Journey (Pokemon, Noble!Dark AU, Kanto Trainerfic, Shared multiverse/universe, Soft-SI)

joshthewriter · Sep 29, 2022

Journey

Death of Duty

Part 5: War on the Water

Complications

No plan survives contact with the enemy. — KNA General Becker

Janine pulled a small red gem from her pack, handing it over to Celio. "They got away," she started. "Broke and ran the moment I landed. Abandoned whatever they were trying to do on the volcano's slopes."

Celio took the gem carefully, handing it off to the man who had interrupted us before. "I could scarcely imagine what they might be doing," he replied. "Then again, I could hardly have imagined Gideon stealing our Ruby and Sapphire. He seemed like he really believed in the project." He shrugged. "Guess you never really know someone."

"Tell me about Gideon," Janine said. "Anything you can remember that might be useful, anything at all."

Celio frowned. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know much. He was a specialist recommended to us by the League. I had thought him to be properly vetted, but clearly he was not." He shrugged. "Apologies, but I'm not sure what was truth and what was lie anymore in regards to him. I'll send over his League personnel file, perhaps there's something there that could help you."

"Will you be able to resume the project?" I asked. "With only one of the gems?"

He held up the gem, admiring it with a far-off smile. "This gem is practically priceless. I designed it myself, did you know that? A shame you couldn't retrieve the sapphire as well. I shudder to think of what the technology could be applied to if it is replicated."

I looked closer. "I didn't know it was a fake," I said. I could see thin lines running through the inside of the gem, faint lights pulsating along the veins. "I thought it was real."

Celio beamed, clearly proud of his work. "It's a part of a set, designed to communicate instantaneously with the other using quantum entangled parti-"

"What Celio means to say is that it lets our computers talk to each other from across the world with no delay at all." The other man took the gem, folding it away in a protective cloth. He looked at Celio with an amused smirk. "He sometimes forgets that not everyone is a genius like him."

Celio shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. "Leader Anzu, Ranger Wright, this is William Sonezaki. He invented the Pokemon Storage System." He turned back to us. "Our project is attempting to take the PSS worldwide, something that would revolutionize worldwide trading and travel."

I looked over at the nondescript man in the purple shirt. "I knew you looked familiar," I said. "You built the PC system?"

He nodded. "Yes," he started. "But please, call me Bill." He glanced over at Celio. "He's the only one that calls me William nowadays."

"So," Janine started. "Where do we go from here?" she asked.

"We have many more tests to run," he said. "But it shouldn't be long before we are operational. We were almost done when Gideon stole the gems. We can made do with just this one, at least until I can synthesize another. Bebe won't be happy, but Sinnoh can wait for now." Celio wrung his hands nervously. "Though, there is the matter of dwindling food that I discussed with Ranger Wright."

Janine nodded. "We can spare some food, though not enough to completely solve the island's problems. I'll have my ship drop off what we can spare before we leave."

Celio bowed his head. "Thank you, Leader Anzu. The people of this island are in your debt." He turned as Bill opened the door to the Network Centre. "We must return to our work now, I hope to see you again sometime."

She bowed in return. "If there's anything else about this Gideon that you can remember, don't hesitate to contact us."

He nodded profusely. "I will be sure to do so. Thank you both."

We glided down towards the bustling market, combing over the island from above. Two island was more than twice the size of One Island, with a relatively large trading port constructed on the southwest coast of the island. A shantytown sprung up from the jungle around the port, people shouting over each other and hawking their wares at passers by.

I landed beside Janine, dismissing Artemis to her ball as Janine did the same with her venomoth. Neither of us had brought our weapons, preferring to keep the Islanders at ease with our presence. Even if we had arrived in a warship, we didn't need to be outwardly belligerent.

"Stay with me," she said. She smirked coyly. "And keep your eyes on the crowds, not on my ass. We're looking for any clue of Rocket presence."

I chuckled. "It is a very nice ass," I said.

She glanced at me and I saw a happy twinkle in her eyes. "I know," she replied. She stuck her butt out at me, wiggling it at me. "I work for it."

I held out my arm for her. "May I?" I asked, trying to stifle a laugh. "I believe that a man is supposed to treat his lady to a shopping trip?" I gestured around. "In lieu of Celadon's department stores, we do have this nice market."

She giggled, hooking an her arm through mine. Her eyes were happy, none of the constant worry and tension I'd become accustomed to in them. "I have some very expensive tastes, Ranger. Think you can afford me?"

"Nah," I said. I reached into my pack with my free hand, pulling out my Silph expense card as a joke. "Silph's got it though."

We walked through the market, stopping only to peruse a few of the shacks selling local knickknacks. It was nice to act like I was normal, to pretend that we weren't on a mission for a few minutes. My mind went back to the regional fairs put on near Yucca Village and I had the absurd vision of me walking Janine through fields of growing berries. The vision faded, but I refused to let thoughts of my family drag me down today.

Janine stopped in front of a small shack, looking down at the little stall of goods. She lifted a loose necklace of what looked like bones. "What do you think?"

"I think you'd look good in just about anything," I said. A dumb smirk crossed my face and I looked her up and down. "Even nothing," I joked.

She punched me in the shoulder as she exclaimed in protest. "Are you gonna be corny your whole life?"

I nodded, the same cheesy grin plastered on my face. "Always," I said. "I'm afraid that's not going away."

She shook her head, a small grin on her face. "Good," she said under her breath.

I turned over to the shopkeeper. "What would you like for the necklace?" I asked. I opened my bag, pulling out several pokeballs and a pair of potions.

Sevii was far away from any of the regional Pokemon Leagues. Most modern currencies weren't accepted on the islands, they used a barter system instead. Things from the mainland were very valuable out here.

The man pointed at the pokeballs. "There aren't many of these out here," he said. "They'd be worth a fortune."

"Take them," I replied. "I have many more."

His eyes went wide. "I-I-I-I…" he trailed off. "It is far too much for a simple necklace." He looked through his merchandise, eyes racing from item to item. "Take this as well," he said. He lifted a short pole that thickened into a curved club on one end. The other end tapered into a point, making a crude spear. "We have few trainers here. These are what we use to defend ourselves. I made this one myself."

He forced the staff into my hands. I admired the point on the bottom, testing the weight experimentally. "You're too kind," I said. I held it out back to him. "I can't take your weapon. Pokemon are still dangerous, even with a ball to capture them. You still have to tame them, and that can be difficult."

He took the weapon back and bowed his head in respect. "You are kind and generous for outsiders. We heard what you did for One Island, I could hardly believe it when I heard." He leaned closer and I saw desperation in his eyes. "Perhaps you could help us as well? I fear that something is amiss in Sevii and our Lady Lorelei does not hear our calls."

I waved Janine over, keeping my attention on the man. "Something about these islands doesn't add up," I said. "Is something happening here that we should know about?"

He leaned closer as Janine joined us. His voice lowered to barely more than a whisper. "Something is wrong on Three Island. People are going missing there, in the forests."

"Could it be a wild pokemon?" Janine asked. "A predator that got a taste for human?"

The shopkeep shrugged. "Perhaps," he replied. "But Sevii has always had wild pokemon. Islanders are smart so as to not disturb them." He leaned back. "Families are whispering, rumours spreading. Something dark lives in the forest, something brought by the last group of outsiders."

That piqued my interest. My eyebrow raised. "What other outsiders?" I asked. "Describe them for us."

"They wear black, some of them have a red letter on their clothing." He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "They do not respect our islands. They build things on our Mountain Ember, take things into the forest. And our Lady does nothing."

I looked at Janine. "Rocket," I said. "They're here."

"Everywhere by the sound of it," she replied. She looked back at the shopkeep. "Do they have somewhere they are gathering? Somewhere they're using as a base?"

He shrugged. "I do not know. Nowhere on Two Island or Three Island, and likely not on One Island either. There are too many people for such a place to remain hidden."

"Leaving Four and Five as the likely suspects," I said. "I knew Lorelei didn't want me looking around Four Island."

"I'd bet that she's got plenty of incriminating evidence somewhere on that island." Janine turned back to the man excitedly. "You don't know how much you have helped us," she said.

"No more than you have already helped the islanders," he replied. "I am happy to be of service."

Janine and I strode away from the market stall. "Where to then?" I asked. "Back to one island, or into a dark forest?"

"Wouldn't you like to go back," she said with a coy grin. "But I destroyed whatever Rocket was building on Mount Ember. Looked like lightning rods or something. Whatever it was, it's inoperable now." She raised her ball, releasing her venomoth into the market square. "Missing people sounds fun."

"Does it now?" I asked sarcastically. I released Artemis beside me. "Didn't know that could be fun."

I swung my leg over my aerodactyl's back as Janine shot off into the sky. Her venomoth slid through the air effortlessly, ethereally floating on an invisible wind. Artemis tensed up and flung herself after them, wings flapping madly as we rose into the sky.

The Fang slid into port, dropping anchor out where the water was still deep enough for her. Janine, Lady Anzu and I piled into one of the speedboats and took that the rest of the way in. We weren't expecting a lavish greeting, but we were surprised by the empty docks as we pulled into shore.

"Where is everyone?" Janine asked.

We hit the sandy shore and I splashed into surf. I grabbed the rope from the front of the ship and lashed it to the dock.

"Perhaps our intelligence is outdated," Lady Anzu said cautiously. "This darkness in the forest could have taken far more than what the shopkeep knew."

"Or they're hiding," I suggested. "I got the sense that outsiders are not welcome in Sevii." I gestured out at the Fang. "We did come here in a warship after all."

Lady Anzu looked at Janine. "The Ranger is right. It would be foolish to assume that we are welcome."

"Take a look," Janine ordered. "But stay out of sight. We're gonna walk down main street and see who comes out to say hello."

Her mother nodded, then slunk off into the thick brush bordering the village. Janine and I trudged up the sand, heading straight for the centre of the port village.

Silence greeted us. There was no movement save for the wind in the foliage. No pokemon came out to investigate, nor did any people. It was as if the villagers were simply gone. I felt eyes on us and a strange presence, but nobody made themselves known.

Lady Anzu appeared from the dirt road leading north. "I found a struggle," she said. "Looked like someone tried to defend the town at a barricade on the road. I did find tracks of something big leading north, I didn't recognize them."

Janine looked around, regarding the empty town with a sad look. "We need to figure out what happened here," she started. "I'd bet you anything that Rocket was involved."

"There's also the gold mine to the east," I said, remembering the briefings. "It's possible that someone may have taken refuge there. If there was an attack, the civilians could have fled."

Janine looked at me and nodded. "Then we split up," she said. "Search all three at once. Keep radio silence, we don't know who could be listening in."

I nodded. "I'll check out the mine," I said.

"I will follow the tracks," said Lady Anzu.

Janine nodded again. "That leaves me with the forest." She folded her arms across her chest and frowned. "Be careful, both of you. Something is very wrong here." She raised her venomoth's ball and released the bug beside her. "Meet back here as soon as you are able."

She disappeared into the sky atop the bug. I watched her go, silently hoping that she would be ok.

Lady Anzu turned to me. Her face was soft and concerned, rather than her usually critical gaze. "My daughter cares deeply for you. More than she has cared for someone in a long time," she said. "She does not have many people close to her, something we have her father to thank for. The pressure she is under as Fuchsia's new Leader is immense."

I smiled awkwardly. "I care about Janine as well. I understand that she is under a lot of pressure, I'm trying to help the best I can."

Lady Anzu frowned and I could see the torment on her face. "That is why I speak to you alone," she said. "Janine cannot afford to lose any more clout amongst the Families, not if she wishes to remain Leader. She refuses to listen, but I have heard whispers from the Clans that she is not fit to be Fucshia's Leader."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "I am an outsider-"

"And that is precisely the problem," she replied, interrupting me. "She cannot afford to be seen consorting with an outsider."

I frowned. "I'm sorry, but what are you suggesting?"

She shook her head sadly. "I am not a fool. I know that the two of you have been… close." Her frown deepened. "You must leave Fucshia when we return to Kanto. Janine must not become closely associated with you, else the Families will find a new Leader."

I stood there silent for a long moment. "You would ask me to leave her," I said bluntly.

Lady Anzu nodded slowly.

I turned, releasing Artemis. I didn't want to show her my face, give her any clue to the emotions racing through me. "I… I cannot give you an answer," I said. "I need to…"

She nodded. "I understand," she said. "I am not heartless. I know what I am doing to her, what I am doing to you. The heart should be free to choose what it wishes…" She put her hand on my shoulder, trying to offer some measure of comfort. "It is what is best for Fuchsia. It is what is best for her. It would not be right to deprive her of her birthright so soon after seizing it."

I swung my leg over Artemis' back and squeezed my heels into her sides, leaving her behind without a word. We rose into the sky, turning to the east as the sun dipped towards the horizon behind us. The clouds were died pink and gold, the island below bathed in the warm light. It was paradise for a moment.

I let go of my worries, let go of what Lady Anzu had said to me. It was just me and my pokemon, above a strange island far away from home. The sun was warm on my skin and the salty ocean breeze rustled in my hair. I was going to savour the moment and I would make sure of it.

It didn't take long to reach the mine. I could see it in the distance, a gaping hole in the densely forested island. A small dirt road ran the from the small port we had landed at, hugging the coast and cutting inland as it approached the mine.

I could see the bodies on the road leading from the coast, pokemon with their limbs separated from their bodies and laying strewn around. A few humans lay among the dead, all of them cut down as they had tried to flee. Blood painted parts of the road and I had to suppress a gag as the stench reached me.

I silently lamented that I hadn't brought a proper weapon with me, just a sidearm I'd taken from the Fang's armoury. Something told me that I'd found the islanders and that my little pistol was woefully inadequate.

"Artemis, faster."

She redoubled her efforts, surging past the massacre and rising up above the treetops. She flapped hard, soaring over the road and cutting hard to the left.

Something whizzed past us, a terrible loud buzz droning over the sound of Artemis' laboured breathing.

"I don't see it!" I shouted. "Get low!"

Artemis dove towards the earth, tucking her wings against her sides. The buzzing returned and I swivelled in my seat as I looked for the source.

It hit us from below, slamming into the base of Artemis' left wing. We spun, tumbling from the impact as Artemis shrieked in pain. I felt myself separate from Artemis and flailed wildly in the air.

My hand went to my belt, releasing Vector as I spun through the sky. I saw a flash of red and heard his familiar buzzing wings. "Catch me!" I roared.

I plummeted towards the earth, flipping end over end. The sea and sky flipped back and forth over and over, a blurry bug chasing after me. I felt something hit me and arms wrap around my waist as the buzzing grew louder. I bent at the waist, the arm of an excavator whizzing dangerously close to my face.

We plowed into the ground, bouncing apart and rolling to a halt. I groaned in pain, rolling onto my chest and rising to one knee.

Vector was laid out on his back, chest heaving and eyes frantic.

"Good job, bug," I said between breaths. "You're amazing."

I dragged myself up, flipping Vector over and helping him back up.

Artemis hit the ground in front of me, wings flailing in a vain attempt to remain aloft. She skidded towards me, claws digging into the earth and carving deep furrows as her momentum carried her past me.

The angry buzzing was back, closing rapidly. My hand dropped to my belt, but I didn't have the time. Vector hit me from the side, shoving me away at the last moment.

A bloody-red blur hit Vector in the side, tearing him away from me as he tried to turn and brace himself. I felt chunks of sticky chitin hit me and the hot spray of my heracross' blue-green ichor splatter across my face.

I rolled with the momentum, popping back up with my sidearm drawn and Acolyte growing from a beam of light. But it was too late for my pokemon. Vector was in pieces, torn apart from the sheer violence of the impact. Pieces of chitin littered the field, the largest of them still connected to my heracross' horn. The horn itself was snapped, the top half simply gone.

I stared dumbstruck for a long moment. Then it hit me with the force of a machamp's fist. Vector was gone in an instant. He'd given himself for me without even a second thought. I felt tears streaking down my face, my mind racing as I turned to face the creature.

I needed to focus. I needed clear thinking. I needed to be strong. I needed to be smart. I forced the hole where Vector had been down and told myself that I could mourn later.

It was crimson red, though I couldn't tell through my tears if that was its real colour or if it was just covered in bloody viscera. It had a metallic torso and the head of a scizor, its body all hard angles that would serve to deflect any blows away. Two large curved scythes of bone were grafted onto the monstrosity's forearms, metal wrapping around thick bone. Its bottom half was a writhing mass of tentacles that held the creature up.

My marowak looked back at me, terror on his face. He was asking me exactly what I was thinking. I had no answer. That thing before us was an abomination of nature. I didn't know what it was or even what it had once been.

"Acolyte," I said coldly. This thing was Rocket, some monstrosity that they'd created. It had to die. Even more so after what it had done to my heracross. "Kill that thing."

He turned back, raising his club. The creature hissed a shrill cry at me and raised the blades on its arms. The wings on the back of its torso buzzed out, droning loudly as the malformed bug lifted off the ground.

Acolyte barely managed to get his club up, blocking both scythes as they plunged towards him from above. The creature hissed again, trying to force Acolyte's club back on himself.

Artemis hit it from behind, closing her jaws over the creature's head and tearing with as much force as she could muster. Her hind talons dug deeply into the mass of vines, ripping them out by the root.

It shrieked, vines wrapping around Acolyte's torso as the creature pivoted in place, swiping a scythe at a retreating Artemis. My marowak's club hit the ground as a pair of vines trapped his arms against his sides.

"Careful!" I barked, circling around my trapped pokemon. I couldn't get a clear shot, but I held my sidearm at the ready. "Watch those scythes!"

Artemis growled an affirmation, muscles tensed and ready to pounce. She didn't spare me a glance, she couldn't. Not if we wanted to make it out of this fight alive.

I watched another trio of vines wind tightly around Acolyte's throat and clenched my fists. I needed to do something. My hand dropped to my belt, resting on the last ball there. I had a plan, something half-cocked and rushed, but it was something.

Curie appeared in a flash of light, squealing in terror as she saw Acolyte holding back the creature's scythes as it choked the life from him. I'd never deployed her against anything particularly threatening. I cursed myself for forcing her into this baptism by fire, but I had no other options. I wasn't a good enough shot to trust that I could take the abomination down quickly without hitting my marowak.

"Take down!" I shouted.

Now, I'd never actually seen Curie attack with every ounce of strength she possessed. I knew she was almost impossibly strong, but I suspected that it had something to do with a chansey's engrained nature. They were peaceful creatures, not prone to violence. They'd been domesticated for almost all of known human history, working as our parters in medicine and healing. There hadn't been a battle-trained chansey in almost seventy years either, so I hadn't known exactly what to expect when I gave the attack order.

She screeched violently, the piercing noise forcing me to shy back and cover my ears. I could hear it echoing in the distance, felt the sheer force of the sound.

Curie hit the thing harder than I'd ever seen any of my pokemon hit anything. It separated from Acolyte, vines shearing clear off of its body rather than letting go of my marowak. The creature crashed into the side of the excavator and shore through the metal digging arm with speed, plowing deep into the dirt. The excavator spun, flipping onto its side from the sheer force of the impact.

Acolyte rose from the ground, his club in his hands. Curie stepped up beside him, Artemis leering over both of them. I stood to the side, my fist clenching the pistol grip tighter. This thing had killed Vector, had slaughtered the islanders and their pokemon. More and more bodies were piling up at Rocket's feet. Someone had to stop this.

"Let's kill this thing," I said, my heracross' broken horn freshly engrained on my mind. "For Vector."

I glanced over at my pokemon. "Stay together and fight as one. Don't let it pick us off."

Artemis growled as Curie and Acolyte snarled their answers. The monstrosity was up again, climbing atop the toppled excavator and chittering furiously as it brandished the scythes.

I grimaced, locking eyes on the creature. It was clear of my pokemon. It saw me and knew what I was doing.

Its wings buzzed out and it launched forward as I raised my sidearm and fired, scythes swinging for my head as my shots missed wildly. Acolyte was there, intercepting both scythes as they plunged towards me. Artemis hit the creature from the side, talons planting firmly onto its metal chest.

Acolyte twisted both scythes to the side as Artemis pushed down with all the force she had. They slammed the creature into the ground, pinning both scythes to the ground. Curie was there, pounding violently on the creature's head with all her strength as it thrashed madly.

There was a terrible screech of metal rending and the creature shrieked in pain. One of the scythes had torn free, bolts ripping cleanly out of their fastenings. Sparking electricity leapt from some kind of machinery on the end of the bone. The creature thrashed harder, waving the stump uselessly at Acolyte.

Artemis shifted, gripping tightly to the bone scythe with her powerful hung claws. She ripped it off, sending the creature into convulsing fits as sparks of electricity erupted from the contraption.

Acolyte raised his club, slamming it down onto the head of what had once been a scizor. The dented and crushed carapace finally gave way, green ichor and sparking wires sticking out of the metal exoskeleton.

The creature stopped thrashing, its chest heaving slowly. It was staring up at the sky now, laying almost perfectly still. It's breaths were ragged and wet and I knew what I needed to do. I lifted my pistol and fired three times. The creature fell silent and I couldn't help but feel some measure of sadness for the victim of Rocket's experimentation.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and looked warily around the clearing. It had been a staging area for the mine, equipment and carts of material parked all around. Bodies were strewn across the clearing, all of them in varying states of dismemberment. Vector was just the latest casualty in this slaughter.

The thought of my heracross brought me back. The weight of that loss hit me completely in that moment, as the adrenaline of the battle faded. I looked down, picking out the largest of the chitin pieces at my feet.

Acolyte was there beside me. He put out a hand and took the piece of Vector's carapace from me. He shook his head and held my gaze for a long moment.

"We need to bury him," I croaked.

Acolyte nodded and I felt Curie drawing closer to me from behind. I felt the tears coming, felt my knees shaking and my heart racing. I dropped to my knees, trying to find a breath as Vector's absence was well and truly felt.

Curie hugged me first, wrapping her stubby arms around my ahoulders. Acolyte dropped his bone and embraced me from the front.

Artemis was there a moment later, nuzzling her snout into my face and rumbling in confusion. She had never lost a team member before and glanced around at the three of us rapidly. I pulled her in, steadying myself and finding my breath for my newest pokemon.

Movement drew me out of my melancholy. A hatch on the side of one of the excavators cracking open. A couple practically fell out, both of them shaking as they climbed down the side of the vehicle. More movement across the clearing, a door opening on the small building. A dozen or so people were emerging, all of them looking at me with a mix of awe and fear.

I got to my feet, calming Artemis' warning growl with a hand on her neck. I was a Ranger. Loss or not, I had to act like it.

The couple started picking their way towards me, both of them staring around at the slaughter in shock.

"You're safe now," I said, my voice wavering for a word or two. "I'm with the Indigo Rangers. We have a ship off-shore that can provide assistance."

The man looked up at me, trying to ignore the dead monstrosity on the ground. "You killed it?" He asked fearfully. "It slaughtered half the town. We tried to run but it cut us down."

"You're safe now," I repeated. "It can't hurt you anymore."

"There were more of them," said the woman in a panicked tone. "Two more of those abominations."

"Where," I asked, a frown coming to my face. Janine and her mother could be in serious danger. "My allies are searching the island right now."

"They came from the north," said the man. "Three of them, walked right into town. Galen and the other trainers tried to stop them…"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "They saved your lives," I said. "They gave you time. Thank them for it."

The other group was approaching, huddling close together. "Trainer," said a man at the front. "We have wounded."

I raised my radio, clicking over to the Fang's frequency. "Ranger Wright, calling Poison Fang, copy."

The droll voice of the Fang's radio operator crackled back. "We read you, Ranger."

"I've got wounded civilians at the gold mine east of town. They need assistance immediately."

"We copy," he replied. "We'll get a landing team together for some emergency care."

"Be warned, I've encountered a modified pokemon of some kind. They are extremely dangerous and there may be more."

"Noted," replied the operator. "ETA fifteen minutes."

I lowered the radio. "They'll be here soon," I said. "Try to get ready to move."

He nodded. "Thank you, outsider."

I raised my radio, flipping it back to Janine's and her mother's channel. "Janine, Lady Anzu do you copy?"

There was a short pause of static. "Janine here," she said.

Static followed, droning on for an uncomfortable time.

"Lady Anzu, do you copy?"

There was no answer. The creatures had come from the north. She had gone to investigate the trail. I knew what that meant.

"Janine, meet me back at the town. I found injured civilians and our apparent attacker. It seems to be some kind of modified pokemon. This one is dead, but I have reason to believe there are more on the island."

"Where?" she asked.

I scowled. "The north shore."

She swore and I couldn't blame her.

Artemis swooped low over the treetops, keeping as low to the ground as she could as the island fell darker by the moment. Janine was behind and above me, scanning the shore for any sign of her mother as the sun disappeared. We'd seen no trace of her and the trail simply disappeared at the bank of the small river that trickled towards the ocean.

"There," she shouted over the radio. I glanced up, watching her point as her venomoth surged past me and Artemis. "Small ship, burning hard to sea."

I saw it. It was sharp and sleek, all hard angles cutting through the waves. There was no way that was a local's ship. I squeezed Artemis' sides and she rocketed after the craft.

"Unknown vessel," Janine started. "cut your engines and drop your anchor. You are about to be boarded."

It didn't respond, or even change its course. I raised my radio. Then I heard the shout. I glanced down, finding Lady Anzu waving her arms madly on the beach.

A bolt of fire shot into the sky, splashing violently against the night's sky. Janine and her venomoth surged past the psychic barrier that sprung into place, clearing the firestorm with a wave of psychic power.

I tucked against Artemis' back, hauling her back towards Lady Anzu. We hit the beach, skidding to a halt in a spray of wet sand.

"You must stop her, it is a tra-"

Thunderous violence erupted from the trees, a thousand razor sharp leaves peppering the beach. My aerodactyl flung her wings over me, shrieking as the leaves tore into the thin membrane. She turned, putting her body between the leaves and myself.

The barrage ended, Artemis groaning as she tested her range of movement. She turned and I saw half a hundred tiny leaves embedded in her scaly hide. Then she moved and I saw Lady Anzu laying splayed out on her back, a half dozen leaves buried deep in her chest. Blood was pooling in the sand under her, staining the beach red.

I pointed up at the trees as our assailant bellowed a deafening cry. Acolyte was out, club held at the ready. "Cover us!" I roared as I released Curie at my side.

Curie had an egg in my hand before I even gave the order. I cracked it open deftly, slopping the healing liquid heavily onto Lady Anzu's mangled chest. She didn't move, staring blankly up at the sky as her chest tried and failed to draw a breath.

I glanced up, trunks splintering to pieces as our assailant thundered through the tree line. It was misshapen in the same terrible way that the mutated scizor had been. Massive bone cannons protruded from the blastoise's shell, a humongous flower growing from a jagged hole torn in the shell.

"Take it down!" I shouted, getting to my feet. "Divide its attention!"

I stepped in front of Curie, keeping her and the wounded woman behind me. The creature thudded towards me, lowering the cannons on its shoulder.

A bone smacked the side of its head, arcing deftly back to Acolyte's hand. My aerodactyl descended on the flower as it turned, azure fire leaking from her jaws. She hit the creature from above, hind claws ripping and tearing into the flower.

A blast of pressurized water went wild, kicking up a geyser of muddy sand that I shielded Lady Anzu from. The creature bucked wildly, trying to grab a hold of Artemis as she shredded the bulb. Blue dragonfire ripped through the modified blastoise's shell, cooking its insides and drawing a shriek of utter pain.

Vines erupted from the base of the bulb, wrapping around Artemis' throat and pitching my aerodactyl into the sandy earth. Acolyte leapt close, getting inside the range of the creature's cannons and hammering his club into its knee.

It went down on its belly, Artemis leaping back atop its back with dragonfire roaring from her maw. Her claws dug in down to the root, blue flame eating through the base of the vegetation. Artemis clamped her jaws over the base of the bulb and tore it free, roots and all.

The creature convulsed wildly, thrashing in pain. Acolyte brought his club down as a mercy, ending its suffering with a powerful blow. I saw sparks behind its eyes and then the light died and the creature fell still.

I turned back to Lady Anzu, falling to my knees beside her. She was still breathing, but only just. "I'm here," I said. "I've got potions," I said, digging into my pack.

Her hand rested heavily on mine. I looked up from my pack, watching her shake her head solemnly. "Promise me," she croaked. Her eyes were locked with mine, begging me, pleading with me to agree.

"I will," I said without so much as a thought to a dying woman. "I promise."

She let out a breath and it seemed as if a weight lifted off of her. She nodded at me in thanks and let her head fall back as her breaths slowed.

I stayed with her while she died, holding her hand as she drifted away. I was still sitting over her when Janine finally arrived, her mother's body still as stone.

Pokédex Entry #113 – Chansey

Chansey are one of the few pokemon in to world to have been completely domesticated by humanity. There were some small pockets of wild specimens reported in the Fuchsian Safari Zone, but most members of this species are bred from eggs.

Their peaceful, gentle nature lends itself naturally to hospitality and medical settings. As well, their eggs possess minor restorative effects and are the basis of potion technology (although this technology remains imperfect).

Despite their peaceful demeanour, these pokemon possess prodigious strength. It is suggested that these pokemon hold themselves back in battle, as they do not enjoy causing pain to others. However, an enraged chansey can be extremely dangerous, especially when defending members of the specimen's family unit.

Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101

Indigo Ranger Corps, Special Task Group, "Zapdos" Squad,

Corporal SN# 109-512-6591, Marcus Wright, current team:

Luna, Ninetales

Acolyte, Marowak

Curie, Chansey

Artemis, Aerodactyl

joshthewriter · Oct 24, 2022

Journey

Death of Duty

Part 5: War on the Water

Storm

Hate is emotion at its purest. — Indigo Elite Lorelei Kanna

"Where is it?" Janine shouted, storming onto the bridge with me in tow. We'd only just stepped aboard the Fang and she was like I'd never seen her. She could get angry, but right now she was murderous.

One of the bridge crew turned, his eyes glued to the display in front of him. "Still heading southeast," he said. "Current estimates put its course for Four or Five Island."

"Put us on an intercept course," Janine ordered. "full speed."

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am. We may not be close enough to intercept them before they reach their destination."

She rounded on him, fire in her eyes. "Then follow them to their destination!" She paced back and forth, looking nervously around as the ship lurched to life on a rocking wave.

I took Janine by the arm, pulling her out of the bridge and out onto the deck as we pulled out to sea. The ship cut through the swells easily, angling after the radar signature. "We need to talk," I said. "Your mothe-"

"No," she said coldly. "What I need is to find the bastard on that ship that got away. What I need is for you to be your fearless Ranger self and stand at my side for this. What I need is to find that ship and kill them for what they did."

My eyes met hers. I didn't see hurt, I saw fire. I saw vengeance and fury, not a hint of sadness. She needed the focus that the fire gave her, needed the fury right now. I couldn't take that from her right now. Lady Anzu's final request could stay hidden for just a little longer. For Janine's sake.

"I… I'm… I need to be alone right now."

I reached out to her for a moment's hug, but she pulled back and I knew she needed the space. "It's alright. I understand, Janine."

She stepped back, shaking her head. "I'll be in the med-bay if anyone needs me. Come get me when we're closing on that ship."

I nodded, understanding. I stepped back. I knew I needed to tell her about what her mother had asked, but I couldn't bring myself to at the moment. She deserved her time to grieve and she still needed to focus. She didn't need the distraction.

I watched her go, furiously storming along the deck. She didn't say a word as she left and I stayed silent.

"Ranger, we have an incoming sat-call for you."

I turned back to the crew member. "Surge?" I asked.

He nodded.

I followed him to the phone picking up the thick handset. "Wright here," I said. "It's been a while, sir."

"It's been a hell of a week, kid. Hope you're enjoying the vacation."

I scowled. "Hasn't been quite the trip I hoped it would," I said sarcastically. "Lost Vector a couple hours ago to some crazy modified pokemon. Rocket has a significant presence out here, looks like Elite Lorelei could be involved." I sighed heavily. "With all due respect, the mission is fubar at this point."

He chuckled over the line. "So is the world lately," he replied. "Rocket's gone dark on the mainland. It seems we've found all the cells we know about, but none of the known leaders. Your friends also took out some kind of ghost summoning operation in Lavender. We had nothing on Rocket in Lavender, so who knows what else they've got hiding."

"Some crazy shit," I replied. "something dangerous."

Surge paused for a moment. "Look, kid. I don't know how else to say this. Something dangerous already happened. Something big, in Hoenn."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Groudon and Kyogre have appeared. They're apparently heading towards each other…" he trailed off and I could hear more panicked shouting behind him. "they've already destroyed Sootopolis and Lavaridge. Pacifidog is gone and we're expecting massive waves crashing against Kanto's eastern shores."

"We haven't seen much yet," I said as we cut through a particularly large wave. "But it might be starting."

"Expect it soon," he replied. "You're a hell of a lot closer to Hoenn than we are. Stay safe, Ranger."

"I'll do what I can," I replied. "Rocket isn't making it easy on us."

"They never do," he said. "Keep in touch when you can. Surge out."

The call died and I watched as we broke through the crest of another large wave. "Do we still have the Sat-line?" I asked, glancing over at the comm tech.

He nodded and I lifted the phone once more. I had a few calls to make. A certain Fuchsian hospital had an update to give me, and Celio's project gave me an idea.

We were in the air again, the Fang sheltering in the small cove on the western side of Five Island. The radar signature had ignored Four Island, blowing past it on course to its real destination. The waves were getting more and more vicious, rocking the ship the the point that the helmsman was nervous. He brought us into the cove and we dropped anchor in the relatively calm shallows.

Artemis' chest was heaving, running on fumes at this point. We'd done so much aerial recon lately that she was struggling. She'd done wonders to improve her endurance but she had limits. She wasn't going to be much help in a fight in this state, something I was acutely aware of.

Janine was above me, almost a mile behind us atop her venomoth. She hadn't said a word to me since she had joined Leopold in the med-bay, silently following me into the air once was had arrived in the cove.

Our ground team was already in position, waiting just outside the compound. They would distract the main Rocket forces while Janine and I slipped into the base itself.

The Rocket base was clearly visible from above. I could see people rushing around, lashing down crates and securing large slats of cargo that sat on the jetty. They were preparing for the storm.

I raised my radio as a pair of the dockworkers pointed up at me. "Janine, we gotta move in now. No way they haven't seen us up here."

"Leader Anzu to the Fang." I glanced up. She'd told me not to call her that, that Lady Anzu was reserved for her mother. "Begin bombardment of the Rocket facility. Full salvo, rain fire for Fuchsia."

The radio crackled eagerly in response. "Roger that. Beginning bombardment."

A dozen soft thumps in the distance drew Artemis' gaze. She glanced backwards, hissing at the mechanical whine of the rockets as they wizzed beneath us. Another pair of louder thuds echoed over the island as the Fang fired her main cannons.

Brilliant explosions ripples across the facility as the rockets landed. Cargo went flying as the jetty disintegrated, bodies were tossed by the force of the explosions. The main cannons' shells impacted the facility itself, blasting huge holes into the side of the building. Slowly, a droning siren began to blare as the Rockets realized they were under attack.

A second salvo fired, another dozen rockets sailing from the cove. The cannons fired again as explosions carpeted the facility. Two massive blasts tore large holes in the main building and sent a hail of debris raining down on the courtyard.

"Team two, move in!"

The western edge of the compound erupted with light as a half dozen pokemon were released at once. Shinobi moved with them, all of them tearing into the few moving Rocket workers. There were a few flashes as some of the Rockets released pokemon of their own, but I paid them no mind. They were few and far between.

I leaned closer to Artemis. "Take us in!" I roared. "Drop us right on top of the building."

She tucked her wings against her side as we flew into a steep dive. I held tight to my pokemon, a cacophony of light and fire erupting from the ground. The bombardment hadn't taken out the anti-air cannons and our people were too close to risk another salvo. We were committed to the assault, for better or worse.

I swore and tugged Artemis to the side as a shell found the perfect trajectory. She rolled and the shell exploded in open air as we soared past. I felt the shockwave rock my aerodactyl, but we plunged past it without harm.

"AA fire!" I roared into my radio. "Take out those guns!"

I saw a muk envelop one of the cannons firing up at us, another one disintegrating under the burning light of a hyper beam. The fire continued though, with more Rockets and their pokemon rushing from the burning building as the battle began in full.

Janine surged past me on her venomoth. The AA fire redirected towards her, splashing harmlessly against a psychic barrier as her venomoth glowed with power. She swooped low over the battlefield and bathed another emplacement in psychic fire.

Artemis flared her wings, straining to kill our speed. She groaned in effort, landing heavily on a pair of Rocket grunts that had taken up firing positions in the bombed out building. I heard their screams of pain die under her as she crushed them with the impact.

I leapt off her back, releasing Acolyte before the third grunt could turn his rifle on me. My marowak dispatched him with a quick blow to the side of the head.

Artemis leapt atop the last Rocket as he fired a round that went wild. I ducked for cover and shied back behind Acolyte as my aerodactyl bathed the poor Rocket grunt with dragon flame.

I lifted my radio as I peered into the chaotic battle taking place. "Janine, I'm in!"

I saw her drop to the ground, her venomoth lifting another gun emplacement with psychic power. She glanced up at the building as her pokemon smashed the AA gun through the ranks of Rocket grunts. Men and mon were screaming, utter chaos filling the air.

"Go! Find Archer!" she shouted through the radio. "They need me out here!"

A large hissing arbok leapt from its coils and tangled around the venomoth's wings. I heard Janine curse over the sounds of battle and turn back to face her opponent. Brutus was out, roaring in anger as her venomoth tore the arbok off with psychic light.

Movement behind me drew my attention. The door had been blocked by debris, but a pair of Rockets were forcing their way through.

Acolyte was there, pinning the first of the grunts against the wall. The second grunt pushed past them as he raised his rifle for a clear shot at Acolyte. It would have taken too long to ready my own weapon and sight the target. I didn't think, I just moved.

I grabbed the barrel of his weapon and forced it upwards. A shower of wood splinters rained down on us as the grunt held the trigger down and fired wildly. We swung around, both my hands working around the rifle as we struggled. I fought to keep the barrel pointed at the ceiling, my hand burning as the metal heated rapidly.

I jerked forward, trying to throw the grunt off balance as I twisted the rifle away from him. Artemis closed her jaws around the upper half of the man and tore him away as Acolyte slammed the other grunt heavily to the floor.

I stepped back, holding the rifle at an arms length as my pokemon dropped the man. I felt sick to my stomach as I watched the man's blood pool where he lay. My aerodactyl panted heavily, looking at me for approval.

"Good girl," I said hesitantly. The grunt could have easily killed me, but now he was dead himself. The finality of it stuck in my mind. "Thank you," I said.

I dismissed Artemis to her ball and turned to Acolyte. My aerodactyl was too large to fit down the hallway and I didn't want to expose Curie to a battle like this. That meant it was just me and my marowak.

He looked at me, hefting his club. He'd evolved in the crucible of a battle against Rocket. He had just as much reason to hate them as me, even more when I gave it thought. He would be more than enough.

"You ready?" I asked. I dropped the rifle onto the floor, leaving it behind. Acolyte wouldn't be able to battle as effectively with me firing over his shoulder, but I lifted my own rifle and flipped the safety off nonetheless. "This won't be easy."

He nodded and turned towards the door. I fell in step behind him. Archer was somewhere in this base. The people that had killed Lady Anzu were somewhere in this base. All of this was because of Rocket. All of it had to end.

Three times we came across fire teams of Rocket grunts rushing to take up positions on the second level. Three times, Acolyte and I dispatched them without a problem. We broke our way into a stairwell that had been blocked by debris and dropped down to a lower level.

No trainers rushed to greet us as we entered the base proper, no Rocket grunts bottled us up in hallways. It was as if the base was empty, though with most of their men engaged with our assault it may as well have been.

I felt uneasy though. Something was wrong the ease of my infiltration. It was too simple, too foolproof. The opening bombardment hadn't done more than knock down a few walls. Doors that seemed to have been security doors were left mysteriously open while others with sounds of fighting behind them remained locked. I theorized that perhaps the security systems had been damaged, but it still seemed odd to me.

Acolyte was creeping along the opposite side of the corridor, his bone held up at the ready. There was a glass door at the end of the hallway with a stairwell leading down. More doors lined each side of the corridor.

I pointed at the glass door. "Looks important," I whispered. I crept up to the door, trying to pry it open. It stubbornly refused to budge. I glance back up at Acolyte and stepped away. "Break the glass."

Acolyte stepped up beside me, raising his club. The glass shattered at the touch. I looked around warily, but nobody came to investigate the noise. We stepped over the broken glass and I led Acolyte down the stairs.

I could hear voices shouting as we descended to a basement level. The shouts were echoing, the words mostly unintelligible. I waved Acolyte forward, stepping into line behind him.

The voices grew louder and were joined by the sounds of dozens more as we hurried down the spartan corridor. There were no lights save for the few bare bulbs mounted on the walls every dozen meters or so, but there was only one path.

We followed the corridor, coming to a T intersection. I glanced left and gasped as I pulled Acolyte back. The passage to the left opened to a vast cavern, water lapping at the hull of the submarine that Archer had escaped on.

I peered around the corner, looking for Archer. I didn't see him anywhere but the sub confirmed that he was here somewhere. I ducked back behind the wall and lifted my radio. "Ranger to Fuchsia leader," I started. "Do you copy?"

There was no answer. Not even static. I cursed under my breath, retreating back along the corridor I'd come down. I couldn't take that room alone and my radio wasn't working in the base's sub levels. I dashed back down the way I'd come, skidding to a halt at the bottom of the stairs. Acolyte growled, raising his club.

"Could've just been the bombardment," said a nondescript voice. "Most of the upper labs are completely destroyed. The shockwave could have blown the glass."

"No," said a voice that I knew well. "The Ranger is here. He landed in the upper labs ten minutes ago." I heard the sound of glass crunching under someone's boots. "Prepare the sub. We must leave at once. They are here for me."

"Yes, Archer."

I swore silently, backing down the corridor. This was not a place to stage an ambush. There was one other passage. I needed a place to hide or I was dead. I turned and ran, returning Acolyte to his ball. I dashed around the corner and sprinted hard to the right. I opened the door as quietly as I could and slipped through.

I stopped dead in my tracks as the abominable stench reached me. A flygon was strapped down to an operating table in the centre of the room. It was motionless. A doctor was standing over the table with a buzzing hacksaw held aloft. I immediately shouldered my rifle and levelled it with him, waiting for him to make a move.

The man clicked off his saw and lifted the protective mask covering his face. He cocked his head to the side and looked at me with an amused grin that sent a chill down my spine. "Curious," he started in a happy tone, almost as if he had been expecting me. "The Ranger, just like Archer said."

"You know me?" I asked, my weapon lowering slightly in surprise. My every instinct was screaming at me to run, to fight, to do anything other than remain in this man's presence. "Should I know you?"

He slowly shook his head. "We haven't been formally introduced yet, Marcus Wright. But I have read a great deal about you." He placed the saw down on the table and stepped back carefully and bowed deeply. "I'm afraid introductions are in order. My name is Gideon."

My eyes widened and my forehand dropped to Acolyte's ball. "You're Celio's traitor. You're Rocke-"

A door slid open behind me, interrupting my answer. I felt the words die on my tongue as hot breath blew down on my neck. It smelled like rotting meat and sewage and I bit back a gag.

"I wouldn't be so quick to lift that ball," he said with a musical smirk. "It could be detrimental to your health." He lifted a strange device from his pocket and fiddled with it. The gem atop the device shone and I felt something large move behind me as he tucked the device away.

I glanced behind me and it took everything I had not to empty my stomach. The thing had been a machamp once, before Rocket had taken it apart and put it back together. One pair of arms had been amputated at the elbow, replaced by cannons reminiscent of a magmortar's. Tubing and wiring wrapped around the mutilated pokemon's arms and ran down into a glowing chamber where its stomach should have been. The other two arms had been reinforced, metal struts and armour plating covering meaty fists.

"The pokemon hybrids…" I trailed off as I turned back to face him in horror. This was the man who had killed Lady Anzu. This was the man responsible for Vector. "Those were you."

"Bah," he spat forcefully. "Rocket wanted miracles. They spat on my work and gave me scraps! I ask for Articuno and they gave me chattel." He gestured up at the creation as it plodded around the operating table and took its place behind him. "I cannot create a god. Not with these… these vermin!"

I glanced down at the flygon. "More chattel for your experiments?" I asked, gesturing to the unconscious pokemon. He hadn't cut into it yet, maybe I could still save it. Maybe I could get him distracted and talking.

He shrugged. "I never said that they were useless. Just… unsuitable for my project." He shook his head. "But you're stalling. Trying to sidetrack me. It's a good idea. I do so love the sound of my own voice. Archer was right, you are smart."

He turned, rummaging through the papers strewn across the table behind him. "I'll indulge you, since I'm such a gracious host." The machamp leered down at me, watching carefully as its master turned his back. "I know I have it around here somewhere."

I glanced at movement to my right. A man was locked in a holding cell, discreetly trying to get my attention. He pointed furiously at something across the room, mouthing something through the bars of the cage.

I followed the man's arm, my eyes falling on the ball belt strewn over the side of the table. I nodded curtly and tightened my fists as the man turned back, a crude sketch in his hands.

"This was my dream," he said proudly as he thrust the picture towards me. "A new god to replace Rocket's clumsy failure. Something to supplant Fuji and his incompetent attempt at creation. I called it Project Triplet."

I peered closer at the sketch. I could see cold blue blending into crimson fire, golden lightning crackling around the gargantuan raptor's wings. "That's not possible. It's insanity. Not even Rocket would-"

"Rocket would and they did," he said nonchalantly. "You would be surprised by the lengths that man will go when pressed with extinction." He shrugged, still at ease. "Or perhaps you would not. It is of no concern." He kept that same wild grin the entire time he spoke, unnerving me. "Genius is often seen as insanity by those deficient of imagination. I am not concerned with what lesser minds may think. Fuji stretched the bounds of known science with cloning to fit Giovanni's needs. I will change it entirely with my creations."

I pointed at the sketch. "That is not genius. That is a perversion of nature." I pointed up at the machamp. "That isn't progress. It's suffering masked as knowledge." My hand dropped to Acolyte's ball and I swung the barrel of the gun towards Gideon. This was the man behind the fusions. This was Gideon in his element, Rocket's mad scientist playing god with the secrecy that Sevii's remoteness gave him. "Someone has to stop this."

His amused smirk twisted into a cruel scowl and I saw demented fury flash in his eyes. I felt the tension in the room thicken as he let the sketch fall from his hands. "Do you think that's going to be you?" He asked, his voice growing louder with every word. "A lone Ranger, only one truly battle-capable pokemon with you? You're a pathetic excuse for a trainer. It's a miracle that you haven't washed out of the League yet, or gotten yourself killed. What a truly magnificent hero you are."

I clenched Acolyte's ball tightly. "I never said I was a hero," I said forcefully. The faces of the nameless grunts that my team and I had killed to get here flashed in my mind. Reyes and Wertz, Pride and Vector, Lady Anzu, everyone Rocket had killed on the way here stood with me now. "Too many people are dead to sail that ship and bear that title." I shook my head. I didn't know a lot about my place in the world, but my next steps were clear as day. "I'm just the guy that's gonna kick your ass."

Acolyte and Curie appeared at my sides, glaring at the monstrosity before us. The man in the cell was screaming and I felt the machamp's bellow shake me to my bones.

Acolyte moved first, charging as Gideon disappeared through the door behind him. I held the trigger down, peppering the heavy metal door with lead. It remained stubbornly shut as the machamp raised an arm cannon in response.

Curie leapt in front of my marowak as fire erupted from the machamp's arm cannon. I couldn't help the scream of utter terror that came out of my mouth, watching my precious Curie roast alive.

Acolyte was there, hammering his club into the device embedded in the machamp's stomach. Smoke and flame belched from the machinery. One hand clamped down over the bone club as the abomination struck back with an armoured arm. Acolyte catapulted across the room and slammed headlong into the bars of the holding cell.

"My belt! Get my belt!" The trainer in the cell was shouting.

I ducked under the stream of fire, tearing my attention away from Curie with willpower I didn't know I had. I slid past the machamp and grabbed the belt as I turned to face it.

There were four balls on the belt. I hit the release button on all of them. Three spears of red light ignited, releasing a trio of pokemon around us as the flames withered and died.

The machamp looked around and seemingly weighed its chances as a mightyena, manectric and growlithe growled threateningly. The trainer in the cage was shouting orders, desperately issuing commands as I returned to Curie's side.

I pulled a potion from my pack, hovering over Curie nervously. "Hang back, I don't want you getting hurt."

Curie shook her head, ignoring the burns covering her little pink body. She pulled an egg from the pouch on her belly and shook it vigorously. She looked at me then pointedly back at the machamp.

Then the three canines leapt into attack and Curie went with them. The machamp roared in pain, fire fangs and thunder fangs tearing plates of armour off of the machamp's arms. Curie bounded over the prone flygon and pitched her egg into the machamp's exposed belly.

The egg exploded violently, throwing the machamp bodily into the wall. The trainer's pokemon didn't miss a beat. Each of them launched across the room, pinning an arm as Curie bounded after them an pinned the creature's fourth arm to the wall.

Acolyte rose to his feet, groggily lifting his club and trying to shake off his dizziness.

"Help them!" I shouted, rifling through the clutter on the desk. There had to be keys somewhere around here.

The machamp roared as it struggled. It thrashed, smashing the mightyena down on the table beside me. My ears rang heavily with the deafening sound as I finally lifted the keys and dashed over to the cell.

Acolyte hammered his club into the device as I fumbled for a key. There were dozens of keys. The first one didn't even fit the hole and I moved to the next one.

A heavy impact slammed me face first into the cage bars. I swore as the trainer's growlithe clambered off of me and leapt back towards the raging machamp.

"Go!" the trainer shouted. "Wake up my flygon, I'll get the lock."

I tossed the key ring to his waiting hand and turned back as the machamp tore the mightyena off its left arm cannon.

It levelled the cannon at Acolyte and I saw flame stir inside the nozzle. Smoke and steam vented from the contraption in its stomach and the fire died as soon as it began. It roared in frustration and swung wildly, abandoning its fire in favour of its armoured fists.

I leapt atop the flygon, shaking it violently as I shouted. The manectric screamed in pain as it soared over me. Curie was shrieking and Acolyte retreating. My hand dug through my bag, searching for the pair of full heals I kept on me at all times.

Curie hit me from the side and we both went sprawling on the floor. The machamp bellowed, batting Acolyte's defensive blows away in annoyance. I popped back up only to watch my marowak be lifted into the air by the throat. A second arm deftly blocked his clumsy retaliation, dropping the bone club to the floor.

My precious Chansey wailed in fear and bounded back over the table. She beat on the machamp's arm ineffectually, a desperate attempt to free Acolyte. The machamp brushed her off with one of its cannons as it wrapped a second hand around Acolyte's throat and slammed him headlong into the wall.

She was back, grabbing hold of one of the arm cannons. She grunted in effort and tore the cannon off the machamp's arm with a spray of blood and sparks.

The reaction was immediate. It dropped Acolyte and swung both fists into Curie. She hit the wall behind me and slumped to the floor as the abomination roared in pain and fury. Acolyte grabbed his club, sweeping the creature's legs out from beneath it.

The trainer's mightyena was back, pinning the creature's arm before it could knock Acolyte away. The manectric and growlithe followed the mightyena's lead, pinning the machamp's two remaining arms to the floor.

Acolyte planted a foot on the mutilated machamp's chest and raised his club. He brought it down onto the pokemon's face in a vicious blow.

"Again," I ordered sombrely. The machamp was not in control of itself. It was a tool that Rocket had discarded in my direction, a vain attempt to slow me down. I took no pleasure in a battle like this. Again, I only felt sorry for the pokemon that had been stitched together in suffering. "Put it out of its misery."

My marowak pounded down, over and over. He hammered away at the Pokémon's skull until it finally stopped struggling and lay still. I slowly raised my rifle and fired once to make sure.

The cell swung open and the trainer collapsed under his pokemon. He rolled back, laughing and smiling. "I'm ok, ladies. I'm ok." He got to his feet and stepped out of the cell, looking down at the machamp.

"You… you killed it," he said. He looked away from the corpse and back up at me as I lowered my weapon. "I think it was Darcy's machamp… before they took her."

"Are there any other prisoners?" I asked quickly as I returned Curie. We had to move quickly now, or Archer was lost.

He shook his head solemnly. "No," he said quietly. "Not anymore at least."

I understood the implication. I didn't press. I tossed him his belt and he returned his pokemon. He strapped the belt back on and turned back to me.

"I can't let them leave," I said. "You can come with me if you want, but I can't lead you outside."

He shook his head. "You can't take them all by yourself, not unless you've got one hell of a secret weapon."

I shook my head. "Just an exhausted aerodactyl."

He frowned. "Then I'm going with you," he said and I heard the slight accent. "It's like you said. Someone has to stop him."

I looked at him closely. He had a Hoennic accent and several pokemon from Hoenn. My mind immediately went to what Surge had told me earlier, about the events taking place in Hoenn. "What's your name, stranger?"

"Riley Walsh," he replied. "I was visiting Sevii with Darcy… we were from Hoenn."

I faltered, offering a weak smile. I knew what was happening in Hoenn. He likely didn't. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation. I opened my mouth to speak and felt the words die on my tongue.

"What's wrong?" He asked, catching my troubled expression. "Did somethi-"

"Something's happened," I said quietly. There was no way to keep it from him. "Groudon and Kyogre have woken."

He went pale and I saw his eyes widen. He was deathly still. "Then Hoenn's end times have begun. Gods walk the earth once more." He looked down at the floor and closed his eyes. "Rayquaza protect us."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. I was not religious myself, Kanto had largely abandoned her religious roots before I had been born and my father had instilled a distrust in the idea of an all powerful being. But I couldn't help but see the appeal in praying for a higher power's assistance. I looked down at the scattered mess of papers and immediately set upon the crude sketch Gideon had brandished at me.

I lifted the paper and stared at it. "Rocket means to create their own god. They mean to chain deities to their will." I looked up at him. "They're going back to One Island." I folded the paper and stashed it back into my pack. "They're going after Moltres."

He stretched experimentally, seemingly favouring his left shoulder. "Then we'd better stop them."

I went into my pack, pulling out the few healing supplies I had left. The assault through the base had severely depleted my supplies but I had enough left to heal Acolyte and get Riley's team back in fighting shape.

Our pokemon finally ready, we stepped out of the trashed lab. We burst into the underground dock and my worst fears were realized. Rocket was already gone.

The docks were empty of workers and the sub was gone. The entire assault, the destruction we had wrought was for nothing. We were too late. Rocket was gone and we had failed.

Pokédex Entry Addendum – Pokemon Fusions/Hybrids

Recent intelligence obtained by Ranger operatives have unveiled a new effort by the Rocket Organization to create pokemon fusions. These 'creations' should be treated with extreme caution. They are irregular, unstable creations that are extremely dangerous. Oftentimes they are slaved to their creator's will using illegal mind-control technology. Trainers are advised to report any and all sightings to their nearest Ranger post.

Early research in the field was pioneered by Samuel Oak, before abandoning it as "the work of crackpots and madmen". Some additional exploratory research was done by Dr. B. Katsura and Dr. I. Fuji, but abandoned soon after beginning over ethical concerns.

It is currently unknown how widespread their existence is or how many of these creations are in circulation. Ranger Command will update this entry with any relevant information.

Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101

Indigo Ranger Corps, Special Task Group, "Zapdos" Squad,

Corporal SN# 109-512-6591, Marcus Wright, current team:

Luna, Ninetales

Acolyte, Marowak

Curie, Chansey

Artemis, Aerodactyl

joshthewriter · Oct 29, 2022

Nightmare

The night was black. That was not unusual. The night was always black in Alamos Town. Nestled atop an isolated mesa to the north of the Oreburgh Valley, it was shielded from the radiant light of Jubilife and Hearthome by the small peaks of the Ravaged Path in the west and by the indomitable Coronet Highlands to the east. On top of that, the light from Oreburgh city was hidden by the valley walls and Eterna was shrouded by the outskirts of the forest. So, night was always darker in Alamos. Darker than it was in most of Sinnoh.

Of course, tonight's particular brand of darkness had a strange quality to it. It shifted and undulated, morphing in the scant light cast by the sleepy rural town. Sinister shadow crept into Alamos on the wind, visible against the backdrop of the stars.

Tobias rose from his chair on the porch of his small home on the edge of the cemetery. He sat out in the dark every night the weather permitted it. He liked the simplicity of the night and appreciated the constellations as he watched the sky. He even liked the clouds at night, though he privately dismayed that they blocked out the stars.

Tobias did not like this strange darkness that slunk through the sky and blotted out the night. He scowled at the unnatural darkness and knew that something terrible had come to Alamos.

A shadowed figure sat perched upon the roof of his home, watching the moon disappear behind the darkness of an all-consuming night. Tobias felt unease as a cold shiver ran down his spine.

"Now, now," Tobias said quietly. "It's just the dark. We aren't afraid of the dark."

Morning brought the sun, and with it the shadows that plagued Alamos' sky overnight retreated. Tobias could still feel the unease in the air. It persisted in the fog that rose onto the mesa from the valleys below. It persisted in the chill that froze the morning few to the windows of his home.

He set the kettle to boil and stepped outside again, noting a small group of people solemnly marching towards his home. They were dressed in all black and a casket was sat upon their shoulders. A small procession walked behind them, all clad in black with their faces covered.

Tobias frowned. It wasn't the Hubbard family. He'd been expecting old Mama Hubbard to pass soon, but it seemed that this was someone else entirely.

"Hail, Tobias." The man at the head of the procession removed his black hood. Baron Alberto's bright red hair greeted the day. "I bring grave news."

"Hail," he replied, stepping off his porch. "It is grave tidings for a grave to be dug." He looked over at the blonde woman with her hand on the casket. He did not recognize her, but Tobias was hardly familiar with most of the townspeople. He preferred the solitude the cemetery gave him. "Who has passed?"

Tobias had never been fond of the Baron, most of Alamos had never warmed up to him after his appointment to the lordship. There had been rumours of impropriety in his selection, and the untimely death of the old Lord Godey had done nothing to quell those rumours.

"Tonio," Alberto said quietly. He caught the look of suspicion Tobias cast at him and furrowed his brow. "He was found in the gardens at sunrise."

"Fortuitous that Lord Godey's last descendent should pass shortly after he presented his claim to the Royal Congress of Sinnoh."

Baron Alberto shook his head. "No, Tobias. We are not fortunate at all." He turned back to face the casket and folded his arms. "I would have words in private, about our town's resident shade. Is there anywhere away from these chattel we can speak?"

The dour grave keeper cracked a small smile for the first of the day. The kettle screamed and Tobias gestured over his shoulder. "Come in, your lordship. We'll have a cup of tea and you can tell me all about what you think Darkrai has done this time."

Tobias walked back to his creaking chair by the window in the front room, a pair of large tea mugs held cupped in his hands. He leaned forward, pushing one of the mugs towards the Baron, himself already seated at the small table. "Much better," Tobias "I find that a nice tea often helps clear my mind and your mind seems especially troubled today."

"Thank you," Alberto replied. He lifted the mug and gently tested it. "You seemed unconcerned when I mentioned Darkrai. Might I ask why that is?"

Tobias placed his mug beside him and looked out at the sunny morning. "I saw it in the sky last night," he replied. "It covered the stars. A shame, it was a beautiful night."

The Baron put his tea on the table. "Why must you speak in riddle, Tobias?" He shook his head. "A man was found dead, drained of colour and his face contorted in terror. This has happened before, by your own admission to the Champion."

Tobias' eyes found the lone picture of himself with the Champion, sitting upon the fireplace mantle. They were younger then, more irresponsible. They hadn't known what Darkrai was capable of back then.

"And you think that Darkrai is responsible for this incident." Tobias frowned into his tea. He looked up at the Baron with a solemn expression. "I speak for the shade. He is not responsible for this."

"You will forgive me, but I cannot accept that on faith alone." The Baron Alberto leaned back and lifted his tea once more. "I require proof."

Tobias shook his head. "You know that not to be possible." He glanced down at the Baron's tea and then back up at him. "He does not answer to demands. Not even mine."

Baron Alberto's expression went rigid as his brow furrowed. "You are not above the law, Tobias. A man is dead and your pet shade is responsible." He rose from the chair. "I will see justice delivered. I will see Tonio avenged." He glanced around, his eyes settling on the picture of Tobias and Cynthia sitting atop the fireplace mantle. "Not even your history with our dearest Champion will protect you."

A malignant shadow emerged from the wall behind Tobias. The lamp dimmed and flickered as a living shade materialized in the small kitchen.

The Baron shrank back as Darkrai melted off of the wall, dragging long inky shadows with him. "I will protect Tobias," it said. The shadow spoke in a gravelly baritone, vibrations of darkness seeming to echo the words. "You will leave."

Alberto finally lost his stomach for bravery in the face of the Shade of Alamos. He did not shriek or yell, but the Baron retreated from Tobias' table with a quiet terror. Tobias watched him open the front door of the house and retreat without a further word.

"He will be back," Tobias said in soft amusement as his expression lightened. "Of that I am certain."

The shadows seemed to soften as the shade melted back into the floor. The lamp returned to its previous shine and the sunny morning was sunny once more. Only a small splotch of inky blackness on the floor gave any clue to the presence of the strongest ghost in Sinnoh.

Tobias felt the ancient shade's mind touch his. He felt the vastness of immortality's experience and the vague agreement of an entity shrouded in darkness. "He will be back," the presence agreed.

The grave keeper nodded in solemn agreement. "And we had better be ready when he does."

Two more nights passed. Two more nights of inky splotches descending on Alamos and shutting off the stars. The Baron did not return, but Darkrai could sense the fear radiating from Alamos proper. Something terrible was truly happening.

It was the third night when it finally came. Tobias had hoped that his isolation from the town might give him some protection from whatever was afflicting the town. He had clearly been wrong.

The inky void seemed to descend from the sky like a midnight rain. It soaked into the ground, permeating and drowning any remaining light from Alamos. Even the moon disappeared behind the shadow. Only the small lantern sitting in the front room of his home offered any scant light, and even that flickered as if the darkness might reach out and extinguish it.

Tobias retreated indoors. He calmly lifted the lantern and cast his gaze around the room. The oppressive blackness seeped through his front windows and under the door. Tobias glanced over his shoulder, at the encroaching night that swept across his kitchen and lingered at the edge of his lantern's light.

"Darkrai," Tobias started. "Is this you?"

The shade rose from the floor behind him, melting into the shadows cast by Tobias' lantern. "No," intoned the ghost. "This darkness is not mine…"

Darkrai crept over Tobias' shoulder, gently reaching out with his own whispy darkness. He brushed against the wall of night and recoiled as though it had stung.

"This darkness is not of this world…" Darkrai said in an ominous whisper. "Something here is—"

The door knocked three times in short succession, silencing the shade. Tobias heard the door open, heard the heavy footfalls in the dark. He raised his lantern, trying to peer into the shadow.

It crashed down onto him without warning, dragging him down into the embrace of tartarus and blinding him utterly. But Tobias was brave. He had seen Darkrai's trick before, had known the shade when it was still a vengeful revenant. He did not feel the ghost's presence, but he would not begrudge the shade a little bit of fun.

Tobias' shoulders relaxed slightly. The darkness felt no different than it normally did to him, felt just like Darkrai's embrace always did. It was calming and peaceful and isolated from the rest of the world, just like he liked.

"Darkrai, I tire of this game." He placed the lantern down on the table at his side, a small smile crossing his face. "Enough of this."

A figure loomed from the darkness, alive with twisting tendrils of shadow. A figure that he knew well. Darkrai stepped out of the pitch black room and snuffed out the dim light of his lantern.

"Tricky little gravekeep," intoned Darkrai's grave voice. It served to make his skin crawl and the hairs on the back of his neck to raise. It was a reaction he hadn't had towards Darkrai in years. "Thought you'd stay hidden forever?"

The voice seemed to shift and alter. Tobias heard his own distinct cadence mirrored in the shade's words, as if Darkrai were making a mockery of his own voice. A new trick for the ghost.

"But I have never hidden," Tobias replied. He frowned, unsure of where the shade was taking his joke. "You know that, Darkrai. This is our home, it has been our home for years."

Darkrai's figure solidified and Tobias got a glimpse of the ghost through the unnatural darkness. Its figure was thicker at the waist than normal, a midnight shroud draped from its form.

A tendril of darkness reached up for the black hood pulled over its face. Tobias tensed up. Darkrai had never pulled its hood off before. Something was—

Darkrai was there. His Darkrai. It slid out of his shadow and forced its way in between the other shade and Tobias.

"You will leave!" Darkrai growled. The ghost radiated fury with a guttural growl. "This is our home!"

Darkness swelled before Tobias' eyes, flowing off of his shadow like a great river. He instinctively stepped in front of the lantern, casting a yet larger shadow for Darkrai to draw from.

He closed his eyes as the unnatural wall of unlight surrounded them and pressed in. He felt it prodding and reaching and shut out the world. He trusted Darkrai to see him through, no matter what this was.

A guttural, archaic howl tore through the small cabin. Tobias heard a terrible bout of thrashing and violence and dropped to his knees. A terrible wind tore through his home, and he felt the foundations shake as the two shades mauled each other.

A thunderous crack and cry of anguish forced his eyes open. Darkrai was pinned up against the front wall of his home. His Darkrai. A sea of darkness boiled and raged, drowning his friend in its own element.

He turned and crawled desperately through the pitch black. It was dark, but he knew his home and his friend needed his help. He stumbled to his feet, feeling his way into the kitchen. He felt his way to the counter, his hand brushing against the knife block. He grabbed a gleaming chef's knife as his eyes slowly adjusted to the near-total darkness.

Tobias returned to the front room, knife held outstretched before him. Indistinct shapes tore across his home, tangling and writhing with each other. He slipped through the melee, well versed in the patterns of Darkrai's usual attacks and counters. The opponent's own attacks seemed to mirror their own, their own counters reminiscent of the same strategies that Tobias had used in his league battles.

But this was no League sanctioned battle. This was an all out struggle for survival, a violent outburst that could only be sated by blood. He leapt up, spotting an opening through the thrashing maelstrom of darkness.

The other shade caught him by the throat, effortlessly halting his surprise attack. He felt only a crushing cold grip around his throat.

It turned to look at him and he saw under the black hood. He saw a face that could not, should not have been there. He saw a face twisted and corrupted by dark power that had tempted him once before.

Then it laughed. High and staccato, almost barking as it spoke in a cruel mockery of his and Darkrai's voices. "Do you understand yet, Tobias?"

It released him, dropping Tobias unceremoniously to the floor. His knife went clattering away, spirited by a shadowy wave. He scrambled to his feet, looking up at the shade that had pinned his friend to the wall.

"What are you?" he asked desperately. He backed away in fear as the creature turned towards him.

It reached up, grasping the top of its hood with a free hand and tearing it down. Tobias' own face, infested and writhing with living shadow, stared down at him in utter contempt.

It spoke, in that same twisted mockery of Tobias and Darkrai's voices. "Is that not obvious, Tobias?"

It turned and lifted his Darkrai off of the wall and Tobias saw how grievous the damage was. The shadow cloak that hung loosely around Darkrai's physical form was in tatters. Darkness leaked from spectral tears in the cloak, ebbing away what little strength Darkrai possessed.

"I am you, Tobias. A better you. A perfect you." The shade with his face leaned closer, floating down towards him. He saw the corruption rotting in the abomination's eyes. He saw the truth told by the pain contained within them. "I know you, Tobias. You long for glory. You hunger for power. You searched out this old poltergeist in search of it."

Tobias shook his head. "I don't know who you think I am, foul spirit. But I am not glory fiend. I seek no violence."

"I'm afraid that the violence found you," the spirit growled. It lifted Darkrai, savaging it with a glowing spectral claw and spraying Tobias' home with ectoplasm before it looked down at him. "You'll be coming with me, Tobias. We have much to do."

It dropped the shade on the floor and descended on Tobias. Darkness and shadow consumed the pair and surged back out the doors and window. Flickering light and warmth spilled out into the small home once more.

The dim flame of Tobias' lantern illuminated the empty cabin. Empty, save for the crumpled and oozing shade that lay motionless on the floor.

The sun had never held much lustre for him. He was a creature of the night, an instrument of darkness that prowled on the night of the new moon. The sun that woke him now held none of the power that his preferred celestial body did.

He rose from the floor, nursing the tattered fabric of shadows that he cloaked himself in. They had been damaged, torn from him by claws that mimicked his own. He cast his gaze about, drawing in the meagre shadows of the day and spinning them into the remnants of his cloak. It was not much, practically translucent and possessing none of the power he had meticulously stored in his previous cloak. But still, it would serve until he could destroy the other shade and reclaim his stolen shadow.

Then it hit him with the crushing recognition of his failure. It had gone. The revenant that wore Tobias' face and commanded its own cloak of darkness had gone. It had taken his friend. It had taken Tobias.

Darkrai mentally chastised himself for not warning Tobias sooner. The strange darkness in the sky, the sense of unease filling him, the putrid Baron's fearful warning, he had ignored the signs of danger until it had been too late. He had ignored his instincts and it had cost him.

Angry shouting approached the small house, snapping Darkrai from his failure. He floated towards the front of the house, drawing up what scant power he could gather during the day. Darkrai floated through the wall and stared malevolently down at the rabble marching up the hill.

The Baron marched at the head of the procession. His attendants trailed behind him, an armed retinue marching along in a sturdy column behind the noble. More men marched behind them, a rabble of common folk that easily numbered in the hundreds.

Darkrai growled and drew upon what scant shadow he could muster. "I warned you to leave our home!"

"Where is Tobias?" answered the Baron. "I would have words with him, ghost."

Darkrai gauged the collection of souls before him. All of them burned in anger. All of them felt tainted by fear of the shade's unnatural darkness.

"He is…" he trailed off, watching a half dozen pokemon spring from their balls and swell the ranks of the mob. "Not present," finished Darkrai.

Baron Alberto set his jaw. He met Darkrai's gaze and refused to waver. "Ghost, I will not ask you again."

He released a lickiliky beside him, a fat pink blob that stared hard at Darkrai's malevolent form.

"You and your master stand accused of murder," Baron Alberto spat. He seemed emboldened by the mob at his back and Tobias' absence. He stepped forward, away from the safety of the group for a moment. "What say you, ghost?"

Darkrai felt righteous fury swell through him. Tobias was gone and this imbecile had the gall to accuse the quiet grave keep of a crime.

Darkrai drew up what darkness he had gathered into his cloak and dimmed the mid-morning sky. He was weakened and injured, but Sinnoh's shade still had fight left yet. "I said, STAY AWAY FROM OUR HOME!"

Darkrai did not wait for the Baron to order an attack. He could feel the terror and anger, the blinding fear that blocked out all reason. Darkrai felt it all and realized a simple truth. He did not care. These people despised Tobias because of him. They despised him because he was not human. Darkrai felt that realization snap into place and knew what he had to do.

Baron Alberto's mouth was open, no doubt shouting some insult or verbal jab. Darkrai reached through the man's shadow, wreathing himself in the scant darkness. It was not as effective or as quick as it would have been at night, but it was deadly nonetheless.

Darkrai burst from the shadow on the Baron's throat. His claw tore a wide gash in the man's jugular and Darkrai separated the head from the body with a savage tear.

He heard screaming, a vapid useless outburst that only divided his attention. He focused on the pokemon already moving to defend the living, driving a spectral claw into the lickiliky's gut and tearing an irreparable rend in the normal type.

A pachirisu attempted to loose a bolt of lightning upon him, but Darkrai spun on a dime and loosed a ball of crackling shadow that smote the pachirisu completely. Chaos and shadow tore across the small hill leading to their home. Chaos and shadow was loosed for the first time in years.

He did not know when the attacks stopped coming. He did not know when the mob stopped fighting back. But, once the corpses lay still and cold, he knew that he had gone too far.

Tobias would be furious and sad and disappointed. Darkrai was not a creature of hate, but of shadow and night. Darkrai was not supposed to delight in violence and yet he had. Darkrai looked to the sky, to the mid-day sun that cut through and dispelled his shadow.

Tobias had liked the sky. That much he had always made clear to Darkrai. He taught Darkrai about the phases of the moon, though he already knew them by instinct, and about the sun and the stars. He taught Darkrai about the constellations and stories told by the night's sky and the lessons imparted by those stories.

Darkrai saw himself now in one of those stories, in an old tale about Hisui's nightmare. He knew now that the tale told of Darkrai at his darkest, spreading terror and death across the region until a brave hero captured him and taught him kindness. He remembered now, the old man slipping away after so many years and him returning to the ways of shadow and death.

He did not want to return to the shade.

Darkrai knew at once that he had to rescue his friend. He knew that he would fall back into shadow and death without Tobias and he did not want to. He looked back at the small house, ignoring the corpses strewn about the path. He would save his friend. Darkrai would not fall. Not now, not ever again. He had a friend once more. He would save his friend.

The Shadow of Sinnoh melted into the small shadow cast by the house and disappeared from sight.

Slowly and carefully, it rose from the shadows cast by the hill itself. It descended on the scene of the slaughter, puppeting the empty vessels that had been left behind for its own purposes. The shade knew that Darkrai would return for Tobias. The shade would be ready when he did.

Tobias woke to the greeting of endless darkness. He blinked in surprise and scowled when the darkness did not abate. He knew what that had to have meant. He was alive, a prisoner of a shade that reflected the worst of his potential.

He listened carefully, gently testing the bonds that held his wrists. He felt the restraints tighten at the test and decided against forcing them until he knew more.

"It won't work," said a woman's voice.

Tobias jumped, startled by the sudden sound.

"It can feel the darkness," she continued. "It knew the moment you woke up."

Tobias stopped moving and sat up. He could see nothing, but that was by design. "We have to stop it," he started. "Whatever it's here for, we can't let it take it."

He neglected to mention that the shade had apparently been searching for him. And that now that it had him, he had no clue what was going to happen.

The woman snorted derisively. "Tonio said the same thing," she started. "Tonio is—"

"Dead," Tobias finished.

The woman swallowed the lump that had formed. "He is dead, then?"

Tobias cursed himself for his carelessness. "Yes," he replied solemnly. "He was found in the gardens…"

He heard a muffled sob and fell silent. He had never enjoyed interaction with other people, much less guiding another through a traumatic loss. "I am sorry," he said quietly. "The Baron brought him to be buried. I performed the last rites myself."

She fell silent as well. "Tobias, then…" she asked ominously.

He grunted an affirmation. She did not respond immediately and Tobias feared the worst. That she believed he was the shade.

"It wears your face," she said apprehensively, confirming his fears. "Claims to be you as well."

Tobias grimaced. "It may well be me," he said quietly. "I don't understand how myself." He shook his head. "It claimed to be me, perfected. I cannot claim to understand. I suspect that it is beyond even our dear Champion's understanding."

He heard the woman sigh heavily. "My apologies then, grave keeper."

"It is of no import," he said. "My face or not, some corrupted reflection or not, we must escape. The Royal Congress must be—"

"They will burn," said the dark mockery of his voice. "Pompous fools, one and all. This universe is filled with them."

Tobias looked out through the darkness, trying to pierce the veil and see anything. But the blackout was total and not a single mote of light reached his eyes.

"You will all burn in time. That much is certain." The voice drifted and echoed around the room, seemingly emanating from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Once I have Oracion and your evolution is complete, we will scour this world of life together!"

He grimaced. "Begone, foul spirit. My resolve is—"

It had him by the throat, dragging him through the darkness. He kicked out helplessly, his boots uselessly smacking against the floor. Then he felt it lift him, felt the cold breath of death brush against his skin.

As soon as it had come, it was gone. He was falling backwards through the void. He hit the ground hard, the wind driving from his lungs.

He heard another struggling shout, and the slow scraping of someone being dragged across the floor from above. Then she screamed as she plummeted down towards him. Tobias scrambled to move, but she landed hard on his chest and crushed him back down to the ground.

"Do you think that your resolve matters?" the voice asked cruelly. "Do you think that you can somehow stop this?"

The darkness seemed to abate slightly and Tobias caught a glimpse of an empty nights sky. Tendrils of billowing shadow streamed out of the tower and blocked out the quiet night.

There was still some scant light though, provided by the few residents that had yet to abandon Alamos. Either that, or the shade had simply left them on to offer some fake hope to the few still left alive.

He saw them through the dim light, shambling towards them with arms outstretched.

"Get off!" Tobias coughed, shoving the woman off him.

She scrambled to her feet and looked towards the figures. Tobias heard the sharp intake of breath. Then she screamed and ran, bowling him over as she disappeared into the dark.

Tobias forced himself up. He had to move, he knew what the figures were before they even drew close to him. He had seen what Darkrai could do. He'd seen it puppet corpses and parade them around in a macabre imitation before. He knew that save for striking at the shade itself, he had no recourse.

So Tobias did the only thing he could. He ran headlong into the dark and prayed that he was faster than the monster hunting him.

Writhing, twisting shadow crept across the face of the crescent moon. The small, uninhabited island below rippled as though it protested to the obstruction of the moonlight. Then the blanket of night expanded and spread as it blocked out the rest of the moon.

A beam of solid moonlight carved through his unnatural darkness, illuminating the island once more. A glittering creature coalesced from the moonlight, glowing bands of rainbow light spinning around his sibling's vaguely avian body. Her indistinct shape shifted and blurred behind the rainbows obscuring her true form.

Darkrai gathered what shadow he still possessed and pulled it close to him, leaving only his form as a silhouette against the pale background of the moon. He pulled the cloak over himself and swept back into the night. It was dark here, darker even than sleepy Alamos. While he would have preferred a new moon, the night's sky was a comfort during any of the lunar phases. The shade disappeared into the darkness and rose anew from the shadows cast upon Crescent Isle.

The shade lifted his head to look at the creature borne of glimmering light. "Dear sister," he began in his grim, gravelly tone. "You are radiant as ever."

The moonlight seemed to dance and shimmer around her. "Why have you come, Darkrai?" She floated forward and banished the remainder of his cloak with a warm glow. "Has the human perished yet?"

Darkrai felt a dagger of pain drive into his chest. Tobias couldn't be dead. Not yet. He would know. He cast the pain aside and hardened his heart. "There is another," he began. "Another human, another Darkrai."

"Impossible," she replied. The bands of rainbow light spun around her and Darkrai could sense her disbelief. "You are Darkrai. There is no other."

"It is not of this world. It is a foul, unholy abomination of the night. They had merged. Become one being, one whole." Darkrai shook his head and could feel frustration building. "It plans the same for us. It took him."

"Your human?" Cresselia replied. Her disdain was clear in her tone. "Find another. There are many."

Darkrai growled. "There is no other like Tobias." He felt the darkness swirl around him as he drew what he could into Cresselia's light. "I must rescue him. If only to banish that…" Darkrai trailed off.

"This creature… it bothers you?" she asked.

He raised his head and looked upon the shifting mirage around her. "It does. Tobias and I… we have—"

"Hmph" Cresselia interrupted. "You joined with him, didn't you?"

Darkrai nodded. "He has served as my vessel once before. It was… a powerful experience."

Cresselia seemed to retreat from him for a brief moment. "Creator forbade that," she began. "Forbade us from joining with a human. They have no right to your power, brother."

"I had no choice before," he replied. "What I did saved Tobias and defeated a man who sought to remake this world and supplant Creator." He shook his head, knowing that his suggestion was a long shot. "There was another—"

"I will not allow that meddlesome woman to serve as my vessel," Cresselia answered. "She is—"

"The most powerful human on the planet," Darkrai interrupted back. "Champion Queen of Sinnoh, Grand Champion of the Pokemon League and bearing blood blessed by Creator itself. She is a worthy vessel, perhaps one meant for one greater than yourself."

Cresselia narrowed her gaze and Darkrai could feel her displeasure at being outshone by Giratina, or even Creator itself. She did not respond for a long while, forcing Darkrai to wait and feel the intensity of her displeasure.

She was not one to be forced into decisions, but he had no choice. He leaned forward. "I must—"

"I will do it," Cresselia responded. "but not for you or the human. I do this only to claim her as my Vessel."

Darkrai's cold, baleful eyes met hers. "Then we have a Champion to speak with."

Cresselia did not answer and simply disappeared on a beam of moonlight. Darkrai's summoned what darkness the trees on the island cast and melted into the blackness of the night's sky.

Tobias had decided that he was supremely sick of the dark. He stumbled over something, the step up to the Baron's long hall, and scrambled back to his feet. The corpses that lumbered after him in the night were not quick but they were persistent.

He kept moving as he navigated Alamos by memory. He cursed himself more than once for not spending more time in town, losing his bearings as he passed the long hall and walked into one of the market stalls.

"I can see you, Tobias!"

The voice was taunting him now. He refused to give the creature an inch of satisfaction. An opponent refusing to engage in his banter, refusing to engage at all, set him on edge and infuriated him to no end. If it really was him, he knew exactly how to push his own buttons.

A powerful beam of light cut through the darkness. It swept across the market square as a half dozen townsfolk wandered into the market bearing lanterns and flashlights.

Tobias ran for them headlong. He waved his arms as a half dozen beams of light painted him. "Run!" he shouted. "Return to your homes!"

A nervous murmur spread across the crowd. Then one of the flashlights swept across the shambling corpses crossing the market and panic seized hold. The crowd scattered as horrified shrieks echoed across the market.

Tobias felt fear ripple through the air as the townsfolk rushed and ran in every direction. He could hear the guttural groans of the walking corpses and the terrifying screech of a townsperson that strayed too close to one of the dead.

The woman's scream shocked him into motion. He moved with purpose, grabbing up the half finished shaft of a spear that sat beside the blacksmith's cart. He didn't wait for the dead to force his hand and dove into the madness.

Baron Alberto's corpse shambled towards him out of the dark. A beam from one of the flashlights shone in Tobias' face for a half moment, but he struck true.

The spear sank deep and tore through the Baron's core, dropping the puppeted corpse to the dirt where it continued to struggle. Tobias wrenched it free, ignoring the pained grunt that the creature emitted. He didn't have time for sentiment. These people were dead, already tainted by shadow. He could not afford the sentimentality, if he had possessed any for them in the first place.

His spear burst through the chest of the puppet. The woman struggling in its grasp screamed and bolted as the corpse's grip slackened. Tobias didn't take the time to keep track of her in the dark. He couldn't spare her even a moment.

Tobias ripped the spear free and bashed the spinning corpse with the butt end. It fell to the ground where it still attempted to rise as through it hadn't just been impaled. Tobias drove the spear into the ground, trapping the corpse to the dirt.

More shouting reached Tobias' ears. The din of battle rang through the small, sleepy town of Alamos and a warm orange glow sprang up at his back.

Fire. A fire was growing, engulfing one of the market stalls as it hungrily reached up into the darkness. The creatures shambled towards the sudden flame as encroaching shadows descended on Alamos' survivors.

They had taken up weapons. A few of the men had grabbed up some of the blacksmith's half finished work. One of them brandished a hammer that was too large for his body, and another held one of the few mostly completed blades in a useless and shaking hand.

Tobias looked up to the sky, at the ominous figure that floated in the encroaching shadow. He saw where the shade's attention lay and saw his chance. The townsfolk would never make it, not with the shade actively hunting them. But he could make a difference if he could just get a call for help out.

Tobias ran. He ran and he didn't look back. Not even when he heard the dead descend on what remained of Alamos. He ran and ran until his lungs could take no more and he had very nearly left Alamos itself.

He burst into the small home and cast his gaze around desperately. A single lantern was dimly shining under the table, obscured by a large tablecloth that hung down to the floor. The small face of a child appeared from under the cloth, looking up at him in terror.

"They went out looking for the monster," the child started. "I don't know—"

"Where is your phone, child?"

The boy pointed over at the small cabinet, and Tobias saw the old rotary phone sitting and waiting. He lifted the handset and began dialling the only number he had ever bothered to commit to memory.

The picture was a hellish reminder of the life they had once held. It sat there on her mantle, as if it mocked her with the possibilities of what could have been. He was smiling back at the camera, an arm draped around her shoulder while she smiled absently at him. Their teams were happily frolicking in the background, like half of them wouldn't be dead by the end of that year

Cynthia shook her head and walked over to the picture. She placed it face down and frowned. Tobias wouldn't have liked her moping around as if he had gone and gotten himself killed. That was why he went to live in a sleepy little hamlet where nothing ever happened. So that he could be bored and alive for as long as he had left. And so that Darkrai stopped terrorizing the more antagonistic half the Royal Congress, though he refused to admit that part to Cynthia.

Her cellphone lit up on the table, a furious guitar riff announcing its anger to the world. She turned and froze on the spot. A murky shade was lurking in the window, casting an impossibly dark shadow that did nothing to dim the brilliant light shining through.

Cynthia did not speak, mentally gauging the threat. Darkrai had never been outright hostile towards her before, but shades were unpredictable at the best of times. Legion, her wily and irritable spiritomb, was evidence enough of that.

"Why have you come, spirit?" she crossed to her small bar and sat, pulling out a bottle of amber liquid and a glass. "I take it that Tobias has not deigned to make the trip along with you?"

Darkrai floated in through the window, an errant breeze silencing the candles she had burning there. "I was unsure of what to do, your grace. I am rather unused to making my own decisions of this magnitude."

Cynthia almost snorted at the shade's words. "You were a ruthless savage last we met. Does Tobias have you observing the pleasantries now?"

Darkrai nodded slowly and Cynthia felt pride radiate from the shade. "He teaches me of your ways well. Though, that is not why I have come." The shade moved aside and the brilliant beam of light he had been obscuring took form in Cynthia's study.

Rainbow beams of moonlight refracted off of her mirror. They swirled back around an indistinct form until they solidified into a corporeal body. The creature emitted a soft tone and loomed over the woman.

Cynthia gasped and bowed her head in reverence. She fell to her knees and lowered her voice in reverence. "Lady Cresselia," she began.

"Child," replied the moon goddess. "The world is endangered. You have served Creator well and saved the world before. Fate would demand that you join me now and do so once more."

Cynthia glanced up at the pair of obscenely powerful pokemon that had invaded the privacy of her home. The Royal Congress thought of pokemon like these as gods. She did not know what to think of them as, but her past dealings with Sinnoh's legends had challenged the idea of these creatures as divine.

"Forgive me for my ignorance," Cynthia said in a quiet voice. "But I was unaware that the world was presently in danger."

Cresselia rounded on her, rainbow mist shifting into vague and indistinct images. For a brief moment she caught the unmistakable silhouette of a trapped god, before the light shifted and replaced it with something far more sinister.

She saw twisting shadows dance among the rainbow light, the laughing face of a man that she had loved puppeting the dark tendrils. Thousands of shambling figures lurched towards the unmistakable gothic spires of Sinnoh's Royal Congress.

"Tobias plans this?" Cynthia asked incredulously. "Gentle Tobias who laid down Darkrai's power by his own choosing?"

It was Darkrai's turn to float forwards and join the conversation. "Not my Tobias," the shade said grimly. He remembered the treasured photo that Tobias had kept on his mantle. "Not our Tobias," the shade corrected. "Something worse, corrupted by darkness."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes. "Then tell me, shade. What are we dealing with here?"

"A visitor," Cresselia answered. "From a world other than our own."

"It wishes to create more abominable unions like itself."

She felt her heart sank. "Just like the way you two defeated Cyrus and Giratina."

Darkrai took pause for a moment. "Yes," he answered. "This is what Tobias and I would have been had he not broken the link and separated us."

"Then we can assume that it is as powerful as the two of you were." Cynthia shifted her gaze to the moon goddess. "Then I suppose it is safe to say that is why you are here."

Pleasant satisfaction radiated from Cresselia. "You are quite correct," she said. "We must—"

Cynthia's phone rang again, loud and aggressive guitar notes breaking into a raucous solo. She turned and knew before she even reached for it who was calling.

"Hello?" Cynthia answered as she picked up the call.

Heavy, laboured breathing came through the phone speaker. "Cyn," said a solemn voice.

Darkrai reacted as though he had been electrified by the man's voice. The cloak of darkness wrapping around him seemed to deepen and expand, reaching out from around the shade to snuff out the light.

"Toby," she replied with all the pain of years lost to them both. "It's been a long time."

"You don't sound surprised."

She had to bite back the chuckle. "I had a visitor," she said as she glanced over at Darkrai. "He filled me in on the situation. Brought some help with him too."

He sighed heavily over the phone. "Thank goodness for that." He paused for a moment and she could hear other voices. Then he was back. "I don't know how much you know. But it's me. It is me."

"I know," she replied. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "how long do you have?"

"I don't know," he answered. "He's looking for something called Oracion. Toying with me by picking off Alamos Town until I give it up."

She raised an eyebrow. "What's Oracion?"

"I have no clue, and I don't know what he's going to do if he figures that out." Tobias paused for a breath and she could hear the exhaustion in his voice. "He's massacred half the—"

She sighed and opened her mouth.

A terrified shriek ripped through the call. It went dead and static crackled before the call dropped entirely.

Darkrai howled as a spectral wind ripped through the Queen Champion's spire. He disappeared on the wind, the night's sky swallowing him entirely.

Cynthia stared out the window for a moment, searching for the shade. "How am I supposed to follow that?"

Cresselia floated closer to her, a beam of rainbow moonlight enveloping the champion.

"Darkrai may use the darkened sky to travel, but there are other means to traverse the night."

The moonlight swallowed Cynthia whole, filling her with such warmth and light that she never felt as though she would be cold again.

Cresselia looked over at her. "It is time that you learned how to travel in true style. Darkrai's shadow travel may be efficient, but traveling by moonbeam is an experience like no other."

The beam of rainbow light erupted from her spire and retreated to the heavens from whence it came. Cynthia's darkened room lay empty, only an upturned picture of two old friends leaving any clue to where she had gone.

The phone rang. Tobias stood there in quiet silence as the boy looked up at him from a place beside him.

"You've reached Cynthia," her answering machine began. "Leave a message."

He sighed and put the phone back down. Perhaps it had been too much to expect her to be awake at this hour. Perhaps he had been foolish to expect her to answer.

"W-w-was that the Queen Champion?" asked the boy in a meek voice.

Tobias nodded, reminiscing of his time journeying with the Champion. "She was… an old friend."

"Can't you try her again?" the boy asked. "She can save us, I know she can."

Tobias looked back at him. A solemn expression overcame him and he felt the exhaustion in his bones. "Can anyone?" he mused quietly.

"Stop it," ordered the boy. "I don't like it. She can help us. She has to."

Tobias looked back at the boy again. He was young, an unremarkable face. Tobias had no clue who the boy even was. And yet the boy held out hope that Cynthia could come and save them if he only called again.

He lifted the phone again, dialling the number again on the rotary. It rang twice and then was picked up.

"Hello?" said the voice of a woman Tobias thought he'd never see again.

He breathed deeply and forced the exhaustion wracking his bones away for a few more moments.

"Cyn," he said in a solemn voice.

The boy's eyes lit up as he registered that she had answered Tobias' call.

"Toby," she replied, her voice wavering almost imperceptibly. "It's been a long time."

He felt a smile come back to his face. "You don't sound surprised."

"I had a visitor," she said with a measure of amusement. Tobias knew instantly that Darkrai had gone to her for help himself. "He filled me in on the situation. Brought some help with him too."

He sighed heavily and glanced down at the boy. "Thank goodness for that—"

"Get her to—"

Tobias leered over at the boy and hushed him. "Go keep a lookout for movement. Stay quiet and only make a noise to alert me if it looks like they're coming for this house." He got down on one knee. "If they do come, you stay hidden and out of sight.

The boy nodded excitedly and dashed off, bounding up the stairs louder than Tobias was happy with.

He lifted the phone and prepared himself mentally for Cynthia's reaction. "I don't know how much you know," he started ominously. "But it's me. It is me."

"I know," she replied. He could hear the wavet in her voice again. "how long do you have?"

"I don't know," he answered. "He's looking for something called Oracion. Toying with me by picking off Alamos Town until I give it up." He leaned against the wall, feeling exhaustion come again in a wave.

"What's Oracion?" Cynthia asked.

Tobias sighed in frustration. "I have no clue, and I don't know what he's going to do if he figures that out." He paused for a breath, fighting to keep himself awake. "He's massacred half the—"

The house came apart on a gale of shadow. Tobias saw a brief glimpse of light as the lantern tumbled off the table and then was snuffed out completely. The cacophony of wooden beams snapping and bricks crumbling was all around him but no debris touched him.

Tobias clicked on his flashlight and he was there. Draped in a cloak of living darkness and standing on limbs that were never human, Tobias grinned back at him from a void that swallowed all the light.

"So," Tobias started. He knew he had to stall for time, but he wasn't sure how long he would give himself. "Let me guess, you never separated from Darkrai when you merged to stop Cyrus and Giratina."

The alternate him nodded his head slowly. Twisting lines of shadow ran along his face, corrupting and marring Tobias' own face. "An astute guess," the alter replied in a cruel mockery of Darkrai's gravelly undertone. "I presume that you did?"

Tobias nodded slowly. "I knew what remaining merged with Darkrai would do to me."

"And you still refused it?"

He fell silent for a moment and swallowed the lump in his throat. He hadn't wanted to separate from Darkrai. He'd wanted to stay together, to drown a cruel world in darkness together.

"No," he replied. "I just chose someone else over giving in to the darkness."

The shade smiled in a cruel replication of Tobias' own. "You chose the Champion," he stated plainly.

Tobias raised an eyebrow. "And you did not?"

It was the shade's turn to dwell on a memory now. Tobias saw the pain there and knew that he had struck something. "She was already gone. Cyrus took her with him and sacrificed her to that… thing." The shade looked back at him and he saw the pain in his corrupted eyes. "I never had that choice."

"My condolences," Tobias said quietly. "But the darkness you dwell in… it is not necessary. You can be more. You and Darkrai both. You can both be whole once more."

The alter closed his eyes. His shoulders bobbed once, then twice. Then the alter broke into laughter, tossing his head backwards. He laughed madly as his shadows echoed and rippled with Darkrai's own laughter underlying the man's.

"Did you believe that you could talk me down?"

The alter bore down on him, wrapping him in shadow and pinning his arms to his sides. Only the scantest amount of light peeked through the cloak of darkness, leaving only glowing and corrupted eyes in the blackness.

"I have become a god, greater than you could ever imagine being. I am made perfect. And I am merely just a soldier in his army."

The shadows squeezed him tighter as they rocketed through the air. Tobias bit back a sob of terror and dismay as the shade carried him into the sky above the sleepy hamlet.

Alamos town was burning. Raging flames tore through the market, casting shadows that danced with glee at the destruction. A path of flames traced back and forth across the town, leading back towards the Baron's home and the tower that stood there.

The base of the tower was aflame, the gardens illuminating the figures gathered and waiting for them.

The shadows released them as they swooped over the garden courtyard. Tobias plummeted the ten feet to the ground and landed hard. He groaned and forced himself up to his knees as the shade landed in front of the tower.

"I will ask again," the alter began. "Hand over Oracion. Hand it over and I will relinquish my hold on Alamos. You may bury the dead in peace and be allowed to live out the rest of your pathetic existence."

The Tobias alter grinned monstrously and Tobias knew what was next before he even started talking. "Or," it continued, pausing for dramatic effect. "Hand over Oracion and join with Darkrai once more. We could rule this universe along with my own, even challenge him once we gain our strength."

Tobias swallowed the lump in his throat. "No," he said calmly.

Shadow swooped from above and drowned out the light of the fires. All he could see was a faint hellish glow and the vague outline of his own face.

"You heard me!" Tobias shouted as he struggled up to his feet. "I don't know what Oracion is, nor where to find it! I am useless to you, just a pathetic man who refused power."

He felt a cold grasp on his throat and fought for breath, trying desperately to get one last snide insult out before his copy throttled him to death.

"Then die no—"

Darkrai hit the Tobias alter like a frenzied beast, claws glowing with a violet light. The alter shrank back, it's cloak of darkness being shredded by the sudden assault. It drew shadows in from every source, dancing flames casting a thousand shadows at once.

It was a flood against an arrow. Darkrai had the advantage of sudden surprise, but against a tide of shadow that Darkrai could not control, an arrow was useless.

Then the cavalry arrived. The moon pulsed with soft cleansing light, banishing the writhing shadows cast by the fires. The Tobias alter drew up what it could but the moon shone brighter than the midday sun. A beam of light descended from the heavens, wiping away the corpses that shambled clumsily towards them. It hit the earth and Tobias saw nothing except the flash of light.

Cynthia was there, standing astride a living rainbow. Tobias felt a warmth in his chest, felt his heart pounding in the presence of Sinnoh's Champion Queen.

He got to his feet. "You came," he said quietly. "Thank you, my lad—"

"Did you actually think I wasn't coming?"

Tobias paused for a moment. "I knew you could never resist a battle like this."

Cynthia wrinkled her nose. "Well one of us has to save the world." She glanced around, seemingly mourning the burning gardens and tower. "And you seem to be doing a fantastic job of it."

Darkrai crashed to the ground in front of them, growling as he retreated towards the pair.

"Ah, to remember the love we shared…"

Cynthia knew what Tobias had said, but her jaws dropped. "You weren't kidding. It's you."

Tobias shot her an annoyed glare.

"You will join me Tobias. Whether I have to force the merger myself or not, you will join me."

Shadows swelled and roared off the tower in streams. They rose into the sky, joining with all the darkness of the night.

Cynthia tensed up, glowing as she allowed Cresselia's power to flow through her. The moon seemed to pulse in unison as the Champion Queen erupted with divine light.

A moon beam smote Cynthia and the moon goddess, supercharging their light as the entire night's sky crashed down upon them.

Tobias felt the weight of the darkness bearing down on them, felt the unbearable pressure suck the very breath from his lungs. Gods were doing battle now. Powers never intended to be used upon the mortal plane clashed and swirled, ripping the ground itself with the violence of their meeting.

He felt his stomach spinning, felt reality losing its hold on him. He reached out for Cynthia, calling out to her as the air was sucked from his lungs.

The void itself descended on the Champion Queen's light. Rainbow beams and burning energy beat back the night but it advanced all the same. He felt exhaustion returning to cloud his mind and fought against the urge to fall asleep.

Then the clash was over as quickly as it had begun. The two gods separated, their light and shadow retreating towards their forms. Darkrai landed in front of Tobias protectively, growling at the alter.

Slowly, painfully, the ancient tower that stood in Alamos' gardens for hundreds of years bent backwards and collapsed. Dust and ash blew up in a huge cloud, smoke and flame leaping eagerly to swallow more of the structure.

"You are more formidable than my own Cynthia was."

Cynthia sneered at the alter's words. "Did she think you were as insufferable as I do?"

The Tobias alter screwed up his face in anger. He raised his arms, drawing up a thousand spear points of darkness. He cast his arms forward in anger and Tobias knew that Cynthia could never stop them all.

He knew what the only option was. He knew what he had to do to save the woman he loved.

He forced himself up, reaching out for Darkrai. He opened himself up to the shade, drawing the lonely pokemon in for something they had both long craved.

Darkrai's shadow touched Tobias' hand and the two halves became one.

He moved effortlessly across the shadow, drawing upon every scrap of darkness he could reach. He threw up everything he had, desperate to blunt his reflection's attack.

Darkness met darkness. Shadow wrestled with shadow. Then moonlight erupted once more, annihilating the night for a brief moment.

Tobias felt inspiration strike him like a bolt of lightning. He knew what he had to do. He knew what had to happen.

He reformed his cloak, stealing the darkness he could from his alter's grasp. Tobias-Darkrai launched himself at the copy before he could gain a chance to recover.

They collided in mid-air, two shades wrestling under the cover of impenetrable darkness. Cynthia drew up what light she could, pulsing the moon in response as she readied Cresselia's moonlight once more.

They hit the earth, tainting the very ground with sinister shadow. Cynthia held back for a moment as the cloak of darkness cleared slightly.

The copy struggled and writhed under the claws of Tobias. His face was flecked with shadow, complexion ghostly white. He struggled to hold the copy in place but his eyes never left Cynthia's.

"Do it," he ordered in a voice that was no longer his own. A voice that Cynthia had only heard once before. "Kill us," he begged in a defeated tone that she knew was his.

She hesitated, the light fading slightly. "I can't do that, Toby."

Tobias snarled at her and she saw the corrupted visage of his reflection peek through. "I won't separate from Darkrai this time," he said solemnly. "I won't make that choice again."

"Maybe you don't have to," Cynthia replied. "I'm different now too. I'm powerful… like you."

Tobias shook his head with the knowledge of a cursed soul. "You aren't like me, Cyn. You aren't like him." He looked down at the copy and sneered again. "I can feel his line of thinking in my own head. I can feel the urge to be what he is, to do what he does." He shook his head slowly. "I don't want that."

She shook her head as she held back the tears. "I… How would I…"

Cresselia turned her head to look at the Champion Queen. "It is my brother's wish as well," the moon goddess said. "They wish to do this as penance for what happened to Alamos."

She shook her head. "I cannot kill them. I cannot—"

"You will," replied Cresselia. "It is our duty."

Cynthia raised an arm. The moon goddess lit up along with her, a beam of moonlight supercharging their power.

Cynthia met his eyes. She saw the shadows dancing behind his pupils. She saw that Tobias believed he was right. She knew what she had to do.

"I'm sorry, Toby."

Cresselia's light flowed through them both. It lit up the burning remnants of the gardens, wiping away shadows with the intensity of a star. She didn't let up until the sun rose and a new day began.

She didn't say anything as Cresselia returned them to her spire. She didn't say anything when her servants entered her quarters to rouse her for the day. She simply mourned the loss, lamenting a love that could no longer be.

Unknown Location, Unknown Universe

"The Shade failed, just as you predicted."

Giovanni turned to the speaker, looking away from the display screen for a moment. "Just as I predicted that he would also plan to betray me at the first opportunity."

Another voice piped up. "Do we plan to try again? Is this particular version of Oracion not what we require?"

Giovanni shook his head. "Unfortunately, with the tower destroyed, Oracion would be useless to us." He scowled and turned his attention back to the display. "There are other ways to bend Arceus to our will, my friends. It is but a pokemon. Rainbow Rocket will find a way." He turned out, smiling at his recruits from across every corner of the multiverse. "We always do."

joshthewriter · Apr 1, 2023

CW: Blood/Violence, harsh language, mentions of suicidal thoughts (in later chapters)

This is a part of the Journey series. While knowledge of the other fics in the series is not required, it may enhance your reading experience.

The Hero, From Another Story

The First Loss

Footsteps echoed down the long, cold hallway. The prisoner's head perked up at the approaching sound. It had been days since he had last heard that distinct gait, listening intently for the barest trace of a limp present in his nemesis' steps.

He knew who was coming, but what he didn't know was why. The man had already asked him half a thousand questions, none of them making any sense to the raven-haired boy. He put the incessant questions from his mind, steeling himself for the encounter.

He would make an attempt to escape this time. He was the chosen one. He was Arceus' true hero, a knight of aura and an avatar of vengeance in a cruel world. He had never been denied his will until his transportation to this strange place, but he would change that today.

A tall, imposing figure turned the corner. He approached the cell slowly, as though he knew the prisoner had been agonizing over this moment and was intent to draw it out.

The figure stopped at the bars of the cell. The prisoner remained blankly focused on the wall, giving the tall figure nothing.

"Ketchum," said the man. "I would have words."

His gaze never shifted from the point on the wall. Ash Ketchum tightened his fists, reaching for the well of willpower within him that fuelled his power.

Ash Ketchum glanced down at his fists, hoping beyond hope that the azure flames of Aura's power would be burning on his fists.

Stubborn darkness greeted him. No fire danced in the dim light, no inner power answering his desperate call.

Ash Ketchum felt his shoulders sag and his spirit waver. He glanced up at the tall figure, scowling at his captor. "Go fuck yourself, Giovanni."

The tall figure sighed deeply and Ash suppressed the urge to try to grab him through the cage. He wanted to bash the Rocket Boss' head in and enact one of his patented escape plans, but a sinking feeling in his gut told him that the idea was doomed.

"You continue to address me in this manner," Giovanni began, unperturbed by his prisoner's harsh mannerisms. "And yet, as I have told you, I have no clue who you are."

Giovanni unfolded his arms from behind his back and flipped open the folder he held there. "As far as my considerable resources have been able to tell, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town does not exist."

Giovanni closed his file folder with a sigh and looked up at the teenage trainer. "At least, not in this universe."

"You said that before," Ash replied curtly. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you remember how you came to be here?" Giovanni asked cautiously. "Anything at all?"

Ash was quiet for a long moment. His fists tightened and hard lines set into his face as he remembered the fateful battle that had landed him in this cell with his pokemon massacred.

"You beat me," he said quietly. He shook his head and corrected himself. "No, you didn't win. I lost."

Ash pressed through Giovanni's team, his own pokemon creating a path through the madness. His lucario was locked in battle with an armoured Mewtwo, and his pikachu fended off an arbok with ease.

The room rippled and swam for a moment, then the scene shifted almost imperceptibly and Ash caught a flash of gold interspersed with bands of violet light and thick bands of smoke that dissipated as soon as they appeared. He landed on one knee, steadying himself on the ground and fighting the urge to vomit.

He glanced up, at the small bunker that he'd traced Giovanni to. He was so close to finally killing Giovanni after what the Rocket Boss had done to him. After he'd turned his friends against him and forced Ash to kill them all in a desperate race for survival.

"Giovanni!" shouted the chosen one. "I'm here to kill you!"

His hand dove into his pack, pulling out a full restore. Ash emptied the bottle into the back of his injured shiny lucario. His black hair was matted with sweat and blood and his team of fearsome pokemon stood with him. He couldn't feel the fire of Aura flowing through him, but battle had been joined and there was no avoiding it now.

Ash's golden lucario rose from his feet, facing down Giovanni. Mewtwo was missing and he would have no better chance than this. The crime lord had changed into some sort of bulky exploration suit. None of his pokemon were present, just a massive brute of a pokemon with golden rings banding each limb.

A trio of golden rings spun into existence, leaking thick smoke and violet light. Three gods emerged from the strange rings, their eyes blazing the same violet as the ringed creature behind Giovanni. Twisted apparitions of the Bird trio screeched their cries in unison, no doubt twisted like Mewtwo had been.

Ash stepped forward, raising the skarmory steel feather that he had long used as his blade. "Stand down and prepare to be—"

An red-orange blur slammed into his charizard's throat, snapping the fire drake's neck with the suddenness of its attack. Charizard toppled, limp limbs and wings splayed out at an awkward angle. The Zapdos skidded to a halt, glaring down at Ash with malevolent hate.

A purple bird that radiated psychic power floated forward ethereally, freezing the rest of the intruder's pokemon in place as the discoloured Zapdos speared Ash's beloved leavanny from behind with a pointed beak.

The Zapdos tossed his loyal bug into the air where the third bird, a reaper of black with sinister flames roaring off its wings, skewered the immobilized leavanny and swallowed it whole.

Ash felt the psychic force hold him lessen and fell back in shock, the rest of his team still frozen in place. His lucario made it a few steps before midnight fire smote it where it stood. His espeon glowed with psychic light, but the purple Articuno wiped it from the earth with a flick of its mind.

Pikachu finally shook off the effects of Articuno's immobilizing gaze. Ash's starter glanced back at him, the same determination filling his eyes that had driven the little electric mouse to victory over every foe that the pair had ever faced.

"Pikachu…" he started, his voice faltering for the first time since the horde of spearow had descended on him during the first days of his pokemon journey.

His starter nodded once and turned back to face the bird trio with the betrayed hero of his universe at his side. Ash hefted his feather-blade, intensity burning in his stare. He struck the pose that his pikachu could use to channel the Z-powers contained within them both.

"Gigabolt Hav—"

Pikachu leapt up before Ash even finished his command. White hot electricity surged from the little pokemon's red cheeks, bathing the chamber with the sky's fury. Pikachu let loose with everything that the little mouse had.

Ash felt his hair stand on end as lightning bathed their foes. He tasted ozone and shut his eyes to block out the impossible light. Then it faltered. The retribution of the storm died and Ash felt his heart drop as he dared to look. The birds hadn't even been scratched, let alone knocked out by the most powerful attack that his pikachu had ever used.

An orb of yellow electricity crackled to life above the Zapdos. The purple Articuno conjured its own orb of chilling elemental energy as the midnight Moltres did the same with a ball of fire.

Pikachu leapt up in a last desperate effort to shield his trainer from certain doom. The assembled gods loosed their power as the little pokemon lit up with one last thunderbolt.

Ash closed his eyes, shutting out the quiet shriek of pain before his starter was silenced for good.

He heard a muffled command come through Giovanni's suit and opened his eyes to see the trio of gods disappear through the same golden rings as before.

A pair of blast doors beneath a small viewport, a dozen armed soldiers bursting through and training their rifles on him. Laser dots painted his chest, but none dared to fire. The implication was clear.

Giovanni reached up and unsealed his helmet. He held it at his side, regarding Ash with newfound curiosity. "Surrender," he ordered. "Before the same happens to you."

Ash let his feather-blade fall useless to the floor. He looked inwards, for the well of Aura that had always burned inside of him. Arceus had called it his blessing, an endowment made to aid in his chosen one's quest for good. But now, the well of Aura was silent and dead.

He reached for the power anyways, fighting to draw on every ounce of willpower within his soul. Ash Ketchum willed it to the surface, letting his emotions run wild in a vain attempt to draw more of his Aura loose.

Still, the well remained silent and empty. No azure flames came forth, no supernatural strength and speed filled his limbs. Ash Ketchum let his arms fall to his sides in defeat, his gaze falling to the floor.

He didn't speak. Not even when the soldiers kicked his feather-blade away and cuffed him. For the first time in his life, Ash Ketchum had truly lost. He had lost everything.

"I was conducting a test upon the multiversal capabilities of the creature known as Hoopa." Giovanni folded his arms across his chest. "And in return, the multiverse spat you back at me." He sighed and leaned against the wall beside Ash's lone cell. "I am at a loss as to why."

"And you think I'd be able to shed light on that?"

Ash asked incredulously. "You're my greatest foe, the reason my life is in ruins." He rose to his feet and stepped up to the bars of the cell. "What are you trying to tell me? That you aren't Giovanni?"

He tipped his head. "No. I am Giovanni Sakai, to be sure." He reached out with a key in his hand and unlocked the cell, swinging the door open. "But it might be more accurate to say that I'm not your Giovanni Sakai."

Ash warily stepped towards the open door. "You mean to say that you aren't my enemy?"

"The multiverse seemingly thought so, and I believe that it spat you here as a sort of counter to myself." Giovanni frowned and stepped away from the cell. Again, Ash saw the cold calculation in his gaze. He had the same unfeeling and chilling glare that Ash had seen a thousand times before. "Whether you are my enemy still remains to be seen. You did attempt to kill me upon your arrival here."

Ash remained silent. He'd meant to kill Giovanni. He'd wanted to do it himself, run the older man through with his feather-blade and leave him in a puddle of blood. He'd have done it too, if his Aura hadn't failed him.

"I know that this must be confusing for you. I went from your mortal enemy in one instance to… this, in a span of seconds." Giovanni turned his back and motioned for Ash to follow. "I would feel much the same, especially if I had spent as much blood as you had. But if you stay here and allow me the chance, I can show you that you are not my enemy."

Ash Ketchum stepped out of the cell, following Giovanni down the short hallway into a small kitchen. He stopped suddenly, staring at the man with some suspicion clearly on his face. "You mean to say that you aren't an evil crime lord in this universe?"

"I am a gym leader and founding member of the Indigo Aces." He turned and tried to offer a warm smile. "I have resorted to some less honourable methods in the past, but I am trying to save humanity. I am not an evil man."

Giovanni turned and gestured to the kitchen. "Please, you will be my guest here. I apologize for the way we treated you at first, but you did not give us much of a choice."

Ash frowned. The kitchen was small and spartan, like it was only intended for the use of a small group of people. He glanced at the heavy metal door that reminded him of the bars of his cell. This was still a cage, even if it was more comfortable than the cell.

"My Giovanni was a gym leader." Ash looked back at the Rocket Boss. "He was obsessed with control, much like you appear to be."

Giovanni chuckled, and led Ash down another hallway and away from the kitchen. "I would wager that he also had an underground facility that looked decidedly like an evil-lair." He turned his head with a grin. "We are likely often reflected in our multiversal selves. It is important to note that we are not likely to be perfect mirrors of our alternate selves. The multiverse is a window into possibility, where things can be different in a thousand minute ways."

They walked in silence as Ash sourly contemplated the meaning of that. If this Giovanni was telling the truth then he had thrown his friends' lives away in vain. If that was the truth than he was no hero at all.

He felt the resolve build in his mind. That could not be the case. He was the Chosen One. He would not have been punished like this in vain. He could only assume that this world had need of him. Even more than the world he had been torn from.

Giovanni broke the silence and interrupted the train of thought as he pushed open the doors of the small living quarters. "You'll find these much more accommodating than your previous room." He ushered Ash through and let the door shut behind them. "This is where you will be staying until you've satisfied my caution."

"You're allowing me to live?" Ash said, still having difficulty believing that Giovanni was content to let him live here unmolested. It was a cage still, but he had expected an executioner's block.

Giovanni nodded slowly and Ash saw the same calculating gaze that his Giovanni was all too prone to. "Another version of myself may have been your enemy, but you are not my enemy."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "You said that already."

"Then ponder it," Giovanni replied. He turned toward the door. "I have business I am needed for in Indigo. I will be back in three days time."

"And what am I to do?" Ash asked in response.

Giovanni stopped at the door for a moment. He glanced back and for a moment Ash saw a glimpse of something dark and angry inside of Giovanni. He wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him or if his Aura powers were struggling to re-emerge. "There is a large library down the hall. I would suggest that you educate yourself on your new home."

Giovanni turned and strode from the room, leaving Ash alone. The Chosen One listened to the footsteps lessen and then disappear entirely. He heard a heavy metal door slam a few minutes later and then nothing at all.

He sat down finally, letting the tension leave his body. His shoulders sagged and his eyes fluttered as exhaustion washed over him. He'd been running on adrenaline during the entire conversation with Giovanni and now he was crashing.

Ash laid back in the small bed. He didn't fight the sleep, praying to Arceus that he would find peaceful dreams rather than the hellish nightmares of death that he had been having. He could learn about his new home once he had gotten some rest, and just maybe he could find a way home.

Hello there and welcome to the world of Journey.This fic came to me as a sort of fun concept during the writing of a one-shot (What We Do For Our Children, also found on my profile). I really liked the idea of looking at what happens to a "Chosen One" when they're transported to a place where they are no longer that.

So while the initial inclusion of Ash into the world of Journey was initially somewhat of a joke, I really enjoyed this and hope you all find the concept as fun as I did!

joshthewriter · Apr 28, 2023

Journey

Death of Duty

Part 5: War on the Water

Fire

When war comes, it brings death. — Unknown Soldier

The Poison Fang was rocking dangerously on the waves. The vessel was mostly shielded from the wrath of the sea by Five Island itself, but I could tell that the bridge crew was still nervous. Especially with Janine still trying to order them under way.

"Look, m'lady," replied the Captain for what had to be the twentieth time. "We cannot embark while the waves are this large. We would be sunk before we even got halfway to One Island."

Janine scowled. "I didn't ask why not. I told you to make it happen."

The Captain's eyes flitted to me, then to the pair of shinobi flanking Janine before settling back on her. "Lady Anzu, we cannot risk the Fang. This vessel is the most advanced in our possession. The rest of Fuchsia's navy is old, slow and fragile. While the Fang is very capable, we can ill-afford a replacement and I will not order her needless destruction."

"Then give me a solution," she spat. "Give me a way to fight this battle."

"We could fly," I said suddenly. "How many flyers do we have?"

"Twelve," Janine replied, swivelling and looking at me. "Ten who are capable of reaching One Island. Maybe one or two of them could carry an extra person that far."

"Artemis can't," I said. "Not that far at least."

Riley raised his hand. "Eleven if you count me. My flygon can carry at least two people," he said. "If you'll have me, of course."

Janine nodded and looked between the newcomer and myself. "Even with you, that's not enough," she said. "Fifteen trainers against an army? Plus whatever monstrosities that madman has cooked up?"

I shrugged, it didn't matter the odds. We had to stop Gideon. "Better than allowing Rocket to capture Moltres without a fight. We'll have some help from the lab, Bill and Celio have pledged their help as well." I looked out at the sea. "We need to do something."

Janine snapped over towards a member of the bridge crew. "Are we in missile range?"

The crewman turned in his seat, going over the specs on his screen. "Our long range missiles should be in range, depending on air currents. Strike would arrive ten minutes after launch."

She turned away, contemplating the options. "Marcus," she said as she glanced up at me. "You seem to come out of impossible situations more than most. What would you do?"

I grimaced at the question. Maybe that was true, but I'd lost both Pride and Vector in supposed victories. I didn't feel like I was qualified to give any advice at all. "I'd send us ahead of the strike, have us guide in the missile launch." I shrugged, wracking my brain for a better idea. "It might work, maybe level the odds enough to give us a fighting chance."

She frowned and I knew she didn't like it. I offered her nothing but a gamble, one with even worse odds than the one she had taken to seize Fucshia. "Then we move now," she ordered. She walked over to the comm station and keyed on the ship's intercom. "All shinobi flight capable should make ready for battle. We launch in fifteen."

She dropped the microphone and glanced around at the bridge crew. "Blow the labs and bring everyone back to the ship. Remain in radio contact and prepare to disembark if the sea calms."

The Captain nodded. "We'll be ready."

Janine turned to Riley and I. "You two, with me to the infirmary. We need everyone ready to fight the moment we get there."

I nodded as I felt a sense of calm come over me. Yet again, I was rushing towards battles beyond my wildest imagination. The threat of death was becoming normal. I let my mind clear, let all the needless worries drop away. I couldn't afford them. I couldn't afford distractions. Vector's broken body swam to the forefront of my mind, providing one all the same.

Riley and I silently followed Janine through the ship. We reached the infirmary in two minutes. My pokemon were sprayed down with a few of the Fang's full restores, Riley's pokemon treated similarly. I glanced over at Janine as her pokemon were given the same treatment.

She was crouched over Leopold's bed, a potion in hand and he voice low. I couldn't catch her words but I knew what she was asking him. He reached out, taking the potion as Janine gently undid the bandages wrapped around his head.

I turned away and strode over to the supply cabinets. Janine may have chosen to be with me, but she needed her people. She needed Fuchsians at her side, not foreign Rangers. I clenched my fists. Lady Anzu's final words rang in my mind as my promise hung heavily on my heart.

I grabbed a pair of full restores, tossing one of them to Riley. "For Oberon," I said. "We'll need that flygon when we arrive.

He caught it, stuffing the bottle into his pack. "Do we have a chance?" He asked. "The odds aren't great."

I smirked, showing off a false confidence. "We've gotten out of worse jams," I said. "Fight hard and fight smart. Rocket might have us outnumbered, but each of us is worth at least two of them. We can do this."

Riley nodded grimly as Janine got to her feet. There were six or seven of us still in the infirmary. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to. We had followed her this far. There was no backing out now.

The flight was far simpler than I had been expecting. The waves were massive, fifty foot swells that reached hungrily up towards our aerial formation. But the skies were clear and nothing bothered us on our trip back to One Island. We could see our destination almost from the moment we departed.

Mount Ember rose from the water, a steady stream of black smoke billowing from its peak. A steel grey tube was lodged halfway up the volcano, the bottom of the sub broken on the volcanic rock.

Riley's massive flygon veered towards Janine and I. He cupped a hand around his mouth and shouted over the roar of the ocean. "They beached the sub!" he shouted.

"Probably got caught on a wave!" Janine replied. "Means this is it!"

"No escape this time," I said with finality.

We swung south after spotting the Rocket forces constructing some sort of metal array on the volcano's peak. Janine took us in low, landing near the base of the mountain on the west side. The waves were breaking on the far side of Mount Ember, giving some small refuge for the few dozen wooden skiffs and schooners sitting in the shallows.

Bill and Celio were waiting for us, along with a few of the lab staff and one of the islanders. More men and women were assembling on the small volcanic beach, a few small boats ferrying people ashore.

Bill pressed a pair of pokeballs into my hands as I approached. "I haven't let them out, but the Fuchian staff said she was in perfect health."

I tapped the button on the familiar, dented pokeball. "Luna," I said with a breathless grin. "You're alright!"

She planted her feet as she materialized and I felt her mind touch mine. A joyous laugh echoed out of my mouth as she exclaimed a happy reply. She pressed into me and enveloped me in several of her warm, furry tails.

"I'm happy to see you too, girl." I said, scratching her affectionately on the neck. I stood up, still beaming down at her. "But we've got a job to do."

Bill pointed at the second ball, his expression smug and proud. He'd clearly succeeded in the task I'd put before him. "I've reprogrammed the porygon that Surge had in containment for you. It looked like Rocket had added some bootleg code to Silph's original porygon and made some crude changes."

I tapped the ball and the murderous porygon that had tried to kill me in Celadon appeared. It wasn't like I remembered it though. The hard, sharp angles were replaced by sleek, smooth curves. It wasn't glitching or spasming, just sitting there regarding me with curiosity.

"When I designed the original porygon for Silph, it was rushed out the door to meet investor deadlines. I wasn't done." He looked over at the digital pokemon and smiled knowingly. "They wanted a living computer, one that would blindly follow any directive coded into it. I protested that it was the stuff of every bad sci-fi trope, but the company forced me to drop it and put out the product the investors had paid for."

I looked over the porygon, admiring the changes. "I'm guessing that you gave it and upgrade of sorts?"

He nodded. "The original blindly followed orders. This 'porygon2' has its own moral code that is constantly learning and growing." He stood back smugly. "Two, say hello."

The porygon bowed its head towards me, chirping and whistling.

Bill handed me a headset fashioned from an old phone. A haphazard antenna was wired to the speaker, an aging power pack strapped to the other ear. "It's a little unwieldy, but it was the best I could do on such short notice."

I took the contraption and slipped it on, flicking the switch on the battery. "It's amazing, Bill."

I pointed at the headset as I turned my head to face the digital pokemon.

"Greetings, Marcus-trainer. I am Two, a sentient computer program built at Silph Company." The porygon seemed to hang its head. "I apologize for attacking you, though my actions were not my own."

"That's alright, Two," I replied. "Glad to have you on our side now."

Janine stepped between Bill and I, a look of annoyed impatience on her face. "If you two are done, we have an army to fight."

"Right," Bill said mareepishly. He pulled the elder islander forward. "The waves were threatening to swamp the entire island. We were taking shelter from the waves when their sub arrived."

"It rode along a wave. It shook the mountain with its impact," said the elder. "It defiles our Ember with its presence, their foul abominations prowling her slopes."

"More fusions?" I asked cautiously, glancing at Bill.

He nodded solemnly. "And an army of Rockets."

"My people are not fighters, but we have a few who wish to help." The elder gestured to a scant few trainers among them gathering on the beach. I saw a few others with no pokemon of their own gathering among the group. "We will help you drive off these outlanders."

Janine nodded "We appreciate it," she said. "Looks like we're going to need the help."

"After what your Ranger did to help with our food, it's the least our people can do." He looked over at me, a grateful smile on his face. "We repay our debts."

"Either way, we're in tough." Janine scowled. She turned away, looking up the mountain at the billowing smoke above. "Rocket got here first. They've had a chance to dig in and establish defensive positions." She shook her head and turned back to the rest of us. "This won't be an easy fight."

Nobody answered, a silent chill coming over our group.

"Then we'd best get started," I said, breaking the silence. "Before Gideon finishes whatever it is that he's trying to do with Moltres."

Quiet murmurs spread through the group of islanders. Moltres was practically a god to them. Gideon's plan would make a mockery of it.

"Agreed," said Janine. She glanced around at the group of fighters, shinobi and islanders alike. Maybe twenty-five to thirty combatants in all. It wasn't much, but it would have to be enough. "Let's move!"

I had never climbed a mountain before, much less a volcano that was being battered by tidal waves the entire time. It was a hard climb as the mountain sloped upwards at a steep angle. There were a few places that went almost straight vertical for a few feet. I could feel Mount Ember rumbling underfoot at times as she protested the ocean's wrath. It was a hard climb up the steep slopes of the volcano, but not one of us faltered. We had no choice.

I kept putting hand over foot, climbing towards the smoke rising above us. My hand found a flat, open ledge and I hauled myself up onto the outcropping with a surge of strength.

A crushing bewear hug wrapped around me, the Rocket grunt pushing me off balance. I thrashed with everything I had in a desperate attempt to land on the ledge. We went down in a tangle of limbs, my arms still trapped at my sides.

I bucked violently and smashed the Rocket face first into the cliff face. He only redoubled his efforts to throttle the life from me, blood spurting from his now broken nose. His hands wound their way around my throat as the man shifted, trapping my arms under his knees.

I bucked again, freeing my left arm and reaching for my sidearm. He adjusted and slammed my hand into the ground, sending the pistol clattering away off the cliff. I tore my other arm free and swung my fist, striking a glancing blow off the man's shoulder. He lifted me off the ground slightly, intent on slamming my head back down on the rock. I saw the cold, unfeeling look in his eyes and I knew that I had lost.

Janine's blade impaled the Rocket from above. He went slack, fear welling up behind his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but failed, only a foamy bubble of blood spluttering out. Then he slumped over me as his strength failed and I felt Janine pull the grunt off of me.

"More of them!" she shouted. "Coming down the path."

I rolled onto my stomach and forced myself up to a knee. "Something's wrong," I coughed through my aching throat. "Janine, something is wrong."

A group of three Rocket grunts were slouching towards us, incoherent groans filling the air.

"They're not-"

Brutus was out in a flash of red, surging up the narrow footpath. The three Rockets went tumbling over the ledge with hardly a sound. They just flailed awkwardly as they fell, dashing against the rocks below.

"Janine, there's something wrong."

She pulled me to my feet. "Doesn't matter," she said. Leopold was pulling himself up, Riley a few feet behind him. "We keep moving."

I knelt over the grunt that Janine had impaled, watching as he tapped desperately at his temple. His eyes were racing and I could see strange light burning behind his eyes. The light died as soon as it had started, the Rocket grunt simply laying still as his breaths slowed.

Bill appeared a few moments later, studying the man. He pulled back an eyelid, pointing at a twitching metal tendril that protruded slightly. "The hell is that?" A spark from the man's earpiece drew both our attention.

I looked at him in horror. I'd seen enough of the sparking machinery to recognize Gideon's work when I saw it. "I don't think I want to know."

Bill planted one hand on the side of the man's head, grabbing hold of the earpiece hanging slightly loose. He pulled and I had to hold back the contents of my stomach. A long, spindly, tangle of writhing tendrils tore straight out of the man's ear. Blood and viscous clear discharge came pouring out along with it.

The device spasmed one last time as it tore free, before falling still and laying limply on the ground.

He bucked in pain as a scream of pure agony ripped out of the grunt's bloody lips. His eyes found Bill and he forced himself closer with the last vestiges of strength he had. "Th-th-tha-nk you," he uttered. "The voice.. it's… it's finally gone." He slumped back as his voice trailed off. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he drew a last, rattling breath and lay still.

Bill looked up at me in horror. He glanced between the grunt and myself, as if to confirm what we had both just watched.

"Janine," I said, my voice hushed as I tried to process what I had just seen. "Something is very, very wrong."

She turned to face us and stopped dead as Bill handed me the thing that had been inside the Rocket's head. "What is that?"

"That," I said, lifting the mass of tendrils. "Is our problem. It looks like something I pulled out of one of Gideon's fusions."

I raised my new porygon's ball and released it in front of me. The strange pokemon formed more smoothly out of the red light than any other pokemon I'd ever seen, like it was designed for it.

Two looked at me and bowed its head in respect. "Marcus-trainer, how may I assist you?" Its voice was stilted and robotic through the headset, a blatant reminder of how different my newest team member really was.

I lifted the device. "Can you tell me what this is?"

Two's eyes lit up with white light as it's head pointed down at the contraption in my hand. "The device bears significant similarities to prototype telepathic communications devices developed by Professor Samuel Oak." My porygon's eyes faded back to normal as it looked up at me proudly. "However, this device contains significantly more advanced electrostatic appendages. It is likely capable of crude body manipulation and mental suppression."

"Mind control?" Bill suggested, taking it back and holding the device up to the light. "Why would they need that for the grunts?"

Janine scowled, a familiar expression at this point. "Does it matter?" she asked. Frustration was clear in her voice. "We still have to stop them all."

I glanced up at her. "It matters if these people are being forced into this. If this… if it's mind control… these people at nothing more than slaves to Gideon's will."

"Gideon?" Janine asked. "Or Rocket?"

"He thinks himself above them," Riley interjected. "Above everyone, really. He was adamant that he was using them to push science further than it had ever gone before, that they were the pawns and he was the player."

I got to my feet. "And he made them into his pawns."

Janine looked back over at Bill. "Can we disable this control?" she asked. She glanced over at Two, unsure of whether to ask my new pokemon how it could help.

He shrugged. "It's possible," he replied. "But I would need an active unit, and to know the exact frequency they're using to broadcast commands. It would be far easier to simply shut down the command broadcast."

"Gideon still had your other gem. He had attached it to some kind of control device that he was using to direct the fusions." I glanced over at Janine. "We stop Gideon, we stop all of this."

She met my eyes. She knew what I was saying. We could stop this, her and I. We could end it with one death instead of dozens. We could kill Gideon together. Archer didn't matter anymore. Rocket didn't matter. We had to stop the beast that Rocket had created.

She glanced around as the last of the islanders hauled their kin up to the ledge our group was standing on. "Alright!" she started, putting on her authoritative voice. "We've got a change of plans. Rocket may have been co-opted by their mad scientist. We're gonna split into three teams." She pointed at me. "Ranger Wright and I will be the Alpha strike. We will continue up the mountain and keep looking for Gideon. When we find him, we'll order the missile strike and make sure he's down for the count."

She pointed at the rest of the group. "Leopold will split the rest of you into two groups. You'll each take the long way around the mountain, drawing the Rockets towards you and giving us a clear shot at Gideon."

Leopold stepped forward, his voice booming. "Alright you lot!"

Riley emerged from the crowd, ignoring Leopold's orders. He stared directly at Janine and I. "I'm going with you," he said coldly. "I'm going after him with you."

"That's not-"

He cut her off with a cold glare. "I wasn't asking," he said firmly. "He killed Darcy, did god knows what to her and her pokemon…" Riley trailed off as he looked down at his feet in shame. "She was only in Sevii because I wanted to go on vacation. She was only here because of me." He looked back up, meeting mine and Janine's gaze. "I have to make it right."

"It doesn't," Janine said. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and I saw her fighting back the tears. "I killed my father a few months ago. I killed him for everything he'd done to me and mine." She shook her head. "I didn't make it right. I avenged a thousand wrongs and it still didn't make it right."

Riley's expression softened, but I saw the determination on his face. "He… he needs to die for what he did."

"He will," I said coldly, stepping in front of Janine. "I promise you that. Gideon will die for what he's done." My expression softened and I let some emotion back into my voice. "He will die, for Darcy, for Vector, for everyone else." I put my hand on his shoulder and he met my eyes.

I saw a mirror image of myself. He was close to the same age as me, but on a different path that I was. He was a trainer. I was a soldier. He was a competitor. I was a killer. I hadn't known Riley long, but I knew he was no killer. I wasn't about to let someone else go down the same terrible path I'd been started on, not if I could help it.

"I'm still going with you," he replied after a long moment. I think he saw the concern on my face. "You'll need my help."

I cracked a grin and felt the mood lighten somewhat. "That flygon should come in handy." I glanced up at the footpath leading up towards Mount Ember's peak, then looked back at the other two. "Shall we, then?"

Janine nodded grimly. "Let's end this," she said.

Riley and I both nodded in agreement. This mad scheme of Gideon's had to be stopped. He was playing with forces capable of reshaping the very face of our planet, toying with the natural world in dangerous ways.

We would stop him. This much I knew. We had to. There was no other option. I didn't dwell on the alternatives as we started our climb to the peak.

"Contact!" Leopold's voice crackled out of our radios. "More Rockets! They're all over the north slopes! They've got fusions!"

Janine raised her radio. "Fall back!" she ordered as she wiped sweat from her face. It was getting hotter the closer we got to the peak, the stench of sulphur hanging heavy in the air.

"Negative," came the reply. "They've got us surrounded. We have to stand and-"

"Mayday! Mayday!" shouted a panicked voice. "Fusions are attacking the southern slopes! There's to many of them!"

Janine swore loudly again. "Everyone, fall back and regroup. Focus down the fusions. They might be strong, but they're fragile. Hit them hard and they'll fall apart."

The radio crackled as an incoherent grunt echoed through the connection. The voice died and all we had was static.

"Janine," I said as I stepped up to her side. Our forces were few. There was a good chance that we'd lost them all in one fell swoop. We'd known the risks going in. So had they. "Order the missile strike."

She met my gaze and nodded. It was time. She handed me one of our laser guidance systems and held my gaze. "I'll draw as many of the fusions to one place as possible," she said. "Don't hesitate. Not for anything, not for anyone."

I frowned. I knew what she was saying. "I'm not going to-"

She cut me off with a cold glare. "Don't hesitate," she repeated. "Or I'm sending you to kite these bastards and I'll guide in the strike." She kept eye contact, practically begging me to listen without saying another word.

I reached out and took her hand. I'd barely seen her since her mother's death, barely even spoken to her outside of the missions. "Just be careful," I said. "Fuchsia needs you… Kanto needs you…"

She stared into my eyes, looking intently for something. "What about you?" she asked carefully. "What do you need?"

I let my expression fall. I didn't want to answer that question. "What I need…" I shook my head. "That doesn't matter right now." I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in close, looking into her eyes with every scrap of emotion I could draw on. "Come back safe," I said with finality. "That's what I need. I need for you to be safe."

She glanced around and a smirk came to her face. "Bit late for that, isn't it?" She gestured at the smoke rising above us and the waves crashing relentlessly against the base of the mountain. "Should've picked a better vacation spot, Ranger."

I pulled her in for a sudden, breathless kiss. She let out an unintentional moan for a half a moment before the moment was gone and the danger we were in sank back in. "Vacation," I said suddenly. "I'm taking you on vacation after this. Cinnabar sound nice?"

She glanced up at the smoke above us. "I've had enough of volcanoes for a while."

I let the tension fall away while it could, the easy smile returning. It was easy around her, easy to let myself be happy. "Somewhere cold, then? I hear Sinnoh has some beautiful ski resorts."

She leaned back in and kissed me again and I didn't fight the moment. It wasn't right to act like I hadn't promised her mother I would leave her, but I couldn't help it. She was reckless and dangerous and sexy and the perfect complement to a Ranger like myself.

The kiss ended and both of us pulled back to look at each other. She was smiling like a teenager and I couldn't help the infectious grin from spreading.

"I've gotta call that missile strike," she said. "But once we're done here…" she trailed off, leaving me with the implication as she winked at me seductively. "I think you know what we can do."

I gave her my cheesiest grin. "I've got some idea," I said coyly. We separated and she turned, a pokeball in hand. "Go save the world, babe."

Her venomoth was out, a shrill, trilling cry announcing the bug's presence. Janine looked up at her pokemon, then back at Riley and I. "We'll save it together."

She mounted her massive, ethereal bug. We shared one last longing glance and then she was gone. I watched the shape shrink until Janine threw her pokemon into a steep dive.

"She's impressive," Riley remarked as we resumed our hike towards the peak. "Intimidating, even."

I shrugged. "She's perfect," I said quietly. I felt my mood sour. I didn't know whether Janine and I were really a thing, or if this was all just a stress induced fling. But, I did know one thing. "She's brave and smart and gorgeous all rolled into one. And it can never last."

Riley turned and raised an eyebrow as we continued up the slope. "Why is that?" he asked.

I gave him a solemn look. "I made a promise," I said. "To her mother as she died."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "Family, huh?"

I nodded. "Family," I confirmed. "And she has fourteen families to please. None of them seem all too happy that Janine seemed to take a liking to someone like me." I glanced down at myself. "I can't blame them. I'm not much to get excited about. Just some kid off a farm that couldn't deal with his family anymore."

"You kidding me?" Riley asked, an indignant tone creeping into his voice. "You're a goddamn Indigo Ranger, part of your region's first line of defence against pokemon threats." He stopped, forcing me to turn and look at him. "You aren't just some kid off the farm. You're a goddamn certifiable badass. I watched you take on that freaky machamp without even a second thought. Janine and her 'families' would be lucky to have you."

I smiled despite myself. Maybe Riley was right. I wasn't the scared little trainer fighting to save his kidnapped happiny anymore. I was a Ranger, one of Kanto's finest warriors. I'd stood with Janine against Koga. I'd stood with Red and Blue against Giovanni. I had fought in some of the largest battles against Rocket that Kanto had seen. "Maybe you're right," I said. "Maybe they'd have me. But it's a moot point. I made a promise."

Riley shook his head. "Ask her what she wants," he said. "Don't make the choice for her. You just might find that she wants the same things you do." He smiled, but I could see that sadness in his eyes. "Don't leave it to the world to make your choice. You might find that you don't like the choice it makes for you."

I fell silent. My word meant everything, more so since Lady Anzu had made me promise as she breathed her last. I had to speak with Janine about this. My mind drifted towards the idea of vacationing with her, and the thought crossed my mind of telling her then.

We stepped up to the peak and I felt the heat wash over me. All the worries and troubles weighing on my mind faded away as I looked across the volcanic crater between us. Gideon was smirking at Riley and I, his arms folded behind his back. The pool of lava bubbled and simmered, the heat haze clouding the air between us and our foe.

Metal spires rose above the peak, static electricity buzzing heavily in the air. Sparks leapt down one of the spires, jumping from one to another as the electrostatic hum grew in volume.

"I'm gonna kill him," Riley muttered. "With my bare hands."

"Janine," I said, raising my radio and ignoring Riley. He'd get his chance. "we're up at the peak. Gideon is here."

"Strike is on the way," she replied. "I've got the attention of some of the fusions. Paint Gideon with the laser guidance and keep him occupied."

I looked down at the radio. "Janine, that wasn't the plan. The missiles are for the fusions, not Gideon."

"Shut up, Ranger," came her reply. "The fusions are all over our distraction teams. They aren't letting up and I'll be damned if I let them all die." I heard her sigh audibly through the radio. "Kill that madman. Kill him and end this insanity."

I looked across at Gideon, my hand falling to my ball belt. He had no pokemon clearly with him, but I didn't put any stock on that. I raised the radio, my eyes locked with Gideon. "We got this," I replied. "Stay safe, Janine."

Static crackled out of the radio. I thought I heard garbled words, but they were lost in the white noise.

"Did you get a heartfelt goodbye, Ranger?" Gideon asked sardonically. "I hope the Lady Anzu does not mind losing another loved one. Not so close after watching her mother die in your arms..."

My hands balled into fists. "This is over now, Gideon. This is where your mad quest ends."

"Come now, Ranger. You sound like dear old Archer. Always questioning my sanity and thinking yourself above me." He unfolded his arms and I saw the control device in his hands. "He saw the truth of it in the end, the same as you will."

"What did you do?" I asked. We needed Archer alive, needed the intelligence he could provide.

Gideon grinned maliciously and I saw the flicker of amusement in his eyes. "I simply opened his mind," he said. "Showed him the error of his ways and gave him a little glimpse of the future."

I saw movement in the sky behind him. I could see the missiles streaking towards us, closing fast. "So you enslaved him?" I half-shouted. I needed to keep the attention on me. "You locked him in his head and put one of your tentacle devices in there with him?"

He shrugged. "Progress requires sacrifice. Archer could not see that. He tried to stop me…" his voice trailed off and I saw another flicker of amusement behind his eyes. "I didn't let him. Just like I won't let you!"

"You're a monster," I said. "Little more than a wild beast gone mad with bloodlust." I tightened my fists. I knew that not all Rockets were willing members of the organization, that many were coerced into compromising situations and given no other options. "Archer at least had morals. Archer at least cared for his men." I lifted Luna's ball off my belt, itching to let her out.

"And he tried to stop me when I gave him what he wanted. He tried to shut down my life's work!" Gideon turned, looking up at the missiles with a knowing grin. He raised the control device and I knew that he had outplayed us the entire time. He'd been a step ahead of us, a step ahead of Archer. He'd orchestrated all of this. "I won't let you stop me either."

He pressed a command on the device as Riley and I released our starters. Luna was out in a flash, already bounding around the lake of lava towards Gideon as Oberon announced his presence with a roar.

A twisted houndoom that crackled with electricity running down the creature's horns leapt from the lip of the volcano, slamming into Luna. They went tumbling, both of them snapping and snarling at the other as Riley's flygon took flight over them. The earth dragon bellowed down at our opponent, ignoring the blast of white lightning that harmlessly washed against his scales.

The missiles screamed down towards us as I flicked on the laser guidance system and pointed it at Gideon. Gideon turned and smirked at us, unperturbed by the ordnance sailing down towards him. He tapped another command on his device and met my hateful gaze with a knowing smile.

The missiles screamed past us all, whizzing down the eastern slopes of the mountain. I felt a half dozen explosions rock the mountain, felt the volcano's protest rumble beneath my feet.

"Marcus!" crackled the radio. "The fusions are all retreating! They're running for the peak!"

"Gideon diverted the strike!" I shouted back. "Get the hell up here, now!"

I didn't wait for her answer. Acolyte was out in a flash, Two and Artemis appearing half a heartbeat later. Riley's manectric and mightyena padded over to our sides, his growlithe and houndour behind his larger pokemon.

Luna separated from the abominable houndoom as Oberon swooped down. Riley's flygon hit the fusion with a hammer blow from his tail as it exploded with lightning, ignoring the white-hot electricity washing over him. The houndoom bounced twice and skidded helplessly into the pit of lava, silently sinking into the molten rock.

Oberon landed in front of Riley, bellowing a fearsome cry of victory. Artemis echoed the larger dragon, her roar higher pitched than the flygon.

Then they came. Dozens of them, swarming over the walls of the crater, each of them a new bloody fantasy. I saw twisted dragons mauling Artemis, a monstrous hydra of onix heads slamming Acolyte back into the rock face, we were losing to a storm of creatures we couldn't possibly hope to fight.

Electricity streamed off of Two and bathed Luna's burning opponent in white light. The flaming creature shrugged it off and belched a stream of pressurized water that catapulted my starter into Riley's.

Oberon shrieked in sudden surprise, going down under Luna's impact. A half dozen fusions that I couldn't even begin to fathom swarmed them both. Riley's manectric and mightyena bounded over to help, but sheer numbers forced the two back.

Luna leapt out of the horde as Oberon launched himself skyward. Artemis fled for the skies as well, but I felt the sudden rise in pressure and the coppery taste of metal in my mouth.

The spires around the peak lit up with a thousand bolts of lightning. Luna, Artemis and Oberon shrieked as the cage of light flung them back to the ground, each of them skidding to a halt. Acolyte leapt from his battle with the hydra, beating back an opportunistic creature that had once been a rattata.

I rushed over to my starter as Riley did the same. Neither were moving, either was Artemis. I turned, facing Gideon as the fusions finally halted their advance. Our pokemon were arrayed in a small circle around us, though I doubted they could take much more of this.

Gideon smirked knowingly. "I'm glad you're here to see this," he started. "it felt wrong to do this alone. History deserves an audience, don't you think?"

Movement stirred on the lip of the crater. I took an involuntary step backwards as I turned and followed the lip of the crater all the way around. Dozens more of abominations were sliding into view, all of them glaring directly down at Riley and I. I spun, putting my back to his as I fought back the feelings of despair. We had lost and we never had a chance.

"You were never going to be able to stop this," he said happily. "You struggle against destiny, Ranger! You cannot possibly triumph, cannot defeat fate itself!" He raised the control device, a victorious grin spreading across his face. "I have already won! You look upon your saviour!"

He pressed a button on the device and the world seemed to go quiet for a moment. Then the volcano shook violently, a tremendous shockwave washing over the peak and knocking me to the ground. Dirt and dust billowed into the sky, blotting out the sun as molten rock and lava spewed into view.

The mountain groaned in protest as a thunderous storm of rock slammed back down to earth. I looked up in terror as half the mountain arced back down towards us. This was the end.

A wall of hard light sprung into existence above us. It curved into a smooth arch at the last moment, diverting the storm of stone safely around us.

"Marcus-Trainer, you are safe." The voice in my improvised headset was proud, happy even.

I glanced at my new porygon. "You magnificent machine," I started. "How did you do that?"

"This construct possesses hard light projection capability." It turned a head to look at me. "Along with energy refraction and manipulation."

I blinked numbly. "I don't speak scientist," I said.

My porygon's voice seemed almost smug in my ear. "I can project force fields capable of blunting most physical and energy based attacks."

I smirked as a torrent of falling rock and lava washed against the barrier. It bent and twisted, but my porygon did not falter.

Two hummed with power, the barrier pulsing with energy. It surged with light, the barrier pushing outwards as the last of the falling stones harmlessly impacted the hard light. The avalanche of stone finally abated, a thunderous roar still echoing around the mountain as the stones crashed down the slopes.

The volcanic crater at the peak was littered with glowing stones and puddles of molten rock. Pieces of the fusions that had been on the eastern side of the peak were strewn about, most of them little more than chunks of burnt, bloody flesh. Most of the fusions around us had been crushed by the debris, leaving us safe for the moment.

The sun laboured through the dust and smoke, casting the hellscape in a rusty red light. The heat was oppressive and i sucked back a stale breath of fire and brimstone.

"What the hell was that?" Riley asked.

I looked over to Gideon, who was looking down at the slowly emptying pool of lava with barely restrained glee. He hadn't been knocked over, or harmed in any way. "That," I started with a knowing scowl. "was a doorbell."

"Marcus," Janine's voice crackled. "The sub just exploded! Half the mountain is gone. You gotta get out of there!"

I raised the radio. "He's waking up Moltres. We can't let him-"

Then I felt it and I lost the words. An angry, furiously hot presence reached into my head and blotted out any spare thoughts. All I could see was fire and I knew that Gideon had written our doom.

The lava was draining from the pool, exposing a dancing mane of fire. Burning wings spread and I felt incandescent heat wash over me. Then they flapped and death went before it.

Moltres rose into the air, divine flames streaming from its wings. A few of the fusions fought back, their captive minds immune to the fire god's overwhelming presence. Moltres devastated them all the same, holy fire wiping the altar that had once been the mountain clean.

Then lightning wrapped around the holy raptor, halting its majestic revenge with a sudden snap of electricity. Most of the spires had been damaged or destroyed in the blast, but a few of them were still online.

I felt the mental pressure lift, and felt my mind return to my own. I dropped to my knees, my eyes snapping up to Gideon.

"The hell was that, now?"

I glanced over at Riley. I'd felt something similar when in Articuno's presence, though it had not been so intense. "That is a god's mind," I said. I looked back at Moltres, at the cage of lightning wrapping around it. "And it is angry."

Riley got to his feet, surveying his team. "How do we stop him?" he asked. "We can't fight those fusions, not without help."

I returned most of my team and then dug into my pack, pulling out the full restore. "We've got to try," I said. I stepped over Artemis, looking down at her battered and convulsing wings. She'd taken a beating and been bathed in lightning but I needed her more than ever. "Heal your flygon. Take out those lightning towers. I'll keep Gideon and the fusions off of you."

He raised his full restore, returning his team in the process. "It hurt him too," he said. "We can't get close to them."

"Then do it from afar," I replied. "Free Moltres and we win." I looked back at Gideon. "Free Moltres and Gideon dies."

He turned and treated his flygon as I sprayed the full restore over my aerodactyl. She perked up immediately, nuzzling her nose into my hand.

I pulled back, guilt wracking me at what I was about to ask. I knew she would never refuse. "Artemis," I said with a proud smile. "You think we got him?" I asked, gesturing over my shoulder at Gideon.

She looked up at the mad scientist and growled, curls of faintly blue smoke curling from her jaws. My aerodactyl nodded, her eyes never leaving Gideon.

I mounted my pokemon and gritted my teeth. "Then let's go get his attention."

I didn't wait for Riley to move. We launched into the sky, Artemis roaring a furious challenge to the twisting mass of onix heads. She hung at the top of her arc for a moment, holding us up as Gideon turned and looked up in surprise.

"Give him hell, girl," I ordered.

She threw us into a steep dive, cutting under a flying boulder launched by one of the onix tails. I held fast, waiting for the moment as she spun wildly around a second boulder. She flared her wings as she extended her hind claws and landed atop the fearsome fusion of onix heads.

I jumped free, releasing Luna as I sailed desperately leapt away from the creature. I hit the ground hard, rolling away from the thrashing stone serpent before it could crush me.

"Keep it occupied!" I roared as I pounded my way towards the mad scientist in front of me. "Stay alive!"

I ignored the deafening shrieks of fury and shattering cacophony of stones slamming into stone. Fire and psychic light erupted behind me as Luna opened up with all she had. I could hear Artemis roaring and felt the rumbling bellow of the fusion shake the mountain beneath my feet. My pokemon could give me time, enough to maybe stop Gideon myself.

Gideon was panicking, keying in a command on the control device as I closed with him. The flaming creature rose, looking down at me with a blank expression. I could see now that it was a twisted magmortar, one that burned brighter than any natural pokemon had a right to be.

I ran hard, hand on my belt. Two was out in a flash, a hard light barrier springing into place just in time to deflect a burst of white-hot flame skyward. It swung a long tail with a heavy red ball on the end of it as I dashed past, trying desperately to stop me from reaching its master. I scrambled under the swing and released Acolyte as electricity sparked along the length of the creature's tail.

Acolyte's club intercepted and absorbed the bolt of lightning as Two summoned a swirling ball of chaotic light. I tore my gaze away, intently focused on the man responsible for the chaos behind me. I could hear Two's monotone babbling in my headset, the titanic struggle of the hydra, panicked screaming through the radio. All of it, all the chaos caused by one man.

My sidearm was gone, knocked halfway down the volcano. I'd left my rifle back on the Fang to lighten the load for our flight over. As I pounded towards the mad scientist, I knew I wasn't going to need either of them.

I leapt into the punch, throwing all my weight behind the blow. Gideon ducked to the side as my fist glanced off his ear. I hit Gideon at full speed, my shoulder slamming into his chest and throwing us both to the ground in a tangle of flying limbs.

The control device went bouncing, landing several feet away. Gideon bucked and tried desperately to get out from underneath me but I was heavier and stronger than he was. I clambered atop him as he reached for the device and drove a fist into his jaw.

I rose my fist again as Gideon threw his arms up in a weak defence. He got an arm in front of my hammer blow, stopping me from breaking his nose. Vector's fate replayed in my mind again and again, the killing blow echoing repeatedly in my mind with every blow I landed.

"You killed him!" I shrieked wildly, punctuating each word with another blow. Gideon's ineffectual defence fell away beneath me, but all I could see was red. "You're going to pay for what you did."

Another crushing blow found its way past Gideon's guard. His head lolled back and his arms fell uselessly to the ground.

I felt my heart grow heavy as I looked down at him. His face was a bloody mess, nose bent to the side and blood painting the both of us. "You killed him and he… he didn't even want to be a trained pokemon."

Gideon mumbled something through bloodied lips. I didn't catch it. I didn't care. my hands found their way around his throat and I squeezed with all the strength I had. "This is better than you deserve," I said coldly. "but this has to end."

He coughed and bucked wildly beneath me, but I held tight. His eyes darted around wildly, his hands scrabbling desperately for any purchase. I lifted him slightly off the rock, intending to smash his head back down until he finally stopped fighting.

Something warm and wet wrapped tightly around my waist and flung me backwards. The world flipped end over end before something caught me a few inches off the ground.

"Marcus-Trainer," said two. "Retrieve the control device and I can stop them."

Two let me go as I got to my feet. "Keep helping Acolyte. We have to hold them until Riley gets Moltres free!"

I glanced up at the new attacker as Two darted back around the magmortar and didn't even bother to make sense of it. It had maybe been a grass type at one point, but it defied any attempts at mental explanation. It was vaguely humanoid, its splotchy green body covered in small black spikes. It laughed staccato over the carnage of battle and then broke open at the neck. A long, prehensile tongue lolled out and reached for me as my hand dropped to the last ball on my belt.

It snapped up, wrapping around my wrist before I could release Curie. I felt my entire arm go numb, felt it fall like dead weight and stumbled backwards. The creature's tongue wrapped around my chest again and wound tightly around my neck.

I went completely slack. There was nothing I could do to stop this. I couldn't move, couldn't feel a thing aside from the numb tingling across my body. Gideon was stirring and I couldn't move a muscle.

He was laughing. Gideon was laughing through the blood and pain. The creature turned me to face him as he rose and I saw the twisted enjoyment on his bruised and broken face.

"You almost had me," he spat through the blood. He bent down and lifted the control device from the rocks. "I won though, just like I-"

I saw Janine's venomoth surge over the lip of the crater on a psychic wind, a beam of shimmering iridescent light carving down through the smoke. It hit Gideon in the back and carved clean through him mid-word.

He came apart in front of me, simply ceasing to be. The control unit fell against the rocks again and smashed to a half dozen pieces, the precious sapphire shattering upon impact. Gideon's halves fell forward and landed unceremonious on the volcanic rock.

The fusion holding me shrieked in surprise, throwing up a wall of murky black shadow that blunted the psybeam. Its tongue dropped me unceremoniously and snapped up to entangle Janine and her venomoth.

A kaleidoscope of alien light erupted from the poison moth's compound eyes, smashing through the barrier like it wasn't even there. The fusion screeched as the signal beam sliced through the creature's tongue and carved through the base of the neck. Its screech of pain died suddenly as Janine's venomoth swooped down, bisecting the fusion and dropping it to the ground.

Janine leapt from her bug's back as it took flight over the raging battle. She was at my side, shaking me as she desperately checked on me.

"I'm… okay…" I said, fighting to get the words out through a mouth that refused to move. My eyes looked over at Riley, at the bolt of lightning that flung his flygon harmlessly away from the device. "Help… him…"

She followed my gaze to the method of Moltres' imprisonment. The fusions were still fighting, and without the control device to order them off they'd kill us all.

"Stay here," she ordered, the barest traces of a laugh on her face at her joke. I couldn't have moved even if I had tried.

Then she was gone, sprinting headlong through the battle like a suicidal maniac. I watched her go with fear and awe, my heart jumping into my throat as the two overwhelmingly powerful fusions turned their attention to the newcomer in the battle.

She slid under the magmortar's legs, not waiting for Two to create her a path. My porygon leapt into action regardless, summoning a barrier that sprung into place just behind her. The magmortar's attack rebounded back on itself, blinding it for a brief moment as Janine sprinted away.

The twisting and endless ouroboros of onix heads plunged towards her, shaking off Artemis' harassment from above. Brutus appeared just in the nick of time, his thick pillar-like arms catching the falling onix heads. Janine sprinted by as Luna dashed along the length of the hydra, pelting the bleeding joints between serpents with glowing balls of green light.

I lost her behind the hydra as the battle turned away from our favour. Another onix head slammed into Brutus from behind, finally finding an opponent that they could actually catch. Luna and Artemis descended on the onix hydra but it was too little too late. Brutus was already trapped.

Then I felt it. The mountain below me jumped like it had just been struck by a meteor. I felt it rumble beneath me, saw and heard the spray of flying rock tumble down the far side of the mountain. The peak tipped and I felt wind rushing over me as I fought desperately to move.

Then my mind was lost to fire and hate. The world shook and burned and I let myself be taken by the storm.

My first breath was hot and sooty. I hacked a cough, spitting out dry puffs of ash and smoke. The second breath wasn't much better, but I caught the faint salty taste of seawater.

I forced myself up, noticing that my body seemed to respond to my commands once more. It still felt unnatural, like I was forcing movement, but at least I could move. I looked up and out of the small tent in awe and tried not to crap my pants in terror.

What was left of Mount Ember was burning above us. Great cavities had been opened up in the mountain, irreparably reshaping the peak of the volcano into something new. I could still feel the oppressive anger of Moltres' presence, but it was quiet and muted compared to before.

I felt something stir on my lap and looked down as Luna enveloped me completely. I coughed madly and wrapped my heavy arms around her as my ninetales fussed over my ragged appearance. I could hear Artemis grunting and shoving and Acolyte's frustrated groan as the tent collapsed on top of us.

Artemis shrieked as the tent landed on her back, twisting back and snapping at the fabric with her jaws. She tore a large hole and then looked back at me, satisfied with my safety after defeating the terrible tent monster.

Movement outside my cocoon of protective pokemon drew my attention. Janine was there, smiling widely and doing a terrible job of hiding her bleary red eyes. Riley and Bill were flanking her but I only had eyes for Janine. I could hear more voices, happy and victorious voices all celebrating a hard won victory.

"You've been crying," I said weakly as I struggled to look at her. I sat up a little straighter, forcing Luna to let me up. "Did something happen?"

She punched me in the shoulder and I saw her break into a wide grin. "You happened, you big dumb idiot. You got yourself paralyzed and then disappeared." She threw her arms around me and pulled me into a crushing hug. "I thought we lost you when the mountain broke. Moltres burned away the fusions but you were just gone." She gestured around at my pokemon. "Two and Luna caught you," she said with a waver in her voice. "Caught you and kept you safe."

I looked around. Two and Luna, Artemis and Acolyte, even Curie was sitting with me. "Did we win?" I asked cautiously. I remembered Gideon dying, but everything after that was a blur.

Riley nodded and stepped forward, shoving his sleeve up to his elbow. "Damn right we did," he said. He bared his wrist towards me and I saw the band of fiery red wrapping around it. "Moltres even thought I was worthy of its special mark."

I rolled my sleeve back and extended my wrist. "Just like Articuno gave me this."

His eyes widened and he looked between me and my mark excitedly. "That's gotta mean something," he said. "It's also cool as shit!"

"Yeah," I said as a grin came to my face. "I guess it is."

"Janine!" Bill shouted from outside the remnants of the tent. "We've got company. Lapras, riding the waves. Someone's on its back."

Janine and I locked eyes. We both knew who it was. We both knew the danger that meant. Especially if our suspicions were correct and Lorelei was in Rocket's pocket.

"Get me up," I said. "Now." I reached up, squirming towards the side of the bed.

She grabbed my hand, hauling my clumsy and stubborn legs off the makeshift bed. I stumbled, my knees buckling under my own weight. Janine caught me though, wrapping my left arm around her and supporting me with her shoulder.

"I got you," she said under her breath. "We got her together. We can take her if we surprise her."

I looked at her, silent for a moment as my mind worked. With Rocket defeated, we had an opportunity to feign ignorance. "Let me talk to her," I said. "I have an idea. Just go with it and don't contradict me unless she attacks first."

I saw her eyes flicker with inspiration. "You're gonna let her think that you don't know she's involved."

I nodded. "It's worth a shot." I took a weak step and didn't fall, most of my weight supported by Janine. "Could trick her into thinking we're dumber than we look."

She propped me up as we walked, making sure that my stubbornly clumsy feet didn't trip me up. We stepped out onto the beach, the waves peacefully lapping at the beach compared to the raging storm from before.

Rockets were sitting around the camp, hands bound and guarded by one of Janine or Leopold's pokemon. The sardonic shinobi nodded at me in respect as I passed and then turned back to the groups of Rockets we had captured.

Lorelei was atop her majestic lapras, one hand grasping the creature's long neck. She coasted in from the sea and slowed to a halt in the shallows.

One of the islanders waved at her from another boat. The Elite waved back, exchanging words for a moment. The islander pointed over at the beach and Lorelei turned to follow it. Her eyes raked over prisoners gathered on the beach. They found me and I saw the tension ratchet up as her curious expression hardened.

Her lapras approached shore, slowing to a halt as the water grew too shallow for it. The Elite slipped off her pokemon's back and into the water. She stood there for a moment, patting her lapras before it turned back to sea and departed to loiter in deeper waters.

"Elite Kanna," I said, projecting my voice over the water. "Glad you could finally join us." I smirked knowingly. "I hate to say I told you so, but I did tell you our intel was good."

She nodded, her eyes still scanning the captured Rocket grunts. "That you did, Ranger." She settled her gaze back on me and I felt the accusation in her eyes. "Congratulations on your victory. Surge will be pleased."

"As will Lance," Janine replied. "He seemed most interested in speaking with the Rocket captives himself."

"I do not doubt that," Lorelei said coldly. "He wants to get to the bottom of this Rocket business as much as anyone." She looked around, regarding the small encampment as if she was analyzing how much effort it would take to wipe us all away and pretend that Moltres did it. "Do you have transportation back to Kanto? That storm destroyed most of the vessels I have moored around the islands, but I still have a few that could make the trip."

Janine stepped forward, letting me stand on my own. "My ship is strong. The Poison Fang is already underway. She should arrive within the hour and is well capable of carrying us and our captives back to Kanto."

Lorelei narrowed her gaze. "That won't be necessary," she said. "I'll bring these captives directly to the Champion. I'm sure you understand, he wishes for this to be resolved without having to go through a lengthy prisoner transfer."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Janine replied. "Fuchsian tradition states that captured opponents must be cared for by their captors. I will not shirk my duty and dishonour my clan." She nodded, setting her jaw. "I will ensure that Lance is given all the access to the captives he requires. I imagine many League higher ups will be interested in what the captives have to say."

Lorelei's expression hardly faltered, but for half a moment I saw the panic and fear on her face. She flashed back to her grim countenance a moment later, but I knew that she was afraid of that. No doubt, the Rockets could easily implicate her if given a chance to testify.

"I'm afraid I must insist," she replied. "I cannot allow these Rockets to escape justice, as have many other operatives in the past." She cocked her head to the side, staring straight at Janine. "I'm sure that you understand. League security takes precedence over supposed honour."

I saw Janine tense up and felt her mood shift towards aggression. "I'm afraid that Ranger Command is waiting for them," I said. "Fuchsia is preparing already." I took a shaky step forwards and planted my feet beside Janine, trying my best to smile happily. "I suspect that Surge and Lance will be waiting. Perhaps you could escort us to ensure the Fang arrives in a timely fashion."

Her gaze shifted to my innocent smile. I saw her studying me, and could see the gears turning in her mind. "That won't be necessary," she said. "If Lance will meet you in Fuchsia, then there is no need for me to leave Sevii." She glanced back at the gathered ships still moored in the small harbour. "They'll need me."

I nodded. "Yes they will." I offered her the most genuine smile I could. Maybe she was in Rocket's pocket, maybe she was working with them willingly. It wasn't much, but there was a chance I could appeal to her humanity. "I have a feeling we all will."

She lifted an arm, waving back to her lapras. The large aquatic pokemon lazily curled into the shallows again. "Then I hope we shall meet again, Ranger. Perhaps it will be under better circumstances."

I nodded back. "I hope it will be."

She nodded in reply, saying nothing but mounting her lapras. She left, only after pausing amongst the ships moored in the harbour to coordinate recovery efforts after the storm.

Janine and I didn't move until she left, standing in resolute silence until we were absolutely sure the danger was gone.

She turned to me and I saw the solemn frown. "My men retrieved Vector's body for you," she started. "so you could give him a proper burial."

I slung an arm around her. "Thank you," I said quietly. I'd wanted to do so myself, but there hadn't been time while we were chasing Gideon. "I… I failed him. He didn't even really want to be a part of my team at first. I bribed him with honey. I dragged him into this and he saved me without hesitation." I looked out mournfully at the ocean. "He'd still be alive if I hadn't caught him."

"He was a good bug," Janine remarked.

"The best bug," I confirmed. We fell into silence, Janine resting her head against me while she supported my weight. It was nice, peaceful even, just watching the waves roll in. I just wished that it hadn't come at such a heavy cost.

Leopold was the one to break the silence. He stepped up to the shore, trudging heavily through the sand. I couldn't blame him. We were all tired. He stood there, toes touching the warm ocean water, and glanced at the two of us. "He's awake," he said. "Says he needs to speak with the Ranger."

I raised an eyebrow. "Who?" I asked.

Janine grinned widely and I knew we had made a huge breakthrough. "Archer," she said. "And he's got some explaining to do."

"So," said the tall man. "Sevii has fallen. Just as you said it would."

"Yes," replied the shorter man. "But Project Catalyst survived and is ready to deploy. Our diversion worked, even if it did cost us Archer and Gideon."

The tall man scowled. "Gideon was never among our true plans." The Persian behind his chair shifted and stepped into the light. "He was a tool blinded by his own usefulness. The fusions are powerful, but they are hardly a countermeasure for our real problem." He waved his hand. "I am not concerned with these minor losses. Let the Ranger and the Shinobi think they have won a victory. It will hardly matter when we move on Silph."

"Is that soon?" the short man asked. "The men are getting restless."

"Patience," he replied. "We move too early and our chance at ending this debacle early is lost. Perhaps it is a fool's hope, but I still believe that the ball could work. Maybe not in my hands, but there are alternatives."

"Still?" the short man asked again. "Even after everything that he has done?"

"It," the tall man corrected. "It is not a he, it is a creation. An abomination of nature." He shook his head slightly. "I was careless once and we unleashed something beyond our control. I will not allow this mistake to fulfill its dream."

There was a long silence. "I meant one of the boys," the short man replied. "You still believe that they will prove their worth? They have defied us at every turn."

The tall man nodded solemnly. "I do." He got up, turning away from the desk and looking out over the city. Saffron was still sleepy in the early hour, the Rangers' lockdown stifling the city nightlife. "They'll do what's right. Because it's what we would do."

The shorter man made no move to reply. He departed through the double doors that led to his secret elevator. He would be back. He always came back.

Pokédex Entry # 146 – Moltres

Moltres is a being that is well tracked and revered throughout human history. Cinnabarean tribesmen worshipped the firebird until recent years, and the Sevii Islanders continue this practice to this day. Its true sanctuary is unknown, however Ranger intel has tracked it to multiple volcanoes in the seas south of Kanto.

Moltres commands an eternal flame that never burns out. It is said that the League's flame is a preserved Moltres flame.

All attempts to approach this creature have been met with extreme hostility. Ranger command urges all trainers to keep their distance and report sightings to your nearest Ranger post.

Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101

Indigo Ranger Corps, Special Task Group, "Zapdos" Squad,

Corporal SN# 109-512-6591, Marcus Wright, current team:

Luna, Ninetales

Artemis, Aerodactyl

Acolyte, Marowak

Two, Porygon-2

Curie, Chansey

joshthewriter · Aug 13, 2023

Journey

Death of Duty

Part 6: Secrets and Lies

Conservation

History walks the earth once more. — Alexander Vargas

The phone rang aggressively, rousing me from the half-drunk slumber. I sat up, fumbling with my pokegear and dropping a stray glass to the floor. It shattered, and Janine shot up in the bed beside me.

"Rockets?!" she half yelled, still slurring the word.

I finally grabbed my pokegear and silenced the call. "It's just the phone," I said numbly. "Go back to sleep."

Janine rolled over as I swung my legs off the bed and answered the phone.

"Wrigh-" My foot went into the shards of glass and I swore loudly as I sliced the side of my foot open. I hobbled to the hotel suite's bathroom, taking care to avoid bleeding on the white carpet that Janine had already ruined with a drink the night before.

I sat down on the toilet and hung my foot into the tub, turning on the tap and rinsing the blood from my foot. "Wright here," I said finally.

"How's the vacation, kid?" Surge asked jovially. "Sounds like it's been eventful."

I rubbed my bleary eyes as I turned off the tap. "Ask me after I've woken up. I need coffee."

I could hear him chuckling. "Janine running you ragged, is she?"

I couldn't help but agree. I'd found that while I could hold my liquor, Janine pounded back drinks like she'd been wandering in a desert. The night was a blur of drunken revelry and chaotic action, blurry scenes coming back to me as I sat on the toilet and pulled out the hotel room's first aid kit.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that Leader Katsura finally approved your request for audience. He'll have an appointment for you this evening, over dinner."

I smiled. Janine had been trying to get in proper contact with Blaine Katsura since we had arrived. Archer had given us an endless amount of leads to chase around Kanto, as well as sporadic contact between himself and high ranking League members. Nothing solid or concrete, but enough to draw at least some cursory attention. Blaine was one such lead.

Blaine was one of the few that Surge was worried about. The man was a recluse, living high on the volcano that dominated Cinnabar's landscape. He'd worked with Surge, back when both men were members of the Indigo Aces Surge had called him a scientific genius, above the gritty day to day grind of the Aces.

"Janine will be happy," I said. "She's been trying to coordinate naval operations to choke off the last bit of Rocket smuggling and this will-"

"She was not invited," Surge replied. "Blaine asked for you alone."

I frowned as I wrapped my foot in a large bandage. "I'm not the one that wanted the audience, even if he is a person of interest to Archer."

"I know," Surge said. "But Blaine insisted. He's a strange one. Be careful with him."

I nodded, my head clearing slightly as I woke up. "When do you need me back in Vermillion?" I asked. "We were still planning on visiting Sawtooth Island."

"Not for a week or so," he replied. "Rocket's still dark since those kids shut down the Lavender operation. With Harding and McCulloch chasing down Archer's leads at the moment, it's just a waiting game until we have something solid." I could practically hear the smile in his voice. "Enjoy the vacation, kid. You sure as hell earned it in Sevii."

I smiled despite my splitting headache. "Thank you sir." A noise from the room drew my attention and I tested my bandaged foot. "I'll report back once we depart for Fuchsia."

He ended the call as I struggled to my feet and exited the bathroom. Janine was stirring, but the covers were still pulled up over her head. I limped across to the window and threw open the heavy red blackout curtains. The massive volcano that dominated Cinnabar sat with some wispy clouds pressing up against the far side, with the beach glistening in the morning sunlight.

"Let's go," I said, turning to face Janine. I pulled down the blanket, exposing her shirtless back and shoulders. "The ferry is in an hour."

She stretched and yawned, cracking open an eye and looking up at me. "Do we have to?" she croaked. Her eye closed and she moaned in obvious pain. "How much did we drink?"

I shrugged, the night before still a little hazy behind the mind numbing headache. "I doubt we emptied the bar."

She grabbed the blanket and pulled it back up over her. "We'll try again later."

I smirked despite the pain. "I'll get the coffee. Get in the shower." I pulled on my swim shorts and grabbed the unbuttoned shirt with garish red charmander print. "I'll be back in ten minutes, we have the ferry to Sawtooth in two hours."

She nodded as she buried her face in the covers.

I pulled the shirt on and slipped the sandals by the door onto my feet. I opened the door and stepped out, closing it as quietly as I could behind me. I smiled and weakly waved at the room staff as they stepped out of the villa next door.

The room staff would not be happy with the mess we had made for them today, but Janine had apologized in advance the first night of our stay and given the most generous tip that I had ever seen. If they had complaints, we were definitely not going to hear them.

I walked down the steps to our villa, smiling in the direction of the pristine white sandy beach. The seaside resort was already alive with movement, guests and staff alike enjoying the sunny morning. I made my way away from the beach and towards the complex of small buildings laying further inland.

Artemis swooped down from above, landing on the sandy beach beside the path. She trilled happily and shook herself off in the morning sun.

"Morning girl," I said, stepping off the path. I scratched my aerodactyl under her chin, eliciting a happy growl. "you ready to go back to Sawtooth?"

Artemis reared back on her hind legs and announced her cheer with a loud roar. She spread her wings and took off, flying back in the general direction of the resort's pokemon kennels.

I grinned as she left. My aerodactyl was giddy at the thought of going home. I'd no doubt hear it from the hotel staff that my pokemon were not supposed to leave the kennels, but it's not like there was anything they could do to stop Artemis from flying wherever she wanted.

"Good morning, mister Marcus," called the squat olive skinned man as I approached the coffee bar sitting in front of the main resort building. "I didn't expect to see you so soon!" He smirked knowingly. "Did miss Janine survive the attempt at history?"

I chuckled despite the headache that came with a night of binge drinking. "That remains to be decided, Marcel," I replied. "I've come to see if some coffee might rouse her."

He nodded and turned back to the large coffee maker that sat behind the bar. "Maurice told me the damage," Marcel said, an ever present smile worn across his face. "Would you like to know how close you came?"

I raised an eyebrow. "We were close?" I asked.

Janine's bright idea yesterday had been to attempt to drink Marcel's and Maurice's bar dry overnight. I hadn't expected to come close, let alone succeed, but Janine had a way of being very persuasive. Crazy plans seemed a little less crazy with her. Or maybe I just didn't mind because she was around.

Marcel pulled a pair of coffee cups from behind the bar and set them down in front of me. "Almost halfway there," he said. "I don't think I've ever seen two people drink quite so much."

I nodded, my head throbbing with the movement. "We'll be back tonight," I said as my stomach protested the idea. "Janine was insistent that we empty your bar."

Marcel lifted the carafe of coffee off the machine and poured a generous amount into our cups. He knelt down, lifting a bottle of amber cream liqueur. "Shall we start the day strong, mister Marcus?"

I glanced down at the cream liqueur. "Why not?" I said with a shrug and a grin. The sun was shining and the day was new. Plus, it might actually get Janine out of bed.

She was up. It had taken both the coffees and promise of more spiked drinks, but Janine was up and mobile. She emerged from the shower maybe half an hour later as I returned from the second coffee run, pulling a short purple sun dress over her head.

I set down the coffees and pulled the camo Ranger cap off my head, fanning myself in the tropical heat. "I'm still not used to it," I said as I stared in awe. "You should wear dresses more."

Janine's eyes flashed with happiness and she smirked. "Can't exactly fight well in a dress," she said.

"I wasn't thinking about fighting," I said. "I was thinking about—"

"I know what you were thinking about," she said with a mischievous grin. "You'll just have to wait until we get back."

I pulled her in, my hands on her waist. "Well what if I just—"

She interrupted me with a kiss, silencing me before I could even finish my sentence. "Just nothing," she said as she pulled back. "Ferry's waiting, right?"

I nodded in reply. "Right," I confirmed. I smiled happily, content with just about every part of the moment. The sun was shining, Janine was as gorgeous as ever, and my aerodactyl was getting a chance to go back home.

I took her by the hand and led Janine out of our room. The sun was high in the sky and not a thing in the world could ruin my day. Our only stop was the pokemon ranch, where I picked up Artemis for her trip back to her home. The rest of my pokemon could stay and get pampered for the day. They'd earned the rest.

It turned out that I had been hopelessly optimistic. I'd been mildly nauseous aboard the Poison Fang,but aboard the small and cramped ferry that crossed the hundred or so miles to Sawtooth Island I was turning a sickly shade of green. We were the only tourists however, most of the other passengers being potential buyers or prehistoric researchers.

Janine rubbed gently between my shoulder blades, smiling up at the volcano above. We could see winged shadows circling near the peak, with the unmistakeable profile of aerodactyl higher up above.

"Artemis will be happy to see her own kind," Janine said as the ship slowly pulled into the dock, "and you haven't shut up about the breeder since we got to Cinnabar."

I looked up as the ship finally ground to a halt. The ship's crewmen were already tossing lines to the dock workers, who tied them down with expert efficiency.

"Erika had apparently bought a patch of lileep off of him," I said, for a hundredth time.

"And he had just happened to hatch his first clutch of naturally lain aerodactyl eggs a month before," Janine finished. "It's almost like you've told me this story before."

I grinned, ear to ear. "I just really like the idea of bringing these creatures back to life. They've been gone so long and Sawtooth is a perfect isolated place to rebuild these species."

Janine smirked. "You read that off the tour guide."

"Word for word," I replied.

We stepped off the ship and onto the dock. The footpath led inland, winding through dense jungle that loomed oppressively over the beach. I could see a helipad through the trees

The rest of the researchers piled into a waiting truck that sped off down the beach, leaving just Janine and myself with a waiting island staffer and a pair of trainers that had to be prospective customers. More staffers were emerging from the squat building against the trees, a pair of forklifts with them to help unload the ship.

I glanced over at the other trainers, offering a smile as the staffer led us through the trees to the helipad. "You here to buy?" I asked.

They nodded in unison.

"Kabutops," said one. His sandy blonde hair was cropped short, the ghost of stubble flecking his chiselled chin. He was effortlessly handsome in the rugged sort of way.

"Aerodactyl," said the other. She was taller than the other, her brown hair cut short at the shoulders. "How about you?"

I held up Artemis' ball. "Bringing my aerodactyl back to show off how she's grown."

The woman's eyes lit up. "You already have an aerodactyl?" she asked, excitement slipping into her voice. "What's she like?"

I smiled, happy to relay the information I'd been forced to learn the hard way. "She's a handful at times, has a bit of a tendency to slip into some sort of primal rage if she's been hurt." I glanced down at the woman's ball belt. "Make sure your team can handle one before you add it to the team."

She looked at the ball, then studied me for a brief moment. "You're a league challenger, aren't you?" she asked.

I smiled as my cheeks blushed slightly. I hadn't been recognized in public since Celadon and hadn't even been used to it then. "I was, but that's sort of on hold at the moment. I kinda joined the Rangers after that huge mess in Celadon a couple months back."

"I thought I recognized you. Marcus Wright," she replied, remembering my name. She glanced over at Janine. "And I knew I recognized Janine Anzu."

Janine slipped an arm around me. "In the flesh," she said with surprise in her voice. "I'm sorry, you have us at a disadvantage."

She pulled her companion forward, a tall blonde man with a gaunt smile. "This is my brother Chris," she said cheerfully.

Chris grunted and waved noncommittally. He clearly was not enthused by the prospect of conversation.

"I'm Tanya!" she said with no small amount of enthusiasm, more than making up for her brother. "We're on our own League challenges, hoping to hit up Blaine for badge number seven." She scowled as she fell silent. "He won't respond to our requests for a League battle though, so we thought to hit up Sawtooth Island before we left and maybe head over to Johto for our last two badges."

"Not a bad plan," I said, keeping my own meeting with Blaine quiet. Tanya and Chris seemed nice, but I didn't need people prying into Blaine when he was possibly a member of Rocket. "Johto's gyms are supposedly easier from what I gathered online." I shrugged. "Not that I'd know. Furthest I've been from home was Sevii."

"Never left Kanto yet?" Tanya asked cheerfully. "You really ought to explore the world. There's so much out there to see!"

I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment. "I could never really afford it until Silph sponsored me. Now, I've just been too busy to do much travelling. So much training to do and the world has a way of not letting you take time away."

Chris grunted, nodding in agreement. "Always something coming up," he said dryly. "Some asshole who needs to be stopped or some kind of upstart gang making waves."

I couldn't help but nod in agreement myself. "There's always an asshole that needs put in their place."

Tanya shot Chris and I a sideways glance before shaking her head. "Boys…" she said, trailing off.

"Don't let him fool you," Janine said with a grin. "He's really just a big teddiursa under the grim, Ranger exterior."

"Chris too," Tanya replied. "But he'll never let you see it." She smirked as she glanced at her brother. "He prefers playing the stoic warrior."

"Boys…" Janine echoed, chuckling at Tanya.

Chris and I turned to look at the women. Before either of us could say a word, the roar of a helicopter drowned out the thoughts.

It swept over the side of the dormant volcano, coming in low over the jungle. It dropped to the treetops and came in for an abrupt landing on the helipad.

"There's our ride," I said, glancing to Janine.

He stepped out of the helicopter, looking like he was more at home digging through rock and dirt than a lab. He swept the wide brimmed hat off his head and dusted off the vest of a thousand pockets. "Welcome to my island!" he shouted over the roar of the helicopter.

He waved us over, ushering us into the chopper and passing around the headsets before we could even strap ourselves in.

He disappeared back into the cockpit for a moment, shouting for the pilot and pointing up at the peak. He returned, pulling a headset on as he grinned wildly. "As I said, welcome to Sawtooth!"

The helicopter lifted off the ground moments later, the man holding to a support bar latched to the ceiling. "I'm Alejandro Vargas, owner and head researcher of the Sawtooth Isle Paleo-Breeding Facility." He grinned wildly, casting his gaze around at the four of us. "I've got a hell of a treat for you four today."

I locked eyes with him. "Mr. Vargas, good to finally meet you."

"Likewise, Ranger Wright," he responded. "I hope Artemis has treated you well."

I beamed proudly. "She'll do you proud," I said. "practically a model competitive battler."

Vargas grinned and sat his wide brimmed hat back on his head. "Good to hear," he said. "I'll have to get a full demonstration later." He turned, looking out the window and down into the valley below. "For now, I would advise you all take a look out your windows and—"

"OHMYGODCHRISLOOK!"

Vargas leaned back, grinning at the reaction. He'd clearly been waiting for something of the sort.

I followed Tanya's frantically pointing finger and I felt my jaw drop. I tried to form words, but my dumbfounded mind could hardly process what I was looking at. Janine's stunned silence told me she saw it too.

The icy blue-yellow of an aurorus' sails rose from the water, an aura of frozen crystals falling into the small lake. It looked warily up at the helicopter roaring overhead as a pair of young amaura followed it out of the shallows and onto shore.

A small herd of bastiodon clustered around several young shieldon on the opposite end of the lake, watching the large rampardos that lumbered towards the water for a drink.

I could see movement from deep within the lake itself, a massive patterned shell shifting towards one of the deeper portions of the lake. It sank below the surface and I lost the pattern in the murky water.

I glanced over at Vargas, who was watching our reactions eagerly. "How many species?" I asked.

"Eleven evolutionary lines at the moment," he replied. "However, we are currently working on a batch of fossils from Galar that would bring us up to fifteen different species." He looked out the window, scanning the tree line as he looked for something. "Most of the species are capable of cohabitation in this paddock, but some have proven to require more… private enclosures."

He turned, pointing to a building rising from the western shore of the island. "We have a large aquatic enclosure, holding four or five species. We do let them roam the rivers that cross the island and we created the lake you see below. Best we can do to let them stretch and swim."

"You can't let them swim in the ocean?" Tanya asked, turning away from the window.

Vargas shook his head. "Unfortunately, we cannot risk the species here escaping into the wild. The risks of ecological disaster are simply too high. These species have been gone for a millennia. Best to study them here, learn all we can from them before anyone makes any rash decisions like that."

Chris turned to look at him. "Isn't that unethical? To keep these creatures here like this?"

"I'd rather not get into ethical debates right now," Vargas replied with a frown. "Especially with a pokemon trainer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris replied. I could feel the indignation in his words.

Janine's attention shifted away from the windows and Vargas seemed to sense that he had offended his visitors.

Vargas leaned back, thinking carefully. "Neither of us have a leg to stand on if that's the argument you wish to make. Pokemon capture and training is inherently unethical if you want to get into the specifics." He shrugged. "We overlook that because it's often a symbiotic relationship that helps both trainer and pokemon learn and grow, but at its core the entire practice is inherently unethical." He shrugged and looked back out the window. "You have your teams, I have my island. Not much of a difference in my mind, except my pokemon are slightly more likely to chew your arm off if you mistreat them."

Chris sat back, seemingly mollified for the moment. I stared out the window, watching a large bird with colourful plumage land on the edge of the tree line. Vargas' words hung heavy in my mind. I'd had thoughts of my pokemon being smarter than I'd originally thought and the idea of training and capturing them being unethical? It ate away at me. I pushed the thoughts away, trying to ignore the weight on my conscience.

The helicopter jerked, carrying us up towards the peak. Silence fell on the helicopter and none of us spoke a word as the vehicle set down on a small helipad hanging off the mountain.

Four gondolas were waiting above, each of them leading down towards a different corner of the island. Three of them had clearly seen their fair share of use, with the paint fading and sun bleaching the colour away. The fourth was pristine, not a scuff or scratch marring the bright red paint.

Vargas was out of the helicopter first, with Tanya and Chris following close behind. I pushed the conversation in the helicopter from my mind as Vargas led us towards the small building set into the mountain itself.

He turned, a wide grin worn on his face. "So," he started. "Let's get down to business. You're here to buy?" he asked, looking over at Tanya and Chris.

They nodded in unison.

"Kabutops," said Chris.

"Aerodactyl," added Tanya.

Vargas' grin seemed to widen if that was even possible. "I have several specimens of each species that are a suitable age."

"We were hoping for something battle-ready," Chris said. "We're going for our seventh badges. We don't have time to raise a baby."

Vargas shrugged. "I'm afraid that I can't hand out any of the juveniles in good conscience. They're simply too old to reliably bond with a human, too entrenched in their primal mindset." He shook his head. "A child will have to do. They should be ready to fly by the time that payment and the required paperwork clears."

Tanya looked over at me, as if she was looking for my assistance.

"Artemis nearly killed one of my pokemon before I really had her under control." I gestured over at Vargas. I didn't really like the man all that much, but he was the foremost expert on prehistoric pokemon. "If he says something about these pokemon, I'd be inclined to listen."

Vargas turned back to Tanya as she seemed to deflate somewhat. "Would you like to see the specimens before you make a decision?"

Tanya's eyes lit up at the suggestion.

We emerged from the tunnel on the other side of the mountain and stepped into a large cave enclosed by a cage jutting from the mountainside.

Small piles of bones and scat lined the cage. A series of dim lights offered some small amount of comfort to the small ledge we stood upon. I could see an opening to the sky and could hear rustling from the darkness.

Vargas raised one hand to his mouth and whistled a loud, sharp blast.

I heard her move first, heavy footfalls drawing closer as her claws dragged closer to us. Two large, razor sharp claws appeared over the ledge, followed by a familiar pair of powerful forelimbs.

She was larger than Artemis, probably more than twice the size if the length of her claws and forelimbs were any indication. Then the aerodactyl's head poked above the ledge, at least a half dozen scaly hatchlings hanging off her crest.

The mother aerodactyl bowed her head towards Vargas. Three hatchlings dropped onto him, coiling around his arms and shoulders as they curiously regarded us.

"This is Mother," Vargas said, gesturing up at the massive aerodactyl. "She's the first and only specimen of the first gen fossil resurrection project to successfully reproduce on her own." He turned to face us. "She is the mother of this brood, as well as the previous hatchling brood that Ranger Wright purchased a hatchling from."

"She's magnificent," Tanya said.

Vargas beamed as Mother nuzzled her snout into the side of his face. I was reminded of Artemis' shows of affection and couldn't help the grin that came to my face. "Would you like to meet one of the hatchlings?" Vargas asked. "These three are beginning to grasp flight on their own. They should be ready for sale by the end of the month."

Tanya reached out to the closest of the young, holding out a hand gently. One of the younglings stretched out and sniffed at her hand.

"How quickly do they grow?" Tanya asked. "I do need a competent battler before the Indigo Conference three months from now."

"They grow relatively quickly," Vargas replied. He glanced over at me. "How large is Artemis?"

"Maybe nine feet long at this point."

He shifted his gaze back to Tanya. "More than doubled in size in the past four months. She was between three and four feet when Ranger Wright took ownership of her."

Tanya nodded to herself. "Putting any potential hatchlings at eight or nine feet long by the Conference."

I grinned. "Large enough to give you a fighting chance in any battle."

"I'll have to hit you up for battle tips," Tanya said, smirking at me. "I'm sold, Mr. Vargas."

"Excellent," he replied, slipping the hatchlings back into Mother's waiting grasp. "I'll have the necessary paperwork sent over to your sponsor as soon as possible. If all goes well, you'll have an aerodactyl before the month is out."

Vargas turned to face Chris. "You were looking for a kabuto, right?"

Chris shrugged. "Was hoping for a kabutops by the conference. From what you've already said today and the research I did, that doesn't seem possible."

Vargas crossed his arms across his chest. "True enough, you likely wouldn't have your kabuto long enough to evolve it by then. Not impossible, but it's not likely."

"I still want to see them," Chris continued.

Vargas nodded. "My staff can escort you to the aquatic nursery. Straight back along the path we came down and they'll direct you towards the gondola."

"You aren't coming?" Tanya asked.

Vargas shook his head. "I have a private proposal for Ranger Wright." He looked back at me, smirking when he saw my confusion. "I'll catch up with you to answer any questions my staff cannot later."

They both thanked him and disappeared back down the tunnel we'd come down. Vargas turned back to me, wearing the same grin from before. "So," he started. "How about you show me what Artemis can do?"

Vargas led Janine and I to another platform built into the peak of the mountain. I held up an arm, blocking out the afternoon sun.

Artemis was out with a flash of light. She raised a nose, sniffing at the salty air. A familiar light lit up in her eyes and my pokemon tossed her head back with a deafening roar. She glanced back at me as a half dozen familiar roars echoed in the distance.

I nodded to her. "I'll whistle when I need you," I said. "Go find your family."

My aerodactyl stepped over to the ledge. She dropped into a crouch, her muscles tensing as she looked to the open skies. A winged shadow swept out from the mountainside and my prehistoric pokemon launched herself off the platform as three grey blurs gave chase.

"She's larger than I expected," Vargas said. "she was one of the smaller females when we sold her to Silph for you."

Artemis banked expertly and cut under a pursuing claw. She rolled to her left, a jet of blue dragonflame forcing her against the mountainside. The third pursuer struck home, knocking Artemis to the ground.

I felt fear for a moment, but Artemis rolled with the momentum and ground to a halt with her claws buried in the earth. All three pursuers leapt atop her, rolling and snarling playfully.

"Like she never left," Vargas said. "Those three were her siblings." He looked back down at the frolicking pokemon. "She remembers her family and they remember her, even after months of separation." He glanced over at Janine and I. "It's been a hell of a trip to get to this point."

"I started out with just Mother, nearly fifteen years ago." Vargas walked out onto the platform, looking out at the island laid out before us. "I built this place off of a shoestring budget, scraping by with outdated and neglected equipment. I found some interested investors that I've managed to stretch across the better part of a decade, but funding was running low before I started selling off some of the young to trainers."

He turned back to face me. "That bought me even less time than I had hoped. I am months, maybe weeks away from defaulting on my debt payments and my investors are not the kind to take lightly to something like that." He sighed heavily. "All my work, thousands upon thousands of hours of research, would be appropriated and sold off to the highest bidder. I do have another meeting with my investors this week, but I am not hopeful on that front."

His voice was hard, but it shifted to something colder. "To top all of this off, I've had clear signs of sabotage spreading across the island. Nothing dangerous yet, but it's clear enough that I've got someone unsavoury on this island trying to make sure I fail." He met my eyes and I saw the frustration behind them. "I'd appreciate if you could track down our saboteur and stop the unnecessary drain on my dwindling resources."

I raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like you have a problem that you want me to solve for you."

Vargas shrugged. "That's not an incorrect assessment. I require the help of a trainer that I know can handle themselves around these pokemon. Trainers of such a nature are in exceedingly short supply."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Given what you've told me, I doubt you have the money to pay me anything substantial. Not that I'd need it with Silph bankrolling me at the moment. I'm skeptical that you have much of anything to offer me."

"You're right to say that I don't have much to offer," he replied. "But I do have one thing that I know entices a trainer like yourself."

"What might that be?"

He smiled honestly. "History, Mr Wright," he replied. "Living history."

I tried to hide the grin of anticipation that crossed my face.

"If we hurry, we may be able to catch feeding time." He glanced down at his watch and looked over his shoulder. "If you're still interested, of course."

I couldn't nod fast enough.

The enclosure was built over a pit, maybe twenty five feet deep. The fence around the enclosure added another fifteen feet and even from a distance I could hear the static hum of electricity running through the fence.

"We started with nine," Vargas said, stepping onto the stairs that led up to the observation platform. "The largest of them killed all but two of the others and established himself as the alpha. Which is a problem if we want to introduce this group to the big boy enclosure. We already have an alpha and she won't take kindly to sharing that title."

He reached the observation deck and looked down into the enclosure. "I think I understand what I did wrong, but I need to remove the problem specimen before I can correct the errors within the resurrection process. I can't have him killing a new batch of hatchlings the moment I introduce them to the enclosure."

I looked up as a small crane began extending over the paddock. The miltank screeched and thrashed, but the chains holding it in place were stronger than it could hope to break.

Then I heard it over the shaking chains and squealing miltank. It wasn't a roar like I had expected, more a barking squawk mixed with a sinister growl. I saw flashes of movement and tried and failed to follow the blurs of dashing scales.

Movement burst from the bushes, mottled brown and beige scales leaping the fifteen feet up to the dangling miltank. A second theropod joined it, sharp claws digging in and tearing at the screaming miltank. The crane dropped them to the ground and sent both predators scrambling to their feet.

Janine squeaked nervously and drew closer to me. I instinctively wrapped an arm around her as I watched the two prehistoric predators pace around the fallen miltank.

The third predator emerged from the underbrush, looming high over the immobilized cattle. The tyrunt was taller than the other two by at least half again and rippled with corded muscles toned by constant exercise. He opened his jaws and clamped them over the base of the miltank's neck. With one quick jerk of the tyrunt's head, the miltank fell silent.

"You see the big one?" Vargas asked rhetorically. There was no way I could miss the way that ancient Kalos' premier apex predator established its presence. "I was supposed to hand off the entire clutch to my investors before he killed most of them. He's yours if you solve my sabotage problem."

I extricated myself from Janine and took Vargas' waiting hand. I didn't even need to think. I knew I couldn't say no.

Pokedex Entry # 696 - Tyrunt

This medium sized theropod can grow up to two meters tall before evolution, and appears to have filled several ecological niches as specimens aged to adulthood. They possess powerful jaws and vicious claws on their feet that allowed them to thrive as one of the prehistoric world's premier predators.

Only a few specimens are known to be in existence on Kanto's Sawtooth Island. It is unclear how much can be learned from these specimens, as rumours of genetic tampering persist. The Sawtooth Tyrunt are aggressive, violent, and wildly intelligent. As well, they possess what appears to be white feathers around their neck. As there are no natural born tyrunt to compare, Sawtooth's tyrunt have yet to be confirmed as true tyrunt.

Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101

Indigo Ranger Corps, Special Task Group, "Zapdos" Squad,

Corporal SN# 109-512-6591, Marcus Wright, current team:

Luna, Ninetales

Artemis, Aerodactyl

Acolyte, Marowak

Two, Porygon-2

Curie, Chansey

joshthewriter · Oct 3, 2023

Journey

Death of Duty

Part 6: Secrets and Lies

Confession

Truth sets you free. — Champion Lance Wataru

Janine and I hadn't packed for any kind of mission. We had nothing, no communication, no supplies, and in my case no pokemon outside of Artemis. Artemis, who was busy with an impromptu flying lesson from her siblings.

Vargas provided us with some spare equipment, but I felt naked without my pokemon. Ironic that I was likely better protected by the bite suit than I'd ever been while still feeling more exposed than ever. I fidgeted uncomfortably under the bulky suit, pulling on the collar of the gaudy charmander print shirt I had on underneath.

"Marcus," Janine's voice crackled out of the radio. "Got a decent view from up here. The jungle makes it damn difficult to see anything properly. If Vargas really does have a saboteur on the island, we've got our work cut out for us."

I lifted the radio up to my face, turning and looking up at the little shadow above that was Janine. "You doubt he's telling the truth?" I asked. "I thought he seemed sincere enough."

"You think that everyone is sincere," Janine replied. I could hear the smirk in her voice. "It's endearing just how naïve you can be."

"Hey, I managed to get us through Lorelei." I stepped into the clearing and approached the power substation that Vargas had pointed us towards. It had gone offline last night, meaning that our trail started here. "And for the record, I don't think everyone is sincere. Just that I like to believe most people tell the truth."

Janine chuckled through the radio. "Experience says you're wrong. I just don't trust that he told us the full story."

There was a small pause as I approached the substation and pulled open the smashed control panel on the wall. It was crushed in, like something large and heavy had pounded the wall multiple times. There were a half dozen impact marks around the crushed panel. I pried open the panel and looked at the indecipherable mess of cables within.

"Janine, it doesn't look like this is deliberate sabotage," I said. "Looks more like something got pissed off at the building and tried to knock it down."

"We did see a rampardos on the way in," she replied. "And it's not like some of the other fossils aren't capable of that."

I frowned, kneeling down to look at the flash of sunlight off something metal on the ground. "I found something," I said. I lifted the smashed padlock and stared at it. "A padlock, perfectly cut by some bolt cutters."

"You sure it's not just broken?"

I stared intently at the clean cut. "I'm sure," I replied. "The metal would be warped if a rampardos had smashed the lock. This is too clean."

I heard a rustle behind me and quickly got to my feet. My hand was on the taser prod that Vargas had supplied me as I scanned the brush. It wasn't much, but it might deter some of the smaller fossils for a few moments.

"Marcus I've got something big moving towards you. Can't make out what it is." I glanced up, she was already diving towards me atop her venomoth. "Get ready."

"I hear it," I replied, dropping into a ready position. I hefted the taser prod as my eyes scanned the dense foliage.

The wide plate of the bastiodon's face forced its way through the dense brush. It rumbled at me and sniffed the air loudly.

"It's a bastiodon and some babies," I said into my radio, relief washing over me. I smiled as the trio of shieldon bounded forward to sniff at the strange human creature standing before them. "Nothing too dangerous."

I reached out and let the mother bastiodon sniff at my hand. She turned away, unconcerned and began to chew at a leafy bush. One of the shieldon bounded over and squeaked for my attention. I held out a hand and it rubbed the edge of the crest on its head against me.

I smiled and glanced up at the sky. Janine was well within view now as her massive bug swooped overhead, her sundress billowing out around her. She looked stunning in the afternoon sun.

"Admiring the view?" Janine asked.

I smiled as I caught a flash of her grin. "Always," I replied.

I reached over and opened the crushed control panel. The door had been crushed but the actual controls inside looked fine. I flipped the control lever back into the on position and stepped back.

A static hum filled the air. The bastiodon and her babies ran, spooked by the sudden hum of machinery and electricity. Sparks erupted from the fencing behind the substation, showering the dense brush. A gaping hole had been torn in the thick paddock fencing and was belching sparks from the torn cables that ran through the fence.

I reached back into the control panel and slammed the lever back into the off position. The shower of sparks died, mercifully before a fire could spring up. "You see any of that?" I asked. "We've got a hole in the paddock fencing. Get back in contact with Vargas so he can get repairs started and then head back to me."

"What are you going to do?" she asked. She swooped down, her venomoth landing atop the small substation. She looked down at me with concern. "Nothing dangerous, I hope. We said nothing dangerous during vacation."

I stared into the jungle, eyes on the trail of snapped trunks that led through the trees. "I think I found a lead," I said. "Gonna follow it and see what comes out of it all." I looked up at her. "I'll be safe. I'm stubborn, remember?"

She rolled her eyes. "How could I possibly forget?"

She set back off into the sky and I watched her go, thoughts of purple sundresses dancing in my mind.

The path led away from the paddock and towards the ocean. I followed the twisting and winding path until it curved back along the small dirt road that ringed the island to allow the trucks to reach each paddock.

I doubled back, finding a branch in the path that led off to the west. The branch was thinner and smaller than the main path had been and none of the trunks were splintered.

"Marcus to Janine," I started. "Following the lead north. Looks like the trail is leading me towards the tyrunt paddock."

Static answered me. I frowned and slotted the radio back into my belt. It wasn't like Janine was a stranger to simply disappearing on me, but it left me with no support if I came across something mean.

I followed the smaller trail. It was direct, a straight line rather than the winding trail that wild pokemon would have worn into the wilderness.

I glanced up at the volcano in the middle of the island, taking my bearings. I was close to one of the gondola stations and I could see it beginning to move at the top of the mountain. Bright red paint, untarnished by the beating sun, was slowly descending from the peak. Probably Vargas returning to the tyrunt paddock.

"Janine, this is Marcus. Do you copy?"

I waited, frustration building. It had been at least an hour or two of no contact. Janine should have responded by now. I sighed and slotted the radio back onto the bite suit's belt. I didn't hear the first rustle. Not until it was too late.

The knife pressed into my throat and I froze.

"Move and you're dead."

I slowly cleared my throat. "I'm not moving."

"Who are you?" she asked. "And why the hell are you tracking me?"

"Ranger Marcus Wright, I'm here on request of Alexander Vargas. Looking for a saboteur that he claims is out to ruin him." I glanced back, trying to catch a glimpse of her face.

I felt the knife blade press harder and stopped in my attempt to look at her. "You're working for him?" the voice hissed. She leaned in and I could feel her breath on my neck. "I should just kill you now."

"I'd rather you didn't," I said with a deadpan tone. "That'd make for a tragically poor end to my vacation and I did promise my girlfriend that I wouldn't do anything too dangerous while she was gone."

The blade moved ever so slightly off my neck. "Vacation?" she asked. I felt her step back and the knife move away. "You don't even know what's going on here, do you?"

I shook my head. I knew enough to know that Vargas hadn't told me the whole story. "Janine got the sense that Vargas wasn't telling us everything. I put a lot of stock into what she says, so I'm inclined to believe that I don't have the full story," I replied. "How about you fill me in?"

She sighed loudly. "My uncle's many betrayals is a very very long story. And I don't have the time to get into it right now. Right now, I have somewhere to be, something to break so I can stop him from—"

Thunderous footfalls erupted onto the small trail. Tree trunks splintered and toppled as the rampardos battered its way into the small clearing of trees.

My assailant was gone, a flash of tan skin and drab camo disappearing into the jungle. I spun on the spot, filing away the glimpse of her as the rampardos bellowed a challenge that could only be meant for me.

I tore the taser prod from the holster and snapped it out to its full length. I doubted that it'd do more than tickle the rampardos, but at least it made me feel slightly better.

She snorted and lined up her body. My eyes widened as I saw her muscles tense in preparation to charge. I waited the fraction of a second for her to spring into movement, preparing to dodge out of the way and make a run for it.

I threw myself to the side as she thundered past, trunks snapping and the jungle crumbling in her wake. I staggered to my feet and ran into the opening that I'd given myself. I ignored the furious bellow of frustration behind me. I dashed into the thick brush and was gone in seconds.

I let the rampardos' tantrum play out as I hid. It smashed down trees, trampling a small clearing into the thick of the jungle and gouging out the small path. It grew further and further away as I slowly crept away.

I finally stepped out of the thick brush and onto the road that ringed the island. I turned towards the north, towards the tyrunt paddock and Vargas.

I needed answers. The girl had said that her uncle had betrayed her. I didn't know who she was, or what that meant, but I knew Vargas would have answers. Even if they were answers he didn't want me to have.

I jogged along the dirt road, settling into an easy rhythm. It had been maybe an hour since I had encountered the girl and escaped the rampardos. Sweat was running down my face and back, but the last few months since Fuchsia had seen me training in a tropical environment. I was used to the heat, or at least tolerant of it.

Despite growing up on my family's farm, I had never been a physical specimen. I'd shunned the farm work that my father had given me and preferred to wander around the woods pretending to be a trainer. I hadn't grown into the 'strapping young farm hand' that my father had wanted and had been a lanky, skinny weakling when I'd finally left home. Toned muscles were replacing the wet noodles that had been my arms and I could feel myself slowly gaining strength. My decision to train alongside my pokemon had begun to pay off in spades.

I arrived at the clearing as the sun dipped behind the volcano that dominated the island. It was still bright, but that would change rapidly as the sun set properly. I estimated maybe twenty minutes left of daylight and absentmindedly mourned that I'd likely missed my meeting with Blaine.

Two trucks were idling beside the overbuilt paddock, people milling around them. More people were stood on the the two viewing platforms, peering into the forty foot tall enclosure in animated discussion.

I approached the trucks and stopped in my tracks as the wizened grin of someone that I'd never met in person emerged from around the trucks.

"Professor Oak?" I asked incredulously. My brain emptied and all I could see was the literal superstar in front of me.

He smiled serenely through greying stubble. "Evening, Mr. Wright." He held out a hand. "Good to finally meet you in person."

I shook his hand numbly. "Likewise," I mumbled. "What are you doing out here on Sawtooth?"

He waved absentmindedly at the paddock behind him. "Checking in on my investments. Sawtooth is one of my lab's many many sponsored projects and I like to keep appraised of her going's on." He grinned and I saw the pure enjoyment on his face. "I'll admit, Sawtooth is a bit of a guilty pleasure on my part. It's a terrible investment profit-wise, but I'm quite a fan of the results."

A deafening roar shook the earth I stood on and rattled my bones. I looked over at the concrete paddock and knew what was held within.

Once the undisputed monarch of their time, only a colossal asteroid strike that had wiped out most of the life on the planet had been able to shake their hold as apex species. But thanks to Sawtooth and Vargas, a tyrantrum walked the planet once more. It had been quite the achievement and had made a massive stir when it had been announced years back.

"She's got quite the flare for the dramatic, don't you think?" Oak said with a proud swell in his voice. He glanced back at the paddock and then back at me. "Would you like to meet her?"

I looked at him, slightly bewildered by the turn of events. I nodded in shy embarrassment and swallowed the lump forming in my throat. "I'd love to," I said quickly.

He turned and started towards the paddock. "Like I mentioned, this place just bleeds money." He gestured at the paddock walls. "This paddock alone cost more than thirty million and while it may have been the most expensive of the bunch, none of the other paddocks came in under ten million." He shrugged as he reached the observation platform and turned to look at the Queen contained within. "I'd say it was money well spent though. Not every day you get to meet something like her."

I stepped onto the platform and followed his gaze. She stood more than thirty feet tall, rippling muscles protected under rock hard scales. A mane of white feathers wrapped around her neck and spread along her back like a regal cape. Her boney crest looked like a crown atop her head, leaving no doubt who the true monarch of the pokemon world was.

"Marcus, I am proud to introduce you to Empress."

The gigantic tyrantrum glanced up at the movement on the observation platform. I felt more than heard the angry rumble of the prehistoric predator, my teeth rattling inside my skull from the vibrations.

"She's magnificent," I said, my voice shaky with fear and reverence. I shrunk back even as I stared in awe, suddenly small before the true ruler of our world. Her eyes locked onto the slight movement, focusing in on me with a predator's gaze.

A terrified bleat drew her attention and the gogoat made a mad dash for the cover provided by the underbrush on the far side of the paddock. Empress roared, a sound so loud that it made me think that it would shake me apart, and stomped after the gogoat.

"Normally, she would be roaming the much larger enclosure. I'm told there was an accident last week that compromised the paddock wall."

I raised an eyebrow. I knew that had to be the work of the woman I'd encountered but I didn't know how much Oak was privy to. "An accident?" I asked.

He waved his hand absentmindedly. "Vargas assured me it was nothing serious."

I nodded and looked back at Empress. She had found the gogoat and was roaring triumphantly. Oak clearly was not heavily involved in the day to day of Sawtooth, just an investor inspecting what his money was paying for.

"I had been meaning to call you," he started as he shifted attention to me. "There have been some issues at the lab, with the cubone colony you rescued."

I turned back to face him. I felt a pit in my stomach. The cubone had hardly crossed my mind since I'd sent them to the professor. "What kind of problems?" I asked.

He frowned. "Behavioural mostly. They've begun to show some aggression towards my staff, staff who care for over a hundred species of pokemon on my property in Pallet Town." He sighed and I could feel the frustration. "I'm afraid that I'm at a loss as to what could be done."

I paused, in thought for a moment. "When I found the colony, they had their own social structure, their own clan, so to speak. What is it like now?"

Oak's eyes flashed with excitement and I saw him working through the new information I'd provided. "They have no social structure to speak of. There is no group cohesion, no family groups. It's a mass of scared individuals, individuals that are still very young."

The realization hit me and I knew what I had to do. "They need an example," I said sombrely. "They need a marowak."

He nodded slowly and I could tell he knew what I felt in that moment. "They need your marowak. He is an adult from specifically that colony. He knows their ways, he knows the structures that they need."

I sighed heavily and felt myself sink on my feet. "I think I knew that this would happen. I think I knew and I was just being selfish." I looked up from my feet and met Oak's gaze. "I can't be selfish anymore. It's not fair, not to the cubone and not to Acolyte."

Oak smiled and I felt something that I hadn't felt since I was very young and my father didn't view me as a disappointment. "It's never too late to do the right thing. No matter what has happened, no matter how far it's gone, it's never too late."

I felt myself smile, felt a little bit of the weight lift from my shoulders. "I'll have to send him over after I get back to Cinnabar." I looked down and forced the smile to stay. "He'll be happy to see them again."

"You can come visit them," he said. "I'll have us teleported to my lab and you can see Acolyte off yourself if you'd like." His smile never faded and I felt like he actually cared. "I can—"

A titanic impact shook the paddock. The viewing platform swayed, itself just a scaffold hastily constructed and bolted to this small paddock. Oak hit me, both of us going down hard in a tangle. A second impact hit the paddock and I heard the unmistakable sound of concrete cracking.

Then Empress roared and I swore that the paddock wall would crumble from the noise alone. I scrambled to my feet, glancing into the paddock at Empress. I saw her circle around the paddock and point herself towards the crack spreading up the wall.

I glanced down and behind us, at the rampardos that had escaped earlier.I realized that the rampardos' escape hadn't been an accident. The woman I'd encountered had to have led it here for this purpose.

Empress launched into a run and I dove to cover Oak as I whistled desperately for Artemis. The earth shook with every footfall and I prayed that she didn't knock the platform down when she broke through.

The side of the paddock erupted as Empress smashed through it with ease. Rebar reinforced concrete tumbled and showered the trucks with chunks of the wall. People went screaming away from the thundering footfalls of a tyrantrum and scattered in all directions.

The platform we were on twisted away and toppled, but it didn't fall all the way to the ground. The last set of supports must have been stronger than the others because they bent but did not break. One of the men who had been on the platform with us went sailing off and landed hard in the dirt. He didn't move and I realized in horror that he hadn't been the only one to fall.

I felt the thundering impact as Empress collided with the rampardos and heard the sickening crunch of bones snapping and the rampardos' strangled whine. I heard it struggle, but what could a rampardos do against the monarch of its time.

I glanced down at the ground and looked over at Oak. We were still about ten feet above the ground, the scaffolding groaning and leaning as the last of the supports strained to hold up the structure. I shimmied off of Oak and dropped to the ground, turning back up to look at the elderly professor.

"I'll catch you," I started. We didn't have long. Empress wouldn't take long to dispose of the rampardos and I wasn't keen on facing down a tyrantrum with my little taser prod. Artemis hasn't answered my call and Janine had completely disappeared hours ago. "Just—"

Oak dropped and I caught him as best I could. I glanced back up, my eyes darting to the three researchers still tangled in the scaffolding. One was clearly dead, his body bent almost in half when he had been trapped between the bars of the scaffold. It had folded in on itself and smushed him like god folding a pancake. The other two were desperately trying to extricate themselves as they made a humongous racket in the metal trap.

I pulled Oak to his feet and glanced back at Empress. I heartily wished that I hadn't done so. She had her foot planted on the prone rampardos and was staring intently at the humans making far too much noise in front of her. She blinked slowly and I saw her oversized pupils dilate as she tried to focus on us.

One of the trucks roared to life and Empress' attention snapped to the sudden sound. I didn't wait for Empress to turn, I spun and beckoned up to the two researchers.

The first hit me and nearly knocked me down, but I caught her as the truck's tires spun into action. The second researcher didn't wait, jumping down as the truck lurched forward and tried desperately to swerve away from Empress' furious charge.

I didn't hear the snap of his ankle or his scream of pain because the truck clipped Empress. It flipped onto its side as the tyrantrum tossed it like a toy. She paced as the truck's engine screamed in protest and ground to a screeching halt. The queen of the ancient world bellowed her fury and tore into the upended machine.

My radio crackled with garbled static. I didn't care who it was, I didn't have the time to care. I hauled the crippled researcher up as Empress tore the drivetrain clean off the truck with the rear axle still attached. We made it two steps before a new trio of roars split the scene.

My eyes went to the heavens as a trio of golden beams smote the ancient monarch from the skies. They drove her into the dirt, pushing her through the eviscerated remnants of the truck and leaving burning furrows where they found the earth.

Artemis and her siblings swooped overhead as they announced their presence with another trio of deafening roars. Empress staggered to her feet, her rock-hard scales smoking with the heat of the triple hyper beam she had endured.

Three new flashes of light erupted in the dusk of the setting sun. I recognized the pokemon instantly. Samuel Oak had been Champion of Indigo for thirty-seven years, becoming the first Champion in Indigo League history to voluntarily relinquish their station as well as Indigo's longest serving Champion by over fifteen years. His pokemon were legends in the training world, to say nothing of the man himself.

Flare unfurled her wings and took off as Storm racked her shoulder cannons into place. Gaea's tremendous flower quivered with anticipation as the surviving half of Oak's champion team faced down Empress. They were hardened warriors, not one of the fazed by the monarch before them. They had faced stronger opponents alone during Oak's reign as Champion.

His blastoise wasted no time. Empress took a step towards her new opponents with a roar, only to be greeted by a torrent of water down her gullet. The tyrantrum gagged and retched as a storm of spore coated leaves followed the blastoise's attack. Oak's venasaur followed up the leaf storm with a horde of vines that wrapped tightly around the tyrantrum's legs.

I looked to the sky, already knowing what was coming. I had seen Oak's double battle against Drake during the late Hoennic Champion's reign as Grand Champion. I had seen Oak's mighty venasaur immobilize opponents so that his ferocious charizard could deliver a crushing final blow.

A second sun ignited as the one in the sky finally dipped below the horizon. Flare swooped low as she wreathed herself in raging fire. The foliage closest to her burst into flames and I felt my skin burning from my proximity to the blaze. I dove for cover as the legendary charizard closed in on her target.

Flare impacted Empress and the island shook with the force of their clash. I felt heat wash over me and lay there in shock as the raw power of Oak's team left me in stunned awe.

I forced myself up, peering through the smoke and flame. Storm had her eyes closed in concentration in the midst of the flames. Flare stood victorious over a prone tyrantrum and Gaea snaked yet more vines towards Empress to immobilize her. Storm opened her eyes as clouds seemed to roll in from nowhere.

I glanced over at Oak as the skies opened up with a torrential downpour that would have shamed even a hurricane.

"Mr. Wright," he began. I turned to him, my ears ringing wildly. He sounded like he was speaking through a tinny old speaker. "Check on that rampardos." He scowled and I followed his gaze to a figure standing at the edge of the tree line. "Our guest has some explaining to do."

I knew that it had to be the woman who had ambushed me. She made no move to leave, no attempt to escape. Perhaps she knew she wouldn't get far. With Oak's attention on her, she was as good as captured already.

I turned towards the rampardos as the rain eased slightly. Mud slicked my pants and my garish charmander shirt had been torn almost completely off of me when I'd been trapped under the scaffold. My ears were still ringing and my face flush with the heat of flame. But that paled in comparison to the rampardos. It had taken an absolute mangling from Empress. One arm was little more than a fleshy string dangling from a stump, a gaping wound on the rampardos' side left me almost no illusions about the revived fossil's fate.

It was going to die. This creature had been revived millions of years after its extinction only to be mauled by a predator that it should never have been faced with.

A flutter behind me drew my attention. Janine splashed into the mud and threw her arms around my bare shoulders. I wrapped my arms around her, still numbly taking stock of the situation.

"You said nothing dangerous," she whispered. "A tyrantrum?" she asked with barely concealed venom. "A tyrantrum?" she asked again, slightly less aggressively. "You really tangled with a tyrantrum without Artemis around?"

I drew back for a moment. "I didn't break the cage," I protested weakly. "And Oak did the fighting."

"Oak?" she asked incredulously. Her eyes glanced between the three pokemon that were more famous than most trainers. "Oh. That Oak."

Artemis landed in a spray of mud, growling at the rampardos for a brief moment. She sniffed at it for a moment, before her attention shifted to the three former Champion pokemon.

My mind snapped back to the moment and I looked over at Janine. "I need some kind of potion," I started. "Anything helps, but it'd be better if it was on the strong side."

She glanced down at the rampardos and dove into her pack. I knelt down over the wounded pokemon as Janine forced a bottle into my hand.

"It's a full restore," she said. "If it doesn't do it, nothing will."

I emptied the bottle. Every drop was sprayed into the rampardos' grievous wounds. I took extra care to coat the vicious bite marks on the pokemon's neck. Every single drop of that precious liquid was used and I stuffed the empty back into Janine's pack.

"Marcus," Oak said as he approached me. The woman that had ambushed me was at his side, her arms free as she looked at me with disgust. "Alice here has informed me of some curious developments. We need to have words." He looked over at my aerodactyl. "I am indeed curious to hear how you ended up in possession of my property."

Artemis turned, growling at the professor's tone. I held up a hand, silencing her with the gesture. Oak raised an eyebrow at that and I saw his lips tighten.

"What do you mean by your property, sir?"

He gestured to Artemis. "All revived fossils are supposed to be property of the Sawtooth Island Research Group. No trainer of any kind is supposed to be in the possession of a revived fossil."

I frowned, feeling my heart drop. I was not well versed in legal speak, but I didn't like the sound of that. "I was not aware of that. Leader Erika of Celadon obtained Artemis for me, as a reward for helping her clear Rocket out of Celadon."

"This aerodactyl was not for sale. None of them were." Oak scowled and looked at me more intently. "Were there any other buyers? Where did the sale take place?"

I took a step back, putting up my hands in surrender. "I don't know, sir. Like I said, I received Artemis from Erika."

"I told you he wouldn't know. He doesn't know anything," the girl said.

"Agreed," Janine jabbed, winking at me.

The girl met my eyes and looked me over with an unimpressed frown. The woman was much younger than I had thought, barely even a teenager by the looks of it. "He's just an idiot customer. You have to stop my uncle."

Oak turned and looked at her. "Is he the only one involved in sales of live specimens? Or is it—"

The drone of an engine cut through the quiet of nature and Oak fell silent. We all looked to the sky, to the pair of large helicopters flying overhead. They ignored the island and headed straight for the volcano's peak.

"It's too late," said the girl. "There's the rest of his debtors. Uncle Alejandro called them here to settle his debts."

Oak swivelled towards her again. "What does he plan to do?" he asked.

She met his gaze with fire of rebellious youth. "The same thing he did with that aerodactyl," she started. "He's selling them all."

Oak set his jaw. I saw his feet plant and the raw determination on his face. This was a Champion's resolve. "Then let's go stop them," he said. "All of us."

Artemis roared a half moment after Flare, refusing to let herself be left out of the fun. We soared above the lip of the volcano as the sun dipped below the horizon. Oak's charizard let off a plume of flame that lit up the peak. The two helicopters were cast in fiery light, projecting massive shadows on the facility nestled into the volcano's peak.

Artemis and I swept low and I noted the figures standing wreathed in darkness that moulded around the entrance to the facility. I craned my neck as we swept over, trying and failing to get a better look at them. "I've got guards outside," I said into my radio. "Can't get a good count on them, there's something weird going on."

"Darkness warping," Janine added. "They've got a Shade."

I jerked my head in her direction as Artemis banked around for another pass. I didn't know what it had meant by Shade, but I had a sense that it was something I wasn't exactly supposed to know about.

Flare flared her wings as she landed in front of the facility. I saw the darkness at the mouth of the lab writhing and battling against the light of the flame before it dissipated and left two figures standing before Oak. He slipped from the back of his charizard and scowled. A smaller figure followed him, the girl, standing a half step behind him.

Janine and I landed on either side of him, staring down the two figures. Artemis growled as I patted her on her neck, looking back and forth between the two. I didn't spare a glance for Janine or Oak, keeping my gaze on our opponents for intimidation effect.

The woman was standing slightly in front of the man, making it clear who was in charge. He leaned back against the wall and adjusted his mask calmly as if he was unconcerned with the confrontation.

The woman shook out her long silvery hair and smirked at us contemptively. She held up a single pokeball that seemed to be wreathed in shadows. "I suggest you leave," she said coldly. "Before we make this messy."

Oak huffed derisively. "Karen and Will." He shook his head. "The two of you are no match for myself, to say nothing of the two trainers I have with me." He folded his arms across his chest. "Make yourselves useful and escort us to the man in charge."

The woman rolled her eyes. "That's not what I'm being paid for, old man." She tossed the ball up into the air, releasing an absolutely monstrous houndoom beside her.

"I don't much care," Oak replied. "I am the prime investor in this island's activities. Whatever you're being paid, I'll double it. Show me to your boss and I'll ensure that you never see a gap in your employment again."

She blinked in surprise, before a happy grin crossed her face. She turned to the man leaning against the wall, returning her houndoom as she leaned in. They whispered intently for a moment before she turned and nodded to Oak. "Follow me."

Oak nodded politely, all the venom gone from his voice. "Thank you, my dear." He followed her, calm confidence radiating from his unconcerned demeanour. The girl stayed in lockstep with him, always a few steps behind him.

Karen turned and pushed open the doors. The man in the mask stood up, beckoning Janine and I in after Oak.

I stole a glance at her, half wanting to ask what she'd meant by Shade. But she had already returned her venomoth and was following Oak. I glanced up, returning Artemis to her ball as I followed suit.

The man in the mask closed the door behind us, silently bringing up the rear as Karen led us through the facility. She stopped in front of a boardroom and smirked knowingly at Oak.

"This should be fun," Karen said. "I've never seen anyone keep the boss from what he wanted, so you'll have your work cut out for you."

Oak stared back, unperturbed. "The door, Miss Karen."

She pushed open the doors, holding one open as Oak filed through with us half a step behind.

He was massive. His shoulders were as wide across as Surge, but he was easily taller than the Vermlion Gym Leader. His bright red hair was styled up in some weird looking spikes that ran down into a sharp point at his crimson beard.

His expression was dour and cruel as he towered over Vargas in one of the chairs. The massive man turned and his expression shifted towards surprise before flipping to disappointment.

"Lysandre," Oak said with a chill in his voice. "That's enough."

The massive man scowled. "Samuel Oak," he began. He glanced back at Vargas and I saw the bruise covering half the man's face. "I was unaware you would be joining us."

"Release him," Oak ordered, one hand on the balls at his waist. "You have no business here."

"I'm afraid that I do, Professor." He glanced back at Vargas. "Alejandro here owes an obscene amount of money to Lysandre Labs and has yet to deliver on even one of his promises to us."

Oak glanced down at Vargas with a scathing glare. "Alejandro Vargas is merely the science director of this facility. He had no authority to promise anything to anyone." I caught Oak glance towards me for half a moment, but his gaze went back to Vargas immediately. "Nor did he have the authority to sell live specimens to trainers."

Lysandre's scowl deepened. "Then we do have a problem," he said. "Because I cannot leave without being made whole. The terms of my investment were clear and payment is required."

Vargas looked up at Lysandre as he burst out of his chair. "You can't—"

Lysandre backhanded Vargas across the face, silencing him immediately and knocking him back into the chair. "I can and I will have what I was promised." He turned his head back to face Oak and I saw that it was a mask of relative calm. "I invested an obscene amount in this venture and I cannot leave without payment."

"How much," Oak asked calmly. "I can make you whole, give your investment back to you free of penalty."

His scowl returned and I saw his eyes shift to analytically scanning us. "That is not why I am here," he said.

"I know," Oak replied. "You're just here to assault my employee and commit theft of my scientific property." He folded his arms and I was stunned by the confident calm that Oak exuded. It was the unenviable calm of a man who had lived an entire life in the public eye. "I cannot allow that. My offer to make your investment whole stands, though I cannot say for how long."

Lysandre narrowed his eyes. He was silent for a moment, as though he were weighing his options. I didn't like it. He seemed too much like a cornered pokemon, too much like he was just waiting for violence to break out. "I accept," he said quietly. "If my investment is recouped, then I shall consider the matter settled."

"Then it is settled." Oak unfolded his arms and cracked a smile. I felt myself exhale and realized I'd been holding my breath. "To good business," Oak said.

Lysandre nodded, though he refused to smile back. "To good business," he said. He strode up to Oak, holding out a hand to shake. "I trust that you are as good as your word."

"Better," Oak replied as he shook Lysandre's hand. "Your company will receive its payment within the week."

He nodded in reply. The separated and he glanced at Karen and Will. "Shall we depart?" he asked.

Neither Karen nor Will moved a muscle. Lysandre shifted his gaze from one mercenary to another. "I have been outbid then," he said. "No matter, there are other soldiers of fortune willing to accept my pay." He turned and stormed from the room without another word.

Oak crossed the room, helping Vargas up out of the chair. "Are you alright, boy?"

"I'll live," he said, gently touching his bruised cheek. "Thank you."

The old Champion scowled. "Save it," he said curtly. "You've been busy."

Vargas seemed to go pale. "I needed more funding to expand the tyrunt program. You refused my initial request so I had to—"

"You had to get into bed with a ruthless businessman like him?"

Vargas hung his head. "I had no options," he said. "I could find no others in Indigo willing to lose money on Sawtooth and I needed more than you would give me."

Oak shook his head. "I told you to move slowly. But you refused to listen. Even worse, you actively went around me to get what you wanted."

"But I—"

"And worst of all, you sold off revived fossils to the highest bidder."

Vargas went pale. "I… I… I…"

Oak scowled at the younger man. "How many did you sell?"

"Fourteen," he replied. "Two aerodactyl, a few anorith and lileep, and an omanyte."

Oak sighed and gently rubbed his temples. "While I appreciate your eagerness for an opportunity, we were not to sell any specimens until we had perfected our craft."

Vargas hung his head. "I understand," he looked up and met Oak's gaze. "I'll tender my resignation if that's what you want."

"It is not," Oak replied. He shook his head and a jovial grin slowly crept across his face. "I regret that this happened, but the fact is that you are the only person I would trust at the head of this project. You have the passion and the knowledge necessary to succeed, but perhaps not the business acumen." Oak put a hand on Vargas' shoulder. "I will be back, after I've escorted Mr. Wright to my lab." He glanced back at me and then back at Vargas. "I have some business with him to attend to, but I can come back and help you get Sawtooth in order."

Vargas looked as if he were on the edge of tears. "I don't know what to say, Professor." He smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

"Everyone should get a chance to learn from their mistakes. It matters what we do when we have done something wrong."

Oak turned and looked over at me. "Ready to go?" he asked. "We can be leave for my lab from Cinnabar in the morning."

My eyes widened for a moment as I found my voice. "That offer still stands?

"Of course," he replied. He frowned slightly. "While I do not like that you are in the possession of an aerodactyl from Sawtooth, I must admit that you have an admirable bond with her. Aerodactyl can be vicious creatures, but your Artemis is very clearly protective of you. It would be a shame to rip her away, when your training has seemed to do so much good for her."

I smiled honestly. "Thank you, sir. I was worried that I'd have to give her up." I felt a pain in my chest as my mind went to Acolyte and the knowledge that I'd soon be leaving him behind. "I know that sometimes that's what's best for them. I'd have been okay with it, eventually anyways."

Vargas stepped forward. "If I may interrupt," he started.

Oak looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"I did promise Marcus a reward if he helped me catch Alicia and stop her from sabotaging me." He frowned and looked over at her. "I sent him off on a hunt without telling him what was going on."

Oak shook his head. "Of course," he replied in an unimpressed tone. "What did you promise him?"

Alejandro visibly cringed as he looked at me. "I promised him the tyrunt that killed most of the pack. The big angry one." He looked back at Oak, waiting for his disapproval.

Oak looked over at me, as if he were actually considering it. He shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Ah, what the hell?" He looked back at Alejandro. "It's not a bad idea, all things considered. He's done well with Artemis, stands to reason he might be alright with a tyrunt."

Alejandro nodded excitedly. "I can bring him up to speed in some basics. I have my video diaries and I can send them to him." He looked over at me. "It'll be more dangerous than Artemis, but you should be alright with my help."

I looked at Vargas and then at Oak. I nodded slowly, trying not to let my excitement overtake me. "I'd be happy to take him in," I said. "If that's fine with the both of you."

"I'll get him ready to be sent over," Alejandro said with a smile. "Along with all of my notes. Trust me, you'll need them."

Oak nodded. He raised a pokeball and released an alakazam in front of me. "Well then," he started. He held out a hand. "If you would be so kind. We can be back to Cinnabar in time for a late dinner."

His alakazam held out one arm, beckoning for us to take the spoon he held in his hand.

I held out my hand, placing it on the spoon. Janine placed her hand over mine without a word. Oak stepped closer and grabbed the other spoon. The world twisted and blinked away.

I landed on sandy ground, my knees shaking slightly. The happy music of vacation greeted our ears and the glorious sounds of party filled the air. Janine stumbled into me, catching on my shoulders. I stepped back, steadying myself as Janine held on for a moment long in a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For not dying."

I held her tight. Her mother's dying promise came swimming to the forefront. I choked up for a moment. "It'll take more than a tyrantrum to kill me."

Oak returned his alakazam to its ball and smiled happily at us. "I'll come calling for you in the morning, Mister Wright." He turned, walking away towards the main buildings. "Enjoy the resort!"

I looked back at Janine as he left. She smiled at me and nodded towards the tiki bar down on the beach. "I believe we have a bar to empty," she said. "We shouldn't keep Marcel and Maurice waiting."

I nodded and grinned. "To a good night," I said.

"To a great night," she replied.

We walked off towards the bar, her arm hooking into mine. We sat down at the bar and set to our task of emptying the bar of all its liquor.

I pulled open the door to our room, beckoning Janine in. "After you, milady," I said in an over exaggerated tone.

She snickered and walked through the door, kicking off her shoes haphazardly. She leaned back against the wall and smiled at me happily. I felt my heart skip another beat and my promise to her dying mother surfaced again.

"I gotta—"

She stood up off the wall as I closed the door and kissed me aggressively. I kissed her back, knowing that it wouldn't make what I had to do any easier.

She pulled back and looked over at the bathroom. "I gotta piss," she said suddenly.

I chuckled. "How ladylike," I said with a grin.

She flipped me the bird and turned, disappearing into the bathroom. She shut the door behind her and I heard her sit down heavily on the toilet.

I slowly walked into the room and lay back on our bed, clumsily landing on top of the covers. I stared blankly up at the ceiling as the prospect of the coming conversation sank in.

"Noooo ," Janine squealed as she opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. She tore her sundress over her head and jumped onto the bed beside me, clad in just a purple bra and underwear. "I thought we were—"

"I have to tell you something," I said. I turned to look at her, my troubled emotions worn clearly on my face. "It's something really important and I don't know how I'm supposed to talk to you about it."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "That sounds ominous," she replied.

I looked down and frowned. "I made a promise in Sevii. Your mother… she was begging me to promise her, and she was dying." I shook my head. "How do you say no to someone who's dying in front of you?"

Janine's expression went cold and hard. "What did she make you promise?" she asked quietly.

"She said that you were ignoring the concerns of the other clans. That they would never accept a Ranger at your side instead of a true Fuchsian."

She shook her head and sat up straight. I felt her go cold and stuff, her attitude changing over a moment. "So you promised that you'd leave me."

I went silent, simply nodding in response. I felt ashamed and sad and furious at myself all at once. My heart was pounding and I could feel it aching with every beat.

"So that's it then," she said without a trace of emotion. "A dead woman's demand and I have no say in the matter?"

"I don't know what you—"

"I want you!" she burst out. "All I wanted was you. You made me happy in a really fucking dark time and now I find out that it was all on a timer anyways." She shook her head. "I expected better out of you, Marcus. I don't know why, but I expected better."

"What am I supposed to do then? Go back on a promise? To a dead person?"

She scowled. "Given how your own journey started, I thought you'd understand." She shook her head. "I thought you understood that we don't have to be what our parents wanted. I thought you knew that they didn't have to run our lives?"

She stood up and stepped back, looking down at me. I felt her shock and anger resonate in every word. "Everyone I love leaves me. Everyone I love in the world dies when I need them the most." She stepped back again, shaking her head as she tried and failed to hold back tears. "First Lori, then father, then mother…" she trailed off and sobbed as she looked at me with complete betrayal. "I thought you were different, that this was different. But it's just… it's just…"

I finally found my courage, rising to my feet as I stepped towards her. "Janine," I started, taking her by the hips. She looked at me and I felt raw embarrassment twisting in my gut. "It was wrong to make a promise regarding you without even contemplating your reaction to it." I shook my head. "We both rejected what our parents wanted for us. We both found our own path and found each other on it…" I trailed off, trying not to get lost in her eyes. "I love you too, Janine. Maybe it took too long for me to understand that." I cracked a weak smile and so did she. "Maybe I'm just a big dumb idiot sometimes,"

I stepped closer and pulled her close to me. "I love you, Janine. We'll make our own way. Just like we always have."

She crashed against me, sending the both of us down to the bed. I kissed her deeply and the world was right again. All the weight was lifted off of me and we were finally free.

Pokedex Entry # 697 - Tyrantrum

This saurian therapod was the undisputed ruler of its ancient world. It is the largest known land-based carnivore and would have undoubtedly remained so had the asteroid that wiped out most life not landed. However, it is extinct and only two known specimens have been revived from fossils.

The aggressive nature of this species means that it will likely never be considered for widespread revival. There are some theories that suggest it is capable of deeper family bonds than these creature's violent disposition would suggest, but they are regarded as fringe opinions.

Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101

Indigo Ranger Corps, Special Task Group, "Zapdos" Squad,

Corporal SN# 109-512-6591, Marcus Wright, current team:

Luna, Ninetales

Artemis, Aerodactyl

Acolyte, Marowak

Two, Porygon-2

Curie, Chansey

joshthewriter · Oct 4, 2023

Journey

Death of Duty

Part 6: Secrets and Lies

Defection

There comes a time when each person must choose what side they want to be on. Pray that it is not too late. — Champion Alder Adeku

"I'll call you when we get back to Fuchsia," she said. She leaned in and kissed me softly on the cheek. "Stay out of trouble without me."

I rolled my eyes sarcastically. "Sure, because I've been the one looking for trouble this whole time."

"Looking for it or not, you always end up in the thick of it." She smirked. "Though I wouldn't have met you if not for that, so who am I to complain?"

I smiled and pulled her close to me. "I should be back with Surge in Vermilion by tomorrow night. As far as I know, we had nothing immediately imminent on the Rocket front. So at least I'll have a moment to breathe and train."

She nodded and pulled back. "Make sure you get Blaine to acknowledge my communiqués. He still hasn't responded to my anti-piracy initiatives and I—"

I crushed her with a hug. "I'll mention it, Janine." I glanced up at the ship, at the shinobi standing at the top of the gangplank. "Leopold seems to be waiting for you."

She kissed me deeply this time, saying so much more than any words ever could. Then she pulled away and began her way up the catwalk to the Poison Fang. Janine turned and smiled at me, sheepishly waving. Then she turned back and made her way up the rest of the catwalk, disappearing into the ship.

I watched it go from Cinnabar's dock. The Fang grew smaller and smaller until it was little more than a smudge on the horizon.

Oak finally approached me from his waiting place on one of the benches lining the park opposite the dock. He'd given us a moment alone to say goodbye and let me stand and mope, but I couldn't do that all day.

It wasn't like it was forever, but it was the first time Janine and I would be apart since we'd met. I'd never even kissed a girl before her and I was scared of what the distance might do.

"Blaine's expecting us," Oak said as I turned to face him. "Called me again to ask when we were coming."

He lifted a ball and released his alakazam in a flash of light.

I pushed my adolescent romance from my mind. I had bigger things to worry about. "Did he say what he was calling about?" I asked.

Oak sighed and shook his head. "He's always been a cryptic bastard. He wouldn't say why he wanted a sudden meeting, but it's probably not a good thing. It usually isn't."

I sighed in response. The secrecy was something I'd quickly come to expect from Cinnabar's reclusive gym leader. "No sense keeping him waiting then."

Oak reached up and touched his alakazam on the arm. I mirrored his action and the docks disappeared with a small pop.

The oppressive heat hit me as I sucked in a breath. The ocean sprawled out in every direction from the island, itself seeming small and insignificant from the peak of Mount Cinnabar. I felt myself reminded of the harrowing battle atop Mount Ember and tried to put the victory on the caldera from my mind. Even if we had won, it had been a brutal victory that had cost us all.

"The scale of it really gets to you," Oak started, looking out at the sea. "Makes you realize how small we really are."

I stared out for a long moment. Cinnabar city sat nestled at the base of the volcano, resorts and pristine beaches spreading out away from the city proper. The ocean dwarfed all of it, stretching away to the horizon in every direction.

"Nothing but dust in the wind," I said quietly. "Views like this… places like this… they make you see just how little we matter as individuals."

Oak smirked knowingly, as if he'd been attempting to lead me to that conclusion so he could challenge it. "I'd like to think that even us specks of dust can change the world."

"A wishful fantasy," said a new voice. He stepped out of the doorway in the rock face. He was frail and lanky and hunched over a cane in his old age. I was given the impression of a powerful warrior succumbing to the ravages of time. "Especially with the coming storm."

"Blaine," Oak said. "This is Ranger Corporal Marcus Wright."

The bald man nodded gruffly. He frowned under his large moustache. "Surge's recruit?"

Blaine looked me up and down, eyes lingering on the crook in my previously broken nose and the patch of scarred skin that marred the left side of my face. My hair had been cropped short and my mangled ear was on full display.

"You remind me of him," he said with a wry grin. His eyes lingered on my scarred face. "You seem stubborn."

I nodded and let myself relax slightly. "I've been told that," I replied. "Good to finally meet you, Leader Katsura."

"Enough of the formalities," he said gruffly. "I don't like them and they'll just waste what little time I have."

"I agree."

Blaine turned back towards the doorway in the rock face. "Follow me then. We have much to discuss and very little time before calamity strikes us all."

I glanced back at Oak.

He frowned and I sensed the exasperation. "I told you he was direct about things."

I didn't answer and simply followed Blaine into the elevator.

Blaine's gym compound was built into the volcano itself. The elevator led us down into a chamber below the caldera, where the elevator shaft opened to reveal a stunning view of the magma chamber.

Two large platforms jutted out over the lava, one of them clearly the battle stadium with a large array of seats suspended from the ceiling of the chamber. The second platform was smaller and secluded on the opposite side of the structure the elevator was descending into.

"That is incredible," I said as the elevator entered the building. "It's beautiful."

"It's also on a timer," Blaine said gruffly as we stopped and the elevator opened. "We've got maybe three or four more years before the pressure is too great and Cinnabar blows." He glanced back at me as we filed out, seemingly enjoying the shocked expression on my face. "Glad you visited while you could?"

"It was going to blow in ten years back when you were twenty." Oak smirked as if to disprove Blaine's grim assessment. "At this rate, she's got another ten to fifteen left."

"Cinnabar is a fickle bitch, but I'm sure this time. I've tapped every magma reservoir and relieved every bit of pressure I could. She doesn't have much time left." Blaine turned away from the stadium and the large hallway leading to the main doors. "But either do I anymore..."

A younger man, towering over Blaine's hunched over form appeared from the doorway Blaine was leading us towards. He looked almost a mirror image to the old man, save for the fact that he appeared almost seventy years younger.

"Don't talk like that, grandfather. You've always beaten the timeline on everything else."

Blaine turned to face the younger man, scowling. "Bah, enough of this. We are wasting time." He pointed with his cane. "Follow me."

The younger man fell in line alongside me. "Glad to finally be bringing in other people to help us," he said. "Grandfather kept saying that we couldn't risk being exposed to Giovanni, but I don't think that matters anymore."

"Damian," barked Blaine as he barged into a messy lab. "Make us a spot of tea." The old man shuffled over to a large chair at the head of his table and sat down heavily.

Oak and I sat opposite him as the other man disappeared through a doorway to what I assumed to be a kitchen.

"Let's get on with the real reason I've brought you here then," Blaine began. He propped his cane up on the table and leaned back. "I'm defecting from Rocket."

I couldn't help the surprise and shock that came to my face. "I wasn't even aware that you were a part of Rocket."

Blaine simply smirked. "There are a great many people whose Rocket membership would astound you." He glanced over at Oak and seemed to smirk slightly. "Our dear professor here chief amongst them."

I sucked in a breath sharply as the two stared at me. "You're with them," I said as my hand dropped to my belt. I stepped away from the table and glanced between the three of them. "So this is a trap."

Blaine chuckled knowingly. "On the contrary, my defection is truly sincere. And I doubt that the dear professor intends to blow his cover until the moment is truly perfect."

"Marcus," said the professor in that same calm cadence. "Look at me. I am not your enemy."

I turned my gaze to him, a grim scowl on my face and my hand on Luna's ball. The deaths of Pride and Vector, Zapdos Squad, the Marowak, every run in with Rocket painfully fresh in my mind.

"I was just trying to challenge the League like every other trainer. And yet at every turn since Silph signed me, I've had Rocket on my back." I shook my head, trying not to lose my cool. "Tell me where I'm wrong, professor. You've helped me before with the cubone, but things look real clear from where I'm standing. If you're with Rocket, you're on the wrong side."

Oak looked at me pensively. He was quiet for a moment, then sighed long and hard. "I have been on the wrong side for far too long, despite my claims to the contrary." He reached up and massaged his temples. "But it's never too late to do the right thing." He glanced over at Blaine and gave a determined nod. "Perhaps it is time for all of us to do the right thing."

"Perhaps it is," Blaine replied. He leaned back as Damian deposited a large mug of steaming tea in front of him. He nodded in thanks, his gaze never leaving Oak and I. "Then you'll have to know the whole story."

I relaxed my hands, approaching the table. Damian deposited another pair of tea mugs on the table and sat in the open chair to my right.

"Surge knows some of this, so I don't know how much of it he's revealed to you," Oak began. "But I'll start from the very beginning."

I raised an eyebrow. "Surge knows some of this?" I repeated.

Oak nodded. "He was part of the original Team Rocket." He frowned, as if he knew he had just stunned me into silence. "I would know. I founded it." He sipped at the tea and nodded in thanks to Damian. "Nineteen years ago, I gathered the most powerful trainers in all of Kan-Jo to deal with a crisis. A group of cultists had woken Lugia in the Whirl Islands."

Blaine shook his head. "That was a goddamned shit-show. Seventeen islands sunken into the sea and a hundred thousand people dead before we could even mount a response."

"Surge was there" Oak continued. "Lance as well."

I frowned. "And Giovanni?"

Oak nodded. "He was one of those who answered the call. It wasn't Rocket yet… it… we were all trainers. We were all friends. They were my Aces, my response team to threats beyond imagining."

His eyes went hard and I could see that the memories were not something he was fondly recalling. "We stopped Lugia, but only by trapping it in a cavern created by the sinking of the Whirl Islands. We lost a few hundred thousand human lives because a sleepy god was woken up by a few reckless humans."

Blaine set his tea down. "It would not be the last time that humanity raised the ire of something greater." He shook his head and sighed. "No, our species decided to piss off the gods at a higher and higher rate. The Collector in Orange… those Galactic nut jobs in Sinnoh… the Unknown Incident in Johto…"

"There was a particularly devastating battle," interjected Oak. "against Lugia when it attempted to rise from the Whirl Islands once more. We lost a great many friends that day."

"A decision was made," said Blaine. "To create something to fight the battles we could not."

Oak scowled as Blaine fell silent. "Some… like Surge and Agatha, among others… disagreed with the idea. They were cut out of the plans." He turned and glanced at the old bald man hunched in his seat. "Some… like Blaine, Myself, Giovanni, Lance and a few others, decided that the danger had reached a tipping point. That something had to be done."

I stared at Oak in horror as he looked back at me. He sighed and I saw the true burden of the Champion's crown weighing on the old man before me. "Our first attempt was a sloppy attempt to recreate the adaptive abilities of Mew. It couldn't maintain cellular cohesion. We tried to salvage it, but instead we only wound up with a creature that could barely mimic the powers of others… the ditto."

He shook his head. "That failure should have warned us off. We created a weapon with our next attempt. A creature to rival any of the gods that the pokemon could throw at us. Something we could use to fight back against the overwhelming tide of natural catastrophe that these creatures wrought with their awakenings." His scowl deepened. "And we were victims of our own success."

"Fifteen years ago, an island seventy miles off of Cinnabar exploded. We said it was a dormant volcano. That the pressure had just grown too great and it finally blew." Blaine sat back, a proud smirk on his face. "In reality, the creature woke up. It rejected the purpose we had gifted it and chosen self-immolation."

Oak shook his head. "Except, as I said, we were victims of our own success. The creature survived."

"How?" I asked.

Blaine scowled deeply. "That is something that has yet to be determined."

"We call it Mewtwo. It was designed using DNA from a fossilized remains of creature that was discovered in an ancient temple in Johto." Oak nervously glanced at me and I felt the weight of his gaze. "I reformed my Aces to combat our new foe and found it impossible to find, let alone defeat."

Oak shifted and I saw the shame on his face. "I failed Indigo as her champion. This creature escaped my grasp and massacred all we sent to recapture it. A vote was cast among the remaining Aces."

"Lance replaced you as Champion," I said. "And Giovanni took over efforts to create a weapon… Mewtwo."

"Mostly correct," Oak confirmed. "I remained in contact and offered my assistance when needed, however I have found myself sidelined more and more over the years." He glanced over at Blaine. "And yet the situation has seemingly spiralled more and more out of control ever since my resignation. Attempts to capture the Storm Raptors as well as whatever unholy abominations Gideon created, along with their meddling in evolutionary science has made it perfectly clear. I am no longer on the right side, if I ever was."

I sat in silence, contemplating everything I had been told. The two old men were silent as they watched my reaction, Damian the only one making any noise as he lazily stirred his own tea.

"Marcus," Oak said calmly. "You have shown me that you have the moral compass to be trusted. If we are to move against Giovanni and Rocket then we are moving against Lance and the league itself. I need allies, and you do too."

"Say that I believe you," I began. "Let's say that I believe you're sincere and this has all gone further than you meant it. You're still responsible for everything Rocket has done."

Oak hung his head and failed to meet my gaze. "I know that. And I bear the burden of shame for what I have unleashed."

"Oak here has knowledge of an upcoming Rocket operation," Blaine interjected. "We want to help you disrupt it and bury his little paramilitary organization."

I raised an eyebrow. "On my own?"

Oak shook his head. "No, of course not." He smirked. "Giovanni has grown irritated by Surge's constant opposition. We want Surge. Erika and Misty too if we can convince them. Janine would be a plus as well, and we know you're close with Fuchsia's new Leader.

I nodded slowly. "And you have no secure means of communication with any of them."

Both the old men nodded.

Silence reigned once more as I contemplated what to do.

"I understand that we are asking a lot, but—"

"You're asking me to do something that I've been working towards since I joined the Rangers. You're asking me to help you put a stop to the man terrorizing Kan-Jo, who personally killed my first capture and is responsible for the deaths of far too many of my friends." I shook my head. "What kind of person would I be if I disagreed?"

Oak let himself crack a grin. "So you're in?" he asked.

I nodded slowly. "I'm in."

Oak looked as though a huge weight had lifted from his shoulders. "You don't know how much of a relief this is."

"Contact Surge," Blaine barked. "I'll forward Oak all of my intel and he can brief the both of you." He glanced over his shoulder at the doorway deeper into the complex. "I apologize," he said as he rose to his feet. "But what I am about to show you is highly sensitive and cannot leave this facility."

Damian got to hide feet and disappeared into the doorway.

"We recovered this after the Collector's airship went down in Orange," Blaine continued. "Ingenious bit of tech. It's a damn shame that man was utterly insane."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sorry if this sounds ignorant, but who is that?"

Blaine and Oak chuckled and shared a knowing glance.

The old professor looked at me. "I sometimes forget how often we change the story for the public." Oak sat back. "The Collector was a mad scientist, plain and simple. He built himself a massive floating fortress and attempted to seize control of Kanto's Storm Spirits."

"The birds?" I asked. Realization dawned on me as I thought back to the region threatening storm that had dominated the island chains south of Kanto in my youth. Pundits had called it the storm of the century and stirred up a huge panic before it suddenly dissipated. "Wait, that huge storm was them?"

Oak nodded. "Yes. A renowned machinist from Orange, Lawrence Gelarden III, made an attempt at capturing them. He almost succeeded before Lance and I stopped him."

Damian reappeared, pushing a strange looking table on a cart. He wheeled it over to Blaine, who flipped a small switch on the side of the table.

"We recovered this from the wreckage of Gelarden's airship." Oak said. "Along with a collection of other technological marvels."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Simply put," Blaine said. "It's a map."

The table lit up as a holographic display rose up. It zoomed in until I could make out the unmistakable outline of the Kan-Jo supercontinent as well as the archipelagos to the south. It pulled back even further, the southern shores of Sinnoh coming into view from the north and Hoenn's archipelago appearing in the east. A number of glowing markers rose from the map, a pair of them instantly drawing my eye.

I pointed at the silvery-blue marker over a pair of islands south of Saffron. "I know those islands," I said. My eyes moved south, looking for another marker over Sevii. It wasn't there, and I scanned the board looking for anything else that might confirm my suspicions.

"As you might suspect given your experience with them," Blaine said quietly. "It tracks the gods."

My eyes widened as I looked over all the markers. There were twelve in all, spread across the region. I found the crimson marker that I suspected to be Moltres south of Indigo Plateau in the Argent mountains, and a pair of violet markers lurking northwest of Cerulean. A lightning yellow marker sat near where the Kanto National Power Plant was and another trio of markers were entwined together in Violet City.

"There are so many," I said. Several of the markers were moving, albeit far off in the wilderness or out in the open ocean. More of the glowing beacons covered the rest of the regions, so many that I could scarcely believe it.

"We live in a world of monsters," Blaine said. "This device helps us keep track of them, and respond to them when necessary."

Oak pointed at the whirl islands and the silver marker there. "This is Lugia, one of our chief concerns over the past twenty years." He pointed over at the pair of markers that circled around an island in Johto's southwestern waters. "These two are Latias and Latios, protectors of the island of Alto Mare."

I pointed at the silver-blue marker south of Fuschia. "And this one is Articuno."

Blaine raised an eyebrow. "You know of the snow bird?"

I pulled up my sleeve and exposed the blue ring branded onto my forearm. "I encountered it after driving Rocket out of a secret base on those islands."

"Interesting," Blaine said quietly. "The second such trainer to be branded in under a month."

"No," Oak replied abruptly. "The third."

"Third?" Blaine asked.

I raised my eyebrow. I knew Riley had received a mark similar to mine from Moltres, but I didn't know that there'd been a third.

"Lance covered it up, but there was an incident at the power plant. Zapdos was freed from captivity and bestowed its mark upon a young woman."

"Does the third oppose Rocket?" Blaine asked.

Oak was silent for a moment, seemingly gauging how much he wanted to say. "I do not know," he finally replied. "She is an unknown."

Oak shook his head. "But that is immaterial." He looked at me. "When we recovered this map, we finally had the means to track Mewtwo." He pointed at the pair of violet markers north of Cerulean. "We suspect one of these markers to be Mewtwo. The other is unknown at the moment."

Oak leaned forward. "Every time we've attempted to move on Mewtwo, it teleports away. We can't even make contact with the creature, let alone actually recapture it." He sighed. "And yet, that is about to change."

Oak pointed to the largest city in Kanto, at the epicentre of civil disturbance that had been wracking the region. There'd been isolated protests against the failing economy of the region and the corruption but they'd been growing to a head in my time away from the mainland.

"Saffron," he said quietly. "The protests, the riots, the lockdowns, all of it is a guise for Rocket's true goal."

It hit me then. "Silph," I stated calmly. "They're after Silph's project."

Blaine looked at me with surprise. "You're smarter than I expected."

"No," I said. I knew my limits. "I just connected the dots. I have a friend in Silph. She mentioned her dad was working on some secret project."

I looked back between the two old men. "Rocket has heavily infiltrated Silph, to the point where they were able to pull capture location data off my pokegear and store a porygon in there to spy on me." I shrugged. "Makes sense that Rocket would be stirring up trouble to cover what they're actually doing within Silph."

"They're going after a pokeball," Oak relied calmly. "An upgraded version of the dark balls you encountered with that Tyranitar's trainer."

"Vicious," I said with a scowl. "I do remember those balls looking weird. He had a whole bandolier of them."

"They were mine," Blaine replied. "Or rather, a bastardization of a few of my inventions. If Giovanni has upgraded the capture matrix, then he could theoretically capture Mewtwo and turn the creature on those who might dare to oppose him."

"Do you think he'd go after Lance?" Blaine asked.

Oak shrugged. "Giovanni is obsessed with control, but he doesn't like being the frontman. He prefers to work behind the scenes. It's why he never challenged Lance for the Champion's throne."

"He's going to," I said suddenly. "If this Mewtwo is as powerful as you say, then he has nothing to fear if he controls it."

Blaine nodded as he came to the same realization. "He'll make his move once he captures it. Likely wipe away the existing Indigo leadership and assume control through the National Congress." He shook his head. "Giovanni's been currying favour with the civilian government for years. I always thought it was just to push more funding his way, but it appears that the corruption serves a more nefarious purpose."

"Gods are waking," Blaine continued. "Hoenn was nearly destroyed less than a month ago, the Storm Trio has been stirred from their slumber… Then there was the disturbances in Kalos and Sinnoh that cannot be explained…" he trailed off. "The gods are waking and Lance is going to be getting desperate for some results. Which means that Giovanni will be desperate too."

"We must move quickly if we are to upend his plans." Oak turned to me. "Do you have an encrypted line to Surge?"

I nodded. "We set it up after Celadon. It should still be good, completely off the Silph network at least."

Blaine nodded. "I'll give Oak a list of actionable targets within the league. You can forward it to Surge. With any luck, it'll delay this upcoming Saffron operation until we can truly combat Rocket."

"I will," I said. "Thank you both for doing the right thing. Maybe you guys started this with the right intentions—"

"But oftentimes, terrible things are done with the right intentions." Blaine shook his head as he struggled to his feet. "I wish you luck, Ranger. You're going to need it."

He turned and hobbled from the room, Damian turning off the map table and following him.

Oak rose from his own chair, glancing down at my tea as he released his alakazam beside us. "Well, we'd best be off."

I got to my feet as well. "So, how much time do we have?"

"Not enough," Oak replied. He placed his hand on his alakazam as he waited for me to do the same. "I will explain everything when we arrive at the lab."

I nodded and reached for the alakazam. The scene shifted and twisted for a brief moment, before we rematerialized in the quiet calm of a place I'd been once before.

"This isn't Pallet," I said cautiously.

"I know," Oak replied. "Unfortunately, there are a great many things I could not reveal in front of Blaine. Things that would change everything." He sighed heavily. "I would be a pariah even amongst the rogues of Rocket if the things that I have done were to come to light."

He turned to me and I caught a mournful look for a long moment. "I would… prefer that you not mention my dealings with Rocket to the boys. Everything I have done is for them and…" he trailed off again. "I would prefer to tell them on my own terms."

I nodded. "I can understand that," I said. I'd delayed and delayed in telling Janine about the promise to her mother, I had no right to judge Oak for harbouring those same feelings.

He strode towards the pair of low slung bungalow we had teleported in front of. There was a white fence ringing a small courtyard in front of the house, with a little fountain splashing away. There were a few small water types frolicking in the fountain. I reached out for horsea as we passed, brushing my hand against its bony crest as it preened for my attention.

A young woman, probably about thirteen or fourteen opened the door of the bungalow on the right. Her brown hair was up in a bun and her sleeveless shirt instantly drew my attention to the lightning yellow mark that wrapped around her wrist. Blaine and Oak had said that Zapdos had marked a trainer. Perhaps this girl was that trainer.

"Amber," Oak said in a cheerful greeting. "It's been too long."

"It's Leaf now," she replied curtly. "Grandfather is tired, but he was expecting you." She glanced over her shoulder and then back at us. "He says that your boys came as advertised."

Oak raised an eyebrow. "The boys are here?" He asked.

She nodded. "Red and Blue both." She turned to look at me and narrowed her gaze as she caught me studying the mark on her wrist. "Fuji doesn't like surprises though. Who is this?"

"This is Ranger Marcus Wright," he replied. "The boys and I can vouch for—"

"I can vouch for myself," I said, interrupting him. I pointed at the mark on her wrist. "I know that to obtain a mark like that, you must be a good and honourable person." I slipped the sleeve of my vacation shirt up my arm and exposed the mark that Articuno had left. "I earned mine when I saved the Lord of Snow."

She raised hers. "And I, when I freed the Lord of Lightning."

I nodded. "Then we understand that we are on the same side?"

She nodded in reply and waved Oak and I inside.

The bungalow was small and cramped, with a large living room dominating the space. There was a small kitchenette and a bathroom secluded on one side of the house and a bedroom on the other. A pair of futon beds had seemingly been hastily pulled into place, Red and Blue sitting as if they had been waiting and expecting us.

Old Doctor Fuji sat in an oversized chair, a large mug weighing heavily in his hand. "Sam," he said.

Oak nodded in greeting. "It's been a while," he said. "I see the boys are taking care of you."

"And then some," the old man replied. "They destroyed an anchor that Rocket placed atop Pokemon Tower, and then took my Amber on a dangerous trip to a power plant." He glanced over at the girl. "One that could have gotten her killed and has irreparably marred my life's work with divine intervention."

"We do not yet know what effect the marks have." Oak gestured to me. "My associate here has been marked himself over a month ago. He reported that Articuno offered assistance in a time of need." Oak looked back at Leaf. "I would imagine that Leaf was given much the same honour."

"Her name is Amber," Fuji said. His face went hard and his voice was cold. "She is Amber."

I glanced at the girl, who looked as though she wanted to jump at the old man. She said nothing though. After a moment, I saw her fists relax and watched as Red's hand found hers.

"Regardless, Red and Blue—"

"Are heartless copies of my work." Fuji struggled to rise, but found the strength to get out of his chair. His bones seemed to creak with the effort and I wondered if he was well. "Do not speak to me of the abominations you and Giovanni thrust upon the world."

Red and Blue both exclaimed loudly at that offence, but Oak silenced them with a raised hand.

"Fuji, I would remind you that these boys saved your life and kept your 'Amber' safe."

Fuji seemed for a moment as if he wanted to argue further, but kept silent. He slowly sank back into his chair. "Then I suppose the boys will be leaving now." He glanced over at them. "Amber and I will be glad to be rid of them."

It was Oak's turn to scowl. "Is that what Leaf wants?" he asked cautiously.

"I told you, her name is—"

"Leaf," she said forcefully. "My name is Leaf. And I do not wish to stay here anymore."

Fuji' shocked expression could have curdled milk. I was surprised that he didn't keel over at the sudden revelation. "You will do as I say, or I will—"

"You will do nothing," Leaf continued. "As you have done every time Rocket pushed your boundaries." She stepped back and proudly took Red's hand. "I will be leaving with them. Whether you accept it or not."

Silence reigned for a long moment. Fuji glowered at the boys, at Leaf, and most of all at Oak. He slowly shook his head and seemed resigned to it.

"Goodbye, grandfather."

She turned and stormed out the door as Oak stepped forward. "It doesn't have to be like this," he said slowly. "You know that you have a place at the lab. No matter what. History does mean something after all."

Fuji remained silent and looked away. Red and Blue slipped out after Leaf, motioning for me to do the same. Oak closed the door behind me.

"So," started Red. "Articuno and Moltres?"

I nodded and pulled back my sleeve. "Articuno branded me just after Koga died, and Moltres branded a Hoennic trainer when we rescued it in Sevii." I glanced over at Leaf, my eyes lingering on the yellow band at her wrist. "How'd you get yours?"

She shrugged. "Right place, right time," she said noncommittally.

Red and Blue both shot her shocked glances. "You're playing that down," Red said. "You were amazing!"

Blue looked back over at me. "Seriously," he started. "She jumped onto the back of Zapdos and rode it out of a collapsing building, while fighting off half a dozen Rockets at once."

She shrugged and I felt a sense that she was uncomfortable with the praise. There was more to this girl with two names than everyone was letting on, but she was clearly one of the good guys if the boys were to be trusted.

For a fleeting moment, I had the thought that this was all an elaborate con to draw me into a trap. But the absurdity of the idea sank that notion immediately. Rocket had far easier ways to get to me and I wasn't that important to begin with

"Sounds impressive," I said, moving on from my doubts. I nodded at her. "three marks, three birds. That has to mean something."

"Or it's just what anyone would have done," she replied bluntly. "Either of you would have done the same thing in that position."

"We weren't in that position though," Red interjected. "we were trapped outside the building because neither of us could keep up with you."

She shifted awkwardly, refusing to meet anyone's eyes as the boys sang her praises.

I smirked knowingly. A somewhat reckless trainer who was uncomfortable with praise and spotlight. Where had I seen that before?

"When I met Articuno, it told me that it would aid me in an hour of need." I met her eyes as she looked up at me. I saw something there, some sort of spark as I mentioned the snow bird. "Moltres said much of the same to Riley when we rescued it. Did Zapdos speak to you at all?"

She nodded. "It promised aid as well," she started. "and told me that we would meet again soon."

I felt a pit in my stomach. A third offer of aid and another ominous warning that the bird would meet its marked soon. "Three warning, three marks…"

"Something is coming," Oak said as he stepped out of the small house. "that much is clear enough. Things are coming to a head and there is little we can do to delay that now."

"Gramps?" asked Blue as he turned to face him. "What do you mean by that?"

Oak released his alakazam in front of the fountain. "We should return to Pallet before speaking," he continued. "I don't entirely trust that Rocket isn't keeping an eye on Fuji's house."

Blue released his own alakazam without prompting. I touched Oak's pokemon as Leaf and the boys mirrored me. We disappeared with a small pop, my stomach twisting with the unfamiliar sensation of teleportation, the smell of a salty sea breeze filling the air a moment later.

"Come," Oak said curtly. "Let's get inside." He massaged his temples as he stepped out in front of us. "Hopefully, Delia will be almost done with lunch."

Oak's lab was a chaotic mess. Aides ran to greet him, disappearing back to their work when they realized he was still occupied. The old professor led us through the crowded lab and into the living quarters that were no less crowded with loose papers scrawled with notes and heavy books laying forgotten in piles.

I sat at the cramped table, a platter of sandwiches sitting ignored in front of us. Despite the fact that I'd forgone breakfast this morning, I wasn't hungry. Tense conspiracies tended to have that effect. Given that the boys had dug in the moment they showed, I doubted that they felt the same.

Oak was seated across from me, carefully stirring a tea that had been steeping since we had sat down. He looked up at me and I saw the tension on his face.

"Marcus, I told you before that I would tell you the full story." He glanced over at the boys. "It's time that I told you four everything. I believe that the fate of the world depends on it."

"As I was saying before we left Lavender," Oak started. "things in Kanto are coming to a head." He nodded in my direction. "Marcus' work with the Rangers has ensured that both Fuchsia and Vermillion are set against Rocket, and you two have ridded Lavender and Cerulean of their influence."

I raised an eyebrow. I hadn't known about a Rocket presence in Cerulean. Admittedly, I was not privy to all of Surge's intelligence, but he hadn't mentioned Cerulean at all.

"However, despite these victories Giovanni remains almost untouchable." Oak sighed for a long moment. "As if he was being shielded from the blows we have dealt to Rocket."

"I take it that he was?" I asked.

Oak nodded. "Giovanni, and by extension Rocket itself, are Lance's solution to the question of survival."

He glanced over at the boys and Leaf. "I have told Marcus some of this, earlier today. But, my hands are not entirely clean of this. Before I resigned my post as Champion, we began a project. We were looking for a way to give humanity a fighting chance against the pokemon that we truly had no counter to."

Oak's eyes flitted to Leaf for a brief moment. "We thought cloning could be the solution. We thought that we could enhance one such creature and ensure that it was firmly under our control."

The boys were silent. Leaf squirmed uncomfortably and I wondered how much of this she already knew.

"After several failures, and my resignation from the head of the project, Giovanni succeeded at altering and cloning a Mew, theorized to be the most adaptable of all pokemon due to its dynamic genetic structure." Oak frowned. "Only, he overestimated his control of the creature and it escaped containment, immolating an entire island in the process."

He sighed and I caught him stirring his tea anxiously again. "I… I… failed in my duty as Champion. I resigned and Giovanni was given free reign to recapture the experiment." He shook his head. "It is difficult for me to explain what happened next."

Oak looked down at his tea and stirred it again. "I… we…"

Leaf placed a hand on his arm. "I can tell them," she said quietly. "Fuji… he told me everything."

Oak nodded in response.

Leaf took a breath, steeling herself for what was clearly a tough conversation. "Dr. Fuji specialized his research in human cloning." She frowned. "He called it the next step in medical technology, flash cloning organs to replace failing bodies… only… he was using that research for his own purposes."

She took another deep breath and paused. It hit me, before Leaf even needed to say anything. It just made too much sense. "Fuji's daughter died young. A car crash in Saffron took her life at only twelve years old." Leaf tightened her fists, a far off look in her eyes. "Her name was Amber."

Silence filled the room as the meaning of that sank in. Red and Blue both seemed to realize at the same time what it meant.

"You…" Red started, his face a churning mess of emotion. "you're a clone of the original Amber, aren't you?"

Leaf nodded. "A clone to replace the daughter that Fuji lost."

"It doesn't really change anything," Blue said with a grin. "You're no different than us, no matter how you were born."

She flinched at that comment and looked over at Oak, unsure of how to continue.

He nodded and got to his feet. "It's alright, dear." He put a warm hand on her shoulder. "I can take it from here."

Oak looked down at the two boys, smiling in that calm and serene manner. "You really are much less different from Leaf than you could possibly imagine."

Neither of the boys said a word.

"There was a night, like any other night. I was working late in the lab. Too late, to be entirely honest." He wrinkled his nose. "Agatha always did tell me that I worked too hard." He went cold and his hand fell off Leaf's shoulder. "I got a call, from my son. He told me that his wife was pregnant and he was going to be a father."

Oak looked away, clearly holding back the tears. "He told me to come over and celebrate. He'd bought a few Unovan cigars for the occasion." He looked over at the two boys. "When I got there… both my son and his wife were dead. Giovanni was waiting for me. He was waiting with the two of you." He looked from Red, to Blue and then back again. "He was waiting with a pair of clones, altered… no he used the word perfected, versions of both him and myself."

My shocked expression must have paled in comparison to the boys'. Both Red and Blue had their jaws slack, stunned and shocked fear in their eyes.

"He told me to raise the two of you. That you were our heroes to lead us after he prepared humanity for the future." Oak tried to offer a weak smile of reassurance. "I have done so, instilling a moral code in the both of you that I know means you will do what is right no matter what."

Neither boy said anything. I could hardly blame them. The revelation would have been enough to shock anybody.

"I understand that you both feel betrayed right now. I am sorry that I kept the truth of your origins from you." He looked over at Leaf, who seemed to offer Oak a reassuring nod of her own. "I had no choice but to cooperate after what he did to my son. No choice but to play along as one of Giovanni's puppets." He shook his head now, and I heard his voice swell with resolve. "I see now that there was always a choice. I just made the wrong one."

Red stood suddenly. He refused to meet anyone's eyes and stared blankly at the floor. "I… I need some air." He turned and walked away morose.

Oak opened his mouth as if you say something, but Leaf shook her head. She got up a moment later, following Red out of the lab.

Blue got to his feet as well. "I'm gonna go be alone with my team for a bit," he said. His voice didn't waver, and his eyes were hard. "I'll be back by dinner." He glanced over at me. "And I don't need you following me for some touchy feely shit. I'm ok, I just want some space for a bit."

I nodded. "I won't."

Blue looked over at Oak and then away. He grabbed his bag from the floor beside him and stormed out the door.

The woman from before emerged from the kitchen area. She crossed the kitchen and looked mournfully at the door. "Will they forgive us?" she asked, eyes locked on the door.

Oak didn't answer.

I got to my feet and shouldered my bag. "They'll be back," I said confidently. "because it's the right thing to do."

"That is not the same as forgiving us," the woman said. Tears were forming at the edges of her eyes and I could hear the pain in her statement.

"That it is not, Delia."

I looked between the two and cleared my throat, desperate to change the subject. "I believe that you had a cubone problem," I said. "and I'm eager to meet my new tyrunt."

Oak finally seemed to break out of the funk that had taken over him. He looked over at me and I saw some measure of the radiant calm return to his presence. "Right this way," he replied. "The staff will be eager to see you."

Indigo League Classified File #150 — Project Mew-Two

Successor to the failed Mew-One project, Champion Lance Wataru placed Viridian Leader Giovanni Sakai at the head of this project. Much of the original research of the original Mew-One was repurposed, and Dr. Ikiro Fuji was recruited to assist with enhancements to the cloning process.

Mew-Two was intended to be an enhanced clone of the pokemon Mew, whereas the original Mew-One was intended to be an exact replica. 4213 children with the latent psychic gene were submitted as test subjects for the project, with 1672 surviving into the second phase of the experiment and perishing before the third phase could begin. After the expiry of all remaining test subjects, a fresh clone was created that spliced together human and pokemon DNA.

The subject displayed extreme intelligence and clear sentience before the incident that resulted in its release into the wild. Mew-Two displayed violent and psychopathic tendencies from the moment it became self-aware. It immolated the facility it was created in and the island upon which it stood, sparing only Dr. Fuji and a secondary subject (a clone of Fuji's deceased daughter, dubbed "Amber-Two", both have been placed under League surveillance in Lavender).

Recapturing Mew-Two is considered the Indigo League's top priority. However, due to the sensitive nature of Mew-Two's origins, knowledge of this directive is limited to those under the purview of "Team Rocket" and members of the Indigo Elites.

Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101

Indigo Ranger Corps, Special Task Group, "Zapdos" Squad,

Corporal SN# 109-512-6591, Marcus Wright, current team:

Luna, Ninetales

Artemis, Aerodactyl

Acolyte, Marowak

Two, Porygon-2

Curie, Chansey

Hey, so this is something that I don't normally do. I detest ANs and usually omit them or limit them entirely. But, its been a long while and things have changed for me in my absence.

In October of last year, I was diagnosed with depression. I felt no energy. My work suffered. My personal life suffered. But I was getting a handle on it.

I suffered a concussion in January. It was the 7th concussion that I've had in my life. This one, more than the last few, really affected my personality and mood. I began suffering from severe depression. Medication didn't help, and I went off my meds and began to suffer from withdrawal. I attempted to commit suicide and spent some time in a mental health unit.

Things are different now. I am different. I'm in therapy. I am more serious about my mental health. I am more serious about my physical health.

All that, to lead into… I began writing this story with the vague intention of writing a short journeyfic. Marcus had no name and no personality. He was essentially a player character. But something happened when writing. I poured so much of myself into Marcus and the story. And I accidentally created a character that took on so much personal meaning.

In realizing that the story had grown beyond its original scope, I embarked upon some ambitious revisions to the early parts of this story. Chapter 5 in particular saw a massive expansion. Everything up to the Celadon battle was given at least some revision and I'm incredibly happy with the results. I improved as a writer and the story deserved it.

Thank you all for reading!

joshthewriter · Oct 5, 2023

Journey

Death of Duty

Part 6: Secrets and Lies

Dissolution

Unity… cannot last. — Pokemon Idealist, "N"

Acolyte appeared from the flash of red light, hefting his club and looking at me expectantly. Then he let it fall slack at his side, looking around in a small measure of awe.

The cubone enclosure was almost identical to the area that I'd found his colony in. The soft, loose earth of Pallet was replaced by a hard, packed down layer of dirt. Rocks and boulders were strewn around, with a cave hollowed out in the largest of the boulders. More caves dotted the walls of the enclosure.

A few of the cubone peeked out to watch, curious at the newcomer who seemed so familiar. My marowak gazed around at them, the barest traces of tears beginning in his eyes.

"Acolyte," I said, working up the strength to speak. He turned to face me and I felt a sense of calm coming over me. I knew what the right words were. "when we met, you were just a cubone. Your mother entrusted you to me for training."

I looked away, at the cubone that were starting to gather. None of them had come out into the open, but more and more of them had appeared. They were peeking around boulders and out from the mouths of the many caves carved into the walls.

"I'd say that you've surpassed anything in my wildest dreams." I grinned and felt some measure of confidence fill my words. "You've become a powerful warrior and a true friend to me. You have fulfilled your obligations to your trainer and done your mother, and your clan proud."

Acolyte fought back the traces of tears that began to form. He looked around at the cubone, then back at me. I could feel the solemn resolve in his gaze.

"They need you," I continued. "Your family needs you. More than I ever did."

He held up a hand and I went silent. My marowak raised his club and drove it into the earth at his side. He stepped closer, gesturing to my ball belt.

I dropped my hand to my starter's ball. It wasn't easy for Luna to translate from mind to mind, but she'd been experimenting with her abilities since she'd thanked me after her evolution. She could, at the very least, relay a few messages back and forth.

My ninetales lifted her head proudly. She met Acolyte's eyes and I watched as both of them stood transfixed for a moment. Then the link between them seemed to break and both of my team members visibly sagged.

Luna turned towards me as Acolyte steadied himself on his club. I felt the familiar pressure of Luna's mental presence touch my mind, and the strange musical undertones that her presence brought with her.

"Marcus-Trainer has taught well. Acolyte is ready to be not-acolyte. Acolyte is ready to be Acolyte-Trainer for Clan."

I forced the tears to remain hidden. "You'll be a damn good one," I said proudly. "You're smart… you're brave… you're loy—"

He placed a hand on my arm and looked back at Luna. Her presence disappeared for a moment and then returned a few moments later.

"Clan need Acolyte. No sad. Acolyte always Marcus-Clan."

I nodded in reply, choking back a sob. No sad, Acolyte had told me. He deserved a happy farewell. "You're a damn good pokemon," I said as I finally found my voice. "I'm gonna miss you."

My hand dropped to my belt again, opening the remaining two balls. Curie and Artemis coalesced beside me and looked around warily.

"We'll miss you, Acolyte." I reached out and pulled my pokemon in closer. Not even Artemis resisted the hug. "We'll all miss you."

Curie sobbed and abandoned her hug with me, wrapping both arms around Acolyte. Luna curled her tails around him as Artemis snaked her own tail around Acolyte from the other direction. I joined my pokemon, abandoning my stoic façade and joining my team in the crushing hug.

Try as I might, the tears began to fall. My team wasn't used to happy goodbyes. Every one of our losses had been abrupt, violent deaths of beloved family members. For once, we got to say goodbye on our terms.

Oak's aide, a man from Sevii named Tracey, led me back from the cubone enclosure, down a pokemon after I handed Acolyte's ball over to one of the staff caring for the cubone. The aide led me around the lab, to another enclosure on the other side of the compound.

"Oak just had him transported in," he began. "He's been trying to get out of the enclosure since we let him out. We thought he'd tire out or learn his lesson, but…"

Tracey's voice trailed off as we climbed the stairs up onto the small platform that let us view the enclosure. I laid my eyes on my newest team member and knew I was in for the toughest task of my training career.

The tyrunt stood just over six feet in height, but stretched at least nine or ten feet from nose to tail. He was an oddity among the clutch, a giant that refused to stop growing. By rights, Vargas had thought he would have evolved by now, but the tyrunt remained a tyrunt.

His muscles were rippling, corded bands that were tensed in preparation. Reptilian eyes found me and lingered with calculated coldness, as though he was working out the best way to reach and kill me. "Seems like you'll have your hands full," the aide said. "He's smart, you can tell by his eyes."

I held the tyrunt's gaze for a long moment. "He's looking for ways to kill us," I replied. "Artemis, my aerodactyl, was the same way before I tamed her."

He looked over at me and raised an eyebrow. "How'd you manage that?" he asked.

"You go through the stomach," I said. "at least, I did with Artemis. Trained her to expect her meals for me." I paused for a moment as I doubted the effectiveness of that approach. "Although, she was mostly past her aversion to humans."

My eyes never left the tyrunt's gaze, and I got the sense that what I'd learned with Artemis would be far less helpful than I was hoping. Vargas' notes had detailed much more inherent aggression than any of his aerodactyl, and in this particular specimen, a desire to establish himself as the monarch of his own. He wanted to be the strongest and he was willing to do whatever it took to achieve that.

I turned to the islander, my mind racing through possible training methods. I had ideas, but I needed to get started so I had a chance to get him under control before I left Pallet. "Mind if I introduce myself?"

He shook his head. "He's all yours," Tracey replied, handing me the tyrunt's ball for the first time. "We don't even need the paddock for another week or two, so you can house him here as long as you need."

I grinned, feeling some confidence as I thought through my nascent plan. "I appreciate that," I said. "Because this might take a few attempts, and I'll need to space them out."

Tracey looked at me with a curious expression. "Mind if I watch?" he asked. "I'd been meaning to make a trip to Sawtooth, but I've just never managed to find the time. I've always wanted to sketch a fossil pokemon."

I shrugged. "Feel free to stick around. I want a look at any sketches of them though."

I raised Artemis' ball and released her on the outside of the paddock. In one smooth motion, I hopped off the viewing platform and onto my aerodactyl's back. I squeezed my heels into her flanks and felt her muscles tense underneath me.

We launched into the sky and I felt a surge of joy as the wind rushed through my hair. So long ago, I'd flown on the back of Gemma's fearow and felt utter terror. Now, flying was nothing but a source of happiness. I'd found my flight stomach, so to speak.

We banked as Artemis cleared the twenty foot fence, and I caught a glimpse of Tracey scrawling away at his sketch pad. I pushed the sight from my mind, resolving to ask about any of the sketches after. I needed my focus on the present.

Artemis swooped low and flared her wings. I slipped off her back and landed in front of my newest pokemon, praying that he wouldn't gut me without hesitation. I released Luna and Curie at my sides as Artemis banked back around and landed heavily behind me. With a third flash of light, Two appeared in front of me. I needed my team with me, needed to make an impression on the tyrunt that I was the one in charge.

Vargas' notes mentioned that he had displayed an understanding of human language, even if he had no inclination to listen. So I launched into an introduction.

"My name is—"

He launched into action, clawed feet carving furrows into the earth as he flung himself into action. He was charging straight for me with intent to kill.

I sighed as I raised his ball and returned him before he could close the gap. Of course this was going to be more difficult than I had first expected it to be. I quickly set the ball's release function to place him on the other end of the paddock and glanced around at my team.

"Luna," I started. "Get ready to pin him in place."

The tyrunt appeared a few moments later, facing the opposite wall. He looked around for me, snarling in frustration. Reptilian eyes settled on me and again I could see him working out exactly how to kill me.

Luna's eyes flashed with violet light and the tyrunt levitated off the ground by a few inches. He scrabbled with his clawed feet, but Luna lifted him just off. She shot me a sideways glance, as if to ask if I was satisfied.

"Artemis, show him his place in the pack."

She let out a feral growl and launched into motion. The tyrunt snarled and snapped, but Artemis hit him from above and tossed him with a swing of her tail. He slammed into the fence of the paddock and landed heavily on his feet.

Two shot forward, a reflective panel of glowing light slamming the tyrunt from the side. He was thrown across the paddock, flipping end over end and crashing to a painful halt. He slowly rose to his feet, clearly pained by the beat down he'd just received.

"Can you read him?" I asked Luna.

I saw the psychic energy billow around her, and wondered for a brief moment why she was considered a pure fire type. She could naturally use some ghost techniques as well as many psychic and fire ones, even a few stranger types if TM's were brought into play. I pushed the thought away, focusing on the task at hand.

"He is angry," came Luna's voice, as her mind touched mind. It was still difficult to communicate directly with words, but it was becoming somewhat easier. It still usually left me exhausted with a migraine, but I could tolerate short conversations. "Intelligent and savage by nature. He craves strength but was embarrassed in battle."

"Make sure he understands me," I said to my starter. "Because this'll go bad real quick if I'm wrong."

She shot me a long look, but then turned her attention to the tyrunt. I saw him stiffen and watched his eyes race between the five targets in front of him.

"Curie, I need an egg."

My chansey tried to whine in protest. I shot her a curt glance. I knew she didn't like our new team member's aggressive behaviour, but I needed her help to calm that aggression and win him over.

"An egg," I repeated. "this'll work. I promise."

She pulled and egg from her pouch and passed it to me. She had a sour look, but didn't make another sound.

"Thank you," I said. I nodded a thanks and turned to my newest pokemon. "We got this, Curie."

I stepped toward the tyrunt. His eyes stopped darting between the five of us and focused solely on me. I saw his mind racing, much like my own when I was in a bad situation.

"You want to be strong," I said, quickly forming a rough idea of my new pokemon's identity. "you are strong. But you could be stronger. You could evolve, become like Empress."

I glanced over at Luna, who nodded in confirmation. "We are strong because we fight together." I held out the egg and drew my knife. With a quick motion I sliced the top of the egg off and placed it carefully on the ground in front of me. "Fight with us and become stronger."

I stepped back and whistled for Luna. "Let him go," I said, my eyes never leaving the tyrunt. "Two, be ready if he attacks."

I took another step. His eyes glanced down at the egg and quickly back up to me. He be opened his jaws and hissed, lowering his head as he crouched. Artemis roared and the tyrunt paused for a moment. I stepped back again.

He launched, ignoring the egg and leaping up to pounce on me. The large claw on each foot extended to gut me with the opening attack.

Two's barrier slammed into the tyrunt and swatted him into the dirt. He rolled with the motion and came to his feet as Artemis hit him from the side and pinned him to the ground.

I sighed as my aerodactyl roared directly into the tyrunt's ear. This was going to be harder than I thought.

Oak lifted the pan off of the stove and poured the stir-fry mix into the waiting bowl. Delia was waiting, absconding with the bowl to the table. He turned off the burner and placed the pan into the sink as Delia put the bowl on the table and began distributing it to the waiting plates.

"Will the boys be joining us tonight?" Delia asked with a clear sadness in her voice. She paused, holding a full spoonful of the stir-fry over the fourth plate.

The boys hadn't been seen since Oak's big reveal. I'd spent the last few days training and trying to get a handle on Savage. It wasn't progressing half as well as I'd hoped, but at least he had stopped trying to kill me on sight.

Oak shook his head in response to her question and sat heavily in his chair. "I haven't heard from them, Delia."

She lowered the spoon and put it back into the bowl. Delia said nothing further, but looked intently at her food as she slid into her seat.

"Has Surge contacted you yet?" Oak asked. "I need to speak with him, warn him about Saffron."

I shook my head, picking up my fork. "Still nothing," I said. "I'm getting worried at this point. He should have at least returned my message by now."

Oak sighed heavily. "We aren't going to have much time. If—"

My pokegear blared angry tones at me. I pulled it out and flipped it open, the screen was already blaring a warning at me.

EMERGENCY ALERT — ARMED CONFLICT IN SAFFRON CITY. ALL CIVILIANS MUST CLEAR AREA. INDIGO NATIONAL ARMY DEPLOYED IN RESPONSE. INDIGO RANGERS DEPLOYED IN RESPONSE. ALL CIVILIAN TRAINERS ARE URGED TO STAY AWAY.

I looked up at Oak. "I guess that's why he hasn't answered." I went silent, realizing how pale he was going. "Professor?" I asked cautiously. "Are you alright?"

"We need to move. Quickly."

I looked down at the plate and shoveled a bite into my mouth. I wasn't likely to get a chance to eat until this was over, and I was going to need something to keep me going.

Movement at the door drew our attention. The boys were panting, as though they'd run to get back after getting the alert.

"Boys," Delia exclaimed. "You're—"

"We have to go," Oak said. "Right now, to Viridian." He rose from his seat. "If Rocket is making their play, then Viridian is empty and we won't have a better chance."

"I'm sorry, but we have to go to Saff—"

"No," Oak said with a hard voice, interrupting me. "We need to go now. Viridian will be empty. There is something that we need."

Both boys looked at him in silence. Neither protested. Leaf, standing behind them, didn't make a noise either.

"We go. We go now and we can still get to Saffron in time."

I couldn't help the nagging doubt in the back of my mind. We needed to get to Saffron, to stop Giovanni from getting his hand on the prototype ball. "Professor, I don't know. Time is of the essence here, if Giovanni—"

"Time is indeed of the essence. We will never have a chance at getting into Giovanni's lair like this, never have another shot at this."

I shook my head. "Oak, you gotta convince me. What's so important that it results in us delaying our arrival at Saffron?"

"I…" he trailed off and I caught the troubled look in his eyes. "It would be… far easier to simply show you."

Leaf and the boys didn't interject in the argument, simply watching as I cast doubt on the Professor. "That's not a lot to go on," I said. "I need something that can justify delaying us helping at Saffron."

He sighed. "You've come this far on faith, Marcus. One more step, what's one more step?"

"Oftentimes, the last step is the step too far."

We stared at each other for a long, tense moment. Nobody dared to speak. Oak held my gaze intently and neither the boys nor Leaf could tear themselves away.

"Fine," I said brusquely. Oak had placed faith in me by telling me what he had. I'd returned that trust by believing him and promising to help him turn Giovanni's plans against himself. "Viridian first, then Saffron."

We popped into existence directly in front of the Viridian Gym, the long shadows cast by the setting sun casting jagged lines on the Gym's face. Karen and Will flanked our small group, with Will's xatu and gardevoir spreading out after aiding in our group teleportation.

"Break it down," Oak ordered.

The front doors of the gym tore off their hinges and spun off into the loose earth of the gardens in front of the gym. No attention came to us, and I felt a sense of unease. The Viridian Gym was in a busy part of town, it should not have been as deserted as it was right now. I slipped my sidearm from its holster and felt the familiar weight in my hand.

"Move in, find Giovanni's office." Oak continued, unperturbed by the deserted street. "It should be on the second level."

Karen and Will disappeared with separate pops. Red and Blue disappeared a half-moment later with Leaf in tow, leaving Oak and I alone in front of the gym. I glanced at him. "It's empty, just like you said."

He nodded. "Giovanni's probably pulled just about everyone into his operation. If there is anyone in there, it'll only be a few people on the lower levels. Likely a couple support staff if anything."

"What is this place?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Rocket's base of operations. Or, more accurately, Giovanni's personal base."

I raised my eyebrow, but didn't ask anything else. Karen and Will appeared a half second later, both of the psychics reaching out for one of us. We disappeared with a small pop and reappeared in a darkened room with an oversized desk overlooking the city. The evening sun sat heavy over the skyline of Viridian, almost set for the night.

Oak sighed and shook his head. "Always the one for theatrics," he said in a knowing tone. He reached under the desk, tapping the secret button underneath. "Has to be the most insufferable prick he can be."

The bookshelf on the wall split open and slid apart, revealing a stark grey metal door.

"Giovanni has a love for dramatics," Oak said with some small measure of exasperation. "which extends to everything he does. A very select few people even know if this secret bunker's existence, of which I am not supposed to be one. If I'm right…"

I shot him a hard look. I wanted to trust Oak, but the constant deceptions and omissions of key information was making it hard. "If?" I asked incredulously.

He didn't answer, pressing the button on the elevator. It opened silently and Oak answered me with a confident glance.

We piled into the elevator, none of us speaking a word. It closed as Oak pressed the sole button on the panel. We trundled down into the earth, leaving the surface behind as the last vestiges of natural evening sunlight was replaced by harsh fluorescent lights.

"What is this?" Red asked, as we descended further into the earth. "You called it a bunker… a bunker for what?"

Oak sighed and the frown on his face told me that he was reluctant to reveal much. "It's more than that," he said calmly. "It was built to survive anything, so he stashed him here to make sure he was safe and hidden."

"Stashed who here?" I asked, taking over from Red's questioning. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The elevator ground to a halt and we all turned to face the only path. We'd arrived at a hallway that led to a lonely metal door with an obviously heavy lock in the centre of the door. There was only a single line of fluorescent tubes on the ceiling, leading to the lonely door.

"This is a prison," Oak said. "holding one of the most dangerous beings ever encountered on this earth."

He crossed the hallway and opened the door. The lock released easily and I had the terrified realization that it hadn't required any sort of key or combination. It was designed only to keep the door from opening from the inside.

Oak pushed open the door and stepped through.

I stepped through behind him, training my pistol on the young man seated at the table. He grinned and pulled a wide brimmed cap over his messy mop of jet black hair. He wasn't much older than myself, but I could see a world weary experience in his eyes.

"Well," he said with his gaze settling on Oak. "I was wondering if I'd ever see you again."

"Boys," Oak began with a scowl. "Meet Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town." He folded his arms across his chest as the rest of us filed in after him.

"Who?" asked Blue. "I thought I knew everyone in Pallet,"

"You do," the man replied. "I'm just not from your Pallet."

I raised an eyebrow and glanced from the man to Oak. I wasn't the only one, Karen and Will mirrored me.

"I suppose that another explanation is in order," Oak said with an amused tone. He glanced over at Ash. "This man is not of this universe, but from another world much like our own."

"Did we walk into a bad sci-fi flick?" Blue asked incredulously. "Parallel universes?"

"Just over a year ago, Giovanni discovered and experimented with a being known as Hoopa." Oak's scowl deepened. "The creature was capable of opening portals to other worlds. Giovanni laid waste to the Kalosian Rivière using gods summoned by Hoopa." He turned and gestured to Ash. "He was transported to this universe as a byproduct of Giovanni's experiments."

Oak sighed and shook his head as he continued. "I had theorized on the possibility when I was younger, but the idea… I dismissed it as ludicrous. There was no way to even begin to test the theory."

"And then he found a way."

I turned and looked at Ash. The venom he had put into that word made it obvious who he was referring to. "Did you fight him?" I asked.

"Two of him," Ash replied. "once in my world… and then again here."

"Did you win?" I asked. Hope stirred in my chest. Perhaps this man was the answer.

Ash Ketchum turned to look at me. His face was thin and gaunt. I saw the pain and loss, the resignation in his soul. "No," he replied. "He always wins."

I glanced over at Leaf and the boys. Each of them wore the same forlorn expression. Karen and Will were slightly harder to read, but I saw a flicker of doubt cross the mercenaries' faces.

"We can beat him," I said calmly, trying to take charge of the tone. "we have the element of surprise." My gaze turned to Oak and I caught a glimpse of something akin to pride in his eyes. "But that doesn't matter if we don't stop him from getting his hands on that ball."

"We go to Saffron now," I continued. "to end Giovanni for good. If he falls, Rocket falls with him. They're a disparate network of barely connected cells. Giovanni is what holds it all together. If he goes, it all goes."

"He stopped me," Ash said suddenly and forcefully. "Me, who was chosen by the divine and fated to be the saviour of my world. He will—"

"No," I said, interrupting him. "he didn't stop you. You're still alive. You're still here." I turned back to the boys and I saw the clear similarity between Ash and Red. I knew then that there was truth in what he had been saying. He was Red, just a little different than the boy from Pallet was. "And you're going to help us stop him."

"How do you propose this?" he replied coldly. "My team is gone, my power absent in this universe. I am a shadow of what I once was. I am not the hero you seek."

Red stepped forward. "No, you aren't. But if you're the hero of your own story, then this can't be the end for you."

Ash glanced up at him.

"If it's not the end of you, then you're going to get through this. That gives me hope." He smiled warmly and I felt a radiant calm. "Hope that we can stop Giovanni."

I'd never seen this side of Red, only ever viewed him as a less cocksure version of Blue. The boy seemed to radiate the same hope that he spoke about now. He commanded the attention of everyone in the room. I saw the Champion that Giovanni had envisioned in the boy. A flicker of doubt crossed my mind, wondering why Giovanni would create a foe seemingly fated to destroy him.

"You're all going to die," Ash said morosely. "but I'll go with you." His eyes flitted to Red. "At least for a bit of conversation," he said quietly.

Oak grinned as the raven haired man got to his feet and strapped the skarmory feather blade to his hip. "Onwards, then. To certain death."

He strode from the room as if he hadn't been imprisoned within it, leading our group to the elevator. We piled in after him.

"So…" Blue started with an amused grin. "the multiverse exists?"

Ash nodded solemnly. "It does."

"So, since you're pretty clearly an alternate version of my friend here," Blue continued, gesturing to Red. "did you happen to know anybody that would have been me?"

"Yeah," Ash replied curtly. "He was an asshole."

Blue smirked. "That tracks," he said smartly.

"I'm pretty sure I knew a version of all of you," Ash continued. He looked over at me. "Except for you."

"I'm not important," I said. "Just a Ranger who was in the right place at the right time."

"Screw that," Blue interjected. "Certified badass over here fought Giovanni to a standstill with us. He's just being an embarrassed shit."

I let myself grin at the cocky young Oak. "I didn't know that you were capable of compliments."

Blue smiled mareepishly. "I am capable of being nice. I just choose not to be most of the time."

Oak coughed to interrupt him. "Are you—"

The elevator doors opened and I realized in a moment's breath that it had all been a trap. A dozen barrels were levelled with the elevator door, waiting for them to open. Whether Oak had been a willing participant or not, he'd led us into an ambush.

Will saved us in an instant. There was a flash of violet light as the dozen or so men waiting for us opened fire. His arm was up and his face was twisted into a grimace of effort.

Automatic weapons unloaded a wall of lead into the elevator. It would have been enough to kill us all a dozen times over. Will stopped every bullet in mid-air.

It felt like an eternity with the muzzle flashes flashing in our faces. Then it was over, and the Rocket grunts were staring at us in abject terror.

Will's eyes opened. They were a brilliant violet, blazing with psychic power. He cast his power out at the grunts with a wordless cry, spraying the room with all the collected bullets.

The closest of the grunts came to pieces under the barrage. I willfully ignored the gore and viscera painting the office as I forced myself out of the elevator behind Karen.

Karen vaulted over Giovanni's pockmarked desk, kicking one of the surviving grunts in the jaw. She came down on him with her blade, burying it up to the hilt in the man's shoulder.

I raised my sidearm, firing twice and gunning down the grunt that attempted to strike Karen from the side. He crumpled, holding his chest and gurgling for air.

I scanned the room as Karen dispatched the last surviving Rocket grunt. It was a bloody mess, the walls pockmarked with the bullets Will had returned to the Rockets. Giovanni's office looked like a warzone now.

Will staggered out of the elevator, head clasped in his hands. "That… hurt."

Karen wiped her blade off and sheathed it. She vaulted over the desk again, producing an energy

"He knew we would be coming," Oak said quietly. I could hear the fear in his voice. "he knew and he let us steal into his bunker anyways." He shook his head. "I don't…"

"Does he have enough men to hit Pallet?" I asked, my mind going to the obvious. "He lured you here and away from your lab. He could have hit the lab while it was undefended."

Red sucked in a sharp breath and seemed to deflate with that realization. "Mom…" he said. He glanced at Oak and then me. "We have to go now."

"Saffron," I said forcefully. "we need to go to Saffron. We need to stop—"

"No," Oak said. "You go."

"This isn't a conversation, Oak," I said. "you said it yourself. We go to Saffron after we hit Giovanni's gym."

"My mom is there," Red said, seemingly regaining some of the fire he'd spoken to Ash with. "and so are Tracey, Daisy and half a dozen other aides along with our pokemon." He looked over at Blue for support. "We need to help them."

"Take Will and Karen to Saffron," Oak said, taking over the conversation. "We'll catch up with you once we make sure Pallet is safe. Right now, we don't have any other choices. Too many lives in Pallet, some of them your pokemon's, depend on our return."

I stared in hesitation. Acolyte was there, Savage too. He was right, but we didn't have the option of dividing our firepower. "Professor…" I said, letting disappointment creep into my tone. "Splitting up… it's just going to get people killed."

Oak sighed with all of his world-weariness on display. "People are going to die no matter what, Marcus. It's a fact of war. This is it, we are well and truly at war." He scowled and reached out to put a hand on my shoulder. "Go to Saffron, Ranger. We will join you soon."

I kept silent for a moment. Every moment wasted more time. Every moment meant Giovanni was closer to his goal. I made the decision then. "Give me Leaf," I said. "Leaf comes with me to Saffron." I looked over at her, my mind lingering on the lightning yellow band wrapping her wrist.

Oak glanced over at her with a questioning glance. "Will you?" he asked.

She nodded. Her hand tightened around Red's and I felt my heart quicken. I'd be separating a young couple with no guarantee that they'd reunite. Red returned the squeeze of her hand before they separated.

"Then it's decided," Oak said with finality. He released his alakazam and Blue did the same. "Good luck, everyone. Gods know we're going to need it."

He disappeared with Ash and the boys in a pair of pops.

Karen, Will and Leaf looked at me expectantly. Like I knew what I was doing. I felt my heart pounding and let the false bravado that Blue had instilled in me swell up.

"Alright," I said as Will released a xatu and his regal gardevoir. "Saffron is under attack. We have no idea what we're walking into, so we're going to teleport outside the city and make contact with any Ranger forces in the area."

"Aren't we supposed to be killing Giovanni?" Karen asked. "We should teleport directly into the city and hit them from within."

"We'd never get more than a street without drawing every Rocket for blocks." I shook my head. "No, we need support. We need more firepower, more than my little pistol can provide." I flipped open my pokegear and tabbed over to the phone. "We need Surge."

Indigo League Classified File #693 – Ash Ketchum of "Pallet Town"

During Giovanni Sakai's experimentation with the creature known as "Hoopa", a man was transported into a location secured against all known manners of teleportation. He proceeded to attempt battle against the Rocket personnel within the facility before he was subdued and imprisoned beneath the Viridian Gym.

Giovanni claims the man to be from a parallel universe to our own. "Ash" appears to fully believe this claim, however no tangible proof could be found, only circumstantial conjecture. The subject seems to be delusional, believing himself to possess Aura powers (which have repeatedly been proven nonexistent by various scientific authorities) and naming himself "Arceus' Chosen".

Irregularities were found within the subject's genetic makeup unlike any ever recorded. He possesses an expanded parietal cortex, similar to that of powerful psychics, however the effect appears to heavily exaggerated in the subject.

Further exhaustive study discovered minute differences in the measurable background radiation when measured near the subject. This radiological signature matches to one of the seven distinct signatures recorded by Gideon Parker and Giovanni Sakai during their experiments.

In absence of more concrete methods to prove the subject's origin, he has been remanded to Giovanni's custody and placed under observation beneath the Viridian Gym.

During his captivity, the subject has displayed a voracious appetite for historical and mythological knowledge, recounting his numerous interactions with gods and legends, resembling many of their own appearances throughout our history. Most of these events are not public knowledge and have been redacted from official sources.

Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101

Indigo Ranger Corps, Special Task Group, "Zapdos" Squad,

Corporal SN# 109-512-6591, Marcus Wright, current team:

Luna, Ninetales

Artemis, Aerodactyl

Two, Porygon-2

Curie, Chansey

Savage, Tyrunt

AN: I revised chapters 10-27 with some new content and tweaks based off feedback I'd received. Nothing huge, but Marcus now wields a firearm once he joins the Rangers. Other tweaks revolve around ensuring that emotional weight remains throughout.

If you want more about this Ash/the Multiverse, then check out my profile (specifically "What We Do For Our Children, Nightmare, and The Hero, From Another Story")

joshthewriter · Oct 8, 2023

Journey

Death of Duty

Part 7: The Fall of the Pokemon League

Trap

Hateful ways lead to hateful resolutions. — Archibald Maxon, eco-terrorist

Saffron was burning. The walled city was belching thick clouds of black smoke into the sky, the fires below casting the smoke clouds in hellish red light. A barrage of missiles sailed over the walls and slammed into one of the skyscrapers, a forking bolt of lightning trying and failing to stop the ordnance.

We'd teleported onto a hill west of the city that overlooked the approach from Celadon. Too many truck tires and armoured tracks to count had torn the picturesque natural Route to shreds. It was a muddy, desolate scar in the forests of central Kanto.

"Fucking shit," Karen swore pointedly.

I nodded in agreement. "We need to make contact with Surge. I'd bet anything that bolt was him."

I glanced down at my pokegear. I still had no reply from Janine or Surge. Surge was probably already neck deep in the fighting, but I didn't know if Janine had committed Fuchsia forces to the battle.

"Get us closer," I said to Will. "There has to be some kind of command centre outside the city."

"I have it," he replied. "There's a camp outside the walls. Hundreds of people."

"Get us there."

His alakazam touched my shoulder, and the familiar sensation of being submersed in water washed over me. The scene shifted, to a dozen or so tents arrayed against Saffron's wall. People were laid out in rows, a few nurse and doctors rushing from patient to patient.

A hastily constructed wooden tower sat beside a roadblock that barred the entrance to Saffron. We jogged up to the guard post on the road, the four men standing there eying us nervously.

One of the men raised his rifle. Another thumbed the safety off. The two up on the guard tower looked down at us stoically.

"Halt," ordered the one in the officer's cap. "Saffron is locked down. Civilians are advised to stay away."

"I'm with the Rangers," I started. "I need to get in contact with Surge."

The officer raised an eyebrow. "You're a Ranger?" he asked in a tone of obvious disbelief.

"Ranger Corporal Marcus Wright, attached to Lieutenant Colonel Surge's Zapdos Squad." I glanced up at the men on the watchtower. They had stiffened their backs and were looking down with severe expressions. "I was on leave when the fighting broke out, but I came as soon as I could."

He looked past me in suspicion, at the two mercenaries and Leaf. "And they are?"

"Some likeminded trainers," I replied. "we're here to help."

'They're going to attack,' Will whispered in my mind. 'Something has happened. They've turned against the Rangers. The entire army has.'

I sucked in a breath. My eyes darted up to the men on the guard tower. One of them was listening intently to his earpiece. The other was discretely checking the chamber of his weapon.

I took a half step back and felt something hit me from the side. Will catapulted me to the left as he sprung into action. Gunfire rang out as I crashed into Leaf, bowling her over. I heard a loud pop and a pained grunt, then the heavy sound of a body crashing down to earth.

"Will, we got more of them coming from the gates!" Karen shouted from above us. "Too many to handle."

I forced myself up, hauling Leaf up as I glanced up at Karen. She was standing up on the guard tower, one of the guards bleeding at her feet. The other had fallen headfirst beside the prone, twitching officer.

These two trainers were far more than they appeared to be. But I didn't have the time to contemplate that. A bullet ricocheted off the road beside me as if to punctuate that point. We needed to get out of here.

"Get us to that rooftop," I ordered, snapping into motion. "Now!"

Will spun, releasing his alakazam and gardevoir again. He spun back to me, and Karen stepped out from behind him. The alakazam held up a spoon, halting the rain of bullets.

"I can't guarantee it'll be the right rooftop," he replied. "It was too far."

The soldiers were lining up, raising their rifles. As powerful as Will's alakazam likely was, I didn't want to test that strength.

The scene shifted as the firing line erupted, and the familiar dunk into icy water swept us away.

We reappeared atop one of the buildings in Saffron. Smoke was billowing from another skyscraper, obscuring our view to the northeast. I glanced over the side of the building roof. It didn't look like our building had taken much, if any structural damage. We were safe for the moment.

I dug into my pack once I realized that the rooftop was empty. If Surge had been here, he wasn't anymore. "Leaf," I said.

The girl appeared at my side and I handed her the binoculars in my pack.

"Scan the nearby rooftops for Surge," I said. "If you can't find him, get a look at the Silph Tower. Rocket's probably positioned their forces around the building to keep us away as long as possible."

She nodded and walked over to the edge of the roof, scanning the city for me.

I rounded on Will and Karen with Leaf distracted, both of whom were panting heavily. "You two aren't telling me something," I started. "and it's connected somehow, to something that's been confusing me since I first took on Rocket."

Will glanced over at Karen. "Well, I'm a—"

"I know you're a psychic," I replied. "I'm familiar enough with them, and I've got a rudimentary sense of their abilities because of Luna."

My gaze shifted over to Karen. I caught the way Will's breath quickened and his eyes darted between Karen and I. "You, on the other hand…"

Karen smirked coyly. "What about me, darling?"

"Janine said something when we met on Sawtooth. She said that there was a 'Shade' in play." Will's sharp breath gave it away. I was on the right track. "Luna couldn't sense either of you."

"Most psychics can't," Karen replied. She glanced over at Will and nodded. The lanky mercenary visibly relaxed. "Will can't even sense me most of the time and I've been travelling with him since we were both fresh faced trainers."

"What is a Shade?" I asked directly. "And how the hell do they avoid psychics?"

Karen sighed and I sensed some frustration on her part. "Look," she started. "this is the kind of thing that people get told they're crazy for believing in."

"I've seen some pretty unbelievable things," I replied. "I need to know how Rocket keeps avoiding Luna's psychic detection."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "That… shouldn't be possible," she said slowly. "It's far too rare for that."

I stared at her expectantly. Leaf did the same.

Karen sighed heavily. "Alright, fine. I'll tell you. No use in you not knowing what I can do if we're on the same side."

She held up a hand and glanced up at the rising sun. "This would work better if the sun was down, but it's enough for a demonstration."

The shadow cast by her hand seemed to writhe free of its natural position. It retreated towards her and wrapped around Karen's arm, obscuring it with a smoky veil of shadow.

"A Shade is a human who is somehow attuned to the dark type," she said. "at least, that's what my mother told me. Every other dark trainer I've met has no clue what I'm talking about." She shrugged. "I'd bet Janine knows more than I do if she knows what a Shade is."

She shook her head. "That's not the point." She offered me a smile, trying to show me she was being honest. "I can do things in the dark that shouldn't be possible. I can step through shadows, reappearing in any connected shadows. I can disappear almost completely in the dark. And psychics… they can't sense me, especially at night."

I glanced over at Will. "Is all this true?" I asked.

"Have you ever met anyone who seemed to be able to do impossible things?" he asked, flipping the focus back into me. "I can do strange things with my mind that I hardly even understand. Is it not plausible that other people can do things related to other types?"

"You're a psychic," I said. "we've measured the part of the brain that possesses that psychic ability. We understand where it comes from."

"Hardly," he replied. "and so little about how or why some humans have these abilities and others do not." He shook his head. "Something has happened to humanity. Some of us… are changed by their connections to pokemon."

I remained silent, thinking on what he'd said. Karen had probably been the only person I'd seen to explicitly show something extraordinary other than psychics.

"Have you every wondered why so many trainers seem to train only one or two types?" Will continued, pressing me further.

"I figured it was for ease of care. Probably easier to care for 6 of the same types instead of a diverse team."

He shrugged. "That's probably somewhat true," he said. "The phenomenon is rare enough that most monotype trainers are likely not attuned themselves."

"But it's real," Karen said. "I've seen thing that shouldn't be possible, fought people that could do incredible things. You can't tell me it's not real because I've seen it myself."

I stayed silent. It was almost absurd. Almost.

It hit me at that moment. I did know someone like that.

"Blaine," I said suddenly. "it was something that his grandson said."

Karen smirked, knowing she'd led me to the conclusion she was right.

"He said that Cinnabar should have blown 15 years ago. But Blaine kept it from blowing the entire time." I looked over at Will. "He was attuned to the fire type. He had to be. How else would he know the intricacies of lava flow well enough to hold off an eruption for that long?"

Neither of them said anything, just smiled and nodded at me.

"He lives in the goddamn volcano," I said with a grin. "how the hell didn't I see that?"

"But," Karen continued. "getting back to your question about how Rocket is avoiding your ninetales."

I looked back at her.

"It shouldn't be possible," she said. "Like I said, I've never met anyone else like me. I've heard stories about a Unovan elite that make me think she could be the same, but I could never get a meeting with her" She shook her head. "Unless they managed to replicate some of those abilities…"

I scowled. "Rocket's twisted science a thousand times. I wouldn't put it past them." My gaze shifted to Will. "Is there really no way to sense a Shade?"

He frowned. "Not in the way that psychics sense most things," he replied. "but there are some telltale traces and signs of their presence."

"Would you be able to show Luna how to recognize those signs?"

He nodded slowly. "She should already be able to see the signs," he said. "I can help her understand them."

I released her beside Will and relayed what was going to happen to her. Luna nodded confidently and I turned away to face Leaf.

"Anything?" I asked.

She shook her head and handed the binoculars over. "No sign of Surge at all," she said. "but there are uniforms all over the streets."

I peered down at the street below. She was right. Soldiers had blocked off a number of the side roads and alleyways that would have allowed us freedom of movement and built up defensive positions on the main road. I couldn't see a single pokemon among them. They weren't Rangers, that was for sure.

By chance, the view from this building gave me a decent look at the courtyard plaza in front of Silph Tower. The pristine pictures I'd seen looked nothing like the cratered and rubble strewn bulwark it had been turned into. I saw at least three machine gun nests, as well as a network of sandbag walls bristling with armed guards.

"Well, we aren't walking in the front door…" I looked back the other way, scanning for any opportunities we could use. "Unless we find a whole lot more manpower than we have."

Leaf flipped out her pokegear, silencing the swelling guitar riff before it could get us noticed. "It's Red," she said. "Pallet got hit pretty bad, but they'll get here once they've got the fire under control."

I grimaced. Rocket had given us what we thought was an opening and we'd walked right into the trap. "Hope everyone's alright," I said with my mind on Acolyte and the cubone.

"Marcus," Karen said. "we need to get off the street. There's too many for us to take, and we don't know if we even have Ranger backup."

I glanced at her, then down at Leaf's pokegear. I'd have thought that civilian communications would have been down, but if they were still working then I had an idea. "Get inside," I said. "I've got a call to make."

"It is damn good to hear your voice, Novice."

I cracked a grin despite the dire situation. "Well, I figured it was time to finally visit my sponsor in person."

Gemma chuckled on the other end of the line. "You picked a terrible time for it." I heard the humour in her voice die. "The army's here. They're… they're saying some bad things about the Rangers."

"Well I've got some choice words myself for the army." I hoped sincerely that Gemma hadn't bought whatever story they'd cooked up. "But this is bigger than them. It's bigger than the Rangers."

I heard other voices in the background, before Gemma shushed them loudly. "Would this have to do with the man who attacked us in Cerulean?"

"Gemma, I swear I've never been happier to be able to talk about this shit." I shook my head. "I've wanted to ever since I got to Vermillion, but first they had Curie and then—"

"Curie's alive?" she asked suddenly. "You said—"

"Yeah, I know what I said." It was my turn to sigh. "I didn't know who I could trust and they had access into Silph's mobile networks."

For one of the few times since I'd met her, Gemma was silent.

"Look, I didn't like lying about it. I had to keep her safe, it was the only way."

"It's ok, Novice," she said with a smile in her voice. "Curie's ok and that's what matters." She paused for a moment. "I get the sense that you aren't calling to say hello."

It was my turn to chuckle. "You'd be right," I said. "I need into Silph. Without the army trying to kill us."

I heard the stunned silence on the other end.

"Look, I know how it sounds. But the guy who attacked us in Cerulean, he was part of a bigger organization. They've infiltrated Silph looking for the project your father has been working on." I took a breath and hoped that she was inclined to listen. "It's a prototype pokeball, the most powerful ever created. They want it to capture an enhanced clone of the pokemon, Mew."

She took a moment. I couldn't blame her. "That's… a lot," she said slowly. "but how does that involve the Rangers and the Army fighting it out in Saffron?"

"You've got me there," I replied. "I don't know what happened. But this goes all the way up to Lance. Maybe him or Giovanni pulled some strings or something."

Gemma sucked in a sharp breath. "Giovanni? Like… Viridian Gym Leader Giovanni?"

"Yeah, he's the mastermind behind all the pokemon swarm attacks. That and half a million other things." I went quiet, my voice dropping to a whisper. "He killed Pride… he's responsible for so much…"

"Marcus," she said. "he's here right now. He got here yesterday and pulled all the department heads into a meeting with the chairman that hasn't ended yet."

"Then we don't have much time."

"What's going on, Marcus?"

"We need into Silph," I said. "Before Giovanni gets the ball."

I prayed that Gemma trusted me enough to help us. I hadn't spent much time with her since Celadon, only calling every now and then. I'd had to keep so many secrets that I kept her at a distance for fear of incriminating myself to Rocket.

"Look," she said. "I wouldn't believe any of this if weird things hadn't been happening." She paused, but I heard her saying something to another person. "Dozens of supposedly 'Silph sponsored' trainers showed up here in the last week or two. But I don't recognize a single damn one of them. Neither does Nick."

"They're Rocket," I said. "they're already inside the company."

"Then you don't have a chance in hell at getting into the building."

I nodded to myself. She was probably right. It didn't change things. "We have to try," I said. "or else a whole lot of people are gonna get hurt."

She was quiet. "It's already at that point, Novice."

"Gemma…"

She sighed. "Trainers help each other."

I nodded in affirmation. "Trainers help each other," I repeated.

We popped into the storage room, Gemma instantly pulling me into a crushing hug.

"Good to see you too," I wheezed as she squeezed the air out of me. "It's been too damn long."

She let go and I looked over at the man behind her. "Nicholas," I said with a nod. "glad to have your help."

"You're going to need it," he said. The PR coordinator scowled, and I had the feeling he hadn't had much good news to work with as of late. "whoever these guys are, they've sealed off the elevator. They put something into the computer system that runs the building, stopped it from responding completely."

I knew what that meant. Two hadn't been the only porygon that Bill had created, and there was always the possibility of other replicas that Rocket had made. "I might be able to fix that," I said.

"I'm all ears," he said. "because the tech staff have been stumped."

I glanced between the two of them. "Can you get us to an access point?" I asked.

Gemma grinned and tapped one of the balls on her belt. Domitian appeared from the light, towering over us. Gemma pointed the crate beside her. "Get in," she said. "I've got a plan."

I looked at the crate. It was small. Too small for more than two people. I glanced at Karen and Will. We were still outgunned. We needed backup. Maybe Oak and the boys were coming, but they wouldn't be enough. I needed Zapdos squad.

"Find Surge," I said, locking eyes with Karen. "Get him here. This is gonna spiral out of control real quick, and I'm not gonna be able to handle it alone."

"All the better reason for us to stay," she replied quickly. She pulled back her hair, tying it up to keep it out of the way. "We'll be better use to you in here."

"But that won't matter," I said. "Giovanni is too strong, he'll wipe the floor with all of us. I need more trainers, people that can stand on his level."

She grinned viciously. "You've never seen me battle," she said with a growl. "I can—"

"If you're wrong, we're all dead for nothing." I put a hand on her shoulder, trying to project calm. "Get Surge. Heck, get any other Gym Leader you can. Get them to the Tower."

She stared back at me for a long moment, then nodded. "Yes, sir."

I stepped back. Respect from someone like her… who was stronger than me… it felt strange. Undeserved. "Just go," I said. "Before it's too late."

She turned to Will. He put a hand on her shoulder and they disappeared with a faint pop.

Leaf lifted her leg up and hoisted herself into the crate. I nodded at Gemma and moved to do the same.

She stopped me.

"You've grown up," she said. "I can't call you Novice anymore."

I smiled. "Thank goodness for that," I replied. "You'll have to use my name."

A wide grin spread across her face. "I'll find something, don't you worry." She gestured at the crate. "Now, get in the box."

I crawled into the crate, curling up beside Leaf. "Snug fit," I commented.

Leaf chuckled. "I've actually been in worse situations," she said.

Domitian placed the crate's lid back on. I heard the machamp beat several nails into the lid. Darkness enclosed Leaf and I completely. She snapped a glow stick on, giving us some small measure of light in the crate.

"How's that possible?" I asked. I wasn't exactly afraid of the dark, but I wasn't fond of it either.

She twisted her head to look at me in the dim glow of the glow stick. "I was stuck inside a coffin, inside the Pokemon Tower in Lavender."

My jaw went slack. I felt us lift off the ground and heard Gemma's muffled voice order Domitian into the hallway outside the storage room. "I take it back. That definitely sounds worse."

We stayed still and silent for a long while. The constant stop and start of motion, not to mention the consistent rattle of impact every time Domitian knocked the crate into something.

More voices were audible outside the crate and we felt us come to a halt. Leaf and I went utterly quiet. We must have moved into a busy part of the building. We didn't dare move or make a noise, putting our trust completely in Gemma and Nicholas.

After what seemed like an eternity, Domitian set us down. I heard the lid crack open and light flooded our hiding place.

Gemma pulled me to my feet. I glanced around at the gathered crowd, blinking rapidly as my eyes adjusted to the light.

"Hell of an IT staff," I remarked. My eyes found the pokeball belts and the hardened expressions. This crowd was definitely not an IT staff.

"Yeah," Gemma started cautiously. "about that."

I glanced around fearfully for a moment. Nobody was bearing weapons or releasing pokemon to attack us. Shame filled me a moment later as I recognized a few of the faces in the crowd as Silph sponsored trainers. Gemma wasn't betraying us. She'd gotten us help.

My eyes narrowed a moment later. Rocket was inside Silph. What was to say that they didn't have someone inside the sponsored trainers?"

"The IT staff are here. But I heard you telling that woman that you were outgunned and… well, I brought some backup." She turned to face me proudly, a wall of determined faces at her back. "Like I said, trainers help each other."

I nodded confidently, trying to push the doubts from my mind. Maybe we actually had a shot at this. Maybe Rocket didn't have everyone in their pocket. "Alright then," I started. My hand dropped to my belt, releasing Two at my side. "let's get to work."

I pulled out the bulky headset that Bill had created to translate Two's speech and pulled it on. "Two," I said.

"Marcus-Trainer," he replied. "how may I be of assistance?"

I looked over at the pair of wiry IT workers. They couldn't have been more stereotypical. Both of them looked at Two with clear awe.

"You…" started the woman. "what is this?"

I grinned widely, getting the chance to boast about my pokemon. "Two is a Porygon-2. Bill gave him an update of sorts, that seems to have evolved him into something new."

Her eyes went wide behind her massive lenses. "William Sonezaki?" she asked. "He's a legend in the programming community. Does things with a computer that are impossible."

I gestured to Two. "The impossible," I stated. "Bill meant for the porygon to be more. Two is that vision."

He chirped at me. I grinned and nodded at the staff. "He wants to know how he can help," I translated. "Says that he can likely purge the Silph system of other malicious programs."

"Like an antivirus system?" the man asked.

Two chirped dismissively. "He didn't like that comparison," I said. I left out the colourful insult that Two had given for him.

"That'll only get you up to the forty-fourth floor. The top three floors are on a separate system. There's an entirely separate server up there connected through a satellite network in the event of any attempted break-ins."

Gemma nodded at my shoulder. "Which is pretty much what we're doing right now," she said. "So we can get up to the forty-fourth…"

"Then we fight," I said. I grimaced. I didn't like this plan. It was too risky, too dependent on the chance of battle. I didn't have much of a choice. We needed to act before Giovanni got a hold of the ball.

I looked at Two. "Do it," I ordered. "seize the building."

It turned out that Two was so much more advanced than the basic porygon Rocket was using. He tripped half a dozen alarms as he entered the building's system, silencing them all a heartbeat later. Swarms of porygon descended on my living computer, but he was more than a match for even a horde of his predecessors.

A small flicker in the lights was the only signal anything was awry.

Two reappeared on the main monitor in the IT control room, chirping happily. He disappeared back into the computer and his voice came over the IT room's PA. "I've gained control of most of the building's systems. Some of the porygon tried to alert a network centre on the thirty-eighth floor, but I stopped them before they could raise a response."

The main elevator lit up on the display. "I've gained access to the elevator system, as well as a variety of other systems that could prove helpful."

Two reappeared on the screen. "I cannot say whether or not the Rockets in the other network centre have noticed, but there is no unusual movement throughout the building." He pulled up door controls beside himself on the screen. "I can isolate the Rockets masquerading as Silph trainers with some assistance identifying them."

I grinned. "Great job," I said. "be ready if they try to retake any of the systems. They'll know that we're here. They'll be waiting."

He chirped an affirmative and disappeared back into the machine.

I turned to the gathered trainers. "I want to thank you all for coming," I began. "I'm gonna be honest with you all. This is not going to be easy." I glanced around at the determined faces looking back at me. "Rocket… they know we're coming. They'll be waiting for us, and they have more than enough troops throughout the building to hold us off."

"You're going to need a distraction," one of the trainers said. He stepped forward and offered a curt nod as I realized who it was. I recognized that bright white hair and cold gaze. "we'll keep them off you," Elias Greenwin said. "pull their forces down to the ground floor and keep them there."

He'd admonished me last time I'd met him. Shamed me in front of a pair of Rangers. Now he showed me clear respect and deference. I didn't quite know how I felt about that.

"Don't risk yourselves unnecessarily," I said, ignoring the discomfort. "bottle up the hallways leading to the elevators and use area denial strategies. Don't risk yourselves unnecessarily." I looked out at them all. "I don't know if the Army will jump into this fight, but get the hell out if they start firing on you. You aren't soldiers. You didn't sign on for this kind of fighting."

"With all due respect," Elias said. He nodded at me. "Silph trainers pull their weight. We're with you. If the League is rotten all the way up, then something has to be done."

I nodded slowly. They were all trainers too, all of them under the authority of the Pokemon League. All of them were just like I had been. "You all feel like this?" I asked.

Elias nodded and not one of the group made any move to contradict him. "I speak for everyone here," he said. "We talked this over before we let you out of the box." He held out a hand. "We're with you, Marcus."

I took his handshake proudly. Maybe he was still a prick. But he was still a trainer. My suspicion that Rocket had a mole inside the Silph sponsored trainers vanished. These people were trainers just like me. Trainers help each other.

A confident grin returned to my face and turned to my makeshift army. "Then get ready." I turned to Leaf and gestured for her to follow me. "Because we're about to kick the beedrill nest."

The elevator doors opened. I stepped in, Gemma and Leaf at my sides. I looked out, past Elias and the pair of trainers waiting with him. "Thank you," I said. "Stay safe. All of you."

"We'll do our best," Elias replied. "Now go. Time for this to kick off."

The doors shut and I stepped back, leaning against the elevator and breathing deeply. We jerked into motion and began our ascent.

"Mr. Greenwin is sealing the doors," Two said over the PA. "his magmortar has melted them shut."

I nodded. "Smart," I replied.

I glanced at Gemma. "Hell of an army on short notice," I commented.

She shrugged. "They were ready to do something themselves. Things have been weird ever since the Cerulean attack, and then the past few days…" she trailed off and shrugged again. "I dunno, so many things didn't add up. There was the army rolling in and fortifying the plaza, the new arrivals that none of us recognized, then the meeting Giovanni called." Gemma looked back up at me. "We were all confined to a single floor and restricted from letting our pokemon out. Something had to change."

Two pinged the PA again. "Movement, there are groups of trainers trying to reach the elevators on other floors."

"Anything in the lobby yet?" I asked.

"No," he replied.

"Keep them away. You have the building."

Two trilled happily. "With pleasure," he replied.

Gemma nodded at me as we moved past the fifteenth floor. "You've changed," she said. "You aren't so…"

"Inexperienced?" I asked, offering her an end to her sentence.

She smirked. "I don't know about that." Gemma looked over at Leaf and then back at me. "Heck, she looks like she's been in more scrapes than you have."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh really?" I glanced over at Leaf. My doubt died in the way she stared back at me. "Heh, maybe you're right."

"Movement outside," Two said. "some of the soldiers are forming up into groups. Looks like they're getting ready for something."

I grimaced. Rocket was opening with their trump card. "Can you keep them out?" I asked.

"Not for long," he replied.

We rose past the twenty-fifth floor. "Do what you can," I said. "keep me in the loop."

Leaf glanced over at Gemma. "Nice to meet you," she said. "Marcus spoke very highly of you."

Gemma grinned. "I'll bet he did," she said with a laugh. "I saved his ass twice before the guy even had his second badge."

"To be fair," I interjected. "you did put me into the danger on the second one."

She shrugged. "Still saved your life," she replied.

We hit the thirtieth floor. The elevator went dark and ground to a sudden halt. The lights flicked back on a moment later.

"Two, report."

He trilled over the PA. "They cut the main power from the breaker room, but the building has reserve generators in the basement."

We rumbled back into motion, moving past floor thirty-one.

"Shouldn't be any more interruptions," Two said. "I've locked them into the breaker room. They won't be able to do anything else from there with the main power off."

The building shook with an impact. The elevator rumbled but continued to rise.

"The army has breached the lobby," Two said calmly. Another explosion rocked the building, rattling the elevator again. "But the Silph trainers are holding."

We rose past thirty-five. The mood in the elevator darkened and I caught my grim expression in the mirrored wall behind Gemma.

"Rocket trainers are descending through some of the stairwells," Two said. "they'll trap the Silph trainers in if they don't retreat."

"Can you get me into contact with Elias?"

Two chirped an affirmative again.

The PA crackled and the pained grunt of a person struggling came over the speaker. Gunfire echoed in the background.

"Elias, you gotta get out of there," I said. "Rocket trainers are coming down the stairwells."

"We're pinned by the army!" He shouted. I heard a deafening roar, then the unmistakable whine of electricity arcing. "I don't see how we can move!"

"Down the stairs!" I ordered. "Get out through the maintenance tunnels, they're not guarded."

He swore and I heard the heavy sound of two people struggling in close quarters. A loud buzz drowned out the noise, then went quiet.

"We're not leaving you alone here," he said, panting heavily between words. "They'll be all over you in minutes."

We rose past the fortieth floor. "Elias, we're almost up to the top. They can't stop us now, get out before they trap you."

He was quiet for a minute. I heard another voice. "Alright," he said. "we're going. Good luck, Ranger."

I nodded. "Good luck, Trainer."

We ground to a halt at the forty-third floor. "There is a squad of Rockets waiting to ambush you on the floor above," Two said. "I have sealed the hallway off. They will not be able to obstruct you."

The elevator door opened. Lights lit up, running the length of the hallway and then turning right. "I will guide you," Two said confidently.

I dashed down the hallway and turned the corner. The lights led into a stairwell. I raced up the steps two at a time, dashing past the floor with the trapped Rockets.

"I'll lose you on forty-five," Two said as I reached the door to the upper levels. The stairwell stopped. "There's likely another elevator, or another stairwell that can get you up to the top."

"Where's the closest access point?" I asked. "I need you up here."

"The level below you," Two said. "But I cannot leave the system if we hope to hold off the Rockets and the Army downstairs."

I grimaced. To go into battle down what Two brought to my team was a terrible idea. But to let Rocket regain access to the building was an even worse one. I made a snap decision and hoped that it wouldn't come back to haunt me. "Stay in then," I ordered. "get everyone downstairs out and make damn sure that Rocket can't move through the building."

Two chirped twice. Then the PA went quiet.

"This is it," Gemma said.

I nodded. "Be ready," I said. I pulled my pistol from its holster. "They're not gonna make it easy."

Leaf nodded behind us, her hand on the balls at her belt.

I looked at the two of them and breathed deeply. "On me, then."

My pistol snapped up. I fired three times, blasting through the hinges and the lock. I leaned back and put everything I had into a kick in the middle of the door.

The door came down with a crash. I barged through, checking the corners and expecting to be swarmed with Rockets the moment I charged through.

Nothing greeted me. No bullets, no pokemon. Nothing but silence.

"Well that's ominous as shit," Gemma said. "Where the hell are the guards?"

"Spread out," I said in a half whisper. "look for any way up to the top floor, but be careful!" I glanced around. "I don't like this."

I picked through the darkened hallway, keeping my weapon up and at the ready. My free hand dropped to Luna's ball, releasing her at my side.

"Scan the floor," I ordered. "I don't like this at all."

She closed her eyes and I could feel the telltale ripple of reality warping around her. Her tails floated weightless, billowing up around her.

'Confused,' Luna said in my mind. 'can't tell. Can't sense. Maybe someone. Maybe not.'

I nodded. She needed more practice at this. I resolved to ask Karen and Will for some help training this skill once we got out of Saffron.

"It's ok, girl," I said. I scratched her under the chin. "We'll assume there's a whole bunch of bad guys, just to be safe."

"Found a stairwell!" Gemma shouted.

I followed her voice. Leaf was already there, waiting, when I arrived.

"Looks like it leads up to the top," she said. "What are the odds that there's a trap waiting for us?"

"Guaranteed," I replied. I looked back at Luna. "Can you try to sense anything again?" I asked.

She nodded and her tails floated ethereally behind her once more.

'One person,' she said in my mind. 'One person at top of stairs.' I felt her confidence. She was more sure of this answer than before. 'Big group past him, numbers cloudy.'

"We've got someone guarding the door to the board room," I said. I patted Luna on the head. "swarm them, focus down any pokemon that appear." I checked the chamber of my weapon for the thirtieth time. "I'll take care of the trainer."

Gemma nodded. Leaf did the same. I stepped up to the door, taking point. Luna brought up the rear, alongside a leafeon that Leaf had let out.

"Move," I ordered, kicking open the door.

We charged up the stairs in formation, my weapon pointed upwards and waiting for movement. The stairwell was dark, only a faint red glow above us offering any light.

We rounded the forty-sixth floor, and still no movement greeted us. I kept moving, scanning the corners as I took the stairs three at a time.

I hit the forty-seventh floor and stopped. The dull red glow had been growing brighter and now I knew why. Gemma and Leaf took up positions behind me, Luna joining me at the front.

"Stand aside," I ordered, trying my best to put on a commanding voice. "only warning."

The red glow faded and I saw that his half of his face had been replaced by machinery. Crimson red hair hung down over the remaining half on his face, only the robotic eye was visible. It was locked on me.

"You shouldn't have come," he said, his voice tinged with synthetic tones. "you're all going to die."

He stepped forward and I saw that one leg was entirely machine. His other ended at the knee and continued in another robotic limb. One arm raised and I widened my eyes. He was more machine than man.

I opened my mouth to give an order. I never got the chance.

He hit me at full speed, driving the wind from my chest with the impact. I flew backwards, crashing heavily into the concrete walls of the stairwell. My weapon went bouncing down the stairs and I fought to suck in a breath.

Luna was snarling, already spewing a jet of flame. The cyborg deftly ducked under her attack and drove a knee into her throat. Her flamethrower died at the source and the man followed up with a throw that bowled over Gemma and Leaf.

A red flash lit the stairwell a moment later and I saw the hulking form of a johtan powerhouse forming in the gloom. Its eyes glowed red as well and my heart skipped several beats. Whoever this was, his pokemon had been similarly upgraded.

There was a reason I'd considered a totodile when Erika had given me a choice of bred pokemon. Feraligatr were damn powerful. Add in the cybernetic modifications that Rocket had made, and the creature before me was terrifying.

As the water type before me stretched to its full height, I realized that perhaps my choice of an aerodactyl had been premature. The distinct lack of a counter to water types on my team had reared its head at the worst possible moment.

I was back to my feet in a scramble, my hand going to my belt. Curie was out, appraising the situation without needing an order. She shook the egg that she tore from her pouch and pitched it into the feraligatr's face.

It exploded, driving the feraligatr back into the wall behind it. The man stood strong though, his legs clamping to the floor and finding purchase there.

"The door!" I roared, not sparing the two women a moment's glance. I couldn't afford to if we wanted to survive. "Get it ope—"

He hit me again, driving me past Leaf and Gemma. I slammed into the door and it gave way, crashing heavily to the floor. He was on me again a moment later, lifting me off the floor by my Ranger fatigues.

"No," he said. His mouth barely moved, and I got the sense that he no longer had vocal chords. "you die now."

Luna grabbed him with a wave of telekinetic energy. The cyborg held fast and both of us launched through the air.

The floor we'd busted into looked like it had been a high end office. Maybe some sort of executive suite. I crashed through a glass wall and hit the table inside the room. A loud tearing noise freed me and I tumbled to a halt as Luna drove the cyborg into the floor below us.

I sat up, coughing madly. Every breath was agony. Ribs were broken, more than a few of them if the grating pain was to be believed. My Ranger fatigues were hanging off me, the cyborg having taken a large patch of the chest with him.

"Luna," I coughed. "torch that thing."

She leapt up to the edge of the hole she had smashed the cyborg through. My ninetales erupted, spewing a stream of fire into the floor below.

Gemma grabbed me up, hauling me into a standing position. I groaned with the movement, but adrenaline was flooding my system and blunting the pain.

"Marcus, we have to—"

I shoved her away and dove backwards with the same movement. A pressurized torrent of water ripped through the space we'd been standing. The window shattered under the feraligatr's assault, bursting outwards.

Leaf's leafeon was harrying the hulking water type every step of the way. A relentless stream of plant life washed against its hide, merely annoying the giant. It walked through the leaf storm, rumbling deeply.

Curie leapt from behind it. She reared back, and I watched in horror as she pitted her strength against the feraligatr's. They locked arms, Curie's stubby little limbs holding the heavier and larger water type at bay.

A series of flashes behind them lit the room. Six arms grabbed at the feraligatr and slammed it backwards into the floor. Domitian and Cuddles hammered blow after blow into the cyborg pokemon, Curie jumping in and joining them a moment later.

A black blur hit Gemma's pokemon before they could react. Both of her powerhouses fell backwards, the sneasel's claws dripping with blood. Gemma shrieked again, her and Leaf releasing more pokemon to face the new threat.

Again I rose to my feet, scanning the office for any sign of the man. "Luna," I started. "do a sca—"

He was on me again, moving too fast for me to counter. His metal arm wrapped around me, squeezing and crushing my already aching chest.

Luna hit us with another wave of psychic energy, trying in vain to separate us. The man simply lifted his free arm and absorbed the rippling wave of power.

I drove my elbow into his fleshy side, drawing a grunt from him that sounded more human than anything he'd said. My follow up kick hit him in the metal knee. It didn't move.

He threw me again, back through another one of the wall height windows. The impact rattled my already broken ribs and I fought ragged breaths for air as I rolled to a halt.

I heard movement, but it sounded so distant. My ears were ringing, every bone in my chest grating against another with every breath. This man was going to kill me if we didn't end the fight now.

"Luna," I said weakly. "you have to stop this. You have to end it before he kills us all."

Her mind touched mine. I didn't know where she was, or how much she had heard me say, but that didn't matter now. I showed her what to do.

'Is crazy plan,' she protested. 'will kill us all.'

"Might kill him."

She was silent for a long moment.

'Will do it,' she said reluctantly.

I forced myself up onto one knee. I could hardly draw a breath but I moved nonetheless. I grabbed at the heavy red case on the wall, wrenching it open and grabbing the weapon within.

He was stalking towards Leaf and Gemma. They had pokemon in between them, but I had the horrible sense that it didn't matter. They weren't going to able to stop him. Not directly. Not unless I gave them an opening.

Both of them were going to die. Both of them would die unless I did something to buy Luna some time.

I did the only thing I could. I charged. I raised the fire axe and swung with all my might.

He spun on the spot and intercepted the axe with his robotic arm. It stopped dead. My eyes went wide.

"You are stubborn," he said, cocking his head to the side. He looked me up and down, a small grin spreading across the human parts of his face. "I'd be impressed if you were any stronger."

He yanked me closer along with the axe. "But you're weak. You always will be."

"That's the thing about being weaker than your opponent," I said, cracking my own grin despite the pain. "it means that you have to fight smarter than them."

"Luna!" I shouted. "Do it no—"

A resounding crack echoed through the building. I felt the floor shift beneath my feet. Luna had found the support columns.

A wave of telekinetic power erupted from her a moment later, blasting another gaping hole to the floor below us. I hit the wall, then tipped as the building groaned under the assault.

The floor dropped out from under me. Dust billowed around me, obscuring everything as I crashed down into the forty-sixth floor. I felt more than heard the feraligatr land in front of me, an avalanche of rubble burying it before the beast could rise.

A dull red glow cut through the dust and I knew that I'd failed. He was rising from the gloom, a limp marring his mechanical gait. But he was still alive.

I tried to scramble away in vain, but it was too late. My opponent was there again, grabbing me and fending off my clumsy counter. He spun and threw me, his crimson hair spinning with him.

I sailed backward, hitting the massive window. A network of cracks spread out behind me as I slumped down to the floor, coughing up a splatter of blood.

Leaf was shouting, but I couldn't hear her over the ringing in my ears. I couldn't hear anything except the ringing and the pounding of my heart in my broken chest.

It didn't matter. I forced myself back up. I had to fight. I had to—

He was on me again, wrapping that metal arm around my waist as I rose, faster than I could move. I felt myself spinning, then sailing through the air again.

I hit the window and it broke. I smashed through the weakened glass and tumbled into open space. Forty-six stories above the ground.

Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101

Indigo Ranger Corps, Special Task Group, "Zapdos" Squad,

Corporal SN# 109-512-6591, Marcus Wright, current team:

Luna, Ninetales

Artemis, Aerodactyl

Two, Porygon-2

Curie, Chansey

Savage, Tyrunt

Apparently this is a shonen anime now…

'Shrug'

Its cool.

If anybody is interested, Silver comes out of the one shot "What We Do For Our Children".

joshthewriter · Oct 11, 2023

Journey

Death of Duty

Part 7: The Fall of the Pokemon League

War

The point of war is not to die for your beliefs. Its to make the other poor bastard die for his. — Ranger Lt. Col. Emmet "Surge" Roth

The world flipped end over end as I tumbled through the air. I would have screamed if I had been able to draw a breath. Instead, I grabbed desperately at my ball belt.

I was going for Artemis. She might've been able to catch me. The wind fought back, tearing my hand away from the ball. I pulled it close and worked my hand down to my waist. My hand tapped the ball and I heard her roar over the wind rushing past me.

I caught a glimpse of Artemis tucking her wings into a dive as I flipped again, before the city replaced it once more. Rooftops whizzed past me as I plummeted towards the street.

She grabbed me, talons digging into my stomach and impaling me with her haste. Her wings snapped out and I felt myself bend violently as she slowed our descent. Then her talons let go and I fell into open air once more.

"Surge has been forced back several blocks," Leopold droned. "we cannot hope to sustain this attack without his assistance."

"Doesn't matter," I spat bitterly. I wiped the Rocket at my feet's blood from my blade. "Retreat is death."

He limped over to me, taking care to remain behind the car that we had sheltered behind. "So is this," he said. "We have to—"

I grabbed him and forced him down as I lashed out. My blade found purchase in the soldier's neck. He stared back at me in surprise, before slumping back to the ground.

Brutus let out a victorious bellow. The gunfire had slowed to a halt, at least on this block. War still raged in the distance, violent chaos echoing from every direction.

"Go," I said. "back to support Surge's push. Take the men and go, before I change my mind."

"My Lady Anzu—"

"No," I replied. "Just Janine," I said. I was not my mother. The failures piling up at my feet were proof enough of that.

I looked up at the Silph Tower in frustration. We'd been fighting our way through Saffron all night with no real progress to show for it. Rocket had been joined by elements of the Kanto National Army in an act of treachery.

From what we had been able to tell, Giovanni had one of his men inside the Indigo Parliament initiate a lockdown of the Parliament chambers. We hadn't been able to get in contact with any of the civilian government, nor the League's Board of Directors.

Military leadership had been similarly affected. Army and Air Force officials at Indigo Command were non-responsive, with Ranger Command going dark minutes later. In that same moment, the Saffron Rangers came under attack by elements of the KNA. The Rangers had routed and the KNA had fortified the city.

That was yesterday. Today, Surge had spearheaded an assault by our makeshift coalition, drawing on support from Cerulean, Celadon and Fuchsia. It hadn't gone well. Neither had the surprise attacks in each of those cities by more traitorous elements of the KNA. By all accounts, Kanto was quickly descending into a full-blown civil war.

Surge had penetrated the furthest into the city, but a series of missile barrages from military positions east and west of the city had forced Vermillion's finest to retreat. He was leading another assault on the main approach to Silph, but even he was hard pressed to take much ground.

Erika and her gym trainers had managed to seal the western gates behind a hundred years of plant growth, cutting off the army's main supply route into the city. Rocket and the army had retaliated. My last contact with Erika had been two hours ago, when she had relayed her intention to sweep north and link up with Misty and the Rangers out of Cerulean.

I grimaced at the thought. Misty had sounded in a rough spot at her last contact. Hopefully there was something left for Erika to link up with. Hopefully Erika was still alive to link up with Misty.

"My Lady, I must insist that you—"

"I'll move faster alone," I said. It was true. I would have been able to creep past the last guard post if I had been alone. It had been one of my shinobi that had slipped up. "and I can do more good this way. We need to get into Silph."

He scowled, a common reaction from my second in command. "You will do no good if you are dead," he replied. "I will not—"

"Leo," I started, in an attempt to project calm. "this is the way. This is how we win." I conveniently left out the part where I mentioned that my supply of potions was gone, and that I'd used more than I cared to admit on myself.

He was quiet. He knew what I meant. Giovanni had to die for this to end. He knew what I was proposing.

"Fight well," he said solemnly. "be swift and silent and victory will not elude you."

I nodded and grabbed his hand. He pulled me in with one arm, wrapping the other around me for a brief moment. "Be safe, little thorn."

The mention of the pet name my mother had given me in childhood took me aback. "I always am, Leo," I whispered to him. "they gotta find me to kill me, remember?"

He chuckled. "They'll never see you coming."

I hesitated in responding for just a moment. Fleeting self doubt swelled within me until I drowned in it. It would only ever take one mistake. One person looking left when I thought they were looking right.

Leo knew. He always knew. He had been the first of my father's men to pledge himself to me, mere moments after I'd done the deed. He could see me better than even Marcus could at times.

He nodded. "After all, neither did he."

My resolve came flooding back. I was Lady Janine of the Anzu Clan. I had taken my place atop my city. Father had not stopped me, despite all his efforts. Rocket had not stopped me, despite all their efforts. I was an Indigo Gym Leader and I would prove what that was worth.

I crept along the tunnel, blade raised and ball ready. It was silent, though I did not trust that meant that tunnel was empty. Rocket had fooled my senses before. They'd found a way to imitate the abilities of the Shades through strange artefacts, and warped science a thousand strange ways. I had no doubt that they would continue to do so here.

This was their big play, their last hurrah. They'd emptied themselves for this attack, spent every last drop of manpower and manipulated their way into more. They were desperate and that made them unpredictable.

I emerged from the tunnel into a small chamber. Pipes and wiring ran in bundles along the ceiling, and the only light came from the small emergency bulbs that slowly pulsed every few meters.

A small rustle of wind moved through my hair. I heard the sound of a rusted door wrenching open and multiple people rushing through. I was no longer alone down here, if I had ever been. I reached up and pulled my hood over my head, slipping into the corner of the chamber and behind a large crate. I would retain the element of surprise, no matter who was coming.

A harried whisper broke the silence from the tunnels. "Which way, Elias?"

"I don't know," replied another voice. "I've never been down here before today." He paused for a moment, breathing heavily. "Damn thing's still bleeding."

I heard someone fussing over him and the obvious frustration in his voice as he waved them off. These were trainers. Injured trainers, if they were to be believed.

They emerged into the chamber I was hidden in, three of them carrying a fourth between them. The woman in the middle was dripping blood from a gaping wound on her side. She looked pale and haggard, and though her eyes were still open they drooped dangerously.

"Set her down," said the man who'd spoken before. He had white hair, though it was flecked with blood and dirt in spots. "give me a minute to think."

"We don't have a minute," replied the other man. "they'll be on us any second and—"

My hand tapped the ball on my left hip. The seal around Brutus' ball popped open as I buried my hooded face in my elbow.

The flash of light and sound hit me like a fist in the chest. Even with my hood up and my eyes covered, my senses were rocked by the flashbang seal.

To the four trainers in the chamber, it was deafening.

To the trio of Rockets that had just burst in after them, it was just what I needed..

I moved fast and quiet, leaving Brutus' ferocious bellow to draw the attention of the stunned Rockets. One man fell beneath my blade before he could even realize I was there. The second turned in shock, only to have me separate his head from his body.

The third managed to reach the ball belt on his hip. A light flashed, before my blade did the same and relieved the man of his hand. It dropped to the floor, ball still clutched within it. He tried to scream, but I silenced him with a quick thrust.

Brutus took the hypno before it could bring its power to bear. He batted the stout psychic type across the chamber and into the wall. It crashed into the wall, leaving a bloody crater behind when it slumped to the floor. My drapion scuttled his way over to the downed hypno and dispatched it with a swipe of his pincer.

I scanned the chamber, making sure that there wasn't another group coming down a different tunnel. When no more Rockets made themselves known, I finally turned to the trainers. I cleared my throat.

"Thank you," said the white haired man. He squinted at me, blinking rapidly and try to regain his vision. "They've been on us since Silph."

"Silph?" I asked.

He nodded. "Some kind of big project got completed and their boss is trying to secure the prototype." He glanced back over his shoulder, at the tunnel they'd come from. "But you aren't getting in that way. They sealed off the tunnels after the Ranger got in through them."

"Ranger?" I asked. Marcus was still in Pallet Town with Oak as far as I knew, but with all the chaos he might've come to Silph early. I couldn't tell with Ranger communications in such disarray. "What Ranger?"

He frowned. "Scarred up side of the face, brown hair. Maybe a bit taller than you." His scowl deepened. "His name was Mar—"

"Thank you," I said hurriedly. He was here. And he was trying to take on Rocket alone. Reckless idiot. Brave, reckless idiot. "Keep moving away from the tower. There's a Ranger post set up at the south gates. If you can reach them, you'll be safe there."

"With all due respect," he replied. "We want to help." He gestured over his shoulder, at the injured woman. "Nicholas can take her on, he isn't a fighter. We want to help you take on Rocket."

I looked at them. They were trainers, experienced ones if the scars and weathered pokeballs were to be believed. I could use them as backup, or a distraction.

"Trainers help each other," he continued.

It took all the effort in the world not to drop my jaw. Marcus liked that saying, liked the simplicity in it. He'd used it when he met me, and I'd heard him repeat the phrase to himself. I nodded and felt myself grin. "Trainers help each other."

The fighting had intensified on the surface. We emerged from the tunnels onto a rooftop adjacent to the Silph Tower, having taken a staircase into a residential building. Surge must have been pushing closer, because the fighting sounded close.

"They're almost at the courtyard," The white haired man said. He pointed down at the men rushing about, taking up their firing positions and forming up at the south end of the square.

I'd learned his name was Elias. He'd met Marcus during the tenta-swarm attack on Vermillion. The other trainer was a young woman, maybe in her twenties. She hadn't given her name, but she had a thick Kalosian accent.

"But it's a goddamn killzone. The army is too dug in." Elias shook his head and stepped back from the edge of the building. "Not to mention any of the Rockets inside the building."

"Surge will handle it," I replied. "the army isn't a match for him without pokemon."

"Maybe he can, but that'll take time that we don't have." He stepped back and pointed upwards. "There's fighting near the top of the building."

I looked upwards. Lightning flashes and gouts of flame made it clear. The top of the building shook visibly as smoke and dust billowed out of the shattering windows.

"Marcus," I whispered. It had to be him. He'd ordered Elias and the others out of the building before they'd lost contact.

A few moments of silence passed as the Silph Tower belched smoke against Saffron's skyline. We watched the Jewel of Kanto burn. Rocket had caused all of this. Giovanni had caused all of—

Another window shattered, a figure tumbling free. It flipped end over end, flailing wildly. A flash of light erupted from the man and the unmistakable silhouette of an aerodactyl darkened Saffron's sky.

"MARCUS!" I shrieked.

I didn't hear Elias or the other two say anything. Shimmer was out in a flash, the giant venomoth guiding my leap with a psychic nudge. I released Cherish, my ariados, with an order that I'd given a hundred times. We soared upwards as though a hot wind were lifting us, but it still wasn't fast enough.

Artemis got to Marcus first. She closed her rear talons around him, spearing him in the belly. I saw the blood running off her in streams and knew that he was hurt.

"Tell her to drop him," I said, crouching low on my venomoth as we closed with Marcus. "and be ready to catch us."

Artemis glanced down at us and I knew she had heard Shimmer's mental command. She released her trainer and I leapt off of my venomoth. I'd done this maneuver dozens of times, but never before had it been so fraught with peril.

We collided hard in mid-air, drawing a pained groan from Marcus. I wrapped my arms around him as we plunged towards the ground. I felt the gentle tug of psychic telekinesis on us, but we still fell too quickly.

The net of webbing that Cherish had spun between the Silph Tower and our building enveloped us. It bent and bowed, warping under the impact of our bodies, but it held fast.

"Marcus," I whispered in horror as we settled to a halt on the webbing. My hands pressed into the gouges in his belly, trying to hold the blood in. "Oh my god, Marcus."

"Nnngg" he groaned in reply.

My heart raced, pounding loudly in my ears. He was bleeding so much, so fast. I'd caught him, but there was nothing I could do to mend the wound Artemis had given him. My potion supply was empty and none of my pokemon were healers.

Cherish was there, sparking me into action. I had to do something. "Get him over there," I ordered, pointing at the rooftop Elias and the others were waiting on. "bandage him first."

She scuttled over me, spinning a silk bandage around Marcus' midsection. I hefted him up and over her back, and my ariados crawled away.

I lifted off the webbing a moment later, Shimmer flew overhead, pulling me back to the rooftop in tow.

She let go of her telekinetic hold and I crashed awkwardly onto the roof. I scrambled back up and over to Marcus' side.

I couldn't believe my eyes. It nearly froze me to look at him, but something pulled me in and held my gaze. My hand brushed the side of his face, smearing it with his blood. I tried in vain to wipe it away.

The makeshift silk bandage was already soaked through. His eyes flitted open, but they didn't focus on anything before closing them a moment later. He groaned something, but the words were obscured by the gurgle of blood escaping them.

My hand found it's way around his. "I'm here, Ranger. It's ok, I'm here." His hand closed on mine and I felt my heart flutter weakly.

He opened his eyes a crack this time and I thought that maybe he could see me. But his head went slack and slumped back and I knew that it wasn't real. His breath rattled horribly and I knew he was going to die.

"He's lost a lot of blood. He's going into shock," Elias said behind me. His hand went to his side and a small flash lit us for a moment. "Move, I can help him."

I glanced over at the trainer through teary eyes. I saw the indistinct shape of a ghost, the cloak and cap shifting and warping as I watched.

"Move," Elias repeated. "it has to be now."

I hesitated for a heartbeat and another flash behind me broke the spell. His scizor grabbed me by the shoulders and hauled me off of Marcus' prone form.

"Misery, use pain split. Try to focus on his internal injuries, if you can."

The spectre lowered itself over Marcus, settling over his midsection. I could still see the blood soaked bandage through the ghost, could still see the blood spreading out beneath him.

Misery the mismagius began to glow softly. I heard bones cracking back into place, had the squelching of flesh knitting back together seared into my mind forever. Then it ended as quickly as it began, and the mismagius floated gently back towards her master.

The scizor let go of me, and I fell to my knees. I didn't look away from Marcus, just stared in horror at his blood soaked midsection.

"He's alive," Elias said coldly. "though I can't do any more for him."

I crawled over to Marcus and took his hand again. His breath was steady, and I no longer heard a dying rattle in his chest.

"Thank you," I said quietly. I couldn't muster the strength to speak louder. I looked up at Elias. "Thank you," I repeated.

"Janie?" Marcus croaked. My heart jumped into my throat. He was alive. He was conscious. "You… you're here…"

I almost didn't mind the use of the pet name. Almost. My arms found their way around him and I held my Ranger close. "You big, brave, reckless idiot," I sobbed. "you're alive."

He nodded in the embrace and squeezed me back with all the meagre strength he had. "How?"

I pulled back and gestured over at Elias. "Him," I said.

Marcus looked over and seemed to raised an eyebrow in surprise for half a moment. "Elias?" he asked. "You made it out."

Elias nodded. "Thanks to your porygon," he replied. "Damn computer locked down half the building, started turning environmental systems on the Rockets."

Marcus slumped back against the roof. "Good porygon," he said with an exhausted sigh.

He turned his head to look at me. "We have to get back up there," he said. "Leaf and Gemma are alone…" he went silent and I saw the terrified look in his eye.

"What?" I asked. It wasn't like Marcus to be hesitant in action. "Marcus, what is it?"

"They have a cyborg," he replied. "something straight out of a shitty sci-fi flick."

I glanced over at Elias. He shrugged and looked up at the burning top of Silph Tower.

"Leaf and Gemma aren't a match for it," Marcus continued. He tried to brace and force himself up. "We have to—"

He fell back, groaning in pain.

"You aren't going anywhere," I said. "you're sitting this one out, Ranger."

He shook his head. "Luna… Curie…" he glanced up at the tower. "Up there."

I nodded. "I'll help them," I replied. "you need a medic."

He shook his head again. "Need to—"

I silenced him with a furious kiss. I didn't care if anyone was there, if anyone saw. He had almost just died and still the stubborn bastard wanted to fight.

We separated and I gave him a hard stare. "You need a medic," I repeated. "I'll go, I'll stop them."

Elias was at my side. "We'll stay with him, make sure he gets a medic." He hesitated and I got the sense he was not used to being in this kind of situation. Still, he put on a brave face and nodded to me. "He'll be alright."

I nodded and looked down at Marcus.

"Don't die," he warned. "this thing is stronger than most pokemon."

"So am I," I replied. I flashed a confident grin and got to my feet. "Cyborg or not, I'm a badass. I've got this."

I returned Cherish to her ball and pulled out my gear. With a few commands, I set the auto-return function at fifty meters and slipped the device back into the pocket on my back.

Shimmer lifted me up onto her back again and I looked down at the three of them. "Get him to a healer," I said, hoping they took it as an order.

I looked upwards and squeezed my heels. Shimmer rocketed us into the air and towards the burning Jewel of Kanto.

The wind rushed through my hair, pulling my hood off. Shimmer flew us faster than she had ever gone before. I felt the g-forces press against me and held tightly to my venomoth. We suddenly decelerated and I felt Shimmer grab me with her telekinesis. I trusted in my pokemon and let go.

She catapulted me upwards through one of the shattered windows. I landed and rolled with the movement, sensing something moving on me.

A metal arm slammed through the floor, punching through the concrete with ease.

The cyborg.

I pulled my blade free, attempting a decapitating strike with my opening move. My katana clanged hard against the steel that ran up the left half of the man's neck and covered part of his face.

He grabbed the hilt of the blade and held it still. "Lady Anzu," he said in a cold metallic tone. "I've been waiting to test myself against you."

I reared back and slammed my forehead into his remaining human eye. He let go of the blade on instinct and I pushed off as hard as I could. We separated and I rolled backwards with the momentum.

He recovered from the assault and leered at me menacingly. "You will regret that," he said.

I flashed a grin and slowly pulled my hood up theatrically. I'd replaced the flashbang seal on Brutus' ball. All I needed was to keep his attention on me. "I honestly doubt that," I said. I looked him up and down derisively. "You look ridiculous, I can hardly focus on killing you."

The human half of his face snarled like an animal. "I am Rocket's perfect soldier. You will—"

I buried my face in my elbow and tapped the release on Brutus' ball with the same motion. Light and sound exploded as my drapion launched into action.

Brutus hit him in the chest, lifting him with both pincers. Support struts belatedly snapped out of the cyborg's legs, grabbing onto empty air. My drapion slammed him back down onto the floor, pinning the cyborg beneath him.

There was one quick movement and Brutus was sent flying. He hit the ceiling and bounced back to the floor. The cyborg stared back at me and then turned to Brutus, unconcerned about me.

Cherish was out a moment later. Brutus may have been my strongest pokemon, but my starter had a way of willing us to victory. She was oddly prescient for a bug and seemed to know my commands before I gave them.

"Cocoon slam!"

She snared the cyborg with a loop of silk and yanked viciously. The metal man jerked backwards and slammed into the floor. Cherish leapt forwards and began spraying her silk in an attempt to seal the cyborg to the floor.

A metal arm shot from the silk bonds and buried itself in Cherish's thorax. I swore loudly, tapping the return function on my starter's ball. She'd suffered worse injuries, but I needed to keep her in her ball until I could treat her.

My hand whipped to the next ball and I knew this was the deciding point. If I stopped this thing here I would win. If not, he'd burn through the rest of my team with ease. None of them had the physical durability to handle him.

I almost gagged on the stench. Only the years I'd spent training with my father had prepared me for this, and even then, Sludge had never smelled as bad as my father's muk had.

My amorphous blob of poison lurched into motion. The cyborg tore the silk off its torso just in time for Sludge to flood over it. I heard a brief metallic scream and then only muffled bubbling.

The silk wouldn't last long underneath Sludge. Neither would the cyborg. I hoped that the Silk would last longer.

He exploded from within Sludge, crashing headlong into the ceiling. I was on him as he fell, trying to impale him through his fleshy torso. The cyborg twisted and rolled away, my blade finding only hard concrete.

He spun his momentum into a flying kick that connected with the flat of my blade. It shattered under the impact and I lost my grip on the handle. The remnants of the blade skittered away from me.

I pressed the attack while he was still recovering from the kick, but he was just too damned fast. Every strike found a block. Every blow was intercepted or redirected away. He gave ground, but I could tell it was nothing more than a game to him. He was toying with me.

He lashed out while I was mid-strike, driving a metal fist into my chest. My attack was stopped dead as all the air was forced from my lungs. He followed up with a secondary blow to the midsection. I felt ribs crack and I soared backwards, tripping over my own feet and tumbling uncontrollably.

Brutus intercepted his next strike before he could finish me off. Both pincers wrapped around the cyborg's midsection and pinned his arms to his sides. I heard an almighty groan and watched as my drapion strained against the metal man's pushback.

My hand went to my belt, flipping open the hard container on my waist. The constant motion of battle had cracked and broken most of my black eggs, but I had one left. I pulled it from the container and whipped it into the cyborg's face.

The human part of him had seemingly burned most of his skin off when Sludge had laid on top of him. My black eggs were packed with a mixture of spices, glass, sand, and ash mixed with some of Shimmer's more potent poison and paralytic dust. The powder mixture was painful just to smell. To have it splattered across raw, burned flesh? It would be agony.

He screamed in utter pain, flailing wildly and breaking out of Brutus' grasp. The human half of his face was contorted in a scream, but the robotic eye was transfixed on me. He spun and kicked, catapulting Brutus through one of the shattered windows. I couldn't afford the time to worry, he'd be returned to his ball before he reached the ground.

Shimmer chose that moment to burst through the window. She carved a screaming furrow through the office, an iridescent beam of light smiting the cyborg from the side.

I'd seen that same signal beam carve clean through Gideon in Sevii. The metal man managed to turn and throw up his robotic arm just in time. His arm split the beam into a dozen spears of vibrant light, all of them carving paths through the destroyed office.

Shimmer disappeared into her ball as Sludge hit the cyborg again while he was distracted. My muk enveloped him once more and I prayed that we were doing some real damage.

The ceiling imploded, torrential streams of water washing through the sudden hole in the ceiling. I caught a glimpse of Sludge washing out one of the windows and held fast to one of the support columns. He'd be fine, I was the one in danger now.

The water rushed over, grabbing at me and trying to tear me out into open air. I held on for dear life, knowing that to let go meant death. Something heavy struck me in the waist and I felt the column slip from my grasp.

I scrabbled and tore and grabbed for anything I could. My hands found purchase on something and I prayed that it was solid enough to hold up to the sudden deluge.

A furious roar was met by a defiant bellow and I finally saw the source of the water. It was enormous, plated with metal that no doubt hid machinery like the cyborg. Both eyes glowed ominously red, and I knew that I wasn't going to be able to fight it.

I didn't have to. The creature bent over the cyborg, who had latched himself to the floor with the clamps on his legs. He'd collapsed and was twitching wildly, unable to keep his human eye open. Sludge had finally taken his toll.

The monstrous feraligatr gently lifted the cyborg, taking the time to growl at me menacingly. It turned, slowly plodding over to the shattered windows. I saw the cyborg's robotic eye find me again, and then they were gone.

A machamp landed in front of me, eyes darting around wildly. Its gaze settled on me and I saw the uncertainty plain on the pokemon's face.

"Holy shit," a woman's voice said. The machamp visibly relaxed as it looked up at the hole in the ceiling it had come through. "you actually beat him."

I looked up, through the hole into the floor above. She wore civilian clothes and had the telltale pack and belt of a trainer.

"Holy shit," she repeated. "Janine Anzu."

I smirked. It had to be Gemma, Marcus' friend inside Silph. "In the flesh," I replied. "You must be Gemma."

Her face morphed into a mask of worry. "Marcus, he got—"

"I caught him," I answered quickly. "He's hurt, but he's alive."

"Thank Mew," she breathed. "We were worried."

Another girl, younger than Gemma by at least ten years, stepped up to the hole. "The door at the top of that stairwell is sealed tight. Short of smashing down the wall, we aren't getting through."

I clambered up the pile of rubble that led up to the next level. Gemma hauled me up, taking my hand and lifting me to my feet.

Luna hit me from the side, smothering me with her warm tails. I felt her presence touch my mind with overwhelming gratitude as Curie wrapped her arms around me from behind.

"Domitian might be able to get through," Gemma said as her machamp leapt up through the other hole in the floor. "but we'll still-"

A flash of light blinded us momentarily. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my eyes as quickly as I could, Luna and Curie wailing nervously. I staggered over towards the windows, in the direction of the source of the light.

A beam of violet energy erupted from the ground, several blocks away from the Tower. It hungrily reached towards the sky and then split suddenly in the air. It slowly came back down in curtains, creating a massive dome over the city.

"Sabrina," I whispered. The Saffron Gym Leader had finally made a move. We'd thought that she'd been taken out in the initial assault, but nobody had been able to get close enough to the gym to confirm anything. "What the hell are you doing?"

Leaf and Gemma approached the window behind me. Both of them were rubbing at their eyes, but were no doubt seeing the same thing.

Leaf seemed to be shuddering, as though she was freezing cold. She glanced around nervously as her breath quickened.

"What's happening?" Gemma asked, looking out at the glowing dome.

"It's so angry…" Leaf whispered. "I can feel its pain… its hate…"

We both turned to look at her. Her eyes were closed and her arms were huddled around her.

"It wants to…" she trailed off. Her eyes whipped open. "Oh my god, hold onto something."

I turned fearfully, scanning Saffron's hazy skyline. "I don't see-"

A blinding flash suddenly grew on the western horizon, cutting through the gloom and smoke with its brilliance. I sucked in a breath sharply. The light hit the shield and the world shook itself to pieces around us.

INDIGO ALERT — LEGEND-CLASS THREAT IMMINENT. ALL INDIGO TRAINERS ARE ENLISTED IN CIVIL DEFENCE. ALL TRAINERS ARE TO REPORT TO THE NEAREST POKEMON CENTRE FOR IMMEDIATE TELEPORT.

The building shook but it did not break. Silph was built of sturdier stuff than that. The psychic had done her job and Mewtwo's opening attack had been blunted. But now time was running out and he needed what he had come for.

The tall man leaned in towards the executive, a determined scowl on his face. "As you can see, Mr. Turner, our time is up. I need you to give me what I came here for." He leaned back and gestured out at the destruction. "Or else, everything dies."

The executive looked up at the Gym Leader." I can't give you the ball," he repeated. "You're a terrorist… you're evil…" he glanced around the room, his eyes finding the Champion lazily gazing out the window. "I can't—"

Giovanni slammed his hands down on the table, interrupting him. "I play the role that I must," he stated coldly. "I do what has to be done. I am the villain so that Kanto can survive, so that our heroes can rise to the coming cataclysm." He shook his head and leaned back. "Look at what is happening! Hoenn is in ruins! Indigo is on the precipice of collapse! Do you really think that we can stand against the gods without taking one for our own? Without harnessing that power for ourselves?"

He looked out at the broken skyline of Saffron. Buildings were falling and smoke clogged the air. Even through all the gloom, he could see that the forest surrounding Saffron's walls had been scoured from the earth. The walls themselves were little more than smoking piles of rubble.

"What is this?" the businessman asked fearfully.

Giovanni approached the window, looking out at the destruction. "This is my purpose," he began. "I play this part so that our species might survive. I play the villain because that is what must happen to save as many people as possible."

The Silph executive swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "My family lives in the city… my daughter…"

"Then give me the ball," Giovanni said, never turning to face him. "and we will save as many as we can." He gestured over at Lance. "Why do you think the Champion is here?"

The executive leaned forward and flipped open a keypad on the conference table. He keyed in the passcode and a safe rose from the centre of the table. It whirred and clicked open.

Giovanni turned and strode back towards the table. He took the purple ball from the safe and inspected it carefully. "You may have just saved your family, Mr. Turner."

The Gym Leader looked over at the Champion. "Now, we must draw it in and weaken it."

"Are your heroes up to this?" asked the Champion. He looked out the window, staring across the broken city at the entity that Giovanni had created.

The Rocket leader joined him, scowling out at Mewtwo. The creature was his failure, a monument to his sins. "They must be," he replied. "or else all is lost."

Mewtwo stirred and disappeared into the billowing smoke.

Giovanni lifted a short range communicator and clicked it on. "General?" he asked.

"Yes, Giovanni?" came the reply.

"Activate the device."

There was a brief pause, then a flurry of commotion and light at the base of the tower. Screams of chaos rose, joined by an earth-shaking roar.

Elite Trainer KT#0621940

Fuchsia City Gym Leader

Janine Anzu, current team:

Cherish — Ariados

Brutus — Drapion

Shimmer — Venomoth

Sludge — Muk

Midnight — Crobat

Fog — Wheezing

Alstreim · Oct 12, 2023

Gods this has been one hell of a ride. I honestly don't understand why your fic isn't more popular but I'm loving it. Keep it coming please.

joshthewriter · Jan 24, 2024

Journey

Death of Duty

Part 7: The Fall of the Pokemon League

Death

Artemis' talons tore out of my midsection in a spray of blood. I tumbled out of her grip, rolling with the momentum. The world spun around me and I found myself suddenly facing the ground.

Janine hit me in the midsection and wrapped herself around me. I grunted in pain, hearing and feeling the audible crack of at least one of my ribs breaking on impact. The wind drove from my lungs and I couldn't help the gasping cry I let out.

The telltale sensation of telekinesis pulling on me told me that Shimmer was slowing our descent. I could hear Janine breathing hard against my neck, could feel her desperately holding onto me. Then we hit the net that Cherish had spun and Janine's weight slammed down onto me and broke several more of my ribs.

The net of webbing enveloped us completely. It bent and bowed, warping under the impact of our bodies, but it held fast.

"Marcus," Janine's voice was barely a whisper, but I heard the fear clearly over the carnage below. Her hands pressed into the wounds on my belly, trying and failing to do something helpful. I could feel the blood flowing out of the mangled mess that had been my stomach. "Oh my god, Marcus."

I coughed, blood splattering up out of my mouth. I couldn't see, couldn't even breathe. All I could feel was the searing pain in my gut.

"Nnngg" I groaned into Janine's neck.

I felt her body wrack with a sob, felt her shake as she tried to breathe herself. She let go of my belly and simply held me.

A gangly silhouette crawled over to us. Janine turned her head and I heard her mumble an order. I vaguely realized that the spindly shape had to be Janine's ariados, but I couldn't quite make out the details. Janine shifted and Cherish took me from her arms.

I hardly felt the massive bug lift me. I didn't register the spinning as she wrapped my midsection with a layer of silk. Janine hefted me over the ariados' back and tied a string of silk under my arms to hold me in place.

Consciousness slipped away from me, Cherish's rhythmic gait rocking me to sleep. I fought the urge to pass out, but my vision was clouded and the sounds of battle seemed so far away. I tried to focus, but even the act of thinking seemed to require a monumental effort.

Rough hands grabbed me off the pokemon's back. Panic was obvious in the voices around me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Someone laid me down and I felt her there.

Her hand touched mine and I instinctively grabbed hold. I knew it was Janine, even if my senses were failing me. I tried to talk, tried to tell her I was sorry. I tried to tell her that I loved her.

A gurgle of blood escaped my lips, and I felt a painful rattle in my chest as I tried to draw a breath. She touched my face softly and I tried to focus my eyes to look at her again.

I tried to speak, but no breath filled my lungs and only a bubble of blood came forth.

She touched the side of my face softly, her hand in mine. "I'm here, Ranger," she said quietly. "It's ok, I'm here."

I let go. Pain overwhelmed me, wracking every fibre of my being. My vision swam and I stopped being able to hear anything except the slowing chug of my heartbeat.

She moved suddenly, like something had torn her away. I felt a chill settle into my bones and could hear death's whisper as my heart slowed to a crawl.

Then my insides caught fire and pain became my whole existence.

I opened my eyes and recoiled in shock. Her neck was broken, head lolling back at an uncomfortable angle. Blood stained her previously bright hued pikachu shirt, trailing down her torso from a gaping hole in her shoulder. She made a strangled moaning sound and shuffled a step towards me.

I staggered backwards, tripping over a brick and landing on my ass. I sat stunned for a moment, then I registered how many of them there were. Dozens, no, hundreds of people, all of them mangled and bloodied just like her.

I rose, stumbling as the crowd surged against me. They pushed me forward, all of them walking with singleminded purpose. I scrambled backwards, looking around desperately. A stream of walking corpses were pouring out of the storefront further down the street, cutting off any chance of escape.

My eyes scanned the street desperately, looking for some refuge before the horde of people could swallow me whole and trample me. I moved as quickly as I could, dashing over to the side of the road and turning around to face the horde.

They were all shuffling blindly down the street. Not one turned to look at me. Not one cared. They marched slowly towards the blinding purple glow that illuminated the street.

Then it hit me. I had been falling from the Silph Tower. Janine had caught me. It hadn't mattered, Artemis had impaled me with her talons and I'd been bleeding so much. I remembered Janine's hand in mine and the struggle to draw a breath. I remembered how distant it all seemed and how scared Janine had been. I had died. I had died and now this was some sort of afterlife.

I glanced down at my belly and confirmed my fears. My stomach was torn open, blood and entrails hanging from the trio of gaping wounds. I gingerly poked at one of the wounds. It didn't hurt. It took me a moment, and then I realized that I felt no sensation at all. No pain, no touch, nothing. Nothing but a frigid chill that numbed everything.

The woman that had spooked me disappeared into the crowd and I regarded it with confusion. I was dead. So were they. And yet, I was seemingly aware of my situation and they were not. Something was off, but I didn't yet know what.

I nodded absently to myself. These corpses were all walking slowly in the same direction, towards the glowing light. They knew where they were going. They knew what they were doing. Odds are, I'd find answers wherever they were going.

I warily shuffled after the procession of the dead. The source of the light was indistinct, but it was the only clue I had to what was going on. I didn't know if I was truly dead, or if the battle had been won. All I knew was that I had to move. There was some urgency in me that pushed me into action.

Twice more, large groups joined up with the one I was following. They streamed out of alleys and cross-streets by the hundreds, swelling the horde to cover almost the entire road. I leapt up on top of a burned out car and glanced around when we encountered a third group. Pokemon were part of this third group, a veritable menagerie of beasts with similarly fatal wounds.

The road was going to get too crowded to move soon and the source of the glowing light had grown no closer. I scanned the storefronts and buildings on the side of the road closer to me. There had to be a way off the street, to get me a better look at what was happening.

I found it. An alleyway that had a stream of people pouring out of it. I shoved my way through the growing crowd of people and elbowed my way through the dozens of people attempting to leave the alley.

A particularly large man, obese and missing part of his leg, was hauling himself forward. The crowd cleared slightly as it parted around him and I seized the opportunity. I dashed the remaining few feet and launched myself up onto the fire escape's ladder.

The metal scaffolding shook and rattled, smashing repeatedly against the side of the building as I took the steps in threes. I didn't know if I could be injured if the supports failed and the fire escape fell, but I wasn't eager to test that idea. I didn't need to die as a ghost.

I reached the top and leapt onto the empty roof, leaving the rickety metal death trap behind. I felt as though my heart should have been pounding and my chest heaving for air, but my heart lay still and my lungs had no need for air. I was just cold.

I crossed the roof quickly, looking down at the street. There were easily hundreds of them. And they were all shuffling mindlessly in the same direction.

"Odd," she said. "I did not expect any of the living in this realm."

I jumped in my skin, startled by the gnarled, bony crone that was at the edge of the roof. She hadn't been there a moment before. The roof had been completely empty.

Her shadow grinned at me wickedly, sinister eyes and a glowing set of yellow teeth bared. It was a gengar, one of the more malevolent ghost pokemon. I saw two more pairs of eyes peeking from the folds of the crone's robes and I connected the dots.

"Elite Kikoku," I said quickly.

The old woman grinned, her gaze still transfixed to the shuffling horde. "Please, call me Agatha. All those titles… they're so stuffy and old fashioned."

She turned to look at me, raising an eyebrow as she puzzled at my presence. "It appears that it would be a stretch to describe you as living." The woman gestured to my mangled belly. "But perhaps that will yet change."

"What is this place?" I asked cautiously. "It… looks like Saffron."

She gestured around. "This is a place for lost souls, a reflection of our mortal plane. It is a world beyond our own, where decisions can be made," she replied cryptically. She turned away and looked down at the horde of corpses. "But today… I have done a terrible thing. I have made their decision for them today. They will return to Saffron to aid our plight."

She then turned to me and I clearly saw her face. She approached me, looking me up and down. "However, I cannot make your decision for you." She reached out with her cane, lifting the hem of a spectral cloak hanging from my shoulders. "Something has tethered you to the mortal plane and kept you from hearing my call." She smirked knowingly.

I glanced down. The cloak was damn near invisible. I could only see it thanks to the fact that she had moved it. I thought I could hear the faint archaic chanting of a thousand dead languages.

The cloak shifted again and the wounds seemed to heal slightly before my eyes. The translucent cloak tore in strips, shredding the spectral fabric as my stomach knitted itself back together.

"Ah," she said. "Misery shields you from deaths final embrace." Agatha lowered her cane. "She is a fickle friend, be wary for she will demand a price."

I regarded the cloak more closely, noting how it hung weightless off my shoulders and blew in the nonexistent wind. The front fringes of the cloak were tattered and ripped, as though they were taking on my wounds.

"I don't understand," I said plainly. "Did I die? What price am I going to pay?"

The crone shrugged. "Men have gone mad pondering those questions. I cannot tell you whether you have died or not, nor what recompense the dead will demand of you. Death is a fickle and untrustworthy friend."

"That's incredibly non-helpful."

The crone shrugged again. "Death tends not to be all that helpful." She turned back and walked over to the edge of the roof that overlooked the crowd. "Except for when the rules are broken."

She raised her cane and slammed it back down. A jagged shadow spread down from her cloak and rose from the ground beside her. It stared at me with malevolent yellow eyes, it's mouth a pit of razors with a long tongue lolling out. It would almost have been comical if I wasn't terrified of the shade.

"What do you think, Ranger Wright? You know what we are up against. Will the dead help turn the tide?"

I nodded, joining the Elite's side and trying to ignore her gengars malicious grin. "It's a psychic," I said calmly. "you're building an army of ghosts. Trying to give us an advantage over it."

She smiled. "One small correction," she began. "I am building just one part of our army. Lance called for us all to gather our strength, to create something that was greater than the sum of its parts." She nodded at me. "I believe you're part of another part of our forces. A member of those who have been honed against the most despicable and disposable humanity had to offer."

I blinked, trying to process that. "Are you implying that Rocket… Giovanni… was all just some sick kind of test?"

"Yes and no," she replied. "They were another part of humanity's army, but the part that did the unsavoury things that others would not. They were meant to bring us all together, and in that they have succeeded marvellously."

I shook my head slowly. "Why would… why…" I just couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that Rocket had been nothing more than a whetstone to hone the forces of good. "I don't…"

"You don't have to understand, Ranger." She turned back and looked up at the glowing purple light. "You just have to fight. From what I understand, you've become quite proficient at it."

That was all I'd been doing. That was all I had done since I left the farm. That was all I'd ever done. Fought with my Pa, fought against what he'd wanted for me, fought against what I had thought evil was.

"I'm used to it," I said. "There was a time when I was scared. Of everything. Of fighting, of dying… then I wasn't afraid at all, and that scared me even more. I wasn't afraid of the fighting anymore, but of what it might make me." I looked down at myself, noting that my stomach no longer was a gory mess. My hands were still stained by blood, but I was whole again. "I was scared of becoming something like the real monsters that I was fighting."

Agatha turned to look at me. "What changed?" she asked. From her knowing grin, I had a feeling she knew the answer.

"I learned who I was," I replied. I swallowed the lump in my throat and felt my heart give a valiant thump in my chest. "I learned that I was strong." My heart pounded again. I looked at Agatha and nodded. "I learned how to make the hard choice."

The Elite grinned wildly, turning back to look at the growing crowd. "Surge certainly knows how to pick 'em, doesn't he?" She pulled a pair of scuffed up balls from the folds of her shadowy cloak and passed them over to me. "He has such a knack for finding the ones with integrity. I have a feeling that this gift will not go to waste."

I looked down at the battered pair of pokeballs. There was something familiar about them, almost like I'd shaken an old friend's hand.

"Open them," she ordered. "they will fight with you once more."

An armoured figure, bristling with spines and indignant energy rose from the first spear of light. I turned, I saw the unmistakable silhouette and gasped. He towered over me and I swelled with pride.

Then I saw the pronged horn and buzzing wings and my heart roared to life in my cold, dead chest. My team was here. They had fallen but they'd never left my side.

"How?" I asked breathlessly. "Is this real?"

"When I tear open the veil, reality will become… distorted." She smiled innocently, as though the old crone hadn't just rocked the concept of death to its core. "The fallen can use that tear in the fabric of mortality to become corporeal once more. It will only last as long as I can hold open the door, but it may give us a small advantage. When the sky opens up with the dead, you may call them forth one more time."

She glanced up at the two pokemon behind me. "Consider this an apology of sorts, for being subject to our great deception." She smiled serenely and nodded. "Take them with you and they will aid you one last time."

I narrowed my gaze. She meant Rocket. She meant the fact that all of the pain I'd been through was nothing more than a ruse to forge powerful fighters. I tried to speak but I found that my voice had abandoned me.

"Now go, Ranger." She lifted her cane and brought it back down onto the roof. My heartbeat echoed along with it. "Go and play your part."

The reflection of Saffron crumbled into dust before my eyes. The buildings simply began to dissolve and fade away. Agatha's form began to dissipate, but her smile never faded.

"Death comes for us all," echoed the crone. "It will demand a price for the life saved today." She looked me up and down. "Be wary, Ranger. Death rarely demands that which we can bear to lose."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Is someone I love going to die because of this?" My mind went to Janine, or Gemma. Even Surge and the rest of Zapdos was here. "Is someone going to die because of me?"

The rest of the world crumbled away, leaving only Agatha and myself on a shrinking patch of rooftop.

"If we do not succeed, then everyone will die." She nodded ominously. She knew that I noticed she didn't answer my question. "Everyone and everything. Do not deign yourself to have importance beyond yourself."

I furrowed my brow. "I didn't ask for—"

"We do not ask for our destinies to seize us and yet it does all the same," she interrupted with a wry grin. She was enjoying this, toying "Live on, endure this apocalypse, and still you will have yet to have found yours, little Ranger."

"What do you know of my destiny?" I asked, indignant energy swelling in my chest. "I got where I did through hard work. Hard work and the sacrifice of the very friends you returned to me today." I shook my head. "Destiny is not written, it can't be. We make our own future. We make our own path."

"It is our destruction and our salvation. The instrument of universal vengeance." She grimaced. "The ending of our cycle of death and rebirth." The Elite glanced at me warily. "But perhaps the breaking of that cycle is too much a burden to place on one so young."

The rooftop dissolved until we were floating in open space. I could see vague shapes floating in the dark, malevolent shadows and twisted spectres. I opened my mouth to speak, but the strange darkness swallowed my voice. She knew something, some terrible truth about me and my future.

"The mortal plane calls you back, child." She crumbled away until only her crooked grin was visible. "Go now… go and play your part in the war to come."

Then she was gone and I felt my heart pound again in my chest. I sucked in a breath and felt a comforting warmth banish the chill of death. I was back on the roof in Saffron, laying in a puddle of my own blood.

"He's alive," said man's cold voice from nearby. "though I can't do any more for him."

Someone was there, taking my hand. I felt her press her ear to my chest and felt her shaky breath as she listened to my heart.

"Thank you," she said in a muted tone. She lifted her head off me and held tight to my hand. "Thank you," she repeated in a stronger voice.

"Janie?" I croaked. I forced the words out, forced my eyes open as if death might grab hold of me again if I were to close them. "You… you're here…"

She wrapped her arms around me in a crushing embrace. I felt her sob and knew that I would pay later for the use of the pet name. "You big, brave, reckless idiot," she said between sobs. "you're alive."

I nodded in confirmation. Whatever that had been, I was alive. I squeezed her back with all the meagre strength I had and tried to make sense of it all. "How?"

She pulled back and gestured over at The man on the roof behind her. "Him," she replied.

I looked over and felt a warm sense of relief come over me. "Elias?" I asked as the older trainer looked down at me. "You made it out."

Elias nodded back at me. "Thanks to your porygon," he replied. "Damn computer locked down half the building, started turning environmental systems on the Rockets. Most of us got out through the service tunnels and scattered into the city."

I slumped back against the roof as Janine let me down. "Good porygon," I said with an exhausted sigh.

Then my mind flashed to the reason I'd been falling from the forty-sixth floor of the tower. "We have to get back up there," I said. "Leaf and Gemma are alone…" I went silent and my heart pounded in my chest. They were alone against the thing that had dismantled me in seconds.

"What?" Janine asked. She knew. She knew something had me scared. "Marcus, what is it?"

"They have a cyborg," I said, my mind still having trouble processing the absurdity of everything I had just experienced. "something straight out of a shitty sci-fi flick."

Janine glanced over at Elias as if she was looking for assurance from him. He simply shrugged and looked up at the burning top of Silph Tower.

"Leaf and Gemma aren't a match for it," I continued breathlessly. I tried to brace and force myself up. There just wasn't time to sit around. "We have to—"

My knee buckled and I fell back, groaning in pain. I crashed down and lay helplessly on the blood soaked gravel.

"You aren't going anywhere," Janine said, crouching down to my level and softening her voice. "you're sitting this one out, Ranger."

I shook his head. I couldn't leave my pokemon, let alone my friends. "Luna… Curie…" I glanced up at the tower, trying and failing to catch my breath. "Up there."

She nodded softly. "I'll help them," she replied. "you need a medic."

I shook my head again. "Need to—"

She silenced me with a furious kiss. I melted into her and held my Janine as tightly as I could. It ended a moment later, even though the moment had felt like an eternity.

We separated and she gave me a hard stare. "You need a medic," she repeated. "I'll go, I'll stop them."

Elias was at her side, looking down at me with sympathy. "We'll stay with him, make sure he gets a medic." He hesitated and then nodded to her. "He'll be alright."

Janine nodded and looked down at me. I felt a pit grow in my stomach. I was practically useless. I'd lost and now Janine was going to fight a battle I couldn't.

"Don't die," I warned. I locked eyes with her. I knew she was a better fighter than me, but she had limits that the cyborg simply didn't. "this thing is stronger than most pokemon."

"So am I," she replied. She flashed me her most confident grin and I fought the flutter in my chest. "Cyborg or not, I'm a badass. I've got this."

She turned away, returning her ariados to her ball and fiddling with her gear. She didn't look back at me and pocketed her gear. Janine soared through the air with a telekinesis assisted leap, landing deftly atop her venomoth.

Janine stopped and looked down at the three of us. Her jaw was set and her stature poised. She looked every part the Leader she had always been destined to become. "Get him to a healer," she ordered.

I met her eyes for only a moment. She looked away before the tears could start. Then she was gone, rocketing towards the Tower faster than I'd fallen from it.

Elias grabbed me under my arm, hauling me up to my feet. "Let's go," he said.

"Hold on," I mumbled in reply. I intently watched her separate from Shimmer and sail through one of the broken windows.

I looked back at Elias as my girlfriend disappeared into the fight of her life. "Now we can go."

We burst out of the stairwell onto the street. Elias was at my back, the Kalosian woman lagging a few steps behind. Three soldiers turned from their positions in the alley before us, attempting to bring their weapons to bear.

Elias' scizor moved so quickly it was a bloody blur. I was horribly reminded of the abomination that had killed Vector, and the quick work he made of the soldiers did little to dispel that mental image.

"The courtyard," I began, averting my eyes. "Surge will be making for the tower."

"And we will be finding medical attention," replied Elias. "Preferably, in the opposite direction."

I shook my head as an explosion punctuated his sentence. "No. They need our help. This city, these people… they need us." He met my eyes and saw me pleading. "We need everyone to do everything they can. Or else we lose… all of us."

The older trainer looked at me carefully. "We promised that you'd be getting medical attention."

"And I will be. Surge will have better healers than anyone else in this city."

A beam of violet light erupted from somewhere to the east. It arced into the sky, splitting and sweeping down into a dome once it cleared the peaks of the towers.

Elias went as pale as his hair. "We've got to take cover," he said frantically. "That's Sabrina. She wouldn't have used the shield unless…"

"It's here," I said. "Giovanni's creation…" I knew by the pit forming in my stomach. It was fear, some unbidden instinct buried deep inside my psyche. "We're out of time."

Elias looked over at me. "Then—"

The world erupted into motion. I felt my stomach drop as the entire city plunged deep into a crater that hadn't been there moments before. I grabbed onto the building beside me and simply prayed that it would stop. I was vaguely aware of Elias and the woman pressing themselves into the building beside me.

A deafening crash at my side sparked movement from our little group. I ran for all I was worth as the building on the other side of the alley shook itself to pieces. I didn't have time to care about anything other than survival.

A final titanic heave of the earth catapulted me forwards and out of the alley. I rolled with the momentum, putting as much distance between the falling rubble and myself as possible.

Elias was somewhere to my left, coughing on the billowing clouds of dust. Movement somewhere behind me, accompanied by foreign cursing, told me that the Kalosian had survived as well.

The city seemed to be wracked by pain. Entire buildings came crashing down, completely blocking the few streets that hadn't been barricaded by the KNA. The sound of falling rubble simply took over the city, drowning out the fighting.

Then there was silence. It all stopped, all the fighting, all the violent noise. Only the distant rumbling of settling earth gave any proof that the world still went on. Dust and smoke rose into the sky, a giant plume that obscured the tops of the few buildings that remained standing. The sky was simply gone and the faint red glow of the fires burning reflected off the billowing black clouds.

I could see the sloping walls of the crater, smouldering trees and underbrush tumbling down the steep incline. It took me a moment to register what I was seeing. Then it hit me. Saffron wasn't at sea level anymore. Saffron City had been plunged into the earth's crust, only surviving thanks to Sabrina's shield.

The gunfire restarted as though the entire city hadn't just been spiked into the earth's crust, shocking me into motion. I slammed into cover beside Elias, surveying the battlefield.

The KNA still held the building itself. They were holed up in the first couple of floors, firing positions still manned by rifle squads. Heavier weaponry thudded out from gun emplacements that had been wheeled into the bombed out husk of Silph's ground floor.

There were several mortars clustered together in the centre of the courtyard, frantically defended by a few riflemen that were besieged from all directions. I watched one of them load a mortar and send it skyward.

The mortar shell's momentum died well short of where it should have. It stalled and slowed in the air before plummeting back down to its origin.

The shell exploded, igniting a cascade of fire and sound as explosions rippled through the mortar position. In moments, all three tubes were burning wrecks that flung chunks of burning slag and shrapnel in haphazard directions.

"Surge," I commented breathlessly. "It's the —"

Surge and his magnezone made their entrance a moment later. A wall of metal shrapnel that had been dragged into a dome exploded outwards. Surge's magnezone launched over the field, buzzing with an intense frequency that shook my eyes in my head.

"Now!" I roared. Surge was here, this was the final push. We had to fight.

I vaulted over the car, the adrenaline coursing through me all that was keeping me running. I fought the exhaustion in my limbs as my hand dropped to my belt.

Artemis tensed up and leapt into the sky. I watched several of Silph's defenders point their weapons skyward as my aerodactyl roared to announce herself.

A yellow blur dove into the Silph Tower, tearing even more attention away from our charge and sowing chaos in the ranks of soldiers. Blue-white lightning erupted from the little pikachu, dropping the surrounding soldiers into twitching piles.

I slammed into cover in the ruined mortar position. Then I heard it. Flare's deafening roar shook me to my bones. Then I felt the heat of a former Champion's presence.

A gout of flame smote the building, immolating those who hadn't yet taken cover. Even crouched behind cover and nearly fifty feet away, I felt as if the fire was burning inches away from me.

A deluge of water doused the fire before it could take hold, disorienting the already disorganized defenders. I saw white lightning erupt again within the building and saw the opening. We'd forced ourselves an opportunity and it was paying dividends.

Two charizard swooped down, landing right at the front doors of the Tower. Their riders leapt off, flashes of red light forming into Red and Oak's teams.

I ran for the building, ignoring the sparse return fire that was focused on Surge's magnezone. He'd drawn the attention so that the rest of us could close in and use our pokemon in close.

"Oak!" I shouted.

He turned and spotted me, ducking behind cover as his charizard bathed a gun emplacement in flame until it was a melted piece of slag.

"Marcus," he breathed. "you're alive."

"Barely," I replied. "things could definitely be going—"

"Where's Leaf?" Red interrupted.

"Top of the tower," I replied quickly. "Janine is with her."

Red whistled once, ignoring me. He leapt onto his charizard's back and launched skyward. I saw a pidgeot with two riders flap madly into the sky after him.

Oak produced a pair of balls from his coat, pressing them into my waiting hands. "I brought along Acolyte and Savage. Thought you'd need your team."

Acolyte was out immediately. The gunfire tensed his muscles, though I had the feeling he'd seen some action back at Pallet town.

"They hit the lab hard. Delia is…"

I nodded. "And Red?"

Oak's scowl said it all. "He's taking it hard. They never got to talk after he stormed out the other night."

I frowned. Red was important. Doubly so, if Oak's theory that he and Ash were multiversal counterparts had any weight to it. We needed him to play his part.

A bullet ricochet at my side brought me back to the situation at hand. My hand dropped to my belt, and I hesitated. Savage wasn't trained yet and I didn't know if Agatha had opened the gates of hell for Pride and Vector.

I didn't have the option of letting him out here. He'd only cause more trouble. So I moved alone with Acolyte, taking up the weapon of a fallen soldier as we entered the building.

One soldier scrambled to his feet as I entered the building, trying to ready his weapon. I peppered him with bullets, putting a stop to his attempt.

Acolyte brained another soldier struggling to his feet. I glanced at him and nodded. It was grim and grisly work but it needed to be done. Together, we combed through the building, dispatching the few KNA soldiers that remained.

I swept into an empty room, checking the corners as I cleared the piles of rubble. Movement drew my eye and I trained my rifle on the groaning soldier. He was trapped under a pile of rubble, trapped face down with the lower half of his body buried.

"Don't," I ordered as he scrambled to reach for a fallen pistol that was buried under the rubble with him. "You're hurt too badly. Just surrender."

He rolled and I saw the raw hatred on his face. Then it hit me that I recognized him. "Marcus," said John Kurtsson. "Figures that I'd find you here. You always were good at popping up amidst chaos on the wrong side."

"You're hurt," I said. John and I had never gotten along in Yucca. First, he'd resented me for my easy rapport with Sarah Walker, then it had turned to cold hatred when the secret of my training had come out. Despite that, he was injured and helpless and in no shape to fight. I lowered the barrel of my weapon and looked down at a man that could have been a mirror image of myself had I walked a different path. "Surrender so I can provide you first aid."

"No," he replied shortly. "You don't deserve that. You don't deserve my thanks or my praise for sparing me. Not after everything you did to Yucca. Not after what you did to your family."

He tried to reach for his weapon again. It was trapped against his leg, under the rubble.

I shook my head and sighed. "For more reasons than you could know, that's true." I set the rifle down and kneeled beside the young man. He wasn't much older than myself, but while I had the height and reach he had always been smaller and stockier. "I failed my family before, but I'm fighting now to protect them. All of them. Everyone back at Yucca, everyone I've met since I left…" I trailed off and my mind flashed with the faces of those I'd lost. Reyes and Wertz, Lori, Lady Anzu… Pa and Ma might have joined them if the visible destruction of the forests around Saffron extended far enough.

My heart stopped at the thought. Home could be gone. Hone could be gone and I never went back. I pushed away the tears. Yucca needed me to be strong, if Yucca even existed anymore.

Rocket had done this too. Giovanni had torn apart a community and pitted its prodigal sons against each other. We should have been standing side by side, not him laying prone at my feet. Instead, I'd left Yucca Village behind and joined the Rangers. Maybe if I had stayed and taught my family about pokemon, a kid like John wouldn't have been scooped up by the KNA, wouldn't have been scooped up by this godforsaken war. Shame washed over me as I realized that his fate mirrored mine.

"I'm sorry, John. I'm so sorry."

He looked up in confusion. "The fuck do you have to be sorry for?"

I looked around at the room. It had been a waiting room before, or an office. It wasn't exactly clear anymore, and the rubble made it hard to discern what the room had been used for. It sank in as I considered it. None of it mattered. Not this battle, not the two of us, not everyone that had died here. "Someone is pitting Kanto against itself. Someone orchestrated all of this just to create powerful trainers."

"Lucky you," John replied. "Is this one of the benefits of being one of those trainers, you get to gloat over me after the battle?" He looked away from me and continued to work at getting his weapon free.

I shook my head. "If you think this is gloating…"I trailed off and looked down at him. He was hurt. Badly enough that he wasn't going to make it unless he let me help him find a medic. "John… you need help. You need—"

"You already killed the other 4 men in my fireteam," he spat as he looked up at me. "I'll be paralyzed for life if I even survive this. Finish your work." He looked me up and down with a sneer. "Do your duty."

I stood there in silence for a long moment. I shook my head as his ragged breaths rang in my ears. "This isn't what I wanted…" I looked away, gazing out at the burning plaza outside the building. "This isn't duty."

I turned back to face him. "We both swore to protect Kanto," I said solemnly. "We swore to protect those we love. We should be on the same side."

His face hardened. "We were never going to be on the same side, Marcus. You fell in with a bunch of mon humpers and went off to play hero. The rest of us had to live in the mess you left behind." He scowled and looked me up and down with disdain. "Not all of us got to run away from our problems."

I scowled. He was trying to push my buttons. John had always been rather good at that. He'd revelled in my reactions when I finally blew my top. "I don't want this," I repeated. "I don't want to be a hero if this is the cost."

He looked me up and down. "Don't kid yourself, Marcus. You're right at home in the spotlight. You always were, even despite the humble act." He shook his head and coughed up a glob of blood. "Play your part, hero. Do your duty or at the very least, let me die playing mine."

He finally wrenched his pistol free of the rubble trapping his legs and tried to draw it on me. I reacted on instinct. The rifle barked three times, hitting John twice in the chest and a third time in the throat. I stood in silence, the gunshots ringing in my ears.

Acolyte touched my back a moment later. He was there at my side. His club was held at the ready just in case, offering me a source of strength in a moment of solemn weakness.

"Thanks, bud," I said blankly. "He just… he didn't give me a choice."

The rifle sagged in my hands and I let it fall to the floor. I didn't want it anymore. I didn't want to fight this battle, this endless war. My fists clenched tightly. We had to do better than blindly following Giovanni's path to destruction.

The gunfire died as the explosions outside slowed to a halt, and I slowly picked my way through the building. I passed rooms full of slain combatants, people and pokemon all felled by the pointless war we'd been fighting. My weapons were gone, no, purposely left behind. I didn't want them anymore.

I emerged to carnage. The square was a bombed out husk, with the wreckage of gun emplacements belching black smoke into the red and sullen sky.

The deafening roar of a chopper overhead drew the gaze of everyone. A heavy, oblong cube swung below the helicopter, descending towards the ground haphazardly. An oblong device that seemed oddly familiar.

I glanced around. People were taking notice of the chopper but nobody seemed urgent about it. No gunfire greeted it, nor did any of Surge's pokemon. Then the cube below it dropped suddenly to the ground. It whirred and buzzed for a small moment, before a flash of light from my belt drew my attention away.

Savage was out, growling furiously. He rounded on me, clacking his claws against the floor impatiently.

"Savage, no—"

The tone was shrill and harsh. It burrowed into my brain, forcing me to double over and cover my ears. My efforts did nothing to calm the pain the tone brought with it.

Then I looked up and horror washed over me. I'd seen the cube that the chopper had dropped before. I'd seen them in Fuchsia, when the half evolved dragon had attacked Wertz and I. It was an evolution machine, and we were all in some very very big trouble.

The light enveloped my tyrunt, and he tossed his head back with a deepening roar. He grew taller, taller than even Empress had been, and longer than I thought possible. He brushed up against the building and stumbled a few titanic steps backwards.

The light around him faded and my tyrantrum looked down at me hungrily. He tossed back his head and let out a prehistoric roar that shook the ground I stood upon.

I planted my feet, Acolyte readying his club at my side. I was a pokemon trainer. And I would tame this pokemon.

Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101

Indigo Ranger Corps, Special Task Group, "Zapdos" Squad,

Corporal SN# 109-512-6591, Marcus Wright, current team:

Luna, Ninetales

Artemis, Aerodactyl

Two, Porygon-2

Curie, Chansey

Savage, Tyrunt

INDIGO ALERT — LEGEND-CLASS THREAT IMMINENT. ALL INDIGO TRAINERS ARE ENLISTED IN CIVIL DEFENCE. ALL TRAINERS ARE TO REPORT TO THE NEAREST POKEMON CENTRE FOR IMMEDIATE TELEPORT.

Another mental health update. I'm still around. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Depression. I took my sweet time getting this update out. Love you all, you guys are the best readers ever.

Journey (Pokemon, Noble!Dark AU, Kanto Trainerfic, Shared multiverse/universe, Soft-SI)

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