Greetings, and many great hellos! Welcome back to the world of Pokemon, where treasures await, villains lurk, and heroes save the day!
This is the second installment of the "Destined Explorers" trilogy, and even I'm unsure of where the plot will lead us! So, why don't we find out right now?
Before we begin…
First, I'd recommend you read "PMD: Destined Explorers of Legend" before reading this.
Second, I don't own the Pokemon franchise.
Third, I will be accepting OCs in this chapter, but more on that later.
Now… let us enter the world of Pokemon!
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The Pokemon world… a world of peace, of happiness, and of utmost tranquility.
Until recent times, that is.
Things have taken a turn for the worse in this normally tranquil world, where Pokemon once coexisted in harmony. Everyone is uncertain of where the next disaster will strike, and most have begun to look out only for themselves in order to survive. It is indeed a world sinking deeper into darkness.
It all started when the natural disasters began and the Legendaries disappeared. Once upon a time, each Faction had a guardian Legendary that would assist its people in times of trouble. But these days, each and every Legendary Pokemon seems to have vanished, leaving their people in turmoil. Natural disasters strike at random, and still, some Pokemon hope and pray that their Faction's guardian will miraculously appear to give its aid. No such thing has happened since the natural disasters first appeared, and Pokemon all over are beginning to lose hope.
Years passed, and eventually groups of Pokemon started to band together in hopes of survival. Most were unofficial rescue team guilds – these sprung up all over the continent, encouraging Pokemon to form teams and help protect their Faction. These unofficial rescue teams did good deeds whenever a natural disaster struck, assisting the weak and rescuing those who were put in danger. Things seemed to look up for a while.
But then, more bands of Pokemon began to arise, and this time it wasn't a good thing. Gangs of criminals appeared, raiding towns and causing mischief. Rescue teams trained hard and often in order to help combat these new rogues. Most ruffians were caught, but the worst of them – the most devious, the most powerful, and generally the most evil – eluded capture and formed alliances.
The Frozen Marauders were the first to rise up against the continent. Made entirely up out of Ice-type Pokemon, the Marauders hid deep within the Cold North Mountains, emerging from their frosty lair to prey upon innocent Pokemon. The rescue teams sent to deal with the Frozen Marauders never returned, and all trade routes passing through the northern mountains were abolished. The Marauders were a new, more powerful threat, and the likes of which had never been seen before.
Then came the Life Stealers, which rapidly made themselves at home in the barren wastes of the Dunedust Desert. They made a living by mugging, conning, tricking, and stealing from any Pokemon that they crossed paths with. These malicious Dark-types rapidly proved themselves to be just as dangerous as the Frozen Marauders, slaughtering any and all rescue teams sent to bring their reign to an end. The already sparse Dunedust Desert rapidly became even less populated as Pokemon raced to find somewhere safer to live.
Not even the high seas were safe. Soon after the Stealers and Marauders came into being to terrorize the land, trade ships in the western and southern oceans began to disappear. A criminal gang consisting completely out of Water-types had surfaced, and was ravaging the oceans, stealing and killing as they saw fit. They called themselves the Abyssal Raiders, and they struck like Ghost-types, rushing up from the murky depths and striking mercilessly before sinking back into the abyss and vanishing without a trace.
Finally, the Darkfeathers were last to come into existence. These Flying-types made their home in a remote valley with no name, where only wild Pokemon existed. But the high mountains surrounding their territory were an obstacle only to their pursuers – the Darkfeathers flew over them in huge flocks to devastate towns and villages, and disappeared behind them again. Rescue teams that didn't fall to their deaths as they climbed the mountains were picked off by Darkfeather sentries.
For years more, these four gangs ravaged the continent, taking advantage of the natural disasters to raid and slaughter those made helpless. But these gangs still weren't content – they wanted absolute power. So the leaders of the four gangs – Glacy the Froslass, Niwri the Krookodile, El Nino the Gyarados, and Mara the Honchkrow – turned their attention to the myths surrounding the continent.
They wanted the Shards.
The five Shards were said to be immensely powerful crystals that kept the Embodiments of Good and Evil, Xerneas and Yveltal, in check. Without the Shards, the world of Pokemon would come to an end as the two ultimate Legendaries clashed. The legend of the Shards stated that "those who control the Shards, control Xerneas and Yveltal", and thus the gangs became obsessed with finding them. With all five in one Pokemon's grasp, that Pokemon would gain unlimited power and be able to keep the Embodiments of Good and Evil from fighting.
Recently, the criminals' search for the Shards has become more frantic. Even as Xerneas and Yveltal's struggle becomes worse, and the natural disasters increase in frequency and intensity, the four gangs are beginning to take whatever measures are necessary in order to gain even one of the Shards.
Diamond Island, home of Dialga's Diamond Faction, has already sunken beneath the sea. Seaside Village of Lugia's Water Faction and Fire Isle of the Legendary Birds' Elemental Faction have both been decimated in Darkfeather attacks. The Bughaven Kingdom, which represents Celebi's Insect Faction, has been infiltrated and taken over by the Abyssal Raiders. Trade routes in the Dunedust Desert, location of Groudon's Desert Faction, are being savaged by the Life Stealers.
Things are getting worse. But small groups of good Pokemon all over the continent are beginning to realize the danger they are in as they are caught up in these recent events, and they are actively searching for a lonely island in the middle of the southern ocean.
The Isle of Eternity, home of the mythical Guardians.
It is on the Isle of Eternity where official rescue teams are made, trained, and dispatched to locations around the continent. It is the place where nobility and spirit tinge the air, where justice infuses the water around it and where good will rustles the leaves on the trees. And right now, it is the Pokemon world's only hope. Indeed, the Guardians are in a search of their own – a search to find the Discoverers, Pokemon who are destined to wield the Shards and calm Xerneas and Yveltal.
However… the world is rapidly sinking into the shadows of death. Natural disasters are battering the world. Two Shards have been taken from their Discoverers, and three more remain to be found. Tentacled deep-dwellers from the eastern ocean have ripped the Abyssal Raiders apart and thrown the remnants to the proverbial Sharpedo. The remaining three criminal gangs are now allied in their quest for omnipotence. Mystery dungeons are slowly forming and spreading as the balance of nature becomes disrupted.
The fate of the world is uncertain… and the future looks bleak…
-.-.-.-.-.
…And that sums up what has happened in the previous story! Dark, am I right? But don't worry – Chapter 1 will re-introduce several of our heroes, heroes that are even now preparing themselves for the grim events soon to unfold!
Speaking of old characters – I'm going to need new ones! I want a few OCs to help freshen things up a bit! And you, readers, are going to submit them!
Give me some characters! Specifically, I want rescue teams (but no legendary heroes), refugee Abyssal Raiders (Water-types only!), and criminals (they can either be random criminals or allied with one of the three main gangs).
Here's what you need to tell me when you submit your OC: I want their name, species, gender, personality, past/backstory, and whatever accessories they happen to wear. Give me your ideas, and I'll be sure to thank you for them!
This fanfic isn't going anywhere until I get a few characters, so submit some OCs for me to use!
See you!