Beyond the Adventure - A Pokémon Story

Chapter 11: Armageddon pt1

                The corridor is long, imposing, and silent.  It is lit only by scattered torches placed sparingly throughout.  Where is leads to, I have not a clue, only that it goes down and to the north.  We walk in silence, with only our footsteps echoing off the walls.  We walk for what feels like several miles, but at last, we reach the end.  We emerge into a small clearing amidst a heavily wooded area.  The sky is barely visible, keeping the moon’s light from seeping through.  Across the clearing, I see a dim light coming from another stone structure.  We walk carefully toward the light.  The sound of the wind rustling through the branches overhead fill my ears.  It is soft, yet deafening.  My heart hammers against my ribs as we walk into the unknown.  This man, this Charon, he murdered Cole, but for what reason?  What does he plan to do here?  What could be worth taking another man’s life?

                We approach the stone structure cautiously, not knowing what we will encounter.  The interior is faintly lit, just like the tunnel, with torches.  Jaws walks beside me, not showing the faintest sign of fear.  He just may be braver than I, because I am terrified, but I am also angry, and the anger suppresses my fear.  I admit, I want vengeance.  This Charon will pay for his crimes, even if it is the last thing I do.

                We all walk side by side.  Darius has a hand over his Pokéballs, ready for action.  Jess too is ready, one ball already in her hand.  I grip the straps of my backpack tightly.  My precious cargo, the egg Cole gave me, weighs almost as much as Jaws.  It weighs me down, but the adrenaline keeps me going.  I constantly remind myself of my mission; I am here to find Charon and bring him to justice.  Archie said Interpol is on their way here.  If I have to hold Charon down myself until they arrive, so be it.

                The corridor ends at a larger room.  This room has the same markings as the structures before, with the Unown.  The message on the wall is barely visible, eroded with time, but I can just make it out: “We are the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”  These words send chills up my spine.  Who is the “we” referring to?  I recall the other message I saw that used a plural pronoun: “Our words shall remain here for the ages.”  “We”, “our”; these words make my hairs stand on end.

                Jess gently touches one of the etched letters on the wall.  “Strange markings,” she says.  “I wonder what they are.”

                “They are words,” I say.  Darius and Jess look at me bewildered.  I explain.  “I visited these ruins earlier in my journey.  Cole and I determined these etchings are actually letters.  This one reads ‘We are the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.’”  I shake my head.  “But I don’t know what it means.”

                “That’s very ominous,” Darius says.

                “Let’s keep going,” Jess says.  “This place gives me the creeps.”

                I nod and turn to walk toward the next corridor.  After a few steps, my foot sinks into something wet.  I step back and look down.  It looks just like what Cole was laying in, and I realize it is blood.  I blink into the darkness of the corridor and realize there are several bodies scattered through the hallway.  Cole’s team, I realize.  He was right; Charon killed them all.  We step carefully, trying to avoid stepping on the dead.  These poor souls did not stand a chance.  This was not a struggle; it was a slaughter.  This Charon is ruthless and I suddenly realize we are in grave danger.

                “This guy is so going down,” Jess says.  “There is no way he’s getting away from me!”

                “Such brutality…” Darius whispers.