Bab 41: No Sore Loser
Sycamore stretched out his hand, it was all I could see in the empty darkness of my cell. His voice all I could hear, the warmth he poured the only heat my dread-filled body was able to experience.
"Come… come to me!" he repeated the request "You don't have to fight. Nor did you ever even want to."
Truly… I didn't. How much did Sycamore know of what I wanted, back when all of this started? How much did he know that I only wanted one thing, that which he offered me now: his attention? My Professor's notice... and whatever flowery, hopeful thing I could imagine springing from that. I never dreamed of being a trainer. I never even liked battles… I only dreamed of him. But then again, I never dreamed of this.
Charizard watched the gesture as Sycamore walked back to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, urging me - pleading with all he had:
"Let's get out of this frightful place, yes?"
I looked at my Pokémon's expecting eyes – the hope timidly manifested there – yes, he hoped, too... but he didn't know better! He wanted the peace of not having to fight, like Sycamore did, only because he knew not the cost of such pretended tranquility – he didn't know of all the lives that would go to waste!
I sighed, mentally uttering an apology to the two of them, then followed with my final answer: "By the life of me, I can't!"
Charizard stirred, moved by confused feelings, as if he had taken a blow.
Sycamore repeated, perplexed: "You can't?!"
"I can't!" I opened my palms and inspected them "If I survived that weapon and all else died... I feel the blood stain would never wash off!"
"You are being most inconsiderate, darling..." Sycamore pleaded, his voice growing hastier, more desperate "…most dramatic… Most irrational, in fact! Why choose to die and sacrifice your partners, when you can simply come and give them a new world?"
"Because it's not right!" I got up and stood in front of Charizard, looking into his eyes as I spoke, hoping he could understand and forgive me: "To sit and do nothing..."
"What difference does it make in the end? To die with the others?!!"
"None, you're right... But that's not what it comes down to!" I narrowed my eyes as they stung from imagining Charizard perishing with me – with all of them "That is not the type of people Lysandre wants in his sick crusade... It is precisely the selfishness that he wrongfully tries to eradicate, the very thing tries to purge! So even if I chose to side with Team Flare's twisted ideals, I could not be so coward!"
"Never mind them, they are madmen!" Sycamore insisted, growing impatient "Do you think I listen to them? Buy a single word they preach? I do not, but I know better than to stand alone. What I mean is, you don't have to be a part of them to come with me, my dear." He rushed to my side, his hand caressing my face, my hair, moving about me as if I was a precious token he desperately wanted to convince – in order to protect "Simply return with me – nothing else matters!" He stretched out his hand with urgency "Do it for me – for us... Do it if only for not dying in vain, for heaven's sake!"
His fingers moved, trying to rush my decision, calling me to him...
I looked at his open palm – at his wicked, selfish gesture... At the affectionate anguish in his eyes, inspiring the former. I was still in love with him – and how I'd love to go! How I'd love to be such coward as he wanted me to be. And perhaps I would have, had this question come earlier. That day in his lab when I met him, I would have, and cared not for the world's or anyone's destruction, so long as I had his attention... so long as he noticed me. That day in Camphrier Town, I would have, just to stop my whiny Charmander from crying. I would have accepted it a million times in the course of my journey, just to try and give it some meaning...
...But somewhere along the way, Charmander grew strong. Azure evolved before my eyes, and Chasm defeated even the most fearsome of Rhydons for me. Somewhere along the way, I inadvertently became their trainer over Sycamore's pupil; and throughout our battles, they trusted me with the best decision – not the easiest one; not one that would let them finish unharmed, nor one that ended the battle before it even started. Would Charizard ever forgive me if he knew the price of what he was asking for? Would any of my Pokémon?
"I refuse!" Was my conclusion, which I declared breathing in deeply.
Sycamore's expression crumbled. He processed my words, then invested with his offered hand once more:
"Anne, dear..."
"Enough!" I interrupted "I won't go with you..."
"But... See here, darling..." he smiled disconcerted.
"No, you see here!" I yelled – his smooth voice growing more desperate by the hour only wounded me "I would rather die than be a coward! I won't go with you – your proposed survival would be my ultimate death, and I won't let you subject me to that!"
Sycamore observed me with wide, surprise-filled eyes – they had reached the pinnacle of his despair, and seemed to finally accept, in a very dreadful way, that I could not be convinced. As his pupils shook, observing, taking me in, I stood firm in my resolution, allowing no tensed muscle to falter, and no emotion that didn't sustain it to show.
He sighed then, pulling back his arm in declared defeat and closing his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, no further sign of despair was there – they were relaxed, tranquil, calculating again.
"If that's your final decision, then it can't be helped..." I felt the change that took place in his resolution – when despair turned into resolve, when warmth became possession "But it is still such a waste... I can't quite allow it!"
I took a nervous step back. Sycamore's lips stretched into a small grin I knew too well:
"Perhaps if I simply lock you here again..." he walked in my direction "Perhaps if I force you to stay and watch as the world collapses, and all your hope of saving it dies..."
I walked back as much as the wall allowed me. With no other prospects of escape, I was left with facing Sycamore's mad expression "...perhaps then you'll accept me. If I keep you long enough, maybe you'll even learn to love me again..."
"Professor, don't!"
"Maybe if I gag you..." he went on, ignoring my plea "...and tie you up really tight..." he groaned through clenched teeth controlled by an anger I had never seen so freely expressed in him before. "You'll eventually thank me ..."
Stretching a hand in my direction as he approached, he announced, shame and mercilessly:
"But for now, whether you want it or not, you're coming with me"
My brain worked quickly in the brief seconds that separated me from his grip – could I kick him again? No... The Professor was too smart to let the same trick work twice: I could picture him seizing my leg if I tried, and immobilizing me would be even easier then. Should I try to run past him, or save the energy for a struggle once he had grabbed me? Certainly he wasn't as physically strong as Lysandre, capable of carrying me around under his arm with ease... but he definitely could drag me about, ignoring most of my blows...
His smile stretched, presumptuous as always but more condescending, like a kind reward to what he thought was my submission. "Good girl" he muttered through a muffled chuckle.
I closed my eyes, choosing to fight him rather than try to run... now I waited for his touch – for the second his hand would meet me, and for what I could do...
But before the anticipated moment, an angry announcement roared up Charizard's throat. I opened my eyes in time to see him stretch his neck and attempt an angry bite at Sycamore's hand, who quickly withdrew with keen reflexes. Charizard's jaw cracked as the teeth furiously crashed together, and he assumed the front, stopping between us – a painful satisfaction shone in his eyes for he, too, finally confronted Sycamore – the latter's eyes were wide with surprise.
"Could it be..." The professor started, but never finished.
I eventually woke up from my own baffled surprise and moved from Charizard's back to examine his expression: There was no sign of hesitation there any longer, only unbreakable resolve...
My eyes grew dim and wet in the face of his bravery. "Charizard..." I sobbed with emotion as a smile inevitably crossed my face.
He didn't look at me to correspond any feeling: his eyes were fixed, hard and scorching on their target. I had seen that look before when a battle both pleased and angered him in equal measures: He challenged Sycamore! And by the fire in his eyes, he wouldn't move his fierce stance until he got what he wanted!
Sycamore's eyes gleamed in shock – a distant light of betrayal shone there, but my Professor was no sore loser: he accepted it well and pronounced no word about it, just like me when Charizard wouldn't obey me – now I enjoyed the view from a turned table, and though Sycamore wouldn't stop to congratulate me, his surprise alone was a token of recognition and I could ask for nothing more.
Having swallowed the shock, Sycamore smiled and moved his head from one side to the other: "You never cease to surprise me, Anne dear..." he repeated "So you have chosen your side, old friend?"
It wasn't with anger, but with an amused conformity that he addressed Charizard now, and a sigh followed: "It is well that you should want to battle me so ardently..." he smiled at the determined Pokémon – Pride or affection played there in his eyes, but I couldn't tell which "...For I would never let her go without one, and you'll need your very best to earn both your leaves!" He teased as if the two of them engaged in a game, and, picking up a ball from his coat, he looked at me:
"Command your Pokémon as best as you can, Anne darling... It is here that I'll see if you've really grown that much stronger!"
Sycamore casually threw up his ball – another Charizard poured out. This one was bigger, more robust than mine. I couldn't help but look at it with a minor feeling of intimidation as he eyed us fiercely. But my Charizard, again, did not wince – Eager as he was, he wouldn't have, even if he thought he might die.
Sycamore smiled confidently, spicing my fear:
"Teach these impudent pups a lesson!" He commanded his Pokémon as he pointed ahead, Charizard roared before thrashing our way.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone