Chapter One

They were going to pay.

Every single one of them, down to their weakest grunts, were all going to pay.

I was never one for vengeance or revenge for the sake of revenge, but it was all beginning to bubble up inside of me. Nothing I could do could take back what those sick fools had done, but I couldn't help but feel that it would all be better if I got back at them. For all the pain they had caused me, dealing with the deaths of every single person I ever loved, they were going to feel the pain tenfold. They were going to pay.

Team Xana, as they called themselves, seized control of everything. It all happened so quickly that no one had any time to react before they were all dead. The only reason I escaped was because I battled my way out; yet one of them beat me, and I sprinted away before the death sentence could be placed upon me, as well.

How they had beaten me, I didn't know. I was the most powerful Trainer in all of Johto and Kanto, Champion Lyra, and yet they got the win. There was nothing I could do to protect anyone anymore, and everyone that I knew was destroyed. Anyone considered a threat, and any innocent person found to even know a powerful threat, was taken care of. Except me. I was the last hope for the world.

And this time, I wouldn't lose.

I knew how Red felt being on that mountain. I lived there for five years, training and waiting for my time to make a comeback. And it was horrible. I had never felt so alone, so secluded, and I had nothing left to fight for. No one would know if I saved the world because I was the only one left. But that didn't matter to me. Because I was going to save the world whether anyone knew or not. I would get my revenge.

My mother, Ethan, Silver, Professor Elm, Professor Oak, Red, Lance, all of the Gym Leaders—gone. No one stood the slightest chance, and if anyone fought back, they were eliminated. One moment, Ethan, Silver, and I had gone into Team Xana's headquarters to attack, determined that the three of us, with our power, could absolutely annihilate them. Just as Team Rocket had so easily been taken care of, they would, as well. But I was the only one to make it out alive. I saw Ethan's body, and Silver never came out.

So, I needed to get back in there. With my immense power and strategy, I could walk in there alone and destroy them all. It wasn't just a matter of defeating them—I wasn't going to allow them to walk away like I had with Team Rocket. I was going to destroy them as they had destroyed my friends and family. No one but me would walk away alive.

And then what? If no one else was left, what was the point in going in and getting rid of them? Well, I very well couldn't let them take control of the whole world. Evil would never win, and even if my intentions were not entirely pure, I still considered myself the good person here. Because what kind of people just destroyed innocent people?

I hated them. I hated them. And when I got rid of them, I would be satisfied. It was a disgusting thing… revenge. Yet the idea seemed so sweet in my mind, like a little chocolate morsel. Maybe I would regret eating it later, but how much would it really hurt now? Besides, didn't Team Xana deserve it?

Like lightning, they struck at the dead of night, a flash of light followed by the screams of my fellow citizens like thunder. I was sixteen at the time, sleeping in my familiar comfortable bed after a long journey away from home. In fact, I had only been at home for about a week when Team Xana attacked my town.

No one suspected it. No one had ever heard of "Team Xana", and when they announced themselves to our town, calling out for people "brave enough to join them (or else you will perish instead)", no one moved. I thought it was a joke, and when I ran outside in my pajamas to see what the fuss was about, just one Poké Ball in hand, I didn't expect any trouble.

Until I saw the fires and truly heard the screams. I glanced around my house, seeing Fire Pokémon running rampant and setting fire to anything. Followed by them were Electric-type Pokémon, blowing up the power lines and killing all the power to all of our houses. The fires were the only source of light now, and I could barely see Ethan waving his hands at me from his house next door.

I met him halfway, sending out my faithful Noctowl to ward off the enemies. I had no idea what was happening, but I was suddenly so frightened that I hugged Ethan when he made his way over to me, whispering in his ear that I was so happy that he was alive. Of course, that had only lasted so long, and I now regretted not holding him longer.

"Who are these people? Not Team Rocket? I thought you got rid of them!" Ethan had shouted at me, yelling because we could barely hear each other above the chaos. I looked around again, seeing Trainers now. They were the ones ordering those Fire and Electric Pokémon around. They were the ones causing the pain and preventing cooperation.

"I did!" I focused harder, watching as one of the Trainers stared over at Ethan and I. He raised a hand, pointing at us, and within moments, we were surrounded by Arcanines and Raichus. I backed against Ethan, reaching for a Poké Ball in my bag when I realized Noctowl was the only one I had brought with me.

So, I did the only thing I could think of at the time. I ran. Grabbing Ethan's hand and pulling him towards my house, I fled the scene to get the rest of my team. Ethan shouted at me, but I had no idea what he was saying. And as I entered my house, I skipped steps up to my bedroom, grabbing my bag and swinging it over my shoulder. Ethan continued to say something to me, but now, I needed to stop whatever was happening. It was my duty as Champion to make sure everyone was safe—and my duty as daughter to find my mother.

She was gone. I searched the entire house, and I couldn't find her. I ran outside, looking for her there, sending out all of my Pokémon and having them take out enemies as I ran down the streets shouting for my mother with no response. Ethan ran after me, sending out his own Pokémon and calling now for Professor Elm.

Then, an eerie silence filled our town, with the only noise coming from the cackling of fires and my shouting. I turned to Ethan, gasping as I saw his body bound by a Venasaur, an attractive young man just a little older than myself standing beside it with a grin on his face. My Pokémon hurried to my side, my Typhlosion nudging my shoulder and my Umbreon licking my shaking fingers.

"Let him go."

The man's smile grew, and he snapped his fingers. Another Arcanine and Raichu hurried over to us, the Arcanine growling and the Raichu's cheeks sparking. "It is just lovely meeting you, Lyra. I was actually hoping we'd run into you, and it is such a privilege to be in the presence of the young lady who defeated Indigo Plateau's Elite Four and Champion—and Team Rocket! You are quite the celebrity, you know. If we were in a less conspicuous situation, here, I would ask for your autograph. Oh, and you are much prettier in person."

I made a disgusted face, and the man laughed. His shaggy black hair bounced against his forehead, covering his dark eyes for a moment. "Oh, don't be like that."

"I said, 'Let him go'. If you don't, I'll—"

The man held up a hand, and I stopped mid-sentence. "Please, save it. I'll let him go. I just need you to give me something I need, and we'll be on our way." He laughed again, covering his mouth with the same hand he held up to me. "Oh… please forgive me, Lyra. I've been so rude. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Clay of Team Xana."

I raised an eyebrow, dropping my defensive stance for only a moment. "Team Xana?"

"Yes. We're a recently formed organization who wishes to rid the world of all but Trainers who can hold their own against us. With a powerful force such as ours, we can lead the world, eliminating all confrontation and war. Then, once we rule the world, we will set our sights on the sky and space. Our scientists have discovered a way to make it beyond the Milky Way galaxy and out to Andromeda. Once we take over this galaxy, we'll take over the next. It's quite simple." Clay explained, but I was lost. I still had no idea who these people were and where they came from.

"So, in other words, you're beginning a war to end all wars? Seems a little contradictory to me." I put my hands on my hips, and my Umbreon stood closer to me. "Listen, this is silly. There will always be someone there to stop you. And that someone is going to be me. So, you might as well just give up now."

Clay clicked his tongue, wiggling a finger at me. "I don't think so. You see, we actually need you. In exchange for your buddy over here, we request that you join us. If you don't, he dies." He slid a finger across Ethan's throat, and Ethan struggled against Venasaur's vines, yelling muffled cries at me. I shivered, despite the heat of the flames surrounding us, and nodded at Clay.

"What do you need?"

"Ah, very good, very good. We want you to—argh!"

A blur shot in front of Clay, and Ethan dropped to the ground as Venasaur retracted his vines. Clay grabbed his arm, and I saw a line of blood dripping down his bicep. Losing his calm and cool demeanor, he replaced it with a grimace, so frightening that I wondered how a man his age could hold so much evil within him.

Seeing the Pokémon that had attacked Clay and freed Ethan, I couldn't manage to suppress a smile: Silver's Crobat! It flapped its purple wings before diving for another Aerial Ace attack on Clay. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Raichu getting ready to attack Crobat, and I sent Umbreon to take it out before it interfered.

"Lyra! Ethan! You all right?"

I held a thumb up to Silver as he approached the scene, but Ethan grabbed my wrist and tugged me before I could say anything. Then, grabbing my bag, he returned all of my Pokémon to my Poké Balls with the exception of Noctowl. I began yelling at him as we ran, Silver following closely behind with his Crobat, but Ethan just ignored me.

"Fly! Lyra, Fly!" Silver screamed, and I saw him take off into the air. That was what Ethan had been trying to do… But what about my mom? What about Professor Elm? I couldn't just leave them to fend for themselves. I didn't even know if they were all right now, never mind later. I couldn't just leave.

"Noctowl, take her," Ethan told my Noctowl, pushing me onto my bird as Noctowl swooped down. I screamed as Noctowl took off from the ground, leaving Ethan behind. Silver flew beside me, his face completely somber as I yelled for Ethan, pleading for Noctowl to go back down. But even Noctowl wouldn't listen to me now.

"Don't worry. Ethan will make it. Have faith in him, Lyra," Silver simply said with a stoic expression, and I couldn't believe him.

Well, Ethan did make it. We waited in the woods for him, and he eventually showed up after I worried for what felt like hours. But we didn't waste any time rejoicing in the fact that we had survived the first string of attacks. Instead, we flew town to town, looking to see where Team Xana had attacked. Each town we visited had been completely destroyed, all set fire to like New Bark Town had.

We made a pact to vanquish Team Xana. Despite being the only one who had made it out alive, I had failed. We all did. I lost to a Team Xana member, barely escaping their headquarters (which we had found on accident), and Ethan and Silver were not nearly so lucky. And after I made it out of the building, I waited for them to come. They never did.

I searched endlessly for someone—anyone—to help me get back into their headquarters, but I only came across Team Xana members and destroyed cities. Clay hadn't been joking when he said he would get rid of anyone who lost to Team Xana. Even I couldn't win against them… how could anyone else stand a chance?

There was not much left for me to do but train and prepare myself for my revenge. I felt so incredibly haunted and changed by everything that had happened; I abandoned my pigtails and sweet demeanor for power and determination, a bloodlust within me guiding my soul. I would get my revenge.

My team and I—Typhlosion, Umbreon, Noctowl, Dewgong, Ampharos, and Tyranitar—contained a new power, and I understood how Team Xana could be so strong. Emotions were such powerful weapons; happiness and love were all right, but anger and greed were really impressive. There was no way I could lose now.

So, coming down from Mt. Silver, I knew I would get my revenge. No one was going to stop me this time.

Author's Note: I write such angsty chaptered fanfictions. (But, honestly, really fluffy chaptered fics are very difficult to write for me, and they usually don't turn out well). However, I don't think this fanfiction is so much angsty as it is dark. This is just the beginning, and I even think this chapter was pretty dark.

Anyway, enjoy! I'll try to update this quickly now that NaNoWriMo is over (which I won, by the way), but my finals are coming up. So, they might be slow until around the 15th. Hopefully you won't mind too much?

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.