{"sf1_id":371546,"sf2_id":"dmBbQqam","title":"A Trainer's Tale - Chapter 28","author":"FoxStriker25","words":16456,"posted_at":"2012-04-30T20:16:00.000Z","tags":["Gardevoir","Human","Mismagius","Pokemon","deoxys","houndoom","milotic"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/371546-a-trainer-s-tale-chapter-28","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/dmBbQqam","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/3e/60/3e60f5f1-fede-4b5e-8fa1-1f69f2d2f0da","description":"#28 of A Trainer's Tale\n\nFox: I'll just leave this here.  There's a few nods to things.  Don't worry if ...","content":"Fox: I'll just leave this here.\u0026nbsp; There's a few nods to things.\u0026nbsp; Don't worry if things go over your head.\u0026nbsp; They may be explained at a later point in time.\n\nBrimcon: _\"I who stand in the full light..\"_\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nChapter 28: Gilded Cage\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So let me get this straight.\" Joy said, stopping the current conversation.\u0026nbsp; She grabbed her soda and slurped some noisily before continuing.\u0026nbsp; \"She battled you, not the other way around, right?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes, that's right.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And she gave you her badge, fully knowing that it's against all Pokémon League regulations to do so when you told her that you were a breeder.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded, confused as to where this was going.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Fuck yes!\u0026nbsp; You can challenge other gym leaders now, you know that?\u0026nbsp; Officially, you're recognized as a challenger!\" she said excitedly.\u0026nbsp; \"Think about it!\u0026nbsp; You could go to the Kanto League and fight Lance!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why would I do that?\" I asked, perplexed.\u0026nbsp; \"I don't want to fight the guy.\u0026nbsp; All I want to do is get some answers.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think she means that by going this way you can get the chance to talk to him.\" Jon explained, leaning back on his chair.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shrugged.\u0026nbsp; \"Maybe.\u0026nbsp; They could just as easily tell me that they can't get in contact with him and postpone the match.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We won't know until we try!\" she exclaimed.\u0026nbsp; It sounded like something Zin would say.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I still think we should investigate the Cerulean Cave.\u0026nbsp; At the very least it will clarify, to me, what Lance was looking for inside.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you think it matters?\" Joy asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think it does.\u0026nbsp; Whatever keeps happening, it's around us all the time anyway.\u0026nbsp; We might as well know at least what the champions are looking into.\" I answered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And what if it's just a pile of shit.\" Joy said, narrowing her eyes at me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI hesitated for a moment, but settled on shrugging.\u0026nbsp; \"If that's the case, then at the very least we know that was a dead end and Agatha gets the laugh of her lifetime.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy sighed, shaking her head.\u0026nbsp; \"You're not dragging me in there, if that's what you were thinking.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You don't have to come.\" Jon said with a laugh.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm not going either.\u0026nbsp; So whenever you decide to go, good luck.\"  \n \u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thanks.\" I said, rolling my eyes.\u0026nbsp; \"Somehow, I think I'll need it.\u0026nbsp; Anyway, it's starting to get late, so I'll see you two in the Pokémon Center.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey nodded as they turned their focus onto their food.\u0026nbsp; Though I ended up talking more than they did, my food was served first.\u0026nbsp; Either way, it was good to know that they were both safe.\u0026nbsp; Better in Cerulean City than in the middle of Victory Road.\u0026nbsp; Especially with those guards around the airspace, too.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was already late afternoon.\u0026nbsp; The once blue sky was now painted with vivid shades of orange and magenta.\u0026nbsp; A soft breeze kept the temperature on the cooler side of things.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't complaining, that's for sure.\u0026nbsp; The restaurant, oddly enough, didn't promote Pokémon within the premises so it was just me for now.\u0026nbsp; As much as the company would be appreciated, the thought of an angry female Pokémon settled in favor of leaving them be.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy thoughts drifted as I walked back to the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; The park wasn't as populated as earlier today, but perhaps that's due to how late it is.\u0026nbsp; Either way, people were still walking around.\u0026nbsp; A group of people, either family or friends, gathered around a few tables and having a good time.\u0026nbsp; Pangs of loneliness hit me, but were quickly suppressed.\u0026nbsp; The sight made me miss my parents.\u0026nbsp; I wondered if they've finished that last book yet.\u0026nbsp; Either case, the urge to give up on this wild chase was high.\u0026nbsp; But as much as I wanted to see my parents, what would be the odds of more weird things happening around me?\u0026nbsp; Putting them in danger would be inexcusable.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlso, I'm pretty sure that there has to be some world-wide Pokémon trainer and breeder registry.\u0026nbsp; If there would be any reason for Kanto or Johto to put me down as a Poképhiliac, there would be no way that I'd be able to even visit Sinnoh.\u0026nbsp; Thinking about it, I don't know how anyone would tell.\u0026nbsp; Unless one of the Nurse Joy's said something behind my back.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'm pretty sure that Joy wouldn't be able to contain herself if she knew.\u0026nbsp; If anything, just to get some kind of reaction from me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe walk was uneventful.\u0026nbsp; When I reached the doors to the Pokémon Center, my feet stopped moving.\u0026nbsp; It didn't stop them from opening automatically, but I turned around and walked back into the growing night.\u0026nbsp; Street lamps illuminated the darkness, but the sun was already hiding beyond the slopes of Mount Moon.\u0026nbsp; It would be only a matter of minutes before the sky was fully enveloped in night.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor a moment, the thought that Mist was making me do this came to mind.\u0026nbsp; I sadly remembered that no, she wasn't inside of me.\u0026nbsp; She was still within her Pokéball.\u0026nbsp; My hands wandered to my belt, where the devices were fastened securely.\u0026nbsp; How did my hands know which Pokéball to grab?\u0026nbsp; While I still walked, my fingers went to one of the devices.\u0026nbsp; Here was hoping that my choice was the correct Pokémon.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe bright red flash blinded me momentarily, leaving behind blinking spots in my vision.\u0026nbsp; They finally settled down on two glowing yellow spots in the darkness.\u0026nbsp; I sighed in relief, knowing that I released who I intended to.\u0026nbsp; Akalia rubbed against my legs, her purring making my legs shake under the attention.\u0026nbsp; She didn't question why, standing next to me.\u0026nbsp; Her glowing eyes were the only indication that she was paying any attention.\u0026nbsp; I kneeled down and ran my hands through her fur.\u0026nbsp; She continued to purr loudly until I stopped.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Lux?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I just thought you would like the walk.\" I said with a chuckle.\u0026nbsp; \"You're more than welcome to lead the way if you want.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHer star shaped tail sparked momentarily before settling to glowing a bright yellow.\u0026nbsp; I followed the bobbing yellow star as it walked forward ahead of me.\u0026nbsp; It didn't seem that Akalia had anywhere specific in mind.\u0026nbsp; She would stop and turn to make sure that I was still behind her.\u0026nbsp; Her tail would stop moving while she turned to look at me with her glowing eyes.\u0026nbsp; It would be an unnerving experience for me if it was another Luxray.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe street lamps were allowing me to see easily now, but Akalia's glowing tail didn't disappear from view.\u0026nbsp; She continued walking and I followed through the darkness that was all encompassing.\u0026nbsp; The sky was devoid of any glow from the sun and only the street lights and Akalia's tail shed any light.\u0026nbsp; Building lights slowly turned on, the city night life beginning to awaken.\u0026nbsp; Time seemed to pass by quickly as I followed Akalia wherever she wanted.\u0026nbsp; People and their Pokémon passed by us, some ignoring us while others greeted us with a kind smile or a nod.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy arms were grabbed from behind me.\u0026nbsp; I struggled immediately, but stopped when Misty laughed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What are you doing out here by yourself?\" she asked from behind me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Let me go and I'll answer.\"  \n \u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's alright.\u0026nbsp; I'm sure that your Luxray can answer for you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nLooking around, Akalia wasn't in sight.\u0026nbsp; Something soft rubbed against my leg.\u0026nbsp; My eyes traveled downward, spotting the Luxray next to me.\u0026nbsp; One of her paws pressed against my leg as she shook her head.\u0026nbsp; Misty let go of my arms, and I had to fight the urge to retaliate or run.\u0026nbsp; Turning to face my assailants, Misty and her three sisters were standing behind me.\u0026nbsp; All three of them were wearing shorts and a matching shirt to go with their hair.\u0026nbsp; Neither of them struck me as Noctowls, but neither was I and look at me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMisty looked at her sisters for a moment.\u0026nbsp; \"Let me talk to him for a moment.\u0026nbsp; I'll be back.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe grabbed me by the arm, dragging me along the sidewalk.\u0026nbsp; Akalia let out some kind of annoyed growl, but she quickly walked ahead of us.\u0026nbsp; Her tail still glowed brighter than the lights above.\u0026nbsp; It looked like we were walking in random directions, taking a right turn to go behind some buildings and and left to cross the road.\u0026nbsp; As we walked, more people became visible as the night life started up by its own accord.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSooner than I thought, the buildings began to thin out with the lights associated with city life.\u0026nbsp; Only Akalia's light brightened the immediate area.\u0026nbsp; Misty pressed closer to me for a moment as my body shivered.\u0026nbsp; Arceus above, please don't tell me what my overactive brain thinks she'll say.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I know that you're thinking about going inside the Cerulean Cave and all.\u0026nbsp; I just wanted to give you my thoughts on the matter.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed in relief.\u0026nbsp; At least that fear is put to rest.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The Cerulean Cave used to be under lock and key by the Kanto and Johto Pokémon League.\u0026nbsp; Dangerous Pokémon used to live there.\u0026nbsp; Wild ones that wouldn't mind killing a human.\u0026nbsp; Only the strongest trainers were allowed in, and even then some don't make it out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"About three years ago, almost all activity inside the cave stopped.\u0026nbsp; No Pokémon were reported coming in or out, and exploring the caves yielded little to no information about their whereabouts.\u0026nbsp; No bodies were found and signs of life were few and far between.\u0026nbsp; It just looked like every single Pokémon residing inside decided to up and leave at the exact same time.\u0026nbsp; During these investigations, odd writings were discovered where there was previously none.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Here in Kanto, there are no Unown experts to translate.\u0026nbsp; Even Professor Oak was stumped when asked about what was going on.\u0026nbsp; Bringing in Professor Elm from Johto only complicated the problem.\u0026nbsp; The translation, according to Professor Elm, was a single sentence.\u0026nbsp; 'He is coming'.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Anything else you find in there will be news to me.\u0026nbsp; Nobody else has gone inside since Professor Elm went inside or before Lance.\u0026nbsp; Maybe some strange things happened in that time.\u0026nbsp; I have no idea.\u0026nbsp; Whatever you find, all I want is that you be careful.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stood silent next to Misty, absorbing the information as quickly as I could.\u0026nbsp; He is coming.\u0026nbsp; What would that mean?\u0026nbsp; Is it connected to Arceus?\u0026nbsp; It is written in the language of the Unown, after all.\u0026nbsp; It could have many meanings, but normally other deific Pokémon have some kind of honorific or are outright named.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Something on your mind?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMisty's questions shook me out of my reverie.\u0026nbsp; \"I was thinking as to why it just said 'He', is all.\u0026nbsp; Normally, when referring to a deific Pokémon in Unown, it's either written with a name or title.\u0026nbsp; With just the 'He' though, it's harder to pin down.\u0026nbsp; Maybe physically seeing the writing may give more clues.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nFrom the light of Akalia's tail, Misty smile could barely be noticed.\u0026nbsp; \"Good.\u0026nbsp; Don't want you dying before I can kick your ass thoroughly.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Wouldn't dream of it, Misty.\" I said while shaking my head.\u0026nbsp; \"Your audience would be disappointed if we didn't give them the chance to watch.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMisty turned and walked back into the city proper.\u0026nbsp; We followed her, seeing as we had nothing else better to do at the moment.\u0026nbsp; She turned to us and smiled again.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'll leave you two alone.\" she said, waving my way.\u0026nbsp; \"My sisters will end up wondering what's taking so long and think we ended up having sex in the woods or something.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI could feel the warmth on my cheeks when I stopped moving.\u0026nbsp; She stopped me from saying anything with a very childlike giggle.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Didn't know you were hot under the collar for me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I haven't even said anything!\" I exclaimed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's what you _don't_ say that's sometimes the important things.\" she said gently.\u0026nbsp; \"Though I can tell that there's someone else that you care about.\u0026nbsp; You don't strike me as one of _those_ kinds of guys, either.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI took a deep breath, feeling the air fill my lungs.\u0026nbsp; My breathing was ragged.\u0026nbsp; Must have been holding my breath there for a moment or two unconsciously.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You should get some rest if you're serious of going in there, though.\" Misty warned as she turned away from us.\u0026nbsp; \"Regardless of what's been reported, it's better to be prepared.\u0026nbsp; Going exhausted would be a death wish.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded as we watched Misty continue on her own back into the city proper.\u0026nbsp; Looking over to Akalia, she nodded in Misty's direction approvingly.\u0026nbsp; I raised an eyebrow in curiosity when she shook her head and growled at me.\u0026nbsp; Any words that were to be said died in my mouth.\u0026nbsp; She immediately looked hurt, rubbing against my leg and purring loudly.\u0026nbsp; Smiling at her, I knelt down to scratch behind her ears.\u0026nbsp; After a moment, she pulled away from me as her tail moved to and fro.\u0026nbsp; Like a moth bound to flame, I followed Akalia's lead back into the city.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe took our time, enjoying the walk and each others company.\u0026nbsp; Akalia would look back to me on occasion, as if to make sure I was still following her.\u0026nbsp; People began to appear as we delved back inside Cerulean City.\u0026nbsp; Passing the PokéMart, the time was displayed next to the building.\u0026nbsp; As it read around nine, Misty's words echoed about having enough rest.\u0026nbsp; It looked like Akalia had the same thought process when she looked at the time.\u0026nbsp; Her pace quickened, and I was glad to be able to keep up.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAt the very least, I didn't have to haul around all my stuff this time.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEntering the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy waved at us with a smile.\u0026nbsp; I waved back as the phone rang.\u0026nbsp; She answered it with practiced ease, smiling at me as she put her attention on the caller.\u0026nbsp; Akalia continued to walk in the direction of our room.\u0026nbsp; The door opened at the slightest touch.\u0026nbsp; Taking a look inside, relief flooded in me when all was quiet.\u0026nbsp; Akalia's glow brightened enough of the room to let me see that neither Joy or Jonathan were here.\u0026nbsp; My Luxray jumped on our bed, quickly making herself comfortable.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sat next to her as she shook her head.\u0026nbsp; She climbed on my lap, her head pushing against my chest until I lay flat on the bed.\u0026nbsp; She calmed down only when my eyes closed and my hands scratched her head.\u0026nbsp; Her rumbling purrs helped me relax quickly, and sleep overtook me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n======================//////////////////////============================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSong, Akalia, and Iolanthe all insisted that they accompanied me inside the Cerulean Cave outside of their Pokéballs.\u0026nbsp; In truth, everyone did.\u0026nbsp; Zin being one of the more vocal ones, and Mist constantly reminding me to think about everyone.\u0026nbsp; Song eventually came with the compromise that three would accompany me and summon everyone as soon as trouble hinted its face.\u0026nbsp; Zin didn't readily appreciate it, but at least she agreed.\u0026nbsp; She came extremely closeto burning my pants, though.\u0026nbsp; The only thing I brought with me was my flashlight, as we weren't leaving Cerulean City yet.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJust as Misty claimed, the cave seemed entirely empty.\u0026nbsp; The only sounds I could hear came from us.\u0026nbsp; No one was standing guard outside, either.\u0026nbsp; Zubats, notorious for their overpopulation in cave systems, didn't make any appearance.\u0026nbsp; I half expected a gigantic Pokémon to move from the shadows but nothing appeared.\u0026nbsp; My thumb clicked on the flashlight, the light displaying more of the ruined cave than anything.\u0026nbsp; Signs of inhabitation were there, but how long ago is up to discussion.\u0026nbsp; Alongside a wall of rock taller than Song is, steps led the way.\u0026nbsp; Looking upwards and pointing my flashlight to the ceiling, numerous stalactites could barely be seen.\u0026nbsp; Curiously, not many counterpart stalagmites were on the ground.\u0026nbsp; Cleared, perhaps, by the previous residents?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Something feels odd, Master.\" Io mentioned, standing next to me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I agree.\u0026nbsp; It feels very strange that this place be so clean.\" I said, nodding.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe continued forward, going up the steps and into another open area.\u0026nbsp; It was small, compared to the previous area back down the stairs.\u0026nbsp; However, there were more stairs leading back down again.\u0026nbsp; Walking towards one of these stairs lead to a tunnel blocked by a cave-in.\u0026nbsp; The deed seemed purposefully done, as chunks of stone were missing from the walls above and around the entrance.\u0026nbsp; My hands touched the boulders, pushing lightly.\u0026nbsp; The smallest stones above didn't flinch, and I didn't want to actively find out what would be on the other side.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe went back up and tried our luck going down another set of stairs.\u0026nbsp; I was grateful that the entrance of the Cerulean Cave was visible on our way back up.\u0026nbsp; The thought of some kind of weird fantasy loop that would make this a death trap sprung up and quickly suppressed.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe's eyes were quickly drawn up to me but I shook my head.\u0026nbsp; A smile and a deep breath seemed to ease her worry as she took a more relaxed stance.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nGoing down this set of stairs led to a flat area with a few boulders around us.\u0026nbsp; Song gripped her staff tightly as she stood next to me.\u0026nbsp; The light from the flashlight would go over a rock or two, but nothing else obscured our vision.\u0026nbsp; Again, no signs of life could be detected.\u0026nbsp; Looking down at Akalia, the Luxray seemed confused.\u0026nbsp; Admittedly, I felt the same way of this place as well.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe took a left turn, following the stonewall forward.\u0026nbsp; Spotting what looked like another cave entrance, we walked towards it in hopes of finding out what happened here.\u0026nbsp; At the very least, finding where these mysterious Unown writings were.\u0026nbsp; Maybe I should have asked Misty where they were, or if she knew the general layout of the cave.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nScratching my head with my free hand, we discovered that the entrance wasn't blocked.\u0026nbsp; My eyes met Song's briefly, and she nodded.\u0026nbsp; Her grip tightened on her staff, taking the first steps forward.\u0026nbsp; Akalia walked next to me as one of Io's tentacles rested on my shoulder.\u0026nbsp; My footsteps echoed loudly in the cramped tunnel.\u0026nbsp; I didn't have trouble walking through it, but all three of my Pokémon were walking almost on top of me.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe's body was almost pressed against my own, and Song's staff kept hitting my legs on accident.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nReaching the end of the tunnel, a few stalagmites were immediately visible.\u0026nbsp; As we approached them, some had very odd markings carved on them.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't Unown writing, but it was similar to it.\u0026nbsp; Song stood next to me, her fingers roaming through my hair softly.\u0026nbsp; I raised an eyebrow at her, but continued to focus on the odd markings.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you think we found what the other humans saw?\" Song asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"This isn't Unown writing, as far as I can tell.\u0026nbsp; Maybe a copy of the original, but not sure what it is.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Though the first words do look like a 'He'.\" she said, tapping her fingers against the words.\u0026nbsp; \"Though it's only due to them looking like it.\u0026nbsp; Nothing else looks like the original line we're looking for.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It keeps repeating, too.\" I said, frowning.\u0026nbsp; \"The same characters are repeated over and over again.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI pulled out my Pokédex and opened it, to see what time it was.\u0026nbsp; We entered just before noon, and only a bit under an hour has passed by.\u0026nbsp; We still have plenty of daylight outside before we're left outside in the night.\u0026nbsp; Continuing forward, more crude handwriting was on either more stalagmites or on the walls themselves.\u0026nbsp; The light from the flashlight went over more blocked tunnels or caves.\u0026nbsp; The soft patter of dripping water could be heard whenever we stopped and looked around.\u0026nbsp; Oddly enough, the writing began to get more cleaner and discernible the further we walked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy skin crawled for a moment, making me shiver.\u0026nbsp; The odd feeling of being watched made me stop and look around.\u0026nbsp; I looked over to Song, who was giving me a worried look.\u0026nbsp; Akalia pawed at my leg, her golden eyes concerned for me as well.\u0026nbsp; I turned to Iolanthe, who was looking around as well.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Did you feel something just now, Iolanthe?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"I did.\u0026nbsp; There is a strong psychic presence here, but I cannot tell from who.\u0026nbsp; It is a different energy signature that what I have experienced.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Could it be residual energy?\" I asked.\u0026nbsp; \"Misty did mention that one Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; Mewtwo?\u0026nbsp; Whatever that is.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIolanthe shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"No, this isn't residual energy.\u0026nbsp; Someone is actively watching us.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shivered again, but suppressed the awkward feeling as much as possible.\u0026nbsp; \"Come on.\u0026nbsp; Let's keep going as far as we can.\u0026nbsp; I want to get out of here as quickly as possible.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAll three of my Pokémon nodded as we pressed onwards.\u0026nbsp; We began to see signs of previous habitation.\u0026nbsp; Cut stone covered in dead grasses seemed to act as bedding.\u0026nbsp; With no need for shelter from the elements, there were no roofs over these areas.\u0026nbsp; Large groups of these beds were clumped together, indicating some kind of social structure.\u0026nbsp; More beds were grouped together in a similar fashion to the first grouping.\u0026nbsp; It was difficult to say if this was made for one kind of Pokémon, or was this some kind of communal area.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs fascinating as this was, I made a mental note to tell mom and dad what I've seen.\u0026nbsp; Curiously, I checked if my Pokédex had some kind of camera feature.\u0026nbsp; It had a lens somewhere, of that I'm certain, to scan Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; Could it take pictures as well?\u0026nbsp; After some fiddling around, I did find that yes it can.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't the best quality I've ever seen, but it did the job.\u0026nbsp; As we continued onwards, I took more pictures of the crude writing.\u0026nbsp; The mental note was corrected to send these pictures to mom and dad as soon as I got out of this place.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe pictures were of better quality for the odd text on the stone due to being close up.\u0026nbsp; They were getting closer to recognizable Unown text, and I could begin to decipher what they said now.\u0026nbsp; Stopping in front of one such text, it wasn't a copy of what Misty said, but something else entirely.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI read it aloud, my Pokémon standing next to me.\u0026nbsp; \"We leave this for you, the next line.\u0026nbsp; Beware the Witch of the Night, for she claims the souls of the living.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat in the world does that mean?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAgain, the odd feeling of being watched returned.\u0026nbsp; Song's staff hissed through the air as she took a fighting stance.\u0026nbsp; I spun around myself as well, the light from my flashlight wildly tracing through the darkness.\u0026nbsp; Blood pounded in my ears, nervousness making me jitter in place for a moment or two.\u0026nbsp; As my breathing calmed down, I noticed that my Pokémon were actively looking for something as well.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Io?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It is the same presence once more.\" she said stoically.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWho would it be?\u0026nbsp; What kind of psychic type would be around these parts?\u0026nbsp; Two questions that didn't have an immediate answer at this moment.\u0026nbsp; Either way, Iolanthe slowly relaxed her stance once more.\u0026nbsp; My eyes passed over Song and Akalia, both Pokémon actively looking for what may have caused the disturbance.\u0026nbsp; It takes them both a few more moments to finally relax properly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Iolanthe, do you recognize the source?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter a moment of looking around, she shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"No.\u0026nbsp; It isn't a signature that I recognize.\u0026nbsp; It is powerful, though.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Interesting.\u0026nbsp; What kind of psychic type would do this?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"A curious ghost?\" Song suggested.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIolanthe shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"The energy is different from a ghost.\u0026nbsp; It isn't nearly the same as a ghost.\u0026nbsp; Mist's energy, while powerful in her own right, doesn't begin to compare to the scope that is peering in our direction.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Gardevoir looked a little put off, frowning for a moment.\u0026nbsp; She shrugged after a moment, nodding towards Io.\u0026nbsp; \"You're right, I think.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked down towards the Luxray standing next to me.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes met mine for a moment, as she tilted her head to the side in confusion.\u0026nbsp; Looking over to the two psychic types, they seemed to come to some kind of unspoken agreement.\u0026nbsp; Song stood even closer to me, one hand gripping her staff tightly while the other held my shoulder.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe looked at me for a moment before nodding.\u0026nbsp; My mind couldn't come up with any idea how she could look so satisfied without a mouth.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIn either case, I turned my attention back to our immediate surroundings.\u0026nbsp; There wasn't anything like this in the ruins near home.\u0026nbsp; Mom and dad have never mentioned things like this either.\u0026nbsp; While mom has mentioned before that groups of Pokémon would live together, this seemed too organized for just an isolated tribe.\u0026nbsp; There was a society here at one point or another, intelligent in its own right.\u0026nbsp; But what would cause them to leave?\u0026nbsp; Human presence didn't deter them before, or so Misty claims.\u0026nbsp; Misty also claimed that there were guards here.\u0026nbsp; Were the Pokémon here some kind of experiment?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd what about that Mewtwo that Misty mentioned?\u0026nbsp; If she was right, did that being have an impact here in this society?\u0026nbsp; More likely than not yes.\u0026nbsp; That is, of course, if she was telling the truth.\u0026nbsp; Still sounded like a bunch of trash.\u0026nbsp; Then again, weirder things have happened.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe walked forward again, my eyes focusing on trying to find more of that strange writing.\u0026nbsp; It seemed the farther we went the less we found.\u0026nbsp; The same quote appeared etched on a stone tablet as tall as Iolanthe stood.\u0026nbsp; It was neatly written, but nothing new to me at this moment.\u0026nbsp; We passed by it, paying it little to no mind.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe found another tunnel, leading downwards.\u0026nbsp; My mind kept playing out different scenarios on how the tunnel would collapse on top of all of us.\u0026nbsp; I shook my head, focusing on walking.\u0026nbsp; This one ended abruptly however.\u0026nbsp; The soft sounds of moving water echoed through the chamber.\u0026nbsp; It looked almost like an underground lake.\u0026nbsp; The walls were adorned with similar crystals from the Ice Path, except these glowed a dark purple instead.\u0026nbsp; The crystals pulsed in determined intervals, almost as if they were breathing.\u0026nbsp; They would glow brightly enough to negate the light coming from my flashlight.\u0026nbsp; When they stopped glowing, it seemed to absorb all the light in the chamber.\u0026nbsp; If it wasn't for everyone having a hand, paw, or tentacle on my person, it would be hard for me to believe that I wasn't alone.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere weren't any sort of pillars hanging from the ceiling of the chamber that reached the ground.\u0026nbsp; The crystal formations were lumped together, either alongside the walls or attached to the floor.\u0026nbsp; As we moved forward, the chambers initial depth was deceptive.\u0026nbsp; It was more like a glorified hallway, the crystals distorting my perception with the light coming in and out.\u0026nbsp; Water splashed underfoot suddenly, as my foot stepped into a shallow puddle.\u0026nbsp; Surprisingly, the water wasn't cold.\u0026nbsp; It was warm, but walking in soaked shoes wasn't a good idea.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy eyes roamed over to Iolanthe, her gaze locking into mine instantly.\u0026nbsp; In between the light pulses, she shook her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, I have not felt the presence again.\" she answered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nStrange.\u0026nbsp; What would stop it from following us further?\u0026nbsp; Though that is to say it hasn't attempted to mask its presence more thoroughly from prying eyes.\u0026nbsp; My eyes were becoming more adjusted to the pulsing lights, though.\u0026nbsp; Going back outside was going to be a pain in the ass.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEvery now and then Song's hand would stop me from moving.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes roamed frantically throughout the room, looking for anything that looked displaced or odd.\u0026nbsp; \"Song?\" I finally asked, speaking softly.\u0026nbsp; My voice echoed loudly anyways, making the Gardevoir's eyes stare right at me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhen she didn't respond, I smiled reassuringly at her.\u0026nbsp; \"Are you alright?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe nodded silently, her face disappearing and reappearing with the pulsing light.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm fine.\" she said stiffly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI didn't think so, but decided not to mention my observation.\u0026nbsp; My fingers wrapped around the ones on my shoulder, her smooth skin gracing my touch.\u0026nbsp; Her tight grip loosened slightly, but the worry was still there.\u0026nbsp; She looked determined, a focused look gracing her features.\u0026nbsp; It was one that Iolanthe shared with her, too.\u0026nbsp; Akalia looked a bit more relaxed, but not by much.\u0026nbsp; Her paws splashed playfully on the water.\u0026nbsp; It looked like Song wanted to scream loudly for the Luxray to stop doing that.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBefore any of that actually happened, the formations began to grow more concentrated.\u0026nbsp; These large groups, while emitting more light, also seemed to absorb more ambient radiance from their surroundings.\u0026nbsp; We avoided touching them, sometimes resorting to Iolanthe and Song working in tandem to get me to the other side.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you think they are made of?\" Song asked casually, catching me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I have no idea.\" I said truthfully.\u0026nbsp; \"They look similar to the ones in the Ice Path in Johto.\u0026nbsp; Best be careful that we don't wake up something though.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Better safe than sorry.\" Song said, nodding.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIolanthe landed beside me, her tentacles coming to rest around my waist.\u0026nbsp; \"I think that our destination is near.\" Iolanthe said confidently.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What makes you say that?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There is some kind of platform ahead.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"By the way, thank you for lifting me and Akalia over the crystals, Io.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe nodded, tightening her hold on my body and looking pleased.\u0026nbsp; We continued moving as I gave a silent prayer to Arceus that we would find what Misty claimed was in here.\u0026nbsp; I fell forward suddenly, losing my balance as my foot went through a hole of some kind.\u0026nbsp; Water soaked my pants, but thankfully Io saved me from meeting the floor with my face.\u0026nbsp; Song also helped me stand, brushing off my shoulder gently.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you al...\" was all that came from Song's mouth.\u0026nbsp; I was alright physically.\u0026nbsp; Mentally was another story.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe path ended abruptly in front of us, but the letters that Misty told me before I ventured inside the Cerulean Cave were emblazoned.\u0026nbsp; The words might as well be written in bold, the letters carved deeply into the stone walls.\u0026nbsp; My legs wobbled slightly, my knees weak at what was before us.\u0026nbsp; It had the feeling of business, and the mental image of a psychic type carving out the letters with their mental powers wouldn't leave my mind.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What does it say, Master?\" Song asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's not Unown, but it's close to it.\" I said, frowning for a moment.\u0026nbsp; \"The part that Misty mentioned is, but everything else is something else entirely.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Can you read it?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I can try.\u0026nbsp; How accurate it'll be is up to debate.\" I answered with a shrug.\u0026nbsp; \"Give me a second to mull it over.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy eyes narrowed as I began to process each word and letter.\u0026nbsp; It bothered me that this Professor Elm could only decipher the last sentence of the entire paragraph and not guess at the rest of it.\u0026nbsp; Ignorance!\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCalm yourself, Aaron.\u0026nbsp; Deep breaths, one at a time.\u0026nbsp; In, hold, and then release slowly through the mouth.\u0026nbsp; I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again.\u0026nbsp; The first sentence was easy enough to translate.\u0026nbsp; That is, of course, assuming that I was reading it correctly.\u0026nbsp; The following sentence was a bit more complex, making me double check a few letters from the first and last sentence.\u0026nbsp; I shrugged after a moment, beginning to speak so as not to keep everyone waiting.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"To He who reads the last language.\u0026nbsp; We ask that you... take heed to this warning.\u0026nbsp; Beware the Witch of the Night, for she claims the souls of the living.\u0026nbsp; Do not trust the winged ones.\u0026nbsp; He is coming.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSilence followed my words as they echoed from the stone walls.\u0026nbsp; Song looked at me dubiously.\u0026nbsp; \"That's it?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Unless I messed up somewhere, yeah.\u0026nbsp; My hesitation was due to not recognizing the words used here.\u0026nbsp; It's almost like the words were jumbled on purpose and looked different.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you mean?\" Iolanthe asked softly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Take for example the word 'beware'.\u0026nbsp; The double-u is at the beginning of the word in the writing, instead of where it should be in the word.\u0026nbsp; Completely different to Unown or basic writing forms.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"But who would write this down here?\" Song asked, frustration clear in her voice.\u0026nbsp; One of the ends of the staff hit the stone, the sound echoing around us.\u0026nbsp; \"What's the point?!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't know Song, but be careful with your staff.\u0026nbsp; We don't want one of these crystals shattering.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Too late.\" Io intoned.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was about to ask why she said that when a loud cracking sound echoed in my ears.\u0026nbsp; The next moment passed by and my vision faltered as a hard blow hit the back of my head.\u0026nbsp; My vision was blurry, movements being extremely hard to track.\u0026nbsp; I could hear muffled sounds.\u0026nbsp; Footsteps at the most, if that much.\u0026nbsp; Akalia's glowing tail was the only thing my mind could identify easily.\u0026nbsp; The yellow glowing star blurred in a nauseating display as it moved back and forth quickly.\u0026nbsp; Two hands were placed at the sides of my head as my body was lifted off the ground.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sound akin of glass shattering made my head pound.\u0026nbsp; My face was pressed against cool skin as limbs tightened around my head, torso, and legs.\u0026nbsp; It must be Iolanthe that's carrying me, then.\u0026nbsp; The air rushed around us as we moved.\u0026nbsp; The walls of the cave were a blur to my eyes.\u0026nbsp; A feeling of nausea passed over me suddenly, threatening to empty meager lunch of earlier today.\u0026nbsp; More sounds of those crystals exploding echoed inside my head.\u0026nbsp; Light still filtered through my eyelids, quickly engulfed in darkness.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy hands clenched, trying to feel if I still had my flashlight on me.\u0026nbsp; Unfortunately, I must have dropped it when I was hit from behind.\u0026nbsp; Idly, my thoughts wandered if the injury was serious.\u0026nbsp; A blow to the head isn't a good thing.\u0026nbsp; Can't be too serious, though, if my thought processes were coherent enough.\u0026nbsp; Maybe it was a small object that ended up striking me.\u0026nbsp; It was a mystery enough to me and probably the others as well.\u0026nbsp; It didn't take long for everything to finally settle down.\u0026nbsp; I was placed in a sitting position, my head being cradled gently between smooth skin.\u0026nbsp; Io's face entered my vision, her mouthless visage blurry to me.\u0026nbsp; A stinging sensation creeped up on me suddenly as the feeling of something being pulled out of my head came into the forefront.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Io?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If you speak once more, I will see it personally that you be knocked unconscious.\" Iolanthe intoned.\u0026nbsp; \"For the sake of your mental well-being, I want you to focus on breathing and staying awake.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI acknowledged her by doing just that.\u0026nbsp; My shirt was pulled a few times as Io and Song spoke.\u0026nbsp; The sound of cloth ripping could easily be heard, Io's dexterous tentacles worked around me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Will he be alright?\" Song's worried voice echoed in... wherever we were.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"He should be fine.\" Io stated.\u0026nbsp; \"His mental activity is still high, though the blow looks to be mainly superficial.\u0026nbsp; Either master has a hard skull enough to rival a Golem or it was a glancing blow.\u0026nbsp; I am more leaning towards the glancing blow theory.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThanks, Io.\u0026nbsp; Appreciate the subtle humor.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You are welcome, Master.\" she said, patting my shoulder gently.\u0026nbsp; \"Before you ask, we are safe at the moment.\u0026nbsp; We are in the previous chamber before we went into that deathtrap.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nRight.\u0026nbsp; I took a deep breath, trying my hardest not to close my eyes in front of everyone.\u0026nbsp; The temptation was high, but did my best to refrain from doing so.\u0026nbsp; My eyes itched like mad, though.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You can blink.\" Iolanthe assured me.\u0026nbsp; \"Just do not go to sleep.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed in relief, relaxing slightly and doing so.\u0026nbsp; My body felt tired, but I resisted the urge to sleep.\u0026nbsp; Taking deep breaths, I thought of the words inscribed on the wall before this insanity happened.\u0026nbsp; 'Beware the Witch of the Night'.\u0026nbsp; There is only a handful of Pokémon that could be the reference to this title.\u0026nbsp; I've known for a fact that Raikou and Moltres have been referred as these titles more than a handful of times.\u0026nbsp; There is, of course, Cresselia as the actual manifestation of the moon itself.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Cresselia?\" Iolanthe asked suddenly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What about her?\" Song asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Master was thinking about her in reference to the title of Witch of the Night.\" Io explained.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Gardevoirs eyes widened, shaking her head.\u0026nbsp; \"Cresselia is a force of good in our world!\u0026nbsp; The monks taught me that!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI frowned, forcing myself to speak despite the warnings from Iolanthe.\u0026nbsp; \"Unfortunately, that isn't always the case in the legends.\u0026nbsp; She has been attributed to cursing human and Pokémon for centuries.\u0026nbsp; Speaking Cresselia's name is almost a curse to many people.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Did you forget what I told you, Master?\" Iolanthe asked in an oddly neutral tone.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, but I think it's best that I speak for myself instead of you for me.\" I said, frowning.\u0026nbsp; \"I'll stop talking if I feel nauseous or dizzy, I promise.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSilence followed my promise as I caught my breath.\u0026nbsp; Thankfully, my eyes could see relatively well again.\u0026nbsp; Akalia's tail was still shining brightly, illuminating our surroundings plainly.\u0026nbsp; Song's face betrayed anxiousness, a complete contrast to Iolanthe's indifferent stare.\u0026nbsp; She was probably interested in what I had to say.\u0026nbsp; It just that it didn't look like it at all.\u0026nbsp; The Luxray seemed a bit indifferent at the conversation.\u0026nbsp; Her ears were moving around on their own as her eyes bore into my own.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head slowly, feeling slightly light headed at the act.\u0026nbsp; Io leaned forward and pressed a tentacle against my lips.\u0026nbsp; \"You will not speak any more until we get out of this cave.\u0026nbsp; That is my final verdict!\" she said loudly.\u0026nbsp; The echo of her voice made my head hurt.\u0026nbsp; She must have known, as she immediately took hold of my body, and before anybody else could have a word in, lifted me up and continued walking.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAkalia and Song caught up quickly, avoiding my vision to drift back into darkness.\u0026nbsp; I was just glad I could see Io's colors clearly again.\u0026nbsp; At least my vision wasn't shaking as we moved towards the exit of this Arceus forsaken place.\u0026nbsp; I didn't see the appeal of this place.\u0026nbsp; If there were murderous Pokémon here, no one could force me in here.\u0026nbsp; Doesn't matter what ancient knowledge you've thrown at my face as bait.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI continued to breathe and stay awake, slowly noticing our surroundings changing.\u0026nbsp; The tunnel lit by Akalia's light would suddenly open up to another spacious, the light disappearing in the vastness of the space available.\u0026nbsp; We stopped moving again as Io placed me down once more.\u0026nbsp; Two tentacles pressed against my face, widening my eyes as the light from my Luxray's tail glowed brightly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"He's still conscious.\" Iolanthe stated.\u0026nbsp; \"Explain yourself, Master.\u0026nbsp; Song has been practically ready to bash your brains in.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed, thinking of how to put my words correctly.\u0026nbsp; Song's staff hitting the stone beside my head stopped that train of thought instantly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I want an explanation, Master.\u0026nbsp; Now.\" Song said sternly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Fine.\u0026nbsp; But please don't threaten me.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't trying to mask my information from you, just figuring out how to say it without sounding one sided or like I know everything.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs she removed the staff away from my face, I felt a bit more relaxed.\u0026nbsp; I rubbed my eyes gently with my thumbs, trying to sort out my thoughts quickly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Cresselia is, and has been, described to have many titles.\u0026nbsp; Witch of the Night is one of the more rarer occurrences for the lunar Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; Darkrai has also been known to carry the title, as well as Moltres and Raikou.\u0026nbsp; I don't know exactly why Moltres is included, but from what my parents and I have managed to piece together is that Moltres would come in moonless nights in a flash of fire to steal the heat from every home and village it would encounter.\u0026nbsp; Raikou would steal the firstborn of a family, human or Pokémon, didn't matter.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And what about Cresselia?\" Song asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"According to records, a Cresselia would kill whomever looked upon the full moon, stealing their soul and sending it to the hereafter.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"To Giratina, you mean.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, to Giratina.\" I confirmed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What is Cresselia's role in the grand scheme of things?\" Song asked, confusion in her tone of voice.\u0026nbsp; \"Were the monks wrong?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't know, Song.\" I said, sighing.\u0026nbsp; \"My information can be completely incorrect, and Cresselia could have true benevolent feelings for other Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; But going by what both Darkrai's have mentioned and my knowledge of Cresselia, I'm going to be cautious.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Until we know better.\" Io supplemented.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Indeed.\u0026nbsp; At the very least, that's the intention.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Master, you never make things simple.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's not my intention to make things more complicated.\" I offered.\u0026nbsp; \"Things are normally complicated when we find out that things are more in-depth than we originally thought.\u0026nbsp; Which tends to encompass everything.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sometimes you disturb me, Master.\" Iolanthe stated.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I apologize, if that's the case.\u0026nbsp; Hope it hasn't changed my opinion of me too much.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was a very lame attempt to lighten the situation, but thankfully Io got the message.\u0026nbsp; Either that or she understood the message by reading my mind.\u0026nbsp; Either way, her soft laughter breathed new life into our surroundings.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"How much further do we have to get out of here?\" I asked.\u0026nbsp; \"It's too dark for me to make any specific features out.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Not much further now.\" Iolanthe assured.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you feel well enough to walk?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Maybe.\u0026nbsp; I'll give it a shot as long as you three make sure I don't fall.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe three ladies around me affirmed their participation.\u0026nbsp; Song held tightly to my right arm as Iolanthe held my left.\u0026nbsp; Akalia brightened her glow slightly, allowing my eyes to see the ground around me.\u0026nbsp; My steps were unsteady, but slowly gained in strength as we continued to walk.\u0026nbsp; We managed to stumble to the outside world once more, Song and Io practically dragging me due to my stubborness.\u0026nbsp; It was nice to hear the Gardevoir finally laugh like she meant it, though.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sky was already tinged in oranges and deep purples.\u0026nbsp; Was it that late already?\u0026nbsp; My hands went to my pockets and pulled my Pokédex.\u0026nbsp; Opening it up, the time ticked exactly five-thirty in the afternoon.\u0026nbsp; Exploding crystals, mysterious text, and bodily injury.\u0026nbsp; That's enough excitement for me for one night.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think Master wants to rest for the day.\" Song said with a laugh.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, things have been quite eventful.\" I said in my defense.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's what I hear, as well.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe all stopped and looked to our left, as I immediately identified the reporter girl that interviewed me the other day.\u0026nbsp; \"What are you doing here?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I could ask you the same thing.\" she said, walking towards us.\u0026nbsp; \"It's not often that someone goes inside of the Cerulean Cave for fun.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, let me tell you that it sure wasn't because we felt like it.\" I said, sighing.\u0026nbsp; \"By the way, we noticed that there was something following us inside.\u0026nbsp; Our best guess was some kind of psychic Pokémon, but we couldn't identify the energy source.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Interesting.\u0026nbsp; And who made such bold statement?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI pointed to Io.\u0026nbsp; Our mysterious companion clammed up instantly.\u0026nbsp; Silence settled around us, broken when I coughed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If you don't mind, we'll be headed off to the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; I've had enough adventuring for one day, thank you very much, and not in the right mindset to answer questions.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And who said that I was here to ask questions?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, you're a reporter, right?\u0026nbsp; Isn't asking questions part of your job?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You got me there, unfortunately.\" she said with a smile.\u0026nbsp; \"So, saying that, can I ask you a question?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI rolled my eyes and sighed, but relented.\u0026nbsp; \"As long as it's one.\u0026nbsp; I don't think I can handle a barrage after today.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you ready to meet The Soulkeeper?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBefore any words would formulate out of my mouth as a response, an impact sent me flying from Song and Iolanthe.\u0026nbsp; I landed on my back against the ground, the air leaving my lungs on impact.\u0026nbsp; Scrambling to stand up as quickly as possible, what little air was in my lungs quickly left as the girl was wrapped in shimmering dust.\u0026nbsp; Bright yellow, purple, and blue colors began to emanate from the center of the bubble that encapsulated the young girl.\u0026nbsp; A wave of air suddenly passed over me, knocking me back on my ass when it hit me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nGetting my bearings back, I was finally able to see what was happening.\u0026nbsp; Dust hid anything from sight, and making breathing slightly difficult.\u0026nbsp; The veil of obscuring dust slowly parted, revealing a majestic glowing being.\u0026nbsp; Whatever it was, it floated serenely over the ground.\u0026nbsp; The face of the mysterious figure was in the shape of a crescent moon.\u0026nbsp; When the figure looked my way, I could see its two eyes burning red.\u0026nbsp; The newcomers body was glowing a bright purple, revealing that the entire head wasn't a moon shape.\u0026nbsp; It was close enough to me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEthereal purple bands appeared from the new arrival, connecting to both sides and meeting at the front.\u0026nbsp; A strong amount of pressure made my eyes water instantly.\u0026nbsp; It felt like all the air in my lungs was forced out.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_BEHOLD, HUMAN, AND DESPAIR!\u0026nbsp; YOUR FINAL MOMENTS HAVE ARRIVED AT LAST!\" the voice echoed loudly inside my skull.\u0026nbsp; \"TAKE COMFORT IN THE SOLACE OF YOUR PAINLESS DEATH.\u0026nbsp; I, CRESSELIA, WILL-!\"_\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe poorly devised speech ended abruptly as Song and her staff connected against Cresselia's head with a loud thwack that made me wince.\u0026nbsp; Immediately, the pressure lessened around my chest.\u0026nbsp; Akalia was immediately next to me, alongside Iolanthe.\u0026nbsp; They both helped me get up, though my feet were unsteady.\u0026nbsp; My left hand gripped Io's shoulder as my right went to each Pokéball and released my friends.\u0026nbsp; Song made her way next to me, supporting me instead of Iolanthe.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_WRETCHED CREATURES...ABOMINATIONS TO LORD ARCEUS' NAME!\"_ the voice boomed loudly inside my skull.\u0026nbsp; \"_I, CRESSELIA, WILL SEND YOU ALL TO GIRATINA TO BE JUDGED FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!\"_\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nInsolence?\u0026nbsp; I shook my head, clearing my thoughts.\u0026nbsp; Now is not the time to be thinking about what a psychotic being is rambling on about.\u0026nbsp; Before I could say anything, Io spoke.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We need to take this fight somewhere else.\u0026nbsp; We cannot risk getting innocents being caught by accidental fire.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked behind me, noticing that Cerulean City wasn't really that far away.\u0026nbsp; If this thing really was Cresselia, I'm pretty sure it would level a mountain without much effort.\u0026nbsp; My eyes locked onto Io's as she nodded.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt seemed that Io became impromptu leader.\u0026nbsp; She immediately began giving orders.\u0026nbsp; \"Spirit, Aurora.\u0026nbsp; I want you both to stay with Master at all times.\u0026nbsp; Mist, I wish for you to stay in the air and maintain eyes on both combatants and Master.\u0026nbsp; Everyone else, follow my lead.\u0026nbsp; We're headed northwards.\u0026nbsp; There seems to be an open area there were we can fight without much interference or harm to bystanders.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone turned to look at me, as if to confirm what Iolanthe said.\u0026nbsp; \"What are we waiting for?\" I asked.\u0026nbsp; \"Let's move!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSpirit took Song's place at my side, before six out of my nine companions dispersed to keep Cresselia away from me.\u0026nbsp; Spirit didn't allow me to walk.\u0026nbsp; She lifted me up into her arms, cradling me like a child as Aurora jumped on top of my chest.\u0026nbsp; My Flygon's wings lifted us up from the ground ever slightly, enough so she didn't need to walk.\u0026nbsp; Sparks of electricity and gouts of flame told me that Akalia and Zin were doing their best to keep the mythical beings attention.\u0026nbsp; A pulse of purple light would appear, followed by shouts of some kind.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs much as I wanted to know if everyone was alright, turning around would make me a target.\u0026nbsp; Spirit's 'goggles' were slightly damp on the inside.\u0026nbsp; Was someone injured?\u0026nbsp; Dammit!\u0026nbsp; Aurora's claws were at my throat instantly, stopping my movements.\u0026nbsp; A soft hurt sound came from Spirit, but Aurora only dropped her stance when I finally calmed down.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSpirit put me down without hesitation.\u0026nbsp; Aurora was standing on my head as Mist floated next to me.\u0026nbsp; A soft touch made me look to my right, noticing Mist's worried expression.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We are not going to be safe for very long.\" Mist said.\u0026nbsp; \"They are heading this way at quite the pace.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked over my shoulder, seeing bolts of lightning and gouts of fire bouncing off a bright purple barrier.\u0026nbsp; A huge amount of pressure was put on me suddenly, making me double over.\u0026nbsp; It felt like a migraine, except ten times worse.\u0026nbsp; A wave of nausea threatened to empty what was in my stomach.\u0026nbsp; My cheeks bulged, though I swallowed in reflex.\u0026nbsp; The horrible taste of bile washed down my throat, and my body shuddered in response.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Mist, are you hiding me?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I am doing my best to do so.\" she answered curtly.\u0026nbsp; \"It is why Cresselia has not ignored everyone by now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shut up after that.\u0026nbsp; Aurora slid down from on top of my head and into my arms.\u0026nbsp; She pressed a long claw against her lips, and I nodded to the Weavile.\u0026nbsp; Another wave of pressure washed over me, my legs buckling under the unseen force.\u0026nbsp; Spirit's claws grabbed me, making sure I didn't lose my balance.\u0026nbsp; Looking at her, she didn't look like she was in pain.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Spirit, did you feel anything?\" I asked softly.\u0026nbsp; She shook her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt looks like Cresselia is specifically targeting me.\u0026nbsp; Looking at the unfolding battle, it was quickly moving in our direction.\u0026nbsp; I'd give it about another thirty seconds and everyone would be right on top of us.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We have to move.\" I said, looking at Mist.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Not yet.\u0026nbsp; I am waiting for Song's signal.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nKnowing the Gardevoir, it would be something extremely obvious or elaborate.\u0026nbsp; Song quickly ducked under Cresselia's left wing.\u0026nbsp; Her staff bounced off the shield surrounding the Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; At the same time, Akalia and Zin fired off beams of lightning and fire.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe and and Baast used their physical prowess to hammer against the shield.\u0026nbsp; A high pitched scream erupted inside my mind, accompanied by a cracking sound.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCresselia's eyes were on me.\u0026nbsp; That's all I knew or had to know at the moment.\u0026nbsp; A purple beam was headed to me.\u0026nbsp; My legs refused to move, no matter how much effort was put towards the task.\u0026nbsp; Something grabbed me from the side, hauling me away with it as I was lifted off the ground again.\u0026nbsp; I met the ground hard, my world tumbled over a few times.\u0026nbsp; Sharp claws grabbed hold of my arm, attempting to lift me up.\u0026nbsp; Looking over, Aurora was doing her best to help.\u0026nbsp; As soon as I managed to kneel, Mist floated over to me.\u0026nbsp; Spirit's eyes, shielded behind her goggles, stared at me in my peripheral vision.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Get up!\u0026nbsp; Stand!\u0026nbsp; Don't just sit there!\" she screamed loudly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI ran forward into the open grassland in front of me.\u0026nbsp; It was better than waiting or questioning what she was screaming about.\u0026nbsp; A loud thud from behind me made the ground shake, making me stumble.\u0026nbsp; Looking behind me, Iolanthe was picking herself up as Zin stood on shaking legs.\u0026nbsp; Io looked in my direction, giving me a swift nod as she bolted towards the fight.\u0026nbsp; Zin looked worried, staring off in Io's direction.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She's really trying to kill you.\" she said flatly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you alright?\" I asked.\u0026nbsp; She stared at me and rolled her eyes.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, but I'm still alive.\u0026nbsp; That counts, right?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI grimaced at my tactlessness.\u0026nbsp; Zin shook her head, walking towards the battlefield.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Spirit, Aurora, take care of Master.\" Zin said.\u0026nbsp; \"Mist, we need you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"But what about the barrier?\" the ghost asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We'll handle it if Cresselia switches targets.\u0026nbsp; Right now, Song is doing a good job at keeping her attention.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMist looked warily between me and the Houndoom.\u0026nbsp; Zin sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Fine, but don't make me wait too long.\u0026nbsp; We all need you right now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWithout waiting for a response, Zin dashed back towards the fight.\u0026nbsp; Sparks flew through the sky.\u0026nbsp; No doubt was in my mind that Akalia was doing her best to give Cresselia all she could muster.\u0026nbsp; Spirit's claws lifted me up and holding me tightly against her.\u0026nbsp; I looked over to Mist, her face betraying worry or indecision.\u0026nbsp; It was the first time that came to mind that she showed any sign of hesitation.\u0026nbsp; My hands reached out to the hovering ghost, bringing her to my chest.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You should go.\" I whispered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe immediately pushed against me, going through my arms and hovering dangerously close to my face.\u0026nbsp; \"No!\" she screamed.\u0026nbsp; \"My place is to protect you!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhile surprised by her outburst, it wasn't out of context.\u0026nbsp; \"They all need your help, too.\u0026nbsp; Spirit and Aurora will keep me safe.\u0026nbsp; Don't you trust them?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHer mouth was a thin line against her face.\u0026nbsp; She nodded, but her eyes narrowed.\u0026nbsp; \"If you die, I'll make sure to haunt you for the rest of your undeath.\" she said acidly.\u0026nbsp; \"As soon as I leave, the barrier hiding your presence will fall.\u0026nbsp; Spirit, Aurora, please be careful.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe hovered in front of me for a moment after saying those words.\u0026nbsp; I nodded once, and she flew towards the battlefield behind us.\u0026nbsp; Cresselia instantly turned to us, ignoring everyone and charging straight for me.\u0026nbsp; Meeting Mist halfway, the two Pokémon clashed, invisible waves physically pushing me back.\u0026nbsp; The air felt thick as it was accompanied by an unbearable pressure around my chest and head.\u0026nbsp; Relief would come in waves.\u0026nbsp; It was as if Cresselia was trying to reach me with her powers, while Mist systematically cut her influence once found.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe rest of the group caught up with our opponent.\u0026nbsp; Song and Baast were the first to attack, jumping on the back of the great floating Pokémon and delivering blows to the head and neck.\u0026nbsp; Cresselia's eyes glowed bright purple, matching the same outline that was around both my Gardevoir and Lucario.\u0026nbsp; Both of them were lifted up above Cresselia's head and thrown at my direction.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Spirit, catch Song!\" I yelled, forcing my body to move away from my Flygon.\u0026nbsp; She flew past the Lucario and catching Song.\u0026nbsp; The impact almost knocked both of them to the ground, but Spirit looked like she was still alright.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomewhere in my mind, it hit me that I was trying to catch the one with spikes coming out of her chest and arms.\u0026nbsp; My mind comes up with the best ideas!\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs Baast came quickly to me, she tried to exert some control over her body's position.\u0026nbsp; Her arms flailed, turning her back to me as our bodies impacted together.\u0026nbsp; The impact sent us both tumbling in the dirt.\u0026nbsp; My vision darkened instantly as what little air I could actually breathe was better used for more important purposes.\u0026nbsp; Baast moved off me quickly, relieving the weight from my chest.\u0026nbsp; It felt as if at least something was bruised at best, broken at worst.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't anything deliberately painful at the very least.\u0026nbsp; Not in the sense of a lung being pierced or a rib breaking.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nStill hurt a lot though.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBaast's paws helped me stand up quickly.\u0026nbsp; The sound of something shattering around me made me look for Cresselia.\u0026nbsp; What I saw instead was Mist falling.\u0026nbsp; My body struggled to move, but Baast was faster.\u0026nbsp; The Lucario was a blur, catching the falling ghost safely in her arms.\u0026nbsp; Before I could say anything, two tentacles grabbed hold of me and dragged my body backwards.\u0026nbsp; A wave of energy hit the location I was just at a few moments ago.\u0026nbsp; The ground began to glow from underneath before exploding in a weird combination of ice and fire.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIo's tentacles held me close to her chest.\u0026nbsp; My eyes met Cresselia's as three beams began charging, each a different color.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe's tentacles grew in front of my eyes, distorting to something larger that I've only seen once before.\u0026nbsp; As the three beams launched simultaneously towards us, my vision was blocked by Io's now enlarged limbs.\u0026nbsp; Only the sounds of my hearing and heartbeat registered in my mind.\u0026nbsp; My breathing was heavy with anticipation and fear.\u0026nbsp; I really didn't want to see Cresselia.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I was not hit by anything.\" Iolanthe said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded slowly, trusting Io to protect me.\u0026nbsp; It's pretty obvious by now that I'd have no hope by myself.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIolanthe lowered one arm down, slowly revealing the world around us once more.\u0026nbsp; The first I noticed is that we weren't on the ground anymore.\u0026nbsp; Well... technically we still were, but something made a hole deep enough for us to be under the surface.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't far down enough to not be able to see Cresselia still staring at us, though.\u0026nbsp; Though it was a mystery to me why Cresselia wasn't taking any advantage of the present situation.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_YOU!_\" Cresselia's voice echoed loudly inside my mind.\u0026nbsp; \"_INVADER!\u0026nbsp; HERETIC!\u0026nbsp; DEFILER OF ARCEUS!\u0026nbsp; LEAVE THIS PLACE AT ONCE!_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWho was she talking about?\u0026nbsp; A soft chuckle echoed around me, as if to answer my unvoiced question.\u0026nbsp; My eyes met Iolanthe's, who shook her head.\u0026nbsp; A piece of black dust drifted past my vision, another landing on my nose.\u0026nbsp; I rubbed it with my fingers, but immediately noticed that it wasn't dirt.\u0026nbsp; Instead of it being wiped off it smudged against my skin.\u0026nbsp; Looking at my fingers, it stained them jet black.\u0026nbsp; It was then that I noticed that more were falling around us.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlso, the large wings that were made of fire.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nFollowing the fiery wings to their origin point, what flew above us wasn't something I was expecting.\u0026nbsp; Only one Pokémon was like this, and they weren't all shy of being seen or interacting peacefully with humans.\u0026nbsp; Moltres, known in legends as The Everflame, was above us.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIts great wings beat the air around us, the air feeling slightly warm around us.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't stifling as my fears lead me to believe.\u0026nbsp; The flame Pokémon landed behind us and it allowed me to get a good look.\u0026nbsp; One thing caught my complete attention, and that was the Pokémon's eyes.\u0026nbsp; They were a mesmerizing blue, radiating a sense of calm.\u0026nbsp; Before I could say anything, Moltres shook its head side to side.\u0026nbsp; It was a bigger surprise when Moltres spoke.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Now Cresselia, what have I told you about attacking humans?\" the Moltres said in a motherly tone.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nArceus above, please don't tell me that Moltres is actively goading Cresselia.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"BLASPHEMER_!\u0026nbsp; YOU DARE QUESTION MY MOTIVES?!\u0026nbsp; YOU ARE THE ONE THAT IS TO BE PUT TO TRIAL!\u0026nbsp; INTERFERING WITH THE WORK FOR THE FATHER!_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"He's gone, Cresselia!\" Moltres snapped, flames licking their way out of her beak.\u0026nbsp; \"Wake up from your crazy dreams and think for yourself for once.\u0026nbsp; You're not the Prime.\u0026nbsp; Let them handle this as they always have.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_NEVER!\"_ Cresselia bellowed loudly, making my head pound.\u0026nbsp; \"_I WILL COMPLY WITH THE TASK SET OUT BY MY PRIME, AND ERADICATE THOSE WITH THE MARK ON THEIR SOULS.\u0026nbsp; THIS IS THE HUMAN DARKRAI ATTACKED BEFORE US!\u0026nbsp; HIS SOUL MUST BE PURGED!\"_\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor a moment, fear was at the forefront of my mind.\u0026nbsp; Having Moltres behind us and Cresselia at the front wouldn't make this situation any easier.\u0026nbsp; Fighting both is asking for a death wish.\u0026nbsp; Thinking was a luxury that wasn't in my timetable.\u0026nbsp; I couldn't see anyone from my position.\u0026nbsp; Even if they could distract Cresselia, Moltres would be on top of us instantly.\u0026nbsp; My heart beat against my chest painfully.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Everflame's wings folded around me and Io in a protective gesture.\u0026nbsp; \"No, Cresselia.\" Moltres said gently.\u0026nbsp; \"This isn't a decision to make lightly on information you know little of.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_MISBEGOTTEN FOOL!\u0026nbsp; I ACT IN ACCORDANCE TO MY PRIME.\u0026nbsp; YOU, ON THE OTHER WING, ACT AS A REBEL AGAINST OUR CAUSE!_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're leaking thoughts again.\" Moltres said teasingly, a clicking sound coming from her.\u0026nbsp; \"This human can hear you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_LET HIM!\u0026nbsp; HIS OWN DEMISE WILL COME SOON ENOUGH!_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And that's where you're wrong, Cresselia.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI turned to face Moltres as her eyes were on me.\u0026nbsp; Finally getting a moment to register her presence, she was much larger than I thought.\u0026nbsp; She stood at least a few hands above my head, and her wings were gargantuan.\u0026nbsp; Moltres lowered her face to meet mine.\u0026nbsp; For a moment, I could swear that a hint of a smile was on her beak.\u0026nbsp; If beaks were that malleable.\u0026nbsp; Either way things still didn't look like they were on my side.\u0026nbsp; All Moltres presence meant was that there was a third party looking for their own end.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMoltres spread her gigantic wings wide, the air around us instantly turning stifling.\u0026nbsp; Both of Io's arms wrapped around me in their protective embrace as quickly as possible.\u0026nbsp; As much as I wanted to know what was going on outside, it was probably for the best that it remained a mystery.\u0026nbsp; A sense of weightlessness, like falling, settled in me before it left with a shock.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe's arms slowly transformed back into the tentacles I was used to.\u0026nbsp; They looked a bit thinner than normal though.\u0026nbsp; The colors of her main body were turning black.\u0026nbsp; A large section above her legs, her face and tentacles were the same original colors.\u0026nbsp; Her face looked more aerodynamic, with just one long protrusion coming from the back of her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hold on.\" Io said simply, both her tentacles holding me against her chest.\u0026nbsp; The next moment, my face was being pressed against her body.\u0026nbsp; Not due to her tentacles, but because we were moving so fast.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBefore anything more than blurred shapes registered in my peripheral vision, we stopped suddenly.\u0026nbsp; My legs felt weak as Iolanthe let me stand on the ground afterwards.\u0026nbsp; It felt like my body was made out of jelly.\u0026nbsp; With my legs giving out underneath me, Io grabbed me to make sure that I didn't fall.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Is Master alright?\" Xola said, slithering next to me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIolanthe gently placed me go into the Milotic's coils.\u0026nbsp; Xola wrapped herself protectively around me.\u0026nbsp; She faced the same direction as I did, resting her head on my shoulder.\u0026nbsp; The rest of the group made their presence known.\u0026nbsp; Song and Baast quickly made a bit of fuss over how my present situation was.\u0026nbsp; Mist and Zin both shook their heads at this display.\u0026nbsp; Akalia and Aurora walked towards Iolanthe.\u0026nbsp; I was about to ask what they were looking at, but the bright purple flashes and waves of fire reaching high into the night sky made that question obsolete.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSpirit landed next to us, speaking in frantic tones as she pointed around her.\u0026nbsp; Io calmed her down quickly, however, nodding a few times and putting her tentacles on the Flygon's shoulders.\u0026nbsp; Zin was the first to speak out of us.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They're headed this way.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nLooking over towards the flashing lights, they slowly became larger as they approached.\u0026nbsp; Stars shaped projectiles flew alongside fireballs, lighting up the night sky.\u0026nbsp; Why weren't any authority figures showing up?\u0026nbsp; It wasn't like Cerulean City wasn't too far away.\u0026nbsp; Looking back for a moment, I was surprised that Cerulean City wasn't in sight.\u0026nbsp; Darkness loomed over the horizon as no lights from the city came into view.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We're in some kind of illusion.\" Mist said.\u0026nbsp; \"I can feel something blanketing around us, but it is too powerful for me to alter or decipher.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIolanthe nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"I feel it, as well.\u0026nbsp; My powers also cannot interfere with this field that we've been wrapped on.\u0026nbsp; For all intents and purposes, the outside world doesn't know we are here.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We don't have a lot of time to decide on what to do.\" Zin warned.\u0026nbsp; \"They'll be on top of us soon enough.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There isn't much to decide on.\u0026nbsp; We can't get out until Cresselia drops the illusion, right?\u0026nbsp; The match between those two looks too even, so we have to tip the scales in our favor.\u0026nbsp; At the very least, side with the Pokémon that hasn't tried to kill us yet.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you think Moltres will?\" Song asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't want to think of that right now, but no.\" I said.\u0026nbsp; \"She had the chance the moment she appeared in front of us.\u0026nbsp; All she had to-\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No more time for small talk!\" Zin yelled as a purple beam flew towards us.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone scattered as Xola concentrated and conjured up her Aqua Ring.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes opened, glowing a deep blue.\u0026nbsp; Even if it was just a stray attack, the power behind it was unmistakable.\u0026nbsp; The impact of the beam looked like it would crumple the shield.\u0026nbsp; My hands trembled against the Milotics scales as the blue shield began to discolor around the impact point.\u0026nbsp; Instead of the Aqua Ring turning pink, it turned a brighter shade of blue.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No one hurts my Master.\" Xola whispered softly before the water bubble glowed brighter and finally absorbing the entire attack.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nXola's coils tightened around me.\u0026nbsp; \"It's my turn to keep you safe.\" she whispered in my ear.\u0026nbsp; She turned to everyone else before raising her voice.\u0026nbsp; \"All of you, get to it!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNobody argued with the Milotic's words, rushing past us without a look back.\u0026nbsp; Zin hesitated for a moment, looking at both of us.\u0026nbsp; Xola stared back at the Houndoom before Zin ran off towards the fighting.\u0026nbsp; I was allowed to stand but Xola was still curled around my legs.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't running anywhere, no matter how much it was desired.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCresselia screech echoed inside my head, making me double over in pain.\u0026nbsp; It came and went in an instant, but it was enough for me to almost black out.\u0026nbsp; Lights danced in my vision along the grass and dirt.\u0026nbsp; The feeling of constant nausea was beginning to take its toll.\u0026nbsp; I was beginning to hear indistinct sounds.\u0026nbsp; Not the sounds of conflict, that's for sure.\u0026nbsp; I was already familiar with the sounds of Zin's fire, Akalia's lightning, and Song's staff.\u0026nbsp; This was a completely different sound.\u0026nbsp; All I knew is that it made me extremely uncomfortable.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nZin, Akalia, and Spirit seemed to work as a core group.\u0026nbsp; They would all attack together, though it seemed to impede Moltres in attacking.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps she really was on our side.\u0026nbsp; At least she taking caution in when to attack.\u0026nbsp; Cresselia turned her attention towards me, and another wave of pain began to swell.\u0026nbsp; Moltres launched a full offensive, disregarding if someone was in the way or not.\u0026nbsp; Though I couldn't see if anyone was injured in collateral damage, everyone looked fine when my vision finally cleared.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI could finally get a good look on Cresselia's face.\u0026nbsp; While distracted by Baast, Aurora, and Mist, I spotted that the right side of her moon shaped face looked cracked.\u0026nbsp; It had actually come together across her face, as if to guard her from any damage.\u0026nbsp; Song did seem to prefer to aim high with that staff.\u0026nbsp; Speaking of the Gardevoir, both her and Iolanthe came after Spirit flew by to grab a falling Baast.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBoth Pokémon were repelled by a large wave of flames.\u0026nbsp; My first thought was that Moltres had protected Cresselia.\u0026nbsp; The truth was a lot scarier than that.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nFour large spheres floated above Cresselia, glowing with their own power.\u0026nbsp; Smaller ones began to appear in consistent wave pattern from Cresselia's sides, spitting out what looked like fireballs.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Everyone, scatter!\" Moltres commanded loudly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNobody had to be told twice, all of my Pokémon dividing into small teams of two.\u0026nbsp; The fireballs were easily dodged, as they made gaps on their own accord.\u0026nbsp; I could see a few retaliatory attacks being sent towards Cresselia every so often.\u0026nbsp; The problem were the lights coming from above Cresselia, specifically from the four original spheres that weren't doing anything.\u0026nbsp; Until they began to fire their own beams of energy.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe battlefield quickly became one sided as Cresselia's attacks bombarded and overwhelmed everyone.\u0026nbsp; The small fireballs didn't do much to deter anyone, but the constant fire of the beams quickly brought any kind of counter-attack out of the question.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe, Mist, and Spirit tried going over the waves of fireballs to moderate success.\u0026nbsp; With only the beams to worry about, and the grounded Pokémon had more opportunities to attack with impunity.\u0026nbsp; My eyes wandered, quickly finding the flaming wings of Moltres in contrast to the dark sky.\u0026nbsp; I'd hazard a guess that she was twenty feet above the ground.\u0026nbsp; A loud cry echoed through the night as the sky turned slowly from black to red.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs if fighting fire with fire, Moltres brought her own powers to bare. \u0026nbsp;In a similar display, small circular satellites appeared with every beat of her wings.\u0026nbsp; Though in contrast of Cresselia's seemingly predictable barrage, Moltres' attack looked to have no gaps in between each fiery projectile.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They're all going to get caught in the crossfire!\" I shouted.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy feet were instantly caught in Xola's coils.\u0026nbsp; \"No!\u0026nbsp; You're staying put!\" she screamed at me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"But-\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"But nothing.\u0026nbsp; Your safety is my priority.\u0026nbsp; You go out there and you're going to get killed!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat's a hard point to argue.\u0026nbsp; Still didn't make me feel better about the wave of fireballs headed towards Cresselia and my team in the middle of it all.\u0026nbsp; Struggling against her was only making her muscles coil tighter around me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMoltres' projectiles flew at different speeds.\u0026nbsp; If that wasn't enough, larger fireballs were being thrown straight at Cresselia.\u0026nbsp; My Pokémon moved out of the way quickly as Cresselia turned her attention to counterattack Moltres.\u0026nbsp; Lights as bright as the sun flashed across the sky multiple times as fireballs collided against each other.\u0026nbsp; The air didn't grow warm oddly enough.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps it was the Aqua Ring still encasing me that shielded the heat, but I had no idea.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe slower moving projectiles from Moltres weren't stopped as easily as the mass wave she shot forward.\u0026nbsp; It took a barrage of Cresselia's beams to stop it.\u0026nbsp; When it exploded, the air expelled outward and pushed me off my feet.\u0026nbsp; Unfortunate for Cresselia, that wasn't the only one.\u0026nbsp; Behind that first one that exploded, at least three more followed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy team began to take advantage of Moltres' distraction.\u0026nbsp; Like a swarm, they all attacked at once.\u0026nbsp; Mist and Spirit bombarded from long range, drawing some fire to themselves but leaving more openings in our targets defenses.\u0026nbsp; Streaks of lightning and fire from below further distracted Cresselia as they hit her from her blind spots.\u0026nbsp; This allowed for Io, Baast, Aurora, and Song to physically get through the orbiting spheres and attack Cresselia physically.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA wave of pain made me cry out as I grasped my head.\u0026nbsp; It felt like a rock fell on top of me, except worse.\u0026nbsp; It didn't go away as quickly as before, either.\u0026nbsp; Xola's eyes stared at me as if to figure out what was going on.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you hurt?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Something's going on.\u0026nbsp; I don't know what though.\" I said, wincing at the effort.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSong and Baast, with the aid of Io and Spirit, stayed aloft as Cresselia began to gain altitude.\u0026nbsp; It didn't look like a good idea, except when the spheres around Cresselia finally disappeared when Baast delivered a blow to our opponent.\u0026nbsp; All four left the area as soon as possible, leaving Moltres to reach Cresselia with impunity.\u0026nbsp; A few of the orbs finally reached Cresselia, the Witch of the Night crying in shock and pain as each exploded against her body.\u0026nbsp; To my surprise, Moltres didn't keep up this barrage and instead brought herself into the fray.\u0026nbsp; She dove from her position, a sheen of fire going around Moltres that made her much more larger than she really was.\u0026nbsp; As the last projectile hit Cresselia, Moltres' attack landed.\u0026nbsp; The wave of pain that slammed into me was indescribable.\u0026nbsp; I closed my eyes and focused on breathing, trying my best to stay conscious.\u0026nbsp; Blacking out sounded like a really good idea though.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Iolanthe!\u0026nbsp; Something's happening to Master!\" Xola cried out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Mist?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe familiar ghostly tendrils touched my forehead.\u0026nbsp; Relief was immediate, but it still felt like something heavy hit my gut.\u0026nbsp; When I opened my eyes, Mist was shaking her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I do not know what's going on.\" she said softly.\u0026nbsp; \"Something to do with Cresselia.\u0026nbsp; I can feel her power affecting him.\u0026nbsp; But how is something else entirely.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nXola was surprisingly not tied around me, but the Aqua Ring wasn't in place anymore.\u0026nbsp; Looking up towards the two legendary figures, they were still fighting.\u0026nbsp; I couldn't have been out for too long, right?\u0026nbsp; The ground looked scorched, though that wasn't all that surprising.\u0026nbsp; They both were shooting large amounts of fire around.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nGenerally stating the obvious.\u0026nbsp; It made me feel better.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What was that attack?\" I asked. \u0026nbsp;\"I've never heard or seen anything like it before.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Neither have I.\" Io said, shaking her head.\u0026nbsp; \"This is something beyond us, that much we know.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNo kidding.\u0026nbsp; I've never seen any kind of Pokémon throw so many projectiles at once.\u0026nbsp; Maybe a Charizard when it's really mad... and that was once during a tournament match on the television.\u0026nbsp; Even comparing the two, the Charizard paled in comparison.\u0026nbsp; That Charizard covered a quarter of a thirty foot arena.\u0026nbsp; This had to be easily three times that coverage area.\u0026nbsp; At least from my perspective.\u0026nbsp; The only vegetation visible was behind me.\u0026nbsp; Everything that I could see was charred.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's going on?\" Zin asked.\u0026nbsp; \"Why is Master in pain?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Don't worry about it.\" I said, waving away her concern.\u0026nbsp; She looked at me and did my best to smile back.\u0026nbsp; \"See?\u0026nbsp; Perfectly fine.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stood up under my own power.\u0026nbsp; Everything felt fine, although the painful echoes were still there.\u0026nbsp; Suddenly, another nauseating wave washed over me, my knees buckling instantly.\u0026nbsp; My eyes hurt inside their sockets, and it felt like something was squeezing my throat.\u0026nbsp; Someone prevented me from meeting the bare ground.\u0026nbsp; As soon as everything stopped hurting and caught my breath I struggled to stand.\u0026nbsp; Aurora didn't seem to want me arguing, though, especially with her claws so close to my face.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIolanthe stopped her gently, drawing her claws away with one of her tentacles.\u0026nbsp; \"That is not the way to treat your Master.\" she said softly.\u0026nbsp; \"I understand you mean well, but that's not how to do it.\u0026nbsp; Please.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sat up as my body protested the movements.\u0026nbsp; \"Regardless of what's going on with me, we have to help Moltres.\" I said grimly.\u0026nbsp; \"Cresselia can beat her.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAll of the Pokémon around me looked at me in confusion.\u0026nbsp; I wanted to laugh at their expressions, but decided against it.\u0026nbsp; I pointed to the sky instead.\u0026nbsp; The answer was clear enough without me diluting it.\u0026nbsp; Moltres was losing altitude quickly as Cresselia hovered in the sky.\u0026nbsp; The ground shaking impact even made me wince.\u0026nbsp; I stood up even against my friends protests, and made my way towards Moltres.\u0026nbsp; She needed our help, and it was obvious that Cresselia wasn't the one to give it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe impact point is too far away to reach before Cresselia turns her attention back towards us.\u0026nbsp; Cresselia's body and face were discolored due to burns and impacts by my team.\u0026nbsp; Black tinged the blue of her body, while the pink linking energy was a vibrant red.\u0026nbsp; The yellow coloration was smudged with black as well.\u0026nbsp; The moon shaped protrusions that covered Cresselia's face had numerous cracks in them.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS INSOLENCE, HUMAN CHILD!_\" Cresselia bellowed, her voice making me wince.\u0026nbsp; \"_YOU WILL-_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Who said anything of our little discussion being done?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nLike a scene of legends, a large plume of flame appeared suddenly.\u0026nbsp; The heat was stifling in its intensity and appearance.\u0026nbsp; I could easily see the whites and blue colors inside the flames, mixing with the usual yellows and reds.\u0026nbsp; Out of this inferno, Moltres appeared with a mighty flap of her wings.\u0026nbsp; The air shimmered around the legendary firebird from the heat of her being.\u0026nbsp; If she was injured before, her body didn't show it.\u0026nbsp; It was as if she was renewed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Surprised?\u0026nbsp; I thought you'd be used to this by now, little sister.\" Moltres said with a haughty tone.\u0026nbsp; \"This isn't the first time we've fought.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe idea of these two Pokémon fighting on a constant basis sent a chill down my spine.\u0026nbsp; Wait a moment... did she really say...?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_YOU DARE... YOU DARE!\u0026nbsp; HOW MANY TIME HAVE I TOLD YOU NEVER\u0026nbsp; TO CALL ME SUCH!\u0026nbsp; YOU HAVE FORFEITED THAT RIGHT MANY A MOON AGO.\u0026nbsp; MUST I CONSTANTLY REMIND YOU?_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, dear, you don't.\" Moltres responded lightly.\u0026nbsp; \"It's just nice to see you get all huffy over such a trivial matter.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_TRIVIAL!?_\u0026nbsp; _I'LL SHOW YOU TRIVIAL!_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAt that, Cresselia abandoned all interest in us.\u0026nbsp; Cresselia's ire was quickly turned to Moltres, who seemed all too pleased with herself.\u0026nbsp; Beams of multicolored lights lanced towards Moltres almost at point blank range.\u0026nbsp; Moltres just flapped her wings, flying over the attack and retaliating with her own attack that I was more familiar with.\u0026nbsp; The Fire Blast that Moltres launched was much bigger than I anticipated, lighting up the sky as it traveled to Cresselia.\u0026nbsp; What made things odd was that the Witch didn't do anything to dodge the attack in the first place.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What are you all waiting for?\" I asked.\u0026nbsp; \"We can attack, too!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy friends all looked at each other, before rushing forward.\u0026nbsp; All but Song, who stayed by my side.\u0026nbsp; Beams of ice, fire, lightning, and ghostly energy soared to their mutual target.\u0026nbsp; The tell-tale sign of an Aura Sphere would occasionally be seen against the brightness of the other attacks.\u0026nbsp; The first few surprisingly missed, crossing in front of Cresselia's face.\u0026nbsp; She immediately reacted by moving away from both Moltres' Fire Blast and my Pokémon's attacks.\u0026nbsp; Cresselia went on the counter-attack, shooting her own beams of multicolored light towards my Pokémon.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMoltres dove towards to Cresselia, immediately initiating close ranged combat.\u0026nbsp; All my Pokémon stopped attacking soon after, taking caution not to hit our flying defender at this moment in time.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nLike the screeching of nails on a chalkboard, both Pokémon in the sky made noises that made my ears hurt.\u0026nbsp; The sound of glass cracking made me look around.\u0026nbsp; Song grabbed my shoulder, and when I turned to her she pointed skyward.\u0026nbsp; Looking up, the sky looked like it was shattering.\u0026nbsp; Cracks that projected a pink color contrasted against the black sky.\u0026nbsp; The last time I looked, that wasn't normal.\u0026nbsp; Was Cresselia's hold on this area weakening?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCresselia's voice echoed around me, my heart leaping to my throat at the sound.\u0026nbsp; She flew up high into the sky, probably trying to undo whatever damage may have been done.\u0026nbsp; My Pokémon regrouped at my location, Song grabbing hold of my body possessively.\u0026nbsp; Moltres herself landed among us, her blue eyes once again grabbing hold of my attention.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're all a lot more stronger than I thought.\" she mused.\u0026nbsp; \"Maybe I should pay attention to the Prime more often.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nPrime?\u0026nbsp; I opened my mouth to ask, but Moltres shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"Before you ask, no, I can't tell you.\u0026nbsp; You don't strike me as an idiot.\u0026nbsp; You'll figure it out.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey sound important, at least.\u0026nbsp; \"At least, I won't tell you.\" Moltres mused, clicking her beak at the sky.\u0026nbsp; \"Cresselia might just blurt it all out anyway.\u0026nbsp; Even though we're forbidden to speak of them in any more detail.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"About who?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The Primes, silly.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps you aren't as smart as you seem to be?\" Moltres chuckled at her question, shaking her head.\u0026nbsp; After she calmed down, she nodded at me.\u0026nbsp; \"I understand your frustration, but it's part of our laws.\u0026nbsp; For the last five thousand years, at least.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And how do you know all this?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I was there.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnything else that could have been said was interrupted by another loud cry inside my skull.\u0026nbsp; Moltres shook her head sadly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She's like a child that just turned eight hundred.\" she said sadly.\u0026nbsp; \" A bit pathetic, when you know she's been alive for the last two thousand years.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhen thinking about the situation like that, I guess it made some sort of sense.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps Cresselia was just really angry.\u0026nbsp; It was probably not my place to know about these things.\u0026nbsp; Definitely not my place to ask for details.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnother anguished cry echoed in my mind as Cresselia wept over whatever ruined her perfect plans.\u0026nbsp; I looked over to Moltres, who shook her head.\u0026nbsp; I focused back to Cresselia, seeing her form glow an oddly looking white.\u0026nbsp; Moltres squawked in surprise, her wings beating at her sides.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And this is why I've come to call her The Lunatic Princess!\" Moltres yelled.\u0026nbsp; \"Take cover, human!\u0026nbsp; Cresselia may get her wish yet!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was about to ask what Moltres meant by that, when the sky started to turn blue.\u0026nbsp; Not the shade of blue that you would see during the day in the sky.\u0026nbsp; The light bathed everything around us blue, as well.\u0026nbsp; Before anything left my mouth, thin beams of matching blue raced in our general direction.\u0026nbsp; Song grabbed my arm and pulled me out of my stupor, forcing me into Io's tentacles.\u0026nbsp; No words were exchanged as everyone went their separate ways.\u0026nbsp; My arm reached towards Song as Io transformed quickly while holding tightly to me.\u0026nbsp; The Gardevoirs face showed a mixture of concern and fear as our fingers touched.\u0026nbsp; An explosion next to us made Iolanthe react quickly, pulling me away from Song.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe first explosion was joined by more, quickly increasing in accuracy.\u0026nbsp; Explosions is an odd way to put it.\u0026nbsp; When the beams hit anything, they covered everything in ice.\u0026nbsp; The thought crossed my mind if Iolanthe could launch a beam back towards Cresselia.\u0026nbsp; She looked down at me, and I swear I could see her grin.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes looked mischievously at me for a moment as we slowly came to a halt.\u0026nbsp; Her form changed to one that was more her usual.\u0026nbsp; She put me down gently as the transformation completed.\u0026nbsp; The two tentacles on her right side began to glow similarly to the sky above as a few beams flew towards us.\u0026nbsp; She swung, meeting her targets directly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAn explosion of ice quickly knocked me back.\u0026nbsp; My body tumbled on frozen ground, the air feeling like it could chill my body from the inside out.\u0026nbsp; I landed on my ass, my world spinning around.\u0026nbsp; Finally getting my bearings, I was able to see that Io's entire right side of her body was encased in ice.\u0026nbsp; Panicking, I rushed over to her.\u0026nbsp; As she moved towards me the ice covering her body began to crack and break apart.\u0026nbsp; While it looked fine at first, that thought changed when one tentacle completely broke off her body.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHer body transformed back again to her slim figure transformation.\u0026nbsp; With her free tentacle, she shattered the other remaining frozen limb before holding me tightly against her chest.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Never tell me to do so again.\" she said before we rushed away.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWas she alright?\u0026nbsp; Arceus, part of her body was shattered!\u0026nbsp; Before I could voice any concerns about Iolanthe's well-being, the sky began to change color.\u0026nbsp; Looking upwards, a green light floated high above.\u0026nbsp; In place of the Ice Beams being shot towards us, it looked like a storm of leaves blowing through the air.\u0026nbsp; One passed too closely to my own face.\u0026nbsp; Touching my cheek, I could feel something wet under my fingers.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIo took a sharp turn to her right, throwing me off balance momentarily.\u0026nbsp; A barrier appeared around Io and myself as Mist appearing to ride with us.\u0026nbsp; Without any spoken words, Io seemed to move with more purpose now.\u0026nbsp; Even in her injured state her speed didn't seem affected in the slightest.\u0026nbsp; I wanted to ask where are we headed to, but a sharp look from my Mismagius stopped me from voicing any concerns.\u0026nbsp; Where was everyone else?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nLooking up to the sky, Moltres was doing her best to redirect any attention from us to herself.\u0026nbsp; At least, that's what it looked like.\u0026nbsp; What we were getting was anything that was either deflected or accidental fire.\u0026nbsp; Though I don't know how much is accidental when it looked like exploding beams of ice and leaves as sharp as knives flew through the air.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe stopped suddenly, the nauseating experience of stopping immediately after going however fast going over me.\u0026nbsp; Song's hands wrapped around my neck as soon as Io let me go.\u0026nbsp; I shook my head, pointing towards the injured Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe shook her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I will be fine.\u0026nbsp; Listen to what Mist has to say first.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked over to the ghost, nodding when she had my full attention.\u0026nbsp; Everyone else was here and accounted for.\u0026nbsp; Odd, having a meeting in the middle of a death field.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Akalia has an idea that should work.\" Mist said without preamble.\u0026nbsp; \"The problem is that Cresselia will pay more attention here with an easier target to get.\u0026nbsp; Master needs to stay here to be safe, and I need to be here to help shield this area.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why can't we all stay here?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Besides casting a flag saying that we're hiding?\" Mist asked sarcastically.\u0026nbsp; \"No.\u0026nbsp; We need a distraction.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're asking everyone else to get in danger again, while Akalia-\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you have any other suggestions, Master?\" she asked.\u0026nbsp; Everyone was staring at me, curious of my answer.\u0026nbsp; I shivered slightly, but shook my head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Now you see our problem.\"\u0026nbsp; Mist continued, nodding to me.\u0026nbsp; \"Is everyone still in favor of the plan?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone nodded, including Xola.\u0026nbsp; I feared that she might be more vulnerable to anything due to her speed.\u0026nbsp; Though perhaps she could offset that with her Aqua Ring.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't sure at all, but not knowing didn't make me feel better.\u0026nbsp; One by one they left.\u0026nbsp; Baast grabbed hold of my face and kissed me, sticking her tongue inside my mouth.\u0026nbsp; I couldn't react quickly enough before she left, running out into the barrage that was going on outside.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHands grasped on my neck and turning me around.\u0026nbsp; Song's eyes entered my vision, her lips pressing against mine.\u0026nbsp; Just like the Lucario before her, she ran before I could say anything to her.\u0026nbsp; One by one, my Pokémon walked up me.\u0026nbsp; Aurora and Spirit hugged me before they went together before leaving towards the darkness.\u0026nbsp; I kneeled for Xola to have an easier time to reach me.\u0026nbsp; Likewise for Zin, the Houndoom's paws scratching at my pants for more attention.\u0026nbsp; It didn't take too long for them to go their separate ways out into the darkness.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stood up, meeting her eyes.\u0026nbsp; She looked unconcerned about the plan.\u0026nbsp; She still didn't look worried that she was missing part of the right side of her body.\u0026nbsp; Iolanthe quickly wrapped her remaining tentacles around me, pressing my body against hers.\u0026nbsp; I could feel her shivering, slight motions that were invisible to the eyes but obvious when pressed together.\u0026nbsp; Without hesitation my hands brought her face closer to me and kissed her.\u0026nbsp; Io stopped shivering instantly and her grip tightened for a moment.\u0026nbsp; We slowly parted but no words were exchanged.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes widened after a moment before she left.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMist and Akalia both stood next to me as I watched Io dodge whatever fell from the sky.\u0026nbsp; The hairs on my neck stood on end, the crackling of electricity drawing my attention to my left.\u0026nbsp; Akalia's fur was tinged yellow with the electricity going around her fur.\u0026nbsp; Sparks flew out of her open mouth, a ball of electricity condensing between in her fangs.\u0026nbsp; Soon after, she dropped it on the ground.\u0026nbsp; Against all possibilities, the ball of lightning didn't disappear.\u0026nbsp; Akalia shook herself, her tail tracing a line of electricity to her new stopping point.\u0026nbsp; The process repeated once more as electricity began to course along her body once more.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked around, finding Mist floating over my right shoulder.\u0026nbsp; \"Mist, what is she doing?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Watch and don't get in the way.\" Mist advised.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith no idea what to say to that, we stayed in silence.\u0026nbsp; It looked like this wasn't easy to prepare for but the Luxray was doing her best to hurry along.\u0026nbsp; I looked upwards, seeing the sky a bright yellow instead of the green.\u0026nbsp; The green leaves were replaced with by yellow stars.\u0026nbsp; Some landed near our hiding place, sparks traveling along the surface.\u0026nbsp; My focus turned back to Akalia as she placed her third marker on the ground.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI honestly hoped that Cresselia didn't think that anything suspicious was going on.\u0026nbsp; The sky above us was a fiery red once more.\u0026nbsp; The all too familiar form of fireballs were flying all around the air.\u0026nbsp; A fourth ball was placed by Akalia on the ground, connecting the four orbs in a square.\u0026nbsp; As she finished, she drew another rectangular shape.\u0026nbsp; It looked more like a diamond inside the square, but all the same.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nLooking upwards, the sky had turned purple.\u0026nbsp; Waves of pulsing purple energy came in staggered bursts.\u0026nbsp; They varied in shape, but at least they didn't shatter the ground on impact.\u0026nbsp; Akalia was in the middle of the formation now, charging more electricity around her.\u0026nbsp; The air felt heavy, the figures of electricity on the ground taking a life of their own.\u0026nbsp; Whatever Akalia was doing, it was something big.\u0026nbsp; Four lights coming from the balls of lightning shot upwards, meeting in the middle above Akalia and headed skywards.\u0026nbsp; Cresselia was now a multi color ball in the sky as she fired all the previous projectiles in more numbers than I care to count.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA wave of pressure hit me.\u0026nbsp; I closed my eyes, trying to hold in any kind of vocalization that could distract Akalia.\u0026nbsp; The skies above slowly turned back to normal, now that Cresselia was apparently done with her light show.\u0026nbsp; I looked over to Mist when I heard someone talking.\u0026nbsp; The ghost shook her head as she pointed towards the Luxray.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Tenkou mitsuru tokoro ni ware wa ari, yomi no mon hiraku tokoro ni nanji ari, ideyo, kami no ikazuchi!_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe lights on the ground rose up, spinning around the Luxray at a frightening speed.\u0026nbsp; Looking skyward, it didn't look like there were any signs of the original four points of light that shot upwards.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What the heck is that!?\" I whispered, holding my head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Kore de owari yo!\u0026nbsp; Indiguneishon!_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe familiar sound of lightning rumbled from above.\u0026nbsp; My world suddenly became white, the odd feeling of electricity flowing over us.\u0026nbsp; Cresselia's familiar scream echoed inside my head.\u0026nbsp; Looking skyward once more, it was obvious that she was hit with whatever it was that Akalia used.\u0026nbsp; Turning my attention to the ground, I made my way over to the Luxray.\u0026nbsp; She walked towards us, a good portion of her fur standing up on end.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you alright?\" I asked, worried about her.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe simply nodded, a huge smile on her face.\u0026nbsp; I was thankful for that, at the very least.\u0026nbsp; The shaking of the ground shuffled my priorities around though.\u0026nbsp; Turning around, Cresselia's body was laying on the ground.\u0026nbsp; Her body had numerous burns everywhere I could see.\u0026nbsp; My Pokémon slowly appeared around me, all bearing some kind of wound.\u0026nbsp; Superficial wounds I hoped.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMoltres landed next to Cresselia, shaking her head side to side.\u0026nbsp; It didn't look like she had suffered much damage throughout the exchange.\u0026nbsp; Either that or she was doing a good job at hiding it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think it's time you gave up for today, Cresselia.\" Moltres said.\u0026nbsp; \"Tell your Prime that she will have to rethink her strategy.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_That... is not for me to decide, and you know this_.\" Cresselia whimpered.\u0026nbsp; Her imposing voice was gone now.\u0026nbsp; \"_You know this.\u0026nbsp; You only... only postpone the inevitable!_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Perhaps.\" Moltres admitted.\u0026nbsp; \"But perhaps now is not the right time, either.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCresselia didn't respond to Moltres statement.\u0026nbsp; The Everflame shook her head.\u0026nbsp; Out of pity or spite I wasn't sure.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The barrier is about to fall, human.\" Moltres said, nodding towards me.\u0026nbsp; \"Walk and you'll reach your destination.\u0026nbsp; I'll see to it that this Witch gets her lashings.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNobody had to tell me twice to get out of this nightmare.\u0026nbsp; \"Thank you, Moltres.\" I said.\u0026nbsp; \"But what did she mean by the orders of the Prime that she received?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMoltres' eyes widened momentarily, but she shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"It isn't my place to tell you.\u0026nbsp; You know too much already.\u0026nbsp; Trust me when I say that you are better off not knowing.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI frowned.\u0026nbsp; \"This involves more than me.\" I pointed out.\u0026nbsp; \"Is there really nothing else you could tell us?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm sorry.\u0026nbsp; I don't want to truly die just yet.\" Moltres whispered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy eyes widened as she shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"Now, if there aren't any more pressing questions perhaps you should worry about your friends and less about your enemies.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe had a point there.\u0026nbsp; We all turned towards our backs, heading towards Cerulean City.\u0026nbsp; The familiar sights of stars began to fill in the darkness above us.\u0026nbsp; Song grabbed hold of my left arm, her grip almost making me lose balance.\u0026nbsp; Io's tentacles grabbed hold of my right arm.\u0026nbsp; She was still missing the tentacles on the right side of her body.\u0026nbsp; She looked happy, though.\u0026nbsp; How is another question but it wasn't up to me to argue.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe lights of Cerulean City began to appear ahead of us.\u0026nbsp; Out of curiosity I looked behind me.\u0026nbsp; It still surprised me that neither Moltres or Cresselia were there.\u0026nbsp; The how was another matter that I didn't want to think about.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n=======================////////////////////=============================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nOpening the doors to the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy was outraged at the physical state of myself and my team.\u0026nbsp; She took everyone to emergency care, including myself, and made it extremely clear to not leave the room under penalty of death.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nGood to know that Nurse Joy, who's trying to save us, will kill us just as easily if you break the rules.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNow that I was laying down on a bed, and my immediate safety was guaranteed, I wondered what just really happened.\u0026nbsp; I had silently hoped that Song was right and Cresselia would be on our side.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps it's just her, but this 'Prime' wasn't working for our interest, either.\u0026nbsp; There's more to it, that's for sure.\u0026nbsp; We didn't have enough information to piece this puzzle together.\u0026nbsp; I heard the door open slowly.\u0026nbsp; Turning to see if it was Nurse Joy, I was surprised to see Song standing at the doorway.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Song?\" I asked, surprised.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Nurse Joy just checked me out.\" she assured me.\u0026nbsp; \"I didn't have any extensive injuries.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe walked over to me, sitting on the bed.\u0026nbsp; Her left eye was covered in a white patch.\u0026nbsp; My worry must have been easily visible, as she smiled and shook her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just a scratch.\" she said, touching the eye patch.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt didn't make me feel any better, but I trusted her.\u0026nbsp; She leaned over to me, wrapping her hands around my neck.\u0026nbsp; The gentle rising and falling of her chest told me that she was done talking for the night.\u0026nbsp; I didn't even know what time it was, but exhaustion was beginning to claim me.\u0026nbsp; Deciding that resting is the better course of action, I closed my eyes.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt would be decisively better than being awake when Nurse Joy barged in.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"A Trainer\\'s Tale","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/349076-a-trainer-s-tale-chapter-27.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/389676-a-trainer-s-tale-chapter-29.json"}}