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"Well. Why are you still here, Milady?" The man said, pulling Midori gently, pressing his lips so close to Midori's ear that the gesture was almost intimate wanna see something cool? Watch, and learn, darling.
Laughing, Sho lifted his gun, taking aim of Jasmine's ears, and started to shoot. The bullet sand as it raced and cut few strands of hair in Jasmine's head, but the bullets didn't hurt her or even touch her at all
"Unnh!" Midori struggled, trying to break out of the man's grasp, but he held her too firmly.
Instinctively hearing the gunshots, Jasmine brought her hand up, sparks beginning to eminate from it. It's been awhile since she used her Celestrian powers.
"So it's a fight you want?" she asked, smirking. "Put the girl down."
***
"Uh...uhmmm..." Vara frowned. "I can't remember."
Sho smirked.
So she is a Celestrian. She was really foolish of her to reveal her identity as a Celestrian. She'll be nothing more than another experiment subject.
He threw his gun away, and pulled out another one from his coat. This time, its different. The gun is black, with three long barrel. On the side, is the logo of Team Galactic.
"Can you take this?" Sho raised his eyebrow mockingly, then, he pulled the trigger.
Midori, taking this as an escape attempt opportunity, elbowed Sho as hard as she could in his stomach, sending the bullet off-target, which Jazz dodged smoothly. Her hand went up in blue flames. She quickly scooped up the other gun with her non-flaming hand he had thrown away.
"Any more dumb ideas you wanna try?" she asked, pointing it at the side of his head.
***
"You don't remember?" Demyzek asked smoothly, getting up from his chair and pacing behind Vara. "Really?"
Vara closed her eyes and nodded, shakily.
"Well well, it's a good thing I have something to help you remember," Demyzek said calmly, a needle and syringe hidden in his hands. The liquid inside the syringe was a special drug that his scientists had invented; it was a drug that forced patients back into memories for a few minutes, as if they were reliving those memories.
"This'll only hurt...a little bit."
Vara felt a small prick in her neck vein, and the scene changed right in front of her eyes.
"What's happening? What's happening!?!" she cried out, then froze as she found herself back in Twinleaf Town, near the lake. Ales and his Kiralia were there, and he smiled charmingly, playing the first chord of "Enchanted" on the guitar.
"No...no, no, no!" Vara screamed as loud as she could, clasping her hands over her ears.
Demyzek stared at Vara, screaming in a ball on the chair with her hands over her ears, tears streaming out of her tightly closed eyelids. He would have laughed, had he not known exactly how she felt...
"My death would mean nothing." Sho laughed, getting up, and brushed the dust from his suit. He took off his glass, revealing his red eyes, which has slanted pupils, like a cat. He looked down at Jasmine, who Is shorter than him. "Besides, do you have the courage to pull the trigger? Ah, what would the world say when they find out that a member of the Elite Four is actually a murderer?"
His crimson eyes gleamed, as the sun slowly fall and the sky slowly turned orange "go ahead. Shoot me if you can."
---
"I've had enough!" Ales cried, after getting frustrated in his attempt to find Vara. He had searched for her throughout the house. The rooms, kitchen, bathrooms... Everywhere! He had looked for her in every corner of the house.
Well, unless this house has a hidden basement or secret room.
Ales waste no more time in venting his anger, but instead he lifted his gladius. Its tip glowed brightly and ball of lightning crackled in his free hand. A heartbeat later, it soared towards the floor, making a huge noise that seemed to shook the very earth.
Jasmine narrowed her eyes at Sho, then jumped as she heard an enormous bang that shook te earth.
"Wh-what was that?" Midori asked shakily, picking up the Trigun that Sho.
Jasmine's eyes narrowed again. "I don't know, but we'd better check it out."
She turned back to Sho and smirked. "You called my bluff, sir. I never was going to kill you...but I don't see anything wrong with this," she said, whacking him over the head with the gun and kicking him down to the ground, keeping one foot on his back.
"You go find Vara, I'll catch up with you once I make sure this guy won't wake up for awhile," Jasmine said to her.
"M...me? But..."
"Go!"
Without further argument, Midori ran into her house, and saw the red-haired boy who had been riding Hydreigon, holding a sword. She ducked behind a chair, so that he might not see her.
***
The huge noise caught Vara out of her memories, and she blinked hazily while Demyzek jumped up from his chair.
"Secure the perimeters. Make sure nobody gets in," he said into a wallow-talkie.
"You, milady..." Sho laughed. His voice hollow, haunting, and scary, and seemed to vibrate along Jasmine's very bones. He has no problems with Jazz pounding him to the ground. He was waiting for his chance to strike back. "Are a rare breed indeed. There aren't so many woman that would dare to do this... You are great, my lady.... But I'm afraid your effort will be meaningless..."
--
Ales jumped through the hole he just made, not seeing the girl in black tank top that spied on him.
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Jasmine muttered, kicking him in the head again. "'Your efforts will be meaningless', couldn't you have come up with something more original?"
***
Midori watched the boy jump down the hole, then she waited and ran to the hole, peering in.
This wasn't a just a hole in the ground-- it led down to a dark hallway. She never knew there was something under her house.
She slid down the hole and followed Ales quietly.
Sho's hand quickly flew to Jasmine's feet, and he pulled it, attempting to make her fall, and his free hand went to her neck, trying to suffocate her as she fell. "Let's say that its my catchphrase, Lady Jasmine."
---
"Sierra, I need you to--" Ales said, then, he quickly stopped. The hallway was dark, that's for sure. But luckily, the tip of his Gladius glowed and light the way.
Memories flashed across his mind. Sierra... He miss her. That's for sure. Hell, she and Vara is the pieces of the puzzles of his heart. He had been friends with sierra for many years. He saw her being hatched from an egg, he saw her struggling to fit and socialize with fellow pokemon in observatory. He knew everything about her, not just the face she presented to the world, and Ales is the only one that could see through her emotionless face and read what she's feeling inside.
----
It was exactly the sort of day Sierra, the Gardevoir didn’t like—sullen, stormy, and bitterly cold. While the ocean breezes always made Sinnoh Pokemon League feel cool, even in the hot summer months, the chill of the wind and rain that now pummeled the castle like building cut to the bone. The ocean churned unhappily, the sky above it gray and menacing. It showed no signs of letting up. Outside, training fields turned to mud, challengers sought the shelter of the Pokemon Center.
Thunder rumbled and there was a flash of lightning. Sierra, snug in her tower surrounded by the books and papers she so loved, shivered and drew her cloak about her more closely, then turned to one who was doubtless even more uncomfortable than she.
Ernest Alexanderson, former Leader of Hearthome, sat in a chair drawn close to the fire, sipping a cup of tea. His hands closed about the cup, seeking its warmth. His long hair, white as freshly fallen snow, was loose about his shoulders. he looked up as Sierra approached and sat in the chair across from his. He crimson eyes, a deep, knowing ruby, missed nothing.
“You’re thinking about him.”
Sierra scowled and looked into the fire, trying to distract herself with the dancing flames. (I didn’t know being a Champion meant you could read minds.)
“Minds? Pfft. It’s your face and bearing I can read like a primer, Sierra. Besides, you always get in this mood when the weather turns.”
Sierra shivered. (Am I truly so easy to read?)
Twitch’s sharp features softened and he patted Sierra’s hand. “Well, I’ve got years of observation under my belt. I’m a bit better at reading people than most.”
Sierra sighed. (It’s true. When the weather is cold, I do think of him. About what happened. About whether I could have done anything.)
Twitch sighed. “Thirty seven years and I don’t think I’ve ever really been in love, just lust. Too much else to worry about. But if it’s any consolation to you—he’s been on my mind, too.”
Sierra blinked, surprised and unsettled by the comment. (You’ve been thinking about Ales?)
“Can’t you feel it?”
Slowly, Sierra nodded. She had tried to chalk it up to the weather and the tensions that always ran high when it was so damp and unpleasant. But Twitch was suggesting that there was more to it than that. A smile flickered on his lips as he thought about the words. he himself was well past his own youth, a youth in which Ales Celestria had played no significant a role, except messing with his plans to annoy and touch Jasmine.
“Tell me of him,” Twitch said, sitting back in his chair. At that moment, an eager looking boy walked through the door. He can't possibly get through Diego... He must have let him through on purpose, to either make Twitch work, or he sees talent in him. The boy opened his mouth to speak, but Twitch wagged a finger at him, signaling him to stop and wait.
(I’ve told you all I know.)
“No,” Twitch retorted. “You told me the facts of what happened. I want you to tell me about him. Ales Celestria.” and the champion grinned.“it’s a cold and rainy day. And that’s exactly the sort of day stories were made for. Or would you rather watch me kick butt?"
Smirking, Twitch's shadow began to grow longer, and a claw, seemingly made from shadow, and gripped the boy's feet "hahaha... Relax. Its my Sableye." Twitch laughed, seeing the boy's frightened expression.
Jasmine fell to the ground and Sho's hands clutched her neck, suffocating her. Quickly, she used her flaming hand to touch Sho's arm, her hand burning an imprint on his wrist.
***
Midori froze when Ales started talking, then realized he wasn't talking to her. She swallowed nervously, hoping he wouldn't notice her.
***
Demyzek put the walkie-talkie to his ear again. "Who's broken in?"
"Some redheaded kid," the grunt on the other end said. "And someone else-- oh, hey, it's your daughter, boss. She's following him. Want me to stop them?"
Demyzek gritted his teeth in frustration. He didn't want Midori to get all caught up in this.
"Leave them. If Midori loses him, go after the kid."
Sho cried out as he was forced backward by the flame. Flame licked at him for precious seconds before he recovered. "Amazing. Mastery over fire, eh?"
Without further talking, he took a pokeball from his coat, and pushed the button. Red beam flashed, making the shape of a huge hyena.
Sho smirked, stroking the fur of his unnaturally large and weird pokemon.
It looked just like a Mightyena, only bigger, with longer claws, fangs, and tail.
---
"Who's there?!" Ales whirled furiously, running his hand along the length of his blade, as it electricity began to flow through it, and sparks engulfed it. He may be locked inside a clumsy teen for years, and only comes out when Shooter's in danger, but Ales never lost his touch and instinct. "Who are you?!" He said sharply at Midori. He was foolish enough to think it was Sierra who was following behind him.
Jasmine raised an eyebrow. That was one weird-looking Pokemon.
She swallowed painfully, Sho had squeezed her neck pretty hard. She supposed it was an effective way of shutting her up.
She took one of her pokeballs and threw it, a Dragonair appearing.
***
"Uh...uhhh..." Midori took one look at Ales and his sword. "um, I'm Midori....I'm a friend of Jasmine's."
"This is a scientifically cranked up pokemon." Sho said, biting back the pain Jasmine had caused. He stroked the fur of his Mightyena, who responded to its master's touch by howling. Its howl sounds like death, and his claws looked like it meant to reap life itself. The hyena's height reached Sho's elbow, which is really big for a Mightyena because Sho is a tall man. "Ten times stronger than a normal Mightyena. Sure you wanna take me on, my lady?"
---
"Well, then I don't see any reason I should let you live." Ales said. Sharply. His gaze seemed to pierce through the soul, and he narrowed his eyes at the girl, while pointing his sword at her direction as an act of intimidation "why are you following me? So you can tell Jasmine I'm here?"
---
Lieutenant General Aster Fenix didn’t look particularly happy to have this exclusive audience with King Axel and Prince Vasilios. In fact, he looked like he desperately would like to slink away unnoticed.
The years had not been kind to him, neither physically nor in the hand fate had dealt him. Vasilios recalled a handsome, rather dashing military commander who, while doubtless overfond of his drink, at least seemed able to keep the ravages of it at bay. No longer.
Aster was here today because he had messed up. Badly. Somehow the Celestrian’s prized Dimago, Garona--the Dimago that slain Daelin Neferata, had escaped Interment Camp in a fire. Not just that, he freed almost all Dimago that is held captive in the camp. Aster had tried to keep it quiet and conduct his search for the Dimago personally and on a small scale, but a secret as large as a massive Dimago could not be contained forever. Once word had gotten out, rumors flew wildly, of course—it was a rival Celestrian who had freed the Dimago; it was a jealous mistress, hoping to embarrass him; it was a clever band of Dimago... —no, no, it was Garona himself; it was his infamous Salamence infiltrating the camp, who lit the place afire with only his breath.
When information had come that Garona was on the loose, Axel had summoned Aster immediately for an accounting.
Vasilios smothered a grin as Aster Fenix seemed to physically diminish right in front of his eyes.
“You assured me that the funds and materials went directly into stepping up security, and that Garona was securely guarded.”King Axel continued, “And yet somehow, he is out there instead of safely inside Interment Camp. How is that possible?”
Aster frowned and rallied somewhat. “It is certainly unfortunate that Garona escaped. I’m sure you understand how I must feel.”
It was a hit on Aster’s part; Axel still smarted from the fact that Garona had escaped from under his very nose. But it wasn’t a particularly wise hit. Axel frowned and continued.
“I hope this isn’t part of some disturbing trend. The money is earned from the labor of the people, Lieutenant General. It goes toward keeping them safe. Do I need to send along a representative to ensure that the funds are properly distributed?”
“No! No, no, that won’t be necessary. I will account for every penny.”
“Yes,” said Axel with deceptive mildness, “you will.”
When Aster finally left, bowing obsequiously the whole way out, Axel turned to his son.
“What are your thoughts on the situation? You saw Garona in action.”
Vasilios nodded. “He wasn’t at all like I had imagined Dimago to be. I mean…he was huge. And fought fiercely. But it was obvious he was also intelligent. And trained.”
Axel stroked his beard, thinking. “There are pockets of renegade Dimago out there. Some who might not have this lassitude that the ones we’ve imprisoned have demonstrated. If Dimago were to find them and teach them what he knows, it could be a very bad thing for us.”
Vasilios sat up straighter. This could be what he’d been looking for. “I’ve been training hard with Ky.” And he had been. He’d fought for hours a day until his body ached, attempting to sufficiently exhaust himself so that he could get Breanne's face out of his mind. True, Ky had just chewed his head off because off his Val's action in taking a fleet of Royal Knights with him to search Ales. Luckily Ky managed to stop him, because if he don't, the mortals would be confused to see thousands of Pidgeot flying around Sinnoh, since they can't see the Celestrian riding it.
It had been what he wanted, hadn’t it? Breanne’d taken it well. So why was it he who lay awake at night, missing her warmth and presence with a pain that bordered on agony? He had even embraced hitherto despised hours spent in still, silent meditation in an effort to distract himself. Maybe if he focused on fighting, on learning how to accept and channel and direct the wind, he could get the hell over her. Over the girl whose heart he had tried desperately to won but failed
“We could go looking for such Dimago. Find them before Garona does.”
Axel nodded. “Ky has informed me of your dedication, and he’s been impressed with your progress.” He reached a decision. “Very well then. Go tell Ky and start preparing. It’s time for your first taste of real battle.”
Vasilios was hard put not to let out a whoop of excitement. He refrained, even in his delight picking up on the pained, worried look on his father’s face. Maybe, just maybe, killing rebellious blueskins would erase the memory of Breanne's expression.
“Thank you, sir. I’ll do you proud.”
Despite the regret in his father’s violet eyes, so like Val’s own, Axel smiled. “That, my son, is the least of my worries.”
Jasmine gritted her teeth. "Do you know who you're talking to?"
Ouch. It hurt to talk.
"Dragonair, Thunderbolt!" she commanded.
***
"D....Daaah, no," Midori said quickly, clearing her throat. Obviously she wasn't good at explaining things, seeing as she hadn't much practice. "Uh, I'm trying to rescue Vara. I witnessed her getting kidnapped."
***
"I'm sorry for that little...intrusion," Demyzek said, turning back to Vara who had curled into a ball on the chair, tears squeezing out of her tightly closed eyelids. "Now, Ales's weakness?"
"Nnngh!" Vara clamped her hands over her ears.
As the wave of lightning bolt zoomed to the Mightyena and his master, Sho grinned that damnable grin and extended his arm. Mightyena howled, and black aura began to surround him. The aura began to make the shape of a ball, and the ball launched forward, clashing with the thunder
---
"You do?" Ales raised an eyebrow, still not taking his gaze and sword away from the girl. He won't lower his sword, not this time. She could be a Galactic in disguise "well, all right then. Show me the way, and I might let you live."
With that, Ales approached the girl, his sword pointed to her throat, and he gazed at her eyes. Strangely enough, she reminds him of Vara. "Walk. Now."