Krom and the crew made it through route 11 with no problems. It was a quick, smooth ride that took them from sunrise to early morning. Krom laughed as they made it to Village Bridge, which reminded him of Opelucid, as both were old looking. Krom and Saria stopped at the bridge, as a chef was giving away food to travelers. Krom stopped the Bastiodon, who grumbled as the trainers left the camper. They partook in the free food, which included breads and cheeses. Saria giggled at a young Meowth Halfling talking about the food. She caught wind of a woman only battling competition, and told Krom she wanted to join. Krom nodded, telling her to keep an eye on Kyouhei. Krom wanted to head on to Lacunosa Town, as he heard rumors of Kyurem the Incomplete residing on the outskirts of the town.
Saria looked at her Pokeballs, wondering who to use. She assumed the other competitors would have powerful Pokemon too, as the bridge was near Opelucid. She decided to use Rasputin in the first battle, and Kyouhei giggled at her choice. She faced her opponent, who used a Delcatty, the purple furred cat smiling kindly. Saria flung the Pokeball, and the scorpion emerged, shadow covering his scaly features. Her opponent froze, color draining from her face. Saria giggled, calling for Cross Poison.
Krom made it to the town, accompanied by Granitwarf. The dwarf refused to leave Krom behind, and followed him to the quiet town. Lacunosa had a curfew, no one out after nine and up before nine, or something like that. No one was outside, and Krom shrugged. He walked through the city, finding a well in the center of town. Krom sighed, walking up the well. He pulled a bucket from the well, filled with clear water that sparkled in the morning sun. He splashed the water in his face, laughing as he dumped the bucket on the dwarf, who grunted, and frowned. Krom dunked the bucket in the well's water, pulling it out to drink from the bucket. He brought the bucket to his lips, freezing.
He saw the old man, accompanied by an Absol. The man was tall, and heavily muscled, with very peculiar features. His hair was an icy blue, and had a golden streak. His face was pale, with a pointed beard of blue, and sharp golden eyes. The Absol looked normal, minus the thicker structure, and defined muscle tone. Krom placed the bucket down, Granitwarf frowning. He turned to see the old man, fists clenched. The man was at least a foot taller than him, and likely twice as wide. Granitwarf growled, and the man's features appeared to soften. "You're Krom Hitoawa." he said, more of a statement. Krom furrowed his brow. "Yeah, that's me." he said. The man spun, blue coat billowing. "Come with me." he said, and Krom shrugged to the dwarf, following.
He led Krom to Route thirteen, then to the Giant Chasm. Krom looked about as Pokemon thrashed each other. This place was not for inexperienced trainers, and based on the power a Metagross in the area had, not for some experienced trainers. He led Krom to a ruined temple, and Krom observed his surroundings. Unusual markings were carved into the walls, and broken bones and armor littered the ground. A single statue stood, missing almost the entire right side. Krom looked up at the statue of a man, and tilted his head. The man almost appeared to have claws, and his armor was form fitting. His long hair hung around his shoulders and back, and his remaining eye bore into the boy's soul.
The man stood near the statue, and Krom turned to him. "What is all this?" he asked. The man chuckled, then wiped leaves from the bottom of the statue. Krom gaped at the name written there. Thorkrom Crossburner Hitoawa. He looked to the elderly man. "This is Crossburner, and this is his resting place." he began, spreading his arms. "The Soldiers of Arceus attacked here, bringing all of their forces to defeat the Blood Braviary tribe, and they barely succeeded." he said, walking about the ruins. Krom followed, intrigued by the man's knowledge.
"The Soldiers of Arceus showed up in the hundreds of thousands, and the Blood Braviary numbered only three hundred. The battle was so great, that the Giant Chasm wouldn't exist if not for the battle." he stated, smiling at the place he must call home. Krom frowned. "If the battle was so great, then why doesn't anyone speak of it?" he asked. The old man laughed. "Allow me to tell you the whole tale of the region formerly known as Ransei." he said, taking a seat on half a bench.
"It all began once Arceus took power. His arrogance was so great; he made a region to the south called Ransei. It was shaped like him, and he was the mightiest power in the entire region. However, once Thorgil the Fast washed ashore in Nixtorm, realm of Mitsuhide Akechi, all went south for the horse." he said, eyes appearing to glow. "The Viking warriors brought war with them. They instilled seeds of betrayal in Mitsuhide, which caused him and his mighty Articuno to challenge Oda Nobunaga and start a region wide war." he said, and the Absol sat down. "Wars raged, and the very region altered. The mighty region decreased in size, and eventually became Unova. Lacunosa was the leftovers of Nixtorm, and the Soldiers of Arceus attacked in full force." he said, frowning.
"A battle raged, and the Soldiers of Arceus defeated the Hitoawa and wiped them out. All for the scroll of Kyurem." he stated. "They searched for the scroll, but never found it. Their forces were so depleted, the Hitoawa's greatest allies, the Akumu and Malkavi, would need but foot soldiers to defeat them. They retreated, finding a paradise called Sinnoh, and making it their home." he stated. Krom nodded. The man walked over, wiping even more leaves away. In the rock, someone carved a familiar name. Ash Ketchum. "Why is that name here?" Krom asked, and Granitwarf stared at the statue.
"After the Soldiers of Arceus had rebuilt their forces, they decided to spread the word of the horse, but Ash Ketchum stood in their way. When asked of his beliefs, he would always state that he believed in himself, and his Pokemon. This caused the inhabitants of the five regions to doubt Arceus, and the church was angered. Everything Ash did, they tried to throw dirt on. Gene spicing to increase life expectancy of humans and Pokemon. Infact, he was inspired by the death of the most powerful Pokemon known besides gods, his Pikachu." he said. Krom frowned. "A Pikachu?" he asked, swearing he heard of the mouse before. The man nodded, a sad look in his eyes.
"The Pikachu challenged every god known to man, and even wounded Arceus himself. The mouse gained such power and control, that he even defeated Reshiram of the Truth with one Thunderbolt." he said, and Krom gaped. A Pikachu that could defeat gods? "The mouse was injured greatly before a tournament, and Ash was forced to send him home to Kanto. Ash then defeated everyone he battled thereafter, including Alder Akumu." he stated. Krom tilted his head.
"Alder isn't old enough to have battled Ash." he said. The old man chuckled. "Gods have their ways of doing certain things, as do their children. Laboratories are another thing. Alder, being a shaman, has a fondness of hallucinogenic herbs, and stumbled into a time machine, which was destroyed by the church." he said, laughing. "Alder was later brought back by Vraccas Fertilesoil, son of Landorus the Womb-Maker." the old man stated, grunting as he rose.
Krom grunted. The old man continued. "After Ash's death, the church exploded. Sinnoh worsened, Kanto and Johto were infected, and most of Hoenn was as well. Unova was also infected, and was their primary target." he stated. He looked to the statue. "Thorkrom Crossburner Hitoawa, son of Thorgil the Fast, brother of Thorkell the Tall, son of Leif the Lucky, son of Erik the Red." he said, laughing. Krom nodded. "I've heard that. And his mother was supposed to be a future empress or something." he stated. The old man looked to his Absol, who stood. "Yes. His samurai half made him Thorkrom Crossburner Hitoawa, son of Hinata Akechi Hitoawa, daughter of Gracia Akechi and Zekrom of the Ideals. The boy could never resist a girl with red eyes." he chuckled.
Krom tilted his head. "Who? Zekrom?" he asked. The old man nodded. "He was lucky he wasn't I. Hanging from a tree, throat dry and belly empty. The Tao Trio, as we were called, were once one being." he said. Krom frowned. "Reshiram of the Truth, Zekrom of the Ideals, and I, Kyurem the Incomplete, were all a single being. When we split, legends always say that Zekrom belonged to an elder brother, and Reshiram the younger. I belonged to their father, and I failed to stop them. I hung myself from the tree for that, and obtained knowledge. The scroll of Kyurem was the knowledge I obtained, and it is lost. I wish for you to obtain before Arceus." he said. Krom frowned. "Okay, I guess. Assuming I believe you, of course. Stating you're a god and proving it are two different things." he said. The man laughed.
His body morphed into the mighty dragon known as Kyurem, and Krom laughed. The Absol walked over, and nodded to the dragon. "Now you believe. Find me the scroll. Take Acheron with you. He has served me well." the dragon stated. Krom nodded, clapping the Absol on the back. "Before I go, you gotta let me fight you!" he called, and the dragon chuckled. "Very well. I'll entertain you for a while." he said, and Granitwarf burst forth.
Saria smashed through the tournament, winning with ease. Her Pokemon didn't fit, all powerful and frightening compared to the fluffy cute Pokemon girls normally own. She stood in front of three Pokemon, a Meowth, Snivy and Bidoof, frowning. She could choose one of the Pokemon as a prize for winning, but wasn't feeling any of them. The second and third place contestants would get the two she didn't, but she didn't truly want any of them. She looked over to a van, which unloaded a huge cage. The animal control men had issues dealing with the cage, calling out in shock. They managed to get the cage out of the van, the cage holding a Seviper. The viper swung it's bladed tail at them, the blue edged weapon almost slicing their flesh.
The Seviper was different from most, having a more aquatic coloring, which included the blue edged blade, and blue fangs. She pointed to the cage. "Him. I want him." she said, and the mayor and other officials turned in shock. The viper's tail flew from between the bars, slicing off the shirt of the poor animal control officer. She walked over to the cage, hearing the viper roar at the men. They locked eyes, and the viper froze. She pulled a Pokeball from her Pocket, tapping the snake on the head. The snake offered no resistance, allowing himself to be caught. She smiled, thanking the holders of the contest before leaving.
The three left the Chasm, bidding the dragon farewell. He healed them after the battle, which didn't last long. Granitwarf was distracted by a Metagross, leaving the battle after striking the god, off to forge with the Pokemon after he killed it. Acheron and Krom stood no chance, and the dragon laughed, not caring. Krom wanted to find the scroll, more to figure out what knowledge the dragon kept secret than anything. He met up with Saria and Kyouhei, seeing her new Seviper. Krom asked her if she gave him a name, and she nodded. She decided to call him Stalin, feeling the name fitting for the Pokemon. Krom laughed, showing off Acheron. The Absol was a humble Pokemon, calmer than most.
Simba laughed. Vraccas sat next to the Luxray, and inquired what he found so funny. "Krom just battled Kyurem, and might have actually won, if the dwarf didn't get distracted. Although, the god did give him Acheron, the buffest fucking Absol I've seen." he said. The Absol was named after Acheron, the river of woe than ran through Unova. It was given that name because the river was made in the final battle of the Hitoawa. Sighing, the Luxray thought to Gary Oak. "I hope your ego doesn't get the better of you. Oh, wait. Fuck that. I hope you drown in your own ego in your sleep." the Luxray stated, laughing.
Gary Oak watched the Mewtwo train. It was amusing to see how such power was obtained through his money and mind. Once he defeated the dwarf, Krom Hitoawa would fall easily. Without the dwarf, Krom was just another trainer. Another Heathenous trainer.
Kyurem chuckled. The elder god knew more than any other, including why he was Incomplete. He was a mighty dragon of ice, but was forced to take his hideous form, the stubby arms and unsymmetrical wings irking him. He had challenged Arceus, the horse's ability to change plates instantly his undoing. His younger siblings managed to give him his current form, but he hoped to get his original form back.
Granitwarf forged hard, singing ballads to enhance his weaponry. He watched the flames, each clang of his hammer soothing. He then saw something in the flames. A fleeting image. A town destroyed, a mountain crumbling. He was in the battle, but with whom? The image faded, and each clang became a thud.