*Nathan's POV*

...

...

"Hey!"

... Ungh... My body feels so drained...

"Hey, wake up!"

A hand is placed on my forehead, and it presses down slightly- not bringing with it enough pain to damage me, but certainly enough to wake me from my exhaustion.

I open my eyes with a start and find myself staring at the night sky.

"Wha...? Where?" I falter. I stare at my surroundings- I'm sprawled on the ground outside whatever building Cyrus took Voltflare and I into. The dusty air of outside Eterna City still doesn't really bother me- I have a few other things on my mind. I casually turn my head from side to side, stretch, and stand up. Eterna City is just as I remember it, except Cyrus' platform has been surrounded with yellow Caution tape and a few men that I assume are police officers. I hope that my uniform will not garner a bad opinion of me, but I remember that it was Elijah and I, both ex-Rockets that brought the organization down. Thus, I conclude that my lab coat will help my relations with the police rather than hurt them. I dust myself off, and a tall man with black, front-spiked hair accosts me from behind. I quickly turn around to meet him. His brown eyes are full of concern, and he seems to have much on his mind. He wears a brown trenchcoat like a businessman, yet his demeanor and aptitude make me think he's a detective- or at least part of the law somewhere down the line.

"Good, you're awake," the man says,

"Now, if you know anything about what's happened here, please tell me. I do not want to have to force it out of you."

Force it..? Force what out of me?

I blink in confusion.

"Sir, are you sure that you have the right guy? I don't think I know what you're talking...'

"No," he shakes his head, signaling me to stop talking.

"I know that you're the only one who could possibly have a lead on him. We've been searching for a day now with little success. Now, my name is Looker, and I would appreciate it if you would cooperate with me."

Looker? He's part of the police force, isn't he? I think to myself. I had made my escape from a few run-ins with the International Police in my past shrouded by Team Rocket, but I didn't think that knowledge would be necessary here.

Is he trying to arrest an innocent man? What did I do? And what "him" is he even talking about?!

Looker holds up a small envelope, sealed at the back with a large yellow "G," matching the insignia of Cyrus' goons. On the front, in large bold font, it reads,

"For Nathan's Eyes."

The handwriting is sloppy, yet dignified like a scientist's notes. Immediately, I know who wrote that note and what will be inside.

There's nothing else it could possibly be. That letter is a threat from Cyrus! He has Voltflare!

"I... I've got to save him! Looker, Sir, you need to help me!" I begin to panic, but the officer remains calm.

"You are Nathan, correct?" Looker asks me, waving his hand to stop my outburst.

I nod slowly, serving the double purpose of abating my tremulous hands and answering his question.

"Then please, look at this. We just received this today, and I assume it will trigger your memory," he says, handing me the sealed envelope.

I quickly take out my pocketknife and undo the seal. Inside are two things- a letter, and a picture that immediately makes me regret opening the envelope at all.

I separate the jarring photo from the accompanying letter and fall to my knees in shock. The picture seems to be taken with a low-quality camera, as shadows and other indescribable phenomena leap around the endless background. Judging by the rocky cliffs surrounding the ruins serving as the centerpiece, this takes place on top of a large mountain.

I turn my attention to the middle of the ruins, and my heart wrenches in agony. There, attached to what looks like an ancient altar, is Voltflare. His paws are slashed, and he has a few bruises ranging from his head to his back. A small puddle of blood is directly under his chest, so he probably has a wound there, too. His head is turned to the presumed camera, and the pained expression on his face threatens to mentally scar me. Yet, the detail on Voltflare's body seems a little off, like something is distorting it.

Angrily, I thrust the picture to the ground and pick up the letter to peruse it. For some reason, its words, when read aloud, paint more of an abominable image than even the picture, itself.

"

'Nathan,

Why don't we put your wasteful emotions to the test, shall we? I've seen the power of your convictions, and I must know if what you say is true! As you already know, I've taken your Voltflare as part of my plan to unleash Sinnoh's mythical beings to eradicate everything in his world that holds us down! Don't you see that what I'm doing is beneficial to both you and the populace?! You're no longer bound to that silly little rat's discretion, and my utopia will satisfy the entire world when they all realize the same! But, I've seen your heart- the vile, sentimental waste that it is. I know that you will not back down, so I devised a little test to procure the validity of your claims. I believe you called it Hide-and-Seek when you were younger, yes? But my game is much more costly- should you fail to find me by midnight, you forfeit my challenge as well as your Pokemon's life; yet, he shall not be harmed until the appointed time. Mark my words, Nathan, if you fail to convince me of the validity of your friendship, I promise that I will make that rat's death as painful as I possibly can. Good luck, and may the better scientist be the one to change the world!

-Cyrus'

"

"Why that crafty little...!" Looker raises his voice a few decibels and immediately checks his watch.

I glance at my own, and I'm astonished by how little time we have to perform this scale of a rescue operation.

"It's already ten o'clock!" I shout, more to myself than anyone else,

"We have less than two hours, or..."

Should you fail to find me by midnight, you forfeit my game and your Pokemon's life!

The words echo in my head, prompting me- urging me- to act.

"Where do we start?" I turn to Looker and ask, figuring that he probably knows the region's geography, especially where that picture was taken, better than me. He pauses for a few seconds, unsure of what to say.

I check my watch in the meantime, scaring myself with the digital reading. We only have a few hours until midnight.

"You know, I can't quite figure it out..." he wracks his brain, picking up the picture for future reference and placing it in one of his trench coat's pockets.

"This isn't a place that I, or any of the International Police have seen. I have an idea, though- if he plans to release Sinnoh's mythical Pokemon, we may be able to find a way to counterbalance those Pokemon's presences in the Canalave Library or even Celestic Town. Or maybe..." he trails off, hand on his chin in thought, when another, stockier, green-haired man rushes past us, knocking me to the ground and causing Looker to whirl around. The bulky man has a large flyer in his left hand, but I couldn't see what was on it before he disappears into the side of Mount Coronet. Both of us respond instantly.

"That's one of the goons from Cyrus' speech!" I call out.

"Precisely- after him, now! Perhaps we can garner some information about his boss from him!" Looker synonymously answers me. He turns to the fleeing grunt and shouts in his direction, breaking into a sprint.

"Hey, you! You need to answer some questions for the Police! Get back here this instant!"

I shrug and run after Looker and the mysterious man. One thought rings true the entire time,

Voltflare, no matter where you are, I'll find you and rescue you!

*Voltflare's POV*

The old, marbled ruins around me seem to invite my failure, like some sort of diabolical toy to play with my mind. The air is tough to breathe, indicating that I'm either on top of a mountain or in another one of Cyrus' deathtraps. In this case, it's both- I've learned that this mountain is known as Mount Coronet, and I've been chained to the four sturdiest pillars in the ruins. I had struggled against my chains for hours, but I know I can't give up; something's coming- something dangerous- and I can feel it.

Ngh... Augh!... Break already!

"Cyrus...!" I grit my teeth in pain, and I continue to fight my chains, rattling them until I'm out of energy again.

"Do you really think your vacuous emotions can help you now?" Cyrus taunts me, laughing at my attempts to escape lile a deranged zookeeper,

"Where is your precious Nathan- your Trainer?! Where is your emotional support? Your former life? All of it is gone now, as it was only temporary, bound by the cruel regulations of this world! The only thing that remains in you is your power! That is why I do what I do- ridding the world of weaknesses, filth, and transient fraud, while revealing the one construct that can stand the test of time!"

He laughs, and a fireball begins to slowly weave itself together, fiber after blazing fiber, in the back of my throat. I leap forward against my chains, attempting to shift my bonds at least a little bit to steady my aim.

"Nathan is more than just a 'Trainer, Cyrus! He's not just my emotional support or my former life! Nathan is my partner, and I know, deep in my heart, that he'll come back for me!" I wrack my paws against the chains as hard as I can.

Cyrus sees the bulge in my throat and laughs.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warns me,

"Remember your old friend from earlier? My Magnezone? I'll command it to douse you with another flood if you even attempt to get in my way. Don't think I need you alive for what I'm going to do with you!"

A smile crosses Cyrus' face at the same time a grimace crosses mine. As if on cue, the Magnet Area Pokemon floats out from behind one of the pillars. Its one blue eye stares at me emotionlessly, and the yellow antenna on its head pulsates a few different colors, seemingly receiving electric signals from somewhere, like a radio.

"How close are the International Police to finding out position?" Cyrus asks his Magnezone, flicking the antenna with a single finger.

The Pokemon whirrs and clicks for a few seconds before an audible voice begins to emanate from the Magnezone, but it isn't the Pokemon's metallic clamor that echoes around the ruins. Instead, a familiar voice that fills me with peace caresses my ears with relief like a gentle breeze.

"Voltflare? Voltflare?" Nathan's voice shouts out of the Magnezone. My ears perk up when I hear my name called.

Nathan's voice... If the Magnezone can find his voice, he must be close!

"Shh!" another, much deeper, sound sternly whispers from the makeshift speaker. By its intensity, the voice belongs to someone standing right next to Nathan. Some background noise suggests that both Nathan and this other person are walking through a cave.

"We don't know where that man went! I've called for reinforcements, but it will take some time for them to get here. Our only goal right now is to remain undetected until we find out where Cyrus went."

Cyrus walks over to me and brutally kicks me in the underbelly.

"Undetected! Bah! Those fools think they stand a chance against my masterfully-woven machinations! How futile!"

I wince when the air is forced out of my lungs, but I hold my pained cool by sheer willpower alone.

I have to be strong for Nathan! I have to!

Cyrus continues to kick me for every other word he shouts. I can only whimper in pain for a short half-second and bear the pain and trauma- anything more, and he'd probably just grow angrier.

"Yet, it shouldn't be possible that they have tailed me this far already. That simply isn't possible! I left him no clues outside of that photo to trace my location! Even the International Police has no knowledge of Spear Pillar! Why is... Hm?"

Cyrus whirls around to a previously-unseen entrance to the top of Spear Pillar, intentionally standing in front of my broken body to make sure that the newcomer could not recognize me. I blink across the spots in my vision to see the man through Cyrus' legs, and my heart flip-flops when I realize that the man is definitely not planning to rescue me, as he immediately asks about the progress of Cyrus' plan. The emotionless maniac, in response, laughs and steps to the side, so that the new man can clearly see me. His green hair, white uniform, and large yellow "G" on his uniform prove that he is, indeed, one of Cyrus' goons.

"Status report! Now!" Cyrus calls to the man, who quickly runs up to him and kneels down. He's panting heavily and out of breath, but this doesn't seem to bother Cyrus.

"The townsfolk are still ignorant of our presence in the city. My partner and I spread knowledge of your philanthropy persona everywhere, and it seems to be working. I think we only lost one of the posters, but we covered as far as Pastoria City before we ran out of items."

"Hmph!" Cyrus kicks the man backwards by his neck, with the same intensity that he hurt me. The man groans in pain when he picks himself off the ground.

"You lost one... You idiot! That one lost poster could mean the difference between confusing Nathan and leading him to the truth!" Cyrus fumes. Then, he turns back to me for more twisted amusement.

"Yet, you may have bought me all the time that I need!" he laughs. He holds his left hand to the sky and opens it. A few links from the Red Chain fall from his hand and dance over the marble floor, joyfully acting upon the wind with glee.

Immediately, a large black storm cloud begins to form overhead, and I gaze at it in both awe and fear. I have never seen something so large in my life before now.

A single cloud- just a single one. Yet, it's larger than an entire storm put together! What's going on?! Please, don't rain on me again- I'll be crushed by a downpour of that size!

Cyrus watches me stare at the sky, terror-stricken, and he laughs.

"You don't like getting wet?! Ahahaha! In my world, the weak die and are replaced by the strong! Show me which one you are right here and now, Voltflare! Magnezone," he calls, looking his Pokemon in the eye,

"Use Rain Dance! Show this Hybrid where he falls short and grind his emotions to dust under his elemental prowess!" He points to me and laughs.

"PR0C3SS!NG... PR0C3SS1NG... ST0RM CL0UD F0UND! C0MM3NC!NG R@1N!" the metallic Pokemon whirrs. It points its magnets up to the sky, and I hear the rain begin to patter on the ground and cringe, straining against my chains to avoid the caustic fluid.

Ngh... I can't keep this up forever! How long will this storm cloud stay here! If it doesn't evaporate quickly, I'll die before it disappears! Isn't there something I can do?!

Cyrus notices my new wave of struggling and kicks me upside the head as hard as he can.

With stars flying across my vision, I can feel blood rushing to my nose, and I know it won't be long before I succumb to this dual assault. Then, I have an idea.

Even if I can't use my fire, I can still fight back! What was it that Nathan said about using my Thunderbolt in the rain?

"No, Voltflare! Don't release your electricity now! If you use your Thunderbolt here, the spark will leap through the water in the air and fry both Cyrus and me!"

Nathan's not here right now, so the only one that will take the shock is Cyrus!

Anger burns through me, translating beautifully to a static charge that amplifies itself as it travels through my body.

"Cyrus!" I yell over the roar of the painful deluge,

"I've had enough of this torture! I'm going to be there for Nathan, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

I close my eyes and release the chaotic impulse turmoiling inside me as a Thunderbolt. The brilliant yellow beam of crackling energy leaps through the air towards Cyrus, whose face has shifted from laughter to anguish and fear. He quickly backs up to buy himself a few more milliseconds, but, when the attack is only a few meters from Cyrus, his Magnezone fires an electric current of its own at my Thunderbolt, harmlessly neutralizing the forceful current in an array of exploding light.

A large grin quickly replaces Cyrus' dread, and he breaks out into laughter.

"That is what I'm supposed to be scared of?!" he attempts to supersede the noise of the rain, my chains, and the overall atmosphere,

"Please, I've had enough of your antics, Voltflare! Magnezone..."

Cyrus points to his Pokemon and commands,

"Use Thunder Wave! Paralyze the rat until midnight. Then, we will summon Giratina and finally be rid of this horrid world!"

The water begins to quickly sap my strength, and I struggle to remain standing under the brunt of the pounding rain. Meanwhile, Cyrus' Magnezone releases a purple jolt of electricity in my direction, and I gasp. I had seen what that attack could do when Cyrus used it on Nathan, and I wasn't ready to succumb to that just yet.

With the last of my strength, I charge as much current through my veins as I can- before I grow tired of the strain, at least. My body threatens to burst like an electric bubble, but I don't care. Survival isn't even on my mind anymore.

With this final Thunderbolt, I'm going to warn Nathan! I'm going to reveal your position to him, Cyrus, and he's going to derail your heinous plan! I'll stake my life on that!

With one last staggered breath of thin air, I channel all of my remaining energy into my tail and release the entire waiting charge high into the sky. I watch the bolt pierce the storm cloud above me, hopefully diverting some of the rain away from me, and I let unconsciousness take me from my exhaustion.

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