Pokemon Virus Version Chapter 29: A Dying Martyr's Last Stand
Chapter was a bit lengthy to write, but hey, I got it done right? So in case you didn't know, Maisy IS a canon character and I used the Maisy from the games and manga, not the anime. So please enjoy and be sure to write a review and let me know how I could improve. Here...
Location: Ilex Forest
Althaea's POV
With Lucy and 22 aware of our presence, there was no turning back; we were now putting our lives on the line, along with Ilex Forest.
"Intruders?!" 22 spotted an upset Maisy, who stood on the edge of the lake, across from her and Lucy.
"Ar," Ariados cried as it turned to Maisy in an intimidating manner.
Maisy looked at Ariados, and without removing her eyes from the bug type, she took half a step back in fear.
"I may be scared," Maisy winced, "But that's no excuse to go down without a fight!"
22 just stared at Maisy... "To tell the truth, I don't wish to fight either. I mean, if you surrender now, you'll save you and your company from any petty punishment."
Maisy simply turned away, refusing to agree to 22's proposal.
"But why?" Lucy asked, knowing Maisy's answer was no.
Maisy sighed, staring down at her reflection from the lake water. "...All my life, I've just stood on the sidelines, watching other people fight my battles. I've had friends, as well as enemies, grow stronger with each passing day. And yet, what about me?"
"Maisy..." Kurt said to himself.
"I've become nothing more than the messenger - the delivery girl worries as if just sitting at home will save the day!" Maisy said. "I won't just stand here and watch you destroy the forest! I WILL join the front lines and defeat you!"
"So be it," Lucy's eyes narrowed.
"Ariados, hit her with Poison Jab!" 22 yelled.
Once again frozen in fear, Maisy failed to make any action as Ariados glided over the lake using it's webs. Maisy flinched with fear as the large Ariados neared her face with Poison Jab.
"Maisy!" I yelled as I sent out Bulbasaur to intercept Ariados using Vine Whip.
Ariados was thrown into the water as Kurt and I ran up to a Maisy hiding her face in her hands, Bulbasaur and Sylveon following.
"Are you okay, dear?" Kurt was very close to his granddaughter, and it was no surprise he would be extra worried about her.
Maisy removed her hands from her face, revealing glistening eyes desperately trying to hold back tears.
"Maisy, are you alright?" I basically repeated Kurt's question.
"I am still weak..." Maisy's tone was faint, but still audible, "I need to be stronger..."
"Miasy..." I haven't known Maisy long enough to fully understand how she was feeling.
"I-" Maisy was interrupted by the sound of rising water as Ariados surfaced and confronted us wiht haste in a startling fashion.
"We don't have time for this!" I said to Ariados. "We must capture 22 and Lucy now!"
"And let Ariados chase us down?!" Maisy asked.
"No!" Kurt said as he stepped in front of us. "I'll battle Ariados while you two race to the other side of the lake!"
"Dos!" Ariados launched one of it's signature webs directly at Kurt, creating a patch of smoke even darker than this forest.
"Grandpa!" Maisy yelled.
As the smoke cleared, a green protective barrier went down, showing an unarmed Kurt, as well as a Shuckle I believed to be his.
"We've gotta hurry!" I said as I grabbed Maisy's hand.
"But what about Grandpa?" I worried Maisy asked.
"Maisy," I said as I put both my hands on Maisy's shoulders. "You've got to stop worrying so much."
"But-" I interrupted her.
"You said you wanted to become stronger. If you wish to become stronger, you must have confidence in both your grandfather AND yourself," I said as I held Maisy's hands. "All your grandfather wants you to do is trust him, you have to!"
Maisy looked back at the team of Kurt and Shuckle, holding their own against Ariados. She then looked back at me and hesitantly nodded slowly.
"We all trust you to be in the front lines this battle..." I said with a warm smile as I started to a maze-like path that probably led to the other side of the lake, Maisy, Sylveon, and Bulbasaur following.
During our venture through the maze-like forest, Sylveon had stopped me, trying to tell me something.
"Syl Sylveon Sylveon," Sylveon's head pointed toward another direction.
With Sylveon being the most familiar with Ilex Forest, no argument was made as we all nodded in agreement and followed the Intertwining Pokemon.
Near a mysterious shrine, we stopped. The shrine was also covered with a spider web that glistened. But this web was different; it had green aura radiating from it... What was this shrine? And what was it's purpose?
"Sylveon..." I said.
"Why HERE?" Maisy asked. "This is the wrong place."
"Maisy," I looked at the shrine, "What is this?"
"Celebi..." Maisy replied with a concerned look.
"Is something wrong?" I asked Maisy.
"As long as all these webs surround Ilex Forest, Celebi will remain in slumber..." Maisy said. "At least that's what the legend says. But I never thought that legend was actually real."
Sylveon and Bulbasaur appraoched the shrine.
So Ilex Forest and Celebi are connected, and the lives of both rest within this cocoon made out of hardened web. Sylveon touched the shrine and spoke. I guess it was talking to the dormant purifier, although I doubt a sleeping Celebi could hear anything at all.
I ran up to the shrine and attemped to tear of the silk using a stick from one of the trees, but the silk somehow reformed itself the instant it was ripped off.
"What the?" I said confused. "We need to free Celebi!"
Maisy shook her head as both she and Sylveon objected. "No point."
"How come?" I asked.
"How could you forget the origin that connects Celebi and Ilex Forest?" A voice asked as Lucy approached us. "Celebi chooses to remain in slumber, for it can't bare the sight of the forest's punishment.
"YOU!" Maisy yelled.
Lucy simply face the shrine, ignoring Maisy. "Eternal sleep... Celebi nearly fell to this dreaded slumber once before as it destroyed itself; It's forest, it's body, it's life. Only few know the tale of how it was brought back to life. But unfortunately, THAT part of the legend has yet to surface." Lucy then approached the shrine, right next to me. "Maybe, just maybe if 22 and I were to repeat history, and kill Celebi, we could find out what happened that very day, five years ago..."
"You wouldn't," I said as I turned to Lucy, eyes wide open and ready to fight.
"Killing a pokemon just to find and answer to my curiosity?" Lucy faced me, indifferent to the glares given to her. "I do not consider myself such a heartless creature," Lucy smirked, "At least, not yet."
Angry, I tackled Lucy to the ground. Lucy's smirk was retained, and she wasn't at all provoked by my action.
"You know, attempting to hurt me will be your last mistake," Lucy said.
I gasped as something impacted on my back. I was tackled into the web covered shrine, and was shocked by the end result.
"Oh, Ninjask, you've just made my job ALOT easier," Lucy was talking about the web that prevented me from moving once more. I tried to pull away from the shrine, but twas unable to break free.
"Althaea!" Maisy yelled concerned. "Alright, Slowpoke, I choose-"
"Attack me, and not only will Ninjask kill your friend, but the shrine and Celebi as well," Lucy said.
Maisy's POV
Althaea?" I looked at Althaea, starting to worry once more. Ninjask was too close to both Althaea and a sleeping Celebi for me to refuse. I winced.
"Maisy, you've got to stop worrying so much!" Althaea said.
"But I can't help it!" I said as I started to panic. "If I attack, Ninjask will kill you AND Celebi. If I don't attack, Lucy and Ninjask will kill Celebi anyway!"
"Face it," Lucy said as she gently pushed me with one hand. "No matter what you do, you'll be helplessly waiting on the sideline." Lucy then came up and whispered in my ear. "Wanna know why?"
I can't encourage Lucy to attack, so a swallowed my pride and allowed her to do whatever she wants. Sweat dropped as I failed to reply to Lucy's question.
"Because you're weak," Lucy whispered as she pushed me to the ground.
I frowned as I just sat there, at Lucy's mercy.
"Maisy, you've got to stand up!" Althaea said. "Stand up and be strong!"
"Althaea..." I said worried.
Althaea winced. "Quit being such a wuss and fight!" Althaea said annoyed. "Lucy's right: you're just a good for nothing crybaby who's weak! This is life! Everything is not going to always be okay. So suck it up and stop being so annoying!"
...Those words hurt me, but I believe they were for my own good. Upset with Althaea, I stood up and bravely confronted Lucy, without concern for my friends. I punched a Lucy who didn't believe I would strike back. Unflinching, Lucy retaliated with a punch that would've put me back on the ground had I not dodged.
"Ninjask!" Lucy yelled as she quickly backed away.
Turning to Althaea wouldn't be a great idea had I started to worry again. So I simply winced as my ears gave away what Ninjask did to Althaea. However, my ears deceived me as I heard Ninjask cry out in pain. I turned to Althaea and saw her holding Ninjask, who was immobilized by the way.
"Perfect," Althaea said as she gently placed Ninjask onto the sticky web.
"Ninjask!" Both Lucy and I were very confused. "How did you?!"
Sylveon revealed itself from behind Althaea's leg.
"As soon as I got stuck in the web, I had Sylveon covertly use Refresh," Althaea said as she walked to my side.
"So you were freed this whole time?" I asked as I grew upset. "Then why did you-"
"It was for your own good." Althaea replied as she already knew the answer to my question. "You needed to stand up and be strong. That you did."
Althaea pet Sylveon with much gratitude, then addressed a very confused Lucy.
"What's next for you?" Althaea asked. "Don't you have anymore pokemon?"
Lucy winced at Althaea's question. I could tell this fight was winding down.
"No way..." outsmarted by, by... YOU!" Lucy whispered. "My curiosity still drives me. You may have defeated me in battle, but I WILL find out Celebi's secret..."
Lucy took half a dozen steps back, as she pulled out an object I couldn't identify from her blue jacket pocket.
"But what does battling have to do with saving this forest anyway?" Lucy smirked. "I refuse to admit defeat. I'll find the answer to my question if it's the last thing I do..." What Lucu was holding, was revealed to be a lighter as a small flame arose.
"No!" I yelled.
"Are you really willing to sacrifice yourself just because you don't want to admit defeat?" Althaea asked.
Althaea took one step toward Lucy, as Lucy took a step away form Althaea.
"When I joined Neo Snagem, I swore my life to Atticus." Lucy said as she approached a nearby tree, lighter at hand. "Should I fail to escpae the forest before it is surrounded by flames, I can at least die saying 'Long live Atticus - Neo Snagem," Lucy expressed those words with a passion...
"You're crazy..." I whispered
"No..." Lucy said with a smirk as she lit the tree on fire. "I am a martyr, and this is a dying martyr's last stand."
Althaea's POV
Our attention away from a fleeing Lucy, our eyes shot wide open at the sudden realization that we may die.
"We have to retreat!" Maisy said as she started running.
"But what about Celebi?" I asked as I looked back at the shrine.
I gasped, noticing Ninjask was still stuck in the web. "Sylveon, Bulbasaur!" I gathered the two's attention. "We need to free Ninjask!"
They both gasped at my words.
"Look, I know you hesitate to aid the enemy, but no one deserves to burn to death!" I said as I approached Ninjask.
Flames spreading, wild pokemon fleeing, and still I remained with the hastily abandoned pokemon. Maisy had already made a run for it, so it was just me and the three pokemon.
"Nin?" Ninjask cried confused.
"Lucy might leave you to die, but not me," I said as I turned to Sylveon. "Refresh, please?" And Bulbasaur, Aromatherapy."
If only those moves were strong enough to stop an entire forest fire... After fleeing Ninjask, I carried it as we fled the forest, backtracking to Azalea Town.
Location: Azalea Town Checkpoint
I looked back at the blackened forest that used to be Ilex. I assumed that 'it', along with Celebi, were no longer with us. And I now knew that there was no turning back. A problem I thought I could stop, was someting I only made worse in the end. It was likely Maisy made it out alive, but what about Kurt, Ariados, and 22? In case I was the first to return to Azalea, I was going to have ALOT of explaining to do.
A barricade of Police and firetrucks stood before me as I returned to town. But behind the barricade, stood Maisy and Kurt trying to explain the full situation. And Kurt was carrying a defeated 22 by the way.
"Miss!" Officer Jenny said. "State your name and your reason for being in Ilex Forest!"
Plenty of locals and travelers alike were all looking at me, Ninjask, Sylveon, and Bulbasaur. Giving my name in front of so many people would probably spread rumors about if I destroyed Ilex Forest, and ruin my reputation, so I shook my head, refusing to comply with the police.
"Not in front of so many people..." I said calmly.
News crews were present, and all the cameras were focused on me. I wanted to bury my face in my hands, but I didn't want to drop Ninjask.
"But I can say THIS was the work of the same Neo Snagem who caused the infamous blackout in Cherrygrove City, and attempted to take control of Sprout Tower in Violet City." I said as I turned to Kurt. "The woman Kurt is holding, she is and an assistant of hers attempted to destroy the forest in order to find Ilex's Voice. And now, that spirit could be dead, although it's presence was never 100 percent proven."
In case Chapel was watching, she'd have gotten her answer as to where Celebi might be. Dead, Or maybe just asleep?
Refusing to give my name to the public, Maisy, Kurt, the pokemon and I were all escorted to a private residential building to fully explain the story. 22 was given to authorities meaning that she has been eliminated. And after several hours, Maisy, Kurt, the pokemon and I all stepped outside to a sunset twilight - the real, but temporary twilight.
"So," I said as I turned to Maisy and Kurt," With the forest destroyed, I guess I can finally head to Goldenrod..."
"Grandpa defeated 22," Maisy said as she looked at the sunset.
"And what of Lucy?" Kurt asked.
"I'm sure we'll cross paths again someday..." I said as I also looked into the sunset, and then at Sylveon and Ninjask. "You two...Do you know where you can go?"
Both pokemon failed to reply as the looked at the ground saddened.
"There's always room in my party to stay," I said as I turned to Ninjask. "Lucy still has your pokeball, so I guess you could travel outside, although you won't officially be MY pokemon."
Sylveon calmly nodded, while Ninjask did not reply. "Ninjask... Lucy doesn't deserve you...I won't betray you like that, I promise."
Kurt walked up to Ninjask and I, holding a rather unusual looking pokeball.
"A Friend Ball: It will symbolize the death of an alliance, and the beginning of a friendship," Kurt said to Ninjask. "You never know, one day you'll show Lucy just how stronger your new life is."
Ninjasked stared at the Friend Ball for two seconds before grabbing it and holding it out to me. "So is that a yes?" I asked.
Despite not having a neck, Ninjask nodded slightly. Before I could turn my attention to BOTH of my new pokemon, I was confronted by Maisy...
"What is it?" I asked.
"About what you told me back there, about becoming stronger," She looked at the ground, " I would like to travel with you to Goldenrod. I think I can finally trust Grandpa on his own, without worry. Not only will my attitude toward myself grow stronger, but my attitude toward those around me as well." She looked at me with determined eyes.
"Maisy..." I said as I nodded my head.
"But first things first!" Kurt put a hand on Maisy's shoulder. "This newly formed duo will need some rest after a day such as this."
And with that, our day ended. I never intended to be in Azalea Town for an extra night, but I just let the situation drag on, without argument. I spent quite some time getting to know my three new party members in Maisy, Ninjask, and Sylveon. Ninjask was modest, while Sylveon and Maisy were quite playful, pointing out my strong fragrance and my obsession with perfume. Bulbasaur was in my lap, and Kurt was busy at his work station after missing nearly all of today. But I still think, whatever became of Celebi?
Location: Bloomingvale Town Pokemon Center
Chapel's POV
Seth, Yumi, and I had just arrived in Bloomingvale Town earlier tonight for Yumi's Pokemon Contest in two days. We had stopped at the Pokemon Center to rest for the next few days, and I was watching television within the room Yumi and I shared.
"So Chapel, are you-" Yumi put on an upset face as she looked at the pink haired girl wearing a white knit cap on the television screen. "HER?"
"You know her?" I asked calmly.
"Althaea..." Yumi said.
"Althaea?" I said to myself as I realized SHE was the girl I talked to on Seth's Pokegear this morning.
"Well," I said as I turned off the television. "She defeated a Neo Snagem Commander, and thinks that Celebi can die." I said as I smiled. "If only she knew..."
The Next Day...
Location: Ruined Forest
Althaea's POV
"No was..." Maisy said as she and I returned to the forest, returning to our journey.
"The forest..." I said as I looked around in awe. "It's in a state of photosynthesis..."
The sun beamed down on the plants, grass, and trees, reforming with a much more vivid green color. Roses and Violets and Lilies, they all added new color to Ilex.
"Syl, Sylvee," I could tell Sylveon was going to attend to the shrine, if it was still there. So Ninjask, Maisy, and I followed.
The burnt cocoon of silk was heavily cracked and a green aura was ready to emerge. It was like watching a pokemon hatch out of an egg. When the green light cracked open, a pokemon opened it's warm blue eyes.
"Bi?" The pokemon said.
To Be Continued...
Major cliffhanger here, but will be left alone for now as we're finally in Bloomingvale for Yumi's next Pokemon Contest. Althaea's confrontation with Celebi will be addressed when deemed necessary by me. So I hope you like, and please be sure to review, or at least PM me on if you'd rather resume Seth's party, or see how the whole Celebi thing plays out. Stay tuned for next chapter though...