Episode 167: The Power of One Part 3
After dealing with Graybeard, Sora wiped off some sweat.
"Thanks for the assist, Riku," Sora said.
"No problem, Sora," Riku said. He turned to see Lugia laying in front of them. "I take it that's what pirate was picking a fight over, Sora?" Riku asked.
"Yeah. I have a feeling that pirate might have been a Pokémon Hunter, so Kairi and I were protecting it," Sora explained.
"I figured as much. At least he's better than Team Rocket. Which reminds me, where are those three clowns?" Riku asked.
"Don't really know. We haven't seen those three since that Silver Wing fiasco they were involved in," Sora said.
"Uh, Sora, you mind filling us in?" Takato asked. Sora looked at him and he chuckled.
"Right. Guys, this is Riku. He's a friend and rival of mine. That Eevee there is his partner. The blonde with the Azurill is his girlfriend, Naminé. The other girl is Sakura, and these are my childhood friends, Ash and Leaf. Guys, meet Takato, his Charmeleon Guil, along with Henry, Rika, Jeri, Kazu, and Kenta," Sora introduced.
"Nice to meet you," Ash said. Kazu was awestruck to meet him.
"I can't believe I'm in the presence of another awesome Trainer! You came in second at the Indigo Plateau Pokémon League!" Kazu said.
"Um, I'm flattered," Ash said.
"We're happy to see you, but why are you doing here?" Kairi asked.
"Yeah, I thought you were staying in Kanto," Sora pointed out.
"Tai, Kari, and their friends are looking after things in Kanto for us," Ash said. That was the half-truth.
"And how about you, Sakura? You've been improving since the last time we saw you?" Kairi asked.
"I did. I caught a few more Eevee and had evolve into a Glaceon, a Leafeon, and a Sylveon, so now me and my sisters have the complete set," Sakura said.
"That sounds great," Tracey said.
"Since you're so chummy, I think I'll get into it. My name's Melody," the girl spoke up.
"Right, we were about to ask about you," Sora said. Melody looked at Sora and she became interested in him. Sora was starting to feel uneasy. "Uh, why are you eyeing me like that?"
"Well, aren't you a looker?" Melody flirted. "Here's a little greeting." She kissed him on the cheek, making Sora flinch. Kairi's blood started to boil. Melody looked at her. "Are you his sister?"
"No!" Kairi quickly answered.
"Then that means you're his girlfriend then," Melody said.
"So what if I am?" Kairi asked.
"Uh-oh," Ash said. Leaf stepped in.
"Okay, how about we focus on helping out Lugia before something happens?" Leaf suggested.
"That's an idea," Ash agreed.
"Right," Sora agreed. Ash had let out Charizard to give Lugia a lift to have Lugia healed. Kairi was fuming over that kiss Melody gave her boyfriend. Sora looked at his girlfriend. "I have my eyes on you, Kairi. Always have, always will." Kairi didn't say a thing. Sora placed his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. She blushed. "Better?"
"Much," Kairi answered.
Up above, Lawrence III has located Lugia at last.
"Good. I was almost beginning to lose faith," Lawrence III said. He readies his capture device. "The time to end the chase has come."
As Charizard carried Lugia, several rings come flying down at them. Charizard sensed the rings and fired a Flamethrower at the ring.
"What's going on, Charizard?" Ash asked. Several more rings appeared.
"I think we just got our answer!" Naminé said.
The rings ends up capturing them all. The rings has caught Lugia and Charizard in them and takes them into the flying fortress above them.
"I have succeeded," Lawrence III said proudly.
"Code Blue-3. When capturing Lugia, we've collected something more," the AI said.
"More?" Lawrence III asked.
Lugia roared upon being captured, and Charizard being in the same pickle.
"Where are we?" Kenta asked.
"I don't know, but there's a lot of artwork around here," Kairi said.
Just then, Lawrence III came down, sitting in his chair and he smiled warmly as he stood up.
"Well, this is a pleasure, though an expected one at that. What do you think of my collection? Lugia has been on my radar for many years. So I had to add it to my collection," Lawrence III said. Sora and Kairi didn't like what he said.
"What?! Pokémon are not something to collect like dolls or stamps!" Sora said.
"What kind of Trainer are you?" Kairi asked.
"I'm afraid I am not a Trainer, young lady. I am merely a collector. Legendary Pokémon have always been my passion. I began my collection with a Mew card, and as the years passed, I now have all of this," Lawrence III said.
"What do you hope to gain out of this?" Henry asked.
"It's that my collection shall be legendary as well. Now if you excuse me," Lawrence III said, sitting in his chair and going up.
"We gotta get Lugia out of here," Sora said.
"That's easy said than done. How?" Takato asked. Sora took out his Pokémon Box and exchanged Kleavor for Raikou. He was about to throw his Ultra Ball and he felt a light purple, diamond-shaped spike hit his hand.
"Ouch!" Sora yelped.
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed.
"Sora, you okay?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, something hit me," Sora said, taking the spike out.
"I wouldn't try anything if I were you, kiddo," a voice spoke. They all turned to see Xigbar as he grinned. He held two arrowguns in his hands. The body of the arrowgun consists of a purple ring that is white on the top. Three short spikes vaguely reminiscent of those on the Nobody sigil line the edge of this ring. The barrel of the weapon is a long, thin pyramid that is light lavender at the base that lightens to white near its tip. The handle of the arrowgun is purple and has a thick, purple, curved curved arc acting as a guard. This guard is lined by six light purple, diamond-shaped spikes with silver edges. The arrowguns are known as Sharpshooters. "Especially if you don't wanna end up with another one hitting you."
"Who are you?" Takato asked.
"You're one of them, aren't you?" Tracey asked.
"Oh, you sure caught on quickly," Xigbar said.
"Seriously, who's he?" Melody asked.
"He's from a club called Organization XIII. They're very bad news," Leaf said.
"Why are you here?" Sakura asked.
"Now, do you think I'm just gonna spill the beans on why I've come here? Heh. As if," Xigbar scoffed.
"Why don't you make like a Beedrill and buzz off?" Riku asked.
"As if! You don't seem to know what you got yourselves into," Xigbar said.
"Why don't you try us, patchy?" Rika asked.
"I could do that," Xigbar said. "But that's why I have these guys with me." Xigbar snapped his fingers and several Nobodies appeared to aid Xigbar. They're all Nobodies dressed in a primarily purple bodysuit. Its skin underneath is light gray. Only the Nobody's chin and neck are visible, the rest of its body being covered by its suit and the purple cap it wears. It also wears a black eye patch over the cap in the same place as Xigbar's own eye patch. Its suit also seems to sport pointed shoulders, much like Xigbar's coat. Its arms bell outward near its elbows, making it look as if the Nobodies are wearing gloves. A white Nobody logo is emblazoned on the right glove. There is a wide, light grey spike with a circular cut taken out of its bottom on either of the Nobody's hips. They all wield large crossbows reminiscent of Xigbar's arrowguns, and can even shape shift its body into a massive version of the crossbow. These Nobodies are Snipers.
"What the?!" Takato asked.
"What are they?" Jeri asked, scared.
"Monsters!" Kazu gasped.
"They're Nobodies!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Have some fun, boys!" Xigbar told his Nobodies. As he laughed. Sora, Kairi, Riku, Ash, and Leaf summoned their Keyblades and held them tight.
"Take them all out!" Sora said.
"Pika!" Pikachu added.
Not needing to be told twice, the Keyblade wielding Pokémon Trainers engaged the Nobodies. Sora swing at one, but the Sniper just dodged and fired at him. Sora blocked the attack with his Kingdom Key as Kairi came to his aide with her Destiny's Embrace and blocked the shots being fired. Riku swung his Braveheart as Eevee fired Shadow Ball. Ash and Leaf attacked by swinging their Keyblades, taking them out. A Sniper shot at Sora, but he reflects the spike and warps to sends the spike back to its owner. Takato, Henry, Rika, Jeri, Kazu, Kenta, Melody, and Guil were awestruck by what they were seeing with their own eyes. They're Pokémon Trainers, but they held key-shaped swords in their hands.
"Won't someone tell us what are we seeing?" Melody asked.
"I might as well just say it. What they're holding in their hands are Keyblades, and the monsters they're fighting are called Nobodies. They use those to fight the Nobodies and other creatures called the Heartless. This is the first time I've seen this kind of Nobody," Tracey said. Kairi casts her magnet spell and it pulls the Snipers in the vortex. Angel fired Swift at the Nobodies, destroying them.
"Wait, is that magic?" Henry asked.
"Yeah, they can use magic," Sakura said.
The last of the Snipers have been destroyed as Sora and the others still held their Keyblades. Xigbar clapped his hands.
"Nicely done. Fight, fight, fight! I can see why those Keyblades chose you, but man, you still look like a bunch of duds, just like those three I met before, so many years ago," Xigbar said. This strikes a cord with Ash as he gasped.
"How do you know so much about the Keyblade? And how do you know about them?" Ash asked.
"Oh, now that would be telling. I could just flat-out say it, but where would the fun be in that?" Xigbar said as he chuckled.
"Just tell me!" Ash yelled.
"Chill out, Ash. He's not going to tell us," Leaf said, stating the obvious. Ash growled.
"Aren't you bright? And you should listen to your friend there. I would if I were you," Xigbar said. Ash growled again.
"I don't know why you're here, but get lost! Now!" Sora asked.
"As if! You can bark all the orders at me all you want, but I won't budge," Xigbar said.
"Then we're going to make you get lost!" Kairi said.
"See, that would work, if I were just any old dude. 'Cept I'm not. I'm with the Organization. Nothing any old about me," Xigbar said.
"Ha! Tough talk for someone just who stood on the sidelines while his Nobody flunkies did all the fighting!" Sora said.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.
"Oh, dear. I think you go the wrong impression," Xigbar said.
"You gonna cry?" Sora asked.
"As if! Why don't I remind you how tough the crowd you're dealing with really is?" Xigbar asked.
"Oh, I know how tough you guys are, but you're gonna end up losing if you get in the way, like the Moron Trio we keep dealing with," Sora said.
"Oh, you mean those Team Rocket rejects following you around? They don't even know that they've been our puppets from the very start," Xigbar said.
"Puppets?" Sora asked.
"You heard me right. Also, if I may add, if you're not the one who's careful, you're gonna end up almost swallowed by the darkness again," Xigbar said. Kairi points her Keyblade forward.
"Do you have to bring that up?" Kairi asked.
"Oh, looks like I touched a nerve, didn't I? But can you protect him forever, and can he protect you forever?" Xigbar taunted. This just gives Sora an angry look. Xigbar laughed. "That's right! He used to give me that same, exact look!"
"Shut up!" Sora snapped at him.
"Go ahead if you wanna waste your time. Keep trying to drive us apart with your mind games. It'll never work! Sora and I will prove to you we're stronger!" Kairi said. Xigbar laughed again.
"She said that to me, too," Xigbar said, reading his Sharpshooters.
"Here he comes," Sora said.
"We can take him together," Ash said.
"No, Kairi and I will take care of him," Sora said.
"Right," Kairi agreed.
"Don't be ridiculous, Sora. We can all take him all at once!" Ash said.
"Don't argue with me! It'll be overkill if you guys just join in," Sora said.
"No-!" Ash said as Leaf placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Let them do this, Ash. We'd only get in the way," Leaf said. A barrier forms behind Sora and Kairi as they readied their Keyblades.
"Let's see how much punishment you two lovebirds can take," Xigbar said. He warps above to a platform and he goes into sniper mode. "I can see you." He fired, but Sora reflects it with his Kingdom Key and they hit him. "I got you now!" After taking three hits, Xigbar just twirls his Sharpshooters. "Clever little sneak!" He warps back down to them and he fires at the couple as they ran to dodge his assault.
The group were watching in amazement. Riku turned to the rest of the group, knowing what they need to do. Riku figured since Sora and Kairi are keeping Xigbar busy, they can free Lugia.
"While they got him occupied, We can set Lugia free," Riku said.
"How?" Takato asked.
"Eevee and the other Pokémon can break the barrier around Lugia and it can escape from this place," Riku said.
"That's not a bad idea," Rika said.
"But what about Sora and Kairi? Won't they need some help?" Jeri asked.
"They can handle him," Sakura said.
"She's right. Lugia needs our help," Naminé said.
"Azu, Azu," Azurill chirped.
"Okay, let's started," Ash said as he casts his fire spell to free Charizard. Leaf does the same thing and they managed to get Charizard out of his containment. "Charizard! Use Flamethrower to let Lugia out!" Charizard obliges his Trainer with a Flamethrower.
"Eevee! Use Swift!" Riku ordered. Eevee fired Swift on the barrier to assist Charizard. Leaf took out a Pokéball and threw it.
"Go! Venusaur!" Leaf called out. Venusaur came out and ready to go. "Use Razor Leaf!" Venusaur unleashed Razor Leaf to assist Charizard and Eevee.
"Guil, you use Flamethrower!" Takato ordered. Guil unleashed Flamethrower at the barrier.
Back to the fight, Xigbar, he kept firing on firing at the couple. Xigbar charges his Sharpshooters and fired an arcing blue shots into the sky. These bullets will ricochet across the fight. Kairi warps and reflects them.
Xigbar kept on firing and firing at the couple. Sora and Kairi kept on running and running as Xigbar warps and shoots at them.
"Better start running!" Xigbar said, firing at the couple. He kept on firing until he was out of ammo. "Reload!" Xigbar quickly reloads his arrowguns.
"Man, doesn't this guy ever run out?" Sora panted.
"I don't think he does," Kairi panted. Xigbar fires again, so Kairi uses her reflect magic to block.
Back to Riku, he takes out a Pokéball and threw it.
"Go! Farigiraf!" Riku shouted as he let's out a quadrupedal giraffine Pokémon. Its body is primarily orange with a long, brown neck and topside, yellow underside and lower legs, and black cloven hooves. Its main head has a yellow blaze on top, white eyes with black eyelashes and irises, pink upper eyelids, dark brown spots around its eyes, and a round, pink nose. This head is covered by its tail head. The tail head is dark brown with a black face, yellow eyes, sharp white teeth, and four ossicone-like antennae with bulbous tips. There are four orange spots on the front of its neck, and seven dark brown spots circling around where its neck meets its body. It has a row of eight dark brown and yellow spikes running down its spine. Since its tail head had migrated to its neck, the Pokémon lacks a visible tail. This Pokémon is known as Farigiraf. "Use Twin Beam!" A light purple swirl of energy surrounds Farigiraf's body and fired a light purple beam from its mouth. It hits the barrier once. A light purple energy surrounds Farigiraf's body again and fired another light purple beam from its mouth, hitting it a second time. Farigiraf fires Twin Beam at the barrier along with the other Pokémon. This keeps up until the barrier is destroyed and Lugia is set free. Lugia roars upon being freed.
Sora, Kairi, and Xigbar looked and saw Lugia is now free.
"Well, it's on the loose," Xigbar said. Lugia opens its mouth and gather blue energy inside it. It then fires a massive beam of energy from its mouth at the flying fortress.
"It's using Aeroblast!" Ash exclaimed. The blast of energy shatters the barrier around them, so Xigbar jumps out of the way.
"Looks like this is where I get off! You be good now!" Xigbar said as he disappeared into the corridor of darkness.
The alarms on the flying fortress goes off as Lawrence III was trying to figure out what happened.
"Warning! Warning! Crash landing on Ogi Isle!" The AI said.
"Everybody off!" Sora yelled.
"Pika, Pika!" Pikachu said.
Not needing to be told twice, they all raced to get off the fortress as they all ran for it. Just as everyone jumps, Lugia came and uses its psychic powers to save them. They looked to see Lugia flying above them.
"Lugia!" Sora said.
The fortress lands on the island, but Lawrence III saw Lugia is now free.
"You're not getting away that easily," Lawrence III said. Lawrence III got a cannon ready to capture Lugia again, and make sure Lugia stays put.
Lugia placed the group down on the island. They looked up to the Diving Pokémon and looked right at it.
"Thanks for the save, Lugia. Why did you save us?" Sora asked.
"I think I know," Riku said. Everyone looked at him. "I think it was because we helped Lugia, so if we didn't, then it would have thought all humans were the same, but it didn't."
"That's a good theory, Riku," Tracey said.
"That guy was so much closer than that Graybeard guy did," Naminé said.
"Azurill," Azurill chirped.
"But we got Lugia out, so all it has to do is to go back in the ocean where it'll be safe," Tracey said.
The rings from before come from his fallen fortress.
"Easier said than done," Ash said. Sora took out his Ultra Ball and threw it.
"Raikou! Go!" Sora called out. Raikou came out with a roar. Sora got on Raikou's back. "Enough is enough! Head right for the source!" Raikou roared and races towards the fortress. Lugia flies to evade the rings. But they just keep on coming.
Over to Lawrence III, he grinned as he watched Lugia trying to flee.
"Try as you may, but there is no escaping," Lawrence III said.
"Raikou! Use Thunder!" Sora ordered. Raikou jumped forward and unleashed a Thunder, hitting the cannon. Lawrence III tries to escape, but Raikou cuts his escape. "I don't think so."
"Why must you insist of interfering?" Lawrence III asked.
"Just like I said. Pokémon are not something to collect. Any Trainer would tell you that. So I won't let you get away with this," Sora said.
The rings keep on coming, so Lugia ends up being surrounded in them. Lugia flew up in the air and unleashed Aeroblast at the fortress, just in time for Raikou to carry him by the back of his suit. The fortress explodes behind them, but it caught the attention of Looker and the international police. Once Lawrence III was brought before the group, Sakura has sent out her Glaceon.
"Ice Beam!" Sakura ordered. Glaceon froze Lawrence III in place.
"Good job," Riku said.
"Thanks," Sakura said.
"So, what do we do with him now?" Kazu asked.
"We should turn him over to the cops, that's what," Tracey said.
Looker arrived to the group.
"Is everything okay?" Looker asked.
"Looker!" Sora and Kairi exclaimed. He spotted Lawrence III frozen in ice.
"Oh, I see you caught Lawrence III," Looker said.
"Who?" Sora and Kairi asked.
"The self-proclaimed collector. He's been on our radar for a very long time. And thanks to you, I finally got him," Looker said.
"You cannot do this to me," Lawrence III said.
"I just did. You're under arrest for theft and Pokémon poaching. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say and do can and will be used against you in the court of law," Looker said, reading him his rights. Sora looked up to Lugia, and Lugia looked back at Sora.
"I guess you're safe now," Sora said. Lugia nods. "Well, it was great to meet you." Lugia smiled. "Just steer clear of Pokémon Hunters and you'll be alright." Lugia nodded and flew back to the sea where Lugia shall be free to roam peacefully.
"Now that your adventures around the Whirl Islands is done, that could only mean that your next Gym battle can take place," Riku said.
"Yeah. I've trained hard enough, and Jasmine will give me quite a run for my money, and I'm gonna do the same thing for her," Sora said.
"I thought you'd say that, Sora," Riku said.
"We're gonna root for you," Naminé said.
"I can take you there by boat. Let's go," Melody said.
With that said, the adventures throughout the Whirl Islands has concluded, and now Jasmine and her Steel-type Pokémon will be waiting for Sora to make a return, but will Sora win his sixth Gym battle and be one more step closer to the Johto Pokémon League? Just you wait and see when we continue.