PARAGON
Remnants of the Great War Arc [29]
Chapter 38 : Jackaline Avatar
Land of Rota - West of the Town of Rota
“Please run with us, Sir Riley!”
The young Guardian ignored his comrade as he mounted Aerodactyl, heaving himself onto his hardened skin with a grunt. Although he was fast, Aerodactyl’s stone body did not make a very comfortable cushion. “I can’t do that,” he said curtly.
“But that…thing has already destroyed our ranks! This battle is unsalvageable!” As the Guardian spoke, he trembled where he stood, clearly eager to get away as soon as possible. The only thing that kept him was his respect for Riley.
“That’s why it’s even more important that I take it on here. If left unchecked, that Dragalge could tip the scales on every one of our fronts, until only the Palace remained.” He looked over at his fellow, meeting his eyes. “If you’re going to run, take as many as you can with you. I fear this entire battlefield may not be spared.”
The Guardian gulped and nodded. “Best of luck to you, Sir,” he said, before turning and running toward a pair of fallen Guardians. He checked them, and at his arrival, the pair tried to lift themselves. As the Guardian lifted one’s arm over his shoulder, another Guardian ran over to help, and together, they all limped away slowly.
Riley refocused his attention on the rest of the valley. Dragalge’s Dragon Pulse had melted their defense, carving lines of destruction across the grass and sending the Guardians scattered. There was little they could do as AZ’s acolytes ran them down from behind while they carried their wounded away from the battlefield. So much death… So much blood spilled… Riley closed his eyes. May you all find rest in the roots of the Tree of Beginning. He looked back up at Dragalge, rotten and terrible, hanging where it was in the sky. When this is over, let us speak again in the aether of Aura.
As he kicked Aerodactyl’s sides, he recalled Lucario. “Hyeah! Take to the skies, Aerodactyl!”
The megalithic dinosaur rumbled, stony breath scraping against a stony throat, and he tromped forward before flinging himself into the air with a flap of his wings. Immediately, the black seaweed hanging from Dragalge wavered as its attention shifted to its assailant.
Behind that mask of rot, Riley saw its putrid bloodshot eyes tremble with fury, and he couldn’t help but shudder. Well, at least we got its attention. Now, we just have to pray that this works. He unclipped another pokéball from his belt and gripped it tightly as Aerodactyl soared around the creature. “Rock Slide, Aerodactyl! Batter its head!”
Aerodactyl grunted and summoned a volley of boulders around him, then launched them at Dragalge with a flap of his colossal wings. Dragalge glared at the incoming attack, and its rotten mouth twitched, before bursting out a gleaming ray of draconic energy, shattering the boulders in midair.
Aerodactyl rocketed out of the way, but Dragalge swept its head, zeroing in on him.
Riley’s eyes widened as his face became basked in an azure glow, and the Dragon Pulse streaked past him, missing him by mere inches. Despite the attack not hitting though, it still felt like the side of his face had been thrust into fire for half a second, and he grimaced.
As Aerodactyl flew away from the dread dragon, Riley clapped him on the neck. “No, get closer! Rock Slide, again!”
Aerodactyl roared and changed trajectory, slicing across the sky beside the Dragon Pulse. Riley grit his teeth and hung on for dear life as Aerodactyl swung beneath it before it could hit them, then flipped back over, and darted toward its face again. Without slowing down, Aerodacyl flung another cragged avalanche at Dragalge.
As they got closer, the air seemed to thicken, and Dragalge’s stench began to penetrate Riley’s Aura defenses. His eyes started to water again, and he started breathing through his mouth. But he didn’t waste time to see the result of Aerodactyl’s attack. Once they were close enough, he hurled the pokéball in his hand into the air, above Dragalge’s head. “Now, get behind it!” Riley commanded.
Aerodactyl’s zipped past Dragalge just as its Dragon Pulse cleaved the air where he’d been a second ago. Flying so close to Dragalge, Riley could make out the individual rotten fronds of black seaweed that hung over its dark, sallow body. The smell was overwhelming here, and Riley was grateful when Aerodactyl curved around and put some distance between them.
As Dragalge swiveled in the air, sending a drizzle of black acid raining down below, Riley’s pokéball snapped open above it.
A Metagross, already wreathed in a burning nova of energy, crashed down Dragalge’s head. The dragon’s tenuous body snapped downward, but it caught itself, releasing a guttural, gurgling roar. But Metagross wasn’t done. Instead of falling all the way to the ground, Metagross’ arms shot through Dragalge’s poisonous vines and it dug its iron claws into Dragalge’s body, latching on and hanging onto its torso.
Dragalge writhed in the air, and Riley shuddered at the sight of it. It looked like a demon, the way its wings rippled across the sky in a maddened frenzy. Its howling scream was unceasing, filled with rage that something had deigned to touch it. As it squirmed, psychic blasts scorched Dragalge’s skin as Metagross unleashed a torrent of Psychics and Psyshocks. However, the attacks didn’t seem to do much besides incense Dragalge even further.
Riley forced himself to focus through the cacophony, and kicked Aerodactyl to ascend. As he circled around Dragalge’s back, he lost sight of Metagross on its front, and prayed it’d be okay. Beneath them, he saw AZ’s acolytes pause their pursuit of the Guardians in order to look skyward. Take this opportunity and run! Fall back to the palace! Riley thought.
Aerodactyl snorted once they were at the proper height, and Riley swallowed, letting go of his grip on Aerodactyl’s back and raising both hands. Founts of Aura swirled into view upon his palms, and a moment later, Aerodactyl’s entire body tensed beneath him as Riley shared his power.
An utterly disgusting sound drew Riley’s attention back to Dragalge. Black tar, thick and smoking, poured from Dragalge’s shriveled up mouth in a repulsive vomit. It poured like a faucet down in front of it, with rivers of oily drool dribbling down his body.
“Metagross!” Riley yelled.
He could see Dragalge’s poison crashing and breaking around Metagross’ body, but he couldn’t see even an inch of his pokémon beneath the black deluge. The poison dripped off its body down to the ground below, leaving puddles of smoking acid on the grass.
A few seconds later, Metagross detached and fell back to earth, landing beneath a shower of poison in a plume of dirt and dust.
Metagross is a steel-type! Poison shouldn’t be effective! Riley cursed, upon realizing his pokémon wasn't getting back up. He grit his teeth and turned back to Aerodactyl, flaring his Aura again. “While it’s still distracted, use Rock Slide from above, full power!”
Rocks and boulders materialized above Dragalge, but this time, they were far larger and plentiful, thanks to Riley’s added strength. In fact, for the second that the boulders hung above Dragalge, they cast a shadow over the dragon, and it looked up. It looked as if an entire mountain had been shattered, with its remains now suspended over Dragalge.
Aerodactyl growled, releasing his hold on all the rocks. Riley’s azure eyes shined brighter, and he pumped his Aura into as many of the rocks as he could, increasing their velocity.
Dragalge screeched, and the air and ground both began to tremble. The skies darkened as storm clouds rolled into existence, and several thin bolts of lightning cracked down below, setting the forest ablaze. A gale of wind nearly knocked Riley off of Aerodactyl, but he grabbed on again, gritting his teeth and clamping an eye closed.
Three churning Twisters opened around Dragalge, shredding the first volley of rocks that came shooting down toward Dragalge. But Aerodactyl roared, and Riley assisted him, forcing the Rock Slide through the slashing winds. The sheer volume of rock made it so the boulders that didn’t make it through became shielding shards for the others, slightly diminishing the strength of the Twister for just a moment. But a moment’s opening was all they needed.
The first boulder, three times larger than Dragalge’s head, shattered against its head, and it flinched. Then came another, and another, pounding against its back and one of its wings. Each boulder looks like a comet, ringed in blue Aura as they broke and exploded on Dragalge’s skin. The dragon howled, but the bombardment only increased, raining down upon it an unrelenting assault. Then, slowly, Dragalge began to fall, screeching and screaming as the rocks shredded between its gaunt wings and filthy ropes of seaweed.
In spite of its size, when Dragalge fell upon the ground on its side, it sounded like a tree hitting the ground after getting cut down. Its branchlike limbs splayed out across the grass, disintegrating it instantly, and it hissed in rage. Boulders continued to crash down on its wiry body, sinking into the decimated earth and burying its limbs beneath them.
Aerodactyl whipped around and sailed back to the ground, weaving through the wild Twisters, which continued to exert their annihilation on the surrounding environment. The moment Aerodactyl touched back down, Riley leapt off and started sprinting across the swampish ground. Moistened soil and rotten grass clung to his feet, but he forced himself forward, away from the dragon, who still lay unmoving before him.
Metagross lay in a puddle of black acid, half its body sunk into the ground. Unfortunately, it was as Riley had seen. The poison was somehow eating through Metagross’ steel, smoking as it corroded its limbs and head.
Riley could see it trying to lift itself, but to no avail. He could hear faint murmurings upon his mind as it moaned in pain telepathically. Metagross…
A scalding azure blinded the side of Riley’s face, and a moment later, Aerodactyl blitzed between him and Dragalge, taking the full brunt of a Dragon Pulse on his stone wings.
“Aerodactyl!”
The dinosaur groaned as he strained against the beam, its energies splashing over his body, slowly overwhelming him. But before Riley could reinforce his partner with Aura, Aerodactyl buckled, and Riley had to jump back as he went flying away, a crackling shaft of draconic power barreling between him and Metagross.
Aerodactyl smashed into a hill, but did not rise.
I didn’t even hear it get up, Riley cursed, his attention turning back to the giant seahorse. Its mouth gurgled, and its eyes were a murderous red. Slowly, it heaved itself back up, ripping itself out from beneath the boulders, its mangled seaweed blowing in the gales of wind cast by its Twisters. It stared down at Riley, pure hatred emanating from its entire form, though the bottom third of its body still brushed against the ground. It seemed unable to fly fully.
Then it screamed, and a great rumble swept across the valley, blowing the trees and grass wildly. The clouds above darkened, and thunder boomed. Drops of water began to fall from the heavens, slowly at first, but they quickened. Before long, the entire valley was soaked in an incessant downpour.
Riley swallowed and recalled Metagross and Aerodactyl, before withdrawing another pokéball. The rain fell upon his face as he thumbed the release.
Absol materialized into existence, and growled, completely unfazed by the behemoth that hung in front of them like a demonic angel of judgment. Lightning flashed behind it, turning its silhouette black, enhancing the hellish image. With the Twisters raging behind it, the entire sight of Dragalge looked like something out of a nightmare, but Riley stood his ground.
The vista before him would’ve been completely inconceivable to Riley a month ago, but even now, it was hard to believe the circumstances he now found himself in. This poisonous dragon the size of a building was one of the personal partners of AZ, the corrupt king from the Great War of three thousand years ago. And as he fought as hard as he could against this force of nature, AZ himself advanced on Cameran Palace, for the purpose of slaying Sir Aaron himself, who had made a miraculous return, also from three thousand years ago.
All these relics of the past seemed to press down on him like a weight, threatening to crush him beneath their ancient grandeur. Not just King Aaron and AZ, but even this Dragalge, which Riley could sense nothing but bestial hatred from, brought a conviction to this war that dwarfed his own many times over. These were forces that were colliding over a vengeance three thousand years in the making. How could the feelings of Riley, a man of a mere twenty-three years, ever hope to stand up to that?
These titans, and their games…
Frankly, it pissed Riley off.
As Dragalge glowered down at him, he met the giant seahorse with a stalwart glare of his own, and Absol mimicked him.
Riley had spent nearly his entire life at Cameran Palace. He’d been discovered on the Iron Islands by a Guardian as a young boy and taken to Rota, where he learned to harness and command Aura. And when he came of age, he set off across Sinnoh to spread the Guardians’ teachings, as his predecessors had done before him, since even before the Great War.
But Rota was his home. And the Guardians were his brothers.
By what right did AZ and his three thousand year old grudge march on his home, with the intention of razing it to the ground?
And for what? To bury one, single man. A man who, according to the Guardians’ archives, had sacrificed his body and soul to bring an end to the war? That was the man AZ sought to kill?
Riley clenched his fist, Aura burning on his hand, blazing bright against the furious storm falling around him. “It’s time to unleash our power, Absol,” he declared. “Let us show this one the strength of our unshatterable bond!”
The Aura flared around Riley’s outstretched fist, and soon, a torrent of Aura blazed to life around Absol. The azure flames flickered across her body until they became so dense, all Riley could see was her silhouette behind them. Absol’s maw opened within the inferno, and she roared, dispelling the blaze. A pair of wings unfurled, and Absol’s elongated horn shined jet black even in the rainy gloom.
Immediately, Riley felt their hearts, no, their souls, connect. Their lives were shared now, and any damage inflicted upon Mega Absol would be felt by him. He could feel Absol’s fury coursing through his own veins, and tasted her unbridled power upon his own tongue.
Get ready, Absol. I’ll back you up, Riley said.
Absol nodded, pawing the muddy ground.
With a baleful screech, Dragalge hurled all three Twisters at Absol. They tore across the ground, ripping up dirt and grass, and crushing stones along their path. A bolt of lightning cracked down upon one of them, illuminating its terrible power from within for just a moment. Blue and violet dragon energy spiraled in a dark nova of destruction, and it nearly looked alive the way it roared as it lurched toward Absol.
Riley issued a command wordlessly, and Absol bounded forward, her horn sharpening. As all three Twisters closed in on her, she leapt, facing their fury head on. Just before they engulfed her, Riley wreathed his entire body in Aura. As Absol disappeared into the middle Twister, the other two collapsed in on it, and they spasmed wildly as their powers churned together to inflict maximum damage on their foe.
Though Riley couldn’t see Absol anymore, he could certainly feel her. The wind and fire of the Twisters burned against his own body, but his Aura protected him, albeit barely. Despite coating himself in more Aura than he’d ever had to before, it felt like his body could shred apart at any minute. He grit his teeth and dropped to a knee, sinking his fingers into the ground to stabilize himself. It felt like his body was being sent through a washing machine. He knew that if he faltered for even a moment, Absol would be consumed by the attack, and he would go with her. But, of course, Absol had no intentions of remaining within the maelstrom for long.
A pitch black slash cleaved the air in front of Riley, carving straight through the hyperventilating cyclone in a thick and jagged line. The Twister dispersed in an instant, and within, Absol’s form burned, her eyes glowing a fearsome crimson. Jet black energy wafted from her horn like smoke, and periodic flaps of her wings kept her aloft. She would’ve looked like a demon straight out of hell, if not for the azure radiance of Aura surrounding her body.
Riley grinned. Excellent work. Now, let’s do something with this Night Slash.
The arc of pulsating energy still hung in the air where it had sliced the Twister apart, and as Absol reared her head, the arc responded accordingly, twisting through the air. It released a harsh screeching as it moved, like barbed wire dragged across ice. As Absol spun in the air, the Night Slash curled further into a discus, and with each revolution, its surface seemed to become smoother, and sharper. Soon, the screeching disappeared entirely, spinning silently around Absol, now nearly paper-thin.
As much as it could, Dragalge sneered. The crown of rot on its head throbbed and glowed.
Now!
Absol screamed, and hurled the discus forward. It whizzed through the air, gyrating on its horizontal axis until it looked like a giant atom, with jet black electrons spinning furiously around a nucleus of pure malevolence. A shaft of lighting blitzed down from the heavens to intercept it, and struck the discus despite its terrifying velocity. But instead of disappearing, the Night Slash cut through Dragalge’s Thunder just like it had the Twister, shredding it in an instant until nothing but dancing static and the stench of ozone remained in the air. Without even slowing, it continued toward its target.
Dragalge’s eyes widened in surprise. But before it could summon another attack, the Night Slash slashed into it with a burst of crimson energy. It scraped up its body relentlessly, and Dragalge howled as rotten seaweed and putrid scales were ripped off of it forcefully in a violent display of carnage.
Riley allowed himself a smile, but the dragon was still active. Psycho Cut! he ordered. Aim for its head!
While Dragalge was still in the throes of agony, Absol surged forward, before leaping into the air and ascending toward the dragon’s mottled head. Upon sensing her, Dragalge ceased its thrashing, and its bloodshot eyes instantly locked onto the wolf. Faster than what should’ve been possible, especially since it’d been in such pain mere moments ago, Dragalge weaved further up into the sky, its poisonous fronds flowing in the storm. Lightning flashed above it, and before Absol could react, its bloody tail whipped around slammed into her, knocking the wind out of her.
Riley grimaced as Absol shot back to the ground, smashing into it in a spray of mud. She grunted as she pulled herself back to her feet, then shook the mud from her furry hide.
She didn’t even have time to scream before a column of water came crashing down on her like a waterfall.
“Absol!” Riley roared, watching as the merciless torrent pushed his partner further and further away.
Despite its width, Dragalge’s Hydro Pump was unbelievably pressurized. It cut across the ground like a laser, carving a fissure into the grass and burying Absol beneath a froth of wrathful white foam.
Looking back up at the seahorse, Riley could see its nozzle-like mouth throbbing as it pumped out a seemingly depthless volume of water onto his pokémon. Despite his Aura protections, Riley’s head felt like it was splitting in two, the water crashing down on Absol affecting him just the same. The seconds went by, and pain turned to horror as Riley realized Dragalge had no intentions of halting this attack until Absol was defeated. It isn’t tiring in the slightest… The rain is making this attack even stronger! Shit! He turned back to Absol, or where he assumed Absol was, beneath the Hydro Pump’s assault. Zen Headbutt, Absol! Protect yourself, and get closer!
Riley’s searing headache fading told him that Absol had heard him.
Before him, Absol had stopped being pushed back, and the ground ruptured beneath her as she stood her ground against the watery onslaught. Then, slowly, she started trudging forward against the current, soldiering on one step at a time.
Riley’s heart became inflamed in pride at the sight of her. You think we need to be three thousand years old to stand up to you? We are Guardians of Rota! So long as evil exists in this world, we will stand against it and rebuke it with all our strength!
Although Absol tried to breach the water and escape the Hydro Pump, Dragalge simply angled the attack slightly in either direction to ensure Absol remained in the center.
Don’t bother trying to escape. Use the water as cover. It knows you’re approaching it so it’ll be wary. Once you get close enough, I’ll lend you my Aura, and we’ll strike at its heart before it has a chance to react. Just like before!
He felt Absol acknowledge him, and he turned back to the dragon. If anything, it seemed more amused than worried at Absol’s resistance, and Riley scowled. He raised his hand and summoned forth his Aura.
Dragalge’s tangled shadow stretched across the ground, and once Absol passed beneath it, Riley unleashed his power, sending it to aid his partner. Psycho Cut! he commanded. We need to end this. Imbue not just your horn, but your claws and fangs with it as well.
Riley felt his own defenses lessen as his Aura flooded Absol, and all of a sudden, Absol ripped through the Hydro Pump, jumping skyward. Her eyes glowed a fierce purple, a blend of her crimson fury and his azure determination.
Dragalge tried to catch Absol in the Hydro Pump again, but she blitzed to the side, dodging. She zigzagged up the dragon’s body, refusing to let it land a hit. As she ascended, white light began to stream off of her, and her horn, claws, and fangs elongated.
In one last blitz, Absol appeared right in front of Dragalge’s head. Psychic power poured off of her in waves, tinged with the glitter of Aura.
Dragalge cut off the Hydro Pump, and its beady eyes locked onto Absol. Those malicious eyes flashed with a darkness that somehow outstripped Absol’s own, and Riley frowned just before Absol struck.
A brilliant nova erupted upon Dragalge’s head, but a moment later, the entire sky turned a filthy purple, drenching everything in a thick and cloying film of poison. It bubbled out of Dragalge’s crown, but with the blinding explosion Absol had set off, it was impossible for Riley to discern who had been damaged by what. The Psycho Cut’s energy hissed against Dragalge’s skin, but the poison enacted a silent toll.
Soon after the clash, Riley started to feel the effects of the poison himself, even from all the way down on the ground. Clearly Absol was taking damage, but a moment later, he stopped feeling it.
Dragalge, despite unleashing its poison, tipped backward with a cacophonous croak, its head steaming. It looked like its eyes were rolled back into its head, for all Riley could see were its red sclera.
Soon after, something penetrated the poisonous fog, and Absol fell back to earth, landing in a heap beside Riley.
Riley was speechless at the sight of his pokémon. She was horribly mangled, as if her body had been possessed, and she’d gotten her limbs stretched beyond the limits of her joints. Riley realized with horror and anguish that this was the result of his own pokémon, twisting and seizing in terrible agony. As for the cause of such agony, Riley noted another symptom: a line of poisoned black blood trickled from Absol’s nose. Seconds passed, but she made no sign of getting back up.
“You silly girl,” he said softly. “You severed our bond of Mega Evolution on your own so I would be spared from the poison…” He knelt and stroked her damp fur, though he was careful to protect himself with Aura. Droplets of purple poison covered his pokémon like morning dew. “Thank you. You did well.” He pulled out her pokéball and recalled her.
He hesitated before bringing forward his next pokéball. Glancing around, he realized how quiet the valley had become. The Guardians seemed to have finished evacuating, taking AZ’s acolytes with them. But more importantly, it seemed like the portal had finally shut down, as more enemies did not emerge from the surrounding forest.
Riley closed his eyes, brushing his fingers over the rest of his pokéballs, and settling on Lucario’s. It seems Sabrina held up her end of the deal. I need to end this now, and hold up my end.
He released Lucario once more in a waft of misty Aura.
At his arrival, Dragalge groaned, and shifted forward, sensing the presence of a new enemy already. Though its head was still smoking, enough so that Riley couldn’t even see half of it, it angled itself toward Lucario, ready to enact more pain and destruction.
Riley exhaled, and lowered himself to the ground. It was muddy and disgusting, but he didn’t care. He sat down and crossed his legs before him, then closed his eyes. He established a mental link with Lucario immediately.
Absol and the others softened it up for you. All you need to do is deliver the finishing blow.
Without waiting for Lucario’s reply, Riley began to amass his remaining Aura within himself. Blue light began to leak from his eyelids, and upon seeing the volume of Aura his master was summoning, Lucario immediately understood and clenched both his fists.
Of course, he wasn’t the only one. Across the battlefield, Dragalge reared back, and its entire body shuddered as it primed another attack, this one clearly stronger than all the rest. The decayed roots hanging from it and the purple scales on its chest began to turn translucent, and red poison could be seen rushing through it. It was as if the poison coursing just beneath the surface was so potent it was affecting its own master’s body too.
Riley began to shake as his own Aura threatened to break free from its vessel. The veins on his temple bulged and his eyes trembled beneath their lids.
“Now!” he said. “Jackaline Avatar!”
Lucario roared, and a geyser of Aura sprang up around himself, engulfing his entire body. It was like a blinding beacon, pumping its seemingly endless power skyward. It sizzled and snapped as it grew, spitting embers of Aura into the air. But as more and more power siphoned into Lucario’s body, the geyser stabilized, and soon it began to stretch and contort. It split into an arch, and gushed even higher. Two appendages bunched together and curled into existence at its sides, before finally reaching its apex, molding into a spherical shape at the very top, smaller than the mass beneath it. Two peaks jutted out from the top, and the front stretched and elongated.
It was a giant automaton made of pure Aura, as tall as Dragalge. Azure light coursed across its surface, and its whole body seemed to ripple with power. Lucario rested unseen within its chest, and the Aura was brightest there, nearly white in color.
Without waiting for an order, the giant jackal started running forward, each massive footstep shaking the earth and sending a spray of mud splashing out from beneath its foot. As it got closer, it pulled back one of its fists.
Dragalge’s entire body was now coursing with poison. Just before Lucario reached it, it unleashed a horrifying torrent. The liquid burst out thick and steaming, and blood-red. Some of it fell in drops to the ground, where it instantly melted through grass, mud, and stone alike like acid.
Lucario raised his other hand to block the oncoming poison, but after splashing against it for only a second, the poison burst through, dissolving his arm in a matter of moments, the Aura fizzling into nothingness. With nothing in its way, Dragalge raked its poison across the avatar’s entire left side, destroying it wherever it touched.
However, even missing the left side of its torso and its entire left arm, the avatar spun on the ball of its foot, pivoting around the column of poison, and continued on its charge. As it ran, the frayed ends of its body gleamed, and another burst of Aura restored its missing body parts. Upon reaching Dragalge, Lucario jumped, and before Dragalge could react, his foot swung out and careened into the dragon’s midsection.
Its body bulleted backward, crimson poison splattering all over the avatar. But though it burned through, the holes were quickly filled with more Aura, and Lucario continued its onslaught. The avatar surged forward and stomped down on Dragalge’s body, sending another punch crashing atop its chest. Spittle flew from the dragon’s mouth and eyes rolled back as its stomach caved in. It tried to rise, but twin fists smashed down on it to keep it grounded. It roared in frustration and anger, but the avatar was relentless, laying into it with countless punches, each one shaking the ground, and the trees in the forest around them.
Riley watched from over the hills as his partner brutalized Dragalge. As one of the strongest Guardian techniques, they’d been practicing it for a long time. But this was the first time they’d ever used it in a real battle against a real opponent. It took the combined Aura of both Riley and Lucario to create the avatar, but even then, they could only sustain it for so long, and it would exhaust both of them. Although Lucario was getting all the glory, it was no stretch to say that this wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of the others, whittling Dragalge down enough so that Lucario could make full use of this trump card.
After what seemed like ages, the pummeling finally stopped, and the valley fell quiet once again, save for the rain. Lucario’s avatar rose from Dragalge’s fallen body, its fists clenched. Then, the avatar wavered, and disappeared in a flash of Aura. Lucario dropped to the ground, landing on a knee, but promptly collapsed onto his side, into the mud.
Riley jogged over, trying to ignore the dull pain coursing through his veins that made his whole body ache. Lucario had it far worse, for sure. As he got closer, the giant dragon’s stench penetrated his Aura and made his eyes water. Even defeated, it still held an eerie horror to it, with its twisted seaweed and otherworldly coloration. Looking away, Riley suppressed a shudder.
Lucario was breathing softly, his eyes closed, and Riley knelt down next to him.
“Lucario?” Riley said.
The jackal didn’t stir, but a few seconds later, Riley heard a faint mumbling at the back of his mind, and he smiled.
“Don’t speak. Get some rest, my friend. You did wonderfully. Thank you.” He pressed his pokéball against Lucario, recalling his first partner.
The rain was slowly lightening to a drizzle, but the sky above wasn’t brightening. The dark clouds remained over the valley, allowing little sunlight to penetrate through.
As much as he didn’t want to leave Dragalge here, there was nothing Riley could do about it now. War still raged on in Rota, and despite defeating Dragalge, ultimately, it’d done its job. Their lines had been pushed all the way back to the Palace.
Pulling out his last pokémon, Riley deployed Ursaluna. The bear snorted in disgust at Dragalge, and Riley mounted his back.
“Forward, Ursaluna, as fast as you can!”
As they raced toward Albrecht Manor, he prayed Anabel was still alright.
Land of Rota - Tree of Beginning
“This is such a shame. If only you’d died properly against my master…” Lord Vandrick shook his head.
Before him, Anabel lay collapsed on the grass, clutching her bloody stump, her hand sticky and red. Tears stained the corners of her eyes as pain wracked her body. Latias lay beside her, bruised and exhausted nearly to the point of defeat, but she seemed to be refusing to allow herself to fall, determined to protect her master. Her opaline eyes glared at Vandrick, and his Noivern that gnashed its teeth beside him.
“If nothing else, you went through far more of my roster than expected, even with your injury. I can’t imagine it’d be possible, even for you, to formulate a proper battle strategy against a foe like me under such debilitating duress. In recognition of your skills, I’ll make it quick.”
He raised his hand, and Noivern tromped beside him, angling itself to deliver the final blow. “Boomburst,” Vandrick said, bringing his hand down.
Anabel cursed silently at her weakness, at her arm, at the pain. If only she’d never lost her arm. If only she could’ve bore the pain just a little while longer. If only she’d preserved the health of this one or that one just a little bit more. As much as she hated excuses like that, they were impossible to stifle. They flooded her mind unbidden. In the face of certain death, it was surprising how analytical she could be, even through the agony. Of course, the outcome was still the same. Vandrick had defeated her, and with half his pokémon still remaining too.
Her heart broke for Sabrina. How would that girl respond if she died? Not to be conceited, but she was certain it’d be awful.
But it wasn’t an if. It was a when. And it was now.
The air around Noivern’s ears warbled as it charged its attack.
“Nightmare Crucible.”
Darkness, pure and black, burbled on the ground beneath Noivern. it barely had time to screech in confusion, before the darkness swirled up around it, completely encasing it in a roiling sphere of black mist.
Vandrick recoiled, but no words came out of his mouth. It seemed even he had no idea how to respond to such an incomprehensible attack.
Noivern’s screeching could be heard within, but they were muffled. The sphere churned and seethed, and before long, it faded, dropping its prey back to the ground.
Noivern released an ear-splitting scream, but its eyes were clamped shut, and it spasmed wildly, thrashing about on the ground, and tearing up grass and soil in the process.
“Dreamscape Splinter.”
Fractals of amethyst light cracked into view around Noivern, clinking and echoing as they shattered the very air around it. The cracks became denser and denser, obscuring Noivern’s body like frosted glass. Then, they all shattered, forcing a gale of wind out in all directions.
Anabel’s eyes narrowed as her hair and clothes were blown about. When the wind faded, the air around Noivern looked decimated, like reality itself had been destroyed around it. The dragon itself lay unmoving, but bloody lacerations covered its body. Vandrick stood speechless to the side, still as a statue, as if afraid that if he moved, he would be targeted next.
As Anabel stared in awe at the sight before her, she felt a slender but strong arm drape itself beneath her and lift her off the ground.
“You’ve done more than enough, Anabel. Now, leave the rest to me,” Cynthia said.
On her left, a billowing Darkrai glowered at Vandrick, his crimson crest pulsating, and on her right, the ever-ethereal Cresselia hovered motionlessly, all the mirth gone from her eyes.
Next — Chapter 39 : Eye of the Storm
Sorry for the delay, was very busy this past week, and will be very busy this week as well, so there will be no chapter this upcoming weekend. Next chapter should be 5/26.
Side note: I’ve been keeping the names “Dreamscape Splinter” and “Nightmare Crucible” in my back pocket for no less than eight years, so I’m glad I was finally able to write this scene. I plan to include a sort of reflection at the end of the arc, looking back on what I think I did well and what I think could’ve been better, so I’ll probably talk about this and more there.
Thank you for reading!
