CHAPTER 1: Hit The Ground Running
Fire.
Eraqus' home was set ablaze. All around him, he could see houses burning, and blood staining the cold, golden sand. He was alone, too scared to even move. He saw him. He followed him all the way across the region. He knew there wasn't any escape from that monster, and now he was here to finish what he started. He heard his voice, just as sinister as it had been that day.
"Don't think I forgot about you! Oh, no, you are at the top of my list…Your days are numbered..." He...It hissed. The very image of this monster froze him to the core. Narrowed, soulless eyes of yellow seemed to pierce his very soul and root his feet to the ground where he stood. He wanted to flee. He wanted to run away again. But where would he go? He wasn't going to stay and fight, he was too weak and too scared of what would happen if he did. He didn't want to end up like his father.
"Why do you look so scared?" It cackled. "You should be happy! You'll get to see your dear ol' father again!"
There was a sudden flash of light. The world around Eraqus seemed to freeze in time. He heard a voice; a familiar one. A friendly voice.
"Era…!"
"What…?"
"Wake up, dude!"
The voice started to grow louder. At the same time, the monster started getting closer and closer. The world around him started to distort heavily, his vision growing blurry. Light faded in to replace the dark, and a high pitched ringing filled his ears.
"Yo, little buddy, rise and shine!"
Eraqus jolted upwards, throwing a thick blanket off of his body in a sudden panic. The terrible, burning, destroyed town was now replaced with an equally terrible, but not as flame-covered area; his room. Try as he might, he could never keep the damn place clean for more than a day. Bits and trinkets littered the floor, accessories of all different kinds scattered everywhere. A window without a curtain let the sun shine through, keeping the room illuminated all through the day. Though, the state of his room wasn't completely his fault. Panting, soaked in a cold sweat from tossing and turning while he was tortured in his dreamscape by his fear. His paranoid thoughts. He rubbed his head, letting out a little sigh before turning to face the Pokemon by his bed. It was his partner; a Scrafty named Alphonse. He was usually the one to blame for the unkempt condition of their room. He had a concerned expression on his face.
"Bad dreams? I could hear you whimperin' from outside the room…" He asked. Eraqus just shook his head. "A-Ahah...Yeah. Don't worry too much about it, heh." He shoot a little smile up at Alphonse, who returned with a smile of his own. He reached down to pat the Zangoose on his shoulder. "Well, if y'say so, dude. Might wanna start gettin' prepped and stuff, though. We got a mission." With that, Alphonse left Eraqus to prepare himself for the day. He looked down at his paws, claws sliding from their sheathes. He slept in...Again. These damned nightmares were taking their toll on him... Taking a deep breath, Eraqus brought his paws up to his face, giving both of his cheeks a firm slap to wake him up. With a grunt, he hopped out of bed...And immediately slipped on the previously tossed blanket.
Today was going to be a good day.
It only took him a few minutes to get himself ready. A bright blue scarf wrapped neatly around his neck, and a red bandanna around his forearm. Alphonse wore a similar bandana on his arm. They both carried brown, leather bags over their shoulders, filled with different kinds of supplies; orbs, oran berries, seeds of all different varieties, and, of course, their Guild badges.
The hot desert sun bore down mercilessly on the two as they trudged through the busy, bustling city streets. He could hear nearby vendors selling their wares like hotcakes. All those "get them while they lasts" and "For a limited time onlys". He could barely hear himself think over the sheer number of people conversing, the marketplace shouting, and children playing about. The further they got from the Guild, the more crowded the city seemed to get. Soon, though, the noise started to quiet down as they moved behind the huge, sturdy tree trunk. This was the quiet part of the city, the part that was abandoned due to an increase of criminal activity. "So, apparently, this thug and his goons has a couple civilians all grouped up in one of the abandoned houses on the east side'a town. Kidnappin', it looks like." Alphonse muttered, reading over the paper that outlined their mission. "So, get in, bag the kidnappers, rescue the hostages and get out, yeah? Seems simple enough!" Eraqus responded. The Scrafty bit his bottom lip, bringing a hand up to rub his chin. "Ehh, I dunno, dude. Might wanna take it carefully, just to be safe. Guy's a pretty rough gang-leader. If we can bring'im in, though, the city'll definitely be a lil' safer." Eraqus put his paws up behind his head, kicking up some sand as the two walked. "It'll be a breeze, Al, c'mon! We're Team Valor. We can handle anything!"
Close to an hour later, they had reached their destination. An abandoned, two story house that's seen better days. It looked to be in shambles, bits and pieces of old, rotting wood hanging from its worn awnings. Perfect hideout for a gang and their hostages.
"Alright, Era, I got a plan...I think." Alphonse whispered to the Zangoose. "You sneak 'round back and see if you can't find the hostages, alright? They probably have them held up somewhere on the second floor. I'll take care of any thugs that might be downstairs. I'll give you a signal if they start heading your way." Eraqus frowned, shooting his partner a worried look. "Can't we go in together, though? Strength in numbers, y'know!" Alphonse just waved a hand dismissively. "If we're together, it'll be easier for them to take us both down if one of us slips up. Plus, you can't handle group fight very well. You'll get ganged up on pretty easily. Remember the mission back in Stone Chasm?"
Eraqus winced. That was a mission he'd rather forget. "Right…"
"Alright. Just stick to the plan, and you'll be alright. Trust me, lil' dude, we got this."
With that, their plan was put into action. As sneakily as he could, Eraqus slithered his way around the house, hoping to find an opening or a back door, while Alphonse took the front.
Don't creak, don't creak, don't creak…
The old, wooden door creaked loudly as Eraqus pushed it open. Thick, dark curtains had covered the windows, dimming the room significantly. It appeared to be some sort of kitchen, old plates, bowls and cups tossed haphazardly this way and that. Furniture that hadn't been touched in ages, breaking apart from sheer age. The musty scent of an old, dusty building filled his nose. No one had been here for quite a while. It was a surprise that the house hadn't been torn down, yet. He could hear talking from the front…
"Nah, bros, I ain't here to start nothin', y'know? Heard ya'll were holed up here and was wonderin'..."
He was trying...To negotiate with them. Was he stalling? He could only hope there was no one upstairs guarding any potential hostages. Quickly, silently, he found the stairway. Even with his light weight, he could still just faintly hear floorboards creaking under his feet. He hoped that wouldn't give him away. Once he was upstairs, he started searching each room he could find.
Empty...Empty...Empt- What…?
He spotted some kind of movement out of the corner of his eye. It seemed to be going into a room he'd previously checked. Letting his curiosity get the best of him, he investigated. But, when he entered the room, it was just as empty as it was when he previously checked it.
"Running in circles, are we?" Eraqus froze. His eyes went wide with fear. That voice. His fur stood on end, and he started to tremble. Slowly, he turned to face who that voice belonged to.
It was him.
A tall, dark figure of a Greninja stood before him, hunched over slightly. Bright, amber colored eyes seemed to burn a hole right through his forehead. Was he really here? Did he know where he had fled to, and finally came to finish what he started? No...Not now. Eraqus' paws moved up to his head, tightly gripping the white fur. No...It was all in his head. It had to be.
"Y-You're not real...You're not really here." The Zangoose growled out through grit teeth. "Just...Leave me alone…"
Remember the mission. Don't give yourself away…
"Oh, but I amhere...You just don't know it, yet. By all means...Continue your mission. This town is doomed, anyhow, right? I'll find you...And when I do, you'll see this entire little town go up in flames…"
He wanted to scream. Eraqus was using every fiber of his being not to. Even as the vision, the phantom faded into the darkness of the house, he tried all he could to keep himself from breaking down, right then and there. He was sweating by the time he managed to regain his composure. He was just in time to hear another, less sinister voice call out from upstairs.
"Help us…"
Eraqus' head snapped up, his ears perking to attention. It was coming from the room just across the hall. He got to his feet and raced back into action. The room was darker than others. Black sheets coated the windows, blocking out any light. Even with his vision, he could barely see. He had to rely on his hearing. Eraqus' ears twitched. He could hear...Whimpering? The hostages! Slowly, he crept forward. "Hello? Don't worry...I'm here to help you. Hold on…" He paused, digging around in his bag for a moment. He could hardly his own paw in front of him…
A small light came from his bag. There was the Luminous Orb...Pulling the bright blue orb out, the light radiating from it quickly illuminated the dark room. He had to shield his eyes from the sudden change in brightness for a moment. After a few seconds of looking around, he spotted the hostages; a Noibat, Cubone, and a Riolu. They all looked tired, and worse for wear. As quickly as he could, Eraqus made his way over. They were all tied up…
"W-Who are you!?" barked the Noibat. Eraqus noted that defiant spark in her eye, even with the dim light. While the Zangoose started to cut tropes with his claws, he introduced himself.
"My name's Eraqus. I'm part of AlrraeShajarat's Guild, and I'm here to rescue you three. You gotta keep quiet, though. My partner-"
"Eraqus!"
The Zangoose cursed under his breath, and stuffed the glowing orb back into his bag. The room was once against coated in darkness. He could hear multiple footsteps making their way upstairs. He looked back to the door, then to the captives. "Keep quiet, and keep still, okay? Me and my partner have everything under control. We'll get you outta here soon." He whispered to the three. They all uttered an "mhm" of understanding, and Eraqus got to his feet. He slipped back to the door, peeking just outside the door frame. One...Two...Three thugs. A Toxicroak, Gabite and a Cacturne. They looked pretty tough, too. Eraqus bit his bottom lip in thought. He needed to think, and he didn't have a lot of time to do so. He dug into his bag again, pulling out what looked to be a regular-looking seed. He took a deep breath, and tossed down the hall towards the three, before calling out for Alphonse.
"Heads up!"
The seed tumbled along the ground, bumping right into the Toxicroak's foot. Before the three could even gaze down at it in confusion, the seed started to expand, promptly exploding exploded, throwing dust and smoke everywhere. A perfect cover for Eraqus to dispatch the thugs without too much of a fight. Though, he had to be fast about it.
"Quick, now!"
"Got it, let's go!"
Eraqus ran right into the smoke, a quick undetectable shadow. He quickly found his first target; Cacturne. Before the cactus Pokemon could figure out just what was happening, Eraqus had dug his fist into his chin with a heavy amount of force. More than enough to send backwards. He was sent right back down the stairs, where Alphonse waited to deal a kick that would make sure he stayed down, along with the Krokorok that he'd taken out prior. The Scrafty quickly made his way upstairs soon after.
"Damn, it's the Guild! Boss, we're screwed! They already took out Biggs and Wedge!" The Gabite hissed to the Toxicroak. "Let's just give'em the kids and get outta here already!"
"They're just a couple of stupid kids! Don't be so spineless, you coward!" Toxicroak barked angrily. "Get in there and beat'em down!"
Before Gabite could close in on Eraqus, however, he was suddenly weighed down by Alphonse leaping onto his back. By this point, the smoke had cleared up, robbing Eraqus of the cover he needed.
"Eraqus, I'll distract these goons! You get the hostages to safety!" The Scrafty hissed while Gabite thrashed around.
"Gah, get off me, you little shit…!"
Eraqus stared, eyes widened for a moment. Could he leave his partner to take on two at once…? Gritting his teeth, the Zangoose dashed back into the room, approaching the hostages. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small, winged badge and handed it to the Riolu.
"Here. All three of you touch this, and you'll be taken somewhere safe. Okay?"
All three of them shot Eraqus a hopeful, relieved look, before Cubone and Noibat placed their paws on the badge.
"Thank you so much, Eraqus. We won't forget this!" Said Riolu, before a light emerged from the badge. It engulfed the three children, surrounding them in an orb of light, before it floated up and disappeared. Mission complete...Almost.
Eraqus left the room just in time to see Alphonse get flung off of Gabite and into a nearby wall, which broke on impact, sending the Scrafty into a room.
"Al!" The Zangoose gasped, before turning his sights on Gabite. His eyes narrowed into a deep glare.
"Yeah, and you're gonna be next if you fuck with me kid! I won't hesitate to kill the both of you right here, right no- GHURK!"
The Gabite's threat was fortunately cut short by an icy fist swiftly embedding itself in his gut. Eraqus slammed an Ice Punch into the dragon type with so much force it sent him over the stairs, crashing through the walls of the house and ejecting him from the house.
"What was that about killing us, now?" The Zangoose spat, his prior fear and uncertainty now replaced with high courage. That was when he remembered…
"Al!" He cried again, rushing over the rubble of the wrecked wall and to the downed Scrafty. His back looked bruised and cut up, probably from hitting the old, splintery wood with so much force. Alphonse lifted a hand, shooting the Zangoose a little thumbs up, before picking himself up with a little cough.
"Ghk. I'm fine, dude, don't worry...Just a scratch, is all..." He muttered, rubbing his scarred up back. "Oof...That stings."
Eraqus stayed right by his partner's side, watching carefully.
"We'll get you to Erin as soon as we get back to the Guild. Your back is really scarred up." He nodded.
"First, we need to get Toxicroa-" Al paused.
"Toxicroak…!"
Quick as they could, the two left the room. Toxicroak, however was already gone. Growling, Eraqus ran down the stairs and out the house to search for him. Moments later, however, he returned.
"He got away…" He mumbled, ears drooped with disappointment.
With a frustrated little huff, Al put his hands on his hips, looking at the still unconscious subordinates of the gang leader.
"Yeah, well...What matters is the hostages are safe. That's what the mission was, yeah? Let's round up these guys and get back to the Guild. We'll handle Toxicroak later, kay dude?"
Eraqus let out a little sigh, before responding.
"Right…"
Later that day…
"Seriously, I can't thank you enough…!" Said Lucario. The two had returned to the guild, where the children they had rescued as well as their older siblings had waited for them.
"There were, like, a whole bunch of bad guys, too! And Eraqus and his friend beat'em all up!" Noibat commented, fluttering around Noivern's head.
"Well, you two certainly have our gratitude." Marowak nodded. Eraqus gave each of them a warm smile.
"It's no problem, guys! Helpin' people's what the Guild's for, after all!"
One their clients left, however, Eraqus' demeanor changed. He slumped, ears drooping and that disappointed look crossing his face once again.
"Wish we could've caught Toxicroak, though…" He mumbled. Al wrapped an arm over his shoulders, pulling the Zangoose in a bit.
"No worries, bro. We saved the kids, and we got Toxicroak's goons locked up. If anything, it'll be a little easier catchin' him, now!"
"Right, right...C'mon, let's check out what the next mission is…!"