Condicio Adversae (Act I)
When looking up among the sky at night, one would see stars sprawled everywhere, filling the emptiness of the black sky. If a wise man were to examine each star in its entirety, then the notion of a bright light being a planet itself would come to his mind. When many planets swirl around a bright sun, a solar system is created. When stars, planets, dust, and dark matter combine together, a galaxy is created. When galaxies, planets, and stars forge together, a universe is made anew. However, what seems to shadow over everyone's mind is this: What goes beyond a universe?
For those who push knowledge for answers, the key towards a universe's creation lies in where each universe is located. There exists a land which acts as a network for every universe known to living beings. The area is known to a select few as the Multiverse. An endless array of universes spaciously set between each other, where inhabitants are unaware of each resident within each universe. The number of universes within the Multiverse is endless; incomprehensible even if every genius were to come together to figure out this mystery. It's unknown how old each universe is, and it's especially tricky to find out when new ones are made on a daily basis.
Within each universe, though, lies beings who rule a particular one as its own creator. These beings range from monsters of destructive natures to gods with unfathomable powers. Whenever creators meet with one another, anything good or bad can happen, resulting in a big or small impact upon each universe. If that were to happen, a 'crossover' would occur between each world, allowing their respective individuals to meet each other for the first time.
As for how the Multiverse functions, the most accurate representation would be that of a solar system. As in, each universe would twirl around an object similar to the sun, but not fully related to it. Some of the planets' pathways intertwine with one another, enabling certain creators to meet each other a bit easier. One could try to visit a universe by then, but the time spent trying to get there would take the life out of that being before they could reach an eighth of the distance. If that is the case, then is there no way to visit another universe aside from a crossover? In addition, if the concept of the Multiverse is similar to a solar system, then what's at the center of the network? Fortunately, there exists answers for both questions.
While each universe does move around in a circle, some odd cycles show up in some worlds. Some universes may have an orbit bringing them a bit closer to the center. Granted, the distance may be small, but some universes may be meters close towards the center. Hell, they could maybe even be centimeters close. However, even if the distance is really close, there's still no universe that can make it all the way. At least, that's what every scholar who invested their time in the Multiverse may think.
Believe it or not, there exists one universe that made its way towards the center of the Multiverse, and it has since been made the heart of every universe in existence. For those who question what kind of universe it is, there's a surprising answer towards what this world represents along with who resides in it.
The universe within the center is known as P-018, a codename of sorts given by those who know about its existence. This world is filled with creatures called Pokémon, who each hold a variety of powers. Some of them can unleash waves of fire from the throats of their mouths, and some can grab objects from inches away with only their minds. These animals are a wonder to interact with, and this primary concept of monsters is present in many universes aside from it. The creator of said universe is named Arceus, a creature powerful enough to make a couple of creators fearful of their judgment.
Many other universes like P-018 exist too, yet there are some notable comparisons. Traditionally, humans would reside in these universes and come across Pokémon in their daily lives, gradually forming trust between each other. When that bond strengthens, humans could connect with these wild creatures and use them for many purposes. These ideas range from a household pet to a partner who participates in a special type of fight known as Trainer battles. However, P-018 is heavily different from its corresponding neighbors.
For starters, the concept of humans living alongside Pokémon is thrown off the board. Even though the reasoning could be really morbid, the truth is a bit more light-hearted. The reason why is that no humans can settle within this universe in order to claim it as their own. This is part of the world's rules, a form of reality which a universe must have in order for it to even function.
While the ideas of humans have surfaced across the land, they became nothing more than ideas and myths. Instead, the Pokémon here have gained the ability to think and feel just like humans, to the point of speaking English and many other languages. If a human were to somehow land on this universe, their body would transform into that of a Pokémon most identical to their personality and identity.
As for the other question of how universes can interact with each other, this one possesses a way to interact with these worlds. Located within this universe is a status left behind by an unknown being, holding the power needed to travel towards different universes. This relic is known as the Viatorem, a fitting name for those who seek its power. While the Viatorem is known thanks to someone writing down its existence, no one, aside from the journalist, knows how to obtain the status. As for said journalist, creatures tried to pursue them, only to discover nothing indicating their location. This status would remain a mystery until three small siblings found the trigger for the Viatorem.
This is where our tales take place. Whether it involves all three children or not, whether it includes crossovers or not, whether it's a comforting tale or an adrenaline-induced adventure. We wouldn't know until the record is revealed, so sit down, relax, and enjoy the show.
The Quintessence. A scaling edifice of the latest technology, being equivalent to a 30-story building. This structure makes up the core of the massive area, with several other facilities surrounding the tall construction. Aside from the clear blue windows embedded within the walls, the Quintessence holds a blue violet-like complex all over the area, with orange, stripe-like lines surrounding the figure. The top of the tower holds a radar shaped like a satellite, pointing up towards the endless sky. Its positioning makes it appear like a weapon, ready to fire an unsuspecting laser towards a meteorite or even flying Pokémon. Each upper side of the establishment contains a curved ridge traveling all the way to the ground, resembling a big arch cutting past the building altogether. Around the tower lies facilities of different qualities, ranging between dojos for training, shops for purchasing items, and cafes for food and relaxation. With how each facility is positioned along with the location of the tower, this area practically looks like a city, with many different Pokémon living their daily lives peacefully.
Inside the Quintessence lies multiple rooms belonging to either trainees or mentors. The complex pathways resemble clear blue hallways that shine and replicate a crystal path, just without any real crystals. Whether someone is in the upper or lower floors, each elevation contains rooms of luxurious quality, made and customized to an inhabitant's liking and creativity. The lower area of the tower contains trainees and rookies looking to improve their skills and establish their fame all over the world. As one trails towards the top, the floors hold stronger and more experienced Pokémon until the very top, where the only ones who have rooms are the Headmaster, the mentors, and the elites. The elites serve as the most strongest creatures within the area, capable of fighting even against powerful Pokémon. This feat qualifies them for the most dangerous missions available, whether it involves criminals or exploration of a dangerous dungeon. One of these rooms belong to three small, but respected children who hold deep power within themselves.
One fact a creature would notice upon entering this room is how spacious the area is. The middle of the room holds a table that can display holograms for mission summaries or a game of chess. Though, if one can find a hidden button, the table can switch into a bathtub that can be filled with soothing water or even lava for one of its inhabitants. From there, three lines spread evenly around the room with colored floorings, allowing each roommate to have their own space and bed. Said beds are made of a blanket created from silky cotton for fluffy comfort, with one colored blue, one colored purple, and the last one colored red with an inner orange. Each side of the room contains a well-crafted desk for the three, built with drawers and miniature bookshelves. Various piles of paper and items are scattered across the surface of each desk for different purposes. Aside from a few gifts here and there, each section of the room looks familiar, yet unique for that individual.
On the blue side of the room, atop the purple bed, lies a blue turtle-like Pokémon sleeping rather peacefully on their belly. This creature has a light blue body with three pointed digits on their hands and feet. The turtle also has a long tail that curls inward, able to be used as a method of attacking others in battle. The main feature of this Pokémon, though, lies in the shell encasing their chest and stomach. Colored brown on the top and a pale yellow on the bottom, with a white ridge between the two halves, the shell can defend against multiple attacks with great durability. In addition, the creature can go inside it for more protection unless an attack is directed towards one of the holes instead.
This Pokémon is known to many as a Squirtle, but there are some unique traits about this one here that differentiates him from his species. For starters, a long, curved appendage grows at the back of his head, which the turtle can use to emit a tornado shield made of water. In addition, his right cheek holds a star-shaped scar, connecting him to a tragic story that led him to where he is today. However, the most significant trait for this Squirtle lies in the symbol engraved on his right hand. This symbol consists of a creature similar to a dragon, but only the left side is exposed. The right side shows a shadowy fog veiling the rest of the creature, which emits a sense of mystery combined with the sense of dread for those who happen to see this symbol, except for his two siblings. These feelings amplify whenever the turtle showcases one of his special powers through that symbol.
Currently, the Squirtle was the only occupant within the room, but that state only lasts for a few moments. Soon, the door to the room opens up, but he was still asleep and, thus, didn't acknowledge the visitor. Once the door was wide enough, an orange lizard slips inside and, noticing the turtle, closes the door as quietly as he could.
This creature has a cream-colored underside with their hands having four pointed digits for both of them. The lizard's mouth contains two fangs visible from their upper and lower jaw, with their feet holding three white claws on the front side. However, the main focus of this Pokémon lies at the very tip of their tail, where a small flame burns. This fire represents the creature's health and emotions, ignited the moment they were born. If the flame burns brightly and wavers, the lizard is happy and healthy, but if the fire grows small, then they are fatigued. If the fire ever distinguishes from their tail, the creature will die, so they must take good care of this part on their body.
This Pokémon is known as a Charmander and just like the Squirtle, he has unique traits that separate him from his species. First off, two horn-like structures grow on the back of his head, a characteristic that doesn't occur unless his kind evolves into a Charizard. In addition, a horn sprouts from his forehead as well, resembling one of a Nidoking. From the top of his right eye, a scar, shaped like a capital V, trails down towards the edge of his snout, linking him to a tragic story just like the Squirtle. Similar to the creature, the biggest attribute of this Charmander revolves around the symbol engraved on both of his shoulders. This symbol consists of a small circle surrounded by a larger circle, with swirling marks in-between the two shapes. The large circle has spikes all around it, and the small circle has a wisp within the middle. Glancing at the image, it looks as though it would suck anything inside like a black hole and potentially shoot it out, foreshadowing the type of power this Pokémon can wield.
Looking at the sleeping Squirtle, the Charmander makes a devious smirk as he sneaks towards the desk on his side of the room. Opening the drawer slowly, he picks up an airhorn utilized for situations like these, a little worn-out but still in working order. Inching closer towards the sleeping creature's bed, the fire lizard raises the airhorn with his right arm and moves it steadily towards the Squirtle's face. When the distance was close enough, he stops his movement and presses the button, letting loose a deafening sound that filled the entire room.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
Startled by the sudden racket, the turtle stumbles across the bed, falling off once he reached the edge. Landing on his front face in pain, the Charmander lets go of the button, ending the noise and returning the silence. After a moment though, the noise returns through laughter originating from the airhorn wielder. Getting back up, the Squirtle glares at him in annoyance over what just happened.
"Seriously, Pyxis?! Why in the bloody world would you decide to use the airhorn on me?!" The blue turtle asserts in both confusion and anger as he continued to glare at the Charmander, now identified as Pyxis.
The slightly older child simply looks at him with a teasing expression. "Knowing you, Acheros, you wouldn't wake up with me shaking your body. So, I went with this good friend instead," Pyxis explained to the Squirtle, now identified as Acheros. Setting the airhorn on the table, he looks towards the turtle with a confused expression. "Besides, I thought you would learn not to fall off the bed next time when I used the airhorn on you."
Acheros blows a raspberry at the lizard's explanation. "Well, when your big brother wakes you in a stealthy way, you don't expect anything to rudely wake you, especially in deep sleep!" He yells in anger, only to let out a sigh afterwards. "I… suppose I let my guard down when I went for that nap. Geez, and just when I thought I improved myself," the turtle says to himself in disappointment.
Suddenly, he felt a nuzzle on his right cheek and looked over to see Pyxis giving him a sympathetic gaze. "I understand you're doing your best to adapt, especially after what we discovered regarding your past. Yes, it's difficult to detect sound through sleep," the Charmander states to his little brother, placing his right arm over the Squirtle's shoulder. "But sooner or later, you will improve, and you won't get spooked by sudden sounds anymore, whether it involves air horns or surprise attacks," He gives him a confident smile after he finishes talking, wrapping his other arm over the turtle for a comforting hug.
"You really think so, Pyxis?" Acheros questions, unsure of his ability to listen for hidden sounds. While he could hear perfectly fine, the struggles of learning plus his Day of Discovery made his training more difficult than intended. Ever since that particular day, the child felt distracted from his duties, facing unwanted memories from his past. Once repressed within his mind, the Squirtle now has to accept what happened to him before he travelled to the Quintessence. Not wanting another crying session, he tries his best to focus on his brother's words.
Pyxis gave him a knowing smirk. "Says the boy who connected with the darkness and his traumatic past. I'm absolutely certain you can crush this obstacle before you, Acheros." The Charmander says in confidence. He lets go of the hug and places both himself and his younger brother on the bed. "Besides… you aren't completely hopeless with your senses."
Before the Squirtle could question the meaning of that sentence, his big brother reaches over the bed for a pillow and proceeds to swing it at him. Reacting in instinct before shock, he grabs the object with his hands before it could hit his head. While the pillow was certainly a light object, another object of higher mass would receive a different story such as a sword or cannon. It shouldn't be possible to catch a weapon or swift projectile, but Acheros' strength counteracts this rule.
The Charmander smirks upon seeing his little brother's dexterity. "See? You may not be able to react to sudden sounds yet, but you can stop this pillow from hitting your head. And if you can stop that strike, then you aren't completely hopeless during battle!" He mentions in pride, respecting how strong the Squirtle fights during their training battles in addition to real missions.
Acheros' eyes brightened up upon hearing the older child's wisdom and encouragement. "Yeah... yeah, you're right, Pyxis!" He exclaims with a joyful tone. Suddenly, the Squirtle gives a playful yet mischievous gaze towards his big brother. "But, considering you did attack me with a pillow, you know what this means, right?"
As if expecting this to happen, Pyxis hops over the bed and quickly grabs another pillow from it. "Yep, and I'm not going easy on you, so you better brace yourself, Acheros. I won the last pillow war, and I'm making sure it stays that way today!"
Holding the pillow that was used against him in a way similar to his attack stance, the turtle prepares himself for the inevitable pillow fight. "Oh, I wasn't planning on going easy after what you did, big brother. As punishment for interrupting my glorious sleep, expect no mercy from me!"
At that exclamation, the two brothers begin their fluffy fight, striking their pillows against each other. Now, this seems like a horrible idea, especially considering that one of the participants has an actual fire emitting from his tail. However, the beds and pillows in this room were designed to withstand Pyxis' fire, so nothing would get burned to the ground. Since the two knew this fact, they could slam their pillows against each other without any fear of damages.
So far, both brothers were standing their ground, and neither were backing down from the other. However, it's clear from the expressions on their faces that they're both having fun and bonding with each other through this pillow fight. This went on for a few more moments, with both Acheros and Pyxis giggling from the amount of fun currently present within the chaos.
Suddenly, the door to the room opens up, and the two stop their pillow war to acknowledge the visitor. A food trolley enters the room first, followed by a small, yellow mouse pushing it forward. This mouse has a skinny body with two brown, horizontal stripes located on their back. They have long, pointed ears with black tips, and their cheeks each have a red circle embedded in them. These circles act like a pouch for storing electricity, the main power for this type of Pokémon. Their paws each have five pointed digits, and their feet have three digits for each one. The most intriguing part of their body resides in their tail, which is shaped like a lightning bolt with a brown patch at the base.
This Pokémon is known as a Pikachu and, just like the other two children, they have unique traits separating them from their species. For starters, the ends of their tail have a different design than what a normal Pikachu has. Normally, if the tail is flat, then the Pikachu would be male, and if the tail has a V-shaped notch resembling a heart, then it would be female. The tail that this mouse has contains a spike that curves downward at the top end, with the bottom end curving up, resembling a pincer of sorts. This trait allows the Pikachu to pass off as both genders, ironic since they don't consider themselves as a boy nor a girl. Aside from their tail, their ears both have a spiky and messy end, yet only the left ear is seen as the right one is covered by a cylinder-shaped headpiece. This headpiece can be used for either communication or listening to music, which the mouse has another piece they attach to their left ear when initiating in combat.
The most significant characteristic of this Pikachu lies in how their left eye is covered by fur, groomed in request by Acheros. This style was intentional, as the fur covers both a special symbol in their left eye and a scar from their past. The scar, located underneath their left eye, is crescent-shaped, and it links the mouse to a tragic story similar to both Pyxis and Acheros. The symbol above their scar resembles a white, horizontal line that crosses over their entire eye in the middle. Above and below the line lies three wisps that glow bright whenever the Pikachu uses their special power. The center of the horizontal line contains a four-pointed star that acts like a pupil for their left eye, with a circle surrounding and touching the points of said star. This symbol represents something that's sealed away, which could demonstrate the Pikachu's true power should it open itself during a certain status.
Glancing at their brothers and the pillows they were holding, the mouse looks at them with a curious smile. "Did I happen to miss something, you two?" They say in a questioning tone.
Coughing a bit, Pyxis drops his pillow and looks towards the Pikachu with a mature expression. "Nothing peculiar has happened, Iovia. I was simply waking Acheros up like a good and responsible older brother." He claims, relying on his acting skills to get him out of what caused the pillow war.
Looking past the Charmander and noticing the airhorn on the desk, the creature, now identified as Iovia, gives off a knowing smirk. "You used the airhorn on Acheros, didn't you, Pyxis?" They stated with an obvious tone.
The fire lizard's eyes grow wide as he looks towards the device on his desk. Groaning, he places his hand on his face and lets out a sigh. "How is it that I keep forgetting to place that stupid device back in my drawer?!" Pyxis exclaims in disappointment, pretending to be ashamed in being caught red-handed. In actually, he was impressed with Iovia for being able to deduce what happened.
Acheros simply stuck his tongue at him. "That's what happens when you decide to prank your younger brother with it. He gets up and distracts you so that you can get caught, no less by our youngest sibling!" he declared with pride in his voice.
The Pikachu also looks over to the Squirtle with a knowing smirk again. "You, on the other hand, happened to fall down when big brother used the airhorn on you for the third time. After some consolation, both of you then started the pillow fight when Pyxis tried to demonstrate his point with it," Iovia says with a smirk.
Acheros stared wide-eyed at his youngest sibling. He knew how insightful they could be, but he didn't expect them to figure it out so quickly. "Did you use Temporal Sight before opening the door, Iovia?" The Squirtle asks suspiciously, knowing how helpful that ability can be when trying to figure out what happened.
The Pikachu giggled at their big brother's question. "Nope! I simply used common sense from the last two times this occurred. Oh, and I both heard the noise and you two laughing as I walked up. If it makes you feel better though, nobody heard it, or they probably didn't bother to check it out." They explained, causing Pyxis to hum a bit in acknowledgment.
"I did let everyone know to expect a loud noise earlier today…" the Charmander remarks, not wanting to panic the elites and Headmaster from a potential raid attack. Even if they were a lot stronger the last time they had one, the element of surprise always had an advantage against unguarded enemies.
Clapping their paws together, Iovia gestures towards the trolley in front of them. "We can discuss your planning while we eat up, Pyxis. Besides, we need to head up to Headmaster Manasseh's office soon," they say, causing the two brothers to drop their pillow weapons and face each other.
"Finish our duel after we accomplish whatever the Headmaster wants us to do?" Acheros asks, resulting in a nod of confirmation from Pyxis.
"Just know you got away this time, but I will crush you next time, Acheros," the Charmander states in a seemingly menacing tone, but his two siblings know he's simply just putting up an act.
Raising their arms for a handshake approval, the two brothers put up a temporary treaty before they each head towards their respective section of the room. Grabbing a chair from their desks, they walk towards the center table and set up preparations for their lunch. Once everything was prepared, Iovia moved all the food on the trolley towards the surface of the table through a simple use of telekinetic powers.
Now, Pokémon with common knowledge would know that a normal Pikachu cannot learn psychic abilities under any means necessary. Even if they partake in a special diet within a particular location, they could not obtain psychic powers until they evolved into Raichu. While breeding may seem like a potential solution, the same rules apply to hatched Pichus as well. If these scenarios seem to be the chance, then how can this Pikachu utilize telekinetic abilities? The answer to this question lies in the key word 'normal,' or lack thereof.
For the three siblings, they aren't normal creatures in the slightest chance. You see, there exists certain types of Pokémon who can use moves normally unlearnable through the use of orzon. Orzon acts like a form of cell for every being, both living and nonliving. Whether in the deep ocean or the high thrills of the sky, this particle is present everywhere. Orzon coincides with aura as the central basis of life within P-018, with multiple scholars researching its properties within the present day.
A topic for another time, the point here resides in the fact that some creatures have the ability to wield orzon. Whether to utilize moves they cannot learn to applying forms of type resistances, each Pokémon who wields this particle has a unique style dedicated to it. For Iovia, they can usher in elemental spells through snapping their digits, with psychic requiring no snapping thanks to inheriting its potential through the genes of their mother. As for the other two siblings, Pyxis can wield orzon as an equivalent to tiny needles, allowing him to open components such as chests or locks. Meanwhile, Acheros can incorporate the particle as small shields, increasing his durability against physical or special attacks.
Setting the plates on the table, Iovia opens it up to reveal a rather delicious meal for lunch. Two dishes are specifically meat, with one of them related to seafood for Acheros. Filled with seasonings and a good roast, its scent wavers within the air, emitting a rather pleasant smell to poke hunger. Another plate contains a variety of vegetables ranging from tomatoes to eggplants, also filled with seasonings. In addition, some berries and fruit lie within the plate as well, with the berries providing special abilities and healing factors. In a sense, the sight of the brothers' mouths watering in delight signifies the value of this meal.
"Geez, Iovia! Did you make this all by yourself?" Acheros questions with pride, causing the youngest child to ponder for a moment.
"Well, some of the chefs in the middle floor helped me out with certain seasonings. Aside from their help, though, I planned out what you two wanted based on what we had together," they responded, making Pyxis nod his head in approval.
"In any case, this looks incredibly good, Iovia. I'm not surprised you made this, considering how amazing you are in making food," the Charmander remarks in pride. There does exist some truth within his words. While the three siblings can create delicious meals, Pyxis was the best cook between them, with Iovia being the second-best and Acheros being the third-best.
Smiling at the praise given, the Pikachu bows their head down in gratitude. "Thank you, big brother. I ate beforehand, so everything on this table is for you two. Dine in and enjoy!"
With permission granted, the two brothers let their stomachs speak for them, grabbing their respective favorites. When it enters their mouths, a sense of pleasure courses through the buds on their tongues, almost causing them not to swallow their food. While they eat and incorporate polite table manners, Iovia tampers with their Armory Looplet, an equipment given to every trainee and elite within the Quintessence. Able to equip emeras for an advantage during missions, this accessory holds an additional function in allowing communications between certain types of channels. In terms of appearance, it resembles a bracelet with an electronic screen on top. While there aren't any particular differences between the groups, the looplets for the elites do hold more functions in addition to a few more customizations.
"Say, Iovia?" Acheros questions after finishing his food. "Do you know what Manasseh wants us to do?"
Hearing the question, the Pikachu lies their head back as they last remember the information given to them. "Well, he's currently keeping it a secret until we all arrive, so I don't really know. But, from my guess, I bet he wants us to journey towards another location in terms of assistance," they answered, causing their older brothers to nod in understanding.
"You're probably right, Iovia," Pyxis says, finishing up his meal as well. "I don't think his request will be anything difficult. But, as wise hunters say, we should always prepare for the worse."
Agreeing with the Charmander's advice, the child watches as he and Acheros place their finished plates on the trolley. Pushing it out of their room, they move it towards the area designated for pickup, leaving it there for the chefs. From there, the three head towards the main elevator and, once they're all in, press the button for the Headmaster's office. The circular structure creaks for a second before it begins its ascent towards the top. While the three siblings wait, soft elevator music begins to fill the room through the speaker, causing them to take this moment for a short reflection.
While elites were regularly called up towards Manasseh for special tasks, the children noticed how the latest tasks they received were pretty rough in terms of difficulty. Granted, they did hold immense strength capable of mass destruction despite being so young, but it seemed pretty peculiar now. Normally, Pokémon who could wield such power suffered consequences such as blowing off body parts towards the point of cripplement. Fortunately for them, though, they were immune towards the effect thanks to a status known as the Black Hole Potential.
Essentially, each creature is born with a certain amount of limit when it comes to power scaling. Whether they grow strong physically depends on the limit their body provides for them. If they go over the established line, they will be subjected to irreversible damages, such as tarnished limbs or destroyed nerves. While the system is unfair for some Pokémon destined to be weak, most of them acknowledge how this limit shouldn't affect them in terms of enjoying life.
Now, there exists certain types of creatures who receive no limit upon birth. Due to this phenomenon, they can practically absorb and control any aspect of power without breaking their own bodies. This range especially expands towards godly power, strength reserved for Legendary Pokémon. Since these types of Pokémon can receive multiple powers like a black hole being limitless in absorbing everything, the phenomenon was coined after this simile. Unfortunately, there are some side effects of having the Black Hole Potential.
For starters, this status is extremely rare for a creature to be born with. In terms of rarity, only around 1 in 50,000 Pokémon are scientifically known to possess this phenomenon after many experiments. While the world is vast enough for signs of limitless creatures, one could live 10 whole lives and meet only two with the Black Hole Potential. Society was fortunate that records were written for discovering a Pokémon with this status. Another effect regarding this phenomenon involves the mental aspects of creatures. Despite the body being capable of holding unimaginable powers, this concept does not expand towards the mind too. As a result, many creatures break their minds whenever they receive extreme power, incapable of ever returning to a normal state of thought. There is a remedy for this side effect, but that is for another story.
After a few moments passed by, the elevator stops moving and opens its door, allowing the siblings to progress. Walking up a shiny corridor with stairs leading up, the three soon find themselves faced against a door which, upon being opened, showcases a room with some rather interesting designs.
In terms of appearance, the room looks like a circular structure similar to the elevator except for being a bit bigger. For the walls, the uppermost sections, colored pink, follow a pattern of descending spikes all across the room. The untouched sections, meanwhile, remain a white color to contrast with the pink sections. Opposite of the door lies a window which looks as though water is pressed against it. The trick, though, is that if a creature were to glance at the window from outside the room, they would see an endless sky. Rumors have spread across the facility in which it allowed Pokémon to gaze across the world, but it hasn't caused any drama nor confirmation yet. Around the window lies bookshelves which seem ordinary at first, but theories have surfaced regarding secret passages being opened through them. In the center lies a work desk with a variety of buttons for various effects, with some requiring DNA from the Headmaster himself. With a blue rug placed all across the ground, the room provides a sense of comfort and security for anyone who enters, especially for the two Pokémon who work here.
Sitting on a purple chair behind the desk is a pink creature who almost resembles a king of sorts. Their body is colored pink, with their scaled belly and muzzle being a pale yellow. Both of their hands and feet hold a single digit claw, with the hands also containing a clawless thumb. One of the most prominent details regarding this creature lies in the weird shell resting on their head. In truth, this formation is actually another Pokémon named Shellder, albeit changed to resemble a spiral shape with horns on the side. For proof, if a creature were to examine the back side of the shell, they would find eyes belonging to this former creature. While they do normally have intelligence, this Shellder loses all signs of IQ for the creature it's currently biting.
This Pokémon is known as a Slowking, one of the most intelligent and laid-back creatures in the world. Just like the siblings, he also possesses unique traits not normally seen in his species. Normally, the front of the Shellder would possess a red gem of sorts within the center. For this one, though, this object is replaced with an oval shaped eye, with its iris colored a darker shade of red. This eye allows the Slowking to gaze into the soul of any Pokémon for signs of truth. With such a helpful ability, he can trick any enemy into feeling safe before sabotaging them with his intelligence. Aside from the eye, the shell's horns split from both sides, curving up and down on both sides. In addition, one close look into the shell's texture reveals engravings in a different language. Finally, the creature wears an alternating white and red striped ruff, which his species normally wear. The difference, though, regards it extending down on the left side of his shoulder, making it resemble a cape of sorts.
Standing beside the Slowking is another Pokémon dressed in strong, but light silver armor. They resemble a dark brown lion, with their legs, chest, face, and the tip of their tail being a light brown color instead. They possess a round muzzle with a dark brown nose and round ears with dark brown interiors. Their eyes, each standing in front of a dark brown stripe, are colored bright blue. Signs of longer fur are detected on their thighs in addition to a longer tuft on the tip of their tail. Having three toes per paw, this creature is identified as male, holding a different appearance in comparison to his female counterpart. For starters, his red mane is huge, possessing gold steaks which form a pattern. This pattern resembles a symbol for fire, showcasing a star with its edges curving away from each other. In addition, the light brown fur on his front legs only extends up to his elbows, contrasting the full covering from their female side.
This Pokémon is known as a Pyroar, and he holds unique traits separating him from his species too. His mane, while looking the same, looks different when examining it at different viewpoints. The bottom portion stays the same, but the upper portion looks shorter than usual. Another detail to note is seen all across the creature's body: scars. These scars range from being small and barely visible to covering a good portion of his body with darker coloring. These past injuries highlight the amount of battles this Pyroar faced, especially when he was a young child. Going along with the scars is a tail which lights up frequently in heat. This creature's tail heats up a bit to resemble a molten knife of sorts, capable of injuring many enemies with burns and ruined armor.
Adjusting themselves, the three siblings walk a bit towards the Slowking, gaining the attention of the Pyroar. Rather than threaten them, he lets them go and observes carefully, knowing these children quite well to trust them. Once they reach the chairs, Iovia coughs a bit to get the Pokémon's attention, who was currently reading a newspaper regarding the world's elusive mysteries. Hearing the noise, he stops reading and looks around, smiling upon noticing the three siblings standing there.
"Sorry for the small wait, Headmaster Manasseh, but I got Pyxis and Acheros with me," Iovia says, causing the named Slowking to chuckle a bit.
"Oh, Iovia. You don't need to apologize for the wait. In fact, I don't even remember what I was waiting for!" Manasseh reveals with a joyful tone, almost causing everyone within the room to sweatdrop upon hearing the familiar context. While the Headmaster is an intelligent Pokémon, he still suffers from his species' flaws, namely forgetting memories. While this situation isn't severe for him, it does cause some minor annoyance whenever he forgets something important. Thankfully, his assistant helps him and the children out.
"You mentioned how Iovia here should seek out Pyxis and Acheros for an especially important mission. The time was almost before lunch hour began, so you had to explain without any reason how all three of them should be here," the Pyroar explains, causing the Slowking's eyes to widen in recognition.
"Of course! How could I have forgotten that event so easily? I'm so glad I have an assistant like you to keep my shell in place, Magnar!" Manasseh laughs out loud, causing everyone in the room to giggle at how true this statement felt. After calming himself down a moment, he gestures for the siblings to sit down. "Come sit down, children. We have much to discuss in terms of your mission."
Accepting his offer, they sit down and adjust themselves before focusing their attention on the Headmaster. "So, just out of curiosity, will we be initiating some form of group assistance today, Headmaster?" Pyxis asks in a blunt tone. In response, the Slowking rubs the back of his shell with uncertainty.
"Well, I wouldn't really say assistance, Pyxis. More like, say, replacing many troops as a substitute for a pitiable military organization?" He answers, causing the children's eyes to widen in shock. If they were to replace many soldiers, then they must have been wiped out or too injured to even be deployed.
"Seriously?! I understand some groups train differently, but how did so many creatures get defeated so easily?" Acheros questions, causing Magnar to walk over and pull out a scroll from his bag with his mouth. Placing it on the desk, Manasseh expands it across the surface to showcase a brown temple which gave off the appearance of ancient ruins through rust. Surrounding it were many trees which appeared dead, the texture resembling ones from a jungle.
"Scouts have reported a strange and shady Accelgor roaming these ruins, leading with him a manageable army. While he hasn't been seen ever since this discovery, his soldiers seem to hold a good amount of defensive strength. Many groups have tried to push their way through them, but it's clear their strategic layout provides no mercy for attacking parties," the Pyroar explains, causing the three to think over this new information.
"Indeed. The walls are strong enough to prevent piercing and the overall nature of temples like these may be providing some additional power towards them as well. If we're going to find out their reason for settling in an ancient temple, we need to have some form of immense power," the Headmaster inquires. As he said this, though, he glances at the children before him with sudden intrigue, as if they should already have the answer available. Smirking, Pyxis places his hand on the entrance of the temple on the scroll.
"So, if I'm hearing this right, we're going to be breaking down the army and capturing the leader alive, right?" Upon seeing the nods and pride of both adults, the Charmander's smirk grew a bit as he analyzed the situation before him. "Well, direct assault didn't end well for all the parties, and we can't create another opening if we wish to preserve this location, right?"
"Despite the appearance of this area, there must be some history regarding this place, and you all certainly acknowledge the importance of learning from mistakes, right?" Magmar states, causing the three to nod in affirmation.
"Perhaps we could cause some form of distraction from both sides?" Iovia questions, causing everyone in the room to look at them for an explanation. "I've been learning illusion spells from Velius, so I could probably form a fake safety spot for the soldiers. They probably wouldn't fall for an easy trick, so it will require some work. I may need some information from the scouts if that's ok with you, Headmaster Manasseh?"
Rather than answer the question with words, the Slowking pulls out a sheet of paper and hands it to the Pikachu, who takes it with curiosity. Glancing at the content, the three discover a layout of the entire temple from a two-dimensional viewpoint. The whole structure consisted of five floors with many approaches regarding transitions among them. Some rooms vary in terms of sizes, ranging from big to small. In addition, some rooms possess notes regarding mechanics such as traps or the amount of capacity for Pokémon. Overall, while it doesn't provide all the information available, clever creatures can create amazing strategies based on these maps alone.
"This is why you should never underestimate scouts, my friends. They may not provide much in firepower, but they make up with amazing results if I do say so myself! I mean, those tiny robots they send out hide under cracks quite well and they blend in with environments so easily. Plus, their clothing holds so many compartments for both stealth and exploration tools! I keep arguing my point on how we should be spending a bit more of our fundings into them, but nobody ever listens…"
Manasseh pauses on his rant upon noticing the confused expressions on both Magnar and the three siblings. "Wait a minute. Were we not talking about scouts earlier?" He questions out of legitimate confusion.
Presenting the map to him, Pyxis tries to change the current subject being presented at the moment. "Um, we were discussing tactics on how we should separate the troops within the temple. Judging from the map you gave to Iovia, we could figure out counter traps and possible surprise attacks if everything goes well, right?" He says, causing the Headmaster's eyes to widen once more as he nods profusely.
"A-Absolutely! Sorry for the change of subject, everyone, but yes; you can plan out whatever you need to make this mission a success. In terms of objectives, make sure you capture that Accelgor and his army alive for interrogations. If you find any creatures unwilling to go who seek no signs of redemption, including the leader himself… feel free to do with them as you will." The Slowking remarks with a glint in his eyes, especially the one within his shell.
The three siblings immediately understood the hidden meaning behind that last sentence: 'If you find any creatures who are purely evil, go ahead and kill them.' Any normal Pokémon would grow horrified by the request and permission to kill, especially if a child has to do it. No young creature in their eyes should ever have to do such an irreversible deed in slaughtering lives. Weirdly enough, though, the three siblings seem unfazed by this request. If anything, their auras indicate some strange form of excitement in carrying out the act of murder. After all, how can you show mercy and redemption towards an enemy who abandoned the concept long ago? If they're fine being who they are as criminals, then might as well let them experience their last moments doing what they love.
Hopping out of their seat, Iovia glances up at Manasseh and Magnar while holding the temple layout. "I'll go over this for some strategies, but we should be able to complete this mission in one day should everything go well. Thank you for offering us this mission, Headmaster Manasseh," the Pikachu says in gratitude, with them, Pyxis, and Acheros bowing their heads in support of this opportunity.
Waving off the compliments, the Slowking smiles upon the three as he lets them go. "Oh, it's no trouble! Knowing you three, you'll probably be able to finish this operation in less than a day, hahaha!" He laughs, watching as the brothers hop out from their seats and join their youngest sibling in leaving.
"Certainly true, Manasseh. All of them are certainly strong in their own way, but when they work together…" Magnar couldn't help but laugh at one of his incoming thoughts. "I bet any Pokémon would flee in terror or get crushed by them. I wonder if that feeling magnifies if we elites joined them as well?" He ponders in excitement. Nothing brought him greater joy than joining his comrades for a great battle, the feeling possibly radiating from his prideful nature in improving his techniques.
As the Headmaster listens to his assistant's words, he suddenly remembers another detail regarding this mission. This info has nothing to do with the enemy, but rather the allies of this operation. Realizing it would be better to warn the children about this thought rather than wait, he begins to yell out towards the siblings just as they reached the door.
"HOLD UP, YOU THREE!"
Alarmed by the sudden shout, the three stop their approach and turn towards Manasseh, shocked but also curious regarding this act. "Is something up, Headmaster?" Acheros questions the Slowking, wondering why he chose to stop them now.
Taking a breath from his shout, Manasseh looks at the siblings with a sheepish grin. "Well, I almost forgot to tell you all about another significant detail regarding this mission." Seeing their attention now focused on him, he proceeds to continue. "You see, an ally here will be joining you for this mission too. He came up to me a few days ago, asking if there was any way he could, and I quote, 'expand his respectable man-muscles across the Quintessence.' He does not currently know this, but I was planning on letting him learn about you three joining this operation. I don't think you need me to tell you who I'm referring to, right?"
Thinking over this ally along with that description regarding 'man-muscles,' the three siblings' eyes widened a bit in recognition of who will be joining them. They certainly know this advanced recruit, albeit not in a good way. Even though they are certainly stronger than him, let's just say he has another way of ticking them off. Despite the implications of what this mission will now be, the children do their utmost best to keep their expressions as neutral as possible.
"I-I see… We'll make sure to i-include him in our strategies as well, Manasseh," Pyxis says in a neutral, albeit shaky tone. Nodding their heads as well, Acheros and Iovia hold the same feelings as their big brother: feelings of questions regarding what they've done to deserve such a fate as this. Not wanting to break their composure, the three immediately open the door and leave the room, but not before closing the door after they're all out.
"You know, the children seemed to take it quite well, Headmaster," Magnar remarks with a slight bit of impression in his attitude. "I expected them to almost destroy your office when you mentioned him joining this mission."
Manasseh nods his head in agreement with his assistant. "I do understand the issue between them, but I'm fairly certain this mission shouldn't be too difficult for the kids to accomplish. I don't normally do this, but I hope he can learn to control his attitude during these types of operations." Looking towards the window behind him, the Headmaster smiles in some form of approval. "That being said, though, the children did an amazing job keeping their emotions at bay. If they can keep that up like they did earlier, everything will turn out okay!"
"EVERYTHING IS NOT OKAY!"
Sounds of sword slashes making their mark could be heard within the training grounds of the Quintessence. Located outside, these landmarks are equipped with multiple functions in order to help, well, train Pokémon. Ranging from mannequin-esque holograms to environmental changes within the battlefield, they can all be affected by a nearby silver terminal. The overall appearance of this area, a simple black ground with huge space, may not appeal to some creatures, but most recruits never bother with the fashion of this area. If anything, these training grounds allow them to witness amazing matches between other recruits, especially in regard to elites challenging each other. Not only do they provide entertainment, but these fights also showcase some tips and tricks other recruits can incorporate into their fighting style.
As of right now, only the three siblings are within the training grounds, each focusing on different tasks. For Pyxis, he's currently fighting off against a few holograms, having left behind a mass of digital bodies lying across the battlefield. Most of these bodies hold forms of injuries ranging from big stab wounds to limb dismemberments, but none of them pour out any blood. These attacks were caused by the Charmander wielding a sword of normal quality, provided to recruits by the Quintessence. Normally, Pokémon in this world fight without arming themselves with weapons, finding it easier to fight with their own powers instead. However, some creatures have found a way to upgrade their equipment in order to synchronize them with their powers. As a result, they can use weapons such as bows or spears during battle, providing additional benefits and capabilities for devastating combos.
For his younger siblings, Acheros is near the terminal, watching in both understanding and worry as his big brother crushes the holograms. Normally, he would train with him, but he figured slaughtering countless enemies would help the Charmander's mental state instead. Meanwhile, Iovia is sitting on the stairs leading to the battleground, having near them multiple stacks of scrolls for writing down battle strategies. Having a clear mind on hand, they can pin out certain tactics for the rooms listed in the map layout. Pyxis would help them out, but considering the amount of anger he's currently feeling, they decided to check out the map by themselves. After all, the Pikachu understood how much irk their big brother felt for a certain advanced recruit.
Watching another hologram lose their own head to a sword slash, Acheros decides to check if their big brother is feeling better now. "Whelp, that was the 100th enemy you just butchered out of existence. Are you feeling better now, Pyxis?" The Squirtle asks, causing the eldest child to grunt as he parries an enemy blade before stabbing the attacker through the stomach.
"Of course I'm not better, Acheros! Didn't you hear what Headmaster Manasseh told us?! I was expecting a semi-difficult mission with many troops and traps awaiting us! We were going to go in, spare anyone willing to redeem themselves, kill off the rest, and arrest the leader of this army! But now, instead of doing that-" Pyxis pauses a bit as he ducks under a horizontal slash directed towards his head.
"-we need to go-"
From there, he thrusts his blade towards the chest of a four-legged hologram, piercing its leather armor like a knife effortlessly cutting through meat.
"-become babysitters-"
Twisting the sword by a little bit, the Charmander slashes it out of the hologram, letting the body collapse onto the floor.
"-for a certain Pokémon-''
Not bothering to turn around, the child thrusts his weapon behind him, making contact with the throat of an unsuspecting enemy.
"-who acts like a BLOODY ARSEHOLE!"
With great anger, Pyxis pulls his arm up, causing the sword to slide up and split the hologram's head in half. Continuing his momentum, he turns his arm towards the last enemy near him, prepared for a killing blow. Throwing his weight in, the child slashes through both the hologram's neck and right arm, severing them from the body. While this swing happens, the Charmander's eyes glow bright, changing colors from a yellow orange to pure yellow. In addition, the scar on his head slightly glows yellow too, as though it's connected to this phenomenon. Once he finishes cutting off the body parts, he quickly raises his sword up and lets it descend down towards the hologram. Slashing through it, the boy watches as the enemy falls down, presumably dead if it were real.
Suddenly, Pyxis hears two grunts towards his left side, making him look towards his siblings in fear. When Pyxis' eyes and scar glowed bright, both Acheros and Iovia experienced a short burst of pain coming from their respective scars. For the Squirtle, his eyes changed from purple red to a pure red color. His scar, on the other hand, glowed red too, showcasing some form of connection between them as well. For the Pikachu, their eyes turned from a blue green color to a pure blue. Additionally, their scar, while currently hidden, glowed blue as well, once again establishing a connection.
Finally allowing himself to be filled with worry, the Charmander touches his scar in response towards what he's seeing. Sighing, he takes a deep breath before sheathing his sword within its scabbard. From there, he moves his left arm and waves his hand a bit before clenching it into a fist. Noticing this communication, Acheros inputs some commands on the terminal before shutting it off. From there, he watches as the field cleans itself of the hologram corpses, soon leaving only his big brother in the battleground. Sensing he's back to a normal mental state, the Squirtle heads down towards Pyxis, filled with worry for him.
"Sorry for that outburst. I just can't believe we have to complete a mission with him of all creatures," Pyxis says in a sad tone. His eyes and scar proceed to return to normal, making his siblings revert back to a normal state too. Acheros shakes his head as though he was disregarding the blame.
"I really don't blame you, big brother. I understand how it's not going to be easy with him around, especially if he decides to act like a huge jerk around us. I should be able to endure it, though," the boy laments, recalling how the advanced recruit loved to make fun of him despite the severe gap between them in terms of strength. The Squirtle understood how he's trying to chip him down in mental strength so that he could make a mistake, resulting in the recruit beating him as a result.
"Same here. While his threats and pleas can get a bit tedious to hear, I can bear it too. Besides, I don't mind handing him another embarrassment if you know what I mean," Iovia remarks, causing their brothers to smirk in response. Rumors have spread regarding the advanced recruit, a powerful member of the Quintessence in addition to being known as a "Rookie-Terror,"… losing to an unexpected new recruit in three sword strikes. While Pyxis and Acheros weren't there at the time, they had a sneaking suspicion that Iovia was the one who defeated them, to which they scored the jackpot. Nowadays, he tries to find out any weaknesses regarding the Pikachu, but he always finds nothing from them. Even threats to expose them never work since not many Pokémon know Iovia's past.
"If you guys say you can handle him, then I trust you all. If he does anything bad, though, I will make sure he remembers why he fears me," Pyxis states with a big grin, causing his younger siblings to laugh over the implications. Between the three of them, the advanced recruit holds the most fear for the Charmander since he lost a humiliating fight against him. Although, saying they fought is putting it lightly since it felt more like the child brutally crushing him both figuratively and physically.
After laughing a bit, Iovia heads back towards their original spot and picks up their papers along with the map layout. "Well, Pyxis, now that you're feeling better, would you like to help me out with tactics? I've got some ideas down on paper, but it would really help to have another perspective, you know?" They ask, causing their older brother to nod with a smile.
"Sure. I feel a lot better now, so let's go figure out how to crush armies with an ancient temple!" The Charmander says in a joyful tone, heading back toward the siblings' room for his preparations. Needing to prepare as well, Acheros and Iovia follow him, praying to Arceus that everything will go well regarding this mission.
A few hours pass by after the siblings' bonding moment within the training grounds. During this time, the children equip themselves with their respective armor sets, checking and restocking on supplies whenever it felt necessary. Pyxis and Iovia focused on strategies regarding the troops and the temple, creating multiple tactics which may or may not have included the advanced recruit. As for Acheros, he took care of any reforging for their weapons, whether they were primary or secondary. While they felt confident regarding this mission, they also felt worried in terms of how they'll be able to handle their ally. While he is certainly strong, his attitude will be the real test on how well this operation will be executed.
Soon, the three siblings were all ready to head out towards the ancient temple. In terms of armor, Acheros' shell is strengthened to resemble silver armor, with his arms and legs holding similar yet smaller gauntlets and leggings. His hands are covered in black gloves, weaved to help make moving his weapon a bit easier. In addition, he was wearing a black headband which he could pull over his eyes like a blindfold. While this may seem like a stupid idea, this blindfold actually holds manipulative orzon spells dedicated towards sight and analysis from enemies. Aside from that, he also holds many bags locked within his shell, each holding a variety of healing and support items.
For Pyxis, he's wearing a cloak embedded with Ioscalm, a metal which can be utilized on clothing to give defensive properties. The Charmander chose to build his cloak towards basic protection from weapons and spells, especially adding deflection regarding ranged projectiles. Underneath the cloak lies a utility belt holding many items as well, ranging from offensive to support. One important detail regarding his appearance lies in the set of white goggles lying on his horn. It appears highly advanced, with the blueish purple shades expanding down on the inner edge before decreasing in space towards the outer edge. Connected by wires which travel towards his back neck, Pyxis can scan and analyze various objects for helpful information, including enemies.
For Iovia, they're wearing a jacket also embedded with Ioscalm. Their chest is wrapped by leather bandages, allowing extra protection in addition to flexibility. While the jacket's right arm extends fully towards their hand, the left arm barely reaches over their shoulder. In exchange, they wear a firm, yet comfy black armband which extends towards their left hand. Above the cloth lies a gauntlet built with its middle section turning into a thin line for blades to get stuck in. Whenever that act happens, the Pikachu can disarm an opponent by locking it with their own weapon. Aside from the gauntlet, they wear a trio of string bags on their back in addition to a heart-shaped necklace. Clipped onto their shoulder is the other headpiece for their ear, allowing Iovia to listen to music in one piece while initiating in conversations for the other.
Glancing at his siblings, Pyxis jerks his head to the left side as a form of confirmation. "Well, are you guys ready to cause some bloody carnage?" He asks, intending for the question to be rhetorical but he doesn't mind it being answered. Seeing the grins on his younger siblings' faces, he smirks in response before they all walk out of their room.
Taking the elevator down towards the lobby, the children head outside to find a group of Pidgeots engaged in a conversation, waiting for them. Noticing the three, they wave at them before resuming their conversation, believing they aren't ready yet. Deciding to wait for the advanced recruit, the siblings wait via sitting on the stairway, focusing their attention on their respective Armory Looplets. Soon enough, though, they hear the sound of a familiar voice.
"Man, am I ready to wreck these soldiers towards the ground, bruh!"
Looking towards the entrance door, they see a bipedal Pokémon walk out of the doorway, stretching their arms to 'clearly' demonstrate his muscles. Their flat head has three brown ridges on top, with their eyes being red. Their chest has three rib-like stripes on each side, designed to emphasize their figure and strength. Along with a short and stubby tail, their hands have five digits each, with their feet strangely having none whatsoever.
This Pokémon is known as a Machop, yet certain features stand him out from his species in terms of uniqueness. For starters, his ridges are a bit longer than usual, with the tips being colored a dark red. Another feature of changes regards the dark gray tattoo lying on his chest. While it's normally covered by a leather breastplate, it resembles a wisp of sorts. Going from the edge to the center showcases other branches of trails which form hands of wavy fire. Once the center is reached, the inner side of the circle is opened, showcasing a lighter shade of gray. Aside from the tattoo, the Machop's arms and legs are covered in bright gold markings, signifying some form of possible power. The difference between the locations is how the markings are horizontal on his legs while the ones on his arms are vertical.
Seeing the three siblings, his face snorts up as though he was disgusted by their appearance. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here, before the great and mighty Fikhar!" The creature, identified as Fikhar, exclaims, causing the children's eyes to roll around in a small fit of annoyance.
"Yeah, yeah. Great to see you again, Fikhar…" Acheros mumbles, really not wanting to deal with him. Glancing towards the Squirtle, he smirks boastfully as if he was proclaiming how the boy's nothing more than a nuisance.
"Oh? What's this? Are you cowering before me, Achy? Can't say I blame you, considering how scarrry and terrible this mission's gonna be!" The Machop claims while laughing a bit, making the child grow mad at both the insulting nickname and the false lies the ten-year-old's trying to spread.
"Tch. I don't know if scary is the right word here, Fikhar. Maybe it'll go terrible, but me and Pyxis made sure our tactics are possible. Unless you're implying this fear is transitioning over to you…" Iovia retorts, causing the Pokémon to widen his eyes as though he got offended.
"How dare you think I'm weak, my rival?! I'm going to prove to you why your strategies won't matter because my skills alone will wipe out our enemies!" The armored creature proclaims, expressing his ideal viewpoint through a simple flex of his biceps. Before he could taunt them further with a kiss on his muscles, Pyxis gets up and confronts him with a neutral glare.
"You know, you can stay here and showcase your 'manliness' for everyone to witness, or you can actually contribute towards this operation by revealing your virtues towards the enemy. That is, bashing their faces in because I'm currently feeling the mood to do so right now," the Charmander suggests, hands silently clenched into fists underneath his cloak.
Fikhar tries to mimic the eldest sibling's glare towards him as he speaks. "Are you trying to boss me around, Pyxis? Because if you are, then I will…!" Before the Machop could continue his rant, he takes a longer glance into the child's eyes and notes how he would be included in the army's 'face-bashing' if he kept this up. Growing terrified, he coughs a bit before attempting to change his thoughts. "…gladly follow your orders like a great and respectable member, hahaha!" The recruit states in a 'jolly' tone.
Not wanting to deal with him any further, he walks over towards the group of Pidgeots, who finished their conversation a long time ago. Hopping up on one of them, he waves towards the three siblings before preparing to take off. "Well, if you don't mind me, I'm just going to go up ahead and do some great scouting for all of you, so bye!" Fikhar quickly says, not taking the moment to hear the siblings out as he flies off with the bird.
Sighing, Acheros begins to walk towards the remaining birds. "On second thought, I'm starting to think it wouldn't be possible for me to endure his insults," he sadly remarks, only to suddenly feel a paw rub the back of his shell. Looking to his side, the Squirtle sees Iovia giving them a soft smile.
"We'll get through this, Acheros. Me and Pyxis will make sure Fikhar doesn't hurt you any further with his lame insults. Isn't that right, big brother?" They question the Charmander, who gives them both a thumbs-up symbol with his claws as a response.
"Heh. If anything, the only creature who won't be able to endure this mission is the blockhead himself. Not even a minute went by, and he listened to me out of nothing but fear. You'll do much better than him, ok?" The eldest child speaks with reassurance and motivation in his tone. Upon seeing his younger brother nod in affirmation, he lets out a soft smile like Iovia. "Well then, let's beat him there first! Shall we?"
With all three of them nodding their heads in resolution, they began to walk towards the remaining Pidgeots, who were simply lying down for a quick rest. Before they could fully reach the group, though, the entrance doors open up with someone calling out to them.
"WAIT UP, YOU THREE!"
Turning their heads towards the recipient of that voice, they immediately recognize the creature standing there, with Pyxis' eyes lighting up considerably in joy.
Walking over to them is another bipedal, albeit plantlike Pokémon. They are colored white across their head, arms, and wide hips, with their torso and legs being dark purple. Their eyes possess a dark purple color too, but near the upper edges lies purple, triangular markings. This setup makes them look as though they have stylized eyelashes. The top of their head holds a big, light green calyx with leaves protruding from all four sides, along with a stem poking out on the top. The front and back of these leaves are shorter than the side ones, which are so big that they could resemble pigtails in plant style. In addition, the right-side leaf holds two yellowish-green spots located near the top. The upper section of their torso possesses short ruffles at the top, making it resemble a dress of sorts. This creature's hips form out of six segments, resembling a mangosteen fruit. Finally, their slender arms end with slightly rounded hands without any digits, with their feet possessing pointed tips.
This Pokémon is known as a Steenee, participating in the established rules of having unique qualities from her own species. For starters, her right pigtail leaf appears much shorter than her left one. In addition, her left pigtail leaf has two spots similar to her right pigtail, only they're light purple. While her species' hips are normally wide, her hips are a bit shorter than normal which she doesn't complain about. Additionally, their colors are different between her head and arms, being light yellow instead of white. For a final trait, her legs each hold two small, pointed projections located near the back side.
Walking over to her, Pyxis' smile widens a bit as the creature looks down and smiles upon the three siblings. "Zeema! What are you doing here?" He asks, curious as to why she's confronting them now.
Crouching down, the Steenee pulls out from her light green backpack a box wrapped in pink wrappings. "I heard from the recruits on how you three are heading towards an ancient temple with Fikhar of all Pokémon," she explains with sympathy for the children regarding what they're dealing with. "So, I decided to help you guys out by baking some hand-made treats!"
Giving the box towards the Charmander, he, along with his younger siblings, surround the object in question, curious about its content. "What type of treats did you make?" Acheros questions, having his mind get distracted by the sweet, delicious smell emanating from the box.
Giggling, Zeema shows them the content through her looplet. "Sugar cookies! I figured the spot for the operation wouldn't have any food or ingredients for cooking, so I baked a couple of them for you all. Pyxis, you'll get the red and gray cookies. Acheros, you'll take the blue and purple ones. And the yellow and white ones will belong to you, Iovia. It should keep you satisfied throughout the entire mission, so don't fret if you run out!" The Steenee remarks in a cheerful manner, knowing her cooking makes the three siblings happy.
Stashing it safely within one of Iovia's bag, Pyxis gives Zeema a bright smile. "These cookies will really help us in the long run. Thank you so much, O-nee-san!" He exclaims cheerfully, practically melting the Steenee's heart at how wholesome her younger brother is towards her. Not leaving without a worthy response, she rubs her hand on top of his head, almost as if she was ruffling invisible fur.
"It never gets old hearing you call me by that name, Pyxis. Oh, and on a side note, Kainat and Namid told me to wish you all luck, along with also saying hi too," she mentions, giggling at how jealous they looked regarding her cooking.
"Thanks! Tell them we said hi, too!" The three siblings all say in unison. Hearing that synchronization, they look at each other in confusion before they begin to laugh. Joining in too, Zeema smiles at how much happier the children looked, knowing how uncomfortable they normally felt around Fikhar. To be fair, though, she and her sisters never really liked the Machop too. He always boasts his feats and tries to be romantic around them, even though there was a considerable age gap between them.
After a few seconds, the siblings all approach the Pidgeots, not bothering to rush since Fikhar probably reached the temple first. "Well, we better get going. Hope to see you soon, Zeema!" Pyxis says, prepared to begin the operation.
Waving her right arm up, the Steenee expresses her farewell in addition to helpful advice. "Stay safe, you three! Oh, and when you see Fikhar…" She pauses to give them both a devilish smile in addition to a wink. "Feel free to give him half a sugar cookie along with kicking his ass if he does anything stupid, ok?"
Planting that thought into mind, the children all smile and nod at her in acknowledgment before directing their attention towards the Pidgeots. Giving them a small bit of energy for travel, the birds spread their wings and take off towards the ancient temple. As they fly towards their objective, the three siblings hope that their tactics and strategies will pull them through when they consider Fikhar's attitude…
Author's Note: How's it hanging, fellow reader? Hope you enjoyed the first part of this new tale! In comparison to the last story I tried to finish, this one will mostly contain one-shots regarding the Pokémon characters I've established so far. Of course, there will be more characters to come, but I will do my best to make them as unique as possible. In the meanwhile, feel free to write up a review for constructive criticism or nice compliments. In addition, if you guys have any OCs or story ideas you want to see within the story, please let me know! I would love to see how far we can go in terms of tales within this world! Heck, I'll even include crossovers from other games, anime, books, etc. Overall, I can't wait to begin this story since this is kinda like my dream project of sorts. I hope you all have a great day, and I'll see you in the next act!
*On a side note, I apologize if this chapter was too long for you guys. The next part will be even longer, but I'll add line breaks to help make reading a bit easier. I believe future stories won't be as long as this tale, but I needed to establish some parts of the setting first. It may sound confusing at first, but I will expand upon the concepts described in this act in future tales. For the rating, this story will be M for Mature, since I do plan on making violent scenes with major injuries. However, I will not make any NSFW scenes so if you are here for those, look for another story instead. I'll add warnings before the start of each chapter in case you want to know what a chapter will contain.
