The Essence of Pokemon
By: humbertomazzarri (Instagram)
Colab: unachoa
Original pokemon weapon idea: pokeapon
Chapter 1. The Begining
Mom: Roihu, wake up! It's getting really late!
Oh, it's morning already… I guess I'll spend another day working.
Roihu: I'm coming mother.
I go out after breakfast with yesterday's leftovers, due to the really bad harvest this year at the volcano's foothill, food is not really enough for the both of us. With my basket in hand, I'm on my way to the crops, and I notice the same as usual.
?: Hey, there it goes that Charcoalborn kid again.
?: I remember his grandfather, a mad man useless to this town. I'm glad he's not on the streets acting crazy anymore.
?: What the hell does that brat think of himself? Just because of his last name he's more than us? I hope he leaves town at once!
I just take a deep breath and go on my way. The only feeling these people produce me is nostalgia towards my grandfather….
Adelaine: Oh good morning Roihu, are you here to pick up the crops?
Roihu: Just the vegetables missis Adelaine
Adelaine: I'm glad boy, your grandfather would be happy to see you.
My grandfather… The man that spent years feeding me dreams, legends, the Charcoalborn heritage, and Pokemon stories…. To die at the end in poverty, forgotten by many and only remembered as a mad man. Every time he comes to my mind I cannot help feeling responsible, whether of his unfulfilled dreams, or his sad death.
After spending all morning collecting vegetables, I'm going to the market to sell them, when I feel the hit of a Stone in my back.
Iso: hey brat! Why don't you leave town already? I feel sick just to see your face.
Roihu: What the hell do you want now Iso? Don't you see I'm busy?
Iso: Ahh? You want a fight little brat? You think you are better than me just because you're a Born? I'll show you what the Bounds are capable of.
Roihu: I don't think any of that; I'm just tired of dealing with your shit.
Iso Fieldbound, the typical Vuori miner. I'm tired of all the bullshit he says, as it is my fault being born the way I was. But despite defying him, he is 2 years older and 40 pounds (in muscle) heavier, so he beat my ass.
When I recover consciousness, I feel pain in all my body and a couple of bruises in my face. I check the basket and half the vegetables are gone.
Iso: You damn Charcoalborn! I hope you learned your lesson and be gone of this place.
And so I lay on the ground. After a while I can get up and go to the market. I make just enough money to eat with the vegetables I had left; I buy bread and some meat. My mother should be collecting bays outside the city, so I still have a couple hours to be alone.
Everybody hates me in this village, because of my last name, and because my grandfather always said that his fmily shouldn't be here, that we had Descendants blood…. Damn it! I did not decide to live like this, nor I think I'm better that anyone…. But no matter how hard I try, I cannot hate this village. Here my mother can have an easy life, and here are all the memories I made with my grandfather.
He always told me that in his journeys far beyond Kentta's kingdom, he could watch Pokemons, and that he lived with them for a little while, just like the old trainers. He was really convinced that we Charcoalborns were Descendants, and that his father once fought for the kingdom using a Pokemon Weapon. Maybe it was true, but I've never felt a link with Pokemon for to think I'm a Descendant, so I believe that blood line got lost, if it ever existed.
The hours go by getting lost in my thoughts, but something suddenly wakes me up. It's the bell in the mayor's house. This could only mean one thing: trouble.
I come out of my house running with an old club, which is all we have to defend ourselves, and I run towards outside the village. When I get there I freeze when I see 20 soldiers with helmet, breastplate, sword and shield standing less than 50 meters away from me. I could tell they were from Hirvio because of the insignia on their shields. Is this a declaration of war?
With the people around me we form a group of more than 30 villagers, which were almost all the man in the village, but having only sticks, clubs and knifes to defend ourselves, we were hesitating a lot.
Soldier: Before you decide to lose your lives in vain, its better if you just give up people of Vuori, give us all your food and gold and we will leave without killing any one.
Villager: Are you mad? We can barely survive with what we have, and you pretend we give it all? We will not!
Soldier: If you are so desperate to die, I'll show you the difference between us.
Having said that, the soldier grabbed a purple gem out of his pocket, which started to glow until it transformed in a stylized purple and turquoise dagger. Then in a fraction of a second he jumped inhumanly forward and nailed the dagger in that villager's chest, ending instantly with his life. Damn it they sent a Descendant to attack us?
This act broke loose chaos in seconds, where everyone including me ran in all directions. I was able to get to my house and hide, but I could see they killed more than 10 people in the disaster, the rest were being tied up and the soldiers were taking away all their belongings.
Lied against a wall outside the soldiers range, I was trying to think in a plan. Damn it, damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! There is nothing I can do? Then I remembered my mom was still in the creek, if she fought or tried to run they will kill her…. Is this the end? Am I going to die and all my effort, and my grandfather's dreams, will vanish?
I don't want to die, but mostly I don't want my mom to die, I don't want the village I lived all these years with my grandfather be left in misery, but above all I don't want my grandfather's dreams to die. I want to protect everything; I want the power to protect everything, my mother, this village, and my grandfather…. I couldn't protect him before, I'll do it now….
Roihu: I WANNA PROTECT IT ALL!
When I screamed my wish wholeheartly, something inside me lights up… a spark… no, a blaze…. A feeling I've never experienced, and energy I've never felt. Suddenly, I notice a red light coming out of my window; and as I go there and look between all the things in my house, I realize that an old crystal in my grandfather's stuff, that I remembered completely opaque, has become a red gem with a figure inside…. It's a Pokemon…. I can feel it…. Would this be an Essence?
The shining gem started to release an incredible energy, and it started to levitate and change as wellr…. At this point I already knew what it was, the Essence of a Cyndaquil…. With this I can protect the village.
Soldier: Apparently what they said about this village was true… everybody here is scum.
Roihu: STOP!
The Descendant soldier was about to kick an old man who only had a few copper coins when I stopped him.
Soldier: Oh… This is interesting.
Soldier 2: Captain, we were never being told that they had a Descendant in this village.
Captain: Don't worry Scalebound, the plan stays still.
The soldiers as well as the villagers were dumbfounded looking at me… In my hand I had a gauntlet with an iron blade, both imbued in flames. Apparently you were right grandfather, we are Descendants.
Captain: What's your name boy?
Roihu: My name is Roihu Charcoalborn, and I will not let you do as you please in this village, so go away.
Captain: Do you really think boy that you can defeat me with a Pokemon Weapon you just acquire? I can tell you are a newbie.
Roihu: I don't care what you say; I will fight for this place!
Captain: So it shall be. My name is Piikk Sludgeborn, and it will be my pleasure bringing you back with Arceus!
After saying that, he jumped towards me just like he did before, but this time I could see him and block his attack with my gauntlet. The powers of the Essence had improved my physical abilities and reaction time, so I could respond to all of his attacks. After a few seconds of attacking and blocking he suddenly jumped backwards and said:
Piikk: Poison Sting!
Then his dagger enveloped in a purple aura and he lunged towards me, and when I tried to block it his strenght was such that he push me to a wall, and after I barely managed to avoid a second lunge in the wall, but his dagger made a slight cut in my arm, although the burn I felt was not normal for a wound this, and I couldn't hide my expression of surprise and pain.
Piikk: What's up newbie? Can't you handle a little poison? I thought you were gonna fight for this place…
Roihu: Shut up you trash! Ember!
When I screamed that my gauntlet was surrounded by a living bigger flame, and with the added strenght of the attack I could push him back. In all the stories my grandfather used to tell me I remembered he said that the Essence of Pokemon keep their attacks, and that Descendants can invoke this power in their Weapons.
Using Ember I could take advantage of the combat and started to repel the Poison Sting lunges from that soldier. It was the when I remembered from those stories all the attacks a Cyndaquil could use, and I come up with a plan.
Roihu: Smokescreen!
Then out of my gauntlet started to come a dense black smoke that covered the entire Street we were fighting in.
Piikk: *coughing* You bastard! What the hell are you doing? *coughing*
While he was trying to breathe and find me inside the smoke, I took that chance to connect an Ember-enhanced hit directly in his chest, which made him scream really badly. The impact pushed him a few meters, and when the smoke dissipated I realized the hit had broken through his breast plate and made a really big wound in his chest.
However I started to gasp, because the constant use of these attacks took me to the limit, I even was sweating more than ever in my life.
Piikk: Bastard! How dare you wound me like this? Do you think this is over? Prepare to die! Doble Kick!
Immediately, an orange aura appeared in the soldier's legs, and he ran towards me at full speed. Due to my fatigue I couldn't react in time and he kicked me right in my stomach with his right leg, which not only took out all my air, but made me spit blood. And right after he turned his hip and kicked me in the chest with his other leg, and that sent me flying 10 meters away against a wall, breaking some boxes on the way.
The pain was incredible, Iso's punches were nothing compare to this. I could barely breath, I was bleeding through my mouth and my legs were shaking, I was practically defeated.
Piikk: It's over kid. Poison Sting!
He was coming towards me with a final toxic thrust, while I couldn't even get up. I think this is the end…. But I don't want to die, or lose everything…. I will use the last of your strenght Cyndaquil.
Roihu: Quick Attack!
With inhuman reflexes I managed to avoid his attack by pushing my body to the alley's corner, then with the additional speed of my attack, I jumped towards him faster that he could react, or so I think because of the expression of anger and fear in his face, And I connected a hit with the blade of my gauntlet in his unprotected chest..
Piikk: Aaaaaarrrhhhhh!
That was his final scream before falling unconscious to the ground. His dagger started to shined and rapidly became a crystal again. I could watch it was the Essence of a Nidoran . I could barely stand still.
Scalebound: Please do not kill him! We will go right away!
After saying that, the soldiers released the villagers and took their captain and the crystal in the blink of an eye. An even if I wanted to do something, my body wouldn't move.
When they finally left the village, I collapsed on my knees. People around me were still in shock after witnessing the battle, everyone in complete silence. My energies dissapeared and I fall to the ground….. "Thanks to you I could protect them grandfather"…. I thought while I lose consciousness.