Pokemon - From the Brink

Chapter 41 - Crackles in the Dark

"Those shadows are but a fraction of a fraction of its real strength." Uxie took over.

"So we're not even close to winning?" Yu asked sadly.

"Not yet, I'm afraid." Midorima sighed.

"Damn..." Hikaru gritted her teeth.

"What more will it take?" Megan asked.

"A fair few more of us." Uxie said, referring to him and his legendary allies.

"Any ideas how we're doing on time?" Caleb looked over. "That Janus guy said we had about a month and a half, right?

"He did, but I don't think he could've anticipated all these attacks Bedlam has launched on people around the world that would definitely boost its strength faster." Megan frowned.

"What are we, like, two weeks on from when this all started?" Hikaru said, then immediately felt a shiver down her spine. Everyone in the room fell silent and looked at the ground, the reality that the clock was ticking hitting them hard.

"Sh*t..." Caleb blinked. "What do we do...?"

"There is no way to force allies to arrive sooner." Uxie sighed. "We just have to trust that there are more humans here who share your strength of heart and are able to bond with legendary Pokemon."

"Damn... You're asking for a lot of trust right there..." Hikaru swallowed. "If more people don't link up like we have, then... It'll all be for nothing...?"

"Gh..." Uxie wouldn't answer that, but by looking away, he answered it anyway.

"No..." Yu held his head and looked around at his friends who were standing with legendary partners and felt useless. "I don't wanna die...! I don't... Aaahh..." He fell to his knees.

"Yu!" Hikaru knelt down beside him.

"I'm scared..." He sobbed, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, come on..." Caleb stood over him.

"You'll be ok." Hikaru put her hand on his shoulder.

"I hate this..." Yu sniffed. "I hate it..."

"Ah..." Megan shook her head. "I forget that you're still a child... Listen, Yu, you don't have to stay here. We can send you and your mother home safely with shields if you'd prefer."

"Aaahh... N-no..." Yu shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I-I should help...!"

"Oh, Yu, nobody expects you to pitch in if you don't want to – you can leave it to us."

"Yeah, little man." Caleb put his hand on Yu's other shoulder. "...!" Something startled him and he glanced over at Hikaru, who was looking back at him, as if she had just felt the same thing.

"No!" Yu jumped up, and the two of them staggered away from him. "I don't wanna just sit here...! I...! I...!" He looked around at all the faces looking down on him and gritted his teeth. "I don't... I don't know what to do...!"

"Yu..." Megan reached out towards him.

"I'm not useless! I can do something!" He screamed. "I have to be able to do something...!" He ran away down the hall, the lights illuminating his path.

"Yu!" Megan called after him, but he was gone. "Nobody said you were useless..."

"Mm..." Caleb straightened up and looked at his hand, while Hikaru did the same. "Definitely not..."

"Poor kid... He had to be rescued twice in a row. No wonder he feels down..." Hikaru sighed, closing her fist.

"Hey, do you guys think the kid might have the potential to be like us?" Caleb asked the Pokemon.