Me: Hey, everybody! Sorry for not posting when I promised I would... My colleague and I had a bit of a disagreement on the basis of the content of the prologue. On top of that, this website is acting all wonky and won't let me type my name into this damn document... T.T
Scarletroses15: Plus, apparently my version was too 'violent'.
Me: Again, we do apologize immensely for going back on our promise. To make it up to you all, the next chapter will be up before Friday. :)
As you can see, we came up with a fairly just way to resolve these conflicts...
Scarletroses15: And by that, he means we play video games and best two out of three wins gets to choose.
Me: From now on, if anyone wants to keep up to date on what's going on with this fic, you can check for updates on either my profile or Scarlet's. Also, we are super open to critiques, so if anyone's got advice out there we'd love to hear it!
Scarletroses15: So without further ado, here's the prologue to our fic! Enjoy!
It was a clear night in the city. The streets were clearing and the last of the households were retiring for the night. It was more dusk, actually; the city's inhabitants had always sunk into slumber earlier than usual—the citizens were particularly enthusiastic about sleep.
Over in the distance, in the forest that lay just beyond the city's border, the Pokémon had a different agenda for the night.
It was rather dangerous to be in the woods at night; you could be robbed, kidnapped, or even killed if you were a Pokémon like me. This was because of our gang, the Brotherhood against Humanity. We were dedicated to ushering in a new society; a better one where ignorant humans were at the bottom, rather than on top. We'd do anything for our leader, even though he was also human. He was the only good one—the only one to take me in when I lost everything to the human race.
Our gang was pretty small-time, but only because we'd be compromised if we were discovered. That's why the Pokémon are in charge of funds—we steal anything of value from rich families so that our leader and his underlings can operate smoothly. That was a nighttime job; one which I was all too happy to uphold. I didn't mind it. I saw it as 'reparation' for everything they've done to me. That's why on clear nights I do a little 'overtime' and watch my foes squirm financially. After all, humans were obsessed with money.
Crouching in the darkness, I awaited the arrival of my unsuspecting prey. I stayed in the brush, not making a single sound; not even my breath seemed audible at the moment. The mute silence was soothing, especially here in the forest. The voiceless calm made my deep cobalt rings glow softly in the shadows. The darkened skyline and the eerie glow of my yellow eyes were merely two more plusses to the sight.
Most Umbreon prefer to hunt at night, but I'm an exception. I do pretty much whatever I feel like doing whenever I feel like it. I've got no reason to go about tradition. There are a lot of things that make me an exception; like the fact that my rings glow a pale blue instead of yellow, the fact that I dare to venture out into the sunlight so frequently, and I don't have a pack, nor do I stay in one place for too long.
I'm pretty nomadic; I go wherever the leader of my gang goes. It's either that or I get ripped to shreds by his Pokémon, so there's really no argument there.
There was a rustling in the underbrush a few yards down. I was brought from my reverie and quickly readied myself for a possible chase. Next I focused my energy, shutting my eyes and taking a deep breath.
I smelled Zigzagoon. One of them to be exact, heading west. It was male. I took another whiff. The Zigzagoon wasn't far. Perfect.
I rubbed the silky blue bandana around my neck for good luck (not that I needed it), and lowered myself into the ground, feeling my prey's movements pulsating over the land beneath me. My right ear twitched; I could hear his footsteps coming closer. I was shivering with anticipation; all of my pent-up energy tensed and I felt as though it was going to burst.
Eventually, the Pokémon wandered his way into my line of sight. In a split second, I pounced from my grassy cloak and into the Zigzagoon's path, catching him off-guard. My fluorescent rings boding evil to the young Pokémon.
His panicked squeal was music to my ears. The raccoon Pokémon tried to escape, but I merely blocked his path with my body.
"Going somewhere?" I asked menacingly.
The meek-looking Pokémon shivered with fright; His small, silver bell jingling frantically around his neck. I laughed—he was definitely a pet. "What's that you have there?" I asked sarcastically. "It's awfully shiny."
The Zigzagoon was downright petrified. He wasn't even looking back at me; he was staring down at the ground. "I-It was from m-my trainer…" he stammered.
I shook my head. This was why I'll never be some human's pet. It dulls your senses. Then you end up strolling around, pent-up in someone's backyard wearing those demeaning baby clothes, lying on your back for Scooby-snacks... There wasn't the slightest bit of honor in it.
I was snapped from my stupor at the jangling bell that glistened off of the glow of my rings. It was just the thing I needed to get Daemon off of my back for a while.
"Say, you don't mind if I borrow that bell for a while, do ya?" I cooed.
"I can't…it was a gift from my trainer…" he said timidly, refusing to meet my eyes. He began to back away slowly, still trembling as he took each step.
"Relax; I'm not going to hurt you… as long as you give me what I want."
The Zigzagoon took off, sprinting away at a tremendously high-speed. Poor fool. I dashed in his direction, making sure to stay off of the dirt path—I was harder to see that way. He looked back every couple of seconds to find me, but couldn't see through the darkness. I weaved through the trees and rocks and quickly caught up to him. The Pokémon didn't know it, but I was running right beside him in a matter of seconds.
When I was sure we'd crossed onto my side of the forest, I jumped and pushed myself off of a fallen stump, then landed directly in front of him, baring my teeth viciously. "Are you gonna give me the damn bell or not?" I snarled, inching closer and closer to the frightened Pokémon.
"P-please, no!" he trembled. "It's all I have!"
His words seemed to hit me like a ton of bricks. I would have ripped that bell off his neck right there, but something kept nagging at me. It was like whatever he said was preventing my actions. I could have robbed him and ran off at that very moment, but I caved and did something stupid.
"Just get outta here, kid." I grumbled, turning my back.
I didn't see him, but I heard the Zigzagoon take off a second time, almost leaving a cartoon-like trail of dust behind him. I shook my head, annoyed at myself. "Why did I just do that?"
It was then that I noticed the disgruntled Houndoom saunter my way with his entourage of Houndour.
"Hey Daemon…" I greeted flatly.
"I have a job for you, Dusk." He said, not even caring to greet me back.
"Can it wait? I'm kinda in the middle of something, here." I replied, sauntering my way in the opposite direction.
"No. It can't." he growled, baring his teeth. "Your crew is behind on your share of loot, and Boss isn't happy. When Boss isn't happy, I'm not happy."
I raised my head slowly. "Boss won't find out, because we're going looting later." I retorted, mimicking the dim-witted way he refers to our leader.
"No. You're going looting now." He pressed. "Boss sent me to give this to you."
He nodded toward one of his lackeys, who handed me a small note with directions to a suburban home in town. At the bottom was a message that said, "I expect you to clean them out."
I arched an eyebrow at the Houndoom. "Clean who out?"
He shook his head at me. "There's a rich family that just moved in and the boss wants you and your crew to 'welcome them to the city'." He pointed to the wording on the note for reference.
"So we're robbing people…" I confirmed. "Great."
"You get the picture now?"
I pushed the note back to the Houndoom. "There must be some sort of mistake." I protested. "The boss knows how I feel about humans."
"Yeah," he laughed. "He knows you're afraid of 'em!" He looked back to the two Houndour, who laughed along with him out of intimidation.
"Shut your muzzle." I said sharply. "I'm not afraid of humans; I prefer not to associate with them…"
"Right." He drawled. "Whatever you say."
"You know I don't like them because I—"
"Enough games, nobody wants to hear your life story!" he spat. "Just get it done or else there's gonna be trouble for you and your friends."
"Yeah, about that… I quit."
I turned my back on the Boss' Houndoom. I didn't catch his face, but I'm pretty sure he was staring at me in astonishment.
He ran in front of me, blocking my path. "You can't quit, nobody quits!" he argued.
"I just did. You know what that means?"
"If you quit, the boss will send us after you. I can't guarantee your safety when he does."
"I'm not asking you to." I growled. "I'm nobody's servant."
"You should have thought about that when you joined the brotherhood!"
His words sent a surge of anger up my spine. I turned my back to him and walked away, ignoring his calls toward me. "From now on, I'm keeping my eyes one you!" he barked from a distance.
I trudged impatiently through the city streets, scowling at the few humans who had the audacity to gawk at my cerulean rings. It was pretty irritating knowing they were all watching me, like I was some sort of prize to be won just because I was different. Sometimes I hated that I was special. It always drew the humans to me, even when I was a pup. The thought of what they did to me for it made my blood boil. What they did to my clan…my family…
"Look, mommy! That Pokémon is weird!" a young child called from further down the road.
I took a deep breath, regaining my composure. It was a good thing I was almost where I wanted to be; another mile and I would have sent a dark pulse into someone's face out of aggravation.
They always baffled me, those humans—a Pokémon has a unique fur color and they get all super-obsessed about it. I swear, their compulsive habits are going to be their downfall one day.
After a few more minutes, I reached my destination: a vertical sewage grate with four loose screws pressed slackly into the corners that lay against a broad wall that stretched around the city, acting as a massively long barricade. I carefully pulled each screw with my teeth and gingerly set them aside, crawling into the partial opening that had appeared when the grate fell. Moving swiftly around the rusty pipes and cobwebs in the small, lightless duct, I reached a maroon-colored tarp over the exit. I pushed it aside with my nose and became instantly calmed at the sight of my home. It was the grassy plain where my clan used to live before they… had to go.
The grassland sat right in front of a vast lake, one that lead way beyond the city's limits. To my right was a hill that curved up and slouched back at the edge like a cliff. The grass rustled softly beneath me as I approached the base of my favorite hill, then pulled an old raft from the bushes. It was covered in dust and dirt and had faded letters that read, "T…am…cket…2001". I couldn't make out the words, but it didn't matter—I already knew where it came from.
I dragged the raft up the hill and set it at the edge, crawling inside and curling for sleep. Looking up to the stars, the memories of my pup-hood came flooding back. They made me sick to my stomach, but were oddly comforting as well. I fidgeted with my silky bandana, straightening it for good luck. The distinctive scent of my clan still lingered over it. Shutting my eyes tight, I took a big whiff of the air, the nostalgic scent soothing me immensely. "Dad's not gone…" I told my self. "He'll come back… just like he always does…"
I repeated it over and over with still no luck. Shutting my eyes tighter didn't help much either. It was no use; whether I wanted to or not I had to accept my solitary lifestyle.
"Still trying to sleep, I see." I heard a voice say.
My eyes snapped open in fright. I looked up and spied the Buizel that stood before me with his arms crossed and a derisive smile pressed across his face. He arched an eyebrow waiting for a response, and I sighed with relief. Nobody was supposed to know about this place. It was hidden well before the humans came and it was going to stay that way if it killed me.
"Oh, hey Wylie." I greeted. "You scared the crap outta me…"
"You get to sleep this time?" he asked hopefully.
I shook my head. "Still no luck…"
"Ouch." He cringed. "How long's it been?"
"Ever since dad…" I trailed off.
I looked out to the lake, feeling a wave of depression wash over me; one I've spent years trying to keep down. I always managed to lessen the guilt, but it was harder to push back every time I tried.
"Oh, I'm sorry." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't know…"
"It's okay… I've been like this since before I met you. You couldn't have known." I sighed.
"So… that long, huh?"
I nodded somberly.
"How is that even possible?" he asked.
I looked to the fluorescent light from the moon's lunar gaze for a moment, before finally answering. "I get my energy from the moon…"
There was a beat of silence from the two of us, and Wylie just kept watching me like a mother does her pups when she knows something's wrong. "Why are you staring at me?" I finally asked.
"You alright?"
"Yeah. I'm just the same as always." I looked to him incredulously. "Why?"
"Daemon said you were forgetting your place in the brotherhood… that you tried to call it quits." He said, sounding genuinely concerned. "You know they'll kill you, right?"
"I know, I know…" I said lowly. I was just a little steamed because Daemon got to me earlier…"
"Good. When we usurp the humans, we'll be on top. Remember that."
His words were hopeful, but his reasoning was beginning to sound bleak to me. "We have to go into a human house tonight." I added quietly.
His hopeful smile faded to one of worry. "Oh…that's going to be a problem."
I looked away and Wylie began to pat my back. It was awkward on account of me being such a major antisocial, but it was somewhat soothing, seeing how it was coming from someone I could trust with my life.
Usually I preferred to be alone, but Wylie always seemed to change that in an instant. I could say confidently that he was my best friend in the world. Seeing how I've only got about three friends, it didn't take much to see that there was really no competition.
"You wanna toss the note and skip the mission altogether?" he offered.
"We can't." I groaned. "Our crew is behind on stolen loot. When our leader comes on Friday I'd like it if we weren't…fired."
We both shuddered, knowing full well that being 'fired' was a lot gorier than it was named.
"We gotta get the boys and start this right away so we can catch up." I said, stepping out of the small raft.
"Lead the way, Oh dark prince." The Buizel smiled.
"Don't call me that." I said sharply.
"Why not?" he asked curiously. "It's not like it's—"
"Just another broken promise…" I interjected. "That's all it is…"
The four of us had been walking for hours, my crew and I. We were searching for the home that the 'new family' dwelled in. The note said to be on the east side of the city. We happened to be on the far west side, much to my dismay.
My crew wasn't much of a 'dream team', but we got the job done and that was all I really cared about.
I, of course, was the leader. They all looked up to me from the start. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why; I was definitely the most enthusiastic of the gang.
My second in command was Wylie. He's proven he'd take a bullet-seed for me on more than one occasion, and was just as dedicated to our cause as I was.
Just below him in rank was Swift the Staravia, the Pokémon who's more than capable in the Sentry division. He was a master of surveillance. Swift has been a part of our crew since the beginning, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that half of our missions would be epic fails without him.
Lastly, there was the new guy—Blade the Bisharp. I didn't know much about him, but I did know that he was kicked out of his pack when he was young. It was kinda tragic, but I'd feel sorrier for him if he weren't so egotistical. He wasn't someone you could talk to, even less so than I was. Though I had to say, even though Blade was a bit arrogant, he was more than capable of holding his own.
"How much longer do we have to walk?" Wylie groaned, hunching his shoulders to imitate fatigue.
I looked around to confirm our position. "We're supposed to be on the other side of town, so I'd say about half an hour if we speed up."
"Ugh, my feet are killing me!" he whined.
Swift and I bowed our heads, our shoulders heaving with silent laughter. Blade merely scowled and shook his head. "Wow. Big surprise…" he mumbled bitterly.
I rolled my eyes at the sour Bisharp. He should really loosen up some.
Almost forty-five mutes passed before we reached our target: a classic, two-story townhouse complete with the overly clichéd 'green lawn' and patio-backyard. It was different from the rest of the homes in the city, bigger and way less traditional than most.
I looked to my crew, who were anxiously awaiting my orders.
"Swift, you know what to do." I barked.
In less than a second's time, the Staravia was in the air, circling the house.
"One…two…three…" I counted. "That's the signal. Wylie, you're up."
The Buizel nodded and darted off, climbing the telephone pole that had been adjacent to our position.
I watched him scurry across the wires almost effortlessly and reach the fuse box atop the neighboring pole. He pulled the fuse box open and took a gaping bite of the circuits, inducing a spark to shoot through the wires and receiving a shock in return.
When I snapped my gaze to the house, I noticed the lights from the televisions and other appliances that had been left on had quickly lost power. "That means the security systems are off, too." I told myself. "Blade, go help Wylie—I'm going inside."
…
I went around the back and snuck in through the sliding doors that lead to the kitchen. I've got to say, the house wasn't half bad… of course, this could just be the lingering smell of meat in the air that had been enticing me.
On the other side was the living room. I've heard of these. This was where the humans gathered to sit in front of their flickering box for hours on end. It was baffling. Sometimes I wondered why Pokémon weren't the dominant species.
I knew the upstairs was where the humans nested, to their earnings must be set aside somewhere up there with the alphas for safe keeping.
I made my way to the staircase when a surge of electricity sparked from outside and the lights started to flicker on and off rapidly. For a fleeting moment I felt as though this was only a minor drawback, and that the humans wouldn't notice much, depending on whether or not they were heavy sleepers. Less than a second later, the security alarm started screeching wildly and it had become evident that I was now beyond screwed. Every electronic appliance in the house began to turn on and shut off aimlessly, causing a major commotion within the household.
The home's inhabitants began to wake, their confused rambling like a siren in my ears. I scrambled over to the coffee table in the center of the living room for cover, watching the footsteps of my mortal enemies traipse by in panic.
My heart was pounding at my ribcage; I knew what would happen if they found me, and it wouldn't be pretty.
"What's going on?" a female voice asked.
"No idea…" an adult male voice responded."I'll check the fuse box outside."
The source of the voice stepped outside, soon followed by an uproar of shouting. The electrical spasms soon ceased and the pair of feet returned immediately after.
I choked down a gulp. I was all alone now, and my only hope was that they went to sleep and decided not to investigate any further.
"What was it?" the female voice asked.
"There was some damn Buizel chewing on the electrical circuits." The man growled.
A new, smaller pair of feet came into view. "Can we go to sleep now?" The female voiced asked loudly, clearly one of the infantile.
The masculine voice chuckled. "Of course we can."
The tiny pair of feet then scurried up the stairs. "Come on, Scruff!" she called.
The pitter-patter of four small paws scampered at her feet.
The light was shut off and the humans began to ascend up the staircase. When I was sure they'd gone, I let out a sigh of relief—louder than I intended.
I crawled from my hideaway and immediately came face-to-face with a pink, feline like Pokémon with a crimson jewel stamped into her forehead. If looks could kill, I'd be a goner right about now.
A loud shriek echoed through the house, but it certainly wasn't from the Espeon.
Me: So, I've been getting a lot of questions from readers about whether or not I'm still taking OC's. The Answer is: Of course!
Scarletroses15: This isn't going to be a generally long fic, but everyone's OC's so far are going to be in the story, even if they weren't introduced yet. If anyone's still got an OC they'd like to submit, they are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.
Me: The third chapter of this fic won't come for some time because I've got important family business to attend, business that will prevent me from working on this fic in general.
Scarletroses15: And by that, he means he's going to Disneyland and won't be back 'till Monday...
Me: Same thing. Anyways, we hope you enjoyed!