Tragic Decision: Chapter 1

It was little more than a week earlier. Team Aura was tasked with a random letter from an unknown client to reach the top of a place called Sky Stairway and obtain the item on top of it. Despite the mystery surrounding the request, Team Aura didn’t back down from the challenge. So they went to the dungeon and there they found…

“This dungeon is on the clouds?!” Axle asked as he carefully walked around the white fluffy floor of the dungeon, like he could fall off at any minute.

“Immmpresssive,” their teammate, Shaymin, yelled with cheer as he flew around, abusing the fact that he was in his Sky Forme. “Phew, we’re really high up here. Exploration Team Aura, explorers of not only the ground but now the sky.”

“It certainly is impressive,” Axle said as he looked around with his arms crossed around his body. “Impressive, and admittedly a little overwhelming.”

The riolu then realized something. He immediately checked his surroundings until he found what he was looking for. Standing directly at the edge of the clouds, an eevee wearing a blue scarf with white lines on it and a brown bag to her side was looking down. By the rise and fall of her chest, Axle could tell that the eevee was breathing heavily and possibly hyperventilating.

“Eon, are you ok?!” Axle called out to her. He got no response so Axle immediately ran up to the eevee and placed an arm around her. That finally got the normal-type’s attention. “Eon, are you ok?” Axle asked.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine now Axle,” Eon said. “It’s just…being up here, and so high…”

Axle nodded. “I get it. It’s overwhelming. Don’t worry about it though. The clouds can apparently hold us, so as long as we avoid any holes in the clouds we shouldn’t have to worry about falling.”

Shaymin flew over to the two. “Plus if either of you fall, I’ll just fly over to the two of you and pick you up. So you have nothing to worry about.” Shaymin winked. “It’s not like it’ll happen anyways. I’m sure your mate will keep you from falling. Isn’t that right, Axle?”

Axle rolled his eyes and groaned. “Remind me to learn Ice Punch someday,” Axle whispered to himself.

“Y-yeah, alright,” Eon said. “Don’t…worry about me. I’ll be fine.” Eon took one last look at the side of the clouds before moving in. “Let’s get going. By the looks of things, we’ve got a long walk ahead of us.”

Axle and Shaymin both nodded and the three of them began their trek up the many cloud staircases they could find. The trek for them was challenging, but not too difficult for them to handle. The Pokémon that were in the dungeon served only as a minor annoyance for them as they climbed to reach the end. It was at the top of the dungeon where they finally ran into trouble.

“Hmm…it seems we’re near the end of the dungeon,” Axle said. He looked around and didn’t see any other way to go up and they reached a large plateau of clouds that stretched high above the world.

“So then, where’s the object we were told to find?” Eon asked. “Where’s the Sky Melodica?”

Suddenly, despite it still being the middle of day and the skies still blue, a large darkness spread across the sky. This startled the three of them, causing each of them to look around the area to find what was causing the darkness. Axle calmed down first out of his team and immediately formed a plan.

“There’s something above us!” Axle called out. “Something large! That must be what’s blocking the sun!”

The trio all looked up to see a large, snake-like Pokémon flying high above them. Because the sun was behind it, it was impossible for any of them to make out any details on the Pokémon, including what color it was, but they could tell that it was massive. And when the creature finally spoke, it spoke to them in a massive voice.

“You who comes to my airspace without permission, you who overstep the bounds given to you ground dwellers! What brings you to my lair?!”

“We’re here for the Sky Melodica, one of the Seven Treasures!” Eon announced to the creature above. “D-do you know where it is?!”

“You who seek treasure, prepare yourselves!” The Pokémon flew away from the sun and on the edge of the clouds in an instant, faster than Axle, Eon, or Shaymin could follow. When the three’s eyes managed to catch up with the Pokémon though, they finally noticed it was green with yellow markings on its body. “Show your power, and conquer the roaring skies! Can you overcome the rushing winds?! Or will you fall prey and be removed from this place forever?!”

“In other words, we need to fight you to get the treasure,” Shaymin said in a deadpan voice. “Yeah yeah yeah, we got it. No need for the monologue.”

“I must warn you, those who dwell on the land, that I refuse to give up the treasure easily!” the Pokémon said. “You do not know the true nature what you are searching for nor should you know about the treasures in the first place! I am bound to give this treasure to those who defeat me, yet I do not plan on letting that happen anytime soon! Leave now or I’ll be forced to make you leave permanently!”

“Shaymin, distract him!” Axle commanded.

“On it,” Shaymin said with a smirk on his face. He flew up right in front of the Pokémon’s large mouth. “So then, big guy. I have a question for you. How’s your love life going?”

Axle rolled his eyes before turning his attention to Eon and whispering to her, “Eon, got any idea of what Pokémon we’re facing?”

“I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that’s the legendary Pokémon Rayquaza,” Eon whispered back. Axle finally noticed that she was quaking. “R-rayquaza’s a legendary Pokémon spoken of in the same legends as Groudon and Kyogre. It’s said that in the beginning, when Groudon and Kyogre were fighting in forms even stronger than they are now, Rayquaza came down and stopped the two from fighting. Rayquaza is considered to be one of the most powerful Legendary Pokémon, powerful enough that there are legends of it being able to destroy meteors larger than it.”

“Type?” Axle asked.

“Dragon/Flying I believe,” Eon answered.

Axle nodded his thanks. “Alright, there’s nothing we can do that’s effective against it, and both Shaymin and I are weak to its attacks.  So all out strength is needed here. We need to take Rayquaza down as fast as possible.”

“If that’s even possible,” Eon mumbled.

A large blue fiery beam appeared above Axle’s and Eon’s heads causing them both to look up immediately. Shaymin narrowly dodged the attack, though he looked surprised as if the attack came out of nowhere. The grass/flying-type immediately flew back to Axle and Eon’s side.

“Uhh…I don’t think I’m making any fans here,” Shaymin said when he landed.

“Just be glad that wasn’t Hyper Beam,” Eon said.

“Alright you two, speed and strength are our friends here,” Axle said. “Move fast, hit hard, and keep from getting hit yourselves. Shaymin, since it’s already angry with you and you’ve got the most mobility, I want you to draw agro. Keep its eyes on you and away from us. Eon and I will do the brunt of the attacking.”

“Righto,” Shaymin said with a salute from his right fore-paw.

“Y-yeah,” Eon responded. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she was much more determined. “Let’s win this!” Eon announced.

Shaymin flew upwards and fired an Energy Ball at Rayquaza to get its attention. “Hey, lord of the skies!” Shaymin called out in a taunting manor. “I thought you were going to make us leave? How can you do that when you can’t even hit me?”

Rayquaza moved from his perch and flew to where Shaymin was flying in the blink of an eye. Without a moment’s pause, Shaymin was slashed by Rayquaza’s glowing purple claws and the grass/flying-type was sent flying down onto the clouds. Shaymin’s impact luckily didn’t send him through the clouds, though it did cause vapor to fly into the air, like dust in a desert.

“Shaymin!” Eon cried when she saw that.

“Well, there goes Shaymin drawing agro,” Axle growled.

The riolu ran up to the point where Rayquaza was above and gave a strong bounce to reach the height of the flying Pokémon. As he flew upwards, the fighting-type’s hand gained a black glow around it in the shape of a claw. With Shadow Claw in paw, Axle reached the side of Rayquaza’s face and slashed directly there.

Axle managed to make contact and even did enough damage to have Rayquaza roar in pain, but that left him falling and vulnerable. So while he was flying helplessly through the air, Axle could only watch as Rayquaza found him and hit him with its tail. Axle felt the impact from the attack shake his entire body and send him slamming down into the clouds. The impact dazed him for a bit and knocked his vision out for a bit. He could only feel some warm, dry fur at his left side and taste the berry that went into his mouth.

“Hey Axle, eat up and get up quick,” called out Shaymin from somewhere at his right. “We’ve got a battle to win!”

Axle ate the berry before reorienting himself. He quickly got back on his feet and took a quick look around the battle field. Shaymin was close to Axle’s right and keeping an eye on their legendary opponent, who was flying high above the battlefield. Eon was at Axle’s left, looking at him with concern.

“I’ll be alright, Eon,” Axle told her.  

Eon nodded herself.

“Alright Eon, Shaymin, we need a change of plans! We can’t fight Rayquaza if it keeps flying like this. Let’s get him to the ground now!”

“On it!” Shaymin said with a nod. “I got a better idea of how fast Rayquaza is now. It’s pretty fast, but nowhere near as fast as I am. I just need to keep a better eye on it.”

Shaymin quickly flew up to Rayquaza and, while using his momentum to power the attack, he launched an Air Slash from both his forepaws, slashing in an X-shaped pattern. The attack knocked Rayquaza back slightly, but only served to anger it more than damage it. Rayquaza flew after Shaymin, with Shaymin flying off himself to avoid Rayquaza. They both went towards the ground, with Axle and Eon down there at the ready.

“Your turn,” Shaymin said as he flew past Axle and Eon.

When Rayquaza flew over in pursuit of Shaymin, it got just low enough form Axle and Eon to strike without having to jump up high enough to be helpless afterwards. So Axle and Eon took the chance and finally struck. Axle seeped his right paw in a poisonous purple aura, getting ready to unleased a Poison Jab, while Eon took all the knowledge she gained into her Return attack. Eon’s attack hit around the middle of Rayquaza’s snake-like body while Axle jabbed a bit upper, in the part of Rayquaza’s chest in between his arms. Both attacks connected and sent Rayquaza backwards.

Rayquaza was able to catch itself before it fell down and proceeded to fly back at Axle and Eon, Dragon Claws at the ready to slash both of them. Axle and Eon ducked underneath the claws, allowing Rayquaza to pass over them. The duo both turned around, and in doing so saw Rayquaza stopped in place, surrounded by a psychic aura. Shaymin was floating above it, his eyes glowing gold as he administered the Psychic attack.

“Urrggg…fall…down…already,” Shaymin grunted. “You know what, screw this!”

Shaymin stopped using Psychic directly on Rayquaza and instead pulled is psychic power together in one place to administer a psychic blast to Rayquaza instead. It didn’t cause the legendary Pokémon to fall to the ground, but the attack did damage it as Rayquaza let out a mighty roar. Shaymin flew back over to Axle and Eon’s side after the attack to prepare for whatever happens next.

“This Pokémon is strong,” Shaymin said while keeping an eye on Rayquaza just in case it attacks.

“Well it is a Legendary Pokémon,” Eon reminded him.

“I’m a Legendary Pokémon,” Shaymin reminded her.

“One of the strongest Legendary Pokémon,” Axle mumbled. “Sure lives up to that name.”

Shaymin looked around and noticed that the sky was starting to turn left and the sun was getting close to the horizon. “Guys, we gotta finish this up quick!” Shaymin announced. “Sun’s almost down and I’m gonna lose a lot of mobility if we don’t finish this up quick.”

“Alright, let’s all attack at once,” Axle said. “Shaymin, Eon, Energy Ball and Shadow Ball at Rayquaza’s face now!”

“On it!” they both yelled.

The dark orb of energy and the green orb of energy both flew at Rayquaza, who was facing the trio at the time. Both attacks exploded in its face, blinding Rayquaza for a couple of seconds. Axle took this chance to rush up to Rayquaza and launch another Shadow Claw at it as soon as the explosion dissipated. Shaymin and Eon used Axle’s distraction to attack themselves, Eon using Quick Attack to close the gap quickly with Shaymin using Air Slash close behind. The combination of the five attacks blew Rayquaza away and sent it over the edge of the clouds.

~

“Is…it over?” Eon asked.

At the edge of the clouds, in the opposite direction from where Rayquaza fell, a bright flash of light lit up the area. When the light finally died down, a strange instrument appeared. It was white and silver like the clouds, with sings on the top of it. The object had the look of a mini-piano as well, with the half-note pads being blue instead of the usual black. All in all, it looked strange, but the team couldn’t help but look on it with wonder.

“So…this is it then,” Axle said. “One of the Seven Treasures. The Sky Melodica.”

Shaymin and Axle both walked up to the object in a trance-like state. Eon stayed behind, looking between her friends and the Sky Melodica. She wasn’t in as much of a trance-like state as her two friends, as such she was the first to notice something was wrong. Her fears were confirmed when she, and only she, heard the roar coming from behind them.

Eon quickly looked back and saw Rayquaza flying back over the clouds. “I warned you that I would not let you take one of the Seven Treasures!” Rayquaza yelled with a roar. “With the last bit of my power, I will send you to your grave!”

Rayquaza quickly built up a large amount of power in its maw, so much so that it caused shockwaves to come from the legendary Pokémon. Eon shook when she felt that power and she quickly looked over in concern to her teammates. Despite all that happened, it seemed that both their attention was still on the Sky Melodica, with Shaymin now holding it in front of their faces. They were completely oblivious to the attack that was coming.

“Shaymin, Axle, we need to scatter!” Eon called out desperately to her friends, but it was to no avail. Neither of them gave any indication that they even heard her.

“Now fall, you greedy land dwellers!” Rayquaza called out before firing its Hyper Beam straight at Axle and Shaymin.

Time seemed to slow down for Eon. She watched as Rayquaza pushed its head forward as it attacked. She noticed Axle and Shaymin, still in their dream-like stupor and unlikely to dodge anything anytime soon. She could feel her own heart pound and the fear take over her body. Her mind, her limbs, nearly every part of her told her to run, to run away as fast as possible with the slight possibility that if she ran to the side, she would be able to escape.

But another part of her told her no. The part of her that was silent for most of her life. The part of her that became louder when she first met Axle. The part of her that let her fight through the worst situations when she wanted to run. That part of her was telling her something else. Something downright stupid. And Eon ran with that part of her anyways.

So without a moment’s hesitation, Eon used Quick Attack to gain enough speed to stand in front of Axle and Shaymin. While they were unconscious to the coming threat, Eon ran as close to the two of them as possible and blocked as much of them as possible. With dignity, Eon turned around and faced the powerful Hyper Beam as the attack finally reached the three and consumed all three of them.