Broken Souls

Entropy

We're only a yard away from the edge of the lake when Reginae gives out.

He buckles and falls over as if he was punched in the face. "Reginae." He's not getting up.

The four of us still remaining rush over. His face scrunches up and his breathing fades in and out, marked by periods of hyperventilation and then times when it cuts out altogether. It's as if he's choking on his own air. "They're in my head. I'm so scared."

"Who?" I ask him, both profoundly curious and interested in buying some time. Despite the urge to run away and the blood still coating my fingers, I stay by his side and begin to get out my Pokeball.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm f-fine. I'm going to be- He's coming, Ashley. I can hear him! He's coming for us. Both of us. We need to hide and-"

"Just breathe." I tell him, stroking his leaf. I try to steady my hand but it's shuddering so hard I'm afraid I'm going to yank it of of his head. "Whatever you're seeing, it's not real."

"Not yet it isn't." he says grimly.

"Do it." Rose tells me.

Reginae looks up into my eyes. "I can hear his voice. Ashley, this isn't even about us at all. It's worse. We have to stop them or they're going to awaken him."

"Awaken who?!" I ask.

Rose presses a fingerpad against my back. "It doesn't matter! He's losing control!"

I have one hand on his neck now. The blood runs down his scales like soft rain down a window pane. "Please tell me more. I need to know. I-"

Rose snatches the Pokeball and throws it at Reginae. I look up at her.

"He knew something." I tell her.

"He was in pain!"

"Whatever Team Rocket is up to, we need all the information we can get. If somehow the waves they're sending out triggered some repressed memories, I need to know about them because-"

"Because what? Because you need to save the world? Look. You've already put us all in danger in the long term. You don't need to needlessly endanger us in the short term whenever it suits your damn agenda." When I have no response, she finishes, "Now let's go kill a Gyarados."

Fang whispers something like "Tough luck" to me but even he seems cold. Ten is equally distant and his glassy stare reminds me a little too much of the endless dead faces I've had to contend with over the past few months. When we make it to the edge of the lake, the Gyarados is right where it was last time, but this go around the sky is clear. The little cabin on the lake where the team and I stayed the night before is vacant and the lights are off.

The Gyarados bays above us.

"Ten! Take to the skies. Fang, I want you to engage it from the lakeside. I'll take the midsection and try to do some of the heavy hitting. Are we clear?"

Fang nods.

"Yes'm." Ten says, taken aback.

"Right! Go!" Rose snaps. The move off and the Gyarados turns to Ten, as planned, and its massive column of Dragon Rage hits just under his wing, barely scratching him.

Rose stares up at the beast with utmost contempt. She looks at me from the corner of one eye and breathes, "Lugia."

"What?"

"When you were talking to Reginae. They're going to awaken Lugia."

With that, she takes off into the air.