Dungeon 10 - Not all that shines: Part 2

The two months that have passed since Flint met the Aron and the Piplup represented a good time in his life. He had finally made friends and in this period, helped them to train their skills. They were in one of the training sessions. The Pawniard was with arms crossed, seeing the fight between Atlas and Napoleon, who now had a different appearance, having evolved into Prinplup.

"You may have the advantage of type and have evolved, but I won't give in so easily!" Aron declared, advancing against his friend.

The Prinplup's body shone in a pink tone he ran, his speed increasing, firing a pulse of water from his beak, hitting Atlas and dragging him across the ground.

"The winner is Napoleon!" Flint said, extending his arm.

"Sorry man, but it seems I won this time!" laughing, the water Pokémon put his hand on his head.

"Well, it was a good fight, thanks for helping me train, Flint!"

"Well, it wasn't for nothing," he closed his eyes. "Listen, my parents will be back in a few hours. So we won't be able to see each other that often. How about a party? To celebrate our friendship!"

"Sure! We can have a lot of fun! We've already trained so hard in those months..."

"Sorry. I want to stay a little with my dad, he's still not taking it very well," the boy put his head down.

"Of course, Atlas..."

The three boys agreed and went their separate ways, anxious. Atlas, when he got home, went straight to bed, falling asleep quickly. His mind was calm. Although the boy's wish was peace, fate seemed to have other plans for him.

The noise of an explosion woke Atlas, who fell from his bed. Disoriented, he looked out the window, the vision he had made the boy widen his eyes. Outside he could see only smoke and the noise of mechanical steps. Then, the door opened hard. The boy's father was on the other side, panting and with his eyes wide open.

"Atlas, we have to get out," the Nidoking was interrupted by another explosion, this time hitting their house, the two knocked out immediately.

Away from the residence, Napoleon was running around, heart racing, trying to dodge the shots and covering his head with his fins. The boy didn't know what to do.

"Dad?! Where are you?!" in despair, he was screaming, looking for his parent.

The Prinplup then heard the coughing noise and went towards the sound. As he walked, he saw that the other residents were running disorderly, the houses destroyed and on fire. When he got close, he saw his father under rubble, his black body bleeding and he was trying to get loose, without success. Napoleon, then, pulled his father from there, freeing him.

"Ah! Son! You were useful, how nice! We have to get out of here..."

"I don't know where my friends are! I have to find them!" he struggled to hold his father.

"Nobody cares about your friends! Let's get out of here!"

Then, the noise of footsteps was heard by them, and as both turned their faces towards the direction, there was a Genesect, standing there with a grin on its eyes, the cannon on its back shined. The smoke was all around it.

What kind of Pokémon is that? I don't recognize it from anywhere! Napoleon thought, his body was shaking with fear.

"W-Who are you?! I didn't do anything, you can take the boy, but leave me alone!" the Empoleon stuttered away from his son.

"My name is Genesect, and... are you sure this is the choice you want to make? Are you going to let your son die to save his skin?" the mysterious Pokémon said and the Empoleon nodded.

"Dad?! What are you talking about?" The boy was in shock and trembled, not wanting to believe what his father said.

"You can go then," Genesect crossed his arms, waiting.

Empoleon then ran, laughing and happy that his plan worked. He didn't even look back, running away from there. Prinplup's father didn't notice fast enough the lightning coming towards him, puncturing his stomach and leaving a hole in the penguin's body.

"Hmph," Genesect calmly declared, the cannon's energy disappearing.

"DAD!" Prinplup ran to his rescue, but when he got there, he could see that he was not moving or reacting. Napoleon tried everything, but his father had died.

"I'm sorry boy, but don't worry, you'll join him..." his cannon shone again, creating a silver sphere, which was thrown against Napoleon.

In the blink of an eye, a quadruped Pokémon appeared, and in his head there was a sword of blue energy, which cut the sphere, generating a huge explosion. After the smoke cleared, Prinplup saw the new arrival. A Cobalion. He tapped his hooves on the ground, staring at the bug.

"Boy... run away... " he said without even looking at Napoleon.

"Cobalion, you bastard!" Genesect gnashed his teeth, banging his feet on the ground.

"You are attacking this city without any purpose, it is my job as Sword of Justice to finish you off..."

Scared, Prinplup ran away, carrying his father's body on his shoulders. Alone, the legendary Pokémon stared at each other for a few seconds and then advanced against each other with violence.

Flint woke up with a sore head, he felt as if someone had thrown an entire house on him. The boy looked around, seeing only debris of what was his house. He immediately cut the debris with the blades in his arms, looking for his parents.

"Dad?! Mom! Where are you?!" The boy had a hoarse voice, he was desperate to find his family.

So, he saw them, but not the way he expected. In front of him, the boy saw two Bisharp, they didn't move or scream, they just stood there. Flint rolled his eyes, realizing what had happened. Without holding on, he gave a loud cry of pain and suffering, tears streaming from his eyes as the truth hit him.

Who did this? the boy thought, without knowing what to do now that his parents were dead. He fell on the floor, screaming until his voice was gone.

The two Legends were running around the city, each one trying to hit the other with their attacks. Genesect fired energy from his cannon while Cobalion deviated quickly, they then stopped in front of a house, their breaths raspy.

"You son of a bitch! Keep quiet so I can toast you!" the insect growled, preparing its cannon to fire, glowing with yellow energy.

"I'm getting tired and I have to deflect..." the quadruped thought when he was pushed by another Pokémon, who took the blow in his place.

The being in question was the Nidoking known as Nate, who by his typing, took no damage from Genesect's electrical attack. The equine widened his eyes, realizing what had happened.

"Don't worry, Cobalion! It's the first time I've seen a legend, sorry to intrude, but I had to help," the explorer said, his eyes shining with determination.

"You may have gotten help from someone else, Cobalion, but our fight isn't over yet! Signal Beam!" Genesect was charging another shot, green-colored, shooting at the quadruped Pokémon.

The Nidoking put himself in front of the shot, extending his hand and generating a barrier, protecting them from the blow. He removed the sweat from his face, staying in a combat position.

If I hit a Horn Drill on that thing, this fight is over, the Ground-type pondered.

Atlas woke up again, this time in the middle of the commotion. He could barely see, but for what he could, he saw his father with one Pokémon, facing another. Genesect ejected the object in his cannon, taking another one in his backpack and inserting it. He laughed lightly, analyzing his enemies. The Aron would slowly leave his house, shaking his head, he would try to think of something he could do. Then, the bug Pokémon spotted the boy and gave a small laugh.

"Cobalion, I'm sorry but this fight is over now," he said with a grin, charging the shot one more time, aiming at Atlas.

"Nidoking! Protect the boy! I'll deal with him! Work Up!" Cobalion's body shone, his Attack, and Special Attack status increasing.

Noticing this, the boy's father ran to rescue his son, jumping and grabbing him in his arms. The two enemies that were near him started to carry his blows. From Cobalion's mouth, red energy appeared, while from Genesect's cannon a blue gust was fired.

"...I'm finishing this!" Cobalion shouted as their attacks collided

Atlas could not see anything else that happened, a huge explosion followed by a flash blinding him and knocking him out once again. The wind was howling, pieces of houses, and debris flying by the impact of the blows, the city was devastated. Both the boy and his father were ferociously dragged away from the collision. From afar, Flint and Napoleon could see the strong wind that was approaching them, throwing them both away. The trio's life would not be the same after the event.

One month later, Atlas ran through the streets of a city, he was followed by a humanoid Pokémon of defined muscles. The Aron from before was different, his body was now bigger, even quadruped and his armor had become more resistant. Now a Lairon, he tried to escape from Machoke, but his speed left a lot to be desired. The Fighting-type received a cut on its chest and fell to the ground.

"Flint, thank you... we couldn't lose his money..."

"I'm starving," the Pawniard came out of the shadows, panting.

"It's a miracle we can eat, I hate it... all of it... being the survivors all the time... I want to have control of my own life!" He took a handful of Machoke's money.

"Hm, if you want that I have a suggestion, but let's see with Napoleon when we get to our… home."

The duo then left the alley. They followed the streets in silence, looking at the metal buildings. The city where they lived now was Bright Dawn, known for sheltering Pokémons from various places. They remained walking, going to a less noble area of the city, unlike the upper levels, they were in slums, where most of the crime was located. The friends entered one of the residences. When they arrived there, they saw the Prinplup with a bottle of beer on his fin, taking it mercilessly.

"You'll be sick if you keep drinking like this," Atlas looked worried, he threw the coins on the ground.

"Screw you! I'm not in a good mood today," he ignored, taking another sip.

"Well, gentlemon, I... have a suggestion for our problem," Flint said, sitting on the floor.

"Really?! What problem? Our poverty? Or was it the fact that everyone who mattered to us was killed in a stupid fight between two legendary Pokémon?!" with a sarcastic tone, Napoleon was laying on the floor.

"I don't like things the way they are too, so... the idea I'm about to say is an extension of what we're doing."

"You mean the robberies?" Atlas questioned, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, the robberies... we can take a step further, and... we become mercenaries."

"Mercenaries?" Napoleon said, seeming interested in the idea, now looking at Flint carefully.

"The opposite of what I was created to be..." Atlas stopped to analyze the situation. During his whole life, he was raised to be an explorer, but because of that, his mother left him and his father died trying to protect him. "Screw it, I'm in."

"I'm excited about this idea. I'm in as well!" Napoleon smirked.

"Then from this day forward, we shall be known as… the Heart of Steel Crew," Flint laughed.

"It's means to an end for us, then!" Napoleon cheered.

Means to an end, eh? Good, that's all you'll ever be, my "friends", Flint thought. Yes, that was a good opportunity for him to improve his own skills. After all that happened, he needed to be strong, so he wouldn't suffer the same fate as his parents.