. Resting her head on her knees, she continued to stare at the wall.
She wondered about Aiden and everyone else. How were they doing? Were they okay? Did Drexel and Rumi complete their mission? Were they on their way to save her? She closed her eyes, a small smile forming on her face as she imagined an enraged Aiden coming to save her. She could see Lizette and everyone else. They were all geared up and ready for battle.
A loud clang startled her out of her musings. She glared at the passing guard who merely laughed at her. "Stupid human," he chuckled.
She gritted her teeth together, but said nothing in response. She turned away from the guard and continued to stare at the wall. Hearing him gasp, her ear flicked slightly. She turned her head, hopeful that her prayers had been quickly answered. Instead she saw Icy staring at her from the other side of her cell.
"M-madam Icy!" whimpered the guard, quickly bowing before her. "I did not hear that you would be visiting this part of the prison today!"
She didn't respond. Her eyes were locked with those of Celine who narrowed them the minute the two made contact. Icy had her arms folded firmly in front of her, her hip swaying slightly to the right as she studied the wounded fox pokémon.
"M-madam Icy?"
"What?" she asked, shifting her gaze on him.
"I-if I may ask… why are you here? Is something going on?"
"No. I only came to speak with this human," she answered. "Do you mind leaving for a while?"
"But…" he gazed nervously towards Celine, obviously not trusting her despite her being locked up. "Are you sure you'll be okay? Is it… safe to be around this abominable creature?"
She flinched slightly. Thankfully the guard hadn't noticed, but Celine had. Icy's eyes narrowed dangerous as she turned to the guard fully. An aura of superiority surrounded her as she spoke firmly, saying each word slowly and carefully, "Do you think of me so fragile?"
"N-no!" he took a step back in shock. "Perish the thought, milady!"
"Good," she snarled. "Then leave. There is no possible way for her to hurt me. I wish to speak with her alone."
He nodded hastily and scrambled away. She watched him leave until he was gone from her sights. She then shifted her gaze to the cautious delphox inside. Neither said anything or moved a muscle. Celine refused to say anything to the dark/ice-type. She wasn't feeling exactly compassionate at the minute.
Icy was the first one to break contact. She shifted her eyes to the ground and rubbed her arm absentmindedly. Confused by this strange shift in attitude, Celine raised an eyebrow. The weavile opened her mouth to say something, but immediately closed it.
Eventually, she found her voice. "Why are you fighting for this world? A world you don't know; a world in which you were dragged into and away from your human family."
"Does it matter?" Celine retorted, defiant.
"It does if you want to save your kind," Icy shot back with as much ferocity. The two pokémon continued to glare at each other.
"It doesn't matter who they are - human or pokémon. They needed help, and I - along with Rumi and Drexel - are their answer. Your father threatens them and frightens them."
"He's only trying to protect them!" said Icy.
"Protect them from what?"
"The human turned pokémon, of course! They are-"
"Are what? Dangerous? Really?" Celine deadpanned. "Have you seen or heard what they've done? They have stopped meteors from crashing into this planet; saved the planet's future and prevented it from dying; stopped countless evil pokémon that wanted to rule over the weak!"
Icy grinded her teeth. She knew deep down her argument was weak, but if she couldn't believe in her father, then what kind of a daughter was she? He wanted to save the pokémon! He didn't want to rule over them! "But then they stay when their mission is complete!" she shouted. "They have a chance to go back to their world and their families, and they decline it to stay here. And by doing so, they continue to upset the balance of our world."
"How can you ask them to return to a world they have no memories of? Who's to say that their memories will return when they go back to that world?" Celine shot back. "Can you really tell them to go back and be an outsider in their own family?"
"They already are outsiders," Icy snarled pointing to one of the other cells containing a human turned pokémon. "They take the form of a pokémon to accomplish something, but their true form is that of a human."
Celine narrowed her eyes. "And what makes you any different?"
Icy flinched and took a step back instinctively as if someone had punched her. "I...I am a pokémon! I was raised as such!"
"But you're not really one of them, now are you?" said Celine, watching Icy carefully. "You can try to ignore it all you want, but you're not from this world either. You're just a hypocrite."
Icy's mouth opened and closed repeatedly. She had the look of defeat written all over her face. These were thoughts she had already had. Thoughts she continued to try to put off and ignore. But she knew. She knew that they would be that outstanding gleam of truth that would forever haunt her. She lowered her head and stared at the floor, her fists balling up into fists.
"Why are you fighting for this world?" she repeated quietly.
Celine's eyes had softened. She could sense the internal struggle of the weavile. "I think the better question you want to ask yourself is: why are you fighting for a cause that you don't believe in?"