Just as the tension in the hall reached its peak, a loud voice boomed through the hall, cutting through the standoff like a thunderclap.
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"
Baron Dvořák entered the room, his voice commanding, as four royal guards flanked him. Little Emily was right behind them, her presence bringing a semblance of order to the chaos.
The sight of the Baron and his entourage startled everyone. The guards were already on alert, their eyes scanning the scene. Jake let out a shaky breath, relief flooding through him as the pressure in the room momentarily eased. However, the situation was far from resolved.
Viktor's frustration boiled over as he tried to make his case, his voice sharp and accusatory.
"These kids from the ranch brought Pokémon with them, against the order of the gym. And now they're creating these strange portals. This is madness!"
Baron Dvořák raised a hand to silence him with his single, authoritative gesture. But Viktor Vranitzky didn't get the message.
"They are playing some children's game. I want them out. Together with their weak Pokémon."
Maya, hearing the insult, hooted loudly in protest, flapping her wings in agitation. She hated being called weak, especially when she was doing her best to help.
But Dvořák didn't seem to notice or care about the either Viktor Vranitzky or Pokémon's reaction. His attention was fully on the task at hand. Turning toward his guards, he gave his orders.
"If you have any Ghost-types, help them keep the gate open!"
Two of the guards nodded sharply. Without hesitation, they released their Pokémon: a Mismagius and a Gengar. The eerie, ghostly energy surrounding the two was palpable as they floated to the mirror, their ethereal forms beginning to feed their power into the portal. The portal pulsed in response, its edges stabilizing as the combined energy of Maya the Decidueye, Goofy the Houndstone, and the guards' ghost-types worked together.
Just as the portal stabilized, Maya could no longer hold herself up. The Decidueye, drained from maintaining the connection, collapsed to the ground with a soft, exhausted groan. Jake's heart sank as he saw her fall, her normally calm and composed demeanor shattered by the toll it had taken on her.
"I WANT the Lindenberg out!" Viktor repeated, his slow and cold voice rising in anger. He took a step forward, clearly demanding that Jake be removed from the situation. Baron Dvořák turned slowly, his sharp eyes locking with Viktor's.
"Silence, you fool," Dvořák snapped, his voice ice-cold. "The kids are telling the truth."
Viktor's eyes narrowed, disbelief and cold hostility swirling in his gaze.
"But how do you know that?" he retorted with biting sarcasm, challenging the Baron's statement.
"The crown has no reason at all to explain its ways to you." Dvořák's tone was biting, and his gaze never wavered from Viktor's.
"But since you are one of the chiefs of this facility, you can either help the royal guards with this rescue, or stay aside."
Viktor bristled at the word "rescue," his posture stiffening. He stepped back, his anger growing, but Dvořák's command hung in the air like a challenge. The Baron's words were sharp and precise.
"What rescue? I don't want that little Lindenberg kid here, or any of his Pokémon!"
The Baron's eyes narrowed further, and his voice turned colder than before, as though the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.
"Very well."
He turned back to Viktor with a finality that made Viktor falter.
"We did not deem it important enough to share all the security details with you. We only insisted that the gym would be guarded. How come the children were in this room unguarded? Can you explain it to me? If... IF you can, then we can discuss the Lindenberg family and their violation of the no-Pokémon rule."
There was a heavy pause as both men stood, staring each other down, a silent battle of wills. But it was clear that Dvořák held the upper hand, his authority unwavering. Viktor's defiance cracked, and with a grunt, he finally averted his eyes, unable to withstand the Baron's cold glare any longer.
"What can I do to help?" Viktor muttered reluctantly, his pride wounded but his sense of self-preservation stronger.
Baron Dvořák didn't even glance at Viktor as he motioned toward the guards. A female guard stepped forward and addressed Viktor.
"If you have any Ghost-types, help us keep the portal open."
Viktor gritted his teeth but didn't argue. With a sharp gesture, he returned his Glalie and Xatu to their Pokéballs. He didn't speak a word as he called out his next Pokémon: Oricorio, the Sensu Style, a graceful yet eerie creature with Ghost and Flying types. The bird fluttered out, its wings shimmering with an unsettling energy.
"Help them keep the portal open!" Viktor barked at the Oricorio, his voice tight with frustration. The bird responded, its eyes glowing as it hovered near the mirror, adding its ethereal power to the mix.
Jake stood frozen, eyes wide with fear, as the intense energy crackled in the room. His thoughts raced—Monika was still trapped, the portal was still open, and the tension in the air was suffocating. But with the combined strength of the Pokémon now focused on the portal, there was a chance they could pull Monika back from wherever she had been taken.
"Mr. Vranitzky, thank you for your cooperation," Baron Dvořák said, his voice as cold and commanding as ever.
"I will need one more thing from you. Please fetch the father of little Miss Prochazka. He needs to know what is going on."
Viktor Vranitzky's face went pale, then flushed bright red with anger. His posture stiffened, and he bristled at the order.
"I am not some errand..." he spat, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Did I stutter?" Baron Dvořák interrupted him, his voice as frigid as the air in the room.
For a few tense moments, Viktor glared at Dvořák, his lips pressed into a tight line. Then, with a barely audible grunt, he called out his Xatu once more. The Pokémon appeared with a flash of white light, and Viktor muttered something under his breath. With a final, reluctant glance at Dvořák, the two of them vanished in another pulse of light.
Dvořák turned his attention to Jake, who was still standing near Maya, his eyes wide with fear. The Baron's gaze was sharp, unrelenting.
"What were you doing here?" he asked, his voice void of any warmth.
Jake opened his mouth to speak, but his mind was racing, and the words wouldn't come.
"Sir... I... Monika... mirror..." he stammered, his voice barely audible, his thoughts tangled in panic and confusion.
Dvořák didn't wait for a coherent answer. He simply sighed, his patience clearly wearing thin.
"I see. Take care of this situation, Natalie. You know the protocol," he said, turning towards the female guard who had been quietly observing.
With that, Dvořák stepped away, and before Jake could say another word, he vanished—teleported away by the familiar flash of white light that Jake had come to associate with the Baron's hidden Pokémon, likely his Gallade.
Natalie, the female guard, blinked a few times, still slightly blinded by the flash of Dvořák's departure. The other three guards were quietly discussing something among themselves, their voices low and indistinct.
"Okay, little guy," Natalie said, turning back to Jake with a soft sigh.
"You will wait here with your friend Emily, while we go save your cousin. Okay?"
Jake couldn't find the words to answer. His mind was still spinning, and he was overwhelmed with worry for Monika. He simply nodded, his movements slow as he crouched next to Maya. The Decidueye looked up at him with gratitude in her eyes before slowly disappearing into the Jake's shadows, her form melding into the ground.
"Jake..." Maya's soft voice echoed in his mind, filled with exhaustion but also a lingering sense of calm.
The guards, meanwhile, were already preparing to move. They began calling out their Pokémon, who appeared in flashes of light one after the other.
First came a towering Dragonite, its orange wings spread wide, followed by a sleek and powerful Salamence, its deep blue body shimmering in the dim light. A third, Dragonite appeared, this one with a shiny green appearance and more intense gaze, while the fourth was a fierce-looking Sceptile, its green body coiled with energy.
Natalie nodded at the group of Pokémon, then turned to the others.
"Let's go in!" she commanded. Her voice was sharp and decisive, clearly in charge of this operation.
The guards, alongside their Pokémon, moved forward towards the shimmering portal. But as they approached, something strange happened. The Pokémon, which had been so eager just moments before, paused. Their eyes widened slightly, and they stood frozen in place, as if something was holding them back from crossing through the portal. The air around them seemed to thrum with an unfamiliar energy.
"What's going on?" Emily whispered to Jake, who took a cautious step forward.
They watched as the mighty Dragonite and Salamence both stood still, their large, muscular bodies tense. Sceptile's sharp eyes darted around, its tail twitching as if it were sensing something amiss.
Jake, his heart hammering in his chest, took another step towards the group of towering creatures. They were strong, confident Pokémon, usually unfazed by most obstacles, yet now they stood at the edge of the portal, motionless, uncertain.
"They're... afraid?" Jake whispered, more to himself than to anyone else. The thought unsettled him deeply. If these powerful Pokémon were hesitant to enter, what was on the other side of the portal?
And what had happened to Monika?
He glanced back at the still-glowing portal, the swirling energies pulsing in response to the Pokémon's power, then to the guards who were now awaiting the Pokémon's next move. Jake felt a growing sense of unease—something was wrong, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to face it.
Emily's grip on Jake's hand tightened as she pulled him back.
"Jake! Don't go to them, they're too scary!"
Her voice was laced with fear, her eyes wide with concern as she glanced nervously at the towering dragons and ghostly figures surrounding the portal.
But Jake didn't listen. His heart pounded in his chest, his thoughts consumed with nothing but Monika's safety. He could feel the weight of time pressing on him, and he knew that every moment spent hesitating was one that Monika couldn't afford.
He walked forward, ignoring Emily's pleas, his eyes locked on the large Salamence. The dragon's massive form stood tall, its sharp claws gleaming in the dim light, its wings folded tightly against its back. The creature's gaze was intense, watching Jake with a mix of curiosity and wariness. As Jake approached, he hesitated for a moment, then reached out and touched the Salamence's long, sharp claw.
The dragon recoiled slightly, its muscles tensing as it bared its teeth in a clear warning. A low growl rumbled deep in its chest.
Jake's pulse quickened, but he didn't flinch.
"Please, Salamence, save my cousin," he said, his voice trembling but determined.
"She was kidnapped by that horrible guy. You need to save her!"
The Salamence stared at the boy, surprised by the sudden boldness of his plea. Jake's sincerity resonated with the dragon, and something deep within the Pokémon shifted. The connection between them was palpable—something Jake hadn't fully understood before now, but had always felt. He could feel the bond forming between them, a shared understanding. It wasn't just the words—it was a deep, unspoken communication. Jake could sense the Salamence's hesitation, but there was something else—an understanding, an agreement. The mighty dragon had never expected to encounter such bravery from a human, especially one so young. The connection was not just from the boy's words, but from his heart.
The Salamence hesitated for only a moment longer before its wings unfurled with a powerful sweep of air. Without further warning, it launched itself into the portal, disappearing into the swirling vortex beyond.
Salamance's trainer was watching the moment with wide eyes and mouth opened in disbelief.
"That's not possible!" she muttered.
Jake's heart soared with relief, but he couldn't stop now. He had to keep going.
He moved on to the first Dragonite, the massive orange dragon, standing almost like a sentinel next to its trainer. The Pokémon's amber eyes glimmered with curiosity as Jake approached.
"Please," Jake said, his voice full of urgency. "I need your help, too. Monika's in danger. Please save her."
The Dragonite paused, and Jake felt a brief moment of tension, but the connection was clear. The Pokémon understood, and it took a slow step forward, following the Salamence into the portal.
"How can the little boy make them do what we cannot?" Dragonite's trainer frowned in frustration.
Jake moved to the second Dragonite, repeating his plea with the same desperation. The shiny green dragon let out a low, soft growl of acknowledgment before joining the others, wings beating strongly as it followed the first into the unknown.
Finally, Jake approached the sleek, emerald-green Sceptile, its sharp eyes focused on him. Its body was coiled and ready to spring, but there was something in Jake's gaze that stopped it in its tracks.
"Sceptile, please. You're the last one. You need to help her. Monika needs help," Jake pleaded, his voice filled with raw emotion.
Sceptile stared at the boy for a long moment, the tension in the room thick as the forest Pokémon considered the request. Finally, it nodded, a decision made, and it darted forward, following the others into the portal.
Sceptile's and shiny Dragonite's trainers exchanged a brief half-amused look, before shrugging their shoulders like they wanted to say "alright, he convinced them, what can we do?"
As Jake watched the last Pokémon disappear into the swirling lights, he felt a sense of accomplishment, but it was tempered by the fear of what was waiting on the other side. He turned back to the guards, who had been silently observing him, their expressions shifting from skepticism to something resembling awe.
"Okay," Natalie, their leader, said as she stepped out of the portal once more. She regarded Jake with a mixture of surprise and respect.
"I feel that we should take you with us. You know how to calm them down better than we could ever imagine. Are you okay with that?"
Jake nodded without hesitation, his resolve hardening.
"I need to save Monika," he said firmly, his voice filled with determination.
Emily's eyes widened in shock. She reached out to him, her voice pleading.
"Jake, no! Don't go in there!!"
Jake shook his head, his eyes never leaving the portal.
"I have to, Emily. She's my family. I can't just stand here when she needs help!"
Natalie nodded in understanding, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips despite the dire situation.
"Thank you, Jake. You're a very brave boy," she said softly, a new respect evident in her voice.
Jake, his heart still racing, took a deep breath and stepped toward the portal. He didn't look back. The fear in his chest had been replaced by a single, overpowering desire: to find Monika and bring her back.