AN: A Hero's party. Just not with the MC. Lol.
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Disclaimer: I own no source material.
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Chapter 7: HOTD Part 3: Bob's Journey.
Bob's Log Book day 1
Bob's POV:
Life on the long road isn't easy for a Shedinja with a single health point.
The beating sun on my back. The harsh sandy winds threatening to overturn my shell. And the waves of monsters my trainer has tasked me with defeating weigh me down.
My limbs feel heavy. My wings strained. But I will not give in. If I want to be the very best, I have to push through this challenge and push on.
Light built in my mouth as I unleashed my devastating hyper beam to the dead humans. Master said they were bad things, so they must be taken out for good. He told me to see for myself, and I saw.
I panted for breath and smiled at the devastation I caused. The trench dug into the earth where dozens of dead humans were walking.
Pushing on, I crested a hill and looked back with a sigh. It has already been a day and I've barely made it out of my starting city.
How could I fulfill my trainers quest if I couldn't get where I had to go?
My eyes narrowed in thought and a lightbulb went off in my head. If I had to go faster, I just had to improvise.
Focusing on one of the moves my trainer gave me, I cast [Gust] and let the wind catch my wings to push me forward like a rocket.
Yes, this is the way.
Bob's Log Book Day 8
My journey made great headway. The dead humans were wiped out everywhere I went like a force of nature! They never saw me coming.
However, a curious thing happened today.
While following a large group of dead humans, I came upon the strange sight of a car sized creature fighting them on its own!
A carapace that shined in the sunlight, looking much more knightly and majestic than my own simple shell. Mighty blades of steel like pincers and mandibles tore through the enemies like a knife through butter.
It was a fight I wouldn't forget anytime soon, and I couldn't contain my blood from boiling and jumping into the fray. Together, we tore through hundreds of dead ones in a fraction of the time I could do it alone. They never stayed grouped up for me to hit all at once.
Once the fighting ended, I carefully approached the new figure and introduced myself. The new one introduced himself as Tom, a member of the Bullheaded Ant race. A fierce line of warriors who never went down without a fight.
Tom told me of how he fell into a bucket of some strange glowing liquid and grew over to become bigger than the two leggers who his race had been at war with from before anyone remembered.
He was a warrior who sought to gain his vengeance against the two leggers who took so much from his people. He was ready to give his mandibles for a chance to increase the safety of his kind.
I felt for him. His emotions raged like flames. But I couldn't let him to continue on such a self-destructive path. To waste his life away in pain like that? It was too much for my hollow shell to bear.
I invited him on my journey, told him of my quest, and he eagerly followed along, his mandibles clenching in eagerness for more vengeance.
It was my only path forward. I had to convince him not all two leggers were bad. Someday, someone out there would reach for Tom like my trainer did for me. He couldn't give up hope before that.
I would show him. I would teach him. Together we would be more.
Bob's Log Book Day 12
It has been four days since Tom joined me.
The mighty warrior of valor and vengeance tore through all the dead humans it came across without ever slowing down. A determined grit in his eyes that I knew well, for it was what I saw in my own hollow eyes whenever I looked in my reflection.
We speared a path in the direction my trainer had told me to go toward. This land was his to conquer. It was my job to make it to the next land and keep things going. To lower the numbers of the dead ones.
We were almost to the shoreline, I could smell the salt on the wind, when tragedy struck.
Tom fell beneath the sands into an underground cavern. I couldn't leave my ally behind and dove in after him, trapping us both beneath layers of heavy stone.
The realization came too late; we were trapped. I couldn't continue my trainers quest. I was a failure.
No. I slapped myself and remembered my trainers smile and faith. I wouldn't give in so easily.
The space was too enclosed, I didn't want to risk a large attack that would hurt Tom.
I had no need for air or sleep, but even I would perish without sustenance. I needed life to absorb from and there was nothing but stone down below.
Tom raged in his confinement until I was able to calm him down from dooming us both. There was no way out of our cage.
What felt like hours must have passed before the earth around us began to rumble once more. I warned Tom to be on guard for danger when the ground beneath us caved in and the head of a giant peaked through.
It was like seeing a gyarados on land.
A beast a thousand legs, capable of shattering steel between cruel looking pincers. It looked at Tom and I with great confusion and moved closer to examine us.
It was then that I realized it wasn't acting aggressively and decided to speak up despite Tom trying to make me stay quiet.
I introduced myself to the beast, and it surprisingly answered back in a soft feminine voice.
Tiana she called herself. Tiana the giant centipede. Tia for short.
Tia was an overexcited child. She wanted to know more about the surface world but her family never let her go beyond a certain range. She was full of mean things to say about them.
Seeing another soul hurting and on the verge of making a bad life choice, I told her of our journey and quest, asking her is she would like to come along.
At least with us, I know she wouldn't be tricked by bad men. Surprisingly, he parents were all for it. For some reason they were even smaller than me, but they gave me offended looks for asking so I quickly apologized.
Tia was a master of the earth. Not like Paul was as my fellow Pokemon under our glorious trainer, but in her own right neither earth nor water bothered her a bit.
It was a good thing too because the overexcited girl dug directly into the waterline of the ocean and flooded the cave.
I rolled my hollow eyes and rolled up the metaphorical sleeves to save my wayward allies.
Bob's Log Book Day 18
Thanks to Tia, the three of us swam to the nearest land at a brisk pace. Her giant long body was perfect and a thousand legs kicking at once generated great thrust.
We landed upon the land called Indonesia where we took the fight to the hordes of dead ones. My devastating large scale attacks awed my friends and made me the de facto leader.
It was no surprise. The alpha Pokemon in a pack was always the strongest. Not that I held that over their heads. No, my orders were for the glory of our quest and the betterment of ourselves.
I tried to direct Tom's anger toward the dead ones, hoping he got enough out of his system before we met any live ones.
Tia on the other hand had no rage issues, but more of that she had no combat practice before.
I felt like I was teaching a baby Ekans how to fend for itself, but I pushed through. Tia was just so innocent; you couldn't help but want to help her.
I'm pretty sure I caught Tom staring a time or two, but I kept it to myself as a good friend and would support his mating advances.
Our journey took us across the land, scouring islands as they came and leaving not but unmoving dead ones in our wakes. Just like my trainer taught me, I made sure all the heads were smashed good.
The dead ones were fierce, but we were fiercer.
I could feel us growing stronger with each day, our stats were increasing and move pools widening.
Tom found he could use flamethrower after getting into a tricky fight with dead ones piling him while Tia and I were preoccupied.
Tia was a ground type through and through. Like a mighty Onix she dug through the earth and crushed her foes.
The team was growing, but it wasn't enough. We needed to be stronger, faster, we needed more.
Bob's Log Book Day 22
We found a new ally.
A cowardly tank named Phillip, or Phil for short.
Phil must have had Heracross blood in him because he was a massive Rhinoceros beetle who could pierce through steel with his manly horn.
Unfortunately, he was afraid of the dead ones. He suddenly found himself big one day after eating the dead ones that didn't move and was too afraid of two leggers to dare risk fighting them.
Not that they could do anything to him. His powerful body was impenetrable when he locked up, and his booming voice could attract dead ones for miles. Something interesting about him was that when he called, it seemed like the dead ones even sped up to reach him and uselessly attack his shell.
He was perfect.
It was a long fortnight before we could convince him to join us, but he had courage burning in his heart despite his fear.
I'm proud to call him a friend.
With his ability to call dead ones to us, our speed increased tremendously.
With Tia's ground moves and large body carrying us where we needed to go, Tom's powerful offense tearing limb from limb with fire trailing his steps, Phil's aggro and tank, and my mighty moves graced to be my great trainer, we were unstoppable.
The only issue was the stragglers, they slowed us down far too much for my liking, but what could I do?
I was in a pickle.
Bob's Log Book Day 27
Arceus was watching over me, I'm sure.
A plea for help rang out while we scoured a new land, and my friends and I rushed to the aid of what we learned was a pregnant locust queen named Cleopatra, or Cleo for short.
Cleo's tale was tragic.
The dead ones tore through her lands, feasting on her people with nothing more than casual indifference.
She was powerless to stop them as nothing she did could get past their dead flesh. She didn't know the head was where they were weak.
That information only came toward the end of her war.
Failed and with a burning kingdom behind her, Cleo fled with her best knights to find a method to produce stronger soldiers and regain what was lost.
The queen wasn't meant to travel, she had to provide, nurture, and guide the generations as a ruler. But when all hope was lost, Cleo found the records of her ancient ancestors.
Her ancestors passed down knowledge of an ancient method to strengthen their bloodline in dire situations.
A sea creature known as Patella Vulgata, an elusive sea steed with an impenetrable shell they carry. She showed me sketches and I could tell it was similar to a Macargo without the fire.
Her journey to find them proved successful, but at the cost of elite warriors. Her head captain had perished just as they arrived. A man among men who died on his feet, staring them down with his final breath.
Konjuro, you shall never be forgotten for your bravery.
Now, as Cleo had what she needed to fight back, with only time as her final barrier, she was powerless to stop the dead ones as she worked to birth the new generation, unable to defend herself from the horde.
I didn't even have to say anything.
Tia was wrapped protectively around Cleo. Phil plopped his shell down beside her like a wall of steel. And Tom was frothing at the mouth to burn any who came closer to ash.
I approved of their actions and invited Cleo on our quest.
She was amazed to her about my great trainer and the arduous quest I was given. It was only as I told my tale that I realized I never told Tom my trainer was a two legger.
Things grew strained between us, but I knew how to manage him. He was a warrior and a friend, so we clashed and threw our ideals against one another.
The land was torn, the forests raged aflame, and I hovered triumphant over my crying friend.
He questioned me. Questioned why I would listen to a two legger. Why I betrayed him.
So I told him.
I told him of my past. Of my sorrows and pains of being rejected and tossed aside time after time.
And then I told him of my trainer. Of how he came swooping in and rescued me from my darkness. Gave me a name, a home, and a purpose.
I told Tom of the speech my trainer gave on freedom. How it lit a fire in my soul like no other. How he led the charge against the treacherous two leggers who enslaved me and so many others.
I would become the best and stand by his side as his greatest shield and sword.
Tom and I talked long into the night, unaware that the rest of the team had been listening in, but I caught them the next morning as they had fallen asleep cuddled up in hearing distance.
I didn't mind. I wanted my friends to know. Not all two leggers were bad. Don't let fear or anger overcome you. Rise above them. Conquer them. And become more.
Bob's Log Book Day 42
The team was alight like nothing else. With our new ally birthing a legion of mighty warriors that follower her expert commands, we smashed through the hordes like a charging Rhydon. City after city, town after town, nothing was left behind us.
And it was then that we ran into our first still living two leggers. Small young ones so full of fear and anger at the world.
I discussed it with the group and we decided to take them along.
Little Sarah and Mike. They couldn't have been more than twelve years old by human standards. The perfect age to begin a journey of epic proportions in my world.
The young ones were hesitant, but I was patient with them and when they realized we meant them no harm and fought the dead ones, they got over their hesitance quite quickly.
I was glad, it's not easy to communicate being a Shedinja. Maybe if I were a psychic type communication would have been easier.
I missed my trainer. He could understand me so easily. I wanted to call him on the starting equipment he gave me, but I resisted. It was for emergencies, and such a time hadn't come yet.
The little ones were like the start of a long rope as we traveled and began coming across more and more two leggers in small groups of two to five.
Many screamed and violently reacted, but they could do nothing to us so we didn't fight back. Tom may have spat fire at a few but I didn't react as he didn't directly attack anyone.
Little Sarah and Mike turned out to be great agents for us. They quickly swayed many of the views against us, although few rejected us still and didn't stick around for long.
The ones who stayed supported us. It warmed my hollow shell to see Tia being pampered by smiling faces. Even Phil was slowly coming out of his shell, so to speak.
But there was more work to be done. We had to push on, and the humans followed behind in wagons of steel.
Bob's Log Book Day 58
Our following had grown and the living ones started praising us as hero's.
I rejected the praise of course. I was no hero. I was Bob, and I did everything for my trainer.
But I didn't stop my friends from being praised and honored. They deserved it.
Tom was the warrior of flame, passionate, fierce, and wrathful. But he was a warrior of honor as well.
Tia was the curious giant and protector of children. She was swift like the wind and shook the earth as she swam deep below. She was loved and praised by all.
Phil was the stalwart shy guardian. He stood apart from the rest to make sure all the dead ones who appeared zeroed in on him. Although his acts of never fighting back have earned him the title of pacifist. Many of the two leggers with shaved heads took to sitting by him and meditating on higher meaning.
And Cleo was a ruler through and through. Once the living ones joined us, she considered them part of her responsibility. She organized the two leggers, made sure her soldiers scoured the land for supplies they needed, and kept them secure.
But the two leggers weren't content to be pampered. Many noble warriors rose up from all genders, all ages, and all followings.
They were not like us; they were fragile and vulnerable without a single Pokemon move. But they fought anyway for their land and lives.
It was an honor to lead them.
Bob's Log Book Day 70
We ran into groups of larger living ones with more powerful weapons and soldiers.
They tried to demand we follow surrender and follow them, but before we could even respond, our own living ones fought back fiercely.
What followed was hard to say, but little Sarah and Mike asked me to demonstrate my strongest attack on a distant mountain so I complied.
It was close to noon, and I really had to get practice with more of my larger move pool my trainer gifted me with, so I chose to go against my instinct to fire a Hyper Beam.
Sunlight strengthened and gathered on my shell in glowing balls of light, I felt the power of the grass type move fill me with vitality, like a thousand suns coursing through my hollow shell, I concentrated all the power into a point and unleashed a beam of heat and light toward the distant mountain.
When the dust cleared, a hole punched clean through from one side to another.
I buzzed happily to myself at the sight. I was growing stronger. My trainer would be pleased.
For some reason, the big group of living ones stopped fighting after that and quickly integrated in our group.
Cleo was quick to put the fear of a monarch and queen into the older living one who wore the nice jacket with fancy medals and issued orders to the others.
She also put the fear of women in me to be honest. My show seemed to spark something in her and she directly asked me to mate with her and make strong offspring.
I admit I was shy about the prospect. No mate ever propositioned me before. But I couldn't be distracted by earthly things and told her we could talk after the quest.
She didn't seem satisfied and I feared for my shell. Cleo wasn't a woman to back down.
Bob's Log Book Day 78
Our group came upon a large fortress. The head living one told us it held numerous resources they needed for their people.
I understood the severity. The cold was settling in and the young ones had no fur or shell to comfort them. The nest always had to fortify for the cold wave.
Tom kept circling the two leggers, breathing fire and heating up the air to clear away snow and the chill. He might not care for the adult ones but even he wouldn't wish pain on the young ones who still needed a nest. I was proud of how far he had come.
Tia as well kept her body extended to warm as many as wished to cuddle up with her. The silky hairs on her body generating a great deal of warmth.
The fortress had supplies the living ones would need to survive the winter and fortify their safety. We couldn't keep escorting them around the world after all.
But it was full of the dead ones and it was too risky for the living ones in small spaces like that. Likewise, the team couldn't unleash our full might as the living ones needed the place intact.
It was a job for me and Cleo this time. The team wasn't happy but I told them to have faith in me and it warmed my shell that they were never worried for my safety. They believed in me.
I would show them their belief held true.
With a nod to Cleo, we made our way into the fortress by air with her soldiers following in formation. The plan was for Phil to get to the entrance and make the loudest call he could.
The dead ones would react to the sound and start moving around, making it easier for the two of us to find where they were.
I signaled for Cleo to clear one section while I snuck into the shadows and vanished with [Shadow Sneak] into the inner halls. I had to keep my attacks small and deadly while not making much noise so I dug into the ghost type energy and pulled on the moves I had.
[Shadow Ball] was good for pulping the heads before they knew I was there.
[Shadow Claw] formed shadowy claws that tore their heads to ribbons.
And [Will-O-Wisp] was perfect for setting them, and only them, alight in fire. I made sure to light every leftover corpse on my journey. The living ones had to live here after, and the dead ones wouldn't be appreciated.
The young ones who were too young to begin their journeys shouldn't see something so horrible.
I was determined to protect them. They were my charge and I would not fail them. For the innocence of youth, I would cleanse this place and give them a nest. A nest to grow big and strong and take on the world.
"SHEDINJA!" I roared my name to the heavens and swept through the base like an unstoppable tide.
No dead one remained when I was finished and left with my top hat down to cover my eyes. Cleo looked at the back of my minion onesie with awe and her men were shifting nervously around me but I didn't say anything. I led her and her men back to the team and shared the news to a resounding cheer.
The living ones flooded into the base, power was turned on, facilities were put to use, and the smiles of the young ones put my heart to rest.
They would be safe for the coming cold.
But my journey wouldn't stop here.
Bob's Log Book Day 94
The horde never ended.
The team and I fought day and night. Collecting the living ones where we could and devasting the land scape as we went along.
The living ones from the first base set up their metal carriages to follow us, bringing aid and care to those we could find.
But it was a minority.
For every few thousand dead ones, only one or two living ones turned up. Standing atop a hill looking over the devasted landscape with all the burning bodies of the dead weighed heavily on my soul. But the smiles of those we saved being escorted into the metal carriages gave meaning to our actions.
I began with my quest. My mission from my trainer. But smaller goals built up over time.
I want to help these living ones. I want to make their nest secure. I want the little ones to grow strong and tall.
My friends came up behind me silently.
Tom huffing with flames and looking ahead.
Tia with a more mature look clicking her mandibles determinedly.
Phil grunting and cracking the earth beneath his limbs.
And Cleo hovering by my side with flushed cheeks.
Our resolution burned brightly. We would push on, and we would win.
Bob's Log Book Day 140
The journey across the land once known as China was long and arduous, but we prevailed and saved all we could.
A string of fortress's were set up starting from the first we conquered those few months ago. The living ones creating a stable defensive pocket with our help.
Their defenses were reinforced after we raided bases across the land and brought back the supplies they needed. No dead ones came within five miles of any of their defenses.
Tens of thousands of living ones now occupied the five bases set up. Gathering sunlight for power and filtering the rivers for water while growing crops and bringing in fish from the sea base.
I was proud of how far we came.
My trainer would be proud.
I had to eliminate the unfortunate wildlife of this land. They had feasted on the dead ones and lost their minds to illness. It hurt. Those poor souls having become no better than the dead ones, trapped in their own shells.
My team and I made sure to put them to rest when we could before they could hurt anyone else.
The land was quiet. Nature was silent. A mournful air hung in the ambience.
The dead ones had to be stopped.
I knew my trainer could do it. I just had to fulfill my side of things.
We pushed on.
Bob's Log Book Day 180
Sixth months have passed since that tearful goodbye with my trainer all those days ago.
My minion onesie and top hat had long since become worn, but I wouldn't let them be removed. My trainers gifts were to be treasured. I would return as I left, only stronger.
Things continued as they were, we terminated the dead ones and brought back the living ones.
A string of bases now decorated the land once known as china from west to east. An unbreakable chain of connected living ones, all fighting to survive and thrive. The nest had grown strong.
And now it had a chance to grow stronger still.
Our group came upon an interesting sight in the eastern most city of what was once China.
The city of Shanghai still stood.
A sole fortress set up by the oceans water stood strongly, guarded by soldiers on walls, and spotlights keeping the area illuminated.
We brought our living ones forward and let them deal with it while my team and I scoured the city. The dead ones had been concentrated heavily in the city, and it took us days to clear it out even with our advanced methods.
My limbs were aching after we finished, and even then I was the least physically active among my team. Tia was forced to carry the rest who couldn't move from exhaustion as we healed.
It was then that our living ones approached with unfamiliar faces.
The leaders of the new fortress wanted to meet us.
I took Cleo with me and left the others to rest inside the fortress while we head toward the upper floors of the base.
Everywhere I looked, living ones stopped and stared as we passed. I did my best to be friendly and bowed my top hat in greeting, getting hesitant greetings in return.
Why were they whispering about an angel? Was there someone else behind me? I was Bob. I think they must have been tired.
When I got the meeting room, I was met with an odd sight as a dozen exclamations rang out at once. Voices were raised and things were said between our living ones and theirs before the leader of our group signaled me forward.
Everyone gave their name and a greeting and I tried to remember them. Saya Takagi, Saeko Busujima, Shizuka Marikawa, Takashi Komuro, Rei Mayamoto, Kohta Hirano, Rika Minami, and a few others.
They were much older than starting trainers, so I'm sure they must have been powerful trainers in their own right. These ones were strong enough to hold a nest without my help. I was reassured.
Two leggers….oops, I should really get out of that habit of calling them that, but I blame Tom. Humans names were so strange. Why were they so long?
Bob was good and short. Even my trainers name was just Jafar. Humans are silly.
They asked me strange questions I tried my best to answer with nods or shakes, but it got annoying after a while. I didn't have time to be a teacher and tell them of my trainers great plan.
That's when I remembered I could just get my trainer to tell them.
I was a genius. This was the perfect time to use my trainers gift.
Before the eyes of everyone in the room and to the surprise of even Cleo, I unzipped my minion onesie and reached a limb inside to the hidden pocket in there to remove the phone thing I was given back before I left.
A cell phone I guess from what everyone exclaimed.
I put it down on the table and did what my trainer told me. Pressing the power button and then the button speed dial call before pointing my limb at the one who seemed like he was in charge of the group.
"Shed."
The one known as Takashi pointed a finger at himself in surprise. "Me?"
I nodded to the young one and pointed at my phone. "Shed."
Takashi looked around for confirmation before swallowing and stepping forward to press the call button.
It's ring must have surprised the group because they didn't know cell phones could still work. Silly human, my trainer wouldn't give me something that couldn't work. He was the strongest of them all.
The call connected a moment later and the screen lit up with my trainers face. "Hm? Oh, Bob, is that you buddy?" My eyes lit up in excitement and I waved. It had been so long.
His black hair had grown long with a red sash across his forehead holding it out his face and his skin had paled slightly, but those shining green eyes and jokers smile was one hundred percent my trainer.
"Shed!" I called excitedly and Jafar laughed and sat down, letting everyone catch a glimpse of the small mountain of corpses beneath him with holes in their heads and the bloody spear impaled in the one by his side somewhere in a city with a rotting garden around him.
Takashi coughed nervously into his fist and spoke up. "Um…hello? This is Takashi Komuro, are there more survivors out there?"
Jafar's green eyes zeroed in on the young man and I felt a little sorry for him. My trainers smile only grew larger. Master had found a new toy to play with.
Chapter end.