Episode 31: The value of courage
"Niko, where exactly are we going?" Charlotte asked as the three of them walked at a brisk pace through Icirrus City, towards the tower to the north.
"There's something going down there. Shouldn't we check it out?" He asked.
"You're really inconsistent with this whole 'let's stop bad guys' thing, you know?" She snapped back. Niko, who didn't exactly want to hear this, ignored her and kept moving onwards.
They had finally reached the tower—tall, surrounded by water, with several separate pillars connecting to the primary one via suspended bridges. As they approached the entrance—which was in the middle of a massive lake—they noticed police officers fighting with Team Plasma grunts. Towards the entrance they noticed Brycen and his Beartic dealing with a Garbodor.
"Rufflet, let's go!" Niko commanded. "Help Brycen!" He shouted. Warren did the same with Pidove, commanding the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon to use air cutter.
"What are you kids doing here?" An officer asked them, turning abruptly at the sound of their voices. "This is a dangerous situation, get out of here!"
"They're good, Officer Jenny." Brycen said, nodding towards the trio. "They're stronger than you think, that's for sure. Niko, Warren, and Charlotte approached Brycen, who led them into the tower. The ground floor was covered in water, and they quickly found themselves wading through it to get to the staircase that would take them to the top.
"Brycen, where are we?" Niko asked as they began running up a spiral staircase.
"This is Dragonspiral Tower. It's the oldest tower in Unova, and has an…unknown history. It's also the supposed home of Reshiram and Zekrom—the Legendary Pokémon in Unova mythology."
"And Team Plasma wants…"
"…The Light Stone and Dark Stone, which have sealed the Legendary Pokémon. Years ago, Team Plasma attempted—and nearly succeeded—in controlling Reshiram. They never got Zekrom, though. But I think they're back to try it once more. It's our job to stop them."
"And if they get ahold of the stones?" Warren wondered.
"Then we truly have no idea what they could do. Reshiram on its own was incredibly powerful. If Zekrom joined with it, and they somehow got control of Kyurem, then they might be impossible to defeat."
"Kyurem?" Niko asked.
"The third Pokémon in the 'Tao Trio,' Kyurem is said to be an extraterrestrial being. Not much is known about it, though, including its true location. This is due to the fact that no one has ever seen Kyurem in person and lived to tell the tale."
"Would it be possible that Team Plasma is using Reshiram and Zekrom to get to Kyurem, if it's so powerful?" Charlotte asked.
"Actually…yes. Having all three together…would be unprecedented, if my history is correct."
"It is." Charlotte added, eliciting a smile from Brycen. He then stopped abruptly as they faced a trio of Team Plasma Grunts in their way. They looked oddly familiar to Niko, Charlotte, and Warren. Almost immediately, they recognized the grunts as those that they battled in Chargestone Cave, with the aid of Niko's Tynamo.
"You're not getting through, old man." One of them—a female—said. "Lord Ghetsis will finally get possession of the two stones."
"Ghetsis? That man has been in jail! There's no way he's around here!" Brycen snapped back. The three grunts all laughed off his words as if they meant nothing.
"That's what you think. Either way, we've been tasked with dealing with any intruders." She continued, pulling out a pokéball and summoning a Liepard. The two male grunts on either side sent out meerkat-like Pokémon called Watchogs.
"Watchog, the Lookout Pokémon. Normal type. Using luminescent matter, it makes its eyes and body glow and stuns attacking opponents."
"Brycen, go on—we can deal with them." Niko said, turning to Rufflet. "Rufflet, aerial ace!"
"Pidove, air cutter!"
"Deerling, double kick!" Charlotte shouted, sending out the Season Pokémon, who trotted up the stairs and spun back around to kick one of the Watchogs in the chest. Brycen, meanwhile, sent out Cryogonal and jumped onto it, floating off of the staircase and around the grunts, who watched in shock.
"See ya." He shouted to the grunts. "And good luck!" He said to the trio before landing and continuing up the staircase. Meanwhile, Rufflet kept hammering at the Liepard, who would attempt to scratch back at him. Fortunately, the Eaglet Pokémon was quicker this time, and would retaliate in kind. Deerling and Pidove, however, were not as successful.
"Watchog, hyper fang!" One of the male grunts shouted. The Lookout Pokémon opened its mouth wide, just as Pidove dove in for an attack, and chomped down on him. Watchog then quickly snapped its head to the right, throwing Pidove off of the staircase and into the water below.
"Pidove!" Warren shouted, pulling out his pokéball to return it. Rufflet, however, was already diving down to get Pidove, grabbing the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon's talon in his own and quickly flying back up, close enough at least for Warren to return it.
"Great job, Rufflet. I'm proud of you, buddy." Niko said with a smile. Rufflet nodded eagerly, fluttering back into the battle as Warren swapped Pidove for Leavanny.
The trio continued to fight with the three grunts until eventually, they managed to defeat them. By this time, Rufflet was exhausted, as were Leavanny and Deerling. Nevertheless, the three humans and three Pokémon rushed past the grunts—who were stunned that they were defeated by these trainers a second time—and made it to the next floor, which was broken in several places.
Reminds me of Sky Pillar in Hoenn…Niko thought to himself. "Hey, Rufflet, can you keep going? You look tired." Rufflet nodded curtly, turning to see Brycen fighting more grunts. "Use aerial ace to assist Brycen, alright?"
The Eaglet Pokémon did so, charging in to battle and slamming into another Liepard, nearly knocking the both of them off of the suspended platform. Brycen turned to see the trio finding their way over to him. Smiling, he turned back to the battle, calling for his Cryogonal to use aurora beam on a grunt's Krokorok.
While Warren found little issue in getting across the broken floor—split in several places, with nothing below them besides water—Niko and Charlotte both had difficulty initially. "Grab my hand." Warren finally said to Niko, who took a large step forward over the crevice and took his friend's hand. Warren then pulled Niko across with enough force for Niko to fall forwards towards the ground.
Then came Charlotte. Warren also reached his hand out, but she seemed paralyzed; unable to make the jump. The crevice was quite wide, possibly a few feet, and Charlotte was short. So, unlike Niko, she had difficulty imagining herself making it across in a single step.
"Just jump, then." Niko shouted, and he and Warren stepped aside to give her enough room to land.
"I—I don't think I can do that, guys." She said nervously. Deerling nudged her a little, trying to push her forward. "Stop, Deerling!" She snapped, eventually returning the Season Pokémon. "But what if I fall?"
"You won't." Niko said. "We're here to grab you if you don't make it." He reached his hand outwards to show he was serious.
"Fine. Here I go." She said, taking a step back and breaking into a jog before jumping at the ledge. She reached her hand out to grab Niko's, but it slipped, and she found herself falling. She grabbed onto the ledge on the other side with both of her hands. "Help!"
Niko and Warren both kneeled down to grab their friend and successfully pulled her up. Just as they did so, Niko saw Rufflet return to them, as if hearing Charlotte's call.
"She's fine, Rufflet. But thanks." Niko said appreciatively. Rufflet nodded, took a deep breath, and went back in to finish off the Liepard, which opened up the way for the trio—and Brycen—to continue on. They turned to the spiral staircase and continued running up it. "How much further until we get to the Light and Dark Stones?"
"I'll be honest, Niko: I don't know where they are. But if I've learned anything in Pokéwood, it's this: there's always something at the top of the tower."
Niko laughed at the joke just as he heard a scream to his right. Thrusting his head backwards, he briefly saw Charlotte's head before it disappeared under the staircase. Leaning over, he noticed her falling an unknown distance towards the staircase below. Then, a blue of navy blue and white shot down through the hole. Niko, Warren, and Brycen looked in awe as Rufflet slowly carried Charlotte back up to their place on the staircase before dropping onto the ground. While Warren checked on Charlotte to make sure she wasn't suffering any major wounds, Niko's attention was focused on his Pokémon.
"Rufflet!" He said, leaning over. "You can't keep going anymore, buddy. I'm returning you." He said, pulling out Rufflet's pokéball. The Eaglet Pokémon kicked it aside and got right back up without any issues. He then started fluttering in the air, urging Niko and the others to continue. "Are you alright, Charlotte?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Maybe a bruise on my hand, but that's it." She said with a half-smile. "Rufflet, thank you so much."
Rufflet briefly nodded before continuing on.
As they continued going up the staircase, Niko wondered about Rufflet. For whatever reason, he wasn't giving up—or allowing exhaustion to settle in. He always knew Rufflet was the kind of Pokémon to not give up, and he proved that on several occasions. But this time, it was different.
They finally reached the top of the tower. It was sunset, now, and to the west the sun was lowering itself behind the mountains off in the distance. At the top stood Niko, his friends, and Brycen. But, as one might imagine, they weren't alone.
The Shadow Triad, from their encounter at the Nature Preserve, stood to greet them, already in battle poses. On the other side of them was a tall, bearded man in a more elaborate Team Plasma outfit. It resembled more of a suit than a typical grunt's clothing. His hair was blonde and slicked back, with a strand of blue hair wrapping itself from the front towards the back and then to the opposite side of his head. Upon noticing Brycen and the trio, he smirked.
"Ah, I expected some resistance, to be sure, and in the form of a gym leader, of all people. Welcome, Brycen."
"Colress…?" Brycen said in an apparent state of shock. "I thought you left Team Plasma years ago?"
"I did. But I was…persuaded to come back. Yes, Lord Ghetsis convinced me that his work was not yet finished, and needed my assistance. In return, he believed that I would find the answers that I seek to the question of Pokémon dormancy. That is why I was sent here to find the Light and Dark Stones. And, would you look at that…" He smirked, holding two stones, one in each hand. "Brycen, tell me—are you familiar with the history of the Dragon Stones?"
"Not particularly. Why?" He asked, pulling out a pokéball. The Shadow Triad instinctively did the same, ready to battle at any moment.
"It's quite interesting when you take a moment to read up on it. You see, according to legend—"
"The Twin Heroes shared a powerful dragon." Charlotte shouted back, surprised Colress. "They couldn't decide whether to pursue truth or ideals, though, and so the dragon split into Reshiram and Zekrom, and each followed one of the brothers. They were cut from the same dragon, and so they couldn't defeat one another on their own. The sons of the brothers continued to fight over which was more prevalent—truth or ideals, destroying the Unova region before eventually disappearing. Reshiram's and Zekrom's bodies were destroyed in the process, eventually finding their way into the Dragon Stones."
"My my my…who do we have here?" Colress asked, walking over, past the Shadow Triad, to Charlotte. "Allow me to introduce myself, young woman. I am Colress, head researcher for Team Plasma. And…you are?"
"Charlotte." She said curtly.
"Ah, Charlotte. Pleasure. Brycen, I see that you've brought friends. Presumably to stop me?"
"To stop whatever Team Plasma is doing. Ghetsis is a wannabe dictator, and is in jail for his crimes against humanity and Pokémon around the world."
"Well, maybe so." Colress shrugged. "However, I must continue what I set out to do, and if any of you stand in my way then, well, I will eliminate you." He turned to the Shadow Triad, who then sprang into action, summoning three Pawniards into battle. Niko's Rufflet, Warren's Leavanny, and Charlotte's Deerling all leapt into action as well. Niko then noticed Colress moving off towards the opposite end of the roof and into a waiting airship.
"Litwick, let's go! Flame burst!" He shouted, summoning the Candle Pokémon who, upon noticing Team Plasma, froze in her tracks. "What the—?"
"Magnezone, thunder wave." Colress said, thrusting a pokéball from a now empty hand. It hit Litwick, paralyzing her and forcing to the ground. Colress then took a step into the airship just as one of the rotors froze from Brycen's Cryogonal's frost breath. "Blast it. Magnezone, flash cannon!"
While Cryogonal fought Magnezone, Niko worried more about Litwick, who was lying still on the ground. Magnezone's thunder wave wasn't what initially paralyzed her…Niko thought to himself. Trying to block the thought, he turned to Rufflet briefly before running over to Litwick. "You alright bud?" He said, careful to not touch her purple flame, which was smaller now. Litwick nodded, almost looking saddened. Niko returned her just as Rufflet was launched clear across the rooftop, hitting a barrier and collapsing onto the ground. "Rufflet!" He shouted, running over to the Eaglet Pokémon now. Just as he did, he noticed Leavanny and Deerling weren't having much success, either. Neither were Brycen and Cryogonal, who was fighting a losing battle against Magnezone.
Niko attempted to pick Rufflet up, but the Eaglet Pokémon shoved him away with his wing. Confused, Niko watched as Rufflet shot back across the rooftop, low to the ground, and slammed into Pawniard with aerial ace. He watched Rufflet take more slashes before landing a fury attack this time. Then, Niko's eyes widened as he saw feather shoot up into the air. Rufflet was hit by a night slash from the lead Pawniard, and launched back towards Niko at enough speed to break the barrier protecting them from falling off of Dragonspiral Tower.
However, it broke.
Niko felt himself falling, falling towards the water below. He briefly heard screams from his friends and Brycen as he held onto Rufflet for dear life.
"Rufflet…I'm proud of you, buddy." He said, a tear in his eye. "And I'm proud to call myself your trainer."
Then, both of them were engulfed in a bright white light, and Niko soon found his arm in the grip of a massive talon. Looking up, he noticed a large, avian Pokémon with dark red feathers on its back and dark blue feathers on its underside carrying him upwards. Its legs were long and thick with yellow feet that each have a digit facing backwards, and were now clamped down on his right arm.
The eagle-like Pokémon looked down at Niko with a smirk, and Niko noticed it's long, thick beak with a blue cere. On either side of the cere were its eyes, which were black with small white pupils. Sprouting from above the eyes were three large, white feathers. At the base of the feathers was a red, three-pointed design that spread across all three feathers. Behind the feathers on its head was a large plume of white feathers, similar to Rufflet's, and extended most of the way down its neck.
It cawed loudly as it flapped its long, powerful wings and shot up towards the top of Dragonspiral Tower, dropping Niko onto the ground and moving backwards before slicing through the air with its large wings. The Shadow Triad and the Pawniards were knocked off of their feet from the impact of the attack, giving Niko's new Pokémon the opportunity to dive down and slash past all three Pawniards with aerial ace. This time, the white tendrils were wider and longer, emitting a sense of increased power.
"Braviary, the Valiant Pokémon. Normal and flying type. For the sake of its friends, this brave warrior of the sky will not stop battling, even if injured."
"Braviary…" Niko said in awe. "And that move was…air cutter?"
"Niko! We have more important things!" Brycen shouted, snapping Niko out of his trance. Just as Niko noticed what was going on around him, Colress' airship was already off, leaving the Shadow Triad behind. However, it wasn't for long, as the three ninja-esque fighters returned their Pawniards and disappeared into thin air.
"You."
"Have."
"Lost." Each one of them said before disappearing, leaving Niko, his friends, and Brycen alone with their Pokémon.
Braviary then returned to the ground, perching himself on an unbroken barrier near Niko, watching as Leavanny fixed up Deerling and Cryogonal. Meanwhile, the trainers all gathered together. Charlotte ran up to hug Niko.
"Thank goodness you're safe. I was so worried." She said. Niko returned the hug briefly before letting go, turning to Brycen.
"I'm sorry…" Niko said.
"Why are you apologizing? You almost died! We'll find them, though. I'm going to report this all to the authorities, and they can deal with it from there. You three, though, need to get some rest. Especially your Braviary, Niko."
"Oh, right." Niko turned to his Pokémon. "You're amazing, you know that?"
Braviary smugly nodded, smirking a little as he did so. This elicited a laugh from the others as they all walked back down—carefully, this time—to the bottom of Dragonspiral Tower, and then down the hill towards Icirrus City. Along the way, Charlotte and Warren were marveling at Braviary, who was now returned to his pokéball on Niko's stern orders.
Back at the Pokémon Center, Niko sat in a booth with his friends as they ate. They had said their farewells to Brycen, who was off to the Icirrus City Police Department to relay the events of the past few hours. He assured the trio that they didn't need to participate in any investigations, and if necessary wouldn't have difficulty finding them, which concerned all three of them.
While waiting for their Pokémon to heal, they considered where to go next. "So, if there is no gym in Icirrus City, where should we head next?" Warren finally asked after putting down a sandwich.
"I'd say Opelucid City." Charlotte replied, pulling out her book and opening to two pages with a map of the region. She then pointed to a north-central city in Unova. "That's Opelucid City. It's just east of where we are. Should probably take a week or a week and a half to get there." She said.
"Alright, it's settled then—Opelucid City it is." Niko said, feeling a little better. He had a lot swimming around in his head, but hardly any of it was negative. He no longer felt like he regretted going on a journey again.