Imppala: Finally, this chapter! Full of battles and non-stop action!
ShadowedTactician: Not to mention a Pokémon evolution and good ol' plot self-insertion! Stuff I'm actually confident writing about!
ShadowedTactician/Imppala: Whoopee!
Grim: You rarely see them agree with each other like this, so... Hey! We already had this opening paragraph!
ShadowedTactician: Yeah, but I was lazy...

RubyVulpix
ShadowedTactician: To cut long explanations short, Ruby, I never planned on doing a Pokémon version of FE8, firstly because I don't know much about it, and secondly because I understand the plot seems to revolve around evil monsters. Besides, I was theorising a Pokémonised version for FE6 instead.
Grim: As for the Incredibles... attack-oriented Fighting-types to Bob, Ditto and defence-oriented Fighting-types to Helen, Kecleon and Ghost-types to Violet, speedy Pokémon like Ninjask and Electrode for Dash, Ice-types for Frozone and Dark/Metal-types for Syndrome... did I miss anyone out?
Imppala: Excepting those minor characters for the Trainers, no.

Lao Who Mai
ShadowedTactician: Yes, thank you. It helps to read the Pokédex entries, those provide brilliant ideas.

Elven-girl10
ShadowedTactician: Ironically, the week I posted this, Serebii dot Net's Pokémon of the Week was... and if you can't guess that one, well.

ShadowAngelUmbreon
Imppala: Well, what can I say? ShadowedTactician is just so incredibly lame.

Gijinka Renamon
Imppala: Warrior? looks at ShadowedTactician She thought I was a warrior?
ShadowedTactician: Beats me...

FadE
ShadowedTactician: Believe me, I'm trying to work in a massed support conversation thing going on for Raven, bringing in Lucius and Priscilla, with Hector and Erk and Oswin for very very brief cameos... Whoopee!

Jeanie
ShadowedTactician: Oh well, it's never too late to start. Thanks for the review!


Chapter 17x: The Port of Badon/VS Charmeleon

After speaking with the Ostian spy Leila, Eliwood realises he must travel to Valour, the Dread Isle. The small island, located south of Lycia, is said to be home to the Dragon's Gate. Heading for the southern coast of Caelin, Eliwood's group seeks passage in the port of Badon.
"Listen! We need a boat to Valour!" said Hector to a boatman at the Badon port.

"You want a boat to the Dread Isle? You're mad!" the boatman remarked. "No way! Never! There's no one in this village who'll sail there!"

"Please, we're in a hurry," Lyn pleaded. "Can you give us passage?"

"If you won't help us, can you take us to someone who will?" asked Eliwood. "Please?"

"You must be on urgent business, that's certain..." commented the boatman as he scratched his head. "There may be only one way..."

"What is it? Tell us, please!" Eliwood begged. "Pirates," came the answer.

"Eh? Pirates?" frowned Lyn.

"Uh-huh. They're fearless, or as close as makes no difference, and they'll go anywhere for a fee," the old sailor explained. "Who knows? They might decide to take up your mad offer."

"Pirates... looks like we've no choice," Hector remarked.

"Are you serious, Hector?" Lyn asked incredulously. "Working with pirates? That's unbelievable!"

"You're considering it, aren't you, Eliwood?" asked Hector.

"If there's no other way, what else can we do?" Eliwood replied.

"You too, Eliwood? I've misjudged you..." So saying, Lyn turned to leave.

"Milady Lyndis! Where are you going?" Imppala shouted after her.

"It's foolishness to trust the goodwill of pirates!" the plainsgirl retorted. "I'm finding another way!"

"Why is she so angry?" Hector wondered.

"Lady Lyndis' parents were slain by bandits," explained Shadow with a hint of a sigh. "Bandits at land, pirates at sea... they're all the same to her. Nothing but lawbreakers and murderers."

"I see..." nodded Hector. "My parents died of illness, but... I can appreciate her feelings. Shall we abandon the pirate plan?"

"But..." Before Eliwood could say anything, the boatman cut in, "Too bad about the girl, but there's no other way."

"Let's meet the pirates," decided Eliwood. "We can't make a choice until then."

"That's true," agreed Hector.

"That inn over there is a known favourite of the local freebooters," pointed the sailor. "They're reckless and unpredictable. Best be prepared," he warned. The two lords gave their thanks before returning to the group, telling the others of their plan, and entering the inn...


As Eliwood, Hector, Shadow and Imppala went into the inn, they could see a bunch of pirates sitting in a corner, waving their mugs of ale and singing pirate songs at the top of their voices. Most of them had scary-looking countenances and multiple scars of battle decorating their skin. The two tacticians looked on and began to wonder if asking the pirates for help was such a good idea after all.

"What do you want, whelps?" barked the pirate sitting at the head of the table, as he noticed Eliwood and Hector headed towards him. He wore a tattered old scarf on his head and an equally old pirate's outfit. "You're here to see me, aren't you?"

"You're the commander of the pirate armada, aren't you?" Eliwood asked.

"Gwah hah hah!" laughed the lead pirate. "'Commander of the pirate armada'! I like the sound of that! Are you lads that naive? Or are you just dumb? Which is it?"

"You insolent..." Hector began.

"Peace, Hector!" Eliwood calmed down his friend before continuing, "If I've insulted you, I apologise. How should I address you?"

"Hmph... you don't frighten easily, do you?" the lead pirate smirked. "Well, at least it seems you're not stupid. 'Captain' will do, whelp. I'm Fargus, captain of the Davros," he introduced.

"Fargus... Master Fargus?" tried Eliwood. "Or should I call you Captain?"

"You're not one of my mates. Call me Fargus," the captain said somewhat impatiently. "Now, what do you want?"

"We want to book passage to Valour," Eliwood answered.

"How much will you pay?" asked Fargus.

"We don't know the current rates," confessed the Pheraen noble. "Tell us how much you want."

"100,000 gold," Fargus stated.

"Wait, 100,000 gold?" Hector could not believe his ears.

"Well?" smirked the captain. "Will you pay?"

"We've no choice, but we need a little time," replied Eliwood. "We'll get the gold and return as quickly as possible." Beckoning to the rest, Eliwood proceeded to leave, followed by the two tacticians. "Wa... Wait a moment! Eliwood!" Not wanting to be left behind, Hector raced after the leaving trio.


"Eliwood! Hold on!" Hector called. "Where do you think you're going to get 100,000 gold?"

"I saw an arena on our way to the inn," Eliwood explained. "We can raise gold somehow..."

"What? You're not serious!" exclaimed Hector.

"We've no other way, do we?" asked Eliwood. "Well, no..." came the sheepish reply. "Sometimes you surprise me, Eliwood," Hector muttered.

"Did you say something, Hector?" Eliwood raised an eyebrow.

"No, nothing," Hector said hurriedly. "I was thinking of going back to Ostia to..."

"Oh... you're going to ask Lord Uther for the gold," realised Eliwood.

"Don't be stupid!" snapped Hector. "I will not kneel at my brother's feet to beg for money!"

"Then why are you going to Ostia?" the red-haired youth wondered.

"I've got some ceremonial garb, armour, helmet, books..." listed the Ostian noble. "I'll bring it all and sell it! My brother would be unwilling to part with that much money, not without knowing the reason why. And we don't have time to waste! There's not much I can take freely, but it's a start... we'll take that money to the arena and raise 100,000 gold!"

"Good idea, Hector!" praised Eliwood. "In that case, I'm off to Pherae!"

"Ahoy! Hold your ground, boys!" called a pirate from afar. He wore a white scarf as well as a sleeveless blue shirt and matching pants.

"What now?" asked Hector. "We don't have the money yet."

"Fool! Of course you don't! I know that!" laughed the pirate. "The captain's got a message for you."

"A message?" Eliwood repeated in surprise.

"All of my mates in this port are going to attack you," the pirate continued. "If you can beat us all and get to the ship unharmed, he'll give you passage."

"For free? No gold?" exclaimed Eliwood.

"The captain's a tad off-kilter. He'd rather have a bit of fun than take your gold," chuckled the messenger. "Smooth sailing to you!" So saying, the pirate ran into the village square, put his thumb and index finger in his mouth, and whistledly loudly. "Hey! Landlubbers! Over here! I'm over here!" he called. At once, a group of corsairs, as well as a couple of magic users, appeared out of nowhere. "Listen!" the pirate shouted at Eliwood's group. "The captain's waiting at the docks. Talk to him, and you're the winner! Trust me, though... don't make the mistake of attacking him! You anger the captain, and there's no turning back! Don't forget!" With that, the pirate retreated behind a wall near the arena.

"Oh, for... this is a joke, isn't it?" Hector groaned.

"Looks serious enough," remarked Eliwood. "Here we go!" At that moment, Lyn emerged from a nearby village. "I couldn't find a ship after all," she sighed to herself. "But we have to get to that island... looks like I'll have to endure pirates." Looking around, she saw two separate parties readying for battle. "Hm? What's this? Commotion in the village?" mused Lyn.

"Oh, Lyn!" called Hector. "Nice timing. We need your help!"

"You're battling the pirates?" Lyn asked.

"Fighting and... look, we have to reach the docks and speak to the captain!" said Eliwood hurriedly. "This is a test to see whether or not he'll give us passage!"

"I don't understand, but... I'm here, so let me help!" volunteered Lyn.


"Hm... looks pretty desperate, eh Imppala?" commented Shadow as he surveyed the surroundings.

"I'll say," Imppala agreed. "Even this has got me stumped!"

"Let's ask Hannah for advice, then," the green tactician said, passing the old woman several gold coins. Once again, Hannah and Xatu sat down and began to perform their ritual.

"Oh, oh my... things have gotten out of hand, haven't they?" she chuckled. "Concentrate... go around. Around is best."

"I hope she meant 'around' as in the route where the arena is," whispered Imppala. "Be quiet!" Shadow snapped.

"You should speak with the locals. You might even meet someone," Hannah continued to advise. "Don't waste your time with every single house though." Slowly, she opened her eyes. "...That is all I see."

"O... kay." Shadow started to frown very deeply. Hannah had not given much useful information, and it didn't make the situation any less dangerous. After a rather lengthy discussion with Imppala, the two tacticians then laid out their plans.

"Listen up, everyone!" waved Imppala. "Since most of our enemies are axe-wielding pirates, we propose that Lord Eliwood, Lady Lyndis and Guy lead three separate groups across the village square. Lady Lyndis and Kent shall go via the north route where the pirates are less likely to be among the forests. The two of us will help Lord Eliwood and Guy in leading everyone else. Is that fine with everyone?" Snippets of conversation flew around the crowd of people, but no one appeared to have any objections. "In that case," Shadow said as he raised his hand, "let's go!"

Meanwhile, near the arena, a quad of horse-riders gathered. All four of them were clothed in black, and seemed to be headed by a magenta-haired paladin.

"There seems to be a fight against Lord Eliwood's group and a bunch of pirates, Sir Damien," reported one cavalier.

"What an interesting diversion. Maybe we should join in," the paladin murmured. "Lord Eliwood of Pherae... you don't yet know how to fear the Black Fang. Start grieving... for I will teach you that fear."


As Eliwood's party separated into the three groups, Shadow decided to warn the locals of the impending bloodshed.

"Pardon me!" called a purple-haired man as Shadow entered the village Lyn had come from. He wore dark robes and had a monocle over his left eye. "I was speaking with an old sailor a few moments ago," he explained. "He told me that you're planning to travel to Valour. Is that so?"

"Why, yes," replied Shadow.

"Really?" asked the man as he adjusted his monocle. "And that's why you're playing tag with these pirates?"

"That's right," the tactician answered.

"I see," the man mused. "In that case, would you mind if I joined you? My name is Canas, and I'm a scholar of sorts. I've been seeking passage to Valour, but none will take me... My proposal sounds somewhat selfish, no?"

"Not at all!" Shadow smiled. "I'm quite sure Lord Eliwood wouldn't mind another travelling partner..."

"You should know, I can help in combat," Canas went on. "I've some skill with a form of elder magic. Some call it dark magic, a rather biased term, if I must be blunt. But at the very least, I can take care of myself, and perhaps others."

"Oh! That's great!" exclaimed Shadow. "I was thinking that we needed more magic practitioners... welcome aboard, Canas!"

Meanwhile, Oswin was visiting another village to the southwest...

"This path leads to danger. The pirates are waiting for you," warned the man who had come out to greet Oswin. "Do you not think it would be better to find another route?"

"I place my trust in the hands of my lord and tacticians," Oswin answered.

"You've risked too much to come here. I can't let you leave empty handed," the man sighed as he shook his head. Returning to his house, he retrieved a huge black axe and returned, passing the weapon to Oswin. "Take this axe," he said. "What do you think? Nice, isn't it?"

"It certainly looks powerful," remarked Oswin.

"Yes, it does. However... it's cursed," whispered the man darkly. "It's a mighty weapon, but if one with bad luck wields it... oooh! Terrible, terrible, I tell you. Don't use it unless you have to."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the axe," the knight saluted.

As the two main groups continued to advance, one of the corsairs reported, "Captain! The nobles are coming!"

"What mooncalves! I would've let them sit there if they hadn't come any closer," growled Fargus. "Up and at 'em, mates! Attack!"


"Here they come!" shouted Imppala as the pirates charged. "Everyone, hold your positions!"

"What about those people?" exclaimed Shadow, pointing to Damien. "They don't look like pirates!"

"You're about to die," grinned Damien evilly. "Scream if you must!" Heading for Eliwood, the paladin threw out a Pokéball, releasing a red dragon creature that resembled a larger Charmander with redder colouring, more developed limbs, sharper claws, and a horn protruding from its head. "Chaaaaaar!" it roared, breathing powerful flames everywhere.

"Whoa!" Hector managed to dodge before his cape caught fire. "What in blazes is that?"

"That's Charmeleon!" Shadow realised. "It's the evolved form of Charmander!"

"Charmeleon, Dragon Rage!" Damien announced. Charmeleon howled towards the sky, creating a swirling tornado that headed menacingly for Eliwood's party...

"Charmander!" Eliwood yelled, sending out his own Fire-type dragon Pokémon. "Counter with your Flamethrower!"

"Chaaaaar!" Quickly, the smaller lizard shot out a stream of fire that collided with the tornado, pushing it backwards.

"Use your Flamethrower, Charmeleon!" Complying, Charmeleon's mouth brimmed with flame before it produced a Flamethrower of its own. Upon touching the tornado, the Dragon Rage dissipated into the air, allowing the two Flamethrowers to collide and push against each other.

"Charmander! Keep up the Flamethrower!" urged Eliwood.

"Chaaar!" Charmander blasted with all of its might, but it was quickly losing out to the superior firepower of its evolved form.

"Lord Eliwood needs help!" Shadow started to panic a little. "Lance units, Lord Hector, attack! Imppala, lead the others against the pirates!"

"Alright! Come on!" beckoned Imppala, preparing to take on the incoming pirates. Meanwhile...


"Kent, you really didn't have to come with me!" said Lyn as she hacked through the forest. "Really, I can take care of myself just fine!"

"Even so, I would not deprive Lady Lyndis of a guard," Kent replied firmly. "You did promise to return to Caelin alive. Besides, Shadow and Imppala ordered me to stand besides you."

"I suppose you're right," Lyn sighed. Suddenly, she spotted a hostile figure in the trees. "Kent!" she screamed. "Behind you!"

"Huh? Whoa!" The red cavalier was caught by surprise as a pirate tried to strike him from behind. Instinctively, he drew his sword and drove it into his enemy, but not before receiving a gash on the arm.

"Kent! You really should be more careful!" chided Lyn as she reached for his arm. "Even if you're guarding me, you shouldn't focus so much on me that you forget about yourself!"

"I... I..." Kent could only stammer in embarrassment as his liege tended to his wound. His face was flushed with a furious shade of crimson as he watched the beautiful plainsgirl in front of him apply the contents of a vulnerary on his arm. "Milady..."

"Kent?" Lyn frowned. "Are you alright? You don't look too well..."

"I'm fine, milady," answered the knight, shaking his head wildly and in so doing, removing any thoughts about his liege other than protecting her. "Let us continue, Lady Lyndis."


Meanwhile, behind the lines of battle...

"So, Sir Marcus... where is the front line of the battle today?" asked Merlinus as he tidied his merchandise.

"Well..." The veteran knight began to speak, but Merlinus interrupted him, "Sir Marcus... are you entirely satisfied with this duty...? Guarding the transporter must be rather dull..."

"Not at all," smiled Marcus. "This is a very important duty that has been assigned to me. As a loyal servant of our lord, I must carry out my duties faithfully."

"Hm... I see." Rummaging at the back of his tent, Merlinus returned with a nice-smelling package. Opening the package, Merlinus took out a golden-yellow pastry. "Well, Sir Marcus, would you like to try one of these?" he offered. "They are a specialty of 'Chez Merlinus', you might say..."

"Mmmm. Baked puddings..." Marcus murmured as he took in the pudding's rich scent. "But to partake of these in the midst of battle..."

"Oh, go ahead... just have one," urged Merlinus.

"My... Mmm... I see..." Placing the pudding in his mouth, Marcus chewed over the baked dessert for quite a while before finally swallowing it down. "Why, these are quite scrumptious!" he commented.

"Aren't they?" Merlinus grinned.

"Mmm. Its charm lies in the variety of textures inside and without... and the distinctive taste of these apples stewed in honey reminds me of a certain well-known pastry shop in Ostia," remarked Marcus. "Although... you may be relying too much on the sweetness to carry the weight of this confection... Hmm... Yes, I think that about sums it up." Upon finishing his analysis, Marcus suddenly noticed that the cheery merchant was staring at him wide-eyed. "Hm? What's wrong, Merlinus?"

"L-Lord Marcus... I had no idea you were such a knowledgeable epicure!" stammered Merlinus.


"Rapidash, Swift attack!" commanded Sain.

"Squirtle, use Bubblebeam!" ordered Hector.

"Shock Wave, Lairon!" declared Oswin.

"Chaaaaar!" The Flame Pokémon was thrown back by the myriad of attacks. "Sometimes it's better to do it quantity-over-quality style!" smirked Shadow.

"You've been courting your own deaths!" snarled Damien. "All that damage you've done has done nothing but brought you closer to your doom!"

"Char..." As if in agreement, Charmeleon staggered to get up. Its body was surrounded by a brilliant red blaze that burned ferociously.

"Wha... what's that?" Eliwood asked, sounding a little unsure.

"That's Charmeleon's Blaze ability!" exclaimed Shadow. "It's an ability which powers up Fire-type when health is low!"

"Exactly! Charmeleon!" Damien snapped his fingers. "Use Fire Spin!"

"Chaaaaar!" Charmeleon roared, releasing a towering tornado of flame, trapping Rapidash, Squirtle and Lairon within.

"Neigh!" "Squir!" "Lair!" The three active Pokémon were cleanly tossed back by the fiery vortex, once they had been sufficiently burned.

"Ah!" Sain gasped. "Oh no..."

"Now, perish in my flame!" cackled Damien as he raised his hand. "Fire Spin, again!"

"Chaaaaaaaar!" Once more, Charmeleon breathed out another burning tornado, but this one was headed straight for Lord Eliwood's company! "Ah..." Eliwood and the others could only stare as the deadly firestorm loomed closer and closer, closer and closer...

"Pokéball, go!" Without warning, Canas suddenly charged from behind, muttering a few magic words and flipping through a black tome. "Flux!" A ball of darkness emerged from the ground, capturing the Pokéball Canas had flung into the air and disappeared through the ground, with the Pokéball inside. It re-emerged inside the eye of Charmeleon's Fire Spin and opened the Pokéball, releasing a strange-looking Pokémon. Its body consisted of a huge clay ball balanced upon a smaller clay ball, with two long strips of clay for arms extending from the lower clay ball. A sharp point protruded from both the Pokémon's head and bottom. Two circles formed its closed eyes, which were decorated by a couple of red semi-circles. There was a similarly coloured band around its waist, except at the front where it separated into a circle.

"Baltoy!" Canas shouted. "Use Rapid Spin!"

"Toy!" From inside the vortex, the Clay Doll Pokémon began to turn around at a very fast speed, such that it was nothing but a mere blur. Before half a minute was gone, the Fire Spin had been dissipated, but Baltoy was apparently unscathed!

"What!" Damien exclaimed in fury. "How could that thing have been untouched by my Charmeleon's assault?"

"Rapid Spin is an attack that allows a Pokémon to escape from trapping attacks such as Fire Spin," Canas explained. "Moreover, my Baltoy was spinning in a direction opposite to the flow of the flames. Thus, it made the Fire Spin wear out faster!"

"Wow, Canas! You've got a mind even more advanced and flexible than mine!" praised Shadow. "Oh, it was nothing really," smiled the shaman.

"Argh! Charmeleon, use your Flamethrower!" growled Damien.

"Baltoy! Skill Swap, now!" ordered Canas. Just as Charmeleon was about to launch another blast of fire, Baltoy stretched out its hands, creating a string of green orbs that flew towards Charmeleon, soaked into its skin, then returned to Baltoy. For a few seconds, nobody noticed any changes, until Charmeleon started to mysteriously float above ground level, and Baltoy fell to the ground with a thud! "What's going on now?" yelled Damien.

"Baltoy's Skill Swap allowed Baltoy to change abilities with its opponent," explained Shadow. "Now Baltoy has Charmeleon's Blaze, and Charmeleon has Baltoy's Levitate!"

"Char! Char!" Charmeleon flailed about wildly in the air, unable to maintain its balance.

"Charmeleon has no control over itself in mid-air! That gives us an opening!" Shadow realised. "Everyone! Aim your attacks at Charmeleon!"

"Alright! Hyaaaa!" Using all his might, Hector flung his hand axe at the Flame Pokémon.

"Ha!" Oswin and Sain followed up with their javelins.

"Flux!" With his cape flapping, Canas summoned another ball of darkness that aimed at the hovering dragon.

"Chaaaaaaaaaaar!" Unable to defend itself from the onslaught, Charmeleon fell to the ground, apparently dead.

"Now... it's your turn!" Gripping a new horseslayer, Oswin lunged at Damien, driving the lance straight through the paladin's body.

"GURGH! Gaa... ha..." Damien gasped as he coughed up blood. "Crow in... triumph... you've... urgh..."

"Alright!" announced Shadow as he raised one hand. "Everyone, it's pirate-fighting time!"


Meanwhile, over to Imppala's side, the group seemed to handling the pirates quite well...

"Yikes!" Wil barely dodged the swish of a silver axe. "Cacnea, Pin Missile!"

"Cac-nea!" The Cactus delivered a storm of spines that sent the pirate fleeing. Just then, Wil caught sight of the messenger corsair from earlier on. He had a red lobster-like creature with huge pincers besides him. "Wha..."

"Hey! You! What're you looking at?" shouted the pirate.

"Dan? Hey, you're Dan, aren't you?" Excitedly, the archer ran over to the corsair. "Wow, how have you been? And what're you doing here, anyway?" Wil babbled.

"What's it to you?" the boy Wil called 'Dan' snarled. "The name's Dart, and I'm a mate in Fargus' pirate crew!"

"You're... Dan, right?" Wil asked cautiously.

"Uh, no," replied Dart.

"Yes, you are!" insisted Wil.

"No, I'm not!" Dart growled.

"Hmm... are you sure you're not Dan?" frowned the archer.

"Will you knock it off?" thundered Dart. "Or do I have to run through you!"

"Fine, just say you're not Dan... I can take a hint..." Wil muttered as he turned to leave. "It was just an honest mistake, you know... Man!"

"Hmmm... everything looks fine," mused Imppala as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Everyone seemed to have no problem taking on the corsairs, and some of the fighters had been deployed to warn several surrounding villages, so the situation seemed under control. "Say, Guy, d'you want to go over to the arena for a bit of fighting?" The red tactician nudged the myrmidon next to him.

"Huh?" Guy looked back at Imppala. "But I thought we didn't need to raise the gold anymore..."

"Aw, come on, where's the fun in that?" Imppala smirked. "Besides, the experience and gold we could make from the arena will definitely come in useful! Lord Eliwood wouldn't mind that!"

"But..." The myrmidon frowned. He was still hesitant...

"You want to be the best swordsman in all of Sacae, right?" tempted the tactician.

"Alright," sighed Guy. "You've got me."

"Brilliant!" Grabbing Guy by the arm, Imppala dragged the unsure myrmidon through the village streets, until they had reached a building that looked like a colosseum.

"Welcome to the arena!" grinned the man at the counter. "Would you like to wager 670 gold?"

"Would I ever!" Imppala slammed the said amount onto the counter. "My friend here will take on anything you throw at him! I'll just be a spectator..."

"Er... anything?" trembled Guy.

"Hahahaha! That's the sort of thing I like to hear!" laughed the man. "You shall take part in a fight to the death against our strongest warriors! Pokémon or non-Pokémon?"

"Pokémon, please," Guy answered.

"Alright. Follow that corridor into the arena," the man pointed. "Your battle will be held there. Your friend will take the other corridor and go to the spectators' seats. Don't forget, you can choose to yield at any time," he reminded.

"Thanks. I'll remember that," the myrmidon muttered weakly.

"Good luck!" waved the man as the two young men walked their separate ways. "Don't get yourself killed!"


When Imppala arrived at the spectators' seats, he was greeted by a frenzy of cheering as Guy and his opponent entered the battlefield.

"This shall be a fight between the challenger, Guy the myrmidon, and the arena champion, Robin the mercenary!" announced another man standing in the centre of the arena, apparently the judge. "Each fighter is permitted to use one Pokémon only! The fighters will now select their Pokémon to battle alongside them."

"Go, Golduck!" shouted Robin, releasing a blue mallard creature with four spiky formations on its head, a red jewel embedded in its forehead and webbed hands and feet.

"Darn! A Water-type Pokémon... this is not a very promising start!" thought Guy. "Still, I've got to try... go, Nincada!" he yelled. "Ninca!"

"The match will go on with no time limit until one of the competitors is dead or has given up the fight!" the judge declared. "Let the battle begin!"

"Yaaaaaa!" The crowd seemed to erupt with noise as the two sword users charged at each other, as did their Pokémon. Kling! Klang! went Guy and Robin's blades as they exchanged blows.

"Golduck, use Cross Chop!" Robin commanded. "Golduck!" The Duck Pokémon obeyed, crossing its arms and bringing them down onto Nincada.

"Nincada! Dig, now!" shouted Guy. Quickly, Nincada used its claws to burrow into the ground, narrowly missing Golduck's assault. "Use Sand-Attack!"

"Ninca!" Bursting from the floor, Nincada thrust a pile of sand into Golduck's eyes, temporarily blinding it.

"Now, Nincada! Fury Swipes!" Guy ordered. The Trainee Pokémon flew at Golduck and immediately began to scratch Golduck wildly from all directions.

"Golduck, Screech attack!" At once, Golduck reared its head and opened its beak, emitting a high-pitched sound that sent the crowd covering their ears. "Now use Dynamic Punch!"

"Gol-DUCK!" While Nincada was being immobilised by the screaming, Golduck aimed its fist at Nincada, throwing Nincada back into the arena wall. SMASH! "Nincada!" yelled Guy. The Trainee Pokémon fell limply onto the ground, its back showing several cracks.

"Haaaa!" Grasping his chance, Robin thrust his sword forward.

"Ya!" Just in time, Guy managed to block the stab, but as Golduck continued to produce the sound, Guy found he could only defend himself against Robin's continuous assaults. Slowly but surely, the myrmidon was getting cornered.

"Oh, no! Guy's defensive skills are getting weakened by Golduck's Screech!" Imppala thought as he watched. "This calls for desperate measures..." Producing a small crest that looked like a flat-topped shield from his pocket, the red tactician passed it to his Electrike waiting on his lap. "Make sure Guy gets it, and don't let anyone see you," he hissed. "I'm counting on you, Electrike!"

"Trike!" Nodding, the Electric Pokémon dashed across the seats, going behind spectators, holding the hero crest in its mouth. Finally, it reached the section of wall where Guy was forced into next to his defeated Nincada, and was struggling against Robin's strength. "Lec!" it growled softly as it dropped the promotional item onto the ground.

"Huh?" Casting a quick glance to the side, Guy spotted the brown metal crest on the floor. "That's... a hero crest!" he realised. Instinctively, the myrmidon made a swift dive to his right, doding a slash and grabbing the small shield. "Hero crest!" Guy hollered above Golduck's Screech.

The audience watched on in awe as the hero crest in Guy's hand glowed with a powerful light, bathing the myrmidon in white whilst lightning flashed all around him. Once the light had vanished, Guy's Sacaen attire seemed to have sprouted a gi over his white long pants, and his sword appeared to have lengthened. He was now a full-fledged swordmaster, no longer just an ordinary myrmidon.

As Guy transformed, Nincada also appeared to undergo several big changes as well. The Bug-type Pokémon was glowing and had burst from its shell, gaining a new form with a yellow and black exoskeleton, white wings with red triangles lining the two biggest, and grey claws that were much sharper than it had in Nincada form.

"Nincada has evolved into Ninjask!" shouted Imppala joyfully.

"What!" Robin exclaimed in shock. "He's allowed to do that?"

"Raaagh!" With his newfound strength, Guy lunged at the mercenary, delivering a mad frenzy of quick slashes. "Ninjask! Use your Giga Drain, now!"

"Ninjask!" In less than a second, Ninjask darted over to Golduck, latched itself to Golduck's body, stuck in its fangs, and began to drain Golduck's energy.

"Gol! Duck!" Golduck frantically tried to wrench Ninjask off, but to no avail. With each passing second, Golduck had less and less life force left in it, and it finally collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.

"Hyaaaa!" Guy yelled, delivering the final blow. "GUH!"

"We have a winner!" declared the judge as Robin fell dead. "Guy is the victor of this one-on-one battle! Spectators with winning bets, please go to the counter to collect your winnings!"

"Heh heh heh!" Imppala grinned and rubbed his hands in glee as he stood up with the other successful gamblers. "This is going to be easy!"


"Aha!" grinned Fargus as Eliwood led his team through the remaining pirates and finished in front of the berserker. "You've made it, whelps!"

"That... was... hard..." panted Hector.

"Haa... haa... you'll give us passage now, won't you?" asked Eliwood.

"I'm a man of the sea. I always keep my word," Fargus smiled. Just then, he noticed Lyn standing behind Eliwood. "Are my old eyes lyin' to me?" he asked, eyes wide open. "Is this beauty really with you? Gwaa ha ha ha! My lucky day!" Laughing, Fargus turned to return to his ship and prepare it for sailing off. Lyn could say nothing but clench her teeth in rage.

"Listen, I know how you feel," Hector sighed, "but you have to accept it. We've no other choice!"

"I know that!" yelled Lyn indignantly. "I haven't said a word, have I?"

"We can go to the Dread Isle now. Please, Father... be well," Eliwood prayed.

"Where're Guy and Imppala?" Shadow piped up. "Has anyone seen them around?"

"You called?" came a voice. Everybody turned around to see Imppala and Guy trudging from afar, each carrying pile upon pile of heavy-looking sacks. "Can anyone give us a hand?" the red tactician called weakly.


As the ship pulled out of the harbour, everybody tried to get their sealegs and wondered what might happen to them once they reached the Dread Isle. However, back in the Badon arena, something was about to happen...

Inside the colosseum, the sandy battlefield was empty. The arena staff were having a short break and had closed the arena down for a short period of time. Meanwhile, Nincada's leftover shell lay on the ground, when all of a sudden it started to move, as if some spirit was controlling it. The exoskeleton began to change colour from grey to gold. Scales extended from the hole which Ninjask had burst from. A white crescent slowly appeared above its head, hovering above the shell's head like a halo. "Shedinja!" it said, levitating gently above the ground.

"Shedinja?" Turning around, the strange Pokémon looked in all directions, as if hunting for something or someone.

"Shed! Shedinja!" Frantically, the enchanted shell darted all around, but its efforts remained fruitless.

"You've been abandoned, haven't you?"

"Shed?" Shedinja abruptly screeched to a halt as the words suddenly ran through its mind. It turned to see a figure completely cloaked in red. His only visible features were a crooked mouth on mellow skin. "You've been abandoned, haven't you?" the stranger asked again, using the same telepathic method.

"Shed..." said Shedinja sadly.

"Mm..." nodded the figure. "Then... perhaps we can be of some use to each other..."

"Shedinja?" asked the Shed Pokémon.

"I am Kishuna, a bringer of silence," the stranger introduced himself. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Shed... Shed!" Shedinja agreed, finding no other alternative.

"That is good..." Kishuna nodded. "In that case, we must leave now..."

As Shedinja hovered over the mysterious Kishuna, a light covered the two of them, and when the light had cleared, both stranger and Pokémon had vanished.


ShadowedTactician: Whew! That was a nice long one. And don't forget to review, bugger! (thumps Imppala on the head)
Imppala: Ow! Hey, watch it!
Grim: ...Review.