Just over two weeks, like I promised? I'm so proud of me! This chapter's a bit wacky, try to bear with me.


In the end, we were able to get a fire started, at the expense of a handful of pine needles, some soggy logs, and a roll of toilet paper (one I almost felt that Scar was perhaps slightly reluctant to part with…not that he showed it in any measurable way). It was pitiful, with a meager flame sprouting from the wood, letting off more white smoke than heat.

Spit above the small fire was the rattata that Scar had mangled, and I had beheaded. Scar had made me skin it, stating "I could skin it, and you'd have a meal, or you could skin it, and have a skill." In a voice that broke his typical monotone, rich with tones of "I don't care if I can't speak your language, I know better, back in my day blah blah blah blah."

The fact that I was certain I was the one that had described it as such in my own head, instead of the dead girl doing so, frightened me.

Scar simply stared into the empty blackness again, eyes still obscured behind his dark goggles, as the flames gently licked that rattata. I sighed, the silence carving a hole in my gut, and found myself fidgeting in an attempt to distract myself from the unpleasant feeling.

It didn't work.

"What?"

I turned to Scar, silently giving thanks for something to break the sheer sense of emptiness that filled the clearing. "What?"

"Your question."

I stared Scar in the eyes (or his goggles), thinking for a moment, "I understand why you'd cover your face, but why the goggles?"

"They have their uses."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"May I share your fire, please?"

My eyes were drawn to the source of the new voice, a young man several feet to Scar's left, with sunken eyes, a gaunt face, and odd blue hair, that flared out from both sides of his head like horns. I hadn't heard him approach and judging from the way Scar jerked his neck to see him, neither had he.

Scar seemed to relax upon seeing the haggard man and turned back to the fire "My hearth is open to all manners of travelers and fools."

The young man gave a brief bow in thanks, and sat down next to Scar, scooting so close to the fire I small breeze could kick the fire into his face, "Do you know where I am?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but Scar, not even looking at the man, cut me off. "That depends, where were you?"

The stranger appeared surprised by the question and shivered, inching slightly closer to the fire "I started in Sinnoh…but it feels like it's been an eternity since then, and I've been everywhere but home since."

The stranger's words carried a certain ominous weight to them, one that sent chills down my spine even as I felt a pang of pity in my chest. Scar seemed oblivious to such tones, and casually continued, "You are long and far from home then. We are in Johto, now. It has been two weeks since the pokemon have turned."

The stranger shook his head, despairing. "Then I am further from home still." The man eyed the rattata spit over the fire "God, I've not eaten in so long that looks appetizing."

The stranger's desperation struck a cord in me, somehow, "You can have my share of it, if you want, I'm not too hungry, anyways. Too weird, after skinning it, to eat it."

The stranger smiled bitterly, and shook his head, "I wish I could, but-"

"I would not say." Scar cut the stranger off, "You've no reason to. Do not tempt fate if you do not have to." Scar glanced at me briefly but did not hold eye (goggle) contact. "He cannot eat from what we can prepare. You are softer than him…it would do more for your greater need."

Both the stranger and myself looked at Scar in confusion. Realization dawned on the Stranger's face, "Are you-"

He was gone.

I slapped myself on the face twice, and then squeezed my eyes shut, as if that would bring the stranger back from nowhere. Lo and behold though, when I opened my eyes again, only Scar was on the other side of the fire.

"What now?" Scar asked, his voice returning to its typical flat tone, despite what had happened.

"Where did he go?"

"Where did who go?"

"The man!" I stood up, gesturing wildly "The man with the blue hair that was just here a second ago!"

Scar stood up as well, and in an instant he was standing over me, pushing me back to where I was sitting a moment before. I pushed back, only to find myself flat on my ass from Scar's retaliatory uppercut. I tried to get up, but Scar put his hands on my shoulders, holding me still "Remain here, do not move, do not speak. You are delirious, there is no blue haired man, there was no blue haired man, there could not have been a blue haired man. The food will be done shortly, and then you will sleep. With fortune, you will take back your senses in the morning."

I opened my mouth to protest, to tell him that I was not crazy, that HE must have been crazy not to see him.

Then I realized how crazy that sounded, and kept my mouth shut. Scar nodded, and patted me on the shoulder, maybe using a little more force than necessary, and went back to where he was sitting. Scar removed the rattata from the fire, and jabbed his fingers into it, parting the flesh experimentally, and then put it back with a grunt, evidently not satisfied. Scar sighed, leaning back and staring at the sky "Welcome back."

I blinked, and the stranger was back again, shivering, knees pulled up to his chest and rocking back in forward. "Arceus, it's so cold."

"Punishment for your crimes, no?"

The young man glared at Scar, a look so intense and full of hatred I found myself gritting my teeth trying not to look away. "Crime? I just wanted to-"

"Stop it? No, you wanted to avoid it. You think that to do what you did, it comes without consequences? That it is magic? No, no it is not."

"How was I to-"

"Shut up." Scar said, a note of finality that commanded even the stranger, "You are making a disservice of yourself. I will judge you by what you have done, and I will not lie. You ran from something, wished upon a star, or the genie of the bottle, and that wish was not something you understood, and you payed for your innocence… ignorance? No, insolence, and your ignorance as well. But-" without facing him, Scar shoved a pointed finger in his face, "But I can also give you advice. So, stop the flatulence from your mouth, and listen."

The murderous look vacated the stranger's face, his jaw dropping wide and his sunken eyes trembling with disbelief, "How do y-"

"The flatulence boy, stop with it and listen; from where do you come?"

"My name is-"

"No!" Scar exclaimed, "Not your name, never your name. Never, ever give it."

"I come from Sinnoh."

"Yes, well, remember that, and your name. Always repeat it to yourself in your head whenever you travel, or you forget what home looks like."

"Could I-"

"Yes, you can." Scar confirmed, "Rules of the road apply, remember every place you pass, sing it to a tune, if you can."

"But how can-"

And he was gone again. I closed my eyes, shook my head, and opened my eyes to see Scar sitting at his usual spot at the fire, staring at me, mouth open mid-speak, "What was that?"

"What?"

I opened my mouth to tell him what I was seeing, but thought better of it, "Just hungry, is the rattata done yet?"

Scar picked at the rodent again, then tore off a haunch of it and handed it to me. "Only eat the legs, more disease resides in the spine."

I took the haunch and cautiously bit into it.

"Gamey, but not unpleasant."

I had a feeling I'd be sick of it before the year was through.


"Hey…hey…hey!" I groaned, rising from my slumber reluctantly, and scratched my head, recalling where exactly I was. The voice didn't spend time waiting for me to acclimate myself, "I know you're up there! Can you hear me?"

I looked at Scar, who just looked up from the spit that the Rattata had been left on, untouched save for the one haunch I had eaten. "Is that real? That can't be real."

Scar set the spit aside and rose slowly to his feet "I think so, come with me."

I got up, intent on following Scar, but paused and grabbed a smoldering stick from the fire. The light was minimal, but I figured it was better than nothing, and I jogged after him.

Our little walk took us to the edge cliff, where we had climbed up ourselves, earlier. I squinted and lowered the pathetic excuse for a torch to try to make out what was there, but to no avail. "Hey, I'm here. Where are you?

"Right beneath you…I think. Can you lower something down for me?"

I looked around for one such thing, but stopped when I felt Scar's hand on my shoulder. I looked towards him, and he simply extended his other hand without a peep. I stood a moment, unsure of what he wanted, before handing him the torch. Scar took it, and then dropped it over the edge, taking away the only sliver of light we had.

I grumbled, unhappy, but my eyes adjusted quickly enough to the light of the stars, and I could make out the shape of Scar reaching up to his face and removing his tinted goggles. Scar stared for a moment, probably allowing his eyes to adjust, before lowering them back over his eyes, and removing the axe from his back, making my breath catch in my throat.

"A fight? Why would we fight? A bandit? Or, an imposter? What did he see? What should I be doing?"

I watched intently as Scar lay on his stomach, dangling his axe over the edge. "Watch the edge, I will pull you up."

"Okay."

Scar grunted, and tucked his knees under him, pushing himself up and back away from the edge, slowly pulling the axe and its passenger up the cliff.

'And yet he couldn't pull himself up the cliff."

"Wait, wait, wait. Scar, is that you?"

Scar heaved, and pulled back, bringing the axe back over the edge, and letting its occupant tumble on the ground.

"Ow, owowow, ow. Was that necessary?"

My jaw hit the ground. Turns out, I was delusional. After all, what were the chances RUI of all people had found her way to us.

"Wow, I can't believe I found you guys!" Rui exclaimed happily, sitting down at the fire. Scar plopped down beside her, and I took my usual spot on the opposite side of the fire.

"Neither can I…" I grumbled, still uncertain. Scar shot me what I thought might have been a glare, but tore off the other haunch, handing it to Rui.

"Here, you are half-starved." Rui's hands grasped and groped at the air blindly, until Scar got tired of the pathetic (if slightly amusing) sight and tapped it against her mouth. Rui quickly grasped and brought it to her mouth, but stopped, sniffing it cautiously.

"What kind of meat is this?"

"It's meat, what does it matter?"

"It matters because I want to know what I'm putting in my mouth."

"Rattattata." Scar conceded "But it is but the haunch, and it is well cooked; roasted over the fire." Scar shot me a quick glance, "What is more, he already had one less cooked, and he's no crazier than he ever was."

"Rattata? Well why didn't you just say so?" Rui asked, almost flippantly, and then tore a large chunk out of the haunch, and continued with her mouth filled to the brim, "My dad used to hunt…it was the only thing he could ever catch though. We'd have smoked rattata, barbeque rattata, rattata stew…all things rattata. All the other kids would make fun of me for it, call me 'ratgirl', not that I ever figured out they were trying to be mean. I just thought it sounded cool."

Scar gave a soft 'hmmmmm', but otherwise did not comment.

Rui finished up the haunch and then held out her hands again "Is there anymore?" Scar grunted, and tore off one of the front legs and put one in each of her hands, but before continuing her one-woman massacre of our food she turned to me, "Are you okay? You're gritting your teeth… a lot."

I rose a hand up to my jaw, surprised to find that she was right, doubts aside, I decided to stay civil, at least for now, "It's nothing, just had a long day."

"Ugh, tell me about it…actually, don't." Rui continued eating, seemingly without a care, but her pale eyes stayed on me the whole time, somewhat unnerving me.

"On that topic," Scar interjected "Where have you and Wes been, we were to meet up, no?"

Rui stopped again, putting the legs down on one of the stones that lined the fire. "Wes and I were separated the morning of the attack. Someone broke his arm, in the field, and Wes had to cover for him. He's alive, I know he is…but he won't come to meet us here, not with all the rattata. He'll try to meet up with us…in violet city."

"You managed to activate the tools yourself?"

"Yeah, I managed to figure it out, no big deal, really."

"Did he receive my gifts for him? If so, he'll manage."

"I think so."

Scar gave another low 'hmmmmmm', and set off, muttering under his breath in the language that he and Rui shared. Rui gave a shrug and a nod in response, and Scar sauntered off, pacing along the fringes of our dim camp. Rui simply stretched out her legs, her meal forgotten, placed her hands behind her head, and laid down, pale eyes open and staring at the sky.

I was happy, really. Or at least, I would be, if I woke up in the morning and found it this wasn't a dream, or a hallucination. Talking to Scar was like talking to a statue; with a wrinkled, condescending face, and a cocked eyebrow.

Arceus, I hated people that could do that.


It was morning when I next awoke. Rui was laying down in the same way, as she was, but awake. Scar was sitting near the fire again, but this time he was tending to the gun that I had seen in his bag. Scar quickly noticed I was awake and shoved it back into his bag.

I looked between him and Rui several times, "I have three questions." I held up the corresponding number of fingers. "One: is Rui real?"

Rui sat up quickly, shooting me a confused look, "Like…metaphysically or…"

Scar zipped up his bag and shot her a look "Just answer the question, Rui."

Evidently, Rui thought she could do better. She got on her hands and knees, crawled next to me, reached out, and pinched my arm, "Yes, I'm real."

I looked to Scar next. "Yes, she is."

"Okay, Two: is Scar real?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

I looked at Scar, unamused "My sorries, a poor time for humor. Yes, I am real."

"Okay, 3: what is the date?"

Both Rui and Scar answered at the same time, "September 6th."

'Freaky.'

"I was about to pinch you awake anyways." Rui admitted. "There's a lull in the horde, I think a lot of them are asleep. If we leave now, we should be able cut through without much trouble.

"Then we leave now." Scar concluded. "Prepare to leave."

I did as Scar ordered but only minutes later did I realize what had occurred.

'Scar is relying on information concerning pokemon movements from a BLIND GIRL. What the actual HELL?'

In the end, I figured that I was better off not voicing my objections. In the end Scar would go with or without me, and it's not as if I could manage out there on my own.


Our hike took is through the forest, to the foot of a mountain without trouble. From there we went North, and west, and entered a smaller woods. At some point, Scar began carrying Rui on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck while he held up both her legs with one arm. Meanwhile, I had been relegated to pack mule duty, hauling around Scar's heavy bag.

"Jealous?"

And she was back, because why wouldn't she be.

She might also have been onto something.

'But only for the company, make it a little easier to ignore this little annoying voice flitting about in my ears.'

"Please, you know you'd miss me."

I sighed, not willing to even consider thinking about that.

Scar suddenly stopped in his tracks, Rui nudging him in the ribs, "Scar, there's someone ahead."

"I know."

"Should we go around or something?"

Scar sniffed several times, rubbing his nose with his free hand, "No. Crescent, open my bag, be ready to pull out Akim."

It didn't tale much effort to figure out what the 'Akim' was. I unzipped the bag, and looked at the long gun with trepidation.

"You will overcome it now." Scar spoke calmly, and his tone was almost kind, though his words held no special consideration for me, and no room to argue.

I reached into the bag with my opposite hand and stroked the firearm from one end to another, nodding absently, ignoring the sweat that was beginning to run down my temples.

Scar nodded in return and we continued walking.

Within five minutes I could scarcely make out one person, just a small smear on the side of the road, resting on a park bench. As we drew closer it stood up and moved so it was standing in the center of the path, facing us, and more details became clear with each step: first his gray clothing, then his silver hair, then the gun at his side, then the look of barely contained fury on his face, and then his mouth opening.

"You."

"Me." Scar agreed, dropping Rui from his back, and the blind girl moved around his side, so she was just barely visible to the stranger.

The man glanced briefly at me, and I finally recognized him; the soldier that Scar kicked the living shit out of to keep him from confronting the golbat. "I could shoot you now." He concluded, though he made no attempt to reach for his gun.

Scar simply nodded at him, and then faced me, nodding again. Seeing the gesture, the soldier quickly turned his gun on Scar, dropping to one knee. I looked at the weapon he held, and trembled involuntary upon recognition: the same small machine gun that had sent me to infirmary with metal in my gut. My own scar from the cauterized wound itched, my jaw locked in place, and my breathing picked up, my body shaking with each intake of air.

'Different place, different time, different gun. It's not pointed at you. It's not pointed at you.'

Unfortunately, that line of rationalization did little to pause my quaking, and the soldier pointed his gun at me, concerned, "Is he simple or something?"

That's when I really lost it, tears falling down my face, falling to a squat, my abdomen feeling as if it was on FIRE, and sobbing openly. The soldier looked at the spectacle confused, but Scar, to his credit, stepped forward, drawing the soldier's attention back to himself, "He was shot by a member of Johto Defense Force, a deserter. To keep things quiet here, keep that pointed here."

The soldier happily complied.

"I've no intention of harming you, regardless, and I do not think you will shoot me."

"Is that a challenge?"

"No, an observation. You don't want to shoot me." Scar turned his head toward me, "Remove the akim from the bag, drop it on the ground.

"And why's that?"

Scar turned his head toward me, "Remove the akim from the bag, drop it on the ground." I managed to regain enough of my senses to follow his directions, though I threw the gun on the ground rather than dropped it. Scar stepped forward, and then kicked the weapon hard, with it landing behind the soldier, who did not budge.

"It's dishonorable, as I am unarmed, I mean you no harm, it would be akin to murder. You wouldn't wish to kill me in front of my companions. To kill me after I saved your life would stain your conscious, and I am a friend of you grandfather." Scar said. "Along with more pragmatic reasons: ammunition is limited, we are in Johto's national park and the noise will attract unwanted attention, you don't know what my companions and I are capable of, safety in numbers… there are many."

"I don't know what this is about…" Rui interjected "But I've never seen Scar do something that he thought wasn't right or necessary. Whatever he did, no matter how mean it might have been, he must have had a good reason."

"He snuck up on me and BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF ME." The soldier roared, stepping forward, waving his gun in the air, but at least it wasn't pointed at Scar (or me, for that matter), "He then TIED ME UP, AND KEPT ME FROM SAVING MY COMRADES FROM A GOLBAT ATTACK."

"I saved you." Scar countered. "You did not have all the information I had. Had you gone out there, you would have died, and the attack would have ended minutes later despite you."

"What are you talking about!?"

Scar opened his mouth to speak, but Rui cut in, "Scar thought the Golbat would attack, so he built a deterrent against them. High explosive bombs, a kind of radio that made sound waves that blinds them and scares them off. If you want to blame anyone, blame me! I was the one that was supposed to turn it on, but I couldn't figure out how!"

The soldier pressed forward a step and squinted, trying to get a better look at Rui, "Is she BLIND?"

Scar stood at attention, spine straight and hands at his sides, "Nobody is blamed here. What happened happened. But yes, the person I had to activate it was away from camp. I stopped you because I owe your grandfather a debt- yes, he lives, I have seen him recently- for saving my life, and giving me shelter though I was a soldier."

The soldier dropped his weapon to his side, "My grandfather is alive?"

"Yes, he lives, as does most of Olivine city. All but the waters were untouched after the shattering. He again offered me shelter in the chaos of the city. Your name is Robert, correct? I saw your photographs then: you graduated from the history and military school of Goldenrod, no?"

"That's… that is a relief." The soldier- Robert- sighed, "But, what are you doing here, if Olivine city is safe?"

"I have unfinished business." Scar dismissed, "Is this conflict resolved?"

Robert let go of gun entirely, allowing it to hang from it's strap, "Shit man, I can't fight a friend of grandpa, but…how did you meet him? I don't remember him saying he met any Orreans during the war."

"He had no reason to; for all he knew, I was dead. I am, or I was, an Orrean Ranger, I was stranded in Johto, without help, but he did me a kindness, there is nothing else to say. I consider his debt payed in full." Scar, relaxed slightly, his hands straying a bit further from his sides, and I noted Rui did not cling to his side so closely, and as her hand pulled away from his waist, something shifted under his clothing, and something clicked.

'Unarmed my ass'.

Scar stepped past the soldier unimpeded, retrieving his gun and then walked back, placing it back in the bag I held, and he spoke in a raised voice, addressing all of us, "We are near the critical point, you may accompany us longer, the road forward leads to both Olivine and my destination, at least, for now. Follow me, for a while longer, at least."

Scar crouched, allowing Rui to climb on his back again, and resumed walking. I dried my eyes and nose, and shouldered the bag again, and fell in behind him. Robert watched our gaggle of misfits for a moment, then shrugged and cut in between Scar and I.

Rude? Maybe, but I wouldn't want him behind my back anyways.


The next half hour of the walk passed in silence, save for a quiet argument between Rui and Scar, in their own language. Robert stood stoic, but he huffed whenever their voices crawled anywhere above a whisper, indicating some annoyance.

As we approached a fork in the road, Scar silenced Rui with a definitive word. When we reached the fork, Scar turned to us, "These are the crossroads. The left path will take you to Olivine city, where you will find peace and normality for a time. It will not last, though. Two months, three months, six months, who can say? But you will be pinned like pigs, and eventually you will be delivered to the enemies, and the city will be doomed without help."

'It's a good idea, impending doom aside.' I figured. 'I mean, I'd have rest, I could heal fully, and help MIGHT come. If not, while I'm there I could gather people that could help me slip away.'

"Or," Scar continued, "You could follow me on my task, eastward. The road may not be safe or easy, but it must be done, and it may deliver the help needed to save Olivine city."

While I pondered this, Robert spoke up, "If it means helping the people of Olivine, I'll join you. I can't stick my head in the sand."

"Ask him what his task is."

I decided that if Boo had broken her long silence, it was a good idea to follow her advice. "And what is it you plan to do?"

"That is classif-" Scar started, but Rui cut him off mid-sentence.

"We're going to save the world!"


I don't usually not have anything to say, but when I do...oh right, I actually do have something to say. Go check out Pokewars newest member; Captain Kanto on this site, we've been cooperating a bit, and he's writing a story following the limited rearmament of Kanto's military before the undampening...which kind of sounds lame but it's not, trust me. In addition to that, the story summarizes the conflict referred to as the "The Great War". which has been referenced multiple times throughout this story. He only started writing last weekend, and he already has two chapters out, and a third that he and I are proofreading which will likely be out around Monday.

So...yeah, check him out. And review this story...like I usually beg and plead. I'm going to try to have Bulbasaur's dossier complete by next week for my other Pokewars story (well, more like a very rough, comprehensive pokedex written by a hyper-competent raging asshole) An Orrian Ranger's guide to things you should not be fighting. So keep an eye out, if that's your kind of thing.

Hope ye enjoyed.