The Guardian - part 1 by ChillySunDance on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Mission 1 Epilogue part 1-1
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The battle raged on, carried to the grassy outskirts of Andalusst by the quick thinking of the Explorers and their plan to lead the action away from the city. No more buildings would be destroyed, but the imminent threat of the seemingly crazed statue was upon the three guilds who opposed it. Even though it was a violent fight, it was visually a sight to behold. Colorful psychokinetic waves crashed against the large creature’s body, joined by high-pressured jets of water, powerful blasts of fire, and crackling zaps of electricity. Quick Pokemon darted in and out of the enemy’s reach, while the most powerful stood steadfast against its blows. Though the statue’s relative health after taking so much abuse appeared unfazed, each guild’s leadership pressed the attack. The plan was about to be set in motion.

With the final required act of cleverness by one of the many teams present, the last of the Researchers’ signal boosters was fastened onto the colossal attacker’s body. As soon as Chelle observed this, she turned from the battle and quickly hovered her way across the grassy plain. When she was within earshot of the cloth-swaddled Sandshrew who was operating their hastily-built equipment, she gave the order, “Activate it now!”

A loud, ominous crackling noise emanated from the Researchers’ alchemic jamming device as soon as it was activated, and it only became louder. Like an intense, building storm, it escalated up to a near deafening volume as it reached full power, and the same crackle was mimicked by the marauding statue as the boosters that had been fastened to it resonated with the device, ready to channel its power into the unwary foe as it defended itself from the many Pokemon around it.

The Sandshrew couldn’t help but flash a brief grin of pride at his work just before he slammed his claw down upon the biggest, reddest button on the jammer’s interface. A thunderous wave blasted out from the statue in that instant, flooring some who had taken stance around it. Most importantly, it forced the statue to freeze, unmoving. The glow in its so-called eyes persisted to a degree, but it no longer fought back. The jammer had accomplished even more than the advertised easing of the battle; it had won it. Weary Pokemon all around the creature picked themselves up from the grass and collectively felt a wave of cautious relief. The fight was over.

…

“It still wants to fight us.”

Chelle’s statement struck the seriousness of the situation back into everyone around her, cutting their celebrations short. She stared into the colorful lights on the front of the statue, having never been able to approach it while it was rampaging. A few of them had turned off due to the jammer’s influence, but others remained on, which gave off a bit of a pathetic, half-dead appearance. In those lights she may as well refer to as eyes, she felt no malice, only mechanism. Nothing about its actions or its body language suggested that it hated them, nor that it was striking out with feral rage of some sort. If it were to re-activate, it would surely attempt to attack them once more, but why?

The whole situation left Chelle momentarily at a loss, which was a feeling she despised. Her mind would always obsess to wrap around something she didn’t understand, or a situation she couldn’t solve immediately. This was different, though. They could simply determine a way to dismantle the statue if it were irrevocably hostile… but what if her feelings about it were correct? Maybe… maybe there was a way.

Chelle hovered far above the other Pokemon with her partner, Solstice. The Swoobat had been silent just as Chelle mostly had. They were both in studious silence, looking over the statue and coming to their conclusions on what to do next. However, Chelle would be the one to break the silence between them, “We should attempt to bring it back around and communicate with it. We may never have another chance like this.”

Understandably, the suggestion was met by a strange look from the Swoobat flapping next to Chelle. “It’s risky to do that, you know. It may not even have a way of communicating with us… and what if something unforeseen happens?” she asked skeptically. It was odd for her to be on the cautious and calculating side of things, since that was usually Chelle’s role between them.

It was correct, though. Attempting to utilize psychic abilities on any creature was no joke, and this one was perhaps the most serious attempt she’d make in her life. Still, the other danger was that the statue would reactivate on its own when they weren’t ready for it, and it may hurt someone before they could manage to re-activate the jammer and subdue it again. Something had to be done.

Chelle bowed her head momentarily, steeling herself for the choice she was about to make. Her gel-based arms outstretched forward, and from them channeled her psychic power which traveled through the air like mild ocean waves. Tender, unlike the attacks she visited upon it in battle.

“Chelle, are you crazy? What do you think you’re doing?!” Sol whispered to her nervously.

“Something you should aid me with. Please do not break my concentration,” Chelle replied. Her focus was on the statue, and it had to stay that way. She wasn’t sure whether her companion would see things her way, until she noticed a similar wave float out from Sol’s direction. It was less intense, less powerful than her own, but it was generally accepted between the two that Chelle’s gift of psychic power was simply greater. Still, she would need all the help she could get.

Every pulsing wave found its way through the outside of the statue and into its heart, or more specifically, its core, which had been rendered mostly non-functional by the jammer. Chelle and Sol gave it their all to try and spark life back into the statue, but to no avail. At most, their efforts seemed to scramble the few lights still present in the colossal creature’s eyes. Still, they continued on. Something had to give.

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