16.
Ʌn Ʌncient Promise
It was cool and damp within the crawl space created from collapsed bricks in the foundation of Galaxy Hall. Ginter took another handful of dirt and slathered it over the back of his neck. Relief was immediate, if not entirely satisfying. He wished he could swallow the stuff and feel it lessen the heat of his insides — the constant churning in his stomach, the skull-splitting headaches that got worse when he moved too much, the sharp pains and creaking that emerged every time he pressured his joints…
His body was fighting itself. It was confused and reeling and coming apart slowly but surely the more his heart beat out of turn. A curse, he'd told Cyllene. A curse had made him like this. And it was a curse, he reasoned. If any sound science to explain it existed, he wouldn't be the one to know. Half this village believed in black magic already. Cyllene believed in magic, just to spite Laventon's manic research. And really, if he framed it correctly, his fate made a wonderfully amusing little fairytale.
Only it didn't have a moral.
Because as far as the old man could remember, he had done nothing to deserve his predicament.
He placed shaking hands on the paper beneath him and smoothed it again. It was a map of Hisui — swiped from Cyllene's desk before her office burned. Jubilife Village was a scaled-up rectangle in the southwest, just north of the Sandgem Flats and Ramanas Island. Tiny upside-down vees marked houses. Streets and vendors were labeled with a tiny pen tip. There were even tiny waterwheels turning in the creek.
It was the most detailed settlement on the map. The only one worth detailing, according to the cartographer. Even the Diamond and Pearl Clans' respective villages were marked by symbols instead of houses — pentagons and circles and spiked squiggly lines with warnings scribbled about them.
Threats were everywhere. Infernape was penned in red around the rim of Lake Verity beside a tiny flaming muzzle. Paras all over the Fieldlands and Mirelands, pincers drawn sharp. Zoroark was a spray of ink staining the entire Alabaster Icelands. Dusclops and Drifblim haunted the unbroken peninsulas curling around the Cobalt Coastlands.
"Now how do I get to the Coastlands through all this hocus-pocus?" Ginter grumbled, one gnarled finger jabbing the center of the bay. A blue paw came to rest on his hand, claws digging in slightly. Ginter met Shinx's golden eyes, for once not full of fury, and he sighed.
"You need to evolve soon. If the vial runs empty, we'll have to start doing it the old-fashioned way, and that takes a large, steady paw."
Shinx just stared up at him, mewling in confusion.
"You are embarrassing."
His ears pricked at the sound of an alto ringing out over the village. Cyllene was giving the speech she'd written. Her description of the drought made Ginter's dry throat clench even tighter, and when she reviewed the fire, his stomach knotted up.
(The result was a cough that turned into a gurgling heave, and now the Cobalt Coastlands were appropriately moist.)
"No thank you," he grunted, folding up the map and stuffing it back in his pack. He counted the other things again, just to make sure they were all there, then held his right hand out to Shinx, fingers splayed.
"A gentle zap to help me stand up, if you would."
Shinx responded by biting him, static flashing hot between his fangs. Ginter shot up, head almost banging on the bricks before he lurched forward and fell out into the dusty sunset, just barely catching himself on his elbows.
"Barely even enough to set my brain sizzling. You've become weak. Accursed little…"
He trailed off just as the crowd off in front of the sparring hall erupted in shouts. Ginter carefully climbed to his feet, adjusting the pack on his shoulders. With his luck, she was probably telling everyone about him stealing screws, and how that doomed them all, or something.
No. She won't drag your reputation if she doesn't want to. You've beguiled her enough.
Beguiled her!?
Ginter huffed at the way his own thoughts were trailing. He wasn't trying to beguile Cyllene, was he? He hadn't hurt her or deceived her. He'd just made a few mistakes upon meeting her, and he'd worked hard to rectify them. As he should. As anyone in his position should. He was still honorable, wasn't he? Still respectable. Still responsible. Still…
"I am deceiving her," Ginter admitted, gripping the brim of his cap. "But with my body in this state I don't have a choice. It's not like I've told any lies."
The commotion down the street had escalated. Cyllene was berating the Commander. The Commander was berating someone else. Then the shouts turned into screeches, and the crowd was dispersing even faster. Shinx pawed at a leg of Ginter's breeches. Its fur stood up on its spine, and it sneezed at a crackle of static erupting in the dust between its paws.
"Strange," Ginter murmured. His scars were tingling — the fork of his forearm suddenly itching like it was fresh. He breathed in, tasting the faint, burning stickiness of static in the atmosphere, almost seeing it spread like a flickering smoke in his lungs. It was a quaint skill — one that humored kings and astonished sailors. Like a compass, his heels swiveled, and he began hastening toward the village gates. Something was out there. Something powerful. Something thrilling. Something perfectly dangerous…
He stopped short, knuckles sharpening as he gripped the straps of his pack.
"Not a wise choice, old coot. You were afraid of a Thunderbolt today."
But he couldn't make himself turn back. The charge was too alluring. It rustled his hair and made his ribs hitch in wonderful ways. Gritting his teeth, Ginter just stood in the intersection of Floaro Main Street and Canala Avenue, staring out at the darkening east and searching for the spark. Villagers passed him by, some running into him on purpose, some spitting on his boots. Tao Hua marched up, ready to reignite that beef about the inventory, but Shinx took care of that with one intimidating Leer.
"Already looking the part, Guildmaster."
It was a soft voice. Ginter turned to see Rei, trembling like he'd been shocked, with his arms squeezing tight around his stomach.
"The part for what?" he asked.
"Captain Cyllene says to cover yourself in mud and hide in a ditch. She says no one can leave the village. The guards are too few and far between. We can't afford to scatter. But Professor Laventon says… And… they're arguing… I knew they would argue… Oh, accursed, I'm going to spill my guts… And I'm starting to hurt again…"
Ginter sighed. "Make it make sense, boy. What's going on?"
"Destiny," said a smooth yet jagged voice. "Mine, in fact."
With as much grace as he could muster after being punched in the stomach and stepped on, tsubakI sailed toward them, plopping himself down on Ginter's stool in front of the caravan and bundling himself in adamaN's coat. The slit of his eyebrow was now a bloody smudge. He held himself tall and scrutinized the darkness in the same direction Ginter had been looking before.
"iridA will not yield. And she swears her life on that little brat liaN — the one whose Lord killed my sister in cold blood. So I'm feeding Captain Zisu to my great Lord Electrode. Along with all your shabby hovels. Whatever catches fire, or conflagrates, or incinerates, or otherwise bursts into flame upon reception of a lightning strike."
He tried to hold himself up smug, but the pain of his rib had him slouching and crossing his legs.
"And who the hell are you?" Ginter growled.
tsubakI raised that swollen cut. "I am The Sekki, Leader of the diamonD claN."
"adamaN is The Sekki. I carted him here all the way from the center of the Fieldlands. You're wearing a stolen coat."
"And you're one to talk."
"Am I?"
"Of course you are! The agents, merchants, thieving conmen of your guild took all my mother's broth as payment for a shoddy pair of wooden spoons. Suddenly we had everything to eat with and nothing to eat. Nevermind we were just fine sipping from our bowls made for sipping. I'll feed you to Electrode too. And that bad-tempered Shinx of yours."
Electrode?
Ginter gave tsubakI a sly eye, then brought a hand down on Rei's shoulder, beginning to guide him back toward the sparring hall.
"Electrode is a Noble Pokémon," the boy sputtered. "They've all gone mad and started killing sleepwalkers. So Warden tsubakI's put Zisu to sleep. Got the whole village up for ransom unless he's allowed to start his war. And if we can't wake her up it'll zap us to smithereens anyhow."
"So this static in the air is Lord Electrode's power."
"What static?"
Ginter smirked and squeezed the boy's shoulder tighter. The fabric of his dark blue gi crackled and smoked where the nails dug in. Rei flinched, almost tearing away before the same hand gently pulled him back.
"There is static in the air!" Rei exclaimed. "I'm sorry. Was I supposed to be able to feel that beforehand?"
"No, no, it comes with years of practice. I'm a master of Electric-types. I can feel storms brewing as easily as breathing."
Rei shook his head, refusing to meet Ginter's gaze.
"You still don't believe me? Think I'm a demented codger?"
Now Rei broke away, stomping on ahead. "I don't believe anyone would want to master the Electric type, let alone any type. I don't believe in fighting. I don't believe in people and Pokémon getting hurt. But no one will agree wif me. It's because I'm just a kid."
"You can look grown-ups in the eye when you talk to them. Be like Shinx. Intimidate despite your small size."
"Shinx won't listen to you."
"He's not well."
"He looks well! And he shocks fine enough!"
The boy just shuddered, stopping in his tracks. Ginter caught up easily. They were almost to the front yard now. Cyllene and Eiffel sat next to each other on the front step while Deputy Ress and a few other guards were fighting to restrain the unconscious Zisu. The Captain was looking at the ground, her whole body bunched up, while the professor awkwardly patted her back, face gone pale and silk shirt gone untucked.
"They had a row," Rei said. "She called him 'hapless' in her speech, and said the whole expedition was doomed to fail. Came off like she didn't care about anyone and wants us all destroyed."
"Really? That doesn't seem like the Cyllene I know."
"Her eyes were glowing red. She looked bloody mental."
The old man couldn't quite believe that one. (Least of all when Rei still wouldn't look him in the eye. What, did he really look that gruff and mean?) Regardless, he marched right up to Cyllene, nudging her knee with a boot.
His voice was firm. Calm. Professional.
"How long until Lord Electrode arrives?"
Cyllene jolted. She peered up at him with full blue moons. Not glowing red, but red nonetheless.
"It should be… Is it… Eiffel, what did you—"
"Minutes," Eiffel said, standing and helping the hapless Captain to her feet beside him. "His Noble Seat is in the Coronet Highlands, and with his size, the momentum of rolling down the mountainside will have him here before we can even blink."
"Then who is going to fight him off?"
There came no answer. Ginter waited, glaring at both. Cyllene wanted to be strong. He could tell by the way she held herself now — embarrassed, but at least looking him in the eye — with nothing to say.
"Where's the Commander?" Ginter asked.
"Teleported," she said. "He would've killed someone had I not diffused the situation."
"Then who is the strongest Pokémon trainer in the village? Who would be the one to defend you from a dangerous Pokémon?"
The others all turned. Zisu was struggling, screeching and crying and flinging her limbs about while two guards had her pinned to the ground. Two fingers coated in salt were shoved up her nose and clawing inward, begging her to sneeze and jolt awake. Meanwhile another guard was lighting the edges of her jacket with candles, just enough to singe her skin, and a plump man who must have been her husband was screaming in her ears, gently rubbing his hands over her cheeks and kissing her.
Still, she would not wake.
Ginter had seen the odd torture before, but always in darkness, with torchlight. Never in the dying throes of the sunset, with the woman's wildness on full display. Her mane of red curls fell out of its ponytail. Her hands stretched out, shoving her husband away and reaching forward…
Gray eyes met the blue. Brightening. Pleading.
Ginter stepped backwards, an eerie feeling creeping down his spine. It was like she knew him. The same way Cyllene seemed to know him in her sleep. Staring right into his soul and ripping out all of its secrets…
"Can't you teleport her somewhere else?"
"She won't stop screaming," Cyllene snapped back, her breathing tense, her muscles twitching. "Anywhere out in the wilds, and Electrode would still find her by morning. Or one of the others. Kleavor… Accursed, the last she'll ever know of me is that I was angry at her for wanting to leave."
Ginter stiffened. He took another step back, that headache beginning to pulse on the edges of his vision again. The static in the air suddenly shifted and spiked. His right hand flew to his left forearm, latching on and squeezing as the flesh tingled, threatening to split.
I did make a promise. Nothing about now says I'm allowed to break it. Not even this curse…
He took a deep breath, then clenched the itching hand into a fist, seizing Cyllene's with the other and holding it tight. When their eyes met, his glare softened to a gentle smile, albeit with a few twitching scars.
"I'll take care of Electrode," he told her in earnest. "If you'd like, you can help. I could use it."
Cyllene's nose crinkled.
"You'll be killed."
The static spiked again. Stronger. Ginter inhaled, his eyes widening and smile broadening at the immense power approaching. Just what kind of Electrode was this?
"Why would I be killed? Because I'm old and gray? Because I'm ill?"
"Because your Pokémon won't listen to you," Rei said.
"I don't plan on using Shinx," said Ginter, tapping the blue Poké Ball against his partner's ear and sucking him in. He then stooped down and tore the Poké Ball out of the boy's belt, holding it high. "I'm going to use Raichu. With his Lightning Rod ability he'll draw every electric attack my way and limit damage to anyone or anything else."
"No, Ginter, you can't," Cyllene snapped. She reached for the ball, but Ginter sidestepped, already hastening away from the yard and toward the gates.
"Now, just wait a second," Eiffel said. "Ginter did say he was a master of Electric-types. He may know the trick to all of this."
"I'm not losing both my friends in one night!"
"Well, is that what you meant when you said nothing can remain? Or did you expect that your own friends would be strong enough for you? And am I even counted as your friend in that equation? You've been cold to me ever since the night you kissed me. You know that isn't fair."
Cyllene slapped her own wrist. She pressed her cheek into her teeth and bit open the crescent again.
"That's not what I meant, Eiffel. I told you I don't know what came over me. The sun was talking. It told me I should go off script and say what I really felt in the moment."
"And 'the sun' told you to say I'm hapless and that it's romantic that all my research burned? Do you wish I were dead?"
"Never! I never said that! I was just frustrated! Zisu wants to leave me for dead!"
"Cyllene," said the professor, giving her a hard look as they chased after the Guildmaster together. "Listen to yourself. The heat's got to you. It's got to both of us. You must try and breathe."
"You listen to yourself! I don't want anyone to die! It was just a stupid speech!"
At that, Eiffel tore his fingers through his curls, tutting with his teeth. "I'm willing to grant you grace, only because accepting derision is my second instinct. That's why I packed up my typewriter and crawled to the very edges of the earth. I am hapless. But that doesn't excuse what you said tonight, in front of everyone, and especially in front of Electrode's Warden. The Commander will not be pleased when he returns, and if he disciplines you, I will not take your side."
The sunlight was almost gone, except for the skittering threads of static crackling into existence over the dead grass and cobwebs. The dented, leaning smokestacks of Galaxy Hall began to drone from within, and on the air was a thick, low hum, pulsing like monstrous laughter.
Something was glowing beyond the gates. A blinding golden sphere, like the sun of midday, tumbling and rolling and bouncing over the darkened Fieldlands and leaving a trail of fire and smoke in its wake.
"I WILL FIGHT HIM! LET ME OUT!" Ginter shouted at Deputy Ress, high up in his post at the watchtower. Raichu shimmered into being at his side, tail already erect and collecting stray static until it gained a bright yellow glow.
"He's really going for it," Cyllene murmured. There was no way to shield her eyes from the spinning, burning globe now. "The absolute crazy coot."
"No one would oppose losing the Ginkgo Man, I suppose," Eiffel muttered back.
"Terrible joke," she said, pulling him quickly into a hug, (this time not flinching when she felt his belly pressing up against her.)
"I would love to show you Galar. The moors. The lichens. The footprints of giant Pokémon…"
"Go back to Galar, then," Cyllene said, dramatically pushing away from his chest. "I don't want to live in a place where it's dark all the time."
She didn't wait for his response as she sprinted over to Ginter, now in a fierce argument with Ress. He was almost tearing his left sleeve open with scratching. His hair and beard had all gone stiff and spiky, and his eyes were even more brilliant now, like he was absorbing the sticky charges crackling beyond the flimsy gates. Consuming them. Turning them into pure vitality.
"It's enough power to make me feel fifty years younger!" he told Cyllene. "Just wish my bones would stop aching for a bit—"
"I'll hold the pack for you," Cyllene said. "If you're close to getting struck, you'll be teleported, got it? Open the gates, Deputy! The Guildmaster has a plan!"
"You promise not to peek in the pack?"
"No, I'm not going to peek in the pack. Just TRUST HIM, RESS! WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!"
She grunted as she felt the old man plopping the straps on over her shoulders and his cap on her head, brim-backwards. At Ress' reluctant orders, the chains spun, and the gates creaked open.
Cyllene stepped backwards, doing her best to protect her eyes from the white-hot light. "Accursed," she whispered, her heartbeat somewhere in the pit of her stomach and every pore on her skin raised and stinging.
Ginter nodded, body already shifting to command the currents coursing all around him.
"Frick yeah."
king of nothing, but you give a smile...
~N~
Is every Clan member going to be a WordGirl villain? Yes. Now go read Saving Tobey a fourth time, you fool.
Published by Syntax-N on FanFiction . Net August 13th, 2023. Please don't repost. Please do review!