Evening all. Next chapter up, as you can see, and before Christmas too! Hopefully everyone is enjoying their holidays and will enjoy this chapter. Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, ect, ect.
Chapter Fourteen
"You were right sir. They're moving their army towards Oreburgh as we guessed they would. What are your orders?"
Overlooking the remains of Eterna City stood two men, one bearing the armor and symbols of East Sinnoh, while the other wore a simple dark gray cloak bearing an insignia of a red eye in the talons of a Salamence. The symbol of the Pokémon Hunters, a group of mercenaries known in East Sinnoh who specialized in hunting and trapping rare and Legendary Pokémon. While many people reviled their methods, King Charon had no qualms hiring them to lead his armies against his Western neighbors. Granted, he also was paying each of them more gold than an entire battalion of normal infantry.
"Continue with the preparations for Oreburgh. The reinforcements from Snowpoint arrived earlier, and with our forces preparing to flank them from the Coronet tunnels, we'll dominate whatever force they send against us," he told the soldier with a confident smirk.
"Won't that mean going straight into their army?" the armored individual asked.
"Isn't that the point of an army? To engage the enemy army?" the Hunter asked condescendingly. "I want the army moving within the hour. We'll hit Oreburgh tonight, when our tunnel force is ready to move. We'll hit Oreburgh with combined forces of our men, our Snowpoint reinforcements, and our mine forces," he told the soldier who nodded, running off to go relay his commanding officer's orders.
Shaking his head, the Hunter smirked as he watched him depart. 'Poor fool. Simply a pawn in the grand scheme. Perhaps he'll survive the night. In the end it's irrelevant to Charon and J's plans. Oreburgh will fall, and the path to Jubilife City will lie open to us.'
Clasping his hands behind his back, Pierce grinned as he watched the armies he was hired to lead amass for the trek south. His mission simple; Capture Oreburgh at all costs. Once control fell to East Sinnoh, the Galactic Mercenaries and King Charon's army would march through Mount Coronet and straight into Jubilife City.
'Hopefully Tobias' group in the tunnels is proceeding as planned. Though I should probably worry about my brother less, with all he and that Darkrai have been through.'
Looking up as he heard a pair of shrill cries, he grinned as he saw his Pokémon circling overhead. His powerful Fearow and his sleek Skarmory, a new addition from his trip to Rota. Both were vicious tracking machines, and both were eagerly anticipating the upcoming battle in Oreburgh. Drawing his hood, he headed down from his cliff to oversee preparations. For tonight would bring war.
Dear Ilene,
Well, in the day and a half I've been in Sinnoh, I've met the Queen of West Sinnoh, the leaders of an Eastern Sinnoh Resistance group, East and West Sinnoh has gone to war, and the most unbelievably of all, Misty and Gary are together now. I've had a busy week.
I'm writing this as we march to Oreburgh City, the latest target of Charon's war. We're outnumbered but morale is holding, between the Tacticians and the Guardians. If I'm being honest, though? I'm nervous. Ash and Gary are both getting stronger, but this might very well be the biggest challenge they'll face. Far bigger than any trial I could come up with for them.
As for the Summer's Eve Festival, I'm not sure if I'll be home in time with the new events. I'm really sorry about it, seeing as you were looking forward to it. I was too. But if I miss it, I'll make it up to you somehow, I promise.
I miss you every day, and hope for a quick end to this war to return home.
Ever yours, Riley
It was two in the afternoon when the Western army arrived in Oreburgh City. Men, women, and Pokémon of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life had responded to the call to arms, ready to defend their homeland against their Eastern neighbors. Numbering nearly fifteen hundred strong, the defenders, along with the Aura Guardians of Rota and the Veilstone Resistance, were all prepared to repel the Eastern armies.
Scouts had reported a massive army on the march south down Route Two-oh-seven of at least twenty-five hundred strong. Add to that Paul's prediction of an attack from the Coronet Tunnels, and the defenders were beginning to feel nervous at their odds. Still, they had the famed Tacticians, Aura Guardians, and Veilstone Resistance on their side, so they were hopeful.
When the Tacticians entered Oreburgh along with the city leader Roark, their first action was to move all non-combatants, such as the elderly and children, into the defendable Oreburgh Mines. Oreburgh itself was built upon a maze of mines and tunnels, with vents in the town to prevent poison or explosive gases from accumulating. The extensive nature of the tunnels allowed them to be used in situations such as this, letting knowledgeable miners act as guides for the civilians. Which left most of the city itself empty and useful as a defensive position, much to the annoyance of Roark.
It was decided back in Jubilife City that Oreburgh should be reinforced, at Byron's suggestion, instead of launching a preemptive attack against the Eastern army, as was Roark's plan. While father and son, the two of them had very different ideas and personalities. Byron, a tall, rough man had the look of a hearty miner, having worked the mines of Iron Island for years. A dull brown, tattered cloak and a head and beard of purple-brown hair completed his look. He was known for specializing in Steel-type Pokémon, and preferring defense.
Roark, on the other hand, had a head of crimson hair, a crimson cloak, and a preference towards a strong offense. And while both were miners and the leaders of Western Sinnish cities, they rarely ever saw eye to eye.
And so the defenders found themselves in the empty city, making their preparations for the coming war. The mining headquarters that Roark usually resided in had been converted into their forward command center, with the majority of their forces concentrated around it to defend. Given its position just outside the mine entrance, it made sense to turn it into their last line of defense.
Inside of the command center, the military leaders were preparing their strategy, with Lucian taking on the role of Marshal. Roark and Byron were each made a Commander, and Riley, Paul, and Reggie were each classified as tactical advisors, giving the Western army a command structure of sorts.
"Regardless of the army to the north, if their reinforcements from Jubilife enter the battle, every defense we prepare will be destroyed. We need to take out their flanking advantage," Paul told the commanders. Since leaving Jubilife City, he and Conway had been providing tactical analysis of the situation for Lucian. In doing so, they continued pushing for a forward strike against the Coronet Tunnels just northeast of town to prevent reinforcements for the northern army.
"As much as I hate to agree with him, the boy's right," Byron spoke up. "We're gonna have our hands full enough with the hoard in the north. If the Jubilife main army joins them, won't matter how strong our defense is," he told them.
"I'm inclined to agree, Lucian," Riley told him.
"As much as I hate to agree with my father on anything, I have to agree as well," Roark stated.
Lucian simply nodded. "I concur. And seeing as you put forth the idea so vehemently and the fact you traveled here through the tunnels so recently, master Shinji, you will lead the team to secure the tunnels."
Paul gave the Tactician a grim half-smile and nodded. "Understood. I'll need a small team and full command," he stated simply.
"You'll have it," Lucian assured him. "My apprentice will accompany you to provide assistance."
The plum-haired teen raised an eyebrow, his grim smile failing. "The blue-haired Tactician with the Piplup?" he questioned, to which Lucian nodded.
"She's a bit headstrong, but she's a strong ally to have at your side," he told the Resistance leader.
"Hn," he replied, back to his normal annoyed personality. "So long as she knows who's in charge, fine."
"I'll send Ash and Gary with your group as well. A pair of Aura Guardians could be useful," Riley chimed in, with Lucario nodding in agreement.
Paul thought about it for a second before nodding. "Acceptable. I'll have them ready to move within the hour. It'd be best if we left shortly before the main army gets here."
Lucian nodded. "Agreed. I'll leave you to brief your people while I bring Dawn up to speed. I'll send your team to the north end of the city."
Nodding, Paul left the command center to continue with their defense planning, heading out in search for his group. Fairly easy, considering the presence Electivire and Drapion had. Spotting them fairly quickly, he made his way over towards them in short order, thinking briefly about how he met each of his team.
Conway Kohei. Tactical genius and part time stalker, what he lacked in social graces, he made up for with political and military strategy. Paul had met him when he attempted to play the Galactic Mercenaries against King Charon's army, attempting to start a war between the two factions. His efforts backfired and earned a fifty gold bounty on his head, but not before being recruited by Paul for his resistance efforts.
Barry Jun. The overly energetic blonde teenage son of the infamous Palmer Jun of the Battle Frontiersmen, Barry and his Empoleon were determined to prove themselves. After finally meeting Paul, he challenged him to a battle, one that Paul quickly dominated with Electivire. Taking the loss in stride, Barry offered his services to the resistance, and while Paul didn't think much of his skills at the time, he'd since grown stronger and stronger, easily earning his place.
Ursula Urara. A beautiful teen with large pink pipe curls on her head and ice for her heart, Paul recruited her after seeing her and her constant companion Gabite fight off an entire squad of Galactic Mercenaries by themselves, simply because they offended her. She and her sister were former nobles in Veilstone before her parents were removed from power by Galactic. It seemed sometimes the only living thing she treated well was her precious Gabite. Cruelty, sadism, and arrogance belied her beauty, a glaring difference between her and her sister.
Maylene Urara. Ursula's younger twin sister was far less arrogant than Ursula, to the point of self doubt, much to the annoyance of both Paul and Maylene's own companion, a powerful Lucario. Wearing her pink hair shorter than her sister, she was a study in contrast with Ursula. While Ursula was cruel, sadistic, and entitled, Maylene was compassionate, empathetic, and riddled with self doubt over the Galactic occupation. Paul tolerated her because he knew she had the talent, she just needed the confidence to unlock it.
He also noticed that, out of all his companions near Electivire and Drapion, she was noticeably absent.
"Where's Maylene?" he asked gruffly, gaining the attention of Conway, Barry, and Ursula, along with their Pokémon.
"I think she was going to get something to eat," Conway told him. "I take it they gave the okay for our plan?" he asked.
"We leave just before the northern army arrives," he replied, before smirking. "Lucian is even sending his prize pupil with us. The blunette from last night."
Conway only grinned. "What are the odds. Hopefully she's gotten over last night."
"She had better. If she's going to be crying the whole way, I'll throw her to Charon's dogs myself," Paul replied as he started heading off in search for his wayward Lucario trainer.
"Piplup! Get back here!" a certain blunette shouted as she chased the Penguin Pokémon through the empty streets of Oreburgh. He had thought it would be a brilliant idea to swipe the basket of poffins while Dawn was busy, but little did he realize far how his trainer would chase him for them.
"Piplupupup!" he cried as he ran as fast as his stubby yellow feet would carry him, running for life and fin.
"When I get my hands on you, Piplup… Oh, Lucario! Grab Piplup!" she shouted as she saw the blue jackal-like Pokémon standing in the Penguin's path. Confused, the Lucario complied, grabbing Piplup by the large feathers on his back, lifting him off the ground as Dawn finally caught up, catching her breath.
"Thanks… Lucario," she managed in between breaths. "He's been getting faster lately. Where's Riley?" she asked, only for the jackal to look at her like she had two heads.
"Um, hello?"
Turning, Dawn saw a timid looking teen with pink hair and a bandage on her nose. She looked like a martial artist, with tape around her hands and some visible muscle definition despite her lanky build.
The Lucario handed Piplup and the basket to Dawn before taking his place at the teen's side with a smile and a happy growl. It was then when Dawn figured it out.
"This is your Lucario, not Riley's, then?" she asked.
The pink-haired stranger nodded with a friendly smile. "Yeah, Lucario here has been with me since he was a Riolu. I'm Maylene, by the way," she told Dawn, extending her hand.
Smiling, Dawn shook and nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dawn, and you've already met Piplup. Thank you for helping me catch him, Lucario. And I apologize for mixing you up with Riley's Lucario."
"There you are."
Dawn froze as she heard the same cold voice of the last person she wanted to see. Paul. Turning, she saw his intense stare fixated on the two. "Perfect, you're both here," he said. "Gear up. We're going to be leaving in a few hours to take out the Coronet Tunnels. You're coming too, Troublesome," he told them before turning and walking away.
"My name is Dawn!" the blunette shouted as he continued on. "Ugh… He is so aggravating!" she vented before looking back at Maylene, who simply looked at her oddly.
"Are you alright, Dawn?" she asked cautiously.
Sighing deeply, she nodded. "Yes. I just really don't like him. Wait," she stopped as she realized something. "You're with the Resistance?" she asked, to which Maylene nodded.
"My sister and I are both part of it. As for Paul… Well, he's had a lot happen in the last few years. He's not the easiest person to get along with, but he means well," she told the blunette, who simply gaped in disbelief.
"'Means well'? He's a cruel, heartless monster!" she shouted.
Maylene simply shook her head. "I'm not saying he's perfect. He's far from it. But if you knew what he went through back in Veilstone, you'd understand," she told her as she waved Dawn and Piplup to a nearby bench.
Sighing again, she decided to humor Maylene and sat down, looking at her expectantly.
"Seven years ago, during the Mad King's War, Paul lost his mother to Charon's treachery. She was a royal guard protecting King Soren and his family. She died in the uprising," she explained.
Dawn frowned. 'Just because be lost a parent doesn't give him the right to act like a complete jerk! I mean, I lost my father, and look at me! I turned out... ' She sighed to herself as she remembered her conversation with Max earlier that day. 'I suppose I don't have much footing to stand on after all.'
"Paul was eleven at the time," Maylene continued. "He… didn't take it well. His father turned to drinking, running up a massive debt before putting himself in the ground two years later. Most of his friends vanished during the purges Charon led, and it all culminated when Veilstone was given to those Galactic freaks a few months ago. Paul… snapped," Maylene told her.
Dawn thought about this for a while. "That still doesn't explain why he hates Tacticians," she finally replied, looking confused.
"Paul generally despises the West because they refused to do anything during the Mad King's War. They did sort of let their ally and his family die, in his eyes. Since then, he's been surviving throughout the raids, purges, and Cyrus' best efforts to capture us. He's come to hate weakness and anyone who is content with it, and that includes Tacticians who rely entirely on tactics."
"But there is more to battles that just pure power," Dawn insisted. In truth, this whole conversation was confusing her. But it was also making some sort of sense.
"He agrees with that, actually. He's brutally honest and a bit rough to work with, but one thing he's always been adamant about has been pushing us to our limits, making sure we unlock our full potential. He's lost a lot of friends, so he makes sure we're ready for anything. He doesn't want to lose more," Maylene explained sadly. After a moment of thought, she continued, "Dawn, you can't tell me you could go through all that, losing your parents, your friends, your home, your Queen, and come out the same," she continued. "He's doing his best with what he has, trying to fight a war against long odds. But he cares in his own, gruff way."
Dawn's frown deepened as she stared at the ground in thought. 'What she's saying makes sense. Maybe I should try to give him a chance. I mean, Max and I patched things up. Maybe Paul and I can work together without us killing each other,' she thought to herself.
She was broken from her thoughts when Maylene stood. "Lucario and I should go get ready. We'll see you later tonight. Just… Give him a chance. He wants to end Charon and Cyrus' attacks, which in turn helps you, after all. We all want the same thing here. Peace."
Dawn watched the pink haired trainer and her Lucario walk off, leaving her to her confused thoughts. As she sat on the bench, Piplup managed to squirm out of her grip and began quietly eating Poffins. An hour passed when finally a familiar face spotted the sullen blunette.
"Hey Dawn!"
Looking up, she saw Max and Kirlia walking over with a smile. "Want to work on Counter shield?"
Dawn smiled and looked to Piplup, who raised a determined fin. "Sounds good to me. Ready to get this to work, Piplup?"
"Piplup!"
"So, how did last night go?" asked May, who was currently grooming Bubbles, much to the Cotton Bird's delight.
"Surprisingly, it went well," Misty replied as she looked over her mallet for any issues that may pop up during the battle. Riley and Gary could complain all they wanted, but she was going to fight tonight. "I was worried when it was brought up, but for the most part he was patient, kind, and in the end, he felt the same way," she told the brunette, reddening slightly. It was odd talking about Gary in such a way now.
"That's awesome! So you two are together now, then?" May asked, turning a smile to her redheaded friend.
"I think so. Which is such an odd thing to think about, honestly," she replied. "I mean, two weeks ago, I had just arrived in Rota with my sisters, wondering if I'd get a chance to speak with Gary. Not that I'd have the guts to, mind you, but a girl could dream. Little did I realize I'd be in Sinnoh helping some girl I met two weeks ago fight a war for her nation with Gary Oak at my side."
"Yeah, I know the feeling," May replied. "Two weeks ago, I was just leaving Rota with Max after a delivery. Little did I know I'd nearly get killed by some crazy Skarmory looking for lunch, be saved by the Aura Guardians, and end up in a war camp preparing to defend their homes. But, at least I've got my brother and good friends with me."
"Speaking of, how'd things go with Ash last night?" Misty asked.
May sighed slightly. "I'm not sure. You were right about one thing, though. He's as dense as a Golem. But I think you and Dawn might be right. He complimented me a few times last night, although he sounded really nervous about it. It was actually kind of endearing."
Misty chuckled lightly. "Yeah, that's Ash. Dense as a Golem unless you're talking about Pokémon or Aura Guardians. According to his mom, most Arlon's are like that."
May blinked for a moment. "Arlon?" she asked.
Misty's eyes grew in size as she realized her slip. "Uh, could I get you to forget that name?" she asked, glancing around.
"Arlon as in Aaron Arlon?" she pressed, in a more quiet voice, causing Misty to sigh.
"Yeah, that Arlon. He was Ash and Riley's father before he died in the Blitz. He did some work here in Sinnoh before the Blitz, and some people might not look too kindly on knowing his sons are here. So remember, their name is Ketchum," Misty explained.
'So Ash and Riley's father was the hero of the Blitz. That's… wow.' As May continued grooming her Swablu, she began wondering how exactly she got caught up in the fairy tale she was now residing in.
"Are you sure?" Ash asked as he, Pikachu, Gary, and Umbreon all walked through the empty streets of Oreburgh.
"Heard it from Riley himself. We're going with the Veilstones to take out the Coronet Tunnels ahead of the main force," Gary explained.
"I take it Misty's coming?" Ash asked as he idly scratched Pikachu between the ears, inciting a contented "Chaaa" from the Electric-type.
"Haven't had a chance to discuss it yet. Knowing her, though…" Gary said. He knew full well that Misty would do everything in her power to accompany their group. He just wasn't sure how her and the Resistance would get along. "How about May and Max?" he asked his raven-haired companion.
"Max, I could see wanting to come. May, I'm not sure about," the teen confessed. "Bubbles and her are still really inexperienced. I'm not sure bringing her onto a battlefield would be such a good idea."
"I can understand that. Still, I kinda feel bad about all of us going off to save Sinnoh and her stuck here behind our lines," Gary commented.
Ash nodded absently. His thoughts had turned to a certain brunette traveling companion. 'Last night… That could have gone better. May seemed annoyed with me when Max was telling us his story. I hope I didn't make her mad. I wonder who it was she wanted to travel to see after all this. When I asked her if I knew them, she said sort of. What did she mean by that?'
As the two teens continued their patrol around the city, they spotted a pair of powerful Pokémon battling against each other. One they recognized as an Electivire, the other a large, purple, scorpion-like Pokémon that neither could place. Tossing a glance at each other, both decided to move in for a closer look.
Leaving the street they were on, they found themselves in a park, with a purple haired trainer shouting commands to both Pokémon in what appeared to be a training session. He noticed the two but ignored them as he continued training.
"Electivire, Brick Break, go! Drapion, counter with Night Slash!" he shouted, and the two powerhouses clashed with their respective moves, causing an explosion as the Brick Break and Night Slash connected. Both Pokémon were hurled backwards from the impact, but still appeared to be ready for battle. It was then when the trainer turned to fully regard Ash and Gary.
"I take it you two are the Aura Guardians?" he asked, shoving his hands in the pockets of his greatcoat.
"Yeah, that's us. I take it you're the head of the Resistance?" Gary asked, remembering the dark teen from last night.
"Yes. We leave in an hour. Grab whatever you'll need," he replied before turning back to his Pokémon. "Again, Brick Break and Cross Poison!"
Finally happy that her hammer was in perfect condition, Misty set it aside and stood up to stretch, waiting for the battle to begin. May, on the other hand, was lost in her own thoughts.
"Hey you two."
Looking up, both May and Misty saw Max and Dawn heading towards their section of the camp. Dawn looked very happy, so May assumed training had gone well. Either that, or her and Max had talked.
"Hey. How'd training go?" Misty asked with an amused smirk.
"Awesome! We finally got Counter shield to work. I think Piplup and I are ready for the battle, right Piplup?" Dawn asked excitedly.
"Piplup! Piplup pip!" her proud Penguin Pokémon replied, head held high and fins on his hips.
Misty chuckled. "Well, Piplup doesn't lack for confidence, at least. Seen Ash and Gary around?" she asked curiously.
"Not to my knowledge," Max informed her.
"Looks like they found us," May spoke up, pointing at the two approaching teens and their Pokémon.
Ash and Gary made their way to the tent the group were given and greeted them.
"Dawn, the Resistance guy says we leave within the hour. You ready to go?" Gary asked, confusing May, Max, and Misty. It was still a few hours before nightfall.
"Ready for what?" Misty asked curiously.
"Ash, Gary, and I are all working with the Resistance to cut off the Eastern reinforcements from the Coronet Tunnels tonight. Hopefully Paul won't be insufferable tonight," Dawn explained.
"Well then, I'm coming!" Misty declared, grabbing her hammer.
"Saw that coming," Gary said, to which Ash nodded.
"Got room for Kirlia and I?" Max inquired curiously. He didn't like the idea of Dawn having to work with Paul, so he wanted to keep an eye on her.
"I would assume that's up to Paul," Dawn said slowly.
Ash noticed during this conversation May had refused to meet his eye and seemed to be sad. Moving over by her, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, May, you alright?" he asked quietly.
She blinked and glanced up at him. "I… I want to come too."
The teens all turned to look at the timid brunette, surprised. Most surprised of all was Ash.
Blushing, May continued. "I couldn't help out on the ship. But Bubbles and I want to help now. I want to come, if you guys will have me," she told them, nervously poking her fingers together.
As the teens looked around at each other, wondering how to respond, Ash cleared his throat.
"I'll vouch for her to Paul if needed," he told them.
Misty smiled. "Same here."
Max pushed up his glasses with a smirk. "Count me in."
As the others and their Pokémon nodded in agreement and support, May felt something stir inside her. Happiness. The feeling of being accepted. Support.
One way or another, May wanted to help. Little did she realize at the time the part she would play in the coming days.
And there you have it. Hope everyone enjoyed. I'll likely either be working on a new chapter of this or a holiday one shot of some sort in the next few days. Anyways, Have a great week, enjoy Christmas, and God bless!