Jay Wolfe
I couldn't stop looking at the bloody white fur that was still on the ground from where Soul had been ripped apart. It was my fault he was dead... just like Torracat... if I hadn't tried acting tough when Hero attacked me directly he never would've taken one of my pokémon out so the grunts working with him could use it for entertainment. Soul had looked at me as he died, utter betrayal in his eyes before the mightyena and pyroar ripped too far into his neck and throat. My parents had been right... I should've never gone on a journey. What if Curse was next?
The door opened but I didn't look to see who it was, probably Hero to gloat... maybe torture me some more. It didn't matter. White and red caught my eye as the figure came closer and I lifted my head up as I recognized Tarot. What was he doing here? Had he stopped them? I had heard alarms going off the other day on a higher level. "Tarot... are you here t-to help us? Are m-my friends okay?"
A smirk drew across his face as his act fell and my hopes dropped. "Of course not. I'm their ringleader. They obey me! You foolish child, this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gotten involved. You could've lived as a trainer for a long time, maybe even attempted to become champion after I took my place as king... Then again, perhaps it was fate for you to end up here. Your cousin did after he realized what I was and battled me. Of course he died."
"Liar!" I snarled, trying to put my fury behind it but my energy was drained and the word came out sounding choked.
"Ironic, Hero is using you to power Latios." Tarot moved past me and over to the trapped legendary. "Your cousin had been powering Latias... the experiment failed in the end. Neither one made it. We adjusted, though it seems not quite correctly."
What did he mean? Were the others dead? I tugged half heartedly against my restraints. "W-what?"
"It's time for your final act. The process did make Latios stronger but it also bonded to you through the energy connection, just like the other one... That wasn't the plan this time. You and your friend aren't needed anymore." Tarot pulled out a pokéball. "Guess we'll just make more adjustments. Serperior, finish her."
A green serpent burst from the ball and shook itself before turning to look around as if in confusion. "Ser...?"
"Kill the girl." Tarot spoke again. "She killed your trainer."
"What?" I tugged harder to break free as the grass type turned to stare at me. "No! I d-didn't!"
The serperior slithered forward; never looking away as it came closer and only stopped moving when it was a few inches from my face. The pokémon had hatred in its gaze along with confusion but still began to coil around me as Tarot hit the button to unlock my restraints, which sent me crashing to the floor. I winced as the coils tightened around me, I was sure my ribs would break if it continued at the pace it was going. Then they loosened a bit.
"What are you doing? I told you I would help find the trainer who killed yours, now finish her!" Tarot ordered as he watched the serperior get in my face again, this time seeming to think about my scent for a moment.
"Rior!" I winced as it gave a melancholy cry in my ear.
"Stupid pokémon... I should've let them kill you then." Tarot began to take out another ball. "You're worthless."
I was sure I never would've gotten out of that room alive if it hadn't been for another round of alarms blaring. Tarot scowled as the building shook, the lights flickering as it was struck by lightning. Serperior released me and lunged at Tarot with a leaf blade, though he nimbly dodged out of the way before backing towards the wall. A second later the legendary pokémon, Rayquaza, broke through and flew off with Tarot now on its back. Great... he had legendary on his side...
I turned away to look at the serperior. "Thanks..."
"Ior." Serperior lifted its head up in a smug fashion before moving towards the door as if preparing to fight.
I was about to stop it before realizing Serperior could help guard me while I got my own pokémon and set the latios free. This place was starting to crumble by the sound of it and I didn't want to leave a pokémon here to die... though I didn't want to die either. Not to mention I had to find the others.
"La?" Latios got up as I came nearer, hitting his side on the energy field impatiently.
"Hold on." I muttered, trying to find the right button.
Once I did the legendary pokémon flew off and outside with a thrilled cry. I sighed, that was one rescue down. I ran towards the door where Serperior was already fighting some grunts that had shown up. I edged past and released Scourge from his pokéball, if I wanted to escape I would have to risk battling and getting my pokémon hurt.
"Get them out of our way with ember!"
"Dour!" He leapt forward at the grunts and shot flames from his mouth, easily making them scramble away.
I saw electricity up ahead and Freya came into view fighting through the grunts as well, though she paused her fiery insults at them when she saw me. "Jay, you're alright! Great! We need to find Soren, come on!"
I moved to follow her before glancing back at serperior. "Serperior, let's go!"
The grass type ignored me and continued fighting until her enemies were unconscious, or maybe dead, before finally following me. I caught glances of a few people in green cloaks fighting against Valhalla and wanted to ask Freya if she knew them but decided to wait until a better time. We traveled higher up, the building still shaking as lightning continued to strike outside along with the Latios' attacks joining in occasionally. Freya found the room first, calling me over as her pikachu fried the locking system, opening the door.
"Serperior, stay on guard. More will probably be coming." I said before glancing down at Scourge. "Same with you."
Serperior curled up in a bored fashion but at least Scourge was listening. I turned away and joined Freya at the control panel as she worked on shutting down the system and freeing the black and red pokémon trapped and shrieking in rage to get out. A dark pulse burst out as soon as the energy shield was down, wrecking the equipment in the lab as it finally gained freedom. I moved over to help Soren as Freya found the button to unlock the restraints, he collapsed without their support and I caught him before he could fall to the floor, though I wasn't sure if he would feel it in his unconscious state.
"Can you wake him up?" Freya asked, frowning slightly in worry.
I shrugged uneasily and shook him, lightly at first before getting rougher, the only reaction was a groan however. "Soren... come on... wake up. We need to get out of here... please?"
Freya nudged his side with her shoe before using her finger to try opening his eyelid. "What happened to him? Think he could even see if he was awake?"
I looked at the glowing electric blue coloring that had taken over his natural blue eye color. "I don't know..."
The building shuddered and the sound of the structure creaking around us rang out as the Yveltal unleashed its wrath on Valhalla. Freya stood back up and ran for the door. "Come on, we need to go!"
I nodded before quickly leaving Soren's side a moment to grab his pokéballs from a table, releasing Finn, Hoodini, Schicksal, and Foxy, before going back over to Soren. "We need to get out of here and Soren needs you guys to help with that, alright? Think you four can carry and guard him?"
They nodded and I stayed with them as we made our way to the door where Freya was waiting. She started moving again once we caught up, still going towards the stairs. "We're meeting the other three on the roof, Slurpy can get us to safety from there."
"Slurpy?" I gave her an odd look. "Please tell me that isn't a person's name."
"Zekrom." Freya answered. "The pokémon Rescue Members have normal names don't worry."
We made it to the roof without incident, other than Soren starting to shift and groan but if he was waking up it was probably a good thing. Slurpy was already waiting with the Rescue Members when we arrived and Freya started helping them get Soren on Slurpy's back while I returned his pokémon to their balls. I was about to join them when Scourge gave a low growl.
"Going somewhere?" Clara called out as she moved towards us, unfazed by the wind and height. "Honchkrow, stop them!"
"Serperior, distract it. Scourge, ember!" I commanded.
Serperior lunged forward, ignoring the teamwork side to the attack and blocking a good spot for Scourge to aim at. The pokémon continued to battle, Clara's getting the upperhand especially as she released more of her pokémon. The roof began cracking as it started buckling under the attacks and weight, which made me stagger back slightly. Serperior was sent back into me as the unfezant and and hawlucha double teamed her. I felt the ground disappear from under me before pain flared through my head, one word burning through my mind as I cried for help: Aether.
I stopped falling as I landed on something and I blinked away my disorientation to see the latios from earlier flying me back up. I looked down below us where Serperior had landed, her body sprawled out and broken on one of the lower levels... why was it the pokémon around me seemed to die?
"Ios..!" Latios glanced back at me and I saw the others flying as well, turning to leave as they saw I was safe.
I pulled out Scourge's ball and returned him before anything could happen to him too. "Alright, follow them, Aether."