New Scene(Previously_On_Trigamon) {
@Recap
}
New Scene()
QST.camera shows what Brock sees as he opens his eyes (and no, this is not a 1D slit, Brock has normal eyes in Trigamon): Coal is in the process of extracting a rather large machine from his forehead.
Brock: Coal?
Coal: Hold still, okay?
Brock: My forehead feels funny…
Coal: Yeah, you hit your head pretty hard. You’re okay now, just go back to sleep.
Brock turns and Coal almost looses the machine he’s extracting.
Brock: OW!
Brock reaches for his forehead instinctively.
Coal: Don’t touch it!
Brock freezes.
Coal: Not yet, an active N.O. channel is a terrible thing to waste.
Coal finishes extracting the machine from Brock’s forehead.
Brock: Where’s everyone else?
Coal: Just getting lunch. They’ll be back soon now that you’re up.
Brock: Getting… lunch?
Coal: Yeah, just go back to sleep.
Brock starts to move his hand to his forehead again, and Coal stops him.
Coal: Ah-ah-ah!
Brock replies groggily:
Brock: Right… right…
Brock now puts his head down and closes his eyes again.
Coal: Just two more parts…
Coal reaches his hand down into Brock’s forehead once again.
New Scene()
Back on the platform with the shutoff, Butler is biting his nails as the machine charges. Ash keeps staring at him coldly.
Butler: Excuse me…
Ash: Hold it!
Before Ash can react, Butler pulls a large black bag out from a compartment in the platform and extracts a large pipe.
Yami Benjy: What is that?
Butler: Going to shoot the anima right back into that comet.
Butler stares up at the Millennium Comet nervously.
May: As opposed to what?
Butler: Letting it just go everywhere like a fountain.
Butler walks over to the edge of the platform and begins attaching the pipe.
Yami Benjy: He’s learning…
Butler: If we simply let the anima go everywhere, there’s no telling what’s going to happen… We might get another one of these, or worse…
Max looks in the distance as Groudontwo lumbers ever closer. The number on the console now shows 4001. As Butler works on the adjustment, he glances back over at Salamence and Flygon watching him curiously.
Max: You’re not going to point that at the ground at the last minute, are you?
Butler sighs.
Butler: No. It would be a clever trick, but I… I think would give us the same kind of monstrosity. I don’t understand what went wrong…
Ash: What went wrong? You tried to create life!
Yami Benjy: Let him describe the process, Ash. This could be critical information.
Butler: This anima’s existence was just discovered, so not much is known about it. But more than a magician, I’m also an alchemist. Alchemy can do a lot of things, but organic alchemy is an incredibly new field. We found we could modify living things and even revive the dead, but for some reason we could never create life from scratch. I believed that anima was the key for this.
Max: So you combined anima and your alchemy to try and create a Groudon?
Butler: Correct…
Ash: Wait, you guys, did I hear him wrong or did he say he can resurrect the dead?!
Butler: It’s called ‘Rhichter Alchemy,’ very unreliable and we don’t have time to talk about it now! Look it up when and if you get home!
Ash gasps.
Butler: Anyway I don’t know if that’s even something I made. It might have been drawn here by the concentrated anima.
May: We’re over four thousand!
Yami Benjy: Should make it with plenty of time.
The ground shakes.
Max: You spoke too soon!
Yami Benjy: Say what?
The ground continues to shake.
May: It’s running?!
Butler looks up to stare at Groudontwo rushing towards them.
Butler: Son of a gun!
Groudontwo: *roar*
Butler: What have I done?!
Ash: Keep working!
Butler: I just finished… We just need the power…
May: Jirachi! We’re counting on you now!
<Telepathy>
Jirachi: Max… I need your help!
Max: You need my help?
Jirachi: H-hm!
Max: How can I help?!
Jirachi: Lend me your power!
Max: My power?! How do I do that?!
Jirachi: Just, open yourself to me.
Max: How do I do *that*?!
Jirachi: Believe in me.
Max: I do believe!
<Telepathy>
All of a sudden, Max and Jirachi start glowing with a blue light, as a result, the power level jumps from the 4150 range to the 4600 range, and starts climbing quickly thereafter.
May: What’s going on?!
Butler turns to Ash and May.
Butler: Soul resonance. I hate to say this, but I’m going to need you kids to buy us some time.
Ash gulps.
Butler: Use the dragon pokémon, and see what you can do to distract it!
May: Is this just like the movie?
Ash: Are you crazy?
Yami Benjy: I never thought I’d say this, but it’s our best option. That thing should be mostly focused on Jirachi, so you’ll have to actually draw it’s attention, and fleeing should be easy if you need to.
Benjy: Are you nuts! That’s how may gets–
Yami Benjy: You said it yourself. This isn’t anime, this is real life. Even if you can’t put your trust in them directly, put your trust in me.
Benjy: What?!
Ash and May now take off on Flygon and Salamence respectively, preparing to engage the enemy. QST.camera follows them in one half of the screen, staying with Benjy and Yami Benjy in the other.
Benjy: If they… I won’t forgive you…
Yami Benjy: Nothing will happen. You’ve said it yourself. It’s not by might, not by power, only by spirit alone.
Benjy: But how much spirit does that thing have!
The half of the screen with Benjy and Yami Benjy disappears as Ash and May start their attack:
Groudontwo shoots it’s first tendril out at May and Salamence, and May has Salamence fire blast it to destroy it. Immediately following this, Groudontwo extends it’s right hand and shoots tendrils at Ash and Flygon, which rolls over in the sky to dodge them all, before a tendril from Groudontwo’s head takes Flygon by surprise and almost catches it. Before the tendril can make a second strike, Salamence obliterates it with fire blast.
However this has given Groudontwo a second opportunity to catch May, and start to pull her in, lifting her off a very surprised Salamence.
Ash: Oh, no you don’t!
Before the tendril can take May very far, Ash jumps from Flygon, using his weight and the momentum from gravity to pull May free of the tendril. Salamence catches both of them in free-fall as the tendril goes right for it. Salamence counter-attacks with fire blast, and is joined by Flygon’s dragon pulse to repel the tendril.
A massive explosion results and both dragon pokémon use the cloud of the explosion to take cover and dive into the dying forest.
New Scene()
On the platform, Benjy’s spirit shudders.
Yami Benjy: They’re fine.
Yami Benjy takes a quick glance at the value which has now reached 6800, but Groudontwo is almost in range of striking them.
Butler: I need my wand!
Yami Benjy instantly tosses Butler his main wand, while Ash’s Pikachu jumps onto Yami Benjy’s shoulder. In the distance, Flygon and Salamence are attacking Groudontwo with flamethrowers up close, on it’s backside. A tendril strikes at them, but the dragons dodge easily.
Back on the platform, Yami Benjy and Butler stand almost back-to-back with wands pointed at Groudontwo. A spark appears between the two wands. Still running, Groudontwo now sends most of it’s tendrils towards Jirachi. Flygon and Salamence attack one of the tendrils.
Yami Benjy: Ready?
As Butler responds, Another of Groudontwo’s tendrils forces the dragons to retreat (and then later attack it)
Butler: Tesserum appelliea kydrossil hypunfüt!
Yami Benjy: Arconeer shora!
Magic circles erupt from both wands and create a barrier which Groudontwo’s tendrils collide with. Butler and Yami Benjy continue casting spells to protect them and the machine, shouting what is incomprehensible to the viewer.
Benjy: 6900!
Yami Benjy pays no attention to Benjy’s spirit, as one of the tendrils breaks through the barrier. Yami Benjy blasts it with magic, but this does very little, and a second later another tendril breaks through, heading straight for the machine with Jirachi. Before it can reach Jirachi, Butler steps in the way much to Yami Benjy’s surprise.
Butler: I’ll take it down from the inside!
Yami Benjy starts to respond, but is forced to defend against another of the tendrils with a barrier, and by now it’s too late to save Butler. Yami Benjy now sees Max struck by a tendril, and uses his power to hold Max, himself, and Jirachi to the platform by anchoring their feet. Using all of his power for this, Yami Benjy’s barriers all fade and he is struck by a tendril which attempts to rip him from the platform.
Yami Benjy: This is using all my power, I can’t hold on much longer!
Benjy: We’re almost there! It’s 7420!
Yami Benjy: I’m loosing conscious…
Benjy: It’s by spirit alone!
Yami Benjy: I’m loosing spirit…
As Yami Benjy starts to pass out, the magic holding them in place begins to fade. Benjy struggles as his vision of the value is obscured by a tendril and as Groudontwo starts to pull apart the platform. With Yami Benjy passing out, the barrier around Jirachi is almost down, and a tendril pops it, ensnaring Jirachi.
QST.camera zooms out as Max, Yami Benjy, and Jirachi teleport away, leaving the machine with a power level of 7681. Immediately after they teleport away, Groudontwo starts tearing apart the platform, sucking it up in its tendrils.
New Scene()
Yami Benjy, Max, and Jirachi teleport into a dead section of the forest, and the Millennium Gameboy Advance pulses slightly signifying Yami Benjy’s having passed out. Benjy regains control just in time to catch himself from falling flat on his face. Benjy quickly looks around and realizes what’s happened, seeing Max and Jirachi passed out next to him. Quickly, Benjy stuffs Jirachi into his backpack, and zipping it back up, picks up Max, securing him on his back. Benjy now turns around to stare at Groudontwo.
Benjy: So were (bleep)ed…
Somewhere inside Groudontwo, a green light flashes, but nothing happens to Groudontwo which continues to devour the platform.
New Scene()
In the sky, Ash and May stare at what’s going on. May breaks down in tears and collapses onto Salamence’s back.
May: I’m now an only child! Max…
Ash remains silent, but still wipes tears from his eyes.
Ash: Max… Benjy… I… I f-f-f… Ack!
Ash: Incoming!
Ash’s alert comes just in time for both dragons to avoid another tendril. Both dragons now take to the sky to avoid the rest of the tendrils, managing to fly just out of their reach. Groudontwo crouches while May continues to cry.
Ash: If that thing jumps…!
Groudontwo doesn’t jump, but instead charges back the way it came.
Ash: What’s it moving towards?
May: Huh?
Both dragons fly higher above Groudontwo, trying to see what it’s moving towards before it gets to it.
Ash: Hey, is that…
Revert Scene()
Benjy is trying to get his bearings in the forest, when a call rings out from overhead.
Ash: BENJY!!!
Benjy looks around wildly to see where the sound is coming from, and QST.camera synchronizes with his field of vision.
May: RUN!!
Ash: He’s behind you!!!
Benjy fails to spot Ash or May in the sky, and quickly gives up on this, seeing Groudontwo behind him, charging towards him. Suddenly the entire screen is tinted yellow, and Benjy turns around and starts running.
Benjy: Yami me… Please wake up soon!
QST.camera desynchronizes with Benjy’s field of vision, as Benjy darts through the dead forest with glowing eyes. QST.camera now zooms out to where Ash and May are. Groudontwo is rapidly gaining on Benjy.
May: Am I going to have to watch my brother die right in front of me?!
Groudontwo sends out a tendril, aimed for Benjy, but Benjy dodges, the yellow light in his eyes slowly engulfing his body as well, then QST.camera zooms back in on Benjy.
Benjy: By spirit alone… It’s either live now or die a hypocrite. It’s a no brainer really!
The tendril now strikes at Benjy and he dodges with unusual speed.
Benjy: Catch me if you can!
Benjy dodges another tendril and zooms into the forest.
New Scene()
In the sky, Flygon and Salamence turn and start to fly sideways, for what first appears to be no apparent reason, but Ash quickly realizes is someone waving. A few seconds later he recognizes Coal with a strange cannon-like machine next to him, and with Brock passed out next to it. Still waving with one hand, Coal presses a button on the side of the machine, and it starts to power up.
New Scene()
Coal watches as the two Dragon pokémon approach, then tells Satolite:
Coal: I’ll take care of Brock. Your trainer needs you.
Satolite flies down the cliffside without hesitation, leaving Brock in the care of Ash and May.
New Scene()
Groudontwo keeps trying to ensnare Benjy in it’s tendrils, but Benjy is far too agile to get hit as he darts about with inhuman speed glowing with golden light. It’s unclear quite where this speed is coming from, as Benjy’s golden light crackles with blue and silver as he jumps around rocks and branches, seemingly repelled, or at least energized by the direct proximity to Groudontwo’s tendrils.
The energy field around Benjy sparks repeatedly as tendrils strike the ground nearby him. As tendrils start hitting within five feet from his person, Benjy seems to be able to anticipate where the tendrils are going to hit, and/or emerge from the ground around him.
Benjy: Awfully predictable you are…
A second and a half later, a tendril actually manages to strike Benjy’s ankle. The result is a crackling of blue, gold, and silver energy that seemingly triggers an impulse. Benjy shoots across the ground running at literally a mile a minute, with about 20 feet in between his strides. This speed boost lasts for only a few seconds, but is enough to put a good distance between himself and Groudontwo.
Apparently unaware of his deceleration, Benjy tries to run normally after this, but he is moving too fast for his legs to keep up with, and crashes to the ground in a heap with Max on his back, far less hurt than he should be from a collision with the ground at that speed.
New Scene()
May and Ash stare down as Benjy falls, both shaking. Behind them, Coal is still assembling the machine parts he pulled out of Brock’s forehead into a large cannon-like device.
Ash: Coal!
Coal: Use these!
Coal plunges his hand into Brock’s forehead in front of a horrified Ash and a horrified May and pulls out a pair of hand-cannons more high-tech than the runescape variety, and hands them to Ash and May.
Ash: What are these?!
Coal: They’re already loaded! Fire at will!
Ash: Will? Why will?
Coal now leaps back to his machine and starts rapidly trying to finish it, tightening things and zapping something to make the machine beep. Down below them, as Benjy starts to get up, Groudontwo shoots a Tendril at Benjy’s backside where Max is.
Revert Scene()
As Benjy finishes getting back to his feet, the tendril is almost to him. All of a sudden, something strikes Groudontwo in the backside–and explodes with a massive 50-foot radius of fire. The impact shocks Groudontwo enough to flinch, stopping the extension of its tendril. Benjy also turns around in horror.
Revert Scene()
May: Eat this you (bleep)ing (bleep) (bleep)ing (bleep) bag of (bleep)!
Groudontwo barely has time to turn around, before May fires another bomb into it’s side, which explodes in a sphere of destruction, burning Groudontwo’s side. Coal is still fiddling with his machine.
Coal: Where the zark did she learn to swear like that?!
Revert Scene()
Back on the ground, Benjy stumbles backwards in horror and confusion, as Groudontwo turns away from him to face the barrage of explosives launched at it. As he backs away, Benjy’s heel snags on a root and he starts to trip. Before he can fall very far, something grabs him, helping him stay upright. Benjy seems hit with a brief moment of panic before he hears wings flapping rapidly.
Satolite: Coo.
Benjy: Thanks, Satolite. (Whisper)
Satolite replies with a more silent "coo" sound, and beats its wings faster as it tries, and eventually manages to lift off with Benjy in its tractor beam, and Max in Benjy’s arms. Benjy shivers as his feet leave the ground, and as he is lifted into the air, Benjy and Satolite watch as Groudontwo turns to face it’s assailants. As Satolite struggles to fly them back to Coal’s pillar, May misses Groudontwo with a bomb from her hand-cannon, striking a stone pillar and blowing it to bits.
Revert Scene()
Groudontwo continues walking towards Coal’s machine on the ledge, and roars, shooting out tendrils towards Ash, Coal, and May. Ash fires his hand-cannon in response, and as Groudontwo attempts to ensnare the bomb, the bomb explodes, blowing the tendrils to bits. May now strikes Groudontwo’s hand with her hand-cannon and blows a chunk off of it as Groudontwo roars in anger.
Ash: It’s working! Coal, what are these!
Coal: One minute!
Coal sparks, turning the machine on, then grabs a giant poké ball, about six inches in diameter, and places it in the middle of a ten-inch vertical ring/tube at the top of the machine.
New Scene()
Benjy and a now-conscious Max stand with en exhausted Satolite in a clearing well away from Groudontwo, but close enough to see the battle.
Benjy: How do you feel?
Max: I feel like I want to throw up…
Benjy: Being in the air does that.
Max: No, I mean I’m going–
Benjy turns away as Max vomits in the bushes, unable to finish his sentence.
Benjy: Now I really think I’m going to be sick… Yami?
Yami Benjy fails to reply, causing Benjy to shudder.
Revert Scene()
May, armed with two hand-cannons, takes flight on Salamence firing blast after blast at Groudontwo. This eventually depletes the hand-cannons, so she hurls them at Groudontwo, too. In the air right before impact, they bonk each other and explode with a hundred-foot radius explosion.
Groudontwo’s response is immediate, as it roars both in agony and rage. The roar is so intense that Ash is pushed back, and unable to aim his hand-cannon at Groudontwo, due to the sheer force of the air fired at him.
Ash: I can’t aim!
Coal: Wait it out then hold your fire till I say!
Despite the blast of anima-infused air, Coal’s machine doesn’t move as Coal crackles with electricity. In the air, this snap and crackle until small things explode.
Coal: Ash, now!
Ash: Um–ok!
Ash aims and fires his hand-cannon hitting Groudontwo in the chin.
Ash: Aa! May!
As the dust from the explosion clears, it becomes clear that Groudontwo has (barely) grabbed May and Salamence, and is fighting to pull them in. Ash aims his hand-cannon in their direction.
Coal: Hold your fire!
Ash: Me?
Ash puts his hand-cannon down, but as May screams for Ash and struggles to free herself unsuccessfully, Ash gulps and resumes his position, preparing to ignore Coal.
Coal: You’re going to blow her to–
With a bang, Ash pulls the trigger, sending a blast towards where May and Salamence are fighting to free themselves. Coal bites down suddenly, and appears to rip a part off the machine which sparks.
Coal: Now firing Dreamshot!
An explosion resonates as Ash’s blast hits Groudontwo, freeing May and Salamence. At the same time, Coal appears to rip the same piece off the other side of his device, and a green line shoots from the center of the ring at the top to Groudontwo’s forehead.
Coal: Ash, get it’s attention!
Ash: May…
Coal: Ash!
Ash suddenly fires another blast into Groudontwo, making Coal jump. Groudontwo is now close enough that it responds by extending it’s injured hand in an attempt to ensnare Ash and Coal.
This attempt is ultimately futile, less than a second later, Coal’s machine (the dreamshot) fires the ball straight at Groudontwo, leaving green circles of mist along it’s trajectory at regular intervals. Upon impact, the ball opens in a flash of blinding light, pulling Groudontwo inside. It clicks with a loud snap, and hangs in the air shaking violently.
Back on the cliff, Ash collapses to his knees. Suddenly, as the ball starts to open, magical circles appear in the air around the ball, parallel with the ground, in a double-cone shape with the ball at the center. Ash looks from the ball to Coal, rapidly working with the dreamshot to seal the ball with magic.
New Scene()
From where May and Salamence crashed, May stares upwards at the magic circles in the sky, with an expression of wonder. Flygon flies overhead, towards her.
New Scene()
Benjy and Max are now hurrying as fast as they can towards the area with the circles, which slowly apply themselves to the ball.
New Scene()
Coal works the Dreamshot to pull the ball back into the machine, which causes more colored energy to be spewed into the air. From the Dreamshot, Coal retrieves the ball, and sparks into it, then grits his teeth and emits one more spark, then finally relaxes.
Coal: Almost released it…
Ash stares dumbstruck.
Coal: But now it’s sealed. This should hold it for a few hours.
Ash: And then what?!
Coal: That’s for me to worry about. Come on, Ash. Let’s get down from here.
Coal pockets the ball.
Ash: What is that?
Coal: It’s a chaos ball.
Coal now lifts Brock onto his backside.
Ash: What did you do with Brock’s forehead?
Coal: Now’s not the time; lets get down from here.
Ash: How?
Coal: Follow me.
Coal starts to walk to a trail downwards.
Ash: You’re just going to leave your machine?
Coal: I’ll come back for the dreamshot later. We don’t have much time.
Ash gulps and follows Coal down the cliffside path.
New Scene()
Benjy, Max, and Satolite approach the shore of an entirely dead pond. As they do, Pikachu falls out of Benjy’s pant leg.
Max: Pikachu?
Pikachu says nothing, but only starts to cry. Max scoops up the electric rodent.
Max: How come you didn’t go with Ash?
Pikachu: Pika…
Yami Benjy: That’s the most depressing sound I’ve ever heard from a pokémon.
Benjy: You’re okay!
Yami Benjy: I wish I was. I need to rest, so don’t try to talk to me for at least a few hours.
Yami Benjy’s consciousness disappears from inside Benjy’s head, leaving Benjy to watch as Max sits down a couple feet from the water’s edge. Pikachu suddenly jumps out of his arms with tears in its eyes and goes over to the water’s edge, where it starts to bend down to touch the water, but then recoils before it can, and falls onto it’s back.
A breeze now blows through the vicinity, tossing Benjy’s hair slightly, and pushing Satolite upwards a bit.
Satolite: Coo…
Benjy: Thanks for everything…
Satolite: Coo…ooo?
Benjy: You should probably rest now.
Satolite returns to it’s ball without Benjy recalling it, and the breeze blows through his, and now Max’s hair this time.
Flygon: Fligaan!
Another gust blows through the dead forest as Flygon lands next to them, May on it’s back.
Max: MAY!!
May: Uh… Max?
Benjy walks over to May as Flygon attempts to let her off, although it’s obvious that May is having difficulty getting off of Flygon. Benjy and Max now attempt to help May off Flygon, but her injuries make it difficult for her to do so, and Benjy and Max quickly discover that May’s entire left side is covered in second-degree burns. Her head is bleeding, and some of her hair is singed. Despite this, May doesn’t realize the extent of her injuries as she tries to get off Flygon by herself. Benjy and Max quickly come to her aid, and help lift her off of Flygon, helping her limp onto the dirt and helping to sit her down next to a large rock for her to lean on.
May: What are you guys doing this for? I’m fine, really…
Max: You are so-o-o not fine…
Benjy: You’re in shock, May.
Benjy sighs as his backpack becomes unzipped, and Jirachi silently floats out and onto the ground, where it stands on it’s feet instead of floating.
May: Max? What’s he trying to tell me?
Coal: Your injuries are far more severe than you realize.
Max, May, and Benjy look up to see Coal and Ash walking towards the other side of the pond, coming from the other direction.
Coal: Ash, don’t go in the water. It’ll be safe by daybreak.
Max: What’s wrong with the water?
Coal: I don’t have time to explain why, but it’ll turn you into an old man. It’ll be safe by daybreak.
Coal’s hand sparks and some debris ignites, burning to ashes in less than a second, and the fire extinguishes itself less than a second after this, leaving a path around the pond, which Coal and Ash take.
Refresh Scene()
Ash helps Coal place Brock against the same rock that May is leaning on.
Max: What happened to Brock?
Coal: He’ll be fine.
Coal now notices May lying against the same rock.
Coal: That’s some absolutely amazing plot armor you have there, young lady.
May: What does that mean?
Coal chuckles.
Max: And what did you do there?!
Coal: That stuff must’ve really protected her.
Coal: That thing was a spirit absorption beast. I caught it with a chaos ball.
Benjy: You caught it?!
Coal: I don’t have time to answer many questions. This has been sealed shut with magic, and even now, it’ll only hold it for a few hours.
Max: What then?
Coal: That’s for me to worry about.
Max: What do you mean?
Coal: This is where our paths are going to have to part ways. I have to get this thing off this planet as fast as humanly possible.
Max: How?
Coal: Let me take care of that.
Benjy: Will it be back?
Coal: No. I’ll make sure of that.
Ash: OK. While you do that, we can go back in time with Celebi and save Dianne.
Coal looks at Ash and shudders.
Coal: Don’t try that.
Ash starts to say something, but Coal doesn’t let him.
Coal: Mind you that I’m not about to preach some bull(bleep) about not changing the past–
May: Then why–?
Coal: Because Dianne may or may not be truly dead.
Max: She’s alive?
Coal: I don’t know and I don’t have time to explain. If you want to get Dianne back, I suggest you learn druidic necromancy.
Coal sighs.
Coal: Don’t even touch that warped mess with a ten-foot pole.
Brock: But Coal, don’t you think–
Coal: There are things far worse than death. That point in time isn’t going anywhere, so you have time to do your homework. Benjy:
Benjy: What?
Coal: As Celebi’s trainer, you have to determine when it’s safe to timetravel. Everyone’s safety is in your hands.
Ash: Coal… Will we see you again?
Coal: Maybe, probably. Who knows.
As he speaks, Coal raises his hand, and a yellow magic circle appears in the air. With Coal’s hand crackling. These circles trigger other circles that trigger a wall of yellow symbols that fade into a door. Coal says the following lines as this happens.
Coal: As soon as morning comes, you kids are just about to realize the sheer horror of what you lived through. I’ve never seen one of these myself, I was just going on what I was told.
Coal reaches for the knob.
May: Hang on! Where are you going?
Coal: Keywords for you: Chaos Ball, Spirit Absorption Beast, Barian World, Astral World, Dreamshot, N-O Channel.
Coal now opens the door giving everyone a glimpse into a different dimension: one where a white path glows through a void of strange colors. It looks a bit like a cross between subspace from Super Smash Bros™ and the Barian World from Yugioh Zexal™.
Coal: I wish I could’ve traveled further with you guys, but here is where our paths diverge. So long and thanks for all the chips.
With this, Coal waves and steps into the other dimension, and closes the door behind him, causing it to dissolve in a shower of sparks. Ash, Benjy, May, and Max stare in confusion.
New Scene(@Temporal = Morning)
Ash and company are still camped in the same place, and Benjy is tending breakfast while Brock is finishing Max’s bandages. May is heavily bandaged, and is sitting stiff so not to inflict pain onto herself.
Max: Whatever happened to the dragon pokémon?
Ash: I saw Flygon flying away… But I haven’t seen Salamence since…
Ash suddenly shudders.
Ash: Did I…
Pikachu jumps onto Ash’s shoulder, unnoticed as Ash relives the memory, and then falls over forwards.
Ash: What have I done…?!
Brock: Ash, are you okay?
Ash doesn’t reply, but just shutters. Benjy glances over at Ash nervously, as something lands with a *whump* sound and gust of wind behind him. This is followed by a slurping sound.
Benjy: Help!
Max: Salamence! That’s our breakfast!
Ash opens an eye to see Salamence lapping out of the Cauldron. Max and Brock rush over to stop Salamence from downing their breakfast, and finally succeed in pulling the dragon pokémon out of the pot, while Benjy holds the pot steady to ensure that it doesn’t tip over. As Salamence is extracted, it sneezes, flambéing the contents of the cauldron. Salamence now sits like a dog, watching and waiting to see if there will be any leftovers, tail wagging.
Benjy: Breakfast everyone!
Ash and May now come over to get breakfast too, with May shaking from her injuries.
Ash: Wow, Salamence looks like it’s healed completely…
Max: Are you sure it’s the same Salamence?
Ash shutters.
May: It’s definitely Butler’s, I recognize the look on its face.
Max: May, they all have that.
Brock: No, it’s definitely been trained. Also, notice how it holds it’s head.
May: Huh?
Brock: It’s neck is a bit burned, I’m going to need the bandages.
Benjy: Speaking of which, where is Butler?
Jirachi now pokes it’s head up.
Jirachi: Groudontwo ate him.
May: Groudon…two?
Brock: Guess that’s what we’re calling it now.
Max: So what does that mean for Salamence?
Ash: I need to be positive of something.
May: Say what?
Ash now turns to Salamence.
Ash: Were you Butler’s Salamence?
Salamence nods it’s head, and Ash gives a long sigh of relief.
Ash: Still can’t shake the feeling though…
Benjy: I know exactly what you mean. We can go check the spot where after we’re done.
Salamence face-paws at Benjy’s comment, leaving Max to conclude that it is, in fact, Butler’s Salamence.
Ash: So the question is now where Butler went…
Benjy: Butler was sucked up by Groudon…two. So if he’s still alive, he’s with Coal.
May: That makes sense…ow!
Max: So who’s going to train Salamence now?
May: Me of course! I was the one riding it!
Ash: And it’s never going to obey you in a million years.
May: So just like you and that Charizard?
May’s comment causes Ash to shoot cereal out his nose.
Brock: Lets save that issue for later…
New Scene(Revert Temporal)
Coal is walking through the different dimension, the door he came through just barely visible behind him, and pulls out the Chaos Ball from his pocket.
Coal: Now how does this work?
Coal taps the chaos ball in certain places and one of a series of buttons. Three panels on the ball light up, and Coal pushes the button above the third panel. Immediately, spirits of pokémon shoot out of the ball (maintaining their original shapes and sizes) and into the distance every time does so, and Coal releases an entire swarm of deceased pokémon spirits before they stop coming through. Coal presses the button a couple more times as he walks, and finally Butler’s spirit pops out, taking the form of his human body, clothes and all.
Unlike the pokémon who flew off into the distance, Butler lands on the path, and looks up at Coal, confused.
Butler’s Spirit: Who are you?
Coal: Walk and talk.
Refresh Scene()
Coal is walking next to Butler’s Spirit, as they travel through the other dimension.
Coal: To answer your question, even I don’t fully know.
Butler’s Spirit: But how did you…
Coal: Long story. When I was younger, I ran into the electric dragon, Gallidane. He’s the one who told me about…
Butler’s Spirit suddenly stops walking.
Butler’s Spirit: Electric Dragon?!
Coal: Walk and talk, I’m in a hurry.
Butler’s Spirit stares for a few seconds, but then rushes to catch up with Coal.
Butler’s Spirit: On Fenyra?!
Coal nods.
Coal: When you try to remain neutral, you get branded a traitor by both sides.
Butler’s Spirit: You’re a dragon slayer?!
Coal: Almost. He’s deathly afraid of Dragon Slayers, and after what happened with Acnologia, I don’t blame him. He taught me some of his magic, but nothing that could ever kill a dragon. But now you know my secret.
Butler’s Spirit: …
Butler’s Spirit blinks repeatedly.
Butler’s Spirit: I didn’t believe dragons existed.
Coal: That’s coming from a guy who uses magic.
Butler’s Spirit: Do you know where Dianne is? Is she in that ball too?
Coal: She’s probably in the Astral World by now. I don’t know how to get there, but if you’re interested, it’s worth a try.
Butler’s Spirit: Say what? Did Gallidane tell you about that too?
Coal: Who else? You’re probably an Astral in a Barian’s body, if you know what I mean.
Butler’s Spirit stops again and stares at the ground, confused, as Coal continues to walk into the distance. After a few seconds Butler looks up to see that Coal is gone.
Butler’s Spirit: He’s gone…
New Scene(Revert-Forwards Temporal)
Ash and Company, now without Coal move through the dead forest. May needs to be helped along by Benjy and Ash. Jirachi rides on Max’s head, Pikachu on Ash’s shoulder, and Celebi on Benjy’s shoulder.
Max: So what’s going to happen to the canyon now?
Benjy: Based on what Dianne said, I’d say that the reason it was so lush was that it was propped up by that artificial anima. It’ll take some time, but things will grow there again. Natural anima will take it’s place.
Ash: I sure hope so…
Benjy: It won’t stay dead; I’m sure of it.
Narrator: And barely escaping with their lives, Ash and company continue on their journey. Based on your expression, I’ll bet that you thought it was going to end just like the Jirachi Wishmaker movie, with a few minor changes to incorporate Benjy and Coal perhaps? Nope, not this time. Real life doesn’t always have a happy ending… And now the gears are finally set in motion. For what, you’ll have to find out.
…///To Be Continued///…
©July 19, 2014 by Benjamin Strauss