"Zeryph!" I hit the floor, just narrowly avoiding a swipe that very likely would've seriously injured me, at least. I'm sure I lost a few hairs to that one. The rest of the team scattered. I had thought based on the Observe, that he had gone Hisuian, but it's clear that he had not.
His fur was considerably darker than the last time I saw him in battle. His mane had changed, instead of being kept in a very long ponytail, it was loose. All black save for red on the tips. Bone-like armor now covered his body, and his face. His eyes glowed bright red, and carried hatred within.
Shadows seemed to leak from his tear ducts, and his aura seemed to chill the air. I would be lying if I said it didn't feel intimidating.
"Can't say you look as well as the last time we saw you." I said, only to have to dodge out of the way of another swipe. He's definitely gotten much faster. "Seeds, no holding back for this one." Several crunches met my ears, and then flashes of light signaled my team entering Mega Form…well, for those who had one anyway.
"Zeryph, what's going on?" Mewtwo asked.
"If I had to guess, the Vengeful Spirit thing isn't too far off. He's no Hisuian, instead, he's something much worse than even one of the Alphas. I think our opponent here, has gone full Shadow-mode on us." The System caught me off guard on this one. I didn't even think that Shadows would be possible, but it seems that it's certainly a thing.
Pokemon who are pushed to the point of breaking. Though, I've personally always thought that Ghost and Dark Types could do it at will, with enough training, but I'd rather it be something that no one is subjected to. Even if a Pokemon could willingly push themselves that far, it's awful.
The ground shook as weights were dropped, from those who were still wearing theirs. Kaorah vanished underground, although, I'm not sure if the transformation has done anything for our opponent's senses. It seemed that I was the one he wanted to focus on, the most. And we could use that to our advantage.
Lexie's stance changed as she shifted into the Fighting Type. Perfect, with her being one of the team's fastest, that'll really help. Pidgeotto got altitude, using the view from above to watch our opponent's movements for the rest of us.
[Don't let him stay in the shadows for too long, he might be able to jump between them.] I said mentally, [and watch out for Shadow Ball.] Kaorah was the first to attack, bursting through the ground with a swipe ready to strike our opponent down, only for him to beat her to landing a hit. A combination of Detect and Sucker Punch. Though it wouldn't do much damage, it still was enough to redirect the attack.
Zoroark didn't even wince from the pain, caused by hitting Kaorah's skin. I'm still not entirely sure how it works in combat, but doesn't do anything outside of battle. If you think about it, how is it that we could pet a Pokemon, in Pokemon-Amie, that had rough skin, and not get hurt? Or even have an animation that suggested that we did?
Melanie used the opening that Kaorah created, managing to land a Moonblast. That did…a surprising amount of damage, dropping his HP by 200. I get that he's weak to Fairy, and that Moonblast is a good move, but still. I don't think it…wait…
Aha…I see now. Not only is he weak to Fairy, but it's also a light-based attack.
"Light-based attacks, the brighter the better!" I called out. I saw Lexie start to prepare a Pyro Ball. The others moved to defend her without needing to be told. If we can get Zoroark to hold still long enough, she'll be able to nail him with it.
Mewtwo was the first to begin an offense. Though Psycho Cut wouldn't really do any damage, it gave him a way to defend against our opponent's claws, because of the way he used it. His Mega Form being Fighting Type was a bonus, meaning that damage he took wouldn't be as good.
Having a Shadow Pokemon be weak to attacks that give off light, regardless of type advantages, is a really nice touch.
"Lexie." Melanie got her teammate's attention, then formed a fireball in her hands, and then tossed it into the air. Abandoning her Pyroball setup, Lexie jumped, before kicking the fireball straight at the enemy. With his focus on Mewtwo, he didn't see it coming. It hit for 150. Not as good as when Moonblast was used, but still.
[Perfect! That combo should really help us out here, keep setting it up when you're able to.] They both nodded. Though it's likely our opponent will try to shut it down if he notices it. [Kaorah, cover them.] Kaorah moved into position, ready to keep the enemy away from what we were setting up.
[Mewtwo, keep his focus on you for as long as you can.] He nodded, without taking his eyes off the enemy. That's one of the most important things I taught my team when we were in Vermilion. Taking your eyes off the enemy while you're engaged, is extremely dangerous. Granted, Mewtwo's the only one with the sensory skill to render that null, and Melanie's also able to sense her opponents. So, in their cases, I had taught them to rely on what their senses told them, not just their sight.
And in the case of fighting a Dark Type, go for the blank spot in their senses. In our focus on the fight, I'll admit…I had lost track of Solais. I didn't even have to ask, because Pidgeotto beat me to it.
[Solais is positioning herself for a sneak attack, keep his attention off her.] Pidgeotto's voice sounded in my mind. That's when I figured out where she was. She had been preparing a Night Slash. By being the only one to not engage the enemy, his attention wasn't on her at any point.
[Blind him, if you can.] I told Lexie.
[Aim for the face, got it. Mel, gimme a set!] The pair launched another fireball. Mewtwo moved his head out of the way just in time, watching the fireball meet its mark. The Zoroark stumbled, pawing at his face with a low growl. Doesn't matter what type you are, or what Pokemon for that matter, without an ability that absorbs fire…a fireball to the face will always hurt.
[Wonderful kick, Lex.] I signaled with a thumbs up. Taking that as her cue, Solais attacked with Night Slash. Despite having Detect, the enemy's reaction was slowed because of the hit he had taken.
[Solais scored a crit!]
And that's the notification ya always love to see. With how much she had put into the attack, she cut right through in a single swing. Our opponent was bisected diagonally from his right shoulder. He dissipated into mist, long before he would hit the ground.
"Woo…got 'em." I sat down, and the others came up to sit with me. "Let's take a moment for a break, then we'll continue onwards." We waited for several minutes, so that everyone could rest. There was a bit of work to do, heading up towards boss number three.
"Alrighty, the path ahead is really going to branch off. Looks like there's one path for each of us." I'll admit, not exactly looking forward to this. "However, each one leads to a small chamber. These chambers each appear to be surrounding the main arena. Which means, it's likely that we'll each have to do something to open it up."
"Guess I was right, then. Looks like we're splitting up." Mewtwo said.
"Yeah," the arena's doors began to open, revealing each of the paths to us. "Be very careful as you go, and keep your guard up. There's no telling what we might be facing." I stepped up to the tunnel on the far left, and waited for everyone else to get into position. "Is everyone ready?" Everyone gave an affirmative, in their own ways.
"Alright, see y'all on the other side." We began our trip. Looking at the map shows that this was definitely going to be a long haul for all of us.
[Zeryph]
As I began to walk, the light behind me slowly faded, leaving only the dim glow of crystals in the walls. Even with the low light, I could see enough to keep track of where I was stepping. The dungeon map showed that everyone had started to shift directions. Mine was likely to be the longest one.
The most interesting thing is that there is a second set of chambers in these paths, which I didn't mention before. Each of them set up at the half way point. It's likely the paths have been designed with that in mind, so that everyone arrives at about the same time. So long as we're at the same pace.
I settled into a light jog, making sure to not step on anything that looked like it could be loose. There's no enemies to worry about, at least from what I can tell. I've got time, so I can think about what's going on with this Dungeon. The Shadow we just fought, it makes me wonder. If the bosses just happened to fall into a type theme, or if there's something more going on.
I certainly didn't expect a rematch today, and neither did anyone else. The regular enemies didn't seem to give any hint about what's going on, either. I noticed a light up ahead, and before too long, I was in a chamber. The first on the path, out of the two.
I heard the sound of metal scraping, and then the noise of gates slamming shut. I felt a chill, and shuddered involuntarily. What was that, anyway? Suddenly, I began to feel drowsy, what's going on?
[Warning: Gamer's Mind failing, sleep effect imminent!]
And that's the scariest thing I've…seen…all day…
When I opened my eyes…I found that I was no longer in the dungeon. Instead, it was a room that seemed familiar…that's right. I recognize it, the base that Mewtwo and I attacked. Slowly, I got to my feet, and began to look around. It looked…much worse than last I saw it. It looked as though it was partially reclaimed by nature.
*Moaaaan* A sound reached my ears. I turned to face it, then I saw…her? It was a Rocket Grunt, but she was…all wrong. Her eyes had turned solid white, and her uniform was damaged. The worst of it being a large mark going through from her left shoulder, likely from when Mewtwo had cut her down.
Her body looked like it was barely held together. It seemed that her noticing me began to draw out more. All of them in very bad shape, all of them…I recognize, as the ones killed in our attack.
Worse- their Pokemon also seemed to be rising up with them…what the hell is going on here?
"You….Geeet….yooouuu…" One of the undead growled out. I began to slowly back away, making sure to keep the distance even between myself and the small horde. What the hell even is this?
"Face your inner darkness, or you will not survive."
I heard a voice speak in my head. I see…so, this is something that Gamer's Mind totally blocks out, normally. Allowing my team to go unaffected by the things we do. Taking the lives of our enemies, I mean…at least, whenever there's no other choice. I sat down, and noticed the horde had stopped moving.
I closed my eyes, and began to go through several safeguard messages before finally achieving my goal.
[Gamer's Mind Disabled. Timer- five minutes.]
And then the memory of what Mewtwo and I did slammed into me as though it were a raging Tauros. I felt my stomach become upset, though I managed to keep the contents where they should be. The dead began to whisper, asking why I had done what I did. My eyes began to sting as I started to feel the mental effects of taking several lives, at once. I took a slow, deep breath.
"Forgive me, for what I've done to you all." I said quietly, and my ears were met with silence. "In the defense of the innocent, sometimes…those who are evil, have to die. Though the effect is blocked, I find no true enjoyment in what I have to do." I'm being perfectly honest. Gamer's Mind dampens the negative effects that come with such things.
"I hope you all can find forgiveness from Arceus for your actions, and wish you well…wherever you are now." Light began to fill the chamber, as the phantoms began to fade. Honestly, even though I hadn't dealt with it until now, I felt as though a weight had been lifted. I felt the calmness of Gamer's Mind return after a few minutes.
"Well done, human. Your path is open. I shall await your challenge, in the arena ahead."
The world faded to white, and when my vision returned, I was lying on the ground in the chamber. It had gotten considerably brighter, and I could clearly see the path forwards. I got up, and continued onwards.
[Kaorah]
Kaorah watched the others depart, before she headed into her own tunnel. It didn't feel right, separating from the others, or from Zeryph, like this. Still, regardless of how she felt, she would continue onwards.
Since she was one of the team's faster members, she chose to move forward at a quick pace. Although, when she entered the chamber that was ahead of her, its gates shut suddenly, and startled her.
She began to look around for a way out. Steel plating on the floors meant she wouldn't be digging out. As she was trying to figure out a way to escape, a sudden wave of fatigue washed over her. She attempted to resist, but it wouldn't work for long. She eventually gave in, allowing sleep to claim her.
When she opened her eyes, she was lying in a bed. Slowly, she got up, and began to look around. It looked like Zeryph's room, in his aunt's house. Something didn't feel right, she'd noticed. Slowly, she stepped out of the room, after taking a moment to figure out how to open the door.
As she began to look around, she started to notice…a lack of belongings in the house. This was confusing to her, why would there not be anything here. At least, anything that belonged to Zeryph was missing. Both from things they'd gotten from his old home, as well as any other things.
"Hey Kaorah." She felt a gloved hand tap her shoulder. One of Ash's gloves, if she remembered right. He reached up to rub the top of her head. "I see you're doing alright. Out of everyone, you're the only one who stayed." Kaorah tilted her head, that was unusual. What did he mean by that?
"You don't remember? Come on…I'll…show you." She followed Ash into a separate room. One she remembered being used for the guest room, if she was remembering correctly. It had been converted, to her surprise. There were several pictures set up, some bringing smiles to her faces. Especially because some of them, had Zeryph together, either with her or one of their teammates.
"Here, have a look." Ash picked up one of the frames. And as she began to read it, Kaorah's heart sank.
"I'm sorry to have to inform you of this, Ms. Ketchum, but your nephew, Zeryph Ketchum, has passed away. The cause of death was serious injuries sustained in a battle. He was attempting to save several lives, and lost his own in the process. His team has decided to separate, and go their own ways, but his Garchomp wishes to remain with your son, as part of his team." Kaorah's eyes began to sting…no, this couldn't be right.
She felt Ash hug her from the side, but it just didn't feel the same.
"Come to terms with a great loss, and find the strength to move on."
She didn't react in any way, to the voice in her head.
"Miss him, don't you?" Kaorah slowly nodded. "Yeah…we do too. It wasn't your fault, ya know that?" Kaorah nodded again. "You were occupied with something else, and you didn't know what happened until afterwards. But, you definitely weren't hit the hardest."
"You know what, though…one of his last wishes, was for you to join my team. So…how about it?" Ash pulled something from his bag, and held it out to her. "Sorry I…can't leave you out all the time, like he did, but…you'll be a great addition to what I've got going."
Kaorah let out a low growl, though there was no aggression behind it. She turned towards the pictures, reaching out to touch one of the ones where she and Zeryph were together for it. She sighed sadly, then turned to face Ash, before nodding. She knew that if anything were to happen to him, this is what Zeryph would want.
A red beam reached out for her, and she didn't resist. Despite the unpleasant feeling, she allowed herself to be returned for the first time in…she didn't remember now. The world began to fade, and as her sight came back, she was lying in the middle of a certain chamber.
She slowly got up, noticing that her Mega Form had worn off when she succumbed to the sleep effect. She decided to shrug it off, and started to head for her objective. The gates had opened, and the light around her had brightened.
[Melanie]
Melanie slowly walked into the chamber, the glow from Candlelight reflecting off the crystals around her. It really made for a beautiful sight. She began to feel her power waning, her mega form wearing off. The Candlelight slowly flickered out, and she began to feel sleepy. She didn't fight it, allowing it to take her.
When she opened her eyes, she was outside a small house, in a town that looked all too familiar to her.
"Faced with a ghost from your past. Let go of the shadow in your heart."
Melanie was confused by the voice she had heard, until a door opened and she heard…
"Who's…Gardevoir? Hey…where have you been?" A face she never thought she'd see again. Short brown hair, brown eyes, a gray t-shirt with a trainer logo on the front, jeans and brown boots. Melanie's eyes began to water.
"Hey, what's…oof!" The trainer was interrupted by a sudden hug. "What's…wrong?"
"Tommy…I've…" Melanie didn't know if he could understand her or not. She felt his arms slowly wrap around her.
"Did…did something happen?" He asked her.
"Y-yes…you um…" Images flashed through her mind, of that night. The night she lost her first Trainer, because she failed to be there in time. "You…died, in my arms."
"I…I did? Wow…" She didn't think that he'd be able to understand her, but she's glad that he could. It made it, at least a little easier. "So…what happened, exactly?"
"You…you were…shot, and I, I tried to save you but…I couldn't do it." Tommy grabbed one of her hands.
"That's…rough. Come, sit down. I think I'd like to hear what you've been doing since then." They sat down together, and then Melanie started to tell him everything she's done, up until she met…"
"...And then there's, um…" She felt her face heat up, just a little.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes…I'm fine, just…I met a new trainer after a while."
"That's great. With your old ball, or-"
"I…destroyed it, to keep your killer from--"
"I understand. So, what happened?"
"I…overdid it on a fire spell. He carried me to a Pokemon Center, while I was out. I joined his team, the next day. He even gave me a name of my own."
"Did he really?"
"Mm-hmm. My name is…Melanie, now."
"That's a pretty name, it suits you well." Melanie smiled.
"Thanks. So…the story continues with--"
She began to tell him of all the things she's done as part of Zeryph's team. With every minute they spent, Melanie felt as though a weight, different to the sort used for training, was being lifted off of her.
As her story began to near its end, one more thing came to mind. She slowly fell silent, and just thinking about telling him made her nervous.
"There's…one more thing." Melanie took a deep breath. "He's…more than just a Trainer. We're…mated."
"You are? Really?" Melanie slowly nodded. "Well…that's, great." She gasped, that wasn't expected at all. "I'm happy that you could find someone that you love. Although he's a human, that doesn't matter. What matters is that you're both happy." Melanie smiled. "When you get back, and you see him…tell him I said thanks, for taking care of you for me."
"Th-thanks…I'm…really happy to hear that you're fine with it."
"Did you tell him?"
"Huh?"
"About what happened that night, did you tell him?"
"Yes…I did. It was the same night that we--"
"Hey, you don't need to say anymore." The world began to blur, a sign that it was time. "It seems our time is up. Good luck, and…if you ever find the one who took me away, I hope your team can bring him to justice. Consider it my final request."
"I will. We'll find him, when we can. And when we do, we'll bring him to justice, I promise." The pair shared a hug as things around them began to loose focus. And then Tommy began to fade away.
"Goodbye, Melanie. I wish you well in your future travels."
"Thanks…" Melanie's eyes began to tear up, and she watched as Tommy faded away, choking back a sob. "Goodbye…Tommy." The world faded into white, then to darkness. Melanie blinked her eyes as she began to wake up, reaching up to wipe away the wetness that she felt. A smile formed on her face, and she got up from the ground before stretching.
She put a hand on her chest, and she felt tears start to run down her face, but she smiled, regardless. She took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her eyes, before starting to head towards her destination.
[Solais]
Solais woke up suddenly to the sound of thunder. Odd…she didn't remember falling asleep, or…being in a living room. Lightning flashed outside, and the thunder caused her to flinch. Her ears caught the sound of howling wind, and she began to whimper quietly.
"Face your fear of storms, and fight it off. Save the one you care for most, or you will fail."
Heart racing, she looked up from the floor. It only took her a moment to recognize the familiar surroundings- Zeryph's old house. The lights were out, and the muffled roar of heavy rain matched the howling of the wind.
She got up, and though she didn't know the house's layout, she knew enough to at least find the right door. She reached for the knob, and tried to turn it, only for a click to meet her ears. Locked, just like it had been when the team visited what was left.
A flash of light from outside, and a loud bang met her ears. She flinched, but for only a moment. With no other choice, she slashed the door to pieces. Quickly, she hopped onto the bed in the room. The one she thought might've been Zeryph, suddenly sat up in his bed.
"Hey girl…what's…" He seemed to notice the sound of the wind, and then something met their ears that didn't sound like anything else. The sound of cracking wood. Solais made a split second decision. She grabbed one of the human's forearms, and then yanked him away from the bed, just moments before a tree crashed down right where he'd been.
"Holy…shit…" The human put a hand to his chest. Solais felt her own heart pounding within hers. "That was…way too close." He reached out to her, and began to rub the top of her head. "You saved my ass…thank you." She nuzzled his shoulder.
She watched him get up, taking a spare blanket from his recliner. "Come on, we'll use one of the spare rooms to sleep, tonight. One that's not right where a tree's gonna fall on it." Thunder rumbled once again.
While she watched him leave the room, Solais took a deep breath. She settled into the exercise Zeryph had taught them, in order to calm herself down. She followed the sound of the human walking, going towards an extra room in the back of the house.
She saw him sit down, and as he started to lay back, she hopped up and laid down beside him. He reached out and started to scratch the side of her neck, causing her to start purring. "Thanks again sweetie, for saving me." Solais laid her head down. The sound of the rain and thunder didn't seem to really scare her anymore.
Any fear of storms she would've had, after the night in that cave, with the tornado…she didn't feel anymore. Listening to the muffled sound of heavy rain, she began to drift off to sleep.
When she next woke up, she was back in the dungeon. She got up and stretched, noticing quickly that her Mega Form had worn off. It was fine, she could get it back in a little bit if she needed it. She heard the sound of the gates opening, and then started on her way forward.
[Mewtwo]
Mewtwo opened his eyes to a dark space. He was floating within a spherical chamber. It didn't take long for him to realize that this was the inside of a Pokeball. He wouldn't be there for long, as it popped open, and he was released.
Something felt wrong, plates of armor were stuck to his body. A helmet on his head separated his face from the world beyond. He had just been sent out onto what was, obviously, a Gym field. But, something didn't feel right.
That was when he saw the opposing team. The first onto the field- an Absol.
"Solais? Hey…what's going on?" He asked. Much to his surprise- no sound met his ears. A voice did meet his ears, one that he had hoped to never hear again.
"Subject, Drain Punch." Giovanni's voice sounded in his ears. Much to his horror, Mewtwo couldn't stop himself. The attack found its mark, and his opponent went down in a single hit.
"Search for your true reason to fight, and break your chains. Set yourself free, or the ones you call your friends will perish."
Mewtwo quickly realized that his attack had done more than simply incapacitate the Absol. He was horrified when he realized…she wasn't breathing. Some Pokemon stepped onto the field to remove her.
His eyes began to sting, and he felt tears begin to run down his face. The next onto the field, Lexie.
"Teleport, Psycho Cut." He tried to fight it, but he couldn't. With a single swipe of his blades, Lexie went down. Then it was Pidgeotto, then Melanie. She put up the hardest fight to that point, even managing to damage his helmet. His right eye, now exposed to the world, met Kaorah's.
He watched her crunch the ever familiar Empowerment Seed, changing forms into her Mega Form. Unlike all the others before her, she fought back the hardest. He recognized her anthro form, even with her Mega Form stacked on top of it. She was vicious, dishing out just as much damage as she was taking.
But in the end, even she fell. He had her wounded, too weak to continue fighting…when it clicked, his eyes widened as he realized something. If he were to be taken back to Giovanni…back to Team Rocket…would something like this happen? Would he be forced to fight his friends to the death, some day? He slowly raised a hand to his armored chest, and bowed his head. He closed his eyes, and took a long, deep breath.
"How unfortunate. Just like all the rest, you have failed to win this battle. I bid you farewell. Subject, finish them off." Mewtwo didn't move, nor did he respond.
"What are you waiting for, huh? You won, finish it." Kaorah told him.
"Now, subject."
"No." Mewtwo responded.
"What? Is this…defiance?" Three Pokeballs were heard opening behind him. "Two of you, take the subject to the doctor for discipline." Mewtwo felt his arms being grabbed. "The third, finish them off." As they began to pull him away, Mewtwo looked straight into the eyes of the one he knew to be Zeryph.
He had knelt next to Kaorah, the pair reaching out to share one last caress. And then something snapped. Mewtwo's powers began to flare up, more than they ever had before, even with the seed. He felt it, the transformation he had gotten used to. He took a breath, and then, let it happen.
An explosion of power blasted away the two that had been pulling him away. The ground cracked beneath his feet, debris being launched away, into the empty stands on the sides of the gym. His Mega Form had been activated, but this time…something about it felt…different.
His transformation had shattered the armor that he had been wearing. He had felt powerful before, sure, but never something like this. Was this what would happened if he were to transform without aid?
He teleported, intercepting the third Pokemon before it could reach the last of his team. Without a moment of hesitation, he hit it with Psystrike, far harder than he's ever hit in the past. His opponent shattered like glass, and he noticed that the room had began to break apart. As though reality itself were becoming unstable.
He knew for sure that it wasn't a need for freedom that drove him to this. He looked back towards Zeryph, and he saw one of the things he always enjoyed. His trainer's soft smile, one reserved for when something special has happened.
"Go get 'em, bud." Mewtwo smiled. With a flick, his psychic blades formed on his forearms.
"Giovanni, today, you have done something unforgivable. Harming those who I hold dear. For that, you must pay. I'm going to enjoy this." The alarms began to blare in his ears. But no matter how many that Team Rocket sent his way, he never broke a sweat. Despite being outnumbered, his mind was perfectly calm.
His focus set solely on protecting what he had left, and he would not stop until there was no longer a threat. With everything he cut down, the gym began to crack even more. Pieces of the world around him began to fall, taking on a glass-like appearance. Until, finally, it could no longer hold itself together. Like glass, the illusion shattered, yet Mewtwo remained. Even though he had been put to sleep by…he wasn't sure what- his Mega Form seemed to remain.
The chamber around him had been quite badly damaged by his transformation. He realized that the pieces of falling glass, were to represent crystal shards and small rocks falling from above, shaken free by the power he was putting off.
Mewtwo took a breath, drawing in his power. He felt the strength leave him as he shifted back to normal. And despite this, he didn't feel tired. Instead, he felt great…the greatest he's felt in a long time.
"You have found your true strength, in fighting to protect those who you care for. You will leave this place, far stronger than when you entered. So long as you protect those who are close to you, your power will never wane."
Mewtwo bowed his head, and smiled. He heard the chamber open, and he began to head for the end of his path. He thought about the others, wondering what they all had to go through for their own. He wasn't even sure if Pidgeotto would have anything to go through, for his. Same for Lexie, and her own path.
He wondered, as well, about if the illusion had been connected to the team as a whole, or if it was connected to his feelings for Zeryph. He wasn't sure about the former, but the latter…it felt right. He reached the end of his path, finding a lever in the center of the small chamber. Without hesitation, he pulled it. The room shook slightly as its exit opened up, into a larger one.
He noticed that Lexie and Pidgeotto were already there, much to his surprise. They both looked like they'd been through a fight.
"Hey big guy, what's up? You look like you've been crying." Lexie said as he entered the room. Had he, on the outside? He didn't notice when he broke free.
"Possibly, but…I'm alright, now." He found a place to sit down.
"Cool, so…guess we just wait for the others to show up." Lexie sat down next to him. "What did you have to go through, anyways? I got swarmed, and Pidgeotto had to navigate a room full of traps without crashing."
"Interesting. Sorry to say that I…can't really explain mine." Mewtwo said. The sound of a door opening, drew their attention. The first was from the path that Solais took, then it was Melanie, followed by Kaorah. There was a silent look of understanding, between the four. All of them knowing what the others had gone through. Lexie and Pidgeotto were, understandably, confused.
Then, the last door began to open, and they all turned towards it. At once, most of them moved towards the door, ready to meet who was on the other side.
[Zeryph]
When the door to the next chamber opened, I…was not prepared for four forms to collide with me, almost all in sync.
"Whoa, hey guys!" I smiled, "what's going on with all of you, suddenly?"
"The past several…minutes, I think, have been really hard on most of us." Mewtwo spoke up first.
"What happened?"
"Dreams…not necessarily good, but if I had to guess, all of them had a good ending…somewhat." Kaorah was the second to speak, and she also let go before she did. Solais nuzzled my leg before she also backed off.
"Well, mine helped me to deal with what was likely going to be a fear of storms, at least." She said.
"That's…great." I wrapped my arms around Melanie, having been unable to with the others there. Unlike the others, her eyes were puffy. Granted, I could see some signs from Mewtwo and Kaorah, but still. Melanie's were the most obvious. Despite that, she was smiling.
"Mel?"
"I saw him, Zee." She whispered in my right ear.
"Go on ahead, guys, we'll catch up shortly." The others went on ahead. "Saw who, Mel?"
"Tommy…my…old trainer." I rubbed her back, softly. "We…had a talk, for a little bit."
"Really?"
"Mm-hmm…I told him what all happened, after he…" She sighed, "he…was happy to hear that I've gotten a new team. But, better than that."
"What is it?"
"I told him, about our relationship, and…he was happy, for both of us." I smiled.
"That's wonderful. So, you got a chance to-"
"-To say goodbye, yes. I'll miss him, still, but it doesn't hurt as bad as it used to. He also…gave me one last request."
"He did?" I asked.
"Mm-hmm…he wants us to bring his killer to justice. And, I gave him my word that we would."
[New quest!]
[Hunting the Killer]
[Melanie has gotten a chance that she didn't have before, to say goodbye. Her old trainer's last wish has been made.]
[Objective 1: Report the murder to an Officer]
[Objective 2: find and capture the one who killed Melanie's trainer.]
[Optional: let Melanie be the one to report what happened, and be the one to take him in.]
[Rewards: ????]
[Failure Conditions- N/A due to Story reasons]
I wonder if this is kinda like an affinity quest…possibly. Odd that the rewards are unknown, but…I'm sure we'll figure them out when they actually drop. Also gives me a way to figure out if quest tracking will work.
"I'll help you get through this, but it's all yours for the most part. We'll be supporting you through this." Melanie hugged me tighter than she already had been.
"Thank you. Well…we've got a dungeon to finish up." She pulled away. "Come on, just one boss left."
We regrouped with the others, then went towards the door into the boss arena. It had already opened because they were near it. On the other side, the chamber was dark, save for some small purple flames. And right in the room's center…
[BGM suggestion: Darkrai Battle Theme by Luigigigas]
[Dungeon Boss- Darkrai]
[Level- ??]
[HP- ??]
A single blue eye swept over all of us. Well, this certainly explains…the whole dream-thing that happened. I noticed Mewtwo powering up again, into his Mega Form, but…without eating a seed, or needing a stone. I'll have to ask him about that, later.
"Welcome, welcome. I am glad to see you have all made it." Darkrai began to float towards us, as the entrance closed. "You must realize, the odds here are not in your favor. I give you this one chance to leave. Or will you attack me, and face certain defeat?"
"We have to beat you to finish this dungeon. I didn't think that you were what was going to be thrown at us." This also explains why the tunnels were so long, it was to give him time to prepare to put most of us to sleep. So his powers could bypass Gamer's Mind.
"I'll admit, I did not expect this, either. Still, are you sure?"
"We all are. Regardless of how strong you are, we'll win, eventually. If not this try, then the next. And if not the next one, then the one after. No matter how many times it takes." I gave out seeds to the ones who needed them.
[Zeryph, there are structures on the wall. I believe, if we open those, we may be able to damage him.] Mewtwo said, mentally. He's right…the room we're in, is based off the Doppelganger boss room, from DMC 3.
[There's our strategy, hit them enough and they'll open. We use the light to our advantage. His level is ??, so whatever you do, DON'T GET HIT.]
"Very well, then step forward and face defeat." Darkrai said.
"Scatter!" I ordered. If I had to guess, the lights won't do anything to him, unless they're all on. Melanie was Darkrai's first target, since her being a Fairy Type, made her the biggest threat to him. That is, if she even is a threat, with Darkrai's level being "??". "Watch out for his signature, if it catches you, you'll be put to sleep. Gamer's Mind can't block it out." I warned everyone.
Mewtwo was the first to get a light shutter open, causing Darkrai's focus to shift to him. We adjusted to work with this, using his single focus on someone as an opening to get another one of the shutters. Getting them open started to get tougher as Darkrai began to realize what we were doing, and shifting to defend the remaining shutters, rather than attacking us directly. We still had ways around that, either from Mewtwo teleporting, or Kaorah attacking from below.
And, when we got the last shutter to open, there was a bright flash and light flooded into the room.
"Aaagh!" Darkrai shielded his eye, flinching as the light blinded him.
"Hit him, give it all you've got." My team unloaded every attack they could manage. After about ten seconds, the shutters slammed shut.
"Clever, very clever. But it won't be so easy from here onwards." With him working on defending the lights, the strategy shifted again, to going for two at once, forcing him to choose between both. Because of this, we were able to open them all, save for the last one, which we had to work on at the same time.
When it opened, my team attacked Darkrai once again, going until the shutters had closed.
"Hmmph, not bad. I was sure that I would be able to defeat you normally. But, it's clear that isn't the case. Very well, prepare yourselves." The shadows began to rise around him, and then started to shift, taking on a massive, smoky form. The only thing that stood out was the blue light on its head, representing Darkrai's eye. This form, for those who have played, is the one Darkrai shifts into during his ultimate attack, in Pokken.
"Bloody hell!" Lexie's reaction is very fitting. I know that she would've never seen Darkrai before, as he's not in Sword and Shield. "Am I going to have nightmares from this?"
"Maybe, maybe not. Hard to say, honestly." The others had their own reactions to Darkrai's transformation, though none of them were like Lexie's.
"Same plan, watch out for those arms. He's got a lot more reach now, so be careful." My team went back to work. Only now, I found myself also having to dodge Darkrai's attacks, as he's decided taking me out will end the fight right away. Which, he's not wrong.
One advantage we still have, is that despite the new form, Darkrai can't move in it, other than turning or swinging at us. And, when he does swing, his attacks are slow, but wide. Because of that, they're easier to dodge than they look. The low light makes it harder, but the difficulty goes down as more lights open up.
When the final one opened, Darkrai's transformation dispelled, allowing everyone to attack him once more. And this time, it was enough.
"Stop, I yield. You have proven yourselves strong enough to continue." He said. Everyone stopped, immediately, before backing off. "You have impressed me, on this day. However, you have not earned the right to catch me. When you come to Sinnoh, find me. I shall await your arrival." With those final words, he vanished.
[Dungeon clear- rewards have been granted]
[3,000 EXP, 5,000 cash, 3x Empowerment Seeds, 3x Gacha Tokens]
No Mega Stone, oh well. Actually, that reminds me-
"Hey Mewtwo, how is it that you can change forms without a seed, now?"
"Just…found my reason to fight, is all. Protect those I care about, above all else."
"That's fantastic. How does it feel, being able to transform at will?"
"It feels great. But, for appearances, we should probably not use that, in any official battles, until we know for sure if it'll be allowed."
"Excellent point. Well anyways, what do y'all say to going to get something to eat. I'm sure you've all worked up quite an appetite." Several growls met my ears, and we all shared a laugh. With a thought, I opened our exit portal, and we left the dungeon.