The candies called to me. The aroma of candied berries wafted through the air, promising delicious goodness, singing a siren song I couldn't resist. I was right by the kitchen, I could easily float in and steal some. I would be in soooo much trouble if I got caught, but then again, what was the purpose of rules if not to broken? I looked around. Nobody was there in the hallway with me. Good. I still had to be careful though, I couldn't see the entire kitchen, and someone might still be in there. I floated closer to the floor and then quickly sped inside, ending up pressed against one of the counters. I looked to the left. To the right. I held my breath and listened very carefully… nothing. I was alone. I started to slowly drift up, salivating at the candies' fruity scent.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Fuck, someone was coming down the hallway.
I quickly merged with the counter. Being a Shuppet had its advantages. But I was on a timer; I could only stay merged with solid objects for so long. Eventually, my mind would lose the fight to keep me ethereal, and I'd be ejected into the nearest free space. Wait. If that was one of the chefs coming back then I would be ejected with them still in the room! Dammit, should've hidden behind the counter, not in it. Well too late now. If I get caught I get caught.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
I could hear the footsteps walk slowly away. Pheh. I waited until I could barely hear the footsteps and unmerged with the counter. I looked around the room. Still empty. I quickly floated up and stole a candied oran and stuffed in my bag. You know what? It looks kind of lonely in there. Better give a friend. I looked at the counter, candied nomel, candied leppa, candied pecha…. So many options. Who would I choose? You know what it wasn't fair that only one could get chosen. Better take them all. You know, so no one would be left out. So I telekinetically lifted the candies and added them to my collection. The bag was getting a little heavy. Better eat them soon, before they get discovered. Would be a shame if I got in trouble now after going through all this hard work to acquire them. I floated close to the door. Still no sound. I was clear. I left the room, and floated down the hallway, bag sagging under the weight of my contraband. Looking as innocent as can be.
I found a nice quiet abandoned storehouse to enjoy my treats. Living in a fortress on the mountainside did not really provide much privacy. Everything was so close. Everything was so rocky. Everything was so boring. All the adults went on and on about Blight queen this, Blight queen that. How it was our jobs as the Death-seekers to stop the Blight queen and bring death back into the world. Blah Blah Blah.
But after 15 years of hearing about the *evil* Blight queen and her *evil* agents, not one attack on the fortress, and only a few glimpses of these so called Blighted. I'm starting to wonder how real any of this is. I've never been allowed outside the sight of the fortress walls, and frankly it was starting to get a little grating. The only reason I hadn't run away was because in a year's time I'd be properly inducted into the Death-Seekers, and from there I would get missions and could properly leave the fortress.
Bong. Bong. Bong.
Uh oh. The three o'clock bells were ringing, classes were about to resume. I quickly stuffed my half-finished leppa back into my bag, and rushed back to class. I quickly took my seat near the front of the class and eagerly took out my textbook. Today was History classes, which was always a treat. It was maybe the only class where they bothered to teach you about the outside world. All the other classes were about battles and fighting and "tactics". The tournaments were sometimes fun but the lectures were atrocious. There's only so many ways you can say "burn the zombies or they come back".
Also the teacher's needed to stop saying "things-that-should-not-be", everyone else just used "outsiders".
But today was not that day. The elderly Polassand history teacher came trudging in, and the lesson began in earnest. Today we were learning about the fall of the Western Fort. I had already read ahead so I knew the story fairly well. Polassand lectured the general history, nothing really too important, but his commentary on the geography was interesting. I never considered how a cave system could used by the defenders to defend an area.
"So kids, do you know why we remember the Western Fort?"
Some rolled their eyes, some gave a groan. Everyone knew why the Western Fort was famous. It was the first time the Dread Lord appeared. No one knew where they came from, just that supposedly one day a black and red armor clad Typhlosion bearing an eerie blue fire appeared riding a Noivern, with the ability to apparently command the blighted. The Dread Commander led a coordinated assault on the fort, leading the charge themselves. Most eerily however, it was rumored no move could touch them.
It was the parent's favorite boogeyman. "If you don't behave, the Dread Lord will come and eat you". Frankly I'd grown past that. A Pokemon that could lead the blighted? Impervious to attacks? Maybe the toddlers could be fooled by that, but not me.
I looked around. No one else was raising their hand. Polassand was still waiting there, apparently the question wasn't rhetorical.
I might as well get this over with. "Is it because it was the first time the Dread Lord Appeared, sir?"
"That is correct! The Western Fort was the first recorded instance of the Dread Lord of the Blighted. He is called the Dread Lord…"
I phased out after that. It wasn't like I didn't already know this stuff.
The class continued for a little while longer, with Polassand continuing to talk about all the different times the "Dread Lord" supposedly showed up. Wish he'd talk about something else, most mons had already heard plenty about the Dread Lord.
Mercifully the class ended. I waited a little while, not wanting to appear hasty to leave. They still hadn't figured out who'd been thieving from the pantries these past few months, and I figured if I put up a good front, no one would think to suspect me. I already had a reputation as a bookworm, better keep it that way around the adults.
After what felt like a polite amount of time pretending to "reorganize" my book bag, I got up and joined the line of young mons pushing to get out the door. I was last in line, which sucked, but I could wait. Just as the last of the line reached the door, an excited Electabuzz came running through the door. The mon in front of me, a Flaafy, was able to jump out of the way but I wasn't nearly as reflexive. Electabuzz bowled into me, knocking me to the floor behind one of the desks. I heard a quick "sorry", but the Electabuzz kept going like as if I wasn't there.
"Polassand! Polassand! Quick! We need your expertise immediately!"
I floated to retrieve my book bag, hidden behind the desks.
"Oh you need me? It's been a while since you needed the Historian. Has something changed? Something one of the teams couldn't punch their way out of?"
I gave a small smirk at that. It was somewhat well known that Polassand was looked down upon by the rest of the Death-Seekers. They were only interested in fighting, not in studying relics from the past.
"Yes Polassand, something has changed, we think we found it."
I heard papers fall on the floor. The room was deathly quiet.
"R..Really?"
"Team just came in. The map is there."
"Wait. They came in now, shouldn't they have waited till nightfall."
"The Team was really convinced they had it, they rushed straight back here."
"Have you contacted… him?"
"Yeah we got the message out. C'mon we need your help deciphering it"
I could hear them walking back.
Uh oh.
They probably wouldn't like it if they saw me back here, eavesdropping their conversation.
I looked around. They were coming up the aisle. Soon they would see me behind the desk. So I did what I did every time I wanted to hide. I merged with the nearest object, in this case, the desk.
I heard the .tap of them walking up the aisle, then they stopped. Suspiciously close to where I was.
"Huh it appears like Trim left her book bag behind. Better take it and give it to her later. Such a bright young girl she is."
Nononononono, but it was too late. I heard the footsteps getting closer. Then stop, then pick something off the ground. Please don't open the bag Please don't open the bag.
"My how heavy this is."
A chill descended down my body.
"Must be all the books she carries. Well we better go then? Main hall?"
"Yeah Main Hall."
The footsteps faded away. When they had almost disappeared. I unmerged with the desk. They had my book bag. With the contraband candies. I had to get the candies out tonight, before someone decides to peek inside.
I rushed back to my room and started planning. Hopefully I could figure something out before it was too late.
The night was dark and cloudy. Shadows covered the fortress, blanketing everything in blackness. Only a smattering of lit torches provided light. A perfect setting for a heist on the main hall.
I stood at the edge of the main court, the main hall looming across from me. Curfew was up, so I couldn't afford to be seen. I quietly floated along the rim of the courtyard, staying within the shadows of the buildings. I reached the main entrance without a hitch. Now came the hard part.
I suspected that Polassand deposited my book bag in his office in the main hall. The main hall was just that, a big hall that doubles as a meeting spot, and also a communal cafeteria. However off to the side the main hall was another doorway that led into a long hallway. This hallway had the offices of all the administrative staff the fortress had, including Polassand.
I needed to make it across the main hall, make it into the side hallway, get into Polassands office, find my book bag, and get out with the candies, all without being seen. Not an easy task. But I had a plan.
I lowered myself to the ground and listened carefully. I couldn't hear any noises inside, and no lights could be seen from the crack between the floor and the thick double wooden doors that were the entrance to main hall. I sighed, steeled myself, and willed myself to phase through the wooden doors. It worked, but just barely. Phasing through objects was a skill that took a lifetime to master, and at 15 years old, I could only phase through mildly thick objects. Inside was pitch black, a mere two torches at the back of the room provided lighting. I snuck along the edge of the table. Creak. Fuck! I dived under the table. I stayed there, motionless. Silence. It was just the building, nobody here. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and continued on. I reached the doorway to the offices. I looked in. Nobody there. The hall was pitch black. However I could see one room was lit up, and light shone through the crack underneath the door, painting a yellow bar across the otherwise black hallway. I could even hear talking.
I took a deep breath. Polassands office was the 7th down the hall. I rushed down the hallway. 1. .6, aaand 7. I stopped. Steeled myself. Took another deep breath. Then rushed the door to Polassands office, and phased through. I popped out the other side, and looked around. Like everywhere else it was almost pitch black and it was hard to see, but sand covered the floor, so I was probably in the right place.
I floated to what I think was his desk. I looked around, piles of books, random pieces of stones, and… there! My book bag! I started to go for it when I heard a door open, then what sounded like a bunch of mon spilling out into the hallway, loud chattering could be heard through the door. I froze. Then I heard the thump thump thump of a Pokemon walking down the hall. Please don't come here, Please don't come here. They stopped. In front of the door to the room I was in. Maybe they won't come in? The Doorknob started turning. Channeling speed I wasn't even aware a Shuppet was capable of, I launched myself over that desk to the other side. I held my breath, close to the ground, hiding behind the wooden desk. I heard the door completely open. I heard some footsteps and some shuffling, probably Polassand and some other Pokemon.
"So Polassand, the end is near."
"I'd say so, a map to the crystal chamber? The end is in sight."
"After all this time…, can you believe it, the answer hidden underneath some random rubble, in the exploration bag of some centuries old skeletons."
Holding my breath was a mistake. I could feel my lungs starting to burn.
"Often the most mundane of objects give the tastiest of clues."
"Ewww, what? What does that even mean."
I heard them approaching. Please don't come back behind the desk. Maybe I could merge with the desk… ? I looked to my side, nope too thin. If they came back here, I was a goner.
"It just means- you know what nevermind, today is a day of celebration. I believe drinks are in order."
"I believe they are."
I heard a heavy thump. Probably someone setting down a book. The burning in my lungs had started to get painful.
"To a successful mission!"
"I hear that! To a successful mission!"
With that I heard them leave, and close the door. The room immediately got darker as the door shut and I let out a loud gasp as I greedily sucked in air.
Add that to the list of things to do when hiding. Hide behind the desk not in it, and DON'T start holding your breath.
I looked over at the desk. It was a little more cluttered, but I was able to find my book bag again. Just as I picked it up, I heard a sliding noise, and then a loud clatter as all the stuff in my bag fell out. I had picked up from the bottom. Again I froze. Silence. Nobody had heard. I quickly began to stuff my book bag again with the books that fell out. Even found my candies. Hopefully there weren't any crumbs….
Let's see 1,2,3,4,5 books. I had 6 books! Where's the sixth!?
I looked around, but the darkness made it impossible to see what book was what. Eventually I found one that looked like the right size and weighed the right amount. I stuffed it in my bag, and set it back to where I think it was previously.
I started cramming my face full of the candies. Didn't want to be caught red handed after all… . After funneling the candies into my mouth. I headed towards the door, opened it, and came face to face with a very surprised looking Polassand.
"Trim? What are you doing here?"
"Um, uhhhhh." What am I going to say? Well maybe I can tell him part of the truth, just leave out a few... key details.
"Oh Mr. Polassand." I said with the sweetest most innocent sounding voice I could come up with.
"I was just looking for, uhhh, my book bag, I think I left it in your class. I just, uhh, wanted to stop by and pick it up. Yes! I was stopping by to pick up my book bag."
"Oh. Um. Ok Trim, little late to stop by though, don't you think? You're breaking curfew you know. Going to have to write you up for this."
"I'm so sorry. I was just really wanting to read ahead. The history of the wesern fort was just so interesting. How the geography of the cave helped the defenders, how it fell, the tales of the Dread Lord. I just couldn't wait to learn more. I didn't realize I was missing my book bag until later. Please forgive me."
"Oh alright. I can let you off with a warning. You've always been a very studious girl. I would say come on in, but it appears you've already invited yourself to my office."
He gave a little titter to that.
"I see you don't have it. Why is that? It's right on my desk."
"I, uhhhh, can't see well in the dark, and, uhhh, didn't see that you were here, so I was just leaving."
"You can't see well in the dark? As a ghost type the dark is your home. If you're having trouble seeing in the dark you should definitely go see nurse Blissey about your eyesight. That's a little worrying."
He went over to his desk. Started looking about.
"Here it is."
He lifted my book bag up and handed it over to me.
"Sorry about the lighting situation. I'm so used to the dark I sometimes forget some can't see so well in it."
I took the book bag from him. "Thank you Mr. Polossand, I'll go straight back to my room and start studying. I can't wait to read the next part!"
"Well it's nice to see someone interested in the history of the world, sometimes I wish some of the teams would be as enthusiastic as you are about it. Anyways have a good nig-."
Bong. Bong. Bong.
Mr. Polassand and I stopped. Stared at each other. Did he hear the bells as well?
Bong. Bong. Bong.
"What in tarnation are they ringing the bells for?" Polassand muttered.
Bong. Bong. Bong.
I could hear a great commotion in the great hall. What was going on?
"Trim. Follow me."
I followed Polassand through the hall, the bells were still ringing, and the shouting was louder. The main hall was empty, cups were scattered all over the floor, and meals were left unfinished. It was like everyone had rushed out of the room. A suspicion further reinforced by the fact that the main halls doors were slightly ajar and a great quantity of noise was coming from the other side.
I followed Polassand as he opened the doors and stepped out into the courtyard.
It was an absolute Beldam.
Pokemon were running about, I recognized some team leaders. They were screaming orders to their teammates. A Stoutland ran up to us.
"Polassand hurry to the front gate! The agents of the Blight Queen found us! The perimeter has been breached! We're under attack!"
Polassands eyes widened. He rushed off with Stoutland, completely forgetting about me.
I was at a loss for what to do. I didn't see any enemy's but I could hear a great clamor in the distance near the front gate. I saw various elemental beams fire off in the distance. I could see the buildings in the distance shaking as well. No doubt some earth types using Earthquake or magnitude.
Should I go and hide? Should I join the fight? I'm not the greatest fighter, everyone else was usually better at it than me. But I still need to do my part. Can I even do anything? I've never fought the blighted before… .
I was just standing there. Absolutely useless. What was I going to do?
"Trim!"
I looked at where the voice was. Flaffy from class was standing on the edge of the courtyard.
"Come on, didn't you hear. Everyone has been called to the fight! We need your help!"
Alright. At least I had directions on what to do.
I followed after Flaffy into the fray. A bunch of teams had formed a line between two buildings. They were firing attacks into what I assumed was the enemy. The attacks were giving off so much glare and were so thick I couldn't actually see past them. I saw water moves, fire moves, dark pulses, whatever ranged attacks the Pokemon had.
A Kricketune was commanding them.
"Keep firing. Push them back! Push them back to the gate! We need to retake the gate! You Flaffy, use some electric moves and start firing forward, you Shuppet do you know will-o-wisp."
"Umm, Yes Sir!"
"Good, wait here, when the teams stop firing I need you to set fire to any fallen Blighted!"
"Yes Sir!"
I waited behind the line, I could see the moves slowly push forward. The dark pulses were getting farther in, the flamethrowers were pushing forward. Suddenly they burst through, they were clearly no longer hitting anything and were fizzling out a great distance away.
"OK everyone stop! Fire teams, set the blighted alight."
The line stopped firing off their moves, and I saw the aftermath. A great horde of Pokemon was laying face down in the street. I could see that some were broken, some had missing body parts, all of them had putrid yellow lines criss-crossing their bodies. Great moans echoed from the mass, and I could see some of them start slowly reassembling themselves, started regenerating lost limbs.
Then the fire started coming down. I joined in. Throwing will-o-wisps into the mass. The Blighted caught fire. Great shrieks filled the air, but I kept spewing will-o-wisps, simply to shocked to do anything else.
So this is a battle. So these are the blighted.
One by one, the Blighted caught fire. One by one they started to burn. A horrible stench filled the alley. Burning flesh filled my nose. I doubled over and vomited. It smelled so bad. I tried to breathe through my mouth, but then the taste of burning flesh filled it. I vomited again.
I could hear others vomiting as well. Apparently I wasn't the only one affected. I looked around, some of the veterans were grimacing but still stood their ground. Maybe they had experienced this before, maybe they were used to the scent, after all they destroyed Blighted for a living… .
Mercifully, the wind changed directions and the smoke and the smell started to drift the other way. I was able to get up.
"Alright it looks like the Blighted are still burning, none of their comrades will go this way as long as there's a fire in the way."
"Wow… that was awful." Flaffy came up to me.
"Yeah, that was something."
"You two stop lollygagging, go find another group to support, we'll hold the line here!" Kricketune barked at us.
"Yes Si-"
Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
I doubled over, the scream causing me to vomit again. I saw Pokemon with hands cover their ears. I could hear the flapping the wings. I could hear Kricketune yelling.
"Stand your ground! Don't run, fire at it, take it down! Take it down!"
Some of the veterans were shooting at the sky.
I looked up, and nearly had a heart attack. A colossal Noivern swooped right over my head. I barely dodged its talons. It kept going and smashed into Kricketune, continuing on right into a building. I heard a crunch, and then saw as the Noivern flapped away, and Kricketune slide down the wall, body mangled beyond repair.
"Well Well Well, what do we have here?"
What the, where did that voice come from-. Then I saw it, a rider mounted on the Noivern. Clad in a deathly black armor with glowing red symbols scrawled across it. It had stylized wings that reminded me of a Shedinja. Hidden beneath the shadows of the helmet were two glowing red eyes, a sickly blue flame mantled the rider's neck. It looked like a Typhlosion, but it seemed so otherworldly I couldn't be certain.
A tyranitar stepped forward. "Get him boys! He can't take us all on!"
I saw a fair few Pokemon join him. They started launching attacks at the Typhlosion. All sorts of attacks were hurled, rock, dark, some water, even some fire attacks. They collided on the Typhlosion and an massive explosion ripped through the area as they all more or less collided at the same time.
Idiot. What did he think was going to hap-
"Heh Heh Heh. Fools. No move can touch me."
I felt a chill crawl up my body. The smoke cleared from the explosion. The noivern was a mess, the yellow lines of the blight glowing madly, the Noivern reassembling at an alarming pace. The Typhlosion was there too. Completely unharmed.
What. Like 20 some moves hit them? How are they still standing? Is this some trick?
"You call those attacks? Let me show you an attack."
I heard what sounded like a massive sucking noise, then a ball of light appeared in front of the riders face. It sat for a second, glowing brightly, and then a massive blue flamethrower erupted from the ball. The inferno engulfed his attackers, reduced to ashes in an instant, the blue flamethrower continued to sweep along the alley. It was approaching me! I quickly dodged backwards the outer rim of the flames licking me. The heat was nearly unbearable, I nearly screamed in pain. But the flames passed over. I watched as it continued down the alley, engulfing friends, engulfing allies. When it ended I looked about me. Smoldering skeletons littered the alley. Tiny blue flames burned along the ground. Pokemon I had known for my entire life burned to a crisp in an instant. I just stared. A massive pit formed in my stomach.
This can't be happening. Is this a dream? This has to be a dream. This can't be real… .
"So little Shuppet. Still standing are you. Do you want to try to defeat me? Avenge your fallen comrades?"
Wha-
I looked back at the rider. Was it talking to me? Surely it couldn't be talking to me- . Then it dawned on me. I looked to my right, then to my left. I was alone. Completely alone. I was the only who had been nimble enough to escape the flame. I was the only other Pokemon in that alley.
The rider was talking to me.
The thing that just annihilated some of the strongest Pokemon I knew in a single stroke was talking to me.
In fairness I gave a response. Not in some heroic speech, or some brazen attack, but in my actions. For the next thing I knew I was running away from that alley as fast I could.
"A wise move. Certainly wiser than your comrades. But futile none the less. You will be burn just like the rest of your friends."
I heard the flapping of wings.
The noivern had regenerated already?
Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I ducked at the last moment. I heard the talons of the Noivern swoosh overhead.
The Noivern continued and turned around, it dove for me again. I barely dodged out of the way but its talon caught my book bag, causing it tear. The contents spilled out onto the street.
I saw my books laying around, and a few other things I didn't recognize.
Oops must have accidently grabbed some extra stuff from Polassands office.
The Noivern passed over head again. A shadow launched itself off its back and landed right in front of me. I came to a sudden halt. The blue flames resprouted itself on the shadow, revealing the shadow to be the armored Typhlosion.
"You cannot run from me fool."
The Typhlosion swiped at me knocking me to the ground. I landed next to a book I didn't recognize and what appeared to be an old relic. It looked like an egg with wings attached to it. The Typhlosion swiped at me again. I grabbed the book and blocked it. It stopped the swipe, but it pinned me down. The book pressed down on me as Typhlosion kept pressing down.
"Now what, little Shuppet?"
I heard the sucking sound again. The light appeared in front of Typhlosions face. I desperately started to squirm under the book, trying to get out. The light got brighter, and started to turn blue. I squirmed some more, slowly inching my way out from under the book pinning me. The heat started to become unbearable.
I'm not going to make it.
Tears filled my eyes, I kept struggling though. I saw the weird egg thing and decided to take it. I turned to throw it at the Typhlosion. Then two things happened. I heard a click and the mysterious egg glowed with a mysterious energy, and the ball of light erupted into a ball of blue flames. Right as the edge of the flames reached me, I felt a mysterious power and a portal open up beneath me. The next thing I knew I was falling through the air, clinging to the Book, and landing on top of something.
Trim's History Snippets: The Mountain Fortress of the Death Seekers.
When civilization collapsed under the twin threats of the blighted and the outsiders, a group called the Death Seekers formed to try to fix the world. The Death Seekers were widespread, but had to remain hidden from the agents of the Blight Queen, their sworn enemy. As such the Death Seekers built hidden fortresses across the lands to have a base of operation and to keep out of sight of the Blight Queen. In deep crevices, deep underwater, in dense jungles, these small communities remained hidden. One of them was the mountain fortress I'm from. Hidden within a mountain valley, it's protected by thick rock walls. In its center is the main hall. Then in a ring around it is the barracks, where the teams live. The teams go out and do missions, usually exploratory. They have to leave before dawn and come back at night, so that the Blighted have trouble following them, and thus accidently discover the fortress. Around them is a ring of buildings that house everyone else. Support staff, newly hatched young ones like myself, etc. Life in the fortress is fairly monotonous, as only teams are allowed to leave. Most Pokemon not out on a mission either chat with others, go to school, or read books from the library, which due to Mr. Polassands work, is quite extensive.
