Chapter 9: A Walk in the Woods
Mount Abbey Rise 9F
The air was beginning to feel incredibly thin by the time they had reached an elevation above sea level. Kippy's breathing became shallower and more fragmented as they traveled on, and his water attacks were far more troublesome to execute without the proper oxygen. According to Louie, the exit was less than three klicks away, meaning it would only take an hour of dungeon climbing, but for some reason, their pace slowed to a complete crawl ever since light appeared in the distant horizon.
In Louie's defense, there could be unforeseen targets in their approach; however, in Kippy's conscience, he knew the Riolu was just trying to delay the inevitable. All the problems they had faced so far were merely regular cave Pokémon such as Zubats, Geodudes, and Woobats. Once in a blue moon, an evolved form would appear to defend their territory as well. None of them posed a real threat, which made Kippy particularly aloof.
"Why don't we just hurry it up?" the Mudkip suggested. "The fire might catch up to us at this rate."
"It's better to be safe than sorry, Kippy," warned the Riolu. "Besides, I'm pretty sure it's nighttime out there."
"Well, we got the necklace for light—"
"No, sight isn't the issue here. Listen," the Riolu paused in his steps. "The last and only time I came to this entrance I saw a monster basically the size of a mountain. It was... unbelievable! At night, you can hear its roars and its echoing footsteps for miles, and there have been missing Pokémon..."
"There's a chance it may not be there anymore," Kippy inputted, acting undisturbed by the details. "It's been at least several years, right?"
"Perhaps," the Riolu pondered. "But... I think we should camp out at the very last clearing right before the gates, so that we may avoid whatever awaits us in the darkness. Just in case?"
Kippy narrowed his eyes with suspicion before finally giving in. "Alright... but at dawn, let's move out, okay?"
"You got it, boss." Louie smirked at Kippy before the pair traversed forward.
Suddenly, a tremor shook the ground underneath the cavern, alarming the Mudkip. Expecting an "I told you so" face from the Riolu, Kippy was thoroughly surprised when Louie's expression was of genuine fright. The Mudkip's breathing was even tighter now.
It was pitch black by the time Buck and Veryn arrived back at HQ; Seth was off to resupply while the pair expended their valuable solitary time in the training area. All the torches were extinguished at this point, so the only light present was the bright moon rays shining in a white glow. The pair stood still suddenly.
"Can we talk now?" the Glaceon asked with obvious distaste. Her frown and squinted eyes beamed frustration towards Buck.
"I don't know what there is to say..." the Combusken replied sternly.
"Cut the crap, Buck. You owe that to us, at least." When Buck continued to stand there stoically, the Glaceon shouted: "The GIRL, for Arceus' sake! You don't feel any remorse?"
"Come on, Veryn," Buck pleaded with a heartfelt expression. "You know I'm a mere push away from scouring the entire damn forest for Grace. Except we can't because the entire Jackal army is alerted of our efforts. We're better off searching for her once the temperature's cooled down a little; she's strong, and I believe she'll make it through the night. And besides, there was nothing we could have done. We were…"
"We were cornered? We were spotted? We were minutes away from being captured and interrogated?" the Glaceon replied with a tinge of frustration. "Yes, I know. But then again, she was a kid. She was taken from her family on our word that she'd be alive at age fifteen. And now look at that: age seven and MIA."
"So, what?" the Combusken stepped in front of her. "I am terribly sorry for her family, and I'll personally deliver the message if she isn't found, but it had to be done. I wasn't going to jeopardize the mission because of—"
"Jeopardize?" Veryn interrupted with a face of contempt. "We failed the mission! You jeopardized the mission by deciding to take a 'closer peek'. Wise decision that was..."
"Hey! That's a bit uncalled-for—we needed additional intel according to the objective," Buck stated begrudgingly.
"Nowhere in the requirements did it say we should engage the enemy at close range."
"Well..." Buck was beginning to run out of excuses. He placed his claws on his hips and smirked. "Veryn, are we a 'bare minimum' type of team? I thought not!"
"I guess not," the Glaceon grumbled, "I guess we're a kid-killing mission-jeopardizing sort of team."
"N-no, that's not what I mea—"
"I'm sorry to bother..." a sudden voice spoke behind them. When Buck faced towards the origin of the sound, he observed a timid Meowth.
"Sorry Scout, but we're in the middle of something." Buck then returned his gaze toward his teammate.
"I'm afraid it's urgent—it's Tarter. She wants a debrief."
"Tarter..." The Combusken opened his mouth in disbelief. "Copy. We'll get on our way."
"No, she explicitly said she only wanted you."
Buck gave a solemn expression to Veryn before marching towards the center of Camp Vetiti. Although the Combusken did not have eyes at the back of his head, he knew the Glaceon was glaring at him with sharp discontent.
"Why is it that every time I tell myself that the day can't get any worse, it gets worse?" Buck muttered, exhaling a long sigh.
Mount Abbey Gates
After a half an hour, the moonlight in front of Kippy and Louie grew bright, and his necklace became dim. The Riolu's heart grew ever weary as the anticipation of leaving his home rose to a height that only Rayquaza could reach. He knew there was no way to convince Kippy or even to physically return to the destroyed farm, yet he still wished for there to be a way to return things to how they were a few days ago. The thumping of his heart was omnipresent as they navigated the end of the dungeon.
Along the way, the shakes and rumbles vibrated with greater ferocity and frequency. Louie had a feeling that the beast awaiting outside was the cause of the disturbance, but he feared warning Kippy would only lead to unneeded distress. Reaching around the leather satchel, he wrote an inventory in his head of the items he could deploy if worse came to worst.
Kippy was having an immensely difficult time keeping pace with Louie at the end. He wondered if the sudden climb in elevation was messing with the Mudkip's body. His species usually lived in ponds and swamps near sea level, so the mountainous terrain and high altitude could be extremely detrimental to his health. In response, Louie decided to feed him with more apples and Thompson Berries from the bag than per usual. Many times, the Mudkip declined the invitation for more food, reminding Louie of the necessity of proper resource management. All the years of farming must have made him lose his touch.
By the time they reached the supposed exit to Mount Abbey, the rocky surfaces began to flatten out until they were almost smooth stone. The random dungeon 'mons were completely absent, and the cave was silent except for the tapping of feet on stone. In front of them was a large gate in the shape of an arch enshrined with symbols and characters foreign to Pokémon; the letters were written in semicircles at the middle of the gate.
"Wait… I recognize these letters. They're human words!" Kippy exclaimed with great enthusiasm.
Louie stood behind, hesitant to speak his mind. He eventually voiced his question after great consideration: "Well, what does it say?"
"It says: the odyssey you shall partake in will be perilous and perhaps suicidal, but the spirit of…" Kippy paused suddenly.
"What's wrong? Why did you stop?" Louie swiftly asked in fake confusion. He knew the following word would be itched out.
"Hold on, Louie… this part's scribbled out. I can't really read it."
The Riolu nodded before replying: "Just skip over it if it's illegible."
Kippy acknowledged before continuing: "But the spirit of blank watches over you unrelentingly. Our enemy, the blank, is ruthless, merciless; they have bested us in our every attempt, yet blank determination and everlasting willpower will prevail. Our fate rests upon you. Do not fail us."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Louie was struggling to keep his eyes peeled off the text. He knew if he stared too long at the carved words, Kippy would have an intuition that Louie was hiding something. Still, whenever Kippy glanced away, the Riolu would focus his eyes on the text, absorbing as much as possible from the reading. The words intrigued him beyond anything imaginable; his gut told him that the next time he had an opportunity to talk with Truth, he should ask of their significance. However, Louie had a feeling that whatever answer she would give him would be unsatisfactory.
"So, Louie, any idea why something like this would be printed on this gate?" Kippy finally broke the silence.
Louie stood still for a moment, thinking deeply about his response as to prevent any unnecessary spillage. "As I've said before, this valley and dungeon were the remnants of an ancient human civilization."
"But the words seem to speak of some sort of prophecy?" Kippy furthered in his line of questioning.
"Kippy, you're asking the wrong guy here. My knowledge of humans is extremely limited. My theory is that this 'prophecy' was supposed to save the human race from going extinct, but it failed."
"But I'm still here, aren't I?" Kippy asserted boldly in an attempt to prove Louie's idea wrong.
The Riolu gulped in sudden anxiety. He had no intention to argue currently and continuing this discussion could lead to the Mudkip realizing his true purpose, so he shrugged and stated: "Well, I haven't a clue, Kippy. Whatever it is, it probably doesn't concern us." The pair seemed as if they were content with the conversation until Louie turned around and searched his bag.
"What if it's about me… what if I'm the one responsible for fulfilling this prophecy?" Kippy stated with a thousand-yard stare.
"Wh-what makes you say that? You're not really a human anymore, are you? If you were the 'savior' of humans, wouldn't they want you to be an actual human?" Louie interjected worriedly. His paws clenched the satchel tightly, waiting for his partner's response.
For a while, Kippy's mouth hung open as if he were about to speak, but a tense silence ensued instead. In this period, Louie wandered his mind, questioning all the avenues Kippy could have possibly traveled down to attain any hint of this "destiny". The Riolu eventually realized two: a few memories from the incident still lingered in Kippy's mind, or Truth told him at a time outside the memory wipe. Either way was bad news for Louie.
"N-nothing… we should probably get some sleep," Kippy said with a defeated expression.
"Yeah…" Louie gladly agreed, sighing from mental exhaustion. While the two were setting up miniature hay beds to lie upon, Louie's head was filled with thoughts.
If Kippy's like every other human-turned Pokémon, then he was sent by Arceus, which means he is involved in a 'prophecy'. However, this text was written by humans long ago, so this 'odyssey' shouldn't have any connection to him, right?
Louie examined the arched gate once again before feeling queasy in the stomach.
Still, what was this enemy the humans spoke of? And more importantly, are they still present on Awe?
As he laid his head down, the Riolu fell into a great slumber while imagining the power and might of this human-killing enemy. Drowse did not take long, for the excessive lying was wearing on him.
Inside the inner courtyard, the Combusken had little trouble spotting the large, green tent north of the plentiful bloc of commandment housing. Here rested the Nobles in the Army, and Buck despised every single one of them. In his mind, these Pokémon were lousy, power-drunk souls who cared little for the preservation or purpose of this institution. They all awoke hours after everybody else had packed up and set off on their missions every day, yet they were allowed special reservation for whatever job they desired. Supposedly, these teams would become the generals and lieutenants of the Liberation Army once the time came, but he saw no leadership in them other than with their respective teams.
Buck entered the Inner Ring, crossing through several tents before hearing a familiar voice beside him.
"Don' cha got some place to be?" a cocky Braviary spat, his saliva impacting Buck's face. The arched flying Pokémon stepped directly in front of Buck's passage.
"Yes, Yanky. In Tarter's camp, which you're conveniently blocking," Buck replied bitterly.
"Oh, is that so?" the Braviary smirked in return. The opposing 'mons eyed each other for what felt like an eternity. "I am so sorry; it sure seems as if ever since I became one of 'em Nobles I've had a hard time since listening to a Marine folk like you. I really need to ask 'em about that."
"How about you ask it…" the Combusken dramatically paused. "...when I've ripped off the filthy, pathetic excuse for talons you have and shove them up your—"
Stopping midway in his sentence, Buck observed his surroundings: the Nobles were gathering outside their tents; they were preparing for a fight.
"Come on ole' pal, finish your sen'ence." Yanky's stare penetrated Buck's soul and pride. "Did I ruffle a few feathers…? Cause' I'll help ya sort em' out." The Braviary inched his clawed feet closer to the cornered Combusken.
Buck anxiously stepped back, feeling the immense pressure of the situation. The heat normally situated inside his throat and stomach welled up into his head; it was now fight or flight.
"You never did play fair, Yanky, even when you were a lowly Rookie," Buck declared as he studied the advancing crowd of Nobles closing in on his position. There were at least fifteen.
"Aye, em' have no prospect in this conversation," Yanky stated with a grin. He then pointed his right wing towards the circle. "Ain't that right, fellas?"
"Yes," the crowd unanimously said.
Buck felt increasingly uncomfortable before backing directly into the study belly of a Rhydon. Recoiling from the impact, he stumbled forward without notice, right into the Braviary's breast. The two adversaries were so close that he could feel Yanky's breath on his neck.
"You got something to say to me, pal?" Buck spat embers into his sharp eyes.
The circle of Nobles left little room for Buck or Yanky to breathe. The only space was a small gap behind the Braviary, which meant that Buck's only way out was through him.
"I herd' that you lost a girl. Grace, ain't it?" Yanky's smirk changed into a heartfelt expression. "Dat's a real shame, really. If only she was on a bet'er team, mayb' she'd be alive."
Buck grumbled incomprehensible sounds in reply. Even if Yanky had no connection to her disappearance, he wanted to snap the mon's beak in half. Still, the current situation demanded self-control, but the anxious Combusken was running out of it.
"Thank you for your words, Yanky, but I'm afraid I have an important meet一"
"I also herd' you's been sayin' some pretty nasty stuff 'bout me," the Braviary interrupted the Combusken with little regard for his demands. "That would'nt be true, ain't it?" Yanky's beak was in an offensive position.
"Let's quit the games, Yanky. We can resolve this later, or Tarter will hang us both by our necks," Buck said with surprising composure. Under his guise, the flames rose to a new height.
"'Den move through al'ready if you's too much of a Torchic to face up to me," Yanky's smirk grew bigger as he stepped aside, giving passage for Buck to leave.
The Combusken clinched his teeth to halt the flames from seeping through his mouth. He knew what the right choice was: walk through the path and follow his orders.
"Much appreciated," Buck mumbled as he took his first couple of steps.
The Braviary unfortunately spoke once again: "Heh, I gue'ss dat's the diff'rnce between a Mar'ine and a Noble: one's got a backbone and talon worth 'mo than a 'Karp. Ain't that right fellas?"
The crowd cried with laughter. Practically the entire encampment could hear the amusement, including Tarter.
Even Buck chuckled, right before his face morphed into a punctuated scowl. He stood dead in his tracks before swiping his claws around the Braviary's neck in a choke position. His claws penetrated the skin of his victim, leaving a small trail of blood seeping down the mon's chest. "Is this WHAT YOU WANTED, YANKY?"
Buck held the position for ten seconds, expecting some sort of resistance or struggle to occur, but nothing happened. "You give up that easily? You're lucky I didn't just finish you off right away."
No response. The Combusken stared at the back of Yanky's head, contemplating what his next move should be. He was thoroughly surprised that the crowd stood motionless to his actions. But he felt a great disturbance; something was desperately wrong.
"BUCK, RELEASE YANKY THIS INSTANT!" shouted behind him. "THAT'S AN ORDER!"
The Combusken completely froze up, his stomach twisting in ways he never thought possible.
"Do as she say, boy," the previously quiet Braviary stated. "Or we migh' have some fried meat tonig't."
Buck's heart continued to flutter uncontrollably; his ears ringed with white noise, drowning out all outside sound. The rest of his body went numb, and before long, there was a plop sound. Everyone could now see the Combusken's empty, bloodied claws.
"GET over HERE, you NUMSKULL!"
At the corner of his eyes, he saw the crowd dispersing to create a passage for the monstrous white figure directly in front of him.
Buck knew he needed to move, but his legs failed to achieve their purpose. Before long, the towering figure appeared closer and closer to the Combusken's blurry eyes, and when the creature turned its head from him, he could feel the scraping of the Vigoroth's claws on his tender skin.
As he felt his feet dragging along the ground towards the big green tent, the crowd booed and spat at him. They shouted every possible form of profanity at him, and the fire that laid dormant before was now reignited.
He was angered. He was enraged at his rival's treachery. Never did he want to feel again how it was like to be trapped and caged in that arena. He'd rather die from a thousand Hydro Pumps than to suffer from the shame again. He would have his revenge.
Inside the command center of the base, Buck raised his head in frustration to observe the spacious, familiar room. There were two bunk beds to the side that housed both Tarter and Arnold, the supreme leaders of the Liberation Army. In the center was the sprawling map room, detailing even the most minute areas of Awe. Outposts and cities were either marked with a green or red needle; those that were green were PLA controlled territory, whilst the red was for the Jackals. Buck could not help but notice how the red heavily outnumbered the green, which only had its last needles at the bottom right of the map. They were cornered, and there was no help in sight.
"Where DO I EVEN BEGIN?" Tarter finally released Buck. The Combusken stumbled across the polyester floor before regaining his balance. "Do you REMEMBER THE FIRST COMMANDMENT OF the PLA?"
Buck took a few moments to readjust himself. "Yes, it's that you should never hurt a fellow comrade under any circumstance, but—"
"You're DAMN RIGHT. Now, WHAT PART of that DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND when you WERE ON TOP OF YANKY?"
"But sir—he pressed me into it. It was all a ploy by him and the Nobles to get me to—" the Combusken rambled to attempt forgiveness.
"BUCK, WHAT is the SECOND COMMANDMENT?"
He gulped the remaining saliva in his mouth. "No excuses." Buck looked defeated now.
"NOW SHUT YOUR BLOODY MOUTH AND LET ME SPEAK." Tarter's roar echoed throughout the compound. Buck's back slouched in both shame and angst towards the stacked cards against him.
"You… YOU…" Tarter began as she stepped closer to the drooping Combusken. "Not ONLY did you completely FAIL THE RECONNAISSANCE mission. BUT GRACE? SHE was OUR STAR BRAIN, a Psychic with SO MUCH POTENTIAL. BUT you... YOU didn't do anything to try and save HER…"
Buck had a thousand words to say, but all he could do was nod.
"And… NOW THIS?" the Vigoroth sighed immensely, using her arm to smear the sweat on her forehead. Buck remained silent with his head down. "BUCK, tell me what I'm supposed to DO here."
He paused to consider his options. "Just… execute me. I have given my pride and soul to the PLA, but if you deem it unworthy for me to continue, then there is no reason for my existence," Buck finally said. Although he had accepted his fate if worse came to worst, he knew Tarter still had a soft spot for him.
Tarter burst in laughter. "You… you're still a NAIVE, IGNORANT child, aren't you? You really THINK after all the TROUBLE I went through FOR YOU that I'd just KILL YOU?!"
Buck smiled at the ground.
"You STILL remember WHEN we FIRST MET, right?" Tarter's words jogged thousands of memories inside of Buck. They flooded in as a storm.
"I wish I didn't: I still have nightmares about that day," Buck stated with absolute disdain in his voice. "But yes, I do."
It was high noon by the time the Combusken returned to his father's bakery after playing with his friends. The Baker's family lived a quiet, mild life in the countryside, where they sold baked goods aided by their enhanced fire capabilities. The seventy-five or so other Pokémon that lived in the Ruralis Village appreciated their delicious bagels and breads, so Chi lived a comfortable life with little worry. Although Torch, his father, was only a baker, the small community of Ruralis anointed him as de facto mayor in case of town meetings and emergencies. If everything went right, he would take over his father's business and continue the line for generations; but fate had different plans.
"Hi dad! Anything I can help with?" the Combusken asked as his father was holding down the front desk.
"Hello Chi, I assume the time with your friends was fun. Since business is slow, you can man the desk. How's that sound?" His father was slightly shorter than a usual Blaziken. His demeanor and body type often intimidated customers, but his intonation would soothe any concerns.
"Yep." Buck climbed over the table while his dad entered the back room where he prepared the goods. He stood there for a while before hearing the front bell ring.
As the door opened, a great white mon entered the bakery with sharp claws and a towering figure. He had never seen a Pokémon quite like the creature in front of him.
"Hello…? Sorry, I've never seen you around in the village, but you are…?"
"Vigoroth," the deep, feminine voice stated. "I'm a VISITOR from out of TOWN."
"Oh alright…" Chi was still unnerved by the figure. "What would you like? We have everything from breads to… bagels to..."
"Just a basic SOURDOUGH, please. Sorry for the YELLING. I can't HELP it," Vigoroth shouted and said at the same time.
"Oh." Buck stepped over to the cabinets and handled the loaf of bread carefully, making sure not to pierce the sides. Turning around, he delivered the good back to the peculiar Pokémon.
"I appreciate IT." Vigoroth handled the piece of bread like a toddler. She penetrated through bits of it before chomping down the entire loaf in three consecutive swallows. "Here's the coinage."
He reluctantly grabbed the crumb-filled coins that were imprinted with a crown. "W-would you…" Buck was horrified by the display of barbarism. He covered his mouth in disgust. "Would you like something else?"
"N-NO," Vigoroth replied. "Actually… if it WASN'T too MUCH trouble, may I SPEAK to YOUR father?"
"Y-yes…" he was not sure if telling the truth was the best choice, but he went with it anyway. "He's out in the back." Chi pointed his right claw towards the wooden door behind him.
"THANK you…"
The Combusken was relieved that the Vigoroth was no longer his burden anymore. After the back door closed, he sat down on the ground in anticipation of the next customer.
Before long, a second, even more elusive character arrived. However, this time he recognized this bizarre stranger: it was a Lucario. The figure was large, daunting, but somehow was far more welcoming to Chi's eyes than Vigoroth.
"Hello! Welcome to Ruralis Bakery, how may I help you?" Chi chirped out cheerfully.
"You're the mayor's son, right?" The voice was harsh and serious.
"Sort of… I mean, he's not really one, but…" Chi replied with uncertainty.
"Where is he? This is urgent busin—" the Lucario was cut off in his sentence from the back door suddenly opening.
"Chi, why don't you tend to our little visitor out back? I can handle this." Torch pushed aside his son and waited patiently for Chi to move.
"Oh, alright..." the Combusken said while he reluctantly stepped into the bake room.
"What can I do for you on this fine da—" the voice slowly faded.
Inside, there were ten furnaces littered across the spacious room, but none of them were lit. Around the instruments of fire were vents to release smoke and fumes out. Chi was confused why nothing was cooking; in the middle of his peripheral vision stood Vigoroth.
"I NEED you to COME with ME," the Vigoroth attempted to whisper to Chi.
"Why…? Did dad tell you that I can help you with something?" Chi asked in thorough confusion.
"Yes, but there's NO TIME for QUESTIONS…" The Vigoroth saw that the Combusken was not moving an inch.
"Tell me what's really going on, or I'm not moving," Chi delivered the ultimatum.
"Urgh…" she groaned in frustration. While Vigoroth was planning out her explanations, screaming and yelling occurred outside.
"Wh-what's going on?!" Chi asked in desperation.
"They're DEPORTING everybody back to the KINGDOM. Unless you'd like to be WITH THEM, I'd SUGGEST WE GET MOVING!" The Vigoroth was now grabbing a hold of a handle on the base of the floor.
"Deporting? What does th—"
Before he could finish his question, Vigoroth pushed both Chi across before jumping into a previously closed hatch.
"Get IN HERE!
Feeling the intensity of the situation, he decided to listen to the Vigoroth. The tunnel underground was surprisingly big for the Combusken to traverse through, but Vigoroth had a far tougher time. The place was poorly lit, though Chi's passive light allowed the two to crawl.
"Wh-where are we going?"
"Out of HERE, as FAST as we CAN!"
Hearing even more ruckus from above, Chi knew this was a time of action and not of words. Before long, the pair crawled through the artificial escape.
"UP HERE!"
At the end, Chi saw Vigoroth climbing a ladder to the light above. The Combusken followed with even more hesitation, but since he came this far, he might as well carry through. After propelling himself out of the tunnel, Vigoroth immediately pressed him down onto the ground. The two now laid side-by-side inside a bush on top of a hill facing towards the village, which was in the near distance.
"Hey, what's going on? It seems like they're—"
"SHHHH!" Chi stayed quiet afterwards.
The pair observed the crowd assembling in the village square. All the residents were packed into a tight circle while menacing mons stood to their side. However, the villagers were not diverting their attention to them, but the Lucario and Riolu up front.
"W-who are they?" Chi asked in a whisper.
"If YOU'RE talking about all of THEM, these are JACKALS. Personal so-called PROTECTORS of the KINGDOM and of ARCEUS, but at least TO ME, they seem to DO MORE RAVAGING and MURDERING than DEFENDING."
"What about the two up front? Wait… that Lucario was the one that went to talk to Dad!"
"That's LUKE and Louie, two BROTHERS who will BECOME the NEXT Jackal Legates. This is their TRAINING…" The accenting of the last word struck a nerve with Chi.
"Why are they here…?"
"Because Empoleon NEEDS more workers in the WEST for their FACTORIES. Any of the STRONG, YOUNG mons MIGHT be sent to Jackal SCHOOL as well."
"Bu-but… they shouldn't be able to do this. We should have the right to go and be whatever and wherever we want to be," Chi replied with rapid frustration.
"I get IT KID, but THAT'S why you're here and not THERE. Torch wanted you to HAVE a GOOD life and not be a CAPTIVE of the SYSTEM."
"So… we're just going to run away and leave everybody behind…?" Chi finally realized the implications of Vigoroth's words.
"Kid, WE WOULD have to ASSEMBLE an ARMY to free those villagers. Trust me, ONE is better than NONE."
Chi swallowed a deep gulp of regret. "But… but…"
"This IS what TORCH wanted. Do not disobey the wishes of your father!" Vigoroth commanded.
As the Combusken contemplated the consequences of his actions, Luke suddenly began announcing to the crowd of villagers. "Mayor Torch, does your people agree to the reallocation of themselves to the heart of the Kingdom, where the King requires their expertise and strength?"
"It's not like we have much of a choice," shouted a random villager.
"We do indeed agree without any reservation." Chi's father stepped out into the open.
"Good, good. We will begin our final preparations, and then we shall be on our way. Do not move unless ordered to do so," Luke instructed before stepping closer to his brother.
"Louie! Have you been paying attention?" the Lucario suddenly asked his brother.
"Yes. I've been counting, don't worry."
"Then how many are there?"
"Seventy-seven."
"Then we're missing one," Luke ominously replied.
"Well, the report could be wrong, or a resident is out of town or…"
Luke's eyes scoured over the entire crowd before resting upon Mayor Torch. There was a glint of certainty in the Lucario's eyes.
"Torch, I will ask this only once: where is your child?" Luke's teeth were clenched.
The crowd of villagers had become unruly as the Jackals began their hunt for the last resident. The air of unease thickened.
"I thought you would have found him by now—"
"Cut me the bogus." Luke's face became increasingly flustered now. He raised his paw and formed a fist before releasing it. "Pawniards! Go find this Combusken. I should've known my brother was too incompetent to have round up everymon."
The steel-types clanked as they ventured out in every direction from the village. Vigoroth was becoming antsy from the incoming hostility.
"I THINK this is the TIME we have TO MOVE," she forcefully suggested.
"Th-they're looking for me… what if my disappearance will—"
"THIS is NOT the time for IFS! My mission WAS to GET YOU out of HERE, and I'm a MON of my WORD." Vigoroth's right claw immediately pressed on Chi's shoulder before the pair both set off in the direction of north.
"Wait, just give me one more moment…" Chi released himself from Vigoroth. He stared at the village, the captives, his father and mother, and the life he used to know. Was running away really his destiny?
Suddenly, Louie spoke up in the middle of the town center: "Brother, I know I'm not supposed to undermine your decisions, but I think searching for this one Combusken is a waste of valuable resources."
Luke turned his attention to his little brother in apprehension. "Empoleon will be displeased by our attention to detail if we leave a loose end. So shut your mouth and keep a lookout."
"Luke, I believe leaving this village in-tact is a far greater loose end than just a random villager."
"Brother, what are you proposing?" Luke edged closer to his brother as the Riolu whispered into his ear.
Back on the grassy hill, Chi had been admiring the village for more than a minute. Luckily, the Pawniards were nowhere close. Vigoroth, however, was not pleased with the waiting.
"Chi, we shouldn't TEST our LUCK anymore. It's about TIME we hit the ROAD before something goes awry—"
"Something is going on!"
Chi could now see movement at the town center, where the Lucario began announcing to the unruly crowd once again.
"Torch, your resistance to the King has been a hindrance to the Jackal's mission here in Ruralis. Because of your contempt, we feel it is right to punish you for your insubordination." Luke stepped forward until he was directly in front of Chi's father.
"What will you have me do?" the faint voice asked.
"You will burn this village down."
The entire crowd of villagers cried in an uproar. "NO! You can't do this!"
"Quiet, everyone. Our fate is in the King's hands now; let us be civil."
Chi was shaking violently now. "Wait, they can't be serious. There's no way they would—" He stood up suddenly in a fit of rage.
"Whatever YOU'RE thinking of DOING, Chi, QUIT IT."
Under the heat of the moment, the Combusken sprinted towards the chaos, rushing through the tall grass.
"Get BACK HERE!"
"You've ALWAYS been such a HOTHEAD, Buck. That DECISION you MADE had costed you and everyone you LOVE almost EVERYTHING," Tarter commented fiercely.
"I couldn't hide in the shadows, not when my cowardice was the reason for their punishment and pain," Buck replied bitterly.
Tarter sighed in disappointment. "Buck, when will YOU LEARN that Awe is where heroes go to DIE? That the PLA would only be SLAUGHTERED if we held ourselves to SOME ARBITRARY moral CONDUCT? You didn't learn THEN, and you haven't NOW. And that is WHY you have become a LIABILITY to this Army."
Torch stretched his arms outwards, letting the oxygen enter his lungs fully. His fire capabilities were weaker than most other fire-types, but with enough fuel, he could theoretically burn the entire village. Every house was made of wood; thus, one flame could spread through the wild grass and cause the entire place to be engulfed with flames.
"You may proceed," Luke ordered as the circle of villagers was being positioned outside the vicinity.
"WAIT!"
Releasing the flames inside his mouth, Torch's flamethrower blasted the entire region. The wisps of fire spread through the grass like snakes, and the warmth permeated the air. Chi's call was too late.
As the Jackals faced towards the origin of the sound, a lone Combusken stood on top of a hill.
Luke glanced over to his brother and saw the grin on his face. The plan worked.
The entire legion of Jackals waited for Luke's command. "Come here, your family was looking for you." A pair of Pawniards ran towards Chi.
After realizing his son was being captured by the Jackals, he let out a shout that could be heard for miles: "ATTACK!"
In the blaze of conflict, the group of villagers dispersed out and trampled over each other to either fight or flee. The burning feeling caused the Pawniards to be severely weakened, but the villagers' minimal combat experience meant it was still a slaughter fest.
Screams of terror rained in the village, and blood poured in rivers. Louie and Luke single-handedly slaughtered the majority of the villagers, be it Roserades, Linoones, Azumarills. They all fell to the power of Luke's aura and Louie's strength.
The pair of Pawniards continued to stomp towards the Combusken, but he was ready to fight. Though his experience was minimal, the fury inside his heart was boiling from the death of the innocent civilians.
"I will tear you apart," Chi threatened.
The first Pawniard slashed its blade against Chi's shoulder before he immediately retaliated against the mon with an uppercut to the chin. It stumbled backwards, but its buddy rushed forward and pierced the Combusken's belly.
Grunting from the pain, his mouth allowed a small Ember to sear the second Pawniard's armor. Following the momentum, the Combusken kicked the Pawniard onto the ground and immediately pressed his claws around the neck of the mon. He choked and choked the mon until the first Pawniard tried thrusting his blade into the Combusken's skin. But Chi did not care. Eventually, the neck of the metal-type crushed and snapped, and the Pawniard was no more.
Its partner cried in pain as it continued stabbing the Combusken. Blood flowed out of the wounds, and Chi stumbled onto the ground in pain. Now, the Pawniard was right on top of him, ready to give the fatal blow. Until...
A great shadow was cast on the steel-type. After mere moments, a large claw pierced though the Pawniard's head, and Chi could see the edge of Vigoroth's claw penetrating through its eyes.
The corpse was effortlessly flung across the battlefield as Vigoroth aided in helping Chi up. Immediately, oran berries were shoved into the Combusken's mouth as he began to observe what had happened to the village.
By the time Chi had finished the fight, the village was consumed by the flames. The battle continued in the outskirts of the village, but almost every citizen had either died to the wrath of the Jackals or had fled towards a random direction. However, there still remained Chi's father and mother, who burned through every Pawniard that faced them. However, now they faced Luke and Louie, who had unmatched strength and power. Chi wanted to join in to help, but Vigoroth had subdued him, and his wounds were crying out in pain.
The two Blazikens' height and stature far outpaced the Riolu and Lucario, but they had the numbers. Torch was also severely wounded from the opponents' slashes.
"JACKALS! Stand down. Leave the two Blazikens to us," Luke commanded. Torch and his wife smiled when they realized they would only have to fight two more to end it all. Chi was ecstatic that his family was safe for the time being.
"Big mistakes, Louie and Luke. I hope your deaths will be a wake-up call for your despotic King," Torch shouted as a big whirl of fire spiraled towards the brothers.
"Were it so easy…" Louie muttered as Luke cast a Mirror Coat. The incoming fire reflected off like a mirror, and the deflected blast devastated Torch. The male Combusken stumbled onto the floor.
"NO!" cried Chi's mother. "She ran headfirst towards Louie in a fit of rage, but Louie dodged the Blaze Kick and immediately slid underneath the Blaziken. He Force Palmed behind the mon, and an Aura Sphere from Luke finished the job. The Blaziken was sent flying across the field from the two incredible moves; all that remained was the weakened father.
"NOOOO!" Chi cried out in pain.
"WE NEED TO GO NOW! THERE ARE NO MORE SECOND CHANCES!" The Vigoroth was struggling to restrain Chi.
"Any last words, old man?" Luke and Louie stood beside the fallen Blaziken.
Torch coughed uncontrollably until his hands reached into a nearby leather satchel. Inside, he took a bite of his favorite bread: a baguette. The entire piece was almost three feet in width, so it looked oddly malformed and large; there was a strange liquid dripping off the end as Torch chewed. "One day, you will pay for your atrocities. The King, the Jackals, you will all answer for the sins you have committed."
"LET HIM GO!" Chi yelled out. Vigoroth held the Combusken inside her arms as she slowly dragged the two of them away from the scene.
"LEAVE YOU FOOL, LEST ALL THIS WILL BE IN VAIN," Torch shouted towards his son with his last remaining sparks of energy.
Luke replied with a sly grin, "And what day will that be? The day all you heretics will be silenced? The day the King will rule over all of Awe? Arceus has led us through this righteous path, and we will be rewarded for our faith and allegiance and—" the Lucario stopped suddenly before sniffing the air. "Say Louie, do you smell… alcohol?"
"Wait… GET DOWN!" Louie screamed.
Before the two could move a muscle, Torch released his final ember into the bread, igniting a massive explosion of intense fire that burnt the two brothers. By the time the two mons pulled themselves up, coughing and wheezing with their fur burnt, they realized Torch had been extinguished, and the pesky Combusken and Vigoroth were nowhere to be found. All they had left was smoke and ashes, and several visible marks across their body and face.
"Tarter, I respectfully ask: why did you make me reminisce about the worst memory of my life?"
"Buck, I thought YOU could have BEEN the MESSIAH this world NEEDED. Yes, I did owe a PROMISE to your father that I'd take CARE of you, but the reason I SAVED YOU IN THE first PLACE was because I SAW POTENTIAL in YOU. A spirit of REBELLION that could bring about LIBERATION. But… I CANNOT BE BLIND TO THE TRUTH ANYMORE. You STILL act on your HEART instead of your BRAIN, just like ALL THOSE years ago. Because of it, YOU have costed the lives of your FAMILY, your previous teammates Thom and Grace and COUNTLESS more. You failed the MISSION today because YOU WANTED to charge into the ENEMY and FIGHT. When WILL you LEARN your bravado and HEROISM are WEAKNESSES, not strengths?" Tarter took a second to breathe. "You will die LEARNING that LESSON, Buck. MARK my words."
The Combusken stood silent for a moment before answering, "Tarter… I don't know what you want me to do," Buck confessed sorrowfully. "Those ideals are who I am. I guess I cannot escape my own instincts."
"And that is why I am STRIPPING your leader POSITION from you UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE." Buck's stomach looked as if it were punctured by a spear. "You WILL learn how to BE the LEADER we need YOU TO BE, and you WILL BEGIN by searching for GRACE."
"Wait, what?" Buck was beginning to feel his spirit being lifted.
"You are BEING REDEPLOYED on the basis of SEARCH and RESCUE, a STRICTLY CLASSIFIED MISSION. Objective: Find Grace to RESTORE fullness and VALIDITY TO the TEAM OF Aipom-7. If you SUCCEED in the MISSION, I will CONSIDER an AVENUE for returning your POSITION IF you COMPLETE this with precision and WITHOUT conflict. This will TEACH you the VALUE of your COMPANIONS, and that your comrades' WELLBEING should be the CENTER OF ATTENTION as a LEADER."
"What about the Jackal patrols nearby?"
"Brute has BEEN STOMPING UP and DOWN the RIVER for an HOUR now. Follow HIM CLOSELY, and MAYBE you'll find your MISSING squad mate. Take any precaution POSSIBLE, and only advance on HOSTILITIES WHEN NECESSARY. This is YOUR CHANCE to do a STEALTH MISSION CORRECTLY. DO NOT FAIL THIS TIME!" When Tarter finished her instructions, she stumbled into her chair that was filled with pelts of various shapes and sizes.
"If I may ask, why is Grace so important? I understand she's my teammate, but we have MIAs every week. What makes this so special?"
Surprisingly, Tarter had to think for a moment before replying: "If you WERE a REGULAR GRUNT, I'd TELL you that ORDERS are ORDERS, but since I HAVE A habit of MAKING EXCEPTIONS FOR YOU, I'll make another one." Buck was confused why Tarter was taking so long to express her thoughts. "She was JUST like YOU, someone RECRUITED on my VOW that I'd give you SHELTER and PROTECT YOUR interests. I stuck my NECK out for YOU all these YEARS AGO and TODAY, and it's time FOR YOU to repay the FAVOR. That GIRL deserves to be SAVED just like I SAVED YOU. SATISFIED?!"
"Yes sir!" Buck merely replied.
"Then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET TO WORK!"
Buck hurried out of the room with great haste, his mind set on his mission.
There was a light tapping when Louie awoke from slumber. His head immediately ached with an immeasurable pain as he rose from his hay bed; this time, though, his physical surroundings were not responsible.
Rubbing his forehead with his right paw, the Riolu's mind was busy trying to remember what he was previously dreaming. He sauntered across the cold floor, his thoughts zooming across like bolts of lightning. However, nothing returned to his mind.
Looking around in defeat, Louie noticed the Mudkip lay soundly in his make-shift bed, his nose making a quiet hissing sound as he breathed in and out. The Riolu felt relieved.
Bad dreams? The feminine voice asked in his head. Louie immediately recognized the speaker: Truth.
"Yes, more or less," Louie massaged his head once again. He stepped over to the darkness to prevent his voice from waking up Kippy. "You don't happen to know why, do you?"
Our mutual friend was a bit hungry after what he did to Kippy. Memory wipes are quite exhaustive if you didn't know. You are not complaining, right?
"A little warning would be nice," the Riolu scoffed.
Noted. Now, you obviously have inquiries regarding the scriptures on the gates. They do not concern you.
"Then who is the one they—"
Like I said, it does not concern you.
Louie wanted to make a snarky reply, but he was interrupted by a rumbling quake not unlike the ones that came before it. This time, though, pieces of stone fell from the cave ceiling.
"If not that, then what is it that you're here for?"
Louie, I know you more than you know yourself. Your past. Your sins. Your everlasting lust for acceptance and fulfilment. As they say in those sacred texts you coveted, the truly blessed are the ones that may begin again. Your path towards redemption opens now, and the desires you longed to fulfill are now in your grasp. Take this opportunity, Louie. Follow your destiny, and the Gods will reward you.
"I do not need some wicked Ghost spouting rituals to me. I've given you what you wanted, so now begone, and leave Kippy alone as well," the Riolu growled. The falling rocks narrowly missed him as the entire dungeon began to cave into itself.
I'd count my fortunes if I were you. Or one day, your past may catch up with you, and there will be nowhere for you to hide. Goodbye Louie, for now.
As the sinister Ghost left the Riolu's conscience, the floor continued to rumble like never before. Louie sprinted towards his still slumbering companion before shaking him with great ferocity.
"Wake up, Kippy!" Louie yelled.
The Mudkip slowly opened his droopy eyelids before whispering, "What's going on…?" A large boom reverberated through the air, startling the clueless mon.
"The entire cave's gone to shambles as we slept," Louie stated as he quickly snatched his leather satchel. "You ready?"
At the sound of Louie's call, he rolled over onto the floor and yelped: "Is that even a question?"
Louie chucked at Kippy's zeal and charisma before realizing the dire circumstances they were in. "How about a race, first to walk through the gate—"
Before he could even finish his sentence, Kippy charged through the piling rubble into the storm of dust. The buzz and vibration of the rumbling cave caused the Mudkip to slide to the right before ricocheting to the left; Louie followed suit shortly afterwards.
"Hey, that wasn't fair!" Louie shouted at the Mudkip, who was now barely a few feet ahead of him. The gate lay directly in front of them with its engravings glowing in luminescence, but the course had numerous obstacles.
As Kippy continued to careen around the open, the entire cave's collapse became evermore evident from the complete destruction of the interior. "I deserve a head start for the long legs you have."
Kippy was not wrong, for Louie required little time to catch up to the quadrupedal, stubby-legged Mudkip. When the pair was merely one hundred feet away from exodus, a giant conglomerate of stone and rubble piled in front of them, blocking their line of sight.
"AGH!" Louie Force Palmed the block, but the mass barely moved. Worse yet, the Riolu had damaged his paw in the process.
"Let me try!" the Mudkip emitted a flurry of water upon the rocks, and this time, the rubble at the very top of the stack was pushed down. Furthermore, the soaked stone seemed to be fragile now. "Now, strike again!"
Realizing that his companion weakened the enemy's endurance, the Riolu unleashed his signature move once again, but with his left paw.
"YES!" Louie cheered as the entire stack rumbled and shrunk in size. Unfortunately, the remaining rocks slid and flooded where Louie and Kippy stood. The Riolu had to scramble several times to keep afloat in the mass of stone and rubble. In the process, his body ached of extreme pain from the scratches and pokes of the rubble. Eventually, he managed to rise above the mess, but his heart felt a tangible shock, realizing Kippy was nowhere to be seen and his bag had disappeared.
"Kippy!" Louie screamed out in panic.
His heartbeat accelerated as the anticipation of his partner reached its climax. Suddenly, he heard a muffled voice from beside and underneath him. Digging through the sharp, cracked stone, his paws felt the presence of a smooth, but wet surface.
The pain of the penetrating stones and violent shakes halted as he pulled out his companion and examined him. Blood oozed from several points as dirt and grime covered most of the Mudkip's face. Louie muttered something obscene under his breath. The Mudkip appeared unconscious.
Carrying Kippy in his arms, the Riolu cried out in pain as the gates to the outside appeared closer and closer. Holding the Mudkip firmly, Louie tumbled down from the stack of rubble as he half-crawled, half-limped across the remaining stretch.
"There's… no… turning back…" Louie muttered as he pushed against the ancient gate. His entire body was limp at this point, and his paws were bloodied and injured, but he could still use his own body weight. Although the door barely budged, he could feel the progress.
"No… more… lies…" he backed into the door once again, sensing the incoming moonlight touch his skin.
"No… more… killing…" using the momentum from his last push, Louie tackled the middle of the smooth, stone surface, causing the gate to squeak.
"Most… of all, no more… HIDING!" he pressed with all his strength into the barrier, and the crack grew greater as he felt movement in his arms.
Coughing several times, Kippy then slowly asked, "Who won?"
The Riolu smirked at the sound of Kippy's question before charging at the ancient gate once more. "We both did."
The arched gateway crackled when Louie and Kippy stumbled through, both weary and bloody from their ventures. They were immediately greeted by the gleaming, luminous moon that showered extraordinary light upon them.
The scene was beautiful: the oak and birch trees waved at them in the wind while the Noctowls hooted in the distance. A few Pokémon wandered the forests in the dead of night, but they posed little threat. However, the beast still lingered.
Inspecting behind them, Louie realized his past achievements and life were now buried forever, for the entire gate and cave were now crushed by the weight of thousands of tons. He must face reality now.
He whispered his last goodbye before tightly hugging the Mudkip; then, he slid down the hill towards the river that flowed north.
As the tired Vigoroth laid comfortably in her chair, she contemplated her previous actions. She knew there was a great possibility her plan may fail, but in her heart, she still wished the best for Buck. However, she feared the consequences to her status as a leader or her perceived loyalty to the Army if she appeared soft. While she was under a deep coma of thought, she realized the presence of her partner. "Arnold, SHOW yourself."
A shadow moved outside until a stern Gallade appeared through the tent's flaps.
"You DON'T have to APOLOGIZE. JUST tell me IF I MADE the RIGHT decision." Tarter was masking the anger she felt from him eavesdropping.
Arnold looked solemnly towards Tarter. "Do you honestly believe Buck will get the job done? Grace is likely held up in a Jackal detention center right now, and every moment she's held captive, there is a chance she may leak vital information. There's no plausible way he could get out alive or not be caught, so the chances of success are nigh impossible. Why are you betting the future of this Army on..." Arnold's face suddenly scrunched up in disgust. "But you knew that, didn't you? That this was either suicidal for his life, or for his career."
Tarter chuckled. This was exactly what she wanted Arnold to believe. "NOW do you UNDERSTAND, ARNOLD?"
The Gallade looked distant as he realized Tarter's true intentions. "Why did you have to do this in such a roundabout way? You could've just put him down when he asked you to."
"Buck's LIVED his life trying to be a HERO; I'll let HIM die as a HERO. And if he doesn't, I'll demote him to Soldier for FAILING his TASK, and I'LL NEVER have to DEAL WITH him again."
"Well played, Tarter, if it weren't for the possible mishaps that could happen," the Gallade simply stated. "What of Grace?"
"We'll SEND extra RECONS until we LOCATE her, and we'll LAUNCH an ATTACK. We'll GIVE EM EVERYTHING we GOT."
"And when will you tell Aipom-7 about all this?"
"You WILL brief VERYN soon, but SHE has LONG suspected she WOULD become LEADER."
"I was asking about Grace. When will you tell them why exactly we are risking so many lives for this one girl, and the truth about how you 'rescued' her? Your story may have worked for Buck, but there will be plenty unconvinced."
"NEVER. SHE must be KEPT a SECRET above ALL COSTS. I will NOT MAKE the MISTAKE again of LETTING HER SAFETY be JEOPARDIZED by INCOMPETENCE."
By the time Buck had entered the camp common grounds—an open space where Pokémon of all ranks could interact and chat before their missions—the Combusken could feel the rumbling of his stomach. His last formal meal was breakfast at dawn, and he only ate one apple during their recon mission. His face transformed into a frown when he realized he would have to search long hours on an empty stomach. He immediately swiped the thoughts away, remembering the vitalness of this mission. He had to complete it, starving or not.
He positioned himself towards the markets, where the southern path lay. In the camp, there were few marked paths towards the outside, but the southern path was crucial enough that Tarter spared the resources to pave it. It may not lead exactly to Brute, but it was a start.
"Need something?" the voice was from behind him, and by the time Buck faced towards it, a peach had been flung into his mouth.
Feeling the sweet and sour juices of the fruit, Buck felt great comfort from his soul being revitalized. Out of the shadows, a menacing Fraxure stomped in front of him, its red eyes searching for prey.
"You really weren't going to leave me out of the action, were you? A mission briefed directly by Tarter on a night filled with Jackals means whatever this is must be good," the Fraxure said with a vicious grin. His voice was deeply masculine, tenor, and extremely nerve-wracking.
"Sorry Seth." Buck chewed once before grabbing the rest of the peach out of his mouth with his right claw. "This is a stealth mission I must do alone. I appreciate the grub, though." After he finished the peach, Buck began moving towards the southern road until the Fraxure blocked his path.
"They won't even know I'm there, Buck. And right as they turn their nasty heads away from me, I'll have all their throats slit without even making a single sound—"
"This isn't an assassination mission," the Combusken said as he sighed. Buck's voice was now impatient and harsh. "I'm trying to rescue Grace. I don't need your particular skills for this."
"Grace? Why would she warrant such an operation?" Seth spoke in a disappointed tone. Clearly this was not the type of mission he desired.
"It's none of your business," Buck replied. "If you're apprehensive about the mission, then feel free to leave, as I've told you so."
"Now hold your Horseas, how are you going to save Grace by yourself if she's currently kept in an armed encampment?" Seth ignored Buck's advice. "It seems like no matter what, you will be hunting Jackals tonight."
"No Seth! We cannot afford to make any more noise today. This is strictly a stealth mission," Buck angrily retorted. "I'm following Brute until I find evidence where Grace could be. Then, I'll decide on what to do next, and how I'll be able to do it without major conflict. Plus, there's a chance she may still be out there in the wilderness. If so, I have to find her soon."
Seth chuckled to himself. "Brute's patrol is long and crooked through the woods. You think taking the standard southern path will allow you to follow him?" He pointed at the path where Buck was originally going to travel through.
Before Buck could even reply, the Fraxure ambled towards an unknown, forested path away from the road the two were previously staring at. Buck sighed to himself, wishing the night would be over.
"The girl isn't going to save herself, Buck," the Fraxure informed him with a sly grin.
"Just lead the way, Seth, but it's my call what we do." The Combusken reluctantly accompanied him to the hidden passage.
"Whatever you say, boss."
The night was clear, allowing the pair to easily traverse the shrubbery without much of a hitch. Before long, they heard a familiar roar, and the Combusken gave the order as the two shadows danced towards the chaos. Little did they know, their lives would be forever changed by their unexpected discovery.
When the moon had begun its descent, Kippy and Louie ambled through the woods nearby the river. The duo was extremely injured, and with their bag missing, they had nothing to heal the wounds that which constantly ached.
They had little to say to each other, for all their energy was conserved for surviving the next second, minute, and hour. Luckily, in their bout of silence, they avoided any unnecessary ambushes or attacks from the darkness, and the journey was quiet. Too quiet.
Kippy's mind could not help but remember Louie's warning of the great beast that lurked in this forest. So far, nothing seemed to confirm the existence of this threat; still, Kippy was worried. Furthermore, he was concerned of their hungered, beaten state, surrounded by forests without a clue where they were going.
The Mudkip eventually spilled his thoughts to Louie, "Where are we going, Louie…? We have no food, no shelter, no—" Kippy observed his companion throwing a fit from his words, so he ceased his speech.
"Stop it Kippy! YOU were the reason we're in this position. Why WE had to leave the…" Louie immediately blocked his mouth with his paw.
The Riolu looked distantly towards the wilderness.
"Wait, what? Louie, what do you mean?" Kippy voiced his confusion. "Please tell me what I did wrong."
"I-I nothing…" Louie's tone transformed from angered to sorrowful. "The stress, the pain, it's getting to me. I didn't mean to pin it on you."
The Mudkip tugged his fin against Louie's leg, attempting to alleviate his pain. Kippy knew Louie did not have a secret plan to solve all their problems, but he was giving his all, and that was what mattered.
"Heh, I don't get how you've been a Pokémon for barely a couple of weeks, and you've already figured out how to do that."
"It's instincts, I guess," Kippy replied without a second thought.
"Whatever instincts you have, I wish I had them."
Kippy wanted to laugh, to hide the current emotional and physical pain from his conscience, but he realized the seriousness in Louie's voice. Instead, he stared into the red eyes of Louie and gave all the empathy he could through his expression.
Louie turned away before returning the gaze. Their eyes locked for a minute before the two both unleashed an explosion of laughter. Kippy could not stand the ridiculousness anymore, the cruelty, the desperation of their current situation, and Louie seemed to agree as well. For a moment, all the bruises and emotional scars had vanished from existence, and everything was alright.
"AWWWWWWWAAHHHHHHRRAHHH" The roar reverberated throughout the entire forest, sending vibration waves capable of knocking down trees. The beast had heard their laughter.
Kippy immediately snapped out of his coma, but Louie was now on his knees, crying and sobbing to himself. The Mudkip rushed forward to aid him, but his energy was so low that he could barely walk straight.
"Louie, we need to go. The beast, it's—"
"J-just leave me… I've… I've only caused harm for the mons I cared about…" Every few words, the Riolu hiccupped, and tears rolled down his cheeks.
"No, Louie. You saved me from the river. You saved me from the wrath of that house fire. You saved me from that cave," Kippy reminded him. "Now, it's time for you to save YOURSELF. We need to GO!"
He pushed once into Louie's lower back, but all he did was knock himself down. "I… I wasted you. I doomed you. I-I'm so sorry… This was all… all my fault… You were all I had… and I… screwed it up." Louie's eyelids closed as he faded into darkness.
"No, Louie. Please… please come back… LOUIE!"
As he watched his only companion, bloody and bruised, fall gracelessly and brutally, he lay there for what seemed an eternity. All semblance of time and reality melted away as it became more and more difficult to breathe. Eventually, he felt the gruesome claws of a foreign creature grab him, and in his attempt to scream and panic, his fleeting conscience floated away into nothingness. All that remained was void.