A/N: Hey, everyone! Welcome to the sequel of "Training Harder"! Rejoice, for you're about to be treated with a lot more Ash/Bea moments!
To be perfectly honest, this whole thing was such an unexpected development for me. I legitimately didn't think a fic like "Training Harder", revolving around one of the most obscure nevermet pairings one could find in the "Pokémon" fandom, would get really, REALLY popular overnight. I only wrote it because of my own love for Bea and her character, as well as my lasting interest in Ash Ketchum's character arc after all these years. But it is truly amazing to see how many people were drawn to this kind of shipping. I'm not sure what it was that fueled my fanfic's popularity in the first place. Maybe it was the novelty, maybe it was because people had been hoping to see Bea animated in the main series only to have their hopes dashed, I don't know.
Either way, I'm truly grateful for everyone who reviewed "Training Harder" and gave me their undying support for what I was doing. As a way of showing my gratitude, I hereby present to you all this full-length sequel to "Training Harder"! It'll be about 15-20 chapters long, and I'm not going to try and beat around the bush for this one. It will be a straightforward kind of story, devoid of being chock-full with many subplots like I tend to do with my other fics. And without a doubt, the Ash/Bea moments will be plentiful. :D :D :D
Alright, enough with the introductions! On with the chapter. ENJOY!
P.S.: Due to the ever-worsening situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I'm going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:
-Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer
-Avoid close contact with people who are sick
-Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)
-Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly
-Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:
-Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough
-Not sharing food and drinks with others
-Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)
-Avoiding close contact with others
-Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects
-Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)
-Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)
If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.
The Dark Titans.
Three Pokémon hailing from an alternate world, a world very much like ours, only full of evil, hatred, and darkness. Long ago, these Dark Titans entered our world through an inter-dimensional rift, a once-in-a-lifetime event that tore through the fabric of space and time, and they landed on the Isle of Armor in Galar. Initially, these Dark Titans were revered like gods due to their striking resemblance to the Titans of Kanto.
But what was once awe and worship quickly turned into horror and misery. Before long, the Dark Titans laid waste to the Isle's lands, motivated by nothing but their insatiable lust for suffering and death. The true Titans sensed the unnatural disaster and flew over to the Isle to intervene, but the Dark Titans proved to be much more powerful and cunning than them. The Titans of Kanto fell one by one, and it seemed as if all hope was lost in the Isle and across all of Galar.
Then, they arrived.
Urshifu and the Hero. A Pokémon and a human, members of the Galar Karateka, the ancient, noble peacekeepers of the lands. Using their exceptional mastery of Galar Karate, the fighting style of the Karateka, Urshifu and the Hero saved the Titans of Kanto from certain death and defeated the Dark Titans. Following their defeat, the Dark Titans transformed into three spheres, which were then sealed away by the Hero for all of eternity.
But, in spite of this victory, Urshifu and the Hero knew it was only a matter of time before the Dark Titans would recover from their wounds and rise again in another bid for worldwide annihilation. As such, they began teaching Urshifu's child, Kubfu, the ways of Galar Karate, even the most mystical and antiquated techniques, until it evolved into another Urshifu. Upon doing so, it took the place of its parent and began teaching its Kubfu child everything it learned, until it too evolved into an Urshifu.
And so, the process continued for many millennia, and many generations, even after the Galar Karateka had become all but extinct and irrelevant, and modernization began to encroach on society. Rumors have it that, to this very day, there is an Urshifu teaching a Kubfu the ways of Galar Karate somewhere on the Isle of Armor, in preparation for the inevitable moment when the Dark Titans would rise again, ready to plunge the lands back into a period of terrible darkness.
With that, the regally-dressed, noble-looking man averted his gaze from the stone tablet and looked out of the gigantic, circular window before him, his lips slowly curling into a chilling sneer.
"Now it...begins."
Just then, a door burst open, and a dark-skinned woman with flowing, black-and-magenta-dyed hair burst into the room, accompanied by an Obstagoon.
"Lord Cromwell!" she cried.
"Hmm?" The man turned around, revealing his silvery, combed-back hair and blue eyes. "Yes, Mollie? What seems to be the problem?"
"We've got another emergency down at the holding cell." The woman narrowed her icy-blue eyes. "It's her again."
Upon hearing this, the man's eyes narrowed ominously.
"Take me to her."
"RRRRRAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"
The large, bearlike Pokémon slammed itself into the bars for the umpteenth time, only to be violently knocked backward by a great jolt of blue electricity. The strange Pokémon roared, feeling the electricity coursing through its body, leaving a myriad of scorch marks on its dark-gray and white-and-black, karategi-like fur. It twitched and convulsed, trying its best to endure the unspeakable pain.
Finally, after about a minute, the bolts of electricity subsided, and the Pokémon's body was relieved of its agony, instead being substituted with an immense, widespread ache. The Pokémon struggled to stand up, and as it did, it heard a set of footsteps approaching.
With an aggressive growl, the Pokémon feebly looked up and saw a large, muscular man approaching its cage. This man had spiky, deep-orange hair with black, lightning-shaped marks dyed into the sides, along with piercing yellow eyes and tanned, gleaming skin. Waddling by his side was a Grapploct, its dark eyes narrowed menacingly while it flexed its blue, tentacle-like arms.
"Ya sure don't know when to give up, don't ya?" the man asked in a gruff voice. Then, he raised his fists and used them to crack his knuckles. "Unfortunately for you, yer legends don't scare me, Urshifu. I'd gladly take any challenger on."
Urshifu bared its jagged teeth at the man, just as a tough, feminine voice abruptly filled the air.
"Foolish human. You claim not to be terrified of me, yet you confront me while I am your prisoner? You're a coward and a hypocrite."
"No, not a coward," another voice replied, echoing through the chamber. "Nor a hypocrite."
Growling, Urshifu looked over the muscular man's shoulder and saw a balcony that was overlooking the entire scene. The Pokémon could see Lord Cromwell sneering down upon her from there, while Mollie and her Obstagoon flanked him. The man leaned forward to speak into the microphone in front of him.
"Just being smart and biding his time." Then, Cromwell made a soft wave with his arm. "Stand down, Zeke."
The muscular man nodded loyally and stepped aside, with Grapploct mirroring his movements. As soon as he cleared the way, Cromwell spoke into the microphone again.
"Bring our dear guest out, Arin."
The door to the chamber automatically slid open, and Urshifu let out a horrified gasp. Entering the room was a man with violet hair, which covered one icy-blue eye, and pale skin. This newcomer was shorter and weaker in stature compared to his compatriots, but he made up for that with his cold, heartless stare and the devious, calculating aura that was hanging over him. This aura was certainly accentuated by the Hatterene strutting beside him.
But that wasn't the source of Urshifu's concern. What the warrior Pokémon was most concerned about was the object the Hatterene was carrying with her Psychic.
It was a smaller Pokémon that resembled a bear cub, with gray fur and large tufts of white fur on the top of its head and its chest. It also had small black paws and two white hairs shaped like band ribbons trailing from the back of its head. Its beady eyes were filled with determination and defiance as it tried to struggle against the Psychic hold over it, but with no success at all.
"Kubfu..." Urshifu whispered.
"I understand this Kubfu is your responsibility, Urshifu," Cromwell said with a sneer. "If so, then I believe you should know what happens if you choose to be...disrespectful to your hosts. Arin?"
The cold-looking, violet-haired man snapped his fingers. In response, his Hatterene flicked her wrist, and Kubfu suddenly twitched and convulsed.
"RRRRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" it screamed.
"NO!"
Urshifu shot up to its feet and tried to break through the bars of its cage once again, only to be knocked back by another jolt of electricity. As soon as it recovered, Urshifu marched as close to the bars as possible and growled at Cromwell.
"You cowardly evildoer!" it growled. "Kubfu has nothing to do with this! Let him go!"
"Nothing to do with this, you say?" asked Cromwell. "Why, on the contrary, my dear Urshifu, your student has everything to do with this. As the inheritor to your lineage and your legacy, I'd say Kubfu has a role to play in this little tale of ours, just like any other Kubfu. Don't you think?"
Urshifu growled savagely at Cromwell before refocusing on Kubfu. The smaller bearlike Pokémon continued to cry in pain and struggle hopelessly against its captor's Psychic hold, bringing one pang of horror and guilt after another to Urshifu's normally bold, uncompromising heart. There was absolutely no strategy for Urshifu to exploit, no scenario in which they would escape from this unpunished and unscathed. Unable to watch Kubfu suffer anymore, Urshifu screwed its eyes shut and lowered its head with defeat.
"Alright, ALRIGHT! I...I yield..."
Cromwell smiled triumphantly. "Good."
Upon hearing Urshifu's admission of defeat, Arin snapped his fingers again, whereupon Hatterene relaxed her hold upon Kubfu, relieving it of its pain. With a pained groan, the smaller bearlike Pokémon groggily raised its head to face Urshifu.
"Ma...Master..." it said telepathically. "I'm...I'm sorry... I...I failed you-"
It was disheartened when Urshifu looked away from it. That same motion earned a disapproving tut from Cromwell.
"My, my..." he remarked. "How cold of you, Urshifu. Then again, I suppose you're one of those teachers." The man pursed his lips as he surveyed Urshifu and Kubfu in turn. "Either way, Urshifu, now you know what happens if and when you decide to be unruly while under our hospitality. Arin, be kind and show our dear Kubfu back to its room."
Arin simply nodded and walked out of the room without saying a word. Hatterene turned around and followed her Trainer out, with Kubfu turning around as well at her command and levitating beside her. Though Kubfu's eyes were no longer on Urshifu, Urshifu knew from the bottom of its heart that Kubfu was feeling utterly humiliated and defeated.
Once the three were gone, Zeke and his Grapploct rounded on the bars separating them from Urshifu.
"Hopefully ya got the message," the burly man snarled. "But, in case you didn't, just know that Grapploct and I'll be here to teach you your place."
Grapploct flexed its tentacles again in a show of power and dominance. Urshifu narrowed its eyes at the Jujitsu Pokémon before focusing its pupils upon Cromwell, Mollie, and Obstagoon, all of whom were still peering down at it from the safety of the balcony. There was a malevolent grin curling upon Cromwell's facial features.
But with Kubfu in their grasp, and no conceivable way of freeing itself and saving its student, Urshifu could do absolutely nothing but bow its head with defeat. It didn't want to, but it did. Once it did, it heard Cromwell's smug voice address it.
"Now that's a good girl."
Urshifu's claws clenched into ominous fists, and it bared its fanged teeth in hate and outrage.
Once Urshifu submitted to her captors, Lord Cromwell turned around with a swish of his dark cloak and left the balcony, followed by Mollie and her Obstagoon. They walked across a hallway and reentered the room Cromwell had been inside a couple of minutes earlier, a spacious chamber filled with a myriad of historical artifacts, all of them encased in glass like museum exhibits. However, they disregarded them and instead walked over to the far end of the room, which boasted a gigantic, circular window and a smaller case containing a single stone tablet.
"Now that that's out of the way," Cromwell said, looking down at the tablet, "it's almost time for my destiny to begin. Do we have a location on the Dark Fire Sphere?"
Mollie cleared her throat and procured the tablet computer that had been tucked underneath her arm. Once she turned it on and navigated herself to the appropriate screen, she nodded.
"Yes, Lord Cromwell," she said. "Arin's analysis of the Isle's legends have allowed us to narrow down the most probable locations of the Dark Fire Sphere, of which one makes the most sense: Vambrace Cave."
"Vambrace Cave. Surrounded by rocks on all sides, with the threat of collapse should there be a...premature awakening. Wisely chosen, indeed."
Cromwell maintained his gaze on the ancient stone tablet, which bore archaic writing that few could ever translate. But a triumphant slashing motion of his arm was all the confirmation that Mollie needed to see.
"Now go, Mollie. Your time has come for you to prove your worth to history. Venture into the cave and find the Dark Fire Sphere. As soon as you do, well...you already know the rest."
Mollie knelt on one knee and bowed her head before Cromwell, as did her Obstagoon.
"It will be done, my Lord," she said, while Obstagoon huffed in agreement.
The total, overwhelming darkness of Vambrace Cave was pierced by the beam of bright light coming from Mollie's head-mounted flashlight. Flanked by her trusty Obstagoon and a pair of menacing Galarian Linoone, while followed by a horde of Galarian Zigzagoon, the dark-haired woman passed dripping stalactite after dripping stalactite, moist stalagmite after moist stalagmite, while looking down at a small, handheld tracking monitor.
The device was beeping, shattering the relative silence of the cave and earning the annoyed squeaks and uncomfortable shuffling of the bat Pokémon that Mollie knew were hanging above her. As she continued onward and onward through the darkness, the frequency of the beeping sped up more and more, indicating her impending arrival at the desired location.
Just then, a crackling electronic voice filled the air. "Mollie, d'you read me? Are ya almost at the location? Over."
With an irritated huff, Mollie pressed a button on the walkie-talkie mounted on the left strap of her backpack.
"Yes, Zeke," she replied in a hushed whisper. "I am almost there. And keep it down, will ya? This cave was designated as off-limits for a reason, you know! Over."
"My bad. I just can't wait for this party to get started, you know what I mean?! Over."
Mollie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, be careful what you wish for. They aren't called the Dark Titans just for show. Over."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, I read the legends too. But as long as Lord Cromwell has Urshifu on his side, then they can kick some birdbrained-"
"Shut it, Zeke!" Mollie suddenly snapped, just as her monitor started beeping rapidly. She raised the device higher in the air, and the beeping sped up even more. "I'm picking up a really high Dark Aura signature nearby. It has to be the Dark Fire Sphere! I'll get back to you. Over and out!"
"Y-Yeah, alright Class, b-but h-?"
Mollie turned off the walkie-talkie just as a pained screeching tore through the air. The woman and her Pokémon ducked, just as a flock of Zubat and Golbat soared over them, finally startled by the beeping noise. Once the last of the agitated Bat Pokémon departed, Mollie followed the slimy, almost slippery path down a lower part of the cave, where she noticed the bottom of a basin awaiting her.
"Alright, now..." she whispered to herself, focusing on the handheld monitor. "Where are you...?"
Once she got to the bottom of the basin, an ominous, foreboding feeling washed over her like a tidal wave. Looking up, Mollie realized her headlight was no longer the only source of light in the cave. The air was now illuminated by a faint but noticeable hue of dark-purple. It was as if she had stepped into another realm where dark energy reigned supreme.
Then, she looked down and realized the hue was coming directly from the cave floor, shining through cracks adorning its surface. It appeared as if the ground was covering something else entirely.
At that moment, Mollie noticed the cracks were following a generally straight line of direction. Following it, she looked up and realized they led to a lone stalagmite situated at the center of the basin. But it wasn't just any stalagmite, for there was something unnatural about it, like it hadn't been made from the elements of the cave. Mollie instinctively traced the stalagmite's shape and quickly noticed something.
It was shaped like the typical emblem of a flame...and it was glowing a bright, almost fiery purple.
Her lips curled into a sneer as she whispered, "Found you."
"AGH!"
Kubfu bounced painfully on the hard, cold floor of his small holding cell. Then, once he recovered, he tried to make a run for the door, but Arin's Hatterene used her Psychic to slam it shut. Before Kubfu could stop himself, he ran right into the bars, and bolts of electricity attacked his entire body in an instant.
"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" he screamed in agony.
The force of the electrocution knocked Kubfu back, and he hit the wall of his cell hard. With a grunt, Kubfu slowly slid to the floor and went limp as the electricity fizzled out. All five of the Pokémon's senses were in overdrive now, and yet they were clouded with immeasurable pain.
As Kubfu struggled to remain conscious, he saw, through his blurring vision, Arin staring down at him with disapproval as Hatterene shook her head.
"Kubfu," the violet-haired man said in a droning, emotionless voice. "The protege of Urshifu. What a disappointment."
The insult was what shook Kubfu back to his senses. Shrugging off the pain he felt, he shot up to his feet and took on an aggressive fighting stance.
"Say that to me again, evildoer!" the bearlike Pokémon shouted. "Say that to me again, and I'll give you a taste of my true power!"
Arin ignored him, his emotionless expression unwavering. Instead, Hatterene leaned her head in and used the long, arm-like tentacle at the end of her hat-like hair to waggle a claw in Kubfu's face.
"RARGH!"
Blinded with anger, Kubfu leaped at Hatterene, only to be electrocuted by the bars of his cell again. Arin's eyes glittered as Kubfu's body twitched and contorted from the bolts of electricity, while Hatterene gave a low, sinister snicker. As soon as the electricity fizzled out again, Arin and Hatterene walked away, leaving Kubfu to growl and twitch in frustration.
Once the two left, and Kubfu knew he was all alone, he mustered the energy to stand back up and stare at the bars that were preventing him from breaking free and rescuing his master.
"This is no good!" he snapped, his paws clenching into tight fists. "For the entire time I've been in here, I've used everything Master taught me to get out of this prison...but nothing's working! There is nothing left for me to do! I'm...I'm sorry, Master..."
Kubfu collapsed to his knees and slammed a fist on the floor of his cell. His mind became plagued with horrible thoughts about what the evildoers were planning on doing to his master...what they were doing to her now...
"I'm so sorry... I'm not strong enough, Master. I...I failed you..."
Lord Cromwell stared out of the window of his artifact collection room, his blue eyes cool and his lips pursed in a straight line of neutrality. He could see all of the Isle's northern peninsula from a distance, all the way from the sandy beaches to the green plains to the fearsome mouth of Vambrace Cave at the end of a small yet narrow gorge. If there was one thing Cromwell could appreciate right now, it was the fact that he could afford great views of any landscape that he wished to admire. After all, the Flying Palace passed down to him easily assured that.
But unfortunately, it was all that could ever be assured to him. A great view of the lands. Lands that he could never have in the first place. It was a cruel irony to the lord.
"Lord Cromwell," a voice called through the walkie-talkie. "Are you there? Over."
Fortunately, it was an irony the lord intended to rectify.
Cromwell took the walkie-talkie and pressed a button. "Go on ahead, Mollie. Over."
"I have just extracted the Dark Fire Sphere. We're carrying it out of Vambrace Cave as we speak. Over."
Cromwell sneered with triumph. "So, it looks like Arin's analysis was correct after all. Soon, we will be one step closer to achieving my goal. Excellent, Mollie, excellent. You did well. Now, carry out the next step of our plan. Over."
"Yes, my lord. Over and out."
The lord's pupils zeroed in on the mouth of Vambrace Cave. After flexing his fingers, he slowly raised his right hand and inspected the three rings he was wearing. His index finger boasted a ring with a blood-red ruby, his middle finger wore a ring of pure yellow amber, and finally, his ring finger bore a ring of sapphire. All three jewels glittered magnificently from the golden sunlight shining through the window.
However, in spite of the wondrous beauty of each of the three rings, Cromwell could do nothing but scowl at them. From his perspective, that's all they were: rings. Rings he did nothing to earn.
Cromwell refocused his sights on the lands of the Isle of Armor below him. He could vaguely see movement at the mouth of Vambrace Cave, but he didn't need a closer look to know what was happening.
"It won't be long," he thought. "I just need to exercise the utmost patience, and soon...very soon, I will have what I am owed."
A wincing Mollie emerged from the darkness of Vambrace Cave, flanked by her horde of Galarian Zigzagoon and Linoone. She watched as her Obstagoon walked in front of her, carrying the Dark Fire Sphere with its paws, which were currently clad in armor gloves. She watched as the sphere, colored in a muddy blackish-brown and containing a burning, hot-pink flame like it was a glass case, quivered ominously in the paws of her Blocking Pokémon, as if it was sentient and reacting to its very touch.
"The Dark Fire Sphere..." she thought. "Extracting it from that stalagmite was surprisingly easy...and yet..."
Her mind flashed with memories of the stalagmite rock and other cave minerals falling away from her Pokémon's attacks, revealing the Dark Fire Sphere embedded in the center. An uncomfortable shudder crawled up her spine the moment she recalled the heat and weak flames that seemed to flash out of the disintegrating rock, followed by the horrible, unnatural feeling of peril that accentuated her approach towards it.
"It...It's like the Dark Fire Sphere wanted to be set free...and yet the earth didn't want me to take it..."
Then, Mollie realized what she was thinking and shook her head. Hardening her gaze, she observed Obstagoon as it got a considerable distance away from the mouth of the cave. Then, it carefully set the Dark Fire Sphere down to the ground, and once it did, a minatory aura of searing heat and uneasiness suddenly suspended itself above the group.
But Mollie ignored it and approached her main Pokémon. "Alright, Obstagoon," she said approvingly. "It's time. Use Dark Slash on the Dark Fire Sphere!"
The Blocking Pokémon nodded before launching itself at the discarded Dark Fire Sphere, which continued to tremble on the ground, its strange pink flame burning brighter and fiercer within. The claws on Obstagoon's paws glowed a terrible light-pink, and it used them to slash the Sphere with brute force and blinding speed. With only two swipes, the Dark Fire Sphere broke into four pieces...
And the pink flame that had been contained inside expanded outward in a fiery explosion.
"AGH!" Mollie grunted as she and her Pokémon held their footing.
Then, the group watched, with their eyes shielded, as the pink flame, now a gargantuan mass of fire, stopped spreading outward. At first, the fireball was almost frozen in midair, suspended in time, before it finally began moving again, but in unnatural ways, as if it, like the Dark Fire Sphere itself, was sentient. Before long, the fire reformed enough times to take on the shape of a birdlike Pokémon. Soon, it soared over Mollie and her Pokémon and perched itself atop one of the cliffs making up the gorge that funneled into the mouth of Vambrace Cave.
Finally, after a few minutes of this, the flames fizzled out...revealing an actual, physical birdlike Pokémon. It was colored in black and magenta, and it sported magenta flames that burned from its head-crest, wings, and two-feathered tail. The strange Pokémon also sported a crimson beak that was slightly curved, giving the impression of a malevolent sneer. The unsettling aura enveloping this Pokémon perturbed Mollie's Zigzagoon and Linoone horde so much that they backed away out of caution, and even Obstagoon took on a defensive stance in preparation for a potential battle.
But Mollie wasn't disturbed by this new presence at all. Instead, she took a step forward, admiring the birdlike Pokémon in awe.
"After all these years," she whispered to herself, "it has finally risen again. The Fiery Demon."
From the safety of his Flying Palace, Lord Cromwell smiled with satisfaction at the sight of the birdlike Pokémon.
"Dark Moltres..." he said to himself.
Elsewhere in the Flying Palace, Urshifu lifted her head from the floor of her holding cell. She could immediately sense the Dark Aura filling the atmosphere, its presence almost suffocating.
"No..." she said to herself in disbelief. "It...It can't be..."
In his own cell, Kubfu suddenly shivered and clutched his chest, feeling as if the room had suddenly been frozen over. He wandered close to his bars, wondering what had caused a sudden shift in temperature.
Then, he heard it.
After a long, unnerving moment of silence, the Dark Moltres lifted its head high into the air and released an earsplitting, terrible screech like no other. It rang through the air like a demonic symphony, disturbing all Flying-type Pokémon within its radius and causing the flocks to fly off in abject terror.
Down on the ground, Mollie saw this as her cue to flee. She ran down the gorge, followed by her Pokémon, just as Dark Moltres took notice of her. With a flap of its wings, it swooped downward into the gorge and soared toward Mollie's group at high speeds, seeing them as easy prey. It left behind a trail of hot-pink embers that attached themselves to the rocky surfaces below and set fires to any greenery that was nearby.
Realizing that Dark Moltres was after her, Mollie quickly fell to the ground, as did her Pokémon. Just a second later, the birdlike Pokémon soared directly over them, missing them only by a few inches. Once she was sure it passed over them, Mollie back shot up to her feet and watched as Dark Moltres directed itself high into the air, preparing to make another dive towards them.
She pulled out her walkie-talkie and spoke into it. "Guys! A little help here?! Over!"
Just a couple of seconds later, Zeke's voice emerged from the walkie-talkie. "Oh, relax, Mollie. I've got this handled. Over and out."
Mollie rolled her eyes at the response. At the same time, Dark Moltres reached the height of its arc and began its second descent.
"Oh, yeah," she thought. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of..."
"Alright, you guys! Time to move out!"
Zeke followed his Grapploct, Conkeldurr, and Shiny Machamp into the old-fashioned helicopter. Once he got himself into the cockpit and secured it shut, he began spinning some pedals with his feet. Once he did it long enough, steam began to jettison out of the vehicle's engines and the rotor to rotate faster and faster until it was a blur. At the same time, the large compartment door opened up for him, displaying the blue, cloud-specked sky and the Isle of Armor's lands below.
Soon, the helicopter began to hover in the air, powered by the steam-reliant rotors. Manning the controls, Zeke pushed them forward, carefully maneuvering the helicopter out of the Sky Palace.
"Zeke, do you read me?" Lord Cromwell's voice came out from the retro-futuristic radio on the chopper's dashboard. "This is Lord Cromwell. Over."
Zeke pressed a button on the dashboard. "This is Zeke. I read you, my lord. Over."
"Do you have eyes on Dark Moltres? Over."
Zeke guided the helicopter into a slow, steady descent. As the aerial vehicle neared the Isle of Armor's coastline, he and his Pokémon saw Dark Moltres swooping down towards the gorge where Mollie and her own Pokémon were trapped.
"Yes, I've got eyes on it, my lord," he replied. "Looks like Mollie is Feebas in a barrel right now. Over."
"Do what you need to do. And distract Dark Moltres long enough for Mollie to get out of there. Over."
Zeke's eyes started to gleam with excitement. "On it, Lord Cromwell. Over and out."
"Come on, Zeke, you idiot! Where in the world are you?!"
Mollie and her Pokémon looked toward the skies in fear as Dark Moltres descended towards them, leaving behind a trail of hot-pink, burning fire. It opened its curved beak and let out another bloodcurdling screech as it prepared to attack-
A hail of bluish-silver lasers flew through the air and hit Dark Moltres in the side, knocking it off-course. Forced to make a premature ascent before it could reach its prey, Dark Moltres looked around in search of its attacker. Within seconds, it saw Zeke's helicopter racing towards it, leaving behind its own trail of smoke from its steam-powered engine.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Zeke cackled, his voice amplified by a megaphone system installed in the chopper. "Ya wanna pick on someone yer own size, ya overweight lil' bird?! Well, ya got a whole other fight coming to ya!"
"Ohhhhh, about time you came swooping in, Zeke!" Mollie snapped as she started running out of the gorge, followed by Obstagoon and her other Pokémon.
At the same time, Dark Moltres let out another cry at its new opponent, and Zeke simply responded with another storm of lasers. This time, however, the demonic Pokémon avoided all of them and flew towards the helicopter.
"ALRIGHT, YOU GUYS!" Zeke hollered. "YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!"
Grapploct, Conkeldurr, and Machamp nodded in unison. Then, Grapploct grabbed Conkeldurr, lifted it with its amazingly strong tentacles, and launched it right out of the helicopter's side, towards the incoming Dark Moltres. The demon tried to avoid it, but Conkeldurr managed to land on top of its back, causing Dark Moltres to plummet through the air because of the combined weight of its body and concrete blocks.
"CONKELDURR!" Zeke ordered. "Quick, use Hammer Arm!"
Slamming its right concrete block into Dark Moltres's back, Conkeldurr cocked its unoccupied hand and clenched it into a tight fist. Once the fist exploded into a sphere of reddish-orange energy, the Muscular Pokémon punched Dark Moltres in the back of the head, triggering an explosion. At first, the demonic Pokémon let out a cry of pain and began to descend more.
Then, the fire and energy from the explosion was suddenly absorbed into Dark Moltres's body, and it straightened out its flight pattern. Conkeldurr's eyes grew wide, just as Dark Moltres's own icy-blue eyes started to glow brighter.
Realizing what was happening, Zeke descended after Dark Moltres. Once he was hovering about the demon, he glared at Grapploct.
"Alright, it's your turn, Grapploct!" he commanded.
The Jujitsu Pokémon nodded and jumped out of the helicopter. It fell and somersaulted through the air for a few seconds, with Zeke following after it in his chopper. Soon, Grapploct landed on Dark Moltres's back, joining its comrade.
But it was too late. With a heart-stopping cry, Dark Moltres let out a pulse of deep-magenta energy that struck Grapploct and Conkeldurr, stunning them. Then, with a louder, more bloodthirsty cry, the demon released a second, stronger pulse of energy, which seemed to invade Grapploct and Conkeldurr's bodies through their orifices.
"NO!" Zeke screamed.
"Zeke!" Lord Cromwell's voice called through the radio. "Get your Pokémon out of there!"
Once the last of the energy was absorbed into the two Fighting-types, Grapploct and Conkeldurr's eyes turned icy-blue, just like Dark Moltres. Then, they fell to their knees and clutched their heads, allowing Dark Moltres to do a midair spin and shake the two Fighting-types off its plumage, sending them falling to their doom.
"AGH!" Zeke opened the cockpit side-window, pulled out two Poké Balls, and aimed them outside. "Return!"
The Poké Balls successfully recalled Grapploct and Conkeldurr. However, Dark Moltres noticed the red beams and glared at the helicopter. Zeke gritted his teeth hatefully at the sight of the demonic Pokémon.
"Zeke!" Mollie's voice cried from the radio. "I've already gotten to safety! You gotta get outta there NOW!"
"No need to tell me twice, woman!" Zeke snarled as he turned his chopper away from Dark Moltres.
However, as he did, he failed to notice the dark energy beginning to accumulate around the demon's body.
Back in the Flying Palace, Lord Cromwell observed Dark Moltres's movements as Zeke engaged it. Once Zeke turned the steam-powered helicopter away from it, Dark Moltres's body began to glow a terrible shade of deep-magenta, with dark energy starting to be exuded from its form.
"The Fiery Demon," he thought with pursed lips. "The Dark Titan that wreaked havoc across the Isle through the means of psychological torture. Its ability to invade the minds of people and Pokémon alike and slowly destroy their morale was enough to make even the most formidable armies fall to their knees.
"But once faced with a strong-willed opponent that could resist its psychology-oriented techniques, the Fiery Demon had a trump card up its sleeve: the attack that requires it to be at its maximum point of rage. The attack that wiped out an army of ten thousand. The personification of its own hatred."
Finally, after a few minutes, Dark Moltres released the most bloodcurdling cry into the air as its body released all of the dark energy it had been accumulating. The energy pulsed outward in the form of a deep-magenta wave, which hit Zeke's helicopter and knocked it off-course, sending it circling wildly through the air while hot-pink fires burned on its exterior.
"AAAGH!" Zeke cried as he tried to steady the chopper, but to little avail. Machamp held on tight to its seat as the steam-powered aerial vehicle made a downward spiral towards the ground.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Mollie and her Pokémon had been knocked over by the same wave of dark energy. Looking up with shock, she saw Zeke's helicopter spiraling out of the control while on fire.
"ZEKE!" she cried while shooting up on her feet. "ZEKE!"
Her call of horror and concern was quickly drowned out by another one of Dark Moltres's screeches.
"Fiery Wrath."
"AGH!"
Back at the Flying Castle, the same deep-magenta wave of dark energy had spread out far enough to hit it. Inside, Kubfu fell to the floor and felt a cold, terrible shiver run down his entire body. Then, the same bloodcurdling cry echoed through his mind like a distant memory, and he clutched his head, feeling a sudden, knife-like wave of pain run right through his head. This was followed by bright sparks of electricity that flew right out of the bars of his cell.
Once the sparks fizzled out, Kubfu heard a lock unlatch. Looking up, the bearlike Pokémon saw, through the faint cloud of smoke, the cell door slowly opening with a creak. Wordlessly, Kubfu stood back up and charily approached, unsure if this was a sadistic trap arranged by his captors. Once he got close enough to the door to smell charcoal in the air, Kubfu hesitantly raised a paw, held out one of its small fingers, and quickly touched one of the bars.
To his surprise, he wasn't zapped.
Sensing an opportunity, Kubfu kicked the cell door wide open and ran out into the room. He first gazed at the only door leading out of the room, but an uneasy feeling clouded his mind, so he looked around for an alternate means of escape. Soon, he spotted a grate of bluish steel on one of the walls, from which a soft yet ominous noise of wind was coming out. Unfortunately, it was too high for Kubfu to reach, and it was positioned by a corner of the ceiling.
Undeterred, Kubfu recalled everything he had been taught. Looking up at the ceiling, he spotted a lamp hanging over its former cage. With a plan now formulated, Kubfu walked over to another corner of the room, right behind the cage.
"Alright," Kubfu said to himself. "You can do this. Master is counting on you. You can do this, Kubfu."
With narrowed eyes, the bearlike Pokémon broke into a sprint and somersaulted to the top of its former cage. Then, with a grunt, and refusing to break its pace, Kubfu somersaulted again and held out his arms for dear life.
As soon as he felt metal touch his fingertips, Kubfu held on. The lamp creaked a little from the extra weight he provided, but Kubfu wasn't daunted by the sound. Using his body weight, he began swinging the lamp back and forth, shaking off the dust coating it as he did so. Once he gained enough power and momentum to the swings, Kubfu leaped off the lamp and grabbed onto the grate.
"Hahaha, YES!" Kubfu puffed out his chest in pride. "I'm the BEST!"
Then, with a rising growl, Kubfu pulled at the grate with all of his might, but it wouldn't budge. Gritting his teeth, Kubfu pulled harder and harder, and though he heard some faint creaks coming from the metal barrier, it still wouldn't dislodge itself from its hinges.
"RARGH!"
After a few minutes of hopeless pulling and tugging, Kubfu aimed a fist backward at the grate as it became enveloped in a bright, white aura.
"Patience, Kubfu! Diligence and patience!"
Urshifu's words echoed in his mind, but Kubfu steadfastly ignored them. He shot his glowing fist forward, shattering the grate into pieces and revealing the dusty vent inside. With a triumphant huff, the bearlike Pokémon got halfway into the vent and threw out most of the metal pieces, not wanting them to impede his progress.
The moment these pieces hit the floor, Kubfu cringed at the loud clattering noises they made. Then, his heart stopped as soon as the door to the room flew open, its outline enveloped in a pink aura. Wasting no time, Kubfu got fully inside the vent and crawled through it as quickly as he could.
"Hatterene," Arin's voice droned coldly, "use Psychic."
Kubfu felt something tug at his legs, and he knew.
"AGH! AAAGH!"
An unseen force began dragging him out of the vent. He looked back and saw Hatterene peering into the vent, her eyes glowing brightly...
The Flying Palace shook again, and Kubfu could see Hatterene being knocked over to the side. A split-second later, Kubfu felt the unseen force release its grip on him. Sensing his chance, the bearlike Pokémon continued his progress, crawling deeper and deeper into the vent, all the while hoping Hatterene had been knocked out or was otherwise taking her time to recover.
"Well... That went well..."
With gritted teeth, Lord Cromwell got back up on his feet and peered out of the window again. He could see the coastline of the Isle of Armor down below...and several areas were now ablaze. Hot-pink fires burned strongly, sending columns of charcoal-gray smoke in the air. Through the deepening haze, Cromwell could see the remains of Zeke's helicopter, along with Mollie and her Obstagoon, who were dragging Zeke and his Machamp away from the smoking wreckage.
Then, his artifact room started growing darker and darker by the second. Cromwell took a few calm steps backward as a familiar body of black and magenta plumage slowly rose in the air directly outside the glass. As it did, the room started rocking slightly from the flapping of its wings, which left behind faint traces of pink energy.
Cromwell's reaction to this newest arrival was subdued, and his eyes could only narrow as they were met with a pair of icy-blue ones.
Kubfu cried out as the vent rocked violently for a second, sending him tumbling through it. Before he could even recover, the same screech of otherworldly terror pierced the air again, and this time, it was louder and angrier. With a cry, Kubfu covered his ears, but it did little to drown out the noise reaching his eardrums. Then, the vent rocked again, which sent the bearlike Pokémon further down again.
And then, it rocked yet again, but instead of flying across the narrow space, Kubfu hit a wall that apparently marked the end of the vent. With a groan, he looked up and realized he was now at a T-intersection between two vents. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a fan blowing softly behind him, protected by more steel grates and having nothing but pitch-black darkness on the other side. Then, Kubfu looked ahead and saw no obstructions in his path.
Before Kubfu could make a decision, he heard the grinding and earsplitting tearing of metal beside him. He looked down the vent from which he came, and to his horror, he saw the bottom panels being torn away by Psychic energy.
"It can't have gotten far, Hatterene," Arin's voice echoed calmly. "Keep on searching."
Kubfu immediately scrambled down the unobstructed vent, but his frantic scrambling caused the metal to make banging and clanging noises as he went.
"There."
Immediately after, Kubfu heard the vent being torn away behind him. They found him.
"Gotta keep moving, gotta keep moving!" Kubfu thought, his teeth gritting and his resolve hardening as the bearlike Pokémon continued his rapid crawling. "Faster! Faster, faster, faster! FASTER!"
His scramble went on for a couple more minutes, and as the seconds ticked by, Hatterene's reach seemed to grow closer and closer. Then, before Kubfu felt as if escape would be futile, his hearing no longer registered the vent being torn away piece by piece. He stopped and looked behind him, and then his heart surged with relief when he saw that Hatterene had ceased its attempt to recapture him, for the vent was left intact for a few feet. A twinkle of a light faintly shone from that end, and Kubfu sensed no movement from there.
"HAHAHA!" Kubfu thought triumphantly. "I lost 'em! Teaches you guys to mess with the likes of me! Now..." He focused back on the darkness ahead. "Time to save Master Urshifu."
A split-second later, the vent rocked yet again, and Kubfu was knocked forward...
Into a pit filled with wind and howling noise.
"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"
After falling for a couple of seconds, Kubfu's body hit another grate, and this time, it was flimsy enough for him to break through it. Acting on instinct, Kubfu pierced his claws through the wall beside him and held on, stopping his fall. Once he shook his head and recovered, he gasped, realizing how lucky he was in stopping the fall.
In his attempt to escape Arin, Kubfu had unknowingly fallen into one of the large, complex, fan-powered engines of the Flying Castle. He was now dangling right outside, with the Isle several thousand feet below him.
Upon recovering from his shock, Kubfu tried to climb back into the engine and find a way inside the Flying Palace. Before he could do that, however, he heard the same bloodcurdling cry again. He let out a scream of agony and covered one of his ears with his unoccupied paw, hopelessly allowing the cry to hammer relentlessly into his other uncovered eardrum.
Then, Kubfu saw a demonic being of fire soar through the air, pursued by what appeared to be miniature helicopters that were his size. These minuscule helicopters were firing bolts of electricity at the winged Pokémon, striking it and causing it to cry out in pain as it tried to distance itself from the Flying Palace. As Kubfu stared on at the being, he suddenly felt nothing but absolute loathing fill his heart.
Then, his suspicions about the demonic Pokémon were confirmed once it stopped fleeing and faced its assailants. An air of dread filled the air as dark energy began to accumulate around the Pokémon, causing it to glow and surge with deep-magenta energy. Sensing the worst, Kubfu tried to climb back into the engine and find the vent from which it came, but it didn't get far when it heard the demon cry out again with all of the hatred it could muster...
And then, it unleashed its special attack, sending wave after wave of crackling dark energy through the air. The miniature helicopters were all destroyed in an instant before the dark waves struck the Flying Palace, causing more sparks to fly in the air like flown pebbles.
A small explosion rocked the engine Kubfu was in, sending flashes of fire, sparks, and smoke into it. The wall the bearlike Pokémon was clinging on to rocked violently, and he lost his grip on it. His heart stopped and became frozen against his own sternum the moment he started falling, plummeting to certain doom.
"No!"
Kubfu tried grabbing onto anything and everything that he could reach, but all his paws could grasp onto was open air.
"No, no, no!"
Kubfu's mind raced as he tried to recall anything and everything Urshifu taught him...but it was useless.
"No, this can't be it!"
As he began to free-fall, Kubfu looked beside his shoulder and saw the demonic Pokémon. It let out a screech of triumph before soaring towards him. Looking into its face, Kubfu's sights registered the demon's curved beak, which resembled a malicious, hungry sneer.
"NO!"
The demon flew right above him, missing him by just a few inches. The current of air left in its wake sent Kubfu hurtling in the air even more, and he could feel the trail of heat that had been exuded by the demon.
At that point, he could see nothing but a vortex of color, brought on by his continuous spinning through the skies as he continued to fall. He did not know what had happened to the Flying Palace or the occupants inside, nor what the demon chose to do next.
All that he knew was that this was his doom...and he hadn't been able to do anything.
"I'm sorry, Master!" he thought. "I'm sorry! I couldn't be strong for you! I couldn't be strong! I...I failed you, Master! I failed!"
With that, he closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable.
The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was a flurry of squawks...
"Status report, Mollie. Over."
Lord Cromwell scanned his artifact room, which now looked like a hurricane had struck it. All of the precious artifacts that he had in his collection were reduced to rubble, incapable of being restored to their former glory. Even the timeless stone tablet that he had, the one from which he learned about the legend of Urshifu and the Dark Titans, had been thrown out of its glass case and shattered into a half-dozen blocks, now rendered utterly useless for reading.
However, the destruction of his collection didn't perturb Cromwell at all. Not when he managed to see a living, breathing Dark Titan in the flesh and live to tell the tale.
Not when he had taken the first step to actualizing his dream, his destiny.
"Mollie," he said into his crackling walkie-talkie, "this is Lord Cromwell. I demand a status report. Over."
After a few minutes of tense silence, Mollie's distorted voice emerged from the walkie-talkie.
"We're fine, my lord. We're fine. Zeke is unconscious, but-"
"I'm not talking about you and Zeke, Mollie," Cromwell interrupted harshly. "I'm talking about Dark Moltres. Over."
"D-Dark Moltres? O-Oh. ...I-It's, uh, it's flying away. I-I think it's made its point. Over."
"Excellent. I trust Zeke planted a tracking device on it? Over."
"Yes. I'm-I'm seeing it on my radar right now. H-His Conkeldurr did w-"
"Lord Cromwell."
Arin's unusually calm voice caught Cromwell's attention. He looked up and saw the man standing in the doorway with an embarrassed Hatterene by his side.
"We have a problem," Arin said.
"Lord Cromwell?" Mollie's voice asked from the walkie-talkie. "Is something wrong? Over."
"It's fine, Mollie," Cromwell replied, his eyes still trained on Arin. "I want you and Zeke back on the Castle in half an hour flat. Over."
"Understood, my lord. Over and out."
Once Mollie hung up, Cromwell narrowed his eyes at Arin. "Now, what seems to be the problem, Arin? If it's the damage the Castle sustained from Dark Moltres's attack, then it's nothing we can't fix."
"I agree, but that is not the problem." Arin knelt on one knee and bowed his head with humility, with Hatterene following suit. "I am afraid Kubfu has escaped from our grasp."
Cromwell blinked. "Escaped?"
"Yes, my lord."
The lord's eyelid twitched nastily. "You were watching him, Arin. How could this have happened?"
"We were all caught off-guard by Dark Moltres's special move. And apparently, it was devastating enough to knock out all our security systems. Kubfu was able to take advantage of my moment of weakness to break free from its cage and use the ventilation system to flee."
"The ventilation system?" Cromwell narrowed his eyes even more. "Then he could be anywhere within the Castle. Search for him, at once!"
"Unfortunately, my lord," Arin continued, "it seems a search for Kubfu will be moot. It found his way to the Castle's right engine system. Either it fell out, or-"
Cromwell cut him off. "So you mean to tell me...Kubfu is dead."
"Yes, my lord. It was a preventable incident, and I acknowledge my inability to do so. Whatever punishment you have for me, my lord, I will gladly accept."
Cromwell gritted his teeth and clenched his fists so tightly that he threatened to draw blood. However, after a moment of anger, the lord suddenly calmed down, turned his back on Arin, and straightened out his robes.
"That will not be necessary, Arin," he said.
Arin raised his head. "My lord?"
"The security footage of Kubfu's room, it's still salvageable, am I right?"
"Yes, my lord, but I don't see what use the surveillance systems will have for-"
"Just retrieve the footage of the past twelve hours and bring it to me. If we are to ensure Urshifu's compliance, then we must do everything that we can to keep it." When he was greeted with silence, Cromwell glared over his shoulder. "Do it, Arin! Lest you truly yearn for a punishment from me for your failure!"
Arin shot up on his feet and bowed his head. "It will be done, my lord!"
And with that, the man left the room, with Hatterene following by his heels. Now left to his own devices again, Cromwell stared out of the window of his artifact room, ignoring the destruction that was behind him and simply staring upon the lands of the Isle of Armor that awaited below him. He could still faintly see the trail of dark fire left behind by the demon that was Dark Moltres.
"One down..." he thought, "two to go. The loss of Kubfu is...quite unfortunate, but a surmountable obstacle. I only need Urshifu's cooperation, after all. And once I bring out all of the pieces that I need, then I'll see to it that the Isle of Armor, and all of Galar, knows who its true master is."
Unbeknownst to everyone else, a flock of Braviary was flying away from the scene of the battle, with the leader carrying an unconscious Kubfu on his feathery back...
POKÉMON: KUBFU AND THE STRIKE OF RAPIDS
A/N: And that marks the end of this first chapter! Yeah, I know there wasn't any Ash/Bea moments in it. In fact, I know Ash and Bea weren't in it at all. But hey, that's why this is a prologue! It's meant to set up the conflict that awaits them. And don't worry! Our favorite nevermet couple will be showing up first thing in the next chapter! And that chapter should be up in a couple of weeks, as long as nothing gets in the way of my goal in real life like it did with this chapter. XP
Anyway, as you can see, this fanfic is an adaptation of the Isle of Armor DLC for the Sword and Shield games, which was released four days earlier, Pacific Standard Time. There is also some of the upcoming Crown Tundra DLC thrown in there for good measure. For anyone who already has the Isle of Armor, there will be some major differences between that and this fic. I've had this legend of Urshifu and Kubfu in mind before the DLC was released, and I really like it as a backdrop for this Ash/Bea fic's conflict, so you're going to have to suspend your disbelief a lot more for this. But don't worry! Even if I don't actually have the DLC, I'm doing the necessary research to make sure this fic adheres to the canon as much as possible.
Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!