//------------------------------// // Chapter 16: Family Matters // Story: A New World, Burning an Old Way // by xBUBBA1995x //------------------------------// A New World, Burning an Old Way Written by: xBUBBA1995x Edited by: zeusdemigod131 Edited by: tdnpony Edited by: Ausbrony Chapter 16: Family Matters         Yet another soul has been scared by King Sombra. Beartic… she lay in the hospital, and like Gengar, she would not wake. For there is nothing that I, or anyone in the Crystal Empire, could do to help her. Well… almost nothing. I found the weakness to stopping King Sombra. It was… well right in front of everyone in the Crystal Empire. It stopped him before. It was the Crystal Heart, but yet… I did not know what to do to help those he had harmed. All I could do… is stop others from being in harms way, and let Princess Cadance use the power of the Crystal Heart. And that… that was most likely not going to happen. Even if I have to lie to them, I would not let Cadance get in harms way. I would not let anyone I cared for… Because as I stared at Beartic, the thought that one of my family or friends being in her position made my heart scream out in pain. And I could not help but think of all the times that they were hurt back on earth.         Eclipse has been with me from the start. I started my journey with him. We had been together for almost nineteen years of my life. He was just a little Squirtle that I could hold in my arm when we first met. And… I could not count the amount of times he would get knocked down, only to stand up and keep fighting. I originally wanted to take on the all eight Gym leaders in Kanto, then go for broke and fight the Elite Four! But my dream was taken from me when Eclipse had been stolen from me, and it took me a month to save him from Team Rocket. At that point, I dedicated myself to save and help others, so that they don’t have to deal with what Eclipse and I dealt with. I was only thirteen when I started to fight Team Rocket... From how I first met Lex, and saved him from that damned Team Rocket device, and how as I recovered in the hospital, he never left my side, even while he was injured. People from the near by Pokémon Center had to come to the hospital to treat him, and even then, as they healed him, he did not trust them. He only trusted me… Snow was the same. She didn’t trust anyone, and like Lex, she had her reasons. When I found her, she was caged, and like most Absols, she was being blamed from causing a natural disaster. This one being an avalanche that killed two kids. The town itself was a small one. They kept claiming that Snow was a demon Pokémon, one that was like no other. Seeing as most Absols are not even from Kanto, they didn’t even know what she was, and the stigma, or ability, of detecting natural disasters. And If I did not come when I did, she would have been executed… The whole town was out to kill her. If I did not shoot the Mayor in the leg, no one would have listened to me… And if King Sombra got his hooves on Snow, then it would be like that town all over again. Snow would be helpless, trapped with no way out. Only this time, I could not help her if that happens… Flubber, well, he always got himself in trouble. He would go around messing with people all the time, and got into a lot of fights because of it. But there was never a situation in which he could not get out of. Literally, if you cage him, he will bust out. If you corner him, he will fly away. You could not get ahold of him… That was, until he pranked a Team Rocket scientist… The mad-man captured him almost immediately, by tricking Flubber. And if I did not come along then Flubber would have been dissected? And why would he be dissected? He is a Ditto, after all. They can grow and shrink in size, change into almost anything, and can use any attack by simple changing form. The damn scientist wanted to take him apart, to learn how he does the things he does, and to apply it to other Pokémon. He never left my side after that, in fact, he even pranked me after I saved him, by making me wear a tu-tu. And I don’t even want to imagine what King Sombra could do inside Flubber… Just the idea alone makes me me shiver. It was then that something hit me upside the head, derailing my thought process. “Did it work?” Snow then asked, grinning. “John? You alright?” Lex asked.         I turned to them, and found Lex, Snow, Flash Sentry, Eclipse, as well as Shining Armor all staring at me. “I’m not really the one you should be asking that...” Pointing through the viewing glass. The room we all stood in was… well the “Emergency Medical Observation Room” that held itself next to the room that Beartic lay in. She had been rushed into the room and given immediate medical attention. Luckily, she was stabilized.         “King Sombra needs to be stopped.” Shining Armor spoke up. “Whether it be Pokémon, Pony, or any living creature, I can’t stand to see… anypony like this!”         “None of us can, sir.” Flash Sentry added, his eyes looking saddened at the sight of Beartic.         “If all of you do not mind, I wish to speak with Yveltal,” I started. “I have some questions about King Sombra that I need him to answer, and hopefully the answers he gives me may help me find out something to wake up the Pokémon affected by him.”         “Can… can you… make it quick? I, I mean we, still want to spend some time with you, John.” Snow surprisingly stuttered. She… never stuttered.         I let out a short sigh. “Of course, Snow. I promised that I would spend some time with you guys, and I intend to do so. Nothing has changed, but now I just need to look into something.”         “Mind if I tag along?” Eclipse asked.         “Of course I don’t mind, Eclipse.”         “No, you didn’t understand me, John. I mean, mind if I join you with Yveltal?”         My eyes widened slightly. “Oh, I see… Um, no. I do not mind if you come with me to see Yveltal.”         “Good, good.”         “Right…” Shaking my head, I headed towards the door. “Coming?” -:-:-         Cadance was… well. Saying that she was worried would be an understatement. The first time Yveltal showed up, there was almost mass panic. So much so that instead of throwing a riot, all her citizens ran to the nearest building and practically played dead while he was in the city. This time around, they decided to do something a bit different, and to Cadance, a riot would have been easier to deal with…         No, what she had on her plate was a mob of ponies outside the castle screaming for answers. And how would something like this be worse then a riot? Well in a riot, when ponies are destroying everything, it’s easy to place blame on them, and to have them feel sad over destroying their beloved city. But in this exact moment, she had to deal with an angry mob, lead by two stallions who… Well the words she would use for them are not proper for a Princess to speak.         “Since those monsters have gotten here, everything has been getting worse!” Green Horn screamed over the crowds. Said crowd let out a angry cheer of agreement.         “They’ve attacked out city! They’ve killed our Ponies! But Princess Cadance won't do a thing!” Winter Breeze screamed. This made the crowd let out an even more angry cheer.         And the worst part about all of this… somepony no one ever told them that King Sombra had returned. All this time, Cadance though that her subjects know, and that they were relaxed about it. Trying not to go around screaming. Trying not to cause mass panic.         But no. Shining Armor never told them. The guards never told them. The Nobles… I wonder how many of the Nobles don’t know about King Sombra’s return…         “The Princess has done nothing! We demand action! We demand to know why she has done nothing! We demand Justice for those who have lost their lives!” Green Horn yelled out.         Cadance watched through a wall of guards as her ponies called out in anger. Riled up by the two hate filled stallions, who Cadance once thought were noblemen… “We are working on the situations, but we are not going to just execute the Pokémon,” Cadance called out. Trying to salvage the situation. “They have the right to live, just as we do!”         “Really?!” A random stallion yelled out. “What about my brother?! He had the right to live, but that Pokémon thought differently!”         “And what about my fiance?! We were going to get married in a week!”         “Face it Princess, these ponies want those Pokémon out of our kingdom, or six feet under!” Winter Breeze yelled out. “Are you going to deny them what they want? Are you not going to allow justice? Are you going to-”         “THAT’S ENOUGH!” Winter Breeze was cut off mid sentence by a very deep voice. One that was owned by a stallion who Cadance did not think would come to her aid. “What in Tartarus do the two of you think you are doing?!” Sir Clay yelled out.         “Clay?” Winter started. “Good, you’re here. Come, help us drive those damned monsters out of our fine city!”         Clay’s jaw dropped, before he yelled out. “No!” Shaking his head, Clay glared at the two of them. “You can NOT judge an entire race for the actions of a few of them. Furthermore, this is most certainly NOT the time for us to be fighting amongst ourselves, not when King Sombra has returned.” “WHAT?!” The crowd screamed in unison, and like that. The riot was… put on hold. A wave a terror exploded throughout the faces of those present. Clay raised an eyebrow, and glanced over at Princess Cadance. “They didn’t know?” He asked, shocked.         Cadance shook her head. “I thought they did…”         “Great!” A stallion in the crowd cried out. “We’ve now we have two crisis’s on our hooves!”         At this, Clay turned to the crowd. “What do you mean two? That first Pokémon attack that killed some ponies was caused by Sombra. Other than the very first one which was a misunderstanding, every other attack was caused by Sombra using the Pokémon like puppets. In fact, I went to check, and all I can say is that the Pokémon are just as much victims if not more so.”         Shaking his head, and gritting his teeth, Green looked angry. “No! That’s not possible! You can’t just… He can’t… No! You’re lying! You’re lying to protect those damn Pokémon! We know you are friends with them! You treated one at your restaurant! You like them, and want them to stay! Even though they have killed our ponies!”         “And I already explained that Sombra was the one who did it. The Pokémon who killed the ponies was being used like a puppet, and has yet to wake up thanks to what the real monster did to him!” Clay shouted. “Unlike you two, I actually did some digging about the incident, and all the evidence points to possession magic, and the only one capable of doing something like that is Sombra. And before you say that its a lie to protect the Pokémon, I’ll have you know that this is a statement from Princess Cadance AND Prince Shining Armor, both of whom were nearly KILLED in one of the more recent attacks, and if that’s not enough proof, I’ve seen the throne room. Its covered in crystal. BLACK crystal at that.”         “He’s back…” A mare stammered. The color in her face visible fading away.         “He’s… going to kill us…” The stallion from before spoke up, his eyes shaking.         “He can’t be back!” A mare screamed. “The Crystal Heart! It… It got him!”         “He said that the Princess was almost killed! Without her, we are doomed!”         “No we are not!” Sir Clay shouted, stopping them. “As long as we stick together, we can defeat him just like last time, and furthermore, we aren’t alone this time. Several of the Pokémon have already volunteered to help us, even after we nearly kicked them out of the city, and they’ve even begun training the guards to be able to stand up to any Pokémon that attack. Furthermore, John and the Princess are researching to find a way to eject Sombra from any Pokémon that he possesses, and its only a matter of time before they find something, and when the time comes, we need to be there for the Princess to allow her to use the Crystal Heart again, and hopefully finish Sombra for good this time! Heck, even the Pokémon’s God has lent us one of his children to help defeat Sombra!”         “But… But… he’s already gotten in. He’s already killed. What’s stopping him from coming and… and…” The stallion that spoke up trained off. Fear in his eyes. “I… I have to go! I have to get to my wife!”         “Stay calm please!” Cadance yelled out over the crowed. “Please, that’s all I ask, just stay calm and we’ll be able to take care of King Sombra. Please… don’t make things harder on all of us by giving up. The Crystal Heart depends on all of you to stay strong, and we all depend on it to keep us safe. If you all stay strong, then we will be safe.”         And with that… the riot was no more. Stallions and mares all looked fearful, scared, and confused. Not a sound was made, other than their hoof steps… The news of evil King returning… was not easy to swallow.         Winter Breeze and Green Horn stood in silence. Around them, ponies moved away. Heading back to their lives. The news of King Sombra had… put a stop to anything and everything they were trying to do. They had come with intentions of ridding their fine city of the Pokémon that have wronged it’s ponies, and the ape that had wronged them… But… King Sombra? How in the world did the news of his return not reach their ears, or any ponies ears for that matter? You would think, on the day of his returning that Princess Cadance would announce such a thing. They might even still have their jobs. But no...         “This… He can’t…” Winter continued to stutter.         “Why was no pony told about this?” Green Horn asked, glaring at Princess Cadance through the wall of guards.         “Because I thought everypony knew. I had thought that after the first incident with the Gengar, or at least after your first attempt to have the Pokémon kicked out, the announcement would have been made. I was not aware that nobody had told the citizens that Sombra had returned… If I did… I would have made that announcement myself.”         “Considering what just happened, you might have to, before any rumours get started.” Sir Clay spoke up.         “Yes… That would be best,” Cadance let out a long sigh. “I just hope John can find something that can help us.” -:-:-         To say Volt was a saint, would be to say the sun was not bright, or that the sea was not blue. No… he was far from a saint. After all. He would do anything for a cookie. And what do you need to get a cookie? Money. And how do you get money? By doing what Lex and Snow do! Gamble! After all, they had fun doing it, right? And they even got themselves some bits to spend when doing it!         “Alright everyone, the name of the game is Kanto Hold’em,” Volt stated to the group of ponies in front of him. Most of them were medical apart of the medical staff in the castle, while others were just guards. Weavile was even there, her Doctors giving her permission to participate, seeing as it would help get her mind off of her… problems. “And we are playing with bits!”         “Yes, yes, yes. You already told us that part, Little one. Can we please just start the game?” Doctor Two Point stated.         “Wait, what is Kanto Hold’em anyways?” Nurse Light Star asked.         “You get two cards,” Volt started. “Then the dealer, Flubber here,” Volt motioned to Flubber, who was certainly transformed to look like John, only bright pink and dark yellow instead of brown and white. “Places three cards in play. We then use those cards to make our best hand! Placing bets and what no. He then places a fourth card down, we fold or place higher best. And then we do the same for the fifth card, but at the end of that one we show our cards and the winner is made!”         “So in other words, we’re playing Buffalo Poker?” Guard White Stone spoke up. His red and black mane falling down in front of his face as he did.         Volt blinked. “Dunno what that is, but...yeah?”                  “Yes, it’s just like Buffalo Poker,” Doctor Two Point stated with a smile. “Which is good… I’ve played this game my whole life.”         “Don’t count your Pokémon before they hatch, Doctor. You mave have played all your life, but why don’t we let the cards talk for us?” Weavile stated. “Now Flubber, if you will. Make those cards dance!”         At that, the deck that Flubber held in his hands started to be shuffled. Before he placed it in front of Volt. Volt then split the deck for everyone, with surprising ease. Though it was the same size as him, he managed to do it. With that, Flubber then passed out some cards. Volt immediately smiled. His face up card was an Ace, and his face down card was another ace. He had a pair! And a rather high pair at that. Or… were aces low this game?         Others seemed uninterested in what cards they have, while Light Star seemed disappointed with what she got. That was, until Flubber places down the three cards. The first was a King of Hearts. The second was a Two of Spades. And the third was another Ace!         Moving over to a small back next to him, Volt grabbed out two bits and placed them in the center of the table. “Two bits for this one!” He stated proudly.         Doctor Two point did the same, his poker face not showing his emotions.         Guard White stone shook his head. “Yeah… I fold.”         Nurse Light Star on the other hoof, had a wide smile. “I’ll go five bits.”         “I’m going to agree with Mr.White here and fold…” Weavile sadly stated.         Flubber turned to Volt and waited patiently for him to add more money into stay in the game. Volt did so without hesitation, as did Doctor Two Point. Flubber nodded, and placed the fourth card in play. It was a Two of Hearts. Volt smile. I a… full house? Yeah, I am so going to get rich off of this!          Light Star bit her lip, as Volt placed in another five bits. Twenty thus far for the winner… “Alright little bug, I’ll play your game.” She said, before matching his bet. “Of course you are playing my game. We are playing cards, aren't we?” Volt asked, Light Star’s comment obviously going over his head. The stallion that had yet to say a word since the game started placed his bits in. “What’s wrong Doctor, cat got your tongue?” Light Star ask, to this Doctor Two Point simply smiled at her. Pulling out the fifth card, Flubber placed down another King. The King of Spades. Meaning everyone had at least two pairs. I’m going to win, I’m going to win, I’m going to get ice cream tonight! I’m on fire! Wait, no, John’s on fire. I’m just winning. Knocking his first on the table, Flubber jestered for the players to flip their cards showing their hands. Oppone doing so, Light Star and Two Point called out in rage, as Volt revealed his full house. Light Star on the other hoof had three pairs, while Two Point was rocking the same. “Oh, I am sooooo rich!” Volt called out, dragging the pile of bits towards him.         -:-:- There was only one place that Yveltal could stay where he would be comfortable. The Great Crystal Stadium! Size wise, it was larger than most Pokémon stadiums, but had more equipment out and about. Yet sightseeing was not why I was here. The embodiment of death was, and how I had some… questions for him. Most involving King Sombra, while others involved him or Lord Arceus. And in my research, I learned several things. King Sombra was a stallion who… didn’t just hate the Crystal Empire. He feared them. That his magic comes from a dark energy flowing through him because of that hate. And how he uses fear to control those around him. Meaning in a way, his control over ponies stems from that same function… Or at least, that’s why I am theorizing. However, I did not know fully of King Sombra’s power… “Yveltal,” I spoke, as we approached him. His eyes opened slowly, as if he was taking a nap in the center of the large stadium. “Sorry to disturb you, but I have a few questions involving King Sombra. As well as some… information you may find useful.” Yveltal pulled himself up, stretching out his neck as he did so making a loud pop. “You’re the Infernape from the other day… what was your name again? Jake? Joey? Oh, it doesn't matter. State what you came to say, so I can get back to sleep.” “It was John, and it would be best if we start. But before we do so, I do have one thing to ask, just to make sure I’m correct...” “And that is?” “Has King Sombra attempted to use his magic to take you over?” “No, he didn’t really get the chance. He was too busy trying to kill me, and well… it didn’t work.” “I see… well watch yourself. Last thing we need is for you to be turned… Now for the information,” I took in a deep breath before starting. “King Sombra is adept in dark magic, stemming from his hate for the Crystal Empire. He is a master in illusion magic, as well as several different unique spells… one of which,” I motioned to my latest scar. “Brings forth large black crystals. Now… moving back to his illusion magic… other than the obvious make you see things routine, he can make you experience your most deepest darkest fear.” “So in other words, you’re trying to tell me to watch myself,” Yveltal started. “I’ll have you know John, that Arceus didn’t send me here just because he wanted King Sombra dead. He sent me here because he knew I could handle that tyrant. I thank you for this information, but it was not needed. Now is there anything else you need, or can I get go back to sleep?” I… nodded, but to his dismay I was not finished. “Oh, no. Sorry Yveltal, but you have just a few more questions to answer, if you don’t feel inclined to help us take down King Sombra, then by all means go back to bed,” He narrowed his eyes at me. “However, if you feel that is it necessary to-” “Just ask you damned questions, and don’t mock me.”         I could not help but smile. “As you wish…” Clearing my throat, I started to pace around Yveltal. “What occurred during your battle with King Sombra?”         Yveltal let out an very annoyed sigh. “He first attacked me when I was taking a drink…” -:-:- The water in the river was cold. Very cold. It was winter up north after all. Snow blanketed the land. Small shards of ice could be seen through the water, but they where small. The sky was partially cloudy, allowing very little sun shine through. I had been flying all morning, and the cold breeze as well as the cold water felt great. But then, I was attacked. Two blasts of Ice-Beam ripped across my back. Covering part of me in ice. Unlike the cold air and water, this was not refreshing. This was painful. Roaring out in anger, I turned to the would be attackers, to find a Snorlax and a Beartic. Both of which had evil glowing green eyes. Well… the Beartic did. The Snorlax had his eyes closed. “King Sombra I presume?” They both smiled at me. “Well then, in the name and will of Lord Arceus! I send you to death! Oblivion Wing!” Whipping my wings back, I unleashed a volly of death rays at them. The attack struck the Snorlax, but before impact he raised his arms up to block it. As the ray of energy blasted into him, the force pushed him back. Lines of dirt started to be torn up as his feet dragged along the ground, before he slammed into a tree. It held the pressure and wait for just a moment before exploding, making King Sombra trip up and slam hard on his back. Taking the full front of the Oblivion wing. In the corner of my eye, I could see the Beartic’s mouth glowing for just a moment, before a blast of ice shot out. Flapping off of the ground, I made my way to the sky to dodge the attack. Below, the Snorlax started to pull himself up, while Beartic fired again at me. His attack missed wildly, as I was not making myself an easy target.         “Seems you won’t go down without a fight! Good… I want to watch you squirm!” I yelled out, before diving down at top speeds for another attack. “Sky attack!”         The Beartic, who had been my target, leaped out of the way of my attack. Only for several trees and a large rock to be destroyed in his place. Twisting my body around, I flew back in for another attack. Only for a Hyper Beam to strike me in the chest.         I gritted my beek, taking the blast, only for another shot of Ice Beam to join in on the attack. I let out a cry of pain, and was shot out of the sky. Landing hard in a near by lake. Moments passed, and I could see the two of them approaching from under the crystal clear water, and as they stood at the base of the lake, I unleashed a Hyper Beam. A real Hyper Beam. The water all around me was blown out of the way, revealing my position to them, but for them… it was too late. The massive laser struck the Beartic sending him flying. Several trees exploded as he crashed through them. The attack made the Snorlax do a double take. I could see the look of worry in his face, and he damned well should worry. I had to take just a moment to catch my breath from an attack like that, but he knew he was next. Acting fast, his  body began to spark with electricity, before he shot out a Thunderbolt at me. But it was not fast enough, as the walls of water collapsed in around me his blasted reverberated through the water, and though I could still feel the tingle of electricity through the water, it was nothing compared to being hit directly. Swimming out of the water at high speeds, I shot up and took to the air. King Sombra had started to run from me, but in his Snorlax form he was rather slow compared to my speed. It did not take long for me to catch up with him, and when I was within several yards, I dove down again for another Sky Attack. It struck him in the back, knocking him to the ground, making him roll into the wide-river, that flowed into the lake. He tried his best to stand, but I didn’t let him. I started to fly around him, creating a massive gust of wind, and within moments, my Hurricane attack lifted him off of the ground and flung him back towards the lake. He let out a cry as he slammed into the water... -:-:-         “Sadly, it was then that I lost him,”  Yveltal finished. “When I started to search the lake where I had thrown him, I could not find him. He got away within that Snorlax, and when I went over to the Beartic, I found that he was a she, and that King Sombra’s presence could not be seen within her.”         “Well then,” I started, picturing Yveltal’s battle in my mind. “It seemed that while I have a hard time facing King Sombra, you on the other hand handled it rather… quickly. Though I recommend you try to hold back some, we may still be out to get rid of King Sombra, but innocent Pokémon lives are still at stakes. Best not to hurt them, just to get what we wait.” My commented was not just stating the obvious, but also a warning to Yveltal.         He let out a chuckle. “Yes, well. I answered your questions, now go. My back still hurts from those damned ice attacks.” With that, Yveltal turned from us, and laid back on the ground.         “Thank you for your time, Yveltal.” Eclipse thanked.         “Yes, thank you. What you told me was… useful,” Turning to Eclipse, I smiled. “Now, let’s return back to Snow and Lex… They have to be worried. You know how they get.”         Eclipse just… gave me a strange look, but nodded. -:-:-         Apparently what Lex and Snow had planned was… well easy. They wanted me to relax. Simple as that. How? Well there was a large balcony overlooking the Empire, and they wanted a simple dinner there. Just them, Flubber, Eclipse, Volt, Holly and I. Just… like how we use to back on Earth. How every so often, I would go out and get something nice for us all to eat, and relax under the sun. It was the only time I could ever really relax. I don’t know how I didn’t think of it before, but seeing as how I’ve been preoccupied, I can understand why.         A simple large table was laid out. Food was placed over it, and chairs all around it. Eclipse took a seat at the far end of me, while Holly was to my right, and Lex and Snow where to my left. Since Volt was too small, he was sitting in a high chair, while Flubber was transformed into a Joltik, only he was multicolored. A rainbow, if you will…         “Well John? You going to take a seat so we can relax or what?” Snow asked.         I smiled at her, and stepped forward. The food smelled good, and though there were no say… Oran berries, I could still see some rather delicious looking food. Nothing you would find back home, but still. “Thanks, guys,” I commented as I took my seat. “It’s been… what? Months since we did this?”         “A year.” Lex commented.         “So can we eat?” Eclipse asked.         “Yep,” I gestured over the food. “Dig in everyone.”         And at that everyone started to eat. Well… everyone but Holly Heart. I turned to her. She looked… nice. She had a new dress on, nothing as fancy as the day before, but it was nice none the less. A nice white dress contradicted her green coat quite nicely. “Not hungry?” I asked her.         She shook her head. “It’s not right for everyone to eat before the honored guest to get something.”         I smiled at her, and reached forward and grabbed a scoop of the nearest food, and placed it on my plate. It was a cheesy macaroni, and it tasted rather great. Next was a veggie-pizza, and a large helping of salad. It was then, and only then, that Holly grabbed some food. I smiled at her. She was so polite… So nice… Shy and kind…         Tonight, King Sombra can wait. I am having dinner with the ones I love.