A Dragon's Tail
Tail 6: Baromyteus' Tail - Deception
Tail 6-4: A Path to the Past
"Here we are…"
After finishing their morning activities such as breakfast and packing, eight Pokemon were now standing in front of a stone wall that's a part of a mountain range that divided Fireview Kingdom from Dustorm Empire. This stone wall was the location of the sealed cave that would lead them into a hidden path into the desert nation, however, the entrance of the cave was sealed and block by a giant boulder that seemed to be impossible to destroy with a power of an ordinary Pokemon…
"Not only the boulder, but the entrance of this cave was sealed by a very strong magic barrier…" Richard spoke up. "We won't be able to destroy it by using our power alone."
"I guess that's your method of saying what should we do…" Claura said. She then reached her paw to the Feather Brooch on her chest. "And I guess that I will do it myself…"
"I don't think so…" Richard spoke up again. "In order to effectively destroy the seal, we would need more than the power of a Legendary Pokemon…"
"… Are you suggesting that ALL of us should attack this seal at once?" Xavier asked.
"You guess it." Richard said. "Don't worry about the side effect of our action. I have calculated that there was no one around here to witness our decisive action, so we should be fine."
"Whatever…" Baromyteus spoke and reached his paw to the bracelet on his wrist. "Let's do it."
Everyone nodded to the words of the Shiny Haxorus, and then they touched their Dragon Relic, making them start glowing with a mysterious aura!
"I will go first!" Baromyteus said and drew out a mysterious purple light of draconic energy from his Dragon Relic and cloaked it around his swords, and then he picked his swords up, preparing for an assault!
"SPECIAL REND!" Baromyteus roared as he slashed his blades in front of him, creating two purple draconic energy waves that were emitting from the purple light that was cloaking his swords to attack the stone wall in front of him!
"Our turns! FUSION FLARE/FUSION BOLT!" Claura and Xavier roared as they summoned a ring of flame and a black cloud below and above the stone wall from their Feather Brooch and Scale Brooch respectively, and then the silhouettes of a Reshiram and Zekrom appeared from the ring and the cloud, respectively, creating a vortex of burning flame and a blast of clapping thunder that crashed with each other at the wall! "
"Zygarde, get your axs up! LAND WRATH!" Zetarus raised his claw with the Ring of Balance being worn upward and created several beams of green light that appeared beneath the stone wall and crumbled it!
"Frostic! I summon you! GLACIATE!" Diego roared as he raised his paw with the Ring of Ruins being worn upward and created several icicles that immediately pierced the stone wall!
"I need your help, Ilia! MIST BALL!" Rachael said, and the Mist Pendant started glowing with a misty aura and soon compressed into a single ball of mist before being launched at the stone wall!
"Make yourself useful for once, Lord of Blindness! LUSTER PERGE!" Richard said, and the Luster Pendant started glowing with a very bright aura and soon being launched at the stone wall!
"Please lend me your strength…" Anastasia prayed to her Dragon Relic, which, like Baromyteus' Dragon Relic, was a bracelet on her wrist, which was now glowing with an indigo aura. "ROAR OF TIME!" Anastasia released a huge beam of draconic energy at the stone wall!
"CRACCKKKKKK!"
Being assaulted by eight powerful, the stone wall, as well as the magical barrier, that blocked the entrance to the sealed cave was immediately destroyed and exploded into several piles of rubbish!
"WOOOHOOO!" Zetarus said. "That's one BIG explosion!"
"Anastasia, are you alright?" After finished using the power of the Legendary Pokemon, Baromyteus immediately turned his attention to his younger sister, who seemed not to be in a good condition. "You shouldn't do this and leave everyone to us…"
"N… No… D… Don't worry, brother…" Anastasia spoke with a shaking voice as she tried to catch her breath. "I will b… be fine…"
"What's wrong, Anastasia?" Rachael spoke up once she noticed that the Goodra didn't seem to be in a good condition. "W… Woah! What happened to you? Your face is pale! W… Wait a minute, I got this…"
"It's the side effect of her using the power of her Dragon Legend." Baromyteus answered as Rachael quickly grabbed a bottle of Stamina Potion and gave it to the exhausting Goodra. "Anastasia's Dragon Legend is a very powerful being, and when the power they lent to Anastasia was much more powerful than everyone else here. However, every time she summoned her Dragon Legend, she will suffer like this…" Baromyteus ended his speech with a small glance at his younger sister, who seemed to be much better after she consumed the potion that the Latias gave her.
"Thank you very much, Rachael…" Anastasia said as she handed over the empty bottle back to the Latias.
"That's not a problem at all!" Rachael said as she received the empty bottle back.
"Then…" Claura spoke up and turned her attention to the sealed cave, which was now wasn't sealed anymore. "Let's go, everyone. We will not going to the past."
"To the… past?" Diego spoke.
"You will understand soon." Xavier said. "Now, come on."
After finished speaking, Xavier and Claura entered the cave that was just unsealed, followed by Rachael and Richard. Once being assured that his sister was alright, Baromyteus and Anastasia followed the first four Pokemon into the cave too, leaving the Garchomp and the Mega Charizard X in front of the cave…
"Sigh…" Zetarus mumbled with his arms crossed. "How did I get myself into this sxxt?"
"Yeah, my feeling too." Diego nodded to Zetarus' words. "A few days ago, we were only a small group of wanderers which consisted of Rachael, Richard, you and me, and now, we have four more Pokemon, which made all of us a group of Pokemon who had formed a pact with Legendary Pokemon…"
"And I don't understand why we agreed to travel with them too…" Zetarus said. "We just want to get our butts into Dustorm Empire, but they didn't seem to do the same thing."
"Nevertheless, we agreed to travel with them… for the time being…" Diego said and started walking into the cave. "Come on, Zetarus."
"Hm." Zetarus nodded to the Mega Charizard X before he followed the Mega Charizard X into the cave. However, just before he entered the cave…
"?" Zetarus suddenly stopped walking and turned his head back, as if he was trying to find something or something caught his attention…
"What's wrong, Zetarus?" Diego asked.
"I think I felt that… someone is around here…" Zetarus said as he tried to look around, but other than Diego and six other Pokemon inside the cave, he couldn't find anyone else around here.
"What?" Diego said and looked around, but, like the Garchomp, he couldn't see anyone else around here too. "… Must be your imagination, Zetarus."
"What's the 'in-mage-jin-nation' thing? A nation where several mages live?" Zetarus asked.
"… Forget it." Diego said and headed into the cave.
"H… Hey! Wait for me!" Zetarus said and quickly followed the Mega Charizard X into the cave, leaving no one else around here…
Or not?
After everyone had entered the cave, a Pokemon who was hiding behind a rock not too far from the entrance of the cave slowly appeared from their hiding place. Their attention was now focused at the cave that everyone had just entered.
"…They…" The Pokemon mumbled with a soft and gentle voice. "… They must be…"
After standing still for several minutes, the Pokemon here decided to approach the entrance of the cave. They stopped a bit as they reached the entrance of the cave, which was almost impossible to see the inside of the cave…
"…" The Pokemon nodded to themselves before they started walking into the cave…
-Inside the Cave…
"This place is so dark! I can't see anything around here!"
"Watch out, everyone! Don't wander off and get yourself lost in this cave!"
"Right! I won't be responsible if any of us being left to wander in this darkness forever!"
"EEAGH!"
"Rachael, what happened?!"
"Something squishy touched my leg!"
"But you don't have legs…"
"EHAAAH!"
"Ouch! Stop clinking on me!"
"Oh! Sorry, Claura! EAHHH!"
"What's it this time?!"
"I saw it! A demon with red glowing eyes in front of me! AHHH! It's coming toward us!"
"… That's me."
"Oh! Sorry, Baromyteus!"
"Sigh…"
"HEY! Did someone touch my—ZETARUS!"
"What's wrong, Diego? Is this not enough for you? Do you want me to keep going until you—"
"GET THE FXXK OFF ME YOU FXXXXXG AXXXXXE BEFORE I FXXXXXG STAB YOU IN YOUR—"
"Stab me? I'd love to! Now let me turn around and—"
"FIRE PUNCH!"
"OUCH!"
"Sigh… Here we go…"
Suddenly, a ball of light was summoned from the Chronicle of Darkside, lightening up the cave. Despite the size of the ball, its light was enough for everyone to see their surroundings inside the cave.
"Thank you, Richard..." Anastasia sighed in relief after seeing the cave being illuminated. "Everyone alright?"
"Yeah, we are fine." Claura and Xavier said, and Baromyteus, who was standing beside the owner of the question, slightly nodded in response.
"Whew! That's was so scary…" Rachael sighed in relief too. She was right now standing next to her elder brother.
"Thank you SO MUCH for ending this bxxxxxxt…" Diego spoke with his arms crossed. He was right now standing next to someone who was collapsing on the floor of the cave, who was none other than Zetarus.
"Um… Zetarus, are you alright?" Rachael spoke and looked at the Garchomp, who seemed to be knocked out not too long ago.
"Aurrr…. So… painful…" Zetarus mumbled.
"That's what you got for messing up with me!" Diego spoke.
"What did Zetarus do to you, Diego?" Rachael asked innocently. "You say that he touched you somewhere on your body…"
"T… That's not…" Diego spoke with a shaking voice, and it anyone paid enough attention to the Mega Charizard X, they would see a red trail of blushing in his face.
"Did he try to bite your tail again?" Rachael asked.
"No! I mean—Y… Yes!" Diego answered, but he didn't look into anyone's eyes.
"What's wrong with you, Diego?" Rachael spoke. "You don't look so well…"
"I… I am fine, of course!" Diego said.
"Really?" Rachael said. "But I think that there's something strange about you…"
"W…WHAT?!" Diego said.
"That's right!" Rachael said. "Before Onii-chan lighted up the cave, I didn't see you anywhere, despite you having a flaming tail, and you also breathed two flames out of the sides of your mouth too!"
"That's because of the color of the flame, Rachael." Instead of the Mega Charizard X, it was the elder brother of the owner of the question who answered. "The flame of Mega Charizard X is blue because of the increasing heat, making the spectrum of light being—"
"I'm leaving." Baromyteus spoke and headed deeper into the cave, followed by the Goodra, Dragonite and Kingdra.
"H… Hey! Wait for us!" Rachael said and quickly dragged her elder brother (Who was still rambling about the spectrum of flame.) along with all of them.
"Come on, Zetarus." Diego spoke to the Garchomp, who was slowly standing up. "And no more that 'thing' again."
"Nope, sorry!" Zetarus spoke with a crafty voice. "You'd better watch yourself!"
"F…. Fxxk off!" Diego said before he followed everyone else deeper into the cave, with the Garchomp following him.
Now with the cave being illuminated, the journey into the cave was much easier and more convenient. However, despite being a cave that was sealed for the longest time, this cave was full with many baneful wild Pokemon, so everyone had to fight their way into the cave.
"Ugh! Why there are so many wild Pokemon here?!" Diego grumbled as he slashed a wild Golbat that tried to attack him with his Silver Naginata.
"Poor creature…" Anastasia said after she finished singing for Richard, who was tired after drawing many moves from the Chronicle of Darkside to attack the wild Pokemon. "Living here forever and unable to see the life…"
"Are you feeling sympathy?! YAH!" Claura said as she knocked out an Onix with her anchor, Niadni. "They are wild Pokemon! Your sympathy would be useless for them! All they need is a good strike on their skull!"
"DIG!" Zetarus roared and suddenly appeared from the floor of the cave to strike down the Onix in one hit.
"YAH!" Baromyteus slashed the head of the wild Steelix that tried to bite him apart from its body in a single slice with his blades. "I think this' all."
"This should be enough… for now." Richard said and closed the Chronicle of Darkside. "I couldn't sense any living creature within our range, so we should be fine for a time being."
"Hm!" Baromyteus grumbled and put his double blades back into his sheath.
"Hey, Baromyteus…" Diego spoke up and looked at the Pokemon in the black armor suit in front of him.
"What?" Baromyteus said with an unfriendly voice, as if to tell 'If you gonna ask me a stupid question, I'm gonna rip your body in half.'
"Your swords… were exceptional…" Diego said as he pointed at the sheathed blades of the Shiny Haxorus. "I have never seen the swords like that before in my life, especially since I am a gladiator who had a date with these things seven days a week."
"These things?" Baromyteus drew his weapons from their sheath again. It was a dual-swords that the Shiny Haxorus dual-wielded it as he sliced the body of his enemy apart. The handles of this dual-swords were made of sturdy material, and the blades seemed very sharp, as if they could cut through anything. However, unlike other swords that their blades were made of sturdy and inorganic material such as iron or steel, the blades of these dual-swords seemed to made of… bone?!
"Yes." Diego said. "What's the name of your weapon?"
"It's the Dragon Horn Swords." Baromyteus answered.
"Dragon Horn Sword? What a fitting name…" Zetarus spoke up. "The blades of these swords sure look like the horn of a dragon thought… despite most of us having none."
"But it looks a bit scary…" Rachael said and looked at Baromyteus' Dragon Horn Swords. "They seemed like they were made of bones…"
"You got it." Baromyteus said.
"W… What?!" Rachael quickly got away from the Shiny Haxorus. "A… Are you serious?! Are those swords really made of bones?!"
"Do I look like some kind of Pokemon who's going to joke around?" Baromyteus asked with a sinister voice.
"EEEHA!" Rachael quickly hid behind her elder brother. Luckily, she was saved when the Shiny Haxorus was asked another question by the Mega Charizard X.
"I see…" Diego spoke up. "It's quite fascinating to see a weapon being made of the bones. But… where did you get your weapons?"
"And what if I don't answer?" Baromyteus replied with another question.
"At least tell me what kind of bone this swords were made of." Diego said.
"Dragon Bones." Baromuyteus answered as he sheathed his swords again. "No more question. We must go now."
"R… Right…" Rachael said. "Let's go, Onii-chan… Onii-chan?!" Rachael turned her attention to her elder brother and realized that he seemed not to hear her words, as his attention was on something else…
"…" Richard was staring at the wall of the cave. With the light ball that illuminated the surroundings, it was now revealed that there was something on the wall of the cave!
"W… What is this?" Xavier said as he approached the wall of the cave, and then he realized that the thing on the wall of the cave was…
"Ancient Wall Painting?" Claura said.
That's right. There was an old painting on the wall. The tone of the color of the painting indicated that it had been painted for a very long time ago, but it was still possible to recognize the picture that was painted!
The picture that was painted on the wall was of a very large continent that was painted in the color of blood, as if the land was in the state of turmoil. However, the northern part of this continent was painted in the color of darkness, and in the shape of 'void'. Moreover, everyone could see a few pieces of that land being broken off the mainland. Thus, combining with the story last night, this indicated that the painting on the wall was the picture of…
"The Great Continent?" Anastasia said as she and everyone else approached the wall.
"Not just the Great Continent…" Diego spoke up. "It seemed like this was the Great Continent during… the Apocalypse…"
"Right." Richard spoke up. "The picture on this wall completely matched the event of the Apocalypse after War of the God II."
"Hey! Look there!" Rachael pointed her paw at something on the lower right corner of the painting. As everyone approached that spot, they could see that they were actually several words that were written in a very strange language that seemed like no one would be able to interpret it. However, for some reason, everyone here was able to understand those words…
'Follow the historical records of legend and it shall lead you back to the past.'
"What does that mean?" Anastasia said.
"… I think I know what does it mean…" Richard said and turned his attention to somewhere to the left of the painting of the Great Continent during the Apocalypse. Right there was another ancient painting!
"Another painting?" Everyone approached the second painting to the left of the first painting and realized that it was the painting of…
"War of the God II?!" Baromyteus said.
It was the painting of the clash between the army of non-dragon type Pokemon and the army of Dragon type Pokemon. Right above this painting was another painting, which indicated a clash between 18 Pokemon and a Dragon type Legendary Pokemon, which was non-other than…
"…Frostic, is that you?" Diego said.
'… If this is the painting of War of the God II, the Dragon type Legendary Pokemon there would most likely to be me, as I was the ruler of Kingdom of the Dragonking at that time, and 18 Pokemon that were fighting against me must be the Hero/ine of Legend…' Frostic answered via the Ring of Ruins.
"Fascinating…" Richard said. "It seemed like this was a series of ancient painting that indicated the event that had been happening in the past…"
As he spoke, Richard looked at somewhere to the left of the picture of War of the God II, and when everyone looked there, they saw another ancient painting!
"I understand now…" Claura spoke up. "Follow the historical record and it shall lead you to the past… This is what it mean…"
"So, it means that we should follow these painting, and it may lead us to the exit of this cave…" Baromyteus said.
Everyone nodded to the Shiny Haxorus' words, and then they decided to follow the series of ancient painting of the events in the past…
As they followed the series of ancient painting, they realized that most paintings here were mostly focused on Kingdom of the Dragonking, such as what happened to it, as well as its ruler in the past.
"… And this must be the picture of the 5th ruler of Kingdom of the Dragonking and his wife, which would later become the 6th ruler of the very same kingdom." Richard explained as they reached another painting. "The age of the 5th ruler of Kingdom of the Dragonking was also known as the Golden Age, as it was the age when Kingdom of the Dragonking was raised to its apex of prosperity and—"
"Spare your detail for later." Claura interrupted Richard's words. "Where's the next painting?"
The next painting was right to the left of the current painting. It was a picture of… pure black.
"No painting?!" Rachael said. "What does this mean?! Why there's nothing here except black?!"
"… Never mind this one." Baromyteus spoke, and then he walked to the left of the black painting, which then he found another ancient painting. It was the painting of…
"… I think you look too good in this painting, Zygarde." Zetarus spoke as he spot a painting of a Zygarde on the wall.
'…I will pretend that I hear none of your insulting words.' Zygarde answered via the Ring of Balance.
"So, this is the picture of Zygarde, who was the 3rd ruler of Kingdom of the Dragonking…" Richard spoke up.
"3rd? Wait a minute…" Diego spoke up. "We have just passed the painting of 5th and 6th ruler, but here we found the painting of the 3rd ruler of Kingdom of the Dragonking. I think that there's something missing—"
"Why did you have to waste your time with these nonsense stuffs?" Baromyteus interrupted Diego's words. "Drop it. We don't have the whole day for this thing."
After he finished speaking, Baromyteus walked toward the left of the painting of the Zygarde to the next painting, and Anastasia then hurriedly followed him.
"What's wrong with them?" Rachael said. "It's as if they are hiding something and don't want us to find out…"
"… Everyone has their own secret that they don't wish to share it with others…" Richard spoke. "Come on, Rachael. We're almost there…"
"Okay…" Rachael said as she and everyone else followed Anastasia and Baromyteus to the next painting.
"Wow!"
After passing following the series of ancient painting, everyone had made it to the painting that seemed to be the last one. It was, like the very first painting, the painting of the Great Continent. However, unlike its former counterpart, the Great Continent here was painted with the color of verdant, indicating that…
"… This must be the Great Continent when it was first created…" Anastasia said. "It seemed like a nice place for living…"
"… And it soon was ruined by them." Richard pointed his paw to something to the northeast and northwest of the painting of the Great Continent. In both places were the painting of two Legendary Pokemon, one to the northeast and one to the northwest. However, the painting of the Legendary Pokemon on the northwest was very faded, making it impossible to see which kind of Pokemon there. The painting of the Legendary Pokemon on the northeast corner, on the other hand, was still existed, and it was the painting of…
"… That must be the painting of Arceus." Diego spoke.
The painting to the northeast of the Great Continent painting was the painting of the Legendary Pokemon that looked like a four-legged creature with mostly-white fur except some parts such as their chest, tail, mane and face which all are striped black. Their feet have a golden strip along their legs. Their eyes are green with red pupil. The most outstanding feature they have is a golden cross-like wheel attached to their body by their abdomen.
'Yes…' Frostic spoke up. 'And, while almost impossible to be seen, the painting to the northwest must be the painting of the Dragon God for sure… And this was the time when they cooperated with each other in creating the World of Pokemon and the Great Continent…'
"And this would make it the last painting…" Claura spoke. "Which mean that the exit is not too far away…"
"…You are right." Xavier spoke up. "I can hear the sound of the wind, which told me that the exit is right here to the next corner!"
"Let's go…" Baromyteus said as he walked toward the exit of the cave, followed by Anastasia, Claura, Xavier, Zetarus and Diego respectively, leaving only…
"Onii-chan, let's go…" Rachael was about to follow everyone when she noticed that her brother didn't come with her. As she turned her attention back to the Latios, she realized that her brother seemed to be… lost in his own thought.
"Onii-chan, what's wrong?" Rachael approached her elder brother and asked a question. "It seemed like you are having something on your mind…"
"… It's not that a big deal…" Richard said. "I am just curious of something…"
"Curious? Something?" Rachael asked.
"First, while the last painting..." Richard looked at the painting of the Great Continent at its point of origin. "… is located right here next to the exit of the cave, why did the last painting is located in the middle of the cave instead of its entrance?"
"Now that you mention it, it's really strange…" Rachael agreed with Richard's question.
"Moreover…" Richard looked at the corner that would lead them to the exit of the cave. "… Is that really the exit of this cave?"
"What?!" Rachael said. "Don't tell me that this is a false exit?!"
"I didn't say that." Richard said. "What I said is that… Is this the exit of this cave… or the entrance of this cave? And the path we used to enter this cave… Is that truly the entrance of this cave? Or is it… the exit of this cave?"
"What do you mean?" Rachael asked.
"Rachael, when you start writing something on a paper…" Richard said. "Did you start it at the top of the paper, the middle of the paper, or the bottom of the paper?"
"Hm? What's with that question?" Rachael said. "At the top of the paper, of course? Why would I start writing something at the end of the paper… Wait!"
"You understand it, right?" Richard said.
"But this thing…" Rachael looked at the painting of the Great Continent. "It's the painting, not a writing, isn't it?"
"… Every picture conceals a hidden story within ifselves…" Richard said. "… And the words on the first painting we met proved it so."
"Those words? 'Follow the historical records of legend and it shall lead you back to the past.'?" Rachael said.
"I think it could be interpreted as if the writer of those words want the reader to find out about the past by following the series of events, from the latest event to the first event, like walking from the present to the past…" Richard said.
"But if that's so…" Rachael continued speaking. "Why did the one who drew those paintings on the wall had to draw the last painting in the middle of the cave? Shouldn't they draw the last painting near the entrance of the cave from the Stone Ravine?"
"… If I have to guess…" Richard spoke. "I would say that the painting of the Great Continent during the Apocalypse isn't the last painting of this series…"
"What?!" Rachael said. "Are there more paintings out there in this cave?"
"I don't think so." Richard said. "I guess that there should be more paintings of the event after the Apocalypse since it was already several thousand years since the time of the Apocalypse, but why didn't those paintings being drawn? I couldn't fathom…"
"…" Rachael didn't say anything after hearing her brother's words.
"And… one more thing…" Richard spoke up again. "At the first painting we met, there were the words 'Follow the historical records of legend and it shall lead you back to the past.' But here… Rachael, look over here."
Richard pointed his paw at something that was hidden in the lower left corner of the painting of the Great Continent. However, unlike other things on the very same wall, the things on the lower left corner were several words that were written in the very same handwriting as the words on the very first painting, and the words here could be read as…
'Follow the historical records of legend and it shall lead you into the future.'
-Meanwhile…
"Wow…"
Six Pokemon stood just outside the exit of the cave, looking at the scenery in front of their very eyes…
"I really have no word to describe this…" Xavier said.
What that had unfolded before their eyes truly made all of them speechless, as it was a vast and deep valley that spanned within a range that mountain that surrounded it and formed incomplete roofing above the valley. Moreover, the opening on the roofing of this valley was also covered with a strange gray mist. Overall, this valley was trapped by the range of mountain from the outside world, as it was completely inaccessible by any mean, except using a cave that linked it to the outside world…
"I have heard about the valley that existed in the western region of Dustorm Empire that's completely inaccessible due to it being surrounded by a range of mountain and an impregnable mist…" Diego spoke up. "Looking at the mist above the valley! We couldn't even see the sun from here!"
"But at least the sunlight was able to shine into here…" Anastasia said. "… Or else it would be almost impossible for them to live here…"
"Hm?!" Zetarus and Diego turned their attention to the Goodra. "Then? Live here? What do you mean? Is there someone living here, in this inaccessible place?"
"You will know soon." Instead of the Goodra, it was the Kingdra who answered their question. "And now, let's get going… Hm? Where're those Latios and Latias?"
"We are here." Rachael and Richard suddenly appeared from within the cave.
"What took you two so long?" Xavier asked.
"Onii-chan just wanted to study the ancient paintings a bit more, that's all…" Rachael answered.
"Why did you have to seek more knowledge? Especially since you already have the Chronicle that records everything in this world" Baromyteus asked.
"I know that…" Richard answered. "But my hunger for knowledge knows no bound, so I always seek to obtain every knowledge that's possible for me to learn, even in the different ways."
"Whatever…" Baromyteus said. "Cut it for now, you two. Let's go. We still have a way to go."
Eight Pokemon walked along a natural road into the 'Inaccessible Valley' of Dustorm Empire. Because this place was a natural valley that's void of any civil inhabitants, the path was very arduous and dangerous. A single misstep could lead any of them into the abyss below the path, so everyone must be extra careful during this journey. Luckily, over half of them were capable of flying, so they could proceed much easier than the rest that weren't capable of flying.
"Help yourself, Claura." Xavier spoke as they walked across a narrow path. "I am not going to help you since you are too heavy for me to carry you."
"WHAT?!" Claura roared. "You say that I am fat?!"
"Yes." Xavier answered with a nonchalant voice as he slowly flew away from the raging Kingdra.
"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE PUNK!" Claura roared and started chasing after her cousin, which was impossible for her to do as Xavier was now flying over the deep valley without any solid ground for her to stand.
"Sigh…" Baromyteus mumbled. "Couldn't you shut your good-for-nothing mouth for just a minute, Kingdra? I am so tired to you…"
"YOU SAY THAT I AM WORTHLESS?!" Claura quickly turned her attention to the Shiny Haxorus after she heard his words. She seemed to be consumed by a much greater rage than when she tried to chase after her own cousin.
"THAT'S RIGHT YOU SALTY SEAHORSE!" Baromyteus roared.
"SAY THAT AGAIN, I DARE YOU, YOU DRAGON JERKY!" Claura roared.
"Sigh…" Xavier mumbled as he safely landed on the solid ground beside Anastasia, who seemed to be worried after seeing her brother getting himself into another quarrel. "Isn't there any single day that both of them wouldn't act like a married couple?"
"MARRIED COUPLE?!" Baromyteus and Claura roared out at the same time after hearing Xavier's words, before they quickly got themselves back into their quarrel.
"DID YOU JUST ASSUME THAT WE ARE A MARRIED COUPLE?!" Baromyteus roared.
"WHO WOULD WANT TO GET MARRIED WITH A DRAGON JERKY LIKE YOU?!" Claura roared.
A SALTY SEAHOURSE LIKE YOU TOO! I BET THAT YOU WOULD BE SINGLE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!" Baromyteus roared.
"JINX YOURSELF, YOU JERK!" Claura roared.
Claura and Baromyteus continued their pointless quarrel as they continued walking along the natural path, with Xavier and Anastasia who tried their hardest to stop both of them. (Actually, only Anastasia since Xavier didn't try very hard to stop their quarrel.) Meanwhile, Rachael and Richard were hovering above the valley and indulged themselves with the majestic scenery of this inaccessible valley.
"This place is so grandeur!" Rachael said. "I thought that Stone Ravine was majestic enough, but it was NOTHING compared to this one!"
"Agreed." Richard nodded. "A hidden valley that no one had set their foot in for several thousand years… I could spend at least five years studying this place.
"Several hundred years?" Rachael looked at her elder brother. "How did you know about this?"
"Because of this…" Richard showed Rachael his Chronicle of Darkside. "This area was among several areas that were broken off the Great Continent. At first, this area was known as 'Omega Mountain' that was located at the center of the continent of Origia. Like this one, the Omega Mountain on the continent of Origia was completely inaccessible as it was surrounded by a range of mountain, as well as the eternal mist that covered its area, making it the most mysterious place on the continent of Origia. And, like the rest of the continent of Origia, it was merged with the continent of Mytherel and Luminus at the end of War of the God III and became an inaccessible part of the 'Brownhill Mountain', an area that later became the Stone Ravine following the end of the Fallen Crisis, and the area of old Omega Mountain became the inaccessible valley right here."
"Omega Mountain?" Rachael rephrased the former name of this location. "This made me think of… Gamma City."
"That's right." Richard said. "According to the Chronicle, the continent of Origia divided its area into several provinces that's name after the ancient alphabet. The Gamma City got this name as it was located in the part that was named 'Gamma' during its time on the continent of Origia. Of course, other than Gamma and Omega, there were several places that were named after the ancient alphabet, such as Alpha, Beta and Delta…"
"Alpha… Beta… Gamma… Delta…" Rachael rephrased four of five notable words that her brother said. "All of these… It reminded me… Of…"
Richard closed his eyes after hearing his sister's words. He knew what she was talking about, as he was also a part of them too… back there…
"Hey, you two."
The voice of the Garchomp snapped both Rachael and Richard. Both of them then quickly approached the owner of the voice, who was walking along the narrow path beside the Mega Charizard X.
"What's up, Zetarus?" Richard asked.
"Nothing. I am just… curious of something…" Zetarus said.
"Curious? You?" Richard spoke with a sarcastic voice.
"Just shut up and listen." Zetarus said. "You said that the cave we have just passed through is the cave that would lead us to the Dustorm Empire…"
"And it did." Richard said.
"Yes, it did." Zetarus said. "However, we ended up in the inaccessible area of the Dustorm Empire, not the desert area. So…"
"… I must admit that it was my mistake." Richard said. "Like all of you, I didn't know that that cave would lead us into the inaccessible area like this, as the Chronicle wasn't upgraded yet by the time I discovered about this cave, so I did not find out until Diego upgraded my Chronicle. Are you mad about this, Zetarus?"
"Not really…" Zetarus answered. "Despite that, if we want to go to the other area of Dustorm Empire, we would have to exit this place back to Fireview Kingdom and then find a new way to enter the Dustorm Empire…"
"But for now…" Diego spoke up and looked at Xavier and Anastasia, as well as Baromyteus and Claura, who was still in the middle of a quarrel. "Let's stick with these four. I have a feeling that this will lead us to something… eccentric."
"What's the meaning of that word? Ex-cen-tig?" Zetarus asked.
"…Forget it." Diego mumbled and followed Baromyteus, Anastasia, Claura and Xavier along the path, making Zetarus has to follow him, leaving Rachael and Richard behind.
"Onii-chan…" Rachael spoke up. "Can I ask you one more thing?"
"Go on." Richard said.
"You said that this area, as well as its former counterpart, the Omega Mountain, was completely inaccessible from the outside world, making no one know what's in this area…" Rachael said. "And now, since we are in this area, do you know what's hidden within this area for several thousand years?"
"… I don't know." Richard answered.
"What?! You don't know?!" Rachael was surprised by her brother's answer. "But didn't you have the Chronicle that has the record of everything in this world?"
"…Sometimes, it is better not to know something, as it would lead to a huge calamity…" Richard answered.
"Onii-chan?" Rachael looked at her elder brother.
"Those are the words that Lord of Blindness warned me when I formed a pact with him." Richard said. "He said that he indulged himself too far into the knowledge of the Chronicle, making him lost everything in the end, and he warned me not to follow the same mistake, or I may end up losing everything…"
"That's…" Rachael said, but her words were interrupted by a voice from Richard's Luster Amulet.
'Don't get yourself a wrong idea, Rachael' Holmer spoke up. 'I said that just because, if your brother indulging himself too far with the knowledge of the Chronicle, he will have his soul sealed within the Chronicle, just like me, and I will have to stay with this bastard for the rest of this Chronicle's existence.'
"And that's also enough for me to restrain myself from learning too much from this chronicle." Richard said. "Moreover, since we are right here, in the inaccessible area, we would be able to find out what's in this place soon, so I don't have to learn it in advance."
"That's true." Rachael said. "Oh! Everyone has already go that far! Hurry, Onii-chan, or we will miss them!"
Richard nodded to his younger sister's words, and then both of them followed everyone else along the path. Luckily, they were able to easily locate where they were, as the sound of Shiny Haxorus and Kingdra's quarrel was still echoed through the valley, making it easy for everyone to locate where the owners of those voices were…
And by 'everyone', it didn't limit to both Rachael and Richard…
After walking across the valley for a few hours, everyone had finally found themselves on a small plain that's located at the bottom of the valley. While the valley was very deep, everyone managed to find a pathway that safely led them to the bottom of the valley at last.
"… So, this is what the bottom of the valley looks like…" Claura said as she looked around the small plain at the bottom of the valley. (She stopped quarrelling with Baromyteus not too long before they reached the bottom of the valley.)
"This place is very dim, much dimmer than the area above…" Diego commended.
"Let's go, everyone." Baromyteus spoke up.
Everyone nodded to the Shiny Haxorus' words, and then they started walking across this plain…
However, just as they reached the middle of this plain…
"STOP RIGHT THERE! INTRUDERS!"
A voice suddenly echoed through the plain that Baromyteus, Anastasia, Claura, Xavier, Zetarus, Diego, Rachael and Richard were in. However, the owner of that voice wasn't the one among them, but it was…
"!"
Before everyone could act or say anything, a group of five Pokemon suddenly appeared from the hidden channel along the valley and surrounded everyone. All of them were wearing decent clothing and were equipped with weapons that were directed at everyone, indicating that none of them were either a wild Pokemon or an outlaw…
Moreover, other than not being a wild Pokemon, all five Pokemon that surrounded everyone also shared something in common…
All of them were the Dragon type Pokemon…
To Be Continued…
Dragon of Vale: I really like how this chapter turns out. To be honest, I am very satisfied with how every chapter in the sixth tail turns out…
And here… Everyone was surrounded by a group of Dragon type Pokemon! Who are they?! Why are they here in this inaccessible place? And what do they want from everyone?