Finale-Future Plans
Later on, Luke's group was getting ready to leave Team
Warmachine's island; with the tournament now over, there was no reason to stay,
so they gathered whatever belongings they had from the cruise ship to take them
to the new boat given to them by Kurtia. Volcan, having been cleared to leave
the ship's medical ward, walked aboard the ship with clear discomfort, holding
his bandaged ribs; Hank stood close at hand in case the Blaziken needed help,
but he seemed to be managing so far.
"Ya gonna be alright there man?" Hank asked as he
patted his shoulder. "Personally I think you need crutches or even a
wheelchair..."
"He broke my ribs, not my legs," Volcan pointed
out, chuckling. "Thanks to Sage and Mikhail they're already half-mended
but there's still a lot of bruising; I'll be fine long as I breath normally and
don't make too many sudden moves."
"I also recommend a LOT of bedrest." Mik piped up
as they headed to their boat. "Which means no training for the time being
until you're 100%"
Volcan shrugged. "Doctor's orders," he remarked
with a snicker.
"I'm serious." Mik urged. "Any sudden shift in
your body could result in your ribs loosening up and you'll be back to square
one."
"Aw lighten up Mikkie." Rigel stated as he slapped
his back. "The Rookie's not stupid."
Serena was standing by the boarding ramp, watching the three
trade remarks before she looked down the ramp and saw Luke and Katsu coming
aboard with the last of their belongings -including the prize money and mega
stones given to them by Team Warmachine for winning the tournament, the former
of which they still had to divide between them. But then, she looked past
Katsu, and saw someone else approaching. "Hey guys," she said,
raising a paw and pointing behind them.
When they turned, they saw the most unexpected visitors
approaching. Members of Team Warmachine, namely Torolf, Kurtia, Leon and the
twins, Sage and Gall.
"Great; what do they want now?" Volcan asked,
none-too-pleased to see them -especially Torolf.
Luke glanced back to the team as they approached them, slowly
turning back to face them as the stood before him and his own team. Hank, Eagle
Eye and Katsumoto also stood at his side, in case they tried anything against
their leader.
Torolf was the first to the dock, and waved to Luke.
"Excuse me," he called. "Do you mind if I speak to you all for a
moment?"
Luke nodded, motioning for his team to relax, seeing as Torolf
had no ill intentions. "I think we both have things we'd like to say to
each other, Torolf..."
"Agreed," he called as the group came down, Volcan
included, as he too wanted a few words with Torolf.
Luke motioned politely for Torolf to speak first, figuring it
would be best for him to start off.
The Swampert rubbed the back of his head in frustration,
groaning. "Man I'm bad at this kind of junk," he grumbled before
clearing his throat, facing the members of Team Valiant. "I didn't
properly apologize to you all at the arena, so I've come to do it personally. I
apologized to Kaen before he left, but now it's your turn."
"Kaen's gone?' Volcan asked.
Torolf nodded. "He said he wanted to try it on his own
for a while... but we told him he'd always be welcome back if he so wanted.
It's only thanks to him," he nodded to Luke, "and you that I found
out what Maggie was doing behind my back." He sighed. "If I'd known
she'd go that far, I'd have stopped these tournaments long ago. But after she
told me on the ship you guys had every intention of taking our fame for
yourselves, she went on to convince me you'd even go the extra mile to rob us
all of everything we've fought for. I hope you can forgive my misguidedness."
He looked at Volcan. "Though I imagine your forgiveness will take more
time?"
As if to answer, Volcan delivered a right hook to Torolf's
face that made him wince -he clearly had been expecting it, but it still hurt.
"Does that answer your question?" Volcan asked, but then he tensed
and grabbed his chest again. "Agh... okay, bad idea..."
Mik looked angrilly at Volcan. "What did I just
say...?"
"Cool it Mikkie..." Rigel patted his shoulder to
calm his brother down.
"I deserved that," Torolf said, as much to Mikhail
as to Volcan. "Anyway... I hope you all can understand. I..." He
paused, looking at his team. "We all worked very hard to get where we are;
some of us came from harsh beginnings, and I guess that dark part of my past
made it easier for Maggie to manipulate me, especially since she started a
similar way.
"Nevertheless,
I never should've let it go so far, and it's only thanks to all of you it was
stopped before it could get out of hand. For that, I thank you." He bowed
his head. "And humbly apologize for my assumptions."
Luke took in a deep breath before he spoke. "It's
alright Torolf...in the end we were both played, and this is as much my fault
as it is yours." He said as he took a step forward toward Torolf. "I
was in such a state of anger I didn't even bother to think that there was
another hand involved; I only assumed that you were only in this for your own
selfish goals and to maintain your reputation." He flattened his ears and lowered
his head a little in apology.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," he stated
firmly. "But my blindness is what allowed Maggie to do all this; that
level of favoritism does not befit a team leader, which is why I've also
stepped down as leader... or at least I will after we decide who among us is
better to take over. We were going to ask Kaen, but I already told you about
him."
"Maybe you could tell us about these 'harsh beginnings'
so that we can have a better understanding?" Volcan suggested.
"Well I guess I owe you that much," stated Torolf.
"I warn you though, my origins aren't exactly pleasant. You sure you want
to hear them?"
Luke nodded. "I can assure you I've heard worse..."
he returned. "We're listening..."
Torolf took in a deep breath and exhaled before he began.
"I was born in the city of Blackcoast, a long ways away from here; it was
a grim town, rampant with Grimer in every waterway, polluting the city supply;
sickness was rampant there. When I hatched from my egg as a baby Mudkip, I
wasn't in the care of my own kind, but in those of a nest of Rattata, who later
told me they had found my egg floating in the sewers, amazed I had survived the
cold dirty waters. They raised me as their own, but we were always hiding; we
rarely saw the sun at all, too afraid to come out to the city streets except at
night to look for food -much of which we stole, just to survive.
"In addition to its pollution, the city was also home to
some of the meanest Pokémon in the world, who extorted from the populace. Every
time one of them found our hideout they demanded 'contributions', and failure to do so usually
resulted in us getting beaten to within an inch of our lives -sometimes even
killed. We moved regularly, trying to hide from them, but eventually they'd
always find us, and any attempt to leave the city was promptly thwarted; they
had barred every drain that led out, and the city gates were always watched.
"But one day, when I was a Marshtomp, I found a way out;
a set of broken bars that they hadn't checked recently, that were so rusted I
was able to break them. I and my Rattata family escaped from the city, but they
weren't going to let us go that easily. When they found out someone had
escaped, they chased us down; I ended up separated from half my family. The
rest... they didn't make it. I wandered alone with only one of them, a young
female Rattata I grew fond of when we were growing up, but living in that sewer
had taken its toll on her; her health was so delicate, she didn't survive long.
When she died, I wandered alone for several years.
"I first met Maggie after my fourth year; I found her at
a circus set up near Thunder Mountain. The place ran a good show; many loved to
see the performances. Maggie was their local hypnotist, doing things like
making a Pidgey think it was a Moltress or stuff like that. But behind the
scenes, a lot more went on; their ringmaster, this big brute of a Pangoro, was
very hard on them. He barely fed them, keeping most of the circus proceeds and
groceries for himself, and whenever one of them made a mistake in practice,
he'd beat them; Maggie was no exception.
"I was hanging around the circus after hours, hoping to find
scraps, when I saw her practicing, with him watching her like a Pidgeotto while
on the hunt. She was hypnotizing an Aipom, though what for I don't remember,
but she made a mistake and he bolted away from her; as soon as that happened,
he flew into a rage, and clawed her with a Shadow Claw. As soon as I saw that,
I hit him with the hardest Water Gun I could muster, and convinced her to run
away; we left that circus behind, learning about each other, and vowed that our
old lives were forever behind us.
"Not long after, we also vowed we wouldn't let anyone
else be treated that way anymore either, so we formed our Rescue Team. Shamshir
joined up with us first after we helped his brother save a friend of theirs
that was trapped in Thunderwave Cave. The three of us made the perfect team,
and as time went on, we found we were very good at what we did. But our biggest
career maker was when Groudon was awoken by this idiotic young Abra who thought
it'd be funny to use Dream Eater on the dormant deity. Needless to say, he
didn't like the prank."
"So you started out poor and worked your way up to greatness,
only to have one of your own manipulate you all for her own desires,"
Katsu stated.
"Yes... After we defeated Groudon and Maggie put him
back to sleep, our names were known across the entire continent. We found more
and more jobs coming, and recruited more people; Timber and Redfang were
actually the first ones who joined us after we stopped Groudon, and Kurtia not
long after them." He gestured to the Ninetales next to him. "We kept
needing more members as time went on, though; Leon, Razor and Oceana were
running their own team previously but they merged theirs with ours, and we
amassed so much money, we were able to by this island and," he gestured to
the massive ship moored nearby, "the Kyogre's Rest. Then, Maggie proposed
we host those contests; they were harmless fun at first, but things escalated
quickly when Timber found a Salamancite and suggested we offer it as a prize
for one of the contests; we stared collecting Mega Stones to keep doing that.
Before long, it was a fight to be the best, for everyone who came along. I
guess it's there where things changed for us. And, well... here's where it
ends, I hope."
Luke nodded softly. "Truly a tragic lifestyle. I'm sorry
Torolf." He returned. "Frankly I don't know which is worse... not
knowing who your family was...or watching them die right before your eyes."
"Unfortunately, I got to experience both," stated
Torolf, shutting his eyes. "And Maggie used that against me, making me
think I'd be forced back to that lifestyle if we ever lost in these contests. I
thought she was being a little paranoid at first but she became more adamant
about it when you started showing signs you might actually win, and used Kaen's
so-called 'betrayal' to cement my decision to give it all I had against you
guys. Now that I know the truth, however, I don't know if I can make up for
what I did -what I allowed Maggie to make me do."
"Start from scratch Torolf." Luke quickly replied.
"You stepping down and letting another take the mantle as leader is a
start, and you still have some of your reputation going for you. Given the fact
you stay true to your heart and not let anyone sway you into doing something
you feel is wrong, there's no doubt in my mind you'll earn the public's
respect."
"I probably don't deserve it... but I'll do my best to earn
it again nonetheless," he promised. "Say Luke, if you ever run into Kaen out there while
travelling, tell him I wish him the best, won't you?"
"I'll make sure he knows." He then lifted his paw
toward Torolf. "...I hope the next time our paths cross, it will be as
allies."
Torolf reached over with his big paw and touched his finger
to Luke's paw, since his whole hand was almost big enough to engulf Luke's
entire arm. "Anytime you have need of some extra muscle, just send your
speedy bird our way," he said, nodding at Eagle Eye. "We'll be there
before you know it."
Luke nodded and smiled at him. "I'll hold you to that."
He returned, then he slowly pulled back his arm and turned back to his team.
"Let's head home..." He said as he strode past them toward the boat.
"Sounds good to me," agreed Volcan. "Say...
anyone actually know how to drive this thing?"
"I'm sure I can pick it up rather quickly..." Mik
offered.
"I can vouch fer that. Mik's got an outrageous IQ
man..." Rigel added in.
"...This is gonna be some trip." Volcan muttered.
Torolf looked at Leon. "Maybe you better show
them," he said.
"At once," the Empoleon replied before he followed
the crew onto the ship.
After a brief lesson from the Empoleon, Mikhail had a general
idea of how to operate the boat; once the engine was active, that's where it
would get easier. He gave him a list of do's and don't's lastly before taking
his leave from the boat to rejoin his team on the pier, the group waving to
them as they began to slowly pull away.
Volcan stood at the stern with Luke, watching as the members
of Team Warmachine began to make their way back to their mansion. "Yanno...
they're not so bad after all," he admitted. "They had some bad eggs
but those've been cracked, and now they have a chance to get some proper
respect again." He looked down at Luke, chuckling as he asked, "is
this a regular job for Rescue Teams around here; to help other teams keep their
heads on straight?"
"Sometimes..." Luke returned. "There are other
teams out there that do go rogue or are misguided...and sometimes it takes
another to set them on the right path..."
"Well, I'd say you did that," said Volcan, and then
looked up as they sailed alongside the Kyogre's Rest. "Hey, check
it," he said, pointing up to the rail.
When Luke looked up, he said Sickle and his team waving to
them as they passed. This time, they had a fourth; Kaen was standing with them
by the ship's rail, smiling warmly down at them as they passed, nodding a
silent 'thanks' to Luke.
Luke waved back and smiled at the team, then he looked
specifically and called up to him, "Torolf sends you his best wishes,
Kaen! And that he hopes you're successful in your endeavours!"
"I'll make sure to do him proud, Luke!" Kaen called
down. "It was great meeting you all; hopefully we can see each other again
sometime!"
Volcan glanced at Luke. "Say, wasn't there a Sceptilite
in that box of Mega Stones?" He asked, flashing Luke a sly grin.
He flinched. "...Hey you're right!" He looked back
at Volcan. "Can you quickly run and get it?"
"Sure," he said, turning and walking over to where
Luke had left the box, on the deck near the boathouse, popping it open and
looking over the stones. "Uh..." He looked around, spotting Kage
nearby. "Hey, uh, Kage? Which of these is a Sceptilite?" He asked the
Greninja.
"The
green one with red and orange markings." He plainly answered.
Volcan glanced over the stones, and quickly found it.
"Ah, here we go," he said, and waved to Kage, saying 'thanks' before
he went back over to Luke, passing him the Sceptilite. "Not sure I should
try jumping up to the ship with my ribs so screwed up, and I don't trust my
throwing arm either," he admitted with some mild embarassment.
Luke took it in his paw and looked up to the Kyogre's Rest
once more. "Sickle!!" He called to him. "Catch!!" He said
as he hurled the Sceptilite as hard as he could toward the Grovyle.
Sickle saw the object flying towards him, and reached out
with his hand to catch it, looking at it. His eyes widened with shock as he
realized what it was, and he looked back down at Luke's boat, sprinting up the
rail a short distance so he could call down to the Lucario. "Why give this
to me? You guys earned it!"
"We don't have a Sceptile on our team; better you have
it!" Volcan replied.
"You sure?" The Grovyle asked.
"Positive!" Luke returned with a nod. "I know
you'll put it to good use when the time comes!"
Sickle looked at the stone in his hand for another moment,
before allowing himself a small smile before he looked back down to Luke.
"I owe ya for this one, buddy! If you guys are ever heading towards Spear
Pillar, stop by my hometown of Bluegrove! I'll buy you guys lunch!"
"We'll take you up on that...Perhaps sooner than you
think!" Luke called back to him. "Safe travels!!"
"You too!"
Volcan, at the mention of Spear Pillar, let his gaze fall,
and slowly drift off in the direction of the mainland. The pillar couldn't be
seen from where they were, but he knew it was out there, and the answers he
sought were waiting for him there as well. "Yes... much sooner than you
think," he whispered, but it didn't go unnoticed by Luke.
Luke's ear twitched and he glanced back to Volcan.
"...You alright...?"
Volcan nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I just got
thinking... by now, I'm probably experienced enough with this body to make the
trip to Spear Pillar." He rubbed his chest. "After I finish healing,
of course," he added. "It's time Serena and I went to find some
answers; if six days pass in my world whenever one passes here, we've already
been here a month. We have to find out how we can get home as soon as possible,
before our world believes we're dead." His expression soured. "But...
at the same time, I still wish I could spend longer here." He looked at
Luke, giving him a wry smile. "It's... really been quite the
adventure."
Luke nodded back. "I have to admit...it will be hard to
see you go, but your world needs you Volcan, and far be it from me to keep you
here." He admitted. "It has been an adventure indeed."
Volcan turned fully to the Lucario, leaning against the
railing as their eyes met. "I'm certainly going to miss you, most of
all," he said, plainly. "From the moment we met, you've been helping
me get through all that's happened... you were a true friend right from the
get-go. If only there was a way we could keep in touch even when I do find a
way home."
Luke nodded. "We'll find a way...things tend to do so in
my experience..."
"Let's just hope I don't have to fall out of the sky
again to come visit though," the Blaziken joked. "Next time there
might not be some nice soft foliage to break my fall."
Luke laughed audibly and gently patted Volcan's shoulder.
"Indeed; your first impression was a little....odd..."
"Yeah. Least I didn't land on something harder than
those tree limbs," He remarked.
"Yes, that would have been rather painful..." Luke
returned, glancing to the side a bit and adjusting his scarf.
Volcan turned his gaze back towards the sky. "Maybe
someday, you'll get to see my world, too," he said. "Just, if you
appear over Unity Falls, try not to hit a Skyscraper on your way down."
Then he blinked. "On second thought, if you appear over one, DO try to
land on it, otherwise it'll be a long way down."
"Well I have survived some pretty long falls...but I'll
take your word for it."
Volcan chuckled again, but grunted as he once more grabbed
his ribs. "Mother of..." He groaned. "Alright, better go lie
down before I hurt myself... wake me when we get back to town, alright?"
"Will do." Luke returned. "Best hop to it
before Mikhail catches you overstraining yourself."
"Right... your brother may come across as a brainiac but
when he wants to make a point, he can get pretty damn stern," remarked
Volcan, waving to Luke as he made his way over to the hatch that led below
decks. "In the meantime, ought to get to know your new boat. I'm sure
it'll come in handy someday."
"Good idea." He said as he leaned off the railing
and started to explore their newly acquired vessel
Meanwhile, Serena, who had heard part of the conversation
while resting by the boathouse, watched as Volcan and Luke parted, her gaze
dropping as she considered all that she heard. She too was reluctant to be
leaving so soon; her mind continued to drift back to Katsumoto as she thought
about them going home, and she wondered... after meeting someone like that,
could she really be happy leaving this world? For the first time, she had found
someone who she not only felt comfortable around but felt... warm...
complacent... like she had nothing to fear. She liked that feeling. But it
would all soon be coming to an end, when she had to leave...
Getting up from her spot, she looked around on the deck for
the Samurott; the boat, although sizeable, wasn't large enough she wouldn't be
able to see Katsu if he was above deck, but he was nowhere to be found; only
Kage and Hank were on the deck, with Mikhail in the boathouse and Eagle Eye
flying overhead, but no sign of Katsu.
Curious, she walked over to Hank, poking his shin with her
paw to get his attention. "Excuse me, Hank; have you seen Katsu anywhere?"
She asked
"Eh?" He turned back toward her. "Yea he's
probably down in one of the cabins or something. Saw him go down there not too
long ago."
"Thank you," she said gratefully before she turned
and headed down the stairs leading below decks, seeing Volcan go into his own
cabin before she started checking some of the other ones, looking for Katsu.
She found Rigel and Trish in one, but didn't peer in too long in case they were
doing something private, and made sure she was quiet as she passed Volcan's, before
she finally found Katsu's, peering inside to see what he was doing ---
He sat there on his bed, gazing out the porthole at the ocean
ahead. His upper body still bare after his kimono top was torn thanks to him
using his Torrent ability during the tournament. His Seamitars also were rested
against the wall next to him. To top it off, his Shellmet was also removed,
revealing quite a long head of white hair that flowed down his back and over
his face a little as well.
Serena tapped the door with her paw to announce her arrival
as she stepped in. "I never noticed you had such long hair," she
confessed. "It suits you."
He glanced back toward the door and smiled a little. "I
usually keep it bundled in my shellmet...but I do air it out and wash it from
time to time..." He said as he shuffled a bit to face her more.
She stepped into the room, crossing over to his bed and
seating himself next to it. "How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Anything broken from your battle with Timber?"
He shook his head. "Not physically, though my pride is a
little beaten down, but I shall recover." He then scooted a little to the
side. "Come." He beckoned, allowing some room on his bed for her to
sit as well.
She hesitated, but knew it was rude to refuse, and so hopped
up onto the bed, turning about before laying at his side, scooting close to
him. "I admit, I was... afraid, when I saw him pounding on you like
that... I thought he was going to beat you to death; I wanted to jump in to
help you but..." She shut her eyes. "I was too afraid, and I knew if
I did, the team would be disqualified,but he was just being so cruel..."
Katsu gently slid his arm around her and nodded. "Indeed
he was cruel...and I'm touched you even considered jumping in to stop the match
for my sake, but alas, I wouldn't want you to endanger yourself for my sake,
Serena.I am a warrior through and through. I live by the sword, and I will die
by the sword, but not before I have lived a long, meaningful life will I
eternally rest."
She laid her head against him. "It always worries me
when people say that... they always seem to get hurt," she said.
He looked down toward her, slowly lowering his head down to
her level and looking into her eyes. "I understand your concern...but what
doesn't kill me will make me stronger, and I will learn not to repeat that
experience again." He returned. "It is a constant risk whenever I
embark on missions with the rest of my comrades...but it is a risk I gladly
take as long as it means I do my part in protecting others."
She nodded. "I understand... but still." She shut
her eyes. "I... I also overheard Volcan talking to Luke. He wants to head
to a place called 'Spear Pillar' soon; from the sounds of it, he feels
something there will help us get home."
He froze for a moment upon hearing that piece of news. "I
see..." He returned. "That location houses both the Deities of Space and
Time; if anyone can assist you in returning home, I'm sure it will be them."
She nodded again. "That makes sense... but..." She
paused, suddenly feeling her face becoming warm, as she realized what she was
about to say.
Katsu closed his eyes for a moment. "You don't really
want to leave... do you?" He asked softly.
"I don't know," she replied. "I miss my
friends and kin back home... but ever since coming here," she moved her
paw to rest on top of his arm. "I found something I haven't before... a
person who feel so... happy to be near; someone who has been kind to me and
treated me with such tenderness and care, despite me being a stranger."
She leaned more against him. "Our time together has been short... but I
don't want it to stop yet..."
"I...I feel the same....." He returned, blushing
somewhat as she leaned on him and touched his arm with her paw. "I
admit...I've never felt this close to anyone before...I have friends, yes, but...when
I'm around you. I feel an even deeper connection." He said, almost in a
whisper. "Forgive me for sounding selfish but... I do not want our time
together to end.....ever...."
"Nor do I," she replied. "I want to stay with
you, Katsu..."
"Serena..." He whispered, slowly moving his face
closer to hers and wrapping more of his arm around her back, their noses
touching lightly.
Their eyes met, and they could feel each other's breath with
their faces so close together. A tear fell from the Vaporeon's eye, either of
joy or of fear at the idea their newfound bond might end when it had barely
begun. But then, she moved closer, and her lips touched to his. The touch was
gentle at first, as she waited to see how he'd respond.
A small gasp was heard through his nose when their lips met
for the first time, then everything seemed frozen in place for what felt like
an eternity before Serena then felt his paw slowly stroke her cheek. His eyes
closed and he pressed in deeper, sliding his other arm around her and pulling
her in closer.
She shut her eyes as they shared their first kiss, her tail
sliding over to wrap around his leg, using it to pull herself even closer to
him, so that her body was right up against his as they shared in this moment.
His own tail started to wag up and down, thumping a little on
the bed as they pressed firmly against one another and kissed even deeper than
ever. His ears folded back and a low purr emerged from his throat as he
expressed his deepest feelings toward Serena.
Finally, they pulled apart, and their gazes met again. She
smiled weakly at him. "That was my first ever," she said.
"Mine as well," he said, panting softly and
wrapping both his arms around her, smiling a little back at her. "That
felt...divine..."
"It did," she agreed, nestling her head against his
chest.
They lay there, wrapped in each other, for what felt like
hours... perhaps it was, as the sun was already beginning to set before they
made themselves more comfortable on the bed, and slowly drifted off into sleep.
Their minds would still be burdened with the question of what the future held
for them... but for now, they just did not want to be apart...