Hey readers, I'm Lampoon, Lamp for short. Since its the first chapter, I'll be curt. This is my first post but not my first time writing, so please help me better my story as I update. Thank you!
Pokémon is not owned by me.
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Down in the urban area of the big city Seafree, loud noises emanated from a forge. From within, skillful blue paws quenched a burning piece of metal in a trough of water. Withdrawing the piece after a hot second, the blue-pawed blacksmith brought the piece over to a grindstone and began to sharpen the soon-to-be blade. Once it had achieved a sharpness on all sides of it, he placed it on a nearby workbench and brought out his engraving tools. Thoroughly, he carved letters into it and brushed off the metal scraps.
A Machoke peeked his head through a window of the small metal shop, asking, "Hey Randolph! Is my blade done yet?"
Blue paws belonging to a Glaceon stopped polishing the blade, and their owner turned around and yelled back, "Give me a damn second Toby!" Getting back to polishing. Finishing, he looked at the result of his efforts. A long sword with a four-foot blade and the words 'Arcforge' engraved on it rested in the Glaceon's paws. Quickly, he carried it to the window of his shop and placed it on the counter.
Toby was there on the other side, smiling. "You never cease to amaze me with your skills, Randolph. How much do I owe you?" He said this, taking out a coin pouch.
The Glaceon thought for a moment, then answered, "I'll cut you a deal because you come here so often- how does 120 Kopi sound? That's also including the order of twenty short swords, of course."
Taking pieces out of his pouch, the Machoke nodded, "Fair. You'll probably drive me to poverty one day, but it's worth it for these blades." He leaned in closer, and looking around, quietly said, "Thanks for helping out our cause again, Randolph. None of the other smiths in the city would help us out- they're either loyalist scum or too scared they'd get caught."
Returning from the back of the shop carrying two bundles of swords, Randolph nodded. He placed the two collections in two oiled sacks respectively, then put them on the counter. "It's no problem, Toby. You know how I feel about the King's court."
"True, true. But nonetheless, you are a crucial member of our rebellion. Thank you for staying with us. See you around," the Machoke said and jogged off with the two bundles and sword. Randolph looked to see him get safely to a bar known to be a safe place for rebels.
Done with the day's work, Randolph lay down on a wooden bench. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and panted with his tongue out. In an attempt to cool himself down from the intense heat of the forge, he blew an icy breeze across his blue paws and patted himself down. Too bad I can't do much more of this ice control. I don't know whether my powers are over going to manifest. But to be fair, there are probably benefits to not having them either.
Randolph thought about the indirect consequences of his deficiency. "The city guard doesn't keep too much of a watch over me, I guess I seem less of a threat," he said to himself and pondered a bit more. "Probably the best part is that full-on Glaceons need an ice biome to live properly, but since I lack a bit, I can stand the heat of this forge."
"Who are you talking to?" Randolph sat up and glanced out the window to see who was asking. Looking right back at him, a male Sylveon smiled widely and waved his ribbons. "Hi, Randolph! Check it out, I just got a new idea for my ribbons!" The Sylveon jumped over the counter and proceeded to arrange the ribbons into a bow tie on his shoulder.
The Glaceon laughed a bit, and returned the friendly gesture, saying, "Looking quite dapper, Pepper. Who knows, with a look like that, you could get me to go on a date with you." A contained reaction could be seen in the Sylveon's stature, but he soon calmed and moved towards Randolph.
"You know, Randy, I really like you. And I love what you're doing for our rebellion. But sometimes, I wonder if you have a life outside the shop. I know you love your work, but how about we just go out, try and forget the conflict, okay? You know, we could go out to the beach, it's outside the wall and doesn't have any of the conflict!"
The Glaceon rubbed his forehead once again, then took one of Pepper's ribbons in his paw. "I suppose that could be good for me… Let's do it," he said solidly, and the ribboned Pokémon drew him in closer for a short kiss on the cheek.
The two exited the shop, and Randolph untied a wooden overhang that when closed, acted as a shutter on the counter. After, the Glaceon joined the eagerly awaiting Sylveon and they walked off together.
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Upon approaching the gate that closed the city off from the sea, one of the guards, high on the wall, inquired them this: "Halt! What is your business outside the city?"
Randolph looked up at the guard and gave an annoyed look, replying, "I'm a blacksmith! What do you think I'm doing?"
The guard shrugged and glared down in a condescending way.
"Harvesting some damn Shellstone, that's what! Come on, I'm the one making your weapons here!" Pepper had to hold back the writhing Glaceon.
A new voice entered the argument. "Actually, Randolph, I know for a fact it's quite the opposite." The angry ice type whirled around and faced a Scyther dressed in a captain's uniform.
Randolph looked to his side and saw the Sylveon bristling with anger beside him. Turning back to the green Pokémon, he inquired, "Do I know you?"
"I wouldn't imagine so, Randolph. But I happen to be informed of your disloyal habits to the king and his army. I've pieced together many occasions on which you weren't able to provide arms for the army. Maybe you were sick, your shop was closed, or you were out of the proper ore. You can't fool me, blacksmith. I'm going to get some personal evidence, and present it to the king," the Scyther snarled. He then took on an annoyed look. "However, I've brought this up to him before and he dismisses it, still believing he owes you a good deal."
"Owe me?" The Glaceon was puzzled. "Why would the king owe me? I've never met face to face with him."
The Captain sighed, and explained, "A few years ago, you were a blacksmith's apprentice, and you were out at some quarry inland. The young child of our King was playing out there at the time too, for some reason, and he fell into it. You saved him, and brought him back to the city, giving him to one of the guards. He remembered it, and now that he is king, he feels obligated towards you."
"Come to think about it, I do remember that… but I only rescued a child! If he's on the throne, then he mustn't be more than a youth. Why weren't the citizens informed of the king's death?"
The Scyther held a restrained look of rage, shook a bit, and commanded that the gate be opened before walking off muttering to himself. Puzzled at what had just happened, Randolph herded the raging Pepper through the open gate and quickly went off in the direction of the beach.
As soon as they had reached one of the many piers that occupied the beach, Pepper let out a frustrated yowl and shoulder charged one of the supporting beams. Surprisingly, the wood beam shuddered, and splintered, creating a sag on the pier. The Sylveon turned to Randolph, and teary-eyed, choked out, "He's the reason!"
The Glaceon cautiously came closer and put his arms on Pepper's shoulders, saying slowly, "Who? Who is the reason for what?"
Pepper shuddered, and let his shoulders droop. Tears fell freely from his eyes, and his mood went from angry to depressed. "The Scyther… Captain Mugskale. He's the reason my parents are gone," he breathed hollowly, and let the words sink in. "They couldn't pay their taxes, and he ordered their execution. I was too young when it happened… I can't even remember their voices. But I know it was Mugskale. I'm going to kill him. That's why I joined Indigo."
"Wait," Randolph interjected. "I'm getting a lot of new information. What's Indigo?"
Breathing out, Pepper responded, "Hmm, well I'll explain it the long way so others don't have to. When the old king came into power and began corrupting the government with his advisors, the people of Seafree split into two groups; the loyalists and the Resistance. You already know about the loyalists, and how they just remained loyal to the king. The resistance was a bit more complicated." Pepper spoke, his mood changing a bit more. "I joined the resistance only a month after my parents died, and still being a child, I wasn't taken seriously. However, I grew up in the resistance when things began to change."
Randolph walked along the beach, Pepper following. "Change how?" Randolph asked.
"The resistance faced a period of confusion and what the goal of it all was. Many were tempted to abandon, but that's when our young Commander Tiberius stepped in with a few of his trusted comrades. He saw we had no central goal, so he decided to make three of them for us. They were; to beat back the force of the army; to erase the names of our oppressors; to show our foes the fire of our rebellion. Those of the first mantra belonged to the Vanguard Unit. Those of the second, Indigo Unit, and those of the third, the Central Force."
"So you erase people's names?"
"No no no, Indigo works undercover to take out high priority or status individuals without drawing much attention to themselves. It's another reason I joined the group, Mugskale has been my priority target for years," the Sylveon said scornfully.
Randolph placed his paws Pepper's arms carefully. Carefully, he squeezed, and locked eyes with him. "You won't be able to defeat him alone, you crazy Sylveon," he said, and before Pepper could retort, he added, "But with me at your back, you're unstoppable, got that?"
Pepper trembled in his grasp, then turned, brushing off Randolph's arms. "You don't understand. I have too much enmity with him to just let someone carry me all the way. I'm not young anymore either, and I can take care of myself."
Randolph walked after the negative aura, and began, "You know it's true, Pepper. There's no way you can touch any of the King's court members. They're too high, they-"
"Shut up Randolph!" Pepper turned around furiously and snarled at the blacksmith, who stumbled back at the verbal blow. "It doesn't matter that you're seven years older than me, ten or twenty! You've seen things, but you haven't seen what I have! So just let me kill Mugskale, I don't need you or Indigo."
Pepper stomped off down the beach, leaving a wounded Glaceon in his wake.
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