Chapter Five:
The Missing Theory Part Three
"And that's the last of them." Gilded swung his axe back. In front of him laid the two unconscious assassins.
"Excellent work." Orchid kept her composure, meanwhile Gilded failed to keep the tip of his lips from arching.
Silence soon reigned between the two. Orchid kept her facial expressions to a minimum while not being too bothered with the lack of communication. On the other hand, Gilded's face twitched ever so slightly, hands flinching as he kept his body from making it any more obvious. Gilded's eyes glanced at Orchid who eyed the assassins with a hint of interest.
"They escaped." Orchid finally stated, allowing Gilded's muscles to loosen.
"Who escaped?" Gilded scanned the area noting the unconscious figures on the side.
"The wagon," Orchid's eyes darkened. "it had the children, and I failed to save them."
Gilded's face stopped twitching, his eyes focused on the dimming light of Orchid's ribbons. He hisitated, but steeled himself to touch her, hand landing above her shoulder. The atmosphere grew heavy as Orchid gave no reaction to Gilded's touch. This caused the golden boy's steely face to crack, though he quickly fixed it.
"You did your best." Gilded forced the words out, waiting desperately for Orchid's response. He soon followed, "You shouldn't be too hard on yourself. I for one know how talented you are."
Those words seemed to struck a chord in Orchid's mind as her facade cracked for a slight second. She quickly hid it, though not fast enough as Gilded noticed the reaction. He had no idea if it was good or not. His hopes were cut short as Orchid turned around.
"We should find the others." Orchid kept her head up, pushing everything behind her with every step. Gilded looked at her, and his expression pained, but not before replacing it with an indifferent look.
"Agreed." Gilded's voice was deeper which did not go unnoticed with the pink mage. Her lips thinned, but she paid it no mind for now.
Quickly tying the figures, the two made their way to Cardinal. The man in red stood near the foot of the river, water running all the way up the street. Their feet made splashes as it made contact with the ankle length water.
A light tremor escaped the earth, only this time it carried a powerful magical signature. Orchid was the first to notice the sudden shift. She warned the others when the ground ruptured beneath them. Beyond their location, a massive column of fire emerged.
The three watched in horror, amazement, and dread as the plume of fire and lightning reached up into the sky. The clouds above it began to spin, forming a massive spiral that reached down towards the fire. On the convergent point, a figure bathed in light emerged. His hands raised high to open a gate in the middle of the spiral.
A storm was brewing and in the middle of it all floated the figure.
"Where's Bluebell?" Orchid asked, the first to recover her senses. With her question the two knights were soon brought back to reality.
"She's there, I gave her time to heal as she was inflicted with that monsters weird spikes." Cardinal pointed and Orchid nodded.
"Rally up the Ballad Of Feathers. I'll go heal Bluebell. We're gonna need all immediate forces within the town." Without waiting for an answer, Orchid shot her ribbons and was off.
"Let's go." Cardinal said, to which Gilded responded with a manic glint, his axe releasing an unsettling shine.
….
Psychic energy enveloped Holland as he waved his hand. The cage door opened and the children floated out. With a flash, Holland released Runi.
"Teleport them to the Ballad's guild house."
Runi hummed and one by one the children disappeared. Holland watched the two culprits battle it out with Vivzy as to distract them. Holland floated Goomy to his hand. He was still young, to the point where Holland didn't have a name for him yet.
"Gooom…." The dragon type cried out at Holland's touch. Its body loosening and wrapping around Holland's fingers.
A tear fell down Holland's eyes when his sight fell upon the numerous bruises and cuts surrounding its body. His hands caressed Goomy's skin, twitching at the dry feeling of the skin.
Gooey, an ability uniquely belonging to the Goomy line. In which opponents coming into contact with its goo will lose speed. They were extracting his goo and managed to combine it with that beast. Holland barely managed to contain his shaking fingers. Grabbing his PokeBall, the dragon smiled lightly and tapped the button, disappearing in a dim red flash.
Sending a telepathic command, Vivzy retreated into the shadows. The dark mist now had his focus on Holland, though the Champion couldn't see the Professor anywhere. Before he could scan the area, the mist sent out its tendril towards Holland.
The Pokemon Champion raised his hand and the tendrils stopped in place, an invisible force keeping them still.
"A Psychic?" The mist questioned, voice laced with fascination. "How has a lowly medium acquired a dragon of all sorts?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." Holland floated upwards tossing his hands forward.
"Let's end this."
Runi glowed brightly and sent a multicolored psybeam to the opponent. The dark mist surrounded himself in his tendrils blocking the colored beam. The move continued to attack, pushing the mist backwards every second.
"A summoner or a contracted?" The mist questioned though it was more meant to himself. "No bother, I will end you either way."
The tendrils spread and grew to a height rivaling that of an Aggron. The energy released from them was reminiscent of the Chandelure that tried to trap him in the spirit world. It was menacing like a dark type, and otherworldly like a ghost. His glowing yellow eyes stared down at him while the Psybeam continued to fire.
The tendrils spread out from his body and dashed towards him from the side. It was quick, strong, and would incapacitate him on contact. But it lacked one crucial thing.
"Vivzy." Holland ordered, his body unphazed at the nearing attack.
The mist wondered when a pixelated beam attacked him from the side. He had no idea what type of magic this was, but it pained him. The oncoming tendrils vansihed instantly and the mist was pushed back by the Psybeam.
Holland had no idea if type match ups still worked, but looking at the result he could deduce the possibility. A Signal Beam from Vivzy was enough to weaken him as shown with his possible dark typing. Runi would be at a disadvantage, with his weakness if Holland's guesses were correct. But of course, being a champion, Holland already prepared.
"Vivzy Signal Beam again, Rhuni Shadow Ball!" Two consecutive beams of light and shadow attacked the mist in both directions, cornering him right into the nearby wall. The collision resulted in a blinding flash that nearly erased the shadows that hid the mist's true body.
Once the light dimmed, the mist was curled on the floor, the shadowy tendrils around him emitting a smoky haze. Ragged breaths could be heard as his back rose up and down. He was silent, though an unknown energy began to build up around him despite the weakened state he's in.
"Don't think you've won yet, Psychic." Their was venom laced in his voice. The unknown energy around him building up into a high precipice, seconds away from descending.
Without hesitation, Vivzy landed in front of Holland with Runi spreading his arms wide. Within seconds of doing so, an explosion of pure darkness erupted in the entire arena. Vivzy's wings glowed just in time to use Safe Guard. Additionally, Runi applied a Light Screen to fortify the shield.
They were surrounded in an endless sea of darkness. The only thing keeping them steady was the shield held out by Runi and Vivzy. The darkness that crept around them stirred and banged against the shield. With every bang of a tendril, the shield held out with a surrounding boom.
Holland kept his composure, this was nothing compared to all the troubles he went through especially with the evil teams. He was the Pokemon Champion, he will win this.
Spreading his arms wide, an unspoken command was ordered. Vivzy wings glowed brightly as Runi's hands flailed all around.
A burst of Psychic energy escaped from Runi and Holland that broke the ground beneath them. Vivzy followed with a beat of her wings. A fierce gale circled around the area, carrying the broken earth from Runi's Psychic. Debris of rocks and bolders flew in a massive column of air that surrounded the darkness.
The air grew wilder with every flap of Vivzy's wings. Holland gestured forward and the spiraling Gust dispersed in an explosion of air and rock. The shadows that bound them flew open to reveal the domed area they were in. The mist was huddled in a corner with eyes opened wide at the display.
Holland did not wait for his reaction as he ordered Vivzy to fly upwards.
"Runi, Helping Hand. Vivzy, Signal Beam!"
Runi hummed greatly as Vivzy was enveloped in a faint hue. In front of her a glowing ball manifested. Seconds later, the pixelated beam shot forward. Still in shock, the mist failed to stop the attack and was pummeled straight through the wall.
Holland continued the onslaught by firing a continuous shot of Signal Beam at the mist. Each second, the beam grew stronger with the help of Runi. Vivzy flew up high readying to fire one massive beam when an arc of lightning struck her from behind.
"Vivzy!" Holland shouted at the sudden bolt. The bug type struggled to keep afloat as her wings released a light smoke with every flap. Vivzy lowered her flight just in time for Runi to catch her.
The mist cackled a sinister laugh. Holland hid back his initial shock, suppressing his emotion behind his steely mask. The smoky tendrils began to regenerate and squirm as the light in his eyes slowly regained it's vibrant hue. Holland could practically feel the waves of dark energy stirring up within the monster.
Holland looked to his side to find the culprit of the lightning. His eyes then landed on the Professor. With all his bravado, he stood proudly in front of the fountain. The machine behind him releasing a faint hum.
"You imbecile! Do you really think a man of my stature and superior intellect will lose to such a mere commoner." His fingers pointed at him. "Let me show you exactly what your dealing with."
He pushed a lever that Holland didn't notice. The machine came to life with arcs of lightning dancing around its top. The Professor laugh with the sound of all his sanity slipping away. The bolts of lightning sparked brighter until it all shot forward into the Professor's body.
"This isn't the last you've heard of me Psychic." The mist practically spat out his line. The darkness around him disappearing into the cracks in the wall.
Runi sent out a Psybeam but it was too late, the mist was gone. Holland cursed internally, through he kept it back as he had bigger Magikarp to fry.
The Professor's form bent and splintered in all the wrong ways with his laugh accompanying the horrid display. Spikes shot out from his body, claws appeared on his legs and arms, and his entire body expanded. Holland watched in shock as the last he saw of the Professor's humanity slipped away to reveal the face of a deformed Bladedsnatch.
With a deafening roar, the now monstrous beast loomed over Holland and his Pokemon. It's teeth laid bare with the intention to tear him to shreds. The Bladedsnatch swung its tail back and forth, destroying the foundation of the dome around them. The ceiling began to crack as pieces of it fell to the floor, revealing the intricate path of winding pipes.
Holland stared at the now monstrous Professor. The look of the man's manic glee at experiencing his own torture burning deep into Holland's mind. As boulders and roofs collapsed above him Holland ordered Vivzy and Runi to come close. The monster was at the middle of its chaos, an undeniable joy spread out across its face that strikingly resembled its once human form.
"Runi, Psyshock."
A surge of odd psychic energy escaped from Runi's body in waves. The destructive force broke the ground beneath them. The wave travelled through the floor and up the walls until colliding in one big massive shockwave at the top of the monster's head. The wave knocked the monster back by a few meters and effectively destroying the dome around them.
The building collapsed, but just before it did, the beast stood up and jumped towards Holland. The young champion readied himself for the attack, a flash of blinding light covering him and his two pokemon. The beast attacked.
"Vivzy, Storm Of Fire!"
The bug types wings glowed an ethereal blue and column of air appeared in front of her. A wide grin plastered across Vivzy's face as she summoned a fierce gale that punch right through the beast. The spiraling wind carried the beast upwards until they neared the surface.
Vivzy's wings changed in color once more, this time a haze of pale green streamed out of her body and into the wind. The pale green haze danced around the wind, turning the column of air into a viridescent cyclone. Upon reaching the surface, the column of air wrapped around the beast and an explosion erupted to its side. As if setting off a chain reaction, dozens of explosions followed suite.
The explosions all culminated until one massive storm of fire formed. The storm rushed upwards and broke through the stoned road, carrying the monster with it. As they flew upwards, more bursts of fire followed until all the beast could see was an endless mass of scorching hot flame.
In the middle of it all, Holland floated with a smile. He kept his lips from arching as the utterance of those three words brought forth a sea of memories that was buried deep into his psyche. A time far simpler in which all that was in his mind was of battling.
Storm Of Fire, an amateurish tactic that he and Vivzy created. A combo move between Hurricane and Powder that set off a column of fire. It was meant to attack and ensnare the opponent which did work, but of course brought forth tons of unwanted collateral damage.
He watched the beast burn alive, all sympathy washed away. He felt pit for a second. However, the look that monster gave him only served to wash it all away. His pokemon felt the same as they readied to attack one final time.
Holland was about to order when a shaking to his side caught his attention. He grabbed a PokeBall from his waist and opened it to reveal Goomy. He was far from healed, but the rest did give him enough energy. And right now, Goomy wanted revenge. Holland snickered.
"Vivzy, Hurricane and Powder. Runi, use Thunder!" With those words called, a rush of wind, fire, and lightning merged to collide with the monster.
Holland took Goomy by the arms and raised it forward. This was the first time Goomy participated in a battle, and he wanted to make it worth it.
"Goomy, Dragon Breath!"
As the multiple moves struck the monster, a roar of pure pain engulfed the area. The column of air dispersed around them resulting in a massive shockwave. Holland watched as the beast's body turn to ash with his Pokemon held in his arms. To the side of his vision, he could make out the flustered forms of the Knights below. He almost wanted to greet them, but he knew he couldn't.
"Runi, let's go." With those final words, they disappeared.
….
Back on the surface, the knight regrouped together as they watched the display unfold. The civilians were all evacuated safely and the sight of the missing children brought forth a relief to Orchid.
They all took in the marvelous display of power. Whatever that thing was, they were sure happy that it didn't come after them. But nevertheless, they still needed to help. As the reunited Royal Knight's readied themselves to step forward, Holland fired his ultimate move.
There was silence all across, fear painting all of there faces. Even the four knights stood in shock.
"That can't be…" Cardinal was in shock. He turned to Orchid to ask if he was hallucinating. But the look in her face was enough said.
"Was that—" Gilded began only to be cut off.
"—Dragon Magic." Orchid said with utmost certainty, something that the others knew well not to question.
There was silence once more as the thought finally sank in. The guild leader stepped forward, his wrinkled face looking as if it had aged by three more years.
"A defiance of the treaty," The guild leader began, all eyes on him. "We need to inform the council."
All four knights looked at each other. This was definitely not how they expected everything to turn out.