The Crusaders are a select group of Pokemon trainers, the Champions from each Region are automatically offered the chance to join this elite group upon winning their Titles. Over the course of the past decade, the Criminal Teams in each Region have gained immense power, only to be challanged by the Crusaders. Slowly wittled down by the Teams, the Crusaders are down to only two remaining members. Team Rocket has slowly destroyed the other Teams and taken over their Regions. The Leader of Team Rocket has a Plan and is on the verge of executing it, except for one thing. Someone has stolen the Egg on which all his plans hinge.
Viridian City, 6 years ago
Lightning streaked across the sky as the cloaked figure ran down the side streets and alley-ways of Viridan City's Slum District, dodging the incoming attacks thrown by the figures chasing him. How did they know were I would be, the man wondered as a hail of poison barbs struck him in the left shoulder, spinning him around just in time to see his pursuers Toxicroak throw a Poison Jab at his face. Relying on what agility he had left, he let himself fall backwards as the pokemons attack passed over him by bare centimeters. Gathering himself up, he continues sprinting down the alley. This night could not be more fitting, he thought to himself, Considering what it is I'm carrying. The storm seemed to increase its ferocity at that last thought, as torrents of rain and waves of lightning tear across the horizon. "Thats enough!", he screams while turning to face his pursuers, " You WILL not get this one, I refuse to let you have it". He stares down the two individuals as the streaking lightning illuminates their faces.
"What makes you think you have any choice in the matter", the female figure on the left asks,"Your body is already giving up on you, all we have to do is wait now."
"But", adds her partner,"We are more than willing to entertain ourselves while doing so."
The man considers their words, realizing the truth in them. His hand goes to his belt, feeling the round sphere still connected there. Your the only one I have left. He looks at the two of them, dressed in their matching black and red uniforms, and at the three red and white spheres hanging from their belts. Six on one is not good odds, even considering Arcanines . What is that purple ball hanging from her right side?There is no way of knowing what might be in it. I'll have to risk it.
"Ok, lets do this thing; Arcanine, come on out,"
He pulls the sphere from his belt and tosses it out in front of him, releasing his most loyal and powerful partner, Arcanine. The fire wolf pokemon looks at his trainer, taking in his weakend, poisoned state, and turns back to face the two would be assassins.
"Awww, is the little flaming doggy mad," the dark dressed female taunts," Let me give you a taste of what we've done to your trainer, little doggy."
She reaches down and pulls the purple and black sphere marked with the single letter M on it, and laughs as she throws it in front of the angry fire-type.
"Here's your final farewell gift from the Boss," her partner spits," Consider it a gift."
The man's hopes plummet as he gazes at the pokemon released before him, knowing he is truly lost. A black shadow slowly takes shape, it's upper body taking a humanoid shape with a flickering white plumeon its head as the lower body stays intangible. A Darkrai? How can she control such an extremely powerful Pokemon as that, considering she is not it's Trainer? They must have been allowed to use one of HIS pokemon.He realizes that even as powerful as Arcanine is, he stands no chance against a Legendary class such as Darkrai.
"Arcanine, take this package and use Extreme Speed to escape, DO IT NOW!" He throws the precious package at his loyal pokemons front paws, "And don't look back, for any reason. You know where it needs to go. This is my last command as your trainer."
Arcanine eyes pleads with his Trainer not to do this, not to send him away. But, he knows as well as his trainer does that he stands little chance against a Darkrai. He picks the package up in his jaws, gives his Trainer one last loving look, and uses the attack he was ordered to use.
"NO!", the male assassin screams," Darkrai, SHADOW CLAW!"
The female assassin runs to her fallen pray, just as Darkrai's attack tears three bloody furrows in Arcanines flank. Arcanine wince's at the pain, but does not slow down, boosting himself with another Extreme Speed. Soon, he is far enough away that the Legendary cannot attack him, but knows his time is limited as his wound flows freely. He sets his mind to the task given to him by his Trainer, and heads towards the town known as Pallet.
"You fool, you simple minded fool."
The female assassin leans over and grabs the mans hair, holding his head up off the ground.
"Do you think that we are just going to let the Egg go? It belongs with the most powerful Trainer in the world, and he WILL have it."
The male assassin leans down to eye level with the man, spearing him with his gaze.
"We have finally eliminated all of our rivals in the other Regions, all the other Teams. Team Rocket stands at the pinnacle of completing our plans, and this MAN brings it all to a halt. Why do you think we have chased you all the way across the Regions? THAT EGG IS EVERYTHING!"
He kicks the man in the face, sending blood and spit to the pavement. The female assassin slowly draws the small stiletto all Team Rocket Assassins carry, and places it at his throat.
"Now, tell me where your pokemon is headed, and I'll kill you swifty. I'm not a heartless person, and we both know how slowly Arboks Poison Sting can kill. Tell us what we want to know, and you won't have to suffer the agony of dying from it."
The man lays there panting, the slow freezing and burning of the poison causing him terrible pain. In a single moment of clarity, the pain stops and he regains full control of his voice.
"Giratina take you, you stupid bitch. I've fought you every step of the way. The Crusaders will never give you want you want. So go back to your boss, tell him I send my regards, and let him know that one day Team Rocket will fall. You started this war, and we will finish it."
He grabs the hand holding the razor sharp blade in one last show of defiance, pulls it over his heart, and plunges it straight down. He smirks, because he feels no pain as his life ebbs, and makes one last comment. "Smell ya later."
The female assassin stands, looks down at the body of the man who has given them so much trouble, and feels the pure rage failure causes course through her body. She pulls the Master Ball given to her by their new leader back out and recalls Darkrai.
"James, contact Headquarters and let them know that Gary Oak is dead. Tell them that we are returning to base to report in to the Boss ourselves."
James looks over at his partner, and then down at Gary's body. His pulse quickens as he realizes what kind of home coming they have waiting on them.
"Jesse, you know what the price is we are going to pay when we return, are you sure? We both know what happened to Meowth."
Jesse just looks at him and glares. " Meowth was WEAK. There is only one Crusader left, and no one has seen him since Sinnoh 3 years ago. We have won this war, and we will find the Egg, one way or another."
The two turn around and leave the dark alleyway, leaving the body of the Crusader laying in the rain.
Pallet Town, 6 years ago
Arcanine feels himself weakening as he approaches Pallet Town. He felt in himself a short time ago a sharp pain, like something was ripping at his heart, and he knew his Trainer was dead. Still he ran, moving faster then he ever has before. As the lights of the small city start to appear, he changes direction one last time, knowing that when he finally stops his heart will give out due to the blood he's lost. His final destination lies directly in front of him and as he comes up on the little house, he slows to a stop just at the door. Nudging the doorbell with his nose, he finally collapses, and darkness fills his vision. The front door opens, and his final sight is that of a young boy, 10 years old with messed up spiky black hair and an odd green tint to his eyes. He looks alot like my Trainers Rival, is Arcanines last thought as the darkness takes him.
"MOMMY!" the boy yells, tears welling up in his eyes as he sees the once proud pokemon die on his doorstep. Suddenly, a blue haired woman runs into the living room, hearing her son scream and cry. What the hell is Gary Oaks Arcanine doing here? What is...oh Legends, is that blood? His entire left flank is shredded. Quickly the woman gathers up her crying son, and takes him to his room. Once there, she wipes the falling tears from her sons face.
"You stay here, Shinx will look after you."
Upon hearing his name, the little blue and black wolf looking Electric Type jumps down off of the boys bed, and wonders over to him. Shinx was given to the boy by his father as a gift to keep him company while he was away on his travels. The boy and his little pokemon have formed a bond that is unbreakable, and have also formed something that the boy has never told anyone, they can hear each others thoughts.
Whats wrong?, thought Shinx, nuzzling his hand.
"Uncle Garys Arcanine is down stairs, and I think he's dead," The boy said.
Its okay little master, I'm here to protect you
The small pokemon lays down on the boys lap, and his tears subside. It's just like when the professor died, I don't know what to do. What has happened to Uncle Gary? Why isn't he with Arcanine? I hope Daddys okay, he and Uncle Gary were best friends, and I havn't seen him in 3 years.
Back downstairs, the boys mother quickly called over to Oak Labs, now ran by Professor Tracy since Professor Oak had passed away a year ago. As she waited on Tracy to pick up, she bacame more and more nervous. Whats happening, she thought, We haven't seen Gary since the funeral, and now his Arcanine shows up on our doorstep and dies? What did that kind of damage to such a powerful Pokemon? He's as strong as my husbands Charizard. And whats that glowing underneath Arcanines head? Finally, someone picks up the phone, thankfully interrupting the track her mind was on.
"Hel...lo," A tired sounding voice says on the other end.
"Tracy, it's Dawn. I need you to come over to the house right away. Gary Oaks Arcanine has just shown up on my doorstep and died and I don't know what to do."
"Calm down, calm down Dawn, I'm on my way right now."
The newest Pokemon Professor gathers up his things and makes one call before going over to Dawns house. What is going on here? Dawn is going hysterical, and Garys Arcanine is dead? How can a level 75 Arcanine just kneel over?
"Hello, Pallet Town PD, what is the emergency?"
"This is Professor Tracy from the Lab, I just got a disturbing call from the Ketchum Residence"
"We will dispatch an Officer right away."
"Thanks."
A few minutes later, Tracy and the Officer were sitting with Dawn in the living room of the Ketchum House, going over the events of the evening. It was a somber conversation, and no one had very much information. Tracy did take a minute to pull the glowing object out of the deceased pokemons mouth, only to discover it was an Egg like he had never seen before. Officer Jenny's phone rang, and she left the room to answer it. A few minutes later, she came back into the room, a grim expression on her face. Dawn looked up at her and when she saw her face, she knew the news wasn't good. No one noticed the boy and his Shinx hiding at the top of the stairs, listening to every word.
"That was the Viridian City Police Department, They've found the body of a man in an alleyway," She took a deep breath and continued," It's been confirimed as Gary Oak."
Dawns eyes fill with tears, and she starts sobbing. Tracy just sits there, letting the thought run through his mind. First Ash disappears 3 years ago in the Sinnoh Region on a mission as a Crusader, and now Gary, also a Crusader, is found dead? Come to think of it, no one has seen or heard from a Crusader in over 2 years. Could it be? Could one of the Teams have done this?
"Well, I will take Arcanines body over to the Lab, and see what I can find out. Dawn, I hate to ask this, but could you travel to Viridian and bring Gary's body home? I'll take the boy to the Lab with me, and keep him until you return. I also need to check out the Egg that Arcanine was carrying, I've never seen one quite like it. You can feel the power radiating from it, and I want to develop a way to shield someone from being able to scan for it's signature.
"That sounds like the best way to take care of things for now, I'll contact you when I get back."
With the next step set, the two friends go about their seperate tasks. Two weeks later, Dawn and her son were working outside taking care of their chores, when the boy stopped what he was doing and looked at his Mother.
"Mom, I'm going to become a Pokemon Trainer, and a Crusader like Dad and Uncle Gary."
Dawns eyes misted over as she looked at her young son. She had seen that same look on his father Ash's face many times, and knew what it meant. The determination and drive that had so empowered her husband had been passed on to their son, and she knew there was no way to prevent from doing what he wanted to do.
"If you truly mean that my son, you will need to work hard and train. I was a trainer once, and I will teach you all that I know. Your father became a Crusader after he won the Kanto Championship. The laws and rules of the Indigo League have changed now, and instead of starting your Journey at ten, you will have to wait until your sixteen. You have 6 years to train yourself."
"I will Mom, I swear it. I will find out what happened to Dad and why Uncle Gary was murdered. I'll become a Crusader."
Brand Ketchum, I believe you will, His Mother thought.