48 Legends Awaken
However, he quickly composed himself, recalling his grandfather's words before he left for the event in Hoenn. If he created any issues for me, then upon his return, his grandfather would personally break his limbs. So, he had been acting modestly in my presence.
"Everyone is set to depart. The organizers have arranged for an escort to direct us towards the venue," Elder Jonathan announced, not addressing anyone in particular. Elder Theron nodded in acknowledgment, while Isabel closed the folder and placed it inside her PSP. Standing up alongside Agatha, we quickly exited the room toward the venue. As I passed Elder Jonathan, I paused and held out a digital card.
"The old man asked me to pass this to you if you behaved during the event," I chuckled, handing him the card, which contained enough money to buy quite a few things. Although the Blackthorn family was wealthy, they didn't squander resources on those who showed no growth. Elder Jonathan was one such case.
Despite being a generation ahead of my grandmother Alice, he had yet to reach a decent power level. Even though his grandfather held a high status and was the current family head's brother, he couldn't bend the rules of the Blackthorn family for his grandchild's sake. That's why he had approached me for help before we departed for the event. I wasn't going to be petty about it this time around, even though Alice didn't like Elder Jonathan.
So, I gave him the card, which contained most of my liquid assets that still remained. I gave it away because soon enough, I would have no use for it where I was going. It was like keeping my word, and I gave it in the old man's name to avoid hurting Elder Jonathan's ego. This upcoming auction might be where Elder Jonathan finds a way to break through his barrier. Pokemon, rare exotic resources—anything you wanted, you could find it. The event was truly grand.
The grand auction event was an awe-inspiring spectacle, with a venue so immense it could seat thousands of attendees. The dedicated VIP boxes, positioned strategically around the vast space, added an air of exclusivity and luxury to the affair. The design of the venue resembled that of a colossal colosseum, evoking a sense of grandeur and majesty.
Given the sheer scale of the event, an indoor-style venue couldn't accommodate such a large headcount. Therefore, the auction venue was purposefully designed to emulate the grandeur of ancient amphitheaters. The organizers spared no expense in showcasing their advancements in technology, as all bidding processes were conducted electronically with the push of a button or a tap on the digital screen. This demonstration of technological prowess garnered attention from around the world, solidifying the event's status as a groundbreaking showcase of innovation.
While the Aura Guardians were tasked with ensuring the safety of the event, they maintained a distinct separation from the rest of the organization. Among them, Agatha, hailing from the prestigious Blackthorn family, was assigned as a safeguard for her kin. With rumors spreading that the Blackthorns were somehow responsible for the Pokémon tide, tensions had been simmering since the event's inception. Many from Kanto harbored suspicions and sought to confront them, but few possessed the courage to take the lead. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation and apprehension as attendees navigated the delicate balance between curiosity and caution.
The Blackthorns, known for their unyielding resolve and formidable power, were not to be trifled with. On the first day alone, a daring Master Class Trainer attempted to challenge them, only to suffer devastating consequences. Were it not for the timely intervention of the organizers and Agatha's diplomatic intervention on behalf of the Guardians, the outcome could have been far more dire. The incident served as a stark reminder of the consequences of crossing paths with the formidable Blackthorn family.
As the Blackthorns made their grand entrance, the venue buzzed with excitement and anticipation. Each VIP room stood as a fortress of security, impervious to intrusion unless one possessed the requisite access. Within these chambers, the elite of society gathered, their gazes fixed upon the stage, eager to partake in the grand spectacle unfolding before them.
*********************
Under the cloak of darkness, deep within the Indigo Chain borders, a small town nestled quietly, its streets empty and silent. Unbeknownst to many, it served as an outpost for the Blackthorns, strategically positioned near the Kanto border. Tonight, however, it would become the stage for a clandestine operation orchestrated by the League.
More than a hundred League trainers, their movements shrouded by the night, stealthily placed devices around the town. These poke jammers, provided by the League, were designed to catch the Blackthorns off guard, disrupting their ability to release their Pokémon and leaving them vulnerable.
At the helm of this operation stood a Master Class trainer, the leader of the League forces. Though he may have hesitated before, the confirmation that the Blackthorn squadron would be unable to deploy their Pokémon emboldened him. With clear orders to annihilate the entire Blackthorn presence in the town, he steeled himself for the task ahead.
The tension in the air was palpable as the League operatives awaited the signal to initiate their ambush. In the darkness, their determination burned bright, fueled by a sense of duty and the anticipation of victory. But little did they know that this night was going to be their last.
As League teams meticulously planned their assaults on key Blackthorn sites, they remained oblivious to the lurking danger, unwittingly stepping into the clutches of a ravenous beast.
As the League teams moved inexorably closer to their targets, the jaws of the ravenous beast awaited, ready to consume them whole. In their blindness to the true threat that loomed before them, they unwittingly sealed their own fate, destined to become mere fodder in the merciless game of power and intrigue.
"I don't feel good about this, man. Tell me again, why are we planning a surprise strike on the Blackthorns?" A League trainer whispered to his colleague, his eyes fixed on the Blackthorn outpost near Dragon's Den. It was one of the most revered places of the Blackthorn family, rumored to house the oldest dragonite in the Pokémon world.
However, these were just rumors, as no one had ever confirmed such information or dared to infiltrate the Dragon's Den. Yet tonight, things were about to change, with nearly twelve thousand League trainers lying in wait beneath the night sky, ready to launch a rapid strike.
"These bastards were responsible for the tide, remember? All we have to do is pressure them to reveal the method to stop it. Do you know how many lives are being lost with each passing second?" His colleague replied, his voice tinged with bitterness. He himself had lost his family to the initial tide, hailing from the northern Kanto border. Now, his mind was set that the Blackthorns were responsible for him losing everything.
"Brother, I know losing your family hurts, but don't be blinded by anger," the first trainer tried to advise his friend, who simply ignored him. "We have our orders. Once we get the signal, we just have to slaughter them. Like it or not, it's that simple," the man said in a cold tone, but he didn't receive a response from his friend.
The silence that followed was unnerving, prompting him to turn towards his friend. However, what he saw shocked him to the core. Instead of his friend, he found a headless corpse lying beside him. His heart skipped a beat as he realized the danger that he was in. He wanted to shout out loud to warn the rest of the League trainers, but it was too late as his movements were completely sealed. His shadow stirred, revealing the dark figure of the eerie ghost Pokemon, Gengar.
The Gengar was none other than the latest addition to Alice's team. With the Gengar recently advancing to the Epic stage, she finally added her third Epic stage Pokémon alongside her Absol and Tyranitar, making Alice a true Epic-level trainer. With Alice initiating the attack, the Blackthorn members who had been waiting rushed out, releasing all their Pokémon to confront, or more accurately, to slaughter the League trainers.
The League trainers were completely caught off guard. The devices they had banked their hopes on were utterly ineffective. On the League side, the strongest trainers were Master-level trainers, but the Blackthorn family had three more Epic-level trainers deployed here alongside Alice. Within seconds, the clash began, and the stark difference in power was evident.
The Epic Pokémon of the Blackthorns moved through the enemy ranks, tearing apart other Pokémon like mere rags. Mixed and matched attacks flew from both sides, with the Blackthorns fueled by determination to slaughter while the League side fought out of desperation. A single Epic Pokémon was enough to turn the tide in such a large-scale battle, yet the Blackthorns had more than a dozen. Despite the numerical advantage, the League trainers found themselves helpless, like lambs for slaughter.
The Blackthorns had already laid barriers to ensure that none who entered their territory with ill intent would make it back alive. The battlefield was a chaotic maelstrom of battling Pokémon, cries of pain, and clashing wills as the League's ill-fated assault met the iron resolve of the Blackthorn family.
Alice led the charge with the confidence of an Aura Grandmaster, unflinching in the face of battle. With a swift command, she released all of her pokemon. Alice's three epic-stage Pokémon: Tyranitar, Absol, and Gengar. The trio surged forward, each embodying a different aspect of power and strategy.
Tyranitar, towering over the battlefield, roared furiously. Even an Aurora stage Pokémon paled in comparison to the might of an Epic stage beast. With a powerful stomp, the ground beneath them fissured, sending hundreds of League trainers' Pokémon tumbling. Ominous winds whipped around them, and a sandstorm engulfed the League's side, disorienting their ranks.
A formidable Palladium stage Ursaring, aiming to break through the encirclement, charged forward. But before it could take more than a few steps, Alice's Tyranitar lunged forward, sinking its teeth into the Ursaring's spine. With a brutal twist, it tore through the Pokémon, casting its lifeless body aside before unleashing a devastating Hyper Beam upon the enemy ranks. Despite efforts to halt the Tyranitar's advance, it bulldozed through, targeting the strongest opponents with relentless force.
Meanwhile, Absol moved with grace and precision, dancing through the chaos of battle. Its movements were like poetry as it swiftly incapacitated League trainers, leaving chaos in its wake.
Gengar, on the other hand, became a shadowy assassin, striking swiftly and silently. It picked off any Pokémon or trainer that posed a threat to the lower-level Blackthorn members, slipping through the melee unnoticed.
As the clash intensified, the League trainers found themselves outmatched and overwhelmed by the sheer power and coordination of the Blackthorn forces. Alice's leadership, coupled with the ferocity of her Epic Pokémon, turned the tide decisively in their favor.
It wasn't merely a battle; it was a merciless slaughter. The Blackthorns showed no mercy, their relentless onslaught sparing none, not even those who sought to surrender. Bodies, both human and Pokémon, littered the battlefield, blood flowing like a crimson river, staining the earth with the horrors of war. Limbs were scattered, and the stench of death hung heavy in the air.
In the aftermath of the carnage, the Blackthorns meticulously checked the corpses, ensuring that there were no survivors feigning death. Meanwhile, the Pokémon feasted on the fallen, their primal instincts driving them to gorge on the flesh of their vanquished foes. For Pokémon, the taste of fresh blood was the ultimate nourishment, especially after such a bloodthirsty battle. Normal food would not satiate their hunger, and so they indulged in the grisly feast before them.
The Epic stage Pokémon, with their heightened senses and power, claimed the carcasses of the Palladium and Aurora stage Pokémon. Snarls and claws clashed as they vied for dominance, but a commanding growl from Alice's Tyranitar brought order to the chaotic scene. As the matriarch of the Tyranitar colony of Mt. Silver, Tyranitar knew how to assert her authority, her pseudo-legendary lineage imbuing her with a natural superiority.
With Tyranitar's intervention, the other Epic Pokémon settled into their feasts, their primal instincts sated for the moment. Meanwhile, the Blackthorn trainers tended to the aftermath, their faces grim with the weight of what they had wrought upon their enemies.
"It's all done," spoke an elderly man, an Epic class trainer, as he approached Alice, who was overseeing the aftermath. "I'm certain most of these fellows weren't even aware of why they met their end."
"Well, they made their choice when they sided with the League," Alice replied, her tone tinged with a hint of resignation. "Invading our borders comes with consequences. Conflict like this is always ugly. It's been more than 50 years, yet it seems the world thirsts for more bloodshed."
She idly toyed with a jammer device, a failed attempt by the League to gain the upper hand. "Make sure we collect all these devices. They might prove useful for research, and they could help us trace who exactly was funding the League against us from behind the scenes."
The elder council member nodded, swiftly organizing a team to sweep the area for any remaining League trainers and to gather the devices scattered about. Meanwhile, Alice called upon her Gengar, the latest addition to her team, with a whispered command.
"Check the shadows," she instructed the ghost-type Pokémon. "Make sure no ghost Pokémon or anyone specializing in ghost auras is hiding. If you find anyone, deal with them."
With a mischievous chuckle, Gengar vanished into the darkness, embarking on its mission to root out any hidden threats lurking within the shadows.
**********************
North of Lake of Rage, near the Blackthorn borders, the tide of Pokémon was intensifying despite the darkness of the night, but the Blackthorn family trainers held their ground despite the overwhelming numbers. With multiple Master and Epic class trainers among them, they presented a formidable defense. The Pokémon in the tide below Palladium stage were inconsequential; the Blackthorns had already successfully taken down three Epic stage Pokémon since the tide began three days ago.
The clash between the incoming Pokémon tide, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, and the elite Blackthorn defensive line was like an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. However, everything changed as the entire night sky shifted, completely lighting up despite it being the dead of the night. Thunderclouds covered the expanse, and lightning cracked, accompanied by a piercing cry echoing for miles.
"Quickly relay the information! Zapdos is here! All trainers below Master Class, vacate to the secondary defensive line!" barked the old lady leading the defense. Her gaze narrowed as she spotted Zapdos circling a few miles away. The natural legendary might pounce on them at any second.
The entire Pokémon tide froze as if responding to the monarch's call. Despite being in a berserk state, they shivered at the Zapdos's call, and the siege halted abruptly. The old lady, a veteran of many battles, remained unfazed by the overwhelming pressure. She rallied the Epic class trainers, while the rest of the trainers retreated towards a secondary defensive line a few miles out. With the aid of Pokémon, traversing a few miles of distance could be accomplished in a short time.
Meanwhile, high in the skies, Zapdos circled. Though she had regained control of her senses from the stimulant, her wrath had yet to subside. The nuclear device had dealt her substantial damage, and she felt insulted by the humans' challenge to her might. However, she hadn't advanced because this territory was occupied by a powerful Pokémon that could rival her might, even though its bloodline was inferior. They had clashed many times in the past, with her only having a slight advantage. The last time they fought was about two centuries ago.
Finally, she threw caution to the wind with a deafening screech, choosing to confront anything that dared challenge her. "Quick, everyone! Have your Pokémon muster their strongest Hyper Beams and synchronize them into a single attack!" commanded the elderly woman. More than a dozen Epic Pokémon flared their respective auras and their domain collectively, attempting to intimidate the natural legendary. They began charging their hyper-beam attacks.
However, to Zapdos, these Pokémon were a mere joke. With a flap of her powerful wings, she dismissed them. Her injured wings had almost completely recovered from feasting on wild Epic Pokémon that dared confront her might, providing her the nourishment she needed to heal faster.
Within moments, a powerful Hyper Beam fired towards the Zapdos, soaring in the air. This was an attack by the combined effort of more than a dozen Epic Stage Pokémon, yet Zapdos only grew angrier at the challenge. It immediately retaliated with a Zap Cannon, which clashed with the incoming Hyper Beam. With a resounding boom, the two attacks collided, but it was evident that Zapdos was in a league of its own. The combined attack shattered after holding out for a few seconds.
Then Zapdos released its thunder aura, engulfing the entire battlefield in crackling electricity. The air filled with static as Zapdos's thunder domain tore through the domains of the Epic Pokémon trying to challenge her. Rising high into the air with a powerful screech, Zapdos prepared to discharge a massive thunderstorm, aiming to engulf the entire defensive line and drown them in lightning.
Just as Zapdos was about to unleash its devastating attack, an ancient draconic roar resonated throughout the battlefield. Even Zapdos paused in its actions as a powerful dragon aura surged out from the center of the Lake of Rage. The water stirred, and from the depths rose a mighty Dragonite, whose aura was comparable to that of Zapdos itself.
This Dragonite was the ancient guardian of the Blackthorn family and the first legendary Pokémon of the Blackthorn lineage. He had been around for more than 5 millennia, standing by the Blackthorns throughout their history, only stepping out when the family faced dire threats like those posed by Zapdos.
"Roar!" As the Dragonite's powerful wingbeats helped it rise through the air, its mighty roar made the tide falter. When two monarchs clashed, the tide remained undecided until a victor was declared.
