"Oh, come on now, no need to be rude. Didn't you ever learn to shake a girl's hand when she offers it?"
Harry could only stare at the young woman, then back at the tattoo on her wrist. His mind was struggling to process the situation he'd somehow found himself in. He'd been worried about how he'd deal with being in Johto and had worried about running into a member of the Sons. Now he was having milkshakes with Jasmine Kenway, the daughter of Jack Kenway, aka the head of the Sons and the Father of Johto. It was like trying to avoid a dragon type then walking into a Dragonite's nest.
Jasmine wiggled her fingers. "Come on, if you don't want to shake I'll let you kiss the back of my hand. That's what pretty boys from Avalon do when they find fair maidens, right?"
"You're a fair maiden?" Harry asked before his eyes went wide, realizing what he'd just said. The jest had slipped out so easily that he couldn't stop himself from saying it.
Jasmine let out a laugh. "Well, if my ma has anything to say about it I am. She's all convinced I have to be prim and proper. 'You're da is king in every way save the title. That makes you a princess, my darling, and you must act like one!' Pssh!" Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Never asked to be a princess and they can't make me be one! Just like they can't force the crown on da's head!"
Harry nodded. "Right... maybe I should go before I start an international incidence-"
"You're afraid of me, aren't you?" Harry frozen in his seat and Jasmine leaned forward, studying him. "You've heard the stories about my da... all the things he's done and people that died by his hands and all you can wonder is if the apple didn't fall far from the tree. You see this tattoo-" she gestured at her own wrist, "-and you see a symbol of bloody upheaval and war. Tell me if I'm getting warm."
"And how should I see you?" Harry asked.
"Oh, all that will work. Pretty much all of it is true." Jasmine shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, I can admit that there is even more to my tale and if you heard it you'd only be more frightened." She took a moment to suck down a good fourth of her shake and Harry, having nothing else better to do, mimicked her. "But here is the thing," she finally said, cutting the growing tension that had been building between them, "you are in no position to cast judgment."
Harry's brow furrowed. "Huh?"
"You're Harry Potter," Jasmine said. At his surprised look she waved him off. "Oh yes, we've heard about you and the rest of your lot and what you've been doing in Avalon. Mostly from Sirius; he loves to brag about you to my da. I'd say your own list is just as shiver-inducing as mine."
"How do you figure?" Harry asked.
Jasmine began to tick off her points. "You're a Pokemagnus who also, if your godfather is to be believed, has some Speaking ability." A pulse of energy seemed to radiate from Jasmine and Harry and Hedwig both tensed for a moment. Outside the ship the Wingulls that had taken to resting on the rails suddenly froze before returning to normal. "Now, I get Speaking... that makes sense. You're unrefined and have almost no training... but I can still feel a bit of the gift in you. But transforming into a Pokémon? Now that is weird."
Harry scowled at the idea that his Pokemagnus ability was 'weird' but Jasmine continued before he could protest. "You're afraid of me because of my da. A lot of people are frightened of you because of your godfather. Even ignoring the whole 'Lord of Sevii' thing and all the red in his ledger from the War... the Black family isn't known for being all cuddles and kisses. Even a rogue like Sirius isn't squeaky clean and you being his godson and being taught by him... well, that makes people nervous."
"But not you," Harry said.
Jasmine nodded. "I caught him singing David Bowie with a brush as his mic... nothing that man could do would scare me after that!" She jabbed her spoon in his direction. "But the point remains: we both have dangerous men as our guardians."
"Ok, that's true," Harry conceded.
"And then there is your extra curricular activities," Jasmine said with a smirk.
"What are you talking about?"
The young girl shot him a disbelieving stare. "Seriously? You captured a Zygarde... that ranks pretty big. Not many people see a legendary, let alone capture one. That's a lot of power for you to have in your bag."
"And all that makes you scared of me?"
Jasmine nearly choked as a bit of milkshake went down the wrong pipe. It took several moments for her clear her airwaves before she could answer. "Damn it, don't put words in my mouth!" She coughed a few times. "When did I ever say I was scared of you?"
Harry scratched his head. "Uh..."
"Ne-ver," Jasmine said. "My point is that people are scared of you just as you're scared of me. But that's stupid because you should only fear that which you know. Fearing the unknown is a waste of time... there are plenty of things right in front of you that you should tremble over."
"So... I should be afraid of you?" Harry asked.
Jasmine scowled but Harry could tell that she was amused. "You are either being cute or stupid. Either way, knock it off, m'lord."
"M'lord?"
"That's what you Avalonians are like, right? Bowing and simpering with lords and ladies. 'Tea and crumpet?' 'Try the scones' 'Jolly good!'. You know, all that rot."
"Just like Johtoians are all about booze and fighting?" Harry asked with a smirk.
"Well, my family doesn't drink but the fighting part is true." Jasmine sucked up the last of her milkshake while her Aegislash made fast work of the two pokepuffs she'd tossed her. "Well, it's been fun, m'lord, but I want to give the battle simulator on this tugboat another test run."
"I could battle against you," Harry offered. He didn't know why he offered that, as the last thing he wanted to do was face down her sword Pokémon again, but the words left his mouth before he could stop them.
Jasmine reached over and patted him on the cheek. "You're sweet, but I think I'll pass. We need to save something for the second date."
"...what?"
The Princess of Johto merely laughed as she strolled back towards the elevator, leaving Harry trying to figure out if she were screwing with him or not.
~MC~MC~MC~
The rest of the trip went by without any issues... or any more encounters with Jack Kenway's daughter.
Harry had told Sirius all about it and his godfather had taken great pleasure in egging the teen on. "Look who is dating an older woman!" Sirius had said with a laugh, slapping Harry on the back.
"But I shouldn't be worried, right?" Harry had asked.
"What, you think Jasmine will slit your throat? The girl is smart and cunning and yeah, she can fight better than most people in Avalon... but she isn't likely to pick you out and attack you without a really good reason. The Sons have a Code of Conduct and all of us adhere to it very closely."
"It's not her I'm worried about," Harry had stated, plopping onto his bed. "I'm worried about her dad."
Sirius had blinked at that. "...yeah, you'd best stay on your toes there if you're going to date Jasmine."
Harry had tried again and again to convince his godfather that he and Jasmine weren't a couple, shacking up, going steady, or a hundred other cute little pet names his godfather had come up with the brief conversation Harry and Jasmine had shared. Remus, who'd managed to finally pry himself away from the toilet, had finally growled that Sirius was just messing with him and Harry was merely feeding Sirius' humor. Harry had instantly seen that Remus was right and Sirius had let the topic drop... though he had done a little victory dance at being able to prank his godson for so long.
Harry out all those thoughts out of his head as they disembarked the S.S. Sara. The concerns he had about the Sons and about their leader's daughter disappeared as he took his first look at Johto. In front of him was the sleepy little town of New Bark, filled with rustic houses that were dwarfed by the large Pokémon Laboratory that sat in the middle of the village. Thick groves of virgin forests surrounded New Bark, creating a feeling of cozy enclosement. Despite having a port and being near a major waterway New Bark had never really grown out of its small town feel. Harry instantly got the sense that he'd stepped back in time.
A large green sign with gold trim stood off to his right and when Harry read it he found once more that the dichotomy of Johto presented to him:
NEW BARK TOWN
Founded in 1453, New Bark serves as the eastern
gateway of Johto. Named for the smooth bark
trees that surround it, New Bark is the starting
point for many trainers who begin their Pokémon
journey upon visiting the Johto Pokemon Lab.
New Bark was the sight of two major campaigns in
the Johto/Kanto War. On November 11th, 1984,
The Sons of Johto were forced out of New Bark by
Kanto forces. This would be the Sons' first major
loss in the war. New Bark was held by Kanto until
July 2nd, 1987, when forces under the commander
Tyrone Booth would take back New Bark. The
Second Battle of New Bark would mark the last time
Kanto would have a main assault force in the Johto
Region.
Harry turned away from the sign and stared across the Bay of Rebels (as the watery route had been renamed by the new Johtoian Government) and could just make out the fuzzy landmass that clung to the edge of the horizon.
"Kanto," Jasmine Kenway said, startling Harry as she moved beside him. She narrowed her eyes and spat on the ground in disgust. When she noticed Harry's shocked stare she rolled her eyes. "It's a tradition."
"What's a tradition?" Harry asked.
It was Sirius, who'd ambled over, who answered. "Every Son, upon entering New Bark Town, takes a moment to look across the Bay. We stare at Kanto and remember all that was done to Johto, all those that fell and died because of Kanto's hubris. And then we show them as much respect as they showed us." Sirius made a soft slurping sounding before spitting out a wad of phlegm right in Kanto's direction.
"Yeah, you sons of bitches!" Jasmine shouted, flipping off Kanto.
Sirius glanced at Harry as the young woman continued to curse out the other region. "Some show their disrespect more than others."
"She really hates Kanto, doesn't see?" Harry said.
"That she does," Sirius whispered as Jasmine continued to rage against Kanto. Harry was pretty sure she was creating half the curse words she was firing across the bay. If he wasn't so startled he would have actually found it funny. "Jasmine... Jasmine has her reasons."
"Of course I do!" the teen snapped. "Those bastards murdered my birth parents in cold blood! Couldn't even it do it like men, could you?" Jasmine flashed double middle fingers, a sneer on her face. "But my da showed you, didn't he? I'd say he ripped your balls off but we all know you don't have any!" A crowd had gathered but, to Harry's surprise, they were actually clapping and cheering as Jasmine ranted.
Sirius leaned in and whispered in Harry's ear. "She was 7 years old. Her mom and dad had gone to Pokémon League to try and keep things peaceful. There were protests back then… the first sparks of the war. People wanted more freedom, more say in the government. They peacefully protested against Kanto for control of their own destinies. And they were peaceful. No broken bottles being thrown at the Elite 4, no bursting through the barricades… nothing. They were springing up all over Johto, demanding that this region be given more freedom. Kanto was trying to create a full merge… make Johto no longer Johto but a part of Kanto. The people didn't like that and let the Elite 4 know it. Then Oroku Koga made the mistake that started the war."
"What did he do?" Harry asked as Jasmine took a breath.
"He twitched," Sirius said quietly. "That's all it was… a twitch. But his ninjas… his guard… they thought he was giving the signal to attack. They fired on the protesters. 47 people died… including Jasmine's parents… because the Kanto forces got sloppy." His eyes hardened as he stared across the waters. "Then… Jack arrived."
~MC~MC~MC~
One instant. The single tick of a second hand on a clock. That was all it took for Jack's world to invert.
He'd come to the Pokémon league not knowing what to expect. If it had been anyone else he would have told them to piss off; he was in the middle of a month long trek through the Dark Mountains, searching for a breed of Machoke said to know ice attacks. He'd already made a name for himself finding a Donphan herd that used Seed Bomb attacks, even adopting a Phanpy and raising it to maturity. The Ice Machoke, however, would ensure that his name remained at the top of the list of expert Pokémon Trackers. Even then, if he were going to leave his expedition, it would be so he could visit his fiancée rather than deal with the bureaucrats that ran the League.
But it hadn't been just anyone that invited him to the League.
"Tell me you'll say yes," Lance practically pleaded as they left the elevator and made their way through the great plaza of the Pokémon League. Nearly three stories tall, the glass-walled area was dominated by a massive statue that depicted a Charizard, Blastoise, and Venasur towering over all the trainers that entered the League. Jack looked at it and forced down his annoyance that there was no sign of Johto anywhere in the League's lobby. He had to keep telling himself that while that was currently the case, the future always held opportunities for change.
Especially if he accepted Lance's offer.
"I seriously doubt you've gotten approval for this offer," Jack said, stopping and leaning against a pillar, his arms folded over his muscular chest. He looked down and his smiled as Mumik, the little Phanpy he'd adopted happily marched around his feet, looking about at everything in the way only little ones could. "Do you honestly see me as a police officer?"
"I don't see you as an officer, Jack," Lance said with a smirk. "I'm not asking you to put on a blue shirt and go chasing after bad guys."
"Because you bloody well know I'd be damn sexy in that thing," Jack snarked.
Lance did a full body shiver even as he fought back laughter. "Ha ha ha." The dragon master clapped his hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm asking you to lead those officers, Jack."
The 23 year old shook his head. "You want me to be a member of the Elite 4."
"I want you to be a member of the Elite 4."
"You want me to be in charge of Johto and Kanto's police force." Jack gestured at himself, as if silently saying 'have you taken a good look at me?'
"That is correct."
"...are you high?"
Lance laughed, slugging Jack in the shoulder. Mumik let out a squawk and bumped Lance's ankle, trying to stop him from attacking his trainer. Jack leaned down and picked his Pokemon up, cradling him in his arms. "No, I'm not, though I can see why you'd think so." Lance shook his head and sighed. "Listen... I felt the same way you do when I was selected a year ago. I was 22 years old and they wanted me to take of the International Relations Department. I was scared and shocked and I thought it might have been a joke but in the end I took the risk and it has been wonderful. But now I need you with me Jack."
The tracker glowered. "I'm not exactly a leader of men, Lance."
"You can be," Lance argued. He truly meant that. While Jack had always allowed Lance to be the face of their group when they traveled, everyone know that it Jack who was in charge. Jonas was Jack's little brother and thus use to working with his brother. Clair had been smitten with him; it was little wonder Lance's cousin was going to end up marrying the tracker. Cynthia and Diantha were independent and strong, of course, and no one would say those two were followers, but they also understood that of the six friends Jack had the most cunning mind and could get them out of jams best. "Listen, we both know things are getting tense. Hell, just look at the protestors out there." He waved at the mob of Johtoians that were jeering at Koga, who was trying his best to pacify them. "Instead of doing their work the Unspeakables are forced to babysit that unruly mob. They're upset with the changes-"
"As well they should be," Jack snapped. "Have you honestly heard some of the things the Kanto Prime Minister wants to do?"
"You mean our Prime Minister," Lance said, earning a glare from his best friend. "And yes, Minister Hogun hasn't done anyone any favors with how he's handled things. That's why they want you, Jack. Your father-"
"Who has been treated like garbage by their government," Jack snarled. "Don't think I've forgotten that. They were fine with us setting up a Safari Zone in Kanto but when we try to do it here we're told it would interfere with things... aka the Bug Catching Competition that's run by Kanto fatcats."
Lance rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Jack, please... we aren't going to make any progress if you cling to the past. Yes, what happened to your father sucked... so instead of taking a chance to actually change the system from the inside you'd rather just pout and let things go on?"
Jack was silent for a long time. "I wouldn't have to wear a damn cape, would I?"
Lance fingered the cape that was draped over his shoulders. "Hey, this cape-"
Screams ripped through the air. Several people in the atrium wailing and pointing outside. Koga was bellowing and waving his arms, his Elite Guard looking at each other in shock. Beyond them the protesters that had moments ago been waving their signs and chanting their slogans now laid upon the ground, poison bards and needles riddling their rapidly cooling corpses. Blood trickled from the wounds to the stonework, getting into every crack and crevice. The cries of the dying fill the air and yet none made a move to help them; everyone seemed frozen in place, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.
All save one.
Jack slammed his fists against the glass door as he stared out at the devastation. Realizing that the building had gone into lockdown Jack set Mumilk down before he flicked out his wrists, his escrima sticks sliding into his hands. Without even a cry or bellow he swung at the door, sending glass raining upon Koga's back. The head of Kanto's Unspeakables whipped around but the sight of Jack's enraged and horrified face stayed his tongue. Jack leapt down the stairs to the tangled mess of bodies, reaching out for a person only to realize there was nothing he could do and he had to move onto the next. Lance moved to stand next to Koga and just stared, his hands trembling as he took in the devastation. Jack was on the move, his heart sinking as he came upon one lost cause after another.
"What... what have you done?" Lance whispered.
Koga could only stare at his men, his eyes glassy. "I... I don't know. I moved my hand... they must have thought I signaled for an attack-"
Jack's scream cut off any other weak words Koga might have offered.
The young man crouched next to two forms, his face twisted in utter misery. He brushed his fingertips against his Aunt Laurel's cheek but her never-blinking eyes told all that she was gone. Barbs riddled her body, embedded in her chest and arms and one had even pierced her throat. Jack squeezed his eyes shut before turning his attention to his uncle. Oliver Ironside had received less damage than his wife but it was clear to Jack he only had minutes to go before he too succumbed to his injuries. Jack seemed to fall into himself as he stared down at his mother's brother, Mumik letting out a sad trumpet as he pressed himself against his trainer's side.
"Jack..." the Olivine gym leader whispered, his arm trembling as he tried to raise it. Jack instantly clasped the man's hands in his own, squeezing them gently as he leaned down closer so he might better hear his uncle's final words. "Ja... Jasmine. Jack... my little girl... you have... to protect her..."
Jack blinked away tears, his next words leaving his lips before he could consider the ramifications of what he was pledging. All he knew was that he had to give this man some touch of comfort in his final moments. "Uncle Oliver, I'll do so much more than that. I'll take your place... I'll be a father to her and I swear she will never know a day where she didn't feel loved."
Oliver weakly nodded, the rise and fall of his chest decreasing with each breath. "Jack..."
"Yes?"
But no further words came. With a softly sigh, like an old man settling into his chair after a long day of work, Oliver Ironside, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Ironside, took his final breath.
Everyone grew quiet. Jack dropped his head to his uncle's still chest and wept, his shoulders shaking violently as he sobbed. For three long minutes no one dared move or speak. It was only when Jack's shivers subseceded that Koga took a step forward.
Jack's head snapped up, his tears and sorrow replaced by burning rage. He stood up, his family's blood clinking to his shirt, and his chilly eyes seemed to lock Koga in space and time, unable to breathe or blink or function so long as Jack stared him down. The young man hissed only a single word, so quiet yet forceful, and when the Poison Master heard it he looked as if he had been struck.
"Murderer."
Lance snapped out of his daze and instead ran to his friend, grabbing his arm. "Jack, come on, we need to get inside." He tried to tug him forward but found that Jack would not budge. It was easy to forget, thanks to the long coat Jack tended to wear, that he tracker's body was made of nothing else but raw lean muscle. He didn't bulge like a bodybuilder or have cartoonishly broad shoulders and thick arms. No, Jack had a swimmer's build, with a lean hard muscle all along his form. He was steel wrapped flesh and when he didn't want to move no force could make him shift even an inch.
"Why is that man not in chains?" Jack asked his friend.
Lance looked at Koga then at Jack. "We need to get inside, now. Koga's men will collect the..." Though he didn't say the word 'bodies' everyone instantly knew it was what he almost said.
"Haven't they done enough?" Jack snarled.
Lance tried once more to pull Jack towards the League building. "Jack, please... this will be settled, I promise you, but it has to be done carefully." He could see those words didn't pacify his friend and Lance hurried to clarify. "Jack... this is bad. Very bad. Protesters dead because of an Elite 4 member? This is the spark that could ignite a war. We've barely been able to keep these protests from exploding but this... this would do it. No one wants that. We need to work together here, to get our stories straight. We need to present a united front, for the good of the region."
"The good of the region," Jack said softly, looking down at his uncle and aunt's still forms. "Which one?"
"Jack?"
"Kanto? Is that who you are worried about?" He looked back at his friend and Lance could see raw rage mingling with Jack's tears. "Members of my family were shot down where they stood. They weren't protesting... they were trying to help you!" His voice grew stronger and the survivors of the protest, who'd been quiet and still during the aftermath of the attack, began to murmur to themselves as Jack spoke. "Oroku Koga murdered my Uncle and Aunt and all you care about is how it might hurt Kanto!?" He waved his arms about. "These are our brothers! Our sisters! Our family and kin! How the hell can you stand there and defend what that murderer did!"
Lance refused to be cowed. "That is my job, Jack. I am a member of the Elite 4... I have to think beyond the individual and think of the regions as a whole! I can't let my anger or rage or sadness get in the way of doing what I must for the good of Kanto AND Johto. And you are going to have to do the same thing too. This is a tragedy, I'm not denying that, but if we don't work together it will only snowball into a catastrophe! Koga and his men will be dealt with but it must be done delicately and with a soft touch. We need to all work together or things are going to collapse in chaos. Now... come inside." Lance turned his back and made his way up the stairs back towards Koga.
It was only when he reached the top step that he found that Jack had not followed him.
"Jack," Lance said, exasperated by his best friend. "You-"
"This... is the Law of the Jungle," Jack said, his voice soft yet firm as he reached down and collected Mumik. He paused, for only a moment, before he dipped his hand in his uncle's blood, coating his palm in it before standing up once more. Everyone had grown silent as he spoke, the surviving protesters quietly moving to stand next to the Pokémon Tracker. Lance, for his part, look utterly stricken as Jack spoke. "As old and as true as the sky."
"Jack, please..." Lance whispered.
"The wolf that shall keep it may prosper... but the wolf that shall break it... must die." Holding his head up high, Jack swept his eyes across Koga and his men, seering each face into his memory. "As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runth forward and back: For the strength of the pack is the wolf."
Jack took a step back, joining the mob that had swelled around the fallen, allowing himself to disappear within their ranks even as he spoke.
"And the strength of wolf... is the pack."
~MC~MC~MC~
Everyone had grown silent as Sirius told the tale and as the last words fell from his tongue, all of the native Johtoians bowed their heads in remembrance of the fallen. Without another word they departed, returning to their normal lives, leaving only Harry, Remus, Sirius, and Jasmine to stand by the shore.
"I don't understand," Harry said. "I thought the Law of the Jungle was kill or be killed."
"That is one version," Sirius said. "The other... the one Jack spoke... is a different law."
"And the Creed of the Sons of Johto," Jasmine said, her earlier anger gone and replaced by a respectful calm. She made no move to explain why her father had spoke the words or why they had affected Lance so much. "So... where to next?"
"Huh?" Harry said.
Jasmine wrapped a hand around Harry's arm. "Well, I was going to head straight home but wherever Sirius Black goes fun is sure to be close. I think I'll join you three!"
"You are just going to invite yourself along?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what makes you think we'll be ok with that?"
"I'm Jasmine Kenway," the young woman said, as if that were an obvious answer to Remus' question. "Now, who feels like pizza? I know a great little place just off west of here that makes the best pies."
"I think we should just smile and nod," Sirius said with a smirk to Remus as Jasmine dragged a flustered Harry towards the pizza place.
~MC~MC~MC~
Author's Notes: One of the things I like to do with these stories is experiment with structure. It can get boring, sometimes, writing chapters the same way, over and over, so having a chance to try something different is always fun. Book 4 is going to be a blast because I've decided to structure it much like The Godfather Part 2, in that every once and a while we'll go to a flashback… namely, the Johto/Kanto War. With so much of the next two books dealing with the Avalon Civil War, the Johto/Kanto War is a chance to showcase how a different region battled… and show the evolution of Jack, Lance, Jonas, Clair and Jasmine. They all play huge roles in the story now and I want you guys to understand them. Also, by seeing the past, we will get glimpses of what may come to pass for Harry… and what he may need to become to save Avalon.
The Law of the Jungle for the Wolves is a poem by Kipling that I love. Jack's version is VERY important and will be explored more later in the story.
And now… the return of the Avalon dex!
First up is Levitis. I am happy to include this one as this is actually one of the first Fakemon I ever created. It is a Water/Electric type and is based on the Tiger Shark. The basic form is a happy little baby shark with blue-green skin and yellow stripes that look like lightning bolts.
The evolved form, Tempetis, is a full-on shark. No stupid stunted Sharkpedo, no Garchomp that looks like a monster from Godzilla. Nope, this is a full on SHARK. The beast now has purple stripes along with the yellow ones, a mouth full of teeth, and electricity crackles around it as it swims about.
This line has an exclusive attack called Polaris Breach. The shark leaps from deep under water and strikes the opponent, sending them into the air. This move causes half its damage the first turn, and then does the other half the second turn, when the pokemon lands. This also sends the Pokemon in the air and thus stops ground moves like Earthquake while allowing better accuracy for moves like Thunder. While the opponent Pokemon is in the air physical and ground-based attacks are negated.
