• A new LGBTQ+ forum is now being trialed and there have been changes made to the Support and Advice forum. To read more about these updates, click here.
  • Hey Trainers! Be sure to check out Corsola Beach, our newest section on the forums, in partnership with our friends at Corsola Cove! At the Beach, you can discuss the competitive side of the games, post your favorite Pokemon memes, and connect with other Pokemon creators!
  • Due to the recent changes with Twitter's API, it is no longer possible for Bulbagarden forum users to login via their Twitter account. If you signed up to Bulbagarden via Twitter and do not have another way to login, please contact us here with your Twitter username so that we can get you sorted.

COMPLETE: [Teen] Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Unequivocant

Chapter 15: Assault
Chapter 15: Assault

Lawrence sat on a bench, in a park set in a suburban community. He studied the trainers walking on the paths, walking around the battles taking place on the fields. Houses surrounded the curved fences, and a stream cut through the corner in a winding fashion. Spindly trees cropped up in the lush green grass, contrasting the coarse dirt of the training fields. The bright sunny day benefitted the Arcanine in its bout against the Luxray, their attacks arcing back and forth and scorching the dirt underneath them.

Lawrence simply watched their movements, leaning his head against his arm. He heard the commands of the trainers, knowing that some ulterior reward awaited the Pokémon after the bout was over. When the battle was finished, the Pokémon acted as if nothing had happened, save for a few scratches and burns. Lawrence felt sure that there would be no memory of this in the Pokémon’s minds.

A man suddenly sat next to him. Without turning, Lawrence said, “What do you want, Brother Morgan?”

The sharply-dressed man carried a small folder with him, and at his side was a single Poke Ball. His face hadn’t been shaved for some time, and on his head was a white, broad-brimmed hat.

Brother Morgan tilted the hat up, watching another set of trainers go up to the practice field. “I heard a few weeks ago that you had a bad time with Josh; I haven’t seen you at meetings since. What’s got your Gogoat?”

Lawrence remained still. “Pokémon aren’t like us.”

Morgan chuckled, leaning back. “Well, yeah. They don’t talk, they breathe fire—”

“I mean they don’t have feelings. They don’t remember things like we do, and they do things only by instinct, not because they want to,” Lawrence sighed.

Silence rang between them, interrupted only by the newfound clashing of the Snorunt and Grotle fighting each other on the field, ice freezing the soil and leaves whipping in the wind.

Brother Morgan blew his breath out slowly, then said, “That’s a rather…strong thing to say. Especially considering what is said in the Arcean Texts.” He flipped open the folder, pulling out a small stack of paper in fine print.

Lawrence turned to see it. “Why’d you bring that?”

Morgan rubbed the back of his neck, flipping through the pages. “Your parents wanted me to come talk to you about your faith. They’ve noticed that you haven’t been the same since your wilderness trip, and since they haven’t been able to get a straight answer out of you, well…”

Lawrence turned away and muttered, “Well that’s encouraging.”

Morgan put a hand over Lawrence’s. “I’m concerned for you. It’s my duty in the church to ensure that everyone’s taken care of, and right now, you’re my priority.” He stopped flipping through the pages and took a breath to read.

“Arceus isn’t real.”

Morgan held his breath.

“There’s been no proof that he exists, all except for the Arcean Texts and some drawings in Celestic. Dialga and Palkia were sighted years ago, when Team Galactic was around, as well as all the other Legends at some point. But he never showed up—because he doesn’t exist,” Lawrence stated, refusing to meet with Morgan’s eyes.

Morgan took off his hat, shaking his head. “Where'd you hear about that? Certainly not around here.”

Lawrence replied, “It’s everywhere in Unova, even in Kanto and Kalos. Really, Sinnoh’s the only place that believes Arceus is real. I read some books about it in the library.”

“But they have no credibility—”

“Yes, they do. Archaeologists and experts made detailed studies, more than those Arcean Texts ever did.”

Morgan’s face flushed. “Alright, now that’s going a little too far.”

Lawrence stood up, maintaining his passive expression. “You just don’t get it. Just like everyone else here. It’s exactly why I want to leave.” He turned and walked away, leaving Morgan to dwell on the loss of a fellow Arceist.

~~~~

Lawrence sat on a sizable rock, remembering that conviction well—and the persecution it led to. ‘No one believed me…they all hated me…but I fine with that….with where I was…” He closed his eyes. ‘Until now.’

Matheus had thrown off his cloak and went into a series of stretches, ignoring the other Lucario for a moment. Cassia still hadn’t returned from her reconnaissance of Jareth, and Grom presumably stood on the other side of the town, waiting for their eventual return. Lawrence and the Legend were the only ones together on the barren mountaintop.

Matheus finally stood straight and exclaimed, “Alright, let’s see what we can do.”

Lawrence got off the rock, shaking free of his thoughts. He stood in front of Matheus and said, “Alright, what do you want me to do?”

Matheus smirked. “Hit me.”

Lawrence nodded, then suddenly threw a punch at Matheus’ chest. The silver Lucario deftly caught the punch and deflected it with his own, sending Lawrence onto his back.

Lawrence groaned, and Matheus stood over him, shaking his head. “Let me clarify: land a successful hit. Every time you fail, I’ll punch you back. Your opponent’s not going to let off easy in the real world, so I won’t either.”

Lawrence pushed himself up, staggering slightly. “Well that’s hardly fair. Aren’t you supposed to be teaching me instead of punishing me?”

Matheus shrugged. “There’s all sorts of teaching methods. This one happens to be mine.” He crouched, putting up his fists. “I want to see how you humans tend to attack before I go about showing you how Lucario do it. Give it your best shot!”

Lawrence couldn’t help but feel irritated toward Matheus’ attitude. He let out a forceful breath and swung toward Matheus’ chin. He stepped back and watched Lawrence miss, then grabbed the swinging arm and twisted it behind Lawrence’s back.

Matheus leaned in close and said, “Stop being so predictable. How many fistfights have you been in?”

Lawrence seethed, pulling free of Matheus grip. “None.” He swept his leg toward Matheus’, but the Legend leapt over his head and pushed him to the ground.

Matheus sighed, brushing off his paws. “I was expecting more. So far as I can tell, we’ll have to—”

“Stop talking like that!”

Matheus ducked, barely avoiding another blow from Lawrence. He continued dodging, the other hastily attempting to land a hit.

Lawrence swung too hard and spun, giving Matheus the few seconds needed to clout him over the head. He fell to the ground, then Matheus set a paw on his back. Lawrence looked up and saw the Legend’s concerned expression.

“’Stop talking like that?’ Why?” he asked. He stepped off of Lawrence, allowing him to stand up and brush the dust off his fur.

“I don’t believe in Arceus. It was an unpopular opinion back where I grew up. So many people taunted me with that tone, saying, ‘Prove it’, or, ‘That’s not enough.’” He shook, closing his eyes. “They’d even say ‘Let’s work on that’, as if I’d change my mind.” He sat on the rock again, massaging the back of his head.

Matheus considered his words, looking down. He then said, “How does it feel to be in Equivos, where everyone—including you—is a Pokémon?”

Lawrence groaned, rubbing his face. “It’s so…strange. For five years, I managed to avoid doing anything the Arceists would do. I’ve proven them wrong so many times that their religion should be dead.” He stopped. “But here, I’m put into the same situation as before: a beautiful region overloaded with Arceists. And now, all of them are Pokémon, preaching the same thing.” He closed his eyes. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”

Matheus sat next to Lawrence, crossing his arms. “What did they use to prove that Arceism was true?”

“Nothing. Just a few legends and the remnants of the book they used to have. They’ve been dying for the past few decades, especially once that book disappeared.”

“Yet they continued to believe?”

“Yes!” Lawrence turned to him crossly. “Why are you so interested? I thought you believed in Arceus.”

Matheus pressed his paw against Lawrence’s leg, looking him in the eye. “I don’t believe he exists, I know he exists. You are forgetting that what’s left of the book may be true. What about the world could have convinced you that it wasn’t?”

Lawrence thought of the Gabite and Nidoking, his first experience with the reality of Pokémon. He thought of his antagonization, his peers loathing him for his views. He remembered the terrible atrocities in the world, like what Team Plasma or Galactic committed, and how only a single, unlikely trainer could defeat them—none of them Arceus’ followers.

Matheus’ paw retracted from Lawrence’s leg, and the Legend grimaced. “I…understand what you feel.” He stood up, holding his head. “I’ve always believed in Arceus. I’ve even met him, when I completed his trials.” He picked up his hat from on top of his cloak. “But, for several days, I questioned his power. I wondered how he could allow so much pain, why Pokémon chose wrong, and why even…even your truest friend, can turn on you.” He wrinkled the hat, his paws shaking.

He looked down at his paws, then set the hat over his head. “I didn’t fully recover until I raised Laryon. He helped me rediscover Arceus’ wisdom, and, well…” He held up his paw, engulfing it in azure flame. “This.”

Lawrence focused on the flame, feeling his fears quelled by the cyan light. The gentle warmth reached into his core, a feeling of peace, familiar after what felt like years of silence. Despite his previous experience with Aura, he had never felt anything like this with it.

Matheus noticed his gaze and made a small smile. “You feel it. Good. You at least have the sense for it.” He doused the flame and the peace that lingered in Lawrence, causing his face to fall. He stretched his arms and said, “Just from your expression, I could tell you want to use Aura. Problem is that it appears you haven’t developed any serious relationships with anyone.”

Lawrence cocked his head curiously. “What do you mean?”

Matheus leaned on another rock, crossing his arms. “Riolu evolve by having a powerful relationship with someone. For Laryon, it came from his bond with me, while myself…” He cringed. “Well, it was my friendship with Arthus.” He furrowed his brow. “The reason why is because Aura grows stronger based on your connections with others. From the studies I’ve made over the centuries, I’ve found that it has to do with Life, in a sense.” He looked up momentarily, then shook his head, jogging toward Lawrence. “It’s easier just to show you.”

He stopped in front of him, then made a circle in the ground with his foot paw. He pointed at it and said, “Here’s a Pokémon’s Life. Despite the power it has, most Pokémon are unable to use it.” He made another circle, leaving a space between the other. “However, there is a way to tap into it, partially, by using another Pokémon’s life.” He finished the circle and pointed to both. “Two separate Pokémon, two separate sources of Life. Following me so far?” Lawrence nodded.

Matheus nodded back, then set his paw into the first circle. “When you interact with Pokémon, you leave behind traces of your Life. It’s like a mark to show that you have impacted them in some way.” He dragged his foot into the other circle. “As you interact with Pokémon, more and more of your Life is shared with those around you. More is focused on those you interact with often, particularly if it is positive.” He stepped away and pointed at the line. “The other also leaves behind portions of their Life in your soul, and when you both have high levels of shared Life, it creates a sort of charge, similar to what Electric Pokémon gather.” He tapped the ground. “That is Aura. It is what comes from two souls becoming one.”

Lawrence studied the image, realizing how much sense it made. ‘Even the best scientists in the world couldn’t figure out where Aura came from—yet it’s so simple.’

Matheus stepped away from the image and sighed. “There’s the problem: you don’t have a strong relationship with anyone. I could see it when I touched you earlier, just as I felt your emotions; your Life is in a tight little ball, keeping its power away from others.” He shook his head sadly. “You can’t create Aura by yourself.”

Lawrence leaned back on the rock and groaned. “That’s not helpful at all! I’ve never been close to anybody!” He rolled onto his shoulder and muttered, “Didn’t help that they hated me…”

Matheus sighed, massaging his head. “Unfortunately, Lucario primarily use Aura in their fighting style. I can teach you how to detect other Pokémon, as well as how to see Aura connections; those things are usually taught to Riolu when they’re young, but it should come quickly to you.” He sat on the rock Lawrence lay on, clasping his paws. “But until you bond with someone, I can do little more than that.”

Lawrence thought of who he could have some sort of friendship with. ‘I’m not really close to anybody. Sinnoh hated me, Unova’s closed off, and I haven’t met many in Equivos. The only one I can think of is—’

“Cassia! What did you find out?” Matheus exclaimed, bolting upright.

The Zoroark padded carefully toward them, looking over her shoulder. “Just so you know, Grom will be over soon, so be ready for him.” Across the town, a black shape dropped off the side of the mountain, then suddenly shot upward, barreling toward Cassia.

The shape slowed and turned out to be Grom, who landed just in front of her and embraced her. “Graw-graw-hawm!”

Cassia gently pushed away and said, “Yes, I know, you don’t like being by yourself for so long. We won’t let it happen again.” Grom, satisfied, stood obediently beside her.

Cassia sighed and continued, “Anyway, I checked around and found out that Arthus should be there late in the morning. I think if we go there early and get out of there on Grom, we should be fine.”

“Graw-unh!” Grom exclaimed, shaking his head and pointing at Lawrence and Matheus.

The Zoroark groaned. “Having all of us will be too much? You’re stronger than a Machamp!”

“Graw,” he grunted, pointing at his feet, then clanged his chest.

Cassia’s face fell. “Right, your weight. Wouldn’t want you running out of Life while you’re up there.”

Matheus smiled good-naturedly and waved his paw. “I can run on my own; I have to stay in shape after all. Lawrence can ride with you.” He wrapped an arm around Lawrence, who stiffly stared back. “Until then though, let’s teach you how to fight properly; humans are so predictable.”

~~~~

Within the Master’s Tower, Gardner painstakingly used a needle and thread on his chair, repairing the jagged tears Arthus had made. He pricked himself in the finger and scowled, watching thin mist trail out of it. “Foul, despicable Zoroark.”

“Shame. You were doing so well.”

“Gah!”

Gardner dropped the thread and fell onto his back, twisting behind him. Arthus leaned against the wall, studying his claws. The Gardner jabbed a finger at him and exclaimed, “Well it’s not my fault that you tore up my chair! It’s ruined!”

Arthus shrugged and walked along the undamaged arm of the chair. “Oh, that’s easily fixed.” He cut a delicate along the top of the arm, revealing the stuffing within. Gardner growled with rising intensity, his fingers curling as his eye glowed brighter.

Arthus grinned and laughed, “See? Symmetrical. Less work.”

Gardner held up the needle from before and tossed it behind him with a moan. “Indeed.” Gardner rubbed his eye and said, “Let me guess: you’re here about the Prison Bottle.”

“Why yes!” Arthus replied, wrapping an arm around Gardner’s neck. “But more specifically on where to summon him. I’ve narrowed down Matheus’ location to a few places in northern Serenita. Got any leads?”

Gardner shrugged Arthus away and sat down in his chair, fingering the newly-made tear. “No, not really; I’ve been having to rework the Guild to make it ready to take back the settlements Cassia had converted. All I’ve managed to go through was an old history book about Arceism.”

“Is that so? Do tell.” Arthus sat cross-legged on the floor, brushing through his mane for tangles.

Gardner ignored his actions and looked upward. “From what I read, there used to be several temples scattered throughout the region; they were places where Arceus focused his power and allowed for things like miracles to happen.”

“Sounds like the right place. Where’s the closest one?” Arthus asked, finding a writing Joltik buried in his mane.

Gardner sighed, slumping in his chair. “Well there’s the problem; the temples have been abandoned for centuries. I can tell you where they used to be, but actually finding them is a different matter.”

Arthus pierced the Joltik’s body and drained its Life, throwing away the dusty husk. “Just tell me where they used to be. I’ll go search the areas myself.”

“Fine. There were five temples: one near Cambeta, Barash, Virona, Saunte, and Respit. Considering that Barash was just destroyed, I doubt the temple is still standing there.”

Arthus twisted a length of his mane. “Hmm, yes. I’d rather not go back to Saunte or Respit, so that leaves Cambeta and Virona.”

“I doubt the temples are standing in those places anyway: Saunte has changed a lot in the past few decades and likely destroyed it to expand, and Respit’s temple was made of wood; it would have deteriorated without any care.”

“Anything about Cambeta?”

“Not really. They regularly get storms there, however, so it wouldn’t be an ideal place for such a structure.”

“It’s not even where Cassia and the others are headed.” Arthus stood up and clapped his hands together. “Right, Virona it is. Anything I should look out for?”

Gardner languidly took the book from his side table and glanced at the pages. He stopped at one and said, “Apparently the Virona temple was put into the denser section to the west of Virona; if anything, the jungle itself destroyed it given how much time it’s had to to grow.” Gardner set the book aside and shrugged. “But who knows? It was made of stone, so it could still exist.”

“Good, good. I’ll heading off now; can’t leave Jareth waiting!” Arthus ran down the stairs and left Gardner to grumble about both tears made in his chair.

Once Arthus was outside and invisible, he crossed by Guild Pokemon and toward the gate. “I know exactly where to go,” he said under his breath.

‘This is simply cruel.’

Arthus hissed and quickened his pace. “You again!”

‘What you’re planning is low, even for you. And you want Cassia to come back to live here? She’ll never forgive me!’

Arthus opened the gate and slammed it, then shouted, “It’s also to take care of Matheus and Lawrence! Don’t you want them gone?”

‘Not if it costs my relationship with Cassia—with what little is there, thanks to you. There’s still time to have her trust us again if you stop this madness and let me come back.’

“No. I didn’t spend two thousand years with Yveltal to just surrender the Seal.”

‘You can’t be—’

“And you didn’t kill Corrina in her sleep for nothing…did you?”

The voice stopped, and his presence retreated in Arthus’ mind. ‘No.’

“That’s right. Now step aside until I’ve done my job. When the world is made perfect, you can feel free to spend every moment with her.” Arthus ran to the deadened tree at the wall of the canyon and had tendrils drag him down into the earth.

As he traveled across Serenita, the personality in the back of his mind thought, ‘But she wouldn’t be the same—not without her feelings or strength.’

~~~~

Lawrence flopped to the ground, splaying his arms out in exhaustion. Grom had taken to watching Jareth for activity, while Matheus took to testing the younger Lucario’s skills. Cassia sat on the ground, watching from afar while she tossed pebbles down the steep edge of the mountain.

Matheus put on his cloak and panted, “I think that’s enough for tonight; don’t want to be tired out before we go in there.”

“Agreed,” Lawrence replied, panting. He sat up, then wiped his brow instinctively. Cassia gave him a curious look.

He looked down at his paw, then realized why she looked at him that way. “Humans sweat; I’m used to wiping it off.”

Cassia nodded slowly, then moved to set next to him on the ground, brushing back her mane. “You said earlier that you didn’t hate Pokémon, but you feared them. Why?”

Lawrence froze. He rubbed his face, saying, “Well…it’s…complicated.” He paused for a moment, then finally said, “I had a bad experience with Pokémon when I was growing up. I was a wilderness survivalist—someone who lives away from civilization for a time. Sort of like what we’re doing now.” He clasped his paws and continued, “Anyway, one day, I was caught in a fight between a Nidoking and a Gabite.”

Cassia gasped. “Wild ones? They could’ve killed you!”

“I know; I was lucky to get out of there.” He sighed. “When I was hiding from them, I saw the Gabite’s eyes. They were… soulless. They looked like they wanted to kill and nothing more. No anger, no fear, nothing but want.” He released his paws, watching them shake. “It was completely opposite to what the Arceists taught. They said that all Pokémon should be treated like humans.” He turned away from Cassia. “They aren’t even close to us.”

They stood silent. Grom’s head swiveled around, focused on them. Matheus continued to look toward Jareth, but his focus lay toward the human-turned-Pokémon.

Cassia blew out her breath slowly, then began to gently pull off the Pokédex. Lawrence grunted and put a paw over her claws, staring at her. He stared at her eyes, seeing the compassion and feeling they had—so unlike the Gabite.

He looked away and removed his paw. Cassia paused, then continued to take out the Pokédex. She removed it from the case, and carefully typed the password, then tapped the photos application. She reached the Tome’s pictures, then began to read:

Two forms of life are present in my creation: one that holds knowledge of me, and the other that does not. Those that hold knowledge are to follow my word and grow closer to me, while the other cannot be held for their actions.

I have given memories to know my word, emotion to confirm my word, and willpower to obey my word. Those that hold no knowledge have no such gifts, and thus, cannot be expected to be like those who hold knowledge.

Cassia lowered the Pokédex, then said, “I know this might seem…strange…but, do you think that you received that commandment from Arceus so that you could treat the Pokémon of Equivos like humans?”

Lawrence considered her words. He continued to think, while Cassia added, “Arceus is the same no matter where he is; his power can surely be felt in your world just as it felt in mine. He…could have foreseen you coming here and wanted to prepare you for it.”

Lawrence turned back to her. “But why give everyone that commandment? The other Pokémon are nothing like you. You’re smart, kind, and—” He caught himself, then said with a sigh, “More trusting than I’ll ever be.” He took the Pokédex—Cassia allowing him to take it—then walked away from here, sitting on another rock and considering her words.

He thought of what the Arceists of Sinnoh believed. They believed that someday, he would restore their book of scripture and grant them the opportunity to live all his teachings. Until then, they were to follow the three key commandments: love Arceus, love your neighbor, and love your Pokémon, all like yourself. It would not be far-fetched to say that the Arceus of Sinnoh was the same as the Arceus of Equivos, considering the dimensional abilities he shares with the likes of the creators of time and space.

He held his head, sighing. ‘I’ve denied him for so long…but so much here in Equivos says he does exist: The Legends, the Tome, everyone’s belief. I could deny him before I knew all this…but now, I’m not sure I can.’

He looked up. ‘They’re right; Arceus is real. But he’s not a benevolent deity, like they say he is. He doesn’t “spread his arms to grant blessings”. Pokemon like the Gabite and Nidoking have harmed people for generations…no just god would that.’

He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up to see Matheus. The silver Lucario pointed to Jareth and aid, “It’s time to go. I’ll let you know about my plan on the way over.” He stepped away and toward Cassia and Grom, who both started towards the mountainous village.

Lawrence stood up, slowly walking toward them. ‘I might have been wrong about Arceus’ existence—even if it was warranted. But I won’t believe in his goodness. Not until l I see it for myself.’

~~~~

Later that night, two Floatzel stood in front of the storehouse of Jareth, keeping a watchful eye over the iron doors. Burning torches hung in sconces, brightening the rushing river. Its sound crowded the area, blocking any other noises from being heard.

The two Floatzel kept a constant watch for Pokémon, squinting their eyes to see better in the darkness. They felt the ground rumble beneath them, then gave each other surprised looks. Two holes opened beneath their feet.

They fell with a shout, and Geodude hopped out of the holes, hovering toward the door. The two holes joined and expanded, allowing Boldore and Graveler to hop out as well. They surrounded the storehouse as stealthily as they could, watching as the aged Aerodactyl clambered from the hole.

He crept toward the door and turned to a chipped Boldore. “Is the area secure?”

The Boldore nodded. “No Guild Pokémon in sight, Aerav.

The Aerodactyl looked up at the door confidently. “We’ll have food for our families tonight.” He grabbed the door and pulled back.

From within, a jet of water thrust into the Aerodactyl’s chest, sending him to the edge of the river. Six Golduck exited the and blasted the other Rock Pokémon with Water Gun, forcing them back into the hole. With moans, and screams, the Rock Pokémon fled the flooded tunnels, leaving behind the Aerodactyl leader.

Captain Loran Azumarill stepped out from the storehouse, smirking. “Good work crew; might let you have your share early at this rate.” He bounded toward Aerav and set a foot on top of him, causing him to groan. The Azumarill turned to his comrades and grinned. “Figured that this old fool would try something like this.” He leaned down to Aerav and said, “I think we’ll have you skip your next round of rations. How does going two weeks without any food sound to you?”

Aerav groaned, looking up at Loran fearfully. “Y-You can’t. We won’t survive!” He struggled to push himself up.

Loran sucked in a breath and sprayed Aerav’s face with a blast of water, causing Aerav to collapse with a gasp. “You don’t control us! Ever since we started listening to Guildmaster Gardner, life has been great for us Water Pokémon! My kids don’t have to worry about going hungry anymore, and we can settle in one place instead of having to wander scavenge the rivers!”

Aerav coughed, blinking away the water in his eyes. “But look at what you’ve done to us Rock Pokémon. We used to help each other, giving each food and support when we needed it. We kept to our own business, and no one suffered. Now you use your powers to make us slaves!”

Loran sprayed him once more, then turned to the Golduck. “I’ve had enough of this old Aerodactyl. Let’s shut him up!” He hopped off Aerav and set a foot underneath his heaving chest. He lifted his foot slightly, edging Aerav toward the rushing river.

“Graow!”

A massive black Golurk fell from the air and landed in the center of the Golduck, stunning them. He punched two away and ran for the Azumarill, his eyes burning crimson.

Loran stepped around Aerav and toward the houses, pointing at the Golurk and shouting, “Get that thing before it kills us!” He fled toward the houses as his pursuer stopped in front of Aerav.

The Golduck snapped into action, running toward the Golurk and breathing in for another Water Gun. A flash of silver dropped in front of him, and a silver Lucario crouched with his paws up.

He grinned and exclaimed, “Lovely night to drop in, isn’t it?” He sprung forward and chopped a Golduck across the throat, causing him to choke and splutter on his stored water. He proceeded to battle with the other Golduck, dodging jets of water as he went.

Grom carefully lifted the Aerodactyl, remaining crouched. “Gro-ha-hawm.” Aerav managed a croak before Grom burst into the air, soaring toward the low peak above Jareth.

The Golurk left red streams of light in his wake, illuminating the scene below with eerie red light. Lawrence and Cassia stood atop the peak, and they nodded to each other. “Ready? Cassia asked, donning her mask and deepening her voice.

They leapt off the peak, skidding down the side and rapidly descending toward Jareth. More torches went alight, driving off the red glow and illuminating the dozens of Water Pokémon streaming from the caverns and buildings. Poliwrath, Floatzel, Seismitoad—all sorts ran up to drive away the legendary Lucario at their storehouse.

The Zoroark gracefully landed on a Poliwrath and pierced his skin, draining Life from the unconscious warrior. She released her grip—leaving only enough to keep him alive—then proceeded to spin toward another target and strike it down.

Lawrence, however, lost his grip on his slide down and skidded on his rear toward a sizable Poliwhirl, bowling into him and the couple of Palpitoad behind him. He covered his face and cringed, imagining the scene entirely different than how it turned out.

Unfortunately, his rolling didn’t stop there. Just beyond the Palpitoad the stairs continued, and he continued to bash into more Guild Pokémon, knocking them with no more than his built-up momentum. He continued all the way down the village until he finally stopped at a run-down shack, away from all the action.

He groaned, pushing himself up and holding his head. “I think I’m going to barf…” he moaned, holding his stomach. He looked behind him, noticing that he completely missed his target—namely, landing with Cassia.

He brushed his dusty arms and growled, “That’s the last time I’ll listen to one of Matheus’ crazy ideas.” His ears twitched, then he turned toward the shack, noticing a pale blue light glowing within.

He looked back to the ongoing battle. The Guild Pokémon’s yells of defeat echoed, and he could see Cassia and Matheus speedily dispatching them. ‘They don’t need me.’

Despite his urge to rejoin the others, he entered into the hovel, entranced by the light. He brushed past cobwebs and broken beams, ignoring the dried blood and ruined furniture all around him. At the far end of the ruin, a disheveled Pokémon stood in front of the source of the light.

Lawrence squinted his eyes at the brightness and asked, “Who are you?” The Pokémon turned, and the light dimmed, revealing it to be a Xatu.

The Xatu’s feathers were discordant and matted, and its wings were spread apart, revealing the dark and unintelligible symbols on its chest. Its beak chipped and crooked over years of misuse, the eyes lay hidden behind a thick white cloth tied around its head.

“You have come. As predicted,” he said in a monotonous tone, closing its wings.

“What do you mean? Who are you?” Lawrence said, holding his paws as if ready to attack.

The Xatu turned his head toward his paws. “You fear me. As expected.” He stiffly turned back around. “I am Tursha, a Prophet of Arceus. I paid my sight in order to see more clearly—” He lifted his wings. “—the will of the Creator.” The blue light appeared again, forcing Lawrence to cover his eyes.

The light faded, and Lawrence gaped at the disheveled Xatu. “You’re saying you can see the future?” Arceus or not, he knew that Xatu could see glimpses of coming events, and if trained, could make accurate predictions.

The Xatu jerked its head to the right, then nodded. “Yes. I see many things—a void in the sky…a realm of towers and machines…all created by a species not known to Equivos.”

Amazed that he knew of this, Lawrence went to speak, but Tursha held up a wing, halting him. “I have mere seconds to send my message. To find what you seek, go to the Arceist Temple within the Faelyn jungle, past the peaks of Xilo. I will await you there.” He clapped his wings together, and in a flash of blue light, he disappeared.

Before Lawrence could ponder the events that had just happened before him, a voice called out, “Lawrence, are you in there?”

He turned around and pushed past the cobwebs, finding Matheus standing at the entrance. The Legend sighed with relief, stepping aside. “Good. We were worried about you. All the Guild Pokémon have been taken care of; it's time for us to leave and wait till morning.” As Lawrence walked past, he clapped a paw on his back and chuckled. “Nice going back there. I’ve always wanted to see someone roll like that.”

Lawrence held his tongue, knowing that Matheus would make some smart comment about it. He ran up the side of the mountain, leaving Matheus at the shack.

The Legend went to follow, but stopped, giving the shack a suspicious look. “Something’s not right…” he peeked his head inside.

The ground beneath it suddenly shook, and he scrambled back out. The shack crumbled and the ground beneath it gave way to gravity, tumbling down the peak and bringing the grisly remains of the property with it.

Matheus stared at it in astonishment, considering the chances of such an event happening. Shortly after, he shook his head, then ran up to follow Lawrence.
----
And now, here's a character sketch by our very own @Cresselia92!
FnrEhBh.png
 
Last edited:
A. flash of silver dropped in front of him,

Extra period.

And now, here's a character sketch by our very own @Cresselia92!

ohmygosh she's so prettyyyyy

General Comments

Honestly, I liked so much of this chapter that I can't come up with lots to say. I'm glad to see a lot of suggested stuff implemented here, they make Lawrence's Arceist conflict work better and more believable. The oppressive Water Pokemon and oppressed Rock Pokemon showed nice variety in the life of Equivos once more. The oracle Xatu and explanation of how Aura works were both interesting, and the former was brought some really cool imagery as well. Matheus is still shaping up to be a nice, lively character.

One thing I'm not totally sure about is what's going on with Gardner - it feels odd given how cruel he was in the first act - but I have a strong feeling there's lots there I don't know yet, so it's too early to make judgments, really. I'm eager to find out what's up and sure to keep on reading.
 
Okay, this flashback was more helpful for me as far as clearly spelling out Lawrence's thought process. I've got a much better understanding of why he thinks the way he does. It's also indirectly bringing in something from real world neuroscience as far as various animal species (and possibly other mammals) lacking certain higher-order brain areas, like the neo cortex. Or I'm just seeing things that aren't really there, take your pick. At first I wasn't sure what the flashback was there for, but then we get to the next part with Matheus and it becomes pretty clear. Lawrence clearly doesn't like getting his buttons pushed. One slight nitpick is that you start the flashback off by referring to the setting as a "parking in a suburban town." But that is incredibly vague and leaves a lot up to imagination. Parks come in different shapes and sizes. So, if he's sitting and just staring at a grassy field, you could at least say that much.

The explanation for Aura is very interesting. I mean, you're trying to explain magic, essentially. Which is always going to be hard and never will satisfy everyone. But I think you made a good decision tying it into the natural evolution method for the Lucario family (friendship), and weaving in the Dex lore that says that Riolu can't do much of anything with aura other than sense faint pulses. So, naturally, they'd need to evolve. And the friendship that evolves them also gives them Aura powers. It actually makes a lot of sense and tying it in with Life creates an interesting Yin-Yang dynamic of sorts. The Arceus stuff felt a bit more underwhelming for me. But I think that's more because this isn't Lawrence's big "aha moment." It seems like that will be when (if?) he ends up seeing the goodness of Arceus. I also need to ask you something I wasn't sure about. Did this chapter say that there is only one Arceus, and it has traveled b/w the human world and Equivos b/c it created Dialga, therefore it has power over space and dimensions? That's the impression I got, and I want to be sure. Because I think this is the first multiple worlds story I've read that uses a single Arceus, instead of multiple ones.

My only real grip with this chapter is that last scene. It's a bit chaotic for me. Like, it starts with a battle against evil guild 'mons, quickly adds in some slapstick to Lawrence, and then decides to abandon that in favor of this Xatu, who's here to show us the next story event we're in for. I suppose you might be able to fix it by at least having Lawrence acknowledge that Matheus, Grom, and Cassia have the guild under control. As it reads right now, it feels like he's ditching them because of a slight curious whim... which kind of undoes some of the character-building moments you had between them earlier in the chapter.

Only other thing is a couple of tiny typo things I noticed:

Lawrence sat on a sizeable rock, remembering that conviction well—and the prosecution it led to
You've got your words mixed up here. I think you meant to say "persectuion," because "prosecution" means bringing legal action against someone for criminal behavior.

Not believe, know. You are forgetting that what what’s left of the book may be true
Repeated word here.
 
@Ambyssin @canisaries

Thank you for your reviews; I'll make sure to get to work on the suggested changes.

One slight nitpick is that you start the flashback off by referring to the setting as a "parking in a suburban town." But that is incredibly vague and leaves a lot up to imagination. Parks come in different shapes and sizes. So, if he's sitting and just staring at a grassy field, you could at least say that much.

I purposefully left that vague since its more of memory, but I understand your reasoning. I'll work on it.

I also need to ask you something I wasn't sure about. Did this chapter say that there is only one Arceus, and it has traveled b/w the human world and Equivos b/c it created Dialga, therefore it has power over space and dimensions? That's the impression I got, and I want to be sure. Because I think this is the first multiple worlds story I've read that uses a single Arceus, instead of multiple ones

Yep, you've got it right: there's only one Arceus between Lawrence's world and Equivos.

My only real grip with this chapter is that last scene. It's a bit chaotic for me. Like, it starts with a battle against evil guild 'mons, quickly adds in some slapstick to Lawrence, and then decides to abandon that in favor of this Xatu, who's here to show us the next story event we're in for. I suppose you might be able to fix it by at least having Lawrence acknowledge that Matheus, Grom, and Cassia have the guild under control. As it reads right now, it feels like he's ditching them because of a slight curious whim... which kind of undoes some of the character-building moments you had between them earlier in the chapter.

I needed to have a way for Lawrence to get to the house and meet Tursha, while showing that he doesn't have quite the proficiency in combat as Cassia and Matheus do, so the whole rolling thing was an adequate and entertaining way of doing the job. I should definitely add the acknowledgement of the fight with Lawrence as that was sort of absent. As for the scene itself...well, I'm not sure what other way would be best to do it, so...yeah...
 
Chapter 16: Breaking
Chapter 16: Breaking


A knock came at the door to Lawrence’s room. He sat in front of his desk, poring over a book in front of him. His bed was made and his shelves bare, and in the corner lay an empty suitcase.


The door opened. And his mother walked into the room. “Are you sure you want to go on this next wilderness trek? You’ve been missing meetings because of your training for it, and I’m feeling concerned for you.”

“Don’t worry; it’ll only be a week, just like last time.” Lawrence replied, still reading from the book.

His mother peered over his shoulder. “What are you reading?”

Lawrence flipped the page. “‘Pokémon and Evolution.’ Why?”

“That’s a book from that Unovan university, isn’t it?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because, Lawrence, they don’t have the same standards as us. They see Pokémon as savages, and only bearable because we train them.” She shivered and crossed her arms. “Honestly, I don’t see why they see Pokémon like that.”

“Maybe cause they’re right,” Lawrence muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” He looked at the clock sitting next to his bed, then closed the book. “It’s getting late. I have to leave early tomorrow, so I’ll be getting to sleep.”

“Right.” His mother sighed, putting a hand on her cheek. “Is there anything you want to talk about? You’ve just been so…quiet, since your last trip.”

Lawrence shook his head, standing up. “No, I’m fine.” He took a glance at a pamphlet sitting underneath the book. It showed a large stone building with statues of a black and a white dragon. Underneath it was the words, ‘University of Unova’.

His mother held him close, hugging him tightly. “I love you.”

Lawrence stiffly allowed her to do so, wanting free, but at the same time, knowing that she needed it more than him.

~~~~

Aerav Aerodactyl awoke in a cave, aching and sore. Around him, three Geodude hovered about and watched over him. The still-dark morning could be seen from the entrance of the cave and the chiseled window over his head. On the rock-hewn shelves, small vials and pictures sat, gathering dust and grime in the air.

The aged Aerodactyl stirred, leaning on his wing. A Geodude gently pushed him down. “You are weak. We should be grateful that those Lucario stopped Captain Loran when they did.”

Aerav coughed, his eyes widening. “Lucario?” he said in disbelief. “They were all killed when the Guild took over.”

Another Geodude shrugged. “It doesn’t change the fact that they came; we saw them ourselves, along with a black Golurk and a masked Zoroark.”

Aerav closed his eyes, remembering the blurred vision of the onyx golem. He remembered its strangely-warm grasp, and the rush of wind as he carried him away.

Another Geodude spat a pebble from his mouth. “I don’t trust the Zoroark. It had dark powers; it weakened the Water Pokémon, to the point that they could hardly walk. Who’s to say it wouldn’t do the same to us?”

“But it fought with the Lucario and the Golurk that saved Aerav. It must be some good.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that it’s a Zoroark. You remember what Arthus did.” The Geodude shuddered, dust falling from his body.

Aerav nodded sadly, lifting his head. Muffled voices could be heard outside, and Graveler crossed by the door speedily. “What’s going on?”

The argumentative Geodude floated to the door, then exclaimed, “It’s the Golurk from before! He’s with a Gardevoir and a Gallade!” He furrowed his brow in confusion. “And a...Watchog?”

“I must meet him; he may know where the Lucario came from,” Aerav exclaimed, waveringly standing up. The other two Geodude looked at each other, then pinned themselves underneath the Aerodactyl’s wings, helping him shuffle outside the door.

Upon exiting, the Geodudes’ jaws dropped. What seemed to be all the Pokémon in the village--Water and Rock--had come out to meet the Golurk and his companions. The Gardevoir sat on the Golurk’s shoulders, while the Gallade and Watchog stood next to them, keeping back the vast throngs of Pokémon from interfering with them.

The Gardevoir cleared her throat, then said, “You were recently freed from Guild control. Just last night, in fact. I know because our friend, Grom Golurk, told us of his fight here with the Guild. He wanted us to come teach you what we know about a Legend named Arceus, and have you learn what he would have you do.” She held up a strange black device and tapped it, then said:

I created Pokémon not only to grow closer to me, but also to themselves. Their powers that I blessed them with are to be used for peace and creation, not war and destruction.

For I say that unless you do these things, you shall not be saved on the Day of Desolation, the day the Legend of Destruction shall come and take back what I have given to my creations: the very breath of Life.

The Gardevoir lifted her head and exclaimed, “Both Water and Rock Pokémon must treat each other equally! We are not to use our abilities to take advantage of one another, said by Arceus himself.” She gestured to the crowd. “Do you understand?”

The Rock Pokémon nodded and agreed audibly, while the Water Pokémon shifted uneasily. One Lombre strode forward and said, “But what about Guildmaster Dusknoir? He’ll be coming in under an hour!”

The Gardevoir slid down the Golurk’s arm, then stepped toward the Lombre. “As long as you follow Arceus, all will be well.” She looked toward the Gallade and Watchog, who both nodded. She looked back toward the crowd and explained, “I’m afraid we must be going now. I would stay longer to answer your questions, but I must remain as far away as I can from Guildmaster Dusknoir.” The Pokémon made their displeasure known to her, shouting for her to stay and teach them more about this silenced deity.

She joined with the Watchog and Gallade, then started to walk down the path to the exit. The Golurk’s remained behind, searching through the crowd, then saw Aerav. He pointed at him and said, “Gra-haw!”

The Gardevoir looked back and saw who he pointed to. She smiled and said, “I’m glad to see you well. Grom's the one who rescued you from Loran and his Guild Pokémon. “

Aerav nodded weakly. “Indeed. I wanted to thank him for his service. I was the leader of Jareth before Loran took over, and—unless otherwise said—I would like to take the mantle once more.” He looked toward the Water Pokémon. “is that alright with you?”

The Water Pokémon remained silent, until one Poliwrath stepped forward, scowling. His face weakened, then he knelt and rested his fist on the ground. “I’ve seen you with the Rock Pokémon. You treat them like your equals; more than Loran ever did for us Water Pokémon.” He looked up. “If you’d give us that sort of respect, then I will follow you.”

Soon, the other Water Pokémon followed suit, with only the imprisoned Guild Pokémon, including Loran Azumarill, not doing so. Now distracted by the restored leadership, the citizens of Jareth failed to notice Grom, Cassia, Lawrence and Matheus slip away.

Aerav, however, did. He wished to have been able to talk more with them, but knew, somehow, that he would have another chance.

~~~~

Lawrence leapt over the rock, dodging out of sight. Matheus and Cassia crouched next to him, the Zoroark peeking over the rock to look. “You think they’ll be alright?” she asked.

Matheus nodded. “Given that the Guild Pokémon are out of commission and that they seem to be unified, Arthus won’t stand a chance.”

“What’s this ‘Day of Desolation’ I keep hearing about?” Lawrence asked, confused by her statement in Jareth.

“It’s essentially the day Equivos will be destroyed.” Matheus answered. “Yveltal will come from his tomb and take the life of all who remain in Serenita, then the other Legends will raze the land. The only Pokémon who will survive are the followers of Arceus.”

“But didn’t you say that Arthus came out when Yveltal woke up?” Lawrence said, referring to Cassia.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean he’d do that right away.” Cassia reached for the Pokédex at Lawrence’s arm.

Matheus stopped her and said, “Proclamations 21: ‘All work is done by my time, not by the time of my creations.’ I can assure you that Yveltal is very much awake but is busy making…preparations. Suffice to say, h’s stirring up something in the south.” He tapped his snout, then walked toward Grom. “Better get ready to leave. Gardner will be here soon, and I’d rather not fight him unless we have to.” He stopped, turning back to Lawrence. “You never told us if anything happened in that house.”

Lawrence remembered Tursha Xatu and what he said. ‘To find what you seek, go to the Arceist Temple within the Faelyn jungle, past the peaks of Xilo’. He could only mean that he knew a way home; a way back to Unova.

Lawrence described the events that happened in the shack to his companions. Afterward, Matheus rubbed his chin, closing his eyes. “Hmm…the Arceist Temple is crawling with Guild Pokémon. It’s near the main settlement, Virona, so it wouldn’t take all that long to get there.” He shook his head. “Still, this Tursha character concerns me. I felt a dark aura near that shack, and likely would have found it if it didn’t collapse. I doubt that any good would come from listening to this Xatu.”

“But I haven’t had any leads on getting home until I met him! He might know where a dimensional break is!”

“Xatu are known to see into the future, but it’s always changing, and based on what I know, it’s no guarantee that he will get you home.”

Cassia came between them and said, “Regardless of whether or not he can help Lawrence, I think it’d be worth it to go to the temple. I’ve always wanted to see how the Arceists worshiped before Arthus took over.”

“Graw-graw!” Grom agreed, nodding his head.

Matheus groaned, throwing his arms in the air. “Looks like I’ve been outvoted. Very well, we can go after we’re done with Virona, but we’re going to Furnek straight after!” He stretched briefly then exclaimed, “I’ll meet you at the tallest mountain. Cryus will be at the top, but it’ll take too much of Grom’s energy to make the trip.” He sprinted down the across the narrow pathway ahead of him.

Lawrence turned to Cassia. “What’s his problem?”

Cassia shrugged, then turned to Grom. “You ready to go? “

“Graw-grawm!” he replied, saluting.

Cassia and Lawrence climbed onto his back, then with a flare of crimson light, they rocketed across the sky, making way to the tallest peak of the Xilo Mountains.

~~~~

Arthus crept along the borders of Jareth, carefully inspecting the now-unified city. Graveler lined up at the top of the hill to roll down to the entrance, and Marill and Floatzel gathered around the rooftops to fire Water Guns and Hydro Pumps. Seismitoad and Boldore stood in the alleyways, ready to charge out and beat him to death. All the while, a Noctowl flew overhead, which Arthus knew had to have Foresight—one of the few moves that could destroy his illusions.

He nodded, impressed. “Nice preparations, but little match for someone like myself.” He shook his head and continued around Jareth. “But I have no time. While I might have a location to summon Hoopa, I still have to get the bottle itself, and it could be anywhere here. The sooner I find it, the better.”

‘First time I’ve seen you dismiss the opportunity to kill someone—Arceists especially.’

Arthus seethed, nearly slipping on a loose patch of gravel. “You’ve got some nerve to insult yourself. Remember, I’m just your shadow; I’m everything you would’ve done had you not hidden it behind your precious facade.”

‘At least I had the decency to respect Life. Corrina was not worth control over it!’

But you didn’t know that at the time. Remember what Gregorius had done?”

‘…Yes.’

Arthus clambered across the narrow path, looking to the other peaks. “Then you know exactly why you had to take the chance.” He bared his teeth and added, “And if you ever want to see her again, leave me in peace! The Prison Bottle only has to be found and we’ll be set!”

‘Hoopa is a malicious trickster, and he will surely know that the Seal can be used against him; he always demands a price for feats of strength, so what do you think he’ll require, and how do you plan on paying him?’

Arthus blinked, staring up for a moment. He scowled and continued. “I’m working on that.”

~~~~

Minutes after Arthus’ contention with himself, Grom landed on the plateau, just below the harrowing ascent to the highest city in all of Serenita: Cryus. The early morning light did nothing to mitigate the swirling and raging appearance of the peak. Surrounding the isolated settlement was nothing but ice and snow, slickening the rock beneath it, causing outsiders to think twice about visiting such a location.

In the shade of the cleft above, Lawrence clambered down the Golurk’s back, followed by Cassia. The giant then turned to them and pointed to himself. “Graw-gro-hawm.”

“Go ahead and find a Life deposit; we can wait here,” Cassia replied, digging through her bag. Grom stomped off to find a recharging location, leaving Cassia and Lawrence on their own.

Cassia pulled out her sketchbook, then flipped to a blank page. She sat on a rock and said, “It’ll take a little while for Matheus to make it over here, so might as well work on something.” She pulled a piece of charcoal out of her bag, then began to sketch.

Lawrence sat on the ground next to Cassia’s rock, leaning his back on it. Careful not to draw too close to the edge of the trail, he stretched his arms.

Still sketching, Cassia said, “I want to understand your feelings about Arceus a little better. We’re you a very active Arceist?”

Lawrence restrained a groan. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

Cassia scowled. “I’m only trying to help. It’s my job.”

“I left them a long time ago. I don’t remember that much.”

“Were they like me?”

“Nobody’s like you.”

“In a good way?”

“Yes, in a good way! You’re the only person I can be open with!”

“Then be open with me on how you were as an Arceist.”

Lawrence looked up, knowing that he was caught in her trap. She looked down, waiting for his answer.

He sighed and looked back down, huddling his legs close to his chest. “Well…I was actually pretty good. I didn’t have any problems. I attended every meeting, I listened to every sermon…I even had plenty of friends. Life was good.” The smile that formed faded. “Until I realized it was all a lie. Arceus may be real, but he never really did anything for me. He didn’t help me in the good or bad times, and never will.” He lay his head against his knees, then closed his eyes.

The Zoroark above him looked up, scratching the charcoal against her cheek. She raised the length, then said, “Have you ever prayed? Did you ever read those Arcean Texts?”

Keeping his head low, Lawrence replied, “No, and no. Those Arcean Texts held little of value, even to the priests. As for praying…well, I never thought of it.”

“You never learned about it?”

“I never thought it would work.”

Cassia came off the rock and sat next to Lawrence. “You never had faith? Even then?”

Lawrence looked up. “Yes, but why does that matter?”

Cassia reached over Lawrence and pulled off the Pokédex, receiving no restraint from the Lucario. She quickly brought up the Tome and scanned through it quickly. She began to read:

A certain Timburr wanted to grow a tree, so that he might have wood for his house. He found a seed, then planted it in the ground, expecting to have a grown tree in the coming days.

When no tree came about, he left the seed and planted another, hoping for better results. As more days passed, he continued planting seeds, all to what seemed to be no results.

Eventually, he stopped and bartered for his wood, believing that seeds never grow to be trees.

Years later, all the seeds he had planted became mighty trees, fit to build a whatever house the Timburr would have wanted. But he had long since moved away, living in a small house, never to return.

She lowered the Pokédex and said, “So, was the Timburr foolish by planting the seeds?”

Lawrence, not seeing the purpose in the story, replied, “No, he wasn’t foolish in that way. He just didn’t wait long enough or do enough for that matter.”

“Would it have been better if he didn’t plant them at all?”

“No, he made a forest! It surely would’ve helped himself if he simply waited long enough.”

Cassia poked Lawrence on the chest. “Exactly. The seeds are your faith, and the Timburr is you. You grew up expecting something for your faith, but you failed to notice what it brought since you left it behind. After your experience with the Nidoking, you left it all behind, including the blessings from Arceus you would have gotten.” She held a hand to her chest. “For me, it didn’t seem like a blessing to leave Arthus at first, or for Matheus to leave, or even for… Arianne to die.” She held her breath, wiping her eyes. “But…but I know all of that needed to happen. I’ve become a stronger Pokémon because of it, and I’ve helped bless so many Pokémon because of it.” She looked back at Lawrence. “And you probably would have too, if you didn’t leave him when you had hard times.”

Lawrence stared, processing what Cassia had said. She stared back firmly, completely confident in what she had just said. Finally, Lawrence turned away and groaned, rubbing his eyes. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Cassia replied, cocking her head.

He slapped his paws on the ground. “That! Figure out exactly what people think, then say what they should’ve done! You just do it so perfectly, like when you fight, or when you draw! I’m just the guy following you around with no idea of where to go and what to do!” He let out a sigh, leaning back on the rock and letting his legs fall flat on the ground. “I just want to be home. To be myself. I have to do all this just to get there.”

Cassia—blushing because of Lawrence’s compliments--turned away, holding a hand to her face. Her face brightened, then sidling closer to Lawrence, said, “Don’t be so hard on yourself; you're more than just the guy who follows me. Who helped me buy a new bag? Who helped save the Pokémon in a burning town? Who stood up against the Guild when I wouldn’t? You might not be the best fighter in the world, but you have one of the best hearts I’ve seen.”

Lawrence gave her a sideways glance. “Don’t forget that I’m the one who got beaten by a bunch of punk Scyther.”

“All to save Buneary who had just lost their mom! You know so much about how Pokémon act, like with that Machamp back in Hydren. You knew how to make him listen, and I’m sure that you know a whole lot more than me about how to do that.”

Lawrence let a small smile split across his face. “You…you really think all that?”

Cassia nodded. “Most of all, you’re just so…open. You can go up to someone and talk with them like you’re good friends. Me, on the other hand.” She cringed, brushing her claws through her mane. “I…can’t. I’d like to, but I’m always so afraid of them finding out who...what, I am. I don’t want to get close to anyone in case I’m found out. They’ll be… afraid of me.” Her ears drooped. “That’s not what I want. I want them to listen to me, so I always need to hide…hide what I really am.”

Lawrence thought for a moment, then said, “Well…I figured out that that you’re a Zoroark, and I wasn’t afraid of you.” She gave him a knowing look.

He shrugged and added, “Alright, I was at first. You caught me off-guard, what with Gardner trying to capture us.” He shook his head. “Point is, I figured it out, and even if I was angry at first, I knew you were a good Pokémon, and you never wanted to hurt me. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Zoroark; you are a great Pokémon no matter what.”

Cassia put a hand over her mouth, then with a wide smile, hugged Lawrence. “Thank you…thank you so much.”

For once in a long time, Lawrence didn’t retract from the embrace. He slowly wrapped an arm around Cassia, not noticing the dreadlocks on his head slowly rise with a blue glow.

“Grom?”

“Gah!” Cassia and Lawrence leapt away from each other in shock. The ill-timed Golurk stared down at them, standing behind the rock with his head tilted to the side.

Lawrence stood up and hastily exclaimed, “How do you keep doing that?”

“Graaw…haw-haw-haw.” The Golurk put one hand over his mouth and pointed the other at them. He then put his hands together and chuckled.

Realizing what he meant, the Lucario and Zoroark stepped away from each other.

“Graw-haw! Haw-haw-haw-haw!” Grom bellowed, stamping his foot and holding his sides. Lawrence and Cassia smiled at each other awkwardly, then looked away, blushing.

“Whew…what a hike! Don’t remember the trail being that long fifty years ago.” Matheus came up the trail, steadily trekking upward. He stopped at the edge of the shaded cleft and propped an arm against the wall, giving the still-laughing Grom a perplexed look. “Say, what’s got him howling harder than an Emboar at a drinking party?”

“Nothing!” Cassia and Lawrence both exclaimed.

Matheus gave them a studious look, then turned to Grom, who finally started to calm, wiping a faux tear from his eye. The Legend shrugged, then paced toward Lawrence and Cassia. “I dunno, but it must’ve been good. Shame I missed it.”

“Actually, it would’ve been worse if you were around…” Lawrence thought to himself.

“Right then, “ Matheus stepped back out from the cleft and gazed up at the peak. “Since up there isn’t very good climbing weather at the moment, Lawrence, how about we get some more training in? Always does good when we likely have a bunch of Fire Pokémon to get back in line.”

“Fire Pokémon?” Lawrence asked, groaning inwardly at the mention of more training with Matheus.

The Legend nodded. “Yep. Some years back, I took a visit to Cryus and found that the Fire Pokémon were the leadership, likely because of their natural advantage against the local Ice Pokémon. There’s not too many of them, but the Fire Pokémon are feared and respected around there.” He shook his head briefly and pounded his fists. “But enough talk. Let’s fight.”

~~~~

Gardner put the finishing touches on the needlework for his chair. He pulled out the needle and tossed it away, then sat on the chair. “One of my few real comforts…”

The door opened, and heavy, metallic footsteps followed. A densely rusted Metagross ascended the stairs, a pile of books and papers sitting on his head. Hic cold, black eyes flitted around the room as his internal computer whirred.

He stopped next to Gardner with a shudder, loosening some rust. “The books you requested, Guildmaster,” he said in a deep, robotic voice.

Gardner leaned forward and hefted the stack of books with little exertion. “How has the library been for you, Martre? As dreary as ever?”

“Being Assistant Guildmaster requires high levels of organization and analysis. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have found any of the materials you showed Arthus.”

Gardner humphed, setting the stack on the floor. “And you don’t how grateful I am. I’ve been threatened to no end by that Zoroark.” He searched through the books and collected a leaf of paper. “Not to mention his desire to irritate me to no end.”

Martre sighed, his metal plates shuddering. “If it weren’t for his ability to make good on his threats, he wouldn’t be the one pulling the strings.”

Gardner crumpled the paper and threw it away. “Right. It doesn’t help that my Guild Pokemon are useless in stopping Cassia and that Arthus is too attached to her to actually finish her off.” He pointed outside and continued, “Not to mention that we’re isolated here. If we were located somewhere like Saunte, we could coordinate our actions better. Now we have dwindling supplies and a loss of Pokemon.”

Martre’s eyes flashed. “Have you considered a coup against Arthus? The combined might of the Guild would give us a greater chance against him, and if we succeed, we wouldn’t have to devote resources to his insane plans.”

Gardner rubbed his chin, looking up. “Hmm…before recently, I would’ve disagreed. But after seeing how useless he is at actually completing his goals, it might be better if he’s out of the picture entirely.”

“And we wouldn’t need to worry about him slaying us all just to bring us back to life—with no free will at that.”

Gardner hovered upright with a laugh. “Yes, yes! That part of his plan has always been the most unbearable.” He tapped against Martre’s head and added, “You know I selected you primarily for your brains, right?”

Martre looked up at Gardner distastefully. “As always.”

Gardner moved away and folded his hands behind his back. “Good. Now, let’s consider what to do when he comes back…”
 
Last edited:
Chapter 13!

A knock came at the door to Lawrence’s room. He sat in front of his desk, poring over a book in front of him. His bed was made and his shelves bare, and in the corner lay an empty suitcase.

The melancholic and empty feel to this scene works a lot in its favor.

He looked toward the Water Pokemon. “is that alright with you?”

Missing capitalization.

The Banette’s continued chanting prevented him from simply turning into gas and avoiding the Assault,

Given it's intentional, capitalizing the Assault's a cool idea. Makes it sound like a historical milestone for the town, which it is.

A certain Timburr wanted to grow a tree, so that he might have wood for his house. He found a seed, then planted it in the ground, expecting to have a grown tree in the coming days.

When no tree came about, he left the seed and planted another, hoping for better results. As more days passed, he continued planting seeds, all to what seemed to be no results.

Eventually, he stopped and bartered for his wood, believing that seeds never grow to be trees.

Years later, all the seeds he had planted became mighty trees, fit to build a whatever house the Timburr would have wanted. But he had long since moved away, living in a small house, never to return.

This was a neat metaphor, even if the connection to Lawrence's situation is a bit iffy... but I can definitely see this as being part of a religious text, at least an Abrahamic inspired one.

Cassia—blushing because of Lawrence’s compliments--turned away, holding a hand to her face.

This is a question as old as time and we may never have an answer, but how does a monster with a furred face blush?

Lawrence let a small smile split across his face. “You… you really think all that?”

I usually appreciate the varying phrasings in the prose as they keep away repetitiveness, but I personally feel like "split" doesn't quite fit a benevolent, small smile? Sounds perhaps too... violent? I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Well, I always make sure to plan out for variables and act on the accordingly.

*Them, I think.
 
@canisaries

Thanks for your review, as usual! Just one thing I wanted to comment on: in terms of furred creatures 'blushing', I see it more as how we appear when we blush outside of color. You know, looking away, awkward expression, the whole deal. If there could be a replacement for blushing, I'd use it, but as of now, well...
 
Chapter 17: Retaliation
Chapter 17: Retaliation

Eighteen-year-old Lawrence lay under a carefully crafted pile of branches, a notebook, and pencil in his hands. He watched a herd of Stantler graze in a lush field close to the almighty Mount Coronet, the desolate landscape a stark contrast to the emerald grasses and shady trees. Kricketot chirruped happily, and Pachirisu hopped through the trees, rivaling the Pikachu in their hunt for berries and nuts. All the while, the Stantler grazed, paying no attention to the other wildlife—or Lawrence.

He couldn’t help but admire the simple atmosphere. ‘Even after two years, it’s all the same: the breeze, the grasseven the Pokémon. They always remained the same, searching for food, shelter, and mates, just as they had always done.’

He felt a vibration at his leg and scowled. He pulled out a rectangular box and unfolded it. A series of buttons lay on the bottom half, and a screen illuminated on the top. The text box in the center had a message: Will you be home for church tomorrow? – Mom.

Hurriedly, Lawrence typed, ‘No, too far.’ He tapped the ‘Send’ button and cringed; the button’s click reverberated through the air.

The Stantler stopped their grazing and huffing. They lifted their heads and searched for the source of the sound. Ears twitching and eyes scouring, the jewels on their antlers began to glow with an ethereal light.

Lawrence silently put the phone back into his pocket and closed his notebook. The Stantler stamped their feet, agitated by being unable to find the source. Lawrence held the notebook closer, remaining as still as possible. The largest Stantler called out and stamped his feet—right in front of Lawrence.

The leader charged forward, narrowly avoiding the bump in his way. The other Stantler followed, each hopping and prancing around Lawrence as they fled. He lay under the cover, desperately wishing that none of the Stantler’s hooves would crush his body.

They continued to rush by him until, finally, the final Stantler clopped away. Lawrence waited for a minute, then pushed himself up. The branches and leaves fell away from him, untouched by the startled Pokémon.

He wheezed a sigh of relief, looking back toward the Stantler’s direction. “Last time I’ll use the phone out here again…” He turned back around and froze.

A Houndour growled at him, baring his teeth and stooping low. Two other Houndour stood behind him, and another two approached from the side, all focused on Lawrence.

Lawrence took a step back. The leader huffed out smoke and howled. Lawrence turned and ran, and the Houndour followed, barking and howling at their prey.

Lawrence reached into the pack on his back and pulled out a silver spray can. He shook it vigorously, then sprayed its contents into the face of a Houndour. It whined and tripped on its feet, rolling on the ground and trying to rub off the substance.

He sprayed another Houndour with similar results, but on the third, the can weakly spat and fizzled. Lawrence cursed and threw it at the Houndour, causing it to growl more fiercely. Its mouth opened wide, and fiery sparks gathered into its throat.

Lawrence reached into his bag again, reaching for anything he could. His fingers met with a metal rod, which he pulled out and extended into a large pole. He focused the end on the Houndour, then swatted its head.

The gathering fireball flew out of its jaws and into the leaves, bursting apart and catching the branches on fire. The flame grew, and a column of smoke rose into the air.

Lawrence beat the Houndour away with the pole, then did the same with the other. The leader however, grabbed it with his jaws and yanked it from his hands.

A cliff suddenly came into view, and Lawrence was forced to stop. He kept against the wall, reaching for a sizable rock beneath him. The Houndour barked and growled, then leapt for Lawrence’s throat.

“Keeaaw!”

A rush of grey feathers pounded into the Houndour, knocking it aside. It stood up, searching for the source of the attack. The rush came again, revealing itself to be a giant Staraptor, larger than any Lawrence had seen.

The Staraptor landed on the ground, then flapped its wings powerfully toward the Houndour. The dog kept its legs rooted in the ground, the ground scraping underneath him as it slid back. It opened its mouth and gathered another fireball, aiming for the Staraptor.

The Staraptor halted its flapping and charged toward the Houndour. It scratched the Houndour with its talons and pecked into its hide. The Houndour’s fireball flew into the rock wall behind Lawrence, completely missing its target. Finally, the Staraptor relented, and the Houndour limped away, whining.

The Staraptor turned to face Lawrence. It studied him for a moment, then turned its gaze to the cliff. “Keeaw!”

A man clad in green suddenly appeared at the edge of the cliff, looking down towards Lawrence. “You alright down there?”

Lawrence looked up and made a sigh of relief. “Yeah…I’m fine.” He turned back to the Staraptor. “Thanks for the help.”

“Don’t mention it.” The man hopped down the wall and stood next to the Staraptor, petting its feathers. “Striker and I were just doing our rounds when we saw some smoke around. I left Spray, my Pelipper, over there to deal with it, but decided I should probably see what caused it. Turns out it was a bunch of Houndour!” He shook his head. “Haven’t seen any around here before.”

Lawrence walked past the man and took back his pole. “If a Ranger didn’t see them before, then that means I’m right.”

“Right about what?” the ranger asked.

“That the lack of predators in the area has led to a Stantler explosion, and now Houndour are moving in from the south to balance things out.” He held the notebook out to the ranger. “Feel free to take a look.”

The ranger accepted the notebook and flipped through it, nodding his head as he read. “Looks about accurate to me. You’ve got all the usual Pokémon around here too.” He looked up. “How long have you been studying the Mount Coronet Reserve?”

“About a week.”

“A week?” the ranger handed back the book, shaking his head and laughing. “Better work than I could’ve come up with. You’ve got a head on those shoulders for knowing how Pokémon work.”

“Thanks.” Lawrence took back the notebook, then looked behind him. “Better find that can of Max Repel I threw away then. It ran out just as the Houndour came around.”

The ranger sighed. “Bummer.” Lawrence began to walk away, then the ranger said, “Those Houndour wouldn’t have been so much trouble if you had a Pokémon with you. Don’t you have one?”

Lawrence paused. He turned back to the ranger with a grim look. “I like studying them. I like seeing how they work. But I don’t like using them or interacting with them.” He continued through the woods, ignoring the ranger’s stark surprise.

~~~~

The two Lucario stood apart from each other, each holding up their paws in a combative stance. Cassia sat next to Grom, scribbling away in her sketchpad, while the Golurk sat on the ground, sapping away some Life deposited below him.

Matheus rolled his shoulder and said, “This time you’re on the defensive. After seeing me and how I defended myself from your attacks the last time, this shouldn’t be too hard.”

“But I didn’t pay much attention to that!” Lawrence exclaimed.

Matheus shrugged. “Your loss.” He rushed forward, raising his paws high.

Lawrence beat away the swinging blow, then another, clumsily stepping back. Matheus swept for his legs, but Lawrence made a small hop in response, then sent a fist toward Matheus’ face.

The elder Lucario caught the blow and sent another toward Lawrence’s chest. The other stepped to the side—narrowly dodging it—then punched Matheus across the jaw.

The Legend stepped away, rubbing his mouth. He grinned. “Well done. Managed to hit me.”

Lawrence grinned in response, lowering his arms. “About time.”

Matheus shook his head and chuckled. “You messed up.”

“Messed up what?”

Matheus kicked Lawrence in the chest, forcing him to double over and wheeze. “Don’t let your guard down.”

“Graw—Haw—Haw!” Grom bellowed, clapping his hands heavily. Cassia looked over from her sketchbook, unimpressed.

Matheus bowed for his performance. “Thank you, thank you—”

Lawrence grabbed his leg and yanked it back, causing him to fall onto his chest with a groan.

He rolled onto his back in amazement. Lawrence shakily stood up and wheezed, “Don’t—let your guard down.”

“Gah-haw-haw-haw!” Grom rolled onto his side and shook with laughter, his light shifting in magnitude with every heave.

Cassia giggled as well, covering her mouth and looking away. “Hahaha—You certainly—hahaha—got him there—haha!”

Matheus stood up and good-naturedly smiled, brushing off his chest and back. “Yes, very good, very good. Certainly more than what Cassia managed to do to me the first time we met.”

At this Cassia stopped laughing. “I managed to scratch you!”

“And I managed to pin you, so I’d call that even,” Matheus replied. Cassia muttered to herself, returning to her sketching.

Grom pushed himself up, choking back his laugh. “G-Graw-haw. Gro-hawm!

“No, we are not bringing that up!” Cassia exclaimed.

Matheus sighed, then turned back to Lawrence, who now had recovered from Matheus’ blow. “You’ve certainly gotten better, but you’ve got a long way before you have a chance of beating me in a proper duel.” He patted him on the back, then took several steps back. “Let’s go again, and this time, don’t worry about me getting in a cheap shot.”

“You had it coming for a while,” Lawrence replied, stepping back as well.

They clashed once more, and Grom continued to watch. He heard a scraping sound behind him. He looked back and saw Cassia rubbing at the paper with clay, removing the charcoal mistake.

He pushed himself up and came around to her, leaning on the rock she sat on. “Graw-gro-grawm?”

Cassia sighed, setting down the clay. “Yeah, they’re having fun, aren’t they?” She lifted a charcoal length, scratching at the end to make it sharp. “They get along pretty well, being Lucario and all. What do you think?”

Grom swiveled his head toward the Lucario, watching the two push at each other’s paws in a wrestling match, each with a smirk. “Gro-graw.” He shrugged, turning back to Cassia. “Ha-hawm-hawm.”

Cassia continued on the mountainous landscape on the page. “We haven’t been talking to each other much, I know.” She sighed and looked up. “I’ve just…I’ve just been helping Lawrence. He just…feels like the sort of Pokémon to follow Arceus. Yet he doesn’t.” She looked back at him, watching the Lucario practice a swinging kick next to Matheus. “Plus, he’s leaving. That Xatu will help bring him home, and he’ll hopefully be changed back to a human.” She stared off in space, then stared back at the page, her charcoal remaining still.

Grom put an arm over her shoulder. “Gro-graw-graw-grawm. Graw-gram.” He pointed back at Lawrence. “Gro-haw-haw-hawm.”

Cassia blushed, looking away. “He’s just a friend. I don’t…” She considered what she was about to say, then lowered her claw. “Anyway…you’re right that I don’t really want to see him leave. He’s…he’s the only Pokémon I’ve really felt comfortable around—aside from you and Matheus, of course.”

Grom gave her a nudge, chuckling. “Graw—haw.”

Cassia slapped his arm, jabbing a claw at him. “I told you, it’s not like that!”

Grom continued to tease her while Matheus and Lawrence settled down. They sat next to each other on the ground, panting and recovering.

Matheus pointed at them, their conversation unable to be heard from their point. “She’s different. Not so shy, and definitely more playful. She’s had to worry so much about herself that she hadn’t really made any friends.” He chuckled, nudging Lawrence’s arm. “Until you came around. Amazing how two weeks can help out a girl, huh?”

Lawrence nodded slowly, considering his words. Cassia laughed, leaning back and giving Grom a playful slap. The Golurk shoved her off the rock in response, laughing as well. Cassia leapt onto his back and jabbed her claws into his neck, causing him to laugh uncontrollably and totter onto the rock with a crash.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

Lawrence pulled himself away from the play-fight. “What?”

Matheus smirked. “Travelling has a funny way of making you grow fonder of the Pokémon you travel with. Same goes for fighting, eating, sleeping…everything really.” He cleared his throat and sheepishly looked up. “I, uh…never got along well with the ladies, though, so…another thing you’ve done better.”

Lawrence gaped and stuttered, “I-I hardly know her! I don’t even know any girls at home!”

Matheus clapped a paw on his shoulder and shook it. “Probably because you haven’t gone looking! Tell me, what did you do in your spare time back home?”

“Well, I read books, listen to music…” Lawrence trailed off. He wasn’t used to talking about himself in that sense.

Matheus yawned, waving him off. “Yeesh, no wonder you don’t have a love life.” He pushed Lawrence’s head back to Cassia. “Now tell me this: how’ve you been spending your time since you got here?”

“Walking till my paws get sore.”

Matheus rolled his eyes. “Besides that. I noticed when we stop for Grom’s charging breaks that she goes and reads the Arceist Tome to you from the Pokédex. Even if it’s only for a few moments, she wants to do that.”

“She just wants to prove that I should be an Arceist…” Lawrence replied. He couldn’t help but feel unsure in his conviction of the religion—especially after his continued discussions with the priestess.

“She does that because she cares. Why would she spend so much time on a stubborn Pokémon like you otherwise?”

Lawrence scowled. “I’m not that stubborn.”

Before Matheus could reply, Cassia walked over and said, “It looks like the storm’s cleared up over there. Think we should get going?”

Matheus nodded. “Indeed, we should, but first, I’d like to take a look at the Trevenant’s prophecy.” He pointed at Lawrence. You have some rather interesting stuff going on.”

The Zoroark brought out her sketchpad and flipped to the page with the prophecy, then set it on Matheus’ lap. He scanned through it, with Cassia and Matheus studying it over his shoulders.

Matheus rubbed his chin. “Hmm…A price of mind must fully be paid, or the Realm of the Keeper will forever make slaves.”

“Who’s the Keeper?” Lawrence asked.

“The Keeper is the Pokémon who will come on the Day of Desolation and bring all the surviving Pokémon of Equivos to a place of safety.” Matheus scratched his ear, giving the prophecy a strange look. “But forever make slaves? Doesn’t sound like anywhere I’d like to go.”

Cassia pulled the sketchpad up higher. “This entire thing’s about the Keeper, I mean, just look at the first few lines: “A Keeper once was but now he becomes a treader of realms and deceiver of self.” She looked over to Lawrence. “Lawrence, aren’t you a ‘treader of realms’? You did come from a different dimension.”

“But I’m not a ‘deceiver of self,’ and I know nothing about this Keeper,” Lawrence replied. Saying ‘deceiver of self’ caused Lawrence to wince. He hurriedly pointed at another portion of the poem and said, “What about ‘Awaken Aleron as well as the Keeper and Equivos may be reborn to live on?’”

Matheus’ paw slammed on the page. With a wavering voice he said, “Aleron is dead. He can never come back.” He forced the pad into Cassia’s claws and stormed toward the mountain. “We’re leaving soon. Get ready,” he growled.

Cassia and Lawrence stared at each other, perplexed about Matheus’ behavior. They and Grom followed him to the peak, then began their ascent.

Few words crossed between them on their way up the icebound peak of Cryus. Rarely was there a defined trail along the way, but despite this, a handhold always seemed to be near. Matheus always remained ahead, warning those below of what dangers lay ahead, while Grom steadily clambered below, ready to catch them if they fell.

By evening, Lawrence dragged himself up the final ledge and rolled onto his back, panting and heaving on the edge. Cassia already sat on a rock, panting just as he did, while Matheus lounged against a scrawny pine, laying his hat across his eyes.

He lifted it and eyed Lawrence. “Oh, come on, the Mountain of Rebirth was a far worse climb than this tiny peak.”

Cassia stretched her arms and growled, “Says the two-thousand-year-old Legend! That has got to be the most exhausting thing I’ve ever done!”

Lawrence crawled over by her and exclaimed, “I’m way out of shape.”

“Rather surprising, considering you have a new body and all,” Matheus commented, standing straight.

Lawrence groaned. “That doesn’t mean it isn’t tiring!”

Grom clambered over the edge, stepping awkwardly over the edge and stumbling past Lawrence. He looked down at him, then over toward Cassia. “Gro-graw-grawm?” he said, scratching his head.

Cassia sighed and put a hand over her eyes. “Unlike you, we actually get tired. I’m amazed you haven’t noticed by now.”

“Now now, let’s not be irritable; we’ll have to keep a good mood on our scouting of Cryus,” Matheus chided. He walked up to Grom and patted his arm. “I want to talk with you for a little bit about this mission.” The Golurk followed him behind a copse of snow-covered pines, their voices muffled by the distance.

Lawrence sat up and looked toward them, bewildered. “Does Matheus understand what Grom says?”

Cassia shrugged. “I think it’s mostly guesswork. Matheus doesn’t have the same connection that Grom and I have.” She sighed, rubbing her shoulder. “That climb was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Don’t you think so?”

“Yeah. Just like Mount Coronet.” Lawrence studied his surroundings. A thin layer of snow coated the ground, from the whippy pine branches, to the jutting mountain rocks. The evening light poured over the snow, making it appear tangerine all around. Beyond, a collection of tall stone buildings lay surrounded by a thick wall of ice, perched near the edge of the peak.

Lawrence felt his tiredness leave him at the sight. “I haven’t seen anything like this though. Back in Sinnoh, we got snow roughly once a year outside Snowpoint, and it wasn’t near as nice as this.”

“What is Sinnoh like? You don’t talk much about it,” Cassia asked, brushing her claws through her mane.

Lawrence blew his breath out slowly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been there. I guess everyone’s…nice. They aren’t really afraid of each other. You can talk with someone like you’re old friends, even if it’s the first time you’ve met.” He looked up and smiled. “I miss that about it.”

Cassia cocked her head. “Why?”

“Unova’s different. Over there, you only talk with people if you need to, and that’s it. Sure, you talk with friends a lot, but everyone else gets left in the dust. Everyone has different values there, so there’s really no trust amongst strangers.” Lawrence sighed, massaging his temple. “It’s something I’ve learned after living there for a couple years.”

Cassia leaned over toward him. “So, what makes Sinnoh different from Unova? Why is everyone there so friendly, yet everyone in Unova not?”

Lawrence lowered his paw. “I…I guess it’s because practically everyone believes the same thing. Unova has a bunch of people from everywhere, while Sinnoh mostly has natives.

“And what do they all believe in?”

Lawrence lowered his head and closed his eyes. “Arceus.” He imagined how Unova would be if everyone were Arceists like in Sinnoh. ‘People wouldn’t kill or steal as often. Cities could feel safe instead of dangerous. Even Pokémon would live better, because Arceists value them in a far different way. There would be disagreements, but they wouldn’t be as serious as they could be. All of this, because they would believe Arceus would want that from them.’

He couldn’t believe he never made the connection before. ‘Everyone in Unova always thought it was odd that I’d just go up to someone and talk to them, like friends. I thought it was something about me, but Sinnoh is like that in general. Unova could’ve been like Sinnoh—or Sinnoh like Unova, without Arceism. It is a drive for trust, and without it—’

He stopped himself. ‘It…feels true…even if Pokemon aren’t like they say. He made no sense in treating Pokemon like humans, but he at least helps us treat each other better. He has some good at least.’

Cassia’s claw held tight to Lawrence’s paw. She shook it and said, “You see it now. You see what Arceus is all about. That look in your eyes…it’s what I see in the other Pokémon I teach.”

Lawrence looked down at her claws, then back toward her. “I…guess it isn’t as bad as I thought it was.” He turned away, pulling back his paw. “But I still don’t get it. If Arceus wants people to treat Pokémon like humans, why don’t Pokémon act like them?”

Cassia’s ears lowered briefly, then rose again in understanding. “You’re talking about in your world…not mine.” She moaned, holding her head. “Sorry, it’s just so…confusing, every time you bring your world up. I never even knew such a place existed until you told me, so…”

Lawrence set a paw on her arm, then said firmly, “I would never say that about Equivos. You, Grom, Matheus, and everyone else here are far better than anyone I know in Unova.”

Cassia paused, then set her hand across Lawrence’s paw. “Then why do you want to leave?”

Lawrence opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. He turned away, considering her words, and thinking more about his reasons for seeking a way to escape this foreign world.

Before anything more could be said, Matheus and Grom returned from the pines. The Lucario pointed to Grom and said, “All done here, so let’s get going.” He stopped, noticing Cassia and Lawrence’s glum expressions. “Is there something wrong?”

“No,” Lawrence said, “nothing at all.” He stood up and proceeded toward Cryus. “Let’s get this over with.” Matheus looked over to Cassia, who simply nodded her head, and followed Lawrence.

On the bare and icy path to Cryus, Lawrence bowed his head, struggling to think of a suitable answer to Cassia’s question: why did he want to leave? ‘I miss my parents; I never got to say good-bye, and they’re probably panicking about me not talking with them for two weeks. And Valence probably wanted me back, if only to keep the press off their case.’

He held up a paw, studying the soft, black fur that covered it. ‘And I miss having my real body back. There’re advantages to being a Lucario; I don’t get tired as easily, and I’m faster and stronger. Plus, there’s the ability to use aura. I can say I enjoy it now.” He lowered his paw and closed his eyes. ‘But what do I lose? It still feels strange to have a tail, or fur—or to not wear clothes. It just feels more natural to be human.’

He brushed the bunches of black fur on the back of his head. ‘Is it worth leaving Equivos? I don’t know if I can even change back, and if I end up with Hanson like this…’

He shivered. ‘I could have lived with giving them a Pokemon before, but now…I just can’t, no matter what they do to me. They’re just too…human.’

He felt a paw slide across his shoulder and turned to find Matheus, a small smile across his face. “You doing alright?” he said. Lawrence nodded.

Matheus nodded as well, then sighed. “Just…keep in mind that I’m here to help. Arceus didn’t send me just to train you, or to clear out the Guild with Cassia. You’re a good Pokémon, Lawrence,” he tapped the younger Lucario’s head, “Even if there’s some work to do up here.” He chuckled, then waved his paw toward the rapidly-approaching wall. “Come on; let’s see what damage the Guild has made.” He ran farther ahead, leaving Lawrence to smile at the eccentric silver Lucario.

They all stopped at the heavy iron gate that covered the sole entrance into the city. Rough stone rooftops poked above the waving and warping sheet of grey ice. The sconces set in the stone surrounding the gate were unlit, as were all the torches that could be seen beyond the wall. No Pokémon were in sight, and no sound emanated from within.

Matheus eyed the sconces and torches curiously. “Strange…last time, they kept them lit, and Fire Pokémon patrolled the area. Ice Pokémon kept making repairs to the wall, even if there was nothing to be fixed.” He pressed an eye against the wall for a moment, then leaned back and hmphed. “I see a crack on the other side. Something’s not right.”

Cassia walked up the iron bars of the gate, looking left and right. “Maybe things have changed since then.”

“And Xerneas isn’t stuck in a tree. I doubt they changed much in the last thirty years, even with the Guild as it is,” Matheus replied, crossing his arms.

Cassia and Matheus continued talking with each other, while Lawrence continued to study the wall. He looked toward the ground near the brink of the peak, and noticed disturbed snow, piled and thrown in disarray.

He stepped to the pile and dug into it, finding blackened flakes and sticks amongst the snow. Digging farther, he gasped and drew back, putting a paw over his mouth. Continuing to stare at the pile, he croaked, “Matheus…”

The Legend held up a paw, stopping his and Cassia’s conversation. He padded toward Lawrence and the pile. He peered into the pile and froze.

Inside, a frostbitten and lacerated Typhlosion curled into a ball, long dead. Propped against him was a sign with a single line engraved in it:

Freeze the flame!

~~~~

Arthus Zoroark ascended the vast peak toward Cryus, forcing himself to climb through the bitter snow and turbulent winds. Dark clouds clustered all around him, and cold penetrated his body despite his incorporeal frame. Ledge after ledge he lifted his hands, clutching onto them for fear of falling.

After several agonizing minutes, he pulled himself over the lip and rolled inside, breathing heavily. He pulled his limbs close and shivered, his teeth chattering. He formed a small ball of life in his hands and kept it close, warming himself to fight back the bitter cold of the storm. When he stopped shaking, he stood up and surveyed the cave he ended up inside.

The entire room was coated in ice, harder than the rock underneath and slicker than the snow outside. Translucent stalagmites poked up from the ground, their sister stalactites reaching down to touch them. The wind whistled across the entrance, ominously complementing the warped reflections of the Usurper.

Arthus paced toward the wall, stopping near a stalagmite. “Knowing Matheus, he’d want somewhere nearby to hide the bottle, yet obscure enough to keep it hidden.” He inspected the wall, tapping against the ice and peering inside. “This goes much farther, but someone—or something—built up a barrier.” He held his hands out, wrists together. “Only one way to find out.” A searing stream of crimson fire pulsed from his palms, driving into the ice. It stood unfazed, completely nullifying the heat.

Arthus stopped and huffed, combing back his mane. “Regice or Kyurem really did their work.” He looked up and sighed in defeat. “Maybe this isn’t the right place. Maybe—” He stopped, discovering a small hole in the corner of the ceiling.

He slid just underneath it and looked up, noticing how perfectly round it was. “That’s no natural formation.” He looked around briefly, then ran to the other side of the cave. He sprinted toward the hole and leapt up, grabbing onto the ledge.

He pulled himself up and peered inside, finding a small, stone plate set in the wall. He let go of the ledge with one hand and reached inside, gathering a Life Sphere “A secret entrance? Let’s find out.” He fired the sphere and pushed the plate. It clicked, and the floor began to rumble.

Arthus fell from the ledge and watched as the icy cavern shook, stalactites falling randomly. The Zoroark narrowly dodged them, noticing the the hole expanding in the center of the ceiling.

He stood underneath it and saw a long, dark tunnel, stretching into the mountain. He looked down at his claws, then sprung up inside, digging his claws into the walls. He squeezed inside and shimmied up, panting and scrabbling to ascend.

As he crawled up, the light below faded, and he was left in the dark. He squinted and muttered, “He really outdid himself this time.” After hours of climbing the tunnel, light came at the top and he pulled himself up to meet it, splaying his hands to keep him secure on the floor.

A tiny alcove lay inside, made completely of clear ice, revealing the onyx rock beyond. Just in front of Arthus was a short pedestal, and resting on top was an ornate, pearlescent vessel, built in a hoop-like shape. Six rings enclosed the hoop, and a magenta neck cropped from the top, ending with a cap looking like a demonic figure.

Arthus grinned and pushed himself out reaching for the bottle. “The Prison Bottle. Finally!” His hands hovered over it momentarily, then snatched it. The eye on the figure flashed, and Arthus gasped.

“You hold the prison of the mighty Hoopa the Djinn, granter of wishes and champion of Arceus. Release me, and I will grant a single wish. It can be for seas of wealth, vast glory, or death upon your foes. Anything, as long as you allow me to go free.”

Arthus’ claws inched to the camp, his eyes wide. “Y-Yes. Anything.” His claws curled around the cap.

‘What are you thinking! He’s over fifty feet tall!’ Arthus jerked back and threw down the bottle, and the eyes stopped glowing.

He took deep breaths, holding a hand over his brow. “For once…I’m grateful you still exist.”

‘I’d almost rather die if only to stop your insane plan.’

“Taking down Arceus was your plan in the first place.” Arthus reached down for the bottle again, then stopped himself. “He’ll just put me under his spell again.” He searched the room and saw a small indent in the ceiling.

He came to it and pushed against it, causing the wall to move. He pushed harder, and it swung into another larger tunnel, spiraling even higher. A rope stretched from the top down to the bottom, where the rest remain coiled.

Arthus smirked. “Of course, he’d make another way in; the climb up here is nearly impossible.” He cut off a length of the rope and brought it down into the room. He carefully threaded the rope through the hole in the Prison Bottle, then wrapped the rope around his waist, securing the treasure.

He looked down at it and grinned. “Now all I have to do is find the temple.” He hopped onto the rope and climbed toward the exit.
 
Last edited:
Chapter 14!

The description of the wild mon in the beginning was really cool, and the whole theme of it being an ecosystem especially. You're really good at fleshing out environments quickly as always.

Lawrence turned and ran, and the Houndoom followed,

*Houndour, I believe?

Lawrence reached into his bag again, reaching for anything he could. His fingers met with a metal rod, which he pulled out and extended into a large pole. He focused the end on the Houndour, then swatted its head.

The gathering fireball flew out of its jaws and into the leaves, bursting apart and catching the branches on fire. The flame grew, and a column of smoke rose into the air.

Lawrence beat it away with the pole, then did the same with the other. The leader however, grabbed it with his jaws and yanked it from his hands.

What the "it" refers to is kind of vague after that paragraph - during the first read, I thought it meant the column of smoke, but that just confused me even more when I read "the other". It's pretty easy to fix this, though, just by substituting the bolded "it" with the houndour.

Also it might just be my preference, but I think "however" and the like work best with either commas on both sides of it or none at all. Feels more balanced that way.

It scratched it with its talons and pecked into it hide

its*

Also, it's not too confusing here, but do remember to keep an eye on sentences with two different its being used. It can get messy.

The other stepped to the side--narrowly dodging it—then punched Matheus across the jaw.

Mismatched dashes, guess that's Word being a jerk again.

“Yes, very good, very good. Certainly more than what Cassia managed to do to me the ffirstt time we met.”

*first

“Anyway…you’re right that I don’t really want to see him leave. He’s…he’s the only Pokemon I’ve really felt comfortable around—aside from you and Matheus, of course.”

and Arthus right too soon

Lawrence lowered his head and closed his eyes. “Arceus.” He imagined how Unova would be if everyone were Arceists like in Sinnoh. Murders and thefts would be almost zero. The cities would be full of cheer instead of fear. People wouldn’t be rallying for the government to do things for them instead asking for their friends and family, even strangers to take care of them—and they would actually get it. Even Pokemon would be in better circumstances, having respectful and loving trainers, adequate living areas, even enough food for themselves. All of this, because they would believe Arceus would want that from them.

I dunno... even with real life religions that promote peace and equality, you can get massive fights between people who interpret stuff differently and think their way of worshiping is the only right one, even if their source material would be the exact same. This is a pretty big generalization, especially for a man of logic like Lawrence.

On the bare and icy path to Cryus, Lawrence bowed his head, struggling to think of a suitable answer to Cassia’s question: why did he want to leave? He missed his parents, but it had been years since he properly seen them, and had quite honestly done well without them. Valence surely wanted him back, but it was more to keep their good reputation instead of concern for his health.

Eeeehhh... it's pretty selfish of Lawrence to only think about his side of the emotional effects of staying. His parents clearly care about him and they'd get worried sick about his absence, then crushed when he'd never return as that likely means they lost their son, without being able to give a proper goodbye or anything. Lawrence definitely doesn't seem like a guy who would make his own parents go through that kind of pain.

The later-mentioned risk of being experimented on makes for a far stronger case for staying, I'd say. If the lab guys wouldn't let him go to his family anyway, meaning he'd still appear dead to them, it would be far more preferable to just keep living in Equivos.

He stepped to the pile and dug into it, finding blackened flakes and sticks amongst the snow. Digging farther, he gasped and drew back, putting a paw over his mouth. Continuing to stare at the pile, he croaked, “Matheus…”

The Legend held up a paw, stopping his and Cassia’s conversation. He padded toward Lawrence and the pile. He peered into the pile and froze.

Inside, a frostbitten and lacerated Typhlosion curled into a ball, long dead. Propped against him was a sign with a single line engraved in it:

Freeze the flame!

oh sh*t

I like how the tables are turned. It makes it already different from the rock/water town.

He slowly sat up and studied the alcove. The entire room was coated in ice, harder than the rock underneath and slicker than the snow outside. Translucent stalagmites poked up from the ground, their sister stalactites reaching down to touch them. The wind whistled across the entrance, ominously complementing the warped reflections of the Guildmaster.

This is cool scenery (no pun intended), and despite what I thought before researching it, apparently ice stalagmites do exist. So color me educated by this fic, I guess.

Despite Gardner’s will, he thought of him going to the cluster of Life deposits within the Krelig Swamp, a popular site for Ghost Pokemon. He went to each of the families of ghosts that turned him away and took their Life, ensuring that they would suffer the hunger and fear that he had undergone all his life.

I think the first sentence would flow better if it was "despite his will, Gardner thought of him going to" Also, it might be "himself" but I'm definitely not sure on that?

Anyway, for the second sentence: I think it should be fully in the "had gone" tense, given the story's in past tense and the pluperfect is "the past of the past", if that makes sense.

General Comments

Gardner talking back to Arthus was a real "oh crap" moment, which is a good sign as it means the buildup before has been successful. It also makes Arthus appear in a far more threatening light again, which gives his villain status necessary strengthening after the more humanizing special chapters.
 
I dunno... even with real life religions that promote peace and equality, you can get massive fights between people who interpret stuff differently and think their way of worshiping is the only right one, even if their source material would be the exact same. This is a pretty big generalization, especially for a man of logic like Lawrence.

I'll make reference to that in my edits.

Eeeehhh... it's pretty selfish of Lawrence to only think about his side of the emotional effects of staying. His parents clearly care about him and they'd get worried sick about his absence, then crushed when he'd never return as that likely means they lost their son, without being able to give a proper goodbye or anything. Lawrence definitely doesn't seem like a guy who would make his own parents go through that kind of pain.

The later-mentioned risk of being experimented on makes for a far stronger case for staying, I'd say. If the lab guys wouldn't let him go to his family anyway, meaning he'd still appear dead to them, it would be far more preferable to just keep living in Equivos.

I agree, I think I should probably remove that particular paragraph referencing his parents.

I like how the tables are turned. It makes it already different from the rock/water town.

Well yeah, gotta change it up, right?

Gardner talking back to Arthus was a real "oh crap" moment, which is a good sign as it means the buildup before has been successful. It also makes Arthus appear in a far more threatening light again, which gives his villain status necessary strengthening after the more humanizing special chapters.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I was originally going to have Gardner just talking to the voice in his head, but after the--admittedly unplanned--introduction of Carlin Duskull, I had the impact needed to make Gardner appear as more than the stereotypical bad guy.

I'll get to work on the suggested changes. Thanks again for the review!

Edit: By the way, I completely overhauled the first post! Now it's a lot cleaner and full of stuff that should actually be there! XD Enjoy!
 
Last edited:
Okay, I'm-a shake the rust off and give these two chapters a go. Let's... see how I bumble through this. XD

Ch 13
Starting off here, it seems like Lawrence's mom is enganged in a few generalizations. Because the first chapter (not the prologue) had shown that there were Arceists in Unova. Though it sounds more like they were a small minority, and it seems like this more of a cultural clash thing. At least this makes it a bit clearer why Lawrence made the long jump to Unova. And things wrap up pretty nicely in the town. The water and rock-types are actually starting to get along instead of the former subjugating the latter. Though, Cassia's advice really doesn't sound like a good suggestion to someone potentially worried about their life b/c a murderous Dusknoir might drop by. And, hoo boy, now we've got to deal with the fact that the Xatu might not actually be benevolent? Aww man, I like Xatus. They're usually kinda quirky. I'd hate to see it turn out to be evil, but it'd be an interesting little twist.

(One scene later.) Ah. I figured the town of Jareth would just kind of team up and drive Gardner away. And that's what ended up happening. I think this was my favorite scene with the little voice in his head. It feels like there's more of a back-and-forth exchange with them compared to the earlier scenes. And it really seems like Gardner's slowly but surely losing it. It looks like you're building up to a fall out b/w him and Arthus. That's just my prediction though.

Then Cassia and Lawrence get to talking. D'aaaaawww, they're pretty cute here. And unlike some of the earlier parts, it didn't really feel like Cassia was lecturing Lawrence from atop a high horse or anything. Probably because of what we've learned about her since then, especially with her flaws. And instead of straight up trying to tell Lawrence his beliefs are incorrect, she uses a bit of teaching to show that he may (or may not) have raced into conclusions. I think this is a better way of opening Lawrence's eyes, so to speak. Since it does seem like you're moving in the direction of him embracing these Arceist views, though you could surprise me and not do that. If I had to fault anything, I think you milk the whole hug reaction for a bit longer than necessary. They're both adults and their reactions seem kind of... childish. It's funny, but then they start trying to make excuses and I rolled my eyes a bit. XP

Not much to say about the last part with Arthus other than I'd have liked to seen some actual physical evidence that Matre was trying to one-up Gardner. Because the impression I've gotten is that he would rather be left to his own devices... which seems at odds with what you just presented.

Ch 14
Oooh, so this is what field researcher!Lawrence was like in his early days. He really seems dedicated in this flashback. Though I think it's a bit strange that his phone supposedly had service in some giant wildlife reserve. That sounds like backcountry territory and the exact type of place you'd bring a satellite phone and/or some sort of two-ray radio for a base camp. But I really shouldn't be trying to apply logic to a world where skull-dogs can breath fire. :p

Cassia blushed, then covered her face with a hand. “N-Not like that. I like him as a friend, not…”
Pffffbt... and I'm the King of Denmark. (Wait, does Denmark even have a king?) Yeah, both conversations here read a bit like "Everyone can see it except you two goofballs." You know it's bad when Grom can read between the lines better than Lawrence and Cassia.

“What about ‘Awaken Aleron as well as the Keeper and Equivos may be reborn to live on?’”
Gonna go out on a limb here and say that Lawrence is connected to Aleron somehow... someway. Maybe he can channel Aleron's spirit? Maybe he's a vessel for reviving the guy? Don't really know. Making the guess anyway, so I can laugh at how wrong I am later. ^^

I'm a bit iffier on the whole comparison of Unova and Sinnoh. It's laid out pretty well and I don't personally have a problem with it. But I could see how another reader might find take a bit of offensive in that regard. Especially if they look at it through the lens of Unova being a counterpart to the United States. In which case, some of that stuff may come across as a bit of stereotype bashing. Like I said, I think it's pretty harmless as it is. Though I find it funny Lawrence seems to think that integration, not separation, of church and state seem to make for a better society. I'm a religious man, but I'd disagree on that one. As would a lot of human history, probably. *nervous laugh*

Cassia paused, then set her hand across Lawrence’s paw. “Then why do you want to leave?”

Lawrence opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. He turned away, considering her words, and thinking more about his reasons for seeking a way to escape this foreign world.
Aw, snap, Cassia with that (fur) armor-piercing question! I've been under the impression for awhile that Lawrence isn't going to leave, though I haven't made up my mind whether that'll be by force or by choice. I could be wrong, of course, but this is a PMD story, so I couldn't help it.

And we finally get the fall out b/w Gardner and Arthus. I was honestly expecting a bit more flair and drama, but I have no idea why. Probably that recurring vision. It doesn't necessarily look like things are done between the two of them, of course. So, I'll see how that ends up playing out.
 
Then Cassia and Lawrence get to talking. D'aaaaawww, they're pretty cute here. And unlike some of the earlier parts, it didn't really feel like Cassia was lecturing Lawrence from atop a high horse or anything. Probably because of what we've learned about her since then, especially with her flaws. And instead of straight up trying to tell Lawrence his beliefs are incorrect, she uses a bit of teaching to show that he may (or may not) have raced into conclusions. I think this is a better way of opening Lawrence's eyes, so to speak. Since it does seem like you're moving in the direction of him embracing these Arceist views, though you could surprise me and not do that. If I had to fault anything, I think you milk the whole hug reaction for a bit longer than necessary. They're both adults and their reactions seem kind of... childish. It's funny, but then they start trying to make excuses and I rolled my eyes a bit. XP

Well, as relationships develop, so do conversations. I do agree that I probably go on longer than needed for the post-hug, so I can trim it down. Not too much--Grom is too precious for that!

Not much to say about the last part with Arthus other than I'd have liked to seen some actual physical evidence that Matre was trying to one-up Gardner. Because the impression I've gotten is that he would rather be left to his own devices... which seems at odds with what you just presented.

Hmm...may consider changing some of my plans for him...won't say much else, but I'd rather not try and add such things into the previous chapters at this point.

Oooh, so this is what field researcher!Lawrence was like in his early days. He really seems dedicated in this flashback. Though I think it's a bit strange that his phone supposedly had service in some giant wildlife reserve. That sounds like backcountry territory and the exact type of place you'd bring a satellite phone and/or some sort of two-ray radio for a base camp. But I really shouldn't be trying to apply logic to a world where skull-dogs can breath fire. :p

My explanation for that is that he happened to be close enough to a signal of some sort. This was several years before the Pokedex 2.0 was developed, so there's nothing like our current smartphones yet.

Pffffbt... and I'm the King of Denmark. (Wait, does Denmark even have a king?) Yeah, both conversations here read a bit like "Everyone can see it except you two goofballs." You know it's bad when Grom can read between the lines better than Lawrence and Cassia.

I take it that that's at least an entertaining and...uncliche thing? I haven't really gone with the romantic approach for a story before, so I want to make sure I'm pulling it off right.

Gonna go out on a limb here and say that Lawrence is connected to Aleron somehow... someway. Maybe he can channel Aleron's spirit? Maybe he's a vessel for reviving the guy? Don't really know. Making the guess anyway, so I can laugh at how wrong I am later. ^^

Patience...patience...

I'm a bit iffier on the whole comparison of Unova and Sinnoh. It's laid out pretty well and I don't personally have a problem with it. But I could see how another reader might find take a bit of offensive in that regard. Especially if they look at it through the lens of Unova being a counterpart to the United States. In which case, some of that stuff may come across as a bit of stereotype bashing. Like I said, I think it's pretty harmless as it is. Though I find it funny Lawrence seems to think that integration, not separation, of church and state seem to make for a better society. I'm a religious man, but I'd disagree on that one. As would a lot of human history, probably. *nervous laugh*

Well...on Lawrence thinking on religion, I meant more having the religion still separate from the state, but till a central part of people's lives. Having religion forced on people is never a good idea, but I believe that a good religion can do better than any government in keeping the people in line--provided, of course, they believe and follow it. I won't say anything more on that matter though; this isn't really the place for it.

Aw, snap, Cassia with that (fur) armor-piercing question! I've been under the impression for awhile that Lawrence isn't going to leave, though I haven't made up my mind whether that'll be by force or by choice. I could be wrong, of course, but this is a PMD story, so I couldn't help it.

I've surprised you before, I'll surprise you again. I just won't say in what way. :)

And we finally get the fall out b/w Gardner and Arthus. I was honestly expecting a bit more flair and drama, but I have no idea why. Probably that recurring vision. It doesn't necessarily look like things are done between the two of them, of course. So, I'll see how that ends up playing out.

I'm not sure how I could have made it more dramatic, but I will admit, it feels like it needs something. Warrants thought, but until there's a solid solution, it'll stay as it is. Thanks for the review!
 
Chapter 18: Discovery
Chapter 18: Discovery

Lawrence stood on a dock, watching passengers pile into a ship ahead. They carried suitcases and bags of all sorts, all rushing to board. Workers crossed to and from other docks despite the early morning, loading crates and other goods onto their own ships just as passengers loaded onto theirs.


The young man lifted his own bag, filled with little more than clothing and books. His mother and father stood behind him, each gazing sadly at their son. No other friends or family gathered for his send-off.

His mother hugged him tight and said, “You should’ve told us sooner.”

Lawrence restrained a sigh. “Mom, I know what you think about Unova, but they have the best Behavior Science course in the world! I have to go.”

“But we have a perfectly acceptable course here in Sinnoh,” his father replied. He tilted his broad-brimmed hat back and added, “Plus, we need your help on the farm. Tauros don’t just herd themselves, and, well, your mom and I aren’t getting any younger.”

His mom let go of Lawrence and said, “Your father’s right; you ought to stay here. Leaving everyone you know behind without even telling them is simply rude!” She huffed, crossing her arms. “Plus, there’s hardly any Arceists in Unova, especially in Castelia. Where will you go for church?”

“Mom, I haven’t been going to church for years.”

“But that was because of all your wilderness trips. You’ll be within a couple blocks of a little branch, actually. The daughter of a friend of mine has a place over on Reshiram Boulevard. She’d be happy to have you there!”

The ship’s horn sounded, and the seaman on its deck shouted, “Last call to Castelia!”

Lawrence looked back at the ship, then back to his parents. “I’ll call you once I’m there.” He gave them each a brief hug, then rushed to board the ship, leaving his mother to cry into his father’s shoulder.

Soon after he boarded, the gangplank pulled up, and the ship drifted from the dock. The engines turned on, and he soon went on course to Unova.

In his room, he opened his bag and found a wrapped parcel with a note folded on top of it. He opened the package first and found a copy of the Arcean Texts, signed by Alfred Morgan.

Lawrence set the work aside and read the note:

Lawrence,

I know that the other kids your age haven’t been treating you all that well. I’ve tried to help them understand that you are unsure about Arceus, but they see your arguments as attacks. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.

I had your mom, Catherine, put this in your bag, as well as the Arcean Texts, should you change your mind. I hope to see you again.

Brother Morgan

Lawrence stared at the paper for a moment, then set the note on top of the texts and wrapped them back up. He stuffed it back in his bag, then looked out the window, toward the receding Sunyshore City. Two years after leaving Arceism, he finally escaped the believers who thought he was wrong—and the former friends.

~~~~

Claws gouged into the ice wall, rapidly scrabbling up the slick surface and leaving punctures behind. Black and red fur swirled up the barrier, and following it was blue and yellow flying higher. The two shapes landed on the snow on the other side, the red gracefully, while the blue with an unsteady wobble.

Cassia swept back her mane and huffed. “This fur is so irritating sometimes.”

Lawrence shook his head briefly, noting the black fur gathered on the back. “Glad I don’t have to deal with it.”

Silver and gold fur landed in front of them, the leather clothing covering portions of it. “Just wait till it gets wet,” Matheus replied. He pushed past them and tapped on the ice wall, catching the attention of the black Golurk on the other side. “Thanks for the throw; I’ll let you know if we need you!”

Grom saluted. “Graw!”

Matheus saluted back then turned back to Lawrence and Cassia. “Alright, let’s go find those Ice Pokémon.”

“Already found,” Lawrence stated, pointing at an enormous stone structure that stood in the center of Cryus. Standing in front of the iron doors at its entrance were two Cryogonal. Their eyes glowed ominously from their icy bodies, catching the sunlight and warping it into beads of freezing energy. They remained stationary, their backs facing the intruders.

Matheus’ eyes widened. “I haven’t seen any Cryogonal for years. I didn’t know any were left.”

Lawrence stood alongside, just as surprised. “Those things can freeze you faster than anything. We can’t let their chains catch us.”

Cassia raised her claws and waved them in the air. “I’ll hide us so we can go in for a look.” A shimmer surrounded them, hiding their movements as they crept toward the small window on the side of the hall. A single, tenor voice echoed within, full of conviction and contempt.

The Zoroark slipped her claws into the frame of the window and pulled it away, allowing it to swing outward. Dozens of Ice Pokémon sat on pews inside, ranging from snow-colored Ninetales and Glaceon to powerful Beartic and Sandslash scattered amongst them. The entire hall was covered in frost, including the magnificent chandelier, all of its candles unlit.

Standing on a chipped and battered Avalugg on a platform on the side of the room was a Delibird, whose voice rang all throughout. The shrunken sack-like tail of the Delibird hung limply behind him as he pranced on the back of the Avalugg, his red and white feathers splayed out in an unkempt fashion.

He held himself higher and exclaimed, “As you know, it was thanks to my leadership that we wrested power from the villainous Fire Pokémon, who for generations ruled Cryus with a burning fist! But no longer!” He stamped on the back of the Avalugg and continued, “My compatriot and I killed their leader, Irik Typhlosion, just two days ago, and with your help, imprisoned the rest of the Fire Pokémon!” He raised his wings, expecting some sort of praise. None came from the stone-faced Ice Pokémon.

The Delibird didn’t seem to notice, continuing with his speech. “Now I, Fresnic Delibird, sole prophet of Arceus, will give you a message from the almighty creator!”

Cassia and Matheus gave each other surprised looks. “A prophet of Arceus did this?” the Zoroark asked.

Matheus leered at Fresnic and growled, “He couldn’t be, considering he said that he was the ‘sole’ prophet. Let’s see what he has to say.”

Fresnic hopped up and exclaimed, “Arceus wants us to be our own Pokémon, free of obligations and tyranny! We are to do as we please, forcing others to do what we want, to ensure that we aren’t beaten down, like we have been for many years!” He flapped his wings and shouted, “You can only become a follower of Arceus by not relying on him for your needs! You have prayed to him for years for the Fire Pokémon to be beaten down, and only after I came to you did you do anything! He will not help you! We can only help ourselves!” He froze, focusing on the Sandslash edging for the door. “Why are you leaving our celebration? Surely you appreciate it?”

The Sandslash looked about, his ice-covered quills quivering. “I-I just want to see how the Fire Pokémon are doing i-is all.”

Fresnic remained still. “Oh. Is that all?” He leaned down to the Avalugg’s head. “You hear that? He wants to go see the Fire Pokémon. Why?” He jabbed a wing toward the Sandslash. “Because he wants to see them back in power, after all they did!”

The Sandslash held up his claws in defense. “No, no, nothing like that! I didn’t really think they did all that bad stuff to us, b-but—”

“Graah!” the Avalugg bellowed, pounding his feet on the stage and shaking the room. The Sandslash and the other Ice Pokémon reared away from the ‘prophet’ and his pet Avalugg, fearing the worst.

The Avalugg opened his mouth, and a slender spear of ice slid out from it. The Delibird grinned. “We can’t have any apostates in my congregation.” He stomped his foot, and the Avalugg fired the spear—right into the chest of the Sandslash.

He fell without a sound, still and unmoving. Fresnic shook his head sadly and said, “Does anyone else have a complaint?” No one made a move, frozen with fear.

Fresnic held out his arms. “Then let’s carry on!” He continued making his vigorous exclamations, rapidly circling the Avalugg. Lawrence stared at him in puzzlement, while Matheus’ features hardened. A red mist hovered around Cassia as her hands shook, her fangs bared.

The Zoroark reared back a hand, causing a pulsing sphere of Life energy to hover above it. “He’s a lying piece of—”

Matheus forced her arm down and hissed, “Are you insane? We can’t just go in there and take him out!” He growled, looking back toward Fresnic. “As much as I’d like to.”

As Cassia forced herself to calm, Lawrence scrutinized the Avalugg and the other Ice Pokémon. “Fresnic won’t be an issue; Delibird like him are practically harmless. That Avalugg, on the other hand, can do some damage.” The Avalugg snorted, mist jetting out his nostrils. Lawrence stepped back and said, “They’re slow, but they’ll crush you once they set their mind to it.”

Cassia took another deep breath and said, “What are we going to do then? We can’t just let him say those things!”

Matheus pulled them closer and said, “We find the Fire Pokémon. We’ll have greater numbers and their natural advantage over ice. That should hopefully be enough to take care of that Avalugg and all of the Delibird’s followers.” He pointed in separate directions. “Split up; we’ll find everyone faster that way. It shouldn’t take too long given the size of the place. I doubt there’s many Ice Pokémon out and about with how many there are in there but keep on your toes. Got it?”

“Got it,” Lawrence and Cassia replied. They each ran in different directions, weaving between the bare grey stone of the houses.

Lawrence peered through the windows of the homes he passed, hoping to find some sign of the Fire Pokémon. Instead he found simple buildings with tables and chairs all made of the same hard stone. Few pieces of furniture were made of wood, which Lawrence realized was because both the scarcity of the material and its flammability—hardly an aspect Fire Pokémon would want.

He crossed by a somewhat small and disheveled dwelling and noticed a bright blue flash in the corner of his eye. Carefully, he looked through, and saw the still figure of Tursha Xatu through the window. He stood with his wings down and head up, his blindfold seeming to gaze at Lawrence’s eyes.

Lawrence opened the door of the hut and closed it behind him. “What are you doing here?”

Tursha made no movement. “Where Arceus needs me, I go.” He shuffled over toward Lawrence. “You…you are not of Equivos. A foreigner. An invader.”

Lawrence took a step away from the Xatu, feeling a sense of dread rise in him. “What do you mean?”

“You do not belong here,” Tursha monotonously said, raising a wing and pointing it at Lawrence. “I feel a disturbance in Equivos. The energies that surround your arrival…I feel them even now. They are slowly ripping apart the Creator’s work, and unless something is done, will surely bring about the end of Equivos. The Day of Desolation.”

Lawrence grimaced, looking away from Tursha. He could scarcely believe his words. He had seen nothing that proved his claim, but then again, what did he know? He didn’t have the psychic powers of a Xatu, or some deep connection with the world. He could very well be causing damage from his mere presence without anyone realizing it.

Tursha continued forward, his beak nearly touching Lawrence’s nose. “Unless you come to the Temple of Arceus, all will be lost. You will be able to return where you belong, with all you care about safe.” His head twitched. “I assure you that everyone you hold dear will die a miserable death unless you leave.” He stepped back. “I expect to see you soon.” He raised his wings, and bright blue light encapsulated him, temporarily blinding Lawrence. When he was able to see again, the Xatu was gone.

~~~~

Matheus slunk around a corner, scouting ahead for any hostile Pokémon. With none in sight, he sped toward an iron door set in a rocky outcropping set in the wall. Unlike the other structures, no windows could be seen.

The Legend pulled on the door’s handle and found that it was locked. He glared at the door and set himself into a crouching stance. He pulled his paws back, then thrust them right into the lock in the side. The door burst into the hallway beyond, clanging and banging against the floor.

Cringing, Matheus looked back toward the meeting hall. The Cryogonal appeared to be talking to each other, but they made no move to investigate. The Lucario sighed with relief, then ran down the hallway. Empty torches lined the gradually descending tunnel, wrapping with it into the bowels of mountain.

Blinking in the darkness, Matheus raised a paw and summoned an Aura Sphere, illuminating his surroundings. He sniffed and took a deep breath, then coughed, covering his nose. Soot and ash plagued the air, coating the walls and floor in inky blackness. He pressed forward, focusing on the dull reflection ahead. He reached it and found yet another iron door, also locked.

Matheus sighed, enlarging the sphere in his paw. “Why can’t they just use wood?” He launched it into the door, causing it to burst from its hinges and slam to the floor—revealing the astonished eyes of Arcanine, Infernape, Delphox, and their children in an expansive dark room.

The Lucario formed another aura sphere, causing gasps of shock to come from the imprisoned Pokémon. An elderly Typhlosion sat in the center, holding a Chimchar and Fennekin in her arms. Her grizzled fur reflected in the pale light, revealing a gaunt frame and tired eyes. She gaped at the sight of Matheus, keeping the children close to her.

She rose a hand and gasped, “A ghost…coming to haunt us. What have we done to deserve this?”

Matheus looked down at his silver fur, noting how it seemed to shine with the aura’s light. He looked back to the Typhlosion and said, “I’m here to help. What happened with that Delibird, Fresnic?”

The Typhlosion shivered. “He just showed up a week ago from another peak with that Avalugg of his. They claimed to have been sent by Arceus to educate us about what he wants us to do. We all bought in to his claims—even my husband, Irik. As he stayed, the Ice Pokémon grew more violent toward us Fire Pokémon, until Fresnic eventually demanded that we be imprisoned. Naturally, we resisted it, but once that Avalugg…k-killed Irik…” She sobbed, wiping her tears. “We got thrown in here with no light, no warmth—nothing but some food and water. We couldn’t keep any fires going, and they refuse to light the torches…we’ve had nothing but darkness…” She continued to cry, hugging the Fennekin and Chimchar tighter, who hugged back.

Matheus stepped forward, causing the Pokémon around him to flinch. “What was everything like before he came?”

The Typhlosion sniffed, forcing a smile. “Oh, it was wonderful. The Ice Pokémon climbed down the mountain to find berries, then when they came up, we cooked and prepared it for everyone. We watched for Braviary and Staraptor from the wall, and even drove back the Guild Pokémon when they came to take us over. We Fire Pokémon did our part in cooking and building, and they did theirs with the wall and food. It was perfect…until Fresnic came.” She cringed, lowering her head. “Irik was only trying to do what was right. He never threatened to hurt the Ice Pokémon, like what Fresnic thought. He only wanted to keep everyone happy his whole life.” She continued to cry, matching the crestfallen faces of the other Pokémon that surrounded her.

Matheus looked to the left and right, then sighed. He stopped in front of the Typhlosion and crouched. The Chimchar and Fennekin in her arms looked up at him in wonder and fear, the aura sphere spreading a feeling of warmth across them.

He held out his other paw. “I came to help you…not to hurt you. I can drive out Fresnic, but I’ll need your help to do that.” The Aura Sphere faded into a glow surrounding his paw, radiating through the premises.

The elderly Typhlosion paused for a moment, then sighed with relief. She accepted Matheus paw and said, “My name is Telda.”

A slim figure descended the stairs, the aura revealing it to be a Gardevoir with bright blue eyes. Unlike Matheus, the other Pokémon did not veer back in fear, but instead looked on in relief.

Matheus looked back to her and said, “Go find Lawrence; I’ll get them out.” The Gardevoir nodded, then went to turn away.

The Chimchar in Telda’s arms swiped for her dress, passing through it harmlessly. The Chimchar flinched back in surprise, then looked up at Cassia with a bewildered expression.

Cassia’s eyes widened, then she closed them and ran toward the stairs. She tripped against the first step and fell onto them, her head cracking against the stone. The Gardevoir illusion immediately dissipated, revealing a beautiful young Zoroark, clutching her head.

The Arcanine, Infernape and Delphox gasped, the mothers clutching their children while the fathers stood in front of them protectively, their inner flames flaring up. Cassia rolled onto her back and held up her claws, noticing the failed illusion. She drew them back, cringing, then scrambled to her feet and ran up the stairs, tears streaming down her face.

Matheus gaped at the stairs, then furrowed his brow. He whipped his head back toward the Fire Pokémon, causing them to flinch. He held up his aura-covered paw.

“She is not your enemy. She is Arceus’ true priestess.”

~~~~

Lawrence slumped against the wall of the dilapidated room, holding his head. Him staying here would kill everyone he knows? All because he made some disturbance in this dimension? He could scarcely believe it.

He held a paw over his eyes and groaned. Now he had to leave, as much as he regretted it. Regardless of his want to remain with Cassia, Matheus and Grom, he would rather leave them than have them die because of him. The Xatu seemed serious in his conviction, and with what he knew about them, they were rarely wrong.

He looked up. Claws clattered against the walkway outside. He turned and saw Cassia running wildly through the street, panting and searching left and right. Her mane splayed out in disarray, and a faint red mist surrounded her body.

Concerned, Lawrence stepped out of the room and said, “Cassia?”

“Lawrence!” she gasped. She burst into Lawrence’s chest, forcing him back into the room. The door closed behind them as she finally cried out, pouring out her sorrow into the Lucario’s shoulder.

“They saw me! T-They saw what I really am! I tripped and f-f-fell, and th-then I saw them, angry and afraid! At me!” she howled. She looked up and exclaimed, “They hate me, just like they hate Arthus! What am I going to do now?” She continued crying on Lawrence, heaving and sobbing while he thought of what to say.

Carefully, he rubbed her back, then softly said, “They don’t hate you. They only see what there isn’t.”

Cassia sniffed, pushing away from him. “My eyes! They make me look just like Arthus!”

Lawrence pulled her back, renewing his efforts by stroking her mane. “Arthus killed Pokémon; you never did. They’re only afraid of him, not you.”

Cassia calmed barely, making a deep, shuddering sigh. “My…my looks…my powers…everyone hates them…I’ve had to deal with it ever since I found out the truth…”

Lawrence now pushed away and exclaimed, “Who cares what they think? For four years, I had to deal with people hating me for not believing the same things they did! My friends left me, my parents didn’t understand, and even after I moved a continent away, I never felt like I belonged!” He breathed heavily, staring into Cassia’s still, sorrowful eyes.

He backed away, then sat on a decrepit chair. Staring at the floor, he said, “Trust me... I know what it's like for people to turn their backs on you.”

They stood silent. The wind rushed outside, blowing past a flurry of snow and ice. The evening light shined though the window, casting shadows across their features as they stood.

Finally, Cassia crept closer and wrapped an arm over Lawrence’s shoulders. She pulled close and quietly said, “I-Is that what you really feel like? Really?” Lawrence nodded slowly.

Cassia came close to his ear. “You said that more than anything else, you missed being yourself. Well…” She sat on the floor, wiping her face of her dried tears. “I just want to be myself around everyone I teach. I just want to touch Pokémon, feel what they feel, help them go through it. But I never can, because I’m too afraid.” She closed her eyes, the crimson mist around her fading from sight.

Lawrence’s breathing calmed. “It’s…it’s never easy. Being alone. You’ll always be like that in some way, where you can’t tell someone your true feelings. I’ve had my share of it.” He set a paw in Cassia’s claw, then looked straight at her. “But you can always tell me.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “Just like I’ve told you.

Cassia sighed into Lawrence’s shoulder, remaining there. “I…I don’t want you to leave, Lawrence.”

He winced, Tursha’s warning coming to mind. He his paw through her mane and said, “I…I don’t want to leave…” Silenced passed between them as they remained in that position.

Crash!

A Cryogonal burst through the window, hissing and steaming as it glared at its targets. It threw a chain around them, encasing them in its freezing touch. Cassia reached out toward the Cryogonal, a Life Sphere gathering in her claws. The chains glowed blue, and the Life Sphere fizzled back into her body. Freezing cold surged into their bodies, and both Cassia and Lawrence fell limp.

~~~~

Matheus stood outside the entrance to the Fire Pokémon’s prison, directing them out of the halls. Lit torches now arced up the tunnels, illuminating the passing Pokémon as they ascended.

Telda stood next to Matheus, hunched over and holding her arms close to her chest. “I never thought we’d get help so soon.”

“It’s a good thing we came here,” Matheus replied. He eyed her suspiciously. “I trust that Cassia won’t be an issue?”

Telda grimaced. “It is just…unusual, to trust a Zoroark. You surely know about Arthus.” She squinted and said, “You never told me your name. What is it?”

The silver Lucario cleared his throat and stepped away slightly. “It’s unimportant,” he coughed. He stepped forward and searched the streets, finding no sign of any Pokémon. “Cassia and Lawrence should’ve been here by now.” He turned to Telda and said, “I’ll go find them. You bring the Fire Pokémon over to the meeting hall as soon as you’re ready.” He sprinted through Cryus, looking into the different houses in search of his companions.

He stopped midway, a dark thought entering his mind. He looked toward the meetinghouse, noticing that the Cryogonal that guarded it were no longer at their posts—and the windows seemed to be covered with panels.

He cocked his head curiously. “Odd…” He ran to it and checked each window, finding each of them blocked by iron panels. When he pushed at the door, he felt a bar spread across it.

He out his palms together and closed his eyes. “There’s only one way to know,” he thought. The black fur on the back of his head rose, and he felt the mind of those within the house. He recognized two: one lying on the stage, and another shoved to the side.

His eyes shot open and his fur fell. “They got captured,” he growled. He reared back his fist and punched the door, causing it to shake violently. The frame held still, however, preventing him access.

Muttering to himself, he raised a paw and gathered an Aura Sphere. At full size, he turned away and pointed it at the sky. It fired off into the distance, creating a stark streak of light across the twilit sky.

He looked up to ensure it worked, then ran around to a window and punched it, breaking the glass, but not the panel behind it.

He continued to the next, and the next, thinking to himself, “Keep them safe, Arceus! Keep them safe!”

~~~~

Boom…

Boom…

Boom…

Boom…

Cold. Sheer cold. Darkness-crowded vision.

At the center…an ebbing flow. The core, weakly pumping warmth through the all-surrounding chill.

The Lucario awoke, but only in mind. He felt himself slipping away into the cold, never to awaken. He felt loss, shock, remembering nothing but this sudden encroachment of freezing cold. He prepared himself to fade into the chill, his core barely beating to fight back—

Until he remembered.

Where is she?

Boom.

What happened to us?

Boom.

We were together.

Boom…

We’re in danger.

Boom…

She needs me.



I need her!

Cra-a-a-a-ack!

The core became enveloped by a piercing blue light, siphoning into the dying core. The core beat faster and faster, driving way the heat. Cyan flashes burst from the core, lighting the endless darkness and bringing forth light.

The Lucario awoke!

~~~~

Breath. Hot, moist breath. High-pitched ringing. Blurry figures—red, white, black, crimson. Numbness retreating; feeling returning. Frost melting. Hearing clearing. Vision sharpened.

A Delibird stood in front of him, next to a massive Avalugg, shouting and holding his wings aloft. A crowd of Ice Pokémon shrunk away to his right, staring at the Avalugg. The giant stamped his feet and growled, opening his mouth and producing a slender spear of ice.

The Avalugg stepped away, revealing a Zoroark slumped on her knees, her arms tied behind her back, and her legs tied together. Her eyes closed, her chest rose and fell quickly, her head facing the Delibird.

The Delibird yanked the spear from the Avalugg’s mouth and roared, “And so dies the spawn of Arthus the Usurper!”

NO!”

The Lucario pounded to his feet and extended an arm; a sphere of blue flame grew from the palm, then fired into the air—straight into the chest of the Fresnic Delibird.

He squawked and shot into the wall, cracking the stone behind him. His spear shattered against the iron curtain of the window. The Delibird’s eyes closed as he slid down the wall.

The Avalugg turned to the Lucario, mouth opened wide as white light poured into it. The Lucario shot another Aura Sphere into its mouth. The creature exploded in a burst of blue-white light, sending shards of ice spraying everywhere.

The iron doors behind the Ice Pokémon burst apart, a giant black fist sending them away. The onyx Golurk stomped forward, surging with red energy. Behind him, a silver Lucario padded forward, his face contorted into one of hatred.

They both froze, staring at the Lucario. The black fur behind his head rose, blue fire suspending it. The same fire wrapped around his arms and legs, strengthening the awoken warrior.

The flames suddenly died, and the Lucario’s eyes dimmed. He fell on his side. The last thing he saw:

Blue eyes.

~~~~

Lawrence saw fire. Dancing flames, skating across the burning wood. Mud and gravel surrounded it, driving back the frost and snow. Beyond, a clear, black sky stretched over the distant peaks of Xilo.

Behind the fire, Matheus’ head hung low. Grom stood to his right, crouching with his back facing them. In front of the Golurk, a bundle wrapped in a thick blanket rose and fell.

The younger Lucario’s leg flinched, and he noticed he was wrapped in a blanket as well. He pushed himself up, groaning with the exertion. Matheus’ head lifted up.

He slid around the fire and toward Lawrence, gently pushing him down. “Easy there. You’ve been through a lot, and I wouldn’t want you blacking out again.” He looked over to Grom. “Cassia’s not much better.”

Lawrence coughed, then croaked, “Where…are we?”

The Legend turned back to Lawrence. “Outside Cryus. After I settled the mess between the Fire and Ice Pokémon, Grom and I brought both of you out here; we didn’t want any…unnecessary attention.” He pushed closer. “What happened back there?”

Lawrence held his head, still feeling groggy. “Don’t really know…I remember meeting with Cassia…she was crying about…everyone hating her…then after that…this Cryogonal came and—” He shivered, the cold feeling returning to him.

Matheus sat back in on the ground, holding his chin. “You’ve been awfully cold…same with Cassia.” He groaned, shaking his head. “You’re lucky it didn’t kill you. Their chains bring your body heat down dramatically, sometimes until there’s ice on your fur!” He held his head taking a glance toward Grom. “Cassia had her Life to fight it off; the heat from that was enough to revive her.” He pointed at Lawrence. “You…you should’ve died.”

Lawrence nodded, pushing himself upright again; Matheus made no move to stop him. “I remember…being in the meetinghouse…but nothing else. What did I do there?”

Matheus blew his breath out slowly, then said, “Well…I got there late, thanks to that cursed Delibird blocking the door. From what I heard from the Pokémon who saw the entire thing, you and Cassia got dragged in there. Cassia woke up pretty quickly afterwards, but she was still weak. She got bound up, and Fresnic started demanding answers from her. She started answering them and countered all of his accusations—even of killing Pokémon, like Arthus.

“Fresnic became furious toward her and was going to kill her for being a ‘blasphemer against Arceus.’ He was going to kill her with a spear from his pet Avalugg before—” Matheus stopped himself, blinking.

Lawrence leaned in closer, keeping the blanket wrapped around himself. “Before what?”

Matheus shook his head in disbelief. “Before you woke up and shot both Fresnic and that Avalugg with an Aura Sphere.”

Lawrence stared at him, unmoving. “I…I did? I thought I couldn’t?”

Matheus clasped his paws together, looking straight at Lawrence. “Hold out your paw.” Lawrence did so. “Now, think of someone you are close to. Not simply friends, but really, truly, close to. Then focus on that love you have for them.”

Lawrence focused on his paw, concentrating. He knew who to think of, and upon focusing on the love shared, he felt heat rise in his chest, then flow into his arm. It became surrounded with a bright, cyan light.

Lawrence jerked away from his paw breathing heavily. “H-How did I do that?”

Matheus enthusiastically pointed at the light. “That’s it! That’s Aura! You’re able to use it!” He calmed, crossing his arms. “Now, who is it?”

Entranced by the aura, Lawrence jerked away from it in surprise. “Hmm?”

“Who is it you love? Laryon loved me as an uncle and friend all those years ago, and I—” He stopped himself, then muttered, “Loved Arthus like my own brother.” He grit his teeth for a moment, then shook his head and said, “Who is it for you?”

Lawrence stared, then took a glance toward the covers behind Grom.

Matheus nodded, smiling. “Just as I thought. You know, she’s done a better job than I ever could have softening you up.” He chuckled. “You know, for Aura to work, it has to go both ways; Cassia has to love you back.”

Lawrence shrunk down; his paw no longer glowed. “She doesn’t love me. Two weeks is—”

“Enough time to know, especially if there’s not much else to distract you.” Matheus chuckled again. “Although, I’ll admit, it took me a few years to see…Arthus, in that light.” He took a look over to Cassia, then said, “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but after you blacked out, Cassia came over to you and—” He rolled his eyes. “Grom’ll have my hide if he found out, but she kissed you, right on the cheek.” Matheus tapped his cheek and sighed deeply. “Ah, lucky you, having a girl fall for you.”

Lawrence swallowed, holding a paw up to his own cheek. “Really?”

“Why would I joke about this? It’s romance!”

Lawrence held his shaking paw away. “It…it’s just what Tursha said.”

“Tursha? You mean that Xatu?”

Lawrence nodded. “Just before Cassia found me, I found him in an old house. He said that I needed to leave, or that you’d all…die.” He looked away, holding a paw to his head.

Matheus’ face grew stern. “You can’t always believe what those Psychic Pokémon say. The future’s changing all the time, and—”

“He said that because of me, the entire world’s out of whack, and unless I leave, it’ll tear itself apart!” Lawrence exclaimed. Grom’s head shifted, twisting to face Lawrence. The Lucario didn’t notice.

Matheus rubbed his temple, muttering to himself. Finally, he said, “That—that can’t be right! I would’ve known back at the Tree of Life!” He opened his mouth as if to say more, but paused, then said, “However, I will admit, that because I haven’t been there, things might have changed.”

Lawrence sighed, lowering his head. “I…I really don’t want to leave. Not just because of Cassia, but this entire world. I’ve missed being in Sinnoh, and Equivos reminds me so much of it. And I...I just can’t go back there.” He raised his head. “But if I have to leave to keep everyone alive, I’ll go.”

Matheus remained still. “Let’s get to sleep. You’ve been through a lot, and we have to get down to Virona within a week.” He lay down on the ground, then shifted for his back to face Lawrence.

Lawrence looked over to Grom, who continued to stand vigil over Cassia. Knowing that now wasn’t the best time to meet with her, Lawrence followed in Matheus’ example—but his mind continued to rush.

~~~~~

Within the Master’s Tower, Gardner scribbled sentences onto a series of papers, working by the light from the candle to his left. He scooted away from the desk and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eye. “Those idiots Valder and Derak are making a mess of everything in Saunte. The sooner I get these letters of dismissal delivered, the sooner I can get someone else better for the job!”

The black-banded ruby on the desk pulsed with red light. Gardner picked it up and Arthus’ silhouette appeared within. “Gardner, I’ve claimed the Prison Bottle and am making my way to the temple. Do you have any information on Hoopa’s tactics in battle?”

Gardner furrowed his brow. “Why would you want to know about that? You’re only wishing for him to repair the Seal, are you not?”

“Yes,” Arthus sighed, “but I’m more concerned about what will happen afterward. Hoopa is a very manipulative Legend, and I need to be prepared to face him in case he attempts to take the Seal.”

“You really think he’d do that?” Gardner asked, sitting on his favorite chair. “Can’t he mimic the Legends already?”

“That’s my point: he can only copy other Legends’ abilities in their domain. He’d surely want their power for himself, so the Seal is in great danger if I just give it to him. I bet he wouldn’t ask for much of a price considering what he could do with it.”

Gardner flipped through a book, shaking his head. “Even with your experience, Hoopa would easily outmatch you. He apparently uses his hoops to send a flurry of punches from all sides, along with some rather…grisly tactics of bisecting Pokemon with his teleportation skills. Not to mention he has the power of what Legends’ domain he is within. In this case, he could use Arceus’ creative abilities to do what he pleases.”

Arthus groaned, holding his head. “If I could repair the Seal any other way, I’d do it.” He thought for a moment and said, “Is there any way to send him back into the bottle?”

Gardner flipped through the book faster, thinking, ‘I’d leave him to die if Hoopa wasn’t the worse of two evils.’ He abruptly stopped and slammed his finger on the page, depicting the Legend shrinking into the bottle. “Yes, here. If you can make him break his word, the sealing of the bottle comes back into effect, and Hoopa will be forced inside.” He closed the book and set it aside, tapping his fingers. “If Hoopa is the manipulator you say he is, then it will be very difficult to do that—especially if he is so set on coming free.”

Arthus remained still. He muttered something illegible, then said, “I may have an idea, but you must be present. Do you think you could come to the temple with me?”

Gardner rose from his seat and threw his arms out. “I can’t just drop everything and leave! It’d take at least a week to arrive on foot, considering how dense Faylen is! And I have no idea where to find you!”

“I have a hunch on where the temple is. Leave Martre to lead the Guild in your place and meet me in Virona; I’ll spend time preparing for Hoopa.”

“Couldn’t you just come here and carry me through the Life network?”

“It’s not that simple. It takes skill to keep one source of Life—myself—from bleeding into the Tree of Life, and it’s considerably more difficult to handle another. I would only do so in the direst of circumstances.”

Gardner hovered to the gem and held it in the air. “So be it. It will take a few days to prepare, then another few to arrive on my sled. I’ll be there within a week.” He covered Arthus’ face and the gem returned to normal, falling back into patterned bands.

He set down the gem and held his chin, looking up. “If I’m going to be present when Arthus uses the Seal…hmm…” He blinked, a grin expanding across his chest. ‘I can use the Seal myself…”

~~~~

Deep within the Faylen jungle, amongst the towering tree and sprawling vines, a series of bridges stretched from bough to bough. Scattered between the hanging planks were round, wooden houses hanging by thick vines, each with a surrounding platform. The houses and bridges remained clustered together above a clearing below the trees. Berry vines wrapped around one house, while another hung intricate cages containing Pikipek, each chirruping loudly to be released. The other wild Pokemon within the jungle didn’t dare come into sight as the watchful sentries in their low-hanging turrets watched for predators of any sort. Mothim fluttered above, collecting honey from the Combee hives scattered throughout the area. Cherrim gathered berries in bright daylight, and Ribombee created their signature pollen puffs and readied them for market. Pacing along the bridges were Decidueye and Roserade with arrows and thorns ready.

Arthus crushed the gem in his claws and watched fragments scatter below. He sat in a tree high above the town, focusing on an Audino going from house to house, searching for the sick.

He rubbed his chin, then leapt off the bough and held onto a vine, sliding down. He shimmered and turned into a hunched Sceptile, its tail partially eaten away and its eyes heavy-lidded and irritated. He landed on a far-off platform and wandered amongst them, careful to have his eyes only partially visible.

He looked about, watching a Scyther wearing a Guild band slice a length of rope and hand it to a Bellossom, chatting cordially. He watched a Slurpuff squashing berries delivered by a Swellow, giving coins in exchange. He watched the same Audino press its hand against the injured leg of a Breloom and envelop it in light, healing it instantly. All throughout Virona, no ill deeds or evil acts came about—against Arthus’ desire.

He shuffled to an empty bridge and abruptly fell of the edge, only to grab onto the low-hanging vines and support himself underneath. He dissolved his illusion and tapped his claws together. “This…this isn’t how it should be.”

‘How should it be then? As cruel and miserable as the Lawless Era?’

“As horrible as our time was, it drove Pokemon to change. Tell me, would you have created the Guild had Damon Decidueye not killed your parents?”

‘…No.’ Arthus smiled, then the voice added, ‘But that would be because I wouldn’t have met Matheus, who actually brought the Guild together.’

“And he regretted it ever since!” Arthus seethed.

‘Only because you corrupted it not once, but twice!’

“Enough!” Arthus dug his claws into the vines, breathing heavily. “You see my point. For everyone to see that Arceus has to go, they have to see that he isn’t helping Serenita anymore.” He swung off of the vines and wandered to a fallen tree, digging his hand beneath the earth. “Martre’s little inventions might be useful here.”

As the crimson tendrils rose, the voice said, ‘You’re planning something. Something I want no part of.

The tendrils dragged Arthus under as he said, “As if you have the choice.”
 
Last edited:
Chapter 15, let's go.

ranging from snow-colored Ninetales and Glaceon, to powerful Beartic and Sandslash scattered amongst them.

Don't think this comma is needed.

Fresnic hopped up and exclaimed, “Arceus wants us to be our own Pokemon, free of obligations and tyranny! We are to do as we please, forcing others to do what we want, to ensure that we aren’t beaten down, like we have been for many years!” He flapped his wings and shouted, “You can only become a follower of Arceus by not relying on him for your needs! You have prayed to him for years for the Fire Pokemon to be beaten down, and only after I came to you did you do anything! He will not help you! We can only help ourselves!”

Ooh, a false prophet. Good to see one, as so far really all Arceists have been the good guys.

Lawrence opened the door of the hut and closed it behind him “What are you doing here?”

Missing period.

“He just showed up a week ago from another peak with that Avalugg of his They claimed to have been sent by Arceus to educate us about what he wants us to do.

Another missing period.

“She is not your enemy. If you think she is, I will make you change your mind.”

I don't know if it was meant to appear this way, but this sounded pretty threatening, which feels it would undermine any message of trust.

Breath. Hot, moist breath. High-pitched ringing. Blurry figures—red, white, black, crimson. Numbness retreating; feeling returning. Frost melting. Hearing clearing. Vision sharpened.

The flow-of-consciousness parts of this chapter are really neat (yes, I admit I may be biased for it as a writer), and pop out to signal the viewer that stuff's really going down this time. The technique is used where I think it fits best - when the character isn't fully conscious or otherwise extremely confused and in a primal way of thinking.

The Avalugg turned to the Lucario, mouth opened wide as white light poured into it. The Lucario shot another Aura Sphere into its mouth. The creature exploded in a burst of blue-white light, sending shards of ice spraying everywhere.

oh he is
very dead

The black fur behind his head rose, blue fire suspending them.

I know it's several dreads of fur, but I still think it should be "it"?

“Fresnic became furious toward her and was going to kill her for being a ‘blasphemer against Arthus.’ He was going to kill with a spear from his pet Avalugg before—” Matheus stopped himself, blinking.

Did you mean Arceus? That, or I missed a detail somewhere.

“Even better, that human, Lawrence, just awakened his Aura! With who, I don’t know,

weelllllll it's technically "whom" but I don't know how nitpicky Arthus is about grammar, anyway.

General Comments

So yeah, I'd pretty much call Lawrence x Cassia confirmed now. Or should I say confurmed heh heh heh hEH HEH

Cassia being able to mask the gang sounds like a very useful skill... which creates some possible plothole pitfalls if this is forgotten/unaddressed in future situations where it could be beneficial. Do watch out for those.

I'm honestly surprised Gardner got off the hook this easy, but maybe Arthus just still has need for an asset like him, or considers him too unlikely to rebel again.
 
The flow-of-consciousness parts of this chapter are really neat (yes, I admit I may be biased for it as a writer), and pop out to signal the viewer that stuff's really going down this time. The technique is used where I think it fits best - when the character isn't fully conscious or otherwise extremelyconfused and in a primal way of thinking.

I figured you'd say something like that considering you've had writing like this in Hunter, Haunted.

oh he is
very dead

If it helps, the Avalugg was a wild Pokemon...in case it wasn't clear.

So yeah, I'd pretty much call Lawrence x Cassia confirmed now. Or should I say confurmed heh heh heh hEH HEH

More on this next chapter...

I got your suggested changes up, and when Ambyssin posts his, I'll go on and post the updated. Thanks for the review!
 
If it helps, the Avalugg was a wild Pokemon...in case it wasn't clear.

Aaahhhh, looking back at it, it never was referred to by a given name and at one point it was called a pet. Didn't notice those things and thought it was just a silent type. Sorry bout that, this does make it less shocking.
 
Not gonna lie, the discovery of what was going on atop Cryus came as a bit of a surprise to me. Given that the fire-types were mentioned to be guild affiliates, I envisioned them as not have any redeeming qualities whatsoever. So, I was expecting things to actually be really pleasant when our heroes show up. Instead we have a Delibird ranting and raving. I mean they tend to be more comedic characters. And I envision them as being loudmouths (like Chatots). But to have one called himself a prophet through me for a bit of a loop. Speaking of throwing for a loop, Tursha again dropping some really ominous forehsadowing. The thought of a human's presence corrupting an entire world is something I think I've seen in a PMD fic before. And the Explorers games briefly toyed with that idea with the epilogue parts focusing on Palkia and the distortion of space. So, I like the precedent. And it creates quite the set of drastic stakes. Especially if Lawrence is the one who knows this... but no one else does.

There are a lot of different ways you could approach that plot point. They all have their pros and cons, so I'll be curious as to what you choose to do. Right now it looks like you're setting up a conflict of Tursha's vision vs. Lawrence's feelings for Cassia. They have that little moment before a Cryogonal knocks them out that admittedly has a very bittersweet undertone given what Lawrence knows but doesn't say to Cassia in the moment. Also, I can't help but think it was a bit selfish him to take Cassia's little breakdown moment and make it a bit about him (namely, the "You're lucky you had a mask to hide behind... because I never did..."). Maybe you could consider reworking some of these paragraphs to make it seem more like Lawrence is trying to empathize with her. I.e. "I know how you feel," or "Trust me... I know what it's like for people to turn their backs on you." It might make him look more altruistic and further his relationship with Cassia a little more. And would thus serve to make the stuff that follows – with Lawrence awakening his aura to save Cassia – and even more heartwarming moment. Since you yourself explained that control of aura comes with forging a bond with someone close to you. So, for that previous scene to be the straw that breaks the Numel's back, I think it should have more empathy from Lawrence's side of things. Sorry if I sound rambly. It's clear that this is meant to be a pivotal moment. So, I want to see it have that extra oomph!

As for the aura awakening scenes themselves, I enjoyed them. And it did make me smile to see Lawrence dig deep for Cassia's sake. It took me a moment to realize what was going on at first. Trying to translate something ethereal like Lawrence's energy finally awakening into writing is going to be a difficult task. But once you brought up the stuff about the core, it became a lot clearer for me. And then Lawrence totally smacks the heck out of Fresnic. It was satisfying, though you might want to consider having Fresnic say or do a little bit more to get the audience rooting for his demise. Most of my hatred for him came from what the Typhlosion told us. It was good for me, but other readers might see it differently. That said, I wasn't expecting it to get to peck on the cheek status this quickly. I mean, I saw this pair coming. This chapter just hammered that nail in firmly. XD
 
Not gonna lie, the discovery of what was going on atop Cryus came as a bit of a surprise to me. Given that the fire-types were mentioned to be guild affiliates, I envisioned them as not have any redeeming qualities whatsoever. So, I was expecting things to actually be really pleasant when our heroes show up. Instead we have a Delibird ranting and raving. I mean they tend to be more comedic characters. And I envision them as being loudmouths (like Chatots). But to have one called himself a prophet through me for a bit of a loop.

I don't think I officially stated that they were Guild affiliates. I said that they were the dominant Pokemon, but not necessarily from the Guild. Telda the Typhlosion even said that they managed to drive back the Guild when they tried to take over.
The Typhlosion sniffed, forcing a smile. “Oh, it was wonderful. The Ice Pokemon climbed down the mountain to find berries, then when they came up, we cooked and prepared it for everyone. We watched for high-flying Braviary and Staraptor from the wall, and even drove back the Guild Pokemon when they came to take us over.

As for Fresnic, I was having trouble coming up with a suitable Ice type to be this false prophet. Then I thought of Delibird. I felt it was a perfect fit.

Speaking of throwing for a loop, Tursha again dropping some really ominous forehsadowing. The thought of a human's presence corrupting an entire world is something I think I've seen in a PMD fic before. And the Explorers games briefly toyed with that idea with the epilogue parts focusing on Palkia and the distortion of space. So, I like the precedent. And it creates quite the set of drastic stakes. Especially if Lawrence is the one who knows this... but no one else does.

I love foreshadowing...it is such a useful tool. On another note, are there any other things this fic does the same as others, other than having a Lucario and Zoroark be the main characters?

Also, I can't help but think it was a bit selfish him to take Cassia's little breakdown moment and make it a bit about him (namely, the "You're lucky you had a mask to hide behind... because I never did..."). Maybe you could consider reworking some of these paragraphs to make it seem more like Lawrence is trying to empathize with her. I.e. "I know how you feel," or "Trust me... I know what it's like for people to turn their backs on you." It might make him look more altruistic and further his relationship with Cassia a little more. And would thus serve to make the stuff that follows – with Lawrence awakening his aura to save Cassia – and even more heartwarming moment. Since you yourself explained that control of aura comes with forging a bond with someone close to you. So, for that previous scene to be the straw that breaks the Numel's back, I think it should have more empathy from Lawrence's side of things.

Hmm...seeing that line in that light, I agree with you. I envisioned it more caring when I first wrote it, but now I realize it wasn't so much.

Trying to translate something ethereal like Lawrence's energy finally awakening into writing is going to be a difficult task. But once you brought up the stuff about the core, it became a lot clearer for me.

Writing those scenes felt very intense, and since we were talking about an abstract concept, it needed an abstract writing style--which I think I can do rather well, if need be.

And then Lawrence totally smacks the heck out of Fresnic. It was satisfying, though you might want to consider having Fresnic say or do a little bit more to get the audience rooting for his demise. Most of my hatred for him came from what the Typhlosion told us. It was good for me, but other readers might see it differently.

I have the perfect idea to resolve this. Won't say anything yet, but suffice to say, it'll be cruel.

That said, I wasn't expecting it to get to peck on the cheek status this quickly. I mean, I saw this pair coming. This chapter just hammered that nail in firmly. XD

I remember my beta reader saying something like that to me as well, and I can agree. But with what's happening next chapter...well, you'll find out.

Thanks for the review! I'll get to work on your suggestions!
 
I don't think I officially stated that they were Guild affiliates.
Whoops, my bad. Man, my memory really is going. XP

On another note, are there any other things this fic does the same as others, other than having a Lucario and Zoroark be the main characters?
Well, this isn't the first PMD fic I've read where the human is coming from the world of the mainline games (versus, say, our world, or a world where there isn't even fictional Pokémon media). And Arthus very much reminds me of a PMD comic that featured a villainous, violent, somewhat-unhinged Zoroark with physical attributes that set it apart from its species. Said Zoroark also works with a Dusknoir, but the relationship is reversed (i.e. the Zoroark serves the Dusknoir, not the other way around). It's Tales of Elysium, I think? And there are more than a few Pokémon fan games out there that depict Arceus worshippers, though they're usually villainous instead of the good guys.

Writing those scenes felt very intense, and since we were talking about an abstract concept, it needed an abstract writing style
Right. It reminded me of the dream visions the player has in Red/Blue. And, to a lesser extent, the Dimensional Scream from the Explorers game.

But with what's happening next chapter...well, you'll find out.
In before angry argument that ends with one/both saying "I hate you" and storming off. :p
 
After finishing Chapter 16, I determined that with 11000 words--nearly twice the length of a usual chapter--that it should be split. With the Special Chapters I followed a pattern that justified the long length, in particular with Cassia's three teachers throughout her life. This is completely different, as I find that the first and second halves actually have differing tones. So keep that in mind! There will be two chapters before the end of the Act!

Edit:
Oh, and by the way, the chapter count for Act 4 has been reduced as well. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to combine the events for two chapters that felt like they didn't have quite enough content. I look forward to the end of the week!
 
Last edited:
Please note: The thread is from 5 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
Back
Top Bottom