Journey of a Thousand Miles

Chapter 9

Final Chapter

"My story is a freedom song of struggle. It is about finding one's purpose, how to overcome fear and to stand up for causes bigger than one's self."

—Coretta Scott King

"Sean? Dude, that's a lot of blood."

"—Oz?" I try to open my eyes but there's something caked across them.

"Regice exploded, and you cracked your skull. It doesn't look . . . Okay, I'm gonna be honest: I'm not a doctor, but that's a lot of fucking blood. Some of it froze across your eyes because of the temperature—hold on. Stein, c'm'ere."

"Where . . . are those two?" A warm flame moves across my eyes and I feel the blood begin to melt.

"Um, yeah, about those two . . ."

I open my eyes when the blood is gone—and realize I'm upside-down. In a black space. Oz is stand—floating close by with Stein and Grit nowhere to be seen. His expression is tenser than I'm used to. "When Regice used Explosion, a lot of the mountain crumbled into that hole it came out of. You and your Medicham were knocked out and fell in, so we came after you guys. Darkrai and Regice too—they were unconscious too. But as soon as they . . . dropped in, they disappeared. All the Pokémon."

"What?"

"Yeah, exactly."

"Blue too?"

"He's still up top. His Pokémon reacted quickly."

"Wait, you said we fell in? So, this is . . ."

"The world were the Legendaries live," he finishes. "Can't be anything else. Although it looks a little sparse in the 'Legendary' department." He looks at my hand. "That mark isn't hurting anymore?" I start; I'd almost forgotten about it.

"No, it's . . . fine."

Oz is maybe about to refute that, then his eyes lock on something behind me. I can't find my balance to turn around—I guess it's easier for him considering how much experience he has with ghosts—but it doesn't matter anyway, because a tentacle coils around my ankle and yanks me backwards before any of us can react.

Human, it's human. Spun around, I come face-to-face with Deoxys, who is looking at me like a science project. I spot movement from the corner of my eye and Oz shouts in surprise.

Two humans. Shiny Rayquaza, and it's coiled around Oz. They hafta be the ones that brought in those Pokémon.

"Where are my—ack!" Oz chokes off and goes rigid as Rayquaza's body tightens around his chest.

You did screw with Darkrai and Regice—it makes sense we screw with your buddies in return . . . right? it said bitterly. Oz's eyes flash and electricity surges from beneath his skin. Rayquaza rears back with a surprised noise, releasing him in the process. Deoxys moves and I kick out reflectively. It feels like kicking granite, and its grip doesn't even falter.

Restless human, it says. Rest, human. One of its tentacles whips me across the back of my head, right on top of that open wound. My vision goes white, and—what? Some minutes pass? Like I'm a damn timekeeper.

I'm so useless. I need to think of something. My brain is melting out of my ears— I need to think. Of something. We're outnumbered, outmatched, not outsmarted.

"Leggo of me or I swear ya'll regret it! Hey, leggo!" I force my eyes open to see Pong with no electricity around it, only a miniscule orange form held between Giratina's claws. Oz's body is floating belly-up like a dead fish, and from what I can see, he's not breathing. With no Pokémon to support his life—