The Great Bulk Part 15: The Climax

A Secret Unveiled

It had been a few days since our latest brush with danger, and in that time, my partner had been unusually quiet. Each time I tried to ask him what was wrong, he brushed me off. It was growing genuinely concerning. I already had enough trouble figuring out what was going on inside of his thick skull, but he was never the quiet type. We had entered a small cave to rest for the night, and that gave me time to get the answers I sought.

"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" I asked Makuhita. "You aren't alone when it comes to your problems, and you can't solve them all by yourself."

"I know," he responded. "I've been quiet because I've been thinking about things. It's about time I told you the truth, but there's a couple things I want you to agree to before I do."

Wait, what? What did he just say? "Seriously? You're giving up, just like that?" I muttered. "Why aren't you putting up a fight about it anymore? You were dragging your feet constantly before now!"

"It's simple. I need someone to confide in," my partner stated. "I just want to ask two things of you. The first is that you don't tell anyone else about my secret, and the second is to not let it change things between us. I'm an anomaly, but I'm still me, got it?"

I nodded quietly, noting the phrasing he used. He himself knew he was different from everyone else.

"Honestly, I'm glad you agreed," he said. "I've always felt bad about lying to you, but I didn't want the way you view me to become any different. It was kind of selfish of me to do it, both to you and myself. I treated you like you were a kid, and I've shut myself out from my problems from far too long. I don't think there's a way I can ever go back, but here, things are different. What should be impossible is real; it's almost like I'm dreaming."

It wasn't often that Makuhita blamed himself for something, but to hear him say such things made me feel a bit guilty as well. "I'm to blame, too," I added. "I pressured you back at that inn, and I treated you like a crazy idiot sometimes. I can understand why your faith in me was shaky." The last thing he said stuck out, too. What was it that made his home so different from mine? Was he speaking metaphorically, or was he being literal?

"Well, at least we can put this past us," my companion noted. "Now, what do you want to know first? Do you want to know who I am, what I am, or where I'm from?" I thought to myself, weighing the three choices against one another. He would likely touch on all three, but I didn't want to make him feel pressured. So, I made the safest choice in that moment:

"I'd like to know who you are," I decided. "I know you on the surface level, but being able to see deeper than that was rare. What I saw was intriguing, though. You act like a buffoon, but sometimes, a switch is flipped and you become the most mature person in the room. You never stray from your convictions, either. The Sand Continent needed more Pokemon like you. Some of those in our trade just do it for profit or fame, and cause as many problems as they solve."

"There's a reason for that," Makhuita replied. "My life was rough, and I almost became just like some of the assholes we brought in. My dad wasn't a good person, and he took out much of his anger on my brother and I. I already had a bad enough temper, and that just fuelled the fire. He'd use his belt at the slightest provocation."

"You have a brother?" I asked, shocked by this development. "I didn't know that! I thought you grew up alone like I did."

"He's the reason why I didn't give in," my partner added. "He tried to follow the bad example I set. We talked about it, and that's when I realized that indulging in that behavior just brought me closer to being like the man I hate."

"Wait a minute," I interjected. "If your father was so bad, why didn't you just stay with someone else in your family? Even I had family living along the agricultural belt."

"They were all very far away, and no one noticed what was happening due to the sheer scale of things," he replied. "We lived in a city that dwarfed anything you've ever seen, Asana. A four-person household was utterly microscopic compared to the size of it. There were buildings that touched the sky, and the population was well over two million. It wasn't the best place, but I still found friends."

Two million individuals, and all in a single settlement? That sounded absolutely outlandish, but then again, everything else about him was as well! "Where did you originally come from?" I questioned. "There's no way that what you're telling me is true."

"I'm not fibbing, but you couldn't find it no matter how far you travelled," Makuhita told me. "It wouldn't make a difference if you tried to go by land, sea, or air, because I come from another world entirely."

Another world? I froze up as he uttered those words, as they all but confirmed a theory I had. He was a Guardian. He was one of the very beings that hadn't been seen in hundreds of years! Almost all trace of them had faded into dust! When he called himself an anomaly, he was damn right about it! How was I supposed to react? What was I supposed to do? Why did they pick such an unconventional option?

"Hey, are you alright?" My partner asked. "You're looking paler than usual."

"I-I was just reminded of something I heard once," I stuttered out. The fact that I couldn't speak clearly was a testament to how stunned I was. "Please, carry on."

"That wasn't even the weirdest part, Assy," he said in a falsely scolding tone, as if to poke fun at my reaction. "As I was saying, I got pulled away from my world abruptly when I was sleeping. I woke up in a body that wasn't my own. If it weren't for you finding me, I'd be dead."

"A body that isn't your own?" I repeated, my mind trying to grasp at what he was saying. "Are you telling me that my suspicions were right, and that you aren't a Pokemon at all?"

"That'd be correct," my companion admitted. "I actually used to be pretty ripped before I was dragged here. I'm actually what's called a ''human'', although like I said earlier, I don't want you repeating any of this. I don't want to be treated different from anyone else."

"That might be for the best," I replied. "I have a strong suspicion your kind correlate to a certain legend back home, and I know you'd hate to be treated like a messiah. It was said that there were beings from beyond our maker's reach that were sent here to maintain order, who enacted the will of the world itself. None had been seen in hundreds of years, and the name used to refer to them was lost."

"You've gotta be freakin' kidding me!" Makuhita shouted. "I thought I was the only one! That's why I didn't say a word about it to anyone up until now!" He sighed after that small, minor outburst, trying to regain his bearings. It was relieving to see that I wasn't the only one who was rattled by all the information that was being exchanged.

"I can see a couple things with what you're saying, though," he said, beginning to express his thoughts about what he learned. "You implied that the previous "Guardians" were all given missions or at least an order, right? Well, I have none at all. So, I either forgot about my purpose entirely, or whatever sent me here is different from what happened to the others."

"There's also a third possibility," I added, noticing a few certain details about his story. "You could've been sent here in a hurry or in an abrupt manner, and that's why you haven't received directions. If the force responsible had time on their hands and is able to control who's sent where, they would've put you somewhere with civilization instead of dumping you out in the middle of the Great Thirsty."

My partner gazed downwards at the cavern floor, looking unusually thoughtful compared to how he usually was. "That could make sense," he admitted. "Are there any surviving records of what happened to a Guardian once their goals were complete?"

"We really don't have much record of them left, so it differs depending on which version of the folklore you're listening to," I told him. "Some say they remained here for the rest of their lives. Others say they were sent back. More say the same thing, but that they somehow came back here after. Some attribute it to divine intervention, others say some sort of artifacts were involved, and then there's more esoteric tales. The most interesting interpretation was tied into why they stopped coming."

I began to recount what I used to be told when I was a child. "One Guardian defied those who were responsible for their summoning, and after that, no more were sent. According to the stories that were passed around the region where I grew up, they were ordered to be sent back to the world they came from, but they refused to leave. The individual in this tale was scorned by the denizens there because in their eyes, they abandoned their family and community. They were seen as selfish for their actions, but if that story was anywhere close to the truth, I think things were more complex."

"I can see why you'd think that, with what you've learned," Makuhita responded. "They could've had a crappy life on their side of the fence, but if there's even a possibility of returning home, I'd like that. My life wasn't perfect, but I've got friends and family that miss me. I know you're attached to me, but I'm sick of pretending everything's alright. It's hard choosing between this life and my old one, but I'm tired of feeling homesick."

He wanted to go home? The prospect weighed down my heart, but taking a moment to look at it logically, it made sense. He was taken away from his domain, and he had no say in the matter. The cultural values I grew up with made it feel even worse:

A Pokemon's home and community was their lifeline. Social groups were tight-knit, not only due to the societies they lived in, but because of the realities of living in a place where most of the land was desert that stretched on for miles. Each individual was a brick in the wall, keeping out the spectre of death. I wasn't particularly close with anyone, but a normal Sand Continent native would be crushed if they were forcibly taken from where they lived.

"I wish you'd stay, but I understand how you feel about this," I told him. "I don't know if we'll ever find a way back, but I'll pledge my strength towards that goal. Family is supposed to work together, and I'd be hurting you if I tried to impede your objective. In the meantime, however, we should at least try and make some good memories. Life is short, so we should make the best use of it."

My partner nodded, smiling slightly. His spirits weren't entirely lifted, but they felt less burdened than they were prior. "You're right about that," he muttered. "Thanks for not freaking out on me." He got up from his seat and approached me, and out of nowhere, he hugged me.

It felt odd. I wasn't used to physical contact like this, but it wasn't exactly unpleasant. "Family, huh?" Makuhita asked. "I like the sound of that. The ironic part is that when my parents tried for a second kid, mom wanted a girl. It obviously didn't go the way she planned it, but I bet her eyes would pop out of her head knowing I got a sister now."

He quit hugging me, flashing a brief grin. "I'll take on sentry duty tonight," he told me. "Consider the rest you'll get tonight a present from me to you."

"It's my turn, though," I protested. "Besides, you aren't prepared to deal with Lombre. A single shot to the head would kill you instantly."

He laughed at my words, as if there was some joke I wasn't getting. "I've been getting the hang of this Aura stuff as we've been travelling along," Makuhita reassured me. "I've thought of a way to deal with his water-bullets. Hit me as hard as you can." I could sense his Aura concentrating into, of all places, his skin. It was such a bizarre choice, but having faith, I kicked him with as much force as I could muster.

It was like I had hit a solid wall of steel! In fact, I hurt my foot trying to harm him! "I got the idea for it at Mount Horn," he revealed to me. "The mechanism is different from what that trio did, but the effect's the same. I don't doubt he'll have some other tricks up his sleeve, but this way, I won't be cannon fodder."

I couldn't help but clap. This burst of creativity was rather sudden! Once we were somewhere safe, I had to figure out more ways to use my abilities as well. "So, you've got it all figured out?" I asked. "If you really want to take over for me tonight, go ahead. Just be careful, okay? He might try and shoot at you while you're unaware."

"Yeah, I know," my companion replied. "I got an idea for a prank I'll pull on him, but for now, enjoy your rest. I'm goin' out front." With that, he walked to the cavern's entrance, standing guard. It took me a bit to drift off to sleep, but once I did, I was sucked in and didn't wake up.

That is, until I felt a jolt of pain go through my leg.

An Unyielding Foe

I regret ever fighting at the base of the mountain. It was a gamble from the very beginning, and it couldn't have gone worse. I'm heavily wounded, and now, I'm likely on a time limit. I checked a map I had stolen ages back, and consulting it, it was clear why they were heading west now. That Vivillon may have been spewing a bunch of lies, but if there was a kernel of truth to them, there were two Guilds they could be walking towards. This was my last window of opportunity before they found more bodies to hide behind!

They had taken refuge in a cavern, and at its entrance, I saw Makuhita sleeping. I debated upon whether he truly was taking a nap, and upon closer observation with my Scope Lens, he appeared to be faking it. Did this idiot truly think I'd fall for such a simple ruse? It's a good thing his eyes were closed, because that meant I could get into position with zero complications.

I pointed a claw towards him, aiming towards his head. It was usually better to aim for the center of mass, since it's larger and doesn't move a lot like one's cranium, but I wanted him dead in a single hit. If he survived being shot in the torso, he could have enough time to call for help, and that would complicate things greatly.

I took extra time to make sure I would hit my mark. The shaking of my arm stilled. All of the pain I was currently feeling was blocked out. I fired, and what I saw was almost incomprehensible:

I couldn't believe my eyes. He turned and looked at me, somehow knowing where I was firing from! My Bubble Beam did, indeed, hit him in the head, but it didn't even pierce the skin! Something was deeply wrong, and I didn't know what! Then, to add insult to injury, my target got up, waved at me, and beckoned me over, as if he wasn't even taking me as a serious threat! It was irritating, but I forced myself to remain calm. I couldn't let myself slip at such a crucial moment.

I slowly stepped towards the rotund Pokemon's location, swapping out my Scope Lens for my Mach Ribbon on the way, and as soon as I was close enough to speak, I blurted out a question that had been nagging at me.

"How in the world did you know where I was firing from?" I asked.

"Oh, that's simple!" Makuhita replied. "My eyes were open the entire time, even though they didn't look like it. I just tricked you into acting the way you did by my whole "faking being asleep" thing. As for how I lived, that's for you to find out on your own."

He began to close the distance. He had left himself entirely open, so on instinct, I began shooting more at him. The most each hit did was lightly bruise him. I didn't know how, but he had turned his thick skin and layers of adipose tissue into a barrier harder than steel. If I didn't figure out a way to end his life, this would very quickly turn into a stalemate.

If there was a time to use my last resort, it'd be now. I leaped back, getting some distance from my opponent, and fished out what I had been looking for out of my bag: one of two Rainy Orbs. To my knowledge, Makuhita had zero ranged capabilities. There was no way for him to ruin what I was about to do. Without a hitch, I activated the item within my claws, and felt the rain dripping upon me.

It almost soothed my wounds, in a way. I concentrated as much water as I could and fired off the same technique I used to damage the Aggron back near the mountain, and to the shock of no one, he weathered it. There was a large, prominent bruise on his stomach, but he just kept on marching! This was deeply alarming, considering the circumstances.

I've been chasing him for weeks. He had absolutely zero time to train, and somehow, he made a huge leap in his defensive prowess. I had no problems with him when I finished him off in Parched Gorge, so how was this even possible?

Then, it hit me. What was it that I used upon him back then?

It was an Energy Ball. I only really used it for clearing out groups, but much of its force came from the burns it inflicted. It wasn't enough to set him on fire, but it'd most likely wound him more than what I had already tried.

Yet, something was amiss. My enemy had quit walking towards me, and instead went into the best sprint he could muster. It was nothing compared to my speed, but it had shown that he quit playing around. I decided to let him come to me, and once he did, I employed a bit of misdirection.

I had, in his eyes, split into two! My illusory copy entered the stance I took to fire off a ranged attack, while I used my rain-enhanced speed to quickly and silently maneuver around him! I began to charge my attack, but something was amiss: he wasn't striking the copy I had made! I thought for sure that someone like him would fall for a trick as simple as Double Team, but instead, he turned around and grabbed one of my arms!

"I'll admit that I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I think I understand your approach pretty well," Makuhita said to me. "You don't like fighting head-on. Every single time you tried to kill us, you tried to use the circumstances to your advantage." He threw me to the ground and lept up into the air for whatever reason. I rolled out of the way as he tried to land upon my stomach elbow-first, and only narrowly managed to scramble onto my feet before he charged at me again! With the amount of weight behind him, it was like fighting a living boulder.

I used my agility to dodge out of the way, after which my foe took a moment to speak a bit more. "Whether it was sinking a ship, using hostages, or just sniping at us, you hardly ever stepped out of the shadows," he rambled on, continuing to monologue. Why wasn't he just focusing on fighting? "Why do you come out now, of all times?" He asked. "You could've just fled after your assassination attempt failed. What do you gain out of doing this in the sorry state you're in?"

"Your partner ruined my life and you just went along with it," I coldly stated, all the while charging my next attack. "I'm doing this all for him. He taught me to stand up for myself, instead of running like I always did."

"Oh, you mean Cacturne," my opponent observed. "If you care for him so much, why don't you respect his wishes? He was getting up there in age. Maybe he just wanted to settle down with-"

I fired a ball of verdant energy the size of Makuhita, and to my surprise, he grabbed it, his hands burning as he tried to push it back! "Don't use his name in such a fashion," I scolded. "It was all a set-up. She ratted out to him! She just wanted the bounty money!"

With a considerable amount of effort, the living wall I was facing hefted the Energy Orb up, and threw it into the sky. "If she just wanted cash, she wouldn't have came in there," he told me. "She knew Cacturne was mad enough to hurt her or worse. Why risk her hide like that, when she could've hid behind us?"

"Enough with your excuses," I muttered, barely-restrained ire filling my every word. "Her presence was a mere back-up plan of yours. I'll make sure you don't say any more lies." I dashed around my ponderous opponent until I was behind him, and then, I charged forward. I lept up on him and used my legs to secure my position, all the while roots creeped out of my hands. They wrapped around his rather thick neck as I began to choke him, and to make matters worse, they latched onto his skin and began to drain him of vigor.

I could feel some of my lesser injuries recover as I did this, but to my surprise, that fatass leaped up into the air again! How was it that he could jump so high? His body rotated in the air, but I didn't realize what he was attempting to accomplish before it was too late. He was going to land on his back, and sandwich me between it and the earth!

I withdrew my roots, but they went back into me a second too slow. I was smashed into the ground, and I couldn't help but scream due to the pain! I was lucky none of my bones were broken, but then again, he didn't seem to want to kill me. He rolled off of me and got up, looming over me like a ghost. It was then that I recognized my mistake:

I was far too aggressive because I underestimated him. I didn't know if his whole idiot act was a ruse, if battles made him focus more, or if he was just good at adapting, but I thought too little of him. He was able to set up a two-layered ruse. He could see into my own nature, and use it to his advantage. If I had just played it safe and pelted him with water, I could have eventually defeated him, but my own preference for quick, decisive battles caused the very dilemma I was in!

"Are you done?" Makuhita questioned. "Please, just leave me and my sister alone. If you keep things up the way you are now, you might not survive, and I don't want that. You can make a change for yourself, it isn't too late-"

"Quiet!" I shouted, mustering all of the energy I had and getting up on my feet. If I couldn't finish him off, I'd just get to Asana first! I jumped back and pelted my opponent with water, which soon after began to swirl and form into a whirlpool. I shot an entire barrage of razor-sharp leaves into it for extra measure: they probably wouldn't pierce his skin, but I wanted my trap to befuddle him for as long as possible.

I ran into the cave his partner was undoubtedly resting in, and sure enough, she was asleep on the floor. I aimed my shooting arm at her and prepared to fire, only to feel something grip my arm. I was yanked a split-second before I made my shot, and I could feel Makuhita's other arm gripping my waist and preventing my escape. I could see that the Bubble Beam I fired pierced Asana's leg and woke her up. If she was capable of thinking through the pain, she'd see something I was sure would put a smile on her sick, demented face:

The fat man twisted my arm and broke it, He turned me around, and I could see a barely-constrained rage present in his features. As far as I'm concerned, he broke character: he acted nice, but was nothing more than his partner's pet brute.

"Get the hell out of here, and never show your face again!" Makuhita shouted, while I was directly next to him. His volume was almost enough to make me deaf! "I tried to be nice, but you just had to test my patience! If you try this shit again, you'll have to be carried out on a stretcher!" A quick glance at him shown that he was pretty bruised up, although there weren't any cuts on him. He most likely powered through my trap by sheer brute force. The thought was perplexing and terrifying, all at once.

My opponent then threw me to the ground, leaving me to pick myself up with my one, working arm. I surveyed the present situation, and weighed my options:

Asana was crippled and her partner was decently injured, but my dominant arm was broken. I knew I wasn't as good at shooting with the other one, and the pain from my broken bones would only compound any loss in accuracy. From my estimation, it'd be a coin flip on whether I could beat her attack dog or not.

Those odds were unacceptable. I ran as fast as I could, and considering what I saw, I was forced to re-evaluate that obese bastard's character yet again.

For most of the confrontation, he lacked the intent to kill me, unlike Asana. With how he acted, he seemed to be genuinely trying to convince me to stop. Yet, when I harmed her, I could see a murderous intent in his eyes for a moment. He quickly suppressed it, but it was there. He wasn't the brute I briefly thought he was. He was clearly enraged by what I had tried to do, but he had enough of a mastery over his own emotions to suppress those feelings. It was like every time I thought I had him figured out, he'd reveal some new facet of his personality and mindset to me.

His mercy was to their detriment. It was mistake that'd cost them both dearly. If they really were going to take refuge, times were only going to get harder for me. It'd be best to lay down some roots as well. I needed resources, allies, pawns, and more if I were to accomplish my mission, but that begs the question:

Who would even help me?