Pokemon - From the Brink

Chapter 29 - Our Shot

"So what you're getting at..." Gabi frowned in slight confusion.

"...Is that the legendary Pokemon only bonded with humans when the world was amidst a great catastrophe...?" Jordan proposed.

"Precisely." Janus nodded towards his nephew.

"What, so you're telling me that that whole business with Tobi a few years back wasn't a catastrophe?" Darragh was sceptical.

"No – but we had the means to stop it ourselves." The sword master said. "The Soul Emeralds were enough. But these two events – the Great War and the dawn of mankind – they were much, much more dire... And I'm sure you all remember that event a few years ago." Janus referred to Tobi again. "Think of how devastating that was – what we're up against now is far beyond that level."

"No..." I breathed.

"But... We gave everything we had to beat him..." Nelly swallowed.

"Now you're saying he was nothing compared to this?" Skyra interjected.

"Unfortunately, yes." Janus sighed.

"Listen, Sir, you're not really filling me with optimism here." Chloe frowned, wiping her eyes. "People are dead already. We... We'll never see them again..." She shook her head. "How's some dumb fairytale gonna help us, huh?!"

"By separating fact from fable." Janus replied. "Every myth is built upon a version of the truth, after all. And I'd say we have some proof – even if its very slight – in this very room."

"Go on..." Kudou urged him.

"It's in you." Janus pointed to me.

"H-huh...?!" I stepped back.

"We all saw it – even back here at HQ. That blue light that came from your body, not once, but twice. The second time, it even banished the beast in the sky. As I said earlier, that light was enough to set it back about a month or so. After going over the Fable of the Guardians again, my only conclusion is that you, Toby, have some connection to a legendary or mythical Pokemon."

"What...? Me? N-no, I..." I swallowed, backing down. Everyone's eyes were on me and I hated it.

"Did you ever hear a voice? Specifically before or during the light?"

"No, I – oh...!" I thought back. "Actually... Yes. I didn't recognise it, but... This same voice did speak to me a few times..."

"What?!" Kiria gasped.

"Seriously?!" Yu stared.

"Hm. What did it say?" Janus asked.

"Well... It sort of... Urged me to fight, I guess." I avoided eye contact.

"Was there any greater context?"

"Uh... Ah... Well, it was right at the point where I was exhausted – it felt like I was going to collapse..." I remembered how tired my body had been after bonding with Buizel and Grovyle consecutively. "But the voice spoke to me, told me to keep fighting – told me not to give up..."

"Aha!" Janus smiled. "That, my boy, sounds exactly like what I was hoping."

"What are you saying?" Megan stepped forward. "You really think my brother has bonded with a legendary Pokemon...?"

"Well, yes and no..." Janus controlled his excitement. "According to the fable, when the guardians summoned their Pokemon, they were brought forth in body as well as spirit – so the Pokemon was actually present when called upon. Whatever happened with Toby today, well... If it was what I think it was, then it was weak and unrefined. The thing barely had a shape, and was just pure light. But still – it's proof that the fable has truth to it! Whatever brought about that blue light was undoubtedly a legendary or mythical Pokemon – there's simply no other explanation."