This post is 200% better if you play this while reading it.
Day ???
So much has happened since I first started this journey.
I've gathered the badges, stopped Team Flare, and defeated the Pokemon League, but at what cost?
"Aww, you're a playful Beldum, aren't you?"
The Beldum in my arms nodded and zipped around the place.
"Well then, let's go help you get stronger."
We headed into the Battle Chateau, and faced a Baron and his Venipede.
"Beldum, Take Down!" I ordered.
Beldum rushed forward, slamming into the Venipede, but doing little to hurt it. He tanked a Bug Bite, but it was clear it wasn't going to be an easy fight.
"Hm. Beldum, come back. Katherine can deal with this."
Before Beldum can even acknowledge me, the Venpide smashes into him with Pursuit, throwing him across the hall. By the time I got to him, it was too late. He was already gone...
"..."
Katherine looked at me, unsure of what to do.
"...Flame Charge. Kill him."
Katherine engulfs herself in fire, and slams into the Venipede, winning the battle for me, but Beldum was already gone. The first member of my team to die...and he hadn't been on for more than a few hours. We buried him in a clearing by the flower fields.
Katherine and Leonardo teamed up for a Double battle against a Machoke and Mr. Mime.
"Should be easy."
And it was easy. Katherine and Leonardo were hitting hard against the two opponents. One more attack should've done it. Katherine KO'd Mr. Mime with her attack, but Leonardo wasn't fast enough...
"Water Gun!"
Leonardo began to attack the Machoke, but before he knew it, a Cross Chop hit him, a critical hit. He had no chance as his limp body flew over the hill. Katherine and I just looked on in shock.
"...Leo?" Katherine whispered, stunned that he just died right then and there.
She later defeated the trainers, but not before Noibat came out and saw Leo's body lying at the bottom of the hill.
"...It's always the good ones that die young." He said, clearly distraught. "Why not me? I'm the frailest member of the team...Leo was just finding his place in the world."
We buried him on that hill.
"Lucario seems to really like you!" Korrina mused, watching her Lucario's actions towards me. "Why not take him with you?"
"Sure."
Lucario joined me, and immediately wanted to battle with me again. So we set out for Route 12, and battled a fisherman and his Qwilfish
"Lucario, Bone Rush!"
Lucario dashed all around the Qwilfish, hitting him with an auric bone saber, but not quite enough to KO. He returned to my side...and the Qwilfish gave him an evil grin as he used Revenge. I saw Lucario's eyes go wide as the Qwilfish attacked, the fish Pokemon's barbs stabbing into his body, and he fell lifelessly into the water.
I could barely speak. Yet again, another Pokemon died instantly.
Simipour finished the Fisherman's team off. After the battle, I went to pick up Lucario's body, wondering if I should return to Shalour City to bury him. I decided against it, I couldn't bear to face Korrina again after what had just happened. In the end, he was buried on the beach. I was beginning to seriously consider if I was cut out for this.
I knew the Laverre Gym would be tough. None of my Pokemon were effective against Fairy types. Katherine volunteered to lead, and we battled our way to Valerie. At least, that's what we thought would happen.
We faced a Furisode Girl and her Aromatisse. The two girls stared each other down, giving each other sassy looks. Once they finally attacked, Katherine's Flamethrower wasn't enough to KO her. The Aromatisse's attack did more than enough. Katherine dropped to the floor, dead.
I stood there for a good minute before sending out another Pokemon. Katherine was dead. The one Pokemon who had been with me since the beginning. Gone, just like that. Sylveon defeated the Aromatisse, and afterwards we went out into the forest with Katherine's body to bury. Afterwards, I began to tear up, the pain of having to bury Katherine too much to take. Sylveon nuzzled my face as we just sat there, staring at the grave.
"Things will be okay. The rest of us are still here. Katherine wouldn't want you to just sit here and mope. We still have 3 more gyms to defeat." Sylveon said reassuringly. I hugged her for a bit, before heading back into the City to form a new plan. Sylveon was right. Now more than ever, I had to follow through with things. For Katherine's sake.
I ended up with a young, shy Houndour in the weird Pokemon swap that I grew accustomed to dealing with. He was so afraid, afraid of battling. I assured him that I wouldn't let anything happen to him. And so we began training.
He took out several Pokemon, and even leveled up a few times.
"...I...I think I'm doing it!" he exclaimed, amazed at what he had accomplished.
I pet his head, "See? I knew you could do it."
In his excitement, he ran into the grass and encountered a Murkrow.
"Houndour, wait! Come back here!"
It was too late. He had already tried to attack the Murkrow. The Murkrow lunged at him, Houndour's attack not hurting much, and killed him instantly with Aerial Ace.
"Houndour!"
I ran forward to pick up his body, as Sylveon finished off the Murkrow. I just held Houndour close, ashamed of myself. I promised I'd keep him safe...
After losing so many Pokemon, I began training a Charmander and Kirlia to join the team. They soon evolved into Charizard and Gardevoir, and both soon formed a fast friendship. Gardevoir was the stronger of the two, and as such he was more experienced at battling.
Nothing could've prepared him for what was on Route 15 though.
It should've been an easy win, Gardevoir vs. Gabite. Dazzling Gleam should have ended the battle. But Gabite went first. He Slashed Gardevoir, landing a critical hit, and just like that, he was dead. Charizard was in shock. The two of them were partners...and now Gardevoir was gone. He took his revenge on the Gabite by Dragon Clawing him.
Charizard was never the same afterwards, he started to fall behind the team. It just wasn't the same for him with Gardevoir gone.
Sky Battles. They're supposed to be fun. A way for Flying type Pokemon to see who is better.
Except that's not what they are at all. Not when a damn Cryogonal is allowed.
I had been roped into fighting a Sky Trainer by accident. Noivern and Vivillon were all I had against her Cryogonal. I swear, I saw her smile wickedly when I sent out my Pokemon. Both of us knew at least one of my Pokemon wasn't going to live to see the end. Noivern and Vivillon knew as well.
"If this is it for me, then I am glad to have come this far. I never thought I'd see myself evolve...at least now I can die knowing what I'd look like." Noivern somberly said to me as we started off with a Boomburst.
It didn't KO the Cryogonal, but he didn't kill Noivern immediately, instead he was left dangerously low on HP. I was going to heal him, but he shook his head.
"No matter what you do, I'm not going to survive. This is it for me."
I nodded slowly, giving him a tearful hug goodbye. The Cryogonal killed him shortly afterwards. Vivillon came out afterwards. She saw Noivern's body lying on the ground below, and knew what was in store for her. She would not outspeed Cryogonal.
"Guess it's my turn on the chopping block." She remarked, trying to at least go out with a smile.
"Looks like it..."
"Well, I knew this would come sooner or later...a bug like me doesn't live forever."
She closed her eyes as the Ice Beam hit, smiling. I admired their courage, going into death like that. They certainly handled it better than I did. Losing two of my Pokemon in one battle...that was the last straw. No more death. No more Sky Battle executions. I was determined to see things through to the end.
When I reached the basement of Team Flare's base, and finally met with Yveltal, I couldn't help but laugh at the turn of events. The goddess of death. Staring right at me. How fitting that one who has seen so much death would meet the goddess herself.
"You are lucky, Straw. If this were another version of you, I'd kill you on the spot. But the death you have experienced is of a different kind, and I shall grant you my power. Do not disappoint me. Or you WILL die."
As I caught her, I hoped that there'd be no more death. But even having the goddess herself on my side wasn't enough.
The Pokemon League. The final obstacle between the Hall of Fame and me.
"Listen, this is going to be a tough series of battles. Some of you may not make it out alive. Do you still want to do this?"
"With Yveltal backing you? Hell yeah. We're totally fine." Krookodile mused.
"We'll see..."
The other team members were in agreement, and we headed inside the League.
Each of them fell quickly, though some of us had close calls. Lucy narrowly avoided death at the hands of Siebold's Clawitzer. When it came to the final Elite Four chamber, Charizard knew he could do it...
...until he met Wikstrom's Probopass. The Pokemon's Rock/Steel typing, Sturdy, and Defense would guarantee Charizard would not one shot it. Both of us felt confident that we could pull through.
Then it used Power Gem.
Charizard didn't stand a chance. The Power Gem was too powerful, and he went down. Krookodile finished off Wikstrom, and I ran to Charizard. He just smiled and looked at me.
"Looks like I'm gonna see Gardevoir again...goodbye Straw."
I hugged him, thanking him for all that he had done to get me and the rest of us to the Champion. With Krookodile's help, we moved his body with us to the Champion's elevator, and went into the final battle...
...And won. No one else died. Just Charizard. When we made it to the Hall of Fame, it was unanimously decided to let Charizard be memorialized in it as well. What better way to remember him by?
After departing the League, before heading to the parade, we stopped in Route 14, and buried Charizard next to Gardevoir.
So much death. So many tearful goodbyes. I still get nightmares about them. Sylveon tries to comfort me, but she can only do so much. Beldum, Leonardo, Lucario, Katherine, Houndour, Noivern, Vivillon, Gardevoir, and Charizard. Their deaths are going to haunt me for the foreseeable future.
Yveltal can't help me, what's dead is dead. That's the way the world works. But she did inform me of two individuals who might be able to help me.
And so I set out in search of Zygarde and Mewtwo.
