Chapter 44
Part 1
It stood like a pillar which held up the sky—like a tower of ancient coliseums stacked to the heavens, until it reached a vanishing point to the eyes of the humbled Pokémon who stood near its base.
Its shape, its structure was unreal; no man or mortal Pokémon could have constructed such a monument upon the foundation of the arctic plain. The outer wall of the tower even appeared in the image of the lord of time—it was as deep blue as the dawn sky, its pillars a steely silver.
Alakazam had said that the tower was but a symbol of Dialga's strength, and perhaps did not even exist in the way it appeared to the eyes of the mortals... And now Char knew it was true, for he saw how the tower was like a hallucination—as though it occupied a void of nothingness, or a parallel dimension which protruded into his own reality. He thought he could feel the supernatural reverberations it created in the air, or the way the ground subtly trembled underfoot in protest of its existence.
And though it was not as large as could be expected from a god's temple– Rayquaza's Clutch easily took up at least four times the land mass—it was as tall as a mountain, tall enough that it looked as though it could take a week to scale, and it cast such a far-reaching shadow across the snowy plains that it appeared as though some deity had drawn a boundary line across the land just as an artist would draw one upon a map. But Char knew the climb would be worth it; that at its pinnacle, there stood a glorious dragon god who awaited his arrival—the one who he had seen so clearly in his memories. The one who held the power to put all his questions to rest.
At last, as the snowy plains of Zerferia glowed a fiery orange in the light of the early dawn, Char, Saura, Ray, Prince, Scythe, Lily, and Nameless beheld their final destination: the mythical Temporal Tower, the tangible throne of Dialga.
"Nameless," Scythe uttered, hopelessly squinting toward the pinnacle, "Can you fly Char to the top of the tower?"
"The sky... is not... safe," Nameless growled, her fearful glance following his. "When I fly close to it... the air... it is like a storm, though there is no storm... it feels like... my wings will tear. I am... afraid."
"Figures," Scythe said, shaking his head. "A god who designs his temple to test the tenacity of its visitors wouldn't allow such a silly shortcut. So be it..."
"Nameless... are you certain you would not want to help us inside the tower?" Prince asked her, one last time. "You would be our greatest strength."
"No, I would not... I have fear of... inside," Nameless said, averting her ashamed gaze. "I have never been inside... to see not the sky... I... if I cannot fly, bring the wind to me... I am useless. Useless to fly and useless to battle! I am sorry, Prince. I want not to go."
"I understand," Prince sighed. "You have already given us so much. Thank you for leading us this far. Will you wait for us to return?"
"I will wait," Nameless said, nodding. "I am very good at patience. But I may fall to sleep if you do not return by two years. So you must wake me again. But I will be here. I promise."
The team bid their thanks and goodbyes to the gentle Articuno who had given them company on the cold journey, and they took the first of their cautious steps to the tower's front door. Scythe donned the pouched bag of valuables which had been given to them by Alakazam, Ray accepted the sack which Team Ember had stuffed full of the items they were experienced with using, and Prince took the lead of the procession, carrying nothing on his person but some sort of scarf around his neck and the small, sagging pouch still tied to his waist.
As the shadow of the tower covered them and the ominous doorway of the structure loomed closer, Scythe turned to address the group one final time.
"This may be the most difficult dungeon mission of your lives," he said solemnly. "We must work as a team. Prince and I will be here to guide you, but do not be foolish and rely on us if your own strength is required... if you must attack a wild, attack. If you must use one of your items, use it. We have ten Reviver Seeds, but do not ignore your fear of death because of them. Never purposefully let one be used unless it is to save two or more of your teammates from using them as well. Otherwise, focus, and keep yourselves alive at all costs. As Daemon always used to tell me, if you use one Reviver Seed, you use them all; using just one means there is some fatal flaw in the team that could prevent the success of the mission."
"Scythe and I will take turns carrying the bag," Prince said further. "Though we will drop the bag and fight if we must. Ray, you should do the same."
"That's the plan," Ray said, hefting the sack higher onto his shoulder.
"Before we enter," Prince said, beginning to dig into the bag hanging from Scythe's shoulder, "it would be a good idea to wear the rescue emblems now. We must decide who will get them. There are six of us, but only four of them. So, four of us will be guaranteed to escape this tower with our lives. The two of us who do not... should our Reviver Seeds run out, we risk being felled by a harsh attack, or trapped forever in the mystery dungeon until we starve to death."
"Hmm, above all of us, Char should get one," Scythe said. "I hope it will not be an issue, but if this mission goes up in flames, Char should survive to carry on."
"Agreed," Prince said. "Here, Char. You will have the first one."
Prince produced one of the glimmering egg-shaped badges, as well as one of the large green scarves from Lucario. Kneeling down, Prince slipped the scarf around Char's neck and tied it firmly in place, pinning the little button-like badge onto it. Char instinctively reached up to touch the object, feeling its warm, pearly surface.
No dungeon, it spoke telepathically to him, very much like a Wonder Orb would.
"By the same principle, I believe Lily is entitled to the next one," Prince said. "Any objections?"
Scythe looked thoughtful. "Hmm... no objection," he decided. "Go ahead. Give her one."
It dawned on Char just what was going on: while he and Lily were the obvious choices to receive the life-saving emblems, the next two candidates would not be.
If Scythe is trying to get Prince out of the way before it's too late, Char figured, then that means... we have to make sure Prince doesn't get one of the emblems!
He glanced up to Scythe's face. It was focused intensely on a faraway point; he was thinking hard and quickly of what to say next.
Lily straightened up as Prince tied the scarf and fastened the emblem to her, as Char was sure he had done for many past dungeon missions with her. As he watched the gentle and deliberate movements of Prince's arms, he tried to think. How could he help Scythe? What could he say?
"Give Saura one," Char blurted. "I want Saura to have an emblem."
Scythe looked mildly surprised at the statement, but not quite disappointed. Prince, on the other hand, looked pained.
"Char... I'm sorry, but I do not know if that would be wise," Prince said hesitantly. "I know he is important to you, but... ideally, as your guardians, Scythe and I should wear the other two, I know it's not pleasant to imagine Saura getting trapped in the tower, but the reality is that two of us must take that risk."
But Lily caught on. For a moment, she looked sternly into Char's eyes. If she said something now, Char knew that it would not be due to their discrepancy, their resolution not to defy their guardians. It would because Prince and Scythe didn't know about Saura's great secret. If he and Lily deserved emblems because of the Call, then Saura deserved one as well.
"No, he's right," Lily said carefully. "Char's right. Prince, give him one. I know... Char would never be the same if he lost Saura. Maybe he wouldn't be able to keep fighting. At least give him the peace of mind knowing that Saura is going to be alright."
"I vote for Saura, too," Ray added, figuring it out as well. "Arceus knows I don't need one one of those badges. I'll take the risk. I wouldn't want to separate Char and Saura."
"Hmm, Scythe?" Prince grunted, scratching his chin. "Your thoughts?"
"I'm afraid they might have a point," Scythe said cleverly. "Char isn't strong enough yet to lose his best friend. I don't think he would find life worth living if he and Saura get separated here. What if you had lost Lily? Do you think you could have kept going?"
Prince looked Lily in the eye for just a moment. A sense of defeat crossed his face.
"Fine," he sighed, fishing in the bag for another scarf. "I am outnumbered. Congratulations, Saura. You win the third emblem."
"Thank you," Saura whispered into Char's ear. "I really mean it."
As Prince bent down to bestow the third badge to his best friend, Char grew worried about the fourth. How could he convince Prince to give it to Scythe? It seemed like an impossible task. Perhaps he and Scythe could improvise some kind of trick. Maybe they could just start talking and some plan would come together. He just wished he had more time to think! He suspected that Scythe had forgotten about this issue just as much as he had.
Maybe if I think hard enough, the Call will tell him what to say? Char wondered. But... what good would that do? I don't even know what to say myself! I don't have a plan! How will we-
"I believe it is obvious who needs to have the fourth," Prince said. "Scythe... take it. It's yours."
Scythe blinked. So did Char.
"Are you sure?" Scythe said asked hesitantly. "Do you not want it?"
"Oh, I want it," Prince assured him, unfolding the final green scarf and pinning the badge to it. "Trust me, I've grown to depend on the emblems. But if there can be only one between us, it must be yours... Even in your old age, my old friend, you still have much more to offer this world. You can even hear the Call like the spoken word, so if it happened once more within your lifetime, you would be there to catch it out from under the Master's grasp. And I... I wish this would not be an issue, I hope to Arceus we will not even have to resort to using these emblems... but if this mission fails, I fear... I will not have anything left to offer Ambera. I will have done all I can. And I will be satisfied knowing that you continued on if I did not."
As he felt the scarf being slipped onto his neck, Scythe's gaze met the Infernape's. A look of pity flashed across his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly.
"Do you object, Scythe?" Prince grunted, making sure the emblem was pinned firmly in place.
"No," Scythe sighed. "It's fine."
"Wait... Prince," Lily said, looking a little panicked. "I don't know about this. That last one should be yours. How are we going to make it through Zerferia without you? You're the only one who knows the way, not to mention that you're the only one who can keep us warm—"
"Lily! ... I know, I know," he said, gently cutting her off. "But it is either I, or Saura. And you have chosen Saura. So... I will go without. It is the way things must be. Unless you take back your choice of Saura?"
Lily was silent, her glance flicking between Prince, Saura, and the ground before her feet. "I—" she stammered. "I... no, I don't."
"Good," Prince hummed, stepping away and gazing back upon the great blue monolith before them. "In that case... I think... we're ready to enter."
The entrance was like the ominous mouth of a cave, with only blackness visible inside, framed by an archway decorated with spikes and spear-heads. It was like a portal to another world.
Char had an undeniable feeling of dread just gazing at the structure, as though it was not really there. As though it couldn't be there.
It should have given him hope and confidence, seeing this great monument to Dialga's strength right in front of him, adorned with every likeness to the time god himself. But instead... it just didn't feel right. It was as though the tower... hallow. A lie.
And perhaps... if he stepped inside of it, he, too, would become a lie...
Char shook his head. No. These were silly thoughts. Of course the tower would feel weird. It was supernatural.
Still, though, he could not restrain his curiosity. He stepped past Prince and approached the side of Temporal Tower. Lifting his eyes, he scanned the strange texture of the wall, at the rune-like markings and impressions etched across its surface. It was impossibly perfect, without the slightest dent or evidence of damage. Reaching the back of his hand to the surface, he found it to be strikingly hot to the touch. He realized that was the odd force he felt emanating from the building: waves of quite extreme heat, something he must have forgotten how to feel after spending weeks in the arctic. But it wasn't normal heat, apparently, for it did not so much as melt the snow around the tower's base. Perhaps it was some other kind of energy altogether, some kind of transcendental radiation.
"It is a mirror," Prince said. "What you see is a mirror's reflection; you will not see the tower's true nature until you step inside. Temporal Tower extends beyond the timeline itself, gradually, until you reach the top; the place where Dialga sits at the summit is entirely outside of time. I have been within the tower before, but I have never dared to venture too far through it; I have always been armed with an Escape Orb and my emblem... this is how I was able to gather data about the foes we will meet inside. But whenever I would exit the tower, I was rarely able to judge just how much time has passed... I even hold my suspicions that one of my trips sent me several hours into the past."
"Whoa, really?" Saura cried. "You time traveled into the past?"
"It is only a suspicion," Prince returned. "By the time I realized what might have happened, It was too late to prove anything. I had no frame of reference. Besides, my memory might have blanked and it might have just been the next day. But, depending on how long we spend in there... there is no telling how our perception of time might be changed by our journey."
"One last thing I must remind you before we enter this place," Scythe barked, his gaze becoming serious as he turned to Team Ember. "Through whatever may come, do not forget your mission. We are here to bring Char to the summit. Not me, Prince, not Lily... Char, and Char alone, is our priority. No matter what danger we might find ourselves in, do not make any rash decisions that would defy our highest priority. Do not sacrifice Char for the well-being of a teammate. And above all, do not place your instinct for self-preservation above the preservation of Char. I shouldn't have to say this, but I feel that I should. Do you understand?"
The order sent Char into a sudden daze. He couldn't breathe for a moment, nor could he think of how to respond. He just barely perceived the other team members nodding in response.
"Char, I'm talking especially to you," Scythe hissed, glaring down at him. "I know how you always want to protect your friends. But this time, you've got to get it into your head. I don't care what kind of trouble Saura is in. You will not put yourself in danger for him, do you understand?"
Again, he tried to choke out an answer, but his answer wouldn't make sense. Scythe just didn't know what value Saura had...
"Char? Answer me, Char. Before we take another step, I must know that you understand. We have given him a badge, so he will live. But he is just as expendable as the rest of us on this mission. You are not expendable. Now promise!"
Char was in a daze; he barely even heard anything Scythe was telling him, but at last, he gave a weak nod, whispering, "I promise."
All at once, with held breaths and pounding hearts, the six Pokémon stepped into the archway and became swallowed by the darkness within.
It's you.
You've come. After this time, you've come.
Time... how humbling it is, now
to be bound to time.
To feel every second drift by
To be banned
for so long
from my true home...
How I know, now, what it is like
to wait...
to feel the heart... tremble...
How close you feel, now.
I hear your footsteps in my foyer.
I hear your heartbeat in my mind.
You have come. You are so close...
But still, so very distant.
Now, little Charmander...
Just how far will you go?
To what heights will you climb?
Now, we will see.
Time... will tell.
Time...
Temporal Tower 1F
It was dark and cool.
A calm breeze washed over Char's body. It seemed almost tropical, causing a shudder of comfort as his body enjoyed the warmer enviornment. A surreal tingle rushed through his head, disorienting his senses; it was as though the pressure had changed, or the humidity had increased.
Char's feet shuffled through a soft tuft of grass.
Grass?
Now this was strange. He looked down to see, by the light of his fire, how his feet were submerged up to the ankles in a short layer of turf... as though he stood in a prairie after nightfall.
His eyes followed the grass, watching as it spread broadly across the dungeon floor, sprouting higher shoots of wheat-like varieties of plants here and there...
...until he saw the horizon.
The black shadow of the ground gave way to a clear, deep blue sky. A midnight sky. He craned his neck and glanced to the heavens, seeing how stars twinkled brightly all above the mysterious meadow, forming their streams and constellations around the scarce overcast clouds.
This was no dungeon. There remained no slightest hint of Temporal Tower.
Char's heart was racing, trying to remember where he head been and how he had gotten here. This was Dialga's tower, wasn't it? Yet... it looked as though he had been transported somewhere else. Perhaps even somewhere beyond Ambera, as the Watchers were nowhere to be seen, leaving the sky's majesty untainted. And the stars... they still meant something. Perhaps now more than ever. It was unmistakable! These stars were trying to tell him something, something about Temporal Tower, something about his journey. Char's heart raced, as his eyes took in the full majesty of the vision, untouched by even the slightest ray of dawn.
"This... is not a good sign."
Char jerked at the sound of Prince's voice, almost forgetting about the group he had come with. Thankfully, his friends were still there at his side. Saura, Ray, and Lily held their breaths, silently gazing at the wilderness. Even Scythe showed a bit of humility as he eyed the starry sky, appreciating its rare beauty. Prince, on the other hand, looked very uncomfortable.
"Where are we?" Scythe breathed. "Prince, what is happening to us?"
"This dungeon has gotten worse since I was last here," Prince muttered. "This could be an indication that the tower is growing unstable; perhaps it is about to move or disappear. It is a good thing we came when we did. Gods, the last time I was here the interior at least resembled Temporal Tower. Now it appears it has become... what is called a deep anomaly. By the gods, I was not prepared for this...! I should have suspected this when I began to suspect a time distortion, but I... I did not make the connection."
"This is the Mystery Dungeon doing this?" Char asked, growing worried. "It looks like it transported us..."
"I have only heard of the dungeons that are called deep," Scythe muttered. "And I believe it was from you. Prince... just what are we up against?"
"The Mystery Dungeons are a corruption of the structures of reality, such as time and space," Prince said. "Over the years, they sit and they grow like cancer, consuming the land and causing time and space to fall apart, until... until they become this bad. The worst of the dungeons, namely those which are normally untouched by intruders, seem to connect into one another beyond the veil of our perceptions, in some way we cannot grasp... and so, even the terrain we stand in will become variable, unpredictable. But this tower... I thought it was not like this! By some trick of time, the anomaly must have accelerated... Until now, I had only known of two dungeons with these properties, one of them being the Destiny Abyss..."
Prince shuddered, bowing his head for a moment at the memory. Char felt the tension he harbored, saw it in the way his fire trembled when he fell silent. He didn't even have to say anything else; Char just knew that this dungeon he spoke of, which he called Destiny Abyss, had caused him great trauma. He knew it was a painful memory...
Prince's breath caught. His eyes darted to Scythe, as he hit his forehead with his hand.
"The bags!" Prince gasped, horrified. "Check them! Check the bags! Quickly!"
Blinking, Ray threw off the sack from his shoulder and dropped it on the ground. The lip of the bag sank down, and a wonder orb rolled out and stopped against Char's feet. "What is it?" Ray asked, looking into the bag confusedly.
"Oh, bless the gods," Prince sighed, clenching his fists and bowing his head in relief. "Our bags could have been emptied from the very beginning. Just as Destiny Abyss did to me. All of my supplies... my treasures... gone, the moment I entered, scattered into Mystery Dungeons all over the world, before... before I even knew..."
Prince's fire wavered as he spoke about his past mission. His fist clenched tightly, and he averted his gaze from the others.
"Prince, please don't think about it now," Lily offered. "It didn't happen again now. We have everything we need. We're still okay."
"That may not be the case," Prince admitted. "If this tower ends up being anything like... Destiny Abyss... We can expect... nothing to go as planned. Anywhere on the face of this earth where there is a Mystery Dungeon... our journey might bleed into it."
"And our foes?" Scythe asked. "Will they be unexpected, as well?"
"They might be pulled from the respective dungeons we visit," Prince answered. "...or so we can hope."
"Prince..." Scythe whispered, "exactly... how long... has it been since you visited this place?"
Prince ignored the question, instead turning his attention to the landscape they stood within. It was the middle of nowhere, late at night; the moon was not out, only the stars gave a vague glow to the eerie landscape. It was impossible to tell where the entrance door had been, or which was the proper way to go.
"Perhaps this particular Mystery Dungeon is somewhere off Ambera," Prince speculated, slowly starting to lead the team across the meadow. "Though I had never heard of a dungeon in other regions of the world, there are no Watchers here..."
"Perhaps there are no Watchers because we are still inside of a building," Scythe guessed, idly slicing down some shoots of grass as he walked. "Although, if we are indeed visiting another dungeon from inside Temporal Tower... I don't know. These anomalies have always confused me to a degree."
A sound rose from the distance. It was an animal's chatter; the contented song of a Kricketot or a Pidgey relaxing for the evening. It was almost chilling to hear; it would have otherwise sounded so normal...
"But there are wild Pokémon here," Scythe hissed. "Keep an eye out for our foes."
"As always," Saura said. "Scythe tells us that every time we step into a dungeon. So much that I can hear his voice saying it in my head whenever we go into one."
"Then I have done my job," Scythe hummed. "Now... let us explore this place. Lead the way, Prince."
The grasslands lit up in the bright glow of Prince's fire as he lead the expedition. This particular dungeon did not appear to have any walls or boundaries, it was a straight field as far as the eye could see with only some silhouettes of trees in the distance. Char stayed near the back of the procession, doing his best to keep the entire surrounding area lit, lest something jump out at them.
More Pokémon cries drifted into the air. This time, an owl's hoot. Char and Saura both tensed, their attentions snapping at one of the far-off trees.
"I bet this field is an owl's paradise," Saura commented, a little waver in his voice. "Probably lots of rodents living under the ground... fresh pickings when they all come up for the night..."
"And they see this field as though it were daytime," Prince added. "Their eyes are powerful; all they need is our fire, and they can see a mile all around. They are probably watching us at this very moment."
Saura ducked his head slightly, as though to hide from sight. He bit his lip.
"Well, if they want plant Pokémon for breakfast, they're not getting close," Ray said, his voice ringing powerfully. "They know not to approach us."
"But they will; this is a Mystery Dungeon, after all," Scythe noted. "Wilds attack without exception. They are probably waiting for a strategic—"
"Giaaaa!"
A different kind of sound rose from the distance. It was another wild Pokémon's cry, this one something like a screech. Something like an ape's cry, or perhaps a raptor's, but... not quite. It sounded powerful, reminding Char of the force behind Nameless' cry,. Dread filled his heart, and he felt just the slightest twinge of recognition. He knew that kind of screech from somewhere, but he couldn't place it. All he knew was that he hoped not to come into confrontation with it.
He was not alone in his fear. The whole group paused to listen to the territorial cry as it faded back into silence.
"What do you think that was?" Ray wondered.
"Hard to say," Prince muttered. "It has been a very long time since I have been in this type of climate. I have forgotten many of the cries of the field-habitat Pokémon. I would guess... Staravia. Scythe, any idea?"
Scythe didn't respond right away.
He stood still for a moment. His eyes sparkled with recognition, almost not believing his own ears.
"When you hear that voice," he said finally, "go in the other direction."
"Scythe, do you know something we don't?" Prince asked. "What was that?"
"It could be many things," Scythe muttered. "Many things... but let's not find out if we don't need to. Let's move."
Not pressing it any further, Prince averted his course, and the team trudged farther through the grass, ready more than ever for an ambush. Char fell to all fours, ready to take the battle stance if necessary. As he walked along, he squinted at the grass underfoot.
It looked so real. Was it really an illusion? Was it really just a mirror's image of some far-away Mystery Dungeon? He could feel its tickle against his claws, his belly... He could even feel the soft, moist earth underneath. It made him very unnerved to imagine the scenery was such an effective deception.
"I wonder," Prince muttered, looking to the distance, "if this place... is part of Ambera after all. If space and time are corrupted to this degree... time being key... perhaps this is a dungeon from Ambera's far past, before the Watcher infestation had grown."
"I was wondering the same, myself," Scythe said oddly. "This place... it reminds me of a time before the Watchers became a part of life I couldn't ignore. I lived many places in my youth..."
"GIIIIIIIAAAAAAA!"
The cry came again. Though Prince had clearly altered the party's course away from it, it now appeared to be coming from somewhere in front of them—behind some shallow dip in the ground, or perhaps from some tree. It was hard to see far into the distance to tell for sure what sort of hiding places were there, or what sort of wild Pokémon waited for them. Char dug into the dirt with his claws, psyching himself for a battle.
"Why do I feel like that's something to be really afraid of?" Lily wondered, her voice wavering a little. "My instincts are going crazy."
Char glanced in the direction of the cry, and he saw a few trees in the distance. It seemed like the only thing he could see in the darkness of night.
But then... it clicked.
The trees. The grass. The sounds of birds. All at once, it rang a powerful bell to Char. He remembered the Pidgey. He remembered his arm aching from the heavy weight of a bag. He glanced around in disbelief, wondering if his thought could be true.
"Guys!" Char gasped. "I think I know what this place is! I think I've been here before! I think... this could be the Wanderer's Meadow! The place we found Otto!"
"Char! I think you might be right..." Ray gasped. "We just went in a big circle! That's how those trees ended up in front of us again!"
"Huh," Scythe chuckled. "So... you remember this dungeon?"
"Vaguely," Saura answered, helping Char think. "It wasn't very big. It's just a plot of land that repeated itself over a few times until you find the right way. It usually takes travelers about an hour to find the exit."
"And do you, by chance, remember what kinds of wild Pokémon live here?"
"Pidgey," Char rattled off. "And Spearow. Standard field animals. You know, Rattata, Hoothoot, and..."
"And?"
"...There was another," Char remembered, biting his lip. "We prayed we didn't run into any... wild Scyther!"
Dread swept over the team.
It was unmistakable: the powerful cry had resembled Scythe's own.
They were being hunted.
Scythe wasted no time. "Huddle around Prince," he ordered quickly. "Wild Scyther are poor warriors, but they have the advantage in the dark. Watch the firelight and protect yourselves! I will try to duel it when it comes."
"I will burn it," Prince growled. "If I can defeat you in a duel, it will not last long between the two of us."
"No! Stay near the group, protect Char and the rest," Scythe ordered, beginning to breathe faster. "Scyther are communal. They could be hunting in a clan. Cries are used to confuse the prey. They draw the dangerous foes away from the young and the weak. If they have us surrounded, especially in the dark, we cannot attack. We can only wait for them. Get ready!"
Char practically backed up into Prince's legs, and his friends followed his lead. His eyes scanned the surrounding darkness for any signs of movement, but he couldn't tell what was just his mind's eye, what was the flicker of the fire, and what was a foe prowling just out of sight.
He arched his back, assuming his battle stance, ready to snap like a coiled spring or blow a fireball at the enemy.
"Wild Scyther..." Saura gasped, "If it fights anything like Scythe fights... This is going to be scary."
"Nah. This is going to be over in no time," Ray said evilly. "Scyther or not, it's just a wild. We're at full strength and we've got so many supplies, it's not funny. These battles are going to get harder, but this is the very first one! It'll be easy!"
"You're sure," Saura muttered back. It wasn't a question.
"Yeah," Ray answered. "Scythe knows what we're up against. He can beat his own kind."
Char would have added something, he felt the desire to be as still as the air.
"I wish I could believe you," Saura whispered.
For about half a minute, the team waited, ready to defend. It was still.
"It comes!" Scythe shouted in warning.
Char's heart skipped a beat as something moved. It was fast.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of parried blows. Metal against metal. Stunned gasps, one of which was his own.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Char witnessed the faintest blur as an incredibly agile creature appeared in the firelight. For a moment, could barely see either of the two combatants as they buzzed around like the wind, faster than the eye could follow. He could only cower back and hope that Scythe was the superior warrior.
Thump!
A Scyther hit the ground, twitching. Another one stood proudly over it. For once, Char was able to catch a glimpse of the wild one, and he knew that Scythe had bested it in battle and remained standing. The wild seemed smaller than Scythe, much younger. It roiled around in the grass, grasping for a sense of balance and orientation, the blank fury of a wild Pokémon in its shining eyes.
Char saw how the wild Scyther moved like a demon, its scythes stretching out, yearning for flesh to slice, its mouth gnashing and screeching in hatred of its foe. He was afraid. Even though it was such a different Scyther, it still looked so much like Scythe...
Its wings opened again, and it vanished. A split second later, Scythe's blade swung through the empty air where it had been.
"It escaped..." Scythe breathed. "It is faster than I..."
Char couldn't quite tell what happened next.
There was commotion. The sound of intense buzzing, and the sound of his teammates shrieking and yelling. But he just couldn't react in time; he couldn't tell from which direction the attack was coming from.
"There's two of them!" Lily yelled.
"No! ... Four!" Ray squeaked.
"Prepare yourself!"
Prince reacted instantly. There was a thumping sound as the Infernape leaped into the air, sailed over Lily's head, and smacked the wild Scyther in the face with his foot. Char caught a glimpse of the blade which Prince had successfully dodged as it flashed in the moving firelight.
Slash! Clang! Slash!
The Scyther seemed to rebound from the shadows, flitting around Prince's face and cutting gashes into his skin. One attack had connected with his metallic shoulder plate. Panicking, Char jumped back away from the commotion, fleeing from the crazed mantis, as shrieks from his friends pierced the air.
And then there was a flash of red.
And pain. Horrible pain.
Char was face-up now, somehow. He couldn't tell what had happened, but a stinging sensation from his right arm seemed to drown out all of his other senses. He opened his mouth to scream, and a torrent of fire came out. He thought he saw the face of a crazed mantis somewhere inside of the fireball he had produced...
Acting on instinct, he rolled to the side...
But he still felt a blade sink into his skin.
Shlink!
"Char's down!"
"Ray! Get him!"
KRACK-OW! For the sliver of a second, daylight filled the sky as an electric attack was unleashed. A Scyther's cry screeched loudly beside Char's ear. Ray's face soon entered his field of vision.
"Char! Char, you're bleeding everywhere!" Ray cried.
"W-what did it do?" Char wondered, gritting his teeth as he clutched Ray's paw and pulled himself up.
"Looks like it almost sliced your stomach open!" Ray said. "Good thing you dodged when you did, it looks like he was trying to cut you in half!"
"Yeah, but this stings," Char grunted, returning to his feet and grasping the long diagonal wound which was left across his belly and his chest.
"Guys! This isn't over yet!" Lily screamed. "Keep up your guard!"
Heeding the warning, Char tried to ignore the pain and let his battle instincts drown it out. It could heal. He could eat a Sitrus berry later and it would be as good as new. For now, though, he had to make sure he, and none of his friends, would get sliced in half. He carefully knelt down and returned to all fours, where he felt the sickening sensation of his blood dripping out of him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Scythe intercepted another attack, dueling with the feral Scyther and testing its agility. But he was distracted; he knew now that there was more than one of the monsters, so he had to remain vigilant lest a second one try to gang up on him. Scyther knew well the strength in numbers.
But the moment he thought he had a chance for a killing blow, the foe unexpectedly retreated from the light. The horrifying sound of his buzzing wings faded back into the distance, and it was quiet for a moment.
Another Scyther burst from the shadows, arms outstretched in the killing stance. This time, Char caught sight of it.
FWOOOSH! Fire lit the air as Char leapt to the side, countering the wild's attack.
"Saura! Now!"
Lily and Saura seized the moment, sprouting their vines quickly and snapping them around the attacker, entangling it in a giant knot. It convulsed and struggled, jerking the grass-type Pokémon forward as it tried to free its scythes from their grasp, but they held on.
Slash!
Just as Char was about to release another flamethrower onto the feral, another Scyther came out of nowhere and blindsided Lily, hitting her with a body slam. Helpless to retaliate, Lily failed to hold her vines and retracted them. Fearing they would be sliced, Saura also let the enemy go, and the captive Scyther wormed free.
Prince jumped into the fray with flaming fists, and just barely missed pounding one in the face as both Scyther retreated from the battlefield.
Again, there was stillness for a moment.
"Ugh! We had it!" Lily complained, shaking her head and recovering from the blunt attack. "I didn't see that other one!"
"This is difficult!" Scythe gasped. "Scyther utilize stealth when attacking in a group. They keep themselves hidden until the right time to strike, and they know when to pull back. We are at a sore disadvantage in this darkness! While I can see somewhat into the dark, my eyes can't adjust with this firelight..."
"Ray!" Saura cried suddenly. "Ray! We can fix that! Can't we?"
"Huh?"
"Did we pack a Luminous Orb?"
"Oh! Yeah! We did!" Ray laughed. "Alright! Now they're going down!"
Ray nearly jumped straight into the bag, submerging his head into it as his paws dug around in the pile of supplies within. He touched each an every orb, listening to them all telepathically identify themselves, until he found the one he wanted.
Thump. Something hit Char in the head. It was an Oran berry. He bit down on it without hesitation.
"Hmm, Luminous Orb. Good thinking," Prince said. "It has been a while since I have used one of those. I do not usually pack those."
Ray withdrew the large blue pearl from the sack, Holding it over his head as he commanded it to activate. Char watched interestedly as it began glowing ever-so-faintly...
There was an incredible flash, brighter than the noonday sun. Char had to look away.
When Char opened his eyes again... it was daytime.
While there was no sign of a sun in the sky, the entire landscape looked as though it was drenched in an early-evening orange. The far reaches of the meadow were now visible.
...and so was the small Scyther clan which congregated a few dozen feet from their position, looking absolutely shocked at the sudden absence of their cover. There were four of them. Only four.
"Now! While they are still perplexed!" Scythe ordered. "They cannot hide from us! Attack!"
As the team barreled across the ground and closed the distance to the enemies, Char could see the utter panic in the Scythers' eyes. They couldn't figure out whether to fight or to run...
...And by the time they did, it was far too late. Lily began launching a barrage of tiny leaves into them, Saura slung forward a shower of poison onto them, and Char had his eyes fixed on the one that had slashed him. Somehow, he could tell the difference.
Blades clashed as Scythe engaged one of the enemies. Prince gave an ape-like roar which terrified the Scyther even further, then spun into a cartwheel to dodge the blade and smashed one of the bug in the back with two forceful feet, knocking the wind out of it. Before it could recover, a flaming fist collided with its face.
Char raced across the ground, quick like a startled rat, straight for the Scyther he would exact revenge upon. The Scyther saw him coming and crouched low to fend him off...
But Char skipped a step, thrusting his hind legs against the dirt and propelling himself into the air. The deadly sickles were swung harmlessly underneath him.
Smack! Char latched onto the Scyther's face, covering its vision. Smiling evilly, Char opened his mouth wide and bit down onto the Scyther's faceplate. It began turning black almost immediately as it absorbed the fire from Char's maw.
He could feel the Scyther thrashing, trying unsuccessfully to brush him off with its blades while not accidentally decapitating itself, but it was no use. Char clenched even tighter, until he felt the Scyther's exoskeleton begin to fail.
It was quite a gruesome sight when Char finally dislodged his fangs from the bug Pokémon, who now laid motionless in the bloodstained grass.
"And that is how you kill a Steelix," Char said proudly, returning to his friends' side.
Saura and Ray had helped one another defeat the third Scyther, but now they just stood speechless, gawking at the mutilated mantis Pokémon which Char left behind.
Saura began choking on his words, averting his gaze from the corpse. "I... I... You know, ever since you killed that Steelix, I told myself I'd give anything to have been there. Now... I'm starting to be glad I wasn't there."
Ray just kept staring blankly; he couldn't say a word.
Clang! Clang! Scythe parried the blows from the last standing Scyther, the most skilled of the four. Char watched the duel, wondering if this final Scyther was the leader.
"What skill, brother!" Scythe shouted at it, twisting his body and buzzing his wings, avoiding the counterattacks and zipping in circles around the foe. "What impressive training the wild has given you! You are talented! But... I know one technique more than you!"
Smack. The enemy Scyther landed a backhanded blow at Scythe's chest, taking the old warrior's breath away and causing him to reel backward.
Clank! The foe followed up with another blow, which glanced off Scythe's horn as he barely dodged it.
"Scythe!" Saura yelled. "Watch out!"
"Hold still!" Prince grunted, poising himself to strike. "I will end it!"
"No!" Scythe barked back. "Stand down! You will just confuse me!"
SLAM!
The feral Scyther saw an opening and slammed, head-first, into Scythe's body. Scythe took the full force of the powerful blow, spinning back and slumping to the ground.
The team gave a collective gasp of worry, but none moved. Not until Scythe called for help.
Scythe rolled over and righted himself, gasping for breath as he knelt to face the enemy. The demonic Scyther was cautious, though; it did not expect such a strong enemy to fall so quickly, and suspected treachery. But after hesitating once, twice, and seeing that Scythe only returned a glare and showed no signs of returning to his feet, the wild Scyther determined his opponent to be helpless. It opened its wings and launched a counterattack, its arms spread in the scissor formation...
SLASH!
At the last moment, Scythe jerked himself to his feet. He did not avoid the attack; rather he prevented the attack from being fatal; The wild Scyther's attack connected fully, blades digging into Scythe's thorax at least an inch before Scythe resisted them with his arms. His eyes closed tightly, bearing the pain...
"Whoa!" Ray gasped. "Scythe's turning white!"
Char blinked. As Scythe wrestled painfully with the foe and tried to pry its blades away from connecting to one another and slicing him in half, Char saw his body was indeed becoming brighter. He knew this was the special, unexplained power that Pokémon harbored... the same power which built in his claws when he would command them to slice through rock.
"GIAAAAAIIIII!"
SCHLINK.
Releasing a victorious screech from his lungs, Scythe's body seemed to erupt in power, thrusting his full weight onto the foe so unexpectedly that it did not even have time to panic. It amazed Char; it seemed like Scythe had bounced the power of the wild's attack right back at it. The wild flew backward and slumped to the ground... in two pieces.
Scythe smiled as he stood over his kill.
"What was that?" Lily gasped. "What did you do? What kind of a move was that? That was incredible!"
"That is my favorite technique," Scythe said, marching back to the team. "It is known as the vital counter. With it, I can double the power of an enemy's attack and send it back at them. It is rare for a Scyther to know the technique; it requires a very strict manipulation of the white energy, something which cannot be taught, only known by instinct."
"So how did you learn it?" asked Ray eagerly. "Did you know it all your life?"
"I am led to believe that, yes," Scythe responded. "I believe I know it only because my father did; he must have passed it genetically into my egg. There was a time when I was—"
"Hey, guys?" Saura said warily, interrupting Scythe's proud banter. "Uh... I think this one's still alive!"
One of the Scyther, the only one that remained whole, in fact, stirred upon the ground. It emitted a dazed groan as its blades witched. Saura backed away quickly.
As the team watched the recovering creature. Char wondered if he should finish it off. But it lifted its head, and its eyes had a different sort of expression in them.
It wasn't like the untamed demon's gaze he'd seen in them earlier. This one was remorseful, pitiful... as though the Scyther was acknowledging its defeat and asking for forgiveness.
Char's heart nearly stopped. He'd seen that face before. The way that the wild suddenly looked up to its foes. The way its gaze suddenly turned respectful.
The way it pleaded for acceptance.
"Finish it," Scythe ordered. "Don't just stare at it. Finish it before it returns to its feet."
"Wait... no," Char said suddenly. "Wait just a moment. Um... who knocked this one out? Do you remember?"
"I did," Prince said. "I defeated it."
"Prince, look at it!" Char cried. "I think it's impressing on you!"
Prince blinked, staring at the fallen wild. And the wild stared back.
"No...!" Saura said in disbelief. "This is happening again? Just like Otto? That's impossible!"
"There must be something about this meadow!" Ray guessed. "Prince! Do you think we could use a second Scyther on our team? To help us fight?"
"Perhaps..." Prince said absently, his gaze locked with the creature's. "Items might run scarce, but..."
"Then show it you're its friend," Ray told him. "Show it that you accept it."
Prince took a careful step toward the helpless creature, looking upon it with wonder and pity. The wild looked surprised, and indeed, grateful for this show of mercy, as its eyes followed Prince's movements.
"This... has never happened to me before," Prince admitted. "I... have never impressed a wild in my life... I... I wonder if I have finished off some wilds who would have been impressed... But gladly... I would gladly like to have a Scyther on my team."
Prince knelt down, touching the Scyther carefully upon the forehead where he had delivered the brutal fire-punch that had knocked it out. There was a stain upon its green faceplate, a brown streak where the fire had touched. He stroked the wound, watching the Scyther wince at the contact.
"Char," Prince called, "Bring me a Sitrus berry..."
Char did as instructed. He turned to Ray, but saw that he did not have the bag. It was still back a few yards from where they had rushed.
The Scyther's face turned to a scowl.
Prince tensed.
BUZZZZ.
"GIAAAAAAIIIIIIAAAHHH!"
The Scyther attacked. Prince yelled in fury as the Scyther swung its blades at his knees, drawing blood.
"KILL IT!"
Hearing the commotion, Char's head snapped in Prince's direction.
The Scyther was coming right for him.
He tried to fling himself out of the way, but he couldn't stop the attack from connecting.
SCHLAP!
Pain sliced through Char's arm. So sudden and forceful, the pain was, that Char's mind almost shut itself off. Instinctively, he reached up to touch the wound.
He felt nothing.
Looking down, Char saw his arm laying at his feet. It had been sliced off.
"Ahhh... AHHH! AHHH! AHH! AHH!" Char wheezed, cupping his remaining hand over the stump as blood poured out. "My- my- my- my ARM! My arm! MY ARM!"
Char could feel his ember blazing now. He could have burned that Scyther to a pile of ash with a simple flamethrower. But he couldn't move. His mind was frozen. Frozen with impossibility. His arm was gone.
SMACK. Prince punched the Scyther a second time as it tried to double back and finish off Char. The Infernape screeched in rage as he jumped at the reeling Scyther, pinned it onto the ground with his full weight, held its head in his hands, and snapped its neck.
"It... it was faking?" Lily managed to say.
"No; likely it was still dazed from returning to consciousness," Scythe grunted.
"Dear gods, Char..." Prince grunted, quickly unwrapping the scarf from his neck and tying it tightly around Char's wound. It quickly soaked with red.
"My... my... my ARM! MY ARM! MY ARM!"
"CHAR! Settle down, for the love of Entei, Settle down! You'll bleed to death if you don't calm your heart!" Prince tied a double knot into the bloodsoaked scarf.
"Aaaaaaahhhh!" Char wailed, looking down at the lifeless limb which still sat at his feet. "I... ahhhh! Ahhh!"
"Char, calm yourself!" Scythe barked. "You'll attract every wild in the room! Ray... go grab your bag before some Rattata steals all your berries."
"But my arm is gone! My arm is gone!" Char cried, continuing his tantrum as he fell limply into Prince's arms. "I... I thought... How... how is that... I thought Pokémon were... stronger... than this..."
"Against any other Pokémon, yes," Scythe said. "There is not another Pokémon who can dismember you as efficiently as a Scyther. It... is what we are built for. That is what we do. We cut our foes to pieces."
"Char... it's alright. You will have your arm back," Prince hummed.
Char took a deep breath. "H-how?" he managed to answer.
"We're in a dungeon, remember?" Scythe replied. "Reviver Seeds heal any wound you receive while in the dungeon. If you later fall, you will be reborn whole. But try to carry on as long as possible. I get the feeling we will be using some Reviver Seeds. But let us not abuse them, if we can help it. Char... you are blazing, it seems. Your flame is as big as the sun. Let us use that to our advantage while we can. You will be whole again soon."
A wave of resistance and a tearing sensation pulsed through Char as he tried, instinctively, to move the severed muscles in his shoulder. With a little self-control, he managed to stop screaming to the heavens. He tried to calm his heart. It was alright. The wound was temporary. It was okay. It hurt. So much. And already it felt so wrong not to have a second claw. But it was okay. Okay.
Though Char managed to quiet himself, he couldn't help emitting a long, constant whimper. Tiling his head to the side, and saw Ray, Saura, and Lily standing beside him. Ray had not gone to get the bag as instructed. They all stood there, offering shocked gazes of sympathy. It was all they could do.
"By the gods, this is only the first floor," Scythe growled, trying to scrape the gooey, clear blood from his blades. "Prince... how many floors is Temporal Tower?"
"Twenty-four."
Scythe gave a pained moan. "Ohhh... Prince, do me a favor, and for the duration of this dungeon, do not follow Char's advice again."
"Understood," Prince grunted, cradling Char in his arms and waiting for the wound to clot.