Lisa the Legend - Chapter 52 up!!
This chapter is a must read.
*choke**sniff*
Turning point in the story. And the first chapter ever that made me feel emotion for my characters.
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Chapter 22 - Ultimate Confrontation.
Lisa’s knuckles were whiter than ever on the wheel, looking like they were ready to pop out of their sockets. Gavin was keeping steady watch on the fire which drew ever closer. Lisa kept her foot hard on the accelerator, but wondered within if the buggy was made for high speeds. When there was an abrupt explosion from beneath them, in the buggy’s machinery, Lisa guessed not, but Gavin urged her to keep going fast.
“ It won’t work, Gavin!” she yelled, as the wind whipped Aipom off her head and thrust him into the horizontal pole at the rear end of the buggy. He swiftly wrapped his tail around the slippery black pole, and held on tightly.
“ The motor doesn’t have enough power, and it wasn’t built to go fast anyway!”
“ Just keep going!” Gavin shouted back again, still trying to keep an eye on the fire as it was revived and extinguished continually by the arguing legendaries. Elekid and Magneton worked overtime, but their electicity was failing, and soon, utterly exhausted, they collapsed, the buggy’s life remaining just a few seconds more before it halted, 500 metres from the burning tree.
Gavin instantly leapt out of the buggy and sprinted towards the tree, where he knew, just somehow knew, that somebody was up, cowering in the charred branches. It was then, for the first time since the Whirlpool Cup, that Gavin considered his Psychic – maybe it was helping him? He continued to run, his broken arm not hindering him at all, for a change. Although he only knew there was a fire, somewhere in his mind he felt that there was trouble in the air – serious trouble, involving Entei, Suicune and Raikou.
Entei looked up from the tree, and, while flamethrowering it, spotted Gavin sprinting up. He sighed heavily, and then roared loudly to scare him off. Gavin kept running, bowing his head as though running through heavy rain, and Entei shook slightly. Alright, he thought. Game time.
Gavin kept running, and Lisa ran behind, panting but drawing on her inner strength to keep up. Elekid and Magneton lounged in the broken-down buggy, while Aipom unravelled itself and ran after Lisa. Entei glared on, while Gavin approached, beginning to power up a beam of some sort.
//Oh, no you don’t, Entei// snapped Suicune, darting out in front of the enraged Entei and watergunning him – a weak attack to show he meant business, but didn’t want a fight - while simultaneously trying to put out the fire in the tree. Anna screamed from the tree, and Oak slumped against a thick, blackened branch.
//Out of the way// Entei boomed, staring at Suicune with eyes of intense fire. //Suicune, don’t you see. The secrets we have held for years … they are not ready//
Gavin sprinted up at that moment, before Suicune could utter a reply, and Entei looked down on him as though he was some pathetic Caterpie he was battling against. His eyes flashed a poisonous crimson, and a shimmering wall of sheer psychic energy appeared between the tree and the legendaries, and Gavin, rushing headlong. The wall was completely transparent, totally invisible apart from the occasional shimmer. Gavin suddenly slowed, and Entei grinned maliciously.
//See?// Entei concluded to Suicune. //They AREN’T ready//
Raikou gave a snarl, edging towards the tree, where Anna was supporting the weak, grubby Professor. //Leave it, Raikou// he added in a spiteful tone, breathing out a stream of powerful fire and driving Raikou back, Anna screaming again.
Lisa reached Gavin, and goggled at the devastating situation before them. Looking up in the burning tree, which even Suicune was not now attempting to extinguish, leaving it absent mindedly to the clumsy Psyduck, Lisa noticed that she knew both weak and frightened characters. Anna, she knew from the Whirlpool Cup, and Professor Oak she had met in Greenfield, along with Delia Ketchum in October …
When things seemed as bad as this, Lisa thought.
She took in the entire horrible scene, the tree, scarlet flames licking at it’s already charred bark with a evil hiss. Psyduck, now given up and struggling in despair to climd higher, as flames lapped up the trunk, destroying it in heated fury. Anna, her face pale and her cherry red lips quivering. Oak, weak, lab coat covered in mud, his eyes unfocused. Raikou, standing well back from the fire, trying to figure a way of rescuing the captives. Suicune, a look of fury, yet some form of hope. And Entei, utter anger in the flesh.
Quagsire and Dratini automatically popped out from their pokeballs at Lisa’s side, and together began watergunning at the flames. But the transparent barrier simply absorbed the water. Lisa buried her face in her hands, horror subduing her. But a small question sprung into her befuddled mind, before spritely leaping out from her head. Why didn’t Suicune and Raikou DO something? Why couldn’t they overpower Entei?? WHY?
Suddenly, Oak slipped from the charred branch towards the flames. As if reflex, Anna’s arm shot out and grasped the falling professor’s hands. Maybe it was lucky that he had been starved, then, as he was lighter than usual and Anna, although she struggled greatly, could hold him.
The shimmering barrier between the tree, and Lisa, Gavin and now the tiny Aipom, who approached warily, reflected the light from the blaze, and Anna suddenly burst into tears as the heat flared into their faces. Professor Oak had been dangling from her grasp like it was the one element he needed to live, and as Anna sobbed, her grip loosened.
Suicune seemed unable to do anything, as though it was waiting for something to happen, Raikou still nervously standing back. Entei was rooted to the spot, in pure evil delight, his mouth curving at the ends, but the smile didn’t make it all the way to his glittering black eyes.
In the silence that followed, apart from the low crackling of the fire, Anna’s sweaty palms lost their strength.
The body of Oak slipped more, so that Anna was holding his life in her single weak hand. Lisa screamed, but it was as though a mute had been placed inside her throat, trapping all verbal emotion, bottling it up so that it was silenced completely. Gavin watched in horror, knowing nothing could be done … or …
In that split second, Gavin seemed to decide. It was as though everything happened in a rush, crammed into a millisecond of the few minutes they had been at the site of the horrendous disaster. Gavin summed up all his inner strength, summoning it upwards, willing it to consolidate in the centre of his mind. He grasped at Lisa’s hand, as another finger of both Oak and Anna’s separated. Lisa looked despairingly at him for a moment, but he held her hand firmly, with such intense concentration he had never experienced. He felt Lisa’s emotions, her true power, flooding into his body, surging through his veins like an electric current. Lisa felt an odd, floating sensation overcome her, but there was no time to worry or ponder over it. She squeezed Gavin’s hand tighter, feeling the sensation overcome her.
Another two fingers sepatated, and the hands divided. It would have taken a nanosecond for Oak to plummet into the ground, and the raging blaze, but at that precise moment in time, Gavin’s body was washed over with radiant, turquoise light, all flooding to a central point on his brow, confining the energy into one small bead of crystalline light. And then, as though he had planned it all along, Gavin relaxed his mind, and the bead of power shot out from his head like a bullet from a gun, an enormous beam of energy issuing from his inner soul.
Lisa gasped, but the tiny sigh was silenced by the whooshing of Gavin’s blue beam, which easily penetrated the shimmering barrier, then rocketed to Oak, spearing his thin torso as he fell, then overcoming his body with light, and in moments, evaporating him, his weak body disappearing from sight.
And then, quite abruptly, Gavin crumpled to his knees, not in pain but in pure shock of his actions. He wheezed heavily for a moment, leaning weakly against the transparent wall, and then a faint glow appeared beside him, followed by the appearance of a fragile old man who sprawled out on the grass. The weak Professor Samuel Oak. Lisa bent down next to him, and looked over him closely – he was alive, though barely. She had no idea what was going on here, why was Entei physically flaming Anna, an innocent trainer, and Professor Oak? What motive did he have?
The silence that had settled upon the dazed group shattered with Entei leaping up onto a nearby rock, and roaring.
//Suicune, Raikou, stop you foolishness this instant!// he cried, in a very dark tone. //I’ll end this now, myself, if you do not cease. These two -// he glanced at Lisa and Gavin //must wait. The others must be killed. You know why//
Lisa was even more confused now, Gavin wasn’t even listening, marvelling still over his psychic attack. Oak seemed unconscious, knocked out but saved by Gavin’s inner power. Anna seemed to have given up on escaping now, and she propped herself up on the thick tree trunk, trying to stay calm and not interfere. Quagsire and Dratini seemed to be chatting rapidly while still attempting to water down the flames – they were trying to form a plan to rescue Anna and Psyduck.
Suicune and Raikou were the only ones to actually understand Entei’s behaviour, or at least his words. They silently mused things over, until Raikou bravely spoke up.
//Entei, I’m sure we can talk things over// he began in a calming voice. //This is merely a difference of opinion – you believe nobody should ever know what we were discussing -// Raikou shot a glance at Oak, and then up to the tree at Anna, before turning back. // - but there is no need to kill them for it. Lisa and Gavin here need more time, as I am sure you are aware of by that beam just then, to develop and take control of their destinies//
Gavin’s ears had pricked up at the mention of his name, and he turned his gaze quickly to where Entei’s head was turned, facing the smaller Raikou, who was confronting him with a very brave face. Had they just mentioned something about destinies?
//I believe, and Suicune agrees with me, that Oak and the other girl should be forbidden to tell, and I know Suicune has many methods of doing this// Raikou continued. //As for the others, they should continue training and begin becoming stronger.//
Entei looked enraged, as though he had just been stabbed in the back by his closest companion, which seemed in his eyes to be the case.
//I also believe that, when signalled, Lunanine should return// Suicune broke in loudly, sounding very out of place.
Instantly, Gavin felt very vulnerable, as though all his pokemon had deserted him in a pit of venomous Arbok. He reached with a shaking hand for pokeballs, and produced quickly Girafarig, Staryu, Natu and Ditto. Lisa took a sidelong glance at him, and was about to speak up to the legendaries when Entei broke in powerfully.
//If you two are too weak…// began Entei, turning to face Anna in the tree. //Then that is your downfall//
He lashed out instantly, and an orb of intense crimson fire formed within his drooling jaws. //Goodbye, human// he bellowed, shooting out the ball directly at Anna, whose mouth opened in shock seconds before the ball was fired. But as it raced at her, a thick blast of blackness shot out from her right, shielding her like a dark blanket of power, holding the attack from Entei back, and it hovered at the edge.
Lisa, Gavin, Raikou, Suicune and Entei all looked toward the direction of the black shield, and not too far from the tree hovered a deep grey Misdreavus, flanked by a timid Butterfree to her left and an indignant Growlithe below, on the ground. Lisa recognised the Butterfree, and soonafter the Misdreavus.
“ Hey – that’s my Butterfree!” she exclaimed, breaking some of the tension. Butterfree squinted through the night, and discovered it’s previous trainer, cowering by the barrier. Lisa, her friend. “ And that’s Kris’ Misdreavus!”
Entei seemed further infuriated by the arrival of the newcomers. His large ivory glowing orb was still shining close by the black, cloaking attack from Misdreavus, but it was ever so gradually dimming, as though the blanket was sucking the life from the ball. Then Entei felt greater fury, stronger indignation; their centuries of secrecy were about to be torn to shreds.
//NO!// he roared, opening his jaws again and firing off a spiral of smaller white orbs, which travelled rapidly at the tree, and magically pierced Misdreavus’ black protection, diminishing it and heading straight for Anna. Lisa foresaw devastation, heard Anna scream, and screwed her eyes shut tightly.
Three small balls of power ripped through the forcefield, and tore directly through Anna’s heart. Her shrieks abruptly silenced, the body of Anna dropped to the foot of the tree, and into the orange flames, which began furiously burning her.
Suicune and Raikou’s faces both showed mingled horror and anger, Gavin’s throat closed over, the pokemon all squealed, and Lisa dared to open her eyes. She screamed, louder than anybody. Anna’s dead body was laying in the blaze, overcome completely and beyond return. Anna – Lisa couldn’t comprehend –
Anna was dead.
As Lisa stared at the flames which obscured her friend’s body, tears gushed from her eyes down her face. As she screamed with horror, there was a cry from the blaze – not Anna’s cry of grief, pain, anguish, but a soothing cry. A call from some sort of friend. A spirit. But not Anna’s …
Lisa’s eyes bulged as she saw what looked like a massive rainbow bird – a phoenix – streaking through the air. Lisa blinked to see better, but her eyes were misted with tears, and the phoenix dissolved into thin air. But the calm, refreshing cry gave something to Lisa. She felt a new sense of anger, something that ceased her screams and sobs and forced her to stand up from Oak’s frail form beside her. She stood tall, and faced Entei.
“ You killed an innocent person, Entei,” cried Lisa, choking back sobs, her eyes rapidly clearing up. She saw gavin staring on, amazed, as she spoke to the legendaries for the first time directly – ever. “ You killed her to protect yourself – or me and Gavin, maybe, who knows? But you will pay.”
Gavin blinked twice, and searched for something to yell out to the legendaries too, but failed, his voice box choking up as the full realisation of what had happened hit him.
Suicune and Raikou had lingered at the sidelines for long enough now. They knew it was time to step in, no matter what they needed to keep a secret, they had to break the rules at this point.
Lisa immediately called Dratini and Quagsire to join her. Both prepared Ice Beams, along with Gavin’s Staryu. Aipom conjured up a swift attack, bright stars ready to fly out. Girafarig sent out a beam of rainbow light, along with Natu. Ditto looked on, helpless. While Growlithe forced a torrent of fire to belch from his mouth, Butterfree opted for a Gust, and Misdreavus creating a large mauve Shadow Ball. Finally, both Suicune and Raikou powered up beams of light.
“ Entei, this is from Anna.”
Eleven combined ranged attacks sliced the crisp night air, each one’s power magnified by the combination of all the attacks. Instantly, the strong glass-like barrier shattered to the ground as the beams combined to form a rainbow, and Entei roared one more time before he was pummelled with the outrage of Pokemon.
Entei dropped to the ground with a loud thud, which vibrated through the earth, before shimmering intensely. Then, with a blast bright enough to blind, it disappeared.
*
Lisa blinked at the devastation before her, unsure of what to do next. The entire area around the tree was blackened and looking worn and tired. Professor Oak’s unconscious form lay at her feet. All the pokemon were panting on the ground, weakened by their own attacks. Anna’s Psyduck was nowhere to be seen. Possibly in was buried in the ashes of the tree where Anna had died. The tree had collapsed ten minutes after the pokemon had subdued the flames, in a pile of ashes.
Suicune and Raikou had both disappeared, leaving Lisa and Gavin to cope with the overwhelming situation alone. Lisa sat for fifteen minutes in the late night, on the dirt and ashes which had cooled, staring blankly ahead, as though wishing for the entire night to reverse, wishing for something to come along and slot into the empty chasm within her.
Gavin scuffed his feet in the dirt as he came back to Lisa’s blank, emotionally shattered form, and sat down slowly, stirring up some dirt as he did so, and put a shaking arm around Lisa.
Lisa sobbed silently. Anna was dead – DEAD. And Entei … Entei was searching for her, going to kill her. She felt it. But what could she do for now?
Nothing, she thought bitterly, her head resting on Gavin’s shoulder, as he rocked her gently, tears trickling from his own eyes, unseen by Lisa.
Absolutely nothing.
Originally Posted by mr_pikachu
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