A subtle breeze brushed through Evan's hair, his body completely sprawled on the ground. He thought he was supposed to be dead. The last thing he remembered was him falling to pitch-black.
"Evan…" a soft voice echoed in the grass.
Evan meekly stirred, but he didn't wake up entirely.
"Evan…wake up…hey, are you okay? Evan!"
At his sides in a field of soft grass, Freya and Corrin were on their knees trying to stir him. He was blacked out, for a matter of speaking. Even with Corrin nudging him, Evan wasn't coming around, even as his Squirtle and Metapod were at his head looking wholesomely anxious.
Corrin nudged him for the umpteenth time. "Hey! Evan! Wake up! Don't tell us you're a heavy sleeper!" He ceased his budging and saw Evan slump away from Corrin. "Well, at least he's still alive…what do we do?"
Freya furrowed her thin eyebrows as she thought of what to do. She felt her bagpipes beside her and accidentally pressed too hard, making some air wheeze out. After flinching, she got an idea and turned to Corrin. "I think I know. Cover your ears."
"What, why?"
"Trust me…" She lifted her bagpipes up, outing the tube to her mouth. "If this doesn't wake him up, who knows what will." She took in a sharp breath, inhaling just the right amount before blowing as hard as she could into her bagpipes. The bombastic fluting air cause Corrin to cover his ears, wincing, while the Pokémon all jumped and fell over from shock.
The harsh noise shot Evan's eyes wide awake. "What the fu-?!" He shot up too hard, hitting his head on one of the tubes blowing a horrendous sound to his face. "O-ow! Good god! My ears!" He covered his ears, curling over and suppressing the sudden head throbbing he's feeling. "Ow…"
A hand patted his back. "Are you up yet?"
Evan opened his eyes, seeing Freya holding her bagpipes. "Uuugh…Freya, did you try to blow my head off or something?!" he yelled, almost loudly at that. His own voice sounded muffled some to his ringing ears.
"Sorry about that, Evan. You wouldn't wake up, so we had to take the hard way." She answered, but Evan cupped his ears.
"What…?"
"Evan, are you hurt anywhere?" Corrin asked.
"Corrin…?" Evan looked over, but followed up on his questioned. "Well…other than a splitting headache and bleeding ear drums, I think I'm okay." He stirred back up, feeling the soft ground beneath him. He grunted as he was back on his feet, a light breeze running through his short hair. "What on Earth just hit…hey, where's my beanie?" He subconsciously felt his head, but the beanie that was there was gone.
"(It's here. I got it.)" Squirtle came up, having Evan's beanie sitting on his head. Despite being a little larger than necessary, it actually looked pretty good on him.
"Squirtle!" Evan yelped, before kneeling and taking his beanie. "Thanks, I was looking for that." He placed the beanie on his head, making the fabric softly hug his head. He sighed. "Well that solves one problem."
"Yes, yours at least but…" She looked around. Corrin and Evan gazed around as well. The Pokémon also showed their own surprise…if Metapod and Rolycoly's blinking meant anything.
With how the last place was, compared to that, this place looked completely the opposite. There wasn't thunderclouds or a dark void crackling lightning every second. The sky was bright with blue, something that was now foreign to Corrin and the others. Pink cherry blossom trees were in neat rows around what looked like a large domain bordered by rock walls with smooth, short grass and dirt trails; the color of the trails being a deep brown-orange. It actually looked pretty sweet to Evan compared to the past couple days of crooked trees and dead grass.
"Wait a minute…" Evan paused, taking in everything that's happened. "Where are we?" His eyes widened and his body recoiled. He remembered seeing ninjas cut up the bridge rope to send them falling. 'Wait a second…is this heaven?'
"I…don't think so." Corrin responded; his face contorted with questions of his own. He turned around towards something. "But, Lilith might know."
"Lilith, who's-oh shit!" Evan turned and nearly fell back down upon seeing something floating over their heads. He and Freya had shock plastered all over their faces.
"Oh god!" Freya yelped.
Sobble yelped in fear and hid behind Squirtle's shell upon seeing a small blue dragon, which had two long tails with red ends and had large cat-like eyes. What was so vague about it was how it was attached to a large blue crystal orb like it owned it. It felt similar to a Clamperl or Spoink in a symbolic sense to Evan.
"(What's that supposed to be?)" Squirtle wondered.
"(I-I don't know, but…)" she ducked lower behind Squirtle. "(I-I don't like the way she's looking at me! Save me, Squirtle!)"
"(Hey, hold on! I'm no shield!)"
"(…)" Rolycoly blinked and stared at the dragon, alongside Metapod, who was in more awe and confusion than his other peers.
"Wait, hold on!" Corrin got between them in defense. "It's not what you think it is! Really!" He turned towards the little dragon. "Lilith, right?"
"Right." Lilith slowly drifted further out, allowing elbow room for all their shock to calm down. "My apologies for startling you."
Evan took a moment to collect himself, trying his best to get over the fact he was talking to a dragon-cat thing. "Uh…n-n-no problem…uh, Corrin?"
"Yes?" Corrin leaned in, his shoulder up against Evan as they turned around.
"I don't wanna sound too crazy…but are you sure we're not dead? Because…" he looked over his shoulder at Lilith, then back at him. "Because I'm seeing some freaky cat, dragon thing with a blue ball and floating like it owns gravity."
"Right, I'll get to that." Corrin severed himself from Corrin, giving them all room and increasing volume. "Well guys, this is Lilith. Lilith, these are my friends. Evan, and the other is Freya. Can you explain to them what happened?"
Lilith nodded. "Yes, I'll explain." She floated into the center, giving herself centerstage for everyone. "Allow me to tell you what happened…"
Corrin and everyone were falling into the depths of the canyons that awaited them. Along with debris and rope that fell from the bridge, their bodies had become numb as the velocity they were traveling straight down picked up. It was enough for Corrin to still see where they were going, but at this point there was no going back.
'No! This is bad!' He looked over to see if Evan was thinking, or if Freya was able to pull off anything. But both were falling with eyes shut. They were starved, exhausted, and now that they suffered this they were unconscious. 'They're outcold…'
He looked back down into the dark pit, seeing anything but a good end to this.
Suddenly a blue light caught his attention. He looked up, seeing something fall and rapidly catch up to them. He recognized the blue hair and red dot on the forehead as the light got brighter. '…Lilith?'
The maid fell out of the blue, sailing into all of them as fast as she could. She got close enough to where she clasped her hands and interlocked her fingers. Her eyes shut as she was summoning a chant. "My kin…my gods…my blood…Great Dragons! Grant me thy strength! Great Moro, I beseech you!"
A blue light swallowed her entire body. It was so bright Corrin nearly went blind, but he knew better than to look away. The light she summoned had brought an enigmatic field around them. Their rapid falling pace had come to a stop in midair. They all floated in midair, all of whom were blacked out from exhaustion or otherwise shock. Corrin was the only one who saw Lilith's illustrious light morph her body.
As the light fade, it showed her again, but as a small dragon holding onto an orb of some kind. There was a faint blue glow from the orb, signaling it's use of power to suspend them. Her eyes stared directly into Corrin's, an expectant look showcasing.
"Lilith…is that you…?" Corrin awed. "Where did you…how did…?"
"Lord Corrin…" Her voice had a faint echo that went through the canyons. "There would've come a day when this would happen. And now it has. Lord Corrin, understand this…I am not human."
Corrin dismissed the news from out of the blue. He furrowed his brow. "I can see…" he paused. "Then does this make you…a dragon then?"
Lilith humbly nodded. "Correct. My true form…you've seen it before."
Corrin furrowed his brow further. He tried to think of where this was coming from, or if he really could remember. His pupils shrunk as he was brought back to a memory.
It was in a barn, and it was around nighttime. He could remember climbing up to the second floor to find a stray cat crawling up towards that bird. It was already injured, but he saved it regardless.
"Lilith…that means…you…"
She smiled. "You remembered…good. Yes, Lord Corrin, that was indeed me. Even after I was saved by you, I chose to take a new form; a human form, so I could serve you." She morbidly frowned. "But now, the capacity of my powers that I am using is beyond human. I'm afraid that I cannot revert to human again."
"Lilith…" Corrin frowned.
She shook her head, dismissing her sadness. "It's nothing. I do not mind. The most important thing is that you are well, Lord Corrin. Now, let's save you and your friend." The glow from her orb brightened, enveloped in green-yellow runes that spread outwards. "Oh great Dragons! Grant thy access to the Astral Plane!"
A radiant light beamed brightly in the canyon's darkness. It was so much that Corrin couldn't see at all and screamed at the top of his lungs.
The looks on Evan and Freya could best describe the way this whole reality was to them: Utterly unbelievable. It was a lot to take in, and that was saying something. Their confusion, however, didn't stop Lilith from her ongoing explanations and what not.
"So then…I trust that you both are alright now, right?" Lilith innocently interjected.
"Uh…y-yeah, yeah. We are, right?" He turned to Freya, who was still just as stupefied. "It's uh…"
"Lilith." Corrin was the one to block her off from the others. They looked morally confused, and Corrin could see that first-hand. "Sorry, but I need to know. Where are we again?"
Lilith floated away, turning on the orb's axis to face the great walls of the region. "We are currently residing with what's known as the Astral Planes."
"The Astral Planes?" Corrin parroted. "Wait, so how are you even able to teleport us here."
Lilith turned and faced her friends. "It comes from the First Dragons, those who have inhabited this world before us. They've given us the permission to reside here."
Evan looked around, his mind completely dazed and out of it. While his brain processing powers were rather limited for the time being, he could still comprehend the fact this place, no matter how huge, was still desolate. "Not to be rude here, but is this place run by someone?" he asked.
"Hm, what was that?" Lilith asked. "Oh, I see…" she frowned, a morbid tone overcoming her. "No, I'm afraid it's only us. We're all that's left…"
Corrin quickly understood and stepped closer to comfort Lilith. "We're so sorry. We didn't mean to invoke any bad memories."
Evan cleared his throat, quickly lowering his head. "Uh, y-yeah. Sorry."
Lilith shook her head, managing to come around. "No, it's alright. Besides, I have all of you to thank for being here. Please, allow me to aid you all." She closed her eyes, her orb shining a bright light. The ground nearby started shaking, a familiar energy rising until everyone nearly jumped at a very large incantation spewing from the earth. In a blinding flash, it summoned a large tree with two sets of ladders. One ladder went to a huge treehouse that had a chimney on top, while another house sat at the lower branches, a little smaller with no chimney, but was much closer to the ground to where you might skip down.
Lilith turned towards everyone with satisfaction. "I believe that this shall suffice for you and your friends, Lord Corrin."
Corrin blinked, processing what happened. "Lilith…was that a Dragon Vein you used just now?"
Lilith dutifully nodded in confirmation. "Why yes. The power of the First Dragons flows freely here. I'm allowed to construct as I see fit. Time and Space also are affected in another way."
Corrin furrowed his brow. "How so?"
"Enough that by the time tomorrow comes, it's like not even a second has passed…at least by how I counted." Lilith floated towards the treehouses. "Alright, I believe you've all earned some rest."
Corrin nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Lilith. We're in your care."
"My pleasure." She blushed.
Evan and Freya looked down at their feet, their minds completely out of balance from everything moving too fast. They shot glances at their Squirtle and Sobble, both looking up to them expectantly. They looked at each other, confused just as much as they were.
Night had fallen onto the Astral Planes, or as close as what night can seem. If a dark blanket in the sky were just clouds 24/7, then who's to say morning had already come? This line of thought stuck with Evan and Freya as they were in the bottom treehouse. Corrin had already gone fast asleep, which gave them room to talk as they ate from a pile of berries that Lilith gave them to snack on for the time being.
Inside their little hut, Squirtle and the other Pokémon were still out. They were enjoying their share of the spoils while talking themselves out.
"(These taste pretty good.)" Squirtle mumbled, berry juice splattered all over his mouth. He looked over to find Metapod immobile. "(You good Metapod?)"
Metapod didn't move. "(Yes.)"
Squirtle blinked. He picked up a random berry and held it up to Metapod's face…if he had one. "(Here, can you still eat? Be a shame to let this all waste. Where's your…)" He looked around Metapod's body, wondering where a possible maw would be. "(Um…you might have a problem.)"
"(I know.)" Metapod said blankly, eyes closing. "(But it's like as much as I wanna eat, I gotta preserve my energy. It's this cocoon.)"
Squirtle frowned, an utter sense of guilt rising for his new buddy. "(Oof, uh…sorry.)" He looked down at the berry pile, picking more berries up and eating them for himself. He knew Caterpie was starving, and a diet of dead grass and dirt was just poor, even for him. He was grateful to not have that much of a strict diet compared to what Metapod – as Caterpie – craved. "(Well, look on the bright side Metapod, if you evolve soon, I'll help you get as much food crammed in your stomach to make up for Caterpie.)"
If Metapod had a mouth, he'd be smiling modestly. "(Thank you. But it's not a big deal, really…)"
"(…)" Rolycoly was a quiet lump of coal, who ate little bits of berries. It looked like even his appetite was picky.
'(Why am I surrounded by so many picky people? First my Trainer doesn't like this weird food called bologna, now all this…)' He noticed Sobble was eating rather close to her Trainer rather than the small circle they had. To this, he wanted to call out, but he chose to observe.
Freya pet the gentle creature as she enjoyed the small batch of berries. She mumbled with her tail wagging left and right. She looked a lot more comfortable around Freya, and that's saying something since she's the one thing distracting the person at this time.
Had his share already, Evan was on his bed, which was the opposite of Freya's. He sighed as he looked up to the wooden ceiling, a lost look of morbid revelation on his face.
"Evan…?" Freya calmly tried talking to him, but he seemed rather lost. She looked down at her knees. "Listen, I know it's been a long day, but maybe we should-"
"We're in another world."
Freya stopped in her tracks, her train of thought ceasing. "E-Excuse me?"
"…we're in another world. That's gotta be the only explanation." He lifted his knees, crossing one over the other. "I mean, think about it. All this magic. This talk about First Dragons, not to mention the one that was supposed to be human. I don't know how her parents got around to that…"
Freya scrunched her brow. What Evan said does make sense. She would've pegged it was part of some unexploited region, but up till now, it's been a rather different taste unlike the usual human life. She let him continue.
"Some kind of bright explosion happened, and those falling stars should've been Pokémon…or maybe other people."
"You think there's even more than us?" Freya worried.
"I don't know…maybe." He rolled over onto his side, facing her, but he was staring at the arms and hands sprawled forward like a dog. "Patrick's right…I'm just a dreamer." He ignored the look Freya had given him. "He kept telling me to stop pegging my dreams from reality, that to be realistic matters. Like his dream of some kind of doctor, I don't know…" he sighed. "I was looking forward to being a Trainer, too…guess when I wanted just one dream of mine to come true, this happens." He breathed heavily out his nose, his voice cracking. "How ironic."
Freya looked down at her shoes, kicking them back and forth lightly. Evan was just a 16-year-old boy she just met not even a day ago and already they've been through enough to make them have breakdowns. She needed something to help her ease. "Sorry if it gets noisy."
Evan rolled his head to see her reach for her bagpipes. He was going to get to a question but the answer came quicker than expected.
A calm, long note was played that was low enough to echo through their treehouse. Her notes were slow, but they vibrated like flowing water. The notes kept coming, and her fingers on the notes were becoming gentle, and high-pitched at times. They reverberated off the walls and towards the other Pokémon. Even they stopped their questionable bounty and turned towards Freya.
Evan found himself lost in Freya's tune. If he wasn't so tired, he'd be whistling. But the serenity of the tune kept him at bay for the time being. Even at night, Freya looked intently focused and majestic as her vague music voice was so soothing.
Once her lips parted from blowing into the pipe, she took a moment to gather herself. "Feel better?"
Evan, to his own surprise, didn't feel as big of a headache as he did a minute ago. "Yeah, thanks…"
Freya sighed to herself. "My parents made me learn to play an instrument. It was either this or a kazoo…better to have something loud, but something that didn't sound too stupid." She looked over at Sobble, who was already sound asleep by her bagpipes. Freya gently rubbed her head, smiling softly. "I've always hated playing the bagpipes growing up. I'd have lessons for myself that I didn't take seriously. But, when I met Sobble, she actually liked it. And, as you could guess it, I actually started getting better."
Evan stared blankly at Freya as she stood up, kicking her shoes off so she could rest soundly on her bed as she undid the sheets. "I know how you feel, Evan. But…" She crawled under the pink sheets, Sobble curling up at her side as she laid on her side. "But we'll find a way. If we're really in another world, then maybe there's a way back."
Evan thought about what she said, coming to a conclusion. "Yeah. Maybe…"
"I'm sure that Corrin person will be willing to help us. He seems like a trustworthy guy." She broke for a yawn. "I'm sure he'll believe us if we just ask him."
"Yeah, maybe…" Evan faced the ceiling, his calmed mind starting to get hazy. His thoughts about Corrin emerged in flashbacks; from the dream he had to the fights they've had. To now. 'He just watched that old guy fall and die, and he's acting so tough…I wonder if he really does understand?'
Deciding to save the question, he pulled his beanie over his head and went to sleep. Squirtle tucked into his shell while Metapod remained stationary at his bedside.
Up on the treehouse above, Corrin's window was wide open. He stared up at the ceiling, the fire from his chimney going out as he had a long day to take in.
A new dawn had sprouted onto the astral realm. Despite it seeming impossible, the warmth the new sun had peered through the region's domain, brightening up everything. Corrin and his comrades were in front of Lilith as she greeted them. "I trust that you all are rested now?" she asked.
Corrin nodded. "Yes, we feel much better now. I'm sure of it, right?" He turned towards his peers to see what they were going to say.
Evan adjusted the beanie knit hat that covered his head. "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks."
"Me too." Freya nodded. "Thanks for letting us use that spring to wash up."
Lilith nodded with glee. "My pleasure. Don't worry about your dirt. Dragon Veins can always purify the water here." She turned towards the large pool that was hidden behind a couple of cherry blossom trees. It was something that Freya asked for that was, in a sense, a necessity. They sept like babies after what they've been through, and the first thing they needed was to wash up. They took turns though, with Evan coming in dead last.
"I have so many questions about this world." Corrin prompted.
"I can understand that." Lilith replied. "But, I do believe you have business elsewhere, right?"
Corrin nodded. "Yes, you're right. I can't rest well knowing if the others made it back safe and sound to home."
"Of course. There is just one mention of something that I think you should be aware of, though. When I open the gateway back, it will drop you off back from where you all started. I advise you all brace yourselves as you'll be along the Hoshidan border."
Evan and Freya gave each other worried looks. They barely made it out the last time they've ventured into the Bottomless Canyon. But right now, they knew they had to get answers, and they wouldn't do so in here.
"We understand. We're ready." Corrin spoke boldly.
Lilith nodded in understanding. "Very well then. I will open the gate." She closed her eyes, concentrating the power in her body through her orb. "Lord Corrin and friends, be well."
The light shined brighter than before, swallowing them all through magical runes that flowed about to a bright blur.
…
Along the Bottomless Canyon, the domain was completely bare, stripped of any people or living things that would are think to cross paths once more. Amongst the dirt trail along the Hoshidan border, the same bright light increased, then shrank. It fluxed outwards, slowly brightening until it was big enough to envelop a human body. In a flash, Corrin, Evan, and Freya all dropped to their feet onto the dirt.
"What happened?" Evan looked around, shocked at what happened.
"I'm not sure." Freya looked around hastily, processing her surroundings. "I-I think we really did go back."
"You sure?"
Corrin looked around, taking in the surroundings once more. "Yeah, looks like this is where Lilith dropped us off. That's good." He softly smiled. "You guys alright?"
"Yeah. I think so." Evan looked at his own body, turning over his arms. "But all this place hopping is making me dizzy…"
Corrin sighed, exasperated. "I don't blame you. Now then…" He turned back towards the canyons, eyeing all his surroundings. He seemed awfully suspicious with it being so vacant. "Wait…where is everyone? I don't see them…"
As Corrin turned his head to look far out, Freya and Evan huddled close so they could whisper into the other's ear. The younger man went first. "Do we tell him?"
"I don't know. What do you think?"
"Well what's the worst he could do if he doesn't believe us?"
"Kill us?"
"He wouldn't do that…" Evan paused, thinking about the dark blade in Corrin's hand. Even now, its sinister shadow reminded him of the arena. "A-At least hope not."
"Hope not for what?" a third voice said.
"Oh god!" Evan and Freya jumped away from each other, looking at Corrin when he surprisingly was right beside them. He seemed to be paying attention to them. "Uh, Corrin! It's just you." Evan sighed heavily.
"Sorry." His face turned serious. "Are you both sure you're alright? You seem rather cautious about something."
Freya and Evan looked at each other, trying to get what they should tell him. After what felt like an eternity of mental debating, Evan stepped up. "Uh, listen, Corrin…" he started. "Uh, Freya and I…we kinda talked last night, and well, we think you should hear us out."
Corrin frowned. "Something wrong?"
"No…" he turned away. "W-Well…I guess you aren't wrong, but…" He faced Corrin, collecting his words. "Look, Freya and I, we kinda…came from the same place we realized just yesterday. And, well, this might sound a little crazy, but-!"
"Look out!" Freya shouted.
"What-?!" Corrin and Evan turned in time to see a club wielded by an arm swing right at their faces.
Dark clouds loomed over the capital of Nohr. The great city was illuminated promptly by torch lights and matches by the people of the city. Though, within the realm of the castle, the lights were on just as brightly.
King Garon sat at his throne, his doors wide open as he seemed openly composed. The king was broken from his line of thoughts when his children appeared in front of his doorway, all of them in single file fashion. "Hmph, what do you want?" he scoffed. "Enter."
The children all entered by their own accord, walking to the bottom of King Garon's stairway and kneeled before. His Majesty gave them all a scrutinizing look. "Well? Did you round up that problem?"
"Yes, Father. We've been successful in disbanding and apprehending as many of the wild inhabitance as ordered." Xander announced. "There was a great resistance, but we believe this may be worth your time."
King Garon shot them all as cowl. "Hmph, took you all long enough. To have just wild animals run amock in my kingdom. BAH!" He banged his fist against his throne chair, causing a thump. He huffed and settled back into his seat.
"Father." Leo humbly asked.
Garon shot him a dark look. "What do you want now?"
"If I may speak." Leo stood up, his arms behind his back and cleared his throat. "Father, during the investigation, these creatures have taken a very different shapes and forms. We're not very familiar with any of their species."
Garon furrowed his brow. "Where are you going with this? Speak!"
"Very well. When Elise healed one of the soldiers, he explained that there was one human that was spotted that was in control of one of these animals. He explained that when he heard a command, the creature attacked with dragon fire."
Camilla was piqued by this turn of events. Even she wasn't fully aware of this fact. 'Dragon fire?'
Garon listened to what Leo said, scoffing at the input providing. "Hmph, so you're saying that these animals are able to be tamed is what you're saying? And where is this supposed human?"
"I'm afraid the human is still at large, Father. Our apologies." King Garon's growls of anger were bubbling over. "However, amongst the creatures, we were able to apprehend a good sum of them from the wilderness until further notice."
Garon grunted and turned towards his other children. "Xander. Bring in two of these so-called creatures. I wanna see them for myself."
"It shall be done, Father." Xander bowed and stood up. He turned around and walked out of the throne room, leaving to get what his father asked for.
Once he returned, he stepped off to the side, revealing two soldiers coming into the throne room with two large cages on rollers. They seemed pretty heavy. In these cages, Garon and everyone saw what looked like a small black canine with a bone helmet and an orange snout and underbelly. The other one looked like an arthropod with a nearly flat body with small legs and eyes that made him look wimpy.
"Here are two, Father, as you have requested." Xander announced, gesturing to the snarling mutt and quivering scallop.
Elise's eyes widened in shock. "Woah! A dog?! And what is that, a cockroach?!"
The bug in the cage whimpered at Elise's insult. He looked like he was about to cry.
"How very…underwhelming." Camilla noted. She looked at the Houndour, taking notice of the design of his body. "Though, I question why this one has bones on his body. Armor perhaps?"
Houndour snarled, baring his fangs at Camilla for the provocative remark.
Garon's face didn't show any pleasure at these two. "And what's the purpose here you're trying to make, Leo?"
"Father, if you'll allow me." Leo walked in front of the cages, standing still and calculative. "I believe the men described them being able to perform magic of their own. I believe you should be aware of this."
"Wait, what? In Father's own throne room?" Elise questioned. "Leo, don't you think-!"
"SILENCE!" Garon roared, his voice making Elise bow her head in regret and quieted down. He turned towards Leo with an expectant glare. "Gnnngh…very well, Leo. Demonstrate what these creatures can do. Don't disappoint."
Leo bowed and turned away. "I won't." He turned towards the cagekeepers. "Release them."
The guards applied rope to the doors of the cages. They stepped back, pulling on the ropes to lift up the cage doors. As soon as an opportunity befell, the dog pounced out, snarling at Leo. The wimpy insect scuttled out, but was shaking in place.
"Now then, show Father what you creatures are capable of." Leo demanded. "Unleash your powers. In doing so you may very well live."
The Wimpod jumped at what Leo threatened to do. "(W-wait! Did he just say 'if we wanna live'?!)" He shuddered even more fearfully than before. "(Ohnononono! I don't wanna die)"
The Houndour on the other hand snorted out embers from his maw. He seemed delighted to engage in battle as he barked madly. He raised his head and howled towards the ceiling. Its intense echoing shrilled ears, as well as enveloped him and Wimpod in a bright red aura, increasing stats of some sort.
"Was that some battle cry?" Camilla chimed.
Xander didn't say. Instead, he continued to observe.
The Wimpod shuddered as he looked between Houndour and Leo, both of them looking fiercely intimidating for him to handle. If it weren't for his anatomy, he'd end up leaving a stain on the red carpet. "(O-Okay! KYAH!)" He lifted his head and sneezed, shooting sand and dust into Leo. The sudden rise of this matter obscured his vision, leaving him unable to see his foes.
Covered in sand, Leo snorted and tried wiping it out of his eyes. 'It summoned sand out of nowhere just so it could blind me.' When he uncovered, it was already too late when the Houndour ran up and pounced with glowing fangs. He chomped down on Leo's armored arm, causing it to slightly dent from the power of its fangs. Leo stood his ground and grunted at the force of the bite.
"Leo!" Elise shouted in worry. She wanted to swoop in, but Camilla interceded her path.
"No, Elise…Father must see this for himself."
Elise looked back, looking worried.
Leo grunted and swatted his arm, sending the dog back. Houndour snarled loudly as he opened his maw and fired embers at Leo. Wimpod squealed as he unleashed dozens of bright green firefly comets that spread far out towards Leo. As the attacks closed in, Leo looked back, seeing King Garon seemingly invested in the fight. He looked back, raising his palm.
"That will be enough." Without hesitation, he unleashed a magic seal that interceded Wimpod and Houndour's attacks, leaving them open. The circle expanded, sending a root-like wave at them. Houndour shrieked as he fell on his back, yelping loudly in pain. Wimpod shrieked as he was sent flying. He fell onto his back, hissing for an opportunity to get back up.
Leo turned around, facing his peers. "I believe that shall suffice, Father. As you can see, these creatures are able to unleash elemental attacks as well. I believe this could very well elate your desires."
King Garon watched the scene, even as Wimpod was getting up. He watched the insect look around, seeing Houndour barely standing until he fell back over. He looked at the scary enemies, and he finally split as a breakneck crawling speed for the doors. Nohrian soldiers went to race for him.
"Stop!" Garon ordered.
The soldiers and everyone came to a halt as the Wimpod scurried away. They all turned towards him as he had a serious, yet also scary expression. He was getting an idea…one that was putting an idea in motion.
"Hehehehee…hehehehee….!"
"Father?" Xander questioned.
Garon fell into full grown laughter, echoing loudly through the chamber. The sight he saw, it's something he knew had t be a sign. He couldn't hep but feel so excited at the golden opportunity before him. Once he finished his laughter, he smirked maliciously.
"Yes…Yes, I do believe that example was more than enough, Leo. You have earned my empathy indeed." He remarked humbly.
Leo bowed. "Thank you, Father."
"You said that there was a human who commanded a creature such as these, right? I believe we have found something we can use." Garon turned towards Camilla. "Camilla! Go to the woods. Search for this person if you must. The rest of my children, we shall make haste and make use of this."
"Yes, Father." Camilla bowed and turned to leave for her duties for the hunt.
Leo stepped up. "Father, about the insect-!"
"Let it go!" He snapped. "I have no use for such weak monsters for my army." He laughed uproariously, his echoes reaching out towards the castle walls. "Soon! Hoshido will learn its place!"
His echoes turned monstrous, all while the Wimpod was making a getaway from the castle walls.
Corrin, Evan, and Freya laid on what looked like a wooden floor, right next to a cauldron with a fresh meal that was being made. The aroma of the fresh meat that was being cooked was what brought them all back to reality.
"Ohhh…my head…" Evan rolled to his side, clutching his throbbing cranium. "What is it with people clubbing me in the back, I swear…" He jerked up and saw his friends beside him. "Huh? Hey, Freya, Corrin?"
Corrin stirred, his own head throbbing weakly. "Gnnngh…Evan? What happened?"
"I don't know." He looked around, his nose whiffing up the smell of food being stirred. He looked at the cauldron. "What the…?"
"Who's that…?" Freya stirred.
"I see you're all awake." A voice called. "That's good."
Sitting across from their slumbering firms was a familiar face. She used a cooking tool to prod the stir-fry meat and caused a mountain of steam to sizzle. It dissipated, revealing the strong warrior whom Corrin and Evan were all too familiar with.
Immediately, Corrin's eyes widened. "Wait…it's you! The woman from the Flame Tribe, right?"
"Rinkah?" Evan gasped.
Rinkah gave Evan a smirk. "Nice to see you've made it out of that hellhole. That's good." She looked over at Freya. "And it seems you've met someone along the way. I'm Rinkah, the Flame Tribe's princess."
Freya brushed a lock back, trying to get over the sudden shock. "Hello." She looked at Evan. "You know her?"
"Yeah, you can say that." Evan passed Rinkah a glance as she continued stirring the cauldron. "We met back in Nohr in a jail cell. We were thrown into some fight to the death with Corrin, and well…one thing leads to another. So yeah."
Rinkah smiled, but it was lost towards Corrin. "Sorry, but even though you tried to spare me, I have to answer my job as a princess. I have to hand you over to the Hoshidan authorities."
Corrin frowned. "I see. They want an explanation on the unprovoked attack then?" He looked down, his face showing genuine regret. "I'm sorry about everything."
Rinkah crossed her arms, huffing in exasperation. "It's too late for apologies now. But at the very least…" She picked up three plates, placing hot, fresh stir-fry meat and birth on them. Instantly their faces were awash with envy for hunger. "I suppose you can have a small bite."
"Oh, um…thank you." Freya looked down, looking at her plate and was handed a spoon.
Corrin and Evan didn't know what to say, but Evan was more then elated to take food from someone he knew as an ally. They both picked up spoons and started eating their empty stomachs out.
The door knocked, signaling someone had arrived. Rinkah stood up, towering over her guests. "That's them. You all ready?"
Setting their empty plates down, Corrin stood up with Evan and Freya, all of them facing the door. One way or another, there was no going out of this now. If they did. Evan knew Rinkah would very well reach for her club before he could get his Squirtle or Metapod out. This was a no-win situation unfortunately for them.
They all walked out of the home. Immediately they were met with a cool breeze and snowy valleys that lead to a white sky. With their clothing and armor it was nothing to them. They walked out, only to meet a familiar green-haired ninja.
"Kaze?"
Evan's remark made the familiar ninja grin. "I see you've been well, Evan. That's fortunate to see." He turned towards Corrin. "And to you, Prince Corrin…" he kneeled, bowing in gracious respects of him. "I am relieved to see you are also well."
Corrin blinked in surprise. "You are?"
"Yes. But now is not the time." He stood up, turning towards a trail that would take them towards Hoshido. "Everything will be explained once we reach Hoshido. If you would."
Corrin and the others looked at each other one more time. There were unnerving feelings present on them. Freya was especially confused, just as much as anyone else would've guessed.
With no choice, they all took to their heels and followed Kaze along calmly. As they trudged their way, Rinkah was left alone to see them off, sighing as she went back into her hut
A wild Taillow chirped as it soared over the woodland areas. Compared to what Evan and Freya were used to, there was a lot more green and lush wildlife than there was back in Nohr. It was a refreshing change f pace for them since it didn't feel like anyone was out to kill them. Though knowing a ninja and a knight were around them while they were unarmed wasn't exactly a silver lining for them either.
"Evan." Freya decided to break the tension as they walked along. "Is this Kaze another friend of yours?"
Evan looked back at Kaze, seeing as how he was looking over his shoulder at him to see how he'd respond. He was wise to choose his words carefully. "Uh…I guess you can say that. Corrin?" he deflected it towards his friend, who took the hint promptly.
"Yeah, we're familiar with him." He grinned. "I had to fight him and Rinkah under Father's orders. I didn't want to kill them like he wanted, but then…" he trailed off, unsure of how to describe what happened next.
"I see." Freya turned towards Kaze, grinning. "So he's reliable too, then."
Kaze humbly grinned. "Please, don't flatter me, Miss. But, Prince Corrin."
"Yes?"
Kaze paused, a smirk crossing his face. "I do say that I very much appreciate your kindness. Because of this act, I believe there is a hope for Nohrians and Hoshidans alike. I'm sure of it."
Corrin appreciated Kaze's forward attitude. He smiled sincerely.
"And to you, Evan, are you still holding onto those…what do you call them again?"
Evan picked up his pace, but he wasn't gonna be a full-fledged liar just yet. He just had to roll with the punches. "Oh, uh, y-you mean my Squirtle and, uh…Metapod?"
Kaze raised a brow. "Is that what they were called?" he put a hand to his chin. "Hmm, I can't seem to recognize any species like that around Hoshido. And not along the way to Nohr either. You said you were from the south, right?"
Evan nodded. "Uh, yeah, something like that."
"I see…our people are having a problem. Tell me, do you know anything about these creatures that are around our homeland?"
Before he could properly answer the question, something jumped in front of their way. Out from the shrubs, it was a large, magenta-shelled insect that resembled much of a centipede. It had long, thick antennae with large yellow eyes with black sclera. Along its body were green segments. It hissed at them, giving off a territorial impression.
Due to his studies, Evan was more than aware of what this creature was. "A Venipede." He pulled out his PokeDex, analyzing the insect that interceded their pathway.
"Venipede, the Centipede Pokémon. Its bite injects a potent poison, enough to paralyze large bird Pokémon that try to prey on it."
'Another Bug-type, just like Metapod is.' Evan looked left and right, seeing what could be done. However, he noticed that Kaze was ready to pull out knives on the venomous centipede. "Hey, hey! Hold on, Kaze! I got this!" Evan insisted.
Kaze turned towards him, intrigued. "You do?" He looked back at the centipede, then turned towards Evan as he walked up. "Very well then."
"Thanks." Evan walked in front of the group, facing down the Venipede that was ready to attack them. He knew that Kaze straight-up killing it or Corrin using Ganglari would've been bad news. He had to keep it safe. "Sorry about this Venipede, but better me than these guys. Nothing personal."
Venipede hissed angrily, crawling up to attack.
Evan pulled out a Poke Ball, the capsule getting Corrin and Kaze's attention. "Go, Squirtle!" The caspule popped open, revealing Squirtle as he mildly spread his legs and tail for battle.
"(Alright, ready.)" The turtle faced his enemy, who curled up into a ball. The Venipede started rolling at Squirtle, but he was prepared. "(Alright Evan, ready this time!)"
Evan pointed forward. "Squirtle! Bubble!"
Squirtle inhaled sharply before the turtle opened wide. He spat out a large spray of bubbles that stopped Venipede's attack on command. The jet of bubbles continued until Venipede was eventually pushed back by them.
'It can unleash bubbles like a reflex. I don't recall it doing anything like that.' Kaze turned towards Evan, amazement and curiosity settling. 'Is he…familiar with this species then?'
Corrin didn't know what to say either. He just saw Evan pull out odd capsules and release the monsters to fight. He almost forgot he had those on him.
Venipede hissed and reared up on his hind legs. He unleashed poisonous barbs at Squirtle, who was bright enough to sidestep at the last second. "(You know, compared to what I've dealt with, that was slow.)" he murmured. "(Evan!)"
Nodding, Evan pointed forward. "Squirtle, Bubble!"
Squirtle pivoted back to center and released another spread of bubbles. The jet beamed into Venipede repeatedly, blasting him nonstop until he had no choice but to tumble off from the force. He hissed meekly, limping away from the threats to let them all by.
"Nice job, Squirtle. Return for now." Evan praised. He lifted his Poke Ball, putting him back inside without much else. He sighed and faced the others. "What?"
"Did you you…just use your pet to fight your battle?" Kaze questioned. His tone was a mixture of curiosity and genuine concern for what transpired.
Evan furrowed his brow, feeling offended in some way. "Well, it's not like there's much of a choice for me. I mean I don't have fancy knives or swords to wield." He glanced at Freya. "Freya, back me up on this."
Freya stepped in front to back up Evan. "It's not what you think. There's a lot right now we need to talk about."
"Yeah, what she said. Look, look. It's been a long couple days for both of us. It may look like something like that, but we've got our reasons. You understand, right?"
Evan and Freya's little testimony was left in the air for Corrin and Kaze to grasp. As much as they would want to hear some more about this fable and what they really know about these animals, now wasn't the best time. Kaze knew this. Besides, he knew that from the fight back in Nohr it wasn't intentional.
Kaze humbly nodded. "Very well then." A Taillow flew over his head, making him frown. "But, with all these creatures around our border, we'll need someone to answer to this."
"How far are we from Hoshido then?" Corrin asked.
"Not far. Follow me." Kaze continued leading the trail, with Evan, Freya, and Corrin following close behind.
Further southeast they traveled down the trail, taking them to the borders and realm that lied Hoshido. Much like Nohr, the major capital was expansive and grand. The sun shined brightly down on every house, which was similar to Japanese roofing. It bared a strong resemblance to Ecruteak City, not that anyone in Hoshido would know that.
In the very center of this large city, there lied a large throne palace that had a familiar chime to the Bell Tower as well. It was ornate, and very prestigious to admire from afar. Only a few were ever allowed to go through and venture into the palace themselves.
"Woaah…that's new." Evan admired. The castle was so tall; not to mention the huge watch towers of similar design around them.
Kaze nodded in agreement. "Indeed. I agreed to that when I first bared witness to this place." He walked down the bridge-like stairs that carried them inside. "Now then, let's head inside. Lord Ryoma is waiting."
Everyone frowned. They had a feeling this would go bad somewhere. Nevertheless, they had to keep their heads high and follow along. For Evan and Freya's sakes, they had to.
They journeyed inside, where upon reaching the inner circle of the palace's insides, the embroidery had a lot of gold accents that complimented the white wallpaper with red frames. They've made way up to the throne area, where at the bottom of some steps, a familiar face jogged something in Evan and Corrin's mind. A switch went on, like seeing him helped them think.
Flashes of their respective dreams emerged from their slumbers. They recalled seeing Ryoma amongst their ranks, either ready to confront whatever they were gonna attack together, or Corrin's dream of the Xander clash. 'That's him.' Both thought in unison. They each swallowed a lump, again at the same time.
They walked up, in which beside them Rinkah was present, much to Freya's shock. "Rinkah? But I thought you were…?"
Rinkah turned, smirking. "I took a shortcut."
Kaze stopped beside Rinkah, with him kneeling before Ryoma. The high prince of Hoshido looked even more intimidating and regal up close. He eyed Kaze with generosity. "Well done, Kaze. Welcome back." He greeted.
Kaze softly smiled back. "Thank you, Lord Ryoma."
Corrin flinched at this answer. "Lord Ryoma…?" He turned towards him, shock coming up. He's heard about him through what his brother Xander and King Garon explained. It was staggering at best to be in the same room as the high prince of Hoshido himself.
Asif answering his call, Rinkah smirked. "That's right. Lord Ryoma, the high prince of Hoshido himself."
"So this is a high prince…" Freya looked at Ryoma with just as much awe as the silent Evan. For a prince, aside from the crown, she didn't know what to say about him. What could she say? This was one of those times where they had to clam up and wait it out.
Ryoma crossed his arms and looked at Corrin deeply. It was like staring in the face of a god almost compared to what he's seen. Xander was definitely up there, but the power he felt coming from Ryoma was beyond his level. He wasn't sure he could weasel himself out of this one.
Ryoma looked towards Evan and Freya next, exchanging glares of uncertainty and wonder about them. Before long, he faced Evan again, his face showing a humble stare.
"So…is this where I'm supposed to be executed?" Corrin questioned sternly. He stared Ryoma in the eye, fists clutched at the fate to come. "If I was brought here to be killed, then get on with it already."
"Corrin…" Evan was looking for something to ease the tension, but before he could, something else did it for him.
The sound of footsteps got everyone's attention. Ryoma looked past Corrin to see someone head their way. Rinkah and Kaze all stood before someone as the three Hoshidan captives turned in curiosity. Before their eyes, a regal person had come to light.
The person was what could best be described as a beautiful and refined woman, possibly in her 30's. Yet she looked so young and had a healthy complexion. She had long black hair that was in a high ponytail that slithered down her back. She wore a huge white gown with gold accents on them. On her upper body was a mantle of the same color scheme and design, with her shoulders having thin plating of gray and gold.
They all fell silent upon seeing her. If anything, they were befuddled at who this person was. She looked sincerely at Corrin specifically. "Um…hello…?" he quipped.
The woman said nothing, but her face started falling from a composed sense to one of relief. "I…cannot believe this." She muttered. "It's really you…"
"I'm sorry, am I missing something here?" Corrin looked towards Evan and Freya, but he was met with confused expression much like they gave him. They face the woman, who was starting to tear up. "M-Ma'am, are you alright…?"
The woman sniffled, using her sleeve to wipe away a tear. "I've missed you so much…come here! My sweet child!" Out of the blue, she walked up to Corrin, wrapping her arms around the teenager. She held him so tight that Corrin wouldn't be able to get free even if he turned into a ghost.
"W-What?!" Corrin's cheeks flushed red, confusion piling ten-fold on him.
"What…?" Freya gasped. "Are they…?"
Evan blinked, looking back and forth between Freya and Corrin. Words were just scrambled and he couldn't get a proper read on any of this. "I…I-I, I just…what the hell is going on anymore?"
"I'm not sure." Freya groaned.
Corrin was at a loss. He couldn't make heads nor tails of what was going on either. It was incredulous at best. But much like his friends, he didn't have the words as the woman finally pulled herself away to compose. Ryoma stood close by her for reassurance.
"I'm so sorry. You must be in shock after what's happened." The queen stated. "Corrin, please listen. It's a sad story."
"Another story? This should be good." Evan muttered, before Freya shushed him.
"When you were a baby, you were abducted by Nohr's forces." She placed a hand to her chest. "I am your mother, Mikoto. I didn't think I'd ever see my baby boy again…"
Corrin took a step back. "My mother…but, King Garon is my father! I'm not following any of this!"
"It must be a shock for you to take." The deep voice of Ryoma spoke up. "But reassured, what she says is the truth. I am your older brother, Ryoma."
"No! That can't be right!" Corrin's backlash had his voice cracking. His mental composure was getting all twisted. "Xander is my brother, and my siblings are Elise, Leo, and Camilla. That has to be…"
Ryoma furrowed his brow. "Are they Nohrian nobles?" he sighed. "They're not your real family, I'm sorry."
Corrin looked down at the ground, trying hard to take in everything that was being told. But it was becoming a lot to handle.
"Back in those days, tension was indeed between Nohr and Hoshido. However, there wasn't any official war. That was, not until our father – Lord Sumeragi – was lured out by King Garon to compromise under lies. He said it was for a so-called 'peace conference'…" His voice was downgrading to that of spite. "…and because of that, he murdered our father out of cold blood. And then…took you from us."
"But…this can't…I barely remember…" Corrin scrunched his brows and looked to be in pain. He had to remember, or at least try to. But it was all vague. 'Wait…!'
He pictured something in his mind. It was all a blur, but then again, he was so small and a child. But in his mind, he could vaguely see long spiky brown hair and a blue samurai gown. But besides that, he saw a blurry hand reach for his face, with a gown that resembled much of Garon.
Corrin gasped, his eyes shrinking from the vague memory. "I take it that you did remember something after all." Ryoma spoke.
Corrin looked at the ground in a transfixed state. He was trying to word it the best he could, but words weren't exactly the most proficient thing in mind right now. "It's like…a blur. Like there's a stone at the bottom of the lake that you can barely see. But, that's it…"
Ryoma crossed his arms. "I see. I suppose the Nohrian Royals and all, they wouldn't share such information with you at the time. I doubt they'd ever say for their sake. I know, this is a lot to take in, but please…try to understand."
Evan and Freya didn't have the right kind of words to comprehend what was going on either. None of this felt real, but it was happening. They thought their chat from last night meant they had problems, but now they weren't the only ones. Corrin was just slammed with all this information and he didn't know how to make heads or tails of any of it. For now, what they were trying to explain earlier would have to wait, at least for the time being.
The doors suddenly rushed open, revealing a light blue clothed messenger that hurried towards Ryoma's feet, bowing in respects for him. "What is it?" the first prince questioned.
"Sir, we have a message from the north!" he shouted. "We're under attack!"
Ryoma's eyes widened in shock. "What's that?!" he remembered something, which made him gasp in horror. "Wait…Hinoka and Sakura are there! We'll have to leave immediately!"
"Last we've heard, they're evacuating the villagers from the attack." The Hoshidan informed.
"Very well. We will depart at once." Ryoma turned towards Corrin. "Corrin, please come along. You should see this with your own eyes."
Corrin furrowed his brow. He wasn't exactly sure if this was either right or wrong. If anything he was more concerned about his own mental health after what's been loaded onto him. But the rudimentary was that people were in trouble. The least he could do was try and help them. "Uh, s-sure…yeah." He swallowed a lump, straightening himself. "Yes, I'll go."
"Good." Ryoma shot the other two Trainers a look, one much more stern than before. "And who might these two be?"
Kaze moved closer, bowing before his regal might. "Lord Ryoma, please allow me to vouch for these two on their behalf."
"Kaze?" Evan flinched, a little surprised by this act.
"They come along with Corrin to help him. I have seen what they can do. What they have will be of great help, I promise you that."
Ryoma raised a brow. He wanted to see that for himself, but he knew better than to play second guesses when they were on a time crunch. He gave Corrin's allies a scrutinizing glare. "Well, if it's from you Kaze, then it must be true. Very well then."
"Uh, thanks I guess." He shot an unnerved looked at Freya, who seemed just as wondrous as he was. Both just chose to persevere and follow their comrades towards the northern valley/
"Come!" Ryoma ordered. "We must hurry!"
They traveled through Hoshido's square in order to get to the gates. The overall marketplace was bustling with more people that were packed in major cities. It surprised Evan and Freya just how massive the main city of Hoshido was. But alas they didn't have luxuries to go ahead and enjoy the sites as they ran along.
"The entrance to the north is this way. We need to cut through here if we're to take the quickest route." Ryoma stated.
"Okay, we're coming." Corrin trailed behind with the others, but he was constantly bumping into people. "Oof! Oh, I'm sorry…"
Evan and Freya followed close behind, getting close enough to where they didn't lose sight of their peers. As they followed, people were continuing walking around, and one person in particular was moving extremely fast and rushed past a lady. The lady stumbled from how close the swift person was, but she regained herself.
The woman shook her head, seeing nothing but a blur. "What happened? Did…did I just lose my footing for a minute?" She looked down at her basket, but realized something was off. The long brad she had was completely split in half, and half of it was gone. "What?! Did it break apart?!" She looked around for the figure, but it was already gone. "Who did that?!"
In a nearby alleyway, another individual with a Scraggy zipped down the darkness until he realized the close was clear. He held up the footlong bread, smacking his lips. He sighed to himself. "Man, that was a clozer one. Arit'z, let's see what's I'z gots." He lifted the footlong bread, inspecting it. "Ooooh~, baked fresh. Just like how ma mama used to bake'em."
He opened his mouth, taking a bite of the footlong. Almost instantly a quarter of it was taken away and down his gullet. His lips constantly smacked as he savored the grains. "Mmm…pfft!" He spat out some bits all of a sudden, his tongue picking up too much dryness and coughed some. "Uuuugh! Too much powder on the bottom! Thought that's supposed to be a stain!" His lips smacked for an umpteenth time and groaned. "Man…"
"(Ey, yo. You gonna eat that?)"
"Huh?" The man looked down and noticed his Scraggy eying the bread. "Yeahyeahyeah, hold on, foo'." He broke off a chunk and handed it towards the Scraggy. "Here'z you go."
"(Thanks, foo'.)" Scraggy ate up the bread without much complaint. The thief did the same, considering this was the best he could do before he had another shot in the open.
The Nohrian wilds shrilled with the most unsettling environment. The dreary looks of everything and the dead trees everywhere due to no sunlight left everything bare and unable to hide too well. Not unless they were really good with camouflage of course.
A wild Fearow flew high overhead, emitting a powerful caw that could scare a grown adult, The predator bird arched over black branches and kept a sharp eye out for anything that might appease its hunger this time.
That's when its eye caught onto something scurrying at a breakneck pace below. It was moving fast, but he could manage.
Wimpod hurried along through the forest. Everything about this place gave him the creeps, in more ways than one. Everywhere was a crooked tree branch that looked like it could reach out for his face and rip it off. That made him pick up the pace even more.
He stopped for a brief moment to catch his breath. He had no idea how long he ran for, but his little feet were exhausted. They were shaking, and not just from his cowardice. He ran so far from Nohr and that throne room he had to be sure they wouldn't catch him again.
Once the coast was clear, he sighed to himself. A shrilled caw caught his attention, making his eyes widen in fear yet again. He looked around in shock, but it wasn't coming from the ground. His antennae perked up for him, getting flapping from above. Looking up, he found motivation to keep running.
The Fearow cried out as it closed in, talons bared and beak ready to skewer. The Wimpod was too exhausted to get anywhere far, but he had to try. He zoomed across the ground again, the Fearow not far behind.
Wimpod maneuvered under some roots to get his visual aid advantage, but the predator race dover the root to tail him still. Clearly he wasn't that dumb to think without knowing. The bug fled around a few other trees, serpentining through the forest like a maze. Fearow went for higher altitude, deciding to best handle the situation with a better shot.
"(SOMEBODY HELP! HELP! I'M TOO CHEWY!)" he nervously shrieked out, but no one answered him. Rather the blunt answer he received was his one leg getting so tired that he gave out, He collapsed and fumbled onto his back, squirming impishly. "(GNGH! NO!)"
A heinous saw echoed above him. He could hear it, the sound of the Fearow spotting him. The beak was poised as it sailed down after him. Unable to look, he squirmed in place and prepared for his end.
"Bagon, Hydro Pump!"
Just as Fearow was about to land a skewered shrimp for lunch, a powerful jet of water blasted its side, sending it into a tree trunk with a gurgled caw of agony. The Wimpod squirmed upright at long last, but found he was still alive. More so, he was shocked to find his predator was a little ways away with ruffled, soaked feathers.
"(W-what just happened…?)" He curiously looked over, seeing another human with a Bagon jump over a log. They both ran up to intercede the predator and prey, looking in both directions.
"Guess it wasn't that strong as I thought." Nathan looked over at the Wimpod, raising a brow. "What's that?"
Bagon tilted his head. "(I don't know.)"
Wimpod looked between Fearow and the Bagon, his head moving back and forth repeatedly. Several takes later, once he collected himself, he yelped and scurried behind Bagon, shuddering nervously. "(Please help me! I don't wanna die out here!)" the shrimp quipped.
"(What?)" Bagon blinked.
The Fearow shook his head to regain its composure. Its ruffled body quivered, sprinkling the soaked feathers out and getting itself as dry as it could. It looked at Nathan to see he was responsible for this mess. It then saw Wimpod cowering behind Bagon, making it sneer in retaliation.
"Guess it can still move." Nathan figured.
The Fearow spread its wings and took flight again. It ascended towards the air, overlooking everyone once more. At an altitude high enough well over the tree line, it eyed its prey angrily. Nathan and Bagon braced themselves.
The avian raised his head, given a battle call that was answered by a shrilled, draconic shout from not far behind. The shout startled the bird, as well as Nathan below.
"What the hell…?"
Bagon's ears rung. He looked up as the soundwaves echoed. Wimpod shriveled in fear as he saw the avian turn in the air to see something large fly its way. The bird fearfully flew off as another set of wings came flapping into view.
"KRRAAH!" The below of a large armored wyvern scared the Fearow silly. The large bird looked back at the meal it could've had, then back at the wyvern eyeing him. It looked it it could eat it alive…or judging by the way its mouth was lighting up, extra crispy. Out of fear of its own life, he shot the Trainer one look of contempt before choosing to fly towards the mountains.
Nathan looked away from Fearow's retreat and saw the wyvern gazing down on him. It scowled, but it didn't do anything else.
Wimpod quivered in fright, ready to retreat. Bagon remained completely calm and gazed at the wyvern with his own envy. "(So lucky…)"
The wyvern descended towards the ground, allowing its front to lower and allow its rider to mount off it. Upon seeing the bodacious armored female, Nathan's world slowed down some. "Woah…"
Now that he saw her up close, she wasn't showing a lot of skin, but it was enough to grasp his attention for sure. He watched her hips sway from side to side as she approached him, her large buxom flopping up and down hypnotically to get his mouth to dry a little.
Once Camilla was close to him, she had a hand to her hip and gave him a raised brow.
Nathan cleared his throat to compose himself. "Uh, w-who might you be…?"
Camilla meekly grinned. "Hello there. My name is Camilla, Princess of Nohr, and daughter of King Garon of the Nohrian Kingdom."
"Oh, okay…" He morbidly frowned inside. He thought from her looks she'd be someone sent from the heavens for a silver lining. At least from his perspective. 'Wait…what's a Nohr? Is that a city?'
Camilla looked at Nathan's Bagon, and the wild Wimpod cowering behind. "Seems that the reports are true." She turned towards Nathan. "Excuse me, sweetheart…"
Nathan jerked back. "Sweetheart? Look, you're uh…bodacious, but we just met. And this really isn''t the place for sweettalking…"
Camilla chuckled amusingly. "How cute, a comedian."
"Uh, thanks…?" He furrowed his brow at her. "So what is it?"
"There were reports of someone in the wilds around here who was actually commanding these wild animals that have magic. My Father has ordered me to bring him, so we could see him through to helping us. Are you this supposed person?"
Nathan's initial fluster was turning off. He was starting to piece things together. In his mind, he thought back to those knights who tried to kill him for a misunderstanding. He thought back to the noises of the Pokémon that were being attacked out of the blue by people and had to flee before he got caught again.
Processing this, his tone got eerily cautious and stepped away. "…and what if I am?"
Camilla huffed at the response. "If that's case, then you should come with me. Father would like to see to these monsters under some leash if you're able to help us."
Nathan furrowed his brow to anger. "Well tell me this then. Was that your people earlier who attacked those 'monsters'?"
Camilla straightened her posture. "Yes, unfortunately. Still, I'd appreciate it if you understood the situation. We need your assistance."
Nathan took several steps back, his Bagon getting in front of him. "Sorry. But as thick and bodacious as you are, I don't think you understand my position here. I don't side with people who want things to go their way without understanding."
"There'll be plenty of time for you to understand. Father's orders are absolute, so sorry if I must." She approached him, but the Wimpod spat a cloud of sand that blocked Camilla's eyesight. She covered away, squinting. "Gngh!"
"(No way am I going back there!)" The Wimpod squealed and took to his legs again, scurrying away.
Nathan watched the creature move ridiculously fast across the forest floor, heading towards the ravines. He looked at Bagon with a raised brow. "I think he has the right idea. Hightail!"
"(Right!)"
The two followed the shrimp as it scurried off. As Camilla was rubbing her eyes of the dirt and soil, her wyvern snarled and unleashed a hiccup of dragonfire that shot at Nathan's back. Bagon reared back and unleashed his own dragonfire to counter, resulting in an explosion of flames that scorched the roots and bark nearby. Wild animals fled like mad as the dead trees were caught on fire, but were contained due to the damp waterways around.
The wyvern snarled, and the Camilla composed herself. She watched the younger man flee with the so-called monsters, her eyes showing an adrenaline coming. "It's always the good ones that get away…" She walked over, her wyvern allowing her to mount as she lifted into the air. "But the good always die young."
The wyvern's cries echoed through the valleys, taking off in pursuit of the prey.
Party Data:
Evan
-Squirtle (Male)
Lv: 10
Item: None
Nature: Mild
Ability: Torrent
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Bubble
-Metapod (Male)
Lv: 7
Item: None
Nature: Modest
Ability: Shed Skin
Moves: Tackle, String Shot, Electroweb, Harden
Freya
-Sobble (Female)
Lv: 9
Item: None
Nature: Timid
Ability: Torrent
Moves: Pound, Growl, Water Gun, Bind
-Rolycoly (Male)
Lv: 7
Item: None
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Steam Engine
Moves: Tackle, Smokescreen, Rapid Spin
Here's the first chapter for this fanfic as of 2020. I saw that Squirtle's moveset is different in Gen 8, which wasn't revealed until recently. So I'm still keeping Bubble, an since he was already at Lv 9, he won't have Rapid Spin. But from here on, I'll make sure the moves onwards are up to standards.
Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading another chapter! Until next time!
