Overall Fic Warnings:
- While not intended to be dark, this fic collection is part of a larger dark AU of the Pokemon Gameverse known as IR-verse. It will contain moralities strange to modern-day eyes, and may contain references to the larger AU.
- If the above ideas squick you, then please don't read any further.
- It includes realistic elements that include how pokemon are visualised, and may draw on some anime elements to better flesh the world out.
- Dialogue will largely use the Japanese names and may contain Japanese words or phrases that may not translate well into English. Some translation notes will be provided at the end of each chapter if the Japanese and English name match-up was not made clear.
- Pokemon heights, weights, behaviour, etc. are all personal headcanons.
- There will be concepts introduced that will not be explained until later chapters. Please understand this.
- Youkai is basically what Ransei people call pokemon, and kamuy is the Ransei term meaning fairy/fae, which, while pokemon, are basically considered to be demi-gods. How true this is remains unknown.

Who: Nagamasa (M!PC), Kaede (F!PC), Oichi; Shingen, Kenshin, Nobunaga
When: Shortly after recruiting Kenshin and Shingen. The twins are almost 19.
Where: Ransei
Summary: Nobunaga shows up after the heros recruit Kenshin and Shingen.
Warnings: None.

"Ha... Most interesting."

"My Lord?"

"Perhaps it is time I see for myself the measure of this Azai Nagamasa."

The end of the day loomed near, stretching over the Azai encampment like a welcome friend, bringing with it the smells of cooking, and no one knew what Oichi and Kaede were cooking. Nagamasa hoped it was something with polished rice and anything other than eggs - or something worthy of his new allies.

No, it would be, even if it had eggs. Both the ladies were skilled cooks, and he was a Daimyō with access to some of the better foods than the staples most of the army was accustomed to. For now, he turned his attentions away from the thought of food, and to his new allies; one hard won and the other unexpected, but very much welcome. "What are your thoughts on the situation?"

Everyone by now knew what that was, and it was only Kaede's brilliance and keeping to the promises that he'd made to each of his allies, personally, that had kept his lands together at this point.

Shingen straightened, the older, wiser Daimyō giving him a long, steady look. "It looks like we're headed for all-out war with Nobunaga for control of Ransei."

Nagamasa swallowed yet nodded anyway. They could force a march to the north and take Avia, but that was foolish at this time of year, and if there was anything his twin had beaten into his skull, it was that. They all needed food to fight, and the soldiers had lands and spouses to tend to in order to make that happen. To say nothing of forcing Fushigi into battle yet again so soon, and to press yet another march and series of skirmishes would not win him any favours.

If anything, it would destroy some of the bond he'd forged with the eevee. The only thing it would win him was Kaede's ire, and he valued his eardrums. "Is that so?"

"Indeed," Kenshin nodded gravely, his gallade resting by his side, unlike Shingen's rhyperior, who rested near one side of the enclosing walls; Nagamasa thought the gallade was sleeping. It seemed to be using Kenshin as something of a pillow and the man didn't appear to notice. "We will face battles more difficult than any we have experienced before. Nobunaga is not known for mercies on the field of war."

"He also fields dragons."

"Ryū is famous for it..." Nagamasa remembered hearing tales at his grandfather's knee of the massive beasts and the flights Dragnor could supposedly field. Enough to block the sun out and rain destruction from above, it was said one had not seen war until they'd faced a dragon. Nagamasa thought it true; while they hadn't fought scores, some of the battles had seen a dragon to two; Violight sprung to mind and the several that had shown themselves to be terrifying forces he'd have nightmares of for years to come. "We must plan and find a way to counter them."

They were painfully short of ice-types.

"Yes... But..." Oichi spoke up, starting all four of them. Kenshin's hand rose as the gallade's eyes shot open. Without a word, the faint glow vanished as they closed again, the knight returning to rest with a soft growl. Nagamasa smiled slightly, beckoning Oichi, her tray of food, and ever present jigglypuff forward. To her credit, Oichi didn't seem phased as she approached. "Before all that, though... I've made us something to eat."

"I helped," Kaede said, bringing out another tray of food, her partner, an eevee known as Jomei, trotting after her.

"Please, go ahead, enjoy," Oichi said as she seated herself beside Nagamasa, Kaede taking up a place on the other side while her partner bounded off to join the other eevee.

"Ahh! This does look tasty," Shingen quipped, nodding towards both ladies. "How considerate of you."

"My thanks, Lord Shingen," Kaede bowed in time with Oichi.

Oichi's smile was sheepish as she rose from the bow, jigglypuff making herself home on her lap. "It's not much... Lady Kaede is better than I ever could be. Mother... Mother did not teach me much..."

"It is but a small feast," Kenshin remarked, and Nagamasa nodded in agreement.

"Lord Kenshin is correct. You both have outdone yourselves."

"Thank you, brother of mine."

"R-Really?" When Nagamasa nodded, Oichi ducked her head, face almost as pink as her partner. "T-Thank you, Lord Nagamasa."

"Very well, let's have ourselves a small feast in celebration, shall we?" Shingen said, picking the offered chopsticks up with an 'itadakimasu'.

They weren't long into the food, drink, and talk of various things only vaguely related to the war when a distant roar sounded through the skies above. A glance up revealed three incoming specks in the distance. No sooner had they paused, did the distinct roar of a hydreigon sound the air, backed up by two more bellows. Also dragons, but what kind, neither Nagamasa nor Kaede could tell. A look at their companions revealed Oichi's shoulders had hunched, but she seemed to have that reaction to almost anything related to dragons.

Nagamasa thought she was terrified; it wouldn't be the first, and it wouldn't be the last time, someone close to him was afraid, and he wished, dearly, that he could do something to chase her fear away. He hated seeing her like this; it wasn't fair she should suffer so.

It came again, this time closer; the youkai bristled, and Oichi bit her lip.

"It'll be fine," He said, offering her a hand and a reassuring smile. "If it's someone looking for a fight, we shall prevail."

"Of course, Lord Nagamasa..." She nodded, but he could still see the uncertainty in her eyes, even as the pair of eevee's bristled as if they were jolteons about to unleash a barrage of electricity. Kenshin's gallade was up and in a fighting stance, as was the Illusio Daimyō himself. Even Shingen's massive rhyperior rose to all fours, claws digging into the ground as its legs coiled under it.

Nagamasa's hand was on his sword, eyes locked warily on the hydreigon that came into view, the six impressive and massive wings backbeating as it landed on two stumpy looking legs, claws digging into the ground. Yet the legs didn't seem to take much weight and the wings folded away as two of the heads slammed, open-mouthed, into the ground, acting as if they were arms. It would have been an odd sight, where it not for the fact the beast was pure muscle with all the deadly grace of a predator, coiled and ready to strike.

Everyone doubted the dragon was alone, even if it had been the only one to land. A glance skyward revealed nothing, but that could very well have been an illusion.

A man clad in black, purple, and gold armour jumped from the beast's back, boots crunching the ground beneath him as he approached. "The short life of man is nothing compared to the age of this world. It is but a fleeting dream, an illusion..."

"B-Brother?!" Oichi half squeaked, hands flying to cover her mouth, even as Kaede shot her a shocked look, and Nagamasa blurted the only thing he could think of, a stunning 'what?', eyes equally wide. Oichi - sweet kind, loevely Oichi - was this man's brother? His eyes darted between them, trying, and failing, to see much resemblance.

"This.. cannot be true.." He whispered to himself. There was no mistaking who this dragon-rider was. It was the 'Demon King'. Oda Nobunaga.

"Oichi?" Nagamasa tried again, but she just shook her head, and the young Daimyō wondered if she was afraid of the 'Demon King'. Not that he'd blame her, he thought as cold eyes seemed to rake over him and his twin, and the young Lord of Azai shifted, head lifting slightly. He would not allow himself to be intimidated, regardless of who this was. But his posturing might as well have been for nothing it seemed. The other Warlord didn't seem affected at all.

"What is it that you desire?" the man spoke again at last.

"I-" What did he desire? To stop Nobunaga from destroying Ransei. To bring peace to the land. To find himself a good wife. Many things were desired. "We-"

"I desire-" Oichi started, and instantly Nobunaga's attention was on her as he stepped closer. Nagamasa frowned, shifting protectively towards the young woman clad in pink. Sure, he had a crush on her and hadn't denied it, but she was also a friend, and Nobunaga's intentions here were unknown. Allowing harm to come to anyone would be foolish, and he'd taken her under his protection for good or ill. He could not just abandon that now he knew she was the Demon King's sister; not only was it cruel, but it would be going back on a promise he'd made, and the kamuy eat him if he broke his word to her. Oichi straightened as if lifted by his silent support. "I desire Lord Nagamasa and Lady Kaede to unite Ransei... And bring peace to it."

"We desire this as well," Nagamasa said firmly with a nod, hand only lightly resting on his sword now, partner at his side and he spared her a glance. As tired as she was, it was nice to know the eevee had his back, even if they were both terrified inside at the sight of the dragon.

Of the 'Demon King'.

"Ha... How amusing." A slight smile seemed to creep over the Demon King's face. "I should like to see you try and make that wish come true."

"How?" Kaede asked, and Nagamasa spared a glance towards her, blinking when he saw Kenshin standing beside her. He hadn't even heard the psychic move, but he was thankful.

"Defeat my subordinates and we shall see." The dragon shifted now, lowering itself until its belly was almost touching the ground. The Oda Lord vaulted up onto the dragon's back in one fluid movement, and Nagamasa was almost certain there was at least one leather riding strap hidden in its fur. "Nobunaga shall be waiting for you in Ryū."

With that, the hydreigon's wings unfurled and in one swoop, seemed to launch itself into the air, claws leaving deep gouges in the land.

"My Lord, I-" Oichi started, but Nagamasa held up a hand to forestall her.

"You had your reasons, I'm sure." He could guess at them, and one couldn't fake that level of shock. "For now, let us enjoy the meal."

"U-Um-?" Oichi stared at him in confusion.

"My brother is correct. It would be a shame to allow the food to go waste after we put so much effort into it," Kaede agreed with a nod.

"If.. that is your wish, my Lords..."

"It is," the twins said as one with a firm nod.

Oichi forced a smile to her face as she nodded in acceptance and attempted to push it out of her mind for now. "A-Alright..."

To be concluded in a later chapter.

Notes
Itadakimasu - while many translate this into 'let's eat' or 'thank you for this meal', there is no true English translation for the vague meaning, and I've chosen to use the word because of this reason. At it's heart, it is a polite and humble way of thanking not only the person who made the meal, but also nature, the animal it came from, and those involved in growing, farming, hunting etc the food that we eat.