Chapter 34:
Libertine
The Aggron handed Misty a large, locked, leather-bound book.
"These are my personal notes on my own research," Sage Eligio said to the teenage girl. "I gathered every shred of information that I could on our enemy. History, powers, the basics of what the Returned are and how they function, that sort of thing. It may not help you, but perhaps you'll find something worth the time it takes to read."
"Thank you," Misty said. "I'm sure it'll be very helpful."
"We need every bit of info we can get," Nyx added. "The better we understand the Traitor and his beasts, the more likely we are to survive an encounter with them."
"Especially if we don't have a powerful Sage to save our asses like last time." Aura slipped her pack onto her back. "Now, come on. We're gonna miss the morning boat if we don't leave now." She started to walk out of the cave's mouth.
"Wait," Eligio called to her. "I have a gift for you, too, young Aura."
"Hmm?" Aura half-turned back to look at him.
The Aggron walked up to her, placing a small metal object in her hand.
"I'm sorry it's not my most elaborate work, but it's the best I could manage in such a short time."
Aura looked at what he'd given her. It was a small dagger in a purple scabbard, the blade thin and no longer than three inches at most. The grip was tightly wrapped in a dark purple cloth, and the guard above it was minimal, just enough to make the distinction absolutely clear. Aura unsheathed it slightly, and the blade glistened softly in the moonlight.
"This from that metal I brought you?" Aura asked, returning the blade to its scabbard. If this is what he considers a mediocre rush job, I'd love to see what he considers his best. She slipped it into an interior pocket of her jacket, making a mental note to get a proper belt for it.
"And a little bit from my own stores so there was enough for a whole blade, yes." Eligio turned back towards the interior of the cave.
Ash walked from the shadows into view. He was rubbing at his eyes, Pikachu half-asleep on his head.
"Do we have to leave now?" He grumbled. "Can't we get some sleep first?"
"The Traitor will expect you to be recovering from claiming an Element," Eligio explained. "I'm very sorry, Ash, but you must leave now, while he doesn't expect it."
"Look." Aura pointed towards the lights in the distance, further down the barely-visible shoreline. "Dewford will only be a couple hours walk from here, if we keep a brisk pace. Maybe we can take a few hours to rest there while we wait for the morning boat to Slateport. Until we get there, though, we're putting ourselves and the entire Temple here in danger."
"I understand," Ash said quietly. "The last thing I want to do is put the Pokémon here in danger."
"I know." Aura's voice was barely audible. She turned around, and started to walk towards the shoreline.
"What did you say to her?" Misty asked, as she placed Eligio's journal in her backpack. "She's nowhere near as antagonistic towards you as usual lately. Or towards any of us, really."
"She s'll 'ates me wit' a burnin' passion." Jerzy leapt out of Misty's pack, and onto her shoulder.
"You don't count," Aura yelled back towards them. "I can hear you, by the way."
"We should probably go catch up with her." Misty started after the Lucario. "And, just what were you doing in there?" She added to the masked Rattata.
"Thank you for your hospitality!" Nyx gave Eligio a cheerful nod, before dashing after the others.
Ash hesitated.
"What is the matter, Chosen One?" Eligio asked the teenager.
"I…I don't know." He looked up, watching as the fast-moving clouds covered the moon, darkening his path. He lifted Pikachu off of his head, opting to just carry the Electric Pokémon in his arms. "I just…." He looked at the Aggron. "Thank you. I hope the Traitor never finds you or the Temple."
"So do I, Ash," Eligio said softly as the teenager dashed off after the others, catching up quickly. "So do I."
Do you feel that? Ash asked Hikaru.
I do, the ancient Sage-King's voice echoed softly in his head. It's like a…dull pressure on the back of your skull.
What do you think it is?
I'm not sure. Maybe it's just a lingering effect of the attack from earlier. The Returned presence tend to leave… emotional marks on the very land they tread for days. Even humans can sometimes sense that one has been by, even long after it's left.
Or, Hikaru changed the thought, it might just be the incoming storm.
The group had reached the shoreline. Aura took point, leading them towards Dewford, keeping the ocean close to her left. They were so close to the waterline, that some of the incoming waves reached their feet as they walked down the beach.
"Why are we walking so close to the water?" Nyx asked.
"The Traitor prefers flying Returned to swimming," Aura explained. "I heard him say so once."
"Wait, what?" Ash and Misty asked in unison.
"So, he's not likely to be attacking us from the water," she continued, ignoring them. "Unless he sent something flying across the ocean. In which case, we'd be likely to see it coming in time. Otherwise, we're keeping one side perpetually guarded without having to constantly watch it."
"You think about this type of thing a lot, huh?" Misty asked.
"Not really." Aura shrugged. She looked around with narrowed eyes as they started through a series of large rock formations that engulfed much of their path. "I used to use the walls of buildings for a similar purpose all the time. It eventually just became an instinct."
Rain started to fall, moderately but steadily. Ash and Misty raised their hoods, while Aura flicked her ears in annoyance.
"It's raining," Nyx stated the obvious. "I was hoping we'd make it to Dewford first."
"It's not natural." Aura tugged at her jacket.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked.
"I mean, this isn't a natural storm. Something is causing it."
"Maybe a Water Trainer is doing some midnight training nearby," Misty suggested. "I know that Rain Dance can cause…well, rain, obviously."
"No," Aura shook her head, sending drops of rain everywhere. "I know what Rain Dance feels like. This is…different. This is evil. I…I've been in rain like this before. I know this…." She stopped suddenly, freezing in place just at the exiting edge of the rock formations. Every muscle in her body was visibly tensed. "I know this presence."
"Aura?" Misty stopped and looked at the Lucario. She waved a hand in front of Aura's face. The Lucario didn't react at all, simply staring into the distance.
"Aura!" Ash grabbed her shoulder.
That got the Lucario to react, though only by jerking backwards out of his grip. She collided back into a large, tall boulder, and began to tremble against it, still with the same, wide-eyed expression.
"What's wrong with her?" Ash looked at Misty.
"I don't know—" She started, but was interrupted by Jerzy leaping off of her shoulder to the ground.
"What?" Ash blinked at him. The Rattata began digging furiously, half-burying himself in the sand. "The hell is his problem?" He looked at Nyx.
The Shiny Umbreon was standing a few feet behind them, half-crouched near the ground. His entire body was shaking, his ears flattened back against his head and eyes wide and twitching. He was chattering softly, his voice just audible but unintelligible.
"Nyx?" Ash knelt in front of him. "What is it?"
"Can't." A full word finally came through. "Can't. Can't see. Can't feel. Can't. Can't move. Can't."
"Pika!" Pikachu leapt up onto Ash's head. He looked around rapidly. "Pikapi!"
"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked.
"I feel…cold." He explained."And dark. And scared. It's like it's trying to freeze every cell in my body."
"But, what is it?" Misty asked.
"It's called Blood Fear," A velvet voice called from somewhere above them. "It's a little trait I picked up over the years. Stops most dead in their tracks, humans and Pokémon alike."
I know that voice, Ash recalled the Ghost Test. Hikaru. Hikaru, is…?
Yes. It's him.
Ash, Misty, and Pikachu all looked up at the speaker. He was seated casually on top of one of the tallest of the rock formations at the border. A tall man, appearing to be no older than his early twenties. He was mostly in black, his suit and dress shirt contrasted by the dark red tie, all barely visible under his long, black cloak, which flowed slightly in the breeze. His long, straight, dark red hair was tied back in a tight ponytail. His dark teal eyes seemed to glow, piercing through the darkness to be visible, even from at least ten feet above them. He even wore the same steel-tipped boots the Echo had in the Temple.
"It's…" Misty started, staring.
"Moonsbane," Ash practically growled, just as Hikaru echoed the name within his head. "The Traitor."
"Ah, so you do know!" He said with a smirk. "Good! We can skip the pleasantries then." He leapt down, landing a few feet in front of them without injury, kicking up some sand from the force of the fall. "I'm sure you remember my newest pet?"
The sand a few yards behind Moonsbane erupted. The Ancient didn't even react, even as Ash and Misty stumbled backwards from their shock, as the Returned Charizard emerged from the ground.
"We've been waiting for you," Moonsbane said, scratching the underside of the beast's jaw when it approached him. "Though, I have to admit, you're earlier than I expected. I thought I'd have to wait at least another couple of hours before you passed by."
"So, you were just going to sit up there in the rain?" Ash raised a brow. "For hours?"
Moonsbane gave a low chuckle.
"When you're as old as I am," he explained, "a few hours are easy enough to wait. And, the rain doesn't bother me in the least. I summoned it."
"Why?" Ash asked.
"What can I say? I have a taste for the dramatic, and this is the first time we've met, Chosen One."
Technically, Ash thought to himself.
"Hello." Moonsbane directed his attention to Pikachu, still atop his Trainer's head. "You're not paralyzed with the Blood Fear. Curious." He looked over at Misty. "And, neither are you." He looked at Ash. "Certainly you aren't really so stupid as to bring a weak human around with you, not when you knew I was out here, waiting. Not when you've already had to face one of my beasts." He gave the Returned another scratch, on the brow. "Or, is your girlfriend really so—"
"She's not my girlfriend," Ash retorted automatically, at the same time as Misty similarly did. Despite the words, the memory of the kiss flickered, unbidden, in his mind, and he felt heat spread across his face.
"Right." He looked at the Returned Charizard. "Hold the boys."
With a roar, the monster threw itself at Ash, grabbing him and Pikachu in each hand. It slammed them against one of the irregular stone pillars. Ash struggled in the grip, but the monstrous claws had his arms completely pinned, and he could barely even see Pikachu's ears poke out from under the other hand.
"Well, if the Fear won't keep you out of my way," Moonsbane turned to Misty, "I'll just have to do it myself." He pulled a large, double-headed battleaxe out from under his cloak. The blade was highly decorated in elegant carving. Moving faster than Misty could even see, he pushed her backwards into another boulder, pinning her against it with his free arm.
"Misty!" Ash yelled, struggling as hard as he could against the Returned's grip.
Moonsbane raised the axe. "The question is whether I should just kill you now, or incapacitate you to use your blood later."
"If you harm so much as—!" Ash started.
"How about a third option?" Misty interrupting, causing both men to pause for a second. She then kneed Moonsbane hard in the groin.
The Ancient stumbled backwards with a snarl of pain. Released from his grip, Misty took the opportunity to push him further away while he was still caught off guard.
"And, can you please try breath mints?" Misty asked, as she put distance between him and her, reaching back into a pocket of her pack and pulling out a Pokéball. "Politoed! Get that thing off Ash with a Bubblebeam!"
"TOED!" The green frog Pokémon materialized in a burst of light. "Poli! Politoed!" She obeyed the command, the attack hitting the Returned on its head.
The beast roared, releasing its captives as it reared back in clear agony.
"Thunder!" Ash yelled instantly.
"Pikaaaa-chuuuuuuu!" Pikachu obeyed, bolts of the electricity cackling dangerously in the rain around the Returned Charizard.
The monster roared, before spitting a burst of black flame at the Electric Pokémon. Pikachu leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, which instead scorched a pillar of stone, turning the pale brown color to that of charcoal.
"Water Pulse!" Misty shouted.
"Thundershock!" Ash added, as he pulled a Pokéball from his pack's outer pocket. While the Returned struggled under the force of the first two attacks, Ash tossed the 'Ball. "Gible! Join with a Draco Meteor!"
The small, blue Dragon Pokémon materialized with a roar, his body glowing orange. Before it landed on the ground, Gible shot a ball of orange light from his mouth up into the sky above Moonsbane and the Returned. Distracted by the light, they both glanced up at it, just in time to watch as it broke into smaller chunks and rained down upon them. They both snarled in pain.
"Enough!" Moonsbane snarled. His eyes flashed a bright, glowing red for a split second. "Get them out of my way!"
A loud screech from above heralded the sudden arrival of a second winged monstrosity, this one apparently having once been a Fearow. This Returned landed practically on top of Misty and Politoed, pinning both under its jagged talons. Despite their struggle, they were held firmly against the sand.
"Misty!"
"And the runts." Moonsbane wiped a small amount of blood off of the broken corner of his mouth.
The Returned Charizard grabbed both Gible and Pikachu before either could react, slamming them both against one of the rock formations.
"I've humored you long enough, little Trainer," Moonsbane said in what sounded like a growl. He walked with a clear swagger towards Ash. "Now, you have something of mine." He grabbed Ash by the front of his shirt, effortlessly lifting him just above the ground. Moonsbane then slammed him back against one of the stone pillars. With a flick of his wrist, a hunting knife slid into his free hand from under his sleeve. He lifted the blade up to Ash's forehead.
Ashura! Hikaru's voice echoed in Ash's head.
Before the Traitor could use the knife, they were both blinded by a burst of light. They both looked—as well as they could through a squint—at the source.
What had once been Gible—trapped under the Returned Charizard's claws—was now a glowing figure, its changing form slowly forcing the monster's hand away.
"Typical," Moonsbane said in a low voice.
The light faded, revealing the newly-evolved Gabite struggling against the force of the Returned Charizard's talons, pressing against them with his own claws.
"Dragon Pulse!" Ash yelled. He didn't watch as Gabite unleashed a torrent of purple flame on the monster. Instead, he looked back at Moonsbane. He focused on the flow of Elemental energy from his left hand, mentally calling upon the Ghost Element. He scratched at Moonsbane's face with the black aura of Shadow Claw. The ancient man let go of Ash, stumbling backwards.
"Damn!" He snarled. "So, you think you can fight, boy?" Behind him, Gabite and the Returned Charizard were busy breathing bursts of purple and black flame at one another, narrowly missing with each attack, turning the rain around them to steam. "You think you can so much as hold your own against me? I killed the most powerful Sage that ever walked the Earth!" He slammed one fist against a stone pillar to his right. The rock trembled from the blow, which left a cracked crater behind. "I killed Hikaru with a single strike! What hope do you have, child?"
Ash looked at him, dark blue eyes locking with teal. He could feel a chill emanating from his own bones. Terror surged through him, threatening to paralyze his every muscle. Is this what the Blood Fear feels like?
Ashura.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"I'm the Chosen One," he said simply. He balled his fists, his mind racing through all the attacks he knew in the Elements he had access to. Should I use Fighting? Poison? Steel? More Ghost? He tried to think, as Moonsbane leapt at him.
Before the ancient could make contact, however, a large, metallic blur struck him, sending Moonsbane flying. The man crashed into the sand, sliding several yards, ending up half-buried.
"And!" The newcomer boomed as he came to a stop, kneeling slightly against the sand. "He's not alone!"
"Eligio!" Ash gaped at the Aggron. "How—?"
"I sensed something was wrong when it started to rain," he trudged towards the Returned Fearow, "and when I heard that roar, I knew." He grabbed the monster by the beak, forcefully pulling it off the girls before spinning around and tossing the beast with great force into the distance over the ocean. "Are you alright?" He helped Misty to stand.
"I think I twisted my knee." She stumbled slightly. Politoed aided her trainer in finding her balance.
"I hate saying it," Eligio said, "but we need to keep you out of the fight."
"I can—!"
"I'm sure you can," Eligio cut off her retort. "But, I doubt that even all of us fighting will accomplish anything more than holding him at bay. It's going to take a miracle to actually fight him off."
"But you just tossed a Returned into the ocean like it was nothing!" Ash pointed out, jumping out of the way as Gabite leapt past him while dodging a flame attack from the mutated Charizard.
"That was just a monster," Eligio said, turning to look at where Moonsbane was staggering to his feet. The ancient was shaking chunks of wet sand from his face and hair. "It's much different when you're against the monster." He walked over to the still paralyzed Nyx, picking him up and placing him next to Misty. "See if you can break the Fear's hold on him, or the young Lucario there, while we buy some time." He picked up Pikachu, who looked mildly battered and exhausted, but looked largely unhurt. "And we should probably keep him from getting severely injured, too."
"…Okay."
"Did somebody mention a Lucario?" A male voice spoke, the figure materializing between them.
"Erasmus?" Eligio addressed the male Lucario. "I thought I left the Temple on complete lockdown."
"You did."
"You can Teleport?" Ash had a flash of recognition.
"I can." Erasmus looked at Ash. "I could sense the Traitor, and knew I had to fight." He looked over to where the ancient was slowly stalking towards them, his eyes glowing a dark red. "You see," the Lucario said, charging an Aura Sphere, "I'm from a different Order than the Temples; he can't Fear me." He tossed the Sphere.
Moonsbane calmly raised his hand, grabbing the Sphere like a baseball and causally tossing it to the side.
"Your name is Erasmus?" He approached the Lucario. "I remember you."
"Damn," Erasmus muttered.
Eligio roared, before glowing with a golden aura and launching himself at Moonsbane. The Double-Edge attack slammed the ancient against one of the rock formations, which groaned under the pressure. Moonsbane struggled, attempting to force Eligio back, but the Aggron's sheer weight and strength managed to keep him pinned.
"Maybe between the two of us," Erasmus turned to Ash, "we can hold the Traitor and his pet off while you and the others to escape to Dewford." He readjusted his blue ascot. "After all, it's not like he still can—duck!" He cut himself off, forcing Ash to bow his head just before Eligio flew through the air above them. The Aggron hit a stone formation, breaking it into two. Everyone who was still lucid turned and looked at Moonsbane.
The ancient's hand was still raised in the fist that had sent the Sage soaring. The sheer strength of the blow wasn't what caused their collective gasp; it was the blue aura that was fading from his fist and forearm. Even Moonsbane looked at his hand for a long moment, his expression dumbfound.
"He can use the Elements again," Erasmus breathed. "I don't understand."
Moonsbane's eyes flashed red.
"Pull back," he said in a calm tone. The Returned Charizard broke off from its skirmish from Gabite, flying high up into the sky and hovering in the vertical distance. Gabite turned and looked at Moonsbane in confusion. The ancient locked eyes with the Dragon-type Pokémon, his eyes flashing red again. Gabite tensed, trembling from the Blood Fear.
"Gabite!" Ash yelled.
Ashura, Hikaru's voice echoed in his head. We may be in trouble.
"Erasmus," Moonsbane snarled, turning to the Lucario, before striding up to him. "I remember you. Your disguise is insulting. You know better than to fight me." He grabbed Erasmus's ascot, pulling him closer. "You taught us to deal with the biggest threat first, right?" Moonsbane raised his free hand to Erasmus's chest. "I always was your best student." In a flash of blood, a beam of orange light ripped through Erasmus from Moonsbane's hand.
Ash stared.
"No!" Eligio barked, as he stumbled back to his feet.
Moonsbane dropped Erasmus's lifeless body.
Ashura! Hikaru echoed again. I can fight him off, if you grant me the use of your body.
Uh, Ash hesitated, looking from the corpse to the Traitor.
Moonsbane turned to look directly at Ash.
Decide quickly.
Do it! Ash told him.
Thank you, Hikaru's voice echoed with a greater depth than before. Ash felt the flow of energy from the Elemental Orbs at his left hand as it surged through his entire body. He felt his hands form fists and his body take a fighting stance. The stance felt alien, though the overall sensation made him think of when he inhabited memories during Tests.
"Ashura," Hikaru said in a low voice, through Ash's. There was a weight behind his words that Ash didn't naturally have. Ash couldn't see it, but his eyes were glowing a bright red.
"Hmm?" Moonsbane tilted his head in mild curiosity. "I know that stance. Looks weird on a human, but…."
Hikaru raised Ash's hands to form and toss a Shadow Ball at the ancient. It hit him square on the chest, making him stumble backwards.
"I knew it!" Moonsbane said.
Ash vanished from sight.
"Where'd he go?" Misty asked, looking around. Nyx's limp, still emotionally stunned form was in her arms.
Eligio let out the loud screech of a Metal Sound. Moonsbane clenched his eyes from the sudden sound. Nyx and Aura gasped in unison, snapping out of the Blood Fear's trance at the same time.
"Huh?" Nyx breathed as the sound stopped.
"What's going on?" Aura muttered, clenching her head.
Ash reappeared right behind Moonsbane. Through him, Hikaru punched the Traitor with the dark purple energy of Shadow Force. He lurched forward from the force of the attack, before pivoting on one foot to turn and face the Chosen One.
"Hikaru!" He snarled. "I should have known that you'd find some way to stave off death. Coward!" He struck out with an Arm Thrust.
Hikaru made Ash dodge the attack, before striking back with another Shadow Claw.
"And, you're still a huge fan of the Ghost Element I see." Moonsbane chuckled. "Fitting for the undead, I suppose. But," he added, pulling on his cloak, "why wouldn't you use Dragon Breath or Dragon Pulse? You used to be nearly unstoppable with those."
He knows that if I try to use an Element you don't have, I might burn you out, Hikaru echoed in Ash's mind. It could even kill you. I don't know how he could know that, though.
"Shut up," Hikaru spoke with Ash's voice. He raised one hand, effortlessly tossing an Aura Sphere right at Moonsbane's chest, sending the ancient flying again. "Your words have long since become a waste of the oxygen required."
Though, I can't stay in control for much longer, anyway, Hikaru added. I can already feel your body starting to strain under the pressure my spirit currently puts on it. We may still be in trouble.
"Moonsbane?" Aura muttered as she watched Hikaru—through Ash—continue the rough skirmish with the Traitor. "I…"
"Can you help them?" Misty asked, looking back and forth between her and Nyx.
"My body still feels tense from the Fear," Nyx admitted. "I doubt I can do much."
"Aura?"
The Lucario pulled her new dagger from her jacket. She unsheathed the blade, staring at the reflective surface.
"I can do better than that." She made a small cut on her arm, blood seeping down from it.
"Aura?" Misty breathed.
"I just need a few moments," she insisted, pressing her opposite hand against the wound.
Moonsbane kicked at the possessed Ash, the ancient's foot glowing with a white aura. Hikaru made him dodge the Mega Kick, the motion fluid, just before he suddenly lurched. Ash stumbled to his knees.
Hikaru? Ash felt control of his body being surrendered back to him.
I…can't. Your body…can't…take more.
"A false Lucario couldn't save you," Moonsbane said, pressing his foot down on Ash's shoulder, forcing the teenager to bend over and face the ground. "A dead Lucario can't make you into a warrior skilled enough to beat me. That's two failures from the same damn species—Aaagh!" He snarled in frustration as he was cut off by something splashing against his face. Ash looked up to see that it was blood that was splattered across his eyes. They both looked back to the others.
Aura stood in front of the group, her teeth bared in a deep growl, her hand still outstretched from using her own blood as a projectile weapon.
"I guess the third time's the charm!" She snapped.
"You…" Moonsbane hesitated, wiping a small bit of blood onto his fingers and bringing it to his nose. "You're awfully big for a…" His eyes widened, recognizing her either by sight or smell—or perhaps both. "No! I killed you! You're dead!"
"Yeah, not so much." Aura gave a dark chuckle. "I am the daughter of Arcanus! Only a true Elemental Master could ever hope to kill me!" Her expression twisted to mad glee.
Moonsbane's face fell to confusion, before morphing to clear terror. He didn't speak, instead unleashing a Metal Sound attack even louder and higher-pitched than those from earlier. It overwhelmed the others' senses, causing all of them to clench their heads and close their eyes in pain. When it faded, Ash was able to recover just in time to watch as Moonsbane flew off on the back of the Returned Charizard, disappearing over the ocean and into the distance.
"Coward," Aura snarled. She tore the sleeve of her jacket clean off, wrapping the leather straps around her new wound. "I knew that would make him run."
"Why?" Eligio asked. "He could have easily killed us all, despite what you said."
"Yeah." Ash's voice was barely audible. He looked at the corpse of Erasmus, forever stuck in the form of a Lucario, a gaping hole clean through his upper torso.
"Because," Aura stared in the direction he'd gone, "I taught him something important; he's not as infallible as he thought. He couldn't kill me. And now that has brought him two emotions he likely hasn't felt since he was properly human."
"What emotions?" Misty asked.
"Doubt. Fear. And I now embody both for him. I don't expect him to attack us directly for a good while, not until he finds a covert way to break me."
"Regardless," Eligio interrupted, "you must get to town and across to Slateport as soon as you can."
Aura found Jerzy, half-buried in the sand, only his head and tail visible. The masked Rattata was staring at Erasmus's body. She pulled him up by the tail before placing him on top of her pack.
"He's right; we can't let this change our plan."
"What happened to him?" Nyx asked, nodding towards the body.
"Moonsbane, I assume," Aura said.
Ash and Misty exchanged a look.
"Yeah."
Ash took Pikachu from Misty, the Electric Pokémon taking his usual place on his trainer's shoulder. Ash then recalled Gabite to his Pokéball, as Misty recalled Politoed to hers.
"Can someone carry me?" Nyx looked at the ground, away from the others.
"I can't," Misty admitted. "I think I twisted my knee before."
"I'll carry Misty," Aura offered. "Ash, you get Nyx."
"…Okay." Ash cautiously picked up the Shiny Umbreon.
"Was I really Feared for the entire fight?" Nyx looked up at him.
"Yes," Aura spoke before he could. "Don't feel guilty; I've seen far more hardened warriors be paralyzed by it." She helped Misty climb onto her back, Jerzy getting out of the way to climb on top of the Lucario's head. Once she was secure, Aura started to walk towards town, before stopping and glancing back at Eligio. "What about… him?"
"I will take our fallen friend back to the Temple; I will personally see to it that he gets a proper funeral."
"Who even was he?" Misty asked. "I mean, that Moonsbane considered him the greatest threat? And," she turned to Ash, "what the hell happened to you during that fight? You seemed possessed."
I will explain, Hikaru echoed in Ash's head, once we're on our transport to Slateport. I should be mostly recovered by then, and it will give you time to regroup, as well.
"I'll explain when we're on the boat," Ash relayed the message. "It's…a long story."
"Let's go," Aura said, starting towards the town again. "Let's try to get this nightmare behind us."
…
…
Gyles woke with a start. His breath came is ragged bursts, and he felt chills as they traveled in waves down his back. He sat upright, clenching at his forehead. He struggled to regulate his breathing again.
"Are you alright?"
Gyles turned sharply to face the voice. Delia was sitting back against a tree, on the opposite side of the dying campfire. She was casually whittling a bit of a tree branch into some abstract form.
"Uh," Gyles stammered, adjusting to his return to reality. "Yeah. Fine."
"You haven't been sleeping well," Delia stated as a mere observation, with no hint of what emotion lay behind the words.
"I usually don't." Gyles pulled himself upright into a kneel, facing away from her. "Curse of growing up in the Team."
"…I see." Delia looked over her shoulder, towards the mountains in the distance. "Well, we'll be at my friend's tomorrow; she'll likely be able to help you, at least a little. She has this weird way of performing miracles like that."
"Well, it would take a mir—!" Gyles cut himself off, turning sharply to look into the woods.
"What is it?" Delia stopped whittling to look in the same direction, squinting to try to see whatever it was.
"Someone is coming," Gyles said.
"Relax, Gyles." A male voice accompanied the figure emerging from the forest's shadows. "If I wanted you dead, you already would be. Both of you."
"Vidar?" Gyles stood up. He narrowed his eyes at him. "What are you doing out here?"
"I'm just on my way back from a mission." Vidar, as Gyles called him, was a tall, lean man in a white dress shirt with a black vest and slacks, and a dark purple tie. His face was nearly covered in bandages, with only his lower jaw and dark teal eyes visible. His long, dark red hair was tied back in a loose braid.
"Who is this?" Delia stood up. Her knife was sheathed back on her belt, and her hand was hidden in her jacket. Gyles assumed that she was grabbing the gun she kept hidden, somewhere in there.
"Relax, D." Gyles raised a hand calmly. "He's right; if he meant us harm, he'd have hurt us before we knew he was there. This is Vidar. He's in the Team, a personal agent of the boss."
"What type of agent?" Delia didn't relax.
"Assassin," Vidar said in a disinterested tone. "For the most part."
"So, what?" Gyles asked. "You saw I was over here and just decided to come say hi?"
"In case you haven't noticed," Vidar raised his hands, revealing that they were both completely bandaged, the cloth also wrapping part way up each arm, "I'm more than a little injured." He lowered his arms. "I was just looking for a safe place to lay low for a few days while I recover. And, I figured you and your company would be safe enough for the night."
"I suppose it wouldn't be good for Madame Boss's top assassin to return in any sort of vulnerable state." Gyles turned to Delia. "I don't know if our destination would be safe for you, but…"
Delia looked at him for a long moment, before turning back to Vidar.
"My friend is not going to like him," she still refused to speak to him directly. "And, to be honest, he creeps me out."
Same, Gyles thought. But, I know better than to tell him. The second he doesn't have a reason to keep me alive, he'll probably try to kill me. I'm just trying to delay that confrontation.
"But," Delia continued, "if he's injured, then she'll probably be willing to allow him to stay until he's healed."
"It's safe?" Vidar asked.
Delia pulled her handgun out from under her jacket. She twirled it once, before holding it securely, the muzzle pointed harmlessly at the ground. She looked at Gyles.
"As long as you don't cause trouble, the Keep is one of the safest places I've ever been to." She coughed. "If you do, though, it's the most dangerous." Contempt dripped from the last two words.
"I think that's about as much of a confirmation you're going to get."
Vidar nodded. "Well, I don't want to be a complete burden. Allow me to go get some more firewood, before the fire goes completely out." With that, he vanished back into the shadows of the forest.
"There goes any chance I had of sleep." Delia sighed.
"No kidding," Gyles agreed. "I don't trust him, and I know a certain Lucario who won't be happy when he returns from his patrol." He hesitated. "But, I know better than to cross him. He was already dangerous before he meet the Boss and her top Elites. I doubt she has any real control over him; he's likely working for her out of personal amusement. Or, there's something else in it for him. Vidar's apparently been a highly-skilled assassin for a couple decades, now."
"Decades?" Delia echoed. "He hardly looks older than us!"
"Exactly." Gyles looked at her. "There is something inherently wrong about him. Even most Pokémon instinctively hate him; probably why he doesn't have any."
"Well, my friend will certainly not allow for any…shenanigans."
"On the upside," Gyles admitted softly, "if he does get himself killed by her, at least I'll finally be able to sleep a little better."
"I think the world would sleep better."
I don't doubt that, Gyles thought, leaning back against a tree trunk and preparing himself for a long, restless night. I don't doubt that at all.
…
…
A/N: In celebration of the announcement of the Ruby/Sapphire remakes, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, have this week's chapter a week early!
WE WILL BE GETTING SOME ANSWERS NEXT CHAPTER I PROMISE.