Kellyn's panic increased when he saw the throne at the end of the blue carpet in the large room. It was covered in ice, made of bronze, and the seat was blue. But where was Lucario? Kellyn didn't want to stick around to find out.
Ten steps into the throne room, he turned and tried to run out, but the others stopped him.
"No, no!" Kellyn said, fighting them, but they pushed him back into the room.
"We're right here, Kellyn," Wendy reassured. "But you're the one who's going to have to purify Lucario."
"No, I can't do this!" Kellyn argued.
"Yes, you can." Dawn gave him a weak smile. "Come on, Kellyn—man up."
Kellyn didn't want to be a man, though. Ash deserved Vatonage. He probably wouldn't have been caught off guard by J twice.
"Balance," Blu said to him again.
This was about to end very badly.
Kellyn and the others stopped before the throne, and Kellyn's head ached as black-and-purple shadowy corruption erupted from it. He jumped when a figure emerged from it, and Sven coughed beside him, covering his mouth.
The figure sprinted around Kellyn and his team, with its long arms trailing behind.
Pikachu and Piplup followed it, but they ended up falling on their backs.
The figure halted before the team, revealing a large Lucario, the Aura Pokémon. Corruption outlined her like shadowy fire, and her eyes glowed white. The Pokémon stood on two legs, and the appendages behind her head spread out as she summoned her aura.
Kellyn did this; he was the one who had corrupted the Gem Guardians—another reason why he didn't deserve his power.
Ash even sounded excited behind Kellyn. "Gem Guardian Lucario. All right, let's do this, Pikachu."
His Partner stood and announced, "Pika!"
"That's a big Lucario," Dawn remarked, and Brock scratched his chin.
"I think that's because she's a Gem Guardian."
That was exactly right. It was strange—Kellyn wasn't scared the first time he faced Lucario, but now he was terrified. How could he focus when he felt unworthy, and his arm and head hurt? Not to mention Sven's coughs and sneezes, too.
Sven had gotten a little worse since they left Ms. Winter's, but he was still good old Sven because he ran ahead of the group and raised his arm to Wendy, saying to one of his Gengar, "Gengar, use Psychic."
"Gengar!"
However, Lucario said, "Car!" and deployed a Light Screen. Gengar's attack bounced back, knocking both it and Sven toward the throne room's exit.
The team's jaws dropped, and they stepped aside so Sven and his Partner wouldn't hit them. That was what he got for trying to act like the oldest.
"Sven!" Wendy hurried to him and knelt, helping him sit. "For Pete's sake, dear! We're supposed to weaken Lucario together."
"But I'm the oldest," Sven complained, coughing. "I'm supposed to keep everyone safe." He emphasized with "everyone" there, then looked down before glancing back up at Wendy.
"I don't care! You're exhausted!" she argued, pulling Sven up. "You can't protect all of us on your own right now."
Truer words were never spoken, and Kellyn took them to heart. "Blu," he said, gulping and looking at him, "we need to try to transform."
"Car!" Lucario yelled before Blu responded. She leaped into the sky and aimed a few Aura Spheres at the team.
They split up, and the Sinnoh trio, Wendy, and Sven watched Kellyn lift his arm toward Blu. "Vatonage, Blu!" However, nothing escaped his hand, and Kellyn gasped. "No! Please, Vatonage!"
Nothing.
Kellyn sweated and tried to think of something else. Ash likely would've activated Vatonage on his first try.
"Capture on!" Kellyn yelled, releasing his Capture Disc.
Lucario quickly broke the Line before he could say "Vatonage" and launched another Aura Sphere that flew toward Kellyn and Blu.
Without warning, Sven shouted, "Kellyn!" and broke free from Wendy. He, tough guy Sven, grabbed them and pulled them out of the way of the attack. His hat ended up on Kellyn's head, and the others hurried over to them.
Kellyn couldn't believe what just happened. He thought Sven was jealous of him. He loved Wendy, not him.
Brock reached for his knapsack and asked, "Are you all okay?"
"I think so," Kellyn said, glancing at Sven and returning his hat. "Thank you, Sven."
"Don't get used to it," he grumbled as he helped him to his feet. "We'll cover for you while you try to channel your power."
But Kellyn couldn't. Why did Ash and Ms. Winter think he was prepared for Almia Castle?
"Teamwork. Balance," echoed Darkrai's words, and Kellyn studied his team.
"Let's try a defensive approach first," Ash told the others, his eyes fixed on Pikachu. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack to confuse Lucario."
"Pika!" He stayed calm and began running around Lucario, who tried to follow him with her eyes.
She set up another Light Screen, so Brock told Croagunk, "Croagunk, use Brock Break."
"Cro!" His Pokémon leapt into the air and slammed Lucario's shield with its glowing hand.
The shield shattered into tiny pieces, and Dawn immediately told Piplup and Buneary, "You two work together. Think of it like a contest. Use Bubble Beam, Piplup, and Ice Beam for you, Buneary."
"Buneary!"
"Piplup!"
The two Pokémon launched their attacks at Lucario, who tried fighting back, but it seemed she was overwhelmed by Pikachu's agility.
At the same time, Wendy and Sven focused on Sven's Gengar and ordered, "Use Psychic, Gengar."
"Gengar!" Gengar picked up Lucario and pushed her toward the throne.
She hit it and dropped to one knee.
"Now, Kellyn!" Ash barked.
"But Blu's Rainbow Forme…" Kellyn tried protesting.
Ash waved his hand. "Don't worry about that. Just use your Styler."
But Kellyn was meant to be the Prince—not the bystander who let others do his bidding. So, how was he supposed to succeed unless he blocked out everything again? It seemed that was the only thing he could do now.
"Capture on!"
Lucario swung at the Line, but tripped over her feet and fell into the throne.
Clear your head, Kellyn. Just do it this once. Please.
Kellyn closed his eyes and felt Blu land on his shoulder.
"Blue-Bird," he said, and a warm feeling washed over Kellyn's mind.
"Vatonage!" he shouted, opening his eyes. He successfully looped his Capture Line around Lucario a few times, but the Line didn't change color, and the Gem Guardian ended up breaking it again at the last second.
Kellyn groaned in frustration. He was so close!
"Confidence," Blu told him in his head. "Teamwork. Balance. Darkrai."
The team regrouped to try a new tactic.
Buneary and Empoleon slowed Lucario by freezing her feet with Ice Beam, and Croagunk stayed on standby to break any barriers she tried to activate.
With Pikachu taking the lead, Sven and Wendy's Friend Pokémon approached from behind to catch Lucario off guard.
Kellyn watched the entire thing, and his jaw dropped.
"Confidence. Teamwork. Balance."
Those three words. Wait, that was it! Ash had taught Kellyn about confidence during their battle, and Darkrai and Blu had tried teaching him teamwork and balance.
Confidence, teamwork, and balance—those were what a Ranger and a Guardian needed. Kellyn had been so hyper-focused on trying to prove himself to the Union lately that he forgot. He hadn't yet mastered Vatonage, but he didn't need to be an expert to succeed. He didn't need to be a prince or a Ranger—just himself. Age was just a number.
With that in mind, Kellyn aimed his Styler again and announced through Sven's coughs, "Capture on!"
The Capture Disc spun out, circling Lucario.
Kellyn didn't yell "Vatonage" that time, but his Capture Line changed from blue to gold. Wait, he was doing it!
Don't try to be a prince or a Ranger, Kellyn. Just be yourself, he thought as he drew his loops, speeding up his arm with each motion.
A rainbow light shone on his face as the Line changed again—that time from gold to rainbow, just like the night Kellyn caught Darkrai on top of Altru Tower.
The rainbow light washed over Lucario, then it spread to the throne and throughout the rest of the room.
Blu opened his wings, glowing himself. Before Kellyn knew it, he had grown again, and Blu cheered when he saw his Rainbow Forme.
Lucario, still glowing, ran around the room, touching furniture and walls before returning to the throne.
Kellyn saw her in the ballroom—the day the King of Olde sent his sons away. She hid behind the throne, crouching low as the King yelled at her next and over the sound of the vielles.
Lucario darted out from the throne, knocking over the King, then hurried past the line of party guests toward the exit.
The King shouted at her the entire time—and even threw a wine glass. Kellyn saw the grief in his eyes from sending his sons away. What had they been arguing about before the banishment, though? It looked like he would have to wait a little longer to get that answer.
The vision blurred, and Kellyn gasped when he realized he was sitting on Almia's throne instead of Lucario, his hands gripping the armrests.
Ash and the others stood in front of him, smiling, while the Gem Guardian bowed with her hand over her chest. The corruption no longer surrounded the Pokémon, and Kellyn's head no longer burned. When did he sit on the throne, though? Was his memory getting worse?
Lucario nodded at Kellyn and opened her eyes, which now shimmered a reddish-brown instead of white. Her blue, black, and light fur seemed to sparkle just as much as her eyes.
Was Wendy crying? She rubbed her nose and said, "You did it, Kellyn. You did it."
Kellyn's eyes widened, and he studied his hands. He vaguely recalled his Capture Line turning rainbow before Lucario pulled him into her vision (or was it Darkrai?).
Lucario stood and approached him. Grinning, she lifted her arms and embraced him.
Kellyn couldn't believe that he actually did it, even without mastering Vatonage. He had purified Lucario.
Blu was still in his Rainbow Forme and hovered nearby, appearing proud of himself.
Kellyn returned Lucario's hug and said, "You're welcome, Lucario."
"Car," she said, releasing him.
Kellyn may never understand how he pulled it off, but he definitely didn't do it alone and smiled at the others—though it faltered slightly when Sven coughed. It was time to leave Almia Castle.
Kellyn stepped down from the throne and placed his hand on Lucario's shoulder. "One Guardian down, two more to go." He looked at Sven one last time before nodding. "Capture complete."
***
Early morning sunshine shimmered over Altru Tower, warming it and Parity, who finally opened her eyes again.
Outside the Luminous Crystal, a gust of wind blew the corruption off the Blue Gem, causing it to lift higher than the others and carry the Crystal with it.
Parity lifted her head, then lowered it and closed her eyes as the Red and Yellow Gems pulsed, sending a weaker but still new wave of corruption into her bubble. One Gem Guardian was down, but the other two were much tougher than Lucario.
"Keep fighting, Parity," the Pokémon told herself. "You can do this; you just need to keep fighting." She tightened her legs under her until her feet dug into her flesh.
"Just keep trying." But that was the last thing Parity told herself before her head drooped, and a blast of purple and black blinded her.
End of Act III: Gem Guardian Lucario
Current Word Count: 47,524