Originally posted April 2nd, 2022,
Updated Slightly on July 13th, 2022


In the near future in the middle of their journey, a brave few take charge and do what is right. Securing what was lost, a key and lock of mana.

Inside this lock and key, alongside every mana artifact lies a Gear of Mana, one that never stops going. It can turn either towards the darkness or the light.

But these four find something even greater, something they have been called to retrieve out of an elusive few. Something only ones blessed by the Legends can use.

Even though their work is far from over, those who help deliver the world from the darkness with countless other Pokemon have many more challenges and obstacles to conquer.

They are destined to reshape the world with their comrades, delivering it from the snare of imbalance of the Disruption: Team Deliverance and their allies.

What stands in their way at every turn? Who will guide and encourage them? Where will their journey take them? How will their ideals and virtues size up against their opponents?

To understand this, let's take a glimpse into the future, at a moment of great strife and conflict.


There lies an archipelago in between two Oceans of the Celestial Hemisphere. There are two nations bordering these Seas respectively. On the second-largest island far in the archipelago there lies a particular village nestled in a jungle. This settlement and the surrounding land were exalted territories, free from the bindings of Imperial rule. This meant the portside harbor had a spark light in the dark, a chance of freedom. Anyone could sneak onto the island with their boat undetected. Forces of good, forces of evil, and those that dwell in the grey area. There was a chance that something could make the stolen goods a certain threat possessed more powerful, and the group would stop at nothing to find out.

In the depths of a rainforest, a jungle of thick, unruly fauna and trees, there was a road less taken. It was a narrow dirt path along a winding hill of wild grass. This road was marked with tall stones and brightly lit torches. The sweeping tropical landscape was covered in the darkness of nightfall, a dazzling array of stars and mist illuminating the sky in pockets. There were four leaders who spearheaded a caravan of Pokemon further into the tropical woods. The heroes were a Pikachu, a Rockruff, an Espurr, and an Axew.

"I think this may be the site that Keepers in Wicked Blow are after. It's supposedly beyond the nearby village," the Espurr spoke amidst the sound of steady footfalls. "Then we'll be able to finally restore some more of the balance of mana. It's what League has been trying for since the Disruption. Let's continue onward!"

"I hope so, here's our chance to finally take back what was rightfully ours. Another one of our Team had previously found one of the artifacts and if our lead is correct these guys now have that same one," the Pikachu adjusted their gait. "I've also gotta prove Master Zeraora and this loser wrong," they elbowed the Axew beside them.

"Don't think just 'cause we managed to become worthy enough to collect what we lost means ya can now become one of ta Blade Keepers that easily, buddy!" the Axew snickered, shoving them back. "Ya have pleeenty work to do before ya can beat me!"

"Guys, we're here to help Pokemon, not to have a contest," the Rockruff reminded them, stepping in between the two. "That's our job, and we can't mess up again. Everyone at the League is counting on us."

These traveling Pokemon all wore green, grey, and light blue striped scarves, and various light armor including face shields and helmets. Notably about half of the Pokemon wore headbands with steel plates. Some had black headbands, others had green or blue. This was a Rescue Team of the Bristberg Mana Research League known as Team Deliverance.

Soon the trail the Pokemon walked upon had heavy imprints of large paw and claw prints pressed onto the dirt. The torches were either doused or knocked over onto the darkness of the treetops below. "What's going on?" questioned one of the other team members.

"Yeah, some of te bushes and grass have been torn ta shreds!" another Pokemon pointed out.

"Those blokes must have been through here!" the Espurr panicked. "None of the village Pokemon would ruin this precious land in such a way! We have to hurry!" She urged her Team down into the canopy of trees and closer to the settlement's edge.

Clouds of smoke and ash soon flew into the twilight-painted sky, the cries and screams of Pokemon filling the air as gusts of wind howled across the island. Team Deliverance was late.

Large pieces of wood lay by the once regal front gates of the village. The scent of blood, fear, and death clogged the air as bodies lay lifeless on the watchtower and near the ramparts. There were Pokemon who crawled out of destroyed buildings, some suffering wounds from combat, and others were shaken up in dread and terror.

Others ran about the narrow streets, some carrying supplies, a group transporting smaller Pokemon. Torn straw, previously woven tight around bundles of kapok, were scattered about the grass. Great stone monuments had been crushed and toppled. Homes burned as gang members, Pokemon clad in black and white, terrorized the area.

"Go help the villagers," the Espurr commanded the majority of her team. "We'll handle those Wicked Blow bastards and give em' everything we've bloody got!"

The four Pokemon leading Team Deliverance watched as their fellow League mates ran towards the group of Pokemon carrying materials and immediately started to assist in helping out. They and a couple of their trusted members rushed towards the other end of the village, urgently searching for any leads on where the main group of the enemies ran off to.

Then there was a steady gleaming yellow light in the distance, before something in the area shot out red flares and sparks. Team Deliverance quickly traversed through the dangerous terrain of the jungle and made it to a clearing that had a stone pit blazing an oddly yellow flame and a trail of beige-golden steps descending downward.

They entered an ancient decrepit brick tunnel lined with bioluminescent Morelull, all glowing shades of red, orange, and yellow as they slumbered peacefully, despite the chaos further inside. After making it through the chamber, the League Pokemon found themselves in a seemingly never-ending cavern with pools of magma encircling a massive Temple with an extreme amount of steps to reach the zenith. The Team noticed four fire-type Pokemon were tossed in a heap beside the entrance, and upon further inspection found two were badly injured. They had fractured and broken bones in their limbs. Bruises and burn marks adorned the fire-types' chests and stomachs. They were soaking wet, their fur was waterlogged and flames doused. All of them had fainted and no longer guarded the entrance into the Temple. Behind the villagers were two giant yellow-stone doors, cracked ajar slightly, signifying their nigh immovable weight.

"We've gotta be careful not to let them sense our presence guys, I can sense theirs," the Rockruff shivered before telling his partners as they ran through the corridors of the building. "By Tapu of course the Pokemon in Wicked Blow have to be Keepers like us, we have to be cautious."

"There's another door up ahead," the Espurr Team Captain told her squad. "Brace yourselves, the hostiles seem ta be especially frustrated. Listen," she then placed her ear against the first door.

Everyone stopped in their tracks and exhaled. They closed their eyes in concentration.

"Why doesn't the fuckin' sword work you damn hag!?" a high-pitched voice rang out, before there was a loud crunch. "It's supposed to make this Key of Fire unlock more of Carkol's power or something right!"

There was a stifled cry from the sealed-off room that shook the Rescue Team down to their core. "Those other Keepers are trying to misuse some mana artifacts!" the Pikachu growled, their teal eyes glowing. "They'll pay for this."

"She obviously isn't gonna tell us its true purpose, and we need that power in the hands of our Lord!" a moderately deeper voice croaked out. "You know what to do."

"Noo!" another voice, much more strained than the other two screamed out.

"Let's go!" the Espurr swung open all of the doors with Psychic revealing the entire room. It was a wide amphitheater of sorts with a long distance from the doors to the stage. In the back there was an altar with a single wooden pew and a desecrated rack near the front of the stage. A Tsreena, a Politoed, a Pallosand, and a Carkol decked out in black and white striped bandanas stood in front of the rack. Below them lay a battered and bruised Heatran and a tiny Fletchinder.

"How did these Pokemon, these Keepers surprise me!?" the Politeod panicked. "I should have sensed them!"

"You should have! Four of them are unlocked for Mewtwo's sake!"

"But they are League members-"

"So?"

"You're the one who should have -"

"Where did they even come from-"

"All of you shut up!" the Tsarenna roared, as the League Members were almost upon them. "I don't give a damn, just take out the old hag and her little friend!"

"I got it!" Palossand started to form Scorching Sands from within her shadowy depths to fire at the Heatran.

The Pikachu sprang forward with a Quick Attack and intercepted the ground-type attack aimed at the Legendary. Palossand tried to swallow them whole with a ghost-type move but her sandy body was torn by the Rockruff's Crunch.

The Axew immediately charged at Tsareena with his claws coated in a purple hue from Poison Claw. She stumbled onto the floor, tossing the black sword high into the air.

Quickly the Espurr pelted Politoed in the side with a Dazzling Gleam, knocking him off balance. The remaining Rescue Team members rushed to administer aid to Heatran and Fletchinder, the latter the members had to physically assist in getting out of the way of the fierce battle.

Carkol ran back and dashed forward into the Espurr with Flamewheel. The impact not putting a dent in her onslaught she simply swept forward with her claws with Payback, instantly catching the enemy Pokemon off guard.

As the coveted black blade flew towards the ceiling the Pikachu felt a powerful force within their body, involuntarily causing them to jump up and catch it. On contact, the sword's hilt shined a bright yellow as electricity and other powers swelled deep inside of it, its true form extending from the steel. "Roar Kaminariku!" the Pikachu yelled.

"What?!" shouted Tsareena before she used a Low Sweeping kick on the Rockruff, dropping him to the floor. "That can't be possible, it was supposed to react with our elemental mana key!"

"We were promised all the riches and fame if we got it to work!" Politeod cried with an Echoed Voice.

"I'll crush and burn you to the ground for this!" Carkol ran to the other side of the room before firing out a Blast of Rocks at the League Pokemon. "For ruining my moment!"

"Keep fighting!" the Espurr commanded as she staggered upright, recovering from the damage.

"It doesn't matter, that they can use that stupid sword!" Palossand shot out a torrent of Scorching Sands at the Pikachu, sending them flying against a wall, where the sand trapped them. "We'll just have to kill all of these brats for their impudence!"

"Yeah!" the rest of the gang cheered.

"Urgh, these guys are so tough!" the Rockruff groaned, forming a massive barrier of Stone Edge to stop the approach of Carkol's Flame Charge. "And look what they did to them!"

"Don't fret partner," the Axew grabbed Politoed by the waist and slammed his body into the ground with a Reversal. "It'll be okay, we just have ta hold on!"

Team Deliverance had an ace up their sleeve.

The Pikachu channeled a silver energy of Iron Tail through the sword before they crumbled to the ground. "I made a commitment long ago-" they stood back up and swung the blade forward at Carkol. "To follow the Keeper's Promise!" The enemy Pokemon crashed directly into Tsareena from the steel-type power within the attack.

"We'll also honor the Sentinel's Code, to protect those in need with our every breath!" the Rockruff barked. "The Pokemon of the Sentinels Union have sacrificed so much to pave the way!"

"And follow these rules as even if the whole world wants us dead!" the Espurr declared with a ray of Psychic that crushed Palossand.

The Axew launched a beam of draconic fury, in the form of Dragon Pulse at Politoed. "Despite our unlocked status, we'll do whatever it takes to deliver the world from the effects of the Disruption."

"It's our Keeper's Promise!" Team Deliverance yelled.

Tsareena laughed. "You think we care about those silly rules anymore? Show them our power!"

"Oh really now?" Carkol growled as Tsareena pushed him off of her. He then began to glow a bright red as he started to chuckle and cackle madly. A sea of flames swarmed around Carkol, and his eyes went blood red, laughing as everyone fled from him. "You brats really think you can handle all of my true power?!" he yelled. "This is what a real unlocked Keeper looks like!"

But to get to this moment, we have to go back to where it all began. Back to before the Team first met one another, and back to the League. Team Deliverance was born from the blood, sweat, and tears of other Pokemon, and specifically the guidance of another Rescue Team. However it seems like there's another cycle of pain, and sacrifices at the League. Shared by the ones who started it all.