Things are getting very tense in Agate Village. Friendships are being challenged, married couples are fighting, and Alcea is doing everything she can to keep it all from collapsing around her. But there are other issues at play, too. Samarra isn't the only threat looming over Agate Village at the moment, and given the present situation, the other issues might be approaching pretty soon. Luckily, we have Dokukage here to help!
KedharS: Probably the sort of stuff that all married couples argue about I would imagine, their daughter joining a cult.
Gyvarius: That is quite an interesting theory. As for what's going on in Agate Village, well… things are certainly getting tense, that's for sure. And you're right, things aren't looking good for anybody at the moment.
Hyphenman: I can imagine that he wouldn't be, no.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 1090
While things were going wild back at Wes' house, in the rest of Agate Village, things were business as usual. The town was nice and picturesque, people walked about at a modest pace, and everyone said "hello" when you passed them by.
In other words, a ninja walking through would be quite an unusual sight. Dokukage tried to look as inconspicuous as he could as he passed silently through the grassy village, erasing his presence as best as he could. A master at being below scrutiny, even though he was wearing such an odd outfit he knew that no one could-
"My, those are some fancy clothes you're wearing, young man!" An elderly woman placed her hand over her mouth in surprise.
Dokukage, flustered, said nothing. It must be because this is such a relaxing place. I've completely let my guard down, even though I'm supposed to be on lookout for anyone tied to Samarra coming in and attacking us. It was rather embarrassing for a ninja to be surprised like that. Dokukage shrugged it off and stepped aside to let her pass. But she wasn't interested in leaving such a curious sight. Instead, she began asking him more questions.
"So tell me, what are you dressed up as?" She asked curiously. "There have been a lot of strange people around these parts recently! Is there some movie being filmed?"
"Why, that certainly would be exciting, wouldn't it?" Her companion, man as aged and jovial as she, commented. "Just the kick to liven up this place! About time!"
"It is nothing like that," Dokukage assured them. "I wear these clothes because it is my duty, in adherence with the traditions of my clan."
And because the mask is perfect for concealing my face whenever I lose my composure, he silently added, though he was loathe to admit such a thing.
"Clan… oh! I remember now!" The old man said. "Are you friends with those other two kids?"
Dokukage's eye twitched, a single disparity on an otherwise impenetrable mask. "Others? What do you mean?" He asked, more curious than suspicious.
"Oh, just that there are two other kids, about your age, staying at the Pokemon Center," the woman explained. "Yes, they were wearing outfits just like yours. Said they were ninjas or something like that, who can remember those sorts of things? A boy and girl."
"They're your friends, right?" The man asked, but Dokukage had no answer to give him. A boy and girl pair of ninjas… it couldn't be, and under any other circumstance Dokukage would have dismissed it as random gossip. But he'd already run into Shinobu and Shima once before, in Pyrite Town. He knew they were in the Orre Region looking for something. And apparently that something was here, in Agate Village.
What should I do? Dokukage wondered, ignoring the old couple as they went on their way, too lost in his thoughts to even bow his head in farewell. If they really are here, this is a problem. Are they connected with Samarra somehow? …No, I didn't sense their presence at that laboratory, and it seemed to fancy to be connected to them. Could they be here for some other reason, then? I've heard that Agate Village is home to a treasure, could that be what they're after?
Two distinct theories were forming in Dokukage's mind, and neither was particularly pleasant. On the one hand, Shinobu and Shima were here on Samarra's orders, and were trying to get to Ayame. That would mean Dokukage would and the others would have to fight them head-on, and if the experiences with Gerard and Olivia were any indication, that would mean their skills would be at a far higher level than before- not a pleasant option.
The other possibility was slightly better, but only slightly. And it was that Shinobu and Shima had nothing to do with Samarra, and were here under an entirely different pretense. Which would be preferable as it meant that they would not be a direct threat, but at the same time, it also meant that they would be a third party complicating matters, and were likely to attack one or both groups in the middle of the skirmish, drawing focus away from their enemies and making an even bigger mess out of the whole situation.
So either way Dokukage looked at it, he couldn't say that this was a good scenario to find himself in. It was a downright horrible one. So what should he do? He had to think of some way to fix this, maybe by telling Wes and the others? …No, but that could lead to its own problems, but maybe it would be better to hit off this issue before it grew…
"It's quite a conundrum," Mirar said.
"Yes, you're right, it's troubling" Dokukage mused, nodding in agreement with his former compatriot. Mirar had a good head on his shoulders, and was very observant. Dokukage could always count on him to be…
To be…
…
It was only due to Dokukage's extensive training as a shinobi that he did not throw himself into the air in shock. He had been walking alone, he was sure of it, but Mirar had just shown up out of nowhere! Fuck, how did he do stuff like that?!
"As usual, I'm even better at concealing my presence than you are," Mirar said, with the faintest trace of a smirk in his voice. Dokukaga resisted the urge to scowl underneath his mask.
"Indeed. Truly, you would make an excellent shinobi," Dokukage agreed, primarily just to end the conversation and move on. It wasn't that he disliked Mirar, it was just that the other student's powers of observation were a threat to him, as Dokukage needed to conceal his true thoughts from others as a matter of course.
"You hide it well, but you're worried, aren't you?" Mirar cut through Dokukage's veil like a hot knife through butter. "I can tell."
Dokukage's eye twitched again, the sole display of emotion on his face. "It is a troubling situation," he calmly replied, even as he screamed expletives in his mind. "If there are indeed other shinobi in this village-"
"Which I'm sure there are," Mirar cut him off.
Irritated, Dokukage continued, "…Then we must assess their motives-"
"Which I'm sure you're already suspicious of, given that they're your family," Mirar cut him off a second time.
How the hell do you know that?! Dokukage screamed internally. But he kept calm and pushed through it, saying instead, "it seems you're quite well-informed."
"Not really. It isn't like there are any cameras here," Mirar replied dryly. "It's just written all over your face."
Bullshit it was. That was a big heaping mound of Tauros shit. But Dokukage ignored it, continuing to walk down the path. Unfortunately, Mirar followed after him.
"If these people really are shinobi, and they are related to you, then this is quite a problematic situation," Mirar said, answering the unasked question of what he was doing following after the other trainer. "It may be something that you'll need my help with."
"It would not be right for a shinobi to accept the help of those outside of the clan for the purpose of settling disputes," Dokukage calmly replied. Besides, I doubt someone with only one pokemon will be of much help. He respected Mirar's ability as a trainer, but there was a reason that Dokukage had been the Third Leader and Mirar the Second. And that reason was because, for all of Mirar's skills with his Ditto, Dokukage could defeat any one pokemon Mirar used through his strategies and team coordination. Oh, certainly, Mirar could win in a one on one match, but Dokukage didn't fight those. And even if he did have to face off against the Ditto trainer, well…
Dokukage trained his pokemon in more than just moves. They learned ninja arts from him as well, making them masters of more forms of combat than simply pokemon battles. And a Ditto couldn't replicate that type of fighting any more than he would expect Mirar to start using ninja skills to walk on water.
Without even blinking Mirar stepped into the river, walking right over the surface and across to the far bank. Dokukage's eyes bulged out of his skull.
Mirar glanced back at him with a nonplussed reaction. "It's a shallow river, and the bridge is all the way over there. Are you coming?"
On a second glance, Mirar was correct. The river was in fact very shallow in that part, barely more than a trickle over the emerald-colored stones. It must have been Dokukage's eyes playing tricks on him, that's all. With his ninja skill he crossed in a single leap, continuing the walk to the Pokemon Center in silent contemplation.
Dokukage REALLY wanted to be proven wrong. Nothing would make him happier than for the truth to be that there was no threat whatsoever.
But of course, he wasn't going to be in for such a fortunate occurrence, because walking out of the Pokemon Center just as he arrived were two people he'd never thought he'd see again just a month ago, and had now run into twice in the span of two weeks.
Of the three, though, he was the least obviously surprised. That was because he'd been prepared for this outcome and had steeled his nerves. Shinobu and Shima were less prepared, and both looked shocked to see him coming their way.
Shocked, and pleased, much to Dokukage's confusion.
"Oh! Look who it is!" Shima greeted him with a wave. "Been some time."
"…Shima," Dokukage said, nodding tersely to his former friend, and then to his sister. "Shinobu."
"So what brings you to these parts?" Shima asked cordially. "Feeling sick for home? I have to admit, I thought the Orre Region was all desert, but a place like this is really nice to visit, don't you agree, Shinobu?"
"Of course," Shinobu agreed, as loyal as ever. Then her eyes landed on Mirar for the first time. Even his usual status as a background character didn't hide him from the gaze of a watchful shinobi. She raised her eyebrow. "And who is this?"
"I'm no one," Mirar calmly replied. He narrowed his eyes. "Just like you, I'd imagine."
Shinobu didn't let any emotion show on her face, but Dokukage wondered if those words had hurt his sister. Given what he understood about how she defined her purpose in life, Mirar's statement must have hit close to home.
"You still haven't answered my question," Shima pressed, getting back to the topic at hand. "What are you doing here, Dokukage? The last time we ran into you was in Pyrite Town!"
Mirar's eyes widened slightly and he glanced curiously at Dokukage, but Dokukage ignored him. He ignored Shima too, to focused on trying to think of a way out of this situation he'd found himself trapped in.
Shima and Shinobu were both skilled trainers, and Dokukage's last battle had showed that he was probably the weakest of the three of them. With that in mind, the idea of having a pokemon battle here, with only Mirar as backup, wasn't a very pleasant one.
While Dokukage was coming up with an answer, Shima decided to give his own. "Well, I don't suppose you came here looking for us, did you? To think about taking us up on that offer after all?" There was a tinge of hopefulness in his voice. Apparently he still hadn't given up on Dokukage joining them in their bizarre quest.
But Dokukage wasn't having any of it. "Not at all," he replied. "I'm just here as a tourist."
Shima nodded thoughtfully. "…A tourist… I see. Not what I would have thought, but I suppose there's nothing wrong with some sightseeing. You are a student, after all, and it's so rare that people are allowed out of our village. You've got to enjoy the precious time you have, wouldn't you agree? That's what I think, anyway."
He turned to Shinobu and smiled proudly. "Shinobu and I, we're enjoying our time to ourselves. Just going around and doing whatever we please. Isn't that right?"
"Yes," Shinobu said, smiling cheerfully behind her mask. Dokukage couldn't see most of her face but he knew his sister's expressions well. He sighed.
"I see. So I can expect you'll just be wandering around here, then? Nothing else?" He asked cautiously, trying not to seem too weak.
"Oh? And here I thought you would be trying to drag us back to the village," Shima said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "What's with the change of heart, all of a sudden? Have you started to realize that your dream is a foolish one?"
"Nothing of the sort," Dokukage replied. "I simply wish to have some time to myself, without having to deal with you." He turned to his sister. "Either of you," he clarified. "I am rather busy at the moment, I don't have time for my mission."
As the words left his lips Dokukage realized they were a mistake. Shima wasn't smiling anymore, which was rare. Instead, his expression was a calm, but serious one.
"I see… your mission… if I recall, your mission is to bring us back, isn't that correct?" He asked, in a tone that revealed he already knew the answer to his question.
"Indeed. But that is not something you need to concern yourself with now," Dokukage said, trying to keep his voice calm. SHIT! FUCK! Now he knows something's up! I should have just kept my mouth shut, damn it! By mentioning his mission, he'd let the two of them know that he was supposed to be working right now. But the fact that he was willing to let them go was an obvious sign that there was something much more troublesome that needed his attention.
That wasn't good. Because if Shima and Shinobu were here for something, then they would get suspicious of his own motivations.
"I wonder, what could it be that would cause you to turn away from your mission?" Shima asked thoughtfully. "Why, it couldn't be that you're protecting something valuable, could it? Something rare, perhaps?"
Fuck. It was just as Dokukage feared. Shit! He really is after whatever the treasure of Agate Village is! I should have known! And now he thinks that I'm staying here because I'm defending it, fuck! This isn't good! I need to de-escalate this, now!
But even as he started to panic, Shinobu was already preparing for battle. Her fingers were already around one of her pokeballs, and she prepared to attack. Dokukage needed to think fast if he wanted to avoid a huge mess.
"Wait!" Dokukage exclaimed, holding up his hand. "I don't want to fight you!"
"Oh?" Shinobu raised her eyebrow slightly and she slackened her grip, but she didn't let go of the pokeball.
"The truth of the matter is, Agate Village is being threatened by someone," Dokukage revealed. "And I've decided I'm going to protect it. I want to conserve my pokemon as much as possible, so I don't want to battle the two of you."
He really, really hoped that Shima and Shinobu weren't being controlled by Samarra, because if they were, this was about to turn ugly. He had to count on their skill as ninjas to not have gotten captured by the strange woman.
"Protect it from who?" Shima asked. "It wouldn't happen to be related to the terrorist attack from before, would it?"
"Uh…" Fucking terrorists now?! Dokukage hadn't heard anything about that! What was the matter with this place?! Did everyone and their grandmother have a beef with Agate Village or something? This was getting ridiculous!
"Well, I can say that we're definitely not planning on attacking Agate Village or anything of the sort," Shima assured him. "However… we do need that Oracle that's hidden here. So just hand it over, and we'll be on our way."
Shit. An Oracle? That's what this is about?! Dokukage knew a little about the Oracles, but he never would have guessed that there would be one here. So that was the "treasure" of Agate Village? It certainly made sense. But it wasn't like Dokukage could just hand it over, that would be as bad as letting his own village's treasures be looted!
"I'm afraid… I can't do that," Dokukage replied. Fuck! Why do I have to always play the good guy?! Why can't I just be some bystander?! Shit, this is the last thing I ever would have wanted! But it's not like I have a fucking choice, you jerks!
His pokemon were resting in preparation for Samarra's attack. While he certainly could fight Shinobu or Shima with them, he knew they wouldn't stand a chance against both trainers. And even if Mirar helped, or someone else, he knew he wasn't strong enough regardless.
This was bad. This was really bad. But at the same time, Dokukage really was the only person who could put up a fight against these two right now.
If he wanted to stop them from taking the Oracle, then he had to battle. Not that he even knew it was real, of course, or that it was still here. For all he knew, someone could have stolen it a century ago. But Dokukage wasn't thinking with his brain this time, he was thinking with his heart. He was supposed to Sasuke, but right now, he was being a Naruto.
And that was something that his sensei would be sure to chastise him over, should Dokukage ever make it back home to the village in one piece. Or in Bleach.
What a troubling situation our resident ninja finds himself in! Last time, he just barely held his own against Shinobu, and that was when she was just by herself! Now she has Shima there with her, and no one's going to be playing nicely. This is a rally dangerous situation for Dokukage, and with just Mirar as backup, how is he going to get out of this?!
