Brynn and Paladin
Just Talking, Really
"Well." Brynn just sat there, floating in the middle of the gem-vault with her legs folded under her as she watched something that she hadn't bothered to call up for Paladin to see. A plate of cake sat in her lap, and one hand held a fork. "That was…interesting, to say the least. Oh, forgive me, would you like some cake, Paladin? I'm afraid it's really only an image to call up, a memory, but cake is so…"
Brynn shook her head, smiling slightly. "That's not the point, though. Tell me, Paladin, how much do you recall? Paradox did a fine job of explaining some things, but it wouldn't hurt us to know if there might be something more we don't know yet. Plans, counter-measures…anything that we could use?"
It took Paladin a moment to remember exactly what had happened. Technically speaking, he didn't know Brynn, but he knew that the last thing he remembered was fighting her and another Gardevoir as Blackguard. The memories were all rather hazy, but they slowly returned. "Um..." Paladin mumbled, rising to his feet. Though he had been in a kind of daze for what felt like forever, he noticed that all the while Brynn had been looking through some kind of mirror, though through it he did not see their reflection, but rather a display of events from outside this place, wherever this place was. The Golurk stood up, looking down at his own body; it was clear. The darkness was gone, which meant that Blackguard was still at large. Though, did he still use the same body? Paladin hoped not. He would have rather had his body perish than have it controlled by that monster.
Getting up from a previously seated position, Paladin stretched his arms a bit. Though this was technically only his conscience's form, it still felt good to be himself again. "The memories are rather hazy," Paladin explained, stretching his legs. "But... do you know what's happening now? The Gold Tribe should be able to repel Blackguard and Paradox with the Gold Crystal... wait, no..." Paladin said as he clutched his head. A memory, or rather a plan of Blackguard's, was beginning to resurface. "He... he knows how to destroy the crystal. If he manages to pull off his plan we're all doomed," he explained grimly, blissfully unaware of current events.
"Ah." Brynn glanced at the mirror, then back at Paladin. "I'm afraid...that the Gold Crystal was just destroyed. Are you sure, no cake?"
As soon as Brynn said this, it felt like Paladin's stomach twisted into a knot and he fell to his knees. "Well then, it's done... everything is going as planned. Blackguard pulled it off."
He rose again, a look of genuine sadness on his face. "Blackguard started all this... in my mind he rested, waiting for his chance to strike. Allora was the first step of his plan, to play with her emotions and cause her to wander into my mind, providing the perfect opportunity for his takeover." He began to pace for no apparent reason as he continued. "He concocted a plan to destroy the Gold Tribe, starting with the Madman. When he'd assumed control of my body he found him and corrupted him, turning him into this fiendish Paradox. The next part of his plan was to recruit Varren, but my memory ends there. I knew that he intended to wait until the Gold Tribe had used the Gold Crystal's power, which they eventually would against Auron, and then destroy it... but that's hardly the worst part."
Paladin walked up to the mirror, standing right next to Brynn, and looking into it. "I see... so you already know. Auron was but a puppet, and my good friend Rey... was the real enemy." He walked back down, unable to bear watching more of the chaos unfold. "Now all hope is lost. Unless we can get some power back, some little bit of power that once belonged to the Gold Crystal, there is nothing we can do." He walked back up to Brynn, snatching the plate from her hands, and gobbling up the entire cake in a matter of minutes. It tasted of nothing.
Brynn unfolded her legs and floated toward the vault-door, leaving the mirror to continue playing. The way she moved, it could have been a walk in springtime woods on a sunny day. "At least you haven't gone quite ballistic," Brynn said, turning to face Paladin. "I know a number of Pokemon who would have reacted more violently than you have so far."
After a moment, she added casually, "Oh, and please don't freak out if you feel like you're being leeched. This gem was designed so its wearer could draw off its prisoners' energy. It's not like the two of us are actually doing anything right now, is it? Hm..." Brynn tapped the vault-door again with a finger. "Well, Varren did end up accepting the offer of a new body. Is there anything more, besides Rey leaving the others to clean up?"
Paladin groaned, sitting down. He hadn't really started feeling the leeching effects of the gem until Brynn had brought it up. "It might take me a bit to remember, but it's not like it matters anymore anyway..." He sighed. "I hate the fact that we're safe inside this place while everyone else is out there dying," Paladin said through gritted teeth, balling his hands into fists. "I would rather die fighting than watch my friends do so!" He slammed his fist into the wall of the room, the attack having no effect whatsoever. "In any case, it wouldn't matter... we don't even have any way of getting back to our bodies. But tell me, why are you so... calm about all this? You're acting like Penance."
"Trust me," Brynn answered, turning back to Paladin. "I'm not so calm as I look." Her voice quivered slightly with her own cold anger. "Do you think you were the one I wanted to bring in here with me?" A second, closed door appeared in the wall beside Paladin, radiating even more frosty air than the room they stood in. "I tried to remove Blackguard from the scene so my brother and the Gold Tribe would have an easier fight. In a way, this was a last resort. I prepared the gem over time, hoping that we'd never need to use it this way. But now I'm close to useless, after using a Destiny Bond that's more or less wasted now!"
The Gardevoir closed her eyes and took a calming breath; the door beside Paladin disappeared. "I am calm, instead of raging around and wasting my energy. Instead of focusing on despair, I am going to keep watching, in case something comes up that I can actually help with. What will you do?"
Paladin sighed heavily, "I... don't know." He began pacing again, trying to ignore the chilling sensation that had overcome him due to the door's appearance. "Well, I know how you feel, anyway. I know what you were planning, and I did hope with all my heart that it could have worked, but Blackguard always has a backup plan. You know, while you were fighting him, I even tried to take my body back again. Obviously, my efforts were futile, but I was trying to warn you..." He grumbled somewhat angrily. "Wasn't exactly easy for me either. I've had that THING growing more and more powerful inside my head for over a year, and then all of a sudden I become just another one of the Dark One's puppets. The things I did as Blackguard... I can't help but blame myself for them. It was my weakness, my failure to resist him, that cost the Gold Tribe everything. It's... all my fault."
He stopped moving for a moment, seemingly frozen midstep. "No use moping around though. Though I doubt we'll have a chance, we might as well stay on the lookout for any opportunity to help, or even offer some advice or something. I don't know."
Brynn clapped her hands, a small smile appearing. "That's the spirit. Do remember, Penance and the Affiliates have a knack for not being so serious all the time. Anyway, back to the show."
~~~~~
Hanso, the Keeper, and Genevieve
Seems That Hope Isn't Entirely Lost, After All
That was the problem with half the Pokemon around here, it seemed. Paradox just couldn't help but boast of at least part of the Silver Tribe's plan, including the fact that his psychics were going to be using Disable. A very annoying move, but Hanso was sure it was going to be triggered the moment the Gold Tribe began fighting back.
He didn't feel much of anything. What happened with his sister had begun to numb Hanso's emotions; it was as if the rest had been thrown out the window the moment Rey had revealed himself. All that was left, pretty much, was the will to live. Or, as Varren had put it earlier, a natural reflex to want to stay alive. That, and Hanso's stubbornness.
So they had Disables at the ready, did they? As the Emboar began running at him full-force, Hanso tried to throw a Psycho Cut at him.
Cue Disable. As his Psycho Cut fizzled out for the next ten minutes or so, Hanso made a copy of himself with Double Team, right where he stood and 'ported away to a dark corner of the room under its cover. The fake Gallade appeared to duck and dodge every move the Emboar made, for however long that would last.
What next? Hanso began pulling energy from the gem around his neck, enough that he wouldn't be exhausted as he fought. Big issues: Paradox; Blackguard; the psychics with their Disables; the fissures that the Sandslash was working on. And…
Wha—Sovereign?! Except, if any trace of Sovereign was left, it wasn't in charge of this monster.
And, Rey isn't sticking around. The problem there was that the Gold Crystal was destroyed, which gave Hanso pause.
The crystal was destroyed, but did its contents disappear completely?
"Hey, Keeper, would the Gold Crystal's power still be around?"
One thing at a time. The psychics would be first, as they would be the most disruptive. Hanso 'ported to another place along the wall, behind a piece of a broken pillar, and checked on the psychics' positions. They seemed to be a little spread out; seemed like he could go after them one at a time. Hanso blinked behind the corrupted Kirlia and swung at her neck with a sharpened Dark sword. She called up a quick shield of energy that broke under the sword, which knocked the Kirlia to the ground. Hanso quickly 'ported away, appearing in the doorway to the throne room. The illusionary Gallade had likely worn off or been discovered by now.
~~~~~
Hanso had never removed the connection; Genevieve was still hearing what he heard. The moment she'd heard Paradox more or less order the others into action against the Gold Tribe, she gritted her teeth and pushed through the pain to slowly get to her feet. It took longer than she wanted, but Genevieve began moving toward the Citadel's front doors, heading for the battleground.
~~~~~
As the Keeper smiled at Paradox's failed attempt to infiltrate Gallant's mind, he responded into TrueStriker's mind.
"Indeed, you could say something like that." He concentrated now, trying to link all of the minds of the Gold Tribe and their allies around, while also simultaneously keeping out the minds of all of their enemies, as well as calling forth energies around him to prepare a Future Sight to assist against the Psychics. One he had linked everyone's minds together, he proceeded.
"After all, your young leader did mention it to you a while ago, didn't he?" He inquired to the others, but mostly to Hanso as he battled the Kirlia and other Psychics. Inside of their mind, he made a subtle inference into their memories, so they could remember the exact memory of which he spoke about, if they were there to see it. The pop up would have been subtle, not enough to distract them in their fights, but enough for them to understand that not all hope had been lost.
"Incidents." The Keeper spoke into their minds again, just as Zane had before.
The Espeon, Mr. Mime and Grumpig all simultaneously proceeded forward at the Gallade, surrounding him one each side to make it hard for him to attack any of them singularly, and shot Psybeams at him.
Good to know that they weren't done for. Hanso threw a few small Dark blasts to counter the Psybeams before jumping into the air, firing a Dark spear at the Grumpig. At this point, it wasn't the kind of energy that mattered to Hanso; a speared heart or loose head would do just as good. Hanso could faintly feel the energy of his earlier Future Sight, pending from the time when Varren had been in charge of his body.
Let it charge a little more.
Before he could be caught in the air, Hanso 'ported to the other side of the room, near one of the Alakazams and the Drowzee, and threw two more Dark spears at them.
The Dark Spears rained on the psychics around, and they each put up psychic barriers to help lessen the blows. Combined with each others psychic abilities, it did well to lower the damage they would have taken. Yet against a Gold Tribe member, it still wasn't enough to completely avoid damage, and the Grumpig fell back from the attack straight to his stomach, as did the other Psychics.
Figuring they would need much more combined energy to stop the Gallade, the remaining standing Psychics stood together, gathering the energy and combined to form a massive looking attack, a combination of Psychics, Psybeams, and other kinetic energy into one large bubble of Psychic energy. It took a significant combined mental strain for them all ot be able to pull it off, but eventually, they fired the chaotic-looking bubble bursting with energy toward the direction of Hanso.
"Careful, young one!" The Keeper exclaimed in the mind of the Gallade. He sent forth his own Psychic energy through the channel they had established to momentarily boost Hanso's reaction time and abilities enough to help him in the next few minutes.
If it wasn't for the energy from the gem's prisoners and the Keeper's help, Hanso would likely have been done for. Pointing his arms forward with hands together, he formed a Dark spearhead-barrier before him, attempting to divert the energy-bubble to either side of himself. He devoted part of his attention to holding the barrier while slowly forming several more Dark spears under cover.
At that moment, Genevieve leaned against one side of the doorway into the room. More chaotic fighting, no surprise there. Spying the psychics that were grouped together, she raised her hands, one crackling with electricity and the other covered in shadow.
"Need some help, dear?" Genevieve fired a Thunderbolt and a Shadow Ball at the psychics, not knowing which one if either would be Disabled.
The Psychics grouped together were relatively worn out from the large amount of energy they exerted forming the large bubble earlier, so when Genevieve came at them from behind with a Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt, they weren't quite able to respond right away. The Thunderbolt hit the Espeon right on its side, knocking it back on the floor with a cry of pain, while the Shadow Ball successfully targeted one of the two Hypno, also knocking him back.
Quickly responding to the addition of the new threat, the second Hypno fired a disable at Genevieve to get rid of her Shadow Ball from now on, hoping it did the trick. The Kadabra then shot forth a Psychic at her front, while an Alakazam and the recovering Kirlia went to either side of her and fired their own sets of Psybeams in a trio. Meanwhile a second Alakazam and the Mr. Mime chose to aim for the Gallade on either side with a Psychic.
However, as the Mr. Mime tried to launch his own attack, he was suddenly swept off his feet and knocked into the air. Having no apparent control over his body, he was slammed to the ceiling, and then onto the ground below, leaving cracks both on the ceiling and floor where he was hit. The Keeper kept his hands steady while he controlled the flow of his body, leaving the Gallade to only have to deal with the single Alakazam for the moment.
There was nothing Genevieve could do to stop her Shadow Ball from being Disabled, but she released her own Psychic wave to counter the Psychic and Psybeams. It wasn't all that powerful, however, as Genevieve's earlier pain was still lingering. As her first wave slowed the attacks, Genevieve released another one, firing a Thunderbolt at the Kirlia for good measure.
As he came out of his barrier, Hanso saw one of the Alakazams coming for him with a Psychic. He 'ported away, appearing behind him and morphing one of his Dark spears into another sword with which Hanso tried to behead the Alakazam.
"So what do we need to do about the Gold Crystal's power, Keeper?"
"Well..." The Keeper began, as he watched TrueStriker and Genevieve continue to fight off the Psychics. He made sure the message he relayed was connected to all of the Gold Tribe and their allies across the Citadel. Hanso had just successfully taken the head of the Alakazam, it falling on the ground in a light thud, followed by its body. Meanwhile, Genevieve used a first and second wave of attacks to strike at the Psychics surrounding her, forcing them back onto the ground to agonize at their injuries. The Grumpig had recovered enough, however, along with he Drowzee and both fired another set of Psybeams at the pair.
"My new plan came with the acceptance that what has been done before will no longer be done." He continued, monitoring the two as he poured some of his own energy toward them to help them in their fight. He noticed the Mr. Mime try to get up again, and effectively slammed him into the ceiling again to prevent that.
"Yet we hit a major snag with the Gold Crystal getting destroyed. Originally, once or if the Wielder would be defeated, the Gold Crystal could be activated to seal all of the Silver Crystal's power back inside, as we had done before. Now...we would have used the Gold Crystal in a different way. We would have tried to attack the Dark One straight at his source. You see, the Silver Crystal is a prison, one we constructed which leads through a portal into another realm we created. In that prison, the Dark One is sealed away with the full might of his power. It is in that realm that Ancients are commanded and created, and as his power increases, the power of that realm also increases, as does His power. Right now, the Wielder Rey is using all of the power that has been gathered in our world to tap into that realm and create a hole in the Silver Crystal, thereby destroying it and pouring that realm into our world. Thereby, releasing the Dark One.
It was at this point that we could have used that against him. If the Gold Crystal were to be put into the realm with the Dark One still inside of it, the result would be catastrophic for Him. All of the Gold Crystal's energy would be activated, and most likely destroyed. So would the Silver Crystal and the Dark One's realm. Yet...at the same time, the Dark One would be released back into this world, as a free being. But...his powers, his unlimited energy and terror would have been greatly reduced, heavily weakened by the effects of the Gold Crystal. He would have been in a state where he could have been defeated. Defeated by the Gold Tribe. By you. That was my plan."
Genevieve fired two Thunderbolts at the Grumpig and Drowzee, which shot through their Psybeams and partially deflected them. She winced as part of the two Psybeams hit her anyway, taking a step back before concentrating on the Drowzee. Genevieve's eyes glowed blue as her Psychic aimed to take hold of him and throw him around.
Dark spears in tow, Hanso 'ported to Genevieve's side, throwing another one at the Grumpig. The first Disable would wear off soon, leaving him open to be Disabled again. Not good if they were to get his Teleport.
"Now that the Gold Crystal itself is destroyed, you have something else in mind?" Two more Dark spears were thrown at the Hypnos, leaving three in reserve.
The Keeper cringed an eye, the sense that his Future Sight was now coming. It blasted at the Mr. Mime that he was dealing with, effectively ending him. The Grumpig fell back at the hit from the Thunderbolt, then again at the Dark spear, both hitting right on the targets and knocking them down. The Hypno was hit now by the double Dark Spear, and was knocking to the floor, but as he fell, the Espeon and Alakazam that recovered managed to use up their energy they had left to fire two powerful Psychics at the two.
The Keeper purposefully bended the space around the Psychics incoming to both slow them down and to weaken their strength for the Gallade and the Gardevoir.
"Well thankfully, the Gold Crystal was not destroyed. At least, not entirely." He allowed a smile to creep onto his wrinkly face, then proceeded.
"You see, Zane Tyrael was right. "The Gold Crystal's energy could be transfered into other objects. As a failsafe, as he called it. The original encasement for the Gold Crystal has been destroyed, along with the power which resided in it. This indeed, is a problem. But the power of the Gold Crystal was transferred by myself into another object a while ago, just in case. After all, anything can be the Gold Crystal really...no matter how small or miniscule the object...like the bracer of a Gallade, the pendant of a Golduck, a ball of string carried by a Sableye. No one would even give it a second thought." The Keeper looked up above as another Future Sight attack was soon to be incoming, presumably the Gallade's. "So my plan, if you truly still want to do it, can still theoretically work. The problem will reside in the fact that this Gold Crystal's power is not quite as strong as it would have been with the original. So in essence, if we release the Dark One, he will be stronger than I originally planned. Perhaps much stronger, perhaps too strong. He will, of course, be nowhere near as strong as if he were to release himself by his own power. Yet...as I see it, this seems to be inevitable. One way or another, the Dark One will walk Valkaria again. But the question is this: Shall he walk out on his own accord, or shall he be forced out, and suffer the penalties that come with it?"
While Genevieve psychically threw the Drowzee at the ceiling again, Hanso fired two Dark blasts to help cancel the incoming Psychics. Who was left? One Alakazam was dead, as was the Mr. Mime. One Hypno had been thrown back, but where was the other one? Hanso fired a Dark spear at the second Hypno, hopefully before he could get back up, then 'ported Genevieve and himself to one side of the throne room.
"This is a question?" Genevieve shook her head, letting the Drowzee drop back to the ground as her head spun for a moment. "If we still have a chance, then why haven't you followed the wielder yet? Oh, right, these pesky Sentinels and such." Beside her, Hanso gritted his teeth for a moment as he forced his Future Sight to keep pending, keep building up. It had to be fired sooner or later, before it dissipated. Or blew up. He wouldn't use it on the psychics, though, if he could help it.
The second Hypno fell back again just as he was starting to recover, the hit striking him right in the face and forcing him on the ground, no longer moving. The Keeper merely nodded in response. "It will take all of us to do it, and maybe then it won't be enough. But we will try. We must. Come on, then!" He got up, approaching the pair as the rest of the Psychics went together as well to try to combine their own energies for a finishing blow against Hanso, Genevieve, and the Keeper. Their Psychic was concentrated into a smaller bubble than before, but it also felt that much stronger. The Keeper closed his eyes to concentrate, trying not to overexert himself as he used a Calm Mind, not only to strengthen himself, but also his allies.
"Oh, blast it all," Hanso muttered, "can't hold it anymore." Facing the grouped Psychics and their attack, he released it. The Future Sight immediately shot forward out of nowhere, larger than usual as it barreled toward the bubble and the psychics behind it. Even if that didn't hit, Hanso fired his last two reserved Dark spears at them. "Disable on me is gone," he warned Genevieve and the Keeper.
Ignoring the fact that Hanso was free to be hit by another Disable, Genevieve asked, "So you say Hanso's bracer is infused, as well as this pendant and string you speak of? Sounds to me like we should make sure they're gathered up."
The Psychics were hit dead on by the Future Sights, any energy they had been storing up were effectively dissipated. The finishing touches came with the Dark spears, and now, the Psychics were effectively finished up. The Keeper panted a bit, having wasted quite a bit of energy, more than he was used to. "Heh...haven't been in a fight like that in quite a while...I wonder how long it's been..." He suddenly snapped back to reality and replied inside of the mind of the two, so the others too could hear. "Mmm? Ah, I did not mean that those items had the power of the Gold Crystal inside. I only meant to use them as an example to show that anything could be the Gold Crystal. Perhaps they do have it inside, perhaps they don't. Perhaps a certain emblem one of you carry has it. Or perhaps not. I'd rather not say for certain what does and what doesn't while other...powerful enemy psychics still linger." His eyes darted to the jet-black form of the one known as Paradox. "It is best we keep quiet until the times come. Just as a caution."