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An Uncertain Future	By : Twill Category: Pokemon > General Views: 12846 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
Sunlight nearly blinded Gardevoir as she staggered from the treeline and towards her friends. A sight she never expected to see greeted her: Rob and Lucario sitting side-by-side, and Rob had a hand on the pokemon's shoulder. Neither looked up.
Gardevoir squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Her thoughts would catch up soon, and when they did, she would feel the full weight of what had happened. “I-”
Lucario sprang to her feet, eyes burning with a hopeless rage. “You better have made him suffer, Gardevoir. I swear I'll never forgive you if-”
“He's dead,” was all she could say. And in a way, Zoroark was dead, his existence, his conscience, burned from reality by the power of creation. More than dead, erased.
Grief poured from her blue-furred friend, and had she been in Lucario's position, she couldn't imagine herself being so composed. Lucario dropped to her knees and slumped back onto her haunches.
“Rob?” Gardevoir spoke to his mind alone. “Could you return Lucario to her pokeball for a moment?”
He stared blankly into the distance. “Why?”
“I think it would be best. I-I think I can help.”
Rob studied her for a moment, but eventually reached into his pack to withdraw one of the pokeballs he almost never used. Lucario didn't see the beam strike her.
Pokeball in hand, Rob let his voice drop to a whisper. “I can't keep doing this.”
Gardevoir felt his anguish, the utter defeat. “Release Typhlosion.”
“There's nothing I can do for wounds like that.”
She hadn't noticed the pokeball he held in his other hand.
Rob stroked the pristine surface, voice hollow. “Even a pokemon center probably couldn't do enough, and out here, the pokeball will run out of energy long before we make it to one.” A tear splashed against the crimson top, shattered droplets sliding towards the ivory bottom.
“I think I can help, if you trust me.” The lack of reaction hurt. It hurt a lot, but how could she blame him. After everything she'd done, everything she'd forced him to endure. Her hand shook around the small jewel clenched tightly within her green palm. Her sins demanded a high price, but she had paid it. Her telepathic voice took on a raw tone. “If he's going to die anyway, how much more could I screw things up?”
Rob met her eyes, nearly forcing her to look away, but he held up the ball in defeat, and released his first pokemon. To Rob, Typhlosion had already died.
Without waiting for Typhlosion to fully materialize, Gardevoir touched her gem with a small flow of psychic energy, and braced herself. The universe tried to force its entirety into her simple mind. Knowledge, power, observation, all combined to provide an unnecessary and total understanding of her surroundings. Knowledge never meant for a mortal.
A burning need to destroy threatened to overwhelm her, the power of creation lusting for a clean canvas to re-imagine a broken world – she could do it, saw how, the power tried corrupting her thoughts, one misstep and everything would return to a workable nothingness. Instead, Gardevoir forced herself to focus on something she could do.
Deep gouges had torn through Typhlosion's thick hide, perfectly targeting the major blood-pathways. Already his body struggled to maintain vital functions while each heartbeat sent him closer to death.
Gardevoir placed a hand to warm, sticky fur. “I'm so sorry.” The knowledge existed within her mind. She hadn't known how a living being worked, but her mind watched, and in an instant, placed everything together. A biological machine. Blood, air, electricity, more, all combined into a complex system to provide what they called life.
It took less than a heartbeat for Gardevoir to repair such a delicate system. Creating new blood to replace the lost, however, would take too much time and energy, recreating each cell particle by particle. The repairs would be enough though, if they got him to a pokemon center quickly.
Before she abandoned her power, she extracted the blood from Typhlosion's fur to clean him off. Placing the blood back would only contaminate the clean blood, and he would live without. She severed the link to her gem.
Pain. Millions of tiny claws raked the inside of her skull. Crushing loss filled the void where knowledge briefly occupied. Gardevoir found herself panting with a mouthful of Typhlosion's soft fur. She wanted to vomit again, but forced herself to sit up and ignore the lingering effects of using her power.
“He'll live,” she said wearily.
Rob snatched her up in a crushing hug. His voice shook, but an unrestrained blast of joy and love crashed over her. “Thank you.” Warm tears fell against Gardevoir's clammy skin. “Thank you.”
“He's still badly injured. He'll need a pokemon center.”
It took Rob a moment to speak again. “We're still far away.”
“Where would his best chances be?”
“Any large city, but Ecruteak is still quite a way, and there's no direct path south to Violet.”
Gardevoir let Rob hold her for a moment longer, her head still swimming from what she'd done. Pain faded, but the damage would never fully heal. “Give me a moment to rest, and I'll take us there.”
Rob stroked her hair. “Either is too far, even for you.”
“Trust me.” She closed her eyes and let herself relax against Rob's chest, trying to forget about the next step, jewel clutched tight.
After a brief rest, she asked about the only remaining issue. “What about the other human?”
“He's alive.” Rob sat back and looked at the man a short distance away. “But he hasn't moved since the attack. We can't just leave him here.”
Gardevoir checked him for major injuries, but found nothing. “If he doesn't wake soon, I can bring him with us. Someone in Violet can help him, right?”
“Gardevoir, I showed you the map yesterday. You saw how far away we are. I don't see-”
“I can do it.” Her tone didn't leave room for Rob to argue, and she didn't have the strength to explain. “I just need a moment.” Gardevoir wriggled against his chest, laying her head right above Rob's heart. For a moment, she could forget everything, and relive those few wonderful weeks they'd had before everything fell apart. Something like that could never last, not for her, but she could pretend.
A light breeze drew Gardevoir from her reverie. “Are you ready?”
Rob gave her a quick squeeze before letting go. They stood, and Rob brushed the dust from his clothes.
“Get ready to take him.” She pointed to the unconscious human. “I won't be able to maintain an opening long.”
“An opening? What-”
“If something happens, I need you to hold on to this.” Gardevoir extended her palm and showed Rob the orb in her hand. “I have no way to carry it.”
Rob's eyes widened. “Gardevoir, where did you get something like that?”
“Don't let it out of your sight. Please. It's very important.” Their eyes met, and Rob nodded. “Get ready.” Gardevoir reached for the gem's power once more. Moving three people so far would drain her too much by teleport, but she had another idea, one she barely recalled. Her mind grew and expanded alongside the torrent of power – power to reforge the world.
As her mind reached out for leagues, she focused her attention towards the south. A large, densely packed area of human life indicated Violet City, their minds as numerous as the artificial lights that illuminated the city.
Less than a second passed, yet her mind already analyzed hundreds of miles of surrounding forest, their inhabitants, each minute detail. She could see the slight, reparable damage to the unknown human's mind, the fatigue plaguing Rob. She could ease both, but not now.
Reality meant little to her anymore. The very forces that governed their world could be changed with a thought – space, time, what it meant to exist. The temptation caressed her mind, the torrents of power ready to loose across the land. For now, she only meant to remove the space separating them from Violet City. Her mind saw both places, and she bridged them.
A ripple appeared before her, a haze that distorted the forest beyond it. The shimmer intensified, and Gardevoir confined it to a size Rob could walk through. Then she pushed – something. I clicked. The two places became one, and the shimmer solidified into a view of the outskirts of Violet City.
“Go.” Sweat slid down her pale skin, but the tickle went unnoticed beneath the crushing weight of everything her mind tried to understand – so much sensory information.
Thankfully Rob moved quickly. Keeping the two places connected required more energy than she'd thought. The world fought her, trying to force things back to the way they were meant to be. She fought back. As soon as Rob made it clear, she teleported through, and let go.
A small shockwave emanated from hole in reality as Arceus's world repaired itself. That thought, that something out there consciously kept this world together, terrified her. How could one being control such power? Arceus was no pokemon.
Gardevoir didn't pay attention to their surroundings. She released her power, collapsing as the huge wealth of knowledge left her. Steady arms caught her, but the nausea, pain, and loss threatened to wash her away.
More power than she'd expected. What had she lost? “Protect it,” she murmured into the closest human mind and thrust her clenched fist towards it. If she lost the jewel out here, everything she'd suffered through would mean nothing. Her vision faded and fingers relaxed, releasing the jewel as she lost consciousness.
--------------------------------------------------------
“My jewel!” Gardevoir bolted upright, displacing the large fluffy sheets that covered her.
Rob placed a hand to her shoulder. “It's safe. Are you okay?”
Physically, her body felt fine. Her mind on the other hand, swam, her thoughts sluggish and fleeting. It took a moment to think of an answer. “I think so.” She placed a hand to her forehead. “I'll be okay.”
His voice sounded lighter than it had in weeks. “That's good to hear, because you left me with a few questions.”
No doubt none she wanted to answer. “How long was I unconscious?”
“Almost two days.”
“Typhlosion and Lucario?” She didn't sense them nearby.
“Both fine.” He smiled. “Though let me tell you, Lucario was none too happy.”
Gardevoir chuckled. “You seem to be in a good mood considering what happened.”
Rob shrugged. “I guess so. This is where we started, in a way. Remember? You put me on the map as an up-and-coming trainer.”
“And you almost died after we left.”
“Yeah, but I'm not even surprised anymore. So far you've managed to pull me out of the fire each time.”
Gardevoir pulled at the sheets. “Not everyone.”
“No.” A dark cast fell over his face for a moment, but he wiped it away. “But now's the time to celebrate a victory.” He ruffled her hair and stood from the armchair he'd pulled to the side of the bed, walking over to his pack.
Gardevoir watched him. “What about that human we found?”
“Now that's actually somewhat of a funny story.” He held a small black box, and returned to sit next to her on the bed. “Apparently he had been talking with a pretty young lady, and he thinks she drugged him, because soon after he doesn't remember much of anything. I don't know much about Zoroark, they're incredibly rare, but I mention the details to the police.”
Gardevoir tried to examine the box Rob held. “I don't get it.”
Rob smirked. “Well, he was, uh, looking for a mate, and happened to get tricked by that Zoroark. I spared him the embarrassment, and myself having to explain how we got mixed up in all this. Anyway-” He scooted next to Gardevoir. “I got you something while you were out. That gem you had is something else.”
Apprehension filled Gardevoir, but she couldn't read much from his emotions, warm and soft as they were. “I-I can't really tell you much. But I didn't steal it!”
“Calm down, I didn't accuse you of anything.” Rob sighed. “Either way, it seemed important to you, so I made it easier to carry.” He slipped open the box to reveal the gem, now encased in a delicate spiral of silver and connected to a fine chain.
“I, but that's-” Polished silver gleamed in a beautiful contrast with the deep blue sphere. “You got this for me?”
“I don't know why you used the last of your strength to tell me to protect it, but if it's that important – well now you have a way to carry it yourself.” He brushed a hand against her cheek. “Besides, it will look beautiful on you.” He leaned in and fastened the chain around her neck.
Cool metal settled around her neck, and the gem fell just short of her chest fin. Gardevoir leaned forward too, and kissed Rob. “Sit with me. I want to ask a favor.”
With a quick shuffle, Rob scooted so his back rest against the headboard and scooped Gardevoir into his lap. “What is it?”
“I-” Her cheeks flushed, but she deserved one last request, no matter how silly. “I want you to tell me a story.”
He whispered close to her ear, his breath warm against her shoulder. “A story? I don't really know many stories.”
“Well, try.” Her body looked so tiny compared to Rob's. Despite their height being similar, her white limbs looked frail in comparison, alien. “If I were a human girl, what would this be like?”
Rob's arms closed around her middle, pulling her close. “You know I don't care that you're a pokemon.”
“That's not what I asked.” The thin metal felt softer than cloth beneath her fingers. “Just talk. Make it up for all I care. What would it be like?”
“Well, it wouldn't be too much different really. Going around in public would be easier – I could sneak a kiss from you whenever I liked.” He emphasized with a quick kiss to the back of her neck. “But we probably wouldn't have traveled like we did. Pokemon training isn't a good career for someone in a relationship.
“We wouldn't have to hide, or run. No blackmail. But I wouldn't give up what we've been through, even if it meant ridding ourselves of the bad parts.”
She could feel that he meant it. “I have to ask one more thing.”
“Yeah? What's that.” Rob rubbed the back of his fingers along her neck.
The words didn't want to leave her mind. “I need you to release me.”
Rob stiffened, the hurt in his voice clear. “What? Why? Is it the pokeball, or do you want to leave?”
She pressed a gentle flow of psychic energy across his lips. “Don't worry. I haven't been completely honest with you lately, and I don't know if I can explain it all. But while I can still remember the important things, the beginning, I need to do this for you.” She turned to Rob, to face him. He deserved that much.
“You saved me and put yourself in a dangerous position. I love you, and I can't let you suffer for me. I saw these last few weeks push you towards something you should never have to be. It doesn't have to be like this.” An wave of anger blazed around her mate's body.
“And you've already decided this for me? To run off and get yourself killed doing something stupid?”
“I can defeat Team Rocket for you.”

“Why would I care? The only reason they bother me in the first place is because of you, and I've accepted that. If you're gone, then I couldn't give a damn about what they do!”
“And the others? Your family?” She hushed him before he could make another protest. “Either I die, or I defeat Team Rocket, but whichever end it comes to, your problems are over. You saved me, now let me repay that debt.” Gardevoir let her hand drop from his lips to his chest, feel his heart racing beneath her fingertips.
Rob met her gaze with a ferocity she seldom saw in her mate. “No.”
Gardevoir waited, but he didn't say anything more. “What do you mean no?”
“I'm not releasing you.”
“So you're going to force me to stay with you?” She glared as hard as she could manage before those impassioned eyes.
Rob scoffed. “Yeah, force. I won't let you kill yourself thinking you're doing me a favor. That you even think I would let you shows you're not thinking right, so you stay with me. But maybe I'll agree to go along with you, depending on what you were planning.”
Her eyes widened. “No! I'm doing this to keep you safe!”
“How? By abandoning me, without telling me where you're going, or why you even think you can win? I know you're strong Gardevoir. What you did the other day, that jewel, there are things you aren't telling me, and you are strong, but I won't let you run out and leave me to suffer alone, without any hope of getting answers. I can't.” Of all the times Rob chose to be unwavering, it would be now.
She fell forward against his chest. “It's the easy way out, isn't it? But I can't keep doing this to you, it will only end badly, and it feels like it will end sooner rather than later.”
“Then we can go together,” Rob whispered. “Like you said, one way or another, it ends.”
Tears leaked from her shut eyes. “Fine.”
“When did you want to leave.”
“Day after tomorrow.”
Rob squeezed her tight. “That soon?”
“I've already made up my mind.” She clung to Rob, hoping they'd rip free of the world and float off into the sky. “Any longer and I might lose my nerve. I need to do this.”
“You don't.”
“We don't have much time left.” Wiping her tears off against Rob's clothed shirt, she stretched up to kiss his neck. “So stop arguing with me.” I don't have much time.
----------------------------------------------------
Despite a pleasant warmth, the sunlight beaming across Gardevoir's face made it hard to sleep. She stretched contentedly before placing a kiss on Rob's chest, but he didn't stir. He deserved the rest. Besides, she had one more thing to take care of before tomorrow. After a shower of course.
While she hadn't quite warmed up to the overly scented soap humans used, the warm water did feel nice. She could see how they wasted so much time in them. After relaxing in the soothing waters and drying off in the damp heat afterward, she let her mind explore the pokemon center.
Quite a few humans and pokemon occupied the building, but she knew which two she wanted. They had a room just to themselves, though it didn't seem Typhlosion had regained consciousness yet.
Gardevoir teleported into the room. Automatic lights clicked on, and Lucario exploded from the bed Typhlosion lay on. An extending mass of blue and black slammed into Gardevoir and dragged them both crashing to the wall, muscular paw to Gardevoir's throat.
Lucario's eyes widened. “G-Gardevoir? I'm so sorry- I didn't know it was you.”
Gardevoir dropped to the floor, released from Lucario's grip. “You don't do that to the humans do you?” She rubbed her throat.
“They learned to knock.” Lucario smiled, and then threw herself once more at Gardevoir, grabbing her in a crushing hug, bodies slightly turned to avoid impalement. “Rob said you saved him. Thank you.”
“It was my fault.”
“Stop blaming yourself.” Lucario released her hold, still smiling. “You'll do something stupid one of these days with that mindset.”
The room was small, and had that scent all pokemon centers had – too clean. No one had come to check on the noise. “I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you mind leaving him for a bit?”
Lucario glanced at Typhlosion but nodded. “Not too far. I want to be here when he wakes.”
Gardevoir placed a hand on Lucario's shoulder, and with a small ripple, teleported to the roof.
Early morning sunlight gleamed overhead, forcing Lucario to squint and cover her eyes. “It looks so different from up here.” She walked towards the edge of the roof, high enough to make the humans look like tiny pebbles kicked down a hill, moving about in an orderly chaos. “When are you planning to leave?”
“How did you-”
“Your aura, and – well because you're an impulsive idiot.”
Heat flushed Gardevoir's face. “I have to do this.”
“You don't have to do anything!” Lucario spun from the railing, and her voice dropped to a growl. “What if you die? How do you think Rob would feel, or me? Because I know how I would feel. When you left to go into the forest, I thought- If you had come back out with that creature, I would have tried to kill you.” She shook.
“And what if I stay. Do you think I would be any safer, any of us?” Gardevoir slumped to the ground, sitting with knees to chest, gown in a rumpled heap about her. “You can say it's not my fault all you want, but I know it is, and I can help all of you. Please just support me in this, even if you think it's stupid. I need someone, one person who I trust to not dissuade me. Please.” She hugged her shins.
Lucario approached, lengthy shadow stretching across Gardevoir. “If there's anyone strong enough, it's you.” She knelt beside Gardevoir and hugged her tight. “But you better plan to come back.”
“I'll try.” She tried to fight back a trickle of tears, wrapped in her friend's embrace.
“And Rob?”
“He's coming with me, but he'll be back for you two. I promise you that much.”
Lucario snorted. “If you told me you convinced him to stay, I would have gone down there and smacked him around myself.”
“I'd have stopped you”
“Yeah, yeah.” Lucario dragged the both of them to a low wall to sit against.
Lucario fingered the silver chain around Gardevoir's throat. “It looks nice on you?”
“Rob gave it to me.” The first time anyone gave her a gift, let alone something so valuable, even if only humans thought so.
“He made me stand guard over the human that made the necklace, to make sure it didn't get lost.” Lucario tapped the dark blue gem at the necklace's core. “But where did you get that?”
“What do you mean?”
“It has an aura about it – not death, something more permanent. I've never felt anything like it, and I don't think Rob found it either.”
For a moment, Gardevoir thought about telling Lucario everything. “I don't remember.” Her friend knew a lot considering her upbringing, but Gardevoir didn't have it in her, and a part of her truly didn't want to know. Some mysteries she could die ignorant of.
Lucario grunted. “Liar.” After a brief silence, Lucario pulled Gardevoir against her side. “Rob and I had a long talk while you and Typhlosion were out. He's a good person. Stay with him.”
The day seemed to slide away. Gardevoir didn't want to leave, didn't want to never be subject of Lucario's good-natured taunting. Her friend's comforting arm across her shoulders provided a good last memory to remember alongside the others.
Gardevoir nuzzled her friend. “I have to go. There's a few things Rob and I need to discuss for tomorrow.”
Lucario nodded. “Will I see you in the morning?”
“I want to leave early. I won't disturb you.”
Lucario stood, pulling Gardevoir up with her. “Normally only mates would share this bond, but you are almost as close to me.” A soft aura of pure light surrounded Lucario, pulsing gently. It grew to encompass Gardevoir, and then shrunk around her like a second skin before winking out.
“What did you do?” Gardevoir touched her skin, but nothing felt different.
“If you die, I'll know.”
“Comforting,” Gardevoir muttered.
“It isn't pleasant when someone I've marked dies, so you better find your way back.”
Gardevoir hugged her friend one last time. “Until I see you again.”
----------------------------------------------------
Rob opened bleary eyes – whether from sleep or sleep-deprived hallucinations, he couldn't tell. The night dragged by like a slow torture, yet he feared that first sliver of sunlight to cut through the blinds. Gardevoir, on the other hand, slept easily beside him, so peaceful and innocent looking. In a few hours, she could be killing hundreds.
Starting out, he'd never have imagined any of this happening. Maybe he left the academy naive, but none of the outside world or its problems ever reached the classroom, or even Azalea Town for that matter. Occasionally there'd be news of a trainer reported missing, but the resurgence of Team Rocket?
He stroked Gardevoir's soft hair gently. The longer she could rest, the better chance of success, and despite his insistence, he knew how little his presence would matter. More likely, he'd end up in the way, but he couldn't let her go alone. At least if something went wrong, he'd be there, know what happened at the end. He'd be there at the end. With her.
“Gardevoir, it's time to wake up.”
Her breathing changed, and without opening her eyes, Gardevoir pulled herself into his chest. Her mental voice chimed amongst his thoughts, soft, but power replaced the once timid mental whisper. “You didn't sleep well, did you?”

“How could I?”
“I did.” Gardevoir inhaled deeply in his arms before opening her eyes and looking up. “You don't have to-”
Rob cut her off. “I'm going with you.” He didn't need Gardevoir's power to interpret her heavy sigh.
She ran a finger along his jaw. “I wanted to leave before the sun rose.”
“You didn't tell me.”
Gardevoir kissed his chest and sat up. “You distracted me.”
Rob yawned but left the soft comfort of bed. Nerves began to creep along his skin like a slow jolt. The morning felt surreal – destroy Team Rocket, alone with one pokemon. Not too different from the original tale, but he was no folk hero.
“You're sure the others will be okay?” Gardevoir asked, peering out the window at the clear sky. Her hands gripped the window frame tightly
Rob cinched his belt. “I'm more worried for anyone who has to deal with Lucario, but yes, I'm sure they'll be okay. I spoke with Lucario and the pokemon center yesterday. I made arrangements.”
“And if – it takes a while for you to return?”
“They'll be fine.” He walked up behind her. “How about one more nice breakfast, the best I can find.”
Gardevoir spun, and their eyes locked, but she quickly looked away. Sunlight glowed in a brilliant aura around her. “I'd prefer if we didn't. I'm not hungry.”
“You're not nervous are you?”
She didn't answer.
“Hey, don't worry about it. We'll be fine, you said so yourself.”
Gardevoir walked away from him, but gently picked up the dark box from the nightstand. Inside lay the silver-wrapped jewel. “Put it on for me?”
“You want to wear jewelery to a fight?”
“Please?”
The metal felt like ice in his hands. “Turn around.” Even the jeweler hadn't known what the sphere was made of, but he'd offered a huge sum of money to buy it. He brought each end of the short chain behind Gardevoir' neck, and closed the simple clasp.
A tear slipped from the corner of Gardevoir's eye, but she smiled. “Are you ready?”

Rob picked up his pack and nodded.
Soft blue light filled the room, and a sense of unease separate from what they were about to do filled him, as if the room itself feared the rippling glow. Once again, the strange gateway like Gardevoir had created before stood at the center of the room. The view on the other side looked painted, the details blurry, colors exaggerated. But it had worked once before, and he didn't want Gardevoir using any more power than she had to.
Crossing over felt like being torn apart and slapped onto a brick like mortar. It didn't hurt, but it didn't feel pleasant either. The light flickered out behind him, and he turned to Gardevoir, composed and unaffected.
Rob lowered his pack to the ground. “Are there guards?”
Gardevoir paused for a moment, and shook her head.
There were guards. No, he couldn't think like that. He knew why they came here, and getting conflicted now would only make this harder on Gardevoir. He turned and looked at the complex in the distance. How had they hid all this? Trees hid most of it from sight, but buildings littered the area. A sprawling complex of rather ordinary, but plentiful buildings. Only a single dirt road lead up to the facility.
“So what's the plan?” Rob asked.
Gardevoir crashed into his chest, thin arms squeezing him tight. “I'm sorry,” she whispered into his mind. “I didn't want to, tried not to, but-”
He tried to sound comforting. “What's wrong?”
Gardevoir broke the hug and took a step back, trying to smile despite the tears. “I never wanted to lie to you, but you forced me. You'll be close enough for what I need.” Sunlight glinted off her tear-stained cheeks. “Thank you, Rob. I will always love you. Always.”
Gardevoir exploded in a pillar of light. Blue and purple too intense to look at, a brilliance that seared through his shut eyes, leaving him dazzled. And then it winked out.
Rob blinked furiously, attempting to regain his vision. He stumbled forward, flailing arms reaching nothing but empty air. “Gardevoir!”

Nothing, no response. Rob fell to his knees, still unable to make out anything from the neon stains that muddled his vision. Slowly, his sight began to return, and when he looked up, he could no longer see the buildings.
In their place, an incredible dome of pale light encompassed everything that he'd seen. The odd lighting made it hard to judge in height, but it dwarfed the surrounding trees.
Rob knelt, stunned. How could Gardevoir- How did he know that Gardevoir even created the shield? Before he could think, his legs took over and sent him sprinting towards the dome. A gentle hum filled the air.
Halfway to the base of the field, Rob stopped. Pale light filled his vision. He stood a few hundred yards away still, yet the dome towered above trees and himself. The surface seemed immaculate, not a single shadow or opening anywhere along it's shining circumference. Gardevoir...
It could have been minutes or hours as Rob watched, completely useless. Gardevoir hadn't even given him a chance, listening to him plan, all the while intending to leave him behind. He balled a hand into a fist.
A ripple of intense light pulsed up the shield, starting where it met grass, and gently rolled up the entirety of the dome before winking out at the apex. As soon as the first wave reached the top, a second began again from the bottom, moving slightly faster than the first. A third, fourth, fifth, each faster than the previous until the dome roiled in intense blurs of light.
When Rob could barely make out one ripple from the next, the dome quieted, and a blazing column of light lanced from the top, blasting apart the sparse clouds above and shattering into dozens of smaller beams, each racing off in a different direction. They spread across the sky like a great web, streaking in every direction until they were lost to sight.
Rob gaped at the light-show above. Something struck him, a blast threw him to the ground, the sky sent fleeting from view. He struck the grass. Panting but uninjured, Rob pushed himself off the ground and looked towards where the dome once stood. Nothing remained.
No dome, no buildings, no ground. A crater replaced what had once been the Team Rocket complex. And not a blast crater, but a perfect half-sphere scooped from the earth, the slopes perfectly carved. A lone figure stood at the crater's edge.
“Gardevoir!” Rob once more broke into a sprint. He could barely make her out, but that flowing gown, rippling gently in the breeze couldn't be anyone else. She didn't look towards him, instead gazing out over the enormous void. “Gardevoir!” She had done it! There she stood, alive and unharmed. It had worked! Feet from his love, invisible restraints stopped him dead.
Gardevoir turned to Rob. “Who are you, human?”
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A/N: Thank you everyone who's stuck with the story this long, I really appreciate it. Now before you get the pitch forks and torches all lit up, I will be writing a short epilogue to tie up a few loose ends and whatnot, but this is the end of "An Uncertain Future". I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if you're interested, keep an eye out in a few months for the epilogue if you're interested. Also, check out my profile for info on my next story. Enjoy!
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An Uncertain Future