Yes, I am attempting a double update before I leave. Why, you might ask? To keep you guys entertained of course (At least if you guys think my story is entertaining, which I hope it is. You can tell me by reviewing it). Anyway, so I have the next six chapters planned out, but not written. Essentially, I have the whole story planned out, like the ending, but I am still developing the sort of rising action that leads up to it. Without further ado, here it is!
Courtyard of Scythe Plains Fortress
"However dire the situation, never give up."
Draco groaned in pain as he rose from the ground for the seemingly hundredth time that day. And it was only noon! He had been awoken this morning after his return from his mission mission along with Ace, Blade, and Razor, who had all received different training tasks that day. However, he was stuck with the most sarcastic, strict, and most devious teacher in all of Scythe Plains: the revered Master Hitmonchan. It seemed to be pure torture in the fact that after hours of physical training, he was still expected to best the greatest fighter in the plain.
Hitmonchan, standing a couple of feet in front of him, shook his head in disappointment. "Your execution needs work. You tend to rake your claws to the right every time. If I were a Shrouded Soldier, I would probably have your head by now." He scolded as Draco struggled to his feet.
He seems to know an awful lot about claws he doesn't even have. Draco thought angrily as he prepared for Hitmonchan to come at him again. The fighting master stood, his seemingly slight frame, tan skinned, and red fighters garb comparably weak looking compared to burly fighting Pokemon like Machamp. But that slight frame held a strength that could fell even a mighty Steelix in one blow.
Draco dove for Hitmonchan's legs, attempting to attack the weakest part of his body. The fighting master simply stepped out of the way. Draco stood up, his claws ready. All of the sudden, a barrage of lightning fast punches sent the Charmander sprawling. Draco stood, but could not gain proper balance. His head was spinning, and he could hardly see Hitmonchan punch him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
Suddenly, Hitmonchan withdrew his attack, standing over the now teary eyed Charmander. But it wasn't from his defeat; it was from the barrage of punches Hitmonchan had performed.
"That technique is called the dynamic punch. It has the secondary effect of confusing your opponent. Most normal fighters can only launch one at a time, but a few specific fighters can launch a barrage that completely disorients your opponent." Hitmonchan lectured.
Draco clutched his head, which was aching just as much as the rest of his body. "I don't think I was born for physical fighting." He said, his words seeming to morph together when they escaped his mouth.
"That is true, but that is why you must excel at it. Your nature resists against it, but it will give your foes a deadly surprise when they are hit by a couple of swift punches from a Charmander. But I do believe you have had enough physical training for the day. Go see Dit to practice your special training." Hitmonchan said as he turned and began to walk away.
"Master Chan, sir, wait up!" A voice from behind rang through their eardrums. Hitmonchan and Draco turned to see a strange figure with long, thin arms and muscular, spring like legs.
"Master Lee?" Draco said in puzzlement. Master Lee, who was a Hitmonlee, stopped in front of Master Chan, bowing in his presence.
"What is it, brother?" Hitmonchan asked sternly.
"It's Talons! He's returned from Chari-Chari, and they've lost!" Lee said in clear astonishment.
Draco let loose a loud gasp. Chari-Chari, which bordered Spear Forest, was his homeland where he was born. When his mother, Charla died, his father took him to Scythe Plains, where Draco's grandfather was currently serving as a general. I can't believe it… Draco thought in sadness.
"You are excused, my young pupil." Hitmonchan interrupted his thoughts, seeing the pain in Draco's expression. Draco bowed and walked off.
Entering the empty halls of the fortress, he walked through the winding corridors to the back courtyard, where he would meet with Dit, his favorite teacher. But not even Dit could cheer him up today. As he walked around the edge of a corner, he almost ran into an airborne, very familiar Noctowl.
"Whoa!" Draco exclaimed as the Noctowl lighted down in front of him. It's Talons. Is that tears I see in his eyes?
"Draco… has you heard?" Talons asked, sadness straining his voice.
All Draco could manage was, "Yes."
Talons continued in a strained voice, "You must not lose hope, Draco. If we all just sat down and gave up, would Chari-Chari become free again? No, rest assured, we will recover Chari-Chari. However dire the situation, never give up."
Draco paused for a moment. Talons is right. Moping won't get me anywhere. I must never give up hope. He thought. "I won't." Draco assured, a new fire in his eyes. Talons knew that the Charmander had come to his resolution.
"I am glad you feel that way. Never…give up hope." Talons repeated as he flew off the way Draco had come. With new resolve, Draco continued down the hall and to the back courtyard. Arriving in the lush, green, courtyard, he glanced around for Dit. He was nowhere to be seen.
Maybe he's in the pond. Draco thought as he strolled over to the pond, which was surrounded by a stone, majestic looking replica of the Scythe Plains fortress. He peered into the pond, and then he realized what a horrible mistake that was.
A blue and brown skinned, amphibious Swampert jumped upward at him, shooting a jet of water from his toothless maw. Draco screamed in agony as he fell backward. The Swampert pinned him down with the upper hand he had gained. Then, Draco realized what was going on.
"This must be very entertaining to you, Dit." Draco said as the Swampert began to melt away and turn into a strange, formless pink blob. "Of course, Ditto can't transform while laughing." He added.
"You've been studying up on your Ditto, haven't you?" Dit asked shifting his form into that of a Ninjask.
"A little tidbit Talons passed on to me last night." Draco replied, smiling.
"Talons just wants you to get me to laugh because he never could. He was never too funny, and he still isn't." Dit whispered, making sure Talons wasn't watching. "Anyway, I attacking you as Swampert actually pertains to today's lesson. Last time, we went over your strengths. This time, we are going to go over your weaknesses."
"Weaknesses, like Swampert?" Draco questioned.
Dit nodded. "We will be going over how to deal with Pokemon like that. What techniques to use, like metal claw and hidden power. Metal claw you already know, but hidden power is new to you. Now, let's see how your metal claw has been developing. I trust Master Chan has been drilling you on it?"
Draco didn't even wait for Dit to make the call. He slashed at a nearby boulder with claws that were suddenly interlaced with metal. Dit, now a Charmander, applauded with his stubby arms.
"Very good, I see you have been practicing. Now it's time to move onto your hidden power." Dit explained.
"Hidden power?" Draco asked, as confused as when Hitmonchan hit him with a dynamic punch.
"Yes. It's a power inside you that can be projected into energy and launched at your enemies. Any Pokemon can master it easily. Your hidden power is a type of move that targets your weaknesses and helps to eliminate them. I have been studying yours for a long time, as anyone can tell what type yours is by looking at your aura." Dit continued.
"What type is my hidden power?" Draco asked in interest.
"Yours is a grass hidden power, which is effective against all of your weaknesses. Why don't you give it a try?" Dit asked.
"I can use it just like that?" Draco said, startled.
"It's easy; all you have to do is project your aura from inside of you and create energy. Go ahead and try." Dit encouraged.
Draco nodded as he held his hands out and concentrated. Project… my aura… into energy… All of the sudden, a ball of energy formed at his fingertips, the color of a new spring leaf. Letting loose the energy, it skimmed the pond and destroyed the scale model of the Scythe Plains fortress. "Whoops, I'm so sorry Dit!" He exclaimed, stepping back.
"Oh, it's fine; I destroy that thing on accident all the time. No harm done. That was quite the hidden power. Now let's try it again, only this time we will…" Dit cut himself off at the sound of a loud horn sounding throughout the fortress.
"Oh great, it's a lockdown! I've got to get to the troops. They only issue lockdowns if Shrouded Soldiers are right on our doorstep! Darkrai must be getting pretty bold. You'd better get back to your room and stay there until the lockdown is over." Dit ordered.
Without any argument, Draco said his goodbyes and climbed a few flights of stairs to his room, the same three words ringing through his mind over and over:
Never give up.
As Draco opened the door to his bunk room, he was greeted by Blade, still slightly scorched from their previous mission, Razor, and Ace.
"Are you happy to get away from Hitmonchan?" Blade asked.
Draco nodded and said, "Actually, he had business to take care of so I got an extra session with Dit." He replied.
"Lucky!" Razor whined. "I was stuck doing chores!"
"I got to train with Master Swally." Ace chimed in, referring to the Swellow who directed training for the bird Pokemon of Scythe Plains.
Draco plopped onto his bunk, exhausted. "So what are we going to do for the rest of the lockdown?" He asked, staring at the bunk above him.
"Just sit and talk I guess." Blade said, already looking for something else to do.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm up for sleep." Razor yawned, lying on the bunk above Draco. Ace flew up and perched at the end of the room where the window was situated.
"Whoa!" Ace gasped.
"What is it?" Draco asked, sitting up.
"There must be a thousand Shrouded Soldiers out there!" Ace said in awe as the rest of the group came rushing over to see. Indeed there was perhaps a thousand Shrouded Soldiers, all standing behind a wicked looking, dark Pokemon holding a single red banner. The Pokemon wore a torn red cape and had flowing white hair. It was the very embodiment of evil.
"It's Darkrai!" Draco growled, rage already rising in his stomach. The room fell silent as they stared down the very Pokemon that had murdered their fathers.
"He has some nerve showing up here." Razor growled. "Our soldiers will tear his apart."
All of the sudden, a Ninjask burst into the room, zipped over to the window and closed the blinds.
"Hey, what gives?" Blade asked in outrage.
"No windows are permitted to be open during lockdown." The Ninjask replied as it zipped out of the room."
An awkward silence followed. "What now?" Blade asked.
And nobody replied.
How did you like it? I think this is really a turning point in the development of Draco's character. So I will probably not update until Thursday, but it will probably be a double update as I will have a lot of time on my hands but unfortunately no internet unless I go into town. I probably will end up doing so, but I might not get internet. So until next time, please review my story and stay tuned for further updates!