The path slowly began to hold more and more stone and wood huts on the side as we got closer. The village was definitely bigger than the one before. The streets were busy with all kinds of Pokémon buying and selling goods. I was led through the crowd by Katrina. She shoved me past many pokemon, I did my best to not stumble and fall on anyone's parts or the cobblestone that was very weathered and worn.
My best wasn't good enough. I fell flat onto my face. I had tripped on the tail of a very large Pokémon. The world froze as I slowly got up from the ground. The Pokémon had not gone quiet for me, but for the thing I had tripped over. I looked over and saw that I had tripped over a sceptiles tail. His large slinky frame giving me a weird feeling of uncertainty.
"No one touches my tail and walks away untouched!" He yelled. A path was cleared for the sceptile. His fiery glare locked onto me. Katrina stared back at the sceptile, but he didn't seem to notice her. He was only focused on me. I was still getting myself off the ground, my chains not making it easy to get my balance.
"Ha it's my lucky day. I get to pummel a low life. This time I won't have the general up my tail for giving a beating." He said as we walked over to me.
Pokémon just watched as he came forward and pulled me off the ground, almost tearing the fur from my collar from my skin. He prepared a punch to start his fun. I braced for the pain, but it never came. I opened my eyes and saw Katrina holding back the punch.
"What are you doing handicap? The general wouldn't care if a criminal came in with a few extra bruises." The sceptile said trying to tear free of Katrina's grip.
"You know I am already in big enough trouble by being alone, but being very late, I don't think the general will appreciate his soldiers getting in the way of another's mission. Maybe I will mention-"
The sceptile pulled free from her grip and threw me to the ground.
"It's fine. He is yours to take care of, but I hope I am there to see both of your punishments." He said walking away.
Katrina looked around at the crowd that was still watching us. We're they expecting more action, more drama?
"Go on back to what you were doing! Nothing more to see!" She yelled.
A lot of the Pokémon were shocked out of the trance that they were in and went back to enjoying the markets. I picked myself up from the ground and went to Katrina. She grabbed me by the shoulder and led me through the crowd.
We stopped at what seemed like a small shop made from smoothed stone, but it was the base of operations for a big organization, this seemed a little small. I think Nora's house was bigger than this place. Katrina punched me through the door into what looked like a receptionist area. A Braxien with glasses stared at us with a lot of disinterest.
"You are late Katrina. General Hawl is not going to be happy with you." The braxien said while giving us a cold look.
"Thank you Ferna. Is that all?" Katrina asked.
"We also found Zeina the Zeraora locked in her dorm. You know, your partner for this mission." Ferna added.
I could see Katrina flinch and grit her teeth at the added comment.
"Don't think of barging into the general's office. He is in a meeting with the council. They shouldn't be disturbed." Ferna said, getting up from her desk.
Something seemed familiar about her, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Katrina continued on and said, "That is perfect. The council will want to see him." Katrina pointed at me.
Katrina was heading towards a wall. She pushed one of the stones and a whole opened up on the ground and Katrina pushed me towards the hole.
"Wait, I thought we were going to a council room." I asked, a little concerned about the hole.
She pushed me towards the hole and I saw the ladder that led down towards a torch lit hallway. Katrina just stared at me with annoyance in her eyes and I just went down the ladder.
The hallways were decorated with torches and paintings of many Pokémon battles. Many ending in many losse. I tried not to imagine a painting of me on their being killed by a Pokémon. Other hallways came up, but we kept moving forward toward one door that had a weird symbol on it. It looked like a shield with a ball in the center of it.
Katrina pushed me through the door and I found myself in the center of the room. A single beam of sunlight coming through the sunlight. The same crest symbol being outlined on the ground. I looked up and saw 7 Pokémon sitting on large stone chairs. Every single one of them wore a necklace that bore the same symbol.
They all stared at me, few were angry with me and the rest were in shock.
"What is the meaning of this?" An alakazam proclaimed from his stone chair.
"Be calm, my fellow chairmen,'' a medicham said while waving her arm to try and calm the Pokémon.
They all stared at Katrina, they completely disregarded me. It's as if I didn't exist.
"Katrina, you are late for your report and we aren't happy that you went alone on a mission, again might I add" the hawlucha sitting in the center chair.
Katrina knelt before the Pokémon and spoke,"Forgive me general. I am tired of having a handicap for even the simplest of missions. I don't believe they are needed."
" The people of grandon village beg to differ. Many were found dead because a monster tore through their homes and ravaged the place." A charizard on the far right chimed in with his deep growl of a voice.
" We must find this monster and dispose of it as quickly as possible. Before this event will be repeated." A feminine heliolisk added from the far left.
My heart dropped when she spoke of me with such disgust and disregard for my life, but she didn't really know it was me.
The hawlucha in the center finally noticed me and asked, " Who is this lucario that you have chained?"
" He is Koro, that monster that destroyed grandon village. "
They all stared at me with confusion. Silence rested everywhere as the council just stared at me. Were they expecting a monster to appear? Some seemed ready to pounce on me.
"Katrina, this lucario, Koro, he is not the monster that has been described by other accounts. It is described as a large dark monster with terrifying claws. This is just a lucario." The General stated.
"Lucario's are not capable of such dark power. You know this Katrina from experience." An old Lucario chimed in.
Katrina looked up, " I understand that master, but I saw it with my own eyes."
"Show us." The medicham requested.
Wait? They wanted the monster to come out. I felt something inside, it was excited. Yes it wanted out. It was hungry. I didn't want to become that thing again.
The Medicham stood and came closer to me. Her hand stretched out to me. I was nervous, but seeing all of the other Pokémon surrounding me told me that I had no choice. The medicham's hand rested on my head and I felt my knees go weak, like my strength was being drained.
I collapsed to the ground breathing heavily from exhaustion. Sweat streaming down my face. I saw that the medicham was also tired from what had just happened. What happened?
The Medicham began to look at me with terror in her eyes. She slowly walked back to her chair, "He should be in more restraints Katrina." She stated firmly.
"So it's true" The wrinkled Lucario said with what seemed like sorrow in his voice.
"Then we must dispose of him at once! He cannot be allowed to live another second!" The charizard yelled, fire spilling with every word.
"Calm yourself, Korook." The old lucario stated while raising his gray paw.
"We need to understand more. Moda can you help us to understand?"
"He encountered a dark substance that I believe is the reason we are losing so many soldiers to their darkness. He is different though. I suspect his darkness takes form, the creature that destroyed the village." The Medicham explained.
"Then he is something new. Something that we haven't seen before." General Hawl said in confusion.
"Whatever he is, he must be destroyed!" Korook yelled while charging towards me flames flaring from his nostrils and mouth.
I didn't have enough energy to pick myself up from the ground and closed my eyes to brace for impact. I felt the intense heat from his flames, but no impact was made. I opened my eyes to see the old lucario in front of me holding the raging charizard with a single paw. I could see the flames singe his fur, but nothing too bad.
All of the other Pokémon in the council room were astonished and shocked at the small brawl that occured.
"Korook, you have always been hot headed, but even this is much for you. I believe we can use this lucario to help others." The lucario proclaimed.
His statement sent even more shock through the other Pokémon and Korook stopped his attack and returned back to his chair. Huffing and puffing.
"You can not seriously believe that Sir Lance?" The medicham argued.
"He is an abomination to society and a threat to life. He provides no use and deserves to die for how much blood he has spilled."
"He has committed a crime, but was that truly him? Can you recall a memory where he planned to do such a thing? Do you know if he wanted to be such a creature from the start and kill so many?"
The Medicham stuttered, "I-I can not.'
"Did he even feel remorse for those that had died? I can feel the despair and sorrow that he inflicts on himself. He feels the pain and guilt of every soul that was lost by his hand." Sir Lance continued.
"Then what do you propose Sir Lance? We set him free? We can't let something like him roaming around and then becoming that monster at any given moment." The general stated.
"I propose that I train him in self-control and that Katrina be his supervisor. She has the most time with him and has seen how to take him down if need be. We are in need of more soldiers general. We are dwindling in numbers, but if we use him then we might be able to save more Pokémon then lose them in mission that have proven difficult for some."
I was surprised. This old Pokémon was throwing himself in the line of fire to help me. Why was he doing this? I felt a glimmer of hope as I watched some of the other council members consider the proposal. I turned to Katrina who had knelt down on both knees and watched all of the council members. She looked more surprised than me at the proposal.
"You can not be serious Sir Lance? To trust Katrina with him is a dangerous situation." The Heliolisk said. Others knodded in agreement at her statement
"I understand that you are concerned by Katrina's situation. Her latest, might I add childish, actions" He gave Katrina a stern look, "do not reflect good progress, but I can confidently say that she is capable of this. I can feel that they are both able to take care of each other." Sir Lance said.
"Those in favor of Sir Lance's proposal?" The General asked while raising his own hand in favor. Many were astonished at his actions.
"You can't be serious! We must be rid-" Korook started, but the general snapped a menacing glare towards him which instantly shut him up.
Sir Lance returned to his chair and raised his paw in favor. The Heliolisk raised her scaling hand with one more look at the general. He returned it with a stare of reassurance.
"All those-" The general started, but was cut off by another Pokemon. A malimar.
"Hold on general. I wasn't given enough time to think. I say yay." And raised a slimy tentacle to join the rest of those in favor.
"Thank you. Majority vote rules over those opposed. We accept your proposal Sir Lance, but we hope that all goes well with your plan or you may suffer from the monster's mistakes as well."
"I understand." Sir Lance nodded.
The charizard growled and smashed a fist into the arm of his chair from his loss. He stormed out of the council room and the other council members. I watched in awe. I wasn't dead yet. Sir Lance came over to me and took the shackles off of my wrists. He paused for a moment looking at the darkened hair where my scars were from the shackles