Father? The word struck Medicham like another blow from the Swarmlord's clublike arm. If that's true…even when he was spilling all his secrets…he kept that one?
The Swarmlord and Drapion stared at one another; none of the surrounding Skorupi or Drapion dared to move between them, either to aid their leader or to attack their enemy. Medicham felt weak suddenly, as if gravity was pulling at her, trying to force her head down. She was still losing blood, she was sure of that, but she kept her head up anyway.
She had to see.
"You dare?" the Swarmlord snarled.
"Ah dare," Drapion retorted. "Like it or not, that's what ya are, father."
The Swarmlord took a step forwards, looming over Drapion. "I will not call a weakling my son," he growled. "I have watched as your weakness riddles my Swarm like a disease. And I have waited for months to purge it." He raised his claws, swathing them in Bug energy. "There will be no escape this time."
"Ah call upon the Rite of the Great Marsh," Drapion snarled.
The Swarmlord emitted a low, guttural snarl. "An exile has no right to call upon that Rite!"
"Was ah ever exiled?" Drapion asked. "Did ah ever undergo the Ritual of Exile? Was ah ever given the remnants of mah egg?" He narrowed his eyes. "Was there anythin' formal about throwin' me in a river ta die?"
The Swarmlord snarled furiously again.
Drapion turned to face the rest of the Swarm. "Are ya willin' ta turn yer back on tradition?" he growled. "Ta turn yer back on our ancestral ways passed down as far as Hisui? Ah know ya all want nothin' more than ta see me dead. But ah have a right! Under the Rite of the Great Marsh, ah am free ta choose how ah die! Does anyone oppose that right?"
Silence filled the clearing. Medicham saw all of the Skorupi and Drapion glaring furiously, but none of them had a response.
The Swarmlord sighed irritably. "As you wish." He turned towards Medicham. "But she is no longer useful to us. I-"
"She is mah lover," said Drapion.
Medicham gaped. What?
"You," the Swarmlord snarled, "are pushing your luck."
Drapion stared at the Swarmlord levelly, no fear visible in his eyes.
The Swarmlord scoffed. "She will come with us," he growled. "As will you. You will carry her. Tooth, Claw, guard him."
Medicham felt Drapion pick her up. A pressure came to her arm and she knew something, or someone, was stopping the bleeding. Medicham looked up as the Swarmlord gestured for the group of Skorupi and Drapion to follow him. She recognized Tooth and Claw from her previous encounter with the Swarmlord; the two of them moved to either side of Drapion as he began to step after the Swarmlord, Medicham sprawled out on his back.
"Drapion…" Medicham whispered, "what is-"
"Shh!" Drapion hissed. "Ah just bought us twenty-four hours. Ya wanna get through this, yer gonna have ta listen ta me, an' do exactly as ah say."
"Okay," Medicham whispered.
"Yer arm's as good as gone," said Drapion bluntly, "ya got multiple broken bones, an' ah'm pretty sure yer bleedin' internally as well as externally. So hold still, an' don't talk, 'cause…" He stopped moving so that Tooth and Claw momentarily walked ahead and were out of earshot. "'Cause if anybody finds out we ain't in love, yer dead."
"Is…is he really-"
"Yes," Drapion growled, "which should be the least of yer concerns right now."
"Keep up," Tooth growled, shoving Drapion roughly to force him back into a walk.
Drapion resumed his movement; Medicham leaned back, taking in the moonlight filtering through the branches above. It was a beautiful night, a night that belied the danger that both she and Drapion were now in.
If I can go to sleep, I can tell Darkrai. Medicham squeezed her eyes shut and attempted to drift into unconsciousness. Surely he won't want this. Surely he'll send-
"Stay with me, Medicham!" Drapion snarled, prodding her back to wakefulness. "Don't ya die on me, ya hear?"
Damn it. Medicham felt a surge of frustration. I wish I could tell him the truth about what I'm trying to do…but not here. Not now.
She looked up at the sky once more. Twenty-four hours…someone has to be able to find us in that time. The Swarm lives near Vaniville. It's not like they can traverse half of Kalos before somebody locates their trail.
Someone has to be able to rescue us.
A sharp rapping noise stirred Kamado from his slumber. Groaning, the little Tyrunt stirred in his Luxury Ball, not wanting to detach his body from the gel that was always so wonderfully soft and at the perfect temperature.
Three months had passed since the hatching of his egg. It felt like it had been so much longer. He'd grown so much; Kamado still remembered that fight with the Popplio on the airplane. He'd learned many new techniques since then. Some people had suggested he might even evolve soon. Become a Tyrantrum like his mother.
The thought that he might someday become as strong as the rest of the team excited Kamado greatly. He was well aware that he was still the weakest member of the team. But at least now he could fight. He'd fought against the army of wild Ghost-types. Felled several before being overcome. He knew there was still a long way to go, but he also knew that he'd come a long way.
Another knocking reminded Kamado that he really should get up. Kamado groaned again. "I'm coming," said Marcus from above; footsteps sounded on the carpeted floor of the room, and the door swung open. "Valerie?"
"Indeed," came the voice of the former Gym Leader. "A Gym Leader is expected to be up early. You will have a tight schedule - you must plan your rest accordingly."
"Sorry," said Marcus.
"There is nothing to apologize for," said Valerie. "Mistakes are a necessary component of learning. Today's activity will be redecorating."
"Redecorating?" Marcus asked.
"Surely you don't want your Dark-type gym to have a Fairy-type aesthetic," said Valerie. "Do you think the Cyllage City Gym always had a rock-climbing wall in the center? Or that the Anistar City Gym always looked like outer space? Redecoration can be as extreme or as minute as you'd like, but it should represent you, and what you want to say about your chosen Pokemon type."
"Okay," said Marcus.
"Bring your team," said Valerie. "You may want to theme some decorations off them, like Roark does with fossils. Have you met Roark?"
"No," said Marcus.
"I'm sure his Rampardos could teach your Tyrunt a thing or two," said Valerie. Kamado grinned at the thought - he'd never heard of a Rampardos, but it sounded powerful, and he would love to learn from a powerful Pokemon.
Marcus's footsteps suddenly halted.
"Something wrong?" Valerie asked.
"My Drapion's not in his Luxury Ball," said Marcus. "The light's not on."
"Did he not stay downstairs to train last night?" Valerie asked. "Perhaps he stayed down a little too long?"
"Maybe…" Marcus hesitated. "No, my Medicham's missing too, and I'm sure she came up with me."
Kamado felt his euphoria turn to worry. Medicham - the Pack-Leader - is missing? And Drapion too? But how? And why?
"Were the seals applied properly?" Valerie asked.
"Let me check." Kamado peeked out of his Luxury Ball to see Marcus kneeling, peering at Medicham and Drapion's Luxury Balls. "Medicham's is sealed tight. No sign of any tampering." He looked up at Valerie. "It's like she was just…plucked straight out of her Luxury Ball somehow."
"I will check-" Valerie suddenly paused. After a few moments she frowned. "Sylveon has just psychically contacted me. She says she saw your Drapion last night."
"She did?" Marcus rounded on Valerie. "Where?"
Valerie's frown grew deeper. "She says that she met Drapion training, and gave him some advice," said Valerie. "And then, a couple minutes later, she saw him running out of the building as if Giratina himself was on his tail."
"Out of the building?" Marcus asked. "Which way?"
"To the east, from the sound of it," said Valerie.
"What in Distortion was he doing?" Marcus muttered. "All right, I'll get my Gym Trainers to help search."
"And I mine," said Valerie. "Arceus willing, we can find your missing Pokemon without any additional drama."
Every step of the way to the eastern edge of Laverre, Kamado hoped that Valerie's statement would be accurate. That they'd be able to find Medicham and Drapion easily.
Unfortunately, within about five minutes, Valerie's statement was proven to be entirely inaccurate.
"Over here," said Connie; the moroseness in her voice made Kamado's heart sink. Marcus, along with his other two Gym Trainers and Valerie's group, rushed over to where the Galarian trainer was standing; she was perched on the edge of a clearing, a clearing that looked as if a tornado had struck it. The earth was torn up and pockmarked, several of the nearby trees had clearly been struck by something, and worst of all, blood soaked the ground, visible against the brown earth.
"It's fresh," said Connie. "Last night, from the looks of it."
Kamado's eyes were wide as he gazed out of his Luxury Ball at the blood-soaked clearing. So much of it…
"Blossom, Linnea," said Valerie. "Skirt around the clearing, see if you can see any tracks." She released her Mr. Mime onto the ground, whose nose immediately wrinkled at the sight of the clearing. "Mr. Mime. Role Play. Show me what happened."
Mr. Mime stepped into the clearing. Psychic energy filled his eyes with a soft purple glow as he gazed down upon the torn-up earth.
"What is he doing?" Marcus asked.
"Scanning the area," said Valerie. "His Psychic abilities are such that he's capable of fairly impressive analysis of a crime scene."
"Wouldn't that have been useful to help deal with Gholdengo?" Marcus asked.
"It's only useful if you know where to look," said Valerie.
Mr. Mime continued to scan the clearing with his Psychic energy-filled eyes. At length, Mr. Mime stepped over to a single set of marks and took up a fighting stance. Then he stepped over to another set near the first one, turned, and made a monstrous face.
"A Fighting-type," said Valerie. "Likely your Medicham. She faced a more monstrous Pokemon in this clearing."
Kamado and the rest of the group watched with rapt attention as Mr. Mime proceeded to act out a fight between Medicham and the monster, his eyes continuing to flicker with Psychic energy. From the look of it, Medicham appeared to have been winning. But eventually, Mr. Mime stepped over to Medicham's side of the field, raised both hands, and mimed Medicham's right arm being chopped off.
Judging from the sound of gasps, the watching Trainers understood exactly what that meant.
"Mr. Mime," said Valerie, sounding as if she was reluctant to speak up. "Is she dead?"
Mr. Mime hesitated for the longest second of Kamado's life, and then shook his head.
Marcus's audible sigh of relief was cut off by a cry from the southern side of the clearing. "We found tracks!"
Marcus swiftly rushed over to where Blossom and Linnea were standing, the rest of the Trainers at his heels. Looking out of his Luxury Ball, Kamado could indeed see tracks, a line of them moving away from the clearing to the south.
"I am beginning to understand what happened," said Valerie. "Though I still don't know what your Medicham was doing out here, or how she got out here, I think it is safe to assume that your Drapion saw her in trouble and tried to run to her support. But considering the blood…and the tracks…I believe they failed and were taken by their foes."
Marcus clenched his fists. "How? It's not like Medicham and Drapion are weak. Who would be able to overcome them?"
"A lot of Pokemon poachers are strong too," Theo pointed out. "Some of the strongest have entire teams that can rival Gym Leaders. I've heard rumors…"
"This was no Pokemon poacher," said Valerie. "These are Pokemon tracks, not human ones. No humans were involved in this fight."
"What about an Absol?" Marcus asked. Kamado spotted Serena looking nervous at the words.
"Serena, release your Absol," said Valerie. Serena did so; Seeker-Of-Endings landed on the ground, his worry clear as soon as he materialized.
"His paws do not match the tracks," said Valerie. "This was not the work of an Absol, either."
"It would have to be a group of wild Pokemon," Katherine stated.
"Again, Medicham and Drapion should be strong enough to beat a group of wild Pokemon," said Marcus.
"Kriesh wasn't," said Connie. Marcus glanced at her. "Remember? She was captured by those Skorupi an' Drapion, right?"
Marcus's eyes widened. "Skorupi and Drapion…" He looked up at Valerie. "Are those Skorupi and Drapion tracks?"
"I'm not an expert on the species," said Valerie, "but they could be." She looked closer at the tracks. "Yes, though those tracks are too small to be the prints of an Absol, they could very well be the prints of a group of Skorupi and Drapion."
Marcus let out a sudden snarl of fury, then swore very loudly. "It's the Swarm," he growled. Kamado's blood ran cold at the name; he remembered the battle with Razor and his gang all too well. "Damn it…now, of all times…"
"The Swarm?" Kali asked. "What do you mean?"
"A bunch of Skorupi and Drapion in charge of…about half the wild Pokemon population of Kalos, from what I've heard," said Marcus; Kamado saw the Furisode Girls' eyes widen at that. "They've been hunting my Drapion ever since we returned to Kalos."
Valerie raised an eyebrow. "That could have been pertinent information to know earlier."
"I didn't think they'd follow me all the way to Laverre!" Marcus cried. "Arceus, we teleported away from Vaniville. How did they even know I'd come here?"
"So this 'Swarm' is based around Vaniville?" Valerie asked.
"From what I can tell, yes," said Marcus.
"And Vaniville is to the south of Laverre," said Valerie. "Considering that this all appears to have happened near midnight last night…even assuming they traveled through the night, we should still have enough time to head them off."
She turned to Kali. "Find Clefable. Tell her to prepare for teleportation."
"Yes, Valerie," said Kali, turning and dashing back towards Laverre.
Valerie turned back towards Marcus. "I wish to help," she said. "If you would allow me, that is."
"Gladly," said Marcus. "Thank you."
"After Gholdengo, it's the least I can do," said Valerie. "My Furisode Girls should be enough to keep affairs going in Laverre for the time being."
Kamado swallowed as the former Gym Leader turned and began to walk towards Laverre, Marcus and his Gym Trainers following in her wake. It was a strong force, to be sure; Kamado knew full well that Marcus at this point didn't even come close to Valerie's level of strength.
But Kamado couldn't shake the nasty feeling that it wouldn't be enough.
Drapion watched warily as yet another Swarm exited the trees on the left, joining the march. They'd been walking for hours; the moon had dipped below the horizon, and the sun was casting its glow across the trees, and not once had the group stopped walking.
Drapion sensed an excitement among the Swarm, an excitement that kept them going even through the exhaustion that they must be feeling. Of course they're excited, he thought bitterly. They finally got me.
He still could not understand for the life of him what Medicham had been thinking - or, for that matter, how she'd even gotten out there in the first place. Medicham was in no state for those questions - Drapion was ensuring she remained awake, but between the blood loss and the shock she was constantly hovering on the edge of consciousness.
Her other injuries looked painful, but they were nothing compared to her arm. It was mangled beyond recognition, and though Drapion was no medical expert, he imagined that without prompt medical attention the wound could prove extremely dangerous. Even fatal.
And it's not like the Swarm's going to give her medical attention. Drapion swallowed. If somebody doesn't find us fast, she could die.
Out of the corner of his eye Drapion spotted a group of Skorupi staring at him. He turned his head towards them and let out a snarl. They scurried forwards, looking terrified; the rough shove he received from Tooth in retaliation was worth the momentary satisfaction.
Four Swarms - two major, two minor - had joined them in the march, summoned by runners to cease their search for the Marked One and join the Swarmlord in his main camp for the execution. Drapion felt a strange sort of pride at just how many had been hunting him specifically, but he also knew that every new Swarm that joined the march would be one more Swarm any rescuer would have to contend with.
"Who are they?" Medicham's voice was so quiet it took Drapion a moment to place it.
"Part of the Icicle Swarm," Drapion growled. "Minor Swarm - ya can probably guess what type they work with."
"And the others?"
"The Swarm that joined us near Laverre is the Lifeweaver Swarm," Drapion explained. "Works with Fairy-types. Also a minor Swarm, though ah'm bettin' from what ah'm hearin' that they're bein' promoted."
"Promoted?" Medicham asked.
"Minor Swarms are led by Skorupi," said Drapion. "Major Swarms are led by Drapion. The Swarm we met near Coumarine was a minor Swarm; Razor's group, from Vaniville, was a major Swarm. Once ya go from minor to major, yer allowed ta train an' evolve into a Drapion. We've also got two major Swarms travelin' with us now."
"And those are?" Medicham asked.
"First off, the Nest-Spinner Swarm," said Drapion, glancing at a large group of various Bug-types surrounding a pair of Drapion. "Or at least elements of it - no way all of them are here. It's one of the two largest Swarms in Kalos - if ya meet a Bug-type in the wild, chances are yer starin' at a member of the Nest-Spinner Swarm."
Medicham's gulp was audible.
"An' the other is the Monstrous Swarm," said Drapion. "Bit on the nose, really, but their claim ta fame is that they got Dragon-types. Look up there - that Dragonite?"
"I see him," Medicham whispered.
"He's the co-leader," Drapion growled. "Balaur, I think his name is. Ah heard he once had a Trainer - regardless of whether that's true or not, he's gathered quite a few Dragons an' pseudo-Dragons."
"Pseudo-Dragons?"
"Tyranitar line, Gyarados line…" Drapion glanced over at a duo of Charmeleon walking nearby. "Even a couple members of the Charizard line. They're one of the strongest Swarms, and Balaur's strong himself - back when ah was with the Swarm, ah heard some Skorupi say that Balaur's the second strongest Pokemon in all the Swarms, next ta the Swarmlord, of course."
"And what's the Swarmlord's Swarm called?" Medicham asked.
"They don't use their name as much," Drapion growled. "Not since he became Swarmlord. But they were once called the Steelskin Swarm."
"Let me guess - Steel-types," said Medicham.
"Right," said Drapion. "Though it doesn't seem he brought any - must've only trusted his closest allies ta help bring me in."
"Why is that?" Medicham asked; any answer was cut off by a sudden cry from the front of the gathered column. "Swarmlord!"
"What is it?" the Swarmlord asked from a little ways up the column, turning to the Skorupi that had just run up.
"Vaniville is within sight!" the Skorupi called.
"Good," said the Swarmlord. "Jaw! Frostbite!"
A Skorupi and another Drapion looked to the Swarmlord. "Yes, Swarmlord?" "What is it, Swarmlord?"
"Take your Swarms and assault the human town up ahead," the Swarmlord growled.
"What?" Drapion could not contain his furious query.
The Swarmlord heard. His eyes turned towards Drapion. "Do you think I'm an idiot?" he growled. "I know you have friends there. But none of them are going to rescue you when they're so busy fighting off the Monstrous and Icicle Swarms." He turned to Jaw and Frostbite. "Go. Now."
"Yes, Swarmlord!" Frostbite and Jaw chorused, and with that they dashed off, calling their Swarms to them.
"Are ya out of yer mind?" Drapion snarled. "Ya think assaultin' Vaniville is gonna solve anythin'? When they've beaten yer Swarms - and they will, believe me - they're gonna come down on ya faster than a starvin' Ninjask!"
The Swarmlord chuckled darkly. "As usual, your mind proves as weak as you are. Once we are past the human town, the humans will not find us. The forests beneath this human town are vast. Even Trainer teams could spend weeks scanning and not cover the full breadth of them. No one is coming to help you, Marked One. Your fate is sealed."
He turned to the rest of the Swarm. "Move!"
"Yes, Swarmlord!" the column chorused; Tooth and Claw shoved Drapion forwards again, and the march resumed even as the Monstrous and Icicle Swarms split off from the main column and began to melt into the forest, heading towards Vaniville with murder in their eyes.
The sensation of teleportation was always uncomfortable, but this time it was nothing next to the general discomfort of the situation. Seeker-Of-Endings glanced around as the group materialized in Vaniville: Marcus, Serena, Connie, Theo, and Valerie, all tense.
Unlike them, Seeker-Of-Endings knew exactly how Medicham had gotten out of her Luxury Ball. He was familiar enough with the inner workings of Perish Song to recognize when it had been used.
If we just had our Future Sight, we could have seen this coming. And now I can't even warn the other Heralds - what with everything happening so fast, I don't have time to escape to Oblivion.
"What's the plan, Marcus?" Connie asked.
"I need Kriesh and Altaria to scout," said Marcus. "They should be able to find a large group. Valerie, can your Mr. Mime communicate telepathically?"
"He can receive messages, but not send them," said Valerie.
"That'll work well enough," said Marcus. "If Kriesh and Altaria can keep a telepathic channel of sorts open with Mr. Mime, they should be able to warn him, and he should be able to warn us. Once that happens, we go, and we strike hard and fast. The Swarm does not get past Vaniville."
"Right," said Serena. "Altaria, you heard him."
Pokeballs hissed open, revealing Kriesh, Altaria, and Mr. Mime.
"Ready?" Valerie asked.
"Of course," said Marcus.
"Mr. Mime, connect with them telepathically," Valerie ordered. "Be ready to-"
"What's that?"
Theo's voice caught Seeker-Of-Endings' attention. The Kanto-Johto Trainer was pointing upwards. Seeker-Of-Endings followed his gaze to see a Dragonite soaring above the buildings of Vaniville Town, staring down at the group of Trainers.
The group looked up at the Dragonite. The Dragonite raised his arms to the sky. "For the Swarmlord!" he bellowed. "Meteoric Devastation!"
Seeker-Of-Endings' eyes widened as the Dragonite unleashed what had to be a Draco Meteor from his maw. A shower of Dragon energy plunged from the Dragonite, solidifying into several meteors streaking down towards Vaniville. Valerie released her Sylveon in the blink of an eye. "Stop them!"
"Pixilate: Fairy Voice!" Sylveon raised her head and expelled a scream from her mouth, unleashing a rapidly-expanding wave of Fairy energy. The Fairy-type Hyper Voice slammed into the oncoming meteors, ripping through and dissipating the Dragon energy that formed them.
But it couldn't deflect all of them.
Explosions sounded as two of Vaniville's houses were struck by falling meteors, screams emanating from within. "Kriesh, take that Dragonite down!" Marcus ordered.
But even as Kriesh spread her wings threateningly, a many-throated roar came from nearby. Seeker-Of-Endings glanced down in time to see a massive horde of Pokemon surging out from the forest and into the streets of Vaniville. Many were Skorupi, with a few Drapion in the lead, but Seeker-Of-Endings could also see a smattering of Ice and Dragon-types. Flying overhead were two large Gyarados, roaring loudly as they soared over the onrushing horde.
No, not horde, Seeker-Of-Endings realized. Swarm.
"Incoming!" Marcus cried; all of his Luxury Balls hissed open and his team sprang out. The rest of the Trainers did likewise. Seeker-Of-Endings landed on the ground in a crouch, the rest of Serena's team materializing around him.
"For the Swarmlord!" one of the lead Drapion bellowed. "Exterminate all resistance!"
"Not if we can help it," Seeker-Of-Endings growled.
"Mr. Mime, barriers," said Valerie. "The rest of you, support as needed."
Marcus was far more direct. "Attack!" he cried, an order echoed by his Gym Trainers. The gathered Trainer teams hurled themselves at the oncoming Swarm, and the streets of Vaniville exploded into battle.
Kriesh was driven by fury alone. The Swarm had taken her friends. And just when they'd been on the verge of getting them back, this Dragonite had shown up to stand in their way. The feeling of constantly being pushed back from their objective rankled in Kriesh's mind.
Kriesh knew it was her and Altaria's job to bring down the massive flier. But she could not see Altaria, and she herself was dealing with the pair of Gyarados that the forces assaulting Vaniville had brought with them. She narrowly avoided the crashing jaws of one as she dove for the other, eyeing his serpentine body with rage fueling her glare. "Sniper: Beam Impact!"
The Gyarados roared in agony as the Hyper Beam sent him flying straight into a group of Skorupi, knocking them all to the ground. Kriesh whirled as the other Gyarados charged her once more. "Beak Impact!" she cried, ramming her beak into his face. The Gyarados recoiled, giving Kriesh a second of breathing room, but she knew the other Gyarados would be coming at her back soon enough.
As she turned to face him, she saw the other Pokemon on their side carving a path through the Swarm. Valerie had Mega Evolved her Mawile, whose typing was perfectly suited to take on the Poison, Ice, and Dragon-types that made up the bulk of the Swarms' forces. Her jaws shone with Steel and Fairy energy as she tore through the horde, tossing Skorupi aside from the sheer force of her swinging maw. Nearby, Kriesh could see Seeker-Of-Endings slicing his horn-blade across a Charmeleon's stomach, sending it reeling; behind him, Serena's Delphox raised her stick and shot out a blast of Fire energy that exploded amidst several Skorupi and Ice-types, sending them all flying. She saw Theo's Crawdaunt walloping a Pupitar with a brutal Crabhammer while Valerie's Azumarill unleashed a barrage of Water energy, knocking the trio of Skorupi who had been about to jump Crawdaunt from behind onto their backs. She saw Connie's Tyranitar unleashing an Earthquake, sending a vicious-looking Drapion staggering backwards straight into a titanic punch from Pangoro. She saw Trevenant attempting to keep the horde off him with a cluster of rapidly-growing vines, before Theo's Mightyena leaped in, grasped a Skorupi in her jaws with Fire Fang, and threw his charred body into the other Skorupi swarming around Trevenant's vines; the duo charged into the fray side by side.
She took a split second to look for Marcus and the other Trainers; they were standing near Valerie, encased in a veritable force field generated by Valerie's Mr. Mime. The Psychic/Fairy-type had a strained look on his face as he kept the barriers raised against this stray attack or that flying body, occasionally momentarily dropping part of the barriers to send a jolt of energy at an enemy who got too close. It was clear the stress of the defense was taking its toll on him - without the Light Clay that he held, he probably already would have fallen unconscious by now - but it was also clear that he could hold them for a while longer.
A roar sounded as the Gyarados charged again. "Steel Impact!" Kriesh snarled, twisting to bat him aside with a Steel energy-infused wing. "Sniper: Beam Impact!" she cried, firing a Hyper Beam after the Gyarados's tumbling form; the Gyarados flew right into a nearby building, the wall crumbling beneath his massive body.
Abruptly something slammed into Kriesh's side; she caught a glimpse of another Drapion out of the corner of her eye as she staggered to the side. "You'll pay for hurting Scylla!" he snarled. "Charybdis, with me!"
The other Gyarados bellowed and charged Kriesh again from the right as the Drapion hurled himself at her from the left. Kriesh narrowed her eyes, readying herself for the two-on-one battle.
And then Charybdis roared in pain as a large, sleek, blue-and-red Pokemon slammed into him headfirst, sending the Gyarados flying straight into the Drapion's side and knocking them both to the ground.
The new arrival glanced back as a voice arose from Kriesh's right. "Valerie! Marcus! What in Arceus's name is going on?"
Kriesh looked over to see Professor Sycamore standing on the porch of his house. Calem was at his side; both their teams were clustered around them, waiting for their Trainers' orders.
"Professor!" Valerie called from the midst of the battle. "Your help would be appreciated - explanations later!"
"Right!" said Professor Sycamore. "Charizard, Venusaur, Blastoise! Carve a path!"
The three Kanto starters around Professor Sycamore roared a trio of battle cries as they charged into the fight, blasts of Fire, Grass, and Water energy exploding outwards from their bodies, sending at least a dozen wild Pokemon flying.
Sycamore's other Pokemon - a Gogoat and an Ampharos - leaped into the battle too. Calem's team surged after them. "Garchomp!" Sycamore called; the Pokemon that had rescued Kriesh glanced back. "Let's do this quickly, shall we?"
Garchomp grinned. "I like the way you think." He glanced back at Kriesh. "Take out the Dragonite. I've got the small fry down here."
"You sure?" Kriesh asked.
Garchomp flexed his claws, revealing a Mega Stone strapped to one of them. "Yeah, I'm sure."
As Garchomp called upon his Mega Evolution, causing a surge of bright light that definitely blinded several of the enemy wild Pokemon, Kriesh launched herself upwards, aiming for the Dragonite that hovered in the sky.
The Dragonite had not done anything since his opening Draco Meteor, seemingly content to hover in midair and watch the battle play out. But as he saw Kriesh hurl herself up towards him, he smirked, spreading his arms wide. "You would challenge the great Balaur?" he snarled. "I will show you the power of a Dragon! Multiscale: Scale Armament!"
"Sky Impact!" Kriesh lashed out with her Flying energy-infused beak, but Balaur raised one massive arm to block it. What looked like energy-made scaly armor formed over the appendage; Kriesh's beak struck the energy-based armor with a useless explosion of energy, for Balaur seemed entirely unhurt.
The Dragonite lazily lashed out with a Dragon energy-infused backhand that Kriesh barely dodged. "My Multiscale Ability allows me to generate an endless amount of energy-made scales!" he boasted. "My defense is unbreakable, my offense unavoidable! I will show you-"
"Shut up."
Balaur gaped. "What?"
"I said shut up," Kriesh snarled. "I don't give a damn about your powers. You have two of my teammates, my friends, captive, and I'm not going to stop until I have them back."
Balaur chuckled. "The Swarmlord's judgment is law," he growled, "and he has judged that they shall perish. To go against him means death - death that I shall be happy to unleash!" The Dragonite raised his scale-clad arm. "Multiscale: Scale Shots!"
The energy-formed scales shot forwards, a volley of projectiles flying at Kriesh. Kriesh dove to the side; the barrage followed her as Balaur swung his arm to the side, explosions of energy licking at Kriesh's tail feathers.
Kriesh backwinged and dove, ducking under the flying scales. "Sniper: Beam Impact!" she cried, unleashing a Hyper Beam at Balaur. The Dragonite raised both arms in front of him. "Multiscale: Scale Armament!" The Hyper Beam slammed into Balaur's crossed arms; though the force of the impact shoved the Dragonite backwards slightly, he yet again seemed uninjured as the energy dissipated.
Right. If I can't break through his defense, I'll have to get around it.
"Multiscale: Scale Shots!" Another staccato barrage of scales sent Kriesh into another swift flight, barely avoiding the barrage. Thank Arceus he's not good at leading his shots…but sooner or later he'll get a lucky hit off.
"Flurry Impact!" Kriesh sent the seeking rays at different parts of Balaur's body. Unfortunately, Balaur simply manifested Multiscale on all four parts, deflecting the rays. "Stop trying!" the Dragonite cried. "I tire of this farce! Meteoric Devastation!"
An eruption of Dragon energy cascaded from Balaur's open maw, rising into the sky before exploding into several energy-formed comets. Kriesh glanced down at Vaniville Town below; she already knew from Balaur's previous use of Draco Meteor that it would cause widespread destruction. She could still see the damage from the previous attack.
I have to end this now.
Again Kriesh backwinged, this time launching herself upwards. The Draco Meteor came down at her, but Kriesh was too fast for the plummeting comets, soaring elegantly between the various meteors. She fired off another Beam Impact as she climbed, knowing that Balaur would block it. Indeed, Balaur once more crossed his arms and manifested Multiscale across them.
The explosion of energy momentarily shielded Balaur from Kriesh's view. But it also shielded her from Balaur's.
"Sky Impact!" Kriesh launched herself upwards at a sharper angle. She knew Balaur would not move, too proud of his unbreakable defense to give an inch to her Hyper Beam. And so she knew exactly where Balaur was.
Balaur's roar of pain as Kriesh buried her beak in his unprotected belly was music to her ears.
"You dare?" Balaur bellowed, unleashing a retaliatory Dragon Claw that Kriesh easily avoided. Another Dragon Claw was avoided with equal ease. Balaur roared in fury and exhaled a Dragon Pulse from his mouth. "Beam Impact!" Kriesh cried, countering the beam with her own; the more powerful Hyper Beam pushed the Dragon Pulse backwards so fast that Balaur didn't have time to bring up Multiscale.
Another agonized bellow sounded as the Hyper Beam exploded in Balaur's face. Balaur flew backwards, tumbling head-over-tail through the air before finally coming to a stop. "If you think," he growled through deep breaths, "that you can overcome me, you have no idea what power I am capable of!"
"Yeah, I do," Kriesh growled. "Not much."
Balaur's wordless, rage-filled roar split the air. "I will end you, you filth!" he bellowed. "Multiscale: Scale Claws!"
Twin energy-formed scaly claws formed at Balaur's behest, one extending from each of Balaur's hands, looking almost like twinned blades. Balaur launched himself at Kriesh, raising his Scale Claws; Kriesh was fairly certain a hit from those would cut deep.
But Kriesh had no intention of getting hit.
Summoning Flying energy around her, she streaked flat-out for the charging Balaur, eyeing the Dragonite's claws warily. He was heavily telegraphing his strike, clearly aiming for a left hook targeting Kriesh's face.
He's strong for a wild Pokemon. But it's clear he's been coasting on his strength for a long time. He has no strategy, just overpowering force.
Once upon a time, that might have been difficult to counter. But now? I could beat this Dragonite with one wing tied behind my back.
"Steel Impact!" Kriesh twisted, slamming her Steel energy-enhanced wing into the Scale Claw, blocking the attack entirely. "Sky Impact!" Kriesh lunged upwards as Balaur swung his other Scale Claw at her. The Dragonite's attack struck empty air as Kriesh whirled and came down upon him from above.
"Barrage Impact!"
Balaur could defend against one jab of Kriesh's beak with Multiscale. But jab after jab, all aimed at different parts of his body, was far too much far too fast.
Balaur howled as Kriesh's beak slammed again and again and again into his body, overwhelming any attempts to defend with Multiscale. Kriesh continued to strike, unyielding, unstoppable. She did not stop until Balaur began to slacken, his eyes rolling back in his head.
Kriesh abandoned the Barrage Impact, panting heavily, as the form of the wild Dragonite plummeted from the sky, wounds all over his body, thoroughly unconscious. She looked down at the wider battle; the fight was still raging, but she could tell some of the Skorupi and other wild Pokemon had seen Balaur fall and were being thrown into disarray.
Kriesh narrowed her eyes at a cluster of Skorupi and dove, aiming for them with a Beam Impact forming in her beak. Balaur had fallen, but there were other enemies to deal with.
And she would not stop until every last member of these Swarms had been driven out of Vaniville Town.
"Out of my way!" Pangoro bellowed, hurling the Skorupi that had tried to leap at him away with a Bullet Punch and charging at the Drapion that had been his intended target. "Iron Fist: Devastating Blow!"
The Drapion attempted to raise an arm in defense, but Pangoro's fist tore right through the chitin and rammed the arm straight into the Drapion's face. The Drapion staggered, blood spewing from his jaws. "You can't overcome the power of the-"
"Oh, shut up." Calem's Chesnaught rose up from out of nowhere and punched the Drapion in the side of the face. The Drapion crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"I had him," Pangoro growled.
"Be quicker about it, then," Chesnaught retorted, before whirling and lunging out of view again.
Snarling irritably, Pangoro glanced around for his next opponent. These unevolved Pokemon were little more than speedbumps. He wanted something challenging! But from what he could tell, all the Drapion were either down or being pressured by two or more Pokemon, the two wild Gyarados were splayed out across the wall of a destroyed house, and even if Kriesh hadn't just brought down the Dragonite, it wasn't like Pangoro could fly.
He knew he should be taking this more seriously. He knew Drapion and Medicham's lives depended on it. But he didn't want to waste time kicking aside random Skorupi.
Stupid unevolved wild Pokemon…Pangoro glanced around. Some were flagging, and a few were even turning tail and fleeing, but others, propelled by fanatical devotion to the Swarmlord, fought on with almost suicidal determination. It was somewhat eerie how many still fought on despite the battle clearly having already been lost.
A Bagon lunged at Pangoro's back. "For the Swarmlord!"
Pangoro swatted him away and turned to look for the biggest cluster of enemies. Maybe numbers will substitute for raw strength. He saw a group of about a dozen Skorupi diving around the side of one of Vaniville's houses and grinned, hurling himself at the oncoming horde.
And then Professor Sycamore's Charizard came in from above. "Blaze: Ultra Inferno!" A swath of Fire energy slammed into the army of Skorupi, felling them in an instant.
Pangoro scowled, once again denied, and began looking around once more.
"Are you all right, mon ami?"
"Nobody asked your opinion," Pangoro snapped, glancing at Liepard. He hadn't heard the pure Dark-type come up behind him.
Liepard snickered. "Poursuite," she murmured, knocking a nearby Cubchoo to the ground with a flurry of Dark-type seeking rays. "I was not expressing an opinion," she said. "I was asking if you were all right."
Pangoro growled. "Crushing Blast." A Skorupi went flying with a rapidly disappearing scream. "I don't need your sympathy," he snarled.
"I wasn't offering sympathy," said Liepard. "I was asking if you were all right."
Pangoro roared furiously, rounding on Liepard. "You are being extremely annoying right now," he snarled, "and if we weren't on the same team, I'd-"
"Farceur: Imitateur."
A Focus Blast flew from Liepard's jaws and slammed into yet another Skorupi who'd been sneaking up on Pangoro. "I'm sorry, you were saying?" Liepard asked.
Pangoro took a deep breath. "Why?" he growled. "Why do you insist on asking me if I'm all right?"
"Because I'm worried that you're not," said Liepard. "I can tell you're unsatisfied with these unevolved Pokemon. I can tell you're searching for a stronger target. And I think that's because you want to take your anger out on something that can actually fight back. So that you can, if only for a few moments, forget the loss you are feeling."
Pangoro scowled. "What makes you think that's how I feel?"
"Because I've felt the same way before," said Liepard. "And that's a slope that I don't want to see anyone else slide down."
"Get them!" Pangoro glanced to the side to see three Skorupi, a Sneasel and a Charmander rushing at him and Liepard.
"Tranche Furieuse."
"Bullet Blows."
"Besides," said Liepard as the five wild Pokemon crumpled to the ground, "it's obvious you like and respect both Medicham and Drapion. Believe me, I despise this. I think you and I both know full well this attack was a diversion."
"Yeah," Pangoro said, nodding.
"So let's just finish this fast, d'accord?" Liepard queried.
"Sure." Pangoro eyed the thick of the battle nearby. He pounced, and Liepard rushed after him, and the battle resumed anew.
"Rock Attack!" Kamado cried, sending the Skorupi he was facing staggering. It landed in a crouch, wounded but still standing.
Another came at his side. "Rock Manipulation!" Kamado cried, raising a barrier of Rock energy between him and the lunging Skorupi. The Skorupi bounced off with a hiss, and Kamado launched the upraised Rock energy at it, knocking it unconscious to the ground.
"For the Swarmlord!" Kamado whirled to see a Deino scuttling towards him. The Deino opened his mouth and exhaled a blast of Dragon energy at him. "Dragon Attack!" Kamado cried, raising his claws and enhancing them with Dragon energy. He swatted the Deino's attack aside, though his hand stung from the effort.
But he'd forgotten about the first Skorupi; teeth embedded themselves in his shoulder as the Skorupi's jaws clamped down. "Fire Attack!" Kamado snarled, twisting his head and gnashing down on the Skorupi with a Fire energy-enhanced bite. The Skorupi shrieked and went limp. The Deino lunged, Normal energy glistening around him as he did so.
Kamado lunged. "Ice Attack!" He dodged to the side, avoiding the Deino's charge, and bit down with Ice energy-infused jaws. The Deino fell, howling in agony.
"Rock Attack!" Kamado finished it off, then turned, looking for the next opponent. It was a strange feeling to be actively searching out opponents, but Kamado wanted to keep fighting. He wanted to hurt these wild Pokemon for what they'd done to Medicham and Drapion. He wanted to make them pay.
"You okay, kid?"
Kamado looked up. Professor Sycamore's Mega Garchomp was standing above him, peering down. "I want to keep fighting," Kamado growled. "Where are they?"
"Battle's over, kid," Mega Garchomp growled. "They're either running or unconscious. You did good." He leaned down towards Kamado. "Want to go back to your Trainer?"
Kamado felt a sudden surge of pain wash his body. His knees buckled and he bit back an agonized snarl.
"That'd be the adrenaline wearing off." Mega Garchomp leaned down. "Here, kid. I'll take you back to your Trainer."
Kamado made no move to resist. He suddenly felt exhausted. As Mega Garchomp picked him up, Kamado felt his eyes close, and in the next moment was dead to the world.
"There's got to be at least three hundred Pokemon lying unconscious on the streets," said Professor Sycamore. "Three hundred! And that's not even counting the ones who fled…what kind of wild Pokemon attack was this?"
"This wasn't a wild Pokemon attack, Professor," said Marcus. The two of them were in Sycamore's lab, Marcus sitting and Sycamore standing. The rest of the group were attennding to the wounds their Pokemon had suffered; most had escaped without serious injury, but Valerie's Mr. Mime had been rendered unconscious by the strain of keeping up his barriers for the entire battle, and would have to recover in the Pokemon Center. Kriesh had not suffered wounds besides a couple stray scratches, so she, along with the few other Pokemon who had escaped the battle unscathed, was standing in the room with Marcus and Professor Sycamore. "This was a distraction."
"A…a distraction?" Professor Sycamore sounded outright flabbergasted. "Hundreds of wild Pokemon assaulting a town, destroying multiple buildings, and injuring several civilians was a distraction? For what?"
"For the rest to get my Medicham and Drapion past Vaniville." Marcus's voice was weary. "Kriesh found their trail, but they started masking it once they got past the town. There's no way to know where to go - except for maybe Valerie's Mr. Mime, who's currently in the Pokemon Center from the strain of holding up a Psychic force field for half an hour, and by the time he gets out there's no telling if Medicham and Drapion will even be alive!"
"Marcus, calm down," Professor Sycamore urged.
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Marcus cried. "I'm…I'm tired of losing my Pokemon! Geosenge, Aether, Laverre, and now this…everywhere I go, it seems one or more of my Pokemon wind up nearly dying, or actually dying! It feels like everything I do is met with some new enemy threatening to hurt or kill me and my Pokemon!" Marcus bowed his head. "Is it too much to ask for me to just be able to live a normal life?"
Kriesh stepped up close to Marcus, wishing she could say something to her Trainer. It hurt seeing him like this, even more than it did to know that the Swarmlord had succeeded in escaping with Medicham and Drapion. But she settled for rubbing her beak gently against the side of his face, hoping it would at least provide some comfort.
Marcus sighed. "I'm tired," he murmured. "I'm just so tired."
The sound of many voices reached Medicham's ears. She risked a turn of her head, and almost instantly wished she hadn't, for she was staring at a positively gigantic horde of Skorupi, Drapion, and other various Pokemon, clustered around what she could instantly tell was a large hollow in the ground.
Small walkways lined the sides of the hollow, dotted with cave entrances. Trees clustered thick around the hollow, shielding it from view both from the side and the sky. The entire area was filled with Pokemon, some cheering the Swarmlord's arrival and some leering at her and Drapion.
"How many Pokemon are there in the Swarms?" she whispered.
"Thousands," Drapion responded. "Ah don't know the full number, but ah know this is only a fraction of 'em."
"Any you can tell me about?" Medicham asked.
"Big one's the Ocean Keeper Swarm," said Drapion. "The second of the two largest Swarms in Kalos. Water-types - ya know how many of those live on the Kalosian coasts. Then there's the-"
"That's enough." Drapion staggered under Medicham as someone shoved him aside. "Swarmlord, what do you want done with the prisoners?"
The Swarmlord's voice sounded close by. "The Marked One will be taken to the lowest caverns," he growled, "in preparation for his execution. And as for the Medicham…"
"…she goes to my cave. To the Wall."
