In honor of the coming Nobunaga's Ambition + Pokemon, I decided to write mini stories for some of the warlords/characters. And just to get this clear, I do not own the series or the upcoming game.
Also, before you get on my case, yes, I did put my version of the Female Protagonist in the fanfic. No, I don't really care if you think she's a mary-sue. Sorry if I sound snippy, but this has happened before.
Also, some of the pokemon characters own in this fanfic might be inconsistant with the ones in-game. Most of the time I will use their real partners, but some times I may use what I think fits them more. Just to clear it up.
Tales of the Warlords
First Tale - Date Army
"The only journey is the journey within." ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
"DAMN IT!" Masamune, in a fit of rage, punched the wooden boards beneath him, leaving a very noticeable dent, "If we don't find any talented trainers soon, Oda's going to swallow us like Azai and Saito!"
"Lord Masamune, Lady Gozen is searching for trainers now. I'm sure she shall come back with excellent news. You must be patient." Kojuro, Masamune's second right-hand man remained in front of his lord mid-bow. He always kept close to his lord, whether it be out of worry, a longing to protect him, or simply to repair the floorboards from the constant punched, bullets, or whatever Lord Masamune found content ruining his castle floor with.
"Patient? Kojuro, we can't sit here and wait for those idiots to dismantle the Date! Sure, we have Magoichi and the Saika renegades serving under our banner, but even then our numbers fall short of our foe's massive army of human weapons."
Ranse. Truly a land that stood up to its meaning: "turbulent times." Warlords from all different backgrounds rose to power in Ranse, building their own personalized kingdoms full of guards, people, and every functionality of a regular town. However, these warlords couldn't agree on even the simplest things and frequently sent waves of trainers and their Pokémon to battle, caring less whether or not they came back alive. However, the people of Ranse had grown used to these trivial battles…that is, until the Demon King came up from hell.
Nobunaga Oda was a lot of things: evil, ruthless, a demon, and he never lacked the strength to back it up. The Oda forces were a clan full of nameless killing machines who'd do anything for their master without batting an eye and many grew to fear their presence. As a vast military superpower, the Oda sought to sweep Ranse under their influence, slowly dismantling the other lords one by one. Not too long ago, both the Azai and Saito fell to Nobunaga with barely a casualty to the demon's army. Other leaders caught wind of this news and slowly recruited strong trainers into their ranks, hoping to fend for themselves.
Masamune Date was one of those warlords. He was known as the One-Eyed Dragon, both for his one eye and his faithful partner being the legendary Rayquaza: a green, serpentine dragon whose temper was only seconded to his master. However, having a legendary Pokémon never guaranteed victory; all successful warlords had one as their partner and Nobunaga tamed the strongest of them all: Zekrom. The sheer mention of that Pokémon's name brought grief and misery and imagine such a beast in action…
Due to this ongoing threat, Masamune was hunting for trainers to join the ranks of the Date, though most of his searches fell short. Either there were no trainers in sight, they weren't strong enough in his opinion, or they were more stubborn than him and Masamune didn't like being beat at his own game. Neko, Masamune's concubine, was out on the field searching in his stead, though she'd been gone for hours. If she got captured, he'd hear no end.
"Ooooh Masa-chan! Guess what? Guess what?" Just by that obnoxious attitude Masamune knew it was Neko reporting in as nosily as possible, "You know those rumors bout that warrior who beat Takeda? Apparently they're passing through our territory right now! Exciting, right?"
Masamune smirked, letting Neko's informal tongue slide this once. Shingen Takeda, the Tiger of Kai, was only paralleled in strength to the Dragon of Echigo, Keshin Uesugi. However, despite this high status, an unknown warrior was said to have defeated him in combat, and yet this warrior had no affinities to any warlord. In short, this mystery person was a legend and whoever recruited them wouldn't be looked down upon again.
"Well looks like waiting did prove useful for once. Kojuro, Neko, go out there and bring back this warrior by any means necessary. Don't even think of returning unless you complete your mission, got it?"
"Without fail, Lord Masamune!" "See ya later, Masa-chan!" Both retainers left the building immediately, Neko taking the lead towards the forest. Both were familiar with the terrain, mostly due to having to retrieve Saika Magoichi from every nook and cranny inside Oshu to ever exist. The crow knew all the right places to roost its wings, and it payed off finding him every time.
Leaves blew in the gentle wind, brushing past the lone warrior and her faithful companion. So far, no trouble had comes to surface past facing that Shingen person, but who's to say this victory wouldn't earn her mounds of attention? That's why the duo traveled through the forest, to somewhat conceal themselves from wandering eyes on their journey to see the world. With Nobunaga terrorizing Ranse, there wouldn't be much time until there wasn't a world to explore.
"Hmm…I swear I saw that tree earlier with the funny branch. Or was it the one with the one with the crooked stump? Glaceon, what do you think?" The warrior turned to her partner, who was happily strolling beside her master.
"Glace!" The Glaceon gave her a look like it wouldn't know and expected the other to remember, causing the female warrior to let out a groan. Many times on their cross-country journey, they ended up in moments like these: lost in an unfamiliar territory in a very unfriendly surrounding and completely open for any and all attacks. Both trainer and Pokémon were terrible at senses of direction; it was a surprise they even made it to Shingen's alive.
Speaking of Shingen, the girl wondered how the older man was doing. For a foe in the making, he was super friendly and loved a good laugh or two. He called her a tiny flower at times, she didn't like that very much, but she showed this "tiny flower" held the spirit of a true hero…or she liked to think so. As a reward, Shingen gave her a little ribbon fitted with the symbol of the Takeda to remind the young lady that will beat any opponent, even the might of the Tiger of Kai.
Miss…Kikaromi was it? You must continue on your journey and see all that you can see. Trust me, when you get as old as me, you certainly won't regret it! Those were Shingen's parting words before the warrior, Kikaromi Shiro, set off into the cold, snowy lands of Oshu. She'd always remember them; they were a great honor to the wandering soul.
"So…I'm feeling we should go north Glaceon. Do you think north is good?" Kika (she preferred to be called that instead of her full name) bent down to Glaceon's level.
"Eon!" Glaceon pouted, nudging its front paw towards the west.
"West? Hmm…well, you're an ice Pokémon, so you probably know how to navigate in this stuff better than I do. West it is! Let's go!" Kika turned to where her Glaceon and trudged through the snow and waited for her frosty friend to take the lead. It did rather obediently, happily bouncing in front as if it'd been waiting for Kika to let go of the reigns and let the other guide.
Kika was, despite the snow almost up to her hip, steadily keeping up with Glaceon as the other hopped through the snow like an antelope; the snow was taller than the icy creature, but nothing made an ice Pokémon feel more at home than snow. The occasional tree forks in the road never stopped the pair from stopping and Kika never question her Glaceon's sense of direction. Not once. She guessed if her friend was so keen on leading, it must know the right way or close to the right way to go.
"-ber!" A voice higher than Kika's rang out. Glaceon caught wind and stopped dead in its tracks, though Kika hadn't heard and kept wandering along.
"Hmm? Hear something Glaceon?" Glaceon nodded, head darting in all directions to track the origin of the sound. No Pokémon in the trees, none on the flanks, was it the wind? The Pokémon shook its head and continued marching, dumbfounded whether it imagined the sound or not.
"AHHH! Look out!" Kika grabbed Glaceon and rolled into the snow, a tiny pokeball-sized fireball landing where Glaceon stood a moment ago, "I think we've got company, and they're out to get us!"
With Glaceon in her arms, the female warrior made a dash for…anywhere far from that Pokémon who just tried to roast them alive. The branches in the trees close to them shook each for a second; the perpetrator must be watching them from up there. An idea popped in Kika's head after this realization. If they were high up, what if a very convenient wind covered the world below? And Glaceon knew the right move to pull this epiphany off.
"Glaceon, use Icy Wind!" Glaceon obeyed, a sharp wind kicking up bundles of snow blew through the forest, reducing visibility to zero for everyone in a radius of the dynamic duo, including themselves. This should keep that jerk from chasing us for a bit. Why does trouble always find me? I'm a good person, or I try to be! The land of Ranse was backwards; bad deeds seem to get you what you wanted while being nice just brought ambushes, like this one for example.
Kikaromi pushed forward under the cover of the snowy wind, Glaceon dangling in her arms. It kept yipping and pawing to the east, but she couldn't really understand why. Their chasers might be over there maybe, but no natural Pokémon, minus ice types but no ice type knew ember, could see them in a blizzard-like blanket. No use worrying over something or someone who couldn't even see you.
"Aura Sphere!" A blue sphere of concentrated energy came flying at Kika, the girl ducking down low as possible to avoid getting nailed. Such accuracy…how did that Pokémon see through a small-scale snow storm? On top of that, it knew Aura Sphere, which wasn't a very common attack amongst any of the types. Their foe wasn't a push-over, whoever they were.
"Glaceon, Ice Beam!" A solid beam of ice shot back to where the ice fox saw the Aura Sphere come from, though no sounds of collision or deflection signaled their attack was even remotely close. First aerial attacks, then grounded brute force…what next, Electrodes using self-destruct hiding in the snow? …Kika hoped not.
"Do not run, Lady Shiro! We simply have a request to make of you!" Kika's vision shifted in several directions, looking for the source. He said we…did that mean him and his Pokémon or were they being tracked by a second person? And what was with the Lady thing?
"My name is Kojuro Katakura, loyal retainer of Masamune Date, leader of the Date household." Kojuro formally introduced himself, still out of sight, "I come in my lord's stead to ask for your service under the Date banner."
So…this Masamune person sent Mr. Katakura to come recruit her into his army? Well, he had a horrible method of showing his kindness. At least Shingen was gracious enough to offer her food and lodgings before their battle; these guys were ready to sever heads on their master's orders! These Date men didn't know how to ask favors nicely, did they?
"As politely as you asked Mr. Kojuro, I'm going to have to turn your offer down. I've got more…important things to do." Glaceon gave Kikaromi a bewildered look, Kika telling her partner to shush, "And not to insult you guys, but was attacking me really the best way to ask a favor? That Aura Sphere could've killed me!"
Kojuro let out a pained grunt, though he still wore than neutral expression, "I apologize Lady Shiro, but Lord Masamune refuses to take no as an answer."
"That's right little girl! Big boss man said if we can't return without ya, so don't blame us if you feel a world of hurt!" Kojuro's partner, Kika could tell by the voice she was a girl as well, chimed in.
Two on one? Yeah Mr. Masamune, completely fair to gang up on a "little girl." Very sporting of a leader to send his vassals on a kidnapping mission. Glaceon wouldn't be enough to take on both a fire-breathing Pokémon and another that could shoot Aura Spheres and see through icy winds. The logical choice was to make another run for it except from a different angle of approach.
Setting Glaceon down, Kika waved goodbye to the Date vassals, "I'd hate to leave you two hanging, but I've got a world to see! Catch you later!" The second she finished, both the warrior and her Glaceon fell through a hole the later created while the former gave her regards. With the snow storm blowing more snow everywhere, it'd be difficult to both dig through the ever-growing snow plug and find Kika with such a lead.
Kika could hear both Kojuro and his friend either trying to dig through the amount of snow or trying to locate their escapee underground. They'd be at it for hours while this lady was busy in a less dangerous territory not freezing to death. Even those two couldn't leave their lord's country with the oncoming threats of enemies in about all fronts. Ranse required those loyal to a lord to always stick by their side, or so suggested that kind Takeda officer Yukimura.
"Lucario, Aura Sphere!" A mountain of snow fell through Glaceon's growing hole from the surface. That Kojuro knew his stuff. Speaking of which, there came the man in question dropping through his masterpiece. He wore a brown, open-collared coat with cream pants and various armor on his limbs. By his side was his Lucario who shared the same battle-hardened face with Kojuro.
Kikaromi stopped digging their escape hole, quickly planning a different plan. Fighting underground could be dangerous and cause a cave-in. Kojuro's Lucario had deadly accuracy, so he'd have no trouble fighting using precision, but Kikaromi and her Glaceon were another story.
"Glaceon, time to move above ground!" Glaceon nodded and dug a hole upwards, Kika following suit. Their digging spot wasn't too full of snow, thank the heavens. However, no time to wait. Kojuro wouldn't wait for long.
"Sorry hun, but there's no running on my watch! Axew, ember!" Another fireball flew through the air, burning Glaceon's front paw. It cried out in pain, alerting its master.
"I'm sorry too. Glaceon, Ice Beam!" Shards of ice cut Axew, the little dragon yelping as its weakness was exposed. Neko cursed under her breath, knowing an ice-type would definitely win against a dragon-type. Where was Kojuro?
Kika took the moment of cease fire to pick up Glaceon and head for the hills, heading in zig-zags to throw off her pursuers. How well her technique worked that was yet to be seen, but it was better than running in broad daylight in a straight line; she wasn't Ms. Coordination enough to jump tree to tree after all.
"Lucario, Extremespeed!" Kojuro's Lucario came ramming into Kika, knocking the girl off her footing. Right, bad idea to hold your Pokémon when a dude wanted to fight. Insult this logic later.
"Lady Shiro, I ask of you to please just take our offer without force. You could save both us and yourself needless injures." Kojuro's voice dropped to sound more concerned, though Kika wasn't buying. If he really wanted to do this without force, he could always show some compassion and not go crazy at one refusal.
Kika paused to "think." She whispered a command to her partner, turning to meet Kojuro's eyes. She was smiling rather deviously, confusing the older male. Shards of ice shot at the duo, Lucario moving in front of Kojuro to protect him. With him out of the way, Kika regained her balance and sped off as Glaceon kept firing Ice Beams to keep them at bay.
"Forget about me? Axew, Giga Impact!" Axew, even with several cuts littering its tiny body, rammed Kika into a tree, the snow in the braches falling on top of her. For a tiny dragon, he packed a punch. Neko high-fived her "baby," feeling rather awesome. "Score one for the guys back home!"
"Lady Gozen…we're not here to shatter Lady Shiro's bones…" Kojuro said through breaths, little cuts on his right sleeve.
"Hey, I finished the job, right? You don't have to yell at me Kojey!" Neko pouted, making a face.
Kojuro sighed. Lady Gozen loved to give him and Lord Masamune pet names, though he never corrected her out of loyalty to Lord Masamune's concubine. He silently picked up the freezing girl and ordered Lucario to bring Glaceon to Lady Gozen. Mission accomplished.
Kika twisted in her sleep, imagining the most horrible nightmare. She was being chased by these freaky soldiers who wanted her to meet their lord. She refused to honor what Shingen wanted her to do and to broaden her outlook on the world, but those soldiers weren't letting anyone pass alive. As much as she tried to run, they countered with godly strength and eventually dragged her back to their home base.
Their master laughed as he saw the tied-up woman, commenting how such a frail warrior could take down the Tiger of Kai. However, he introduced himself as Kika's new master, and she would be forever bound to his clan, even past death. The man ordered his vassals to take away her Glaceon and to find a stronger partner, since if his retainers could defeat the pair with minimal effort; they weren't fit for his army.
"GLACEON!" Kika yelled, one hand gripping her left side as he lurched upwards. She hit the tree pretty hard, not to mention having a Lucario maul you totally helped heal your wounds. No doubt.
"Your partner is sleeping next to you, Lady Shiro. The doctor said you'll both make a swift recovery, so there's no need to worry." Kika gritted her teeth to hear that masculine voice after waking moments ago. When did he care so much about her health? Didn't he sick Lucario on her a couple hours ago?
The stubborn girl layed back down and twisted away from Kojuro, staring at Glaceon. Glaceon's front paw was wrapped in bandages, the rest of its body rising and falling while it breathed. For enduring a battle of such momentum, the Pokémon slept soundly, looking as if it found peace in sleep. One of them being happy was a start.
"Kojuro, right?" Kika turned to face Kojuro, "Your lord…is he scary?"
Kojuro chuckled, amused to hear the fearless Lady Shiro thinking their young Lord Masamune might be scary. He was quite the opposite if you looked past the insult-spitting. He thoroughly cared for his people, but had a hard time expressing feelings of gratitude. These feelings were reserved for another man who Lord Masamune considered his equal, but this person was out doing whatever he found fit.
"No, Lord Masamune is about your age. Even though his methods can be harsh, Lord Masamune does want peace like the rest of us and would do anything for his people. I'm sure he will welcome you with open arms." Kojuro said as he started at the sliding door an arm's reach away, "When I was retrieving some bandages for your Glaceon, I found Lord Masamune in your room as I came in. He may act as though he cares for no one but himself, however I know Lord Masamune is more than he appears."
Kika stared at the ceiling, imagining this "Lord Masamune" coming to visit her. Did his presence cause the nightmare from earlier? Trusting Kojuro right off the bat would be easier if her wounds weren't caused by the same person and his female assistant, so she was skeptical to believe Masamune was such a sweetheart as she was led on. Judging too early wouldn't be fair, captor or not. Besides, she had no choice in leaving in her state. Might as well make the best of life, even when it gave you lemons.
Using her right arm as support, Kika lifted herself from the floor, Kojuro swiftly moving behind her to prevent Kika from falling. "Lady Shiro, you mustn't be moving around yet. Though your wounds are not serious, they can reopen if you move around too much." Kojuro placed Lady Shiro firmly on the ground, pulling up the blanket to cover all but her head and neck. "Please, rest for at least one day. If you need anything, call for me."
Kojuro bowed and slid open the door to leave, leaving Kika by herself. Glaceon still slept silently at her side, occasionally turning over while muttering its name. Kika wanted to let Glaceon have a good rest from working so hard yesterday, so she instead preoccupied herself by attempting to stand up. Each try ended in her groaning in pain, falling flat into her previous position. Maids passing by voiced their concern outside the door, gossiping how Lord Masamune found a strange one.
"I can HEAR you!" Kika snapped.
The sound of scurrying feet echoed on the wooden floors, Kika's failing strength the sole silence breaker. About a handful of Masamune's servants feared to anger a warrior directly underneath Masamune's command; their lord never hesitated to lash out on the tiniest detail to anyone. A success for today brought him into a good mood, better to leave things as they are.
"What are you lovely ladies worried about?" A ponytailed man layed his arms on the ladies' shoulders, "Lose a hot date?"
"L-Lord Magoichi!" One of the servants got on her knees and bowed, "We were discussing the warrior Lord Kojuro and Lady Neko brought back with them today. She heard us talking and yelled at us…"
Magoichi smiled when he heard the word 'she.' Having another woman in the Date clan pleased him, and if Masamune fancied this one, she'd be nothing better than perfect. It was as if the heavens granted him the woman he always wanted. Lady Luck must've been looking his way today.
"Let's see if I can fix that nasty attitude of hers. Where's your fire-spittin' woman waiting for her prince charming?" The servant on the ground pointed to the last door on the right in response, "Alright, you damsels better get working before Kojuro catches you slacking. I can handle this one myself."
Magoichi slid the door open very slowly, cautiously waiting for the female menace to tackle him to the ground and have her way with him. It's not something he'd dislike, but things were more enjoyable when you knew what was going on. The "menace" was lying down in her bed grunting and complaining about how she had to sit here for a day. Kojuro worked his magic on another poor soul.
"Hey there pretty lady! Come all this way to visit your knight in shining armor, have ya?" Magoichi boasted, the girl turning completely red and turning over, "Well wait no more! Magoichi Saika is here and I'd never leave such a beautiful flower to wither all by itself."
Kojuro, who'd been passing by on another chore, smacked Magoichi in the back of the head before leaving to attend his duties. Magoichi knew the Dragon's Right Eye didn't tolerate his constant flirting, so it was his own fault for leaving the door open to let Kojuro punish him. His soon-to-be charmed woman laughed at his newly grown bump; Magoichi was glad to see she still knew how to have a good laugh or two.
"One thing you'll learn soon: Kojuro's a killjoy. If he sees you doing anything fun, he'll smack you and say something like, 'As a retainer of the Date household, you owe it to Masamune-sama to take care of the duties he gives you.' Don't let him sucker you into work unless you want to slave away forever." Magoichi ranted, making sure to talk extra loud so Kojuro heard him.
"So I'm guessing you're the one making sure Kojuro-sama doesn't force anyone into labor?" Kika giggled, "Well thank you Magoichi-sama!"
Magoichi interjected before Kika had time to talk further, "Now, now! A lady of your charms shouldn't refer to a lowly being like myself with such respect! Call me Magoichi, or even Mago. Can I ask your name in return?"
"Oh, sorry! My name's Kikaromi, Kika for short. Nice to meet you Mago!" Kika gave a mock bow; she couldn't do a real one snuggled in bed.
Magoichi laughed at how straight-forward Kika acted. It reminded him of Gracia, another little lady he took care of. She was from an enemy country, sure, but friendship knew no sides. Same went for lady-flirting. It'd be a sin to neglect women just as beautiful as the few in Oshu just because Masamune got hissy fits when he got friendly with others outside his territory. Neko loved watching him infuriate the Date ruler, so no harm done.
"So, how come you're all wrapped up in blankets? It's not really cold in here." Magoichi asked, finding a cozy place to sit to wait for a response.
"Oh…well…I got into a fight with Kojuro-sama and his lady friend and they kicked my butt big time. Kojuro-sama won't let me leave this room on his life so my wounds heal."
Magoichi sighed, shaking his head, "You let Kojuro of all people boss you around? C'mon Kika, you're a lady with a reputation! If you wanted to head out the door right now, no one's going to stop you!"
A loud 'OW!' sounded from Magoichi's lips; the man turning around to meet Kojuro's impatiently tapping foot. Sheesh, the guy had troubles taking a joke. Just to make the Date vassal angry, Magoichi slid the door closed and held it shut, watching the as Kojuro desperately tried to beat him in strength. Kika, who was still awake, stared from her bed, not wanting to get involved.
"Saika, open this door unless you want me to call Masamune to 'punish' you." Kojuro threatened, voice deadpan.
"Aww, do you want to woo the new girl too~? I always knew you were a flirt on the inside, Kojuro!" Magoichi taunted, lungs bursting from laughing.
"Saika…I can promise you that mouth of yours will not be intact in the morning."
Magoichi abruptly let go of the door to watch Kojuro land flat on his behind. He'd be lying if he said messing with Kojuro didn't give him a rise, and Kojuro got a rise too: a rise of his temper.
Kojuro resorted to violence and tackled the lip-flapping, lawless Saika, the two wresting and rolling around the room. Kika, still trying to not get involved, watched them mange each other, occasionally moving to avoid getting mixed up in their tumbleweed of a fight. They both shouted insults about Kojuro being a joy-sucker and Magoichi too much of a lady-flirt; they knew how the egg the fight forever. Maids passing by fretted and recruited some of Masamune's vassals for assistance to break them up.
A couple minutes later, twenty people were in Kika's room. Three of them were Kojuro, Magoichi, and Kika. One of them was a maid. The rest were evenly split solders holding down Kojuro and Magoichi; Neko summoned them since she knew their fights got ugly and when left alone, weapons got involved. Countless rooms were in renovation thanks to bullet holes and dismantled furniture before this.
"You guys are all sweaty! At least give a man breathing space, okay?" Magoichi complained.
Kojuro sighed from across the room, knowing Saika's slight phobia of men, "Saika, if you can apologize for your rowdy behavior and allow Lady Shiro to rest, we can both go our separate ways."
Magoichi let out a low growl, but swallowed his pride to apologize. He half-assed it, though everyone was tired and lacked the energy to fight for a more quality answer out of the crow. Everyone filed out of Kika's room, leaving Kika to snuggle by herself and fall asleep. Kojuro whispered a, "good night" as he slid the door closed, Magoichi shooting a glare as they went to their respected rooms.
Cracks of sunlight beamed directly in Kika's eyes, the girl groaning and turning over. She barely got any sleep over watching Kojuro and Magoichi's late night brawl and worrying about meeting Masamune. If they wanted her up, they'd have to drag Kika all the way to the ends of Ranse.
"Lady Shiro! Lord Masamune requests your presence!" A maid reported outside.
"Ugh…if he wants to talk, tell him to come to me!" Kika yawned.
Kika's blanket suddenly turned icy cold, Kika jumping out and almost screaming her lungs out. Glaceon smiled devilishly, playing it cute to hide suspicion.
"I thought you were on MY side, Glaceon!" Kika wailed, shivering in her boots.
Glaceon smiled and pointed its paw to the door handle. The despairing trainer obeyed, earning a look from the maid by how she let a Pokémon command her. All three walked to the throne room in silence, Glaceon frequently checked behind it to make sure Kika stayed on trail.
…I can't believe I lost to my own Pokémon. What is wrong with me?Kika dreaded.
"I present you Lady Kikaromi."
Kika gasped, taking in the scenery around her. The interior of the throne room resembled a cloudy sky with floating islands connected by wooden bridges. At the end of the trail awaited an island thousands larger than the others, a large, open…a stadium maybe?In the middle. There wasn't a ceiling above the giant island, strangely. What a weird taste interior decorating.
"Bring her here." A surprisingly young, yet commanding voice echoed.
Glaceon and its maid friend continued on, Kika silently staring at every moving cloud or speck of dust as she walked. Her curiosity wondered what happened if someone fell through the clouds; the lady refused to answer since their (how many times did she say Masamune wasn't her lord now?) lord planned to explain the details in person.
The minute Kika passed the last bridge to meet Masamune, the wooden bridge connecting the largest island to the others collapsed. No turning back from this point, huh? Kika painfully laughed, slowly discouraged by the unexplainable structures and occurrences coming in sequence.
"So…you are Kikaromi?"
A boy barely a year or two older commented from the other side. He wore some eccentric accessories, most notably his eye patch and crescent helmet. His chest place adjourned the Date crest of two sparrows sitting in a circle of bamboo, declaring the teen's importance. He also wore purple gloves, a green-collared coat trimmed in gold, and a set of arm and leg guards. Didn't he get hot in so much armor?
"Personally, I expected more with your over-inflated reputation, though looks are deceiving." The snippy boy scoffed, turning back to Kika as he finished, "None the less, welcome to Sendai Castle. I am Masamune Date, ruler of Oshu and head of the Date clan." Masamune announced, shooing the maid so their conversation stayed between then, "As Kojuro might have told you, I sent both him and Neko to ask a request of you. I would be honored if you joined the ranks of the Date. Surely you want to end the chaos plaguing Ranse?"
Kika drew a blank when Masamune mentioned the 'chaos' plaguing Ranse. When she visited the other lands, things were peaceful from what she saw. The worst fight she ever saw was a couple kids throwing stones as a game, but that hardly bordered on the life of chaos…or was Masamune making this up? He did sick Kojuro and Neko on her for no real reason.
"Chaos? What are you talking about? Ranse's the same place as it's always been! Sure, the other lords are a bit edgy about visitors these days, but that doesn't make things chaotic." Kika shook her head, "I'm really flattered about your offer Masamune, and really I am, I have to turn you down though."
Masamune scowled, shoulders twitched at the girl's reply. He kept a solid face and approached Kika, bowing in her presence, "Please, we acquire the help of all able-bodied warriors in this land. A man named Nobunaga Oda has risen in riot to take over the other castles and who knows his next target. Both Saito and Azai have fallen to the Oda, so who shall say even the frozen land of Oshu is safe?" He bowed even deeper, face barely touching the stones beneath their feet, "I cannot risk the well-being of my people against such a tyrant. So, Lady Kikaromi, I humbly ask you to help our cause."
Kika truly felt conflicted. This Masamune resorted to drastic measures at an initial refusal which showed his dedication to recruiting members to his house. On the other side, his methods bordered the line of violent and impulsive and Kika disliked guys like that. Also, she promised Shingen to travel the world before the girl grew too old. It stunk to be famous.
"Masamune…I bet your cause is as pure and just as you say, but I really have to leave Oshu ASAP. I promised someone I'd see the world since he grew too old to do the same. If this Nobunaga's destroying Ranse as you say, my time's running short. I might consider the offer when I'm done with my journey, is that okay?" Kika thought of a compromise to please Masamune.
Kika's proposal went to deaf ears. Masamune, as lord of the Date, refused to take no as an answer. His people were the lifeblood of Oshu, and if one woman dared to step on his authority, even she dare not be spared. Both the pride of Oshu and the wellbeing of the land depended on it. He now knew the path to take was not one of light-hearted proposals, but by brute force.
"Fine. I do respect your wishes, but I can't let you leave." Masamune stood up tall as possible, eye full of ambition, "If you want to continue your journey, you might first beat me in a battle. And following the code of the warrior, if you lose you me, you have one choice: serve me! And if you win by some miracle, you are free to do as you please."
"W-What? We can't fight! There's an easier way to solve this!"
"Enough!"He shouted loud enough to let his voice echo, "From here until the battle is over, you're my enemy. I'd suggest you stop standing there like a complete idiot before you get yourself killed and control your partner."
The panicking female warrior searched for something to say, but found nothing. She couldn't calm a raging warlord; the last time she got the legendary Pokémon Groudon sicked on her. A part of her hoped Masamune's partner strayed from the line of legendaries, yet rumors suggested all the large houses managed to tame a beast of legend. Although, Masamune didn't look like the type of kid who'd defeat a Pokémon quadruple his size…
"Rayquaza! Descend from your perch in the heavens! A challenger awaits us, and this girl is no pushover!" Kika let out a sharp gasp. Rayquaza? Did Masamune capture the Rayquaza? No way!
Rayquaza, as told in fables, was a dragon who watched over Groudon, the shaper of the continents, and Kyogre, the maker of the seas, from what they call Sky Pillar. Sky Pillar lived up to its name, literally a structure that floated in midair and pierced the heavens beyond. Rayquaza took refuge in Sky Pillar to ready itself in the possibility Kyogre and Groudon should ever fight, suggesting it's power rivaled that of the two Pokémon who shaped this world. In short, Rayquaza could take down any Pokémon without breaking a sweat. And this Pokémon, to Kika's luck, turned out to be the famous warrior and her Glaceon's next enemy.
RAYQUAZA!
Thunder boomed as storm clouds covered the clear sky. Lighting struck parts of the arena, leaving tiny flames in their wake. Each cackle of thunder mimicked the cry of the beast, sending vibes down Kika's spine. Glaceon, too, felt its courage seep out; facing a god just before losing to a dragon centimeters over a foot left doubt in the ice Pokémon. Yet, both thought not once to back out. Their freedom hung in the balance.
RAYQUAZA!
A line of green passed through Kika's line of sight. Its presence increased the thunder's volume, lightning shooting out like an appliance gone haywire. Winds more fierce than a hurricane whipped in all directions, knocking Kika off her footing. Glaceon let out its own cries of distress, flying to its partner's arms by the wind's power.
"Behold, the One-Eyed Dragon isn't just for show, you see?" Masamune boasted, standing in front of the magnificent dragon, "Now, let's see if your victory wasn't a farce! Rayquaza, Extreme Speed!"
Kika screeched as Rayquaza came flying, narrowly dodging the attack with a roll. Winds as powerful as before pushed her further back, closer to the stage edge. Who knew what awaited at the pit of the clouds? Servitude probably. She'd have to find a way to move the battle away from the cliff so the fight didn't turn into a freefall.
"Glaceon, use Dig until you can't dig anymore!" Glaceon let out a confused cry, but dared not to question Kika's logic and rolled with it. The fox-like creature dug a shallow hole, making openings on different parts of the field. Several escapes holes lessened chances the big dragon flying around at top speeds could trap it. Also, Glaceon thought this coincided with a come-from-behind move Kika defeated many birds, and dragons were birds in a sense.
"Ha! And here I thought you weren't stupid! If you've failed to notice, Rayquaza can fly. I fail to see what a bunch of holes are going to do besides tire your Glaceon."
"Actually, it's quite the opposite. Glaceon, Ice Beams, and make 'em quick!" Solid beams of ice shot at Rayquaza, the oversized Pokémon having trouble maneuvering so quickly with such a large body. Every attack landed with nearly perfect accuracy, parts of the dragon's body freezing up as more and more ice blocks came in contact. Glaceon's holes provided a safe cover to keep its location changing without Rayquaza noticing until the ice beams were too close.
Masamune cursed under his breath, knowing he underestimated Kika's thinking. He should've known a warrior who defeated a strategist thought outside the box and molded even "useless" moves to a surefire strategy. Still, he couldn't stand here and admire Kikaromi as Rayquaza became an ice sculpture.
"Rayquaza, use Outrage to thaw the ice! Aim the fire into the holes; don't let Glaceon escape!" Rayquaza let loose a raging inferno, the Ice Beam attacks melting as they came outside the holes. Fire penetrated the other holes, blocking Glaceon's path. It came straight out the holes to avoid getting burned, patting out a tiny flame on its tail. "There! On your right!" Rayquaza's flames burned the Glaceon's icy flesh, causing it to yelp in pain. At the cost of a direct hit, Rayquaza was now confused, spinning its head in all sorts of directions to find Masamune.
"Ah! Glaceon!" Kika cried, "Are you okay? Can you keep going?"
"Glace!" Glaceon nodded, casting an Ice Beam on itself to replace the ice previously on its body.
"Okay, let's make this simple. Shadow Ball, go for it!" Glaceon summoned up floating blobs of shadows, sending them at Rayquaza as though they were fired from a gun. The mighty beast lost its sense of friend or foe due to Outrage and did nothing to avoid the assault. It couldn't tell whether or not the fire was actually hitting it or somehow giving him help.
This confusion angered Rayquaza. It let out a chain of Flamethrowers everywhere, scorching the walls and grounds alike. Masamune narrowly dodged the flames cross firing on his side of the arena, Kika fortunately lucky to avoid the fire barrage. Glaceon refused to stop pelting the enraged dragon, shooting round after round of Shadow Ball, chipping away its defenses.
"Rayquaza, focus!" Masamune commanded, Rayquaza coming to its senses as its voice rang out, "We can't lose to them! Now get your act together and attack Glaceon using Air Slash!" Rayquaza obeyed, swishing its tail to create a razor out of the air. Glaceon halted the bombardment and switched to using Ice Beam on the ground a few feet in front of it. A wall of ice materialized, shattering on impact, yet left Glaceon unharmed.
Glaceon cried out in an insulting manner, provoking Rayquaza to use another Outrage without Masamune's consent. Masamune barked at his Pokémon to ignore the feeble one's insults, his actions reward by a slight burn on his arm. Rayquaza confused itself again, accidentally attacking Masamune with Flamethrower.
"Seems like someone's a bit short-tempered!" Kika giggled, pointing to the outraging Rayquaza, "Hopefully Ice Beam might cool him off!"
Glaceon aimed the icicles near Rayquaza's tail, aiming to knock the dragon out of the sky. With its body frozen, such a large Pokémon couldn't remain airborne. Trails of ice traveled from Rayquaza's tail up, slowing its movements. As the ice reached half-way, Rayquaza landed on the ground in a medium-scale quake, desperately fighting to break free. Glaceon's taunts ran the move dry, and what was left of Flamethrower burned Masamune's arm.
"Rayquaza, get up! I…I can't lose! Not to anyone!"
"Sorry Masamune, but I've got a promise needing my attention! Glaceon, finish it!"
Glaceon charged up a powerful Ice Beam, about to end the fight in a flash. A split second later, a blue ball of energy slammed Glaceon in the flank, sending it toppling near the arena cliff. Kika rushed to her partner's side, Glaceon down and out. Rayquaza doesn't know Aura Sphere! What happened?
"KOJURO!" Masamune returned Rayquaza, his voice rose to ear-shattering levels, "How DARE you interrupt this fight! Thanks to your untimely intrusion, by the code of honor, I automatically lose! What were you thinking, idiot?"
Kojuro, who showed up rather unexpectantly, bowed in his Lord's presence, "Lord Masamune, I could not allow you to suffer defeat. I apologize for my behavior, though I find my assistance brought about the better conclusion."
Masamune told Kojuro to rise. Kojuro remained neutral in the face of his lord's rage, standing stiff as a board when Masamune smacked him hard enough to bruise his cheek, "The better conclusion? Imbecile! What you did was ruin my chance in recruiting another vassal. Winning by unfair means is worse than losing a fair defeat! You of all people should know that!"
Masamune turned to leave, pausing to utter a few words to his victor, "You are free to do as you please. I shall take my leave now."
"Hey kiddo, this isn't like you! Giving up so easily doesn't fit the One-Eyed Dragon, eh?" A fourth person dropped down, landing on his feet. A Honchkrow landed on his shoulder, roosting its wings. "But I have to admit, who would've thought our rule sticker Kojuro'd be the impatient type and let loose? Women are amazing, aren't they?"
"M-Magoichi!" Masamune stuttered; Kika found his spontaneous flustered demeanor very out of character, "I thought you were doing…something."
"I was, but I couldn't miss you or Kika's shining moment!" Magoichi flashed a grin, patting his shorter lord on the head, "Sorry I missed the big finale; the ladies aren't ones to be rushed. I'm sure Kika here showed you that first hand."
Kojuro growled, swatting Magoichi's hand away from Masamune, "Saika, this is not time to bring your idiocy. If you have no business here, I suggest you leave."
Magoichi shrugged, ignoring Kojuro's warning to hand Kika a ribbon similar in design to the one she wore embroiled with the Takeda symbol, this ribbon an emerald green and bearing the Date's crest. "Cause I noticed ol' Shingen thought to hand off a parting gift, I thought you'd want one from us. Soon, you'll be parading around, showing off your victories in style. Unless…" A Rufflet dropped a red rose in Magoichi's open hand, "You've made the decision to stay?"
Kojuro murmured comments judging Magoichi's brain capacity. Masamune said absolutely nothing; he wasn't sure to be relieved, enraged, or jealous. This maneuver took pre-planning, though of course Magoichi forgot the world existed as a girl arrived in his castle. To not spoil the crow's fun, Masamune impatiently watched where he stood. Kojuro followed his lord's actions and babied Masamune as compensation.
"Well…I feel kinda bad disappointing Masamune and you really did take the time to plan all this…" Kika let out a high-pitched 'oh!', "I got it! Since in a way we both won, we'll split the deal. You let me keep exploring the world and whenever you want me to come back for anything, send a messenger! That way I'll know to run back and help out. Am I asking too much, or does this work out as good as my head tells me?"
Masamune called Magoichi and Kojuro, whispering various things. Magoichi nodded here and there, Kojuro sharply offering advice against the idea. Masamune verbally abused the objections, yelling "idiot!", "Imbecile!", or other insults. Kojuro showed emotion, frowning as his words were dejected. Magoichi boasted to audible levels how his charms proved the victor today, Kojuro losing his sadness and back-fisting Magoichi.
"Alright." Masamune separated the two, motioning a signal to leave. Both bowed and left, Magoichi traveling by air and Kojuro by Lucario's Psychic. As they left, Masamune chuckled, whispering under his breath. "I do see your devotion on your ever growing task and I would be a fool to act as an obstacle. I shall send Magoichi if I require your service, as he knows much about Ranse outside Oshu better than most of my retainers. He also has other Flying Pokémon, thus the trip back could be executed via air travel." Masamune threw a green pokeball, Kika falling before catching it, "Consider this my personal parting gift. Whenever danger has you cornered, feel free to use reveal the contents. I shall see you in the future."
Masamune passed Kika and left through a secret doorway overshadowed by Rayquaza's giant perch. Kika stuffed Masamune's strangely colored pokeball in her item pouch to not lose it, taking the secret exit to reach the outside world. How much she missed the setting sun! Two days cooped up fighting dragons and bruises almost made her forget how beautiful simple pleasures were. With a wave goodbye, Kika traveled north, chasing the sun over the horizon.
Tale of the Date part 1. End.
Next Tale: The Lone Flowers Oichi and Gracia