Chapter 30
That evening, Char sat upon his bed and tried to relax. His body was starting to seriously ache from the cruel workout he'd received that morning, his muscles throbbing from strain. He closed his eyes and meditated upon the roar of the fire which surrounded him, trying to let it soothe his thoughts and his pains…
But, try as he may, he couldn't settle his racing mind. He'd made a decision. It wasn't a difficult decision to make, but he couldn't begin to imagine the repercussions. It worried him, knowing what he was about to do without even a second thought, and not even caring about how it would affect the Division. He had no intention of giving it a second thought.
He was about to defy Scythe.
When Saura and Ray both meandered into the room, Char knew it was time. He opened his eyes and focused on his friends.
"Okay, we picked the mission for tomorrow," Saura reported, approaching the foot of his bed. "Blackriver City. Another thieves' bust. So... you wanted to talk to us? We're all ears."
Char began with a heavy sigh. He was exhausted, but it was the kind of exhaustion that came from adrenaline and stress, the kind that gives you a splitting headache and doesn't actually let you settle down to sleep it away.
"Oh, and Char," Saura said, lowering his voice to a very heartfelt tone, "I'm sorry for leaving you alone today. We thought it would be considerate to give you a day off. We didn't realize it would have been so hard on you."
"It's fine," Char said, trying his best to mean it. "I got through the day."
"We promise to never leave you alone anymore," Ray said humbly, fiddling with his paws. "Saura's right. Now that I know you're a human, I understand that… you chose to share your secret with us, and nobody else. When we leave, you're all alone. It must feel horrible."
"Thanks," Char said sincerely. "I really mean it, you two. Your friendship means everything to me. Without you, there really isn't anything for me here, even if all these Pokémon respect me for being Scythe's friend and leading this team. As a Charmander, I owe everything to you. If I ever find out why I'm here, and how I got to be like this, it'll all be because of you."
Ray offered a very reverent bow in acknowledgement of the complement, and Saura looked very touched. Char took another big breath, gathering himself to begin with the purpose of the meeting.
"That's why… I'm telling you everything I know," Char proclaimed. "I'm going to tell you what Alakazam told me last night. I'm going to tell you all of it. There are some parts that… Scythe told me not to tell you, but I'm going to tell you anyway, because… for one thing, Ray, I didn't go through all the trouble of spitting out my secret just so I could turn around and keep a different one from you. And for another thing… Alakazam didn't even want me to tell anyone at all. It's that serious. But… no. You two are all I have, and I need you to be at my side the whole way, or I won't… I won't be able to do it. But, once I tell you this… you can't tell anyone. Don't even tell Scythe we had this conversation. I trust you."
Char paused to review the reactions of his friends. He saw in their eyes that they both understood the gravity of his words, and were willing to accept anything he'd tell them, even though they knew full well he wasn't supposed to be saying anything. Saura gave a light nod, letting Char know it was okay to continue.
"Alakazam thinks that I called to Dialga," Char said after a heavy swallow. "And I think I did, too. I remember talking to him when the Call happened. But now… Dialga must be doing something about it, and now this place called Temporal Tower appeared up north next to the Emerald Division. Alakazam wants me to go there and talk to Dialga myself."
"So that's why…" Saura gasped. "That's… incredible! If we could talk with Dialga, that could mean the end of your journey!"
"I had no idea the legend of Temporal Tower was true," Ray admitted, gaping. "This is legendary. If you called to Dialga, there's no telling what we can do… Dialga could smash the Master to bits!"
"We have two days to prepare," Char explained, "then we leave for the Emerald Division. After that… I don't know what's going to happen. But I decided something: you both are going to come with me and Scythe. I don't care what he says, it's final. If I'm such a legendary Charmander, I should at least have enough authority to get him to concede to one little thing like this, right?"
"Char, it's an honor to be of service to you," Ray declared, bowing again. "I'll come. I'll stand by your side, no matter the cost. I would battle with Scythe if you only told me to. Your decision is the law I live by!"
Wow, Char thought. Ray really takes me seriously now, doesn't he? I hope he doesn't go overboard with this servitude thing…
Either way, Char felt relieved. They were taking it well so far. Yes, that was to be expected, but it made him that much more comfortable with himself; the hard part was yet to come.
"That was the part that Alakazam didn't want me to say," Char said, his voice losing a little bit of its strength. "But there's another part I have to tell you. And this next part… Scythe… gave me permission to tell you, Saura, but he specifically asked me not to tell you, Ray… But… I'll tell you both… and I hope that I'm doing the right thing… After Alakazam talked to us, we started to walk back upstairs, and then Scythe… he…"
Char's voice suddenly stopped working. He cleared his throat, hoping to jump-start it again. It took a few tries, but he eventually got it out:
"…he almost cried."
Char watched as faces on his friends changed. He noticed the distinct sign of concern and surprise in Saura, and confusion in Ray.
"Not only that, but he started talking to me like… like he trusted me," Char said. "He started telling me things that he didn't even tell his team. And he called me a human. But I have to tell you this. I think Scythe is starting to break down from stress. He tries to hide it during the day when he's with other Pokémon, but I think he's really hurting on the inside."
"I never… I never would have known," Ray said sadly, now looking very deeply surprised. "No wonder he was so angry today. I thought maybe it was because of us…"
"I'm scared for him," Char said. "Scythe is worried that he's going to fail his mission at Basin Canyon. He says that he can't be in four places at once. He insists on coming with me to Temporal Tower, but if it's going to cause him to fail one of his missions… I can't let him destroy his own work because of me! I don't know what to do!"
"I thought for sure he had everything under control," Ray said, looking at the floor and playing with the end of his tail. "He always does! Even when all seems lost… he always finds some way to win. Team Remorse always wins!"
The voice echoed clear in Char's mind…
"I'm not supposed to fail. Nobody expects me to fail. But I'm about to fail. Everything is about to come crashing down. Everything is…"
"We have to trust him," Saura resolved, speaking up. "He knows what's best. Think about it. The mission at Temporal Tower could be the mission to end all missions! It could end the whole war and solve all our problems in one fell blow! It makes sense that Scythe would sacrifice one of his missions for this. This is serious."
"I have a feeling that something else is going on, though," Char said. "The lockdown today was… terrifying. It made me start to think the Master is trying to do something. I think there's something that Scythe is planning that he isn't telling us. He told me… that… when we go to the Emerald Division, he's going to lie to his teammates and not tell them anything about Temporal Tower."
"Then we trust him," Saura said again. "That part doesn't have to change. If there's something we need to know, he'll tell us in due time. Right now, we should just go along with what he says. Let's start getting ready for this journey tomorrow! I'm excited already!"
Ray lifted his gaze from the floor, and Char's eyes met with his. It was clear that, while it wasn't devastating news, Ray hadn't taken it completely well.
"I told you because I trust you," Char told him. "Are you okay with it? I'm sorry if I hurt you at all. I didn't mean to…"
"No, no," Ray said, trying to force his smile back onto his face, but failing. "I understand. I won't let you down, Char. I'm your Pokémon."
Char nodded to him, but in truth, he was starting to feel uncomfortable by the way Ray's personality had changed. In telling Ray his secret, Char had hoped to deepen the relationship he and Saura had with him… not to alter it. Yet, even Ray's body language now suggested that his attitude toward Char had changed considerably. Of all the time he spent anticipating Ray's reaction to his humanity, he never figured it would be like this!
Hoping that it was just due to Ray's mood, Char didn't comment. Instead, he continued with his discussion.
Char discussed the matter with his friends until he was certain, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he was on equal terms with them. It felt wonderful to not keep any secrets, and to hear both Saura and Ray continue to affirm their friendship and dedication to him, accepting what he had said.
I did it, Char realized. I defied Scythe. He was breaking down, and he was treating me as an equal, and he made one request of me… and I broke that request. I betrayed him! But… I had to! I think. I trust Ray as much as I trust Saura now, so… I had to. It's okay. I really shouldn't be worried about this, anyway. It's not like I just did something terrible… I hope.
Soon afterwards, they decided that they needed their rest for a big day tomorrow, so Saura and Ray retired to their own rooms and left Char to his privacy. Saura promised he'd make sure Char woke up in the morning as usual, and Ray gave one last bow to him before stepping out.
Char felt a tiny pang of loneliness as he watched them leave. Although he liked having a room all to himself, it was proving to be something to get used to; he was starting to miss that feeling of security from knowing his friends were resting only a few feet away…
The heart of a Pokémon is so powerful, Char realized again, laying down to rest. It's so quick to form these bonds… these deep friendships… It's only been… what, six weeks? And already, I have a relationship with Saura and Ray, and maybe Scythe too, that would have taken years for a human to have. But I can't fight it. I need it like food and water. Well, maybe not water. But I'm starting to wonder… do Pokémon need these bonds to survive? All around me, I'm seeing the same bonds in other Pokémon… in all the other teams here… even in Otto, and Ray, and Shander…
"Let's all be honest with each other," Raon had said once. "There's no breaking up this team. Where Scythe goes, we go. Right?"
All of Team Remorse has it… and really, so does this entire Division. We all trust each other, and we trust Alakazam and Metagross to make decisions for us…
…The Master's army is so huge… And his minions are so loyal…
I wonder…
… If they share the same kind of bonds with him?
Char closed his eyes and tried to get some rest for the night.
… … …
Some five hours later…
Char found himself wide awake, staring at the ceiling of his room. He didn't know how long he'd been awake, but his sore, throbbing body was refusing him any sleep.
I have to sleep, Char told himself, trying to get his eyes to stay closed again. Long day tomorrow. Need my strength. Why can't I sleep? Am I sick? I've had worse days than this, and I fell asleep just fine! What's wrong now? Maybe it's all this tension?
He knew, perhaps from his humanity, the body would still heal and recharge if he stayed perfectly still and relaxed, even while suffering from insomnia. Only, it wouldn't be the most refreshing sleep of his life, and it was boring laying awake for hours upon hours. And his body aches weren't making the experience any more pleasant, either.
He did everything he could think of to do… he cleared his mind of all excess thought, only counting his breaths to pass the time… he relaxed his body until it started to tingle…
His eyes snapped open again.
I must be sick, Char guessed. I just don't feel right. Do Pokémon even get sick? I didn't know that was possible. It must be, because I feel horrible…
Char sat up in his bed, wondering how many hours he had left to rest. His stomach felt funny. Queasy, almost, like he'd eaten something disagreeable, and his inner fire was having trouble burning it down. Or maybe it wasn't that at all; maybe it was just fear. Maybe the lockdown was haunting him. Maybe Scythe's behavior was haunting him. Maybe he just… for some reason… didn't feel secure.
He recalled all the nights he had back in Scythe's room where he had trouble sleeping for whatever reason… from his visions, or just from the simple nervousness of his piling responsibilities… He remembered fondly how, each and every time he couldn't sleep, Saura would always take it upon himself to stay awake with him and keep him company.
But now, Saura was in another room; he couldn't count on his company anymore. It would take barging into his room and waking him up, which would be incredibly rude, when previously Saura would always do it without being asked, whenever he noticed Char awake late in the night.
So now, Char found himself sleepless, with only his two blazing blue torches to keep him company.
Maybe it was out of pure boredom, or simple curiosity, or maybe desperation… but Char glanced at one of the torches at the side of his bed, wondering about it…
The torch was comprised of a large yet shallow silver bowl, supported on the ground by four curved, ornate legs. It was a pretty big piece of furniture, only slightly smaller than the bed on which he sat, and easily large enough to support a fully-grown Charizard standing in it. A pile of coal-like rocks filled the bottom of the dish, continually glowing white-hot and fueling the fire. The flames themselves were simply gorgeous, intense enough to be completely opaque, perpetually roaring and dancing and extending very high above Char's head.
Char began to realize… the fire looked so… inviting.
I'm a fire Pokémon, Char thought to himself, inching closer to the fire on his hands and feet. That must mean I'm fireproof… right? Could I… jump in?
He wanted to jump in. He wanted to inch closer and closer, and not stop until he was bathed in the flames. He always considered fire a close friend and ally, and couldn't imagine any negative repercussions from covering himself with it. Now, as his body yearned for comfort, he was tempted to give it a try.
Curious, he extended his front claw into the fire. As the flames licked at his hand, he received a sensation of comfort. It was warm and intense, like dipping his hands into comfortably hot water; it was the same as he'd always felt when handling the flame on the end of his tail, except much more. It sent a shiver down his spine, and he retracted his claw to inspect it. It was completely unharmed, and it tingled in displeasure from being pulled away.
He prepared to jump in.
Wait! the far corner of his mind suddenly cried. Are you sure this is a good idea? Don't you remember what happened the last time you decided to experiment with your physiology? Don't you think you should actually ask someone about it before doing it this time?
"That was with water," Char told himself. "This is fire. This is my element! I have a fire inside of me and on my tail. It doesn't hurt me! It's like my blood! What could go wrong?"
He pounced into the fire.
The first thing he noticed was that his breath had been taken away, quite literally. It was extremely difficult to inhale, as if there was no air present. However, it was still possible with a little effort, and it didn't really seem to bother him; it appeared that his body was naturally suited for such a situation.
Reality seemed to disappear, replaced by only the roaring blue flames. Char found himself completely surrounded by them, unable to see the rest of his room. All he saw was blue—dancing, vivid blue…
Then, like a delayed reaction, the warmth started to fill his body. He'd never felt a greater level of heat in his life, even when his Ember was ablaze in the heat of battle. This time, he fire poured across him inside and out, feeling like standing under a powerful waterfall that fell up instead of down. As he stood on all fours atop the burning coal, his claws, his belly, and the underside of his tail took the brunt of the heat, coming alive with the intense sensation.
He waited and waited for any sign of pain… but it never came. The fire didn't hurt at all. In fact, it felt a little comfortable.
See? Char realized. I knew it wouldn't hurt! This actually feels pretty good!
As he waited, he felt the sensation gradually intensifying. The feeling of the searing heat mercilessly engulfing his body became more pleasurable with each minute.
This feels really good, Char told himself. Wow… it's so relaxing… It's like I'm a part of the fire…
He curled up atop the coals, trying to make as much contact with them as possible, since they were the hottest part of the fire. His eyes drifted closed as he fell into a contented daze.
This makes up for all the bad things that happened today, Char told himself. I can feel… all my troubles… melting away… It's just me… and the fire…
Char decided he never needed to sleep in his bed again. Finding that his headache and his queasiness had mysteriously vanished, and he let himself go, feeling sleep approaching fast…
But then, Char felt something like a pop in his brain… and then he felt nothing.
He opened his eyes. Yes, he was still inside the fire. But now, he felt nothing of it. All the pleasure he'd enjoyed was gone. Instead, he felt… numb.
Whoa, Char thought. This is… weird. Maybe I overloaded my nerves? That's… nothing bad, right? I mean, since I'm a fire Pokémon, that could be some kind of natural—
Char suddenly started to feel the numbness subsiding, replaced by feeling. But this… was not the same feeling he had before. He felt the heat of the fire, but in a different way…
It feels… hot, Char realized.
It started out small, but escalated. Char wasn't sure what to think of the sensation, so he let it build, coming closer…
To Char's horror, he realized that the feeling was pain. It felt like the fire had turned into thousands of knife blades and pins, constantly raking his skin…
Whoa, now it's really hot, Char thought, wanting to see how bad it would get and hoping his elemental immunity wouldn't let him down.
He didn't last long. The pain never stopped escalating, until…
Char realized he was standing in a frying pan, cooking himself alive.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Char cried, jumping blindly out of the torch fire and hitting the floor head-first with a thunk. "AHHH! AHHH! AHHH! HOT! HOT! HOOOOOOOT! AHHHHHHHH!"
His vision tingling with pain, he glanced back at his body. It was not on fire, even though it now felt raw and sensitive as if he was still standing in the flames. He writhed around on the floor, wanting to caress the pained parts of his body but feeling them explode with sensitivity every time he did. Eventually, he simply laid on his back, moaning softly in agony.
Fortunately for him, the pain didn't last long. He was a fire Pokémon, after all, so his body was able to soon recover from the experience of getting burned, and he found himself feeling relatively back to normal.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh," Char still moaned, not having the strength to move, still feeling half his body tingling.
I guess I learned another lesson today, Char's exasperated mind told himself. I'm not completely immune to fire, just resistant to it. Too much, and I'll burn just like any other Pokémon. Only… it looks like my body is fireproof, so I'll never actually catch on fire, but… fire can still hurt. Ughhhh…
Char looked over his body once more, and noticed something amazing: his skin had all turned black on one side.
He'd been charred. Burnt to a crisp.
He slumped his head back onto the floor and fell asleep soon afterwards.
… … …
Char's consciousness stirred at the sound of a voice.
"Chaaar! Time to wake up!" it said.
He heard his door opening.
"The fire will never—AHHH! By ARCEUS, what HAPPENED to you?!"
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" a second voice shouted worriedly, hurrying closer. "CHAR! What on EARTH?!"
Still feeling a little woozy, Char decided to stir and lift his eyelids. Ray and Saura stood above him, both gaping.
"You didn't!" Saura gasped, rushing to his side and nudging him. "You rolled over into your fire, didn't you?! Oh, Char! Are you okay?!"
"I feel fine," Char said, trying to sit up. "I feel fine. I'm okay."
"Let me see this," Ray said, crouching next to him and inspecting the black streak that covered the entire right side of his body from head to toe. "Wow, that's a pretty serious burn. The worst they come… You're lucky you're a Charmander. Anyone else would need to go to the hospital ASAP. I think you'll be okay… you'll just look a little discolored for a while."
Char climbed to his feet and tried to act as though nothing was wrong, but Saura's gaze was still glued to him.
"It didn't hurt too much, did it?" Saura asked sadly.
"Not for very long," Char replied. "I'm just fine. I promise."
Saura was not convinced, and kept casting concerned glances at him.
"Well, let's get started on our mission," Char instructed, trying to shrug off Saura's worry. "Blackriver City, you said?"
"Yeah, that's the place," Ray replied, sharing a little bit of Saura's sympathy. "Okay, let's go get Scythe and get this over with…"
The team collected their items and ascended one floor to wait outside of Team Remorse's hall for Scythe. When he appeared, Char was dismayed to see that his mood hadn't changed much since the previous day. He looked better rested than last time, but that dreadful glare remained in his eyes…
"Ready to go?" he asked. "Two bags of items this time? Are you sure you'll be needing that much?"
"No," Ray explained. "We decided to split the load in half from now on instead of taking turns. It'll be much easier on both of us."
"Ah, smart," Scythe said with a nod. "Although, it could impede your ability to react quickly to a fight—"
Char cringed, realizing that Scythe had noticed his physical affliction.
"Char, you really have to learn everything the hard way, don't you?" Scythe sighed. "Please, don't abuse your fire. I worked very hard to give that to you. Don't make me take it away."
"It won't happen again," Char said ashamedly. "I'm sorry."
"If you want to have a greater capacity to enjoy fire, wait until you evolve," Scythe said. "Let that be incentive for you. Now… I hope the mission you chose today is short—"
Scythe stopped again, but Char couldn't tell why. Char looked into his eyes, and was surprised to see a little bit of the same vulnerability he showed Char the night in the hallway. He looked almost… hurt.
"You told them," he muttered, not angrily, just matter-of-factly. "They know everything."
"How did you know?" Char asked.
"It wasn't hard to tell," Scythe said. "They told me with their eyes. You'd be surprised at how much a Pokémon can betray of themselves without having to speak."
"Scythe, I—" Char started.
"Forget it, forget it," Scythe said, turning to look into the eyes of Saura and Ray. "It's none of my business how much you trust your friends, especially after what I told you the other day. Just… understand something… understand that you can betray things without speaking, without even meaning to. Are you sure you know how trustworthy your friends are?"
Char didn't answer. A very difficult silence hung in the air between the four of them, Team Ember looking especially guilty of themselves.
"The mission," Scythe said, reminding them. "Let's go. I guess all three of you are aware of how much we must get done today. Let's get it all started."
Blackriver City
The mission was a relatively dangerous one, but then again, most of them were; Team Ember was now choosing their tasks from the real task lists, the ones which involved real danger, required real effort, and offered substantial rewards. The mission that Saura and Ray had decided upon was at a place called Blackriver City, where they'd be tasked with finding a thieves' hideout. The hideout had been known about for a while, and was hopefully abandoned, leaving any remaining valuables free for the taking. In fact, of the three similar missions the team had taken in the past, only one of them—Team X's hideout at Empirical Falls—was still occupied.
But it would not be an easy journey. Blackriver City was a brutal place. Once a military-based town, it was destroyed by spatial distortions and now lay in crumbling ruins, inhabited only by Ghost Pokémon. The city was composed of countless, evenly-spaced square towers built from black bricks, with a grid of streets surrounding them. Unfortunately for travelers, Most of the buildings were crumbling, and a lot of streets were blocked off by rubble. It would be a tough area to navigate.
That, and a Mystery Dungeon began not one block into the city.
"This place gives me the creeps," Ray admitted as they entered the city boundaries. "I've been here three times already, and it never gets any easier. But I think I feel a little better now that you guys are with me, and you too, Scythe…"
"Have you done your research?" Scythe inquired. "Do you know what dangers lurk here?"
"Ghost Pokémon," Ray said with a shudder. "And some water Pokémon, since a river runs through the center of town. But the ghosts are the worst. It could wind up being just as bad as traveling at night."
"No," Scythe said. "Nothing is as bad as traveling at night. Believe me. The Watchers are not like normal ghost Pokémon. They're unnatural. They wield powers that no Pokémon should. When we travel at night, we spend little of our time fighting them and much of it running away from them. Don't fear normal ghost Pokémon as you would fear the Watchers. Just remember not to attack them physically. Just rely on the elements you are affiliated with, your fire, your electric power, and your vegetation, and they will fall like any other Pokémon."
"Alright, we'll give it a shot," Saura said with some confidence. "We always have you to give us a hand if things start to go wrong, anyway."
"Well, not so much," Scythe said. "I'm not particularly skilled at fighting ghosts. It'll mostly be up to you."
"Oh…" Saura said, looking a bit disillusioned. Suddenly lighting back up and forming a smug grin, shouted, "Well, in that case, bring it on! Ha-ha!"
Blackriver City S1
This was, admittedly, the most intimidating dungeon Team Ember had seen yet. It was a maze of city streets through an endless forest of ruined buildings. The sky was a strange color, like there was a weird transparent cloud hovering over the city and darkening the morning sunlight, reminding Char of the light from the black torches the previous day. Just knowing that there could be ghosts hiding around any corner didn't help to instill a sense of confidence, either.
As soon as Char entered into the anomaly, he felt his empty stomach groan in protest. He'd forgotten to eat breakfast. He quickly dug through his small, lightweight bag and passed out a meal to the group. He munched on a Rawst berry, hoping it would help his charred hide to regenerate faster.
An evil laugh echoed from somewhere nearby. The group froze.
"A ghost," Ray said, stepping forward and glancing around. "Get ready."
Char waited, holding his Rawst berry still and readying his fire for a fight. There was silence, all except for a tiny wind that blew through the town.
Nothing happened. Char shivered.
"I think they saw us," Ray said. "They're watching us. Be on guard."
Finding the road blocked by rubble, the group took a detour through a dark alleyway.
"I've never fought a ghost before," Char admitted, keeping very close to his friends and lighting the way with his tail. "Domo let me train against all sorts of Pokémon, but I never trained against a ghost…"
"Ghosts have a habit of playing tricks," Scythe said. "When they fight you, they rely on your fear and uncertainty. They're less fond of attacking than they are of trying to confuse you, infuriate you, scare you, or use their spiritual power to disable you in unnatural ways. That's just their nature."
Um… why did we choose this mission, again? Char wondered.
"If you want to learn how to take down ghosts, that's one of Daemon's specialties," Scythe said. "There is a sort of dark power, some way to channel your energy, that the ghosts abhor, and Daemon has learned how to control that power. It comes natural to him, being the kind of Pokémon he is. But, if you're lucky, he can teach you some useful techniques."
Another haunting voice came from somewhere close. The group picked up their pace.
"Ghosts can also turn invisible," Ray added. "They're probably surrounding us right now, just laughing at us, and waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. That's just what they did the last time we were here…"
Blackriver City S2
A little less than an hour later, the team was very deep into the city. Somehow, they'd managed to avoid enticing any ghost Pokémon to attack them, but that didn't make Char feel any more comfortable. He found himself nibbling on an apple, but mostly from nervousness rather than hunger. Sometimes, eerie howls and groans would emanate from the dark windows or cracks in nearby buildings…
"Remember, we don't have to go through the whole dungeon," Ray reminded everyone. "Just head to the southwest and we should come to the end, that's where the hideout should be. If they don't see us coming, it should be easy."
"Just like Team X," Saura said. "Hopefully it'll be that easy."
"Hey, Scythe…" Char said, suddenly remembering something. "Do you remember that feral-shard that we found when we raided Team X?"
"I do," Scythe answered. "Why?"
"Where is it?" Char asked. "I checked storage for it, but it wasn't there. Morrik said that you didn't have it, either…"
"That's because it was never put in storage," Scythe explained flatly. "It was returned to its rightful owner, just like all the rest of the items we pulled from their hideout. What, you think we would just take it for ourselves? We'd be no better than Team X."
"Well, that's dumb," Char said, folding his arms. "I was really hoping… I had one of those on hand, for when the time comes…"
"Hah, get in line," Scythe laughed. "Many Pokémon have been wanting to evolve lately, now that feral-shards completely disappeared from the market. If you find one now, it could be worth millions—"
"Eeeeeeeeeeah!"
A voice shrieked, starting Char out of his wits and causing him to toss his apple in a random direction. The whole group tensed, expecting a confrontation.
"Here we go," Ray said, looking up in the air.
Sure enough, a ghost Pokémon materialized in the air above them. It was small and purple, with hair-like tendrils covering its head and bright red eyes. A Misdreavus. It jittered and smiled evilly at the group, releasing another chilling scream and shifting around in the air in anticipation of an attack.
The ghost's eyes locked on Char, and he froze in fright. It had become interested in him. It grinned and circled around his head.
"Char! Watch out!" Ray cried.
Char heard the warning, but he was frozen in indecision. He really didn't know what to do. He watched as the ghost's body began to glow with energy, ready to release some kind of horrible attack… Char could only cringe and cover his eyes…
ZZZZap!
Ray released a great bolt of lightning from his body, hitting the ghost dead-on and overloading it. Its eyes drifted off into a daze, and it evaporated into thin air. When Char looked, the ghost was gone.
"Don't mess with Char!" Ray yelled victoriously.
"Thanks," Char said oddly. "I… guess I didn't know how to react."
"Don't let them intimidate you," Ray said. "They're easy. Just pretend they're Butterfree."
Scythe congratulated Ray on his good aim and reflexes, and Char went to retrieve his apple, resolving to actually be of some use next time.
Unfortunately, as they continued, there was still a feeling he couldn't quite shake… the feeling that he was being followed…
Blackriver City, S4
"Are we there yet?" Char wondered, wanting the haunting excursion to be over as quickly as possible.
They'd walked for a few more hours, but there were no visible signs of any more ghosts wishing to fight. There was only the looming feeling of danger just around the corner, the thought of fifty ghosts jumping out and swarming him at a moment's notice. They'd crossed through the center of town where the river ran and engaged in battle with a wild Buizel, but other than that, no other battles presented themselves…
"I keep forgetting, you weren't at the planning session last night," Ray said. "We're almost there. This should be the last block before we can ambush the thieves. I'm surprised we haven't met with much resistance. Maybe it's the weather?"
"Could be," Scythe speculated. "Sunny weather like this tends to chase away the ghosts."
Char looked to the sky. Sunny? The weird black clouds hovered over the whole city, casting everywhere the sun touched into dim shade. He wasn't sure what Scythe was talking about, it looked like a perfect habitat for ghosts to him…
And then, Char heard something odd. It wasn't the sound of a ghost, it was more like… a voice. A voice that suddenly yelled out it pain.
"Um… did you hear that?" Char asked. "That didn't sound right."
"Yeah, I heard it, too," Saura said. "That was weird. Maybe it's just another ghost… they make the weirdest noises, you know."
"I'm not so sure," Char said warily. "That didn't sound like one. Scythe? You heard it, right?"
"I'll have to agree with Saura," Scythe said. "Sounded like a ghost to me. It's their nature to frighten other Pokémon, so I wouldn't put it past them to produce any sort of sound. So… let's just move along, and get this over with…"
"One problem with that," Ray said, examining the path. "We're stuck."
It was true. They'd walked right into a dead-end. One of the buildings had downright collapsed across two others, leaving no open way forward unless there was to be climbing involved. Char was disappointed; by turning and trying to find an alternate passage, they'd run the risk of losing their sense of direction and getting lost in the dungeon, possibly trapped within the city walls until they'd braved its whole length. They had done a great job of walking to the south and to the west, they couldn't blow it now…
"We could climb," Char suggested, gazing up at the monstrous pile of rubble. It was jagged and dangerous; every visible foothold was slanted, and the top protruded far from the base, making it very clear that climbing would not be an option.
"Maybe Scythe could carry us," Ray suggested. "Can't you, Scythe? That wouldn't be too hard, would it?"
"Hah, yeah. Good idea. Here, hold my hands," Scythe said sarcastically, offering the sharp ends of his blades to Ray. "But no. I don't think that would be possible. I can barely keep myself in the air for long. I wouldn't try carrying someone."
"Well, that's stupid," Char declared. "We came all this way, and now we're trapped by this stupid wall… unless…"
Char walked over to one of the still-standing buildings that blocked the way. He peered inside the window.
"Oh, no," Saura groaned. "You want us to go in there?"
"It's a clear way," Char told him. "Just in one window, through a few rooms, and out the other."
"Awfully dark in there," Saura commented, peering up to the window.
"Since when has dark ever been a problem with Char?" Ray laughed. "It's a good idea. Let's go."
"What if it's full of ghosts?" Saura wondered. "That's where they live! They could ambush us too easily in there!"
"Then we fight back," Char said confidently. "C'mon! We're almost out of the woods. Let's do it!"
So, with a burst of courage, Char hefted up his bag, lifted himself onto the windowsill, and propelled himself into the building through the pane-less window.
As his friends were following his lead, Char took his tail in his free hand and explored the deserted structure. There wasn't much of interest to see; there were only empty rooms cluttered with small rocks, stairs leading up… and not much else. It was odd to imagine that Pokémon once lived in here, or even found any use for the structure whatsoever. Was it an apartment of some kind? Or something else? Char couldn't tell.
As far as he could see, there were no ghosts. Thankfully.
"Hey, wait up!" Ray called, leaping in the window. Saura was not too far behind, using his vines for support to pull himself up. Finally, Scythe buzzed his wings and perched on the windowsill, lodged both of his blades into the inside wall of the room, then ducked and thrust himself in.
"Weird," Saura said, commenting on the barren cells which made up the floor of the structure. "I wonder what this building used to be?"
"A storage facility, most likely," Scythe guessed. "Though, remember that we're still in a dungeon. This building could really be a combination of two or more. Also, keep an eye out for abandoned objects. If we wanted, we could try exploring this place to see if any useful items were left behind…"
"Let's not," Char decided. "We have to keep our sense of direction and get out of here. Go that way. Find a window over there somewhere."
Char lead the way through the darkness with his flame, walking through tiny corridors from room to room. He and the rest of the team always kept a wary eye at the darkest corners of each room, halfway expecting a Gastly or some other feral spirit to lash out and spite them…
After traversing a few empty rooms, Char was worried that he wouldn't find the desired way out. Was the building itself like a miniature dungeon, subject to the same rules of random placement? It seemed so; it didn't seem like any Pokémon, or even a human, for that matter, would have constructed a building to be so nonsensical and impractical. Doors led around in circles, multiple doors led to the same room, and Char even found a door that opened up into a solid brick wall. It started to get quite frustrating, as well as creepy…
But then, Char spotted something. At first, it looked like just another dislodged brick that had fell to the ground and sat in the corner, but Char saw how it glimmered in his light…
Remembering what happened the last time he was distracted by a stray item laying on the floor—and remembering to actually heed the warning of his gut instinct this time—he diverged from his path and, with the utmost caution, approached the item.
It was a small object made out of plastic, or metal, or perhaps both. Its main body was thick and wide, bearing two red-colored lenses. Two metallic tabs protruded from the sides.
A rush of familiarity flooded Char's mind. This was a human object! It was… a pair of glasses? No. It looked like glasses, but it was much more mechanical, heavy-duty…
"I found something," Char announced, drawing the attention of his friends. He picked up the glasses and felt them with his claws, amazed at the object's existence in the world of Pokémon. He bent down the flexible tabs in amusement.
"Incredible," Scythe marveled upon seeing the object. "Excellent, excellent find. This must be something left behind by a different team. Those are goggles. And what luck to find them in a place like this! Char, these goggles were designed for seeing the invisible. They're based on the sound-vision that Zubat use to navigate in the dark. But they don't use sound to work, they use something else, some kind of energy. But in effect… they should allow you to see invisible ghosts."
"Awesome!" Ray shouted. "How lucky! Char, try them on! Now we can see the ghosts coming!"
Hesitantly, Char fit the goggles onto his head and lined them up with his eyes. They were heavy, and they fell frequently, so Char dropped his bag and held them up with both hands. He tried adjusting the frame so that it would clamp to his head and stay on, but to little effect; the goggles were too large.
Curious, he peered through the strange red lenses. He saw the room as clear as ever, if not a bit discolored.
"Interesting," Char said. "Too bad I have to hold them up to see through them. Too bad they—oh, no…"
"What?" Saura asked. "Do you see something?"
Yes, Char saw something.
Char noticed a mischievous Haunter hanging in the air directly above Saura.
And behind him, there was a Gastly.
And another one behind that.
And next to that, a Duskull.
Gazing around the ceiling, Char saw that the entire room was filled with them.
Ghosts. Dozens and dozens of them. All watching the group amusedly. Evilly. Invisibly.
Char's heart fell into his stomach. The goggles struck the ground.
"WHAT?! What is it?!" Saura demanded, growing very worried. "You saw a ghost, didn't you?"
"Saura…" Char gasped, nearly without a voice. "We've got to get out of here."
But that was it. The joke was over. The ghosts sensed Char's fear and realized that they'd been spotted. In a matter of a few seconds, they all allowed themselves to become visible. Scythe, Ray, and Saura all gasped as they appeared to fade into reality, surrounding the group and outnumbering them at least ten-to-one, backing them even further into the corner.
Almost in unison, the ghost Pokémon descended from the ceiling and faced the team at eye-level. Many of them giggled and howled in sinister anticipation, their eyes glowing red in the dark…
"Char," Scythe muttered, eyeing the ghosts and trying to keep his calm, "now would be an excellent, excellent time to use the Escape Orb…"
Char couldn't argue. His hand scrambled into the bag and searched for the item that would save them all.
There wasn't one. Char couldn't find a single orb in the bag, only a pile of apples and berries.
"Ray," Char said quickly. "You have it. I only have the food."
"I thought you had the Escape Orb," Ray said, his face turning white. "…didn't you?"
Scythe succumbed to a cringe, hanging his head in painful despair.
"We have anything capable of clearing out a room?" Char asked desperately. "Spurn Orb? Foe-Hold Orb? Anything?"
"Uh, no," Ray said regretfully. "We used those all up… and they were too expensive to buy more…"
The group fell silent, realizing their fate.
"We fight," Saura spoke, trying to swallow his fear as he felt the many piercing, red eyes burn into him. "That's how Team Ember operates. We fight until the end. Because there's always a chance we could make it. Are you guys ready for this?"
Char clenched his fists and fueled his fire. It wasn't like he had much of a choice; they were trapped in an abandoned building, all escape routes blocked by the enemy. They had to fight, for better or for worse.
He felt it when his fire was ready. It filled his insides to the brim, hanging at the very edge of his throat… Then, stepping forward to confront the ghosts, he bellowed…
"The FIRE will NEVER DIE…"
"Until the LAST! EMBER! FADES!" His teammates answered at the top of their lungs.
"Heh, heheheh," Scythe laughed. "Right you are. Frivolous optimism can be fun sometimes… Alright. Let's see these ghosts bring their best! En guarde!"
Char started the battle by spewing a great stream of fire, sweeping it across as many ghosts as he could manage. The ghosts jumped back in shock, realizing they were being attacked, and they began to swarm.
Char had to halt his flamethrower to breathe, so he dove behind his friends for cover. Ray loosed a wave of electric power over the ghosts, missing all but two as they flowed aside like a gaseous substance to dodge it. Saura pelted them with all the leaves he could muster, but the ghosts' evasiveness was impressive, and they dodged his attack as well. When Char was ready, he mustered his breath and released a ball of embers from his mouth which struck the ceiling and exploded, but it had no effect. The ghosts moved like oil atop a pond, reacting to the slightest disturbance and impossible to touch.
Sounding a feral screech from the depths of his lungs, Scythe zipped forward and swiped with his blades, which were now shining with a strange dark power. With some impressive acrobatics, he sliced through one, two, three ghosts, all of which appeared to drift apart in multiple pieces with no interest in fusing back together. They faded out of visibility.
"Hey, I thought you said you weren't good at fighting ghosts!" Char called to him.
"I'm not," Scythe answered with a grin, "but I never said I couldn't do it!"
The ghosts were not amused, and several of them at the front of the crowd prepared a counterattack. A Haunter charged a dark ball of energy between its hands, while another zoomed forward with its hands opened wide to grab hold of its victim. With a snap of Saura's vines, the second was sent careening away, but the first let loose its attack upon Char, knocking the wind out of him. It was a weak attack, but it left him feeling shaky…
"Hey! I told you not to mess with Char!" Ray yelled angrily, discharging a spark that connected with the ghost and zapped it senseless.
Four more ghosts floated forward in replacement. At once, they began to circle around their prey, suddenly growing to twice their size and releasing a shriek to startle the team out of their wits. This time, Char held steady and took the opportunity to strike back, darting underneath the ghost before him, a Shuppet, and jumping into it to crunch down with his white-hot fangs. It screamed in disgust and vanished. Saura threw an energy ball, which took out a Gastly, and Ray leapt into the air and allowed his body to explode with lightning, frying the two remaining Misdreavus in the group.
"See?" Ray said, panting in excitement. "Easy enough! Just pretend they're Butterfree!"
But that's when the battle started to go awry. The cloud of ghosts was clearly displeased. After what looked like a unanimous nod, they all rushed in for attack. At the sight, Ray's expression of confidence turned to one of dread.
Char tried to blast fire at the first ghost he could see coming, a Haunter, but it was no use. He soon felt the whole cloud of ghosts piling onto him, and at once, he felt sick, terrified, and confused all at the same time. He tried swiping with his claws to get them off, but they laughed as his effort passed harmlessly through them. He tried backing away, but he was already backed into the corner. He felt as the long, sticky tongue of a Haunter was slapped across his face, and as multiple balls of shadow energy collided with his sides, and as his body began painfully tingling.
"Char! NO!" Ray cried. "Char! Fight! Fight it!" Burn them!"
Char blasted fire, only to realize a second later that his attack had only collided with a bare wall.
"I can't do it," Saura moaned. "I'm gone! I'm done for! I think I'm confused! I can't attack!"
Char wanted to help his friends, but his vision was filled with a tornado of ghosts, all taking turns biting at him, scratching him, licking him, and flying right through his body. His actions all seemed to happen in slow motion, and no matter what he tried, he couldn't fend them off… He was ready to give himself up for lost…
Scythe battled furiously and took down a dozen ghosts with his skillful agility, but he was ultimately powerless against them. They piled onto him and unleashed their supernatural attacks, causing him to slump to the floor in exhaustion.
"I'm finished," he announced grimly, feeling his consciousness fade away…
Laying on the floor, his last vision was that of Char, Saura, and ray covered in ghost Pokémon, suffering the same fate as he…
"SCYTHE!" Saura cried, catching a glimpse of him. "Scythe! Not you, too!"
And then, Scythe's vision went black.
It was over. Char resigned himself to the same fate, realizing he was about to be expelled from the dungeon and fail the mission… He simply let himself go limp and slump to the floor, covered in ghostly curses and spent from weakness…
What happened next was the last thing Char would have ever expected.
There was a flash of blue, black, and orange. The ghosts scattered.
"Alright, playtime's over," an unexpected voice yelled.
There were another flash. A clenched fist collided with several of the ghosts in rapid succession, pulverizing them.
The ghosts rose from Char, directing their malice toward the new threat.
A streak of red. It slashed a Misdreavus right out of the air.
It took Char a moment to comprehend what he was seeing.
"Enough of this!" another voice hissed. "Gahhh! Die, die! Die, you infernal…"
Char blinked. He didn't believe his eyes.
A Seviper and a Croagunk were fighting off the ghosts. And winning.
The Croagunk waited until a multitude of ghosts had attached to him. With an angry grunt, a dark shadow of energy pulsed from his form, annihilating the ghosts upon contact. The Seviper coiled and twisted, crunching upon a Gastly with his mouth while swinging his tail like a scythe to slice apart a Duskull.
Char gasped for air. He felt like there were fifty things wrong with him, but he was going to be okay, now that the ghosts were no longer interested in him…
Like a knife to a cutting board, the Seviper's tail took out the last ghost—a Banette—and the room was clear. The two newcomers proudly inspected their handiwork.
"Hey, you guys alright?" Croagunk said gently, walking up to the fallen team. "Take it easy, and you can still finish this mission…"
"Ugh… I don't know…" Saura answered absentmindedly. "I feel like… Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
Suddenly wide-awake, Saura leapt away from his rescuers. Ray's eyes also snapped open in reaction, and he scowled.
"What?!" Croagunk cried. "Look! We just saved your rears! Can't we have just a little hospitality for once?"
"How!" Saura stammered, looking very confused. "This is a dungeon! How did you find us inside of a dungeon?! How did you get here?!"
"We followed close behind you," Seviper said coolly. "Not only that, but we've been helping you the entire way. We drew all the ghosts away from you and fought them off."
"Here," Croagunk said, offering Char a Heal Seed. "Get back up. You'll feel better in no time. Here, you, too, Bulbasaur. We brought these just for you."
Char's fire broiled. For once, his view of Team X was fuddled. Why were they helping him? Why? To gain his trust? If so… Why had they chosen to do it this way? Char ate his Heal Seed, wondering how to react to this gesture…
"Look," Croagunk said. "We decided something. We understand that our efforts to get into your base have been a little… too forward, huh? So, no more of that. We don't want into your base anymore. Instead, we're just going to just hang around the region and give you a hand from now on, and in return, we'll ask for one or two supplies from you now and then, okay?"
"All we want is to fight a certain regime of the Master's forces that has been giving us trouble," Seviper said. "That is all. We mean you no harm of any sort. We mean your resistance force no harm of any sort. We simply wish to take advantage of your resources, however lightly or indirectly, to help further our ends. In return, we'll be happy to assist your team whenever the situation arises."
"And what… regime… would this be?" asked a deep voice.
Seviper and Croagunk turned to see… to their utter horror… Scythe standing at the far end of the room, perfectly healthy and uninjured.
"No…" Croagunk gasped, emitting a croak from his cheeks. "No, no! We saw you fall! We saw you pass out! Where'd you come from?! How'd you…"
"Apparently, my students have decided this mission was important enough to have brought their Reviver Seed," Scythe explained, looking extremely displeased at their presence. "So… tell me. What's really your business here?"
"Scyther, please hear us out," Croagunk pleaded like a baby. "We want to join your resistance force. Honestly. We're actually part of a faction that's about to split away from the others, and our master plan is to spring a trap for… you know… her."
Scythe's expression changed. Surprised, yet angered at their words, he stepped closer to them.
"Who's 'her'?" Ray blurted out.
"Enigma," Croagunk said powerfully. "Enigma, the Mismagius. One of the Master's elite commanding forces. She's corrupting the empire from the inside, and she needs to be stopped."
"Oh, really?" Scythe said, a strange and frightening evil force now behind his voice. "And what, exactly, are you planning to do about her?"
"We were… hoping… for your hospitality… of… your base," Croagunk said, shuddering in fear as Scythe's eyes gleamed at him. "We need cover… safety… supplies… but… we can't… let… her know… what we're doing…"
"QUIET!" Scythe boomed in anger, raising his blades. "Enough! Your voice is grating on my nerves! You're both about to get expelled from this dungeon. Would you prefer to go painlessly, or painfully?"
"Painlessly, if you would," Croagunk squeaked. "I mean, we did just help you out…"
"Fair enough," Scythe sighed. "Now, go away, stop bothering my students with your fast-talking lies, and never show yourselves again!"
Faster than light, Scythe zipped forward and thunked the Croagunk and the Seviper upside the head with the blunt ends of his scythes, knocking the consciousness right out of them and letting them to slump to the floor.
"Idiots," Scythe muttered to himself. "Talk about a misplaced effort. I don't know whether to laugh or to cry."
Team Ember looked oddly to one another, trying to wrap their minds around the series of events that just took place.
"Thanks," Char finally told Scythe. "I was almost getting ready to believe them."
"Not a problem," Scythe said. "That's why I'm here. But I'll tell you something: their story was convincing. It could very well be the case that part of their story is true. But in the end, it's not what they're saying, it's what they're not saying that really matters. If I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that their intentions were pure, I'd let them into the base. But… it's too risky to make that call. My instincts cry out to me that they're filthy liars, so I do what I think is right. Besides… I have a bothersome hunch that underneath it all, they could be working for Adiel…"
"Did you ever figure out what Adiel's up to?" Char asked him. "Did you find out why he was in Iron Town yesterday?"
"Oh, I've known what Adiel's doing for a while," Scythe said honestly. "I figured out his plan quite a while ago. It just took a little piecing together of the clues. The hard part is going to be trying to stop him… without letting everything else I've worked hard for fall to pieces…"
When the Heal Seeds had taken effect and cured all the nasty effects the ghosts had placed on them, and when the Oran Berries had healed them enough, they pushed forth to finish their trip. Now that the ghosts were finally assaulting them at every turn, they picked up the pace, and they soon arrived to the thieves' den.
It was empty. Not a single treasure remained. With a collective shrug, Scythe and the team turned to head back for the base, their trip completely fruitless save for the hefty bounty offered by the division as well as the mysterious pair of goggles that Char had acquired…
…All the while, Char had to wonder just what had gotten into Team X…
Division Base
After recording their victory at the registry and dropping the bags off for Morrik, Scythe told the team to return to their rooms and wait for him.
"I have to get some things straight with my team," Scythe said. "When I'm done, we'll start packing for the big trip. Be ready."
The mission had been brief, and it was not yet lunchtime, so Char retired to his room for a quick rest while Scythe took care of his business.
"Well, there goes our Reviver Seed," Saura sighed once they found themselves back in their hall and closed the door behind them. "Seems a little bit unfair that we used it on Scythe… think he'll give us another one?"
"I think we need to make sure we're not missing vital supplies next time," he said, showing his friends a lighthearted glare. "But, whatever, it's fine for now. We pulled it off. We won the mission, all's well. Good job, you guys. As usual."
"It's an absolute pleasure to be of service to you," Ray said. "I'm very ashamed of myself for letting some supplies slip through like that. But, it won't happen again! I promise! I can't let you down!"
Suddenly, there was a hard rapping at the door. The threesome spun around in surprise to answer it.
"Scythe's back already?" Saura wondered. "That wasn't very long of a rest…"
Saura shoved the door open, and sure enough, Scythe was standing on the other side.
"Guess what," he said. "Alakazam just contacted me. He told us not to worry about preparing for the trip. He's going to take care of everything for us."
"Sounds good," Saura said.
"So, the rest of the day is yours," Scythe said. "Do whatever you want. Tomorrow, we'll be getting our supplies from him. And, yes, I made it clear that he would need to pack for four travelers."
Char smiled.
"Have a good day, you three," Scythe said, turning to leave. "See you tomorrow."
The door closed again, and Saura sighed happily.
"Well, that's good to know," he said. "Makes sense that Intelligence would be providing for us since they're forcing us to go on this trip. And Scythe's been in a better mood today."
"Not really," Char said. "He was only doing better at pretending. He's still hurting on the inside."
"Really?" Saura asked. "He looked fine to me! How could you tell?"
"It wasn't hard to tell," Char said oddly. "He told me with his eyes. You'd be surprised at how much a Pokémon can say without even speaking…"
… … …
Deciding to take a short nap, the trio returned to their respective rooms.
Char found himself gazing at the brilliant yellow fire beside his bed.
He touched his burn. It was painless, and it was already starting to fade away.
He held no grudge against his fire for doing what it did to him. The fire was still his friend. Only, he had a slightly greater respect for it this time around. It was raw power, a force of nature, and it did not discriminate against friend or foe. It simply burned. Yes, it was his element, but it still had to be controlled. Just like the fire within him, his Ember, he couldn't get reckless with it.
Why Char found himself thinking these thoughts, he didn't know. He was alone again, with nobody but the fire to share his thoughts with.
"Ugh! … … … Urf! … … … Ugh!..."
Saura's voice came from outside his door. Curious, he dropped from his bed to see what the matter was.
"Urrrrrrrf!" Saura groaned. "Ugh!"
Before Char could cross his room, his door slid open. There was Saura, his vines fully extended… pulling something?
It was his bed.
"Saura, what are you doing?" Char cried.
"I'm… ugh… moving in!" Saura replied, focusing solely on pulling his bed through Char's doorway. "I decided it wasn't fair to… urrrrrf… leave you alone every night…"
"Saura, no," Char said. "You don't have to! Are you sure? I'm fine on my own!"
"But you're lonely!" Saura insisted. "I know you are. I saw you… yesterday… And I saw it… in your eyes… I know you… urrrh… too well…"
"Saura, really! I'm okay!" Char said. "I'm just getting used to being in my own room…"
"You burned yourself!" Saura grunted, pulling harder. "And I wasn't there! You were all alone! And you burned yourself! And I… wasn't there! I wasn't there… to share… the pain."
"Saura, stop!" Char commanded suddenly.
Saura dropped his vines and turned to face Char. Tears were welling in his eyes.
Char was suddenly flooded with… an utterly indescribable emotion. He stood for a moment, his eyes broken with something like pity and sympathy, looking deep into the eyes of his friend.
"Saura," Char said gently. "Why do you try so hard?"
"Because I want to," Saura answered, trying to pretend he wasn't crying. "I never had a friend like you. Ever! Not even… back at home… Not even any of my brothers… not anyone. And then you came… and… I really… I don't really know what I'm doing, Char… It's just… You did so much…"
Char smiled warmly.
"It means a lot to me, Char, just as much as it means to you," Saura said sincerely. "Since, you know, I'm your friend… I just want to be… I just want to make sure… I'm a really, really good one."
You are, Char wanted to say. You're a perfect friend. You couldn't possibly be a better friend if you tried. So stop trying so hard!
Instead, he knelt down by Saura's side and gave him a great big hug until he stopped tearing up so much. He said nothing; he didn't have to for Saura to understand him.
"I thought you were afraid of the fire," Char said humorously, glancing nonchalantly back at his giant torches.
"My best friend is a Charmander," Saura said with a sniffle. "I can't be that scared of fire, now can I?"
Once the bed was moved in, Char and Saura lounged in the room, half-asleep, Char telling the story of just how he got his burn, when Char heard another voice from outside his door.
"MMMMMMMMMMMPH!" Ray grunted, trying to silence himself but falling short. "URGHHH!"
Ray, too? Char wondered, jumping up from his bed to answer the door.
Yes, Ray was there, pushing his own bed into the room. When he saw Char, he smiled.
"Uh… hi," Char said. "You're moving in, too?"
"Well, yeah!" Ray said. "You expect me to, right? That's what Saura's doing, and you made it clear that you wanted me on an equal level as him, so I thought… yeah."
"Um… not really, but come on in," Char said oddly, giving a hand with the bed and helping to pull it through the doorway. "Well, actually, I think it's better like this. It's just like the old days with Scythe! As long as nobody snores…"
"Scythe is the one who always snored," Saura laughed. "Nah, we'll finally have peace and quiet now…"
As Char helped to lug the bed across the room to the position opposite of Saura's, he hesitated. With a gleam in his eye, he glanced at Ray.
"What?" Ray asked.
"Ray," Char asked, "Why do you try so hard?"
"What, me?" Ray said. "I just… do what I can, I guess."
"No, really," Char said, sitting upon the bed and waiting for an answer that satisfied him. "You're the most zealous Pokémon I've ever met. Why? What drives you?"
"I'm flattered," Ray said. "But really, I'm just working so that I can make as many Pokémon happy as I can. It's just what I always wanted to do. A long time ago, when I was a Pichu, my older brother took care of me. I guess he did something right, because one day, Team Remorse noticed him and let him join the team. But they wouldn't let me into the base because I was too young, so he pulled double-time, working for the resistance and taking care of me at the same time. When he was away, I learned to live on my own, and I got stronger. But when he was there for me…"
Ray grew starry-eyed, immersing himself in his memories.
"He used to say to me… 'There are a lot of Pokémon in this world, and a lot of them are unhappy. But it only takes one Pokémon to change that. To make someone happy. One Pokémon, and all that unhappiness can go away. And for a lot of them, that Pokémon can be you.' "
Ray smiled fondly.
"And he told me, 'There are hundreds of Pokémon in this world just waiting for you to make them happy. But it's your choice to make them happy. It's everyone's choice. Everyone has the same choice.'… And one day, when I was a Pikachu, he finally let me into the base. But that day, he told me he was retiring from Team Remorse, and he had to go live somewhere far away… I realize now, that he could have gone off to a dangerous mission, and died, and didn't want to tell me about it. Or he could have been telling the truth. But it doesn't matter now… He's gone, he left me here in good hands, and from that point on, I promised to say 'yes' to that question. I wanted to make lots of Pokémon happy. Because… that's just the way I am."
"Wow," Saura said. "That's very touching. I understand now why you want to join Team Remorse so much. Your brother probably made a lot of Pokémon happy, whatever he did. And I bet you are, too."
Ray laughed nervously. "Well, I'm not so sure anymore," he chuckled.
This caught Char off-guard.
"What do you mean?" He asked. "You don't want to make Pokémon happy anymore?
"No, no, of course I do," Ray said. "But I've been thinking a lot lately about myself, and Team Ember, and everything. And I… think maybe… I don't want to join Team Remorse anymore. I'm happy here with you."
Char frowned.
"Really?" Saura said in disbelief. "You're joking!"
"No, really!" Ray said. "I thought about it, and I realized that it's an honor to serve under Scythe, but it's an even bigger one to serve under a human! And besides, you heard that Scythe wants Team Ember and Team Remorse to be inseparable. So, it wouldn't really matter what team I'm on anyway. I figure, I stay here, and…"
"Stop," Char said. "Ray, stop."
Ray blinked. "Huh?" he uttered.
"Stop this," Char said. "For one thing… don't compare me to Scythe. Just don't. I'm not Scythe. I'm not better than Scythe. I never will be. He's wiser than all of Team Ember will ever be, put together! Just because I'm a human doesn't automatically make me a hero. Scythe is a hero. I'm not. Get your priorities straight! You'll go a lot farther in life working for him than for me. So don't quit on him! Join Team Remorse! It's been your lifelong dream! You can't change your lifelong dream just because I said something! That's… no better than Fern was!"
Ray bit his lip. He didn't know what to say.
"And for another thing," Char continued, his voice softening, "Look. When I told you I was a human, this wasn't the way I wanted you to react. Stop acting like this. Stop acting like I'm… your master. I'm not. I'm not a Pokémon trainer. I'm your friend. Your equal. Not your superior. But now you're treating me like a king, and it really makes me uncomfortable. I hate it when Scythe does it, and I hate it even more when…"
Ray nodded. He looked a little hurt, but he understood what was being said. He looked ashamed of himself.
"Okay, fine, so you respect me more because I'm a human," Char said. "In that case, can I make one request of you?"
"Anything," Ray said meekly.
"Could you be the Ray that I made friends with?" Char requested. "Could we go back to being friends?"
Ray hung his head and stared at the floor for a few moments. Then, he took a deep breath and nodded to Char.
"I'll try," he said. "You're right. I thought maybe you'd like it better if I acted more humble around you, but I guess I didn't really think about it like that. So… okay. I'll try not to be like that anymore."
Wearing a wide grin, he extended his paw.
"Handshake?"
Char didn't hesitate for a moment, despite his instincts telling him to. He grasped Ray's paw and shook it forcefully, this time feeling no electric feedback whatsoever. He returned the grin.
It's done, Char realized. Now this team is finally the way I want it to be, after all this time. Here we are, all together…
Nobody admitted to being hungry enough for lunch, and the team spent a good deal of the afternoon simply taking a lazy nap in the room that now belonged to all three of them.
Tomorrow might be our last mission together here at the Gold Division, Char realized, watching his two best friends sleeping peacefully. Tomorrow might be the last "normal" day I've ever known…
After that, who knows what the future will bring?
Char rested his head on the edge of his bed near the fire, knowing that, for the moment, everything was okay. He really didn't care what the future would bring; he knew he'd face it proudly and confidently, for he was anything but alone.