Hey everyone. Sorry for the absence for the last few months. Shit's been going on and I fell out of it. I'm hoping I can improve my writing from here and hopefully start writing on a regular basis again. That's all I have to say this time. So please, enjoy this chapter.

The next two days were uneventful for Chase, as he thought a break from the activities of the past few days would be healthy, but that doesn't mean he did nothing. In fact, he had already made a brand new storage unit for VEGA in the form of an electronic tablet. It was a much more discreet way for VEGA to be carried around but at the cost of his holographic display. This made it obvious that he excelled in science and robotics, as he used those skills and knowledge to survive. With a bit of literature and foreign language thrown in for the few days he had to himself over the years. He wasn't the most experienced in other subjects like English or world history however and predicted that he would find difficulty in those subjects. But that wasn't what worried him. What worried him was when he'd get into a fight, and if he had the restraint necessary to keep things nonlethal. Every fight before Alola was a life or death situation, so it will be hard to fall out of the habit of going all out. It was these worries that kept him up the night before school started, but he was used to those nights.

He was awoken by James that morning and was told to get ready. He got out of bed and grabbed his clothes while VEGA was giving the daily forecast. Once he was finished, he wished Chase a good day and the tablet deactivated. Chase put on his usual attire: White shirt, grey jeans, and his black and silver jacket. He hadn't signed up for bus rides so he was forced to walk. luckily, James had given Chase an old MP3 player loaded with songs that he could listen to on the walk there. One of his favorites was a song called "Silver Lake" by a band called Dark Moor. He wasn't a fan of metal but even he had to admit that he found this specific song enjoyable. It was one of the songs he listened to on the way there. Oddly enough, he arrived before any of the buses did despite how slow he was walking. He would have figured that they'd get there before him despite the detours they would need to take in order to pick up other students.

But, the lot was empty of any long yellow vehicles. He decided to see if He could find Rose or Luna around since he was still new, having only seen the main office of the school a few days prior. He entered the building and looked for anyone he recognized, but there were only a few student's roaming the hallways. The air around him didn't smell natural, like outside, but rather synthetically purified. Most likely because of the school's central ac. It was something he was able to get used to. He saw that the layout seemed to be a center circle with three branching hallways going north, east, and west. With the doors he just entered being south. At the end of the north hallway, he saw another pair of doors opening to the rear of the school. He figured this must be the layout of hallways for the whole building. He was proven correct as he saw a piece of paper pinned to a bulletin board with a layout of the building. The center of the building did have the layout he thought it did, which was applied to all three floors of the building. The east and west hallways led to separate sections that included the gym and theater respectively. He looked at his schedule and saw that his first period was gym. So he went to the gymnasium once he had seen the buses start to arrive.

He was required to change into proper clothing for gym class. So he went into the locker room once a few others were already inside. Upon walking in, he was almost overwhelmed by the amount of chatter between the other boys, and the smell. The room reeked of sweat and hormones and he was not liking it. It actually made him feel uncomfortable. He eventually got himself changed and moved to the gymnasium. The gym was like what you'd expect. Basketball court in the center with bleachers on the sides and a storage closet in the corner. He was relieved to find that the air in there was relatively fresh.

"Alright everyone! Listen up!" It was the gym instructor. He was a normal human male but was built pretty well. He only had a t-shirt and shorts. He also had a goatee that was connected to a pair of short sideburns. "Today's the first day so we're going to be doing some simple stuff. Today, we'll be setting up multiple physical test courses and what i like to call, The Pit." The other students grimaced at the mention of the pit. Chase did not yet understand why. So he whispered to the kid next to him.

"What's The Pit?"

"The Pit is a boxing arena but you can take down your opponent anyway you want or can. Mr. Litch always picks his star athlete to be one of the challengers. And he's brutal. You don't want to fight him." The kid was to the point. he was serious about it.

"Really? Are there volunteers or are we picked?"

"Picked."

Chase nodded an payed attention to Mr. Litch again. There wasn't much. Just some rules and whatnot. Soon, chase was doing a mobility coarse and passing it flawlessly. He would do the different courses and workout routines and would take quick glances at The Pit. What looked to be a Machamp was in the ring and was laying into a kid much smaller than him.

What the hell? He's just a scrawny kid and the big guy looks like he's out for blood.

Remind you of anyone?

Shut it. Now isn't a good time.

I know you want to humiliate him

No. Not humiliate him. I wan't to show him that he's not tough shit. Whatever he's been through, I've been through worse.

Come on. Not even a little bit tempted to ruin him?

No. ESPECIALLY when the idea comes from you.

C'mon! What's the harm in letting me take the reigns for a bit?

The 'harm' is a trail of blood. Everything you do leads to death. This guy doesn't deserve it.

You had a lot more spine back in Luminose. What happened to the Shadow of Vengeance? I miss that side of you.

That is a name I want to leave behind! Don't you dare mention it!

What're you gonna do? I'm a split personality. You can't get rid of me.

I'll find a way. I always do.

Keep telling yourself that.

Shut up, Kane...

Kane? Hmph. I like it.

Chase finished what he was doing and walked over to The Pit before Mr. Litch stopped him. "I didn't call on you yet."

"I know. I'm volunteering. I challenge your star athlete." He made sure everyone could hear him say it. He did like to put on a show every now and again. It spices things up. He was heard, as everyone in the gym went quiet. The Machamp only made a meaty chuckle.

"Someone as weak as you?! Come on teach! He's not worth my time." He said with annoying confidence.

"What's wrong? Scared?"

This pushed the Machamp's buttons. But he only smirked. "Fine then. I'm gonna add a few scars to that body of yours."

Chase stepped into The Pit. "What's a few more strokes of paint on a canvas?"

"Huh?"

"What's a few more scars on my body you dumbass."

"Calling me a dumbass? You're the one challenging me to a fight! If you really have that many scars, then you won't mind taking off that shirt of yours to show us!"

"Fine then..." He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and lifted it off. The crowd gasped in shock at just his backside. It was a canvas of lines in his fur from scars spanning multiple years. Each scar told a story of a brutal injury. His front wasn't any better. It was lined with scars as well and the scar seen near his jaw extended downwards until reaching his abdomen. The Machomp was definitely fazed by this, but he tried not to show it.

"Those scars don't mean anything! You got them from losing fights!"

"Oh they mean something alright. I've been to hell and back, and you know nothing of it. Every fight I've been in has been life or death. So if I lost, I wouldn't be standing here before you." Instinctively, they started walking in circles, keeping themselves across from each other.

The Machamp made the first move.

He launched himself forward and tried to swing at Chase. He dodged the swing easily and retaliated with his own punch to his opponent's face. The machamp staggered backwards and tried to make another punch. Chase blocked it this time with surprising strength and kicked him in the gut, causing him to slump down. Chase started to circle him in a taunting manner. This only enraged the large pokemon and he attacked again, this time going for a grab. Chase once again dodged, but failed to take his other three arms into account. Two of which, grabbed his legs.

Uh oh...

You moron...

He didn't even have time to react before he was thrown to the floor. The sound of the impact echoed off the gym walls and the machamp started laying into the dark type. He took every hit without falter and waited for an opening. He eventually saw one and dove under the arm to escape. He was bloodied and bruised with a gash across his left cheek, but he was still going. He got into an offensive stance this time and dashed forward, kicking up dust behind him. He was too fast and his fist made impact with the machamp's gut, making a guttural cracking sound as caused him to grip his stomach and fall to his knees. He quickly recovered and started getting sloppy with his attacks, fighting more out of desperation than rage or confidence. Chase was able to dodge his sluggish attacks and specifically went for his opponents pressure points, hitting them and causing him to stagger with the pain. Chase looked over his stunned opponent and saw a weakness in his leg stance, opting to use that to his advantage. The buff pokemon made one final attempt to win. He charged one more time with all four arms extended in an attempt to grab. Chase rushed forward and dove between the gab between his arms, spinning around kicking out his knees, putting him down on his knees. The crowd was silent but soon was cheering him on. The machamp got back up and tried to grab the umbreon's throat, but was stopped when Chase looked back at him with a gaze that pierced his soul, his eyes turning red, before they turned yellow again. He backed down begrudgingly and gave a petty growl.

He drew his attention back to the crowd.

Today's gonna be an interesting day.

Tell me about it.

Chase's science class was next. He got into his normal clothes and went to the nurse for his gash before going to the next classroom. He entered with a bandaged pad over his gash and he took a seat that was around the middle of the classroom. The Machamp was in that class as well. The large pokemon sluggishly marched towards the dark type. "Hey, chump."

He looked up at him, completely uninterested. "Hm?"

"You're in my seat."

He was silent for a second. "...Should I care?"

"Oh you should! If you don't give me my seat then I'll have to cave your face in."

"Oh really? Like you did in The Pit? I'm impressed how fast your inflated ego has recovered" He was honesty surprised by how his ego was able to recover so quickly, but he knew better than to show it, choosing to remain monotone.

"Oh the pit was nothing. When we're off school, I don't hold back." He tried to sound as threatening as possible

Chase scoffed. "That was you holding back? If I didn't know better, I'd say you tried your best. But you just can't accept that you're inferior." It might not have been the wisest choice to stoke his anger, but he knew better than to give up ground to someone like him. They will keep asking for more until they are the ones in power. Besides, he could handle himself no matter the outcome.

"I'll show you inferior!" He went in for a punch but was stopped when the teacher called him out.

"Michael Butch! Principle's office! Now!" The science teacher, and anthro Raichu, stood at the board and gestured to the door.

"But profes-"

"Principle! Now!" He pointed at the door again.

He was weighing his options and ultimately decided to back down for now, walking out the door while giving Chase the death stare.

"are you alright sir?" The teacher asked.

"I'm perfectly fine."

"That's good. While we're talking, would you mind introducing yourself to the class?"

Chase obliged and stood up. "Hi. I'm Chase Gardner." He sat back down. He wasn't big on introductions. He knew that actions spoke louder than words.

"...Would you like to say anything else about you?"

"No."

"Aaaaalllright then. Good day class! How was your summer vacation?" The kids all groaned since they didn't want to be reminded of their lost freedom from the school system. Chase remained monotone, waiting for the lesson to finally start.

The lesson started promptly and the professor started with a question. "Alright class. Let's start with an easy and fundamental question to start off the unit. What is all matter made up of?"

The science class wasn't anything worth noting, other than the fact that he was more knowledgeable than the professor in some areas of the lesson. Rather than being angry, the professor was impressed at Chase's intellect. His next class was after lunch. He hadn't seen his friends the entire day so he wasn't expecting them to be at lunch at the same time as him. He was pleasantly surprised when he found out otherwise, seeing James, Luna, and Rose sitting at a table. He got his lunch that was provided by the school, which was just a sandwich, chips, an apple, and milk and walked over.

"Hey Chase! Saved you a seat!" James yelled his way. Chase walked over and sat down with them. He peeled off the padding covering his gash and threw it away.

Luna was the first to mention it. "That one looks fresh. Who gave it to you?"

"Yeah. Whoever gave you that gash must've really been trying." James added.

"Guy called Michael Butch did it in the Ring." Everyone winced at it with Rose being the mot concerned.

"Are you okay? Did he do anything else?"

"No. He didn't. He was already face down on the floor. He didn't put up much of a fight." Chase said nonchalantly.

"You call Michael Butch not much of a fight!? Do you have any idea how strong he is!?" James blurted out.

"Yes. I do. I watched him pummel a lot of other students. I must admit, his methods are brutal and overkill, but overkill is a normal Tuesday for me. I've fought people way worse than him. Besides, it's not like he had any training anyway. He was a vastly inferior opponent.

"Arceus above... I can't believe you beat the strongest guy on the first day. If respect is what you're aiming for, then you definitely got it!" James exclaimed with enthusiasm. Chase however was not so exuberant.

"I want my fighting days to be over. This isn't going in that direction..." He stated. He did take pleasure in telling Butch who the boss was, but that was precisely the problem. He feared his pleasure for inflicting pain. It was one of many qualities that Kane could use against him. He wanted Kane to be contained for as long as possible, as he knew what Kane would do if he escaped his bindings. He didn't realize he was spacing out until he heard finger snapping in his ear.

"Chase? You there buddy?" Luna was waving her hand across his face, which brought him out of his deep dive.

"Sorry. I... Got lost in thought." He said as he would finally start eating his sandwich.

"What's on your mind?" James asked curiously.

"Nothing." Chase kept eating his sandwich. James already knew better than to get into what were, most likely, Chase's personal problems.

You want to tell them of me to warn them. But let me remind you. telling them puts them in danger.

I don't need you to remind me. You plan on killing them, that I already know.

Who said I was going to kill them? Telling them of me just puts them in danger of your past.

But I thought-

You thought wrong. Killing them serves no purpose. An opportunity to be free will present itself. I'm patient.

Oh that's VERY reassuring...

He hadn't noticed that he was almost finished with his meal and was silent. It weirded out the others as he was staring into space while he was eating. His yellow eyes dulled slightly, having a more pale yellow before they rejuvenated and went back to their vibrant form. He straightened out his posture and sat still. He eventually relaxed and looked normal again. Everyone was looking at him weird.

"I'm sorry. Just- things going on up here..." He said while gesturing to his head.

"You alright?" Rose asked, concerned.

"I'm perfectly fine."

Luna stepped in. "Are you sure? Coming from a place like Kalos can have a lot of mental strain on a person. I think you should see a therapist."

"I'm fine." He said much more firmly. "All I need to do is leave it alone. All things become a distant memory at some point."

"That's not a healthy way of looking at things..." James interjected.

"Maybe not. But it's MY way of looking at things." At that moment, the bell rang for the next period class and Chase promptly left after saying goodbye to his friends.

Neither of his last two classes were interesting, being kalosian and mathematics. Both of which he knew very well, with kalosian obviously being his native language. Since he hadn't signed up for buses, he walked. It wasn't his plan to go home just yet anyway. He walked through the city and eventually ended up at a dingy bar. He walked in and sat at the counter, ordering a drink before being called over by a guy in one of the corner booths. It was the same guy from two days prior who had been watching him and Rose in the cafe. He was accompanied by the Charizard he had fought on his second day in Alola, along with Butch, who was shocked by Chase's presence.

He sat down in front of them. "Why did you call me here." he wasn't intent on staying long.

"I believe we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Salvador. The Charizard is my partner, Henry. The Machamp is Butch." Salvador gestured to the two, with Butch speaking up.

"Why did you invite him here, Sal?" He said with venom in his voice.

"Oh? Why so much spite? Has his mite befallen you as well?" Sal asked in a mocking regal tone.

"Yeah! This guy is who beat me in the ring!" He got up but was ushered back into his seat by Henry.

"Calm yourself. You don't want to get us banned from this bar like the last one."

Butch relented and sat down. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew Henry was right. "Fine..."

Sal was satisfied. "Now then. I'm not surprised that you beat Butch. After doing some digging, I'm not surprised by your ability to. You are the Shadow of Vengeance, after all."

The mention of his alias surprised both Butch and Henry. But the mention of the name set Chase off. He stood up and stared Salvador down. "Don't use that name around me. It's one I want to forget."

"Oh? But you used t wear that title with pride if I recall seeing. A shadow in the night, reaping the souls of the Kalosian regime in an act of vengeance for his own murder and of his kind. But where such thirst for revenge came from, specifically, is not recorded." He was reading through some text on a tablet.

"And I want it to STAY unrecorded. This 'legend' you talk about, should be forgotten. Legends are never meant to last." He sat back down. Butch and Henry were still shocked. Eventually the fully processed this information and leaned in, clearly interested.

Butch spoke first. "YOU are the Shadow of Vengeance? I honestly thought you'd be taller. But seeing as your Kalosian, it would explain the scars. But if I knew I was fighting a legendary killer, I would've backed off immediately."

"I'm surprised I'm so well known." He remarked.

"Are you kidding? You're famous to people! Your reputation far precedes you." Butch said enthusiastically. It will be a pleasure working with you."

This caught Chase's attention. "Wait. Work with?"

Salvador spoke. "Yes. we were counting on you accepting our offer of partnership. You see... we are in debt to a local gang who isn't the friendly type. We made a plan to hit the city's bank in order to get the money to pay off our debt. All we need is someone like yourself. An anthro who can use pokemon moves. Not many out there."

Chase wouldn't consider it. "no."

"No?"

"I said, no. I don't want any part of what you're trying to do. So if you'll excuse me, I must go." He stood up and started walkng.

Sal called to him. "Unless you want everyone to find out about the killer you are, I'd suggest you sit back down." Chase stopped in his tracks, and reluctantly walked back to the booth and sat back down.

Salvador kicked his feet up onto the table. "That's better. I figured you wouldn't accept my proposal so I made sure to have leverage. You will help us with this, and you will still get a cut of the money. You will help us with this and we won't reveal your identity. And you will help us, or we will come after your friends. James, Luna, and Rose, were they?"

Chase sighed. He knew that engaging them would be a losing battle and the risk was too high. He had to go along with their plan. He leaned forward and looked at the three of them.

"Where do we start?"

Alright! That's this chapter! Sorry for anyone who tried seeing the chapter on its original release date. I wasn't satisfied with the chapter's length and cut off. I hope this is much better for whoever read the original version.

With that being said, this is DevilsUnited, signing off.