June 4th
Zeraora went to work repairing the damage sustained to his body. As he rested deep within the mountain, he kept to himself as he used his own hidden base as a training ground of sorts. He mushed up a bunch of Oran Berries and made them into a purée that he chose to consume in increments to try and heal his own injuries over time.
The Charizard he fought against in the mountain, Nick, was unlike any opponent he's ever dealt with. He was a cunning strategist. He knew how to exploit Zeraora's weaknesses. But by far the one aspect that terrified Zeraora of this dragon was that Nick was experienced. He's strong. Very strong.
All Zeraora could do was sit there and recover his injuries after such a savage beatdown. But the one thing that he was more than ready for was a chance to regain his strength. It was going to be tough, but he was ready to get back on his feet.
I was too careless. I need to be stronger. Zeraora looked at his paw, clenching it into a fist as he leaned against the wall, frustrated at how much weaker he was compared to his opponent. I won't get anywhere just by sitting down. I need to recover. I'm doing this for the sake of every human.
That haunting memory. The memory of Austin dead in his arms. It was enough to tell him everything that needed to be done, otherwise others would befall his fate. Whatever happened to Austin must not happen again. He didn't deserve to die. But if this is the only option, so be it.
However, a flashback of his battle with that Lucario entered his mind. He saw how angry he was. How upset he was at Zeraora's sense of logic. You don't understand, Lucario! I'm only trying to save these humans before whatever is affecting them poisons their very souls!
You are a murderer, and deserve everything that's coming to you! the Lucario exclaimed with tears in his eyes. Killing other people doesn't justify serving a noble cause!
Zeraora recoiled upon recalling the Lucario's words. "Why, though?" he asked himself. "If killing isn't a justifiable noble cause to save others, then what is?" He stared at his paw, contemplating what it was that he needed to do. What was he supposed to do?
He gritted his teeth in frustration, slamming his fist against the wall. He took a deep breath to calm himself, and once more returned to a more relaxed state. He didn't have much time to think things over. Once he's recovered his vitality, he will train hard. He will go out of his way to save the humans. They deserve to be set free from the burdens that were placed on them, after all.
But as he stared up at the ceiling, a layer of doubt creeped into his mind. "Austin," he muttered. "I wish you were here with me, my old friend… I need some help."
June 7th
Zeraora was doing some crunches as he readied himself for the coming battles in the future. Every day, it was the same thing: wake up, look at the stock of food he has, ration it out, train, rest. He had been following this routine on a daily basis, hoping to get stronger as a result of it. On top of that, on the off chance that it was storming, he would practice his moves on the regular on top of training his body and mind.
However, as he got up to rest from his most recent session of working out, he looked over at his supply of food that he had in stock. He realized that with the careful rationing he's done thus far, he didn't need to worry about eating a ton. However, he could tell that his larder was running a little small, and if he didn't get any food, he was going to run out before long.
Sighing to himself, he looked over in the direction of the exit door. I can't leave this mountain yet. There's likely going to be guards surrounding the area. I'll have to scrounge up some food when there's less attention. He then looked up at the ceiling, listening closely to the sound of the environment outside. I'll have to go out when it's storming. It'll draw less attention that way.
Bored out of his mind, he walked down the passage of the hidden base, and he made his way to the hidden entrance. Leaning against the wall, waiting for the storm to settle, he reminisced about how he came upon making this hidden base. Austin was pretty smart, setting up a hidden base like this one. Hardly anyone ever found this place. Not to mention the locking mechanism. Only Austin and I know how the lock works, and what the pattern should be. Any chances that someone else knows the pattern to the lock are remarkably slim…
Just then, he heard a muffled voice on the other side of the secret entrance. "What the hell is this?" the voice said. "That wasn't there before…"
Zeraora partially gasped at the sound of the voice. Slowly, he backed away from the wall and faced the door. The fact that someone else was here surprised him. Who is that? A hunter? Slowly, careful not to make too much noise, he readied himself for the fight of his life.
Just then, the voice spoke again. "This doesn't make sense," he said. "No mountain is supposed to have such intense energy. Where is this coming from?"
Zeraora tensed up. He wasn't sure if this presence knew he was here or not, but whoever it was, he wanted to be ready for the impossible. Slowly, he walked towards the door. The voice of the mystery figure backed away from the mountain, becoming impossible to hear, but perhaps Zeraora could risk a peek at who it was.
It's a good thing that Austin set up a peephole.
There was a slab of rock that he moved aside, which acted mainly as a peephole to the outside. The hole was well hidden on the outside. Austin made this base specifically so that it would be impossible to detect. The peephole itself was basically made as a one-way mirror. Only those inside of the base can peer into the outside, not the other way around.
Zeraora soon peered through the peephole, and what he saw surprised him. Standing there, pondering things to himself, was a Lucario. However, Zeraora could tell that this was a different Lucario from the one he fought a few days ago. He wore this brown cloak. And it was right there that Zeraora suddenly realized something about the way this Lucario looked. It seemed…familiar.
Who is this Lucario? he wondered. Why does he seem familiar?
It didn't take long until the Lucario was out of sight. Zeraora backed away from the peephole, and leaned against the wall once more. He thought about the Lucario, and how he felt familiar to him somehow. "They look so similar," he muttered to himself. "But something about that Lucario…"
Suddenly, a flash of memory reached into his mind, and he winced as he suddenly had a strange mental image hit his head. Clutching at his head in pain, he saw a brief glimpse of something from long ago.
It was that Lucario again, only he fought alongside a Cinderace. The area was raining. And they both readied a combo of Aura Sphere and Pyro Ball which merged together into one as it headed towards him.
Zeraora gasped as he snapped back to the present, panting as he slumped down to the floor. He was visibly sweating, unable to figure out what that memory was. He calmed himself, steadying his breathing, placing a paw to his chest as he relaxed. He had no idea why he did it, but it calmed him down.
Taking a deep breath, he stood back up, staring once more at the door. Whoever that Lucario was, it wasn't the same one I fought against. It doesn't matter who he was. He's not important.
Zeraora soon turned away and walked back into the hidden base. As he did, however, he couldn't help but stare at his own paw. "Intense energy…?"
He remembered something of the sort, at least. On Mount Ebott, he recalled how that Gallade held him back. But what shocked him was the sudden white flames emitted from both the Gallade, as well as himself. The flames didn't hurt, like he was expecting. Instead, it was as if the flames themselves were a part of him.
Was this the energy that Lucario mentioned earlier? Since when did Zeraora acquire such energy? It was quite perplexing for him to think about. However, he shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside, as he returned to doing his training. "Whatever that energy is, I'll find out how to harness it."
Chapter 58: Thunderclap
Zeraora stood there against the likes of Josh, Cross and Chris. Cross had already Mega Evolved, clearly wanting to finish this fight as fast as possible in case the worst comes to pass. Chris was zoned in, staring at Zeraora carefully as he set up another Agility move to speed up the party. Josh, meanwhile, had his paws glow blue as he readied himself for the fight that was bound to happen.
They may seem like they've gained strength, but so have I. I have no intentions of falling here. I refuse to go down while I have a mission to fulfill. Clenching his fists, Zeraora soon let out a roar as sparks went off around him. And suddenly, his muscles tightened as he used Bulk Up to boost his current strength.
This took the team by surprise, as they realized that Zeraora had learned a few new tricks. Chris gave a nervous smile, asking Josh "So, what's the plan? He's clearly got a few tricks up his sleeve."
"Just focus on luring him out of the mountain," Josh uttered as he stared at Zeraora. "Whatever happens, we need to get him to where the others are at."
"That Bulk Up might be a problem, though," Chris whispered.
Smiling, Josh mentioned "Then we focus on speed."
"Mmhmm. That's the spirit," Cross said with a grin, readying himself with Calm Mind. "Time to show this kitty what we're made of."
Before long, Zeraora charged forward, ready to strike at them with Plasma Fists. He struck the ground, and bursts of lightning began to charge towards the three of them. Josh yelled out "Cross! Evasive action!" Cross listened as he leapt into the air. Meanwhile, Josh and Chris both used Double Team, creating multiple copies of themselves that Zeraora didn't anticipate.
Josh and Chris moved forward through the intense lightning, as Chris soon moved ahead and readied a Night Slash. Zeraora raised up his arm to block the attack, barely managing to defend himself from a critical blow. But just then, Josh made his move, readying a Bone Rush attack. Zeraora leapt up into the air to dodge, only for him to then see Cross charge towards him with Psycho Cut.
Zeraora had hardly any time to evade or block, and simply tried using Thunder on the Gallade. He sadly missed the attack as Cross swerved in midair, before he landed a strike on Zeraora, landing a slash across his chest. Zeraora grunted in pain as he fell to the ground, only to see Josh ready an Aura Sphere from below. Josh fired it at Zeraora, landing a direct hit, knocking Zeraora towards the cliff side where the hidden base was.
Zeraora adjusted himself in midair as he leapt from the wall, charging towards Chris with a Plasma Fist attack at the ready. Chris smirked as he used Double Team to surround Zeraora on all sides, all the while each copy started to fly towards him with some Night Slash attacks. They were really fast, almost impossible to keep up with to the naked eye, but Zeraora soon began to pick up the pace.
While everything around him moved in slow motion, Zeraora swiftly managed to leap towards the air, away from the surrounding Scythers. He landed on the ground, the world around him moving back at a normal pace, as Chris missed his attack completely.
Luckily, that was when Josh made his move, charging towards Zeraora with Bone Rush. Zeraora narrowly dodged every thrust from the bone staff, only to grab it, dragging Josh towards him. Josh soon got caught in Zeraora's grip, being taken by the neck, as he was lifted off of the ground as Zeraora started choking him. The Electric-type then leapt up high into the air, taking Josh with him, before swiftly charging towards the ground as he was encompassed by electricity, sending a ton of volts into Josh's body.
Josh screamed from the pain as they fell, and all the Lucario can do is struggle in the grip of his opponent. Zeraora was readying a Plasma Fist as they were falling towards the ground, ready to finish him off. I gave you the chance to be spared. You took my offer of mercy, and spat it back in my face. Alas, you're not as strong as you think you are, Lucario. Forgive me.
But that was when Josh smiled, taking Zeraora off guard, as Josh's eyes glowed a bright blue. Gripping Zeraora's paw around his neck, Josh's paws looked as if they were lit aflame with blue fire, as he was successfully able to pry open Zeraora's claws, freeing himself from his grip. Zeraora didn't want to lose this opportunity, and readied his other fist to finish Josh off with a smash, but Josh reflexively adjusted his center of gravity, before he then channeled his energy into his feet. Landing a devastating kick on Zeraora's head, the gravity of the fall only elevated the damage as Zeraora crashed hard onto the ground, landing hard with the back of his head hitting solid rock.
Josh swiftly leapt away from Zeraora, landing on his feet as he gripped at his own neck, breathing a sigh of relief that the damage wasn't critical. Chris was impressed by Josh's resilience, and asked "Are you alright?"
"Compared to the Throat Chops I got from Adam long ago, this is nothing," Josh boasted with confidence.
Zeraora staggered up from the ground, panting heavily as he realized that this was bound to be a losing battle, much like when he fought the Charizard. These guys are all after me at once. I don't have a chance against them. They're far too powerful.
"Zeraora, you are to be taken into custody for the crimes of first-degree murder," Josh announced. "Surrender now, and maybe we'll go easy on you. Any further resistance will result in immediate termination." Josh glared at Zeraora, knowing he's got his attention. "I'm sure you know exactly what I mean by that."
Zeraora, realizing that he's going nowhere with action, knew he had to find some way to get out of this mess. Desperately, he once again tried to reason with Josh. "You are being a fool, thinking that eliminating me will resolve anything, Lucario. I'm only doing what's necessary to save you all from an evil that's plaguing you."
This got Josh's attention. "You mean MCP, don't you?"
Chris and Cross both looked at Josh, wondering where he was going with this debate. Zeraora in particular looked quite surprised to see that Josh knew about the threat he's been told time and again about from Austin. Without denying anything, Zeraora gave a nod. "Yes, that's right. MCP. This great threat that dares to destroy you humans. I only wanted to do what's necessary to prevent him from claiming more victims to his whims. I'm sure you've seen it too, right? Those humans who have lost all sense of self. A primal instinct that breaks away at the surface, manifesting in these darker tendencies that are opposing anything that dare to stand in their way. I only wanted to end the suffering they've been through! That's what my goal is. To end their suffering. To save them from MCP."
Josh could only glare further at Zeraora, failing to see why Zeraora's motives are justifiable. As Josh clenched his fists, he stated "So that's it? You justify murder by killing innocent people, all because you say it's the only method to save them?"
"It is the only way!" Zeraora reasoned. "Otherwise, they're going to become slaves to MCP, don't you understand? You have to believe me."
Josh could only look at Zeraora with a mix of both apathy and understanding. He hates that Zeraora justifies what he's doing is right. But at the same time, he does understand where Zeraora is coming from. After all, even Josh didn't know how else he could potentially save people from the Black Mirror Virus. He, Adam, and Cross all have the virus in them, and it felt as though a ticking time bomb was placed on them. They had no clue when the virus would activate, and they ended up losing themselves to it. That's the truly terrifying part about what Zeraora was mentioning. Josh knew this…but he couldn't agree with Zeraora's methods. There had to be another way!
"You say that death is the only salvation for us?" Josh questioned, grabbing Zeraora's attention. "That our lives have no value in them, apart from being pawns to a far bigger game?"
Zeraora nodded. "That's what I've come to believe. There is no other option, Lucario."
A few seconds of intense silence between them took place. Josh remained calm for the duration of the battle, remembering to maintain his focus, and to never lose sight of what it was he valued most: protecting and saving others. He had no idea what Zeraora had gone through, but he understood that his methods were wrong. It was the morally bankrupt road. The easy way out. Josh refused to accept that as the only option.
"I see…" He then moved his paw closely to his scarf, ready to activate the Mega Stone. "In that case, you're just another murderer that needs to be taught a lesson." The way Josh phrased that stung him on the inside, knowing what he's gone through, and knowing he's partially to blame for Zach's death. Worse yet that he's in close proximity to Zach's brother, who had no idea of the truth himself. Josh had resigned himself to death if he's chosen to use the Mega Stone without having learned to properly control himself. This was the moment where Josh was going to test his resolve. To test his faith. To see if he was worthy of redemption in the eyes of his friends…
"Wait, Josh!"
It was Chris who called out to Josh, taking him by surprise. Josh stopped his movements, looking towards Chris, noticing that he's trying to speak reason here. Josh was at a loss for words, and wondered what it was that Chris was doing. "Chris? What are you…"
Chris gave a glance towards Josh for a moment, before turning his attention back towards Zeraora. "You claim that murder is wrong. To that, I agree. But to hunt down innocent people purely because of something that's beyond their control is something that I've had to come to grips with myself."
Josh and Cross were surprised by Chris's phrasing, as they both stared directly at him. Zeraora was captivated by what Chris had to say, and just stood there, listening.
"I'll admit, I've been wanting to hunt down the man who killed my brother for years," Chris said. "For three years, I held on to that ambition. I wanted to find him, and kill him for what he's done. However, that all changed when I got to meet with my current team. Nolan taught me that I didn't have to suffer alone. And Cross, well…" He gave a smile towards his Gallade companion. "Even though he's stuck in this world, he's a far greater hero than I could ever aspire to be. He's shown time and again that there's more to being a hero in this world than avenging loved ones. A true hero should never seek vengeance. They should only be there to support others in need. That's what I've seen from Cross and Nolan." He then looked at Josh briefly, and said "That's what I see in Josh as well."
"Chris…" Josh was speechless, unable to comprehend what Chris was saying. But regardless, he felt touched by his kind words, and realized that he's clearly being humble.
"I believe there's other ways to save people," Chris mentioned, looking back at Zeraora with a glare. "You say that death is the only escape from this world, but you're wrong. Death isn't an escape. It's only a release. Because the only way to counteract a threat like MCP is by beating it at its source. To destroy the core essence of the problem, not the ones afflicted by it. Saying that you want to kill my friends because they're trapped here…is wrong. Your entire way of thinking is backwards, Zeraora. You killed people and accomplished nothing."
Everyone was stunned silent by Chris' words. Cross was pleased to see that Chris has started to see reason. Josh, meanwhile, felt moved by Chris' speech, and couldn't help but find that reassuring. In a sense, it helped reinvigorate his spirit, and gave him a moment to think that Chris truly no longer held a grudge. Maybe this was the positive sign he needed to move on from the years of torment he's been through.
But Zeraora could only stand there, and ask "Where's your proof?"
This threw everyone off guard. Zeraora once again asked "Where's your proof, Scyther? You claim that there's another method to save these humans, that destroying MCP will resolve the problem. But how? What proof do you have to convince me that this is possible?"
Unfortunately, this was one corner that everyone had no idea how to get around. Chris was so focused on trying to convince Zeraora there's still a chance to do some good, but because he lacked tangible proof that there were methods to save trapped players, he was only speaking through blind faith. This wasn't enough to convince Zeraora of anything. All it really did was make things seem nearly impossible to win.
Zeraora sighed upon receiving no answer. "So your argument is paper thin. A pity. It's a fool's hope that you're holding on to, and it won't do you all any good." Zeraora soon charged up his claws with electricity, prompting everyone to take up a battle stance. "My goal remains unchanged. MCP is out there, but stopping him is impossible with our current strength. There is only one solution, Scyther. You claim to be a hero of justice? Then by all means. Show me what you're made of."
Zeraora soon raised up his arm, before stabbing it with his electrified claws. Everyone gasped as they saw Zeraora zapping himself with his own electricity. The thunder cat gritted his teeth through the pain, before he soon radiated electricity throughout his entire body. Upon removing his claws from his arm, Zeraora let out a growl, charging up his claws with electricity, ready to strike.
Josh gasped as he could sense the killing intent from Zeraora. Quickly, he braced himself as he yelled at Chris "Hurry! Speed us up!"
As fast as a bolt of lightning, Zeraora cleared through the field at blazing speed and stabbed Chris through the chest, his body pierced clean through by his sharp claws. Chris had no time to react, as his body soon shattered into pixels, Zeraora tossing him aside as he burst apart. A message appeared that read "Scicle has fainted" where Chris vanished.
Realizing that without the assistance of Chris's speed, Josh and Cross were at a crossroads. They needed time, but Zeraora didn't seem to offer any. Reflexively, Josh used Double Team to evade the oncoming attack from Zeraora, barely managing to evade taking damage as he leapt over to where Cross stood. Zeraora soon made his move as he charged towards Josh and Cross with lightning speed.
Josh saw his own life flashing before his eyes as he didn't have time to react. All he could do is brace for impact. I'm sorry, Adam… I'm afraid I'm not going to make it…
BANG!
Josh winced as he fell back, his arm over his face as he anticipated for Zeraora to pierce through him with his claws. Instead, however, Josh didn't feel anything. As a matter of fact, he was perfectly fine. He dared to risk a peek at what happened, and it was there that Josh saw that Cross was blocking Zeraora's attack with his blade arms.
Josh gasped, surprised in seeing the Mega Gallade give his all to protect him. "Cross!"
"Josh… Run!" Cross gritted his teeth, holding back Zeraora with everything that he's got.
However, Josh didn't run. Instead, he bore witness to something that he was not ready for. As Josh stared at Cross, his whole body began to give off a radiating white glow to it, and his blade arms soon started to emit this white energy. Zeraora gasped as he backed away, afraid of what this could mean.
And there, Cross stood defiantly against Zeraora. His body radiating white flames. He stared down his adversary with eyes that turned a glistening silver instead of the usual crimson that a Gallade normally had. Josh was at a loss for words, not sure what it was that prompted Cross to gain this auspicious power.
Calmly, Cross uttered "Leave this to me, Josh. I can take him."
"No!" Josh yelled out. "You can't handle him alone!"
"I'll be fine, Josh." He glanced back at the Lucario with a smile. "Trust me."
Josh was not sure if this was a reversal of fortune or what, but he could tell that Cross was clearly not going to give up here. In fact, he saw that Cross was more than eager to continue the battle. But what fascinated Josh the most was the appearance of this white aura that has surrounded Cross' body. He had no words to describe it other than awe inspiring.
Cross returned to looking at Zeraora, and brought up "I'm counting on you to get Chris up and running, Josh. Use a Reviver Seed on him when you get the chance. I'll hold him off as much as I can."
Josh didn't want to argue with Cross at this point. Not after he just saw his friend gain what he assumed was a boost in strength. I don't know what's happening, but for now, he's apparently gained some sizable strength. I better make this count. He nods at Cross, and gets back up on his feet. "Hold him off for about thirty seconds. That's enough time, right?"
Cross smirked, readying his next attack. "That should be plenty. After all…" He then crossed his arms, readying a Psycho Cut attack against his foe, as he declares "I am X-Glaive! The radiant hero of hope!"
Cross's attack led to him charging forward, all the while Zeraora countered with his own electrified claws. But as Zeraora parried with his own attacks, Cross countered everything that he threw at him. The display was swift, unlike anything that Josh had ever seen before. It was like Cross was counteracting the lighting with fire, managing to keep up with Zeraora's speed as they both clashed around the field.
Josh didn't waste any time to watch the battle, however, as he rushed over to the other end of the field and pulled out a Reviver Seed. Reaching the spot where Chris fell, he cracked open the seed, waiting for the effects of the seed to activate.
Zeraora noticed Josh attempting to revive Chris, and tried to make his move there. However, the moment that he turned his attention away from Cross, the Gallade simply grabbed Zeraora's tail(?) and yanked him back, slamming him to the ground. Zeraora got back up, only for Cross to parry his attack on Josh with his own, managing to intercept all of Zeraora's moves with ease.
This is impossible! Zeraora thought. How is he able to predict all of my movements?
Zeraora tried swerving to the left, and Cross swerved right. He tried to strike with his claws, and Cross parried with a riposte. Zeraora couldn't keep up with him, and it made him start to worry.
This power… Where did he get this? Zeraora was at a loss for words as to how Cross obtained this burst of strength.
A flash of memory hit him. He recalled Mount Ebott. He remembered the Grovyle he killed. And he remembered the card that the Grovyle had, how it landed on Cross after he was tossed aside before vanishing. And that sudden burst of strength he had. The white flames…
Zeraora pondered this moment for some time, and realized that maybe this was the same white flames that scared him long ago. Maybe this was the power that he heard about. This energy! It's nothing like that dark energy those humans possess! This is far more potent! It speaks to his heart. His ideals.
Zeraora fumbled his next attack, and got struck by a close-range Aura Sphere to the chest, sending him flying towards the wall. This is like a prayer being answered!
Zeraora slammed hard against the wall, shattering a large portion of it. Cross stood defiantly, panting as he stood waiting for Zeraora to make his next move. At the same time, Josh had just fully revived Chris, and the Scyther got up on his feet quickly. But as he saw Zeraora get flung towards the wall at blinding speed, all he could mutter was "Holy crap…"
"Yeah, I know," Josh said. "Save it for later when we're still alive."
Josh and Chris stood by Cross's side, staring down Zeraora. All that the Thunderclap Pokémon could do was groan as he staggered back up to his feet. That white flame surrounding Cross was still radiating off of him, and it scared Zeraora. He realized he had no chance as long as Cross had this flame in him.
They're just going to increase their speed again if I keep fighting them. I can't let them win. I need to escape. But I need time to set up my Entercards.
Cross added in Josh's demands once again to Zeraora. "Surrender yourself, Zeraora. You have nowhere else to run."
Zeraora gritted his teeth, not wanting to give up. His defiance against what Josh, Cross and Chris are offering spoke volumes. Josh refused to give up. Chris refused to yield. And Cross was a powerhouse the likes of which nobody knew what was up with that. In a sense, they were all at a stalemate.
Zeraora glanced towards the only place where he could technically make an escape. The main entrance. Of course, he knew it was a gamble. It was going to be difficult, given the circumstances of what's going on. However, he had to make his choice. He didn't want to just lose to these humans. Not while he had strength left.
However, something unexpected happened that nobody really saw coming. As fast as a speeding bullet, something moved in incredibly fast and smacked Zeraora across the face, sending him flying towards another rock wall. Josh, Cross and Chris were surprised by that sudden entrance, and looked at where the attack's source came from. Much to their surprise, it was from IsoShogun.
Heath panted heavily as he stared at the wall Zeraora collided with, watching as the cat ended up collapsed onto the ground. Heath smiled brightly, laughing with glee as he yelled "Yeah! How do you like that, huh?! I just smacked you six ways from Sunday! Eat it!"
The trio of heroes were at a loss for words. Chris muttered out "What just happened…?"
"I think Heath just jumped in to help us," Josh said bluntly, still reeling from the shock.
Zeraora stumbled to his feet, annoyed slightly at the sight of another opponent. Heath, meanwhile, simply didn't want to waste such a golden opportunity. He readied his next move, Liquidation, and formed a large sword out of water. He stared Zeraora down, and mentioned "You may be strong, but I dare you to find a means of surpassing the strength of Team Sakura. When we're serious, we give it our all."
"What are you trying to pull, Heath?" Chris yelled out. "Get out of here!"
"No!" Heath stood against Zeraora, ready for action. "As an honorable warrior, I will do what must be done to secure a victory for my team. Plus, I was ordered to keep you all safe. And who am I to defy Lady Cereza?!" He readied his sword, about to charge forward. "En garde, Monsieur Tigre!"
A Pokémon based on samurai, and he chose to speak French? Josh thought jokingly.
Heath let out a battle cry as he charged forward, ready to strike. However, that was when Zeraora used his lightning fast movement to reach Heath first, striking him in the chest with his electrified claws. His attack was able to slice clean through Heath's armored carapace, causing the Golisopod to lurch forward as he had sustained critical damage. "I'm not having a good day…" he whimpered, before his body suddenly exploded into pixels.
The message "IsoShogun has fainted" appeared, and Zeraora turned to glare at everyone else. Without uttering a word, he stared long and hard at Cross in particular. One day, Gallade. One day, we will meet again. He then turned towards the exit, and ran off as fast as lightning.
The moment that Zeraora left the area, Cross fell to his knees, reverting back to his previous form as the aura that once surrounded him faded. Josh and Chris went to check on him, but Cross waved a hand, showing he was alright, just exhausted. "Don't worry about me. For now, all we can hope on is everyone else to pitch in."
Josh couldn't help but look in the direction where Zeraora ran. Worriedly, he thought about his team, and couldn't help but worry for their safety. "Adam. Rose. Be careful…"
Team Nagi and Team Sakura were in the midst of their battle with each other. It was a cacophony of combat that was being demonstrated in this instance. The eight of them were not willing to surrender so easily. As a matter of fact, neither side were willing to budge on the issue.
Shun fought against Viola the Liepard, managing to strike her down with a Brave Bird. Upon pinning her to the ground, he offered "Listen, we don't want to make things difficult. We just want to stop Zeraora, as much as you guys."
All that Viola could do was glance up at Shun, and asked "You think we wanted this? To fight our own allies? All we really care about is protecting Team Inferno and Team Calibur. Cereza's orders."
"Yeah. Really good job with that one…" Shun quipped as he looked at the remainder of the field, seeing the battles that were taking place.
Toru slithered along the ground as he and Luka the Boltund fought meticulously. Kai and Jeanne the Alolan Ninetales were clashing hard against each other with everything they had. And Kyosuke tested his own strength against Enzo the Nidoking in a purely intense combat field.
Viola grunted beneath Shun's talons, telling the Staraptor "Listen… Do you really think that we wanted to battle you guys? All we really wanted was to help. To keep those who are vulnerable to Zeraora out of the battle. You understand, right, Shun?"
Shun held her in place for some time, taking into account what she said. With a sad glance at her, he asked "You don't know what true strength is like, do you?"
"Huh?"
"I've seen it," Shun continued. "I saw that strength within Hatori. And I also saw it within J as well. It's a little something called focus. Hatori could channel the Battle Bond, despite the fact that it's a difficult ability to master. And J… He showed his resolve when he offered to scout the area last night."
It was stormy around Mount Sanda. As Josh stared at it, he couldn't help but stay firm and resolute, more than eager to take on Zeraora in a heartbeat. Of course, he knew that it was going to be a difficult task to reach Zeraora. As such, he needed to know specifically when the storm would dissipate.
Hatori was quick to approach Josh, and was more than ready to offer some insight. "I just got word from Spectro," he said. "Turns out that the storm will vanish for a few hours starting at around 10 AM, your time zone. You should be grateful that's the case. If it was an intense lightning storm, Zeraora could easily take advantage of that."
Josh smiled at the news, pleased to hear something positive. Curious, he asked "Tell me, Hatori. When you hired that previous Lucario, he mentioned something was off about that mountain, correct?"
"Hai. He mentioned a white flame within the mountain itself. Why do you ask?"
Josh was satisfied with the response. "That's Zeraora's aura, Hatori. It's pure white."
Hatori was taken aback by this news. He had no idea that was the case, but the fact that Josh sounded so confident about it made him realize just how knowledgeable he really was. "So you fought him before…?"
"Yeah. A couple of times. Both ended with losses." Josh sighed deeply, relaxing himself as he continued his explanation. "We barely escaped with our lives, as a matter of fact. The second encounter was deadlier than the first."
Hatori was so ecstatic to hear that Josh survived two encounters against Zeraora, muttering to himself in Japanese, before telling Josh "You must be quite the seasoned fighter then?"
"Actually… Both times, we only got out of there because of outside factors…" Josh was lost in thought, recalling the first battle.
Josh knew about how the first battle ended way too well. He got taken over by the Black Mirror Virus, and ultimately lost all control of his own actions. The second time, however, was humiliating. He was knocked unconscious, multiple needles in his back. He can't even recall what happened after that. What he did know was that in both occasions, he was knocked out cold, and he only survived because someone or something got him out of there.
"I see…" Hatori muttered, staring off at the mountain with Josh. He pondered the implications of the previous encounters that Josh experienced, crossing his arms as he was lost in thought. "This could be tricky then…"
"Which is why we need a plan," Josh said, giving a smile to Hatori. "And I'm going to need Team Nagi for some help."
"Nani?" Hatori looked at Josh curiously, and asked "You have a plan, and it involves us?"
Josh nodded. "All of you, actually. You're strong. I think you have what it takes to be a last line of defense in case Zeraora escapes from the mountain. As for the rest of your team, I was thinking of planting them into the mountain trail itself. Acting as a means of weakening him further in case the assault team isn't able to take him out."
"I see. Multiple layers of attacks. That's pretty effective." Hatori smiled as he stared at the mountain again. "He won't escape as long as there's still someone willing to take him on."
"Yeah. But we won't know for certain if this plan works unless I see he's in there," Josh mentioned. With a glint in his eyes, Josh soon requested "Mind if I borrow Shun for something?"
"Shun? What for?"
"Trust me. I think I know what I'm up to."
The plan, ironically enough, was for Josh to fly head first into a lightning storm. Josh was putting himself into danger, risking being struck by lightning, all for the chance to figure out if Zeraora was actually hiding somewhere in the mountain. When Hatori and eventually Shun heard of this plan, they both looked positively shocked. The fact that Josh was willing to go through a dangerous maneuver like this was asking a lot.
"Are you out of your mind?" Shun argued after hearing Josh's plan. "I hate to break it to you, J, but lightning doesn't bode well for me! If I'm struck, not only will you die from the fall, but our efforts would be put into jeopardy!"
"Sometimes, you need to make an insane gamble in order to win the pot," Josh mentioned with a smile. "Besides. I can match Zeraora's movements if I'm careful. What's a bolt of lightning to be worried about?"
"Uh…" Nervously, Shun looked over at Hatori, asking "Can we possibly back out of this, Hatori?"
"I don't know… He seems pretty serious about it." Giving one more glance at Josh, he asked "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"Positive." With a smile, he then brought up "Consider it training for the fight ahead."
Shun and Hatori were scared at the implications, and they looked at each other with worry. They quickly realized that Josh was not budging on this issue, and that any attempt to break that argument was likely going to go nowhere. Admittedly, not even they knew if Zeraora is still up there. What Josh was offering was a chance to inspect the area carefully.
At least, as carefully as navigating a minefield was. As Josh flew through the air while riding on Shun's back, they both rushed over to Mount Sanda, seeing the intense lightning storm that was standing in their way as they inspected the mountain. Shun was scared at the prospects of going in there. Doubly so considering the cargo he had on his back.
Anxious about the mission, he asked Josh "Are you sure about this, J?"
"Trust me. I know what I'm doing." Josh then closed his eyes, raising his aura sensors as he started scanning the area. From Josh's perspective, it was like he was able to see the electrical discharges from the storm clouds as they were forming. As such, he was looking forward to seeing where Zeraora was hiding amidst the storm.
Patting Shun's back, he mentioned "I'm ready. Just swerve whenever I say, and we'll be fine."
Shun was terrified about flying directly into a storm. Once more, he asked "And why must we fly into a storm cloud?"
"Just in case Zeraora's in the open, I wanted to make sure we get out of there without being detected," Josh answered. "A storm makes the perfect cover."
Reluctantly, Shun muttered "If you say so. Just hold on tight."
And just like that, they both flew into the storm clouds. Shun was placing his trust in Josh to avoid the lightning. As they entered the clouds, he could feel his own feathers start to stand up on end as he navigated through the cluster of lightning that was surrounding them. Shun didn't know what to expect in the thunder cloud.
The sound of thunder was intense, and the cracks of the lightning around them made Shun almost hold back. But throughout it all, Josh was comforting, telling Shun "Don't be afraid. I've got you."
As if on cue, Josh soon readied a Bone Rush attack, tossing the bone staff into the air as a bolt of lightning struck down from above. The lightning struck the bone staff, canceling out the electricity, much to Shun's utter disbelief. As the lightning vanished, Josh grabbed the bone staff again, holding it with one hand while gripping Shun carefully with the other.
"Move left!" Josh ordered, and Shun swerved to the left, narrowly avoiding a lightning bolt in the process.
"Right!" Josh said afterward, and Shun followed the order to a tee.
The process repeated itself, as Josh proved he was able to predict the movement of the lightning, allowing himself to navigate the storm with little problems. Shun trusted Josh's judgment, navigating through this big storm as they drew closer to the mountain. Realizing that Josh had such precision with navigation through the storm was something he was really impressed by.
Before long, they reached the sight of the mountain, and Josh smiled as he noticed a familiar presence. He patted Shun's back, telling him "I got what I'm looking for."
"You mean he's actually in there?" Shun asked.
"Yeah. Let's return to Esther. We need everyone to cooperate for this operation."
Shun doubled back as soon as Josh gave the word, eager to get out of the storm as quickly as possible. Josh insisted that they stay in the storm cloud the rest of the way, even though Shun didn't seem fond of the idea. Josh's expert navigation, however, proved invaluable, and they soon managed to evade getting struck by lightning throughout the whole return journey.
Before long, after some intense navigation through the storm, they both emerged from the storm clouds, making a return flight to Esther. Josh lowered his aura sensors, opening his eyes as he gave a smile to Shun, who looked positively shell shocked. Josh gave a reassuring pat to his back, telling Shun "You did great. We made it."
"Yeah… We did…" He felt like he was going to faint from the idea of navigating through a storm like that, but the fact that he was alive only made him look at Josh with even more curiosity. As much as I hate to admit it, this Lucario is far braver than any warrior I've ever seen. It's like the lightning doesn't even phase him.
The journey back to Esther was smooth from that point onward. Josh wasn't at all afraid of the danger. In fact, he was eager to get into it at a moment's notice. As for Shun, needless to say, he was probably deathly afraid of thunderstorms now… Regardless of that, however, they have their target confirmed. One way or another, Zeraora was going to be removed from that mountain.
"I saw in that Lucario that he was far braver than any of you if he was insistent on stopping Zeraora," Shun brought up, chastising Viola as he made her listen to his rant. "Cereza is far too paranoid. Thinking of the worst-case scenario at any given moment. But I have confidence in J and his team. I believe in them to achieve the impossible!"
Viola was shaken by how Shun phrased this experience. She had no idea about how Josh was willing to put his life on the line like that. But despite everything, despite all that was to be said, she had her orders from Cereza. She wasn't going to back down from her orders. She trusts her leader too much at this point.
One Year Ago…
Viola had just recently been added to Team Sakura at the behest of her superior, Heath. As she looked up at the Golisopod, she could tell that he was smiling ear to ear, giving her a glowing recommendation to Cereza in that moment.
Cereza was unlike anyone she had considered before. Regal. Elegant. Fierce. She was quite the respectable team leader, placing her trust in her team above all else. Being placed as the eighth member of this team was unlike anything she had thought about before. It was nerve-wrecking. She felt like she didn't have the strength to be of any value.
Then, just a few hours after joining with the team, they all shared a big feast in commemoration of Viola joining the crew. Heath held up a large mug filled with cider, and declared "Here's to Team Sakura, and our newest member, VioletPurr! May her career shine brightly for years to come!"
"CHEERS!" Everyone raised their cups (except for the quadrupeds, who simply just sat there with the declarations), and they all began to eat their meals together.
Viola scanned the table, seeing everyone talking to each other like old friends. As a matter of fact, each of them had history together. Jeanne Winstrom, the Alolan Ninetales, had been friends with Cereza since they were children. They often shared a friendly rivalry, willing to go above and beyond to prove who was superior in battle on multiple occasions. It was a friendly competition, though. Nothing too violent.
Luka Redgrave, the Boltund, had a massive flirtatious crush on Cereza. She would often reject his advances, being relatively playful with the flirting on occasion. One of his favorite pastimes was searching the area for any lucky woman in his sight. A womanizer, through and through, he was always a hopeless romantic among the crew.
Enzo Collodi, the Nidoking, was only recommended into the crew out of the behest of Spectro. He saw that he was a tough as nails fighter, and that his wealth of intelligence was enough to be worthwhile on missions. Ask him anything regarding the nature of the game, and he will be the first to provide intel on the environment, and what the best strategies for battle truly were.
Wesley Prince and Trini Hirose, the Breloom and Lurantis, were lovers in real life as well as in the game. They support and trust each other, acting more like a dynamic duo that were willing to fight tooth and nail for each other no matter what. Cereza saw their potential in combat and brought them both onboard at the same time, recommending them with various missions that could rely on their skills as a duo.
And then there's Heath Hampshire, the Golisopod. Ever since the beginning, he's been partnered with Cereza. They formed the team together. They fought many battles together. If she was the jester, then he was the knight. They complimented each other, often working in tandem as a duo through dangerous situations.
Viola sat there amidst this new crew of friends, all exchanging pleasantries with each other, not quite sure what to say given she was the new recruit to the team. But as she sat there in awkward silence, that was when she saw Cereza get up from her seat. She told her team "I'm going to get some fresh air for a moment. I'll be right back."
"Yes, ma'am!" everyone said at once as they returned to eating dinner together.
Cereza soon left the room, leaving the rest of the team to just mingle among themselves. Curious about this, Viola turned over to Heath, asking "Is something wrong? Why did Cereza leave?"
Heath noticed Viola's concern, and gave as discreet an answer as he could. "She's just under a lot of pressure, that's all."
"Pressure?" Viola asked. "Regarding what?"
Heath shrugged at the question. "She refused to say. She's always been acting weird ever since she first met with Hatori."
"The Greninja?"
Heath nodded. "I think it's because he's stuck in this world. She must feel some sort of pity for him. Why else would she be excusing herself?"
This only made Viola curious, and she couldn't help but look in the direction where Cereza vacated herself. She didn't know what Cereza was thinking, but she knew that she had to find out eventually. After all, they were a team. Whatever was concerning her, she could tell them at the very least, right?
Viola vacated herself from the table, saying that she needed time to herself to contemplate being a part of a team like this. In actuality, she just needed time to follow Cereza and wonder what it was that bothered her.
She left the dining room, and made her way towards where the Meowscarada walked off to. She went down the halls, looking for any sign of finding Cereza. But then, she heard some hushed voices.
"What are you doing here?" she heard Cereza ask to a strange figure. "If Spectro found out you left your team to see me, he'll freak out."
"You think that Spectro scares me, Cereza?" The voice was distinctly male.
Cautiously, Viola snuck around the corner, peering briefly at the sight of where Cereza was at. She stood there at a balcony, overlooking the beautiful night sky. But there with her…was a Greninja. Hatori Ryuga.
Viola quickly hid herself away, avoiding detection. She was surprised to see Hatori was here. Why, though? What was the reason for his arrival?
Cereza huffed as she crossed her arms. "You really think I'm concerned about Spectro? I mean, sure. He's the leader of the guild and all. But…"
"I see. You just couldn't bear seeing me without protection on a daily basis, is that correct, Sakura-chan?"
Cereza blushed at the sound of Hatori's nickname for her. She tried playing hard to get, giving a glare at her rival, telling him "Don't be an idiot! I'm not worried about you! I just don't want to deal with your team freaking out on my behalf."
Hatori giggled, sitting down on the railing of the balcony as he stared at Cereza. "You worry too much, you know that? Why not learn to let loose? Be at peace. Take a moment to consider that life itself is unpredictable. You can't control the threads of destiny forever, Sakura-chan."
Cereza blushed profusely, trying to brush aside Hatori's comment. "Hatori, you have no clue what kind of danger you could expose yourself to if you're alone! Which is why…" She averted her gaze, trying to hide her feelings behind a mask. Puffing her cheeks in annoyance, she muttered "You shouldn't be placing yourself in danger like that so often, you know?"
"Aww! You actually DO care for me! I'm touched!" Hatori gleefully looked at Cereza, enjoying the idea of teasing her. "And here I thought you were some sort of ice queen like Jeanne."
Cereza returned to arguing with Hatori. "You don't know that! I just prefer to keep morons like you from getting killed out of recklessness!"
"Because you care about me, right?"
Cereza, for the briefest of moments, felt like Hatori had penetrated through her mental shield. She couldn't just let him take advantage of her like this! After all, she's not stuck in this world like he was! She can afford to gamble with her life, while Hatori can't! To her, it was like she was supposed to be the superior to him in every regard!
And yet, Hatori saw through her. With a smile, he stood up on the railing, telling her "I'll be in touch in case you need to speak to me, Cereza. I promise to be on my best behavior."
"F-fine! Just go. I'm glad you're leaving! Just…promise me you'll consider staying safe… For me…"
Hatori gave a bow, and humbly said "As you wish, milady." He then leapt away from the railing, vanishing in an instant.
The moment that Hatori was out of sight, Cereza clutched at her chest, staring longingly at the horizon. She let out a sigh, letting go of her pent-up emotions, and just stared up at the sky. In a soft voice, she muttered "Why must you be taking so many chances, you idiot?"
She collected herself, taking a deep breath as she returned to a much calmer personality. However, as she turned to return inside of the building, she saw that Viola was secretly listening in, and it took her completely by surprise. Blushing profusely again, Cereza asked "Uh… How much did you hear all of that?"
Viola, wanting to keep this simply between the two of them, chose to keep quiet. She could tell that Cereza was hiding her true feelings, trying to act tough in the face of others around her. Cereza, for the first time, showed her true colors to Viola. And in a way, Viola couldn't help but find this oddly relaxing.
With a smile, she mentioned "Don't worry. I won't tell anybody about this, Cereza. This is just between you and me."
Cereza relaxed upon realizing that her newest teammate, Viola Lawliet the Liepard, was willing to be trusting of this big secret. She knew that Heath appointed her as a recommendation, saying that in terms of tactical espionage and secrecy, she was second to none. The trust that she shares with Cereza would prove to be invaluable from the moment she overheard the conversation she had with Hatori.
Cereza breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that Viola was able to keep a secret. As such, she said "Good. I just don't want anyone thinking less of me, falling for a ruffian like that."
"I don't mind," Viola said. "I think it's rather cute. Sort of like he's your own Prince Charming."
Cereza stifled a laugh at the mention of that, and gave a smile towards her newest teammate. Patting Viola on the head, Cereza asked "How are you liking the team so far?"
With a nod, Viola answered with "I think they're alright. It's gonna take some getting used to, however."
"Don't worry about it. You'll get used to them," Cereza said. "They're good people. You'll get used to them before long."
The two girls ended up laughing as they shared their banter with each other, and they both returned to the dining room without another word. Cereza's secret crush on Hatori was never disclosed publically. Viola kept true to her word. Either way, this was the beginning of the trust and companionship that would befall Viola as she served under Team Sakura.
Viola knew why she had to follow through with Cereza's orders. It's because she puts her trust in her. So much so that she was willing to risk it all to keep people like Hatori safe for her. She resisted against Shun's efforts, glinting at him with a smile creasing her face.
"You think you understand Cereza, but you don't," Viola said. "She's not what you think she is."
Shun was knocked back by Viola's strength, and flew up into the air. Viola stood back up on her feet, ready to tussle with him once again. But it was there that Shun soon took notice of something coming down the mountain trail. It was moving fast. Sparking a ton of electricity.
With a gasp, Shun dove down, yelling "Look out!"
Shun swerved in and managed to shove Viola aside, only to take a super effective Plasma Fist attack from the speeding bullet that was Zeraora. The crackling of electricity was enough to draw everyone's attention, as they all bore witness to Zeraora striking down Shun in a single hit, causing him to break apart into pixels as Zeraora leapt into the center of the field.
"SHUN!" Kai yelled out, seeing his own teammate be defeated in an instant.
Both Team Nagi and Team Sakura stopped their fighting as they stared at Zeraora. The Thunderclap Pokémon looked around him, seeing the seven remaining adversaries that stood before him. They all looked ready to strike at him, equal parts scared and eager. Zeraora had instilled fear in them the likes of which he wasn't sure was worth it. But there was one detail he noticed regarding them all in this instance:
They're all winded from fighting each other. This shouldn't take too long, then.
Zeraora's claws started sparking electricity as he readied himself for the retaliatory effort. As he stared them all down, Viola got back up, stunned at seeing Shun's sacrifice to protect her. Not wanting his sacrifice to be in vain, she stood up on her feet, and used Hone Claws, raising her chances to cleave Zeraora in two.
"You're not going anywhere," Viola growled. "Not after everything you've done."
Everyone readied themselves for the attack, prepared to throw hands with Zeraora in that instance. All at once, they all charged towards him, ready to lay down their lives if it means weakening him further. All the while, Zeraora viewed all of their combined efforts, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Upon opening them, he saw the world around him moving in slow motion, his paws sparking electricity, as he was ready to spring into action. To him, these guys aren't a threat. Just mere obstacles that stand between him and his goal.
At the base of the mountain, our battle with Cereza's team wasn't going as smoothly as we would've wanted. Whoever the Lurantis and Breloom were, they were an unmistakable duo that had counters for everything we tried to throw at them. Even Adam, arguably the most effective fighter against a team of Grass-types, was having a difficult time trying to land solid strikes at them. Even with the boosts he gained from Bulk Up wasn't able to phase them.
At the heart of the battle, however, were Cereza and Hatori, who constantly clashed with each other, both refusing to budge on each other's stance. Hatori grinned wide, asking "So, I take it that you are angry with me?"
"Oh, I am FURIOUS with you!" Cereza hissed. "Endangering yourself, as well as Teams Inferno and Calibur! What were you thinking?!"
Cereza tried to strike at Hatori with Slash, only for Hatori to avoid damage with Substitute, managing to appear behind her as he readied an Aerial Ace. Cereza could only brace for impact, managing to tank the blow before she landed back on her feet upon hitting the ground. Hatori stood defiantly, refusing to use his full strength on her.
"I don't want to hurt you, Cereza," Hatori tried to reason. "Whatever happened to being reasonable?"
"I AM being reasonable!" Cereza argued. "Why else do you think I'm going easy on you?"
"Oh, so this is going easy?" Hatori teased. "And here I thought you might've gone soft?"
Adam quickly saw their discussion, and curiously asked "Uh, is there something between you two we should know about?"
"DON'T MEDDLE INTO OUR AFFAIRS, BLAZETIGER!" Cereza and Hatori yelled together.
Adam nervously backed away from the discussion, and instead returned to focus on the battle he was engaged in with the Breloom and Lurantis. Much to his surprise, they were doing pitiful damage to him, refusing to go all out on him. Even as Nolan and I interfered and held them back, Adam showed nary a scratch. Almost squeaky clean by it all.
I guess it's true. Cereza doesn't want to hurt us. She's just trying to drive us away. Maybe fighting isn't the answer.
"Hey guys!" I yelled out. "Stop the fighting! There's no reason to be doing this!"
Adam and Nolan knocked the Lurantis and Breloom aside, the pair having their backs turned towards the mountain entrance. Nolan and Adam were ready to keep fighting, but I held out my arms, holding them both back. "Stop it, guys! Can't you see this is pointless?!"
"Rose! They're the ones who chose to attack us!" Adam argued.
"Ja! They have a lot to answer for!" Nolan reasoned.
"That's because they're trying to protect us! Don't you see?" I tried to reason with them, as I turned to look at the Breloom and Lurantis. "If your mission is to keep us safe, why go out of your way to fight with us? Isn't that counterintuitive?"
The Breloom and Lurantis both lowered their guard, listening closely to what it was I had to say. Quickly, I put my skills as a mediator to good use. Hopefully, it would work out. "Our friends are already in there facing Zeraora as we speak. There's no reason for us to be fighting. All you're really proving is nothing of value."
The two Grass-types listened carefully to my words, before they drew their attention to Cereza. She and Hatori were in a deadlock. However, all that Cereza could argue was "Don't listen to her! It was their foolish idea to waltz into present danger like that!"
"That's because we're trying to stop the threat before it becomes a bigger issue!" I argued to her. "Unlike you fellows, we have a plan to lure him out of there for everyone to get an opportunity to take him out. Zeraora is not able to last long in a battle with multiple opponents. Wouldn't it be effective if we–?"
BANG!
The sound of thunder took me by surprise, as I turned swiftly to the source of it all. As it turns out, it was Zeraora, having already stabbed both the Breloom and Lurantis from behind with his electric claws. His unexpected presence was enough to take us all off guard, and we realized here and now that he's already breached the first couple lines of defense already. All of a sudden, we were the last line of defense to take him out. And it made me realize just how much pressure we were placed under.
Both the Lurantis and Breloom were disposed of relatively quickly, their bodies disintegrating into pixels as he set his sights on the rest of us. Cereza and Hatori stopped their battle with each other, quickly realizing just how dangerous this foe is. However, Zeraora's focus was less on them, and more on me, Nolan and Adam.
Zeraora lunged forward at me, and my body tensed up as I felt a lingering sense of dread well up within me. I was petrified with fear, staring a dangerous predator as he lunged for the kill. I gasped as he charged towards me, unable to react in time to fight back.
"Rose, stay back!" Adam yelled, grabbing my arm to drag me back. Zeraora's attack narrowly missed me as Adam came to my rescue.
Soon enough, Zeraora turned to try and take out Adam, who prepped himself with Bulk Up. All the while, Nolan rushed forward, defending the both of us with King's Shield, weakening Zeraora's attack as a result of it. But soon enough, Zeraora ended up instantly blipping behind Nolan, striking him from behind with Plasma Fist, knocking him forward unexpectedly.
Adam took up defense this time, readying another Bulk Up as he told me "Get the X-Eye Seed ready, Rose! We have to take him out now!"
Zeraora tried to strike at Adam with another Plasma Fist, but Adam countered with a Fire Punch, the two attacks managing to create a powerful shock wave that caused the ground beneath them to rumble. However, Zeraora proved to be the faster of the two, and used Close Combat against Adam, who tried desperately to tank the attack that was heading his way.
And despite being told to ready the X-Eye Seed to attack Zeraora, just witnessing Adam getting pummeled by Zeraora's attack was enough to make my breathing ragged. I was petrified in fear. This wasn't an opponent that was to be taken lightly. In fact, he was far more dangerous than I would've liked.
After the repeated punches of Zeraora broke through Adam's defense, Zeraora soon ended with a swift kick, knocking Adam away towards the edge of the river. Adam was collapsed, probably playing dead as he didn't want to be killed by Zeraora. But on the surface, it was as if I was staring death itself in the face.
Zeraora soon gave an intense glare in my direction. All of my nerves were shot. In my mind, I was screaming to pull out the X-Eye Seed and use it against him. But deep down, I felt this primal fear lingering inside of me, holding me hostage. My mind flashed back to the encounter on Mount Ebott, and how Zeraora effortlessly disposed of most of us without issue. Seeing Josh's bloody body kneeling next to me was enough to petrify me. That look in Zeraora's eyes was enough to tell me that he has intentions to kill us, but was sorry for us in return.
This was different, however. Zeraora didn't look at us with pity. There is only an intent to kill. It was scary. I started to hyperventilate. I was on the verge of a panic attack upon seeing such a terrifying figure standing before me.
Before long, however, Zeraora sensed a pair of attacks heading his direction, and saw a mix of both Water Shuriken and Flower Trick heading towards him. He swiftly managed to block off both attacks, brushing them aside like they were nothing, before giving a glare towards Hatori and Cereza.
But the previous battles he's taken part in were enough to drain him of most of his stamina already, and he didn't want to risk fighting them at the moment. So, he quickly dashed out of there, leaping over the Milotic River effortlessly, before vanishing into the forest, the sound of thunder accompanying his escape.
It was over. We failed.
All I could do though was just stand there, petrified from the fear I felt in that instant. My breathing was ragged. I was visibly sweating. I thought I had grown stronger, more confident with myself. I thought I was ready. But in that moment of weakness, I found that I was still unable to do anything. Just how swiftly he disposed of my team was enough to send my nerves into a standstill.
However, as I stood there in fear, Adam and Nolan got back up, having barely hung on with what little stamina they had. Thankfully, they weren't in such dire straits. My only real concern was whether or not Josh was still alive.
Cereza gritted her teeth in frustration at the sign of Zeraora escaping. She cursed under her breath, before pulling out her badge, activating it to contact the rest of her team. "Heath, this is Cereza. Do you copy?"
"Lady Cereza!" Heath exclaimed as he heard her voice on the other side. "Zeraora got away! LucarioTrainerJ and X-Glaive are alive, like you ordered, but the bastard is heading your direction!"
"He escaped our clutches," Cereza reiterated. "He took out Trini and Wesley in a single strike. Thankfully, BlazeTiger and Ryutori are still intact. Unfortunately, he escaped before we could do anything to him. Send LucarioTrainerJ and his allies back down here. We're heading home."
"Roger that!" And just like that, Cereza put her badge away, before she let out a deep sigh of relief.
Hatori received the brunt of Cereza's death glare. Hatori was curious on why she was angry, and asked "What are you so angry about? We were given orders to secure Zeraora from Spectro himself."
"Don't get smart with me," Cereza argued. "You almost could've died! How do you think that would make me feel?!"
"How it would make you feel?" Hatori retorted. "If it weren't for your interference and sabotaging of our plans, we could've secured him without incident!"
"Oh, so it's my fault?!" Cereza complained. "You think I'm to blame for the thunder cat to just escape from our clutches?!"
"YES! That's EXACTLY what I'm saying!" Hatori yelled out angrily. He groaned as he facepalmed at Cereza's logic. "Honestly, Cereza… What did you think was going to happen if you tried to interfere with our plan?"
"You could've just asked!" Cereza argued. "You're the idiot for not consulting with me about this plan in the first place!"
"That's because you would've disagreed with it!" Hatori reasoned. "You won't let me take a single step outside of Esther because you're too afraid of losing me!"
Cereza wanted to argue back, but all she could do was bite her lip in frustration, averting her gaze away from Hatori. It would appear that their squabble has reached its end. Either way, however, Hatori realized that things could've been much simpler if Cereza were agreeable. He let out a deep sigh, and turned to look at the rest of us. "It's over, guys. Let's get out of here."
Adam sighed with relief, knowing that he and Josh were at least alive at the end of the day. Nolan looked up at the mountain, at least happy that Cross was safe. And meanwhile, I was still reeling from the fear that was taking hold of me. It didn't take long, however, until Adam placed his hand on my shoulder, grabbing my attention.
He gave a worried look my direction, and asked "Are you alright, Rose?"
I felt my body tense up. Quietly, I muttered "I couldn't do it… I didn't stop him like you asked… I failed you guys…"
Adam shook his head, offering a smile in my direction to calm me down. "No, Rose. It's not your fault. We just weren't ready, that's all. There will always be a next time."
Next time… The only reason a next time is even possible was because I gave into fear… I started to tear up, my own frustration clear to see on my face. Adam tried to comfort me, though, by giving me a reassuring smile. However, all I felt at the moment was shame. Shame that I didn't do what I was told, and let Zeraora escape in the first place.
Adam stood up tall, turning his gaze towards the mountain. "At the very least, Josh and Cross are also safe. We just have to–"
BANG!
To my utter shock, I saw what appeared to be a bullet strike Adam in the chest. We had no time to react. Adam felt the shock of the impact, and very quickly, he fell backwards, his eyes wide with shock. His breathing slowed. He gasped as he sputtered blood from his mouth, before he collapsed onto the ground.
Once more, I was in a state of shock and fear. However, I knew exactly where this bullet came from. It was a water bullet. And I knew for certain who the shooter was.
"HERR ADAM!" Nolan screamed, rushing to Adam's side. "Nein! Don't die on us!"
I turned my gaze from Adam's collapsed body on the ground after staring at him for a few moments in fear. I soon turned to look at the source of where the bullet came from. Slowly, I turned my attention towards the river, and gasped as I realized I could see who it was standing there.
Norman lowered his finger gun, staring at Adam out of anger. "You let him escape. You had every opportunity to stop him, and you let him escape."
I had a mixture of emotions raging through my mind. Fear. Anger. Sadness. But there was one that rose above them all: dread.
Dread that Adam was likely going to die.