CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
AN UNEXPECTED TURN
-Ruffles-
Racing back through the village, Udon and I couldn't wait to tell the others what had happened.
When Udon had used Thunder Punch before, I was passed out, so this time, being able to see it for myself, it was like nothing I could've ever imagined.
Before long, we made it to Amp back where we left him, but he was alone. Where had Aura gone?
"Amp, you're not gonna believe what happened!" Udon said, excitedly. "I used Thunder Punch again!"
Amp's eyes went wide. "No freaking way!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah, it was insane!" I said. "His fist got all sparkly like before, and then… BAM! He punched this tree and it fell all the way down!"
"Y'know, I was wondering what that loud noise was out there," Amp said.
Apparently, the sound of the punch had been louder than we thought.
"Where's Aura?" Udon asked. "We need to tell him what happened."
"He said he had to talk with Loom about somethin', then he walked away," he answered.
So, he must be at the throne room we were in earlier.
We made our way there, and opened the large door into the room. Aura and Loom turned to face us, concerned looks on their faces.
"Hey, listen," Aura said. "This isn't a really good time right now, guys."
Something was wrong. He seemed a lot more serious than before.
"Sorry, but we need to tell you something," Udon said. "I learned how to use Thunder Punch."
Aura and Loom were taken aback by what he had said. Loom especially.
"Wait, you actually figured it out?" Aura asked.
"Yeah!" Udon answered. "You were right, I could do it again."
Loom got out of her seat and walked over to us.
"Aura, you never told me about this," she said. "He's able to use his powers?"
"Sort-of. He's only been able to use it once before, and that time, it was for defense." Aura stated.
"He did it trying to save me," I chimed in.
Loom looked at Udon. "Are you telling us the truth?" she asked. "Were you, just now, able to use Thunder Punch?"
"I mean, I can show you," Udon said.
Suddenly, Udon's paw sparked again. He was getting better at this. Now, he was able to do it on command.
"Woah, woah, woah!" Loom exclaimed. "Not now! Not in here!"
Udon's paw stopped sparkling, and he put both paws behind his back.
"Sorry," he apologized.
"That's quite alright," Loom said, before turning to face Aura. "Now, we must get back to our discussion."
"Right here?" Aura asked. "With them in the room?"
"They can listen," Loom stated.
"Alright," he said back. "Like I was saying, we must engage emergency protocol. There is reason to believe that something has discovered the existence of the Hidden Village."
Everyone except for Loom was surprised by what he had said.
"Someone found the village?" I asked.
Loom nodded. "Unfortunately, yes," she said. "Aura saw a suspicious-looking Pokémon circling above. We might have even figured out who it is."
"It looked like one of the Elite Four," Aura stated. "Lars, a Staraptor."
The room fell silent, as one thought went through our heads.
Could the Elite Four have followed us here?
"Wait, no," Udon stammered. "I thought we escaped. How could they have found us?"
Suddenly, Loom looked angry. "They were after you?" she said, trying her best to keep her composure.
Apparently, Aura hadn't told her everything yet.
"Uh…kinda, yeah," Udon answered.
"They escaped from the Elite Four back in Talardi," Aura stepped in, which only seemed to make Loom more upset.
"You knew about this?!" she asked. "And you didn't tell me?!"
"I was going to," Aura responded. "These three walked in before I had a chance."
The tension in the room was growing higher and higher.
"But, look, Udon's figured out how to use his powers," he continued. "The odds should be in our favor."
"That's true," Loom said, starting to calm down a little. "But what if it doesn't work?"
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing now," Udon said. "We can take them down."
"Yeah!" Amp exclaimed. "I'm up for a good battle. Any day of the week."
All of us looked at Amp. He was hot-headed, but he did have the energy we needed to defeat those guys.
"In that case," Loom said. "Welcome to the Hidden Village Army."
-Hassel-
It had been a while since I was caged in the Great One's lair. I had given up bargaining to be freed. It wasn't worth the fight anymore.
Poppy had come back after patrolling Talardi, and found the anomalies had run away. So the Great One sent Lars to find them.
We hadn't heard back from him yet.
Until, all of a sudden, Lars flew through the doors of the lair.
"Oh, Great One," he said, bowing. "Not only have I found the whereabouts of the anomalies, but I have also found a village, hidden away in the woods of Orduron."
I was surprised. There had been rumors of a place in Orduron that the maps didn't show. How in the world did the anomalies find it?
"Very good, Lars," the Great One said. "We must make sure they do not proceed any further."
"How might we do that?" Lars asked.
The Great One smiled. "Leave that to me," he said.
Suddenly, the cage around me vanished into thin air.
"I believe you have learned your lesson, Hassel," he continued.
It felt good to finally be freed from captivity. But what exactly was the Great One planning?
Then, my question was answered as he started floating above his throne. He was going to take care of the anomalies himself.
"Don't screw anything up while I'm gone," he said, beginning to float towards the doors.
This was not going to go well for the anomalies.
When the Great One wants something done, he gets it done.
Whatever it takes.
