Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Marsuru]

The Tower of Mastery

It was only the second time Zack had been soaked to the bone that day, and he was already sick of it. His strength failed him as he hauled himself one-handed from the water; his saturated clothes and bag didn't help, and his feet chose a great time to struggle with gripping the slippery moss-coated rocks that made up the submerged base of the wall. To his relief, and before he could slide back under the waves, someone grabbed him by the shirt, someone else grabbed his armpit, and together they pulled him onto hard land. He lay on his back and coughed up a lungful of water, and groaned.

'You know in a couple hours you could've just walked in here,' said the old man, the same one from the top of the wall. He came down from a spiral staircase built into the gate, and thanked the two who had helped Zack up; a thirty-something trainer and her Sawk. They each wore a martial arts-style outfit beneath plain blue robes, kind of like the monks Zack had met at the Bellsprout Tower in Johto. That had been a positive experience for everyone involved too.
'Guess I'm impatient,' Zack said, sitting up, slopping his hair away from his eyes. His everything was saturated, and stained the stone floor dark with wet.
'It's either that or suicidally stupid. What business do you have here, son?'

Well that was a secret. And in retrospect, maybe he should have waited that extra couple hours and blended in with the tourists. This was all Salieri's fault somehow. Oh well, he could still finesse this.

'I'm a trainer,' Zack said, which was true. 'I want to learn about mega evolution,' which was also true, he guessed. 'Really badly.'
'You're here to see Master Gurkinn?' asked the woman who'd hauled him up.
'Yes.'
'Master Gurkinn,' said the old man, shooting the trainer a glare, 'is very busy. My name's Milo, any questions you have you can direct to me.'

Tempting offer, but eyes and ears were everywhere. The fewer people who knew what Zack and the others were really doing, the better, which meant Zack needed to speak to Gurkinn alone and prey he wasn't a court spy.

'No offense,' said Zack as he stood up, shrugging his backpack onto his shoulder with a squelch. 'But if you could tell me anything I wanted to hear, you wouldn't be guarding a door.'

He tried walking past, but the guards blocked his path. Of course they did.

'Forgive us, but it's not every day someone tries to jump the wall,' Milo said, circling the situation. 'Why don't we all sit down down and have a nice chat about who you are and what, exactly, you're doing here?'

Zack laughed to himself, assessed the Sawk. Not bad, but far from good. It might have been a challenge a few days ago. It wouldn't matter if the guard had five more just like it.

'Get out of my way, assholes,' Zack said, putting his hand on a pokéball. 'You're gonna get yourselves hurt.'
The guard went white, held out her hands, stepped in front of her pokémon. 'Whoa, okay, okay. No need for that, eh?'

The Sawk had other ideas, adopting a karate stance. Its eyes never left Zack.

'I mean,' said the guard, 'this is a peaceful island. We're all friends here. We don't fight.'
'Open that ball and I'll see you never lay eyes on Master Gurkinn,' Milo said. 'Ever. Now come with us.'

Zack could see what happens next. He goes with them, gets put in a small room for a few hours until the tide goes down, then the cops show up to kindly escort him off the island. He'd be able to waste his time and fail to find out anything he came here for in one swoop. Appealing but…

'I'll have to pass.' Zack pulled the ball from his belt, but in a rush of air, Sawk flipped over his trainer, landed in front of Zack and locked his hand around Zack's wrist, blue robes flowing in the breeze. Pain shot along Zack's arm when Sawk pulled his wrist to between his shoulder blades, threatening to break the one good arm he had.

'Let goa me, dickhead,' Zack growled. He struggled to pull out of the pokémon's grip, but he might as well have been trying to pull the entire island. At least he still had one thing on his side. He'd been able to get his thumb on the pokéball's release switch before Sawk had him, so now all he had to do was drop it.

The ball popped, light flashing bright behind the trainer and drawing all three of his opponents' attention. With a fond memory of his first day in Kalos, Zack commanded a Hypnosis that shone before the release light had chance to clear. The iron grip on his wrist melted into ether as the Sawk dropped to the floor, his trainer along with him. Only old Milo had the sense to cover his eyes in time, his wrinkles drawn into an irritated grimace while Hazard bobbed in the air and laughed to her heart's wicked content.

'Woops,' said Zack, shaking the pain out of his arm. Smiling now that his weapon had come out to play. 'How about we make this easy. You lead me to Gurkinn right now, and we can pretend this little embarrassment never happened. I'll even let you stand outside.'
'My god, you're serious, aren't you?' Milo sighed, looking at the snoring bodies of his two guards. 'The people here rely on me for protection, and you're asking that I betray them?'
'Yeah.'
'You're mad.'
'And if that's all you have for security, you just ran out of options,' Zack said. The old man's mouth became a line. Zack sighed. 'I'm not here to cause trouble. I just need to speak to Gurkinn. It's important, or else I wouldn't have bothered coming here.'

Milo pondered this for a long while. He was searching for options. Zack doubted very many people caused trouble on this island, the old guy was probably out of practice. Still, he needed them to be on his side at least a little bit, cause he was s**t outta luck if Gurkinn turned him away.

'On one condition, then,' Milo said. 'Your pokémon. Hand them to me now, and we have a deal.'
'Alright,' Zack picked the first ball off his belt and paused. 'Hazard stays with me. You can have the rest.'
Milo thought about it, but not for long. 'Deal. Follow me.'

---

It turned out Wake-Up Slap bridged the gap between humans and pokémon, and Zack felt it only polite to use it on the guards he'd knocked out. Whether they were grateful or not, he would never know, as Milo ushered him into the township before the guards could get their hands on him. The tower rested in the middle of the island, slouching like an old man as the town buildings sprung up at its feet. People wearing the same blue robes as Milo milled about; Zack counted a couple dozen, and assumed more were inside. Each had a pokémon with them, sometimes two or three, but nobody looked like trainers.

And that was in the sense of how Zack saw trainers. He had a feel for people, and the longer he trained, the better he became at sizing them up. Nobody here carried themselves like a trainer. The way they looked at each other's pokémon lacked that competitive edge. They seemed too friendly, too close, like their pokémon were just pets, or even children. Plus none of these pokémon had seen battle, not a chance. Their hides were too clean, too flawless. If Zack were to release Malis here, the Charmeleon would stand out like a chimney sweep at a gala.

'So where is he anyway?' Zack said, looking at a building with an open front that looked like a medicine shop. The girl tending counter stared at him, which was only natural as Zack was still dripping wet and trailing water like a slug.
'Truthfully, I have no idea,' said Milo. When he saw Zack's expression he added. 'Did you think standing guard all day clues me in to the whereabouts of everyone on the island? I'm afraid we'll have to ********,' Zack groaned while Hazard cackled overhead.

At least the tower township wasn't particularly big. The tower seemed the most likely place to Zack, but Milo explained that the tower was off limits to all, except during tourism hours, where the ground floor was opened to the public. For now the tower doors remained sealed.

'What's that lameass lookin thing?' Zack said as he spotted a white and pink pokémon standing beside a bungalow shaped like an igloo where smoke billowed from its roof.
'Thank god,' Milo said, warmth igniting in his voice as the pokémon sprang away from the building and onto the street. The Sylveon padded up to the old man, purring as it brushed against his legs and stroked his hands with its ribbon-like feelers. 'You've no idea how glad I am to see you.'

The pokémon pulled away from Milo's leg and plodded towards Zack. Its feelers floated up to him, and Zack returned its inquisitive look with a frown. 'Don't tell me you're Gurkinn.'
'Of course not,' Milo snapped. 'This is Seelie, Master Gurkinn's partner. He can show you the rest of the way.'
'He?' Zack took one glance at the bow on the pink pokémon's ear and snorted. 'Yeah okay.'

Seelie's fur bristled at the comment, but Zack didn't care.

'I'm here to see your trainer. I went to a lot of trouble to get here so don't make me wait.'
Seelie glanced at Milo, who nodded. 'I'll stay with you, Seelie. Don't worry.'
'No you get to stay outside,' said Zack. Hazard folded her hands beside him, nodding. 'Don't ruin this now, you've got a good thing going.'
'Fine. Seelie, please lead the way.'

Seelie's ears twitched, and it glanced at Zack before springing to the igloo building. Getting the hint that he was meant to follow, Zack reshouldered his bag and entered through the half-open door.

---


This summer had been one of the hottest Zack could remember, but it had nothing on the furnace he just stepped into. A huge fire blazed at the center of the dome-shaped building, contained by a fire pit like the ones Robin was so good at making. Above it, a circular hole had been cut into the roof, allowing daylight to stream in, while small rectangular windows dotted the walls, feeding oxygen to the fire. This close, the bonfire prickled Zack's skin, dried his clothes out faster than the sun could hope to accomplish.

Seelie sprang past the flame to the opposite side, and sat down, head raised, waiting. Beside the pokemon was a man. And attached to the man were a pair of the most ridiculous eyebrows Zack had ever seen. Like holy s**t, they looked like dog tails or snakes or something and they were just hanging there, limp, maybe wobbling a little.

'So you're Gurkinn,' said Zack, stooping a little beneath the low ceiling. He recalled Hazard and placed the ghost type's ball on his belt. Gurkinn sat cross-legged, eyes closed like he was meditating. He was far closer to the fire than Zack would be comfortable with, but didn't show a drop of sweat. Some people could just handle the heat like that, Zack guessed. Seelie folded a feeler around Gurkinn's hand, but the man remained motionless. Zack frowned. 'Hey a*****e, I'm talkin to ******** sake. Wake up, Gurkinn, your guest has arrived!'
'He- who- wha?' The old man yawned. 'What time is it?'

Gurkinn stretched. When he saw Zack, he raised his eyebrows, which was quite a feat. 'Oh, you must be Zack Redgrave. Not Augustine's usual sort, but okay. Welcome, Zack, to the Tower of Mastery. I'm glad to see you made it here so soon. Professor Sycamore said you'd be on your way.'
'Yeah,' Zack said, vaguely recalling something to the effect. Man, that would've saved him a lot of hassle at the door. 'He did, didn't he.'
'It's always good to meet a new student, especially one hand-picked by Augustine. I'm sure you have a great many, uh, hidden talents. Yes, very hidden.'

The heat maintained a constant pressure on Zack's skin. Prickling became stinging, and even the air was hot to breathe. He had to get out of here. Gurkinn didn't seem fazed in the least. Zack breathed in deep, wiped the side of his face with his forearm. If the old man could stand it, so could he.

'I'm not here to be a student,' Zack said. 'I don't know if you realised it on your little island, but there was an attack yesterday. People were killed, all for some of these.'

He fished in his bag and retrieved the mega stone, which he tossed to the ground before Gurkinn. The old man picked it up, examined the spherical rock.

'There were more, but they were taken. I want answers.'
Gurkinn smiled, turning the mega stone over in his fingers. The smile sent a sharp pang of anger through Zack's gut, the heat of the fire turned him red. Gurkinn placed the stone on the floor. 'I would argue that anyone in search of knowledge is a student. And you, Zack Redgrave, have much to learn. If you are willing to be taught.'

'So teach me. What would anyone want with a lot of mega stones?'
'One would assume to mega evolve a lot of pokémon.'

The firelight gleamed off Gurkinn's eyes. The Sylveon lay with its head in the old man's lap and purred.

'Stop ******** with me.'
Gurkinn chuckled. 'You are a bright young man, if what Augustine tells me is true. Perhaps too impulsive for your own good, and a little short-sighted, but bright. He was most impressed with the Aerodactyl you captured. I assume it is well?'
'Don't change the subject.'
'I'm not,' Gurkinn said. The fire flickered for a second, then returned to its steady blaze. 'I'm not. Aerodactyl?'

Zack exhaled hard through his nose. Fine. 'It got injured during the attack. It's recovering.'
'It?' Gurkinn's eyebrows repeated their herculean climb. 'He or she?'
'What?' Zack frowned. 'I don't know. It.'
'Then I'm sorry to hear about its injuries,' said Gurkinn, a sad shimmer in his eye. He was genuine, Zack thought. 'A bond between a human and his pokémon is most precious. When one is hurt, so is the other. You must be worried.'
Not especially, Zack thought, a bead of sweat draining down his temple. 'What about the stones?'

'Ah, the stones. I have studied mega evolution all my life, Zack. As near as I can tell, mega stones are useless on their own. To activate, they need three things.'
'A key stone, a pokémon, and a bond between the trainer and pokémon.'
'That's right, a bond,' Gurkinn grinned. 'The secret ingredient. The unquantifiable aspect, as unique as life itself. The bond of friendship between a human and pokémon is key. You're a trainer, you know this as fact. The bonds you share with your pokémon bring out their true strength.'

So the stones are meaningless on their own. Why were Flare after them in the first place then? And what did Ratio stand to gain from taking them for himself? Was he simply there to stop Flare? Zack almost didn't mind that prospect, but Ratio wanted his sister, so he had to be stopped.

Zack was breathless. The heat was as bad as a volcano. He fixed Gurkinn with a stare, ignoring the darkness setting in at the edge of his vision. He had to know everything. 'Tell me,' Zack said. 'What do you know about Aura?'  

[Marsuru]

Off Route 14

The trees fell across Feraligatr's path, blocking Cobalion from sight. So the legendary wished to hide, fair enough. Feraligatr used the time to perform another Dragon Dance, making his attack and speed double. He took a step back, expecting his opponent to break through or try circling around, and noticed his foot sink into the forest floor very slightly. The roots had churned it up enough that he wouldn't be able to perform an Earthquake just yet. The move needed good, firm ground to use.

That settled that, then. He'd pack the earth back together and draw this sonnabitch out of hiding. Feraligatr stomped the floor and, for perhaps the first time ever, made a useful move out of Bulldoze. The earth would press down, crushing the soil back together and prepping it for future Ground moves, all the while sending out tremors that rocked the trees and nearby flora, freeing a wave of leaves from the canopy.

If the tremors hit Cobalion, the damage-boosted vibration finish off its remaining HP. Feraligatr hoped it would force the legendary pokémon upward, where he was prepared to blast it with another Hydro Pump the moment it reared its head.

---

'This is insane,' Roy said.

It was.  

[Spinne Biss]

Bridgette was frowning. The sight of her naked father was blinding and terrifying, but it took away from the reality that she was very grounded when this was all over.

"Okay, but stand way way back, first!" Bridgette shouted, and then she gave them all time to move away from her. She couldn't deal with Alexa's curse, but she knew how to take down her own.

"One more time, Kabs"

"Kabu."

He launched her up again, and this time Bridgette targeted the ground between herself and her Curse. "World's strongest punch version two!" When Earthquake hit the ground, it would turn it into a grinder for the vines, and a swift eviction for the roots and bodies of nearby trees. Bridgette had given her new allies time to get back, and could only hope that none of them were walking horror movie tropes in what had become a real life horror movie.

Wailord recalled, she'd aim him at the ground again, for one last go.

Kabutops caught her and sent her up again.

"World's strongest punch, version three!" Bridgette shouted, and this time when Wailord hit, he ripped the broken and softened ground to pieces.

Instead of the normal fissure opened on normal ground, the one on the earthquake battered ground would be much larger, spanning the destructive range of Bridgettes Earthquake, and unless her Curse could fly, he'd be pulled under as well. Wailord was pulled back into his ball after the move finished.

Kabutops would catch Bridgette one last time before announcing "we're gonna have to go around." It was mostly to herself, she was aware that basically everyone else could fly.  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Off Route 14

Heat wave crashed into the ground, striking at the roots that aimed for the uninfected. Bridgette's whole earthquake thing dealt with any missed moments later, but it took time for her to be launched like that. "Roy, we won't learn anything running around out here. We already know how it's trying to kill us. We either run, back towards the pokemon that want to kill us and hope this thing doesn't pursue, or we deal with it directly and learn as we fight."

Manny grit his teeth as the two pokemon didn't move. In fact, he was pretty sure there was more aggression on its way.

"If you feel like you have to leave, you have a flying type. I won't judge you. But if you're staying, get your pokemon back here asap. Yell, or something. We'll need all our firepower. Besides, Manny thinks we might be able to get Cobalion to help if you stop him."

Manny, meanwhile, would offer a psychic link to the legendary pokemon, an offer as it had been with others before. It was up to the wild pokemon to not get beaten up, but he wanted to talk. Even if Feraligatr was going to ruin everything.

Benedict started on his way around, given Bridgette had taken out at least part of the direct path, not wanting to split up the group, and not trusting what flying pokemon they had to carry everyone. "We'll find the story Alexa. Everyone be ready to move quickly if we need to. Anyone who's injured, or who's at risk of one of those ghost things coming at them has priority on any pokemon that can take a human's weight."

Let's go do something incredibly stupid.  

[Jump Einatz]

Off Route 14

Cobalion leapt high into the rain of leaves when the earth trembled, avoiding the shockwave that rocked the trees while clearing the blockade of fallen logs before them, still wary of what attack could come from behind that cover.

You, in my head, Cobalion thought, feeling the tingling of Manny in the back of their mind. It was the same tingle they got before when Manny sent out a warning. You have no business here! Show yourself! If this Telepathic source was indeed allied with the enemy Feraligatr, it would be one more foe they would have to flush out of hiding.

Sacred Sword bisected Feraligatr's Hydro Pump again, and it burst above them, showering each Pokémon with a drizzle for a few seconds. In those few seconds, Cobalion touched the ground and went at Feraligatr, rearing back to bash the Water type with a flurry of kicks and antler strikes in Close Combat. Feraligatr had also taken damage before, and after a Swords Dance a critical Close Combat would seal the deal. The quicker the better, because Cobalion's forest would fall if they couldn't protect it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ground shook and broke apart, causing Alexa to shrink back behind the others. She watched as her Curse kept walking, unaffected by the tremors. And then, when the fissure opened, the Curse did not stop. When there was no ground, the Curse walked on the air at the exact same pace as if there was solid footing below, not falling into the pit as Bridgette might have hoped.

Bridgette's Curse followed suit, never stalled by the brute force. In fact, in all the time Bridgette had spent launching her punches the Curse had only gotten closer, and was mere steps away from their target now. The phantom image of Bridgette's dad locked eyes with her and raised up his arms, fingers stiff and reaching.

Alexa tried to remember what she knew about the move Curse. When used by a Ghost type, the Pokémon sacrificed HP to inflict a Curse on their target, a phantom that rapidly drained the livelihood of the victim. But this Curse was different. It wasn't a slow drain, but an instant fatality. And like the normal move, it was not impeded by anything. Truly, it was the most brutal status one could inflict in a battle.

This meant that the Stalker was using a Ghost to cause these Curses. Now they were armed by that knowledge. But when she saw the Curse of Viola levitate with each step, she had to wonder if there was a limitation to how long it would follow her, or what the range on it was. What if there was no limitation?

What if it never stopped?

Noel had gotten rid of her Curse by passing it on to Alexa, something Alexa didn't want to give someone else if she could help it. Nobody deserved this. A Pokémon could avoid a Curse by hopping into a Pokéball, but humans didn't have an equivalent. Finding the source of these problems could lead to some answers. In any case, their options were limited, and Alexa had already made up her mind.

"Roy." She held up her camera and nodded at his Fearow, walking fast in a wide circle on shaky footing in order to avoid the Curse, which hadn't stopped walking at her either. "Let's keep moving north. If I find what we've been looking for I can get this story. People need to know the truth."

From the thicket, one tree began to grow taller and wider. Soon it would be tall enough to burst into hundreds of spears like what the group had encountered before. This area was no longer safe.  

[Marsuru]

Off Route 14

A few seconds was a lot of time in a pokémon battle, enough time for Feraligatr to keep off the back foot. Once the water fell and Cobalion landed, Feraligatr had his opening. With Cobalion rearing backwards and committing to its Close Combat, Feraligatr used his superior, Double Dragon Dance-enhanced speed to drop to the floor and sweep the legendary's hind legs from under it with a Low Kick before it could so much as scratch him. Given Cobalion's immense weight and Feraligatr's enhanced strength, the Low Kick would knock the pokémon out outright.

Assuming the pokémon crashed down like he intended, Feraligatr would backflip out of the impact zone and land with a skid, kicking up a spray of dirt.

---

Man, I didn't catch any of that. Who has time to listen to lengthy explanations in the middle of combat?

'Got it, Ben!' Roy shouted, giving a thumbs up. Alexa came over and her, he could hear. 'Sure. This has to be worth something.'

Once they were both on Fearow's back, Roy would command his pokémon to take flight. He'd give the others one last nod, which he hoped they'd interpret as a mark of respect and hope that they'd make it through whatever else this forest had to throw at them. Then it'd be up to Alexa to call the shots for where they were headed next.  

[Marsuru]

((Marsuru used Double Post!))

The Tower of Mastery

Fresh air. Zack gulped it down like a man fit to drown, wiping sweat from his face in great wet slops. Milo had waited outside the weird igloo building just as promised. He shot Zack a smirk before bowing to Gurkinn and Seelie, who were stretching like they'd woken from a nap. Gurkin even scratched his belly. Milo straightened up, his reverence for the old master about as subtle as a truck explosion.

'Master Gurkinn, I'm so sorry about all this. The boy forced his way in, I had no other choice.'
'Hm? Oh, don't worry?' Gurkinn looked at Zack, then back, 'Milo, this is Zack Redgrave. The one Augustine sent ahead about. You know what, it doesn't matter. Go open the tower, if you will.'
'But Master…' Milo looked heartbroken. 'Yes Master Gurkinn, right away.'

The guard hurried off. Zack watched him go while wafting cold air under his shirt. 'Man, what an a*****e.'
'Hm,' Gurkinn nodded. 'Now Zack, we have a lot to cover and I would assume I'm right to say you want to get it over with as soon as possible?'
'Right.'
'Then you won't object if we compound the theory into a practical lesson.'

The tower wasn't far from the igloo, but it gave Zack time enough to cool off. Why couldn't Gurkinn be one of those “meditate under a waterfall” gurus? It's not like he could get more wet. Too late to worry about it now. They passed through streets framed by buildings of all shapes and sizes, as diverse as the townsfolk who built them. Seemed like they came from all over the world, bringing bits of home along for the ride. People dropped everything to greet their Master Gurkinn, and Zack caught more than a couple envious looks directed to him as well.

'Most train here for years before earning admittance into the tower,' Gurkinn said as they ascended a wide staircase and approached the tower's double doors. 'Deepening their bonds with pokémon, bettering themselves. Every creed under the sun come together, living in harmony as they cast aside their old failings to study a new way of life.'
'Sounds a lot like a cult to me.'
'Don't be ridiculous,' Gurkinn frowned. 'Cults charge money.'

Zack had to brace himself as the ground rumbled, the heavy doors sliding apart to admit their passage. Milo waited for them inside, no doubt expecting a pat on the head and a guard treat. Inside, the tower was mostly hollow, with a huge staircase tracing the outer wall and leading to the top. Another guard stood at the foot of the stairs, watching in silence. Zack raised his eyebrows at the central statue, and hoped he didn't seem too impressed. It was a Mega Lucario made from green copper, nearly as tall as the tower.

Zack's whistle echoed. 'Pretty big.'
'Do you like it? My ancestor built this statue after he became the first person to mega evolve a pokémon. Right here on this island. Back then, everyone built statues to commemorate things.'
'Master, is there anything else you need?' Milo said. 'Only, I've left Thérèse and Sawk to guard the main gate alone.'
'No, Milo, I think we have it from here. Thank you for your help. You can go.'
'If that is your wish, Master Gurkinn.' Milo bowed, made it three feet before Zack grabbed his shoulder.
'Forget somethin?'
Milo stared for a long second, then emptied his pockets. He returned Zack's pokéballs, shot the trainer a dark look, and hurried back to his post.

'Too ambitious, that one,' said Gurkinn, as Milo disappeared from view. 'Used to work at the power plant, you see. Born a commoner, he could never rise above middle management, so he came here hoping I could teach him to be the next mega evolution guru.'
'Sure is reaching for the stars.'
'No less noble than aiming for the league championship. Now then, do we go upstairs to teach you a thing or two about Aura, or downstairs to give you first hand experience in mega evolution?'
'You mean I have to pick?'
Gurkinn smiled. 'I mean which one do you want to do first?'  

[Spinne Biss]

The curse was closing in, and Bridgette felt the reality of her situation settling. "Okay, running away it is!" With that, Kabutops would jump back, Bridgette holding on to his head, and then the two would move in an arc around the fissure, toward the source.

"Okay, it's not working!" Bridgette shouted, but that was okay, they just needed to take out their attacker instead, and make them stop this.  

[Spinne Biss]

The loss to Korrina had been rough. It wasn't as big a blow to Helena's ego as she thought it would be, but only because it had given her a chance to study the gym leader. There was growth in losing, something Helena was learning as a valuable training aspect. Her loss to Tyrant, her loss to Clemont, to Salieri, and now Korrina - they were all helping her understand how her opponent's fought.

The more dramatic they were, the easier they would be to control. Tyrant's adaptability scared her, but not so much since her fight with Salieri. The training against him had proven valuable, especially when she saw how well she had done against the martial artist.

It helped her ego that she also had the excuse of being exhausted. Still, the day was young, and there was still so much for her to do. Training, trying at Tyrant again, seeing Grant. Eating. Back home Helena could have simply gone to the kitchen, out in the world constantly it gave her an appreciation for the things she had taken advantage of, namely getting food and using the bathroom, and even sleeping. There was an added effort she had to put into everything that had seemed so simple before.

The only thing that had seemed to grow harder was talking to her brother. Helena sat in the waiting room of the Pokemon Center, carressing her locket with her thumb while she looked down at her holocaster(I think that's what she has?), Zack's contact details on the screen.

Back when he was at the academy, or out on his adventures, there was the excuse that he was busy. Now that they were meant to be traveling together, Helena found herself out of excuses. She wanted to talk to him, to see how he was doing, to make sure he was okay, but she couldn't. It felt wrong, because of their fight, and she was afraid of getting back into all of that.

It would be so much easier if they could just be home again. Playing chess, or making silly voices up for characters in video games. Zack had always seemed drawn to the outdoors, and danger, and the dramatic world around them. Helena had the attraction in her own way, but most of her escapism existed in books.

"I hope he's not doing something stupid," Helena muttered to herself as she backed out of Zack's contact page, and instead scrolled to her mom's. With the press of a button, she called home.

After a few rings, the image of her mother popped up on the holocaster's screen.

"Hey, mom."

"Helena!" A smile lit up on her mother's face, causing one to creep up on Helena's. "How are you doing out there? Is everything okay? Are you eating and sleeping well? Making new friends? How's your brother?"

"I'm doing great!" Helena caught the little lilt in her voice, and for the first time in a few days she felt at home. "I've gotten two badges so far, and I've met a lot of interesting people. Zack's," she paused, before saying, "Zack. I met a boy!"

"Oh, that's great to hear!" Her mom paused too, chewing on her words before saying, "you're not doing anything, right?"

"No, no! I mean, we kissed, but we aren't doing anything." Helena felt her cheeks turn red, but it was different from the red of humiliation or anger that she had felt during her journey. This time she was just flustered.

"Good. You know I want grand babies, but you're way too young right now. You have your whole life ahead of you."

"Mom! I'm not gonna sleep with him, I promise." Helena realized that she hadn't even considered that part. "And if I did-"

"Don't."

"I wont! But if I did, I'd be safe. I remember our talk."

"Good!" There was a doorbell in the background. "Oh! That's Margo. She's come over to help me with lunch, so I better go. Love you, sweetie!"

"Love you too, Mom." Her mother hung up the call and Helena let out a breath, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders. It was almost sobering for the call to end, and suddenly she didn't feel at home anymore. She was several thousand miles away, in a foreign land, with her world crumbling around her - and it made her long for home again.

It made her miss her brother.

***

The sunlight of Shalour city gave it a friendly air. The ocean waves roared, and crashed into the walls of the harbour. Boats came and went, docks were littered with masts that could be seen even a mile away. Live aboards walked the streets with a familiarity that not even the locals could mimic.

Being a port town made it busy. Helena looked at the dry docks of the town, boats being worked on, men in white full body outfits spraying or sanding down hulls. "They look like condoms," Helena said to herself.

Surrounding all of this was the forest. It gave the frame of someplace beautiful, and Helena felt herself wanting to snap photos. Instead, she continued to walk, until she came across a Pokemon battle happening on the beach down before the pier.

Helena watched the battle as it unfolded. Sylveon against a Golduck. The Golduck closed the distance using physical moves, pushing Sylveon onto the defensive. Helena watched, taking note of the strategy. Every move that hit Sylveon was a special attack, while the physical moves were meant to close the distance.

It was overwhelming for the other trainer, who was quickly pushed onto the defensive, and then the retreat. Sylveon didn't stand a chance, jumping back, and then Golduck was under it, firing a close range Water Pulse that ended their match.

"Okay, cough it up," said the victor, and Helena expected the other trainer to produce cash. Instead, he pulled a badge out of his pocket and handed it over. Helena's eyes lit up.

She jumped over the railing of the pier, to the ground below. It wasn't a big drop, but she felt it in her ankles as her bag pulled downward with her landing. It hurt, even with her knees bent - a trick Zack had taught her about landing. He'd bragged about being able to roll a landing, to control, the flow of momentum, but Helena had never seen it herself.

"You can do that?" she asked now that she was within earshot.

The victor turned to her, a smile flashing across his face. "Oh yeah, it's allowed under league rules. You just have to transfer registered ownership. I knew a guy who got six badges doing this once. He left the league shortly after that, never called me again, but hey, he got rich doing this. Sponsored by a casino and everything."

Helena eyed the badge. It wasn't one she had gotten, but she recognized it from a catalogue she'd read before arriving in Kalos. That was Grant's badge.

"Okay, cool, I'll gamble with you for a badge. That one, actually." She pointed to the one in his hand and he nodded. "Alright, what do you have?"

Helena produced her own two badges and the gambler smirked. "I already have Viola's, but Clemont's a good one. He's a genius, you know, getting his badge isn't easy. Grant's is a hard one too." He eyed the loser, who was sulking over his loss. "Was that kid's only one, so he probably worked really hard for it. I almost feel bad."

"Almost."

"Don't do it!" The kid shouted as he looked up. "He gambled for cash first, and then he wanted my badge after I had won! He's a hustler!"

"Oh come on, I did not hustle you." He turned to Helena.

"Hey, it's alright if you did." Helena had seen the gambit on television before. She'd expected it when she had approached them. "Saves me the time of messing around. I'll take your badge, and then whatever else you have to throw on the table when you show me your 'real skill'."

The gambler smiled. It was smug, but embarrassed. He had been called out, but he was proud of it. "We can skip the small stuff instead. I'll take your badge, and then you can bet the other one to try and win it back. Two chances, and then I'll take everything you own."

The confidence was palpable, and it only made Helena feel more competetive. The spirit of it drew her to the game, and in that moment she knew how gambling addicts were born.

"Good." She produced Feather's Pokeball. "That'll make it more fulfulling when I take you for everything you're worth."

The two took their paces backwards, the gambler producing Golduck's ball. "You're in over your head, girl. A two badge punk like you shouldn't even still be in the league. Everyone who sticks around after tomorrow is likely to have at least four - you're way too behind to catch up."

"Not after I beat you." The two released their Pokemon, and it was straight into action.

Golduck launched into Aqua Jet as Feather released Vine Whip, both actions called out simultaneous to the Pokemon's release.

Golduck moved alongside the Vinewhip, grabbing it, wrapping it around his hand, and then jerking Feather toward him. His head glew with the power of Zen Headbutt, and Feather gathered the air that she was pulled around, blasting a Fairy Wind to create a sudden stopper for the force.

It slammed into Golduck's forehead as he launched his attack, dispersing the wind, the force of it and pushing Feather off course.

She released her Vine Whip and instead blasted a swarm of Razor Leaf at Golduck.

"You know," Helena said, as Goldbuck blasted through defensive wall after defensive wall of Fairy Wind and Razor Leaf, the duet forces littering the air and ground. "I've been working on enchantment."

"Enchantment?" the gambler asked, still focused on the battle. From his perspective, Golduck was wearing into Feather. Even with type advantage moves, all she was managing to do was waste a lot of energy, while all Golduck had to do was casually move and blast through her attacks. Each attempt put him one step closer, and pretty soon there would be an opening.

Helena, by all rights, was on the defensive.

"Yeah, like this, Magic Leaf."

The gambler furrowed his brow, having just called out for the finisher of Water Pulse at the zero distance. Instead, the attack was split in half by a sudden leaf, powered by the swarm of them. The leaf had cut along his cheek as well, blood drooling from his beak. The gambler hesitated.

"That was step one. I tried this on Korrina earlier, actually, but she's really tough."

Golduck jumped back by order, the gambler's heart suddenly beating quickly.

"Not far enough," she said, as Golduck's foot landed on a leaf that suddenly turned so that the side of it hit his foot as it shot upward, leaving a gash that caused the water/psychic type to fall onto its bottom.

"Look out!" the gambler called, but it was too late.

"Magic Storm," Helena said, and the leaves that had been exposed to the fairy air shot to life, each one an enchanted Magic Leaf. Every feint had been a slow exposure into a bigger move. It was the same trap that the gambler had used to wear down Sylveon, the same one he had tried to use to beat her - it was chess 101.

The Golduck was swarmed by the leaves, and after they had sliced his form, he was covered in non-lethal cuts and gashes. Wavering for only a second before he fell over.

"Okay," Helena said as they both recalled their Pokemon. "So what do you have to bet now?"

The gambler frowned. He wasn't used to being caught on this end of his traps, but now he had a feel for the girl's level range. "How about this?" He produced a stone. "They say these can power up certain Pokemon. I dunno who this one is for, but I'll bet it's worth all of your badges." All he needed to do was pull out his strongest Pokemon.

"Okay," Helena said, holding out her hand. "Gimme the badge first, though, so I know you won't run off with it when you lose."

The gambler shot her a glare, but flicked the badge over to her with his thumb. She didn't catch it.

Kneeling down to pick it up, when Helena looked up it would be with a Golurk in her face.

Helena sized the Pokemon up. "Okay then."

It was the same trick Helena had intended to use. A lower leveled Pokemon, then a higher leveled one. She released Ecarlate.

Immediately, Golurk disappeared.

A moment later, he exited from Ecarlate's shadow, giant fist launching in a Shadow Punch. Scizor matched the blow with a Bullet Punch, the sudden force creating a shockwave that blew sand up into the air.

Scizor folded his arm into the punch, twisting past Golurk's defenses to strike him with a second Bullet Punch.

"You're in over your head!" Helena called, quickly ascertaining the strategy as Golurk disappeared again.

This time it was for a moment longer, and Helena called "Focus Energy!"

When Golurk reappared again, it was with Phantom Force, slamming into Eclarate from behind.

Ecarlate would bend over the shoulder of Golurk, using his pincers to finish the flip, and pull himself above the opponent. Now overhead, and powered with Focus Energy, he would deliver another Bullet Punch before the opponent could escape, this time slamming it into the back of Golurk's head, for a critical.

The giant slammed into the ground, vanishing back into the shadows as the Scizor landed.

Helena watched the gambler as this happened. This time was different. Ecarlate wasn't just well trained prior to joining her party, they had created a bond of their own in the off-route area of Route 14. Fighting for their lives had helped make things unspoken. All she needed were little orders to convey strategies.

Golurk emerged against with Phantom Force, this time coming from below. Emerging head first gave Ecarlate enough time to kick upwards. He couldn't dodge, but he could make it another exchange of blows. A second Focus Energy a moment before turned the Flash Cannon into a critical hit to Golurk's eyes, taking the Pokemon's sight with it.

The Golurk attempted to retreat again, but in the air he had no shadows, and Eclarlate slipped under his arms, clamped on by one pinser as the other began to slash away at the giant Pokemon.

They rocketed off at mach speed suddenly, Golurk flying into the air to try and shake the Scizor, but it was no use. Fury Cutter built up and up, chipping away at Golurk's defenses, and as he flew down to escape into a shadow, Scizor jumped away.

The Scizor had barely landed when Golurk emerged again, but he'd prepared the third Focus Energy as he landed, this time delivering the final Fury Cutter face first into Golurk, the force of it canceling the giant's momentum and stopping him dead in his tracks.

Golurk crashed to the ground, and Helena recalled Ecarlate.

"What the actual ********?!" the gambler shouted, recalling his own Pokemon.

"You're using basic chess strategies," Helena said. "First was misdirection, like building a pawn vanguard. Once you break the vanguard, you actually open yourself up to everything else that was setup while the vanguard was moved forward. You have to eventually break it, though, because of the way you march them forward. The longer you take, the worse it gets for you."

The gambler frowned, and Helena continued, smiling confidently. "The secone was just forcing me into situations where I had to take blows. I think you were planning to overwhelm me, but it's the same as forcing your opponent to sacrifice pieces, and then controlling what they believe they're choosing to sacrifice. I just controlled the flow of that with Focus Energy until you made a mistake."

"Fine, take the stone." He tossed it to the ground. "I don't even care about it anyways, it's just easier to sell badges you get through gambling for easy money."

Helena scooped up the stone. "Good luck with that." Helena watched him leave, trying to ignore what he had said about his friend before. Guy gets a bunch of badges gambling, gets sponsored for it, and then disappears.

He was either living somewhere in luxury, or he was dead. An uneasiness settled in as Helena started toward the steps back to up the pier.

She didn't notice the man who stepped up behind her. Didn't realize it when he had clipped her belt, not until it fell away from her, and her pokeballs fell with it.

"Wha-"

Then something pricked her in the side of the neck. Her hand shot up to the spot as she spun around, and a hand pushed her backwards. Helena stumbled back underneath the pier, out of sight from anyone else.

Falling to the ground, she'd look up at the man who casually picked up her pokebelt and inspected it, locking the pokeballs that had been unlocked. Then he tossed it behind him.

"You know," he said the man, taller than her with curly hair pulled back into a ponytail, unkempt even in that state, "you should really be careful of what you say while on camera."

"Who the ******** are you?" Helena asked, any cool demeanor she could have mustered for this was lost at the warm feeling of blood as it soaked her hand and neck, escaping through the spaces between her fingers.

"Jean-Pierre," the man said as he stepped close to her and knelt before her. "Now, why don't you tell me about Ratio?" He reached over as he spoke, grabbing her hand and pulled it from her neck. Her inspected the wound, and Helena felt something.... weird about it. Like she could feel the blood stop. She tried to pull her hand away from the man, but he held it firmly.

"Ratio?" How do you know-"

"That you know him? You and your gang at the hospital, the same gang that ended up there because they fought with him."

"Why are you-"

"After you?" Helena felt uncomfortable, as he finished her sentences flawlessly. She felt vulnerable too, unable to pull away. Channeling her brother, she'd swing a fist at his face. It made contact, but the man didn't even flinch. Instead, she felt his lips between her knuckles, as his mouth curled into a smile.

"You're the weakest link. The easiest one to take advantage of. Now, I have a few questions."

Helena tried to speak, to scream for help, but everytime she tried, her throat would seize up, like she couldn't get the words out.

"Answer me honestly, and you'll leave here mostly intact. I'd offer not to hurt you, but I really love causing pain, and you're already unable to struggle."

Helena drew her hand back and made to knee him in the groin when suddenly her skin flared up, as if it were on fire. Everywhere that her clothing rested suddenly burned in agony, her lips parted so she could scream, but nothing came. Once again, her throat seized up."

"Now, tell me about Ratio, if you do I can change that from pain to-

Suddenly the sensation shifted. Agony to pleasure, and Helena's cheeks flushed. The pain had already put her brain into a hazy fog, the change didn't help that any. She tried to cry out again, but nothing came. Instead she whimpered, something she was immediately aware Jean-Pierre had allowed her to do.

That was the only thing she could be aware of. His presence pierced the fog, like he was somehow inside her head. Her words, his presence, they were all clear to her, even if the rest of the world was hazy. She found that she couldn't focus on anything else besides him.

"pleasure." Jean-Pierre changed it again as he finished his sentence, and Helena was in pain again.

"My brother wants his head," Helena tried to scream, but she found her voice spoke only soft words. Whatever this man was doing, it kept her from raising her voice, from making it so that they could be discovered.

"Why?"

"Because, he's a monster," Helena gasped, finding her compliance was 'rewarded' by the change again, from pain to pleasure. She didn't know which was worse. Everytime Jean asked a question, he put her in pain, and everytime he answered, it changed to pleasure, and all of it was born merely out of the sensation of her clothes.

Hiking boots, knee high socks, skinny jeans, bra, t-shirt, jacket, gloves, her locket - it flared up pain all over. Even her hair burned her, leaving everything hurting except for her face.

Helena breathed through labored breaths, quick and full of whimpers. Jean-Pierre looked delighted to watch her face.

"What else can you tell me about him?"

The pain was back, and Helena felt herself shudder, but she was unable to make a noise. As the tears ran down her cheeks she sucked in a sudden gasp. Even those hurt, and the teen found herself wishing she would somehow go into shock, even if she knew, with perfect clarity, that Jean would never let that happen. Not until he was done with her.

"He wants to recruit me," Helena said and Jean's smile widened enough to cause little wrinkles around his eyes. The change happened again, a shock to Helena's system that caused her to gasp. Somewhere in her mind, she was aware of the extreme sensations beginning to bleed together. It was torture.

"Interesting. Now that you mention it, there is a certain thing about you. I can see it." Jean grasped her chin and held her face up as he could look into her eyes.

Helena glared at him as she tried to pull away. He was too strong, or she was too weak, or maybe he just hadn't allowed it. She tried to swing at him, to get away, but the more he controlled the sensations of her body, the more she was aware that it was impossible.

"You want to fight, don't you? How did you react this news? I mean, you didn't leave. You should have left, we wouldn't be here if you had just left."

"I tried," Helena tried to shout, as the sensation became agony again, but it didn't work, he wouldn't let her raise her voice. "Zack won't leave." Another sensation shift. Helena felt a grimness growing as, with each change, she lost control over which was which, pain and pleasure were bleeding into each other.

"In clubs they call it subspace," Jean said, once again as if he were reading her mind. "Throw in a mixture of pain and pleasure, and to cope the brain just translates all sensation to pleasure. Shuts down certain parts of it, and the world gets really hazy. There's a euphoric drop when it all stops, too, you'll probably pass out when I leave, all alone under the pier here. I could drop you off somewhere safe, if you ask ******** you," Helena said, her teeth grit. Jean chuckled.

"Where is Ratio? Do you know?"

Helena shook her head. "No, he gave me a Tyrantrum. He said to tame it, and then he'd come for me when I was ready."

"This?" He held up Tyrant's ball, and then inspected the Pokemon. "What a scary monster. Apex predator of ancient times. Fitting, but he always did have a thing for theatrics and themes. Turn the little prey into a predator. You're still not there yet."

He leaned in close, and Helena flinched, unable to pull away, as he whispered into her ear, "you're still prey, but for monsters much scarier than you ever could have imagined." Helena shuddered, and Jean drew away from her, keeping himself close enough for their noses to touch, a sensation that rocked her with pain as the sensation shifted again.

"What are you? What's happening to me?" Jean asked in a mock tone, and Helena whimpered, afraid of how deep he was in her head. He could read her thoughts, it felt like, but what else? Why bother asking question, if he could do this?

"Dear, you're on the losing side of this. I'm the man who killed Ratio."

"But he's alive," Jean said, mocking her voice again, and Helena felt her stomach sink as the sensations began to pulse. Pain, then pleasure, flashing through her in time with her heartbeat, bleeding more and more together, she wanted to cry out, but he wouldn't let her, only allowing her to whimper, cry, and listen.

"Yes, if you could call that corpse a living thing, he's certainly alive. You'd best run away, girl. The longer he has his sights on you, the more likely it'll be that I return. One more thing."

He pushed her away, letting her collapse into ball, hugging herself, every muscle in her body tensing, but none of it eased what she felt. Pulse after pulse. Helena held her breath, hoping it would slow her heart, give her time between each sensation, but it didn't slow, it didn't change.

"Your friends. Your brother. They're all going to die. They touched Ratio, and he's mine." Jean's tone was possessive, jealous, bordering angry. "All they get to do is choose how deep their graves are."

Then he was gone, along with the pulse, along with whatever it was that kept Helena from screaming.

The world shocked her, as the haze was lifted, and her neck began to bleed again. She sucked in a deep breath, and then screamed, and that broke into a shuddering cry as she hugged herself closely.

And as everything began to normalize around her, and the scale of her violation set in, Helena felt angry. Angry, disgusted, afraid, and weak.

Prey.

Helena crawled over to her bag, unaware of when it had gotten so far away from her, and she pulled her holocaster from it. Pressing a few buttons, she'd get to the screen with Zack's contact information.

Taking a deep breath to try and calm herself, she'd hit call.  

[Marsuru]

The Tower of Mastery - Vault

The ringtone bounced off stone walls, ringing through the gloom. Zack frowned, face lit by his Holo Caster's glow. Last time he spoke to Helena, it hadn't been a very pleasant chat. While he'd love to fix things there, he was on the verge of something big. Answers, and maybe even the power to settle the score against Ratio.

'What is it now, doofus?' he said to the ringing phone.
'Something important?' Gurkinn asked, pressing the keypad beside the circular vault door, which was decorated with a faded symbol that made it look like a keystone. The keypad was about the only modern piece of technology in this lonely crypt, hidden away beneath the tower.
'Nah,' Zack said as he turned his caster off. 'Probably not. So this is it?'

'This is it,' Gurkinn said, pressing enter on the keypad. It activated a mechanism deep within the wall. First the door clunked, then rumbled, and slid away on its side, rolling into the wall and granting them access to the vault proper. Gurkinn led Zack inside, picking up a simple wooden torch from the wall and igniting it with a cigarette lighter. It took a second for Zack's eyes to adjust. The vault glowed with cascading light, twinkling and sparkling with every colour Zack could think of. It was as if a million fairy lights had been blown up huge then crammed into piles that lined the walls and littered the floors. Mega stones. Gurkinn turned to see Zack's expression, and with him his torch shifted, casting the stones in another light, almost as if they were ********,' said Zack.
'Indeed. This is the total sum of every mega stone my family has managed to accumulate since this tower was founded centuries ago. Minus the few gifted to our adherents.'
'Who else knows about this?'
'Very few. The stores of this vault are priceless. Only the upper echelons of the Court of Kings and my handpicked successors are privy to its existence.'
'I'm not leaving here alive, am I?'
Gurkinn grinned. 'Jullien Nostrad has made it a pet project to convince me to turn the vault over to the nobility, says it's in the best interests of Kalos that we use every resource at our disposal.'
'Surprised he doesn't just take it,' Zack said. He picked up a mega stone that was almost as big as his head, light even in his one-handed grip. It bore the rough and ragged exterior of an unrefined gem, and made his reflection crinkle and break as he gazed into its surface.

'Oh he could, most certainly,' Gurkinn said, watching Zack pick through the piles and inspect the stones. 'But doing so would spark a revolt. The nobility's grasp over the common man isn't quite as firm as it may seem.'
'Sucks to be them,' Zack said, setting down a handful of mega pebbles. 'So what is it we're looking for?'
Gurkinn gave Zack a quizzical look. 'Out of all your pokémon, which would you say you're closest to? I think I'd hazard a guess that it's your Haunter.'

Zack wasn't sure what disconcerted him more; the fact that Gurkinn knew what was on his team without being told, or the pun. The old man approached a pile and reached in, so Zack wandered over to see what came out. It was about the size of a marble, held between Gurkinn's finger and thumb. Mostly clear except for the purple and red swirl at its core.

'Gengarite,' Gurkinn said, passing it to Zack. 'You'll never guess what it mega evolves.'
Zack frowned, turning the stone over in his palm. 'I don't have a Gengar.'
'That won't be a problem. Now hold on to that and come with me. We're going to need a lot more space.'  

[Marsuru]

Shalour City - The Pier

Prey.

Ferox bounded from the raised stone wall to the beach below, a puff of sand blooming on her arrival. It caught a breeze and drifted towards Helena, who sat beaten, defeated. The man Jean's scent clung to the air, but he was gone. Ferox wouldn't have appeared were he still nearby. She wanted blood, oh so much, but now wasn't the time. Instead she hid, stalking her prey, awaiting the command. She had gotten good at waiting these past fourteen years, staying out of sight.

But things were different now.

Now she approached the girl, her paws leaving ghosts of prints on the sand. Ratio wanted her, so Ferox wanted her. They had no need for language, the look in her dark yellow eyes said it all.

Come with me.  

[Spinne Biss]

Zack's silence broke her. It was a nail in the coffin that was home. As the girl felt the tears well up, and her hope sink, Ferox appeared.

And Helena knew what that meant. Shakily, she gathered her things and approached the beast. Rubbing her eyes of tears she said. "Please, take me to him." Her voice shook, then cracked, and she held herself, trying to keep it all together.

Zack was gone. Ratio was here. Helena felt at rubicon's edge.  

[Marsuru]

Ferox padded toward the girl Helena, and bowed her head. All she needed was a touch, and the Arcanine could take the girl away, back to her master. Back to Ratio. They would be engulfed by painless flames, absorbed into bright light that would illuminate the dark slime beneath the pier. A flash, and the Teleport ended, leaving nothing but wisps of sand and the scent of burning wood.

They had her.  

[Spinne Biss]

Helena touched Ferox and she was gone. Whisked away, toward a future that terrified her, but not as much as Jean did.

Never again, she told herself. Never again would she be that weak.  

[Klarp Glornharm]

I can't make him stop. I'm sorry. Manny thought at the Cobalion. Oh, he could try yelling at the pokemon, but unless it came from Roy, he probably wouldn't listen. And frankly, Benedict had just tried that. It appeared they would get whoever won that fight, and if it were Cobalion they'd likely have a fight on their hands. Mostly out of temptation, he offered the pokemon a place in the psychic link. Not meant to obscure thought, or be intrusive, simply there. If Cobalion pushed it away mentally, it would be gone without any effort. If he accepted, he would find Benedict and his team's minds.

Still, one last attempt would be made, and Feraligatr's mind would once again receive the aura that they were all heading into, its feeling, and Roy's departure towards it. Stop fighting him. We need you both. And, since Cobalion had gotten one and Feraligatr was invited to the psychic link as well. Not that it was likely that either would take it.

After all, Manny wasn't expecting them to stop. Because apparently fighting some legendary pokemon was far more important than actually helping your trainer, and the people he was with. And if that fight somehow lasted forever, and neither of them came, well they'd just have to pretend it was worth it.

Ben was moving with Bridgette, or at least on the path she was taking, and watching the two fly on the pokemon. Given that Francis was still pretty new to things, he wasn't sure the pokemon was going to be able to take his weight, let alone both of theirs. So if Bridgette was more comfortable on foot, he wouldn't bother her.

Fancis would, however, keep an eye on that potentially exploding tree, ready to keep any of its spears away from his allies with a whirlwind.