I went through some crazy stuff to get this up. Firstly, my word processor messed up on me after I finished writing. Had to re-write the first part of the flashback entirely.
Then, I decided to finish writing out the flashback because I originally cut most of it in the first draft. It just didn't feel right leaving out the action as I tend to do because I get lazy and too focused on length rather than story.

And because of that, I had to bump a huge chunk of this original chapter over to the next, all as a chapter of its own. It's confusing, and I ended up having Chapter 69 completed before 68 was.

But I'm glad it turned out fine and that I'm actually ahead. lol

Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 68
The Seal

Cilice had a few life-threatening experiences in her life, but there was a particular time where she recklessly and intentionally threw herself into one.

It was only a couple of weeks ago when it happened. She felt as though it never occurred in the first place, because going about her daily life without speaking a word of it felt incredibly jarring. But she still remembered it vividly—especially in her dreams...

Cilice narrowed her eyes as strong, salty winds carried her adrift above the sea. She searched the area, behind and above her, determined not to allow anything to catch her by surprise. Tension stiffened the rest of her body, and the humid air made her furthermore uncomfortable. Below her, the Mahogany Gym Leader was riding his loyal Lapras, wearing a hard look of concentration. The elderly man had to do away with his normal winter clothing once their search took them to the warm islands south of Kanto. He wore his coat, however, as the wind made the temperature unreliably chilly.

The two traveled for a long while, more than Cilice ever had to do manually. Her back ached, and her skin was beginning to sting in the setting sun, but she ignored it the best that she could.

They were reaching the end of the Sevii Islands; the last inhabited land mass trailed behind them in the horizon, and now there were only plots of sand and grass so small that they would only appear as dots on a map. She wondered how much further they would be able to continue. They were still recovering from the last encounter, and she doubted that they would be able to reach the Orange Archipelago before running out of stamina.

But they had to continue. She could not see it yet, but they were hot on the creature's trail. The chase had to end sometime.

This hunt was not without reason, not at all. It was relevant to Cilice's early life, and she tenaciously sought to take vengeance for the ones brought down by the monster's hands.

Her great ice-colored wings beat and glided in the breeze. As unbelievable as it would seem, they were very much real—a gift of the highest gratitude. Along with near-eternal youth and special Ice-type abilities, her wings were a result of the connection bestowed upon her. These were the wings of an Articuno, whose blood coursed through Cilce's veins. And because of it, she had lived for many years. She was actually Pryce's elder—although he was more wise and level-headed than her at times.

But because of the beast that she sought at this moment, she was certain that she was the only one of her kind left—with the exception of a certain young Trainer.

After about ten minutes, they approached a curious island bordered partially by sharp rocks. From her position in the sky, Cilice noticed that it was in the shape of a perfect triangle. It was covered with a layer of worn concrete, perhaps the old foundation for a lighthouse that was never built.

A reddish-orange figure appeared on the landmass, and her heart raced immediately.

"I see it! On the island!" she called to Pryce. Cilice swept down, accelerating until she reached land, where she dropped onto the stone with a solid clack of her heels.

The creature rotated its head in her direction, its strange white irises locking with her burgundy ones. Unnaturally thin, it turned away and dashed at breakneck speed. A wall of ice sprouted in the direction it headed, and it stopped effortlessly. Pryce arrived with his Pokémon, more than one as he called them forth on his corner of the uncharted island.

"No running!" Cilice shouted, her voice hoarse with fatigue.

It did not move or even look in their direction, so still that it appeared immobile.

The woman unsheathed an intricate katana that was strapped to her hip, and with one hand free, plucked feathers from her great wings. The icy feathers gave off an otherworldly power in-between her fingers.

"Let us finish this!" she bellowed. "Deoxys!"

Pryce commanded his Ice-type companions to attack, and the once-peaceful island erupted in violence. Jets of water, gales of snow, and endless streams of aurora-laden ice were fired in the orange creature's direction. In the face of the barrage, it dodged one attack after another without anger or fear even as Pryce's Pokémon surrounded it.

Deoxys twitched unnaturally, and its body began to mutate. It grew mass within seconds, transforming into a larger form of itself that was covered completely in impenetrable armor. For the time that they continued the onslaught, it endured the attacks. When they temporarily stopped to recover their strength, Deoxys shrugged off the sheets of ice on its bulky figure. Not a scratch was on it.

In a flash, it took to the sky again and shrunk into another thin form. Sharpening its tentacles and sprouting three horns on its head, it made a crackled call and rashly slashed at the other Pokémon. Not a one was out of reach of its extendable arms, and it whipped aside a Dewgong that dared to attempt a straightforward tackle. Pained cries resounded in the area as its enemies were pummeled onto the asphalt without a chance to recover.

But Deoxys' rampage was cut short as two of its four appendages was sliced away from its body. They flopped about on the ground, but it paid them no mind as it regenerated new ones with ease. The creature located the source of its inconvenience: Cilice, who stood her ground with her cobalt sword in both hands.

With bared teeth, Cilice charged. Deoxys zipped out of her way even as she swung at it again, and the woman growled in frustration as she failed to strike it down. It continued evading her, occasionally smacking down any Pokémon that stood back up. It spun and reeled back to strike her. She crouched and jumped, her wings taking her into the air above it. She opened her hand that held a collection of her feathers, aiming her palm below.

"Hah!" she shouted. In response to her voice, they shimmered brilliantly and dropped like stones. Deoxys flailed about as they jabbed into its body and burst with the deafening sound of firecrackers.

In a desperate motion, it unleashed all its arms up aimlessly in her direction. She darted out of the way, but gasped as she felt two of them wrap around her shoulders from behind. The humanoid creature's remaining needle sharp appendages drew close and jabbed through her feathers. Intense pain shot through her nerves, and Cilice cried out in a defenseless shriek. As if it had not been enough, Deoxys pulled them back, raised them above her, and struck her wings. They made a sickly cracking sound, and Deoxys released her as she dropped face-first onto the concrete. She lied still for a second, frozen in shock.

Cilice closed her eyes tight as she fought the numbing pain, but could not rise to her feet from the weight of her limp wings pushing her into the ground. Her nails scraped the ground as she clenched her fists. She glared up at her most hated enemy, which stood over her without expression. It returned the stare, unmoving.

Deoxys' purple jewel shimmered, and it turned and changed forms as it avoided an Ice Beam by a split second. A grinding roar came from Pryce's Lapras, whose Trainer rushed to her side. His Pokémon gathered around in front of them in a protective manner.

"Begin attacking once more! Piloswine, Icy Wind and slow it down!" he ordered. Pryce knelt and took her hand, which she had held out for him to help her up. Any motion she made that was not gentle caused her to whimper, and she got to her knees before she was unable to endure it any longer. The furious fighting almost drowned him out while he steadied her balance. "Easy, Cilice. Do not force yourself."

"I am fine," she breathed weakly. "It is just... the wings."

"Can you still use your feathers?"

"Yes... My arms are still good."

"Then I will have my Pokémon distract it. You prepare a seal."

"Seal...? ...No. No!" said Cilice in wild disagreement. "We are so close!"

"We're outmatched. We have not even been able to lay a dent in it in every battle we have fought against it," Pryce reasoned and threw out his hand toward Deoxys. The Pokémon had transmuted into its defensive form, shrugging off the assaults his Ice-type partners threw at it. It approached slowly, its thick arms protecting its eyes as it walked.

"This island is deserted, and it is not running from us now. I know you can only do it once; this is the perfect opportunity."

"It deserves... It deserves death!" she proclaimed. "Nothing less!"

Under the strain of the situation, the normally peaceful man was in a near rage. He turned back to the ongoing fight. "I will not let you do that! You are not even certain what happened when it supposedly went berserk."

"I am almost certain what happened, but I know that it murdered everyone in its wake that tried to stop it from doing any more horrid deeds!"

"That is because they attacked it first, just as we did. Am I wrong?" Cilice gritted her teeth in distress, unable to answer. "So if we continue with this, it will certainly kill us as well! Unless you wish to run and leave this unfinished, then please, you should lock it away while you can!"

She turned away, shaking in pain, grief and anger. The sound of Pokémon cries alerted her, and she looked over her shoulder.

Deoxys had changed back to its offensive form, speeding through and knocking out their line of defense with its long appendages spread wide. Time seemed to slow down, and Cilice was helpless as it took Pryce down in its wake. A violent wind struck her when its arms whistled centimeters from her face.

"Pryce!" she called out. The fallen man stayed where he rested, unmoving. Her breath nearly ceased until she saw that his had not stopped permanently.

Deoxys flew up into the air and landed dead center onto the island. It remained still, taking in the chill of the salty wind as it recovered its energy.

Its mediation was torn away from it as the remains of a broken blade—layered in bright feathers—stabbed through its leg and pinned into the ground. Searching the various conscious Pokémon that snarled furiously at it, Deoxys reacted in what seemed like surprise.

The battle-torn woman rose to her feet. Her broken wings were drenched in a deep coat of blood, and her furious red-violent eyes paralleled this as she glared at Deoxys through her icy-blue bangs. She reached behind her with both her hands, ripping out handfuls of feathers in one sudden motion. Appearing a shade of purple from the crimson color that stained them, they glittered and hummed in her tight grip.

"Everyone," she said, "Hold it down for me."

The Pokémon that could travel by land rushed at Deoxys, which twisted and turned as it attempted to smack them away. But they fought through it and continued onward, steadfast with shrill battle cries. They crowded around, grabbing it wherever they could fasten their jaws. Deoxys struggled and looked about as a rain of feathers showered down upon it. Cilice retrieved more and sent them forward, the power within them enough to propel themselves with the speed of lightning. She moved and laid them out in the shape of a triangle around Deoxys. Its bright red-orange figure became more and more obscured, and its extended arms were ripped apart as the feathers formed a cramped barrier of unbreakable, potent energy.

Her breathing heavy, Cilice dashed toward it. The Seel, Dewgong, Piloswine, and other Pokémon of Pryce's receded out of her way. With a final cluster of feathers in hand, she reached the glowing wall and placed them with a forceful smack. The very depths of her eyes sparked, and she pressed hard against the barrier.

There was the sound of crackling ice and a last shout from the irregular creature within. The air around it seemed to be sucked into it before the pyramid of blue feathers melted into a smooth, grey, and almost metal-like substance.

Silence returned to the abandoned island. As if they could not believe that the danger had passed—or was at least restrained, she and the tense Pokémon stayed as they were for a time, surrounded by ice, cracked and broken concrete, and the remaining unused feathers that were swept away in the ocean breeze.

Falling away from the block that was Deoxys' inescapable prison, Cilice collapsed weakly to her knees. She turned to Pryce, who had awoken in a daze and used his arms to support his weight. He nodded, she did in return, and they shared an exhausted sigh.

It was over.

Cilice opened her eyes with a start. The Mahogany Gym was quiet, which meant it was morning. She rested in the corner of the Gym Leader's battlefield, a peaceful place where mist cascaded around the solid-ice arena. Above the Leader's side was a plaque with the likeness of the Glacier Badge.

She rose from her lying position, allowing the plum-colored cloak covering her to slip onto her lap. She folded it neatly and slowly stood on her feet. As she stretched, she reached over her shoulder with a gentle touch, on her back where her wings still stayed. They were short—far shorter than they had been a few weeks ago. The immense lack of feathers felt unusual; she felt much lighter and more of a breeze on her back. The change was comparable to getting a haircut.

Cilice took another moment to take in the current quiet and serenity. In an attempt to wake her drowsy mind, she reflected as she normally would.

"Perhaps I should have said more to the girl," she said with a thoughtful hand resting over her lips.

The other day—while the Mahogany Gym was closed after having just reopened, and while Team Rocket was being chased out of town by the Elite Four's Champion—she had gone out of her way for a meeting with Suicune at the base of Mt. Mortar. Much like her past meeting with Entei, they were to discuss important matters such as the fate of Deoxys, whom Cilice had initiated an all-out hunt for three months prior. Pryce insisted that he went with her, having been directly involved in the event, and she yielded to the request.

However, Suicune didn't show. A Trainer must have been tailing it. This was not uncommon, for humans could be very tenacious.

Cilice felt some frustration; she was too busy and did not know when she would be able to get away from work again. She had questions too, but they would have to go unanswered. There was little she could do about it, and she decided to go about her routine with a keen eye until she could get in contact with another Legendary Beast.

She heard shouting coming from the main room. Had the Gym already opened? It felt earlier than that. When walking toward the source of the noise, she made a sigh of light vexation.

A boy with long crimson hair stomped away from Pryce, who seemed to watch after him with a similar expression to hers. She wished that the sight wasn't so typical.

"He is early today. That child is stubborn," she commented as she walked over to Pryce, who glanced at her briefly.

"Yes. He seems to visit now simply to take advantage of your lack of skill in battle. Hmph," he said with distaste. "I wasn't about to let him have that pleasure."

"He certainly did not seem to like it."

"Of course. I made quick work of him in a three-on-three battle. Ah...I do feel bad for his Pokémon."

"Hm."

It was very fortunate that the boy had been stripped of his link with Entei. But had he been in Marina's situation, Cilice was sure that the Legendary Beasts would have taken it from him anyway the moment they discovered, in the three years they slumbered, what he had become. On the other hand, the girl was harmless, innocent, and in a different set of circumstances that made anyone who knew them inquisitive. Cilice wondered how well Silver got along with Marina, considering they met by mere chance.

"They are so different," she whispered, grinning at the corner of her mouth.

"What was that, now?"

"Forgive me, I was thinking out loud."

"I see." As Silver's silhouette continued to grow further away from them, since the boy was navigating the maze in order to take his exit, Pryce turned his attention away from him and back to her. "You seemed restless when I checked on you. Did you have that dream again?"

"...Yes. It seems that even while I rest, I cannot stop thinking about what happened."

"Try not to worry so much. It was the right thing, what we did."

She did not respond. A moment passed, and Pryce spoke again. "Deoxys is an unusually strong Pokémon, but it was actually very passive; it did not attack us unless we attacked it first. I had no intention in allowing you to kill it."

"You do not know how quickly it turns to murder," Cilice sharply said. Her venting anger did not bother Pryce; he understood her feelings very well. But he stood firmly with his opinion on the matter.

"Are you still blind with revenge, Cilice? We couldn't even damage it. Falling victim to its self-defense will not bring back the lives lost. What is important is that we have prevented it from hurting anyone else."

She eyed his weaker leg, which required him to use a cane wherever he walked. He was lucky that Deoxys did not do more damage, but it still brought her some guilt.

"...Even now, I disagree. I would rather it vanish from existence completely."

"I am aware of that. But the sailors of the Sevii Islands know not to get near Birth Island unless we allow it, so no one should disturb it. Deoxys will remain safely locked away for as long as we need to."

"I know, yes... Give me a moment, Pryce."

"Of course."

The agitated woman paced away in order to cool down. It was a very sensitive topic for her. Pryce's words bothered her as she recalled their fight with Deoxys and the strange evasive behavior it portrayed. She tried to reason that it was simply unpredictable—yet it still didn't feel right.

"But if that were true, that just what would its motive be?" she murmured.