Legend's Rage (PG-13)

[Stormecho]

So. Hi. This was my first Pokemon fic ever, back around two years ago. Now, I was still a lowly noob then, and it sucked. Badly. So, after TCoD crashed and it was utterly deleted - and my computer's later loss of all its documents - I sulked, bashed my head on my desk, and finally started rewriting it. This is the result. Also - yes, I know, the title is so, so cheesy and obvious and eughhh, but it's nostalgic, and I can't change it. D: This is, to clarify, a combination of movie and gameverse, with some Special references tossed in because I'm currently hooked on it. Most of the action will be in Johto, because silver is the only game I have, and I still get swamped by all the D/P/Pt Pokemon. Anyways, er, read and review and hopefully enjoy? XD I am very much in need of constructive criticism as well.

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Prologue​

They arrived soundlessly, drawn by guilt and fury and the need for revenge. Strong emotions for stronger actions. There was no forgiving what had happened, what they saw in the eyes of the three that had been there from the start. The perfection of the balance they represented thrown off by the shadows that were left. There were not many – the birds came, flames and lightning and ice quieted by the gravity of the situation. Mew was there, blue eyes saddened by what fate had brought them all to. It was no surprise that a space had cleared around Ho-oh, and the sheer rage that radiated off the bird had ensured the others kept a wary distance from him and the heat that rippled off of him in waves. If there was any who had the ultimate claim to revenge, it was he, for they were his heralds, sent down to watch as humans grew in strength and ambition.

There was no question of leaving them in peace, of watching as the ambition grew and crippled those who would have let them live. Not even the protector of the forest could plead for peace. There were too many memories now, of burning towers and lives lost, reborn and then nearly lost again. Of balls that corrupted, of sleepers roused to anger and destruction, of greed that strangled those that would fly free. Too much, and as the mental barriers were released and the flood of disasters flashed through every mind, there was no hesitation.

At last, the most painful came, carried by the three beasts that had nearly been shattered, and even the knowledge that there had been a saviour for them was not enough. What could one human do against the ambition of so many? There was no forgiving all the crimes done to those who sought to protect and keep safe, and the balance had been skewed for too long. And so the memories were shared again, flowing in a continuing link through them all, and with little effort, the wave spread, touching the minds and hearts of those nearby. Images, flashing through so many. The wave continued, spreading even more, and the ripples were felt. Anger, hatred, and vengeance pulsed through them all.

At last, they cut off the flow. The stones had been dropped into the still pond, and now the world hungered for justice. They dispersed, traveling to the domains that they had held for thousands of years, and those they watched over understood and accepted their duty. From the depths of the seas, where Lugia swam tirelessly, to the sky, the word borne on majestic wings... Even the cities were affected, Latios and Latias gliding unseen through the streets. There was no question if the others would obey – when they asked, all would do their bidding gladly. One was absent, the newest, born unnaturally and who had once sought the same sort of justice, but he was alone, and unneeded now.

The change would be slow, but when they acted, there would be no stopping the surge of violence, and through the price of blood, true peace would be bought. There was no higher price, but it had been agreed upon, settled because of blood already spilt and crimes that had nearly broken the world. There was too little that was still pure, and that was the heart of it all.

There was no forgiving.
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Yes. A prologue. A short prologue. And written cryptically too! I'm sorry - I write normally most of the time, but a prologue instantly activates the "must be mysterious and awesome" switch in me, and... this comes out. I'll probably post the first chapter later in the day if I get the chance. The chapters are longer, I promise. x3

 

[Kaia Sui]

Well, your right, it was slightly short ^_^ but, it was interesting to read, if slightly lacking on the explanation part. I felt I didn't quite know what was going on.

 

[LusterPurge]

Agree with Kaia Sui. It is hard to find out what is going on. It almost seems like poetry, it has a certain flow that reminds me of that. Or the confused thoughts of someone who has been through a very shocking experience and tries to put the pieces together again. It's intense, but I have no idea what it is about yet...

 

[Stormecho]

Yes. As I said, prologues make me go into "cryptic writing" mode, so it's no wonder that it's very confusing. I apologize - it's the only way I could get myself into gear to revamp it. Anyways, here's Chapter 1 now. I'm still writing the second chapter, so it might take a while... XD
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Chapter 1: The Fall

Tala stared down at an arm marred by pale scars and the darkened remnants of burns. It was a rare time for contemplation – her days were busy, and she usually didn't have the energy to do anything but collapse onto her bed, but today's work had been lighter than usual. After a careful examination of a long, shallow gash on her wrist, she applied a leaf taken, with permission, from her Bellossom, and rebandaged it, before staring blankly at the wall. She didn't like not having anything to do. It felt strange, as if she hadn't done something right.

After a few minutes of staring, her eyes wandered over the rest of the room – a cheap wooden shelf in the corner, with books on medicine and the proper ways to treat Pokemon, the bed she was sitting on, a coffee table, a mini-fridge in the corner with food, both Pokemon and human... There was a rarely-used stove, as well, and that was it. The house had been quickly made, and she hadn't taken time to decorate it. As far as she knew, it could fall about her head in a minute, so what was the point of putting anything other than the neccessities in it? There was just a bathroom, and this room. It didn't even have the usual basement that one could escape to, the theory being that since she was a field medic, nothing would bother going this far to attack her.

There was the usual hum of the repel generators, designed to keep wild Pokemon away, but she had long since gotten used to the sound. There was nothing else to look at, and the windows showed the rather unnattractive view of a clouded night sky. Her fingers brushed the Pokeballs on her belt – it was dangerous to release them, especially if she was going to sleep soon, but they were high-leveled. The hesitation was hardly noticable, as she plucked one and released the Pokemon inside. The red light formed a large, lean canine, a faint scar visible on one leg. He shook his head, as if to lighten the weight of his rack of horns, and then sat down patiently. Tala stretched out a hand and splayed it against his furred neck, feeling the almost uncomfortable heat.

Her other hand went to her belt again, and the red light flickered once more, revealing her Bellossom, the red flowers on her head spinning slowly as she chirped a happy greeting.

“Sage, I want you to use Sweet Scent. Not too much, just something soothing.” she murmured, and began to stroke her Houndoom's neck, to calm herself. “Flare, you watch her, and if she looks threatening... blast her.” She hated having to issue such an order – she trusted her Pokemon, but Flare was a good ten levels higher than Sage, and the difference meant he would be less susceptible to turn on her...

“Bell.” the Grass-type chimed, and began to dance slowly, a delicate smell wafting through the room. Flare sneezed, but continued to gaze steadily at his teammate. Tala inched back, to give the pair some space in the cramped room, and turned off the light by her bed before sprawling out on it. She often slept in her clothes, rather than taking the time to change them – if an emergency occured, she was hardly going to be able to use the fact that she had been changing as an excuse for why she hadn't been fast enough to save a life.

She closed her eyes, and willed herself to go to sleep. Her muscles didn't hurt, she wasn't in all that much pain, and she lacked the usual, bone-deep fatigue, but if she stayed up any longer, she would be groggy in the morning, and she couldn't allow that. Eventually, she did fall asleep, as she knew she would. Her dreams were confused, filled with flitting shadows that often took shapes she refused to recognize, knowing that if she did, they would become real...

Beep.

Beep.

Beep-beep.

Beep-beep-beep-beep.

Beep-beep-beep-bee-bee-beep-b-

Her hand, groping around desperately, found something roughly circular, and she grabbed it and managed to open her eyes to look at it. Her Pokegear's screen was glowing, and after a moment she saw the words “Receiving Message”. Below it, there was the option to view... She tiredly pressed the button and squinted.

“-ala! Tala! Turn on your damn Pokegear alrea – oh. Good, you're up.” The man sitting at a desk looked as tired as her – his blond hair was sticking up in all directions, and she could see dark circles under his eyes. “I know you were supposed to rest, but we need you for something. Redrick will meet you halfway – you're at Blackthorn, right?” He rubbed a hand through his hair, making it even worse.

“...Nemian? Eugh. Yeah, I'm at Blackthorn. What happened? Where?”

“There were less attacks yesterday because they were somehow planning something big this morning... The Seafoam Islands are a wreck. Cinnabar too. Dewford's been swamped...” Fear made her stomach clench – all those islands, with so many people... Were they all dead? Nemian lifted a hand to stall her questions. “That's not the worst part. Celadon City... it's been completely razed.”

“What?! But there were so many people there, so many trainers and medics already...”

“I know. I think they're targeting commercial centres, now that the Pokemon Centers are all destroyed. I don't know who revived them, but a whole flock of Aerodactyl appeared, and a collective Rock Slide... You can imagine. They tried to fight them off, but the wild Pokemon distracted the trainers long enough for more than a few buildings to collapse. What isn't rubble is blanketed with vines – Erika's Pokemon lost control. The gym looks like a thicket.” He poked at his desk, shook his head and sighed. “I need coffee. You will too. How're they holding up, with you?”

“Good. I'm worried about Sage, she's in the fifties, and we've seen that isn't anywhere near high enough... I have Flare around when I let her out now. I hate this.” she replied, now awake and nauseous. So many dead, so much ruined... “I envy the Elite Four. They had the privilege to train their Pokemon to the limit, and they've all changed to Master Balls too. They won't get any surprises.” She didn't care if her voice was bitter – her Pokemon were loyal. They didn't deserve to be twisted, to be forced to attack her for no apparent reason at all...

“Everyone envies them. But they're the ones keeping the regions together, you know. Now look, I really need coffee, and you need to get ready. Get whatever you can, but I know you don't have a good-sized bird Pokemon, so don't weigh yourself down too much. Couriers can send the rest of the stuff you need. Don't die, alright? We have few enough good ones as it is.” The screen flashed once, and then returned to the usual dull black. Startled by the sudden lack of light, Tala groaned and sat up.

She felt the weight of the Pokeball, dangling from its chain around her neck. She stroked the smooth surface, to reassure herself, and strained in the gloom to find Sage. The Bellossom's bright colours were far easier to look for than Flare's black fur. It was stupid, she could have just called out to know they were there, but she needed to see them. A glance at the windows didn't help her – the same clouded sky. There never was any sun or moon, not anymore. It was probably early in the morning, around four or three... Thinking about it didn't make it any easier to bear – she couldn't work like this. But she had to. Getting off the bed, she called out, “Flare, Sage, get out of the way.” There was the click of claws on the floor, and she cautiously edged over to the fridge, tossing the heavily wrapped packages into the bag by the door. It was always open, since, as this morning proved, she never knew when she'd be leaving. Most of her supplies were in there already.

A few rolls of bandages and some hastily collected leaves, the usual collection of medicines for status effects, and disinfectant... There. Red light briefly illuminated the room as she called back her Pokemon, then opened the door and left. It was nearly as dark outside, and a chilly wind bit through her thin sweater, but she didn't have the time to put on anything warmer. Yet more fumbling for Pokeballs, and as she pulled out the one she wanted, she felt a flash of regret. She might not be able to use this method as transport again, no matter how bone-wrenchingly painful it was.

“Talon.” Just his name, as he materialized out of the Pokeball, brown feathers ruffling. She moved forward slowly, awaited his usual trilled greeting, and then ran her hands through the feathers on his neck, checking that the loop of rope there wasn't too tight. Like always, there were no welts, and she sighed in relief. “We've got a long flight, but Redrick's meeting us at the Tohjo Falls. I'll switch there, so you don't have to bear my weight for most of the journey.”

A Pidgeotto was hardly the best Pokemon to use if you wanted to go somewhere. Even short distances were painful for both human and Pokemon. Still, she lifted her arm and winced as he lifted off the ground, circled in the air above her and then gripped her shoulder with his strong talons. The next, bone-wrenching movement brought her into the air as he flapped, and she bit her lip. It was hard on both of them, and she always felt guilty for keeping him in this smaller form. If he was larger, he would be a bigger target, though, and she couldn't bear him flying into a swarm like that. Another flap, and she felt her stomach clench. Flying was not the pleasant experience that so many others had, not when the Pokemon wasn't bigger than her...

Closing her eyes didn't make it any better, and through gritted teeth she muttered encouragements to Talon. “Newbark isn't too far... We can make it, and you'll fly easier once we meet Redrick. Just keep going, don't think about how tired you'll get.” She kept her eyes on the ground, watching for any movement. All the routes were quiet now, but that wasn't any help. Swarms didn't need to make noise. Not when, on the ground, there were hundreds of Caterpie and Weedle, ready to strangle any target with String Shot.

The path was clearly visible, winding between the trees below. It was dangerous to veer off it, even in the air, though it meant that the way was longer. There wasn't anyone else in the sky. There wasn't anyone on the ground. She was utterly alone, but there was the oppressive atmosphere that had settled on the land since the sky had clouded over, the feeling that she was being watched. A weary squawk made her look around – but she saw nothing, except...

There was a sort of shape, ahead of them, and she could only make it out because of the cloud behind it. Small, with odd... wings that stuck out stiffly to the side. Tala blinked, and it was gone. Probably a trick of the light. Something nagged in the back of her mind. A Pokemon that could be invisible... Well, it was gone now, whatever it was.

At least, when they were flying, there wasn't any sun to get in their eyes. The clouded sky looked eerie, and she had no idea which Pokemon had been to blame for that, but it could be convenient. Still, she missed the night sky, and the beautiful sunsets. The path curved around, leading to Newbark Town, which wasn't even a splotch in the distance. She sighed. It was going to be a long flight...

-------------

“Tell me, are they suffering?”

“I think so, sister. No longer can they heal quickly. We have crippled them.”

“What about that place? Where we were imprisoned?”

“It is being destroyed. Don't worry. When this is over, we will sleep by Celebi's monument, and no one will be able to harm us.”

“...Yes. There. We were released there. Will those three die?”

“They must.”
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The Tohjo Falls were spectacular, and she had admired them before, but now Tala could only strain to try and spot a hovering orange dot behind all the mist and spray. The crash of water over rock drowned out even Talon's laboured breathing, and she sighed in relief as a bulky form suddenly blasted towards her. With a roar, the orange-scaled dragon circled around them, and then dipped below, great wings beating to keep him in place. Talon just dropped, his claws releasing their grip on Tala's wrist so that she sprawled on the Charizard's back. Carefully sitting up, she clung to the straps that criscrossed his back and shoulders, and used them to pull herself up to sit at the base of his neck. Talon landed behind her, completely secure on the Fire-type's back. She looked around for Redrick... and didn't see him. Great. Had he gotten so lazy that he had decided to only send Drake to meet her?

“I see my ever so charming partner has arrived to dazzle me with her presence. Your scowl, my dear, lights up the sky like so many stars,” said a disembodied voice from below. Tala made a face, tightened her grip on the leather harness and slowly leaned over. The spiky red hair was the only clue that someone was hitching a ride, and she stared in disbelief.

“You're... tied up. In flight. Why?” she eventually asked, hearing her own voice crack on the last word.

“What, not even a greeting? I'm hurt, Tala. Really. Disregarding my current state of anguish and grief, the reason I'm strapped to Drake's underside is because you are heavy-boned, and if we all sat on his back, it'd be harder for him to fly. Besides, we'd get in the way of his flapping.” The cheery reply made her frown even more, but she had to pull herself back up before the view of the ground unsettled her stomach too much.

“You're an idiot, Redrick.”

“My heart is breaking. I'm so sorry that my way of making us fly faster is annoying your sense of aesthetics. Just because it's not comfortable doesn't mean it can't work out. You should know, what with breaking your arm each time you take to the air,” he retorted, still far too happily for her taste. “Is your shoulder bruised much? There's a pouch with some cream to soothe it near his right wing.” She found it and pulled out the battered tube of cream, squeezing it and rubbing it on her shoulder, which had quite distinctive claw marks and rips in the sweater from Talon's grip. The Pidgeotto in question was calmly perching behind her, feathers ruffled by the wind.

Kanto passed below them, if she cared to look, but she didn't want to throw up, and Drake flew a lot higher and faster than Talon did. Looking down wasn't a good idea, even if she hadn't eaten yet. Still, the constant heat sinking into her skin was comforting, as was the steady thunder of wingbeats. A glance behind her proved that the Charizard's flame burned brightly, which was a good indicator of his bond as well as his level. Apparently, a Charizard betraying its trainer did odd things to the fire, not that she had ever seen it...

“What do you know about what's happened?” Redrick asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“The island towns are doomed, and Celadon's destroyed.” she answered flatly, trying to decide between keeping a look-out for any wild Pokemon and avoiding losing her stomach to the sickening drop below them. “That's all, right?” It hurt to be so callous, to speak without being able to think of the lives that had been lost, but to let herself grieve would have just slowed her down.

“That's all for now, yeah. But you know, we can guess which ones will get hit later...”

“Goldenrod. Slateport.” She sighed and brushed a hand through her hair as she thought. “Any city with a gym, after that. The Indigo Plateau as well. Redrick, are we really going t –?”

“Don't sound so depressed! Don't forget that everyone is working out a way to stop this. This is as bad as it'll ever get!” Redrick laughed, voice so cheery that she felt ashamed. Doubting herself, doubting the abilities of her Pokemon, doubting everyone who was working so hard... “We'll fix whatever's happening. Isn't that right, Drake?” The Charizard growled, and, rather than saying something about how Drake was agreeing with him, her partner swore.

Tala sat up, finally staring down at the ground. There were flickers of movement and colour around the trees, telltale signs that they were being watched from below. “Damn it. I thought we could get to Celdaon without any trouble.” Her voice sounded flat to her own ears, but it had to be, because otherwise she would start thinking about what they were preparing to do. To survive, she had to close herself off... “Talon?” The Pidgeotto squawked and pushed off of Drake's back, wings effortlessly catching the wind.

The steady wingbeats stopped, and Tala tried to ignore the plummeting feeling in her stomach. Drake was gliding now, so they could hear the signal they were dreading. Talon soared above their heads, and even Redrick had stopped teasing to try and listen.

A hundred pairs of wings flapped as one.
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More clarification - little segments of completely unrelated text are conversations between random people. I use them for depth, awesomeness (no, not really) and to pass time because I'm lazy. Manga references will usually appear there, and eventually I'll use them to connect the events so people will know what's going on.

 

[Stormecho]

Gasp! A post - an update, even! x3 I figured I should be more active on the forums anyway, but school was stressing me out and arggggh. Anyways, Chapter 2. Yay. It's finally done so I can get to work on the next one! x3

Chapter 2: Black and White

It was hard to see everything happening at once. It was why Tala's eyes decided to focus on tiny details, like the rippling movement from the trees as Pokemon burst out of cover. The swarm was just a mass of colour at this point, but the size made her tense up. There was that stupid, stupid feeling of doubt again – could they actually do something? What could a few humans do to make a difference against this?

The swarm rose and turned towards them, and she could identify the Pokemon now. The usual field and forest-type ones: Beedrill, Butterfree, Pidgey and Spearow. Alone, or in a small group, they wouldn't have been a threat at all, but the swarm was large enough to be lethal. The edges were a blur of movement as the smaller, quicker Pokemon constantly darted around, but they were there to distract and hinder. It was the centre that she had to watch out for: the Pidgeotto, Fearow and Pidgeot were there.

“Tala, are the Butterfree above us?” Redrick asked quietly. She risked a glance above them.

“Shit. Yes, they are. Talon, use Gust. Don't fly, just stay back here. Keep away whatever they drop on us.” The graceful Bug-types were drifting sedately on the wind above them. It was an effective strategy: while they were harried by the rest of the swarm, the Butterfree could slowly immobilize them. Drake would be busy keeping them safe and away from the killing beaks and stingers, so Talon had to deal with deflecting the Sleep Powder and Spore that would fall.

“Tala...”

“What?!” she snapped, looking around for anything that would make their situation even worse.

“Hold on.” The Charizard suddenly dropped, and she bit back a scream as the ground rushed towards them. Then, he turned, spiralling while streams of flame surrounded them. Tala obediently clung to Drake's neck, feeling the heat of the Flame Wheel beat down at her. She could hear a discordant chorus of shrieks from above as they flew under the swarm before levelling out once more.

The heat faded and she dared to open her eyes. The bulk of the swarm was behind them, and the edge-fliers that were still in range to attack had fallen back because of the fire. The Butterfree couldn't have attacked because the swarm was in the way. After some searching, she found Talon, swooping low to reach them. Drake roared and used Flamethrower, the jet of fire causing more chaos in the group.

Her Pidgeotto was, for the most part, unscathed. She couldn't see any blood on his feathers, and he wasn't flying oddly. However, that could change, as a group of Spearow and Pidgey detached to follow after him. “Redrick, we need to help!”

“No.” he answered curtly.

“Talon's going to be attacked! We need to - “ She tried to sit up, unsure of what she was going to do, but certain that she had to get to her Pokemon, but at that moment, Drake made an abrupt turn, and she had to duck down as a Beedrill's Twinneedle passed over her head.

“Damn it, Tala, we're not risking our lives on your Pidgeotto! It's helping him and dying, or going on and hoping he gets out of this alive. You and I are medics. You know what that means?” She knew too well, but couldn't say anything, so he continued. “The Pokemon Centers are destroyed. Rubble. Thousands are injured and dying, and we are supposed to get to them and heal as many as possible. Are you going to say that a hundred of the lives you could save at Celadon are thrown away just because you went after your Pokemon?”

She opened her mouth, but he went on furiously, “What about the thousand that will die this week, because you went to your death? Or the million, this year? You're good at this, and I sure as hell am not going to let you kill people because of Talon. Drake, use another Flamethrower and keep going northwest. Tala, are you listening!?”

What could she say to that? “I...” She could imagine him glaring up at her, though she couldn't see him. “You're right. I'm sorry.” Tala hated how meek and accepting her voice sounded. Talon was being hurt, and she couldn't do anything...

“Shit. That's not right either. Look, Tala, never apologize to me. You're not the type of person to bully into an apology.” She could tell he was going to say something else by how he cleared his throat, but a swirl of colour and the flapping of wings made her cling to Drake's neck. The Charizard, not affected by her tight grip, banked to one side and slowed down enough to look over his shoulder and spit a series of Embers. Tala flinched at the intense heat right over her head, but the swarm apparently backed off once more.

“Oi, Drake, let me see.” Redrick demanded, disgruntled. “It's not like them to back off like that...” Drake obediently hovered, turning so that Redrick could presumably take a look.

Tala lifted her head. The swarm, in its myriad glory, had turned its back on them. The wild Pokemon were gathering, as if to look at something. Her stomach clenched. What could distract a swarm from the humans it was preying on? Unless the leader was hurt... A vicious scream rang out, and she jumped, startled. “Just what's going on over there?” she asked, voice trembling.

There was a flurry of movement, and a bird Pokemon suddenly charged through the swarm, wings held close to its body. It was a Pidgeotto, but only when she saw the distinctive jagged teartracks did she realize. Talon, feathers spotted by dark blood, was flying back towards them. She could only stare, horrified. Her poor, poor Pokemon was hurt... Tala glanced at the swarm, which was moving sluggishly. None of the Spearow or Pidgey had moved to attack. It as if they were waiting for something.

That “something” screamed as it flew after Talon, and whatever wild hope she had of her Pidgeotto escaping to relative safety vanished. A massive bird churned the air with its wings. Its sweeping crest of bright yellow and red feathers was dissheveled and it too was marked by spots of blood, if not as greatly as Talon. It darted after Talon, and she foolishly sat up, nails digging into her palms. She couldn't do anything – if she shouted, he would be distracted and slow down. The Pidgeot curved a graceful arc in the sky, easily overtaking Talon even though her Pidgeotto was flapping wildly. She felt like she was going to throw up. The swarm wasn't bothering to hurt them, because their leader was preoccupied. Talon was the distraction that was keeping them alive...

Redrick muttered something, and when she strained to hear, she caught a string of quiet orders. Her partner was apparently more worried about Talon's predicament than she had first thought.

“We're going to have to try and reach him, and distract the leader long enough for him to get away,” he told her suddenly. Tala gaped.

“I thought you said we couldn't risk our lives to save a Pokemon...”

“We won't be,” Redrick said firmly. “They won't be able to see us.” He muttered something to Drake, and then announced, so that she could hear, “Smokescreen. Follow that with a Double Team, and find Talon. I'd ask for a Substitute, but that would tire you out too much. If anything gets close, use Roar.” The Charizard growled an affirmative, and after a moment, thick, black smoke began to pour from his mouth. Tala quickly covered her mouth and nose, coughing a bit – it was not the most pleasant thing to breathe in. Unfortunately, she had to grip the leather straps quickly, as Drake suddenly surged forward, wings flapping at a speed he hadn't shown before. Looking back, she saw two afterimages flicker into sight, flanking them.

It was a good strategy, raising the chances of their getting to Talon unharmed. Bird Pokemon relied on their eyesight, and with both smoke and two illusions, it was doubtful that they would be able to get close enough to attack. Still, despite the odds, Tala couldn't look at where Talon circled, desperately trying to fight a foe that outmatched him. The squawks and angry buzzing of the swarm didn't seem to distract the two opponents, even as smoke shrouded them both.

“Tala, we're close. Call to him, will you?” Redrick's voice was hoarse, and he coughed afterwards.

“But...” Her objection trailed off as she coughed as well. “Alright. Talon!” The smoke billowed, and with a tired squawk, her faithful Pokemon flew back. He was flagging terribly, and though his claws and beak were stained with blood from the Pidgeot, she knew he was far worse off. She barely felt Drake turn, too busy with running her hands through his feathers and finding out where he was wounded. There were deep gashes on his stomach and near his wings, but the rest were only long, shallow rakes from the Pidgeot's claws. He didn't pull away, though Tala knew that her prodding at them only hurt him more. She rummaged in her bag and pulled out disinfectant and a paste that she had made from her Bellossom's leaves. Midway through applying the paste, Talon suddenly grasped her hand in his beak gently.

She stopped, confused. “Talon, what -” He trilled softly, bumping against her, before shifting so that her hand rested on the rope around his neck. She knew what he wanted. Her eyes prickled with tears. “Alright. Just... don't die, alright? Come back to me.” The rope had taken its share of hits through the years, and was worn thin. She pulled on an especially frayed part and it snapped. Somehow, this wasn't the dramatic thing she had thought it would be. Redrick had no idea what was going on, but the smoke was slowly dissipating, and they had no more time.

The clear stone attached to the rope dropped into Tala's hand, glittering as white light enveloped her Pokemon. On shining wings he rose again, invincible in that one small moment of change... And then, with the next flap, his wings stretched out, pale brown feathers mixed with cream. His crest grew long, colours vivid red and yellow. She could still see blood, marring the image, but now he was a match for the leader of the swarm who flew out to meet him. They circled in the air, and for a moment she hoped – somehow – that the conflict would end. Of course, it didn't. A furious screech rang out and Talon lunged forward, talons outstretched. She turned away, not wanting to look. The swarm, distracted, hovered in the air around the fighters. For now, she and Redrick were safe.

“Eugh, the smoke's clearing,” Redrick said in disgust. “It's too windy to last long anyways.” He paused. “Tala... We were getting Talon. Can you explain to me why he, fully-evolved, is in the air again? You couldn't just put him in a Pokeball and let us be on our way?”

She flushed in embarassment. “He... he didn't want me to just heal him.” she explained. “The swarm would have caught up with us again, so he decided to kill the leader. You know that swarms lose their effectiveness if the Pokemon holding them together is killed...” Her voice trailed off. She rubbed the Everstone, keeping her eyes on it rather than on the fight occuring not far away.

“Oh yes, I forgot. You let your Pokemon push you around,” he retorted, exasperation in his voice. “You'll have to tell me how that works out one day.” She stayed silent, knowing anything else would aggravate him. “You'd think I'd have gotten used to this crap by now. Alright, let's keep hovering, in open air, in plain sight, and hope none of the swarm turn around and notice we're still here.”

Tala couldn't help looking back. It was hard to tell which Pokemon was winning – Talon could have been the wild Pidgeot's brother – and though her stomach roiled and she found her hands clenching into fists again, she couldn't look away. Their lives, at the moment, depended on Talon. It would have been smart, logical even, to leave while the swarm was distracted. To fly off, leave her Pidgeot to fight until he died. It would have been the sensible thing to do. If she hadn't been with him, Redrick might even have let it happen. She knew that.

Sentiment, the bonds of close relationships... The change in the Pokemon had cut all that away. Only a few individuals didn't have to worry about their Pokemon eventually going wild and attacking anything nearby. Talon would eventually turn on her. A part of her knew that. She couldn't believe it, though, not after what they had been through together. It was why, instead of flying away, she was watching her Pokemon fight against the leader of the swarm, regardless of all the strain of flying this far and carrying her.

Talon, she saw, was hurt badly now, his wings straining to support him. Evolution gave a burst of energy, but that energy was drained quickly, especially considering all the bleeding cuts he sported from the other Pidgeot's talons. He was no longer trying to dodge or circle, and was now just backwinging as the other Pidgeot approached. Just as the other struck at him with his talons again, his wings furled and he dropped, beak raking at the other's chest.

The other Pidgeot cried out, bleeding heavily, and began to fall too. Tala knew she should have been watching the swarm, to see if the unified Pokemon were still being controlled, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from Talon, who had taken so many hits and was, though no longer falling, barely keeping up in the air. Drake swung away from the swarm as chaos erupted – Beedrills and Spearow rammed into each other, flocks of Pidgey began to squabble and fracture, and the Butterfree began to sprinkle powder at random.

Talon had no more strength to avoid the Pokemon who were darting around, and barely managed to reach them. Redrick kept quiet as Drake began to head towards Celadon again, while she fussed over her Pidgeot's wounds. He was too tired to even bother snapping at her when she prodded at the more painful ones, and she used up a good amount of ointment cleaning and salving all the cuts. Once that was done, he leaned against her, vicious beak touching her shoulder gently, while she stroked his back and praised him. At last, so he could rest, she returned him to his Pokeball, and refused to talk when Redrick tried to coax her into a conversation. It was a long flight.

----------

“What are you looking at?”

“Isn't this what you wanted, in the end?”

“No... not really. Not all humans had to die. Just those who weren't worthy.”

“And Pokemon wouldn't die either, or go through this torture, right?”

“Yes, that's it.”

“It's almost the same, from my way of thinking. Oh well. At least you'll never have to worry about your Pokemon turning on you, eh, Lance?”

“Shut up.”

----------
Nemian looked no better at Celadon than he had when he had contacted her. His blond hair was still messy, and he was leaning on a Kangaskhan so heavily that Tala guessed he would have fallen over otherwise. There was a space for Drake to land, which he did carefully – one of his legs had acquired a nasty stab from a Beedrill's sting, and Redrick had trouble treating it until he was on the ground. Tala slid off with some relief.

“Did you run into a swarm?” Nemian asked, without waiting for Redrick to unhook himself from the Charizard's harness.

“How ever did you guess?” her partner retorted, voice muffled as he fumbled with the leather straps. Once he was free from the harness, he dropped to the ground and strolled over. “You look terrible, Nem. Get some rest,” he advised, running a hand through his spiky red hair. “Surely you have enough people running around to manage for a few hours?”

Nemian made a face. “Stop calling me that. The problem is that I don't. We've been spread thinner than ever before. The Elite Four of every region are rushing around to ensure people are getting where they need to. Orre's been opened up for travel, and we have to make sure the people going there will get there alive... What if, while I'm sleeping, another place gets attacked?” Redrick laughed, but Tala thought it sounded forced – a lot of his cheeriness seemed to fall into that category these days.

“You're a medic, Nem –”

“Stop calling me that.”

“And you're not responsible for the safety of everything and everyone.” Redrick continued, not fazed by the interruption. Drake, in the meantime, had decided to prop his head on Redrick's shoulder, making him sag from the weight. “In fact, we're not security guards or border patrols last time I checked. We're medics. We're supposed to heal, and that's it. The portable, messy, living version of Pokemon Centers. It's the Elite Four and the gymleaders who get the fun of keeping everything running. Would you put the duty of worrying about this on me, or Tala, or any of the others?” He didn't bother to wait for an answer. “No? Well then, stop putting it on yourself. You're already exhausted. Don't be so stubborn, or I'll tell Tala to sic her Pokemon on you.” Then, to the Charizard, he muttered, “Drake, get off. You're too heavy for this...”

Tala didn't bother protesting about being dragged into the mess to threaten her boss. Redrick enjoyed involving anyone nearby in conversations, regardless of if it concerned them or not.

“I give up.” Nemian said wearily. “I'm too tired to bother debating with you. Look, just find your tents and get to work. You don't need to worry about your Pokemon – we've got some Psychics and Sabrina projecting a mix of Calm Mind and Protect on the area. Nothing's going to go rogue on us right now.” He leaned harder on the Kangashkan, which began to shoot glares at Redrick and Tala as if it was their fault that he was working so hard. Tala wisely nodded and left before Redrick decided to be too outrageous.

She had been on the sites of disasters before. Where Drake had landed had actually been outside of Celadon. All the medics had their temporary quarters grouped to one side, not too far from where all the casualties were. That was where she headed now – there'd be a tent reserved for her, if Nemian's organizing hadn't gone awry. There weren't all too many people about – she spotted the Psychic trainers and their Pokemon seated together, and she cautiously skirted around them. A young, dark-haired boy, maybe twelve or so, was hanging around one of the tents. For a moment, she thought his eyes looked oddly blank, but then decided that it was her imagination as he straightened and ran up to her.

“Um... you're Tala, right? My name's Aaron Cross, and I'm supposed to be your assistant! This is your tent, and I can make sure your stuff gets taken here once the couriers are available.” He looked happy to continue babbling, but she held up a hand in an attempt to cut him off.

“...Aaron? Since when do I have an assistant? I never needed one before.” she pointed out. He smiled at her charmingly.

“We didn't have so many injured before. I'm still supposed to be in training, but all us trainees were kicked out to help you and get hands on experience if we don't die.” he answered, his cheerful attitude clashing strongly with the severity of the situation. With a sinking feeling that she was going to be trailing him all day, Tala sighed and entered the tent, throwing her bag on the ground. She sorted out medicine from food, pressganged Aaron to hold all her important supplies and then walked back out.

“I'm going to release my Pokemon.” she told him. “You need to stand back and look harmless. You can release yours later for me to look over them, but for now, just stay put and don't move.” Her Pokemon emerged – Sage, the red flowers on her head twirling; Flare, who stretched, lashed his thin tail and growled at Aaron; Shard, the rings on his body glowing a bright yellow. Talon was too injured for her to send him out, and he was too combat-focused to be useful. Another flash of light revealed Rai, the Mareep shaking and discharging sparks hidden in his thick wool.

Aaron, who had obediently stayed clear, raised an eyebrow at the Houndoom who was currently staring at him suspiciously. “Didn't you have six?” he asked.

“One's injured.” she replied shortly, reaching for the Pokeball that hung around her neck. Red light illuminated a tall, spiky form as a massive Feraligatr stretched and roared, tail lashing. She smiled as he lumbered over to stand beside her, head dropping to rest against hers. She reached up to scratch his snout gently. “Hey, Torrent. More stuff has happened. It's time to go,” she told him fondly, feeling him rumble his assent. Yellow eyes focusing on Aaron, who had backed away even more, the Feraligatr bared his fangs in a silent threat, which Tala decided to ignore. He had acted worse to humans who were standing too close – Aaron was out of striking range. He was safe for the moment. “So, my new assistant, this is Torrent. All of my Pokemon are a bit odd in temperament, but I'd say that you keep out of his way the most. He's jealous.” Another growl followed her statement and she laughed. “Just remember that and we'll be fine. Come on.”

The idea of someone following her around made her want to let Torrent intimidate him, but that wasn't fair. As long as Aaron didn't get in her way... Surrounded by her Pokemon and gripping one of the red spikes that sprouted from Torrent's back, she went out to challenge death.

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Lo and behold, a long chapter. x3 Redrick has so many italicized words that I want to slaughter him for it. Grr. He probably thinks in italics... >> Um... yeah. I'll go and try to be active now, avoiding my duty to write the stupid next chapter. The fact that this took so long makes me want to stab something. Bah.