A Dragon's Tail
Tail 6: Baromyteus' Tail - Deception
Tail 6-2: The End of Crossroad
-A Few Days Later…
"…There… Finished." A Mega Charizard X spoke as he stood up, holding several weapons in his paw. He then walked up to where three other Pokemon were, which was not very far from him, and handed over their weapons back to their owners.
"Took you long enough, Diego…" A Latios said as he received a chronicle back from the Mega Charizard X.
"Don't judge me, Richard." Diego said and handed over two other weapons, which were an Espurr doll and a pistol, back to their owners, who were a Latias and a Garchomp, while keeping the last weapon, which was a naginata, with him.
"Thanks!" Rachael said as she took an Espurr Doll back. "Welcome back, Cathy!"
"Yippy Ho!" The Espurr Doll in Rachael's paw smiled at its owner.
"…Welp!" Zetarus said as Diego gave his weapon back to him.
"…" Richard didn't say anything as he received his chronicle back from the Mega Charizard X.
It had been four days since when they left the Fireview City. This time, they were heading to the Dustorm Empire, the biggest nation on the continent of Symmetria. Normally, one could go to the Dustorm Empire from the Fireview Kingdom by either foot or ship. However, right now, the port of Fireview Kingdom was quite crowded as a result of being the end of the Prince Apollo's Coronation Ceremony, which was three days ago. While some guests, such as the Royal Children of Dustorm Empire and the representative from the Shadowlost Territory, were staying in the Fireview Kingdom for a bit longer (Rachael, Richard, Zetarus and Diego heard about this while they were at a village yesterday.), most guests, including Daimyo Augustine of the Principality of Leafburg, President Voltson of the Republic of Civilight, and the prince of the Theocracy of Venturnome, were going back to their nations. With this, it would be risky for the wanted criminals like Zetarus and Diego to leave the Fireview Kingdom via ship. So, the only choice they had left were going to Dustorm Empire by foot. And to prevent Zetarus and Diego from being seen and caught, all of them decided to enter Dustorm Empire via an unknown path.
'The unknown path' that they would use was actually a cave that was sealed long time ago for an unknown reason, which was discovered by Richard as he found its record within his chronicle, that this sealed cave would lead them across the border of Fireview Kingdom into the Dustorm Empire without being seen by anyone as this cave was known by no one. With the destination in their mind, four Pokemon decided to head to the sealed cave, which was located on the eastern part of Fireview Kingdom.
The eastern part of Fireview Kingdom, unlike its western counterpart, was mostly homed to the Rock type Pokemon was its area was almost entirely covered by a large ravine called Stone Ravine. This ravine was so vast that some settlements were located within the area of this ravine, including the place where Diego called 'hell', the Brawl Arena.
"…Do we have to pass the Brawl Arena?" Diego asked reluctantly two days ago, as they finally arrived at the entrance of the Stone Ravine.
"No." Richard answered. "The cave is located to the south, so we won't have to go to that place."
"Good…" Diego seemed to be relieved after hearing the Latios' words.
However, in order to reach the location of the sealed cave, they would have to pass through many small settlements, which Rachael and Richard would stop by to buy some supplies while Zetarus and Diego waited outside the villages. (While there was a very little possibility for the villagers to recognize Zetarus' identity as a wanted criminal, he decided to to avoid the village for now.) And now, they had already passed through all settlements along the way, and the sealed cave was just a bit further ahead, so yesterday, they decided to call it a day right here, and Diego used this time to finish upgrading everyone's weapons, as he had been working in this for several days.
"With my skill right now, this is the most I can do…" Diego said and turned his attention to Richard, who was reading the content of the newly-upgraded chronicle. "Well… What do you think about this time, Richard?"
"Do not disturb me." Richard answered with a serious voice as his attention was still at the chronicle.
"What about you, Rachael?" Diego decided to turn his attention to the Latias instead.
"Cathy looks a lot stronger!" Rachael said. "Thank you so much, Diego!"
"…Not really…" Diego mumbled. "While your weapon is having high might power for someone who specializes in the special attack, your weapon actually has a quite low might power… But since you have very low attack stat, the lowest attack stat among us, actually… The sum of your physical damage output is the lowest among us…"
"Aww…" Rachael said.
"Hey, don't be sad…" Diego said. "Because your weapon is the only one among us that possesses its own mind, your weapon would be able to attack on their own free will without requiring you to use your paws to wield it of all time, unlike the rest of us that would have to use our paws to wield it."
"And what does that mean?" Rachael asked.
"It means that you can support us by using a potion or other stuff and so on while leaving the fighting to your weapon." Diego said. "It's basically that you are the only one can do two actions at the same time, while the rest of us could only do one at the time. And… You also don't have to worry about the enemy trying to attack you while your weapon is fighting, because I sense a bond between you and your weapon, meaning that your weapon will always come and protect you when the enemy tries to target you, Rachael."
"Right!" Rachael said and turned her attention to her Espurr Doll. "Okay! And since you are now stronger, you shall now be 'Cathy**' or 'Two-Stars Cathy'!"
"…You just add another star to the name of your weapon…" Diego mumbled and turned his attention to Zetarus. "What about you, Zetarus? How's your newly-upgraded weapon?"
"BANG!"
"HEY!" Diego said as two bullets that were shot out of Zetarus' pistol narrowly missing him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU BASTARD?!"
"I just test my weapon a bit…" Zetarus said.
"DON'T YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS YOUR WEAPON IS?!" Diego shouted. "WHAT IF IT HIT ME?!"
"Why are you so upset about this?" Zetarus asked.
"Because your newly-upgraded weapon is now having a perfect accuracy!" Diego roared.
"Oh… It is…" Zetarus looked at his pistol. "Don't worry about it. That shot earlier… I planned to make it narrowly miss you, not to hit you."
"That doesn't matter!" Diego roared.
"Sigh…" Zetarus said. "But even if it hit, I doubt it would damage you much as I think my weapon has a quite low might power…"
"True." Diego commented. "Despite being a weapon of someone who uses the physical attack, your weapon possesses a low might power, just a bit higher than Rachael's weapon thought… But it makes up for its low might power with its traits."
"Traits?" Zetarus said.
"Excluding its initial form, tour weapon possesses several special traits that makes it versatile." Diego said. "First, after the first upgrade, it gained a special trait of being able to shoot two bullets at once, which is equivalent to doubling its might power, making up for its low might power."
"Hey…" Zetarus mumbled. "Use the words that I can understand, or I will nom your tail again."
"W…WHAT?!" Diego quickly grabbed his tail before continued speaking. "A…Anyway, after this upgrade, your weapon gains a special trait of having a perfect accuracy, meaning that it will not miss its target… Unless you want to miss it on purpose."
"This will be useful…" Zetarus said and looked at his weapon. "Since now you can't miss the target, your name shall be 'Sniper's Eye'."
"Whatever…" Diego said and let go his tail he was holding.
"What about you, Diego?" Zetarus asked. "How's your weapon?"
"Hm? This?" Diego said and looked at his newly-upgraded weapon. Right now, its color was completely different than before. "Well… My weapon has the highest might power among us, much higher than your weapon, Zetarus."
"Does it have any special trait?" Zetarus asked.
"No. I prefer sheer power to special trait, so I didn't add any trait into it." Diego answered. "However, I modified my weapon a bit by adding this into its blade."
Diego picked something up and showed it to Zetarus, Rachael and Richard. (Who stopped reading the chronicle for a bit and turned his attention to the Mega Charizard X.) The object in the paw of the Mega Charizard X was a red sparkling gemstone that looked like a ruby. It also emitted a burning aura that made everyone feel warm as they looked at it.
"What is this? A candy for me? Thank you!" Zetarus quickly snatched the red gemstone from the Mega Charizard X and threw it into his mouth! However, before the gemstone could fall into the maw of the Garchomp, something else managed to do it first, and it was the flame-cloaked fist of an angry Mega Charizard X.
"YOU MXXXXXXXXXXR!" Diego roared angrily.
"Ouch…" Zetarus rubbed his cheek where he was punched by the angry Mega Charizard X. "What's the deal with you, Diego?"
"YOU FXXXXXG BASTARD!" Diego roared. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO EAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT?! THIS ISN'T FOR YOU TO STUFF IT INTO YOUR FXXXXXG GUT!"
"So…I can't eat it… So…" Zetarus spoke with a sinister voice, and a crafty spark appeared in his eyes. "I will have to CHOMP DOWN SOMETHING ELSE!"
"What are you— ARRGGGG!" Diego roared in pain as Zetarus quickly moved behind his body and buried his sharp fangs onto the Mega Charizard X's tail!
While Diego and Zetarus were 'busy', Richard picked the red gemstone that was dropped when Diego punched Zetarus' face, and looked at it. "…This must be the Fire Gem."
"Fire Gem?" Rachael said and looked at the red gemstone in Richard's paw. Upon looking at it closely, Rachael could see a burning flame inside this sparkling gemstone!
"It's one of eighteen gems that will boost the damage of elemental move." Richard explained. "Since this one is Fire Gem, it will boost the damage of fire type move, such as Ember and Flame Burst."
"Wow!" Rachael said.
"But…" Richard turned his attention to Diego, who was trying to get Zetarus away from his tail. "Diego, how did you get this Fire Gem?"
"What?!" Diego turned his attention to the Latios after he was finally able to get the Garchomp away from his tail and knocked him out. "Oh, Dinus gave me."
"Dinus?" Richard repeated the name he had never heard before.
"He's my twin brother I told you earlier." Diego said. "He gave me some Fire Gems that were found in the crater of Fireview Volcano and told me that they may make me live a little longer. So, I forged some of them into my Naginata too. With this, not only it has an increasing might power, but it also increases my special attack stat, as well as boosting my fire type move as long as I wield it."
"And…" Rachael reluctantly spoke up. "…What's the name of your new weapon?"
"Hm?" Diego looked at Rachael before he turned his attention back to his weapon, which was now extinguished. "Its name would be 'Silver Naginata'."
A moment of silence followed Diego's words, before Rachael spoke up and turned her attention to her elder brother.
"What about you, Onii-chan?" Rachael asked. "How's your chronicle?"
"…You know what?" Richard spoke up and looked at the chronicle in his paw. "Tonight, I will take care of the fire watch. Diego, Zetarus, both of you can sleep and leave the fire watch to me."
"What?!" Diego and Zetarus spoke out surprisingly at the same time. "S…Seriously?"
"Do I look like someone who makes a joke?" Richard said. "It's just that this upgrade had unlocked so many lost knowledge that I wasn't able to grasp them earlier. Not only the knowledge after the Daybreak Crisis, but it also unlocked the lost knowledge that happened beforehand too! It would require me the rest of my life to learn it all."
"… And…" Diego spoke up while Rachael was in awe, and Zetarus was in the confusion of being unable to comprehend the words of the Latios. "Does this upgrade unlock all knowledge in that chronicle of yours?"
"I am not sure." Richard answered. "I will need some time to study it before I can answer, but all I could say is that it covers the time of all War of the God, including the War of the God III that it didn't cover earlier."
"War of the God?" Rachael spoke before she realized something. "Ah! I remembered! You mentioned about this while we were in the Queendom of Riverbrine, right?"
"Right." Richard said. "Wars of the God are three biggest wars that were happening in the World of Pokemon. There were three of them, and the last one had just happened 147 years ago, which was 1,000 years after the Daybreak Crisis…"
"…So?" Diego said.
"All I can say right now is that the knowledge that was unlocked is at least 1,000 years after the Daybreak Crisis to the time of the War of the God III, which was 147 years ago…" Richard said. "But I haven't looked into the 147 years after the War of the God III yet…"
"Very well…" Diego mumbled. "By the way, Richard, since your weapon is a tome, it possesses the lowest might power among our weapons, but since you have higher attack stat than Rachael, it will deal a bit higher damage than Rachael's weapon. However, despite this flaw, it gives its holder an enormous boost in their stats, mostly special attack. With this, Richard, your speed stat is now quite high, and your special attack stat is skyrocketing. And since you almost never use a physical attack, this weapon actually makes you broken."
"…Is there anyone among us who doesn't have a broken weapon?" Richard asked. "I am a special attacker who have a weapon that drastically boosts my special attack and my speed. Rachael is a supportive member who has a weapon that can attack on their own will. Zetarus is a long-range attacker who has a never-miss weapon that attacks twice at once, and you, Diego, you are a mixed attacker who have a weapon with high might power that also boosts your special attack stat as well as increases the damage of your fire type move."
"Right." Rachael said. "Honestly, I don't think that anyone would have a weapon as nifty as us! Diego, you are really a great blacksmith!"
"It's nothing." Diego said. "You should thank Blancer and Noiria that you brought to me. Those two ores are the best ores that could be found on the continent of Symmetria. I doubt anyone could craft a better weapon than this… Not counting the legendary weapons and such…"
"Yes." Richard nodded to Diego's words. "There are still several more Pokemon who possess a stronger weapon than us, such as the Hero/ine of Legend. According to the record in the Chronicle of Darkside, their weapons are extremely strong, and are said to be the strongest weapons in the World of Pokemon."
"Wait…" Rachael spoke up. "Onii-chan, did you say… the Chronicle of Darkside?"
"It's the name of my newly-upgraded weapon, since its content is unlocked at least to the time of the War of the God III…"
"Why 'Darkside'?" Rachael asked.
"The name 'Darkside' came from the event that happened during the War of the God III." Richard answered. "I will tell you about it later, okay?"
"Okay!" Rachael said.
"Finished yet?" Diego asked impatiently. "Let's go, everyone. We don't have all day to boondoggle like this."
"There's no need for rushing, Diego." Rachael spoke up. "Onii-chan said that we should reach the entrance of the sealed cave to the Dustorm Empire within today!"
"Good." Zetarus said. "Let's go, then."
Everyone nodded to the Garchomp's words as they packed their belonging, and then they resumed their journey, and the sealed cave was now not too far from them, just only half a day to go…
-Meawhile…
"YOU DRAGON JERKY!"
"YOU SALTY SEAHORSE!"
"ZZZ…"
"Sigh…"
Anastasia sighed as she looked at her brother and the Kingdra had gotten themselves into another quarrel, and it had only been three minutes since when she stopped them from this silly argument.
"Sigh…" Baromyteus mumbled. "Why do I even let you to travel with me?! I don't understand…"
"You spoke as if I want to!" Claura said. "I hate being with such a jerk like you!"
"Oh! You spoke as if most Pokemon would be able to stand with you more than ten minutes!" Baromyteus said.
"For you, one minute even!" Claura said.
"One second!" Baromyteus said.
"Half second!" Claura said.
"Sigh…" Xavier spoke up as he slowly woke up from his nap by the sound of argument. "Why don't both of you go somewhere else and—"
"AND LEAVE MY SISTER WITH YOU?!" Baromyteus roared. "I will be straight that I will never leave my sister alone with a spineless guy like you!"
"Oh! You say that my cousin is spineless?!" Claura said. "If he is spineless, then you are a single-celled creature!"
"WHAT?!" Baromyteus turned his attention back to the Kingdra. "If I am a single-celled creature, then you are Prokaryote!"
"Sigh…" Anastasia sighed again before turning her attention to the Dragonite. "I am sorry for my brother's rudeness, especially since I was the one who suggested that we should travel together…"
"Not really…" Xavier said. "It was Claura and I who asked you and your brother to help us with the power you two got from forming a pact, and then you convinced your brother and made him agree to help us…"
"It was nothing…" Anastasia said. "Actually, it's just that my brother and I are also interested in your mission…"
"…But I still don't understand…" Xavier said. "Why did you and your brother interest in our mission this much? We don't even know if we would find it or not."
"But I think we will…" Anastasia said. "My brother's Dragon Legend told us that he could sense the 'thing' you are trying to find to the south of here, and then we agreed to head there together…"
"… You still haven't answered my question yet…" Xavier said. "Moreover, there's one more thing that Claura and I want to ask you."
"W…What?" Anastasia looked at the Dragonite beside her.
"It was your brother and your surname…" Xavier said. "Let me ask you. Are you and your brother actually—"
"Hm?!"
Claura's voice interrupted the word of the Dragonite, and as he and Anastasia turned their attention to the owner of the voice, and then they realized that they had reached a crossroad. From here, there were four paths to the east, west, south and north. The eastern path, which was the path they came from, would lead them back to the Stonehill Village, so there were three possible ways for them to go.
"Well…" Claura spoke sarcastically as she turned her attention to Baromyteus. "Where should we go this time?"
"Do not bother me right now." Baromyteus said as his attention was on something he wore around his right wrist. It was a bracelet, but it wasn't an ordinary bracelet…
It was actually Baromyteus' Dragon Relic…
"…" The bracelet glowed a mysterious aura as Baromyteus stared at it. It seemed like he was communicating with the Legendary Pokemon he had formed a pact with.
"…I see… Thank you." Baromyteus said and put his wrist down, at the same time the bracelet stopped glowing.
"Well…" Anastasia spoke up. "What did he say?"
"It's just south of here." Baromyteus answered. "However, the path is sealed and well-hidden, so we must be extra careful while we search."
Everyone nodded to the Shiny Haxorus' words, and then they were about to head south, when they heard the voices of someone who was coming from the western path…
"Onii-chan, how long before we reach the sealed cave?"
"Just a bit further, Rachael. We will then have to head south and go off the path."
"Off the path?!"
"Yes, unless you want to stay on the path and reach the Fireview-Dustorm checkpoint, Zetarus."
"Geez… Fine…"
"You have the exact location of the sealed cave, right, Richard?"
"Trust me, Diego."
The voices they heard indicated that a group of Pokemon were heading this way from the western path. However, the voices they heard also did something else…
'!'
'!'
While Claura, Xavier, Anastasia and Baromyteus didn't feel anything after hearing the conversation, someone else did.
"What's wrong, Vastria?" Claura spoke as she looked at her Dragon Relic, the Feather Brooch. "You are acting strange…"
"You too, Zastra." Xavier said as he looked at his Dragon Relic, the Scale Brooch.
'We can sense it…' Vastria answered.
'Yes…' Zastra said. 'HE is coming… We know…'
"He?" Claura and Xavier spoke up at the same time. "Who are you—"
The word was cut off as Claura, Xavier, Anastasia and Baromyteus slowly turned their attention to the western path, and then realized that the owners of those voices were now standing there…
"!" The eyes of the Kingdra, Dragonite, Goodra and the Shiny Haxorus, who were all standing on the eastern path of the crossroad, met the eyes of the Latios, Latias, Garchomp and Mega Charizard X, who were all standing on the western path of the crossroad, and the silence followed…
Eight Pokemon stood at the crossroad without saying anything. All they did was just looking at four Pokemon in front of them. However, the silence was broken when the Pokemon in the black armor suit drew his double swords from its sheath and dashed up to the Mega Charizard X and the Garchomp, preparing to attack them!
"Wha?"
"CLANK!"
Zetarus was able to jump back to avoid getting damaged by the attack, and Diego was able to block the attack of the Pokemon in the black armor suit by using his Silver Naginata to block the attack!
"What are you doing, you bastard?!" Diego said and shoved the attacking Pokemon away by using his Naginata, making Baromyteus had to jump away from him.
"…You…" Baromyteus spoke up with a sinister voice. "…Die!"
After finished speaking, Baromyteus raised his swords and prepared for another attack, but he was stopped by the Goodra in a beautiful dress!
"Brother! Stop!" Anastasia said. "Why did you have to go and attack everyone you see?!"
"…" Baromyteus didn't say anything, but he still didn't sheath his blades.
"What the HELL is this guy?!" Diego mumbled.
And then…
'…Diego…'
A voice echoed in the Mega Charizard X's mind. It was the voice of the Legendary Pokemon whom he had formed a pact with…
"What's it this time, Frostic?!" Diego mumbled with an irritated voice.
'Those two… ' Frostic spoke. 'Diego, raise your Ring of Ruins and summon me!'
"At a time like this?!" Diego said.
'JUST DO IT!' Frostic roared.
"Fine!" Diego said and raised his paw to show his Ring of Ruins, which was glowing with a sinister aura, and then a silhouette of a Legendary Pokemon was summoned from the ring and appeared in the middle of the crossroad, standing between both groups of Pokemon!
"!" Anastasia and Baromyteus seemed to be shocked after seeing the silhouette of the Kyurem who suddenly appeared before their eyes!
'Long time no see, Anastasia, Baromyteus.' Frostic spoke up.
"F…Frostic?!" Anastasia spoke up. "W… Why are you here?!"
'The one who should ask that question is me.' Frostic spoke. 'Why are you and Baromyteus here? It has already been 30 years…
"Wait…" Baromyteus spoke up, and then he looked at Diego. "…I see… Frostic, you had form a pact with… Leonel."
"!" The Mega Charizard X was shocked after hearing the words of the Pokemon in the black armor suit. Did he just mention the name of his deceased father?!
"Wait…" Diego spoke up. "Did you just say the name of the Volcano Guardian?!"
"…You are not Leonel?" Baromyteus mumbled.
'He is not, Baromyteus.' Frostic said. 'And… I know what you are thinking. The Garchomp beside him isn't Garland either.'
"What?!" Zetarus spoke up when he heard the name of his father from the mouth of the Kyurem, and then he looked at the Pokemon in the black armor suit. "Why you?!"
"…You are right." Baromyteus said and sheathed his blades. "I should know this. It has been 30 years… All of them would be much older than that time…"
"Wait a minute…" Diego spoke up and looked at the Dragon Legend of him. "Frostic, did you know these two?"
'It's a long story in the past…' Frostic said before he turned his attention back to Anastasia and Baromyteus. 'Anastasia, Baromyteus, I could sense that both of you had formed a pact with Legendary Pokemon too…'
"…" Anastasia and Baromyteus didn't say anything.
'Not only both of you…' Frostic said and looked at the Kingdra and the Dragonite behind the Goodra and the Pokemon in the black armor suit, who seemed to be in awe after seeing the Kyurem before their eyes. 'But those two also had formed a pact with the Legendary Pokemon too… And if my sense is right…'
'FROSTIC!'
Two voices suddenly came out of Claura's Feather Brooch and Xavier's Scale Brooch, before two silhouettes of two Legendary Pokemon suddenly appeared from those Dragon Relics. This time, they were the silhouettes of a Reshiram and a Zekrom.
'I knew it…' Frostic said as he looked at the silhouette of the Reshiram and Zekrom. 'It's you two… Vastria… Zastra…'
'Do not speak so casually, Frostic!' Vastria spoke up.
'Right!' Zastra said. 'Frostic, we have never thought that we would have to meet you again!'
'Sadly… You two would never be able to escape from me…' Frostic said.
'Why you?!' Vastria and Zastra spoke.
"What's wrong with you, Vastria?" Claura spoke up. "Did you have anything against this Kyurem?"
"Yeah, you too, Zastra." Xavier spoke up.
'Yes, of course.' Zastra answered.
'However, we could leave it for later.' Vastria said as she shifted her attention to Zetarus, Rachael and Richard. 'You there, Garchomp, Latios and Latias'
"Us?" Zetarus, Rachael and Richard said as they pointed their paws at themselves.
'You there… I could sense too…' Zastra spoke.
'You all also had formed a pact with Legendary Pokemon too?' Vastria said.
"…" Zetarus, Rachael and Richard didn't say anything for a moment, and then they gave a short answer.
"Yes."
After they finished speaking, the crossroad fell into a moment of silence, as everyone here had just realized something…
Normally, it's very rare of an ordinary Pokemon to have a chance to form a pact with Legendary Pokemon, and even if they did form a pact, they would make sure to avoid meeting other Pokemon, or else they will have to risk of others finding who they were, and they would be cursed and damned for eternity…
But now…
Was it fate? A tide of destiny? A guidance of the god? Or something else?
That had led eight Pokemon here… At the crossroad…
And they were all…
"All of us here are the Pokemon who had formed a pact with Legendary Pokemon…"
To Be Continued…
Dragon of Vale: I am sorry if this chapter didn't turn out very good, as it was very hard to write. (From what I have planned, the sixth tail is the hardest tail to write.)
It could be said that this chapter is an important milestone, as it was the chapter that Rachael, Richard, Zetarus, Diego, Claura, Xavier, Anastasia and Baromyteus were brought to meet each others… But… What would follow this fated meeting? Or wouldn't it be a fate that brought them here? If that's so, then what brought them here?