Legend of the Exile
Chapter 18: Doomsday Survivor
In Violet City, a lone young man stood at a wooden podium, staring out over the desperate masses. Glancing back to the gently swaying tower, he ran his figners through his spiked, orange hair and took a deep breath. From afar, Blue would seem untroubled--a steadfast rock that the people could cling to.
The people's eyes were haunted, gaunt, weary. Their eyes told of humanity's despair and loss, mirrored in every region around the globe. The man took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and leaned toward the microphone.
"People of all regions, it is indubitable that our world is shrouded in darkness," began the young man. "From the depths of the Sinnoh region, the Adversaryhas arisen to bring death and destruction upon the earth; and in it, a vicious and unprovoked wave of violence has slain countless innocents."
At this, Blue paused and bowed his head in reverence for the countless victims of Giratina's war, a sign of respect and humility for the crowd who had lost so many loved ones, friends and family alike.
"For his endless crimes against humanity, Giratina can never be forgiven," continued Blue, the weeping and sobbing of the crowd ringing in his ears with eerie sorrow. "It is said that he has sought to avenge the victims of human criminals, of Cipher and Rocket and Aqua and Magma and Galactic. For the actions of but a select few felons, the Exile has condemned all of mankind to death, without regard for each and every individual soul, equal in significance and yet unique in depth."
"Yet, we must ask ourselves, just how it is that Pokemon have inflicted such terrible harm upon mankind. How is it that Pokemon now hold such power, that we survive only at their mercy? How have we fallen so far, so that we are no longer the controller, but the controlled? These seven past years, I have watched humanity oscillating away from control of Pokemon, where even ordinary trainers, using simple and basic disciplinary training methods, have been under attack by accusations of animal cruelty."
"No longer does the police patrol for rogue Pokemon who endanger human lives, but for so-called 'mistreaters' of Pokemon. Is this our government? A government which attacks humans more than it protects them? Slowly, gradually, our control over Pokemon and our will to defend ourselves from them are slipping away. We have grown lax in ensuring the safety of humanity in these past years, and now we pay our price."
"In 1998, Red and I began our Pokemon journeys. We struggled to better ourselves, to become better Trainers, to ascend towards the highest titles which our potential could offer. We knew and understood Pokemon then for what they were; sentient, and yet of no greater importance than humans. What is the life of one Pokemon worth, compared to a hundred humans? Have we become so accustomed to our love of Pokemon, that we forget the value of a human soul?"
Suddenly, the sky turned a fiery scarlet. The gym leader of Viridian City blinked and stared up towards the heavens as mighty waves of scorching flame began to erupt from the burning clouds, and fiery meteors rained down from the torrid atmosphere. The crowds gasped in horror as fiery death struck down all around them, blasting houses and buildings into searing rubble.
Thick black smoke billowed up into the air, the ash and dust and the all-consuming heat quickly raining down upon Blue and his audience as massive barrages of oily fireballs shot down from the sky and struck the crowd, engulfing humans in agony and inescapable burning. "We must stand strong!" cried Blue desperately as the chaos of fire and flame struck the earth around him, leaping aside from place to place as heat wave after heat wave erupted from the heavens. "Don't give up hope-"
Suddenly, the skies opened up to unveil a fleet of Drifblims descending upon the city, carrying with them a horde of Infernapes and stone-scaled Rhyperiors who bore devestation in their iron fists. A mighty golden-feathered bird with flaming wings swooped down from the sky, its body enveloped in a shadowy drill-like prism as it rocketed down through the searing air, the fires upon its wings and head plume rippling wildly.
Numbly, Blue reached a hand for his Nidoqueen's Poke Ball, stepping back warily from the podium and the stage as Moltres flew upon him with a vengeful cry, and its body exploded in a magnificent flare of searing death.
The people's eyes were haunted, gaunt, weary. Their eyes told of humanity's despair and loss, mirrored in every region around the globe. The man took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and leaned toward the microphone.
"People of all regions, it is indubitable that our world is shrouded in darkness," began the young man. "From the depths of the Sinnoh region, the Adversaryhas arisen to bring death and destruction upon the earth; and in it, a vicious and unprovoked wave of violence has slain countless innocents."
At this, Blue paused and bowed his head in reverence for the countless victims of Giratina's war, a sign of respect and humility for the crowd who had lost so many loved ones, friends and family alike.
"For his endless crimes against humanity, Giratina can never be forgiven," continued Blue, the weeping and sobbing of the crowd ringing in his ears with eerie sorrow. "It is said that he has sought to avenge the victims of human criminals, of Cipher and Rocket and Aqua and Magma and Galactic. For the actions of but a select few felons, the Exile has condemned all of mankind to death, without regard for each and every individual soul, equal in significance and yet unique in depth."
"Yet, we must ask ourselves, just how it is that Pokemon have inflicted such terrible harm upon mankind. How is it that Pokemon now hold such power, that we survive only at their mercy? How have we fallen so far, so that we are no longer the controller, but the controlled? These seven past years, I have watched humanity oscillating away from control of Pokemon, where even ordinary trainers, using simple and basic disciplinary training methods, have been under attack by accusations of animal cruelty."
"No longer does the police patrol for rogue Pokemon who endanger human lives, but for so-called 'mistreaters' of Pokemon. Is this our government? A government which attacks humans more than it protects them? Slowly, gradually, our control over Pokemon and our will to defend ourselves from them are slipping away. We have grown lax in ensuring the safety of humanity in these past years, and now we pay our price."
"In 1998, Red and I began our Pokemon journeys. We struggled to better ourselves, to become better Trainers, to ascend towards the highest titles which our potential could offer. We knew and understood Pokemon then for what they were; sentient, and yet of no greater importance than humans. What is the life of one Pokemon worth, compared to a hundred humans? Have we become so accustomed to our love of Pokemon, that we forget the value of a human soul?"
Suddenly, the sky turned a fiery scarlet. The gym leader of Viridian City blinked and stared up towards the heavens as mighty waves of scorching flame began to erupt from the burning clouds, and fiery meteors rained down from the torrid atmosphere. The crowds gasped in horror as fiery death struck down all around them, blasting houses and buildings into searing rubble.
Thick black smoke billowed up into the air, the ash and dust and the all-consuming heat quickly raining down upon Blue and his audience as massive barrages of oily fireballs shot down from the sky and struck the crowd, engulfing humans in agony and inescapable burning. "We must stand strong!" cried Blue desperately as the chaos of fire and flame struck the earth around him, leaping aside from place to place as heat wave after heat wave erupted from the heavens. "Don't give up hope-"
Suddenly, the skies opened up to unveil a fleet of Drifblims descending upon the city, carrying with them a horde of Infernapes and stone-scaled Rhyperiors who bore devestation in their iron fists. A mighty golden-feathered bird with flaming wings swooped down from the sky, its body enveloped in a shadowy drill-like prism as it rocketed down through the searing air, the fires upon its wings and head plume rippling wildly.
Numbly, Blue reached a hand for his Nidoqueen's Poke Ball, stepping back warily from the podium and the stage as Moltres flew upon him with a vengeful cry, and its body exploded in a magnificent flare of searing death.
A yellow haze covered the sky in the fading hours of twilight, the swirls of wind and dust churning in the corrupted storm which held the world in a death grip. Violet lightning slashed across the sulfur heavens as pillars of shadowed light erupted forth from the earth towards the sky, tearing open new rifts in the fabric of time and space. Giratina's vengeance had unhinged mankind from these lands, threatening to sweep theminto the abyss.
Shanala stood on a cliff overlooking the sea, watching the bloody sun descend beneath the churning horizon. She sighed and stared toward Cinnabar, a red monument on the sea attesting to the fierceness of flames. Next to her stood Insyte, his fur billowing in the wind. They watched the faint column of steam issuing from the volcano's crater, belching ash and molten rock and heat.
"You really ought to go back to the Conclave soon, Insyte," said Shanala, her voice cracking. "I mean... once you get me to Cinnabar, you shouldn't linger around. Trust me, you'll regret it if you get involved with the Vulcanites."
"But I don't want to leave you behind," said the Flareon, shaking his head sorrowfully as he turned his gaze towards the tan-furred firefox. "If they're really so dangerous, Shanala... then why did you get involved with them?"
Shanala opened and closed her mouth several times. "Firaga thought I could find safety with the Vulcanites," said the Ninetales finally. "But it's not his fault. We've been in cyberspace for years. There's no way we would've known the Vulcanites harbor such anti-domestic sentiment now."
"Even so, you must've known what was going on in the outside world," said Insyte. "You could have stayed safe in Storage. Why did you leave?"
"Safe, huh?" Shanala smiled grimly. "It's not as if Storage is completely separated from the real world. Sinnoh's Storage servers were destroyed at the start of the war. That disrupted the entire database. We felt the apocalypse as much as everyone else."
"What do you mean?" said Insyte. "You were in cyberspace. The war shouldn't have affected you."
The Ninetales let out an irritated sigh and leaned back on her haunches. "All right, you dumb dog, listen," said Shanala, her red gaze burning into Insyte's eyes. "The internet is the cornerstone of human communication. It's a network between millions of computers around the world. Social media, information, communication news, entertainment, Pokemon storage... the internet is too important for Giratina to simply ignore."
"I'm still not following," said Insyte, his fur rippling.
"Insyte," said Shanala. "Where do you think Pokemon go when they're inside a Poke Ball? Do you think they're sent to some other world? No. They're still inside the capsule. And that holds true for Storage, too. Pokemon don't just go to some cyberspace when they're put in Storage. They're still inside the computers. And on the night when the Exile burned down Hearthome, he destroyed some of Storage's computers."
"Cyberspace collapsed overnight. Pokemon right next to us vanished before our eyes. Straight pathways were twisted and warped. Supplies were cut off; we began to starve. Security was gone; gangs and violence broke out every night. Some of us were able to band together. But the same chaos was happening throughout Storage."
She hesitated. "There was also a... a dark space," said Shanala quietly. "We called it the Void. Every 24 hours, six Dusknoirs emerged from the dark space and took six of us at random. Hunted them, stalked them, spirited them off. And once the Dusknoirs took a Pokemon, we never saw them again."
She chuckled. "For a while, I was helping to investigate the Void with a Nidorino, Roy. I even found my Fire Stone during that time."
"What happened to Roy?" asked Insyte. "Did he make it out with you?"
Shanala's eyes narrowed. "He tricked me," said the Ninetales bitterly. " Framed me for the Void appearing, blamed me for the collapse of Storage." She lowered her head. "I... shouldn't have fallen for his trap..."
Shanala stood on a cliff overlooking the sea, watching the bloody sun descend beneath the churning horizon. She sighed and stared toward Cinnabar, a red monument on the sea attesting to the fierceness of flames. Next to her stood Insyte, his fur billowing in the wind. They watched the faint column of steam issuing from the volcano's crater, belching ash and molten rock and heat.
"You really ought to go back to the Conclave soon, Insyte," said Shanala, her voice cracking. "I mean... once you get me to Cinnabar, you shouldn't linger around. Trust me, you'll regret it if you get involved with the Vulcanites."
"But I don't want to leave you behind," said the Flareon, shaking his head sorrowfully as he turned his gaze towards the tan-furred firefox. "If they're really so dangerous, Shanala... then why did you get involved with them?"
Shanala opened and closed her mouth several times. "Firaga thought I could find safety with the Vulcanites," said the Ninetales finally. "But it's not his fault. We've been in cyberspace for years. There's no way we would've known the Vulcanites harbor such anti-domestic sentiment now."
"Even so, you must've known what was going on in the outside world," said Insyte. "You could have stayed safe in Storage. Why did you leave?"
"Safe, huh?" Shanala smiled grimly. "It's not as if Storage is completely separated from the real world. Sinnoh's Storage servers were destroyed at the start of the war. That disrupted the entire database. We felt the apocalypse as much as everyone else."
"What do you mean?" said Insyte. "You were in cyberspace. The war shouldn't have affected you."
The Ninetales let out an irritated sigh and leaned back on her haunches. "All right, you dumb dog, listen," said Shanala, her red gaze burning into Insyte's eyes. "The internet is the cornerstone of human communication. It's a network between millions of computers around the world. Social media, information, communication news, entertainment, Pokemon storage... the internet is too important for Giratina to simply ignore."
"I'm still not following," said Insyte, his fur rippling.
"Insyte," said Shanala. "Where do you think Pokemon go when they're inside a Poke Ball? Do you think they're sent to some other world? No. They're still inside the capsule. And that holds true for Storage, too. Pokemon don't just go to some cyberspace when they're put in Storage. They're still inside the computers. And on the night when the Exile burned down Hearthome, he destroyed some of Storage's computers."
"Cyberspace collapsed overnight. Pokemon right next to us vanished before our eyes. Straight pathways were twisted and warped. Supplies were cut off; we began to starve. Security was gone; gangs and violence broke out every night. Some of us were able to band together. But the same chaos was happening throughout Storage."
She hesitated. "There was also a... a dark space," said Shanala quietly. "We called it the Void. Every 24 hours, six Dusknoirs emerged from the dark space and took six of us at random. Hunted them, stalked them, spirited them off. And once the Dusknoirs took a Pokemon, we never saw them again."
She chuckled. "For a while, I was helping to investigate the Void with a Nidorino, Roy. I even found my Fire Stone during that time."
"What happened to Roy?" asked Insyte. "Did he make it out with you?"
Shanala's eyes narrowed. "He tricked me," said the Ninetales bitterly. " Framed me for the Void appearing, blamed me for the collapse of Storage." She lowered her head. "I... shouldn't have fallen for his trap..."
Many months ago...
On a lush hill in Storage, Shanala stood before a council of her fellow survivors. A Furret, a Weavile, a Latios, a Glaceon, a Swellow, Firaga the Charizard. And their leader, Celus Leaf the Meganium. The Ninetales looked at each of them desperately, frustratedly. Other Pokemon crowded at the base of the hill, their eyes on her.
"Shanala, you are accused of cursing the world and opening a gate to the underworld," said Celus Leaf. "How do you plea?"
She stared at the Nidoking next to Celus Leaf bitterly. The one she thought she could trust. "These charges are completely absurd," said the Ninetales, her ears flattening back against her head. "You think I caused all this destruction? This disaster?"
"You stand on trial not without reasonable cause," said the Weavile. "None know the full extent of a Ninetales's power. If we determine you to be responsible for the Great Chaos, then we must protect the survivors at the Lush Hill."
"Roy claims that you touched the Stone of Sorrows and destroyed Minaria, his family's burial grounds," said the Glaceon. "Do you confirm or deny Roy's claim?"
"Burial grounds? What burial grounds?" said Shanala, stunned. "Everyone, have you forgotten where we are?"
The council exchanged glances. "Shanala is right," said Firaga. "Let us examine Roy's story carefully before we blindly accuse others of disasters beyond our control."
Next to Celus, Roy cleared his throat. Celus nodded reluctantly. "Whether they are burial grounds or not is beside the point," said Celus. "The Porygons have already confirmed data corruption of Box 4675636B47656E34, alias Minaria. Shanala, did you touch a stone in a place called Minaria?"
Shanala flinched. "I did visit a box named Minaria, and I touched a fire stone there," she said bleakly. "And after I touched it, the area was engulfed in flames." Desperately, she looked at Firaga. "But it wasn't my fire. Please believe me."
The council was puzzled. "Perhaps the stone was cursed, and reacted to Shanala's presence violently," suggested the Latios. "But even so... that would make her the catalyst."
She stared at them bitterly. "I didn't release a curse..." Yet the Ninetales couldn't convince herself. "If you were trapped as a child for all your life, would you forsake your only chance at adulthood? I didn't destroy anything. I just wanted to grow up...!"
"Celus, please think carefully," urged Firaga. "Shanala has been doing everything to help the others since we arrived. Finding supplies... rescuing others... even investigating the Void--"
Roy clenched and unclenched his hands. "Enough," growled the Nidoking, his eyes narrowed with blood-red fury. "You can't trust a word this vixen speaks. Ninetales are clever creatures! Don't let her words wrap themselves around your ears! She destroyed the final resting places of my ancestors! Don't let her go free!"
Celus's eyes hardened. "It's Roy's word against yours, Shanala," said the Meganium. "What thoughts were going through your head? Can your friends vouch for you?"
Shanala's eyes went hollow. She already knew the answer. She never confided in anyone. Not even Firaga, who'd looked after her for all these years.
She stared at Roy, who saved her life so many times from gangs and Dusknoirs alike. No mercy glistened in the Nidoking's eyes now, only malice. She turned to the council. "Don't you know me yourselves?" cried Shanala desperately, anger and sorrow mingling in her heart, seething and frothing. "After all we've been through--"
"Enough out of you!" snarled Roy, grabbing Shanala's tails. the darkness in Shanala's heart erupted, and a red haze filled her vision. In that moment, the grass around her paws blackened and died. A hand of black prisms flung Roy aside, sending him fumbling headfirst into an oak tree.
Gasping for breath, Shanala stared at the council, horrified. "A curse," hissed the Weavile, pointing at the Ninetales. "We have seen the proof firsthand. She will curse anyone without restraint."
Celus stared at Shanala warily, as if looking at some wild, mindless beast "Our verdict is clear. Shanala, we banish you from the Lush Hill." He nodded to the Swellow. "Avarice, take Shanala out of here."
Terrified, Shanala stared as the Swellow rose up, his talons reaching for her. "Wait, Avarice!" said Firaga bowing his head. "You need not touch her. I will drop her into the Void myself."
The council stared as the Charizard picked up Shanala in his arms. "What are you doing?" whispered the Ninetales as Firaga spread his wings and rose into the air. "I told you... I don't want to be saved..."
Firaga shook his head as they flew away from the Lush Hill. "I am not going to save you," said the Charizard, wings beating steadily.
They passed over the fractured, crumbling landscape of Cyberspace. "When you awaken... find the Vulcanites. Find Marrow. You'll be safe there."
Shanala's eyes widened as Firaga descendee toward the Void, a hexagonal space where the virtual world ceased to exist,a hole in the terrain and the sky, devoid of data. She began to shake her head, but Firaga closed his eyes. "Goodbye," he whispered as he released the Ninetales. A tiny tear rolled down the fox's eye as she fell into the portal...
On a lush hill in Storage, Shanala stood before a council of her fellow survivors. A Furret, a Weavile, a Latios, a Glaceon, a Swellow, Firaga the Charizard. And their leader, Celus Leaf the Meganium. The Ninetales looked at each of them desperately, frustratedly. Other Pokemon crowded at the base of the hill, their eyes on her.
"Shanala, you are accused of cursing the world and opening a gate to the underworld," said Celus Leaf. "How do you plea?"
She stared at the Nidoking next to Celus Leaf bitterly. The one she thought she could trust. "These charges are completely absurd," said the Ninetales, her ears flattening back against her head. "You think I caused all this destruction? This disaster?"
"You stand on trial not without reasonable cause," said the Weavile. "None know the full extent of a Ninetales's power. If we determine you to be responsible for the Great Chaos, then we must protect the survivors at the Lush Hill."
"Roy claims that you touched the Stone of Sorrows and destroyed Minaria, his family's burial grounds," said the Glaceon. "Do you confirm or deny Roy's claim?"
"Burial grounds? What burial grounds?" said Shanala, stunned. "Everyone, have you forgotten where we are?"
The council exchanged glances. "Shanala is right," said Firaga. "Let us examine Roy's story carefully before we blindly accuse others of disasters beyond our control."
Next to Celus, Roy cleared his throat. Celus nodded reluctantly. "Whether they are burial grounds or not is beside the point," said Celus. "The Porygons have already confirmed data corruption of Box 4675636B47656E34, alias Minaria. Shanala, did you touch a stone in a place called Minaria?"
Shanala flinched. "I did visit a box named Minaria, and I touched a fire stone there," she said bleakly. "And after I touched it, the area was engulfed in flames." Desperately, she looked at Firaga. "But it wasn't my fire. Please believe me."
The council was puzzled. "Perhaps the stone was cursed, and reacted to Shanala's presence violently," suggested the Latios. "But even so... that would make her the catalyst."
She stared at them bitterly. "I didn't release a curse..." Yet the Ninetales couldn't convince herself. "If you were trapped as a child for all your life, would you forsake your only chance at adulthood? I didn't destroy anything. I just wanted to grow up...!"
"Celus, please think carefully," urged Firaga. "Shanala has been doing everything to help the others since we arrived. Finding supplies... rescuing others... even investigating the Void--"
Roy clenched and unclenched his hands. "Enough," growled the Nidoking, his eyes narrowed with blood-red fury. "You can't trust a word this vixen speaks. Ninetales are clever creatures! Don't let her words wrap themselves around your ears! She destroyed the final resting places of my ancestors! Don't let her go free!"
Celus's eyes hardened. "It's Roy's word against yours, Shanala," said the Meganium. "What thoughts were going through your head? Can your friends vouch for you?"
Shanala's eyes went hollow. She already knew the answer. She never confided in anyone. Not even Firaga, who'd looked after her for all these years.
She stared at Roy, who saved her life so many times from gangs and Dusknoirs alike. No mercy glistened in the Nidoking's eyes now, only malice. She turned to the council. "Don't you know me yourselves?" cried Shanala desperately, anger and sorrow mingling in her heart, seething and frothing. "After all we've been through--"
"Enough out of you!" snarled Roy, grabbing Shanala's tails. the darkness in Shanala's heart erupted, and a red haze filled her vision. In that moment, the grass around her paws blackened and died. A hand of black prisms flung Roy aside, sending him fumbling headfirst into an oak tree.
Gasping for breath, Shanala stared at the council, horrified. "A curse," hissed the Weavile, pointing at the Ninetales. "We have seen the proof firsthand. She will curse anyone without restraint."
Celus stared at Shanala warily, as if looking at some wild, mindless beast "Our verdict is clear. Shanala, we banish you from the Lush Hill." He nodded to the Swellow. "Avarice, take Shanala out of here."
Terrified, Shanala stared as the Swellow rose up, his talons reaching for her. "Wait, Avarice!" said Firaga bowing his head. "You need not touch her. I will drop her into the Void myself."
The council stared as the Charizard picked up Shanala in his arms. "What are you doing?" whispered the Ninetales as Firaga spread his wings and rose into the air. "I told you... I don't want to be saved..."
Firaga shook his head as they flew away from the Lush Hill. "I am not going to save you," said the Charizard, wings beating steadily.
They passed over the fractured, crumbling landscape of Cyberspace. "When you awaken... find the Vulcanites. Find Marrow. You'll be safe there."
Shanala's eyes widened as Firaga descendee toward the Void, a hexagonal space where the virtual world ceased to exist,a hole in the terrain and the sky, devoid of data. She began to shake her head, but Firaga closed his eyes. "Goodbye," he whispered as he released the Ninetales. A tiny tear rolled down the fox's eye as she fell into the portal...
Insyte stared as Shanala sighed wearily. "Safe, huh?" said the Ninetales, chuckling. "What a joke. Marrow's in more trouble than I ever was." She smiled bitterly. "No matter where you go, this world is full of fools."
"What was the Void?" asked Insyte.
"It was a space-time rift that Giratina opened between cyberspace and the real world," explained Shanala. "Much like the rifts he's opened across Johto and Kanto." She gestured with her tails to the war-severed skies. "That's the power of the Griseous Orb." She chuckled. "But... there's a limit to what it can do..."
Suddenly, the Ninetales froze. "Hide," hissed Shanala. She shoved Insyte into the bushes. Suprised, Insyte tried to climb out, but his body wouldn't move. Shanala had put an immobilizing hex on him.
Tilting her head up, Shanala calmly waited as a Quilava and four spear-wielding Monfernos emerged from the trees, all tattooed with a crest of wings wreathed in flames, all bearing the Exile's scent. "Taken you long enough, Embyr," said the Ninetales, yawning as the Monfernos surrounded her. "Losing your touch?"
"Silence! No human sympathizer will escape the Vulcanites," snapped the Quilava. "You've led us on a nice chase, you vixen, but that ends now. With you captured, I'll surely be promoted. I might even earn my evolution from Master Heatran himself!"
Shanala chuckled softly. "Oh? You hate domestics that much? If only he was here to hear you."
Embyr flinched, and Insyte frowned. "No," growled the Quilava. "He can't love the humans who hurt him. He'd stand with us, and help us burn out humanity from the world. All according to the will of Master Heatran."
Shanala smirked. "Be careful," said the Ninetales. "Those who seek to supplant the ways that came before will find no ground to stand on." A tiny ball of fox-flame popped bwhind one Monferno, sending him into a shrieking panic.
Furious, Embyr gestured to the other Monfernos, who leveled their spears at Shanala's neck. "We'll see if you're still laughing at Marrow's execution," snarled Embyr. "Guards, take her away!"
Insyte stared as Embyr and the Monfernos led the Ninetales off, powerless to stop them. Only when they were long gone did Shanala's hex lift, allowing him to emerge from the bushes.
Dark clouds hung in the burning sky, blotting out the blaze of the setting sun. "Shana," murmured Insyte, staring in the direction that the Quilava had taken Shanala. "Why did you do that?" And that Quilava...!
At that moment, there was suddenly a shrill cry, and a Skarmory landed in a flash of steel feathers. "Insyte Faldsem, you are ordered to return to the Conclave at once," said the Skarmory.
"But Shanala's been captured!" protested Insyte. "I must go after her."
"There is no time," said the Skarmory. "Rush has sensed a storrm coming.An invasion on the Conclave is imminent."
Reluctantly, the Flareon climbed onto the Skarmory's back. Briefly, he glanced back in the direction Shanala and the Vulcanites had vanished, before turning his attention toward Lugia's island. "Shan, I'm sorry... I promise I'll come back for you!"
On a cliff in the Silver Conclave, Rush stared out across the sea, toward the dark clouds brewing near Cianwood. Though his eyes remained impassive, all his senses were on alert. Skarmories frantically darted back and forth in the air, assembling into formation.
"It's thanks to you that we're prepared for this attack, Rush," said Ferricia, landing next to the Swampert. They watched the Pokemon below, some retreating into caves, others setting up barricades. "Everyone's working so hard..."
"Ferricia," said Rush. You've been working aa hard as anyone else. In fact.." He patted the Skarmory's wing. "You don't have to try so hard, you know. You didn't even see the others off before they left."
The Skarmory lowered her head. "No. I didn't believe in the stories. I doubted what no Skarmory should doubt..." Her eyes narrowed. "But tonight, I'll erase those doubts. I'll prove the might of the Iron Fleet!"
"It's thanks to you that we're prepared for this attack, Rush," said Ferricia, landing next to the Swampert. They watched the Pokemon below, some retreating into caves, others setting up barricades. "Everyone's working so hard..."
"Ferricia," said Rush. You've been working aa hard as anyone else. In fact.." He patted the Skarmory's wing. "You don't have to try so hard, you know. You didn't even see the others off before they left."
The Skarmory lowered her head. "No. I didn't believe in the stories. I doubted what no Skarmory should doubt..." Her eyes narrowed. "But tonight, I'll erase those doubts. I'll prove the might of the Iron Fleet!"