Preface

It's been a long time since the peace of our world was intact. I remember my childhood, so regular back then. I wish I hadn't taken it for granted. I'd travelled, as most did, and grown strong with my pokemon.

I hadn't been strong enough for what was to come. I don't think anyone was.

My eyes roamed the horizon once more as I walked across the barrier wall. For the moment, everything was still, but that unnerved me. I'd learned the hard way that there is always a calm before the storm. The wasteland that was once the beautiful city of Canalave lay dormant and dead, forever unchanging. My heart sank at the memory of my hometown, but it only made me want to fight this battle more.

Gallade grumbled behind me, also nervous. We were very much in tune with one another, and he was my most trustworthy partner. I turned and nodded to him, indicating that I felt the same, but could not continue the conversation as we were interrupted.

"Sergeant Harper."

I turned to my leader, who was stood firmly by the ladder he'd taken to reach me here. Out of respect, I placed my feet together and stood tall, saluting him sharply. "Lieutenant Morgan."

He nodded to acknowledge my greeting, and I lowered my arm. He eyed me for a second, and then out to the horizon. "Everything is quiet?"

"Yes sir." I said quickly, "No signs of danger."

"That's good to know." He said quietly, relief in his voice as he turned to look at the town we protected. He did not continue his conversation, so I turned to carry on with my job. My eyes roamed over the grey sands that covered the Canalave plains, and stopped at the muddy river that had once run clean and pure through the city. The water rippled. It caused me to frown, that water never rippled. There was no wind to blow at the surface, and no life to disturb the depths.

"Sir!" I barked, my eyes not leaving river in case I missed something. He did not reply though, and in my peripherals, the warning lamps sparkled to life consecutively. Not seconds after, the sirens began, and the peace I'd been nervous about was torn to shreds.

"Sergeant, take your section and defend the western wall!" Lieutenant Morgan demanded.

"But-" The wall we were already standing on was surely about to be attacked too.

"That's an order!"

Not one to disobey, I yelled at my soldiers and led them along the wall, having to circle the great warning lights and clamber over weaponry as we made our way. We didn't have to make it the whole way, though, as our first foes had scaled the wall to cut off our route. The creatures were all different physically, but their similarities were obvious. Their skin black and charred, their teeth sharper than any pokemon's I'd ever seen. The ones we faced now were the first of their kind anybody had ever seen, and we'd named them Hellions. Their bodies were bulky, with the shape of an Aggron, only they were much faster and far more powerful. Their small, armoured skull was covered in spikes, as was the joints on their limbs. I'd seen many deaths due to them, but I'd also seen many be killed. They charged quickly, and slashed even faster. Their flaw was they had virtually no peripheral vision, and we could blind-side them.

With no need for command, my section set into action. We were heavily trained for this kind of encounter, and I had no worry in their ability. I took the lead, my hand already ripping out my knife from it's sheath and slashing at the closest Hellion's face. It roared and stumbled back, only for another to leap over it and straight for me. General Trevino covered me with a quick slash along it's neck, and I managed to sink a bullet straight into that wound. It lost momentum quickly as it crashed to the floor, and two more ran around it. Gallade blocked an attack with speed, and I jabbed in its direction, but this one was smart. It leapt back and slashed a claw to us, which Gallade blocked with shining bladed arms.

Just as we finished off our third Hellion, I was distracted with an explosion to our right. I turned to look, and see how on earth they'd already made it into the village. Up ahead, Seraphs flew straight over the wall, a few falling to our gunmen, but more simply swept over their heads, taking a few men's lives with their sharp talons. I took aim with my pistol at one heading in our direction, trusting Gallade to cover me as I did so. Just as it got close enough, I lodged a bullet into it's skull and slashed at it's stomach to push it aside and continue with the fight on the ground.

"Gallade!" I yelled as I leapt off the back of another Hellion. He looked in my direction, just as I shot an advancing Hellion and gave him his order. "Find Lieutenant Morgan, we'll be done here soon!" He nodded to me, and leapt off the wall without hesitation.

I carefully peered over the wall, relieved to find there were no more scaling it. We had just two left to finish here, but with a quick look over the village, we were the only group winning our quarter. Fires had started, and the Seraphs had begun raining down on innocent people.

"Serge!"

I turned, noticing one of my generals had been cut down by the claws of the final Hellion. Before it could deliver a final blow, I shot the claw, and ran to General Mason's aid. A rumble in the wall told me that final monster had fallen. Mason was not unconscious, but was completely unaware of what was going on. A wound across his shoulder that was deep, but not enough to puncture a lung.

"Mason, can you hear me? I need you to stand."

He groaned, managing to help me lift him as General Trevino took his uninjured arm. As we made way for the infirmary, Gallade had found me and beckoned me to follow.

"Let me, Serge." Lawson came to take my place, and I began to run for the edge of the wall after Gallade.

"Get him safe then meet me at the-"

I had no chance to finish my orders as a Seraph dove in close, releasing an enormous fireball that exploded and threw everything in sight like it was mere dust in the wind. Mason, Trevino and Lawson flew out out of sight, and I called after them, but before I could help them, a swarm of Seraphs caught my sight, all carrying the same explosive fireballs.

"Gallade!" I yelled, trying to close ranks with him so we could protect each other, but they closed in too fast. The fireball sped toward me with incredible accuracy, and all I could do was leap aside, only just clearing it but my ankle armour set alight. Distracted, I was knocked aside by the talons of a Seraph, and my vision failed.

As I came to, I coughed the mass of dust I must have inhaled whilst unconscious. I was in extreme shock that I was still alive, but as I opened my eyes I realised why. Gallade sat over me in a dark alleyway with rubble everywhere. He looked relieved as he noticed me, and helped me to stand.

"Are they all dead?" I asked. Gallade nodded slowly, a grim look on his face. I frowned, pushing past him and into the street, or what was left of it anyway.

All around me was yet another wasteland of buildings, leaving very few structures standing, and no live beings around. I began to walk, aware that Gallade was right behind me.

"What happened?" I muttered, though I knew the answer. The Seraphs had been organised, they'd had a leader. They'd laid waste to everything in their path, including every human and pokemon in sight.

A sudden coughing caused me to start, and Gallade was in front of me in a flash. My hand flickered to my sword, but I instinctively knew it was a human who had made the noise.

I cleared my throat. "Who's there?" Gallade began searching through the rubble.

"Harper..."

I recognised the voice and leapt toward it, ripping the rubble away with my hands. "Lieutenant Morgan..."

"Sir." I found him, and the sight of him brought a lump to my throat. "S-sir..." I looked over his crushed body, wounds covering him, the worst being through his chest.

"It's alright." He muttered. Then looked me in the eye. "I have one last thing I need of you, Harper." He breathed in slowly; "You're the only one I'd trust with it."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. I knew I would do anything for him.

"Go to the survivors..." He took my hand. "Find my daughter. Ivy. Take her to her mother..." With that, he placed a picture in my hand. He was crouched down with a pretty child sat on his knee, her arms thrown in the air as she grinned happily. I could tell by the background that the photo was post-apocalyptic, but she was oblivious to the dangers of a world she had been born into.

"Sir..." Was all I could say as I saluted him.

"They won't let you go freely, you will have to break some rules." He told me solemnly, and then coughed roughly, we instinctively knew these were his last breaths.

"You're a good soldier, Harper. Take care of her." He closed his eyes and smiled weakly.

"I will Sir. You have my word." This man had been my mentor, my leader and one of my only friends. I knew I would do whatever I could for him.

"Then I can go now." He muttered, and exhaled gently, his muscles relaxing as he fell into the final sleep.

It was both peaceful and painful as I watched him leave this world, for it was not much of a world he was leaving behind. I placed the picture into my pack, and stood, overlooking Canalave in it's ashes.

The start to the end of the world.