Chapter 36
A stunned silence remained over Team Ember for what seemed like hours.
After the confrontation with Prince, Lucario returned to address the group as a whole. He guided them back to his chamber, speaking with Scythe along the way and presenting him with additional information. Through it all, Scythe kept a firm grip on his temper and his tone of voice, making it seem as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
But Char knew the outburst would not fade from his mind anytime soon.
Char didn't really listen to what they said. He kept quiet, hypnotized by the passing hallways, trying his best to harbor the prideful anger which helped sustain his fire, and to fend off the deeper pangs of worry and confusion which constantly sought to weaken his flame and leave him susceptible to the cold.
And even after Scythe requested a private audience with him, leaving Team Ember alone and unsupervised outside his closed door, the silence lingered.
Scythe had claimed he would only be a moment. Well, after a moment had passed, and countless more moments had passed, Char found himself still sitting there, occasionally glancing up at the nearest sky-window and trying to judge the time of day by the gradually-dimming light of the sun.
Ray sat at the opposite wall of the corridor and wrenched his tail between his paws, just as he would always do when nervous or discomforted. A faraway, disconcerted look hung over his face. Saura paced between them, staring at the floor as he trudged up and down the hall.
Though he saw how confused Saura was, and how hurt Ray looked, Char knew he was the most upset of the three. Again, it struck him that there was just nothing he could do about it. It infuriated him even more than the cold did. He was the team leader. He was the one who had gotten them into this. He decided that he needed their company at all costs. But as he sat there in the hall, unable to speak about the things which truly bothered him, he began to wonder what he really had done.
He began to see the wisdom in Scythe's reluctance to let them come.
"You were right," Saura finally muttered. "Something's really wrong with him."
"I know," Char said. "I knew it since the night we went to Alakazam. That's the night he started to change."
"What do we do?" Saura wondered, keeping his voice quiet. "How do you think we can help him?"
"We can help him by not talking about him behind his back," Char answered simply. "It's the only thing we can do."
Saura turned to Char with a confused, desperate expression across his face. When Char saw it, it felt like a hammer to the chest.
Tell me! said the expression. Tell me everything you know! Isn't that what we always do? Don't we always tell each other every little thing that comes to mind? Why not now? Why does this have to be any different? Aren't we friends?
Char met that gaze and held it as long as he could. He returned his own, one of strength and resolution and courage in the face of uncertainty, hoping Saura would be the first to avert his eyes.
There was a sudden noise from behind the closed door.
"What was that?" Ray gasped, his ears perked. "What's going on in there?"
The noise came again, but quieter. It was the sound of a voice, but whose, Char couldn't tell.
"I think… they're arguing," Saura said blankly, his eyes wide.
Saura pounced forward and pressed his ear against the door. There was silence for a while.
"Well?" Ray said, standing himself upright in nervousness. "Hear anything?"
"They are," Saura said sadly. "They sound like they're really having a serious discussion. They both sound angry."
"Can you hear what they're saying?" Ray asked.
A moment of more silence, broken when the voice cried out again. It was clearly Lucario's voice this time. Saura cringed.
"I can't really make anything out," Saura reported. "Ray, come here. You have better ears than I do."
Ray leapt forward and squeezed next to Saura onto the door's surface, turning his ear to the door and listening intently. He blinked.
"They're talking about Prince!" Ray said after a while. "It sounds like Scythe is asking Lucario to keep him from coming. Lucario is saying something about… Temporal Tower…"
Char stood up. He clenched his fists.
"Stop," he ordered.
Saura and Ray turned to him, looking a bit surprised. Char's flame was burning rather brightly.
"What is it?" Saura asked.
"Stop eavesdropping on Scythe," Char commanded. "We can't… we can't do that anymore."
Saura meekly stepped away from Lucario's door. He looked ashamed of himself, as if he'd been caught in a dishonorable act, but he was confused, as if he wasn't expecting Char to be the one to object. Ray reluctantly did the same.
"Last night, after we landed, Scythe had a talk with me," Char explained. "He made me promise not to talk about him until this trip is over. Even to you. He said that every time we do, it makes it harder for him. He told me… when we do things like that… like that time we spied on him talking to Shander… it hurts him. So… we can't go behind his back anymore. At least until we're back home. Okay?"
"…Oh," Saura said, peering sadly down to the closed door of Lucario's chamber. "Alright. Okay. I'll stop."
"You're the one who said it yourself," Char reminded him. "Even though you weren't with me that first night he lost it. If there's something we need to know, he'll tell us. But now we have to go along with him. That's what you said. Only now you saw a little glimpse of what he's going through underneath, now you finally understand something's wrong with him. And now you're worried just like I was all along."
Saura looked honestly hurt. "I'm sorry," he said. "I guess you're right. I guess I didn't really understand…"
"I'm saying that you were right," Char said. "We have to trust him now. We're trapped here, and he's the only one to lead us. We have to let him take us to Temporal Tower. It's… all we can do."
The door creaked.
In the blink of an eye, the team leapt into line and stood at attention. Lucario's furred hand appeared at the edge of the door, pushing it open. The door swung out into the hallway, revealing the aura-less Pokémon.
His eyes were narrow. He was frustrated. Char recognized his expression; it was the one he had seen just earlier when the Lucario scrutinized him and brutally discarded him into the corner.
Scythe slowly appeared from behind him.
Char felt his heart drop. The expression on the Scyther's face was one he had seen before. It was the same one he had seen in the hall that fateful night after speaking with Alakazam.
Scythe was on the verge of crying. He honestly looked like he had been defeated, as if he had failed at some task that was most dear to him. As he struggled with all his might to keep his composure, he assumed very solemn stance, full of shame, humility, and wordless rage.
It was then that Char noticed the smug look upon Lucario's face, and how the aura-less Pokémon held his chest high as he stood at the Scyther's side.
"Will you tell them, or shall I?" Lucario demanded of Scythe.
Scythe took a few steps forward, coming to stand before Team Ember. He heaved a sigh. Char, Saura, and Ray gave him their undivided attention.
"There will be a fifth member on our journey to Temporal Tower," he announced, though with a quiet voice. "His name is Prince. You know him as the Infernape you met with—and assaulted—earlier today. He will accompany us on our travel."
What?! Char cried in his mind.
"Prince is a skilled dungeon-crawler," Scythe continued. "He also has experience navigating Zerferia. As a fire-bearing Pokémon, he will be a good companion to Char. Indeed, there are no… reasonable… excuses as to why he should not come."
"So, wait, wait," Ray cried. "We can trust him? Is it okay? He won't hurt us or anything?"
"Trust him? Yes, go ahead, trust him all you'd like," Scythe said, almost flippantly. "I have no control over where you place your trust."
"I do not know if you have heard the legends, but Prince is renowned for his leadership," Lucario said, a smirk spread wide across his face. "There are few better Pokémon you could trust. Now… have we arrived at an understanding, Scythe?"
"We have, Your Excellency," Scythe muttered half-heartedly.
"Good," Lucario barked, folding his arms. "You know as well as I that I have no true control over what Prince decides to do. But as long as you reside within my fortress, you are under my command. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Your Excellency," Scythe answered.
"Very well, then," Lucario said. "Now that we have cleared that up, we can move onto matters that are of interest to you."
Slamming the door shut behind him, Lucario hastily pushed past the Pokémon which surrounded him and continued further down the hall, beckoning for everyone to follow.
"He planned this," Scythe muttered, hesitating for just a moment to speak to Char and his friends. "I should have seen this coming. He had it planned long before we came here, I bet…"
He shook his head. A smile started to form.
"… And to think I never suspected it," he sighed. "Heh, heh… it's what I would have done, if I were in his place. It's exactly how I would have handled things myself. Well, what do you know? All these years later, and Prince finally learns how to plan twenty steps ahead… hmm… I should be proud of him."
Before Char could find words with which to respond, Scythe turned and motioned for him to follow Lucario.
… … …
Downstairs, they went, into the dungeons.
These were not Mystery Dungeons, though… this was a true dungeon, clearly designed to detain prisoners within steel cages. Following Lucario's lead, Char and his team descended a steep flight of stairs which was cracked and sanded down from heavy abuse, to the point where it almost resembled an inclined tunnel rather than a staircase. The light dimmed as they descended deeper, and the air became dreadfully stuffy. Somehow, the air faded into a warmer, more humid temperature as they went, bringing Char some much-needed comfort… but a horrible smell, of wet mold and rot, wafted up from beneath to accompany it. Char scowled as the smell reached him. It reminded him vaguely of the Jaded Woods, the Mystery Dungeon in a perpetual state of decomposition. Again, he thanked Arceus for the comforting apple that remained lodged in his belly, preventing him from vomiting.
Smells like a burial ground down here, Char realized. I really, really hope that's not why it's getting warm…
With a grunt, Lucario parted two rot-riddled wooden doors, revealing a void of black nothingness beyond. Warm air blasted Char in the face, but it reeked so horribly that he had to hold his breath.
Lucario continued on as if nothing was the matter, as if he dealt with the smell every day of his life and saw no reason to repair it. Though tempted, Char decided not to cover his noise, fearing it could be considered rude or weak of him. Instead, he opted to hold his breath and take occasional gasps of air when his lungs would start to ache. He gathered his tail into his hands as he prepared to follow Lucario into the lightless halls of the Emerald Division's dungeons.
The dungeons were very wide and spacious, like the staircase itself, able to accommodate Pokémon of nearly any size—and it was clear, from the damage done to the stones in the floor, that it often did. Scrapes and scratches covered them, and many stones were removed completely to reveal the dusty foundation underneath. The air was remained very thick and humid. It would have felt comfortable otherwise; Char could handle heavy humidity, granted it was warm enough, but his senses told him this air was unclean. It felt contaminated, infested with sickness… He resisted the urge to convulse in fury as water droplets started to condense all over his heated skin.
Past another door-less archway, they stepped into a grid-like complex of halls. Embedded into every wall was a holding cell, with chains of weird, complex detaining devices still strewn across them. To Char's relief, he saw that the barred cage doors were no longer there, indicating that the dungeon wasn't actually still in use and filled with rotting corpses. The metal had probably been scrapped and melted down. But the smell of decay grew more repulsive as he went, and there was still no light source to speak of aside from his own. Char wondered if Lucario knew his way by feel.
Char spotted movement. A Rattata scurried away into the darkness.
Feeling something brush against his arm, Char turned to see that Saura was huddling very close to him, keeping near the light he held. They exchanged a silent glance of uncertainty.
Another corridor passed, and there were even more ruined cells. Char began to think that the dungeon spanned the entire length of Fort Emerald. But this time, something interesting started to catch his eye: not all of the cells were empty! Some contained creaky wooden shelving units. They appeared to be seconds away from collapse, but nevertheless were stocked with quite a number of things; small sacks, boxes, and stone tablets were arranged haphazardly across most of them.
"That's it. This is the division's storage area," Saura whispered. "It has to be."
"Good guess, but no," Lucario suddenly snapped. "This is my warehouse. I lend this space to no one other than my own team. It is the most secure place in the entirety of the fortress. It is equipped to be locked down if we were under attack. If the Master raided the fortress, he could not easily steal my most precious possessions."
Char blinked. These were his most precious possessions? He scanned the passing storage units, but nothing looked like it had much value; there were jagged pieces of rocks—rune stones, maybe?—an orb or two, some wooden logs with the bark carved off, some oddly-shaped metal scraps…
An eye gleamed from the far corner of the cell. Char squinted to see a group of a half-dozen Rattata, all huddled in a circle. They were surrounding something, walking over top of it, digging into it with their teeth… Feasting on it… Char focused on the sight and tried to determine what it was, but he quickly wished he hadn't.
It was the corpse of a Raticate.
Char averted his gaze. He released his held breath, and cringed as he inhaled another lungful of the dripping, putrid air.
Knock-knock, knock-knock…
The sound of Lucario's bone-spike rapping against a wooden surface startled Char. He realized the dungeon hall had ended, and closed door stood before them. The door was large and half-eroded just like the others he'd seen, but it still looked sturdy enough to stand for years to come.
"Yes?" answered a muffled voice from the other side.
"I have guests," Lucario announced gruffly.
The sound of scuffling could be heard behind the door for a moment. The latch was lifted, and the door opened just a crack. A stream of bright yellow light was cast across the murky dungeon hallway, but it was quickly blocked by the shadow of a Pokémon who peered through the opening.
"Oh… You're back," answered a very deep and gravelly voice, even deeper than Lucario's or Scythe's. "What about District Four?"
"There's been a change of plans," Lucario said. "Zahira returned early. I sent her in my stead."
"Oh," the Pokémon answered.
The door opened wide, casting the bright light back into the pitch-black halls. A very large, elderly-looking Electivire filled the doorway.
"Scythe," the Electivire grumbled in surprise. "You're still alive."
"Just barely," Scythe responded lightheartedly.
"Haven't seen you in a good long while," the Electivire said. "Hmm. Good to know that my generation has yet to pass… Well, don't just stand in the dungeon. Come in."
The giant electric beast stepped aside to let the group in, and Char was almost blinded by the brilliance. The entire base, and even the outlaying lands beyond, was always so hard on the eyes; he would need a minute for them to adjust to something as bright as a summer day atop the Great Plateau. He warily stepped inside, following Scythe's lead…
A new blast of hot air hit him head-on as he stepped through the door. But this time, it didn't smell murky, mixed with decay… this time, it smelled pure, fresh, like standing in a forest on a pleasant spring afternoon. He closed his eyes and deeply inhaled the precious new air. When he opened them again, the vision made sense to him.
It was a garden. Four whole columns of fresh soil sat on raised platforms, spanning the length of a long, high, arch-shaped hall. From them sprouted green bushes bearing all sorts of colorful, edible things. Oran berries, Rawst berries, tomatoes, and many crops he couldn't begin to recognize, like strange radish vegetables which grew at the end of long stalks, and tiny white berries that looked like Cloyster pearls. Far above them, several flaming-white orbs of sol-rock were suspended from the ceiling by chains.
"It's a greenhouse!" Saura cried. "No wonder it was so humid down here! Wow! They actually made a greenhouse underground! This is awesome!"
Char smiled. He could tell Saura was really happy, and he was, too. For the first time that day, the Emerald Division had shown something to really impress him. It was well-lit. It was well-organized, and beautiful in a way. And, best of all, it was actually warm! He sighed over and over again, trying to flush out the horrid taste of the dungeon and replace it with the comforting aroma of this underground haven.
"My favorite room in the fortress, I might add," Lucario told Saura. "But we don't grow crops down here just to hoard them. This dwelling is designed so that it may sustain the lives of fifty Pokémon for twenty-eight days, should the need arise for a lockdown… Me, I enjoy using it as a planning room with my team, and under normal circumstances, no one else is allowed down here. Anyway, that aside, I'd like to introduce you to Tesla, one of my confidants. She is my specialist in diplomatic relations. She is also skilled at reading and writing. She understands Unown, and is also a respectable architect who is constantly helping to maintain this very facility."
"Welcome back, Scythe," Tesla said warmly. "I'm not going to expect any formalities from you. And these companions of yours… … Wait. Hold on a moment… Rautzen?"
The Electivire squinted oddly at Ray. Ray seemed taken aback.
"Oh… oh! No!" Ray nervously laughed. "No! I'm his brother, actually. His younger brother."
"Ahhhh, No wonder," Tesla hummed. "I was going to say, you bear a striking resemblance to an old partner of Scythe's… but your stripes are different. You should be proud to have Rautzen as a brother. He was a very good Raichu. He had a way with company. Always made all us Pokémon around him feel we were legendary warriors."
"It was a tough hit for our team when he left us," Scythe mentioned, eying Ray as he spoke. "Though, I thought for sure I'd never see a warrior of his likes again. But nowadays, I see that it may change."
Ray's face began to gleam. For just a moment, he forgot all of his worry, an effect that began spreading to his friends.
"Oh, I am proud! Believe me," Ray said, smiling. "I didn't know him very well, but I've heard so much about him. I hope someday I can be as good as him."
"If you do, that day will be a very happy day for your generation," Tesla said. "The world needs more vibrant little sparks like him. I bet I could spend all day telling you about my experience with him… But, you are here for a reason. Lucario doesn't look too patient at the moment."
"Indeed, we are here for a reason," Lucario said, glancing down to the end of the room where there sat several tables covered with paper. "Show them the Temporal Tower data."
"Ahhhhh," Tesla sighed in realization. "So these are the ones going to the tower? … Ah. Right away."
The old Electivire shifted and began to lumber away. As she did, her hand snagged a bright red berry from a nearby bush.
"Hungry?" she said, presenting the fruit for claiming. "Help yourself. We've got a nice crop this year."
"Wow, not really," Char answered. "But I kinda wish I was."
Grunting with indifference, the Electivire tossed the berry into her own mouth.
… … …
Past the greenhouse area, there was something like a mildly-cluttered office. Char knew it was Team Regret's planning area.
Wasting no time, Lucario, Scythe, and Tesla gathered around the widest table in the room, which Char could just peer onto if he stood on tiptoes. Covering its surface were many parchments of different shapes, sizes, and languages; Char's eyes darted from a rough map of Zerferia, to a few notes scribbled in a strange type of handwriting, to lists which had been composed in Unown letters. It felt good to Char to see some Unown-script for once, though he couldn't easily read them; they appeared more like their counterpart icons than actual typescript.
"Lucario's really put us to work these past few days," Tesla said, shuffling some papers across the tabletop. "I've gone through many old records. Had to brush up on my Unown. But here, I think I've gathered as much as I can."
"And you make it sound as though I had no part in it," Lucario grunted. "My eyes have gone sore from reading about the tower. Now… first order of business. Here."
Lucario presented Scythe with a chart of some sort. It was covered with footprint runes, numbers, and little blotches of ink which looked like they might have had significant shape. Char studied it, though he couldn't understand a word of what it meant.
"A list of all Pokémon you will face at Temporal Tower," Lucario announced, shoving the paper before him. "All of the history books dating back to the Dawn of Ambera appear to agree with one another, so this is a definitive list. Unless, of course, the recent Mystery Dungeon anomaly which has swallowed it has affected this, it should not have changed."
Scythe's eyes glazed over the paper. "Hmmm," he muttered. "Solrock. Lunatone. Bronzor, Bronzong. Salamance. Hmm… Metagross."
"Metagross?!" Char repeated out loud. "Really?"
"Whoa… we'll have to fight Metagross?" Ray echoed at nearly the same time.
"What's the matter?" Lucario said, barely smirking. "Do you balk at the thought of fighting a clone of your division's commander?"
"Yes," Char admitted. "Our Metagross is powerful, too. I mean, I've never seen it fight, but I don't think I'd want to."
"The Metagross will be the least of your worries," Lucario warned. "A raging Salamance, on the other hand, is a force to be reckoned with. I have never defeated one, and in all my life, I have only witnessed one of them fall in battle."
"Thank you," Scythe said. "This will help greatly. We will prepare to counter these foes."
"Though, that is only speaking about the tower," Lucario said. "Through Zerferia itself… I cannot imagine you will meet another life-form of any sort, but if you do, it will most certainly be an Ice-dwelling type, and most certainly belong to the Swinub or Snover family. Glaceon enjoy the weather around here, but none have burrowed north past the border. And if fate dictates you would meet a sentient Pokémon who has chosen to banish themselves from society and dwell there, it would be a Sneasel, Weavile, or Lucario. I have never known any other species to attempt it."
Lucario spoke quickly, as if this meeting was an obligation he was quickly trying to rid himself of, and it was difficult for Char to mentally keep up. He hoped that Scythe was paying more attention than he was.
"Not one has dared to approach the tower closely, but we have studied the terrain and plotted a path you may take," Lucario continued, prompting Tesla to shuffle the pertinent papers to the top of the stack, including a roughly-drawn map of Zerferia. "You must cross the Mountains of Regret. Behind them lies the Temporal Tower. On the first day, you should trek across this flatland. On this path, you should encounter no enemy but the wind. On the second day, you will arrive to this canal early in the afternoon. The Sky Hawks report that the jet stream is not in the vicinity, but if the wind shifts and creates a sheer down the canal, you would not survive there, so tread upon the cliff. There is a cave here you may take cover within for the night; you will easily stay alive overnight if you are able to start a fire. On the third day, the path curves to the east…"
Char could tell Lucario was mostly speaking to Scythe now, and he hoped Scythe was committing all of it to heart, because there was no way he could. Though, he had to shudder at the way Lucario described the journey; the way he kept saying "You will stay alive if…" didn't help his confidence.
Lucario continued describing the trek in moderate detail, and when he concluded, he claimed the walk would take six days.
"Six days," Saura whispered with a little tremble. "That's an awfully long time for such a short walk. You realize the walk from the base to Etcher Ravine is longer than this?"
"Zerferia is tough to navigate, apparently," Char muttered.
"This is all very good," Scythe said graciously. "But… what of the other issues? Have you researched anything of The Call? And what of Dialga? How can we expect the temporal dragon to treat us?"
Lucario did not answer right away. Frowning, he stood upright and held his hands at his back. Tesla cast him a stray glance, as though she didn't know what to expect him to say.
"The legends are inconclusive," he finally replied. "Many have implored Dialga's help before at various times across history. Both Pokémon and humans alike have scaled it, wherever it has happened to appear, hoping for Dialga's wrath to shower upon their enemies. Some records indicate that the time dragon complied. Others… they trail off, speaking nothing of the matter again, leaving the course of history unchanged. And still others… they speak of a primal, enraged beast… stubborn, adamant, merciless, upon whose deaf ears the cries of mortals have fallen…"
Not me, Char told himself, not bearing to consider the alternative. No… not me… Dialga is on my side! He's going to listen to me!
"And the Call?" Scythe implored. "Have you learned anything about it?"
Again, Lucario hesitated in answering. Looking very displeased, he paced around to the other end of the table, his gaze locked onto its contents.
"Scythe, you know as much of the Call as I," Lucario sighed. "We have been through all of this before, don't you remember? Don't you remember when this last happened? We know as much of the Call as we did then."
"And Arceus knows we didn't know much," Tesla added.
The way he said it caused a shiver to ascend Char's spine.
"I… understand," Scythe said, nodding respectfully.
"That was your whole point and purpose, was it not?" Lucario demanded, his voice suddenly forceful. "Hope that Dialga will tell you what we all yearn to know. Hope that he sees fit to tell you, rather than to shrug you off as an annoyance and remove you from the timeline? You and I, we have both seen with our own eyes, the wrath of a Legendary… And yet, you still press this matter, adamant, stubborn Scyther that you are, as our saving grace, when it could instead cause ten, twenty, fifty times the damage the Master could ever hope to do?!"
This time, it was Scythe who didn't answer. Char got the impression he wasn't supposed to.
Lucario shut his eyes and sighed, as if he were taking a brief moment to meditate. His anger appeared to subside.
"This… admittedly… is the first time the Call has been powerful enough to summon one of the Trinity, at least in modern history," Lucario said, a measure of humility now in his voice. "We… tread upon new ground, in that respect, and as I'm sure you know, I cannot tell you what kind of a fate lies for you at the tower, or at the top of its spire. Perhaps you are right. Perhaps Dialga will heed us. But… without leaping at the opportunity, we will never know for sure. That is why… there is something I decided to give you."
Tesla set a small woolen sack on the table before Lucario that she had retrieved from a nearby hanger. A tink sounded from within.
"I have no choice but to bestow these upon you," Lucario said, indicating the bag with some respect. "I would not withhold these treasures from such a significant effort as the one you make. For, if at the end of this all, the effort would succeed… it is my life's one purpose, as it has been with my forefathers, to dethrone the Master at all costs. I would be disgraced to know that I did not contribute to it. Or… to know that it failed because I did not invest enough in it."
Char's eyes sparkled as he eyed the bag, wondering what kind of new, wonderful gift this would be. Was it something Alakazam had not given him already? He had been given so many gifts, it was difficult to wrap his mind around all them.
Lucario hastily untied the sack, dug both paws inside, and lifted out a peculiar object.
It was small, circular, and sparkled in the artificial sunlight. It was a piece of jewelry, made of a smooth, cream-colored metal. It had the distinct shape, and size as well, of an egg. Adorning the egg were two angelic wing-like decorations. An engraving was etched in the center, resembling some sort of tiny pawprint.
"Rescue emblems," Scythe blurted. "You're giving us rescue emblems. Your Excellency… I believe you have just outdone Alakazam's generosity."
"You expected otherwise?" Lucario chuckled, setting the badge down on the table and producing another just like it. "My lineage has existed since the dawn of the resistance. Compared to Rayquaza's Clutch, Alakazam's hold has nothing in the way of true treasures."
Char watched as Lucario produced two, three, and finally four of the emblems, lining them all in a row upon the table. He saw how Lucario handled them gently and reverently, and how Scythe could barely keep himself from gawking at the sight of them.
"Pardon me for asking, but what are rescue emblems?" Ray inquired meekly. "Do they do something?"
"They are relics of an age cone by," Tesla said affectionately. "Back in the heyday of the Mystery Dungeons, when Pokémon realized what kind of treasures and adventures the dungeons held for them… Mind you, nowadays the Mystery Dungeons are dotted all along the map like a minefield. This was back when they were special hidden places, only in the most secret crevices… So many Pokémon ventured into them, but they found it hard to leave. In fact, so many became stuck in them and had to be rescued, it was becoming an epidemic with the exploration teams. So… they designed these."
"In a word, they are lifelines," Lucario told Ray and the rest of his team. "From the moment you enter a dungeon, the badge will trace a path back to the entrance. In a moment's notice, it can take you there, and instantly free you from a lifetime of captivity within the dungeon. Like one of the Wonder Orbs, you only need to ask it for assistance. It will also work upon your loss of consciousness, so you don't become trapped forever in a dungeon you cannot escape."
"Wow, I like these already," Saura said in surprise, "Wait. So does this mean… do we not need Escape Orbs anymore? These will take their place?"
"You don't understand," Lucario said forcefully. "If you wear these, you will never need to worry about becoming trapped within a Mystery Dungeon. But… to use them, the effect would be the same as if you had been expelled normally. The dungeon might still swallow your precious supplies."
"Oh," Saura said, only slightly disappointed. "Well, that's still good, I guess. Not getting lost forever in Temporal Tower is a good thing…"
"That isn't all," Scythe chimed in. "If you activate an Escape Orb, it will react with the badges, and will take you to the dungeon entrance, supplies and all. I have never used them myself, never gotten my hands on one until now. But I've heard stories of how convenient they are. An instant escape opportunity. In the harshest dungeons, they offer a peace of mind beyond compare."
"Ah! That's really good!" Saura cheered. "These will make me feel a lot safer!"
"These are precious treasures," Scythe said. "More valuable than a Reviver Seed. Because, even if you ran out of Reviver Seeds, the emblem would still be able to save your life."
"It's too bad they're so rare now," Tesla sighed. "There was a day when every member of every exploration team had one. Then they found out about the design flaw."
"Design flaw?" Saura repeated. "Pray tell?"
"It's funny, if you think about it," Telsa said with a smile. "But the exploration teams found a problem with the way the badges worked. You see, if you're inside of a Mystery Dungeon, and you accidentally drop the badge on the ground… it will think you have fainted, but instead of escaping the dungeon on its own, it will disappear instantly, never to be seen again. Swallowed by the anomaly."
"Even more humorous is the cause behind it," Lucario chimed in. "I certainly laughed when I heard the theory. Apparently, when you drop the badge on the ground, it suddenly believes that the earth itself is its holder… this confuses it so much, that it will teleport itself far into outer space."
Scythe chuckled. "That's… absolutely ridiculous," he said. "No wonder, they all vanished from the face of the earth. In the literal sense! With so many clumsy Pokémon wandering around in dungeons, the poor things never stood a chance."
Scythe chuckled again, and the other elder Pokémon joined him. Char, however, did not. Instead, his claws suddenly felt very weak and started trembling. A vivid sight flashed before his eyes, of tripping over a pebble and having the badge slip from his clumsy fingers, having it disappear… and then to have Saura, or Ray, or Scythe offer him theirs and risk their own lives, risk the possibility of remaining trapped in Temporal Tower, just for his sake…
"Yes, one day, the sun rose, and there were only about twenty of them left in the known world…" Lucario said. "And there is not a Pokémon who exists who understands how they work well enough to craft a new batch. So… they are rarer than a Mew sighting. Please, cherish them. Hold them tightly. They are yours for the duration of the mission. I would appreciate if you were to return them when you are done, but if the tower swallows them, or if you intend to keep them for whatever reason, so be it."
"Thank you, Your Excellency, for this great gift," Scythe said sincerely. "We will not hoard them. We will return them to you if at all possible."
Next, Lucario produced something else from the bag. It was stacked pile of cloth, folded neatly into triangles—scarves. Each scarf was a deep green color. Across the surfaces, embroidered in sparkling gold threads, was the figure of Rayquaza, its long serpentine body winding around the edge until its mouth was poised to bite down upon its own tail. Lucario set them next to the badges on the table, four in all.
"This would adjourn our meeting for now," Lucario said. "I have spoken everything I know at the moment. I wish you the best of fortune on your journey, just as your own division probably has many times over."
"Hmm," Scythe said oddly, "These… emblems… did not originally belong to you, did they?"
"Why do you ask?" Lucario returned. "No, not at first. But that is of no consequence."
Scythe did not respond. He continued to stare at the badges, considering something about them.
Having finished with his official business, Lucario's demeanor changed just then. He disregarded the table, folded his arms, and glared up into Scythe's eyes. Scythe still seemed intent to study the emblems.
"What?" Lucario demanded. "Is something the matter?"
"It is of no consequence," Scythe replied, though it was hard to tell if it was an honest answer or just the rambling of another thought stuck in his head. "No consequence. It is… nothing."
"I know nothing when I see it, and that's not it…" Tesla told him, trailing off as she went to stuff some of the papers into a book.
Lucario scratched his chin and grumbled, pacing back around the table.
"There is another issue I'd like to bring up, while we are here," Lucario said. "The issue… of your insubordination."
Char had to wince. Was he serious?
Scythe tore his gaze from the emblems and glared at the blue-furred Pokémon, but said nothing.
"You come into my domain, take advantage of my hospitality, and then you make demands of me?" Lucario spoke in a very odd, condescending tone that sounded halfway ironic. "You threaten me… with your blades? You treat me like a worthless servant?"
"Your Excellency, in case you did not hear me the first time, I apologize," Scythe muttered.
"I heard you the first time," Lucario said. "But… what? I know there is an underlying issue here. I may not be a telepath, but I see that you are tensed."
Scythe shook his head. "I am about to confront Dialga in the northern lands, and you expect me to not be tensed? Also, I am still trying to wrap my mind around… having Prince in our company… Pardon me for not having taken the time to factor him into my plans!"
"If you ask me, you are in no condition to lead Pokémon on any sort of mission," Lucario said rudely. "You are not ready. Your mind is clouded."
Again, Scythe said nothing.
"Tension in one's heart is an obstruction to a clear mind," Lucario told him, speaking condescendingly to him despite being nearly a foot shorter in height. "And without a clear mind, one often finds oneself… unable to make good judgments. Am I right?"
"Yes, Your Excellency, you are right," Scythe said almost sarcastically, looking down upon the table.
"Then, it would be the best course of action to relieve this tension from your mind, would it not?" Lucario spoke. "Since you are staying here in my land, I have dominion to command you. Therefore, for your inability to restrain yourself, I sentence you to two hours at the scourging post. Your group may join you if you wish."
Char's breath caught. What was this? Scythe was going to be whipped for his insubordination?
"Thank you," Scythe said, surprising Char with his sudden calmness and humility. "You are right. I will need it. I think we all need it."
… … …
Minutes later, Char and his team had been dismissed by Lucario. They had departed from the garden in the dungeon and were back upstairs, following Scythe's lead. Char was still wide-eyed at the mention of the scourging, but Scythe seemed to be taking it very well. In fact, he was smiling.
"Long ago, this fortress was once a stronghold of war," Scythe explained as he lead the team through more halls, past a couple Pokémon roaming the complex. "And, being such a place, they needed… certain facilities, such as places to lock up prisoners, and also places to… torture them."
In a few moments, they had arrived to a lobby of sorts which resembled the inside of the main front entryway they had first come through, though there was only one set of doors. Scythe jammed his shoulder against the rivets of the door, and with a loud creaking noise, it gave and began to swing open.
Cold air and a bright light poured in. This door led outside.
"The Scourging Post," Scythe said, holding the door open.
Char was reluctant to peer outside, the force of the cold wind hitting him in the face and already making him miss the wonderful temperature of the hidden garden. From the door, a flight of stairs descended to ground level, and a sizable square-shaped courtyard opened up. The earth was the same hard, barren dirt which had spanned the Emerald Outskirts, but in the center of yard, a couple shapes jutted from the ground. One, in particular, was a very large, very wide pillar which held nothing up, almost resembling the useless, decorative pillars that sat near the front door. It stood atop a little pyramid of stairs. Char could tell immediately what it was for: Pokémon were to be helplessly tied to it to be tortured. Around its base, it seemed a small junkyard had collected. There were broken pillars, boulders, various pieces of architecture…
"No longer a place of interrogation, but still a place of pain," Scythe continued. "This is the training yard of Rayquaza's Clutch. They go here on a regular basis to train, exercise, meditate in the cold wind…"
"So… you're not in trouble?" Char breathed. "Lucario just wanted you to exercise… oh, wow. You scared me! I thought he was having you tied up and whipped!"
"Me too," Ray admitted. "I was so confused!"
"Well, to be honest, Lucario was right in every respect," Scythe said. "The four of us didn't set the right foot upon the ground when we landed here. Myself in particular… I have not been feeling well, and it has affected my words and actions. For that, I'm sorry. But here, let's wear ourselves out a little, and see if that won't clear our minds at all."
It felt weird descending that staircase to the torturing post. Char felt like he was a kid rushing into a playground, though all the toys were various ruined pieces of carved stone. The truth was, he did feel anxious. He wasn't hungry, wasn't tired, and he was certainly full of energy from sitting around all day, both on Zahira's back and in the halls of the division. If anything, he had been downright nervous in this place. Tense. Char smiled, his heartbeat quickening, as he anticipated relieving his tension. His fire flared, helping him to ignore the bitter cold which only got worse as the sky dimmed over the course of the day.
Scythe paused just before the scourging post. He shivered, loosening his muscles as his eyes followed the pillar up to its peak.
"Two hours," he said. "Let us begin."
Scythe took a sudden breath, buzzed his wings, and zipped forward to the post.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
He began slashing at the post in a frenzy, testing the form of his attack, emitting grunts of effort as he did so. Clanging, scratching, grinding noises emitted from his assault on the pillar like it was an entire battlefield full of sparring warriors. He continued for a full minute, giving the effort his full attention. His speed never stopped surprising Char; it was always impossible for the naked eye to catch anything of him but a blur as he assaulted his target.
Though he tore at the pillar, ambushing it from every direction, sometimes zipping up to slash it near the top, the pillar didn't take much visible damage. It was sturdy. Every scratch Scythe placed onto its surface looked like it belonged there in the first place.
It ended, however, as Scythe gave a wholehearted battle cry and lunged at the pillar's base, plunging his right blade into the riveted stone as hard as he could.
A different, high-pitched noise arose from that final strike.
Scythe withdrew his blade.
The dent in his blade had gotten larger. It now resembled a chip in the weapon's form. The Scyther's thin, razor-sharp blade was cracked! He inspected it with distaste, sliding his other blade down its edge until he felt it hook inside of the dent.
"I have not been eating enough iron," Scythe muttered.
"That doesn't hurt, does it?" Saura called to him in alarm.
"Hurts the eyes, yes," Scythe answered grimly. "Hurts my battle performance, yes, even more. Hurts my pride… beyond all. But it is some kind of solid alloy of metal and bone. No nerves. Just like your vines."
"Wait, w…will that heal?" Ray asked concernedly. "You can regrow the blade, right?"
"Of course," Scythe said. "If I couldn't, I would probably have empty shells for arms now. Eh, It'll take a good month for this one to return to normal, at this rate. But I can sharpen them now, and that will have to do. I didn't know I had let them get so flimsy. Anyway!"
Scythe dropped his damaged blade to his side, ignoring it. He turned to look Char in the eyes.
"Now!" Scythe called, putting energy behind his voice. "Lucario told us what kinds of Pokémon we will face. We must prepare for them. Show me if you know how counter them all. Char!"
Scythe indicated the Scourging Post.
"This pillar is a Salamance!" Scythe barked. "It is attacking us! You are the team leader, Char! What are your orders?"
Char took his battle stance. His mind raced.
"A dragon!" Char shouted. "What defeats a dragon?"
"Ice attacks, or other dragons," Saura recited. "But we don't have any of that!"
"And it resists all three of our elements," Ray said. "What do we do? Wait, I'll use the attack the TM taught me! Focus Blast! Yaaah!"
"Wait, no!" Char yelped, stopping him before the attack began. "That won't work! Salamance isn't just a dragon. It has the strengths and weaknesses of a bird, too. That means… Ray! Hit it with a lightning bolt! Surprise it from the side so it gets distracted. Saura! Stay back and launch that sludge attack at it! I'm going in!"
The trio attacked, launching their best attacks at the make-believe dragon. The air sizzled and flashed with power as Ray discharged a bolt of lightning, Saura showered it with a poisonous substance from afar, and Char rushed straight at it, his claw glowing brightly as he bounded up the stairs.
Char felt as his claws ever-so-slightly dug into the skin of the pillar. It satisfied him to feel such a dominance over the element of rock for once. He swung his arms back and forth, slashing at the pillar with fury, just like Scythe had done moments before.
*Thwack!* Char was smacked in the forehead. He fell backward down the stairs, skidding to a painful stop. Rubbing his head, Char looked up to see that he had gotten bludgeoned by the back of Scythe's blade.
"Oops!" Scythe yelled, standing over him. "Good try, but you got too close! Always be careful within range of your enemy's claws! Now… Now I am Metagross! Char is injured on the floor. Saura, what will you do?"
"Ahh! Um… What weaknesses does Metagross have, again?" Saura yelped. "Ray! What can we hit him with?"
"I don't know!" Ray responded. "I never did research on Metagross! I don't even know what kind of Pokémon he is!"
"I don't know either! What do we do?"
"Attack him with whatever you got! I'll protect Char!"
Ray rushed in and tried to defend Char, while Saura gave him cover with a stream of razor leaves. Scythe shrugged them off.
"Useless!" Scythe laughed, beginning to loom over Char's fallen form. "Your attacks have little effect! Better think of something else!"
Saura mustered himself and launched his ball of poison sludge at Scythe, who dodged it just before it stuck to his face.
"Nope, not that either!" Scythe called. "Hurry, Saura! Char's fate is in your hands!"
Char sat on the ground, watching the exercise ensue before him. He watched Scythe, his eyes flashing with the excitement of battle… and noticed, if for just one moment, that he seemed okay. For just a moment, he was the old Scythe he knew from his first days at the division, the one who walked them through their first dungeon explorations, and practiced with them at the Dojo. For just a moment, he was a strong, confident soul, not the stressful wreck he had become.
"Arrrrah!" Saura yelled, suddenly barreling himself at Scythe. His vines sprouted and whipped through the air wildly, and before Scythe thought to dodge, he was swatted to the side and had to stumble for a moment. Saura didn't let up. He closed in on Scythe and threw himself, forehead-first, into his chest.
Scythe had the wind knocked out of him, and a moment later, he hit the ground with Saura perched on top of him, panting heavily.
"Well done," Scythe groaned. "But I don't think that tactic would work against Metagross."
In the blink of an eye, Saura was sent flying and tumbling away, and Scythe was back on his feet. He closed in on the fallen Char once more, who was still sitting in place simply catching his breath from unleashing his wrath on the pillar.
"Ray, Saura has failed!" Scythe boomed, staring the Raichu which stood in his way. "Char's safety is up to you! What will you do?"
"Scythe, I don't want to hurt you," Ray replied.
"I am Metagross! Hurt me! Hurt me!" Scythe commanded.
Wearing an angry scowl, Ray lunged at Scythe, spinning around just inches from his target and whipping forward his glowing tail. Scythe buzzed out of the way before it struck him.
Ray shook his head, trying to focus himself. He leapt back into position, staying between Char and Scythe. He lunged forward once again, but this time his feet motored so fast that his speed became blinding. When Scythe lazily dodged out of the way, Ray's path expertly curved to intercept his escape. Charges sizzling across his fur, he loosed a powerful current of electricity into Scythe's body. Dazed, Scythe reeled back. His body began twitching. This time, when Ray twisted his body and slung his shining tail, it connected. Scythe toppled onto the ground, and Ray landed on all fours at his side.
"No! Wrong!" Scythe growled, climbing up again. "Ray, you aren't fighting me. You are fighting Metagross. Show me a counter to Metagross!"
With the blunt end of his blade, Scythe swatted at Ray. He skidded aside, landing next to Saura.
"See? There's your proof. I can't beat Scythe," Ray laughed. "I can't even beat a Metagross that looks like Scythe!"
Scythe loomed evilly over Char, taking step after slow step. Char had enjoyed watching the battles, but wasn't prepared for having the focus suddenly rest upon him! He tried to slide and kick himself away from Scythe's approach.
"All of your friends have failed you, Char," Scythe said. "They have all been massacred. Only you remain. Char… what will you do?"
Char finally stood up and faced Scythe, fists clenched. Scythe watched for his action.
"Well?" Scythe demanded.
"I'm thinking!" Char cried.
"STOP THINKING!" Scythe cried furiously. "This is not a puzzle! React! React! Do what Charmander do best!"
"Huh?"
Scythe was becoming frustrated now. "Don't your friends call you, I don't know, a Steelix Slayer?"
Steelix?
Steel?
"Oh!" Char gasped, the fact dawning on him. "Metagross is steel? I thought it was made of rock! Fire! I need fire!"
"Very good," Scythe said. "Too bad you spent too long thinking about it. Now, you're—"
FWOOOSH! Char countered with an enormous pillar of fire from his maw. Scythe backed away, just barely evading damage. Char turned and zeroed in on him, producing even more fire. Scythe looked surprised and buzzed his wings, zipping straight up into the air. He pivoted, preparing to bring his blades down backwards for a final strike, but he underestimated Char's aggressiveness. Char craned his neck and shot his stream of flames straight up, sweeping it from side to side as long as it could be sustained. It half-engulfed the Scyther, who was knocked out of the air and fell to the ground. His body was aflame!
"Agah!" Scythe gasped as he tumbled across the ground, putting out the flames before they seared him alive.
Char stood back and watched as Scythe recovered from the ground a third time. He was spotted with a few black burn marks. Combined with his dented blades, it really looked like he'd been in an intense battle. But his eyes burned with energy, and Char knew he enjoyed the thrill of battle.
"Well done," he said, shaking himself off. "Painful. But well done."
Saura and Ray applauded him.
"Now!" Scythe yelled suddenly. "Saura! Ray! Char has just been struck with a pulse from a Bronzor! He's confused! And he's going to attack you! What do you do?"
Char's eyes were filled with glee as he rushed straight for his friends, who were still dumbfounded by the new scenario.
… … …
Some time later, the four Pokémon were sitting around the base of the scourging post, gasping for breath.
"How… long… has it been?" Saura asked, laying belly-up against the stairs. "We… we can go in now… right?"
"We have only just begun," Scythe said. "It has been about twelve minutes."
"W—wowww," Saura sighed. "That's not very many minutes."
"What, you're not tired already, are you?" Scythe asked him in fake amazement. "After all the dungeons we've been on, you tire out this fast?"
"No! I'm not tired!" Saura said quickly in his defense. "Just… catching my breath…"
They sat there for another moment, simply relaxing. The chilly wind swept past them, but for the time being, it felt comforting. Best of all, Char saw how Scythe still looked at ease. The little bit of action had really helped to distract him from his troubles. Char hoped it would last a long time. Lucario, even in his brash nature, had shown some wisdom.
Ray rolled himself onto his back and stared at the cloudy sky above. Evening was hours away.
"I still can't believe we're doing this," Ray said. "You know this is going to be crazy, right?"
"It is," Scythe said. "But we can't say we aren't prepared. Still… yes… it's daunting. Just try not to dwell on that fact when it comes time to dive in. Rely on your instincts."
"We could go down in history for this!" Ray said, smiling widely. "I don't know about you, but just knowing I'm doing something legendary is enough to make me push forward."
"The joy of going down in history seems to fade away after first time," a voice said. "Isn't that right, Scythe?"
It was that voice again. That same voice. Char knew who it was before even glancing in his direction.
It was Prince. He'd snuck up on the group as they were lounging around.
"Augh, what's he doing here?" Saura cried.
Just like that, all of the comfort Scythe had gathered, all of the relief he felt, it was all gone. Anger and stress flooded back through his body as he stood himself to confront the newcomer. A hostile scowl appeared on his face.
"How did I know Lucario was going to throw you out here as soon as he set his eyes on you?" Prince laughed as he wandered nearer. "This afternoon, you didn't look… yourself."
"Really? I am not myself? What gave me away?" Scythe snapped sarcastically. "Now, if you are so observant, can you figure out who is mostly to blame for that? Who is the one who has gotten in my way without my permission?"
"I want to help you," Prince said. "I was hoping it would be a pleasant surprise. We haven't spoken in so long, old friend."
"You wish to speak," Scythe rasped, starting to pace in a semicircle around the Infernape. "Fine. Let us have a civilized discussion. And I will begin by saying that I have no need of you on the Temporal Tower mission, nor do I have a want of you. I would like nothing better than for you to go bury yourself in the snow until we leave."
"So that you can go bury yourself in the snow?" Prince responded calmly. "You want me to let Articuno make a fool of you in Zerferia? Please, listen. I will be an asset to you. I won't hamper your progress. I won't even get two feet from your Charmander without your permission."
"You have already done both!" Scythe growled. "You don't know what you are saying."
"Nor do you," Prince said, looking smug. "I'm coming regardless. You must learn to appreciate it?"
Scythe was seething now. He shifted into a very hostile stance, one that Char recognized as a battle stance.
"I don't understand you," Scythe said. "Why would you want to come? Why did you go so far out of your way to make this happen?"
"And I do not understand you," Prince answered. "Why are you so adamant on pushing me away? Perhaps if you could humor me with an answer, we could both speak openly."
"I have motives behind my actions," Scythe growled bitterly. "Unlike you. You wish to go to the tower just to fan your pride, I bet. I'll have you know I spent many sleepless nights planning this out."
"So have I," Prince said. "You think this has been easy on me? What makes you any different? Shall we exchange our plans?"
"I would rather die," Scythe growled.
"Oh… no!" Ray gasped, horrified. "I don't believe it… They're going to fight! They're actually going to fight! Guys, we have to move!"
Unbeknownst to the two warriors, Team Ember scrambled away from the scourging post and watched from afar. Char hugged Saura's bulb tightly, a relentless giddiness filling his chest.
"Tell me, Prince," Scythe said. "What do you have to sacrifice on this journey?"
"My life, I suppose," Prince answered. "Though, you have four lives to sacrifice, I suppose. But I would readily take the fall for any one of you if I had the opportunity."
"We have enchanted seeds to serve that purpose," Scythe said. "You would be redundant. Not to mention that five in a dungeon is one too many."
"The rule of four is only a guideline," Prince retorted. "How many times have you broken it? I couldn't count them on one hand. Have you forgotten the times we brought seven into the anomalies from both our teams? Why would the guidelines suddenly make a difference now? Besides, you still must get there. How do you expect to make it through Zerferia alive? I have done it many times myself. You have not."
"Lucario gave us guidelines," Scythe said. "We will be fine."
"Again with the guidelines, eh?" Prince answered. "I cannot believe I'm hearing you say this! Guidelines, guidelines. What guidelines have ever gotten you through the tricky situations you're famous for, Scythe? Did guidelines help you rebuild Basin Canyon? Did guidelines win Wraith Falls for you? Or was it life experience? Something which leaders such as you and I live and breathe?"
Scythe didn't answer. He cringed, holding back an outburst of fury.
His gaze turned left, then right. He glanced at the sky.
"I will make a proposition with you," Scythe finally said, in a surprisingly calm voice. "If I can knock the consciousness out of you, you flee to your little corner of the outskirts and never, ever show your face around me until Temporal Tower is resolved."
There was a gleam in Prince's eye. His fiery mane brightened.
"And what if I knock you out first?" He challenged.
"Then you can come," Scythe said simply, "And I will stop trying to prevent you."
Prince smirked. He fell silent for a moment, considering the offer. Considering the stakes, the odds.
"I accept," Prince said, slouching his body into a fighting stance. "Let us resolve this your way, old friend. Think the outcome might be different this time?"
They stood, staring one another down. Two experienced, battle-hardened warriors. Two brilliant leaders. Two teachers. They stood, frozen in their tracks, waiting for the first move, taking short, gasping breaths and tensing their muscles.
Char's heartbeat drowned out his hearing. He counted his own pulse… one, two, three, four…
Their bodies stood as statues, Prince's great mane billowing like a bonfire and waving around in the chilly wind… Scythe's gaze intense, searing, calculating…
… Nine, ten, eleven…
"Maybe they won't even fight," Saura whispered hopefully.
"They need to," Char said. "Otherwise the dispute won't be resolved… I just hope… I just hope Scythe wins."
"Me, too," Ray muttered.
Then, it began.
Sounding a shrill, feral cry, Scythe raised his blades, opened his wings, and shot himself at the Infernape. He swung a blade, with the blunt end forward, at Prince's figure.
His swing connected with air. Prince deftly ducked underneath the attack and countered, thrusting a foot into Scythe's belly. Scythe reeled back and stumbled to his knees.
Prince stood still, watching the Scyther with smug eyes as he slowly climbed to his feet.
In the blink of an eye, Scythe attacked again. Disappearing in a blur of agility, he darted around the Infernape in a circle, and then lunged with the back of his blade. His blow was lower, this time, but it still missed; the Infernape contorted his body to avoid it, cartwheeling backwards out of harm's way.
Scythe didn't relent this time. He pursued his opponent, attacking with the full force of his body and brutally slamming his shoulder into the Infernape's belly. He followed with two backward slashes of his blades, the first of which pummeled the foe in the neck. The second, though, was caught in mid-air by Prince's nimble hands. Swinging his weight around, Prince yanked Scythe's entire form and lobbed him onto the ground.
Char's fingers tightened around Saura's seed. Scythe was not doing very well. Prince was not even attacking, he was just defending…
For second time, Scythe lifted himself from the ground and studied his opponent for a moment. Grunting loudly, his wings buzzed and he launched himself into the air, camouflaging his burred motion against the sunlight above. Prince twitched in anticipation, waited a moment, then punched the empty air… and, impossibly, Scythe materialized at the end of his fist, twisting and toppling out of the air and landing on his back, his head banging against a granite brick.
"Are you fighting with me, or playing with me?" Prince asked. "So far, this is easier than last time…"
Then, it happened.
Char didn't exactly see what had been done. All he saw was a blur of motion, and a thin streak of bright, red blood streaming through the air and splattering against the scourging post. A second stream followed it, spilling upon the ground.
There was a cry of pain.
Prince balked. The white fur on his belly was clouded with red. He touched the wound.
Another blur. Prince's head was slammed against the scourging post. Twice. Three times. Splotches of blood started to stain its surface.
Scythe's body twisted, swinging his blade at full force, connecting the blunt end with Prince's head. Prince's body rebounded off the post and slumped down the stairs.
Prince slowly picked himself up, a twinkle of true fear now in his eyes. Scythe stood over him upon the stairs, breathing heavily.
Prince attacked. He galloped forward on all fours, dodging at the last minute to deliver a powerful punch to Scythe's side.
It missed.
Thwack! Thwack!
The blunt ends of Scythe's blades pummeled against Prince's head. Prince retaliated with a skillful maneuver, propping his body up on one hand and jabbing at the bottom of Scythe's jaw with both his feet at once. But Scythe ducked under it and body-slammed the ape as it was contorted in mid-air.
Slash!
Blood spattered through the air. Prince's body twisted and fell, face-down, in the dirt.
No… Char realized in horror. He isn't… Scythe isn't going to kill prince, is he?! No! He can't be! No! But what if… what if this is it? Has Scythe snapped? Has he lost his sanity? Is he… is he going to do something he's going to regret?
Char stood motionless, unable to command any of his muscles to move.
"You must want it badly," Prince muttered, picking himself up and dusting the pebbles from his fur.
"Yes," Scythe hissed. "And do you?"
Prince sprang into the air, arching his body in a strange dive. He hit the pillar and rebounded from it, nicking Scythe in the forehead with a stray limb before he was ready. Scythe retreated to the opposite side of the pillar. Prince prepared to counter a sudden attack, but guessed the wrong direction—Scythe doubled back and attacked the same way he came, slashing with his naked blades. They produced a very loud clang as they clashed against the Infernape's shoulder-plates.
Scythe retreated again, hiding behind the surrounding debris and buzzing in and out of the obstacles. Prince's eyes darted, following him. He dodged out of the way just barely as Scythe shot past.
Scythe disappeared again, running around the fallen stones and bricks, confusing his foe… Prince followed him again, trying to judge his plan… He tensed, and then spun his body with just the right timing, flailing his arms at his sides. His arm struck Scythe in the neck. Taking the opportunity, Prince tackled his opponent, head-on, catching his neck in an armlock.
Wham. Wham.
Scythe was pummeled in the face by powerful fists, once, twice… Scythe lashed with his blade to escape the hold, but Prince jabbed him in the belly and punched again in the side of the head. With a screech of frustration, Scythe jerked his body, throwing both of them off-balance. Prince's chest careened into the sharp edge of a broken pillar, and he released his hold.
Scythe saw the opening. He took the opportunity. He zipped around the pillar, attacking Prince from behind. Ramming him.
Prince fell to the ground.
Scythe rushed up to him, placing his large, stump-like foot upon Prince's belly. Prince tried to squirm, but there was no escape.
And then he slashed. And slashed.
Char averted his gaze, and noticed his teammates doing the same.
With a final, shrill cry, Scythe delivered one last blow, a backhanded swing to the side of the head. He then withdrew from the fallen figure.
Prince didn't move.
"You planned this," Scythe said. "This was your plan, wasn't it? Ever since the beginning."
Prince didn't answer.
"This is finally starting to make sense to me. You were the one to find the Temporal Tower in the first place."
Prince stirred. Char reluctantly glanced back to the scene, and to his utter relief, the Infernape's eyes were still open, though he looked like he was pained.
"Yes," Prince answered. "I did."
"Not only that, but you were the one to tell Xatu about the tower, when she was here," Scythe said. "You told her before you told Lucario."
"Yes," Prince responded. "I told her in secret."
"You traced the path through Zerferia for us," Scythe said. "You drew the maps Lucario showed us. You spent these past days climbing the Mountains of Regret just to give us our bearings."
"I did," Prince said.
"And you convinced him ahead of time to order us to allow you to come," Scythe said. "You made sure Lucario agreed with you."
"Relatively speaking, yes," Prince said.
"And you gave him your emblems, so he could give them to us," Scythe said. "Your precious emblems. Those treasures belonged to Team Flamewheel. They helped you in all your legendary dungeon explorations, even back when you were still under Alakazam's command."
"Yes," Prince said. "Yes, they did."
"And what was done with our luggage, do you know?" Scythe grunted. "Let me guess, you have both of our bags safe and sound in your team's lair… the place Lucario was planning to have us stay."
Prince struggled to sit himself up. Blood oozed from his fur, and red cuts criss-crossed his muzzle.
"Your powers of deduction are as brilliant as always," Prince said, wiping blood from his face. "You have not grown dim over these years."
"Actually, most of that was guessing," Scythe admitted. "But I understand you now. You were the mastermind behind this whole trip. You were the one who made it possible. And now, you want to go along with us."
Scythe emitted a crazy little laugh. He shook his head.
"I applaud you. Very good work. Now… get up, so we can finish this fight."
Prince didn't move. He sighed, looking exhausted. He twitched from his open wounds.
"I said get up," Scythe said forcefully. "Or are you finished? If this is all you can handle, I have no use for you on the trip."
Prince was still.
Scythe shook his head bitterly, then replaced his foot on the Infernape's chest.
"Well, then…" he sighed, raising his blade. "I wish you sweet dreams."
There was an explosion. A bright, fiery explosion.
It took a moment for Char to realize what happened. At a speed almost matching Scythe's, Prince had bounced his body from the ground and punched the Scyther in the dead center of his chest.
His fist was on fire.
Flames engulfed Scythe's midsection. He cried in surprise, dropping to the ground to put himself out.
Once the flames were all snuffed, he lifted himself onto his knees. He gasped for air, keeping his head downturned. Many, many burn marks now covered his form.
"You were faking," Scythe said, lifting his body back upright. He shivered oddly as the cold breeze brushed against his wounds.
"You're the one who taught me that," Prince said, standing upright and clearly unfazed by any of his damage. He looked fine. "The oldest trick in the book, right?"
"Yes, yes," Scythe said, bowing his head. "Well, then… I concede."
"You… concede," Prince repeated.
"Yes," Scythe said. "Welcome to the team. I believe now that you're willing to endure the trials we will face on this trip… I see that in you now. You're willing to face pain… in all its forms… I think you will be able to handle… whatever may happen. Perhaps… even moreso than I am."
Applause erupted.
Char turned to notice that a sizable crowd of the division's residents had gathered to watch the fight near one of the courtyard's doors. They were seated upon the stairs, clapping and hollering wildly, heartily cheering their appreciation for the two combatants.
Among them, a Ninetales, a Smeargle, and Heracross stood front and center.
"Well done!" crooned the Ninetales. "Well played, both of you! What a magnificent fight! Gorgeous display! A clash of the legends! "
Char dropped onto his back, emotionally exhausted.