PARAGON
Remnants of the Great War Arc [9]
Chapter 18 : Warpath
----------------------------------------
Northeast Sinnoh - International Police Black Site
Steven Stone exhaled into his palms and shivered. Despite being so close to an active volcano, the nights outside Stark Mountain were freezing. The black basalt that made up the mountain’s exterior was thick, and insulated the volcano’s heat within itself. However, that didn’t stop the unceasing drizzle of ash that blanketed the entire area in a dull gray mist.
Away from the light pollution of the cities and towns on mainland Sinnoh, a mirage of stars glistened in the heavens above, and Steven took a moment to appreciate the sight. Of course, he was here on business, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy this assignment for what it was.
Unlike most of the others here, he knew about AZ’s breakout from the World Prison. He’d gotten briefed along with all the other Champions, and they’d since been dispersed across the world to oversee the protection of various places of interest, until the monster could be contained.
Of course, first, he’d have to be located. Something Cynthia was apparently working on.
He shook his head and breathed into his hands again. Really, this should’ve been her out here in the cold, this was her region after all. The new World Champion had just held a celebration for himself, and to Steven’s chagrin, he had to decline the invitation in order to be here. Yet somehow Cynthia had found the time to have a drink in Saffron.
AZ is supposed to be in Kalos somewhere, did you forget?
Unfortunately, Cynthia seemed to be like all the rest. She used her Championship title to pursue her own lavish lifestyle. Steven was no different, but at least he had the courtesy to make appearances where he was expected to.
More the fool he was, perhaps, for stubbornly sticking to his inflated sense of responsibility. He knew for a fact Lance probably just sent a few of his elite trainers to deal with his assignment. Same for Diantha. Unova and Galar’s Champions were so young he wasn’t even sure they’d been given assignments.
Steven turned away from his cliff of observation and buried his hands in his coat’s pockets. Ah, well. Complaining never does anyone any good. This world has never been fair.
Steven knew that more than anyone. He’d been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, as the heir to the Devon Corporation. For years, he’d been groomed for his pokémon journey, and when he finally set out, the media watched his every move as if they were making a reality show. Later, he found out that’s exactly what his family had paid them to do. By the time he earned his eighth badge, his Championship was practically a given. It was only thanks to his depthless charisma and handsome visage that every trainer in Hoenn didn’t take up arms against what was, in essence, a completely rigged conference season for the year.
As he paced along the cold grass back toward the mountainside facility, his mind emptied of all his many worries. He’d been patrolling this base for nearly a month, and the monster had never once shown himself. Once this week was over, he’d be free of this wretched duty to return to Hoenn and continue his equally mundane duties over there.
Champion life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, but Steven was an adult. Life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, but he enjoyed it for what it was, mundane or otherwise. Perhaps that was the Stone in him. A boring world meant a peaceful world, and that was what the Devon Corporation strived for every day.
As he approached the facility, a pair of International agents nodded at them, and quietly radioed their fellows to let him back in.
The structure was built into the side of the mountain, and smooth walls of nondescript concrete were the only evidence it was there. It was just one of many secret facilities, built by Interpol to hold dangerous artifacts and pokémon. Apparently, the Heatran in the nearby Stark Mountain acted as a warden against any trainers who got a little too curious about what may be over here.
Steven entered the facility and finally removed his hands from his pockets. Luckily, the interior was temperature controlled, and come morning, the air conditioning would be on to counteract Heatran’s awakening. As he walked, he passed numerous heavy vault doors, all containing things even he knew nothing about.
There weren’t many people here, and at this hour, Steven ran into no one. The halls were dark, illuminated only by a band of dim orange lights that ran across the ceiling. Though Steven knew not to mistake the silence for weakness. Beneath the facility rested a battalion of Solrock and Lunatone, who powered a constant shield over the structure and tracked the movements of everyone in or near it. And they never slept.
“Quiet again, Mr. Champion?” came a gruff voice from the lounge. A portly man dressed in Interpol’s standard uniform sat in the shadows sipping on a glass of cheap whiskey.
“Captain. Yes, nothing to report.”
“Heh heh. I told you. Nothing happens out here.”
“Tell the Board,” he sighed. “Drinking alone this late? Shall I pour myself a glass and keep you company?”
The captain snorted. “Just finishing what I have left. You can take your pretty arse to bed. I can hold down the fort for the rest of the hour.”
“Suit yourself. I’ll leave it to you, Captain.”
The captain raised his glass and Steven walked away to the quarters he’d been provided.
Just a few more days, he thought as he climbed into bed and flipped off the lights.
He awoke just two hours later to a piercing alarm blaring throughout the entire facility. The sound of heavy footsteps running through the hallway outside told him this was no false alarm.
After dressing himself quickly, he grabbed his belt of pokémon and threw open his door. Steven seized an agent running past by the collar and slammed him against the wall. “What’s going on?” he growled.
“P-Perimeter breach, sir. The southern entrance is under attack.”
“By who?!”
“I-I don’t know,” the man stammered. “The only orders we’ve been given is to reinforce the entrance.”
Steven let the man go, and he raced away with a fearful look in his eyes. Steven would never say it aloud, but most of Interpol’s agents were complete imbeciles, good for little more than pencil-pushing. The League cultivated far better trainers.
Steven pushed through the current of bodies racing down the hall, opting instead to head toward the main control center. Hopefully he’d find more answers there.
When he arrived, surprisingly, he found the captain leaning on a pair of seats in front of surveillance terminals. An array of monitors and screen flashed in front of them, and he seemed to be studying them all at once. Other agents tapped away at other terminals, speaking in hushed but frenetic voices.
“Captain,” Steven said, walking up beside him.”
The captain turned, and Steven noticed black bags under his eyes. The man looked exhausted. “Ah, Mr. Champion. Thank you for gracing us with your presence.”
“Perhaps I should’ve joined you for a drink after all.”
“Not unless you wanted to look as shit as me,” he drawled. “They’ve been hammering against the shield for several minutes now. It’s holding, for now. Not sure for how much longer.”
“And you’ve contacted World Command already, I assume?”
“I may be shit-faced but even I can manage that much. They’re talking to the League, trying to scramble a team to get over here. Elite Four Lucian is briefing the eastern gym leaders, but they won’t arrive until morning. They already tried teleportation, but the enemy covered their bases and has some sort of ward against it.” He shook his head. “Something that sophisticated already goes beyond any defense we can muster here.”
Steven scowled. “So we’re on our own then.”
“Heatran’s on its way,” the captain shrugged. “We should be able to hold the place once it arrives.”
I wish I was that optimistic. “Is it him?”
“No visual on the prisoner yet, but it’s a likely bet. The attackers are all masked, so not sure on their identities.”
Steven pursed his lips. So we’re the lucky ones, then. What did we do to deserve the honor? And more importantly, what exactly is he here for? “I’ll head out to the southern entrance. No telling when the shield will come down.”
“Wait, I’ll come with you. Keep an eye on those cameras! Watch the other entrances! Any word from the League or Interpol, I wanna know about it!” he barked at his subordinates. Then, turning back to Steven, he said, “alright, let’s go.”
The halls were empty now, and the two men made for the entrance hall quickly. When they got there, a horde of other agents were already stationed at their side, their pokémon deployed and ready for battle. A screen on the wall showed the onslaught from outside; a battalion of pokémon and masked trainers stood in a semicircle around the entrance, firing attacks at it with abandon. Each one that landed shook the facility and sent gravel falling from the ceiling.
Ten minutes later, a seismic shattering blasted through the entrance hall, and the assembled agents cried out as a flood of smoke suddenly poured into the hall.
“That’s the shield!” the captain growled. He pulled out a pokéball and released a Houndoom.
Steven released his Claydol, whose otherworldly eyes pulsed as it absorbed the situation around it with mechanical accuracy. “Clear this smoke.”
As if grabbed by some invisible hand, the smoke in the hallway parted around them, and slowly disappeared, filtering away into thin air.
“Captain, pay no heed to this Champion’s words if you wish, but in all my years of battle, I’ve learned that one of the greatest defenses is a strong offense.”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The captain grinned. “Heh. Aye, we’ll follow your lead. Men! Prepare to attack!”
His Houndoom’s tongue rolled over its hellish lips as steaming saliva dripped to the floor.
Steven glanced at the monitor and saw the attackers slowly advancing toward the now unprotected entrance. He clenched his fist. “Claydol, Psyshock now!”
Claydol shuddered as it charged its power, then a constellation of glowing orbs appeared around it, before shooting forward into the door. It blasted through, and on the screen, Steven could see them hit several of the pokémon and their trainers. But the surprise wouldn’t keep them down for long.
“Charge, men!” the captain roared, and he and his agents tore through the now open entrance.
The black night came alive with the flash of elemental attacks and the din of furious commands. Steven strode through the wreckage slowly, his gaze sweeping over the scene of battle. Where are you, AZ?
Claydol floated ahead and began fighting on its own. A trio of sharpened Stone Edges shot from the ground and tossed a Pyroar into the sky, and a stray Shadow Ball sent a Meowstic barreling over the edge of the cliff, leaving its trainer in a daze of rage and confusion.
As it worked, Steven’s eyes fell upon one of the attackers who, like him, did not partake in the melee. Instantly clocking them as the leader, Steven moved forward to engage, and the figure seemed to do the same, pulling a pokéball from their cloak.
The figure released an imposing Golurk, who towered above the others, and Steven quickly ordered Claydol back to his side.
“Who are you?” Steven demanded. “Where is your leader?”
“Champion Steven,” a man’s voice said. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re the only one who was raised from birth for battle. Golurk, Shadow Ball!”
Fine, don’t answer my question! “Psybeam! Aim for its center seal!”
Four rippling orbs of darkness hovered into existence around Golurk and shot toward Claydol, but it swiveled out of the way like a mad marionette, and fired off a crackling ray of energy. Golurk crossed its arms in front of it, but the beam tore through his arms and hit its chest. Golurk groaned and pitched backward.
Don’t think I’ll let up! “Psychic, Claydol! Toss it over the edge!”
As it fell, an indigo sheen engulfed Golurk, and despite its massive frame, its heels began dragging against the grass as it skidded backward towards the cliff’s edge.
“Into the air, Golurk, then Shadow Punch!”
Golurk’s feet ignited, and it shot into the sky on two blazing rockets. Claydol’s control shattered around it, and the ghostly automaton turned in the air, then plunged down toward Claydol.
Steven’s eyes widened. It’s fast! “Iron Def—!”
Before Steven could finish his order, Golurk’s fist, wreathed in darkness, smashed into Claydol, sending up a spray of grass and soil. The hole in its wrist did nothing to mitigate the damage, and Steven scowled. Claydol picked itself up from the crater, but its eyes flickered weakly.
Damn it! I need to take it down before it starts getting in everyone else’s way. All around him, the attackers were beginning to press forward towards the entrance. Their pokémon were on another level compared to Interpol’s agents. “Grass Knot! Destroy it from the inside!”
Thick vines burst from the ground and wrapped around Golurk’s legs and arms, and it groaned. More stalks grew from the earth and snaked their way up into its torso and inside its feet. Several vines lashed across its shoulders and reburied themselves in the ground, and Golurk’s legs trembled as it tried to keep itself on its feet.
“Hyper Beam!”
Steven’s eyes widened, and even Claydol turned back, fearing for its trainer’s safety. Golurk struggled to raise its arms, as more vines pulled them to the ground, but it ripped them free, and a searing power began burning in its palms. Faced with no other option, Claydol diverted its attention from the attack and weaved a barrier of energy between Golurk and Steven. Without missing a step, another vine, thicker than all the rest, skewered Golurk through its midsection, and it let loose an ethereal roar. The basins of energy in its palms wheezed, and Golurk launched them forward. A black shaft of blinding darkness screamed through the air and engulfed Claydol, and Steven ducked behind the Protect just in time. Steven could feel the heat from the attack, just inches away from him, but the shield held.
When the smoke cleared, Claydol lay in a blackened heap on the ground, and Golurk stood on its knees unmoving, its lights now darkened.
“Hmph,” was all the man said as he recalled his pokémon. Without hesitation, he threw out another one, and a brilliant Talonflame appeared in a flash.
Steven recalled Claydol as well and whispered words of thanks before replacing its ball on his belt. To his left, the captain’s Houndoom was battling two attackers at once, but he didn’t look like he’d last much longer. On his right, their perimeter had nearly been pushed back to the entrance, and it was only a matter of minutes before they broke through.
I can’t let him keep me stalled here. We still don’t know where AZ is. Steven reached around and pulled a chrome red pokéball from his belt and tossed it forward.
Jirachi materialized into the air, flitting around without a care.
“A mythical pokémon,” the leader said. “How typical. But steel is weak to fire. Even children know that.”
The flames of battle cast a shadow over Steven’s face. “I don’t have time for this,” he said in a low voice. “Prayer of Armageddon.”
Jirachi froze, and its glassy eyes slid over to Talonflame, its entire attention suddenly focused on it. The grand bird shivered in fear, and took an involuntary step back.
A wish, written on one of Jirachi’s tags long ago, suddenly glowed a fierce orange, and the tag burned away. Jirachi’s eyes turned into pits of darkness so black it hurt to look at them. Without a word, it raised its arms.
The night sky, dark and silent, began to stir, like the ocean before a great tsunami. Lightning lanced across its roiling surface, and a dull glow slowly started to spread beyond the gray clouds. As the seconds passed, it became brighter and brighter, and several of the attackers and Interpol agents paused their fighting to witness the anomaly.
Then, something breached the clouds. A meteor streaming white fire tore across the sky with a keening song, and the song soon became a duo, then a trio, then a quartet. The entire mountain seemed to shake as it traveled, falling ever closer to earth with each passing second.
“Take your men back inside, Captain,” Steven said.
The captain stared at the sky in awe, before nodding. “Aye. Fall back, men!” he roared, casting one last glance at Steven before disappearing inside.
The attackers cried out in a maddened frenzy and mounted their pokémon, bolting off the cliff as fast as they could. To his credit, the leader stood firm, as did his Talonflame. Steven’s eyes seared from the barrage of hellfire, but he did not avert his gaze.
When the meteorites impacted, the sky turned white, and Steven’s clothes billowed outward. Now, he shielded his eyes. Wind gusted around him, and the meteors seemed to melt through reality, releasing a hissing suction as they pumped their endless power into their one singular target.
But when the light finally faded and Steven’s eyes adjusted back to the darkness, Talonflame’s master still stood, as did it.
“What?!” Steven stammered. “How—!”
Standing before him was the tallest man Steven had ever seen. His long white hair blew in royal braids around him, but his attire was simple and beaten. His arm was stretched above his head, and a moment later, the shield he’d conjured over his subordinate faded into the darkness.
He was able to stop Jirachi’s strongest attack?! And so easily?!
“Flare Blitz.”
Before Steven was finished processing what had happened, Talonflame streaked through the air and slammed into Jirachi, fire licking across its body.
“No!”
Jirachi cried out as it was suddenly catapulted backward into the mountainside, cratering it where it landed. Shockingly, it didn’t move. Talonflame landed back beside its trainer, and seemed to smirk
So powerful! But he’s still just a follower! The real threat is…
After confirming Jirachi’s instantaneous defeat, Steven recalled it and slowly turned back to AZ. “The reports don’t do you justice, sir,” he breathed, and a nervous smile cracked across his face. “You are enormous.”
“You’re Steven Stone, the Champion of Hoenn,” AZ intoned. “What master do you serve?”
Damn you. “I serve no master.”
“Playing guarddog of your own volition, then? Very well. Come and fall, Champion.”
Steven sneered, and his fingers closed around the pokéball containing his strongest partner. This was the time. He disabled its limiter and brushed his finger against a mega ring on his finger, then hurled his pokémon forward.
A silver Mega Metagross whirled into being, as tall as AZ. Despite weighing over a ton, it floated above the ground with ease, but its mere presence crushed the blades of grass beneath it against the dirt.
“You’re a monster,” Steven whispered. “I won’t let you butcher anyone else! Meteor Mash on the giant, Metagross!”
Metagross hummed, and golden light churned across its four hooves. Slamming them together, Metagross shot forward faster than the eye could follow, spinning as it did.
You can’t protect yourself from this! Not even the legendary Rayquaza could stand up to Metagross’ full power Meteor Mash!
Purple light bled out from Metagross’ core, and the living comet smashed into AZ. Blinding light erupted from the impact, and Steven shielded his eyes from the fallout. It took several seconds for the light to fade, and when it did, Steven squinted at the results.
The man hadn’t budged an inch. With a single outstretched hand, he’d stopped Metagross in its path. Metagross continued to exert itself against the man, and his arms trembled, but to no avail.
“Im… possible,” Steven muttered. “Just what the hell…?” He shook his head and his face contorted into a glare. “Get out of there, Metagross!”
Metagross screeched, but it didn’t dislodge itself from its position either. Steven almost yelled again, but then he realized.
The man hadn’t just stopped his pokémon, he’d caught it; his hand gripped the steel plates on Metagross’ head. AZ’s eyes blazed with fury, and he tightened his grip. Metagross screamed in agony, but he wasn’t finished. Twisting his humongous frame, he swung Metagross around his body, and, with a colossal roar, slammed it into the ground.
Dirt and rock alike plumed up from the impact, and Steven clenched his fists, sweat dripping down his face. Something like a cough escaped Metagross’ form, but after a few seconds, it made no further movements. What just happened…? My strongest pokémon…
Seemingly satisfied with his handiwork, AZ trudged around Metagross’ prone form and toward the Hoenn Champion. Steven could do nothing but stare up at him wordlessly, terror pouring from his eyes. The giant stopped in front of him. Not a single hint of emotion colored his grizzled face.
Steven looked down, still in disbelief at what had happened. His hands shook and his mouth opened. A single sound, a laugh if it had to be named, emptied out.
----------------------------------------
“Good work, Lord Vandrick,” AZ said, stepping over the Champion’s unconscious body. “I trust you can deal with the rest of the rats inside?”
“Take as much time as you need, your Grace.”
At an unspoken cue, the strike team returned from their flight and surged forward through the cragged metal of the broken door into the base.
AZ lumbered forward after them. Bangs and yells echoed through the halls as his men continued to fight off its protectors. He’d already seen how they performed outside, and it was clear his men were superior. Only that ‘Champion’ had posed a noteworthy challenge, but even he was an insignificant obstacle.
And he didn’t even know who he served or why he was here. Trash.
The lamps on the ceiling flickered at the base strained against the carnage playing out within it, and, guided by his inner power, AZ made his way through the halls until he came upon one of many heavy vault doors lining a certain hallway. He placed his hand on the iron handle and tore it from its hinges, tossing it behind him with a deafening crash. The room beyond was dark and metal shelves containing a myriad of synthetic crates sat in rows, no doubt holding artifacts of untold power or rarity, but AZ passed them all without a care.
Beyond a laser-protected pane of glass lay a black container, and AZ did not hesitate to smash through it. The lasers smoked harmlessly against his skin, but he destroyed them with a couple more punches nonetheless. Now, he could withdraw the container safely.
Snapping off the locks, he lifted the lid. On a bed of some soft material lay the key, just as polished and pristine as he’d left it. AZ couldn’t help but smile as he lifted it from its nest, before discarding the container unceremoniously. It was a large key, bronze with a dark ruby embedded in it, and a heavy chain attached to its head. It was the literal key to his three thousand year old vengeance.
AZ heard footsteps behind him.
“Your Grace. The facility has been cleared.”
He ignored Vandrick and lifted the key, and the chain it was attached to over his head and gently placed it around his neck. Its weight was a welcome comfort. It was proof of his victory here, however meager. But more would come. Many more.
“Yes,” AZ said, turning. “Let us go. There is still much work to be done.”
Next — Chapter 19 : Closing In
----------------------------------------