Ch. 19 Counterattack
Kyle approached The Second Capitol, his toes crashing through fruit trees as though they were sticks. Below and ahead of him lay acres of farmland, where countless anthros fled either on foot or vehicle. Even so, his gaze remained focused on the massive buildings before him and the space elevator, stretching up beyond the sky.
He grunted and, with a swing of his Aura bone, he flung a patch of dirt and the fruit tree on top of it towards the city, with it soon disappearing from view. He half-wondered what the outcome would be, whether if it collapsed from impact from the first building or if it plowed on through, killing anthros along the way.
Even so, that was nothing more than a preview for the final act.
Half a minute passed before A-Ninetales, seemingly out of nowhere, appeared just as huge and with his tails brushing against the building. The badge he wore glowed a bit before fading, with his sea-blue eyes glaring at Kyle’s blood-red eyes. His eyes narrowed, his grip on the Aura bone tightened, and the two charged towards each other.
For half a second, Kyle turned right and spotted Maya approaching The Second Capitol from the mountains. A-Ninetales’s teeth were barred, his ears flattened back, and he growled as Kyle raised his Aura bone. He swung, but A-Ninetales ducked and went under his arm. Kyle stopped himself from spinning around, with A-Ninetales opening his mouth as an orange and yellow glow came from his throat.
Kyle gripped on the Aura bone with both hands, pointing it forward just as a burst of fire came from A-Ninetales’s mouth. The Aura bone met fire, splitting in half and with none of it hitting his appendages. The flames stopped coming, and Kyle lifted up the Aura bone, lifting it up before swinging it down.
But A-Ninetales leaped back, with the Aura bone instead smashing the ground, a massive quake happening with countless crops falling. He grunted, and the Aura bone faded, only for A-Ninetales to lunge at him, claws extended. He grappled with A-Ninetales’s neck and flung him back, with him crashing between himself and the city.
A-Ninetales growled, with him digging into the ground and squeezing it tight. It heated up before he tossed the now sand at Kyle. They impacted his chest, with them bursting into flames, and he stumbled back. But he stood up straight, roared, and hovered his hand-paws over each other until an Aura ball formed. He tossed the Aura ball, with it impacting against A-Ninetales’s chest, with him knocked back until his tails touched the buildings behind him.
A-Ninetales shook his head a bit before he breathed in, a slight glow appearing between his lips. He then fired out an exploding fireball, with him stepping away from the buildings simultaneously. But Kyle extended his hand-paws before him, with electricity shooting out from them until they formed into a ball. He threw the electric ball back, with fire and electricity meeting and exploding upon contact.
Black smoke covered his sights, but Kyle formed a new Aura bone and charged. He swung, but they contacted nothing and, when the smoke cleared, A-Ninetales was nowhere to be found. He blinked, with him twisting his neck all around. But the only other giant Pokémon within view was Faith and Maya up north. Where did he go?
He turned downwards—
A-Ninetales grew in size, swinging his paws upward and slamming against Kyle’s face. He grunted as he stumbled back, shaking his head, but A-Ninetales’s mouth glowed green before a green ball of light came from it. Kyle’s stance steadied before swinging his Aura bone once more, with it shattering even as the energy ball exploded. He stumbled back some more as what remained of the Aura bone faded.
A-Ninetales charged once more, with his mouth opened even as a jet of flames came from it. Kyle held out his hand-paws in front of him, with them feeling the brunt of the attack even as electricity emitted from them. Soon, A-Ninetales came close even as he fired out more fire, and Kyle gripped his neck. Then, an electrical shock came from him, with A-Ninetales yelping as he got tossed back.
Kyle’s eyes narrowed even as he formed a brand-new Aura bone, and he stepped forward. A-Ninetales shook his head before he dug into the ground once more and squeezed it tight. He tossed the burning sand at Kyle, who bent back, his Aura bone keeping him up. The burning sands went over his body and, when they crashed behind him, he leaned himself back up. But A-Ninetales already prepared for a follow-up attack, firing an exploding fireball at Kyle, which contacted his chest.
Kyle flew back, gritting his teeth before he flipped over backward, landing on his feet-paws even as they ripped through what remained of the farms. He threw the Aura bone ahead, with it slamming against A-Ninetales’s chest. He yelped and stumbled before steadying himself. Finally, Kyle roared out even as A-Ninetales’s back arched low.
Soon, the two glared at each other, each one growling at the other. Kyle formed a new Aura bone even as A-Ninetales’s mouth glowed orange and yellow. Then, they fired off their attacks without warning, with A-Ninetales’s flames meeting with Kyle’s Aura bone. Another explosion came with black smoke covering the other’s view.
Kyle charged forward, his arms folded back before he swung his fist, which sparked with electricity. A-Ninetales came out from the smog, swinging his claws as well. Their attacks contacted with the other, with A-Ninetales’s claws digging under Kyle’s cheek even as his own fist slammed against A-Ninetales’s forehead.
They stumbled back from the attacks, with both of them shaking their heads. Kyle soon cracked his hand-paws even as A-Ninetales’s tails splayed behind him. The farms beneath them ripped into shreds with few if any crops remaining for miles around them. Their eyes narrowed at each other before Kyle summoned a new Aura bone as A-Ninetales roared out.
“Daren!”
Both Kyle and A-Ninetales paused, with the Aura bone disappearing just as Saria the Absol appeared by A-Ninetales’s size, just as huge. Kyle felt the steel wheels rolling within his head even as he glared at Saria. Saria, in turn, ignored Kyle, with her focus on A-Ninetales.
“My dear?” A-Ninetales asked while blinking, his rage from before fading. “What happened? Aren’t you supposed to be helping Glorfindel?”
“He needed more firepower. A lot more firepower than what I can offer him,” Saria answered, her face paled. “It’s Fëanor. He’s behind all of this.”
Kyle smirked. The plan is falling into place as he willed it, Kyle thought to himself. And there was a sense in spending the last hundred or so days waiting and plotting after all.
“Fëanor? You sure?” A-Ninetales asked with his head tilting to the side.
“That kitsune said so himself,” Saria’s eyes darkened even as she squeezed her paws against the ground. “He also said that he killed Mayor Jonan.” A-Ninetales’s eyes widened even as Kyle’s smirk turned into a grin. “You’re the only one who can fight him off.”
“I see. But,” A-Ninetales turned back to The Second Capitol down southwest, hearing screams, “I cannot simply abandon my fight with Kyle.”
“Don’t worry,” Saria said, glaring at Kyle even as he summoned an Aura bone. “I have a score to settle with Kyle myself. Help out Glorfindel and the others.”
A-Ninetales’s ears flattened back even as he tried to see through the buildings towering in the way. Despite trying to protect the city, he spotted places where the skyscrapers partially collapsed, if not simply cracked. He lowered his head as raised his paw up towards there, his eyes closed.
His paw then froze, his ears twitching even as Kyle tilted his head. A-Ninetales’s brow furrowed even as his digits twitched. And when his eyes opened up, one of his brows rose higher than the other.
He lowered his paw before he turned back to Kyle. “I think I should stay and fight Kyle by your side.”
Saria blinked even as Kyle flinched. So what happened, he thought to himself.
“Daren?” Saria asked even as A-Ninetales grinned and laughed. “Are you OK?”
“Of course. I see now,” A-Ninetales said, ignoring Saria even as Kyle’s ears flattened back. “It’s a trap. You want me to bail out on this fight and head over to Fëanor, correct?”
“What are you talking about?” Saria’s head tilted even as Kyle’s grin faded. “What makes you think that?”
“My dear, have you not observed what is *not* happening?” A-Ninetales pointed at Kyle, who took a step back.
“What do you mean? Kyle is just standing—” Saria blinked, her scythe-like tail twitching even as she turned to Kyle. “Wait. Why *aren’t* you fighting?”
“It’s not just that,” A-Ninetales said even as Kyle blinked, his appendages somewhat floating up. “He could’ve just sneak past us while distracted. He could’ve struck you as soon as you appeared to stop your communicating. A perfect opportunity, which he chose not to take advantage of.” A-Ninetales’s grin broadened. “You *wanted* me to head over to Fëanor, where he is waiting for me, correct?”
Kyle flinched, realizing his mistake. “You cheeky little—”
“So, I was correct,” A-Ninetales said, both he and Saria standing side by side. “Now then, let us defeat you and find out what else Fëanor is plotting.”
“Let’s rock, my love!”
Both A-Ninetales and Saria breathed in, their mouths glowing orange and yellow. Kyle grunted, cursing to himself even as he braced the incoming attacks. Soon, he held the Aura bone ahead of himself—
A horrible scream came over to the three giant Pokémon, with all of them flinching. Both A-Ninetales and Saria turned back, blinking even as Kyle paled a bit. Whatever was going on, his master was suffering some kind of brunt attack. The screams stopped just as suddenly as it came, and he paled even more.
His eyes turned northwest, spotting Maya standing there, triumphantly, with Faith nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a massive tower of rock, with her crackling in joy. His hand-paws clutched tight even as the Aura bone faded. Then, without thinking, he shrunk down to three feet eleven, the spikes on his appendages grew accordingly. He sprinted, his body glowing as he headed over to the northwest. He heard a gasp from Saria, but he kept running.
# # #
Faith stood by the outskirt of The Second Capitol, her eyes wide. Ahead Maya walked forward, 500 feet tall, while sporting a mad grin. Even miles away, she looked massive even as she walked down the mountain, with huge rocks rolling down to the city. The ground shook with every step even as Faith heard screams from behind.
She rubbed against the bow, sensing the stored size within, and her ears flattened back even as her heart quickened. Even with the 200 feet she has to grow with, she doubted that it would be enough to even annoy Maya. And she suspected that her last trick to destroy the device would work.
Even so, there wasn’t anyone else who could combat Maya.
She swallowed as she felt the stored size flowing within her, with her stepping forward—
“Faith!”
She paused, blinking as she reversed the process, the energy going back into her bow. She turned around, her ears flattened to the sides before she gave out a massive grin. Adrian stopped by her side, with him patting her back.
“You came, Adrian! But I thought Glorfindel asked you to come with him.” Faith tilted her head.
“David convinced me to help you out. So instead, he along with Al will support Glorfindel.” Adrian turned ahead, not even blinking at the humongous Maya. “I confess that I may have distanced myself from you too much.” Faith nodded before tilting her head, one of her ears flattened to the sides. “I admit that I looked down upon myself for my failures, enough that I cannot see any happiness as deserved. But he and Saria helped me see how self-defeating that attitude was. Which was why I did what I did, to destroy any self-doubt about myself.”
“And you’ve done a wonderful job about it,” Faith said while smiling, though she couldn’t help but blush. “And to be honest, while I like how you acted so shy and nervous, you’ve improved yourself greatly, and I cannot help but appreciate it.”
“That means a lot. Thank you.” Soon, Adrian’s green eyes met Faith’s baby blue. “And I want to reiterate what I was going to say a few months ago. I want us to live together because I love you.” Faith nodded, though she found her heart tearing in two, between Kyle and Adrian to her surprise. “You don’t have to respond just yet,” Adrian added before licking Faith’s cheek, causing her to blush deeper. “At the earliest, after this battle.”
Faith’s blushing stopped, and she nodded, more determined than after. “Yeah. Still,” she rubbed her chin even as the ground shook harder, with Maya coming closer. “I cannot grow beyond 200 feet unless you provided more fire to me.”
Adrian hummed before he shook his head. “That’ll be enough.” Faith blinked, with her tilting her head as he continued: “Fire wouldn’t be as effective against her anyways. Plus, whatever is powering her device affects how she looks, at least. So there might be other effects it might cause.”
“I haven’t thought of that,” Faith admitted, the device glowing brighter as Maya stomped closer. “Are you thinking of a plan?”
Adrian grinned, giving out an air of confidence. “I have already thought up a plan.”
# # #
Maya stomped forward, her tail swaying behind her as it slammed against a lone tree, splintering it into pieces. This energy from the stone Fëanor gave for her device surpassed any power sources she attempted to use, such as the evolutionary stones. She felt energized, almost overwhelmingly so, as the rock below her cracked as though they were sand. She laughed, her tail slamming against a mountainside with a chunk of it sliding down.
Even with The Second Capitol before her, with buildings far taller than her, she doubted that they would survive the lightest touch. Yet, she couldn’t help but note that they were both surpassing and underwhelming at the same time. For all of her research on the anthros and their technology, they lacked a will. If they had the desire, this entire world would’ve been under their control.
How disappointing that they couldn’t see that.
Seconds passed before a giant Vulpix, with white paws and a lime green bow, appeared several miles down as though coming into existence. Even so, Maya sneered and laughed, with Faith the Vulpix nothing more than 200 feet. It’s amazing how small she became when Maya, the great destructor, struggled to not grow beyond 500 feet. And how silly Faith thought she had a chance while charging forward and up the mountain, her mouth glowing a bit.
“Oh, little Faith,” Maya said in a mocking-motherly tone. “You shouldn’t fight with those who have power.”
“Flame Burst!” Faith fired out an exploding fireball from her mouth. It collided against Maya’s chest in an explosion, ticklish to her. She laughed some more, with the flames falling down to her device before splitting apart midway. Regardless, Faith went close and climbed her leg and body before striking her on the throat. “Sucker Punch!”
Maya laughed, feeling more tickles from such useless attacks. The most she felt was a tingle, as though a sand grain got trapped in her fur. She reached up and grabbed Faith’s bow, tugging her off with her landing against the ground with her belly exposed. Time to show her the actual power differences between them, she thought as she swung her paw down.
But Faith rolled out of the way, with Maya instead leaving a deep pawprint as the ground shook for miles, with rifts forming down the mountain. Boulders rolled down the mountainside, with a few crashing against the buildings as her eyes gleamed. Faith’s ears flattened back before she inhaled and fired out another exploding fireball.
“Flame Burst!”
Maya closed her right eye seconds before the attack impacted it. But the fire couldn’t leave even a little singe mark, with the flames petering out. She howled in glee before swinging another paw against Faith, her tail swaying harder. But Faith jumped back before running to Maya’s left while growling. Maya opened up her mouth, exposing her sharp teeth, but Faith only growled louder.
Instead, Faith opened her mouth wide, and a green energy ball formed ahead of her. It soon fired out, slamming against Maya’s side before exploding. “Energy Ball!”
Maya stopped, with her sitting down before shaking her paw against Faith left and right. How awesome her power became when even something that should’ve been a super effective move against her felt no potent than those fire attacks. Surely, Faith would realize that this fight is futile against her by now.
But instead, Faith leaped and grabbed against Maya’s side. She climbed up, slamming her paws against Maya’s shoulder, but such actions were futile against her. Maya chuckled to herself, not bothering with the dignity of looking back. Then, Faith inhaled before firing out an exploding fireball once more.
“Flame Burst!”
It crashed against the back of Maya’s head, but still, she didn’t turn back as it exploded. Maya shook her head even as she giggled as though mad. Her eyes widened wide, her grin widened, and her joy heightened even as Faith formed another green energy ball and fired that one out.
“Energy Ball!”
Why does Faith bother to keep on fighting? Couldn’t she see just how pointless it was to keep on fighting? Especially since Maya, the great destructor, felt nothing but tickles since it began? Perhaps Faith wasn’t as bright, with all of the brains belonging to Adrian instead.
Those thoughts rang into Maya’s head as she reached up with a paw and gripped against Faith’s leg. Soon enough, she pulled Faith down and tossed her to the left, with her landing on the base of the mountain. Even so, Faith rolled back up while glaring, her claws splayed out.
“How pathetic of you, Faith,” Maya said as she raised up one of her paws. “I think it’s best to put you down. Stone Edge!”
Maya slammed her paw against the ground, with the ground rumbling. Seconds later, as Faith braced herself, four massive stone slabs pierced up and around her. Soon enough, her body disappeared from view, as though crushed into nothing, as the stones came higher until they surpassed Maya’s own size.
She laughed, her tail wagging as a harsh scream came from The Second Capitol. Soon enough, the scream stopped as she raised one of her claws and scratched against the tower of stone before walking past it. She turned west and her grin, if it was even possible, grew even more expansive. Two Pokémon just as massive as herself, A-Ninetales and Saria, stood, as though confused, with no Kyle in sight.
“So, this plan from Fëanor failed,” Maya said to herself even as she stomped toward The Second Capitol. Not that she cared, instead desiring the knowledge lay within The Second Capitol. This knowledge, especially from up The Ladder, would grant her even more power than what he offered anyways.
She turned an eye back at the tower of stone behind her and blinked. A small white light on the very tip of it shined, glowing brighter by the second. She tilted her head a bit before she spotted Faith on it, with her back to her standard size. Maya raised an eyebrow even as she felt a tickle down her leg.
“FLAMETHROWER!”
The white flames, more like plasma, fired out from Faith’s mouth, impacting against Maya’s cheek. She winced, leaning back even as the plasma-like flames came harder. She shut one of her eyes, feeling pain. How could Faith at that size hurt a great destructor such as herself?
But the plasma-like flames petered out, with only a slight singe on her cheek. She stood there for a couple of seconds before she spun around and laughed. Faith panted from using such an attack, with her legs shaking a bit.
“You should really know your place, little Faith,” Maya said, exposing her teeth once more. “You never stood a chance anyway.”
But Faith soon regained her breath and leaned back. Maya blinked, with what looked like laughing from Faith before she slid down the stone slabs towards her. Such futile actions, but—
Maya’s ears twitched, with an explosion coming from below her. She turned down, and her eyes widened in horror, her illusion device bursting into pieces. The purple gem Fëanor gave her flew out, flying up the mountain as she cried out. Her power, once vast, thinned until her body became engulfed in shadows. The darkness shrunk in size, unable to maintain her massive form. Seconds passed before she stood on one of her massive pawprints. Her colors returned to her, and she panted, her body back to its standard size, with her fierce appearance undone.
“H-huh?” Maya stumbled a bit, her legs shaking even as *The Philosopher* towered over everything just ahead. She rubbed her face a bit even as she thought of that creepy Fëanor’s terms, to capture A-Ninetales or Faith in exchange for far easier passage to climb that space elevator. Yet now that she thought of it with her head still fuzzy, she could’ve cast Illusion to trap either of them with that enhanced gem or snuck by. Much more subtle as well.
Actually, Maya thought to herself, that thought did occur when accepting the gem. Just that it got drowned out.
She shook her head. “Can’t stay here. Got to sneak—”
At that moment, a massive slam hit her back, with pain flowing throughout her body. She yelped, crashing against the ground, with the initial smash and her crash causing dirt and stone to fly up all around. Cracks formed around the pawprint even as she felt like splitting in two, her vision becoming hazy.
The second to last thing she saw was a fluffy yellow tail that stopped glowing.
The last thing she saw was a Midnight Lycanroc, with his ears folded down.