-29: Lines will be drawn, revelations made as the Dragon Riders face their ultimate challenge. And Nightslice must face his greatest fear…First of the 4 part season finale!
Pokemon and all related trademarks belong to Nintendo.
The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong
to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author’s permission.
The
Chimera Saga and the Legendary Dragons belong to Theo ‘Blitz’ Leung and are
used with permission.
(http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=23675)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Break
By Gregory Stephen nightdragon0@hotmail.com
Firestorm
“Hey, where are we going anyway?” I cut in.
“Even I am not certain.” Sabrina answered. “I can only say that I felt a tremendous burst of psychic energy. A dark power will soon arise.”
“And you feel that’s most likely where the Jubei’s SFs will go?” Serac asked.
Sabrina nodded.
“Dark power?” Nightslice wondered, staring at the ground, lost in thought.
“You know, there was this rumor back at my Rocket base in Blackthorn about something being excavated nearby.” Nala said, tapping her head.
“Any more details?” I asked.
“Well, some workers from the excavation site sometimes came down, and that’s how the rumors came about.” She explained. “I only heard something about a ‘great discovery from ages past’, but that’s all.”
“Let’s go there and see for ourselves.” Nightslice said, giving a brief look over to Hazuki. “Sabrina, are you ready?”
“I am.” The psychic nodded. “However, I won’t be able to come with you. The strain of exerting my powers on a group this big would be far too exhausting.”
“But, what’s going to happen to you after we’re gone?” I asked, concerned.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make it back to Saffron all right. I do have Pokemon, you know.” She assured. “It’s you I’m worried about.”
“We’ll pull together, somehow.” Nightslice grinned. “We always have. But with support from people like you.”
“I wish you the best of luck.” Sabrina spoke, raising her hands. “Clear your minds and thoughts. Gather round and concentrate on me.”
Our group of humans and Pokemon did as she requested. Even as I closed my eyes, I felt what could be best described as a ‘lifting feeling’, like we were beginning to float. I tried my best to remain calm and not disrupt her.
And all of a sudden, we were moving. Really fast.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Swordia
“It was just here?”
I asked, staring up at the facility on top of the mountain. It was a Rocket
base at
“Yes.” Alugard nodded, whilst staring up at the building. The visor on his helmet had a built in binoculars “Stormwind spotted the SFs lurking around the area. They might be trying to infiltrate the base.”
“For what reason?” Scantrix wondered. “First they make enemies of their former employers, then the want to go charging into another enemy’s headquarters? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Not unless you’re sure there’s something in there that will assure you a victory.” Alugard concluded.
<A great power lurks within. > Syndrea interrupted, stepping up beside us.
“Indeed, I was about to mention that I sensed it too.” Alugard continued. “It’s odd that I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but for now, we’ll bide our time and see if the SFs make a move first…oh wait! Scratch that!”
Alugard tapped the side of his helmet, his com-link.
[Stormwind? Firefly? What is it?] He asked.
[Not good boss!] Stormwind, the Fearow, reported. [They’re here in the labs! And they’re going to release the virus!]
[The virus?! Hey, where are you two anyway? I gave you strict orders to stay outside the facility!]
[Bro! They’ve seen us!] Firefly, the Pidgeot, yelled.
[Damn it!]
The com-link carried over the sounds of gunfire.
[Stormwind! Firefly!] Alugard yelled.
There were loud screeching sounds, and then the com-link hissed and went dead.
“RRRRAarrgghhh!” Alugard furiously smashed his pincers into a nearby tree, tearing it in two.
I felt a prang of sadness as I realized that had happened. I mostly remembered the two birds as the enemies I’d encountered in the past. In my time with Alugard, I’d hardly even spoken to them.
“The virus…” Scantrix muttered.
“The one, for the Chimeras right?” I asked.
“Not only for them, but practically all breeds of Pokemon as well.” Scantrix repeated what Alugard had discovered from the data we’d retrieved in the previous mission. “If they kill Team Rocket’s Pokemon as well, it’ll give them an advantage. However, their plans stated about spreading the virus through the air…”
“Then, we’d be in trouble.” I muttered, even through that was an understatement.
“Certain rooms inside of this facility have an auto filtering system to protect it against such bio-contaminants.” Scantrix informed us. “We will be able to approach the labs safely. However, what we will need to worry about is the virus getting out, into the air.”
“I’ve already gotten absolutely everyone down for this one.” Alugard grimaced, pushing the thoughts of his friends aside. The time for mourning would be later. “All our troops.”
I turned towards him, not having expected such a drastic decision from the calm and calculated leader.
“You feel it, don’t you?” He continued. “Judgment. It’s time to stand, or fall together.”
I nodded. Whatever it was, I had a job to do. And this one was saving possibly hundreds of Pokemon lives from a madman.
“Stick around me, OK?” Scantrix whispered.
“I can look after myself.” I retorted. “You don’t have to treat me like a little girl.”
“Haha, same as always.” He shook his head, smiling.
Was it just me, or did he seem a little different? Alugard did have a private conversation with him earlier, but that was it.
“Hey, cut the chatter you two.” Alugard said sternly, interrupting my thoughts. “We’ll spring into action as soon as the troops in position.”
“Roger that.” I growled.
I felt the hunger growing in my beast side. The hunger for battle…
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dracia
As I opened my eyes again, I found Serac standing over me, clutching the sword Nightslice had given to her.
“You all right?” She asked.
I simply gave a slight nod and stood up.
Firestorm was back in his Charizard form. He and Nightslice were gathered with the rest of the group and pointing upwards.
Only now I took note of my new surroundings. It was a mountainous dirt path with few trees around. A Lapras, Kyle, was waiting in the river that ran through the area, towards the hill. At the top of the hill, where the others were pointing to, stood another huge facility.
I snarled in anger, still unable to get the past scene out of my mind.
“Dracia?” Serac touched my arm. “It wasn’t your fault.”
I guess my expression must’ve been easy enough to read. However, I turned away and remained silent.
“You think it’ll work?” I heard Firestorm asking.
“I don’t know.” Nightslice muttered. “All I know is, I’ve got to get a vaccine, for Hazuki’s sake.”
“Hey, don’t go all out for me.” Hazuki said.
“I have to.” The Scyther shook his head. “I’m not breaking this promise.”
KA-BOOM!
All heads snapped up towards the sound. An explosion had blown out part of the facility’s northern wall.
[It’s as we thought.] Jade growled. [Jubei’s group is trying to take over this Rocket facility for their own use.]
“Rocket facility?”
I must’ve said it out loud, because Serac responded.
“The others were watching the area before you came to. And they spotted a bunch of the Rocket agents around. Looks like they aren’t too concerned with hiding in an isolated place like this.”
“Then, we’ve got no time to waste.” Nightslice growled. “Let’s get on with this!”
“You have any course of action in mind?” Firestorm asked him.
“Yeah. You take Jade, Dracia, Serac, Luminair, Ehrgeiz and go in through the right direction. I’ll take the others and go in the left.”
“That’s it?” Riot, the Aerodactyl, muttered.
“Hey, I’m getting to that.” The Scyther insisted. “Storm, your group has the job to hunt down our nemesis, and basically deal with the Rockets and the SFs. If he has the anti-virus, get it from him. My party will find the labs, where he could’ve also stored some form of a vaccine. I’ll get it if its there.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Storm nodded.
“Oh, Kyle, you’re staying out here.” Nightslice added in.
[WHAT?!] The Lapras protested. [NO way I’m…]
“Kyle, I need you to stay and look after Hazuki. She’s in no condition to be charging into things.”
“But…” Now it was Hazuki’s turn to protest.
“No buts.” Nightslice growled. “Besides, I don’t think Kyle will have an easy time inside without any bodies of water around.”
[Guess you have a point.] Kyle reluctantly admitted.
“OK Dragon Riders! Let’s roar!” Nightslice commanded.
Everyone sprinted or flew towards their respective sides. I hesitated and stood silent for a while, before finally pushing myself to join them by spreading my wings and taking off.
“Dracia…” Storm pulled back and hovered beside me. “I…I have to tell you something.”
“What?” I growled, not at all in a talking mood.
“Dracia, I…I’m…I’m sorry for getting mad at you just now.” The Charizard spluttered. “I wasn’t in a very good state of mind myself and I…”
“Don’t bother apologizing. It’s already over and done with.” I cut in. “Right now, I’m going to walk in there and kill the b****** myself, with or without anyone’s help.”
“I won’t stop you Dracia.” He whispered. “But…I’m not going to lose you too.”
“You already have.” I said that right to his face, before flying ahead.
I dashed past Serac, Luminair, Jade and Ehrgeiz on the ground and blew open the nearest wall with my Aeroblast.
Inside, a pair of Rockets spun around in surprise.
Roaring, I attacked, smashing one into a wall and shocking the other with a Thunderbolt. The body of his electrocuted comrade had barely hit the floor before on was onto the man climbing to his feet. I grasped his neck with both hands and violently smashed his head and neck into the wall.
The others stared, not only at me, but at the bloody mark on the wall.
“Are you coming or not?!” I demanded.
“Wait up!” Serac was the only one who ran forward, pausing only to grab one of the dead guard’s guns, and clambered onto my back.
Without enough space to fly, I took off running, not waiting for anyone else to respond.
You’ll pay murderer! Vengeance will be MINE!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nala
“Now!” Nightslice ordered.
At his command, Azure and Ahsura let off their respective Ice and Solar beam techniques. Not at the enemy, but Nightslice instead.
The energy of the beams wrapped around the Scyther’s blades as his eyes flashed purple. He was adding his Confuse Ray to the mix. Of course, all this happened in the blink of an eye.
“Desolation Claw!” He roared, swinging his blades.
A black burst of energy hit the ground, exploding into a dark wave. The party of Rockets he’d fired at fell and stumbled about, screaming, rolling in pain or holding their heads in agony.
“Hurry!” He yelled.
We dashed past the stunned group and Riot smashed the door open. I stepped in first, into a dark, gray corridor. Similar to those in pretty much every one of their bases/labs.
Only thing now was that the area will filled with screams, gun fire, explosions, Pokemon cries and others various battlefield noises.
“Nala, which way would the labs be?” Nightslice queried.
“I don’t know, I haven’t actually been here!”
“You know a Rocket base in general, right?”
“Uh, yeah. Lemmie think…this is the West wing…so it should be…this way!” I pointed north.
I pair of soldiers came running around the corridor. I didn’t know whether they belonged to the Rockets or the SFs, but I think nobody cared either way.
[Watch out!] Azure lowered his cannons and sent them flying off with a burst of water.
“We’ve got to hurry chaps!” Riot yelled over the background noises.
There was a roar as a huge Rhydon came charging towards us.
[Not good!] Ahsura cried, firing off some Razor leafs, which failed to do anything more than annoy the huge beast.
[He’s mine!] Azure met the Rock-type head on, shoving back with all the weight of his massive Blastoise bulk.
[Better go on first!] Ahsura told us. [We’ll catch up!]
[Don’t worry, we’ll be OK.] Azure grunted, in the midst of his struggle.
“Be careful you two.” Nightslice nodded, concerned.
“Here! This way!” I waved, taking the lead as I dashed through the corridor.
There wasn’t much that got in our way which gave Nightslice and Riot much trouble. I stepped over a dazed Poliwhirl and indicated a point where the color of the corridor changed.
“I think this is it!” I gasped, reading the sign above the entrance. It had the usual bit about authorized personnel only and such.
“Great work Nala.” Nightslice panted, exhausted from taking down so many enemy Pokemon.
“It was lucky this base’s layout was so similar to the one I worked in.” I replied. “But…”
“Watch out!” Riot suddenly rammed me from behind.
I didn’t have time to ask why through. An explosion detonated the spot I’d been standing on moments ago. As I hit the ground, I saw Nightslice leaping over to the lab’s entrance.
The explosion also had the effect of sending a large amount of debris down, sealing off the corridor, thus separating us from Nightslice. I looked up to see a ferocious looking Gyarados towering over us.
Riot attacked and was promptly smacked away by a swipe of its huge tail.
“Ow…Oh, what pretty stars…”
“Riot! This is no time to…Eeep!” I backed away as the huge beast approached.
[Excuse me, may I have this dance?] Luminair appeared from behind the Gyarados, leaping gracefully up onto its head.
The Jolteon gave an evil grin as sparks flew from his body. Even the Gyarados looked panicked that moment before Luminair shocked him into submission.
“We owe you man.” I sighed in relief. “But weren’t you supposed to be with the others?”
[I was close by and it seemed like you needed help.] The Jolteon barked.
[Hey! Everyone!] Azure and Ahsura came running round the corner. They looked a little bruised, but otherwise all right. Riot was shaking herself back to her senses.
“Did Nightslice make it in?” Riot asked, pointing her snout to the blocked off corridor leading to the labs.
“I think he did. But we’ve got to find another way in.” I replied. “Come on!”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kyle
[Damn! It’s killing me just sitting here and waiting for the end.] I cursed, swimming round in circles. [I just had to be a Larpas! There’s no way for me to…]
“Ugh, Kyle?”
[Hazuki, just rest all right? You’re not well.]
“The others…” She muttered, climbing to a standing position on my back. “They’ll need help.”
[They told me to stay and look after you. And that’s what I’m gonna do.]
“Well, I’m going in the help them, so if you want to look after me, you have to follow.” She grinned.
[This is why I like you Hazuki.] I sighed. [But how do you propose I get in?]
“Well, they must have water in the base right?” She suggested. “And the water has to come from somewhere.”
[This river?]
“Bingo.” She winked.
I glanced up ahead. The river seemed to run right into the base of the hill the base was located on. But perhaps there was an underground channel of some sort.
[All right. Hang on tight.] I told her. [We’re going in and we’re going full throttle. That outta keep those fighters off our tail!]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jade
[Shit! This is getting us nowhere fast!] I growled, slashing away at the pair of Tangela attempting to block our path.
“Just keep at it!” Firestorm roared, throwing his flames about wildly. “We’ll make it.”
Ehrgeiz growled as he shocked a soldier that came running round the bend.
Dracia had been going at such an accelerated pace that we’d lost track of Serac and her. Being smaller and faster, Luminair had run off to look for them while we’d been caught up in the middle of the melee. It was literally a mass of the Rocket agents, some SFs and more Pokemon.
“We clear?” Firestorm panted, slamming the last Ampharos into a wall.
“So, you’re here at last.” A soldier stepped out, brandishing a large rifle. “It’s true then, what they say about you being able to turn into a Charizard.”
“Take cover!” Firestorm ordered.
There was a T-junction and the three of us jumped round it as his rifle bullets decorated the wall with holes.
[Storm, this guy seems rather familiar.] I muttered.
“I do think we’ve met before.” The soldier laughed. “I piloted the helicopter back in the Charizard’s Valley. Name’s Dylin, sub-commander of the SFs.”
“F*** you!” Storm shouted.
“I take it as you do remember. Well, I’ve got another surprise for you.” Dylin pulled out a control and pushed a button on it.
There were several loud metallic footsteps as a huge machine stepped into view. It was a silver, humanoid robot with 2 glowing red eyes.
“I’ll be back.” Its mechanical voice spoke.
[You’re kidding, right?] Ehrgeiz moaned.
[Where’d he get the copyrights to that?] I wondered.
“Crap, where’s a Chaff grenade when you need one?” Firestorm muttered.
There was a metallic hiss as a section on its chest opened, revealing a huge Gattling Gun.
[OH CRAP!] Everyone yelled as we dove for cover.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riot
“Whew, I think we’ll be safe here for a while.” I panted, slamming my back against the closed door.
[Yeah, didn’t help that you ran us round the same corridor three times.] Luminair added in.
“Well, how was I supposed to know it was a circular one?!” Nala protested.
We’d made it to an empty room, which was just a straight corridor was a door at either end. What surprised me was the long series of glass windows along the entire stretch of one side of the wall.
Out of curiosity, I hopped over and peered through.
“Look at this!” I called.
[It’s the lab all right.] Ahsura muttered.
The others joined me in looking down into a huge, but empty laboratory. Actually, devoid of life might have been a better term, considering the dead human bodies that were lying about. It was filled with all sorts of strange machines and computers. A huge generator was located further behind.
However, what caught our interest were large containers with the ‘biological hazard’ symbol on them.
[Those things missiles or something?] Azure wondered.
“Oh my god!” Nala exclaimed, getting stares from everyone. “The virus must be in those missiles. But if they start firing those things around, then it’ll…”
[Well, let’s hurry!] Luminair growled.
Everyone dashed towards the other door. I was about to go too when I caught sight of something.
“Nala! Look down there!”
“What is it?” My partner jogged to my side.
There was one moving thing in the lab below. We just hadn’t seen him because he was as silver as the machines around.
“A Skarmory?” I wondered.
“Could it be? That Skarmory?” Nala whispered, clutching the fox-shaped pendant around her neck.
He was flying around the lab, pushing buttons with his beak and checking the computers. He looked almost like a lab technician doing that. A light flashed, behind him and he turned around to collect a small cylinder about the size of a human hand.
The steel bird grabbed it in his mouth and stuffed it beneath his wing.
He went back to his computer, but came up with an utterly startled expression on his face as he looked at the screen. He begun furiously jabbing the buttons with the edges of his wings and shook his head. His mouth moved, but it was impossible to hear what he was saying.
Finally, he flew towards a pair of double doors that served as the main entrance.
“Let’s hurry!” Nala raised her foot and kicked the glass window to pieces. “I just have to know.”
Nodding, I spread my wings and allowed her to climb onto my back.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nightslice
“Dammit!” I cursed, staring at the sealed off passageway.
There was no way back, nor any way to get help from my allies. Only thing to do was go forward. However, I got the sinking feeling that something wasn’t right. The only corridor led straight and curved to the right.
As I stepped round the bend, I came face to face with a figure I’d both longed for, yet dreaded to see.
“Nice to see you again, Nightslice. Or perhaps I should be calling you brother.”
“Kris…” I staggered, seeing through the seemingly normal Scyther in front of me. Still, I felt a great difference in her voice. Something I couldn’t really identify.
“Lots has changed, hasn’t it?”
“Kris…” I looked up and noticed the closed double doors behind her. It read ‘Main Laboratory’.
“Yes, that is the lab if you were looking for it.” Kris indicated with her head. “Came about the virus?”
“The virus…” I muttered.
“The one Sliph designed to affect both their Chimeras, and the Pokemon with them.” She continued. “And now, the SFs have gotten hold of it. It’s been engineered to become airborne and they plan to launch off a bunch of canisters containing the virus. Think of it as a nuke without the explosion, but the side effects.”
“But that…that’s gonna kill hundreds of Pokemon.” I gasped.
“This is why we’ve set something up to counter that. We’ve done some tweaking with the computer systems so that the generator here will blow up before the canisters can be launched. The explosion would generate a degree of radiation lethal to the viral components.”
“I need to get in the lab. I need an antidote.” I growled.
“I do know this place has the technology to synthesize one. But that would involve the computers, all of which are currently occupied with the self-destruction program.”
“A friend of mine is infected! And I need that vaccine to cure her!”
“The blue haired girl?” Kris snarled. “The one I saw you with?”
I nodded silently, not wanting to know how Kris knew.
“You’ll mess up the computer systems if you try to synthesize the antidote. And that’ll lead to the release of the virus.” She sternly replied.
“What are you getting at?!” I demanded, growing impatient.
“I’m sorry about your friend, but its still one life versus hundreds. I’d say it’s a worthy sacrifice.”
Those words were like an icy cold dagger through my heart.
“Alugard…What’s Alugard done to you?!”
“He had nothing to do with what I did to myself! You don’t know what I’ve been through!” She screamed furiously. “I wasn’t enjoying myself like you were!”
Perhaps it was the combination of all the emotions, fury and anger that had been building up within my heart. Perhaps the stress just caused me to lose control. But it didn’t help what I roared out next.
“Kris, get out of my way now! Or I’ll force you to!”
“You’ll have to make me.” Kris replied, stepping into a fighting stance.
Only as I mirrored her stance, I truly realized what I’d just initiated.
All of us have something deep inside that truly frightens
us. And for me, this was my greatest fear…