Jackson stood before another distraction, albeit this time a rather large one. Before him was the supposed Tower of Mastery, a place of great importance to the people of Shalour. He could have sworn he saw Drew and some guy in a wheelchair approach the building... but it seemed like the kid was dealing with some thugs who had been blocking the path, it was heartening to seem him stand up for himself, for once. As such, he decided it better not to approach for now as he watched from atop the bridge itself, having easily slipped by in the chaos. Drew had many more pokémon alongside him now, that starter of his had even gained a new form, just like Gaspar. If Jackson didn't know any better, he would have called himself impressed.
Still, now he was across this damned bridge, at the entrance to this crumbling ruin. Still, even he couldn't deny the sheer power that thrummed in the air, pulsing like a heartbeat. It was a focal point of the energies that made up Kalos, like everything was connected to a nexus and that nexus convened here, within these stone walls... or something like that. As he gazed at the entryway, a massive stone alcove that dwarfed him in size, he felt a strange warmth against his chest.
Looking down he saw the incomplete pendant that still hung around his neck. A gift from Sycamore, if was supposed to guide him in the days to come... to help him become stronger than he had been before. Was this what the Professor had meant? Had he stumbled upon the path forward here? Now?
"Your thoughts are correct traveler... this is the house of your future power, the nexus of strength to which you are bound to connect." Jackson nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning in the spot to a point of shadows cast by the alcove, he saw a figure. A man draped in black and purple cloth, a hood covering his eyes and expression, his hands were adorned with find gold jewelry, and only his warm smile told anything of his disposition, half hidden by a flowing tie of blonde hair.
"D-Dahell...? You scared the shit out of me man, was I talkin' out loud or something?" Jackson quickly retorted, trying to hide his initial surprise, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "My apologies Mr. Crane, I meant not to frighten..." The figure spoke, stepping calmly from the shadows into the light. "You spoke not aloud, but your heart rang loud and clear. Like a bell to a monastic monk, the tone of your desire hath summoned me here."
"Those are some pretty flowery words pal..." Jackson mumbled, furrowing his brow gently. "Just who dahell are you anyway?" The man chuckled lightly and bowed to the question, his hair draping lower but his hood not moving with the motion. "A name is a fanciful thing... so I will skip our formalities. I am a successor here, one who watches this tower and the power it holds. I favor a ghost type pokémon as you do, so it is only right that I am to be your teacher."
"Teacher...? Sorry to break it to ya buddy, but I had enough of those in Aquacorde, I just came here to check out the tower." Jackson began, shrugging off what he saw a crazy guy in a crazy situation. "'ppreciate the offer but I think I'm good to go."
"Even with your frozen queen's words ringing in your mind?" As Jackson turned to leave, the 'teacher's' voice caught him like a hand, squinting in annoyance he turned back to the hooded figure, wonderment peeking through anger, as he had to think long and hard on how this creep could tell him his thoughts like he was reading them from a book. "You wonder if she was right... if your power is not enough to protect the one you care for. If this concern weighs upon thine shoulders than follow young trainer, I will show you how to grant thineself a strength unlike any other. One worthy of your goal, Jackson."
Without a word more, the Teacher turned and moved into the darkness of the tower, cloak billowing behind him. "Hey... wait! How do you know...?! Hang on!" His words did not pause the mysterious man in turn... and so reluctantly, Jackson followed his echoing footsteps into the tower and the winding stone staircases therein.
Huffing with exhaustion, Jackson leans forward resting on his knees, the cool air of the now higher altitude tousling his hair and reviving him slightly from his exhaustion. They were not at the top of the tower, though Jackson had worries that was their destination. Instead they stood on a large stone balcony, one with enough size to host a full squadron of people and pokémon.
"You have followed, I am glad, Jackson Crane." The Teacher turned and smiled, his face miraculously still covered by his hood despite the rest of his robe billowing in the wind. "This... hah... shit... this had better be good 'teacher'..." Jackson spat out the words before finally catching his breath. He righted himself to face the smiling individual who now stood ready on the other side of the open space before them. "Release each one of your pokémon together, if you would, there is aught they should hear as well."
Jackson hesitated at first, but after a moment shrugged and acquiesced, tossing each pokéball upwards until all five of his team mates stood together, side by side with the trainer who raised them.
"3005 and five years." The Teacher began. "3005 years ago a great man stood where I now stand. He addressed the people who he loved so dearly, he granted them the strength of his words and gave them the power to rise up against the deadly threats that faced them... his purpose here might have been preserved had his hand not fallen to the weapon he had built." He paused, looking skyward through the fabric of the hood that covered his eyes. "Now we are here, the Successors of the power born of his mistakes. We who guard the legacy of Mega Evolution., who who teach and guide the people... to make the most out of a bad situation." *He smiled again and looked at Jackson, directly at him, even with the hood covering his eyes Jackson could feel his teacher's eyes staring into his own.
"...just who are you?" Jackson stated, no more bitter malice in his voice, only a desire to understand. In that brief moment he was connected to the power the other man spoke of, he could feel its sparking energy hanging in the air.
"I am he who has never forgotten, he who saw the truth that day so long ago..." He smiled wider than before, a smile of contentment and excitement. From the shadows of his own cloak, a single ghost type pokémon bound forth, it's doll like body moving awkwardly across the stone tiles. At long last the teacher pulled back his hood... and Jackson took a step back at what he saw. One, brown, caring eye stared back at him, but the other was missing.
In its place was a prismatic stone, marked with a half-helix symbol.
"...but above all else, Jackson Crane, I am your teacher. Your mentor in the power I have waited so long to bequeath... and there is no more time to waste. Banette! Hear my cry, heed my voice... use the power that destroyed this world to go beyond what we are and will ever be! Mega Evolution!"
"BANEEEEETTE!"
Jackson had to shield his eyes as across the town could be seen an explosion of prismatic light blazing forth from a small balcony upon the Tower of Mastery's upper floors. When the young man lowered his eyes the pokémon before him was changed, it had near doubled in size and various open seams had appeared across its body, revealing delicate pink fabric beneath it. Each of Jackson's pokémon quickly moved in front of him, the incredible aura of power blasting from this pokémon showing as a clear threat to their master. "W-what the hell is this?!" Jackson cried out, barely able to hear himself now over the roaring wind that rushed over the platform.
"Consider it your final exam!" The Teacher called out, both of his eyes, real and gem, now glowing with a prismatic light. "Everything you've done up until now, everyone you've faced, every challenge overcome... they've all lead to this! Every second of your life has been preparation for this moment Jackson, harness the fire in your soul! Reach forth and grab the strength to protect her! To protect Malorie, Emma, Drew AND Odette! Show me the strength of your bond, the bond you share with the pokémon standing beside you!"
"Y-YOU!" Jackson cried out, throwing the hand in front of his face to one side and facing the wind head on. "You want to see my strengtht hat bad teach'? Then maybe it's time someone thought YOU a lesson right back! Today on the curriculum... don't FUCK with JACKSON CRANE! FANG!"
Pointing forward, Jackson directed his Houndoom to charge and without hesitation he rushed forward, flames blazing at the sides of his jaws as he moved through the oncoming torrent of the elements.
"Your pokémon can sense your commands without your words! That alone is commendable, but don't forget that your heart is open to me as well!" As Fang moved in for a bite, Banette swiftly struck, side stepping the attack and rammed a curled fist into Fang's side, sending the dark type sliding across the stone platform, immediately left in a critical state. "W-what?! What the hell are you?!" Jackson cried, quickly returning Fang to his pokéball as the winds intensity only picked up.
"The tactics of the past will not work on the ones who invented them, my eager student!" The Teacher called out calmly, his voice always raising above the winds that howled passed.
"Then it's time I showed you that the future is now!" Jackson began to push forward, stepping closer to the battle despite the wind raging harder and harder, as if the sheer force of this level of power was forcing him back, screaming at him that he wasn't prepared for what would happen next.
"Gaspar, shadow ball! Wave, air cutter! Teddy, dig! Petal, growth! Fang, Roar! All together!" Reacting like clockwork to his commands, each of Jackson's pokémon rushed forward in unison.
Gaspar flew out of his trainer's shadow, his gaseous form struggling against the wind, but like the man who raised him he persevered. Gathering energy from the surrounding darkness, he coalesced the energy into a tangible form, a dark sphere filled with Gaspar's resolve.
Fang had been seen as a monster. As one of the pokémon who attacked Santalune forest under Cinder's control... he was controlled by grief and feared by many. But as he roared triumphantly, the force of his voice breaking through the wind and pushing their opponents back to the wall, he could use his misguided power for good. He could use it to protect people. That was what his trainer had taught him.
Wave dashed into the clouds using all four wings to strike against the wind itself, drawing it into herself and using it to form cutting blades of air. From the moment she had been caught she had been seen as weak, as common... but now, fighting at the precipice of a new power, she was strong. She was unique. She was powerful... and it was all thanks to him.
Teddy wasn't afraid anymore. Ever since that first day when Jackson met him for the first time he had been scared, unable to overcome the challenges that the rest of his party had undertaken... he still hadn't even evolved. Yet still, as he dug through the stone floor, just enough to burrow, but not so far as to fall out the other side, he knew he was helping. They needed him, no matter his size or appearance, he wouldn't be scared anymore. For them.
Petal hadn't known Jackson long... but after losing the mother that loved her, she had been saved by Teddy, a pokémon that Jackson raised. She was young, but she was important to them, they had risked themselves for her. Digging her roots into the ground as close to the Banette as she could, she let the power in herself grow, determined to repay the favor.
"Yes... that's it Jackson! That's the power I need to see! The power of your bonds, those you've built over a journey longer than any other you've ever faced!" The Mega Banette swiftly raised it's hand to take the Air Cutter, protecting its face and taking minimum damage from the attack even with Wave's all. While it was momentarily pushed back by the force of Fang's roar, moving back forward it was only behind a couple of paces.
"Banette! Phantom Force!" In an instant Banette seemed to disappear, just as Gaspar's shadow ball was about to hit, the projectile instead collided hard with the edge of the stone balcony, launching a few bricks down to the beach below, obliterating others and shrouding the platform in a brief moment of purple and white smoke. However, the wind rapidly began to clear it away... and just barely through the fog, the Teacher could see a visibly confused Jackson.
Banette in an instant, reformed as it was before and charged forward, black energy spiralling around its fist, aimed towards Gaspar for a quick finish. This one super effective strike would knock Gaspar out instantaneously... and without the morale of his partner pokémon, Jackson was sure to lose.
"I am truly sorry, Jackson." The Teacher said, noticing the young man's instant of panic.
But then, something changed in Jackson's expression, in a mere moment his fear vanished, his worry was gone. He composed himself and furrowed his brow, concentrating, his teeth gritting in anticipation.
"Teddy! NOOOWWW!" Jackson screamed so his voice would carry through the wind.
In an instant Teddy burst out from the stone in the direct path of the Mega Banette's attack, his paw was raised and a glowing white energy extended his claws. "SLAAAASSSHHH!"
"URSAAAA!" With a swift movement Teddy brought his paw downwards, the white claws colliding directly with the glowing black fist of Mega Banette. The Mega pokémon's eyes widened with surprised as the ghost and normal type moves collided, neither doing any damage, but both immediately stopping in their tracks.
The Teacher's confusion swiftly changed to realization as the events of the battle played over in his mind. The Air cutter to weaken the punching arm, the roar to get just enough spacing, the first shadow ball to create a distraction. Jackson understood just how outmatched he was... and had used every trick his pokémon had to create a single instance of advantage... and they had all understood not by rigorous planning, not by intense tactical training.
But by a single attack on his Houndoom and a deep understanding between them all as a group, as a family.
"WAVE! Use Poison Fang and latch on!" Immediately the bat pokémon dived, its wings wrapping around the Mega Banette's arms and holding tight as she dug her fangs into its neck, causing it to screech in irritation.
"Banette, shake it off! Use Shadow Sneak!" And the Banette did, quickly darting into the darkness, it rose up behind Wave and hit her hard, sending her sprawling and unconscious across the floor. "Petal! Now!" Jackson cried in response, just as the Banette had attacked it had left a single moment open where it was exposed.
Shaking her empowered body, Petal released a shower of stun spores that caught the wind, flowing into the Bannette and latching on immediately, in that single instant the paralysis took effect... its body struggling to maintain movement despite its immense power.
"Shadow Ball in retaliation!" The Teacher cried and once again the Banette followed suit, raising a shaking arm it channeled the immense power of its own shadow ball, the attack thrumming with power as it shot forward swiftly, colliding with petal and smashing her into the wall, knocking her out immediately.
"BASTARD!" Jackson cried, the intensity of the battle getting to him quickly, barely allowing himself to keep composed. Without command, Teddy launched forward, dragging its tongue roughly across the Banette's face, dealing minimal but super effective damage... only to receive a KOing sucker punch fpor his troubles.
With only two pokémon left, Jackson was running out of options. His opponent was weakened but he couldn't take any more damage or it would all be for nothing. There was only one more option he knew, all out assault! Jumping up to catch the unconscious Teddy's body, Jackson called out one final command. "FANG! Bite! No matter what, you have to bite it!"
Furrowing it's fiery, yet injured gaze, Fang blasted forward, pushing through the wind and its own pain to leap ferociously at the Banette, it's fangs growing and blazing with black aura. The Banette moved to counter, but the paralysis momentarily halted its movements, allowing the Houndoom's namesake to sink into its side long enough to cause critical damage, before Fang was blasted away to unconsciousness with another Shadow Ball from Banette.
One left on both sides, this next hit would seal the deal. "Gaspar..." Jackson's voice was calm as he turned his gaze to the ghost pokémon, the wind had almost settled now, the smoke dissipated. Just like the start, they stood together, side by side. It was them against the world. They knew that... and they knew they wouldn't lose. Turning forward with a unified gaze, Jackson thrust his fist forward and called out one last command.
"Shadow Punch!"
Darting like a bolt of black lightning into the shadows, Gaspar rushed from spot of darkness to darkness, before bursting out in front of the Banette and pulling back his fist, which now burst forth with shadowy energies.
"Banette! Shadow Sneak!" Before the attack could hit, Banette darted into the darkness itself, trying to pull back for a final blow... but in a burst of inspiration Gaspar followed, moving into the shadows as well. Now as two black silhouettes on the ground, Gaspar's fist raced forward...
And collided with the Banette's face directly.
With a pained cry, Mega Banette was forcefully knocked back into the light in a physical form. It's body scattered across the stones and with a painful burst of bright prismatic light, the Mega stone granting it's form scattered to one side of the balcony... leaving Banette to revert back, collapsed and unconscious. Defeated.
Jackson and his team... had won.
The wind was finally quiet as Jackson finished returning each fainted pokémon to its pokéball. In his head he said a quiet thank you to each one, he wasn't ever... one for sentimentality. Yet, in that moment, he was grateful, grateful and glad that each one of his teammates had found their way to him. If he hadn't met even a single one of them, he wouldn't have been able to win.
Jackson didn't face the area where his opponent had stood, he stood up and smiled, facing away from the man as he attached Wave's pokéball to his belt. "Y'know... I still don't fully believe you're not crazy but... I think this was what I needed right now."
"Y'showed me somethin' important. Showed me that I'm plenty strong as is but... there's always someone stronger, someone I gotta beat. Maybe you're right, maybe I doubted myself too much." He closes his eyes and thinks deeply for a moment, his mind drifting to the friends he had made along the way.
And yes, while he would never admit it to their faces... they were his friends. They were the people he would stand by.
Even Odette... because she was hurting too, maybe hurting more than him... and rather than fighting her, this time, he'd use that power that was only his to help her. To protect her and everyone else.
"So... thank y- huh?" As Jackson turned around there was no trainer standing behind him. No unconscious Banette lying prone on the floor, no lost Banettite or whatever it was called resting on the stones. All that remained was a dull, rainbow coloured gem, lifeless, yet still pulsing faintly with a gentle power.
Jackson stepped forward cautiously and leaned down by the stone, reaching for it lightly he took it in his hand, it shimmered lightly in the sunlight... the power within yet to be unlocked.
"No... Jackson Crane... thank you."
Jackson stood up in surprise and looked around, but the voice of his teacher had no real source... they simply echoed across the sky, fading away as the last remnant of a life well lived. Jackson grasped the stone tightly in his hand.
"I'm ready now, Professor... for whatever it is comes next."