Two years had passed since the young warlord by the name of Azai had united all seventeen kingdoms of Ransei and met the legendary Pokemon known as Arceus. Since then, the seventeen kingdoms had gone back to their original warlords and ladies, while Azai, having partnered with Arceus, set off to explore distant lands.
Though the warlords and ladies respected Azai's wishes and stopped using Pokemon as tools for battle and conquering other kingdoms, that didn't stop them from enjoying battles with their partner Pokemon. Sometimes for fun, other times for contests with prizes.
And so it was that yet another one of these battles was taking place. This time, the battlefield of choice was the frozen lake in the kingdom of Nixtrom. Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi, the fierce (but friendly) rivals that they were, were arguing over who's army the wandering warrior known as Keiji would join.
Agreeing to a three on three battle, Keiji opted to fight on Mitsuhide's side to make things fair (Mitsuhide agreed to fight alongside his daughter Gracia, while Hideyoshi would fight with his two junior warlords, Hanbei and Kanbei). But no one suspected that the battle would become known, not for what would take on the field, but would transpire afterwards.
Hideyoshi stood on the side of the attacking army, perched atop his partner, the legendary dragon Reshiram, and looked at Hanbei and Kanbei. The two stood with their respective partner Pokemon, Raichu for Hanbei, and Chandelure for Kanbei. Just across the slippery frozen lake, rested the defending army and their partner Pokemon. Mitsuhide with Articuno the legendary bird of ice, Gracia with Gothitelle, and Keiji with Terrakion the only known Swords of Justice member to inherit Ransei.
"This is it, men!" Hideyoshi spoke to his fellow warlords. "This will prove once and for all who is the better warlord to succeed Nobunaga! When we win, Keiji and his Terrakion will fight on our side, and we will once again be second only to Nobunaga and Azai as Ransei's greatest warriors!"
"Rawr!" Reshiram cried out, eagerly anticipating the battle.
"But of course, Lord Hideyoshi," Keiji agreed. "But we mustn't underestimate our opponents, they have two legendary Pokemon on their side, and we have only one."
"Chandelure, chan, chandelure!" Chandelure burst out, clearly sounding upset.
"Geez, Kanbei, must you always be so depressing?" Hanbei teased. "We're gonna whip them and whip them good, then I can finally take a nap!"
"Rai-raichu!" Raichu commented, applauding Hanbei's remark.
"Exactly, Raichu," Hanbei replied with a smile. "With you by my side, I know we'll win. So let's-" But then Hanbei started to cough, and cough, and cough some more!
Kanbei seemed to be concerned, as he looked at Hanbei. "It's getting worse," He thought to himself, but didn't bother to speak up. "This icy kingdom will wreak havoc on Hanbei's health. Hanbei, why did you agree to fight with Lord Hideyoshi today?!" Kanbei quickly spoke up to draw attention away from Hanbei's condition. "Lord Hideyoshi, isn't it time we began the battle?" He asked Hideyoshi.
"Of course it is," Hideyoshi nodded in reply, hopping onto Reshiram. He then cried out. "We'll show 'em what we've got!"
"I am ready to face my opponent." Mitsuhide commented to himself, hopping onto Articuno, and waited for Hideyoshi's army to make the first move.
Before long, the two sides met in battle in the middle of the frozen lake. Hideyoshi's army made the first strike, as Kanebi zeroed on Gracia, taking advantage of the fact that his Chandelure would be immune to Gracia's Gothitelle's attacks. "Time for Fire Spin, Chandelure!" He commanded.
"Chandelure!" Chandelure cried out, and twirled around in a ghostly dance. All of a sudden, blue flames surrounded Gothitelle and trapped it in a fiery vortex, the flames turning red and orange!
"See how you like this! Bewilder!" Gracia shouted, as a glow surrounded her Gothitelle. "Now, Gothitelle, Future Sight, now's your chance!"
"Gothitelle, Gothitelle!" Gothitelle obliged, as its eyes flashed a bright white.
"Fool, that move won't work on Chandelure!" Kanebi scoffed. "Chandelure, let's put Gothitelle and Gracia to bed, shall we?! Fire Spin, now!"
"Chandelure, chand!" Chandelure snickered, as it repeated the motions from earlier and once again surrounded Gothitelle in a fiery vortex.
The heat proved to be too much for Gothitelle to handle, as it fainted, its eyes turning to black swirls of dizziness. "Oh…. How disappointing. Oh well," Gracia commented, as she approached her Gothitelle. "You did great, Gothitelle, now get a good rest."
"Ha, one down and two to go!" Hideyoshi boasted. "Ready to give up, Mitsuhide?!"
"Absolutely not! My army will fight to the last Pokemon!" Mitsuhide replied.
"Now it's our turn!" Keiji commented, as he and Terrakion approached Hideyoshi & Reshiram. "Hey! Sacred Sword!" Keiji instructed.
"Terra!" Terrakion roared, as it leaped up into the air then suddenly came down and struck at Reshiram with a glowing sword that seemed to be made of pure energy.
"Rawr! Reshiram!" Reshiram cried, as the blow was struck. But it remained standing.
"Grr, a lucky hit! But you won't be so lucky a second time!" Hideyoshi bellowed.
Meanwhile, Mitsuhide and Articuno had flown towards Kanbei and Chandelure, as well as Hanbei and Raichu. A faint smirk formed on Mitsuhide's face, as he said to himself. "Now is the time… Cold Eyes," A glow formed around Articuno that seemed to be as blue as the water and the sky. Mitsuhide then called out. "Articuno, let's give those junior warlords a cold reception! Blizzard! Strike now!"
"Articuno!" Articuno roared, as a massive torrent of snow, wind, and ice, emerged from its beak. Thanks to Mitsuhide's ability, Blizzard hit both its targets!
"Raichu!" Raichu cried, as it barely hung on by sticking its tail firmly into the ice!
Chandelure, with nothing to hold onto, was blown away by the wind! Despite the move not being as strong due to Chandelure's Fire typing, the Blizzard was too much powerful for it! It got knocked into a small, unfrozen pond, the water proving to be enough to finish what the blizzard had started.
"Not every battle can be won. I seek a greater victory," Kanbei commented, before he rushed over to fish Chandelure out. "You were great out there, Chandelure. It is a pity we couldn't do more to help Lord Hideyoshi."
"No worries, we got this!" Hanbei boasted. "Raichu, Hideyoshi, and I will put these clowns on ice!"
"Leave it to me!" Hideyoshi shouted, as he positioned Reshiram so that it could strike both Articuno and Terrakion. Hideyoshi chuckled to himself, as he said. "How 'bout this, eh? Great Uniter!" A bright red glow surrounded Reshiram, who eyes seemed to be as fierce as a raging fire burning out of control! Then Hideyoshi commanded. "Blue Flare! Now's the time!"
"Reshiram! Reshiram, rawr!" Reshiram bellowed, as intense blue flames shot out of its mouth in a lower case t formation, striking both Articuno and Terrakion! Both were hit hard, but neither fainted from the attack!
"You'll have to do better than that, Hideyoshi!" Mitsuhide taunted, before he saw a singe mark appear on both Articuno and Terrakion, who both groaned in pain.
"Nice, I burned you both!" Hideyoshi chuckled. "Now let's see if your Pokemon can take the heat!"
Articuno groaned and squeezed its eyes shut, folding its wings to try and stop the pain. Somehow, it managed to hang on. But Terrakion couldn't withstand the pain, slowly but surely its legs gave out and it collapsed onto the ice as it fainted.
"Well… you gotta roll with the punches," Keiji commented, as he approached his partner. "A fine piece of work, Terrakion. It's always nice to meet a worthy opponent that'll test your limits."
"It's two to one, Mitsuhide!" Hideyoshi jeered, as a massive smile formed on his face. "And your Articuno's looking pretty weak to me. I'd give up right now if I were you."
But Mitsuhide just smirked. "Why should I when you've played right into my hands?"
"What do you mean?" Hideyoshi asked, before all of a sudden a gigantic wave of psychic energy suddenly materialized out of nowhere and hit Reshiram!
"Reshiram!" Reshiram cried, and looked around in confusion.
"Gracia's Gothitelle set up Future Sight to target you!" Mitsuhide explained. "And it looks like my daughter's ability worked out. Now your own Pokemon is confused."
"Grr, you won't get away with this!" Hideyoshi replied, even though there was nothing he could do but wait for his next turn.
"Oh, but I will!" Mitsuhide smiled, as Hanbei and Raichu carefully moved closer to Articuno, while making sure to stay out of striking range. Fortunately for them, Mitsuhide decided to target Hideyoshi & Reshiram instead. "Blizzard! Strike now!" He ordered.
"Art!" Articuno obliged, as another stream of snow, wind, and ice emerged from its beak! Reshiram was struck head on, stumbled about for a bit, and collapsed.
"Looks like they got us…. Okay, let's get out of here!" Hideyoshi commented, as he rushed up to Reshiram (being careful not to slip on the ice). "Reshiram, you fought valiantly. Next time we'll win for sure."
"Promises, promises," Mitsuhide taunted. "Now it's down to just Kanbei, Raichu, Articuno, and I. And we'll see who's stronger."
"That'll be me, Mitsuhide!" Hanbei bellowed, even as he started coughing quite a bit and seemed to look rather pale.
Kanbei looked at Hanbei, and was alarmed. "Hanbei, don't do this! You're pushing yourself too far!" He pleaded, but his words were lost admit the cold winds.
"This is it! Let's finish this!" Hanbei coughed some more, as he turned to Raichu and shouted out! "Raichu! Volt Tackle!"
"Raaaaaaaaichu!" Raichu bellowed at the top of its lungs, as it leaped forward and struck Articuno, as electricity sparked from its cheeks! There was a tremendous crackle!
"Articuno, no!" Mitsuhide cried.
Articuno tried to hold out, and managed to last for most of the attack. But just as the last of the electrical bolts ceased flowing, Articuno fell over and fainted, weakly crying out. "Arti."
"Urgh…. I am disgusted at my own incompetence…" Mitsuhide groaned, then to Articuno he said. "Well, you fought valiantly, Articuno. I'm honored to have battled alongside you. Now get the rest you deserve."
Hanbei felt a wave of pride wash over him as he boasted. "Well, everyone knew before we started that I was gonna win, right?" Then he looked across to Raichu. "Raichu, you did great too. Thank-" But the rest of his sentence was cut off forever, as Hanbei coughed furiously, grew short of breath, and his eyes shut tight as he fell to the ground!
"Hanbei!" Kanbei cried, as he and Chandelure skated across the ice to join Hideyoshi & Reshiram!
Hanbei was immediately rushed from the battle field, and carried to the Pokemon Center (a recent creation imported from other lands, when Azai mentioned how such locations were used to heal Pokemon in other regions, the warlords and ladies of Ransei had been quick to see the need for their own centers in each kingdom). As Chanseys were not native to Ransei, Nurse Joy was assisted by a group of Audinos in nurse caps.
Hideyoshi, Mitsuhide, Gracia, and Keiji all waited anxiously for news of Hanbei's condition. But Kanbei knew the hard truth. "Hanbei, why?! You knew what the doctors said! You knew about their warnings to avoid the cold!" He thought to himself.
At last, Nurse Joy emerged. The one in Nixtrom was dressed in a white and red parka, and her hair had grown long and loose. She looked very distraught and unhappy, and that immediately cast a shadow of somberness over the center. "There's…. no easy way to say this," She began, sounding anything but joyful. "But I'm afraid Hanbei is…. well, dying!"
Everyone gasped, except for Kanbei who simply commented glumly. "I knew it. It's what I feared," Turning to the others he explained. "Hanbei has been battling tuberculosis for some time now, but out of respect for his wishes, I did not speak up about it. He was told to avoid Pokemon battles and participating in Ransei events, but above all else he was advised to stay away from extreme warm or cold."
"Then, why didn't you talk him out of joining our battle here in Nixtrom?" Hideyoshi asked. "Surely, he had to be aware that the cold would worsen his condition, right?"
"Alas, Hanbei was unwilling to take no for an answer. He told me he'd rather fight and die on the battlefield, than sit around and let others battle day in and day out. He said and I quote: 'Battling is what Ransei is all about. If you're not willing to battle to the last breath, why bother living in Ransei?'. And he also told me that his condition was worsening anyway, the heat of Ignis was too much for him. He wanted to go out doing what he loved best." Kanbei explained.
Before any of the warlords could say anything in response, Nurse Joy simply spoke up and said. "I've sent a letter to Azai, but regrettably he won't be able to make it back in time. I've informed the rest of Ransei's warlords, all of whom send their condolences. Hanbei's time is very limited, so if you have anything you want to say to him, any final words of respect or regret, now may be your only chance."
Hanbei lay in his hospital bed, his trusty Raichu resting at the foot of said bed and weeping openly. "Raichu! Rai-Raichu! Raichu!" It cried, knowing that it could not do anything for its human partner.
As for Hanbei, he looked tired and faded, almost like a ghost. He had been placed on a respirator to help him breath, but even that was only delaying the inevitable, as his breaths were shallow and labored.
One by one, Gracia, Keiji, Mitsuhide, and Hideyoshi came up and payed their last respects to the young man that would soon leave them.
Kanbei spoke last, removing his hood, as he looked at his friend. Surprisingly, Kanbei seemed to be perfectly okay with letting others see him shedding tears, a rare sight considering he seldom showed any emotion. "Hanbei…" He began, but his vision blurred due to his tears and the words he wanted to say failed to come out.
Despite a long, drawn out, cough. Hanbei simply grabbed Kanbei's hand and in a raspy voice he softly spoke. "Hey, we all have to go someday, right? I just got to cash in my pokegold coins early," Even as he struggled to breath, he seemed to maintain a smile on his face. "I'm glad I got to know all of you. You made my life one of constant excitement. I'm sorry if I seemed lazy and sleepy sometimes, but I guess now you know the truth," As he felt his final breath drawing near, Hanbei commented. "I am so sleepy, I need to rest." And with that, he closed his eyes as his head fell back upon his pillow. One last labored breath escaped his lips, and then there was a long, loud beeping sound from the monitor hooked up to him.
Nurse Joy rushed over, immediately holding Hanbei's hand as she checked for any sign of a pulse. There was none. Looking at the clock, she pronounced to everyone. "Time of death: 17:09."
"RAICHU! RAI-RAICHU RAAAAAAAAICCCCCCHUUUUUUU!" Raichu cried, as it looked at its now deceased partner, tears flowing from its cheeks without end.
Hideyoshi and Kanbei took Hanbei's body back to Ignis for burial, figuring that it was only fitting to lay the genius to rest in the kingdom he had fought so valiantly for. Hideyoshi's husband, Nene, and her trusty Crobat were there, waiting for the two.
"I heard about what happened with Hanbei," Nene spoke softly. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be, Hanbei wouldn't want us to feel sorry for him," Hideyoshi commented, despite the tears in his eyes. "That's why we're not going to have a funeral. Hanbei would want us to celebrate his life and continue battling as if he were still with us. And that's what we're gonna do."
"And what about you, Kanbei?" Nene asked. "What are you going to do?"
Kanbei just looked at the ground, unsure of what to say. But then suddenly, he looked up, as he swore he saw a shooting star streaking across the sky. "I think I'm going to do what Hanbei always dreamed of doing. Get out and see the world beyond Ransei. Maybe I'll even bump into Azai."
"You have my blessing to travel to your heart's content, Kanbei," Hideyoshi replied. "But take Hanbei's Raichu with you. It will need a new partner now that its old one has passed away, and since you and Hanbei were so close, I can't think of anyone else who Raichu might trust."
"Raichu?" Raichu asked, looking across to Kanbei and Chandelure.
"You want to travel with us, Raichu?" Kanbei asked the electric mouse.
"Raichu." Raichu nodded, bouncing over to Kanbei and standing beside it.
"Looks like its mind's made up," Hideyoshi laughed a little. "You, Chandelure, and Raichu, will make a fine team. Be sure to keep us all informed of your discoveries, and if someday you return to Ransei, we'll be glad to welcome you home with a great party."
"Thank you, my lord," Kanbei nodded, as he walked off. "Just don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone, Hanbei and I won't be there to bail you out this time."
(In memory of Adam West, 1928-2017, R.I.P)