-Genesis-

May 23, 528

"Satoshi."

…

. "Greetings, my friend." The old one said to him. The creature turned its head to the man, as its intelligence kicked in. He tilted his head, observing the man before speaking. "…Where am I?" the Pokémon asked in complete English. The old man smiled as what he hoped was confirmed. "You are home, friend."

…

"Satoshi."

"Mmph…"

…

"Home?" the Pokémon repeated. "Yes, home. This place is home, the place where you live, where you eat, where you sleep. Remember, you Pikachu?" the Pikachu stared at him blankly before its ears lowered, distraught. "But…I don't remember this…In fact…" The Pikachu mumbled, "I don't even remember who…I Am."

The old one blinked and made a frown. "You don't remember? You must have been…hurt a lot more than we thought, Shadow."

…

"Satoshi!"

…

"Shadow?"

…

"SATOSHI!"

"Woah!"

The spiky haired young man jolted from his sleep, his eyes wide as he looked around himself. He sat on a gray bench made from polished concrete, elegant with its baroque-style curves. Adjusting to his sudden awakening, he breathed out and looked up towards the towering warrior standing over him, at least seven and a half feet tall.

Dark blue metal was strewn together tightly over the man's shoulders and gray metal across his chest in rectangular pieces like a samurai's. The white cloth from his shirt under the armor was a little wet from sweat, and he wore long gray pads that were strapped onto the fronts of his arms and legs. The leggings of a light tan hakama held to his waist by a leather belt with a Pokéball-like symbol at the front gently waved in the breeze. Armored leather boots covered his feet, their tops hidden by the bottoms of his hakama. His head was covered by a silver helmet with a visor that was flipped up, its shadow obscuring his face. A strap at his side restrained a rather wide-bladed greatsword in its silver-lined scabbard. A long, dark blue hooded cape extended down from his shoulders to his feet, tattered slightly at the bottom.

"Satoshi, where is your partner? It's time." The Knight said

Satoshi rubbed his hand through his spiky black hair. Instead of the samurai-style armor the Knight wore, Satoshi's armor looked more like thick padding that formed a vest over his shirt, like a flak jacket with no zipper on the front., colored the same shade of blue as the knight's armor, though far less faded. A hand-and-a-half sword with a gray cross guard and leather grip in its sheath hung from the left side of a pair of black pants with greaves strapped to the front.

Satoshi put his hand over his eyes to obscure the rays of the sun. He squinted across the stone path towards the small but radiant orchard that stood before the great, gray façade of the castle he was in. He smiled a little, eager to get on with what was coming. "Hold on, Master. I'll call for her."

He cupped his hands together, facing towards an apple tree with Oran berry bushes at the bottom of its trunk. "Lightforce!"

Hm?

"Lightforce!" He called out again, the confidence ablaze in his voice. "It's time! Let's show the Knights what we can do!"

At last!

The Master smiled, a shine in his dark blue eyes as he saw the apple tree's branches rustle for a moment before a Pikachu bounded out from the leaves. Her ears trailed back as she leapt across the grass to her partner, her heart indented tail wagging excitedly as she stopped at his feet.

Satoshi got on one knee and rubbed his hand atop her head, which she returned by nuzzling her nose up to his hand. "Are you ready, Lightforce?"

She looked up at him and nodded. (I've been waiting for this for just as long as you have, I'm as ready as you are, Satoshi.)

He stood straight up, his eyes towards the Knight in front of him. "Master, we're ready for whatever you all have. Lightforce and I have been training for this day for too long! We'll blow past any challenge you give us!"

The Master chuckled to himself, reaching up to the back of his helmet. Grasping the sides in both hands, he took off the helmet and held with one hand to his left, showing his bald head. The bridge of his nose was narrow, and diagonal age lines ran under his eyes. The side of his muscular neck had a tattoo that appeared to be a blue flame.

"I'll give you a plus for confidence, but don't be overconfident. There are others in there who want the same thing that you do, and they're just as willing to do whatever it takes to reach the mark."

Satoshi raised his fist in front of himself, his eyes locked with the knight's. "I know that, and I know that unless we're facing an actual knight in disguise, we still won't be beaten. Sir, I'm going to become a Knight today, and with Lightforce by my side no one is going to stand in our way."

"I'll hold you to that then, Satoshi. I'm sure my own partner will be interested in your battle. Follow me."

…

Satoshi could hear a rustle of voices from the ceiling overhead, one moment a simple chatter and then, as he heard the sound of an explosion or clashing metal from outside the wooden gate he stood next to, the voices rose to a crescendo of cheers. His hands laid out upon his lap, his head turned down to stare towards the floor, dimly lit along with the rest of the small passage by torches mounted on the brick walls.

Just outside that door…everyone's going to be watching me. Mother, the doctor, the King…

…I can't doubt myself. I've come too far to let fear take me out of the game early.

"Lightforce, our future waits just outside that door." Satoshi reflected, eyes turned to the Pikachu at his side. She looked up towards him, nodding in agreement. (Yes it is. All you and I have worked for since we met seven years has been for this moment…is something wrong?)

He swallowed, hearing another mighty clash of blades outside the walls. "I won't lie to you: I'm actually a little doubtful. I'm sorry, but the pressure is just…it's huge. Some of the most important people in the entire Kingdom are going to be watching us out there, against whoever we're going to fight. The King is going to be watching, and so are some of the Knights. I know we can beat most of our peers out there, but will it be enough to impress them?"

She stood up, eyed him inquisitively for a moment and then, unexpectedly, smacked him across the face with her tail.

The right side of his face stung even as his hand shot to it, a short groan issuing from his mouth the second after she had struck him. The area felt very raw right now, and as his hand lowered from his skin the area was reddening in the hand print that had been left behind. "Lightforce, what was that fo-." (Satoshi, stop it! You can't talk like that, now that we're right outside that door!) She cried out, leaping onto his lap and looking him straight in the eyes.

(You said that this is what both of us have been waiting for, and that can't be any truer than it already is. I've fought alongside you for so long now, and I know that this isn't the Satoshi I know right now. The Satoshi I know is brave! The friend I know didn't turn tail when things got tough for us, not in the Johto area, not in the Kanto area, or at anywhere else we had been to!) she continued on, the crowd above going wild at another spectacular feat outside the doors. (And I've stood by your side for seven years now, and though I admit to doubting our chances of victory and fearing our opponents in some battles, I never doubted that we would eventually make it here, and I never feared the outcome of this day!)

Satoshi breathed steadily as she grasped his hands, raising them to level with her paws. The anger that been in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a soft, mellow look. (Please, Satoshi. I never gave up on you, so don't give up on yourself. Promise me: you will have no doubt.)

"…I will have no doubt." He said, his brow creased and his heart bumping powerfully in his chest.

(You will have no fear!) She proclaimed, her eyes flashing white as the sound of footsteps above became apparent.

"I will have no fear!" He said, the confidence in his voice he had outside returning to him.

(And we shall not fall!)

"We shall not fall!" He yelled, leaning in with his shoulder as she jumped up and swung to hold onto the back of his head, rising as footsteps could be heard approaching the wooden doors near them.

The door swung open, and through it stepped the Knight from before, a behemoth in his dark blue samurai-style armor. His helmet again covered his head, and in his left hand his massive greatsword gleamed with the light of the torches on the walls. "Satoshi, it's your turn."

Satoshi nearly jumped from his seat, quickly getting to his feet with Lightforce clinging tightly to his shoulder. He nodded to the Knight. "Sir…tell the King to prepare to get blown away."

"I don't think I have to." The Knight replied, "He's already heard much about you and your opponent, and is expecting quite a spectacle here. Do not disappoint him, Satoshi, you or your partner. They're waiting for you outside. Go on."

Satoshi shifted his head to the side, his eyes on the face of his partner. He reached up and ran his hand through the fur on her head. "Ready for this?"

(I'm as ready as you are.)

…

The crowds rose up from their seats and begun their chorus of claps and shouts as Satoshi exited from an arched passage under some of the stadium's massive stone bleachers. The wind blew through the stands, rustling the navy blue canopies that shaded the people from the sun. Dark green grass bent down under Satoshi's foot as he proceeded forward, looking up towards the multitude of cheering spectators, young and old, male and female, human and Pokémon.

The soft hazel of Lightforce's eyes reflected against the great star in the sky, which floated high behind a balcony that shaded part of the stadium, connected to the magnificent castle that stood to the west of them. Another navy blue canopy perched above the balcony, lined with shining gold linen. Then, below it, four dark-blue clothed Knights – the Grand Knights, as they were known, watched as they walked into the field.

One wore armor like that of European knights, tall and lean with his dark forearms crossed in front of him, with twin daggers holstered at his sides and a dark brown cape. The iron visor of his full helmet was down over his eyes, completely obscuring his face from view. Another had her fiery orange hair extending out from the back of her helmet, cascading over the light plate armor and the bright blue cape she wore. The front of her helmet had dark glass covering her eyes, though her mouth was exposed to reveal the bottom of her light-toned face and smile.

Another was about the same height as the woman, dark blue samurai armor covering most of his body. Rectangular plating extended down the back of his circular helmet. All but his bright green eyes was covered by a silvery-gray cloth, the same color as his cape.

The last stood behind them, garbed in light metal armor that covered only her chest and shoulders. Lighter blue cloth trailed down the sides of her slender legs, over the long white pants she wore. Unlike the others, she had no helmet on, allowing all to see her elegant, nearly pale face. Straight dark green hair went down into her rope behind her, and her eyes were a grayish blue. A dark pink handkerchief hung around her neck.

Just behind the other three Knights and at the side of the last was a large, elegant marble throne with a crest shaped into a shield with a Pokéball with two crossed swords above it. On the throne itself, a seemingly empty suit of armor sat. The same crest on the throne was branded in shades of gray and blue on the armor's curved torso. Its silver greaves connected at a segment to both of its boots, with black pants underneath. A single belt with a Pokéball symbol held below the chest armor, which held in one piece while one of the curved pauldrons it wore sported fiery-colored feathers on it. Its beaklike faceplate hung over two angular pieces of armor whose edges bisected at the same place the 'beak' came to a point, though pressed against the helmet itself. At its shoulders a dark blue cape hung to the side, over the unfeathered pauldron, and black sleeves with silver arm braces led to white gloves on both of its hands…

…and atop the armor's helmet, a golden crown with several sparkling gems stood out just behind the helmet's faceplate. Satoshi and Lightforce bowed their head slightly as the enigmatic armor turned its helmet to look at them through its unseen eyes, nodding at them.

Your majesty…

The armor then turned its head the other way, this time nodding towards the young man who walked into the arena opposite Satoshi and Lightforce with his own partner. Spiky brown hair jutted forward on his head, with the spiking towards the back. He appeared to be just as eager as Satoshi, his dark, nearly black, eyes giving a confident and slightly cocky look at Satoshi.

Like Satoshi, he also wore a blue flak jacket-like vest, with greaves attached to his black pants at his shins. Opposed to Satoshi, he had a white shirt underneath his flak jacket. He also carried a hand and a half sword in its sheath at his side. His partner, a male Pikachu, rested atop his own shoulder, mirroring Satoshi with Lightforce. It had black spike indentations from the bottoms of the triangular black section of its ears, pointing down. A strangely blood-red color persisted in its eyes, looking determined and somewhat friendly all at the same time.

Satoshi smiled as he stopped at the same time as his opponent, standing merely ten or so feet from each other. The teen returned the smile, walking forward with his hand out. "Satoshi, I'm a little surprised to be able to fight you here. Oh well, Rift and I were anxious to get a good challenge."

Satoshi seized the other's hand and shook. "You're in for more than just a challenge, Shigeru." He looked towards Shigeru's Pikachu. "And how are you, Rift?"

(I feel…ready.) He said with a nod, averting his eyes towards Lightforce. (I hope you're ready too, Lightforce.)

(Of course I'm ready. I wouldn't want to leave a good friend like you disappointed after fighting me, after all.) She said, smiling at him. Like Satoshi and Shigeru had known each other for most of their open lives, Lightforce and Rift had become very close friends as well, after spending so much time together whenever Satoshi and Shigeru would cross paths, which was actually very often compared to other trainees.

The crowd began to grow silent. Noticing the decrease in volume, Satoshi and Shigeru both turned towards the balcony over the stadium, knowing what was happening: indeed, they along with their partners saw the King at the edge of the balcony with the Grand Knights flanking him, his gloved hand raised for silence.

The stadium was mute, each man woman or Pokémon staring up towards the balcony, waiting for their ruler to speak. The armor lowered its hand slightly, now positioning it in a more oratorical way. Satoshi felt Lightforce shiver slightly as the King's voice carried through the air, sounding like that of one who still had his youth but still with the authority of a great warrior:

"Men, women, Pokémon…as you well know, this shall be the final battle of the examination today. I would first like to extend my gratitude towards everyone, human or Pokémon, who stepped onto the field today to prove themselves, both to you and me. It is in their hands the future defense and well being of our great nation is placed. It is they who shall aid the people and uphold the balance between ourselves and nature for generations to come. So I say to you, let us honor these great warriors once more, those of the past, those of the present, and those of the future!"

Lightforce's black-tipped yellow ears twitched upon receiving the explosion of cheers from the coliseum's stands, stunning her for a moment before she beamed back at them, thankful for their support. Satoshi himself looked from side to side, reaching up to pat his Pikachu friend on the head. After a minute or so, the King raised his hand again, prompting the cheers to die out once more:

"And now, we have the four of you…" He began, looking directly at them, "…you are, as those who are already Knights have observed, the best students that are here today. I am assured that you four have gone through many a trial to be here today, to stand there at the center of the field in order to fulfill what you have dedicated so much of your life to up to now. The time for your wait is over now. The only obstacle you have left is your fellow student on that field."

Satoshi and Lightforce turned their heads towards Shigeru and Rift. Just as Satoshi exchanged a short but determined glare with Shigeru, Lightforce did the same with Rift, their eyes locking for but a few moments before they nodded in unison and turned back with their human partners to gaze back up towards the King.

"One of you may become a Knight. Both of you may, and at the same time neither of you might. Before you begin, we shall create the field around you, so that you may fight without restraint."

The female Knight with the pink neckerchief around her neck raised her hand up to the air, mouthing a few words before a bright, pink sphere shot up into the air over the field. Satoshi eyed the sphere expectantly before it burst outward over them, pouring down into a transparent dome that surrounded the battlefield. Shigeru felt a ripple in his body as he looked up to the King.

"That will prevent any true damage to be done to you, but you will certainly feel the pain as if you were harmed in normal circumstances. In this way, you will have no worry about harming your fellow student, and can instead fight with all your strength."

He pointed out towards them. In that moment, Satoshi and Shigeru turned and backed up from one another, their Pikachu jumping from their shoulders and standing at their side. Satoshi drew his sword from its sheath and pointed towards Shigeru with it, slashing an 'X' in the air before he brought it to his side. Lightforce got on all fours, static popping off her cheeks. Opposite her, Rift uttered a low growl as Shigeru lifted his sword in front of himself, grinning as he nodded towards Satoshi.

This is it…

"We will have no doubt, we will have no fear…" Satoshi said to Lightforce, smiling. She looked up at him and smiled back. (…and we shall not fall.)

The King's voice reverberated though their ears once more. "Satoshi, Shigeru! Lightforce, Rift! Stand strong alongside your partner, and show us all what you have learned on your journeys! Now…"

"Begin!"

…

…

…

I don't know about you, but I'm excited to begin on this story! Finally, we will see the origins of Lightforce, and how her own adventure played out many, many years before the time of Shadow and Light. I hope you're as interested in this as you are in my other stories!