I just BS'd and went dumb with the cover lmao
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Cassandra looked about the meeting room of the Vault, taking in the seven new faces. Milo. Nessa. Kabu. Bea. Bede. Gordie. Piers. Raihan made the final Gym Leader, but the others she was meeting for technically the second time. They didn't know her, of course, beyond that she was Leon's girlfriend—the news had spread like wildfire thanks to Raihan—and that she was their link to the foreign Leagues. Of course, that's not why they were all here. Rather, it was time to make their first move against the enemy. To be specific: they were finally going to rescue Hop and Gloria. As such, they'd all been summoned from across Galar, their Gyms left to their subordinates while they discussed matters here with each other and their former Champion and herself.
The redhead couldn't help feeling just a bit out of place, though; even now as they waited for Sonia they were conversing among themselves like old friends, which she supposed they were. The Leaders were all rather closely involved, certainly more-so than back home. Sure, the Johto Leaders knew everyone and would have yearly meetings, but the Galarian group were far more casual. She'd heard many hung out with each other on a regular basis, and some even had their own rivalries such as Nessa—with Milo. Not exactly the best rival to choose considering the type difference, and the fact the grass-type Gym Leader didn't seem to acknowledge the existence of it, but what did she know?
All in all, it made her think of a family, of which she was technically an outsider, too. An "in-law", of sorts, only she was just "the girlfriend".
"So, Cassy, right?" the woman sitting on Leon's left inquired. It was Nessa, her dark skin color and blue highlights that matched her eyes unmistakable.
She chuckled, "Cassandra, or 'Cas for short. Only my mom calls me 'Cassy'."
"I feel you, 'Cas it is. So you're a Champ back home? Or was it Grand Champ? Super Champ? You guys have a lot of titles."
"Ha! Maybe compared to you guys, but it's just Indigo that has the double title thanks to our set up. But, yes, I'm a Grand Champion since I conquered both Johto and Kanto Gyms and beat the Elite Four twice. Since they use a stronger set of Pokemon if you have all sixteen badges, it's considered a huge deal. They throw even more at you than before," she explained, Nessa's brow rising as she did so.
"It's sound complicated, but fun."
"More like time-consuming, traveling two entire regions. It takes at least two years to become a Grand Champ,and that's if you're training religiously. A lot of people just finish one side of the League and they're content with that."
Leon smirked, winking at the woman, "She's just an over achiever."
"So, naturally, they're perfect for each other," Raihan snickered, shooting a toothy grin towards all of them.
"Sorry to butt in, but you've been to other regions, too, right—that's why you know so many Champions?" a young man with pale skin, stocky build, and hair and freckles to match her own asked next. His green eyes were warm, vibrant, and welcoming. He was like a cuddly Teddiursa. It took her a minute, but she remembered he was Milo. He was apparently a Wooloo farmer, and his hat, resting on the table in front of him, certainly matched the profession.
"No, you're fine, and yes—I've been all over my home land's continent. We have Hoenn to the south east, then up towards the north is Sinnoh and Unova. There's other regions I haven't visited yet, but probably will at some point. Galar is the farthest I've ever been from home, though," she chuckled.
"Oh wow. Your culture must be pretty different, huh? Even your accent is."
"Oh, definitely. We're a lot more... hmm... low-key, I guess? We don't have nearly as industrial of settings except in maybe Goldenrod. Although, Kanto's probably a bit more similar to here—they've really been upgrading over the last few years thanks to the speed rail. But Johto still retains a lot of its ancestral feel. Kimonos are even still in fashion back home."
"Are they really?" another voice spoke up, this time belonging to the oldest of the group. He looked probably in his sixties, with his hair a dark gray with white streaks. He had wrinkles as well, but he looked in tip-top shape still. He chuckled at her confused expression, "My apologies. My name is Kabu, the Motostoke Gym Leader. I have family in Johto, although I'm actually from Hoenn myself. I heard you mention both regions, so I was curious."
"Oh! Seriously, you're from across the pond, too?" Cassandra grinned, sitting up.
The older man laughed, "Yes! I was invited decades ago by the Galarian League. I was quite rebellious back then and thought it would be a grand thing to leave home instead of trying to become a Gym Leader there, so I came here. I still visit when I can since my brother lives there, and I have cousins in Johto."
"Oh, wow. Well, to answer your question: Yes, kimonos are still a big deal. The Kimono girls are always immensely popular. I don't know when you left, but Hoenn's been doing good. They survived the incident with the Legendary Pokemon well enough."
"Ah, yes, I was worried there for a while. My brother said the weather suddenly became erratic for some time and then it just suddenly stopped. It was the strangest thing. You say it was a Pokemon?"
She gestured, "I don't know all the specifics, but, yes, the two Pokemon from the legends in the area—do you know them?"
"I'm afraid not. I was never interested in those kinds of thing. I only ever had a mind for Pokemon battles."
"Ha! I see there's a theme going on; I'd say we're all pretty much like there here," she snickered.
"Hey! We got other hobbies," Raihan snorted, putting on a good pout.
Nessa raised a brow, "Clubs and tits don't count, 'Rai."
"Ouch. Well then neither does modeling."
"That totally counts."
"Not if being a fantastic lover doesn't."
Cassandra withheld her snicker as she met Kabu's gaze, "We can chat about home later, if you want? It's kinda nice meeting somehow here from across the pond, too!"
"Likewise. Oh, and I have not said so yet, but your aid in this time is most appreciated."
"Of course. Always happy to put a stop to some evil-doers plans."
"At this point, I'd almost say it's your hobby," Leon grinned, nudging her playfully.
"Pffft. More like my job, although the League doesn't pay me near enough for it," she grumbled, setting her elbow on the table to put her chin into her palm in mock-annoyance.
"You have experience with this kind of thing then?" another Gym Leader piped up. She vaguely recalled his name was Gordia—the Chirchester Gym. If she remembered right, he'd taken over from his mother not long before she'd come to Galar. Last she'd heard, his mom was on some world tour to explore while she was "still young" or something? Whatever the case, that left Gordie as the representative of his gym.
Cassandra nodded, "Yeah, though usually whole organization and not two delusional nut jobs who somehow bribed the populace. They all follow similar patterns, though; like trying to use hostages—and for not taking us out when they could have. They're the showman type. They're trying to make a spectacle of it, but that works in our favor."
"How so?" the white-haired man pressed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Like making enough mistakes for Sonia to find them—and give us time to make a move."
"Hmm, true, that does help," another man spoke, this one the most unique of them all, with this strange, Zebtrika-like hair, and violet-and-black attire mixed with white. He was pale enough to resemble a ghost, and looked like he needed sleep. He had quite the punk aesthetic. "But what even—"
The door to the room opened as he spoke, and Sonia waltzed right in; she didn't even miss a beat as she came to the front of the room where a projector console stood. She attached a laptop to it as she powered up the screen. Leon and the Gym Leaders promptly sat up properly, giving her undivided attention. After all, Sonia had, for all her keeping to herself, holding up the Vault's labs or in Raihan's guest room, been up to a lot of things. Tracking Eternatus' energy to help pinpoint Shieldbert and Swordward was one such thing. The creature might have been their best weapon, but the same energy they used to hurt them left a trail. As such, as soon as she got the results they so desperately wanted, Sonia had summoned them all together here for a meeting. As it stood, she had the projector show-casing a map of Galar, and a red dot in the Wild Area.
"The reason it's taken so long is because, for all their crazy talk, these 'kings' are actually smart. They've made their hideout in the Wild Area, somewhere in the Dusty Bowl. There's plenty of dens in this area giving off energy similar to Eternatus and the wishing stars, so it's made tracking hard to do. However, Eternatus still has a unique signature, and I managed to snag it thanks to all the data from the lab," she explained. "I believe they're actually using a den itself as their base, so it's just a matter of which one. Unfortunately, I can't accurately pinpoint from this range even with the extra video call trace. We have to go the Dusty Bowl if we hope to figure it out."
"Then we should head out at once," Kabu spoke up.
"We need to make a plan first—like who will go and who will stick around to make sure they don't try anything while we're gone. They have spies all around, so even if we get in and go after them, they could send out word for an attack or even warn the Kings," Piers added, earning a few nods. "And I won't leave my city and my sister undefended."
"I'll be going, that's for sure. Hop's my brother and Gloria's my successor. I got them involved in this, I'm going to help get them out," Leon stated, his voice making it clear he wouldn't budge.
"Since 'Cas is going to go with you, naturally," Raihan hummed with a cheeky grin before he put on a serious look, "I'll stick here in Hammerlocke and keep an eye out from this side."
"Kabu, you should watch over Motostoke—it's one of the bigger towns and stands smack dab to the south, so they may target it," Bea added. "I'll follow with Leon and... Cassandra, was it? My Pokémon have a good advantage in that area, and my team has some of the highest physical attack power among us. Allister can watch over our gym while I'm gone."
Gordie hummed, "I worry about our numbers, though. We have a good amount of trainers, but I don't want to spare too many for the den, either. Leon and Cassandra here have the legendary Pokémon, which might help..."
"Or give those assholes what they want—they're after them aren't they?" Nessa questioned, though not harshly.
"Then just send me there, and I'll show you how it's done. I need to give Gloria a piece of my mind anyways, getting caught like that!" the youngest of them growled, Bede, she remembered. She wasn't sure if he meant it, or if he was like Silver and spouting hot air as a rival.
Cassandra sighed, "The three of us will have to do. We can't afford to spare more with the foreign League groups still about a week out thanks to delays. We can try and hope Swordward and Shieldbert won't make a move, but it's no guarantee. They're not going keep staying quiet forever. None of the organizations I had to deal with ever have."
"Do we even know what they're doing?" Gordie frowned, frustration clear behind his shades.
"Eternatus is practically unlimited energy," Sonia hummed. "It could be powering some weapon? Or something that affects Pokémon? It's hard to say—the legend itself never explained much beyond that the Darkest Day was bad enough we needed Zamazenta and Zacian to stop it."
The fighting-type leader smacked her fist on the table, "All the more reason to go find them and stop them before they succeed! We've already wasted too much time doing nothing, and look where it got us! They have Eternatus now!"
"We can't just go barging in, Bea," Kubo, the eldest, scoffed. "You'll have to avoid detection until we find Hop and Gloria, else we risk them getting hurt."
"Then Leon definitely shouldn't go anywhere alone," Piers snorted. "He'll get lost trying to find them."
"Are you seriously cracking that joke right now?" the former Champion snapped, ready to stand up, but Cassandra put an arm on his hand.
The dark-type gestured, "Unfortunately, no. It's not a joke. You are notoriously bad with directions."
"That's where me n' Bea would come in, although a map to find the place would help—along with a way to know the proximity of Eternatus. I bet they're not right next to it, so if we avoid Eternatus during the search we should manage."
"Well, I'm going to be upgrading Leon's Rotom anyways to detect the sources. Bea's, too. Unfortunately, Cassandra, your pokégear can't do much more than call for us when you find something," the ginger professor mused, and she tried not to take that as a personal jab.
"Look, we don't have a lot of time, folks. We need to get Hop and Gloria to safety so we can let loose on these Weedle shits, alright? Our best shot is sending a few in there to find 'em like we have. The rest need to keep on guard out here. We got our volunteers, with two champions among them. I think that suits our needs just fine. But we need to get going now," Raihan suddenly barked, surprising more than a few people. They often forgot he could be quite intimidating when serious, and when he was, people listened.
Kabu sighed, "Fine. But I still suggest you all do so discreetly. Only fight as necessary and try to disguise yourselves. We won't be able to fly to you right away to help if you get into a bind."
"I think we can manage that. I guess we'll meet up with you, Bea, and Sonia you, too, to discuss things further?" Leon spoke, looking between the two women. They nodded.
The Hammerlocke leader stood, "Alright, then the rest of us need to plan how we want to keep in contact and have our own trainers be at the ready. It's not the best, but we have back up coming, so we just have to hold out until then."
And that was how it ended, the parties breaking off; Cassandra and Leon staying behind with Bea and Sonia, the latter of whom worked quickly to upgrade both Rotoms. It thankfully wasn't too difficult, and, sure enough, the map of the region in their phones had a blinking dot in the Dusty Bowl area.
"Alright, you're good to go. Cassandra," the ginger mused, looking her way. The redhead made sure not to be phased by her cool gaze. "Your pokégear is technically not traceable—not in a way they'd suspect. Use it to contact for help or send an SOS or whatever it can do. The Rotom phones should only be used for tracking."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm ready to pulverize those cowards," Bea growled, punching her fist into the palm of her hand. "I brought things to hide myself from the crowd, so I just need to change and then I can go any time."
"We need to go get clothes from Raihan, so meet us at Hammerlock's stairway."
Sonia frowned, "You're going now?"
"Yes," Leon nodded firmly. "Hop and Gloria have waited long enough. The Kings could have finally decided they're not worth it anymore—maybe even done worse to them. We're going. Today."
"I—fine," the woman spat, but then softened. She didn't look at him as she uttered, "Be safe."
"We will. Come on, 'Cas, Bea," he beckoned, and they walked out with him. Cassandra spared a look back, and, once again, felt sorry for Sonia.
But that wouldn't change her feelings for Leon.
There was no time to continue that train of thought as the three trainers hurried back to their abodes to gather their things. Thankfully, Raihan had plenty of extra clothes to use, including hoodies, shades, and hats. By the end of their wardrobe change, Leon only somewhat resembled the ex-Champion once he was in his get up of sweats. Cassandra likewise, made sure her hair was tucked into a bun and held in place with the help of a hat. Slightly baggy clothes were used to hide her exact shape, and a pair of goggles to both obscure her eyes and protect from any sandstorms.
That done, they hurried to meet Bea at the entrance, grabbing their packs of items and gear along the way. The Gym Leader waited for them, clad in long track gear, a hat of her own, and also goggles for the sand. She regarded them briefly, and then motioned.
"Alright, let's go. My Rotom's already out. Can your Charizard handle all three of us?"
"I think so. Two on the back, one carried in his claws. The Duty Bowl is close enough it should be alright, but he'll need a break after."
She nodded, "That's fine. We have to search for the right den anyways."
Leon released his Pokémon, "Alright, bud; what's the verdict? Think you can take us all to Dusty Bowl?"
The Pokémon rumbled as he looked between the three of them. He pondered for a moment, but then nodded and leaned down to let Leon and Cassandra on his back. With them settled he approached the smaller fighter, who turned around and held her limbs out. The lizard-like Pokémon slipped his arms under hers and curled them back in a tight grip. Grunting, he flapped his wings hard, slowly getting them off the ground. It almost seemed the weight might be too much, but then—lift off. Charizard got into the air, just much slower and lower than before. To her credit, Bea stayed incredibly calm despite her legs dangling over open air, the ground far below. She was a tough one.
She luckily didn't need to be tough for long. The small dust area, a mix between savanna and a desert, appeared and Charizard dived down to make a shaky landing near the northern side. He panted lightly, the exertion of carrying three people taking its toll. Leon made sure to give him a potion before returning him to his ball. Bea had already started moving, though, ever to go-getter.
"This way," she called, and they followed.
A light sandstorm was brewing, and the cries of strong Pokémon rang out, but they were left unmolested, which was a boon they needed. Despite the winter season, it was still warm—and dry—in the wasteland. The sand was a bit bothersome, but Bea pressed through without hesitation, following the energy level spikes her Rotom phone kept picking up. They ventured this way and that, passing by a variety of dens, but settled on one that didn't have the usual magenta glow. Normally, that meant the den was empty, but their phones told them quite a different story: there was a lot of energy radiating from within—Eternatus energy.
Bea turned to face them, "This is it. Be ready."
They only nodded, and clambered in. The Gym Leader went first, using her phone to shine a light. Unlike other dens, there was a wide, gentle slope to ground below—like it had been dug out properly and modified. They couldn't see beyond the ground floor, so they slid down carefully. The cave bottom had a ceiling high enough to house even the legendary warriors, and dirt gave way to a proper cobbled stone pathway. Lights lined the now stone walls, and it reminded her of an ancient castle hallway like at Hammerlock. But that would be ridiculous, building a castle underground.
And yet, as they cleared the hallway to the main part of the den, they found just that. There were touches of modern, but the large, stone structure situated in the vast expanse of the den resembled a smaller version of the castle just up on the hill, albeit with less towers. There was also a guard at the entrance, prompting them to take cover behind some boulders.
"We'll have to deal with the security, but we don't want to raise the alarm," Cassandra hummed. "Which means we need to find a way in and the quickest way to Hop and Gloria..."
"Is there anything we can do so the Rotom can find them exactly?" Leon inquired.
Bea hummed, "If he had his phone and we rang it, then maybe? Assuming the two are where they're keeping their things."
"Well, we do need to get their gear," the redhead mused.
"It could be worth a shot, but if we call, they might notice us..."
Cassandra flipped out her pokégear, "Not mine, it doesn't have the same signal. Punch in his number and call it."
Leon did so, letting it ring just long enough for Bea's Rotom to pick up a trace. Thankfully, no one answered the phone and they remained unnoticed behind the boulder.
"Looks like it's in pretty deep. What about Gloria's?"
"I'll call hers, too," Leon replied. Again, they picked up the signal without too much trouble.
The silver-haired woman nodded, "Alright, got it. Looks like the phones together. I can't say the two of them are in the same area, but it's our best shot. Now we need to get in... Hmmm... Alright, I got this. You two act like my underlings, and Leon... you stay quiet and keep as much of yourself hidden."
"Wha—Bea—," the man guffawed, but the gym leader held her hand right up to his ace.
"Not. One. Word. You're in trouble with your superior, so you don't get to talk. Cas, you are, too, but not as bad. Just roll with it and trust me. Now, c'mon, I'll show you how the right attitude can get you anywhere," she smirked, adjusting her attire to hide her appearance better, but she walked on in such a way you wouldn't think she didn't belong here. Cassandra couldn't help smirking; she'd pulled a similar stunt before with Team Rocket, but not nearly as smoothly. She'd still been green back then, but Bea had the kind of fighting spirit that wouldn't let her ever be "green" it seemed.
She and Leon followed behind, and although the Gym Leader was confident, the redhead did worry a little as they drew closer and closer. The guard, of course, noticed, and stopped them immediately.
"Who are you—."
Bea was quick to interrupt, "Are you serious? Ugh, okay, look, I know I'm not in uniform but excuse me for having to rush back here after we finished our work because otherwise those asshole Gym Leaders would have caught onto things. And excuse me if we didn't have time to change. And excuuuse me if we just had to go walking through an Arceus-forsaken sandstorm to get back! Do you know how much sand I have in places it should never be?! So, you're damn right you don't recognize us because we're filthy, tired, and want to go take a freaking shower!"
"Boss, that's—," Cassandra started, but the gym leader whirled and jabbed a finger at her.
"Not a word. Especially from you, you worthless idiot!" she snapped to the redhead and then to Leon, who held his arms up in surrender. The guard, to his credit, kept quiet—if only because the situation was incredibly awkward for him. He did cough, though, returning Bea's attention to him. She growled, "What?!"
"Go... Go on in. Sorry."
"Damn right. Get your asses moving you two, I'm about to show you what happens when you can't do one simple thing right!" she snapped again, waltzing on through. Cassandra and Leon glanced at once another, and then slunk by, shoulders and heads down like scolded Growlithes. The guard didn't make eye contact, perhaps wanting to avoid suffering Bea's wrath, too. That worked in their favor, though. Once inside and around the corner, the Gym Leader paused to turn around, and grinned confidently at them. She even added a thumbs up, "Told ya. Now, follow me. Signal seems to be on this side."
They did so obediently, preferring to not talk much and just follow the phone's guide. Occasionally other people would show up, but they were clad in normal garbs and didn't seem to notice anything amiss. It was a strange place, filled with seemingly ordinary people and only a few dressed as what could be considered guards. The castle was a maze of hallways, and the tension was thick as they pressed further and further into enemy territory until, at last they found where the signal was strongest. There was a guard in front of the door, though, one who was not nearly as welcoming.
"Hey, you're not supposed to be here!" he snapped, stepping forward with a baton ready as Bea approached. He almost said something more, but she suddenly struck, slamming her fist into his neck. He choked on the words, dropping his weapon and reaching towards his throat with haggard, pained gasps. She followed up with a fierce strike to his groin. He couldn't even screech, his eyes rolling back as he passed out from the pain.
"Dear Arceus, that was harsh," Leon winced as Bea pat the man down and found his key card.
"He would alarm the base otherwise. Besides, we need his card," she mused as she tapped the door's lock with it, opening it. They entered a holding room for items first, the signal leading them to not just one, but both phones tucked away in a container. It was practically a miracle, but the two teens' pokéballs were left with their phones and bags. The Pokémon were being kept in some subdued state inside by the look of things, but they were alright. That just left their trainers.
"Here, let's try this door," Cassandra motioned. The Gym Leader handed her the key and she opened it. To their relief, there were, indeed, cells. Most were empty, but not far from the end two cells each held one occupant.
"Hop!" Leon bellowed, slamming his hands onto the door as he spotted his brother inside. A groan was the response, the young man having been asleep. He mumbled his older brother's name while the Leon motioned quickly for the key. To his dismay, it didn't work, but that was going to stop him. He grabbed a pokéballs from his belt, "Aegislash, take that door out!"
The Pokémon flared from it's containment, and with a quick slash, cut clean through the metal. The door had barely crumbled before Leon burst through, almost tripping on the way to his brother, who sat up groggily.
"'Lee...?" he rumbled, his voice slurred, as if he were still half-asleep or drunk. His movement were equally unbalanced. It made Cassandra think he'd been drugged.
"Hop! Hop! Oh, Arceus, Hop you're okay! Or did they hurt you? Are you hurt anywhere?!" the older brother rasped, checking over the younger teen quickly. His brother grumbled, weakly trying to get rid of the nosy hands.
"Get're.... off," he grumbled.
Cassandra glanced between him and the other door. Aegislash was thankfully willing to listen and cut that one down, too. Inside was a young teenaged girl. Her brown hair was down to her shoulders and she wore the trademark shirt if the champion, with light colored pants to match with her hat. The redhead recognized Gloria easily, but unlike her companion, she was fully conscious, and very confused. She stepped back when they approached, uncertain, until Bea seemed to understand, and pulled off her hood. Only then did recognition pass the teen's face and she came forward. The Gym leader held out the girl's pack and gear to her.
"Bea! Leon! Hop was drugged—he was fighting back too much, so they gave him some kind of sleeping powder," she explained as she gathered her things, slipping on a coat and her pokéball belt.
"I have a full heal. It's meant for Pokémon, but it might work—just give him a little though," Cassandra spoke up, coming by Leon's side. In her hand, she held out a small vial. He took it and held it to Hop's lips. The young man was reluctant, but when he got some in, Hop coughed it down. The effects were almost immediate, but even then the young man was still groggy as he regained some composure; enough to put on a jacket himself and his belt, anyways.
"How... did yo... find usss, bro?" he groaned.
Leon kept a strong hand on his brother's back, "Sonia found where this place was, and then we tracked your phone. We got lucky that it was all in the same place. We need to leave, though—now."
"They have Eternatus—they're doing terrible things to it! Its energy is unstable; it's been gone from the lab too long," Gloria cursed, shaking her head. "We have to rescue it!"
"We're going to try, but we have to regroup with the other Gym Leaders and figure out what to do. If they release it, we do have Zacian and Zamazenta to help," Cassandra explained, and the two younger trainers blinked in surprise.
"What!?" the young girl gasped. "You have Zacian?"
"Zama... here?" Hop mumbled.
"I didn't think anyone else would... no, it's fine," the girl shook her head. "Okay, how do we escape then?"
Suddenly, the alarm blared.
"Fuck," Cassandra hissed. "They know we're here. We've got to make a break for it."
"Hop, can you run?" Leon asked, but his brother's stumbling steps were enough of an answer. He cursed as the redhead pulled out her Arcanine.
"Put him on, Arc will keep him safe," she spoke, and he complied. She urged Gloria up behind him. "Your Pokémon haven't recovered yet, so you keep Hop steady, alright? We'll protect you guys on the way out."
"Alright, we're counting on. I got you, Hop," the teen nodded, taking hold of Arcanine's mane tightly with her arms wrapped securely around her friend.
Bea took the lead, bringing out her Machamp, "Alright, follow me. I remember the way out."
"We're right behind you. Lucario, come on out to help," the redhead called. Combined with the Machamp and Aegislash, it was a good team for close combat. Still, that wasn't going to make the fight to freedom any easier. The original guard was still down, but more were sure to follow. They were ready, though, and by the time the first showed up, Machamp was quick to knock them back. They didn't particularly want to hurt them badly, but enough to take them out. There were a lot of them, though, so they pushed and fought, slashing, kicking, and punching their way through and even blasting Pokémon with a flamethrower from Arcanine as needed.
As such, they finally managed to burst through the entrance after what felt forever, surprising the outside guard. They were free at last, and with a clear way back to the entrance. At least, that had been their hope. It was squandered as two familiar Braviaries swooped overhead and landed down with a terrible gust that almost knocked them all backwards. They shrieked at them, puffing up high to intimidate as they allowed their riders to disembark: the "Kings" of Galar.
The pressure from before was there, and without being called, Zacian and Zamazenta appeared in their golden armor, howling loudly in challenge. They growled at the two, brandishing their weapons.
"Well, well... I admit I did not think you lot so bold. Yet, here. You. Are," Shieldbert spat, Eternatus' ball held tight in his left hand. It's energy pulsed, and the air felt thick. Heavy. Cassandra could see the slight grimace in the legendaries' features.
"What can I say? We just couldn't stay away. I hadn't gotten to see your ugly mugs yet either," Bea snapped while her Machamp bellowed in challenge.
"Watch yourself, peon. You think you succeeded because you rescued the brats? Eternatus' power is ours to control now, and you are in our domain!" Swordward snarled, drawing his blade. "You will not win."
"Yeah, you think that," Cassandra snapped back. "Zacian!"
The Pokémon responded, blade flaring to unleash a blast of her power. It threw the kings back and knocked down their Braviary, which squawked in pain. The two men scrambled to their feet, and Swordward pressed the button on his device. Eternatus' pokéball flared, and, like before, a wave of energy blew forth at them.
Leon bellowed, "Zamazenta!"
The legendary leaped forward to brace with his shield armor, summoning a wall of light appeared to take on the attack. He stood firm, but the Pokémon still struggled greatly as tendrils of energy flared about, leaving a heavy static in the air. Zacian snarled, flinching and wincing at whatever the energy was doing to her. The blast finally dissipated against Zamazenta's stalwart move, but left him panting after enduring the harsh energy.
"Eternatus' energy is too strong! We have to get out!" Gloria hissed, both fear and pain in her voice.
"She's right—even I can tell we can't win this here," Bea growled. "Looks like we're busting our way out. Machamp! Time to Gigantamax!"
The Pokémon roared energetically and braced itself as Bea activated the bracelet on her wrist. It flared brightly, and she focused on the bond with her Pokémon—but nothing happened. She frowned and tried again.
Nothing.
"What!?"
Gloria paled, "It's Eternatus' energy. It's strong enough to stop Gigantamax!"
Shieldbert bellowed with laughter, "Yes, that's right! Despair, for you have no hope of beating us as long as we have Eternatus! Even now you are surrounded!"
Sure enough, their trainers from within the castle were beginning to come forth. They would be surrounded by Pokémon with Eternatus' power blocking their way. They were trapped, and no way out but the one entrance.
"What do we do?" Leon hissed.
Cassandra's mind worked hard. It was, without doubt, the worst situation she'd been in, and she'd almost died a few weeks ago. The League wasn't here yet. The other Gym Leaders were too far away to help, and they couldn't be sure they could even get a call out down here. There were too many trainers to face, Hop was still groggy, both his and Gloria's Pokémon weren't ready to fight, Zacian and Zamazenta could hold back Eternatus' energy, but not forever, and their regular Pokémon certainly couldn't handle a direct hit. Worse still, no Gigantamax or Dynamax meant neither Leon nor Bea's Pokémon could super-size and create a massive advantage.
So, what could they do? They had no way out.
Unless—but, no, it was crazy.
Yet, what else was there?
"Who else has a Pokémon that knows Hyperbeam? Or Earthquake or something?" she spoke quietly, but enough others could hear.
"Not mine," Bea answered.
"Both Haxorus and Rhyperior know it."
"Good, then how many know protect?"
"All of mine," the Gym Leader nodded.
Leon replied, "Aegishield has a special shield move, and so can Rillaboom—what are you thinking?"
"Well, you're not gonna like it, but—"
"Watch out!" Gloria shouted, pointing. Just as she said so, the kings unleashed another wave, blocked this time by Zacian parrying with her blade and Zamazenta his shield. Again the Pokémon suffered for it. From behind, Arcanine and Machamp fired off blows at the rear, a mixture of fire and boulders, warding off the first wave of trainers. It wasn't going to last long, though.
"Get all your Pokémon out now! We're going to blast our way to the surface and bury this damned place!" Cassandra hissed, urging her team free. "We use big hitters to blast, the rest to guard from the aftermath."
"You're crazy!" Bea rasped, eyes widening.
Gloria shook her head, "There's no way that'll work!"
"It's our only shot!" the redhead barked back.
Leon grimaced, "Alright, let's do it—you wouldn't suggest it otherwise, and I don't have any ideas."
"We'll be buried alive!" the Gym Leader snapped.
"Not if we have as many as we can using protect or a guard. Leon, are your guys ready? We need to give ourselves time and make their goons back off. Zacian and Zama are the only ones that can handle Eternatus"
"I can do that—Rillaboom knows a little something."
We will stand firm. Do what you must! the sword-wielder snarled.
Zamazenta growled, But be quick!
"Fine! Fine! Just tell us when!" Bea snapped, not the least bit happy with things.
"Alright," Cassandra nodded, and motioned to Gloria and Hop. "First, you two get off so Arcanine can do his thing. The rest of you, bring everyone out."
All trainers did as told, only Goria and Hop keeping their teams in their balls. Pokémon surrounded their trainers protectively, snarling and growling at the enemy. Zacian and Zamazenta stood at the head, facing the two "kings", while Leon sent Rillaboom to take on the crowd of trainers.
"First things first, Boltund, Use Helping Hand. Arcanine give us a Howl!" she motioned to her Pokémon, who barked in compliance. Boltund paused to take in energy, and then, in unison with Arcanine, let loose a mighty howl that echoed through the chamber. The allies around them barked and chirped and whooped, their battle vigor increased along with their power. She looked to Eternatus, the kings smirking as they readied another go. So. They had to take time between hits. Good. "Zacian, go, now!"
The Pokémon unleashed her blade once again, briefly throwing the two off guard, but they countered with a blast from Eternatus, that was weakened by the attack, but only Zamazenta's shield could properly dispel it. Meanwhile, Cassandra looked to Leon, who nodded.
"Rillaboom, Boomburst, now!" he bellowed, and his Pokémon let out a savage shriek before it began to slam down hard rapidly on its drum. It grew louder and louder until the grass-type let out an overwhelming roar that made the ground shake and forced the trainers back from the pain in their ear drums and pressure of it.
This was it.
Their moment.
"Everyone—Hyper Beam!" Cassandra commanded, pointing towards the ceiling closer to where they'd entered. The roof wasn't that far away, which meant the attack would clearly hit. Leon repeated her command, and, in nearly the same moment, Lapras, Tyranitar, Rhyperior and Haxorus each fired off a massive, powerful beam of golden light. All struck home, blasting into the thinner side of the rock face and drug across the ceiling this way and that. One beam alone might not have been enough, but with the combined attack of all four Pokémon, the rock cracked and burst in a booming explosion. The earth groaned immediately after, and the ground began to shake even without a move being used. Confusion rang out through the area, and even the Kings looked concerned. Then the first rock fell. A massive slab of granite snapped and toppled from the ceiling, landing not far away from where they were. The Kings yelped, retreating. They glared fiercely, but before they could try to retaliate, another rock fell. And then another and another until it was clear the cave was starting to collapse.
"'Cas! What's the plan!?" Leon shouted, concerned as smaller rocks and dust began to fall on them.
"Everyone gather close and get protect or any guard you have up! We have to hold it for as long as possible! Hurry!"
The trainers wasted no time coming close, as did their Pokémon, all of which that knew a protective move threw up a barrier of some kind. Zamazenta followed in suit, a glowing light encompassing the huddled group, which withstood the most massive chunks of rock that had begun to fall. Beyond the barrier, the enemy trainers began to panic and run, though not always in time. Some followed their lead and raised barriers, risking burial over being crushed right away. Through the chaos, Cassandra saw the Kings fleeing, calling back their Braviaries to rush to the exit. A boulder crashed down into her line of sight, and she lost them.
They were completely covered soon enough, buried beneath the heavy stones and dirt and sand from on high. The groaning and quakes and shaking went on forever, and she could tell the Pokémon were strained. It was taking everything they had to keep their shields up, and Zamazenta was carrying the brunt. He was strong, though, and soon the world quieted beyond the sounds of their Pokémon's struggle and muted clicks and clacks of rock debris
Bea coughed, some dust inevitably getting in, "N-now what? We're buried alive!"
"We Hyper Beam out, and if Zacian can use her blade, that, too. Keep shields up in case it's not stable enough," she coughed back.
"You heard her—let's give it another go," the ex-champion nodded, and, once more, those that knew the powerful move let loose, this time focusing towards the roof of their shields, keeping to one spot. The intrinsic ability to attack from inside going out worked in their favor, the beams passing through without strain on those working shields. The rocks above were blasted away, creating a hole. I wasn't the biggest one, but sunlight shot through.
My turn, Zacian growled, and, with a bark from her brother, she leaped upon his back to shoot up at the roof. With a powerful swing, she slashed the blade into the rocks, bursting them apart. The debris went flying, and the rocks that had settled on the side toppled down. Sunlight hit them in full this time, blinding them, but it was a relief. Shields dropped, and Pokémon slumped from the exertion.
"Holy shit, that worked. You're crazy! You're Arceus-forsaken crazy!" Bea laughed, hysterically, in relief, falling to her rear on a nearby boulder.
"That was brilliant—but don't ever do it again!" Leon chuckled, embracing her quickly before moving to Hop, who was a little better. "We need to get you to a hospital."
Cassandra nodded, "Hurry and take him with Charizard. Gloria, you, too, if you're hurt."
The girl shook her head, "They didn't hurt me, I'll be fine the normal way. Hurry and get Hop taken care of. Just let me know where so I can meet up with you."
"Will do, come on guys," the former champion beckoned, returning all but Charizard. The lizard whined at the sight of the younger brother, and so was eager to take off once Leon was settled with his brother on his back. They flew off quickly, leaving the three other trainers.
"Arcanine can probably carry all of us," the redhead mused, but was surprised when Zacian approached.
You may ride me.
"You're... sure?"
Yes. You are my Chosen I am at your disposal. Send the other two with your Arcanine.
"Okay, uh, Bea, Gloria, Arcanine will take you, just hold on tight," she explained, returning all but their two "rides". Loading up was simple enough, Gloria holding onto Arcanine's mane while the Gym Leader wrapped her arms around the CHampion. She noted the younger trainer watched her as she mounted Zacian, climbing up onto her back and grasping hold of the looser fur on her neck.
"Ready?" she asked, and the other two nodded.
Hold on tight, Zacian smirked, and she sped off a lot faster than expected.
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I always forget Zacian is like 14 ft tall lmao
But hey Gloria and Hop are safe! :D We get to catch up with them next chapter :'> Also, I had fun playing with Pokemon abilities for this chap lol