Chapter Eleven: Shock
"The winner takes everything, and there's nothing left for the loser." - Grimsley, Sun & Moon
(Asa POV)
I know my methods may seem dishonest. Alex may disagree with my decision to use my Sight Sharing abilities, but I cannot hide from the conflict surrounding me in order to maintain my innocence. I no longer have that luxury. Let the whole world judge me a sinner, if only that world may survive.
We stand upon this mountaintop today, gazing out at the black smoke shrouding the land, its life and death teetering on a knife's edge. Dozens, with the power to change the lives of millions. One person can make all the difference. This is the burden I carry on my back.
Gems are gifts from the young Gods. Latios, Latias, Shaymin, Diancie; each Gem contains a micro-fraction of the power they wield. Infinitesimally small compared to these great names. Incredible nonetheless, yet unlike the Eons Gods I cannot Sight Share with anyone I choose. There are three caveats in place:
I must establish physical contact with this person. However, there seems to be no limitation on how long ago this occurred. This person must be either accepting or unaware of my presence. I can only see through the eyes of my allies.
As our small party of 26 rests in a cooling crater near the easter edge of Mount. Magma, our journey to the sharp peaks of Mount. Cyclone looming ahead of us, I pause for a moment to reach out to a friend. Though I can do nothing to help them, it would comfort me to know he is (relatively) unharmed. Alex and Tobias will want reassurance as well. Such a brave soul, is Lord Finley.
(Mickey POV)
I have to get my friends out of here.
Am I a coward for running? I look back at my companions; my guardsmon, Mikey, Evie, Spencer. Fortis and his friends, and the three outlaws, Dig, Lett, and Slash. Fine. Let me be a coward. So long as my friends live.
The tunnels behind the waterfall were long and dark. I had no idea where I was going, but it was my responsibility to lead. All of these Pokémon are my responsibility. I am Lord Finley.
I spotted a deep, dark blue light. I felt pulled towards it, I can't really explain how. My body just knew what to do, and I led my party of fifteen down the tunnels towards the open cavern.
It was a column of light, a melodic hum emanating from within, bouncing off walls patterned with huge chunks of lapis lazuli, dark-blue gems veined with gold. Water trickled down from cracks in the wall and pooled across the floor. Clear. Three inches deep. I looked down at myself, at my friends. The light had turned everything and everyone blue and white.
"An Evolution Spring," said Lett.
"Nnn, I really hope we don't run into anyone here," said Dig.
"What does he mean?" Titan asked Slash in Pokémorse code.
"We were arrested after a battle in Sapphire Spring," the Sandslash answered.
"That was by the Charmander and the Squirtle?"
"Yeah."
"Damn. I know the pain."
Footsteps. Our heads shot up all at once. Fortis placed a hand on my shoulder. The Empoleon and the Feraligatr shuffled closer together. My father appeared at the other end of the spring.
"You traitorous coward!"
To my great surprise, it was Spencer who'd yelled this, and was now running straight at him. He jumped through the column of light, head bowed, fin poised and ready to—
Dad waved his arm and smacked Spencer out of the way. He landed hard against a jutting piece of lapis, and fell to the floor, coughing. Then he tried to stand.
"Spencer!" I called. "Stop!"
"Listen to your nephew, Spencer," said Dad.
He pushed himself onto all four feet. He was shaking. I'd never seen him want to harm anyone in his life, and now he looked like he was ready to tear Dad limb from limb.
Spencer span and his tail hit the ground; mud splattered Dad across the face. He cringed away and raised his hand to wipe his eyes, by that time Spencer had already driven his horn into Dad's stomach. My scouts were running at him now, Mikey's leaf glowing green, stars shooting from Evie's mouth.
"Enough!" Dad roared.
He slammed both his fists agains the ground; water splashed and three waves of razor-sharp stones came shooting out of the ground, spearing them. Spencer, Mikey, and Evie lay strewn across the floor, faces half-submerged into the water.
"Stop!" I yelled.
"My own small party inside these caves outnumber you ten-to-one," Mr. Finley said, looking disdainfully over these Pokémon he'd known their whole lives. "Out of generosity or perhaps plain foolish sentimentality, I will spare you from the silver, but this foolish bravado will not be tolerated. Do I make myself clear?"
I could hear Yukiko's teeth grinding behind me. Titan and Slash both started to click at one another.
"Silence!"
Our party went quiet.
I swallowed hard. "Are you?" I half-whispered.
Dad raised his eyebrows.
"Human?"
"I suppose it depends where you draw the line."
"Then how can you be my father?"
I wasn't sure what answer I wanted. Was I trying to reconcile this new idea of him with the father who had raised me, taught me, inspired me; this person I had loved all my life?
Or was I a worm, trying to wriggle off a hook?
He narrowed his eyes at me. "Is that a discussion you really want to have?"
It wasn't. But I needed to stall time. Get him talking about something, anything. There was only one more route I could think to try:
"When you first arrived here you asked me to join you."
That seemed to get his attention.
"Why should I?"
"If my speech did not move you before, I fail to see why it should now."
Did he knows what I was doing?
"I only did what I did because the Skarsgards were there," I said. "I would have been no help to you on my own."
He didn't look convinced.
I relaxed my posture. "Dad," I said, "I've missed you for so long. It felt like an ache in my soul I could never fill. I love you. There's nothing I've ever wanted more than to be by your side again."
And it was true. I didn't need to stretch the truth in the slightest. I didn't need to conjure up any false emotions. The tears came of their own accord. He looked at me, eyes narrowed with a slight frown, scrutinising me, the way he used to do when he trained me. When he was still my father.
He straightened the Lapis Badge pinned to his tunic.
"Fitzroy and I have already taken Tenrai," he said, as the pillar of light shone between us. "With my information on foreign politics, the ships and resources I sent to them, it was an easy victory. A small country, but claimed in less than a year. You see how powerful a human and a Pokémon can be working side-by-side."
I nodded, pretending he had my full attention.
"That doesn't explain why you faked your own death," said Fortis.
"You may be aware no chieftain can rule two regions at once. Thus a fake identity was necessary."
"But we all know who you are!" said Harriet.
"A technicality. One the Skarsgards were in no position to protest, you may recall. By bargaining for my title as Lord Ayers, I elevated the Earthspringers from a small band of underground recluses to part of the royal army, with all the benefits that come along. I earned their loyalty as well as direct access to Itori's underground. And when the time comes to win the loyalty of the Burrowwilds—"
Fortis gave a derisive laugh. Dad's eyes rested on him.
"You won't win the Burrowwilds," my former guardsmon said, "wild Pokémon can't be bought like that."
But the Mire Pokémon had been.
"Then we'll fight our way through them. But either way, when we've amassed enough resources, Ruby Forest will be our next target. I do sympathise with the Varias in that regard. There can be no room for such a place in our world."
I felt the Blaziken' energy heat up behind me. Please, Fortis, be still.
"We have a stranglehold on Itori now, with Tenrai up for grabs," Dad continued. "I shall rule from the surface, Connie from the underground, Fitzroy from the sky. Which leaves but one domain: the seas."
I sucked in air. Gods above, what did he have planned for the seas?
"With the Varias sufficiently weakened, we will claim the Sapphire Fang as well. With the Gyarados of Gold at our command, the oceans shall join us as well," he extended his hand to me, "led by you, Michael."
My stomach twisted in knots.
"We have awoken a God. We have changed the World. Now we will tame an untameable power."
"What if you… can't?"
His face froze.
"What if the God won't listen to you? What if they go on a rampage and just keep destroying everything? What if Fitzroy betrays you?"
He gestured to the Lapis Badge.
"This is how Trainers control Pokémon. Unlike the others, I still retain a handful of memories from my humanity. Images allude me. No loved ones spring to mind. I do not even remember my old name, but I remember my role. Pokémon Trainers rule small groups of Pokémon, from a single companion, to a small army of hundreds. I am among three humans in this World. And frankly, the other two are simply not fit to rule. One would allow the world to grow wild, and the other might end up burning it to the ground."
The earth burst open. Ground-types emerged from the ground, holding Dig, Lett, and Slash in tight restraint as they kicked and clawed and struggled in vain. I looked over my shoulder and saw Pokémon in silver-and-brown armour, lined up in neat rows of two, stretching back as far as the eye could see.
Dad was watching me the same way he had when I threw a tantrum, argued back, or tried to bend the rules. An easy smile, pitying eyes. I'm the adult, and what I say goes, and there's nothing you can do about it. I'm in charge.
"You have ten minutes to make your choice," he said.
We were marched up to the peak of Mount. Mire, the high shelf beside the peak of the waterfall, where dozens of pots were tipped over, the dregs of bronze water still lingering in the bowls. Each pot was about the size of a Wailmer. There must have been enough bronze water to drown small town. And he'd used it all on just three-hundred soldiers (my soldiers). Which either told me he was incredibly careless, or he had a lot more of it to spare. And my father was not careless.
We could see the craggy black peaks of Mount. Magma from here. The Skarsgards had fled to the second ring, and the Varias were hot on their tale. A long line of injured Pokémon from both armies littered the paths.
"Hm," Dad said casually, "I'd expected the Varias to have finished them off by now."
I looked down at the steadily-marching line of orange, the scattered patches of blue here-and-there. They were missing on their leaders, I knew.
"Their formation must have crumbled when Dei took off," I said. "And Zweil and Dreigo must have lost their concentration. They'll be worried sick for him, and they won't be paying as much attention to their army."
"Excellent observation," Dad said, and gave me a nod of approval. To my shame, I felt a warm hum of pride in my chest. He chuckled at the sight below us. "Pitiful, isn't it? They had their victory, everything they'd been fighting for right in their hands, lost by a foolish act of heroics."
I felt his eyes burning into my the back of my head.
"Not that it matters at all now which one of them wins," he said, "they're all headed for the same place."
"Where?" I asked.
I didn't get an answer. A cloud of black smoke blew in on a strong southern wind. A shadow passed over our heads. A veil of smoke parted, and a Charizard was hovering before us. There was a glowing pinkish-red orb behind him, and I knew in my body and soul it was the Legendary Pokémon. And they were both watching us.
I looked at my father.
Mickey looked at his father, and suddenly I was seeing through his eyes.
(Ford POV)
Sudden, expected terror. I forced a confident smile. No one must ever, ever see you afraid, Ford. Not even Fitzroy.
Especially not Fitzroy, a quieter voice inside me said.
I reminded myself to take heed of my surroundings. Surrounded by hundreds of loyal Pokémon, with an army of bronze behemoths at my disposal.
But behind Fitzroy was a Legendary Pokémon.
No. No time for fear. This is what it's all been for, what everything has been leading up to. All I need to do now… is take control.
I spread my arms wide and my smile even wider.
"We finally did it," I called up to him. "After all these years, my friend, we've achieved our ultimate dream."
Fitzroy said nothing. I looked around him, at the nebulous shape waiting behind the smoke.
"Well? Why not introduce us? We have a long journey ahead of us yet, we may as well become aquatinted."
Fitzroy stared.
What's happening? What is he doing? Can he hear me? Is he—
Snap out of it!
"My friend, there is nothing to be afraid of. Your allies stand before you, I have built my armies and secured my land. And now we have claimed the sky. Our God's name shall be on the lips of every human and Pokémon until the end of time."
I put my hand on my chest, right below the Lapis Badge.
"My name is Lord Ford Finley. Who do I have the pleasure of meeting on this fateful day?"
Silence, a thunder clap, a lightning strike, white light then black darkness.
My voice finally broke.
"Fitzroy! What—"
"You never told me you were human."
A feeling like waking from a dream into a nightmare.
"I- I- I don't understand."
Black clouds rolling in, wind pushing them back.
I felt the need to grip onto the floor, even though I wasn't there.
"Humanity is vile," Fitzroy's deep voice cut through everything. "It is the cause of chaos and destruction, of misery and decay. Pokémon attempting to recreate this world will only lead to our collective devastation. I thought we were partners, united in this goal. And then I discovered that you were human all along, merely pretending to be a Pokémon, merely occupying a Swampert's form." His mouth twitched. "And you thought we would rule side-by-side, a human and humanity's greatest threat."
"But… you knew!" I yelled. "You've known for seven years!"
"I needed a human soul to unlock a human's curse," he replied, "you can rest easier knowing you've at least done that."
"We were friends!" I cried. "We were partners! Did you read the legend in the Epsilon Cavern?! It's all there! A human in a Pokémon's form! Skin of orange and skin of blue; land and sky, earth and water! Heaven and earth turns upside down!"
Fitzroy's voice was soft, but equally terrifying. "But you see, I already own the skies. The ground is crumbling beneath our feet. And the waters are turning to steam." Fitzroy tilted his head. "You think you have me beat. You think that I couldn't possibly take the underground from you, not without an army on my side, not even in the form I am in now. But you see, Ford, I don't need to take the underground myself. Because you've already done that for me."
"The bronze army is mine! You cannot harm me with the weapon I wield!"
"No, I cannot," he said, "but I can wrestle it out of your slimy hands."
The God let out their holy cry. Dots and lines, mechanical, almost. Suddenly everything lost focus, as if I was in a fugue state, and the sounds ringing in my ears were the only thing anchoring me to reality.
I could see their eyes.
The Bronze Soldiers raised their heads. There was a flash of blue light, directed at me. The soldiers came charging with a fervour I had never, ever seen in them before. Now there was no uncertainty who they were fighting for.
Mickey raised his hands and formed Protect around us. The others pressed against the bubble as a wave of bronze statues slammed up against it. The Lapis Badge glowed, and I drove my fists to the ground, breaking cracks into the earth, and rings of jagged stones shot up, forcing the statues back or knocking them off their feet, creating a metre-tall ring around us. I tapped on the ground three times with my foot, the signal for my soldiers to open the tunnels beneath us and retreat. The Bronze Pokémon scrabbled at the rock and some managed to pull themselves up to the edge; it was all the two of us could do to repel them with our water and group type attacks. The earth trembled beneath out feet.
Fitzroy turned to God and said: "It's time."
Regidrago's eyes flashed an indecipherable pattern. They held out their right arm and Fitzroy closed his eyes and touched his forehead to it. Then their bodies turned white and began to melt. A pillar of pink-red light rose from the ground. Regidrago's jaws opened wide and snapped shut over the Charizard and together they became a giant glowing sphere.
The sphere shrank and slowly began to morph. First it grew wings, wide bones with no membranes and holds at the pointed carpals. Then came arms, and hands that emerged in the shape of small dragon's heads. Next came the lower body, legs with thick layering around the feet spiked that flares around the ankles. A tail wriggled like a worm out of their backend. Then finally came the long muscular neck from which sprouted a sturdy, thick-skulled head that looked almost like a Charizard's. The fusion Pokémon emerged with a deafening roar in a ring of pink-red fire. Flames burned from the tips of their carpals and alternating magenta and garnet jets of fire formed the membranes. The tip of their tail burned, as did the fang-like splits running along their tail.
He's finally done it. He's become royalty.
At first the place where their eyes should be seemed like round black nothing, then thirty or so blue dots blinked to life. They stared down at us, and a glow came from inside a pink-red belly marked with black fang-like marks. But nothing happened. The fusion looked confused, put a hand to their throat. That hesitation saved our lives, for the moment. I could hear my Pokémon tunnelling through the earth beneath us.
Their eyes flashed an angry red. I saw their muscles bugle and twitch, the way a Primeape's does when they're about to Thrash. But at the same time the erratic pulsing of dragon-energy swirled around them, pooling between their jaws, emerging as a twisting leviathan with three rows of gnashing teeth, the wide fins of a Mega-Gyarados, and an echoing, high-pitch screech. The ground swallowed us. The earth closed overhead just in time to shield us, but the explosion burst a whole on the ground. I looked up and bronze eyes were staring down at us.
Connie and a handful of my most trusted Earthsprings were there. They urged us down the tunnel and, moving their hands elegantly and precisely, caved a part of it in just as the statues were climbing down. A Sharpedo came gnashing through the dirt, silver water gushing from their gums. Connie puts her claws together and slammed them into the earth, creating a Fissure in the ground into which the bronze beast was swallowed. A Clodsire and a Mudbray (Mousse and Armin, I knew) ran their feet along the earth to repair the crack then we raced down the tunnel, the Earthspringers closing the path behind us every few moments.
"What's the plan, boss?" the Drilbur asked.
"Get back to Grande City," I said, "we need every soldier we have immediately."
She tilted her head at me. "Are you charging an attack?"
I frowned. "No, what do you mean?"
"Your eyes are glowing."
"That bastard," I muttered.
I felt a searing pain in my head as Ford pushed me away.
(Asa POV)
Mount. Cyclone had the tallest peaks of all the Halo Mountains. Grey-purple stone that formed five straight columns, razor-edged like swords, capped with untouched snow, surrounding one mighty pillar. Countless crevices could be seen from-up close, roosts for the wild Pokémon, some coming in from the sea only a few miles away. My bulb began to perk up as we reached the end of our journey across the volcano.
It pained me to take my attention from Mickey and the others, but it was time to move again, and I was the most qualified Pokémon to guide them. We didn't have time to wait for the Skarsgards, especially with the Varias on their burning tails. If there was a Guardian on this mountain, they could be our last hope. If not…
We hadn't found Khan. Things are tense with Alex. We've settled into a wordlessly-agreed silence.
A flock of Squawkabilly flew over our heads, white wings against the miasma of black in the distance. They were heading towards it, I realised then. And further on, Taillow, and Swellow. On the ground, a herd of Bouffalant, pack of Mightyena, a den of Druddigon (traditionally solitary Pokémon).
"What are they doing?" Tobias asked.
"I imagine they have the same idea as us," I told him, "to save Itori."
"There are… hundreds of them," Trey, the Bald Golem from Coast's armada said. "They could be headed to straight to their deaths."
"What do they think they're even going to do?" said Amelia, the Wattrel from Atlas' armada. "Those are random wild Pokémon, that thing up there is a Legendary."
"One person can make all the difference," I said.
The black rock of Mount. Magma gave way to the cool grey stone of Mount. Cyclone. As soon as we were over the line separating the two, we heard screeching from up above. Red and blue wings, proud white crests. Brawler Braviary, a party of twelve strong. Even from down below I could see the muscles in their chests.
I called to the soldiers to form a defensive line. The Valiant Pokémon circled around us, then came swooping down, beaks sharp and talons poised. I fired a Solar Beam into the air. But night had fallen, and all I could channel was the sun's light bouncing off the moon. The beam was weak, and it missed its target.
Alex's Flamethrower roared, and Tobias' Ice Beam made the air crackle. Two of them were hit. Another, covered beak-to-tail in scars, called to the others. They began circling around us, just out of the way of our attacks. Waiting for one us to make a move, waiting for the right opening, in perfect formation. They were patient, disciplined. They were being commanded.
I laughed, and the others looked at me with confusion. There was a Guardian on this mountain.
The Braviary came at us again with their talons outreached. They bounced off Skarsgards' armour, but that wouldn't protect the three of us.
I ducked. One of them got close but a soldier's swords drove him away. Then I heard two screams behind me, and my heart dropped to the ground. Alex and Tobias were being carried high, high into the air. I reached out with my vines. Another Braviary grabbed them in his talons and tried to pull. I didn't budge. He looked down at me with wide-eyed confusion. I slammed him into the ground and ran.
Alex and Tobias kicked and clawed at their captors. They were dangling over the edge now, a three-hundred-foot drop below them. I reached out with my vines again but they were too far away. I looked at the soldiers, to see if any of them could help. We had one flying-type, Amelia. Who was now lying unconscious on the ground.
The Braviary let go.
"No!"
A flash of red-and-blue. Alex was snatched out of the sky. A shimmering bubble held Tobias in mid-air. The Braviary pulled back, looked to one another in confusion.
A Salamence cut through the sky like a knife, a confident smile on his face. I looked to my right, and high up on a jutting cliff stood a Crawdaunt, holding out claws that shimmered with the same rainbow light as the bubble suspended in the sky. His face was set, serious.
"Caesar?!" exclaimed Alex.
"Tom!" cried Tobias.
The Salamence swooped down, five Braviary giving chase. The Crawdaunt let the bubble pop, and Tobias' face showed no fear as he dropped onto the Caesar's back.
"Hold on tight!" the Dragon Pokémon called.
Alex and Tobias clutched onto his wings as he rocketed down to the mountainside.
"Jump!" Tom called.
Alex and Tobias leapt from Caesar's back, and Tom snatched them out of mid-air. The Salamence pulled back a second before he could hit the mountain wall, turned upside-down and swooped over the wild Pokémon's heads, pinning them between him and his partner.
"Fire!" Tom cried, jabbing his claw at them.
Alex's Flamethrower lit the dark sky, swallowing its target, Caesar's Dragon Tail lashed at the air, knocking one bird into the other. Tobias' Aqua Tail sprayed as it smacked against its target's back, sending him reeling off-kilter, Tom's Crabhammer caught the one Braviary who got too close, driving him back into the wall. The flock re-grouped, all headed their way.
"Tom, protect them!"
Tom rose a bubble around Alex and Tobias. Caesar raised himself up on two legs and slammed his forefeet to the ground. The earth shook as shards of rock shot free from the mountainside, a storm of purple rock thud-thudding against the rest of the flock, stealing the wind from their wings. The Braviary fell.
Caesar threw back his head and roared triumphantly.
Tom skidded down the mountainside onto a cliff five feet below. He launched bubbles from his claws, catching them, so they could fall gently to the ground. He gave a satisfied smile at his work.
Alex and Tobias jumped onto the Salamence's back while Tom took hold of his tail; he carried them down and rested them next to us. What was left of us.
"What are you guys doing here?" Tobias asked.
"We were investigating the crazy ice sheets spreading from the Polar Region," said Tom, before jabbing his claw to the west, "then that thing showed up in the sky, so we've been heading towards it!" He looked up as a flock of Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot soared overhead. "Looks like a lot of other Pokémon've got the same idea, too."
"I can't believe it's you guys," Alex said, looking them up and down, "you're both so… different!"
Caesar chuckled. "I could say the same about you guys. Even though you're still both two foot tall!"
"Oh we make jokes now, do we?"
He grinned. "I'd worry about you smacking me, but I don't think you could reach me!"
Alex made to playfully slap him, Caesar patted him away with his horn, they both laughed.
In the meantime, I surveyed the rest of our soldiers. We were down to twenty.
"You should send your soldiers to safety," Caesar said. "A party that big is going to draw too much attention."
"Oh yeah," Tom nodded along, "I'd say five Pokémon, tops. And that's only cause three of you are so short!"
Tobias spat water at him. Tom blew bubbles back.
"Would you be willing to travel with us?" I asked. "You two are in peak physical condition, and we may need your abilities in particular."
"You mean my ability to fly great heights and distances," Caesar said, "and Tom's ability to blow bubbles."
Tom widened his claws and a Protect bubble encased the Salamence's head.
"Knock it off!" came his distorted voice.
"We need to find the Guardian of this mountain," I said.
Tom hissed.
"Nirvana doesn't like settled Pokémon," he said, "she isn't very likely to listen to you."
"She's going to have to, the Mountains aren't safe from Fitzroy either."
Caesar licked his lips. "He's right," he said to Tom, "we have to try, at least. It's better than throwing ourselves at that thing up there and hoping to every other God that we live."
"Shoot, yeah. Gotta say I wasn't the biggest fan of that plan."
Caesar jerked his head in the direction of the great peaks. "Follow us."
I assigned Trey as the leader of the troupe and ordered him to carry the unconscious to a safe place then head to the second ring of Mount. Magma to search for the Skarsgards. Then we followed Caesar and Tom, ducking into the shadows of the jutting cliffs, eyes towards the clouded summit, where our last hope at salvation sat plotting to drive us off the mountain.
A flock of Swablu and Altaria flew over our heads. A Shiny Altaria flew among them for a moment, then, just past the tips of the Mountains, branched off in a different direction.