The Leader's eyes will watch the land
His men will listen, hand-in-hand

Fear will strike in every heart
The beginning of darkness will begin to start

When daylight gone and darkness tall
The Chosen One will free us all
- Proverb of the Chosen One -

CHAPTER ONE: THE TASK

"Be careful, this journey is not an easy one," Captain Erik snapped. His eyebrows furrowed, creating wrinkles between his furry brows. "The Leader's eyes will be watching. His men may capture you, if you're lucky, or you'll be executed, if you're not."

Avianna shivered, pulling her scarf tightly around her neck. Her cheek itched from the dark paint that covered her face and her fingers twitched with anxiety. Captain E. Houldermann was not a man of humor and although he did not show it, he cared deeply for the men, women and Pokemon who sacrificed themself daily to liberate Eruva from The Leader.

Captain Erik was the head of Liberation One, one of the many liberation forces scattered across Eruva. Liberation forces were made up of Freedom Teams, small groups of humans and Pokemon who traveled across Eruva to do tasks that were too dangerous for ordinary citizens. Avianna was part of Team Elevation, one of the few elite teams in Liberation One.

Team Elevation consisted of Avianna Scott, an Ice-type trainer; Reid Westley, the Healer and Jenkins Isendore, the all-around trainer. They had also had trainees as it was a requirement of elite teams. The trainees were made up of Tara, a fourteen year-old Dark-type trainer with her twin brother, Thomas Jr., a Psychic-type trainer and Aiden, the brooding thirteen year-old who was similar to Jenkins, carrying a variety of Pokemon.

Captain Erik started reading out the teams for the journey to Aerio City, which was up in the tall mountains. "Team Enchant, Team Reaper and Team Soft will go to Aerio City," Captain Erik called out. "Team Enchant will take the Treasure Path through Pecha Forest and into Crystal Cave, leading to Aerio City's back entrance. Team Reaper will go to Liberation Thirteen and take the Under Path from their base to Aerio City. Finally, Team Soft will travel to Caribelle Town to Drake Island and then to Aerio City, also from the back entrance. Everyone clear?"

"Crystal!" the entire crowd responded.

The crowd dismissed and the remaining teams scurried into their dorms, unground caves 12-15 levels below the ground. Avianna turned around, following Reid and Jenkins but was stopped by Captain Erik. His cold eyes stared into hers and Avianna felt the shiver travel back up her spine. "Avianna, I need you and your team for a special task," he muttered softly into her ears. "Come to my dorm whenever your team is ready."

"Of course," she replied.

Captain Erik nodded, a small smile on his face, and turned around, walking towards the elevator and stepping in. He gave Avianna another small nod before he pulled slowly on the rope and it lowered him into the tunnel, disappearing from her sight. Reid stood next to Avianna, staring at her. His face was painted a deep green and his once blonde hair was now dyed to a dark brown.

"What does he want?" Reid asked.

Avianna shrugged. "He has a special task for us." She inhaled deeply and sighed. Pulling her long, curly, black hair up into a ponytail, she turned back to Reid, gesturing to him. "Gather the rest of the team and get Tara to find Aiden. In the name of Arceus, that boy just wanders wherever he pleases.

The Captain's room was dimly lit as it was the closest dorm to the surface. His walls were padded with soundproof material and he forbid no more than two teams in his room at once. Captain Erik sat at the desk, reading a pile of paper as Team Elevation entered his dorm. He dropped a pen lightly onto his desk and pushed his thick-rimmed glass down the bridge of his nose. "Ah, just the team I was expecting," Captain Erik said, giving them a toothy grin.

Jenkins stepped forward. "You called for us, sir?" he asked.

"Yes. Yes, I did," Captain Erik replied. He walked around his desk, seating himself in a comfy armchair. The chair squeaked softly as Captain Erik seated himself into the cushion. "You see, I received a letter from a woman claiming her son, Lucifer, is the Chosen One."

There was an unsettling silence following his words. Tara and Thomas exchanged awkward glances and even Aiden, who was no longer slouching, was standing upright. Captain Erik stared at the floor, closing his eyes after a few seconds and inhaling deeply. Jenkins cleared his throat.

"The Chosen One, you say, sir," Jenkins spoke after a few minutes of silence.

Captain Erik nodded. "Yes. It is just like the Elder Scrolls described it. Lucifer could most likely be the Chosen One."

"But how can we be sure? I mean, he could be like a fraud," Aiden inquired.

Avianna snapped her head around and glared at him. Trainees were not to talk out of turn, especially when speaking to the head of the Liberation Force. Captain Erik wrinkled his eyebrows again, giving the same cold glare as he usually does. "Aiden Muriel King, you should know better than to talk out of turn," Captain Erik growled. "But since this is a delicate topic, I will let you off. But yes, as I said before, Lucifer can very well be the Chosen One."

"He was born on the darkest night of winter and Pokemon and humans alike attract to him instinctively. But as Aiden had stated so rudely, Lucifer could be a fraud, a spy of the Leader. So this task is an extremely dangerous one and I only feel that I can trust Team Elevation," the Captain paused for a second, "you are to escort Lucifer to Sulfier Village and consult with the Elders. Then and only then, can we find out if Lucifer is truly the Chosen One."

The room was once again filled with silence. A scuffling alerted Avianna's attention and her Weavile, Cirque, leapt to its feet, preparing for battle. The curtain hiding the bathroom slid open and out stepped a young boy, barely older than fifteen years of age. His shaggy black hair covered the right side of his face and the visible eye was a bright blue. He was dressed in an oversized grey T-shirt and baggy jeans that almost covered his black shoes. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, glancing around the room.

"Erm...Hi, my name is L. Millers," he said, hesitantly. "The L stands for Lucifer."