S.L of Orre: Hey guys, welcome to my new and improved Pokemon and FF9 crossover.
Travis Triceratops: WOOHOO!
Zilla: Whatever.
S.L of Orre: Hopefully this one turns out better than the last one. I will admit, my original story for this concept was ok at best. I messed up really badly on Shadow's personality by having it flip-flop all over the place. It was like a bad game of I Am Bread. This was due to me writing while influenced by my current emotion. Unfortunately, while this works for free-writing, if you're doing a long story with an actual plot, it doesn't work. Not to mention, I haven't played FF9 since I was 7 or 8, so I barely remember what happens. Looking up guides to the story helps somewhat I guess. Unfortunately, while I want this to be better, there are certain clichés that are almost impossible to avoid. I will not be changing Shadow's overall design, because I really like it. She looks like how I would want to look if I was in the Pokemon universe. Also, writing a character with anger issues gets extremely boring, and that isn't how I function at all. There will be no team swapping either, because that just got confusing. This time I have a set team that will not be changing. Also, for you folks who love Mega Evolutions, you will probably adore this story. Let's just say my OR team was kind of over powered. Anyways, enough babbling. I do not own Pokemon or FF9. If I did, Pokemon games would have animated cutscenes, megas would be better balanced, EV and IV training would be nerfed so people can't abuse them, and lots of other changes would be made. Also, FF9 would have an anime, and Kuja would have been the final boss rather than that cheap as hell Necron. I only own Shadow and her team, and any other OC I decide to add.
…..
Hoenn, a region with a rich history and many dark secrets. It is here we find the region's newest champion, a girl by the name of Shadow. Shadow, along with her team of 6, was able to best Team Magma, capture the legendary Primal Groudon, defeat the champion Steven Stone, befriend Rayquaza, destroy a giant meteoroid, and save all of Hoenn. A deep thinker, she fights with cunning rather than brute force.
However, our story does not begin with Shadow. It instead begins on a planet from a completely separate dimension. This planet is known as Terra, and was once home to a thriving population. This planet was once a separate world, but after an event known as the decay, the planet became a part of its sister planet Gaia. This planet is home to a being known as Garland, who created beings known as Genomes. These Genomes were designed to hold Terran souls, but had no emotion whatsoever. That is, except for two. And it is with these two that our story begins.
….
"ZIDANE, GET BACK HERE", Garland yelled, his voice echoing through the hallways of the building.
"CATCH ME IF YOU CAN", Zidane yelled back, running faster.
The blonde Genome had decided it would be funny to let loose a bunch of the monsters that Garland kept in the lab. While most were not that dangerous, they would prove to be a nuisance to anyone who encountered them. Zidane, only 5 at the time, didn't quite get that what he was doing was wrong, but he didn't care. He just liked having fun. As he ran down the hall, he passed another genome, only this one had long silver hair with feathers.
"Hey Kuja", Zidane greeted as he ran past.
The older genome, whose name was Kuja, simply sighed. He honestly didn't understand why Garland found him to be inferior to Zidane. I mean, you didn't see him running around breaking things, setting traps for the others, and letting monsters loose to run free.
Zidane kept running, knocking over other genomes as he went. The other genomes however, lacked any emotions, and were unfazed by the golden blur racing about the place. They simply carried on with the tasks Garland gave them. To them it was just another day in Bran Bal.
Meanwhile, on planet Earth (Shadow's PoV, 1st person)…
"Too easy", I said as Tokay landed a critical hit with leafblade on the enemy's Mightyena.
"Get up now Mightyena", the hyena Pokemon's trainer called.
The black and grey hyena tried to stand up, but its legs gave out. The Pokemon didn't stand a chance against the Mega Sceptile he was fighting.
"Damn, they said you were strong, but this, this is ridiculous", the man gasped, frantically recalling his Pokemon.
I recalled my Sceptile after it returned to normal form and approached the man.
"I suggest you quit harassing these folks and leave", I said, glaring at him, "Otherwise I won't be so merciful".
The man's face paled and he ran off, dropping the money he had taken. A little girl and her parents ran out of one of the houses.
"Thank you for chasing away the bad man", the little girl said cheerfully, looking at me with big blue eyes.
"No problem", I replied, "If that man comes back, just let me know".
"Okay", the girl beamed.
"We can't thank you enough, Miss Champion", the girl's father said.
"Please, just call me Shadow", I replied.
"We never thought we'd see the day when that man stopped terrorizing us", the father's wife said, "He and his gang have been the bane of Slateport ever since Team Magma disappeared".
"Yeah, I've seen those guys on the news before", I sighed, "Apparently they started out as a simple biker gang that hung out near cycling road. Then Team Magma left, and they took over".
"If you aren't busy, would you care to stay for dinner", the wife asked, "It's the least we can do to repay you for saving us".
"Please Miss Champion", the little girl pleaded.
"Well, I guess I can stay for a little while", I sighed.
"YAY", the girl cheered, hugging me tightly.
Meanwhile, back on Terra…
"ZIDANE, I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN, GET BACK TO THE LAB THIS INSTANT. IT IS TOO DANGEROUS FOR YOU TO LEAVE BRAN BAL AND YOU KNOW IT", Garland yelled at the blonde genome.
"Yeah right, you just don't want me to have any fun", Zidane retorted, sticking his tongue out.
Using his skilled footwork, Zidane easily climbed over the outer wall of the village. Garland cursed as he heard Zidane yell "You can't catch me".
"Having trouble keeping the boy in line, Garland", Kuja questioned as he approached, hands on his hips.
"Don't just stand there Kuja, go after him", Garland commanded angrily, his patience wearing thin.
"Whatever", Kuja replied, "Can't guarantee he won't be dead before I find him".
"If anything happens to that boy, it'll be on your head Kuja", Garland growled.
Meanwhile, back with Shadow (1st person)…
"Wow, this food is great", I said, taking another bite out of the grilled chicken on my plate, "My compliments to the chef".
"I'm glad you like it", the woman said happily.
"Mommy always makes the best chicken", the little girl, whose name was Emily, said.
"So Shadow, what brings you to Slateport, besides dealing with those thugs", the man asked.
"Well, I was searching for a new Mirage Spot that popped up recently", I explained.
"I've heard of those", the man said, "They are said to disappear and reappear at random intervals".
"Yeah, and this one is especially active", I replied, "I've been trying to pinpoint it for at least a week now".
It was then that I heard my PokeNav go off, indicating the Mirage Spot had popped up again.
"That was quick", I said.
I quickly finished my food, thanked Emily's parents for their hospitality, and ran out. I called out my Latios, Altair, and hopped on his back. I played the Eon Flute, allowing him to Mega Evolve.
"Alright boy that Mirage Spot popped up again, and we need to find it", I said.
Altair nodded and took off, flying in the direction of the Mirage Spot.
Meanwhile, back with Zidane and Kuja….
"Catch me if you can Kuja", Zidane chanted as he ran further away from Bran Bal, Kuja right on his heels.
"Stop this stupid game at once, you annoying child", Kuja growled, "Are you trying to get us both killed".
Zidane paid him no mind as he climbed up a rocky slope, unaware of the nearby monsters who were watching his every move. A group of Hecteyes were eyeing the young genome, hungrily awaiting their next meal.
"This is so much fun, isn't Kuja", Zidane yelled back at the silver-haired Genome.
"FUN, YOU THINK THIS IS FUN ZIDANE", Kuja yelled angrily.
Once Zidane took a few more steps, the Hecteyes attacked. The monsters lashed out at the helpless genome, striking him again and again. Kuja stepped in, freezing several of the monsters. The Hecteyes turned their attention to Kuja and lashed out at him, but were met with another Blizzard spell. Just then, as the Hecteyes tried to attack again, a giant blackish-purple tear appeared in the air in front of them. Both sides were confused by the jagged floating slash in front of them.
"What is that", Zidane asked.
"Not sure", Kuja replied.
The tear began to shake, making the genomes and monsters move back some.
Back with Shadow (1st person. Last change this time)….
Luckily it didn't take me long to find the Mirage Spot, considering it was a dimensional tear floating in the sky.
"Maybe Dialga or Palkia made this", I thought, remembering how Giratina and they made these tears to leave their own dimensions.
I tried to get closer, but Altair quickly jerked to a stop. I wasn't sure what was wrong, but I noticed Altair was growling at the tear.
"Come on boy, we've seen these before, there's nothing the worry about", I reassured, stroking his neck.
As we got closer to the tear though, it began to quiver rather violently, causing the air pressure to intensify. Altair tried to pull away, but something was pulling us towards the portal. I was unable to do anything as the portal pulled us in, dragging us through a black and purple dimensional expanse.
"Damn, what the hell is this", I cursed as I held on to my struggling Pokemon.
Altair shook frantically, trying to free us of the dimension's gravitational pull. His struggles were in vain though, and we were pulled in deeper. I thought it was the end for us until I saw a light on the other side of the vast expanse.
"Altair, calm down and head for that light. It might be a way out", I said.
The struggling Latios calmed down somewhat and flew forward, zooming right into the light. Everything went white for a moment before we were ejected from the tear. Unfortunately, Altair couldn't low down quick enough and he ended up slamming into a nearby rock wall.
"Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark", I grunted as I stood up. I then rushed over to my dragon type Pokemon, checking for injuries.
"Altair, are you okay? That was one serious- woah, what is that stuff", I gasped, seeing a strange brownish-red substance on his left wingtip. At first I thought he was bleeding, but when I wiped some of the stuff away, I saw no gashes.
"If this isn't your blood, then whose is it", I wondered, "And where are we anyways? This place is like the shoal cave basement, but without the cold".
"That was AWESOME", a childish voice yelled behind me. I turned to see a blonde-haired boy with a tail standing next to an older man with silver hair. Wait, the kid had a TAIL?!
"What in the hell", I gasped, my eyes wide in shock.
"The way you took down those Hecteyes was amazing", the blonde cheered, "You came flying out of that purple thing and slashed them with that dragon thing's wing"!
I wasn't sure what to say at this point. Here I was in some random location with no one around but this strange boy and the silver haired man he was with.
"So, is your dragon okay? It hit the wall pretty hard", the boy questioned.
"Huh, oh right", I said quickly, snapping out of my stupor. I recalled Altair, who reverted back to his normal form.
"COOL! YOU CAN USE MAGIC JUST LIKE KUJA", the boy shouted, his sky blue eyes sparkling.
"Magic? That wasn't magic", I replied, "Haven't you ever seen a Pokemon Trainer before"?
"What's a Poke-ee-mon trainer", the boy questioned, failing to properly pronounce Pokemon.
"You don't know? It's pretty common knowledge in the Hoenn region", I said.
"What's Ho-inn", the boy asked, his head tilted to the side.
"You can't be serious", I said, "It's a region where Pokemon live. You know, on Earth".
"What's Earth", the boy questioned.
Okay, something was wrong here. First this kid doesn't know what a Pokemon trainer is, then he doesn't know what Hoenn is, and now he doesn't know what Earth is. Wait a minute, does that mean?
"Umm, what planet are we on, just wondering", I asked nervously.
"Terra", the boy answered cheerfully, "My name is Zidane, and this is my older brother Kuja. What's your name"?
"Uhh, Shadow", I replied, "Shadow Krane".
"Pretty name for a pretty woman", Zidane chirped, only for Kuja to smack him.
"Hey, you didn't have to hit the kid", I snapped, "He was just giving a compliment".
"Well his compliment was unnecessary", Kuja retorted.
"Really? Well I thought it was sweet", I said, "Anyways, do you guys live around here? I can't imagine so, seeing as this place looks barren".
"We don't live in this immediate area, but we do live nearby", Kuja replied.
"Is Shadow gonna come live with us Kuja", Zidane asked cheerfully.
"I can't Zidane. I need to find my way home", I replied.
"Aww, can't you come stay with us for a little while", Zidane pleaded.
"Well, I don't know", I said, "I'm not sure your parents would approve of you bringing home a random stranger".
"Parents, what are those", Zidane asked.
"She means Garland, no doubt", Kuja answered.
"Garland, you mean like one of those flower crowns", I questioned, "Is she your mom or something"?
"Garland is a man", Kuja retorted, "And he is not our father. He…created us".
"Created you? What do you mean by that", I questioned.
"We'll answer your questions later", Kuja said, "Follow me, we're heading back to Bran Bal".
…
"So this is where you guys live", I gasped softly as I gazed upon Bran Bal, "It's beautiful".
"Perhaps when you first see it", Kuja retorted, "But seeing it every day gets boring".
"I guess so, but still it is very-"
"KUJA, ZIDANE, WHAT TOOK YOU TWO SO LONG TO RETURN", a baritone voice boomed angrily.
We turned and saw a rather old-looking man stomping over to us. The man grabbed Zidane by the front of his shirt and promptly slapped the boy across the face. He dropped the poor child, and Zidane began crying.
"That jerk", I thought angrily as I picked up the crying child. I hugged Zidane gently, hoping to calm him down. Zidane sniffled and sobbed as he buried his face in my right shoulder.
"AND YOU", the man yelled turning to face Kuja. Electricity crackled around his hand before he fired a blast of lightning, zapping the silver haired man. Kuja let out a cry of pain and anger as the electricity wracked his body.
"THAT'S ENOUGH", I shouted, getting the old man's attention. He stopped zapping Kuja, and I watched the man slump to the ground.
"WHO ARE YOU, GIRL", the man boomed, "YOU ARE CLEARLY NOT A GENOME"!
"DOESN'T MATTER", I bit back, "WHAT YOU DID TO THESE BOYS IS WRONG"!
"Don't make him angrier, Miss Shadow", Zidane sniffled, "He'll hurt you too".
"You think I care", I said, "You boys did nothing wrong, and yet he hurt you".
"It's my fault though", Zidane sniffed, "I ran out of Bran Bal without permission".
"That doesn't give him the right to hit you, or to electrocute your brother", I retorted.
"But he's our creator", Zidane said.
"Your creator, you mean Garland", I questioned. Zidane nodded.
"Yes, I am Garland," the man boomed, "I assume these two told you about me".
"Sort of. They just said you created them", I replied.
"Hmm, you are neither Genome nor Monster, so how did you end up here", Garland questioned.
"None of your business", I snapped. I strode past him and knelt down next to Kuja.
"Can you get up by yourself", I asked.
"Of course I can. What do you take me for, a weakling", Kuja responded. He tried to stand up, but was unable to due to a severe pain in his side.
"Alright, looks like you're gonna need my help", I sighed. Carefully, I slipped his arm around my shoulder and helped him stand up.
"I don't need your help, woman", Kuja spat, pushing me away. His hand began glowing before a bright green aura surrounded his body. I watched in awe as his wounds disappeared, leaving not a trace.
"What the hell!? How did you…how is that even…..what the hell are you", I gasped.
"We are Genomes", Kuja said, "And what you've seen is a mere fraction of my power".
"Is that so", I questioned, "And would I be correct in assuming Zidane here can do the same thing"?
"No, that boy isn't strong enough to use magic", Kuja replied.
"Not yet anyways", Garland said, snatching Zidane away from me.
"I still fail to see how that boy is superior to me", Kuja scoffed.
"You don't think anyone is superior to you, Kuja", Garland snapped at him.
This started a huge argument between the two men, each trying to prove the other wrong. I rolled my eyes and turned to leave. I didn't have time to waste in this place; I needed to find my way back home. I left the village and headed back the way I came, unaware that little Zidane had freed himself and was following behind me.
…
S.L of Orre: Well folks, here is the first chapter. I will try to write longer chapters, but that all depends on how the story is going to play out. Also, I hope you guys prefer Shadow's new personality. I wanted to keep her sharp intellect, but also give her some emotions. Still not sure if I want her to use weapons, or to be a martial artist. Also, if you're wondering how old Zidane is at the time, he's 5. And before I forget, this is my main story and Delta Episode team. They will not have competitive movesets or abilities, so don't criticize what moves I gave them.
Name: Tokay
Species: Sceptile, male
Known moves: Leaf Blade, Pursuit, Cut, X-scissor
Name: Beatrix (yes, I know there is a character in FF9 by this name too)
Species: Aggron, female
Known moves: Rock Tomb, Rock Smash, Iron Head, Iron Tail
Name: Smaug
Species: Torkoal, male
Known moves: Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Body Slam, Strength
Name: Megan
Species: Sharpedo, female
Known moves: Crunch, Ice Fang, Surf, Waterfall
Name: Altair
Species: Latios
Known moves: Luster Purge, Steel Wing, Fly, Dragon Pulse
Name: Armageddon
Species: Groudon
Known moves: Lava Plume, Shadow Claw, Earthquake, Precipice Blades
I wonder if any of you guys can figure out the references behind their names.