Author's Note: Oh... oh my God! Can it be?! Yes, yes it is! The long-awaited update to Ideals of Darkness! Yeah, it's been a while since I've written for my Nuzlockes (both of which I will finish, don't worry). But I digress, if you're still reading this story, enjoy the update!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, but I do own Hynden.
Iris grabbed my hand, but quickly drew hers back upon being shocked. She then sheepishly agreed to have me follow her to the house and once there, she stood beside her stoic grandfather.
"Hynden, has anyone ever told you the story of the original Heroes of Truth and Ideals?" Drayden asked.
"Yes," I answered, "Both brothers had different views of how the world should be, and those very views led to them fighting each other. Then, a powerful Dragon-type Pokémon suddenly split itself into two forms who are now Reshiram and Zekrom, but because the princes' hearts were corrupt, both Pokémon died."
"That is correct. And to this very day, the souls of Zekrom and Reshiram live on in the Dark Stone and the Light Stone respectively."
"Wait wait!" Iris exclaimed, "You left out another major part! The reason Reshiram and Zekrom were destroyed was also because of the love the two brothers was pretty much gone! That's why Pokémon and their Trainers need to stay together and keep such a strong bond; so that the world will be in perfect balance!"
"Iris is right," Drayden agreed, "Without Pokémon, the entire world just wouldn't be the same. Although we've all had our hardships, we stick together no matter what."
"Humans and Pokémon have come so far in terms of working together and being comrades..." I said as my fingers unconsciously worked their way to my locket. "Drayden, Iris, I promise I won't let Team Plasma win!"
"That's the spirit, Hynden!" Iris cheered.
"But first things first," Drayden added. "If you want to become strong enough to defeat Team Plasma and save Unova, you must battle my granddaughter and earn the Legend Badge."
"Right!" I confirmed. "Just you wait, Iris! I'm gonna win that battle for sure!"
"Well, I'm not gonna be easy to beat," Iris boasted, "So, you should probably get training and stock up on as many items as you can!"
Nodding with confidence, I ran out of the building and headed straight for the Pokémon Center. Once I switched on the PC, I skimmed across to see who would be a good choice. But, I stopped when I came across someone who I hadn't seen in a long time. Without hesitating, I clicked "Withdraw" and their Poké Ball appeared on my belt in a flash of light.
I had finally arrived at Route 9, where I sent out an old friend: Toothie the Watchog. When she came out of her Poké Ball, her arm looked good as new.
"H-Hynden?!" She squeaked, "Geez, what took ya so long to come get me? My arm healed a month ago!"
"It's good to see you too, Toothie," I greeted. "And... sorry. I've just been caught up in some... issues."
"Issues? Did something happen?"
"It's... a really long story. Right now, we need to focus on training and getting the Legend Badge!"
I shifted through my bag to see what I had, but I was shocked to find that I had run out of medicine and other items. Just as I was about to activate my motorbike to go all the way back to Opelucid, I spotted a nearby building called "Shopping Mall Nine".
"...We're going shopping," I said.
"Hynden, what the hell happened to 'we need to focus on training and-'" Toothie began.
"WE'RE GOING SHOPPING," I declared with a mix of assertiveness and excitement.
Calling out Piko, Jackie, Bianca, and Gummy to come with us, I rushed into the building with them not too far behind. The entire mall's atmosphere was a busy one, so I told my team to stay close. First, I decided to buy the necessary Hyper Potions and Full Restores at one of the shops (in addition to a new Technical Machine). As my team and I traveled up the escalator to the second floor, a particular shop had caught my eye. Upon entering (despite objections from Piko and Jackie), I saw that it was a shop for different types of swords and blades run by a kind, yet wise-looking old man.
"Ah, welcome, young one," He greeted, "May I help you?"
"Umm, yeah," I said, "I was just checking out your gallery. Maybe you could let me buy a sword?" I added as I showed him my age on my Trainer ID.
"Well, you are sixteen years old and legal to buy one, so I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Allow me to show you the many swords in my shop."
Walking around the store, my gray eyes skimmed around in search of something that peaked my interest. Somewhere in the back of the store, I was amazed to find a gorgeous katana encased in glass. Upon closer inspection, the blade itself was a nice shade of steel blue, engraved with the symbol "雷"; the handle black with the yin-yang symbol right below the collar, and the scabbard next to it a matching shade of black with electric blue jagged streaks not unlike that of lightning. Completely enticed by the sword, I reached for the knob of the case-
"Stop!" The store owner shouted as he ran up to me and guarded the case.
"What's wrong?" I asked, "I finally found the sword I want!"
"This is no ordinary blade! This katana is what I like to call 'Storm's Blade', and for a good reason too!"
"And what's the 'good reason'?"
"It's quite an amazing reason, young one! See one day, I was roaming Route 10, and I saw this very blade lodged into a large stone ahead where I was walking. When I reached it, the sky had suddenly become pitch black! And the second these old hands had grasped the sword handle, it was suddenly struck by a strange bolt of lightning!"
"And since you're still telling me this... story, you didn't die?"
"Ah, but I did die! And yet... I lived!"
As if the old man's words weren't making sense in the first place, now I was certain that he was merely senile and telling a fable. But, seeing how he wasn't going to stop anytime soon, I had no choice but to listen.
"But anyways, this blade is still special! It still looked as good as new from the lightning bolt! Hell, a part of me sometimes even thinks that the strange lightning bolt was the work of the mighty Zekrom himself-"
"Okay yeah, thanks for that, old man! Can I buy the katana or not?"
"Hmm... I don't know, young Hynden. After all, are you sure you'll be able to handle its prodigious power and potential?! This katana is certainly no-"
"How's 3000 Poké sound?"
"Sold!" He squeaked happily, handing me the katana in exchange for the payment.
"Thanks!" I told him, leaving the shop with the katana.
"...You bought a katana," Piko told me flatly.
"That's right, Peeks!" I declared, holding up my blade as boldly as I spoke, "I've always wanted a sword since I was little, but Mom would never let me have one until I was older."
"I can see why, Hynden," Jackie told me, "Dealing with a real weapon is very dangerous!"
"But, leave it to Hynden to jump into getting things with no experience," Bianca groaned.
"Hey! It's just like with Tabitha; I. Can. Learn," I insisted.
"...Tabitha?" Bianca asked, "Ugh, don't tell me you're talking about the-"
"Why yes, Bianca; I did name my motorcycle. I figured she deserves a cool name!"
"...So you named it 'Tabitha'?" Toothie cut in, deadpan.
Ignoring my sarcastic Watchog, I left Shopping Mall Nine with my team since I already had enough medicine to last us an entire Gym Battle. Since it had been a while since she had seen any action, I decided to let Toothie train alongside Gummy (which I knew she definitely wouldn't refuse). As we were doing a quick training preparation, we were suddenly ambushed by what my Pokédex read as a Pawniard. Trying to hold back my intense phobia of Steel-types, I focused on helping my Pokémon train.
"Gummy, u-use Dig!" I commanded, "Toothie, you use Hyper Beam!"
While Gummy was roughly burrowing himself into the ground, Toothie began charging a bright orange beam from her mouth. However, the Pawniard had suddenly used Metal Sound to subdue Toothie. The cruel, yet very familiar ear-shattering sound had made my traumatic memories of the last time I saw Lulu flash over and over in my head. As the Dark Stone in my bag began crackling with blue electricity, I tried to suppress the memories and focus on the present.
At that moment, Gummy finally sprung up from the ground and critically struck the Pawniard, knocking it into the air before it finally hit the ground and was knocked unconscious.
"You okay, Toothie?" Gummy asked, helping Toothie off the ground.
"Y-Yeah..." She answered, her cheeks turning bright pink, "Err... uh... nice Dig!"
"Th-Thanks. Nice, uhh... Hyper Beam charge."
"O-Okay, you two Luvdisc," I breathed, uncovering my ears, "Let's get back to-"
Before I could finish my sentence, Gummy and I were shocked to see the Pawniard push itself up from the ground and pierce a Metal Claw attack through Toothie's back until its claws were visible through the other side of her stomach. Once it pulled its claws out of my fatally wounded Watchog, Toothie fell to the ground with one weak hand supporting her.
"Toothie!" Gummy and I cried, running to her side.
"...Damn it... of all the ways to go," Toothie gasped, "I had to be impaled..."
"Toothie, damn it, no! You can't die!" I choked, tears flowing down my eyes, "There's so much we haven't-"
"Hynden, it's okay..." Toothie told me, wincing in pain, "All good things... must come to an end, right? O-Oh... and Gummy...?"
"Yeah, Tooth?"
"Can you... lean in a bit? ...There's something I wanna tell you before... I go..."
When Gummy leaned in close to Toothie, she summoned the last of her strength to deeply press her lips against Gummy's. Although my Krookodile was surprised, he pressed his lips forward as Toothie released her final breath into his mouth and fell back to the ground dead.
"...Toothie..." Gummy sobbed, tears falling from behind his sunglasses, "Why? Why did it have to be...?!"
As my heart wrenched inside of my chest and tears began flowing from my eyes too, something within me had suddenly... snapped. Once again, the Dark Stone began crackling with electricity, my vision had begun to turn as red as my eyes had glowed, I was completely surrounded by a black aura, and I was suddenly overcome with feelings of malice and revenge.
"H-Hynden?!" Gummy gasped, looking away from Toothie's body, "What's wrong?!"
Not hearing Gummy, I suddenly unsheathed my new katana from its scabbard that was strapped to my back and approached the same Pawniard that had murdered Toothie in cold blood. Pawniard had then looked at me with a look of pure fear as I raised my katana.
"Heh... you Steel-types are all the same, aren't ya?" I chuckled murderously with a slightly distorted voice, "But you know what they say, right?"
"N-No, what do they say?!" Pawniard gasped.
"They say: If there's a further injury, the punishment must match the injury. In other words... A LIFE FOR A LIFE!"
With that, I unconsciously swung my katana at the merciful Pawniard, decapitating it entirely. Cackling mad, I was so full of self-fufillment and vengeance that I kept mutilating the Pawniard's body until it was nothing but a bunch of metal pieces drenched in its own blood.
"Ha... HAHAHA!" I cackled, looking back at Toothie's corpse, "Better now, Toothie?! You've finally been ave-"
Before I could finish my sentence, I felt a sharp WHACK across my face, making me release my grip and drop my katana. The dark aura around me had faded with my red vision as I regained mental consciousness.
"G-Gummy...?" I asked, "Why'd you slap me with your tail-"
Looking at the ground, I saw the decapitated and bloody head of the Pawniard on the ground. Taking a few steps back, I fell to my knees in horror upon realizing that I had murdered a more or less innocent Pokémon in cold blood.
"No... no! What have I done?!" I sobbed, burying my face in my blood-stained hands, "I'm a murderer!"
Still wracked with remorse and grief, I picked up Toothie's corpse and what was left of the Pawniard's, and dug both of them two separate graves far from each other. On the Pawniard's resting place, I picked a small purple flower and placed it in front of the stone. Picking up my katana, I was about to head back to Opelucid when I saw Gummy remove his BlackGlasses and place them onto Toothie's grave.
"Rest in peace, Tooth," He said to her grave, "Hope you're kickin' some serious ass up there..."
"Gummy, let's go..." I sighed, still remorseful, "We're done here."
Returning Gummy to his Poké Ball, I put my helmet on, took Tabitha out of my bag, and pressed the button to make her grow to normal size. Without looking back, I rode my motorcycle all the way back to Opelucid City.
Pokémon obtained: None.
Deaths: Toothie the Watchog, Lvl. 8-25
Boxed/Unboxed: None.
