Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Seekers of Soul
[Chapter 83]
<< First | < Previous | Next >
AO3 Link
-
The battle to decide the fate of the world begins.
-
THERE ARE CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER! Iâve put them at the bottom of the post, so please scroll down and check the end of the post before reading if youâre worried about sensitive subject matter.
___________________________________________________________
Tobias feels as though the whole world is holding its breath as August and Rosalindâs forces surround the dimensional gate. The scene looks otherworldly. The stretch of water around the altar glows orange in the dawn light, wisps of fog cloaking the remnants of what was once a great temple. Willâs Pokemon mill about atop the altar, their numbers large but the size of the crowd still dwarfed by Yveltalâs cocoon.
Tobiasâ heart pounds, his muscles tight with tension, and he jumps at every little sound. With each passing second, he becomes more and more anxious that Yveltal will be awoken before August can get everyone into place. Nia and Samir are equally nervous on either side of him. Niaâs aura skims by Tobiasâ own every once in a while, brushing past him like a pacing persian.
Tobias startles again when telepathy slides through his mind, smooth as a purr. Rosalind.
There are non-combatants on the altar, including children. If a Pokemon tries to flee without engaging in battle, do not pursue.
As the Pokemon around them exchange wide-eyed looks, Tobias breathes out, shaky and slow. Niaâs head hangs with relief beside him. At least they got that message through before someone accidentally attacked a clueless civilian.
Junie herself returns shortly after the message goes out. She lands on Niaâs shoulder, her presence easing some of the tension there. âDone!â
âThanks, Junie,â Nia murmurs, bumping her head against the rookidee.
âGood work, Junebug,â Bo whispers. âNow come here. Stay close to me.â
Junie does so, and silence falls again. The atmosphere around the swamp is heavy and restless. Quiet. So quiet that Tobias fears Will or his gang will notice them amassing along the waterâs banks, hidden only by foliage. The fact that they havenât been noticed probably means August or Rosalind have some âmon working to cover their tails, masking their presence with the subtle use of floral scent moves and increasing the fog along the forestâs edge with mist. Thankfully, Will doesnât seem to be expecting anyone, probably confident heâs gotten away with his plan after decimating their forces in Silenfroar.
All Pokemon are in position, Rosalindâs voice says, slipping through Tobiasâ mind again. Prepare yourselves, but do not attack until given the signal.
The air is still. Ever so faintly, the ground trembles.
A few of Willâs âmon on the altar spin around with cries of alarm, looking out over the water. At the same time, a blur of dark vines shoots from the forest almost too fast to see, rocketing towards the dimensional gate like a giant serpent. Psychic shields are thrown up to block the attack, but the roots manage to break through the first layer before slamming into a protect and sliding across its shell, trying in vain to reach their target. Some of the crowd on the altar below cry out and cower away from the attack.
Was that frenzy plant? August mustâve wanted a more precise move with less destructive capabilities for the first strike, so he could target Will directly without harming any innocent civilians. Attempt to take out the yamask before a battle could even start.
But it didnât work.
Will turns, looking out over the water and ruins leading into the trees. At his side, a sigilyph and a xatu hover, waiting.
To Tobiasâ surprise, August himself comes forward, taking the stone path from the trees and stepping out into the open. The rillaboom holds himself tall despite his injuries, pulling the wooden drum from his back and slamming it onto the stone in front of him. The sound echoes through the quiet morning air.
Will glances past August to the tree line, probably noticing the army of Pokemon on the banks before focusing again on August himself. The yamaskâs eyes are a blazing red in the morning light.
âStand down, Will,â August calls, âand you and your âmon will not be harmed.â
Will barks a laugh. âYou think Iâm going to stand down and quit here, when weâre this close?â He turns his back on August, moving back towards the dimensional gate with a casual wave of his hand. âKill him. Kill anyone who tries to stand in our way. I will wake Yveltal myself.â
Tobiasâ toes curl into the dirt underfoot as a few outlaws peel away from Willâs group, racing down the stone path towards August. Energy crackles across fur and scales and claws, preparing to attack.
Augustâs calm demeanor shatters. He roars, fangs flashing, and the sound echoes like thunder across the water. He slams a hand onto his wooden drum, and a flash of green energy explodes out from the instrument, rippling across the ruins and water like a wave. In its wake, the ground itself seems to rumble. Roots shoot up from the shallow water like living things, knitting themselves into sturdy pathways leading from the forestâs edge to the stone altar.
âFor the world!â August yells, rushing forward to meet the outlaws head-on.
Around the ruins, experienced âmon lead the charge for different sections of the guildâs army. Tobias sees the bright pink and green of Azami across the way, before the Pokemon around him surge forward as well with a wordless cry. Some splash directly through the shallow water and hop over and under ruins and stone, and some take the bridges of roots.
Tobias glances at Nia and Samir. âWe going for Will?â
Niaâs eyes are already aimed at the altar. Samir nods.
âAfraid we wonât be able to take you by air,â Bo says, his eyes focused past them, on the sky. âBest weâll be able to do is guide you.â
Tobias follows the skarmoryâs gaze, and sees Pokemon clashing in the sky just as viciously as on the land below. As they watch, a corviknight divebombs a swellow with sharp talons, knocking the smaller âmon right out of the air to be swallowed up by the mob below.
âThen I guess weâre going through,â Tobias breathes. âReady?â
Nia and Samir brace themselves. Tobias leads the charge by leaping onto the root bridge August made, his partners close behind. The roots underfoot are slimy and slippery with moss, but more than stable enough to hold the stream of âmon that have poured in from every side of the swamp, converging on Willâs forces in the middle.
The battle around the altar is loud even from afar, but the noise is incredible once they reach the heart of the battlefield. Overwhelming. There are suddenly bodies all around Tobias, attacks flashing by and nearly grazing him. He sees snarling and hissing Pokemon no matter where he looks, tearing into each other without mercy. To his right, an absol tackles a vaporeon wearing a white scarf, and the two roll away in a screeching tangle.
A mawile appears out of nowhere and tries to snap Tobias in half with her giant jaws. Heâs yanked back just in time by Nia, and Samir charges in to knock the steel type off-balance. Tobias shoots a flame burst that hits the mawile square in the chest, sending her stumbling back into the crowd.
A nearby cacturne pounces on them when a few stray embers hit his skin, swinging a spiked arm at Tobiasâ head. Tobias ducks, and Nia takes the opportunity to leap over his shoulders, slamming the cacturne in the face with an aura club. The grass type staggers back with a grunt, blocking against a volley of razor leaves from Samir before Tobias sends him packing with another short burst of fire. This time, some of his embers hit an ally grovyle fighting a few steps away, making Tobias wince.
This is chaos. Tobias can hardly use his flames without risking friendly fire. Theyâve gotta just focus on moving towards the altar and not worry about defeating every âmon in their path.
Tobias forges on and tries to ignore the battles happening everywhere he looks, dodging around flailing limbs and avoiding enemy attacks when possible. Occasionally, heâs left with no choice but to use his claws and tail to defend himself, sending foes back into the fray before checking to make sure Nia and Samir are holding up okay behind him.
Theyâve made it to the long stone pathway leading up to the altar when a stream of fire draws Tobiasâ eye. At its source, he finds a bold pattern of black stripes on orange fur, longer tufts of cream fur flaring like the sun. An arcanine.
Sulien.
Tobias stops in his tracks.
The arcanine is on the edge of the main battlefield, near some of the more intact ruins. Heâs surrounded by the motionless bodies of Pokemon he has already defeated, with only two opponents still left standing: August, and Andynâs mother.
Freshly-sprouted trees and roots dot this little section of the battlefield, having broken straight through the stone underfoot. They jut from the ground like defensive spikes, like reaching hands, charred and smoking. As Tobias watches, August bangs his drum, and roots as big as a seviper shoot through the stone pathway towards Sulien. One wraps around Sulienâs leg, and Andynâs mother takes the opportunity to slam into the arcanineâs ribs with a high horsepower attack.
Sulien snarls, unleashing a wave of fire that sends both August and the sawsbuck leaping out of range. Sturdy plants shoot up like shields to protect them from the flames, but the fire eats right through thorns and bark alike.
Tobias doesnât even think, bolting towards Sulien and away from the war behind him.
âTobias!â Nia cries, her voice getting lost to the din.
Tobias doesnât stop to see if sheâs following him. He pushes past and ducks under roaring, shrieking Pokemon, friends and foes alike. He knows he wonât be able to help August and Andynâs mother if the need arises. He has no idea what he could even do against Sulien.
But he canât just leave, either.
Tobias stops on the edge of the battlefield, next to a small but sturdy tree with scorch marks gouged into the bark. The marks are still warm, smoke rising faintly from the wood.
Tobiasâ gaze is drawn to the Pokemon on the ground who Sulien had taken out first. Now that heâs closer, he can pick out all the gruesome details. A pinsir has a still-smoldering hole blown clean through their shell. A florgesâ pretty white petals are painted red with blood. A croagunkâs neck is twisted back at an unnatural angle, their eyes blank and empty.
Tobias feels sick.
A snarl drags Tobiasâ eyes back to the fight. August and Andynâs mother are still keeping Sulien on his toes, but Tobias can tell the two grass types are exhausted, injuries and fatigue from last nightâs battle finally taking their toll. Augustâs strikes are just a bit too slow, his fists and vines only glancing Sulien rather than hitting him head-on. The bandaged leg under Andynâs mother wobbles more than once as she dodges and lunges, until finally, it buckles.
The sawsbuck falls to a knee.
Sulien jumps on the moment of weakness, tearing towards Andynâs mother with a flame wheel attack that August barely intercepts, leaping in front of her and summoning another wall of trees and roots.
Sulien smoothly rolls out of the flame wheel attack, instead taking advantage of the grass typesâ close proximity. He unleashes a fire spin attack that circles the small, protective thicket and traps both August and Andynâs mother inside, the flames climbing higher and higher into a towering inferno. Then, Sulien himself ignites with flames, before launching into the blaze with a flare blitz attack.
Tobias watches, horrified, as August and Andynâs mother are sent crashing through the other side of the flames. Andynâs mother rolls limply across the stone before coming to a stop. August barely catches himself on one bent knee, skidding back and holding his drum in front of him like a shield.
Sulien is on him in an instant, fiery jaws latching onto the drum. The wood splinters and snaps, flames licking up the instrument so fiercely that August is forced to drop it. The rillaboom staggers backwards, putting distance between the two of them.
Sulien tosses the fiery remnants of the drum aside and follows, prowling like a predator on the hunt.
Tobias sees what comes next as if watching from outside his own body. He sees Andynâs mother stir, trying to pull herself upright. He sees Sulien change course, lunging for the sawsbuck to finish her off. He sees August throw himself between the two, and sees Sulien tackle his guildmaster to the ground.
The arcanine doesnât hesitate. He goes for the injury left earlier in Augustâs side, fiery jaws large enough to latch around the rillaboomâs torso and dig into the wound.
August gives a pained roar. Sulien rips his head back, blood spraying in an arc from the massive chunk torn out of Augustâs side. Augustâs struggling abruptly weakens, his arm moving up to clutch at his ribs. Tobias sees his legs kick weakly, as if trying to get up.
âA-August!â Andynâs mother gasps.
Sulienâs ear flicks, and his focus finds the sawsbuck once again. He abandons August, grabbing Andynâs mother by an antler with his jaws. She gives a pained bellow, before Sulien twists and slams the sawsbuck head-first into the stone underfoot. She goes limp, but he still pins the grass type down, one giant paw on her antlers and another on her torso, leaving her throat unprotected.
Andyn is about to lose her mother.
Itâs that thought that jolts Tobias back into his body.
Awful parent or not, and no matter how much he dislikes the sawsbuck, Tobias still doesnât want to see her die. Doesnât want Andyn to lose a parent like he did to Sulienâs cruelty. Possibly both parents, if her dad doesnât make it. Tobias doesnât want to see Sulien kill yet again, not when he mightâve just seen Augustâ
Sulienâs jaws open, fangs bared and glowing with white-hot heat, ready to tear out the sawsbuckâs throat.
âSulien!â Tobias screams.
The arcanineâs shredded ear swivels towards Tobias. Sulienâs head lifts almost lazily to see who is addressing him by name. Thereâs blood soaking the fur of his muzzle from fighting, and his eyes gleam gold in the morning light.
Tobias moves forward on stiff legs, feeling like prey as the arcanine watches him with mild interest. At Sulienâs paws, Andynâs mother is still, but Tobias thinks he can see her chest rise and fall. He hopes so, at least. Heâs too scared to look back at August, who still hasnât moved.
Tobias locks eyes with Sulien, and the world seems to fade, until all Tobias can see is the arcanine. The Pokemon heâs been searching for for over eight years. The one who took his family away.
Sulienâs head tilts. âYou know me.â
Itâs a question, posed as a statement. A bolt of fury cuts through Tobiasâ chest like lightning. Even Dismas recognized Tobias in Kaleidoâs prison.
âYou killed my parents,â Tobias hisses, shaking. âMy little sister.â
Sulienâs eyes narrow with thought, before recognition finally sparks. âThe child from the mountains. I knew that coward Asra didnât kill you.â
The arcanine looks down at the sawsbuck under his paws, and then back to Tobias.
Tobias doesnât even see Sulien move. One moment Tobias is upright, yards away, and then heâs slammed onto his back against hard stone as the air is knocked out of him. Sulien looms over him, and terror fills Tobiasâ lungs like water. Tobias suddenly feels like heâs ten years old again, back in his home on that fateful night.
âAsra knew I hated loose ends,â Sulien says disdainfully. The paw on Tobiasâ chest presses so hard he thinks his ribs are going to snap before Sulien even gets the chance to tear his throat out.
Then a flash of bright blue energy slams into Sulienâs face, causing him to recoil with a snarl.
Familiar paws yank Tobias back by his arms, and then thereâs Nia, planting herself in front of him. Her aura extends into a staff, ready to fight. Tobias has a moment of dĂŠjĂ vu, from that forest dungeon months and months ago, when he thought he was going to die during his first mission. Nia was there to save him then, too.
Tobias startles as Samir appears at his side, steadying him with a quiet whistle of, Okay?
âY-Yeah,â Tobias gasps, putting a hand on the skiddoâs back as he gets his bearings. Heâs not dead, at least.
âDonât run off like that,â Nia says, turning her muzzle just enough to be heard without looking away from Sulien. âWeâre in this together.â
âR-Right.â
Tobias and Samir move to either side of the riolu, falling into battle-ready stances. Sulienâs expression is unreadable as he watches them prepare.
Behind them, the war rages on. While Tobias knows they must have allies nearby, he canât very well just put a timeout on someone elseâs bloody battle so that they can come help Team Scarlet instead.
No, theyâre on their own here.
Tobias doesnât know if they even have a shot at this. How can they possibly make it out of this alive when August and Andynâs parents and Tobiasâ mom and dad and half the S-rank Seekers at the guild couldnât defeat Sulien? For a moment, Tobias considers running. He knows they should run, that August would want them to, butâŚ
Tobiasâ eyes flick past the arcanine, to where August is lying motionless on the ground as blood pools around his side, hopefully still clinging to life. Then he looks at Andynâs mother, still but breathing. Tobias canât just leave them here to die. He canât just let Sulien walk away to kill who knows how many others.
But is Tobias dooming his own team if they stay and fight?
Tobias doesnât have any more time to think it over as Sulien launches forward, flames spilling from his jaws. Nia barely manages to put up a protect in time, grunting as Tobias and Samir part to flank the arcanine on either side.
Tobias spits a flame burst into Sulienâs ribs as Samir does the same with a razor leaf on the other side. Both attacks seem to do nothing, as if the arcanine didnât even feel them.
Nia breaks her protect and uses quick attack to zip out from under the arcanineâs maw, but Sulien flashes away too a moment later with something similarâextreme speed?âand stays right on her heels. Nia struggles to stay out of reach, dodging around smoldering trees and roots until she can retreat to the water and towering ruins. She darts through a tiny gap near the base to put a wall of stone between her and Sulienâs much larger form.
Tobias chases after them and takes advantage of Sulienâs moment of distraction to surround the arcanine in a fire spin attack. The flames encase Sulien in seconds with a steady roar, and Tobias is relieved that he managed to trap the speedy Pokemon, even if for a moment.
Tobias glances at the ruins, hoping Nia wasnât scathed by his attack. She should be safe on the other side, butâŚ
Fire spin starts to dissipate, far too soon to be natural. Tobias looks at Sulien, cold confusion crawling up his back as he catches a glimpse of the arcanine standing completely still within the inferno, embers dancing across his fur. Sulien looks serene, his head lifted and his eyes closed, almost like heâs enjoying the feeling. Sulienâs a fire type, but Tobiasâ attack still shouldâve done some damage, so why does Sulien look as ifâŚ
Tobiasâ heart drops as he thinks of something Nia told him once, when reading about abilities. An ability that heâd been jealous of himself.
Does Sulien have flash fire? If he does, then fire type moves wonât hurt him at allâtheyâll only make him stronger. If the arcanine has flash fire, thenâŚthen half of Tobiasâ movepool is useless in this fight.
No wonder Tobiasâ parents didnât stand a chance against this monster.
Tobias is yanked from his thoughts by Samir shooting a seed bomb attack at the arcanine. Sulien doesnât even bother dodging, instead charging at the skiddo and straight through the move with a flame wheel attack that Samir barely avoids.
Sulien wheels around to sweep a flamethrower at the two of them instead, and they both scramble to get out of the way. Tobias ducks behind a half-broken column in the water. Samir nimbly leaps up a crumbled wall of the ruins at their back, sending a small avalanche of stones down behind them.
Tobiasâ mind races as Sulien tries to smoke them out, shooting flamethrowers into the crumbling ruins. They canât fight the arcanine like this, constantly on the backfoot. At the very least, they need a second to breathe and think, to get some kind of advantage.
Time for old reliable. Tobias sucks in a deep breath of air, then leaps out of hiding to release a cloud of thick gray smoke large enough to roll over the entire area, obscuring visibility.
Tobias hears a quiet splash and spots a glint of blue light through the smoke as Sulienâs flames abruptly cut off with a snarl.
Nia. Tobias follows her lead, his sharp eyes tracking her bursts of aura like lightning through storm clouds.
When he gets close enough to see the silhouettes of Nia and Sulien dancing between charred trees and half-standing ruins, the riolu is using quick attack and flashes of protect to get around the arcanineâs snapping jaws. Niaâs eyes are closed, relying entirely on aura to see where sheâs going as she slams handfuls of energy against Sulien whenever she gets an opening.
Sulien fakes her out, stepping right before swinging his head left, headbutting Nia deeper into the smoke with a yelp. The arcanineâs muscles bunch beneath his fur as he prepares to follow.
âHey!â Tobias yells. He channels dragon type energy into his belly, and then unleashes a dragon rage attack at Sulien. For a moment, purple flames fully engulf the arcanine.
Then, orange fire rapidly builds around Sulien in a ring, the arcanineâs own fire spin attack pushing outwards, tearing through dragon rage and dispersing both attacks in a beautiful cloud of embers. Tobias blinks ash from his eyes, struggling to see.
A sharp, piercing whistle sounds from Tobiasâ left: Dodge!
Tobias does so without thinking, throwing himself backwards and feeling the heated air and snap of jaws a hair from his throat as his vision finally clears.
Samir slams into Sulienâs side in a take down attack, knocking the arcanine back a foot. Sulien turns on the skiddo, jaws ablaze. Samir dives under the arcanineâs fire fang to slam their hooves into the stone beneath the much larger Pokemon. To Tobiasâ surprise, the stones underfoot crack and crater, the ground shaking and tripping Sulien with a growl. Bulldoze? Tobias forgot Samir even had that move.
Nia chucks an aura sphere from the smoke that catches Sulien in the ear, distracting him long enough for Samir to slip back out of reach. Tobias gets to his own feet and backs up, breathing hard. All three of them surround the arcanine, and for a moment Sulien looks between them, his gaze calculating.
Then, as if theyâd planned it, Nia attacks with an aura sphere, Samir backing her up from the other side with a seed bomb attack, and Tobias throws in a dragon rage too, all three moves converging on their opponent in an explosion. Smoke bursts outward from the point of impact, and for a moment, all is still.
Cautious hope lifts in Tobiasâ chest. Maybe Sulien was more injured than theyâd realized?
Thereâs a flare of light, and Sulien shoots from the smoke like a comet. He rams into Nia, sending her skipping across the shallow water of the swamp like a stone. Tobias gasps and sprints forward to help, Samir doing the same.
Sulien turns to meet them, unleashing a flamethrower that cuts through the air with a roar of heat and a hiss of steam. Samir leaps over the attack while Tobias ducks under it, and Tobias hears the attack hit Pokemon in the distance with pained cries.
Sulien follows up with an extreme speed attack, bowling over Samir and trapping them against the stone underfoot. The skiddo stares up at Sulien with wide, terrified eyes. Sulien goes for their throat, bearing down on them with jaws of flame.
Tobias wonât be fast enough.
A small blur of black and blue drops from the sky and smashes into the side of Sulienâs head, clinging to his ear and sending his attack off course. The arcanine staggers, shaking his head as the blur goes for his eyes.
Tobias yanks Samir to their feet to pull them to safety. The two of them stare as the little blur is thrown off, tumbling across the stone before settling as a very woozy rookidee.
Junie.
Sulien lunges for her.
A screech rings from the sky like metal on metal. Itâs the only warning before a flash of silver smashes into Sulienâs face talons-first, blood spraying into the air and coating Boâs metallic feathers in red.
Sulien snarls and snaps at Bo with electrically-charged fangs. Bo drops under the attack, pushing off the ground with his talons and flying low to snatch up Junie before wheeling back into the sky.
Tobias hears the skarmory shout, âOver here!â
For a moment, Tobias doesnât understand what Bo is telling them to do. To follow him? But they canât leave the others here with Sulien, and Nia is still somewhere in the waterâ
Then Tobias realizes Bo wasnât talking to them.
Water shoots out from somewhere behind Tobias like a cannon. It blasts into Sulien and bursts on contact, revealing a familiar wartortle inside. Felix lands, then pushes off the ground to spin and whack the arcanineâs bloody muzzle with an aqua tail that actually makes Sulien stagger back.
Just as Sulien goes on the offensive with another thunder fang, psychic energy engulfs Felix. The wartortle grins and wiggles his fingers in a little wave before getting yanked back to safety towards Tobias and Samir.
Relief rolls over Tobias as he looks back and sees Xander, Avery, and Kry behind him, a little scuffed up but otherwise unharmed. Team Shellshock. Junie and Bo mustâve brought them over as reinforcements.
The luxio and fraxure rush past them to go on the offensive, Kry cloaked in the buzz of dragon dance energy and jumping in claws first. Xander uses Kryâs distraction to tap the arcanine with thunder wave, sending static rippling over his striped pelt and slowing him down. Felix unleashes jets of water gun and bubble beam from the sidelines, shoving the arcanine off-balance.
âMade it,â Avery pants, giving Tobias a little smile. The kirliaâs expression falters as they glance over the battlefield. âWhereâs Nia?â
Tobiasâ breath catches. Where is Nia? Last he saw, she got thrown into the ruins, butâ
Right on cue, Nia comes tearing out of the water, eyes blue with fury as she rejoins the fray. She swings her aura staff around so hard that Tobias is surprised she doesnât break Sulienâs foreleg.
Tobias can breathe again. âSheâs fine.â
Avery nods and joins the fight, Tobias and Samir on the kirliaâs heels.
The tide of battle shifts quickly. With Team Scarlet and Team Shellshock combined, they have a full seven Seekers working against Sulien. Two teams of âmon who know each other, and who have fought together before.
While they still stumble over one anotherâand over other Pokemon battling in the same vicinityâmore targets means Sulienâs focus is scattered, leaving them more room to attack and recover as needed.
Samir distracts Sulien with volleys of razor leaf and seed bomb, diverting the arcanineâs attention from Niaâs onslaught of quick hits. Xander crashes into Sulienâs side with a volt switch attack, the rebound energy allowing the luxio to spring back out of range and stunning Sulien in the process. Kry rushes in with a breaking swipe, her heavy tail battering the outlaw and lowering his attack. As Sulien tries to retaliate with a crunch, Avery teleports the fraxure out of harmâs way, only for Tobias to quickly take her place, slashing at Sulienâs legs as Felix unbalances the arcanine with a powerful water pulse.
Tobiasâ blood sings with adrenaline, watching Sulien grow less and less composed as they chip away at his health. Tobias can tell that the others are wearing down just as much as he is, though, and they do take a few heavy hits in the process. Samir is grazed by a flamethrower after shoving Avery out of the way of the attack, and when Kry takes a hit for Nia, it leaves the fraxureâs arm limp, her protective scales cracked in half by Sulienâs fangs.
But theyâre all still standing.
Just as Tobias starts to gain some hope, Sulien braces himself and unleashes a wordless snarl. A wave of dark type energy accompanies the sound, rippling out from Sulien to hit both teams and send them skidding back. Tobias feels his flames falter, weaker suddenly. The attack reaches so far that even the Pokemon battling far behind them cry out.
Sulien takes the moment of weakness to throw his head back with a howl that pierces through the sound of battle. Unease shivers up Tobiasâ spine, and he isnât sure if heâs imagining the way the arcanineâs eyes glow in his bloodied face, muscles rippling beneath his striped pelt.
âCareful,â Avery warns them, reinforcing the bad feeling in Tobiasâ gut.
Sulien lowers his head, light gathering in his mouth like a star.
âMove!â Xander yells.
They scatter, leaping out of the way as Sulien launches a flamethrower across the stone. The heat chases Tobias, and he thinks heâs the target until he realizes that the flames are curving around all of them instead of dispersing, corralling them closer together. A flamethrower attack straight into fire spin.
The fire spin grows higher and higher, a tornado of flames with their teams trapped in the center. Tobias stumbles back into Xander as the heat hits him like a wall, and he feels a sick sense of dĂŠjĂ vu wash over him. Theyâve gotta get out of here. Tobias saw what this tactic did to August and to Andynâs motherâ
Sulien bursts through the wall of flames with a flare blitz attack. Tobias catches a glimpse of Niaâs aura trying and failing to stop the arcanine as he plows through their group. Tobias is thrown back hard onto the stone path, overwhelmed by heat and fear. It feels like heâs back in the fire in Ghatha, back in his childhood home with his family, and for a moment panic envelops him. He canât breathe. Is Sulien pinning him down again? Whereâs Vivi?
No. Get ahold of yourself, Tobias. He curls in on himself, head ringing, and tries to take bigger gulps of the overheated air as embers brush over his skin. His claws find a crack in the stone to grip, and he tries to focus on the rough texture under his fingertips.
Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Hold. In. Hold. Out. Hold.
Tobias slowly gathers himself, until the heated air feels less choking. He realizes once he squints open an eye and lifts his head that the fire spin itself is fading, letting cool air back in for him to breathe. The othersâ
The others.
Tobias gasps, propping himself up on his elbows to look.
Traces of fire spin still wisp through the air, smoldering on the stone ruins around them. Any plant life nearby has been turned to ash. Even the stone under Tobias is charred a sooty black and steaming with heat.
In the wreckage, Team Shellshock has been brought to their knees. Xander is struggling to push himself to his paws. Kry is doing the same, snarling curses. Averyâs laid out on the ground, unconscious. Felix is the only one to actually make it back to his feet, clearly dazed.
Nia and Samir. Where are they?
Tobias finds them after a moment of frantic searching. Nia is pushing herself up with a grunt, her arms wobbling. Behind her, Samir is shifting groggily, some of the leaves around their neck still smoldering. Some of the leaves are burned away entirely. Niaâs protect mustâve blocked some of Sulienâs attack, though, even if it didnât work entirely. Tobias isnât sure the skiddo wouldâve even survived that flare blitz otherwise.
The crackle of electricity makes Tobiasâ head snap back to Sulien, just in time to see the arcanine grab Felix in a thunder fang attack. The wartortle is tucked inside his shell for protection, but Tobias hears it crack under the pressure of Sulienâs fangs.
âFelix!â Xander chokes, wild-eyed and sparking as he tries in vain to push himself to his paws.
Tobias shoves himself to his feet and runs, leaping onto the arcanineâs back, trying to bite at his neck through thick fur, digging into the outlawâs pelt with his claws.
Sulien growls and throws Felix aside. The wartortleâs injured shell bounces over stone and rubble at the base of some ruins before settling. Some of the stones atop the ruins shift loose and fall into the water below with a series of loud splashes.
Sulien leaps into a flame wheel attack that flattens Tobias under his body weight and forces him to let go, leaving Tobias wheezing and struggling to sit up. As Sulien unleashes a flamethrower attack, Tobias throws up an arm in front of his face to protect himself.
He hears the flamethrower impact, but doesnât feel it aside from a fresh wave of heat. He cracks open an eye, stunned to see flames crashing against a wall of blue aura. Tobias whips his head around, spotting Nia standing on shaky paws. Her eyes glow with aura, and sheâs gritting bloody teeth with a paw outstretched towards him. Samir struggles to their hooves behind her.
The flamethrower cuts off, Sulienâs jaws staying parted as he takes heavy breaths. The arcanineâs eyes lock onto Nia with growing frustration. Tobias doesnât like that look being aimed at his partner. They need to regroup. Now.
Tobias takes a breath before exhaling one more cloud of smokescreen, thick and choking, into the air. Sulienâs eyes flick back to him with annoyance. Good
Tobias can only see a bit better than the average âmon in the smoke, and he knows his tail flame will be a beacon for Sulien if he decides to go after them, but Tobias just needs a moment. Just a second to slow down and think. He canât just go charging in, and heâs grateful when the quiet means Nia and Samir havenât, either. Sulien doesnât attack, probably taking a breather himself and waiting for them to come to him.
Tobias pushes himself to his feet and quietly shuffles his way around the arcanine, hoping Nia will sense him and meet him halfway with Samir in tow.
They have to take Sulien down here and now. If they donât, if they turn tail and run, then August, Andynâs mother, and Team Shellshock are all as good as dead, not to mention anyone else the arcanine would slaughter afterwards. After fighting the lucario and Lexym Guild in the mountains, then fighting August here, and then fighting Team Scarlet and Team Shellshock, Sulien has to be worn down by now, and yet Tobias still fears they wonât be able to beat him with brute strength alone.
They need a plan.
Think, Tobias. If they canât overpower Sulien through battle, then theyâll have to be smarter than him. What else can they use to their advantage? Tobiasâ eyes flick through the smoke, skimming past half-burned trees and landing on the tall, hazy silhouette of the ruins in the water around them. Remnants of a temple long since lost to time.
Niaâs aura brushes by Tobias a moment before she appears at his side, Samir a silent, roughed-up shadow behind her. The rioluâs eyes are closed as she sees with aura, her face pointed towards Sulien. Her ears are turned towards Tobias, though; he can practically hear her asking him what they should do next.
Tobias swallows, glancing back at the ruins and wondering if they could use them to their advantage here. Theyâve already been using the broken-down walls and columns to evade Sulienâs attacks, but Tobias is still uneasy about moving around on them too much, since the stone remnants are clearly unstable. Portions of the upper floors and even the roof are still in place, but they teeter dangerously above the rubble at the base of the ruins, ready to crush them if theyâ
Tobias stops breathing. He thinks of Sulien holding him down under the weight of his paw. He thinks of Asra the crobat, killed in a rockslide that was anything but natural.
Maybe itâs time for Sulien to get a taste of his own medicine.
âHey,â Tobias breathes. âRemember how many times weâve been buried alive?â
Niaâs expression pinches, even as she nods. Samir gives him a wary look.
âI think itâs time for Sulien to have a turn.â
Niaâs brows raise, realization dawning as she follows where Tobias is looking. Samirâs face goes slack with a wide-eyed sort of dread.
âThink you and I can keep him busy at the base, Nia?â Tobias asks. âYouâll have to be ready to bubble.â
Nia nods.
âGood. Samir, you climb. Once Sulien is in place underneath, trigger a rockslide at my signal. Donât worry about us, even if weâre right in the crossfire. Just bulldoze away.â
Samirâs mouth flattens, worry glittering in their gaze, but they donât argue. The skiddo knows the stakes as well as Tobias does. If they have any kind of plan, they have to take it.
Sulien mustâve heard Tobiasâ voice, because a flamethrower cuts through the smoke in their direction. As one, the three of them bolt for the ruins, parting around Sulienâs attack like water around stone. Nia stops to launch an aura sphere at the arcanine, which earns her a snarl from within the smoke.
Tobias keeps running, panting as he reaches the water and throws himself from the path to the rubble at the base of the ruins. He sees Samir take a different route, and even injured, the skiddoâs nimble hooves allow them to leap up the ruins quickly, until theyâre out of sight somewhere overhead.
Tobias squints up at the slabs of stone making up what remains of the upper floors and roof of the temple. He positions himself directly underneath them, then looks back towards the smoke just as Nia appears. She launches herself into the shallow water towards Tobias, breathing hard as she reaches his side.
Sulien barrels out of the smoke a moment later, his jaws glowing with heat as he charges at them. Tobias and Nia split up to keep his focus diverted, even as Tobiasâ mind races. His eyes flick up towards the stone overhead, then back to Sulien.
What if the arcanine is still too fast? Tobias hasnât seen Sulien use extreme speed in a while, so heâs hopefully too exhausted for that, but even without that the fire type is quick. Tobias fears Sulienâs sharp ears will hear Samir overhead and flee the incoming rockslide. Theyâll only get one shot at this, so they canât miss. They need to do something to make sure Sulien stays in place, but what?
Niaâs yelp tears Tobiasâ from his thoughts, and he looks back just in time to see Nia go flying, slamming into a far ruin wall hard enough to crack the stone. She falls limply to the rubble below, and nauseous fear rolls through Tobiasâ stomach.
That fear only grows when Sulien doesnât look away from Nia, ready to go after her and finish the job.
âH-Hey!â Tobias yells. Get his attention, get him away from Nia. âYouâre an idiot if you think Willâs really gonna take you to the human world, yâknow!â
Itâs enough for Sulien to pause, his ear twitching towards Tobias.
âItâs so obvious that he doesnât know what heâs doing,â Tobias goads, breathing hard. âI just donât get why someone like you would follow someone like him.â
Sulienâs head turns sharply. âI do not follow that spineless ghost.â
âSure seems like you are. Youâre acting on Willâs orders, right? To attack Silenfroar? To defend Yveltal?â
âNo one orders me to do anything.â
Oh, looks like Tobias found a sore spot. Good. Time to press even harder into that bruise.
âSuuure,â Tobias antagonizes, trying to channel his inner Junie. âI mean, I guess I get why youâd follow him. The worldâs ending. You feel as helpless as the rest of us.â
Sulien finally turns away from Nia, snarling, âIt has been a great many years since I was helpless, whelp. I am surviving, even if that means playing nice until I reach the human world.â
âAnd if you do make it to the human world? What then? Will wonât be happy if you hurt any humans.â
âIt doesnât matter what Will wants. That ghost will die by my jaws the moment we cross the barrier, and then I will be free to do as I please.â
Tobiasâ head jerks back. âFree to do as you please? All you do in this world is cause destruction and hurt everyone you meet. You canât tell me youâre planning on turning over a new leaf or something.â
Sulien huffs a laugh through his nose. âOf course not. Iâll do as I always have, and live as I see fit. The Seekers couldnât stop me in this world, and the humans wonât stop me in theirs.â
Something about the casual way Sulien speaks makes clarity unravel in Tobiasâ mind. Answers a question he hadnât realized he wanted to know the answer to until just now.
This is justâŚhow Sulien lives. How he sees the world. Everything he does is just a sick grab for power, so he can feel strong. So he can do whatever he likes without consequences. He simply doesnât care what anyone else thinks or feels. Heâll do anything, as long as he remains the one in control.
A gut-churning thought occurs to Tobias.
âYou killed my family so we wouldnât tell anyone about you passing through the mountains,â Tobias says, his voice shaking. âBut youâŚyou get something out of it too, donât you? Killing. You like deciding when someone lives or dies. The power of it.â
âWhat is there but power?â Sulien asks. âI know what itâs like to live without it, and I will never return to that pathetic state.â
Tobias hates that he kind of understands what Sulien means. Feel helpless enough for long enough, have your weaknesses used against you, and there is a sort of appeal in being on the other side of that dynamic. In being the strong one. Being in control and making the decisions so that you never get hurt. Most âmon just donât go to such extreme lengths to always be the one on top.
âYouâre horrible,â Tobias says, his hands curling into fists, âand youâre a coward.â
Sulien doesnât seem phased by the first insult, but coward clearly hits a nerve. The arcanine takes a threatening step forward, embers drifting from his maw as he rumbles, âA coward? I have fought and killed countless S-Rank Seekers, wisp. I killed your strongest guildmates. Your guildmaster.â
âAnd youâre still weak!â Tobias yells, his fangs bared. âThatâs what you consider strong?! Playing with peopleâs lives like itâs all some sick game that you have to win?â
Sulienâs face darkens, smoke trailing from his nostrils. His claws flex into the stone underfoot.
âThe strongest âmon Iâve ever met have never taken advantage of someone like that,â Tobias says. âTheyâve always done good, even when itâs hard. Especially when itâs hard.â
Tobias thinks of his parents welcoming three waterlogged strangers into their home. He thinks of Maggie and August bringing Tobias into the guild without a second thought and raising him as their own. He thinks of Nia, Junie, Samir and everyone theyâve met on their travels, facing the end of the world with trembling legs and heads held high.
âThey are strong,â Tobias says. âBut you? Youâre nothing like them. Youâre nothing at all.â
With a roar, Sulien lunges for Tobias. Tobias scrambles back and nearly trips over the rubble of the ruins behind him. He turns, cornered, and climbs the dilapidated side of the once-great temple, clawing his way up a mountain of tumbled stone.
Tobias expects Sulien to attack from a distance, but instead the arcanine gives chase. Heâs right on Tobiasâ tail, flames shooting past Tobias into the sky and jaws snapping too close for comfort. Tobias climbs faster, scraping up his hands and feet and snagging his claws on rough stone as he goes. The only reason Sulien hasnât caught him already is because the arcanineâs heavier weight makes some of the stone crumble underfoot, and he keeps sliding down before regaining ground again.
Tobias doesnât know what his plan is, climbing higher and higher into the remnants of the old stone ruins as Sulien charges after him like a feral in a dungeon. Tobias is just trying to stay alive, but when he leads Sulien to the top, what will he do then?
Samirâs up there.
Tobias staggers to a stop on one of the landings once he remembers that. He canât just lead the enraged arcanine right to his grass type partner. Thatâs a disaster waiting to happen.
Sulien leaps up after Tobias, blocking him from going any higher. He looks like a mindless beast, flames licking at his jaws and his eyes wild with rage. At the arcanineâs back, the open ruin wall shows only clear morning sky, bringing a fresh breeze to Tobiasâ nose. For a moment, Tobias thinks of his parents, of flying through the mountains with Vivi.
Thatâs it.
Tobias glances up, orienting where he is in relation to Samir overhead, then back down to Sulienâs paws. The arcanineâs fury, exhaustion and injuries are making him careless. Heâs so close to the edge, and theyâre a couple stories up by now.
Time to fly, Tobias.
Tobias runs straight at Sulien, towards the fangs that have haunted his nightmares for a decade. He tackles the arcanineâs head, clinging to his face and sending him staggering back in surprise. Tobiasâ heart skips a beat as he feels Sulienâs paw slip over the edge, his body tipping backwards and dragging Tobias along with him.
It didnât feel like a long climb up, quick as they were moving, but the fall seems to happen in slow motion. Sulien drops through the air on his back, his paws twisted above him as if to catch himself on something. Tobias clings to the arcanineâs fur as the ruins blur by at their side. He squeezes his eyes shut, and itâs almost like heâs on his Momâs back again, taking a dive through mountain air and screaming with delight.
And then Sulien slams into the ground, the air in his lungs leaving him in a rush. Tobias bounces to a painful stop as well, the blow thankfully softened by the arcanineâs body. He struggles to sit up, perched at the junction between Sulienâs chest and neck.
Beneath him, Sulien is struggling to breathe, the wind knocked out of him after such a fall onto unforgiving stone. His eyes are wild as he tries to gasp for air, perfectly immobilized under the ruins overhead.
Itâs time to end this.
Tobias whistles Go! loud and piercing, watching Sulienâs eyes snap to him at the sound. Even as Tobias tries and fails to get his weak legs underneath him, he hopes Samir doesnât hesitate. Tobias doesnât want to die anymore, but heâs willing to if it means taking this monster with him.
âTobias!â
Niaâs voice. Her yell is almost lost to the sudden shift and rumble of stone overhead.
Then, somethingâsomeoneâtackles Tobias off Sulien, rolling them both into the rubble at the arcanineâs side. Tobias opens his eyes to find Nia above him, blue aura appearing overhead. An instant later, stone crashes down on them like a falling building, like Bethoc Bluffs, raining against Niaâs shield and burying the sky.
Darkness envelops them completely.
Tobias pants, his heart pounding as he stares up at Nia in the dim light of his tail. Nia stares back as the two of them wait for the sound of clattering stone to settle. When it finally, finally does, it feels like theyâre in their own world, surrounded by black silence.
Theyâre alive.
âA-Are you okay?â Nia whispers.
Tobias swallows and nods, glancing at the barrier as he slowly sits up. Nia shifts back to give him room, and he takes the opportunity to look the riolu over. âAre you okay? You took that last hit pretty hard.â
He gestures her to tuck her head to her chest, and she does so without question so he can prod at the back of her skull, beyond relieved to find her perfectly intact.
âAt least I didnât fling myself off the top of a building,â Nia mutters, half-scolding as she sits up again. âIâm okay. I-I donât know if I can lift all this rock off of us, though.â
They both fall silent, gathering their thoughts.
Nia murmurs, âDo you think we got him?â
Tobias takes a shaky breath. He doesnât know. Sulien feelsâŚunkillable. An unstoppable force. Wouldnât Tobias know if heâd beaten him? Wouldnât he feel it, somehow?
âIf that didnât do it, I donât have a backup plan,â Tobias admits.
He slumps to rest his forehead on Niaâs shoulder. Nia immediately wraps Tobias in a tight hug, and he doesnât hesitate to sling his own arms around her in return. Her heartbeat pounds against his own, her overworked body nearly as warm as his.
Tobias tries to calm down and just enjoy the fact that he and his partner are both still here. Still alive.
Then, something above them shifts, the sound muted through Niaâs aura. They look up.
The darkness above them splits, a slab of stone tumbling aside to reveal the brightening sky. In the gap, Samir and Junieâs frantic faces pop into view, and Boâs sharp, metallic beak follows, still covered in a spray of dried blood from his attack on Sulien. All of their expressions lighten with relief when they see Tobias and Nia through her aura.
After the three of them push aside enough stone to make sure it wonât cave in and kill Tobias and Nia, Nia finally drops her aura. The two of them climb out into cool morning air, the distant sounds of battle reaching them once again.
Samir flings themself at Tobias and Nia so hard that theyâre nearly knocked over by the sudden armful of trembling skiddo. Junie is close behind, letting out an emotional cry before diving right into the middle of the group hug. The four of them take a moment to soak in each otherâs presence, breaths hitching and tears slipping free.
Theyâre alive. They made it.
ButâŚ
âSulien?â Tobias finally asks, pulling back to look over his shoulder at the mountain of stone.
As if hearing him, something in the rubble shifts. Pebbles tumble down into the water below.
Tobias tries to shove away his fear and pulls himself from the group hug to pick his way over to the sound. He hears the others follow behind him. Once he splashes down into the water on the other side of the rubble, Tobias spots him.
Sulien.
The arcanine is almost completely buried under heavy rock, with only a small patch of his face and neck visible between two slabs of stone.
Tobias cautiously steps closer. Sulien watches him with a bleary, half-lidded eye. Shallow water laps at his wet, dirtied fur, making it float limply around his face. Heâs breathing heavily, on the brink of consciousness and seemingly too weak to move.
Tobias wars between mind-numbing relief, a residual sting of fear, and tired anger, staring down at this Pokemon that he hates so, so much. For a second, he thinks, I could kill him.
He could. Sulienâs clearly on the brink of consciousness, and completely pinned. Tobias could dig his claws and teeth into what little is exposed of Sulienâs throat and tear until heâs gasping for air. He could do to him what he did to Tobiasâ family. To August. Tobias wouldnât feel bad taking him out of this world, and he probably wouldnât even be blamed for it. ButâŚ
But.
Tobias doesnât want to let Sulien decide his life for him anymore. Of all Pokemon, Sulien shouldnât be the one to make Tobias someone he doesnât want to be. The arcanine has already haunted his thoughts for years, for half of his life, and he refuses to give Sulien that kind of power over him or his actions. Not anymore.
âIâd rather see you rot anyways,â Tobias murmurs.
Sulien doesnât respond, probably too far gone to even register what Tobias said. After a few more rasping breaths, his head goes limp, his eye sliding shut as he falls unconscious.
Tobias stares, still trying to decide how he feels. He doesnât know. He doesnât know how he should feel. Heâs grateful for Nia, Samir, and Junie at his back, a steadying presence when heâs feeling so unstable.
âI swear to Palkia, Felix, if you die here Iâm gonna make your shell into armor!â
Kryâs sharp voice knocks Tobias out of his thoughts.
Tobias and the others spin around, returning to the present. They splash away from the mountain of stone and through the shallow water to the other side of the ruins where theyâd left Team Shellshock.
Xander is at Averyâs side. The luxioâs paw is pulling away from the kirliaâs neck, like heâd been checking for a pulse, but Tobias sees the psychic type stirring as Xanderâs terrified gaze moves to look out over the water instead.
Tobias finds where Kry is crouched next to Felixâs shell, still half-submerged in the swampâs water after Sulien threw him aside. The fraxure is struggling to move the wartortle to dry land on her own with only one good arm. Tobias and the others hurry to help, wading to Kryâs side. Thereâs a bit of blood clouding the water around Felix.
âYou got him?â Kry grunts. Tobias, Nia, and Samir nod.
Together, the four of them lift the wartortleâs shell an inch from the bottom of the swamp and float the wartortle over to the stone path. There, they gently lift him up before pulling themselves out as well.
âFelix, Iâm serious. Youâd better not be dead in there,â Kry says, her gruff voice breaking for a moment as she puts a hand on the wartortleâs shell, careful to avoid the large crack spanning the top of it from Sulienâs teeth. Tobias can see blood and muscles through the break, and he fears the worst.
But a moment later, a familiar blue head and fluffy ears pop out the top of the shell to rest on the stone, Felixâs expression pained but undeniably alive. âGood to see youâre all right too, Kry.â
And suddenly, Tobias can breathe again. Kry just barks a relieved laugh, helping the wartortle ease his other limbs out of his shell before stopping him from trying to stand.
âFelix?â Xander calls, looking terrified.
âStill alive, bro,â Felix calls back, facedown.
Xander laughs, tears brimming in his eyes as he helps Avery sit up.
Thank Arceus. That accounts for Team Shellshock, so the only ones left to check on areâŚ
Tobias quickly finds the motionless brown lumps of a sawsbuck and rillaboom. He pushes himself to his feet and runs over to them, praying, Please donât be dead, please donât be dead, please donât be dead. He tries not to think about the confidence in Sulienâs voice when heâd said that he killed Tobiasâ guildmates and guildmaster.
A quick check reveals that Andynâs mother is breathing, and seemingly just unconscious. Tobias sighs in relief, before rushing past her to August.
August is laid out on his back. Blood and viscera spills out from the crater in his side in a puddle, breaking the clean silhouette of the rillaboomâs body.
âAugust?â Tobias chokes, shaking the rillaboomâs arm a bit too roughly.
Relief floods Tobiasâ body when the guildmaster stirs. August coughs, his eyes fluttering open but hardly seeing. Tobias chooses not to focus on that, because heâs still alive. August has a chance.
âH-Here,â Junie flaps over and drops a yellow sitrus berry at Tobiasâ side. âBo said to give him one of these. Iâll go grab another!â
âThanks,â Tobias murmurs. He leans forward and pats August on the cheek to get his attention. âAugust? Hey, itâs Tobias. Eat this, okay?â
August mumbles wordlessly, blood on his lips. His eyes slip closed again.
âHey, câmon,â Tobias says, a little sharper. He holds the berry against the rillaboomâs mouth. âY-You have to eat this first, then you can sleep.â
Augustâs dark eyes roll open again, and this time Tobias catches him saying something about Maggie.
Tobiasâ heart squeezes. He bites a chunk out of the sitrus berry and spits it back out in his hand. He pokes the piece between Augustâs lips, until the rillaboom finally takes it in his mouth, slowly chewing.
âGood,â Tobias praises, hurriedly biting off another chunk of sitrus berry.
August chokes and coughs, spitting out bloody lumps of half-chewed berry.
âNo no no!â Tobias hisses under his breath. He holds a fresh piece to Augustâs mouth. âCâmon, August, youâve gotta swallow it. Y-YouâŚâ
Augustâs eyes slide shut again. Tears choke Tobiasâ throat as he shakes his head.
No. No, this canât be happening. They did it. They saved Andynâs mom before Sulien got to her. They beat Sulien. They won! August canâtâhe canâtâŚ
âHelp,â Tobias croaks. Then, louder, he calls, âHelp!â
Xander bounds over first, the luxio stopping in his tracks with bristling fur when he sees the state of their guildmaster. He whips his head over his shoulder and cries, âAvery! Itâs August!â
Avery? Does the kirlia have a healing move? They must, if Xander is calling them over with such urgency.
Avery still seems woozy when they appear, but as soon as they see August, their eyes go wide with alarm. The kirlia rushes forward, collapsing into the blood at Augustâs injured side. They lift slender, shaking hands, and indigo energy glows brightly as they try to stitch August back together.
Slowly, silently, the others make their way over too, until the rillaboom has a flock of his Seekers gathered around him. Even Felix manages to join them with Kry and Boâs help, before the skarmory steps back to stand guard. Most of the âmon have moved on from this edge of the battlefield, bodies left in their wake that Tobias hadnât wanted to look at too closely, but heâs grateful for the older âmonâs caution regardless.
Nia settles at Tobiasâ side, taking his hand and squeezing. Tobias canât look away from Augustâs injury and Averyâs unsteady hands. Not until they suddenly fall to the kirliaâs lap.
Augustâs injury remains open. A gaping sea of red and pink. Tobias stares at it, uncomprehending, and then looks up at Averyâs face.
The kirlia is crying.
âAve?â Xander murmurs.
âI canât fix this,â Avery whispers. Their slim shoulders jump with a sob. âHeâs too far gone, itâs too much damage, I-I canâtâŚâ
No. No no no, thisâŚcanât be real. Not again.
âWhat do you mean?â Tobias asks, desperate. âHeâs still alive, so you shouldâyou can fix him!â
Averyâs head bows. âI canât. Iâm sorry. I-I tried.â
Tears flood Tobiasâ eyes. He stares at the kirlia, grief and anger unfurling in his chest.
No. No, August canât die. Thatâs Maggieâs best friend. Thatâs the guildmaster who took Tobias in without a second thought, all those years ago. The âmon who teased him and guided him over the years, and who has always been a kind, supportive presence, even when Tobias had done nothing but snap at him in return. August is strong. Heâs so strong, so he canâtâŚheâŚ
A sob rips from Tobiasâ chest as he looks back at the rillaboom, sprawled almost peacefully across the stone if not for his injuries. Around him, the others bunch closer. Avery is weeping into Xanderâs shoulder, and the luxio has silent tears streaming down his cheeks. Kryâs head is lowered in respect. Felix sniffles quietly, in little hiccupping breaths, watching Augustâs face like itâs the last time heâll ever see it.
At Tobiasâ side, Samir and Junie look teary-eyed too, but itâs Nia who cries with Tobias. She understands just as well as he does what itâs like to come to the guild scared and lost and alone, only to be met with such warm, welcoming arms.
Tobias lowers his head to brush against Augustâs arm. His fingers curl into Augustâs coarse fur, cherishing the warmth still left in his body. For a moment, Tobias thinks he imagines the familiar touch of calloused fingers on his hand, much larger than his own. But when Tobias lifts his head again, he locks eyes with August through his tears.
The rillaboom is clearly fading, but in this moment, his gaze seems clear. Slowly, he takes in those gathered around him. The scared children heâs taken under his wing over the years. He has to know heâs dying, but somehow, he doesnât look scared. He looksâŚhappy.
âIâm glad youâre all safe,â he says, almost too soft to hear.
âYou arenât,â Tobias says, his voice breaking. âIâm sorry, August. I-Iâm so sorry. I couldnâtââ
âIs Adira alive?â August interrupts, his head tilting in the direction of Andynâs mother.
Tobias swallows. He casts another look over his shoulder, just to make sure. ââŚYes.â
âGood. You did that, Tobias.â
âW-What?â
âYou saved someoneâs life,â August murmurs. âRemember that. Donât focus on those you couldnât save. Focus on those you did. Thatâs how a Seeker lives.â
Fresh tears sting Tobiasâ eyes. He wants to deny it. Wants to admit how terrible of a Seeker he is, because he would trade Andynâs mom for August in a heartbeat, no matter how much it would devastate the deerling left behind.
ButâŚAugust wouldnât want that, would he? A life is a life. His guild members are his, no matter who they are. He gave his life for the sawsbuck without a second thought, and TobiasâŚTobias helped make sure his sacrifice wasnât in vain.
August hacks a cough thatâs wet with blood. He looks again at Tobias. âCan you tell Maggie that Iâll say hi to Fane for her?â
Tobias takes a sharp, shuddering breath, trying and failing to keep more tears at bay. He nods, even as he wipes at the tears rolling down his face.
August smiles, his eyes skimming past all of them before sliding shut again. âGood. Thank you all, for being such good Seekers. Such good kids. A guildmaster couldnât ask for more.â
Tobias waits for the rillaboom to continue, the lump in his throat painful from trying to hold back another sob. He doesnât realize there wonât be more until the hand over his own grows heavy and slips off, resting on the bloodied stone at Augustâs side.
Tobias wails, burying his face in Augustâs pelt. Itâs not fair. Itâs not fair for someone so loved to suddenly be gone. Tobias feels like heâs ten years old again, crying over his sister. Mourning his parents and so scared of being left in a world without them.
He doesnât know how heâs going to tell Maggie.
On either side of Tobias, Nia, Samir, and Junie press close, holding him together. Tobias is reminded that this time, he isn't alone in his grief. It's a comforting thought, even through the painful loss.
It helps that August died happy. Died proud of them, for doing what they did. For saving a fellow guildmember, and for stopping Sulien before he could kill anyone else. For surviving that battle to live another day.
Tobias doesnât know how long they cry, hunched over their guildmasterâs body. How much time the universe grants them before continuing on. It feels like hours. It feels like seconds. Itâs likely only minutes before their sorrow is interrupted.
A chilling, otherworldly cry shatters the morning air and echoes out over the ruins, a ripple of cold energy accompanying it. Tobias lifts his weary head, the skin of his arms dimpling with unease.
The distant fighting behind them abruptly stops. Unearthly silence falls across the battlefield as every Pokemon turns to stare, all eyes on the altar and the dimensional gate.
In front of it, Yveltalâs cocoon has been cracked open, a ray of red light bursting through. Will laughs, loud and delighted in the stillness.
Tobiasâ bruised heart drops. The guild didnât stop Will in time. They failed.
Yveltal is awake.
___________________________________________________________
CONTENT WARNINGSÂ FOR THIS CHAPTER:
Blood and injury.
Major character death.
Read cautiously if these are tough topics for you!













