"-eno! Wake up, Zeno!"
"Ugh..." I groaned as my eyes flickered open to see N looking frantic as he crouched over me. My side hurt and my head was pounding. But I was alive. Judging by the constant rumbling sound and the entire castle shaking around us, we didn't have long to keep it that way.
Groggily, I took N's outstretched hand and he helped pull me to my feet. Part of the ceiling collapsed, covering up the gigantic hole the frigate had blown open. Around us my Pokemon were all either unconscious or too injured to do much. Grimacing, I returned them all to their pokeballs.
"We need to get out of here," I said, stumbling towards the throne room doors.
"Here," N lifted my arm and placed it around his shoulder. He looked back at his Pokemon, all of them unconscious.
"They need a Pokemon Center," I told him.
"I know," he said, voice empty.
"You know that the only way to get them there is by-"
"I know!" N shouted before squeezing his eyes shut. "I... I know." Feeling pity for him, I passed him several pokeballs. He stared down at them, then at me, before hobbling us over to his fallen comrades, capturing each of them in the round devices. After hearing another distant rumble and the dust from the ceiling fell on us, I nudged him.
"They'll be okay," I reassured him. "Plus, Ghetsis didn't entirely get what he wanted."
"He took both the Dragons," N said bitterly.
"He did," I smirked as we hurried as best we could towards the throne room doors. "But pokeballs come with a safety feature. Pokeballs registered to a trainer's ID can be locked by said trainer and only they can unlock it. It's one of the hardest things to hack, and that's before Robert personally upgraded them. I'm uh, sorry, but that pokeball I gave you is registered to me. On the bright side, only I can open them. Ghetsis, even Colress, cannot. Hopefully. They'll need me."
"Why would you-?!"
"Because," I said as we stumbled through the large double doors. "It was the only option left."
He didn't say anything as we hurried out into the hallway. Rubble littered the grand hallway, hindering our escape. The castle shook again and lurched slightly, nearly causing the both of us to fall.
Cursing silently, I helped N stay upright. "Are your people still in here?"
"I hope not," N said as we stumbled onwards towards the stairs in the distance. "We have strict evacuation protocols in place in case of an emergency, but..." He looks stricken. "If there are still people and Pokemon still in here, trapped, then-"
"We don't have enough time to go looking," I said, each word feeling like poison. It was wrong. "And we aren't in any condition to do it either. Heck, I don't even know if we're getting out of here in one piece."
"Better me than them," N said bitterly. "Father, how could you do this? What happened to our dream?"
"Don't think about it," I told him, grunting in pain as N stumbled on a chunk of broken ground. "Not now at least. First let's just focus on getting out of-"
A resounding boom shook the entire castle, lurching us sideways as huge chunks fell from the ceiling. I practically tackled N to the ground as a piece hit the ground where we'd just been standing. The floor cracked, jagged lines spreading across the hallway.
"This castle rose out of the ground, correct?"
"Y-yes," N answered, wincing as we pulled ourselves to our feet as the cracks began widening and the hallway tilted dangerously.
"That would mean it has supports below, and Ghetsis probably damaged them," I grunted as I tugged him along, fresh adrenaline coursing through me as I realized the full amount of danger we were in. "Come on!"
We broke into a hobbled run before the ground split open a meter's width and the castle tilted forward. Our feet lifted from the ground before we began sliding down the debris strewn ground. Pain flashed in multiple areas as we hurtled towards the stairwell. Finding N's arm with my left hand and latching on, I swung out my right hand, crying out as I gripped the corner of the stairwell for just a moment before we fell and hit the wall. My breath was driven from my body and N had to push us aside as chunks of debris fell and dented the wall.
Together, we scrambled for the stairs that would have led down, but now led slightly up. We climbed, pulling ourselves up and onto the walls. The ground had now become too slanted for us to traverse.
"How are we supposed to get out of here?" N's voice was full of despair. He looked broken. I could relate to him. Everything he had ever known and valued, tossed aside and left to the scavengers because of the one who he had thought he could trust betrayed him.
"We climb," I said before slamming my dislocated shoulder into the wall, snapping it back into place with a grunt. Blinking away tears, I stumbled forward and dug my hands into the cracks on the floor that was now a tilted wall, and began to climb. With apprehension in his movements, N soon followed. It was slow going, too slow, and dangerous.
"This is ridiculous," N gasped out as he was forced to swing his body to one side to avoid a chunk that had broken loose from up ahead that had fallen towards him.
"This is just another Tuesday for me." I helped pull him up to another handhold. "Not that it gets any easier-!" I flattened myself as several chunks fell by, one clipping me on my already injured shoulder and making me lose my grip. Still holding on with one hand, I struggled to lift my other into place. Then I became weightless and I found my hold on the wall disappear.
"ZENO!" I heard N yell before suddenly my descent stopped. I blinked and found that I was being suspended midair by a pink psychic aura. Raising my gaze, I could see Alex's Ninetales perched on ledges near the next stairwell.
More Pokemon appeared from the stairwell, a Leavanny falling down upon a web. She swung strands of string around both of us before a Throh and a Sawk began hauling us up.
"Leavanny," N reached out a hand towards her, brushing her cheek which she leaned into. "Throh, Sawk..."
"You know them?"
"They're... some of the Pokemon I saved," He answered. "I would recognize their voices anywhere."
The ground broke apart even more around us and fresh debris rained down towards us. A Dewott flung himself downwards, gripping his shell as he swung it around, slashing apart the debris before it could reach us. He slid his water blade into the rock, stopping his fall and climbed just ahead of us, slashing at anything that fell.
Once we reached the top, the Pokemon helped haul us onto Ninetales' back before being strapped down by Leavanny's webs.
"Thank you," I murmured, rubbing the Fire type's side. The adrenaline rush was subsiding and I felt weary. My thoughts went back to a similar experience, back in Kalos when Arcaneis, Arcanine then, had to carry me to safety after the fallout of Geosenge Town. I forced myself to stay awake this time as Ninetales bounded from crack to crack until finally she leaped through a hole in the wall and into open air. In the few seconds she hung in open air, I took in the battle still waging outside the Pokemon League. My friends and the Gym Leaders fought alongside what appeared to be a small fraction of Team Plasma grunts and Sages against the black uniformed Team Plasma members, who outnumbered them. The frigate from before hovered above, its cannons firing spheres of ice that froze the ground.
Ninetales landed and skidded along the ground, jostling N and I. My vision went black for a second before I found myself laying on my back upon the dusty earth, staring up at Alex who was fussing over me.
"Hey," I croaked. "I'm still alive."
"Idiot," she wiped at her tears. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"
"I dunno," I managed a smile. "Maybe you should fix me, eh?"
"Yeah, that'll have to come later." Robert was there now, hauling me up and supporting me while two Plasma grunts in their traditional uniform helped N to his feet.
"What has happened?" N rasped, staring in the direction of the battle.
"Most of our forces have turned on us," one of his followers explained. "They're in full support of Ghetsis and his plans. Even Sage Zinzolin has declared himself his ally, and you an enemy."
"We need to get out of here," Alex said, standing abruptly. "They both need medical attention."
"Oh dear, you really don't look good." I turned my head slightly to see Caitlin staring down at me. "Not to worry, Alex, we'll make him stable." Her Gallade crouched beside me, his palms pressed to my chest. A pulse of pink energy flowed into me, making me gasp as some of the pain faded from my various injuries. I sighed in relief as the glow faded and he moved over to N, providing the same treatment.
The sound of loud engines filled the air as I glanced to see the Plasma Frigate turning around, dozens of grunts climbing up ropes. Before all of them even were aboard it took off, heading South over the Pokemon League. It fired several more ice spheres that bombarded the League buildings and the plateau.
My vision wavered and Alex hurried to my side. "Zeno!? Zeno stay with me!"
"It's alright," Caitlin's voice said from a distance. "Heal Pulse has that effects sometimes. His body just needs to rest..." Alex's concerned expression and N's castle falling back into the ground were the last things I saw before I slipped from consciousness.
I found myself staring into a black void upon opening my eyes. "Well... ain't this a familiar sight." I sat up, groaning at the movement. "Okay, injuries still hurt in dreamland. Good to know."
A sudden chill swept across the void from behind, blowing my bangs across my face as I shivered. Rubbing my arms, I turned to see snow rushing towards me. Bracing myself, it came upon me, nearly blowing me off my feet. It died down moments later and I lowered my arms to find myself knee deep in snow. Frosted pine trees stood on all sides, swaying in the harsh wind as snowflakes rushed by. It had become night and I could only see as far as a few meters in front of me.
Teeth chattering uncontrollably, I turned on the spot, trying to get my bearings. It was just a dream, or a vision, whatever, but it felt so realistic. My head jerked around at the sound of a piercing scream and I found myself moving before I had a chance to think.
I ran as fast as I could through the snow, nearly falling over several times. Finally I saw a faint light in the distance before coming to a small clearing. I braced myself against the nearest tree, out of breath to see a girl no older than I dressed only in a nightgown was laying trembling in the snow, a glass lantern laying beside her with a small flame flickering within. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders and her feet were left bare to the cold elements. I tried moving towards her, but found that my feet were rooted to the spot. I tried to open my mouth, but no sound came forth. Then an even deeper chill swept through the area as something huge moved just beyond the line of trees.
I stared in silent horror as a shadow of a large beast moved towards the clearing. The girl lifted her head, trembling harder now as she tried moving away, only to stumbled over the lantern. Her hand felt for it, grabbing the handle and lifting it up. There, previously hidden, the face of whatever was in the trees was revealed.
Jagged ice curved along its jaw over leathery gray skin and up along its head into two misshapen horns. A third horn sat in the middle, pulsing a gentle yellow. Eyes of a similar color gleamed as the light of the flame reflected off them and the jagged teeth that protruded from its lower jaw.
A Pokemon? I wondered as it stared at the girl, and she at it. Then it opened its gaze raised to look straight at me and its jaw opened, revealing a maw full of fangs. Then the blizzard picked up around me, blocking my vision. I struggled against it, finally able to move again. I surged forwards as best I could, but my vision was tunneling back to darkness.
I awoke on the floor in a heap, a blanket strewn around me. My pulse was going wild and my breathing labored. I shivered violently, desperately seeking warmth, but I resisted as I tried to sit up and take in my surroundings.
Footsteps rushed towards me, hands gently helping me up and back onto the bed I had fallen out of. A hand pressed against my forehead and a sharp gasp left the pink haired girl who had done so.
Anthea, I remembered as she hurried off, instructing her sister, Concordia, to get me warm. The blanket was thrown over me before another one joined it. Still I shivered and I opened my mouth to speak, my voice raspy. "Where...?"
"Safe," Concordia told me. "You're safe."
I tried forcing another question from my lips. "Alex... Everyone... Are they...?"
"They're..." Concordia hesitated. "They're alright. But they-"
The door to the room burst open as Anthea rushed back in, pressing several hot packs against my body as both a Gothitelle and Gardevoir swept into the room. It took a minute, but gradually I began to warm up and the shivering lessened. Swallowing thickly, I glanced around the quaint cottage-like bedroom before asking, "Why here and not... a hospital?"
"Because N said they'd be coming for you," Anthea answered. "He asked us to look after you while everyone else tracks down where Team Plasma went."
"How do you lose a ship of that size?" I asked, moving to sit up, but gripped my side as an ache flared.
"Rest, Zeno," Concordia pushed me back down as both Psychic type Pokemon pressed their hands to me, sending more Heal Pulses through me. "You still possess some injuries." She frowned as she felt my head. "What is causing you to feel frozen to the touch I wonder..."
I shivered, not because of the cold, but of the image that was still fresh in my mind. That... beast in the snow covered forest, bearing down upon that girl. What did it mean? These sorts of dreams, they weren't unusual, but...
I closed my eyes, letting the healing effects of the twin Heal Pulses lull me back to a slumber. But before I went, I saw the blonde girl's face in my mind again.
Why... why does she look so familiar?
