Making Amends

As I stared at the Sovereign Arbok, tears continued to trail down my cheeks, I felt the pain and sorrow that he felt as if it was my own. The immense feeling of loss was almost too much for me to handle, but I needed to do something or all of us down here would die. The Sovereign's body was changing before my eyes and I knew when the change was finished he would attack.

"Red, Blue, take the Professor and get out of here as fast as you can. I'll try and buy you time to send back help."

"Do you really think we are going to leave you behind boss?"

"There is no time for this, get out of here NOW."

Blue apparently understood how serious the situation was and agreed with me.

"Red, Green is a better trainer than us and his Pokemon are stronger than ours. We'll just get in the way if we stay."

Red was reluctant to go but he and Blue each called out a Pokemon they could ride, helped the Professor get on one, and took off up the cliff. As I watched them go I really hoped this wasn't the last time I would see them. Turning around to look at the Sovereign I was surprised at what I saw.

The Sovereign had shrunk to about half it's original size and it's scales had changed into a beautiful, lustrous, black color it looked both noble and majestic.

'Allister why did it change so much?'

'It appears to have awakened a dormant genetic mutation. From the aura it is giving off I would say it's about fifty percent stronger than it was before.'

'Fifty percent stronger!? No way can I beat this thing.'

'I agree. With everything you currently have at your disposal you only have a 0.01% chance at survival.'

'What's the 0.01% in my favor?'

'Oh um I'm just hedging my bets. This way if you do get out of this I can say "see I told you there was a chance" but other than that I don't see a way out of this for you.'

As I was having this internal conversation I forgot that I was on a clock and my time had just run out. I saw the Sovereign raise it's head and look around before it's gaze settled on me. Faster than my eyes could keep up it struck me with it's tail. I sailed across the open area before crashing into the far wall leaving a sizable crater with cracks spider-webbing out from the center.

If I was a normal human I would have died on impact, as it is my System gave me a much stronger body than a normal person. One of the features of the System that isn't really mentioned by Allister is that for every Pokemon scanned into the Pokedex my body gets a little stronger and I can move a bit faster. After completing the Kanto Pokedex I could fist fight a Machamp to a draw if needed, even so taking that Tail Slam straight on and crashing into a stone wall really hurt.

I slid to the ground and shakily got to my feet only to see the Sovereign approaching fast. Before I could do anything it already had wrapped around me once and quickly wrapped around me over and over until I couldn't see anything. It started to squeeze me tighter and tighter until it was hard to breathe and I felt my bones snapping. I had to get out of here quickly or I would never see my wife and son again. Then I remembered what Allister said earlier.

'Allister I need the Master Ball from the shop, fast.'

'I already told you, you don't have enough SC for it.'

'I know. Sell whatever junk I have in my Item Box until I have enough.'

'Oh. That should work.'

[Ding.....27 pearls sold for 27,000 SC]

[Ding.....3 nuggets sold for 15,000 SC]

[Ding.....14 stardust sold for 21,000 SC]

[Ding.....32 pretty feathers sold for 16,000 SC]

[Ding.....4 rare bones sold for 10,000 SC]

[Ding.....1 big mushroom sold for 2,500 SC]

[Ding.....34 small mushrooms sold for 8,500 SC]

[Ding.....Master Ball purchased for 1,000,000 SC, item is available in Item Box.]

As the Sovereign applied more pressure on me my consciousness started to fade. With a sluggish mind I opened my Item Box and summoned out the Master Ball, I felt it fall from my hand as I blacked out.

When I came to the Sovereign was nowhere to be seen. I was sprawled out on the rocky ground and the Master Ball was a few feet from me. My whole body ached so much I didn't want to move just yet.

'Allister, did it work?'

'Yes Green, the Sovereign has been caught. Just so you know the Master Ball from the System was a one time purchase, you can't get another one. Also the System Master Ball will make a Pokemon 100% loyal to you but it's feeling will remain. So the Sovereign will obey your orders and it will not attack you but it will still hate you.'

'Yeah, I have an idea about that. How long has it been since I triggered the gas bombs? Less than 48 hours right?'

'It has been roughly 30 hours since you set off the bombs. Why?'

'I have some items that I have never had to use before, hopefully using some of them now will make the Sovereign hate me a little less.'

I struggled to get to my feet and when I did manage to stand upright my entire body ached and walking was difficult. Forcing my body to stay upright I shuffled my way over to pick up the Master Ball before heading to the chamber where the 24 Totem Pokemon had died. When I made it to the first body I called out the Sovereign, it didn't move but just looking into it's eyes I knew it was struggling, trying to force it's body to attack me.

'Allister can it understand human language?'

'Since it was caught with a System Master Ball it will be able to understand what you say but not anybody else.'

'Good enough'

Looking straight at the Sovereign I began to speak.

"I know you hate me for what I did to your family. I can't bring them all back but there is something I can do."

From my Item Box I pulled out a yellow crystal, I had received quite a few of them over the years from completing missions but had never had a need to use any, it's description in the System reads.

[Revive: (System exclusive item) Can be used to bring a Pokemon back from the dead if used within 48 hours of death. Can only be used once per Pokemon and the resurrected Pokemon will remain in a weakened state for one day per hour it was dead. (Time spent inside a Pokeball does not count towards the weakened state wearing off)]

'Allister I've never used one of these before how does it work?'

'It's quite simple, just crush the item within one foot of the dead Pokemon's head.'

Moving around the first Totem Pokemon towards it's head I heard the Sovereign hiss loudly.

'What did it say?'

'There were a few insults but it mostly said to stay away from it's mate.'

As I reached the Totems head I moved my hand with the crystal closer before crushing it while making eye contact with the Sovereign. I was nearly blinded by a flash of yellow light bursting into existence around the Totem Pokemon's body. After a few seconds the light faded and the previously dead Arbok was breathing again.

It was kind of amusing to see the gobsmacked look on the Sovereign's face. Slack-jawed amazement is a good description, I slowly made my way around the chamber reviving each Pokemon in turn before I approached the albino one in the center. I pulled out one more Revive and crushed it close to the albino's head, just like all the others there was a bright glow for a few seconds and then the Pokemon started to breath again. Only with this one the Sovereign immediately approached and began to rub it's head against it.

"There is only one way I can make sure you can leave this place safely. I will have to catch all of your mates, just like I caught you."

The Sovereign looked at me and in his eyes there was still a lot of anger but they no longer burned with immense hatred, my idea worked better than I expected. I checked my Item Box and saw I had over a hundred Ultra Balls so I began tossing them one at a time at the unconscious Totem Pokemon. In their weakened condition along with being unconscious they were all captured successfully on the first try.

I collected all the Ultra Balls before I called back the Sovereign and placed all the balls in my Item Box. The fact that I could do that always surprises me, I had done a bit of experimenting with my System over the years and found that I cannot place any living thing, plant or animal, into my Item Box but if a Pokemon is inside a Pokeball I can place them in my Item Box.

I went back to where I had crashed into the cave wall and sat with my back against the hard rock.

'Allister is there anything in the shop that can put me to sleep for a while?'

'Yes but why would you need that?'

'I want it to look like I was knocked out and the Sovereign escaped. I'll let everyone else try and figure out where the Totem Pokemon from the chamber went on their own.'

'Oh that makes sense. There is a fast acting sleeping pill available for 2,000 SC. Do you want to sell more junk to get it?'

'Yeah, sell a star piece I think I have several of those.'

[Ding.....1 star piece sold for 6,000 SC]

[Ding.....sleeping pill purchased for 2,000 SC, Item is available in Item Box.]

Taking out the pill I swallowed it and tried to get comfortable while I waited for the pill to kick in. The pill must be strong because I don't remember when I fell asleep but when I woke up I was laying on a cot and I could see the canvas of a tent above me.

Turning my head to the side I saw a nurse sitting at a folding table going through some papers. I tried to sit up but gave up quickly when a wave of pain spread throughout my body forcing out a pained groan. The nurse hearing this looked up and rushed over when she realized I was awake.

"Sir please don't move, you have several broken bones and more fractured bones than I can count."

She very carefully adjusted my position so I was a bit more comfortable before continuing to talk.

"You have been unconscious for two days, I have to let the doctor know your awake so please don't try and move again until I come back."

Without waiting for me to say anything she rushed out of the tent and I was alone. No more than a minute passed before Red, Blue, George, the nurse, and a man I had never seen before who must be the doctor came inside the tent. The doctor started waving a medical scanner back and forth beside my head while the Commandant started asking me what had happened down in the Arbok nest.

I told him I didn't remember anything other than getting slammed into a cave wall and just played dumb about the whole situation. Everyone was worried about how the Sovereign and 24 Totem Pokemon that should have been dead disappeared but my lips were sealed. After seeing and feeling the Sovereign's memories his mates felt as close as family to me and I would do nothing that would put them in harms way.