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Your Memories Are Not Enough

Started by Superkeeleybro, October 07, 2007, 07:54:24 AM

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Superkeeleybro

#15
Chapter 10: Annox?s Decision

Draconis thought for a moment about where to begin the story. ?Well, Peoria, the three of us are on a journey for a man named Forde. Forde isn?t like most humans. He understands pokemon and can talk to us.?

?Wait, I?ll tell the story,? Annox interrupted.

Draconis thought this seemed more assertive than Annox normally was, but let him have his way, since he seemed to know Peoria.

Annox continued the tale. ?The three of us were living at the Ruins Academy, and Forde would visit from time to time. This last time, he said that the humans had begun to capture pokemon for their battles, and that he needed a message delivered to Mewtwo and Mew.?

?I heard rumors about people in the Eastern kingdoms using such methods, but the armies here  all use the old way of befriending pokemon,? Peoria added. ?Still, battles are frequent, and the kingdom of Rinn to the Northeast has been sending more forces here than usual. Anyways, get back to the story.?

?Okay. After the three of us accepted this mission, we set off using a map that Forde gave us. We traveled North between two of the human kingdoms, but ran into a trap. Some humans, known as the Crows, tried to capture us, but a prince and his Flygon came to rescue us.?

?Do you know which kingdom the prince was from?? Peoria asked.

?I don?t remember.?

?His name was Leon, and I think he was from Alagarde,? Hurdy stated as he opened his eyes. From his answer, it was apparent that he had been awake at least a little while.

?Alagarde? That?s one of the small Eastern kingdoms. By the way, I?m Peoria.?

Hurdy noticed the food and began to eat, which made Annox realize that he hadn?t eaten yet.

?Draconis, you can tell the rest,? Annox stated as he examined his bowl of food.

Draconis scratched his neck before beginning. ?Our journey got even more exciting after that. The next thing that happened was that we found ourselves surrounded by electric pokemon, and then were taken to see Zapdos! Zapdos was massive and powerful, but proved to be kind. He also gave us a message to deliver to Forde. After that, we were lost in the mountains for a while, but then managed to find our way here.?

?It sounds like you all have had an exciting adventure,? Peoria said.

Annox paused from eating the food. ?Why don?t you join us??

?Come now, Annox, you know why I didn?t go along to Relic Academy with your family.?

?Yes. You wanted to become a warrior. Back then it seemed silly for such a cute Chikorita, but now that you are a Bayleef, you look the part. But it seems to me like you?ve already accomplished that goal, so why not come??

?I?ve become a powerful warrior, but along the way, I?ve learned things that keep me fighting for the Kingdom of Midern. Loyalty, honor, and the friendships I have with the people and pokemon here is what I fight for now, and what makes me gain more strength than I would have otherwise. I?m not leaving here, but you three can stay as long as you like.?

?How long have you two known each other?? Hurdy inquired.

?Me and Annox go back quite a ways,? Peoria replied. ?In some forests to the north of here are some woods where many grass pokemon live. Mine and Annox?s families lived there, and that was where we were born. I?m a year older than Annox, but the two of us spent five years together, playing among the streams of the forest. Unfortunately, more humans started coming to the area, so some of the pokemon wanted to leave. Annox?s family was some of those that left to Relic Academy, but I decided to stay in the area and follow my own goal. In curiosity, I watched the humans and one day I saw them training with pokemon. The pokemon all looked fit and powerful, so I decided to join.?

Draconis yawned and stretched. ?Well, I?ve had enough stories for now. Is there anything to do around here??

?We train hard, but also have fun when there is time for that,? Peoria explained. ?Right now most the people will be resting from the battle, and I think you three should take some time to recover.?

?I?m feeling fine,? Draconis stated. ?I want to see what it?s like around here.?

?Fine, I?ll show you around.?

Peoria led them out of the infirmary, which was built against the side of the fort, like all the other buildings. Above them some guards watched for enemies from the top of the walls. In the center of the fort was an area of dusty ground for drills, and to the side was some targets and equipment for training. The other buildings of the fort consisted of several barracks, two buildings where the pokemon were kept, and the mess hall. The barracks had basic cots for the soldiers, but few soldiers were resting on these at the moment. The pokemon stables had soft piles of grass for sleeping on, but not much else.

The mess hall was the center of fort life, and was packed with both people and pokemon at the moment. It had wooden tables, and a large kitchen in the back. At the moment, stew was being given out for dinner to the humans, and a pile of meat, fruit, and grain was laid out for the pokemon. At the tables the humans were laughing, and a few were playing cards. After the victory, everyone seemed in high spirits.

Peoria walked over to where the pokemon were gathered around the bowls of food on the floor. She grabbed some fruit, and beckoned Annox, Hurdy, and Draconis over. The three glanced around awkwardly for a second, since the other pokemon were watching them curiously. They each took some food and sat down next to Peoria.

?Who have you brought along with you Peoria?? a female Leafeon asked.

?Hello, Petal. The Turtwig is an old friend of mine, and the other two are his companions. They?ve traveled all the way from Relic Academy.?

Peoria introduced them to the other pokemon. The army pokemon were all friendly with one another, but Petal the Leafeon was the one that Peoria knew the best.

?They seem injured, and don?t look too tough,? A Gabite stated.

Draconis?s tail flared at this comment, but an ice cold stare from Hurdy kept him from saying anything rash.

?They got caught up in the battle,? explained Peoria. ?Some Mightyena from Rinn tore them up a little bit.?

?Mightyena can bite pretty hard, so it?s best to take them out from a distance,? a Raichu stated.

?If they want to become stronger, they could always join us,? Gabite suggested.

?I think that their mission is more important, so don?t try to push them into staying,? Peoria firmly told off the Gabite.

The rest of the evening passed with small talk with Peoria and the other pokemon. Several of them asked about Relic Academy, since they had friends or families that had set off to live there. Soon, it was late, and the mess hall emptied slowly.

The next day, the three decided to stay at the fort another day. Draconis and Hurdy went to go see how the pokemon and humans trained together, and Annox wanted to talk with Peoria alone, so the two headed up to the top of the walls.

Peoria looked out over the grassland, a flat expanse of green to the horizon. ?I always enjoy the view up here. Now what did you want to talk about??

Annox seemed a bit reluctant. ?I never really had as solid a reason as Draconis or Hurdy for going on this trip. They both are the sons of the village?s leaders and are the scions of the legendary heroes. They are expected to be great, and so it comes natural to them to want an adventure like this. For me, I?m just a Turtwig. The travels have been hard at times, and one of my hopes was to meet you again. Now that I have, I?m not sure I want to continue with them. I want to stay here with you.?

?That means a lot that you want to stay here with me, but you seem close to your other friends. Have you told them about this decision yet??

?No, I wanted to talk to you first.?

?Staying here won?t be easy. You?ll have to train hard, and battle even harder. I?ll be here to help, but you need a better attitude. You say you?re just a Turtwig, but with an attitude like that, you won?t get anywhere! You need to see what you can be, and push yourself! That?s how I became this powerful, and if you decide to stay, I?ll push you to be your best. Now, why don?t we go tell your friends this??

Down in the center of the fort, Draconis and Hurdy were taking part in some training battles. The pokemon didn?t use their full strength, and the first to knock the other down or hit the other five times was declared the winner.

Hurdy went first, squaring off against the Raichu. Hurdy led off with a mud slap, which hit the Raichu. The Raichu used double team and agility, making it seem to be everywhere at once. Raichu flashed in front of Hurdy, who jumped backwards and unleashed a water gun. The Raichu vanished as the water gun got near, and suddenly was behind Hurdy. As Hurdy turned, the Raichu hit with an iron tail attack, which knocked Hurdy down. Hurdy landed on his side, and Raichu was declared the winner.

?Well, that was a good fight, Mudkip,? the Raichu complimented. ?Your basics are good, and with some training, you could be powerful.?

The two headed off to get some water, and Draconis was up next, facing Gabite. Draconis remembered the comment Gabite had said last night, and his tail flame flared in anger.

?Now I?ll get to see how weak you really are,? the Gabite taunted.

?Just shut up and face me,? Draconis answered coldly.

Gabite rushed in, unleashing his slash attack. Draconis also used his, and the two attacks cancelled each other out. Draconis then unleashed a flamethrower, but Gabite shook the flames off and used dragon rage. The attack hit Draconis, but didn?t knock him down, so he attacked with metal claw. The attack hit Gabite, who countered with a take down. Gabite slammed headfirst in Draconis, who rolled until he was face down on the ground.

?Looks like I win,? Gabite gloated. ?You weren?t as weak as I thought, but you still are weak.?

Draconis got up and dusted himself off. ?It was a good match,? he said half-heartedly.

Draconis joined Hurdy at the trough of water, and that was where Peoria and Annox found them.

Annox stood in silence, staring uneasily at the ground. Peoria took the initiative to get this difficult topic started. ?Annox has something to tell you two.?

Annox started talking very quietly. ?Um, well, you see, I?m staying here with Peoria.?

?What was that? Speak up,? Draconis stated.

This time Annox said it firmly and loudly. ?I?m staying here with Peoria.?

?What?? Draconis said in surprise.

Hurdy was more understanding. ?If that is your choice, I?m fine with it. At times on our trip, you have seemed a bit depressed, so if staying here will make you happy, then do it.?

?Although it will be hard without you, I also respect your decision,? Draconis stated. ?We?ll miss you, and will come see you on the way back. But without you, who will I play my jokes on??

Annox grinned. ?Now that?s one thing I won?t miss.?

The coming farewell cast a bit of a shadow over the rest of the day, but everyone still enjoyed themselves. Soon it was the next morning, and Hurdy and Draconis were ready to set off.

?You?ve been one of my best friends, Annox,? Hurdy began. ?I?ll miss you and maybe in a week or two, when we?ll be coming back along the same route, we?ll get to see you again.?

?Well, see you later!? Draconis stated. ?I?ve never been one for long or thoughtful goodbyes, so take care.?

?I?ll miss you two as well, remember to tell my family back home where I am when you go back there.?

Draconis and Hurdy began to walk off into the grass of the plains, but Peoria yelled some advice after them. ?If you head West, then the capital, Midern, shouldn?t be too many days away. It is near where Pokemon Square once was!?

?Thanks, we?ll keep that in mind!? Draconis shouted back. ?Oh, one more thing! Show up that Gabite for me!?

Annox and Peoria watched the two go off until they were small figures in the distance.

?Since you?re staying here, we?d better go introduce you to the humans and start your training,? Peoria suggested.

?I?ll gladly do whatever you say, Peoria.?

Superkeeleybro

#16
Chapter 11: It?s a Deal

?It seems that your exile hasn?t been easy,? Forde said, after hearing Leon?s tale. ?But hardships can help each of us grow. King Willis of Farna is still on our side, unlike the Queen Iridia of Eltanah or your father. Unfortunately, our side seems to be under the attack of whatever the other side is.?

?Wait, what exactly is our side?? Leon asked.

?It isn?t really an organized group. It includes any who want to work towards the same goals as I do. Peace, prosperity, and technology are what I seek for the world, and until recently, all the leaders of this world were following my advice. So far it seems that only Farna and Midern are still trying to follow my plan. If everyone does not follow it, then my plan begins to go astray. Technology needs stability to develop, and war slows its advance.?

?Do you know why these leaders suddenly turned against the plan? My father seemed to have lost part of himself before he prepared planning for war on Farna.?

?Unfortunately, I do not know the exact cause for this. It seems that only those of the older generation are affected, while younger people, such as yourself or King Willis, remain immune to whatever is causing this. I know you want your father back, and I do, too. Why not help me, so that we can find whatever is causing this??

?It doesn?t look like I have that many other options. With my money and supplies gone, I need work, and working for you helps me get my father back. I accept your offer.?

?Good. With that settled, Corvon will take you to get some supplies, as well as teach you the basics of my group.?

Lucario got up and went through a door that led into another narrow hallway. Corvon beckoned to Leon. ?This way.?

Both Leon and Elomir got up to follow, but paused as Forde began to speak once again. ?You can leave your Flygon here. I?ll get him some food while you go with Corvon.?

Elomir returned to the table, while Leon and Corvon followed Lucario into the hallway. Forde got a large bowl with a mix of fruits and meat, and Elomir began to eat with vigor.

As Elomir ate, the Espeon and Pachirisu approached him. First the small squirrel spoke. ?Hi, I?m Chiro. A pleasure to meet you!?

?I?m Kita,? the Espeon added, as she seemed to have a new focus in her eyes.

?It?s a good day, isn?t it?? Chiro began speaking at a rapid pace. ?Now that your friend joined us, you?ll be working with us as well! I always love to meet new pokemon. How do you feel about all this??

Elomir swallowed a mouthful of food. ?It?s good that we found you, else I?d probably have to deliver messages or some meaningless work until we got enough money to move on. I support Leon in all his decisions, although that means some sacrifices on my part.?

?You look like you?ve trained hard,? Kita complimented before walking off towards Forde.

Chiro continued with some small talk. ?The weather is nice today, but that sandstorm a few days ago was rough. It must have been bad for you in the desert. You know, I don?t really like the desert much, I prefer the forests near Mt. Thunder??

Elomir paid little attention to Chiro?s chattering as he finished his food. Kita and Forde were conversing quietly, while Forde searched through his pack for something. Soon, Forde pulled out a Lum Berry, and walked over to Elomir.

?Here, eat this. It will help the burn?

Elomir chewed on the berry slowly, enjoying its flavor and allowing it to heal the burn on his foot. Forde continued speaking to Elomir once the berry was finished.

?As a pokemon, this may seem strange, but I?m going to speak with you. It seems you trust Leon, and are willing to fight for him, but Kita also sensed that there is something you?ve been hiding from him.?

?You read my mind?? Elomir growled at Kita.

?So what? It?s part of my job as Forde?s partner,? Kita responded. ?Just trust us.?

?I do apologize for having Kita look into your thoughts, but I find it necessary to know if all the humans and pokemon I work with are really committed to what they say they are,? Forde added. ?It is clear that you trust and love Leon, but from what Kita saw, a new passion is eating away at this old friendship. You can tell me anything, and I?ll not reveal it to Leon unless you want me to.?

?Well, it?s amazing that you understand me at all.?

?I have ways to translate what pokemon say. There are devices that do this, left over from the old world, and if you tell me the truth, I?ll let you and Leon borrow one of these translators for a moment, so that you can speak to each other.?

?I could actually talk with Leon?! Then of course I?ll tell you. It might do me some good to talk about it, anyway. To tell you the truth, I met several Flygon in the desert. A wonderful female Flygon named Allia offered to be my mate if I left Leon to live with her. I had to turn her down, but I can?t stop thinking of her. It?s driving me crazy. As much as I enjoy being with Leon, I really want to go back to her.?

Forde took all this in with an amused silence. ?I see. It is natural for a Flygon of your age to want such things. These urges will only grow until you either learn to control your thoughts or fulfill your desire. I really think you should talk with Leon about this. I?m sure he?ll understand. Kita, you can tell Lucario to send Leon back now.?

Kita concentrated and the gem on her forehead glowed a bit. A moment later, Leon, Corvon, and Lucario returned. Leon?s pack seemed full now, and he looked more at ease.

?Corvon, I trust you?ve told him what he?ll need to know?? Forde inquired.

?Yes, I?ve gone over our contacts, locations, and plans. I?m going to go prepare for our departure.?

?Good. I needed to speak with him alone anyway.?

Corvon and Lucario left once again. Leon still had a lot of questions, even after what Corvon had told him. Leon decided to ask the one that bothered him the most. ?Forde, why are you wanted for treason??

?That goes back to the sides I discussed earlier. Queen Iridia seems to be on whatever the other side is. She used to be a wise and caring ruler, but recently she seems bent on expanding her empire. I used to be able to suggest which actions would be good for her kingdom, but when I opposed her preparations for war, she declared me a traitor. With some help from Kita and Chiro, we escaped the guards, and have been hiding here ever since.?

?That does seem very similar to what happened with my father. What country is Eltanah going to go to war with??

?Midern. Midern?s ruler, King Verault, is only a few years older than King Willis, and he still remains on our side. It seems those who side with me are being attacked, but what or who is making leaders of nations change is beyond what I?ve discovered thus far. That is why we are going to aid Midern, since Eltanah?s forces will be leaving within a few days. Also, I have a powerful friend who lives close to Midern, who should have gathered some information for me by the time we arrive, if my messengers didn?t run into many delays.?

?Okay, that?s good. Now should Elomir and I prepare to leave as well??

?Not yet. I have something special for you first.?

Forde pulled out a small electronic device and set it on the table. ?Leon, this is a translator. I?ll let you and Elomir speak to one another while I go make preparations of my own. Just bring me the translator after you are done speaking to each other. Don?t worry about taking too long, we?ll be leaving after nightfall, so you have a few hours.?

?Thank you!? Leon stammered. ?I don?t know how to repay you for this unexpected surprise. I?ll do my best to help you from now on!?

?I?m sure you two have much to discuss, so just go to the end of the hallway when you?re done.?

Chiro climbed to his favorite spot on Forde?s shoulder, and Kita walked in front as the three left the room. For a brief moment, all Leon and Elomir could manage to do was stare at one another.

Leon broke the silence. ?The first thing I want you to know is how that you are my best friend, but I bet you already knew that.?

The translator smoothly interpreted Elomir?s words into a deep and powerful voice. ?You are also my best friend. You?ve always been by my side.?

?Yes, I try to protect you as much as you protect me. Elomir, I?ve noticed that you?ve been a bit distant lately. Did something happen with you and than other Flygon??

?Forde said I should talk openly about this, even if it is a bit difficult. Leon, I think I?m in love with Allia, the Flygon I spent some time with. I can?t seem to stop thinking about her, and sometimes I even wish I had taken her offer to leave you and stay with her. I feel guilty every time I think such things, but the thought is still there in my heart.?

Leon paused nervously for a minute. ?Hmm, I knew that something like this might happen eventually if we ever met other Flygon. I know that it is natural for pokemon to want to raise a family with a mate once they mature, like you have, but I never wanted that time to come. How about we make a deal? Let?s find a way to return my father to his old self, and then, if you still want to go to Allia, I won?t complain about it. Right now, I need you more than ever, and if you left, I?m not sure if I could go on??

?That is a good plan. With such wisdom, I?m sure you?ll be a great king. It?s a deal. I?ll go with you until you can return to Alagarde, and then I will go to the desert and find Allia again.?

?I?m glad that?s settled, now what else do you want to talk about??

Leon and Elomir talked about their years, mishaps, and adventures together. After about two hours, they decided that it was time to go join Forde.

Forde watched the two entering the stables, and saw that they now shared even more of a bond than before. Leon held the translator, and him and Elomir were engaged in playful conversation as they approached Forde.

Leon grasped the translator, and sighed as he offered it back to Forde. Forde pushed his hand back. ?I?ve decided that you can keep this translator. I have a few of them, and I think that you two are better off having it than me. Take this and you can wear it around your neck.?

Forde handed Leon a strap for the translator. Leon strung the device around his neck carefully. ?I don?t think I?ll ever be able to repay you for this, Forde. Many people would give all they own to have one, and even a king or queen would use most their treasury to get one of these.?

?They used to be commonplace, and if you know where to look, you can find them. That?s how I got so many. Teaching electric pokemon how to charge electronics makes so useless relics from the old world become useful once again.?

?I also thank you,? Elomir added.

?Okay, then you two need to get ready to go.?

?I can carry Leon as long as I have enough food to keep my strength up,? Elomir said.

?I got plenty of good trail food in my new supplies, so we?ll be fine,? Leon added. ?I even got a few spicy ones, since that is your favorite type of food.?

?Then I?m ready to fly,?

?Okay, we?ll be leaving in about an hour, after the gates close for night,? Forde explained. ?Our secret exit leads us out of the walls by the main gate, so we leave late to avoid any people entering or leaving the city.?

The hour passed slowly, with each person checking their supplies several times. Corvon and Lucario opened up a doorway hidden in the stone, and peered out.

?Okay, it looks clear, let?s move,? whispered Corvon.

Unfortunately, as soon as they got on the open road, the gate opened and a patrol of soldiers in orange and yellow uniforms stepped out. Among the skeletal vegetation and smooth sand, there was no hiding spot.

?Halt!? the guards shouted upon seeing their figures in the darkness.

?I?ll take care of this,? Forde whispered. ?Leon, Corvon, escape quickly on the road.?

They both did as commanded, and Lucario and Elomir followed. Forde, Kita, and Chiro stopped into the center of the road, ready to face the soldiers. In only a moment, the soldiers had closed in and surrounded the three, with their spears and pokemon ready to strike at the command.

The commander looked upon the man he had found. ?You?re Forde! Capture him!?

Forde looked from Kita to Chiro. ?You two know what to do.?

Chiro jumped from Forde?s shoulder into the air above them. He unleashed a massive discharge of electricity. The searing bolts arced from soldier to soldier and pokemon to pokemon, leaving the enemy stunned and paralyzed. Kita then used flash, blinding all the soldiers for an instant.

Forde recalled Chiro and Kita into the pokeballs, and by the time the soldiers had recovered he was far down the road, out of sight and out of danger.

Leon, Corvon, and Lucario went at a fast jog down the road, and Elomir flew above them. Flying at night made Elomir a bit nervous, since he could not make out much, so he remained above the height where any trees or rock formations would be. After about a minute of this, they heard Forde behind them.

?You can slow down now, I took care of the soldiers!? he yelled from afar.

They paused while Forde caught up, but Kita and Chiro didn?t seem to be with him.

?Where did your Espeon and Pachirisu go?? Leon asked.

?Oh, they were right behind me. Let me go see.?

After walking a short distance away, Forde returned with Chiro and Kita. ?Sorry, but I don?t think we?ll be able to get much sleep tonight. Once they alert the city, they might have more patrols out after me. We should keep moving for a few more hours. It?s still at least a week?s travel to Midern, but once we get out of Eltanah, we won?t have to worry about being caught by soldiers as much.?

THEBIRD

Looks awesome. I'll probably read it eventually. Too bad the Fan Fic board isn't as big as it was on NSiders. I think the RPG board stole its thunder :P.

Light

I've just finished reading all the chapters you have posted (took me about half an hour). I've also just finished coming to the conclusion that this is the best fanfic on this board. ;D Let's see:

+ Interesting and believable characters
+ Gripping plot
+ Great use of vocabulary
+ Hardly any spelling or grammar errors
+ Wonderful description
+ Keeps me - the reader - guessing the entire time.

You should be glad at how well you're doing. I can't wait for the next chapter! Keep it up!

9.5/10
Holy crap all my sigs were always poop. Best leave this space alone.

Superkeeleybro

#19
Chapter 12: Delivery

Without Annox with them, both Hurdy?s and Draconis?s hearts felt as empty as the grassy plains around them. Empty, with the same thing repeating, over and over.

?It doesn?t feel right, with only the two of us,? Hurdy muttered.

?Yeah, I just seem a bit down,? Draconis answered. ?On the bright side, we are moving faster, but I?d rather have Annox back.?

?It was his decision. No use dragging along someone who doesn?t have their heart in the mission.?

?Yeah, I guess you?re right. Maybe the solitude of these grasslands is just getting to us. There?s barely a few pokemon for miles.?

?That could be it, Draconis. Let?s just move forward and keep our hopes high. Only a few more days left.?

The two continued pressing forward. Soon, farmlands and grazing cattle began to dot the landscape. The next day, the massive city of Midern, at the side of the Wandering River, came into view. From afar, Draconis and Hurdy could see the carts, people, and pokemon coming and going from the city. They kept some distance, but had to hide as a patrol passed by.

Many of the soldiers in the group looked to be recent recruits, and the older soldiers seemed to have a look of grim determination, as if preparing for what they wished to avoid. After the thudding of boots on the hard road grew distant, Draconis and Hurdy slowly put Midern behind them.

The next day, they awakened early in anticipation of the days events. After a quick breakfast, they set off for the ruins of Pokemon Square, which lay on the horizon.

?I?ve been thinking, Draconis,? Hurdy said. ?Neither of us has been to where Pokemon Square once stood, yet it holds so much of our history. When only pokemon lived in the world, it was the only organized community. It was also much more than that. It was where our ancestors once saved the world.?

?It seems that you?re in a thoughtful mood.? Draconis chuckled. ?Of course it is that, but now it?s just some old ruins. Things change, and the world moves on.?

?True, and it?s how we face that change that makes us who we are.?

Hurdy and Draconis reached the outskirts of the ruins, where the stone paths remained with grass growing in every available cranny. They reverently moved forward, passing by the mossy piles of stone where bases and buildings once stood. Against a cliff to the North stood an ancient pond, where, nearby, a large stone slab was the only remaining thing that had not fallen down.

?It don?t remember this being mentioned,? Hurdy stated. ?It doesn?t look as old as the rest of this.?

?It looks like there is writing on it, why don?t we go check it out?? Draconis suggested.

The large slab of granite stood about 10 feet high, and Hurdy and Draconis tried to make out the faintly engraved lettering. Hurdy did most the work, since Draconis could barely read even pokemon writing, but the engravings were too faint to be made out.

Draconis noticed a small metal circle at the lower center of the slab. ?I wonder what this does?? He pressed the button inwards.

Suddenly Draconis and Hurdy were blinded by a brilliant light coming from the slab. ?What did you do?? Hurdy yelled as they covered their eyes.

?Nothing. I just touched the small metal circle.?

?I hope this isn?t anything dangerous.?

They both cautiously opened their eyes, and gasped as the slab was now surrounded by Unown. The letter pokemon orbited the slab for a moment before they began spelling out a message on it.

?Hurry, read it Hurdy,? Draconis said as he pointed at the Unown.

?Okay, here is what it says.? Hurdy began reading. ?In memory of Ben, the human who became a pokemon, Draconis, the one who guided him, and Absol, who joined them when all others had turned against them. May they always be remembered for saving the world from the meteor.?

When Hurdy had finished, the Unown flew off of the slab, and began circling it once again. After a moment, they formed a new message, which Hurdy read aloud to Draconis. ?In memory of all the heroes who helped defeat Nerezzik, and reconnected humans and pokemon.?

At that moment, the Unown moved off of the slab, and formed into a sphere. Their combined power built in the center of the sphere before a beam of light shot out and spread across the entire slab. The light formed into images, the first of which was a Charmander finding an unconscious Mudkip. The scene then showed the two leaving Pokemon Square, fleeing from many pokemon. Next, it showed them meeting Absol. After that came the meeting with Ninetales, and tears of joy streaked down the Charmander?s face. The images now moved to epic battles. The Mudkip, Charmander, and Absol fought against Groudon and then Rayquaza. Rayquaza destroyed the meteor after his defeat, and then the images went blank.

Hurdy was in awe at what he just saw. ?Draconis, I think that we just saw our ancestors in those images!?

?I was thinking the same thing. They looked just like us!?

Further discussion was interrupted as the Unown began showing a second series of images, this time about the war against Nerezzik. It began with a blonde-haired young man and a Gardevoire. The young man turned back into the Mudkip from earlier as he went with Gardevoire from his world. Meanwhile, Charmander fought alongside a Gengar, Ekans, and Medicham against many enemies. When all seemed lost, the Mudkip appeared. Soon, a pokemon unlike any other appeared to face the Mudkip. Nerezzik was his name, and he was a pokemon made from the twisted magic of ancient sorcerers. He controlled the pokemon that fought the Charmander, and was about to beat the Mudkip, who used an escape orb at the last moment. The pictures skipped ahead, to where the heroes, which included the earlier ones, now evolved into a Charizard and Swampert, fought against Nerezzik and his strongest recruits. Mewtwo also had joined Nerrezik, and the battles shown were unlike any Hurdy or Draconis had seen. Pokemon against pokemon clashed, but to Hurdy and Draconis?s surprise, human and pokemon fought. After a long time, the battle was over, but several were dead.

The Unown now broke formation and the images disappeared. The Unown vanished back to wherever they came from, leaving Draconis and Hurdy to be alone. They sat in silence for a moment, but Draconis could bear it no longer.

?Hurdy, those battles were vicious. We?re not even close to our ancestor?s powers. I also noticed that your ancestor was actually a human. I never knew that before.?

?It said that in the first message that appeared, but I guess it took some time for it to sink into your head. It is true. My ancestor was once a human, but became a pokemon and decided to stay that way. At least now we see why both humans and pokemon follow the rule of not fighting against the other.?

A new voice, both commanding and intelligent, spoke inside both their heads. ?I?m glad you enjoyed the memorial. I set it up when Pokemon Square became like it is now.?

Both Draconis and Hurdy looked around in confusion, trying to see where the voice came from.

?If you?re looking for me, then look up high,? the voice hinted. ?From what I saw of your thoughts and conversation, you both are descended from some of the heroes that I made this memorial for.?

Hurdy finally looked on top of the slab, where one of the pokemon they had just seen in the images floated. Draconis noticed where Hurdy was staring, and also turned to look. For a moment, the tall pokemon, with his long purple tail, thick legs, and fierce eyes just watched them. After a moment, he floated down to their level, but they had to crane their necks just to see his face.

?So, you found me. I am Mewtwo.?

Both Hurdy and Draconis shouted at the same time. ?Mewtwo!?

?From your thoughts, it seems like you?ve been looking for me for some time. To what may I owe the pleasure of your company??

?We?ve brought a message for you,? Hurdy replied.

?And it?s from Forde? This ought to be interesting. Why don?t we head to my home, where we won?t have to worry about being interrupted??

Mewtwo flicked his hand at Draconis and Hurdy, who vanished, and then Mewtwo followed the two. They all appeared on a small island in the middle of the ocean. Groves of fruit trees covered the island?s outer edges, and in the center of the island, a circular tower of rock rose about 20 feet, and a spacious cave entrance led to the inside of this formation.

?Before you ask,? Mewtwo began, and Draconis was stopped from beginning his question. ?This is my home, Western Cave, which is on Western Island, which I also consider to be my land. I live here with Mew, but she?s gone at the moment, observing some of the human kingdoms. Now, let me see that message.?

Hurdy got out the letter from their small supply pouch, and Mewtwo seemed to read it in an instant. ?Zapdos also sent a message for Forde,? Hurdy declared.

?Will you let me see that one also?? Mewtwo requested.

?It?s not like it would matter. You could just read our minds if you wanted,? Draconis said, with a hint of annoyance.

?I do like to be polite when I can afford to be.?

Hurdy handed Mewtwo the second letter, which Mewtwo read over in a few seconds.

?The first letter isn?t too shocking of news. The observations of Mew and myself easily found a few deviations that I was going to discuss with Forde anyway. The second one is interesting. Mew also found a similar group, and placed them under the care of Latias and Latios in a small valley in the Northern Mountains. We?ve made no progress in restoring their memories, but like the group Zapdos found, they seemed to remember a short fragment. The one we found said:

Of crumbled inn few reminisce
Its faulty beams will not be missed

Now this is all rather curious, but I doubt any of us have a clue to unlocking its secrets. Perhaps Uxie could help, but I haven?t seen Uxie in ages.?

?Uxie? Who?s that?? Draconis questioned.

?It?s the being of knowledge,? Hurdy answered.

Mewtwo seemed to watch the two with an amused interest. ?You both are quite like your forefathers in many ways. I guess some things never change. Anyways, help yourselves to the fruit, and I?ll be in my cave, trying to contact Kita, who will tell Forde about this. This might take anywhere up to a few hours, so don?t interrupt me.?

Mewtwo left for his cave, and Hurdy and Draconis gazed up at all the fruit around them, which included many kinds they had never seen before. After knocking down a few pieces with water gun, the two settled down in the shade.

?Mewtwo kind of creeps me out,? Draconis said between bites. ?He seems to know what I?m thinking right as I think it.?

?He is one of the most powerful psychic pokemon,? Hurdy explained. ?It seems odd that neither him nor Forde have figured out what is changing the humans.?

?Maybe it?s just human nature. They aren?t always the best of creatures.?

?I don?t think all of it could be due to that. Whole groups of people don?t just lose their memories, like with Zapdos?s village or the one Mewtwo mentioned. Whatever it is, it must be something unusual for neither of those two to find it yet.?

?I?d rather not think about all of that right now. I just want to enjoy this food, and maybe take a nap if Mewtwo is really going to take a few hours.?

?I think I?ll join you on taking a nap, I?m pretty tired.?

So, hours later, near sunset, both Draconis and Hurdy found themselves being shaken awake while floating. Mewtwo promptly placed them on their feet after they awakened.

?I got through to Kita, who spoke with Forde,? Mewtwo explained. Forde has learned that Eltanah plans to attack Midern, so he is headed North with a few others to help defend Midern. He requests your help, if you wish to give it, and also mentions that if you go see him now, he will have your rewards ready. If you decide not to help, he gave me permission to return you home, where he may have your reward whenever he has time to travel that way again.?

?Midern? Isn?t that the people that Annox joined with?? Draconis announced.

?Yes, it is!? Hurdy gasped. ?If a war is going to break out, we?d better go help Annox!?

?I think your decision is quite clear then,? Mewtwo concluded. ?We are to wait here until Forde is near the city of Midern, and then join him. That gives us a day or two to prepare, so we?ll do some practice tomorrow.?

At that moment, Mew appeared to the side of Mewtwo. She was much smaller and pink with a long, thin tail. She took in the two unknown pokemon, and she and Mewtwo seemed to be sharing some unspoken communication for a few minutes. Afterwards, she turned to Draconis and Hurdy to share the news.

?A formal greeting will have to be cut short,? she began. ?I was in Deltan for some time, but decided to check on Rinn. Upon arriving, I found out the Kingdom of Rinn had sent out its army to attack Midern several days ago. The army itself has already begun its push into Midern?s lands, and will be at the capital sometime tomorrow! Mewtwo told me that Eltanah has also sent its forces, which further increases the danger of this situation. If we do nothing, Midern will surely fall to this two-pronged attack. We need to leave for Midern now!?

?I guess that erases our day or two of preparation, but we?re needed,? Mewtwo added. ?Now let?s be going.?

Mewtwo and Mew began glowing with psychic energy, and soon the four pokemon warped to the dark inside of a building in Midern.

Light

Another good chapter! Though it lacked a bit of description and a few errors were found, I have to say that it was still better than anything else on this board. Good job!
Holy crap all my sigs were always poop. Best leave this space alone.

Superkeeleybro

#21
Chapter 13: Border Crossing

After two days of avoiding patrols, Leon and Corvon were weary. The rapid pace was exhausting them. On the other hand, Forde seemed to be as strong as ever, showing no sign of weariness.

The pokemon were more hardy than the humans. Elomir, Lucario, Kita, and Chiro all kept up (although for Chiro, that meant staying on Forde?s shoulder). Elomir was less distracted now. Each day that passed, each mile he traveled, and every foe that he fought meant he was that much closer to returning to Allia.

Behind them, the lights of Eltanah?s advancing army could be seen where they had been only the night before. Even after this arduous journey was over, they wouldn?t have much time to rest. But for now, their goal was to get past the large fort near the border.

This large garrison had frequent patrols, and flat ground offered no cover from the sentries on the walls. After studying it from a distance for a short time, Forde revealed his plan.

?When the sun begins to set,? he explained, ?that is when we make our move. You two will move into the shadows on the Eastern side of the fort, while I?ll go on the West, providing a distraction.?

Corvon seemed worried. ?Why must you always be the one in danger, while we run or stay in the shadows? We?d like to help.?

Forde just gave an amused sigh. ?Just look at yourselves. Both you and Leon are exhausted. Your pokemon could help if you want them to, but they?ll have to be careful.?

Leon thought the plan over. ?Forde?s right. Neither of us could escape as well as he can. I do wish to help, though. Elomir, you wouldn?t mind giving some air support to Forde, would you??

?If it gets us through faster, then I?m all for it,? Elomir replied.

As the few hours passed before sunset, they rested and went over the plan several times. The advancing army behind them gave them something to be nervous about, but they would be gone soon enough. At last, the time had come.

Forde, along with Chiro and Kita, took off at a light run. The group moved quickly, and the sentries soon spotted them. The alarm was sounded, and a regiment of soldiers moved to block Forde. Since he didn?t show any sign of slowing, some archers on the wall began taking shots at him. The fort also sent out some pokemon to capture him.

?Remember, this will be a running battle,? reminded Forde. ?Just slow them down and move on. Elomir will provide enough cover for us.?

Forde never broke stride, but Kita slowed as she placed a barrier in the way of the first attackers. Chiro shot thunder waves from Forde?s shoulder, stopping several attackers in their tracks. Even with these attacks against them, several enemies still began to catch up.

Kita broke out into an all out run, and an Arcanine was right behind her. It seemed to be gaining on her with each stride, and it leapt to block her way. In the air, the Arcanine was knocked aside by a diving green blur, which turned out to be Elomir.

?I?ll cover you. Catch up with Forde,? Elomir stated.

Elomir began blasting foes with his dragonbreath attack. Kita continued running towards Forde, who had slowed down to allow her to catch up. Arrows began to thud into the ground near Forde, and right as Kita reached him, she saw an arrow heading right for him. In a barely visible motion, Forde caught the arrow. He dropped it as Kita moved past him and stayed at her pace.

With the entire fort distracted, Leon, Corvon, and Lucario had made their way past the fort, and now were running away from it. Forde and his group joined them a minute later.

?Now for Elomir to pull of the final part of the plan,? said Forde, not even out of breath.

At the moment, Elomir was engaged in battle with a Crobat that had been tailing him. After getting hit by its supersonic waves, he couldn?t seem to fly straight. The Crobat scored a few hits with wing attacks. Sporting a few fresh bruises, Elomir recovered and whipped his tail to meet the Crobat. His tail slammed right into the center of its face, and it was spiked down to the ground below.

Elomir found the others soon, and torched a large line of grass with his breath. The grass burst into small flames, and the large amount of smoke would cover their escape. Luckily, the grass wasn?t dry enough for the fire to spread far, but it would block the troops long enough.

Leon called from below. ?Good work, Elomir. It?s been decided that you?ll carry me and Corvon. Forde and Lucario will take the supplies and travel on the ground.?

Elomir landed, muttering as the two humans climbed on. ?This is going to be heavy. I think I can manage if it?s for a short time.?

Leon patted Elomir?s head as the dragon took off. ?It won?t be long. Just to that next fort up there, which is where Midern?s official border begins.?

Elomir seemed to be having trouble gaining height, but leveled out. Below them, the small figures of Forde and Lucario could be seen, moving at a brisk run. They kept this up for about an hour and, under the faint blue light of twilight, they reached the border fort of Midern.

The guards at this fort, in their green and blue colors, stopped them briefly as the commander arrived. Once Forde had explained the situation to the commander, they were let in and given a simple but filling meal and given the guest rooms to sleep in. After the long day, they all fell right asleep.

The next morning they were given another good meal, but the soldiers of this fort seemed on edge after Eltanah?s army had been spotted on the horizon. ?Farewell,? said the commander as the group left. ?Take word of this to the capital as quickly as possible. They?ll need you more there. The last messenger had some troubling news about Rinn moving its armies, but after that we?ve lost all communication. We?ll hold this fort as long as possible.?

Once again they were off on another day of walking along the dusty road in the hot sun. The night at the fort had given them a bit more rest and food than usual, so everyone was ready to travel the final stretch to Midern.

The first day gave Leon plenty of time to think. He and Elomir were doing much better now that they could speak to each other. Leon realized he didn?t really know much about Corvon, Lucario, or Forde and his pokemon so he decided to ask them that night.

Once they had set up the fire, Leon made his move. ?Corvon, Forde, I realized that I never really got to know about where you?re from. Would you mind telling me??

Corvon poked at the fire a minute before responding. ?I was young when the collapse occurred. In the resulting cataclysm, I lost both parents. I had lived in a remote area and wandered, finding food where I could. Lost and hungry one day, I collapsed. A Riolu, who is now this Lucario, found me and took care of me. The two of us lived in the mountains for a time, taking care of each other. Once evolved, Lucario wanted a bit more adventure than wandering the mountains provided, so we made our way to what remained of civilization.?

Corvon adjusted the cooking meat over the fire and continued. ?We both made a decent living as mercenaries, and Lucario would only allow us to take the jobs with no injustice involved.?

?I?ve got my pride and reputation to uphold,? Lucario cut in.

Corvon gave his partner a pat on the back. ?At times this meant some hardship for us, but eventually we found Forde, who offered us a permanent job working for him. Until recently, we would keep an eye on things were Forde could not be. With this war beginning, it looks like we may be getting back into fighting once again.?

?Thanks for telling us,? Leon complimented. ?What about you, Forde??

?Dinner is ready,? Forde declared. ?I?ll tell you after that.?

They each took their share of the food, but Forde walked off with his. Kita and Chiro accompanied him, as always.

?I?ve noticed that Forde doesn?t like to eat with others,? Leon stated.

Corvon shrugged. ?That?s how it?s always been. I?ve learned not to question it.?

When they were both done, Forde returned. ?I?m ready to tell you a little bit of my past, but keep in mind that I?m older than I look. I also lived before the collapse. Back then, I had teachers who taught me in many things. They knew the collapse was coming and were teaching me how to carry on the secrets of technology and society that might have been lost otherwise. Right before the collapse, I was sent to a place called Relic Academy, where the effects of the collapse were the least.?

Elomir, who had been listening with his eyes closed, perked up and interrupted Forde. ?Relic Academy? Me and Leon met three pokemon from there. We freed them from a trap in the forest. Apparently they were delivering a message for you, Forde.?

Leon seemed to be trying hard to remember. ?You mean that Charmander, Mudkip, and Turtwig we met were from there? What kind of a place is Relic Academy??

?It is the closest thing pokemon have to a city,? Forde explained. ?If you met those three you described, then you did me a favor by saving them. I was having them take a message for me. That?s just one of the things I?ve been able to do with these translators. Once you get to know pokemon, you?ll find out that most of them are just as complex as people. But let?s get back to my story. After the collapse, I began to help the emerging kingdoms. I helped establish the trade routes used now. I also introduced some basic technologies to make their lives easier and ease the suffering. And until now, I?ve been able to keep peace.?

?I never would have imagined that you did all that,? Leon said. ?Thanks for telling me. It?s getting pretty late now, so I think I?ll be going to bed.?

?Me, too,? Corvon added.

Soon, they were all resting, and the pokemon would take turns on the watch. Leon was not quite asleep, and so he whispered quietly to Elomir, who sat next to him, taking the first shift for the night watch.

?Hey, Elomir, do you think Forde was telling the whole truth??

?I?m not really sure, Leon. We?ve all been together only a few days, so they probably left parts out. Everyone has sensitive or embarrassing moments they don?t like to talk about.?

?Like that time you got stuck in a tree when learning how to fly??

?If you?re going to go there, why don?t I mention the time you spilled the drinks all over the place at that ball, including on your father?s fancy clothes??

?Okay, I?ll drop it.?

?Me, too.?

Both Leon and Elomir began laughing at the embarrassing memories, but after a few minutes Corvon yelled at them to be quiet. As he stopped laughing, Leon settled down to sleep.

Later that night, when it was Kita?s turn to be on watch, Forde stayed up with her as usual.

?Kita, do you think I should ever reveal the entire truth? I know I look like them, but the differences become obvious if we stay with them too long. I think they both have noticed a few odd things about me already.?

?No, I don?t think you should. Perhaps once things are settled again, but I think you won?t ever need to reveal it. Me and Chiro are meant to be your company and keep your secret.?

?Yes, I will wait, then. For now. We need to worry about what is causing this war first, not to mention the coming battle we face at Midern. If Rinn also moved its armies in, then we?ll be facing a long siege, hedged in by two armies. I only hope there will be enough supplies to last through such an event. Otherwise, we may need to intervene more directly than ever before.?

?It won?t come to that, Forde. I?ll be your sword, and Chiro can be your? whatever. Anyways, with us you won?t need to pick up a weapon. Now or ever.?

?I only pray that is so.?

The following morning came, and another day of traveling passed. By the end, they could see the city of Midern in the distance, and another army on the horizon.

Forde frowned at this turn of events. ?Just as I feared. Rinn?s army is almost upon  Midern. We won?t get much rest tonight. We must travel until it?s dark.?

Leon sighed and picked up his pack. The few hours of traveling brought them much closer to Midern, and the fires of the two armies dotted the horizons on the South and Northeast, glittering like eyes watching them. Forde allowed them all to rest, setting no watch after the long day.

Around noon, they finally arrived, and the guards let them in with smiles, since Midern could use all the help in the coming battle. As soon as they entered, a man, in a brown cloak that covered his entire body and face, approached Forde. The man whispered a few things and Forde?s mood suddenly brightened.

?I?ll see you at the base,? Forde told the man. ?First I must go see the king.?

The cloaked man nodded and walked off, and had disappeared a few moments later.

?Who was that? I?ve never seen him before,? Corvon questioned.

?An ally of mine,? Forde replied. ?With his help, we?ll have a few less things to worry about. You?ll meet him soon, but I must go to the king. Corvon, you know the way to my base, so take Leon there. We only have a few short hours before battle.?

?I will,? Corvon answered. Corvon led Leon down some side streets before pausing in a dark alley. He cautiously looked around before moving a barrel aside and lifting up a thin stone covering that concealed a ladder leading down.

The four of them made their way down, but for Elomir it was a tight squeeze through the entrance. Once down, they were in a base much like the one in Eltanah, with storage rooms and a meeting hall with a table. The lights had already been powered up, despite Chiro not coming to this base for a long time. Waiting for them, at the head of the table, was the cloaked figure from earlier.

?Forde sent you here while he went to the king,? the figured stated, already knowing what had gone on. ?Very well, we shall wait, but let?s get introductions out of the way first. Be prepared. I am not a man, as I may seem.?

The figure?s last statement explained why the voice seemed to be in their heads. That was little cushioning to the next shock. The cloak around the figure disappeared, revealing large creature with a long purple tail and thin body.

?I am Mewtwo, a pokemon that works with Forde. You all arrived faster than expected, which is for the best.?

These statements washed over Leon, Corvon, Lucario, and Elomir much like the shock from the appearance. Before them was the mysterious Mewtwo, who they had only heard about in legends.

Superkeeleybro

#22
Chapter 14: Survivors

Leon, Corvon, Lucario, and Elomir were about to introduce themselves, but Mewtwo held up a hand, as if signaling them to stop.

?I already can sense who you are from your minds. Leon is the banished prince from Alagarde, Corvon is a mercenary now working for Forde, Lucario is Corvon?s partner, and Elomir is Leon?s partner.?

Mewtwo?s eyes swept over them, as if he already knew each of their deepest secrets and desires. Under such a gaze, they remained silent, which left Mewtwo to continue the one-sided conversation.

?I think it?s time to introduce a few others you?ll be working with. Mew, you may bring in the others.?

The door opened and a pink pokemon with a long tail floated in. Behind it was a Charmander and Mudkip. The pink pokemon also revealed that it spoke through telepathy as she began.

?I hope Mewtwo didn?t intrude too deeply into your thoughts while I was gone. It?s a bad habit of his. Anyways, I am Mew.?

?I?m Draconis,? the Charmander added. ?I think we?ll be working together in this coming battle.?

?I?m Hurdy,? the Mudkip stated. ?I think we already met two of you before.?

Elomir recognized the two. ?Yes, we saved you in the forest, but where did the Turtwig go??

Hurdy looked down at the floor. ?We don?t really know. I was hoping to find him, but Rinn?s army must have already captured the fort he was at. I only hope he?s okay.?

?Forde?s here,? Mewtwo interrupted.

A moment later, Forde, Chiro, and Kita entered the small meeting room. Forde motioned everyone to take their places at the table before beginning his explanation. ?Okay, I?ve spoken with King Verault. He?s prepared all available men to help defend the city. Against two armies, his best hope is to hold them off until their supplies, morale, or numbers run low. With the extra refugees that have been coming in, the city only has enough food for a few days. If the siege lasts any longer than that, can I count on you, Mewtwo and Mew to help??

?Food will be easy to teleport in,? Mewtwo stated.

?What else will we be doing during the siege?? Mew asked.

?I?m glad you asked,? Forde said. ?I think we need to get to the bottom of why the nations are attacking Midern. You both will go and do some mind-reading for me. See if you can discover anything from Queen Iridia of Eltanah or King Zeidhelme of Rinn. One of you will also need to search for Uxie, who may hold some of the information we need. Keep in contact with me daily to see how we are faring here.?

?Sounds fun,? Mewtwo responded as he gave a bow and vanished.

?I hope we can find what you?re looking for,? Mew replied before going as well.

?What about us?? Draconis demanded.

?The time for battle is nearly upon us,? Forde answered. ?You and Hurdy will join Leon, Corvon, and their partners in the battle. All of you will help on the main front, unless I have some other need for you. I will be moving around, helping King Verault command the troops in battle, so you?ll be seeing me from time to time.?

?What about the reward for delivering the message to Mewtwo?? Hurdy inquired.

?Oh, yes, I do have that. Let me get it.? Forde pulled two objects out of his pack. ?Here, catch.?

Forde tossed the first item to Draconis. It was a claw of some kind, attached to a string that was to be worn around the neck.

?That is a quick claw,? explained Forde. ?It will make you move faster in battle. Perfect for someone like you, right??

?I can?t wait to try it.?

Forde turned to Hurdy. ?For you, I have this.?

Since Mudkip can?t catch well, Forde slid the item over the tabletop to Hurdy. It seemed to be a pair of glasses with a few odd markings on the rims.

?Those are called the wise glasses. Besides making you look smart, they?ll increase the power of your special attacks.?

Hurdy slipped on the glasses. ?Hmm, I see.?

Forde resumed giving the orders. ?The time to move out is upon us. You?ll be defending the Eastern wall near the gate. Good luck.?

Forde led them out to their post. Beyond the walls, the army of Rinn was closing the last few miles between them and Midern. However, there seemed to be something running in front of Rinn?s army.

?What is that?? wondered Hurdy.

?Elomir, why don?t you check it out?? Leon suggested.

Elomir took off towards the creature. It seemed something yellow-green was draped between the two bushes on a rounded yellow shell that was on top of a light green creature. Elomir hovered in the air above it, and discovered it was a Grotle, carrying an unconscious Bayleef that had a vicious wound on its side.

?I need help!? the Grotle pleaded. ?Get them to open the gates!?

That the Grotle needed help was obvious. The Bayleef had a serious injury that trickled blood down onto the shell of the Grotle. The Grotle itself also had a few burns and cuts, mostly on its tail and lower legs.

?But who are you?? Elomir questioned.

?We?re on your side. We used to be at the Northwestern Fort, until it was destroyed.?

?Keep coming. I?ll get help.?

Elomir returned to the wall and reported. ?It?s a Grotle carrying a Bayleef. We need to let them in. He said Northwestern Fort has been destroyed, and both of them have injuries that need care.?

Forde started to head down to the gate. ?Draconis, Hurdy, you both had better come with me.?

Forde had the gate opened just enough for the Grotle to fit through, which arrived shortly after this arrangement was made.

?Take her!? the Grotle gasped. ?She needs help!?

Several small trails of red ran down the side of Grotle from the Bayleef. Draconis and Hurdy both looked at one another and then back to the Grotle.

?Annox is that you?? Hurdy questioned. ?Your voice sounds a bit deeper, but much like before.?

?Yes, but I must get Peoria help now!? Annox replied.

?Follow me,? commanded Forde.

Annox stayed right behind Forde as they headed towards the medical hall in the center of town. Draconis and Hurdy had to hurry to keep up with the two.

?You look much tougher, Annox,? Draconis stated, trying to lessen the tension. ?When did you evolve??

?Not now, Draconis. I must help Peoria. After that I?ll tell you.?

They went the rest of the way in silence. Soon they arrived at a building full of medical staff and clean white beds.

?Has the battle started?? the head medic inquired after seeing the injured Bayleef.

?Not yet,? Forde replied. ?But it will have begun by the time I get back to the walls. These two are survivors from the Northwestern Fort. From the looks of it, they are the only ones.?

?We?ll give them the best treatment. We?ve preparing all day for this.?

Peoria was lifted from Annox?s shell. On her side was a large cut, running from her shoulder to her back leg. The medics set about cleaning and bandaging the wound.

?Her pulse is faint from loss of blood, but it looks like she was brought here in time. Luckily the cut wasn?t too deep,? the medic explained to Annox.

?Ah, yes, I made it,? Annox muttered in relief, almost fainting.

The medic noticed Annox?s swaying and watched him carefully. The medic now turned his attention to the cuts and burns on Annox.

?We?d better take care of you, too,? the medic stated.

(continued below)

Superkeeleybro

#23
(continued from above)

The medic applied a paste made of berries to the burns and cuts before wrapping them in bandages. All the while, Draconis and Hurdy waited to ask Annox what had happened.

?You should rest and heal,? the medic announced. ?Oh, the man who brought you in said to give this to you after we dealt with the injuries. Said it was some kind of reward, a miracle seed.?

The medic placed a string around Annox?s neck. At the end was a small pouch that held the seed. After giving this, the medic walked away to help the first victims from the siege. This left Draconis and Hurdy alone to speak with their friend.

?I?m so tired, but I finally made it,? Annox weakly stated.

?It?s good to see you again,? Hurdy said. ?What happened??

?I?d like to know, too,? Draconis added. ?We leave you for a week and you come back like this, so much stronger.?

Annox took Draconis?s last words darkly. ?I am stronger, but I wasn?t strong enough.? Tears now began to trickle down from Annox?s eyes onto the small yellow spikes above the corners of his mouth. ?The first three days we trained. Peoria, Petal, and the others pushed me hard, hard enough that I evolved. It was a happy time, spending each day with Peoria, but it didn?t last. Rinn?s army came upon us. Despite being a small outpost, we held them off for a day. After that, they broke through the wall, and??

Annox shuddered and began to cry harder. ?And? they showed no mercy. The soldiers all fell, and many of the pokemon as well. Me, Peoria, and Petal managed to break out of the fort, but Peoria was seriously injured. Petal told me to take Peoria and run for Midern while she held them off. That was the last I saw of Petal. At least I saved Peoria.?

?That?s awful!? Hurdy stated. ?Me and Draconis will do our best to make sure that doesn?t happen here.?

?No! Don?t fight!? Annox yelled out. ?I?ve had enough of war! I don?t want to lose anyone else, especially you two!?

?Get a hold of yourself!? Draconis snapped at Annox. ?We have to fight! Midern may not be able to hold on without us! It?s not like we could get out, now that Eltanah?s going to be joining the fight soon. We must fight together, or we?ll die! Don?t let the sacrifices of those you fought with at the fort be for nothing! Recover and join us in battle!?

Annox shook the tears from his face. ? I guess? you?re right. I will keep fighting. For Peoria and for everyone else, but for now? I?ll rest.?

Annox passed out from exhaustion. He had been running for a whole day, and was finally getting a well deserved rest. Draconis and Hurdy quietly left him and Peoria to their rest and healing.

As they approached the wall, Draconis and Hurdy could hear the sounds of battle. The setting sun dyed the clouds above blood red. The clash of weapons became the background, and shrieks of injured or dying pokemon could be heard from time to time.  Upon arriving Draconis and Hurdy witnessed Corvon dispatch a few soldiers with his sword, which was a single handed but had a long sturdy blade. Lucario used his aura sphere to drive off attacking pokemon.

?Nice of you to join us,? Corvon greeted. ?They?re just testing our defenses at the moment. None of these soldiers or pokemon are highly trained, but it?s no reason to let your guard down.?

Above them, Leon rained arrows down upon the ranks of enemy soldiers as Elomir chased after any flying enemies.

?You seem a bit young to be in a battle like this,? Lucario said. ?I hope you are prepared. Don?t take on more than you?re ready for.?

?Thanks for the advice,? Hurdy stated as he and Draconis went to take on a couple of pokemon that had gotten onto the wall.

?After what they did to Annox and Peoria, I?m itching for battle!? Draconis stated in excitement.

Adrenaline building, both of them rushed the Sneasel and Slugma. Draconis went for the Sneasel with his claws, but it jumped to the side and countered with its own claws. Draconis tried moving back, but the tips of the claws still raked Draconis, leaving him with two small cuts. Draconis now shot a flamethrower at the Sneasel, and the direct hit caused it to fall from the wall.

Beside Draconis, Hurdy was taking on the Slugma. He shot his water gun at it, drenching it in water. The water turned to steam around the magma slug, and it shot its flamethrower at Hurdy. Hurdy dodged a direct hit, but his back leg and fin were scorched by the flame, which didn?t do much to Hurdy anyways. Hurdy used another water gun, and the Slugma collapsed.

?What do we do with fainted enemies?? Hurdy pondered.

?Just leave it, I?m sure the soldiers or pokemon of Midern will take care of it.?

The two continued fighting together. Draconis?s tail seemed to flare larger and more violently with each enemy he defeated, but Hurdy seemed to just be wearing down. Soon the sun set, and the enemy retreated to their camp. Draconis and Hurdy sported a few minor cuts and bruises, but had avoided any enemies that looked too strong for them. Lucario seemed untouched, as did Corvon. Elomir landed, and looked like he had gotten into a few too many fights with bird types, the scrapes from talons covering his wings and sides. Leon was a bit sweaty, but otherwise unchanged from earlier.

?Not too bad of a battle, how did it go down here?? Leon greeted.

?Easy for me and Lucario,? Corvon answered. ?They were just testing our defenses. The serious fighting will begin once Eltanah comes in tomorrow. It seems like there was few casualties on our side. They?ll need much better soldiers or much greater numbers to breach the defenses we have.?

?I was just getting into the fighting,? Draconis added. ?Once I get going, I find it hard to stop. It just seems too calm now.?

?I don?t miss the fighting one bit,? Hurdy said. ?I don?t mind reading about it, but fighting for this long was wearing me out.?

?You two have gotten much better since the forest,? Elomir complimented. ?The foes here were about the same training or better, and you fought much more of them.?

?Crossing the mountains must have strengthened us,? Draconis replied. ?We had to fight many wild pokemon there. This is the first battle that?s really gotten my blood boiling! I?ll be ready and willing to take on anyone tomorrow! But, there is one thing I want more than that, and that?s dinner!?

Everyone laughed, and now Forde approached them. Kita beside him looked much like Lucario, a little tired, but untouched. Pachirisu seemed to be excited and jumpy.

?I can see your spirits are good, and that you all are unhurt,? Forde observed. We?ll be staying at the castle, since I am one of the king?s top strategists in this battle. They?ll have plenty of food there.?

As they walking Chiro began talking. ?Exciting battle, wasn?t it? I zapped so many birds out of the sky! Any of you have any cool battles??

Kita just sighed. ?Don?t mind him. Battles get him wound up. Sometimes it can be tiring just listening to him.?

?That Sneasel had some nasty claws,? Draconis stated. ?They left these two scratches on me, my worst wounds of the day.?

?Just a few bruises, but nothing major here,? Hurdy added.

?You must have been on the other side, Chiro, because there were flocks of birds in my skies,? Elomir said. ?They couldn?t get much more than scrapes against me, but look at all of them.?

Elomir fanned his wings out, just to show the numerous scrapes he was talking about.

?I?ll help you take care of those,? Leon said. ?My arms are sore, but that?s about it.?

?Hopefully tomorrow ends with us all in such good condition,? Forde declared as they arrived at the castle.

The castle of Midern was near the center of town. It had much higher and thicker walls than those around the town, and could be used as a last defense if the town itself were broken into. Hopefully the battle would not get that vicious. It was made of brown stone, taken from the cliffs of the nearby river. On the tops of it were the green and blue banners.

They entered into the gateway, and the elite soldiers and pokemon could be seen as guards here. Soon, they went through the large wooden doors that made up the entrance to the inside of the castle. Once inside, the royal chamber was set for dinner. The carpets were all the blue and green or Midern. The king himself sat at his royal table with a few other members of the royal family and his top commanders.

King Verault was a man with an honest face and short red hair. He wore a small but elegant crown, and sported a small waxed moustache. He still had on some parts of his armor from the battle, and looked to have a strong and able body. Behind the king was his Scizor, silent and cold.

Beside the king was a thin woman with graying red hair, the king?s mother. The sisters of the king all had red hair as well. The queen sat on the right of the king, and had long black hair and a thin frame.

?Ah, Forde, so nice of you to bring your friends,? the king greeted. ?I know that you eat alone, so your food as well as your pokemon?s is in your room. I would like your guests to eat here, if they don?t mind.?

Forde thanked the king with a bow. Leon and Corvon approached the king, bowed, and then were seated at a table, both facing the king. The pokemon were to eat on the side of the room, except Lucario who could handle human silverware. Ornate bowls piled with food awaited them, and they took their places over there.

?Forde didn?t really tell me much about you two,? explained the king. ?I would appreciate if you would tell me about yourselves as your dinner is brought in.?

Currently, only the silverware was on the table, and the ornate cutlery reminded Leon of home.

Corvon chose to go first, seeing that Leon was caught up in remembering home. ?I?m Corvon, a mercenary that Forde has hired to work for him. My partner is Lucario.?

?What about you?? the king now watched Leon. ?Your cape bears the symbol of Alagarde, and I am curious how one from such a far kingdom got here.?

Leon prepared to reveal himself. ?I?m Leon, well, actually Prince Leon of Alagarde. My father didn?t want my dissent against his war on our peaceful neighboring kingdom of Farna, and so I was banished. My Flygon, Elomir, is over there.?

?Prince Leon, a pleasure to have you here in our kingdom,? King Verault said. ?If I had known it was you, I would have given you a more proper greeting. How fares the Eastern Kingdoms? I don?t get much news from that area, except from the occasional trader that comes in from there.?

?My father has probably started his war with Farna by now, but before I left, the kingdoms of Alagarde and Farna were doing well. Despite some troubles with bandits, the kingdoms were growing and prospering.?

?It sounds much like my kingdom then, prospering before this war that seems to have come without reason. Once we break the siege of Midern, I hope Forde can find out why all this is happening. Oh, there?s dinner. I hope you?ll enjoy it, even if it is a bit simple due to saving food to last us through the siege. If you had come in better times, then I surely would have had much more for guests.?

Despite the king?s words, they had plenty of food. They all ate and shortly afterwards, all went to bed. The chambers had soft beds, as well as large pillows for their pokemon to sleep on. Draconis and Hurdy were staying in Forde?s room, since they had no human partners. Everyone but Forde was asleep quickly, and so Forde headed out to the castle walls for a short walk, knowing to expect an update from Mewtwo and Mew soon. Halfway around the castle walls, Mewtwo and Mew appeared in front of Forde.

?Good evening,? greeted Forde.

?Good evening,? answered Mew. ?I searched for Uxie, but found Azelf instead. They have such similar psychic energies. Anyways, when I asked if Azelf had noticed anything odd, the being of willpower said that something was making so the leaders were more willing to go to war. Something has some hold on them that warps their natural willpower. Azelf also said that it had not seen Uxie for some time, but that its sibling, Mesprit, had seen Uxie much more recently. I?ll continue looking tomorrow.?

?I decided to go to the desert and look into Queen Iridia,? Mewtwo explained. ?Most of her thoughts were on the war, but the strangest thing was that her memories were missing. The only thing I know can do that is Uxie, but I don?t think Uxie would mess with humans unless it had to. Strange thoughts, seemingly from somewhere else also seemed to be in her head. One of these was clear, and so I thought I would tell it to you. It seems to be part of the earlier message I discovered. Anyways, it goes:

Lonely mushroom bursts to flame
In the land that quicksands claim.?

?This poem seems to be leading to something,? Forde suggested. ?Anyways, good job, and I?ll see you tomorrow, around the same time. Remember to bring in some food supplies as well, although we don?t need much yet.?

Mewtwo and Mew both disappeared, and Forde went back to bed. Although unnecessary, shutting down most his physical and mental activity felt good sometimes, particularly after a busy day. Only the small part, calculating the next day?s strategy, remained going.

Light

The large battle awaits in the next chapter, I inquire? You did very good in this chapter! I also noticed that you haven't been getting a lot of attention here. Might I suggest creating an account on Fanfiction.net and uploading you story there? I think it would get a lot more recognition. ;D
Holy crap all my sigs were always poop. Best leave this space alone.

Superkeeleybro

I do have an account there with my first story, but I've been thinking of putting this one there too. For some reason I never really get much attention, so at least I have you reviewing and commenting.

HYRULESEAS

nice.! I never can expect whats going to happen next. keep posting the story here please. btw can you post 2 next week? also when will the chapter be posted? great read! :D


Ridley for Brawl!  hi i'm Toad! :)

Superkeeleybro

Quote from: HYRULESEAS on January 20, 2008, 12:40:49 AM
nice.! I never can expect whats going to happen next. keep posting the story here please. btw can you post 2 next week? also when will the chapter be posted? great read! :D

I'm posting the new chapter right after this. And I suppose I could put one up Thursday and Saturday/Sunday of next week, although I can't really make a habit of this or I'll run to the end of my writing and I don't have nearly the time to write new chapters anymore.

Superkeeleybro

#28
Chapter 15: Lost in Chaos

Before the sun had risen, Draconis and Hurdy found themselves being shaken awake. Hurdy blinked his eyes a few times before hopping off the pillow he was sleeping on. Draconis just flicked his flaming tail at whoever it was, pretending to still be asleep.

?If that hits me again, I?ll have to bite you,? came the irritated voice of Kita.

?Fine, fine. I?m up.? Draconis stood up and stretched while yawning.

?So what are we doing now?? Hurdy asked.

Chiro hopped down to the floor from Forde?s bed. ?Breakfast time, sleepyheads! Time to go!?

?Man, he has a lot of energy for it being so early?? Draconis muttered.

?Chiro is right,? Forde added. ?Time for breakfast, and then we?ll be heading off. I believe the battle will start again shortly after sunrise.?

Hurdy started to head out. ?It?ll be a tough day. So we?d better eat a good breakfast.?

Once again they ate in the king?s hall. Leon, Corvon, Lucario, and Elomir were there, all looking tired, and didn?t seem inclined to speak much. This left Forde and King Verault to speak on the upcoming battle.

?Estimates are in,? Verault declared. ?The Rinn army measures around 4000, with an almost even split in numbers of humans and pokemon. Reports also show that Eltanah?s army is about the same in size. Unfortunately our own army did not have time to fully gather. We have around 3000 here, but many more soldiers are still stationed in some of the far villages and forts, since they have not had time to return here. If we had our full army, then we would also have around 4000. Let us hope my messengers reached them, and that they come swiftly. There is some good news, though. Our food supplies seem higher than anticipated. The soldiers and citizens will still have large rations of food. This will certainly boost morale.?

?At least there is that good news,? Forde replied. ?Your estimates match what I believed the two armies to hold. Now the question is how the armies will deploy themselves. I think today they will begin using their siege pokemon, so be sure to have soldiers ready to protect the city. Powerful pokemon can easily knock a hole or two in the wall.?

?I?m well aware of that. I?ve put many of our aerial pokemon on locating how many such pokemon they have. That way we?ll be able to keep track of them.?

Suddenly, the sound of a horn being blown from outside could be heard.

?The call to battle,? Forde explained. ?Once again, you will all be at the Eastern wall. Also, I checked Annox and Peoria. They are recovering. Annox may join the fighting by tomorrow, but Peoria will still need a few days of healing. She has not awakened at all.?

They headed out. Leon and Corvon packed food for later for themselves and the four pokemon. During the battle they could only hope for a short break to eat such food. On the streets, soldiers marched with pokemon to their positions. The marketplaces were quiet, but children and mothers could be seen watching from doorways as their fathers or husbands headed off to battle.

At the Eastern Wall, they could see Eltanah?s newly arrived army getting in position for battle. Rinn?s army was to the north now. To the south, the large river provided protection, and prevented most enemies from crossing.

Forde surveyed the army beyond the walls. ?Before I go, I have a few warnings to you. Eltanah?s army will be focusing most their power on this wall, so the fighting will be much more intense that before. Keep together, and if you get separated, be sure to stay with Midern?s forces. Getting separated in battle is one of the surest ways to get killed. Also, Elomir, expect their air forces to be much stronger today. Now I have other soldiers to go command, so stay alive.?

Forde walked off. Leon and Elomir took to the skies. The enemy now was in range of arrows, which started raining down upon them. Up in the sky, Leon took a few shots, but stopped as a Gligar attacked Elomir. The smaller pokemon darted around quickly, stinging Elomir twice before he finally knocked it away with a slash attack.

Down below, the enemy reached the walls, and began trying to scale it with ladders and grappling hooks. Draconis set a few of the ladders and ropes on fire, preventing any from getting up nearby. Hurdy shot water at the pokemon below the wall. Lucario took out a few pokemon below with aura sphere. Corvon had out a crossbow, which he fired at the soldiers below.

?None of them can get up,? Draconis boasted. ?Wooden ladders and rope just won?t last against my flame.?

?Yes, good work Draconis,? Hurdy complimented.

?Don?t think that they don?t have a few other weapons,? Lucario admonished. ?Wait! Something?s coming!?

A path in the soldiers below was cleared, and a Rhyhorn was building up speed, heading for the wall right where they stood.

?We have to stop that!? Lucario yelled. ?Focus all attacks on it!?

Lucario shot an aura sphere at it, hitting it directly. The attack slowed the Rhyhorn down a little, but it kept coming. It was coming closer and closer to the wall. Lucario shot another aura sphere at it, and Hurdy launched a water gun at it. The two attacks hit it right as it neared the wall, and knocked the Rhyhorn unconscious. The momentum it had built up did not stop, however, and so it flew forward, slamming into the wall.

Crack! The wall trembled, and a few pieces began to crumble. At first it seemed to be stopping, so Draconis continued shooting flames at the enemies. Once again the cracking of stone could be heard a minute later.

?Draconis! Get off there!? Corvon yelled, but too late.

A section near the Rhyhorn?s impact began collapsing. Hurdy ran towards Corvon, the stone crumbling right behind him. Draconis was further behind, and tried scrambling up the falling stone, but slipped.

Hurdy turned around, seeing if his friend was safe. His friend disappeared into the dust and debris that shot up from the falling wall. ?No! Draconis!? Hurdy yelled in desperation.

The wall finished falling, leaving a pile of rubble about half as high as the original wall. The Rhyhorn from earlier was completely buried, and Draconis could not be seen anywhere.

?Draconis, can you hear me?? Hurdy called out as he began rushing to the pile.

Corvon and Lucario also headed down to the pile of rubble, but that was because Eltanah?s army was now sending a large group of soldiers and pokemon to take advantage of the hole in Midern?s defenses. Before Eltanah?s army arrived, a group of Midern?s forces came to help hold the line.

?Hurdy! You?d better check on the side inside the wall for now!? Lucario yelled out since Hurdy had gotten out past where the soldiers had gathered. He didn?t want another one of the young pokemon hurt, if it could be avoided.

Hurdy glanced around the fallen stone for the familiar flame of his friend before heading up the pile and to the other side inside the wall. He seemed to have lost interest in the battle, and was solely concentrated on moving stones around while calling out the name of his friend. Eltanah?s forces charged for the gap now, and Corvon and Lucario became engaged in vicious close combat.

From the distant walls, Forde had seen the dust from the collapsing wall. He hurried over, knowing that Corvon and the others had been near where the wall collapsed. When he finally arrived, the fighting had already begun, but he spotted the lone Mudkip, desperately searching the wreckage.

?Kita, can you sense if Draconis is alive?? Forde asked. ?I see everyone else, so he?s the one to be worried about.?

?It will be difficult with so many pokemon around, but I should be able to do it,? Kita replied. ?Just give me a minute.?

Kita began focusing and the red gem on her forehead glowed. Chiro shot a few electric bolts at enemies below the walls, hitting most of his targets.

?He?s alive at least,? Kita announced. ?At the moment I think he is knocked out. I couldn?t sense any thought from him.?

?We?d better go tell Hurdy that.? Forde began to head down from the wall.

Hurdy was too involved in his search to notice Forde approaching. His friend had disappeared, and he wasn?t going to stop until he found him. Suddenly, a purple paw tapped his shoulder, so he turned to see who it was.

?What?? he snapped before he saw that it was Kita.

?Don?t worry, Draconis is alive,? Kita assured him. ?I used my psychic powers after we saw that he was missing. He is alive but unconscious.?

Hurdy breathed a sigh of relief. ?That?s good, but I?m still not resting until I find him! He should be right around here somewhere.?

As Kita spoke with Hurdy, Forde had gone up to help rally the troops at the top of the pile of rubble. Seeing that they would be facing fierce combat at that location all day, Forde headed back into the city to get some more support from archers, as well as replacement troops to help hold the breach in the defenses.

Corvon and Lucario were dirty from the dust kicked up in the battle on the rubble. Corvon had a nasty cut on his arm from one enemy that had surprised him, but was still in fighting condition. Lucario now also sported a burnt patch of fur, which he had gotten when a Magmar shot a flamethrower at him when he was already fighting another opponent. Everything seemed to be chaos, with enemy soldiers and pokemon rushing up to face them.

For hours, the fighting raged on. On the far side of the pile of collapsed stone, off to the side, something stirred under a small pile of rock. Draconis wondered where he was for a moment before remembering what had happened. His head hurt, and it felt like he had many other bruises. With a mighty effort he slid out from under the heavy stone that had him pinned down. The sounds of battle were all around him, so Draconis kept low. He glanced around, and saw the pile of stone where the wall had been. Enemies rushed past him, towards the gap, so he kept hidden behind the stone around him. Up in the gap, Draconis suddenly spotted the familiar black hat of Corvon, as well as the pointed blue tips of Lucario?s ears.

It was then that Draconis decided he was going to make it back up to his friends. Gathering his courage, he jumped from his hiding spot and made a run for the top. Like all pokemon in the battle, Draconis wore a band to show which side he was on. Although dusty, it was obvious he was with Midern, so he wasted no time in letting his enemies notice this. He flamed a Cacturne that was climbing the stone, and slashed a Sandshrew that had his back to him. Just 20 yards ahead was the line between enemy and friend, but several enemy pokemon all turned to face him.

Surrounded by the burned Cacturne, the slashed Sandshrew, and a Doduo that had decided to join the fight, Draconis would have to give it his all to win. The Doduo rushed in first, pecking Draconis twice on his leg. The sharp beaks cut into his scales, causing Draconis to bleed. Draconis whipped the Doduo in the face with his tail, before slashing it across the chest with his claw. The bird had low stamina, and so it collapsed from the blow.

The Sandshrew attacked next, and Draconis had to dodge backwards to avoid the swipes of its claws. Soon, he was backed up against a large piece of stone, the Sandshrew still coming at him. He tried dodging to the side, but was hit across the chest and arm with two of the Sandshrew?s swipes. Draconis retaliated with another slash, but this time one of his claws got stuck in the Sandshrew?s thick hide. Draconis shot out his fiery breath to incapacitate the Sandshrew, but his claw was still stuck. The Cacturne took advantage of this, and sprayed him with needles using its pin missile attack.

The needles all stuck into Draconis?s shoulder. The pain was driving Draconis into a rage, and his claw being stuck in the Sandshrew was becoming increasing aggravating. He tried pulling his claw out once more, but had to jump as the Cacturne attacked with a needle arm. Draconis heard a snapping sound and his claw was free. Below him, the Cacturne?s attack had chipped the stone behind him. Suddenly, his claw that had been stuck flared in pain. Draconis looked and saw that instead of getting free, his claw had broken off, and his finger was now bleeding. His tail flared larger and brighter than ever, and Draconis used his pain and anger to launch a flamethrower that finished off the Cacturne. Panting and exhausted, Draconis continued moving up the pile of rock.

It seemed luck didn?t like Draconis today, as a Skorupi suddenly grabbed the leg that had been injured by the Doduo. The little scorpion pierced his skin with one of its stingers, and injected its poison. Draconis knocked it away, but began to shiver as the poison took effect. He tried moving on, but was growing weak, and once again the Skorupi approached him. The poison was now so bad, it caused him to collapse.

(continued below)

Superkeeleybro

#29
(continued from above)

?I can?t fall here?? Draconis muttered to himself as everything went blurry. Sure, he was in pain and bleeding from the scratches, pecks, and missing claw, but that wasn?t going to stop him. Suddenly, the sight of the Skorupi preparing to sting him again filled him with an uncontrollable rage and power returned to him.

?I?m not going down!? Draconis shouted. His tail flared twice as bright, and his whole body began to glow white. Suddenly, everything seemed a bit smaller than before, and Draconis laughed at how pathetic the Skorupi looked now. He blasted it with a flamethrower more powerful than any he had ever done, and then crushed it beneath the large claws on his red foot. Strange, his foot used to be orange and have small claws. Draconis looked at his hand that used to be missing a claw, just to find it replaced with a new and larger claw. Draconis suddenly realized he had evolved, and it felt good to defeat opponents with his new power.

Only a few weaklings stood in his way now. Draconis came up from behind an enemy Pikachu, and slashed it across the throat before it noticed him. Draconis threw the Pikachu to the side, before unleashing a flamethrower at a Sentret that tried to stop him. Seeing that he was on their side, the Midern soldiers let Draconis through. He immediately spotted Hurdy, who was rooting around in the rocks.

?Hurdy, why aren?t you fighting?? Draconis asked.

Hurdy stared at the Charmeleon for a second. It looked intimidating, with blood on its claws, but Hurdy soon realized who it was.

?Draconis? I?ve been looking for you all day!? Hurdy shouted joyfully. ?I thought you were buried under the rock somewhere.?

Hurdy ran up and would have rubbed his head against his friend in affection, but stopped since his friend?s leg seemed to be splattered with the dark blood of some pokemon.

?Oh, that?s from a Skorupi that crossed me,? Draconis casuallly explained. ?It?s not around anymore, as you can tell. Since you found me, why don?t we join the battle? It looks as if they could use some help holding the line.?

?Okay, let?s go help Lucario and Corvon!? Hurdy suggested as they ran up the debris.

Lucario finished off a foe with a powerful punch before glancing at Hurdy and Draconis. He returned to fighting opponents, but also spoke with the two.

?I take it you found Draconis,? Lucario stated, as he dodged an attack. ?He looks a bit different. There?s plenty of opponents, so feel free to join in.?

?Don?t mind if I do!? Draconis shouted as he rushed forward to slash an enemy.

?I?ll hold this spot,? Hurdy announced as he jumped on one of the pieces of stone at the top of the pile and shot water and mud down at the approaching enemies.

Corvon took interest in Hurdy?s attacks. ?Hurdy, why don?t you spread mud over the side of the pile our enemies are on?? he suggested after finishing off an enemy soldier.

Hurdy used his mud-slap attack to cover the other side of the pile in mud. Enemies began to slip while coming up the hill, slowing them down. As a result, less enemies now engaged the defenders at the top of the hill.

?I see!? Hurdy said. ?I can slow down the enemies! I?ll keep this up!?

It was late afternoon now, and they all continued fighting for a few more hours. After the sun had set, Forde came around once again, and noticed that all of them were still fighting.

Forde approached and waited for a pause in the fighting. ?Corvon!? he shouted to get his attention. Corvon noticed him so he moved closer. ?Corvon, you?ve been fighting long enough. We have other soldiers ready to take care of it during the night.?

?Now that you mention it, my arms are pretty sore,? Corvon stated. ?Lucario, that?s enough! We?re going now. Get Draconis and Hurdy.?

Lucario left the line, and Hurdy was eager to leave. Draconis, on the other hand, almost had to be dragged away from the fighting.

?I was enjoying that,? Draconis complained. ?Well, I am hungry. Nothing to eat since breakfast.?

?Wait, Draconis?? Forde questioned. ?You?ve evolved??

?Yeah,? Draconis stated. ?I awoke on the other side of the wall and had to fight my way back here. As a Charmander, I was too weak to face all the enemies, but now that I?m a Charmeleon, most of them were no match for me.?

?It?s good that you?re back,? Forde said. ?Last I had heard, you had disappeared, so I?m glad you?ve returned. Now, let?s head back to the castle. Elomir and Leon should already be there. I spoke with them during the battle, and told them to turn in when it got dark. Elomir agreed, since he isn?t good at flying in the dark.?

?How is the rest of the battle going?? Corvon inquired as he remembered and got out the food he had packed for lunch. Corvon handed it out to the pokemon as he waited for an answer.

?There have been a few breaches like the one you all fought at,? Forde explained. ?Some parts of the wall collapsed even more than yours. We?ve taken heavy losses defending a few of these holes in our defense, but it seems like we?re holding them off.?

?Good to hear,? Corvon stated.

They returned to the castle, where Leon and Elomir were waiting. They had both finished their food, and Leon was speaking with the king, but stopped as they arrived. They got seated and got their food, but had to wait as Draconis washed the blood off his claws. Soon, they were all speaking of the battle.

?So how did your battle go?? Draconis asked Elomir.

?I was about to ask you the same thing,? Elomir stated. ?I?m sure you have an interesting story. Anyways, I flew around the skies with Leon. At first, it was bird pokemon again. They got a few scratches on me from time to time, but nothing major. Rinn had a group of electric pokemon that began shooting our other forces out of the sky, so me and Leon went to go stop that. A few dragonbreath attacks stopped them. Good thing I?m mostly immune to electric attacks. Later on I had to face a Salamence. That?s where I got this burn and this scratch.?

Elomir pointed out a large bandage on his side, as well as a burn on the side of his wing. ?Anyways, it was a vicious battle. The Salamence was tough, and I probably would have lost if I faced it alone. The king?s Scizor, Crim, came to help me, though. Man, is that Scizor fast! With the two of us, the Salamence was down in a short time. I had to go to the medics after that, and then avoided intense fighting the rest of the day.?

Draconis now eyed the Scizor, which stood over by the king. ?I didn?t think the king would join the battle,? Draconis stated.

Crim, the Scizor, approached upon hearing Draconis. ?You?re telling me that you don?t know that the king is a master with the halberd? Everyone that can fight is doing so.?

The stern tone of the Scizor seemed to keep everyone quiet. ?I?m only kidding,? Crim joked. ?Most people don?t know about the king?s combat skills unless they face him. By then, it?s usually too late for them to spread word.?

They all laughed a little, but Chiro laughed the hardest. ?I shocked and amazed all my foes,? Chiro began. ?When Forde let me go fight by myself, I was dodging left and right, and no one could hit me!?

?I have a bit of a headache after using so many psychic attacks,? Kita admitted. ?At least I remain untouched. Forde?s training really pays off in tough battles like this.?

Draconis and Hurdy also told their stories of battle for the day. On the table where the humans sat, talk was also focused on the battle.

?King Verault and I were just sharing about how we picked up our weapon skills,? Leon explained. ?I chose the bow because it allows me to remain with Elomir, and attack my enemies from the skies.?

?And I,? Verault added. ?Chose the halberd because of its versatility and power. In my hands it can deal with almost any weapon my opponents might have, much like my Scizor, Crim, is able to deal with almost any pokemon my opponents have. What about you, Forde and Corvon, why do you use the weapons you do??

?As a mercenary, I need both quick and effective weaponry,? Corvon explained. ?That?s why I use a sword up close, and a crossbow for long range. They both need to be kept well-maintained to be fully effective, but that?s easy for me.?

?Have you forgotten that I don?t fight?? Forde asked. ?Anyways, if it ever comes to it, I?d use this dagger.? Forde pulled out a dagger with a one foot blade from a hidden sheath. ?With a dagger like this, the weapon would be completely under my control. If I ever had to fight, I?d want control above anything else in a weapon. Anyways, I?m heading off to my room.?

Lucario joined in the conversation, breaking his usual silence. ?He left quickly. Must be a touchy subject. My body is the only weapon I need. Must be hard not to be a pokemon.?

The king smiled. ?Well, it does have its disadvantages, but being a human also has its own advantages.?

With Forde gone, the others all finished their meals with light conversation. They bid King Verault and Crim good night before retiring to their respective rooms. Forde noticed that it was time to meet with Mewtwo and Mew, and so he went to an unoccupied part of the castle. Right on time, Mewtwo and Mew appeared.

?So, how are things going?? Mewtwo questioned.

?Our side is doing well, but not too much better than expected,? Forde declared. ?They?ve broken down parts of the wall, and we?re doing our best to hold them.?

?What about those people and pokemon we met earlier? How are they doing? Some of them seemed a bit young for heavy battle,? Mew questioned.

?They are doing fine. Leon shoots arrows from Elomir?s back, so he isn?t in much danger unless Elomir falls. Elomir did take a few injuries today, but nothing that will stop him. Corvon and Lucario only got minor injuries. The young ones, Hurdy and Draconis, probably had it the toughest today. They were on part of the wall when it collapsed, and Draconis went missing for some time. Hurdy was distraught and stayed out of the fighting to look for his friend. Later on, Draconis came back to us, evolved and more powerful than ever after a difficult fight back to the walls. Hurdy then joined the fighting, and proved most useful by slowing down the enemies with mud.?

?Sounds like everything is good then,? Mew said with a smile.

?I think it is, but I do worry a little about Draconis. His evolution seems to have brought a new lust for battle. His claws were covered in blood by the end. As long as he doesn?t let it get out of hand, then its alright, but I do worry.?

?Well, how about our reports then?? Mewtwo interrupted.

?Fine, what have you got??

Mewtwo went first. ?King Zeidhelme was also focused on the war, but had similar oddities like Queen Iridia. Another fragmented thought, one that didn?t really belong, stood out. It was another fragment of the poem:

Three rocks await the winter?s kiss
One by one, receive its bliss

I couldn?t find much else.?

?I guess it?s my turn,? Mew began. ?I met with the being of emotion, Mesprit. It was really happy to see me. Mesprit then grew sad and almost cried when I told it about the war. Once I calmed Mesprit down, it told me where it had last seen Uxie. I stayed and chatted and had some fun with Mesprit, because I didn?t want to make it angry by leaving so soon, and so that took up most my time. I do believe I?ll find Uxie tomorrow.?

?That?s good,? Forde stated. ?Also, the extra supplies are helping to boost both the king?s and the soldiers? morale, so I thank you for bringing those in.?

?That?s the easiest part of what we?re doing. It?s nothing,? Mewtwo said in mock modesty. ?Anyways, have a good night.?

?See you tomorrow, same time,? Mew added.

?Thank you, and good night,? Forde concluded.

The two teleported away, and Forde returned to his room. Kita was waiting, and Chiro was curled up on the bed, asleep. Draconis and Hurdy slept peacefully. Forde had the pillows that Hurdy and Draconis slept on replaced with something they might like more, so Hurdy slept in a basin full of water, and Draconis slept on a tray of heated sand, kept warm by some glowing coals underneath it.

They all seemed to be deeply asleep, but Kita whispered anyway. ?So, Forde, what did Mewtwo and Mew have to say??

?How did you know I met with them??

?I could sense their energies miles away, especially when they aren?t even trying to hide them. I also figured that they would need to talk to you now and then, since they are on important missions for you. Perhaps you should have had them just join the battle. It would have been over already.?

?First of all, battling is very painful for them. They avoid it if they can, much like I do. It has something to do with their pasts, that?s all I know. Most legendaries avoid interfering in human affairs anyways. Part of their pride or something. They haven?t found much yet, so you should just get your rest. The battle will be just as fierce, if not more, tomorrow.?

?Do you think the wall will hold on much longer??

?Why are you asking me that??

?If the battle is going to be worse tomorrow, and today they knocked out several portions of the wall, then will it really last another day??

?Don?t tell the others, but I don?t think it will. Our defense will frustrate the enemy, who will resort to more drastic measures. They haven?t used any exploding pokemon yet, but I think they?ll bring those out tomorrow. Once the walls fall, our casualties will rise as fighting moves to the streets of the city. Hopefully we can keep any civilians out of the way.?

?Oh well, I suppose I?m just giving myself things to worry about. Sometimes I?m a little jealous of Chiro. He?s always so carefree. Anyways, good night.?

?I value both of you for your different qualities. I?m not sure having an Espeon that acts like Chiro would be that good. Sleep well, Kita.?

Forde put out the light, and soon everyone was resting. They would need all their strength in the continuing battle.