Chapter 543: Attack on Galactic (9)
~Third POV~
[Sinnoh Region, Later, Mt. Coronet – Spear Pillar]
*Whooosh*
The biting wind whipped around the jagged peaks of Mount Coronet, carrying with it the scent of ancient stone and the unspoken tension that hung heavy in the air. At the treacherous summit, nestled within the ethereal ruins of Spear Pillar, Commanders Mars and Saturn stood sentinel, their gazes fixed on the winding path below.
Their rigid postures belied the true identities beneath their Team Galactic uniforms; Mars, with her fiery red hair, was none other than the stoic Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia, while the stern-faced Saturn was Azure. His Pokémon, Gengar and Hisuian Zoroark, remained cloaked in the shadows of the illusory glamour that sustained their disguise, their forms patiently waiting.
*RMBL*
A distant rumble echoed through the mountain, growing steadily louder until a figure emerged from the swirling mists. It was Cyrus, the calculating leader of Team Galactic, but a shadow of his usual composed self.
He stumbled into view, his immaculate blue uniform torn and singed, his face cut and bruised, a trickle of blood drying on his temple. Slung over his shoulder, his massive Alpha Gyarados, usually a titan of the seas, was a tragic sight—burnt and battered, its scales dull, its powerful body limp.
Mars (Cynthia) exclaimed, a flash of genuine concern crossing her face, quickly suppressed, "Boss! What happened? Your Gyarados—"
Cyrus's voice was a low growl, strained but firm, "Silence."
He dismissed their concern with a wave of a scraped hand, his eyes cold and hard as he explained, "It's nothing. A minor inconvenience. The important thing is that my plans proceed without further... interruption."
He recalled his Gyarados into its Poké Ball with a weary sigh, the red light fading into the battered sphere. He tossed three Poké Balls, their surfaces scratched and worn, to the disguised commanders as he commanded, "Heal them, you two. Gyarados, Weavile, Honchkrow. They're down and were harmed from battling that wretched Kanto Dex Holder. Do not let any intruder near me."
Mars (Cynthia) caught them with practiced ease, her fingers brushing against the cold metal as she nodded in understanding. Saturn (Azure) nodded, his expression unreadable beneath the illusion.
Cyrus offered no further explanation, only a dismissive gesture before he began his ascent up the imposing, crumbling stairs that led to the topmost platform of Spear Pillar, each step a testament to his unwavering, fanatical resolve. Unaware of Cyrus, his disguised Commander placed them in a bag and locked the Poké Balls.
As he climbed, Cyrus's mind seethed. The fake Red Chain, crafted by his scientists with painstaking detail, should possess similar properties to the original. But it was a pale imitation, a necessary compromise.
The original was lost, thanks to Azure – the very individual he believed he had outsmarted, the one who had interfered with the capture of Uxie, the mythical Pokémon of knowledge. Seeing him not here now, only assured Cyrus he was tricked and baited by the Uxie they failed to capture, thanks to Azure's interference.
The thought ignited a cold fury within him. He had been played. But it wouldn't matter. The ritual would still be completed.
*RMBL*
No sooner had Cyrus vanished from their sight, reaching the highest tier, than the ground beneath Mars (Cynthia) and Saturn (Azure) shuddered violently. A low, guttural rumble echoed from the earth—
*CRACK*
… followed by the splintering CRACK of ancient stone. Three Pokémon erupted from fissures torn open in the rock, their roars and calls piercing the gale.
A colossal Rampardos with a head like a battering ram, its blue scales gleaming, snorted steam. Beside it, a mischievous Mismagius shimmered, its spectral pearls clattering softly, and a regal Roserade unfurled its delicate, thorny whips like emerald ribbons.
A gruff voice bellowed, "Gotcha, Galactic goons!"
The Pokémon's trainers emerged, their expressions grim and determined. It was Roark, the Oreburgh Gym Leader, his mining helmet askew, but his eyes sharp. Gardenia, the Eterna Gym Leader, stood with her Roserade, her green coat flapping in the wind. And Fantina, the Hearthome Gym Leader, drifted like a wisp, her Mismagius floating beside her.
Gardenia commanded, her voice cutting through the wind, "Roserade, bind them!"
*WHIP*
The Roserade's thorny whips lashed out, wrapping around the unsuspecting Mars and Saturn in a tangle of tough vines, pulling them taut against the stone pillars. Fantina cried, her fans unfolding, "Mismagius, Night Shade!"
Mismagius let out an eerie wail, and shadowy energy began to coalesce around the struggling commanders. But they were informed in advance to make it believable to force Cyrus to expend his energy.
*THWIP—CRACKLE*
Azure, still disguised as Saturn, feigned a grunt of surprise and struggle. Cynthia, as Mars, allowed herself to be ensnared, a silent smirk playing on her lips.
The illusion held firm.
From the platform above, Cyrus whirled, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the newly arrived intruders. He scoffed, his voice laced with disdain, "Gym Leaders. How utterly… predictable. Three people can't do anything much against me."
His gaze flickered to his supposedly restrained commanders, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. Roark declared, stepping forward, his Rampardos letting out a challenging roar, "Predictable, perhaps. But resolute!"
Cyrus let out a short, humorless laugh. He reached into his coat pocket, his fingers closing around the cold, smooth sphere of a Master Ball.
With a dramatic flourish, he hurled it into the air as he declared, "Then let's see how resolute you are against this!"
*WHOOSH*
The Master Ball burst open in a flash of brilliant light, revealing a majestic, avian Pokémon. Its body, a vibrant green, swirled with purple energy, its powerful wings churning the air into a tempest.
Cyrus commanded, his voice now ringing with authority, "Tornadus, Hurricane!"
Tornadus shrieked, manifesting a colossal vortex of raging winds, "SKREEEEE!"
*WHOOOOSH*
The gale roared down from the peak, a furious cyclone of air that slammed into the ensnared Mars and Saturn!
*WHUMP*
The force was immense, tearing the vines from their grip and sending Cynthia and Azure sprawling backwards, tumoring away from the Gym Leaders. It was a perfectly executed feint, freeing them just as intended. The Gym Leaders braced themselves against the onslaught, their Pokémon digging their heels in, but the sheer power of the Legendary Pokémon was undeniable.
Roark's Rampardos roared, struggling to maintain its footing. Gardenia's Roserade was buffeted, its petals trembling. Fantina's Mismagius swayed precariously in the violent currents. Roark gritted out, shielding his eyes with an arm, "Incredible power!"
Cyrus declared coldly, his voice carrying above the storm, "This is just the beginning, Gym Leaders. The ritual will be completed. There is nothing left here for you, insignificant trainers, to do. Begone."
Gardenia retorted, her spirit undimmed, "Never! We will protect Sinnoh!"
Fantina nodded, her usually ethereal demeanor replaced by fierce determination, "Our resolve is as strong as Mount Coronet itself!"
Roark bellowed, urging his Pokémon forward, "Rampardos, Head Smash!"
Gardenia cried, "Roserade, Energy Ball!"
Fantina added, their Pokémon launching their attacks, a combined assault aimed at the swirling Legendary, "Mismagius, Shadow Ball!"
Cyrus merely scoffed as he waved his hand forward, commanding Tornadus, "You still don't understand. Three people cannot hope to defeat Team Galactic's top commanders, let alone me."
Tornadus flapped its powerful wings once more, generating another blast of wind, infused with crackling energy, aimed directly at the three Gym Leaders!
*WHOOSH—CRACKLE*
The attack surged forward, threatening to engulf them. But then a booming voice echoed, cutting through the fierce wind, "Think again, Cyrus!"
*SPLASH*
A torrent of water erupted from a nearby cliff face, followed by a powerful Pokémon with sleek, orange fur and a collar of buoyant sacs. It was Crasher Wake, the Pastoria Gym Leader, his signature mask covering his face, his Floatzel by his side.
Wake roared, his fists clenched, "Floatzel, Ice Beam! Intercept!"
Floatzel cried, opening its mouth and firing a sapphire-blue beam of sub-zero energy, "Floatzel! (Fear not for I am here!)."
*FWOOSH—BAM*
The Ice Beam collided with Tornadus's wind attack head-on, freezing the rushing air into glittering shards of ice that exploded harmlessly around the Gym Leaders. Cyrus's eyes narrowed, a flicker of genuine annoyance crossing his face uttered, "Another one? How many of you persistent insects are there?"
Crasher Wake adjusted his mask, a confident grin stretching beneath it. He raised a muscled arm, gesturing to his comrades as he loudly declared, "More than you bargained for, Cyrus! Let me introduce myself properly! Roark, the Rock-Solid Boy! Fantina, the Alluring Ghost Mistress! Gardenia, the Verdant Spirit!"
*THUMP*
He then thumped his own chest with his clenched fist and concluded, "And I am Crasher Wake, the Masked Master of Water!"
Roark added, his Rampardos letting out a defiant cry, "All of us, trainers entrusted with protecting Sinnoh!"
Cyrus's anger began to simmer as he growled at their words, "This is absurd. You will always lose, no matter how many of you stand before me!"
His gaze swept across the growing assembly of Gym Leaders, then dropped to the base of the mountain. A profound unease began to gnaw at him as he muttered to himself, "How... how are you even here? My commanders should have placed many grunts at the foothold of the mountain, yet none of them reported any enemies."
*THUD-THUD-THUD*
As if in answer, the ground beneath their feet trembled again, and a deeper, more resonant sound was heard. A patch of earth near the base of the pillar began to churn, then suddenly, a section of rock disintegrated inward.
*BOOM*
A figure, clad in a miner's outfit much like Roark's, but with a more weathered look, emerged from the newly opened tunnel. It was Byron, the Canalave Gym Leader, Roark's own father, with a broad grin on his face. Byron announced, dusting off his hands, "That, Cyrus, is because we didn't come from above! My son here, and my father – the legendary Underground Man – we're a family of digging experts! While you lot were busy making your grand plans, we were busy… observing. And digging."
He gestured proudly to the tunnel behind him as he proudly boasted, "We've made an entire underground network, leading straight to Mount Coronet itself! It was only a matter of time to get here with the help of my father's Dugtrio!"
His words sent a jolt of renewed determination through the Gym Leaders. Cyrus, however, looked utterly aghast, his meticulously laid security measures circumvented by a simple, generational talent for excavation.
His jaw clenched, his eyes hardening with frustrated fury, he whispered, "So many insignificant insects…"
Byron roared, raising his pickaxe, pointing at Cyrus, "Enough of this nonsense! Gym Leaders of Sinnoh! We fight for our home! Let's show this overgrown grunt what happens when you threaten our region!"
Roark agreed, turning to his fellow Gym Leaders as he rallied his team, "Right! We need to break through Cyrus's Legendary! My father will continue digging, making sure our escape route is clear!"
Cyrus, his face a mask of cold rage, reached for another Master Ball. He was truly annoyed now. He hurled the second sphere into the turbulent air as he roared, "You fool! You think a few paltry Gym Leaders can stand against the Forces of Nature?!"
*CRACKLE—ZAP*
*BOOOOM*
A brilliant blue flash erupted, and with a deafening BOOM, a second powerful Pokémon appeared. This one, with a vibrant blue body and a long, serpentine tail, crackled with raw electricity.
Cyrus roared, commanding his newest Legendary, "Thundurus! Thunder!"
Thundurus shrieked, its body discharging massive bolts of lightning all over the area, "GRRRRRAAAAGH!"
The air immediately filled with the acrid scent of ozone as a blinding torrent of electrical energy surged towards the huddled Gym Leaders!
But then a calm, confident voice called out, "Jolteon, Volt Absorb!"
*WOOSH-ZZZZZZT*
A blur of yellow fur streaked forward, a sleek, spiky-furred Pokémon appearing in front of the Gym Leaders just as Thundurus's Thunder attack descended. The electrical bolts slammed into the Jolteon, but instead of harming it, they simply vanished, absorbed into its form, causing it to glow with newfound energy.
Cyrus gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief, "What?!"
Standing tall beside the Jolteon was Volkner, the Sunyshore Gym Leader, his usually bored expression replaced by one of grave resolve. Beside him stood a fiery figure with a powerful, stocky build and afro—Flint, one of Sinnoh's Elite Four, his Hisuian Arcanine roaring defiantly beside him, its striped coat bristling.
Volkner stated, a hint of his characteristic sarcasm returning, though his eyes remained serious, "Looks like your thunder got stolen, Cyrus. I'm Volkner, the Strongest Gym Leader in Sinnoh. And with my friend Flint, we've come to assist and put an end to your plans once and for all!"
Flint strode forward, his Hisuian Arcanine letting out a challenging bark. He grinned excitedly at the challenge, "That's right! You've caused enough trouble, Cyrus. Time for the big guns to step in!"
Cyrus's face contorted into a snarl of pure fury. The entire region seemed to be conspiring against him. His plans were unraveling.
His gaze snapped to Mars and Saturn, who had now recovered from Tornadus's Hurricane and stood ready near the edge of the platform. He bellowed, his voice echoing across the summit, "Mars! Saturn! Stop standing there like statues! Attack! Show these meddling fools the true power of Team Galactic!"
Mars (Cynthia) and Saturn (Azure) exchanged a look as they thought excitedly, 'This was it. The moment of truth.'
Saturn (Azure) replied, his voice a low growl, "Gladly, Boss…"
*WHUMP-CRACK*
In a lightning-fast movement that shocked everyone, including Cyrus, Saturn (Azure) lunged forward, not at the Gym Leaders, but directly at Mars (Cynthia), confusing all nearby. His fist connected with her jaw in a sharp, brutal CRACK, sending Mars (Cynthia) staggering back, a cry of pain escaping her lips.
Cyrus shouted, momentarily stunned by the sudden, brutal internal conflict, "Mars! What is the meaning—"
But Cynthia (as Mars) was already moving. Even as she recoiled from the staged blow, her hand shot out with incredible speed, snatching the fake Red Chain from Cyrus's belt, where he had foolishly kept it…
With a defiant, almost feral grin, she brought her foot down!
*CRUNCH*
The false artifact shattered beneath her heel, pulverizing into glittering fragments of synthetic crystal and wire!
Cyrus stared, aghast. His eyes widened, his jaw slacked, a look of genuine, utter surprise plastered across his face.
He snarled at them, "You... you'd betray me?!"
*Wooosh*
And then, like a shimmering mirage, their forms flickered. The red hair of Mars dissolved into the golden mane of Cynthia, her regal cloak settling around her shoulders. Saturn's grim mask melted away, revealing the calm, intelligent eyes of Azure Sky, his partner Pikachu perched on his shoulder, Eevee on his head, and a tiny Pichu (Mew) peeking out from his jacket.
Behind them, the shadows deepened, revealing the grinning, ghostly form of Azure's Gengar and H-Zoroark. The illusion, maintained with meticulous care, finally collapsed, revealing the true masterminds of the elaborate ruse.
Azure said casually, adjusting the Pichu (Mew) in his jacket, "Gengar, Zoroark, good work. The show's over."
Gengar's raspy, unnerving voice echoed, clear and distinct, "Heh heh heh! That was fun! Boss man sure looked surprised. Should've seen his face!"
Cyrus's face, already a canvas of anger, hardened to cold stone. His eyes, usually devoid of emotion, now burned with a chilling, dangerous fire.
He had been played. Ambushed. Cornered.
His meticulously crafted plans were crumbling around him, all thanks to them. He growled, his voice low and guttural, dripping with venom, "So… Azure. Cynthia. You thought you could stop me with such... childish deception?"
He looked at the shattered remains of the fake Red Chain, then at the assembled Gym Leaders and Elite Four members. He grits his teeth as he utters coldly, "Very well. If I cannot achieve my ideal world through controlled order, then I shall cleanse this one of its imperfections by brute force!"
He clenched his fist, and from his coat, he produced a third Master Ball, its surface gleaming ominously. He snarled, "You wish to challenge the natural order? Then face the very embodiments of nature's wrath!"
*POP*
The Master Ball burst open, and a third, even more imposing figure appeared. Its body, a striking brown with a muscular build, radiated an earthy, primal energy. It was Landorus, the Avatar of the Forces of Nature, its twin tails swirling with power.
Cyrus commanded, his voice reaching a crescendo of maniacal rage, "Tornadus! Thundurus! Landorus! Bring forth the full power of the Forces of Nature! Blow them all away! Erase them from existence!"
*RMBL*
The three genie Pokémon responded with a terrifying synchronicity. Tornadus roared, conjuring winds that ripped at the very fabric of reality. Thundurus shrieked, its body a conduit for crackling bolts of pure lightning. Landorus bellowed, summoning jagged rocks and torrents of raw earth energy from the ground.
Cyrus screamed maniacally, "HURRICANE! THUNDER! ROCK SLIDE!"
With a combined, cataclysmic effort, the three Legendary Pokémon unleashed their fury. A massive, swirling vortex of wind, jagged rocks, and blinding electricity erupted from their combined power, coalescing into a colossal, destructive tornado!
*SHHHHHHWOOOSH*
*CRACKLE*
*RUMBLE*
It descended upon the Gym Leaders and Flint like a hungry beast, engulfing them!
Roark cried out as Rampardos was lifted from its feet, "GYAH!"
Gardenia, Fantina, Crasher Wake, Byron, Volkner, and Flint, along with their Pokémon, were caught in the eye of the storm. They spun helplessly in mid-air, their valiant efforts to resist futile against the raw, unbridled power of three Legendary Pokémon.
Crasher Wake bellowed, but it was too late, "Everyone, brace yourselves!"
The colossal attack slammed into the Gym Leaders and Elite Four member Flint, engulfing them. Roark's Rampardos was torn from the ground, Gardenia's Roserade shredded by debris, Fantina's Mismagius struggled to phase through the sheer physical force, Crasher Wake's Floatzel was tossed like a ragdoll, Byron's Dugtrio retreated into the crumbling tunnel, and even Volkner's Jolteon and Flint's Hisuian Arcanine, despite their immense power as Trainers, were caught in the vortex.
*SCREAMS-ROARS-CRASHES*
The tornado swirled, lifting them higher, threatening to hurl them off the mountain itself They spun helplessly in midair, buffeted by the torrent of wind, rock, and lightning, their Pokémon cries of pain echoing as they were flung away, disappearing over the edge of the platform and down the mountain slopes.
Only Cynthia and Azure remained standing, unmoving amidst the raging storm as they tossed their Poké Balls…
*POP*
A powerful, fiery roar erupted from beside Azure, a magnificent, regal Pokémon with a flame-maned head and powerful legs. It was Entei, the Legendary Fire-type, its eyes burning with a primal, hateful glare directed at Cyrus.
Beside Entei, shrouded in shadow, the nightmare-inducing Darkrai materialized, its glowing eyes fixed on the Team Galactic leader with an equally potent, resentful malice. Both Pokémon shared a long, tumultuous history with Cyrus, and their presence now spoke volumes.
Azure, protected by his own Legendary, felt a surge of surprise. Beside Cynthia, a Pokémon he hadn't expected to see had appeared.
A beautiful, serpentine figure with flowing cloud-like ribbons and a serene, yet powerful aura. Its colors, pink and white, suggested a gentler nature, but the power radiating from it was immense. It was Enamorus, the benevolent, yet fierce, embodiment of spring and life, another of the Forces of Nature, and the least well-known.
Cynthia, calm and composed even as the world raged around her, met Cyrus's glare with unwavering resolve. She declared, "Your reign of terror ends here, Cyrus."
Azure nodded, his eyes hardening, his Pikachu, Eevee, and Pichu (Mew) braced for the impending battle. The wind howled, the mountain trembled, and on the precipice of a new dawn or everlasting darkness, the final battle truly began.
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!